From the Classroom: If You Like…

Middle grade readers often have strong opinions. In earlier From the Classroom articles we shared how to Build Reflective Readers and reasons why we Don’t Pigeon-Hole Middle Grade Readers. This time I’d like to share a sure-fire way to get kids interested in new books: “If you like…” posters and recommendations.

If You Like … Posters

Every Friday is First Chapter Friday in my fifth grade classroom. Most weeks I read aloud the first chapter of an enticing middle grade book, and students have the chance to sign up to be the first readers. It’s a great way to expose kids to new authors, genres, topics, and formats of books than they might usually read.

But some weeks, I share a group of books related by a theme. This Friday, being Halloween, our theme is “If you like… Scary Stories!” Not only will I share several of the titles above with my students (blurbs this time, not every first chapter), but I will also hang the poster up above our classroom library. This year I went the extra step of adding a basket specifically for “scary books,” to help readers find them easily.

Some other popular topics for “If you like…” include survival stories, magical school stories, graphic novels, you name it! I’ve also done versions for genres, as a goal of fifth grade is introducing students to books in various genres (realistic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy).

Have Students Make Their Own “If You Like…”

Another strategy is to have students make their own book recommendations using the “If you like…” format. It’s a great way for them to think about what kind of reader would like a certain book, and what other books that same reader might enjoy. Some of them come up with pretty straightforward recommendations, like the one at the top of the article: If you like the Funjungle series by Stuart Gibbs, then you might like The Spy School series also by Stuart Gibbs.

But students also come up with combinations that might seem more unexpected. One students suggested The Invention of Hugo Cabret if you liked The Lightning Thief. She said that “These books are adventurous, and exciting! I recommend these books to readers who like mysteries and fantasy.”

So there you go!

How do you use book talks or book recommendations to inspire readers in your life or classroom?

Katie McEnaney

As an author, archaeologist, and 5th grade teacher, Katie McEnaney is always on a whirlwind hunt for the perfect artifact to illustrate a point and teach about the past. She even developed a virtual escape room for her students based on The Temple of Dendur exhibit at the MET – no suitcase required! Her stories have been featured in Little Thoughts Press and the middle grade anthology Clio’s Curious Dash Through Time. When she’s not traveling the world and geeking out over archaeological sites, you can find her at home in Wisconsin with her husband, son, and two very-demanding cats.