Saturday, October 5, 2024

World's Greatest LGBTQIAP2S+ Novels and Graphic Novels

As part of our end-of-year wrap up in 5th grade, I asked my students to compile their own #BestBookList. They could choose an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

World's Greatest LGBTQIAP2S+ Novels and Graphic Novels

Recommended by Anonymous


(Top Left) Melissa: A story of how a young kid comes out to the world 

(Bottom Left) Drama: A young girl find out that she likes to be a set designer 

(Bottom Right) Heartstopper: A story of how 2 young boys find each other 

(Top Right) The Prince and the Dressmaker: The prince of his kingdom discovers he likes dresses and has them made in secret 

(Top middle right half) Laura dean keeps breaking up with me: Is about a kid with her girlfriend who keeps ditching her, then she eventually seeks help 

(Top middle left half) The Girl from the Sea: Is about a girl with a secret

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

Saturday, September 21, 2024

GOOOOOOOOOD books

As part of our end-of-year wrap up in 5th grade, I asked my students to compile their own #BestBookList. They could choose an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

GOOOOOOOOOOD Books

Recommended by DJ



Wings of Fire is about dragons. Keeper of the Lost Cities is about elves. The Wild Robot is about a wild robot, surprise! Eragon is a fancy story about a fantasy kingdom. What If is a great nonfiction book. 

Read these books ... or else!

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Publication News!

Jumping in to share some personal news - since it is book related: I published a story! A short story of mine, Faster, Higher, Stronger, was published this month as part of a middle grade anthology of history and history-inspired stories called Clio's Curious Dash Through Time. I decided to celebrate with cheesecake, yum!



If you are interested in following along on my publishing journey, please sign up for my author newsletter. Best-case scenario, you will hear from my only four times a year, with book news, book recommendations, and cool archaeology stories. 


Thanks for reading!

Saturday, August 3, 2024

Books Just Books

As part of our end-of-year wrap up in 5th grade, I asked my students to compile their own #BestBookList. They could choose an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Books Just Books

Recommended by Conrad



Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) makes your life look like eating a slice of cake.


Big Nate is funny.

Bad Guys is just wacky.

Minecraft Guide to Redstone is helpful-ish. Come on, it's Minecraft, it has to be great.

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

Saturday, July 20, 2024

5 Best Books I've Ever Read

As part of our end-of-year wrap up in 5th grade, I asked my students to compile their own #BestBookList. They could choose an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

The 5 Best Books I've Ever Read

Recommended by Clara B.


Starfish - a beautiful novel in verse about a girl who gets bullied because of her body. 

Harry Potter - it’s amazing. Enough said. 

El Deafo - a great graphic novel about a deaf girl 

Restart - a story about losing your memory and getting back your life 

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise - a great-touching story about a girl finding what is left of her mother and sisters.

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts. Which of these would YOU read first?

Saturday, July 6, 2024

The Best Books Ever!

As part of our end-of-year wrap up in 5th grade, I asked my students to compile their own #BestBookList. They could choose an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

The Best Books EVER!!

Recommended by Anonymous


Sugar and Spite is about a girl named Jolina who is the granddaughter of a arbularyo. Jolina uses the magic of her arbularyo and makes a love potion for a girl named Claudine that has been super mean to her. The potion works so well, Claudine is not just nice to Jolina but wants to be her BFF. 

The Wings of Fire series is about a world run by dragons. In the first 5 books, it is about 5 dragonets from different tribes stopping the war and a prophecy and the rest you will just have to read yourself. (Spoiler alert, they are AWESOME.) 

The Harry Potter series is about a boy who goes to a school for wizards and witches. He goes on amazing adventures with his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. 

A Tale Dark & Grimm is about a Hansel and Gretel who are the children of the king and queen of Grimm. Hansel and Gretel get treated poorly and go out to search for better parents. 

Super Boba Café is about a girl named Aria who goes to visit her nainai because of something and ends up helping her nainai protect the city her nainai lives and possibly the entire world from a monster who LOVES boba.

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts. Which would YOU read first?

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Amazing Books for Fifth Graders!

As part of our end-of-year wrap up in 5th grade, I asked my students to compile their own #BestBookList. They could choose an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Amazing Books for Fifth Graders!

Recommended by Araina


One for the Murphys is a heart-warming book that has the sweetest story about a girl finding a family who will care for her.

The Girl with more than One Heart is a book about a girl trying to find happiness even though her dad died. 

Ruby in the Sky a good book about a girl who is going through hard times. She doesn’t want anyone to know about her family. Read this book to find out what really happened to her dad and what her mom did. 

I Can Make This Promise is about a girl who wants to know about her past. Read more to find out her actually family history.

Shape of Thunder is about two girls who friendship is starting to break because of a school shooting.

Click here for all of our #BestBookList posts. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?