Welcome back to First Chapter Friday! Today’s read-aloud is Moonleapers by bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix—a time-twisting, moon-leaping, secret-society kind of story perfect for middle grade readers who love mystery, science fiction, and strong female leads. PLUS! In this special edition, I’m joined by the author herself for a bonus interview full of fun facts, writing wisdom, and behind-the-scenes insights into the story.
🧠 This read-aloud and author interview combo is a perfect fit for middle school ELA teachers looking to:
* Hook students into reading with a fast-paced and twisty new title
* Add a current middle grade novel to your First Chapter Friday lineup
* Spark discussion around identity, belonging, and brave choices
* Build classroom connections to themes of time travel and teamwork
📖 About the Book: When Maisie’s mom gives her an old phone, Maisie can’t believe her luck—finally, she can keep up with everyone at school! Unfortunately, her mom also tells her that the whole family will be moving to spend the summer taking care of Maisie’s great-aunt Hazel. Maisie’s only getting a phone because she’ll be responsible for her younger siblings during the entire trip. With that, Maisie is ready to give the phone back. Then the first puzzling text comes in. Between the mystery texts and a not-completely-blank book from Great-Aunt Hazel, Maisie finds herself thrown into the world of moonleapers. Will she be able to learn more about the secretive group, and—gulp—help them accomplish their crucial mission in time?
✨ First Chapter Friday videos are made to help students discover books they actually want to read! Whether you use this video as a book talk, a read-aloud, or a reading hook, it's here to help you inspire and engage your readers.
📝 Interactive First Chapter Friday Worksheets for students (and a whole lot more!) are available in the Word Nerd Collaborative Membership: www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
🛒 Grab your copy of Moonleapers here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4oHQmSr
Thank you to the author, Margaret, for sending me a copy of this book!
📌 Subscribe for more free teaching content, book recommendations, and classroom joy! Weekly read-alouds, author interviews, creative lesson ideas & more! Grab your very own FREE First Chapter Friday start up kit here: www.amandazieba.com/teachersignup
☕ Love this video? Fuel more FREE teacher resources by buying me a virtual coffee: https://ko-fi.com/amandazieba_thewordnerd
** The videos in this First Chapter Friday Playlist were created in the spirit of: helping teachers and students find high quality and engaging books to read, promoting amazing authors and great books, and celebrating stories
Each video in this playlist features a book chosen by Amanda Zieba based on its literary merit, thematic/curriculum connection, or simply because she loves it and thinks you will too. All commentary and facts shared about the book and author were also researched/gathered by Amanda. Books were purchased by Amanda from Birdy’s Bookstore, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon, unless otherwise stated. These videos are recorded and edited from Amanda’s home office in Wisconsin, USA. **
#FirstChapterFriday #Moonleapers #MargaretPetersonHaddix #MiddleGradeBooks #ReadAloud #BooksForKids #MiddleSchoolELA #TeacherTube #BookTalk #ReadingHook #EngageReaders #LiteratureInTheClassroom #TimeTravelBooks #GirlsWhoRead #ClassroomReadAlouds
🧠 This read-aloud and author interview combo is a perfect fit for middle school ELA teachers looking to:
* Hook students into reading with a fast-paced and twisty new title
* Add a current middle grade novel to your First Chapter Friday lineup
* Spark discussion around identity, belonging, and brave choices
* Build classroom connections to themes of time travel and teamwork
📖 About the Book: When Maisie’s mom gives her an old phone, Maisie can’t believe her luck—finally, she can keep up with everyone at school! Unfortunately, her mom also tells her that the whole family will be moving to spend the summer taking care of Maisie’s great-aunt Hazel. Maisie’s only getting a phone because she’ll be responsible for her younger siblings during the entire trip. With that, Maisie is ready to give the phone back. Then the first puzzling text comes in. Between the mystery texts and a not-completely-blank book from Great-Aunt Hazel, Maisie finds herself thrown into the world of moonleapers. Will she be able to learn more about the secretive group, and—gulp—help them accomplish their crucial mission in time?
✨ First Chapter Friday videos are made to help students discover books they actually want to read! Whether you use this video as a book talk, a read-aloud, or a reading hook, it's here to help you inspire and engage your readers.
📝 Interactive First Chapter Friday Worksheets for students (and a whole lot more!) are available in the Word Nerd Collaborative Membership: www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
🛒 Grab your copy of Moonleapers here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4oHQmSr
Thank you to the author, Margaret, for sending me a copy of this book!
📌 Subscribe for more free teaching content, book recommendations, and classroom joy! Weekly read-alouds, author interviews, creative lesson ideas & more! Grab your very own FREE First Chapter Friday start up kit here: www.amandazieba.com/teachersignup
☕ Love this video? Fuel more FREE teacher resources by buying me a virtual coffee: https://ko-fi.com/amandazieba_thewordnerd
** The videos in this First Chapter Friday Playlist were created in the spirit of: helping teachers and students find high quality and engaging books to read, promoting amazing authors and great books, and celebrating stories
Each video in this playlist features a book chosen by Amanda Zieba based on its literary merit, thematic/curriculum connection, or simply because she loves it and thinks you will too. All commentary and facts shared about the book and author were also researched/gathered by Amanda. Books were purchased by Amanda from Birdy’s Bookstore, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon, unless otherwise stated. These videos are recorded and edited from Amanda’s home office in Wisconsin, USA. **
#FirstChapterFriday #Moonleapers #MargaretPetersonHaddix #MiddleGradeBooks #ReadAloud #BooksForKids #MiddleSchoolELA #TeacherTube #BookTalk #ReadingHook #EngageReaders #LiteratureInTheClassroom #TimeTravelBooks #GirlsWhoRead #ClassroomReadAlouds