Whether it be the arts, activism, politics, or the food industry, women have been making American history long before March was named Women’s History Month. Women have set records and won awards in nearly every industry. Therefore, March is the perfect time to look back and recognize the individual contributions women have made to our country’s historical accomplishments.
November is National Native American Heritage Month and in honor of this nation’s first peoples and their rich history, I curated a short title list featuring books by Indigenous authors.
April is national poetry month, a celebration of how this literary art reveals the precious truth with words. All of us have experienced hardships, joy, and challenges these past two years. We have seen glimpses into a kinder society that shows our desire to gain a better understanding of each other. I believe we are lucky to be educators during a time of turmoil in our government and communities. Books that provide windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors have helped us understand what others’ hopes and fears entail. And no other form of writing expresses emotions and creates imagery like poetry. Following are details about four of my favorite new poetry titles...
For the past three years, I have spent Wed evenings with the youth at our church, specifically with my son and his classmates. As their #ConfirmationGuide, my goal was to build a strong faith community. This is my #volunteer reflection. #ELCA #GLCSignsOfGrace @Green_Lake_LM
The past several years, more and more books that cover coping with cancer and facing difficult challenges have become available for young children. Following are three new titles, along with details on my book -- all highlight the bond between mother and son/s and how they face sensitive subjects together. I recommend these books as a valuable addition to any school library collection.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. This is a difficult subject to talk about for adults as well as youth. Stories can help!
Fathers teach their daughters about love, trust, and security. My dad taught me I can always depend on him. I am fortunate that my dad is a grandfather my sons can look to as an example to follow: a feminist man who loves his daughters, son, and grandchildren to the moon and back. I don’t need my dad to hold my hand anymore, because I know he will always have my back. In this #blogarticle I highlight five #newbooks that celebrate the unique bond between fathers and daughters.
Being a mother is hard work! Yet, it is the most rewarding role I’ll ever have. As I am helping librarians and principals build new school libraries, I have found many new beautiful books that celebrate all kinds of mothers. Following are three new titles that I think are especially important to have in school libraries.
In my search for YA lit that shatters stereotypes of diverse female characters, I found four new titles that challenge readers’ conceptions about race and gender.
February is a great time to celebrate friendships because friends are important people in our lives. As educators build their library collections, it’s always important to provide titles that reflect the readers. Classrooms are becoming more and more diverse and it is very likely that youth have friends in different racial and ethnic groups. In this blog article, I highlight new #OwnVoices #ChildrensBooks & #YAlit that celebrate diverse friendships by #DebutAuthors.
KATY TESSMAN 