Dawn reading in classroom

At home, school, or at the fair, readers make valuable contributions to children’s literacy

by BooksParents and FamiliesVolunteer Readers

A Letter from Executive Director Dawn Miller

Twenty-some years ago when Kelly Griffith was teaching first grade, her class studied honeybees for a month.  

“Anything and all things honeybee,” she said. “I used my standards. We did research together. We tasted honey on biscuits. We studied beeswax and candles and crayons.  

“I had a beekeeper come in, and he brought them all little test tubes of honey to taste.  

“We dissected honeycombs. We watched videos.  

“And we read tons of different texts and different levels of texts about honeybees and flowers.”  

A month later the Title 1 teacher came in to “DIBEL” the kids, or to administer a common test called Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills.  

Then one day both the Title 1 teacher and an administrator walked into Griffith’s classroom with the results. “What did you do?” they asked.  

Griffith’s first graders, who had been grouped in her class because they struggled with reading, had “knocked it out of the park.”  

By happenstance, one of the passages that the kids were tested on was about honeybees.  

“That was powerful to me,” said Griffith. Now a coordinator for academic support with the West Virginia Department of Education, she co-leads the department’s “Ready. Read. Write.” initiative to improve reading skills across the state.  

To many older readers the effort will look familiar – teach children to accurately sound out words, explicitly and systematically, using data to differentiate instruction. That is a big part of it, and it is based on decades of research illuminating how the brain learns to read.  

At the same time, children must build knowledge and vocabulary with rich and fascinating texts and topics. For this knowledge-building work, everyone gets the support they need to access the same grade-level texts and topics regardless of decoding ability. That way, each child can enjoy and learn from the most interesting books and activities.  

Just as Griffith’s first graders did all those years ago.  

She wants community members and families to understand their role.  

“Little things, like activities in the car or during bathtime can actually make an impact in how your child makes connections, and the knowledge they come to school with, which is a huge predictor of being a proficient reader,” Griffith said.  

Reading aloud is an excellent way to give students opportunities to experience more challenging texts than they might be able to read on their own. Enter your classroom Read Aloud reader. Volunteers show up each week with another book or another chapter to enjoy together, full of rich vocabulary and complex ideas to explore, all while modeling reading for fun.  

Or a nightly bedtime book. Or the books parents keep in the car or stroller for unexpected waits. Or any reading habit anywhere. Walks through parks or historical sites. Trying and discussing new foods or interesting documentaries.  

“It’s not just decoding words,” Griffith said. “It’s having conversations. Digging in the dirt. Telling them what is in the dirt.  

“I want families to hear that message, because I want them to know that they have an important role in their students’ literacy. The knowledge they bring to school helps with those literacy skills, even before they start reading on their own.  

“I don’t know that I knew that even as a young teacher.” 

Throughout this newsletter, you will find communities where the message has been received. Reading role models are carrying out their important role – at the Jackson County Fair, at an event for new and expectant mothers in Raleigh County, at Women and Children’s Hospital in Kanawha County, and in Read Aloud classrooms all over the state.    

Jackson Read Aloud group photo

Story time at the county fair

by ChaptersParents and Families

Story time with Read Aloud had children glued to their books all week long at the Jackson County Fair this summer. 

Camped underneath a shady tree, sprawled out on a rug in front of their camper, or standing in the middle of the sidewalk, kids squeezed in whatever time they could to get lost in a book they enjoyed. Cheryl Miller, a volunteer with Jackson County’s Read Aloud chapter, said she was amazed by the passion for reading she saw at the fair. 

Jackson County volunteers first set up a read-along booth at the county fair in 2019, and found success. They reached dozens of children by gathering kids around a storyteller, reading to them, and singing songs, Miller said.  

Jackson County Read Aloud returned to the fair this summer. Story time was now an official event at the fair, with one hour dedicated each day. Children also browsed through the Jackson County Read Aloud booth throughout the day.  

With the help of grant funding, Jackson County Chapter President Janet McCauley said they worked the Jackson County Board of Education to purchase books and supplies. They set up a barn scene in the Exhibit Hall, where kids picked up different farm animal visors and tote bags. 

They sifted through eight large bins of books. They took all they could carry. Every book was gone by the end of the sixth and final day, Miller said.  

“The folks who remembered us from the first event were just really happy to have us back,” said Miller.  

Since kids were choosing the books themselves, they found more interest in them, and let the inspiration from accomplishment transfer to their next book. The enthusiasm for reading was present throughout the fairgrounds in Cottageville, Miller said.  

“A lot of kids and their families camped out there all week, and so they just built story time into their daily routine,” she said. 

When she wasn’t at story hour, Miller said she pulled a red wagon around to try and reach everyone. Some of the kids had to work most of the week at their family’s exhibit, so Miller wanted to ensure they were included too. 

“Jackson County is a communinty that values reading and shows it,” said Read Aloud Executive Director Dawn Miller. “More than once since that fair, I have met people who commented that their children attended story time, and they talked about how much they enjoyed it. This made a lasting impression on these famailies.” 

With the success of this year’s event, they want to come back next year. As far as outreach to children and families goes, story time at the county fair couldn’t have been a better method, Cheryl Miller said. 

“One day I was walking around, and I heard a dad say, ‘Sadie, you can read that book, but you have to wait until we get back to the camper,’” she said. “Sadie was just standing in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to read her book.” 

A friend told Miller about meeting a young child in a local hair salon a week after the fair, who refused to put a book down until she was finished. Her mother said she’d chosen it from Read Aloud’s booth.  

The girl finished her book at the salon. She grew even more excited when another woman told her the book was just the first in a wonderful series. 

“I think that children are just naturally drawn to stories, and someone who enjoys reading and telling those stories. They were caught up in the enthusiasm of the stories,” she said. “We just made it so much fun.” 

Donate to Read Aloud, lower your tax bill

by Book DistributionFundraising

NIP credits for gifts of $500 or more, while supplies last 

You qualify for Neighborhood Investment Program tax credits if you: 

— Pay income taxes in West Virginia, or 

— Pay corporate net income taxes in West Virginia, and  

— Donate $500 or more to Read Aloud West Virginia. 

Taxpayers can use this credit even if they don’t itemize on federal or state income tax returns. 

It works like this: 

  1. 1. Send a donation of $500 or more to a qualifying organization, such as Read Aloud WV. 

  1. 2. Read Aloud sends you a voucher for as much as half the gift amount. At tax time, turn in the voucher to reduce your WV tax bill by that amount. Taxpayers may use all or part of the credits. They have five years to use all the credits. 

  2.  

A larger gift qualifies for a larger credit. So, a $1,000 donation gets $500 in tax credits. A $5,000 gift qualifies for $2,500 off your taxes, and so on.  

The maximum tax credit allowed in any one year is $100,000. Donors cannot reduce their total state tax bill by more than 50 percent. 

NIP credits are administered by the state to encourage donations to local nonprofits. All credits must be distributed by March 2024. Credits are limited, so the sooner you secure yours, the better. 

Every dollar donated to Read Aloud results in more time spent sending volunteer readers into classrooms to motivate children to read for fun, or giving kids happy, choice-filled book distributions. 

As little as $100 can fund books for an entire classroom, while $1,100 can fund a month of Books for Babies, providing a new book for all babies born at Women and Children’s Hospital, CAMC, for example. 

To donate at this time of year, it is best to call 304-345-5212 to verify that NIP credits are still available. Then, you may: 

  1. Mail a check to Read Aloud WV, PO Box 1784, Charleston, WV 25326 (the most cost-effective method). 

  1. Donate online by going to readaloudwv.org.square.site to make a secure donation through Square.  

  1. Transfer stock. Call 304-345-5212 or email dmiller@readaloudwv.org for more details. Read Aloud’s DTC number is 0141. 

 

  1. Direct a retirement account distribution to Read Aloud WV. If it comes straight from your financial institution, even a disbursement from a tax-deferred plan may not incur federal taxes, and it will also qualify for NIP tax credits. Call or email if you have questions. 

Gifts made after Jan. 1, 2024 work the same way, except that taxpayers may apply their credits starting with taxes due for the 2024 tax year. 

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Save the Date! Read-A-Palooza 2023

by EventsFundraising

We invite you to join us in uplifting the success of our Summer Book Binges at Read-A-Palooza 2023: Binge on Books on Thursday, March 9 from 5:30-7:30 pm in the University of Charleston’s Riggleman Rotunda. The event celebrates the significant impact of giving books that children choose before summer break, preventing and even reversing the loss of reading proficiency that sets back many students when school is out of session.

Heavy appetizers, beer, and wine will be served. A small silent auction will be available, as well as our popular Wine Pull. For $20 per pull, this activity sends participants home with a bottle of wine selected blindly from an array of options, all worth $20 or more.

Proceeds from Read-A-Palooza help fund Read Aloud programs throughout West Virginia, which are designed to engage all members of our communities in motivating children to want to read. Tickets are $35, available for purchase at readaloudwv.org/tickets. Corporate and individual sponsorships, as well as donations in lieu of attendance, are all gratefully accepted.

Significant sponsors of last year’s Read-A-Palooza include Moses Auto Group and The Elliot Foundation. Thank you to all businesses and community members who have contributed to the success of this fundraiser in the past. Your support is essential to continue to grow research-based reading interventions like Summer Book Binge.

Summer Book Binge is just one of the choice-based book distributions Read Aloud does that has helped us put over 20,000 books in the hands of students in 2022. The method is based on research that showed that six self-selected books given to students prior to summer break could motivate children to read for fun, helping to combat learning loss that occurs when students don’t practice their skills during school breaks. This loss of reading proficiency is most prevalent with low-income students who have fewer opportunities outside of school to practice reading than their middle- and high-income peers, putting them at a disadvantage when they return to school. Learning loss is cumulative, and over time, it can set students back years behind their classmates.

Summer Book Binge showed promising results combatting this proficiency loss in three schools we served in spring of 2022. The first two were Cottageville and Gilmore Elementaries in Jackson County, where 84% of rising 4th graders either increased or maintained their Lexile level over the break. These distributions were made possible by support from the Jackson County Community Foundation.

Last year, we also worked with Chesapeake Elementary School in the upper-Kanawha valley to bring their students Summer Book Binge thanks to a grant from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. We selected Chesapeake as a partner for program expansion because approximately 77% of Chesapeake students were not proficient readers in 2020-21.

After providing all students with six freely-chosen books to read during break, over half (53%) of the students gained or maintained their reading skills over the summer. Of those who experienced skill erosion, 38% were already reading above grade level prior to break and remained above grade level in the fall.

That means that 71% of Chesapeake students tested before and after summer break had a positive result in their reading proficiency scores following Summer Book Binge.

We know from past experience that the positive impacts of this program are cumulative, much like the learning loss it’s designed to prevent. As we continue to work with Chesapeake, Cottageville, and Gilmore, we anticipate consistent gains in reading proficiency that will build on each other, setting students up for long-term success in reading.

We hope you will join us at Read-A-Palooza on March 9 as we promote and celebrate the importance of choice-based book distributions on the literacy of WV students.

—

Amanda Schwartz is the Read Aloud WV Communications & Development Director.

10 to Try Cover Comics (1)

10 to Try: Teachers’ favorites

by Book Reviews and Recommendations

At the West Virginia Reading Association’s 66th Annual Conference, participants from around the state shared some of their classroom favorites:

Froggy Goes to Camp by Jonathan London

Third in the Froggy series, with lots of jumping, flipping, and onomatopoeia.

Grades PK-K

Gwen Lyons, Title 1 Reading Teacher, Wyoming County

Dr. Seuss ABC and Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

Classics, but still good for beginning and early readers.

PK-2nd

Amber Janicker, Ashton Elementary School, Mason County

Pigs by Robert Munsch

Feed the pigs, but don’t open the gate. Pigs are smarter than you think.

K-2nd

Diane Binder, Title 1 Reading Teacher, New River Primary School

After the Fall by Dan Santat

Humpty Dumpty is famous for falling off a wall. This is the story of when he decided to get back up.

K-3rd

Leslie Boyd, Shepherdstown Elementary School, Jefferson County

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Making your most magnificent idea is anything but easy. In fact, it is frustrating. A good book for social-emotional development.

K-5th

Kandi Kaiser, Blue Ridge Elementary School, Jefferson County

The Good Egg, The Bad Seed, and others by Jory John and Pete Oswald

Being good is hard. As the other eggs in the dozen behave badly, the good egg starts to crack from the pressure.

PK-5th

Allyson Varlas, Central Elementary School, Marshall County

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

“I’m here because of this book,” said closing keynote speaker Colby Sharp, an author and teacher. “It changed my life forever. I would get lost in that story.”

4th+

Colby Sharp, 5th grade teacher, Parma Elementary School, Michigan

The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

Friends Barnett and Harris created an animated strip during the Covid shutdown, and the book version just published this spring can take over a classroom.

3rd-6th

Colby Sharp

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

First published in 1961, the story of Billy and his two hunting dogs still moves readers and listeners.

4th-6th

Linda Childers, retired 5th grade teacher, Cabell County

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A foster child living outside Munich, Germany in 1939 steals to survive, and encounters something she cannot resist – books. She learns to read and shares her stolen treasures.  

6th+

Cara Dorsey, 9th and 10th grade English Teacher, Nicholas County High School

read-aloud-handbook-jim-trelease1

In memory of Jim Trelease, the inspiration for Read Aloud West Virginia

by PartnersSupporters

By Mary Kay Bond

On July 28th, I lost a friend and mentor who changed my life when Jim Trelease, the author of The Read Aloud Handbook and inspiration for Read Aloud West Virginia, passed away. He changed the lives of countless others in West Virginia and throughout this country – and even the world. As I read the email from his wife Susan, I felt the way many of us do when we lose someone. It was as if a giant tree had fallen. Why hadn’t there been physical changes in the world? It would only have been fitting because Jim was a force of nature.

Jim was one of those high energy people whose enthusiasm was infectious. He had a ready smile for everyone, a prodigious memory, and an insatiable curiosity. He also did not mince words if he felt some policy or action was wrong. Jim was a journalist and cartoonist who went into a classroom on a career day to discuss his profession. He emerged appalled by the fact that children in this pricey private school could not name a book they had recently read for pleasure. They were so stymied they began pointing to mandatory reading in textbooks. Jim left the classroom determined to do something about it and used the family vacation money to self-publish the first Read Aloud Handbook.

Short story: the book took off, and a new career was born.

Jim became an investigative reporter on education with an emphasis on childhood literacy. His journalistic background made complex research accessible to busy parents and teachers. Throughout his career he had one basic tenet: If you want to raise a reader, you need to motivate them to WANT to read. He acknowledged learning to read comes easier for some children than others but argued that those who struggle need that motivation even more. He offered practical advice for making the reading/pleasure connection for ALL children.

I first “met” Jim Trelease when I called to rent his (reel to reel!) film to show throughout Kanawha County. Shortly afterward he agreed, in a typically generous gesture, to waive his fee and address our fledgling organization while he was in town speaking to teachers. A friendship was born that continued past both our retirements. In recent years, even though he was ill, his interest in education remained constant. He lamented the learning loss he knew was going to result from online classrooms and was hopeful we would emerge from the pandemic with a greater respect and appreciation for educators.

Every visit and conversation with him was a joy – both entertaining and enlightening. He led me to read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, and I think of that now. Surely, Jim Trelease lived an incredibly meaningful life. His passions were straightforward – his family and raising generations of avid readers. He sought to be a good steward and to leave the world a little better than he found it. Certainly, he did both. 

Thank you, dear friend, for enriching so many lives. You are sorely missed, but your legacy lives on in all those you inspired to follow your footsteps.
—

Mary Kay Bond is a founding member of Read Aloud West Virginia and longtime Executive Director who retired in December 2019.

Madison Elementary 1

107,000 books and counting

by Book Distribution

by Amanda Schwartz

This past summer, we broke 100,000 books given to West Virginia students and families since the establishment of our database in 2016. Currently, we are up to 107,395 books distributed. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the support of local volunteer chapters across the state and partnerships with 147 schools, helping to put our books in the hands of their students.

One of many such partnerships is with Madison Elementary School in Wood County. There, Assistant Principal Cindy Oxender is in annual contact with our state office, requesting books and coordinating their transportation from Kanawha to Wood County.

This fall, we gave them 305 assorted books for a Halloween distribution event.

Madison Elementary students enjoy their new books.

Oxender took the traceable letter books we provided to Kindergarten with a mini-lesson on how to use them and where to write their name on the bookplate on each book.

One little girl exclaimed, “It is good you told us about this because my mom told me never to write in books!”

It came out later that most of this child’s books at home come from the library, and she does not have many books that are hers personally. She was so excited to have a new book of her very own, and writing her name inside reinforced that pride of ownership and positive connection to reading. This is why we include bookplates in every book we distribute.

Many children experience barriers to owning their own books, like this child, despite the fact that research clearly shows a link between book ownership and reading achievement. That’s why free, choice-based book distribution programs like ours are essential to serving the literacy needs of West Virginia students. Children need access to books they’re interested in if they are to build their reading skills independently and become lifelong learners.

Cover Blog Photo (1)

Students wrap up school year excited, ready to read

by Book DistributionEnrichment IdeasEventsPartners

By Kristen LeFevers

Students at four schools received some new, special books to enjoy over the summer while they are away from the classroom.

This year, Read Aloud West Virginia offered its Summer Book Binge to schools in Greenbrier, Jackson, and Kanawha counties. The program is based on a Tennessee study showing that giving children about half a dozen freely chosen, high-interest books prevents summer learning loss better than summer school.

A Crichton Elementary student receives his “Binge on Books” tote bag filled with books to read over the summer.

In Greenbrier County, Crichton Elementary students from preschool through fifth grade browsed a sample set of books this spring. Teachers were encouraged to help students find books they would enjoy. Students were able to hold and examine the books before filling out their order forms.

Students received their books at a Memorial Day assembly after a ceremony to honor students’ accomplishments and local veterans.

“It was a moving and reverent ceremony recognizing veterans in the Quinwood community,” said Read Aloud Executive Director Dawn Miller. “The parents’ and grandparents’ presence really shows students that the time they spend reading is important and valued. And it is always good for adults to be reminded what an important influence they are.”

Students walked up one at a time and received a blue Read Aloud tote bag containing their specially chosen books, each plated with the child’s name, an important feature of the project stressing book ownership.

The process was repeated in other schools. In Jackson County that same week, the Jackson County Community Foundation, which funded the project, dressed the Gilmore Elementary School assembly room with festive beach accessories, highlighting the fun, buoyant atmosphere of summer reading.

Jackson County Community Foundation Executive Director Misty Hamon put together a colorful balloon arch for students to walk through as their names were called to receive their personalized Read Aloud book bags.

About 150 third- through fifth-graders at Gilmore and Cottageville Elementary, like their peers in the other counties, browsed sample books ahead of time and chose six books they wanted for the summer, then walked up one at a time to receive their special order.

“We’ve had so much support from the Community Foundation,” said Read Aloud of Jackson County Chapter President Janet McCauley.

“The Foundation really made this book distribution into a special event for these kids,” Miller added, “exactly the message kids need to get from the adults around them.”

A festive balloon arch and beach-themed decorations courtesy of the Jackson Community Foundation for the Book Binge assembly at Gilmore Elementary.

“‘I got all the books I wanted!’” McCauley recalled hearing more than one student say. “The kids were so excited and pleased to get their books. It was so, so personalized for them. If they choose their own books, they’re more likely to read them.”

The summer reading fun didn’t stop there, however.

“The state office [Read Aloud West Virginia] are very frugal and are able to order some of their books from their distributors for cheaper than they expected, and get extra copies,” McCauley shared. In this instance, that frugality led to “leftovers,” or extra copies that McCauley was able to present at other schools throughout Jackson County.

“All of the leftover books have been distributed in the county,” McCauley said. “I guess you could call it a book tasting or a mini book binge.”

McCauley distributed the leftover copies at elementary schools in Fairplain, Evans, Kenna, and Ripley. Students were able to pick three books of their own.

“Read Aloud is so good at stretching their money, and other students were able to benefit from the leftovers,” McCauley said.

At Chesapeake Elementary School in Kanawha County, preschoolers through fifth grade followed a similar process, thanks to a grant from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. At an assembly at the end of the school year, students applauded each child as their name was called to receive their books. That distribution is part of a larger project with Chesapeake that will include another book give away in the fall.

By preventing summer learning loss, Read Aloud helps students to succeed in school and throughout life. Researchers have documented that children who are not exposed to enjoyable books and other summer learning opportunities will lose reading skill during the summer. They gain again when they go back to school, but over time these losses accumulate, so that by 12th grade, children can be a year or more behind their peers and their potential in reading skill, which affects everything else – including school and job prospects.

Giving children books that they are motivated to read during the summer prevents this summer learning loss. As children spend time with books, they practice skills they learned in school. They also build vocabulary and background knowledge, an important ingredient in reading comprehension at any age. They also discover that they enjoy it.

Read Aloud’s first Summer Book Binge was held at Crichton Elementary School in 2016, and within two years, reading scores there rose noticeably, exactly as the Tennessee research predicted.

Read Aloud West Virginia will be looking for opportunities to introduce the Summer Book Binge into other schools across the state in the coming year.

Kristen LeFevers is a graduate of Marshall University and lives in Huntington.

10 to Try Cover Comics

Ten to try: Comics and Graphic Novels

by Book Reviews and RecommendationsBooksReadingResources

We are big proponents of letting children read whatever interests them, including comic books and graphic novels. But some may be surprised to learn that comics, despite having fewer words, can have just as great an impact on vocabulary growth! Research from the University of Oregon found that comic books averaged 53.5 rare or complex words per 1,000. This exceeds the rare word average for children’s books at 30.9 and even for adult books at 52.7.

The following titles would be great options to offer a child or teen in your life:

Thea Stilton Graphic Novels #1: The Secret of Whale Island

written by Elisabetta Dami, illustrated by Rafaella Seccia and Christina Giorgilli
ages 7 and up

It’s the start of the new school year, and the five Thea sisters have arrived at Ratford College. Every year at this time, the whales move off the coast of Whale Island, but this time, a savage killer whale threatens the peace.

Series recommended by Marion Tanner, Fayette County

Coraline: The Graphic Novel

written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by P. Craig Russell
ages 8 and up

When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous. But there’s another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

Recommended by Becca Revercomb, Kanawha County

The Last Kids on Earth

written by Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate
ages 8 and up

Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen-year-old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he’s armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack’s loyal pet monster, Rover; and the fiercest girl Jack knows, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer!

Recommended by Blake Kemlock, Age 8, Fayette County

Sanity & Tallulah

written and illustrated by Molly Brooks
ages 8 and up

It can get pretty dull living on a small, out-of-the-way station like Wilnick SS. Best Friends Sanity Jones and Tallulah Vega do their best to relieve the monotony of every day space life by finding adventures, solving mysteries, and taking turns getting each other into and out of trouble. But when Sanity’s latest science project-an extremely-illegal-but-impossibly-cute three-headed kitten-escapes from the lab and starts causing havoc, the girls will have to turn the station upside down to find her-before the damage becomes irreversible!

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912: A Graphic Novel

written by Lauren Tarshis, illustrated by Haus Studio
ages 8 and up

George Calder must be the luckiest kid alive – he and his little sister, Phoebe, are sailing with their aunt on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built! George can’t resist exploring every inch of the incredible boat, even if it gets him into trouble. But one night while George is off exploring, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Soon the impossible is happening: The Titanic is sinking.

Bad Kitty Gets a Phone (Graphic Novel)

written and illustrated by Nick Bruel
ages 7 and up

Kitty has everything any cat could want–a warm bed, plenty of fresh litter, a machine that dispenses food whenever she wants! But Kitty isn’t satisfied. She has her eye on something that will make her the happiest, most grateful cat in town. Something all the other cats have but that her owners refuse to get her! Something she desperately needs!

Kitty wants…a cell phone. And she can have one if she does all her chores with zero complaints. But can she handle the responsibility?

Series recommended by Peyton Ice, Age 12, Marion County

Girl on Fire

written by Alicia Keys and Andrew Weiner, illustrated by Brittney Williams
ages 14 and up

Lolo Wright always thought she was just a regular fourteen-year-old dealing with regular family drama: her brother, James, is struggling with his studies; her dad’s business constantly teeters on the edge of trouble; and her mother . . . she left long ago. But then Lolo’s world explodes when a cop pulls a gun on James in a dangerous case of mistaken identities. Staring down the barrel, with no one else to help, Lolo discovers powers she never knew she had. Using only her mind, she literally throws the cop out of the way. Problem is that secrets like Lolo’s don’t stay a secret for long.

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American

written and illustrated by Laura Gao
ages 14 and up

After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars—at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name.

In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

written and illustrated by Marjane Satrapi
ages 13 and up

Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s best-selling graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal

written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona
ages 13 and up

Marvel Comics presents the all-new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City – until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! As Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to handle? Kamala has no idea either. But she’s comin’ for you, New York!

Cover Blog Photo

Book Tasting: Special event links reading, summer book plans for East Bank Middle students

by Enrichment IdeasPartners

By Kristen LeFevers

Sixth graders filed into their first-period English class in East Bank Middle School’s library one morning near the end of the school year.

“I’m your barista today!” called Renita Cook, a reading specialist with Kanawha County Schools. “Coffee or hot chocolate?”

At first hesitantly, and then eagerly, students balanced cups of decaf or cocoa and maneuvered to one of the many high-top tables stacked with Descendants novels, Julius Lester, Rick Riordan, and other volumes.

Cook and fellow Kanawha County English Language Arts Specialist Amy Thompson had put together a special cafe-themed book tasting for students, an opportunity to browse books, sample excerpts, and swap recommendations in a relaxed atmosphere.

They called it Starbooks.

The Starbooks Café at East Bank Middle School’s book tasting.

Thompson reached out to Read Aloud West Virginia a couple months earlier about hosting a book tasting at East Bank Middle after hearing about a colleague who had held a virtual book tasting with Read Aloud Executive Director Dawn Miller.

Like many schools, East Bank is dealing with a shortage of teachers and substitutes. Vacancies are difficult to fill. Teachers are teaching outside their areas of expertise. Recent years have been especially stressful, for both faculty and students.

Thompson and Cook chose to play on coffee chain Starbucks to create an environment of literacy and good reading habits. When forming their own habits, developing readers need good models to look up to.

“We were looking to lifelong readers for examples – how do they behave and interact with other readers? We wanted to make reading fun,” said Miller. “We knew we wanted a recreational atmosphere for them.”

“Amy took this idea and called it ‘Starbooks,’ and made hot chocolate and decaf coffee for the students.”

She and Cook covered the tables and added centerpieces and placemats. Black bulletin board paper became a chalkboard menu sign, tempting students with different “flavors” – mystery, biography, non-fiction, and realistic fiction.

A local Starbucks donated cups and supplies. A “Starbooks Cafe” banner hung from the ceiling.

Read Aloud supplied the books, a wide selection casually spread around the tables for students to browse.

“The kids loved it,” said Thompson. “The event helped us to model lifelong behaviors [of good readers]. It was something practical we could do.”

Miller and Thompson each did a couple book talks for the four English classes that rotated in throughout the morning. The rest of the class period, adults and students mingled and chatted about what they had read, and what they were interested in reading.

“We know that students who read for pleasure over the summer prevent summer learning loss,” Miller said. “They can even gain skill. We also know that lifelong readers make plans about what they are reading next. They also share what they are reading with friends. We saw students do that at the book tasting.”

At first, the event was more structured to prevent behavior problems. But as the morning went by and it became clear that students would engage with the books, Thompson said, they let students move about as they wished, as readers do in an actual bookstore or coffee shop.

“They became more relaxed, and conversations became more natural,” Thompson said. “It worked out so nicely.”

“Students were so appreciative,” Miller added. “It was lovely. I had conversations with students about books, careers, and college plans. A couple students even commented on their own behavior. They seemed surprised that their classmates were so well behaved.”

By the end of class, each student was able to choose two books to take home. 

“I look forward to doing it again,” said Thompson. “I’m really grateful for our partnership with Read Aloud and what they do for our schools and teachers and students.”

Kristen LeFevers is a graduate of Marshall University and lives in Huntington, West Virginia.