MRA Café-Coffee and Conversations
Welcome to the October updates of the Massachusetts Reading Association. MRA Café is a monthly publication that connects our members, inspires joyful collegiality, shares insights into literacy education, and celebrates success stories.
Please join us on Saturday, November 7th for MRA’s Fall Institute featuring Gavity Goldberg and Andrew Hacket! Feedback from Gravity’s session at our 56th Annual Conference:
~ Practical, relevant, useful strategies to help students regulate and optimize their learning
~ Amazing information and inspiring; bringing home tools to use in my classroom
~ So many new ideas. I bought Gravity's book and can’t wait to explore this more
~ Tools to implement with my students tomorrow
~ Loved the statistics and the strategies shared; can’t wait to use manipulative for comprehension with my students
October Book Suggestions
Fall has a way of bringing us back to familiar routines including the early mornings, bustling classrooms, lesson planning, meetings, and the steady rhythm of the school day. While the pace can be nonstop, fall also offers a wonderful reminder to pause, take a breath, and make time for something we ask our students to do every day: read and enjoy a good book!
As members of the Massachusetts Reading Association, we know that books have the power to connect, spark curiosity, open windows into new worlds, and initiate meaningful conversations. Whether you’re reading aloud with students, sharing a favorite title with a colleague, or finally settling in with a book of your own after a long day, there is something special about making time for reading.
So, as the leaves begin to change and the days grow cooler, we invite you and your students to curl up with a good book. We hope this issue offers inspiration, new titles to explore, and offerings to celebrate the joy of reading!
Here’s to a wonderful fall filled with learning, connection, and many good reads!
MRA Awards Spotlight
Celebrate Literacy Award
MRA is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Celebrate Literacy Award for 2027. This is an opportunity to nominate candidates who have shown outstanding accomplishments in any of the following areas:
direct literacy teaching
organizing local literacy programs
promoting public support for enhancing literacy
producing teaching materials or special media for literacy programs
providing opportunities for young people to engage in literacy endeavors
conducting literacy activities of a social, cultural, economic, or political nature
For further information, please visit MRA’s website tab under Scholarships and Awards.
MRA Mini-Grants
Massachusetts Reading Association is happy to share with you the exciting opportunity for local councils to make an impact on their community by promoting literacy and professional development. MRA Mini-grant applications for the 2025-2026 year will be available beginning this month. The MRA Mini-grant is designed to support Local Councils in developing innovative programs that encourage reading and literacy engagement within their communities. These grants are intended to provide funding for programs that foster a love for reading, improve literacy skills, and create accessible educational resources for all age groups.
The deadline for applying for the 2025-2026 MRA Mini-grant is March 1, 2026. The Google Form is available on the Massachusetts Reading Association website at MRA Mini-grants.
We hope to see your council take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and look forward to assisting you in promoting literacy within your community.
Upcoming Local Council Events
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 4:30 - 6:00 PM, Southeast Regional Reading Council (SERRC) ~ The Ever-evolving World of Children’s Nonfiction featuring Melissa Stewart - Fireside Grille, 30 Bedford Street, Middleborough. . ($40) Register Here
Thursday, October 15, 2026 4:00 - 6:00 PM, The Magic of Author Visits, with Mary Giuffre and Erin O’Leary, Tatnuck Bookseller, Westborough, ($15). Register Here
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 4:00 - 6:00 PM, Cape Cod and South Shore Reading Councils ~ Fall Workshop featuring Dea Paoletta Auray - From Reading to Evidence: Teaching Students to Analyze, Cite, and Write with Purpose. Sponsored by Empowering Writers. Dan’l Webster Inn, Sandwich. ($20) Register Here
2027 MRA Conference on the Horizon
Save the date for MRA’s 56th Annual Conference
March 3-5, 2027
Boston Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton, MA
Registration opens December 10, 2026.
MRA information
The Massachusetts Reading Association is a professional non-profit organization of individuals whose primary purpose is to improve the quality and level of literacy in the state of Massachusetts. The MRA is affiliated with the International Literacy Association (ILA), a worldwide literacy organization. Our Mission The mission of the Massachusetts Reading Association is to promote literacy for all learners through professional development, research, publications, and advocacy.