Book Nook

My days as a librarian are on a fixed schedule.  What this means for me is that classes first through fourth grade come to see me in the library once a week to work on our library curriculum.  Of course, I go into classrooms and help the teachers with research and projects, but I still wanted to have more time with my students with regard to readers advisory.

Enter Book Nook.

The middle school librarian was already doing this with her fifth graders, so I took her idea and extended it to fourth graders.  Once a week, I come into the classrooms and book talk 2-4 different titles.  I mix fiction with non-fiction, make sure there is diversity in the characters as well as a range of reading levels.  This may seem old hat to public librarians, but as a school librarian, time is what brings the end to many ideas.  The beauty of book-talking is that it takes so little classroom time.  In just 5-10 minutes per week, I can expose students to 12-16 new titles.   What a great and simple way to highlight books that may not be getting commercial exposure; books that fit the curriculum; and books students may not otherwise notice.