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This teacher needs your help!

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

See what Ms. Martinez is requesting

The Perks of Reading About A Wallflower

My students need 35 copies of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" to engage reluctant readers in a critical analysis of universal themes, characterization & self-identity.

  • $514 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Martinez for her next project!

Help Ms. Martinez

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Ms. Martinez for her next project!

My Students

"Reading is boring. I'll only do it if I have to." This is the general consensus amongst my 9th grade students. This was also my own feeling about reading right around their age, until I found that ONE book that completely changed me. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is THAT book for my students.

Our inner-city school is a Title I school, which is a low-income school.

Over 66% of students commute because they live outside of the school's community; most students are bussed in from various other parts of the city. B.M.M.H.S. attracts many culturally and linguistically diverse students. In one of my ninth grade classes alone, out of the thirty-four students in that class, only two do not speak a language other than English at home. Most students speak Spanish, and a few others speak Tagalog, Cantonese or Bengali. Additionally, because most of my ninth grade students are English Language Learners, most are also struggling or reluctant readers and writers. My ultimate goal is to help my students become life-long readers, but I need help tantalizing their hunger for reading. Although they understand that reading is important, I need help getting to them to WANT to read as opposed to perpetuating the idea that they HAVE to read.

My Project

Three years ago, I dipped into my own savings to buy 35 copies of Perks to use with my students. Little did I know that many of my former students would return to my class and say that out of all the books we read, this was their favorite book! Essentially, the major texts for the second semester highlight my opening theme, "Identity: In Search of the Self". More specifically, my overall goals for my unit on Stephen Chbosky's epistolary novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, are to analyze the universal themes and characters in Chbosky's coming-of-age story, and it will also help me guide my students in a critical analysis of themselves as they compare their experiences as new 9th graders to the experiences of the high school students in the novel. Reluctant readers & writers tend to lack the adequate skills to enjoy reading and writing, and for this reason I need a powerful teaching tool to motivate my students to read & write, and that tool is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Chbosky's novel chronicles the first year of Charlie's high school life, which is a challenging transitional year for him, much like the 9th grade is a dramatic transitional year for my students.

Students experience the dramatic transfer from middle school to high school, and many are also experiencing insecurities, anxiety, and other painful circumstances, much like Charlie. This is the third year I use this novel with my 9th graders and it is an incredibly effective teaching tool.

Ms. Martinez Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School Grades 9-12

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 Ms. Martinez

Los Angeles, CA View local requests

More than three‑quarters of 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

70 students impacted 14donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower • AKJ Books $10.36 35 $362.60

Materials cost

$362.60

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $33.18

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.44

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$436.22

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$76.98

Total project goal

$513.20

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $513.20

9 Donors

-$321.00

Donations toward project cost

-$273.00

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$48.00

Matching donations from our partners

-$192.02

Match offers toward project cost

-$163.22

Match offers to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$28.80

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$0.18

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 Ms. Martinez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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