Reading Guides: Getting to Know Angelina

BOOK TALK: FAVORITES

Favorite genre 

• Historical fiction

• Psychological thrillers

All-time favorite book

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 

Favorite author 

• J. K. Rowling 

Favorite place to read

• My own backyard 

Welcome to Book Summer! I am Angelina, an educator that is enthusiastic about all things reading! I am a former 8th-grade reading teacher, curriculum developer, and reading specialist. I always knew I wanted to be an educator for tweens/teens, and I am thrilled to be working with this age group for Book Summer – connecting teens to be better readers on a large scale. 

Can you give us a brief overview of what Book Summer is all about and what we have been up to so far this summer with our readers?

Book Summer is an online reading program designed to connect tweens & teens to books and community; to start or further pursue the benefits of reading for pleasure. It begins with creating attainable, enjoyable reading habits! We’re unique in that we make personalized book recommendations for each individual. Book Summer pairs highly skilled and enthusiastic Reading Guides with each Reader. We foster genuine community building, and readers have access to a global online community of readers. 

Our Readers have engaged in reading more in a few months they have in a long time. We’ve participated in fun challenges, discussions, and they’re making connections to others about books. We’re proud of how they’re finding the joy and benefits of reading for fun thus far.  

We make better collaborators and problem solvers because we understand our world a little bit better. We become a community of engaged, educated, and empathetic individuals. And we have the opportunity to make better communities, a better world.  

One of the things that we’re excited about at Book Summer is the community that we are fostering. Can you tell our viewers a little bit more about that?

Community is an important piece of what we value at Book Summer. When we read as a community, we become part of something bigger than ourselves. Book Summer provides the ideal place for that community to exist – not only do we address individuals and how to help them pursue a life of reading, we also offer a place where they can connect. Teens connect in many ways through social media, gaming, and sports, but engaging with others through reading helps them enrich their lives on a deeper level. 

From your personal experience, why do you think the community is an essential aspect of reading? What benefits does a reading community provide? How does the community aspect bring a new experience and perspective to reading? 

I’ve seen this personally when I taught 8th grade and created new reading habits for those in my classroom and beyond. Some of our yearly reading challenges, like our March Madness one, had more than 300 students engaged in reading for the month. 

When we read, we learn new things. And when we read together, we recognize and understand other people, values, cultures, and more. 

We make better collaborators and problem solvers because we understand our world a little bit better. We become a community of engaged, educated, and empathetic individuals. And we have the opportunity to make better communities, a better world.  

Readers are more likely to 

• participate in cultural, athletic, political, and volunteer activities, 
• have higher self-esteem, 
• a willingness to participate in community groups, and 
• higher scores on academic tests. 

Why do you love to read? 

• It helps me be in the present moment
• I learn, expand, and connect – to the past, to others, to myself 
• It makes me feel like I’m a part of something better than myself