May
26
Purchasing Books at the End of the School Year by Colby Sharp
I love purchasing books for my classroom library. I love it even more when I don’t have to spend my own money to do it. A couple of weeks ago, all of the teachers in my building got an email from our principal informing us that we had received a grant that would allow all of to purchase $250 worth of books for our classroom library. Hooray!
Purchasing books for the classroom library is something that I spent a whole lot of time thinking about. My purchasing decisions differ throughout the year. If I had this money at the beginning of the school year I would spend it differently than if I had it at the middle or end of the school year.
I would LOVE to know how you decide how to spend money on books for your classroom/school library. Please let me know down in the comments.
In the video below, I share the books I purchased and my thinking behind each choice.
Colby Sharp is a husband and father of five. He teaches fifth grade in Parma, Michigan. Colby is the co-founder of Nerdy Book Club. He co-hosts The Yarn podcast with Travis Jonker. Colby co-authored Game Changer! Book Access for All Kid with Donalyn Miller, and he is the editor of The Creativity Project: An Awesometastic Story Collection. His next book, with Donalyn Miller, A Commonsense Guide to Classroom Libraries is scheduled to be released fall 2022.
Nerdy Book Club 
excellent! best gift! I’m a pre-k teacher and I usually buy books that I borrow from other teachers, as I know I use and love them, and other books I’ve heard about throughout the year. it is really exciting and I get it!
I love this. One of the best ways to learn about great books is through our colleagues and the kids we serve.
Wow what a great gift. But, sigh. Not a single NF book….?
The problem when sharing this like this is that readers only get a glimpse into one part of the puzzle. My last order, a month or so ago, was very NF heavy, and I just applied for a grant that is 100% NF. Trying my best to meet the needs of my readers.
So glad–and I am sure you are!
I suggest using your state award list. Here in Kentucky we have the Kentucky Bluegrass Award. I also get suggestions from email from my public library, and subscribe to Mrs. Readerpants.
Those are awesome tips. Thank you for sharing.
Well, now I’m curious where the grant came from, can you share? I want this for my classes too! 🙂 I usually use all of my classroom supply money to buy books for my class library every year. I look at various sources, but ask students as well. I search award lists, I research the top pics of past years (I may have missed some), and I buy in genres that I know I’m lacking in my room.
It was a local grant that is available to educators in our county.
You are so thoughtful with your purchases and I was thrilled to see a picture book at the end!
I’m so happy that you are able to purchase books for your classroom! Here was my plan in the past (I’m the school librarian now):
1) Ask students what they want and/or who their favorite authors are.
2) Look at the current collection and try to diversity and gain new genres. (I actually ran out of states/countries books. I needed the updates!)
3) Look at the recommendations from book clubs/authors/reading friends.
4) Adjust the wish list to meet the needs of my current students in the current classroom.
Have fun purchasing and reading!
Jennifer Sniadecki