Need a Good Read? The IEA Library Committee Has Picks for You

Why it matters: Librarians know books. These picks from IEA Library Committee members span elementary through adult readers, giving educators ready-made ideas for classrooms, school libraries and their own nightstands.

Are you a school librarian?: Check the box below for a survey that will help the IEA Library Committee better serve you! Plus, discover the theme for their next statewide Zoom call and learn how to connect with your colleagues throughout the state. 

'The Calamity Club' by Kathryn Stockett

Recommended by: Samantha Archibald Mora, Blaine County Education Association 

Best for: Adult readers

"The Calamity Club" by Kathryn Stockett is a brilliantly woven historical novel: a hilarious, tragic, and deeply moving story that tackles systemic inequalities, set in the Depression-era South. The story is narrated by two characters: the unforgettable, razor-sharp 11-year-old Meg, who was abandoned by her mother, and Birdie, an unmarried bookkeeper who refuses to comply with society's expectations for women. The novel melds jaw-dropping instances of sexism, classism, and racism with warmth and wit—and its unpredictable twists and turns will keep you turning the pages (or listening) nonstop! If you enjoy listening to books, do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook; the voice acting brings these characters to life, especially Meg, and you will most certainly miss the characters when the book ends.

'Yesteryear' by Caro Claire Burke

Recommended by: Katie Bauer, Wallace Education Association 

Best for: Adult readers

"Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke was a fever dream, and I’m still not sure whether I loved it, but it certainly made me think. The main character is a tradwife-style influencer who builds an Instagram empire, only to find herself unraveling under the pressure of maintaining the facade. But is she having a nervous breakdown, or is it something more supernatural? I devoured this book and the author kept me guessing and turning the pages. Readers can expect themes of motherhood, ambition, and perfectionism. Despite her many flaws, I found myself almost rooting for this antihero (almost.)

'Labyrinth Lost' by Zoraida Córdova

Recommended by: Melissa Nielsen, Pocatello Education Association 

Best for: Young adult readers

This young adult fantasy novel counts as horror, so it's perfect for spooky season. It's the first in the Brooklyn Brujas series about three magical sisters. When a spell backfires, Alejandra Mortiz is sucked into another world and has to make her way through an elaborate labyrinth. I read the entire series this summer, and the books are just really fun.

'And Then, Boom!' by Lisa Fipps

Recommended by: Heidi Robbins, Jefferson County Education Association Best for: Upper elementary and up (yes, adults too)

This novel is written in verse, which is my favorite type of book to read after nonfiction — and this one is so good. Joe Oak is the son of a wandering mother who finds himself without a home, and he copes by taking life lessons from his beloved comic books. But when he encounters three dogs — and as a tornado is approaching — his life changes forever. This book is recommended for elementary students by the Idaho Battle of the Books, but I'm also adding it to my high school library (and, like me, you certainly don't have to be a student to enjoy it).

'Show Me the Way to Go Home' by Neysa Jensen

Recommended by: Gregory Taylor, Southwest Education Association-Retired (SWEA-R) 

Best for: Young adult readers and adults

I'm not sure this book is getting much attention yet, but it should. It's set at the Tule Lake internment camp in Northern California during World War II, with chapters alternating between two teenage girls: a white girl whose father works at the camp, and a Japanese-American girl who is incarcerated there. They become friends, and the book is the story of this unlikely pair. Both girls are smart and think for themselves from the start, and over the course of the book they become more confident in what they believe is right and wrong. Neysa Jensen, the Boise-based author, did extensive research, and her husband's family has connections to Tule Lake. Although this is a young adult novel, it's an amazing read for adults, too. Neysa is interested in speaking with book clubs, school groups, and groups of teachers and librarians, so it's a great fit if you teach the history of World War II and the internment camps.

'The Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches' by Katie Ortiz

Recommended by: Sabrina Schroeder, Vallivue Education Association 

Best for: Adult readers

I love books about powerful women who take their power when people don’t want to give it to them. Libby recommended this one, and since I’m from Alabama, I was in right away. It’s set in the state about a decade after the Civil War. Ten women are invited to attend a university for a semester. Nobody there wants them, and the stakes are huge: if five of them quit, the program is canceled, and no other university will try admitting women. The men on campus, many of them Civil War veterans, resent them, so the women band together and form a sorority — but it’s really a coven. The witchcraft feels so natural and tied to nature. The backstory is that witches who were burned in the North moved south and learned to disguise their witchcraft as superstition. I also loved the environmental references. The audiobook is a treat, too. Each chapter comes from a different woman’s perspective, with three main narrators and two side ones, each voiced by a different actor. The narrators are Southern, which makes it even better. It’s been so lovely to listen to.