One of the reasons I love my classroom and the beginning of the school year is because I get to share my classroom library with brand new faces! This is definitely the focal part of my classroom. It takes up a majority of the back wall. Right above the library are three big windows that look out onto a beautiful wooded landscape. (I am one lucky teacher). Also, we are sometimes visited by some beautiful birds at our window feeder including most recently a woodpecker!
I started building my classroom library since I student taught and it has grown and evolved very much since then. I could fit all my books into once plastic bin but now I need about 10 boxes to store them all. A quick overview of the library:
1. Books are organized in bins by author or topic.
2. Students "check out" books with a card system.
3. Students store books in "book boxes" for easy storage and easy grab for independent reading.
How do I get books?
One way I gather a lot of books is at the famed Nevins Library Book Sale at Methuen Public Library here in Massachusetts. I've been to other library book sales in the area, and this one is defnitely the best. I can grab hardcovered books for $1 and paperbacks for $0.50. My wallet made out easy this time only spending $20.00 but I had a bag of books! I always go in trying to find something and the rest is extra. My goal is to add to bins that may need a boost or add to my literature circle books so I can have multiple copies.
Another great way I can get books is through Scholastic with club points. Which is great because I order so frequently from Scholastic that I have free shipping with every order. It's also really nice for for families because they can order right online and have the current catalog to choose from. A lot different from when I ordered Scholastic when I was in 4th grade.
Lastly, Amazon has a great "used book" option when you are looking for a book. I can usually grab a book I need for a unit for about 1 penny. The only "flip" side of that is that shipping costs about $3.95. But to grab a great book for under $4.00 still is a great deal.
Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more posts regarding my library.
