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Donald Sobol

Two-Minute Mysteries

Age Level:
Middle Grade
Though this book is more for budding detectives than budding spies, it has many of the same appealing factors—listening, clue-gathering, and crime-solving. A classic that appeals to elementary-school students, this is also fun for read-alouds.
Tyler Johnson Was Here
Jay Coles

Tyler Johnson Was Here

Genre:
Fiction
Age Level:
YA

When Marvin Johnson’s twin brother, Tyler, is shot and killed by a police officer, Marvin must fight injustice to learn the true meaning of freedom.

Elizabeth Moje, Nicole Tysvaer

Types of Adolescent Literacy Initiatives in Out-of School-Time (OST) Programs

Enhancing adolescents’ literacy abilities in structured out-of-school time (OST) programs is a growing area of interest among OST enrichment providers. Schools and community-based agencies have developed a host of after-school remedial tutoring programs that provide intensive instruction for struggling students, while project-based youth development programs incorporate text-rich activities to provide highly motivating opportunities for young people to practice their reading and writing skills.

Typing Skills for Students Who Struggle with Writing

What would you do with a child who really struggles to get words down on a page?

Unfortunately, we still need to teach them how to type. Typing is still an essential component of that student’s life, and spending 15 minutes a day, five days a week for about four to six months is a really, really important skill for them to learn. Once they can type at about 35 words per minute, that’s enough speed so that they don’t have to look for the keys on the board anymore; they’re touch typing. And that allows them to take advantage of word prediction, and to use their word processor as their main form of getting their ideas down in writing.

Scott Westerfeld

Uglies

Age Level:
Middle Grade
H. Keith Melton

Ultimate Spy Book

Age Level:
Middle Grade
A wealth of information and photographs makes the Ultimate Spy Book the ultimate resource for teens interested in espionage.
Suzanne Fisher Staples

Under the Persimmon Tree

Age Level:
Middle Grade
“When her father and brother are taken by the Taliban and her mother and baby brother are killed in a bombing raid during the Afghan war in October 2001, Najmah begins an arduous journey across the border to Peshawar, Pakistan. There, she meets up with an American woman, Nusrat, who has been conducting a school for refugee children while she waits for her husband, Faiz, who has returned to his native country to open medical clinics. For most of the story, the narration alternates between Najmah and Nusrat, allowing readers to see the war’s effect on both of their lives.” — School Library Journal
Sepia-toned illustration of WWII fighter pilot running across field in France with a child and bomber plane overhead
L.M. Elliott

Under a War Torn Sky

Genre:
Historical Fiction
Age Level:
Middle Grade, YA

Although Henry Forester a.k.a. Hank is an older teenager at 19, he’s still in the teens in terms of the number of bombings he’s participated in as an American pilot during World War II. His luck runs out when he is shot down and parachutes into German-occupied territory. With the help of the French Resistance, he overcomes a number of perils and learns many lessons as he seeks safety in England.

Candace Cortiella

Understanding Assessment Options for IDEA-eligible Students

The No Child Left Behind law requires each school test students in Reading/Language Arts & Math each year in grades 3-8, and at least once more in grades 10-12. In some cases, children eligible for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) services may be able to access testing accommodations or even alternate tests, but parents need to fully understand the implications and potential consequences of participation in the various testing options.

Understanding Craft and Structure, Part 1

History teacher Johanna Heppeler guides her students through a process of “sourcing a document,” which includes looking at the speaker, the occasion, the audience, the purpose and the tone. Grade 11: History