Tiff4Tat

Lovers of middle grade books know their transformative power.  Geared toward readers ages 8-12, middle grade stories create a bridge for readers between early chapter books and young adult novels (for more about differences between the types of books, read this Writer’s Digest article).  While the age range does not equate to the age of middle schoolers, the purposes behind middle grade books and what middle school students might learn are often the same: encourage empathy, boost literacy skills, and foster critical thinking.  Recent Middle School Gems to Explore At the 2024 National Council of Teachers of English annual convention, the award committee of the Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children named a winner, five honor books, and eight recommended books. What follows are three middle grade Honor books. ( Link HERE for the complete list of winners ).  Middle Grade Honor Books This novel-in-verse fosters empathy by addressing topics of poverty,...

Annnnd, we have a winner!  The Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children Committee, which focuses on children’s and middle grade fiction, named an award-winning book for 2025! If you're in Boston, plan to attend the Children’s Book Award Luncheon on Saturday at 12:30 to hear the news or look for an announcement on this blog.  The 2024 winner , The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett ( Clarion Books ), is a middle grade novel. Kemi, an 11-year-old aspiring scientist who loves facts and stats, navigates grief and loss. Follow the link to see Honor and Recommended books to read or use in your classroom.  There are countless benefits to serve on a national book committee: camaraderie, shared passions, critical thinking, and (of course!) free books. As we dialogued and discussed our final 40 books (we read more than 1,000 over the course of the year), I was reminded of the qualities of a text and of the decisions teachers, librarians, and other educati...

I walked into the Westin Seaport in Boston on Wednesday and saw author Ruta Sepytys who was stepping off the elevator (I fangirled). At the bottom of the escalator, educator Penny Kittle was talking with a teacher.  Ruta Sepytys and me (NCTE, 2023) Columbus, Ohio These sightings are just an example of the humanity that exists within the National Council of Teachers of English ( NCTE ) organization. This year’s theme, Heart, Hope, and Humanity, is sure to capture all the greatness among English teachers.  Can’t be with us at the annual convention? Missed a session because you are double- triple- quadruple-booked (because there are so many amazing sessions?). Follow along this weekend for a recap of the sessions and events I will attend.  This is my 17th NCTE conference (and the second in Boston!). NCTE does many things for its members. The annual convention reminds me about three of those things: it opens doors, provides access, and makes available great minds and heart...

          Went to the fortune teller                                                                                           Had my fortune read                I didn't know what to tell her                I had a dizzy feeling in my head These opening lyrics by Robert Plant and Allision Krauss introduce the song “Fortune Teller.” A great song in its own right but heard live – Boom!  Allison Krauss and Robert Plant at  Kettlehouse Amphitheater, Aug. 9, 2024.  I had the opportunity to see Plant and Krauss live at the Kettlehouse Amphitheater (Bonner, MT) on August 9. This experience – and...

I finally broke down and subscribed to TikTok.  My intent was to keep up-to-date with the challenges that young people like to take part in. As a middle school principal, I want to stay in the know. Stay hip.  What I’ve learned so far, however, has nothing to do with what young people are into right now. To avoid a really deep TikTok rabbit hole, this blog will focus on 5-star mystery/thriller reads I have found on BookTok this July. The books are listed in chronological order with a brief recap. Follow me on Goodreads to keep current on all my reads and ratings.  Read: July 1-5, 2024 Listened on Audible This was a solid 4 stars until the final 20 percent of the book. If I could rate it higher than 5 stars, I would! I listened to Audible, and the male/female readers made this very enjoyable. The surprises I did not see coming, and they just kept getting unraveled and revealed until the last page. If you love psychological thrillers with untrustworthy narrators then this ...

  “Storytelling is at the core of all human connection.” ~ Kristin Hannah Kristin Hannah with Diane Carlson Evans In her own words, Diane Carlson Evans is “an advocate for nurses and women who have served in war.”  This is an understatement.  Evans, born and raised on a dairy farm in rural Minnesota, served as a nurse in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. She is the Founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation (formerly the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Project), and former President and CEO of the Board of Directors. ( Read more HERE .) According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund website: There are eight women, all nurses, whose names appear on The Wall. Of the 265,000 women who served during Vietnam, nearly 10,000 military women served in-country during the conflict. Barred from combat, these women served in health care, communications, intelligence, and administrative positions. Civilian women served as foreign correspondents for news agencies, worke...