In high school classrooms all over the country, the English curriculum requires students to read books chosen for their plot lines, themes, and real-world connections. While these pieces are important, many students tend to lose interest due to the disassociation between the texts and their lives. Their intentions quickly shift from flipping the pages to mindlessly scrolling on their phones.

Until recently, students at NASH underwent the same ordeal. But then came a formula for classroom reading that is both student-driven and enjoyable — Book Love.

The idea was introduced by NASH English teacher Mrs. Gingerich, who is currently in her second year of teaching at North Allegheny. 

“My first school where I taught in Chicago has an independent reading program built into the curriculum, empowering kids to read during class every day,” Gingerich said. “I attended a conference in Chicago where I saw Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher speak about their program called ‘Book Love’ that was aimed more specifically toward developing depth, stamina, and passion in young readers.”

In 2013, Kittle published Book Love, which introduces teachers to a different way of assigning reading to students. The book analyzes why students are not motivated to read and charts a new path for students to gain a love for books. In essence, Kittle argues that students are more inclined to read when they have a say in the matter—that is, when they can choose the books they read in class.

Kittle also created the Book Love Foundation, which claims to have one goal: to put books in the hands of teenagers.

“I was so passionate about the program that I started trying out strategies I’d learned immediately,” Gingerich said, “including buying all of Penny Kittle’s books to aid in the implementation of Book Love.”

Soon after she arrived at NA two years ago, Gingerich introduced the district to the new approach. 

“I pitched the idea to another teacher in the department, who shared a similar passion to get kids reading more, and then we pitched it to the department chair to see if it would be a good addition to the curriculum since the English department is in a curriculum review right now,” Gingerich said. “I’m grateful other department members were able to see the vision and have helped implement it.”

With Book Love, students are able to choose a book to read, instead of being forced to read what is assigned to them. As some teenagers are not avid readers, however, it can be difficult to select a book without guidance. This is where NASH librarian Ms. Wienand has proven to be an integral part of Book Love.

“At the heart of Book Love, it’s about making sure that students have access to good choices for independent reading,” Wienand said, “and making sure that we prioritize that so that people can really build engagement with readings, find things they like, build their knowledge of what they enjoy, and then build stamina in reading so that they can continue to have access to all those skills.”

Wienand said that, as a result of the new program in senior English classes, her circulation desk has never been busier.

“We’ve had a lot more students checking out a lot more books,” she said. “The number of fiction books that we checked out in September and October was actually double that it was in September and October last year. And this was just with three teachers doing Book Love with some of their classes, not even all.”

NASH English teacher Mrs. Rhinehart has been especially pleased with her Honors English 4 students’ reaction to the Book Love program.

“I feel like many students want to read at this age, but they don’t have the time because they’re really busy with activities and schoolwork,” Rhinehart said. “So, dedicating some class time to reading, I think, has reminded students that they do enjoy reading, and it’s kind of gotten that momentum started again for them as they get to choose what they want to read.”

Rhinehart added that she hopes to see a future for Book Love within other schools in the district.

“We are piloting [Book Love] this year because we’re looking to see if we find it beneficial enough to incorporate Book Love in other grade levels, and other levels of classes,” she said. “We are seeing really good results, so I think that’s going to be a part of the conversation moving forward about how we can make this a larger part of North Allegheny’s ELA curriculum.”

Students have seen real benefits in being able to choose books that they are required to read. 

“It’s so hard to find reading time outside of school, especially with all of the extracurricular activities, ” senior Alexis Solomon said, “and Book Love has given students more time to read. I was already an avid reader beforehand, and Book Love has only enhanced my love for reading.” 

Unlike Solomon, senior Alaina Roth was not a huge fan of reading before this school year started.

“I’m not a big reader, but Book Love has allowed me to become more passionate about reading,” Roth said. “I really liked that we are able to take breaks from hard assignments, especially since it is an Honors course.”

Roth, who is now on her fifth Book Love read, found her new favorite book with the program.

“I really enjoyed a book titled We Were Liars,” she said. “I do not think I would have read it if it weren’t for Book Love.”

Similarly, senior Hannah Patterson has not read for pleasure since she was in middle school.

Since the implementation of Book Love, Patterson’s views on reading for English class have changed.

“I get to read what I’m passionate about, and it definitely has changed my love for reading,” she said. “Instead of reading standard books, I read books on my interests, such as psychology and chemistry.”

To fit Book Love into the curriculum, the English Department had to eliminate some formerly required books.

“Book Love is a student-selected reading program that has replaced two of the core texts in our curriculum,” Honors English 4 teacher Mr. Truesdell said. “We are trying to promote tenacity in reading and promote strong habits for a consistent basis to prepare students for college.”

While college prep is a central focus at NASH, North Allegheny Intermediate High School librarian Mrs. Logan, with the help of Wienand, has started the process of incorporating Book Love at her school. 

“Penny Kittle’s texts talk about the importance of classroom libraries, but they don’t really talk about the importance of libraries themselves,” Wienand said. “So Mrs. Logan and I are trying to approach it from that point of view, and then we are collecting data about what we’re doing and we’re hoping to present it to our librarian conference in the spring.”

For Kittle, who taught in public schools for 34 years, Book Love’s effectiveness is rooted in its focus on the individual student, regardless of their age.

“I believe each of my students must craft an individual reading life challenge, whim, curiosity, and hunger,” she writes in Book Love, “and I’ve discovered that it is not too late in high school to lead a non-reader to reading. It’s never too late.”