Debbie Alvarez provides many suggestions for encouraging reading in the classroom, including reading aloud daily, celebrating book-related holidays and events, recommending books to students, and maintaining an enthusiastic reading environment. She recommends the book "Reading in the Wild" by Donalyn Miller as a professional resource. Alvarez also shares online reading resources and book lists to support teachers in selecting books for students.

1. Top Books Shared, Encouraging
Readers, and Book Selection
Resources
Debbie Alvarez
LITT, McKay Elementary School

2. How do you encourage a reading environment in
your classroom?
Be a reader and show it-
document it! Pop what you’re
reading as a sign on your door.
Play book trailers during
classroom transition times

3. How do you encourage a reading environment in
your classroom?
My favorite book trailer of the year:

4. How do you encourage a reading environment in
your classroom?
Share your enthusiasm- have community
reading conversations
Track your readers, what do you think
they’ll enjoy next?

5. How do you encourage a reading environment in
your classroom?
Connect to authors (Skype, write, visits)
http://www.katemessner.com/authors-who-skype-with-classes-book-clubs-for-free/
Share picture books (fiction, nonfiction,
biographies) that fit your curriculum, use
as provocation, discussion prompt,
mentor text…

6. How do you encourage a reading environment in
your classroom?
Pick book celebrations throughout the
year.
Celebrate book releases like new movie
releases

7. How do you encourage a reading environment in
your classroom?
Read aloud every day. No time? Look at
transition times. Throat sore?
Audiobooks. Technology? Tumblebooks
and other resources!
Connect to readers in other classes-
buddy reading; in other schools- Skype...

8. Steal it- you have dead time in your days, find it and use it.
Good readers don’t read for hours, they read in spurts, five
to ten minutes here and there.
Put down a book and reject it if you’re not thrilled with it.
Listen to audiobooks.
Put books on hold at the public library and visit once a
week.
Talk with your LITT, school library assistant, other
colleague who inspires you to pick up a book.
Read children’s literature.
But Debbie I don’t have time to
read!

9. Professional book
recommendation:
Reading in the Wild
The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong
Reading Habits
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Make it your goal:
Create wild readers- 5 Traits

10. Professional book
recommendation:
Reading in the Wild
The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong
Reading Habits
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Make it your goal:
Create wild readers- 5 Traits:
Dedicate time to read.

11. Professional book
recommendation:
Reading in the Wild
The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong
Reading Habits
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Make it your goal:
Create wild readers- 5 Traits:
Self-select reading
material

12. Professional book
recommendation:
Reading in the Wild
The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong
Reading Habits
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Make it your goal:
Create wild readers- 5 Traits:
Share books and reading
with other readers

13. Professional book
recommendation:
Reading in the Wild
The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong
Reading Habits
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Make it your goal:
Create wild readers- 5 Traits:
Have reading plans

14. Professional book
recommendation:
Reading in the Wild
The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading
Habits
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Make it your goal:
Create wild readers- 5 Traits:
Show preferences for
genres, authors, and topics

15. Professional Inspiration
http://www.librarygirl.net/2015/08/learning-to-read-alone-is-not-enough.html
Quote from post by Jennifer LaGarde:
I hope you'll consider the following fundamental truths as you plan lessons and
activities for the young (potential) readers you serve:
Our most successful students tend to have one thing in common: they
are readers. And by successful I don't just mean that they perform well on
standardized tests (although they do) I also mean that they are better at doing
other things that actually matter. Time and time again, studies have shown that
students who are readers out perform their non-reading counterparts in multiple
subject areas. But recent studies also suggest that students who read for
pleasure also develop stronger senses of empathy and personal well
being. In short, readers win at school and they also win at life. That
said...

16. Professional Inspiration
http://www.librarygirl.net/2015/08/learning-to-read-alone-is-not-enough.html
Quote from post by Jennifer LaGarde:
That said… I hope you'll consider the following fundamental truths as you plan
lessons and activities for the young (potential) readers you serve:
Our students are most likely to become readers when:
they are given choice in what they read,
they have teachers who also read for pleasure,
they see reading as an essential part of their lives and not just
something they have to do for school, and...
they develop a habit of reading grown out of having made authentic and
meaningful connections with books.

17. Professional Inspiration
Smash those myths!
http://pernillesripp.com/2015/08/04/stop-feeding-the-beast-the-
reading-myths-we-pass-on-as-truth/ - This is a great article to read
about many reading myths educators tell themselves.
“This is a girl/boy book.”
“This is an easy read”
“He/She is a low/high reader”
“Most boys don’t really like to read”
“The older they get, the less they love books”
“But they’re not really reading…”
“They are too old for read alouds, picture books, choral reading,
Diary of a Wimpy Kid…”

18. September through November: Global Read Aloud
http://theglobalreadaloud.com/
September through June:
Oregon Children’s Book Awards; Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice
Awards, Oregon Battle of the Books
September 13th, Roald Dahl Day -
http://www.roalddahl.com/create-and-learn/join-in/roald-dahl-day
September 15th, International Dot Day
http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/
September 19th, Talk Like a Pirate Day
http://www.national-awareness-days.com/international-talk-like-a-pirate-day.html
October 22nd, Jumpstart Read for the Record
https://www.jstart.org/campaigns/read-for-the-record
October 10th, Star Wars Reads Day
http://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-reads-day-fully-armed-and-operational-on-october-10
October 19th-23rd, Digital Citizenship Week
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/digitalcitizenshipweek
December 7th -13th, Hour of Code
https://hourofcode.com/us
February 24th: World Read Aloud Day
http://www.litworld.org/wrad/
March 2nd: Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
http://www.seussville.com/parents/themes/hats-off-to-dr-seuss-s-birthday
March 3rd: World Book Day
http://worldbookday.com/
April: Poetry Month Celebrations
http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/poetry
April 28th: Poem in Your Pocket Day
http://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day
April 12th: Drop Everything and Read Day/Beverly Cleary’s Birthday
http://www.dropeverythingandread.com/NationalDEARday.html
May 2nd-8th: Children’s Book Week
http://www.bookweekonline.com/about
Celebrations to Consider

19. September through November:
Global Read Aloud
http://theglobalreadaloud.com/
September through June:
ORCA - Oregon Readers’s Choice Awards
BCCCA- Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Awards
OBOB- Oregon Battle of the Books
Patricia Gallagher Book Awards
Celebrations to Consider
DON’T
FORGET:
COUNT ON
YOUR
EXPERTS!

20. September 13th, Roald Dahl Day -
http://www.roalddahl.com/create-and-learn/join-in/roald-dahl-day
September 15th, International Dot Day
http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/
September 19th, Talk Like a Pirate Day
http://www.national-awareness-days.com/international-talk-like-a-pirate-day.html
Celebrations to Consider

21. October 22nd, Jumpstart Read for the Record
https://www.jstart.org/campaigns/read-for-the-record
October 10th, Star Wars Reads Day
http://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-reads-day-fully-armed-and-operational-on-october-10
October 19th-23rd, Digital Citizenship Week
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/digitalcitizenshipweek
Celebrations to Consider

22. December 7th -13th, Hour of Code
https://hourofcode.com/us
February 24th: World Read Aloud Day
http://www.litworld.org/wrad/
March 2nd: Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
http://www.seussville.com/parents/themes/hats-off-to-dr-seuss-s-
birthday
March 3rd: World Book Day
http://worldbookday.com/
Celebrations to Consider

23. April: Poetry Month Celebrations
http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/poetry
April 28th: Poem in Your Pocket Day
http://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day
April 12th: Drop Everything and Read Day/
Beverly Cleary’s Birthday
http://www.dropeverythingandread.com/NationalDEARday.html
May 2nd-8th: Children’s Book Week
http://www.bookweekonline.com/about
Celebrations to Consider

24. Online Reading Resources
http://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/findbooks

25. Online Resources for selecting
books
http://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/choosebooks

26. What about new books coming to
my room?
There are an incredible amount of books being delivered to
classrooms.
It could be a little overwhelming to figure out which books to
begin with.
I highlighted the books I’m excited about on the list for each
grade level K-5.
https://goo.gl/cMCrdo

27. Other Online Resources
McKay Library
LITT Resources
http://bit.ly/1KsUFVX

28. Book Time!
Book List Here:
https://goo.gl/jXum4M
Recommended Books
There are so many books that could additionally be added to this list. Please visit my Goodreads account for
further titles:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1941055?shelf=read

29. Thank you for listening!
Debbie Alvarez, McKay Elementary, LITT
Styling Librarian Blogger at:
http://thestylinglibrarian.com/
Want more book ideas and reviews? – Please visit me at Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1941055-the-styling-librarian, my Facebook page,
comment, or meet up with me on Twitter @stylinlibrarian.
Deborah_Alvarez@beaverton.k12.or.us

30. Resources
Quotes from blog posts and books:
Reading in the Wild
The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Jennifer LaGarde:
http://www.librarygirl.net/2015/08/learning-to-read-alone-is-not-enough.html
Pernille S. Ripp
http://pernillesripp.com/2015/08/04/stop-feeding-the-beast-the-reading-myths-we-pass-on-as-truth/
Image from Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Image from Tamara Cox: https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/passive-aggressive-book-
promotion/