Scholastic Reads

Scholastic surveys thousands of kids and their families across the U.S. biennially for our Kids & Family Reading Report, gaining special insight into the latest trends in children's reading habits. The second of three installments, Finding Their Story, focuses on what kids want in books and characters, the rising demand for diversity in children's books, and the importance of access to books.

This week, you'll hear from four of our in-house experts — as well as some kids themselves! — about what the data tells us that kids and their families are looking for in the books they read.

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This week, we're talking with author Keith Calabrese about his middle grade debut. His new book, A Drop of Hope, is set in a small Midwestern town, where times are tough, jobs are scarce, and miracles are in short supply.

Keith joins us today to talk about his path to becoming an author and what he hopes his 8- to 12-year-old readers will take away from this heartwarming story about Ernest, Ryan, and Lizzie, and their efforts to help their divided town choose empathy and kindness over anger and fear. 

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We're kicking off Women's History Month with debut novelist Aida Salazar and her stunning book for 8- to 12-year-olds, The Moon Within.

The novel is a modern day Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret set in Oakland, California, and steeped in the culture and traditions of the Mexica, indigenous people of Mexico.

The story introduces us to Celi Rivera. Like every 11-year-old, she has questions. Questions about her changing body, her first crush, and her best friend’s exploration of gender fluidity. But most of all, she has questions about her mother’s insistence that she have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives — an ancestral Mexica ritual that Mima and their community have reclaimed and that Celi does not want to participate in.

Today, Aida and her editor, Nick Thomas, join us to discuss why this lyrical coming-of-age own-voices story is a must-read for everyone.

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This week, we're discussing narrative nonfiction and its power to help turn young readers into critical thinkers and global citizens. 

Last year, we launched the Scholastic Focus imprint, dedicated to presenting young readers with true and moving stories to help them better understand themselves and the world around them. 

Today, we're talking with editorial director Lisa Sandell as well as four Scholastic Focus authors: Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Deborah Hopkinson, Robert Edsel, and Lawrence Goldstone. Listen as they tell us about their compelling new books and what they hope readers will take away.

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Scholastic surveys thousands of kids and their families across the U.S. biennially for our Kids & Family Reading Report, gaining special insight into the latest trends in children’s reading habits. The first of three installments, The Rise of Read-Aloud, focuses exclusively on the practice of, you guessed it, reading aloud. We wanted to know: When do parents start reading aloud to their children? How often are they reading? What are they reading? And how do kids feel about it all?

This week, you'll hear from a literacy expert, an author, an editor, and several kids and families all about what makes the read-aloud so special, and why it's a crucial experience for kids of all ages. 

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Bestselling author Aaron Blabey stopped by our New York offices earlier this year while on his book tour The Bad Guys: Mission to America, and we're so excited to share our conversation with you. Aaron talks about his latest Bad Guys book, The Bad Guys in Superbad, the Bad Guys movie that's currently in development with DreamWorks, and shares some insight into his creative process. He also treats us to not one, but two amazing read-alouds!

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"I've spent my whole adult life chasing the high of a Scholastic Book Fair." - @merman_melville

"[wedding]
'and now the groom will read his vows'
me: you make every day feel like a scholastic book fair" - @elleryonline

"U kno when u get a whiff of something and ur like ah yes this smells exactly like the scholastic book fair of 2008 in the afternoon on octob—" - @ilovedogs123

We've seen viral post after viral post about how much people love — and love reminiscing about — the Scholastic Book Fair. But what makes it so memorable?

This week, we set out to record some of the magic.

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There are many ways to create a book desert — an area where a child has little or no access to books. Maybe a school's budget cuts lead to closure of the library. Maybe a neighborhood bookstore closes. Maybe the closest public library is too far away to reach by public transportation.

Whatever the cause, the problem is clear: Too many children in the U.S. lack access to books.

This week, we're talking with literacy advocates Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp about how crucial access is. It's a topic they address in their new book for K-8 educators, Game Changer!

Donalyn and Colby discuss how access to a wide variety of texts, choice in what to read, and time to read are “game changers” for the lives of all children, enhancing academic achievement while shaping kids’ understanding of themselves and their world. They also offer practical ways that educators and families can make small changes that can enrich their readers' lives in major ways.

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Students across the U.S. have shown the power and importance of news articles in the classroom. Moved by the resilience of their peers and a desire to help, kids—supported by their teachers—have developed student-led activism initiatives to raise awareness and funding for the causes they’ve read about in Scholastic Classroom Magazines such as Storyworks® for grades 4–6 and Scholastic Scope® for grades 6–8.

This week, we're talking with Lauren Tarshis, editor-in-chief and publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, and Kristin Lewis, editorial director of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, about how they craft the stories that inspire students to become changemakers. 

We'll also hear from a third grade teacher in Cleveland, OH, about how her Scholastic News readers have made a real difference at their school with anti-bullying and recycling efforts.

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This week, we're talking with Alex Gino about what it means to be an ally. 

Alex is the author of the award-winning book George, about a transgender girl who wants the world to see her the way she sees herself. We talk with them about the importance of that message, as well as the messages readers will find in their latest book, You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!, about a girl who learns to be an ally, a sister, and a friend, understanding that life works in different ways for different people.

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