Summer Reading for Teachers

How do you think your students are doing on their summer reading lists so far? It’s fun to imagine them leaned up against a shady tree with a good classic, isn’t it? (A teacher can dream!) Wouldn’t you love that kind of lazy day? Who’s to say you can’t have one—or several?

Summer reading is important for teachers, too. And usually, after a busy school year, it’s quite a treat. The only hard part is figuring out which books are worth your precious summer hours. Thankfully, the Internet is full of great book lists, many of which are curated just for teachers. This list from neaToday includes 8 book recommendations from educators across the country. We also enjoyed Literacy Educators Share Their Must-Read Science of Reading Books - from Ignite Reading which was published earlier this year.

In addition, we asked some of the teachers on our staff which books  they would recommend to our blog readers. Karen McKenna, Michelle Brenner, Sarah Jane Schonour, and Diana Phillips, are all avid readers with discriminating taste. I’d read any book they pointed me to! I’m glad to have their suggestions in my pocket, and I think you will be too.

For your convenience, we combined their recommendations into one list. Enjoy!

Summer Reading Recommendations from Michelle Brenner, Karen McKenna, Sarah Jane Schonour, and Diana Phillips:

Books About Teaching/Students

  • 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny by Phillip Done 
  • Climbing The Ladder of Reading & Writing: Meeting the Needs of ALL Learners by Nancy Young and Jan Hasbrouck 
  • Conquering Dyslexia: A Guide to Early Detection and Intervention for Teachers and Families by Jan Hasbrouck 
  • Managing Challenging Behaviors in Schools, 2nd Edition by Kathleen Lynne Lane, Holly Mariah Menzies, Allison L. Bruhn, and Mary Crnobori 
  • Reading Isn't Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students by Jeanne A. Schopf 
  • The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers, 3rd Edition by Catherine Creighton Martin and Clara Hauth 

Adult Summer Reading

  • Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry 
  • Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 
  • The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunnigham 
  • The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel 
  • The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 
  • The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes 
  • The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom 
  • The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah 
  • The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon 
  • Theo of Golden by Allen Levi 
  • The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See 

Do you have any suggestions you’d add? If so, we’d love to hear them. Please write them in the comments in this post or on our Facebook or Instagram page. Happy summer, and happy reading!