We are pleased to announce that the 2025-2026 Black-Eyed Susan Book Award nominees are here!  From picture books to young adult, these titles are ready to inspire readers across Maryland.  Read. Reflect. Vote. Winners will be announced in spring 2026!

I sponsor a girl’s club at my school, Keeping It REAL (Respectable, Exceptional, Accountable, Limitless).  The club covers topics like peer pressure, body image, role models, self-defense, and nutrition.  In past years, our club has met in person with speakers, yoga, and self-defense instruction. There has always been lots of social interaction.  Of course, with COVID, we had to make it virtual.  We had to get creative. 

Over the course of the past year, I have been challenged with how to keep my students engaged in reading when there has been little to no access to the school library. I learned really quickly I had to get creative with my strategies with a little mix of insanity thrown in. Below are a few of the strategies that have helped cultivate a community of readers within my school.