The Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library: Building a Collection That Inspires, Engages, and Challenges Readers - Softcover

Miller, Donalyn; Sharp, Colby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1338775189 ISBN 13: 9781338775181

Publisher: Scholastic Professional, 2022

Synopsis

Literacy advocates Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp follow the lifecycle of Sharp's classroom library across the year, showing us practical ways to support young reader—from weeding the collection before kids arrive and to matching them with books they want to read, to evaluating and supporting their growth as they become increasingly independent readers.

About this title

About the Author

DONALYN MILLER is an award-winning Texas teacher and independent reading advocate. She is the author or coauthor of numerous books and articles about engaging young people with reading, including most recently The Joy of Reading, coauthored with Teri S. Lesesne, and Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids, coauthored with Colby Sharp. She is cofounder of the Nerdy Book Club and founder of #bookaday.

COLBY SHARP, a fifth-grade teacher at Parma Elementary School in Parma, Michigan, is cofounder of Nerd Camp and the Nerdy Book Club, and coauthor of Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids with Donalyn Miller. He is also the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection.

Reviews

Curating a classroom library can be a difficult task, especially considering all the moving parts that go into running a classroom in the first place. Teachers are constantly changing physical spaces and age groups and battling administration for financial support for their personal vision. Miller and Sharp offer a practical guide that aims to break down the process of creating a classroom library that will maximize student engagement and visual appeal. Sandwiched between research-based information about the importance of equitable access in the classroom and beyond, and a general dissection of how to achieve an appealing offering for all students regardless of their reading level, Miller interviews classroom and library professionals who offer insight into the day-to-day process of delivering a fruitful experience for providing in-class resources for all students. Although the book seems a bit pieced-together at times, and perhaps a bit slight for the price tag, it does come with valuable advice about applying for grants, navigating both overt and silent censorship, and evaluating a classroom library through a process that will be beneficial for children. The sage advice coming from the interviewed professionals in the field is worth a read. This book gives applicable suggestions on how to weed, purchase, and organize a classroom library. VERDICT Practical and supportive, this is a good fit for new educators who want to set up their library or experienced educators who want to reenergize their collection.-Rachel Joinerα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic Professional
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1338775189
• ISBN 13: 9781338775181
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160