Looking for some great books to add to your classroom libraries? If you are a middle school or high school teacher, these books are highly recommended! They span diverse authors, diverse issues, and diverse styles. What I love most about each of these books is that they are riveting and motivate readers to engage in more stories. Plus, a few of these authors have new books coming out in the fall of 2017, so if a student finds an author they like, there are more books coming.
(from top left to right)
Row 1:
The Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
This book was released in 2015 and I read it because many bloggers have hypothesized that it might be up for a Newbery. That is a great reason to read a book in my opinion! :) Overall, I liked this book. It tells the story of one "family" (in a very modern definition) struggling with a kidnapping. The story takes some surprising twists and shows the reader that things are not always as they seem. It kept me riveted and after reading, I have a lot of questions. This is a book I would like to sit down and discuss with the author.
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
If you don't know about this series by now, you have been living under a rock. Harry Potter is celebrity because as an infant, he sent the darkest wizarding lord into hiding; however, he lost his parents in the battle. This series is about good versus evil, the importance of friendship, and how standing up for your beliefs can make a difference. That has to be why, after 20 years, people still love these books and are introducing them to a new generation of readers.
The Royal We by Heather Cocks
Personally, I did not enjoy this book because I felt it was a bit flat. However, it has made so many "best book lists" of bloggers I follow, I added it here. It just goes to show you even books that aren't for you can find their readers. Essentially, this is Kate Middleton fan fiction - the story of an American girl who falls for a prince. This is their love story and romance. If you know Kate Middleton's story, nothing in here will be surprising, but it can still be fun.
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
This is a great ghost story for kids! I read this book for the first time in 2nd grade and was terrified for weeks. I found this book again in 2015 and could not wait to re-experience it. Because I'm a scaredy cat, it still got me, but it was so much better than I remember. If you want a nice, clean ghost story, this is my recommendation!
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
This is a modern twist on Cinderella, only Cinderella is a cy-borg. Crazy! If you know Cinderella, you can guess the story. Middle grade readers will enjoy the twist on a fairytale they may know well. This is also the first book in a series, so if a student enjoys this book, they have several more to keep them busy.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Graphic novels are in! Seriously, if you aren't reading graphic novels, you are missing a huge trend right now. I loved this one! The pictures do such a nice job telling the story and the limited text is chosen with such care. The story is heartbreaking and beautiful. I was riveted as I read through. Satrapi does a good job tackling issues related to race, gender, and religion. Whoever says graphic novels can't have depth hasn't read this book yet.
Row 2:
The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
A boy living a double life on the Indian reservation and attending public school off the reservation. He is coming of age and trying to figure out his place in these two worlds - what could be better? This book also made many banned lists because it deals with the boys sexual development, includes cursing, and of course, tackles issues of race. I really enjoyed this one and there are some illustrations throughout!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Imagine the richest man in the world (combine Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Trump together) has died. He left his fortune to the person who can beat the virtual world video game he created. Who is that person? It is yet to be decided. The entire world has been living in this "virtual world" for years and most people have completely forgotten the non-virtual world. For years people compete to beat the game, but no one can make progress. Will anyone win the fortune? While this is marketed as a adult fiction, nothing in this book would be inappropriate for middle or high school readers, and it is a really fun jaunt into pop culture.
The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
Again, this book was making the rounds on blogger lists, so I figured I would give it a try. This is the story of a boy and girl who meet randomly and somewhat start a love affair. But, as usually befalls young love, they are separated. Over time, the two travel and send each other postcards to keep their relationship alive.
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodsen
Of all the YA books I've read recently, this is one of the best! This book won many awards through 2014 and 2015, and it is well deserved. This book is written in prose and documents the coming-of-age of Jackie. The book is somewhat autobiographical but is definitely fiction. It follows Jackie's childhood through the 1960s and moving from North to South during that time. What I love most about this book is the way Jackie questions the world around her - including questions of race, identify, religion, bullying, and being a woman. There is so much to think about and learn through this book. I recommend this book to every person I meet.
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
In October 2015, I was so excited to see that Gary D. Schmidt was coming out with a new book. The Wednesday Wars is one of my all-time favorites! This book also intrigued me because it is the story of a 13-year-old father (yep, you read that right). I couldn't resist. The book is tragic and that is putting it mildly. I feel that this book exposes the dangers of child abuse and shows how every situation has multiple layers that should be explored. I bawled my eyes out as I read this book and could not get enough of it.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
This book was also making the rounds as a Newbery suggestion. (FYI, the Newbery books are announced in early February and I cannot wait to see the results!) This book deals with suicide and mental illness. It shows that a person can be struggling and not show those struggles, even to the people closest to the person. It also brings up a conversation about what might lead a person to suicide and how it affects the loved ones of that person. It was not an easy read, emotionally, and has really impacted how I think about suicide.
Row 3:
I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
Robert Cormier is one of the best YA authors I've ever read. In fact, The Chocolate Wars and Beyond the Chocolate Wars are two of my favorite books. I could reread The Chocolate Wars one hundred times and would never get tired of it. One of my goals is to read all of his books. In 2015, I crossed this book off my list. This book is about a boy who has experienced trauma. He is an unreliable narrator and I was actually really surprised at the twist at the end. Definitely another book I highly recommend for a surprise.
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
I've mentioned how I love Gary D. Schmidt. This book was not one of my favorites of his, but I'm still glad I got to read it in 2015. This book is heartbreaking and deals with family drama and what it is like to grow up in a poor family. We follow a family as they relocate for jobs and see how financial stress can affect everyone. For adults or advanced high school readers, I would pair this book with Hillbilly Elegy to see how class impacts people in America.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
That title! How can you not want to read this book? It is about a young girl attending a fancy boarding school with secret societies. There is corruption, competition, and pranks. This book is just plain fun.
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
There is a nice trend in young adult fiction to write in prose. This is the story Ha who travels with her family from Vietnam to Alabama. Again, this is autobiographical about the author's experiences as a child. The author does a great job describing the challenges families face as they relocate to new countries and vastly different environments.
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Kira-Kira is about Katie and her family. They travel around the United States as Katie's father gets relocated for work. Katie's family moves from a Japanese community in Iowa to the deep-south of Georgia. Like Inside Out & Back Again, Kadohata tackles issues that immigrant families face and how they are judged by their culture. This book is heartbreaking and has a surprisingly sad ending.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I love this sort-of series. I read all three books. Each book includes reference to the same characters, but they are stand-alone novels (Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After). These books are romances made for young adults. They are fun, include travel, and are everything I would want in a young adult romance.
Row 4:
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Another graphic novel! I love this one because it is about a young girl with a hearing disability. The author does a good job showing how she is approached by different students, how she is bullied, and how she copes with hearing aids of various sizes.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
This is another Newbery book from this year, and it is so good! This book is told in prose, but intertwines chapters that are written in a rap format. I feel that the author gives credibility to other dialects and ways of speaking while telling a compelling story of coming-of-age. I also got to see a great interview with Alexander in which he talks about wanting to inspire kids to read more poetry. This book is a great start!
The Selection series by Kiera Cass
I read all four books in this series in 2015 and they were a great, fun read. Imagine combining The Bachelor with Hunger Games - what more could you want? These books are not deep and the characters stay very surface-level, but the book is fun and enjoyable. I really enjoyed the series and can't wait for the next book in the series!
Messenger by Lois Lowry
Messenger is the third book in The Giver quartet. These books are loosely called a series in that they use some of the same characters, but each is an independent book. This is the final book in the series for me to read and I love Lois Lowry. My dream is that she will write another book. I get to meet in her in April as she is coming to a book festival at my university. :) I recommend reading everything by Lois Lowry.
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
I read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in 2013. It was strange and I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. In 2014, Riggs debuted this sequel, Hollow City. And, in 2015, released a third piece called Library of Souls. I wasn't the biggest fan of Hallow City but I am excited to read the third book. Also, the movie comes out in 2016 and I can't wait to see it.
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
Another book about young love gone wrong. This book adds suspense by telling much of the story through letters one lover has written to another. Each tells about different reasons why the couple broke up. At the end of the day, I enjoyed this book but I'm not dying to re-read it. I would recommend it for a younger audience. As a more mature reader, it left me wanting more.
What books will you be recommending to your students this school year?
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