2026 Reading Challenge

Happy 2026!

Did you make any resolutions for the new year? 
It's not too late to make a resolution to read more! 

The North Reading High School Media Center is a proud 2026 partner of the Massachusetts Center for the Book statewide reading challenge. I would like to encourage you to participate. If you are a classroom teacher or work with NRHS students in any capacity it would be awesome if you could encourage them to read as well. 

How it works: 

• During the next 12 months, participants (You and your students) read 1 title each month that fits the monthly challenge. 

• After reading a book, fill out this form and summarize the book. 

Print titles, Audiobooks, and eBooks all count as reading! Everyone in the NRHS community can access Sora for eBook and Audiobook content.

• Each month 2 names will be drawn on the last day of the month to win a free book. To qualify, be sure to submit the form before the end of the month. 

• In addition, participants who read a book in each of the 12 months will be entered in a drawing to win 1 of 2 totes filled with books.

Here is the January title category: 

Not sure what to read? Stop by the Media Center and check out the "Sweater Weather" display for some inspiration.

Additional Suggestions for January:

A Decline in Reading and What We Can Do About it

                                    

You may have read the Boston Globe article this summer that reported fewer people are reading for fun. As a high school librarian who has personally witnessed this trend over the past several years, this information did not surprise me, although it did make me sad. A recently published article written by linguist Naomi S Barron suggests a correlation between the advanced capabilities of AI in summarizing texts as a contributor to the decline in reading. An increase in the use of social media has also been suggested as a contributing factor. 

So what can we to do? 

• Serve as role models by talking to students about what you might be reading or listening to outside of school

• Post a "currently reading" sign outside your classroom

• Reach out to me so we can arrange a date for your PowerBlock to come to the Media Center to borrow books 

• Remind students that they can borrow eBooks and Audiobooks from Sora, the student reading app. High School educators can also access Sora content! (No cell phone necessary. Students and educators can access borrowed content from their school issued Chromebook or laptop!)  

• Encourage reluctant readers to listen to audiobooks or read graphic novels. Both formats "count" as reading!

• Graphic Novels are available in print format from the high school Media Center. Digital Graphic Novels are available via Sora, and ComicsPlus (BPL)

• Provide opportunities for students to get extra credit points for sharing magazine articles that support the curriculum. Students (and teachers) have full-text access to digital magazines via Sora, PressReader (BPL), Flipster (BPL), and Libby (BPL)

• I'm in the process of compiling a sortable list of digital magazines, topics, and which platform(s) to use to access them. Here is a preview: Which Platform has which content

What suggestions would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments. 

Monday Medley: Graphic Novels and Comics in the Classroom

Good Morning and Happy Monday! 

Today's topic is...Graphic novels and/or comics and why they can be a valuable tool in delivering classroom instruction. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a graphic novel as, "a story that is presented in comic-strip format and published as a book." While the terms graphic novel and comic are sometimes used interchangeably, most often a graphic novel is longer in length and has a more complex plot than a comic. 

Why would someone want to use a graphic novel in the classroom? Consider the following, "Graphic novels are an engaging and popular form, and undoubtedly this has made the learning process that much more meaningful for the students. Graphic novelist Svetlana Chmakova explains the power of the graphic novel to resonate with readers by using the example of an author "render[ing] a charged silent moment that speaks volumes about the character's inner state just through their movements. If done right, a scene like that can hit home deeper than a text paragraph ever could." With categories ranging from biography and memoir,  business and career, history, how-to, inspired by myth, philosophy, politics, STEAM and more, there is literally something for everyone.  

Are you wondering how you can get started with graphic novels in your classroom? Look no further than the student reading app Sora, and the popular streaming media service Hoopla. If you are not interested in assigning a class text then your students can use Sora to borrow popular graphic novels without the need to remember a user name or password. High School teachers and students can sign in using CLEVER and easily add access to the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium, which the Flint Memorial Library is a part of. Use Hoopla if you want all of your students to have the ability to read the same graphic novel at the same time. If you need directions for setting up an account for Hoopla or Sora click on this link to the Media Center Website to get started. 

If  you are interested in reading reviews of graphic novels for teens then check out the Website No Flying No Tights. (The creator and Editor-in-chief of this Website works at the Brookline MA public library as a teen librarian!) When exploring the site, use the drop down menus below the search bar to filter results to titles for teens. Select genres or nonfiction categories to further filter your results. *Note that not all listed titles will be available from Sora or Hoopla. 

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Website has a page Using Graphic Novels in Education that contains some sample lessons using popular graphic novels. The Media Center has print copies of some of these titles. In addition, many are available through Sora or Hoopla. 

This photo shows some of the nonfiction graphic novels available through Hoopla. 

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Hughes, Janette, and Laura Morrison. "The evolution of teaching with graphic novels." Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, p. 116+. Gale OneFile: Educator's Reference Complete, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A425349584/PROF?u=mlin_n_northhs&sid=PROF&xid=eb9b4d62. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

Merriam Webster. “Definition of GRAPHIC NOVEL.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2018, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graphic%20novel. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

(Photo by Miika Laaksonen on Unsplash)

Monday Medley: Print Books, eBooks, and AudioBooks

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

In case you haven't heard, students and teachers now have the ability to request print titles from the Media Center.  Want to check out a book from the HS Media Center but don’t know where to begin? Scan the QR code on the doors to the Media Center or go to http://bit.ly/NRHSBookForm to get started.

Please spread the word about this!

High School students and staff also have access to a collection of bestselling eBooks and Audiobooks from Sora, the student reading app. The app is available via CLEVER log in and works on a Chromebook, laptop, and desktop computer. You can also download the app to read/listen on your phone. Attached is a one page direction sheet you can share with your students to get started. This collection is built on the one book, one user model. This means that it's not possible for all of your students to be reading the same title simultaneously unless the title is part of one of the special collections in Sora that allows for an unlimited number of users.

Students and staff who sign up for a free Boston Public Library eCard have access to eBooks, Graphic Novels, Movies, and Music. This collection supports an unlimited number of simultaneous users for all materials. Users can borrow up to 10 titles each month. Attached is a directions sheet for getting started with Hoopla.

Last of all, students and staff have access to a new collection of reference titles available from Infobase. Please contact me directly if you need the username and password.