Building a classroom library? Teaching a poetry unit? Or, just looking to strengthen your writing instruction? Take a look at what Kelly is reading right now, or feel free to pull from his lists of books and resources for specific purposes and audiences, compiled with the help of educators and students around the world.
kelly's personal bookshelf
A continually changing list of what Kelly is reading right now, along with his thoughts on each book:
Minds Made for Stories by Thomas Newkirk - Still don't believe that the Common Core strongly under-values the importance of narrative writing? Then read this book.
Leaders of Their Own Learning by Ron Berger - "Assessment is not done to students. It should be done by and with students." I love Berger's work.
Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolfe - The book that opened my mind to the idea of "word poverty" and its effect on my students.
Response & Analysis, 2nd Edition by Robert E. Probst - This was the first book I read as a teacher that really addressed the notion of students making their own meaning from text. It should be a part of every reading teacher's professional library.
With Rigor for All, 2nd Edition by Carol Jago - Not all books are created equally. Great books matter, and Jago explains why.
kelly's lists of books and resources
- High-Interest Books for Ninth Graders
- High-Interest Books for Tenth Graders
- Essential Books for the Classroom Library
- High-Interest Non-Fiction Titles for Eighth Graders
- Poetry for Middle and High School Students
Spoken Poetry for Middle and High School Students Warning: some of these spoken poems contain explicit language.