Friday Five: 5 Star Books, episode 2

I should actually be preparing for the seminars that I'm presenting in a couple of weeks, but it's been such a great week of reading that I can't stop! #booknerdproblems

It was another week of 5 STAR BOOKS, so I decided to highlight all of them in the Friday Five. You can watch the video below, or click here to view this and other Friday Five booktalks.

If you survived September and all the pumpkin spice, Halloween candy, and in some stores CHRISTMAS stuff, a good book should be your reward.

Happy Reading!

Books mentioned in the video:

Look Both Ways by Reynolds The Scarecrow by Ferry/Fan/Fan A Place to Belong by Kadohata

Frankly in Love by Yoon

The Fountains of Silence by Sepetys

Fighting for the Forest by Pearson

1919 by Sandler

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#fridayfive #audiobooks #top10 #mrsyuskoreads #yalit #nonfiction #memoir #newbooks #kidlit #picturebooks #nationalbookaward #shortstories #biography #graphicnovels

Hitting the Books: Back to School Reading!

I hope that your summer was restful, relaxing, rejuvenating... everything that you needed it to be. And that you read a good book or two, or 12! Mine wasn't necessarily restful since I feel like my life is crazier now than ever, but I did manage to go social media silent for most of August which felt great.

Whether you have been back in school for over a month like my own daughter (fingers crossed for a great SENIOR YEAR), or for two weeks like the school I'm working at, or you start after Labor Day, I wish you a great 2019-2020 school year, filled with BOOKS for you and your students!

I have resources to help you now and throughout the year. Here are some tools to gear up for a great year of READING:

1) I have posted my Back to School Booktalk Videos for 2nd-12th grades here and on TPT. These 25 - 35 minute videos are great to get your students excited about reading this school year! If you are not a paid subscriber to MrsYuskoReads, then you can find them on my TPT site. The bundle of all the videos PLUS a FREE 30 minute PD video of best new Picture Books for all grades is ON SALE NOW!

Already a MrsYuskoReads.com subscriber? You have FREE access to all of them now...click here, choose "subscriber webinars" and login.

Want to become a subscriber? Click here for the details!

2) Missed my Summer Reading suggestions for all grades? Never fear! Reading doesn't just happen in the summer and these lists contain great new books for your students. Feel free to copy and distribute as needed! I have posted my Booklists for all grade levels (PreK-12th...and adult!) on my website, including Top 10 picks for Elementary, Middle School, and High School. Or email me and I can send them to you.

3) Everyone has access to my Best New Picture Books for all Grades (K-12) video! This 30 minute video highlights some of the best new picture books of 2019 that you will want to read aloud, have in your classroom library, use to introduce curriculum, or read for #classroombookaday. This video is designed as PD, to show your staff to help them keep current on the best new picture books to be used in the classroom. Picture books are not just for the youngest students. Most of the books mentioned can be read aloud to all grades, while a few are actually better suited for use in middle/high school classes.

Watch a 10 minute sample of this video below, which highlights the best Back to School Picture Books. The FREE full-length video (about 30 minutes) can be found on my website, or on TPT.

Happy reading!

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#backtoschool #bestbooks #newbooks #mrsyuskoreads #booktalks #teachers #librarians #elementary #middleschool #highschool #yalit #kidlit #picturebooks

Summer Reading, Round #3

It's the middle of summer and typically a time when people (myself included) hit a summer reading slump. Maybe you're still in the queue for the books you put on hold at the beginning of summer. Or you're on vacation and ON THE GO without a break to relax and read. Or, God forbid, you are reading but the books are just "meh."

So, I decided to offer up some of my FAVORITES of the summer to get you through that mid-summer reading slump. Many of the following are 5 STAR books for me so fingers crossed you will also find something amazing to get you through the rest of the summer.

25) This Beach is Loud! by Samantha Cotterill is a great book for kids with sensory issues (sensory processing disorder and/or autism), or who are anxious about new experiences. Great for classrooms and families also. I would pair it with There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi. Grades PreK-2nd.

26) Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan. I REALLY enjoyed this one about a young woman stuck working the worst summer job at an amusement park. Perfect summer vibe, and a fun rom-com. Grades 8-12

27) Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. This one is written for adults, but I could also see interested high schoolers enjoying it also. Based on a frightening episode in American history.

28) War in the Ring by John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro. Highlighting Joe Louis, Max Schmeling and the lead-up to their fight. This includes quite a bit of history also. Grades 7-10, or even adults interested in this time period. Pair it with Berlin Boxing Club by Rob Sharenow (YA Lit), or A Nation's Hope by Matt de la Pena and Knockout! by George Sullivan (picture books).

29) NOPE! by Drew Sheneman. Pair this with Dude (Reynolds) for another story that is told basically using only one word. Good for inferring story from illustrations, and hilarious for parents to read as well. Grades K-2 for sharing.

30) The Line Tender by Kate Allen. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Could be because I read it during Shark Week, but this will likely be one of my top picks for Grades 4-7 this year. For fans of The Thing About Jellyfish (Benjamin).

31) Hum and Swish by Matt Myers. YES! What a great book for sharing, storytimes, or encouraging creativity. For anyone that loves to build on the beach. Grades K-3.

32) Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay. There are just no words for how much I love this book. Will likely be one of my top picks for High School for 2019. SO. MUCH. GOODNESS here. A powerful book that will stay with you and give you plenty to talk about. Good for current event tie-ins also. Grades 8-12. All. The. Stars.

33) O Captain, My Captain by Robert Burleigh. I never thought I'd give 5 stars to a biography of Walt Whitman, but here you go. If you read Whitman in your ELA classes, or study the Civil War in your social studies/American History classes, then you need this. It discusses a period in Whitman's life when he volunteered at military hospitals during the Civil War, and why he was inspired to write his famous poem, O Captain, My Captain. Maybe only interesting to history and literature buffs, but very well written!

34) Ink Knows No Borders, various. This includes poems by several YA Lit authors among others. All poems about life as an immigrant or refugee.

Fresh Off the Boat: Six Words, various. These are part of the Six Word Memoir collection with a focus on immigrants. TERRIFIC!

Obvious tie-ins to current events as well as many current fiction titles. Grades 7-12 for both.

35) Sign Off by Stephen Savage. This wordless book creates a story from road signs. I thought it was unique and I love encouraging students to create the story on the pages. Grades K-5.

36) Love From A to Z by S. K. Ali. Loved the characters, loved the setting, loved the cover. A dual narrator story that will find many fans of romance and realistic fiction. Grades 8-12.

What are you reading this summer? Do you have a favorite so far?

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#summerreading #yalit #fiction #kidlit #nonfiction #picturebook #biography #newbooks #curriculumconnections #classroombookaday