Reading
Books, Books, Books!
Want to find a good book to read? The following sites offer suggestions of highly recommended books for students to read, as well as an online resource of free (but mostly older) books to download.
Scroll down a bit further to see books in our classroom library that I recommend! Look for new additions each week!
Though you can't download books from this site, it is a great place to discover books that you might like, that you can find other places like our classroom library or online!
There is an interest survey, where you input information about what topics and genres you like to read, and the site offers suggestions on books for you. Plus, most books offer lots of reviews, so you can see what other people like you thought of the book!
Read Any Book is a great site that provides free access to many online books (PDF, ePUB, etc). The following link will take you to a list of 10 different websites where you can access free online books:
https://www.readanybook.com/read-online-free
This is a link to another site that offers 20 different sites to read on. It offers sections on non-fiction and read-alouds too!
Choosing a Book
When it comes time for you to choose a new book, please try to follow the '5 Finger Tips' to help you choose a book that is just right for you!
Classroom Library
Since our school library is only open on Wednesdays, I have opened up our classroom library for checking books out. Please visit the Classroom Booksource site (click on the image to the left) to check out the books we have in our classroom library, and come see me about checking one out!
See my book recommendations from our library below to help get you started!
Ms. Jackson's Jr. High Book Recommendations
Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.
Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father’s actions.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting--things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.
Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect world–no pain, no inconveniences, and everyone contributes equally. But when he is given the role of Receiver, he must now learn and hold the collected memories of all past societies. Suddenly, he has a whole new perspective on his world and what makes a life meaningful.
Three different kids. One mission in common: ESCAPE.
Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world…
Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety and freedom in America…
Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe…
All three young people will go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers–from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But for each of them, there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, surprising connections will tie their stories together in the end.
Two boys – a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces – forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. A wonderful story of triumph over imperfection, shame, and loss.