End of the school year ROUNDUP!

That's right, boys and girls...

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

Well, it is for our district, anyway. If you're one of the unlucky ones who has to continue the year until the middle of August because of all the snow days, I'm sorry. 

A moment of silence for your summer...

Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I wanted to share the top 10 books my students found the most readable, enjoyable, hilarious, thought-provoking, and just plain fun this year.

#1: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

 

Kids can't get enough of these books. 

I've seen my students read them, reread them, and then go check them out a third time. 

Why do they like them? Simple: They're hilarious!

#2: The I Survived series

Luckily our library stocks several of these. 

Which is good because there would be rioting if it didn't.

Why do they like them? Readability along with a connection to things they've learned is a beautiful thing.

#3: The Baby-Sitters Club series

I know, I know, not your typical favorite nowadays.

But my wife (also a teacher) brought her personal collection in and the kids went nuts for them.

Why do they like them? They're fun and totally RETRO!

#4: Any LEGO book

We've got some future architects, carpenters, and engineers in our school.

Give them a LEGO book and they'll be set.

Why do they like them? Reading about your favorite toys is ALWAYS fun!

#5 The Spirit Animals series

When this showed up at our book fair, the kids emptied their pockets to grab their own copy.

They shared, borrowed, and checked out every book they could find.

Why do they like them? Animals + online games = win

#6: The Jason Strange books

I saw so many of these books in the hands of students this year.

And I can't blame them. Nothing like getting a little spooked at school to make the day fun.

Why do they like them? A good horror series is hard to beat!

#7 Wonder

Seeing a lot of students reading this book made my year.

This book has an awesome message and it's wonderfully written.

Why do they like it? Give kids a real-life story they can relate to and they'll devour it.

#8: Doll Bones

I'll admit, a lot of my students may have picked this one up after I read it.

Which is fine by me because it's a fantastic book!

Why do they like it? It's got the adventure, the spooky, and the heart.

#9: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

I loved hearing my students talk about this book.

It was an awesome story to pull from during social studies, and it made the learning so much more enjoyable.

Why do they like it? It's something they learned but with a new twist.

#10: The Heroes of Olympus series

This series was in the hands on every die-hard fantasy aficionado.

And what better way to get them jazzed about Greek mythology?

Why do they like it? Old Percy Jackson pals with new monsters? Yes, please!

So are these the only books my students read? Heavens to Murgatroyd, no. On any day you'd find their desks, cubbies, and backpacks stuffed with stories ranging from picture books to The Hunger Games. Which made creating this list difficult. 

But I think that's a good thing. 

Because that means our kids are hungry for a variety of stories. They're hungry for a variety of books. They're hungry for diversity, for issues, for humor, sadness, knowledge.

So let's keep on feeding it to them.

Happy reading!