‘More than Peach’ by Bellen Woodard

When reading aloud during library storytime, I especially like sharing stories about children who are making a positive difference in the world around them. A great example of this is More than Peach, written by “crayon activist” Bellen Woodard and illustrated by Fanny Liem.

Read-aloud recommendation for Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week takes place from Oct. 4 to 10, and I’m recommending Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson as a timely classroom read-aloud during Banned Books Week. Brown Girl Dreaming is this year’s featured selection for “Right to Read Night,” which is being promoted by the National Coalition Against Censorship.

‘I Want My Hat Back’ by Jon Klassen

One of the pleasures of reading aloud to students is being able to share stories that have been recognized as exceptional works of children’s literature. One example is Jon Klassen’s picture book, I Want My Hat Back. Klassen was honored this past April as the 2026 Laureate for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Book-Talk: Clementine H. Hopeful is Not a Hero

I related very strongly to protagonist Clementine in Noah Corey’s debut novel, which combines elements of fantasy with the intense day-to-day concern of trying to survive bullying. I’d love to see this book placed widely in libraries.
https://youtu.be/ng9fhq6r0H4

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Let’s build a Community of Readers (2026)

“When children see the adults around them using reading and writing in their everyday lives, they’re more likely to become readers and writers themselves.” — How to Create a Literate Home: Young Child and Kindergartener, PBS Kids, March 26, 2012. I created flyers for coworkers at SRCSA to display a book that they are currently reading. My design is based on one by librarian Andrea Trudeau.
https://youtu.be/HxMp9YuJ-kI

‘My Fade is Fresh’ by Grant and Thomas

A new school year is underway in SRCSA library, and I’ve already fielded my first read-aloud request: My Fade is Fresh, by Shauntay Grant.

‘Dark’s Tale’ by Deborah Grabien

Whenever I visit San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and see signs warning of coyotes, my thoughts turn to Dark’s Tale by Deborah Grabien, which I re-read every few years. I want to share it as a commemoration for Black Cat Appreciation Day, which is observed each year on Aug. 17.

‘The Sinking House’ by Darcie Little Badger

I’m looking forward to publication of a new book by one of my favorite authors. The Sinking House, by Darcie Little Badger, will come out in August 2026.

Book-Talk: Night of the Abiku by Craig Kofi Farmer

When his eighth-grade class becomes stranded during a field trip to a southern plantation, Winston comes face to face with something terrifying within the mansion’s walls.
https://youtu.be/GXTvlXc22zw

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‘Children of Ragnarok’ by Cinda Williams Chima

I recently completed Children of Ragnarok by Cinda Williams Chima (Grade 7 and up - School Library Journal). Published in 2022, this book was “new to me” when I purchased it at a second-hand bookstore. I was deeply interested in the fantasy setting that incorporated Norse mythology and I quickly became caught up by the story, which centered around three young people whose respective quests and challenges converge in New Jotunheim: a seeming paradise that is tainted by hidden evil. School Library Journal says: “Hand this to fantasy fans and younger readers aging into YA.” Children of Ragnarok is the first book in Chima’s Runestone Saga. The story continues in Bane of Asgard, published in 2024 — currently on my “want to read” list.

‘Endlessly Ever After’ by Snyder and Santat

Ever since the arrival in my library of Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat, I’ve looked forward to featuring it as a read-aloud. It features choose-your-own-adventure storytelling similar to the mass-market books I used to devour as a young person: except that Endlessly Ever After is a beautiful example of the picture-book format with its lavish, full-color, and evocative illustrations. This week, I debuted it with my school’s two third-grade classes; each class experienced a very different outcome as determined by the choices they voted upon each step along the way. Endlessly Ever After was the winner, in 2026, of the California Young Reader Medal in its “Primary” category.

Don’t comply with censorship in advance

In his recently published short book of essays, Mac Barnett emphasized the importance of children finding their experiences and emotions reflected in the stories they read. His observation was made against a backdrop of ever-increasing attempts to remove books from libraries that disproportionately target books by authors of color and authors who are LGBTQIA+.

Character education: Books about Creativity

For a character-education focus on “Creativity,” here are several books from SRCSA library.
https://youtu.be/7Xoti2X2NGA

Book-Talk: Opting Out by Kobabe and Srikumar

In my latest book-talk: I love Opting Out, the soon-to-be-published middle-grade graphic novel by Maia Kobabe and Swati “Lucky” Srikumar.

Book-Talk: Wish I Was a Baller by Amar Shah

I’d recommend this graphic-format memoir to a variety of young readers: especially kids who love sports, who aspire to careers in journalism, maybe even to kids who combine both interests.
https://youtu.be/7fSr8qYfONg

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Cultural humility and a diverse library collection

Building and promoting a diverse library collection begins with materials selection. In an earlier writing I talked about the fact that communities served by libraries are increasingly diverse. “Race, ethnicity, language, physical and mental ability, socioeconomic status, gender expression, and sexual orientation are just a few ways diversity is reflected in [students’] lived experiences” (Hughes-Hassell, 2020, p. 21). My goal when building a library collection is to serve this increasingly diverse community by ensuring variety among the books in the library’s collection.

SRCSA library ‘Top 25’ for 2025-2026

What books are students most frequently checking out from SRCSA library?

Most popular types of books in SRCSA library

From among 3,318 circulations so far this school year (from Aug. 16, 2025 to March 9, 2026), what were the most popular types of books checked out from SRCSA library?

Scholastic Book Fair at SRCSA

Scholastic Book Fair took place this past week at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts, bringing with it a fresh infusion of new books for the school library. ’Tis now my happy task to prepare these awesome books for use. Appreciation to the many volunteers who made Scholastic Book Fair possible!

Federal bill equates trans identity with sexually explicit material

One of the core tenets that I embrace as a librarian serving young people is that readers need stories about people who are both like and who are unlike them. A diverse library collection should ideally encompass many facets: including race, sex, gender identity, differing abilities, who a person is attracted to, and more.