10 to Try Cover Comics

Ten to try: Comics and Graphic Novels

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!

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Energy Express has always held a special spot in my heart

By Bob Johnson

Energy Express has always held a special spot in my heart. Several years ago, the local WVU Extension agent told me about the need for Read Aloud volunteers during the six-weeks-long reading and nutrition program (with two meals served daily) held during summers. The whole process clicked with me. Since I am a part-time teacher, my summers were free. Why not volunteer to read with kids?

Bob Johnson reads to Energy Express students at Cherry River Elementary in Nicholas County.

My first opportunity coincidentally came at my alma mater elementary school. I had spent grades one through eight there. Yes, that dates me, but I fondly and clearly remember the teachers who had taken the effort to read aloud with my classes. There was a warmth in those classrooms, where teachers said, in effect: “I have a beautiful story that I want to share with you.” In my mind’s eye, that is effective instruction.

Over the summers since my first readings, I have subsequently been able to read in three more locations in four sessions with Energy Express. I often use the classic stories of Seuss, since each one holds a nugget of morality which students need to hear from an adult. Sometimes, the readings are supplied by the Energy Express site. While that is convenient, there is no time to rehearse the reading selection, one of my personal rules of reading aloud. Sitting with students is the expectation of many Energy Express locations, but I prefer reading while standing at a music stand or other platform at a convenient height, so my old eyes can easily focus on the reading. It is also the only way I have found to ensure that inflection is heard, and gestures, body language, and expressions are easily seen by listeners.

Energy Express and Read Aloud WV share some common goals: 1) Get valuable books into the hands of students, and/or 2) into the ears of listeners by reading aloud. I am privileged to know the directors of both programs. Mark Swiger heads Energy Express with West Virginia University, while Dawn Miller is at the helm of Read Aloud WV. Both leaders have only one thing in mind, which is reaching readers at many grade levels with enriching opportunities that expand interest in books.

Adult volunteers are an essential part of both reading efforts. Please consider sharing your reading skills with students at every opportunity.

To learn more about Energy Express, go to: extension.wvu.edu/youth-family/youth-education/energy-express

Bob Johnson is a member of the Read Aloud WV of Nicholas County Chapter Board and teaches in a Save the Children US, after-school program at Cherry River Elementary School in Richwood

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Finding the fun in reading: it’s worth it

By Beverly Richards

As the President of the Marion County Chapter of Read Aloud West Virginia, you might assume I was always a great reader. I even have my Master’s Degree in Reading; therefore, it sounds a little crazy when I say that I didn’t believe reading was “fun” until I became an adult.

Reading as a child was never easy for me, no matter how hard I tried. I would practice regularly, but it just never seemed easy or enjoyable. I had many smart friends who were great readers and excelled in school. They were always in the “Blue Birds” reading group, reserved for the best readers. I always made good grades, but reading didn’t come easily to me the way it did for my friends. I strived to be a “Blue Bird” and achieved my goal for a short time, until being demoted again. I wondered what was wrong with me.

I remember my dad and grandmother reading stories to me when I was growing up, and I loved it! My grandmother was a teacher, and she read with many voices and a lot of inflection. But when I tried to read to myself, I read very slowly and had to reread things over and over to understand and make sense of the story.

Even so, I really wanted to be a teacher just like my grandmother. I worked hard to get the grades I needed to get a degree in elementary education. I realized that reading should be easier than it was, so I decided to also get a certificate to teach children with learning disabilities. I reasoned that if I studied this field, I would learn strategies that would not only help me better educate the children in my care but would also help me to improve my own reading experiences. I learned a lot, and I did see an improvement in my own reading comprehension, but it was still difficult.

There had to be more. I decided to get my Master’s in Reading from WVU, and this is what turned the corner for me. In my Master’s program, I discovered how enjoyable and fun reading could be, especially when reading books I chose! I found myself excited about reading and teaching reading to others. I am so glad that I didn’t give up, because I truly love to read now. I like to read for information, pleasure, and for self-help. I also read to my granddaughter all the time and many other children too! I even create read aloud videos for children to enjoy. Quite the turnaround from where I started!

Please know that if reading is hard for you or your child, I’m positive you are NOT the only one going through this. Yes, practice always helps. Creating pictures in your mind of what you are reading is important. Experiences are helpful when you think about how what you already know relates to what you are reading.

But, perhaps the most important thing is choice! Find a book that you or your child is interested in reading and read it! You will be surprised how much enjoyment and growth can come from spending time in a good book. You may struggle and get discouraged when comparing yourself to others like I did, but I hope you won’t give up. Reading is magical, and it can take you to places you never realized were there. Take it from someone who’s been there — it’s worth the effort.

Granting Book Wishes

‘Rich book talk,’ now more than ever

A letter from the Executive Director, Dawn Miller

Children need us now more than ever. By us, I mean Read Aloud West Virginia, formally, of course – our classroom readers, our book distributions. But children also need us in general, their community.

Every week we hear from teachers. In addition to everything they struggle with this year, they ask how they can fit it all in. How can we get children to engage with books outside of the school day?

This is where the community comes in.

Read Aloud works on this a lot. Our community volunteers take time each week not only to show up and be present to read to children, but also to read ahead and practice and stay on the lookout for books their classes will enjoy. Our chapters come together to plan events and book distributions that give children, their families, and their schools opportunities to find and share books to love.

Every child needs this – people around them who believe, and show that they believe, that books are important. They need people who set the example in busy, distracted times for the brain and soul nourishing activity of reading.

Learning to read is often thought of as a set of skills, write Pam Allyn and Ernest Morrell in Every Child a Super Reader (Scholastic, 2016).

“And while it’s certainly true that children must learn to orchestrate a complex set of strategic actions that enable comprehension and decoding, it’s equally true that learning to read is a social-cultural event,” they write. “In other words, learning to read is more than simple skill building. Children also become readers when they are immersed in a community of readers, surrounded by rich book talk and animated demonstrations of reading, and provided with the social-emotional support that enables them to become members of the ‘literacy club’.”

When they say, “super readers,” they don’t mean just a test score. They talk about academic achievement, but also personal fulfillment, social well-being and civic engagement. Super readers enter a text with a purpose. They grow confident. They take risks, and they learn to discuss and expound on what they read.

As you see throughout this newsletter, Read Aloud is helping to fill needs exacerbated by shortened and interrupted school schedules. We are offering our classrooms virtual “Book Tastings,” where students can have rich book talk, and then choose more books to keep. We have been building Read Aloud Families, to help children to build their home libraries and to nurture family habits that will grow super readers.

On January 13, thanks to Scholastic, our chapters will come together for a virtual conference featuring Pam Allyn. Here, our volunteers will share some rich book talk of their own and carry knowledge and inspiration out to their communities.

Children, their families, and teachers respond to these efforts. They send pictures and thank-you’s. They tell us children are eager when their packages arrive. Children ask for the next book in a series and recommend books to their friends, cousins, and to us. With our steady example, they are growing into a community of readers.

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Help children to fill their ‘volume’

A letter from the Executive Director, Dawn Miller

When schools sent students home for remote learning this spring, my mind immediately went to a 1951 Isaac Asimov short story The Fun They Had. I won’t ruin it for you. Just know that it is set in a future where kids are taught at home by a “mechanical teacher.”

We turn to stories for comfort in times of stress and challenge. Looking for help, our minds riffle through a lifetime of lessons, including those we “experienced” in books. The week before schools closed, I could not have recalled that story. But there it was, waiting in my head when the situation arose.

That well of experiences is filled over a lifetime. Volume matters.

Asimov was not the only past-read that has offered insight for the times we’re managing now. Here are a few things I have been reading (and rereading):

  • The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller is the story of how a sixth-grade Texas reading teacher requires students to read 40 books in the school year, and offers all kinds of choice and help for students so they find books they enjoy. Then she watches their confidence, grades and test scores rise.
  • Reading in the Wild, also by Donalyn Miller, is her follow up on efforts to raise “wild” readers, or those who read because they are motivated from the inside, not because a teacher or parent is nagging, grading, rewarding or punishing them.
  • Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina and Passion in Adolescent Readers by Penny Kittle is the advice of a then-high school (now college) instructor who echoes that volume matters. Children, and then adolescents, and then adults develop those very qualities — depth, stamina and passion. It takes volume, which is possible if students find books they enjoy.
  • How Humans Learn by Joshua Eyeler informs on that precise subject. The most relevant chapter at the moment is the one that says anxiety turns learning off.

Students, like all of us, are learning things, whether consciously or not. If children are reading or hearing books they enjoy, they are learning words and facts. This certainly helps them to read better on their own, or when they must read something they don’t particularly enjoy.

Children exposed to at least one book every day also learn how language works, how it fits together, which helps them to write better when it is their turn. They learn empathy; and social and emotional maturity are factors in school success. But children, like adults, also store up insights and lessons. If they read regularly and hear books read aloud, they fill a well of wisdom they don’t even know they possess. But it will surface when they need it, like the Room of Requirement.

That well is filled a little every day. As with compound interest or growing a tree, time is an indispensable ingredient. So, if there are children around, and your family doesn’t have a reading habit, now is the time. Every day matters. Little kids, big kids, grandkids, it is not too late to start. Reading will look different for different ages and families. That’s OK.

Take it from Mary Kay Bond and Sara Busse. I love that interview for the permission to not be perfect. Don’t think reading or reading aloud really looks like a carefully posed Pinterest shot. It usually doesn’t.

No one knows exactly how the fall semester will go, but it will go differently in different places. Some days, if all that parents, teachers and volunteers can manage safely and angst-free is reading to the children in their lives, or helping them to find books they enjoy, then everyone will be on task and making progress. Research shows reading for pleasure is the most effective way for students to prevent learning loss when school is out. Just as importantly, those students will be adding to their lifetime volume of experiences to draw on some day.

That moment of need could be coping with a pandemic. Or it could be a school writing assignment. It could be navigating a death in the family, or it could be navigating a job opportunity.

Students are soaking up knowledge about something every day. Sometimes, as with me and Asimov, they won’t even know they are carrying the lesson until they need it. Then it will just be there. But only if their wells have been diligently filled in advance.

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Is yours a reading household?

Here’s a checklist to build — or strengthen — your family’s reading habits

By Dawn Miller

Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, writes that habits have three parts – a cue, a routine and a reward. Something cues us. We perform the routine, and then comes the reward, which may be just a chemical reaction in the brain that feels like pleasure. But the next time we get that cue, we are likely to perform the same routine.

Alex’s bookshelf is in the corner of the family room.
Read Aloud supporter Matt Schwartz reads grandson Alex a bedtime story.

Does your family have reading habits? Experience the pleasure and build yours with this checklist of cues and routines:

  • Books – some we own, some from the library. Children cannot form a reading habit without books.
  • A place for books. It can be a low shelf that children can reach. It can be a box, basket or bin, but they must be handy and in sight (not tucked away out of reach).
  • Light, the right light. Be honest. Is the on switch easy to reach? If it isn’t, you’ll resist turning it on and getting started. Does it glare and hurt your eyes? Is it too dim to see well? If it is a hassle or uncomfortable, it will interfere with building your reading habits.
  • Comfortable spot, with room for two or three, or even more. Plus other places where children can read on their own, where they can be free of the TV or computer screens long enough to get pulled into a book.
  • Time — a set time. Set a reminder if necessary until it becomes a habit. Look for reading cues that fit in your day and into children’s rhythms. Before bed works for a lot of people. During a bath? After a bath? After dinner? First thing in the morning?
  • Screens off. Devices away. Make a quiet space for the imagination to take over during a regular time that works for your family, and the cue-routine-reward pattern will have a chance to take hold.

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‘Trust your instincts’

Advice from Read Aloud pros Mary Kay Bond and Sara Busse

By Kristen Lefevers

With schools closed or uncertain, this is a wonderful opportunity for parents to read aloud to their kids. However, if your kids seem more interested in their toys than story time, or if you’re not used to read aloud, then it can feel uncomfortable. But don’t worry—we have some tips from two read aloud veterans.

“Parents and grandparents need to remember they are really important to the children in their care, and what they say matters,” says Mary Kay Bond, a Read Aloud West Virginia founder and former Executive Director. “The sheer act of picking a book and reading it says ‘I love you’ to the child. When children hear a word, especially in a loving setting, they build their vocabulary toolbox, which is the foundation on which their education is built. Just hearing the words is important.”

Sara Busse, another founding member of Read Aloud and longtime volunteer, said something similar. “Children might not understand the whole story, but they’re hearing well-prepared sentences and vocabulary.” She also talked about how important it is for parents to show themselves some grace. When it comes to read aloud, she said, “Don’t press it. Don’t push it. If it’s not working, close the book, and come back to it later. Or if it’s the book itself that isn’t working, pick another book, and don’t feel guilty about it.”

Mary Kay Bond reads aloud to children at a Snuggle & Read event.

If you’re wondering about the ideal time or place to read to your kids, “bedtime is a good time,” Mary Kay said. “They’re winding down then.”

“Read to them in weird places,” Sara said. “Read to them in the bathtub. It’s a good place, because they’re stuck there.” She used to play a game with her children. Everyone would sit around the kitchen table with a die and a book. If the die landed on an odd number, whoever had the book passed it to the person on the left, who would then read a page before rolling again; and if it landed on an even number, they passed it to the person on the right.

What should you do if your kids still don’t seem interested in read aloud right now?

“We’re all trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, but there’s really no normal right now,” Sara said. “If the kids are getting too much screen time, it’s okay.” She said that parents might have to let the extreme be the normal for right now.

Mary Kay suggested finding something that your child is interested in and then reading about it with them. If your child is interested in baking, for example, you could read a cookbook and bake a cake together. This works especially well for older kids, she said, and teaches them that they can get information from reading.

“But don’t think that every book has to have activities,” she added. Sometimes kids, and adults, too, just need to get lost in a story.

“Trust your instincts when you’re reading one-on-one with a child who knows and loves you,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to be a little silly. Make voices, make animals sounds. You want to make it fun.”

It’s easy for both kids and adults to feel anxious right now, but Sara says read aloud can help. It helped her family after 9/11.

“My kids were younger then. We turned off the TV and read more. There’s something to be said about laughing through a silly book, or even crying through a serious one like Old Yeller,” she said.

The final piece of advice? Let the kids choose, and don’t be surprised if they pick one that seems below their reading level.

“I would encourage people to let children choose the books they want to hear. Choice is empowering,” Mary Kay said.

She also shared a story that a mother shared with her a few years back.

“Her daughter was 15 or 16,” Mary Kay said. “She’d had a bad day at school, and when she came home, she asked her mother to read to her for the first time in a long time. And even though she was in high school, she picked a Strawberry Shortcake book.”

She said it’s important that parents don’t discourage their kids if they choose a book that seems below their reading level. Like the woman’s daughter in the story above, your child may simply associate that book with good memories. And those memories can be very comforting in this uncertain time.

Kristen Lefevers, of Gilbert, Mingo County, is a graduate of the University of Charleston.

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10 to Try: West Virginia Day

West Virginia Day celebrates the anniversary of West Virginia joining the Union and becoming its own state, separate from Virginia, in 1863. In celebration of our state’s founding, we collected a list of children’s books featuring the mountain state and its many stellar authors. We enjoyed putting these together so much that this 10 to Try actually features twelve great books because we just couldn’t narrow it down to ten. Enjoy!

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant (Grades K to 3)

An evocative and eloquent tribute to growing up in rural Appalachia.

— Suzanne Wood, Fayette County


From Miss Ida’s Porch by Sandra Belton (Grades 3 and up)

A Raleigh County native, Sandra Belton paints a picture familiar to West Virginians, the very best time of day, evenings on the porch. In her warm, conversational way, she lets readers sit alongside the kids in the story to hear their old-timers talk about life before the Civil Rights movement, and after.  


More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby (Grades 1 to 5)

This is the story of Booker T. Washington who would write “Up From Slavery” as an adult. In this story he is a child laboring at the salt works and struggling to teach himself what he wants to know “more than anything else.” Beautifully illustrated by Chris Soentpiet.


The King of Little Things by Bil Lepp (Grades K to 5)

Champion West Virginia storyteller Bil Lepp can make almost anyone sound good with his rhythmic rhymes, telling the story of a modest little king and the unsung odds and ends that stick up for him. It is wonderfully silly and subtle.


Panther Mountain: Lydia’s Story by Christy Perry Tuohey (Grades 5 to 8)

I would highly recommend Panther Mountain: Lydia’s Story by Christy Perry Tuohey. The book deals with the area that would become the state of West Virginia and includes several local references such as Gauley Bridge and Summersville. I purchased the book last fall with the hope of reading it to the Fifth Graders at Fayetteville Prek-8. 

— Janice Wiseman, Fayette County  


Passing the Music Down by Sarah Sullivan (pre-K to adult)

There may be no Vandalia Gathering this year, but you can enjoy a lyrical story, inspired by the tradition of passing the music down to each generation. Any age can find something to appreciate here.


Where, Oh Where, Oh Where, Could We Go? by Tony Caridi (Ages 3+)

Travel across the mountain state touring popular locations and learning to identify the unique WV shape hidden on each page in this rhyming, fast-paced adventure.

— Jeremy Crites, Putnam County


No Star Nights by Anna Smucker (Grades 2 to 5)

The author remembers growing up in Weirton, when smoke from the steel mills blocked the night sky. 


Golden Delicious: A Cinderella Apple Story by Anna Smucker (Grades 3 to 5)

I read this to preschoolers and they enjoyed that West Virginia was highlighted in the book, and they also enjoyed their golden delicious apples from Clay County.

— Deb Blakeman, Kanawha County


John Henry by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney (Grade PreK to 3)

There are several books about John Henry, the legendary West Virginia man who challenged a new steam-powered tool to stop it from taking the men’s jobs. This one draws details from several versions passed down over the years, highlighting the aspirations of the men.


Mountain Christmas by Marc Harshman (Grades K to 3)

Track Santa on his way to West Virginia with state Poet Laureate Marc Harshman.


West Virginia: A History by John Alexander Williams (middle school to adult)

Each of seven chapters stands alone as a readable, discussion-prompting story for middle school students or older. Each takes on a problem or topic in West Virginia history. Visit Point Pleasant, Harpers Ferry, Droop Mountain, Tug Fork, Paint Creek, Hawks Nest or Buffalo Creek.


The majority of the links above will route you to the online store of Charleston’s Taylor Books. You can still have your books sent to you, as with most online retailers, and your purchase will benefit a West Virginia small business and help to keep local bookstores open!

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10 to Try: Juneteenth

Juneteenth is the anniversary of June 19, 1865 when the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the enslaved people of Texas, the last state to get the news. We decided to celebrate this Juneteenth by collecting a list of book recommendations from our volunteer classroom readers and supporters.

Our readers know the importance of exposing children to diverse texts. It helps every child find books with characters that look like them and their communities, but it also ensures that children are exposed to new cultures, ideas, and experiences that will help them become more accepting, empathetic adults. That’s why it’s important for books like these to be staples in your library all year long, not just today.


Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of “Brave Bessie” Coleman by Reeve Lindbergh (Grades 2 and up)

Every year I read this book about “Brave Bessie” Coleman to my school group to let them know that with persistence, dreams are possible. Bessie Coleman became the first licensed African-American aviator in the world.

— Jeannie Plumley, Kanawha County


Jackie & Me (Baseball Card Adventures) by Dan Gutman (Grades 4-6)

— Helen Herlocker, Morgan County


Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine Johnson (Grades 4-6)

I read the Jackie Robinson book to 6th graders at PawPaw Elementary (they loved it so much that I read it again to the following year’s class) and I’m planning to read the Katherine Johnson autobiography in the fall. Both are particularly relevant to our current Black Lives Matter national issue.

— Helen Herlocker, Morgan County


Juneteenth For Mazie by Floyd Cooper (Grades 1-4)

The illustrations were beautifully done. We enjoyed how the importance of Juneteenth was translated into a way children could understand it. It was done in such a way that I was able to open up with my children about how the history of Mazie’s family was different than our own. It allowed them to sympathize with a social issue by sympathizing with another child. It helped them to grasp the benefits they have that others did/do not.

— Nicole Walls, Marion County


We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson & Cheryl Willis Hudson (Grades 3-7)

What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? With 96 lavishly designed pages of original art and prose, fifty diverse creators lend voice to young activists.

— Caitlin Gaffin, Kanawha County


Zoey & Sassafras series by Asia Citro (Grades 1-5)

— Tess Jackson, Putnam


Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series by Andres Miedoso (Grades K-4)

Both “Zoey and Sassafras” and “Desmond Cole” feature people of color as main characters without the narrative being based around race. Zoey and her cute cat Sassafras use the scientific method to care for mythical creatures. Desmond and his best pal, Andres, investigate paranormal happenings.

— Tess Jackson, Putnam County


Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (Grades 6 and up)

This book poignantly tells the story of how 9-year old Cassie Logan and her close-knit family face violence and racism during the depression era. I read this book to my high school seniors and they loved it. A great book to read aloud!

— Meg Ashby, Nicholas County


New Kid by Jerry Craft (Grades 5-8)

I suggest you search the Corretta Scott King Book Awards Web Site for many wonderful books with their descriptions for all ages. This is a valuable resource any time of the year. Why wait for Juneteenth for diversity?

— Ghee Gossard, Kanawha County


What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Raymond Obstfeld (Grades 3-7)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book. Offering profiles with fast facts and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a tribute to black inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter.

— Peshka Calloway and her 9-year-old son


The links above will route you to the online store of Charleston’s Taylor Books. You can still have your books sent to you, as with most online retailers, and your purchase will benefit a West Virginia small business and help to keep local bookstores open!

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Reading nourishes kids, family while schools are closed

By Dawn Miller

Originally published as an op-ed in The Charleston Gazette Mail.

Worried about your child’s education while schools are closed? Here is some good news: If all you can do some days is read with your kids, you are doing great things.

We have known forever that reading to children improves their vocabulary. That’s not even half of it.

When we read to children, a lot of other cool science stuff happens. Some of it we can’t even see, and it wasn’t so well understood even a generation ago.

Starting with babies: When we read, sing and talk to babies, their brains literally form networks that prepare them to start reading by age 6 or so. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Dr. John S. Hutton, a pediatrician in Cincinnati, has recorded the effect on children’s brain scans.

The gist is, we are born with brain networks ready to learn certain things — to see and speak, for example. We have no ready-made brain network prepared to figure out the word c-a-t.

But as we read to children, show them the pictures, let them think and talk about what happens in the story and relate it to their own experience, the human brain organizes itself to do that task more efficiently next time. The more we do it, the more the brain insulates and strengthens these networks.

By the time children skip into kindergarten and first grade, all that reading instruction at school falls on very fertile ground. Children blossom into readers.

This is a turning point in their lives. Children who can read well tend to get better grades and test scores throughout school. They go further in school, are less likely to get in trouble with the law and have higher lifetime earnings. They even enjoy better health outcomes as adults.

Like I said, a turning point.

Even after children can read well on their own, they still benefit from being read to. First, they gain fluency by hearing good readers. If they have a chance to follow along, they can make even greater gains.

Second, children can hear and understand stories that are too difficult for them to read comfortably on their own. The experience draws them further along, toward more difficult texts, and they grow ever more skilled, and knowledgeable.

And then, there are the other benefits. Anyone at home feeling anxious? Worried? Acting out? A soothing solution is to slow down and share a story.

At the Children’s Hospital at West Virginia University, thanks to exceptional teacher Katie Ridenour, Read Aloud helped organize medical students to read to patients. The idea is to keep as much normalcy in their lives as possible, and to keep up with their education.

When we asked how it was going, there were several benefits, but we heard one anecdote we cannot forget. As a medical student read to an infant who had a very rapid heartbeat, the baby’s heart rate slowed to a relaxed pace.

If that happens to a very young, ill child connected to monitors that capture this information, how might it affect the rest of us who don’t have sensors and readouts to tell us?

Our classroom volunteers frequently say their Read Aloud time is the “highlight” of their week, the same word, from many volunteers, independently, over many years.

I can attest to that. Countless times, I had a rough day at work in the newsroom but, at the appointed hour, I dropped everything and showed up in class, book in hand. And I always came away refreshed. Relaxed. Refocused. In perspective. I would miss lunch, if necessary, but not that Read Aloud time. I joked then that it was like I had stepped out and petted a cat.

It may not have been a joke. An oft-cited 2009 report from the University of Sussex concluded that as little as six minutes of reading (for pleasure) reduced stress by 68%, better than anything else.

We’ve heard it from students, too.

“This is my favorite time of week,” a fourth-grader sighed to me one day when I arrived. “Mine, too,” I answered.

When we read to children, we all get to walk around in someone else’s shoes for a while. Sometimes, that is called perspective taking. It improves our social cognition, the ability to understand what others are thinking and feeling.

And social and emotional maturity is important for learning and for school success.

“The processes by which we regulate our emotions begin to develop when we are children. As we become adults, the framework put in place when we are younger becomes increasingly vital for successful learning to occur,” writes Joshua R. Eyler in “How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories Behind Effective College Teaching.”

Cognition and emotion work together. When we are unable to regulate our emotions, it disrupts our other brain activity, no matter how good the teaching is.

“Simply put: overwhelming emotions have a negative effect on learning,” Eyler writes.

Which brings us back to education and how we are all going to weather the coming weeks and months.

Relax. If all you can manage to do with your children while schools are closed is to read to them for half an hour a day, you will do more for them than either of you may realize.

Read what your family enjoys together. Start with five minutes, if that is all you can manage. Stop while you are still having fun. Go where your children’s curiosity takes you. Come back to it every day. I promise, we are all learning.