Tag Archives: Reading success

Celebrating Literacy-Globally and Locally

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The walls of the OrchardDSCN0706 School Library Media Center faded away last week as young learners from South Burlington, Vermont met with friends in several elementary schools across the country via Skype and Google Hangout. As participants in the Global Read Aloud project, readers throughout the United States and beyond read and discuss books both synchronously and asynchronously for six weeks beginning in October. Educators who jump into the Global Read Aloud are encouraged to find creative ways to incorporate the joys of shared reading both locally and globally.

Through the GRA website and wiki, teachers and librarians can collaborate with each other and their classrooms through Twitter, Edmodo, Skype, Kidblog, and other social media sites. The project began in 2010 with a Wisconsin educator, Pernille Ripp, who envisioned a read aloud that would connect kids and books beyond the classroom. The program has grown exponentially, from 150 in 2010 to over 300,000 student participants from over 60 countries in 2014.  The GRA 2015 has kicked off with four middle grade titles for discussion this year, and an author study for the picture book crowd.

GRA in Action at Orchard

At Orchard School, the library media specialist, Donna Sullivan-Macdonald also wears the tech integrationist hat, and the school library program is an active hub of learning and literacy that connects the school to the world beyond. The Global Read Aloud Project is high on Donna’s list of real world connections.  She has participated in the GRA since 2011 with one class of fifth graders, and this year the project includes all twenty classes, kindergarten through fifth grade. Each class is paired with a class in another state, and the students have had fun getting to know one another through Mystery Skypes, Google Hangouts, sharing Padlets, writing and responding to blog posts, tweeting, taking surveys, and exchanging emails. To get a flavor of how the connections work, Donna tells about using the 2015 GRA with some of her students:

“For the Amy Krause Rosenthal picture book author study, kindergarten and first graders heard the first book in the project, Chopsticks, and then learned to use the tool. We’re now creating a shared book of pictures of students eating with chopsticks with some new friends in the state of Georgia.”

When I visited last week, Donna read another book by Rosenthal, It’s Not Fair, to a class of second graders, and explored concepts about fairness and taking turns by arranging for two activities for the class.  The object was to make sure that all had equal time for the activities. Fifteen minutes before the end of the class time, the students got together via Hangout with their buddy class in Indiana to discuss the book and ideas about fairness.  It was amazing to see the Orchard students actually having an interactive discussion with kids miles and miles away.

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Local Connections

Connecting reading to the world is not limited to just the Global Read Aloud at Orchard School.  Another ongoing project is a Food Drive that has been inspired by Katherine Applegate’s newest book, Crenshaw. The author of The One and Only Ivan has provided much food for thought for her reading fans. The topic of homelessness is sensitively addressed, and readers can make connections with real world problems and can learn to make a difference.  The publisher has launched a program #crenshawfooddrive that invites independent bookstores to raise awareness about childhood hunger based on ideas from Applegate’s book.  Crenshaw is imaginary. Childhood hunger isn’t. Help us feed families in need. http://www.mackidsbooks.com/crenshaw/fooddrive.html

In August, Donna contacted Phoenix Books in Burlington and suggested that they could work as partners to contribute to the food drive for the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf.

Donna explains how Crenshaw sparked a study of childhood hunger at Orchard School:

“The fifth grade teachers read Crenshaw as their first read aloud this school year. In the library, we researched childhood hunger and presented this information on posters, created in both in the makerspace and on the computer. Students also created a slide show on childhood hunger and ran a whole school morning meeting introducing the food drive to the school. There were speakers from both Phoenix Books and the Chittenden Food Shelf. No teachers spoke. It was student driven. Heading into the final week, we’re at 819 items donated!

Back to Crenshaw, many 2nd through 4th grade teachers have since read the book to their classes. I have used Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s message about random acts of kindness in my discussions with K-3 students who are reading her books.

On Friday, after reporting final totals to the school at morning meeting, one fifth grade class will load all of our donations on a bus and we’ll head to the food shelf for a tour and a weighing of all the donated food.

It’s heartwarming to witness the kindness and empathy shown by  young children through participation in this project.

Although not formally a part of GRA, the food drive has fit in nicely.”DSCN0699

For Donna, and the many other talented teacher librarians and educators in our schools, celebrating literacy is an everyday joy that is embedded within the fabric of a culture of collaboration that makes a school a vibrant and caring place for our students and our colleagues.

Thank you Donna for sharing your enthusiasm and energy, and thank you to your students who are making a difference locally and globally!

Resources:

Applegate, Katherine. Crenshaw. New York: Harpercollins, 2015.

Kaplan, Judith. “Donna Sullivan-Macdonald.“ Personal Interview and email correspondence. 20 Oct. 2015.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/dsmacdonald

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/donna-macdonald/35/723/416

Orchard School Library Media Center, 2 Baldwin Ave. So. Burlington, VT 05403 Web. Oct. 25, 2015.<http://library.sbsd.orchard.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/integrated_home.phtml?gid=771938>.

Ripp, Pernille. “Home.” GlobalReadAloud. Wikispaces, 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2015. <http://globalreadaloud.wikispaces.com/>.

 Images:  Judy Kaplan Collection

Reading Rocks

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Posted on behalf of guest blogger Stephanie Jones

When my colleague Lucy Santos Green asked me to write a post for her while she did research in Brazil, I began reflecting on the theme for this month: collaborative reading promotions and literacy events. I teach courses in the school library media concentration in the Instructional Technology program at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. In my work it’s important to me to keep up with what is happening in the school library field, but it’s been eleven years since I worked as an elementary school librarian and my experience in such matters is definitely outdated.

So I turned to the experts, school librarians here in Georgia, and asked them to share with me what they are doing to promote reading in their school communities. In response I heard about an abundance of creative and exciting reading programs. In this blog post I will share two stories that I think exemplify the kind of effective reading programs that can happen when your school library collaborates with members of your school community. The first is from my good friend and fellow storyteller, Linda Martin. On Thursday, I’ll share the second story from Tanya Hudson whom I met when I was a doctoral student and she was earning her Master’s in Instructional Technology at the University of Georgia in Athens. (Go Bulldogs!)

ReadingRocketLinda Martin, who is the school librarian at Sugar Hill Elementary School in Hall County, told me about a summer reading program she has been involved with for the last three years. The program was developed in response to a problem; during the summer many students in Hall County do not read because they do not have transportation to the public libraries. In order to avoid the summer slide, county media specialists working with school personnel brainstormed to find a way to get books to these students. The solution was the Reading Rocket, a bookmobile created from a school bus which the school system donated for this use. The bus was retrofitted by students in a high school shop class who painted it with bright colors and installed gutters to hold the paperback books from Scholastic.

The Reading Rocket operates two days of the week during the summer, traveling to schools, community centers, and trailer parks to bring books to children. The bookmobile is staffed mostly by volunteers: teachers, principals, media specialists, teachers, and even some students who enjoy helping their friends find books to read. Now in its third year, the Reading Rocket is just one part of a year-round reading program developed by a collaboration between Hall County Schools and the public library. You can read more about this innovative reading project at the Reading Rocks website and you can follow them at Twitter @HCReadingRocks.

Stephanie A. Jones, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Instructional Technology
Georgia Southern University
@sajones53

Literacy Is a Team Sport

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This month the BACC cobloggers will share ideas about collaborative reading promotions and literacy events.

While every school librarian strives to make the library the hub of learning, we also know that it takes a whole-school approach to supporting students as they engage in literacy for the 21st century. Enlisting all members of the school community in promoting reading is necessary.

And as this video demonstrates, it’s fun! Stony Evans is a library media specialist in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He collaborated with Lakeside High School (LHS) coaches Joe Hobbs and Karrie Irwin to co-develop the “Train Your Brain Ad” video starring the LHS Cross Country Team. Lakeside Superintendent Shawn Cook made a cameo appearance in the video. Kevin Parrott was the videographer.

Congratulations to the whole team at Lakeside High!

This is one example of how library leader Stony Evans is reaching for his goal “to create lifelong learners through literacy and technology.” Visit Stony’s Library Media Tech Talk blog.

How did I learn about this outstanding example of collaborative reading promotion? From Stony’s Twitter feed @stony12270, of course.

Which members of your faculty will work with you to promote literacy in your community? What about your library student aides? How can they reach out to their classmates and serve as cheerleaders for reading? Here’s an archived example from Emily Gray Junior High/Tanque Verde High School from Teen Read Week: Books with Bite (November 2008)!

We can accomplish so much more when we work in collaboration with others. On Thursday, I will share a school library – public library literacy collaboration.

Video linked with permission – Thank you, Stony and your team

Summer Conversations with Kids

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For the past few years as a library educator, I have concentrated on developing courses that prepare teachers to take on roles for leading a school library in contemporary educational communities. I have enjoyed this challenge tremendously, and I have been immersed in professional reading and research to guide the framework for knowledge and best practices for successful implementation of school library programs. As we all know, the dynamics of the profession change constantly, and courses need to be revised yearly. New publications and concepts have to be explored to keep current with the shifting sands in education and library service, and that is very time consuming. There is nothing static about our world! Exciting times, but I have to make sure that I take time to go back to the reading roots that brought me to this field.

One of the things I miss most in my present position is the opportunity to connect with kids about their reading tastes and interests on a daily basis in the school library. There are so many wonderful new titles and formats for enjoying adventures in reading, that I can’t stay ahead of the curve.  Therefore, I have to access my built in sounding boards, and summer is a great time to have conversations about what my experts are reading.  I have six grandchildren who range in ages 7-18, and they have divergent reading tastes and recommendations for my “to read” list.  It’s great to listen to their reasons why I should choose to read books that interest them, and I head to the public library to eagerly follow their ideas, so that we can continue the conversations. It is also fun when they have discovered some of the classics in children’s literature, and they are all Harry Potter fans. I am amazed how easily they shift between between print, audio, and digital formats.  Listening to a story, or reading an ebook adds another dimension to comprehension. Times sure have changed since I was a kid!

There is always lots to chat about on long car rides and leisurely times at the beach as summer drifts along. I appreciate their perceptions, their wisdom, and their company.

So here are a few recommended titles on my summer reading list this year:

  • From a seven year old:

“I like stories that make me laugh and are funny.  I also like exciting adventures with interesting characters.”

Ping Pong Pig by Caroline Jayne Church (Holiday House, 2008)

Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant (Simon spotlight, 1996)

Lightning Thief series by Rick Riordan (in print, digital, and audio editions) (Disney Hyperion, 2005)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Knopf, 2012)

  • From ten year olds:

“We love mysteries, fantasy and sci-fi, too. We like it when characters are believable, but have incredible experiences and challenges. Anything that’s funny is also great.”

Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart (Little, Brown, 2008)

Seven Wonders series by Peter Lerangis (HarperCollins, 2013)

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Athenum, 1970)

Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (Puffin, 2004)

The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger (Harry N. Abrams, 2010)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate  (HarperCollins, 2012)

Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson (Disney Hyperion, 2009)

  •  From a twelve year old:

“I enjoy dystopian fiction, and fantasy, especially when characters are well developed.”

Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger (2013)

Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (Square Fish, 2013)

Maze Runner series by James Dashner (Delacorte, 2010)

Unwanteds series by Lisa McMann (Aladdin, 2011)

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Brabenstein (n.b. fun, even though the characters are one dimensional-maybe more suitable for younger kids) (Random, 2013)

  • From a high schooler (who rereads the Harry Potter series in a marathon each summer):

“During the school year, there is not much time for leisure reading. So summer is my time to find some new sci fi and fantasy-escape literature. Take me to another world!”

Pathfinder series by Orson Scott Card (Simon Pulse, 2010)

Divergent series by Veronica Roth (Katerine Tegan Books, Reprint, 2014))

Legend series by Marie Lu (Speak, Reprint, 2013)

What’s on your list?

Image: Microsoft Clipart

 

Resources to Support All Learners

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sign_tagxedoThis month the BACC co-bloggers will share thoughts and examples of the school librarian’s role in differentiating instruction so that all learners have opportunities to succeed.

This word cloud image encapsulates many keywords associated with learning through the school library program. The work that school librarians do in their schools is always interdisciplinary and supports students in making connections to crystallize their learning.

English language arts learning objectives related to reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking are part of every lesson we coteach. We collaborate with educators teaching various grade levels and all content areas. The learners we work with have a wide range of background knowledge and are at various measures of proficiency for any skill or strategy we set out to coteach.

How does the library environment support the differentiation that students need to succeed?

Due to ubiquitous access to the library’s electronic resources and the Internet, some classroom teachers and students may think that involvement with the library’s print collection is unnecessary. For those who take that view, I highly recommend reading “Why digital natives prefer reading in print: yes, you read that right,” an article that appeared in the Washington Post on February 22, 2015. The article notes: “Readers tend to skim on screens, distraction is inevitable and comprehension suffers.”

I have had this experience more times than I can count. After introducing an online pathfinder of electronic resources, high school students quietly call me over to whisper in my ear, “Isn’t there a book about this?” Classroom teachers are often surprised by such student requests; I am not.

With the print and electronic resources of the library and the Internet, school librarians develop expertise at integrating resources in multiple genres and formats into students’ learning opportunities. Of course, classroom book collections offer some range of resources, but the library collection’s range is far wider. School librarians develop print collections at the widest possible range of reading proficiencies on topics that cover all areas of the curriculum.

School librarians’ ability to connect the “just right” resources to meet each learner’s needs is one of the strengths, in terms of differentiation, that we bring to the classroom-library instructional partnerships.

Works Cited

Rosenwald, Michael S. “Why digital natives prefer reading in print: yes, you read that right.” Washington Post.com. 22 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 Mar. 2015 >http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/why-digital-natives-prefer-reading-in-print-yes-you-read-that-right/2015/02/22/8596ca86-b871-11e4-9423-f3d0a1ec335c_story.html>.

Word cloud created at Tagxedo.com

The “L” Team

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super-hero-red-cape-hi 

Are you a member?  Do you have your flashing cape and shiny literacy toolbox ready to come to the aid of your local classroom teachers and learners? What’s in your toolbox to help teachers personalize literacy for all their learners?

Resources for literacy should not be an either/or choice for investing in schoolwide literacy programs. In some schools, classroom collections are funded at the expense of school library collections. In some schools there is zero, or limited budget for both, so classroom teachers and teacher librarians are scrambling to find donations or write grants to provide needed materials for students. Some school rely on textbook programs.  Some schools have robust resources for classrooms and libraries. What’s it like at your school? In order to address the individual challenges of each school, literacy leadership teams should represent a cross section of educators in a school. The teacher librarian needs to be at the table and on the team.

Classroom collections are an important resource for literacy instruction. School library collections provide a breadth of materials in multiple formats that extend and support reader choice for information and enjoyment in and beyond  the classroom.  A selection of current and relevant resources chosen by a knowledgeable teacher librarian, benefits all the members of the school community, and provides a great return on investment.  Both of these resource collections are important components of a dynamic and nimble literacy program.  Teachers and teacher librarians are natural partners for the literacy team.

Working with classroom teachers in the classroom as co-teachers, or in the library space, teacher librarians have opportunities to guide emerging, developing, or passionate readers and writers to discover literacy as a joy, not a chore in life. What do you bring to the literacy table?

Here a few ideas for the “L” team toolbox-either for face to face collaboration or on your virtual website or blog:

  • A chart that compares reading-grade level systems: Lexile Levels, DRA, Fountas & Pinnell, Ready Recovery, etc. (Talk the talk, walk the walk)

  • In person or with a screencast, demonstrate the power of the digital library catalog. Reveal the hidden secrets to searching for and discovering reviews, awards, formats, or reading levels in the display record. (Train the trainer)

  • Updates for new books, materials, or author websites on your blog/website. Tweet it out to teachers at your local school #. (Be social)

  • Book talks, book trailers, book discussions with teachers. Set up a Goodreads share site. Select a new outstanding book for a small group or whole school discussion.  Feature a CH/YA author, or a title to inspire discussion, such as The Book Whisperer (Miller, 2009), or Reading in the Wild (Miller and Kelley, 2013.)

  • Book clubs for students, and invite teachers, parents, or community members to take part. Choose themes or genres to begin, and then let others do the choosing and leading.

  • Extend literacy lessons for the classroom into the library. For those on a fixed schedule, coordinate with the classroom teacher around themes, genres, or skills.  Or flip it-introduce them in the library classroom and send selections back to the classroom.

  • Help teachers set up routines to supplement their classroom collections with library resources. Let students take responsibility to curate materials that they think the class would enjoy.  (Small book trucks with wheels work well for rotating physical collections.)

  • Skype/Hangout with authors or other experts in literacy.  (Share ideas, and generate new ones.)

  • Listen to the concerns and challenges of classroom teachers, and be ready to problem solve solutions to help them transform literacy learning in the classroom and the whole school.

 

These are just a few of the ideas that I have tried with success, and I’m sure you have many more.  So grab your cape and toolbox and join the team!


References:

Miller, Donalyn. The Book Whisperer.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. print.

Miller, Donalyn and Susan Kelley.  Reading in the Wild. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2013.

Image:

http://www.clker.com/cliparts/k/2/V/1/s/j/super-hero-red-cape-hi.png

Red Wagon Redux

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red-wagon-y65njlReading Judi’s recent entry as well as the conversation on the AASL Forum about classroom collections, I decided it was time to revisit the red wagon I talked about in earlier postings. Someone once commented to me that the red wagon never went to a classroom when it wasn’t full. And this was true – the red wagon was a way for me to provide classrooms with “revolving collections” of materials that I knew would appeal to students as well as match the current curriculum goals in science or social studies for example.  Many of my teachers had extensive classroom collections that they had amassed over the years. Their collections became wallpaper in the classroom and needed to be re-freshed. The library was the way to do this.

As I think about Judi’s post and the important point she makes about needing to come out of our silos and talk to each other, I think we need to see the desire for a classroom collection as a way for us to bridge the library and the classroom.  Those teachers who have extensive classroom collections are often strong library allies.  They collect books because they love them and they believe in putting books in the hands of kids.  They have a bottomless need for books and reading and the library is their fix.

One of the best methods I observed for promoting reading in the classroom were genre baskets that changed regularly.  One teacher I worked with submitted a new “red wagon request” every month to re-fresh her baskets with a variety of fiction genres, non-fiction, biography, and special formats like magazines or graphic novels.

I have to admit, I always got concerned when teachers asked for money from the budget to supply classroom collections. I had a principal who understood that scarce budgetary resources were best allocated to shared resources such as the library.  One enterprising teacher, however, found a grant to purchase tubs and relatively inexpensive paperback book sets from a major publisher for every classroom. These tubs were also checked out from the library at the beginning of the year and returned at the end.  A cursory inventory was done of each tub. Some loss was inevitable but we were able to add to these tubs with donations of paperbacks or duplicates that weren’t needed in the library collection.

I really appreciated the tone of Judi’s letter and think this open stance is our best approach to this issue. School librarians, teachers and principals want the same thing for our students when it comes to learning to read both critically and for sheer enjoyment. We want them to have access to a variety of appealing, quality materials. The materials in those tubs were pale compared with library books.

Red Wagon Redux

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red-wagon-y65njlReading Judi’s recent entry as well as the conversation on the AASL Forum about classroom collections, I decided it was time to revisit the red wagon I talked about in earlier postings. Someone once commented to me that the red wagon never went to a classroom when it wasn’t full. And this was true – the red wagon was a way for me to provide classrooms with “revolving collections” of materials that I knew would appeal to students as well as match the current curriculum goals in science or social studies for example.  Many of my teachers had extensive classroom collections that they had amassed over the years. Their collections became wallpaper in the classroom and needed to be re-freshed. The library was the way to do this.

As I think about Judi’s post and the important point she makes about needing to come out of our silos and talk to each other, I think we need to see the desire for a classroom collection as a way for us to bridge the library and the classroom.  Those teachers who have extensive classroom collections are often strong library allies.  They collect books because they love them and they believe in putting books in the hands of kids.  They have a bottomless need for books and reading and the library is their fix.

One of the best methods I observed for promoting reading in the classroom were genre baskets that changed regularly.  One teacher I worked with submitted a new “red wagon request” every month to re-fresh her baskets with a variety of fiction genres, non-fiction, biography, and special formats like magazines or graphic novels.

I have to admit, I always got concerned when teachers asked for money from the budget to supply classroom collections. I had a principal who understood that scarce budgetary resources were best allocated to shared resources such as the library.  One enterprising teacher, however, found a grant to purchase tubs and relatively inexpensive paperback book sets from a major publisher for every classroom. These tubs were also checked out from the library at the beginning of the year and returned at the end.  A cursory inventory was done of each tub. Some loss was inevitable but we were able to add to these tubs with donations of paperbacks or duplicates that weren’t needed in the library collection.

I really appreciated the tone of Judi’s letter and think this open stance is our best approach to this issue. School librarians, teachers and principals want the same thing for our students when it comes to learning to read both critically and for sheer enjoyment. We want them to have access to a variety of appealing, quality materials. The materials in those tubs were pale compared with library books.

A Village for Summer Reading

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DSCN0324Dreaming of summer vacation?  We all do, but summer break for some students may mean they will come back in the fall at a disadvantage.  When the final bell signals the end of the school year, teachers, school and public librarians, parents, community members, and administrators should have a plan in place to support readers during the two month hiatus.  Remember the adage, “it takes a village…” Collaboration between all these groups should promote access to reading materials even while school is not is session, and research shows that children benefit from having books in the home.  Richard Allington, reading researcher and consultant, is the co-author of a new book, Summer Reading: Closing the Rich/Poor Achievement Reading Gap (Teachers College and International Reading Association, 2013).  In a recent SLJ blog, Curriculum Connections, (Eames, June 4, 2013) Allington answers questions and offers ideas for making a difference, and shows how all the stakeholders can collaborate for student success.  Be sure to put this book on your summer reading list!

In order to ensure that all children have opportunities to maintain literacy skills and fluency, we may need to change our school policies about materials that are usually locked away during the summer, and to find other creative ways to make sure books get into the hands of those kids who need them most, even if we risk losing some resources.

This is a topic of conversation that surfaces in school library circles in late spring-early summer.  Here are some ideas that have appeared recently within a variety listservs, blogs, and twitter.

  • Students are allowed to check out a certain number of books for the summer, returning them in the fall.
  • Genres of books are loaned to the public library for summer circulation.
  • Promotion of public library spaces, programs, and collections. Students get public library cards before they leave for the summer.  Some classes visit local public library, are introduced to librarians and programs for youth.
  • Some school libraries are open to students, parents, teachers for self selection and self checkout when the building is open, even if the teacher librarian is not there.
  • Summer reading blogs/social media sites for students offer a virtual space for sharing ideas and thoughts about books and other materials.
  • Newsletters and suggested reading lists (print and electronic) inform students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community members about summer reading.
  • Joint programs between school and public librarians are funded by grants.
  • Joint programs with local social support networks for children, such as Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, YM/YWCAs, etc.
  • Little Free Libraries in neighborhoods, grocery stores, malls, etc.

And just for fun, here a couple of examples of what’s happening here in Vermont:

Beth Redford, school librarian at the Richmond (VT) Elementary School has a book bag program for all her students, K-4.  They are allowed to select ten books to take home for the summer.  Kids are really excited to participate.

Steve Madden, school librarian at the Camel’s Hump Middle School in Richmond, VT, has collaborated with the Vermont Department of Libraries and the Children’s Literacy Foundation, to write grants to construct and supply book collections for the Bolton Little Free Libraries.  Based on the Little Free Libraries in Wisconsin and elsewhere, book collections are set up in small enclosed bookcases in areas of Bolton, a town with no public library. Steve continues to refresh the collections that operate on the trust system.  His bike is set up for summer deliveries, too.  Little Free Libraries have sprouted up in lots of places in Vermont.  Is there one in your neighborhood? Would you like to start one?

What’s on your summer reading list?           

References:

Allington, R. and McGill-Franzen, A. (2013) Summer reading: Closing the rich/poor achievement gap. New York: Teachers College Press.

CLiF stocks little free libraries in Bolton, VT. (2012, July 3). Inspire kids! Children’s Literacy Foundation blog.  (Blog). Retrieved from  http://clifonline.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/clif-stocks-little-free-libraries-in-bolton-vt/

Eames, A. (2013, June 4)  Summer reading: closing the rich/poor achievement gap/ An educator responds to questions. Curriculum Connections  SLJ blog.  (Blog). Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2013/06/curriculum-connections/summer-reading-and-the-richpoor-achievement-gap-an-educator-responds-to-questions/

Kelley, Kevin. (2013, June 12). At Vermont’s little free libraries, books aren’t going away. Seven Days online. (Blog).  Retrieved from http://www.7dvt.com/2013vermonts-little-free-libraries-books-arent-going-away

Little Free Library website. (2013, June 24)  Retrieved from http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

Redford, Beth. (2013, June 10) RES newsletter.  (Blog)  Retrieved from: http://reslibrarynews.blogspot.com/2013/06/summer-library-books-resvt-cesuvt-vted.html?spref=tw