Read Across America

Read Across America is coming up, and like many librarians, I am working on programming.

If you are new to my blog- a little background about my school.

I am a middle school librarian for a campus that is a hybrid model.  We have grades 6th-8th, about 900 students, one-to-one devices, and about 400 on-campus face to face.  

Next week is not only Read Across America- but it is also North Texas Teen Book Festival which is a FREE event that is virtual.  So, what better way to celebrate Read Across America than adding in North Texas Teen Book Festival.

Each day we have a different hashtag and prompt. I will be posting this on our Library Canvas page with a link for students to fill out a Google Form.  Do you want your own copy-click this link and this will force copy

Currently, on Mondays and Fridays, I already have time on Zoom from 8am-8:15am where I read.  Mondays-we are reading a book and Fridays I do #FirstChapterFridays My First Chapter Fridays are currently books that are on the North Texas Teen Book Festival Link.  This has been a plus of being hybrid and using Zoom.  Often times I would only see ELAR classes, but with Zoom- ALL classes are able to hop on.  I am working with my amazing DEAN April Richmond who always helps me with my ideas. 

Next week we will be sharing a book each morning via Zoom from 8:00am-8:15am.  I send calendar invites to teachers, but students also have the ability to login on their own (we have 2 people monitoring students as they come in)  The book and information also get posted into the Library Canvas classroom daily. Despite what middle schoolers think- they do love a picture book (and picture books are AMAZING!)

The thing I am MOST excited about sharing is- Read Across America-North Texas Teen Book Festival. Jillian Heise posted this AMAZING blog about actually Reading Across America.   Although this is amazing, I needed something more middle school.  With the help of Donald Cummings and Hope Krum we created a Read Across America with the stories from the places that happen in the books from authors with the North Texas Teen Book Festival. 

Each book that is shared is linked to information from Teachingbooks.net  We also linked to the panel that that author will be presenting.  This will be a changing document (thank goodness for Google!)

You can find the presentation here (know that we are still adding to it) Thank you Jillian for the GREAT idea!

What are you doing for Read Across America? Are you marking your calendar for North Texas Teen Book Festival? 

Want a copy of my March calendar- click this link and it will force a copy

#NTTBF19

I have been home for about 3 hours, and my brain has been reeling from attending the North Texas Teen Book Festival (#NTTBF) This was my third one to attend, but my first to take a group of students.

I attended the first one with my friend McKennan.  She had asked if I wanted to go to a book festival that was down the street, so I said sure.. thinking it would only be a couple of hours. We ended up staying the whole day and getting books signed. Before #NTTBF15 I had already been talking to some of my librarian friends about becoming a librarian, but it was just talk and in the back of my mind.  During the session It's The End of the World as We Know It, I was so inspired by several of the authors, but especially Alex London. They talked about how powerful it is to share your work no matter if it is good or bad. That it is important to be rejected, because that it only makes you better.  As I sat there.. I realized how I want to give even more students the opportunities to listen to authors that are writing for them. You can find my blog about #NTTBF15 here.

I volunteered at #NTTBF last year not knowing that my path would soon change and I would get that chance to take students.  I got a late start preparing due to Destination ImagiNation.  But before spring break started.. I had the bus ordered, a list of students.. shirts ordered and was ready!

I met my students at Lamar (many had attended before with the previous amazing librarian!) this morning at 7:45am and we were on our way by 8:15am. We missed the wristbands that were given out (things to rethink about next year) To attend some of the sessions and specific authors, wristbands are required.  Did I mention the whole festival is FREE? It takes a ton of man power from the amazing people that organize it to the 100s of volunteers to make sure it runs smoothly.

Although there were so many panels I wanted to see, I did a TON of picture taking. I had the chance to provide pictures to the Visit Irving Texas Instagram feed. I enjoyed people watching as I saw so many excited readers meeting the authors of the characters and stories they had fallen in love with.

She drug me to the first one and I am so glad that she did!

Had to stop Alex London again and tell him thanks for inspiring me to become a librarian.

I finally got to meet Hope in person! She is doing AMAZING things.. and she used to be the librarian in the Lamar Library!

These ladies were the awesome chaperones with me!

Horizon Imprinting always does a great job for me. Our students looked fabulous (and were easier to spot!)

I did attend one session called Adventure Awaits. The panel was Holly Golberg Sloan, Daniel Older, Lisa McMann, Yoon Ha Lee, Sean Easley, and Soman Chainani. I think my favorite part is where they shared "Easter Eggs" that you might find in their books.  I enjoyed hearing how one of the characters from Sean Easley's book was from a kiddo that he knows that uses a wheelchair.  As librarians we are always looking for windows and mirrors to share, and I can't wait to share that one. I also loved what Holly Sloan said about her character Willow Chance.  Such a deep meaning for a name, and I hope that I am both will and chance for all the things I have done and who I am.

My Top 3 of #NTTB19
1. Having conversations with various students about what books they were reading, why they were in love with the characters and realizing I need to read SO much more!
2. Playing photographer! I know I just had my phone on my camera, but I loved nabbing all the different pictures (and I sort of loved getting some sneaky shots of some amazing authors!)

Signing for Tomi Adeyemi 

Signing lines for Raina Telgemeier and Angie Thomas

3. Taking a group of kids! Oh my goodness, I know it was only 23 students.. but I LOVED that I got to share NTTBF with them.

I can't wait until next year! Did you go to NTTBF? What was your favorite part?