I first met Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan several years ago when they wrote the fabulous book, Assessment in Perspective. Over the years I've caught up with them at conferences like All Write, NCTE, and NerdCamp Michigan. Each time I see them I'm struck by how smart they are, and how much they want to help teachers. When they shared they were writing their newest book, It's All About the Books: How to Create Bookrooms and Classroom Libraries that Inspire Readers, I was grateful. I didn't know of another book out there that would be a resource like this for those of us in the classroom. We need something like this book to share with our administrators, to show them the need for book rooms, classroom libraries, to share what they do for our kids. Tammy and Clare have written this book and it will not only help inform our decisions as we create these libraries, but it will also support us in our work.
Clare and Tammy's book is set up to help you from the ground up. It begins with research on why books are necessary for developing life long readers. There are chapters on choosing books, organinizing them, the inventory process, how to get the books, supporting your students in their book choice, and more. This book will be beneficial for teachers just starting out and veteran teachers who want to reflect and examine the way they have set up their classroom library.
It's All About the Books covers every possible question of setting up classroom libraries and bookrooms. They look at what you can do with a variety of funding levels, how to manage a bookroom, and there are so many visuals throughout the book, you can't help but be inspired. But don't take my word for it, check it out yourself. Heinemann has graciously offered to give away a copy of Clare and Tammy's new book to one reader of this blog. If you'd like to enter, please fill out the Google Form below. I will select a winner by 11:00pm on Thursday, May 10th. Good luck!
