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One of the best ways to get your students more engaged with reading is to help them find books and stories on topics and in genres that appeal to them. If a student enjoys sports, for instance, they are more likely to want to read if they have sports-related books available to them.
But when building your classroom library or adding new titles to your existing collection, you have to consider more than just variety of choice. Factors like budget, age level, representation and relatable characters, and the needs of your students all play significant roles.
How Booksource Can Help
With those factors in mind, the Collection Development experts at Booksource have curated collections that fit your students’ needs and your budget, while also providing the variety to keep young readers engaged. Collections like Take Home Packs, which help students develop reading both inside the classroom and at home, or Phonics, which help readers gain familiarity with phonemes, are assembled to fit your classroom.
Plus, each collection can be tailored to fit your specific needs.
What's Hot
Looking at data from the past 12 months, many educators are coming to Booksource to fill their classroom libraries and are turning to specific collections that are best for their students. Which collections led the way in 2023?
Take Home Packs
Each Booksource Take Home Pack includes 4-5 high interest books, a workbook to help students understand what they've read, free resources for families and much more. Plus, Booksource now offers a Phonics Take Home Pack, containing decodable texts matched to phonics skills required for successful reading and that can support any phonics curriculum.
Each Take Home Pack also includes a workbook in both English and Spanish, filled with hours of activities for students and their families.
In 2023, Take Home Packs were most popular with educators in:
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Florida
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Maine
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
Phonics
Booksource’s phonics collections support readers wherever they are in their learning journey. The books offer a wide range of practice from the earliest letter-sounds to engaging decodable stories, and include Hi-Lo (High-Interest, Low-Readibility) titles for middle and high school students.
In 2023, phonics collections, including our Phonics Catch-Up Readers, Phonics Beginner Readers and many others, were most popular with educators in:
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Maine
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Vermont
Series
Getting students interested in reading a series of books can help build their reading momentum and their confidence (we also have a blog dedicated to this subject). Booksource offers a number of popular, engaging series that students want to read, and you can even find series collections broken down by grade level.
In 2023, the most sought-after series collections included:
- I Survived...: The most terrifying events in history are brought vividly to life in this fictional intermediate chapter book series.
- Jada Jones: Fans of Princess Posey and Ivy and Bean will enjoy engaging with science-loving Jada Jones in this easy-to-read chapter book series.
- Dog Man: The creators of Captain Underpants have created a new hero who digs into deception, claws after crooks and rolls over robbers.
- Maus: A brutally moving work of art--widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written-- Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the author's father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats.
- King & Kayla: A lovable dog helps his human girl solve mysteries in this charming early chapter book series.
- Percy Jackson & The Olympians: Series creator Rick Riordan joins forces with some of the biggest names in the comic book industry to tell the story of a boy who must unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
- The Bad Guys: Mr. Wolf, Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake and Mr. Piranha are the baddest good guys around! This hilarious illustrated chapter book series delivers all the naughty and silly laughs readers want.
- Bumble & Bee: Bumble and Bee love to buzz around the pond and make mischief. Their cranky best friend Froggy prefers the peace and quiet of sitting on a lily pad. They may be an unlikely trio, but no matter what these friends dream up, you can count on hilarious, unexpected fun.
- Bad Kitty Chapter Books: Hack up those fur balls, sharpen those claws because Bad Kitty chapter books are coming your way! These hilarious illustrated chapter books are a great choice for any student who loves pets.
- Zoey & Sassafras: Each story in the popular Zoey And Sassafras series features a new magical animal with a problem that must be solved using science.
Series like these and many others were most popular with educators in:
- California
- Connecticut
- Washington D.C.
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- North Carolina
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Washington
Join The Fun
While these represent just a snapshot of what educators and students are enjoying, your needs may vary. Don’t see your favorites here or just want to learn more about these collections and our many others? Our customer care specialists are available anytime to help answer your questions and find or create the collection best for your classroom.