When we find something we like, we tend to stick with it - that's true of food, clothing, technology, people, and books.
My students will connect with a genre, series, or author, and it's like pulling teeth to get them to read anything else.
I have a large classroom library, so they have plenty to choose from, but right now the sections that are in demand and completely picked over are: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Heidi Hecklebeck (since I introduced it to my non-Outdoor Ed group right before Spring Break), and graphic novels.
So...I decided to try something new to encourage them to change it up and dare to read something outside their comfort zone. Each month (March was the first month I tried it), I select 4 books for my What's New in Room 302 shelf. I write up a little blurb (green tags) and place the books and their blurbs on the shelf and wait to see what happens.
Last month, 3 of the 4 books became popular and I'm hoping that by the end of this week, all four of these titles will be checked out and voraciously read.
Cross your fingers!
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