First Sentences Display Idea

Hello,

I don’t know if you like to use Pinterest or not, but I found a great display idea there. It takes a little set up, but is not difficult to do.

Sometimes all you need to do is to read the first line of a book to be hooked in. The picture on Pinterest showed a line of books displayed in a long window or counter top with the first line enlarged to fit on a sheet of paper. The book was behind the paper. If a student wanted to read the book, all he or she needed to do was to take the book from the counter and check it out.

I decided to tweak it a bit. I do have a long counter, but it is taken over with another display, so I needed to do something a bit different. I went through my 813 section of stories and looked at the first line. I pulled off about 30 books that I thought students in grades 5 – 8 would like and then went to my computer. I typed in the first line and enlarged it to fit a page. At the bottom on each page I typed in small print the spine label and the title of the book. I did this because my display area is a locked display case outside the library door and students would not be able to just pick up the book.

I have seen a number of students standing in front of the display case and even parents and teachers. I was pleased with most of the first lines I found. Tell me that you don’t want to read a book that starts with “I am twenty-five years old and I can’t tell time.” Or Ðear River, I cannot tell from your name if you are a boy or a girl so I will just write to you like you are a human being.” Or “Patrick and I became friends because of a vegetable.”

I don’t know if anyone has checked out any of the books, but I have gotten good feedback because of the display.

I hope you have a great week.

Audrey

Currently reading:
The Gold Bat by P. G. Wodehouse
In a French Kitchen by Susan Herrmann Loomis
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Watership Down by Richard Adams (Audible book)
The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by Kenji Lopez-Alt
The Gold Shoe by Grace Livingston Hill
The Skeleton Tree by Iaian Lawrence