I’ve received a few emails asking about good books to inspire teachers and books to help teach vocabulary to students preparing for their Scholastic Aptitude Test. (SAT) I’m taking a break from the usual articles to chat about these topics. What books do I recommend teachers read during the summer? Harry Potter seems obvious, (if …read more!

Today actor Matt Lewis, who portrays the character of Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films, celebrates his nineteenth birthday. Many happy birthday wishes and returns, Matt! Cheers!

As we continue to wait for news on Half-Blood Prince, some of our favorite actors have been busy with other movie projects, and we have a few updates regarding those tonight. First up: The new trailer for “The Tales of Despereaux,” an animated film featuring the voice of Emma Watson is now online via Yahoo …read more!

It’s hard to imagine a time when Harry Potter didn’t exist. The books have sat in a neat row on the third shelf of my bookcase for as long as I can remember. I have files of transcriptions saved on both my PC and my laptop, and a couple of Harry Potter related clothing items …read more!

Most adults realize that reading is an integral part of our daily lives. Yes, we have to read. We can’t get jobs, order food, excel in school, or enjoy our favorite novels without the benefit of understanding the written word. For some of us, reading is a routine event that brings us joy and serves …read more!

This blog is part of a series of blogs relating research, practices and classroom accounts from a reading teacher. It’s not meant to be a lecture on educational practices, as much as a common sense approach to why this one set of books helps countless numbers of students improve in school.

ABCDEFG Gummi bears are chasing me….i hope this works! 🙂

Need to test it out.

The 157th edition of PotterCast, our Harry Potter podcast, is now online with some fun Harry Potter related news, discussion, tomfoolery and so much more. First in the news, Sue brings us information on the latest numbers of online readers of the Harry Potter prequel, the series itself selling over 400 million copies worldwide, an …read more!

A bit of theater news tonight as Playbill is reporting that actress Kate Mulgrew has joined the cast of “Equus” which will open on Broadway this fall, starring Dan Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths. Kate Mulgrew is no stranger to the stage, having appeared in such productions as Titus Andronicus and the acclaimed Tea at Five. …read more!