My students don't read. I didn't say they can't read. I said they don't read. I, along with my colleagues, are trying desperately to change this. We are convinced that this is partly our fault. We are slowly destroying our students' love for reading.
I teach 11th grade English in a rural, economically distressed area. We haven't had new literature books in over 7 years and do not anticipate getting anything new for quite some time. As a result, the $400.00 I got to run my entire 7-12 English department last year can not be spent on buying inspirational new material to get my students reading and loving books. They are stuck with studying the literature of, as they say, "the dead." My mission, therefore, is to wake up and shake up literature. I want to instill a passion for reading and an idea that a book can be an interesting way to spend some time.
My students face the struggle of growing up without a lot of resources in a small, rural district with less than 600 students in a 7-12 building that is in major need of repairs. Asking for money for new and exciting books is like the proverbial getting blood out of a stone. It is hard to give money to fun new books when the roof is leaking and the chemistry lab sinks don't work. We have books, granted, but they are just not hooking my students like some of the new, exciting authors who are writing great contemporary fiction.
I need contemporary, exciting, well-written books. I have done a lot of research on the best new, contemporary, authors, and I feel that the list I have compiled will hook students at many interest and ability levels. I have chosen such books as Chris Crutcher's Deadline, Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen, Schooled by Gordon Kornman, and Football Genius to appeal to my young men who don't read because they can't find anything interesting.
I have also included titles such as Bright Side of Disaster, Beauty Shop for Rent, My Mother the Cheerleader, and Twisted. All of these novels are by authors recommended by the American Library Association. Many of the authors have won awards such as the Prinz Award or the Newberry Award.
The list is wide ranging to include non fiction texts such as Absolute Diary of a Part Time Indian, historical fiction such as Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam, and fantasy such as Wicked Lovely. I want to start small. I feel that if I can find just one book for each of my students, we can then expand that into trying another one. My goal is for each of my students to experience at least one new author. My hope is that once they are hooked, they will spread the word to their fri
Your help will enable students who see reading as a dull, necessary evil, to see reading as a chance to open up new worlds and new ideas. You really can change the life of a child by giving him or her a book.
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 Mrs. M. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.