A September of Stories, Discovery, and Reader Choice in the BWS Library

From learning our library routines to casting ballots for our fall read-alouds, September was all about building a community of confident, curious readers.

September marked the beginning of a new year of reading, learning, and discovery in the Bishop Walker School for Boys library. Across Kindergarten through Grade 5, our scholars spent the month becoming familiar with their library, learning how to care for and locate books, and discovering that their interests and opinions matter when it comes to what we read.

Our September lessons were designed to help students see the library as more than a place to check out books. It is a shared learning space where they can develop independence, practice responsibility, explore their interests, and grow as readers.

Building Our Library Community

We began the school year with The Book of Rules, using the story to introduce library expectations and routines. Our youngest scholars practiced how to use their bodies, voices, and books responsibly, while our older students considered why shared spaces need rules and how individual choices affect the larger school community.

The message was simple: Our library belongs to all of us, and we each have a role in making it a place where everyone can learn and read.

We also explored calendar awareness with September from the Calendar Kids series. Students practiced identifying the month, day, date, and season. For our older scholars, the lesson extended into thinking about how calendars help us organize responsibilities, anticipate events, and manage our time.

Learning to Care for Books and Find Our Way

During the third week of September, our Kindergarten through Grade 3 scholars enjoyed A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell.

Through the story and our discussions, students explored what happens when books are not treated carefully. We practiced identifying responsible book-handling habits and talked about what to do when accidents happen.

Rather than treating book care as simply another set of rules, we emphasized stewardship. The books we enjoy today should remain available for the next reader tomorrow.

Meanwhile, our Grade 4-5 scholars explored the Dewey Decimal System through The Efficient, Inventive (Often Annoying) Melvil Dewey by Alexis O'Neill.

Students learned how nonfiction books are organized by subject and how call numbers help us locate information. They then put that knowledge into practice through a library scavenger hunt.

A Special Visit from Author Wade Hudson

One of September's highlights was welcoming author Wade Hudson to Bishop Walker School on September 18.

Hudson shared Black Boys, I See You with our scholars, offering an opportunity for them to engage with literature that celebrates their identities, possibilities, and potential.

At Bishop Walker School, we understand the importance of boys encountering books that reflect their experiences while also introducing them to new perspectives and possibilities.

Author visits like this one help make reading personal. They remind our scholars that books are written by real people, that their own experiences are worthy of stories, and that they, too, can be writers, thinkers, and creators.

Giving Our Scholars a Voice: The Fall Read-Aloud Election

We closed September with one of our most exciting library activities. Our Fall Read-Aloud Election.

Our second- through fifth-grade scholars were invited to help choose the chapter books and novels we will read together throughout the fall season.

Before casting their ballots, students explored three possible books, learning about their authors, genres, characters, and storylines. We encouraged our scholars to think carefully about what interests them as readers rather than simply choosing a familiar title or an appealing cover.

Our second- and third-grade scholars considered Ghost Town at Sundown by Mary Pope Osborne, Class Pet Ghost Detective by Akeem S. Roberts, and EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken! by Sally Warner.

Our fourth- and fifth-grade scholars considered Holes by Louis Sachar, Restart by Gordon Korman, and Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds.

And Now We Read

The Winners Are:

After reviewing the candidates and casting their ballots, each grade selected its fall read-aloud!

• Second Grade: EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken! by Sally Warner — a humorous, relatable story about an eight-year-old boy navigating bullying, friendship, and the challenge of standing up for himself.

• Third Grade: Class Pet Ghost Detective: What Happened to the Naked Mole Rat? by Akeem S. Roberts — a funny, mysterious adventure involving a classroom pet who returns as a ghost to help solve a mystery.

• Fourth Grade: Restart by Gordon Korman — a thought-provoking story about a boy who loses his memory and must confront questions about his identity, past behavior, and capacity for change.

• Fifth Grade: Holes by Louis Sachar — an award-winning novel that combines mystery, adventure, and history as seemingly unrelated stories begin to connect.

This election gave our scholars an opportunity to practice making informed decisions and participating in a shared classroom experience.

But the most important lesson was that their voices matter. By giving students a role in choosing what we read, we hope to strengthen their investment in reading and help them recognize themselves as capable, thoughtful readers.

We look forward to exploring these four stories together this fall!

Dr. Jae

September in the Library

There is a lot happening in the library during our first month of school!

As we welcome our boys back for a new year, September in the library is about laying a foundation. Before we ask students to become stronger readers, researchers, and thinkers, we want them to understand the space that belongs to them: how to use it, how to care for it, and how to navigate it.

Week One: Library Orientation

We begin the week of September 8 with library orientation for every student in Kindergarten through Grade 5.

Our first read-aloud is The Book of Rules, which gives us an opportunity to talk about the expectations and routines that allow a library community to work well. Those conversations look different depending on the age of our boys.

Our youngest students consider concrete questions such as, What do we do with our bodies, voices, and books in the library? By second and third grade, we begin asking why particular rules exist and what might happen if we did not have them.

Our fourth- and fifth-graders take the conversation even further by considering how their individual choices can affect everyone else's ability to read, learn, explore, and enjoy a shared space.

The larger lesson is that our library does not simply contain books. It is a community and our

boys are members of it.

Week Two: Monthly Calendar Connection

During the week of September 15, our boys will explore calendar awareness through September from the Calendar Kids series.

Our youngest students will work with foundational concepts such as the month, date, days of the week, and seasons. As students get older, we'll expand those ideas to consider how calendars help us organize our time, anticipate what is coming, and plan.

But this week also brings something especially exciting to our library.

A First Author Visit

On Friday, September 18, we will welcome acclaimed author Wade Hudson for our first author visit of the school year! Mr. Hudson will share his picture book, Black Boys, I See You, with our students.

This book celebrates the beauty, talent, dignity, strength, and dreams of Black boys while acknowledging that they will also encounter challenges as they make their way through the world. There is also something powerful about our boys not only seeing a book created specifically with Black boys at its center, but meeting the Black male author who wrote it.

We are thrilled to have Mr. Hudson help us begin what we hope will be a year filled with opportunities for our students to encounter the people behind the books they read.

Week Three: Book Care & Library Organization

During the week of September 22, our younger and older boys will take different paths.

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 will read A Perfectly Messed-Up Story by Patrick McDonnell as we explore book care.

Our Fourth- and Fifth-Graders will tackle another challenge: How do you find what you want when you are surrounded by thousands of books?

We'll read The Efficient, Inventive (Often Annoying) Melvil Dewey by Alexis O'Neill and explore how the Dewey Decimal System helps organize nonfiction books.

Then the boys will get out of their seats and put their knowledge to work during a library scavenger hunt. 

This is also the week I plan for students to begin checking out books.

Week Four: Our Readers Get a Vote

We close September by moving from responsibility and navigation to reader agency.

Our Kindergarten and Grade 1 students will read Where Are My Books? and explore what it means to responsibly borrow, enjoy, keep track of, and return books.

For Grades 2–5, however, it's election time!

Our Second- and Third-Graders will vote to select our fall early chapter-book read-aloud from three choices that I will present to them. Students will see each book, hear its synopsis, and learn enough about each option to make an informed choice before casting their ballots.

Our Fourth- and Fifth-Graders will vote to select our fall chapter-book read-aloud from three choices that I will present to them. Before voting, they'll consider not only the synopsis but also the author, genre, and structure of each book. For me, this is bigger than determining which book we read next. I want our boys to understand that readers have preferences.

Strong readers discover authors they love. They develop favorite genres. They learn which subjects fascinate them and which kinds of stories keep them turning pages. They learn to look at their options, make a choice, and articulate why something interests them.

And Then We Read!

When October arrives, the ballots will have been counted and our elected books will be ready. Here's to a wonderful September in the library and an even bigger year of reading ahead.

-Dr. Jae

November/December Biblioblog: Learning Through the Winter Season

Seasonal Learning and Literacy Growth in the BWS Library

Each month, students participate in a reading and calendaring activity using a book from the Calendar Kids series. These texts support students in building calendar awareness by introducing and reinforcing key concepts such as months, seasons, holidays, and the passage of time. Through shared reading and discussion, students learn about federal, school-based, and cultural holidays, as well as seasonal changes that occur throughout the year.

For Kindergarten through Grade 3, students reviewed the four seasons and focused on identifying the changes that take place during winter, including weather patterns, clothing, and daily routines.

For Grades 4 and 5, students extended their learning by exploring the Winter Solstice. We discussed what the Winter Solstice represents, why it is considered the shortest day of the year, and how changes in daylight help mark seasonal transitions.

Schoolwide, students deepened their seasonal awareness and reading comprehension through a shared read-aloud of Snuggle Season by Jaimie MacGibbon in anticipation of upcoming snowfall. As we read, students made meaningful text-to-world and text-to-home connections, linking events in the story to real-life weather changes, routines, and personal experiences. These discussions supported students’ ability to use details from the text to build understanding and make connections beyond the page.

The BWS Library also participated in a Book Fair Drive, which allowed us to expand our collection with new, high-interest titles. I selected approximately 100 new books for our scholars, and donors purchased about 125 titles, all of which have now been added to our library inventory. To celebrate these additions, I curated a display of new and assorted books for students to browse, explore, and discuss. Many students expressed excitement and strong interest in the new selections.

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Special THANK YOU to the Beauvoir School!

In response to student enthusiasm, they requested a read-aloud from one of our new books. I selected What Would You Rather Be: A Tiger or a Tiger Shark? to support instruction in fact versus opinion, fiction versus nonfiction, and critical thinking. Through guided discussion, students practiced thinking carefully before forming an opinion and learned how new information can help refine or change their thinking.

K-3 students began a new story elements learning series with a focus on characters. Students connected this lesson to their previous learning about the roles of the author and illustrator, building continuity across reading units. The learning target for this activity was: “I can draw a character in the story.” As part of the lesson, we also reviewed the difference between what an author does (writes the words) and what an illustrator does (draws the pictures). We read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems. During the read-aloud, students paid close attention to the characters and discussed what made them important to the story.

In this same time, our Grades 4-5 scholars have been busy strengthening their reading, writing, and research skills while diving into meaningful stories and activities.

These students have been engaged in an extended storytelling-to-writing unit focused on odes and personal expression. Students learned how to write and present odes after reading Crown: Ode to a Fresh Cut and completing an author study of Derrick Barnes. This unit was designed to help students move from listening to and analyzing a mentor text to producing original writing inspired by its structure, style, and themes.

Across four-to-five weeks, students participated in a series of learning tasks that supported this progression. They analyzed how the author used voice, imagery, and emotion to tell a meaningful story, then applied those techniques to their own writing. Students drafted, revised, and prepared their odes for presentation, strengthening both their written expression and oral storytelling skills. Watch Below!

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Our Literacy Initiative: Class & Student Spotlights:

The Grade-Level Reading Clubs continue to make steady and encouraging progress during their inaugural year. As with any new initiative, implementation has involved refinement and adjustment; however, our early indicators suggest strong engagement and growing momentum across grade levels.

As a reminder, our initiative is guided by two reading goals:

• Grades K–3: Students aim to read at least one book or chapter per week.

• Grades 4–5: Students aim to read at least two books or chapters per week.

  
  

While the program has not yet reached 100% participation at the grade-level or school-wide level, notable progress is being made. Fourth grade scholars came closest to full participation, achieving 91% engagement during a single week in November.

Class Spotlight

This reporting period’s class spotlight is once again awarded to the First Grade Reading Club, The Sasha Boys. This group has submitted the highest number of reading reviews overall and continues to lead the school in total submissions since the program’s launch. Their sustained participation and enthusiasm exemplify leadership and accountability within the literacy initiative. Congratulations to the first-grade team for their continued success.

Schoolwide Reading Review Submissions (Year-to-Date)

• Grade 1: 36 total reading reviews

• Grade 2: 27 total reading reviews

• Grade 3: 19 total reading reviews

• Grade 4: 13 total reading reviews

• Grade 5: 13 total reading reviews

  
  

Student Spotlight

At the individual level, recognition is awarded to Seyam (Grade 5) for reading the highest number of books across the entire school.

Top Readers by Grade Level

Grade 1: Ryan and Judah

Grade 2: Nathan-Etienne

Grade 3: Kenneth (not pictured) and Lincoln

Grade 4: Louis and Micah

Grade 5: Seyam

As the Grade-Level Reading Clubs continue to evolve, these achievements reflect a growing culture of reading, accountability, and scholarly pride. We look forward to building on this momentum and increasing participation across all grades in the coming months.