Knightly News

Enter English teacher Martha Guarisco’s classroom and it quickly becomes clear that you’ve entered the space of a reader. Bookshelves line the wall and hold more than 800 middle grade books just waiting for young readers to explore. Growing up with a librarian for a mother, Guarisco is accustomed to being surrounded by books this way. “I always loved to read and read pretty voraciously,” she says. Now she shares that love of reading with students, and a recent grant award is bolstering the effort. 

Guarisco received one of 63 classroom library grants awarded by the Book Love Foundation. Each year the foundation receives approximately 400 applications for grants which help teachers establish and maintain classroom libraries. This year, the foundation provided $85,000 in grants to educators in the U.S. and Canada. According to the Book Love press release, “It is about putting relevant, engaging books into students’ hands and then carving out school time to read them.” That statement truly resonates with Guarisco, who says when she discovered the opportunity she thought, “Here’s the Martha Guarisco grant!”

Promoting Independent Recreational Reading

“I believe that every person is a reader,” says Guarisco. “They may not know it yet.” As an English teacher, Guarisco is passionate about reading and guiding students through literary studies. She carefully selects written works for the class to read and digest as a group, focusing on different genres, authors and writing styles. However, when it comes to independent reading, she wants each student to choose what they like and discover their inner reader. She is so passionate about this that she carves out time for independent reading in each of her English classes. “What we value, we dedicate time to,” she says. And Guarisco values reading. She says a good story allows the reader to see the world from the perspective of others. It can also be reassuring for students especially and help them feel like they are not alone in whatever they face. In addition, Guarisco has researched the link between reading and empathy development. She’s found that there is a direct correlation between the two. 

Watching students in Guarisco’s classroom feels like observing a book club. When Guarisco finishes reading aloud, the group erupts with requests to continue. When she unveils the new books purchased with the grant funding, students are eager to get their hands on the new reads. “I’ve been looking for that book everywhere,” a sixth grader shares with excitement. The students are part of a community of readers, and the new material will see frequent use. 

Breaking Down Barriers and Connecting with Books

Guarisco says a classroom library helps students engage and connect and access to books can break down the common barriers to establishing a reading community. One way Guarisco intentionally seeks to engage students is by having diversity in the books available in her classroom. She does this in the required reading texts and the classroom library. “It’s important for every kid to see himself or herself in a book,” she says. Guarisco has watched as students get excited to find that a story features someone like them. It reinforces her belief that diversity in stories is important.

One barrier to independent reading is the fact that today’s students have competition for their time. Between arts, athletics and academics, students may struggle to find time to read for enjoyment. A classroom library with a teacher who designates class time for reading helps. Another barrier can be the assumption that reading for pleasure is less rigorous. Guarisco doesn’t see it that way and wants students to choose a book they love so that they become enamored with reading and the worlds a book can open.

Not all classrooms have a wall of books similar to the one in Guarisco’s class. However, she sees the classroom library as an important tool in her toolbox. She says new sixth graders may initially be intimidated by the larger Aldrich Library, and having readily available reads makes it easier for them to access a good story. It also makes it easier for Guarisco to connect with them and recommend a book that might be of interest.

What does a Middle School English teacher purchase with a book grant? Guarisco ordered 64 items, including books and collections. She focused on adding more graphic novels and short nonfiction books, while always keeping an eye toward boosting diversity in characters and settings.

Congratulations on the grant award, Martha! What a great accomplishment for the Middle School reading community! Share a message of congratulations with Martha in the comments section below.

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