At the end of the year, I asked my fifth grade students to create their own Book List, themed however they wished. Click our Best Book tag for more lists or #iLoveMG for individual books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) Check out #3rdfor3rd for kid recommendations from when I taught third grade.
Hatchet
Heart of a Samurai
Sign of the Beaver
Island of Blue Dolphins
Stone Fox
* Note: This list generated quite the discussion among the class - with both agreements and vehement disagreements! (All of these were books assigned by teachers in third through fifth grade - Hatchet was from me.)
Click here for all of our Best Books posts or here for more great middle grade recommendations. What are your favorite fantasy books?
5 Books that were Disappointing
List by SNHatchet
Heart of a Samurai
Sign of the Beaver
Island of Blue Dolphins
Stone Fox
* Note: This list generated quite the discussion among the class - with both agreements and vehement disagreements! (All of these were books assigned by teachers in third through fifth grade - Hatchet was from me.)
Click here for all of our Best Books posts or here for more great middle grade recommendations. What are your favorite fantasy books?
Many books are labeled as "disappointments" simply because they are assigned. Some are disappointments because we "teach" them to death. I've really enjoyed (and my students and I have benefitted from) the book WHOLE NOVELS FOR THE WHOLE CLASS by Ariel Sacks - THE OUTSIDERS is now just as fun for the kids as it always was for us, and it's only two weeks instead of eight, and there are no in-class discussions run by the teacher... it was a game-changer. Thank you for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Joy! A couple of the ones on this list were done as whole class novels, while others were in book club small group discussions. I have found that giving students choice makes a BIG difference too!
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