Help me give my students copies of the 2021 Rhode Island Children's Book Award nominees, including A Drop of Hope, Gross as a Snot Otter, and Max and the Midknights.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Moore's classroom raised $277
This project is fully funded
My Students
I am the librarian for two elementary schools, both filled with creative, fun kids who I miss terribly. They come from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, but in the library, they share excitement over new books.
Currently, however, our school and public libraries are closed, and access to books in print is limited to a family’s ability to purchase them.
While some are available as eBooks, access to devices is complicated now that students and their families are trying to manage schoolwork and jobs from home.
Indeed, some families do not have WiFi at home or any other way to access the Internet besides a parent’s phone. According to KidsCount, 43% of students in our district are eligible for free and reduced lunch – 7 out of 15 elementary schools are Title I – and 14% receive special education services.
My students are definitely reading at home; after asking them to share, I have received literally hundreds of book recommendations from my students (dozens of which I had never even heard of!). I have also received messages from kids who are frustrated at having no new books to read.
My Project
They may be under 18, but my students are able to vote in one state election - the Rhode Island Children's Book Award (RICBA). The nominees were just announced, and many kids want to start reading now.
To qualify to vote in the RICBA election, students in grades 3-5 must read at least three nominees ... some try to read all 20!
In addition, kids who read seven or more nominees qualify for our Rooster Games teams. This annual event brings together students from all of our elementary schools to compete to see which team knows the most information about the RICBA nominees.
The list encompasses a wide range of genres and styles, getting kids to try out types of books they wouldn't usually read. But they can't do that without having the books in our collections. My plan is to take requests and deliver books to students’ homes, using my car as a library mobile while wearing gloves and a mask.
Providing the RICBA nominees to my students will help them participate in a statewide activity while getting an introduction to literary criticism.
They are excited to have the chance to influence the outcome of an election ... please help get them the opportunity to vote!
More than a third 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
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