Historical Fiction and Diversity Book Set for Reluctant Readers
My students need a diverse set of novels to read during class. I am requesting novels that feature diverse characters, as well as historical fiction. Many of these novels, including Monster and Yummy, are highly engaging.
My students come from very diverse backgrounds, with one unifying factor: poverty. Over 70% of our school qualifies for free and reduced-price lunch. Along with poverty, many have had significant trauma in early childhood, while some continue to experience it on a daily basis.
Our goal as a school is to compassionately teach the whole student, and work to serve both academic and emotional needs of kids.
My school serves a wide variety of students of many different races, ethnicities, languages, and cultures. My goal as a teacher (and as a human being!) is to understand, respect, and guide all of my students throughout 7th grade.
Unfortunately, one thing my students have in common is an extreme dislike of reading. Many of my students come from word poverty. Of all the students I teach this year, approximately 10% are reading on grade level. They have anxieties and negative predispositions about the act of reading. I have worked very hard to make sure that my students are surrounded by high-quality, high-interest books that represent diverse protagonists, and that has made a transformational difference in reading in my classroom.
My Project
Many of my students struggle with literacy skills. Having multiple engaging book sets gets them excited about reading. Many of my students have never independently read a book on their own. I need new, relevant books that will help motivate them to pick up a book.
I have had huge success with Yummy, Monster, and any book by Jason Reynolds.
My students love these books, and it can be difficult to keep them on the shelf! I typically have to make waiting lists for some of these most popular novels.
I am also requesting some engaging historical fiction. I also teach social studies, and my students really need books that tie into our curriculum.
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