A small collection of printed books no longer supports the type of research required by a 21st century curriculum. We wanted to create a library that reflected the reality of how students do research and fostered what they do, one that went beyond stacks and stacks of underutilized books.
"If I was starting a library in a middle school, these are the first ten books I'd buy. In reading these books, students would be reading stories Native writers create about Native people and places. The books I list here include fiction, historical fiction, and poetry."
"If I was starting a library in a high school, these are the first ten books I'd buy. In reading these books, students would be reading stories Native writers create about Native people and places. The books I list here include fiction, historical fiction, poetry, short stories, and, prose.
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"If I was starting a library in an elementary school, these are the first ten books I'd buy. In reading these books, students would be reading stories Native writers create about Native people and places. The books I list here include fiction, historical fiction, traditional story, and poetry. "
So, my vote is that schools have extensive digital collections for research and scholarly work, and a good selection of interesting and age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction for pleasure reading.
A wonderful blog about books, reading and school libraries by a teacher-librarian in a dual-track French-English elementary school. She had been teaching for 11 years.
"If I was starting a library in a high school, these are the first ten books I'd buy. In reading these books, students would be reading stories Native writers create about Native people and places. The books I list here include fiction, historical fiction, poetry, short stories, and, prose. "
William's blog - starting at 14, rather than accept his fate, William started borrowing books from a small community lending library located at his former primary school. He borrowed an 8th grade American textbook called Using Energy, which depicted wind turbines on its cover. He decided to build a windmill to power his family's home and obviate the need for kerosene, which provided only smoky, flickering, distant and expensive light after dark.
This selective list provides information on more than 100 books and some magazines that have been challenged in the past decades. Each challenge sought to limit public access to the books and magazines in schools, libraries, or bookstores. Some challenges were upheld; others were rejected.
Debbie Reese's analysis of Peter Pan in Scarlet - which received a starred review in School Library Journal. She says and then proceeds to describe, "The worst parts for me, as I read this book, are McCaughrean's references to Indians:"