Curated in partnership with esteemed educator Byron V. Garrett, these powerful book collections nurture persistence, collaboration, problem-solving, and more.
Byron V. Garrett Life and Literacy Skills Library | Grades PreK–5
Where Literacy Meets Life Skills
Foster personal and academic success with empowering 40-book collections on essential life skills.
Byron V. Garrett Life and Literacy Skills Library
Where Literacy Meets Life Skills
Foster personal and academic success with empowering 40-book collections on essential life skills.
Build Skills That Last a Lifetime
“Survey employers and they will tell you that while technical skills are necessary, employability skills—including responsible behavior, interpersonal skills, and communication skills—are what they struggle to find, particularly in young workers.”
Byron V. Garrett
Why This Collection?
Authentic literature, structured conversations, and take-home books help teachers seamlessly integrate life skills into their literacy instruction.
Interactive Read-Aloud Titles
Lead dynamic conversations about the books and expand students’ understanding of key life skills.
Curated Classroom Library Titles
Create opportunities for varied literacy experiences with authentic high-quality texts.
Teaching Life Skills in the Classroom
Books model positive behavior while supporting structured literacy instruction.
Empowering Students to Read at Home
Take-home books inspire students to revisit and analyze themes with their families.
"By introducing life skills in the classroom, children can set themselves up for success and lay the groundwork for success in their future careers."
Saravanakumar, A. (2020). Life Skill Education Through Lifelong Learning. Raleigh, NC: Lulu Press.
Our 5 to Thrive Framework
The Byron V. Garrett Life and Literacy Skills Library is organized around five essential life skills for leading happy and successful lives.
Understanding Myself
Identify what we're good at and what we need to improve.
Managing Myself
Learn to manage behaviors and emotions in a productive way.
Respecting Others
Learn to accept others even when they disagree with us.
Building Relationships
Develop the ability to communicate and work together.
Making Decisions
Learn to make good decisions and improve critical thinking.
Research & Validation
Home Libraries | Topic Paper
With the Byron V. Garrett Life and Literacy Skills Library, every student receives one take-home book for their home library. Learn about the importance of home libraries in this eye-opening research paper.
Reading for Life: The Impact of Youth Literacy on Health Outcomes | Topic Paper
Discover the powerful connection between literacy rates and student well-being.
About the Curator
Byron V. Garrett, CEO, Genesys Works
Garrett was recognized as one of Ebony’s Power 150 Most Influential Black Americans and Black Enterprise’s 100 Modern Men of Distinction and is the creative force behind the Life and Literacy Skills Library.
Life Skills for Your Literacy Block
How do you fit life skills into an already busy school day? Our grade-level libraries for PreK–5 integrate life skills into whole-class, paired, and independent reading for you!
40 Age-Appropriate Books
Each grade-level library includes 20 titles (2 copies each) for read-alouds and paired reading.
Take-Home Books
Each library includes an anchor text with take-home copies for each student and a family letter in English and Spanish.
Teacher's Guide
Learn all about your new collection and how to make life skills relevant to your students' lives.
The ABCs of Life
Get inspired with a copy of Byron V. Garrett's professional book about resilience and success.
Digital Resource Site
Access read-aloud lessons, theme-related writing activities, and more!
Professional Learning for Educator Success
Facilitated Implementation Support
Maximize Impact with Scholastic Professional Learning
Work with our certified Literacy Specialists onsite or virtually to build the capacity of your educators to embed our engaging stories and collections into your classrooms.
Want to take your practice to the next level? Put strategies into action with 1:1 job-embedded coaching!
More Resources for Life & Literacy Skills
Enhance your Byron V. Garrett Life and Literacy Skills Library with these teacher-recommended resources.
School Readiness Kits
Help families prepare their children for kindergarten with send-home books and activities in English and Spanish.
School Success Kits
Engage families in Grades K–1 with bilingual books and activities that reinforce the themes of the Byron V. Garrett Library.
Ready to Set Your Students Up for Success?
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