Common Sense Media is one of my go-to sites. They provide excellent curriculum for teaching students about online behavior. They also review books, apps, games, and movies so that parents can have a good idea of what's good or not good for their children.
Because I'm on their mailing list, I get occasional posts from them. Today's post is titled: What to Read Next: Best Kids' Books for May 2015. The list of recommended books is not long, but it is helpfully divided by age groups: ages 2 to 6, ages 7 to 12, and teens. I've actually read one of the books on the list: Public School Superhero by James Patterson. Rather, I listened to an audio version of the book from my local public library. I didn't expect to like the book as much as I did. The narrator was fantastic, so that helped. I listened to it because I wanted to know if it was "too young" for my middle school students. It's not. The main character and his friend are middle school students. However, they go to an urban school with a revolving cast of administrators and other challenges. It was interesting to get a different school perspective than my suburban small-district one. I think kids will like it as much as I did. It's James Patterson after all!
I'd like to read the other titles on the middle grades list. One of them, Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Garcia- Williams, is a sequel to a book I've already read and liked. Another, The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein, is by an author I really enjoyed hearing at the Tennessee Association of School Librarians last fall. Even the titles I was not familiar with look good. I'll probably also look at the Teens titles to see if they would be appropriate for our middle school library. I think I have enough new titles to at least begin my summer reading list!
So, when you're looking for info about a book, a movie, or any other form of media, try Common Sense Media. The link for today's post is available by clicking on the button below.
Because I'm on their mailing list, I get occasional posts from them. Today's post is titled: What to Read Next: Best Kids' Books for May 2015. The list of recommended books is not long, but it is helpfully divided by age groups: ages 2 to 6, ages 7 to 12, and teens. I've actually read one of the books on the list: Public School Superhero by James Patterson. Rather, I listened to an audio version of the book from my local public library. I didn't expect to like the book as much as I did. The narrator was fantastic, so that helped. I listened to it because I wanted to know if it was "too young" for my middle school students. It's not. The main character and his friend are middle school students. However, they go to an urban school with a revolving cast of administrators and other challenges. It was interesting to get a different school perspective than my suburban small-district one. I think kids will like it as much as I did. It's James Patterson after all!
I'd like to read the other titles on the middle grades list. One of them, Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Garcia- Williams, is a sequel to a book I've already read and liked. Another, The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein, is by an author I really enjoyed hearing at the Tennessee Association of School Librarians last fall. Even the titles I was not familiar with look good. I'll probably also look at the Teens titles to see if they would be appropriate for our middle school library. I think I have enough new titles to at least begin my summer reading list!
So, when you're looking for info about a book, a movie, or any other form of media, try Common Sense Media. The link for today's post is available by clicking on the button below.