Be honest: you probably haven't read a book for fun in a while. Of course, there are many people who still read just as much as they did when they were young, and I envy those individuals. I used to read anywhere between 30-40 books a year in grade school. I'd be finishing books before the library period was even over, staying up late with a book light, and reading instead of doing dumb "busy work" in class. Nowadays, I make the excuse that I'm "too busy." Everyone in the world is busy! I have a classmate who has said she reads all the time, and she has the same major as I do...so "I'm too busy" just doesn't fly.
That being said, I have been back at school for just over a month, and my one education professor has already reignited my love of reading. She says being an avid reader, as an educator, can kindle a love of reading in your students. She's told us that the more you read, the more you can recommend to your students. Students love reading whatever a beloved teacher is reading or has read before. It fosters a love of reading, a love of learning, and a bond between teacher and student.
Since being in her class, I have already read four new books and reread one book I read as a kid. I want to recommend solme books to my fellow education majors, but these books are good for anyone to get into. These are not tough reads. Many of them are grade school or middle school level books, but they offer stories and plots that will captivate readers of every age, educational level, and taste.
Out of Mind by Sharon Draper
Out of My Mind tells the remarkable story of Melody, a girl living with a severe disability. She may have a physical disability, but that doesn't reflect her intelligence at all. She may just be the smartest child in the entire school-- but no one knows this. Melody is constantly tortured by being intelligent beyond her years, but not being physically able to express this. That is until she gains a voice.
Age Rating: 10 and up
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Sixteen strangers who live in the same apartment complex find themselves in a wild, twisted game in order unlock the secret of a crazy old man. These strangers couldn't be more different, and they struggle to solve the case. Will they learn to get along? Will they solve it? Follow this melting pot of characters in this hilarious tale that will teach young adults that not everything is what is seems.
Age Rating: 10 and up
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
As an educator, if you haven't heard about Wonder yet, you must be living under a rock. Wonder is a story about a young boy who enters a mainstream school in 5th grade. He just so happens to have a mysterious facial deformity which has previously kept him from public schools. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view: Auggie, his sister, his friends, among others. In a world where bullying is prevalent, it is a good story for young readers to learn about acceptance of yourself and others.
Age Rating: 8 and up
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Who else read this in middle school? Who else cried like a baby at the end? Just me? Anyway. Ponyboy and his older brothers, Sodapop and Darry, live on their own. Ponyboy is still in school, but his brothers try to make ends meet and stay out of trouble (for the most part). The Outsiders is a book that uncovers some of the darkest parts of living in socioeconomically-challenged areas. It makes a reader stop and think about the world we live in and where one falls into place within society. This book reminds us that wherever we stand in society, we must always stay gold.
Age Rating: 12 and up
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Rashad and Quinn are two high schoolers who find themselves on two very different sides of the same situation. Quinn finds himself staring into the stop sign-red face of his best friend's older brother, Paul, as Paul uses his full body weight to force a teenager onto the ground outside of a convenience store. Rashad finds himself slammed face down, beat down until unconscious on a sidewalk. Tensions rise in school and around town as more information unfolds. This event and all that follows encompasses current topics in our world today, including racism and police brutality.
Age Rating: 12 and up
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Catherine has always wanted a normal life, which is impossible when her 8 year-old brother, David, has autism. She's stuck in a life that revolves around David and his condition. Their lives run on rules; that's just how David likes it to be. To Catherine, rules can be broken, but as she says in the book "sometimes you've gotta work with what you've got." It's a fun, lighthearted story about acceptance and kindness for all.
Age rating: 9 and up
