The winter holiday vacation has begun here in Bratislava, and today I had the joy of dashing from an ice skating rink below the Charles Bridge in Prague to the Prague Municipal library to see something VERY special. VERY bookish. VERY unique.
Inside the hallway of the library is a tower of books called “Idiom.” Thousands of books are glued together into a tunnel rising up to the ceiling, with mirrors embedded inside to make it look like the book tower goes on forever. When you stick your head inside, the books rise and rise and rise above you, and swoop apparently to the center of the earth below. The library didn’t open until 1 pm on our last day in Prague, and I was so happy we were able to squeeze in a quick visit!
It was a magical experience. My ten-year-old and I just kept leaning in over and over and taking more and more pictures. He might even have liked it as much as the ice skating. But of course there was warm apple cider at the ice rink and a new friend met that day from Luxembourg.
How I wish every student had a tower of books to choose from. A beautiful tower full of the very best books, just waiting for them to stick their head in! With that in mind, today I’d like to share some top student favorites from the last few years. These are some of my own top recommendations combined with those of other educators that have shared they were absolute top favorites with their students.
Let’s jump into the booklists. Heads up, lots of these titles have some mature moments – if your school is highly conservative, you may need to give parents a heads up about your choice reading program so they know their students will have access to books that do sometimes touch on subjects such as teen love and substance use.
Top YA
YA is a fabulous way to help students move toward reading. YA books generally feature a protagonist in middle or high school, dealing with many of the same issues and challenges as our students today. Even if you haven’t personally fallen in love with YA, it’s still a wonderful and important addition to your shelves. If you’re not familiar with the books below, the very first author I recommend you get to know if Jason Reynolds. His work is incredible, and his books frequently shoot to the top of student favorites lists.
Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
When I was the Greatest, by Jason Reynolds
Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon
Dear Evan Hansen, by Steven Levenson
All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas
On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas
Concrete Rose, by Angie Thomas
I am not your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika Sanchez
Dear Martin, by Nic Stone
The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo
With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo
The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepety
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
Simon and the Homosapien Agenda, by Becky Albertelli
Refugee, by Alan Gratz
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
Solo, by Kwame Alexander
They Both Die at the End, by Adam Silvera
The Thing about Jellyfish, by Ali Benjamin
Five Feet Apart, by Rachel Lippincott
Darius the Great is not Okay, by Adib Khorram
Bronx Masquerade, by Nikki Grimes
Top Memoir
Memoir can be a powerful way for students to experience the world beyond their own neighborhoods, building their understanding of complex issues and their empathy along the way. Below are some great options for the memoir shelf of your reading library.
Persepolis, by Marjane Satropi
All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson
Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah
Becoming, by Michelle Obama
My Underground American Dream, by Julissa Arce
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Night, by Eli Wiesel
Educated, by Tara Westover
Hey Kiddo, by Jarrett Krosoczka
A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah
I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai
I Was their American Dream, by Malaka Gharib
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, by Jose Antonio Vargas
Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are a fantastic way to reach many readers. They’re approachable, vivid, and unique. Having several in your library will help make it appealing to even more of your students.
Persepolis, by Marjane Satropi
Orange, by Ichigo Takano
A Girl Called Echo, by Katharena Vermette
Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
New Kid, by Jerry Craft
Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
Hey Kiddo, by Jarrett Krosoczka
I am Alfonso Jones, by Tony Medina
Maus, by Art Spiegelman
I was their American Dream, by Malaka Gharib
In Verse
Verse novels have been increasingly popular in recent years, and there are a lot of great ones. Gather some of these together to share with kids who are drawn to this lovely genre.
Swing, by Kwame Alexander
The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander
For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf, by Ntozake Shange
Chlorine Sky, by Mahogany Brown
Works by Ellen Hopkins
The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo
Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
Bronx Masquerade, by Nikki Grimes
Dystopian Novels
The rise of dystopian novels has been meteoric. Here are some of the most popular from the last few years.
The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
Scythe, by Neal Schusterman
The Hunger Games Series,, by Suzanne Collins
The Grace Year, by Kim Liggett
The Selection Series, by Kiera Cass
Legend, by Marie Lu
Unwind, by Neal Shusterman
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness
Divergent, by Veronica Roth
Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
I hope you’ve found some new titles to add to your list. Be sure to bookmark this post for the next time a student asks for a new graphic novel, novel in verse, memoir, etc.
