For some students our classroom libraries provide the most frequent access to books. I would like to share thoughts on creating a collection of books that students will love. My experience comes from working as a teacher-librarian but the ideas apply in a classroom. Let’s imagine you have been given a budget to build a class library. Where do you start?
Know your Class
We have to cater to the age and stage of our students. That said, there is likely a large range of reading abilities and interests in every class. I propose that we prepare our classroom libraries balancing student interest, curriculum topics, quality, diversity and reading levels. You don’t need to have the largest quantity of books, but the right books for your readers. The books in your classroom can be a window to the world for your students so it’s important we consider diverse viewpoints to build a collection that reflects values such as empathy and acceptance.
Keep a Wish List
It’s helpful to have a list prepared of books you and your students want for your classroom library. We need to be prepared for those occasions when someone asks what the classroom needs. All the publishing companies and book stores send out newsletters with ideas of new books you might like and there are bloggers who will give reviews to help you narrow down your choices.
Popular Picture Books
One strategy is to look for series, authors, or titles that have been best sellers for a while. For example many Robert Munsch titles are well loved and suit a primary classroom. Munch’s characters are diverse and the stories are often very humorous. The settings are across Canada and some even touch on curriculum topics. These books check a lot of boxes and are a great addition to a classroom library. In kindergarten and early primary classes I find Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems is a huge hit as well.
Another approach is to collect picture books by theme. Examples of themes include alphabet/counting, character traits, holidays, cultural topics, seasons, and books you can sing. I have so much fun when I get to sing a book!
Graphic Novels
The most popular section of my library is the graphic novels. They are highly appealing with fast-paced storytelling which keeps our readers engaged. My personal favourites are Babymouse, Dogman, Bone, and anything by Raina Telgemeir. My students also love Chi, Warrior Cats, and all the superheroes, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Comic strips in book form such as Calvin & Hobbes and Garfield are appealing to older elementary students. Graphic novels released with movie tie-in often have a limited time that they are popular. Buyer beware!
Novels
I love to see a student immersed in a novel. It’s so satisfying when you have them come back saying they enjoyed a book you recommended. The best thing we can do is to read the books and do the research to know what we are recommending. If you can catch them before seeing the movies, then I always recommend grade 6-8 students read The Hunger Games series. Those books had me completely engaged! Often students at this age are doing research themselves about books, so it’s very important to have their input as you build your collection.
Non-Fiction
There are several non-fiction topics that students at my school constantly ask for: pets, sports, animals, and cars. The most popular book in non-fiction is The Guiness Book of World Records. I also encounter students with common niche interests such as The Titanic, WWII, or biographies of actors and singers.
Screens vs Books
I believe the classroom library is a great investment in student learning. There is definitely a place for reading using technology but the hard copies of books are still an important part of our society.
I think I could expand much more on each of these topics but I hope you find this overview helpful.
Keep on Reading!
Brenda
