Jerry Spinelli, The Library Card

Jerry Spinelli, The Library Card The Library Card by critically acclaimed children's author, Jerry Spinelli, is a book consisting of four different short stories with various characters. The main connection between all of the stories is the apperance of a "magical" blue library card. Each main character in the stories finds the card and discovers its power to give them access to the wonderful world of the library. Some of the characters must deal with growing a part from friends and other relavent adolecent issues while they explore the world of books and self-education. One of the main themes within the story is the thrill of learning new things outside of a traditional school setting. Spinelli explores the idea of children wanting to learn for learning sake and not for a reward or the avoidance of punishment. All of the characters are around twelve or thirteen years old and are amazed at some of the things that they can learn about within the shelves of the library. They begin the story with never having experienced what a library has to offer and once they find the mysterious card, they learn all that they have to offer. This book is very teachable and has a great message. I learned about the book as part of the "One Book, One School" program at a middle school that I was observing. A majority of the students, boys and girls loved the book and read through it quickly. The only issue that I have for a middle school curriculum is the fact that it is a pretty low reading level(4th grade). It is a great book to get kids excited about reading but probably will not produce very much growth in reading skills for most students above grade six.

Maus I

Written by Art Spiegleman. Published by Pantheon Books in 1991.

This graphic novel is a story within a story: the plot revolves around a writer and cartoonist (Spiegleman himself in his younger years) questioning his father about his experiences as a Jew during Jewish persecution both before and during World War II (the next Maus novel  picks up while he is at Auschwitz). The lion's share of the book revolves around Art's father Vladek, and the ingenious ways in which he evaded the Nazis while in Poland. There is an abundance of close calls, great action sequences, and sincerity in Spiegleman's writing. It makes the horrors of the Holocaust seem more real than any ordinary textbook could, and does so in a much more engaging way.


Maus is not only fantastic for English teachers, but also for social studies teachers who are interested in teaching students about the Holocaust in a creative way. There is not a lot of required background knowledge, so students can easily pick it up and go. It is riveting all throughout; I had trouble putting it down. I can't wait for the summer so I can read the rest of them. Good for 8th graders and throughout high school

The Realm of Possibility

The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan, published by Borzoi / Alfred A. Knopf; 1st edition (August 10, 2004)


Plot: The Realm of Possbility does not a have a continuous plot; rather, it is a collection of prose-poetry (in free verse) that jumps from character to character who are all experiencing the same sort of emotions within the same high school. They're isolated, confused teens without a good sense of who they are or where they're going, which provides a great sense of relatability (I would think) for the teens of today. Each story involves different circumstances and perspective, but the interrelatedness of the stories becomes quickly apparent.


Analysis: This story excels at something that most teens are lacking--the ability to jump from one's initial perspective to that of another's. By dramatically bringing together these seemingly different characters into a fold, Levithan accomplishes what high school fails to do: deliver a sense of universality that human beings inherently possess. Two of the stories are centered around homosexual characters and treats them as normal human beings, which I greatly appreciated considering that our culture has historically treated it as anything but.


Teachability: I think that this story was extremely teachable. I found it engaging, a fast read, emotionally truthful, and presenting important themes surrounding identity and identity development. We live in an exceedingly compartmentalized world, and this book helps break those barriers down by exploring what brings us together rather than pull us apart.

Monster: Walter Dean Myers

                Monster is a really creatively written and engaging novel about a boy on trial for a murder.  What is so unique about the novel is that it is written from the perspective of the boy, writing a movie script about what is happening in his life (because, as he claims, his life many times in this experience feels more like a movie than real life).   He also interjects the book with small journal entries, candidly talking about his emotions during the trial. It’s a wonderful novel to help introduce movie-script writing and elements of writing about the process of writing or thinking.  It has very easy to understand language, and could be definitely be taught in middle school, or lower level high schoolers.  The content is exciting and mature as well, as the narrator takes you through not just serious court proceedings, but issues of racism, poverty, and redemption.

I really liked Monster because of how engaging and easy to read it was talking about critical issues, but also because the style in which it is written opens up a lot of opportunities for hands-on activities within the classroom: mock trials, dramatization, discussions about film scripts, performance literature, discussions about choice of genre—I could go on and on.  Clearly, I would most definitely recommend this book to future classrooms, either sitting on the shelf or teaching it to the class!

The Breadwinner

The Breadwinner is a novel by Deborah Ellis, a Canadian author, which tells the story of an 11-year-old girl, Parvana, from Afghanistan.  Although not Afghani herself, Deborah Ellis is an anti-war activist who has traveled extensively through Afghanistan.  In her travels she conducted research and interviews which provided the foundation for this novel.  Ellis tells the story of the poverty, heartache and physical pain faced by Afghans as a result of war and internal conflicts.  After being injured in explosions, Parvana’s brother and father struggle to provide for her and her siblings.  One day, her father is taken away and, because women are not allowed to work, Parvana must take on the persona of a boy in order to support her family.  Eventually, Parvana’s sister decides to leave to be married and escape the war.  The family goes along leaving Parvana who soon learns that the Taliban is working in the area to which her family is headed. With the return of her father from prison, the pair leave their home to find their family.
   
This novel is not written by a middle-eastern author, however her depiction of Afghani culture seems to be legitimate and is backed-up by firsthand experiences and interactions with the native people.  This is definitely a great read for a middle school class especially considering current events.  The novel offers a way to teach students about a war that is complex and difficult to understand through a relatable protagonist.  Parvana’s struggles most likely seem distant to adolescents but her characterization helps the reader to relate to the experiences despite their intensity.  Additionally, the novel is a great teaching tool because it is relatable for both boys and girls.  The language is also very appropriate for a middle school class.  Ellis offers a great way to teach about war and current events in a way that respects and acknowledges Afghani culture. 

The Outsiders

S. E. Hinton’s novel, The Outsiders, is a perfect novel for an 8^th Grade classroom. It tells the story of two opposing gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, and the escalation of violence between them after one teenager is accidentally killed. Ponyboy, our protagonist, endures one unbelievable hardship after another as he loses his best friends. In a “classic” tale, the accidental murderer is named a hero after rescuing a group of children and is rewarded with a broken back and a newly enlightened mind. He helps a guilt-laden Ponyboy get his life back on track with his deathbed advice and serves as the voice of light in the novel.

Though the book may sound melancholic, it has amazingly deep and relevant themes for a multicultural classroom. Activities may be focused around topics such a gang violence, family relationships (Ponyboy and his older brothers have a dysfunctional connection), and suicide. The book is definitely teachable for girls and boys, especially in an inner-city or low-income setting. There are many opportunities for succulent vocabulary words and other teaching moments. The book even brings in Robert Frost and Gone With the Wind! Students will be able to make so many connections with this book and it would be ideal for prediction activities. Students will be amazed that the author was only 18 when Outsiders was published!

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. Viking Press, Dell Publishing, 1967. 

Maus I by Art Spiegelman

The graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman is a story told of Spiegelman's interview of his father as he recalls his experience prior to the Holocaust as well as during the ordeal. The story follows Vladek, Spiegelman's father, as he lives through the experience of being a Jewish person in 1930s and 1940s Poland. Though Vladek and his wife emigrate to Holland for fear of German persecution in Poland, the reach of Nazi power extends to that part of Europe as well. In addition to the central story which takes up most of the text, there is also the story of the interview process itself as Art Spiegelman struggles with his relationship with his father while he is trying to gain a stronger understanding of what it was like to be a Jew during that time period. From an artistic standpoint, the most interesting part of this story is the fact that all of the Jewish characters are portrayed as mice, Nazis as cats and Polish non-Jews as pigs. Though they act as normal humans, it highlights the relationship and power dynamic between the Jews and the Nazis This story is extremely teachable for young readers. It is a captivating story of survival as well as providing a clear view of the stress that such struggle puts on all relationships. The artwork is unique and provides another layer to the story that a normal Holocaust story would not be able to do. I am a big fan of teaching graphic novels in school especially for students that struggle with reading because of the multi-modal function of the story. The story also brings the social and political history of the time to the forefront while showing its impact on the characters.

Millicent Min, Girl Genius By Lisa Yee

Reference: Yee, Lisa.  Millicent Min, Girl Genius.  New York: Scholastic Press, 2003.

                Lisa Yee’s novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, is an amusing and slightly sad story about an eleven year old girl genius’s summer before her senior year of high school.  Millicent is a deliciously awkward character that prides herself on her academic achievement, going as far as asking her teachers and professors for extra work.  However, her intelligence does cover all aspects of her life, which can be seen by the lack of friendship and fun in her life.  Millicent’s summer of “fun”, taking a college poetry class, is challenged when her mother signs her up for volleyball camp and forces her to tutor her arch nemesis Stanford Wong.   The novel describes Millicent’s attempts to appear normal to her new friend, Emily, and learn how to become a normal kid. 

                I thought this novel was an amazingly fun read, while still touching on some issues with the development of adolescent identity.  I am not going to lie, at some points of the novel I was very sad to see how Millicent was taken advantage of and ostracized by her peers.  I felt that this novel would be a good novel to talk to students about bullying.  This was not a difficult read, but it did have some amazing vocabulary words for students.  I would recommend this book as an individual silent reading, because I feel that some students would have trouble connecting with the story.  Overall this novel was a fun read but I would not recommend this novel as a unit novel.  

The Little Prince

The Little Prince is story about a pilot who has to make an emergency landing in the Sahara Desert and encounters a boy, the prince, who asks the pilot to draw a sheep. As the story progresses, the pilot learns more about where the prince comes from and how he arrived on earth. Although this book is only 80 pages with pictures, the themes are very applicable. There is a focus on friendship, imagination, and how “strange” grown-ups are. 

I think this book is very teachable. Because it is short, it wouldn’t take a lot of time to read in class, but it can easily translate to writing and drawing activities. I also think this book could appeal to a variety of students because the plot is so creative. Although this book is not blatantly multicultural, the author is French and because the prince is from a different planet, there is room for many interpretations of earth and the objects we encounter everyday, but so often just pass by. 

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de. Reynal & Hitchcock. 1943

If I Could Fly

Cofer, Judith Ortiz. If I Could Fly. Virginia: RR Donnelley & Sons Company, 2011. 


This novel follows Doris, a 15 year old girl growing up in the barrio dealing with her mother's abandonment of her and her father. Her parents are salsa performers who often leave Doris on her own while they perform, but Doris finds herself feeling even more alone when her mother gets sick and leaves their family with her father's coworker. Doris' father gets a girlfriend and Doris feels even more alone then she did before. She spends time taking care of the pigeons that live on the roof with an old neighbor and turns to her friends Arturo and Yolanda for support, but finds that both of them have serious problems of their own to deal with. After becoming a possible suspect in a shooting, Doris visits her mother and discovers new meanings of the word "family."
I think this book is teachable, but would be better as an independent reading book. The main character is female and the story would definitely appeal to girls more than boys- boys would probably not be interested in it at all. There are some sexual and violent themes, but eight graders and may seventh would be able to handle it. Also, Doris' friend Arturo is a character in An Island Like You, a different novel by Cofer so it might be interesting to incorporate both books in class

Annie on my Mind

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden is a book about self discovery. In this book a girl named Annie and a girl named Liza meet at a museum and become fast, close friends. They eventually discover their love for one another but are found out by the headmaster of their school.The two decide to house sit for two teachers who also turn out to be lesbian. The two girls get in trouble for how they feel about each other, the teachers also get discovered but are very supportive of Liza and Annie. Later at college reunite and realize that how they felt was real I would teach this book as part of a literature circle unit, but not as a single class novel. It would be an asset to any class library, but I wouldn’t make it the focus of any unit. I’d like to center a unit on a book that starts off with more of a bang…this book starts off slowly. It’s a boring read and because the book is set in 1982, some of the language is outdated or unnatural. I do think many students would enjoy it, but considering the point of view, I’m not sure they would necessarily relate. I guess you can enjoy a book without perfectly relating to the main character, though, and it might give them a new or fresh (even 80s) perspective. In the end, Annie on My Mind is a good choice if you’re looking for a book you don’t want to spend a lot of time on. It would be good for literature circles because students could read it without a lot of guidance, and it would be good for a class library for the same reason.

The Rainbow People

Yep, Laurence. The Rainbow People. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1989. Print.

The Rainbow People by Laurence Yep is a collection of Chinese fables. In the introduction, Yep writes, "what Kenneth Burke said of proverbs is equally true of folktales: They are strategies for living. At the very least, the stories offered consolation and more often hope [ to Chinese immigrants]. But beyond that, the stories also expressed the loneliness, anger, fear, and love that were part of the Chinese-American experience" (x). Thus, to modern readers the stories are engaging and diverse, and they provide the reader with moral and philosophical insights as well as historical knowledge. The collection is divided into five sections: Tricksters, Fools, Virtues and Vices, In Chinese America, and Love. The explanation before each section illuminates unique and important facets of multiculturalism, society, and history within the folktales.

Although folktales may seem too simple or easy for middle school students to read, the book is full of advanced vocabulary (poignancy, implicit/explicit, allegory, stratagem) and the themes are complex. The students can analyze the imagery and symbolism behind the stories, and practice summarizing its major themes. It could be tied into a research project, with some students researching Buddhist beliefs in relation to kindness to animals (a theme in some stories) and others researching other connections; the creativity that could be invoked with a unit around this book is a definite plus. Furthermore, the book would not only be a good way for an English teacher to tie history into their own teaching, but a good way for a History teacher to tie reading and literature into their curriculum because the stories are generally pretty short. Studying The Rainbow People could be a great way for 6th graders to bridge the gap between 5th grade into middle school, but it would also be appropriate for 7th or 8th grade.

The Dreamer

Ryan, Pam Munoz and Sis, Peter. The Dreamer. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.

The Dreamer is a fictionalized account of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's childhood, written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Peter Sis. It is an ALA Notable Children's Book for Older Readers. When Neruda was a child, he was known as Neftalí Reyes. He began to use Neruda as his pen name, taken from his favorite poet, and later legally changed his name to reflect this.

In the book, Neftalí is a daydreamer who finds beauty in many things. Rather than do his schoolwork, he imagines numbers on his page lazily floating around as he listens to raindrops. Neftalí's father is not supportive of his creativity and wants his son to have a "real job" in the future. Neftalí's father is a source of anguish and intimidation. Eventually, Neftalí gets a job at a newspaper with his uncle and publishes a political article that upsets his father. Neftalí's father ransacks his bedroom and burns all of his writing notebooks. Neftalí worries because he is set to publish a poem in local and university newspaper later that week. He decides to use the pen name Pablo Neruda. Neftalí says "he would use this name to save Father the humiliation of having a son who was a poet. Maybe he would use the name only until he became lost enough to find himself. Maybe he would even keep the name. It might take him places. After all, it had a rhythm like a locomotive chugging uphill."

It's hard to classify the genre of this book - it combines fiction, biography, poetry, and illustration into one sensory journey. I felt that the book was a bit difficult to follow at times, as the storylines jump around and are interrupted by poems and drawings, but these are also great interruptions that might prompt moments of introspection and analysis from readers. This book would work well at the middle school level, and would be great for students who are drawn to the arts. The end of the book also contains selected poems by Pablo Neruda. This book, then, would work well to tie together an author study unit about Neruda - students would read poetry, fiction, and could supplant with some biography.

Bloor, Edward.  Tangerine.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (September 1, 2006), 323 pages. 

Tangerine is a great book that deals with confidence in oneself and a struggle to remain logical and sane when surrounded by people who do things that one does not like.  Paul, the main character of the book, is a boy who has extreme vision problems and cannot see very well.  His, brother, Erik, is a football player, whom the family praises at Paul’s expense.  Even more, Paul is crazy!  He engages in extremely unacceptable behavior and yet, his parents turn a blind eye.  As a result, all of Paul’s accomplishments and feelings tend to go unnoticed.  While Erik receives so much attention and support, Paul plays soccer for his own enjoyment.  In fact, despite his vision impairment, he is one of the best goalies around!  His family is not the only issue that Paul encounters.  While at school, Paul faces many of the issues that adolescents face including bullying and identity trouble.  However, Paul does a great job and persisting to be himself.

This is a great novel that does a great job of portraying the issues that can be faced both within a family and in the school setting, especially when one has individual obstacles to overcome.  I would recommend this book for 7^th or 8^th grade and it is a pretty fast paced read that keeps you involved the entire time.  There is plenty to discuss in each chapter and students should have a good time relating to the themes of the book.

Chinese Cinderella and The Secret Dragon Society

Chinese Cinderella and The Secret Dragon Society by Adeline Yen Mah, tells the story of Ye Xian, a young girl growing up in China in the 1940s. As the title suggests, her life slightly resembles Cinderella's, and is even given the nickname CC (Chinese Cinderella). After her father and "evil stepmother"kick her out of the house, she finds a home with the kung fu students of Grandma Wu and becomes a member of the Secret Dragon Society. What begins as a journey to learn martial arts, ends with CC fighting for something much more: her country and her freedom.

This novel is very well-written and could easily be used in a middle school classroom. I would probably use it for a 6th and 7th grade level though, simply because it is an easier read. There are lots of activities that could be done in conjunction with the novel, including researching China during the 1940s and learning about Cinderella stories from different cultures. Even though the novel has a female protagonist, I think it appeals to a diverse audience. Overall, I think this is a great multi-cultural novel to teach to the young middle school age.

Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac

I read Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac because of another class I'm taking, but it works out because this novel is suited for ages 12 & up--barely making the cut for middle school students.

The novel is about Lucas King of the Abenaki Indians and since his parents are involved in covert spy operations, he is well-trained in different languages and combat training. Definitely, not your average high schooler. The book crosses into the paranormal/science fiction genre as Lucas can morph into his "second skin," taking on the form of a wolf. This is helpful as the bulk of the book deals with how Lucas is going to rescue his father from armed kidnappers, while uncovering a conspiracy in his local town.

The book is appropriate for middle school students because of its inclusion of diverse cultural backgrounds and fusion of the paranormal. But personally, I would consider choosing a book that does so while also having more literary content. The book is simply plot-driven and so it would be difficult to teach in a classroom. Thematically, the book is a bit lacking. And in general, just isn't that fun to read--oftentimes being very wordy and even "corny".

The Long Season of Rain

The Long Season of Rain by Helen Kim takes place in 1969 in Seoul, Korea. The main character, Junehee Lee, an eleven-year-old girl, tells a first person narrative about her childhood during the one changma, or the season of heavy rain in Korea.  After a landslide that wipes out an entire village, the only remaining survivor, Pyungsoo, an eleven-year-old boy, comes to live with Junehee, her three sisters, her mother, and grandmother. Her mother instantly becomes attached to the boy, because he fulfills her secret longing for a son. However, Junehee’s grandmother does everything possible to get Pyungsoo out of the house, because he is poor and disrupts the peace in the house. When Junehee’s father comes back from the army, he puts further stress on the family, telling Keehee she is too fat at the age of six, yelling at and disrespecting his own mother, and blatantly ignoring his wife. Junehee’s mother often cries and speaks to Junehee about how she is underappreciated and treated as if an object. Junehee quickly realizes that she will someday be taken away from her home, married off, and sent to live with her husband’s family. After the grandmother secretly gives away Pyungsoo, her mother runs away, leaving them all notes to be strong and good girls.  Junehee goes to find her mother and asks her to come home with no success. Eventually, her father and the rest of the family go and find her mother too. He seems to appreciate her more and she comes back to live with the family.

This book was a really easy and interesting read. It was well written and had a good balance of dialogue and description. I didn’t know much about Korean culture before reading this book, but it explained the traditions and culture in a simple way. I think it would be really great to study the culture of Korea in a History class as the students are reading the book in their English class. I would recommend The Long Season of Rain for early middle school. My one criticism is that it mainly surrounds issues concerning girls, motherhood, and marriage, which may not appeal to boys in the class. It also sometimes depicts males in a poor light. I think this would be an ideal book for independent reading or small group reading!

Kim, Helen. The Long Season of Rain. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996. Print.

The Collector by John Fowles

The Collector

Summary:           This book is about a very horrid man, Frederick Clegg, who works as a clerk and collects butterflies in his spare time.  He becomes obsessed with a university student at the local fine arts school named Miranda Grey. The first part of the novel is told in his perspective, and he tries to justify his stalker actions. He lacks in social skills so he only watches her from afar, which gives the novel a very eerie feeling to it. He is a lonely man who wants to add something to his new “collection”. He kidnaps Miranda by drugging her with chloroform and locks her in the cellar of his own home.  He promises to let her go after a month, because when she wakes up she says she will not fall in love with him. However, he does keep her locked up in his basement. He truly believes what he is doing is fine, and he tries to appear normal to the reader as much as possible.

                The second part of the novel is told by Miranda in diary form. A lot of her diary was addressed to G.P. , whom she seemed to have some sort of love interest, and her sister. She realizes that there are no sexual motives, so she is trying to figure out why exactly he abducted her. She even begins to feel sorry for Frederick. She tries to escape several times, but he becomes more and more angry each time. She tries to kill him, but fails. She becomes extremely depressed, and eventually becomes so seriously ill that she dies.

                Clegg then narrates again at the end of the novel. He wanted to commit suicide but he reads in her diary that she never loved him, so he decides instead to kidnap another woman to make her fall in love with him.

Teachability: I think this novel has a lot of hard topics, because it is pretty graphic. I know I read it is as a sophomore in high school, but I remember the vocabulary being very easy. When I read it again, I still agree that the writing is not very difficult, it just does have some sexuality and it is a bit scary. Therefore, I think eighth graders could handle it, but definitely no younger. I think it has a lot of themes like personality disorder, psychopathy, self -loathing, pity, fear, and a few more that could definitely be looked at in great detail. I think this book keeps kids on their toes, and there is not one dull moment. The fact that it is switching off between a male and female narrator makes it very gender- neutral. If it is too extreme for the classroom, I think it is definitely a book that needs to be an independent read in the classroom. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie

A young adult novel written by Native American, Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian recounts the story of Arnold Spirit Jr.'s life on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Spokane, Washington. The main element upon which Alexie's novel focuses is Arnold's frustration at having the same English textbook that his mother had used thirty years prior at his reservation school. Disgusted by the poor quality of his education, he promptly throws the textbook at his teacher. However, his teacher later comes to his house and convinces him to attend the all-white school outside the reservation, holding extremely different individuals and experiences than his life on the reservation.

 Arnold must decide whether to abandon his traditional Native American culture and seek the best education for himself or continue to be a part of his Native American culture which is often only described as drug-infused, abusive, poor, and delinquent. The book has gained some controversy because of its explicit content dealing with sex, violence, and racial inequality; however, Alexie's novel also won the National Book Award for Young Adult Literature. Therefore, the teacher, along with the school administration must weigh the benefits and consequences of exposing adolescent readers to this extremely realistic depiction of Native American life.

The Westing Game

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin is a novel about a group of people who are selected to live in an apartment complex. These families soon find out after the death of their mysterious neighbor that they have been named his heirs, but in order to collect their money they must play a game. They are paired off, given a set of clues, and are told to solve the mystery that the clues present. The novel follows each pair as they attempt to answer the questions posed to them as well as sort out some strange happenings that are going on at the apartment building.

I thought that this was an excellent novel to read with middle school students. There are many activities that you could assign that could relate to foreshadowing and predictions. It would also be an excellent novel to teach with the reciprocal teaching method. It is a good novel for any grade in middle school, and is interesting enough to be able to keep a reader's attention. My only criticism of the novel is that the multicultural aspects of it are few. The occupants of the apartment are comprised of people of different races, but the novel doesn't go into their cultures at all. Despite that though, I think it would be a really fun novel to read in class.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper is about a 15 year old African girl named Amari. The book begins in Africa, focusing on Amari's daily life within her tribe. However, soon white slave traders invade her village, killing most of the tribe and enslaving Amari. She is taken throughout the slave process, allowing the reader to see the brutality of the Middle Passage and slave auctions. In the Carolinas, Amari is sold to a white plantation owner, who intends for her to be a birthday present for his 16 year old son. At the plantation, she is paired with Polly, an indentured white girl, who has a strong dislike for black slaves, seeing them as taking all of the jobs in the South. As the story continues, they begin to build a friendship based on survival. After helping their mistress conceal the birth of her and her black slave's son, they decide to escape the wrath of their master by running to Mexico, where they can achieve their freedom.

          

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I had trouble setting it down myself. If you wanted to teach about that time period, I would suggest using this book within your classroom. Sharon Draper gives a great index of resources in the back of the book that are designed for teachers and students if you wanted to have students do further research. The book is engaging, and I really thought Sharon Draper did a good job constructing this book and its characters. In terms of age, I would gear this book more towards 7th or 8th graders; although I did feel it could connect to children at any age. 

The Skin I'm In

Flake, Sharon. The Skin I'm In. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion for Children, 1998. Print.

Maleeka Madison struggles to fit in her high school and for good reason.  Ever since her father died, her mother makes all of Maleeka's clothes in order to cope with the loss, making Maleeka the target for many of her classmates jokes.  If that wasn't hard enough, she is also picked on for having very dark skin, which forces Maleeka to feel self conscious about the way she looks.  This all changes however when Mrs. Saunders becomes her new English teacher at school.  Mrs. Saunders is a strong, confident, and determined woman, most of which comes from dealing with a skin deformity that she was born with.  Mrs. Saunders is the perfect role model for Maleeka to show that no matter how you look, you are undeniably beautiful.  We follow Maleeka on her journey to fight peer pressure, bullying, and finally accept the way she is meant to be.


This book was a very quick read.  The vocabulary was very simple and the book was under 200 pages.  I think the book is more geared towards girls than boys and I think it would be very hard for boys to relate to Maleeka's character.  All of the main characters are women, possibly making it difficult for boys to find interest in the book.  I thought the book was interesting, however it didn't seem like a very creative story line and overall it was pretty predictable.  I do not believe this book would be extremely effective in the classroom, but rather should be used for a student's personal read. 

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Esperanza Rising. Scholastic Inc. New York, 2000.

                Author Pam Munoz Ryan puts a spin on the classic tale of “a rich girl who loses everything” story in her adolescent novel, Esperanza Rising. The story begins with wealthy, spoiled Esperanza anticipating her fourteenth birthday; she lives in Mexico, and her father owns a thriving vineyard. Although Esperanza loves the family help, especially her crush, Miguel, she is stuck in a hierarchical mentality that leads her to believe her superiority over Miguel and his family. Esperanza is very close to her father, and she is devastated when her father is unjustly killed by some robbers. Adding to her grief, her evil uncles threaten to destroy her family’s life if her mother does not marry one of them. After her two uncles burn down their family home, Esperanza, her mother, and Miguel’s family move to California to escape their wrath. Although they successfully enter America, their transition is not as smooth as Esperanza anticipated because of the language barrier between Spanish and English, as well as unfamiliar financial issues during the Great Depression. Furthermore, Esperanza has a difficult time adjusting to being poor and feeling insignificant in a new country, which is only worsens when her mother gets sick, and Esperanza needs to work to help her family.

                Overall, Ryan’s novel is certainly appropriate for middle school students; the reading level is not particularly challenging, but its themes of perseverance and growing into a better person are interesting and relatable. However, I think that this novel could be a challenge for teachers to use in a classroom because it is definitely more female-centered, and Esperanza is a character that, especially in the beginning, can be difficult to relate to. Although I think that sometimes unlikeable characters are interesting, I think that some young people, may resign her to filling the role of an irritating and spoiled young girl. 

Reference: Cofer, Judith Ortiz. The Line of the Sun.  Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1989.

            This novel discusses the life of a Puerto Rican family and their journey from Puerto Rico to the United States.  The first half of the book takes place in the 1940’s and 50’s in the small village of Salud and the narrator of the novel, Marisol, depicts the story of her grandparents, parents, and uncles long before she was born.  Familial tensions, issues of religion, and gender relations are major themes that the novel focuses on.  And this first part of the novel in particular uses these themes in the context of tradition in their very small and close-knit village.  Once the novel’s setting shifts the New York, the story begins to surround more specifically around the narrator, Marisol and her identity formation living in a land where her parents and ancestors to do not understand and have no connection to.  Living in this liminal state proves difficult for Marisol, and once familiar figures from Salud come into her life, she begins to learn and understand herself better.

            I thought this book was intriguing, smart, and well-written.  I think it would be a great novel to teach in an English class, I would probably gear it towards high school students rather than middle school because of the complicated metaphors that are used throughout the story.  But it is because of those complicated metaphors and overlapping themes that I believe this novel would do very well in an English classroom.  Both boys and girls would be attracted to the story, although the narrator is a girl, the majority of the first half of the novel comes off as a third person omniscient narrator.  The themes are relatable to the students in that it deals with building one’s own identity and trying to figure out where one fits in while balancing where your family fits into one’s life and one’s concept of identity.  The Line of the Sun is a very rich novel that would be easily teachable and enjoyable for all parties to read and discuss.       

An Island Like You

An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio by Judith Ortiz Cofer is a book about several Latina/os in New Jersey. Each story is different but they often intertwine with one another. What the struggle in this book is is with a multicultural identity. The characters in this book are struggling to find their place not only in their communities, but also within the US as a whole. I think this book is very very teachable. Everyone in the world knows what it's like to feel like you don't belong, be it in a group of people, at a certain school, or even in your own skin. This book could bring to light the fact that this feeling is cross-cultural. It also will teach kids that being an individual is something important and to stand up for what you believe in. The personal identity struggle is something that many students in 7th and 8th grade are struggling with anyway. If they can read about others who are in a similar stage, and have similar feelings they could really connect on a deeper level than simply reading to fulfill a book requirement.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why
By: Jay Asher

Summary:
This book is a creepy but exhilarating take on the snowball effect that caused the main character, Hannah Baker, to commit suicide. She creates a set of 7 cassette tapes for the people involved to listen to. All but 2 of these people belong on a “list” of wrong-doers who ruined her life at her new school. One of the “others” is the narrator we follow as he listens to these tapes over one long night. The book takes you through Hannah’s life, while the narrator reflects on his own, becoming more and more exhausted and upset as he reads them.

Teachability:
There are a few scenes in this novel that are not appropriate for young kids. They are sexually based and could be uncomfortable for younger or immature students. I would recommend this book for 8th grade at the earliest, and a more mature group at that. I like that there really are duel protagonists, male and female, with both perspectives alive in the text. I think that this would be hard to teach because of the extremely dark nature of the book, with no real redeeming qualities or breaks. Teaching this book about suicide for a high school girl could be too much for the classroom, but a mature literature group or individual book may be okay.

Hiroshima

Yep, Laurence. Hiroshima. New York, New York:  Scholastic, Inc., 1995.

This book follows the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. It's more of a novella then an actual novel, and incorporates nonfiction statistics with the fictional story of Sachi, a girl who survives the bombing. Yep provides facts about the planes that carried the bomb and the size of it, and gives a little background of why the bomb was dropped. He also gives statistics on the aftermath of the event: how many people died, how it affected the city, and what it meant for future wars between countries. Yep loosely follows the fictional Sachi's story. She and her sister, like all students, work to defend Japan against America, and the bomb drops while she is working. Her sister and father die and Sachi is left with extreme burns and loses movement in one arm. She ends up becoming part of a group called the Maidens that are flown to the U.S. and given surgeries for free. The themes of this book are the horrors of war, the atomic bomb in particular, and how it affects civilians.
This book was a very easy read- it would be good for 6th graders, probably too easy for 7th and 8th. There are no really graphic scenes and the language is not difficult at all. It is more nonfiction than fiction, Sachi's character is never really developed and the majority of the book is made up of information about the bombing, so I don't think it would appeal to students and I wouldn't choose to teach it. It would be a good book to suggest for independent reading during a World War II unit, or if you have to teach it you could use it as one of a few texts since it's relatively short.

Monster

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York, New York: Harper Colins Publishers, 1999. 281 pages.

Monster is about a sixteen year old African American boy named Steve Harmon as he is tried for felony murder, facing the death penalty or 25 years to life if he is convicted. He was allegedly the lookout at a convenience store before James King, also on trial with him, and Bobo, who testifies against them to reduce his own sentence, went in to rob the store owner, Mr. Nesbitt. In the tussle that ensued, Mr. Nesbitt was fatally shot. The book alternates between chapters written as a diary and a screenplay, which helps with the story's deep character development and emotionally-charged reading. The story contains flashbacks to Harmon's experience in film class in school and his life growing up in Harlem, as well as descriptions of life inside prison, his visits and relationships with his family members, and the proceedings of the court case. The story does end by stating whether Harmon has been found guilty or not, but the reader never finds out from Harmon's thoughts (in diary format) and screenplay whether he was involved in the crime.

While the vocabulary in the book is very simple, the format of this story would be appealing to students, and it would be engaging to have students act out different scenes throughout the book or write responses that mirror its style. The themes, including peer pressure, and race and the judicial system, would be interesting and complex topics to have discussions about as Monster is read. However, the sometimes graphic nature (with Harmon describing the sounds of sexual assault and beatings in the prison), and the overall themes make it more likely to be used in a classroom as an independent reading book. I would probably have it in my library in 7th and 8th grade, but I would be wary of having 6th graders read it.

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Summary:        In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez was a wonderful book that I would recommend all of our class to read on their own. It is about four sisters- Dede, Maria Theresa, Monerva, and Patria Maribel. The book begins with someone coming in to interview Dede, who is the only one of the sisters who is still alive (in 1994). The rest of the book is an earlier account of their lives told as if it was the 1940’s-50’s when the sisters were still alive. Each chapter is from the point of view of a different sister. It is very interesting because they are merely teenagers when they are writing- so it is extremely relatable and Maria Theresa’s chapters are in diary form at some points which makes it interesting. The women are all living in the Dominican Republic where they are under the rule of a terrible dictator- Trujillo. Maria Theresa and Minerva go away to boarding school and they hear the stories of other girls’ families and how Trujillo destroyed theirs. Trujillo will capture girls and use them as his mistresses, impregnate them, and then ship them away. Minerva was one of the girls whom was used by Trujillo. The book recounts their events that take place at the boarding school they attended, the universities they attended, and also shortly afterwards when they have children. The women are part of a revolution in which they are trying to go against the government. There are themes such as oppression, war, mistreatment, feminism, adultery and poverty. The girls have to deal with so much- Patria with a miscarriage, Minerva being used by several men and getting ridiculed for sneaking out to have meetings about revolting against Trujillo, Maria Theresa coping the most with the death of their father, and all of the girls had to deal with finding out that their father was having another life with a woman and four other children. The epilogue explains what happens to the other three sisters and it is extremely violent and heart-wrenching.

Teachability: I think this book would be more of an independent read. It was definitely an incredible book, but I think it was more for girls considering every main character is a woman. Also, I think it was pretty hard to get into. It did not become eventful until about page 50, and I think at a middle school age that is just way too long. However, I do believe the themes and what is going on in the Dominican Republic at this time is very important for the students to learn about. It could also be interesting to show the movie with Salma Hayak side by side and compare. So I think it depends on the teacher with this one! The vocabulary I would say is a tad tough for middle school as well, so I think this would be a great independent read to have available in the classroom. 

Flight

Flight by Sherman Alexie, published in New York by Black Cat, 2007.

Plot: This novel is focalized through a American Indian juvenile delinquent, pseudonym "Zits." Zits was abandoned early in life and is transferred from foster home to foster home until he is thrown in a juvenile detention facility. While serving some time, Zits meet a "beautiful" blonde boy that goes by the name "Justice," who implants a violent, revolutionary mindset into Zits, who proceeds to shoot at civilians at a bank--an emotional and volatile scene. Zits is shot in the head and travels back in time (through some form of deus ex machina) he inhabits the minds of various historical figures and witnesses to important American Indian moments in history. Zits ultimately learns to fight against his urge to destroy, and chooses to turn himself in after his visions.

Analysis: I would definitely teach this book in the early high school setting because of its explicit content. That being said, this novel has a ton of valuable moments in which the character's identity develops and helps him acclimate to the world at large. This is now one of my favorite young adult bildungsromans--especially on account of the strong morals it comes out to teach.

Teachability: This book is teachable, but I would ultimately recommend that students read it independently. It's just so easily consumed that teaching it in class seems almost like a waste of time. I certainly feel that it has a lot to offer, but ultimately it feels like the kind of pop literature that can only push a student's mind so far. I give this novel an 6 out of 10 for teachability, but a 9 out of 10 for enjoyment. And after all, shouldn't we be ultimately reading for enjoyment in the first place?

Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing

Gary Soto

Gary Soto brilliantly captures the voices of adolescents in verse experiencing many firsts: first love, first kiss, first loss, etc. This collection is broken into two parts with the first from the point of view of girls and the second from boys. Each poem is a single page, which makes it easy to spread practicing poetry analysis skills throughout an entire semester or year rather than cramming it into one unit. This collection offers a modern perspective on poetry that students can relate to rather than poetry of “dead white guys” (aka Shakespeare, Milton, etc.). 

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munos Ryan

Never judge a book by its cover—even if it has a little girl flying in the wind. I will confess that I was not excited to read this book because of both the title and cover. I’ve read an article before about how teachers have this assumption that girls will read books about boys, but not vice versa. I think to some extent, this is true; at least it is for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised as this book deals with an engaging plot and relevant issues.

Esperanza Rising is a coming of age story about Esperanza, a girl living in a politically turbulent Mexico. Her father is murdered early in the novel and the rest of the novel has to deal with gender issues about how the government has rendered women helpless and how Esperanza’s mother is being pressured to marry a corrupt politician. In the end, the book also references the race issue with migrant workers as the family moves to California to work on farms.

In teaching this novel, it might be hard to get boys in the classroom fully on board, but I think this text is an important one as it deals with important gender and race issues. So, although it might be difficult to teach, teachers will somehow just have to make it work :)

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Esperanza Rising. New York: Scholastic, 2000