You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

See this teacher's page

This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Bussell from Raleigh, NC is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Bussell is requesting

The Middle School Gateway: Quick Reads to Lifelong Readers

Help me give my students high-interest quick picks—like graphic novels and novels written inverse—to build reading confidence and spark a lifelong love of reading.

  • 2 donors
  • $298 still needed

expires Feb 16

  • 2 donors
  • $298 still needed
Give

My Project

Our Middle School Gateway project directly addresses the challenge of middle school reading reluctance by stocking our library with books intentionally chosen for immediate appeal and accessibility. The titles selected have been rigorously vetted by leading experts, including those recommended by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) as "quick picks" within the last three years. This collection focuses on high-interest formats—like graphic novels, short novels-in-verse, and fast-paced novellas—that provide a sense of accomplishment without the intimidation of a traditional 300-page book. By removing the barrier of length, we aim to transform non-readers into students who eagerly seek out their next story.

We aim to validate our reluctant readers by investing in accessible, high-interest books, and providing them with the critical, low-pressure experiences they need to grow their confidence and foster a permanent reading habit.

A core component of this project is ensuring the collection is relevant and affirming to our diverse student body. We are prioritizing titles where the characters' stories and identities mirror our students' own experiences, particularly those that feature diverse protagonists from various backgrounds. When students see themselves reflected in the stories they read—whether through realistic fiction, fantasy, or historical accounts—their engagement skyrockets. This commitment to purchasing recent, high-quality, and reflective quick picks is crucial for fostering a library where every reluctant reader can find a book that feels written just for them, ultimately building the confidence needed to tackle longer, more complex texts in the future.

Ms. Bussell Leesville Road Middle School Grades 6-8 Raleigh, NC View local requests

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

800 students impacted 2donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Bussell is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (A Graphic Novel) • Amazon Business $19.79 1 $19.79
Ghost Roast - Ghost Roast - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $19.70 1 $19.70
Arden Grey: A Novel • Amazon Business $18.99 1 $18.99
Hotel Magnifique: Bienvenido a un mundo de magia y misterio (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $18.91 1 $18.91
Extra Life (Young Readers Adaptation): The Astonishing Story of How We Doubled Our Lifespan • Amazon Business $18.36 1 $18.36
Girl on Fire - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $16.78 1 $16.78
Escalofríos / Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales (Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $14.95 1 $14.95
TJ Powar Has Something to Prove • Amazon Business $14.90 1 $14.90
Sunshine: A Graphic Novel • Amazon Business $14.75 1 $14.75
Escaping Mr. Rochester - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $14.59 1 $14.59
Scholastic Focus - The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II (Scholastic Focus) - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $14.59 1 $14.59
Rain Rising - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $14.59 1 $14.59
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $13.86 1 $13.86
Wander in the Dark • Amazon Business $13.68 1 $13.68
Make Me a Liar - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
The Ruby Code - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $13.13 1 $13.13
Where to Start: A Survival Guide to Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Health Challenges • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Gold Mountain - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $12.18 1 $12.18
Hotel Magnifique • Amazon Business $11.68 1 $11.68
Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales (Stinetinglers, 1) • Amazon Business $11.67 1 $11.67
Sunshine - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $11.16 1 $11.16
Dung for Dinner - Waist-Deep in Dung - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $11.07 1 $11.07
Pardalita - Pardalita - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $11.01 1 $11.01
This Might Get Awkward • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Plain Jane and the Mermaid - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $10.77 1 $10.77
A First Time for Everything - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $10.61 1 $10.61
Scholastic Focus - The Girl Who Fought Back: Vladka Meed and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (Scholastic Focus) - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $10.56 1 $10.56
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas • Amazon Business $10.14 1 $10.14
Stinetinglers 2: 10 MORE New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales • Amazon Business $10.09 1 $10.09
A Girl's Guide to Love & Magic - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $9.99 1 $9.99
Spells for Lost Things - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $9.99 1 $9.99
Punching Bag • Amazon Business $9.85 1 $9.85
When You Get the Chance - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $9.80 1 $9.80
Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $9.65 1 $9.65
Counting Scars (Orca Soundings) • Amazon Business $9.36 1 $9.36
Poemhood: Our Black Revival - Hardcover Book • AKJ Education $9.10 1 $9.10
Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust • Amazon Business $8.91 1 $8.91

Materials cost

$476.27

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $37.15

3rd party payment processing fee

$7.14

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$550.56

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$97.16

Total project goal

$647.72

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $647.72

2 Donors

-$350.00

Donations toward project cost

-$297.50

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$52.50

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $297.72

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

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. Bussell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"NC","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":298,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/the-middle-school-gateway-quick-reads-t/9784409/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":800,"isEquityFocusV1":false,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. Bussell","isEquityFocus":false,"proposalHash":"1212538404","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":54.00,"monthlySchoolDonationEnabled":false,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"shouldTrackEquityFocusV2":true,"schoolCity":"Raleigh","teachersOnPage":[4600754],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":true,"proposalId":9784409,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":true,"schoolId":1857,"schoolName":"Leesville Road Middle School","authorIds":{"4600754":{"owner":"Ms. Bussell","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":0.5403589072943912,"proposalsOnPage":[9784409],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp4600754_orig.jpg?crop=960,960,x0,y48&width=272&height=272&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1679683059707","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":7,"teacherChallengeId":20968687,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":4600754,"schoolCounty":"Wake","fullyFunded":false,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":false,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"NC","name":"North Carolina"}}