Choosing a Good BookAt MPA, both the Library and English Departments believe that pleasure reading for middle-school students should be about free choice. That means allowing students to select the books (or comics, newspapers, magazines, etc.) they most enjoy. The lists in the right column are full of ideas, most of them new titles, to give you a place to start. So how do you find a book you like to read? 1. Ask your friends. Your friends know you best. If they like to read, ask them what they think you'd like. Tell them to surprise you! 2. Tell your teacher or a librarian what kind of books you like, and ask them to recommend a book. This is the kind of question teachers and librarians live for. Go for it! 3. Check a book list. Yes, there are entire Web sites and even books devoted to recommending books for people who like ... sports, mysteries, love stories, you name it! See the right-hand column for a few we recommend. 4. Give yourself permission to move on. Checking out a book doesn't mean you have to love it. Give it a fair chance to grab your attention, whether it's 10, 20, or 50 pages. But if you don't like it after that, return it and find something you do like (see #1, #2, and #3).
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Reading ListsOnce you're in the lists, click on the title of a book for a short description — or the cover of the book for a detailed summary, reviews, and sometimes even the first chapter. Grades
5–6 Summer Reading List For additional ideas, try Book Crush by Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl (it's in the MPA library!):
Links to online booklistsTeen Reads Awards for young adult literatureMaud
Hart Lovelace Award (MN
state award) |
