Keep the Reading Momentum Going: March Book Madness 2019
Help me give my students diverse books that reflect them and their community.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Guerrero, a.k.a. “Ms. G. of the library!”'s classroom raised $545
This project is fully funded
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.
My Students
Our pre-K to Grade 4 students are wonderfully diverse, curious learners of the 21st Century who live in an urban public school district. Students have been working hard in all areas, especially math, reading, and learning to be respectful of each other.
Our students look forward to being with the caring adults who make up the staff at our school, from school security to principals, to office staff to teachers.
We are a caring community of lifelong learners!
While our school library contains many noteworthy children's books, cuts to the budget have greatly inhibited students from accessing many recently published works by and about people of color. The majority of families are Hispanic and African American. As the new school library media specialist, one of my goals has been to build our library to include more books for children to see themselves, get inspired to read and to do great things with their lives. Books change lives. Last year’s March Book Madness was a huge success. With your generous help, we build on the momentum of last year’s community reading event.
My Project
My students need books that provide mirrors that reflect their community and experiences, as well as windows into the experiences of others. A majority of my students are of Hispanic and African American backgrounds. Many of the titles in this project will provide “mirrors,” books in which they see themselves. Recently emigrated students may be able to relate to Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, which is based on the author’s immigration story. The main character of the following two books happen to be African American girls. The Very Last Castle by Travis Jonker and Mark Pett is a story about overcoming fear of the unknown, trying new things, and reaching out to make new friends. The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson is a story about having the courage to be yourself. Other books will provide “windows,” books in which to see the experiences of others, such as We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell and Frané Lessac, a story of modern Native American life through the eyes of members of the Cherokee Nation.
This year’s March Book Madness (MBM) Picture book list celebrates the vision of the organization, “We Need Diverse Books.” All of the books on this list contribute to "a vision of a world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book."
MBM is about reading books, talking about books and trying to decide how one great book can possibly be better than another great book. The theme of this year's contest is "The Character’s Journey." Our school library does has no budget to purchase these great titles. We will be able to participate in this fun, international event that inspires children to read and have lively discussions about books. I look forward to conversations about the journeys of these diverse characters.
Nearly all 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
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Guerrero, a.k.a. “Ms. G. of the library!” and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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