The Library of My Discontent (Classroom Project at DonorsChoose.org)

The Library of My Discontent

Classroom project requested by Ms. H. on Sep 12, 2009

High Poverty

New York (City)

Where is the classroom located?

"Tattered, yellow pages, crumbling covers, and 80's haircuts. These are just a few of the symptoms of my ailing library. My school has no central library and many of my students have no safe way to visit the public library in their neighborhood. They are group of active and avid readers. The only thi..." more»

My school is located in a high-poverty district where 100% of students qualify for free lunch. Primarily, my students learned English as a second language, but have excelled in reading and writing despite this obstacle.

With a good classroom library, my students will have the opportunity to develop greater vocabulary skills, enhance comprehension, and improve their writing. Finally, reading a variety of books will help them to develop skills to improve their performance on state assessments, allowing them greater opportunities in their future.

I cannot calculate the difference that your donation will make. I come into my classroom every day and look at the library with a heavy heart. We currently have 120 books to share among my 75 students. Of these, maybe 30 are developmentally appropriate. I hope that you will be the one to make a difference for my students. hide»

My students need a variety of 25 books from different genres for our classroom library. details»

Jan 12 Melissa Z a staff member at donorschoose.org

Packaged the thank-you letters written by Ms. H.'s students and sent them on to the eligible donor(s).

Jan 07 Ms. H. the Teacher

Bigger Photos

Reply to the classroom

Dear Dr Anne S, Brendan, Carl, Lauren Clyne and HP,

It is with much gratitude and happiness that I write this letter. Our school is in a unique position in New York City. We are the only accelerated school available to district 6 in Manhattan, where so many bright and talented young students reside. Our school seeks to provide rigorous curriculum and opportunity for students who might otherwise lose out on academic growth due to difficult factors in the their home or neighborhood environments. Unfortunately, we do this with the limited budgets allotted by the DOE. For this reason, students often struggle to find new reading material, even though they have a desire to consume books at a rate that surprises me every day.

I cannot stress enough the dramatic effect that new books have on the climate of the classroom. There is a sort of energy in the air as students eye the shiny new covers like they are candy or cakes in a shop window. As an ELA teacher, this is a dream come true. I actually have students waiting in line to read certain titles and even finishing books in the late hours of the night because they cannot put them down. In a world increasingly dominated by television and digital media, it is very important that the next generation not lose the ability to read with imagination and a critical eye.

I thank you again, from the bottom of my heart for your contribution to this very important endeavor.

With gratitude,
Ms. H.

Reply to the classroom

Oct 15, 2009 Jenni D a staff member at donorschoose.org

Purchased the books for Ms. H.'s classroom and notified the school principal of delivery.

Oct 14, 2009 Ms. H. the Teacher

Dear Dr Anne S, Brendan, Carl, Lauren Clyne and HP,

It is with much excitement that I write this note. I feel so lucky to be the one to tell my students that new books are coming. I have some of the most eager readers I've ever taught and am running out of books for them to discover. This grant will go a long way to filling a huge void in our underfunded school.

In addition to book clubs and independent reading projects, our class will be writing graphic novels this year based on the work of Jeff Smith. I really look forward to expanding students' analytical skills through this important medium. .
With gratitude,
Ms. H.

Reply to the classroom

Oct 13, 2009 DonorsChoose.org

Good news: Project fully funded!

Oct 13, 2009 Dr Anne S from bethesda, MD

"If you love to read, you need good books. "

Oct 8, 2009 HP supporting This is going to be BIG!

"HP is pleased to contribute to the Social Media Challenge and support teachers and students."

Sep 23, 2009 Carl from Connecticut

"I gave to this project because reading is fun, and I want kids to learn and have fun."

Sep 18, 2009 Lauren Clyne from District of Columbia

"I followed a link that Brendan posted on Facebook, read an inspiring story, and my inner Levar Burton told me what to do next."

Sep 16, 2009 Brendan from NEW YORK, NY

"I gave to this project because nothing is more important than having the opportunity to read good books when you are young. I hope that the students especially enjoy the "Bone" books, which are a great fairy tale that stresses the importance of family and friends."

Sep 15, 2009 Scott C an associate at donorschoose.org

Verified the cost of the requested books and posted this project.

Sep 14, 2009 Karen M a volunteer at donorschoose.org

Reviewed the project essay and sent follow-up questions if needed.

Please notify our staff of any messages or photos of concern.

Sep 12, 2009Ms. H. - Teacher

Project Details

Materials	Vendor	Price	#	Total
The Blue Is for Nightmares Collection Laurie Faria Stolarz	Barnes and Noble	$27.96	1	$27.96
Deadly Little Secrets (Touch Series #1) Laurie Faria Stolarz	Barnes and Noble	$12.79	1	$12.79
Black Is for Beginnings (Blue Is for Nightmares #5) Laurie Faria Stolarz	Barnes and Noble	$8.95	1	$8.95
Bone Boxed Set (Books 1-3) Jeff Smith	Barnes and Noble	$21.56	1	$21.56
Bone: Crown of Horns (Bone Series #9), Vol. 9 Jeff Smith	Barnes and Noble	$8.79	1	$8.79
Bone: The Dragonslayer (Bone Series #4), Vol. 4 Jeff Smith, Jeff Smith (Illustrator), Steve Hamaker (Illustrator), Steve Hamaker	Barnes and Noble	$8.99	1	$8.99
Bone: Ghost Circles (Bone Series #7) Jeff Smith, Steve Hamaker (Illustrator)	Barnes and Noble	$8.99	1	$8.99
Bone: Treasure Hunters (Bone Series #8) Jeff Smith, Steve Hamaker (Illustrator)	Barnes and Noble	$8.99	1	$8.99
Bone: Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border (Bone Series #5) Jeff Smith, Steve Hamaker (Illustrator)	Barnes and Noble	$8.99	1	$8.99
Rose: Bone Prequel (Bone Series) Jeff Smith, Charles Vess (Illustrator)	Barnes and Noble	$8.79	1	$8.79
Bone: Old Man's Cave (Bone Series #6) Jeff Smith, Steve Hamaker (Illustrator)	Barnes and Noble	$8.99	1	$8.99
Vampire Academy Richelle Mead	Barnes and Noble	$17.68	1	$17.68
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy Series #4) Richelle Mead	Barnes and Noble	$11.04	1	$11.04
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy Series #1) Richelle Mead	Barnes and Noble	$8.09	1	$8.09
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy Series #3), Vol. 3 Richelle Mead	Barnes and Noble	$8.09	1	$8.09
Frostbite (Vampire Academy Series #2) Richelle Mead	Barnes and Noble	$8.09	1	$8.09
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #5) Rick Riordan	Barnes and Noble	$11.69	1	$11.69
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #1) Rick Riordan	Barnes and Noble	$4.98	1	$4.98
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #4) Rick Riordan	Barnes and Noble	$5.98	1	$5.98
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2) Rick Riordan, Tk (Illustrator)	Barnes and Noble	$4.98	1	$4.98
The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #3) Rick Riordan	Barnes and Noble	$7.19	1	$7.19
Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series Rick Riordan, Leah Wilson	Barnes and Noble	$11.96	1	$11.96
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Series #1) Suzanne Collins	Barnes and Noble	$11.69	1	$11.69
Catching Fire (Hunger Games Series #2) Suzanne Collins	Barnes and Noble	$11.69	1	$11.69
Gregor: Boxed Set 1-5 (Underland Chronicles Series) Suzanne Collins	Barnes and Noble	$26.36	1	$26.36

Vendor Shipping Charges				$28.33
State Sales Tax				$0.00
3rd Party Payment Processing Fee				$4.25
Fulfillment Labor & Materials				$9.00
Project Cost Excluding Donation to Support DonorsChoose.org				$324.88
Optional Donation to Support DonorsChoose.org				$71.32
Project Cost Including Donation to Support DonorsChoose.org				$396.20
5 Donors				-$396.25
To Go				$0.00