From the Classroom

From the Classroom – Building and Organizing a Classroom Library

By on August 24, 2026   /   Book Lists, For Teachers, From the Classroom   /   Leave a comment

What better way to greet students as we head back to school than with an amazing classroom library! Whether you are building a classroom library or reorganizing one, here are a few ideas for you to consider.

Building a Classroom Library

A well-stocked, high-quality classroom library can generate interest and motivation, support differentiated reading instruction, and help develop expert readers in your classroom. But sometimes it’s overwhelming on knowing where to start. Below are some amazing resources if you are struggling to figure out where to find high quality books.

One rule of thumb is to have anywhere from 10-20 books per students in your classroom at a variety of text lengths, genres, grade levels, and so forth. The more diverse the better!

Organizing a Classroom Library

While there is no wrong way to set up a classroom library, the following questions should guide your thinking on how you organize your library and situate it in your classroom.

  • When you walk in your classroom, does the library jump out or is it invisible?
  • Does the library have display areas for “teacher recommended” and “student recommended” books?
  • Are there books related to students’ cultural backgrounds and communities?
  • Is there a clear system for organizing the books, a check-in and check-out system, and a way to monitor students’ selections?

Two of the best books I’ve seen that help organize your classroom library and answer all of the questions above and MUCH, MUCH MORE are below (click on each picture for the website link):

Commonsense Guide to classroom library cover with shelves full of books

 

cover of It's all about the books with books making the shape of a heart

 

Of course a well-stocked, well-organized library is only good if you get students excited to use it! Make sure you plan lots of book talks, help your students find books they will like to read, and keep new books coming in throughout the school year to keep the classroom library fresh and a place to be!

What are your plans for your classroom library this year? Share your ideas in the comments section below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From the Classroom: Book Recommendation Bookmarks

By on June 22, 2026   /   For Teachers, From the Classroom  

Looking for novels in verse?As a classroom teacher, I am always looking for new ways to reach readers. Here at From the Mixed-Up Files, our From the Classroom series has a wide-range of tools and book lists geared towards teachers and librarians. Some of my favorites include weekly read-alouds for First Chapter Friday, If You Like … posters, and End of Year Best Book Lists.

This month I’m excited to share something new I introduced in my fifth grade classroom this spring: book recommendation bookmarks. 

 

Book Recommendation Bookmarks

My fifth graders love bookmarks. Every time I attend a conference I make sure to scoop up any promotional bookmarks I can find for middle grade books. But, inevitably, we run through them in the month or two after I get back. 

So this year, I decided to try something new. 

Instead of using promotional bookmarks to introduce students to one new book, why not put together a collection of bookmarks that feature several books? By targeting titles in our classroom library, students have the opportunity to immediately seek out and read any titles that grab their attention. 

Looking for sports stories?

I printed these out four-to-a-page, giving a finished size of 2.5 inches by 7.5 inches, which made for a good, solid bookmark, and allowed me to feature six titles per category. I also used cardstock so that they would stand up to repeated use.

Looking for sad stories?The bookmarks were a big hit. I keep them in a container near our book return basket so that students who have just finished a book can instantly find something new. Some of my voracious readers like to use the bookmarks like a checklist, keeping track of which books they’ve read. Other students spend time browsing through the selections to get exactly the theme they want, and some students simply grab whichever one is on top and go with it!

Some of our most popular categories include novels in verse, magical school stories, survival stories, sport stories, and super sad stories. Some kids prefer picking books by genre, other kids prefer books by theme or vibe. It’s a great way to highlight a mix of older books and newer books. 

What categories of books would be most popular with the readers in your classroom?

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From the Classroom – Revolutionary War Reads

By on April 27, 2026   /   books, For Teachers, From the Classroom  

On July Fourth, 2026, the United States will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. There has already been a number of events celebrating the 250th with many more to come. What better way to get your students engaged in learning about this time period than by reading some books!

Revolutionary War Texts

Each of the books below can stand alone or you might consider forming text sets around the books, their themes, their topics, etc. Many of these books already have teaching guides that accompany them for immediate use in the classroom as you finish off the year or as a great back-to-school reading in the fall.

cover of sophia's war with outline of character with a noose down the center of the cover

 

Award-winning Author Avi presents this story of treason, revenge, and thrilling real historical events. His website contains teaching resources, reading group guides, and much more. What’s interesting about this particular story is that it contains a British perspective concerning their occupation in the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

 


cover to Susanna's midnight ride featuring a girl on a horse at night with british army in the background

Almost five years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution hung in the balance. In late May 1781, General Cornwallis invaded City Point, VA, and quartered his army there. As 16-year-old Susanna Bolling served the British general and his officers dinner, she overheard their plans to capture General Lafayette and crush the American rebellion once and for all. Under the cover of darkness, she snuck out of her house through a secret underground tunnel and canoed downriver. Then she grabbed a neighbor’s horse and rode ten miles to warn Lafayette.  But would she make it back home by sunrise without detection?

Make sure you check out the author’s website to see other Revolutionary War books she has written!

 

 

 

cover of answer the cry for freedom featuring silhouettes of African Americans

This engaging book provides a chance for young readers to learn about the death-defying attempts of black Americans to gain the inalienable rights promised in the Declaration of Independence. By stepping into the shoes of thirteen men and women—stand-ins for the fifth of the population left out of most textbooks—readers can appreciate how the American Revolution rattled the chains of slavery and expanded the boundaries of freedom beyond the Founding Fathers’ intentions.

There is a wonderful teacher’s guide that accompanies this book on the author’s website. 

 

 

 

cover of history smasher's american revolution with paul revere on a horse

 

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the Revolutionary War with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales.

You might already be a fan of the History Smashers series and this one is no different. There are so many misconceptions about what really happened in 1776, and the endless facts in this book really helps clarify what really happened. Kate Messner has also been known to be available for author visits, both in-person and virtually.

 

What are your plans to celebration the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution? Leave your ideas in the comments below!

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