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This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Finer from Los Angeles, CA is requesting books through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Finer is requesting

The Perfect Novel for my ESL Students

My project needs 52 paperback copies of the novel "Crossing the Wire" by Will Hobbs that students can read both in class and at home.

  • $431 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

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Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mr. Finer for his next project!

Ambitious? You bet I am. Settling is not enough. Coming in every day and assigning pages to read out of the textbook is not enough. Hoping they will learn without materials that meet their needs and make connections to their lives is not enough. I want more for my students. Thus, my students are reading literature about immigration. We're exploring the English standards (and some history ones) through journals, graphic novels, and short stories about dust bowl migrants, Chinese immigrants, Ellis and Angel Island, etc. I've bought single copies of books on immigration from around the world myself which they read at home. I spend hours in the copy room (and at Staples) running, punching, and stapling the packets of reading material for class. I've selectively picked things at their varying reading levels, and worked in strategies so they can improve their own challenged reading comprehension while grappling with the challenging material. Its working. So far (and its only a week and a half into the semester), they're engaged, working hard, and improving. Given that nearly all of my students are from immigrant families themselves, the connections they are making across history through literature not only are helping them meet the standards, but are helping them grow personally. What's missing is a novel. And I think I've found the perfect one. The novel is called "Crossing the Wire" and it's close to their own situation and is written at their reading level - it follows a boy trying to make his way north to the United States to support his family. Every chapter he encounters a different physical and philosophical struggle. It would provide the perfect capstone to their reading (bringing all the historical work up into a modern story they can directly relate to), and provide a segue into the final writing project of a narrative about their own stories of how their families came to LA. The problem? My school has no money for novels (or more basic supplies like copy paper and binders, which I pay for out-of-pocket). Can you help?

Mr. Finer William Jefferson Clinton Middle School Grades 6-8

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mr. Finer

Los Angeles, CA View local requests

Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

52 students impacted 1donor

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Crossing the Wire Will Hobbs • Barnes and Noble $5.39 52 $280.28

Materials cost

$280.28

Vendor shipping charges

 $28.03

Sales tax

 $20.32

3rd party payment processing fee

$7.01

Fulfillment labor & materials

$17.00

Total project cost

$353.00

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$77.49

Total project goal

$430.49

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $430.49

1 Donor

-$415.29

Donations toward project cost

-$353.00

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$62.29

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$15.20

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

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

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Finer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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