Books of the Month Club

Celebrating 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.

I teach eighth grade literacy at a middle school in the Bronx. Most of my students are still struggling readers who do not yet see the joy in settling down with a good book. This year, I would like to change all of that. Studies show that struggling readers need high interest books that keep them engaged and are at their grade level. In order to boost my students reading level by two grade levels in one year and foster a love for reading, I would like to add 5 new books to our classroom library every month. My students would benefit greatly from having exciting books at their level. To help them become better readers, I require that my students read independently in school and at home every day. A few of my students have the opportunity to go to the local library, or have a parent buy them a book. However, this is not nearly enough. Our classroom library has a limited supply of school-purchased books that are mostly dated, too difficult for my students, or in poor condition after years of use. Also, most students find the few age-appropriate and engaging books in our library very quickly and are bored by the options after a month or so. Therefore, each month I will take time to introduce the new books and give a brief “book talk” or reading of a few pages to pique my students' interest. As the year goes by, though, all students would have the chance to read the new additions to our library. And, as the year goes by, students will stay interested in reading by the constant influx of new books. The books I have selected are books that I know will interest my students. First of all, they are at the correct level for the readers in my class. However, more importantly, they are books that my students themselves have expressed interest in. Last June, my students attended a meeting with a New York City public librarian who introduced them to new books. They also had the chance to talk to friends about books they had read. Together, we generated a list of books and genres that interest them most. The books I would like to purchase are as varied as the interests and personalities of my students themselves. Please help my students grow as readers this year and become lifelong readers in the future!