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Franki's Response
Hi Aimee! This always sounds so much easier than it really is when it comes down to it! I keep rethinking so many of my decisions and playing with the library.
I agree about meeting the needs all readers with the library. I guess I am not sure where my stronger 4th grade readers will be. I am trying to weed out those books that many of my strong 5th graders read this year. I am so torn every time I weed a book. I know that it often takes one book to get a child reading and I never know which book it might be. I am keeping lots of the older books but they have to be good. I have a basket of award winners and a basket of classics. So many of the author baskets have books that are older, but they are great ones like the Ramona series. I have finally weeded out all of the books I purchased at the beginning of my career---you know the ones you purchase at any garage sale when you are building your library?
I've thought about the fiction/nonfiction placement a lot. In our classroom, we don't really have a reading area. We have a meeting area, but we meet there for all subjects. I read a long time ago that for primary students it is a good idea to separate fiction from nonfiction. It teaches young students the difference between the two just by the placement. And kids learn about why they read certain books when they have to walk to a different place in the room. So, I started separating them when I taught kindergarten and have stuck with that. It also spreads books out for me so that kids are never crowded in the reading area. When they are shopping for books, there are several places they can be. I am worried that the poetry section is too far removed from the rest of the books, but Jen (who I am sharing a classrom with) has this great little rug that we put right in front of the poetry to create a little spot for reading it. I also have a basket of poems on top that may invite reading them.
Weeding and organizing books into baskets.
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As for literature circles, etc. I always have a "Read With a Friend" bookshelf that houses books in sets of two or more. I used to keep those books packed away but then I realized that if I want kids to know that I value talking about books, those sets needed to be out and visible to students. So, I put sets of books together so when kids wanted to read together, create book clubs, etc. the books were visible. I loved it and kids used them so much. But space is an issue this year and I'm not sure that we'll have a space for them. Soooo, that section may go. I may find a way to put them in baskets in cupboards and just somehow make them accessible to the students. I haven't figured that out yet.
I am really bad at organizing and making choices around magazines. I weeded out all of the magazines I had - I didn't pack and move them with me. I think they are really important but I want them to be current. So, I didn't feel bad about getting rid of last year's. I usually put them in baskets on top of shelves but I have very few to start the year. This is not a strength in my classroom library but I'd like to make them more available. Which ones do you get and how do you organize them?
I am trying to pull lots of picture book authors and series in with the other chapter series books so that they are seen as valued parts of the library. I have several author baskets including Patricia Polacco, Louise Borden, and Chris Van Allsburg. I'd like to have even more and add some poetry author baskets too. I also have authors like Jon Scieszka and Ralph Fletcher who have picture and chapter books. I feel like we are missing some great picture books with our kids during reading time because they are set on reading chapter books. I have a good collection of picture book fairy tales (The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child is my new favorite!) and those are on a designated shelf. I hate for kids to miss these great books as options for reading time.
I try to display new books on top of all of my shelves. I try to change them often and I use plate holders or something similiar so they are standing up on display. I also have a basket for new books, a basket for books we've read aloud, etc. One of my favorite baskets is my Fun With Words basket.
The "Fun with Words" basket.
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It has lots of books with great word play, books about words, books with puns, etc. I also have a basket of books about books and reading. These are just miscellaneous baskets but they are some of my favorites that don't really fit anywhere else.
What do you do about books you use for writing? Do you have any baskets or places for books that you use in minilessons or by mentor authors? I have never done this but wonder if I should. I noticed in your video that you had a display shelf with books and post-its. Were those the books you were using in Writing Workshop? I am not sure how to use the library to better support writing. Any ideas?
Franki
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About
Jennifer Allen
