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Topic: Ideas for Classroom Library?
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Hello all, I am working on my classroom library and while I have a lot of classics, I'm looking to get more modern, young adult literature. Any ideas? So far, I have the obvious: Twilight and Harry Potter. What other series are kids interested in? |
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My tweens/teens love The Hunger Games series.
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Rick Roirdan's Percy Jackson series |
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Ally Carter has a series about a school for girls becoming spies which is pretty popular. I hit up goodwill a lot and tend to do well there. More vapid (think SVH for kids these days) series include The Clique, Gossip Girl, The A-List. There is a series called Gone which is a dystopian future, same with the Uglies series. The Jessica Darling series (Sloppy Firsts, etc) is good for slightly older teens, though I'm re-reading now and it seems a little dated already, with Y2k references. "Looking for Alaska" "Godless" "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" "Sold" "Kesha's House" are all good stand-alone titles. |
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James Dashner's Maze Runner trilogy (The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure (not out until Oct. 11)) would be a good addition to your library. I've read the first 2 and have had the third one on pre-order since the day it became available. Well-written, well thought out story that will appeal to both genders and you may even find some of their parents asking to borrow them. I second the Ally Carter Gallagher Girls series, but that one will likely have limited boy appeal. Both Hunger Games and the Percy Jackson series are fantastic, too. The Percy Jackson series is great for tying in Greek Mythology as all the mythological characters Rick Riordan uses come from Greek myths and are not made up. If you have students do book studies, there are all kinds of fun things you can pull from this series and generate some interest in Greek mythology along the way. Darren Shan's Cirque Du Freak series is outstanding and will appeal to both genders. The characters grow in a similar way to Harry Potter in that they start off as children and become young adults by series end. The series also grows in intensity like Potter, so while the first books are fairly light, the later books become really dark and intense. If you've had the misfortune of seeing the movie based on the first couple of books, please forget it as the movie had little relation to the books and was quite possibly the worst book to movie adaptation I've ever seen. Not knowing what grade level you're building a library for makes it difficult to add many more suggestions. Most of these books are appropriate for 7th grade and up. The Percy Jackson series is appropriate for 4th and up, so the reading level is great for slower readers in upper grades, while still having broad appeal to all ages. My 22-year old son, who is decidedly not a slow reader, gave it to me after he finished it and he's already purchased a second set for when he has a classroom of his own.
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I'm in the process of doing the same myself. :) A few recommendations: Heir Trilogy by Chima A Song of Ice and Fire series by Martin Maximum Ride series by Patterson Nightlight (a Twilight parody) - fun for those students who can't stand Twilight Vampirates series by Somper Mortal Instruments series by Clare |
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I teach 6th and 7th and they love the Alex Rider series. And I second the Hunger Games (they're obsessed) and Percy Jackson. Some other favorites: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie Al Capone Does My Shirts and Al Capone Shines My Shoes The Book of Story Beginnings The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp Hatch Holes The Hobbit Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr Maximum Ride series Anything by Mike Lupica The Inkheart series (anything dragon related has been popular.) Oh, and the Deltora Quest books have been super popular with the boys. I'll try to think of more.... |
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My sister is 14 and she loves an author named Alison Noel. She got into it from some other twilight-loving friends, but to he honest I'm not 100% sure what type of books they are. |
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I second most of the suggestions above. Again not sure of grade level so a variety: Charlie Bone series (Harry Potterish but easier to read) Diary of a WImpy Kid series Anything by Gary Paulson Hidden Children series Margret Peterson Haddix Found, Torn, ...another series by MPH House of Night series Anything by Laurie Halse Anderson The 11th Plague (could almost be a prequel to the Hunger Games) if HS: 13 Reasons Why, Jay Asher The Future of Us, Jay Asher Hate List The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (7th and up) Many of my high schoolers like adult books, James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, John Grisham (I read first and choose carefullybut many are AR testable so I do keep them in my library.) |
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I WANT to teach between 3-5, and volunteer in a 3rd grade class. My purchases have leaned towards that, while also building from 1-7.
My go to's for "Series" thus far have been: |
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