Buying Discount Books in Bulk

Okay, so you don't need to buy discount books in bulk...but I always wind up filling my cart to the brim and then having about 3 giant boxes of books arrive at my front door. I can't help it! Confession: I have boxes of books in the basement, ready to go for every upcoming holiday and birthday and just-because gift. I just love books!

My favorite discount shops are:

https://bookoutlet.com/

Anyone can buy from here. Great deals. Literally, thousands of steep discounts!

https://www.fbmarketplace.org/

You need to register. This site is for teachers in Title 1 districts. 

Both of these websites offer tons of great books, but also toys, games, puzzles, craft supplies, and more! All at a great discount price. If there is one thing I love, it is a DEAL!

Check them out!

IKEA Spice Racks Hack - Make your own BOOKSHELVES!

Can you ever have enough bookshelves? Nope. The answer is NOPE.

We have bookcases, shelves, boxes, baskets, and bins or books in every room of the house. Also stacks of books, but that's not as cool.

Anyway, I bought these $4.99 IKEA spice racks when Violet was a baby. YEARS ago. She's almost 3 now. I painted them, and then we just never got around to hanging them. Over the weekend, I asked my husband to hang them and it took about an hour. He had some screw issues. Just basically searching for the right size. Anyway, once it was finished, VOILA! We had a beautiful display shelf!

I really just wanted a place Violet could see the covers of her books in her bedroom. A place we could change up the books for themes or holidays. She has regular bookshelves in her room, along with, NO JOKE, a WALL of books in her bed. She probably has 50 books piled up behind her pillows in her bed. Nice and neat stacks. Always ready to wake up, reach behind her, and start reading. How can I argue with that? And she's still short enough that she has plenty of room in bed! :)

So, now we are those people who did an IKEA hack and it worked!

And it looks beautiful!

For real, I looked for these type of shelves online and they were a little pricy. I was NOT willing to pay.

My only concern hanging them like this was creating a literal ladder on the wall that Violet might climb. It turns out that she never thought that once. She was so into changing up which books would be displayed first.

But my 9 month old, Braxton? Oh, he's the one I might have to watch.

Happy hacking!

Mentor Text Alert: Jabari Jumps

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall is an amazing picture book! It is great for teaching skills such as persevering through a challenge, facing your fears, and supporting each other. The text will lend itself well to discussions around fears that kids may have and how they can overcome those fears either on their own or with support.

In this book, the boy is so excited to jump off the diving board, but then he realizes that he is quite frightened. The book explores how he overcomes this fear and ultimately has success. It really does demonstrate to kids that they can do anything.

Common themes include: courage, perseverance, supportiveness, and so on. Remember, any theme can work as long as you have evidence from the text to support it!

Included below is a sampling from this text. I highly recommend adding it to your library ASAP! (Also, my version is from First Book marketplace. Check it out for discounted texts for teachers in Title 1 schools. It is the best!)

Mentor Text Alert: Field Trip to the Moon

WORDLESS PICTURE BOOKS ARE MY JAM!

Yes, I said it. I love them. No matter the grade level I was teaching, I relied heavily on wordless picture books for teaching many comprehension strategies. Most notedly, questioning and retelling. Also inferencing. Really, anything!

I love John Hare. His other wordless picture book that I am obsessed with is Field Trip to the Ocean Deep. These books are gorgeous. Beautiful pictures, intriguing stories, and they really get kids thinking. My 2-year old is completely engaged and rereads them over and over. Teachers at school are using them for questioning strategies during virtual learning. Check them out! 

Below is a sample from Field Trip to the Moon. I ordered this through First Book marketplace. I teach in a title 1 school, so I am able to sign up for a membership through First Book and order wonderful texts and supplies at a steep discount. If you have not visited this website, it is dangerous but amazing. I routinely order giant boxes of books for a fraction of the price!