Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.
Today’s Topic: Top Ten Underrated Books
Books we love that need more recognition!
Ricki
1. Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
I discovered this picture book this week. Okay, it won an award, so it isn’t underrated. BUT, when I wrote about it on the IMWAYR post, so many people said they hadn’t heard of it. This is one of the best picture books I have ever read!
2. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
I just wrote about this book yesterday! I think it is the perfect picture book to read to a child. It seems simple, yet it emanates worldliness and love.
3. Thrice Told Tales: Three Mice Full of Writing Advice by Catherine Lewis
If I could have it my way, this would be the go-to book for every English teacher. Rather than teaching out of textbooks, this book could be creatively used to teach literary terms to students. Each page displays a different literary term, and the mice cleverly define each the terms within the context of the nursery rhyme.
4. Making the Match: The Right Book for the Right Reader at the Right Time, Grades 4-12 by Teri Lesesne
If you want to get kids reading, this book has phenomenal advice. I recommend it to any teacher who wants techniques to match readers to books. I am not sure if it is underrated, but because I recommend it so often to teachers, I am going to add it to my list. 🙂
5. Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos
I was blown away by this book when I read it this year. I know it received the Morris Award, but I wish I heard it referenced more, and I find it to be underrated. It is absolutely brilliant and belongs in every classroom.
Kellee
Picking only 5 books was really tough. There are so many great books out there that deserve to have more readers.
1. The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow
Just one example of many amazing historical fiction books that are not in enough hands. Berlin Boxing Club is such a unique book, and so well written.
2. Curseworkers series by Holly Black
This is a great series that I felt fell by the wayside during the whole dystopian hype. (And the audiobook is phenomenal!)
3. Airborn and Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
I put these books on a lot of my favorite book lists because I am a huge fan of Kenneth Oppel. His books in general deserve more credit.
4. Jumping off the Swings and Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles
These two books are some of the best YA I read in the last year. Jo Knowles has a way of writing about tough subjects in a very accessible way. (See You at Harry’s is another example.)
5. Ginny Rorby books
I know I talk about her all of the time, but I really love her books. Read what I think about them and Ginny here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Which books do you think deserve more credit?
and 
I bought Freedom Summer but haven’t read it yet. Will have to fix that tonight! Kellee, I’ve seen Ginny Roby’s Schneider book on some book lists but I’ve never read her work. Will have to fix that too! Of course the LAST thing I need is more books to read, but somehow, I never really mind adding to the TBR list.
Yes yes yes to Ginny Rorby books, LOVE her… Freedom Summer- brilliant… Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes – PRECIOUS… love this list. Happy reading, listing and more…