The new trailer for the live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast” has us hearkening back to the animated classic and our first introduction to our beloved, book-ensconced Belle.
So while we wait for a deeper glimpse into the fantastic library scenery of this new adaptation, we can also look to our own shelves for fairy-tale retellings that resonate with the thrill of timeless stories.
Read on for our picks of novels new and old inspired by classic folk and fairy tales.
School may be coming to a close, but as summer starts we want to echo Mr. Bennet’s encouragement to READ ON! 
Okay, so that line isn’t in the book, but it is in the BBC miniseries, and that’s the best adaptation. And it’s totally within Mr. B’s bibliophile nature as something to say. Always looking for a peaceful moment in which to read his book; could Mr. Bennet be the most relatable character in Jane Austen’s works?
In any case, as you encourage your students to take on summer as a season of reading, you can fulfill your Summer Reading list with books from Adams Book Company! Here is a list of all kinds of books that would be great for summer reading.
A Lesson Before Dying, Angela’s Ashes, 1984, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Cold Mountain, Friday Night Lights, Great Expectations, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, The Bean Trees, The Color Purple, The Joy Luck Club, The Kite Runner, The Road, The Tiger’s Wife, Fast Food Nation, The Alchemist, Salvage the Bones, The Beautiful Struggle, How to Read Literature like a Professor
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Spring break is a great opportunity to pick up that book you have been meaning to for months. It’s also a great opportunity for educators to suggest books to their students, not as mandatory reading, but as recommended reading geared towards that specific student.
It’s sometimes a daunting task to pick a book for a student. Will they like it? What if they dislike it so much that it puts them off reading? Though understandable concerns, whether the child likes or dislikes a book will make for a great discussion after the break. Plus, talking about a book is just as wonderful as reading one. Read on for picks from Middle Reader Novels, Beloved Classics, Movie Tie-Ins, and YA Fantasy…
Based on a true story, “Between Two Worlds” by Katherine Kirkpatrick is a novel of Arctic exploration told from a young Inuit point of view. Author of the “Indian in the Cupboard” series, Lynne Reid Banks, tells a story informed by her own experiences of leaving WWII England for Canada in “Uprooted”.
 Between Two Worlds |
 Odin’s Ravens |
 Uprooted |
 Navigating Early |
 Egg and Spoon |
 The Mysterious Woods of Whistle Root |
 Paperboy |
 Love by the Morning Star |
 Mister Max |
 Joshua Dread |
 The Key & the Flame |
 Just Ella |
Series are great when you find a story and characters you love, and they’ve always been a great way to keep kids reading. L.M. Montgomery kept young readers happy with nine “Anne of Green Gables” novels, starting in 1908. Those books have a refreshed look with lovely new cut paper cover designs. Perennial favorite Sherlock Holmes also gets a handy repackaging with an edition that collects the timeless novel-length stories.
 Sherlock Holmes: The Novels |
 The Pushcart War |
 Wild Jack |
 Rainbow Valley |
 Fifteen Rabbits |
 The Wednesday Witch |
This year’s blockbusters draw on both literature and nonfiction. Nathaniel Philbrick’s “In the Heart of the Sea,” which reexamines the real-life disaster that inspired “Moby Dick,” is now not only adapted into a feature film, but is also available in a new edition for young readers.
No waiting: If you get hooked on a series by starting with the paperback, the next book is already available in hardcover!
What’s one big objection to the reality crafted by the Harry Potter books? How about the fact that so many kids are so bored by learning magic? Putting ourselves in their place, it makes no sense. Wouldn’t anyone be thrilled to gain magical powers just by studying? Instead, there are pages of complaint and annoyance with the burden of school. Even magic-deprived Harry balks at the hours of research and practice assigned every day. But this is neither a flaw in J.K. Rowling’s characterizations, nor merely a convenient device to add relatability or to set studious Hermione apart. It’s a perceptive rendering of schoolkids and their education.We see kids that really should be excited to learn, and are reminded of that same truth about kids in the real world. Continue reading
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the best books by or about the great civil rights leader. There are biographies, in-depth histories, collections of Dr. King’s words, and books to engage young readers. Below is a sample of books that can help students understand King’s monumental work and connect it with the continued efforts for justice and peace needed today.
Banned Books Week is the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read and battle censorship. The National Council of Teachers of English provides resources for teachers facing challenges to works used in their classrooms. They’ve also compiled a list of titles that have been challenged between 2004 and 2013. We’ve highlighted just a few of those that are popular classroom reads:
Fig. 1. This graph shows the number of book challenges from 2000-2005 and the most popular reasons for the challenges. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We’ve produced a reading tracker worksheet for students to use to document their daily readings and for teachers to track progress. This serves to hold students accountable for their reading and gives them a tool to share with peers.
We’ve also produced a tracker for teachers to use to evaluate student progress. It contains several rubrics with space to add your own.
The new school year approaches and we’re creating our own sets of FREE printable worksheets for middle and high school teachers to use in classrooms. First up: Character Map. Stay tuned to this blog and our Pinterest page over the coming weeks for more free printables. Next week: a worksheet for analyzing symbolism.
Adams Book Company 
