Library Read-Alouds For Older Kids
"Perhaps the most important message that comes from our reading aloud to [kids] is one that says you are worth the time this will take....
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Jennifer LaGarde
- Feb 21
- 3 min
⭐️ Book Review: Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston
One recent (and welcome!) trend I've noticed in books written for middle grade readers is the normalization of therapy and other tools...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Feb 13
- 3 min
NCCE24 Sessions and Takeaways!
This week, I'm learning and sharing at the Northwest Council for Computer Education's annual conference. I've been a part of this...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Feb 13
- 3 min
🎧 The Reader's Heart | Guest: Kyle Lukoff
ABOUT THIS EPISODE While I've only published three of them, so far, I've recorded many more episodes of The Reader's Heart. That said,...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Feb 8
- 3 min
⭐️ Book Review: The Last Stand by Antwan Eady and Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
I find the craft of picture book making mesmerizing. In just 32 pages, the very best at this art form combine spare, carefully chosen...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Feb 8
- 3 min
WSRA24 Sessions and Takeaways!
This week, I had the chance to present at the Wisconsin State Reading Association conference. I shared during 5 of the 6 breakout...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Feb 7
- 4 min
📚Bookelicious Middle Grade Book Club: The Misfits
ABOUT OUR BOOK CLUB Y'all, it's no secret that I love the Bookelicious Middle Grade Book Club. If you've never participated, these...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Feb 6
- 3 min
🎧 The Reader's Heart | Guest: Traci Sorell
ABOUT THIS EPISODE I started The Reader's Heart as a way to share the magic of children's literature at a time when it feels like so many...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Jan 31
- 3 min
⭐️Book Review: The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee and Dan Santat
In a lot of ways, I am nothing like Olive Cobin-Zang, the Chinese-American protagonist of Lisa Yee’s and Dan Santat’s new illustrated...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Jan 30
- 2 min
🎧 The Reader's Heart | Guest: John Schu
ABOUT THE READER’S HEART Rooted in the belief that our world needs the magic of children’s literature now more than ever, the Reader’s...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Jan 13
- 9 min
2023 Picture Books To Share With Older Readers
"Picture books are art objects... books in which images and ideas join to form a unique whole.” - Dr. Charlotte Huck I hope it goes...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Dec 31, 2023
- 3 min
⭐️ Book Review: And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
Middle schooler Joe Oak has a list of things he wishes he didn’t have to know. For example, he knows how much his grandmum makes cleaning...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Dec 21, 2023
- 5 min
⭐️ Book Review: I Loved You In Another Life by David Arnold
When I was a kid, my mom was obsessed with the movie Somewhere In Time - a time travel infused romance starring Christopher Reeve and...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Sep 30, 2023
- 3 min
UPDATE: ⭐️ Book Review: Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
Note: I've updated this post to include some bonus content at the bottom. Happy Reading! Jake loves roller skating, Broadway musicals,...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Dec 20, 2022
- 2 min
My Favorite Books of The Year - Part 2
Last week, I shared the first part of my annual list of favorite books of the year. That first list, which is housed at Bookelicous,...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Dec 13, 2022
- 2 min
My Favorite Books of 2022 from Bookelicious (and beyond!)
It's that time of year again! That magical season full of literary-awards-and-best-of-2022 lists! For me, this season begins with the...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Jan 19, 2022
- 2 min
From The Mixed Up Files of Dr. Ken Bort PhD: The Newsletter for The #DigitalDetectiveSquad
For awhile now, Darren and I have been plotting an information literacy newsletter to serve as a side door to even more content for our...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Dec 21, 2021
- 4 min
A Year of Reading Pt 1: The #NOWSKI Award!
Note: this post was cowritten by my friend and cohost of #ReadThisNow: Dr. Brad Gustafson! Big news from the co-hosts of Read This Now!!...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Nov 18, 2021
- 4 min
A Proactive Approach to Book Challenges
Book challenges are on the rise. ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom, which tracks requests to remove materials from library shelves,...
Jennifer LaGarde
- Jul 1, 2021
- 3 min
#ReadWithPride: Graphic Novel Edition
This year, during the month of June, I decided to share one graphic novel a day (on Instagram and Twitter) that features queer...
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