i've been reading...a lot
My reading life at the beginning of 2026 was rough. Moving schools at the end of January was pretty exhausting, so I found myself passing out most night before I finished more than a couple of pages.
A switch flipped a few weeks ago, and I have been reading a ton. More than once, I have found myself reading more than 100 pages before falling asleep. Part of it is the fact that I am starting to settle into our new school, and part of it is the books I have been reading. Holy smokes, I have been reading so many fantastic middle grade novels. I JUST CAN’T PUT THEM DOWN!
My 2026 reading roller coaster has been a good reminder to myself as a teacher that the reading lives of our students are not much different from our own reading lives: they ebb and then flow. We must continue to feed our readers, help them to see themselves as readers, give them time to read in class, and flood them with books that they will not be able to put down.
I’m trying to get better at making YouTube videos again! Check out my lastest video, where I talk about some of my favorite middle grade books of 2026.
I’ve added a bunch of middle grade books to my list of AWESOME 2026 BOOKS. I hope you’ll find something from the list to add to your to-read list!
Thank you so much for reading and subscribing to my newsletter!
Thanks for all you do to share your love of reading and encouraging your students to be lifelong readers. If you ever can find the time, I would like to see a video of a book talk with your students. As teachers, we are all pressed for time. You mention the good discussions you have and I am curious how those book talks are managed. Thank you!