Classroom Library Score!

Just wanted to share my incredible finds at the library's used book sale. Used book sales are a great way to build classroom libraries on the cheap. Search social media sites to stay connected and hear about great sales or other happenings at your local library.

I've been on a mission to find nonfiction books for my 5th graders. With Common Core emphasizing nonfiction reading skills and reading in the content area, I feel like my three buckets of nonfiction are NOT nearly enough books for my classroom library. My 400+ book collection is 90% fiction and I've been slowly trying to grow my nonfiction section... but it gets EXPENSIVE! Don't get me wrong, our public library system in Cincinnati is fantastic! (Being frugal and a loyal patron, I use the public library quite often for teacher collections.) Our school library is also very current and up-to-date but there is just something to be said about having instant access for kids.

Then, today, I noticed via Facebook that a local branch was having a used book sale! BINGO! You never know what you're going to find a used book sale, but it's always worth a go, right?  I walked away with 39 new books (mostly nonfiction) for $39.60. I think that's a pretty stellar deal at a dollar a book. Most books were .50cents to $2 dollars and teachers were getting a 10% discount. No tax, no shipping, just some time digging and looking for some great books! Most of my books were $1 or $2 dollars and in nearly brand new condition. I got about 15 books on various states for our Western Hemisphere Geography Unit plus some books on Canada and Mexico. My big score were the American Indian nonfiction books. Six books for six bucks!

How did I do?