Bookish BINGO | Summer Vibes

Today I received an email from a parent about needing access to the summer reading materials I sent out at the end of the school year, and it got me reflecting on my own summer reading thus far and set me to wondering about what y’all are out there reading.

The middle school where I teach invites students to continue to explore and cultivate their reading lives over the summer. I’ve done it a bit differently each year, but this year, I think I’ve chosen something fun. I wondered if y’all might want to join us.

Each student got a BINGO card where I listed different characteristics that I hoped would be open enough that they could choose a book that captured their interest as well as maybe encouraged them to pick some books that they may not have tried otherwise. The expectation/hope is that they will read five books to make their BINGO, with the opportunity to challenge themselves to fill the whole board.

Once they’ve read their books, they write a short review, rate it using stars and be ready to share their favorites with us once school starts up again.

Do y’all want to play along? If so, let us know what you’ve read in the comments (they don’t have to be rural or YA/MG). I hoping y’all will let me know what you’re reading so that I can add to my TBR. 🙂

My goal is to fill the whole card, and I’ll list below what I’ve read so far.

Young Adult Titles (rural books marked with *)

A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Pax* by Sara Pennypacker

The Golden Hour* Niki Smith

Shadow Island* by Mike and Nancy Deas

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Adult Titles (rural books marked with *)

All Good People Here* by Ashley Flowers

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

Black Wolf by Louise Penny

The Boy Who Cried Bear* by Kelley Armstrong

Britt-Marie Was Here* by Fredrik Backman

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi

Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Murder at Haven’s Rock* by Kelley Armstrong

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Small Things Like These* by Claire Keegan

When the Tides Held the Moon by Vanessa Vida Kelley

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager

Squares I have left…

I’m going for the whole card, so I have a few squares left to fill, and once I do, I’ll report back.

• A book published in the year you were born (anyone have recommendations for 1986 publications?)
• A book set in a post-apocalyptic world
• A book set in a fictional (i.e., fantasy) world
• A book of poems
• A book with a number in the title
• A book with a character who is a musician
• A book with a title that starts with B
• A book with a character who is a scientist

I’ve read a lot of adult titles, so I may try to make these last ones all YA/MG so I can share them with my students. Let me know in the comments if you have recommendations, and let me know what you’re reading. 🙂

Happy Summer!