Books

Learn more about assigned books students read for school and how teachers use books in their curriculum
HERNDON, VA - MAY 11: Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter, Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., Thursday, May 11, 2023. The program is called Book Bounce, one of many designed by Coates Family Academy for parents to be more involved in their students' education. It's focused on immigrant and English-learning families.
Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., on May 11, 2023. New research shows a decline in parent-child shared book reading experiences since the pandemic.
Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Early Childhood Parents Are Reading Less to Preschool-Age Kids at Home. What’s to Blame?
A new study uncovers factors tied to shared reading habits at home.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 11, 2026
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4 min read
This photo taken on August 26, 2026, shows a book from the late music icon Dolly Parton's Imagination Library charitable program among flowers left at a memorial to the singer-songwriter, in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee. Parton's successful children's book donation project was borne of personal anguish: her own father grew up illiterate in rural Tennessee. The program sends books to children by mail for free, from birth until age five.
A book from the late music icon Dolly Parton's Imagination Library's charitable program is shown at a memorial in her hometown of Sevierville, Tenn., on Aug. 26, 2026. Her organization has donated over 300 million reading materials to children in the United States and internationally since the program started.
Michael Mathes / AFP via Getty Images
Reading & Literacy How Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Will Still Aim to Nurture a 'Love of Reading'
A literacy expert and librarian discuss how access books can stir a lifelong passion among children.
Jennifer Vilcarino, August 31, 2026
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4 min read
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they are studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. In Chicago Public Schools, the average reading score went up by the equivalent of 70% of a grade level from 2022 to 2023. Math gains were less dramatic, with students still behind almost half a grade level compared to 2019. Chicago officials credit the improvement to changes made possible with nearly $3 billion in federal relief.
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they're studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. Research supports children reading over the summer—but not specifically assigning reading lists or holding kids accountable for completing them.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo
Reading & Literacy Is Required Summer Reading a Good Idea? What the Research Says
Studies show benefits for summer reading in general. But little evidence supports assigning specific books.
Sarah Schwartz, July 30, 2026
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4 min read
SummerReading
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Reading & Literacy Why Mandatory Summer Reading Doesn’t Work—and What Teachers Prefer Instead
Summer reading shouldn’t be prescriptive, most teachers say.
Olina Banerji, July 23, 2026
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1 min read
A summer scene of sunny blue skies and flowers with several book titles overlayed on top. Titles include: Leaders Eat Last, Power Up Your Math Community, I Love This Place, Just Do This, Rethinking Mathematics and Disability, Intentional Moves: How Skillful Team Leaders Impact Learning, The Kids Who Aren't Okay, Write Beside Them, How Children Succeed, Get Better Faster 2.0, Leadershift, The Digital Delusion, Anxious Generation, and Portrait of a Leader
Education Week + Canva
Professional Development EdWeek’s Ultimate PD Reading List Is Here
EdWeek's crowd-sourced PD reading list is here! See your top book recommendations and ask an author some questions.
Olina Banerji, July 9, 2026
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2 min read
Image of a book with symbols of brain, ideas, time, conversation, connecting ideas.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
Reading & Literacy Opinion How We Can Turn the Page on This Failed Reading Strategy
We can’t raise new readers on just excerpts. It’s time to bring back whole books.
Carol Jago, June 26, 2026
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3 min read
20250205 AMX US NEWS NEW DATABASE LOOK UP K5 1 PO
An educator at Holcomb Elementary School in Oregon City, Ore. works with students on phonics and phonemic awareness on Feb. 5, 2025. New studies point to the mix of factors teachers should consider when selecting texts for students.
Julia Silverman/OregonLive.com via TNS
Reading & Literacy How Should Teachers Select Books for Young Readers? (Hint: It's Not Just Decodability)
Three new studies offer clues about what makes texts easier and harder for young students to read on their own.
Sarah Schwartz, June 12, 2026
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5 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor Classic Literature Has Value in English Classes
A letter to the editor pushes back on the argument that classic literature is boring.
May 29, 2026
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1 min read
Laura Patranella, a 5th grade teacher at Vogel Elementary School in Seguin, Texas, distributes copies of “Bud, Not Buddy” to her students to read in class on Nov. 3, 2025.
Students in Laura Patranella's 5th grade class at Vogel Elementary School in Seguin, Texas, read copies of <i>Bud, Not Buddy</i> on Nov. 3, 2025. On average, middle and high school teachers assign four full-length books a year, a new survey shows.
Brenda Bazán for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Yes, Teachers Do Still Assign Full-Length Books. But Numbers Vary
Most middle and high school teachers have students read books—but often just one or two a year.
Sarah Schwartz, May 8, 2026
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4 min read
Surreal open book ready to be read in a wild meadow
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Do Book Bans Protect Students, or Silence Needed Conversations?
When schools ban books that contain sensitive topics, is it the right move?
Elizabeth Heubeck, March 23, 2026
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5 min read
Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on Creating an Authentic Reading Culture
Create a culture of literacy: abundant books, explicit skills, daily reading, and real engagement that turns students into lifelong readers.
March 13, 2026
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 Graphic Novels Can Bring Joy to Reading Instruction
Here's how teachers are using comic books and nonfiction graphic novels in literacy instruction.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 3, 2026
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6 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor Reading Instruction Must Use Whole Books
Reading passages serve a purpose but don't compare to reading the whole book, says this letter.
February 27, 2026
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1 min read
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H., pictured here on Oct. 29, 2025, has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students. Teachers who work with older readers say they often have a hard time finding texts that support these students' needs at grade level without feeling babyish or patronizing.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Few Books Are Tailored for Older Struggling Readers: 'It's an Absolute Wasteland'
Teachers and researchers identify three barriers to finding reading materials that meet these students' needs—and how to overcome them.
Sarah Schwartz, February 24, 2026
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6 min read