On a daily basis I have students wander into the library and (you know) casually ask me if Raina Telgemeier's Sisters is in. I (unfortunately) have to laugh an ironic laugh and ask them if they have placed it on hold. Our holds list (when this book first came on the scene and I only had two copies) had topped fifty students! Even with the recent purchase of eight copies of this book, I cannot keep up with the demand. There are runaway hits, but each and every person still has different tastes and needs those opportunities to find the books that they want to read. These books are good for kids. The humor, the safety, the inspiration, the information all of these reasons are reasons enough to let our kids select the books they want to read. Recently I had a 3rd grade student come into the library and request a copy of the Blind Side by Michael Lewis, which I immediately borrowed from a middle school library for him. He said his older sister really enjoyed it and he wanted to try reading it too. The book would be a challenge for him, but I needed him to see that for himself. He returned it the next day unread. As the adults we need to let our kids figure things out. We can offer recommendations, we can have opinions, we can buy them classics and we can wonder why they are reading Captain Underpants for the 47th TIME! But we need to let them read, they will progress! The key here is offer them choices and the time to pick up those books and read!
"Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading,
to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs,
is good for him."
Maya Angelou
to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs,
is good for him."
Maya Angelou
Below are the top ten books according to our library catalog
plus a few more that have gone out frequently in recent weeks.
plus a few more that have gone out frequently in recent weeks.