If you like... then try...

The first question that I ask when people request a book suggestion is, "What have you read before that you really like?" One of my favorite online resources, Scholastic Book Wizard, does the same thing. Using the Book Alike feature, you can put in a book that you've enjoyed and it will suggest books that are similar, according to the tags. It will give you a picture of the covers, and a brief description of each suggestion. I LOVE this! On the side, you can narrow your search by interest level, reading level, topic, and genre.

On the same site, there is a List Exchange. You can create your own lists (once you've registered) and see what other people have created. This is a great way to get a list of books about a certain subject. My favorite part, though is the lists by Authors, Experts and Celebrities. There are lists by Rick Riordan (I'll definitely be steering my Percy Jackson fans that way), Karen Hesse, Rodman Philbrick, Nancy Keane (booktalk extraordinaire), and Sonja Cole (host of Bookwink).

Here are links to some of my favorites....

• Everyday Life -- (5th-12th grade) -- Great for realistic fiction!
  
• Great Middle School Novels -- Christopher Paul Curtis
• Fiction Based on Greek Mythology -- Great for Percy Jackson fans
• Rick Riordan's Suggestions
• Scary Stories
  
• Books that Make you Want to be a Writer
• My Favorite Books with Heart and Humor -- Cynthia Lord

Happy reading!