You know that famous quote of Michael Moore “I really didn’t realize the librarians were, you know, such a dangerous group. They are subversive. You think they’re just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They’re like plotting the revolution, man. I wouldn’t mess with them.” well I really try my best to live up to these expectations.

You know how text sets are such a thing in Elementary libraries? Well I started my career as a PYP librarian and I just LOVED making text-sets. And you know what? It’s not really a “thing” as you move up the food chain.

So I’ve decided to buck the trend and make some “Read Around the Curriculum” posters for my students. It cuts both ways – if they’re reading historical fiction, I try to make some posters of the nonfiction that would support background reading and understanding of the topic. If they’re knee deep in chemistry, some fun chemistry related fiction that can keep them going.

Today’s poster is my little subversive act of pairing a poster on wealth and income with one on poverty. Our middle school kids are totally OBSESSED with entrepreneurship, getting rich, wealth, material goods – (anyone reading this, know about golden goose sneakers? They’re a thing that I learnt about yesterday.) These two posters face each other in our classroom and library “look books”. Take that capitalists.

By Nadine Bailey – middle school teacher librarian, currently living and working in Dubai, formerly in Beijing China, Singapore and a bunch of other cities around the world. Passionate about our students seeing themselves and their worlds in literature and developing curiosity and a passion for reading and learning.

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed in this blog post are solely my own and do not reflect the positions, policies, or opinions of any current or former employer. Any references or examples provided are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements or official statements from any organization I have been associated with.