The Whole-School Community Read: A Comprehensive Guidebook is an excellent book for school librarians interested in leading a community read. The book is available now from Bloomsbury. I hope you enjoy my interview with the authors.
Author Biographies
Margaux DelGuidice-Calemmo is a lifelong reader, learner and lover of all books, language and acquired knowledge. A practicing school librarian, she is an ISTE Certified Educator, Adobe Certified Innovator and co-author of the books, The Whole-School Community Read (Bloomsbury) and Make A Big Impact @ Your School Board Meeting (ABC-CLIO).
Margaux has been recognized as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker and featured in national news segments on NBC and PBS. For more information, visit elevatingeducating.com, @metadatachick on X, and @gchslibrary11530 on IG.
Jeannette Balantic recently retired as K–12 Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator for the Garden City Schools in New York. She co-authored Every Book Is a Social Studies Book: How to Meet Standards with Picture Books, K–6 and Notable Books, Notable Lessons: Putting Social Studies Back in the K–8 Curriculum, and served as an editor of the NCSS journal Social Studies and the Young Learner.
Jeannette has presented at state and national conferences on a wide range of social studies topics and teaching practices. She has taught at both Hofstra University and Teachers College, Columbia University. A lifelong reader, she enjoys sharing books and ideas with her book clubs.
1. Briefly describe The Whole-School Community Read: A Comprehensive Guidebook.
The Whole-School Community Read: A Comprehensive Guidebook is a practical, hands-on resource for anyone looking to bring people in schools and communities together through shared reading. Whole-School and Community Reads are happening on a local, national, and global level. This book helps educators and librarians navigate the many ways to design and sustain these events. It offers clear tips, tools, and strategies to save time and tailor the event to meet the unique needs of each school, library, and community.
2. Why did you decide to write this book?
MC: As a practicing school librarian, I’ve led Whole-School Community Reads in my district for nearly a decade. When I think back to those early years, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed. I fumbled my way through, learning through trial, error, and plenty of reflection as the program evolved into the school-wide events we have today. The impetus for writing this book was to make that process easier for others. I am ecstatic to share what I’ve learned, the missteps and successes alike, so educators and librarians can more easily bring the joy of a Whole-School Community Read to their own schools and communities.
JB: I was delighted when Margaux approached me to co-write this book because I had seen the power and magic of the Whole-School Community Read in our high school. I loved how teachers across departments collaborated to bring different aspects of the program to life; how students were empowered to create media that promoted the event; and how readers—students from all grade levels, teachers, and administrators—came together to talk about books. I also knew how much work Margaux did behind the scenes to make our school’s event so successful—it is my hope that this book will enable other educators to bring this amazing event to their school.
3. What are two things you hope readers take away?
We hope this book inspires educators to just give it a go! We want readers to see that there are many ways to bring a whole-school community reading event to life—and that it’s okay to start small and let it grow and evolve to fit the unique needs of their school. Our own program has certainly changed over time, based on reflection and feedback from students and teachers.
4. What strategies have you found most effective for sustaining enthusiasm throughout a whole-school community read?
Getting students invested and involved in your reading event is key. As a school librarian, I “push-in” to classes to promote the event, but I am just one person. To maintain enthusiasm, I ask teachers and students to help spread the word about our WSCR—kids are great at recruiting their peers to participate. When we began having students serve as Chat Station facilitators during our final reading celebration, participation soared. Giving students a leadership role really increased engagement and gave students a sense of ownership over the event.
5. In what ways can whole-school reading programs strengthen family engagement and support literacy at home?
Whole-school community reading programs create a shared experience that naturally extends into homes. When families read the same book together, conversations move beyond the usual “How was your day?” to deeper discussions about characters, themes, and ideas. Parents and children begin exploring questions like “What are you picturing as you read?” or “What are you curious to learn more about?” These questions help to turn reading into a shared discovery and welcome conversations that strengthen family bonds, nurture curiosity, and build confidence for students to join book talks and discussions at school. When an entire community is reading the same story, those connections multiply, linking homes, classrooms, and neighborhoods through a shared love of reading.
6. Is there anything else you would like to share?
Although the title includes the word school, the principles in this book extend far beyond the classroom; they can be applied to all communities and libraries—especially public and academic libraries. The idea is for students, educators, and community members to come together through the experience of shared stories and common themes in literature.
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