Books

Learn more about assigned books students read for school and how teachers use books in their curriculum
3D rendered illustration of the moment an artificial intelligence becomes sentient.
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Classroom Technology The Best Science Fiction to Teach About AI, From Teachers
Science fiction can help students understand AI and its potential impacts, teachers say.
Alyson Klein, April 23, 2024
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6 min read
Vector illustration concept of young person listening to an audiobook.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy High Schools Kids Barely Read. Could Audiobooks Reverse That Trend?
Audiobooks, long considered by some educators as "cheating," are finding a place in the high school curriculum.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 10, 2024
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4 min read
Ana Pasarella, the director of family and community engagement for Alvin ISD, oversees an activity as Micaela Leon, 3, a student in Alvin ISD’s READy Program, draws on a piece of paper on Alvin ISD’s STEM bus in Manvel, Texas, on Dec. 8, 2023.
Ana Pasarella, the director of family and community engagement for the Alvin Independent school district in Texas, oversees an activity as Micaela Leon, 3, a student in the district's READy Program, draws on a piece of paper inside the district's STEM bus in Manvel, Texas.
Callaghan O’Hare for Education Week
Families & the Community Leader To Learn From A Former Teacher Turns Classroom Prowess Into Partnerships With Families
Ana Pasarella maximizes her community's assets to put students first.
Ileana Najarro, February 5, 2024
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8 min read
Books are displayed at the Banned Book Library at American Stage in St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 18, 2023. In Florida, some schools have covered or removed books under a new law that requires an evaluation of reading materials and for districts to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles.
Books are displayed at the Banned Book Library at American Stage in St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 18, 2023. In Florida, some schools have covered or removed books under a new law that requires an evaluation of reading materials and for districts to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles.
Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP
Curriculum One School District Just Pulled 1,600 Books From Its Shelves—Including the Dictionary
And the broadening book ban attempts may drive some teachers out of the classroom.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 24, 2024
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6 min read
Illustration of students in a vibrant happy welcoming library
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Reading & Literacy Opinion 6 Best Practices to Make Your School Library a Place of Joy
There are many challenges school librarians can’t control—book bans, for instance—but here are some productive areas we can focus on.
Donna Gray, January 18, 2024
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5 min read
Books sit in a cart and on shelves in an elementary school library in suburban Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2023.
Books sit in a cart and on shelves in an elementary school library in suburban Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2023.
Hakim Wright Sr./AP
Families & the Community Parents Trust School Librarians to Select Books, But There's a Catch
A new survey shows what parents think of school libraries and librarians following efforts throughout the country to remove books.
Libby Stanford, January 16, 2024
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5 min read
Zoe Kozina stands at a microphone and reads her book, Your Beautiful Mind, to students.
Special Education Video A Student Wrote a Book About Her Learning Disability. Now, She Has Advice for Teachers
Zoe Kozina, 17, is the author of Your Beautiful Mind, a children’s book published this year.
Sarah Schwartz & Jaclyn Borowski, November 30, 2023
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1 min read
Retired teacher Ann Freemon is pictured in Everett, Wash., on November 24, 2023.
Retired teacher Ann Freemon is pictured in Everett, Wash., on November 24, 2023.
Chona Kasinger for Education Week
Curriculum In Their Own Words Why I Kept Teaching To Kill a Mockingbird When Others Wouldn't
A recently retired English teacher explains why she continued to teach the classic novel after it was challenged in her district.
Elizabeth Heubeck, November 27, 2023
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6 min read
Scholastic reversed its decision to silo books about LGBTQ+ characters and people of color into an optional collection starting next January, based on feedback from authors and illustrators.
Scholastic reversed its decision to silo books about LGBTQ+ characters and people of color into an optional collection called "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice," starting next January, based on feedback from authors and illustrators.
Photo courtesy of Debby Vandersande
Reading & Literacy Scholastic Reverses Controversial Decision to ‘Segregate’ Diverse Books
Four public school librarians and two experts said Scholastic's reversal on making diverse books optional is a step in the right direction.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 25, 2023
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7 min read
Gabrian McDaniel and Jhi'marcion Owens, both 9, look at books during a book fair at Dixie Elementary School in Tyler, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2017.
Gabrian McDaniel and Jhi'marcion Owens, both 9, look at books during a book fair at Dixie Elementary School in Tyler, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2017.
Chelsea Purgahn/Tyler Morning Telegraph via AP
Reading & Literacy Scholastic Book Fairs, Explained: How They Work and Who Benefits
What you need to know about what students can find at book fairs, who organizes them, who selects the books for them, and more.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 20, 2023
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6 min read
Gabrian McDaniel, 9, picks out a book at a book fair at Dixie Elementary School in Tyler, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2017.
Gabrian McDaniel, 9, picks out a book at a book fair at Dixie Elementary School in Tyler, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2017. This year, Scholastic debuted a collection of diverse books schools can choose not to include at book fairs, citing legislation restricting these kinds of books.
Chelsea Purgahn/Tyler Morning Telegraph via AP
Reading & Literacy Scholastic Says Schools Can Exclude Diverse Titles From Book Fairs
The separate collection is a response to states with laws restricting learning materials on race, gender, and sexuality.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 16, 2023
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5 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor No, Book Bans Are Never ‘Reasonable’
Our stories and histories deserve to be told without censorship, says this letter to the editor.
October 10, 2023
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1 min read
Books targeted in school challenges are stacked at an exhibit at the American Library Association's annual conference, Saturday, June 24, 2023, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Attendees are invited to climb atop a giant chair to read their favorite banned book.
Banned books are stacked at an exhibit at the American Library Association's annual conference, Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Chicago. Book challenges increased by 20 percent compared to last year, according to ALA data from January to August.
Claire Savage/AP
Reading & Literacy Challenges to Books in Public Schools Aren't Slowing Down
As book bans continue to increase in 2023, experts say it’s crucial for educators, parents, and students to fight bans in their districts.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 6, 2023
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3 min read
Collage of a young student reading a book.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Equity & Diversity Researchers Find Need for More High Quality, Culturally Relevant Curriculum
A new report from The Education Trust examines the limited complexity of representation in children's books deemed to be high quality.
Ileana Najarro, September 25, 2023
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5 min read
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