Need Help Selecting a Book?

Not everyone likes to read the same kinds of books. Selecting what to read next can often be an arduous task for some, especially those reluctant readers. I encourage all students to read, and if technology is king in your home, then there are some great new tools that can be used to tie the Internet to books. You can use these tools for book recommendations or even help with book selection for holiday gifts.

Author, James Patterson, believes students must be good readers to find successful careers, and I agree with him. He is all about finding books that mean something to you. He has created a website called Read Kiddo Read to recommend good books for students.

Barb Langridge has created  a phenomenal website about books called A Book and A Hug. The website may have an elementary look about it, but she has lists of good books for tweens and teens. There are also some great author videos that your child might like. 

StorySnoops was created by four moms in California. They read extensively, and you can search their site by age level, genre, author, title or recommended books. For lists of good titles for tweens and teens you can find it on their website. 

Scholastic has created a site called You are What You Read. Find out what five books have shaped the lives of authors and celebrities and log in the five books that shaped your life. 

I recently found a literature mapping tool. You type in an author’s name, and the screen fills with names of many authors. The placement of each author is based on how similar the writing is to the author you typed. It is hard to explain because it is very visual. You can use it for all ages. It is a lot of fun to watch the author's names move across the screen every time you type someone new in the box. 

I have one more site that I recently found. It is called Small Demons. I imagine that the name is some literary reference, and if you know what it means please let me know. The idea at this site is to list books and add all the references that are made in this book like music, movies, food, people, places, etc. Members will be able to add and edit the books. It turns a book of printed words into a very visual form. This one just got started so the number of books is limited, but it will grow. 

Have fun and check out some of these websites.