I wanted a little more from the perspectives of the girls who were targeted, but I get what the book is doing. It‘s trying to show how a whole culture can create space for this kind of thing to happen. Still, the strong focus on the perpetrators rather than the victims felt a bit odd to me. I think hearing the girls' stories would add another layer to an already dense situation.
This is the kind of book that gets stuck in your head. Not even entirely because of what happened, but because it keeps asking the reader to think. What does it mean to be responsible? What happens when people get hurt and there is no easy fix? I kept pausing to think about my own high school and how things played out there, both in my personal life and in the lives of people I know.
The short chapters and shifting voices made the book easier to digest, even when the topic is rather heavy. I didn't breeze through it, but I don't think that's the point. Slater takes her time showing how complicated accountability can be for teens trying to belong. Being from a small town with a lot of racism present, I have seen firsthand how that sort of hate gets taught and passed down from generation to generation.
The Telegraph Club felt like its own world. It gave Lily a mirror she didn‘t have anywhere else. I loved how much detail Lo used to describe it. As much as I can't relate to Lily's story personally, the prose made it really easy to almost feel what Lily felt just by walking through the door.
The scenes with Lily‘s family feel heavy. There‘s love, but it‘s filled with fear and expectation. The Red Scare backdrop really made every choice feel risky. What I kept thinking was how Lily‘s personal life and her family‘s situation are so tightly tied together.
Lily spends so much time thinking but rarely saying what she really wants. The silence between characters says more than what‘s spoken. What stood out to me was how even small conversations carried tension. It reminded me that sometimes the hardest part of identity is saying it out loud, especially when no one around you makes space for it.
Chapter 3
This chapter helped me think more about what it looks like to support a whole class of readers. I like how Kittle balances structure and trust. She's paying attention without turning reading into a chore. Tracking page numbers just to check in, not to grade, really stood out. The part about helping students set personal goals also made sense. It's like a way to help them take ownership without making it all about points.
Chapter 2
Building off my first post, this chapter really made me reflect on how I support students as readers. It really took the thoughts I had from chapter 1 and apply it to myself. I see the value in helping students build stamina with books they choose. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps students grow from where they are, not where I wish they were. It's less “teaching books“ and more teaching students how to be readers.
Chapter 1
I thought this was a very strong opening to the book. Kittle makes a strong case for giving students time and choice when it comes to reading, which is something we have discussed extensively in our classes. That part about how kids need space to discover what they actually enjoy felt especially true. It reminded me how easy it is to overlook that aspect in a classroom.
Reading NCTE‘s media education statement made me think a bit differently about what it means to teach literacy. It's not just about reading books or writing essays anymore, but also about helping students analyze media, question who created it, and understand the powers behind it. Teaching media literacy is not extra, it is essential if we want students to navigate the world with clarity and critical thinking skills.
Reading What the Fact? also made me rethink how I want to teach nonfiction and research. Media literacy is a life skill, and is one of the most important things we will teach our students. I love how Yasmin gives students strategies they can actually use. I could imagine building a research unit around this, or pairing it with current events to help students question what they read and where it comes from.
What I really appreciated about What the Fact? is how Yasmin takes such a heavy, complex topic like misinformation and makes it accessible and easy to read. The tone is smart but never preachy, and the visuals help break things down. This is the kind of nonfiction I wish I had as a student. It respects readers and gives them real tools to think critically about the information they see every day.
NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center
The NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center is such a great resource for English teachers. I had browsed their website before, but didn't realize that they offer real guidance for dealing with censorship. The action kit and database feel especially useful right now. It's comforting to know there is a place backing teachers up when these tough conversations come into the classroom.
Pen America “Banned In the USA“
Just looked through Pen America‘s “Banned in the USA” report and it's astounding how many books are being pulled, without any real process. Of course, many of the titles deal with identity, race, and queerness. It's not just bans but the quiet removals too. Makes you think about who gets to decide what stories are appropriate and what voices do or don't matter in schools.
Reading “Mexikid“ right after reading other graphic novels like “Baddawi“ and “Zahra‘s Paradise“ for another class really made me think about how different stories use visuals to explore identity and history. Unlike the heavier political themes in those books, “Mexikid“ feels more personal, but still carries a lot of emotional weight. It reminded me how graphic novels can capture these family and cultural experiences in a completely unique way.
Diverse Books Website
I spent some time going through diversebooks.org, and what stood out most was how practical it all is. It goes further than just talking about the need for representation and is actually helping teachers and readers find those stories. The site feels grounded in real classroom needs, and tools like book lists and grants seem to make it easier to go beyond the typical curriculum.
Comics in the Classroom
Just wrapped a postcolonial lit class focused on comics, and I‘m more convinced than ever that comics have a powerful place in the classroom. They can be used to explore complex ideas like identity, culture, and resistance in an accessible way. Especially for postcolonial stories, the visual form gives voice to perspectives that are often marginalized. Some books I'd recommend reading are “Baddawi“ or “Guantanmo Kid“.
