Teaching Tuesday: Most Talked About Books in our Classrooms Right Now

Popular books change quickly in a classroom depending on what is being talked about. Here are the books that are being talked about in our classrooms as of right now:

Kellee

These are the books being talked about in my middle school (6th-8th grade) advanced reading classroom right now:

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

If you’ve been checking out our IMWAYR posts, you know that I was just introduced to this series, and I could hardly contain myself when I got to school because I knew that students would love this series, and it’d for some reason had slowed now in popularity. Luckily, one of my readers picked it up, shared how she agreed with me, and now it is traveling through my classroom.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

I loved this book, but it wasn’t until students saw that it had won honors in the Newbery, Printz, and Coretta Scott King (and the tad bit of controversy surrounding it) then they started passing it around my classroom in 1st period that it truly became popular. Every student that reads the book freaks out about the end then wants to stay after class to talk to me about it and every student who has already read it wants to stay and talk about it too. That shows how powerful this book is.

Scythe and Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

This series was read in our teacher book club which means that there were teachers other than me singing its praises as well. Then Neal Shusterman came to visit Orlando and a bunch of my students went to see him. Between these two aspects, and just how gosh darn good the series is, there are many kids suffering until September 2019 with me.

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

Hurt Go Happy was our class read aloud last year, so my students who didn’t have me last year but are in my 7th and 8th grade class were invited to read Hurt Go Happy in preparation for our class read aloud this year: Rescued by Eliot Schrefer. Because it is so intense and has so much to talk about, the students who have read Rorby’s book can’t stop talking about it.

Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

Since this series came out, it has been a hugely popular series, and it keeps getting new readers. I can’t wait to read it also to see what the big deal is.

Embassy Row series by Ally Carter

Very much like Land of Stories, this series just keeps getting new readers because every person that reads it has to talk about it and talks their friends into reading it.

Always: Rick Riordan, Raina Telgemeier, Marie Lu, Kazu Kibuishi

In the eyes of my students, they can do no wrong.

Ricki

These are the books my college students are raving about:

Refugee by Alan Gratz

This book has not made it back to my desk. Every time a student reads it, before that student turns it in, another asks to borrow it immediately. It is passing from hand to hand. I love this book, so I am thrilled it is so well-received. I think I’ll be adopting it as a required text next semester.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Angie’s book continues to be a hot item in my class. It is a required house book (read by a third of the class), but many of the other students have read it.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

A student in my class gave a wonderful book talk for this one. I haven’t read it yet, but I am aching to do so. He is a tough critic, and he raves about it.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

I didn’t realize that so many of my students had read Scythe, so many requested this one. I dug it up from my bookshelves and brought it in, and it has been passed from student to student.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

My student devour Jason’s books. I booktalked this one last semester, but I haven’t needed to do so this semester. Everyone book talks it for me!

What are the popular books in your classroom right now?

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