All the Cool Kids are Reading

 Graphic novels sometimes get a bad rap.  Many parents and teachers have discouraged their young readers to avoid graphic novels in order to choose longer novels AKA "real" books. I believe that there is a middle-school audience of readers out there who are just waiting to be introduced to the graphic book craze.   How are graphic novels good for kids? Even Parents.com advises parents to give these comic-style books a chance . My 7th graders clamor to be the first (or the next) one to check out graphic novels.   Here are some of their favorites: New Kid by Jerry Craft This book shares the story of a boy--Jordan-- who leaves his urban neighborhood to attend a "prestigious" private school--but he is one of the only students of color.  He loves to draw and tells his own story through graphics and sketches.  Many students can identify with different aspects of this story--and others could possibly develop more empathy as they put themselves in his shoes. Jerry Craft ha

 Do you know a student who struggles to land on a book choice?  Or who starts a book and just can't make it all the way through?  Or maybe one who only wants to read books "just like" the one that they just finished? Try suggesting some of these great series written for middle school readers--you can't read just one: The Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz The main character (Alex) is a 14-year-old boy whose life is abruptly thrown into chaos as he becomes a spy--really!  One of my daughters loved and read every book in sequence. From Goodreads:  " They told him his uncle died in an accident. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt, they said. But when fourteen-year-old Alex finds his uncle's windshield riddled with bullet holes, he knows it was no accident. What he doesn't know yet is that his uncle was killed while on a top-secret mission. But he is about to, and once he does, there is no turning back. Finding himself in the middle of terrorists, Alex mus

Do you or your students struggle to maintain interest in science fiction?  Is it tough to keep track of another world in fantasy novels? Time to suggest some realistic fiction!  Reading realistic fiction is easier for some students to imagine and picture the story as it unfolds.  Realistic books and characters can empower the readers and remind them that they are not alone in their feelings and situations. These books are just a few that I would recommend! The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden "Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there's Lenny, her mom's boyfriend—they all get to live in his nice, clean trailer. At school, Zoey tries to stay under the radar. Her only friend Fuchsia has her own issues, and since they're in an entirely different world than the rich kids, it's best if no

Link: Padlet.com  Padlet is a digital canvas to create beautiful projects that are easy to share and collaborate on. It works like a piece of paper or a bulletin board. You start with an empty page - a padlet - and you can put whatever you like on it: a video, an interview, a selfie, text posts, or documents.   Padlet could be used as part of a classroom or library website--multiple padlets could be going at the same time that could include book reviews, recommendations, quotes, fun facts, etc.  You could use it to share information or open a project that would be open to public contributions. You could also use it on a screen in the library space to display current information, such as interviews with authors, author features, new books, books available for sale, etc.  Cost of the Tool: FREE! Available on the website or as an app.

Hello! I'm Barb Booher, and I'm addicted to reading. I am a middle school science teacher, but I have one of the best classroom libraries in my building. As I tell my students, I'm a science teacher who reads! Somehow, I forget that not everyone loves to read--I am always a little shocked when one of them says, "I hate reading." So sad! I prefer to believe that some kids just haven't found the right sort of books for them....yet! My goal is to match kids with books--especially the kids who are reluctant readers. I'll use this space to recommend and review books, suggest resources for readers, and to attempt to make everyone, yes everyone, fall in love with the right books!