My Own Book works with teachers and students in Title I high needs schools all over New York City to help third grade students develop a list of books — up to $50 — they would like to buy and read and to keep in their own home collection.
Teachers in My Own Book participating schools are our greatest assets. Classroom teachers best know their students, know their students’ reading interests, their strengths and areas where students need more exposure to reading. Teachers’ expert experience and knowledge guide their students to choose appropriate books on reading levels their kids can easily access.
My Own Book volunteers work with teachers to visit participating third grade classrooms to present My Own Book to their students, to brainstorm kids’ favorite book titles and series, to talk about different types of books so that students are prepared for their $50 book shopping trip to a bookstore. My Own Book volunteers will meet classes at a bookstore to be with students as they select their books; then the volunteers will meet with each class to debrief and ask students to share their thoughts on their book shopping experiences.