Over the summer ESL teachers Katy Moore and Jessica Shelton applied for grant money in order to purchase books for their ESL classes. Come mid summer the news came in that they will receive $1,300.

“The books are fiction and poetry because of length, and the characters are like the students in my class,” said Mrs. Moore.

They are currently reading Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. The book is about a class that starts to have open mic nights so that students can read their poetry. Further into the book the open mic night begins to become popular.  The book takes a turn, as the story doesn’t just show one person’s perspective but many others lives and thoughts as they express it through many forms of poetry.

The students enjoy the book because it gives them something to relate to.

“This is a really good book. The characters feel like I did when I came here,” said ESL student Brenda Bernal.

The teachers said Bronx Masquerade would be a great choice of a novel for the ESL students because of the opportunity to learn and progress their English skills, as well as the opportunity to relate to the text.

“I want them to make a connection with the book and become better readers and writers. I want them to know that people like them have a choice,” said Mrs. Moore.

The students are very excited about reading the books and literature hat was purchased for and they are extremely grateful. Enough books were purchased to cover a class set and they are reading it in class.

“I’d rather read this book because every character has their own different feeling,” said ESL student Carlos Renderos.

The students find it worth their while to have teachers who care so much to go out of their way to make sure that they have literature that they actually enjoy reading, and the teachers find it worth while for the students to have literature to the standards that the students actually uphold then what is assumed for them because their ESL students.