Rethinking the Classics

July 21, 2024 News Editor 0

Do you think you know what makes a classic novel… er… classic? The Washington Post thinks maybe we should think again. WaPo recently asked readers of their Book Club newsletter “which classic books are overrated and which unsung novels should be considered top-tier, we didn’t predict the level of enthusiasm that would accompany the responses”. Among those that some readers thought should get the toss were iconic books like J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the […]

Five Ways to Promote Child Literacy

August 18, 2019 admin 0

Do you have children in your life and you’re hoping to raise a reader? According to Dr. Steven Witt, Graduate Education Director at Concordia University Wisconsin, there are a number of things people can do to help their children grow towards literacy. Visit the public library every week Witt notes that research shows that giving access to books is one of the most important factors in successfully teaching children to read. To the benefit of […]

Helping Kids Read and Feel Loved: Texas Principal Using Technology to Reach Kids at Home

March 21, 2019 Linda L. Richards 0

When Dr. Belinda George, principal of Homer Drive Elementary in Beaumont, Texas, discovered that a lot of the kids under her care didn’t have anyone to tuck them in, read them a bedtime story and tell them they were loved, she decided to do something about it. She turned to technology to create Tucked in Tuesdays, where she uses Facebook to do a livestream reading from a children’s book, sometimes even inviting authors to join […]

Books in the Home Can Lead to Smarter, More Successful Kids

October 16, 2018 admin 0

Growing up in a house filled with books might have a ”Powerful and Lasting effect” on the mind, according to a recent study. From Smithsonian Magazine: The study, published recently in Social Science Research, assessed data from 160,000 adults from 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Turkey, Japan and Chile. Participants filled out surveys with the Programme for the International Assessment of Competencies, which measures proficiency in three categories: literacy, […]

The Books You Haven’t Read Will Help You Live Longer

September 2, 2018 admin 0

That towering TBR pile next to your bed might help you live longer and better, that’s what experts are saying about all the books you’ve bought but haven’t yet gotten around to reading. From INC.: Lifelong learning will help you be happier, earn more, and even stay healthier, experts say. Plus, plenty of the smartest names in business, from Bill Gates to Elon Musk, insist that the best way to get smarter is to read. […]

Science Says Reading Fiction is Good for Almost Everything

July 30, 2018 admin 0

Want to be a better human? Read a book. A recent article on NBC News’ Better lays it all out: Whether you’re the reader who rips through a new book each week or the one still slogging through that bestseller your friend recommended months ago, psychologists (and their research) say your time is being well spent. And if it’s been a while since your last date with a good book, the experts have a few […]

And Another Thing…

May 31, 2018 admin 0

If you are among the 26 percent of people who did not read a book last year (according to PEW Research), you may be making a big mistake. This according to Inc. magazine, which references the PEW data in delivering a piece structured around why you should not not read, called “Why Reading Books Should Be Your Priority, According to Science.” We second that emotion. From Inc.: You’re not doing yourself any favors if you’re […]

Who’s Reading? Apparently Not Everyone

May 29, 2018 admin 0

Who is reading books in America? According to a recent PEW survey, not everyone. “About a quarter of American adults (24%) say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audio form.” Apparently, according to PEW, if you’re rich, educated or white — and especially if you’re all of the above — you are more likely to have read a book over the last […]