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Show Me Your Books!
Show Me Your Books!
Building a Joyful, Bookish Reading Culture
Building a Joyful, Bookish Reading Culture
Show Me Your Books! is a schoolwide independent reading campaign designed to make reading visible, joyful, and student-centered. Rather than focusing on compliance or page counts, the campaign celebrates bookish moments—times when students are actively engaging with books in ways that feel authentic, curious, and low-pressure.
At the heart of the campaign is a simple idea:
When students have access to books they care about—and see reading modeled and celebrated—reading becomes a shared culture, not an assignment.
🌟 What Does “Bookish” Mean?
🌟 What Does “Bookish” Mean?
Being bookish can look many different ways:
Reading quietly
Skimming or sampling a new book
Flipping through graphic novels or short texts
Exploring multiple books to figure out what you like
Talking about books with peers
Having a book out and visible
All genres, all levels, all reading identities are welcome.
📚 How the Campaign Works
📚 How the Campaign Works
Week 1: Book Access & Discovery
Week 1: Book Access & Discovery
The campaign begins by prioritizing access before expectation.
Classes visit the LIT Center to browse, sample, and check out books.
Students are encouraged to explore different genres, formats, and topics.
The focus is on curiosity and choice—no pressure to finish or commit to one book.
Week 2: Drop Everything and Read
Week 2: Drop Everything and Read
Beginning in Week 2, the school launches a weekly Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) moment.
On one designated day each week, the entire school pauses to read.
This time is about being bookish—reading, skimming, sampling, or simply engaging with books.
Engagement matters more than silence, speed, or completion.
Weeks 3–End of February: Momentum & Celebration
Weeks 3–End of February: Momentum & Celebration
The campaign continues through the end of February to build routine and excitement.
Weekly DEAR moments continue.
Friendly “Show Me Your Books!” shout-outs happen during class transitions to spotlight classrooms with visible bookish energy.
Classes earn tallies based on participation and engagement—not pages read.
At the end of February, the class with the most Show Me Your Books! tallies will be celebrated with a Library Party.
🎉 Visibility & Celebration
🎉 Visibility & Celebration
Reading is celebrated publicly and joyfully through:
Posters and signage
School announcements and shout-outs
Classroom visits with “Show Me Your Books!” signs
Recognition of participation and enthusiasm
These moments are designed to be quick, fun, and affirming—not evaluative.
🧑🏽🏫 Classroom Flexibility
🧑🏽🏫 Classroom Flexibility
Teachers choose how reading fits best in their classrooms:
Short daily reading moments
Weekly reading blocks
Start- or end-of-class reading
There is no single required structure—flexibility and sustainability are key.
📖 The Role of the LIT Center
📖 The Role of the LIT Center
The LIT Center supports the campaign by:
Hosting class visits for book discovery and checkout
Curating high-interest, culturally relevant, bilingual, and low-barrier texts
Offering rotating opportunities for students to encounter new books
Using student and staff feedback to guide ongoing book purchasing
❤️ Why It Matters
❤️ Why It Matters
Show Me Your Books! is about more than reading time—it’s about:
Belonging and identity
Student choice and agency
Modeling lifelong reading
Making literacy joyful and visible across campus
This campaign is a collective effort, shaped by staff input and centered on student experience.
#showmeyourbooks #bookish #booknerds
The McClymonds Library Learning Commons: A beautiful space staffed by a highly qualified professional who has developed a strong library program aimed at engaging scholars to become skilled users of information and technology, foster academic growth and information literacy. Most importantly providing Mack scholars regular opportunities to READ, explore, collaborate, create, think critically, problem solve and have fun!
The McClymonds Library Learning Commons: A beautiful space staffed by a highly qualified professional who has developed a strong library program aimed at engaging scholars to become skilled users of information and technology, foster academic growth and information literacy. Most importantly providing Mack scholars regular opportunities to READ, explore, collaborate, create, think critically, problem solve and have fun!
MACK Cafe: A space for students, parents and the community to have hot or cold beverages, relax, visit and share enjoyable time. Bookshelves house new books in prepublication form, giveaway books, magazines and information on nutrition and food.
MACK Cafe: A space for students, parents and the community to have hot or cold beverages, relax, visit and share enjoyable time. Bookshelves house new books in prepublication form, giveaway books, magazines and information on nutrition and food.
The Merritt College/McClymonds High School Africana Center, based on the Merritt College Africana Center, houses the historic African American collection of books from the McClymonds Library, state of the art presentation materials and four interactive modules for use by teachers and students with content developed by Dr. Siri Brown of Merritt College. The space honors alumni and the history of McClymonds High School through art and artifacts.
The Merritt College/McClymonds High School Africana Center, based on the Merritt College Africana Center, houses the historic African American collection of books from the McClymonds Library, state of the art presentation materials and four interactive modules for use by teachers and students with content developed by Dr. Siri Brown of Merritt College. The space honors alumni and the history of McClymonds High School through art and artifacts.
The MakerSpace Classroom facilitates the exchange of ideas, collaboration and innovation where students create projects and foster a curiosity for creating. We believe that STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math) is not a series of disparate disciplines, but rather is the language we use to shape the world around us. We believe that young adult-led, hands-on projects are one of the best ways to learn the language of STEAM. We believe in the inspiring mentorship of creative professionals and enthusiastic teachers. Our mission is to help our Mack Scholars develop both the confidence and competence to change the world.
The MakerSpace Classroom facilitates the exchange of ideas, collaboration and innovation where students create projects and foster a curiosity for creating. We believe that STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math) is not a series of disparate disciplines, but rather is the language we use to shape the world around us. We believe that young adult-led, hands-on projects are one of the best ways to learn the language of STEAM. We believe in the inspiring mentorship of creative professionals and enthusiastic teachers. Our mission is to help our Mack Scholars develop both the confidence and competence to change the world.
McClymonds Scholars and Staff
McClymonds Scholars and Staff
Open Hours for Students and Staff:
Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM and during lunch
After School Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday and Friday 2:45 PM - 5:30 PM
Mack Scholars are welcome anytime during class hours with a pass from their teacher.
Mack Scholars are welcome anytime during class hours with a pass from their teacher.
Teachers and Staff can schedule space in the LIT Center (Library Commons, Mack Cafe and Mack Makerspace and Africana Center) during school hours for their classes.
Instructions for making a reservation:
Check the LIT Center calendar for availability. If your date and time is available, email Leah Jensen at leah.jensen@ousd.org to indicate day, time, space, number of participants, resources needed. Resources include printed materials, Audio Visual support, supplies, and customized workshops facilitated by the Librarian, Ms. Jensen. If you need resources and/or workshops, please indicate you need a consultation in the email
In addition to the space, I also provide personalized workshops. Example workshops include:
Book Talks for pleasure reading
Research strategies (advanced search techniques, databases, boolean operators, creating an essential question for research, use of online catalog)
Plagiarism, citation and paraphrasing
Evaluate information for validity and reliability including bias and misleading information
Information seeking strategies using Advanced Google Tools
Digital Citizenship and Cyber Safety
Multimedia tools for projects and presentations such as Chat GBT, Canva, Infographic tools, Google Suite Tools
Once I receive your email, I will email you a confirmation and add your reservation to the calendar. If needed, I will meet with you ahead of time to personalize resources and workshops.
Please note that your reservation time may be shared with other classes.
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