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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Manzo from Cudahy, CA is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Manzo is requesting

Books as Windows and Mirrors for Students

Help me give my students who are middle schoolers culturally responsive books to read.

  • $742 goal

This project expired on August 22, 2025.

This project expired on August 22, 2025.

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Project

It is crucial that my middle school students have books that represent themselves and see themselves (mirrors) and broaden their world (windows). When my 6th, 7th and 8th grade students see characters in books that look like them and represent them as Latina/os, they feel connected, are more engaged in the stories and have better comprehension.

It is also important that my students read and learn about other cultures so they become more empathetic and sensitive to other cultures.

Therefore I am requesting culturally responsive book titles such as "The First Rule of Punk and "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" so my students can have mirrors into their own lives and windows into other cultures. Thank you.

Ms. Manzo Ellen Ochoa Learning Center Grades 6-8

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Cudahy, CA View local requests

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

400 students impacted

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish (paperback) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $12.00 2 $24.00
The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan • Amazon Business $10.55 2 $21.10
Harbor Me (paperback) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $10.00 2 $20.00
The Passport Project: Two Sisters Ditch Middle School for a Life-Changing Journey Around the World (The Worn Passports Collection) • Amazon Business $14.65 1 $14.65
The Science of Breakable Things • Amazon Business $7.19 2 $14.38
It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li! • Amazon Business $14.15 1 $14.15
The Bridge Home (paperback) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $14.00 1 $14.00
Las estrellas bajo nuestros pies / The Stars Beneath Our Feet (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $13.95 1 $13.95
Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon (Pilar Ramirez Duology, 2) • Amazon Business $13.63 1 $13.63
Be Real, Macy Weaver • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Marcus Vega no habla español / Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $11.64 1 $11.64
Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History • Amazon Business $11.62 1 $11.62
The Royal Trials (Last Gate of the Emperor #2) • Amazon Business $11.39 1 $11.39
Pauli Murray: Shouting for the Rights of All People • Amazon Business $11.02 1 $11.02
Shine On, Luz Véliz! • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
La primera regla del punk / The First Rule of Punk (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $10.95 1 $10.95
Charmed Life (Wildseed Witch Book 2): A Novel • Amazon Business $10.89 1 $10.89
Alliana, Girl of Dragons • Amazon Business $10.39 1 $10.39
King and the Dragonflies (Scholastic Gold) • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa (Pilar Ramirez Duology, 1) • Amazon Business $9.51 1 $9.51
Unsettled • Amazon Business $9.29 1 $9.29
Chester Keene Cracks the Code • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Holler of the Fireflies • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Things You Can't Say • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Omar Rising • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Key Player (Front Desk #4) • Amazon Business $8.81 1 $8.81
New From Here: The no.1 New York Times hit! • Amazon Business $8.39 1 $8.39
Room to Dream (Front Desk #3) • Amazon Business $8.36 1 $8.36
Mañanaland (Scholastic Gold) • Amazon Business $8.18 1 $8.18
Wildseed Witch (Book 1): A Novel • Amazon Business $8.11 1 $8.11
Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
The Swag Is in the Socks • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
See You in the Cosmos • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Marcus Makes a Movie • Amazon Business $7.89 1 $7.89
Falling Short • Amazon Business $7.89 1 $7.89
Marcus Makes It Big • Amazon Business $7.86 1 $7.86
Tumble • Amazon Business $7.70 1 $7.70
Pippa Park Raises Her Game (1) • Amazon Business $7.59 1 $7.59
Planet Earth Is Blue • Amazon Business $7.43 1 $7.43
Tight • Amazon Business $7.19 1 $7.19
The Stars Beneath Our Feet • Amazon Business $7.19 1 $7.19
When You Trap a Tiger: (Newbery Medal Winner) • Amazon Business $7.18 1 $7.18
So Done • Amazon Business $7.13 1 $7.13
Dough Boys • Amazon Business $7.12 1 $7.12
Amal Unbound • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Troublemaker • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
The House That Lou Built • Amazon Business $6.89 1 $6.89
Patina (Track) • Amazon Business $6.78 1 $6.78
Zoe in Wonderland - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $6.56 1 $6.56
The First Rule of Punk • Amazon Business $6.39 1 $6.39
Ghost (1) (Track) • Amazon Business $6.29 1 $6.29
Sunny (Track) • Amazon Business $4.81 1 $4.81

Materials cost

$542.15

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $49.61

3rd party payment processing fee

$8.13

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$629.89

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$111.16

Total project goal

$741.05

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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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 Ms. Manzo and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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