September is Read a New Book Month. It’s also a time for new beginnings. A new school year has begun. A new season is on the horizon. It’s the perfect time to start reading a new book. Below is our list of recommended back-to-school-themed new reads to add to your class library:
New Kid by Jerry Craft
New Kid follows seventh grader Jordan Banks as he embarks on his first day at a prestigious private school. His mother’s attempts to prepare him for the real world has hindered his dreams of attending an art school. At Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan is just one of a few other students who look like him. His initial experience is wrought with challenges from fitting in to facing racism. Throughout these many struggles, Jordan manages to make a few new friends, but still struggles to fit in with his old ones. Trapped between two worlds, Jordan is faced with the realization that some people are blind to the discrimination around them. When Jordan finally has enough and sticks up for a friend, he sees some change for the better in the school environment. New Kid is a graphic novel that shows the struggle of one character’s experience being the new kid at school, and how he perseveres to grow into a new kid in life.
Pair this novel with the ready-made Novel Study Guide. Download the free worksheets here.
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
Ramona is a typical eight-year-old, but growing up is not easy! For instance, a new fad begins at school where the children whack hard-boiled eggs on their heads before they eat them. Unluckily for Ramona, she accidentally ends up wearing raw egg on her head, this is not her favorite day! She also must deal with the challenges of being with a four-year-old after school, her older sister's moods, her father quitting his job and studying full time, the family car breaking down, and her family's financial troubles. By the end of this entertaining story, Ramona has come to terms with a few things and is just a little bit more mature.
Pair this novel with the ready-made Novel Study Guide. Download the free worksheets here.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda is the charming story of a very unusual little girl who, despite having two very horrible parents, learns how to read by the age of three. There are many other things about Matilda that are very special. She can solve arithmetic problems very quickly in her head, and she can move things about with the power of thought. Despite all of this she is a most pleasant little girl who is well liked by her classmates and by her wonderful teacher, Miss Honey. Matilda discovers the headmistress of the school, Miss Trunchbull, is actually Miss Honey's aunt and has cheated her out of her inheritance. Matilda sets her mind to work, and in the end Miss Honey recovers her stolen inheritance and adopts Matilda.
Pair this novel with the ready-made Novel Study Guide. Download the free worksheets here.
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Frindle is the story of a clever, time-wasting schemer's innovative plan to create his own word for the dictionary. Ten-year-old Nick Allen has a reputation for developing ingenious plans that distract teachers. For the first time ever, his diversions fail to create the desired results in Mrs. Granger's fifth grade language arts class. Instead of distracting her, he ends up with an extra assignment and oral presentation on how new entries are added to the dictionary. Surprisingly, the boring assignment leads to Nick's most clever idea yet when he decides to create his own new word, frindle. Nick recruits five fellow students to support his efforts in changing the name of pen to frindle. Their insistence on referring to pens as frindles causes a major commotion when Mrs. Granger's passion for vocabulary and strict emphasis on the correct use of language result in a battle of wills that threatens to disrupt the whole school. Their war of words spreads beyond the school resulting in after-school punishments, a home visit from the principal, national publicity, economic opportunities for local businessmen, and, eventually inclusion in the dictionary.
Pair this novel with the ready-made Novel Study Guide. Download the free worksheets here.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Wonder is the heart-warming tale of a young boy's struggle and acceptance through middle school. August Pullman is not like every other kid. He was born with a rare facial deformity. Because of this and his constant trips to the hospital, Auggie was always homeschooled. That's about to change as he enters middle school for the first time. Things start off rocky as the other kids stare at him, avoid touching him, and even bully him. But Auggie perseveres and manages to make some friends. What's more, he actually really enjoys going to school. Slowly, Auggie manages to tear down the walls at his school and becomes just one of the kids. By the end, he has not only survived middle school, but overcome it. Wonder is a story of one boy's identity and showing how normal he truly is.
Pair this novel with the ready-made Novel Study Guide. Download the free worksheets here.
We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly
We Dream of Space takes place in 1986 and uses the Challenger disaster as a backdrop. Focusing on the Nelson family, brothers Cash, Fitch, and sister Bird describe their struggles at school and at home. Cash is the oldest and wants to be on the basketball team. Due to his poor grades, Cash is removed from the team, and now has to search for something else he is good at. Fitch has a temper. He has a hard time keeping it in control. When a girl in his class gets a crush on him, he explodes and humiliates her. Bird is Fitch’s twin sister. She is studious and hopes to be the first female shuttle commander. Her hopes and dreams are crushed when she witnesses the events of the Challenger disaster. The three siblings struggle at home, where their parents argue all the time. The family acts as planets drifting around each other in their own orbits.
Pair this novel with the ready-made Novel Study Guide. Download the free worksheets here.
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
Genesis Begins Again follows the coming-of-age struggles as teenage girl Genesis learns to love herself amid family troubles. Genesis has a hard time fitting in. She is not happy with the way she looks. All this stems from how her father looks at her. Her father has his own struggles, one of which is paying the rent. This leads to Genesis’ family getting evicted from their house. This has happened before, but this time is different. The family find themselves in a mostly white, upper-class neighborhood. Genesis is enrolled in a much nicer school than she’s used to. She begins to make real friends and discover her aptitude for music. With the encouragement of her teacher, Genesis signs up for the talent show, something she never thought she’d do. When a new eviction notice is posted on their door, Genesis doesn’t know if she’ll be around long enough to see her dreams come true.
Pair this novel with the ready-made Novel Study Guide. Download the free worksheets here.
Explore some more open-ended comprehension-based worksheets to match with any novel with our selection of FREE Reading Response Forms.