Margin Notes

In Anger Is Only a Shadow, Elizabeth Acevedo, author of The Poet X, blends prose and verse to tell a story about wanting to help someone without knowing how.

Lil is tired of having other people decide what she can and cannot do. On probation after time in juvenile detention, she is trying to stay out of trouble when she begins to suspect her older brother needs help. Reaching him could mean breaking the rules and risking her own freedom.

The writing caught my attention right away. I started marking beautiful passages with sticky notes, then quickly realized I’d be covering the entire book. Even the prose feels poetic and carefully crafted. Lil’s voice lets us into the hurt of lost friendships, the frustration of being labelled the troubled kid, and the powerlessness of wearing an ankle monitor. As we get to know her, we also see her tender heart and how much she cares about the people she loves. This passage stayed with me:

“I just do things that replace what I’m feeling with something that hurts less. If I feel too small for a situation, I try to escape into a bigger version of me.” I don’t know if I’m making sense. “Sometimes I get so sad or so f***ig mad, and those feelings make these tight walls around me, and staying trapped inside those walls. . .” I shake my head; my body cringes. “I just can’t stand feeling trapped like that. I want to be free more than I want to be good.”

That last line gave me a lot to think about as Lil’s story unfolded. She wants freedom, but she also wants to be there for her brother, and those wants don’t fit neatly together. I’d recommend this book to high school readers drawn to poetic writing and complicated characters. It offers plenty to talk about around mental health, family relationships, and how we see young people who have been in trouble.

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TRY THIS TOMORROW: VOCABULARY REVIEW WITH MYSTERY WORD GAME

This vocabulary review game is an activity that came up in conversation with our Academic Support Teachers. This is a perfect option for those who have done the explicit vocabulary routine and are looking for ways to review this learning and keep the vocabulary words circulating in classroom discussion. This helps students review previously taught vocabulary by using questioning, reasoning, and elimination to identify a hidden word.

How to Set Up

The teacher selects a previously taught vocabulary word connected to the current text or unit and keeps it hidden.

Students work as a whole class, in small groups, or in partners to determine the word through structured yes/no questioning.

Game Rules

The teacher chooses a secret vocabulary word.
- The word should come from the current unit’s instructional vocabulary.
Students ask yes/no questions only.
- Questions must be designed to narrow down the meaning, function, or role of the word.

Examples:

- Is the word a noun/verb/adjective?
- Does the word describe a character?
- Is the word connected to the setting?
- Does the word represent a theme or central idea?
- Is the word used to show emotion?
The teacher answers only yes or no.
Hint system:
- After a set number of questions (e.g., 5–7 questions), students may earn one hint.
- Hints should support understanding without revealing the word directly.
- Example hints:
  - Word category (part of speech)
  - The section of the text it relates to
  - A synonym or related idea
  - A reminder of how it was used in instruction
Winning the game
- Students win when they correctly identify the vocabulary word.
- Encourage justification: students should explain why they believe the word fits based on prior answers.

Debrief

After the word is revealed, consider furthering the discussion to provide opportunity to use the word:

With a partner, come up with a sentence connected to the text that uses the mystery word.

Try this tomorrow to reinforce your vocabulary lesson!

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THE BETWEEN WORLDS B&B BY AMY MAE BAXTER

The YA novel is the perfect spooky-season read for anyone who prefers whimsy and cozy cottagecore to darkness and fright.

After being locked out of her house, Margo finds herself at a bizarre and impossibly expansive bed and breakfast that exists between worlds. The inn also sits outside of time: Margo can stay as long as she likes, and no time will have passed when she returns to the human world.

And honestly, who wouldn’t want to check in for a while?

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay with Margo at The Between Worlds B&B. Each time I returned to the book after reluctantly rejoining the real world, it felt like wrapping myself in a cozy blanket and settling in for delightful shenanigans with my besties. I had such a wonderful time reading this book that I can’t help smiling as I write about it.

Although Margo does not realize it at first, every part of her stay has been shaped around what she needs and wants, even the things she has not yet figured out for herself. Along the way, she meets some of the most amazing magical beings, a not-so-evil demon, a woodland fairie, a wizard, and a ghost, and some equally amazing magical animals. Even though the inn is highly unusual, it’s amazing how quickly it feels like home.

Margo not only learns so much about who she is and what is important to her, she helps the other guest staying at the inn do the same. She forms intergenerational and interspecies friendships that are sure to last a lifetime.

Although this coming-of-age tale fits neatly in the YA fantasy genre, I am sure that any reader who loves a good cozy read will find this story as delightful as I did. After reading a more serious and violent historical fantasy with a complicated world building, The Between Worlds B&B was the perfect comfort read.

This would be a fantastic addition to a middle or high school classroom library, especially for readers who enjoy cozy fantasy, found family, magical creatures, and stories that are full of hope. It could also lend itself to conversations about belonging, identity, friendship, and the ways people can help each other grow.

After finishing a serious and violent historical fantasy with complicated world-building, The Between Worlds B&B was exactly the comfort read I needed. It is gentle, funny, imaginative, and full of heart.

TRY THIS TOMORROW: THE NEW YORK TIMES WRITING CURRICULUM FOR 2026-27

Last week, we shared the New York Times Learning Network’s new 15-minute lessons. They’re one part of a much larger collection of resources for Grades 6–12 teachers. The Learning Network has also released its 2026–27 writing curriculum.

We’ve highlighted this curriculum before, and this year’s curriculum is worth another look. It brings together writing prompts, mentor texts, guides, student examples, and optional contests.

Here’s what you’ll find in the 2026–27 lineup:

Writing and Creating in the Age of A.I.: A new three-part introductory lesson asking students why people write and what changes when they use A.I. to help them compose.
Everyday Practice: Student Opinion questions and Picture Prompts for short, regular writing.
The Tiny Memoir: A personal narrative of just 100 words.
The “Coming of Age” Project: A visual piece about growing up in 2026, accompanied by a written artist statement.
The STEM Video: A short video built around a question and an interview with an expert.
The Open Letter: An evidence-based argument addressed to someone who can make a change.
The Podcast: An original audio piece on a topic and in a format students choose.
Independent Reading and Writing: Responses to something students choose to read, watch, or listen to in The Times.

The curriculum page links to resources for each piece, including guides and examples of student work. There’s also a “Want More?” section with materials from past projects, such as cultural reviews, how-to writing, photo essays, and poetry. Teachers can spend so much time looking for resources online, so we wanted to highlight this as a great place to start.

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OH BROTHER BY GEORGINA CHADDERTON

I absolutely loved this title.

Oh Brother is a graphic memoir by Georgina (Gina) Chadderton. As the story opens, Gina is spending the summer before she starts middle school moving into a new house with her family. Her brother, Rob, is autistic and has high support needs, so their home has to be set up in very specific ways to keep him safe. Doors and cupboards are secured, and even the fridge and windows have added safety measures. Early in the story, we see exactly why. Shortly after the family moves in, the new neighbours come over to let them know that Rob has somehow made his way into their living room.

You also learn so much about autism simply through the way Chadderton tells the story. Rob does not use many spoken words, but he communicates constantly through sounds, gestures, pointing, signing, and routines his family has learned to understand. The memoir gives readers a real sense of how frustrating it can be to know what you want or how you are feeling but not always be able to make other people understand.

But this is also very much Gina’s story. We experience life with Rob through the perspective of a sister who loves him deeply and can also feel embarrassed, worried, frustrated, protective, and completely overwhelmed. That honesty is part of what made the book feel so vulnerable and important.

There is another layer, too. In the back matter, Chadderton shares that she herself was diagnosed with autism as an adult. Knowing that makes you look back at Gina’s experiences differently and further challenges any narrow idea of what autism looks like.

Published as a middle grade graphic memoir, Oh Brother could be a powerful mirror for students who have neurodivergent siblings and an equally important window for readers who want to better understand autism, communication, family, and the complicated ways we love the people closest to us.

TRY THIS TOMORROW: A NEW COLLECTION OF LESSONS

If you’re looking for current and engaging lessons and texts to bring into your classroom, there is a new resource worth checking out. This fall, the Learning Network introduced a series of 15-minute lesson plans built around timely topics, texts, images, questions, and ideas. A new lesson is published each school day, with topics rotating across ELA, social studies, STEM, and the arts and media. Each one can work as stand-alone learning opportunity, but can easily lead to more opportunities for conversation, reading, writing, or inquiry.

For example, the Taylor and Travis Sentence Scramble, asks students to attempt to put a set of sentences in the order they appeared in an article, opening up authentic conversations about text structure, specifically cohesion, sequencing, and how writers guide readers through ideas.

The lesson can stop there, or, if students are interested and you have the time, there is a natural pathway into more reading, discussion, and critical thinking. Each of the bite-size lessons also includes an “If you’d like to go further” option. In the Taylor and Travis Sentence Scramble, students can move from thinking about how a paragraph is constructed to a bigger question about journalism: why would The New York Times devote around two dozen reporters and editors to covering a celebrity wedding? Students can read a related Times Insider piece and consider whether that investment of newsroom resources was justified.

The flexibility of these 15-minute lessons means they can be used in the way that makes the most sense for your students and the learning that is already happening in the classroom. And, with a new lesson added every day, this is a collection worth bookmarking and coming back to when you are looking for new texts and learning opportunities.

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SHOOK BY JULIAN RANDALL

When I saw Jason Reynolds call this book a gift, I knew I was going to love it.

Shook follows Malik “Shake” Page, an eighth grader whose life revolves around basketball. Like many athletes, he knows exactly who he is: a ball player. Then he gets injured and can’t play. Shake is confronted with anxiety, changing relationships, and questions about who he is without the sport he loves. As much as this is a story about basketball, it is also a story about identity, mental health, and resilience.

One of the strengths of Shook is its portrayal of anxiety in the context of sports. Taking away the sport around which his life revolves brings underlying anxiety to the forefront. Randall captures anxiety through both emotional and physical experiences. This helps show that feelings can be difficult to name, especially for young people experiencing them for the first time. I also appreciated the inclusion of therapy, which is presented as a normal and helpful tool for working through challenges.

This is a novel in verse that uses space purposefully. Spacing, shape, font changes, and other visual elements reinforce emotions and experiences while drawing readers into the story. These features make the book accessible while also serving as a mentor text for how writers can use text structure meaningfully and intentionally.

I would recommend Shook to readers who enjoy novels in verse, sports stories, and realistic fiction. It will resonate with athletes, students navigating anxiety, and fans of authors such as Kwame Alexander and Jason Reynolds.

TRY THIS TOMORROW: SCAFFOLD SUMMARIES WITH “YOU DECIDE”

Summarizing is a comprehension skill that is often misinterpreted as simple. In fact, it requires thinking about what to include, noting the main idea and organizing the details clearly and concisely.

“You Decide,” from Next Steps in Literacy Intervention, is a routine that helps students organize ideas before they write.

The Routine

Give students a set of words pulled from a text:

key vocabulary
character traits
actions
content terms

Students Task:

group the words
name each group
use the groups to build a sentence or short summary

This process makes thinking visible and helps students organize ideas before writing a full summary. It can also support using new vocabulary that was explicitly taught in the pre-reading.

Example from Next Steps:

Words: hesitant, shrieked, shy, scowled, reserved, fumed

Students might group:

Character traits: hesitant, shy, reserved
Communication/actions: shrieked, scowled, fumed

From there, they can write:
The character is shy and reserved, but reacts strongly when others shriek or fume.

Try This Tomorrow

Pull 6–10 words from a text you’re already using
Give students the categories (if they need this scaffold)
Ask them to sort the words and explain their thinking
End with one sentence using at least 2–3 of the words

Once students can do this with support, remove the categories and have them create their own.

Routine from Next Steps in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessment to Effective Interventions by Deb Glaser and Susan M. Smartt

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ROOHI AND NATE ARE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE BY SUPRIYA KELKAR AND JARRETT LERNER

“It was like the magic of a library, the way the stories there made you feel connected to characters you’ve never met…Maybe that magic worked in real life, too, letting you see the layers underneath real-life people you thought were one-dimensional. It was so unexpected. Like how you weren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, something I was guilty of doing.” (103)

This book is a love letter to librarians. It is a letter of hope to middle school students who are figuring out who they are in the mix of their parents, siblings, friends and classmates. In ROOHI AND NATE ARE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE, readers meet over-achiever Roohi, who spends her time in the library to avoid the jealousy of seeing her friends move on without her, and Nate, who spends his time skateboarding and trying to dodge the comparisons to his genius older brother. This unlikely pair find themselves joining a lunch book club and connecting through the pages of a fictional text. And, yes, the book is about Roohi and Nate; but, it’s really about how libraries and books are a place for finding yourself, interpreting the world around you and (can be) a refuge from everyday pressures.

The storytelling uses dual first-person narration. Roohi’s chapters are written by Kelkar, while Nate’s are written and illustrated by Lerner. The book is filled with doodles and sketches that reflect each character’s specific style. Beyond the unlikely friends trope, the plot explores student activism. When the group learns that their librarian’s job is being cut due to budget constraints, they take action, showing how young people can use their voices to advocate for change. I also appreciated that the ending doesn’t tie everything up neatly, which reflects the complexities of real life.

Roohi’s storyline will appeal to avid readers who are always reaching for their next book, while Nate’s perspective is perfect for students who haven’t yet found themselves in reading. This book would also make an excellent read-aloud, opening up conversations about books and libraries, but also about the value of different voices, the experiences students bring with them, and what it means to shape your own story.