Battle of the Books, Book 5: Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer—book five in my Battle of the Books reading challenge—definitely delivered on the “sci-fi fairy tale with a twist” promise: Cinderella as a cyborg, living in a plague-ridden futuristic world with political intrigue and psychic moon people.

It’s clear from the start that Cinder is the opening move in a much bigger chess game. The characters are interesting (Cinder herself is smart, scrappy, and sarcastic in the best way), and the worldbuilding is rich and imaginative. That said, you can definitely tell it’s setting the stage for something larger. Some storylines felt like they were just getting warmed up when the book ended, and a few characters seemed to stroll onstage only to wave politely and disappear until, presumably, book two or three.

Which is fine—as long as you have the rest of the series handy.

Thankfully, I already had the rest of the series on order to go in my classroom library. However, I won't be digging into it until I finish the remaining 15 battle of the books titles.

So, if you're planning to read Cinder do yourself a favor and line up the next few books ahead of time. It’s the kind of story that hooks you early and then dares you to keep up. Just don’t expect all the threads to tie up neatly at the end of book one. That’s not the kind of fairy tale this is.

Battle of the Books, Book 4: A Wrinkle in Time

This was another nostalgic pick for me—A Wrinkle in Time was on my Battle of the Books list back when I was in middle school. I remembered loving the concept: strange cosmic beings, time travel, a tesseract (which still sounds cooler than most actual science words). But I didn't go into this reread expecting a warm reunion with an old favorite.

The concept? Still great. The themes? Still powerful. I love a good underdog-saves-the-universe story, especially when it features a brainy, caring girl like Meg. But the prose? That’s where I struggled. For whatever reason, the writing just didn’t pull me in—not now, and honestly, not back then either. It’s not that it’s bad, but something about the tone and pacing kept me at arm’s length. Like I wanted to love it, but it just wasn't happening.

That said, I can see why A Wrinkle in Time has earned its place as a classic. It’s imaginative, ambitious, and it gives middle school readers something big to chew on, and that’s no small thing.

So while this one doesn't quite hold the magic for me, I’m still glad I gave it another shot. Not every reread has to be a home run—but they all help me better understand the kinds of stories that do resonate with my students. And that’s kind of the point of this whole reading challenge anyway.

Battle of the Books, Book 3: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

 This one was a nostalgic reread for me. I first tackled The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy back in high school when I was competing in Battle of the Books. I remember liking it, but I also remember thinking, “Wait… what just happened,” a lot while reading it.

Fast forward a couple decades, and now it’s back on the 2025–2026 high school Battle list. Naturally, I was ready to give it another go. And wow—turns out understanding the jokes makes the book a lot funnier. Who knew?

This time around, I caught the layers. The dry British wit. The delightfully absurd tangents. The way Douglas Adams somehow turns space travel, philosophy, and bureaucracy into a chaotic masterpiece of satire. I mean, it’s still weird. That part hasn’t changed. But now the weird feels intentional—and kind of brilliant.

As someone who regularly reminds students to keep track of their folders and textbooks, I feel strangely seen by a galaxy where even the most advanced civilizations still can’t quite get their paperwork in order.

If you read Hitchhiker’s Guide in high school and felt confused or if you’ve never read it at all I highly recommend it.

Battle of the Books, Book 2: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation

Confession time: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation has been sitting on my classroom bookshelf since it was published in 2019. It’s even been recommended to me by students. Multiple times. And yet... I never picked it up. Not because I don’t love Stuart Gibbs (I do—big fan of the Moon Base Alpha and FunJungle series), but because something about this one felt like a harder sell. Maybe it was the title. Maybe it was the Einstein angle. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to commit to another series at the time.

But then it landed on the 2025–2026 Middle School Battle of the Books list, and I had no more excuses.

But Stuart Gibbs did not disappoint.

Charlie Thorne is kind of ridiculously brilliant—code-breaking, mountain-climbing, equation-solving levels of brilliant—but what I appreciated most was that Gibbs never let her feel like a superhero. She’s still a kid. A very skilled, very smart kid, sure—but her impulsiveness, her inexperience, and her emotions show through in ways that keep her real and relatable. She messes up. She learns. And you’re rooting for her the whole time.

Also, as a math teacher? The math component made me way happier than it probably should’ve. There’s something so satisfying about seeing actual mathematical ideas woven into a fast-paced adventure plot without it feeling forced or preachy. It’s clever, engaging, and honestly kind of inspiring.

So yeah—I finally read the book that’s been quietly judging me from my classroom shelf for the last five years. And it turns out, my students were right. It’s a great read.

Battle of the Books Challenge: Two Old Women

Since I'll be taking college classes to get my masters in teaching high school mathematics over the summer, I kicked off my 2025–2026 Battle of the Books reading challenge earlier than usual this year with a familiar favorite: Two Old Women by Velma Wallis. It’s been over two decades since I last read it, but diving back in felt like revisiting a well-worn trail—still sharp, still stunning, and still just as powerful as I remembered.

If you're not familiar, Two Old Women is an Alaska legend retold—It’s the kind of story that sticks with you—not because it’s flashy or dramatic, but because it quietly knocks the wind out of you. Two elderly women are left behind by their tribe during a brutal winter (which, let’s be honest, is a pretty solid reason to hold a grudge), and instead of giving up, they decide... nope, not today. They rely on what they remember, what they’ve learned, and a stubborn streak a mile wide to make it through. It hits that sweet spot of being both deeply Alaskan and universally resonant.

That said, I forgot just how quickly the story wraps up. I found myself wishing Wallis had lingered just a little longer—maybe given us a few more chapters about the women after their summer harvest. What did they do with their second chance? How did they shape the community that once left them behind? Honestly, I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

Still, that might be part of the book’s magic. It leaves you wanting more. It reminds us that strength doesn't always look the way we expect it to, and that quiet stories can carry loud truths.

Also — I read this one with a scoop of salted caramel gelato. Highly recommend.

Teacher Hack: How to Gamify almost any Activity

My 6th graders LOVE playing games as a class, especially board games. At first I begged off playing them in class because I struggled to find content specific games, but the unfair game showed me that almost any worksheet can be used as the basis for a game you just need to have a framework for gamifying it.

For the unfair game it was a chance spinner and a selection of prizes.

To create board games for my class all I needed was a game board and dice. I invested in a set of game board clip art to project, although I could also print them off for partner work, and some dice (my students like to use 12 sided dice and a game board with a lot of spaces). With these two items I’ve been able to turn almost any supplemental activity into a giant board game.

Sometimes I incorporate in games I already have like AdSumMuDi, but other times I use a straight forward math worksheet or generic reading comprehension questions. I’ve also used a deck of playing cards or even exercise cards.

Cooking in the Classroom

As a high schooler my mom cautioned me to never let anyone know I can cook, or I'd never stop cooking.
Well, she was right.

When I got my first (and only) teaching job I used my cooking skills to carve out a spot for myself in my school. I made whole wheat waffles for my students at the end of every month, and we made crockpot hot chocolate after every unit test. As a coworker, I was always the first one to volunteer to make staff birthday cakes.

    

When I moved to 6th grade from 2nd, I inherited the Family Thanksgiving Lunch, where each student picks a dish and we cooked lunch for the adults that love them. (Please note, I teach in a tiny town where all of the employers are aware of this tradition and give time off for adults to participate in this event as well as the lower elementary's father involvement breakfast.) Before we get off for winter break, we take over our school's home ec room and make cookies for an upper elementary cookie exchange.

This year, while attending a local cultural healing event I was handed a food ability survey, and two questions jumped out at me. One question I haven't had a chance to do something about, but the other question asked if I didn't purchase new foods at the store because I didn't know how to cook with them.

Personally, I love cooking with new foods, and will purchase things I'm unfamiliar with specifically so I can learn new recipes. However, it's a learned behavior. As a child growing up in small Alaskan village, lettuce, celery, carrots, frozen veggies, apples, and the occasional banana or kiwi was the extent of my exposure to fruits and veggies. I was a senior in high school before I had spinach, and I was a freshmen in college before I had an avocado.

Because of this I'm a firm believer in early exposure to a variety of foods, so I approached my principal about using part of our donation budget from our local AC store to purchase and have the kids cook with unfamiliar foods. He thought it was a great idea, and the managers of the store jumped in with both feet. Now we cook weekly in the classroom with a variety of fresh fruits and veggies.

Here are some simple classroom cooking recipes for anyone who'd like to try out cooking in their classroom. A crockpot is all most of these recipes need; although, a blender or a food processor is needed for a few.