I teach middle grade students (sixth- eigth) in an large urban city in the midwest. My children overcome many obstacles each day just to enter school. My students are titled often as "at-risk" or "high-need". Even with these titles they come into class with an enthusiasm for reading. What creates this excitement is having book choices for book clubs that are of interest to them.
My students enjoy reading books that have characters that reflect them and also settings or plots that reflect them. Having high-interest text is imperative for creating an environment of "readers" in my classs. We meet in small book clubs to discuss story elements, to share thoughts (likes and dislikes) and to interpret what we read. We are in desperate need for more high interest text that will grab the attention and interest of my students.
The author Sharon Draper has written a series of books that grab the attention of the middle school reader. I can use these books in my classroom book club as part of my daily reading instruction. To become a better reader students must read daily, see themselves as readers and discuss what they read. These collections of books are the need for my students.
By supporting my request/project, you will put necessary books in the hands of young readers. You will support my mission to engage the adolescent with books that reflect them. By supporting this project many students will be impacted as we meet in book clubs and change titles as the year progresses.
Nearly all 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
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Belanski and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
