The Book Whisperer

by Donalyn Miller

  Caring for Books

  When making new additions to the library, there are a few things that must be done to the books before they are available for checkout by students. I stamp every book with my name in two places, once inside the cover and once on the outside edge of the pages. I purchased a self-inking stamp from an office supply store for $15. It lasted five years before I had to get it re-inked. Based on the number of books that find their way back to me from the hall, the school library, and other classrooms, the money for this stamp was well spent.

  The majority of our books are paperbacks because they are more affordable, but they do not hold up well. In order to extend the life of the library collection, I cover almost every new or used paperback with clear Con-Tact shelf paper, which you can purchase from a big box or discount store such as Wal-Mart. I trim the edges into flaps and fold them around the corners of the book the same way you would cover a textbook with a paper book cover. The vinyl strengthens and protects the book cover from creasing, tearing, and spills. Library supply catalogs sell rigid plastic adhesive-backed covers, but they are expensive, and for classroom use, they’re not significantly better than the vinyl. Covering the books is labor-intensive, so I weigh the cost of the book against the labor and material cost of covering it. If I spent less than a dollar on the book, I just stamp it and put it in the library.

  I teach my students how to take care of books. I talk to them about propping books open on the spines, describing how the glue breaks and the pages fall out after a while. I also ask them not to dog-ear books by folding the corners over to mark their place, encouraging them to use a bookmark instead. I used to purchase cute little bookmarks from library supply catalogs, but I decided that was a waste of money. My students often personalize their homemade bookmarks, made from index cards or Post-its, with their names or comments about reading—another tiny way to move reading toward their choices instead of mine.

  I do not run the checkout or check-in for our library. In the early days of the year, I explain to students that the freedom to choose books and enjoy such a vast library means they have to take responsibility for keeping the library in shape. When we are choosing class jobs for the year, I pick two or three students from each class to serve as class librarians. The class librarians keep the library organized: applying stickers, stamping, and shelving new books. The librarians also make recommendations and serve as guides, helping their classmates find books when I am busy with other students. All students check out and reshelve their own books.

  I am constantly digging in the library—helping students find books and pulling books for recommendations during conferences—but every month or so, I spend some time really looking at the library. Which books are in need of repair? Which books don’t seem to get checked out? Unread books are an opportunity for a book pass or a book commercial that will expose them to more readers. Which books have I overlooked when making suggestions to children? Which books should be culled due to damage or long use? I also wipe down the books and the bins with antibacterial wipes every now and then. This job is too gross to expect the class librarians to do, and I want to scrutinize our collection. The library withstands heavy use, and that means a lot of hands come into contact with the books.

  Which Books Make the Cut?

  How to set up a library like ours may be of some use or interest to you, but the nuts and bolts of library care are secondary to the library questions “Which books do you recommend?” and “What are some of the books that your students like to read?” Although I endorse any student-selected reading material, I am extremely selective about which titles I stock in the classroom library. Space is limited, and I prefer to use the space we have to offer a wide variety of books. In addition, it is my responsibility, not just as a teacher but as a more knowledgeable reader, to lead my students to books that are rich with good writing and well-regarded by reviewers or other readers.

  If students’ tastes run toward books that have dubious literary merit, they can find these on their own; I cannot pander to their tastes by filling our library with junky books. Is the writing good, or is it schlock? Does the book have interesting social themes, historical information, or language? Award winners, beloved favorites, and books by acclaimed authors dominate our collection. We have few movie, television show, or video game tie-ins in our library; the same goes for series that are basically the same book over and over. I also limit the number of books that reflect popular trends or that are time-sensitive titles like books of lists. The books in our library need to last a long time, and ephemeral pop trends or titles with a short shelf life are luxuries.

  There are no adult fiction books in the library, either, even though some of my sixth graders could read them. Eric read Robert Louis Stevenson’s horror classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and then moved on to Michael Crichton’s adventures Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Michelle is slowly making her way through her mother’s favorite, Jane Eyre. I support advanced readers as much as my developing ones, but I am careful about the line between support and providing adult reading materials to eleven-year-olds. Just because a gifted reader can read more advanced texts does not mean that they are emotionally ready for adult themes and issues. This is not my decision to make; it is a parent’s decision. Gifted readers should read fiction close to their age level and nonfiction at their advanced reading level (Halsted, 2002). In keeping with this principle, I have gathered college textbooks and adult nonfiction texts on a variety of topics of interest to my students, but I limit the fiction offerings to what is age-appropriate.

  The majority of the book choices for our library grow from my own reading experiences and continual recommendations from my network of teachers, librarians, friends, and students. I try to read every book before I place it in the library. Reading a book every few days over summers and holidays, and one book a week during the school year, I rack up about a hundred books a year. Occasionally, I will add an unread book to the library, but only if I have read something else by the author. And I add it to my reading list as soon as possible.

  Appendix B: Ultimate Library List

  I COULD USE my diverse knowledge of books to create a list for you that would make a killer library. Lord knows a bibliophile like me could spend blissful hours composing it. (It would be an extreme version of the desert island-game!) But in keeping with my beliefs that my students run the reading show in every way possible, I have asked them to create a list for you of the books every teacher, grades five through eight, should have in their class library. I tried to set one hundred books as an arbitrary number for the list, but my students kept those titles coming! Because this list reflects the interests and tastes of real students today, you may not see your favorite authors or treasured books here. Remember item 10 in Pennac’s The Rights of the Reader: the right not to defend your tastes.

  These books are the books the children like to read, not those that a teacher chose for them. I made no attempt to balance reading levels, genres, or topics. The third column of the table indicates titles that have a sequel or are the first in a series. You could expand your library by adding the subsequent titles. Once your students are hooked on a series, they will want to read the rest.

  Ultimate Library List (grouped by genre; alphabetical by author)

  Title Author Sequel or Series?

  Realistic Fiction

  Nothing But The Truth Avi

  Hope Was Here Bauer, Joan

  Rules of the Road Bauer, Joan Yes

  Tangerine Bloor, Edward

  Frindle Clements, Andrew

  School Story Clements, Andrew

  The Chocolate War Cormier, Robert Yes

  Walk Two Moons Creech, Sharon

  Chasing Redbird Creech, Sharon

  Seedfolks Fleischman, Paul

  The Clique Harrison, Lisi Yes

  The View from Saturday Konigsburg, E. L.

  The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place Konigsburg, E. L.

  Silent to the Bone Konigsburg, E.
L.

  The Sixth Grade Nickname Game Korman, Gordon

  Son of the Mob Korman, Gordon Yes

  Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life Mass, Wendy

  Tripping Over the Lunch Lady Mercado, Nancy

  Hatchet Paulsen, Gary Yes

  The Boy Who Saved Baseball Ritter, John

  The Schwa Was Here Shusterman, Neal

  Peak Smith, Roland

  Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie Sonnenblick, Jordan

  Maniac Magee Spinelli, Jerry

  Loser Spinelli, Jerry

  Wringer Spinelli, Jerry

  Stargirl Spinelli, Jerry Yes

  Surviving the Applewhites Tolan, Stephanie

  Each Little Bird That Sings Wiles, Deborah

  Love, Ruby Lavender Wiles, Deborah

  Fantasy

  The Word Eater Amato, Mary

  The Underneath Appelt, Kathi

  Artemis Fowl Colfer, Eoin Yes

  Gregor the Overlander Collins, Suzanne Yes

  The Sea of Trolls Farmer, Nancy Yes

  The Thief Lord Funke, Cornelia

  Inkheart Funke, Cornelia Yes

  Princess Academy Hale, Shannon

  Children of the Lamp Kerr, P. B. Yes

  Guardians of Ga’Hoole: The Capture Lasky, Kathryn Yes

  Ella Enchanted Levine, Gail Carson

  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Lewis, C. S. Yes

  Twilight Meyer, Stephenie Yes

  Eragon Paolini, Christopher Yes

  The Lightning Thief Riordan, Rick Yes

  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Rowling, J. K. Yes

  Midnighters Westerfeld, Scott Yes

  The Warrior Heir Chima, Cinda Williams Yes

  The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp Yancey, Rick Yes

  Historical Fiction

  Fever 1793 Anderson, Laurie Halse

  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Avi

  Crispin: The Cross of Lead Avi Yes

  Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Coerr, Eleanor

  The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 Curtis, Christopher Paul

  Bud, Not Buddy Curtis, Christopher Paul

  Catherine, Called Birdy Cushman, Karen

  Stone Fox Gardiner, John Reynolds

  Number the Stars Lowry, Lois

  A Boy at War Mazer, Harry Yes

  Kensuke’s Kingdom Morpurgo, Michael

  Private Peaceful Morpurgo, Michael

  Soldier’s Heart Paulsen, Gary

  Where the Red Fern Grows Rawls, Wilson

  Riding Freedom Ryan, Pam Munoz

  Esperanza Rising Ryan, Pam Munoz

  Under the Blood-Red Sun Salisbury, Graham

  The Wednesday Wars Schmidt, Gary

  Homeless Bird Whelan, Gloria

  The Ravenmaster’s Secret Woodruff, Elvira

  Hiroshima Yep, Laurence

  The Devil’s Arithmetic Yolen, Jane

  Science Fiction

  Things Not Seen Clements, Andrew

  The Supernaturalist Colfer, Eoin

  The Last Dog on Earth Ehrenhaft, Daniel

  The House of the Scorpion Farmer, Nancy

  The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm Farmer, Nancy

  Among the Hidden Haddix, Margaret Peterson Yes

  Double Identity Haddix, Margaret Peterson

  Stormbreaker Horowitz, Anthony Yes

  The Giver Lowry, Lois Yes

  The Beasties Sleator, William

  Cryptid Hunter Smith, Roland

  Uglies Westerfeld, Scott Yes

  Mystery

  Chasing Vermeer Balliet, Blue Yes

  Half-Moon Investigations Colfer, Eoin

  The Face on the Milk Carton Cooney, Caroline Yes

  Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery Feinstein, John

  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Konigsburg, E. L.

  On the Run: Chasing the Falconers Korman, Gordon Yes

  How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found Nickerson, Sara

  Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief Van Draanen, Wendelin Yes

  Traditional Literature

  D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths D’Aulaire, Ingri

  D’Aulaire’s Book of Norse Myths D’Aulaire, Ingri

  Myths and Legends Horowitz, Anthony

  The Rough-Face Girl Martin, Rafe

  The Outlaws of Sherwood McKinley, Robin

  Beast Napoli, Donna Jo

  Bound Napoli, Donna Jo

  Favorite Greek Myths Osborne, Mary Pope

  The Once and Future King White, T. H.

  Greyling Yolen, Jane

  Here There Be Dragons Yolen, Jane Yes

  Poetry

  Love That Dog Creech, Sharon

  If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand Dakos, Kalli

  Joyful Noise Fleischman, Paul

  Toasting Marshmallows George, Kristine O’Connell

  I Never Said I Wasn’t Difficult Holbrook, Sara

  Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices Janeczko, Paul

  The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight Prelutsky, Jack

  For Laughing Out Loud Prelutsky, Jack

  Where the Sidewalk Ends Silverstein, Shel

  A Light in the Attic Silverstein, Shel

  One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies Sones, Sonya

  What My Mother Doesn’t Know Sones, Sonya

  Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs

  Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Frank, Anne

  Helen Keller: A Photographic Story of a Life Garrett, Leslie Yes

  The Tarantula in My Purse George, Jean Graighead

  Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam Huynh, Quang Nhuong and Tseng, Jean & Mou-sien

  Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio Kehret, Peg

  Tree Shaker: The Story of Nelson Mandela Keller, Bill

  How Angel Peterson Got His Name Paulsen, Gary

  My Life in Dog Years Paulsen, Gary

  Informational

  Hitler Youth Bartoletti, Susan

  World War II DK Eyewitness Books Yes

  The Way Things Work Macaulay, David

  Gastle Macaulay, David Yes

  Oh Rats! The Story of Rats and People Marrin, Albert and Mordan, C. B.

  You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Egyptian Mummy! Stewart, David, Salariya, David, and Antram, David Yes

  Appendix C: Student Forms

  Source: Reis et al., 2005. “Reading Interest-A-Lyzer.” Copyright © 2005 by Sally M. Reis. Based on the Interest-A-Lyzer by Joseph S. Renzulli.

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