Shared Experience
by Karen Pavlicin-Fragnito
Reading Shakespeare in prisons is not new, but doing so in solitary confinement, with those considered to be the most dangerous and hardened inmates, was unheard of—until Laura Bates gave it a try. Laura’s book Shakespeare Saved My Life shares the success of her Supermax program and the transformation of convicted killer Larry Newton. Though he’ll spend his life in prison with no chance of parole, Larry says he’s free. Laura’s book has prompted other prisons to set up similar programs. […]
Turn the Page
by Naomi Krueger
Children’s librarian John Schumacher, otherwise known as Mr. Schu by his students and Twitter followers, reads an average of 2,000 children’s books a year and posts his recommendations for books with staying power. Elected to the Newbery Committee, John takes his love of books way beyond a few blog posts. His road trip to promote Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan took him to the zoo in Atlanta where he met the real-life inspiration for Ivan. The gorilla even autographed John’s book. […]
Readers Write
In our February subscriber exclusive, we interviewed children’s author Kimberly Johnson. One of her lasting inspirations is her grandmother’s recitation of poetry. In honor of April’s National Poetry Month, we want to know how poetry has influenced your life. Is there a poem you’ve read many times? A line or two you recite for inspiration? Do you write poetry? Here’s what our readers shared. […]
