Reading can be a hard sell for students. Introducing middle school literature circles can be the game changer your classroom needs to foster reading.
A selection of the best books for 7th and 8th grade compiled by cross-referencing multiple authoritative sources.
She's a reader. There's no denying that. She's also quite driven. At only 11, she has already chosen her desired college, major, and minor. And while I recognize that at eleven her opinions and plans might ebb and flow in the coming years, I also know HER and know that when she gets her sights set on a goal, there's no stopping her determination. That being said, the plan she has penciled in for herself after much prayer and self-evaluation requires a strong literary background. With that in mind, I have spent many months putting together a middle school reading list that will set her on that path. (This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.) The Selection Process Since I'm not a huge fan of most modern reading lists and award-winning books, I have consulted only quality lists from sources that I trust which include THESE lovely gems, The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens, and The Home Scholar. I have pored over countless titles and have devised a list of 50 that I think represent a worthwhile sampling of different genres, themes, and eras. There is an intentional absence of non-fiction books since she reads so many of these already for our living literature style science and history. In my opinion, middle school is a time to start developing personal opinions and convictions on many topics while under the protective umbrella of home. That being said, several of these books contain gentle messages that will challenge her current belief system. While I don't introduce them to sway her from her Christian worldview. On the contrary, I hope to use these weightier-themed books to slowly help her grow stronger in her ability to filter EVERYTHING through a Biblical lens. My home is a greenhouse...a place where small buds can grow strong and form deep roots in Truth. Up until this point, so much of my daughter's growing has come from exposure to nothing-but-Truth. But now that she is in middle school and currently doing some high school level course work, she needs to learn how to weather the tough storms that the world will hurl at her by being gently released to find the Truth amidst the lies. With that in mind, I plan on reading several of these heavier titles with her. We will each read our own copy separately and dialogue about them as we are able, dissecting the Truth from the lie. The Plan I have placed all of these books on a "shelf" called Middle School MUST READS in my Goodreads account so that she can see the list at a glance. There really is no structured order to it all. She is free to pick any title at any time. I don't necessarily expect her to read all of these books by the time she starts high school. (Then again, she's an avid reader and just might surprise me. She's actually read a handful of them already!) I mostly just want to set a wide variety of books in front of her that will each add an element of excellence to her literary journey without the worldly indoctrination that so many popular books offer. As always, when she finishes a book, she will document it for her annual portfolio and mark it as "read" in my Goodreads account. The Books Classics An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling Little Women by Louisa May Alcott My Antonia by Willa Cather* Old Yeller by Fred Gipson Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson The Call of the Wild by Jack London The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls General Fiction Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff Blue Willow by Doris Gates Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes Letters from Rifka byKaren Hesse* Lyddie by Katherine Paterson* Men of Iron by Howard Pyle* Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen* Rascal by Sterling North Redwall by Brian Jacques Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor* Sounder by William H. Armstrong Steal Away by Jennifer Armstrong* The Borrowers by Mary Norton The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong* The Miracle Worker by Willian Gibson The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood* The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo Tree Castle Island by Jean Craighead George* The Cay by Theodore Taylor The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell* Watership Down by Richard Adams Tales from Shakespeare by Charles Lamb Biographies/Autobiographies America's Paul Revere by Esther Hoskins Forbes Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman Joni: An Unforgettable Story by Joni Eareckson Tada Not a Tame Lion: The Spiritual Legacy of C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia by Terry Glaspey The Diary of a Young Girl by Ann Frank Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington *Books that I am not as familiar with and will be reading alongside her. For more great book suggestions, be sure to head to iHomeschool Network and check out the Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists!
Middle grade books are admittedly some of my favorites to read. Both when I was in middle school and now as an adult. My only regret is that I hardly read
Thirty of the best new and classic middle school and middle grade books with diversity and different genres to add to your or your child's reading list.
10 ideas for planning engaging novel units: creative, engaging lesson ideas for your next whole-class novel unit
Make implementing literature circles and book clubs in your middle school ELA classroom fun, engaging, and streamlined with these forms and structures. This resource includes 20 printable and digital Google slides for middle school literature circles and book clubs. These literature circle response forms include forms and job roles directly related to literature concepts and standards. That makes these response forms perfect to use alongside any individual reading assignment as well. Here's what you'll get: Weekly grading rubric/page for students to grade each other Bookmarks or students to write their weekly reading and jobs Handout with a breakdown of each job Quarter-page hand-out for students and teachers to create literature circle groups based on student book club choices. Literature Circles and Book Clubs Teaching Guide Editable book club planning resources and templates Starbooks Book Tasting Resources Your students will love getting into literature circles and book club groups because they will have a structure and framework each week. They'll easily meet with their group members and be able to know what work should have been done as well as many talking points for discussion. All of these literature circle response forms are designed to get students to think beyond the text and beyond basic comprehension. Even more so, all forms are printable and digital to meet the needs of all different classrooms. Prep is quick and easy... Decide if you'll use the digital or printable version. Just print the student pages or assign them in your digital classroom. Have students breakdown their weekly reading on their bookmarks, explain how they'll select their jobs each week, and send them off to do their real-deal middle school ELA book clubs. The following literature circle forms are included: Plot analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (2) Conflict analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (3) Figurative Language analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (1) Literary analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (1) Literary devices analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (1) Point of View analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (2) Novel Passage analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (1) Summary analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (1) Vocabulary analysis literature circle job graphic organizer (1) TEACHERS LIKE YOU SAID… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Plans and Pivots says, "This was very helpful with implementing our book club expectations and allowing for autonomy within the groups. It really cut through time that has been spent in previous years allowing students to try and determine these things without enough context, as well as outlining the individual responsibilities and expectations, thank you!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jessica J. says, "The bookmarks are a good idea for students to plot out their reading schedule and keep it in a handy place. We found it helpful to have the variety of roles, recording sheets, and group member assessment sheet (helps keep them honest)." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tara C. says, "Engaging, user friendly and very well done. Thank you for creating such wonderful resources. By far one of my most successful Lit Circles, and I can't wait to use it again. I can always count on your resources to fulfill the need in which it was purchased for." ___________________________________ You may also like… → Middle School ELA Literature Reference Booklet → Middle School ELA Guided Reading Forms → First Chapter Friday for Middle School ELA ___________________________________ Copyright © Martina Cahill - The Hungry Teacher Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.
An updated list of books that includes graphic novels, historical fiction, and more.
Novel Studies that Promote Higher-Order Thinking Have you been following along our novel study journey? If so, you may have seen my posts about using interactive novel workbooks instead of typical novel studies. Novel workbooks are
Do you hate to teach poetry? Do you want your students to learn and enjoy poetry? Try these simple ways to learn how to teach poetry...
I have dreamed of creating a middle school poetry unit. Lesson plans, poetry analysis reading responses, and verse novels book club and activities.
Teaching the elements of fiction doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. See how I break it down and teach through stations!
Middle school novel study favorites - top novel study picks for grade 5-9 to engage and encourage young readers.
Share Wildflower Ramblings!How can we find and provide good, quality reading material for our middle grade children? After children have learned to read, we must provide well-written reading material so they continue in their love of reading, while also emphasizing strong moral character and values. We want to promote good morals and values with Classical...
Item description Would you like to have a collection of reading activities novel study for any novel? Is one of your goals to improve the reading skills of your students with novel studies activities? Would you be interested in exploring new and exciting perspectives of the novels while offering the flexibility of a novel study choice board? If you found something that gave you all these benefits, would you want to get started with it right away? Think about what a difference it will make when you start using this engaging novel studies choice board with novel reading tasks in your class! They include: Instructions for using the novel study choice boards for middle school Black and white novel study choice board with 50 tasks Rainbow novel study choice board – 10 color strips with 5 activities each Thematic coloring novel study choice board – 6 novel studies themes: all about the novel activities character activities speaking and listening activities vocabulary activities artistic activities extensions Choice Board rubric and assessment – with 4 levels of mastery and Teacher’s comments Sample Assignments: speaking activities like: oral report, dramatization vocabulary and riddles diaries and chronologies main character related activities Because the novel study tasks come with clear instructions, you can encourage independent work in class which means that your students will be more confident in analyzing novels. The three version of the novel study choice board are excellent for focusing on a variety of novel studies activities and approaches while you get to save a lot of time during preparation and class work. The novel study activities are varied and thorough, so you can assign them as a great final project for any novel which means your students will be able to select what will go in their solid portfolio at the end of each novel. Just imagine how you will feel when you start to get the benefits and results from this resource right in your class! Are you afraid that this novel study choice board for middle school will not match the needs of your students? I understand exactly what you feel. Don’t worry! Just try it and if you find this resource not suitable for your class, just email me at [email protected] and I’ll get you a full refund. Suzanne F. has tried the novel study activities in her class and said, “Thank you! I needed new ideas, I have had these kiddos for 2 years. This was just what I needed to give them something a little different from my menu.” Why don’t you give it a try? Click on the “Add to cart” red button and you can use it right away!
These ten top-notch short stories are perfect for teaching in middle school. Students can access the stories online.
Middle school novel study favorites - top novel study picks for grade 5-9 to engage and encourage young readers.
Do you struggle with finding interesting ways to teach ESL listening skills? Maybe you have an activity or two already but you want to be able to mix it up and keep things interesting. By the end of…
Teaching English with songs is a great way to boost student engagement. Check out these 17 ideas for activities using music and songs!
This article explores literature circle roles, activities, assessments, and common questions about getting started with literature circles.
Activities and ideas that work for any novel study in the Middle School Language Arts classroom.
Teaching literature terms and literary devices will be engaging, easy, and ready to go for you. This bundle includes 18 pages of middle school ELA literary devices and literature concepts terms for students to use when learning new terms, writing reading response, and when writing literary analysis responses or essays. This resource is perfect if you need some quick sheets for students to reference when doing any literature or reading activities in your 6th, 7th, or 8th grade ELA classroom. Even better, you and students can create mini-reference booklets at the starts of the year (cover and tabs included!) and they can truly become a school-year and even a life-long tool for students. This resource is part of an ELA reference booklet bundle: CLICK HERE. Here's what you'll get: 18 Full-color with tabs literature reference pages. 18 black and white with tabs literature reference pages (print on bright paper!) 18 Full-color without tabs literature reference pages or mini anchor charts 18 Full-color without tabs literature reference pages (print on bright paper!) The 18 different literary devices and terms pages are: Central Idea Basic Literature Terms Literary Devices Character Terms One: Types of Characters Character Terms Two: Types of Characters Types of Characters Positive and Negative Character Traits Types of Literary Conflict Point of View One Point of View Two Author's Purpose Theme Statement and Theme Topics Elements of Plot Figurative Language One Figurative Language Two Reading Genres One Reading Genres Two Objective Summaries Your students will love not having to ask you to reteach every literature concept you've taught them and you'll love having a tool you can always tell them to reference any time they're doing literature activities. Prep is quick and easy... Just print, cut, and staple and you have ready to go booklets. The no tabs option also allows you to print these out to display as anchor charts. TEACHERS LIKE YOU SAID… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kaye says, "I can't say enough great things about resources from The Hungry Teacher. These are perfect for writing workshops / to have as a reference guide for students. Students can find answers to their questions and problem solve on their own using these reference guides, which helps build autonomy in the classroom." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Laura S. says, "My students and I love these reference booklets! I have printed out several of them (as we need them) and they add it to the first page of that particular section of their interactive notebooks so they have a ready reference whenever they need it. So colorful and eye-catching! Thank you!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Della S. says, "Love this resource! Simple to print and easy for my students to use. Great kid friendly language!" ___________________________________ You may also like… → Middle School Grammar Reference Pages and Booklet → Middle School Literature Reference Pages and Booklet → Middle School Non-Fiction Reference Pages and Booklet → Middle School Writing Reference Pages and Booklet ___________________________________ Copyright © Martina Cahill-The Hungry Teacher Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.
If you love the idea of book clubs, literature circles are another great way to engage your secondary students in discussion. This post has everything you need to know about creating engaging roles for high school and middle school students. This post also includes distance learning tips for hosting literature circles virtually.
Need Wonder activities for your classroom or home school Wonder teaching resources? We have Wonder lesson plans, Wonder worksheets, and more ideas for book projects, kindness activities for middle school, and diversity lessons to make a great study unit for students using both the novel by RJ Palacio and teaching with movies (including the popular precepts project!).
The pencils are sharpened, your classroom is clean and the bell rings…gulp…here they come! My feelings on the first week of school are conflicted. On one hand, it’s one of the most important weeks. Explaining and practicing the class procedures and expectations sets the tone for the rest of the school year. Success is vital. On the other hand, I’m so excited to start teaching my historical content that waiting until all the expectations are explained requires a lot of patience! Every teacher has their own plan of action for that pivotal time. Here are 5 things I can’t live without during the first week of school: One: An Icebreaker. I aim to try and make kids feel comfortable in my classroom on day one. One of my favorite little activities is Fact or Fiction. Each student receives a small slip of paper and they’re instructed to write one fact and two fictions. Then each person (including myself!) introduces themselves and we all try to guess which statement is the fact! It’s a great way to quickly learn about each other. Two: Classroom Information and Expectations. This is every teacher’s staple, I know, but it had to go on the list because it’s a must-have! When you’re making your own, spell everything out – from the obvious grading procedures and late work policy to how to pass back papers and when to sharpen pencils and go to the bathroom. Trust me, leave no stone unturned. Your classroom will function much better if you set the tone from day one. (Oh, and don’t forget a seating chart!) Three: Fun and Games. On the second day of school, I love to start class with a little game. It’s a great way for the kids to start practicing our classroom procedures and expectations while getting familiar with their teacher and classmates. Here are some of my favorite games that I use during the first week of school: (P.S. Some of these activities can be found in my Back to School Activities resources! Click the grade level you’re teaching to check them out: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth) InstaFriend: This activity gets students moving around the room and interviewing fellow classmates! Their InstaFriend paper has a series of descriptions and characteristics. When they find a student who matches the description, they write their name in the box. Each name can only be used once! Right or Wrong: I love skits. LOVE THEM. I like to introduce students to the idea of skits during the first week by allowing them to create their own based on our class expectations. I first divide students into small groups of 2-3. Each group then randomly receives one of our class procedures or expectations. As a group, they have to work together to create two mini skits – one showing the RIGHT way to follow the expectation, the other showing the WRONG way. They get to be silly and I get to reinforce my class expectations. After each skit I happily point out all the positive behaviors as well as each time a class policy was violated. It’s a light-hearted way to grab their attention and create a positive atmosphere all while practicing the laws of the land. Classmate Bingo: I love to play this game at the end of the first week. I give each student a blank bingo board with a large selection of personal characteristics, hobbies, etc. at the bottom. The students choose 16 off the list and create their customized board. Then, I randomly select characteristics from the list. If a student has that characteristic on their board, they have to write down a student’s name that matches the characteristic – but no cheating! They have to use what they’ve learned about others during their first week of school to try and win the game. Four: A Pre Test. After a few days of class information and fun, it’s time to start getting down to business. Each year, I make a short pre-test on the information they’ll learn about that year. It gives me a chance to see what the kids already know and gives them a feel for what subject matter they’ll be learning about in the coming weeks. FYI: Your pre-test probably won’t take the whole class period. Make sure to have plans for other activities, too, on the day you give your pre-test! Five: A Writing Activity. True fact: when I tell kids they’re going to do a writing activity, they groan every time. It’s a signal that the “real work” is about to begin. Luckily, they’re always relieved when I assure them that this activity will require very little research because it’s about a subject they’re experts in – themselves! I have a few different activities to choose from each year. Here are some suggestions: Student Survey: What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What do you hope to learn in this class? These are just some of the questions I ask students in the survey. The more I know about my students, the better I can help them achieve success in my class. Write Away: A staple of many: write a letter to a future you! I ask students to write goals for the year, dreams they wish to see realized, and questions they want to ask their “End of the Year” self. I tuck these letters away and revisit them during the last week of school. I’m Ready: Like every middle school history class, we do a lot of writing and students always have to back up their reasons, statements, etc. with evidence to support their claim. In this writing activity, students have to identify which class rule or expectation they believe is most important and provide evidence to support their claim. This activity both reinforces my classroom policies and secretly gives me a preview of their writing proficiency. Have I left anything out? If you have any fun plans for the first week of school, share them in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas for my classroom!
Looking for lessons and ideas to teach paraphrasing to high school students? Read on for fun activities for English Language Arts class.
Your sixth grade students are ready not just to read young adult novels; they are ready to engage, discuss, and devour good literature.
This editable resource syllabi bundle includes 11 different syllabus templates and 26 different meet the teacher to use in your upper elementary, middle school, or high school classroom. Create eye-catching, visually appealing syllabi that your students will actually read. This resource is editable in PowerPoint. These templates WILL NOT work on Chromebooks and/or Google. THE DIGITAL GOOGLE VERSION IS FINALLY HERE. CLICK HERE! Please read all disclaimers before purchasing. Familiarity with PowerPoint, downloading fonts, and using PowerPoint templates/text boxes is HIGHLY recommended. PLEASE NOTE: You will need the following FREE fonts to use this resource {there is also a directions page to send you to these fonts as well}. KG Blank Space Solid KG The Fighter KG A Little Swag Bromello Better Together
It's time to go back to school! With the back-to-school season upon us, it is time to start planning back-to-school activities for the first week of school.
What is blackout poetry? Poetry writing that all students can feel successful with. Here's how to teach it. Freebie included!
This is a guide to helping teachers organize and run successful literature circles in their middle school classroom. Lesson plans and tips.
I have dreamed of creating a middle school poetry unit with lesson plans, tons of reading response examples of poetry analysis, along with a verse novels book club and activities component. I have spent the last month creating this complete middle school poetry reading and writing unit. I have a whole blog post about the ... Read more
Starting a new semester— whether at the beginning of the school year or calendar year— is a time of tough transition as we begin to restart our minds and work habits. Here are SEVEN engaging activities for the first week back to school in middle school and high school English Language Arts.
If you are like me, you have gone down the rabbit hole of searching for resources, ideas, and strategies to bring the science of reading and structured literacy into the classroom. Your eyes are glazed over and you have some great ideas... but just don't know where (or how) to start. Here are some simple tips that can help you get going on your science of reading journey in your classroom of older students. Tip #5 is my favourite!
Are your students disinterested and tired of the traditional ways of learning characterization? Have you been searching for a really fun, student-centered, interactive way to eliminate their boredom? Well, look no further! I present to you a wonderful student-collaboration activity that will get your students involved and excited for a character analysis for any novel, […]
Help the learning process with these simple strategies for making studennt thinking visible. Perfect for middle and high school English classes.
10 Creative Short Story Activities for the Secondary ELA Classroom. This post contains engaging and exciting lessons for teaching story stories.
I often felt more like a juggler than an English teacher. In a 45-minute class period, I tossed the balls of grammar, writing, reading comprehension, literature, and vocabulary in the air—and hoped my students could catch it all.
Teaching literary analysis in the secondary English classroom is an essential cornerstone of high school English and middle school English curriculum. When
Activities, free resources, and ideas to teach how to write a thesis statement in middle school and high school English Language Arts!
Classic books for middle school should be a part of your language arts lesson plans. Interesting stories for tweens & teens. Reading list.
A multiple choice quiz after reading is a quick and easy way to check student comprehension, but it doesn't allow you to assess deeper understanding and it certainly isn't fun or creative. If you are looking for more meaningful and engaging activities to use with students during literature circles or a novel unit, here's twelve ideas that are favorites in my classroom and the Common Core standards they align with.
Use Mentor Sentences in your ELA middle school classroom to improve student writing! Find practical ideas to teach writing skills.
Need poems for middle school students? Here are 12 that are funny, quirky, interesting, and poignant. Perfect for teens and teaching poetry.
