As part of
Learning Ally's Summer Reading Together 2015 book club, we brought five wonderful authors directly to our readers' homes via online webinars! Many students read books ahead of time, and then finished with an online chat. We loved the events so much that we decided to record them so that you can use them at home or in your classroom year-round!
Challenge yourself or your students to read any of the books listed below. When you finish the book, celebrate by watching the recorded chat with the book's author.
1. White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer
Perfect for readers in middle school or above, author Carolyn Meyer takes us on a journey back in time to learn lessons that still apply today. In this historical novel, Rose Lee Jefferson overhears the ladies of the garden club discussing the city’s plans to level Dillon’s black community, Freedomtown, to build a park for the city’s white residents. The plan is carried out, and nothing remains of Freedomtown but the memories of its former residents and a series of drawings that Rose Lee makes to celebrate the community.
Download the Audiobook
Watch the Recorded Author Chat
2. The Last Akaway by Gary Karton
This book is perfect for all ages! An Akaway is a rare and magical creature that connects you to your spirit animal. Once you've connected, you have all the special powers that your spirit animal possesses. Those powers are in serious jeopardy when the diabolical Uncle Skeeta tricks 11-year-old Brody Boondoggle into helping him steal the Akaway's spirit.
Download the audiobook
Watch the Recorded Author Chat (get a sneak peek of the next book in the series!)
3. The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses by Barbara Esham
This series helps children understand both their differences, as well as differences other kids may possess as well. In "If You're So Smart, How Come You Can't Spell Mississippi?," Katie is a keen observer and a curious third grader. So when her dad explains why he finds spelling difficult, Katie wants to investigate. She learns that her very intelligent dad, a lawyer, has dyslexia probably like a couple of Katie's classmates.
Download the audiobook
Watch the recorded author chat (get a sneak peek at her next book!)
4. High School Dropout to Harvard by John Rodrigues
This uplifting story is perfect for high school and above. John speaks about his struggles in high school, due to dyslexia and ADHD, and how he overcame.
Download the audiobook
Watch the recorded webinar
5. The Boy Who Learned Upside Down by Christy Scatterella
This endearing book is about a boy who struggled in school to the point that he felt as though he must actually learn upside down!
Download the audiobook.
Watch the recorded webinar
We are so excited to announce that nearly
1,800 people read with us in the summer of 2015! That includes students from
over 350 schools! Wow! We are so proud of you all!
Summer Reading Together, and the free author chat webinars, are one of many services offered by Learning Ally, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Donations allow us to continue to offer these services to a national audience. Please consider
donating today.