Recommended Adult Reads from Mindy Bilyeu, Adult Services Librarian
Expect Great Things! How the Katharine Gibbs School Revolutionized the American Workplace for Women
by Vanda Krefft (Non-fiction)
It’s a safe bet that most of the secretaries on the TV series Mad Men would have attended the Katharine Gibbs School in New York City. Krefft turns the notion of a “Gibbs girl” on its head, showing us that while the school was getting women who could type 90 words per minute into the C-suite, its more subversive mission was to get them out of the secretarial pool to assume positions of power on the other side of the desk. And Gibbs graduates did just that, tackling the sexism of the era and paving the way for 21st-century women to succeed in any profession.
Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement
by Elaine Weiss (Non-fiction)
In the summer of 1954, educator Septima Clark and small businessman Esau Jenkins travelled to rural Tennessee's Highlander Folk School, an interracial training center for social change founded by Myles Horton, a white southerner with roots in the labor movement. There, the trio united behind a shared mission: preparing Black southerners to pass the daunting Jim Crow era voter registration literacy tests that were designed to disenfranchise them. Together with beautician-turned-teacher Bernice Robinson, they launched the underground Citizenship Schools project, which began with a single makeshift classroom hidden in the back of a rural grocery store. By the time the Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965, the secretive undertaking had established more than 900 citizenship schools across the South, preparing tens of thousands of Black citizens to read and write, demand their rights – and vote.
Lessons from My Teachers: From Preschool to the Present
by Sarah Ruhl (Non-fiction)
Based on her popular class at Yale, this masterful, intimate essay collection from one of our greatest living playwrights and teachers, Sarah Ruhl, is a testament to the singular impact of teachers across every stage of our lives. Anchored in stories both personal and universal, drawing on Ruhl’s experiences with her parents and children, with schoolteachers, creative influences and beyond, Lessons offers an uplifting perspective on our basic human need to teach and learn from each other as we navigate the surprising paths that shape our lives.
Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black Children
by Noliwe Rooks (Non-fiction)
The landmark case Brown v. Board of Education deemed racial segregation in schools unconstitutional. Heralded as a massive victory for civil rights, the decision's goal was to give Black students equal access to educational opportunities and clear a path to a better future. Yet in the years following the ruling, schools in predominantly Black neighborhoods were shuttered or saw their funding dwindle; Black educators were fired en masse; and Black students faced discrimination and violence from their white peers as they joined resource-rich schools that were ill-prepared for the influx of additional students. Award-winning interdisciplinary scholar of education and Black history, Noliwe Rooks, weaves together sociological data and cultural history to challenge the idea that integration was a boon for Black people.
The Last Bake Sale: The Fight for Fair School Funding
by Andru Volinsky (Non-fiction)
During this time of attacks on public education, teacher layoffs and funding crises, it's crucial to understand why some schools struggle for lack of resources while others flourish. Why is education funding in America so embattled and so unequal? In this book, Volinsky uses New Hampshire as the example of the most unfair and regressive state in the nation in terms of how it funds its schools. As the lead lawyer in the Claremont, New Hampshire, school funding case, Volinsky waged a twenty-year battle to make access to education fairer for all children in the state, not just the wealthy, white, and privileged. Volinsky offers not just a history of how we got here at the state and national level, but also how to find a better path forward.
Soul School: Taking Kids on a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American Culture
by Amber O’Neal Johnston (Non-fiction)
Brimming with the history and culture of Black America, this one-of-a-kind resource is delivered in a package that all children find irresistible: stories. Education expert Amber O'Neal Johnston-who homeschools her four children-offers masterfully curated booklists, sorted by age, for diving into the fullness of the African American cultural experience. Soul School books are must-have mirrors for Black children and priceless windows for others, but first and foremost, they're captivating stories. And while they're sure to hold a special place in the hearts of Black families, they are unequivocally and without hesitation for all children.
Writing Tools for the College Admissions Essay: Write Your Way into the School of Your Dreams
by Roy Peter Clark (Non-fiction, teen)
Most high school students have never received any instruction in how to write a personal essay. Yet at a time when getting admitted to their dream college is more competitive than ever, the admissions essay may turn out to be the single most important thing they will ever write. The stakes are high. Veteran journalist and writing coach Roy Peter Clark shows how any student can showcase their unique achievements, intellect, and attributes to stand out from the crowd. Packed with nearly two dozen remarkable essay examples and 100 digestible essay writing tips that students can carry with them throughout their careers, this is the essential guide every high school student, parent, and teacher needs.
Recommended Youth Reads from Katie Ross, Youth Services Supervisor
Why Do I Have to Go to School?
By Katie Daynes (Board Book)
Children will delight in lifting the flaps to find answers to this and other common questions about school. Questions about a typical school day, school routines and learning about animals that go to school will satisfy the most curious learners.
School Is Wherever I Am
By Ellie Peterson (Picture Book)
Does school and learning only happen within a building? A curious boy ponders this question and shares the many ways that the world outside the classroom provides opportunities for learning.
Flat Cat: The Class Pet
by Tara Lazar (Picture Book)
What could a cat do if it was flat? A flat cat can do some amazing things! When he accidentally arrives in his neighbor’s classroom, he finally gets to show off his skills. This is a quirky back-to-school book that will make kids giggle.
Scare School Diaries: Welcome to Scare School
by Jarrett Lerner (First Chapter Book)
Bash, a ghost, shares his thoughts and feelings with words and drawings about his first week at Scare School. He is nervous about attending Scare School. Not only does he need to meet new teachers and students, but he also needs to pass his Creature Intensive Exam. Will he succeed in making friends and passing his exams?
Olu’s Teacher: A Story about Starting Preschool
by Jamel C. Campbell (Picture Book)
Many children are nervous about starting preschool. They may wonder what their teacher is like. What will the other kids be like? This is a reassuring story that preschool holds amazing opportunities for discovery and that teachers are there to help them learn and grow.
How to Get Your Teacher Ready
by Jean Reagan (Picture Book)
How can you help your teacher navigate all the special days and events you might have at school? The truth is that teachers are also nervous about many things throughout the school year. Together, you can make the school year extra special.
Ava Lin: Best Friend!
By Vicky Fang (First Chapter)
Ava is excited about her first day of first grade! New clothes, shoes, lunch box and backpack are ready to go along with her secret mission: make a best friend. Will Ava succeed in her mission? Readers are sure to laugh at the humorous scrapes Ava gets herself into along the way.
