Editor's Note

Editor, Pat George

I don't do romance novels.

When I ask my friends what they are reading—what I might like—they know better than to suggest anything by Nora Roberts. Not that Nora Roberts isn't a good writer—she must be, given her popularity. But romance novels simply are not my cup of tea. In fact, I am not much of a fiction reader at all. Give me a book like Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, and I am hooked.

That's not to say that I've always reached strictly for the nonfiction. I read every Nancy Drew book ever published, and my copies of Alice in Wonderland and Gulliver's Travels were dog-eared and tattered. Those were the stories that helped hook me on reading.

My fondest memories are of those books that I chose to read, not those books that were assigned. As adults, we usually have the luxury of being able to choose what we read, and we choose books with topics that are relevant to our lives or satiate a thirst for knowledge in a specific area. When our young adolescents choose books to read, it's for the same reason; however, we cannot always afford them the luxury of choice. It falls to educators, then, to help their students see the connections between what they are reading and what they are living.

In this issue's lead article, Jeffrey Wilhelm, author of the acclaimed Reading Don't Fix No Chevys, discusses the importance of helping students relate what they are reading and learning to what's happening in their lives. His theme of connections is echoed throughout the issue: connecting people through a school-wide read, connecting vocabulary to meaning through context, connecting math and writing, and connecting boys to topics that excite them and motivate them to want to read.

You'll also find articles about motivating students of color, reaching disadvantaged youth, creating a safe school environment, being a role model, motivating teachers to excel, and networking for professional development.

We at NMSA wish you a wonderful end to your school year and look forward to seeing you in August, when we'll start the new publishing year with a look at strategies to improve retention and keep students on track for college.