FISH IN A TREE by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

I wish I could give this six stars! Loved all of the characters in this book. Albert's one-liners are perfection. And Ally. Kids everywhere will connect with her. Teachers everywhere need to know her story.

Will & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge

Loved the style of this graphic novel -- black-and-white, bold lines, interesting use of the page. Students may need support understanding the unique use of storytelling when they come to scenes where the typical "frames" are not used. Those were some of my favorite pages, though. The barrier that I usually feel when reading graphic novels melted away as I read this one. I loved the message of creativity. 

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge

What a wonderful book for the comfortably quiet, in-her-head girl (like I was! Wait, am!)  I can't wait to give this to the artist, daydreamer, doodler, creative spirit, new student in my class. I always struggle with finding non-series, age-appropriate, engaging GNs, and this one fits the bill!

Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers

I love that Myers so honestly shared the trials of his childhood, particularly the challenges he faced at home and the struggles of feeling different from his family and friends as a reader and writer. And some of the "bad" classroom behavior will surely slip into some of those teacher nightmares we dread. It's hard to believe he came out of some of the situations he faced alive! I loved reading about Harlem in the 50s and the big names that Myers came across growing up: Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Billie Holliday. I didn't love the writing; some of the chapters jumped around to a bunch of different topics: basketball, school, reading, girls, gangs. I think some students may struggle with the lofty literary allusions (this former English major did!) but if they can accept their confusion and read past it, it could be an enjoyable book for the right kid.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper is a book on our 7th grade Battle of the Books list. It was a new addition last year so I was excited to read it this summer. I decided to snag the audiobook from my library so I could listen to it on my car ride to the All Write conference in Indiana. The drive was about 7 hours round trip so Sharon's words and Sisi Aisha's voice rode along with me. Loved this story! I found myself happy to get stuck in Chicago traffic on my drive back because it meant a better chance of finishing the book before I got home. Highly recommend experiencing the book this way. 

Happy Reading!