PENN STATE HBG
MIDDLETOWN, PA 17057
Biography
Dr. Mary Napoli is an Associate Professor of Reading and Children's Literature. She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Language and Literacy education with a minor in women's studies from The Pennsylvania State University. She has published numerous books, articles, book chapters, and professional resource materials pertaining to children's literature. As a former kindergarten and first-grade teacher, she brings a wealth of practical classroom experience, extensive knowledge of children's literature, literacy resources, and strategies to her undergraduate and graduate teaching.
Dr. Napoli served as one of the co-editors of the Journal of Children's Literature, Children’s Literature Assembly of the NCTE (2018-2022). She has also served on national level book award committees including: the International Literacy Association Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award Committee United States Board on Books for Young People, Outstanding International Book List (OIB) Committee, Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Committee for Peace and Social Justice, National Council of Teachers of English, NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children committee , National Council of Teachers of English, Children’s Literature Assembly Notable Books in the Language Arts Award committee. Member, Baker’s Dozen Committee, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book ( 2009-2010), Notable Books for a Global Society Committee, International Literacy Association/Children’s Literature Special Interest Group. Chair, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Committee, the Pennsylvania Center for the book .
Research Interests
- Children's and adolescent literature
- Global and international children's literature
- Transactional theory of reader response
- Interdisciplinary instruction
Publications
Napoli, M., Johnson, S., & Colabucci, L. (forthcoming 2026). Literature learning in families and communities. In K. Bartow Jacobs & P. A. Crawford (Eds.), Handbook of children’s and young adult literature in education (pp.245–256). Bloomsbury.
Napoli, M., Day, D., & Ward, B. A. (2025). Celebrating poetry across the K–12 curriculum. IGI Global.
Napoli, M. & Colabucci, L. (2025). Around the world without words: Exploring OIB international wordless picturebooks. Bookbird:A Journal of International Children's Literature, 63(2),43-51. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/bkb.2025.a960551
Love, T., Lee, D., & Napoli, M. (2023). Integrating science concepts through poetry: A study comparing online and face-to-face teaching methods courses for pre-service elementary education. Journal of Science Education and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-023-10073-w
Love, T., Napoli, M., & Lee, D. (2023). Examining pre-service elementary educators' perceptions of teaching science when integrated with poetry. School Sciences and Mathematics, 143(2), 42-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12569
Napoli, M. & Ward, B. (2021). Nikki Grimes: Poetry as Memoir. In Bickmore, S. & Clark, S. (Eds.) African American Authors of Young Adult Literature: A Three Volume Series, Expanding and Building on a Tradition (volume 2). Rowman and Littlefield.
Colabucci, L., & Napoli, M. (2020). Books as partners: Global and multicultural literature for early childhood classrooms. Lanham. Rowman and Littlefield.
Education
Ph.D., Language and Literacy Education, Pennsylvania State University
M.S., Reading Education, Marywood University
B.S., Elementary Education, East Stroudsburg University