If you follow me on social media, or here on the blog, you know that I'm currently teaching a Contemporary Lit class of high school seniors. And I love every minute of it.
This is a class that started out with 3 avid readers, and the rest of the students were shocked to find out that their schedule included a "literature" class on it. Many failed a semester of Literature at some point in their high school career, and were proud of the fact that they didn't read.
One girl remarked at the start of the semester, "Mrs. Yusko, I haven't read a book since 4th grade." (Please don't even get me started on that one).
But I am happy to report that they are READING! And as we wrap up April, here are the most popular books with this group:
1) ANYTHING by April Henry! I haven't seen any of my classroom library copies of her books in months, and I even purchased a few more for those that were patiently waiting. Ms. Henry has done so much for growing readers in this class.
2) We are currently having a classroom "discussion" about which is the best John Green book: Looking for Alaska is taking on An Abundance of Katherines. It has been a little heated, but most of us agree that if you say TFIOS, then you aren't a true John Green fan :) (FYI: Mrs. Yusko falls strongly in the Abundance of Katherines camp).
3) The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang is making the rounds in class. Girls AND boys are reading this one. And it has led to several great discussions, including "don't judge a book by it's cover." This book is one of my Top 10 picks of 2018 and I ADORE everything about it. I'm so glad my students are enjoying it as much as I did!
4) The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Several students have read this one and have created fantastic response projects. The audio of this one is great (read by the author), and we are currently looking forward to her new book which comes out next week!
Have you read any of these? What are your students reading?