Library Book Drive
It is always a joy to watch our students visit the library. Their hunger for reading has shown us that there is still much room to grow our collection of beautiful books to ensure every child has access to a deep well of great literature.
To support this growth, we are accepting donations through August 7th.
Birthday Books
Birthday books is a way to recognize a student’s birthday in the classroom through the donation of a birthday book. In lieu, or in addition to, the small birthday snacks that can be brought in on a scholar’s birthday (please see the handbook for details), parents may purchase a book to donate to the school library in honor of their scholar’s birthday.
The scholar is welcome to bring in the book to the classroom on their birthday, if they want to share why they selected it (i.e. favorite fairy tale), they can briefly share it with the class. For younger scholars with shorter books, the teacher could even read it aloud, if time allows.
The book will have a special bookplate to be completed by the headmaster with the scholar’s name adhered to the front inside cover of the book, recognizing the donation. When that book is checked out, it will be known it was a special donation. Scholars who bring in books will be welcomed to come to the front office after morning announcements on Fridays to get the bookplate and take a picture with the headmaster that will go in the week ahead newsletter.
Donation Criteria
Because we are incredibly intentional about the environment we create for our students, we cannot accept every book. Our goal is for the library to be a place apart from contemporary culture, focused on universal truths adn human insights.
We ask that any donations satisfy the following standards of excellence:
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- The work should be masterful in its language and style, challenging the student to appreciate the craft of writing or beautiful artwork and illustration.
- If it is a fiction work, it should help form the moral imagination, encouraging the reader to consider what it means to live a virtuous life or if nonfiction, it should delve into the wonders of the natural world.
- We are seeking books that align with a liberal arts education, such as enduring classics, historical biographies, and texts that explore perennial human themes rather than the fleeting interests of the present moment.
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To maintain this focus, we do not accept materials focused on current popular culture, media franchises, or commercial tie-ins. We also ask that you refrain from donating graphic novels or books written to promote specific partisan ideologies or social agendas. Our families choose our school so that they may speak into these contemporary topics at home, and we wish to respect that partnership by keeping our shelves focused on timeless literary merit.
If you would like examples of appropriate books for your childes grade level you can look here:
Birthday Book Recommended Titles
If you have books that meet these criteria and wish to see them find a new home in our classrooms or school library, please bring them by the front office and over the summer we will have a book bin outside the gate that we will be checking daily. Every carefully selected book is a vital resource that helps us cultivate a profound love for learning on our campus. If you have any questions about donating a book to our library, please contact Charles Brogan at Charles.Brogan@GreatHeartsTXSchools.org
