Completed:Imagination Is Your Preview Of Life's Coming Attractions II
"Albert Einstein said it, and it's the philosophy that guides my teaching. I teach junior high (7-8) reading at a Title I K-8 school in an urban area, to a primarily Hispanic population. I am lucky to be partnered with a wonderful writing teacher, so I can focus on my job entirely-- getting my stude...
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"Albert Einstein said it, and it's the philosophy that guides my teaching. I teach junior high (7-8) reading at a Title I K-8 school in an urban area, to a primarily Hispanic population. I am lucky to be partnered with a wonderful writing teacher, so I can focus on my job entirely-- getting my students excited about reading, finding stories everywhere, making connections to books with their lives and the world.
I've heard tell that reading teachers past at our junior high have focused on quantity over quality, and have not deviated from a strict lesson diet of silent reading and writing summaries. I am turning that on its head. Nothing should get us talking more than what we're reading!
Our K-6 focused library is meagerly equipped with true young adult books - books a bit darker and edgier, or out there than children's fiction, things that will hook them and remind them of their newly complicated lives where things aren't so black and white.
I have started a classroom library to introduce them to some of these more appealing books. I currently have three narrow shelves of my bookcase full of books. Help me fill it! These books are flying off the shelves! I have a card file full of books that are secreted away in backpacks, lockers, on the assuredly messy floors of my students' rooms.
The other teachers have commented they have never seen our kids so excited about reading. But there are still some who are resisting this wave of book geekdom and geek pride that is sweeping our junior high!
Therefore, in this proposal I have focused on the weaknesses in my classroom library: books for boys, Hispanic novels, sports book, and real-life problem novels.
The solution has already started, with a crazy, excited book-geek teacher and a bunch of donors who helped fund our first shipment of books! What I understand about making kids like to read is that books are vying for attention with things that fat-cat executives have marketed to them, video games and television with the weight of tons of research and money into their demographic.
Local libraries can't compete with that, but if there are NEW! bright and shiny books in their face every day in my classroom, we might stand a chance.
Some of these titles are: Cut by Patricia McCormick, Code Talker: A Novel About The Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac, Summer Ball by Mike Lupica, After by Francine Prose, Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper
These recommendations come from my own love of young adult literature, my former and current students, as well as hours of research of current young adult titles.
Please let my kids-- most of whom can count on one hand the times they've been in a book store -- know that they deserve new, exciting, appealing young adult books just as much as kids from the burbs whose stockings have Borders gift cards in them every year. I am winning this battle, I'm calling you in for back up!
My students need 35 independent reading novels, with a focus on real-life problems and books that appeal to young male readers, including titles from Walter Dean Myers.
Thank you so much for helping me complete my library for this year! It has been great to see such an outpouring of support for young people reading, especially my students who do not have many resources.
I can't wait to see their faces when I tell them another shipment of books is on the way! I had a student tell me today "Ms. N, you have the best library, way better than the school or public library!" I hope this is because I think very specifically about what my kids need at their age and what interests them. Thank you for allowing me to enrich my students' lives.
Great news -- this project is now a reality! We ordered the materials and they were sent directly to the classroom.
Materials
Vendor
Price
#
Total
Mango-shaped Space Wendy Mass
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith, Foreword by Anna Quindlen
Barnes and Noble
$13.45
1
$13.45
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney (Illustrator)
Barnes and Noble
$10.19
1
$10.19
After Francine Prose
Barnes and Noble
$8.09
1
$8.09
Crep sculo (Twilight) Stephenie Meyer
Barnes and Noble
$14.39
1
$14.39
The Devil's Arithmetic Jane Yolen
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Journey to the Center of the Earth (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Jules Verne, Rachel Perkins (Illustrator), Frederick Amadeus Malleson (Translator), Ursula K. Heise (Introduction), Ursula Heise (Introduction)
Barnes and Noble
$4.45
1
$4.45
Kidnapped and Beyond: The Complete Adventures of David Balfour Robert Louis Stevenson, Sid Hite (Introduction)
Barnes and Noble
$3.59
1
$3.59
Inside the Shadow City: Kiki Strike Kirsten Miller
Barnes and Noble
$7.15
1
$7.15
Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb Kirsten Miller
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Looking for Alaska John Green
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Becoming Naomi Leon Ryan
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
October Sky Homer Hickam
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Party Girl Lynne Ewing
Barnes and Noble
$4.95
1
$4.95
Romiette and Julio Sharon M. Draper, Adam Lowenbein (Illustrator)
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Rumble Fish S. E. Hinton
Barnes and Noble
$5.85
1
$5.85
Tex S. E. Hinton
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Ishmael Beah
Barnes and Noble
$10.80
1
$10.80
Rash Pete Hautman
Barnes and Noble
$8.09
1
$8.09
Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #3) Rick Riordan
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Skellig David Almond
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Zel Donna Jo Napoli
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Miracle on 49th Street Mike Lupica
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Summer Ball Mike Lupica
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Slam! Walter Dean Myers
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Monster Walter Dean Myers, Christopher A. Myers (Illustrator), Christopher Myers (Illustrator)
Barnes and Noble
$8.09
1
$8.09
Anne of Green Gables Adapted by M. C. Helldorfer, M. C. Helldorfer, Mary-Claire Helldorfer, L. M. Montgomery
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials Ann Rinaldi
Barnes and Noble
$6.25
1
$6.25
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things Carolyn Mackler
Barnes and Noble
$8.09
1
$8.09
Elsewhere Gabrielle Zevin, Alison McGhee
Barnes and Noble
$6.25
1
$6.25
Hobbit or There and Back Again J. R. R. Tolkien
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Code Talker: A Novel About The Navajo Marines of World War Two Joseph Bruchac
Barnes and Noble
$15.29
1
$15.29
Lush Friend
Barnes and Noble
$6.29
1
$6.29
Cut Patricia McCormick
Barnes and Noble
$7.19
1
$7.19
Thirteen Reasons Why Jay Asher
Barnes and Noble
$11.89
1
$11.89
Vendor Shipping Charges
$26.82
State Sales Tax
$15.02
3rd Party Payment Processing Fee
$4.02
Postage / Processing for Donor Thank-You Package
$9.00
Project Cost Excluding Donation to Support DonorsChoose.org
$323.04
Optional Donation to Support DonorsChoose.org
$70.91
Project Cost Including Donation to Support DonorsChoose.org
Reviewed the project essay and sent follow-up questions if needed.
Tracey S. (staff member)
on Nov 28, 2008
Verified the cost of the requested books and posted this project.
Meghan R. (staff member)
on Nov 29, 2008
"I gave to this project because reading is needed for both work and enjoyment for a person's entire life. With reading a student can learn about any subject, in and/or out side of school. "
A donor
gave
on Dec 1, 2008
LOLZ
gave
on Dec 4, 2008
Piper
from Princeton, NJ
gave
on Dec 5, 2008
"I gave to this project because... I also work in a majority Hispanic, majority male reading classroom and I know how vital it is that the kids read books they can actually relate to. Looks like you have some great titles, keep up the good work!"
Alexandra
from Phoenix, AZ
gave
on Dec 11, 2008
"I gave to this project because...I have twins, a boy and a girl. My daughter reads everything eagerly. My son enjoys reading only if something really catches his interest. Those interesting things are few and far between for him and I know he is not alone. Reading for enjoyment is a life long gift!"
aztwinsmom
from Arizona
gave
on Jan 6, 2009
Kari
from Sierra Madre, CA
gave
on Jan 13, 2009
Rebecca Lacey
gave
on Jan 13, 2009
Chris
gave
on Jan 13, 2009
"When I heard that My daughter was funding this project to allow her students reading opportunities. I wanted to show my support. I remember the great times we had reading, and stretching our imaginations . Reading is the key to everything in terms of learning. That is why this is such a great project.
"
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Tracey S. (staff member)
on Nov 28, 2008
