Teaching kindergarteners to read can be hard… especially when you don’t have any books! Some districts are able to purchase leveled libraries for their classrooms, but many times, classroom teachers are left to fill their bookshelves on their own. This won’t happen overnight, but with a little patience, this doesn’t have to be an expensive job. Here are 10 inexpensive ways to get books for your classroom library.
1. Goodwill
Goodwill has a ton of books at bargain prices. You can often get books for 50 cents a piece. Try to go in the Spring when people are crazed about Spring cleaning and are cleaning out their homes and getting rid of things they don’t want/need anymore.
2. Libraries
Many libraries sell books that they aren’t using anymore, or let town residents drop off books to sell. They are usually reasonably priced and gently used. The collection is always changing, so you can check back weekly and always find new things!
3. Scholastic Warehouse Sales
Twice a year at the end of each season, teachers are allowed into the Scholastic warehouses to grab books, activities, and other Scholastic materials at super low prices. Click here to find the closest warehouse to you.
4. BookSale Finder
Use this site to find book sales near you. You can even sign up to have an email sent to you each time there’s a book sale in your area! Click here to view the website.
5. Garage Sales
People are always giving great deals on their children’s’ books when they have a garage sale. Keep an eye out for garage sales in your area!
6. Other Teachers
Retiring teachers or teachers changing grade levels often have tons of books that they need to unload. They are more than happy to give them to an energetic, new teacher and will often let you shop through their own classroom library. Some teachers will just pile books outside of their classroom for other teachers to look through!
7. Teachers Bargain Basement
This Facebook Group often has people selling children’s books for very low prices. But- books are snatched up VERY fast, so you have to keep your eye open if you want to grab the books!
8. Scholastic 50 for $50
Sometimes Scholastic will run really great deals like their 50 books for $50 sale. Yes, it’s an investment, but you really can’t beat books for $1 a piece!
9. Donor’s Choose
If you’re looking for something more substantial like a leveled library (which could be hundreds of dollars), create a Donor’s Choose project and share it on Facebook. These are especially great when companies match donations!
10. Family and Friends
As always, it’s likely that your family and friends have some children’s’ books lying around that they don’t need anymore. Ask around or post on Facebook and see if anyone has some books they’re willing to part with. You’d be surprised at how many books you can round up this way!
As a new teacher, you might not get the perfect shiny, new, leveled library that you dreamed of by using these ten tips. However, you will have plenty of books that your kids will love and read. You can fine tune the books that are in your collection as the years go on, and give these beginning books to another new teacher in your school as you get new books. He or she will be so grateful to have this book collection as they begin their journey.
Once you have your books and are ready to start organizing, click here to read all about classroom library organization!
