For all my last-minute ladies!! (and gents!) Tonight at midnight, the TpT Bonus Sale ends and there will not be another until November! Now is the time to stock up on back-to-school goodies at a big discount.

Here are a few random (but favorite) resources of mine that you may not know exist:

• My Seasonal Readers Theater Scripts are SO much fun, great for building fluency skills, and develop students’ confidence reading aloud. Kids truly have a blast with these, and some of my favorite classroom memories involve these script “performances.”

• My students’ email etiquette was atrocious, so I created this fun and highly effective email etiquette lesson. There’s a Halloween version, too!

• I was also shocked and dismayed by my students’ lack of understanding when it came to writing complete sentences. My curriculum didn’t allow time for a full grammar deep dive, but I did have to go back to basics with my students, so I created this simple writing complete sentences lesson sequence. It was a game-changer!

Let’s talk about My Life With the Walter Boys by Ali Novak!

My Chapter Chit Chat teacher book club read and discussed this title in August, and the reviews were mixed! My own feelings are mixed! Let’s dive in.

I’ll start with a disclaimer. The beginning of this book has a lot of gross boy stuff. (Eyes lingering on her chest…. stealing her clothes and towel from the bathroom….) Some will say it’s boys being boys, others will say it’s toxic. I fall somewhere in the middle, but I did find myself feeling rage-y about the way the Walter boys first treated our leading lady, Jackie, when she arrived on scene.

However, I did feel that after the first 20% of the book, a lot of that behavior toned down, and the story became much sweeter. But there’s a reason this book translated so well to TV! It’s a teenage soap opera and it brings the DRAMA. 🍿🍿🍿

Here’s the plot:

When high schooler Jackie Howard loses her entire family in a tragic accident, she’s sent to live across the country with the Walters. Not only is a Colorado ranch a completely different vibe from Jackie’s extremely wealthy New York City lifestyle, it’s also... louder. Katherine Walter (Jackie’s mom’s childhood best friend) has 12 children, 11 of them boys. And unfortunately, none of them are too keen on Jackie’s sudden appearance.

As Jackie learns to navigate their busy and chaotic home, she also tries to find allies in the Walter household. Alex’s dorky and puppy-like personality puts Jackie at ease, and the two quickly form a friendship. Maybe even more? But, Cole Walter... he’s hard to ignore. He’s strong and tough on the outside, but he can also read Jackie better than anyone else in the house. And when she’s around him, she feels freer than she has in years. Alex is the safe choice, and she genuinely likes him. Cole is trouble. But will her heart allow her to shut him out like her brain knows she should?

This is definitely not a book for young readers (in my opinion). I’d recommend it to grade 8+! It is a series, and I do think romance-lovers will be hooked!

Just do me a favor and tell your students who choose to pick this one up that it is NOT advisable to be in romantic relationships with boys you are living with!!! 🤣🚩

XO,

Kara

Here’s something I learned the hard way in my own classroom. Getting a kid to pick up a book is only half the job. The real challenge is keeping every single student paired with a great book, week after week, all. Year. Long.

That takes more than one strategy. It takes systems!

I like to think about book recommendations in two categories: active and passive. You need both, working together, all year.

💥 ACTIVE STRATEGIES are the big, loud, exciting moments. They’re the ones that make kids gasp and reach for a book out of your hands. Weekly book talks are the heart of this category for me. A few other favorites in the active bucket:

• Book trailers pulled from YouTube for an easy, zero-prep hype moment before class.

• 1:1 recommendations, where you get to really see and connect with students. These bookmarks make those recommendations even more special.

  • And use my Big Book List to help! It’s a searchable, ever-growing spreadsheet of 130+ titles for grades 5-9, sorted by grade, genre, and format, with a Reluctant Reader-Approved label built right in. The perfect tool to keep bookmarked on your computer.

• Quarterly book tastings, where students get to speed date books and rank their interest. I’ve got a couple variations on this activity to keep it fresh each quarter:

  • Traditional Book Tasting

  • Book Tasting BINGO

  • Book Tasting Matching Game

• Looping in your school librarian, who is an underused book expert just waiting to be invited into your classroom.

🌊 PASSIVE STRATEGIES are quieter, but don’t underestimate them. They work in the background every single day, building a classroom culture where books are just part of the air you breathe. Some of my go-tos:

• A simple “currently reading” sign so kids watch you model the habit in real time.

• Books tucked into unexpected spots around your room, like near the turn-in bin or by the door.

• Book-related decor and displays that turn your walls into a recommendation engine.

  • If You Liked... Middle School Book Posters: Students see a title they already love and get pointed straight to their next read.

  • Book Recommendation Posters : Ready-to-print posters with student-friendly synopses.

• 🚩 Book Flags: One of my best-sellers. Peer-to-peer book recommendations that get tucked right into the cover.

• 🎤 Student Book Talk Template: Let your students take a turn selling their favorite reads to their classmates.

• 🎄 Book Tree Ornaments: A festive, sneaky way to get kids advertising their favorite titles to each other.

• A clean, organized library that actually invites browsing instead of digging.

  • Use my classroom Library Labels to create genre book bins that are approachable for students.

You don’t need to do all of these at once. That’s a recipe for burnout. Pick a few from each category, commit to them, and let active strategies build the excitement while passive strategies do the quiet, steady work underneath. Together, they create a sustainable system for getting (and keeping!) kids reading.

Everything listed above is 25% off (today only!!) with the code BTSBONUS26. This is TpT’s last sale until November, so it’s a good time to stock up!

Hit reply with questions about ANYTHING!

XO,

Kara

I use some secret sauce when I recommend books to my students.

After ten years in my own classroom, mostly with kids who told me flat out that they hated reading, I realized something important. Getting a kid excited about a book is only half the battle, because if that book ends up back in the return bin a day later, I didn’t really succeed.

After realizing that, I stopped just hyping books up, and I started book talking them with intention. Here’s exactly what that looks like:

First, I set the scene. Title, genre, setting, and a short synopsis. Just enough to get them curious.

Then, I read aloud. Not always chapter 1. Sometimes it’s chapter 2, sometimes it’s chapter 5, whichever section does the best job of hooking my students AND giving them real context for the story.

And here’s the part that prevents kids from abandoning books. After the read aloud, when I’ve got a room full of interested kids, I don’t stop there. I tell them who this book IS a good fit for, and who it’s probably NOT for. I talk content warnings, length, print size, and whether the author’s style is fast paced or slow and literary.

I’ll say things like, “if you usually struggle to get into books, this one might not be your best starting point.” Or, “this is short, fast, and fun. If that synopsis grabbed you, you’ll fly through it.”

I’ve noticed that most teachers are skipping that piece. And it’s the part that matters most, especially for our reluctant and struggling readers. The better the match between a kid and a book, the more likely they are to actually finish it and start seeing themselves as a reader.

But there is a little bit of a catch. This strategy takes really knowing a book inside and out. Even after I read a title myself, I’d often forget the details I needed by the time I was ready to book talk it. So I started writing it all down. Every synopsis, every content flag, every read aloud recommendation, every “who this is for” breakdown. That’s how my book talk guides were born, and it’s why teachers keep telling me these guides make book talks feel effortless.

Which brings me to why I’m actually writing today.

The TpT BONUS SALE IS LIVE! Today and tomorrow only!

If you’ve been sitting on the fence about building out your book talk library, this is your sign!!

❤️‍🔥 Never grabbed one of my guides before? This is the one. My MEGA BUNDLE has over 110 guides in it, and it is priced at a seriously discounted rate for the sale.

📚 Already own some of my guides? Have you seen Volume IV yet? It is about to DOUBLE in size, and every future update is free for anyone who owns it. Grab it now at the sale price and watch your library keep growing at no extra cost.

🍏 Teaching 5th or 6th grade? I built a bundle just for you. The Grades 5-6 Book Talk Guides are matched to that reading level and those interests, so you’re not sifting through titles that miss the mark for your kids.

🎓 Teaching high school? I’ve got a brand new bundle for you, too! Grab the High School Book Talk Guides and start pairing your readers with titles that actually hook them. (This will be growing big time this fall!!)

Oh and last thing about these guides. I don’t write guides on just any book I read. I know how high-stakes recommending books is, so I take my guides very seriously. I only choose the most engaging books for my resources so that you quickly earn the trust of your students.

Shop the Sale!

By the way, I’ve got a new book talk guide freebie for you to check out! I loved this book, Across the Desert, by Dusti Bowling!

Grab the free guide! 🌵

Hit reply with any questions! Be back soon with a review of the romance, My Life With the Walter Boys! Stay tuned :).

XO,

Kara

P.S. I added these cute new bookmarks to my TpT shop yesterday. If you’re a paid member of my Chapter Chit Chat book club, you already got them for free! But for everyone else… Grab them here.

I think one of the big reasons independent reading flops in middle and high school is because teachers expect kids to just…read.

A lot of teachers are treating independent reading like a “set it and forget it” recipe, when in reality, building readers in the classroom is an all-in, hands-on effort.

It’s actually one of those recipes that, truthfully, is a pain in the neck to make, but the end result is SO good that it’s totally worth it, and you’ll do it again and again.

Forgive me if I’m taking this metaphor way too far 😂, but I wanted to break down the ingredients and the methods I use to turn hundreds of kids who “hate reading” into...a delicious meal!

Kidding!!

Here’s how I make them readers 👉🏼

First, the ingredients:

These are the resources and tools you need to start independent reading and take it seriously.

1. A stocked classroom library with highly engaging titles and a wide variety of genres, topics, formats, and levels. I created my Big Book List for exactly this purpose. Not only will it help you stock your library, but it will also put 130+, 5-star book recommendations at your fingertips!

2. Book posters, bookmarks, student TBR lists, book stands to feature different titles, student recommendation book flags, and some seasonal decor. (These are optional, but I find that presentation matters! And kids gravitate toward pretty or interesting spaces.)

3. Time to read (at least 3x a week for 10 minutes or more). And not “after you finish your assignment” time. Designated, protected, and consistently offered time.

The methods:

This is the really important part. The more hands-on and involved you can be in your students’ reading lives, the more they will flourish as readers. Here are my favorite ways to do that.

1. Book Talk Tuesday! It’s the most engaging way to advertise books and get kids excited about reading. It also positions you as a book expert (even if you haven’t read the books!) When you start sharing great titles, kids begin to trust you as a recommendation source.

   

2. Page goals! It’s a reading grade that helps students build reading momentum AND it’s a simple + sustainable way for you to check in with kids weekly about what they’re reading and how it’s going. I’ll say it again: The more involved you are in your students’ reading lives, the better they will be.

3. Reading alongside your students! Don’t grade, organize, or email. Model reading! And don’t be afraid to pull up your chair next to that chatty student while you do it. 😉

4. Meet with students (only) as necessary. If you notice a student isn’t making their page goal, is spacing out repeatedly during reading time, or has abandoned several books in a row, talk about it! Lead with curiosity instead of frustration. I’m not crazy about formal conferences, but I did use this conferencing tool to help me spark meaningful conversation with kids.

My dad is an amazing cook, and whenever I complimented him on a delicious meal, he would always say, “It was made with love.” Twelve-year-old me would roll her eyes. But now that I’m the one more frequently cooking meals, I actually get why my dad claimed that was his “special ingredient.”

The intention we put into something does translate. So, this is my encouragement to you. Build a reading community in your classroom with love–with intention, care, and focus. The end result will blow you away!

And, as always, comment or hit reply with any questions! I love chatting with you and supporting you in any way I can.

XO,

Kara

There’s this paradox about any routine that feels easy in the classroom, and the paradox is that in order for something to run smoothly, there have to first be very high expectations, lots of structure, and very little wiggle room.

This has absolutely been the case in my classroom when it comes to independent reading time.

Silent reading time was always so happy, peaceful, and fun for me and my students, but that was only possible because of the routines, rules, and structures I had in place. Here are a few:

First, our weekly routine was set in stone.

• Mondays were page goals checks

• Tuesdays were Book Talk Tuesday

• And every week day (with very few exceptions), we read for at least 15 minutes during class. Students knew to bring their book to class every single day.

Other routines that kept independent reading moving smoothly:

• My structured flexible seating routine

• My no bathroom/water break policy during reading time

• My strict policy for when a student forgets to bring their book to class (it’s no big deal, but they can’t go to their locker!)

I make a BIG deal about protecting reading time because that’s what it takes to get kids into the flow of a story and start to enjoy novels.

When you put these structures in place early in the year, they truly become no-brainers and kids don’t even question you. Highly recommend!!

I absolutely DEVOURED Caraval by Stephanie Garber last week. (I may or may not be nursing a book hangover at the moment.)

It’s been a long time since I went into a book blind, but this story swept me off my feet!

For some reason I’m often resistant to jumping into a fantasy. I think I fear the world-building will sap my brain power, and I just want the drama!! But this book expertly weaves together both so that the fantastical world of Caraval simply enhances every dramatic scene. I can’t talk it up enough!

Here’s the plot:

Scarlett and her younger sister Tella are prisoners in their own home on the island of Trisda, trapped and controlled by their father through threats, fear, and cruel violence.

So Scarlett fantasizes about escape. Growing up, she heard stories of the famous Caraval, a week of magical games hosted by the elusive mastermind, Legend. Every year, Scarlett writes to Legend, hoping for tickets in return. Years pass with nothing, until one day, two tickets finally arrive.

Scarlett desperately wants to attend, but she knows she can’t. Her arranged marriage is a week away, and her father would never let her off the island. Tella, however, has never cared much for rules.

When Tella hatches a plan to escape the island with a wild sailor and attend the games, Scarlett is terrified of what her father will do. But before they even reach Caraval, Tella is kidnapped, and Scarlett realizes the games are not what they seem. Caraval is dark, twisted, and deadly, and to save her sister, Scarlett will have to play.

❤️‍🔥 I’d recommend this book to readers age 12-99!

It will eventually be added to my Volume IV Book Talk Guide Bundle (as soon as I finish my fantasy pack!) If you already own Volume IV and are desperate to get your hands on the guide for Caraval, I’m happy to email it to you now. Just hit reply and ask!

But for now, it’s been added to my BRAND NEW High School Book Talk Guides Bundle!

** Please note that this bundle is currently made up of guides I pulled from my existing bundles that are appropriate for high schoolers. I will continue to add many more titles to this bundle (which will be yours, free, after purchase) that are high school-only. Shop by clicking the image below!

One more book talk guide update (and I apologize if all these different bundles are getting confusing!!) but for MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS who are interested in my guides but have not purchased any yet, I have created a Book Talk Guide MEGA bundle that is supremely discounted, and the best value I can offer! Shop for it here:

Here’s what teachers have to say about my book talk guides…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”I cannot stress what a benefit this is and how much time and attention to detail has clearly gone into it. Absolutely worth the money to save all the time and research and have all these incredible recommendations at your fingertips to build a community of readers in your classroom.” – MckTeaching

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“I love this! This has helped me gauge my questions when I conference with students. I feel like I have a better grasp on whether or not the student has read the book. I hope there are more of these to come! ” – Tiffany C.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”This was a lifesaver for me! I’m implementing First Chapter Friday in my reading classes this year. This product helps me choose high interest books for my students and gives suggestions of what part of the book to read to really try and “hook” the students. ” – Stephanie

Okie dokie, that’s all for now!

I’m currently reading and really enjoying the adult fiction novel, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. And I’m SO excited for Chapter Chit Chat teacher book club on Sunday!!!

Talk soon, friends!

XO,

Kara

Ok, who’s already teaching!? In CT we aren’t back for a couple weeks, but I know most of you are already back in action and making it happen!!

I’m cheering you on, and I’m so excited for you to build readers this year. How can I help you right now? Drop a comment or hit reply with any questions–I genuinely want to support you!

If you need a little refresher on how to make independent reading work in the classroom this year, check out the little series I did on Instagram. Start watching here. Consider the series my quick and dirty tips for making it happen! You’ve GOT THIS.

On that note, when I popped open Instagram to link the series, this quote from my nonfiction author crush, James Clear 😍, came up. It couldn’t be more relevant!

So here’s your reminder that kids naturally are reaching for screens, not books. If we want to build readers, we’ve got to be consistent and help kids PRACTICE. It may not look pretty at first, but intention, structure, and consistency will pay off. Promise.

Quick reminder!

🗓️ My Book Talk Live FREE Workshop is coming up this Saturday, August 15th!

Book talking is truly the ego boost you didn’t know you needed in the classroom. Kids will love it, you’ll love it, and at the end of every book talk, you’ll have kids begging you to keep reading or to hand over the book you just pitched. It’s the weekly feel-good moment that you deserve. Bonus: it builds a reading community.

I’ll teach you how to do it effectively on Saturday.

JOIN ME!!

Dusti does it again! A book for kids that will captivate, inspire, and move readers of any age! I loved these characters and this story SO much.

Jolene isn’t like the other kids at school. Her clothes don’t fit, she can’t invite friends to her apartment (if she even had any), she doesn’t have a dad, and her mom is a shadow of a person, battling an opioid addiction.

Jolene’s only happiness comes from her online buddy, Addie Earhart, a fellow middle schooler who livestreams her solo flights over the desert. Jolene escapes her house each week to watch Addie’s videos on a public library computer.

But one day, Addie’s ultralight plane crashes, and Jolene is the only one who knows. After being dismissed by every adult she asks for help, Jolene decides that she is the only one who can save her.

Jolene thinks she knows where Addie’s plane is, and she’s really good at drawing maps. But traveling through the Arizona desert in summertime is a death wish...

Will Jolene be able to find Addie? Or will the sun, coyotes, or rattlesnakes get to her first?

I love this story for anyone grade 5+, reluctant readers, and even struggling readers who are older. It’s mature enough to be engaging for older students, but compelling and simple enough to be accessible for students reading below grade level!

I’ve added this title and Surviving the Applewhites book talk guides to my grade 5/6 Book Talk Guide Pack! (Both of those titles will also be added to my middle school Volume IV soon!)

If you own the Grade 5/6 pack, download the guides for free! If you don’t… grab it now before the price goes up. I have many more titles to add!! (Click the pic to check it out.)

Last thing!

I also recently finished this month’s book club choice: My Life With the Walter Boys. I basically screamed/shrieked/giggled my way through. Full review to come after book club!! BUT, if you’d like to join Chapter Chit Chat (my teacher book club where we vote on, read, and chat over Zoom about great books for kids) now is the last time to join as a founding member at a discount!

Here’s what book club membership will include:

• 🗳️ A vote on which book we read together each month

• 💻 Monthly Zoom book club meetings (and the recording if you miss it)

• 💬 A Substack chat space to connect between meetings

• 💌 Physical mail! And my first 10 founding members will get a personalized gift from me in their mailbox

• 🍹 Sip suggestions to pair with every book

• 📚 “What to Read Next” recommendations, put together in a display-worthy format!

• 🎃 Seasonal book display ideas you can bring straight to your students

• 🔖 Student bookmarks

• 📌 Bulletin board ideas

• Exclusive resources you won’t find anywhere else

• 🪄 And more coming as this community grows!

I built this because I wanted a place where teachers could read for the JOY of it again, surrounded by people who get why that matters, both for us and for our students.

Here are the details:

Membership is $5/month. But right now, founding members can lock in a full year for just $48 (that works out to $4/month, ie, way less than an app you’d bring to IRL book club).

If you have been wanting to read more but keep putting it off, would love support all year long with independent reading, or if you just miss being part of a real book club, join us!! I’m so dang excited to pour into this little community. 💕

JOIN THE CLUB!

That’s all for now! Reach out with any question, comments, or just to say hi! I love having you here.

XO,

Kara

So this is me popping in one more time to remind you that at midnight, the TpT 25% off sale ends!

If you’re nosy like I am… here are my top-selling products this week:

It’s no surprise that my Independent Reading Bundle and Book Talk Guide Bundles are selling the most–they’re almost 75% off right now!

Get 25% off EVERYTHING here!

I’m so grateful to be even a tiny piece of your independent reading or teaching journey.

xo,

Kara

P.S. Don’t forget to use code BTS26 at checkout to get the full savings.

Ok, let me be the first to admit that math is not my strength. I’m a reading girl!! But. I do know that today (and today only!!), you can get an insanely good deal on my BRAND NEW VOLUME IV BOOK TALK GUIDE BUNDLE!!

Let me break it down. The bundle currently has 17 (amazing!) novel guides. It will grow to 30+ titles. When you buy now, every additional update will be yours for FREE. So, essentially, the bundle is currently 50% off what it will be in a month. There is ALSO a TpT sale running today for 25% off using the code BTS26. Soooo, I think that’s about 75% off, right!?

Truthfully, the right business move would be to wait until the bundle is complete to post it for sale, but I genuinely want these guides in the hands of as many teachers as possible because reading matters!! And book talk guides help so much.

Shop the bundle HERE!

I think that was enough math for the month!! Let’s talk books. Here are the titles currently in the Volume IV book talk guide bundle:

Here’s what I plan to add to the bundle:

• Fantasy novels

• Nonfiction titles

• More romance

• And maybe some more realistic fiction!

  ---

📌 As a reminder, if you teach 5th grade, THIS is the bundle for you. (42 appropriate titles- and it will grow!)

📌 AND, if you teach high school, I have a book talk guide bundle in the works! It will be growing, but I plan to get it out toward the end of this month. Hang tight! I appreciate your patience.

SHOP MY STORE

Last thing! I am crazy, so I decided to host another free Book Talking Workshop! I genuinely want to help you become confident and consistent with book talking this year.

Even if you want to start small with independent reading, this is definitely the routine to establish first.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

✅ Exactly how to make a book talk engaging & effective (I’ll model!)

✅ How many titles to book talk per week

✅ How to choose which student gets to read the book you just advertised

✅ How to book talk titles you haven’t read before

✅ How to fit in book talking when there’s SO much other content to cover

Plus, I’ll leave time for Q&A!

Sign Up Here

Let me know if you have any questions!

xo,

Kara

P.S. If all you’re thinking about is back-to-school right now, make sure to check out my BTS favorites in this post.

I literally rolled out of bed this morning thinking: I need to be more honest about what it takes to make independent reading really work in the classroom, because I don’t know if I’ve fully shared this piece.

And you know, I am the FIRST person to hype up independent reading. I will tell you, without hesitation, that it will be the most rewarding thing you do in your classroom. Not only do you get kids hooked on books, but you will also strengthen relationships with your students in ways you can’t even predict. It is so beautiful, so meaningful, and just the best! (I can’t stop myself from getting corny about it!)

And by now, I think you know that the first several years I tried to make independent reading work in my classroom, it totally flopped. I’ve always been honest about that.

Part of it was my lack of systems. I didn’t have the right tools to pair students with books. My routines were shaky.

But the other part I haven’t really talked about? I was a new teacher at the time, just trying to learn the curriculum, figure out behavior, and figure out the JOB. (No small feat!) Independent reading was something additional to make happen, and I was spread thin.

I share this because I know teachers. We’re passionate. We want to do our best for kids. We want to take everything on. But the truth is, if we want to do things well, we have to be realistic.

So here’s what I woke up thinking today: I need to manage your expectations. You simply cannot do everything all at once, and I don’t want you to think that if you just take my workshop or buy all the things, independently reading will be perfect.

The truth is, YOU have to have the bandwidth. And this year, you might not. Go easy on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up. There is always next year. AND there are plenty of ways to start small.

If you’re thinking, “I want do something for independent reading, even if I can’t commit to the full shebang” here’s where I’d start: a book talking routine. Ten minutes a week getting kids hooked on good titles. And maybe you provide reading time a few days per week.

I’m hosting another FREE Live Book Talking Workshop on August 15th at 3:00PM. I’d love love to hang out with you there! (You can also catch the replay!)

Here’s what I’ll cover:

✅ Exactly how to make a book talk engaging & effective (I’ll model!)

✅ How many titles to book talk per week

✅ How to choose which student gets to read the book you just advertised

✅ How to book talk titles you haven’t read before

✅ How to fit in book talking when there’s SO much other content to cover

Plus, I’ll leave time for Q&A!

Join here (It's FREE!)

Oh, and if you’re ready to go all-in on independent reading? I’ve got tools for you! They’re 25% off through August 5th in my TpT shop. Use code BTS26 at checkout.

Here’s where I’d start 👇🏼

The Bundle has the systems you need, and my Book Talk Guides give you the confidence to share great titles with your students.

SHOP HERE

Hit reply or comment below with ANY questions! I’m here to support you in any way I can. (I’ve been having lots of great convos through voice messages in my Instagram DMs, too!). Never hesitate to reach out.

I’m cheering you on!

XO,

Kara

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a stickler about much in the classroom. In fact, I wrote a whole post about things I don’t care about in my room. Frankly? I just don’t have the energy to pick every battle.

BUT there are several things I don’t mess around with, and I wanted to share them here in case they’ve been pain points for you, too.

1. I combine some getting-to-know you questions with a lesson that establishes my expectations for written responses. This might not be necessary if you teach honors students, but my seventh graders were often giving me lazy, incomplete, and grammatically incorrect written work!! I decided to set high expectations from week one with this lesson. The key is the included rubric and the pre-written feedback, so you can quickly provide it to students during class. Kids aren’t allowed to turn in the assignment until it’s perfect hehe.

2. On a similar note, I reached a point of frustration with the horrible student emails I was receiving, and then I realized: Clearly, kids have no idea how to do this. So, I decided to teach them! This best-selling Email Etiquette Lesson does the trick, and I do it as soon as possible in the school year. By popular demand, I also created a Halloween version!

3. I also really like to get an early writing sample from my students, even before I jump into curriculum. This fun and unique “I am a school supply” Metaphor Writing Activity challenges students in the best way. Here’s how it works: every student selects a mystery object out of a bag (think: highlighter, paper clip, battery, eraser, etc.). Then, they find a way to create a metaphor between who they are as a person and the object they chose. It’s always a hit, and it’s a fun assignment to display for Open House.

4. Finally, I never skip sending home this Independent Reading Parent Letter. In the past, I had a few dicey situations where parents questioned a book I had on my shelf. Since assigning this letter as a homework assignment the first week of school, I haven’t had an issue!

➡️ By the way, if you haven’t grabbed my free 7 days of Independent Reading Launch Plans, do it!! They contain the exact sequence and tools I used to roll out reading in my classroom. And they work because they 1) emphasize the important role reading will be playing in your classroom 2) set clear expectations from the get-go so you get the best buy-in from students, and 3) strategically pair kids with books (it’s a big job at the beginning of the year).

TpT is having their big Back To School Sale August 4th-5th. EVERY SINGLE THING in my shop is 25% off when you use the code BTS26 at checkout. So if anything here catches your eye, add it to your cart, and buy during the sale!!

SHOP HERE!

I recently finished the dystopian novel, Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

I loved it. But be warned: your heart will be pounding and you WILL be reminiscing about all the crazy thoughts and feelings that flew through your brain and body when you were under the spell of your first crush!

Here’s the synopsis: In a new America where love (known as amor deliria nervosa) has been classified as a deadly disease, every citizen is “cured” of it at eighteen through a mandatory brain procedure. Lena has always craved her cure. Her mother, infected by the disease, took her own life, and Lena has spent her childhood terrified of following that same path.

But with her procedure just months away, Lena meets Alex, and everything she’s been taught starts to unravel. Now she has to decide: is the cure really salvation, or does it just erase the ability to feel anything at all?

This book is part of a trilogy, and I know kids will want to read all three books. The romance in the novel gets a little mature (no sex!), but I’d recommend it to age 13+ or at end of 7th grade. It’s being added to my new Dystopian Book Talk Guide Pack, which reminds me…🥁🥁🥁

VOLUME IV Book Talk Guides are here! 🥳

This has been a long time coming, and it’s still only about halfway done! BUT, I wanted to share it with you so you can grab it at a very low price during the sale and snag all the added guides for FREE.

This Volume is perfect for teachers who teach students grade 6-8. (I have a growing bundle of book talk guides for grade 5 teachers HERE.)

Last thing! I wanted to put these reminders about my teacher book club, Chapter Chit Chat, in case you’re interested.

Every month, we vote on a great book, read it together, and then get on Zoom to chat about it! (We also talk all things independent reading and scheme about how to make it amazing in your classroom).

It’s basically the book club you always wanted to join but never had time to organize yourself. It’s also a way to connect with me in-person (well, sort of 💻 hehe) every month! July’s meeting was SO much fun, and I’ve been inspired to take book club to the next level.

Starting in August, Chapter Chit Chat is going paid, and it’s getting major upgrades!

Here’s what book club membership will include:

• 🗳️ A vote on which book we read together each month

• 💻 Monthly Zoom book club meetings (and the recording if you miss it)

• 💬 A Substack chat space to connect between meetings

• 💌 Physical mail! And my first 10 founding members will get a personalized gift from me in their mailbox

• 🍹 Sip suggestions to pair with every book

• 📚 “What to Read Next” recommendations, put together in a display-worthy format!

• 🎃 Seasonal book display ideas you can bring straight to your students

• 🔖 Student bookmarks

• 📌 Bulletin board ideas

• Exclusive resources you won’t find anywhere else

• 🪄 And more coming as this community grows!

I built this because I wanted a place where teachers could read for the JOY of it again, surrounded by people who get why that matters, both for us and for our students.

Here are the details:

Membership is $5/month. But right now, founding members can lock in a full year for just $48 (that works out to $4/month, ie, way less than an app you’d bring to IRL book club).

If you have been wanting to read more but keep putting it off, would love support all year long with independent reading, or if you just miss being part of a real book club, join us!! I’m so dang excited to pour into this little community. 💕

Join the club!

That’s all for now! Chat soon 🥰

XO,

Kara

You probably already know this, but one of the best ways to build a reading community in your classroom is to invest in your own reading life.

Reading some middle grade or YA lit throughout the year is an amazing way to connect with the readers in your classroom, and it builds your credibility as a book-recommender.

But let’s be honest, between lesson planning, grading, and, you know, having a life outside of school, carving out time to actually read (and finish!) a book can feel impossible. And reading alone, without anyone to talk to about it, just isn’t as fun.

That’s exactly why I built Chapter Chit Chat!

Chapter Chit Chat is a book club community (here on Substack!) made specifically for teachers in my incredible community who want to read more MG and YA lit, but need a little accountability, community, and fun to keep them motivated (because who doesn’t!?).

Every month, we vote on a great book, read it together, and then get on Zoom to chat about it! (We also talk all things independent reading and scheme about how to make it amazing in your classroom).

It’s basically the book club you always wanted to join but never had time to organize yourself. It’s also a way to connect with me in-person (well, sort of 💻 hehe) every month! July’s meeting was SO much fun, and I’ve been inspired to take book club to the next level.

Starting in August, Chapter Chit Chat is going paid, and it’s getting major upgrades!

Here’s what book club membership will include:

• 🗳️ A vote on which book we read together each month

• 💻 Monthly Zoom book club meetings (and the recording if you miss it)

• 💬 A Substack chat space to connect between meetings

• 💌 Physical mail!

• 🍹 Sip suggestions to pair with every book

• 📚 “What to Read Next” recommendations, put together in a display-worthy format!

• 🎃 Seasonal book display ideas you can bring straight to your students

• 🔖 Student bookmarks

• 📌 Bulletin board ideas

• Exclusive resources you won’t find anywhere else

• 🪄 And more coming as this community grows!

I built this because I wanted a place where teachers could read for the JOY of it again, surrounded by people who get why that matters, both for us and for our students.

Here are the details:

Membership is $5/month. But right now, you can lock in a full year for just $48 (that works out to $4/month, ie, way less than an app you’d bring to IRL book club).

If you have been wanting to read more but keep putting it off, would love support all year long with independent reading, or if you just miss being part of a real book club, join us!! I’m so dang excited to pour into this little community. 💕

Join the club!

Can’t wait to meet in August!!

XO,

Kara

P.S. If you want to vote on August’s book, you can do so here!

In my early years of trying independent reading, I thought that passion and a stocked classroom library were all I needed. Unfortunately, what I got was a group of fake readers.

Book abandonment happened constantly. Reading conferences went absolutely nowhere. And eventually, I gave up. I was so frustrated at my students, but I was even more mad at myself.

I didn’t know what it would take to help these kids love reading.

But the next year, my passion was still there, and I knew I had to give independent reading one more shot. I decided to start with one small change: I began Book Talk Tuesday.

Every Tuesday, I’d choose 1-2 books to advertise to my students. I’d give them a short plot synopsis, a little character and genre info, and then I’d take kids inside the story for a short read aloud. I knew I needed to remind my students that reading was actually an EXPERIENCE they’d enjoy. It wasn’t just a thing that checks a box, fills a log, or helps them pass a quiz.

Every Book Talk Tuesday, it began to click more and more with kids: Reading really could be fun (if they had the right book).

Suddenly I was being swarmed by students on Tuesdays, all begging to check out the title I had just shared. Kids were starting books, and *actually* finishing them (and then begging for another recommendation).My end-of-year surveys were flooded with one favorite class activity: Book Talk Tuesdays.

If you’ve struggled to build a strong reading community in your classroom in the past, it’s not you. It’s not your students. You’ve just been missing the right advertising system.

Book talking is THE solution, but it can be hard to get consistent with because.. who has the time to plan another thing? Who has time to read and remember every great book?

That’s why I first created my guides! They’re actually what got me consistent with book talking, and now they’ve helped hundreds and hundreds of teachers do the same. They’re zero-prep, and they’re my best-sellers for a reason.

Shop all my middle school guides HERE (Volume IV coming sooo soon!! Promise!).

🥳 And, I have great news if you teach Grade 5 & 6. I made a bundle of 42 guides JUST for you! I don’t want you spending money on guides for upper grades that you’ll never be able to use. So here’s the new pack, and it’s 50% for 24 hours! Grab it before end of day, July 26th! Shop HERE.

Now, onto what I just finished reading!!

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

This book!! So unbelievably well-written, highly engaging, and incredibly thought-provoking. I can’t say enough good things. It’s definitely been my favorite book of the summer.

Reading this novel takes you on such a journey; it is like reading 4 different stories in one. The book follows Matteo Alacran, a clone of the famous drug lord, El Patron.

Matt began in a Petri dish and grew inside the womb of a cow, but he knows none of that- at first. He only knows that El Patron loves him and the rest of the family despises him, calling him a filthy animal and a monster. They treat him in horribly abusive and traumatic ways, and it is all completely bewildering to Matt. He begins to believe they are all just jealous of him.

As Matt grows, he starts to understand that he was born with a very specific purpose in mind, one that threatens his life. Is he worthy of a life beyond the Alacran estate? Or will he always be considered nothing more than a monster?

Sometimes when you read a lot of dystopian or science fiction, plots and settings become somewhat predictable. I personally never mind because I love the genres so much. I’m happy to read all the iterations! But that is not the case with this novel at all. I first read this book over 20 years ago, and I haven’t read anything like it since! By the way, do not skip the authors note when you read this book (and I’m going to put that in my book talk guide) because this author’s unique and harrowing life story informs so much of what she writes about.

I had a massive book hangover after finishing this, but I’m finally onto my next read! Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I’ve already been sucked in and I’m excited to report back!

Talk soon!

XO,

Kara

P.S. All my chapter chit chat gals!! Can’t wait to see you TOMORROW!! If you want to pop in (even if you haven’t read the book for this month, come!!) Here’s the link!

Ok, this won’t be that quick, but it will be thorough! Let’s talk about how to create a classroom that looks and feels like a bookstore (on a budget). Because bookstores are beautiful, and they make anyone who walks in excited to browse books, even if they don’t consider themselves a reader!

A little effort and organization goes a long way in creating a space students want to be in.

My first suggestion is to build your classroom library as much as possible. And by that I mean, fill it with books! The tricky thing is making sure that you’re sourcing quality titles. It can be tempting to grab any and all free or discount books that you find at garage or library sales, but the truth is, you don’t want crappy titles on your shelves. That will only lead to student disappointment, book abandonment, and a bumpy road to building students’ enthusiasm about reading.

I highly suggest creating Amazon wishlists and posting them on your social media (I shared mine around my birthday for several years when I began teaching), creating a Donor’s Choose list and sharing that (but many times the lists are cleared by anonymous donors or big businesses!), and searching Firstbook.org for discounted titles. Many public libraries also have a discount book shop. You can also request books on Facebook Marketplace! Many people want to donate their children’s book collections after they leave the house.

🥇 To make sure you’re spending your money on winners, check out my Big Book List. For less than the price of one bad book purchase, you’ll get a list of 125+ incredible titles, categorized by grade level, genre, format, and topic. Use this list to source great titles and confidently recommend books to your students.

Next, consider how you will organize the books on your shelves. I personally like to organize titles by author’s last name so they are easy to locate. Then, I use a few labeled book bins to feature different genres/topics/formats throughout the year (think: sports, mystery, romance, novels in verse, etc.). Every quarter or so, I’d rotate labels and fill the bins with new books. You can see my Action/Adventure genre bin labeled below. You can grab my Classroom Library Labels HERE.

As you can also see in the picture above, I use picture frame stands like these to feature a couple titles on my shelves. Rotating these titles every time a student checks one out or when the season changes keeps the library space fresh and draws students’ interest.

You may also notice the posters above the library shelves. I love when useful content can double as classroom decor.

Here are my favorite classroom library posters:

• Book Recommendation Posters- with student-friendly synopses

• What to read next Posters- a growing resource!

• Reading problems and solutions posters (pictured above on my wall)

• Graphic Novel How-To Poster (because kids rush through GNs and often don’t understand them fully!)

• Bun girl posters! The cutest decorative piece to frame and add to your library or desk. Let’s build that reading identity!

Another fun way to beautify your library space is to check Goodwill and the Target Dollar Spot for fun objects that can be used as bookends. Anything that creates a beautiful, bookstore feel is what we’re going for!

Lastly, here are my library quick tips to help you keep the space organized, neat, and working FOR you all year long.

• Make a spot for a book sign out/return clipboard. Download my freebie here.

• Next to the clipboard, place a bin where students can return their finished titles. I also make a rule that when students are browsing books, even if they just briefly take a title off the shelf, they should put it in the book return bin. Otherwise, I find that students reshelve books in the wrong place.

• Encourage students to recommend 5-star titles to their peers with these Book Flags. I keep a stack printed on a library shelf.

Matched by Ally Condie

I’ll be honest, nothing gets my pulse racing like a good dystopian plot!! I think it’s the magical combo of secrecy, surveillance, a baddie rebel (anyone notice it’s almost always a girl!? 💪 ), a thought-provoking world, and (perhaps most importantly??) a forbidden love! 😏 I eat it all up!!

Matched is not a new title, but it is new to me! I flew through this book in just two days, sacrificing sleep and therefore my sanity in the process 😅. Worth it!

Cassia lives in The Society, a perfect world tightly controlled by precise measurements, optimal genetic matching, limited choices, and assigned roles. (The society itself is very similar to The Giver). In The Society, disease, crime, and uncertainty have all been eliminated. Life may be predictable, but it is also protected. Cassia thought she valued that certainty, but when a mistake is made and she is matched with two different boys, an entirely new world is opened.

Xander, her lifelong best friend, is the safe and perfect choice approved by the officials. But Ky...his secret past makes him unlike anyone Cassia’s ever known.

Cassia wants to stay protected and guarantee a peaceful future, but her heart won’t stop questioning the Society and the life that’s already been decided for her.

The love triangle! The overbearing government! The strong female protagonist! It’s all so, so good. Can’t recommend this title enough for grades 7+. (Truthfully, I think this title is appropriate for grade 6+, but I have a feeling that the rest of the series will get more mature).

This is going in my dystopian book talk guide pack and I’m SO excited because Volume IV is SO close to being posted!!

Do you have Volume III yet!?

XO,

Kara

P.S. I’m currently reading The House of the Scorpion and holy MOLY is it disturbing! I’ll have a full report soon!!

Guys, I am so fired up about independent reading. (Nothing new, really!) But summertime gets me so freaking excited because it's my perfect window to convince you to bring the magic of good books into your classroom next year.

I get to inspire you to make reading your whole personality. I get to nudge you to use systems like Book Talk Tuesday, and page goals to make independent reading successful and sustainable all year long. I get to share tons of great book recommendations and host workshops to put all the pieces together so you feel inspired and confident about taking independent reading on in the fall.

Last weekend, I hosted my Independent Reading Playbook Workshop and had the time of my life! Seriously, I LOVE talking with likeminded teachers, and the feedback I got on my content was so great. This comment, in particular, made me so proud.

This is my why. Because I know that when teachers are inspired and have a plan for independent reading, hundreds of students win. They learn to be lifelong readers. And that is better than any curriculum out there.

If you missed the live workshop, but would like to snag the recording (and workshop bonuses) at a discount, click HERE. ***IMPORTANT: shoot me a message once you’ve purchased so I can forward you the content. I have to do it manually, since it’s after the fact. :)

I cover so, so much in the workshop, but here’s one bite-sized chunk for today: Reading is the real work. As you approach independent reading this school year, keep that at the center of everything you do. Don’t make reading about acing a quiz, practicing summary writing, or getting a reading log signed.

Make it about the great story. Make it about the community you build.

But if you do feel like your students will need some accountability (and truthfully, I think everyone does), use page goals to track students’ reading progress each week.

Page goals are my favorite routine (ever!!) because they:

✅ are naturally differentiated

✅ help students maintain reading momentum (week after week after week)

✅ lead to better engagement and therefore better comprehension (and less book abandonment)

✅ are simple to set up and even easier to maintain and grade

✅ don’t suck the joy from reading!! (And kids actually love them)

Need I say more!?

If my full workshop wasn’t for you, I have a mini workshop focusing just on exactly how to use page goals. Find it here.

If you remember this book from 20+ years ago, you know why this picture is perfect!! If not, you’ll just have to read it hehe.

Surviving the Applewhites ~ Stephanie S. Tolan

I loved this book when I was in middle school, and I loved rereading it again this summer! It gives off the funny, wild, and chaotic energy of Cheaper By The Dozen, but with an artsy twist.

This book is about Jake Semple, a cigarette-smoking, spiked hair, foul-mouthed 13-year old boy who has been kicked out of every school in Rhode Island. At a loss, his grandfather sends him to live with the Applewhite family in rural North Carolina, where he will be homeschooled at their “Creative Academy.” The Applewhites are eccentric, chaotic, and much too busy with their own artistic endeavors to pay any attention to Jake.

Jake does, however, immediately clash with E.D. Applewhite. Unlike the rest of her family, E.D. is organized, precise, and timely. She is committed to the detailed homeschool curriculum she created for herself, and she has no desire to put up with Jake or include him in her projects, as she’s been instructed.

Schooling gets put on hold, though, when E.D.’s dad, Randolph, becomes director of a a local theater production. After a variety of things go wrong, Randolph recruits the entire Applewhite family, including Jake, to help put on the show.

One disaster after another ensues (often due to an angry and unruly goat!), but when the Applewhites set their mind to something, they don’t stop until they make it happen.

This book is heartwarming, fun, totally absurd, and inspirational. It is the perfect coming-of-age story for middle schoolers, and particularly for any student who is interested in the arts or has a sensitive side. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to a reluctant reader, it is a perfect and short read for a student who wants something a little different!

It has no mature content, and is perfect for grades 5-7. Book talk guide coming soon!!

I’m currently reading Matched by Ally Condie, and I’m absolutely obsessed. It’s a dystopian novel (and a series) that will be a great addition to my dystopian book talk guide pack coming in the next couple weeks!

I’m also having so much fun planning for our first Chapter Chit Chat book club!! There’s a sip suggestion!! I should probably come up with a snack idea, too. Hmm…

There’s still time to jump in if you’d like to join! Check it out here.

That’s all for this week! If you’re enjoying Making Readers, I’d love if you could leave a comment or a heart. I’m so grateful for this community.

XO,

Kara

I had a stocked classroom library, I was recommending books left and right, and I was passionate about getting kids to love reading the way I did.

I thought that would be enough, but wow, was I humbled.

I had kids fake reading, books abandoned every other day, side conversations instead of pages turning. Independent reading time wasn’t peaceful; it was basically a behavior battle every single day.

But the hardest part was knowing that I wasn’t creating readers. Every day kids rolled their eyes at reading time, I was reinforcing the idea that reading was lame. I felt desperate to change the tone, I just didn’t know how.

And honestly, it took me several years to figure it out.

I put everything I had into building an actual SYSTEM. Not just passion. Not just a good library. Structures, strategies, and routines that worked together so kids could finally unlock the joy and magic of good books.

That system is the reason independent reading in my classroom went from a daily battle to something my most reluctant readers actually looked forward to. And I know you can get your students there, too, once you have the right roadmap.

In just 2 days: JOIN MY FOR THE INDEPENDENT READING PLAYBOOK WORKSHOP:

After our time together on Saturday, you will walk away with:

✅ A week of specific plans to launch independent reading at back to school time

✅ The best strategies for pairing students with the right titles so they actually want to keep reading

✅ Habits and tools to build a classroom community where books are genuinely cool

✅ My favorite system for holding students accountable for their reading without sucking the fun or eating up your time

✅ (Possibly most important!) a renewed excitement for what independent reading can look like

The Bonuses:

🎁 A free replay of my Book Talking Workshop

🎁 Details notes on the entire workshop for easy reference AND a schedule to keep independent reading on track all year long

🎁 A spreadsheet of plans for exactly how to launch independent reading

🎁 A PDF with the best titles to recommend at the start of the school year (grades 5-9+)

🎁 A PDF file with brand new seasonal book posters to decorate your classroom library

🎁 All my favorite Independent Reading Freebies organized in one place!

This is everything I wish someone had handed me back when I was standing in front of a room full of fake readers, wondering what I was doing wrong.

Come with your questions and I’ll answer them live! The most fun part is all the conversations we have, troubleshooting YOUR specific struggles and setbacks.

Save your spot for $21 → JOIN ME

Would LOVE to see you Saturday!!

XO,

Kara

P.S. I’ve been asked if I will be running this workshop again this summer, and sadly, the answer is no! It take a tremendous amount of time and energy for me to put on, and I have other big things in the works. Just sharing if you need a nudge to join now ❤️.

I’ve got good news to share!

If you want to brighten your day, do a quick Google search. The headlines will tell you that Independent Bookstores are making a comeback! We’re getting more brick and mortars, and book sales are up. People want good stories, they want good authors, and they are spending like it!

This is cause for celebration, especially because it’s happening alongside this news: more and more districts are turning down tech. In fact, the entire Los Angeles school district just eliminated all devices before second grade and is setting significant boundaries on screen use for older grades. I don’t know about you, but this makes me do a little happy dance.

Here’s what I think all this means: Books are BACK, baby! Things got a little dicey there for a minute, but it feels like parents and schools are coming to their senses and prioritizing off-screen reading again. (And I mean REAL reading, not excerpts here and there).

For you, that means it is the PERFECT time to invest in your independent reading systems in your classroom.

I’m hosting a workshop on July 11th: The Independent Reading Playbook Workshop. It’s for anyone who wants to get serious about cultivating a community of readers in their classroom this year.

It’s live, which means you're asking questions throughout my entire workshop, and I'm helping you - in real time - figure out how to make IR happen in your classroom this year! (BTW, It’s also recorded if you can’t make it)

Here's what I cover:

✅ EXACT plans for how to launch independent reading at the start of the year (this is sooo critical)
✅ How to pair every student with a good book and prevent book abandonment
✅ How to hold students accountable for their reading on a weekly basis without busy work (grading optional but suggested!)
✅ How to manage behavior with simple structures and systems (and I really do mean simple, but man are they effective)
✅ How to support struggling readers
✅ How to change what YOU'RE doing to create a classroom culture that celebrates reading ( yes, you will to do a few things differently!) (but I promise it'll be fun! ☺️)

✅ Lots of Q&A time!

Here are the bonuses included:

🎁 A 7-day plan (in a pretty spreadsheet) to launch independent reading

🎁 A detailed PDF with the best books to recommend at the start the year

🎁 Classroom Library Book Posters

🎁 Active & Passive Book Recommendation Strategies Quick Sheet

🎁 A PDF with all my favorite freebies linked for you (2 book talk guides, student reading survey, reading folder forms, book BINGO, and more!)

You'll walk away from our time together with so much confidence and inspiration. I cannot wait!!

SIGN UP HERE.

I just finished The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni and my thoughts are…

A SECRET!! Hehe.

I’m absolutely going to share what I thought of the book soon, but first dibs goes to my Chapter Chit Chat Book Club girlies!!

If you don’t know what Chapter Chit Chat is, let me fill you in! It’s my virtual book club for teachers who love middle grade and YA, and who want a little accountability, community, and FUN to go with it!

Every month we vote on a title, read the book together (and chat on Substack about it!!), and then meet virtually to discuss and geek out over all things independent reading. I want it to be low pressure, lots of fun, and the kind of thing that will make you remember why you fell in love with reading in the first place.

Our FIRST meeting is at the end of July and we are reading The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni. There is still time to join us!!

If you want in, check out this post where you can subscribe and vote on a meeting date!

XO, Kara

P.S. I will admit to being absolutely terrible at following sports of any kind, including the World Cup. But what I’m absolutely AMAZING at is pretending I know everything about any sport featured in a romance. I’ll be starting Abby Offsides tonight to get in the soccer spirit, and I can’t wait!!

Popping in during a weekend of beach, backyard, repeat to remind you of three quick things!

First, this weekend is the last chance to sign up for my FREE Book Talking Workshop! I want to send you into next year with all the tools to start the MOST impactful reading routine out there. If you want to turn your students into eager readers, you need book talks.

I’ve been at it for 10+ years, so I have a few tips and tricks to make it work. I’m spilling them all in the Zoom call.

I just put the finishing touches on my slides and free PDF. I’d love to see you live so I can answer your questions! BUT, if Monday at 3:30 EST doesn’t work for you, I’ll send you the recording :).

SIGN UP HERE.

Next, I want to remind you that this weekend is the last chance to get early bird pricing on my Independent Reading Workshop!

This is different from the short Book Talking Zoom call because it covers every component you’ll need to keep an independent reading program going strong in your classroom. I cover:

• An accountability system for reading that doesn’t suck (for you or your students)

• How to schedule reading time to make it meaningful

• How to get kids actually enjoying reading (and yes, book talks are part of this!)

• How to support struggling or reluctant readers

• Simple (but wildly effective) systems that keep reading time from unraveling into whispers and fake reading

• Lots of freebies, fun ideas, and funny stories from my years of struggling!!

• Exact plans for how to launch independent reading at the start of the school year

• Q&A time (I love chatting with you guys!!!)

• And most importantly, a huge dose of inspiration to get you excited about independent reading. Your energy = EVERYTHING!

I cannot wait for this workshop! It’s happening July 11th at 11AM EST, but if you can’t make it live, I’ll send you the recording.

SIGN UP HERE (early bird pricing ending this weekend!)

Lastly, I wanted to extend an invite to my book club, Chapter Chit Chat, in case you missed it! It’s just a bunch of cutie teachers and librarians, encouraging each other to read middle grade and YA books each month! We vote on a title each month, and then meet on Zoom to chat about the book (and all things reading/teaching). I am so so excited for our first book club, and I’d love to have you there!

Here’s the post where we chose our book and inside, you can vote on a meeting time and hit subscribe so you’re in the loop on all future meetings and discussions.

That’s all for now!! Happy weekend!

XO,

Kara

Hey friends!

If you’ve seen me on Instagram lately, I’ve been blabbing a lot about my page goals system. And honestly, I am obsessed with it! It works wonders for improving kids engagement with books, AND it keeps kids reading momentum up all year long.

BUT.

It doesn’t necessarily build a reading community. And when I say reading community, I’m talking about the warm, fuzzy feeling of getting end-of-year student surveys back and seeing, over and over again, that independent reading was the best part of class.

I’m talking about the sound of cutie middle school voices begging you for just five more minutes of reading time. I’m talking about the sight of students crowding around a new seasonal book display you made and grabbing for new titles.

Those moments are the product of shared experiences of excitement around books, and they come from my favorite routine: book talking.

Because book talking (and my book talk guides) are the heart and soul of Riley Reads, I decided to bring back my FREE Book Talking Workshop!

Here’s what I’ll cover!

✅ Exactly how I make a book talk engaging

✅ How many titles to book talk per week

✅ How to choose which student gets to read the book you just advertised

✅ How to book talk titles you haven’t read before

✅ How to fit in book talking when there’s SO much other content to cover

✅ And lastly, my special tip that prevents kids from abandoning books after loving the book talk.

I’d love to see you there, (chatting with you guys “in-person” is one of my favorite things) but even if you can’t make it live, if you sign up, I’ll send you the recording!

Feel free to hit reply if you have ANY questions at all!

Oh, and by the way–my upcoming Independent Reading Workshop won’t cover much about book talking. I absolutely mention it, but I don’t have time to go into depth. That’s why I added this book talking workshop freebie! :)

Next up, a new book review! Buckle up for this one, ‘cause it’s weird! (the review, not the book hehe).

I picked up Girl in a Bad Place by Kaitlin Ward because I found it as I was unpacking books from my classroom, and it fit perfectly with the mystery/thriller genre kick I’ve been on.

This book kept me turning pages! I will be honest and say that the writing was a bit flat, and the plot line was predictable, BUT I still think middle schoolers will love it.

Here’s what it’s about: Mailee and her best friend, Cara, are about to begin their senior year of high school and they have their futures totally planned out. Lead roles in the senior play, theater camp, college in California. It’s all unfolding as they imagined. Or, so Mailee thought. Right before school starts, Cara and Mailee get invited to check out a commune in the middle-of-nowhere Montana woods.

The commune’s leader, Firehorse, shows the girls around, explaining why the group lives off the land, avoids meat, forgoes any technology, and cut ties with the modern world. Mailee immediately gets a strange feeling from the place, but Cara is fascinated.

When Cara suddenly decides to move to the commune a few months later, Mailee knows Cara’s in danger. She wants to save her, but Cara wants nothing to do with Mailee anymore. With her best friend slipping further away by the day, Mailee has to decide how far she's willing to go to save someone who doesn't want to be saved.

This story is the thriller equivalent to a slowww burn romance. Readers will spend most of the novel knowing a bad thing is coming and impatiently waiting for it. Even though there was nothing twisty about this book, it did a great job of feeling creepy from chapter one. I’m also partial to a story about a cult, so I was drawn in.

I plan to write a book talk guide for this title, but note that I wouldn’t choose this title for a super reluctant reader because it took about 60 pages to get really going.

In other book news, I have been struggling for two weeks to get through The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber. It gets good reviews, but I’m not feeling it! I think I’ll DNF it. I could be convinced to keep reading, though, if any of you think I should! Let me know!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I continue to be completely obsessed with Emma M. Lion and had lots of conversations in my DMs about how much better the series gets after volume I. If you need encouragement to keep reading–this is it!!

That’s all for this week!

XO,

Kara

P.S. Oh! Last thing! Early bird pricing for my Independent Reading Workshop ends this Sunday!! Grab the reduced rate here. I’d LOVE to see you there. It’s so much fun to share what I’ve learned and I love to answer your questions in real time!!

I wanted to share a quick story today for anyone who may need a little pep talk or encouragement to prioritize independent reading next year.

Breaking the “rules” at my school is actually what led me to my dream job of being a reading teacher.

Here’s how it happened: The year I started in my district, a very rigid and scripted curriculum was being implemented in ELA. The kids couldn’t stand it, and I felt like all my expertise and creativity as a teacher had been stripped away.

For mostly selfish reasons (at first), I secretly launched an independent reading system in my classroom. I LOVED middle grade and YA books, and I needed a way to share them with my students! I had gotten independent reading wrong in the past, but that year, I was determined to make it work.

I started with weekly book talks and provided 10-15 minutes of reading time per day. I prayed daily that no one would walk in my room while kids were reading.

As I gained confidence, and as I watched my most reluctant readers get excited about books, I took more “risks.” I hosted thematic book tastings, decorated my library shelves with caution tape for banned books week, and created interactive bulletin board displays with students’ favorite titles.

Eventually, other teachers and some administrators caught on to what I was doing, and…they were impressed! They couldn’t believe how many of my reluctant and struggling students had become engaged readers.

Fast forward two years, and I was offered a position as a reading (only!) teacher. For me, personally, that job was the DREAM position. I had smaller class sizes, didn’t have to grade essays, and I got to focus on my strength as a teacher, which benefited me and my students.

Following your passion in the classroom is totally possible. You can find ways to focus more on your strengths and what you enjoy. And if that happens to be independent reading… come hang with my at my summer Independent Reading Workshop!

I am so excited to meet you all, chat all things systems, strategies, and routines… it’s going to be a blast, and it’s going to change your life! (It changed mine.)

Sign up here.

I’m LOVING all the interest in my middle grade/young adult book club! I’ve chosen a Substack name for us: Chapter Chit-Chat! And I cannot wait to get started.

Here’s how it will work. Each month, we’ll choose a book to read, meet on Zoom to chit-chat about it, and we’ll also be able to talk about similar titles, independent reading triumphs and challenges… whatever we want, basically! I just love hanging with like-minded educators.

I’ve collected lots of email addresses from interested gals on Instagram, but if you haven’t given me your email address, and you’d like to join, please hit reply and send me your preferred email address! I’ll make sure you get the first Substack going out this weekend. (We’re voting on our first book!)

And if you’re on the fence, thinking… should I join?? Don’t I have enough on my plate?? Allow Leslie Knope to answer for you!!

I just finished Masterminds by Gordon Korman and I loved it! I am such a sucker for a dystopian plot!

I’d actually never heard of this title, but I think it should get more attention as a great dystopian story for young readers.

Here’s the synopsis:

13-year-old Eli lives in the small town of Serenity, New Mexico. As the name would suggest, Serenity is a perfect place to live. It’s beautiful and everything about life there is completely predictable. There is no crime, no poverty, and no conflict. But that changes when, one day, Eli and his best friend Randy decide to bike past the edge of the town.

As soon as they cross the town lines, Eli becomes horribly ill. He’s overwhelmed by pain, nausea, a headache, and intense fatigue. Before he knows it, he passes out.

When he wakes up, Eli has questions. Like why no one can explain what made him so suddenly sick or why Randy won’t talk to him anymore and is being sent away to live with his grandma.

The more Eli digs into what might be lurking beneath Serenity’s perfect surface, the more he starts to question everything (and everyone) he knows.

Told from the rotating perspectives of five kids in Serenity, this book will encourage readers to question if “perfect” really exists. And if it does—at what cost?

Students age 10-14 will love this one, and it leaves readers on a serious cliffhanger, begging them to continue reading the trilogy. I’ll be adding Masterminds to my new dystopian book talk guide pack!

I just started The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber, but I’m not totally sold on it yet. Time will tell, and I’ll keep you posted!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My before-bed read is still The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. I can only wish to be as cool as Emma!! Currently on Volume 4 and I never want to stop!

That’s all for this week!

XO,

Kara

P.S. These character tracking bookmarks would come in handy when reading a book like Masterminds. I love supporting my readers with them. A few quick notes about each character can eliminate confusion and boost engagement and comprehension.

One of the biggest mistakes I made my first several years of trying independent reading (and mostly failing) was not dedicating time to set it up well.

Here’s what I did: I told kids to pick a book from my library or their house, I gave them a deadline, and…. that was it.

Looking back, that was an incredibly uninspiring (I’m picking up some new vocab from Emma M. Lion!!) way to begin. But in the flurry of back-to-school necessities, it felt like all I had time for. What a mistake!!

Taking the time to properly launch independent reading is a critical investment in its success. There’s so much you can do to jazz things up, get kids paired with the right book, establish strong routines, and thoroughly convey your obsession with reading.

It does take some time and intention, though, so let me help! In fact, come learn from all my independent reading mistakes (and I made plenty) in my upcoming Independent Reading Workshop.

Early bird pricing is here for a short time, and I want my Substack friends to get the news first!

By the end of the workshop, you will know how to:

✅ Pair students with the right titles so they actually want to keep reading

✅ Build a classroom community where books are genuinely cool

✅ Hold students accountable for their reading without sucking the fun out of it or eating up your time

✅ Walk into the new school year with an exact plan for launching independent reading and a renewed excitement for what independent reading can look like

Truthfully, the real magic of the workshop is meeting face-to-face (well, screen-to-screen) with a beautiful group of passionate educators. I get to be super candid about my struggles with managing independent reading in a district of struggling and reluctant readers. I get to troubleshoot with you about your specific challenges in your classrooms. And we all get to collaborate to find solutions. (I am always blown away by the way teachers can brainstorm together!!)

This workshop is always a highlight of my summer, and it gets better every year!

Snag the early bird pricing HERE.

I cannot WAIT to meet you and chat all things reading!

Soooo I picked up this book because I wanted to add it to my thriller/mystery pack of book talk guides. Spoiler: I am a dope and this is a dystopian novel!! Oh well, it’s amazing, and I will just have to make another pack for this genre. (You can check out my first pack of dystopian book talk guides in my Volume II bundle, btw).

I first read this book when I was in middle school. I remember being glued to the pages, completely engrossed and obsessed. 20 years later, I flew through it again!

What a great, thought-provoking story. I heard from several teachers that this book is a favorite class read aloud. What a great choice!! It would also be fab as an independent reading title for reluctant readers because it’s short and a total page turner.

Here’s the synopsis:

Luke isn’t like his two brothers. He can’t go to school or make friends or even leave his parents’ property. Luke is a third. An illegal third child who would be taken and killed by the government’s Population Police if anyone ever discovered his existence.

As a young child, Luke tolerated being hidden. But as he grows older and government crackdowns become more and more restrictive, Luke finds himself hating each day he is forced to live locked away in the attic of his home.

One day, perched in his attic window, Luke discovers another hidden third living at a neighbor’s house. He risks everything to befriend her, but Jen has bigger plans for her life than Luke ever imagined for himself. Jen has an idea that could free them from hiding forever, but will Luke be brave enough to join her?

Add this one to your classroom library ASAP! Grades 6+!

In adult fiction reading news… I am completely and utterly obsessed with The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. Almost done with Volume 2., and I find myself pretending to have a British accent, making tea, and getting sassy like her as often as possible! She’s just the best. I’m reading it on my Kindle (all eight volumes are on Kindle Unlimited!) and listening on Spotify. The woman who does the audiobook is incredibly talented. Despite this, I feel like being super extra and buying all volumes in paperback because they’re beautiful and I want to underline! Am I insane?? (Yes, but it cannot be helped!)

That’s all for this week!

Let me know if you have any questions about the workshop, and please leave a comment with any requests for future Substack topics! I want to help you!

XO,

Kara

P.S. I’m dreaming up a Substack book club of teachers who want to read great middle grade and YA lit together. (For our students, and for fun, of course!) Let me know if this sounds fun/doable to you! I’d love for us to meet on Zoom monthly, chat about our book for the month, and discuss other great titles to recommend to our readers. What do you think??