I teach English Language Arts. I am also one of my school’s College Advisers. These roles enable me to prepare my students for college, help them get into college, and more importantly, help them to succeed in college. It is hard to get our students to their primary goal of graduating high school, but it is even harder to get our students to look beyond that as they continue their academic career with an appropriate post-secondary option. I love my school and my kids. I enjoy teaching them and inspiring them. It’s exciting to make them more aware as readers, writers and thinkers. So, what's the problem? Despite how hard I work, and the fact that they work even harder, there is still a chasm between what they know and what they need to know. Unfortunately, the biggest hurdle they face is their limited vocabulary. It is unarguable that a good vocabulary is the basis for developing and mastering our facility with language. Without it, it is impossible to compete in today’s challenging academic communities. Some may suggest that these students need to memorize vocabulary lists, but studies show that this kind of learning is limited and temporary. They cannot retain words that they don’t normally use, making these kinds of exercises ineffective. The truth is, the best way to learn and retain new vocabulary is to read, and read often. We are a high needs school that suffers from budgetary constraints and logistical guidelines. We don't have the money to buy new class sets, which eliminates the opportunity for our students to read books written by newer authors. We are limited to the books in our book room, many of which are inappropriate and inaccessible to our students. While some of those books have words that are challenging and difficult, the materials intimidate the students and turn them off to reading altogether. These books make our students hate reading. They don’t do what they don’t like, so their facility with language is stifled by their academic insecurities. They need books that will spark them, inspire them and enlighten them. They need books that will make them want to read and explore. These books will help develop a love for reading and a appreciation of vocabulary. Only then will they be able to tackle the traditional canonical texts. I remember when I was their age. The author I loved, the author I followed and read over and over again, was Stephen King. I first discovered Stephen King through film, but was introduced to his writing when I got my hands on a copy of his first short story collection, Night Shift. First I read the stories that seemed most interesting and then I read my second choices. Ultimately I read the entire book and sought out some of his longer texts. Eventually, I found myself reading everything King and loving it. My love for reading exploded, my vocabulary helped me compete academically and my imagination made me enjoy every second of it. I became a reader and it showed in all aspects of my life. I became more confident and more inspired to challenge myself. I credit King for inspiring me to read and teach. I’d love to return the favor. I can think of no better author to inspire and motivate them than Stephen King. His writing will help them explore what it means to be human. It will help them study and understand the epic battle between good and evil. They’ll be hooked by the first pages. It will help them to develop their ELA appreciation and understanding. These books epitomize good characterization and plot development as well as the Utopian and Dystopian aspects of our ever-changing world. They will challenge them to become more aware and appreciative of the people and the world around them. In the past, I’ve asked the students to buy books, but some couldn't so it was problematic. They were embarrassed, and I felt compelled to help. It was hard to take that financial burden. I'm looking for class sets that I can reuse over and over again. I’m looking for stories that will make them want to read. I’m looking for a challenge for me and my students. Thankfully, through Donor’s Choose, I can hopefully get a class set of Night Shift and the audio book, The Stephen King Collection: Stories from Night Shift by Stephen King, read by John Glover and a class set of Stephen King’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes. This means that I will not only have the full texts for tons of well-written fiction, I’ll also have the audio to help my students connect with the text and the unit in a way that I couldn't do by myself. They can hear an actor read the lines as King had intended. They can experience King in a dramatic and meaningful way. You can make a difference to students in a school that so desperately wants to learn and grow, but is unfortunately lacking the necessary resources. Now is your chance to help them prepare for the world by making it a smaller place, through mastering vocabulary and appreciating good literature. Help them learn more vocabulary to better prepare them for the roles they will play in America’s future.