Tag: reading

Surviving (and Thriving in) My First Year of Junior High Library Class

Tech Fun In The Library

If you had told me at the beginning of this school year that a blended 7th and 8th-grade library class would become one of my favorite parts of my week, I might not have believed you.

Coming from an elementary background, the thought of staring down a classroom of junior high students for 90-minute blocks, two and three times a week, felt a little intimidating. How was I going to keep them engaged? How do you fill that much time without losing them to the abyss of middle school eye-rolls?

But as the year wrapped up, I looked back and realized it was an incredible success. Having those long blocks actually allowed us to dive into deep, meaningful research activities that you just can’t squeeze into a standard 45-minute elementary rotation.

My secret weapon? Mixing it up every single week. If you are starting a new junior high library class next year, here is a breakdown of some of the units, resources, and activities that kept my students engaged, talking, and learning.

Media Literacy & Big Discussions

Junior high students are drowning in digital media, but they don’t always know how to navigate it. We dived deep into digital citizenship and internet safety using Above the Noise (via KQED/PBS).

  • How I used it: These videos are sharp, fast-paced, and highly relevant to teens. I paired them with video guides for the students to fill out as they watched to keep them focused. I also used this as an opportunity to practice Google Slides and Canva. Students summarized what they learned by creating presentations in one of these.
  • The result: This completely unlocked the room. It led to some of the most insightful, honest discussions and discoveries about social media algorithms, fake news, and digital footprints.

Collaborative Research with a Retro Twist

To teach research skills without hearing the groaning and complaining, I used videos from Retro Report (an incredible resource that connects history to current events).

  • How I used it: We used their investigative videos to look at topics like invasive species and media frenzies. Students worked in groups to unpack the history, analyze the media’s role, and conduct their own deep-dive research based on the prompts.

Creative Writing & Author Deep Dives

With 90 minutes on the clock, we had the luxury of slowing down for multi-step creative projects. Two of our absolute favorite writing and research units were:

  • “Library After Dark” Creative Writing: I challenged the students to write a creative story about what happens in our library when the lights go out. Giving them the freedom to write ghost stories, fantasy adventures, or mysteries set in their actual school building sparked incredible creativity.
  • Author Deep Dives: Instead of a generic biography report, students chose an author and did a comprehensive research deep dive. They investigated the author’s background, their writing process, what inspired their most famous works, and how their style evolved over time. It was a fantastic way to blend database research with literary appreciation.

The Middle School Mock Caldecott

Think picture books are just for the younger grades? Think again. One of our major highlights was running a Mock Caldecott unit with my 7th and 8th graders.

  • How I used it: I chose books that were recommended on different Mock Caldecott blogs and sites, plus some of my own personal favorites. Then, we looked at the actual evaluation criteria used by the real-world ALA judges to grade the art, media, and storytelling. Finally, the students cast their official votes to see if they could successfully predict the real winners.
  • The result: The kids took this so seriously. It was a brilliant way to practice critical evaluation skills and analyze visual storytelling at a higher level.

Rethinking “Book Time” for Big Kids

You might think 8th graders are “too old” for certain library books, but I found that changing how we interacted with the collection changed everything. Some of the fun activities we did with books were:

  • Wordless Picture Books: We used these for visual literacy, storytelling, and sequencing activities. It forced them to slow down and look at detail, context clues, and subtext.
  • Ripley’s Believe It or Not Books: Never underestimate the power of weird trivia. These were fantastic for an end of the year news article writing assignment. They had to pick a bizarre event and then write a realistic sounding news article.
  • Fractured Fairy Tales: We spent time analyzing traditional fairy tales and breaking down how they are built. Then, I set the students loose to write and create their very own fractured versions. They had a blast spinning old classics on their heads.
  • Studying Point of View: I pulled various picture books specifically to study point of view. Because they are short and direct, they were a fast, visual, and really effective way to show students how a story changes drastically depending on who is telling it.

Keeping Catalog Skills Sharp

  • Destiny Scavenger Hunts: Destiny Scavenger Hunts: To make sure they didn’t lose their practical library skills amidst all the big projects, we periodically did Destiny Scavenger Hunts. It was a great way to keep them familiar with using the library catalog system so they can find the books they need.

Year One: In the Books!

Overall, it was a great first year with this course. I was definitely worried at the beginning, but it quickly became one of my absolute favorite classes. It turns out that when you give 7th and 8th graders the right mix of new activities, videos, and creative choices, a 90-minute block actually flies by. I’m so glad I got to try these new ideas with them, and I’m already looking forward to adding to the class year after year.

Fellow librarians: Do you teach a junior high or middle school block? What are your go-to resources for media literacy or creative writing? Let’s swap ideas in the comments!

Click the images below to find these activities on my TPT page.

Behind Closed Doors: Inside the Empty School Library

Tech Fun In The Library

The final bell has rung, the backpacks are cleared out, and the hallways are completely quiet. You might think the school library goes to sleep for the summer… but you’d be wrong.

Have you ever wondered what the books do when the students are away? We managed to sneak in and capture some exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. Here is the actual truth about what happens after student leave for summer break:

  • The Graphic Novel Reunion: During the school year, the Dog Man and I Survived books are never on the shelf at the same time. They are constantly checked out! Summer is their only chance to finally sit together, catch up, and swap stories.
  • The Picture Book Spa Day: After nine months of being stuffed headfirst into overstuffed backpacks next to crunchy potato chips, dropped on the floor, and read aloud to enthusiastic puppies, the picture books are finally taking a break. Right now, they are relaxing on the shelves, getting a gentle spine massage, and enjoying the peace and quiet.
  • The Chapter Book Marathon: The thick chapter books have been waiting all year for someone with enough free time to read past chapter three. Right now, they are flexing their bookmarks, stretching their pages, and doing some heavy lifting to get in shape for your fall book reports.
  • The Scanner’s Deep Sleep: The library barcode scanner beams its red laser thousands of times a week. It is currently in a deep hibernation mode, dreaming of that satisfying BEEP! sound. (Please do not make any loud noises near the circulation desk; we don’t want to wake it up.)
  • The Great Book Drop Vacation: The library book drop handles hundreds of heavy books a day. Right now? It’s taking a well-deserved nap. We even caught it wearing sunglasses.
  • The Dust Bunny Takeover: With no feet running down the aisles, the library dust bunnies have formed a tiny civilization in the biography section. They are currently electing a mayor.

The Librarian’s Confession

As for me? I’m busy doing the most important summer job of all: reading a massive stack of brand-new books to make sure they are safe for the shelves this fall. (It’s tough work, but someone has to do it!)

We miss you already, readers! Stay cool, read some great books at home, and try not to let the dust bunnies take over your bedroom.

What do you think your favorite library book is doing right now? Let us know in the comments below!

Lucky Stories and Folklore Fun: St. Patrick’s Day Reads for the Library

Tech Fun In The Library

One of my favorite things about being a school librarian is tying books to holidays. It just makes reading feel a little more fun for students, and it’s an easy way to bring in traditions, stories, and a little learning at the same time. St. Patrick’s Day is a great one for this because there are so many stories about luck, leprechauns, and a little bit of mischief. Of course, I always keep in mind that not all students celebrate every holiday, so I try to approach it in a way that’s fun and educational without assuming everyone is participating.

It’s also a really good time to talk with students about folklore. A lot of the stories connected to St. Patrick’s Day come from Irish folklore. Folklore is basically stories that have been passed down over time. People told them long before they were written down, and they were shared from one generation to the next. Sometimes the stories change a little depending on who is telling them, but the main ideas stick around. I like pointing this out to students because it helps them see that stories can travel through time and still be enjoyed today.

Here are some of the books I like to share in the library around St. Patrick’s Day.

How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace is always a big hit. Students love the rhymes and all the creative traps people try to build to catch a sneaky leprechaun.

The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing is a fun twist on the classic Night Before Christmas style rhyme. Two kids get everything ready for the holiday, and it builds a lot of excitement.

Fiona’s Luck by Gail Gibbons is one I like to use when talking about folklore. Fiona is clever and brave, and students enjoy seeing how she outsmarts the leprechauns.

The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever! by Teddy Slater follows a boy named Sean who thinks finding a pot of gold will make his day perfect. By the end he realizes that the real luck comes from family and friends.

Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase by Kimberly and James Dean is perfect for younger students who already love Pete. When Pete hears about a hidden pot of gold, he goes on a leprechaun chase to try to find it.

Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola is a funny Irish folktale about the laziest man in Ireland who somehow ends up growing a giant potato. It’s a great read aloud and a fun way to introduce folktales.

Green Shamrocks by Eve Bunting is a sweet story about Rabbit growing shamrocks for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. When they go missing, Rabbit goes on a search to find them before the celebration.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by Lucille Colandro is a silly read aloud that students love to join in on.

The Luckiest Leprechaun by Bryce Dallas Howard tells the story of Finn, a leprechaun who has plenty of luck but wishes he had a real friend to share it with.

Holiday themed books make it easy to mix fun with learning. Students get excited about the stories, and it’s a great way to bring in things like traditions, folktales, and cultural stories from around the world.

If you use these books with your students, I also have companion activities in my TPT store that go along with many of these titles and work well as follow up activities after the read aloud.

Click here to check out activities on my TPT page.

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Page Count: Picture Books in Middle School

Tech Fun In The Library

When people think of picture books, they often imagine elementary classrooms and early readers. But here is something I have been happily reminded of this year: middle school students still love picture books, and they benefit from them in powerful ways.

I was not sure how my middle school students (grades 7 and 8) would respond to participating in a Mock Caldecott Medal this year. Would they think it was too young? Would they take it seriously? As it turns out, they absolutely rose to the occasion.

At their age, they were mature enough to thoughtfully evaluate the books using our four criteria: Art Technique is Good, Art Helps Tell the Story, Artwork Matches Mood, and Artwork Meant for Kids. As they read through the titles on our mock list, I could hear them debating artistic choices, discussing how illustrations supported the text, defending their scores with evidence, and even questioning the mediums used for the artwork. They were asking whether an illustrator used watercolor, collage, digital art, or mixed media, and discussing how those choices affected the overall impact of the story. They were not just reading. They were analyzing.

Picture books are uniquely powerful for middle schoolers for several reasons.

First, they spark great conversations. Because the books are shorter, students are more willing to jump in and share their opinions. Before you know it, they are pointing out small details in the illustrations or arguing about whether the artwork really matches the mood of the story.

They also let students dig deeper without feeling overwhelmed. A picture book might look simple, but there is often a lot going on beneath the surface. The combination of text and illustrations gives them more to notice and more to talk about.

And honestly, they are fun. Middle schoolers still enjoy being read to. They still like flipping through beautifully illustrated pages. Giving them access to picture books reminds them that reading does not always have to feel heavy or complicated to be meaningful.

Our Mock Caldecott experience did more than introduce students to new and engaging picture books. It also gave them an understanding into how the Caldecott process works and helped them appreciate the artistry behind the books they may have once rushed past.

Most importantly, it reminded all of us that picture books are not defined by age level. They are defined by the power of storytelling. And middle schoolers are more than ready to engage with that power.

If you need a Mock Caldecott lesson plan you can find one in my TPT store.

Big Impact, Small District: The Power of Our Read A Thon

Tech Fun In The Library

For the past five years, our annual Read A Thon has been one of the highlights of the school year. What started as something I wasn’t quite sure would take off in our small district has grown into a positive, exciting experience for both our students and our library.

Our Read A Thon serves two important purposes: it encourages daily reading and it raises funds to support our library. As a fundraiser, it has exceeded my expectations. Families truly jump onboard and enthusiastically sponsor their students to read. We use the Read A Thon website, which makes the entire process incredibly simple. They provide the flyers, host everything on their platform, and handle all payments online. Parents register their students and submit donations directly through the website, which means I don’t have to collect, track, or manage any money. That convenience alone has been a game changer.

I always select the 80% no-prize option, which allows us to keep more of the funds raised. Instead of spending money on pre-packaged prizes, I purchase books to use as rewards. The money we raise goes right back into our library—buying new books, funding reading contest prizes, and stocking our makerspace with supplies. For a small district, this fundraiser has made a big difference.

Beyond fundraising, the Read A Thon is a powerful reading incentive. Once students are registered, they record their reading minutes each day. We offer grand prizes that require a minimum number of minutes read to qualify, which motivates students to stay consistent and build strong reading habits. It’s amazing to see the focus and excitement around reading during this time.

We celebrate our readers in big ways. Each grade level has one grand prize winner who receives a family four-pack to the zoo, museum, or local waterpark. I also select 15 students in grades K–3 for a field trip to the science museum and 15 students in grades 4–6 for a second science museum trip. Last year, I added a special bonus: the top two readers and the top two money earners enjoyed a trip to the bookstore to spend $25 on books of their choice. Watching students pick out their own books was such a rewarding experience.

We also recognize classes as a whole. The class with the most minutes read and the class with the most money raised each earn an ice cream party and an extra activity day in the library. These celebrations build excitement and create a shared goal within classrooms.

Overall, our Read A Thon has become so much more than a fundraiser. It’s a joyful, community-supported event that strengthens our reading culture while providing meaningful financial support for our library. Five years in, I can confidently say it has been one of the best initiatives we’ve implemented—and I can’t wait to see it continue to grow.

Calm, Cozy, and Consistent: Managing December in the Library

Tech Fun In The Library

December in the library can feel magical… and a little chaotic. With excitement building for winter break, keeping routines consistent is key to helping students stay focused and successful. I’ve learned that sticking to our regular expectations, no matter the season, creates a calm, predictable environment for everyone.

After Thanksgiving break, I always start with a quick reteach of library rules and expectations. Even a 2–3 minute review helps students (especially the younger grades) remember what it looks like to listen to stories, stay in their seats, follow directions, and participate in our activities. A refresher sets the tone and helps prevent behavior issues before they start.

To keep engagement high, I fill our time with plenty of winter-themed read-alouds featuring snowmen, snowy adventures, and cozy seasonal stories. I also make sure our displays reflect the many ways people celebrate this time of year. Along with Christmas, I feature books on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Las Posadas, St. Lucia Day, and Winter Solstice/Yule.

I always keep inclusivity in mind. I know I have students in a few classes who do not celebrate holidays, so for those groups, I skip holiday-themed read-alouds completely. Instead, I focus on snowmen, winter animals, and other neutral seasonal stories. This ensures that every student feels comfortable, included, and respected.

I’ve also created a variety of lesson activities that connect directly to the books we read, which helps maintain structure and purpose during a busy month. If you’re looking for low-prep resources to use in your own library or classroom, you can find many of these activities in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Keeping routines steady doesn’t take away the fun—it helps students enjoy the season even more. With clear expectations, engaging stories, and a welcoming space for all, December becomes one of the most joyful months in the library.

You can find these and more on my TPT store. Click here to see my entire store.

Gobbling Up Learning: Our Thanksgiving Library Activities

Tech Fun In The Library

This time of year, our library isn’t just about reading Thanksgiving books, though we definitely enjoy those too! We also mix in some fun Thanksgiving-themed activities that help students practice library skills and basic tech skills. By this point in November, students (and staff!) are definitely ready for a break, so these hands-on activities keep things fun and engaging.

One activity my students love is our Thanksgiving shelf-order practice. This is a Google Slides activity I created where students drag and drop little “pie pieces” into alphabetical and numerical order. It sounds simple, but it really helps them understand how books are arranged on the shelves. This is an important skill when they start looking for books on their own. This is also available as a Fall shelf order practice activity for students who do not celebrate the holiday season. I add both to the Google classroom and they can choose.

Students also have fun doing coding activities with a Thanksgiving twist. For my younger students, especially 2nd grade, we do unplugged coding where they learn the basics without devices. For 3rd and 4th graders, we use a digital coding activity in Google Slides with fun Thanksgiving-themed drag-and-drop tasks. They always enjoy it, and it’s a great way to ease into Hour of Code next month.

Another favorite is Thanksgiving Sudoku. I created a drag-and-drop Sudoku game in Google Slides where students move Thanksgiving pictures into the right spots to solve the puzzles. It’s great practice for using a trackpad or mouse, and it builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Grades 4–6 especially love this one. I have also offered a Fall Sudoku for my students who don’t celebrate holidays or for students who would just rather do a Fall themed activity. I put both into the Google classroom and they can choose.

These are just a few of the fun things we do in the library during November when we are learning, thinking, creating, and of course, having fun while celebrating the Thanksgiving season!

All of these activities are also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store for anyone who wants to use them in their own library or classroom. Click the images below to go directly to the items.

Fall Into Reading: Fun & Easy Activities for Your Favorite Autumn Books

Tech Fun In The Library

Fall is such a fun time in the library! There are so many great books to choose from, and every year I pull out some of my favorites to read with students. These fall-themed books aren’t just fun — they help students build important reading skills too.

Some of my go-to titles include:

🍂 Fletcher and the Falling Leaves – We talk about how Fletcher feels as the seasons change and do a character traits activity. I also have a sequencing printable where students put the events of the story in order.

🍁 The Leaf Thief – This one is great for discussion on cause and effect! The activities we do cover character traits, sequencing, retelling the story, connecting to self by writing words they connect with fall and a fun word search.

🍃 The Very Last Leaf – Perfect for discussing character growth. We talk about being brave and making connections to times students felt nervous about something new. The activities cover a range of skills but kids enjoy comparing deciduous trees and evergreen trees.

🌾 The Scarecrow – This book gets a little deeper. We compare and contrast characters and talk about kindness. These activities cover basic story elements but also cause and effect, rhyming words, and counting syllables. Students are then asked to think about how the Scarecrow was feeling each season of the year.

🎃 Pete the Cat: Falling for Autumn – Always a hit! I use this with my younger grades and they love it! Students learn to put words in alphabetical order, pute events in sequential order, and do a fun class survey. It is great watching them walk around the room asking classmates for their favorite Fall activity/item. A fun way to get them interacting with others while still learning drag and drop skills on the computer.

🍁 It’s Fall! – Great for nonfiction tie-ins. We use it to talk about signs of fall and then do either the digital or printable activities that go with this book. With this students practice graphing skills, connection to self, alphabetical order, and then the fun of drawing their own Jack-O-Lantern.

These activities are available in both printable and digital — easy to grab and go, and flexible for different grade levels. Each book gives us the chance to work on skills like story recall, character traits, sequencing, compare and contrast, and even some simple graphing! With these activities students stay engaged, and admin is always happy to see meaningful work that supports reading comprehension.

The best part? Kids have fun while learning. That’s what the library is all about this time of year!

Click on images to see product.

Shop for these and more on my TPT store!

Library Scavenger Hunt with Middle Schoolers

Tech Fun In The Library

This year, I was asked to teach a library class for our 7th and 8th graders. I’ve been teaching elementary library (K–6) for a while now, but middle school is new territory for me. We’re all on the same campus, but once kids hit middle school, they kind of disappear from the library. So I was actually really excited to have a reason to bring them back in.

I spent a good chunk of my summer coming up with ideas and lessons that would get them moving and keep things interesting. For our first class this week, I did a QR code scavenger hunt, and it ended up being a total hit.

I made 30 QR codes, and when scanned, each one shows a word related to books and a few that connect to something in the library — like “pencil sharpener,” “Chromecart,” “circulation desk,” stuff like that. The students had an answer sheet with clues, and they had to scan the codes and write the correct word in the right spot.

I wasn’t sure how they’d react — middle schoolers can be a tough crowd sometimes — but they were all over it. Everyone was up out of their seat, looking around, scanning codes, finding books, and talking about what they were discovering. Not one single student said, “This is dumb” or “I don’t want to do this.” That’s a win in my book!

One group did put a book back in the wrong place, and I’m still hunting it down… but hey, small price to pay.

I’m planning to make a few more versions of this activity to use throughout the year. If you’re interested in trying it with your students, I added it to my TPT store. It’s fully editable so you can change the titles to fit your own library setup. Link is below!

Click here to go to my TPT store.

Starting the Year with a Library-Themed “Would You Rather” Game

Tech Fun In The Library

One of my favorite ways to kick off the school year in the library is with a good old-fashioned game of “Would You Rather”—library-style! It’s a simple, fun activity that helps me get to know the kids and gets them learning a little bit about each other too. Plus, it gets them moving, which is always a win!

I use a Google Slides version of the game that I project on the whiteboard. Each slide has a fun, library-themed question with two choices (A or B), and students move to the side of the room that matches their answer. Example: “Would you rather read books that make you laugh or books that make you scared?” Boom—movement, laughter, and instant conversation starters.

As a library teacher, I only see students twice a week, so I don’t get the same daily time with them that their classroom teachers do. That’s why I try to be intentional about relationship-building right from the start. This game gives me a peek into their personalities and interests in a low-pressure way. And honestly, it’s just fun to see what they pick!

It’s also great for helping students learn about their classmates. They get to see who shares their love of fantasy books or who’s also into listening to audiobooks instead of reading print. It’s quick, interactive, and gets us all smiling and talking—exactly how I want the year to start.

If you’re looking for a simple way to connect with students and build community in your library space, give it a try. The Google Slides version I use is available in my TPT store if you want to grab it and use it with your own classes. You might just learn who would rather read a book that smells like cookies or read a book that makes noises when you turn the page—and that’s important stuff to know.

Shop here for your Library Themed Would You Rather.