Ashlie Swicker

Boston

Contributing Writer at Book Riot

Writer, elementary librarian, founder of Be Your Own Lady. Wants to read about fat girls. @Bookriot contributor. she/her. #beyourownbookclub

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Articles

The Best Bookish Gifts for New Grads

1 week ago | bookriot.com | Ashlie Swicker

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. It’s graduation season! Across ages and academic levels, students are moving on to the next stage. The next chapter, if you will? This time of year can lead to a plethora of gift-giving opportunities: end-of-year teacher gifts loom, and bridal showers seem to stack up on top of the already constant birthdays.
Picture Books with Neurodivergent Kids

2 weeks ago | bookriot.com | Ashlie Swicker

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Neurodivergent kids need to see themselves in books, but neurotypical kids need this window into the lives of their peers just as much. . It’s not a diagnosis in and of itself, but can refer to conditions that include autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and dyspraxia.
Top-Notch T-Shirts to Celebrate Libraries

1 month ago | bookriot.com | Ashlie Swicker

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Let us take a moment and enjoy some library T-shirts, shall we? There are plenty of reasons to be looking for one to add to your wardrobe. April 6th kicks off National Library Week, while the entire month of April is National School Library Month.
How Libraries Can Support Media Literacy

1 month ago | bookriot.com | Ashlie Swicker

I recently shared my suspicions about the consequences of a lack of media literacy. The critical skills that allow people to apply context, curiosity, and proof of validity when consuming information have never been more important. A quote from Sam Wineburg, PhD bears repeating: I’ve come to believe that reliable information is to civic health what clean water and proper sanitation are to public health. Never has so much information been at our fingertips as it is today.
Picture Books about Women Breaking Gender Roles

1 month ago | bookriot.com | Jerdine Nolen |Kadir Nelson |Ashlie Swicker

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Picture books are one of our first windows into who we can be. After a certain age, dozens of things are fighting for a person’s attention: friend groups, television shows, music, sales ads, and influencers shape identity as we move through the world.
Picture Books About Immigration to America

2 months ago | bookriot.com | Alfredo Alva |Deborah L. Mills |Claudia Navarro |Ashlie Swicker

There is nothing more hypocritical than setting up a country on land that was inhabited by established groups, bullying and murdering across the landmass to stretch the political borders, populating the country with people from around the world, then deciding that other groups are too dangerous to come in and grandly persecuting anyone who dares to flee to the “land of the free.” Seriously? It sounds ridiculous when you put it that way because it is ridiculous, with horrifying results.
Bookish Goods with a Social Justice Flair

2 months ago | bookriot.com | Ashlie Swicker

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. I am the queen of the Fun Little Treat. I love to bribe myself to complete basic tasks or stay on top of habits, and I keep a list of items that can be my carrot for the week. Lately, I’ve noticed that if I’m spending money on something, I need it to work on many levels.
3 Woodsy Graphic Novels for Kids to Cozy Up With

2 months ago | bookriot.com | Ashlie Swicker

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Predictably, this time of year makes me want to curl up with a good book. Also, predictably, my ruined attention span can make this activity a little fraught, especially when the world is feeling heavy and I’m using reading as an escape.
How Do You Know: The Consequences of a Lack of Media Literacy and Where We Go From Here

Jan 29, 2025 | bookriot.com | Ashlie Swicker

Media literacy and the ability to identify misinformation are especially important in our current landscape, so we’ve made this month’s All Access Member bonus post available to all readers. To sign up for All Access and support the work of independent media, click here! If we do not raise media literacy rates, our society will crumble. Sound dire? It’s not possible to make it dire enough.
How To Hold a Mock Caldecott

Jan 24, 2025 | bookriot.com | Sophie Blackall |Ashlie Swicker

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Randolph Caldecott Medal, also known more simply as the Caldecott, is presented annually by the American Library Association (ALA). The award is given every year to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published in the US the previous yet.