The best way to create lifelong readers is to make exquisite adventures available.
Here are 20 titles you may want for the burgeoning bookworms in your room.
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Consider the audiobook to accompany the reading of this book, which tells the story of a boy and a girl in Sudan in two different time periods. Hearing the alternating narrators made me care about the characters even more.
A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner
A moving, heartbreaking, and achingly hopeful story about a young boy who struggles with body image.
An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo
Inspired by two true events, this is an excellent historical fiction adventure.
Confessions of a Class Clown by Arianne Costner
Students will relate to much of the angst, desires, disappointments, and impulsive choices that lead to hurtful consequences. How the characters end up maturing is very satisfying.
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate
Equal parts heartwarming, heartbreaking, and inspiring. It made me want to visit the shelter and bring a pet home.
Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro
If you love reading the first book in a series aloud and then setting your students free to read the rest, you might like this one. A mixture of STEM and magic that is perfect for early elementary readers.
Glitch by Laura Martin
An entertaining romp that may spark an interest in historical events. I appreciated the growing friendship between Regan and Elliot and the learning difference/gifts Regan deals with.
Hatch an Egg by Vikram Madan
Perfect for students who want something funny and a perfect graphic chapter book to serve as a bridge to graphic novels and chapter books.
Milo Speck, Accidental Agent by Linda Urban
If you have any Roald Dahl fans in your room, they will probably like this quirky adventure.
The Girl in the Tree by Ellen Potter
This very amusing romp is just right for transitional readers who want a chapter book/series.
The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds
Okay, the reviews are a bit mixed, but if you think Roadrunner cartoons are amusing, you’ll totally get the humor. I chuckled a lot.
The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz
This is a complex fantasy adventure, and the author’s note is well worth reading.
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
There is a lot to love here. Humor, angst, loss, pain, community, healing.
The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Aubrey Hartman
What would life look like if our favorite books didn’t exist? This fantasy explores the importance of books and how they influence our lives.
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead
Three points of view weave together to tell the story of a mysterious little free library. There is a ghost, a cat, two friends, and a mystery.
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate
This is the third in the Ivan series, and after loving Ivan (The One and Only Ivan) and Bob (The One and Only Bob) so much, it was wonderful to be reunited and fall in love with Ruby, too.
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo
It is a magical fairy tale and typical Kate DiCamillo perfection.
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry
A fun, old-fashioned mystery.
The Star That Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson
I must admit, I kept waiting for something dastardly to happen, but spoiler alert, it doesn’t. It is a quietly beautiful unfolding story that fans of The Penderwicks or Anne of Green Gables will enjoy.
The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill
This middle-grade adventure has everything your fantasy lovers want: good, evil, love, hate, magic, and the power of friendship.
If it would be helpful to know the level of a title you are considering for your classroom, there are websites and apps available. Ask your librarian or reading specialist what they like or check out Lexile and Scholastic.
*If you click on the image of any of the books above, you will be redirected to an Amazon page to learn more about the book. We may earn a small comission if a purhase is made from that link.