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Often, when we celebrate Black History Month, we reflect on the past. We acknowledge that any societal progress for the rights of Black people stands on the shoulders of giants who have paved the way. When I first began writing this blog, I researched some of those giants to learn about some Black figures from Maryland who may not be so well-known. There’s Frances Ellen Watkins Harper , born in Baltimore in 1825 and the first African-American woman to publish a short story. W

As of 2019, more than 67 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home. Spanish accounts for 62% of that group, making it the most commonly spoken non-English language in the country. Maryland reflects this national trend. According to recent data from the Migration Policy Institute, a substantial share of Maryland’s children (those between the ages of 5-17) speak Spanish at home. While many of them feel confident speaking English, over 35,0

Happy holidays from the Maryland Book Bank! This time of year always brings an opportunity for reflection, and lately I’ve been thinking about an important concept for our MBB team: fostering a literacy ecosystem.   When Kim Crout, our wonderful Program Director, first used that phrase, I wasn’t sure what she meant. A literacy ecosystem? What does that look like?   Before we can define a literacy ecosystem, it’s important to first understand that reading is a complicated skil