There are so many wonderful new children's and young adult books published each year -- and there is a lot of dreck out there too. We aim to be curators as we sort through, organize, and group books so that you can find just what you need. Whether it's mentor texts for a unit on persuasive writing, or just-right books for a fifth-grade English language learner, we've scoured lists of award winners, recommendations from colleagues, and the Kidlitsophere to come up with these lists.
Students need strong mentor texts for understanding the concept of theme. Franki Sibberson shares many of her favorites in this Book Matchmaker.
Franki Sibberson tackles the connections between text complexity and perspective in this Common Core booklist.
Beth Lawson and Heather Rader meet to plan and share mentor texts for nonfiction writing in Beth’s fourth-grade classroom.
Joan is a first-grade teacher who has one reader in mind – a student who is reading well above grade-level expectations. Franki Sibberson has many intriguing book suggestions to help her.
Franki Sibberson taps into the fantasy craze among students with this booklist.
Franki Sibberson shares some of her favorite read-alouds for the intermediate grades.
Franki Sibberson has graphic novel suggestions for 6th grade girls.
Robin Heist is an elementary teacher looking for books for her older English language learners who are reading below grade-level expectations.
Franki Sibberson highlights texts for teaching compare and contrast in nonfiction texts.
Franki Sibberson designs a booklist for tackling information texts in first grade.
Shari Frost shares books with “squeal appeal” — here is a booklist of texts that energize and delight kindergarten learners.
Students still love the Goosebumps series, and teachers can build on that passion by introducing them to other texts with similar appeal. Franki Sibberson shares books at a variety of reading levels which tap into student fascination with things that go bump in the night.
This round-up includes suggestions from Choice Literacy contributors Julie Johnson, Beth Lawson, Cathy Mere, Donalyn Miller, Colby Sharp, and Karen Terlecky.
Graphica readers often want to become graphica writers. Franki Sibberson weeds through the books and leaves us with the "good stuff" for mentor texts.
Are your students stuck on writing poems that rhyme? Franki Sibberson shares some of her favorite mentor texts for lifting the quality of student poems.
What boy can resist a book titled How They Croaked? If you're looking for some books to fascinate and delight the boys in your classroom, Tony Keefer has some terrific suggestions of recent nonfiction titles in this booklist.
What does research tell us about tween readers and capturing their interest in books? Teri Lesesne’s tween booklist integrates the research with recent publications sure to interest young readers.
It takes a kid at heart to share what young boy readers would take to heart, and Tony Keefer is just the guy for the job. Tony loves whonunits, blood ‘n’ guts, and cliffhangers, and he shares that passion with his tween students in this fiction booklist for boys.
Sammy is an avid reader in the classroom, but his teacher Cathy Mere notices he “accidentally” is always leaving the backpack with his intervention books behind. The challenge for classroom teachers is stocking books with titles that will interest Sammy, but still provide enough challenge and support to move him forward as a reader.
Mandy Robek has a delightful list of books that help students reflect upon and monitor their behavior in the classroom.
You know those books that cause us to say, “Aww…I love that book.” Well, the team at Literacyhead has us thinking about using old favorites in new ways.
We all want students starting school with intention, confidence, community and more. These books from the team at Literacyhead can help.
For teacher leaders who are called upon to do demonstration lessons, here is a “must-have” list of short, potent books.
Organizing nonfiction so that kids will gobble it up is an art. Andrea Smith knows how important it is to include students in this process.
Finding high interest books for English language learners in the upper elementary grades can be a challenge. Franki Sibberson shares some of her favorites.
From humor to novels in verse, Franki Sibberson shares her top picks for intermediate readers in this Book Matchmaker.
If you’re looking for a read aloud to spark some discussions about making a difference in the world, you might enjoy Ruth Shagoury’s new booklist of children’s literature with a social justice theme.
Mandy Robek finds herself overwhelmed when moving from a 3rd grade to kindergarten classroom. Her therapy? Rolling up her sleeves and designing a kindergarten classroom library.
Teachers of young learners face special challenges in honoring Martin Luther King and dealing with the violent nature of his death at the same time. Mandy Robek offers some insights into how to celebrate King's life with even the youngest students.
Karen Terlecky mulls over a year of read alouds in her 5th grade classroom as she makes plans for the coming year.
Get full access to all Choice Literacy article content
Get full access to all Choice Literacy video content
Access Choice Literacy course curriculum and training