Past projects 7
Middle School Battle of the Books!
Funded Apr 2, 2025I am so grateful for your generosity. With all the things happening in the world, books are such a powerful tool to connect us, deepen our empathy, and bring us joy. To be able share this with young people is a gift. Because of your donations 40 middle school students will be able to participate in reading and community building. I can’t thank you enough.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pendley
Middle School Battle of the Books
Funded Feb 12, 2023Our first ever Middle School Battle of the Books was an enormous success! 22 students in grades 6-8 participated. We had 4 teams: The Book Dragons, The Cliffhangers, The Annoying Readers, and The Daniel Tigers. Each team had a full set of all the books, thanks to your generous donations. Over the course of 6 weeks, the students read as many of the books as they could in preparation for the in school challenge.
On May 11th, the 4 teams gathered in the library. They answered questions about the books in 3 rounds of 8 questions each. At the end of the challenge, The Daniel Tigers were victorious! On May 17th, The Daniel Tigers faced off against 4 other teams from other Seattle K-8 schools. The competition was fierce and the final score was really close. Ultimately, we placed 4th out of 5, but this only serves as inspiration for next year's competition.
The students who participated love the social aspects of reading, sharing books, and discussing them with classmates. They also love the competitive part of the program. They truly enjoyed this experience and are looking forward to doing it again next year. Thank you for making it possible for them!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pendley
Celebrate Pride Month With Book Clubs!
Funded Jun 8, 2022We can not thank you enough for your generosity. 40 students in 6th-8th grade participated in the book clubs. They were able to read the books over the summer. When we returned to school this fall, we held 2 book clubs. The students gathered during their recess time to discuss the books, share their feelings about them, and talk about the larger issues that the books explore.
The conversations they had were so rich. Many students connected with the characters in the books and saw their own identities and experiences reflected in the pages. Other students learned about identities and experiences that are different from their own.
The books evoked a lot of emotions and reactions. One question was, "how did the book make you feel?" A student answered, "angry and hopeful, all the feelings actually." Another student remarked that what they felt was profound happiness that the book exists. That is was written and that they got to read it. That happened because of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pendley
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 11 other donors.Help Build Our Reading Community with These Awesome Picture Books!
Funded Oct 21, 2021Our students have been really enjoying the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award nominees. So far we've read 5 of them and each one has been amazing. We read Boxitects for National STEAM Day and afterwards, the kids collaborating on building projects with Legos, Keva planks, manga tiles, and cardboard! We just finished Federico and the Wolf and really enjoyed comparing and contrasting the story to the more familiar versions we've read.
After I read each book to the classes, it gets checked out immediately. These books are very popular! I'm looking forward to sharing Every Night is Pizza Night and talking about our favorite foods. I'm also working on a lesson on misinformation that uses Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale as a starting point for conversation.
These picture books are really for everybody. They are engaging, fun, and filled with important learning. Thank you so much for helping me get them into our library and in the hands of our kids! I can't wait to see which one will win this year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pendley
This classroom project was brought to life by Dollar General Literacy Foundation and 3 other donors.Help Project LIT Readers Get the Books They Want!
Funded Dec 1, 2020Because of your generosity, my Project LIT students were able to read a truly remarkable book, Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. The book deals with a number of very serious issues and helps readers to understand the impact of violence on a young person's life. It raises a lot of questions about why we make the choices we do and how our lived experience shapes us. My students engaged in an in depth discussion of the book. They wondered, they questioned, and they stretched their understanding.
Jason Reynolds left the ending of the book ambiguous. The protagonist steps off an elevator and is asked a question. The reader doesn't know how he answers or what he chooses to do next. It's like the series finale of The Sopranos, but perhaps not as infuriating because it inspires such rich discussion. What do you think the protagonist did? What do you hope he did? Why did Jason Reynolds decide to write the ending like that?
We've had the enormous privilege to meet Jason Reynolds both virtually and in person so we know that the reason he wrote that ending is that he respects his readers. He wants us to write our own ending to the story.
The students came away from our discussion excited for our next book. Project LIT grows empathetic courageous readers and your support makes this possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pendley
This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 5 other donors.Building Our Commitment to Social Justice With Just Mercy
Funded Mar 2, 2020Thank you so much for helping to get this important book into the hands of our students. Learning about the impacts of mass incarceration on marginalized communities is an essential part of working to achieve racial justice in America.
This book is such an critical resource to help students understand the ways that mass incarceration affects people. It is so powerful to read about real people and their experiences. It creates such empathy and connection.
Due to COVID, I was not able to use this book with my students in the Spring. Fortunately, I was able to collaborate with our 8th grade ELA teacher to develop an entire unit on mass incarceration and racial justice that will start with every student reading Just Mercy. Because of your generosity, we will be able to distribute a copy of the book to every 8th grade student through our curbside pickup model.
The students will be learning about the 13th Amendment, important legal principles of due process, and equal protection under the law and analyzing how the justice system treats people differently by reading the stories in this book. We will be exploring fundamental ideas of fairness and justice through the lens of Bryan Stevenson's work.
If you could drop into a class, you would see the students in small groups discussing what they've read. You would see them making connections between the book and current events. Most importantly, you would see them brainstorming about how to address racial injustice in America and thinking about how they can contribute to the solution.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pendley
This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 4 other donors.Feed these Hungry Readers!
Funded Oct 26, 2011I am writing to let you know how much my students appreciate the new books you helped buy for our classroom library. After I told them that the project had been funded, they got really excited. Every morning they asked, "Are the books here yet?" When the box arrived, I opened it and pulled the books out one by one. I barely had time to mark them as library books before they were snatched (respectfully) out of my hands and checked out. Within 15 minutes, every single book was being read.
In the month since they arrived, the books have been read several times. During our book club and sharing times, students are able to discuss the books they've read. One of the most popular books is Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, a book you helped buy. Elsewhere takes an interesting look at what might happen after death and raises some very intriguing questions about what really matters in life. I was listening in to three of my students talking about this book. They were raising really profound existential questions, and contemplating the way the main character contends with her own questions. Hearing their insights, I was struck once again by the power that excellent literature can have in a young adolescent's life.
I know that a life of reading has shaped the person I am today and everyday I see how books impact the students in my class. Thank you so much for giving them this gift of books and helping them become lifelong readers too.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Pendley
This classroom project was brought to life by NEA Foundation and 5 other donors.