Books

Learn more about assigned books students read for school and how teachers use books in their curriculum
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Opinion How Should Teachers Deal With Problematic Language in Literature?
Offensive prose does show up in books. Ignoring it doesn't help students.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 4, 2025
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10 min read
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025. Some observers of English/language arts curriculum fear that several growing in popularity subordinate the reading of novels and whole texts to shorter excerpts, but the evidence is still sketchy.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Reading & Literacy Novels vs. Excerpts: What to Know About a Big Reading Debate
Here are three core things to keep in mind about new evidence on the texts used in reading classes.
Sarah Schwartz, October 27, 2025
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3 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion The Books That Teachers Say Made Them Better at Their Job
Educators have taken inspiration through books dealing with a diverse range of subject.
Larry Ferlazzo, October 27, 2025
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12 min read
Handwritten excerpts of student writing
Laura Patranella's 5th graders write verses in response to <i>Love That Dog</i>, by Sharon Creech. One of Patranella's English/language arts unit features that novel alongside the poems that inspired it.
Illustration by Vanessa Solis/Education Week. Student writing courtesy of Laura Patranella
Reading & Literacy Are Books Really Disappearing From American Classrooms?
Measuring whether "whole texts" are vanishing in favor of excerpts isn't clear cut.
Sarah Schwartz, October 13, 2025
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17 min read
Illustration of bust of Shakespeare surrounded by books.
Chris Whetzel for Education Week
Curriculum Shakespeare, Other Classics Still Dominate High School English
Despite efforts to diversify curricula, teachers still regularly assign many of the same classic works, a new survey finds.
Sarah Schwartz, July 24, 2025
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6 min read
Demonstrators are seen outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments are heard in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor on April 22, 2025. The case contends that forcing students to participate in LGBTQ+ learning material violates First Amendment rights to exercise religious beliefs.
Demonstrators are seen outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments are heard in the case of <i>Mahmoud</i> v. <i>Taylor</i> on April 22, 2025. The justices ruled that parents can exercise their religious right to have their children excused from LGBTQ-themed lessons, which has prompted new logistical and practical concerns among teachers.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP
Teaching Profession Teachers Face New Burdens After Supreme Court LGBTQ+ Opt-Out Ruling
A Supreme Court ruling allowing parents to opt their children out of certain lessons could add new challenges for teachers.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 8, 2025
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6 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion 7 Books That Are Inspiring Teachers Right Now
Teachers share books that have transformed the way they think about instruction.
Larry Ferlazzo, July 7, 2025
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9 min read
Demonstrators are seen outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments were heard in Mahmoud v. Taylor on April 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The case contends that forcing students to participate in LGBTQ+ learning material violates First Amendment rights to exercise religious beliefs.
Demonstrators stand outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments are heard in <i>Mahmoud</i> v. <i>Taylor</i> on April 22, 2025, in Washington. The case contends that forcing students to be exposed to LGBTQ+ curricular material violates parents' First Amendment rights to exercise their religious beliefs.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images
Law & Courts Supreme Court Sides With Parents in LGBTQ+ Curriculum Opt-Out Case
The justices ruled in a case on whether parents with religious objections may excuse their children from some curriculum materials.
Mark Walsh, June 27, 2025
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7 min read
A look at the new seating librarian Leigh Knapp brought into Bethune Academy's school library in Milwaukee.
A look at the new seating librarian Leigh Knapp brought into Bethune Academy's school library in Milwaukee. Knapp became the school's first full-time librarian at the start of the 2024-25 school year, with a vision of revitalizing the library and changing the school's culture around reading.
Courtesy of Leigh Knapp
Curriculum Q&A How This School Librarian Transformed the Library and Got More Kids to Read
While schools across the country have shed librarians, Leigh Knapp became the first full-time librarian at her school.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 11, 2025
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7 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Curriculum Opinion Which Books Belong in Classrooms? Which Don't?
District officials, parents, and the Supreme Court are debating where to draw the line.
Rick Hess, May 27, 2025
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7 min read
Man and woman waiting around speech bubble hole
E+/Getty
Law & Courts Opinion What the Supreme Court Case on LGBTQ+ Books Reminds Us About Parents’ Rights
Regardless of which side wins Mahmoud v. Taylor, we have a big problem.
Jamie Kudlats & Christopher D. Thomas, May 15, 2025
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5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Opinion Don't Underestimate the Power of Graphic Novels for the Classroom
Not just an easy read: Comics and graphic novels can teach a host of skills, three educators explain.
Larry Ferlazzo, April 23, 2025
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11 min read
A selection of books featuring LGBTQ characters that are part of a Supreme Court case are pictured, Tuesday, April, 15, 2025, in Washington.
A selection of books featuring LGBTQ+ characters that are part of a U.S. Supreme Court case are pictured on April, 15, 2025, in Washington.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Leans Toward Parents on Opt-Outs for LGBTQ+ Lessons
The U.S. Supreme Court took up a case on whether religious parents may remove their children from public school lessons on LGBTQ+ topics.
Mark Walsh, April 22, 2025
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6 min read
Jeff Roman works on homework with his son.
Jeff Roman, a parent who has religious concerns about LGBTQ+ storybooks used in the Montgomery County, Md., school district, works on homework with his son.
Courtesy of Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Law & Courts Supreme Court Faces Big Test on Religious Students' Opt-Outs From LGBTQ+ Books
The justices will weigh whether a school district must allow parents with religious objections to LGBTQ+ books to excuse their children.
Mark Walsh, April 17, 2025
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9 min read
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