Choice Lit Topic: Booklists
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.
Results
What’s On Your Summer Pleasure Reading List? (Round-Up)
A lazy day, a cool drink, and a great book -- that's the perfect summer day for many literacy teachers. We don't get nearly as many days off in the...
Book Matchmaker: Teaching Theme in the Intermediate Grades
Cathy teaches fourth grade and is looking for books to teach theme. Many of us find it challenging to find books for teaching this complex idea to children. I've...
Perspective as a Component of Text Complexity: A Common Core Booklist
Text complexity has been a big topic of conversation since the Common Core Standards were released. Reading complex texts is an expectation for readers across grade levels. In Appendix A...
Mentor Texts for Nonfiction Writing
Beth Lawson and I met for the first time in mid-August at her school. She was organizing her classroom for teaching, and we talked about some of the changes she...
Book Matchmaker: Texts for an Advanced First Grader
Joan is a first-grade teacher who has one reader in mind - a student who is reading well above grade-level expectations (a level 44 on the Developmental Reading...
Beyond Harry Potter: Tapping Student Interest in Fantasy
Ever since the Harry Potter craze several years ago, the fantasy genre has been a popular one. I often have students in the library who would like to read more...
Book Matchmaker: Intermediate Read-Alouds
A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron is about Abby and her dog, Tam. Abby and Tam are inseparable. Tragedy strikes and they are separated. Both have trouble moving...
Book Matchmaker: Graphic Novels for a 6th Grader
Heather Rader, an instructional specialist, is looking for some graphic novels to share with a group of 6th grade girls. The girls are graphic novel fans and have already...
Book Matchmaker: 5th Grade English Language Learners
Robin Heist is an elementary ELL teacher. She is thinking about her older English language learners who are reading below grade-level expectations. She is hoping to find books...
Unpacking the Common Core Standards: Compare and Contrast Nonfiction
Informational texts will become more and more important as states move toward implementing the Common Core. Looking carefully at the nonfiction standards is essential for teaching well. As teachers, we...
Unpacking the Common Core Standards: First Grade Information Texts
The Common Core Standards have students working with complex nonfiction texts at all grade levels. For primary teachers, including more nonfiction texts may seem like a challenge. But students of...
Books that Make Kids Squeal
When kindergarten teacher Michelle Martinez read my article, "Books that Touch the Heart," she wasn't impressed. While she personally enjoys a good cry over a book, the list did not...
If You Like Goosebumps . . .
Matching books to children is one of the things I enjoy most about my job as a librarian. It is fun to dig in and think about books a specific...
Preparing Students for Summer Reading (ROUND-UP)
As the end of the school year draws near, many teachers are thinking about ways to support summer reading. We know that reading over the summer is important for all...
Mentor Texts for a Writing Study in Graphica
Graphic novels have become part of our students' reading lives. It only makes sense that because of this, they'd want to write graphic novels. I am all for students trying...
Books that Invite Students into Poetry Writing
"Poetry is prose, bent out of shape." J. Patrick Lewis, www.jpatricklewis.com Students learn so much about crafting quality writing when they are immersed in a poetry writing unit. I often see...
Nonfiction Favorites for Boys (BOOKLIST)
Since I am a ten-year-old trapped in a grown man's body, many of the books I read for kids seem to be targeted for prepubescent males. You know the type...
Caught in the Middle: Tween Books to Excite Readers
When my youngest was 10, she would disappear into her closet after a shower and not emerge for about an hour. I asked her once what she was doing for...
New Fiction for Boys (BOOKLIST)
As an older but fairly typical boy reader I tend to gravitate toward three types of fiction. Mysteries, humorous realistic fiction and anything that has fast-paced action (with lead protagonists...
Books Struggling Readers Can and Will Want to Read: Building the Classroom Library
Cleaning up the room after school, I noticed Sammy's reading bag under the table. I've been finding his reading intervention bag left on his hook lately, and have been wondering...
Mentor Texts to Help Students Monitor Their Actions
Thoughtful planning, experience, and visualization were not enough to help me at the beginning of the school year two years ago in kindergarten. After spending five years with third graders,...
