|
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things
by Lenore Look |
|
|
|
Danny Says: Really meant for fourth and fifth graders, Alvin Ho is entertaining to all ages, as he freaks out about everything. He is a shy second grader who becomes the loud superhero Firecracker Man at home. A quick, enjoyable read with fun illustrations from LeUyen Pham and one of the most entertaining glossaries I have ever encountered. |
|
Among the Hidden
by Margaret Peterson Haddix |
|
|
Danny Says: Great for teaching about propaganda and current events, this book chronicles the adventures of Luke, the third child born in a society where families are only permitted to have two children. |
|
Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker, The
by Cynthia DeFelice |
|
|
Danny Says: One of the best pieces of young adult historical fiction that I have read in the past five years. A boy apprentices for a doctor in the 19th century and searches for a cure to the consumption that is killing everybody in town, including his own family. I used this book for a class that was discussing advances in medical technology (it worked great with my impression of Steve Martin acting as a middle age doctor/barber in a hilarious old Saturday Night Live sketch). |
|
April and the Dragon Lady
by Lensey Namioka |
|
|
|
Danny Says: A lot of people say this book is about
clashes between traditional Chinese culture fitting into America, but I prefer to look at it as the story of a teenager and her Chinese grandmother getting to know and appreciate one another. This story transcends cultures. |
|
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
by Judy Blume |
|
|
Danny Says: It seems like every month I have to include a classic that I have failed to mention on prior lists. Whenever I ask audiences what there favorite book was as a child, this book is ALWAYS mentioned. I would be surprised if this book were not the single-most read book by teenage girls. I believe Judy Blume is one of our most important authors. This is absolutely a must-read. |
|
Arf and the Metal Detector
by Philip Wooderson |
|
|
Danny Says: If you have a boy who does not like to read, I’d recommend checking out Stone Arch Books. They produce all sorts of wonderful books, and I especially enjoy their graphic novels. This gem includes a lot of funny cartoons, writing prompts and discussion questions and works particularly well with 7-10 year-olds. |
|
Around the World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne |
|
|
|
Danny Says: This is one of my favorite books of all time. Please tell me how much you enjoy the adventures of Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, as I am writing my own travel memoirs about traveling around the world in 80 days and five hours. If I only owned one book, it would be this Jules Verne classic. Happy ending, wonderful journey. |
|
Arrival, The
by Shaun Tan |
|
|
Danny Says: This is a MUST BUY for all middle school teachers. I think it is one of the best books I have read for young adults in years. A wordless picture book that captures the immigrant experience and speaks loudly to my English language learners, this book can be used to stimulate amazing class discussions. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. |
|
Assassination at Sarajevo
by Robin S. Doak |
|
|
|
Danny Says: Part of a wonderful series of books called Snapshots in History by Compass Point Books (compasspointbooks.com). Students love the photographs, and I like the way the author organized all the information in a visually appealing way. History books were always boring when I was in middle school. I’m a fan of this series, and my students were amazed by how this act caused one of the greatest catastophes the world had known to that point (World War I, for those of you keeping score at home). |
|
Athletic Shorts
by Chris Crutcher |
|
|
|
Danny Says: Here’s one for the fellas. Crutcher avoids athletic stereotypes in six compelling short stories that shed a whole new light on jocks in school. Makes for good read alouds with middle schoolers. |
Young Adult books
on 32 pages, 10 books per
page.
