Condor Class Libraries
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I teach English 4 (regular) at a school on the Southside of Chicago where 94% of students are low-income and 97% of students are people of color. Our class library, pictured above, was made by me with $30 at the family dollar, $50 at Open Books, the generous donations from my family's bookshelf, and--of course-- with
the inspiration of my students.
My students are high school seniors. But when I asked them to list their favorite books and genres many of them had little to say. Like many adults, and emerging adults, reading has gotten away from them over the years. This grant would combat this by making quality books immediately accessible to them: broadening their horizons and creating conversations. With a class library in place, students can use those few moments before and after class to have casual and consistent dialogue about recreational reading. And as an English teacher, that's my goal: for literature to be not just an assignment but a part of students' daily lives.
Where we are/what we need:
I teach three classes of English 4 in two classrooms (total). This means I need a library in each classroom. So far we have around a dozen books in each library (fiction, non-fiction, and a few comic books).
$700 may seem like a lot but I have a concrete plan behind this number. With this money I hope to purchase the following books for my students (some of which I'll need two copies):
UPDATE: This sale is happening DECEMBER 12th and as a member of the store I get early access. Every dollar raised will now mean even more since these books are now 50% off.
Fiction:
Death of a salesman by Arthur Miller
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Bee Season by Myla Goldberg
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Non-fiction:
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison
Me talk pretty one day by David Sedaris
A child called it by Dave Pelzer
Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer
Poetry:
The Wild Hundreds by Nate Marshall
The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-hop
One stick song by Sherman Alexie
Winona and Winthrop by Britteny Black Rose Kapri
Comic Books:
Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson
Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Red Son by Mark Miller
Civil War by Mark Miller
Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Success stories!
One of my students took out a comic book called Ex Machina (it's about the world’s first and only superhero, Mitchell Hundred: a civil engineer turned superhero (a freak incident gave him the power to communicate with/command mechanical devices) turned politician (after a short-lived, failed career as a superhero).
I had to tell him to stop reading in during my class. To which he replied, "but I'm almost done!"
Another of my students was looking at the class library and asking me about the books. After giving a brief synoposis on each book he picked The Other Wes Moore, a book I read for my college freshman orientation. The following Monday he said it was "the best book [he's] ever read in his life" and is making reading goals to finish the book soon.
One of my students took out "The Time Traveler's Wife" I asked her how it was going and she said she really liked it. I mentioned how I loved that the setting was Chicago and she agreed, mentioning: "I watched the movie but so far the book is way better."
We are currently working on the college app personal statement and one of my students wants to write about basketball. He said, "Ms. Garcia I have a B in your class but I have no idea how to write this essay." So I pointed him to For the love of the game: my story by Michael Jordan. I encouraged him to take it out of the library and the next day he commented on how interesting it was that basketball was so much more than a game for Jordan. Thus, providing a model for my student as he sits down to author his own story.
FAQ:
Q: What else have you done to get books for your students?
A: Our class libraries are currently stocked by donations from my family and myself. Additionally, I recently purchased $50 in books from Open Books, a non-profit literacy organization in Chicago. I have also purchased a membership to Open Books which will get me 10% off all purchases. I plan to use this discount to get the most out of the money received from these donations.
And lastly, I have applied for the Book Worm Angels: PreK-12 Book Grant.
Q: Why do we need class libraries in high school when students have access to the school library?
A: Exploring the school library takes additional time and initiative on the student's part--both of which can be a struggle for my students. Furthermore, many of my students are unsure of their "literary tastes." For students like this the school library can be overwhelming/intimdating.
By having a class library I can help them find books they'll like and can easily point to texts that can enhance what is already being done in the classroom.
Q: Do the students know about this project?
A: Yes. Before even setting up the library I had my students answer the following question: "What is your favorite book?/What genres do you enjoy reading?" Using this information I created an initial library targeting/pushing students' interests. Ex. Some students liked "romance" so I pulled "A time traveler's wife," another student like realistic writing so I added David Sedaris's short stories, many liked comics so I included school/age appropriate ones.
Q: Will students actually use this?
A: Yes! 6 books have already been checked out of this, currently, very small selection.
Q: What else are you doing to encourage and monitor
student reading?
A: I've verbally checked in on students who have taken out books to see how far they are and how they're enjoying the story thusfar.
Next, I will create a reading wall to showcase all the books we've read as a class. Rather than take the behaviorist approach of listing student names and adding a sticker for each book, I've decided to take a more constructivist approach and acknowledge our progress as a class rather than applaud individuals.
When the class libraries have more books, I plan to have book talks in which students take a few minutes to orally present a book to their peers: improving their speaking skills and expanding the class's knowledge of books available to them.
the inspiration of my students.
My students are high school seniors. But when I asked them to list their favorite books and genres many of them had little to say. Like many adults, and emerging adults, reading has gotten away from them over the years. This grant would combat this by making quality books immediately accessible to them: broadening their horizons and creating conversations. With a class library in place, students can use those few moments before and after class to have casual and consistent dialogue about recreational reading. And as an English teacher, that's my goal: for literature to be not just an assignment but a part of students' daily lives.
Where we are/what we need:
I teach three classes of English 4 in two classrooms (total). This means I need a library in each classroom. So far we have around a dozen books in each library (fiction, non-fiction, and a few comic books).
$700 may seem like a lot but I have a concrete plan behind this number. With this money I hope to purchase the following books for my students (some of which I'll need two copies):
UPDATE: This sale is happening DECEMBER 12th and as a member of the store I get early access. Every dollar raised will now mean even more since these books are now 50% off.
Fiction:
Death of a salesman by Arthur Miller
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Bee Season by Myla Goldberg
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Non-fiction:
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison
Me talk pretty one day by David Sedaris
A child called it by Dave Pelzer
Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer
Poetry:
The Wild Hundreds by Nate Marshall
The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-hop
One stick song by Sherman Alexie
Winona and Winthrop by Britteny Black Rose Kapri
Comic Books:
Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson
Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Red Son by Mark Miller
Civil War by Mark Miller
Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Success stories!
One of my students took out a comic book called Ex Machina (it's about the world’s first and only superhero, Mitchell Hundred: a civil engineer turned superhero (a freak incident gave him the power to communicate with/command mechanical devices) turned politician (after a short-lived, failed career as a superhero).
I had to tell him to stop reading in during my class. To which he replied, "but I'm almost done!"
Another of my students was looking at the class library and asking me about the books. After giving a brief synoposis on each book he picked The Other Wes Moore, a book I read for my college freshman orientation. The following Monday he said it was "the best book [he's] ever read in his life" and is making reading goals to finish the book soon.
One of my students took out "The Time Traveler's Wife" I asked her how it was going and she said she really liked it. I mentioned how I loved that the setting was Chicago and she agreed, mentioning: "I watched the movie but so far the book is way better."
We are currently working on the college app personal statement and one of my students wants to write about basketball. He said, "Ms. Garcia I have a B in your class but I have no idea how to write this essay." So I pointed him to For the love of the game: my story by Michael Jordan. I encouraged him to take it out of the library and the next day he commented on how interesting it was that basketball was so much more than a game for Jordan. Thus, providing a model for my student as he sits down to author his own story.
FAQ:
Q: What else have you done to get books for your students?
A: Our class libraries are currently stocked by donations from my family and myself. Additionally, I recently purchased $50 in books from Open Books, a non-profit literacy organization in Chicago. I have also purchased a membership to Open Books which will get me 10% off all purchases. I plan to use this discount to get the most out of the money received from these donations.
And lastly, I have applied for the Book Worm Angels: PreK-12 Book Grant.
Q: Why do we need class libraries in high school when students have access to the school library?
A: Exploring the school library takes additional time and initiative on the student's part--both of which can be a struggle for my students. Furthermore, many of my students are unsure of their "literary tastes." For students like this the school library can be overwhelming/intimdating.
By having a class library I can help them find books they'll like and can easily point to texts that can enhance what is already being done in the classroom.
Q: Do the students know about this project?
A: Yes. Before even setting up the library I had my students answer the following question: "What is your favorite book?/What genres do you enjoy reading?" Using this information I created an initial library targeting/pushing students' interests. Ex. Some students liked "romance" so I pulled "A time traveler's wife," another student like realistic writing so I added David Sedaris's short stories, many liked comics so I included school/age appropriate ones.
Q: Will students actually use this?
A: Yes! 6 books have already been checked out of this, currently, very small selection.
Q: What else are you doing to encourage and monitor
student reading?
A: I've verbally checked in on students who have taken out books to see how far they are and how they're enjoying the story thusfar.
Next, I will create a reading wall to showcase all the books we've read as a class. Rather than take the behaviorist approach of listing student names and adding a sticker for each book, I've decided to take a more constructivist approach and acknowledge our progress as a class rather than applaud individuals.
When the class libraries have more books, I plan to have book talks in which students take a few minutes to orally present a book to their peers: improving their speaking skills and expanding the class's knowledge of books available to them.
Organizer
Janet Garcia
Organizer
Chicago, IL
