Book recommendations. And here's why.
I was asked to put together a library for the middle and high school students at our school, and I'm pretty much starting from scratch.
In addition, I'm adding to the existing small elementary library.
This means I'm buying books. Lots of books.
A. has suggested quite a few books, particularly for the older students. My older two children--who are prodigious readers themselves--have suggested quite a few books. I've ordered a few dozen books, and have about a hundred more on a list that I'm preparing to order.
But I still have room on that list for more, and I'm sure there are some really great books that I'm missing.
So! If you were in my position, what books do you think you would consider essential for a school library? Any ages, any genres, non-fiction, fiction, modern, classic . . . it's all fair game.
GO. (And thanks!)
One teen author that I can think of (she might also write books for younger children as well) is Lauren Myracle. I read three'ish books of hers for teens & I thought they were wonderful. A little magical fiction.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Actually, I just went to our library website...I read more than 3 of her books. I read The Infinite Moment of Us, The forgetting Spell, Wishing Day, The Backward Season, & I think I read Shine & Bliss. Hope that helps. :)
ReplyDeleteLinda
I’m a 3rd grade teacher, so some suggestions for elementary—
ReplyDeleteAny book by Kate DiCamillo - upper elementary grade for books like The Tale of Despereaux, and the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, lower elementary for the Mercy Watson series
Mr. Putter and Tabby series for beginning readers
The Clementine series is popular with 3-4th grade
The Who Would Win nonfiction series is highly popular in my 3rd grade classroom
I am a little removed from the time, and my age ranges might be off (so take with a grain of salt, and I apologize for the extra research needed). For being such an avid reader growing up I am disappointed this list is not longer.
ReplyDeleteYou may find Goodreads an excellent resource for this project as well if you haven't already explored it (I may have cheated to bring some of these to mind).
Here we go:
RL Stein and Goosebumps.
The babysitters club
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlottes Webb
Mathilda
Dear America Books
Amelia Bedelia
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Chronicles of Narnia
A Wrinkle in Time
Harry Potter
My grandson loves the "I Survived "series. Upper elementary grade age
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not trendy, but I loved "Smoky the Cowhorse" when I was a kid. It might be especially appropriate for your demographic.
ReplyDeleteMy kids now adults and grandkids all loved the Magic faraway tree books and Nania books.
ReplyDeleteI know this suggestion won't be for everybody, but I'm a fan of most anything that has been banned: Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Maus, Animal Farm, etc. Anything with "dangerous ideas".
ReplyDeleteFor teens, they might like the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. It's sci fi but has a lot of reflection on what it means to be free/alive.
ReplyDeleteIf you're getting any graphic novels, the Mighty Jack and Zita series by Ben Hatke is wonderful. Solving for M by Jennifer Swender. Out of my Mind and Out of my Heart by Sharon Draper.
What a wonderful job! I envy you :)
ReplyDeleteI've found the books lists at The Conscious Child to be enormously helpful in building my own home library: https://www.theconsciouskid.org/book-lists
My boys like the Rangers Apprentice series. I (and my kids) like Jonathan Auxier books. The Luck Uglies series. My kids love, love the I Survived series.
ReplyDeleteWell, I would be remiss as a now-Minnesotan not to recommend the Little House on the Prairie collection. However, I grew up in Colorado and loved Ralph Moody's Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers. I would say that this is the boy's version of the Little House series. Moody followed up with 7 or 8 other books, based on his real life adventures. A second or third grader should be able to tackle the Moody series. I so loved Little Britches that I could not follow the teacher's instructions not to read ahead of the pages assigned for every class day. Mary in MN
ReplyDeleteThe Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. Also known as the "The Northern Lights Trilogy"
ReplyDeletehere we go. I am trying to be merciful and not suggest too many titles!
ReplyDeletenot in any order -
Of course you already know What I Eat and What the World Eats.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books
all Elizabeth Enright
Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on their Toes, Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Carey
Trustee from the Toolroom, Nevil Shute
Fifth Chinese Daughter, Jade Snow Wong
The Wedding Dress and Nothing to Do but Stay, Carrie Young
My Heart Lies South, Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
Circus Shoes etc by Noel Streatfeild
So Far from the Bamboo Grove and My Brother, my Sister and I, Kawashima Watkins
Baby Island, Carol Ryrie Brink
All of a Kind Family series, Sydney Taylor
The Secret Horse, Marion Holland
Snow Treasure, Marie McSwigan
Blue Willow, Doris Gates
The Winged Watchman, Hilda van Stockum
Harriet The Spy. Anne of Green Gables.
ReplyDeleteI"m reaching back a few years--but these are simply great stories, great characters, and relevant in various ways to life today. Anne of Green Gables series; The Secret Garden;
ReplyDeleteBlack Beauty; various Jules Verne books; historical fiction about Kit Carson and other people from the country's past
Lost on the prairies by MaryLou Driedger - chapter book based on true story, good for early years or Grade 5-8 used as classroom study, published in 2021.
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestions so far! I managed a Little Free Library and I built up a classroom library aimed at grade 6 and later grade 4. I suggest writing a Donor's Choose grant for a basic collection of classics. You can add to that gradually.
ReplyDeleteLook for these authors, among others:
Kwame Alexander
Karen Hesse
Gary Paulsen
EL Konigsburg
Jean Craighead George
Blue Balliet
Enjoy the process! I always loved buying books - with someone else's money.
Adoration of Jenna Fox. Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre. Old Yeller. The Hobbit. Look for classics that have a wide age range of appeal.
ReplyDeleteRenee Watson has some really great books for the YA set. I particularly enjoyed This Side of Home and Piecing Me Together. Nicola Yoon's Instructions for Dancing was fabulous. Naomi Kritzer's CatNet series is fun and techy and fast-paced. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu has a strong female lead (who learns a few things over the course of the book!) and speaks to standing up for yourself and working hard to make the world a better place while developing your voice. And anything by S.K. Ali is guaranteed amazing. Good luck! :)
ReplyDeleteI was an avid reader as a kid, I'd go to the library and check the shelves to find the books I hadn't read. Looking back, two books have been really powerful and gave lots to think about: the Giver by Lois Lowry, the narrator is a 12 year old living in a "perfect" society where death and sickness are hidden. Another one was Junk by Melvin Burgess. It's for young adults and is a very detailled description of 2 teenagers who get hooked on heroine, A hard read but it really keeps you from ever wanting to get close to taking drugs. Another favorite is Ender's game by Orson Scott Card, it's sci-fi, i love how the author talks about advanced kids without infantakizing them. A great tale about leadership and ultimately love of all life. Also I second the Philip Pullman trilogy and anything by Brian Sanderson
ReplyDeleteOh man, what a fun job, and what terrific comments.
ReplyDeleteI did a post on books for second-graders because a daughter's classmate's mom had asked: https://thisprairielife.com/2021/09/13/a-list-of-books-for-second-graders/
That list is probably good for kindergarten through third grade, realistically.
My kids all superlove Big Nate and Garfield comic strip compilations. The girls have also been reading the new graphic novel versions of Baby Sitters Club books, and one of the girls also likes the Max and the Midknights graphic novels. Our oldest daughter really likes the Wide Awake Princess series by E.D. Baker. Our son asked me to buy him his own copy of Incident at Hawks Hill by Allan Eckert. (I buy very few books bc pink-puffy-heart libraries, but occasionally I'll cave.)
I heartily second Kate DiCamillo and would add Karen Cushman.
I will work toward making a good list for higher grades, but no promises on timeliness, lol.
Calvin and Hobbes! The note about the the comic strip compilations triggered this for me. Especially for those learning to read themselves. I loved them growing up.
ReplyDeleteI am uncertain of age ranges but these are books that I read as a kid and still read today (and I'm 55).
ReplyDelete"Mr. Popper's Penguins"
the Black Stallion series
"Misty of Chincoteague" (and the rest of the Margurite Henry horse books)
"The Westing Game"
Andre Norton books (especially "Breed to Come" and "The Stars are Ours"). These may be a bit dated, though. Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern (though there are some heavily implied sex scenes that may or may not be considered appropriate for that age).
Piers Anthony Xanth series (full of Puns)
"Katherine" by Anna Seton (I read this multiple times in high school)
"Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" which would really appeal to those who like the Anne of Green Gables series.
"Island of the Blue Dolphins"
Jack London books.
"A Wrinkle in Time" has several sequels; I think "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" is the best of the series.
Jasper Fforde "The Eyre Affair" and its sequels. May or may not appeal to the high school set as they really refer to a lot of classic novel characters. Fun reads, though.
I could go on and on. Let us know if the project is accepting $$ for donations, I'd love to contribute to the literary corruption of young minds.
Cathy @ islandcat98 at yahoo dot com
Looks like you've got lots already, but I'd add any book by Brian Jacques. Both the Redwall series and the Curse of the Flying Dutchman trilogy are excellent. High school level.
ReplyDeleteHank the Cowdog books by John Erickson would possibly be a good fit. I'd classify those as mid to late elementary.
Non fiction...hmm...the vintage Child craft books (from the 80s-early 90s) are wonderful and available on ebay. Good for elementary level. (The new ones are more textbook-ish and not nearly as fun).
Gail Gibbons is an excellent non fiction author for the elementary set. Lots of science books about owls, bees, tornados, etc.
For older kids, I recommend a couple of series of books by Ursula K Le Guin:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.goodreads.com/series/40909-earthsea-cycle
https://www.goodreads.com/series/40472-annals-of-the-western-shore