Summer Reading List

Summer is Amazing!  

This summer I read!  I read a lot.  Here is a list of books that I read and a brief summary of each.

The Wild Card by Hope and Wade King

  This book was written by educators to inspire other educators to be "The Wildcard" in students learning.  I love their ideas on how to engage students, even when curriculum is mandated by your district.  You can always make learning fun; you just need to find the fun.

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

   This book was probably my least favorite of all the books, it was pretty similar to Lord of the Flies or The Maze Runner.  The children are dropped off at the "Island" by a mysterious boat and are limited on the amount of time spent on the island.  While they are there, they must teach other children how to survive the island.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

   I loved this book.  It is a very quick read, maybe a few hours.  It is written in poem form but it is engaging and well written.  The little girl must leave Vietnam and immigrate to the US.  She faces teasing and learning how to speak a new language.  Loved it!

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia

    This was also a great book!  The three little girls must travel to California to spend time with their mother who had abandoned them when they were very young.  The girls spend time with members of the Black Panthers during the 1960's.  I recommend this book.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

 Do you want to cry?  This is a tear jerker.  The main characters are outcasts and find each other.  There is a little boy with health issues and one with learning issues (and is very tall for his age).  There is death and a parent who is incarcerated in this book.  Excellent read.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

   Oh my!  This book was so great.  I kept asking myself why I waited so long to pick it up!  This is written during the American Revolution about slave children.  The main character is so fierce and strong, I loved her!  You won't want to stop at the first book in the series-there are three books.

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

  The second book in the Chains series.  This book is written about Valley Forge and the way African Americans were treated during the Revolutionary War.  You won't want to put it down.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

  Wow!  This book was recommended to me by some fellow teachers on Facebook.  What a tear jerker!  It really shows you just what an impact a teacher can make in a child's life.  The teacher teaches the students about empathy and treating others with kindness.

Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller

   This book got me inspired to give my students a 40 book reading challenge.  Students need to remember that reading is fun!   Reading should be enjoyable.  Where has that love gone?  We need to help students find that joy again.