Grades
K - 12
25+ Must-Read Books & Free Teaching Resources to Pair With Them
Keep students reading — and learning — with fun books, activities, and teaching resources for all grades and ages!
Whether you’re in a pinch, planning ahead, or want to keep students learning over a break, use these expert-created resources to spark discussion amongst older students, or to provide activities for younger children.
Every guide comes in a free, downloadable PDF format and can be used to teach valuable lessons across many different topics — all while inspiring a love of reading along the way!
1. Attack of the Black Rectangles
(Grades 4–7)
Extend students’ understanding of characters’ motivations and actions, the cause and effect chain of main events, and the greater themes in Attack of the Black Rectangles with this discussion guide.
2. Be You!
(Grades K–2)
Pair this heartwarming picture book with this activity guide to help students grow and learn about who they are!
3. Big Tree
(Grades 2+)
This trailblazing adventure-filled book will have your students flipping pages! Packed with discussion questions and activity prompts, this guide for Big Tree will help students reflect on the world around them.
4. Front Desk
(Grades 3–7)
Front Desk is an enthralling novel about a young girl’s journey after immigrating to America from China. Share these discussion questions to encourage further reflection about the story’s plot, characters, and more.
5. Front Desk: Three Keys
(Grades 3–7)
The second installment of the beloved Front Desk series, Front Desk: Three Keys, will continue to captivate young readers. Follow up the book with this discussion guide.
6. Front Desk: Room to Dream
(Grades 3–7)
Mia Tang returns in the third novel of the Front Desk series as she returns to China to visit her family and relatives. Challenge your students to connect their learnings to the previous two books in the series with help from this discussion guide.
Then, have your students grow their collection with the newest installment to the series: Front Desk: Key Player.
7. Happy Dreamer
(PreK–2)
Pair this sweet story by Peter H. Reynolds with this classroom activity guide to teach students about self-love and acceptance — and encourage them to write about their dreams!
8. Honey and Me
(Grades 3–7)
Older readers will resonate with this classic coming-of-age story, filled with relatable middle-school struggles. Expand their reading comprehension and writing skills with this reading and activity guide for Honey and Me.
9. I Kick and I Fly
(Grades 7+)
This guide provides resources for students as they grapple with intricate topics — and helps them to connect the story of I Kick and I Fly with real-world issues and their own lives.
10. I Am Ruby Bridges
(Grades 1–3)
Launch students into important lessons about diversity and inclusion with this reading guide for I Am Ruby Bridges, an inspiring autobiography of a brave young girl who became a trailblazer and helped make education accessible to all.
11. Melissa
(Grades 3–7)
From themes of friendship and love to self-discovery and courage, this heartwarming story, paired with this discussion guide, will teach students about supporting themselves and others in embracing who they are.
12. Miss Quinces
(Grades 3–7)
Fans of graphic novels will be delighted to add Miss Quinces to their reading list. Jam-packed with pre-reading questions, writing prompts, and other literary activities, this reading guide will keep students engaged.
13. Srta. Quinces (Miss Quinces)
(Grades 3–7)
Meanwhile, this Spanish language guide for Srta. Quinces (Miss Quinces) is a great resource for Spanish readers to connect their home language and learning or for English-speaking students to learn a second language!
14. Our Table
(Grades PreK–3)
Encourage students to think about love, kindness, and acceptance in their own lives with this activity guide for Our Table.
15. Say Something!
(Grades K–3)
This empowering picture book explores the many ways that a single voice can make a big difference. Plus, this activity guide will further show students how they can use their voice to make an impact.
16. Set Me Free
(Grades 3–7)
Both riveting and complex, Set Me Free will leave students hooked from beginning to end. Pair this gripping tale with this reading guide, filled with discussion questions and extension activities for high-quality learning.
17. Show Me a Sign
(Grades 3–7)
Show Me a Sign is a fascinating read about a young girl’s fight for respect, change, and equality. Help students build deeper connections to the story’s themes of family, community, and prejudice with this discussion guide.
18. Some Kind of Hate
(Grades 7+)
Pair Some Kind of Hate with this resource guide — and provide students with additional support to tackle complex topics and better understand the world around them.
19. The Secret Battle of Evan Pao
(Grades 3–7)
Support students’ exploration of U.S. history, AAPI heritage, and conflict resolution by pairing this resource guide with The Secret Battle of Evan Pao, a moving story about a young boy struggling to figure out how he fits into his country’s culture.
20. The Tower of Life
(Grades 1–3)
Grow your students’ writing and reading skills with this curriculum guide for The Tower of Life, a touching biography of the woman who created The Tower of Life, a powerful exhibit at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
21. The Word Collector
(Grades K–2)
Packed with fun reading activities for The Word Collector, this activity guide will help to reinforce important lessons about the power of words and self-expression.
22. We Are Here (An All Because You Matter Book)
(Grades PreK–3)
This guide includes prompts, a book list, a playlist, and other resources to help support students’ engagement with We Are Here, an inspiring picture book about Black heritage and community.
23. We Own the Sky
(Grades 3–7)
Use this reading guide to supplement students’ reading of We Own the Sky, a historical adventure that delves into complex themes of racism and extremism.
24. When the World Turned Upside Down
(Grades 3–7)
Encourage students to express themselves and explore what makes them unique by completing this activity guide — filled with self-care tips, writing prompts, and fill-in poems — alongside When the World Turned Upside Down.
25. Wildoak
(Grades 3–7)
Animal lovers will be enthralled by Wildoak, a captivating read that explores the interconnectedness of the human, animal, and natural worlds. This discussion guide will help them build connections between characters, foster a deeper understanding of the plot, and much more.
26. Force of Nature
(Grades 3–7)
STEM and STEAM enthusiasts, as well as young feminists and activists, will be inspired by Force of Nature, which tells the incredible story of trailblazing marine biologist, Rachel Carson. This guide includes 15 questions that will encourage students to think deeply about her life and work.
27. Help the Kind Lion
(Grades K–2)
The Inside Scouts series uses STEM-themed stories to introduce new readers to the human body through mammals with similar anatomy. This activity guide is full of fun learning opportunites — from theater performances to punctuation — for the first book in the series: Help the Kind Lion.
28. Free Period
(Grades 3–7)
Free Period is a middle grade story of friendship and period equity chock full of bestie banter, wildly weird craft, and delightfully disgusting desserts. This lesson guide includes three activities to facilitate discussion after reading the book.
28. Meet Me on Mercer Street
(Grades 3–7)
Both hilarious and deeply perceptive, Meet Me on Mercer Street paints a portrait of a changing neighborhood through the eyes of young aspiring artist, Kacie. The questions in this discussion guide will encourage students to observe and think critically about the world around them.
29. The Language of Seabirds
(Grades 3–7)
This sweet middle-grade story tells the tender tale of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer. Use this author-created discussion guide with students to discuss themes from the book, explore creative writing prompts, and learn vocabulary terms (so they can invent new secret languages of their own!).
Shop the books included in this article below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.
An impassioned plea to find the beauty in riding life's highs and lows as a creative original.
Tami Charles shares the beauty and excellence in the history of the Black community, assuring Black and brown children of the extraordinary legacy from which they come.
In exquisite, expressive watercolor, and his signature messages of love, kindness, and acceptance, Peter H. Reynolds brings a tender touch to this special picture book.
Emphasizing the joys of self-expression, this read-aloud spotlights Jerome, a little boy learning to delight in language.
This inspirational picture book reminds listeners and lap-sitters of the value of being themselves.
The world needs your voice. If you have a brilliant idea...say something! If you see an injustice...say something!
A poetic reflection brimming with hope where Ruby Bridges tells her own story of that pivotal day in Civil Rights history.
A moving biography of the woman who created The Tower of Life, a powerful exhibit at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
Brimming with humor, wonder, mystery, and a profound sense of hope, Big Tree is a trailblazing adventure, illustrated with nearly 300 pages of breathtaking pictures.
In this award-winning series, fiesty and resilient Mia uses her voice to champion for immigrants' rights while navigating her own immigrant identity.
In this award-winning series, fiesty and resilient Mia uses her voice to champion for immigrants' rights while navigating her own immigrant identity.
Told in alternating voices, Wildoak shimmers with beauty, compassion, and unforgettable storytelling as it explores the delicate interconnectedness of the human, animal, and natural worlds.
Sue just wants to spend the summer reading and making comics at sleepaway camp with her friends, but instead she gets stuck going to Honduras to visit relatives with her parents and two sisters. The trip takes a turn for the worse when Sue's mother announces that they'll be having a surprise quinceañera for Sue, which is the last thing she wants.
Miss Quinces is the first graphic novel published by Scholastic/Graphix to be simultaneously released in English and Spanish editions!
When Davy and Jo cross paths with the Klan, they get tangled up in a terrible revenge plan, and held as hostages. Can they escape with their lives?
Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first Deaf islander. Now, over a 100 years later, many people there — including Mary — are Deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. But recent events have delivered winds of change.
Three years after being kidnapped as a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, Mary Lambert has grown weary of domestic life on Martha's Vineyard, and even of her once beloved writing.
Charming, authentic, and wise, this book is a classic coming-of-age story filled with relatable middle school struggles, keen insight, and sparkling humor.
A heartwarming story of how a group of multicultural friends reconnect as they work together to help neighbors in need during the pandemic.
When censorship and intolerance disrupt Mac"s sixth grade class, he and his friends fight their way to the truth. A timely and powerful read.
A timely and deeply moving portrait of all the secret battles Evan Pao must fight as he struggles to figure out how he fits into this country's past, as well as his own family's...and where that leaves him in the present.
This series introduces beginning readers to the human body through mammals with similar anatomy -- and it does so in really fun ways! In this first book, readers learn about the circulatory system as Viv and Sanjay fix the lion's heart! With color-coded speech bubbles, easy-to-read text, and light nonfiction content, these engaging STEM-themed stories are the perfect fit for new readers!
Rachel was a girl who loved science and the sea, books and writing, and all the creatures of the world. Rachel was quiet, a listener by nature. But when she saw problems, she could not remain silent. Some people thought girls shouldn't be scientists. They thought girls shouldn't use their voices to question or challenge, even to protect all the creatures of the world. Luckily Rachel didn't listen to them.
Filled with both cartoons and graphic comic panels, Booki Vivat draws a hilarious-yet-deeply-perceptive portrait of a changing neighborhood, a mysterious disappearance, and the girl who's determined to understand how she fits in to the picture.
Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It's the first summer after his parents' divorce, and he hasn't exactly been seeking alone time with his dad. He doesn't have a choice, though, so he goes... and on his first day takes a walk on the beach and finds himself intrigued by a boy his age running by. Eventually, he and Runner Boy (Evan) meet -- and what starts out as friendship blooms into something neither boy is expecting... and also something both boys have been secretly hoping for.
Want more great content? Subscribe to our Teacher Newsletter below and get teaching ideas delivered right to your inbox.
