Student engagement is at the forefront of the maker movement and can be included in many different subject areas, but my favorite way to include Makerspace activities is by integrating literacy skills such as comprehension.

Consequently, great books are sitting on our shelves, growing dusty. Without fiction, we are losing the support or conditions that will prompt students to continue reading and thinking in the best ways. Most importantly, children are missing out on opportunities to fall in love with characters and stories in their favorite books.

As a first and second-grade teacher for more than 18 years and then a media specialist, I have seen with my own eyes the benefits of reading and what good literature can do for children, especially for our most reluctant readers. Great stories draw readers in and hook them. Without fiction, we are losing a generation of readers who have a love of books and a love to read for the pure joy of reading lots of books.