Our PTO wants to make every child an expert reader! We would like to stock our library with fun fiction books that will encourage kids (and parents of little ones) to read for fun. So, we are turning to the experts for advice.

What do YOUR kids bring home from school - and read?

What do you read to them before bed?

Our list will to be kept as an ongoing reference. We will purchase the books as we have money (and library shelf space) available. If you know of a company that likes to donate hard cover books, or a new turnstile, please let me know. I'd be happy to write them a letter!

Many Thanks, Tammy

If your school participates in AR (Accelarated Reader) then you'll want to purchase AR books and tests. We purchase new books/tests every year for the library, around $1500 each year. The first time we did this we sent home a survey home for parents and students asking what books they'd like to see. It was a long process but very imformative. The last few years we've left it up to the librarian to pick the books and tests and then we "approve" the list before we order. IMO, you'll want to fill in series that the library might not have all the books in, etc.
Best of luck

We let our media specialist select the books. She often gets requests from the teachers too. Have you surveyed your teachers for their recommendations?

Otherwise, I'd make sure you have Caldecott Medal winners and Newbury winners.

I worked in a k-8th library and the perennial favorites were in age/grade order:

Clifford
Little Critter
Biscuit
Fluffy
Berenstain Bears
Magic School Bus
Franklin
Poppleton
Junie B Jones
Bailey School Kids
Nate the Great
Amelia Bedelia
Help! I'm Trapped.... series
Animal Ark Books
Magic Tree House
Arthur
Berenstain Chapter Books
Magic School Bus Chapter Books
Time Warp Trio
Bunnicula Series
My Life As series (Bill Myers)
All Matt Christopher Fiction/Non-Fiction
Amber Brown
Cam Jansen
American Girls
Babysitters Club
Warriors (Erin Hunter, author - series about cats)
Guardians of Ga'hoole
History Maker Bios (Barnes & Noble)
Princess Diaries
Girls of Many Lands series
Charlie Bone
Artemis Fowl Series
Series of Unfortunate Events
Harry Potter
Eragon
Chronicles of Narnia
My Name is America (boys)/Dear America (girls)
---historical fiction series

Favorite Authors:
Lois Duncan (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Garth Nix

The English teacher are usually chomping at the bit to help select literature. You may want to consider posting a 'help wanted' in your next newsletter asking for a team of 2-3 volunteers to create a list of proposed books to purchase. Also, our PTO commemorates any type of benenvolent gifts (death in a family, birth, retirement, etc.) by donating a book to the school library...preferabley in line with the occasion. Print out a bookplate and stick inside to commemorate the event, and possibly give the recipient a copy as well with a matching bookplate commemorating the donation.

Really great set of books: G.A. Henty wrote 99 historical fiction novels. They are adventure stories (turn of the century, so great vocabulary building!).

Each book is fictional, but set in a different time period and place and FULL of historical references. The first one takes place in ancient Egypt in the 1400's.