5/27/2026 - End of Year Book Giveaway

The end of year book giveaway was a wonderful success! The book I gave away this year was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This was a favorite amongst all the students throughout the year, so it was an easy choice. The kids were very excited to have their own copy!

The process went like this: First I read the book to the class (before I handed out the books). I would follow the words along with my finger (per usual) as I read the story. Since we had read the story many times, I took this opportunity to point out the days of the week words: “Monday”, “Tuesday”, etc. We also had a fun time counting the fruit as the caterpillar ate them. After reading the story through once, we handed out the books. I had written each child’s name on a label affixed to the front of the dust jacket. So, part of that process involved the children recognizing each other’s names and for each child coming up and accepting their book. The children got excited each time and would congratulate each other: “Congratulations Cathy!” they would say. It was very cute. Then, with each child holding their own copy, we went through the book again. I pointed out the Title Page, Dedication, etc until we got to the first page of the story. I made sure everyone was on the correct page to get started. As we read through the story each child would follow along with their own book.

Having their own book in their hands while they read was a wonderful practice and experience for the kids. Having their own books at home in their personal library is also a powerful precedent. I feel extremely optimistic about the impact that I’ve made this year. Every child in the class enjoyed reading. Every child went home with books. Every child became a book lover this year. That’s what it’s all about, and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome!