Books on holidays and traditions: Tips from an Accelerated Reader quiz writer

In recent Renaissance blogs, we explored the benefits of nonfiction books for students, as well as the power of book series to engage students in daily reading.

In this blog, we’ll continue the conversation by looking at an engaging nonfiction book series for lower and middle grades readers: Traditions & Celebrations, published by Capstone. All titles in this series are available for students to read digitally in our myON platform’s Core Collection. Each title also has an Accelerated Reader quiz to assess students’ comprehension.

So, which traditions and celebrations does the series cover?

• Some titles, such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Veteran’s Day, and Juneteenth, discuss celebrations or observances that will likely be familiar to many students.

• Other titles, such as Diwali, Rosh Hashanah, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Ramadan, discuss traditions and celebrations that may be new to some students, allowing them to learn more about other people and cultures.

In this way, the books provide students with both “mirrors” and “windows,” helping them to engage more deeply with content as they read.

How so?

Books as mirrors and windows: Encouraging student reading engagement

The idea that books can serve as both mirrors and windows for students was developed by Emily Style and expanded upon by Rudine Sims Bishop. In this framework:

• Books act as mirrors when they reflect the student’s own life and experiences, affirming the student’s identity and helping students to see themselves as part of the broader human experience. Students often seek out these reflections in books.

• In contrast, books serve as windows when they allow students a glimpse into the lives and experiences of others. Even if students can’t directly relate, these stories and characters offer opportunities for learning and growth.

Both Accelerated Reader and myON offer a variety of books that can help students to see themselves (mirrors) and others (windows). These experiences are crucial for readers of all ages:

• Young readers who frequently engage with varied perspectives and stories develop a wider, more empathetic worldview—and gain deeper knowledge about the world around them.
• For adults, these reading experiences are crucial for the continuous process of learning and unlearning, aiding in the critical examination and challenges of ingrained biases.

Exploring holidays and traditions books: An interview with an AR quiz writer

Recently, we had the chance to speak with Dawn V., who wrote many of the Accelerated Reader book quizzes for the Traditions & Celebrations series. In the following interview, Dawn describes three of the series’ most memorable books—and explains how educators might use the mirrors and windows framework to encourage students to think deeply about these nonfiction texts.

Q: Let’s start with Christmas, one of the top titles in the Traditions & Celebrations series. Which aspects of the book acted as mirrors for you?

I celebrated Christmas growing up, and many of the traditions described in the book are still part of my celebrations with my family. We decorate a Christmas tree every year. I try to have my tree decorated by December 1 and leave it up until January 6 (Epiphany). I’ve been collecting ornaments for the tree since 1975. My mother gave me a special ornament each year, and I’ve done the same with my children.

In the days leading up to Christmas, I bake special treats that we have only at Christmastime. Most years, we send a box of treats and presents to family in England. When my kids were growing up, I sent out Christmas cards and letters to many friends and relatives, but now I send only a few.

Our family exchanges gifts on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas Day because that was the tradition of my Norwegian ancestors. In addition to the real presents, we like to do a white elephant gift exchange, which always provides a lot of fun and laughter.

On Christmas Eve, we hang stockings for Santa Claus to fill and have a special meal. On Christmas morning, the children open their presents and find treats in their stockings. We usually spend some time on Christmas Day playing cards or board games. We also watch favorite Christmas movies, such as A Christmas Story or It’s a Wonderful Life.

My son and his family live in England, so I’m also familiar with the celebration of Boxing Day on December 26. This was originally a day to give gifts to servants and those in need, but today it’s more of a continuation of the Christmas Day festivities.

Christmas is always a very special time for my family, but this year it was even more special. We had two new babies born into the family in 2024, and my grandchildren from England spent their very first Christmas in the US. I was hoping for lots of snow so that my six-year-old granddaughter could experience sledding, ice skating, and building a snowman!

Q: Which traditions in the book acted as windows? In other words, which ones were unfamiliar to you and captured your interest?

I learned that in France, children leave shoes (rather than stockings) by the fireplace on Christmas Eve. I also learned that in Sweden, there is a special day to end the Christmas season. It’s called Saint Knut’s Day and is celebrated on January 13. On this day, people take down their Christmas trees and eat the homemade sweets that had been hanging on the tree as decorations.

Another interesting tradition is Las Posadas, which is celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Las Posadas commemorates the journey of Mary and Joseph searching for shelter before the birth of Jesus. It features a procession of children, led by a child dressed as an angel. The celebration includes carols, warm drinks, and even piñatas.

Some other celebrations discussed in the book are Saint Nicholas Day on December 6 and Saint Lucia Day on December 13. On Saint Nicholas Eve, children in some countries put out their shoes for Saint Nicholas to fill with small gifts. However, children who have been bad may get a lump of coal instead!

Saint Lucia Day is celebrated in Sweden and other European countries. Traditionally, the oldest daughter in the family dresses in a white gown and wears a wreath of candles on her head as she serves a breakfast of coffee and pastries to others in the family.

When writing the Accelerated Reader quiz for this title, I mainly focused on traditions in countries other than the US. Because most American students either celebrate Christmas or are familiar with American Christmas traditions, I didn’t want to ask questions about topics they would likely know about, without having read the book.

As quiz writers, we focus on the unique information in a book and generally avoid anything that would be “common knowledge” to most US students.

Q: Let’s turn to a second book in the series, Chinese New Year. Which traditions in this book served as mirrors for you?

I was familiar with the Chinese New Year tradition of giving red envelopes of money to children, and I knew that red is considered lucky in Chinese culture. I did not realize that Chinese New Year celebrations last for 15 days, though. People traditionally eat a big meal on Chinese New Year’s Eve and try to stay awake all night. They also put red candles in every corner of the house for good luck, and they light firecrackers to scare away evil spirits.

People give each other gifts as part of the festivities. I found it interesting that clocks and watches are considered poor gift choices, because they are reminders that time is short.

Q: Which aspects of the book acted as windows, helping you to learn more about Chinese New Year?

I learned that the fifth day of Chinese New Year is the Festival of Po Wu, which welcomes the god of wealth. Some shop owners set off firecrackers in hopes of a prosperous new year. The last day of Chinese New Year is the Festival of Lanterns, when people hang all kinds of colorful paper lanterns—many of them red, to symbolize good fortune.

I also learned that in the US, New York City and San Francisco hold large celebrations for Chinese New Year, including parades with elaborate dragon floats. Dragons are symbols of good luck in Chinese culture and are featured in many legends and folktales.

In terms of the Accelerated Reader quiz, I wasn’t quite as worried about students knowing the answers to questions without having read the book. Some American students will be familiar with Chinese New Year traditions, but the majority likely aren’t. This made choosing questions and crafting plausible “distractors” (incorrect answer choices) much easier.

Because I wasn’t familiar with most of the material myself, I felt like I was learning right along with the students!

Q: Let’s turn to a final book in the series, Cinco de Mayo. What did you learn from this title? As a teacher, how might you have used the book in your classroom?

I learned that Cinco de Mayo is far more popular in the US than it is in Mexico. It has really become a celebration of Mexican-American culture—in fact, the world’s largest Cinco de Mayo celebration is held in Los Angeles.

There’s also a common misconception in the US that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day. It isn’t. Instead, it commemorates Mexico’s victory over the French in the Battle of Pueblo in the 1860s—an important event in Mexico’s history.

If I were still teaching, I might have students read this title alongside another book in the series, Día de los Muertos. This holiday may not be as familiar to some students as Cinco de Mayo, yet it’s filled with colorful traditions that highlight the uniqueness of Mexican and Mexican-American culture.

I think this is what makes the series so powerful. In some cases, students will have the opportunity to learn more about holidays they already celebrate with their families and communities. In other cases, they’ll be learning about holidays and traditions they haven’t experienced personally—and perhaps have never even heard of before picking up the book!

I believe that it’s good for students to learn about each other’s traditions and cultures. This helps to foster mutual understanding and respect—two qualities that are important to students’ success both in school and in life.