25 Books Too Good to Miss

In our school each grade level has a list of books called "25 Books Too Good to Miss".  These books consist of nonfiction, picture books, fantasy, biography and realistic fiction.  The lists are posted on each grade level hall, in the media center, on the school website and in the students' reading folders.  If a student reads all 25 books by the end of the school year, they are awarded a reading medal at Honor's Day at the end of the school year.  Many young children need incentives to encourage reading and this is one we use.  I upgrade our third grade list as the year goes by.  Books may come off for many reasons like too many of the library's copies of the book have been lost or damaged, not enough students enjoy reading the book, or it just becomes too outdated.  I have purchased class sets of some of the books and incorporate them into my reading instruction.  Some of the books I use for reading instruction that are on the list are:

Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume
Publisher:  Dell Yearling Book 
Copyright:  May 12, 2003

The following website has some great ideas for lessons using this book.  There are also many other website with lesson plans, activities and interactive games for this book. 

http://betterlesson.com/search?keyword=fudge+a+mania

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
Publisher:  HarperCollins; Reprint edition 
Copyright:  May 23, 2006

The following website has some great ideas for lessons using this book.  There are also many other website with lesson plans, activities and interactive games for this book.

http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/ajaniesch2007/week.cfm?subpage=1128224

50 Cents and a Dream

by Jabari Asim

Publisher:   Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition 

Copyright:  (December 4, 2012)

http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=1154&type=educator