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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Castell from Landover Hls., MD is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Castell is requesting

Every Child Deserves to Be Seen

Help me give my students books that they can see themselves in. I believe it is important for students to see themselves in the books they read.

  • $384 goal

This project expired on December 6, 2025.

This project expired on December 6, 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

My classroom is filled with bright, imaginative, and thoughtful young learners who are just beginning their journeys as readers and citizens of the world. One of the most powerful tools I have to nurture their growth is picture books, books that help build language, spark curiosity, and shape how children see themselves and others. Right now, our classroom library lacks books that reflect the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences of my students. I want to change that.

This project will bring in diverse picture books that feature characters of different races, ethnicities, cultures, languages, abilities, and family structures.

These stories will help students see their own lives mirrored in the pages and also give them windows into experiences that are different from their own. From stories that honor Indigenous heritage to books that celebrate Black joy, Asian traditions, Latinx voices, and multicultural family life, each title will be carefully chosen to reflect the world we live in.

Reading diverse books from an early age helps foster empathy, inclusion, and a deep love of reading. With your support, my students will feel seen, valued, and celebrated every time they pick up a book.

Thank you for helping us build a library where every child can find themselves in a story.

Ms. Castell Cooper Lane Elementary School Grades PreK-2

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

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.

Landover Hls., MD View local requests

More than three‑quarters 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

HBCU Alum 70 students impacted

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Castell is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Kaplan Early Learning National Geographic Level 2 Nonfiction Readers for Kids, Ages 5+ - Set of 8 Educational Science and Nature Books for Early Elementary, Classroom Library Books Set • Kaplan Early Learning Company $36.86 1 $36.86
The ABCs of Black History (hardcover) - picture books for classroom library • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $16.00 2 $32.00
The Magical Yet (hardcover picture book) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $20.00 1 $20.00
The Year We Learned to Fly (hardcover picture book) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $20.00 1 $20.00
Ada Twist, Scientist (hardcover STEM picture book, ages 4-8) x MahoganyBooks - books for classroom library • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $20.00 1 $20.00
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners (hardcover picture book) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $19.00 1 $19.00
I Believe I Can (hardcover picture book, ages 4-8) x Black Books Matter from MahoganyBooks • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $19.00 1 $19.00
I Am Smart, I Am Blessed, I Can Do Anything! (hardcover picture book) x Black Books Matter from MahoganyBooks • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $18.00 1 $18.00
Islandborn (hardcover picture book) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $18.00 1 $18.00
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story (hardcover picture book) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $18.00 1 $18.00
Stacey's Extraordinary Words (hardcover picture book from The Stacey Stories) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $18.00 1 $18.00
Last Stop on Market Street (hardcover picture book); Award Winning Caldecott Honor Book • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $16.00 1 $16.00
We Are Water Protectors - Caldecott Medal Winner (hardcover picture book) • DonorsChoose Featured Favorites $15.00 1 $15.00
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books! - Paperback Book • AKJ Education $5.10 1 $5.10

Materials cost

$274.96

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $16.50

3rd party payment processing fee

$4.12

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$325.58

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$57.46

Total project goal

$383.04

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. Castell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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