90 of the best middle school historical fiction books organized by time periods they were set, from medieval times to the 2000's.
The Middle Grade Fiction scene has exploded recently, so we rounded up the best of the best. Any middle grade reader will love this extensive list!
Check out our FREE unit studies that explore science, history, and biographies! Each one accompanies a Who Was, Magic Tree House, I Survived or Carole Marsh book!
The best middle grade non-fiction books, including graphic memoirs, historical non-fiction, food books, and books about business for kids.
If you too are lamenting the end of summer, check out these reasons to celebrate the back-to-school season!
Chances are if you are anything like me the first thing you did when you opened this post was scroll down and look at the winners. I’m hoping that you saw some of your favorite 2014 books obe…
Are you writing for teens and tweens? Check out some of my very favorite books and online resources for YA and Middle Grade writers.
Discover the best children's picture books, chapter books, and middle grade books about immigration, refugees, migration, migrant work, deportation, poverty, and culture. I hope this list is helpful.
90 of the best middle school historical fiction books organized by time periods they were set, from medieval times to the 2000's.
Third grade, fourth grade, & fifth grade elementary students can be advanced enough to read above their grade level. Check out this chapter books list!
These mature middle-grade books tackling serious topics are perfect for older middle schoolers between the ages of 11-13.
These five scary short stories are home runs with my middle schoolers year after year. See what made the list and get inspired to teach them this year!
Looking to find a book for 6th grade boy? Check out this post for 10 awesome and varied books your sixth grader will love!
Summer reading list for 5th graders; recommended books for 10-11 year olds, including a variety of genres, interests and topics.
These Latino middle-grade books by Latino authors are full of culture, sass, and excellent storytelling. Sports, mystery, historical fiction, + more
Get tweens back into the reading groove this school year with these fresh and exciting new releases. Check out fall's best books for middle grade readers.
Let's all just pretend that I've been updating my blog regularly and it hasn't been sitting, getting dusty in some corner of the Internet, okay? :-) An apology: new evaluation system in NYC nonsense/first grader involved in too many activities/dissertation length lesson plans/marathon training/death of my doggie/adoption of a puppy/maintaining a marriage = something had to give. And now that it's summer I hope I'll be able to blog more regularly (although my soon-to-be second grader is still involved in too many activities!). Photo from Amazon I did, however, have time to read the best book I've read in years. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander won the Newbery Award this year and it is fabulous. The book is written in free verse and in the vernacular of today's kids. When I read the book aloud to my class at the end of the year, one of my students kept remarking that she could tell the book was "modern" because of the way it was written (love that!). The story is narrated by Josh, aka Filthy McNasty, an African American boy who loves LOVES basketball and is great at it. He is the only seventh grader on his team who can dunk. His father played professional ball for a European team and won a championship ring before he was sidelined by an injury. Josh is also a twin. His twin brother Jordan, or JB, also plays basketball, but develops a new interest in girls, leaving Josh feeling alone. The text brings you through the changes that Josh unwillingly experiences because of the choices of people around him. My students loved this book. I had so much fun reading it aloud to them. It's filled with basketball trash talk and rhymes (See, when I play ball,/ I'm on fire./When I shoot,/I inspire./The hoop's for sale,/and I'm the buyer.) Entwined into the story, the author wove several vocabulary words that have their own chapters and Basketball Rules, which are really rules for life. My favorite rule is #3: "Never let anyone lower your goals. Others' expectations of you are determined by their limitations of life. The sky is your limit, sons. Always shoot for the sun and you will shine." While this is a text that refers to basketball (A LOT) I don't think it just appeals to kids who are interested in sports stories. This is a highly engaging text that will appeal to many readers in your classrooms. I especially think that this is a book for your most reluctant readers. Kids who are entering their tween and teen years will relate to the drama of young love and the chapters are short and easy to digest. Pertinent vocabulary is explicitly defined within the text as well. I'm currently planning a novel study for my fifth graders next year using this text. I've posted a comprehension booklet on TpT: This packet includes 22 pages of higher order thinking questions, a project choice board and a full answer key with teaching ideas for the teacher! I've also included a CCSS anchor standard alignment, which you can see in the preview. As always, this resource is posted at a discount from today until 7/10 around 9pm. I also wanted to share a free resource: a vocabulary trifold for The Crossover. You can use this download to help students define the vocabulary from the text or to write sentences using the words they've acquired. Click on either image to download from Google Drive: Tell Me: Has anyone else read The Crossover? The next book on my list is Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson. I have quite a few books for older readers, but I need more current books for third and fourth graders. Any suggestions?
Newbery Award-winning author Kate DiCamillo is back with a story of a girl and a squirrel.
For kids who love books by Raina Telgemeier and want more books like Smile, check out this list of graphic novels and traditional middle grade books.
I have been on a big World War II reading kick in my own life lately. History never interested me when I was younger but these days it seems like I can't
BOXCAR CHILDREN by Gertrude Chandler Warner: A PRINT AND GO-NO PREP novel unit for the middle grades with ANSWER KEY that is common core aligned! I heart Boxcar books! They are well-written novels that allow readers to make connections with the characters while identifying the other various fictional elements: setting, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and theme. This 38-page print and go novel unit includes: • character analysis work • 20-pages of reader response questions • a story map • an end of book project • 3-post-reading journal prompts • answer key As a 6th grade teacher I have students that enter my classroom at a variety of different reading levels. My job is to meet each reader at his level and move him on-this can be challenging! Therefore, I find myself creating novel units like this one...perfect for 3rd and 4th grade on-level readers, but even ideal for 5th and 6th grade students that are at an intervention level. This unit is broken down by chapter and provides readers with both literal and inferential questions. While this unit could be used for a whole class novel study, it is ideal for small group literature circles, as well as individual readers to check for comprehension. In addition to reader response questions, I have included a character list to document characteristics of the characters to readers to keep track of, as well as a summary organizer. Not only is it important for all readers to be able to retell events, but also summarize effectively what has been read. Once your students have finished this book and novel unit, they will be begging to read more of from the Boxcar Children series. ********************************************************************* For NOVEL UNIT BUNDLES: •Crash Novel Unit Resources BUNDLE •Jerry Spinelli Novel Unit Bundle for Middle School •CCSS Novel Unit BUNDLE for Grades 4-8 •CCSS Novel Unit BUNDLE for Grades 3-5 •Cam Jansen CCSS Book Bundle for Middle Grade Intervention For END OF NOVEL PROJECTS: •End of Novel Projects for ANY NOVEL ********************************************************************* I would love your feedback on this product. Also, feel free to FOLLOW me so that you have the chance to find out about any new novel units, reader's theaters, or other language arts materials for the middle grades I create as soon as they are posted.
Looking for biographies and memoirs for teens? We got you.
A story is only as good as its antagonist. This article discusses how to create an antagonist your readers are sure to love.
Take a look at the book cover for Meg Medina's newest middle grade novel, Merci Suárez Changes Gears! The book comes out in September 2018.
There are amazing books being published every year, check out these 30 Modern, Middle Grade Classics.
I have so many totally heart-tugging, can't-stop-reading historical fiction books for kids ages 8 - 12 to tell you about.
Check out these recommended book sets for your fiction compare and contrast unit. These book sets make the reading skill clear and engaging.
This month, the Reading Crew is celebrating spring! It's a fun link-up featuring a variety of mentor texts related to spring and a gr...
This electricity unit is packed full of hands-on science experiments and detailed lesson plans that cover static electricity and current electricity concepts. This electricity unit also contains practice sheets, interactive notebook pages, and engaging activities. File Type PDF (Acrobat) Document File Be sure that you have an application to open this file type before downloading and/or purchasing.
Are you a child of the 90s? Check out these Newer Middle Grade Titles for 90s Kids that pair with some of the old favorites!
15 best middle grade books about intergenerational friendships, featuring moving, life-changing friendships between tweens and older adults.