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Nobody Is Somebody Special

8/31/2016

 
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Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2009) Reading level 4.7
 
Newt Newman is nobody.  Really.  Unnoticed.  Unappreciated.  Unremarkable.  So different from the rest of his family.  His older brother is the star quarterback of the high school football team.  His mother is a frantic real estate agent, and his father is a successful construction manager.  Then there’s Newt – the youngest of the family – who helps his mother find her cell phone, rustles his brother out of bed every morning, and makes exquisite breakfasts nobody has time to eat.  In Captain Nobody, Newt becomes somebody as his family deals with an unexpected, all-consuming tragedy.
 
It’s the night of the big football game against the next-town rivals.  As brother Chris prepares for the big game, Newt’s parents host a giant pre-game tail-gate party where Newt is once again overlooked.  Later that night on the last play of the hard-fought football game, Chris dives headfirst into the end zone to score the game-winning touchdown.  As the pile disperses, Chris is found at the bottom, unconscious.  Newt’s parents rush to the hospital, beginning a week-long vigil at their comatose son’s side.  Mom and Dad tag-team twelve-hour hospital shifts while trying to maintain their careers.  Newt is left to get himself to school, prepare the family meals, and basically watch out for himself.
 
Naturally, Newt is concerned about his brother, but his requests to visit the hospital are unheeded.  In an unsuccessful effort to cheer-up his mother, Newt dons his brother’s sports uniform hand-me-downs.  His two supportive friends add a cape and mask, and Captain Nobody is born!
 
Much to everyone’s surprise, Newt keeps wearing the costume.  Naturally his teachers are concerned, but they attribute the costume to Newt’s attempt to process his brother’s tragedy.  Of course Newt, his friends, and the readers know the truth – Captain Nobody is somebody!  He’s not ignored.  Newt’s walking taller, with more confidence.  He’s never been out of control, but now that control has a name.
 
Through a series of right place – wrong time events, Captain Nobody rescues a disoriented elderly man, thwarts a jewelry store robbery, and clears a highway so an airplane can make an emergency landing.  However, Captain Nobody’s greatest deed is one he intentionally chooses – the rescue and redemption of a young man stuck at the top of a water tower.  The young man: the football player who put Chris in the hospital.
 
Author Dean Pitchford is better known for his songwriting/soundtrack abilities (Fame, Footloose) but there’s no denying his talent for writing the tween novel.  The pace is quick, and the prose is accessible.  There are no dead spots; no second-act let-down.  But amid the action, we learn with makes Newt tick.  Pitchford perfectly describes the conflicting emotions of a boy who wants to be noticed, but doesn’t want to beg for attention – the introvert in a family of extroverted over-achievers.  Despite the serious undertone, Captain Nobody is really an upbeat, optimistic tween read.  Newt is alternately cheerful and sardonic as only a chronic wallflower can be.
 
My only quibble with the book is the age of Newt/Captain Nobody.  He’s 10 years old, and that’s really too young for the lack of supervision provided by his parents.  During his brother’s hospital stay, we get the impression that Newt is home alone most of the time, perhaps even overnight. 
 
And unfortunately, the age of our protagonist reduces the potential audience.  With a reading level of 4.7, many fourth and fifth graders (ages 9-10) will find this book too difficult.  As a former library media specialist, I can tell you that a book about an elementary kid is a tough sell to a middle schooler.  Older students typically don’t like to read books about “little kids.”  So really, the audience for Captain Nobody consists of fourth and fifth graders with average to above-average reading skills.  That’s a regrettable limitation, because the plot and emotional content is certainly appropriate for middle school students.
 
Newt’s two friends, JJ and Cecil keep the story moving along by encouraging Captain Nobody to seek new adventures.  Some of the most comical sections involve Cecil’s use of a walkie-talkie to summon Captain Nobody, who really doesn’t want to get involved.  Newt is comfortable slipping into the shadows, but he can’t step away from the responsibility that goes with the cape and mask.
 
And that’s really what Captain Nobody is about – finding out who you really are, and doing all that you’re capable of doing.  That’s an important task for all tweens, and that’s what makes Captain Nobody a keeper.  Buy copies for your elementary library collection and your upper-elementary classroom library.  Recommend it to all students, but especially to those who need a little encouragement to become their own “somebody.”



Defining Humanity

8/21/2016

 
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Bot Wars by J.V. Kade (Dial Books, 2013) Reading level 4.2
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The Bot Wars have been over for six months, but Robert St. Kroix hasn’t returned from the battlefield.  His two sons, 12-year-old Trout and 20-year-old Po haven’t given up hope, especially since their father’s internet-connected heart monitor can’t confirm his death.  Desperate for answers, Trout makes a simple video pleading for information about his father.  He posts the video online, where it quickly goes viral.  This starts a chain-reaction of events: Dad’s heart monitor comes back online, Po is taken into custody, and Trout is whisked deep into Bot Territory.  Bot Wars, an action-packed yet meaningful novel by J.V. Kade, follows Trout’s attempt to locate his father in enemy territory and rescue his brother from the hands of a manipulative government.

Here’s the backstory: in the near future, robots take-over society’s menial tasks.  Robots work as laborers, in manufacturing, and as domestic servants.  Almost every house and business owns at least one robot.  As robot technology advances, robots begin to feel human emotions and became sentient.  Those advancements lead the robots to demand increasing rights, and when those rights are denied, civil war breaks out.  After 18 months of fighting an uneasy truce is established; the southeastern United States becomes a free bot territory.  In the remaining states, robots are outlawed and deactivated on site (except Texas, which reverts to its independent status.)  Trout and his brother live in District 5, in the former state of Colorado.

The trick in writing a near-future story lies in the ability to create a society that is somewhat similar to present day, and just different enough to establish the conflict.  Kade (actually popular YA author Jennifer Rush) creates such a society in Bot Wars.  The technology is advanced – with hoverboards, self-driving cars, and of course, robots – but not to the point of being unrecognizable.  Trout’s world isn’t dystopian like The Hunger Games or Divergent, but we get the feeling that left unchecked, it may just end up that way. 

Trout is our first-person narrator, and Kade makes sure we’re experiencing life as he does.  Trout and Po’s relationship is reminiscent of the Curtis brothers in The Outsiders, with the elder brother serving as surrogate father working for a meager salary while the younger brother searches for elusive satisfaction in a broken world.  The writing in Bot Wars is expressive and literate. 

    “I stand there listening to the emptiness of the house and the hollowness of my chest, like my heart ran off in the middle of the day because it was sick of hurting.  Not that I would blame it.”

Trout (author Kade) also has a talent for describing smells.  An office building smells like “leather shoes and lemons.”  Imprisoned brother Po smells like “fried beans and sweat.”  An underground industrial tunnel smells like “a beach ball fresh out of the package.”

As he searches for his father, Trout meets a well-developed assortment of robot and human characters.  Kade successfully establishes the “humanity” of the robots and the quirkiness of the humans.  I won’t give away the major plot twists, but let’s just say that Bot Wars challenges our ideas of what it really takes to be human.  The book’s premise leads to exploration of themes including human rights, slavery, self-determination, and social justice.  Unfortunately, those plot lines are left unresolved, but it looks like they’ll be further developed in the sequel, Meta Rise. 

To be honest – based on the title and the cover – I was expecting a two-dimensional Transformers knock-off.  Bot Wars gives us much more.  Part cautionary science fiction, part social justice discussion, and completely engaging and readable, Bot Wars deserves a place on your library shelf and in your classroom library.  It’s WRENCHED!  (That’s future talk for really, really good!)



Tempting TV Tie-In

8/16/2016

 
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The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf (Club CSI: #1) by David Lewman (Simon Spotlight, 2012) Reading level 4.1
 
Some tweens will come to your library media center or classroom with an appetite for reading and a love of books.  For other students, you need a hook.  Television and movie tie-ins are popular with reluctant readers, although sometimes the quality of those offerings is lacking.  Fortunately, the Club CSI: series is a well-written, intelligently plotted entry into this arena.  The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf is the first of six books published earlier this decade.
 
The characters and situations in the CSI: television shows probably wouldn’t be appropriate for our tween audience, so we switch the setting to Woodlands Junior High, where new science teacher Miss Hodges introduces forensic science into the curriculum.  (Miss Hodges mentions a cousin who works in a crime lab in Las Vegas – probably a nod to lab tech David Hodges from the TV show.)  Three students are inspired to form an after-school club - Club CSI: - using their newly-obtained knowledge to solve mysteries around school.  The first mystery: a case of food poisoning linked to a meatless meat loaf served in the school cafeteria – based on a recipe provided by Miss Hodges!
 
The first book in any series must introduce the main characters, and the three Club CSI: members are straight out of central casting.  There’s Hannah – the detail-oriented natural leader, Ben – the brainy science kid who’s a bit lacking in social skills, and Cody – the affable, insightful jock who never backs away from a challenge – or a snack.  The reader doesn’t have to spend too much time learning about these characters because they’ve seen the "type" in countless shows, movies, and cartoons.  Add the buffoonish, loud-mouth bully, the cool new teacher with cowboy boots and a denim jacket, and the principal who always seems to be one step behind, and the dramatis personae is complete.  The kids are just a little too focused and little too smart for reality, but once again that’s typical for a TV tie-in.  The use of such stock characters is disappointing, but they certainly increase the accessibility for reluctant readers.
 
The beauty of The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf lies in the plot.  The club uses the information they’ve learned in class to follow the clues to a logical conclusion.  This isn’t the Scooby-Doo team tripping over clues.  These students interview witnesses and victims, collect evidence, and question basic assumptions.  All of this is done without help from Miss Hodges, because she’s a prime suspect.  Careful readers can solve the mystery, but it’s not obvious.
 
Although the mysterious predicament is quite serious, the tone is light as a feather.  It’s easy to imagine yourself watching a television show while reading this book.  Jokes and reactions are telegraphed, and I found myself listening for laugh-tracks and segue music as a new chapter began.  But, familiar turf is the best place to meet a reluctant reader.   No complaints here.
 
Books from the Club CSI: series probably won’t show up on any state-award lists.   Don’t look for an award sticker on the cover.  The literary book club will take a pass.  But if you’re a classroom teacher, a school library media specialist, or a parent looking for that hook that starts a lifelong reading habit, Club CSI: may just solve your mystery.  Consider adding the series to your classroom library and school library media center collection.     
 
Purchasing note:  Book Outlet (www.bookoutlet.com) currently has all six paperback books in the Club CSI: series for $2.99 each.  Of course, with Book Outlet, when they’re gone, they’re gone!

 



S.O.S. - Save Our Series

8/13/2016

 
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Shipwreck Island by S. A. Bodeen (Fiewel & Friends, 2014) Reading level 4.4 and Lost by S. A. Bodeen (Fiewel & Friends, 2015) Reading level 4.0
 
Twelve-year-old Sarah Robinson’s dad just re-married, and Sarah does not approve.  No one could take the place of her mother, who died six years ago.  Dad’s new wife Yvonne is gracious and sincere, but Sarah’s not having it.  Complicating matters are Yvonne’s sons: twelve-year old Marco and little brother “Nacho,” two years younger.  The newly-blended family embarks on a chartered cruise in the South Pacific in Shipwreck Island, the first book in a three-book tween series by young-adult author S. A. Bodeen.  The story continues in a slender second volume, Lost.
 
After a long plane ride to Fiji, the family finds their chartered boat, Moonflight, a real downgrade from the gleaming, luxurious vessel pictured in the brochure.  Against Dad’s better judgment, the family decides to undertake the ocean voyage anyway.  Captain Norm is the owner, skipper, and chef; Ahab – a large Newfoundland dog – his only crewmate.
 
Captain Norm sets sail for a lush, private tropical island.  Within hours, the Moonflight is battling an intense storm.  The boat rolls, the mast breaks, and Captain Norm is missing and presumed dead.  Miraculously, the Moonflight survives the storm, and the (Swiss family) Robinsons are marooned on an island paradise.
 
At this point I think I know exactly where this exciting, readable page-turner is going, and for a couple of chapters, I’m right.  The new family needs to work together to salvage supplies from the boat before it sinks, find a source of fresh water, and build a secure shelter while waiting to be rescued.  Amid the challenges, the three children learn to tolerate and eventually care about each other.  The Brady Bunch meets Gilligan’s Island.  I’m primed for a group hug as the rescue boat makes landfall.
 
And that’s where I’m wrong.  Way wrong.  Shipwreck Island’s third act makes a sharp turn toward creepy-land, with immensely satisfying results.  The book's two 12-year-olds, Sarah and Marco, each witness odd hybrid animals – a kangaroo with lion’s paws and a bird with four wings and a full set of teeth!  The family continues to experience odd, eerie phenomenon as they establish a home-base on the island.
 
Shipwreck Island ends too abruptly, with no real plot resolutions or cliffhangers.  It’s one of those endings that has you looking at the blank pages at the end of the book to make sure you didn’t miss something.  After 184 pages, it just stops. 
 
The reader now turns to Lost, book #2 in the series for some sense of fulfillment, but the payoff never comes.  A new character (who emerged briefly at the end of the first book) tells her 20-page backstory around the family campfire in the early chapters.  This narrative provides details too quickly; I’ve invested 200 pages trying to solve the mystery, and now a minor character spills the beans?
 
(Spoiler alert-paragraph)  As Lost continues, family members become separated, with Sarah and Marco exploring the island hoping to find Dad and Nacho.  They work together, save each others' lives, and learn that having a step-brother/sister may not be so bad after all.  They stumble upon more oddities, and eventually find the source of the weirdness.  It’s a shape-shifting alien, whose collection of frozen animals includes Dad and Nacho!
 
Depending on the reader, the extra-terrestrial developments in Lost may be greeted with excitement, or scorned with an eye roll.   On one hand the science fiction element gives the series a jolt of intrigue and suspense.  Conversely, we’ve now “lost” all semblance of our original story, and we’re two-thirds of the way into a three-book series.  The series’ first shift was an unpredictable hook, but the alien component feels more like inconsistency.  Bodeen has written herself a literary magic wand.  There’s a fine line between a plot twist and a gimmick.
 
Middle school readers will probably gobble-up Shipwreck Island.  Lost is a necessary continuance of the story, but like it’s predecessor, it ends too abruptly.  The final book in the series, Trapped, was released last month.  Trapped may redeem the series, or it may sink it like Captain Norm’s boat.  Feeling a bit shipwrecked myself, I’m not all that eager to find out.    




Unexpected Curveball

8/11/2016

 
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Mickey & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by Dan Gutman (HarperCollins 2004) Reading level 4.3
 
All thirteen-year old Joe Stoshack needs to travel through time is a baseball card.  Each trip dumps him close to the player on the card, in the year the card was printed.  Joe usually travels to answer a question from baseball history, or to warn a player about a tragic event in the future.  In Mickey & Me, Joe wants to help baseball legend Mickey Mantle avoid a devastating injury.  But, this trip doesn’t go quite as planned.  Instead, Joe is transported to 1944, where he meets the Milwaukee Chicks of the World War II–era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
 
Yes, there really was a professional women’s baseball league in the 1940’s and 50’s.  (You may remember the movie, A League of Their Own.)  A last-minute switch of the baseball card transports a confused Joe to a baseball field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – a long way from Yankee Stadium.  As the story develops, Joe gains an appreciation of the Chicks players’ skills, their knowledge of the game, and their perseverance in the face of professional demands and personal tragedy.
 
There are a dozen books in this series, and each typically deals with an underlying theme (racism, war, duty, service, integrity.)  The topic of Mickey & Me appears to be puberty.  Joe understands that his body is changing, and he has a healthy interest in girls.  Unfortunately, Gutman depicts that interest in a way that many teachers and parents will find inappropriate.
 
Joe realizes that he’s traveled to the wrong time and location as he’s sitting in the stadium’s darkened locker room.  No problem – just pull out a modern-day baseball card and go back home.  He delays the return trip when he hears female voices.  It’s the women of the baseball team emerging from the showers, “naked as the day they were born.”  And Joe doesn’t turn away.  He doesn’t hide his eyes.  He’s not the least bit embarrassed.  He stares.
 
   “There were tall ones, short ones, blondes, and brunettes.  There must have been about ten or more.  I didn’t want to stop to count.  How come you never have a camera with you when you need one?
 
   “Silently, I slipped the (baseball) cards back in my pocket.  I didn’t breathe.  A sneeze or cough at this moment would be disastrous.  I refused to blink or I would miss a millisecond…”

 
So there it is.  Joe’s reaction isn’t vulgar or rude or overly descriptive.  And it’s probably the typical reaction that you’d expect from a 13-year old boy.  But, as this book has a reading level of 4.3 (about 9 years old,) you have to ask yourself if it’s appropriate for your readers.
 
Authors will tell you that they don’t really worry about reading levels – they just write books.  The fact that the main character is a middle schooler should be our first clue that this isn’t a book for little kids.  But in reality, Gutman is a popular author in elementary schools, where book selection is often based on reading level and student interest – in that order.  An advanced third grader interested in sports would likely select this book, and the parent probably wouldn’t like it!  (Don’t believe me?  See the Amazon reviews.)
 
Otherwise, the story is pretty good, and Gutman is an excellent tween writer.  Joe works a game as the Chicks’ mascot (a chicken) and even dresses as a team member (yes, a girl) to run the bases in place of an injured player.  Along the way, Joe learns to respect the players’ ability and dedication, long before “female” and “team sports” were frequently used in the same sentence.  Alas, this well-earned respect doesn’t last long.
 
   “The game was over, the Chicks had won, and everybody was happy.  As we piled triumphantly into the dugout, I had one thing on my mind – there was an excellent chance that I would get to see the Chicks naked again.”
 
Of course, it’s troubling that these episodes are included when they serve no useful purpose in the book.  The plot’s not furthered, and all we learn is that a 13-year old boy is interested in female anatomy.  That hardly warrants a few paragraphs that will exclude this book from younger audiences.  Mickey & Me presents a great opportunity for students to learn about a little-known era in sports history.  However, the female athletes are often portrayed as merely the objects of adolescent fantasy.
 
Forewarned is forearmed.  Although I've enjoyed many of Gutman's Baseball Card Adventures, I can't recommend Mickey & Me.  Girls who would otherwise be inspired by reading this story of pioneering female athletes are once again subject to sexual, objectifying references, and that’s just too bad.  And it shows that as a culture, we still have a long way to go when recognizing female athletes for their abilities and accomplishments.



Adjusting the Sights

8/9/2016

 
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Wild Life by Cynthia DeFelice  (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011)  Reading level 5.5
 
Twelve-year-old Erik Carlson is having an absolutely fantastic week.  He’s just earned the high score in his firearms safety class, the final step to obtaining his New York state hunting license.  He’s just a few days away from his first hunting trip with his best friend and his friend’s father.  But Erik soon learns that his Army Reservist parents are both called to active duty overseas.  Erik is sent to North Dakota to live with grandparents he hasn’t seen since he was a toddler, and can’t even remember.  Erik’s struggles to deal with his displacement and disappointment form the backdrop for Wild Life, a thoughtful, well-paced novel by popular tween author Cynthia DeFelice.
 
After a long plane trip and an even-longer pick-up truck ride, Erik finds himself on his grandparents' small farm in rural North Dakota.  With no cell phone signal, no Internet, no friends, and only a few fuzzy TV channels, Erik feels lonely and disoriented.  His grandmother (Oma) does her best to make Erik feel at home, but his grandfather (Big Darrell) only grunts and scowls.  Erik’s outlook brightens a bit when he finds a young hunting dog injured by porcupine quills.  With the help of the local vet, the hound – whom Erik names Quill – recovers quickly.  But when Quill’s owner is found, Erik’s prospects for happiness fade again.  Faced with losing the dog and living the next six months in misery, Erik decides to leave.  Outfitted with a backpack of food and a 12-gague shotgun.  Erik and Quill start walking across the vast North Dakota plains, with no particular destination in mind.
 
DeFelice keeps the story moving with a simple plot.  The focus remains on Erik as he practices the skills of an outdoorsman.  In a constant quest for food, water, and shelter, Erik doesn’t have time to brood or fret.  He’s not really running away.  Instead, he’s trying to gain a sense of self-determination.
 
A subplot involves Erik’s uncle Dan, who was killed in the Vietnam War.  Oma and Big Darrell keep Dan’s bedroom as a shrine, and this room provides the shotgun and other hunting gear for Erik’s escape.  Of course, Dan’s death has been the source of Big Darrell’s surly demeanor.  Although Erik doesn’t realize it, he likely reminds Big Darrell of his long-dead son.  All of this leads to serious themes of acceptance and healing.  Both Erik and Big Darrell must go on, even though events beyond their control have changed their lives. 
 
Of course, gun ownership is a polarizing issue in today’s society.  Wild Life doesn’t enter the gun control debate, but hunting is featured prevalently.  Erik continuously practices safe gun handling, and hunting concepts are introduced throughout the book.  Erik’s not a video-gamer blasting away at everything he sees.  He hunts so that he can eat, and he knows he must conserve his limited supply of shotgun shells.  Erik’s first successful shot yields a mature realization that all true hunters understand.
 
   “The bird’s head flopped heavily to the side, and Erik was suddenly aware of the finality of what he had done.  Holding the limp, warm body that had been so full of life, he was flooded with remorse… The enormity of this settled upon him, and the exhilaration of a moment before mixed with regret.  He felt as if he, Quill, and the pheasant had each played a part in a scene as ancient and natural as the earth itself.  Still, he couldn’t help feeling sorrow about it, even as he was grateful for the meat and proud of his and Quill’s accomplishment.”
 
Will Wild Life be popular in all communities?  Probably not.  In fact, some people will be offended by the image of a teenager cradling a shotgun on the cover.  But, if you live in an area where hunting is viewed as a natural, honest way of obtaining food, you probably have readers interested in the topic.  Fortunately, Wild Life gives you the opportunity to provide a well-written book that promotes safe, responsible gun ownership and a robust lifestyle.  Feel confident in adding a copy to your library media center, and your classroom library as well.



READING ALOUD ... REVISITED

8/4/2016

 
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I first published this blog post a year ago, and it has been one of the most popular posts in the brief history of TweenReading.com.  Many more readers are following this blog, so I thought I'd move it up to the top as the school year begins.

Please share this post with teachers, library media specialists, and school administrators.  And make sure to tap the Facebook "Like" button at the end of the post to let everyone know that you believe in read-alouds, too.  Have a great school year!



Reading Aloud to Your Students

As we begin a new school year, I want to issue a challenge to all of my fellow teachers in the upper-elementary and middle school grade levels: read to your students.  More specifically, select a novel and read to your students a few minutes each day.


A few years ago I returned to the classroom after 15 years working as a library media specialist.  The outstanding school where I worked had 10 minutes built into the middle of the school day for reading.  As teachers, we had the freedom to use that time for literacy activities at our discretion.  I decided that I would read to my students.  I continued this practice for the four years that followed, and I never regretted my decision.  Dozens of students over the years told me that they really looked forward to hearing me read to them every day.  In fact, as the year progressed I “gained” several students who joined my class (with their teacher’s permission, of course) for our daily 10-minute reading session. 

There’s plenty of research to document the power and effectiveness of reading to students of every age, and I won’t restate it here.  Your school literacy coach and media specialist can provide that documentation.  Here are my tips for a successful in-class read-aloud program.

Selection.  Selection.  Selection.  Selecting a good book for your read-aloud is a critical component to your success.  Find a book with a quick-paced plot, with the characters going somewhere and doing something.  Avoid multi-page scene descriptions or long philosophical discourses.  Short chapters work best, and provide a natural stopping point.  (My favorites are at the bottom of this post.)

Avoid scary books that may be too intense for some of your students.  I also don’t read-aloud books that have recently been made into movies (with the exception of The City of Ember, which was made into a movie that almost nobody saw.)  And stay away from books with characters suffering from terminal illnesses; chances are you have a student whose family is going through similar circumstances.  In other words, we want this to be a fun, adventurous experience. 

Your school library media specialist and literacy coach can help you choose a great read-aloud for your class.  You may be able to find a book that relates to your subject matter.  This isn’t too hard for social studies teachers, who will find a good selection of historical fiction in most libraries. 

Read the Book First.  You should read the entire book before sharing it with your class.  Don’t just run to the library, grab something, and start reading.  Big Mistake! – and some teachers can testify to that!  You really don’t want any surprises as you read to your students.  Some teachers skip-over embarrassing parts, but I would advise against that as well.  Chances are, a student has checked-out the book from the library and is reading along with you.  They will raise their hand and say, “Hey Ms. Jones, you skipped the good part!”  Fortunately, you can finish a tween book in one evening, and you’ll probably know pretty soon if there’s a part that eliminates a book from consideration.

Be Prepared to Provide Context.  As you read the book, think about the places and items mentioned that your students may not understand.  For example, one year when I read Island of the Blue Dolphins I made a quick PowerPoint using images that I found on the Internet. 

Read Every Day.  You will be tempted at times to skip daily reading.  Maybe you want to get in a few extra minutes of instruction, or you just don’t feel like reading aloud.  Resist the urge.  By reading every day, you’re telling your students about the importance of reading.  Read on!

Consider Accountability.  When I read to my class, we had free reading time, and I was teaching an elective (digital photography.)  I didn’t really feel a need to generate a grade based on my daily reading.  But, if you’re taking instructional time and/or you’re a core-course teacher, you might want to make a quick assignment based on your daily reading.  Students can keep a daily journal with characters, settings, and plot points.  You can write one upper-level question on the board and give the students a couple of minutes to respond in their journals, or on a notecard that you collect.  (For example, “Why do you think Sally tore up the note she found in her locker?” or “What do you think Joe should do with the wallet he found?”)  

Don’t Allow Disruptions.  Make sure that your students know that your read-aloud is an important part of your class.  Pencils should be down.  Cell phones should stay in the bookbag.  Beware of earbuds that have crept into ears.  Additionally, you might have a few students who moan, or roll their eyes when you start reading – reactions familiar to parents and middle school teachers.  “Do you have to read today?”  Smile and dive in. 

Get Into It!   Make sure that you’re using the appropriate amount of energy to keep your students’ attention.  Don’t expect to mumble your way through the book.  Vary your pitch, your pace, and your volume.  Make notes in the margins indicating especially dramatic or humorous parts of the book.  And yes, I practiced those parts.  When the mystery is solved or an important detail is revealed you need to create that drama with your voice.  I’ve actually had the teacher next door peek into my room as I yelled dialogue from a read-aloud.  (Sorry about that – didn’t mean to interrupt your silent reading time.)

Have Fun.  As a teacher, you can model reading as a fun, rewarding activity.  This is your chance to create a love of reading in your students.  Don’t be surprised if your students start sharing their books with you, and suggest the book to read next.

Here are books that I enjoy reading aloud to middle school students.

The “On the Run” series by Gordon Korman.  Six books.  The first book is Chasing the Falconers.  (This is my favorite read-aloud series.)  The books are short, and it is one big story.  Plan to read them all, in order.

The “Kidnapped” series by Gordon Korman.  Three books.  Takes place after "On the Run," with the same characters.

Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau (Make copies of the puzzle and let students solve as you read.)

Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell


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    Keith Kyker

    ...is a library media specialist, a classroom teacher, and an avid reader.  He enjoys reading books written for middle school readers, so that he can recommend books to his students, and just because they are fun to read!


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    Keith's new book helps students and parents make a successful transition to middle school.  Click here for more information.

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