Story: Deborah Ford

Director of Library Outreach
Headshot of Deborah Ford

I write a weekly column for School Library Journal called JLG’s Booktalks to Go. Each week I share brand new hot-off-the-press titles for PreK-12. I write a short booktalk for each book and then add resources like author/illustrator websites, lesson plans, and videos.

I use LiveBinders to keep all of the booktalks in one place. Teachers and librarians can easily locate appropriate titles, as tabs are color-coded by interest level. Everything they need to teach the book is located in one place. In addition, as I discover new resources, I can quickly add them to the binder.

When I use it to teach, you would think I gave listeners the key to the city. Who has time to read the books, write booktalks and find resources? They can’t wait to explore the resources.