books – Page 18 – Pernille Ripp

being a teacher, books, Literacy, picture books, Reading

Picture Books in the Middle School

January 16, 2016 Pernille Ripp

I feel like a broken record lately. Always replying with the same answer as if I cannot think of anything else to say. Yet it is not because my brain is broken or because I do not know enough about teaching English. The truth is that when most people ask me how to teach something in reading or writing, my answer continues to be, “Have you tried a picture book?”

Picture books have become the foundation of the 7th grade English classroom that I am a part of. They are the ice breakers that provide us with the sense of belonging, the sense of community, the sense of wonder that should always surround books and literacy.

They are the life lines I give to students when their day is on the wrong track or they simply need a break.

They are the tool I use to teach close reading, to work through Notice and Note. They are our mentor texts for writing, for how to capture fickle audience and keep their attention while still going deep. They are the springboard into longer texts, the spark that gets us going.

They are the texts I reach for when I do intervention, allowing a child to not fear the text we will discuss so we can focus on the skills we need to work on. They are the texts that surround us when our brains are overwhelmed and we need to just take a moment to get into the groove of learning.

When a child speaks limited English, we reach for wordless books where they can practice inferring without being stumped by the language they are learning.

When a child does not understand what it means to analyze, we reach for familiar texts so we can get to the heart of the story.

Picture books disarm.

Picture books charm.

Picture books teach students that they can be successful readers with meaningful texts. That they can write serious pieces in short bursts. That there is no such thing as too old for a book. That the skills they need to develop can be found within the pages of something that looks like it is just for little kids but clearly is for all.

So when you enter our classroom you will see them beckoning to be read, to be shared, to be contemplated and to be used. You will feel the pull of the books as they call to you, begging you to be read. And so we do, and we grow, and we laugh, and we share these stories that mirror our own or bring us into a new world.

So why picture books? Because they have made the single biggest difference in the life of this teacher. Because my students no longer fear reading, nor can they hate it nearly as much. Because without them I would be constantly scrambling for a short text that we could read in our limited time together and still leave time for discussion.

Who would have thought that all of these things could be taught through the pages of a picture book?

To see which picture books we love, go here.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

being a teacher, books, Literacy, picture books

Great Picture Books for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 12, 2016January 12, 2016 Pernille Ripp

Martin Luther King Jr day, held on the third Monday of January every year, is rapidly approaching. This year, I will be in class teaching, last year I was not. And while I believe that we should not just teach about MLK Jr or any other history related to the civil rights movement on this day, I find that many look for resources for this day in particular. I, of course, have been searching for picture books to use with my students as we try to learn more about our country’s past and think of the changes we can make right now.

Some of these I already have, others are on my much too long wish list. One day they shall all find their rightful place in our classroom. Some of these are directly related to the life of MLK Jr, others are related to the movement, but they will all add to our knowledge of America then so we can better understand America now.

From Amazon:

It was February 1, 1960.
They didn’t need menus. Their order was simple.
A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney is a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the momentous Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in, when four college students staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the growing civil rights movement.

From Amazon:

It’s December 1, 1955.

A boy and his mother are riding the bus in Montgomery, Alabama like any other day—way in the back of the bus. The boy passes time by watching his marble roll up and down the aisle with the motion of the bus…

Until a big commotion breaks out from way up front.

With simple words and powerful illustrations, Aaron Reynolds and Coretta Scott King medalist Floyd Cooper recount the pivotal arrest of Rosa Parks at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement.

I have cherished my copy of A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson and illustrated by Eric Velasquez for years. This is also a great picture book for teaching theme and inference.

From Amazon:

There’s a sweet, sweet smell in the air as two young girls sneak out of their house, down the street, and across town to where men and women are gathered, ready to march for freedom and justice. Inspired by countless children and young adults who took a stand, two Coretta Scott King honorees offer a heart-lifting glimpse of children’s roles in the civil rights movement.

I stumbled across Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton & Raul Colon and have used it with the students as a way to discuss perspective. I loved the “regular” side of MLK Jr that it presents.

From Amazon:

In this Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year, Paula Young Shelton, daughter of Civil Rights activist Andrew Young, brings a child’s unique perspective to an important chapter in America’s history. Paula grew up in the deep south, in a world where whites had and blacks did not. With an activist father and a community of leaders surrounding her, including Uncle Martin (Martin Luther King), Paula watched and listened to the struggles, eventually joining with her family—and thousands of others—in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery.

This post would be woefully incomplete without the magnificent picture book Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Ekua Holmes. Stunning is a good way to describe and the awards on its cover backs me up.

From Amazon:

“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life, Fannie Lou Hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977. Integral to the Freedom Summer of 1964, Ms. Hamer gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention that, despite President Johnson’s interference, aired on national TV news and spurred the nation to support the Freedom Democrats. Featuring vibrant mixed-media art full of intricate detail, Voice of Freedom celebrates Fannie Lou Hamer’s life and legacy with a message of hope, determination, and strength.

Can there be a picture book list without Jacqueline Woodson’s work on it? The Other Side illustrated by E.B. Lewis is sure to start a poignant conversation with kids.

From Amazon:

Clover’s mom says it isn’t safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups’ rules by sitting on top of the fence together.

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World by Christine King Farris and illustrated by London Ladd is on my wish list as well.

From Amazon:

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, sister remembers the March on Washington.

From Dr. Martin Luther King’s sister, the definitive tribute to the man, the march, and the speech that changed a nation.

White Water by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein, illustrated by Shadra Strickland is a picture book I have used several times with students as we have worked through our Notice and Note sign posts. This is another powerful story that lead to more questions that answers.

From Amazon:

It’s a scorching hot day, and going into town with Grandma is one of Michael’s favorite things. When the bus pulls up, they climb in and pay their fare, get out, walk to the back door, and climb in again. By the time they arrive in town, Michael’s throat is as dry as a bone, so he runs to the water fountain. But after a few sips, the warm, rusty water tastes bad. Why is the kid at the “Whites Only” fountain still drinking? Is his water clear and refreshingly cool? No matter how much trouble Michael might get into, he’s determined to find out for himself.

Another eye opening book for students is Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen Strauss and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

From Amazon:
Ruth was so excited to take a trip in her family’s new car! In the early 1950s, few African Americans could afford to buy cars, so this would be an adventure. But she soon found out that black travelers weren’t treated very well in some towns. Many hotels and gas stations refused service to black people. Daddy was upset about something called Jim Crow laws…

Finally, a friendly attendant at a gas station showed Ruth’s family The Green Book. It listed all of the places that would welcome black travelers. With this guidebook–and the kindness of strangers–Ruth could finally make a safe journey from Chicago to her grandma’s house in Alabama.

Another Jacqueline Woodson book that has been well loved in our library, This is the Rope always makes me think. Illustrated by James Ransome I love the simple but oh so powerful story it tells of the rope passed through generations, witness to their history.

From Amazon:

The story of one family’s journey north during the Great Migration starts with a little girl in South Carolina who finds a rope under a tree one summer. She has no idea the rope will become part of her family’s history. But for three generations, that rope is passed down, used for everything from jump rope games to tying suitcases onto a car for the big move north to New York City, and even for a family reunion where that first little girl is now a grandmother.

I may as well add one other of my favorite Jacqueline Woodson books; Show Way illustrated by Hudson Talbott. As a mother, I cry when I read this picture book and think of the generations that have passed before us and the injustices some have faced.

From Amazon:

Soonie’s great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, and with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways — maps for slaves to follow to freedom. When she grew up and had a little girl, she passed on this knowledge. And generations later, Soonie — who was born free — taught her own daughter how to sew beautiful quilts to be sold at market and how to read.

One of our top picture books of 2015, Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah WInter and Shane W. Evans is story telling at its finest. In fact, I used this as a mentor text for when my own students wrote their picture books to show how many facts can be woven together.

From Amazon:
An elderly African American woman, en route to vote, remembers her family’s tumultuous voting history in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery.

There are so many more that could be highlighted but I wanted to leave it up to others to share their favorites. We have a moral obligation in our classroom to discuss the past of the United States and these picture books help us start those conversations.

Leave it up The Nerdy Book Club to add more books to my wish list. The First Step by Susan E. Goodman and illustrated by E.B. Lewis just came out last week and looks like a must add to any classroom library.

From Amazon:

In 1847, a young African American girl named Sarah Roberts was attending a school in Boston. Then one day she was told she could never come back. She didn’t belong. The Otis School was for white children only.

Sarah deserved an equal education, and the Roberts family fought for change. They made history. Roberts v. City of Boston was the first case challenging our legal system to outlaw segregated schools. It was the first time an African American lawyer argued in a supreme court.

These first steps set in motion changes that ultimately led to equality under the law in the United States. Sarah’s cause was won when people–black and white–stood together and said, No more. Now, right now, it is time for change!

aha moment, being a teacher, books, Literacy, Reading

Why Audio Books in the Classroom?

January 7, 2016January 27, 2019 Pernille Ripp

“What should I read next?” he says, eagerly awaiting my answer.

His question takes me by surprise, after all, there is no possible way he has finished the book I downloaded for him two days ago. He has mastered the art of fake reading a few months ago.

“You’re done already? What did you think?” I ask, trying to feel out if he actually read it.

“It was so sad…at the end, when his dad came. I couldn’t believe it…” He keeps going, telling me parts of the story that makes me nod in recollection, and it dawns on me; he read it, I think. He read it, he loved it. He is proud. He is ready for another book.

“When did you find the time to read it?” I ask, still surprised.

“Last night…It got interesting so I listened to it all night. 3 hours, I think.” He says, “So what do I read next?”

This child who had not read a chapter book all year. Who has abandoned book upon book, casting aside any favorites that we could think of. Who has stuck to the same graphic novel over and over because nothing else mattered. This child, whose disengagement has made us worry late at night, whose ability to tell you exactly what you want to hear has befuddled us all. He now stands before me, beaming, waiting for the next book. He has become a child that reads.

And he is not alone. Several students this year are having incredible reading experiences, kids who have never liked reading, are begging for the next book, begging for time to listen. Yes, listen, because these students are devouring one audio-book after another. Comprehending the words without having to struggle through the decoding. Accessing stories that they have heard their friends talk about. No longer looking at the easier books while they long for something with more substance. Those children are becoming readers with the help of audio-books.

Some may say that does not count as reading, I certainly used to balk at it counting toward any reading goal, this year I am discovering otherwise. Sure, there are cognitive differences in the processes that happens when we read with our eyes versus our ears, however, the skills that we are able to utilize through the listening of an audio-book are monumental in building further reader success. And research has shown that the cognitive processes are surprisingly similar. So what has adding (and investing in audio-books) done for our students?

Provided equity in reading experience. Students who read significantly below their grade level are able to access the same texts as their peers. This matters when we create reading communities, because they no longer feel different when they book shop. Now, when they browse the books they can select any book they are interested in and we can get it for them either through Overdrive or Audible.

Supported critical thinking skills. Students can develop critical thinking skills without having to spend enormous brain power on decoding. Decoding is still taught and supported through other texts, however, they now have a text that we can practice deeper thinking with that actually has deeper meaning. Not just right text that doesn’t provide us with the complex relationships that make for such powerful stories.

Re-ignited a passion for reading. Often students who are developing readers start to hate reading. And I get it; when you are constantly in struggle mode, it can be so tiring, so having access via an audio-book lets students finally enjoy a story. They can be in the zone with the book because their brain is not occupied with the work of having to read, creating a deep immersion into the reading experience.

Provided new strategies for teaching reading. I can now pull out segments of text to use with a student knowing that they have the proper background knowledge, which is a key component when we build understanding. I do not have to reference the entire text, but instead can have them focus on the skill at hand. This therefore allows me to support their comprehension growth more efficiently.

Given us a gateway into reading with their eyes. Often times, my developing readers harbor enormous hesitancy when it comes to veering out of their known text. They are quick to dismiss, abandon and feign disinterest, all in the interest of saving face and saving them from yet another reading disappointment. However, students finding success within the audio-book world are building their courage, their stamina, and their desire to pick up print texts.

I could list more reasons; being exposed to amazing fluency, students feeling like they have relevant thoughts when it comes to discussion, building overall reading self-esteem, planting high interest books in the hands of students to see them become “the books to read,” even changing the reading dynamics within a classroom. Denise Johnson lists even more here.

In the end, I wonder whether it really matter whether having students listen to audio books is cognitively not exactly the same as when they read with their eyes? If our true goal of teaching reading is to make students fall in love with books, then audio-books are a must for our classrooms. And so is the notion that they count as real reading. No longer should we denounce or diminish the very thing that can make the biggest difference to some of our students.

That boy, who asked for another book, started listening to All American Boys yesterday. That boy who has faced discrimination, judgement, and who has tried to fit in by being an amazing kid every single day. He is now reading a book that may make a huge impact in his life. That may offer him tools if he ever were to face a similar situation. And he wouldn’t have been able to before. That book would have been so far out of his zone of proximal development that he would have been robbed of the experience for a long while yet. But not anymore, he is a reader now. And he is proudly telling everyone he meets about the books he has read.

PS: I cannot take responsibility for this idea of using audio-books, that belongs to my amazing colleague Reidun, who makes me a better teacher every day. I am thankful she had the idea and decided to share it.

I have been looking for research and articles to discuss audio books versus paper books. Here are a few articles.

Why “Reading” Audio Books Isn’t a Shortcut

Audio Books vs Book Books, Which Does the Brain Prefer?

Are Audiobooks Worse Than Real Books? Let’s Ask Science

Is Listening to Audio Books Really the Same As Reading?

More research and ideas from Sound Learning

New Research Shows Audiobooks have Powerful Impact on Literacy Development

As Far As Your Brain is Concerned, Audiobooks Are Not Cheating

Audiobooks: Legitimate “Reading” for Adolescents?

Time Magazine discusses pros and cons

PPS: If you are wondering which book he had listened to in one night, it was, of course, Orbiting Jupiter.

If you are looking for a great book club to join to re-energize you in January, consider the Passionate Learners book club on Facebook. We kick off January 10th.

being a teacher, books, Literacy, picture books, Reading, student choice

Our Top Picture Books of 2015

January 6, 2016January 8, 2016 Pernille Ripp

For the past 3 days, my 7th grade students have been furiously discussing the their favorite picture books as we get ready for the Caldecott awards. While we have not voted for our top 3 yet, I thought it would be worthwhile to share our all of our favorite picture books from 2015. What I love the most is the care that the students are putting into their conversations surrounding their selection, looking beyond the “What a great story!” and really searching for picture books that will leave a long lasting impression instead. Note, some of these are sadly ineligible for the award since the illustrator does not reside in the US, nor are they a citizen. So if you are looking to boost your picture book collection, start with some of these incredible books.

The Skunk – story by Mac Barnett, Art by Patrick McDonnell

Strictly No Elephants – Story by Lisa Manchev, Art by Taeeun Yoo

Strictly No Elephants Art and Story by Jessixa Bagley

Drum Dream Girl – Story by Margarita Engle, Art by Rafael Lopez

Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglas – Story Doreen Rappaport, Art by London Ladd

Sidewalk Flowers – Story by Jon Arno Lawson, Art by Sydney Smith

Sad, the Dog – Story by Sandy Fussell, Art by Tull Suwannakit

Marilyn’s Monster – story by Michelle Knudsen, Art by Matt Phelan

I Don’t Like Koala – Story by Sean Ferrell, Art by Charles Santoso

The Night World – Story and Art by Mordicai Gerstein

Lenny and Lucy – Story by Philip C. Stead, Art by Erin E. Stead

Waiting – Story and Art by Kevin Henkes

Little Bird’s Bad Word – Story and Art by Jacob Grant

I’m Trying to Love Spiders – Story and art by Bethany Barton

To the Sea – Story and Art by Cale Atkinson

Elwood Bigfoot: Wanted Birdie Friends – Story by Jill Esbaum, Art by Nate Wragg

Float – Story and Art by Daniel Miyares

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich – Story and Art by Julia Sarcone-Roach

Henry Hyena, Why Won’t You Laugh ? – Story by Doug Jantzen, Art by Jean Claude

Beautiful Hands – Story by Kathryn Otoshi, Art by Bret Baumgarten

If You Plant A Seed – Story and Art by Kadir Nelson

Pom Pom Panda Gets the Grumps – Story and Art by Sophy Henn

Growing Up Pedro – Story and Art by Matt Tavares

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement – Story by Carole Boston Weatherford, Art by Ekua Homes

Water is Water – Story by Miranda Paul, Art by Jason Chin

Last Stop on Market Street – Story by Matt De La Pena, Art by Christian Robinson

Toys Meet Snow – Story by Emily Jenkins, Art by Paul O. Zelinsky

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear – Story by Lindsay Mattick, Art by Sophie Blackall

The Only Child – Story and Art by Guojing

I cannot wait to see which books are in the top!

To see other favorite books in our classroom, go here

being a teacher, books, Literacy, picture books, Reading

10 More Picture Books to Add to Your Collection

December 28, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I cannot do a best of the year book list. There are too many that I have loved. There are too many I have yet to discover. A book always gets left off and I wonder why I forgot it. So instead, I will continue my tradition of offering up some great new additions to our classroom library. I have been on a year long mission to get as many great picture books into the hands of my students, and so here is the latest batch that we have been reading aloud, discussing, using, and sharing.

When I wanted to send a picture book to Australia, I knew that I wanted to send one by Wisconsin native Pat Zietlow Miller. So I sent the book Wherever You Go. Not only does it have the best message, but I have also found that every age group I have read it to has loved it. It is a new classic in my opinion.

My school is very focused on creating an inclusive environment for all students and so I have been on a mission to include more picture books that speak to all of my students. Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman is a book a child may need, I don’t need, but in case they, I want it to be there for them.

As my students created their own non-fiction picture books I needed strong mentor texts to show them just how amazing this genre can be. Growing Up Pedro by Matt Tavares is an incredible example of a sports focused nf picture book that does not read like a long list of facts. This is a book that will be read and used for years to come.

The same goes for the historical nf picture book Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans. In it we learn about the fight for voting rights for African Americans as Lillian walks up the stairs to cast her vote. Masterfully told, this one moved me to tears.

Picture books don’t usually make me cry, but this one did as I read it aloud to my own children. Eve Bunting is a master storyteller, Fly Away Home is a book I have used many times. The pairing here in Yard Sale with Lauren Castillo’s beautiful illustrations is really out of this world, and the conversations, the inferring that can happen because of this book is powerful.

Can Kadir Nelson do anything wrong? If You Plant A Seed not only has a great message for all ages, but the illustrations are breathtaking.

Groundhog’s Dilemma by Kristen Remenar and illustrated by Matt Faulkner is not just a book for Groundhog’s Day. It is a book for all ages that need to discuss what peer pressure can do to you and how to navigate friendships.

This one, Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers, is the reason Oliver Jeffers is a Global Read Aloud Contender for the picture book category. While perhaps hard to read aloud in one sitting, it is definitely still worth sharing with others as each little story will make you laugh or wonder. I also cannot wait to see what type of writing might be inspired by this book.

I love a narrator that speaks to their reader, it gets me every time. Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Tim Miller is laugh out loud funny, and yet, is bound to also lead to a great conversation about how to deal with others. How many of our students could need a little with that?

How many of us have taught students whose parents or other people they know are in jail? Visiting Day by Jacqueline Woodson once again means that we have a book that can start hard conversations. That students can find themselves in even if they do not want to share about their own experiences.

There are always more books to highlight, to share, but for now I will leave it at these 10. To see other lists of favorite books, go here, I try to share as much as possible.

aha moment, being a teacher, books, Literacy, Reading

How Do You Know Which Books To Purchase? A Few Tips to Help Build A Better Classroom Library

December 28, 2015 Pernille Ripp

Several years ago, I had a classroom library that was filled to the brim with books. Every shelf crammed. Every space occupied, yet every independent reading time it never failed; a student would ask if they could please go to the library to find a book. I didn’t think twice about it. Of course, they could go to the library, where else would they get books? One day it finally did strike me as odd; why in the world were the students not going to our library first to see all the books there. There were great books on the shelves, there had to be, right. I mean, I am sure there was, they just had to find them first.

And that was exactly it; our library was full. Full of left over books I had picked up when other teachers weeded. Full of books picked up from our local goodwill store and garage sales. A few random selections from Scholastic bonus points that did not really fit my students. Full of books inherited when the teacher before me had left the room. Full of books with torn covers, broken spines, and even a few missing pages. The library was full and not a child was reading.

So I did the unthinkable; I threw out books. I got rid of all of those books that no child had read for years. The ones with the covers falling off, the ones that I wouldn’t even read. I got rid of the old, the broken, and even sometimes the new. The too mature. The unwanteds and the forgotten. And then I stood back and looked at my very empty library, wondering what to do. Because now I had an empty library and my problem was not solved. There still were no books to read.

Research says different things on how many books we need in our classroom libraries. Some say 20 books per child. Others say between 300-600 total. But the number doesn’t matter if the books are not good. So instead of focusing on quantity, I figured that was a lost cause any way since I had not won the lottery, I focused on quality. I focused on getting high interest books in the hands of my students when I could. And slowly but surely our library grew and it continues to do so to this day. So how did I figure out which books to purchase?

I asked the students. Paying attention was not enough so I started by asking them which books they liked to read. Something so simple that had the biggest results. They wrote me lists so I knew what to focus my limited budget on.

I handed them Scholastic catalogs. For all of those books that we had not read yet, I needed to know what looked good to them. So they would hand me catalogs back with books circled. If more than one child circled a book, I knew it would probably be a good buy. I also took better advantage of all of the bonus point deals from Scholastic and I told parents what my plans were. More parents purchased books so we could earn more points, and when we fell short, I funded it because let’s face it, that’s what we do as teachers.

I asked them to weed. While I had done the initial purge without them, I asked them to go through the library once more. However, this time books could be saved by students. So if a child wanted to pull a book, another child could argue to have it kept. This also had the added bonus of familiarizing the students with the books we already had and led students to talk more about books.

I started to read their books. I had been reading books of my own, but adult books, which meant I had nothing to recommend to my students. So I started by asking them what I should read and then I did. When I finished a book, I would book talk and leave it out for the kids to read. Sometimes I would hand it to a specific student that I thought of while I read it. Slowly, we started a community of book talkers that continues to this day.

I used the public library. Those librarians know a thing or two about amazing children’s books so I started to pay attention. What did they have on display? What did they recommend? I would also borrow books and read them before I decided what to buy. I still do this a lot with the picture books I buy. I also used our local book stores more; what did they have on display? What was popular for them. Use the knowledgeable people that surround you.

I became better friends with my own school librarian. I have had the honor of working with some incredible librarians that love books as much as I do. And yet, I hardly ever spoke about books with them. What a wasted opportunity. So find out who the book lovers are in your school and befriend them if you have not already. Talk books whenever you can.

I fell in love with The Nerdy Book Club. There was my tribe of people who loved books, who had to recommend books, who knew just what books to invest in. To this day, the Nerdy Book Club is one of the only blogs that gets delivered straight to my inbox so I don’t miss a single post.

I paid better attention. I started to really notice what my students were reading, what they were abandoning. We started to speak more about the books we loved and why. Then I would go forth and try to find other books like that. Creating a community of book lovers is something that takes time, takes commitment, and will not just happen on its own. The students have so much to share if only we ask them.

I found the best kept secret. I still remember the moment I was told about Books4Schools, a dark warehouse here in Madison, WI that sells brand new overstock books for less than $2. Yup. And not random titles either but books my students want to read by authors like Cassandra Clare, John Green, Rick Riordan and so many others. While their only physical location is here, they also sell online and just as cheaply. Trust me, the deals are worth it and their stock changes all of the time.

4 years ago I realized that while our library was full, it was not great. It was not something the students could use. It was not something they wanted to use. So I embarked on a journey to get better books in the hands of my students. I found a better way to spend the precious money we have to get books for our libraries. And it worked. Slowly, our library has grown to now encompass more than 2,000 books. Books that the students want to read. Books that are worn out from use and not from age. Getting rid of books is one of the best decisions I made for out library, what has been yours?

To see some of our favorite books, go here.

If you are looking for a great book club to join to re-energize you in January, consider the Passionate Learners book club on Facebook. We kick off January 10th.