Marcia Kochel
@overbooked.bsky.social
A middle school librarian on a mission to bring age-appropriate books to 13-15 year olds #youngteenlit
My manifesto is here: https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2024/05/30/a-manifesto-in-support-of-middle-school-books-a-guest-post-by-marcia-kochel/
My manifesto is here: https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2024/05/30/a-manifesto-in-support-of-middle-school-books-a-guest-post-by-marcia-kochel/
Taylor Swift + middle school books — once you start making the connections you just can’t stop #youngteenlit #taylorswift #tlsky #middleschoollibrary
August 29, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Taylor Swift + middle school books — once you start making the connections you just can’t stop #youngteenlit #taylorswift #tlsky #middleschoollibrary
Nonfiction roundup: Beautiful moving story about the immigrant experience. Read it to kids of all ages to build empathy, read it with language learners and they will feel seen. This should have won all the awards #tlsky #kidlit #hmong #immigration @kaokaliayang.bsky.social @lernerbooks.bsky.social
August 6, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Nonfiction roundup: Beautiful moving story about the immigrant experience. Read it to kids of all ages to build empathy, read it with language learners and they will feel seen. This should have won all the awards #tlsky #kidlit #hmong #immigration @kaokaliayang.bsky.social @lernerbooks.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: What is Color is a favorite of 2024. This dive into color is like nothing I’ve ever read—jam packed with art and fun facts and snarky jokes. It’s like Robin Williams wrote a book about art #youngteenlit #mglit #tlsky #booksky #nonfiction @stevendraws.bsky.social
August 6, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Nonfiction roundup: What is Color is a favorite of 2024. This dive into color is like nothing I’ve ever read—jam packed with art and fun facts and snarky jokes. It’s like Robin Williams wrote a book about art #youngteenlit #mglit #tlsky #booksky #nonfiction @stevendraws.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: 3 outstanding #nonfiction picture books from 2024. Spectacular writing and illustrations, respectful of kids, unique storytelling #tlsky #booksky @authorjasonchin.bsky.social @lesliebarnardbooth.bsky.social @simonkids.bsky.social
August 2, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Nonfiction roundup: 3 outstanding #nonfiction picture books from 2024. Spectacular writing and illustrations, respectful of kids, unique storytelling #tlsky #booksky @authorjasonchin.bsky.social @lesliebarnardbooth.bsky.social @simonkids.bsky.social
Spying on Spies also fits in. Female code breakers are amazing! @marissamosswriter.bsky.social
August 2, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Spying on Spies also fits in. Female code breakers are amazing! @marissamosswriter.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: compelling account of the Mt St Helens eruption backed by so much research. Great example of #nonfiction for young teens—fast-paced, death & destruction + survival & scientific advancement (cover=young but text is #youngteenlit) #booksky @rebeccaefbarone.bsky.social #mglit
August 2, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Nonfiction roundup: compelling account of the Mt St Helens eruption backed by so much research. Great example of #nonfiction for young teens—fast-paced, death & destruction + survival & scientific advancement (cover=young but text is #youngteenlit) #booksky @rebeccaefbarone.bsky.social #mglit
Nonfiction roundup: this book sounds silly, but it documents an incredible connection between the first airplane flight and current exploration on Mars. History, STEM, science & a great read aloud! #tlchat #nonfiction #booksky @littlebrown.bsky.social @littlebrownyr.bsky.social
August 2, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Nonfiction roundup: this book sounds silly, but it documents an incredible connection between the first airplane flight and current exploration on Mars. History, STEM, science & a great read aloud! #tlchat #nonfiction #booksky @littlebrown.bsky.social @littlebrownyr.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: I loved One Long Line by @loreegriffinburns.bsky.social Who knew that marching caterpillars could be so compelling? It’s really about how science builds on past knowledge. K-6 libraries should absolutely buy it #tlsky #nonfiction #booksky #mglit @candlewickpress.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Nonfiction roundup: I loved One Long Line by @loreegriffinburns.bsky.social Who knew that marching caterpillars could be so compelling? It’s really about how science builds on past knowledge. K-6 libraries should absolutely buy it #tlsky #nonfiction #booksky #mglit @candlewickpress.bsky.social
I learned so much from Power to the Parasites by Chelsea Wood. Underneath its funny tone, there’s a lot of great science that kids will love. Gross and fascinating! #mglit #tlsky #booksky @henryholtbooks.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 1:23 PM
I learned so much from Power to the Parasites by Chelsea Wood. Underneath its funny tone, there’s a lot of great science that kids will love. Gross and fascinating! #mglit #tlsky #booksky @henryholtbooks.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: Radar and the Raft by Jeff Lantos is a gripping survival story. It’s also about scientific achievement, but I was there for learning how the Bell family survived a torpedo by a German U-boat. Highly recommended for teens #tlsky #youngteenlit #booksky @charlesbridge.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Nonfiction roundup: Radar and the Raft by Jeff Lantos is a gripping survival story. It’s also about scientific achievement, but I was there for learning how the Bell family survived a torpedo by a German U-boat. Highly recommended for teens #tlsky #youngteenlit #booksky @charlesbridge.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: if you haven’t read The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming, go read it now. It’s an incredible World War II story about teenage girls in Britain who helped win the war by cracking codes. It’s a well-told story backed by fastidious research #youngteenlit #nonfiction #tlsky #booksky
July 31, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Nonfiction roundup: if you haven’t read The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming, go read it now. It’s an incredible World War II story about teenage girls in Britain who helped win the war by cracking codes. It’s a well-told story backed by fastidious research #youngteenlit #nonfiction #tlsky #booksky
Nonfiction roundup: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival is a real gem. I’m recommending this book to everyone I know from middle school on up. Don’t miss this unforgettable graphic novel #tlsky #nonfiction #youngteenlit @melaniekoss.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Nonfiction roundup: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival is a real gem. I’m recommending this book to everyone I know from middle school on up. Don’t miss this unforgettable graphic novel #tlsky #nonfiction #youngteenlit @melaniekoss.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: Let’s Learn to Fish by Dan Armitage is an excellent how-to book for young readers. It’s hard to find fishing books for school libraries and this one is awesome for kids up through 6th grade! Gorgeous color photos throughout #tlsky #kidlit #mglit #nonfiction @balibra76.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Nonfiction roundup: Let’s Learn to Fish by Dan Armitage is an excellent how-to book for young readers. It’s hard to find fishing books for school libraries and this one is awesome for kids up through 6th grade! Gorgeous color photos throughout #tlsky #kidlit #mglit #nonfiction @balibra76.bsky.social
Nonfiction roundup: Urban Coyotes by Mary Kay Carson from the Scientists in the Field series gave me a fascinating look at how coyotes survive in big cities & why they are actually good to have around. Fascinating for adults as well as kids! #tlsky #mglit #nonfiction @clarionbooks.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Nonfiction roundup: Urban Coyotes by Mary Kay Carson from the Scientists in the Field series gave me a fascinating look at how coyotes survive in big cities & why they are actually good to have around. Fascinating for adults as well as kids! #tlsky #mglit #nonfiction @clarionbooks.bsky.social
Summer reading round up: loved this book’s emphasis on choice and reading for pleasure and can’t wait to use the Book Head Heart questions with my middle school book clubs. Thank you @amybrownlee93.bsky.social for your post teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/05/01/h... #tlsky #schoollibrarians #bookjoy
July 31, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Summer reading round up: loved this book’s emphasis on choice and reading for pleasure and can’t wait to use the Book Head Heart questions with my middle school book clubs. Thank you @amybrownlee93.bsky.social for your post teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/05/01/h... #tlsky #schoollibrarians #bookjoy
I have an old-school book blog where I have been writing about middle school books for YEARS. Lots of #youngteenlit here. Catching up on new books this week. Yes, I probably need a new home for this content (suggestions welcome), but this does help me remember what I've read #tlsky bit.ly/3IGvOcl
July 23, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I have an old-school book blog where I have been writing about middle school books for YEARS. Lots of #youngteenlit here. Catching up on new books this week. Yes, I probably need a new home for this content (suggestions welcome), but this does help me remember what I've read #tlsky bit.ly/3IGvOcl
My July 4th weekend reading—a new book by @halseanderson.bsky.social is reason to celebrate #youngteenlit
July 5, 2025 at 7:58 PM
My July 4th weekend reading—a new book by @halseanderson.bsky.social is reason to celebrate #youngteenlit
Excited to meet the author and illustrator of Brownstone @samuelteer.bsky.social and @marjulia.bsky.social at #alaac25 Thanks for writing about a 14 year old! #youngteenlit #tlsky
June 29, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Excited to meet the author and illustrator of Brownstone @samuelteer.bsky.social and @marjulia.bsky.social at #alaac25 Thanks for writing about a 14 year old! #youngteenlit #tlsky
It’s hard to find books that have 14-15 year old protagonists, and here’s one about a 14-year-old—Thanks Dusti Bowling! #youngteenlit #alaac25 @unionsquarekids.bsky.social #itstimeforyoungteenlit
June 28, 2025 at 9:49 PM
It’s hard to find books that have 14-15 year old protagonists, and here’s one about a 14-year-old—Thanks Dusti Bowling! #youngteenlit #alaac25 @unionsquarekids.bsky.social #itstimeforyoungteenlit
Pinch me! Can’t believe I ran into two of the absolute icons of #youngteenlit at #alaac25 #tlsky Thank you Laurie Halse Anderson and Neal Shusterman for writing some of the finest books ever written for teens
June 28, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Pinch me! Can’t believe I ran into two of the absolute icons of #youngteenlit at #alaac25 #tlsky Thank you Laurie Halse Anderson and Neal Shusterman for writing some of the finest books ever written for teens
When I take out the top circulating graphic novels, 10 of my 20 top titles are Wimpy Kids. The other 10 are a variety of genres/authors, including Alan Gratz, Jenny Han, Holly Jackson, Victoria Aveyard, J.L. Esplin, David Levithan, and Lamar Giles. Common thread: Romance, action, and mystery
June 3, 2025 at 12:24 PM
When I take out the top circulating graphic novels, 10 of my 20 top titles are Wimpy Kids. The other 10 are a variety of genres/authors, including Alan Gratz, Jenny Han, Holly Jackson, Victoria Aveyard, J.L. Esplin, David Levithan, and Lamar Giles. Common thread: Romance, action, and mystery
19 of my top 20 checkouts are graphic novels (no surprise to me). Good Girl, Bad Blood (murder mystery) the only novel that broke through. Grade 6-8 Title I middle school with 1,000 students. Annual circulation 17,879 books #youngteenlit
June 3, 2025 at 12:16 PM
19 of my top 20 checkouts are graphic novels (no surprise to me). Good Girl, Bad Blood (murder mystery) the only novel that broke through. Grade 6-8 Title I middle school with 1,000 students. Annual circulation 17,879 books #youngteenlit
Not surprising. How many more things must they take away from kids, from educators, from critical thinkers before congress says enough? #tlsky
May 14, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Not surprising. How many more things must they take away from kids, from educators, from critical thinkers before congress says enough? #tlsky
Why was this hanging up at my vacation rental in Tahiti? Wherever i go in the Great World, Betsy is there! @betsytacy.bsky.social
April 25, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Why was this hanging up at my vacation rental in Tahiti? Wherever i go in the Great World, Betsy is there! @betsytacy.bsky.social
