Danielle Schwessinger receives AASL Innovative Reading Grant

CHICAGO – Danielle Schwessinger, school library media specialist at Elmer Wolfe Elementary School in Union Bridge, Maryland, is the recipient of the 2025 American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Innovative Reading Grant. Sponsored by Capstone, the $2,500 grant supports the planning and implementation of a unique and innovative program for children that motivates and encourages reading, especially with struggling readers.

Schwessinger’s project, “Books MY Way,” a yearlong, school-wide program, will offer students different ways to earn the title of a “Read MY Way” All-Star. The focus will be to empower students to build autonomy and confidence in their reading skills while offering alternative methods of reading that are not readily available to most students. Schwessinger notes, “Our library needs to support literacy development for students with different learning styles while giving them alternative ways to interact with vocabulary and text variations/structure. We also need to offer ways to build enthusiasm and confidence in reading choices and abilities they can bring back to their classrooms and the community. Our students are not getting to experience a world of books, and we need to give them a chance to build their own reading world- “Books MY Way” has the chance to do that.”

“Books MY Way stood out to the committee as a well-researched, comprehensive, and thoughtfully crafted initiative that effectively addresses the needs of diverse learners,” said Cynthia Zervos, committee chair. Zervos continues, “The direct impact on learners’ literacy development, the potential to implement and sustain for years to come, as well as alignment to AASL’s Common Beliefs and detailed implementation plan makes “Book MY Way” a replicable and impactful program.”

“Literacy programs like this highlight what a well-funded school library with a qualified school librarian can do - bridge digital and socioeconomic divides, foster an inclusive and engaging reading culture, and ensure every learner has the opportunity for personal and academic growth," said AASL president Becky Calzada. “Congratulations to Danielle, and congratulations to our school librarian community who now have a model to develop their own personal “Books MY Way” program to get the right ‘book’ into the hands of their learners.”

The AASL award winners will be recognized during the 2025 AASL National Conference taking place October 16-19 in St. Louis, Missouri.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

Capstone is the nation’s leading educational publisher of K-5 digital solutions, children’s books, and literacy programs for school libraries, classrooms, and at-home reading. Through print books, interactive eBooks, or the curriculum-connected learning tool PebbleGo™, Capstone has a passion for inspiring students to learn and their communities to thrive. As a publisher of content for children, Capstone embraces the responsibility to celebrate and share the diverse voices and perspectives of our readers and communities. Capstone supports great teaching and learning with engaging content that values the work that educators do every day—helping students succeed. CapstonePub.com #LearningIsForEveryone