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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Cortes from Oakland, CA is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Cortes is requesting

Literacy Through Black & Brown Joy!

Help me give my students a rich literary world that centers Black & Brown voices and joy, and allows them to keep their "borrowed" books with them at their seats until they return them to our classroom library.

  • $1,984 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Project

My students are brilliant, curious, loving children who urgently need not only mirrors, but windows and sliding glass doors in their learning environments. My students are Black, Chicanx, Indigenous Guatemalan, Filipinx, Honduran, and more.

During our reading Power Hour, they need to be able to read books that not only develop their literacy skills, but that draw them in, nurture their senses of identity and self-love.

When they connect to something they read about, their eyes light up, they rush to another student, and share the text and their own experiences. More importantly, when they read about worlds different from their own, but that somehow connects to the people in our classroom, they light up, and ask questions, or invite their classmates to teach them more.

These experiences are vital for them, particularly as students in Oakland increasingly experience anti-Blackness from other communities of color, and as queer Black and Brown children experience alienation from their own communities. Thank you for nurturing these future leaders and lovers!

Ms. Cortes
Grades 3-5

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TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

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Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
Teacher Created Resources Black Chair Pocket (TCR20883) • Amazon Business $12.99 27 $350.73
Dog Man: The Supa Epic Collection: From the Creator of Captain Underpants (Dog Man #1-6 Box Set) • Amazon Business $37.90 1 $37.90
The Bad Guys Box Set: Books 1-8 by Aaron Blabey • Amazon Business $29.99 1 $29.99
hand2mind Finger Focus Highlighter, Dyslexia Tools for Kids, Guided Reading Strips, ADHD Tools, Colored Overlays for Reading, Reading Tools for Kids, Calm Strips, Homeschool Supplies (6 Pack) • Amazon Business $23.39 1 $23.39
Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song • Amazon Business $19.99 1 $19.99
New Kid and Class Act: The Box Set • Amazon Business $19.43 1 $19.43
Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People • Amazon Business $18.99 1 $18.99
Ruth and the Green Book • Amazon Business $18.99 1 $18.99
Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del Arcoiris • Amazon Business $18.44 1 $18.44
When Lola Visits • Amazon Business $17.99 1 $17.99
Harlem Renaissance Party • Amazon Business $17.99 1 $17.99
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music • Amazon Business $17.99 1 $17.99
Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El rey del futbol: Bilingual Spanish-English • Amazon Business $17.99 1 $17.99
Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales (Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner) • Amazon Business $17.29 1 $17.29
Turning Pages: My Life Story • Amazon Business $17.04 1 $17.04
Anansi and the Golden Pot • Amazon Business $16.99 1 $16.99
Bronzeville Boys and Girls • Amazon Business $16.99 1 $16.99
Sonny's Bridge: Jazz Legend Sonny Rollins Finds His Groove • Amazon Business $16.89 1 $16.89
Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration • Amazon Business $16.37 1 $16.37
Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story • Amazon Business $16.31 1 $16.31
Zandunga: The Taíno Warrior • Amazon Business $16.00 1 $16.00
RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul • Amazon Business $15.69 1 $15.69
The Honey Jar • Amazon Business $14.95 1 $14.95
Who Are Your People? • Amazon Business $14.93 1 $14.93
The Teachers March!: How Selma's Teachers Changed History • Amazon Business $14.49 1 $14.49
Becoming Muhammad Ali • Amazon Business $14.41 1 $14.41
I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir • Amazon Business $14.29 1 $14.29
The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family • Amazon Business $14.27 1 $14.27
Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You • Amazon Business $13.99 1 $13.99
Ron's Big Mission • Amazon Business $13.99 1 $13.99
Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks • Amazon Business $13.89 1 $13.89
We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know • Amazon Business $13.80 1 $13.80
We Are Water Protectors • Amazon Business $13.63 1 $13.63
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea • Amazon Business $13.50 1 $13.50
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water • Amazon Business $13.41 1 $13.41
My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz (Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Winner) (English, Multilingual and Spanish Edition) • Amazon Business $13.29 1 $13.29
The Crossover Graphic Novel (The Crossover Series) • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
Filipino Children's Favorite Stories: Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales (Favorite Children's Stories) • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
15 x Studyteq Professional Dyslexia Colored Reading Overlays and Rulers + Protective Case | Reading Tracking Rulers for Visual Stress, Dyslexia, Irlens Syndrome, and ADHD • Amazon Business $12.99 1 $12.99
I Promise • Amazon Business $12.98 1 $12.98
Dreamers • Amazon Business $12.68 1 $12.68
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story • Amazon Business $12.68 1 $12.68
Sulwe • Amazon Business $12.58 1 $12.58
Thunder Boy Jr. (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) • Amazon Business $12.49 1 $12.49
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice • Amazon Business $12.00 1 $12.00
Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
Our Class is a Family • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
Mistakes Are How I Learn: An Early Reader Rhyming Story Book for Children to Help with Perseverance and Diligence (Amazing Affirmations) • Amazon Business $11.99 1 $11.99
Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes • Amazon Business $11.98 1 $11.98
Scary Stories Paperback Box Set: The Complete 3-Book Collection with Classic Art by Stephen Gammell • Amazon Business $11.98 1 $11.98
It's So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families (The Family Library) • Amazon Business $11.69 1 $11.69
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: A Growth Mindset Book for Kids to Stretch and Shape Their Brains • Amazon Business $11.33 1 $11.33
Twins: A Graphic Novel (Twins #1) (1) • Amazon Business $11.04 1 $11.04
When Aidan Became a Brother • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You • Amazon Business $10.99 1 $10.99
Abuela's Weave • Amazon Business $10.95 1 $10.95
La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol / The Woman Who Outshone the Sun • Amazon Business $10.95 1 $10.95
Juneteenth Jamboree • Amazon Business $10.95 1 $10.95
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race • Amazon Business $10.89 1 $10.89
Firebird • Amazon Business $10.89 1 $10.89
When Stars Are Scattered • Amazon Business $10.70 1 $10.70
Stacey’s Extraordinary Words • Amazon Business $10.70 1 $10.70
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (Denene Millner Books) • Amazon Business $10.64 1 $10.64
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice • Amazon Business $10.52 1 $10.52
One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
16 Pack Pencil Grips for Kids Handwriting, Pencil Holder for Kids, Handwriting Grip, Ergonomic Training Pencil Grips, Writing Tool for Toddlers, Preschoolers, Children • Amazon Business $9.99 1 $9.99
One Crazy Summer • Amazon Business $4.99 2 $9.98
The Undefeated (Caldecott Medal Book) • Amazon Business $9.74 1 $9.74
All Because You Matter • Amazon Business $9.71 1 $9.71
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker (Illustrated Biographies by Chronicle Books) • Amazon Business $9.49 1 $9.49
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Proud (Young Readers Edition): Living My American Dream • Amazon Business $8.99 1 $8.99
Skin Like Mine (2) (Kids Like Mine) • Amazon Business $8.95 1 $8.95
Hair Love • Amazon Business $8.76 1 $8.76
Celebrate Your Body (and Its Changes, Too!): The Ultimate Puberty Book for Girls (Celebrate You, 1) • Amazon Business $8.18 1 $8.18
The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Borreguita and the Coyote (Reading Rainbow Books) • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil deGrasse Tyson • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy • Amazon Business $7.99 1 $7.99
Guided Reading Strips Highlight Strips Colored Overlay Highlight Bookmarks Help with Dyslexia for Crystal Children and Teacher Supply Assistant (6 Pieces) • Amazon Business $6.99 1 $6.99
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman • Amazon Business $6.89 1 $6.89
Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest Episode 5: Mission Star-Power • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest Episode 1: The Quest for Screen Time • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Keena Ford and the Field Trip Mix-Up • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-Up • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest Episode 2: The Ladek Invasion • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest Episode 4: Attack of the Swamp Thing • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest Episode 3: Muffin Wars • Amazon Business $5.99 1 $5.99
Juneteenth for Mazie (Fiction Picture Books) • Amazon Business $5.95 1 $5.95
The Quickest Kid in Clarksville • Amazon Business $5.19 1 $5.19
Toeshoe Trouble (Sugar Plum Ballerinas, Book 2) • Amazon Business $4.99 1 $4.99

Materials cost

$1,496.42

Vendor shipping charges

FREE

Sales tax

$136.92

3rd party payment processing fee

$22.45

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$1,685.79

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$297.49

Total project goal

$1,983.28

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

$1,983.28

1 Donor

-$396.66

Donations toward project cost

-$337.16

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$59.50

match offer

-$1,586.62

Match offer toward project cost

-$1,348.63

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$237.99

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

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