Nashville Book Connection: Diverse Books for Kids
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DONATE to support our East Nashville Program at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary.
We have learned that with every $1000, we can purchase about 250 quality titles from picture books to chapter books. We have seen the excitement students show as they choose books: with characters who look like them, with topics they are interested in reading, and with the understanding that these books are theirs to keep.
Thanks to many committed donors, NBC has raised over $14,000 to support its work since launching in the Fall 2019. So far, these funds have allowed us to distribute over 2500 meaningful, diverse books that K-4 students are excited to read!
--Through our Spring 2021 Book Bag delivery program, we were able to curate 960 books for 150+ students at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary, matching individual student interests with the “right” book.
--We distributed 300 books during our Mini-Pilot at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School in Fall 2020.
--We exceeded our expectations at Carter Lawrence Elementary School in our Fall 2019 partnership, giving out over 1500 books.
As we continue our Fall 2021 program, we need to buy more books kids are excited to read! Donate by March 1st!
Nashville Book Connection (NBC) is a pilot program that aims to support a culture of readership at home by providing meaningful, intentionally chosen, diverse texts to local elementary school students. NBC builds home libraries full of books students are excited to read with their families and friends or by themselves.
This program is about connection. It’s about kids connecting with books, it’s about families connecting over reading, and it’s about communities connecting over shared favorite books from childhood through adulthood.
How It Works...
Your donations go toward buying new and very gently used books children want to read--books about space, books about animals, books about feelings and identity and family, books with mirrors for kids to see themselves.
As we continuously curate our collection, we work with elementary Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) partners to get engaging books to each and every student we can. For some, we deliver a collection of books for students to choose from. For others, we rely on teacher input, student feedback and our team’s knowledge of children’s books to hand-pick a specific text for a specific child. In each and every partnership, student agency and voice are an essential part of the process.
Each partnership runs for 6 weeks. Students pick one book a week to take home and keep forever and ever.
We measure impact as best we can. Each book has an interactive feedback bookmark inside. We ask students to return their bookmarks once they have had some time with their books. This information allows us to not only determine which books are successful with students but also which students are engaged by the feedback process.
We are always working to gather additional data to better understand what home readership looks like and to what extent NBC's pilot has moved the needle--at home and at school. Through building relationships with faculty, staff and students, we learn volumes from each school partnership.
How It Stands Out…
Nashville is home to several extraordinary literacy initiatives that support readership amongst elementary school students in the community. These admirable programs work hard to increase book access by both building home libraries and increasing library usage. What NBC aims to do is complement these programs by providing books that speak specifically to elementary student interest:
· NBC curates its book supply based on student and teacher requests—both specific titles and genres.
· The team relies on children’s literature professors and reviewers to inform its list of titles.
· Even more, books are chosen based on expert reviews of diverse books, giving children opportunities to see themselves reflected in characters’ lives and experiences.
To learn more, visit Nashville Book Connection (NBC).
**Nashville Book Connection is a 501(c)(3) organization. At this time, 100% of donations will be dedicated to purchasing books and/or supporting the NBC program.
WHAT PARENTS AND TEACHERS ARE SAYING...
Seeing impact
“To have a diverse collection [of books] that they can see themselves in I think has made a huge difference in them… they want to read. To see them wanting to read is like, ‘Yes, we are making strides.’”
- MNPS Dean of Students
Building a culture of readership at home
"[NBC is] building a family culture around books which helps us here."
- MNPS Teacher
Excited to read books they choose
“For me as the parent, it has warmed my heart to see how my kid has responded [to NBC]. My youngest is not a reader. He is in 2nd grade. He would never pick up a book. Now he says, ‘Mommy, it’s Wednesday (NBC Day). I need a book!’”
- MNPS Parent
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING...
Reading with family
“I think the books are really good. Whenever I go home, me and my brothers read the [NBC] books. I sometimes read to my baby brothers so they can go to bed. They are 3 and 4 years old.”
- MNPS 4th grader
Reader identity
“I read them a lot and they make my brain grow.”
- MNPS 2nd grader, from NBC Student Response Bookmark
Connecting with other readers outside of family
“Reading the {reader-to-reader] notes makes me want to read the book.”
- MNPS 2nd grader
Excited to read
“I think the books are really interesting…I feel like I’m in [the books], like actually doing the things."
- MNPS 4th grader
WHAT RESEARCHERS ARE SAYING...
On access to books
"Without access to books, the persistent gap between children who have access and those who don’t will remain. Our students will not reach their full potential without books, regardless of the educational reforms schools implement."
On owning new books
"When the only books children own are someone else’s discards and hand-me-downs, it can affect their self-esteem and their perception about books and reading."
Miller, D. Sharp, C. (2018). Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids. New York, NY: Scholastic.
We have learned that with every $1000, we can purchase about 250 quality titles from picture books to chapter books. We have seen the excitement students show as they choose books: with characters who look like them, with topics they are interested in reading, and with the understanding that these books are theirs to keep.
Thanks to many committed donors, NBC has raised over $14,000 to support its work since launching in the Fall 2019. So far, these funds have allowed us to distribute over 2500 meaningful, diverse books that K-4 students are excited to read!
--Through our Spring 2021 Book Bag delivery program, we were able to curate 960 books for 150+ students at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary, matching individual student interests with the “right” book.
--We distributed 300 books during our Mini-Pilot at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School in Fall 2020.
--We exceeded our expectations at Carter Lawrence Elementary School in our Fall 2019 partnership, giving out over 1500 books.
As we continue our Fall 2021 program, we need to buy more books kids are excited to read! Donate by March 1st!
Nashville Book Connection (NBC) is a pilot program that aims to support a culture of readership at home by providing meaningful, intentionally chosen, diverse texts to local elementary school students. NBC builds home libraries full of books students are excited to read with their families and friends or by themselves.
This program is about connection. It’s about kids connecting with books, it’s about families connecting over reading, and it’s about communities connecting over shared favorite books from childhood through adulthood.
How It Works...
Your donations go toward buying new and very gently used books children want to read--books about space, books about animals, books about feelings and identity and family, books with mirrors for kids to see themselves.
As we continuously curate our collection, we work with elementary Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) partners to get engaging books to each and every student we can. For some, we deliver a collection of books for students to choose from. For others, we rely on teacher input, student feedback and our team’s knowledge of children’s books to hand-pick a specific text for a specific child. In each and every partnership, student agency and voice are an essential part of the process.
Each partnership runs for 6 weeks. Students pick one book a week to take home and keep forever and ever.
We measure impact as best we can. Each book has an interactive feedback bookmark inside. We ask students to return their bookmarks once they have had some time with their books. This information allows us to not only determine which books are successful with students but also which students are engaged by the feedback process.
We are always working to gather additional data to better understand what home readership looks like and to what extent NBC's pilot has moved the needle--at home and at school. Through building relationships with faculty, staff and students, we learn volumes from each school partnership.
How It Stands Out…
Nashville is home to several extraordinary literacy initiatives that support readership amongst elementary school students in the community. These admirable programs work hard to increase book access by both building home libraries and increasing library usage. What NBC aims to do is complement these programs by providing books that speak specifically to elementary student interest:
· NBC curates its book supply based on student and teacher requests—both specific titles and genres.
· The team relies on children’s literature professors and reviewers to inform its list of titles.
· Even more, books are chosen based on expert reviews of diverse books, giving children opportunities to see themselves reflected in characters’ lives and experiences.
To learn more, visit Nashville Book Connection (NBC).
**Nashville Book Connection is a 501(c)(3) organization. At this time, 100% of donations will be dedicated to purchasing books and/or supporting the NBC program.
WHAT PARENTS AND TEACHERS ARE SAYING...
Seeing impact
“To have a diverse collection [of books] that they can see themselves in I think has made a huge difference in them… they want to read. To see them wanting to read is like, ‘Yes, we are making strides.’”
- MNPS Dean of Students
Building a culture of readership at home
"[NBC is] building a family culture around books which helps us here."
- MNPS Teacher
Excited to read books they choose
“For me as the parent, it has warmed my heart to see how my kid has responded [to NBC]. My youngest is not a reader. He is in 2nd grade. He would never pick up a book. Now he says, ‘Mommy, it’s Wednesday (NBC Day). I need a book!’”
- MNPS Parent
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING...
Reading with family
“I think the books are really good. Whenever I go home, me and my brothers read the [NBC] books. I sometimes read to my baby brothers so they can go to bed. They are 3 and 4 years old.”
- MNPS 4th grader
Reader identity
“I read them a lot and they make my brain grow.”
- MNPS 2nd grader, from NBC Student Response Bookmark
Connecting with other readers outside of family
“Reading the {reader-to-reader] notes makes me want to read the book.”
- MNPS 2nd grader
Excited to read
“I think the books are really interesting…I feel like I’m in [the books], like actually doing the things."
- MNPS 4th grader
WHAT RESEARCHERS ARE SAYING...
On access to books
"Without access to books, the persistent gap between children who have access and those who don’t will remain. Our students will not reach their full potential without books, regardless of the educational reforms schools implement."
On owning new books
"When the only books children own are someone else’s discards and hand-me-downs, it can affect their self-esteem and their perception about books and reading."
Miller, D. Sharp, C. (2018). Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Organizer
Clare Clarke
Organizer
Nashville, TN
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