EDITOR’S
NOTE
ur inspiration for this issue was a word
we heard come up repeatedly during ILA
Next, our monthlong virtual learning
event held last October: joy.
It’s not a word that’s used in education
nearly as often as it should be, but when
you think about it, it encompasses so
much that we do talk about, particularly
motivation and engagement.
Developing motivated and engaged
learners can start with joy.
I encourage you to read the Note From
the Guest Editors on the following page
for more on what this means. Rhonda M.
Sutton and Tamera Slaughter embody joy.
They were the perfect collaborators to
invite to work with us on this important
issue. They took the word and showed us
what it can accomplish in the classroom,
particularly in the frame of what it means
as we return to school this year.
This issue marks the start of volume
year 39 for Literacy Today, and in the spirit
of new beginnings, I want to share that
the magazine will continue to have guest
editors for each issue moving forward.
We tested the waters with this idea back
in September when Amanda Goodwin
and Robert Jiménez, coeditors of ILA’s
Reading Research Quarterly journal,
served as guest editors for our issue on the
science of reading. (You can find that at
literacyworldwide.org/sor if you missed
it.) We see this is an opportunity to further
elevate voices in the field, and we believe it
will only add to the magazine’s rich history
as a valued member resource.
The magazine is driven largely by
members, so remember that you can
reach out any time if there is a topic you’d
like to see or write about by emailing
literacytoday@reading.org.
Warmly,
A NEW START
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
IMPORTANT BOOKS FOR
A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM
New books from bestselling authors
New books from bestselling authors JASON REYNOLDS and
and SHARON M. DRAPER to help teachers and
to help teachers and
students better understand, empathize with, and acknowledge the needs of those around them.
students better understand, empathize with, and acknowledge the needs of those around them.
OUT OF MY HEART
By Sharon M. Draper
By Sharon M. Draper
HC: 9781665902168
HC: 9781665902168
eBook: 9781665902182
eBook: 9781665902182
On Sale 11/9/21
Ages 10 & up; Grades 5 & up
Ages 10 & up; Grades 5 & up
STUNTBOY, IN
THE MEANTIME
By Jason Reynolds
By Jason Reynolds
Illustrated by Raúl the Third
Illustrated by Raúl the Third
POB: 9781534418165
POB: 9781534418165
eBook: 9781534418189
eBook: 9781534418189
On Sale 11/9/21
Ages 7–12; Grades 2–7
Ages 7–12; Grades 2–7
The
long-awaited
sequel to Out
of My Mind!
Illustrated
middle
grade fiction
@SSEdLib
81472 ILA Out of My Heart Stuntboy.indd 1
81472 ILA Out of My Heart Stuntboy.indd 1
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6/3/21 3:58 PM
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literacyworldwide.org | July/August/September 2021 | LITERACY TODAY
LITERACY TODAY | July/August/September 2021 | literacyworldwide.org
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