More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
Learn more
Support her classroom with a gift that fosters learning.
Monthly
One-time
Support Ms. Cimenski's classroom with a gift that fosters learning.
Monthly
One-time
Make a donation Ms. Cimenski can use on her next classroom project.
At the start of the year and fresh out of elementary school, students walk in either 1) with a strong love of reading or 2) a dismissive dislike of reading. Many students haven't found a book worth loving while others find reading too inaccessible. And most of the books my school provides for me to teach? Old, difficult to read due to their oldness, filled with white male characters...or stories with diverse characters that depress more than inspire.
If students are never able to connect to a story then they will never know what it is to love reading. This is why my students need a book like Dragon Hoops. A graphic novel and nonfiction - this book would immediately engage and be accessible to students; its modern setting and diverse cast of characters make it relevant and relatable. The language is simple enough to understand while the themes are complex enough to prove stimulating. Although it doesn't shy away from discussing racial and gender-related hardships people have had to overcome, it does so in an inspiring and educating way that leaves the reader feeling hopeful.
After going through the isolating years of COVID-19 that only served to distance students from the world and from educational support systems...a class set of Dragon Hoops would make a huge difference. It'll give students something to connect to, open them up to new perspectives and paradigms to discuss while providing an optimistic view of the future. It's a story that can challenge and engage students, possibly for the first time in years. We need a book like this so students can know what it means to love reading.
About my class
At the start of the year and fresh out of elementary school, students walk in either 1) with a strong love of reading or 2) a dismissive dislike of reading. Many students haven't found a book worth loving while others find reading too inaccessible. And most of the books my school provides for me to teach? Old, difficult to read due to their oldness, filled with white male characters...or stories with diverse characters that depress more than inspire.
If students are never able to connect to a story then they will never know what it is to love reading. This is why my students need a book like Dragon Hoops. A graphic novel and nonfiction - this book would immediately engage and be accessible to students; its modern setting and diverse cast of characters make it relevant and relatable. The language is simple enough to understand while the themes are complex enough to prove stimulating. Although it doesn't shy away from discussing racial and gender-related hardships people have had to overcome, it does so in an inspiring and educating way that leaves the reader feeling hopeful.
After going through the isolating years of COVID-19 that only served to distance students from the world and from educational support systems...a class set of Dragon Hoops would make a huge difference. It'll give students something to connect to, open them up to new perspectives and paradigms to discuss while providing an optimistic view of the future. It's a story that can challenge and engage students, possibly for the first time in years. We need a book like this so students can know what it means to love reading.