It's been awhile since I have posted anything. However, being back in the classroom has inspired me to post about the books I am using with my students.
My first novel study last year was Starfish by Lisa Fipps. Lisa Fipps is an Indiana author and this was her first published book. It won the Printz Award in 2022 and many other awards. I had parents reading this book along with my students.The students enjoyed reading this and it was not something I had to repeatedly ask them to do. There were students that cried at certain parts of the book. This book addresses bullying in a real way and talks about healthy ways to address it.
The other 5th grade class read A Work in Progress which was a great pairing for this book if you wanted to give students an option on which book to read. Jarrett Lerner's book focuses on body image and self acceptance which are amazing topics for 5th grade students to manage.Both books are great to pair with a poetry unit as one is told in verse and the other in prose and verse. They are both great audiobooks as well. I encourage you to include these in your classroom.
https://authorlisafipps.com/books/starfish/
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608212/starfish-by-lisa-fipps/
https://jarrettlerner.com/2021/05/14/a-work-in-progress/
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Work-in-Progress/Jarrett-Lerner/9781665905169
https://jarrettlerner.com/2021/05/14/a-work-in-progress/
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Work-in-Progress/Jarrett-Lerner/9781665905169