This is a presentation given at the Fall 2014 Westerville City Schools Waiver Day by Karen Yingling, Blendon Middle School Librarian. An annotated bibliography is available.
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Fall 2014
1. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
Karen Yingling
Fall 2014
2. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
Incorporating Research-
Based Instructional
Strategies and Resources to
Meet the Needs of Every
Learner.
3. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
Field Research:
“This is a good book. You’ll
like it.”
How often do we say this
instead of “What would
YOU like to read today?”
4. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
It’s important to know
what books are out there
so that you can
recommend a variety of
books.
5. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
Have any students who will ONLY read Diary of a
Wimpy Kid books?
What they often don’t notice is that the reading
level and length of these books is often more
challenging than many others.
Also, if a child really LIKES a book, more time is
spent reading it even if it’s harder.
6. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
BL: 5.2 - AR Pts: 3.0
How to Eat Fried Worms
BL: 3.5 - AR Pts: 2.0
7. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
Stick Dog
BL: 4.5 - AR Pts: 2.0
My Life as a Book
BL: 5.2 - AR Pts: 4.0
8. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
I Can Read Books and similar
shorter books might be too
easy for reluctant readers (BL:
2.3 - AR Pts: 0.5), but give
them a feeling of
accomplishment.
If they read these books for
thirty minutes and read
steadily, it’s more reading than
they would have done
otherwise.
9. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
We Need Diverse Books
10. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
We Need Diverse Books
11. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
We Need Diverse Books
57. Boys of Blur
For readers who like:
•Beowulf
•Southern settings
•Mythological
retellings
•Descriptions of icky
mud
58. The Islands at the
End of the World
For readers who like:
•Hawaii
•Dystopian/Apocalyptic
•Differently abled
characters (epilepsy)
•Survival stories
59. Loot
For readers who like:
•International travel
•Spies/thieves
•Magical realism
•Quirky cast of
characters
60. Jungle of Bones
For readers who like:
•Survival stories
•Bad kids
•Exotic locations
•Deadly animals
61. Stay Alive: Crash
For readers who like:
•Survivor-type
attrition of
characters
•Wilderness survival
•Series
•Scholastic offerings
62. Codename Zero
For readers who like:
•The Fourth Stall
•Goofy
•Children saving the
day
•Pranks
63. Ice Dogs
For readers who like:
•Hatchet
•Sled dogs
•Strong female
characters
•Snow!
64. Frenzy
For readers who like:
•Horror
•Scary animals
•Survival stories
•Problem novels
65. Fake ID
For readers who like:
•Horror
•
I eat you!
66. The Rule of Thre3
For readers who like:
•Dystopias that could
actually happen.
•Life as we Knew It
•Neighborhoods/tribes
•Things exploding
67. Surrounded by Sharks
For readers who like:
•Dangerous animals
•Ocean life
•Old Man and the Sea
68. Blood in the Water
For readers who like:
•Holocaust stories
•Horses
•Ukrainian history
•Survival stories
69. Dirt Bikes, Drones, and
Other Ways to Fly
For readers who like:
•Military tactics
•Daredevils
•Southwest
•Hispanic culture
97. Medal for Leroy
For readers who like:
•WWI
•Little known
historical events
•Racial identity
98. The Blossoming Universe
of Violet Diamond
For readers who like:
•Grandparents
•Racial identity
99. Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood
For readers who like:
•Travel books
•Discovering absent
parents/extended
family
•Celebrities
•Personal identity
100. A Time to Dance
For readers who like:
•Novels in verse
•Problem novels
•Overcoming adversity
•Dance
101. The Turtle of Oman
For readers who like:
•Learning about other
cultures
•Moving stories
•Grandparent stories
102. Silver People
For readers who like:
•Novels in verse
•Other side of the
story
•Various cultures
•Adventure/exotic
locales
103. The Great Green Heist
For readers who like:
•Schemes and plots
•Multicultural cast
•The Fourth Stall
•Stories set in Ohio
•http://www.katemessner.com/diversity-in-kidlit-
update-to-the-great-greene-heist-challenge/
104. Charmed Life
For readers who like:
•Scholastic choices
•Series
•Camp stories
•Magical Realism
•This author
105. Saving Kabul Corner
For readers who like:
•Mysteries
•Extended family
•Family business
•Kids working together
against corrupt adults
106. Little Green Men at the
Mercury Inn
For readers who like:
•Florida stories
•Overcoming adversity
•Gross aliens
•News reporters
114. Bombs Over Bikini
For readers who like:
•War and weaponry
•Exotic locations
•Government
machinations
•Literary nonfiction
115. Fighting Fire
For readers who like:
•Disasters
•How history affects
current practice
•Vintage photos
116. Spending Spree
For readers who like:
•Social history
•Consumerism
•Trivia about every day
life
117. Freedom Summer
For readers who like:
•Civil Rights
•Anniversaries
•Background for lots of
fiction books
118. The Freedom Summer Murders
For readers who like:
•Mysteries
•Social Injustice
•In depth historical
investigations
119. The Girl from the Tarpaper
School
For readers who like:
•Civil disobedience
•Historical topic from
one person’s
perspective
•Almost a picture book
120. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods
For readers who like:
•This author
•Greek Gods
•Who DOESN’T want to
read this?
121. Babe Conquers the World
For readers who like:
•Awesome athletes
•Multiple sports
•Pop Culture figures
•Overcoming Adversity
•Rich Wallace
122. GO
For readers who like:
•Popular culture
•Visual cues
•Psychology of art
•Graphic design
123. Stubby the War Dog
For readers who like:
•Nonfiction companions
to fiction
•Little known
historical events
•Brave dogs
124. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
How can I possibly read all
of these books so I know
what to recommend to my
students?
125. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
• Ask your librarian!
• Goodreads.com
• Read the Scholastic book order
forms
• Ask other teachers at lunch
• Ask students what they like!
And….
126. As always, shameless plug for my blog:
http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com
It’s like reading a book a day
in five minutes!
127. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
Feedback:
Please fill out the form provided or do the online survey.
Caveat: I don’t get to see the online survey.
What would you like to see next Waiver Day? Another 100
new books? Backlist favorites? What percentage of each?
If you have a question, concern, or problem with these
sessions, and you want me to actually know about it, the
best way is to e mail me directly.
yinglink@westerville.k12.oh.us
128. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
“This is to allow for the participants to have time to
discuss and reflect on the session. One of the largest
concerns that has come out of our Waiver Day surveys is
that too many sessions are "sit and get" for the entire
time. Please be mindful of this as you finalize
your presentation. I have attached a PowerPoint that was
utilized with secondary math teachers this summer that
offers suggestions on getting participants to discuss what
they are learning. ”
So. Discuss.
129. 100 Great New Books
For Middle Grades
• What books do you see your students reading
most?
• What books have you read that you recommend?
• How well do you know your students and what
they personally like to read?
• Have you recommended books to students that
you read as a child? How were those books
received?
• How do you make lists of recommendations
available to students?
• How do you showcase what students have read?
• How do you utilize social media to keep students
informed of your own reading habits?
• How do you use resources to locate new materials
to read?