Literacy Honor Cords

     

I'm super excited to get LIT this year with literacy honor cords available to earn from the library! I've been looking for a way to really create a culture of literacy at my high school, and I think this is a fun and important step to take in that process.

A few weeks ago I posted on the ALA Think-Tank Facebook group asking folks to share their fabulous secondary library webpages.  One of my new librarian friends shared her website and it included info about their literacy cords.  I was intrigued and began searching out info from other schools who also gave these.  I only found one other school (full disclosure I did not spend weeks upon weeks searching---this from a cursory search) who bestowed these, but I love the idea and decided to run with it.  I messaged my friend, too, and she clarified a few things about their specific program for me.

After coming up with an initial list of requirements, I met with the National English Honor Society sponsor to get input, and now I've  sent it to our principal for approval.  I'm meeting with him next week to see where things stand.  Once I have it set in stone, I'll post it on the blog.

Honor cords weren't a thing when I graduated oh-so-long ago, and I didn't realize what a HUGE deal they are to the kids until I moved up to work at the high school 3 years ago.  Dude! They are serious about these and it becomes almost a competition of sorts to see how many you can earn. 

I'm all in.  While I don't love giving trinkets for reading, I DO love the idea of treating reading as something worthy of honor at graduation.  Let's reward our students for their hard work and commitment to reading. 

#IMWAYR

Still in my #Tayshaslist reading quest, I've managed to read a couple more this week.

The Dark Days Club, by Alison Goodman, is a fantasy set in the Regency era.  I happen to be a super-fan of this time in history, and love a good paranormal mystery.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the second book in the series to be available.

I'm still reading The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz. Currently, I'm about half-way through it and am enjoying it so far.  The main character is on the young end for a typical YA, but it has been interesting to take a look at the time period (the story is set in 1911) and I'm quite fascinated as this book was inspired by the diary of the author's grandmother.

On Audible, I've got book Hush Now, Don't You Cry by Rhys Bowen, the 11th book in the Molly Murphy mystery series.  Weirdly, I've found I can enjoy cleaning and decluttering to this book better than anything else I've tried.  Whatever works, I guess!


What are YOU reading?

It's Monday! What are YOU reading?

I'm finding that much of my reading is falling into two distinct categories this summer.  Tayshas list books and books on hygge.  There are a few other books I'm reading here and there, but I'll put all of them into miscellaneous--a bit of leadership, a bit of pedagogy, a bit of non-fiction on non-hygge topics and a mystery or two--but for the most part I'm on a Tayshas/hygge roll here.

I took Lara Avery's The Memory Book with me to Austin this past weekend.  I was attending Texas Library Association's Annual Assembly and my meetings were staggered at weird intervals which meant I would have some reading time in-between.

This book.  Oh, my heart.  I loved it, so.  Written as journal entries into a book to help retain her memories, Sammie shows us what it is to be human.  I finished this book right before my last meeting of the day on Saturday and went in weepy.  This book is gorgeous and hard and requires tissues. Loved this #tayshaslist book.

I also took Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King with me.

I've just started reading this one, but am totally intrigued by the characters thus far.  Another #tayshaslist book.  If you didn't get a chance to listen to the #KidsDeserveIt podcast or watch it with Todd Nesloney interviewing Jeff Zentner, it is worth going back to watch. Lawyer by day, writer by night?  Dude, I need some lessons.  I have been working on book ideas for ages and find it exceedingly difficult to wrangle the time between my library work and my mama work.

My newest book purchase.  After my final meeting of the weekend, I just had to swing by Book People.  I should probably mention that it is one of my most favorite places on earth.  I could easily spend hours there.  Anyhow, I went in looking specifically for this book--it was only available through my public library on ebook, and truly I hate reading on my phone.  Also, it just doesn't seem very hygge to read on a phone to me, not to mention that it was checked out already anyway.  I started it last night and am enjoying it.  It is a beautiful little book and I feel more surrounded and filled by hygge just by reading it.

Have I mentioned that my goal is to have the most Book People-ish high school library in the world? #goals #hygge

What are YOU reading?

It's Monday, what are YOU reading?

Summertime, and the livin's easy!  One of the very best things about summer is the free time to read. It is just delicious, isn't it!

One of my main goals is to read all the Tayshas books---yes, there are a ton of them, but yes, I'm going to keep at it 'till I get it done.

Oh, but I enjoyed this one!  What a delightfully snarky main character!  I just felt like I knew him and his friends, you know?  Brilliant.  A delightful coming-of-age story with fun, quirky characters.

This is a lovely book.  Genuinely beautiful.  Lyrical writing that dances with your senses.  The 4 teens each have a story which intertwines beautifully in the end.

And in other reading--

I came across the perfect memoir for someone like me who is fairly obsessed with the idea of hygge. I am so enjoying reading about such a different culture and the author is both humorous and interesting.

And lastly, I'm listening to the Audible version of a wonderful cozy mystery series I enjoy--Bless the Bride by Rhys Bowen, the 1oth book in the Molly Murphy Mystery series. This is a fun series to listen to while I clean and attempt to achieve the homey-hygge I mentioned above.


What are YOU reading?