Diversifying Our Book Clubs

Funded Oct 11, 2019

In our classrooms, we have a strong belief that our classroom libraries should reflect the diversity of our students. With this in mind, we believe the books should be "mirrors, windows and doors"- mirrors that reflect back and speak to our experiences, windows that offer us views of different (real or imagined) worlds; and doors that allows us to walk through to become part of whatever world is being created. We want our children to be able to see themselves in our books and more importantly have those images represent them accurately.

With your donation, we were able to purchase books that helped diversify our library and reflect our students. Our students loved reading these books and discussing the characters and how they represented them. These books helped open students to conversations about diverse characters, character relationships, social and cultural issues, and their own identity. Our students made connections with their own lives and the lives of their characters.

Students were excited for the book clubs and select the books they wanted to read and discuss next. These series books helped our reluctant readers to love reading. Often we heard students say, "I love this book. Is there another one?" or "Do we have the next book in this series?" Our students looked forward to our reading lessons and reading block. They found characters like them and they couldn't wait to read more. Students made recommendations to each other and would pass along the books to friends when they were done. When they finished a series or book, they would ask if we had similar characters or if we recommended any other series similar to that one. We had students progress and move from reading Ivy and Bean series, to Just Grace series, to Clemintine series, then to Beverly Cleary books. Our boys loved the Jake Drake series and Ellray Jakes series because they could identify with the characters.

Within our lessons students read and explored the books in our classroom library through the lens of "mirrors, windows, and doors.'' Students conducted inquiry with questions such as "Do the books we read offer us insight and help us understand others who are different for us?", "Are we able to see ourselves in these books?", and "How do we relate to the characters portrayed in the stories?".

In our classrooms, students facilitate their love of reading by working collaboratively. For example, students use series books to spark rich conversations around diversity. Students carry their conversations throughout their book clubs and formulate questions and critical thinking discussions. They learned to dive deeper into the text and grow bigger ideas such as social and cultural issues.

We are grateful for your donation and it has reached over 60 students within our school so far this year. Our students' excitement and love of reading has flourished. You helped foster students' life-long love of reading.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Unterman