Dear Home Adults,

One of the things I love about teaching middle schoolers is just how unique they are. The differences in student interests, maturity levels, as well as learning goals are vast and varied. These kids are not only different ages; they arrive at school with different reading abilities, different backgrounds, and different experiences that have shaped their lives in both positive and negative ways. They, therefore, have different needs when it comes to reading.  As a librarian, I have a responsibility to serve all of the kids who come to me, and a responsibility to offer literature choices that speak to all of them, which is why we have an extensive library with thousands of books available for them to check out.

Kids, in general, do a fantastic job of self-selecting books, and when they find they have picked up something they are not ready for or not interested in, they are usually quick to put it down and ask for help choosing something else (in fact, I encourage our students to abandon books that are not right for them at that time). As a teacher and librarian, I will offer recommendations, however self-selecting a book is a pillar of our reading community, and a skill students continue to develop throughout their years by making many different choices.  

As part of our reading journey, we would encourage you to speak to your child about what types of books they feel comfortable reading if you have not already done so, so that this becomes a part of their selection process as well. If we can ever be of help to you in recommending titles for your family or navigating this reading journey with you, please don’t hesitate to ask. We respect your right to help your own child choose reading material, and ask that you respect the rights of other home adults to do the same. If you object to your child reading a particular book, let us know, send it back, and we will help your child find another selection. We will put the book back on the shelf because even though it may not be the right book for your child right now, it may be the perfect book for someone else’s child.  

Our library will have a wide range of choices for kids – to meet all of their varied needs and help all of them develop and/or maintain an appreciation of reading. This is also grounded in the philosophy of ensuring that our learning experiences include experiences that are inclusive of many identities and are culturally relevant.  

Thank you for your involvement in your child’s education and helping to encourage reading growth and engagement.

Sincerely,

Jazmine Keeton