From the Classroom

From the Classroom: Book Recommendation Bookmarks

By on June 22, 2026   /   For Teachers, From the Classroom  

Looking for novels in verse?As a classroom teacher, I am always looking for new ways to reach readers. Here at From the Mixed-Up Files, our From the Classroom series has a wide-range of tools and book lists geared towards teachers and librarians. Some of my favorites include weekly read-alouds for First Chapter Friday, If You Like … posters, and End of Year Best Book Lists.

This month I’m excited to share something new I introduced in my fifth grade classroom this spring: book recommendation bookmarks. 

 

Book Recommendation Bookmarks

My fifth graders love bookmarks. Every time I attend a conference I make sure to scoop up any promotional bookmarks I can find for middle grade books. But, inevitably, we run through them in the month or two after I get back. 

So this year, I decided to try something new. 

Instead of using promotional bookmarks to introduce students to one new book, why not put together a collection of bookmarks that feature several books? By targeting titles in our classroom library, students have the opportunity to immediately seek out and read any titles that grab their attention. 

Looking for sports stories?

I printed these out four-to-a-page, giving a finished size of 2.5 inches by 7.5 inches, which made for a good, solid bookmark, and allowed me to feature six titles per category. I also used cardstock so that they would stand up to repeated use.

Looking for sad stories?The bookmarks were a big hit. I keep them in a container near our book return basket so that students who have just finished a book can instantly find something new. Some of my voracious readers like to use the bookmarks like a checklist, keeping track of which books they’ve read. Other students spend time browsing through the selections to get exactly the theme they want, and some students simply grab whichever one is on top and go with it!

Some of our most popular categories include novels in verse, magical school stories, survival stories, sport stories, and super sad stories. Some kids prefer picking books by genre, other kids prefer books by theme or vibe. It’s a great way to highlight a mix of older books and newer books. 

What categories of books would be most popular with the readers in your classroom?

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From the Classroom – Revolutionary War Reads

By on April 27, 2026   /   books, For Teachers, From the Classroom  

On July Fourth, 2026, the United States will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. There has already been a number of events celebrating the 250th with many more to come. What better way to get your students engaged in learning about this time period than by reading some books!

Revolutionary War Texts

Each of the books below can stand alone or you might consider forming text sets around the books, their themes, their topics, etc. Many of these books already have teaching guides that accompany them for immediate use in the classroom as you finish off the year or as a great back-to-school reading in the fall.

cover of sophia's war with outline of character with a noose down the center of the cover

 

Award-winning Author Avi presents this story of treason, revenge, and thrilling real historical events. His website contains teaching resources, reading group guides, and much more. What’s interesting about this particular story is that it contains a British perspective concerning their occupation in the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

 


cover to Susanna's midnight ride featuring a girl on a horse at night with british army in the background

Almost five years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution hung in the balance. In late May 1781, General Cornwallis invaded City Point, VA, and quartered his army there. As 16-year-old Susanna Bolling served the British general and his officers dinner, she overheard their plans to capture General Lafayette and crush the American rebellion once and for all. Under the cover of darkness, she snuck out of her house through a secret underground tunnel and canoed downriver. Then she grabbed a neighbor’s horse and rode ten miles to warn Lafayette.  But would she make it back home by sunrise without detection?

Make sure you check out the author’s website to see other Revolutionary War books she has written!

 

 

 

cover of answer the cry for freedom featuring silhouettes of African Americans

This engaging book provides a chance for young readers to learn about the death-defying attempts of black Americans to gain the inalienable rights promised in the Declaration of Independence. By stepping into the shoes of thirteen men and women—stand-ins for the fifth of the population left out of most textbooks—readers can appreciate how the American Revolution rattled the chains of slavery and expanded the boundaries of freedom beyond the Founding Fathers’ intentions.

There is a wonderful teacher’s guide that accompanies this book on the author’s website. 

 

 

 

cover of history smasher's american revolution with paul revere on a horse

 

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the Revolutionary War with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels make this perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales.

You might already be a fan of the History Smashers series and this one is no different. There are so many misconceptions about what really happened in 1776, and the endless facts in this book really helps clarify what really happened. Kate Messner has also been known to be available for author visits, both in-person and virtually.

 

What are your plans to celebration the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution? Leave your ideas in the comments below!

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From the Classroom – It’s Mock Award Season!

By on December 22, 2025   /   books, For Teachers, From the Classroom  

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and I’m not talking about the holiday season. It’s almost time for the American Library Association’s (ALA) annual youth media awards! Held on Monday, January 26th, 2026, the youth media awards include the most prestigious awards for children’s literature, including the John Newbery Medal for excellence in American Children’s Literature, the Randolph Caldecott Medal for excellence in children’s literature illustration, the Coretta Scott King Award for excellence in African-American literature and illustration, and a slew of other awards. You might already have this on your radar, and when you get back in the classroom in January, there is plenty of time to partake in mock award activities before the big event!

MOCK CALDECOTT AWARD

Image of Caldecott Medal from ALA Youth Media Awards

Feeling short on time in January? Then the Mock Caldecott Award is for you! You’ll have plenty of time to read one-two picture books a week and judge them based on pre-existing criteria. Not sure where to begin? Check out Mr. Schu’s list of picture books to consider. He and Colby Sharp also have short videos attached to the list that discuss each book and also feature some chats with the illustrators and authors. Principal Brain Samson also created a unit packet that’s ready to go! It includes the official Caldecott criteria for you and your students to discuss in class as you make your final selection. Then, watch the live event to see if you picked the winner! Don’t forget – middle graders love picture books too!

MOCK NEWBERY AWARD

picture of newbery award medal

Working with older students or want to dive into longer texts? Then look no further than the mock newbery award. The Heavy Medal blog, sponsored by School Library Journal, has already selected fifteen possible contenders. What’s even better is that a panel of librarians, students, and other experts will be discussing each of the fifteen books all January! There is also a discussion guide you can use, and ALA also provides a mock Newbery toolkit that’s classroom friendly. Feeling like it’s not possible to read multiple novels with your students in January? Have every kid pick a different book to read for the month and then do a report-out on their individual book using the criteria in the discussion guide to try and persuade their classmates that their book will win! It’s a great way to cover lots of ground in a short amount of time.

 

The New York Times just wrote an article (note: behind paywall) about how kids don’t read whole novels anymore in school, especially in English class. These mock award activities are a great way to get kids reading with a payoff they can get invested in at the end of January. Celebrate with the winners on January 26th, and celebrate books all the time! Who do you think is going to win the Caldecott and Newbery award?  Leave a comment below!

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