Free books!

I got free books! You probably don't know me, but if you did you would know that there is a lot of bouncing and happy dancing going on right now. The Tattered Cover, an indie book store here in Denver, offers educators in the area a chance to get advanced release copies for free. Advanced Release Copies are books that are printed prior to mass publishing to be offered to journalists, librarians, and other people who give feedback on the book. I was given two conditions for the books- 1. DO NOT SELL THEM (the lady literally said it in all caps guys. I got caps locked in real life) and 2. have the kids who read them write a short review. Since my students usually write a review of the books that they read anyway, that was pretty easy to agree to. I am so excited to stick these in my classroom library.

I have a pretty extensive classroom library. I have three bookshelves full of books, all organized by genre. At least, I think it's extensive. Until I try to find a book for a student. Their preferences are all over the place. Then I really wish it was just a smidge bigger. Or a lot bigger. My fantasy section takes up two full shelves- many of them my personal books that wandered over to my classroom library. In the last four years at my current school, I have had two of them actually get borrowed. Two. 1. 2. I fangirl a little when it happens actually, just because I really like talking to students about books that I have read. I probably scare kids off, I get that enthusiastic about it.

One of my kids the other day privately told me, "Low-key miss, now that you make us read, I kind of like it". I tried not to dance right then and there, because it weirds kids out. But seriously, when she left, I was wiggling like there was no tomorrow. If that happens to just one kid in my whole career, then I'm good with it. The kids have to read a book of their choice, within their reading level, once a month, and do a short project on it. I offer a lot of choice with the projects- text someone about it, talk to someone and take video, write a letter to the author, write a script, write a review. There are a ton of options, and they are all designed to be completed in 15 minutes or so. I have never done the math to figure out what the rate of completion on my homework is- I'll keep my illusions, thank you. I know it's bad, but I don't need to know how bad. But having a kid tell me she's learning to like reading from my class? I'll take it.