The Islanders Series features three friends spending enlightening and adventure-filled summers on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The Islanders: Search for Treasure (Islanders Series #2) by Mary Alice Monroe, with Angela May. Aladdin, 2022, 254 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Home to Dewees Last summer Jake Potter thought his world was ending. His dad was wounded in Afghanistan and his mother shipped out to care for him. With no parent at home, Jake was deployed to the end of the world, or so it seemed: Dewees Island, SC, to spend the summer with his grandmother. There’s no internet or motor vehicles…

The “Homework Squad” shows attention-challenged students how to study smarter. The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin, PhD, illustrated by Tracy Bishop. Imagination Press, 2021, 131 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 8-14 ADHD may not be an official diagnosis, but all kids have trouble focusing from time to time. (My mind wanders to this day.) Four friends with the same problem banded together to practice study skills and find out what works best for them. Their sponsor Dr. Shiflin had plenty of exposure to ADHD kids, so he was able to guide and make suggestions. Now Hunter, Mateo, Michael, and Prisha…

High School British Literature: Dull and Difficult? When I arrived at college, I was absolutely, 100% convinced that British lit was my jam. But it’s safe to say that most of my peers, unless they were already diehard bibliophiles, didn’t share that same love of obscure Victorian novels. Fast forward 30 years, and it’s a sure bet that many contemporary teens aren’t signing up to read Tess of the D’Urbevilles, Great Expectations, or Jane Eyre when they could be watching Jurassic World or Maverick. Frankly, even I’m having a challenging time re-reading some of these titles as my own brain has gotten used to more distraction via device use. What…

Five boys find an unexpected place to come to terms with troubling life issues: The Fort. The Fort by Gordon Korman. Scholastic, 2022, 239 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 A Place of Their Own Evan’s parents are both in rehab after totally bugging out as parents. Jason’s parents are going through a nasty divorce, using him as a means of provoking and getting back at each other. Mitchell is no longer seeing a therapist for his OCD because his mom lost her full-time job and medical insurance. And C.J. takes crazy risks that leave him battered and bruised. Ricky the new kid has no…

Three picture books are perfect for going back to school: We the People, Pterodactyl Show and Tell, and My First Day *We the People: The Constitution of the United States by Peter Spier. Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2014, 48 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8, ages 8-10 Every illustration in Peter Spier’s books is worth studying, because they communicate so much. We the People is no exception. Who are “the people” of the United States? Who were they when the Constitution was framed? Who are they now? What is the Union and how is it formed? What does Justice look like? He also raises…

Telling history and science through pictures is an obvious way to teach, but watch out when a series attempts to do more than communicate the facts. History Comics Series, various authors, artists, and titles, published by First Second (Roaring Brook Press) Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Graphic novels are taking a larger share of children’s books publishing every year—for understandable reasons, in a culture growing less literate and more visual. “Novels” is often a misnomer, because nonfiction holds a large a place as fiction. Telling history and science through pictures is an obviously effective way to communicate the facts, and two recent graphic history series…