Kristin Worsham

Summer 2025 Read #15 The Beat I Drum by Dusti Bowling. ❤️❤️❤️ this book! Already ❤️Cactus books. Perfect spinoff of Connor & his struggles with Tourette Syndrome, moving, a new school, & his dad coming back into his life. He learns to embrace his own beat & impact of forgiveness.

Summer 2025 Read #3 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. As a HG fan, this did not disappoint—Haymitch’s backstory is just as devastating as you might think. Great writing and character development, full of emotion and plenty of connections.

Summer 2025 Read #21 The Girl Who Figured It Out by Minda Dentler. An inspirational true story and picture book from the Bluebonnet list features Minda who is paralyzed from polio. However, she doesn’t let it hold her back from achieving her goals!

Summer 2025 Read #20 Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko. This will be kid-approved even by those who don’t like to read. ✅dogs ✅robot dogs ✅humor & ❤️ ✅ short chapters ✅adventure. It reminded me of Toy Story but with dogs! Going in my classroom library!

Summer 2025 Read #18 Kareem Betweem by Shifa Saltagi Safadi. Kareem feels he doesn’t belong anywhere, stuck in the middle. His mother travels to Syria & cannot return. A well-written novel in verse from Kareem’s POV w/ football facts & comparisons throughout will connect w/ kids.

Summer 2025 Read #17 It Came From the Trees by Ally Russell. This one is on both Bluebonnet and Battle of Books lists. It will be a good recommendation for kids who like scary mysteries and the outdoors. Jenna knows there’s something out in the woods—but who will believe her?

Summer 2025 Read #16 Invisible Isabel by Sally Pla. Super fast read from Bluebonnet list, written in verse. Isabel struggles dealing w/ the noise & busyness of home & the girls at school. Simple story w/ good messages.

Summer 2025 Read #14 The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie. 🔑 A fun mystery adventure! Three friends work to solve an epic escape room—for a worthy cause. Great middle grade alternative to Inheritance Games, all friendship, no romance, good messages. Now has a sequel!👍

Summer 2025 Read #13 Zarina Divided by Reem Faruqi. I love historical fiction about less familiar events because I learn so much! Zarina’s story of the partition of India in 1947 was so moving. The choice of a novel in verse is beautiful. Home is your family, not your location.

Summer 2025 Read #12 Nimbus by Jan Eldredge. No surprise that the cat-lady loved the book about a magical cat! 🐈‍⬛ A fun, fantastical fantasy tells of Nimbus, a black cat who learns she’s actually more lucky than unlucky. Reminded me of a childhood favorite Secret of NIMH. 🐭 👍

Summer 2025 Read #11 The Space Between Here & Now by Sarah Suk. Sci-fi time travel element made a different but interesting premise, & I was very intrigued by where the story was going. However, the resolution was disappointing for me. Also seems better for 8th grade than 6th.

Summer 2025 Read #10 The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin. As a Sepetys fan, I knew this would be good, & it was! Love the brother/sister POVs & dynamic, especially Lizzie’s humor. Great way to learn about some WW2 history!

Summer 2025 Read #9 Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar. Okay, this was a suspenseful, twisty mystery/thriller—I always like chapters told from different POVs, and that was especially effective with this plot! I don’t want to give anything away, so just read it! :)

Summer 2025 Read #8 Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams. Another novel in verse. Isaiah and his two best friends Drew and Darius are tight. Then tragedy strikes, everything changes, and Isaiah must learn how to cope while learning it’s okay to be himself.

Summer 2025 Read #7 Louder Than Hunger by John Schu. This was a hard read. Jake battles loneliness & fear, which manifests as an eating disorder. With help, he works to ignore the Voice that says he isn’t worthy of taking up space. He learns “hope is the thing with feathers.”

Summer 2025 Read #6 Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotte. Novel in verse was both beautiful & heartbreaking. Effie is deaf, & her family has not learned sign language. Fear & the inability to communicate leave her unseen and unheard—& there are very important things to say.

Summer 2025 Read #5 The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko. Another sad but sweet story. Hank has to figure out what to do when his mom doesn’t come home for a week and has to care for his 3-year old sister—though this is nothing new. He always has. ❤️

Summer 2025 Read #4 Popcorn by Rob Harrell. First one for me to read by this author, and it’s a winner. Wonderful piece of relatable, insightful realistic fiction—anxiety, adolescence, Alzheimer’s. A perfect balance of humor and empathy. Love the popcorn metaphor.