Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating Black freedom, is celebrated around the world on June 19th: the day in 1865 (two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed) when slaves in Galveston, … Read More
Scary Books For All Year
Our WITS students love scary stories. Here are a few of their favorites and some read-alikes for Halloween and beyond! WITS Kindergarten students love “There Was an Old Lady Who … Read More
Consistency, Community, and Empowerment: WITS Values Begin at Volunteer Orientations
One Tuesday, all the mentors who work with two particular second graders attend WITS together and gather as a group. The mentors have been hearing about ongoing conflicts between the … Read More
WITSummer Books Highlights
Each year, as our programs wrap up, WITS gives each student in our one-on-one volunteer programs a bag of four-five brand-new books. We hope that these books remind students of … Read More
Biographies For Children To Read In Honor Of International Women’s Month
This year more than ever, our WITS students have been devouring biographies! From picture book biographies and early readers to longer chapter books, our Mid-Day … Read More
Ten Nonfiction Books Written By and About African Americans
In honor of Black History Month, here are ten nonfiction books by and about African Americans, recommended by the WITS staff. Practice What We Preach The WITS team encourages RLTA … Read More
Celebrating Black History with Eight Biographies
The WITS library is full of diverse picture books, poetry, chapter books, graphic novels, and of course, biographies! The biographies in our collection range from traditional informational texts, to picture … Read More
Not Your Average Valentine’s Day Books
There are plenty of actual Valentine’s Day books out there: some more charming and original than others. Here are eight books about love for our partners, friends, families, and communities … Read More
Beyond Dr. Seuss: Ten Rhyming Picture Books
A WITS community member recently asked us for suggestions for rhyming picture books for a first grader and specified “not Dr. Seuss.” Frankly, I appreciated that direction! Many, many excellent … Read More
Favorite Books For Every Age
Try These “Read-Alikes” WITS staff spend a lot of time reading and talking about books with students. WITS coordinates programming with kindergarten-eighth graders, making staff well-versed in finding new favorite books for every age … Read More
