Adopt a Lonely Book

Inspired by a lesson that I learned about from New Jersey school librarian April Bunn at an AASL conference, our 4th graders selected "lonely" picture books - ones that had been rarely or never checked out - and did their best to promote them to younger students. Many of these are truly wonderful books that didn't make it off the library shelves as often as they deserved.

First we discussed how people select which books to read, and students said that in addition to friends' recommendations, the author's name, and jacket descriptions, their choices are most often based on cover art or an intriguing title. Armed with these insights, they set to work creating new book covers, complete with quotes from friends. (I couldn't scan the backs of the covers as they have students' names on them, but have typed in some examples of the glowing reviews from classmates.)

Throughout this week, students in kindergarten through 3rd grade have the opportunity to read the 4th graders' lonely books and leave kind, thoughtful feedback. In the process, many students are broadening their reading and discovering some hidden gems. Perhaps in future as they browse the shelves of a bookstore or library, they will also consider what they see a bit differently.

Check out a few examples below! 

Original cover:
Student's cover:

Critical acclaim from 4th grade: "This book shows how to respect people from different cultures!" and "This is a very intriguing book!"

Original cover:

Student's cover: 

Critical acclaim from 4th grade: "A very sweet story!" and "Shows that anyone can make a difference!"

Original cover:

Student's cover:

Critical acclaim from 4th grade: "This book is awesome!" and "This book is one of the best I've ever read!"