As we near the start of the spring semester, I’m looking for books for my classroom.
Especially in my Literary Genres and Creative Writing classes, I’ll be incorporating independent reading into the lessons. While we’ll be making some trips to the school library, having a library inside of the classroom will help build a positive climate for readers. Plus, there will be students who forget their book at home and need an alternate read. (I remember how hard it can be as a reader when you leave your book at home and don’t have any good books on hand to read!)
If you have any books that you or your family no longer read and can donate to my classroom, please let me know. You can find my email on the Contact page or among the social media buttons at the top right of this page. A share would also go a long way to helping!
The books should be appropriate for a young adult or teen audience. This means upper middle grade books like the The Lightning Thief can be appropriate for students reading at a lower level. “Adult” books like Dune, Lord of the Rings, or The Last Kingdom may also be appropriate for students reading at a higher level. Especially if there’s a movie or T.V. show out. It helps get them interested in the books!
If you have some books but aren’t sure whether they’d be appropriate, please send me an email, and I’d be happy to chat with you.
Alternately, if you don’t have any books on hand but would like to contribute to my classroom library, you can purchase books off my Amazon wishlist. I am constantly updating it with new book wishes. You can also email me a Half Price Books or Amazon gift card to use towards the classroom library.
Following are genres that we’ll be studying in my Literary Genres class:
- traditional literature (folk tales/fables/fairy tales/myths)
- poetry
- realistic fiction (contemporary & historical fiction)
- fantasy (magical realism, high/epic, medieval, urban fantasy…)
- science fiction (dystopian, [post]apocalyptic, time travel, alternate history, space opera…)
- mystery /crime / thriller
- biography / autobiography / memoir
- informational (nonfiction)
- graphic novel
- dramatic literature
In Creative Writing, students will be required to read two anthologies in addition to some selected genres from the above list.
The community has been so much help with building my classroom. I am humbled by the outreach and am thankful for all of you. I literally couldn’t have started it up without you. I will be making a (long-overdue) post soon about the community impact on my classroom in fall 2018.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
Not sure if I have any of the books specifically on your list, but I often have ARCs that I’d be happy to donate, if those work for you. Shoot me an email and we’ll talk!
Crystal says
I just realized that, while I sent you an email, I never replied to this comment. Thanks so much, Nicole. I really appreciate the support π
Priya @ Tabula Rasa says
This is lovely! I’m so glad I stumbled onto your blog. I’m a high school teacher and as such, I’ve realised it’s incredibly important to have the right ‘reading culture’ in school to get kids to read! I’ve have a reading nook in the classroom, with age-appropriate books from my personal collection as well the students’ old books. So much of reading is about sharing with peers, especially at that age. Good luck with this! I’ll take a look at the list. π
Crystal says
That’s so cool to hear, Priya. Thanks for sharing about your experiences with creating a reading culture in your classroom. I appreciate your checking out the list! It means so much to my students π
ShootingStarsMag says
I love that you’re building up a classroom library for the kids in your classes. I’m sure they really appreciate it, and it’s a great way for them to find books they actually ENJOY reading. I was looking at your Amazon wish list, and I have extra copies of a couple that I could send your way if you want to send me an email?
They are:
The Hate U Give
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Screenplay
-Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
Crystal says
Thanks so much, Lauren. I’m sending you an email!
Lindsi says
I did this when I was teaching! I had a stamp for the back of my books that said, “From the library of Mrs. Root!” I tried to keep copies of all my favorites books in there, and would frequent used book stores to acquire more! It’s amazing how much people will read when you provide them with books! Having them available in the classroom only makes it easier. I will admit to students “losing” a few books, but I can’t get mad over someone wanting to keep a book because they enjoyed it. I try to think of it as loosing for a good cause. π
Good luck with this! It’s such a great opportunity for students, and it’s always fun when you can share your thoughts on the books, too.
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? π¬
Lindsi says
favorite books*
Crystal says
That’s so cool to hear, Lindsi! I agree. It’s tough knowing that a book didn’t make its way back to the library, but I would be happy knowing that my students are reading.
Sophia Rose says
You are such a wonderful, caring teacher to do over and above to give your students a great experience with literature. I’ll take a look at the list, Crystal.
Crystal says
Thank you so much, Sophia. There’s a general negative view of our school and district. It means so much to the students that the community has been so supportive of them!