When NYC Schools Chancellor, Carmen Farina was principal of PS 6 in Manhattan, she instituted a ‘Book of the Month’ program that has been adopted by many TCRWP schools over the years. These books are gifts to each classroom at the beginning of the month and are a wonderful way for schools to come together and celebrate and reinforce the importance of literacy.
Texts may be chosen to fulfill a variety of needs within the school. In the past, texts have been chosen to highlight ideals or values important to the community, to foster engaging conversations, to celebrate accomplishments and milestones, to highlight significant content, or to call the community to action.These texts are most often picture books so that they are accessible to students of a variety of ages and do not draw teachers and students away from their regularly scheduled read alouds. Many schools devote a public space to the celebration of these books and students’ responses to the texts.
Some suggestions you may consider this year include: Firefly July by Paul Janeczko, The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat, Water Can Be…by Laura Purdie Salas, Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman, The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, The Right Word by Jen Bryant, Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton, I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and Mysterious Patterns by Sarah C. Campbell. Follow @TCRWP for more titles and please be sure to share your suggestions, too!
