It’s the perfect Fun & Fancy word for Banned Books Week. Don't worry, it's a treatable condition.... Read More

In this edition of the Power of Books Author Series we talk with Jamie Jo Hoang, author of My Mother the Mermaid Chaser. We touch on generational trauma. And, how books engender empathy and understanding, which can help break the cycle of generational trauma.... Read More

Several idioms encourage us to be “nice,” including the adage “it’s nice to be important, but more important to be nice.” But “being nice” wasn’t always seen as a virtue. So what did it originally mean? And when did its meaning change? ... Read More

No, gobsmacked isn't a never-ending candy made by Willy Wonka. It's British slang. But, what is vernacular for? ... Read More

We talk a lot about the harm book bans cause students, but educators are also struggling. Guest writer Sarah Bland has been outspoken about the importance of self-care for teachers in this new era of extreme censorship Check out her essay. ... Read More

It’s impossible to literally “lift ourselves up by our bootstraps.” And yet, the phrase is commonly used to encourage us to power through challenges with hard work. So how did an impossible task become a call for individual grit? ... Read More

You could just say counter-clockwise. In a direction opposite to the usual. Or in a direction contrary to the apparent course of the sun. But that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun… now, would it? And not nearly as steeped in superstition. ... Read More

Banned due to the social issues it addresses, Cisneros' work tells the culturally significant story of Esperanza as she comes of age in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago.... Read More