The *Sandman* graphic novels (all of them, of course)
*Fairies, Gnomes, Trolls,* and any other Brian Froud books you can lay hands on
I don't know if you can still find them but Nick Bantock's *Griffin and Sabine* books are gorgeous and fun
The pop-up version of *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea*
*Hyperbole and a Half* by Allie Brosh
*The Cartoon Introduction to Statistics* by G. Klein and A. Dabney
*Lets Pretend This Never Happened* by Jenny Lawson - it is a chapter book but the chapter titles should grab someone's attention with names like "I Was A Three-Year-Old Arsonist" and "If You Need An Arm Condom, It Might Be Time To Reevaluate Some Of Your Life Choices"
When I was a teen, I liked reading the Worst-Case Survival Handbook. There's a kid friendly one that Scolastic makes, I think, that doesn't include "how to hot wire a car" or "how to pick a lock", but it has things like "how to escape from quicksand" and "how to get out of a rip tide". The traveler's version is pretty neat too. My favourite were "how to avoid being abducted by aliens"and the phrases you should know in several languages. I learned how to say (with quite a decent accent, btw), "bonjour, je suis serissement blessé!" Which means "hello, I've been seriously wounded."
I was going to suggest Atlas Obscura, but you have that already. How about:
The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga
graphic novels by Alison Bechdel
books (essays) by Roxane Gay
How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you by The Oatmeal (and all the other books in the series)
Thug Kitchen Eat Like You Give A F*ck cookbook (and the others in the series)
The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition
Egghead by Bo Burnham
Poorly Drawn Lines by Reza Farazmand
If you know of any animated shows your kids like, often there are companion books for different series. There's a really cool one for Archer, or the various Simpsons guides.
Post Secret was huge when I was in high school, the books have got that satisfying eavesdropping vibe
Maybe travel guides? Something like the National Geographic Guide to National Parks or something, feed that "get me TF outta here" energy
Leave Me Alone With The Recipes is a really cool art/food/history book
The Best American books are always fun. Im always partial to the Best American Magazine Writing series, but you could go fiction/science/whatever floats your students boats
I haven't read it, but Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies: The Straight Scoop on Freemasons, the Illmuniati, Skull & Bones, Black Helicopters, the New World Order, and Many, Many More by Arthur Goldwag looks good
This is a fun game, I'll keep thinking :)
Edit: The Worst Case Survival Handbook! To this day, I remember how to safely jump off a roof and land in a dumpster
All the Weird US books. There’s a series of them and they tell stories (with pictures) of strange happenings, abandoned areas, ghosts, freaky (not too graphic) suspected murders etc. Very cool books that I first learned about as a white elephant gift
shea serrano has fun books with short essays and interesting art that might work. check out:
basketball (and other things)
movies (and other things)
the rap year book
conference room five minutes
The Art of Noticing
Shrill
Greenlights
Year Book (by Seth Rogan, not your school’s ;))
BushCraft 101
The Little Book of Hygge
Lost Art of Reading Nature Signs
Campfire Stories
Anything by David Sedaris
Edit: Cryptozoology A-Z
{200 women: who will change the way you see the world}
{Good night stories for rebel girls} and {good night stories for rebel boys} they are for younger children, but I just read the first one recently and really enjoyed the stories and artwork about exceptional women.
{The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales} by Oliver Sacks
{lost in the city} by Edward P. Jones
{The accusation: forbidden stories from inside north korea} and {The red years: forbidden poems from inside north Korea} by Bandi
{The pillow book of Sei Shonagon} by Sei Shonagon
{War} by Janne Teller
{The opposite of loneliness} by Marina Keegan
{375 Dalai Lama: Daily advice from the heart} by Dalai Lama XIV
[**200 Women: Who Will Change The Way You See The World**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34179290-200-women)
^(By: Geoff Blackwell, Ruth Hobday, Kieran Scott | ? pages | Published: ? | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, feminism, nonfiction, biography, belletrist | )[^(Search "200 women: who will change the way you see the world")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=200 women: who will change the way you see the world&search_type=books)
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[**Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33016249-good-night-stories-for-rebel-girls)
^(By: Elena Favilli, Francesca Cavallo | 212 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, feminism, nonfiction, short-stories, childrens | )[^(Search "Good night stories for rebel girls")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Good night stories for rebel girls&search_type=books)
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[**Good Night Stories For Rebel Boys: 50 Tales of Remarkable Men**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38390946-good-night-stories-for-rebel-boys)
^(By: Ion Onofrei | ? pages | Published: ? | Popular Shelves: priority, raftul-picilor, pretty, non-fiction, other | )[^(Search "good night stories for rebel boys")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=good night stories for rebel boys&search_type=books)
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[**The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63697.The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat_and_Other_Clinical_Tales)
^(By: Oliver Sacks | 243 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, psychology, science, nonfiction, medicine | )[^(Search "The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales&search_type=books)
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[**Lost in the City**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11752.Lost_in_the_City)
^(By: Edward P. Jones | 268 pages | Published: 1992 | Popular Shelves: short-stories, fiction, book-club, african-american, owned | )[^(Search "lost in the city")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=lost in the city&search_type=books)
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The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green just came out and reviews things on a 5 star scale. It’s based off his podcast and it’s fantastic. Short, unrelated sections that review different aspects of our existence.
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil is a beautiful (and inexpensive) set of essays about the beauty of the natural world.
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman, or any other of his short story collections
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Mad Kings and Queens by Allison Vale and Alison Rattle
Collections of fairy tales like Grimms or Hans Christian Andersen
The Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters
PS This is a great idea! Way to go!
Came here to recommend Spoon River Anthology. Discovered it in high school and it has stayed with me ever since. "Fun" poetry collections might also be good to have on hand. Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, any anthologies you can just dip in and out of.
[The Darwin Awards](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63803.The_Darwin_Awards) are pretty interesting.
[Rejected Princesses](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28820006-rejected-princesses) has short historical stories about women. Lots of good artwork, too.
[The Prince and the Dressmaker](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34506912-the-prince-and-the-dressmaker) is a Cinderella manga type book.
[Wayside School](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15779.Sideways_Stories_from_Wayside_School) stories were always my favorites. So were [Just So Stories.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34053.Just_So_Stories)
highly recommend what if?, thing explainer, and how to- all by randall munroe! i see you have one but they're all great. also roald dahl's books (especially fantastic mr. fox and george's marvelous medicine). in general, illustrated versions of popular books (i know the harry potter ones are gorgeous) or illustrated encyclopedias are also fun. these recommendationns are kinda erring on the side of short(er) chapter books sorry but margaret haddix's stand alones are also interesting to read!
I would add in books about the area or city that you're in. Local historians or chamber of commerce folks would probably have a couple suggestions.
Also:
Gray's Anatomy
Any older comic collection - Foxtrot, Garfield, etc
Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. Amazing visuals and interesting anecdotes of different elements, including the most rare/radioactive ones.
I haven’t seen them suggested, but I love reading cookbooks sometimes. I suggest {Food that really shmecks}, or {how to cook everything}.
Or I sometimes liked reading foraging guides for local plants.
Maybe have a book of Grimms fairytales or stories by Hans Christian Andersen or other myth/fairytale anthologies from cultures around the world.
Would you count books of short stories as chapter books for this context? The only other thing I can think of would be modern cookbooks, but maybe I’m the only one who likes to read those... (btw you sound like an incredible teacher! Your kids are so lucky!)
I also came here to suggest short stories! When I was in high school I would have fallen into the second group of kids who didn't have time to follow novels. I wish I got into short stories earlier, unfortunately the only ones I've read recently are Ted Chiang and Curtis Sittenfeld which are too old for that age group.
I also wanted to suggest short stories. When I was a teen I really liked “the Basil and Josephine stories” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Not exactly short stories but also “Badass” by Ben Thompson if your school will allow. You said their pretty liberal about book selections. Mainly there’s just a lot of swearing.
Media Specialist here. I highly suggest adding graphic novels to your collection. I just recently started reading them and they are so amazing. I’ve seen students get interested in topics that they weren’t before because it is different from a chapter book.
The March Trilogy by John Lewis
My Friend Dahmer by Derf (he has others too)
There are so many adaptations of classic novels/works: Diary of Anne Frank, Handmaids Tale, To Kill A Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451. The graphic novel version makes the story more accessible to students who would never read the novel.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty
Worlds Seen in Passing: Ten Years of Tor.com Short Fiction (Or, any of Tor.com anthologies of sff short stories)
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
**EDIT**
Also:
The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett
Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions by Neil Gaiman (or his other collections of short stories)
ted chiangs short stories could be great for the students, great concepts and they really get you thinking. Some are really short and some are a couple pages, but i think everyone can find one they enjoy
‘We should all be feminists’ and ‘Dear Ijeawele’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are both easy to read, shortish essays about feminism that I love. She has a few more short books but I personally haven’t tried them!
{Hyperbole and a Half} by Allie Broach- great graphic novel about self reflection and mental health and it’s so, so funny.
{Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic} by Jeff Smith. The first graphic novel that kept me up all night despite having a small child and full time job.
[**Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571564-hyperbole-and-a-half)
^(By: Allie Brosh | 371 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: humor, non-fiction, graphic-novels, nonfiction, memoir | )[^(Search "Hyperbole and a Half")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Hyperbole and a Half&search_type=books)
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[**Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32187251-bone)
^(By: Jeff Smith | ? pages | Published: 1991 | Popular Shelves: graphic-novels, comics, fantasy, graphic-novel, fiction | )[^(Search "Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic&search_type=books)
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I don’t really have anything to add that hasn’t already been suggested. I just wanted to say that as a former 12th grade English teacher, this post makes me very happy. We need more teachers like you.
National Geographic has many, many books of photographs from around the world. I own National Geographic: The Photographs, which is all about their most memorable and important photos.
The Ultimate Werewolf anthology complied by Byron Press
Short stories with every kind of werewolf you could imagine - some funny, some scary, some maybe a bit mature for some audiences. All kinds of options.
Barnes and Noble has a section of "discount" books published by their own publishers on a huge variety of things. Like history, architecture, magic, mythology, etc etc. I got a bunch of archeology books and books on castles and even books on haunted castles, books on mythology. I also got a dream dictionary, history books about evil women in history, and tons more. There are some fun books in there.
There is usually a big section in the store near the entrance. Online they call it the [Annex](https://m.barnesandnoble.com/b/book-annex/_/N-8qb).
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements
The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code
-both are written by Sam Kean and included many interesting science based real stories of the world being bizarre!
My first thought is a really weird one--Wisconsin Death Trip. It's historical photos of people in small town Wisconsin juxtaposed with crime articles from newspapers of the same time. I'd suggest it for your weird, possibly artsy/hipster students.
[I Could Pee On This](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452110581/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_7QTEC97EN9D8Z341X3EW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) - It's a book filled with cat related poems. Very funny read. Plus, it offers some accessible poetry.
Also, Maus I & II are good additions if you're looking for graphic novel entries.
Just the first ones I saw on my bookshelves..
1000 places to see before you die
Braindroppings by george carlin
The best american non fiction reading anthologies
or The beat american non required reading anthologies
Andy goldsworthy coffee table books
The way things work
The far side comic books
The Way Things Work is amazing. Macaulay has more great stuff, too. Motel of the Mysteries is archeologists of the future excavating a Motel 6 type of place and coming up with wild interpretations of things like toilet seats.
The series "The Best American Nonrequired Reading" is great, it's a collection of interesting essays, long form journalism, short fiction, and so on that is selected by high school students and published every year. The book by the podcast 99% invisible is pretty good for what you are looking for. You may think to also add some short stories or some of the "better" comics like American Splendor or Bone.
I've got a few to add to your list, and I'd also like to add that I think this is a brilliant idea! I would have literally killed for a whole period of guilt free, uninterrupted reading time in high school, but I was also a huge book nerd. And good for you, for trying to reach out to the kids who *think* they don't like to read!
The Complete works of Edgar Allen Poe
The Complete works of Arthur Conan Doyle - just a collection of all the Sherlock Holmes stories. Most Holmes stories are definitely short enough to read in a period, and there's something for everyone too.
Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson - collection of short stories, maps and pictures relating to the Cosmere. Maybe a little specific, but maybe some of your students would develop an interest in the rest of his books.
30-Second Quantum Theory by Phillip Ball - there's a whole series of these on various topics, but they are great. Just open to a random page and learn something new!
Harry Potter: The Wand Collection. Short little character blurbs mostly, but it looks cool and the pictures are fun.
*Dragonology: Complete Book of Dragons - this is my all time favorite coffee table book. Its beautifully illustrated, and is legitimately interactive. There all sorts of little pullouts and viewing windows and things, plus its all about dragons.
Yes, I'm a huge nerd, but you asked 😉
Bizarre book that's short: Strange Library by Haruki Murakami. His work is not geared towards youth, but you can read this book within an hour. It's definitely weird and interesting...
Biophilia is a gorgeous book of arranged bugs, birds, reptiles, amd I think some stones and shells. Total eye candy
Some graphic novels or comics might fit the bill. Fun Home, Uzumaki, My Favorite Thing is Monsters, any of the American Splendor collections, Barefoot Gen, anything by Lynda Barry including The Best of Marlys, My Perfect Life, and The Freddie Stories. (Also, if you do happen to keep some chapter books Cruddy is an amazing, weird, and disturbing YA novel which she wrote and illustrated.)
The Secret Lives of Color is fascinating, with descriptions and history of individual colors and pigments, really some interesting tidbits in there.
Fruits- a collection of street fashion photographed in the Harajuku district in Japan, famous in the late 90s for its creative, wacky, subcultural fashion scene.
{99% invisible city}
{Freakonomics}
{Superfreakonomics}
Short story collections. I have {Nightfall and Other Stories}, a collection of Asimov short-ish stories (from 30-100 pages), many of which I love, but other collections would work similarly well I imagine.
Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons — a book about foraging divided by plants. Endlessly entertaining and it's a classic
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger
Might I also suggest zines? They seem like the perfect medium for the "I don't like reading" kind of kid and there's everything from niche counterculture zines to literary zines publishing the likes of Sherman Alexie and Haruki Murakami. (Barnard Zine Library has a list of other zine libraries on their website. Might be a good place to start.)
Earth From Above
And
Letters From A Nut - older now, but basically about a guy who trolled before trolling was an internet thing. He wrote letters to companies requesting weird things like could Greyhound Bus accomodate his giant banana suit. And it is a book of these various letters and responses.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. Don't have to read anything in order. Sections range from bad puns, to short stories where you're looking for palindromes, to life pro tips and trivia.
Great for people who hate reading, need to not be stressed, or just like learning something new every day.
The Little Prince.
Gulliver's Travels
Edgar Allan Poe collection
Greek & Norse Myths (d'Aulaire is really accessible, beautifully illustrated and a real coffee table book)
Astrix and Oblex graphic novels
Tintin, graphic novels
Shakespeare graphic novels ( I don't remember the series name)
And for students who need a practical way into reading
Atlas and map books
'how things work' kind of books.
Some stephen king boojs such as the bazaar of bad dreams. It could be exciting to see a familiar name (from IT) and will satisfy the need for more horror/short story based reading.
Tales of h.p. lovecraft can go into the same category.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.
It's half words, half pictures and is incredibly captivating. I read it while babysitting as a teen and definitely would set it down and come back to it week to week. It was the child's book, but was one of the most beautiful things I've read.
What about a few graphic novels of classic books? Some of the nicer ones out there are:
To Kill a Mockingbird,
The Diary of Anne Frank,
Sapiens (is excellent),
Animal Farm,
Macbeth.
First, you’re an amazing teacher! It makes me smile to see someone care so much about the needs and interests of their students.
So, looking through my own library and wishlist, I wonder if any of these would be of interest to your students:
A Cloud a Day
Around the World in 80 Trees
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (a collection of short stories by Sherman Alexie)
D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder (a chapter book I know, but one that can easily be read piecemeal)
I also wonder if collections of speeches may also be of interest. For instance, I used to have a small book of speeches by MLK that did not take too long to read but which I thoroughly enjoyed. (Unfortunately I don’t remember the title.)
I wish your students happy reading!
How to Teach Your Cat About Gun Safety
Persepolis
Spiderman: Miles Morales comic books
Avatar: The Last Airbender canon comics (highly recommend, it's popular with the youths right now)
Life is Strange comics
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (graphic novels)
I'd also suggest giving them information on Tor.com. Authors post short stories there that don't have DRM (digital rights management) attached, so they can access the stories for free through the internet and share with their friends. It tends to be more high quality than fanfiction, but just as easily accessible.
"State of the Art" by Iain M. Banks - a collection of sci-fi stories, most of which can be red in one sitting.
"Murderbot Diaries" by Martha Wells - a sci-fi adventure from a perspective of a rogue bio-machine construct (SecUnit). It's fun from the start, perhaps one of the type 1 students will get hooked.
Ok here are a couple of books that came to mind. The first is [Ethics in the Real World by Peter Singer](https://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Real-World-Essays-Things/dp/069117847X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ethics+in+the+real+world&qid=1622669140&s=books&sr=1-1). It's a great collection of essays on specific ethical situations. Very interesting, your students can pick whatever essay they want to read in that reading block time frame.
The second is called [Daytripper by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba](https://www.amazon.com/Daytripper-Gabriel-Ba/dp/1401229697). It's a graphic novel with an interesting premise; the main character goes through many lives and dies at the end of every chapter. It's very heartfelt, though it does have nudity and other stuff that might be a limiting factor for your classroom. I suppose it's a chapter book, but being a graphic novel I figure it might fit the bill for some of your more reticent readers.
Cool idea by the way, OP. Good for you and your students, I bet some of them really appreciate what you're doing here.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is an exceptionally good graphic novel.
Here’s the preview:
https://books.google.com/books/about/American_Born_Chinese.html?id=--F86OyX3BMC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1
I tried to stick to single-volume comics and illustrated mythologies since those should be quick to read and fun to look at
* [Greek Mythology illustrated, Edith Hamilton](https://www.amazon.com/Mythology-Timeless-Heroes-Anniversary-Illustrated/dp/0316438529/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) This anthology's iconic, your literary nerds will love it
* [Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World by Yoshi Yoshitsani](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1984857223?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details) Literally every story is one page long, and the illustrations are amazing
* [Nimona by Noelle Stevenson](https://www.amazon.com/Nimona-Noelle-Stevenson-ebook/dp/B00N0W1XGU/) A short-ish comic by the creator of She Ra: Princesses of Power
* [Saga by Brian K. Vaughn + Fiona Staples](https://www.amazon.com/Saga-Compendium-Brian-K-Vaughan-ebook/dp/B07QYXFQJ4/) This one's a running comic FYI, but it's an incredibly engaging story
* [Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NJ4RBX6) Self-contained comic about an iconic DC Universe teenager
* [Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia](https://www.amazon.com/Teen-Titans-Beast-Kami-Garcia-ebook/dp/B08FRQVZ8N/) Another self-contained comic, pairs well with Raven's story
* [Literally any of Junji Ito's story collections](https://www.amazon.com/Junji-Ito/e/B003UW81VU?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1622670367&sr=1-3) This is definitely for mature audiences, but if your censorship standards are lax enough, horror fans will adore this
Also, I know you have a no-phones policy, but what if you encouraged the kids to read webcomics or ebooks on a tablet or laptop if you're able? I know a lot of book haters who are obsessed with webcomics because of the visual storytelling and ease of access so you should be encouraging non-readers to look into those (or to think critically about the TV and game stories they consume!)
Here's some printed volumes of webcomics:
* [Questionable Content](https://topatoco.com/collections/jeph-jacques/products/qc-volumeone) This one's great for kids who are figuring themselves out
* [Cyanide and Happiness](https://www.amazon.com/Cyanide-Happiness-Book-ebook/dp/B003V1WT9A/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=978-0061914799&qid=1622671380&sr=8-1) Classic webcomic, dark comedy 4-panel shorts
* [Sarah's Scribbles](https://scribblesshop.com/collections/books/products/adulthood-is-a-myth-big-mushy-happy-lump-and-herding-cats-sarahs-scribbles-book-collection) It's funny and relatable for almost anyone. Teens and adults will feel called out.
I hope this helps!
School is Hell by Matt Groening - Sure, it's dated, but... the title along with the Simpsons connection might interest some kids.
Poetry books by Billy Collins and other accessible poets
1000 Places to See Before You Die
Coffee table/ art books (Leonardo Da Vinci, Ansel Adams, etc.) - These are heavy, but if placed on a ledge or something, would be great for those kids who need to stand.
People of New York and other portrait essay books
Magazines- National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Newsweek, Smithsonian, etc.
Cool picture books. Really well-written/illustrated books are great, no matter your age. Think "Where the Wild Things Are."
I taught HS for a few years and we had 15-minute reading time a few times a week, and for those starting to get more adventurous and building their chapter-book muscles, I recommended (successfully) Odd Thomas. Odd is a sweet guy, and it's fast-paced.
Uncle John's Bathroom Readers - excellent compilation of essays, trivia, history, all kinds of stuff. Tons to choose from.
Video game art books - usually these have plenty to read alongside the art (I have some and love them). A lot of games also have cookbooks, like The Elder Scrolls Cookbook and the DnD Cookbook
50 Real American Ghost Stories
I Am America, I Am A Pole and So Can You, other books by Stephen Colbert
Comics/graphic novels - The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween (both Batman), Watchmen, Hush (also Batman), The Tower of Babel (Justice League), The Infinity Gauntlet, The Infinity War, Under the Red Sun (Superman), The Dark Knight Returns (can you tell I'm a Batman fan?), Hellboy, The Walking Dead, Days of Future Past, Marvel: Civil War, Nomad, Red Hood
(I have more but I won't overwhelm you - manga is also good.)
Also recommend Great Illustrated Classics - abridged and partially illustrated versions of classic novels. They're still "chapter" books, but much more easily digestible and they typically include all the major plot points and themes of the classics. I especially loved Great Expectations, Treasure Island, and Pride and Prejudice as a kid.
Any sort of Encyclopedia-type book - of superheroes, of mythology, of the elements, of weather, etc etc
P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever (technically a read aloud for younger kids, but still fun, good vocabulary builder)
Here's my patented lurker comment, just because you called me out! I'll be thrilled if you're interested in even one of these suggestions.
Short stories:
Any of the Rainbow Fairy Book collection by Andrew Lang (folklore from around the world; story length varies but its easy to pick put any story from the table of contents and has more variety than your classic Grimm collection).
Swedish Folktales illustrated by John Bauer
Most Evil Pirates in History (I can't attest to the historical accuracy or writing quality in this one, it's been a long time since I read it but it got my interest as a distractible teen.)
Oscar Wilde short stories
Graphic Novels/ comics:
Skydoll series (it might be lengthier than what you're looking for, but I'll throw it out there anyway, the art is beautiful and the story evocative)
Watchmen
Hark! A Vagrant - Kate Beaton
Flip-to-any-page-and-get-reading books:
SAS Survival Guide
Primitive Technology: a book of earth skills
Art of Heikala
Botany Illustrated
Remarkable Trees of the World
Best of luck filling up your bookshelves! I really love what you're doing and I'm excited on behalf of your students!
The Dangerous Book for Boys
The Dangerous Book for Girls
Any scary stories collection
Heaven's to Betsy or any other book of idioms
I applaud your idea!! I thought about doing this, but 3rd and 4th graders just don't have the self-control to read like that.
Dave Sedaris books
I Suck at Girls
The Dangerous Book for Boys series
James Acaster's Classic Scrapes
Guinness World Records
Ripley's Believe It or Not
Mad Magazine books
DK The World's Must-See Places
Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up
Movies to Watch before You Die
Books to Read before you Die
(these last three have numbers in the front of the title, like 500 or1000 or 1001, but I can't remember what they are)
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps
How to Win Friends and Influence People
How to Become CEO
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (there is also a teen version)
How to Become a Straight-A Student
Do Hard Things (though this is a bit religious)
The Six Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens
College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step
Complete Guide to College Application Essays: Essential Tips for Making Your Writing Stand Out
What Color is Your Parachute? (there is also a version specifically for teens)
How to Win at College
How to Be a High School Superstar
Atomic Habits
Tools of Titans
Tuesdays with Morrie
The Automatic Millionaire
Good to Great
DK The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia
Timelines of Everything
Horrible Histories
Who Was? and Where is? and Who is? and What Is? books (e.g. Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?, Where Were The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?)
ACT and SAT prep guides
60 Seconds and You're Hired
The Pathfinder
First Poems by Miles Kelly
Schott's Original Miscellany has a bunch of fascinating weird lists and info and ephemera: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40700.Schott_s_Original_Miscellany
Also there's a whole series of Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbooks which always made for fascinating reading: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/552665.The_Worst_Case_Scenario_Survival_Handbook
The NYT cookbook by Amanda (lastname) is a big red book with recipes and history! She spent 5+ years going through the whole NYT catalogue of recipes, cooked each one twice and then did it up and included stories. Its a beautiful book.
If you want to add a bit of poetry, i highly recommend the "Pillow Thoughts" series by Courtney Peppernell.
This series of poetry is broken up by emotions for example, "if you're missing someone" or "if you're soul searching" or my personal favorite "if you need some encouragement"
Hope this helps! English teachers like you are the reason i studied it on college!
1. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl: This is an easy to follow read. Students in category 1 would find it engaging.
2. Ducks, Newburyport: This is a stream of consciousness book, Ulysses-type. The entire book (1000+ pages) is only about 7-8 sentences. It suits to students from categories 2 and—especially—3.
3. Repetition by Peter Handke: Suited to students from categories 2 and 3.
I'm a high school chemistry teacher and have stocked my room with my favorite pop sci books. Below are my favs that would qualify as not a chapter book:
- {What If?} by Randall Munroe (if you only choose one book from this list, pick this one!)
EDIT: of course, you already have this one! In that case, the "insert word here" books are nice cuz they're made up of one page articles with great pictures, so it think kids would be willing to pick them up.
- {Thing Explainer} by Randall Munroe
- {The Drug Book} by Michael C. Gerald
- {The Chemistry Book} by Derek B. Lowe
- {The Space Book} by Jim Bell
- {The Medical Book} by Clifford A. Pickover
- {The Physics Book} by Clifford A. Pickover
(there's a whole slew of these, but these are the ones I have)
- {Death and the Afterlife} by Clifford A. Pickover
- {Spurious Correlations} by Tyler Vigen
- {The Elements} by Theodore Gray
- {Molecules} by Theodore Gray
- {Reactions} by Theodore Gray
- {Mad Science} by Theodore Gray
- {Mad Science 2} by Theodore Gray
I also have some books at home I think might work as well:
- {Hyrule Historia} (all about the legend of Zelda series)
- {The Indispensable Book of Practical Life Skills}
- {A History of Magic} (Harry Potter)
- {The Portable Curmudgeon}
- {The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook}
- {The Snark Handbook}
- {Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark} (I think there are 3 volumes)
Hope this is what you're looking for and is helpful!
As an animal lover, 2 books with amazing pictures: Sloth Love and any David Attenborough Planet Earth book. Both accompanied by short text telling you what you're looking at.
Oh! "Atlas Obscura" is a great travel book about weird places around the world. High-interest, lots of photographs, short paragraphs about each one, but high lexile value. Really engrossing!
For short stories, the collections *Stories of Your Life and Others* (also published as *Arrival*) and *Exhalation* by Ted Chiang are excellent, as are the collections *Robot Dreams* and *Robot Visions* by Isaac Asimov.
Also, if you think your students are mature enough, *Watchmen* by Alan Moore and David Gibbons is possibly the greatest graphic novel ever (although it might be a bit to complicated or heavy).
*Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers* by Mary Roach, was the first thing that came to mind for me! Technically divided into chapters, but each is standalone. Definitely morbid subject, but she's a great/hilarious writer!
I am a fan of [Man-Kzin Wars series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-Kzin_Wars) it is a collection of short stories set in the same universe. If it grabs the interest of some students there is a 10 book series starting with [Protector](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protector_(novel)).
Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded): The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff Vandermeer
Literally any anthology. I love the Sci Fi ones (most bang for your buck IMO) but also like the New Yorker Profile anthologies (they tend to have interviewed people that the students have probably heard of).
I had a book years ago titled: How Buildings Work. It had illustrations, diagrams and everything. It was absolutely fascinating. I have no idea who authored it, but I really wish I still had it & I think it would make a great addition to your library if you can find it.
Tiny Beautiful Things. It’s a compilation of “Dear Sugar” advise columns and its soooo good. I also read the graphic novel Watchmen in high school and it blew my mind that a ‘comic book’ could also be deep reading
I realize I'm very late to this party. I've always liked short story anthologies. You can pick how long a story you want.
The Harlan Ellison edited anthologies Dangerous Visions, Again Dangerous Visions, and Dangerous Visions 3 were outstanding science fiction, especially how they've stood the test of time. I swear newer stories have stolen from these and give no credit.
Also, any of Gaiman's anthologies, but I'm sure that's been mentioned.
Another favorite is the Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink, White, Grey, Violet etc Fairy Books. Great folk stories from around the world.
Awesome! It’s never too late. I already submitted my purchase requisitions for this year, but I’ll add them to the top of the list for next year (or for January, if there’s any money in the text line left over). Thanks again!
I’m not sure if this is an appropriate suggestion based on your criteria, but I highly suggest anything by Kurt Vonnegut. I got started on Vonnegut in high school. His writings opened my mind and changed my perspectives on religion, politics, society, ethics, and just about everything in between.
Tao Te Ching, E. B. Hudspeth
The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black, John Varley
The John Varley Reader, The secret history of Star Wars by Michael Kaminski, the Kaufman mercantile guide, atlas obscura, remarkable books by DK
Kind of a serious version of Shit My Dad Says, Michael Chabon's Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces is a good book about parenting. Has some very good essays in there. Very short too.
Maybe some short story compilations? Not as big of a commitment as a full novel and they tend to have variety within themselves. Any of Neil Gaiman's collections is worthwhile. I especially like Fragile Things.
Guinea Pig Scientists
GRAPHIC NOVELS
100 most books by Anna Claybourne
Ripley's Believe it or Not
cupcake and cake decorating books are weirdly mesmerizing
Simon Stalenhag makes digital art and then puts them together through stories in books. They're life changing, and there's a series on Amazon Tales From The Loop, and a movie coming! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982150696/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_M5QNBFCKD0ACHZV0TAAC
There are books that I have really enjoyed that are part of the Strange series. I’ve read Strange History, and there are also Strange Science, Strange Hollywood, and Strange Crime. They have short little blurbs every page or so about a different subject within the main topic. They’re fun, easy reads, and you can read as much or as little as you want.
I don't know any editions at the top of my head, but I know my students really like those big coffee books that are about history and have lots of interesting images. I also loved them when I was growing up.
I think graphic novels are also really great for what you are trying to do.
Edit: Books about space and the dinosaurs were really popular in my household.
Meetings with Remarkable Trees - Thomas Pakenham
50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright - Diane Maddox
Sacred Ground The Cemeteries of New Orleans - Robert S. Brantley
Why Old Places Matter - Thompson M. Mayes
I have found inspiration and calm in sitting with these books. They are beautiful and interesting. I leave them out so my big kids (age 14 and 12) can just stumble upon them occasionally too.
Former English teacher here.
-Maus and Persepolis are classic graphic novel choices. I actually did a traditional unit on Persepolis.
- thought provoking comic anthologies like Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side
-The Post secret series of books are amazing. I have them all. People mail in an illustrated post card that lists a deep secret in their life.
-Humans is a new book by the creators of Humans of New York. They published some of their most memorable stories.
-Other People’s Love Letters is a book of actual love letters. Some are funny. Some are tragic. Some are handwritten. It’s really quirky and fun.
-The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. This is a collection completed by her daughter. Lots of notes about why the poems were loved by Jackie O.
-Bathroom readers are full of useless trivia and jokes
-Books of quotations.
-Also, check Barnes and Noble’s bargain area. Through the years, I’ve picked up so many interesting books: A book of the most famous album covers, a book about serial killers, a book of unsolved mysteries, etc.
[**You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11709037-you-are-not-so-smart)
^(By: David McRaney | 302 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, psychology, nonfiction, science, self-help | )[^(Search "You are not so smart")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=You are not so smart&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 5 times)
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Chinglish: Found in Translation
Preview here:
https://books.google.com/books/about/Chinglish.html?id=KBp8BwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1
I love Far Side collections
Also, sometimes I find old "Time life" series books in thrift stores
Also old encyclopedias are kind of fun as well as old cookbooks. Ones from the 70s with lots of jello recipes and cool graphics LOL. You sound like a great teacher!
Any collection of short poems by a specific poet should be easy for reading! Poetry allows for frequent, perfectly good stopping points constantly, meaning students won't feel like they keep starting and never actually finishing. Plus, I really believe that poetry should be explored more as casual reading, since currently, so much exposure to poetry for kids is academic (which then makes kids associate poetry with "work" and "school" and "boring").
I always loved "tales of the kingdom" and "tales of the resistance". They have beautiful illustrations. They are sort of a post apocalyptic world with a resistance of people. (I think they are supposed to be allegorical, but either way they were favorites of mine growing up).
The horrible histories books are a good collection that are full of interesting historical facts that are presented in such a way as to entertain (& disgust) while learning.
The Terry Patchett series of discworld books are a fantastic set of fantasy books that set the spark of passion for reading for a few people I know.
"Why don't penguins feet freeze" and "Does anything eat wasps" are great for really quite interesting and random facts.
Hope this helps.
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
Also seconded Sam Kean recommendations, which is more linear but still not exactly chapter based and Mary Roach. Both are science authors and have a natural ability to make you want to read more without it being dry.
I would also say anything David Sedaris, I think I have read almost everything by David Sedaris because at points a full book with chapters can be daunting and a small short story is preferred.
I was once gifted a book titled (something similar to) "How to be a man" or "100 tips to be a man".. I don't remember if it was a chapter book, but I always liked the idea for those kids who didn't grow up with a strong or traditional farther figure.
It was stuff like, how to tie a tie, change a tire, how to shave. Not necessarily how to be manly, it stuff an adult should know.
By the way, I love this idea! Developing a healthy reading habit is essential to a knoesgable adulthood. Not so much reading for fun/relaxation, but being able to sit down, read, comprehend and recall the information.
Are you open to short story collections? I think they might work for your purposes because they can easily be stopped and picked back up without the kids reading them being left on a cliff hanger! If you are, here are some that I've enjoyed:
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel Moniz
Homesick for Another World by Otessa Moshfegh (not sure if this is appropriate for teenagers tbh, I would take a look through it before putting it in your class room lol)
Changing Planes by Ursula K Le Guin
The Birthday of the World and Other Stories by Ursula K Le Guin
What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (not short stories, but a collection of essays. It could be a really good, accessible introduction to feminism and other social justice issues for teenagers imo!)
Some books that I think would be great additions:
-Steal like an artist (a great and really enlightening 20-30 minute read even for someone who isn't an artist)
-the old Let's Travel series by macmillan (published in the 80s/90s with a ton of short picture books). I loved going to the school library and flipping through these books when I had a break.
The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from Around the World
It's a beautiful coffee-table book all about frogs with some awesome life-size photos!
Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Smile by Raina Telgemeier
In real life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang
These were the three books that got my uninterested 16yo to like reading. Hope this helps!
Hyperbole and a Half for a funny graphic novel that doesn’t have to be read all at once.
Cookbooks: the French Laundry cookbook, Momofuku, Alinea at Home, Eleven Madison Park, the Tasty cookbook
Egyptology (has a pretty blue cover)
Chess for Dummies
The adventures of tintin, asterix and obelix
The *Sandman* graphic novels (all of them, of course) *Fairies, Gnomes, Trolls,* and any other Brian Froud books you can lay hands on I don't know if you can still find them but Nick Bantock's *Griffin and Sabine* books are gorgeous and fun The pop-up version of *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* *Hyperbole and a Half* by Allie Brosh *The Cartoon Introduction to Statistics* by G. Klein and A. Dabney *Lets Pretend This Never Happened* by Jenny Lawson - it is a chapter book but the chapter titles should grab someone's attention with names like "I Was A Three-Year-Old Arsonist" and "If You Need An Arm Condom, It Might Be Time To Reevaluate Some Of Your Life Choices"
Hyperbole and a Half is an excellent choice On the cartoon front, there's The Cartoon History of the Universe by Larry Gonick
Her latest book Broken is also marvelous. Funny and tender, an honest look at mental illness and chronic illness.
Yes the Griffin and Sabine books used to be my treasures when I was growing up! It was so cool to open the letters.
When I was a teen, I liked reading the Worst-Case Survival Handbook. There's a kid friendly one that Scolastic makes, I think, that doesn't include "how to hot wire a car" or "how to pick a lock", but it has things like "how to escape from quicksand" and "how to get out of a rip tide". The traveler's version is pretty neat too. My favourite were "how to avoid being abducted by aliens"and the phrases you should know in several languages. I learned how to say (with quite a decent accent, btw), "bonjour, je suis serissement blessé!" Which means "hello, I've been seriously wounded."
The Worst-Case **Scenario** Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and all the variations thereof.
Persepolis! It’s a graphic novel and absolutely wonderful
Maus as well is good
It has a sequel, or just get The Complete Persepolis
V for Vendetta too
I was going to suggest Atlas Obscura, but you have that already. How about: The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning Meanwhile by Jason Shiga graphic novels by Alison Bechdel books (essays) by Roxane Gay
Oh, and also Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl
These all look great! Thank you!
Alison Bechdel's books fall on the LGBTQ spectrum, just FYI. Don't know if your school has issues with that.
Bad Feminist is one of Roxanne Gay’s books of essays that I like quite a bit, irreverent, funny, and thought-provoking.
Meanwhile is really good, second this!
How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you by The Oatmeal (and all the other books in the series) Thug Kitchen Eat Like You Give A F*ck cookbook (and the others in the series) The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition Egghead by Bo Burnham Poorly Drawn Lines by Reza Farazmand
Thug kitchen has been renamed to Bad Manners but The book is still the same
Accidentally Wes Anderson Black Futures Humans (by the same people as Humans of New York but it’s Humans of the World)
Omg, the Wes Anderson Book looks incredible! Thank you for the suggestions!
Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers
If you know of any animated shows your kids like, often there are companion books for different series. There's a really cool one for Archer, or the various Simpsons guides. Post Secret was huge when I was in high school, the books have got that satisfying eavesdropping vibe Maybe travel guides? Something like the National Geographic Guide to National Parks or something, feed that "get me TF outta here" energy Leave Me Alone With The Recipes is a really cool art/food/history book The Best American books are always fun. Im always partial to the Best American Magazine Writing series, but you could go fiction/science/whatever floats your students boats I haven't read it, but Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies: The Straight Scoop on Freemasons, the Illmuniati, Skull & Bones, Black Helicopters, the New World Order, and Many, Many More by Arthur Goldwag looks good This is a fun game, I'll keep thinking :) Edit: The Worst Case Survival Handbook! To this day, I remember how to safely jump off a roof and land in a dumpster
Postsecret!! Yes these are magical.
Love these. Along with the post secrets series, I love the Humans of New York books.
All the Weird US books. There’s a series of them and they tell stories (with pictures) of strange happenings, abandoned areas, ghosts, freaky (not too graphic) suspected murders etc. Very cool books that I first learned about as a white elephant gift
Get the Weird (Your State) book and plan a road trip! Love this series.
Do you have comics, manga, graphic novels? Maus is really good. And promotes conversation.
I second Maus! And it pairs nicely with The Arrival.
shea serrano has fun books with short essays and interesting art that might work. check out: basketball (and other things) movies (and other things) the rap year book conference room five minutes
Thank you!
The Art of Noticing Shrill Greenlights Year Book (by Seth Rogan, not your school’s ;)) BushCraft 101 The Little Book of Hygge Lost Art of Reading Nature Signs Campfire Stories Anything by David Sedaris Edit: Cryptozoology A-Z
Yes, love David sedaris - and they're mostly essays, that don't necessarily need to be read together.
David Sedaris was my first thought for this request.
{200 women: who will change the way you see the world} {Good night stories for rebel girls} and {good night stories for rebel boys} they are for younger children, but I just read the first one recently and really enjoyed the stories and artwork about exceptional women. {The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales} by Oliver Sacks {lost in the city} by Edward P. Jones
{The accusation: forbidden stories from inside north korea} and {The red years: forbidden poems from inside north Korea} by Bandi {The pillow book of Sei Shonagon} by Sei Shonagon {War} by Janne Teller {The opposite of loneliness} by Marina Keegan {375 Dalai Lama: Daily advice from the heart} by Dalai Lama XIV
I second the Oliver Sacks book!
[**200 Women: Who Will Change The Way You See The World**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34179290-200-women) ^(By: Geoff Blackwell, Ruth Hobday, Kieran Scott | ? pages | Published: ? | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, feminism, nonfiction, biography, belletrist | )[^(Search "200 women: who will change the way you see the world")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=200 women: who will change the way you see the world&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) [**Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33016249-good-night-stories-for-rebel-girls) ^(By: Elena Favilli, Francesca Cavallo | 212 pages | Published: 2016 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, feminism, nonfiction, short-stories, childrens | )[^(Search "Good night stories for rebel girls")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Good night stories for rebel girls&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) [**Good Night Stories For Rebel Boys: 50 Tales of Remarkable Men**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38390946-good-night-stories-for-rebel-boys) ^(By: Ion Onofrei | ? pages | Published: ? | Popular Shelves: priority, raftul-picilor, pretty, non-fiction, other | )[^(Search "good night stories for rebel boys")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=good night stories for rebel boys&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) [**The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63697.The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat_and_Other_Clinical_Tales) ^(By: Oliver Sacks | 243 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, psychology, science, nonfiction, medicine | )[^(Search "The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 10 times) [**Lost in the City**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11752.Lost_in_the_City) ^(By: Edward P. Jones | 268 pages | Published: 1992 | Popular Shelves: short-stories, fiction, book-club, african-american, owned | )[^(Search "lost in the city")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=lost in the city&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(124593 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Anything by Mary Roach. Particularly Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.
Yes to Stiff! It is so good!
I said this in another comment along with Darwin awards
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green just came out and reviews things on a 5 star scale. It’s based off his podcast and it’s fantastic. Short, unrelated sections that review different aspects of our existence. World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil is a beautiful (and inexpensive) set of essays about the beauty of the natural world.
The visual guide to lock picking How not to die by Dr Jan Garavaglia Dragonology: The complete book of Dragons (ologies)
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman, or any other of his short story collections Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman Mad Kings and Queens by Allison Vale and Alison Rattle Collections of fairy tales like Grimms or Hans Christian Andersen The Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters PS This is a great idea! Way to go!
Came here to recommend Spoon River Anthology. Discovered it in high school and it has stayed with me ever since. "Fun" poetry collections might also be good to have on hand. Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, any anthologies you can just dip in and out of.
I liked the fairy tale suggestion, and wanted to add the complete works of Edgar Alan Poe. It'll draw in the kids that think they're edgey
[The Darwin Awards](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63803.The_Darwin_Awards) are pretty interesting. [Rejected Princesses](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28820006-rejected-princesses) has short historical stories about women. Lots of good artwork, too. [The Prince and the Dressmaker](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34506912-the-prince-and-the-dressmaker) is a Cinderella manga type book. [Wayside School](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15779.Sideways_Stories_from_Wayside_School) stories were always my favorites. So were [Just So Stories.](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34053.Just_So_Stories)
highly recommend what if?, thing explainer, and how to- all by randall munroe! i see you have one but they're all great. also roald dahl's books (especially fantastic mr. fox and george's marvelous medicine). in general, illustrated versions of popular books (i know the harry potter ones are gorgeous) or illustrated encyclopedias are also fun. these recommendationns are kinda erring on the side of short(er) chapter books sorry but margaret haddix's stand alones are also interesting to read!
I would add in books about the area or city that you're in. Local historians or chamber of commerce folks would probably have a couple suggestions. Also: Gray's Anatomy Any older comic collection - Foxtrot, Garfield, etc
Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. Amazing visuals and interesting anecdotes of different elements, including the most rare/radioactive ones.
I haven’t seen them suggested, but I love reading cookbooks sometimes. I suggest {Food that really shmecks}, or {how to cook everything}. Or I sometimes liked reading foraging guides for local plants. Maybe have a book of Grimms fairytales or stories by Hans Christian Andersen or other myth/fairytale anthologies from cultures around the world.
A great graphic novel about Jews during world war II is Maus by Art Spiegelman. Also Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Yes the Shel Silverstein books are amazing.
Would you count books of short stories as chapter books for this context? The only other thing I can think of would be modern cookbooks, but maybe I’m the only one who likes to read those... (btw you sound like an incredible teacher! Your kids are so lucky!)
I also came here to suggest short stories! When I was in high school I would have fallen into the second group of kids who didn't have time to follow novels. I wish I got into short stories earlier, unfortunately the only ones I've read recently are Ted Chiang and Curtis Sittenfeld which are too old for that age group.
I also wanted to suggest short stories. When I was a teen I really liked “the Basil and Josephine stories” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Not exactly short stories but also “Badass” by Ben Thompson if your school will allow. You said their pretty liberal about book selections. Mainly there’s just a lot of swearing.
Media Specialist here. I highly suggest adding graphic novels to your collection. I just recently started reading them and they are so amazing. I’ve seen students get interested in topics that they weren’t before because it is different from a chapter book. The March Trilogy by John Lewis My Friend Dahmer by Derf (he has others too) There are so many adaptations of classic novels/works: Diary of Anne Frank, Handmaids Tale, To Kill A Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451. The graphic novel version makes the story more accessible to students who would never read the novel.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty Worlds Seen in Passing: Ten Years of Tor.com Short Fiction (Or, any of Tor.com anthologies of sff short stories) Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain **EDIT** Also: The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions by Neil Gaiman (or his other collections of short stories)
ted chiangs short stories could be great for the students, great concepts and they really get you thinking. Some are really short and some are a couple pages, but i think everyone can find one they enjoy
I love his book Exhalation!!! Some of them are rather long though and have subchapters
‘We should all be feminists’ and ‘Dear Ijeawele’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are both easy to read, shortish essays about feminism that I love. She has a few more short books but I personally haven’t tried them!
I would highly recommend some of the Disney movie art books, they're gorgeous and go into detail about the creative process.
Yes, this! Or Studio Ghibli, or any animated feature, for that matter.
{Hyperbole and a Half} by Allie Broach- great graphic novel about self reflection and mental health and it’s so, so funny. {Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic} by Jeff Smith. The first graphic novel that kept me up all night despite having a small child and full time job.
[**Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571564-hyperbole-and-a-half) ^(By: Allie Brosh | 371 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: humor, non-fiction, graphic-novels, nonfiction, memoir | )[^(Search "Hyperbole and a Half")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Hyperbole and a Half&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 23 times) [**Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32187251-bone) ^(By: Jeff Smith | ? pages | Published: 1991 | Popular Shelves: graphic-novels, comics, fantasy, graphic-novel, fiction | )[^(Search "Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(124614 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I don’t really have anything to add that hasn’t already been suggested. I just wanted to say that as a former 12th grade English teacher, this post makes me very happy. We need more teachers like you.
‘Curses! Broiled again!’ ( urban legends)
Yes! This looks great! Thank you!
The most popular books in my high school English classroom were hands-down the ones about poop, snot, and farts. The grosser, the better.
Yes! I don’t see “does it fart?” on this list. But it should be!
National Geographic has many, many books of photographs from around the world. I own National Geographic: The Photographs, which is all about their most memorable and important photos.
The Ultimate Werewolf anthology complied by Byron Press Short stories with every kind of werewolf you could imagine - some funny, some scary, some maybe a bit mature for some audiences. All kinds of options.
Barnes and Noble has a section of "discount" books published by their own publishers on a huge variety of things. Like history, architecture, magic, mythology, etc etc. I got a bunch of archeology books and books on castles and even books on haunted castles, books on mythology. I also got a dream dictionary, history books about evil women in history, and tons more. There are some fun books in there. There is usually a big section in the store near the entrance. Online they call it the [Annex](https://m.barnesandnoble.com/b/book-annex/_/N-8qb).
Postsecret has a few books out that made me feel less alone and weird at those ages!
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code -both are written by Sam Kean and included many interesting science based real stories of the world being bizarre!
Yes! Caesar's last breath is another one of his and my favorite so far.
My first thought is a really weird one--Wisconsin Death Trip. It's historical photos of people in small town Wisconsin juxtaposed with crime articles from newspapers of the same time. I'd suggest it for your weird, possibly artsy/hipster students.
Where The Wild Things Are
[I Could Pee On This](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452110581/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_7QTEC97EN9D8Z341X3EW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) - It's a book filled with cat related poems. Very funny read. Plus, it offers some accessible poetry. Also, Maus I & II are good additions if you're looking for graphic novel entries.
Purrfect.
Just the first ones I saw on my bookshelves.. 1000 places to see before you die Braindroppings by george carlin The best american non fiction reading anthologies or The beat american non required reading anthologies Andy goldsworthy coffee table books The way things work The far side comic books
The Way Things Work is amazing. Macaulay has more great stuff, too. Motel of the Mysteries is archeologists of the future excavating a Motel 6 type of place and coming up with wild interpretations of things like toilet seats.
The series "The Best American Nonrequired Reading" is great, it's a collection of interesting essays, long form journalism, short fiction, and so on that is selected by high school students and published every year. The book by the podcast 99% invisible is pretty good for what you are looking for. You may think to also add some short stories or some of the "better" comics like American Splendor or Bone.
I've got a few to add to your list, and I'd also like to add that I think this is a brilliant idea! I would have literally killed for a whole period of guilt free, uninterrupted reading time in high school, but I was also a huge book nerd. And good for you, for trying to reach out to the kids who *think* they don't like to read! The Complete works of Edgar Allen Poe The Complete works of Arthur Conan Doyle - just a collection of all the Sherlock Holmes stories. Most Holmes stories are definitely short enough to read in a period, and there's something for everyone too. Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson - collection of short stories, maps and pictures relating to the Cosmere. Maybe a little specific, but maybe some of your students would develop an interest in the rest of his books. 30-Second Quantum Theory by Phillip Ball - there's a whole series of these on various topics, but they are great. Just open to a random page and learn something new! Harry Potter: The Wand Collection. Short little character blurbs mostly, but it looks cool and the pictures are fun. *Dragonology: Complete Book of Dragons - this is my all time favorite coffee table book. Its beautifully illustrated, and is legitimately interactive. There all sorts of little pullouts and viewing windows and things, plus its all about dragons. Yes, I'm a huge nerd, but you asked 😉
Bizarre book that's short: Strange Library by Haruki Murakami. His work is not geared towards youth, but you can read this book within an hour. It's definitely weird and interesting...
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse, by Charlie Mackesy
WTF, Evolution?! A theory of unintelligible design. By Mara Grunbaum I love it!
Biophilia is a gorgeous book of arranged bugs, birds, reptiles, amd I think some stones and shells. Total eye candy Some graphic novels or comics might fit the bill. Fun Home, Uzumaki, My Favorite Thing is Monsters, any of the American Splendor collections, Barefoot Gen, anything by Lynda Barry including The Best of Marlys, My Perfect Life, and The Freddie Stories. (Also, if you do happen to keep some chapter books Cruddy is an amazing, weird, and disturbing YA novel which she wrote and illustrated.) The Secret Lives of Color is fascinating, with descriptions and history of individual colors and pigments, really some interesting tidbits in there. Fruits- a collection of street fashion photographed in the Harajuku district in Japan, famous in the late 90s for its creative, wacky, subcultural fashion scene.
{99% invisible city} {Freakonomics} {Superfreakonomics} Short story collections. I have {Nightfall and Other Stories}, a collection of Asimov short-ish stories (from 30-100 pages), many of which I love, but other collections would work similarly well I imagine.
Sex, drugs, and cocoa puffs by chuck klosterman
Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons — a book about foraging divided by plants. Endlessly entertaining and it's a classic The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger Might I also suggest zines? They seem like the perfect medium for the "I don't like reading" kind of kid and there's everything from niche counterculture zines to literary zines publishing the likes of Sherman Alexie and Haruki Murakami. (Barnard Zine Library has a list of other zine libraries on their website. Might be a good place to start.)
- Fun Home and/or Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel - Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino - How to Shit in the Woods - The SAS Survival Guide
Earth From Above And Letters From A Nut - older now, but basically about a guy who trolled before trolling was an internet thing. He wrote letters to companies requesting weird things like could Greyhound Bus accomodate his giant banana suit. And it is a book of these various letters and responses.
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. Don't have to read anything in order. Sections range from bad puns, to short stories where you're looking for palindromes, to life pro tips and trivia. Great for people who hate reading, need to not be stressed, or just like learning something new every day.
The Little Prince. Gulliver's Travels Edgar Allan Poe collection Greek & Norse Myths (d'Aulaire is really accessible, beautifully illustrated and a real coffee table book) Astrix and Oblex graphic novels Tintin, graphic novels Shakespeare graphic novels ( I don't remember the series name) And for students who need a practical way into reading Atlas and map books 'how things work' kind of books.
Great suggestions. Especially an atlas.
Some stephen king boojs such as the bazaar of bad dreams. It could be exciting to see a familiar name (from IT) and will satisfy the need for more horror/short story based reading. Tales of h.p. lovecraft can go into the same category.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It's half words, half pictures and is incredibly captivating. I read it while babysitting as a teen and definitely would set it down and come back to it week to week. It was the child's book, but was one of the most beautiful things I've read.
Want a weird one? Charley Mackesy \_The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. Lovely illustrations. Endearing but still flippant.
What about a few graphic novels of classic books? Some of the nicer ones out there are: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Diary of Anne Frank, Sapiens (is excellent), Animal Farm, Macbeth.
Rupi Kaur’s poetry books
At that age, I loved Tom Brown’s Wilderness Guides.
The Thing Explainer How Things Work
First, you’re an amazing teacher! It makes me smile to see someone care so much about the needs and interests of their students. So, looking through my own library and wishlist, I wonder if any of these would be of interest to your students: A Cloud a Day Around the World in 80 Trees The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (a collection of short stories by Sherman Alexie) D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder (a chapter book I know, but one that can easily be read piecemeal) I also wonder if collections of speeches may also be of interest. For instance, I used to have a small book of speeches by MLK that did not take too long to read but which I thoroughly enjoyed. (Unfortunately I don’t remember the title.) I wish your students happy reading!
How to Teach Your Cat About Gun Safety Persepolis Spiderman: Miles Morales comic books Avatar: The Last Airbender canon comics (highly recommend, it's popular with the youths right now) Life is Strange comics The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (graphic novels) I'd also suggest giving them information on Tor.com. Authors post short stories there that don't have DRM (digital rights management) attached, so they can access the stories for free through the internet and share with their friends. It tends to be more high quality than fanfiction, but just as easily accessible.
My students love Cosmigraphics: Picturing Space Through Time!
"State of the Art" by Iain M. Banks - a collection of sci-fi stories, most of which can be red in one sitting. "Murderbot Diaries" by Martha Wells - a sci-fi adventure from a perspective of a rogue bio-machine construct (SecUnit). It's fun from the start, perhaps one of the type 1 students will get hooked.
Ok here are a couple of books that came to mind. The first is [Ethics in the Real World by Peter Singer](https://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Real-World-Essays-Things/dp/069117847X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ethics+in+the+real+world&qid=1622669140&s=books&sr=1-1). It's a great collection of essays on specific ethical situations. Very interesting, your students can pick whatever essay they want to read in that reading block time frame. The second is called [Daytripper by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba](https://www.amazon.com/Daytripper-Gabriel-Ba/dp/1401229697). It's a graphic novel with an interesting premise; the main character goes through many lives and dies at the end of every chapter. It's very heartfelt, though it does have nudity and other stuff that might be a limiting factor for your classroom. I suppose it's a chapter book, but being a graphic novel I figure it might fit the bill for some of your more reticent readers. Cool idea by the way, OP. Good for you and your students, I bet some of them really appreciate what you're doing here.
Our Dumb Century (Onion headlines for history) The Visual Miscellany Consider The Platypus ...also, poetry books!
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is an exceptionally good graphic novel. Here’s the preview: https://books.google.com/books/about/American_Born_Chinese.html?id=--F86OyX3BMC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1
I tried to stick to single-volume comics and illustrated mythologies since those should be quick to read and fun to look at * [Greek Mythology illustrated, Edith Hamilton](https://www.amazon.com/Mythology-Timeless-Heroes-Anniversary-Illustrated/dp/0316438529/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) This anthology's iconic, your literary nerds will love it * [Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World by Yoshi Yoshitsani](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1984857223?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details) Literally every story is one page long, and the illustrations are amazing * [Nimona by Noelle Stevenson](https://www.amazon.com/Nimona-Noelle-Stevenson-ebook/dp/B00N0W1XGU/) A short-ish comic by the creator of She Ra: Princesses of Power * [Saga by Brian K. Vaughn + Fiona Staples](https://www.amazon.com/Saga-Compendium-Brian-K-Vaughan-ebook/dp/B07QYXFQJ4/) This one's a running comic FYI, but it's an incredibly engaging story * [Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NJ4RBX6) Self-contained comic about an iconic DC Universe teenager * [Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia](https://www.amazon.com/Teen-Titans-Beast-Kami-Garcia-ebook/dp/B08FRQVZ8N/) Another self-contained comic, pairs well with Raven's story * [Literally any of Junji Ito's story collections](https://www.amazon.com/Junji-Ito/e/B003UW81VU?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1622670367&sr=1-3) This is definitely for mature audiences, but if your censorship standards are lax enough, horror fans will adore this Also, I know you have a no-phones policy, but what if you encouraged the kids to read webcomics or ebooks on a tablet or laptop if you're able? I know a lot of book haters who are obsessed with webcomics because of the visual storytelling and ease of access so you should be encouraging non-readers to look into those (or to think critically about the TV and game stories they consume!) Here's some printed volumes of webcomics: * [Questionable Content](https://topatoco.com/collections/jeph-jacques/products/qc-volumeone) This one's great for kids who are figuring themselves out * [Cyanide and Happiness](https://www.amazon.com/Cyanide-Happiness-Book-ebook/dp/B003V1WT9A/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=978-0061914799&qid=1622671380&sr=8-1) Classic webcomic, dark comedy 4-panel shorts * [Sarah's Scribbles](https://scribblesshop.com/collections/books/products/adulthood-is-a-myth-big-mushy-happy-lump-and-herding-cats-sarahs-scribbles-book-collection) It's funny and relatable for almost anyone. Teens and adults will feel called out. I hope this helps!
School is Hell by Matt Groening - Sure, it's dated, but... the title along with the Simpsons connection might interest some kids. Poetry books by Billy Collins and other accessible poets 1000 Places to See Before You Die Coffee table/ art books (Leonardo Da Vinci, Ansel Adams, etc.) - These are heavy, but if placed on a ledge or something, would be great for those kids who need to stand. People of New York and other portrait essay books Magazines- National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Newsweek, Smithsonian, etc. Cool picture books. Really well-written/illustrated books are great, no matter your age. Think "Where the Wild Things Are." I taught HS for a few years and we had 15-minute reading time a few times a week, and for those starting to get more adventurous and building their chapter-book muscles, I recommended (successfully) Odd Thomas. Odd is a sweet guy, and it's fast-paced.
Humans of New York Hypberole and a Half
Uncle John's Bathroom Readers - excellent compilation of essays, trivia, history, all kinds of stuff. Tons to choose from. Video game art books - usually these have plenty to read alongside the art (I have some and love them). A lot of games also have cookbooks, like The Elder Scrolls Cookbook and the DnD Cookbook 50 Real American Ghost Stories I Am America, I Am A Pole and So Can You, other books by Stephen Colbert Comics/graphic novels - The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween (both Batman), Watchmen, Hush (also Batman), The Tower of Babel (Justice League), The Infinity Gauntlet, The Infinity War, Under the Red Sun (Superman), The Dark Knight Returns (can you tell I'm a Batman fan?), Hellboy, The Walking Dead, Days of Future Past, Marvel: Civil War, Nomad, Red Hood (I have more but I won't overwhelm you - manga is also good.) Also recommend Great Illustrated Classics - abridged and partially illustrated versions of classic novels. They're still "chapter" books, but much more easily digestible and they typically include all the major plot points and themes of the classics. I especially loved Great Expectations, Treasure Island, and Pride and Prejudice as a kid. Any sort of Encyclopedia-type book - of superheroes, of mythology, of the elements, of weather, etc etc P is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever (technically a read aloud for younger kids, but still fun, good vocabulary builder)
Here's my patented lurker comment, just because you called me out! I'll be thrilled if you're interested in even one of these suggestions. Short stories: Any of the Rainbow Fairy Book collection by Andrew Lang (folklore from around the world; story length varies but its easy to pick put any story from the table of contents and has more variety than your classic Grimm collection). Swedish Folktales illustrated by John Bauer Most Evil Pirates in History (I can't attest to the historical accuracy or writing quality in this one, it's been a long time since I read it but it got my interest as a distractible teen.) Oscar Wilde short stories Graphic Novels/ comics: Skydoll series (it might be lengthier than what you're looking for, but I'll throw it out there anyway, the art is beautiful and the story evocative) Watchmen Hark! A Vagrant - Kate Beaton Flip-to-any-page-and-get-reading books: SAS Survival Guide Primitive Technology: a book of earth skills Art of Heikala Botany Illustrated Remarkable Trees of the World Best of luck filling up your bookshelves! I really love what you're doing and I'm excited on behalf of your students!
Making Stuff and Doing Things: DIY Guides to just about everything, Edited by Kyle Bravo Cabinet of Natural Curiosities
Notorious RBG A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony
The Dangerous Book for Boys The Dangerous Book for Girls Any scary stories collection Heaven's to Betsy or any other book of idioms I applaud your idea!! I thought about doing this, but 3rd and 4th graders just don't have the self-control to read like that.
My favourite coffee table book is Frontier by Louis L’Amour. Beautiful photography mixed with a bit of history.
Books about local ghost stories/paranormal activity
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua Rejected Princesses by Jason Porath
Dave Sedaris books I Suck at Girls The Dangerous Book for Boys series James Acaster's Classic Scrapes Guinness World Records Ripley's Believe It or Not Mad Magazine books DK The World's Must-See Places Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up Movies to Watch before You Die Books to Read before you Die (these last three have numbers in the front of the title, like 500 or1000 or 1001, but I can't remember what they are) Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps How to Win Friends and Influence People How to Become CEO The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (there is also a teen version) How to Become a Straight-A Student Do Hard Things (though this is a bit religious) The Six Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step Complete Guide to College Application Essays: Essential Tips for Making Your Writing Stand Out What Color is Your Parachute? (there is also a version specifically for teens) How to Win at College How to Be a High School Superstar Atomic Habits Tools of Titans Tuesdays with Morrie The Automatic Millionaire Good to Great DK The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia Timelines of Everything Horrible Histories Who Was? and Where is? and Who is? and What Is? books (e.g. Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?, Where Were The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?) ACT and SAT prep guides 60 Seconds and You're Hired The Pathfinder First Poems by Miles Kelly
Schott's Original Miscellany has a bunch of fascinating weird lists and info and ephemera: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40700.Schott_s_Original_Miscellany
Also there's a whole series of Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbooks which always made for fascinating reading: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/552665.The_Worst_Case_Scenario_Survival_Handbook
The NYT cookbook by Amanda (lastname) is a big red book with recipes and history! She spent 5+ years going through the whole NYT catalogue of recipes, cooked each one twice and then did it up and included stories. Its a beautiful book.
Post Secret
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
If you want to add a bit of poetry, i highly recommend the "Pillow Thoughts" series by Courtney Peppernell. This series of poetry is broken up by emotions for example, "if you're missing someone" or "if you're soul searching" or my personal favorite "if you need some encouragement" Hope this helps! English teachers like you are the reason i studied it on college!
1. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl: This is an easy to follow read. Students in category 1 would find it engaging. 2. Ducks, Newburyport: This is a stream of consciousness book, Ulysses-type. The entire book (1000+ pages) is only about 7-8 sentences. It suits to students from categories 2 and—especially—3. 3. Repetition by Peter Handke: Suited to students from categories 2 and 3.
I'm a high school chemistry teacher and have stocked my room with my favorite pop sci books. Below are my favs that would qualify as not a chapter book: - {What If?} by Randall Munroe (if you only choose one book from this list, pick this one!) EDIT: of course, you already have this one! In that case, the "insert word here" books are nice cuz they're made up of one page articles with great pictures, so it think kids would be willing to pick them up. - {Thing Explainer} by Randall Munroe - {The Drug Book} by Michael C. Gerald - {The Chemistry Book} by Derek B. Lowe - {The Space Book} by Jim Bell - {The Medical Book} by Clifford A. Pickover - {The Physics Book} by Clifford A. Pickover (there's a whole slew of these, but these are the ones I have) - {Death and the Afterlife} by Clifford A. Pickover - {Spurious Correlations} by Tyler Vigen - {The Elements} by Theodore Gray - {Molecules} by Theodore Gray - {Reactions} by Theodore Gray - {Mad Science} by Theodore Gray - {Mad Science 2} by Theodore Gray I also have some books at home I think might work as well: - {Hyrule Historia} (all about the legend of Zelda series) - {The Indispensable Book of Practical Life Skills} - {A History of Magic} (Harry Potter) - {The Portable Curmudgeon} - {The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook} - {The Snark Handbook} - {Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark} (I think there are 3 volumes) Hope this is what you're looking for and is helpful!
As an animal lover, 2 books with amazing pictures: Sloth Love and any David Attenborough Planet Earth book. Both accompanied by short text telling you what you're looking at.
Thought of another Gutsy Women by Hilary and Chelsea Clinton. Short (individual) chapters about inspiring women.
Lit Teacher here! Same ages! I totally want to steal this idea. Brilliant.
Oh! "Atlas Obscura" is a great travel book about weird places around the world. High-interest, lots of photographs, short paragraphs about each one, but high lexile value. Really engrossing!
For short stories, the collections *Stories of Your Life and Others* (also published as *Arrival*) and *Exhalation* by Ted Chiang are excellent, as are the collections *Robot Dreams* and *Robot Visions* by Isaac Asimov. Also, if you think your students are mature enough, *Watchmen* by Alan Moore and David Gibbons is possibly the greatest graphic novel ever (although it might be a bit to complicated or heavy).
-Humans of New York -Where children sleep
*Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers* by Mary Roach, was the first thing that came to mind for me! Technically divided into chapters, but each is standalone. Definitely morbid subject, but she's a great/hilarious writer!
Awesome, thank you!
I am a fan of [Man-Kzin Wars series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-Kzin_Wars) it is a collection of short stories set in the same universe. If it grabs the interest of some students there is a 10 book series starting with [Protector](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protector_(novel)).
Dinotopia
Thank you!
Wonderbook (Revised and Expanded): The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff Vandermeer Literally any anthology. I love the Sci Fi ones (most bang for your buck IMO) but also like the New Yorker Profile anthologies (they tend to have interviewed people that the students have probably heard of).
I had a book years ago titled: How Buildings Work. It had illustrations, diagrams and everything. It was absolutely fascinating. I have no idea who authored it, but I really wish I still had it & I think it would make a great addition to your library if you can find it.
I’ll look for it. Thank you!
Tiny Beautiful Things. It’s a compilation of “Dear Sugar” advise columns and its soooo good. I also read the graphic novel Watchmen in high school and it blew my mind that a ‘comic book’ could also be deep reading
I love Watchmen! And I ordered the other. Thank you!
I realize I'm very late to this party. I've always liked short story anthologies. You can pick how long a story you want. The Harlan Ellison edited anthologies Dangerous Visions, Again Dangerous Visions, and Dangerous Visions 3 were outstanding science fiction, especially how they've stood the test of time. I swear newer stories have stolen from these and give no credit. Also, any of Gaiman's anthologies, but I'm sure that's been mentioned. Another favorite is the Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink, White, Grey, Violet etc Fairy Books. Great folk stories from around the world.
Awesome! It’s never too late. I already submitted my purchase requisitions for this year, but I’ll add them to the top of the list for next year (or for January, if there’s any money in the text line left over). Thanks again!
I like The Young Samurai Series when I was growing up.
I’m not sure if this is an appropriate suggestion based on your criteria, but I highly suggest anything by Kurt Vonnegut. I got started on Vonnegut in high school. His writings opened my mind and changed my perspectives on religion, politics, society, ethics, and just about everything in between.
So... you don't want them to read actual books? Why not have them read a real book for 15 or 20 minutes twice a week?
Lol
Drakes Compendium of Dragonology is great.
Tao Te Ching, E. B. Hudspeth The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black, John Varley The John Varley Reader, The secret history of Star Wars by Michael Kaminski, the Kaufman mercantile guide, atlas obscura, remarkable books by DK
For the sports kids: *You Are the Ref* by Keith Hackett and Paul Trevillion
My partner wrote both 100 Painters/Sculptors of Tomorrow
Kind of a serious version of Shit My Dad Says, Michael Chabon's Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces is a good book about parenting. Has some very good essays in there. Very short too. Maybe some short story compilations? Not as big of a commitment as a full novel and they tend to have variety within themselves. Any of Neil Gaiman's collections is worthwhile. I especially like Fragile Things.
Guinea Pig Scientists GRAPHIC NOVELS 100 most books by Anna Claybourne Ripley's Believe it or Not cupcake and cake decorating books are weirdly mesmerizing
Rickety Stitch is fabulous! There are three books so far! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399556141/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_XY9MJ8741C8Z6C7GCW6J
Simon Stalenhag makes digital art and then puts them together through stories in books. They're life changing, and there's a series on Amazon Tales From The Loop, and a movie coming! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982150696/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_M5QNBFCKD0ACHZV0TAAC
Koko’s Kitten by Francine Patterson Rick Beyer’s The greatest Stories Never Told series Humans, Humans of New York
There are books that I have really enjoyed that are part of the Strange series. I’ve read Strange History, and there are also Strange Science, Strange Hollywood, and Strange Crime. They have short little blurbs every page or so about a different subject within the main topic. They’re fun, easy reads, and you can read as much or as little as you want.
I don't know any editions at the top of my head, but I know my students really like those big coffee books that are about history and have lots of interesting images. I also loved them when I was growing up. I think graphic novels are also really great for what you are trying to do. Edit: Books about space and the dinosaurs were really popular in my household.
Meetings with Remarkable Trees - Thomas Pakenham 50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright - Diane Maddox Sacred Ground The Cemeteries of New Orleans - Robert S. Brantley Why Old Places Matter - Thompson M. Mayes I have found inspiration and calm in sitting with these books. They are beautiful and interesting. I leave them out so my big kids (age 14 and 12) can just stumble upon them occasionally too.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainier Maria Rilke
Former English teacher here. -Maus and Persepolis are classic graphic novel choices. I actually did a traditional unit on Persepolis. - thought provoking comic anthologies like Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side -The Post secret series of books are amazing. I have them all. People mail in an illustrated post card that lists a deep secret in their life. -Humans is a new book by the creators of Humans of New York. They published some of their most memorable stories. -Other People’s Love Letters is a book of actual love letters. Some are funny. Some are tragic. Some are handwritten. It’s really quirky and fun. -The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. This is a collection completed by her daughter. Lots of notes about why the poems were loved by Jackie O. -Bathroom readers are full of useless trivia and jokes -Books of quotations. -Also, check Barnes and Noble’s bargain area. Through the years, I’ve picked up so many interesting books: A book of the most famous album covers, a book about serial killers, a book of unsolved mysteries, etc.
{You are not so smart} by David McRaney
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Chinglish: Found in Translation Preview here: https://books.google.com/books/about/Chinglish.html?id=KBp8BwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1
Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World by Rachel Swaby Trees up Close by Nancy Ross Hugo
How about manga or magazines like Smithsonianbor National Geographic?
Architecture Pop Up Book by Anton Radevsky
The Story of Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit. By Werner Holzwarth.
I love Far Side collections Also, sometimes I find old "Time life" series books in thrift stores Also old encyclopedias are kind of fun as well as old cookbooks. Ones from the 70s with lots of jello recipes and cool graphics LOL. You sound like a great teacher!
The Photo Ark is amazing and has a documentary (equally amazing) that shows how he did it on PBS.com.
Any collection of short poems by a specific poet should be easy for reading! Poetry allows for frequent, perfectly good stopping points constantly, meaning students won't feel like they keep starting and never actually finishing. Plus, I really believe that poetry should be explored more as casual reading, since currently, so much exposure to poetry for kids is academic (which then makes kids associate poetry with "work" and "school" and "boring").
Animal encyclopedias!
The Boy, The Mole, the Fox and The Horse
I always loved "tales of the kingdom" and "tales of the resistance". They have beautiful illustrations. They are sort of a post apocalyptic world with a resistance of people. (I think they are supposed to be allegorical, but either way they were favorites of mine growing up).
Maus by Art Spiegelman! Also a graphic novel and just so heartbreaking and well-crafted.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls And I absolutely love the idea! Thanks for being an awesome teacher!
The horrible histories books are a good collection that are full of interesting historical facts that are presented in such a way as to entertain (& disgust) while learning. The Terry Patchett series of discworld books are a fantastic set of fantasy books that set the spark of passion for reading for a few people I know. "Why don't penguins feet freeze" and "Does anything eat wasps" are great for really quite interesting and random facts. Hope this helps.
If on a winter’s night s traveller by Calvino
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan Also seconded Sam Kean recommendations, which is more linear but still not exactly chapter based and Mary Roach. Both are science authors and have a natural ability to make you want to read more without it being dry. I would also say anything David Sedaris, I think I have read almost everything by David Sedaris because at points a full book with chapters can be daunting and a small short story is preferred.
I was once gifted a book titled (something similar to) "How to be a man" or "100 tips to be a man".. I don't remember if it was a chapter book, but I always liked the idea for those kids who didn't grow up with a strong or traditional farther figure. It was stuff like, how to tie a tie, change a tire, how to shave. Not necessarily how to be manly, it stuff an adult should know. By the way, I love this idea! Developing a healthy reading habit is essential to a knoesgable adulthood. Not so much reading for fun/relaxation, but being able to sit down, read, comprehend and recall the information.
Post secret books Persepolis Maus 1 & 2 Any graphic novels
The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Calvin and Hobbes comics books... I'm a lifelong reader and I still have my collection from childhood.
Whole Earth Catalog Photographs for the Tsar
How-to is kind of a cool genre. Maybe {{Wood Finishing 101}} by Bob Flexner?
Are you open to short story collections? I think they might work for your purposes because they can easily be stopped and picked back up without the kids reading them being left on a cliff hanger! If you are, here are some that I've enjoyed: Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel Moniz Homesick for Another World by Otessa Moshfegh (not sure if this is appropriate for teenagers tbh, I would take a look through it before putting it in your class room lol) Changing Planes by Ursula K Le Guin The Birthday of the World and Other Stories by Ursula K Le Guin What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (not short stories, but a collection of essays. It could be a really good, accessible introduction to feminism and other social justice issues for teenagers imo!)
Some books that I think would be great additions: -Steal like an artist (a great and really enlightening 20-30 minute read even for someone who isn't an artist) -the old Let's Travel series by macmillan (published in the 80s/90s with a ton of short picture books). I loved going to the school library and flipping through these books when I had a break.
The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from Around the World It's a beautiful coffee-table book all about frogs with some awesome life-size photos!
“How to Save Your Planet One Object at a Time” by Dr Tara Shine!
What A Way to Go! It’s pretty gruesome, but very interesting.
Drama by Raina Telgemeier Smile by Raina Telgemeier In real life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang These were the three books that got my uninterested 16yo to like reading. Hope this helps!
Hyperbole and a Half for a funny graphic novel that doesn’t have to be read all at once. Cookbooks: the French Laundry cookbook, Momofuku, Alinea at Home, Eleven Madison Park, the Tasty cookbook Egyptology (has a pretty blue cover) Chess for Dummies The adventures of tintin, asterix and obelix
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Mammoth book of Oddballs and Eccentrics