Read Around the World Program

We have been in school a whole week now! Things have been going smoothly in the library, and it has been great to see everyone again. Our theme for the year is Read Around the World. My goal is to read many books set in many different countries and parts of the world. Peace is a schoolwide theme this year, and I hope that learning about other countries and cultures will not only help students learn where in the world all these places are, but how people around the world are both different and the same as people who live in our country.  We will discover the differences in how people eat, dress, and talk, and we will learn about their customs and holidays.  Despite all the differences that we will explore, my main goal is to help students understand the importance of respecting those differences. If people can respect and celebrate each other's differences, then our world will truly be a peaceful one.

To keep track of what we have read and where we have "visited," I have created reading passports for students in grades 1-4.  The passport is filled with maps of different areas of the world, and I will give students a stamp on the map when we have read about that country.  Students can write the names of the books at the end of the passport.  I hope we can travel to each continent and explore places that are of interest to the students.  Passports will be kept in the library.  If students read a book on their own, they are encouraged to let me know so I can stamp their passport.  I will provide some worksheets for students (download here) to keep track of what they have read. I have put several books on display to help encourage students to Read Around the World. Bon Voyage!