I have been a classroom teacher for seven years, teaching everything from a third grade self contained class, to middle school reading, social studies, language arts and humanities. Each grade level and each classroom of students taught me something important about myself as a teacher, but overall I have come to see the power of reading. Reading is the access key to a world of wonderful places, people and ideas. Information is transferred from one to another. Stories are told across countries, cultures and time. People are able share new philosophies, creative ideas and become deeper thinkers.

This big idea drove me to becoming a reading specialist and earn my Master’s in Education with a focus on Language and Literacy from San Francisco State. While there, I focused on the middle school reader and the struggling reader. My research has led me to believe good books, the right attitude and the chance for people to talk about what they are reading leads to a more enjoyable experience. Everyone is a reader, you just need to find the right key.

My biggest question as a teacher, and now a parent is, “ How can I share this passion and instill this in a young person?” Part of the answer is having a great selection of books to place in their hands and the another is being able to guide them to a book that fits. How do you choose the perfect book for each reader when there is no way to read every single book on the shelf in the bookstore? Blindly picking a book based on its cover may work some of the time, but often it is set aside by the reader when they discover the flashy cover does not reflect the story inside. Struggling or uninterested readers are often hit the hardest by this. What can you do?

I have found that it helps tremendously to be able to talk a little about the book when passing it on to someone else to read. This means knowing more than what is on the jacket. I have started this site with the hope of helping kids, parents and teachers find interesting books that fit their reading interests and abilities without having to dig through piles of books or walk away from the shelf with a random selection in hand. I have read each book on this site and hope to leave you with a good idea of what the book is about, who will be able to read it and why they might like it.

I am available for workshops, in-services and consulting. Please contact me at bethp@piratestudios.com for more information.