It’s late on a Friday afternoon and a dedicated teacher has gone into the bookroom in search of just the right book to pique the interest of a particular student. This book certainly has to meet the requirements of Common Core. Instinctively, the teacher knows she cannot rely merely on the color-coded stickers on the books. Lexiles are not enough to guide her. Luckily, her reading specialist had this situation in mind when she filled the bookroom with quality children’s literature.

The current trends in reading are driving school districts to purchase sets and programs they believe will support the needs of their students. Systems are marketed as being researched and evidence-based. However, when teachers are armed with the knowledge of best teaching practices, research shows that students learn best when using authentic quality books. Motivation increases and the love of reading grows when students are engaged in books that capture their imagination and challenge their thinking. Computer programs do not know which books connect to a student’s life, but teachers do.

Children’s literature is seen as deceptively simple by some. When used to its potential, children’s literature contains more than just endearing stories. It contains characters to which students can relate and a sequence of understandable and often predictable events. The language uses similes and metaphors that students can modify in their own writing. Authentic quality literature becomes a window to the world but also a map to students themselves. A good book allows students to understand and problem solve within the circumstances of a book that reflects pieces of their own lives.   

Now is the time to build book collections to support what teachers know about their students and best practices in reading. No canned program or system can compare to the expertise teachers bring when using authentic literature. Guided reading, comprehension focus groups, strategy groups, and RTI all can be developed to a richer level of success when done with fidelity using the best books teachers can find. Mindful reading means paying attention to the content we provide students so they grow in their thinking.

The elements of a successful bookroom stay the same whether teachers are selecting titles for an elementary or a secondary level bookroom. Do the characters in the books relate to the world they know? Do the books invite readers to question and learn, to make connections? Readers love books that they find are relevant to themselves and their lives.

The Five Essential Elements

1. Books that are authentic quality literature. Although publishing companies are quick to offer prepared programs for bookrooms, teachers can select books using various resources. Websites like The Nerdy Book Club and the Cooperative Children’s Book Center of University of Wisconsin-Madison offer recommendations beyond Newberry and Caldecott winners. Teachers can find mentor texts, picture books, and chapter books at every level to supplement their curriculum.
2. Books that are culturally relevant and accurate. What is your school population and how do the books chosen represent it? Diversity is fluid, and the titles in the bookroom should reflect how populations change. Although not all cultures are represented equally, teachers need to strive to find materials in which children can identify themselves. 
3. Books that inspire children to think and question. Across content areas, books can be found that support the curriculum in a way that challenge students to question, think, form opinions, and wonder. Pairing a biography about Neil Armstrong or with an informational text about the solar system gives students a chance to think about what it takes to explore space and debate the merits of such exploration. They can persuade or dissuade others to take up such a challenge.
4. Books that represent different times and truths/ideas. Books should cover different time periods and beliefs in history. There are many universal big idea themes that should be represented such as hopes and dreams, fears, challenges, opportunities, greed, ambition, family, and discovery. Also important are themes like slavery throughout the world (past and present), equality, fairness, freedom, and rights.
5. Books that align with the school’s curriculum. Every school district has its own requirements in addition to Common Core Standards. When adding to the bookroom, meeting the needs of classroom teachers who are looking for materials to supplement their curriculum is important. Reading specialists need to talk to all teachers to determine ways to support their teaching with literature from personal narratives to science.

Books are treasures that open the mind to new ideas and imagination. A bookroom should reflect the best in what literature has to offer children. Teachers have the skills to use these books in the many ways students need them presented. The most essential ingredient to a bookroom is the knowledge teachers bring to it when they search for the right book for that certain student late on a Friday afternoon. Mindful reading provides students with the authentic literature they need to be engaged in their learning.

Martha M. Fallis is a reading specialist/literacy coach in the Columbus School District in Wisconsin.