Every teacher needs to read this book!

Spotty anthology, but some good fantasy finds, often not from authors you'd expect. Jodi Picoult, for instance, delivers a great magical realism tale.

Sly and grim updates of familiar and not-so-familiar fairy tales.

Full disclosure: Holly edited this book. Nepotism aside, this book stands on its own for a backstage look at how various writers revise and offers plans about how to adapt those techniques to student writing.

In trying to be comprehensive, the author went into overkill in detailing one of the bloodiest battles of World War One. Still, a good mix of perspectives from tacticians to soldiers, and knockout research. Limited to British p.o.v. primarily.

Another strong and practical book on teaching writing through technology. And yes, another one Holly edited. I'm impartial, really.

More teachers need to read this book! We have been guilty of teaching the structure rather than the spirit.

Good companion read to Diary of a Young Girl or any study of the Holocaust for middle school students.

Hated it. On the other hand, it's a valuable historical document. Get to know your enemies.

Yes, I am a fool for Salinger. In college I bought an unauthorized collection of his short fiction that didn't make it into Nine Stories. I still have it should anyone want to read an odd third-person version of Catcher that appeared in the New Yorker.

Ecuador's former poet laureate deserves rediscovery!

Rightly called the Shakespeare of South America! His poetry brims with emotion and unexpected, creative language. Anyone who is serious about reading or writing poetry will find great joy with this master.

My go-to source for many poetry lessons. Makes poetry fun for kids while offering a high level of challenge.

I remember the thrill of discovery when I first read Poe. I was about ten. Yes, he wrote stories and poems, but he also displayed such a unique mind and feverish voice. Whenever I read an author new to me, fairly or not, I place them on the Poe scale. Some have matched; none have surpassed.

One of the best books on India's past and present. Brilliantly juxtaposes the ancient Ramayana with contemporary India.

By turns haunting, horrifying, and hopeful. These connected stories need to be read in a single sitting for maximum impact.

Terrific book by a cranky conservationist who was ahead of his time. Abbey spent several seasons as a park ranger in Moab, Utah, home of Arches National Park. I started his book while hiking through Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, also in southern Utah. His knowledge of desert ecosystems helped me understand and appreciate these special places, and he also captured a part of American nature and culture that sadly do not exist anymore because of development, or what he calls "industrial tourism."

Best book I've found on the First World War.

First read this book when I was 12, and I still remembered some key lines when I picked it up again three months ago. Terrific narrator, perfect diction.

Helpful to me in reaching out to ELL students.

Invisible craft! As Nathaniel Hawthorne said, "Easy reading makes for damn hard writing!"

I found this book at my grandparents' house when I was a kid, and it warped me for life. I was too young to get the black humor. Published in the late 19th century, this book probably was in the Hitler library. Might explain things. . .

In the Arms of Mountains is a beautifully written memoir that shows that the political is always personal. LeFavour recalls their unique childhood--anyone else have Hunter S. Thompson for a neighbor?--and builds to their life as an LGBTQ activist. The book is a reminder of the slow arc of change and the heartbreaking sacrifices that accompany it. Yet overall, this memoir is optimistic--we can all fight for and find our place in the world.