1. The Turn Around Books “I don’t think there is one turn-around book. That reduces a love to reading to a silver bullet—or in this case a magic book. Reluctant readers come to reading reluctantly. For a while they’ll be book-at-a- time readers---readers who will read the book we put into their hand but they won’t seek out the next good book on their own. Gradually, with support and encouragement, they’ll move toward a stance that says, “This reading thing is good—good enough that I’ll seek a book out on my own.” Maybe that’s the turn-around-book—the book that the kid on his own finds that he enjoys” - Dr. K. Beers (via email)

2. Turnaround titles Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak Ashanti. Foolish/Unfoolish Banks, Russell. Rule of the Bone (M) Brunvand, Jan Harold. Big Book of Urban Legends

3. Turnaround titles Burgess, Melvin. Doing It (M) Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game Chbosky, Stephen. Perks Of Being A Wallflower (M) Cisneros, Sandra. House On Mango Street

4. Turnaround titles Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963 Drooker, Eric. Blood Song Flake, Sharon. Skin I’m In Flake, Sharon. Who Am I Without Him

5. Turnaround titles Flinn, Alex. Breathing Underwater Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day (M) Gantos, Jack. Hole In My Life Giles, Gail. Playing in Traffic

6. Turnaround titles Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass Glenn, Mel. Class Dismissed Going, K. L. Fat Kid Rules The World Korman, Gordon. Son Of The Mob

7. Turnaround titles Groening, Matt. Simpsons Comics (any) Hinton, S.E. Outsiders Holmes, Shannon. B- More Careful (M) Johnson, Angela. First Part Last

8. Turnaround titles Keys, Alice. Tears For Water Lubar, David. Hidden Talents McCall, Nathan. Makes Me Wanna Holler McDonald, Janet. Spellbound

9. Turnaround titles Mowry, Jess. Way Past Cool Myers, Walter Dean. Monster Nixon, Joan Lowry. Whispers From The Dead Paolini, Christopher. Eragon

10. Turnaround titles Paulsen, Gary. Harris and Me Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet Pelzer, David. Child Called It Porter, Connie Rose. Imani All Mine

11. Turnaround titles Rodriquez, Louis. Always Running (M) Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter (any) Sachar, Louis. Holes Shakur, Sanyika. Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member ( M)

12. Turnaround titles Shakur, Tupac. Rose That Grew from Concrete Shan, Darren. Cirque Du Freak series Sleator, William. Interstellar Pig Smith, Jeff. Bone

13. Turnaround titles Souljah, Sister. Coldest Winter Ever (M) Sparks, Beatrice. Go Ask Alice Stine, R.L. Dangerous Girls Strasser, Todd. Give A Boy A Gun

14. Turnaround titles Tillage, Leon Walter. Leon’s Story Trueman, Terry. Stuck In Neutral Tyree, Omar. Flyy Girl (M) Vibe magazine staff. Tupac.

15. Turnaround titles Werlin, Nancy. Killer’s Cousin Williams, Stanley “Tookie”. Life In Prison Woodson, Jacqueline. Miracles Boys Woods, Teri. Dutch (M)

16. 13 things to stop doing tomorrow 1. “Audio books are great, except when we force older kids to use print text WITH audio books is clunky and discouraging.