Books That Will Hook Your Students!

We can all agree that it is important to expose our students to great literature, but sometimes their interest just isn't there! I want so badly for them to pick up a book with rich themes, captivating story lines, and complex characters, but that's easier said then done. Am I the only one that cringes behind my smile every time one of my students picks up a Captain Underpants book? At least they're reading, right? 

However, over the years, I have found a few books that my students have loved. They are also great pieces of literature by great authors that even my most reluctant readers have fallen for. 

Here are some books that you can recommend to your students!

Planner Love

I'm oh so excited about my new planner! Over the past few years I have been using just plain planners, and I was always so jealous of friends who had the cute teacher planners. I just never wanted to spend a fortune on one! But I have finally found one that is affordable AND perfect! This planner is the Create 365- The Big Happy Planner for Teachers.

The Book Whisperer: Chapter 5

-Donalyn Miller: The Book Whisperer

Chapter five starts with Miller telling us about conversations she has had with students in her classroom about books. They want to talk with her about books she is reading, books that she didn't care for, books they recommend, how many books they read over break, etc. She points out that her students are made to crave these conversations because they see how much Miller loves reading. She then goes over the importance of teachers being a reader role model for their students. 

The Book Whisperer: Chapter 4 (With Reader's Notebook Resources)

The beginning of this chapter is the part of the book that really stuck out to me, and the part I will study before talking with my students about books at the beginning of the year.

The Book Whisperer: Chapter 3

-Donalyn Miller

I loved chapter 3 because it addressed the question I have had throughout the reading: What can I do if I will not be able to implement 20 to 30 minutes of free reading each day?

Tips on How To Expand Your Classroom Library

So, I have finished The Book Whisperer. I just need to post about the other chapters. However, I thought I would post about ways to expand a classroom library since the book encourages teachers to allow students free choice when choosing books. Offering them a variety of choices will help them find something they like. 

The Book Whisperer: Chapter 2 (with resource links)

Donalyn Miller: The Book Whisperer

The second chapter discusses Miller's third year teaching when she began giving students free choice for their books.

At the beginning of her third year, her students were interested in her classroom library. Miller explains how she then let students dig into her books as they discussed who has read which books and which books they would recommend. She says that she now begins each year with this "book frenzy."

The Book Whisperer: Chapter 1

-Donalyn Miller: The Book Whisperer

The first chapter of this book begins with Miller sharing with the reader her love for reading and how she could not wait to instill this love for reading in her students her first year teaching. 

For her first year teaching, Miller decided to do a novel study. She soon became disappointed when her students did not seem to connect with the novel. She states that "they were robots." Students who already had a love for books would often rush through their work to read the book that they had chosen.

The Book Whisperer: What You Need to Know!

This spring, I have signed up to do a book study with some other teacher friends in my county. I chose the book The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.

This author shares her strategies on how she ditches conventional instruction in order to instill the love of reading in her 6th graders. She "has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader."