1. Unwrap Your Next Read
I created a Google Form with reading interest questions for our faculty and staff. Anyone that wanted to participate could take the survey and I would choose a book for them based on their answers. Then I'd wrap the book up for the winter holidays. They could take it home for the break and return it with a short review for a book display.
2. Skype visits.
This year our Forensics class read Blood, Bullets, and Bones and Skyped with Bridget Heos. Our book club Skyped with Megan Miranda for The Safest Lies, Katie Kennedy for Learning to Swear in America, and we had Marie Marquardt visit us in person for her books. A visit with Tiffany Jackson fell through, but our students still enjoyed reading Monday's Not Coming.
In addition to authors, we Skyped with the book club from Richland Northeast High School a few hours away. We talked about Speak and Hey, Kiddo. My students loved talking to a group at another school.
Next year we already have six Skype visits lined up for our state's Young Adult Book Award nominees!
3. YABA Voting
The Anderson County Election Commission came through for me again this year so that we could vote on real voting machines. I love combining their visit with promoting books and getting students registered to vote. It pairs nicely with the new Civic Engagement Center that I set up in the library with voting information, Selective Service information, legislators contact info and other government-related information. This project was even included in a book recently about addressing life skills in the library program.
4. March Book Madness
This event is always fun because it gives me a chance to book talk and share new books with the students. I also love finding out which one they choose as the winner. Our school chose Fifth Wave as their favorite.
5. Summer Reading
I've already visited our middle school to get our rising freshmen signed up for their summer reading. It was great sharing books with them and telling them about the importance of reading over summer break. These are their choices this year. I'll be working on rising sophomore sign up very soon.
Wow, these are fantastic ideas for reading engagement! As a teacher librarian in training I really appreciate the creative ways you shared to get the whole involved. I especially like "Unwrap Your Next Read" because as a teacher, I would have loved to participate. It resembles the "Heather's Picks" at Indigo which is always enticing, but even more so when the book recommendation is coming from a teacher a student knows.
ReplyDeleteHow do you encourage students to sign up for summer reading? Are there prizes involved and if so, do you fundraise for them?
I love the idea of a summer reading program by the school. Currently our public libraries run a summer reading program, but I believe students would be more willing to participate in a school summer reading program.