READING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUMMER - KIDS

While I am wrapping up the school year, here are some of my favorite books for kids that you might enjoy this summer!

PICTURE BOOKS

Silly Doggy - This hilarious picture book was a hit when I first read it, and it has been a hit every time I have read it to students. It even gets a sequel later this year! You can read my review here.


The Princess and the Pig - Another hilarious picture book. Kids and parents alike will enjoy this one. You can read my review here.


The Really, Really, Really Big Dinosaur - a fun take on a bullying storyline. I'm not sure who enjoys this one more, me or my students. You can read more about it here.

MIDDLE GRADE

The False Prince - This is the first book in a great series. When the third book came out this year, I had students and staff fighting over the opportunity to check it out first. You can read more about the first book here.


Because of Mr. Terupt - This is a great school story and the sequel was just as good. You can read about both books here.


The Candymakers - One of my favorite books to recommend to students. Check out my review here.


Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library - This is one of my go-to books for kids. When someone asks for a recommendation, this is one of the books I suggest over and over. You can read my review here.


Almost Super - I fell in love with this book and immediately bought a copy for the school library. Every student who has tried this has finished it in a matter of days and enjoyed it. Check out my review here.

TEENS

Also Known As - I don't do a lot of reading for teens, but I was intrigued by this one and loved it when I read it. You can read my review here.


Steelheart - The other memorable book for teens/young adults that I have read recently is this one. It is a great super powers story, though darker than most of the books I usually read. You can see my review here.

CHAPTER BOOK: Mr. Terupt Falls Again by Rob Buyea

Mr Terupt and his students are back for their sixth grade year together after the eventful school year chronicled in Because of Mr. Terupt. This time there isn't one event the whole story is moving toward and recovering from, but a series of growth opportunities for each of the students. Lexi falls in with a rough crowd of older kids, Danielle's family is struggling with something but no one will tell her what's going on, and Peter thinks maybe he should fail 6th grade so he doesn't have to move on to a private school next year and leave his friends behind. Luke decides to spend the year as a detective, looking for clues and for an interpretation for those clues (like, why is Mr. Terupt stuttering and stumbling sometimes?). Jeffrey discovers a baby abandoned at the side of the road, and the experience effects him deeply. And Anna decides she wants to know the story about her father. And it wouldn't be a school year with Mr. Terupt if there weren't some awesome projects to stretch his students in new ways.

This was a delightful read. Since I read the two stories pretty close to one another, I was able to really see how each of the students wrestled with their problems, grew from them, and matured. I loved the way the kids interacted with one another and how their teachers guided them through the events of the year. I can't say enough good things about the two Mr. Terupt books!

5 out of 5 stars

AR level of 4.5

Recommended for: Fans of the first book in the series, students in 4th grade and up

Cautions: One student is exposed to alcohol and tries smoking, one of the girls in the story stuffs her bra, trying to get the attention of some boys, and two of the girls get their periods for the first time. I thought the author handled these in a really great way, but younger readers might be puzzled or need additional conversation about these parts of the story. 

CHAPTER BOOK: Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Mr. Terupt is the rookie teacher for a group of fifth graders including the class clown, the genius, the kid who hates school, the mean girl, the new girl, the fat girl, and the outsider. These seven students share the story of their school year together with Mr. Terupt - their struggles, their triumphs, the times the grow, the times they fail, and the accident that changes things for all of them.

I loved this story! I loved how all the kids got to tell the story (in a sentence or in a couple pages) from their point of view. I loved seeing the why behind the behavior some of them exhibit at school and even more the change that happens to them as a group over the course of the year. This book is a winner! I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Mr. Terupt Falls Again.

AR Reading level of 3.7 (although the content works better for older elementary students)
5 out of 5 stars (I couldn't stop thinking about this one after I finished the story)

Recommended for: readers 4th grade and up, fans of stories with an emotional component like Eight Keys or Love, Aubrey, although this one might appeal to boys more than those two examples since the main characters are a mixture of boys and girls.