2014 Preview

Yes, we're already looking past the holiday season to what's happening in the New Year. We've got some great authors lined up plus a few more possibilities in the works. And Jane is busy building recommended reading lists to go with the 2014 talks. Here's what we have planned, with a little extra information if you want to start thinking ahead . . .

January 18th, 11 am: Boys and Books with Duncan McDougall of Children's Literacy Foundation and Dan Greene, U-32 High School Librarian - A discussion of how to engage boys who are reluctant readers in trying more books, and expanding the range and complexity of their reading.

This talk was one requested by in our educator surveys over the summer. Here are some articles that have caught our eye as we think about this topic.

Percentage reading for fun at least 5 times / week (From American Library Association)
 

• American Library Association post on reluctant readers & their demographics
• Pleasure Reading Significantly Increases School Performance, MediaBistro (with link to study)
• Essay on Writing for Boys by Robert Lipsyte, New York Times 
• Inspiring the Reluctant Reader Washington Post
• Mo Willems on Writing for the Reluctant Reader Washington Post
• Study Shows Value of Letting Kids Read What They Want, Scholastic
• Children's Literacy Foundation Blog 
• Boys & Books, Reading Rockets
• Guys Read, website for the Guys Read literacy program by Jon Scieszka
  

March 8th, 11 am: Writing Workshop with authors Kate Messner and Jo Knowles - Participants should be prepared to do their own writing in this workshop that will be full of ideas for both the classroom and teachers’ own writing interests.

Both Kate and Jo have a lot of great materials posted online about writing and educators who write.  Here are some starting points:

• Kate Messner's Blog  
• Kate's Teachers Write! site (virtual writing summer camp)
• Jo Knowles' Blog 
• Jo's recent series of guest blog posts at Inside a Dog
• Jo on Dorothy's List (see below)

March 22nd, 11 am: Grace Greene of the Vermont Dept. of Libraries presents the 2014-2015 Dorothy Canfield Fisher List - An overview of the newly announced DCF list and resources for building activities around these books.

We can't give you a sneak preview of this one, because we also won't know the list until March. But check out Dorothy's List - a new VPR program profiling books on the current DCF list. Also, see this list of 2013 DCF materials from the VT Department of Libraries.