Puentes a la Lectura / Bridges to Reading Receives AASL Innovative Reading Grant

CHICAGO – Aaleya King, media coordinator at Eastway Middle School in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the recipient of the 2026 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.

King’s project, “Puentes a la Lectura / Bridges to Reading,” is a creative and culturally responsive school library initiative designed to accelerate literacy growth for Multilingual Learner (MLL) students, who represent 53.2% of the school community. By intentionally integrating students’ first language (L1) to build foundational Spanish literacy skills, the program introduces an innovative pathway that strengthens English (L2) development while nurturing confidence and joy in reading. Through engaging bilingual texts, collaborative discussions, and librarian–teacher partnership, “Puentes a la Lectura / Bridges to Reading” will foster positive reading identities, increase student motivation, and deliver measurable gains in reading comprehension and overall academic achievement for our MLL learners.

“The committee could see that 'Puentes a la Lectura / Bridges to Reading' is a thoughtful and well-structured approach to supporting multilingual learners through bilingual literacy opportunities,” said committee chair Stephanie Goh. “It's a ‘bridge’ model that values students’ native languages as powerful tools for learning, particularly in allowing students to move fluidly between English and their home languages. The program is grounded in strong research, clear planning, and a commitment to student voice and leadership, all of which contribute to a supportive and community-centered learning environment.”

“Innovative reading programs like 'Puentes a la Lectura / Bridges to Reading' highlight the essential role school librarians play in their learning community,” said AASL president Amanda Kordeliski. “The program is deeply aligned with the American Association of School Librarians National School Library Standards, particularly in its emphasis on inclusion, inquiry, collaboration, and engagement. The program supports learners and highlights the school library as an essential learning environment. Congratulations to Aaleya, and congratulations to our school librarian community, who now have a model to develop their own program to get the right ‘book’ into the hands of their learners.”

The AASL award winners will be recognized during the 2027 AASL National Conference taking place October 14-16 in Portland, Oregon.

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