So now we have discussed how to make the most of scholastic book orders. You might be thinking what do I order? What do I need? When you first start a library it’s tempting to grab everything you can get cheap or free. Not going to lie that is how I started. After a while, I realized I could be pickier. There are books I “need” in my library and that I know that will get checked out and those that will never get checked out.
Before even starting a checklist I have to answer two basic questions.
1) What grade level/age am I purchasing or stocking up on books for?
2) What is my goal for these books?
The first question is crucial. Books for my soon to be the baby girl are going to be very different than the books I want for second-grade students. I need to think about my audience.
Once I identified the general age/grade level then I need to think about what are my books being used for? Do I want books that match the state objectives, teach a lesson, entertain children, represent diversity, etc..?
Now I can take stock of what I have and fill out a checklist.
This checklist is by no means complete but I am making this as a starting point for you to build your library.
¨ Early chapter books
o Owl Diaries
o Princess in Black
o Bad Kitty
o Chicken Squad
o Junie B Jones
o _____________
¨ Chapter books (this is dependent on your grade level)
¨ Homelife
o Glasses
o New baby
o Family
o Grandparents
o ______________
¨ Graphic novels (this is dependent on your grade level)
¨ Nonfiction
o Animals
o Seasons
o Presidents
o History
o Maps
o Habitats
o Recycling
o Earth
o Plants
o Weather
o Body
o Careers
o Sports
o ____________________
¨ Biographies
o Presidents
o Women
o Black History
o Asian
o Sports
o Hispanic
o Inventors
o ________________
¨ Fiction
o Sight word books
o TV Shows
o Comics
o ______________
¨ Award winning
o Texas Bluebonnet
o ALA
o Newberry
o Coretta Scott King
o Caldecott
o _________________
¨ Humor
¨ Bibliotherapy
o Divorce
o Manners
o Emotions
o Feelings
o Bucket Fillers
o Bullying
o Friendship
o ________
¨ TEKS/ State Standards
o Colors
o Shapes
o Inferencing
o Animals
o Art
o School
o ABC
o Counting
o Rhyming
o Phonics
o Fractions
o Addition/subtraction
o Division/Multiplication
o Graduation
o Books about your state
o _______________
¨ Poetry
¨ Holidays
¨ Current events
¨ Series
o Elephant & Piggie
o Fly Guy
o There was an Old Lady
o TV Shows
o Star Wars
o Harry Potter
o Percy Jackson
o Magic School Bus
o Llama Llama
o _______________
¨ Characters
o Splat the Cat
o Pete the Cat
o Pinkalicious
o Scooby Doo
o Olivia
o Curious George
o Clifford
o Fly Guy
o Fancy Nancy
o Flat Stanly
o Barbie
o Arthur
o _____________
¨ Authors
o Melanie Watt
o Laura Ingalls Wilder
o Audrey Wood
o Patricia Polacco
o Mercer Mayer
o James Marshall
o Syd Hoff
o Dr. Seuss
o Kevin Henkes
o Doreen Cronin
o Donald Crews
o Ezra Jack Keets
o Eric Carle
o Mo Willems
o David Shannon
o ____________________
¨ Fairy and Folk Tales
o Little Red Riding Hood
o The Ugly Ducking
o The Three Bears
o The Three Little Pigs
o Rapunzel
o Stone Soup
o Songs
o Little Red Hen
o Tortoise and the Hare
o Three Billy Goats Gruff
o Jack and the Beanstock
o __________________
¨ Subject
o Math
o Reading
o Science
o Social Studies
o Safety
o Teeth
o Bedtime
¨ Back to school
