“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

Tom Barrett, Mayor of Milwaukee, read Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, which tells the story of eight impoverished families in his city who are threatened with forced eviction. Influenced by this multi-award-winning book, Barrett is launching an ambitious housing project to build or renovate 10,000 housing units in Milwaukee over the next

We love nothing more than hearing about an entire community supporting and sharing the experience of reading one book together. Because One Book programs are so vital to supporting literacy and library systems as a whole, we think it is important and helpful to recognize the communities that excel at these kind of events. Today we’re focusing on Medina, Ohio

For Fiction, the Pulitzer Prize Board called THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, by Colson Whitehead “a smart melding of realism and allegory that combines the violence of slavery and the drama of escape in a myth that speaks to contemporary America.” The novel chronicles a young slave’s adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in

In a new Ted Talk entitled “Solving Illegal Immigration [For Real],” decorated journalist and author Sonia Nazario suggests an alternative method to naturalization or heavy border policing to stem the flow of undocumented individuals into the United States. Nazario boasts a long and impressive writing career, during which she has shown immense dedication to featuring

Dion Graham has become a familiar voice to both adults and children for his riveting reads of important and beloved books. Hear why he loves “falling into a story” and listen to clips from his recent recordings including RUSA Listen List and Carnegie Medal Winner, EVICTED by Matthew Desmond.