BookMarks’ 2013 coverage of books, libraries, literacy, and publishing in K-12 followed some key themes: graphic novels, e-books, and creativity, to name just a few. We also stepped up our game with book reviews from a variety of contributors, author Q&As, and “What I’m Reading,” a series on summer reading.
We published plenty of short, newsy posts, but the most popular longer pieces of 2013 reveal a mixed bag: book reviews, interviews, and analytic pieces all made the list. Read on for a look at what readers saw and liked this year.
Top 15 Graphic Novels for the Science Classroom
Cathy Cardno sought out John Shableski, a publishing consultant knowledgeable about teaching with graphic novels, for this list of suggested titles for teaching science.
Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error Hits Bookstores
Ravitch’s latest book, released amid much pre-publication hype, prompted responses from across K-12 education and media. This post collects highlights from the first week of coverage and reactions following the book’s release.
New Common-Core Book for Teachers (and the Rest of Us)
A review of Fewer, Clearer, Higher: How the Common Core Standards Can Change Classroom Practice by Robert Rothman (Harvard Education Press, 2013). The book offers a hopeful take on the standards’ potential for impact in schools but falls short when it comes to discussing implementation challenges.
Libraries Go (Mostly) Bookless
Everyone loves a “Print is Dead!” or “Are Libraries Dead?” kind of story. Our coverage of a new all-digital public library near San Antonio hints at why those are the wrong questions to ask.
Caldecott, Newbery Winners Announced
A roundup of the winners and runners-up for best picture book and best children’s book, announced at the American Library Association’s annual Youth Media Awards.
79 Ideas for (Re)Designing Schools
We reviewed The Third Teacher, a 2010 book on school design that examines how the built environment – from classroom furniture to playgrounds to school facilities infrastructure – can affect teaching and learning.
New Book Releases: Creativity and Critical Thinking
In which we review a spate of recent titles on what creativity is and how to teach and learn it.
Q&A: Nancy Faust Sizer on The New American High School
Cathy interviewed Ms. Sizer on the publication of a book by her late husband, Theodore Sizer.
Two summer reading lists round out the Top 10: Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers focused on books about leadership in and out of schools, while Walt Gardner highlighted two titles that examine the teaching profession from different angles.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at 2013. Thanks for reading — we’ll see you in January.