I remember when I got my first teaching job teaching second grade – I was so excited! I thought, “This is the perfect age to use read alouds in the classroom. I’m going to go to Barnes & Noble and stock my shelves!” But when I started picking up books and looking at the price tags – $18.99, $21.99, $24.99 – I quickly realized I could easily spend over $100 and only have four books in my hand. I’m guessing you don’t have that kind of budget either. Luckily, there are easier ways to find books!
Your Local Library - The Best Place to Start
I absolutely love going to the library, and here’s a game-changing tip I’ve discovered: Most libraries now offer online reservation systems. Instead of spending an hour browsing the shelves, you can request all your books online. When you walk into the library, just hand them your library card, and they’ll give you your whole stack of books. While I definitely enjoy browsing the aisles sometimes, this system is perfect for busy teachers.
The librarians are an incredible resource too. They have such a wealth of knowledge and can help you find exactly what you need for your lessons. Most libraries let you borrow books for at least three weeks, and many have even eliminated late fees since COVID. You can keep books for quite a while, though eventually, you do need to return them!
One of my favorite features is the seasonal displays. Last year, when we had the solar eclipse, my library had an entire table of related books ready to go. They do the same for holidays like Valentine’s Day, making it easy to grab themed books for your classroom.
Library Book Sales - A Hidden Treasure Trove
Many libraries hold book sales to clear out extra books and donations. This is where you can find amazing deals – I’ve gotten picture books for just 25 cents that were still in great condition! While you can’t usually go in looking for specific titles, you can easily spend $5-6 and walk out with 20 books. Yes, you’ll need to dig through the options, but it’s worth it to find those gems for your classroom.
How to Find Books - More Budget-Friendly Sources
Local used bookstores are another fantastic resource. While they’re typically a bit more expensive than library book sales, you can usually find books for $3-4 – still much cheaper than that Barnes & Noble trip!
Don’t overlook yard sales and garage sales, especially in the spring. These can be goldmines for children’s books, and here’s a tip that’s worked well for me: Let the sellers know you’re a teacher. Often, they’re just happy to know their beloved books will be shared with a classroom full of students, and they might even give you a better deal.
Building Your Network
One of my favorite tips came from a colleague who would email our grade level team whenever she needed a specific book for a lesson. If no one on our team had it, she’d send an email to the whole school. It’s a quick and easy way to access books without leaving the building or spending money.
Creative Solutions with Scholastic
I’ve found great success using Scholastic Book Orders. As students order books, you earn points to use for your own classroom. While you can use these points for various classroom supplies, I always saved mine for books. I even kept a running wish list based on both what I needed for lessons and what my students wanted to see in our classroom.
I share more about how to find books with Scholastic in this post!
Remember, you don’t have to break the bank to build an amazing classroom library. By being strategic about where you look for books and building connections in your community, you can create a rich collection of read alouds that will engage your students and create meaningful learning experiences.
Want more ideas? Connect with me on Instagram @thecolorfulapple where I share weekly book recommendations and classroom tips. I’d love to hear your creative solutions for building your classroom library too!
This Week's Book Recommendations
At the end of each podcast episode, I’ll be sharing picture books that I’m loving that week! This week, I have a collection of winter books:
FREEBIE for you!
- Over 180 book titles to ignite young minds!
- A weekly scope and sequence, so you know exactly what to read each week. ️
- The perfect texts to support the skills you’re teaching