These are a Few of Our Favorite Reads

It's very common for another teacher to ask for my recommendations of books to put in front of their readers. And while I could talk about literature for my middle-level readers for H O U R S, I decided it was time for me to ask my students for their recommendations to see how closely their favs matched my perception of their recommended reading. I had students nominate and vote on their favorite book this year. Some of them were expected, others were a surprise.


One thing to remember is that as the teacher, it is our responsibility to know our students and what they are ready to tackle. Some common denominators when recommending books is finding those that are both addictive (moves at a pace that will keep the attention of the reader) and appropriate (in content and readiness). We need to try to remember that not every book is the perfect fit for every child at every point in their lives.

Below you will find their top ten recommended books (a following post will list their top ten book series).

1. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
2. Smile and Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
3. Schooled by Gordon Korman
4. Wonder by R. J. Palacio
5. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
6. Restart by Gordon Korman
7. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L'Engle
8. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
9. Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson 
10. Posted by John David Anderson

Now I realize that should I have asked this question last week or next week, this list might look very different, but it really gave me some insight into what my readers were loving at that time and areas that I need to build up in our classroom library.

So I'm interested. Are your students reading some of these same titles? What are some of their favorites?