
More than just a craze, the interest in zombies points the way towards a new kind of literacy engagement.
September 18, 2013
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More than just a craze, the interest in zombies points the way towards a new kind of literacy engagement.

As a self-described nonreader, Matt de la Peña could never have imagined as a kid that books would play an important role in his life. But key encounters with libraries and, more importantly, librarians, who actively sought to engage him, helped open a new world to de la Peña. The author of novels for young adults, including Ball Don’t Lie and Mexican Whiteboy, de la Peña recounted his “path to books” in the closing keynote of SLJ’s Public Library Leadership Think Tank, held April 5 at the New York Public Library.
SLJ caught up with prolific author and history buff David Baldacci for a candid interview about his new YA book The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers: Day of Doom (Scholastic), his writing inspirations, the importance of museums and libraries, his lifelong passion for literacy, and his belief that literacy is the key to ending poverty in America.
“There’s a shift towards a more multimodal ways of communicating through digital videos, VoiceThread, and graphic novels/comics that is more appealing and engaging to adolescents who now expect such multimodal ways of learning…”
“By encouraging their students to create comic strips, teachers accomplish important goals: they prepare their students for being able to appreciate art more, to gain visual literacy.”

Books about foreign languages, genre writing, research, and grammar make up this eclectic group of literacy and language books. There are some strong collections in the bunch that combine snappy writing with fresh perspectives on old subjects.







By Elizabeth Bird on September 18, 2013
By Travis Jonker on September 16, 2013
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