A military hero. A grieving family. And one incredible dog who might be the key to uncovering the truth.
Today's First Chapter Friday read aloud is Max by Jennifer Li Shotz, an emotional, action-packed middle grade story about a highly trained military working dog who loses his handler and must learn how to trust again.
If your students love dog books, military stories, mysteries, action and adventure, or books that have been made into movies, Max is a great one to add to their TBR!
ABOUT THE BOOK: Max isn't an ordinary dog. He's a trained military canine who served alongside Kyle Wincott in Afghanistan. When Kyle is killed, Max loses not only his handler but also his best friend. Traumatized and unable to continue his military service, Max is sent home, where something surprising happens: the one person he connects with is Kyle's younger brother, Justin.
There's just one problem. Justin doesn't want him. As Justin and Max slowly learn to trust each other, they begin uncovering clues about what really happened to Kyle. Soon this story of grief and friendship turns into a **dangerous mystery and adventure**—and Max may need to become a hero all over again.
BOOK vs. MOVIE
Max is also a movie, which gives us the perfect opportunity to talk about comparing books and their movie adaptations! In this video, I share ideas for thinking about what changes when a story moves from the page to the screen—and whether the book or movie tells the story more effectively.
TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS: Max is an engaging choice for middle school readers who enjoy **realistic fiction, animal stories, action books, mysteries, and high-interest books for reluctant readers. It's also a natural fit for lessons about character development, grief and resilience, trust, theme, point of view, and comparing a written story with its film adaptation.
Books Turned into Movies Video: https://youtu.be/qBgaL7gOf94
Books Turned into Movies Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpVe6VlpCwJbgz_BaOpw4wSvijeGJTT1h
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
⭐ Find even more middle school ELA resources, book recommendations, and student engagement ideas inside Word Nerd Collaborative: http://www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
Get your copy of Max by Jennifer Li Shotz here:
Watch the movie version here:
Music Credit: Suno Pro and Amanda Zieba (2026)
#FirstChapterFriday #MaxBook #JenniferLiShotz #MaxMovie #BookVsMovie #MilitaryDog #DogBooksForKids #MiddleGradeBooks #BooksForMiddleSchoolers #MiddleSchoolELA #ClassroomReadAloud #BookTalk #ReadingEngagement #SchoolLibrarians #BooksForReluctantReaders
Today's First Chapter Friday read aloud is Max by Jennifer Li Shotz, an emotional, action-packed middle grade story about a highly trained military working dog who loses his handler and must learn how to trust again.
If your students love dog books, military stories, mysteries, action and adventure, or books that have been made into movies, Max is a great one to add to their TBR!
ABOUT THE BOOK: Max isn't an ordinary dog. He's a trained military canine who served alongside Kyle Wincott in Afghanistan. When Kyle is killed, Max loses not only his handler but also his best friend. Traumatized and unable to continue his military service, Max is sent home, where something surprising happens: the one person he connects with is Kyle's younger brother, Justin.
There's just one problem. Justin doesn't want him. As Justin and Max slowly learn to trust each other, they begin uncovering clues about what really happened to Kyle. Soon this story of grief and friendship turns into a **dangerous mystery and adventure**—and Max may need to become a hero all over again.
BOOK vs. MOVIE
Max is also a movie, which gives us the perfect opportunity to talk about comparing books and their movie adaptations! In this video, I share ideas for thinking about what changes when a story moves from the page to the screen—and whether the book or movie tells the story more effectively.
TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS: Max is an engaging choice for middle school readers who enjoy **realistic fiction, animal stories, action books, mysteries, and high-interest books for reluctant readers. It's also a natural fit for lessons about character development, grief and resilience, trust, theme, point of view, and comparing a written story with its film adaptation.
Books Turned into Movies Video: https://youtu.be/qBgaL7gOf94
Books Turned into Movies Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpVe6VlpCwJbgz_BaOpw4wSvijeGJTT1h
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
⭐ Find even more middle school ELA resources, book recommendations, and student engagement ideas inside Word Nerd Collaborative: http://www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
Get your copy of Max by Jennifer Li Shotz here:
Watch the movie version here:
Music Credit: Suno Pro and Amanda Zieba (2026)
#FirstChapterFriday #MaxBook #JenniferLiShotz #MaxMovie #BookVsMovie #MilitaryDog #DogBooksForKids #MiddleGradeBooks #BooksForMiddleSchoolers #MiddleSchoolELA #ClassroomReadAloud #BookTalk #ReadingEngagement #SchoolLibrarians #BooksForReluctantReaders