School breaks, whether during summer in the northern hemisphere or winter for those south of the equator, provide an opportunity for educators to recharge, relax (hopefully) — and read.

Your reading list might include books that inspire, books that help you succeed in the classroom and how-to books to help you implement new learning strategies. It should also include a book or two that’s just plain fun.

Here’s a reading list that hits all of these targets.  

Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform your Life as an Educator

Dave Burgess provides practical techniques on how to craft lessons that are irresistible to students. Learn how to develop engaging lessons, establish classroom camaraderie, make your classroom more student centered and increase your passion for teaching.

Let’s Get Social: The Educator’s Guide to Edmodo

This new ISTE book by Ginger Carlson and Raphael Raphael teaches educators how to integrate social learning at all grade levels using Edmodo, a popular educational social network. With valuable tips and resources for both new and experienced users, it provides immediately adaptable strategies for incorporating Edmodo’s suite of tools and apps in classrooms.

The Art of Being a Brilliant Teacher

Backed by research on positive psychology, this book by Gary Toward, Chris Henley and Andy Cope covers the techniques and skills that will help educators face a host of classroom situations. Plus, it’s funny. Learn how to recover from a doomed lesson plan, deal with students who are angels for your colleagues but devils in your presence, and deal with downer colleagues.  

Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the New Innovation Era

Tony Wagner, an Expert in Residence at the Harvard Innovation lab, and venture capitalist Ted Dintersmith identify why credentials like Ivy League degrees and 4.0 GPA’s do not translate into the competencies that matter most in the innovation era. They propose changing the education system to emphasize creativity and innovation, key skills for success in the workplace and life. They interviewed successful students, teachers, parents, and business leaders to come up with their guide to an education that prepares students for work, learning and citizenship.

How Children Fail

John Holt first published this book in 1964 and revised it in 1982, but it holds up well. Holt questions how we “do” school. From the perspective of an experienced classroom teacher, he shares research on why traditional schooling approaches often harm students’ desire to learn, rather than boosting their sense of critical thinking, discovery and understanding.

Problem-Based Learning: An Inquiry Approach

For educators seeking to implement problem-based learning but don’t know where to start, John Barell troubleshoots the process in his standards-based second edition. He includes examples of problem-based learning in action, guidelines for developing problems for students to solve, rubrics and assessment tips, and FAQs on standards-based implementation.

What Pet Should I Get?

This gem that is sure delight anyone who has ever read a Dr. Seuss book, which includes pretty much everyone. The drawings and text created by Theodore Geisel himself were discovered in a box by Geisel’s wife Audrey and an assistant in 2013. Geisel’s publisher Random House turned the 16 pages of black-and-white drawings and text into this fabulous story due to be released next week.