Welcome to The Reeding Librarian!

It's finally time to launch the blog for The Reeding Librarian!

The Reeding Librarian is me, Audra Reed.

Reed(ing), get it?

All cheesiness aside, I am beyond excited to share the journey of my new career.

I am currently working on my sixth year in public education.

Five of those years were spent in the general education classroom teaching third, fifth, and sixth grades.

I finished my degree in Educational Technology, with an emphasis as Library Media Specialist, in December of 2015.

I hadn't planned to use it right away, but when a position opened up for my dream job and in my alma mater three weeks before school started, I couldn't pass on that opportunity. Which leads me to here and now.

On this blog I will be sharing an abundances of resources with you.

Whether you are a Library Media Specialist, classroom teacher, parent, or my favorite, just a self-proclaimed booknerd, you will always find something for you here.

What exactly, you ask?

1. Book Reviews

The good, the bad, the ugly... but mostly just the really, really good children's and Young Adult Books. I originally was only going to share Children's Books, but in my role as middle school coach and past teacher to aging young adults who still Facebook me from time to time, YA is joining in on the party.

I am also crossing my fingers that I am considered to help with the selection of William Allen White Books in the near future. Those books must be ones that are the newest of the new, so you will see a lot of the latest reads of 2016 reviewed here as well.

If you need some children's books to pick up right now, start here:

2. Book Lists

If you have ever been around a reading child, you know they have a niche. Certain books they like and certain books they will never pick up. Without fail, each year I've taught I've had a read that is obsessed with WWII and the Holocaust. There's also those that are driven into binge reading through dystopias and fantasy, my greatest weakness as a reader... but it's still my job to read them.

On this blog I will share with you lists for any type of reader: Holocaust books appropriate for middle grade readers, dystopia books that your reader has never heard of before, or books that will get your reluctant reader excited about reading for the first time. Other lists like best audio books and movies that (almost) do the book justice will also grace this blog.

3. Lessons

Each week I have all classes in our preK-5 building for a lesson. I will be sharing those with you. Even those that just belly flop, because sometimes we just have to laugh at ourselves. My hope is to be transparent. I won't share everything with you, but I will share what I think you all might benefit from.

I have always been a huge believer of not reinventing the wheel. I do my research and have found the best Librarians, teachers, and "Booknerd Gurus" in the business. If I use something of theirs, those professionals will be credited and appropriate links will be shared. You can find my resources above by clicking on "My TpT." Most will be free!

4. School Wide Programs

I have been working hard to get school wide programs started within our school. There is a lot of work being done in the background, but my only hope is that our children want to celebrate reading with each other. I will be sharing what has worked in the past and what I hope for the future.

For example, this year we celebrated Picture Book Month as a whole school in November. Fifth graders read a picture book to the whole school for each month in that month. In the near future, I will be organizing March Madness: The Battle of the Books for the favorite books of the year, as well as a Book Swap for Earth Day. And with all the new library programs beginning, we will continue to celebrate the district tradition of the Sunflower Reader.

5. Best Practices

Simply put, keeping you up to date with what is like to be an educator today. What do our kids need overall? What do they need as readers? And sometimes even more important, what do they not need? I will share those things with you.

There might also be some professional development pieces thrown in for those who are in the business of education. I am a lifelong learner, always striving to get better at my craft, and I know the people of my PLN are as well. Let's learn and grow together.