When the students of Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Illinois returned to school from winter break there was something different about the hallways of the English department. Six floor-to-ceiling vinyl prints of book covers had been installed while they were away in the hopes that it would encourage students to talk more about their reading life. School spokesman Ron Girard says that the project was intended to "get students talking about the reading that they do" and has succeeded in that in addition to talking books in class "now the chatter among students even takes place in the hallways when...
The Benefits of a Book-Filled Home Remain Strong
It's no secret that a healthy portion of books in the home leads to more good things happening to the kids that live and grow up there. In his 2010 piece, Home Libraries Provide Huge Educational Advantage, Tom Jacobs of Pacific Standard alerted us to a comprehensive study that made clear that "the presence of book-lined shelves in the home — and the intellectual environment those volumes reflect — gives children an enormous advantage in school." Now, eight years later, Jacobs is back at it with the results of a new study that confirms that not only do books furnish...
The Public Collection: A new public art and literacy project
This August eight unique artist created libraries will grace the streets of Indianapolis. Under the moniker of The Public Collection these amazing micro libraries will be spread over the city and offer free books courtesy of the Indianapolis Public Library. The Public Collection is a blend of art and literacy. The goal is to "increase access to books through the use of functional pieces of art in familiar settings. The initiatives are to improve literacy, foster a deeper appreciation of the arts, and raise awareness for educational justice in the community." Tom Torluemke, model for “Cool Books, Food for Thought” (2015) The Public...
The reading life of scientists explored in new series from the University of Cambridge
[youtube]https://youtu.be/i_Zq2FXTB5A?list=PLoEBu2Q8ia_OJey8wqE7pyczqsQ8BFrx3[/youtube] Taking its inspiration from the ‘What Scientists Read’ project which queried 30 scientists about their reading lives 'Novel Thoughts' is new film series focusing on eight scientists and the books that helped shape their lives. For some, a book came along at just the right time. Professor Clare Bryant, of the Department of Zoology, read A S Byatt’s Possession at a crucial point in her early career. Its page-turning portrayal of two historians racing to uncover hidden truths reminded her of the excitement of scientific discovery, and persuaded her not to turn her back on her own research career...
This summer’s “Reading Ambassadors” are coming from the Governor’s Mansion
School's out, summer is here and it's "summer slide" prevention time. One of the more prominent offerings comes from Scholastic who has signed on forty-four U.S. Governors’ Spouses, along with the Governors of Colorado, Vermont and the U.S. territories Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands to act as “Reading Ambassadors” for the 2015 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. The free Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge encourages kids worldwide to log the minutes they spend reading in order to unlock original stories written by favorite children’s authors, earn rewards, and help set a new world record for summer reading, with the goal...