Starting mid-August I decided to reorganize my classroom library.  I had acquired new books from a teacher and from a favourite used book store, and decided that the time had come to sit in my classroom and assess the collection.  The result?  All of my classroom library books, as well as my literature circle books and my read-aloud books, are in a spreadsheet in alphabetical order.  The books that are not displayed on my blue library cart are stored in boxes according to the different literacy genres and labelled.  When I counted the books I had I was stunned: 336 books in my classroom library, and 127 literature circle books.  Here is what that looks like:

All neatly lined up for a photo op

A quotation that I once stumbled upon while online states “I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.”  I am inclined to agree with this statement.  If we want students to think that reading is important, then we have to show that we appreciate books.  I’m hoping that when students come into the classroom they will notice the boxes of books, the shelves lined with my teaching resources, and my library cart filled with novels and non-fiction they have access to, and they will realize that reading is so much a fundamental part of their lives that it needs to have a prominent place in the classroom.

The book a day challenge is complete, and I will write about it soon.  Until then, I hope everyone will be content with the final book title:

August 31st: Crispin: The Cross of Lead, by Avi