December 29, 2020

Top 20 Reads of 2020

While I may not have reached my reading goal for 2020, I still read so many amazing books. Here's my top 20 including middle grades, young adult, and adult titles.

My reading goal for 2020 was to read 2 books a week, a total of 104 books. I won't make it; I'm hoping to make it to at least 80 (I'm at 77 books with 3 days to go), but no matter the number, I still read so many amazing books this year. Here's my top 20.

Middle Grades Picks
Despite being a middle school teacher, I often find myself just liking, not loving titles targeted at this age group. Frequently the narrators annoy me with their immaturity and their trivial conflicts. I know they are young and it isn't their fault, but based on the titles listed below I think it is clear that I prefer books that tackle tough topics

1. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
I listened to this one as an audiobook and loved the spunky narrator. Aven is born without arms and has recently moved so that her parents can manage a Western theme park. She navigates the challenges of middle school, disability, and friendship—all while solving a mystery. I enjoyed the second book in the series well, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, and I'm currently listening to The Canyon's Edge.

2. Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
My students and I had the privilege of attending an author visit from Donna Gephart last October and when I spotted this audiobook this spring, I was eager to give it a listen. The book is narrated by the two main characters: Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy dealing with bipolar disorder. It can be difficult to find a middle grades title that tackles gender identity or mental health issues, and Gephart does an excellent job with both.

This was another audiobook listen. My four year old daughter and I were both charmed by Roz, a robot trying to survive in the wilderness. The book is full of humor but also beautiful scenes of the robot's learned harmony with animals and nature. This would make an excellent read aloud.

This title was recommended to me after the controversy surrounding American Dirt earlier this year.
Inspired by true events, The Only Road is just as gripping and feels much more realistic and authentic than the adult novel. I listened to it on audiobook and ended up choosing it as a title for my upcoming literature circles themed around facing fear.

And another audiobook listen (perhaps I am also influenced by a great narrator)! This novel reminded me of an old favorite, The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake. Genesis (like Maleeka of The Skin I'm In) is uncomfortable in her dark skin due to the colorism that exists in her own family and that she experiences at school. A move to a new school gives her a chance to start over and she doesn't want to mess it up.
While I may not have reached my reading goal for 2020, I still read so many amazing books. Here's my top 20 including middle grades, young adult, and adult titles.


Young Adult Picks
Maybe it is because I started out as a high school teacher or maybe it is because in my head I'm forever 21, but no matter the reason, young adult literature is what I read and enjoy most. Many of these picks I had the opportunity to enjoy before they were even published thanks to my continued relationship with Macmillan Publishers.

I devoured Courtney Summers' thriller from last year, Sadie, so I wasn't surprised that her debut novel had the same effect on me. In Cracked Up to Be, it is Parker against the world until her world comes crashing down (think Holden Caufield of Catcher in the Rye, but without all the whining). Parker is a teenage girl struggling with the pressure to be perfect; a feeling so many young women can relate to. You can read about my thoughts here on Instagram.

I don't think I could pick a favorite Ruta Sepetys book before, and after reading The Fountains of Silence, I know I definitely can't! I love how Sepetys writes historical fiction that focuses on lesser known historical events. Like Salt to the Sea, this novel follows several characters some visiting and some living in Spain during the fascist reign of General Francisco Franco. Centered around a hotel designed to attract Americans, the plot includes corrupt politicians, adoption schemes, a passion for photography, and a secret romance. Find out which Ruta Sepetys book others love best in this Instagram post.

This is one of three Stacey Lee novels I listened to on audiobook this year and they are all amazing. I could have easily included The Downstairs Girl or Outrun the Moon on this list. All three historical fiction titles are clearly the result of impeccable research and tackle the issues of race and gender equality. Under a Painted Sky is essentially a Western novel full of adventure and a little romance, but with a Chinese female teenager as the main character.
   
I was completely hooked on this cross between science fiction and fantasy (think royalty on other planets) and its gorgeous descriptions, skillful character development, and intriguing plot lines. Amani is kidnapped by the cruel regime ruling over her planet and becomes a body double for the empire's princess, Maram. What begins as a relationship filled with hatred transforms into respect and eventually friendship as Amani attempts to help Maram shift the course of her future as queen. I listed to book two in the series, Court of Lions, and wished there was a third!

This was a very recent audiobook listen and I loved that the book centered around a male protagonist, and his struggles without being focused on sports. The Closest I've Come is funny, yet at times also heartbreaking and deals with the themes of friendship, abuse, and machoism. Marcos keeps it real 100% of the time.

Is there anything that Jason Reynolds has written that isn't pure gold? Seriously though, I love his Track series and As Brave As You for my sixth graders. They are full of humor and characters who have struggles, but could also be role models because of their strong values. All American Boys, Long Way Down, and this one, When I Was The Greatest are amazing reads for upper middle school and high school with anti-violence themes that young people need to hear, written in a way that makes them think rather than feel like they are being preached at. I read and also enjoyed The Boy in the Black Suit shortly after this one. Read more of my review here.

I love twists on fairy tales and Girl, Serpent, Thorn blends together elements of Persian culture and myths to create a story where the princess is the monster. After spending much of her life in isolation because of her curse, Soraya falls in love and breaks her curse, but ends up cursing her family instead. As she struggles to outwit her captor, she falls in love again and realizes that perhaps her curse was actually more of a gift.

After finishing I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, I  couldn't help but think of it as a sister to The Poet X and an older cousin to The House on Mango Street. The narrators push back against the expectations of their gender and race and all three have aspirations to become a writer. Read more of my review here.

The novel is narrated by Fabiola who has an innocence about her as she has just immigrated from Haiti with her mother, though her mother is detained forcing Fabiola to join her three cousins and aunt in Detroit alone. The narrative is interspersed with other characters’ backstories with their own unique voices and infused with Haitian voodoo and magical realism. Read more of my review here.

This historical fiction novel is set during WWII (my favorite kind of book), but is not just another war story. The novel focuses on life in a Chicago orphanage, but weaves in the issues of race relations and the treatment of women, plus there's ghosts, angry, protective ghosts. Read more of my review here.

Set in the fantasy world of the Narrows, Fable is a fierce teen determined to prove her worth to her father, the most feared and respected trader in the realm, but she must do so without revealing their relationship to anyone else. She teams up with West, a young trader (who turns out to be hired by her father to keep an eye on her) and his crew. Together they face off against enemies and claim a treasure lost in the most treacherous of straights. Filled with action, adventure, romance, a diverse cast, and pirates, it's a must read fantasy novel and I can't wait for its follow up, Namesake.

This novel was part sports drama, part suspense, and all parts excellent. I really appreciated the diverse cast of characters and the author's detailed character development. Nothing superficial here. I loved Ingrid, the main character, but also Caroline, her competition in the pool and also for the attention of Van, Ingrid's neighbor, former friend, and long time crush. The book's plot development is just as strong as its characters. At the start, Ingrid suffers a concussion at a diving competition which leaves her pool side for a month and a case of insomnia, which she rides out with Van. But there is also something strange going on in the abandoned house next door and Ingrid is desperate to remember what threw off the dive that caused her injury. The big reveal at the end of the book caught me off guard as much as it did Ingrid. Read more of my review here.
While I may not have reached my reading goal for 2020, I still read so many amazing books. Here's my top 20 including middle grades, young adult, and adult titles.


Adult Picks
I could probably count the number of adult titles I read this past year on one hand, but the ones I did read were really, really good. Okay, I counted; I read five and the three below are making the cut for my top 20 reads of this year.

My husband gifted me this book last Christmas thanks to his newly found love of NPR and it was haunting. Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, and is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, where he suffers horror after horror.

Loosely based on the author's own experiences during Hurrican Katrina, this novel focused on a 15 year ld girl who learns she is pregnant in the days before the hurricane hits. The language and description is beautiful. If I was still teaching high school and To Kill A Mockingbird, I'd replace it with this. Her essay in Vanity Fair about the death of her husband is also a must read.

This one was a gift this Christmas from my mother. I was immediately intrigued because the author is a local who teaches at my alma mater, Temple University, and the novel is set in Philadelphia. The main character, Mickey, is a police officer in Kensington where drugs and prostitution are ingrained in the neighborhood and Mickey's sister Kacey is guilty of both. When her sister goes missing, Mickey finds herself in the middle of police corruption that also brings her past missteps to light.

While I may not have reached my reading goal for 2020, I still read so many amazing books. Here's my top 20 including middle grades, young adult, and adult titles.



December 5, 2020

A Holiday Gift Guide For Your Favorite Ethical, Bookish Teacher

If the loved one you are looking for a gift for is a teacher who loves books and doing good in the world, then look no further than this list.
Note: This blog post contains affiliate links. 

During this holiday season, I find myself wanting to be even more generous and give gifts that are even more meaningful and personalized than ever to show my appreciation for my closest loved ones during this difficult time period. If the loved one you are looking for a gift for happens to be a teacher who loves books and doing good in the world, then look no further than this list.



November 21, 2020

Shifting Hands-on Stations to Digital Collaboration

Activities that were once hands-on are now digital with three possibilities for collaboration: small group lessons, partner work, or peer review.
My pre-pandemic classroom was a place where students moved freely around, worked with partners or small groups almost daily, and frequently engaged in hands-on activities. Now I'm alone in my classroom, partners and small groups are in virtual breakout rooms, and even when we return in person, hands-on activities will have to be limited.

This summer, in an effort to prepare for these changes, I reenvisioned my skill-based stations for digital use. The manipulatives that students would normally sort and match at the desks can now function similarly on their computer screen.

1. Small Group Lesson

One way to use these stations digitally would be in a small group lesson. Share the link to the Google Slides version of the stations with students in the group and then share the slides on your screen. Students can take turns moving the manipulatives. As a group you can discuss the correct and incorrect moves. What would be one station in person is usually broken up over several slides, so you could also assign students a slide within a station and then review all of the slides for each station together. Don't forget to move the pieces back to the work area before using the slides with the next group.

Activities that were once hands-on are now digital with three possibilities for collaboration: small group lessons, partner work, or peer review.

2. Partner Work With Whole Class Review


Another way to use these stations digitally would be to assign them on Google Classroom so that each students gets their own copy of the slides. Pair students together in breakout rooms and allow them to share their screens to make working together easier. Students can discuss the stations and collaborate on their answers, and are still accountable for completing their own work. After students have had time to work through the stations with their partners, bring the class back together and review the correct answer as a whole class.

3. Independent Work With Peer Review

A third way to use these stations digitally would be to again assign them on Google Classroom so that each students gets their own copy of the slides. Before pairing students off to review, let students first work through the slides independently. After students have completed their work on their own, pair them up in a breakout room to review the assignments. Students will complete a Google Form as they discuss their work and indicate whether their answer were the same or different. If students' answers differ, they will explain the mix up or confusion. They also have the option to indicate that they'd like to review specific stations with the teacher.

You can find all my stations activities, which all include print and digital versions, here.

Activities that were once hands-on are now digital with three possibilities for collaboration: small group lessons, partner work, or peer review.

November 9, 2020

On My Bookshelf: More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn

In More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn, readers will cheer when Luke and Vada make their feelings known. Read on for my review and ideas for classroom use.
The basic plot from Amazon: Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.

Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out of this world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?

In More Than Maybe, Erin Hahn’s swooniest book yet, Luke and Vada must decide how deep their feelings run and what it would mean to give love a try.

In More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn, readers will cheer when Luke and Vada make their feelings known. Read on for my review and ideas for classroom use.
Why I liked it: In More Than Maybe narration alternates between Luke and Vada. Luke hosts a podcast talk show with his twin brother,Cullen who happens to be dating his best friend Zach. Students who identify as LGBTQ+ will appreciate seeing a solid relationship. Both young men are out and accepted by those around them. 

Luke is a talented songwriter, vocalist, and pianist, but does not want his talents to take him into the spotlight of stardom. His father was part of a famous group, but Luke has no interest in that life. Vada works at a local music venue and writes music reviews on her blog. 

Both Vada and Luke have liked one another for some time, but have been too shy and nervous to initiate any kind of relationship. Fans of When Dimple Met Rishi will enjoy the banter of equal minds. Readers will cheer when they finally do get together.

Classroom application: Music fans will enjoy all of the song references and the setting of the music scene. There is some mature language, but would be appropriate for upper middle school and up. While it is a romance novel, the romance in it is very PG. Possible topics of discussion would be alcoholism, divorce, the dangers of social media, and the power of copyright.

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

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 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.

In More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn, readers will cheer when Luke and Vada make their feelings known. Read on for my review and ideas for classroom use.


November 2, 2020

On My Bookshelf: The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War by Delphine Minoui

The Book Collectors tells the story of young men building a library in the midst of conflict. Read on for my review and ideas for classroom use.
The basic plot from Amazon: Day in, day out, bombs fall on Daraya, a town outside Damascus, the very spot where the Syrian Civil War began. In the midst of chaos and bloodshed, a group searching for survivors stumbles on a cache of books. They collect the books, then look for more. In a week they have six thousand volumes. In a month, fifteen thousand. A sanctuary is born: a library where the people of Daraya can explore beyond the blockade.

Long a site of peaceful resistance to the Assad regimes, Daraya was under siege for four years. No one entered or left, and international aid was blocked.

In 2015, French-Iranian journalist Delphine Minoui saw a post on Facebook about this secret library and tracked down one of its founders, twenty-three-year-old Ahmad, an aspiring photojournalist himself. Over WhatsApp and Facebook, Minoui learned about the young men who gathered in the library, exchanged ideas, learned English, and imagined how to shape the future, even as bombs fell above. They devoured a marvelous range of books―from American self-help like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People to international bestsellers like The Alchemist, from Arabic poetry by Mahmoud Darwish to Shakespearean plays to stories of war in other times and places, such as the siege of Sarajevo. They also shared photos and stories of their lives before and during the war, planned how to build a democracy, and began to sustain a community in shell-shocked soil.

As these everyday heroes struggle to hold their ground, they become as much an inspiration as the books they read. And in the course of telling their stories, Delphine Minoui makes this far-off, complicated war immediate. In the vein of classic tales of the triumph of the human spirit―like All the Beautiful Forevers, A Long Way Gone, and Reading Lolita in TehranThe Book Collectors will inspire readers and encourage them to imagine the wider world.

The Book Collectors tells the story of young men building a library in the midst of conflict. Read on for my review and ideas for classroom use.
Why I liked it: The Book Collectors is a quick read and transports the reader into a world very different from the one I comfortably live in. Despite the author’s desire to tell the stories of the young men in Syria, the text still felt centered around her and her feelings and concerns. The text also felt detached and distant from the rebels’ struggles, perhaps an effect of the author’s background as a journalist. 

I liked the list of frequently read titles and the rules of the library, one of them being that the name of the owner was inside each book. These rules show the integrity of the group and their respect for others’ property as well as their desire for order in the midst of chaos.

Classroom application: The Book Collectors, with its focus on the conflict in Syria, would be a great read for high school world history or government class. For a middle school fiction read on the same topic, check out Escape from Aleppo by N. H. Senzai. 

The text deals with the themes of the power of knowledge, the ability of learning to liberate, and right to an education. The Book Collectors could connect with the fiction classic Fahrenheit 451 or the newer nonfiction autobiography, I Am Malala

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

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 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.

The Book Collectors tells the story of young men building a library in the midst of conflict. Read on for my review and ideas for classroom use.



October 26, 2020

On My Bookshelf: American Street by Ibi Zoboi

In American Street by Ibi Zoboi, Fabiola is thrown into life in America without her mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
The basic plot from Amazon: In this stunning debut novel, Pushcart-nominated author Ibi Zoboi draws on her own experience as a young Haitian immigrant, infusing this lyrical exploration of America with magical realism and vodou culture.

On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.

But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.

Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?

In American Street by Ibi Zoboi, Fabiola is thrown into life in America without her mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
Why I liked it: In American Street
the narrator Fabiola is coming from Haiti with her mother, but her mother is detained. She joins her three cousins and aunt in Detroit alone. 

Fabiola's eldest cousin Chantal is in college and the most level-headed of the three girls. Donna is the “pretty girl” and dating Dray. Pri is Donna’s twin sister. She is a lesbian and fiercely loyal to her sisters. Fabiola starts school where her cousins have a reputation as the three B’s. 

It's not long before Fabiola is approached by a detective outside of school who suspects Donna’s boyfriend Dray is connected to a bad batch of drugs. Her efforts to help her mother spiral out of control when she finds out her cousins, not Dray were responsible for dealing the bad batch of drugs. Her Aunt Jo, who acts as a money lender in their neighborhood has recently had a stroke. The girls get into dealing drugs to get themselves out of finical trouble with Q. In the meantime, the narrator falls for Kasim, Dray’s best friend, and is devastated when he is killed by police at a party that she tipped the police off about. 

The narrative is interspersed with characters’ backstories. For example, it is revealed that the three B’s father was actually killed by Dray as a young boy when he was training under Q. His volatile relationship with Donna is largely due to his self-hatred over it. I liked the different voices of these backstories as well as the infusion of Haitian voodoo and magical realism.

Classroom application: American Street is appropriate for high school and up. The novel focuses on the American Dream and how elusive its attainment can be. It would make a great contrast to classic novels like The Great Gatsby, The Jungle, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and more contemporary books like The Last Shot by Darcy Frey.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of American Street 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.

In American Street by Ibi Zoboi, Fabiola is thrown into life in America without her mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.



October 19, 2020

On My Bookshelf: Far From The Tree by Robin Benway

In Far From the Tree by Robin Benway, siblings separated from birth are reunited. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
The basic plot from Amazon: Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him.

In Far From the Tree by Robin Benway, siblings separated from birth are reunited. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
Why I liked it: In Far From The Tree the narration alternates between three siblings separated from birth. The oldest Joaquin is biracial and has spent his life in the foster care system. He is currently close to being adopted despite his age, but is afraid of getting too close to others. Grace, the middle child, has recently given up her own daughter for adoption. That experience sparked her interest in finding her birth siblings and possibly also her birth mother. The youngest, Maya, feels like an outsider in her own family because she was adopted and her sister was a natural birth. Her parents are in the midst of separating and her mother’s drinking problem escalates to a stay in rehab. 

Maya and Grace meet first and then seek out Joaquin together. The three begin bonding and quickly begin to rely on their relationships with each other. They decide to look for their mother together and learning her story helps each of them to better accept themselves and appreciate their adopted families.

Classroom application: The novel has mature themes including teen pregnancy and alcohol and drug use, and would be appropriate for high school and up. 

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Far From The Tree 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.

In Far From the Tree by Robin Benway, siblings separated from birth are reunited. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.


October 16, 2020

8 Teacher Instagram Accounts to Follow for YA & MG Book Recommendations

With so many great books out there, following Instagram accounts that highlight middle grade new titles to read and recommend to students.
With so many great books out there and so many other things on teachers' plates these days, following Instagram accounts that highlight middle grade novels and young adult literature is a great way to find new titles to read and recommend to students. Here's 8 accounts to follow if you are looking for titles to share with your students and add to your classroom library.


1. @BayeringWithFreshmen
Allie Bayer, a career long freshmen English teacher, with just enough humor and honesty to “sell” younger generations on the magic and importance of reading. Allie reads primarily young adult literature, with her favorite genres being YA thriller & mystery and YA romance.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? Circe by Madeline Miller
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? Illuminae, All American Boys, Dear Martin
  • How do you select the books you read? Sometimes price, sometimes by the cover art alone. Sometimes I take others’ recommendations. Sometimes I chose based on the color of the spine (Read the Rainbow). Sometimes I pick an unknown by an author I like. Sometimes I let students choose for me. Sometimes I get talked into a buddy read, and sometimes I choose by genre and the mood I’m in! 
  • How do you make time for reading? I don’t make excuses. I put my phone where I can’t reach it and pick up a book. I prioritize it and want my own children at home to see me read frequently. I find it’s an important hobby to model for my kids and for my students. I always SHOW them how much/often I read. 
2. @englishelixir
Amanda is a middle school English teacher with a passion for reading. In addition to teaching, she also is a TpT Author. Amanda reads a mix of young adult and middle grades novels. Her favorite genres are realistic fiction, crime/mystery, and graphic novels.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? The Prince and the Dressmaker
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? The First Part Last by Angela Johnson, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
  • How do you select the books you read? Generally, I’ll select a book based on reviews from friends online or I will be interested by the cover!
  • How do you make time for reading? I’m a big morning reader when I’m not at school, and when I am there, I read with students during silent reading time.
3. @tiplerteaches
Megan is an Indigenous educator who is committed to decolonizing her teaching practices, disrupting the curriculum and including more representative texts in English Language Arts. She is particularly passionate about Indigenous literatures and #ownvoices. Aside from teaching, she enjoys coaching basketball, crafting and drawing, and collecting sneakers! Megan reads primarily young adult literature and her favorite genres are realistic fiction and novels in verse. She curates a list of indigenous texts here.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? Just one?! Most recently I loved Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. 
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? Anything Jason Reynolds, The Prince and the Dressmaker, and The 57 Bus.
  • How do you select the books you read? Mostly recommendations from fellow teachers (in real life and Instagram) and student recommendations.
  • How do you make time for reading? I resisted audiobooks for a long time, but I find they're a huge asset during the busier parts of the year with teaching and coaching. I always have a novel or audiobook with me and try to squeeze in reading time. That being said, I prefer being able to sit down and power through a book in one sitting. I have to consciously set that time aside, or else I find a million other things that "need" to be done.
4. @rileyreadsya
Kara Wojick is a middle school teacher with experience in grades 6-8, and works especially closely with reluctant readers. She blogs about how to create engagement around reading and design systems to help teachers maintain a robust independent reading program all year long. Kara reads a mix of young adult and middle grades novels. Her favorite genres are realistic fiction, particularly coming of age, and dystopian novels. Kara shares her book review on her blog, https://www.rileyreadsya.com.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? Genesis Begins Again 
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? Ghost Boys, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and Everything, Everything
  • How do you select the books you read? I look for award-winners, read amazon reviews, and like project lit titles, but I’m very picky! I also like to read a diverse range of characters and authors. 
  • How do you make time for reading? I set weekly goals! (Page goals— just like I do for students!)
5. @elaclassroom
Lauralee Moss has taught middle school and high school English for over a dozen years. She blogs at Language Arts Classroom and reads a new book to her students every Friday for First Chapter Friday. Lauralee reads primarily young adult fiction and her favorite genres are romance and dystopia. You can find even more book reviews on her blog, https://languageartsclassroom.com/blog/educational-books.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? Frankly in Love
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? Speak, So B It, and any graphic novel.
  • How do you select the books you read? I stay current with hashtags on Instagram. I pay attention to new releases, but I also look at popular writers. If students often like a writer, I'm likely to read another book by that author. 
  • How do you make time for reading? I snag five minute periods of time, often between classes in the halls.
6. @secondaryurbanlegends
You can always find Samantha sharing about books and all things engaging literacy. Samantha reads a mix of young adult literature and middle grades novels. Her favorite genres are realistic and historical fiction.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? No way!!! I read like 100 a year and this year alone I would give five starts to like 10. 
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? Crossover, Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie, and A Long Walk to Water.
  • How do you select the books you read? Start with popular then do classics. 
  • How do you make time for reading? It’s second nature to me. It’s how I relax, it’s how I clear my head, and it’s also where I find my purpose.
Kristy Avis, 2 Peas and a Dog, is a Canadian middle school teacher. When she is not teaching, she loves creating lesson plans to help other ELA teachers. She reads a mix of young adult and middle grades novels. Her favorite genre is realistic fiction. Kristy also reviews books on her blog, www.2peasandadog.com.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? Ghost by Jason Reynolds, Refugee by Alan Gratz, and any graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier
  • How do you select the books you read? I read the back of the novel (book summary) and decide if it would interest my students. If so I will read it, if not I will leave it for another teacher to read. 
  • How do you make time for reading? I make time to read by listening to audiobooks while doing chores, cooking, or commuting. I also set a bedtime and read before bed. 
That's me! I am a former high school English teacher turned 6th grade ELA teacher, which might explain why I favor young adult literature over middle grade novels. My favorite genres are historical fiction and dystopia. You can find book reviews here on my blog and book recommendation lists here.
  • What is the best book you've read so far this year? It's a tie between Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust and Mirage by Somaiya Daud.
  • What are three of your favorite books to recommend to students who claim they don't like to read? Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper, Girl, Stolen by April Henry, and anything by Jason Reynolds
  • How do you select the books you read? Because of the reviews I do here on my blog as well as on social media, I am fortunate enough to receive ARCs from a number of publishing companies, so many of the books I read are gifted to me. Otherwise I read popular new titles on my Kindle through Overdrive or books in my classroom library that I haven't read yet.
  • How do you make time for reading? This has been tough for me with three little ones at home. I got into audiobooks in the last year and that has helped tremendously. I always have a book with me at school or in the car when I might have a few minutes to squeeze in a few pages. I also try to read before bed at least a few nights a week.
With so many great books out there, following Instagram accounts that highlight middle grade new titles to read and recommend to students.

October 12, 2020

On My Bookshelf: Finale by Stephanie Garber

In Finale by Stephanie Garber, sisters must band together to thwart evil forces.  Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
The basic plot from Amazon: A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end.

In Finale by Stephanie Garber, sisters must band together to thwart evil forces.  Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
Why I liked it:  The focus of Finale, the final installment in the Caraval trilogy, alternates between sisters Scarlet and Tella. Caraval, book 1, focused on Scarlet, and Legendary, book 2, focused on Tella.

The Fates released during Caraval are gaining strength. Scarlet and Tella’s mother, also freed from the Deck of Destiny finally awakens, but then sacrifices herself in an attempt to kill Fallen Star Gaveriel. The girls’ mother Paloma, was once known as Paradise of Lost and she and Gaveriel were lovers. Gaveriel is Scarlet’s true father and he kidnaps her and tries to convince her to take control of her powers. Meanwhile Tella struggles with wanting to fall in love with Legend (Dante) and knowing that it will destroy him. Love is the weakness for Gavriel and the Fates as well. 

Throughout the book neither Scarlett nor Tella can be sure who they should trust. The ending of the book and the series was fitting, but definitely left me hoping that this third book wouldn’t actually be the end. Scarlet took her place as the ruler Valenda and Tella is hoping that Legend will kidnap them so that their adventures can continue.

Classroom application: Finale, like Legendary, is high school appropriate and up.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Finale 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.

In Finale by Stephanie Garber, sisters must band together to thwart evil forces.  Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.



October 5, 2020

On My Bookshelf: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Legendary by Stephanie Garber is a fantasy novel set in a wonderful world of magic. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
The basic plot from Amazon: A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more―and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about―maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

Legendary by Stephanie Garber is a fantasy novel set in a wonderful world of magic. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.
Why I liked it: Legendary is a fantasy book, but there's no witches or werewolves or vampire (not my taste in fantasy), just a wonderful world of magic. While Caraval, the first book in the series focused on Scarlett, this second book is focused on her younger sister Tella. Where Scarlet was practical and cautious as she played in Caraval, Tella is bold and a risk taker. She acts on instincts and deals with the consequences later. 

The first game of Caraval was played by Scarlet and it was just a game, but this second round of Caraval is played by Tella and is more personal because she is hoping to win back her mother. The Deck of Destiny, something she’d discovered in her mother’s room as a child and the mythical Fates are real life figures trapped within the cards all with their own unique powers. Her mother is trapped within one of these cards.

Classroom application: I'd label this one as high school appropriate and up because the romance scenes can get a little steamy. Students who enjoy the detailed worlds of fantasy series like the Red Queen series and the Lunar Chronicles will like this series as well.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Legendary 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.

Legendary by Stephanie Garber is a fantasy novel set in a wonderful world of magic. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom use.



October 2, 2020

11 Fun Zoom Games & Activities for Secondary Students

Trying to avoid the Zoom gloom? Need a break from the routine of synchronous classes? Check out these fun ideas for middle and high school students.

Trying to avoid the Zoom gloom? Need activities for class meetings or just a break from the routine of synchronous classes? Check out these fun games and activities your middle and high school students will love.

1. Mad Gab
These puzzles are a group of words, that at first glance and first saying don't make sense, but when you say them slowly and listen to what you hear, you can figure out what the phrase is. For example,  Common Firm Their Rain becomes Come In From The Rain. When we played over Zoom, I had students turn off their mics and cameras, so other students couldn't hear or see what they were saying. Students made their guesses in the chat. This site has tons of lists of Mad Gab phrases.

Trying to avoid the Zoom gloom? Need a break from the routine of synchronous classes? Check out these fun ideas for middle and high school students.

2. PowerPoint Games
With this easy to use free editable PowerPoint template, you can add your questions and answers to this interactive review game and play with your students on Zoom, Google Meet, or your online meeting platform of choice! (Instructions for editing and use with Zoom are included.) Review content, play trivia, and more with this easy PowerPoint game. You can keep a running scoreboard on the screen, and make the game as short or long as you want.
*Recommended by Molly Ledford, The Littlest Teacher

Using Zoom's whiteboard, I drew a scribble that students and I then copied onto a piece of drawing paper. We had two minutes (you could adjust the time) to turn that scribble into a drawing. Students could color in their drawings if they had enough time. When time was up, each player that wanted to held their drawing up to their camera to share. Our first scribble led to fairly similar results, but drawings got more and more creative after a few rounds. 

4. Skribbl
This is pictionary, online. My advisory students loved it. We used it once a week as a fun, community-building activity. Kids log in and we each took a turn choosing word from the menu secretly presented to us and then drawing. The rest of us tried to decipher their skribbles. Is that a dog or a camel? Skribbl gives you a hint in the form of how many letter in the word...and then slowly reveals some letters. Some kids were excellent drawers, some rocked at guessing the words, and one "just hung out at the bottom of the leader board" alone with his excellent attitude, every time. On Skribbl days, I put music on my computer and we had fun, together, and, online. That can be difficult to capture. For teachers who want to tailor the words to their classes, that is possible. There is an option to enter your own words. The Spanish teacher used Skribbl in class to reinforce vocabulary.
*Recommended by Rachel Cummings, Writing by Rachel

Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, on any device. Students just need a join code to play a game, no sign up is required. Kahoot! has a collection of pre-made content related and just for fun games. Students can play individually or in teams. During online learning, my students liked to log in on another device, usually a cell phone, so they could see the questions and leaderboard in my Zoom window.

Trying to avoid the Zoom gloom? Need a break from the routine of synchronous classes? Check out these fun ideas for middle and high school students.

6. Digital Escape Rooms
My students' favorite activities that we do every year are digital escape rooms. Once I realized how engaged they were while doing these, the more digital escapes I started to create. One of my favorite digital escape rooms is my ELA Test Prep/Review. It covers main idea, point of view, text structure, parts of the plot, author's purpose, and figurative language- all important standards that students must master. I found that my students no longer dreaded test prep or the review of skills once they began "competing" to see who could finish first. Digital escapes can be done in groups or individually, whichever works best for your students.

Quizziz is similar to Kahoot! except that the students progress through the questions in a random order. 
I've used pre-made trivia games on Quizziz, but also highly recommend making some custom games for your students. Last year, I put together a trivia game based on unique facts students submitted to me about themselves as well as a who's who game with baby pictures. Both were a big hit and helped to build community.

8. GimKit
Gimkit is an engaging game that ramps up competition online and is one of four tools I use regularly to engage students online. I use GimKit as an extra practice, a fun activity. Students must answer questions, and when they do, they earn “money.” They can buy power-ups and shields for protection. They compete against their classmates. 

Trying to avoid the Zoom gloom? Need a break from the routine of synchronous classes? Check out these fun ideas for middle and high school students.

9. Digital Bookshelves
In an online meeting, teachers can use digital bookshelves as a starting point for conversations about independent reading or even whole-class texts. I design my digital bookshelves so that students can label the shelves differently (love, like, meh OR challenging, just right, easy are a couple of examples). Students can have their own digital bookshelf, or we can provide class shelves so students can see what their peers are reading. When meeting with small groups or a whole class, teachers can ask students to share what they are currently reading or what they have just finished as well as where they placed it on their bookshelf and why. It’s interesting to enhance digital bookshelf meetings with discussions about book diet, abandoning books, and book volume. Students can read the first line of their favorite book on their shelf and even make book recommendations for classmates. The digital bookshelf I created can also be used as a landing spot to link course texts, audiobooks, and podcasts that are available online.

10. Scattergories 
The first time I played with my students, I created my own "game cards" in Google Slides, but then found this online generator that allows you to adjust the timer and number of categories. I had students type their answers into the chat on Zoom, but not submit them until the timer went up.

11. Scavenger Hunt
I created a list of items students would be looking for around their house and assigned a point value to each item ahead of time. I also broke my students up into two teams. I put this information into a Google Sheet and did some formatting so that each team's score would automatically add up as I added in points for items they'd found. I did this around Earth Day so all of the items on the list were connected to that theme. Here's a quick list of ideas for creating your own scavenger hunt. 

Trying to avoid the Zoom gloom? Need a break from the routine of synchronous classes? Check out these fun ideas for middle and high school students.


September 28, 2020

On My Bookshelf: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Cheldenko

In Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Cheldenko, when Moose's father takes a job on Alcatraz Island, Moose must learn to navigate new friendships and the attention at the school he attends off the island while taking on responsibility for minding his sister. Read on for my full review and ideas for classroom use.
The basic plot from Amazon: The Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller that is historical fiction with a hint of mystery about living at Alcatraz not as a prisoner, but as a kid meeting some of the most famous criminals in our history. Al Capone Does My Shirts has become an instant classic for all kids to read!

Today I moved to Alcatraz, a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. And then there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.
In Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Cheldenko, when Moose's father takes a job on Alcatraz Island, Moose must learn to navigate new friendships and the attention at the school he attends off the island while taking on responsibility for minding his sister. Read on for my full review and ideas for classroom use.

Why I liked it: I read Gennifer Cheldenko’s middle grades historical fiction novel Chasing Secrets several years ago when it was featured on our Reading Olympics list and loved her attention to details and her choice of relatively unknown events in history. While Al Capone and Alcatraz Island are certainly well known, Al Capone Does My Shirts focuses not on the prisoners, but on the families that lived and worked there.

Moose’s father has taken on two jobs, one as an electrician on the island and one as a prison guard, to help support his family and hopefully pay the tuition for Natalie, his daughter with special needs, to attend an exclusive school. Moose must learn to navigate new friendships on the island and the attention at the school he attends off the island while taking on responsibility for minding Natalie. Moose has good values and good intentions, but hijinks ensue when he gives into petty desires and more serious problems occur when he is given too much responsibility by his parents.

Classroom application: This book is appropriate for middle school and up and has a wide appeal with humor and gangsters, but also insight to life as the sibling of someone who is differently abled. While Natalie's differences are not given a label in the book, by today's standards she would likely be diagnosed as autistic. It was interesting to see who differently abled people were treated nearly 100 years ago. The history of society's view of differently abled individuals could be a possible research topic for students. Students might also be interested in investigating some of the gangsters in the book (and the rest of the series).

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Al Capone Does My Shirts 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.

In Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Cheldenko, when Moose's father takes a job on Alcatraz Island, Moose must learn to navigate new friendships and the attention at the school he attends off the island while taking on responsibility for minding his sister. Read on for my full review and ideas for classroom use.

September 26, 2020

4 Ideas For Virtual Student Collaboration

The benefit of teaching live classes is that students are able to interact. The challenge is finding ways for students to work together online.
My K-8 school is still 100% virtual with primarily synchronous learning. I teach three 90 minutes blocks of six grade ELA plus I host a 30 minute morning meeting each day. Despite the live classes, I am still struggling to have students collaborate online, largely because my school will not allow us to place groups of students in breakout rooms unsupervised. Here's the 4 ideas I've come up with so far.

1 Partner Work in Google Slides
To allow students to share ideas with a partner, the online equivalent of turn and talk, I created a single Google Slides presentation to assign to students on Google Classroom. Instead of assigning it so that each student would have their own copy, each student had edit access. In the slides presentation, I had a slide for every two students in my class. For example, a class of 24 would need 12 slides. On each slide, I set up a space for each student in the pairing to share their ideas.

When the activity began, students opened the slides on Google Classroom and navigated to the slide I assigned them. I just counted my students off the first week of school, but you could have students' names filled in ahead of time. Students responded to their set of questions and then read over their slide partner's responses to the same questions. They were encouraged to use the comment feature to ask follow up questions of each other (since you can't have all of your students talking out loud at once in a Zoom "classroom"), and students knew ahead of time that I would be asking students to share out about their partners. You can see an example of this structure here.

2. Small Group Work in Google Slides
To allow students to share idea with a small group, I first created the slides that a single group would use. I then made a copy of that slides presentation so that I my number of copies matched the number of groups I intended to create. Finally, I created a single slide to which I linked each group's set of Slides. When linking the slides, I adjusted the settings to each group's copy of the slides so that it was set to anyone with the link can edit. The single slide with all of the links can remain in view only access. I just posted the single slide on Google Classroom, but that allowed each group to then access their group slides without me having to push out different assignments to different groups of students. You can see an example of the structure here.

When the activity began, students opened the single slide on Google Classroom, and from there, opened their assigned group number's slides, and navigated to the slide I assigned them. I again counted my students off the first week of school, but you could have students' names filled in ahead of time. Within a group's set of slides, each of the four students in the group had their own slide to record their own individual ideas first. Then when it was time to collaborate, each of the four students had an assigned role. Two students were responsible for highlighting common responses, a third student was responsible for collecting those common responses into another slide within the group's slides, and the fourth student was responsible for sharing out. Again, since you can't have all of your students talking out loud at once in a Zoom "classroom," having these very specific roles ensured that students were interacting with each other's ideas.

3. Class Discussions in Docs
I used this set up during asynchronous learning in the spring and it worked well, so I tried it out again with synchronous classes. I create a Google Doc with a table for each discussion question I am posing to students. I find that using tables helps to structure the Doc so that students are less likely to struggle to find a place to type or delete each other's work. In my directions, students select a certain number of questions to answer rather than all of them. This also helps to spread students out on the Doc. Students are encouraged to select a font color for their responses to make it visually easier to track the discussion. When students have answered the assigned number of questions, they also are assigned a number of comments to make on their peers' responses. I provide sentence frames in the Doc to help them respond to their peers. On Google Classroom, I assign the Doc so that all students have edit access. You can see an example of the structure here.

4. Partner Work on the Telephone
While all of the previous three ideas have worked successfully, none of them allow students to actually speak out loud to each other, so this week I gave students the option of working alone or with a partner on a mini-presentation. If students were going to work with a partner, they exchanged phone numbers and communicated that way. I put students into individual breakout rooms (they have to remain logged into Zoom for the duration of class) and then I could check on individuals or pairs as they worked. Even in person, I always require each student to turn in their own copy of the work to avoid complaints about one person doing all of the work or not allowing others to contribute, and I did the same for this assignment. Under normal circumstances I would pair the students, but for this mini-presentation, I allowed them to choose their partners. I did play matchmaker for any students who wanted a partner, but had trouble connecting with one. Many students shared that this was a favorite part of their week.

The benefit of teaching live classes is that students are able to interact. The challenge is finding ways for students to work together online.