Read-y or Not? With Becka and Tracy

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re diving into Shakespeare’s Macbeth as part of our mini-series Everything Your HS Teacher Didn’t Tell You About Shakespeare. This tragedy has everything: witches, prophecy, ambition, murder, guilt, paranoia, and one couple making increasingly terrible choices in the name of power.

As teachers, we’re looking beyond the “bloody Shakespeare play” reputation to ...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re opening the coffin on Bram Stoker’s Dracula as part of our Readiness Check: Classics series. From creepy castles and mysterious journals to vampire lore, fear of the unknown, Victorian anxieties, and one of literature’s most iconic villains, this gothic classic has shaped horror stories for generations.

As teachers, we’re looking beyond the fangs to talk about what yo...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re talking about banned and challenged books as part of our Let’s Talk About It series. Few topics in education and reading spark stronger reactions than the question of which books belong in schools, libraries, classrooms, and young readers’ hands.

As teachers, we’re looking beyond the headlines to talk about what book bans and challenges really bring up: parent concern...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re diving into Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me as part of our Readiness Check: Modern series. This dystopian YA novel brings together superhuman abilities, government control, isolation, trauma, rebellion, romance, and one very intense narrative voice that pulls readers directly into Juliette’s fractured inner world.

As teachers, we’re looking beyond the popularity and fast-pa...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re stepping into Shakespeare’s Richard II as part of our mini-series Everything Your HS Teacher Didn’t Tell You About Shakespeare. This history play may be full of kings, nobles, banishment, rebellion, and political maneuvering, but at its heart, it is also a deeply personal story about identity, power, leadership, and what happens when someone loses the role they thought made...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re stepping into Salem with Arthur Miller’s The Crucible as part of our Readiness Check: Classics series. This play may be set during the Salem witch trials, but its questions about fear, reputation, power, truth, and mass hysteria still feel painfully relevant.

As teachers, we’re looking beyond its place on the classic literature shelf to talk about what students need in orde...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re diving into BookTok and social media book communities as part of our Let’s Talk About It series. Online spaces can be incredible for helping readers discover new books, build excitement, find recommendations, and feel like they are part of a larger reading community. But when books go viral, popularity does not always tell us whether a title is the right fit for a ...

In this special bonus episode of Read-y or Not?, Tracy and Becka celebrate the remarkable legacy of Dolly Parton—not only as a music icon, but as one of the most influential literacy advocates of her generation. From the creation of the Imagination Library and the hundreds of millions of books it has placed into children’s hands, to her work supporting education, disaster relief, medical research, and families in need, ...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re diving into Colleen Hoover’s Verity as part of our Readiness Check: Modern series. This psychological thriller has romance, secrets, obsession, disturbing family dynamics, and one manuscript that turns a complicated situation into a full emotional disaster.

As teachers, we’re looking beyond the book’s popularity to talk about what young readers need in order to approa...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re diving into Shakespeare’s Othello as part of our mini-series Everything Your HS Teacher Didn’t Tell You About Shakespeare. This tragedy has everything: love, jealousy, betrayal, manipulation, racism, insecurity, reputation, and one of Shakespeare’s most dangerously convincing villains.

As teachers, we’re looking beyond the plot summary to unp...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re setting sail with Homer’s The Odyssey as part of our Readiness Check: Classics series. From cyclopes and sirens to gods, monsters, temptation, loyalty, revenge, and one extremely complicated trip home, this epic has shaped storytelling for centuries — but that doesn’t automatically mean every young reader is ready to tackle it alone.

As teache...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re diving into one of the biggest questions parents and educators face when helping kids choose books: what’s the difference between being able to read the words and being ready to handle the story?

As part of our Let’s Talk About It series, we’re breaking down the gap between reading level and emotional readiness. A student may be able to decode complex v...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re taking on H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline—a dark romance that has made major waves online and sparked plenty of conversation about content warnings, boundaries, and what young readers may stumble across through BookTok recommendations. As teachers, we’re looking past popularity and diving into the maturity level this book requires, including its graphic content, distu...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re stepping into the forest for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—a play full of mistaken identities, love triangles, fairy mischief, questionable decisions, and absolute chaos. As part of our Shakespeare mini-series, we’re looking at why this comedy is often one of the more approachable Shakespeare texts for young readers while still unpacking the ...

In this episode of Read-y or Not?, we’re heading to the island to unpack William Golding’s Lord of the Flies—a classic that starts with stranded schoolboys and quickly turns into a full-blown study in power, fear, groupthink, and human nature. As teachers, we’re looking beyond the reading level to talk about the emotional maturity needed for this book, including its violence, symbolism, darker themes, and th...

In our first official Read-y or Not? book discussion, we’re heading to Hogwarts to talk all things Harry Potter. As teachers and lifelong readers, we’re looking beyond the magic, friendship, and adventure to ask the big question: when are young readers truly ready for this series? We’ll discuss reading level, emotional maturity, darker themes, character development, and why this beloved series continues to be such...