This month we celebrate several very important literacy days.

• September 6th is National Read a Book Day. I am finding the National Today website fascinating and inspiring.
• September 8th is National Literacy Day.
• September 24th - 30th is Banned Books Week.
  
• September 27th is Banned Website Awareness Day
• September is Library Card Sign-Up Month

Because modeling our literacy practices is so important, take time this month to talk with students about what you are reading. Maybe challenge students to find a current event related to your lesson and have students talk about the connections they find. Visit the media center. Encourage students to visit the local El Monte public library.

In this newsletter, you will find some resources that will engage our literacy lives. But I know Ms. Stanley can add much more to my small list.

While you may not know who John Green is, chances are your students do. His insightful writing and ever popular web series Crash Course (with his brother Hank Green) continues to wow youth and maintain their attention. Here is a short video about his favorite books...

While these sites may look like resources for English teachers, please do not be deceived. There are plenty of cross-curricular lessons available. Many of the major literacy organizations publish on literacy skills across the curriculum. Don't be afraid to use the search function and filters to find your content area.

This summer I challenged myself to read one book a week. I read some classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey. I also read Lev Grossman's first novel, Codex. His series The Magicians is one of my favorites - but read it before watching the show on SyFy.

Because I spend so much time driving, I also listen to audio book using Audible. Thanks to the recommendation from Mr. Schillo, I read two books in a series (Rook and Stiletto) by Daniel O'Malley. Both were great contemporary fantasy novels. I also re-listened to Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for the third time. It's one of my favorite book ever. It's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets 80s pop culture and video games.

After finishing my dissertation, which was about YA dystopian fiction, civic engagement, and resistance, I took a break from all things dystopia. But I couldn't resist the series The Great Library by Rachel Caine. Set in a world where the library at Alexandria controls all politics, economics, and knowledge, everyone is at the service of the Library. Texts are sold on the black market. Reading is forbidden. To the public, the printing press was never invented. A group of future Library employees get into trouble and travel the world figuring out if knowledge really is power and how to use it. Almost done with Book 3 and ready for the next in the series to get published.