FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY | How to Walk a Dog by Joanne Levy
What happens when a boy with ADHD decides to take on middle school bullying, period stigma, AND a friendship that's falling apart? Today's First Chapter Friday read aloud is How to Walk a Dog by Joanne Levy—a funny, heartfelt middle grade realistic fiction novel about ADHD, friendship, growing up, standing up for others, and finding the courage to be yourself.
If your students love relatable middle school stories, funny books with heart, neurodivergent characters, friendship drama, or books about kids making a difference, this one belongs on their TBR!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Meet Asher Abrams. He's creative. He's clever. He's loyal. And thanks to his ADHD, his brain sometimes moves faster than the rest of the world can keep up with! Asher has always been the kind of kid who asks a million questions, acts before he thinks, and stands up for the people he cares about.
Especially his best friend, Gillian.
Except...they aren't exactly best friends anymore. After a mysterious falling-out last summer, Asher and Gilly barely speak. But when Asher discovers that Gilly's family is struggling and witnesses her being bullied after unexpectedly getting her period at school, he decides it's time to DO SOMETHING.
His big idea? Make a movie that helps end the embarrassment and shame surrounding periods. With Gilly's help, Asher creates a funny public service announcement for a school project. But when their video goes viral, suddenly EVERYONE is paying attention. Can Asher handle the spotlight? And can his friendship with Gilly survive it?
🧠 ADHD REPRESENTATION: Told from Asher's perspective, How to Walk a Dog gives readers a window into the experiences of a middle schooler with ADHD. His creativity, impulsivity, humor, challenges, and strengths are woven throughout the story, along with doodles, sketches, and other visual elements that help bring his thoughts to life.
📚 MIDDLE SCHOOL ELA TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS: This engaging contemporary realistic fiction novel is packed with opportunities for classroom conversations about character development, first-person point of view, friendship, empathy, bullying, neurodiversity, identity, puberty, advocacy, and social-emotional learning (SEL).
It's also a great choice for exploring how authors use humor, illustrations, and unconventional text features to develop a character's voice and help readers understand different perspectives.
Because the story addresses menstruation and puberty, it can also support thoughtful, age-appropriate discussions about body changes, respect, and why nobody should be embarrassed about a normal biological process.
💛 WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS: At its heart, How to Walk a Dog reminds readers that being different isn't something to hide—and that sometimes the very things that make us stand out can help us make a difference.
Get your copy of How to Walk a Dog, here: https://amzn.to/4hWBo9K
Learn more about Joanne and her books here: https://www.joannelevy.com/
MORE FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY!
First Chapter Friday Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpVe6VlpCwJZCLWm7CR4yX93l3xN2conB
FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY CLASSROOM RESOURCES
FULL First Chapter Friday Worksheet Bundle:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Chapter-Friday-Read-Aloud-Videos-Engaging-Middle-School-Reading-Resource-8469855
Thanks to Union Square Kids for sponsoring this video!
Music Credit: Amanda Zieba and Suno Pro
⭐ Find even more middle school ELA resources, book recommendations, and student engagement ideas inside Word Nerd Collaborative: www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
#FirstChapterFriday #HowToWalkADog #JoanneLevy #MiddleGradeBooks #MiddleGradeRealisticFiction #ADHDRepresentation #NeurodiversityInBooks #MiddleSchoolELA #ClassroomReadAloud #SchoolLibrarians #BooksForMiddleSchoolers #SocialEmotionalLearning #BullyingPrevention #ReadingEngagement #BooksForReluctantReaders
What happens when a boy with ADHD decides to take on middle school bullying, period stigma, AND a friendship that's falling apart? Today's First Chapter Friday read aloud is How to Walk a Dog by Joanne Levy—a funny, heartfelt middle grade realistic fiction novel about ADHD, friendship, growing up, standing up for others, and finding the courage to be yourself.
If your students love relatable middle school stories, funny books with heart, neurodivergent characters, friendship drama, or books about kids making a difference, this one belongs on their TBR!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Meet Asher Abrams. He's creative. He's clever. He's loyal. And thanks to his ADHD, his brain sometimes moves faster than the rest of the world can keep up with! Asher has always been the kind of kid who asks a million questions, acts before he thinks, and stands up for the people he cares about.
Especially his best friend, Gillian.
Except...they aren't exactly best friends anymore. After a mysterious falling-out last summer, Asher and Gilly barely speak. But when Asher discovers that Gilly's family is struggling and witnesses her being bullied after unexpectedly getting her period at school, he decides it's time to DO SOMETHING.
His big idea? Make a movie that helps end the embarrassment and shame surrounding periods. With Gilly's help, Asher creates a funny public service announcement for a school project. But when their video goes viral, suddenly EVERYONE is paying attention. Can Asher handle the spotlight? And can his friendship with Gilly survive it?
🧠 ADHD REPRESENTATION: Told from Asher's perspective, How to Walk a Dog gives readers a window into the experiences of a middle schooler with ADHD. His creativity, impulsivity, humor, challenges, and strengths are woven throughout the story, along with doodles, sketches, and other visual elements that help bring his thoughts to life.
📚 MIDDLE SCHOOL ELA TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS: This engaging contemporary realistic fiction novel is packed with opportunities for classroom conversations about character development, first-person point of view, friendship, empathy, bullying, neurodiversity, identity, puberty, advocacy, and social-emotional learning (SEL).
It's also a great choice for exploring how authors use humor, illustrations, and unconventional text features to develop a character's voice and help readers understand different perspectives.
Because the story addresses menstruation and puberty, it can also support thoughtful, age-appropriate discussions about body changes, respect, and why nobody should be embarrassed about a normal biological process.
💛 WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS: At its heart, How to Walk a Dog reminds readers that being different isn't something to hide—and that sometimes the very things that make us stand out can help us make a difference.
Get your copy of How to Walk a Dog, here: https://amzn.to/4hWBo9K
Learn more about Joanne and her books here: https://www.joannelevy.com/
MORE FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY!
First Chapter Friday Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpVe6VlpCwJZCLWm7CR4yX93l3xN2conB
FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY CLASSROOM RESOURCES
FULL First Chapter Friday Worksheet Bundle:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Chapter-Friday-Read-Aloud-Videos-Engaging-Middle-School-Reading-Resource-8469855
Thanks to Union Square Kids for sponsoring this video!
Music Credit: Amanda Zieba and Suno Pro
⭐ Find even more middle school ELA resources, book recommendations, and student engagement ideas inside Word Nerd Collaborative: www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
#FirstChapterFriday #HowToWalkADog #JoanneLevy #MiddleGradeBooks #MiddleGradeRealisticFiction #ADHDRepresentation #NeurodiversityInBooks #MiddleSchoolELA #ClassroomReadAloud #SchoolLibrarians #BooksForMiddleSchoolers #SocialEmotionalLearning #BullyingPrevention #ReadingEngagement #BooksForReluctantReaders