June 30, 2017

Preparing for Back to School in the Secondary English Language Arts Classroom

Don't go back to school unprepared. Here's 17 of my blog posts that may help you as you plan whether it's the first day of school of your first year in the classroom or an even better year two, three, ten, twenty, or even thirty. Get information about my first lessons, decorating the classroom, establishing routines, building parent partnerships, and managing student behavior.
While the rest of the world may think that teachers have the summer "off," in reality that's just time that teachers spend planning for next year. Here's 17 of my blog posts that may help you as you prepare whether it's for the first day of school of your first year in the classroom or an even better year two, three, ten, twenty, or even thirty. Click on each linked blog post below for more information.

My First Lessons
1. Use Stations on the First Day of School
Using stations, instead of your typical stand and deliver syllabus and rules review, sets a tone of active learning and gets students up and moving on the first day of school.

2. Use a Digital Breakout on the First Day of School
Give students the opportunity to interact while engage in an activity that is fun and exciting, but also academically purposeful. Inspired by the Jules Verne novel, Around the World in 80 Days, in this back to school breakout, students follow Phileas Fogg's route around the world as they learn about the back to school traditions of different countries. Student use close reading and soft research skills to successfully complete the breakout. 

3. Learn About Students Through Coming of Age Poetry
In a writer's workshop, students examine and annotate coming of age poetry. Students use these mentor texts as models to brainstorm, draft, and revise their own coming of age poetry. This lesson is ideal for starting the year as it allows you to get to know your students and build community in your classroom as students share memories and their writing.

Decorating the Classroom
4. Peek Into My English Language Arts Classroom
While I work with small groups of students in an office now, this is what my classroom looked like my last year as a classroom teacher. Decorating your classroom doesn't have to be costly. Get ideas for where to shop and look for inspiration (besides teacher stores) as well as practical tips for arranging your classroom.

5. Replace Your Word Wall With A Word Tree
Decorate your classroom a little differently this year by making a "word tree" instead of a word wall. Use it to hang vocabulary or display student work in a visually interesting way without using up any precious wall space.

6. Get More Whiteboard Space
Whether you still have chalkboards in your classroom, very little whiteboard space, or hate to write, erase , and rewrite, this is an easy, inexpensive solution to adding more white board space in your classroom.

7. Save Time Decorating Next Year
Take purposeful pictures, "photo maps," of your classroom as you set it up this year to save yourself time when you decorate next year.

Establishing Routines
8. Create a System of Classroom Jobs
Giving classroom jobs to middle school and high school students allows them to feel useful and creates a sense of belonging in the classroom. In applying for and carrying out classroom jobs, students will practice real world skills plus it takes a few tasks off your plate, allowing you to focus more on instruction.

9. Make Students Accountable for Their Own Missing Work
A "While You Were Out" Binder puts the responsibility on absent students to get the information and materials he/she missed. This binder is also extremely useful for students who misplace work or want to redo assignments.

10. Prepare for Unprepared Students
An inexpensive, no sharpener needed option for students who do not come to class prepared with a writing utensil is handing out golf pencils.

11. Use Homework Calendars for Accountability
Finding a homework routine that is meaningful for students and manageable for teachers can be a challenge. Use homework calendars to help your students and yourself get organized and stay on top of assignments.

12. Organize Your Library for Easy Selection and Returns
Make it easy for students to select (and return) books of interest to them by organizing your classroom library by genre.

Building Parent Partnerships
13. Start From Day One
Start building positive parent partnerships from the very first day of school and maintain communication with parents throughout the year by sending home a syllabus, creating a parent contact log, and calling as much for the positives as the negatives.

14. Use Technology to Your Advantage
Wouldn't you love to be able to make less phone calls and contact all of your parents or students at once? As teachers, our time is so precious because we always seem to have so little of it, yet so many things to accomplish, so you should know about Remind. It is a tool that will make communication with parents and/or students easier.

Managing Student Behavior
15. Recognize and Reinforce Positive Behaviors
Stop negative behavior in your classroom before it starts by reinforcing your expectations and recognizing positive student behaviors. With two simple tools, I successfully managed student behavior at the secondary level. A ticket system and "shout outs" are little to no cost, require little work for you as the teacher, and will encourage on task, positive behavior from your middle school and high school students.

16. Use a Marble Jar to Build Classroom Community
Marble Jars aren't just for elementary classrooms, but you'll need more than one if you teach more than one section or class. All you'll need for these DIY Marble Jars is some empty containers, pom-pom balls, a ruler, and a permanent marker. They are inexpensive and easy to make, especially if you have multiple classes.

17. Get Strategies From Others
No one person has all the answers and what works in one classroom one year with one group of students may not work the next year. This blog post has ideas from several different teachers.

June 26, 2017

On My Bookshelf: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein is set during WWII and features young women in non-traditional roles. As a female pilot, Rose can only transport planes, not engage in combat, but when she goes astray on a mission, she is forced into enemy territory and eventually taken to a concentration camp. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon:  While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbruck, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that's in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein is set during WWII and features young women in non-traditional roles. As a female pilot, Rose can only transport planes, not engage in combat, but when she goes astray on a mission, she is forced into enemy territory and eventually taken to a concentration camp. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
Why I liked it: Rose Under Fire is a follow up to Code Name Verity, which I loved. Like the previous novel, this one is set during WWII and features young women in non-traditional roles. Rose is an American, serving as a pilot with the British Armed Forces thanks to a few strings pulled by her uncle. As a woman, she can only transport planes, not engage in combat, but when she goes astray on a mission, she is forced into enemy territory and eventually taken to a concentration camp.

Even there Rose's spirit cannot be broken. She continues to do what she can to fight back, like refusing a comfortable job in a factory when she realizes she is helping to build weapons for the Germans. She forms close bonds with the "Rabbits," a group of women on whom medical experiments were conducted.

Classroom application: As a slightly obsessive reader of WWII and Holocaust literature, I would highly recommend it as an independent book pick for my students. The novel could also be used in a history class to study aviation, concentration camps or women's roles during WWII. Students could specifically research Nazi's medical experiments and the Nuremberg Trials, which both play a large role in the book. 

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Rose Under Fire for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

You can find all of my teaching resources for the Holocaust here.

Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

June 19, 2017

On My Bookshelf: Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer is the riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. The doctor tried every remedy, but nothing cured the young Puritans. He grimly announced the dire diagnosis: the girls were bewitched! And then the accusations began.

The riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives and ruined hundreds more unfolds in chilling, novelistic detail—complete with stylized black-white-and-red scratchboard illustrations of young girls having wild fits in the courtroom, witches flying overhead, and the Devil and his servants terrorizing the Puritans— in this young adult book by award-winning author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer.
Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer is the riveting, true story of the victims, accused witches, crooked officials, and mass hysteria that turned a mysterious illness affecting two children into a witch hunt that took over a dozen people’s lives. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

Why I liked it: Witches focuses on an event in history that has always fascinated me. This short nonfiction read incorporates primary sources and for it's small size is a wealth of information about the Salem Witch Trials and the individuals involved. After recounting the events leading up to and including the trial, the text also provides the lesser known facts about what happened to individuals after the trial.

Classroom application: This nonfiction text would be a great pairing with The Crucible by Arthur Miller or countless other young adult fiction pieces focused on the Salem Witch Trials.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Witches for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

June 16, 2017

18 Realistic Fiction Titles to Recommend to Your High School Students

Teachers' lives are hectic, and though many of us love to read, we don't always have the time to do it, which can make it tough to make recommendations to students or to select titles for our classroom library. Here's 18 realistic fiction titles that I've recently read and would recommend to high school students.
Teachers' lives are hectic, and though many of us love to read, we don't always have the time to do it, which can make it tough to make recommendations to students or to select titles for our classroom library. Here's 18 realistic fiction titles that I've recently read and would recommend to high school students. Click the title of each to read my full review and ideas for using it in the classroom.

1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Cadence is spending the summer on her family's island, trying to recover from a head injury and amnesia. She is looking forward to spending time with her cousins and friends, but as she spends more time on the island, she remembers more and more about the terrible injury that caused her memory loss.

2. Swamplandia by Karen Russell
The Bigtree family own an alligator park, but after Hiola Bigtree, the mother and star of the alligator show dies, things start to fall apart. Ava, the youngest Bigtree, is determined to save the park with a red skinned baby alligator and by replacing her mother in the show.

3. Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ashley just a “normal kid” trying to make it to graduation while avoiding detention and her vice principal, but somehow gets roped into helping plan senior prom with her best friend Natalie after a teacher embezzles all of the prom funds. Ashley's witty, dry sense of humor puts an entertaining spin on teenage drama.

4. Paper Towns by John Green
Margo enlists her longtime neighbor and childhood friend, Quentin, to help her exact revenge on her cheating boyfriend and her disloyal best friend. But after a night of thrilling hijinks, Margo disappears, leaving behind clues for Quentin to find her. As time passes, Quentin begins to wonder if the clues will lead him anywhere and if Margo actually wants to be found.

5. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Colin has been just been dumped by his 19th Katherine when his best friend decides to take him on a road trip to help him forget his woes. Bromance and romance full of mathematical problems, historical references, word puzzles, and footnotes ensues.

6. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Samantha Kingston has the chance to relive the last day of her life over and over and try to make things right. Her retakes allow her to realize who and what is really important.

7. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen
This wonderful young adult novel touches on so many important issues for teenage girls: self-confidence, body image, relationships with parents, friends, and boyfriends, and making decisions about the future.

8. So Shelley by Ty Roth
The lives of the Romantics: John Keats, George Gordon Byron, and Mary and Percy Shelley are played out in present day in So Shelley by Ty Roth. Follow the adventures, romance, and teenage angst of three high school students based on the sometimes unbelievable, yet true lives of famous authors of the past.

9. I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak
Ed begins receiving mysterious messages from an unknown sender directing him to help, and when necessary, hurt people in his town as a means to make things right. After helping strangers, Ed must take actions that will impact the lives of those closest to him and eventually his own.

10. On The Come Up by Hannah Weyer
This novel has a strong African American female teenager, AnnMarie, as the main character with excellent dialogue and blocking. This novel, based on a true story, touches on a variety of teen issues, such as mean girls, relationships, drug use, and sexual identity.

11. Panic by Lauren Oliver
School has just ended for the summer and the recent high school graduates are playing Panic, the legendary game of facing one's fears. Heather, Natalie, and Dodge all desperately want to win but only one of them can win as the game become more intense and more dangerous.

12. Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black
Blue's mother is deceased, her father was just a sperm donor, her sister Cass took off two year ago, her former best friend doesn't understand her and her old boyfriend is no longer of interest to her. When Blue hasn't heard from Cass in far too long, she makes a deal with the devil, trading her voice for the ability to track down her sister, a journey that will take her across the country and into contact with an array of characters, some good, some evil, and some somewhere in between.

13. The Secret to Letting Go by Katherine Fleet
This novel is the perfect read for teenage romance enthusiasts. From the moment Daniel and Clover meet until the novel's end, the whirlwind of emotions never dies down. Unfortunately their troubling pasts seem to constantly disrupt their hope for happiness together.

14. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Taylor must serve as fearless leader in her school's annual "war" against the local kids and the visiting Cadets, while trying to put together her puzzle of a past.

15. This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
This novel is the terrifying tale of an armed and angry young man who begins shooting in the packed auditorium of his high school. With no where to hide or run (the doors are locked from the outside), the students and staff trapped inside can only hope that help will come quickly.

16. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Greg thinks suffering the trials of being an outcast in high school is bad. Then his mom promises that he will befriend a classmate and former girlfriend who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Somehow Greg is able to infuse both situations with laughter for the other characters as well as the reader.

17. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Every day is the same as the one before for Madeline; she suffers from an illness that prevents her from any contact with the outside world. But then the boy who moves in next door catches her eye and everything changes.

18. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is sent to a boarding school in Paris for her senior school of high school. At first, Anna struggles to adjust to life in another country (she doesn't even speak French!), but slowly builds friendships that ease her homesickness. Equally as good are the two follow up books in the series, Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After.

June 12, 2017

On My Bookshelf: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

In All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Finch and Violet's paths intersect in a most unusual way: on the ledge of the school's bell tower as each contemplates jumping. Neither does and their ensuing relationship brings the light back into Violet's life, but will it be enough to save Finch from his own darkness? Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death. Every day he thinks of ways he might kill himself, but every day he also searches for—and manages to find—something to keep him here, and alive, and awake.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her small Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school—six stories above the ground— it’s unclear who saves whom. Soon it’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink...
In All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Finch and Violet's paths intersect in a most unusual way: on the ledge of the school's bell tower as each contemplates jumping. Neither does and their ensuing relationship brings the light back into Violet's life, but will it be enough to save Finch from his own darkness? Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

Why I liked it: All The Bright Places is the first book in a while that I couldn't put down, but also left me in tears. The main character, Finch, has a contagious passion for life, a terrific sense of adventure, and a charming romantic spirit. He's the kind of boy that every teenage girl dreams of meeting. Violet is at first too enveloped in the grief over his sister's death to succumb to Finch's charisma, but before long, she finds herself enjoying life again thanks to Finch.

As a teacher, I was infuriated by the lack of response to Finch's mental health issues by both his parents and his counselor. I won't give away the ending, but I am warning you to have your tissues on hand. 


Classroom application: The novel deals with themes of loss, abuse, and metal illness. It could be used as a modern comparison to Romeo and Juliet or paired with novels like Eleanor & Park, The Fault in Our Stars, and If I Stay to examine the dynamics of teenage relationships. It could also be paired with pair with other novels focused on mental health issues like Challenger Deep, Mosquitoland, and Every Last Word.

In the novel, one of Finch and Violet's teachers assigns them the project of visiting sites of interest in their state. Similarly, you could assign a project requiring students to visit a certain number of historical or interesting sites in your town, city, or state. Students could take photographs, write descriptions of the locations and create an interactive map.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of All The Bright Places for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

For more reading suggestions for students and teachers:


Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

June 5, 2017

On My Bookshelf: Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko

In Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko, Lizzie always feels like the odd girl out at her finishing school in 1900s San Francisco. When disease strikes the city and Chinatown is put under quarantine, Lizzie's worries about fitting in at school are sidelined for larger concerns. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
The basic plot from Amazon: San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.

The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.
In Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko, Lizzie always feels like the odd girl out at her finishing school in 1900s San Francisco. When disease strikes the city and Chinatown is put under quarantine, Lizzie's worries about fitting in at school are sidelined for larger concerns. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.

Why I liked it: Chasing Secrets is set in San Francisco in the early 1900s at a time when the city was going through great change. Nellie’s aunt and uncle are very well to do. Her uncle runs a major newspaper and has connections with other important men in the city. Their home and dress is heavily influenced by Parisian culture. Nellie’s father is a doctor in a time period when medicine was not always science-based.

Nellie’s father is often away for days at a time and her older brother Billy does as he pleases in his absence. His father would like him to become a doctor too, but Billy seeks a more profitable profession. He rebels by taking fights in hopes of earning enough money to buy a car. Nellie enjoys going on house calls with her father and hopes to one day be a doctor.  Her interests make it difficult for her to fit in with the other girls at school.

Classroom application: In the novel, vaccines are not trusted. This could connect to concerns in today’s world about the link between vaccines and autism. Other possible research topics include the bubonic plague, Asian migration to the West Coast, finishing schools, and the history of educating women.


The novel could serve as a mentor text. Students could write their own historical fiction piece centered around a racial tension or conflict.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Chasing Secrets for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

For more reading suggestions for students and teachers:


Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

June 2, 2017

Young Adult Literature for the Secondary Classroom: 21 Titles Worth Checking Out

Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.
Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.

1. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
The structure of this novel is part of what makes it so interesting. First person diary entries alternate with a third person film script, both focused on Steve Harmon, who is 16 and on trial for murder. Throughout the novel students are constantly questioning Steve's reliability as a narrator and whether grew is guilty or innocent. As we read, I like to give students choices through menus so they can focus on aspects that interest them. The novel also easily connects to real world issues like youth incarceration, guns and the second amendment, and teens in gangs.

2. Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
The reliability of this novel's narrator of this novel is also questionable, but for very different reasons. Sarny, is a 13 year old slave girl, whose view of the world is completely changed, when her master brings in a new slave, John. He begins teaching other slaves, including Sarny, to read and write despite the terrible punishments if caught. I use this novel in conjunction with excerpts from Frederick Douglass's autobiography to counter students' notions about passive slaves.

3. Somewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean Myers
Jimmy is just an average teenage boy with the potential to be better in school when his father suddenly reappears in his life. The two take off on a trip that will help Jimmy to learn more about his father and even possibly forgive him. It's an easy read, perfect for starting of the year as you review or introduce literary elements like plot, characterization, and conflict.
Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.

4. Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper
This is another great title to start the year with because students will immediately be hooked on Gerald's story. With a mother that suffers from substance abuse and a physically abusive stepfather, it is up to Gerald to protect his younger half-sister, Angel. The book is an easy read with many opportunities to review or introduce literary elements as well as incorporate creative writing assignments. The novel is also part of a trilogy so there are two other books you can recommend to students after this one.

5. The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver is one of my all-time favorite novels to teach because it lends itself to critical thinking and many thoughtful and meaningful class discussions about thought-provoking and relevant themes -- diversity, individuality versus sameness, freedom of choice, wisdom, the importance of memory, the possibility of creating a utopian society, and the advantages and disadvantages of sacrificing personal freedom and individuality to gain a more peaceful society. My students have always enjoyed reading The Giver as much as I enjoy teaching it, doubling the joy of including this novel in the curriculum!
*Recommended by Sherri Tyler, Literary Sherri

6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
There is a strong female lead but since it is based on Cinderella it is still accessible to lower level readers as they understand the basic Cinderella theme. Since Cinder is a cyborg in a post apocalyptic world, the boys enjoy it too! I focus on Cinderella themes and cyborgs in sci-fi to introduce the book and we wrap up with the kids incorporating STEAM ideas to build a theme park based on the story!
*Recommended by Amanda Xavier, Xclass to the Rescue

7. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
I love teaching this book to my students because it brings them to a part of the world they have never experienced. Students become more knowledgeable about other parts of the world and are able to visualize different obstacles people face. I also love teaching them how characters can overcome challenges. Since this is based on a true story, it really hits home how someone like Salva can make huge positive changes in the world. Within the story, we are looking back at the plot diagram and also pointing out figurative language. Students have different options of activities they can complete. Options include water conservation, creating comics about the story or a create a collage of the theme.
*Recommended by Kristin Muse, Samson's Shoppe

Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.
8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Since its publication, The Help has been one of my favorite novels. It's the perfect storm of humor, historical context, and suspense to engage readers of all ages. Every time my students read this novel, they come away raving about it. Because of my background in literacy education, I use excerpts from The Help to teach reading comprehension skills and genres of literature. Usually, after we read Chapter 1 of The Help together as a class, many of my students want to check it out from the library and read more on their own. With this novel, we also enjoy analyzing point of view. Whether it's Skeeter, Minny, or Aibileen, my students end up debating and discussing their favorite narrator. Through Aibileen's prayers and Skeeter's journalism, this novel also helps students understand the value of writing as an outlet, as an avenue to make an impact on the world, as a way to make sure their voices are heard.
*Recommended by Melissa from The Reading & Writing Haven

9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Comparable to Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted and Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a WallflowerThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a diamond in the rough for many reluctant readers. The comical and sarcastic tone, the engaging illustrations, and the issues relevant to today's teens are enticing and irresistible for my students, especially the boys. When I teach excerpts from this novel, I use them as a reading comprehension vehicle as well as a means to analyze realistic fiction. We play a dice-based game to examine characterization, plot, conflict, and theme. My students also enjoy creating their own character sketches and responses to literature in which they have the opportunity to make connections with the novel, revealing their own insecurities and struggles with life. This book inspires teenagers to be individuals, to appreciate their heritage, to deal with pain in healthy ways, and to be proud of who they are.

10. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Students can relate to this timeless novel about growing up, social cliques, and learning to understand others. But, one of the best discussions addresses what Johnny means when he tells Ponyboy to "stay gold." This simple line carries so much meaning! We analyze the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" and really dig into the interpretation and symbols of the poem and how they connect to the novel and Johnny's plea to Ponyboy. What does it mean to "stay gold" and is that even possible? The novel and poem work so well together to create one of the many powerful themes of this "must read."
*Recommended by Marypat, Just Add Students

11. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Hatchet is a great book with which to start any school year! Its themes of survival and perseverance set a great tone for the year and are especially suited for 6th graders who are entering the challenging world of middle school. I have often referred back to instances where the main character, Brian, wanted to feel sorry for himself, but then found another way to solve his problem as an example for my students who may need some inspiration. Hatchet has been my #1 choice for years long before growth mindset was as prominent as it is today, but it is a perfect example of this very thing. In fact, since students can easily relate to Brian, in some ways he becomes a kind of literary role model for growth mindset my class. I have also used Hatchet to model all sorts of reading strategies and skills like summarizing and cause/effect that I refer back to all year long when we are working with something new. Hatchet becomes our foundation for all that we do throughout the year, That's why this book is an all around great book to read in middle school and beyond!
*Recommended by Lisa from Mrs. Spangler in the Middle

12. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a sophisticated suspense coming of age novel that is sure to motivate the unmotivated and engage the unengaged. Therefore, it is particularly appropriate for students who "don't like reading." I consider this a "thinking" book. There are so many levels of meaning that the book is a perfect complement to multiple perspectives analysis. We analyze the book from several different lenses: psychological, cultural/historical, reader response, and gender. Though it is a fast read, it is an exciting one, one that is hard to put down. There is a surprise ending that lends itself perfectly to predicting and inferencing skills. If anyone asks you how it ends, just lie.
Recommended by Jenna Copper, Doc Cop

13. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The Fault In Our Stars is a story that students will remember. The storyline provides areas for discussion and analysis. The characterization of the main characters does not belittle the age group and is relatable. As a teacher, The Fault In Our Stars shows motif better than any other novel I have read. Water bringing life and taking life is beautiful, sad, and accurate. Students love the imagery as well as the story. I personally read the story with my adult book club, and it entranced us as adults.
*Recommended by Lauralee, Language Arts Classroom

14. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I remember the first boy I recommended this book to, a Bulgarian tenth grader named Lou. He wore knee-high combat boots every day, and every day he opened the door with a huge smile on his face. "Are we reading today, Miss?!" He always had Ender's Game in his bag, and he couldn't wait to crack it open. Though his classroom performance was in the low to middle end of his class, he finished his book ahead of the crowd, eager for the next. He suggested to me he might just want to adopt the nickname "Ender." I loved it! His experience in my class is emblematic of the reason I love having an outside reading program. The more engaged my students are with their books, the more perfect fits I can hand across the table, the more I get to know them and the better their experience with the overall curriculum.
Recommended by Betsy from Spark Creativity

15. Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber
Death by Bikini is the trilogy that "converts" my most reluctant teens to like the mystery genre after all. It's safe for middle school and up, but it feels like an engaging episode of NCIS or Hawaii 5-0. Boys can be reassured that, despite the cover and title, it is NOT just a "girl book". Add this to your classroom library or independent reading program to reach more readers with more genres! This series would also be great to talk about mystery genre conventions, elements of plot, how authors use setting, and building suspense.
*Recommended by Secondary Sara

Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.
16. Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Tangerine, by Edward Bloor, is my absolute favorite novel to read with 7th, 8th, or 9th graders! Even my reluctant readers end up loving this book. It is fast-paced, and the mystery of how Paul lost his eyesight keep the kids enthralled. They also get personally invested in the unfairness of how Paul is treated, and they get angry about how rotten his brother Erik is. The story arc is easy to diagram, it is great for comparing static and dynamic characters, and setting and mood can be easily explored. This book sparks amazing discussions between students and really makes them think about social topics. This novel lends itself to many different writing activities: character comparison, theme analysis, research, character study, writing alternate endings, literary analysis of symbolism and irony, opinion writing, persuasive writing...you name it! You can teach and assess just about every literature and writing standard in CCSS through this novel!
*Recommended by Christine from Tween Spirit

17. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
I love this novel, and I love sharing it with students. This novel has the ability reach students who need help, and it also is a great novel to convince nonreaders that they love reading. Laurie Halse Anderson writes with such a powerful voice that readers actually feel like they are part of the story themselves. When I use this book with students in the classroom, we frequently reflect on the events in the novel using writing prompts.
*Recommended by The Daring English Teacher

18. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse, is a novel that instantly draws students in. The book is unique in so many ways! Set in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, the story depicts life in the Dust Bowl, an area hit by drought and horrific black dust storms. The female protagonist, Billie Jo, experiences a terrible personal tragedy that propels the story through many conflicts. The novel is written in gorgeous verse, overflowing with figurative language, making it perfect for teaching poetic devices. There are significant themes to track and discuss as Billie Jo deals with adversity. Hesse researched people who lived through the Dust Bowl era and has woven factual events into her story. Students will gain many interesting historic insights, making it a great choice for inter-disciplinary connections with social studies.
*Recommended by Joy Sexton

19. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
In this enchanting novel by Natalie Babbitt, ten-year-old Winnie Foster meets an intriguing teenage boy, Jesse Tuck, and his family. This fortuitous meeting leads her to adventure, friendship, and a life-changing decision. Excellent for younger middle school students, Tuck Everlasting inspires readers to ponder themes of life and death, and to question the appeal of immortality. And as the reader discovers, only Winnie’s toad friend seems to know the answer to this question.  To further engage students, I incorporate movement into my classroom by using a trashketball game to review and assess their learning.
*Recommended by Kim, OCBeachTeacher

20. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
I love teaching A Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt to my middle school students. I have used this book as a read aloud novel study with both 7th and 8th grade classes. Ally Nickerson is a fabulous and relatable protagonist that most middle school students will enjoy getting to know. As soon as the reader opens the book they are throw into the middle of Ally's story and her trouble at school. Through out the novel Ally's school difficulties help your class build empathy towards Ally, and other students who may be struggling at school. The novel was previously chosen as a Global Read Aloud project book suggestion. This book belongs in every classroom and school library as well as given consideration for a class novel study.
*Recommended by Kristy Avis - 2 Peas and a Dog
Out with the old and in with the new! Contemporary young adult literature has so much to offer when used in the classroom. Its topics resonate with students and its characters are relatable; students can find parts of themselves in the novels. If you are making additions to or revising the reading list for your English Language Arts course, here's 21 young adult literature titles that are worth checking out for middle school and high school students.

21. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Walk Two Moons is a poignant novel about growing up, handling grief and finding oneself. It's the perfect storm for many a middle schooler who may be going through one (or all 3!) of the ideas that are carefully woven into this novel. The story is about a journey - both a literal one as well as a figurative one - and it is a powerful experience to join the main character on both. Using reading comprehension and skills games focused on the elements of setting, characters, plot and theme is a great way to review the book, get students thinking and have fun all at the same time.
*Recommended by Lisa from Mrs. Spangler in the Middle