If you've ever taken a single student to the library, then you know this is true: Kids are more likely to choose a book if they have seen its cover. Librarians know that. That's why these exist:
Book stores know it, too. That's why rows of books are occasionally interrupted by books that are shelved "face out."
So why don't Language Arts classrooms look like this:
Is that not fabulous? I guarantee those books would fly off the ledges faster than a pigeon that's spotted an unprotected breadcrust. Here's another question: Why don't the other core classes have book ledges, too -- ledges displaying all that nonfiction text we want our kids to read?
And before you start up with the whole money thing, here's the link to a video about building $10 ledges:
The final product looks like this.
Every single person I've told this idea loves it. So why don't I have book ledges yet? I'm starting to worry they're hoping I'll forget about them.
But I won't. It's too good an idea.