The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman

I encourage you and your students to read widely without fear. What books you recommend will depend on the specific district you work in and your clientele. I will not censor books from these lists based on these controversial areas. One final note: today’s children’s literature does not shy away from frank discussions of gender, race, sex, sexuality, abuse, mental illness, and more – nor should it. Similarly, students should be encouraged to read stories featuring people of diversity all year long – not just during a month set aside to celebrate a specific heritage. Importantly, the diversity of the characters doesn’t always need to be the focus of the literature – in other words, a book featuring a black character or gay character doesn’t need to be about those individuals exploring their blackness or their gayness those characters can have kid problems that apply to all children regardless of their race or sexual orientation. These lists will feature fiction and nonfiction selection as well as graphic novels, novels written in verse, and more.Īny book list or classroom library worth its salt includes books featuring LGBTQIA+ characters, racially diverse characters, characters with disabilities, characters in the foster care system, characters from a wide variety of socioeconomic and religious backgrounds, and so on.

One of the factors that makes this such an exciting time for kid lit is how diverse the selections are in terms of genre, characters and subject matter. A true renaissance is happening in children’s literature today, and the books coming out are truly exciting. Think of the books on these lists as starting places for you and your students, but if a student wants to read up (or down), that is a-ok.Īlso, please note that these lists lean heavily toward modern selections as opposed to the classics many teachers are familiar with. Teachers only hurt students by limiting them to a specific selection of titles grouped according to an arbitrary number or level. Students will often choose to read well above or below their reading level if they are particularly interested in a book or topic. Other times, they will feature rockstar books – books practically guaranteed to get your students reading.īefore jumping into reading recommendations, a few words about how books are selected.įirst, it is so important that teachers prioritize reading interest over reading level. Sometimes, these lists will be organized around a specific theme, like a holiday or seasonal event.

Moving forward, new lists filled with book recommendations will be published weekly. Welcome to Amy’s Bookshelf! Here, teachers will find carefully curated book lists for each grade level from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman