Classroom Blog

If you were to ask me in seventh grade if history was my favorite subject, the answer would have been a resounding no. The same goes for the characters Sam and TJ in Alex Gino’s newest novel, [...]

When I outlined my first memoir, The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell, one thing that immediately struck me was how much of my preteen life was spent rocking back and forth on a pendulum. Half the [...]

My mother read to me before I was even born.  Stories were always a part of my life. The local library, just a few doors from my house, became a second home to me. I hungrily swallowed stories [...]

My new friend tucked her hair behind her ear as she whispered under her mask, “I have anxiety like Autumn in Dear Student.” Her voice shook. “Kids make fun of me.” She inhaled big. “Thanks for [...]

One of the perils of visiting schools is that kids, teachers, librarians, and parents often ask which books you love and why. My favorites are always changing, and I have a difficult time picking [...]

The ability to dream up worlds in one’s mind is crucial for creating an immersive experience for readers. In today’s guest post on the Mackin Community Blog, Amy Kim Kibuishi, creator of the [...]

I grew up in a factory town north of Detroit in the 1980s. It was a time when, due to the auto recession, anti-Japanese sentiment was incredibly high. Most of the families in my town worked at [...]

What does it feel like to never see your own story reflected in the books you read? Areli Morales wanted to provide a space for kids who are undocumented to feel seen and understood. In today’s [...]

“Your students don’t have to like you,” said my graduate school professor many times throughout the term. This mantra served me well over the years—as a reminder of who not to be as a teacher [...]