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A photo of books in front of a blue wall. At the top of the image there is a white border and pink and blue text that says "Best YA Books of 2022 for the Classroom Library"

Best YA Books of 2022 for the Classroom Library

Looking for the best YA books of 2022? Look no further! These new releases are all great choices for your classroom library. Are you looking for book recommendations for your classroom library? I polled my Instagram followers and got their picks for the best YA books of 2022. You’ll love the variety of stories. Best YA Books of 2022 for the Classroom Library The Getaway by Lamar Giles “Welcome to the funnest spot around . . . Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world’s most famous resorts. He’s got his family, his crew, and an incredible after-school job at the property’s main theme park. Life isn’t so great for the rest of the world, but when people come here to vacation, it’s to get away from all that. As

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Danielle Hall December 20, 2022
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10 YA & MG Books with Trans Characters You’ll Want in Your Classroom Library

Looking for more books with trans characters to add to your classroom library? I have recommendations for middle & high school in this post. YA & MG Books with Trans Characters Including books by Trans authors (and featuring Trans characters) in your classroom library is a great way to make your classroom a safe space for LGBTQ+ students. I have previously shared my tips on making your classroom a safe space for LGBTQ+ students. One EASY action item for both middle and high school is to include novels by Trans authors and books with Trans characters in your classroom library. And YES, you can do this at a middle school level, too. Here are my top ten books by Trans authors (or strongly centering a Trans character) for middle and high school. If you decided

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Leila Hobbs August 24, 2021
A photo of a stack of brightly colored yellow, red, and pink books. Above the books is a blue splash with the text "YA & MG Recommendations for Reluctant Readers"

12 YA + MG Books for Reluctant Readers

Looking for YA & MG books that will grab (and keep) a students attention? In this post I share 12 of my favorite books for reluctant readers. Raise your hand if you have a student that “hates reading” or says “books are boring.” Although it’s hard to comprehend for a bookworm like me, it’s a common sentiment. The good news is that for many kids, they just haven’t found a book that captivates them, has characters that make them feel seen, or is on a subject they’re interested in. I think it’s vital that we meet these students where they are. Don’t make negative comments about their disinterest or make them feel like they need “fixing.” Some kids, no matter how many books you put in front of them, will never love reading, and that’s

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Leila Hobbs July 13, 2021

Latinx YA Books for Your Classroom Library

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month, y’all! We celebrate this every year from September 15th to October 15th, and we can also bring it to our bookshelves. I recommend visiting the National Hispanic Heritage Month website: they have some great resources for teachers. Keep reading for amazing Latinx YA books that you can share with your students to celebrate. While it’s important to celebrate cultural and national heritage during specific festivals or annual events, how inclusive is your classroom library year-round? Books are both windows and mirrors. Can your students see genuine representations of themselves, or “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”? Don’t feel discouraged if your classroom library or curriculum isn’t inclusive, yet. Your students are lucky because they have you to advocate for them and to continue pushing for diversity in the materials that

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Danielle Hall September 24, 2020

More Diverse YA Novels from the YA Cafe Podcast

From the 17th Century adventures in Lady’s Guide, to the dystopian future predicted in Internment, this list has a book recommendation for every student. Make sure you are subscribed to the podcast so you don’t miss all the great diverse YA books and guests we have lined up for our next season! 🙂 And if you aren’t already caught up, you can check out the books from our first season!     Episode #29 – 18 October 2018 The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee is the follow-up to her fabulous The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. In this new novel, Felicity is off on her own adventures. After struggling to gain admission into any sort of hospital or medical school, Felicity wonders if she’ll ever be allowed to study medicine as a

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Danielle Hall June 20, 2019