With serpents for hair and a shiny, black belt, Michelle Waggoner — dressed as Medusa — brought Greek mythology to life for Oakland Elementary School’s third-graders.

During her nine years as Oakland’s librarian, Waggoner has won $10,150 in corporate grants to help restock the school’s bookshelves with fresh, new hardbacks.

She sponsors book clubs for her fourth- and fifth-graders, using grants to buy paperbacks that students get to keep.

“It’s like she makes the books fun,” said fourth-grader Amarion McDowell, 9. “When we read a book, we get to use our imagination.”

Waggoner is Suffolk Public Schools’ 2016 Teacher of the Year and is in the running for the regional title.

Waggoner’s passion, creativity and dedication to her students are evident daily, said Oakland’s Principal Oakland Tamesha Dabney.

Even as a child, Waggoner had little doubt that she would grow up to be a teacher. It was in her genes — two aunts taught, and her grandmother was a teacher’s assistant in Newport News. All through high school, she loved volunteering daily at a local primary school.

Waggoner spent the first 12 years of her career teaching elementary school for Chesapeake Public Schools. Taking a couple of classes at a time, she earned her master’s degree and joined Suffolk Public Schools.

“I love my kids and I love being able to share my love of reading with them,” said Waggoner. “I want them to enjoy coming to the library, for it to be a place and time of relaxation for them.”

One of the first challenges she encountered at Oakland was its collection of books, Waggoner said. When she arrived in 2008, the library had 5,200 books with publishing dates that ranged from the 1950s to the 1980s, she said. The average copyright date was 1983.

She weeded out old books, based on their ages and whether they had been checked out within the past five years. With limited public money to buy new books, Waggoner began applying for grants to gradually replace the collection.

So far, she has received 14 grants and today, Oakland has 7,600 books in its library.

Despite the increasing use of ebooks, Waggoner said she prefers an old-fashioned, hardback book for elementary school students.

“At that age, particularly as they are just learning to read, I feel like they need books they can hold in their hands,” she said. “They need to be able to see and touch the pictures, to flip the pages, to feel the book.”

As part of the school’s resource team, Waggoner works with the music, art and physical education teachers to create learning experiences through special celebrations. First-graders have Patriotic Day, where they learn about Benjamin Franklin’s printing press, and students make their own books with paper, paint and stamps.

“We take what they are learning and make it real, hands-on, for them,” Waggoner said. “We try to make connections to real life through food, art and literature.”

Fourth-grader Devon Hatcher said those experiences are among his favorite. Students have made their own paper, make pick-up sticks out of twigs and tried different foods, such as dried apples and feta cheese.

“It helps to experience what we are reading about,” he said.

Waggoner says she loves her job and knowing that she is shaping the lives of students daily.