How many students have I had in class tell me they “don’t read”?

Since I find this unacceptable, I figured I had to do something about it! I realized that the only way to get

kids to read who say they don’t is to be able to match them with a book they will enjoy! You have to start

somewhere. In order to make this happen I had to know the books available to them. So, I began my mission

of knowing YA literature. I read YA all the time, went to conferences about YA, and bought as many books as

my budget would allow! My goal was to have something for everyone, to meet students where they were, and

to have books immediately available. And, what do you know- it worked.

My books and I got so many kids reading, and I ended up with over 2,000 books in my classroom library.

My principal said I had pixie dust, and that I could get a stump to read! But, really it was just reading YA,

being aware of what books were out there, getting to know kids, and then matching them with a book

that they would enjoy. Work and investment for what I know is so important.