I've been dying to try Spine Poems for awhile now. This little initiative from the Strand Bookstore in NYC is the perfect opportunity to give them a go. I sent an email out to ELA teachers asking who would be interested in bringing in students to do these, and a couple enthusiastically responded. Can't wait!

I was just paging through the new Follett Digital catalog for Spring 2014 and came across a two-page spread from one publisher for hi-lo books, high interest/low reading level (pages 62 and 63, for those looking at the catalog). I was dismayed to see that the predominant image on the featured covers was of teenagers of color. It really struck me, and I wondered how teens of color would feel about this assumption. Not being a person of color myself, I can only wonder if perhaps I'm being overly sensitive and politically correct. I would love to hear from others, especially those with personal experience, what their reactions might be. On the one hand, I'm glad there's reading material available for teens interested in reading but who might not have access to or experience with lengthier texts. And I also know that hi-lo books are sometimes quite popular. On the other hand, I don't like the marketing ploy of almost exploiting students' lower reading skills, which may or may not be a product of their environment or their lack of sufficient education.