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Medium length children's picture books, reading length from 10-20 minutes, for free download or read online from Free Kids Books.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Storynory has over 1,000 free audio stories for children, including classic fairy tales, myths, world stories, poems, and brand new originals read by professional actors.

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A LARGE database of texts and corresponding lessons for grades 3-12: sort by genre, standard, theme, etc. including some Spanish texts

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CommonLit | CommonLit Library | Browse Content by Theme, Grade Level and More

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View the CommonLit collection and filter by grade level, theme, genre, literacy device and common core standard.

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50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

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Common Sense Media editors help you choose 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12. Surefire selections for kids and tweens.

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Celebrate the Library's anniversary with 125 books for kids, selected by our expert librarians from the last 125 years, that inspire those both young and young at heart to love reading. Check out the list below-or find the titles on our e-reader app SimplyE-by category or suggested age.

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It's been such a strange, lost summer. Camps and schools and activities have shut down during the pandemic, leaving kids and caregivers stuck at home and climbing the walls - and sometimes the garden fences.

With that in mind, we decided that this year's summer reader poll should be all about keeping kids occupied. We asked you to tell us about your favorite kids' books, from board books for babies to great read-alouds to early chapter books and even a few books for older readers. And thousands of you answered.

As with all our summer polls, this one isn't a straight-up popularity contest. (Otherwise it would have been nothing but 100 Mo Willems books - and we love Mo Willems, but that wouldn't have been the most useful list.) Rather, it's a curated list built from your recommendations and picks from our expert panel of judges - a fantastic group of authors, librarians, publishers and all-around book nerds. And instead of a ranked list, it's grouped into categories that we hope will help you find just the right books for the kids in your life.

Now, we understand that half the fun of a list is arguing about what didn't make it on - and our judges had to make some hard choices. But there was one easy decision: A few years ago, we did a summer list based on All Things Considered's Backseat Book Club of great reads for kids from 9 to 14. This year's list is focused on younger readers, but we did include a few books for older kids. So if something appeared on the Backseat 100, we didn't include it here. That means no Charlotte's Web, no Matilda and no Little House books (though we've got some wonderful suggestions for Little House fans, like Linda Sue Park's Prairie Lotus).

We want this list to be a tool for discovery, which means we had to walk a delicate path when it comes to books that are undeniable classics - we knew all hell would rain down on us if we left out Where the Wild Things Are or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But we decided you probably didn't need our help to discover Dr. Seuss, Richard Scarry or The Little Engine that Could, so those didn't make it onto the list.

And as always, we had to decide which work to pick from creators who were nominated multiple times. Readers may remember the Nora Roberts Rule, which came about during 2015's romance poll: No one gets on the list twice UNLESS they're as titanic a figure in their field as Roberts is in romance; we included her in that list under both her own name and her pen name, J.D. Robb.

This year brought an interesting twist. Since many books on the list have both authors and illustrators, we eventually decided that authors could appear only once, but we didn't mind seeing illustrators again. (Hello, Christian Robinson and Vashti Harrison!) And generally, when someone appeared more than once in the nominations, we went with whichever title was more popular with voters (so Kevin Henkes' Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse beat out Kitten's First Full Moon).

You'll also see there's a section of books for older readers. We wanted to recognize that a lot of kids read ahead of their age groups - and also, there have been so many great books that came out since we put together the Backseat 100 list in 2013 that it seemed a shame not to include a few of them here.

We hope you and the kids in your life will have as much fun poring through this list as we had putting it together! We had a blast recalling old favorites and discovering new classics (and a shoutout to our gracious judges, who let me sneak in one of my all-time childhood faves, Paul Goble's gorgeous The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses).

To make things easier, we've split up the list into categories: Picture Perfect, Baby's Bookshelf, Conversation Starters, Family Life, Animal (and Monster) Friends, Folktales and Fairy Tales, Fun to Read Out Loud, Nonfiction, Early Chapter Books, and Older Readers. Happy reading!

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Welcome To Story Hour: 100 Favorite Books For Young Readers

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This year we had kids and caregivers in mind when we chose the genre for our summer poll. So here are 100 favorite kids' books, picked by readers and expert judges, to while away the hours at home.

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2,202 books based on 3782 votes: Harry Potter Series Box Set by J.K. Rowling, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Lightning...

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Middle school students faced plenty of issues before the social, political, and economic upheavals of the past few years. At the same time, challenges to what students are allowed to read in school have made some of their experiences even more marginalized than they had been. With that in mind, we revised our recommendations to be even more inclusive, with an eye toward middle school books you may not already have in your library.

Today's classroom requires flexibility, especially with young readers. Not all middle school books have to be read silently or independently. Read some aloud to your students, give them audiobooks to listen to, or let them read one chapter at a time to each other. See what kind of conversations come up. Engaged students learn better, and you don't need a canned curriculum from some corporation to tell you that.

Remember, maturity levels vary widely, and you know your students best. Be sure to read the books first before you share them with your middle school students.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

Best Middle School Books

1. Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

This remix of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped From the Beginning is an urgent exploration of how the history of race affects us in the here and now, created for young people. There's even a teachers guide.

Buy it: Stamped on Amazon

2. Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

Khosrou is not like the other kids in his Oklahoma middle school, but he knows how to tell a story. This true story of Khosrou's family and their escape from Iran in the middle of the night is an immediately gripping account of both middle school chaos and personal strife.

Buy it: Everything Sad Is Untrue on Amazon

3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This is the story of 16-year-old Starr Carter as she wrestles with her emotions after seeing her unarmed childhood friend killed by police, which has become a generational touchstone. Definitely for older kids-and definitely worth the conversations that follow.

Buy it: The Hate U Give on Amazon

4. All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue ... by Christina Soontornvat

This book is a thrilling and information-packed true story of survival about the 2018 cave rescue in Thailand. Full of interviews and firsthand accounts, the story will keep even the most active students on the edge of their seats.

Buy it: All Thirteen on Amazon

5. Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Louise Wolfe is a Muscogee high schooler caught between family obligations and everything that being a teenager involves. Another one for older kids, this is an authentic coming-of-age story with a fresh voice.

Buy it: Hearts Unbroken on Amazon

6. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

When Amanda Gorman read The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison in eighth grade, she was inspired to become a writer. "It was the first time I had seen a dark-skinned girl on the cover of a book and that absolutely enthralled me. Reading Morrison taught me how to write unapologetically with a Black feminist voice that was my own," she said. Later in life, when she spoke at the presidential inauguration in 2021, Gorman raised the voice of her generation. Her book of poems is expansive and inventive, and it's one of the top must-read books for today's middle school kids.

Buy it: Call Us What We Carry on Amazon

7. The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Simply put, this is one of the most well-written books you'll ever find in YA lit. Protagonist Leigh Chen Sanders' voice is stunning in this expertly woven tale of love, friendship, tragedy, and imagination.

Buy it: The Astonishing Color of After on Amazon

8. Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

Yes, we're going there. No middle school book catalog is complete without a few good Manga titles. It's time to shrug off any reluctance and dive into what the kids are already reading. These are teacher-approved, rich with storytelling and character exposition, and ripe for literary analysis. If these titles don't seem fit for your students, check with them-they know best! First up is the classic Naruto, a story about a young chaotic kid who is determined to become the world's greatest ninja.

Buy it: Naruto on Amazon

9. Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

This spin on traditional manga (with the usual high-flying warriors and action sequences) tells the story of two kids who want to become manga artists themselves. The characters are high school kids trying to live their dreams-very relatable to young readers.

Buy it: Bakuman on Amazon

10. A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima

When Shoya meets Shoko six years after he knew her in school, he learns about the consequences of bullying. This is a great story for middle schoolers and is an accessible way into the manga genre.

Buy it: A Silent Voice on Amazon

11. The March Series by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

The three-part graphic novel series details how John Lewis made his way from his family farm to the Edmund Pettus Bridge alongside Martin Luther King Jr. for the historic Selma-to-Montgomery March. Beautifully rendered and powerfully told, this trilogy lends itself to all kinds of classroom readings and activities.

Buy it: The March Series on Amazon

12. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Acevedo brings her slam poet sensibility to this emotionally vivid story about Xiomara Batista, a first-generation Dominican American teen in a religious family who "feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood."

Buy it: The Poet X on Amazon

13. The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy

The first of two books by Maulik Pancholy, this story follows Rahul Kapoor, a middle schooler who loves his grandpa and is crushing on a boy at school.

Buy it: The Best at It on Amazon

14. The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Explore the cultural divides around class and the gun debate through the eyes of seventh grader Zoey, who lives on the edges of society and tries to find her way forward.

Buy it: The Benefits of Being an Octopus on Amazon

15. Monster by Walter Dean Myers

The recipient of multiple awards, this novel follows Steve, an amateur filmmaker. As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, he decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies.

Buy it: Monster on Amazon

16. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

With connections to Common Core standards, this book follows Coyote, a young woman who travels the country with her dad in an old school bus. Over the course of thousands of miles, she will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all.

Buy it: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise on Amazon

17. Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real one. Now a ghost, Jerome watches the devastation unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing. Soon, Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances.

Buy it: Ghost Boys on Amazon

18. Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

The recipient of multiple awards and one of our favorite middle school books, this novel is a powerful story about a girl striving for success in a world that too often seems like it's trying to break her.

Buy it: Piecing Me Together on Amazon

19. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Another one of our fave middle school books! Follow 11-year-old Melody, who is not like most people. She can't walk, she can't talk, she can't write, all because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory-she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She's the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it.

Buy it: Out of My Mind on Amazon

20. Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez

A timely story for middle schoolers. After Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn't sure what to make of them.

Buy it: Return to Sender on Amazon

21. Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker

Zenobia July is a trans girl in Arizona who is trying to adjust to a new school.

Buy it: Zenobia July on Amazon

22. In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington

Another new addition to our list, this is a coming-of-age story about young love between Andi and Zora, two Black girls at a mostly white summer camp.

Buy it: In the Key of Us on Amazon

23. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Taken from the national news headlines, this book follows two teenagers and a heinous hate crime that crosses gender and racial lines.

Buy it: The 57 Bus on Amazon

24. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

A tale of two stories, told in alternating sections, about two 11-year-olds in Sudan-a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985.

Buy it: A Long Walk to Water on Amazon

25. Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan

Jameela lives with her mother and father in Afghanistan. Despite the fact that there is no school in their poor, war-torn village, and Jameela lives with a birth defect that has left her with a cleft lip, she feels relatively secure, sustained by her faith and the strength of her beloved mother, Mor. And then Mor passes away. ...

Buy it: Wanting Mor on Amazon

26. When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

A graphic novel about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee.

Buy it: When Stars Are Scattered on Amazon

27. Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

Set against the backdrop of the segregation history of the American South, take a trip with an 11-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem-his G'ma included.

Buy it: Clean Getaway on Amazon

28. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Grayson is caught between knowing she's a girl and everyone believing she's a boy. This is a beautifully written story about self-esteem and empowerment.

Buy it: Gracefully Grayson on Amazon

29. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books.

Buy it: The Book Thief on Amazon

30. George by Alex Gino

George knows she's a girl, but everyone else sees her as a boy. Gino does a masterful job of taking us into what social ignorance about gender assignment feels like.

Buy it: George on Amazon

31. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Genius Willow Chance loses both parents in a car crash, but she is nonetheless able to both change her life and impact those around her.

Buy it: Counting by 7s on Amazon

32. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Born with extraordinary physical deformities, Auggie finally braves going to an actual school. He is stared at and tormented, but he also finds friendship. Middle schoolers will cheer for him and also cry for him.

Buy it: Wonder on Amazon

33. Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Castle Crenshaw, known as Ghost, has been running ever since his father threatened him and his mother with a gun. It's not until he starts running for the middle school track team that he begins to see what running can do for him.

Buy it: Ghost on Amazon

34. Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass

Ellen is a neurodiverse kid with a best friend who helps her navigate through school and sometimes confusing social situations. But when new friends and opportunities come along, Ellen has a chance to learn even more about how she actually fits into the world.

Buy it: Ellen Outside the Lines on Amazon

35. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Ponyboy and his brothers, Darry and Sodapop, have a tough life. They know they can count on their friends-true friends who will do anything for them. Unfortunately, the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids, make them prove their loyalties after a night of fighting goes too far.

Buy it: The Outsiders on Amazon

36. Nikhil Out Loud by Maulik Pancholy

Nikhil is a 13-year-old gay Indian American boy who depends on his voice for his joy-he's a voice actor for a popular cartoon. Then he ends up in a small Ohio town trying to put on a school musical. This is a relevant and touching story kids will love.

Buy it: Nikhil Out Loud on Amazon

37. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Basketball-loving twins Josh and Jordan find their way through isolation and conflict in this novel in verse by master poet Kwame Alexander.

Buy it: The Crossover on Amazon

38. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda Sordino can't tell anybody why she called the police to break up a party the summer before ninth grade. In fact, after the trauma she suffered, she can't speak at all.

Buy it: Speak on Amazon

39. The Breadwinner series by Deborah Ellis

Parvana is 11 when the Taliban comes to power in Afghanistan. Her father is arrested, and women are not allowed to leave the house without a male escort. Parvana must disguise herself and find work to save her family.

Buy it: The Breadwinner series on Amazon

40. Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

Ling Chang must find a way to survive after her father is taken away during China's Cultural Revolution.

Buy it: Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party on Amazon

41. Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

Stella and her brother aren't supposed to leave the house at night, but they run into much bigger problems when they stumble on a Ku Klux Klan rally. Stella fights racism within her community and learns about compassion in the process.

Buy it: Stella by Starlight on Amazon

42. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson's verse memoir tells the story of coming of age during the Civil Rights Movement.

Buy it: Brown Girl Dreaming on Amazon

43. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Molly has concerns when her family moves into a church with a graveyard next door, but when her already-odd stepsister makes a sinister new friend, things get downright dangerous.

Buy it: Wait Till Helen Comes on Amazon

44. Refugee by Alan Gratz

Gratz weaves together stories of child refugees in three different eras: Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba, and present-day Syria.

Buy it: Refugee on Amazon

45. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt

Jack Hurd gets a foster brother, Joseph, an eighth grader whose only dream is to be with his daughter.

Buy it: Orbiting Jupiter on Amazon

46. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Nine-year-old Cassie Logan faces racial discrimination and financial hardship during the Great Depression.

Buy it: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry on Amazon

47. Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Tally Youngblood lives in a dystopia in which all 16-year-olds have cosmetic surgery to make them pretty.

Buy it: Uglies on Amazon

48. We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist

YouTuber Josh Sundquist tells the true story-with graphs!-of his failures in dating.

Buy it: We Should Hang Out Sometime on Amazon

49. Feed by M. T. Anderson

The Feed scrolls constantly through Titus' brain, providing him with entertainment, advertising, and social networking. On a spring break trip to the Moon, he meets a girl who sees life differently.

Buy it: Feed on Amazon

50. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Spoiled princess Esperanza moves from her family's ranch in Mexico to a migrant camp during the Great Depression. She learns to rely on her inner strength and the support of her family.

Buy it: Esperanza Rising on Amazon

What are your favorite middle school books? Come share them in the WeAreTeachers Helpline group on Facebook.

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50 Great Books To Teach in Middle School

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Want to know the best middle school books to use in your class? We love these life-changing selections that will help your students grow.

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This year's best in middle grade includes fierce folklore-inspired adventures, powerful explorations of identity, and tender ruminations on loss and grief. Tweens of all reading levels and interests will find a novel that speaks to them in this curated collection.

MIDDLE GRADE

Ahn, Flora. A Spoonful of Time. Quirk. ISBN 9781683693185.
Gr 4-7- Maya discovers her Halmunee, who has dementia, can use food to travel through memories. Maya uses this gift to learn more about her past and her Korean heritage but uncovers many secrets and realizes nothing is what she knew. A charming story filled with recipes.

Bird, James. No Place Like Home. Feiwel & Friends. ISBN 9781250877628.
Gr 4 Up- Ojibwe tween Opin lives out of his car with his mother and older brother, passing through towns in hopes of escaping Child Protective Services. When Opin finds a stray dog, he believes stability is within reach, even as things get harder. A moving exploration of keeping hope and culture alive amid incredible challenges.

Currie, Lindsay. Sourcebooks. ISBN 9781728259499.
Gr 4-8- When a teen goes missing in the cemetery, Hazel uncovers the cemetery's connection to a horrific accident. Can she put its ghosts to rest and save the missing boy? Based on real-life events, this intriguing horror story has enough scares to satisfy without being terrifying.

Marsh, Katherine. The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine. Roaring Brook. ISBN 9781250313607.
Gr 5 Up- Because of COVID-19, Matthew is isolated with his mother and great-grandmother. He uncovers a riveting story of his great-grandmother's past, a family secret hidden since the great Ukrainian famine in the 1930s. This historical fiction mystery introduces readers to a forgotten piece of history while showing multigenerational relationships at their finest.

Pennypacker, Sara. Leeva at Last. illus. by Matthew Cordell. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. ISBN 9780063114425.
Gr 4-7- Leeva's mother says people are for fame; her father says they're for money. But surely there's more, thinks Leeva, who braves leaving her yard to discover the wonders of the world past the hedge. This Roald Dahl-esque novel is laugh-out-loud funny and deeply heartfelt.

Polonsky, Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316462044.
Gr 5 Up -Iris wants change when her father dies of AIDS, so she joins his partner at one of the ACT UP protests demanding help for AIDS victims. This heartrending novel showcases the fear, ignorance, prejudice, and anger surrounding the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Kuyatt, Meg Eden. Good Different. Scholastic. ISBN 9781338816105.
Gr 5 Up- Selah's rules for being normal have always protected her, but when things become too much and she lashes out, she has to confront her differences. This novel in verse opens a door into the experience of living with autism, both the challenges and the joys.

Swinarski, Claire. What Happened to Rachel Riley? HarperCollins/Quill Tree. ISBN 9780063213098.
Gr 5 Up- New girl Anna knows something has happened to Rachel, the formerly popular girl who is now an outcast. This burning question leads Anna down a road of deep research and opens up dark secrets about sexual harassment at her school. A compelling, age-appropriate #MeToo narrative for tweens.

Young, Suzanne. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780063257122.
Gr 5-8- Calista can speak to ghosts, but a family curse means she loses the ability on her 13th birthday. When a vengeful spirit begins abducting children, Calista must defeat it to save her sister and break the curse. An eerie and emotional story with vivid scares and heartfelt depictions of grief.

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Best Middle Grade Books 2023 | SLJ Best Books

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This year's best in middle grade includes fierce folklore-inspired adventures, powerful explorations of identity, and tender ruminations on loss and grief. Tweens of all reading levels and interests will find a novel that speaks to them in this curated collection.

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25 Essential Middle School Reads From the Last Decade

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We asked educators in our community to share their favorite middle-grade books that were published in the last 10 years. Here are your top picks.

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Best Sellers: Children's Middle Grade Books Books | Penguin Random House

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Browse our latest titles in the Children's Middle Grade Books Best Sellers category to discover your next read from PenguinRandomHouse.com

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Way back in 2016, we asked our community to share what they would consider essential reads for high school students. The final list of 20 recommended books was dominated by what many would consider the classics: John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Shakespeare's Macbeth.

For decades, these works have been required reading in classrooms across the country, but more recently educators like Lorena Germán and advocates for the #DisruptTexts movement -not to mention the millions of students who've come and gone during the era-have challenged the notion of a traditional canon, advocating for a more "inclusive, representative, and equitable language arts curriculum."

"There are problems with teaching only classics-the stories are overwhelmingly told from a white and/or male perspective, and more needs to be done to diversify that," writes eighth-grade English teacher Christina Torres. "In addition, there's merit in introducing our students to more recent literature."

This year, we circled back and asked our community a version of the same question-What novels do you wish you could've read in high school?-but this time we specified that titles must have been published within the last decade. Hundreds of responses flooded in, and the contrast to six years ago was stark. Nominations were diverse, representing a broad range of topics, themes, genres, and author identities, as well as a wide variety of characters and experiences-queer protagonists and protagonists of color, characters with differing abilities, and fictional roles representing a refreshing spectrum of body sizes and shapes.

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, was a clear standout, earning the most votes and thus the number one spot on our list. Some authors were multiple winners: Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down and All American Boys made the cut, and Nic Stone's Dear Martin and its sequel Dear Justyce were both favorites, but we selected only one for inclusion in the top 25. While fiction titles represent the lion's share of the final list, a number of memoirs and autobiographies made the grade, including Malala Yousafzai's I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and the comedian and late-night host Trevor Noah's Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

The Top 25 Indispensable High School Reads

5. Long Way Down
Jason Reynolds, author of Ghost and Ain't Burned All the Bright, thrusts readers inside an elevator alongside 15-year-old protagonist Will Hollomon, who has about 60 seconds to make one of the hardest decisions of his life. Primary themes of interest to high school students: justice, grief and loss, family dynamics.

25. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
Adapted from his podcast of the same name, John Green's humorous collection of 44 essays covers topics ranging from the computer-generated velociraptors in the movie Jurassic Park and sunsets to air conditioners and penguins-rating them all on a five-star scale. Primary themes of interest to high school students: the human condition, mental health, humor and absurdity, the climate crisis.

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25 Essential High School Reads From the Last Decade

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We asked members of our community to share recently published novels they would love to have read in high school. Here are your top picks.

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Literature

With so much happening in the world today, students may feel overwhelmed trying to process every piece of news or trending topic on their own. Books can be a great resource for examining current events, especially in the classroom.

Over the course of the school year, we've gotten a lot of messages from teachers asking for book recommendations that tackle hot-button issues, including climate change, social justice, and the banned book debate. Below, you'll find some of our top picks that are suitable for high school readers. Perfect for independent reading, book circles, or class-wide literature units, the titles in this list will surely capture the attention of even the most reluctant readers.

Current Events

LGBTQ+ Representation

Hi-Low Reads

The Hate U Give

Buy this book

Born a Crime

Buy this book

Celebrated Authors

Banned Books

Climate and the Environment

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18 Trending Books for Today's High School Students

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Tackling relevant subjects such as identity, coming of age, and world events, these novels make great reading choices for students in grades 9-12." /> <meta name=

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It's finally summer! If you're like most students, you're ready to put the textbooks away for a few months and take a break from the tests and papers. While you've definitely earned a well-deserved break, summer is also the perfect time to escape with a classic novel, crack open that book you didn't get a chance to read during the school year, or dig deeper into books related to your future college major. Here are 30 books to consider adding into your reading list this summer!
Why Is Summer Reading Important?

While it might be tempting to put all books away for the summer or get lost in a fun beach read, consider using this uninterrupted time to dive into some of the world's best literature and expand your learning beyond the classroom.

Reading over the summer has many benefits. One of the most important benefits of summer reading is that it helps you retain the information you learned during school. Daily reading helps maintain younger students' literacy skills and increases their knowledge of the world around them. Middle and high students who read during the summer develop stronger critical thinking skills and typically score higher on their SAT, ACT, and AP Exams!

What Is The Summer Slide?

The loss of knowledge over the summer is commonly known as the "summer slide." Teachers expect students to lose some knowledge they gained during the previous school year. To help negate this problem, teachers recommend reading over the summer. Statistics show that students who read over the summer gain an average of one month of reading proficiency!

Students who don't read over the summer lose two to three months of proficiency. If this pattern continues over many summers, the loss can add up to years of proficiency loss. Once students reach high school, it's estimated that ⅔ of the reading achievement gap is related to summer learning loss.

Here Are The Benefits of Summer Reading

Encourages a love of reading

Builds strong reading habits

Helps maintain reading/literacy skills

Increases knowledge base

Develops strong critical thinking skills (and higher test scores!)

Helps prevent summer learning loss

Helps students stay busy over the summer

Decreases stress and improves mental health

Summer Reading List For High School Students

With so many quality books to read, it can be difficult to choose just a few each summer. It's a great idea to diversify your summer reading list so you can gain more depth and breadth of knowledge.

Consider adding a literary classic, contemporary novel, self-help book, memoir, and even a graphic novel to your list. If you're passionate about a particular topic or know what you want to study in college, consider diving deeper into that topic.

#1 Book You Must Read This Summer

If you're a college hopeful, you must read "ACCEPTED! Secrets to Gaining Admission To The World's Top Universities" by Crimson Education's CEO, Jamie Beaton . This USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller is an honest and practical guide on beating the odds and getting into Ivy League and other elite schools - the smart way.

This book takes you behind the doors of the world's top college admissions offices, revealing the highly strategic selection processes applied by institutions whose reputations depend on the number of students they admit and the tens of thousands that they don't. Accepted! is the summer must-read guide to demystifying the increasingly competitive world of elite college admissions.

30 Great Books To Add To Your Reading List This Summer

1. When Breath Becomes Air

Author: Paul Kalanithi

Genre: Biography, Medicine

Kalanithi wrote about his experiences with death while working in the ICU of Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. He was struck by how often patients were diagnosed with terminal illness but had no idea they were dying. His book explores the way our brains deal with uncertainty and how this can be manipulated by doctors.

2. Atomic Habits

Author: James Clear

Genre: Self Development, Productivity

Atomic Habits is a book written by James Clear about how to achieve success through small changes in our daily lives. It's a great read if you're looking to improve yourself or just want to learn more about personal development.

3. How To Win Friends And Influence People

Author: Dale Carnegie

Genre: Self Development, Communication, Business

It's one thing to be able to influence people, but how can you actually win friends? This book was written by Dale Carnegie in 1936 and has sold more than 30 million copies since then. It's considered to be one of the best-selling books ever written.

4. The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas

Genre: Race, Social Justice, Fiction

This book is about the story of Starr Carter, a black teenager who witnesses the shooting death of her childhood friend Khalil at the hands of police officers. She decides to take matters into her own hands and exact revenge on the men who killed her friend.

5. Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Author: Ed Catmull

Genre: Self Development, Business, Leadership

Creativity Inc. follows the story of how Pixar was able to achieve such great success with their movies. It is also about how they were able to maintain this level of creativity throughout all of these years. They have been around since 1986, but they are still going strong today.

6. The Little Prince

Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Genre: Classics, Philosophy

The Little Prince was written by French author Antoine de Saint- Exupery in 1943. It tells the story of a small boy who lives with his mother in a faraway planet. His father leaves them one day without warning. He meets a fox who gives him three roses. He then meets a grown-up prince who takes him to another planet where he learns about love, friendship, courage, kindness, and loyalty.

7. Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life

Author: Bill Burnett, Dave Evans

Genre: Self Development, Career Development

If you want to live a happier life, you have to design it. This book provides a framework for designing a life that works for you. It's about finding out who you are and what you're good at, then building a career around those strengths.

8. Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

Author: Adam Grant

Genre: Leadership, Self Development

We all know that success doesn't come easy. It takes hard work and dedication. But what if there was another way? What if instead of working harder or being smarter, we could be more effective? What if we were able to harness our natural ability to give and take? This book explores how we can learn to become better givers and takers.

9. Don't Think of An Elephant!

Author: George Lakoff

Genre: Political Science

We have all heard about the power of metaphors. But how can they be used to change our behavior or even our beliefs? This is where George Lakoff's work comes in. He has developed a model of metaphor, which he calls "metaphorical framing". It explains why some people are more likely to accept certain ideas while others reject them.

10. Grit

Author: Angela Duckworth

Genre: Education

It's easy to dismiss grit as something only successful people have. But research suggests that grit can be learned. Angela Duckworth, author of 'Grit', says that grit is about passion and perseverance. She explains that this means having a strong sense of purpose and being able to see obstacles as challenges rather than roadblocks.

11. How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs

Author: Guy Raz

Genre: Entrepreneurship

This is a book about how people like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jack Dorsey, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington and many others have gone through different ways to succeed in their lives. It is also a story of how they overcame obstacles, failures and challenges to achieve their dreams.

12. How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy

Author: Jenny Odell

Genre: Self Development, Productivity

It's time to stop doing things just because they are expected of us. We can't keep up with the pace of life if we try to keep up with all the demands on our attention. So we have to learn how to do nothing. And this means learning how to resist the attention economy.

13. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason

Author: Michel Foucault

Genre: History, Philosophy

Foucault's book explores the history of madness, particularly in Western culture. He argues that insanity has been a defining characteristic of human civilization since ancient times. His work also examines how this idea of insanity has changed throughout history, with some periods seeing more emphasis placed on mental health and others seeing more emphasis placed on the social stigma associated with being mentally ill.

14. Talk Like Ted: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

Author: Carmine Gallo

Genre: Communication

If you want to be successful at public speaking, you have to understand how other people think. And if you want to understand how other people are thinking, you have to talk like them. That's where this book comes in. It contains nine secrets that top speakers share with their audiences.

15. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Author: Carol S. Dweck

Genre: Self Development, Growth Mindset

Dweck explains why people who believe they are smart or talented tend to perform better than those who think they are just lucky. She also discusses how our mindset affects our ability to learn new things.

16. Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

Author: Kim Malone Scott

Genre: Communication, Leadership

A lot of people are afraid to be direct with their employees because they fear losing their jobs or being labeled as "mean bosses." But if you want to get things done at work, you have to be able to communicate clearly and directly. If you don't, then no one will know how to help you move forward. This book will teach you how to be a kickass boss without losing your humanity.

17. Daily Rituals: Women at Work

Author: Mason Currey

Genre: Productivity, Career Development

The idea behind this book is simple: women are more likely to succeed if they have rituals at work. It's true! I've seen it time and time again. So, why don't more women have rituals at work? Well, there are many reasons, but one of them is that most women aren't taught how to be successful at work. They're taught how to be good mothers, wives, daughters, friends, etc., but not how to be successful at their jobs.

18. A People's History of the United States

Author: Howard Zinn

Genre: History, Politics, Social Justice

This book is about the history of the United States since 1776. It covers the American Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, World War I and II, the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War III, Vietnam, Watergate, Reaganomics, Clintonism, Bushism, Obamaism, Trumpism, and more.

19. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chobsky

Genre: Fiction, Resilience, Inclusivity

It would be easy to say that this book was written with teenagers in mind. But I think it's more accurate to say that it was written with anyone who has ever felt different or isolated in their life. This novel is about Charlie, a teenager who feels like he doesn't fit in anywhere. He's constantly being picked on at school, bullied online, and ignored by his family. His only friend is a girl named Sam, but she seems to have her own problems. Charlie decides to take matters into his own hands and write a letter to himself, explaining how things are going to change if he can just get through high school.

20. Persepolis

Author: Marjane Satrapi

Genre: Biography, History

This book is about life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Satrapi, who lived through this time period, uses her own experiences to tell the story of how she grew up during this tumultuous time.

21. Their Eyes Were Watching God

Author: Zora Neale Hurston

Genre: Historical Fiction, Classics

The story follows Janie Crawford who is a free black woman living in Eatonville Florida during the late 1800's. She lives with her husband and children. Her husband has been unfaithful to her and she wants nothing more than to leave him. She decides to take matters into her own hands and runs off to live with another man. This novel was written in the form of letters between Janie and her lover. It is one of the first novels written about African Americans.

22. Brave New World

Author: Aldous Huxle

Genre: Science Fiction, Classics

This book is set in a future where people live in a society ruled by corporations. People are born with a genetic code that determines their role in life. Those who are intelligent and creative are given special privileges. But those who refuse to conform or rebel against the system are punished.

23. Night

Author: Elie Wiesel

Genre: History

A Jewish boy born in Hungary, was deported to Auschwitz at age 14 with his family, where they were murdered. He survived and returned home after World War II. His book, "Night," tells the story of his survival.

24. We Should All Be Feminists

Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Genre: Social Justice

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writes about her experiences growing up in Nigeria and how she became aware of the problems facing women there. She also talks about the role of feminism in Africa today.

25. Can't Stop Won't Stop (YA edition)

Author: Jeff Chang

Genre: Music, History, Social Justice

The hip-hop generation is one of the most influential generations in American history. It has shaped culture, politics, entertainment, fashion, music, sports, technology, and even language. This book explores how this hip-hop came together and how they have influenced society.

26. 12 Years A Slave

Author: Solomon Northrup

Genre: History

Solomon Northup was born free but kidnapped and sold into slavery at a very young age. He escaped and eventually made his way back home to New York City, where he wrote this memoir about his experiences. It includes details of how he was captured and held captive, how he managed to escape, and the journey he had to make back home.

27. Go Tell It On The Mountain

Author: James Baldwin

Genre: Fiction, Resilience, Inclusivity

Go Tell It On the Mountain is one of the best-known works of African American literature. Published in 1953, this novel tells the story of a young boy named John Grimes who leaves his home in North Carolina to live with relatives in Harlem, New York City. There he meets a group of black men who are trying to make their way in America during the Great Depression.

28. Into The Wild

Author: Jon Krakauer

Genre: Adventure, Outdoors

Into The Wild tells the story of Chris McCandless, who left his home in Alaska in 1992 and hitchhiked across North America with nothing but $25 and a backpack.

29. The White Album

Author: Joan Didion

Genre: Cultural Critiques

The White Album was originally published in 1979 and consists of 24 essays written by Joan Didion between 1968 and 1969. It is considered one of her best works and has been described as "a masterpiece of American non-fiction".

30. The 1619 Project

Author: Nikole Hannah-Jones

Genre: History, Social Justice

The 1619 Project is a book by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones about the history of slavery in America. The book contains a collection of essays and explores how enslaved Africans were forced to work on plantations across the South. It also looks at the role of white people in supporting the institution of slavery.

Final Thoughts

Summer is the perfect time to relax with a good book. Instead of picking up the next mindless beach read, consider reading some of the books in these lists. They're not only compelling stories that are fun to read; they're books that will improve your critical thinking skills, keep your mind fresh, and may even decrease stress and help prevent summer learning loss.

If you're interested in learning how Crimson can help you prepare for college, contact one of our academic advisors. They can provide countless resources, guides, and tips on the best ways to spend your high school summers, what to include in your college application, and how to get into your dream university.

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30 Must Read Books For High School Students This Summer! - Crimson Education US

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Are you looking for some great books to read over the summer? Look no further than these recommendations from our team of experts!

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We asked our community which works of literature were must-reads for high schoolers. Here are your top picks.

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$$Game: Practice phonics skills (CVC, vowel teams, and digraphs)

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$$Game: Practice phonics skills (CVC, vowel teams, and digraphs)

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This game is similar to UNO, but uses phonics elements. It encourages students to notice different parts of words.

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The highly effective card game that helps kids master phonics and improves reading - it's so fun that children won't even know they're learning! Finally, a way to make phonics fun! Mrs Wordsmith Phonics Blah Blah Blah Card Game is a hilariously fun card game, perfect for kids who are just starting to learn to read. Master decoding words using phonics with these three decks of increasing difficulty. Race to get rid of your cards by matching sounds and letters, and play wild cards to trip up your opponents! by Mrs Wordsmith in 2019.

Three decks featuring over 200 cards, covering 40 sound-letter correspondences.

Easy to play with two players or more!

Developed with teachers and phonics experts, and aligned to Common Core standards.

Tested with teachers and kids to make sure they love it.

The bestselling and highly effective phonics game is so fun that children won't even know they're learning!

"This game is a fantastically fun way for young people (and their parents) to develop and practice their phonic knowledge. It covers all the essential phonic content from Reception to Year 1. The inclusion of audio tracks is an incredible resource to help ensure correct pronunciation of the sounds learned."
Emma Madden - Head teacher, Fox Primary School, UK
With a team of award-winning artists and writers, Mrs Wordsmith creates books, games, worksheets, and apps to improve the reading and writing of kids aged 4-11, and to make word learning fun!

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Blah Blah Blah Phonics Card Game

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Mrs Wordsmith Phonics Blah Blah Blah Card Game, Kindergarten & Grades 1-2: Accelerate Every Child's Reading

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Mrs Wordsmith Phonics Blah Blah Blah Card Game, Kindergarten & Grades 1-2: Accelerate Every Child's Reading [Mrs Wordsmith] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mrs Wordsmith Phonics Blah Blah Blah Card Game, Kindergarten & Grades 1-2: Accelerate Every Child's Reading

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News Site: Demonstrates Impact of Misinformation

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News Site: Demonstrates Impact of Misinformation

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Create your own (fake) news empire by playing Fake It To Make It, a simulation-style, social-impact game about how fake news is created and distributed for a profit.

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Game-Based Activity to Spot Social Media Manipulation

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Game-Based Activity to Spot Social Media Manipulation

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Students take on the role of troll to better spot social media manipulation

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This site helps students analyze primary sources.

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Journalism in Action allows you to learn about ten key moments in US history through a journalist's lens. In this interactive website designed for middle and high school students, you will analyze primary sources such as newspaper articles, videos, and photography to determine what happened and how such culture-shifting events affected civic life.

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom.

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom.

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom

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This site helps students analyze primary sources.

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Journalism in Action allows you to learn about ten key moments in US history through a journalist's lens. In this interactive website designed for middle and high school students, you will analyze primary sources such as newspaper articles, videos, and photography to determine what happened and how such culture-shifting events affected civic life.

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A handy reference to foil fake news and viral rumors with a fact-checking website

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Trusted news brand's current events site offers daily discussion

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Current events ready to go for students grades 6-12! Lessons based on the PBS NewsHour with focus on civics, social studies, ELA, science, art, and media literacy.

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A LARGE database of texts and corresponding lessons for grades 3-12: sort by genre, standard, theme, etc. including some Spanish texts

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CommonLit | CommonLit Library | Browse Content by Theme, Grade Level and More

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View the CommonLit collection and filter by grade level, theme, genre, literacy device and common core standard.

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A LARGE database of texts and corresponding lessons for grades 3-12: sort by genre, standard, theme, etc. including some Spanish texts

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CommonLit | CommonLit Library | Browse Content by Theme, Grade Level and More

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View the CommonLit collection and filter by grade level, theme, genre, literacy device and common core standard.

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The hilariously fun card game that boosts vocabulary and builds kids’ creative storytelling skills.

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Mrs Wordsmith Vocabularious Card Game 3rd - 5th Grades: + 3 Months of Word Tag Video Game

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Mrs Wordsmith Vocabularious Card Game 3rd - 5th Grades: + 3 Months of Word Tag Video Game [Mrs Wordsmith] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mrs Wordsmith Vocabularious Card Game 3rd - 5th Grades: + 3 Months of Word Tag Video Game

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Chapter Books for Early Readers

Create enthusiastic readers with Magic Tree House (MTH) early chapter book choices for beginning independent readers that are fun, accessible, and help improve comprehension and the habit of reading.

Ready to use these MTH books and more in your classroom? Visit MTHClassroomAdventures.org for downloadable MTH resources or head to www.MagicTreeHouse.com. Eligible educators can join First Book's Network to bring new books and resources to the classroom.

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Let's read and grow together with 12 months of recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion.

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Great ideas for the whole month!

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March is National Reading Month, and there are so many ways to encourage the love of reading and so many amazing authors to celebrate. NEA's Read Across America has broadened its scope to embrace the theme "Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers" to affirm to all children that they belong in the world and the world belongs to them. Here are twelve terrific activities in honor of Read Across America Day.

1. Invite students to read in a variety of ways

Make reading fun by allowing your students to do it in many different ways. Make time for students to read alone, read with a friend, read with someone they've never read with before, listen to teacher read alouds, read with a younger or older buddy, even read with a favorite stuffie. Hold special events like Flashlight Friday or one of these fun suggestions from PTO Today:

Transform your school cafeteria, gym, or library into a "campground" and ask families to bring sleeping bags.

Read mystery books and solve a special mystery by decoding secret messages at a series of stations using invisible ink, words cut out of newspapers, and backward messages that require mirrors.

For an event with a treasure hunt theme, focus the read-aloud on a favorite book and then have students hunt for hidden clues that lead them to book-related treasure.

Source: Second Grade Sassy Pants

2. Challenge younger students to a picture book scavenger hunt

Motivate your students to read many, many books by creating a fun scavenger hunt. As they are reading, they will look for the items on the list. Create your own list, or ask students to help you brainstorm ideas.

Source: Primary Playground

3. Plan a few tantalizing book talks.

Book talks are a great tool to give students a sneak peek at books that might not be on their radar. Start each morning with a brief talk, each one about a book with a different theme or from a different genre. For more information, read What Is a Book Talk? Your Guide to Making Them Work in the Classroom

4. Track your school's progress

Get kids amped up about reading with a little friendly competition. Have each class keep track of either how many minutes or how many pages they read each day. Make a large thermometer out of a large sheet of bulletin board paper and post it in the hall. At the end of each day, check in with students to see how much progress they have made. Color in the thermometer as you work toward your ultimate goal. When they meet their goal, celebrate with a special event.

Source: The Progress

5. Find creative ways for kids to tell others about books they've read

You know that feeling when you finish a really great book? You just can't wait to share it with a friend so you have someone to talk to about it. Well, kids feel the same way! Why not give them a few creative ways to share a book that has knocked their socks off? Try a book report cake, a clothes hanger mobile, or even a book report charm bracelet.

Source: Scholastic

6. Invite guest readers to join in the fun

Everybody loves an engaging read-aloud, no matter their age. Set up a roster of guest readers (parents, grandparents, school staff, even local authors) to visit your classroom and read to your students. If you're extra ambitious, why not set up a "Masked Reader" event (like the TV show Masked Singer)? Your kids will be extra engaged as they try to solve the mystery of trying to identify who is sitting in the reader's chair.

Source: Cayuga Heights Elementary School

7. Have a reading-inspired dress-up day

Dress up like your favorite book character or favorite author, and encourage your students to do the same! Check out the hilarious ideas, including Olivia the pig, Ms. Frizzle, and Camilla Cream from A Bad Case of Stripes.

8. Set up a performance stage

Many young authors love to share the stories they've written. Give your students the opportunity to sign up to take center stage, kind of like an open mic night, and perform a read aloud of their own original material.
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Source: Expect the Miraculous

Source: Brown Bag Teacher

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12 Creative Ways To Celebrate Read Across America Day

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Here are twelve terrific activities to try with your students to celebrate NEA's Read Across America in the classroom.

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14 ideas to celebrate Read Across America

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Use Read Across America to help kids enjoy and relate to what they read by linking books and reading to other experiences in their lives and on the school year calendar. When everything from your Hispanic Heritage Month celebration to the 100th day of school to the science fair to Memorial Day includes books, guest readers, activities, and conversation about reading, you raise awareness about the importance, value, and fun of reading throughout the year.

Here are some ideas to get your year of reading started.

Guest Readers

Make your community the place where Read Across America is on everyone's calendar. When people make the time to read with children, children get the message that reading is important. Parents, members of your community, and local celebrities who make time to read at monthly or annual Read Across America celebrations help motivate kids to read and celebrate the diversity in their community and our country.

Read Across America Storypalooza

Stories are powerful, memorable, and help us understand who we are. Stories began with the oral tradition and are still passed on by being heard and retold. Celebrate story and grow a storytelling community by hosting a Read Across America Storypalooza storytelling event! You can focus on encouraging students, families, and staff to retell traditional tales, like Riding a Donkey Backwards or Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship by Chitra Soundar. You can also include other themes, like family stories or stories from the classroom. Offer storytelling resources or a workshop as a prelude to your Storypalooza.

Book Tasting

Work up an appetite for reading! A Book Tasting is a great way to introduce students to a wide variety of books, authors, and illustrators. Work with your school librarian and/or cafeteria staff to transform a space with tables and chairs into a cozy café for readers. Flowers, tablecloths, and silver trays are optional, but add to the fun of students sitting down to browse a variety of books at each place setting and then creating a menu of titles that they want to read in the coming weeks and months. You can help students identify titles of interest with genre or themed tables or place settings and have students rotate throughout the tasting. Consider inviting special guests from your school or community to talk up a book or books as the "Specials for Read Across America Day."

Multicultural Festival

Work with parent and community groups to host an international night or multicultural festival that celebrates reading and opens windows on the world. Set up stations for students and families to learn more about cultural diversity in your community and around the world. Food, clothing, music, games, stories (including titles in this calendar) and performances give families the opportunity to taste, see, smell, and hear the richness of world cultures. Plan this event for Read Across America Day in March and include a variety of multicultural titles that families can choose and take home to keep or check out from your school library.

Healthy Readers

Host a Healthy Readers wellness fair to support student self-care and boost reading motivation and self-esteem. Work with parents, school counselors, P.E. teachers, yoga instructors, trainers, nutritionists, hair stylists, health care professionals, and others to deliver information about healthy eating, physical activity, and wellness resources to support members of your school community living well. Add interest and reading fun with read alouds and demonstrations and activities like instruction on foundational yoga poses and a reading of The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Story by Uma Krishmaswami; coaching on mindfulness and meditation following a reading of The Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito; or a hair care demonstration and reading of My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera.

Book Scavenger Hunt

A Book Scavenger Hunt is a great way to generate excitement about books and reading! Challenge students to search for books that provide mirrors (stories that reflect their own culture and help build identity) and windows (stories that offer a view into someone else's experience and the range of possibilities in the world). Take a trip to your school or public library for Read Across America and have students look for five titles that are mirrors and five that are windows. Provide specific criteria to help students narrow in on their search, such as books about families, friends, sports, holidays, etc.

Make sure that students actually read and rely on text rather than images to understand gender, languages, cultural identities, etc., presented in the titles. Give students time to look through books to gather their own data then present one mirror title and one window title to the class. Compile these book finds into a recommended reading list for your community of diverse readers!

Poetry Town

Robert Frost said, "All poetry begins with Geography." Geography, like poetry, is very personal as we interpret both based on our own experiences. Help students learn about the people and places in their community and how they fit in by bringing students together with others-businesses, the public library, local government, arts organizations-to turn your neighborhood into a Poetry Town. This could look like poetry added to public spaces, poems in store windows or on restaurant menus, or poetry readings in all sorts of venues. Host a walking tour of your Poetry Town to celebrate Read Across America!

Kind Readers

Words of caring and kindness can help people know they have value and that someone cares. Get students thinking about why small kindnesses matter and how to make them happen. Share books like Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour and I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët that show students that their compassion really can make a difference. Then celebrate books, reading, and kindness for Read Across America by having students create bookmarks with kind words and inspirational phrases. Bring the bookmarks (and if possible, donated books) to caring centers of your community-your local hospital, food bank, children's agency, or senior center-to spread kindness and the joys of reading.

Community Poetry

Everyone dreams of finding their own place in the world-a place where they can be themselves. What does that look like for the families in your community? Build poems and build community as you get students thinking about what they imagine their community could be. Share an image of a place in your community and ask students to write a phrase in response to what they see and a phrase about what they'd like to see. Have students read their contributions aloud, then have them work together to compile one or two poems using all the lines students wrote. You can do this over several weeks to generate a lot of conversation and poetry. Ask local politicians, business owners, and other community members to a reading of the completed poems for a Read Across America celebration.

Reading and Gratitude Garden

Everyone can benefit from opportunities to relax, reflect, and connect with nature. Work with school staff, students, parents, and community groups to help create a Gratitude Garden at school-be it an actual outdoor garden, a bench placed under a tree on school grounds, a window-filled south or west corner of the school with containers of blooms, or a quiet sitting space with artwork or murals. Start planning your garden now and have it serve a dual purpose as a reading garden where you can share We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga for Read Across America Day in March!

Little Free Library

Bring communities together through reading! Work with students, parents, and community groups to create a neighborhood gathering spot to get to know others and share an interest in books, reading, learning, and service. Develop an action plan to open or revitalize a Little Free Library in your community. This book exchange where neighbors, friends, and students can share their favorite books and stories, is a great way to learn through and with others. Celebrate Read Across America with story time at the opening of your own Little Free Library! Or Read Across your town by connecting with Little Free Library stewards for a day (or month's worth) of fun reading events at all the Little Free Libraries in your community!

Musical Readers

Make Read Across America really sing with student songs inspired by favorite books and authors! Start your musical adventure by exploring some of the basic concepts of songwriting: rhythm and rhyme, song structure (verses, chorus), melody (patterns) and lyrics (story or narrative). Create a song together as a class before having students work in small groups or pursue individual efforts to create songs inspired by favorite titles. Give them plenty of time to write their own lyrics and the opportunity to compose music for their lyrics. Provide musical instruments, online tools, or music apps or have them find existing music that complements the words they've written. For Read Across America and Music in Our Schools Month in March, intersperse performances of student songs with special guest readers reading aloud the books that inspired the songs.

Beyond the Book Cover

It can be a challenge to put internal biases aside. Help students learn a little about their own preconceptions when you ask them to judge a book by its cover. Provide books that students haven't read and are not familiar with. Ask them to look only at the outside cover. Then, based on what they see, have them write down what they think the book is about, what the characters are like, and what's going to happen. This can be a paragraph or a list. Next, have them read the book (or read the book aloud if you are doing this as a group activity) and then write down what the book was really about. Were their first impressions right? Have them talk about how their opinions changed and why it is important to see what's inside before passing judgement. Use their informed opinions to create a recommended reading list to share for Read Across America.

Nature Connection

Use books to explore ways to live responsibly and as a way for kids to learn about and get close to nature. Celebrate Read Across America outside with We Are Water Protectors, All Around Us, Zonia's Rain Forest, and other titles and get a conversation going with kids about ways they can help care for the Earth. Start by giving students time to observe the environment around them. What do they notice about the natural world? Talk about efforts they can make to observe and take action, like picking up trash in your school yard. Ask students to start keeping a journal of what they take notice of outside-the growth of plants and trees, the antics of a squirrel, the sounds of a stream-and how those things connect.

As awareness of nature builds, encourage students to share observations and open up discussion about investigating what the Earth needs in your community and environmental issues your students are passionate about.

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14 Big Ideas for Celebrating NEA's Read Across America | NEA

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NEA is excited to bring you Read Across America year-round to help you motivate kids to read, bring the joys of reading to students of all ages, and make all children feel safe, valued, and welcome.

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Six Themed Day Ideas for Read Across America

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Six Themed Day Ideas for Read Across America

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Tales From a Very Busy Teacher - A Teaching Blog

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When I was in the classroom, I loved planning for Read Across America Week. It was a great way to get the whole school involved in reading and really cultivated a positive school culture. We did this by having themed days to get students excited about reading. What was amazing was seeing most staff members

Here are six themed days that we used interchangeably throughout the school years during Read Across America Week.

Book Character Day

Think Camila Cream, Charlotte, Harry Potter, or any other favorite character! Have students dress like their favorite book characters. Make sure their costumes follow the school's dress code.

Celebrate Diversity

Have students reflect on their family's traditions and culture. They can write about something that represents their culture to share with their class during the week. Encourage students to check out the school library for books about different cultures from around the world.

Superhero Day

Ask students to wear their favorite superhero shirt or wear a cape to show that they're superhero readers! Encourage students to check out the library for fun books and graphic novels about superheroes.

We Positively Love Books

Ask students to wear a shirt with a positive message or make positive message posters in your class. Encourage students to try their best to show a growth mindset, while encouraging others to do the same. Look at the classroom or school library for books on growth mindset and positivity.

Dress for Success

On this day, students think about their future and what they're striving to be when they grow older. They can dress up as that professional. Visit the school or classroom library to find books on different careers and trades.

Cozy Up to a Good Book

This is the day students get to wear their pajamas and bring their favorite books to read and cozy up!

Whole Week Reading Challenge

During this week, challenge students to read as much as they can. Picture books, graphic novels, books on tape, anything that will spark their imagination. Listening to their teacher or family member read a story also counts! Each time they read a new book during RAA week, challenge students to write or draw about it on a summary page that you can find here. Have students submit their summaries to the office and they'll be entered to win a prize from a special Read Across America prize bin.

To grab the editable Read Across America pages, subscribe here!

For more ideas on how to celebrate Read Across America, check out my Celebrate Read Across America post.

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Six Themed Days for Read Across America Week

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Celebrate Read Across America all week long with themed days that will get students excited about reading. Engage your students all week with these fun days!

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Visit this site for more information about joining ADK Literacy Council

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NYS Reading Association - Adirondack Literacy Council

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New York State Reading Association website . A one-year subscription is $25.00. There is a reduced price of $15.00 for retired educators and student teachers. A membership to ALC also entitles educators to participate in all NYSRA events for no additional fee.

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2023-2024 PD and Events Calendar

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The Adirondack Literacy Council is a chapter of the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) that works to promote literacy in Washington, Saratoga, Hamilton, Warren, and Essex counties. We encourage you to join our organization to gain access to a variety of professional learning opportunities and foster connections within our literacy communities. Formerly known as the Iroquois Reading Council, we're continuing our work to support educators as readers and writers in order to create a culture of literacy under our new name.

All professional learning events listed below are free to ALC members, and members also gain access to all NYSRA professional learning opportunities. We're excited to feature NYSRA's annual conference below along with several local opportunities - author Matt McElligott, literacy specialist Laura Robb, partnerships with local book stores and so much more!

Membership is $25 per year and also entitles educators to a NYSRA membership. Visit this link to join our chapter today!

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Welcome! The Adirondack Literacy Council is a chapter of the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) that works to promote literacy in...

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Medium length children's picture books, reading length from 10-20 minutes, for free download or read online from Free Kids Books.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Storynory has over 1,000 free audio stories for children, including classic fairy tales, myths, world stories, poems, and brand new originals read by professional actors.

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Medium length children's picture books, reading length from 10-20 minutes, for free download or read online from Free Kids Books.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Storynory has over 1,000 free audio stories for children, including classic fairy tales, myths, world stories, poems, and brand new originals read by professional actors.

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MANY great resources!

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books education librarians teachers kids families

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Welcome to Scholastic, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology and children's media! Scholastic creates quality books and ebooks, print and technology-based learning materials and programs, magazines, multi-media and other products that help children learn both at school and at home.

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MANY great resources

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Welcome to the official home of Reading Rainbow on YouTube! Enjoy clips from the Classic TV Series. Reading Rainbow® first launched in 1983 as a children's television series designed to encourage reading. Creators WNED-Buffalo, Lancit Media Productions, and Great Plains National Instructional Television ultimately produced 155 episodes over the next 26 years, becoming the third longest running children's TV series in US history.

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Watch celebrities and PBS KIDS authors read aloud their favorite books and find fun activities for the whole family to do!

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.