Alabama Reading Initiative

Mobile Public Library is celebrating summer all season long with their Summer Library Celebration. Beginning June 3rd, the library invites children and families to participate in a variety of activities, including special guest performances, crafts, games and a reading challenge for all ages. The celebration lasts throughout all June and July.

High school students in Auburn have a new extracurricular activity outside of the classroom. Last month, the Auburn Public Library started a book club for high school students in the 10th through 12th grade.

Alabama's school chief says 10,000 or more third graders could be held back this summer as the state begins requiring kids to meet reading benchmarks to move to fourth grade. The requirement takes effect this school year. State lawmakers delayed implementation to give students and schools time to recover from pandemic-related learning losses. The state Board of Education on Thursday approved the score that more than 50,000 students will need to reach to advance to fourth grade. State Superintendent Eric Mackey says board members needed to set a new score because the state changed its reading test to align with the latest standards.

A jury has been chosen, and Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard’s ethics trial will begin next week.Hubbard is facing nearly two dozen felony ethics…