Classroom

Author and Common Core expert Kathleen Odean reveals great titles to tap as you work with the new standards.

Meg Medina knows firsthand about bullying—the topic of her young adult novel. In 'Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,' the author explores its consequences when 15-year-old Piddy Sanchez becomes victimized at her new school.

Perfect for use in the classroom, these lively looks at school and community gardens deliver a bouquet of titles about growing things. They'll also be useful for public libraries and other organizations that support green-thumb projects for kids.

This trio of poignant young adult titles will resonate with teen boys not only because they feature male protagonists, but also due to their strong themes of identity and self-discovery.

Authors of nonfiction for young readers model specific writing styles and techniques that demonstrate a command of the written word, engage and hook readers, and help to explain and contextualize important concepts.

The close reading of fiction and literary works is a standard requirement in our schools. Can we say the same of nonfiction?

By the time students reach grade 12, the Common Core State Standards require that 70% of their reading should be nonfiction. In order to fulfill this requirement in content area subjects, students will need to read more than their textbooks. Luckily, nonfiction writers for teens continue to create amazing narrative nonfiction that supports science and social studies, and that our kids will want to read.

In the fifth and final installment of our series celebrating National Poetry Month, Jack Prelutsky, America’s first children’s poet laureate, offers us five of his top poetry collections for kids.

In our next installment celebrating National Poetry Month, acclaimed and versatile author Marilyn Singer highlights five of her top poetry anthologies for kids.