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NEW SCHOOL YEAR: FREE Posters For Your Classroom!

Are you ready for the new school year? I return to work on Tuesday, but I know a lot of you have already begun the 2013-2014 school year. Those of you who are new teachers will benefit from that tab at the top, so take a look and let me know what you would like to see here. Here are a few more posts to make your year great:
10 Places to Find Back to School Templates

15 Sites for Classroom Management Templates and Forms

20 Places to Find Award and Certificate Templates

22 Resources to Teach About September 11

24 Places to Find Bulletin Board Display Ideas

40 Ways to Obtain Information on Grants and Grant Writing

136 Interactive Educational Games By Subject Area

Holiday Resources From September to June

Icebreakers for the Start of the School Year

This particular post will be added to the FREE page listed at the top of the blog. Links with a * indicate those I found from Joyce Valenza's super post here.

9 Steps to Create a Classroom Poster Using Google Docs

40 Retro Library Posters- my post from last year

*288 FREE Classroom Posters- from the Busy Teachers; contains infographics, posters for all grade levels

*Big 6 Posters- from Franklin/Chow

Brainy Betty's Free Posters- includes posters for orchestra, band, track

*Common Sense Media- digital literacy posters

Free Classroom Posters- from Teach With Me, covers math, science, alphabet, much more

Free Mini Posters- from Scholastic; 4 posters

Google Image Search- millions of results for large images; different worded search here

*Jan Brett's (author) Classroom Signs- animals on the posters; for younger grades; about 20 posters

Make Your Own Classroom Poster- use any photo-editing program

*Motivational Posters- 9 posters
Motivator- create your own motivational poster


Peanut Free Classroom Posters- from Allergy Free Table

Poster My Wall- choose from their poster designs and modify them or start from one of their templates. Downloads are free, but the better quality downloads cost $$

Printable Classroom Signs- from Freeology; about 4 pages includes quotes from famous people


Poster Street- 12 posters for younger grade teachers

Science Method Printables

Southern Poverty Law Center- provided by a partnership of Teaching Tolerance, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and Facing History and Ourselves.

TeacherVision Posters- 233 pages of posters cover grades K-12 (they tell you the grade)

*Turn a Quote into a Masterpiece

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Thank You to My Fellow Media Specialists




Now that the summer has come to an end, I wanted to take a moment to personally thank the media specialists who contributed guest posts the past two months. Hope you all have a wonderful, successful school year!





  • Mary Alice Anderson  (who was my teacher for two online courses I took)
  • Debbie Alvarez
  • Arlen Kimmelman (incoming President of the NJ Association of School Librarians)
  • Tammy Langenberg
  • Linda Lindsay
  • Natalie Lorenzi
  • Julie Spang
  • Valerie Stein

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Last Guest Post of the Summer: You Already ARE Your School's Technology Coach

It’s not a new discussion (see “For Further reading” below). It’s certainly not a discussion with an easy resolution. Just think of all the titles you, your school, your district, and the public struggle to figure out what to call you: school librarian, school library media specialist, teacher-librarian, technology “tech” coach, instructional technology coach (or just instructional coach), peer coach, classroom tech coach, 21st Century technology literacy coach, technology integration coach, or facilitator or coordinator or resource or support or leader or...


Without a doubt our own identity crisis only adds to the confusion. Earlier this year I created an infographic illustrating the overlap of a school librarian’s role with that of a classroom teacher.



So I decided to try my hand at creating an infographic to attempt to decipher the roles of school librarian and technology coach.  

Before I did a search for icons to use from http://www.iconarchive.com, I thought I might use photos. I did a search on http://search.creativecommons.org/ focusing on Google Images and typed in “cool librarian.” Most of the resulting pictures included books. Then I used the same site to do a search for “tech coach” -Texas. (Try the search; you’ll see why I omitted ‘Texas.’) Most of these picture results included computers.

Herein lies the predicament #1. As my photo search reminded me with a metaphorical slap to the head, school librarians are historically, traditionally, perpetually perceived as the keeper-of-the-books. Nevertheless, school librarians are equally, if not differently, qualified to be technology coaches.


What I’ve learned from attending (many) workshops and reading (even more) testimonials is that what makes a great technology coach is relationships. Period. While it helps to be aware of...
… the differences between information literacy and technology literacy,
… and that technology troubleshooting is part of computer literacy,
and it is invaluable to remember that …
... no matter what, our focus should always be on student learning,
the bottom line is trust. People in the role of technology coach must be perceived as peers and partners not penalties and punishments. School librarians and technology coaches both exist to make the teachers look good and be more effective not to report back to administration that so-and-so is a resistant technophobe or an old dog who won’t learn new tricks.

Herein lies predicament #2: Consider a school librarian’s effect: If we’ve done our jobs well in collaborating with a classroom teacher and planning/supporting a lesson, the classroom teacher shines, and the school librarian is invisible. (Unless we’re co-teaching, naturally.) The very nature of our jobs jeopardized our own opportunities for widespread, school community acknowledgement of our technological talents. Even the job title some librarians prefer - ‘specialist’ - pigeonholes us. Technology coaches don’t use the term ‘specialist;’ they use coach or facilitator or coordinator or resource or support or leader or...

We already are our schools’ technology coaches. In addition to being the keeper-of-the-books and all that entails, is there anything in this list or on the infographic that you do not do? (If there is, you should be doing it!)

provide access to information
align standards
assess online resources
collaborate at all levels
create digital content
develop and implement digital literacy curricula
promote digital ethics
serve multiple grades
provide in-house resources
collaborate on lesson plans
model lifelong learning
apply multiple modes of contact
facilitate eLearning
create rubrics
provide in-context teacher technology training
train staff and students to incorporate technology
teach by standards
participate in strategic planning
implement pre-assessments
implement post-assessments
remediate students
provide teaching staff P.D. training
recommend technology infrastructure
provide support staff’s P.D. training
manage video-conferencing
provide Web access to resources
participate in troubleshooting


What you can do... If you know you do all of these things, or could do all of these things, but your school district is jumping on the trendy technology coach bandwagon...

◇ Show the infographic to your administrators ◇ Get your board-approved job description to include the things you really do, not what they think you do ◇ Work with the willing: work with the teachers with whom you already have trusting relationships and ask them to help you entice the doubters by touting their own successes with your services ◇ Make sure you’re on your district’s technology committee and strategic planning committee ◇ Volunteer to present at department meetings and board meetings ◇ Stay up-to-date on school technology through journals, blogs, workshops, conferences, etc., and then share what you learn with your colleagues and administration.


At the very least, ask questions:
  1. If staff development has no time to implement technology coaching now, how will this differ or enhance the P.D. staff receives from the current model?
  2. If the library media center (i.e., school librarian) researches, acquires, maintains and trains on digital content, is a redundant but separate system being created or will the educational technology coach(es) and the school librarian(s) be working in tandem? What is the role of the school librarian as we see it vs. how administration sees it?
  3. Is the educational technology coach a district position or a school position?

Don’t be shy. Don’t be passive. We help ourselves to help others when we help others know about how we help. Or as Douglas Adams wrote in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, “Zaphod marched quickly down the passageway, nervous as hell, but trying to hide it by striding purposefully.” Stride purposefully; you already are your school’s technology coach because you are a school librarian.

For further reading:

Beglau, Monica, Jana C. Hare, Les Foltos, et al. International Society for Technology in
Education.Technology, Coaching, and Community. Eugene, OR: ISTE, 2011. Web. http://www.isteconference.org/uploads/ISTE2013/HANDOUTS/KEY_81724011/Coaching_Whitepaper_digital.pdf.

Cofino, Kim. "Libraries & EdTech: Like Peanut Butter and Jelly!." Always Learning. Edublogs.org,
Hamilton, Buffy. "Do I Really Have to Leave the Role of School Librarian To Do the Work of a

"ISTE | NETS for Coaches NETS Project." ISTE | NETS for Coaches NETS Project. International
Society for Technology in Education, 2011. Web. 29 July 2013. http://www.iste.org/store/product?ID=2595

"New Jersey Study of School Libraries." NJASL. New Jersey Association of School Librarians, n.d.
Web. 2 Aug. 2013. http://njasl.org/NJ_Study.

Pentlin, Floyd. "Who’re you gonna call? The “school librarian”." AASL Blog. American Association of
School Librarians, 17 January 2010. Web. 28 Jul. 2013. http://www.aasl.ala.org/aaslblog/?p=913.

Guest Blogger Info
Arlen Kimmelman, Ed.M., M.A., NBCT
President-Elect, New Jersey Association of School Librarians
School Librarian, Clearview Regional HS (NJ)





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Guest Post: Cultivating Diversity in Your Library

According to the latest census, minorities now make up about 37% of the U.S. population, and we’ll be a “minority-majority” nation by 2043. Yet the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) calculates that 90% of books published over the last two decades are written by or about caucasian Americans. With so few books out there representing minority cultures, what’s a librarian to do? Plenty, according to Dr. Katie Cunningham, Assistant Professor, Manhattanville College in this must-read blog post by publisher Lee  & Low Books: “It is librarians who are the scholars of children’s literature and should be seen as tremendous resources within school and local communities.”


So how can we cultivate diversity in our libraries?
Talk the Talk

We librarians love to talk books--we do it everyday. There are some books where race and setting and culture are an integral part of the story. If I were book-talking Duncan Tonatiuh’s picture book Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin, I might say:

Two cousins, Charlie and Carlito, have never met; one lives in the U.S. and the other lives in Mexico. Through their letters to one another, they discover that even though they do things in different ways, they are more alike than different. Would I hand this book to a kid from Mexico? Most likely. What about a kid who’s never traveled out of his or her hometown? Again, most likely yes. Spanish-speaking children will be thrilled to see Spanish words sprinkled throughout the text, and non-Spanish speakers will likely be excited to learn some Spanish words. But aside from the obvious cultural connections, I’d also hand it to a teacher who’s planning a lesson on letter-writing, or a unit on North American geography. I’d talk it up to the grade-level team who is teaching about communities, family, or transportation.
But other books that feature diverse characters have nothing to do with race. We’d never open a book talk about Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia by saying, “This is the story of two white kids who...”

The main character in Mike Jung’s Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities is Vincent Wu--superhero fan and all-around nice kid. Here’s how I might book-talk this one:
Vincent, president of the Captain Stupendous Fan Club, has been noticing lately that his favorite superhero is less than super--he’s losing battles that should be cake, and now his bumbling performances are threatening the safety of Copperplate City. Vincent is determined to help, but stumbles when he discovers that his favorite superhero is actually Polly, his secret crush. Race doesn’t factor into this funny, charming middle grade sci-fi tale at all. Would I hand this to a Chinese-American kid? Yes, if he or she likes humor, sci-fi, and a bit of romance of the non-mushy variety. Would I hand this to a Chinese-American kid who asks for historical fiction recommendations? No. This book isn’t for all Chinese-American kids, just like Bridge to Terabithia isn’t for all (or only) white kids. Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities is for kids who love this genre, or for readers who gobble up graphic novels and are willing to branch out to stories with more text.

Digital Curation Many teachers would like to use more diverse literature in the classroom. But with a brand new class each year, it’s easy to fall back on read-alouds and literature circle picks that have worked in the past. As librarians, we can make our colleagues aware of the lack of diversity in children’s literature and invite them to be advocates of variety. One way to do this is to make resources easily available to them. I use Livebinders (www.livebinders.com), a virtual collection of resources formatted much like a physical binder with tabs and subtabs. I can imbed my binders in the library link of our school’s homepage, or share the link with staff only. Here’s an example of one binder I’ve started to put together that contains resources for teaching middle grade books about the immigration experience in the U.S.: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=821829 . For each book, I’ve created a tab for authors’ websites, any teaching materials or curriculum guides, interviews, book trailers--anything that teachers might use with their students.

As Dr. Cunningham reminds us in the aforementioned Lee & Low interview, “It’s time for teachers, parents, and librarians to take stock of the the books they are reading aloud and putting in children’s hands and critically question whether the books they read represent our increasingly diverse society.” As librarians, we can begin with our own teetering to-be-read piles. What’s in yours?

Guest Blogger Info
Natalie Dias Lorenzi is an elementary school librarian in Fairfax County, Virginia and the author of Flying the Dragon, a middle grade novel for children (Charlesbridge, 2012). This fall she’ll be presenting at the Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) Annual Fall Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia and at the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 16th National Conference in Hartford, Connecticut as part of an author panel called Rising to the Global Challenge: Literature as a Tool for Creating World Citizens. Learn more at www.nataliediaslorenzi.com or follow Natalie on Twitter @NatalieLorenzi

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Guest Post: On My Mind

Addressing a statewide group of media specialists, my former principal said, I have two simple wishes for my school--that when the students wake up in the morning they want to go to school, and when the staff wakes up in the morning they want to go to school. * He also talked about the importance of technology, staff development, and media specialists partnering in the school and beyond. Scott Hannon wanted the media center to be a place where kids wanted to be, where things were happening; joked that something was wrong if it was too quiet. I was fortunate to work with him; I miss middle school as I hear about exciting possibilities for today’s media specialists and for our students.

And, something is on my mind. Why are so many people still entering the field because they love books? One administrator told me she would not hire that person. I love books, too. That is not enough for today’s media specialist. Why do I read comments such as, I didn’t know technology and advocacy were part of my job. Do you mean I have to learn how to use all of this technology?

A soon-to-be media specialist now teaching third grade knew the teachers she worked with did not know how to access electronic books for their iPads. She knew the current media specialist would not help. She saw this as an opportunity to provide staff-development sessions; she recognized that staff development is always an important role.

Why, moving towards our third decade of Internet access in the schools are so many media centers lacking enough technology for even one class to do 21st century research? Why are there concerns about giving up shelving for more technology? Why are so many educators, including media specialists, not aware of the wealth of free database resources provided to their schools by their states? Why are still discussions about when to close for inventory? Technology has long made that unnecessary. A university professor said it well. I've visited many media centers; the thing teachers dislike the most is when the media center is closed at the end of the year for inventory.

The other day I caught a bit of a public radio discussion about accessing information. A panelist shared a discussion between two children. A boy said, I go to our school library and they only let me check one book out. His friend replied Why don’t you just steal? Why do people who want students to read put up barriers? It saddened me to hear this public dialog from non-educators. Perhaps the public airing will do some good. It saddens me that after many years of profound change in our careers I still hear about media centers that are unwelcoming and underutilized. It’s a wonderful opportunity for a new media specialist to make change.

When I discussed plans with Scott he often said, Do what’s best for kids. Along those lines, a few lost books are the cost of doing business. Teach responsibility, but fight problems that are worth fighting.

A few other nuggets of wisdom from administrators and other educators have stuck with me for years:
1. If people see you doing clerical tasks that's what they will think your job is. (Yes, some of it needs to be done; some does not.)
2. It's all about relationships.
3. We want a media specialist to help us with technology. We can take care of the literature.
4. Just do it; that’s why we hired you.
5. You can have any kind media program you -- or you and principal -- want to have!

Now nearing retirement as the district Superintendent, Dr. Hannon said,  It’s just a pleasure coming to work every day . . . and trying to do good things for all of the students in the district. **

I hope that all media specialists love going to work every day, are good things, and making your media center a place where kids – and teachers -- want to be.

* Dr. Scott Hannon, Minnesota Educational Media Organization Conference, October 1996
**Winona Daily News, July 12, 2013)
Winona Area Public Schools begins search for new leader
Winona Daily News, July 12, 2013
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_75d9c1b0-eaab-11e2-8af3-001a4bcf887a.html
_________________________

Guest Blogger Info
Mary Alice Anderson, Online Instructor, School of Education
andersonmary@uwstout.edu
University of Wisconsin - Stout
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/primarysources.cfm
http://www.uwstout.edu/faculty/andersonmary/index.cfm
http://maryalicea.wordpress.com
Internet@ Schools NEW Media Center Columns

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The Beginning of the School Year....

Although I still have a few weeks left before returning to work, some of you have already started the new school year. I have gathered some important resources for you which are from previous posts on my blog. If you'd like to see something in particular, drop me an email. Have a wonderful 2013-2014 school year!

10 Places to Find Back to School Templates

15 Sites for Classroom Management Templates and Forms

20 Places to Find Award and Certificate Templates

22 Resources to Teach About September 11

24 Places to Find Bulletin Board Display Ideas

40 Ways to Obtain Information on Grants and Grant Writing

136 Interactive Educational Games By Subject Area

Holiday Resources From September to June

Icebreakers for the Start of the School Year

New Teachers


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Trying a New Look: A Work in Progress

I hope you didn't think you had reached the wrong page. You are on the correct blog; it's just going through some changes. I downloaded a copy of my old template, (At least I THOUGHT it had been saved) only to discover that it was nowhere to be found on my hard drive. EEEKS. I am still trying to tweak some HTML code on this template, as well as trying to decide if I really like it. Anyone out there have a similar experience trying to change their template? Feel free to comment below, since misery loves company. Thanks.

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Guest Post: Top Audiobooks for Children

Many friends ask: Debbie, how do you read so much?  Audiobooks have helped me become quite versed in children’s literature through the years. I’m quite passionate about various novels and appreciate that I grew in my knowledge about young adult literature initially through audiobooks. I also jumped back into my childhood by listening to familiar favorites and classics. Additionally, as a mother, I adore using audiobooks with my son. I love that my son loves to read with others. He adores read-alouds and has grown as a reader with his vocabulary and comprehension due in part to being immersed in children’s literature since he was an infant. Last year, my son and I carpooled together back and forth from school and we listened to books such as BFG by Roald Dahl and Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  Then we listened to Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. We have both missed carpooling this year with our transition to a new job and location. Recently, I noticed that he has been reluctant to transition to the chapter books he is capable of reading, so I began providing him with quality audiobooks on an iTouch. He has loved this transition and enjoyed listening to Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne, Holes (twice) by Louis Sachar, Love that Dog by Sharon Creech, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke, and many more books that I mentioned in the above lists. So far, he loves the independence and I enjoyed seeing an eagerness in his book selection again. Personally, I purposefully plan my audiobook selections with young adult and adult literature in mind since I prefer a balance of genres when I’m reading multiple books at once. I also try to listen to books which won the Odyssey award and I am never disappointed by the selections.

Here are some favorite children’s and young adult audiobooks: please note, these have purposefully been placed in alphabetical order and organized by a suggested grade level range in addition to genre and quick book talk provided for each title. Your child may be fully capable of enjoying and comprehending books at lower or higher levels than organized below, these are simply suggestions:

Kindergarten-2nd Grade; Years 1-3:
The World According to Humphrey (Humphrey Series) by Betty G. Birney, Animal Fiction
- Humphrey, the class hamster, learns a lot about the human species through observation.
Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins Collections by Beverly Cleary, Realistic Fiction
- Prepare yourself for loads of laughs! Henry Huggins is narrated by Neil Patrick Harris.
BFG by Roald Dahl, Fantasy
-What do you think BFG stands for? What adventure would you expect if a giant reached into your window and carried you away? Enjoy the adventures of a little orphan girl Sophie and her BFG.
Louise, Adventures of a Chicken by Kate diCamillo, Animal Fiction
- Louise is a chicken on a mission, to go out and experience the world. Winner of the Odyssey Book Award in 2010, amazing production to enjoy in addition to the bonus opportunity to read along with this picture book.
Mercy Watson Series by Kate diCamillo, Animal Fiction
- Who sleeps with their pig and feeds her buttered toast?
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth  Stiles Gannett, Fantasy
- Would you believe a wild alley cat who tells you about dragons and a wild island?
Free audiobook here: http://librivox.org/my-fathers-dragon-by-ruth-stiles-gannett/
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel, Animal Fiction
- Can a frog and toad be friends? Can their adventures with swimming together and telling one another stories keep you laughing?
Gooney Bird Collection by Lois Lowry, Realistic Fiction
- Would you show up with underwear on your head?
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty McDonald, Fantasy
- Have you ever been trapped in your room by your toys?
Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne, Fantasy
- Would you go on magical missions if you got the chance?
Junie B. Jones Series by Barbara Park, Realistic Fiction
- Would you worry about riding on a bus if your best friend tells you that chocolate milk will be poured on your head?
Clementine Series by Sarah Pennypacker, Realistic Fiction
- Ever read a book with a main character who insists on calling her little brother a vegetable name instead of his regular name?
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Animal Fiction
- A pig and a spider become the best of friends, what can happen with that combination?
Stuart Little by E.B. White, Animal Fiction
- Imagine parents adopting a mouse as your sibling.
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, Animal Fiction
- Did you hear about the trumpeter swan who can’t honk? Give him a trumpet of course!


3rd-4th Grade; Years 4-5:
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, Fantasy
- An assistant pig-keeper embarks on a huge fantasy journey.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, Realistic Fiction/Fantasy
- Would you trust the advice of a piece of origami to guide your life?
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Animal Fiction
-Growing up in a mall, what kind of lifestyle would you expect? Find out how Ivan, the gorilla, survives!
Hold Fast by Blue Balliett, Historical Fiction
- Mysterious pieces are unraveled after a father disappears on his way home from work one day.
OZ Series by Frank L. Baum, Fantasy
- Get lost in a land where there might be glass people, talking animals, and magical flowers.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, Realistic Fiction
- How would you deal with a little brother getting into all of your special belongings? Find out how Peter deals with his little brother Fudge.
Allie Finkle’s Series by Meg Cabot, Realistic Fiction
- ”Don’t stick a spatula down your best friend’s throat.” - Now who could go wrong with learning rules like that?
Floors by Patrick Carman, Fantasy
- If you could design a room in a magical hotel, what kind of room would it be? Underwater? Life-size computer game room?
The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, Fantasy
- Can fairy tales be connected with our reality?
Love that Dog by Sharon Creech, Realistic Fiction/Novel in Verse
- ”Nope, can’t do it, brain’s empty.”
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, Historical Fiction
- Can you find someone with only a music poster to guide you?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/The Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl, Fantasy
- Go on a magical journey into a delicious world with Charlie Bucket!
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, Realistic Fiction
- Which is more important, being able to talk with people or being a math genius? Find great tips on running your own business while hearing how a brother and sister begin a war.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate diCamillo, Realistic Fiction
- Who names their dog after a grocery store?
Tale of Despereaux by Kate diCamillo, Fantasy
- Can a mouse be a hero?
Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, Fantasy
- How would you react if your house was smashed and your favorite things were thrown away? Would you retaliate by tying someone’s hair to their bedposts?
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, Fantasy
- Can friends complete a mission and get to a safe haven for dragons?
Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke, Fantasy
- Would you help solve a murder for a ghost knight?
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman, Fantasy
- What would your life be like if your name was Odd?
Our Only May Amelia and The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm, Historical Fiction
- How would you feel if you had seven brothers and you were the only girl? How about if your father says that girls are useless?
The Pepins and their Problems by Polly Horvath, Humorous Fiction/Fantasy
- Have you heard of a family that has a cow that only produces lemonade? That’s only one part of this hilarious tale.
Bunnicula Series by James Howe, Fantasy/Animal Fiction
- Vampire bunny. Dog and cat pets work to solve the mystery.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Fantasy
- What would you do if you were cursed to always do what someone told you to do?
Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis, Fantasy
- Talking Lion. Magical Wardrobe. Evil witches. Siblings adventure.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, Fantasy
- A quest to help parents leads Minli to be joined by a dragon.
Alvin Ho Series by Lenore Look, Realistic Fiction
- Can’t talk at school, except with his eyes. Terrified of many things but LOVES firecrackers!
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass, Fantasy
- What would you do if you started to live a day over and over again?
Judy Moody Series by Megan McDonald, Realistic Fiction
- Have you ever started a new school year in a bad mood?
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Realistic Fiction
- How would you solve a problem when your parents tell you to do something but you want to do the opposite?
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien, Fantasy/Science Fiction
- Solve this: house about to be plowed down, but you can’t move your child who is sick with pneumonia. What does a little mouse do to save her family? How can rats help solve the situation?
Winterling by Sarah Prineas, Fantasy
- When Fer travels to a magical land, she begins to find out who she really is.
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, Fantasy
- Young wizards. Fantastic wizard school. Young boy who finally fits in somewhere.
Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan, Historical Fiction
- Would you disguise yourself in order to ride a horse?
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, Animal Fiction
- A little cricket accidentally travels by picnic basket to New York. How will this new location change him?
Tiger- Five Ancestors Series by Jeff Stone, Historical Fiction
- When their temple burns down, five young warrior monks struggle to survive.


5th-6th Grade; Years 6-7
Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson, Science Fiction
- What could go wrong when whales hire scientists to invent stilts and lasers to fit over their eyes?
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Fantasy
- How does Peter Pan become magical? Make his friends? Read to find out!
Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach, Realistic Fiction/Mystery
- How would you enjoy solving a mystery connected with a huge diamond hidden somewhere in your home?
Atherton Series, Book One- The House of Power by Patrick Carman, Science Fiction
- A mad scientist creates a three tiered world that orbits above earth. Mysterious activities on the world are discovered by a young climber...
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, Historical Fiction
- Go live on Alcatraz island and find out how to connect with world-known criminals!
Extra Credit by Andrew Clements, Realistic Fiction
- Abby is about to fail the sixth grade, unless she does her homework, does well on exams and completes an extra credit assignment: to write letters to someone from another country and culture... what might happen when her pen pal turns out to be a boy from Afghanistan?
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Fantasy
- What lies underground, gigantic bats? spiders? Mysterious magical people? Gregor and his little sister begin to find out when they accidentally slide down a laundry chute to a new underworld.
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, Realistic Fiction
- The most brilliant girl in school is trapped within her body without any chance to let anyone know how smart she is. What happens when she gets a device that allows her to finally communicate?
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, Science Fiction
- There is a city which is completely dark with no moon, no sun, no stars. The only light comes from electricity, which is failing.
Rangers Apprentice Series by John Flanagan, Fantasy
- Will is selected to be a Rangers Apprentice but doubts whether he should be such since he’s scared of the Rangers who wear dark cloaks and seem to act in shadowy ways.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Fantasy
- When you have the magical power to read people into and out of books, what can go wrong?
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos, Realistic Fiction
- Joey is a boy who has a challenge. He’s a good kid but he can’t follow the rules or pay attention. Can he ever get things right?
Once by Morris Gleitzman, Historical Fiction
- Felix is a Jewish boy hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know anything about the war and runs off from his safe hiding place right into the Nazi occupied areas of Poland.
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Science Fiction
- Imagine being a forbidden child, hidden by population police living without being allowed to make friends or even go outside.
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, Historical Fiction
- Dust storms drastically change life in Billy Jo’s Oklahoma community.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, Realistic Fiction
- How would you rescue burrowing owls from a bulldozer?
Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye, Animal Fiction/Mystery
- A watchmaker receives a watch to repair from a mysterious character, repairs the watch and then goes on a dangerous mission to return the watch to its owner.
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Jacobsen, Realistic Fiction
- A young boy is abandoned by his mother in the middle of a national park. How will he survive?
Redwall by Brian Jacques, Fantasy/Animal Fiction
- Enter the fantasy mouse world of Redwall where peace loving mice’s lives are disrupted by an evil rat warlord.
See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles, Realistic Fiction
- Find out how one character deals with being the middle child in a loving family dealing with a terrible accident.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Fantasy
- Three children journey through space and time in order to save their father.
Rules by Cynthia Lord, Realistic Fiction
- Would you accept life as a 13 year old with a little brother with autism who rules your family?
Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass, Realistic Fiction
- If you learned there would be a total eclipse of the sun, would you be drawn to the best place on earth to view it? Three all connected in that special location.
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Fantasy
- To unify a divided people, four boys are selected to compete to be the “false” prince.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Realistic Fiction
- Watch the transition of life through different perspectives when a boy with a facial deformity  enters a mainstream school for the first time in this beautiful, fantastic story.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Adventure/Survival
- After a plane crash, Brian survives in the wilderness for 54 days.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Fantasy
- When Eragon finds a blue stone, he doesn’t realize that he is going to have a dragon hatchling to care for.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, Mystery
- Be prepared for an amazing reading of a will with 16 people.
Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan, Fantasy
- Percy didn’t know that being kicked out of a boarding school was the least of his concerns. He soon discovered Greek myths coming to life around him... what could happen?
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, Historical Fiction
- Esperanza lived like a princess for years until her family had to flee to California and settle at a camp for Mexican farm workers.
Holes by Louis Sachar, Realistic Fiction/Fantasy
- Stanley Yelnats is sent to serve a sentence for theft at Camp Green Lake and the first job he had was: to dig holes.
Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, Science Fiction
- Alcatraz is an unlikely hero with a talent for breaking things... his mission? To rescue a bag of sand from the hands of evil librarians.
First Light by Rebecca Stead, Science Fiction/Adventure
- Peter goes to live in Greenland with his parents on a special research mission to learn about global warming. Thea has never seen the sun and lives deep inside the arctic ice with her community. What happens when the two of them meet?
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens, Fantasy
- Three siblings have been in orphanages for the past ten years. What adventures do they have with magic and time travel ahead of them?
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, Mystery/Adventure
- “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” This ad led to many children taking numerous mind bending tests and four children succeeding in getting approval to go on secret missions.
The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John, Adventure
- Mystery centers around Martine’s life after she encounters Jemma the white giraffe at her grandmother’s wildlife game preserve.

7th-8th Grade; Years 8-9
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, Historical Fiction
- Fight to stay alive during a fever epidemic in 1793.
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares, Realistic Fiction
- A pair of pants mysteriously perfectly fit a group of best friends. The friends agree to share the pants during their summer adventures.
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, Realistic Fiction
- Follow a girl through her discovery of being a princess to high expectations and princess lessons from her grandmother.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Fantasy
- A millionaire, genius 12 year old kidnaps a fairy and soon learns that fairies can be quite fierce!
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer, Fantasy
- A boy and his sister were kidnapped by a fierce berserkers and forced to survive on a ship.
Wee Free Men by Terry Hatchett, Fantasy
- What would you do if your little brother was kidnapped? Would you align yourself with fierce six-inch little blue men to rescue him?
Scat by Carl Hiaasen, Realistic Fiction
- When a teacher goes missing, two students get drawn into a swampy mystery.
The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill, Fantasy
- A fierce princess warrior must protect herself and her kingdom from an invasion. Would she succeed after allying herself with vampires, wolf people, and snow leopards?
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby, Fantasy
- Mystery shrouds an iced-in kingdom.
Pendragon, Book 1, The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale, Fantasy/Adventure
- Bobby discovers he must be the hero after being swept into an alternate dimension during this non-stop action, page turning book.
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson, Adventure/Realistic Fiction
- A punishment for a terrible crime: to survive one year banished on an island in Alaska.
Keys to the Kingdom Series by Garth Nix, Fantasy
- An asthmatic boy is swept up into another world on a mission to locate seven powerful keys.
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, Science Fiction
- A girl writes an essay explaining how aliens came to earth and kidnapped her mother. What an adventure!
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt, Historical Fiction
- Two unlikely friends both grow over a year in this touching, upsetting story.
Switchers by Kate Thomas, Fantasy
- Tess is a switcher, she can change her shape into any animal form she wishes, and believes, incorrectly, that she is alone. Little does she know that she must join forces with another switcher and work to save the Northern hemisphere!

9th-12th Grade; Years 10-13:
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Realistic Fiction
- What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, Historical Fiction
-Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Adventure/Survival/Satire
-Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Adventure/Science Fiction/Dystopian
-The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Adventure/Science Fiction
-Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, Historical Fiction
-Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Historical Fiction/Science Fiction
-A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, Historical Fiction
-Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, Multicultural/Survival
-Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Science Fiction/Dystopian
-Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Fantasy
-Looking for Alaska by John Green, Realistic Fiction
-The Fault in our Stars by John Green, Realistic Fiction
-Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, Realistic Fiction
-Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Adventure
-The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson, Science Fiction
-Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Science Fiction/Dystopian
-Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy, Survival/Realistic Fiction
-The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater, Fantasy
-Daughter of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor, Fantasy
-Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, Steampunk (alternative history)
-Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff, Realistic Fiction
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There are excellent young adult audiobooks lists here: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/amazing-audiobooks

Here are some good online resources for locating audiobooks:

Great Pinterest Collections on audiobooks:
another two:

Great audiobook post- “The Power of Audiobooks”:
Wonderful post on supporting readers’ growth from audiobooks:
Few other articles on favorite audiobook narrators:

Here are a few miscellaneous audiobook blog posts connecting readers to audiobooks:

Guest Blogger Info
Debbie Alvarez is a Teacher Librarian in Hong Kong. She enjoys sharing her literacy, technology, and research skill ideas through the blog: http://thestylinglibrarian.com in addition to communicating on Twitter as @stylinlibrarian. Please visit her at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1941055-the-styling-librarian

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