The Reading & Writing Project has developed state-of-the-art classroom libraries for each grade level, K–8. Curated by Lucy Calkins and colleagues along with a team of literacy leaders and children’s literature experts, these libraries contain 400–700 books at each grade level—all organized into collections and shelves based on level, genre, topic, and available in versions for students reading both at and below benchmark.
As the team worked to develop these libraries, several key ideas guided the selection process:
The libraries aim to introduce as many authors and titles as possible, with books selected for high interest, richness (books that can be mined again and again), and quality of writing and content.
The libraries include some all-star classics, but also many of the newest cutting-edge titles.
To ensure all students have access to high-quality, high-interest books, libraries for students reading significantly below benchmark are available for grades 1–8.
A helpful Guide (K–2, 3–5, 6–8) and a set of grade-specific tools help teachers organize the books and make them inviting and accessible to children.