My Summer Reading List

I have had so much fun writing this Summer Reading List series.  If you haven’t caught the other posts in the series, be sure to check them out now!

Board Books for Babies and Toddlers

Best Picture Books for Ages 4-8

Chapter Books for Early Readers

Books for Middle Schoolers

Reading List for Middle School Boys

Best Books for Middle School Girls

I thought I  would conclude the series by sharing part of my personal Summer Reading List.  These are books that I currently have on hold at the library or just really want to read!  I’ve divided the list into two sections:  Young Adult Literature and Adult Literature.

Because I am a middle school reading teacher, I try to read quite a bit of young adult literature so that I can make recommendations to my students.  However,  I also just really love young adult lit!  If you haven’t read any recently, you might give it a try!  Some of the best literature out there right now is being written for teens.

Young Adult Literature

All of my YA books are from the 2015-2016 Virginia Reader’s Choice books.  These books are selected by teachers and librarian across the state, who then encourage their students to read them.

The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson

This is the only memoir published by a child who was on Oskar Schindler’s famous list.  Leon was ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland, and he managed to survive the Holocaust through the help of his family and the generosity of Schindler.  The Boy on the Wooden Box was a New York Times Best Seller and is called a “powerful memoir, filled with hope.”

Counting by 7s by Holly Sloan

Counting by 7s has been compared to Out of My Mind and Mockingbird, two books that broke barriers by having protagonists who suffer from various physical or mental disabilities.  In this book, Willow, a twelve-year-old genius who struggles to relate to people, has to learn to face the world after her parents die in a car accident.

“The President Has Been Shot!”: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L. Swanson

Swanson takes young readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and dramatic days in our country’s history.  This narrative nonfiction book by the author of Chasing Lincoln’s Killer introduces a new generation to the events that shaped a previous one.

Seeing Red by Kathryn Erskine

Seeing Red is a work of historical fiction that tells a story of race relations in the South.  Red Porter’s life changes when his father dies.  He and his mother have to decide what to do about the family business and how to interact with others in a world that seems to be changing quickly.

Adult Literature

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Michael’s Pollan’s book has been cited frequently in three other books that I have read and enjoyed this year (100 Days of Real Food; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; and 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess).  I decided that I want to go to the source and see what all of the fuss is about.  Pollan distinguishes between food and “edible substances” that Americans tend to eat without thinking about.  His writing has changed the way that many view food, their relationship with it, and the amount of processed food and sugar in the typical American diet.

French Kids Eat Everything by Karen LeBillon

Can you tell that I have food on my mind right now?  LeBillon’s book presents the French way of introducing children to food, their views on snacking, and the lack of picky eaters in France.  I’m pretty excited about starting this book soon.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Kondo’s book has become the surprising hit of the summer.  From  reviews that I have read by bloggers that I trust, Kondo presents an interesting, practical, and revolutionary method of organizing and simplifying your home and possessions.  I’m always up for a good reorganizing, so I can’t wait to read it!  However, since I am currently 122 out of 162 on the hold list at my local library, I may not get to it before the end of the summer.  🙂

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey

This is another work that has been recommended by several people whose taste I admire.  Currey examines 161 different artists, authors, philosophers, and mathematicians and the routines that they used to help them achieve brilliance.  The premise sounds fascinating and inspiring–maybe it will even help me develop my own writing routine.

What books do you have on your summer list?  What good books have you read lately?

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(Linked to Book Nook, Modern Mrs. Darcy.)