The sounds of feet clopping down the hallway. The smell of pencil shavings and eraser marks. The taste of metallic water fountains. You know what this means – school is back in session. Bilbeau Baggins here, your friendly neighborhood teacher & summer intern, checking in to provide you and your family with your essential back-to-school reading lists.
Before school officially starts, it might behoove you to brush up on your grammar skills. A good place to start is A Few Words About Words by Joe Diorio. The accessibility of this review guide is what really makes it stand out. Based on the widely-read newsletter, Diorio’s book will have you familiar and confident with the intricacies of the English language in no time. Click on the picture below for more information!
While we’re on the topic of brushing up, why not stop by the annals of geography? Jeff Alt’s Bubba Jones series is perfect for your adventurous middle-schooler. The most recent novel in the series features none other than the Grand Canyon, where your kiddos will explore the past, present, and future without having to leave their school district. Imagine how impressive their summer vacation stories (not to mention reading logs) will be!
A fun history class pick is Dennis Duncan’s recent release Index, the History of: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age. This one really is, as its subtitle suggests, a grand adventure for anyone bookish enough to go on it. Not relegated to the index alone, this written history details everything from the printing press to page numbers. I highly recommend the audiobook version, which you can listen to on the school bus while feeling super sophisticated.
And if you have (or are) a high-schooler looking for adventure, try Andrew Smith’s young adult award-winner Ghost Medicine, about a group of friends who need to get out of trouble on their small-town ranch. A sort of young adult western Ghost Medicine will have your blood pumping, and is the perfect story to get you back in the groove of early mornings. It was one of my summer’s top reads, and is one not to be missed!
And finally, while it’s a nice sentiment that we’ll all feel great to be back (or have our kids back) in school, there’s a little piece of all of us that will miss summer vacation. The cure for this particular nostalgia is Camp Boyfriend by R.K. Rock. Featuring an underdog triumph and a charming teenage romance, this book series is sure to make your first few weeks back more bearable. Not only is this the perfect book for adults to look back on their glory days, it’s also the book your student will want to sneak-read under their desk.
Here at Beaufort, we love seeing folks of all ages preparing for the upcoming school year. We wish you the best of luck on your back-to-school shopping, organizing, and most importantly, reading.
Tags: back to school, book recommendations