Books

Learn more about assigned books students read for school and how teachers use books in their curriculum
Two women sit on a blanket spread out on a patch of grass as they read books under a large orange umbrella.
Eliza Walton of Boise and Josie Backus of Nampa, Idaho participate in a demonstration to read book titles that the Nampa School District is working to remove during a school board meeting on June 16, 2022. A new poll finds a majority of Americans trust their schools to select appropriate books for students.
Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman via AP
School & District Management Most Americans Oppose Book Restrictions, Trust Local Schools' Judgment
Opinions on school book restrictions vary by political affiliation and family status.
Evie Blad, August 21, 2024
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4 min read
Conceptual image of books stacked.
Canva
School & District Management The Books Principals Can't Put Down
School leaders' top recommendation was a book focused on smartphones and youth mental health.
Madeline Will, August 16, 2024
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2 min read
An LGBTQ+ related book is seen on shelf at Fabulosa Books a store in the Castro District of San Francisco on Thursday, June 27, 2024. "Books Not Bans" is a program initiated and sponsored by the store that sends boxes of LGBTQ+ books to LGBTQ+ organizations in conservative parts of America, places where politicians are demonizing and banning books with LGBTQ+ affirming content.
An LGBTQ+ book section is seen at Fabulosa Books, a store in San Francisco, on June 27, 2024. A federal appeals court has reinstated an Iowa law that prohibits books depicting sex from public school libraries. Challengers claim the law has led school districts to remove scores of books out of fear of violating the law.
Haven Daley/AP
Law & Courts Iowa's Book Ban Is Reinstated by Appeals Court But Case Against It Will Continue
The Iowa law bars books depicting sex in school libraries and discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in preK-6.
Mark Walsh, August 9, 2024
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4 min read
bible lying on a school desk with a lesson plan and calendar
tamaw/E+
Curriculum Should the Bible Be Taught in Public Schools?
Are recent pushes to include the Bible about cultural literacy—or a pretext for politicians who want Christianity in public schools?
Evie Blad, July 15, 2024
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10 min read
Woman reading book in hammock
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Teachers' Favorite Reads This Summer
Teachers shared some of their summer book selections, with a wide variety of subject matter and genres.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 12, 2024
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2 min read
Students at Mount Vernon Library in Raleigh, N.C., pose with free books after their book fair. School librarian Julia Stivers started the free book fair eight years ago, in an effort to make the traditional book fair more equitable. Alternative versions of book fairs have been cropping up as a way to help students' build their own personal library, without the costs associated with traditional book fair models.
Students at Mount Vernon Library in Raleigh, N.C., pose with free books after their book fair. School librarian Julia Stivers started the free book fair eight years ago, in an effort to make the traditional book fair more equitable. Alternative versions of book fairs have been cropping up as a way to help students' build their own personal library, without the costs associated with traditional book fair models.
Courtesy of Julia Stivers
Equity & Diversity School Librarians Are Creating Free Book Fairs. Here's How
School librarians are turning to free book fairs in an effort to get more books to children in poverty.
Brooke Schultz, June 24, 2024
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9 min read
Photo of book fair.
iStock
Equity & Diversity Download Want to Start Your Own Free Book Fair? Here's How You Can Get Started
Book fairs may shut out families in poverty. Here's how some school librarians are making free versions.
Brooke Schultz & Gina Tomko, June 24, 2024
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1 min read
Conceptual illustration of hand holding books and digital devices showing podcasts.
Conceptual: Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management Interactive Principals, a Summer Reading and Listening List Just for You
10 edifying, entertaining, and enriching books and podcasts for the break.
Lesli A. Maxwell & Laura Baker, May 31, 2024
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1 min read
A pedestrian passes by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Courthouse, June 16, 2021, on Main Street in Richmond, Va.
A person walks near the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit's courthouse in Richmond, Va. A panel of the court denied an injunction seeking to restore religious parents' opportunity to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ "storybooks" in a Maryland district.
Steve Helber/AP
Law & Courts District Can Deny Opt-Outs on LGBTQ+ Books, Court Rules
Religious parents objected to a Maryland district's policy ending opt-outs for elementary school 'storybooks' with LGBTQ+ themes.
Mark Walsh, May 15, 2024
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5 min read
3D rendered illustration of the moment an artificial intelligence becomes sentient.
E+/Getty
Classroom Technology The Best Science Fiction to Teach About AI, From Teachers
Science fiction can help students understand AI and its potential impacts, teachers say.
Alyson Klein, April 23, 2024
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6 min read
Vector illustration concept of young person listening to an audiobook.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy High Schools Kids Barely Read. Could Audiobooks Reverse That Trend?
Audiobooks, long considered by some educators as "cheating," are finding a place in the high school curriculum.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 10, 2024
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4 min read
Ana Pasarella, the director of family and community engagement for Alvin ISD, oversees an activity as Micaela Leon, 3, a student in Alvin ISD’s READy Program, draws on a piece of paper on Alvin ISD’s STEM bus in Manvel, Texas, on Dec. 8, 2023.
Ana Pasarella, the director of family and community engagement for the Alvin Independent school district in Texas, oversees an activity as Micaela Leon, 3, a student in the district's READy Program, draws on a piece of paper inside the district's STEM bus in Manvel, Texas.
Callaghan O’Hare for Education Week
Families & the Community Leader To Learn From A Former Teacher Turns Classroom Prowess Into Partnerships With Families
Ana Pasarella maximizes her community's assets to put students first.
Ileana Najarro, February 5, 2024
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8 min read
Books are displayed at the Banned Book Library at American Stage in St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 18, 2023. In Florida, some schools have covered or removed books under a new law that requires an evaluation of reading materials and for districts to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles.
Books are displayed at the Banned Book Library at American Stage in St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 18, 2023. In Florida, some schools have covered or removed books under a new law that requires an evaluation of reading materials and for districts to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles.
Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP
Curriculum One School District Just Pulled 1,600 Books From Its Shelves—Including the Dictionary
And the broadening book ban attempts may drive some teachers out of the classroom.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 24, 2024
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6 min read
Illustration of students in a vibrant happy welcoming library
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Reading & Literacy Opinion 6 Best Practices to Make Your School Library a Place of Joy
There are many challenges school librarians can’t control—book bans, for instance—but here are some productive areas we can focus on.
Donna Gray, January 18, 2024
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5 min read
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