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Teaching The Lightning Thief in Grade 7: Themes, Triggers & What Teachers Should Know

5 Star, Book Reviews, Grade, Grade 7, Grade 8, Read Aloud, Teaching /

If you’re thinking about teaching The Lightning Thief in Grade 7, you’re probably asking: Is Percy Jackson appropriate for middle school? How violent is it? Will parents object? Is it still engaging in 2026? Short answer? Yes. It still works. Long answer? Let’s break it down so you walk in prepared. Why The Lightning Thief […]

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Teaching The Giver in Grade 7/8: Themes, Triggers & What Teachers Should Prepare For

4 Star, 5 Star, Book Reviews, Grade, Grade 7, Grade 8, Read Aloud, Teaching /

If you’re planning on teaching The Giver in Grade 7, this post is your full teacher prep guide. When I reread The Giver as an adult preparing to use it in my classroom, I realized something important: This is not a simple dystopian novel. It’s emotionally heavy. Ethically complex. And yes — it contains scenes

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📚 Linked by Gordon Korman: A Powerful Classroom Read That Sparked Real Conversations

5 Star, Book Reviews, Classroom Library, Grade, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Highschool, Literature Circles, Read Aloud, Teaching /

Every so often, a book comes along that doesn’t just engage students—it changes the conversation in your classroom.For us, that book was Linked by Gordon Korman. I added Linked to our classroom library after hearing strong recommendations from other teachers—and I’m so glad I did. What started as just another reading option quickly turned into

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There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom – L. Sachar

4 Star, 5 Star, Book Reviews, Grade, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Read Aloud, Teaching /

First off: What an amazing book! So many great lessons in here and written for a way that students in grades 3-5 can really understand. While the main character is in 5th grade, I think the lessons in here are better suited to at or slightly under audiences. I did use this with a  5/6

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