Book Talks

Last Friday, our high school's ELD Coordinator and I teamed up to give a book talk to several students who are so very close to passing the CELDT. I've learned that a little treat can go a long way so I baked some cookies and we invited them in. The coordinator loves young adult fiction, and her passion for it was very evident in the way she shared about the themes and characters of books such as Unwind, The Pregnancy Project, Thirteen Reasons Why, and The Watsons Go to Birmingham. A few of their faces were familiar, but for most of the twenty students, it was their first time in the library and I wasn't sure what type of book would entice them so I provided a wide variety. I touched on romance with Eleanor and Park, comedy and adventure with Holes, historical fiction with All the Light We Cannot See, and tried to provide familiar titles like those that have been transformed into film such as The Monster Calls and The Martian. Why do kids hate to read? Why must they be tempted with cookies and fifty title choices? The ELD Coordinator also paired the students with a mentor from the school's administrative team. What I have often seen is a push for kids to pass, merely for the sake of reporting another success. But, I was so encouraged by the care our staff is trying to communicate to these students. Perhaps that, beyond anything, will motivate them to read and invest in their academic success.