Saturday, March 8, 2014

21 Thought Salute to Classroom Libraries

21 thought salute to reading, after finishing the remarkable March: Book One by Congressman John Lewis:


  1. I had never known the history or the person in that book, but reading corrected that
  2. everyday, reading reveals gaps in my education
  3. everyday, reading plugs gaps in my education
  4. graphic novels tell as powerful a story as any genre
  5. sometimes I can't imagine a story told any other way except through the graphic novel
  6. my students haven't been picking up graphic novels anymore than text-only novels
  7. actually, I wish more students would try graphic novels
  8. one way I can assist tis o provide the access and continue to build my classroom library
  9. how would kids come to good books if we didn't provide the access
  10. some schools don't have any libraries--the funding was cut
  11. in most schools, classroom libraries are left to teachers to build--our family funding is cut
  12. often, only English teachers build those libraries or create those book floods
  13. I wish all classrooms provided access to good books
  14. providing access often means spending our personal money
  15. books often disappear from my classroom library
  16. disappearing books are often the most-loved books
  17. disappearing books might mean a kid loved it so much he/she couldn't let it go
  18. disappearing books might mean they lost it, forgot about it, or loaned it to another
  19. I've had several students who shared books they've loved with their parents to read
  20. I will keep building my classroom library with good books 
  21. all of the above will continue



8 comments:

  1. Hey Brian,

    My class chose "Watchmen" as their May book last year. It completely changed my perspective on graphic novels. Number 5 is right. "Watchmen" couldn't be told in any other way. It would take volumes!

    Rich

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  2. Thoughts #2, #3 and #19. The favorite book in our classroom right now is Good News, Bad News. Every grown up that enters is asked to read it.

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  3. I was just talking to a colleague yesterday about graphic novels. She has a fantastic collection in her classroom library. I am down to a few titles as they are the books that go out with the tide. The Dogs of War is making the rounds this winter.

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  4. Fantastic list. My high school students are loving Sailor Twain at the moment.

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  5. I have tried to recommend graphic novels for my ELLs, but for some reason they do not like them:( I am trying to do my part for #13!

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  6. This is a lovely idea for a slice. I am on the soapbox of classroom libraries being the lifeline of every classroom. Thank you!

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  7. I love that you are writing about classroom libraries and also supporting graphic novels. I also enjoyed the format of this slice.

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  8. A 21 Thought Salute is a clever idea and I love it. Additionally, after a 6th grade girl brought in The Walking Dead graphic novel to me, I was hooked. I wish there were more available to our students - all that visual goodness does so much for motivation.

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