“I was held back in second grade,” one of the writers said. “But it wasn’t my fault--the teacher was evil.” The rest of the group started to become engaged as they shared stories of all of their evil teachers and their cruel tactics: pinching them, hitting them with rulers, calling their parents. They decided they wanted to write a story about an evil second grade teacher. They talked about how they had told their parents about their evil teachers but nobody believed them. These writers wanted to create a story to empower kids to make a difference for themselves.

Guess who was spotlighted recently in a Boston Globe article called, "The Summer Reading List We Really Need"?

Our fearless, peerless partners at Reach, Inc., for not only teaching literacy skills, but for "cultivating a love of reading." We're thrilled to be coaching their teens once again to write books that both educate and entertain, and that inspire young readers to ask, "Wait, can I be an author, too?" (Our answer: Yes, please.)

Wow! Shout of the Day definitely goes to our inspiring partner Reach, Inc.for being honored with the Innovations in Reading Prize from the National Book Foundation! We are so proud to partner with Reach, and thrilled that our collaborative book projects help make the case that they are one of the most innovative programs in the country. Hurrah!