Being a librarian is all about lists. Lists of possible lesson ideas, lists of technology to use, lists of useful resources for teachers… lists, lists, lists. But one of my longest, most important, and most FUN lists to gather is the list of books to order for the library. Although we only place large orders two or three times a year, if you’ve ever taken a peek at my computer, you’ll see that my book list is open at all times, so that I never miss the opportunity to add a new and exciting title.

I’ve probably mentioned before that Johnson is a community of PASSIONATE readers. Our students and staff eat, breathe, and sleep great books! So it’s no surprise that our book order recommendations come from all over the place. Students leave notes on my chair requesting their favorite titles and characters. Parents drop by in the morning to ask about classics or new series that their kids love. And teachers and other staff members have the opportunity to request books that support and enhance their curriculum via a live, ongoing Google Doc list that feeds directly into our book order list. The next step is looking into each title, researching its quality and use in curriculum, and deciding whether it deserves a place in our collection. From there, books make their way into our backpacks and hearts! Our library is constantly growing and changing to fit the needs of the Johnson community.

This week, our Fall order arrived, and more than 150 new books joined our collection. Among the new titles were educational graphic novels like Michael Townsend’s Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders and Adventures in Cartooning, as well as new updates on old favorites like Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid (fun fact: Jeff Kinney’s new DoaWK novel, The Long Haul, is the most requested book we’ve had all year!). This order included tons of nonfiction about things like the scientific method, life long ago, being a good citizen, and even some up-to-date biographies. It also included some fabulous new picture books; from the hilarious Brief Thief to the heartwarming Each Kindness, these books will be enjoyed by everyone.

Almost every single one of our new books was checked out by the end of the day yesterday! Stop by sometime and check out all of the new titles that the Learning Leopard Library has to offer. That is, if you can find them 😉