Reading Stars: Bringing the Magic of Literacy to Every Child
Help me give my students the joy of reading by being a part of a schoolwide book club promoted by members of our staff.
FULLY FUNDED! Dr. Mary Beth Thomas's classroom raised $1,979
This project is fully funded
My Project
Oprah. Reese. Jenna. Over the last decades, celebrity book clubs have significantly influenced reading habits, particularly by promoting literacy among various demographics. Notable figures like Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Jenna Bush Hager have established book clubs that not only boost book sales but also foster community among readers. The goal of this project is to replicate the celebrity book concept by having prominent figures within our school building (principals, counselors, coaches) promote a specific book each month on our morning news show and engage students in conversations around the books. Ultimately, we want to put books in students' hands that they are excited to read and discuss to create the same literary influence for our students as celebrities are doing for the general public.
To achieve our goal of engaging students with books, we are requesting a copy of each title for every classroom in our school building.
This will allow multiple students to participate across the month. Once books are received, a book of the month sticker will be placed on the cover along with posters made advertising the book. After the school celebrity goes on our morning news show to announce his or her book of the month, books will be delivered to each classroom.
Our school is unique in that we only house third and fourth graders which make this book of the month concept perfect since students are developmentally similar, but diverse which is why we have multiple book clubs going each month. Our population is diverse with many dual language students and a high poverty level, but each year we are making academic gains on state school report cards. Prioritizing reading books as an enjoyable and social event is critical to continuing our students' academic and social-emotional growth.
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
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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 Dr. Mary Beth Thomas and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.