As the days grow longer and warmer, Read to Them is thrilled to share four new titles for you to share with your school community. Two titles are part of a larger series, and another is a historical fiction page-turner that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, breathtaking line. Across age levels, each title is filled with adventure, fun, revolution, and so much heart, too! Check them out below:
Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty
Rosie Revere solves an engineering challenge with the help of her compatriots Ada Twist and Iggy Peck. Rosie’s great-great-aunt is a member of the Raucous Riveters, and an actual Riveter from World War II! With a great deal of customary trial and error, and creative teamwork, the girls fashion a Paintapalooza for the Riveters’ Art-A-Go-Go competition. Students will learn inspiring messages and techniques, everything from “We Can Do It!” to “STOP AND THINK” to “time to get a new drawing board.”
Also available in Spanish!
Race to Fire Mountain by Remi Blackwood
Jarell often feels out of place, except when he’s hanging at his cousin’s barbershop or drawing images of the warriors, sorcerers, and goddesses that fill his head. When a hidden portal takes him to a mythical land, he discovers that the scenes he’s been sketching are actually real – and that the people of Ulfrika believe he’s the hero they’ve been waiting for. Thanks to its illustrations and fast-paced text, readers of Race to Fire Mountain can follow Jarell as he searches for his identity and what it truly means to be a hero.
The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan
What could a retired circus elephant and a young girl flagged for social isolation have in common? An unexplainable admiration for each other as two daughters who dream of being reunited with their mothers. Read The Elephant in the Room to explore the beauty of cultural heritage, to revel in an elephant’s joy of living on a nature preserve, and to appreciate the importance of how we treat others – human or animal. Experience the pleasure of viewing the world through Sila’s eyes and friendships, filled with patience and kindness, even in the face of longing.
What’s the best way to explore America’s 250th Celebration with your middle school? Try reading Sophia’s War by Avi!
Step back into 1776 and immerse yourself in the high tensions of British-occupied New York City. Join Sophia Calderwood – a young Patriot surrounded by Tories and Loyalists – as she becomes embroiled in the complex plot of John André and Benedict Arnold to capture General George Washington at West Point. Your students will find themselves racing through the pages during Sophia’s breakneck quest up the Hudson River to warn the Continental Army and foil the scheme…if anyone will believe her.
Afterwards, ask your students the question posed by Declaration signer Dr. Benjamin Rush: “Is the Revolution ever really over?”
Which of these new titles are you most excited to share with your school community? Let us know in the comments below. Happy reading!
