Dear Reader,

Everyone loves a little refresh of their classroom library. A new book on the shelves to welcome students back. A new author to spotlight. A new story to feature. If you'd like to do that when you return in January, try one of these titles. They're my 5 favorite books from 2023 for high schoolers (and make for great teacher reading over winter break!).

​

​Rez Ball by Byron Graves: Own voices. Native stories. Basketball. Grief. Determining your future. Navigating romance. This book has got it all.

​

​Rook by William Ritter: A delightful addition to the Jackaby series, now focusing on Abigail Rook’s journey. Come for the fantasy, stay for the commentary on overcoming prejudices.

​

​Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli: For the readers who are confident about their sexual identities, who are questioning, or who are confident but should be questioning…Imogen’s story will resonate in humorous and poignant ways.

​

​Chaos Theory by Nic Stone: It's a story of first love, of facing grief, of challenging family members. And it's a wholistic, humanistic portrayal of mental illness and mental health.

​

​Promise Boys by Nick Brooks: Murder mysteries make reading fun and playful. This is a top notch “whodunnit” with a healthy insight into the corrupting power of money and privilege.

---

Literacy Love Notes:

I have a challenge for you! One of the most ​fun ways (in my opinion) to strengthen our teaching practice is to read the books our students are reading. If you haven't read much middle grade or young adult literature since you were, well, a teenager—let's get you caught up.

Join the Middle Grade Literature BINGO Challenge! The BINGO board is stocked with 24 of the best MG lit—think of it like a starter pack. Read enough to get a BINGO or two and you'll be that much more connected with your students.

Check out my Insta stories (@middleschoolbooklife) for news & updates on this challenge.

Have a good one and learn everything you can,

Hannah

​

This email includes affiliate links. Any purchases made through them come at no extra cost to you but they do help keep this newsletter free and accessible.

Teachers Pay Teachers

​