Book Club for Teens

Funded Jan 30, 2022

When I put the brand new graphic novels you helped purchase in front of the students, they were so excited. We started the mini-unit by having them do a "tasting" and select one book out of the six choices. Seeing them debate which book to choose, because they were all so interesting, was a much needed salve at the end of a rough year.

When I introduced the graphic novels, the students had just finished reading "The Undocumented Americans" by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, which is an incredible but heavy non-fiction read. These graphic novels were the perfect accompaniment and finish to the school year, because they added more to the narrative of immigration. Many of my students have first-hand experience with immigration, but may not know much about Chinese, Vietnamese,

The students marveled at how new and pristine the graphic novels were, as they are used to older and more well-worn materials. More importantly, even my reluctant readers were engaged and the range of choices helped all students find a book they could read with excitement. One student said: "Ms. Gray, I love this book so much, it's so funny." The last book this student had read to completion was "Say Cheese" by R.L Stine in 6th grade, yet he consumed "American Born Chinese" in one class period alone. Another one of my students who belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community was already a fan of "The Magic Fish", but read it again. He expressed how happy he was to see that book in the classroom and in the hands of his classmates.

Thank you for giving to my students and helping me end the year on a celebratory note. Thank you for making a difference in my classroom and creating a ripple of joy.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Gray