250 Influential Books for 250 Years of America

Most middle school and high school teachers still assign whole books

There’s been a lot of debate about whether or not kids today read all their books in school, and a new study has some answers. Yes, teachers still assign whole books to classes, but there are many (fairly predictable!) factors that influence the number of books assigned. Schools with more students from higher-needs backgrounds will be assigned fewer books. Or, to put it more bluntly, students from more advantaged backgrounds can attend schools with better resources and spend more time reading in class. To be honest, the average amount of four books per year found in this study doesn’t seem like too much or too little. This is one book per quarter in addition to other assignments we do in English class. I will be far more interested in where and how disadvantaged students get everything they need at school. They tend to be the same students most affected by book bans and funding cuts.

2026 Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards Finalist List

There’s been a lot of talk in the children’s world this week about children’s literature. This is due in no small part to the publication of a book by Mack Barnett, who is currently the National Ambassador for Youth Literature, about books for young people and why adults should read them. this This article is worth reading to catch up on that conversation.

The preface says it’s really great to celebrate great children’s and young adult books. I always find the finalists for the Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards very interesting, as they seem to feature a wide range of really popular and lesser-known titles. One YA book on this year’s list: secret astronomersI hadn’t heard anything about it when it was released, but I picked it up earlier this year and fell in love with it at first sight. It’s a very fresh story and unique format. I’m looking forward to reading the other picture books as well. I think my kids will love all of these picture books. Winner will be announced soon.

Check out the forbidden episodes of superhero comics (if you can)

Both superheroes and comics are thought to be inherently childish, despite ample evidence to the contrary. As such, superhero comics are often subject to censorship in order to preserve the integrity of the show, but the interpretation of those words is the censor’s choice. Whether that censorship is justified is another matter entirely. For a complete list of banned superhero comics, subscribe to All Access.