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Students spend three class sessions a week, reading a book of their choice. However, finding that "just right" book can be a challenge. My current library is a mish-mash of books I've purchased and books I've inherited from other teachers. Yet, at this age, students need exposure to books with diverse characters, different literary styles, and genres and lexile scores. Finding the "just right" book for the diverse learners in my classroom can be quite challenging; however, obtaining that "just right" book usually requires a consultation with my own bank account. This project aims to have students build literary ladders: a book at their reading level, another book slightly above that and then another slightly different and challenging above the one before. This way, when students are done with one book, they don't have to wait too long before beginning the next; what's more, they have already vetted the next book to be more challenging. For instance, a student who has recently read Esperanza Rising, which is far below her grade level, can find inspiration by Gabi: A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero. Another student who recently fell in love with reading All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, needs to have the just right book once he's done. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas tackles similar issues with a female protagonist and keeps this struggling reader engaged without missing a day.
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