I have a very diverse population of students in a Maine city; many kids don't have books in their homes. They don't read because they have not grown up with any kind of reading material.
Students have come to me this year looking for that "just right" book for them.
Many need help figuring out what kinds of subjects they want, from biography to fantasy. Most don't even know where to begin when they approach a book collection.
Others may read but do not see themselves as readers who can challenge themselves with new and different titles. My job is to to change that.
My Project
The books I chose were of high interest to my students. They made me a list of books that they wanted to see on my shelves. Many deal with social justice like "Dear Martin" and "Brown Girl Dreaming." My goal is to have books that students will not want to put down once they pick them up. I have some high-interest titles in my collection, but I need even more titles that reflect the interests of the current set of students that I have.
One of our themes this year is identity.
The books I mentioned have main characters who are black or Hispanic. Making sure students see people who may resemble them is not only important as a matter of representation, the inclusiveness means they can better consider identity in their lives and in literature.
With your help, students will find books that will make a difference in their reading lives!
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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 Mrs. R. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
