books – Page 14 – Pernille Ripp

being a teacher, books, picture books, Reading

Great Picture Books to Teach Plot

November 5, 2016 Pernille Ripp

While I continue to update the other lists I have compiled of amazing picture books, a teacher asked me if I have any suggestions for teaching plot. Well, of course I do. I am so thankful once again to the amazing authors and illustrators that give us these incredible books to teach pretty much everything we need to in our literacy classes.

The Bear and the Piano by David Lichtfield is a book I use for plot and for theme.

Plot description:

One day, a bear cub finds something strange and wonderful in the forest. When he touches the keys, they make a horrible noise. Yet he is drawn back again and again. Eventually, he learns to play beautiful sounds, delighting his woodland friends.

Then the bear is invited to share his sounds with new friends in the city. He longs to explore the world beyond his home, and to play bigger and better than before. But he knows that if he leaves, the other bears will be very sad . . .

Across the Alley by Richard Michelson and E.B. Lewis is ten years old but still very relevant. This is also a great book to add to your social justice curriculum.

Plot description:

Abe and Willie live across the alley from each other. Willie is black and Abe is Jewish, and during the day, they don’t talk. But at night they open their windows and are best friends. Willie shows Abe how to throw a real big-league slider, and Abe gives Willie his violin to try out. Then one night, Abe’s grandfather catches them—will Abe and Willie have the courage to cross the alley and reveal their friendship during the day?

A Voyage in the Clouds by Matthew Olshan and Sophie Blackall is also on my Mock Caldecott watching list.

Plot description:

In the year and a half since the flight of the first manned balloon in 1783, an Italian has flown, a Scot has flown, a woman has flown, even a sheep has flown. But no one has flown from one country to another. John Jeffries, an Englishman, and his pilot, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a Frenchman, want to be the first. On January 7, 1785, they set out to cross the English Channel to France in a balloon. All seemed to be going fine, until Jeffries decides the balloon looks too fat and adjusts the air valve―how hard could it be? Too bad he drops the wrench over the side of the aerial car. With no way to adjust the valve, the balloon begins to sink. Jeffries and Blanchard throw as much as they can overboard―until there is nothing left, not even their clothes. Luckily, they come up with a clever (and surprising) solution that saves the day.

Samson in the Snow by Phillip C. Stead is beautiful for many reasons.

Plot description:

One sunny day Samson, a large and friendly woolly mammoth, encounters a little red bird who is looking for yellow flowers for her mouse friend (whose favorite color is yellow). As she flies off with the flowers, Samson wonders what it must be like to have a friend. He wonders this for so long, in fact, that he falls asleep and wakes up to a world covered in snow. In the midst of a blizzard, Samson finds and shelters the little red bird and flower-loving mouse in a tender tale of kindness and unexpected friendship.

Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis is also great for inferring.

Plot description:

Du iz tak? What is that? As a tiny shoot unfurls, two damselflies peer at it in wonder. When the plant grows taller and sprouts leaves, some young beetles arrive to gander, and soon—with the help of a pill bug named Icky—they wrangle a ladder and build a tree fort. But this is the wild world, after all, and something horrible is waiting to swoop down—booby voobeck!—only to be carried off in turn. Su! With exquisitely detailed illustrations and tragicomic flair, Carson Ellis invites readers to imagine the dramatic possibilities to be found in even the humblest backyard. Su!

A Bike Like Sergio’s by Maribeth Boelts and Noah Z. Jones is fantastic for theme as well.

Plot description:

Ruben feels like he is the only kid without a bike. His friend Sergio reminds him that his birthday is coming, but Ruben knows that the kinds of birthday gifts he and Sergio receive are not the same. After all, when Ruben’s mom sends him to Sonny’s corner store for groceries, sometimes she doesn’t have enough money for everything on the list. So when Ruben sees a dollar bill fall out of someone’s purse, he picks it up and puts it in his pocket. But when he gets home, he discovers it’s not one dollar or even five or ten—it’s a hundred-dollar bill, more than enough for a new bike just like Sergio’s! But what about the crossed-off groceries? And what about the woman who lost her money?

White Water by Michael S. Bandy, Eric Stein, and Shadra Strickland is another great book to discuss social justice.

Plot description:

It’s a scorching hot day, and going into town with Grandma is one of Michael’s favorite things. When the bus pulls up, they climb in and pay their fare, get out, walk to the back door, and climb in again. By the time they arrive in town, Michael’s throat is as dry as a bone, so he runs to the water fountain. But after a few sips, the warm, rusty water tastes bad. Why is the kid at the “Whites Only” fountain still drinking? Is his water clear and refreshingly cool? No matter how much trouble Michael might get into, he’s determined to find out for himself.

Also an Octopus by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Benji Davies is one of the most perfect picture books for plots, this is the whole purpose of the book!

Plot description:

It begins with an octopus who plays the ukulele. Since this is a story, the octopus has to want something—maybe to travel to faraway galaxies in a totally awesome purple spaceship. Then the octopus sets out to build a spaceship out of soda cans, glue, umbrellas, glitter, and waffles. OK, maybe the octopus needs some help, like from an adorable bunny friend, and maybe that bunny turns out to be . . . a rocket scientist? (Probably not.) But could something even more amazing come to pass?

My Friend Maggie by Hannah Harrison is just a must-add in general, this picture book is great for theme, plot and just kindness overall.

Plot description:

Paula and Maggie have been friends forever. Paula thinks Maggie is the best—until mean girl Veronica says otherwise. Suddenly, Paula starts to notice that Maggie is big and clumsy, and her clothes are sort of snuggish. Rather than sticking up for Maggie, Paula ignores her old friend and plays with Veronica instead. Luckily, when Veronica turns on Paula, Maggie’s true colors shine through.

Another fantastic picture book to discuss problems and anxiety is Jack’s Worry from Sam Zuppardi. I love the illustrations of how Jack’s worry follows him around and how he ends up solving it. Many children would benefit from this book in their classrooms.

Plot description:

Jack loves playing the trumpet, and for weeks he’s been looking forward to taking part in his first concert. But on the morning of the big day, Jack finds he has a Worry. And his Worry starts to grow. Even when Jack’s mother calls him for a special breakfast, even when he hides under the bed or runs around the yard, his Worry follows him. Suddenly, when it’s almost time to leave for the concert, Jack finds it’s all too much. For anyone who’s ever been afraid of failing at something new, this book offers just what’s needed to shrink a Worry down to size.

Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman, illustrated by Chris Case. being yourself can be hard when you society will judge you but this book is a must add for any classroom.

Plot description:

Jacob loves playing dress-up, when he can be anything he wants to be. Some kids at school say he can’t wear “girl” clothes, but Jacob wants to wear a dress to school. Can he convince his parents to let him wear what he wants?

To see a list of all of our favorite books for many different things, please go here.

Be the change, being a teacher, books, global, Literacy

Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration

October 15, 2016 Pernille Ripp

Since 2010, my students and I have been bringing the world in. We have asked others to be our teachers, whether authors, experts, children. We have asked others to share more of their world with us so that we could make more sense of our own. We have created, we have become experts. We have made the world smaller by becoming a moving piece of the world, and we have grown. In our literacy collaborations and creations, we have become authors, poets, performers, and teachers. We have become more than what we started as.

So when I was asked what I would propose to make school different, the answer came quickly; besides empowering students, I feel an urgent need to infuse global collaboration throughout our literacy instruction (or any subject matter for that sake). That in a world that seems so divided at times, where we seem to be hellbent on finding each others differences and using them to distance ourselves, we need to actually know our similarities. We need to bring the world in to make the world smaller, kinder, more empathetic. Have students create so that they can become the person they envision rather than just pretend.

I have written this book three times over. Starting over every single time because it was not good enough. Within the span of sixty pages I get to plead my case for why doing global collaboration is an urgent endeavor. For why it is easier than you think to bring the world in. For why it should be at the top of our lists when we plan our literacy instruction. And the how. How can you do it, what are ideas, what does it look like. By opening up my own classroom practices, as well as other educators, I hope to inspire those that need ideas or a boost to jump in. To create another consideration as we plan our school year and our learning adventures. And now, it is ready for the world. My newest book Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration is out for pre-order with a birthdate of January 20th, 2017. I cannot believe it is almost here.

cover

I hope you find it useful, that is truly my biggest dream for this book. That you will learn something, that it will inspire you to try and to change in ways that are meaningful to you. It may have been a long process to write this book, sometimes that is how it goes, but the words are genuine. We need to create classrooms where students learn with others, for others, and through others. And our literacy instruction time gives us the perfect conduit for just that. Welcome to the world.

To see the book on Amazon, go here.To see the book on Amazon, go here.To see the book on Amazon, go here.

I am currently working on a new literacy book. While the task is daunting and intimidating, it is incredible to once again get to share the phenomenal words of my students as they push me to be a better teacher. The book, which I am still writing, is tentatively Passionate Readers and will be published in the summer of 2017 by Routledge. So until then if you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Be the change, being a teacher, books, Literacy, picture books, Reading, Reading Identity

If Not Us, Then Who?

October 10, 2016 Pernille Ripp

When I was 17 years old, my history teacher pulled me aside and told me tone it down. “It” being my opinion in case it intimidated others. “It” being speaking my mind because sometimes I would come across so forceful that others did not want to engage. So I stopped speaking in his class. I stopped jumping in, afraid that I was going to rock the boat or upset the other students. I knew I had opinions, but I didn’t want to be known as someone who did not make room for others.

A long time ago I decided that staying quiet would not get me anywhere. That hoping that someone would understand what I needed without me actually speaking up was a delusion. That I could no longer wait until someone spoke the words that burned within me so I could quote them and pretend I hadn’t thought the exact same thing. I started writing, speaking, and teaching as the whole me, rather than the 17 year old girl who had been told to tone it down. It has been quite a journey since then.

As educators we speak up all of the time. We speak up for ourselves when changes need to be made in our schools. We speak up for our students when they need us to advocate. We speak up for our own needs and hopefully for the needs of our students. We speak up when we see injustices that need to be righted, when our teacher stares are not enough.

So I think it is time for us to speak up and let our voices be heard because when I look at my classroom library, when I really study the books I am able to put in the hands of my students, I cannot help but wonder; where are the books from non-white authors? Where are the picture books that center around kids that are going about their every day life that look like some of my students? Where are the holiday books, the birthday books, the first day of school books, the books that share small slices of life that have characters that are not white?

While I buy the ones that I know of thanks to blogs like Reading While White, We Need Diverse Books, and the Nerdy Book Club, I am constantly reminded of how few there are out there for us to purchase. When I receive a package of books I am constantly reminded of how often the kids in the books look just like my own kids in all of their whiteness. How my kids must take it for granted that, of course, the books they read have people in them that look like them. That I do not have to scour the internet to find books that remind them of themselves because those are the majority of books out there. That in book upon book being white as a character is the standard not the exception.

We need diverse books. We need own voices books. We need more than what is out there and so we need to raise our voices. There will be no change if we do not say loudly; “This is not enough. This is not ok.”

So as educators we can speak up. We can reach out and demand better. We can spend our precious budgets on books that do not just offer up more white narratives, but actually mirror the diversity that we are surrounded by. We can tell publishers that we need books that show all of the kids we teach. We need books about Native American written by Native American, or other #OwnVoices authors. We need books that go beyond the standard stories being shared so that when all of my students open up a book they can find a character that looks like them. Or when my own white children read a book, they will see a character that does not look like them and understand that that too is the norm.

For too many years we have waited for publishers to notice the major gap that has been created, and while changes are under way, the process won’t speed up until we speak up. So use your voice, use your connections, use your money to show the world that when we echo that “We need diverse books!” it is not just because it is a catchy phrase, but is the truth.

being a teacher, books, Literacy, picture books, Reading, Reading Identity

It Was Never for the Adults

October 8, 2016October 9, 2016 Pernille Ripp

On the very first day of book shopping this year, with the piles of brand new books waiting on the tables. Sharpened pencils ready, to-be-read lists in hand. Time set aside to meander. Books displayed and discussed. On the very first day of book shopping, two kids refused to even look. One sat in a corner, hood up, eyes down. Another child, more than an hour later, but this time at a table, arms crossed, no to-be-read list, no pencil, not even a word.

I approached both with caution, sometimes children who so actively refuse to even pick a book remind me of a wounded animal. They are someone who clearly has not had a good experience with books. Someone who must be treated with the gentlest of hands, because otherwise, it will just become another power struggle and one that I will never win.

As always, I asked quietly; What is wrong? How may I help? Then wait, hold my breath, and soon the refusal. Soon the dismissal, “Leave me alone, I don’t like books, I don’t like reading.” Whatever the words, the stories always so familiar. The emotions raw, the conversation careful, and yet unexpected. It happens every year. So after a few gentle moments, I pull out my secret weapons; my graphic novels and my picture books. I grab a pile of those perpetual favorites or some brand new ones, I place them in front of the child and I walk away.

It happens without fail, a few moments later, a page being turned, a book being read, the angry stance in the shoulders gradually fading away. Books change minds. The right books change lives.

Yet if I were to take the advice of some. If I were to listen to the words of those who say they know better. If I were to be a “real” teacher of English, those books would not have a place in my classroom. No more Captain Underpants, Where Is My Hat, or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. No more Tales from the Crypt, the graphic novelization. No more rows of picture books waiting to be read and shared. Those books that many of my students think they are too old to read. Those books that some might think are not appropriate for a student to read. Those books that some deem too easy, not enough, not real reading. Those become the books that capture my hardest students. Those become the portal that lead them back into believing that they too can be readers. That reading can be for them. That reading is something that matters.

So when I see a call for censorship, for teachers telling students what they exactly need to read. When I see a call for parents to study our classroom libraries to make sure that the books we have are not inappropriate, too emotional, or lord forbid too fun. When we are once again told that something that is too easy for our kids, not challenging enough, not enough of whatever the right thing is. That is when I am reminded of who I serve. That is when I am reminded of who my library is for. Because it was never for the adults of those children I teach. It was always for the kids. And those kids need all of the great books we can hand them.

being a teacher, books

Some New (To Me) Must Add Middle Grade Novels

September 5, 2016 Pernille Ripp

I love back to school; the excitement in the air, the untested new ideas, the fear, the thrill. All of these things put a pep in my step. And yet, there is one major downfall to back to school; less time to read. I have luxuriated in books this summer. Gone days with no TV where I could be found under the covers needing to read just one more page. My books read display at school shares the tale of a summer filled with amazing reads that now I cannot wait to book talk. So what have been some of the best middle grade novels I have read lately?

The Scourge by Jennifer A. Nielsen is a fantastic page turner. Much like Jennifer made me fall in love with The False Prince (still one of our most loved series even in 7th), I too fell in love with Ani and Weevil and the trouble they cause. This is an accessible book, many reading confidences will be able to get sucked in and stay sucked in as the action springs from page to page, and yet, it is also a book that speaks of human relationships, of deep commitments to each other. My only disappointment with this book is that it is not a series; I would have loved for the story to keep on going because it is that good.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill was one of my last reads of the previous school year, and yet I still book talked and had one student read it in two days before the final day. His face when he came back told me all I needed to know, “It was so good, Mrs. Ripp.” And I agree. With one of the best first chapters I have read in a long time and the most incredible language, this is a book you give to those kids that want to sink into a world of magic, destiny, and a quest. Kelly’s storytelling is masterful and I would be incredibly surprised if this book does not end up on a lot of “best of…” lists.

I don’t read dog books, ask any of my students, and yet this year there have been an incredible slew of dog books to prove me wrong. Lynn Plourde’s Maxi’s Secrets steals your heart from the very first chapter. Just like Maxi quickly brings love and life back into the lives of the characters of the books, so does he for us. I gave this book 5 stars when I read it and it still stands out as a 5 star book to me. This is one of those books that make us thankful that there are writers out there that so gets what it means to be new, what it means to try to fit in and what it means to love something like a dog.

I have sung the praises of MiNRS by Kevin Sylverster since it came out lat year and so when I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of its sequel, MiNRS2, I knew this was a book I had to start right away. I was not disappointed. Kevin Sylvester masterfully picks up on the cliffhanger he left us on and takes this tale of kids surviving a devastating attack on a far away space colony to new heights. This page turner is sure to have readers wanting to read just one more page and then much like me, eagerly await the third book. Does it really have to be so far away? This comes out October 11th.

While I have not finished Wish by Barbara O’Connor yet, I know I will later today because I have to find out what happens to Charlie as she tries for a new start, albeit grudgingly. The characters pull you right in as does the story. How many of us can relate to feeling displaced? To being angry? To feeling all alone? Barbara O’Connor is a master storyteller and shines in her latest book.

My students have been obsessed with free verse novels the past year. It is hard not to be when some of the greatest books are being published in this format. So when I was gifted a copy of A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman and noticed that this was not only a book written in free verse, but also represented a cultural view that most of my students have not been exposed I knew I had to read it. So I fell into the pages of the story of Veda and her dreams of becoming a dancer. Wrapped in the beautiful world of India, I found myself reaching for my iPad as I read wanting to understood more fully all of the culture that was being shared in the pages. It was a beautiful reading experience and one that I am thrilled I can pass on to my students. One that I know will catch many of them too as they cheer for Veda and find connections between themselves and the story unfolding before them. For too long my classroom library has not had enough multicultural diversity in its text, this books a small step toward rectifying that, and a beautiful one at that.

Nora Raleigh Baskin’s book Ruby on the Outside was a book that I said all libraries should own because it told a story that some our children live every day; a parent incarcerated. Her latest book Nine, Ten: A 9/11 Story is another must own, must read, must share, must discuss. Written delicately, yet honest, it follows four different children on the days leading up to what we know as 9/11. The four stories means that we get four different perspectives of that day, of what it meant to be an American after the event. I love the four different perspectives because they mirror so well how we felt as a country; fractured but together. All with our own experiences coloring how we viewed the event. This book is a must add to your library as we continue to try to teach such a historic and frail moment. It is appropriate for young students, but my 7th graders also love it (I was gifted an advanced review copy). I am grateful to the authors that are giving me the tools to make our future understand why we changed so much as a nation, why we are the way we are now. How we came together as a country, even though these days, that seems like a long lost memory. Perhaps books like this will help us remember how alike we all are, rather than how different. One can only hope.

To see all of our other favorites, please go here

being a teacher, books, Literacy

My Can’t Wait to Booktalk Books of Summer 2016

August 15, 2016 Pernille Ripp

This has been the summer of a lot of things; speaking, writing, airports and traveling, meeting incredible people, trying to help better education. Of endless days and longing for home at times. Of new adventures and having to become more extroverted. But that is not all, it has also been the summer of pool-time, of ice cream, of snuggling with our kids in the morning and sometimes also at night. Of days at the movies and dinner with friends. And then it has been the summer of books. Of glorious moments spent in the company of brilliant writing, of can’t wait to turn the next page, of I cannot wait for a child to discover this book. A summer of books and those books now fill the tables in our classroom, waiting for others to discover them, love them, and then book talk them to others, much like I am book talking them here.

So what has been some of my amazing reads? (You can follow me both on Goodreads and on Instagram if you would like to keep up live with what I am reading).

I started my summer with The Best Man by Richard Peck. Spurred on by my friends’ love of this book and by the sad fact that I had never read a Richard Peck book before, I was glad to start the summer with this one. I was delighted, surprised, and ever so wonderfully tangled into the story and yet I have had the hardest time booktalking this book other than to tell people they should read it. In fact, I handed a copy of it to someone at ILA and said just that. This is a great addition to classroom libraries 5th grade and up and I will definitely be revisiting all of my Richard Peck books because of this story.

From Amazon:

Archer Magill has spent a lively five years of grade school with one eye out in search of grown-up role models. Three of the best are his grandpa, the great architect; his dad, the great vintage car customizer,; and his uncle Paul, who is just plain great. These are the three he wants to be. Along the way he finds a fourth—Mr. McLeod, a teacher. In fact, the first male teacher in the history of the school.

But now here comes middle school and puberty. Change. Archer wonders how much change has to happen before his voice does. He doesn’t see too far ahead, so every day or so a startling revelation breaks over him. Then a really big one when he’s the best man at the wedding of two of his role models. But that gets ahead of the story.

How amazing of a storyteller is Kate Messner? I loved The Seventh Wish so much that it got it’s own stand alone review on this blog, and I stand by those words. This book belongs in our classrooms, in our libraries, and yes even with elementary children.

From Amazon:

Charlie feels like she’s always coming in last. From her Mom’s new job to her sister’s life away at college, everything else always seems to be more important than Charlie’s upcoming dance competition or science project. Unsure of how to get her family’s attention, Charlie comes across the surprise of her life one day while ice-fishing . . . in the form of a floppy, scaly fish offering to grant her a wish in exchange for its freedom. Charlie can’t believe her luck until she realizes that this fish has a funny way of granting wishes, despite her best intentions. But when her family faces a challenge bigger than any they’ve ever experienced, Charlie wonders if some things might be too important to risk on a wish.

My students and I have been obsessed with the MiNRS series from Kevin Sylvester since the inaugural book last year. In fact, they kept asking whether I could somehow get them a copy of book 2 before school was out. Alas that did not happen but I did receive an ARC this summer. It is so good. Page turner, sucks you in, can’t believe I now have to wait another whole year to wait for the third book. This is a must add series 4th grade and up and yes my 7th graders love it too. (Note: Only available for pre-order)

From Amazon:

They are coming to get you.
Hide.
Hide.

Hide.

The children of Perses have been receiving this message on repeat, from Earth, for weeks. Christopher, Elena, and the other survivors of the attack on their space colony know two things: their victory over the Landers will be short-lived and a new wave of attacks is imminent.

New Landers arrive sooner than expected. Led by the ruthless Kirk Thatcher, and armed with a new lethal kind of digger, they vow to hunt down and destroy everyone.

The kids have nowhere to go but underground. Again. But resources and patience are running low and the struggle to keep everyone safe is complicated by all the infighting amongst the kids.

As Christopher navigates the burden of leadership, he also has to decide whom he can trust. There are no easy answers. And with deadly consequences on the line, there is no room for mistakes.

Will Christopher be able to successfully lead the group back to Earth? Or will Thatcher make sure no one survives?

How I have managed to go these years without falling in love with The Raven Boys series by Maggie Stiefwater I am not sure. This has been one of my most recommended books this summer because I dropped everything just to read this whole series in a week. Now that that the whole series is out there is no reason to wait to get this for your classroom library, I would recommend middle school and up.

From Amazon:

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them–until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn’t believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Hands down one of the best non-fiction autobiographies I have ever read. Melissa Sweet’s Some Writer! about E.B. White is a masterpiece in visual layout as well as text. I have ordered another copy to house permanently in my classroom and will be using it to teach writer’s craft. I cannot wait for children to fall into the delight of these pages and to be inspired to write more themselves. (Note: Available for pre-order).

From Amazon:

“SOME PIG,” Charlotte the spider’s praise for Wilbur, is just one fondly remembered snippet from E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. In Some Writer!, the two-time Caldecott Honor winner Melissa Sweet mixes White’s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell his story, from his birth in 1899 to his death in 1985. Budding young writers will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children’s book author who loved words his whole life.

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner is the first book I plan on booktalking this year. This is the book I hope most of my students discover. This is the book I keep recommending. A masterpiece in story-telling that I could not put down and neither could those I have handed it too. This debut author has taken everything that is right about a great YA and put it into a book. I cannot wait for his next book.

From Amazon:

Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

The only antidote to all this venom is his friendship with fellow outcasts Travis and Lydia. But as they are starting their senior year, Dill feels the coils of his future tightening around him. Dill’s only escapes are his music and his secret feelings for Lydia—neither of which he is brave enough to share. Graduation feels more like an ending to Dill than a beginning. But even before then, he must cope with another ending—one that will rock his life to the core.

Another incredible non-fiction text, this time in free verse (Oh how I adore free verse), Loving Vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell and illustrated by Shadra Strickland is a must add to your library. This text sheds light on the landmark case of marriage equality and is riveting in how it unfolds. You fall in love with the Lovings and their simple fight to simply be allowed to be married. (Note: Available for pre-order now).

From Amazon:

From acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell comes the story of a landmark civil rights case, told in spare and gorgeous verse. In 1955, in Caroline County, Virginia, amidst segregation and prejudice, injustice and cruelty, two teenagers fell in love. Their life together broke the law, but their determination would change it. Richard and Mildred Loving were at the heart of a Supreme Court case that legalized marriage between races, and a story of the devoted couple who faced discrimination, fought it, and won.

I was handed Fenway and Hattie by the author herself, Victoria J. Coe, and read it the very next day. Delightful, fun, and imaginative I have recommended this book to many people since. I love how Victoria Coe writes it from the perspective of a dog and will be using this to show perspective writing with my 7th graders. While this is geared toward a younger audience, I think some of my 7th graders will enjoy it as much as I have. This is also a contender for Global Read Aloud 2017.

From Amazon:

Fenway is an excitable and endlessly energetic Jack Russell terrier. He lives in the city with Food Lady, Fetch Man, and—of course—his beloved short human and best-friend-in-the-world, Hattie.

But when his family moves to the suburbs, Fenway faces a world of changes. He’s pretty pleased with the huge Dog Park behind his new home, but he’s not so happy about the Evil Squirrels that taunt him from the trees, the super-slippery Wicked Floor in the Eating Room, and the changes that have come over Hattie lately. Rather than playing with Fenway, she seems more interested in her new short human friend, Angel, and learning to play baseball. His friends in the Dog Park next door say Hattie is outgrowing him, but that can’t be right. And he’s going to prove it!

What an incredible book Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk is. In fact, I would be surprised if we did not see this book receive awards later this year. Unlike anything I have read in a long time, Wolf Hollow draws you into a world that speaks of simpler times and yet the story unravels in a way you would not expect. From 4th grade and up, this book is also a must add in middle school.

From Amazon:

Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

I loved the scary tale and the beautiful language of The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste. I rooted for the main character Corinne as she fights for her father and the rest of her island, protecting them from the supernatural beings that live in the forest. For kids that love a great scary story, I cannot wait to book talk this, and even better; there is a sequel coming.

From Amazon:

Corinne La Mer claims she isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.

Although I hail from Denmark originally I tend to not read many Scandinavian childrens’ books. They simply do not fall into my hands often. I was therefore thrilled when a copy The Ballad of a Broken Nose by Arne Svingen made it into my hands. Refreshing and honest and also very Scandinavian, I think this book will provide a wonderful read for 5th grade and up. This is also a global read aloud contender for 2017.

From Amazon:

Bart is an eternal optimist. At thirteen years old, he’s had a hard life. But Bart knows that things won’t get any better if you have a negative attitude. His mother has pushed him into boxing lessons so that Bart can protect himself, but Bart already has defense mechanisms: he is relentlessly positive…and he loves opera.

Listening to—and singing—opera is Bart’s greatest escape, but he’s too shy to share this with anyone. Then popular Ada befriends him and encourages him to perform at the school talent show. Ada can’t keep a secret to save her life, but Bart bonds with her anyway, and her openness helps him realize that his troubles are not burdens that he must bear alone.

Some of the most important graphic novels to be published ever are the March trilogy created by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell. The first two books were already popular with my students, in fact, I had to re-purchase my set as the first two had left my classroom. I thought I knew a decent amount about the civil rights movement and its history and yet the March trilogy just proves once again how little I know. I am so grateful for the knowledge these books will pass on to my students.

From Amazon:

Congressman John Lewis, an American icon and one of the key figures of the civil rights movement, continues his award-winning graphic novel trilogy with co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell, inspired by a 1950s comic book that helped prepare his own generation to join the struggle. Now, March brings the lessons of history to vivid life for a new generation, urgently relevant for today’s world.

After the success of the Nashville sit-in campaign, John Lewis is more committed than ever to changing the world through nonviolence — but as he and his fellow Freedom Riders board a bus into the vicious heart of the deep south, they will be tested like never before. Faced with beatings, police brutality, imprisonment, arson, and even murder, the movement’s young activists place their lives on the line while internal conflicts threaten to tear them apart.

But their courage will attract the notice of powerful allies, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy… and once Lewis is elected chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, this 23-year-old will be thrust into the national spotlight, becoming one of the “Big Six” leaders of the civil rights movement and a central figure in the landmark 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell is a book I didn’t expect to love as much as I did. I had heard from others that it was a great title and yet whenever I picked it up, I just didn’t quite fall into the appeal of it. Its tale of honor, family, and yes, wolves left me mesmerized from page 1. This is the best of books; nature and survival, historical fiction and fast paced adventure. This is a must for 4th grade and up.

From Amazon:

A girl and the wolves who love her embark on a rescue mission through Russian wilderness in this lyrical tale from the author of the acclaimed Rooftoppers and Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms.

Feo’s life is extraordinary. Her mother trains domesticated wolves to be able to fend for themselves in the snowy wilderness of Russia, and Feo is following in her footsteps to become a wolf wilder. She loves taking care of the wolves, especially the three who stay at the house because they refuse to leave Feo, even though they’ve already been wilded. But not everyone is enamored with the wolves, or with the fact that Feo and her mother are turning them wild. And when her mother is taken captive, Feo must travel through the cold, harsh woods to save her—and learn from her wolves how to survive.

One of these days I might write an entire post about how much I admire the talent and work of Jacqueline Woodson. The conversations she invites us to have in our classrooms are profound and I am so thankful I finally discovered her book If You Come Softly. While the story is set in high school it is not high school langue which makes it even more accessible to many students. This book about race and love and growing up is one I won’t forget. I also read, and loved, Behind You, the follow up novel.

From Amazon:

Jeremiah feels good inside his own skin. That is, when he’s in his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But now he’s going to be attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan, and black teenage boys don’t exactly fit in there. So it’s a surprise when he meets Ellie the first week of school. In one frozen moment their eyes lock and after that they know they fit together — even though she’s Jewish and he’s black. Their worlds are so different, but to them that’s not what matters. Too bad the rest of the world has to get in their way.

We loved the first book in Sabaa Tahir’s series An Ember in the Ashes and so I was so excited to read the sequel A Torch Against the Night. Sabaa Tahir delivers a masterful follow up to this great YA series, fast-paced with magic, adventure, and a little bit of love, this is the type of books that many of my 7th graders gravitate toward. This comes out at the end of August and I cannot wait to book talk the two books to my students.

From Amazon:

Elias and Laia are running for their lives.

Following the events of the Fourth Trial, an army led by Masks hunts the two fugitives as they escape the city of Serra and journey across the vast lands of the Martial Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—and save her brother, whose knowledge of Serric steel is the key to the Scholars’ future. And Elias is determined to stay by Laia’s side…even if it means giving up his own chance at freedom.

But Elias and Laia will have to fight every step of the way if they’re going to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

Helene’s mission is horrifying, unwanted, and clear: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.