Classroom Blog

My parents were the first people in my life who sparked a love for books and reading. My dad read to me when I was a child, and my mom would take me and my sister to the library regularly, [...]

As a child of the ‘90s, I grew up in the wild Wild West of the internet. It was not until I was in middle school when the internet became available to me to use at my “leisure” (on a hard-wired [...]

I have often wondered how I discovered the writer in me at the age of 40. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined being a writer. But here I am, a published author and a teacher of writing. We are [...]

As we enter the back-to-school season, many educators are gearing up for the return of students. This time of the year can be very exciting, as well as nerve-wracking, for educators and students [...]

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 [...]