Books, books and some more books at the Corner Booskhop

November is one of my favorite months. Thanksgiving is coming, and with it, my mind turns to thinking about all the things that I am thankful for. Today, I am thankful for books! 

As an ELL teacher for grades K-12 , and at least five different proficiency levels, I need  a large selection of books for my students. Many years ago I heard Stephen Krashen speak on the importance of books in the hands of ELL students. If students do not have books that they enjoy reading, how can we expect them to improve their proficiency and fluency? From that time on, I have collected books for my classroom (and a few others as well).

This above photo is taken at our local Friends of the Library bookstore. It shows part of the YOUTH collection that we have for sale at the Corner Bookshop. All the regular youth paperbacks are just 25Ȼ each. Hardcover youth books are 50Ȼ each. My friend Kathy, is in charge of organizing the youth section and keeping it stocked. I love walking in on Thursdays after work as I get to see all the new books that she is putting on the shelves. Many Thursdays I go home with a bagful of books for my classroom, but knowing that I only paid $2-5 dollars for that bag, makes me rejoice (and not feel guilty).

Later on Thursdays, Cristian often comes to stock up his section of the bookstore: history and politics. I love looking at the books that he brings to the store. There are always a few gems that I MUST look at--even if I don;t want to buy them. These gems also also just $1! If you are a bargain shopper, you would love our Corner Bookshop prices!

There are also a few regular customer that know when their favorite sections are being stocked. One Chinese young mother often comes with her daughter to check out the youth section. A few minutes before we close, a gentleman walks in on most Thursdays. His direction is the history and politics sections that hopefully Cristian has just refreshed with new material.

Through volunteering at the Corner Bookstore for many years, I have been able to build my classroom library as well. My students have books that they can checkout or use for in class reading. When parents come, I am also able to show them examples of the books that are at their child's level.

There are also times when it is my turn to escape this world and its responsibilities for a few minutes. That is best done with a book! I can have a book in the car, a book to read when my students are reading independently, and of course, a book to read by my bedside. I like a good mystery with some action mixed in.


This caught my attention when I was looking at our library website for some new upcoming books. The title was intriguing. It is now on my list of books to read .
Then there is John Green's "Fault in Our Stars" that I am reading in small doses. But that might really turn into a different post later on.

What are your favorite books to read to relax or escape for a few minutes?