5 Books You Need In Your Classroom This Year

Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping, basketball star his sons look up to.

Activities based around reader's theater, sports and games, family trees, and journaling are the highlight of the teaching guide for this book. Also included are discussion questions and pre- and post-writing activities.

Long before she was one of the Little Rock Nine, Melba Pattillo Beals was a warrior. Frustrated by the laws that kept African-Americans separate but very much unequal, she had questions. Combined with drawings and photos, Beals recounts her early journey to becoming a champion for equal rights, a best-selling author, and the recipient of this country’s highest recognition, the Congressional Gold Medal.

Use the teaching guide to help students explore Beals' harrowing journey as a member of the "Little Rock Nine" and the triumphs of her later life with the pre- and post-reading activities, discussion questions, and meaningful project-based activities.

One of the first naturalists to observe live insects directly, Maria Sibylla Merian was also one of the first to document the metamorphosis of the butterfly. In this visual nonfiction biography, richly illustrated throughout with full-color original paintings by Merian herself, the Newbery Honor–winning author Joyce Sidman paints her own picture of one of the first female entomologists.

The Common Core-aligned teaching guide includes pre- and post-reading activities, 12 challenging discussion questions, and 4 individual or group activities that reinforce the ELA and science concepts covered in the book.

A meningitis outbreak in their underprivileged neighborhood left Sylvia Acevedo’s family forever altered. As she struggled in the aftermath of loss, young Sylvia’s life transformed, and she navigated shifting cultural expectations at school and at home while forging her own trail to become one of the first Latinx to graduate with a master's in engineering from Stanford University and work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The teaching guide for the book includes numerous individual and group activities sure to spark your students' love of science while helping to reinforce 21st century skills like initiative, persistence, and passion for doing what you love.

Steve Jenkins is back with more Extreme Animals, perfect for young readers looking for accessible nonfiction chock full of incredible art. Speediest! will focus on the fastest members of the animal kingdom.

The teaching guide for Speediest! includes Common Core-aligned pre- and post-reading discussion questions and activities that will challenge students to explore unusual animals and their interrelation with humans and the environment.