Our seniors graduated two weeks ago and school has been out since the end of May. And I am already one week into a much-needed summer vacation.

If you have already made it to break, I hope that you are finding rest and rejuvenation along with your summer reading. If you don't get out until nearly the end of June thanks to winter weather like my friends in the Pacific Northwest, I am sending good vibes as you sprint towards the finish line.

I have several items to help get you (and your students if it's not too late) ready for summer reading:

1) I have posted my Summer Reading Booktalk Videos for 2nd-12th grades to my website. (If you're a subscriber, you have access to all of them now...click here, choose "subscriber webinars" and login. Or, you can also find them on my TPT site). These 15-35 minute videos are great to get your students excited about summer reading! Already on break? They will give you a "shopping list" of great books to have on hand in time for Back to School.

2) I have posted my Booklists for all grade levels (PreK-12th...and adult!) on my website, including Top 10 picks for Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

3) All summer long I'll be posting my Summer Reading on social media. Follow me @MrsYuskoLibrary (Instagram/Twitter) and/or Mrs. Yusko's Library (Facebook). I'll be participating in two reading challenges: #bookaday and #30booksummer. JOIN ME!

4) Don't forget that free audiobooks for teens (and adults) continues through August 1 from SYNC! Watch my Friday Five video below to hear about some of my favorite books still available or click here.

HAPPY SUMMER READING!

If you follow me on social media, you know that I'm a big fan of using picture books with my middle and high school literature classes. I typically open every middle school class by reading one aloud, and I use them at the end of the day with my high school class.

Write to Me by Cynthia Grady was one of the books I highlighted in my seminars all year long. It is a picture book biography of librarian Clara Breed. It is a good introduction to Japanese Internment for a variety of ages, and pairs with The War Outside by Monica Hesse for teen readers or Dear Miss Breed by Joanne Oppenheim for adult readers.

I am highlighting this book because it was recently announced that a San Diego library received a $20,000 grant to celebrate the life of Clara Breed. You can read more about it here or click on the article below.

It's the end of the school year and I'm celebrating all the fabulous Teachers, Teacher-Librarians, and School Staff out there with a SALE!

The 2018 Handbook of Best New YA Lit titles from my seminars is ON SALE for $29. You can find it on TPT or on my website. (On TPT, I've bundled this handbook, plus the seminar presentation slides, plus my Best New Kid Lit titles bibliography for a special price of $32.30).

Looking to keep up-to-date on the BEST NEW BOOKS for your students, classroom, library?

Limited time or budget to attend PD workshops/seminars?

NEVER FEAR! Subscribe to MrsYuskoReads! There are levels to fit every budget, including the Teacher-Librarian rate... only $99 for 12 months of unlimited access to online booktalks and webinars about the best new books for your library/classroom, plus these monthly newsletters.

For those that WANT IT ALL, I've put the Platinum Membership on sale for $125 right now! You get all the Teacher-Librarian benefits, PLUS the handbook, PLUS one 20-minute Skype booktalk session with your class or staff.

These are the most affordable way to get the books from my all-day seminar, but in smaller monthly segments, from the comfort of your living room. A great value compared with attending a BER seminar... and since I won't be presenting seminars for BER in 2019 (I'm focusing on on-site seminars and my daughter's senior year of high school!), this is an affordable way to still get the seminar. Also great for those with a limited PD budget!

Join now! Happy Reading!!

Come find me this fall at one (or both) of these conferences!

I am SO excited to be asked to speak at the AISLE/IATE 2019 Annual Conference. If you are an educator in Illinois, make your plans to attend! I'll be giving 2 pre-conferences on #yalit (Best New Books for Middle School, and Best New Books for High School), as well a session on Best New Picture Books.

I will also be presenting a concurrent session on #yalit & technology with Karen Scott at the AASL National Convention. Come say hi!

I LOVE traveling around the country and spending the day with fellow educators talking about all the books with school districts, ESDs, and state library associations. These are some of my favorite seminars to do as I can often include kidlit, yalit, or both throughout the day.

Don't live in Illinois? Can't attend AASL? Does your state association have a conference? Does your district offer on-site PD? I'm available! Full-day or half-day seminars...kidlit, yalit, award winners...I can work with you to customize the best PD for your teachers/librarians, at a time of year that you'd like. (And it's often more cost-effective for your district/library association to bring me in directly).

Do you think your district might be interested? Find out more here, or contact me @ shauna.yusko@gmail.com.