Junior Great Books® programs bring inquiry-centered exploration of high-quality fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama to your classroom. Top-notch professional learning, teaching tips, support for differentiating instruction, and tools for building language arts skills make Junior Great Books readings and discussions as engaging and rewarding for teachers as they are for students.
Discover the rich, engaging readings we have curated for you for grades:
- K–1
- 2–5
- 6–8
And discover the scaffolded progression of activities we have created for each text. Our Teacher’s Editions make it easy for you to help students unlock deeper meanings and enjoy collaborating with classmates. Download the free sample lesson plans on this page to learn more about each series!
New! Junior Great Books Inspire for Grades 2–5
Our brand-new program has taken the best of all the Junior Great Books programs that have come before and created a fresh, invigorating series with:
- Streamlined Teacher’s Editions that make implementing JGB easier than ever
- Student Editions with 14 selections across multiple genres
- Reader’s Journals that tie in with the Teacher’s Editions to make instruction easier and give students a written record of all the great work they do
- Online resources, including audio recordings of every selection read by professional voice actors
Each student anthology has 14 high-interest selections across genres students will love:
- Series 2: nine fiction selections, three narrative nonfiction texts, and two poems
- Series 3–5: eight fiction selections, three narrative nonfiction texts, two poems, and one drama
Download free sample lesson plans with two engaging texts and complete activities:
- “How to Paint a Donkey” by Naomi Shihab Nye
- “The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art” by Barb Rosenstock
Junior Great Books for Grades K & 1
Junior Great Books Series K and 1 are interactive read-aloud programs focused on helping young learners develop three key Shared Inquiry™ skills—listening, wondering, and sharing. These flexible programs provide the literature, challenge, and critical thinking elements essential for “best practice” early literacy instruction.
Download sample lesson plans to investigate:
- The features and benefits of Junior Great Books Series K and 1 programs
- A unit overview and interpretive activities for two full selections:
- “Those Shoes,” a short story by Maribeth Boelts
- “The Land of Nod,” a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
Junior Great Books for Grades 6–8
This exciting series includes a wide variety of text types, meets state and national standards in English language arts, and focuses strongly on close reading, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Each grade level includes 20 high quality selections, with ten short stories, eight nonfiction texts, and two poems.
Download sample lesson plans to see two complete reading selections:
- “Friends of the Hide,” a nonfiction text by Timothy Egan
- “At work with my father,” a poem by Eve L. Ewing
You will also get an inside look at:
- In-depth reading, critical thinking, and writing activities
- Note-taking options focused on author’s craft
- Differentiated instruction for every core activity
- Formal and informal assessment options
- Teacher support and online resources
Learn More Today
Would you like to implement Junior Great Books in your classroom? Contact your K–12 partnership manager to plan Shared Inquiry training and discuss the right classroom materials for your setting!