As one effort to stave off 鈥渟ummer slide鈥� for students, some of whom are at risk of losing two to three months of reading skills when school lets out, an annual crop of reading lists emerges every year. The New York Times had more than as part of a 10-week summer contest. Scholastic鈥檚 Teacher magazine pulled together the expertise of librarians and teachers to . Science guru Bill Nye talked to the Strand Book Store in New York City about his favorite books ().
But what about a reading list for educators? After last year鈥檚 bevvy of recommendations from Education Week , , and , we couldn鈥檛 resist the urge to repeat our #EdWeekReads Twitter poll for the second year in a row. We were curious: What made your best-of list this summer?
Nearly 100 tweets poured in from teachers, school leaders, and even authors themselves, with recommendations in fiction, YA literature, and memoir, and on a range of topics from education leadership and classroom management to well-being, history, and politics. Check out some of notable picks below, and see the on Storify.
What鈥檚 the best book you鈥檝e read this summer? Send us your favorite titles using
鈥� Education Week (@educationweek)
This year鈥檚 list leaned heavily on fiction and fantasy. EdWeek Teacher opinion blogger Megan M. Allen recently shared how her In pursuit of a mental-health break, she resolved to crack open 鈥渆scapist reads鈥� for 鈥減ure enjoyment.鈥� Many teachers, librarians, and education consultants we heard from were also using their free time to catch up on pleasure reading.
I shared this with my students
鈥� LBCC Future Teachers (@LBFUTURETEACHER)
Right now, The Vegetarian. It鈥檚 quite unlike my usual choices! Next up: The Crucible...because I never have. *embarrassed blush*
鈥� Angie Miller (@angieinlibrary)
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is a great read about women in the work world in the 1930s.
鈥� Eydie Cohen (@eydie_cohen)
Sometimes you just read for fun! The Secret Life of Bees ! Best book I鈥檝e read this summer thus far !
鈥� Tara Stirling (@mrs_stirling)
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. Beautifully written, fantastic character development, captivating story!
鈥� Emily (@WorldBookEmily)
House of silk by Anthony Horowitz. Great read if you鈥檙e into Sherlock Holmes! Now for Moriarty!
鈥� Sean Mackay (@SmackayAbington)
Dark Matter, written by Blake Crouch (wrote Wayward Pines) definitely a page turner read it in 2 days.
鈥� Vanessa Worrell (@VanessaW2007)
b boy blues x james earl hardy. temple of my familiar x alice walker.
鈥� fredrick salyers. (@7haman)
Some readers turned to for classics like Margaret Atwood鈥檚 The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale and George Orwell鈥檚 1984.
Just finished Margaret Atwood鈥檚 work is timeless!
鈥� Michelle Moser (@MsMoserBCMS)
Currently reading Oryx and Crake
鈥� Diana (@padmagrrl79)
Hands down best so far = by
Remarkable historical/dystopian YA fiction.鈥� BreeDErvin (@MsErvinReads)
But others couldn鈥檛 stay away from self-imposed professional development and other hot education topics, such as leadership, multicultural education, and writing instruction. Author Dave Burgess鈥� Teach Like a Pirate and Lead Like a Pirate earned several votes of praise.
鈥� Teaching Historians (@HistoryCrossing)
Lead Like a Pirate
鈥� Heather Appleby (@Appleby_MrsH)
Innovators Mindset, Lies My Teacher Told Me, and Most Likely to Succeed... I am not a teacher yet but working my way...
鈥� Jose A. Moran (@Jose_A_Moran)
is the best book I鈥檝e read this summer. Recommended if you find success in helping others grow.
鈥� Douglas Nadig (@nadig001)
Half way through!
鈥� Dani Marangon (@Dani_Marangon)
Language at the Speed of Sight- Seidenberg
鈥� Catherine Guillory (@cgvinson)
The Importance of Being Little and The New American High School
鈥� Beth Miller (@Ensenenme)
Teacher, writer, writing teacher!
鈥� Jonathan Byrne (@jbteacherman)
The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge by Abraham Flexner! Great for educators and scholars alike.
鈥� Oliver(Ozzie) Crocco (@OzzieCrocco)
This great book by Robert Marzano
鈥� Helena Lyerova (@HLyerova)
One of many I will read this summer!
鈥� Jessica Patti (@mrspattisclass)
With a new U.S. president in office and a tense political climate, the desire to learn more about politics and our nation鈥檚 history seems to be informing many readers鈥� choices. Teachers, especially, say they aren鈥檛 shying away from politics in the classroom and seek ways to talk to their students about controversial issues. Former Education Week reporter Mary Ann Zehr, who now teaches immigrant students in Washington, dug into the Civil Rights movement.
I read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. It鈥檚 on 11th grade list for DCPS. Filled in gaps for me on history in the 1950s and 60s. Powerful.
鈥� Mary Ann Zehr (@mazehr)
I Read & Recommend: Reaganomics vs the Modern Economy: The Conflict that Divides America by
鈥� 馃摎MrsMcGuire (@RealMrsMcGuire)
I鈥檝e been wanting to read 鈥淪apiens A Brief History of Humankind鈥� for a while. Happy to say it鈥檚 up next!
鈥� Jeremy Schaar (@JeremySchaar)
The Vanishing American Adult
鈥� Amber Woods (@inthewoods74)
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder. Great read.
鈥� Maty Garcia (@matygarcia)
In memoir, readers recommended stories that resonated with their work or expanded their worldview.
I reread A Smile as Big as the Moon each summer. It rejuvenates me and reminds me of the reason I teach each time. An amazing read!!!!
鈥� Popcorn and Pringles (@CupcakeGirl1444)
It Won鈥檛 Be Easy and This Is Not a Test by teachers and !!
Trevor Noah
Picking up The Hate U Give tomorrow!鈥� Alecia Ford (@AleciaHiggFord)
Between the World and Me
鈥� Ms. Giannangeli (@MsGiannangeli)
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
鈥� Susan Corbus (@mthtchr93)
(Check out with EdWeek correspondent Lisa Stark about how the opioid epidemic intersects with education.)
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. A serious memoir from a child鈥檚 point of view of growing up in revolutionary Iran.
鈥� Pat Perkins (@perkinsatcurtis)
Fans of children鈥檚 and YA literature named Angie Thomas鈥� The Hate U Give and Kwame Alexander鈥檚 newly released Solo as must-reads, among old favorites, award-winners, and books they could use in classroom lessons.
鈥淭he Hate U Give鈥� by is a fantastic work of literature. If I taught high school, I鈥檇 be creating a unit with it.
鈥� Ryan McHale (@McHaleELA)
Read 鈥淭he Hate U Give鈥�. Loved it!
鈥� Lance Atkinson (@BrickCityPrep)
Birdie by Tracey Lindberg is challenging but very powerful. Moving on to The Hate You Give, as well as the amazing Richard Wagamese.
鈥� Shaune Gowe (@ShauneGowe)
Solo by & Debuts Aug 1 and can preorder at
鈥� Stacie Whitlock (@scmslibrary)
Kwame Alexander鈥檚 Crossover and Solo!
鈥� Tammy Gillmore, NBCT (@Tammy_Gillmore)
A MUST READ for ALL educators! Add this amazing title 2 your book list 2day
鈥� Kayleigh Tandy (@mrsktandy)
Beyond the Bright Sea by Just finished Wolf Hollow and picked her next one right up.
鈥� Kristin Crouch (@Daughterstalker)
Some great young adult lit: 鈥楾he Boy Who Saved Baseball鈥� and 鈥楥hasing Redbird鈥�
鈥� Heather Noncek (@NoncekHeather)
My summer reading includes 鈥淭he Skeleton Tree鈥� by Iain Lawrence. Incredible read aloud opportunity!
鈥� Kyla Cameron (@KylaLCameron)
Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano is my favorite read from Georgia Peach Book Award for teen readers so far!
鈥� Howell (@ShayeHowell)
My favorite read this summer... so far!
鈥� Julie Reheiser (@JulieReheiser)
Need more titles to check out? See our previous coverage on the books .
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