Title: Schooled - The Citadel, The Military College of ...
Title: Schooled
Author: Gordon Korman
Publisher/Imprint: Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: Thirteen-year-old Capricorn Anderson, or Cap, and his grandmother Rain are the last two residents at Garland Farms, a commune begun in the 1960s.
Rain home-schools Cap, and though Cap aces the required state exams, he knows nothing about the outside world of television, text messaging, and middle school society.
When Rain falls out of a tree while picking apples, Cap is forced to stay with a foster family in the city while his grandmother recovers. On his first day at middle school, Cap arrives in his usual manner—wearing tie-dyed shirt, jeans, long hair, and corn-husk sandals. So when the principal asks Zach Powers—the most popular boy in school and a football player—to take Cap to his locker, Zach realizes that this is just the person he’s been looking for.
You see, the tradition at Claverage—known by the students as “C-Average”—Middle School has been to pick the biggest nerd in school and get him elected class president, then spend the rest of the year laughing at him as he fumbles through speeches and makes a fool of himself.
And so, Cap finds himself elected president, while Zach and the other popular students make up new ways to torture Cap, such as introducing him to wedgies, scheduling meetings in non-existent rooms, and telling him the president must learn the names of all 1,100 students. Unfortunately for Zach, Cap doesn’t seem to notice anyone is messing with him. Then things really change. While driving his bus route one afternoon, the driver has a heart attack. Cap jumps in the seat and drives the bus to the hospital as police cars chase, signaling Cap to pull over. When they arrive at the emergency room, Cap is arrested in front of the frightened students; he becomes an instant hero.
As class president, Cap is charged with organizing the school dance. He keeps saying he’s never even been to a dance, but when students offer their suggestions, Cap puts them in charge of the various tasks. In addition, he has begun to learn the names of every student he meets, writing their names in a notebook. Cap develops a following, and one of the popular girls actually joins him for morning Tai-chi on the front lawn; soon others follow.
Next, sixty students take part in an impromptu tie-dying session in the school art room. Zach can't stand it: Cap is shaping up to be the best president the school ever had.
Zach has just one more chance to set things right. He stages a prank, but it goes too far, and Cap is injured. Zach’s credibility is zero. Then the next day, Cap is punched in the face—a punch that was meant for Zach. Shortly after the incident, Cap’s grandmother shows up in ambulance to pick Cap up from school; they are finally going back to the farm. Cap leaves without saying goodbye, and the middle schoolers assume the worst: Cap is dead. On the night of the school dance, Cap can’t stand to be away, so he steals a car and drives back to town. Instead of a dance, however, he finds a memorial service in progress—his own!
Key Issues: Middle school society, respecting differences, the 1960s, hippies, individualism, non-conformity, bullying.
Warnings: There is no bad language, only references to middle school pranks, such as wedgies, etc. There is discussion of hippie culture, but not of drug use. Some parents may not like the way Cap assumes the role of a “guru” to the students.
Audience: The audience is middle school boys and girls. In each chapter, a different character narrates the story from his or her own perspective, which should appeal to diverse readers.
Teaching Ideas: 1.) Discuss point of view and how it is used in this novel.
What did Korman achieve by allowing each character to narrate part of the story? Write a journal entry from the point of view of one of the characters in the book. 2.) What is the significance of the title? Who is schooled in the novel, Cap, or the other students? Which characters change the most as a result of the schooling. Discuss in small groups. 3.) Near the end of the novel, the students think Cap is dead. Write a six-word memoir for Cap. 4) Act out a scene from the book.
Title: Tex
Author: S. E. Hinton
Publisher/Imprint: Dell Laurel-Leaf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
Copyright Date: 1979
Plot: Tex, a fourteen-year-old, lives under the supervision and care of his seventeen-year-old brother Mason while their father is away working the rodeo circuit. But their father has been gone longer than ever, and Mason is forced to sell Tex’s horse Negrito—which Tex loves more than almost anything else—to get money for the power bill and groceries. Tex hates his brother for this. But life goes on, and Tex and his best friend Johnny can’t help getting into trouble. The two experience their first hangover and get suspended from school for pulling a prank on the end-of-period test day.
Meanwhile, all the stress of filling in as parent causes Mason to develop an ulcer, and when the two brothers drive home from the hospital in the city, they are carjacked by a wanted murderer not much older than they are. In a bold move, Tex brakes and swerves the truck fiercely, causing the man to flee the vehicle and be shot by police. Tex sees a little of himself in that man.
Then, on the day of Tex’s suspension, Mason confronts his father, and the truth comes out about the reasons for Tex and his father’s awkward relationship. Tex storms out of the school, and he goes with the first person he sees, Lem, a friend of the family a little older than Mason. Tex accompanies Lem on a drug deal, but when it goes sour, Tex is shot. Tex’s brush with death troubles Mason deeply, but it allows for the brothers to reconcile in the end.
Key Issues: Coming of age, brotherhood, poverty, absent parents, drugs, friendship, first love.
Warnings: The novel has some mild profanity—such as “damn,” “hell.” And there is some use of alcohol and drugs, though their use is not portrayed in a positive light.
Audience: 8th-11th grade girls and boys.
Teaching Ideas:
1) At the state fair, the fortune teller says, “There are people who go, people who stay. You will stay.” Tex remains mindful of the fortune teller’s words throughout the story and begins to evaluate people in terms of this dialectic. Do you think Tex will stay or go? Write an ending that tells us what happens to Tex following the events in the story.
2) Discuss the ways the author uses realistic dialogue to create credible characters.
3) Ms. Carlson, Tex’s English teacher, asks Tex if he has ever written poetry. Imagine you are Tex and write a poem that Tex would likely write.
Title: Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Journey to Change the World…One Child at a Time (The Young Reader’s Edition)
Author: Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin; Adapted by Sarah Thomson
Publisher/Imprint: Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group
Copyright Date: 2009
Plot: This is the true story of Greg Mortenson, beginning with his failed attempt to climb the world’s second highest peak: K2. After failing to summit K2 in 1993 Greg lost his way descending the mountain only to wind up in a small Himalayan village called Korphe. The first “outsider” to ever set foot in the village, Greg was greeted with kindness and compassion from all members of Korphe. After learning that no school existed in the village, Greg promised his new friends to return as soon as possible to build them a school. Mortenson returned to fulfill his promise, since then building over 60 schools in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. This inspiring story tells of the many struggles Greg has faced while working to bring education to the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as the amazing successes both he and the students of his schools have achieved.
Key Issues: Hope; Peace; bringing about success out of failure; family struggles; not giving up; the importance of education;
Warnings: I have no warnings against this book.
Audience: According to the book it is suitable for children ages 8 and older. Though written in a somewhat juvenile language, the book’s issues are of such relevance in our world today that I would recommend it for students through 12th grade. (There is another version of the book published prior to this edition for adults which could be used with parent permission for older students.)
Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be a wonderful book either for whole-class instruction in a World Lit. class, or as a book club book.
1. Have students read the book and read/clip articles from the daily news about our interactions with Afghanistan and Pakistan throughout the unit to be read during group meetings or whole class time. Students can read articles aloud or respond to them in journals.
2. In the interview with Greg Mortenson’s daughter Amira at the end of the book, she describes the importance of having pen pals to help students learn about other cultures. Perhaps link students to pen pals to help achieve this.
3. Have students create and run a fundraising event (like Pennies for Peace) for the charity of their choice to learn about both the challenges and rewards of doing so. Writing proposal letters could be a great compliment to this lesson while also achieving one of the standards.
Title: Peaches
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Publisher/Imprint: Harper Trophy of HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright Date: 2005
Plot: Anderson tells the story of three teenage girls as they come of age in a small southern town in the most unlikely of circumstances. Birdie grew up on the orchard and has never known anything but long summers spent picking Georgia’s finest peaches with her mother and father. That is until her mother leaves her father, and the orchard, forever. Leeda is her mother’s second daughter and a mere shadow of the grand spotlight cast upon her older sister Danay. Her only friends are those whom she suspects only like her for her money, and her bad-boy boyfriend, Rex who’s always been there for her (even if for all the wrong reasons.) Murphy lives in a trailer park with her mom Jodee. A rebel at heart, Murphy is always up for mischief even at the expense of friends, potential boyfriends, and a chance at summer freedom. Though Birdie, Leeda, and Murphy may have little in common on the surface, after a summer together on the orchard nothing between them will ever be the same.
Key Issues: Coming of age; Building friendships; First love; Parents’ Divorce; Family Dynamics; Relationships
Warnings: There is some sexual content. The teenage girls also consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes a few times throughout the story.
Audience: I think girls in grades 9-12 would really enjoy this book. In particular, girls in the South would particularly enjoy the Georgia/peaches undercurrent of the book. I would recommend parental permission because of the warnings listed above.
Teaching Ideas: I would recommend this book only for small-group or individual use, rather than whole-class.
1. Have students choose 1 of the 3 main characters before reading and keep a journal from that character’s point of view while reading. After completing the book students can discuss/compare journal entries from different events throughout the story. Discuss how point of view and perspective affect the story.
2. After completing the novel, have students predict what they think will happen once the girls are leave the orchard. (The book is the first in a series, so students may enjoy comparing their predictions with the next book).
3. Make soundtracks for any of the 3 main girls, or any of the secondary characters as well. Defend why you would choose/not choose certain songs.
Title: The A-List
Author: Zoey Dean
Publisher: Poppy
Copyright: 2003
Plot: Anna is a privileged teen living in New York at her absentee mother’s home. She is a privileged girl who is used to the finer things in life, but is very down-to-earth. Her life is not really going anywhere in New York and her crush has decided to like her best friend; so, when the opportunity arises to move to LA and live with her father (whom she barely knows but wants to) and work as an intern at a publishing house, she hops on a plane. On the plane to California, she meets an equally privileged boy named Ben and ends up going to a wedding with him and meeting all of his friends, some of whom are not so happy that Ben has a new girl on his arm; they want him for themselves. The teen drama continues to spiral, with catfights and shallow attempts at friendships, along with Anna and her father attempting to reconcile and create a real relationship. Anna at times doubts herself and her own values and self esteem, but in the end realizes she is stronger and more self-reliant than most teens and is happy.
Key Issues: Teen lust/love; broken families/desire for relationships with absentee parents; friendship; drug abuse; Shallowness of the rich and famous.
Warnings: There is foul language throughout this book, along with sexual innuendo and some sexual details (not too graphic). Drug use and abuse are touched upon; Anna’s father enjoys smoking pot and her sister is in rehab.
Audience: Teenage girls between the ages of 15-18 are the definite target audience of this novel.
Teaching Ideas: This book would best be taught in a reading circle of mature high school junior or senior girls. The girls could create a diary for Anna and write her entries over the couple of days the events of the book take place. Very little is talked about regarding Anna’s father’s life, both at work and at home; creating a short dossier on her dad could be interesting. Finally, planning a fun party to match the extreme opulence of the wedding in the book could be a fun idea.
Title: Acceleration
Author: Graham McNamee
Imprint: Wendy Lamb Books (Random House Children’s Books)
Copyright: 2003
Awards: Edgar Allen Poe Award
Plot: Duncan is a 15 year-old(ish) boy living in an apartment complex in Toronto. It is not the best address in the city, but not so bad. He had one minor run-in with law a year ago, and it is this smudge on his record, along with one other nagging demon (involving saving a girl’s life), that prevents him from turning an eerie find in the lost and found in to the police. Instead of allowing the authorities track down a potential serial killer, Duncan and his best friend go on a quest to track down the criminal.
Key Issues: Friendship, birth defects, relationship with parents
Warnings: This book does not contain any foul language or sexual content. There are some creepy descriptions, but nothing graphic.
Audience: This book is geared more for 8th-10th graders. I think the audience is more for boys, but I enjoyed the book. Anyone who likes mysteries/crime books will enjoy this story.
Teaching Ideas: You can teach this book to a whole class. The author uses great technique to establish suspense, and also creates clear settings using descriptive language.
One idea would be to analyze a passage and ask the students what they think makes it seem so life-like and ask them to write a paragraph on their own using descriptive language to delineate a place in time.
Another part of the book deals with the characters doing their own research to track down a criminal. They create a map; having kids study the city of Toronto (or their own hometown) and create their own maps could be a fun research project. This can be modified to create clues and a map for classmates to follow on a scavenger hunt within their school.
Title: Rumble Fish
Author: S.E. Hinton
Publisher/Imprint: Delacorte Press
Copyright Date: 1975
Plot: The setting is an unnamed deadbeat town that “always stinks from the river… [y]ou don’t notice the stink if you live there awhile.” Rusty-James, the narrator, is the toughest kid around. He is a troublemaker at school, and ignored by his welfare-tapping father at home. He shoots pool, stays out late, and hangs out with what is left of his brother’s gang. He yearns for the rugged brutality, the lowdown nobility of the days of gangs and the days of rumbles. He loves fighting and he is good at it. And more than anything, Rusty-James wants to be like his brother.
His brother is the unfathomably charismatic Motorcycle Boy – a deep-thinker, a great fighter. “He would have made a perfect knight, in a different century, or a very good pagan prince in a time of heroes. He was born in the wrong era... with the ability to do anything and finding nothing he wants to do.” Rusty-James presses to be like his brother – he tries to read, but cannot concentrate; he tries to keep cool, but blows up. He does not measure up. And his unflagging admiration is returned in measures of cool obliquity.
Motorcycle Boy is recently returned from California, where he saw their estranged mother. The trip moved something in him, something dark, implacable, vortical. And as Motorcycle Boy’s inner-gears move into its endgame, Rusty-James trails behind – will he get sucked down with him? A local cop holding a long-time grudge is lurking on the fringes, just waiting for one false move.
Key Issues: broken homes, brothers, fame, gangs, juvenile delinquency, leadership, living up to expectations
Warnings: There is some pretty dingy stuff in here: graphic and stylized, but not glorified – blood, fighting, gangs, hard-drinking, drug-use (one of Motorcycle Boy’s admirer’s has track-marks on her arm). All that said, the book has a good pedigree and a long history of classroom-use.
Audience: High school, top-to-bottom. The content suggests a predominantly male readership, but Hinton’s name gives it female appeal too.
Teaching Ideas: Hinton’s style is uncanny. I think students would have a ball with a “reader’s theatre” kind of activity – anything that gets the page out loud. This could mean reading straight from the book, chopping up description and dialogue for a beat poem, creating a rehearsed drama, or a filmic interpretation. *Motorcycle Boy is color blind and sometimes-deaf. Students can render a scene from the novel through Motorcycle Boy’s point-of-view, heeding his sensory limitations. *The book provides some meaty discussion prompts – see the “Warnings” section. For older readers, there can be discussions of fame and leadership, its burdens – as seen in the Motorcycle Boy, and projected in real-world leaders; and further, living in its shadow – as seen in Rusty-James.
Title: The White Darkness
Author: Geraldine McCaughrean
Publisher/Imprint: HarperTempest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright Date: 2005
Plot: In novel The White Darkness, fourteen-year old Sym ventures to Antarctica with her ‘Uncle’ Richard. Sym, something of an outcast due to a hearing loss, is fascinated by the arctic and is thrilled to visit. However, on the way to Antarctica, Sym learns that Richard has, for some unknown reason, hidden their destination from Sym’s mother. While in Antarctica, Sym puzzles over Richard’s secrecy. She also learns that Richard believes that he is on the verge of discovering Symmes Hole, and if such a thing exists, Richard will become one of the most famous of the Antarctic explorers.
Sym, Richard, and two other individuals (Manfred Brunch and Sigurd) travel across the arctic in search of Symmes Hole. Along the way, Sym learns that her uncle is deranged, and his plans may kill him, herself, Manfred, and Sigurd. So, Sym begins to fend for herself; she faces the dangers of the arctic head-on and braves her uncle’s wild and hazardous plans. Along the way, she also learns the truth about herself, her life, and her family.
Key Issues: Identity, family, familial relationships, finding the truth, inner strength, bravery, courage
Warnings: The White Darkness does contain some cursing, including the “f-word.” Also, at one point in the novel, two characters contemplate killing another character with an ice pick, and two other individuals are murdered. Finally, Richard encourages Sym and Sigurd to have sex, but they never do.
Audience: I believe that this book is more geared towards females; however, due to the book’s setting, action, and adventure, I think that some boys may enjoy this book, as well.
Teaching Ideas: 1. Ask students to research a particular aspect about Antarctica and then present their findings (students may research an exploration party, an arctic weather phenomenon, current events in Antarctica, etc.). 2. Ask students to write a letter from Sym to Titus. The students should address their relationship (or imagined relationship). Is Sym ready to let Titus go? Does she still need him? 3. In a Socratic circle, ask students to discuss Sym. How has she grown? Has she changed? Why? How? What do they think she will do when she gets home? Will she ever return to Antarctica? Was Titus an imaginary friend, or was he real (remember to re-read the last chapter of the book). 4. Make a movie trailer for the novel. 5. Make a bio-body for Sym.
Title: Dogboy
Author: Christopher Russell
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: Abandoned as a baby among a litter of mastiffs and raised in outdoor kennels by the large, fierce dogs, twelve-year-old Brind can communicate with the mastiffs in a way that makes him invaluable to his master, Sir Edmund Dowe. Thus, when the King of England summons Sir Edmund into battle, the aging, impoverished knight takes Brind and all of his male mastiffs, along with Philip, his page, Tullo, his huntsman, and Hatton, his carter, to France with him. Unfortunately, during the Battle of Crecy, all members of Edmund’s party are separated, and Brind wanders off to find Glaive, the leader of the mastiffs and Brind’s best friend, who escaped into the woods after being severely wounded in battle. While tracking Glaive, Brind meets Aurelie, a French refugee, and the two join forces. Together, Brind and Aurelie track Glaive, and they survive numerous perils throughout the novel.
Key Issues: Family life; abandonment; friendship; war; survival; human cruelty; bullying; human kindness.
Warnings: Dogboy contains no profanity and no sexuality; however, parts of the book are violent, and some of the characters—especially Tullo—are treacherous and downright spiteful.
Audience: I would recommend this book to students in grades 5-8; I think this book would be great for reluctant readers.
Teaching Ideas: As a pre-reading activity, have students write about an animal—real or stuffed—that is important to them, and ask them to explain why that animal is important to them. While reading the novel, have students discuss Sir Edmund’s reasons for going into battle, and ask them if they can think of any valid reasons to go to war. After reading the novel, have them write a continuation of the novel beginning at the point where the novel ends, and ask the students to share their continuations with the class.
Tags: Historical fiction; young adult; dogs; orphans; France; England; Hundred Years’ War; adventure; a boy and his dog; friendship.
Title: Ways to Live Forever
Author: Sally Nichols
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: “My name is Sam. I am eleven years old. I collect stories and fantastic facts. I have leukemia. By the time you read this, I will probably be dead.”
And so begins Sam’s story. Facing his third recurrence of leukemia, and his inevitable death, Sam decides to write a book regarding his life, and his illness. With the help of his best friend Felix—who is also terminally ill with an incurable cancer—Sam creates his book, a collection of facts, lists, stories, pictures, and questions. And Sam is full of questions, questions like “Why does God make kids get ill?” and “What would happen if someone wasn’t really dead and people thought they were”? Written during the last three months of his life, Sam’s book becomes a map that guides Sam and his family through the final stages of his leukemia.
Key Issues: Death and dying; leukemia; social issues; family life; friendship; mortality.
Warnings: Many of the questions Sam struggles to answer throughout the novel are questions that are best discussed with family members. Therefore, even though Ways to Live Forever is uplifting, insightful, and surprisingly funny, I would recommend that parental permission be obtained before reading this book in class, and I would recommend that this book not be read in a classroom environment until students have at least reached the 6th grade.
Audience: Due to the subject matter—death and dying—and the characters’
complicated emotions, I would recommend this book to students in grades 6-9.
Teaching Ideas: As a pre-reading activity, ask students to write about what cancer is and possible causes for cancer. While reading the book, have students make their own lists of things they would like to accomplish before they die; have them discuss their lists with the class, if they feel comfortable enough to do so. After reading the novel, have students discover ways they can help cancer patients.
Tags: Cancer; leukemia; terminal illness; young adult; realistic fiction; friendship; death.
Title: Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
Author: Brandon Mull
Publisher/Imprint: Aladdin Paperbacks; Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: The second book of the Fablehaven series picks up approximately one year after the first. In the first pages, Kendra and Seth, after living almost a year without running into any magical beings, find themselves confronted by a kobold, a sneaky goblin-like creature. As the kobold begins to show a romantic interest in Kendra’s friends, Kendra decides that the creature has to go. She and Seth find help in an unlikely source, but, in the process of getting rid of the kobold, Kendra and Seth are sucked into series of magical events that propel them back to Fablehaven.
Upon arriving at Fablehaven, the brother and sister find their grandfather injured and learn that Fablehaven is under attack from the Society of the Evening Star. It seems that the Society has somehow managed to infiltrate Fablehaven, and they have a secret operative who is working from inside of the preserve. But Kendra, Seth, and their grandparents don’t know who the operative could be. While the family tries to uncover the secret agent, Seth is pursued by a demon by the name of Olloch.
In the end, it is up to Kendra and Seth, once again, to save Fablehaven – but they aren’t sure if they will be able to untangle the web of intrigue that surrounds Fablehaven in time to save the precious preserve.
Key Issues: honesty, faithfulness to friends, courage, and bravery
Warnings: None
Audience: Males and females, from middle to high school
Teaching Ideas: 1. Fablehaven is the home of several magical creatures.
Have students create an imaginary magical creature and write a descriptive paper on their creature. 2. The Fablehaven series isn’t over – have students make detailed predications as to what will happen in the next book. Is the Sphinx evil? Is Vanessa? Will the Society of the Evening Star triumph? 3. Coulter sacrifices himself to save Seth halfway through the novel. Ask students to write a report on a historical individual who chose to sacrifice him or herself for someone else. 4. Ask students to write a journal entry in which they discuss their reaction to the end of the novel.
Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman, with illustrations by Dave McKean
Publisher/Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: The book riffs on Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books. In the role of Mowgli is Nobody (“Bod”) Owens – an orphan. When a man with a knife in the darkness, the mysterious man Jack, murders his family, Bod is taken in by the inhabitants of the local graveyard, and given the Freedom of the Graveyard. That is, Bod is empowered with the faculties of the dead – he can see in the dark, he can move through tombs, he can haunt, he can fade. But he must not leave the graveyard, because the man Jack is looking for him.
Bod grows up in the graveyard, and loves it: it is home. He has adventures. There is a colorful supporting cast of characters, including: Silas, his guardian – a vampire; Miss Lupescu, his teacher – a “Hound of God”; Mr. and Mrs. Owens – his adopted parents – ghosts; Liza Hempstock, his friend – a witch ghost; and an assortment of other ghosts. But it is Scarlett Amber Perkins, the living girl he meets in the graveyard (she thinks he is her invisible friend), that gives Bod the feeling he is missing out on something… life. As Bod approaches adulthood, he grows restless; but the while, the man Jack is lurking all the while – waiting for the opportunity to finish the job he started.
Key Issues: coming-of-age, evil, friendship, mortality
Warnings: It is clean (it is last year’s Newberry winner), but there could be the same kind of objections that have been raised against the Harry Potter series – black magic stuff.
Audience: Boys and girls, grades 6-9.
Teaching Ideas: The book could springboard into a local history research project, a family tree – something that plumbs the past and makes a contemporary connection. *As a consummating release, a class can throw their own “Danse Macabre” (a kind of hoedown in which the living dance with the dead) – food and drinks and fun. It would be a great book to wrap up around Halloween and thus tie it all in. *You can introduce outside readings – The Jungle Books, famous epitaphs, obituaries. *Students can design their own tombstone (if this is a little too grim, you can invert it – make a kind of lifestone). *Reading aloud – there’s a lot of suspense. I have listened to some of the audiobook (read by the author) and would recommend working that in if it is more your thing.
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: J. K. Rowling
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (an Imprint of Scholastic Press)
Copyright Date: 1997
Plot: When the novel begins, Harry Potter believes that he is a normal ten-year-old boy living with his cantankerous aunt and uncle in England. However, Harry Potter soon discovers that he is the son of the most powerful couple in the world of witchcraft. On Harry’s 11th birthday, Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts (the premiere magic school in England), decides that it is time for Harry to begin his education. Dumbledore commissions Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts, to outfit Harry with the supplies that every wizard needs and bring him to school. While studying at Hogwarts, Harry becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and learns to fly on a broomstick, cast spells with his magic wand, and conceal his body beneath a cloak of invisibility. Harry also encounters several unsavory characters during his time at Hogwarts, including a foul-smelling troll, a three-headed dog, an infant dragon, and a dubious professor. Will Harry be able to defeat Voldemort, the evil wizard who killed his parents, before he steals the Sorcerer’s Stone and destroys everything that the good witches and wizards of the world hold dear?
Key Ideas: Friendship, self-discovery, family dynamics, peer pressure, bullying, courage and bravery, good vs. evil
Warnings: There is no foul language or sexual content in this novel. Some parents may not approve of the references to witchcraft, wizards, trolls, supernatural events, evil, murder, etc. However, I personally did not find any objectionable material in this book.
Audience: Because of Harry Potter’s age in this book (eleven years old), I would recommend Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone for students in elementary school (4th or 5th grade) and middle school. However, I think that high school students would enjoy reading this novel as well. I think that boys and girls would enjoy reading this novel equally. Although the main character is male, there is a strong supporting female character (Hermione) in most of the book. Also, I think the issues of peer pressure, friendship, and fitting in at school are universal.
Teaching Ideas: I would consider teaching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to the whole class if I were working in a middle school setting and if I had parental permission. I think that students would enjoy reading this novel and would learn about conflict, characterization, plot, etc.
• I think that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone would be a wonderful novel to use in conjunction with a unit on Greek or Roman mythology. This novel contains references to numerous mythological creatures (ex: Cerberus the three-headed dog). The students could research mythological beasts and write a paper or create a project to present to the class.
• In the novel, numerous characters send letters back and forth using their owls. The teacher could arrange for the students to have pen pals at another school or in another grade or section at the same school. The students would then write letters back and forth about events or characters that they find interesting in the novel.
• The students could design their own school like Hogwarts. What kind of classes would be taught? What would the teachers be like? What would the mascot be? What kind of extracurricular activities would be available? The students would design a seal for their school and write a school song or poem.
• The students could watch parts of the movie and write an essay comparing the film and the novel.
• The students could create a graphic novel or comic book based on the novel.
• The students could design a bio body based on one of the characters in the novel.
• At the end of the unit, the students could host a Hogwarts party complete with every flavor jelly beans and chocolate covered frogs.
Title: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Author: Ann Brashares
Publisher: Dell Laurel Leaf (an imprint of Random House Children’s Books)
Copyright Date: 2001
Plot: Lena Kaligaris, Tibby Rollins, Bridget Vreeland, and Carmen Lowell have been best friends since their mothers first met in an aerobics class for expectant women. Carmen buys a pair of jeans at the local thrift store, and the four girls soon discover that the pants fit each one of them perfectly, even though the girls are all different sizes and shapes. In order to keep in touch during their first summer apart, they decide to pass the pants along from one girl to another. The girls also compose a list of ten rules that the members of the “sisterhood” must always follow while wearing the pants. The pants first travel to Greece with Lena, who is spending the summer with her grandparents in a small fishing village. Next, Lena sends the pants to Tibby, who is stuck at home taking care of her little brother and sister while also working at Wallman’s. Tibby sends the pants to Carmen, who is visiting her divorced father in South Carolina. Carmen sends the pants to Bridget, who is at a soccer camp in Baja California. Then, according to the rules, the pants are returned in reverse order—Bridget to Carmen to Tibby to Lena. While wearing the traveling pants, the girls gain insight into their lives and quickly learn that growing up is not always easy.
Key Issues: Friendship, Romantic relationships, Family dynamics, Growing up, Death of a friend, Death of a parent, First sexual encounter, First love, Divorce and remarriage
Warnings: Mild language, Mild sexuality
Audience: Females (ages 12 to 18)
Teaching Ideas: Because this book is geared toward a female audience, I would not attempt to teach it to an entire class. However, there is very little objectionable material in this novel, so I would not hesitate to recommend it to individual students for silent sustained reading. I might also use this book for a literature circle; there is a lot of strong characterization in this novel, which makes it a worthwhile read. At the same time, I think that there might be better books to use when teaching characterization. I can think of several interesting journal writing activities related to this novel. Because this book has four main characters, each member of the literature circle could choose one character and keep a diary from that character’s point of view while reading. The members of the literature circle could compare certain scenes from the novel to scenes from the movie. There are several major differences between the plot of the book and the plot of the film. The members of the literature circle could discuss the significance of these differences. The students could make bio bodies or write six word memoirs for each main character in the novel. The students could also make their own documentary like Tibby does in the book. This novel also has a lot of scenes that may be fun for the literature circle to act out in front of the class.
Title: Rhymes With Witches
Author: Lauren Myracle
Publisher/Imprint: Amulet Books
Copyright Date: 2005
Plot: Jane is a high school freshman who would do anything to be popular. She is completely psyched when the worshipped Bitches asks her to be friends with them. To be sure Jane is fit to be a Bitch, the clique makes her go through a number of tests. The first test seems pretty harmless -- she must attend a party at the most popular guy’s house. Overwhelmed by her inability to interact with the cool people, Jane ends up hiding in the kitchen. She doesn’t think the Bitches noticed her hiding out, until a couple days later they show her a tape of her ducking down behind the kitchen counter. Determined to make up for her mistake and impress the Bitches, she’s ready for the next challenge. The second test is to steal something from another girl. It can be anything -- a hair barrette or a paperclip. Jane is instructed to deliver this item to her teacher’s desk. The task seems easy enough, until Jane discovers that she’s participating in some kind of witchcraft. The girls whose items she’s stolen seem to be cursed. Embarrassing things keep happening to them and they are immediately demoted in the popularity chain. Jane realizes she’s stealing popularity from other girls, to become popular herself. She finds herself facing a difficult decision: Does she want to protect her true best friend from the wrath of the Bitches, or does she want to continue to be the queen of the school?
Key Issues: Friendship, Witchcraft, Paranormal, High School, Horror
Warnings: The only language to be concerned about is the word Bitches which comes up about a hundred times throughout the novel. Other than that, there is some drinking mentioned at a high school party.
Audience: This novel is suitable for 9th through 12th graders. This book would best be taught in a small group situation.
Teaching Ideas:
1) At the end of the novel, Jane talks about how the rest of her high school experience will be hell because of what happened with the Bitches. Have students write a couple paragraphs predicting what the next day at school is going to be like. How does Phil help her cope? Does she salvage her friendship with Alicia?
2) Initiate a discussion within the group about Camilla. Ask the students why they think Camilla is so unaffected by the Bitches? Why do they think Bitsy hates Camilla so much for what she saw? Do they think Camilla could be a potential friend for Jane after the end of the novel?
3) Have the students make a model of Lurl the Pearl’s closet. Have them use all kinds of material to recreate the scene- clay for the statue, lip balm tubes, paperclips, cotton balls to make the cats.
Title: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
Author: Zevin, Gabrielle
Publisher/Imprint: Farrar Straus Giroux
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: One fateful day, a girl loses a coin toss that changes the rest of her life. Naomi Porter wakes up in an ambulance with an unfamiliar boy sitting next to her and discovers that she cannot remember anything from the last four years of her life. She can’t remember her best friend Will, the person who knows her better than anyone else and who kissed her the night before her accident; she can’t remember her parents’ divorce or that she has a younger sister; she can’t remember her boyfriend or if they have had sex; and she can’t remember being on the yearbook staff, an activity that, according to Will, was more important than anything else she did. If she hadn’t lost the coin toss, Naomi would never have gone back to get the camera from the yearbook room, she would never have dropped it on the stairs, and she would never have hit her head when she fell down the stairs to save the camera. But she did , and now Naomi is an amnesiac. As she attempts to go back to the life that she can’t remember, Naomi must come to terms with the girl she has become (even if she doesn’t like that person), learn how to handle the relationships with the important people in her life whom she can’t remember, deal with her parents’ divorce and the separate lives they lead, and attempt to survive high school – even though she can’t remember anything she has learned since sixth grade. There is a possibility that Naomi will never get her memory back, and her life will definitely never be the same.
Key Issues: Friendship, Romance, Depression, Honesty, Relationship with Parents, Self-Discovery, Emotional Development, Adoption, and Identity
Warnings: The main character was sexually active before she got amnesia and she discusses it with her boyfriend. Another character struggles with depression caused by the death of his brother (that occurred before the events in the novel and is only discussed a few times). There is also a homosexual relationship between two female characters.
Audience: This novel would be appropriate for students ages 14-16. Although it might be more interesting to female readers, I think it would be appropriate for a male and female audience. There are several important male characters in the story and, for the most part, the issues that Naomi deals with are not gender-specific.
Teaching Ideas: The students could write letters to themselves (like the letter that Will writes to Naomi in the novel) about all of the important events and people in their lives they would want to remember if they ever became amnesiacs.
–Will makes Naomi mix CDs with meaningful songs to help her remember things that happened in the four years that are missing from her memory. The students could create their own playlists of significant songs that remind them of important events or people, explaining why they chose the songs and how the songs would help them recall specific memories.
–For each chapter, the students could keep a character diary in which they discuss and comment on the clues Naomi discovers that slowly reveal the person she was before the fall. The students would record the “evidence” as Naomi discovers it, reflecting on the person Naomi seemed to be before the fall and the person she is now (with amnesia).
Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
Publisher/Imprint: Little, Brown and Company
Copyright: 2002
Plot: At fourteen years old, Susie Salmon has a full life ahead of her. But one day, while Susie is walking home from school, her neighbor invites her to see the hole he dug in the cornfield. Naive and trusting, Susie’s curiosity gets the best of her and she gets in the hole, admiring the little hiding place that Mr. Harvey has created for himself. Mr. Harvey, a man who has killed many women in the past, rapes and then kills Susie. In heaven, Susie spends most of her time watching her family; she can hear their thoughts and see what they do. Sometimes Susie can make herself present enough that her family – especially her younger brother Buckley – can even see her, but it is only for an instant. Never given the opportunity to grow up, Susie witnesses her sister, brother, first crush, and friends continue on with their lives; she lives vicariously through them and yearns to experience the same things. She also keeps a close eye on Mr. Harvey, learning about his past victims and worrying about his future ones. For many years Susie watches her family, sometimes making herself present enough to influence what they think and feel. She helps her father realize that Mr. Harvey is the killer and helps her sister steal evidence from Harvey’s house, which helps prove that he is Susie’s murderer. Even though Mr. Harvey escapes, Susie’s family must live their lives, always thinking of Susie but trying to move forward. And Susie must come to terms with the fact that she is dead; she will never know what it is like to grow up living on earth, but she can grow in death and find her place in heaven.
Key Issues: Growing Up, Death, Lies, Family Problems, Grief,
Warning: This novel has some very violent and sexually explicit scenes. The rape and murder of the protagonist, Susie, is described in detail. The murderer, Mr. Harvey, has very disturbing thoughts about the women and girls he has raped and murdered in the past. The novel also contains profanity.
Audience: Because this novel deals with intense, disturbing, and violent topics, it is not appropriate for students younger than 17. In some cases (with very mature students) it might be appropriate for juniors. I would not teach this book to a whole class. It would be best for an individual student or for a group of students who are very mature and capable of handling the issues presented in the novel.
Teaching Ideas:
Because this novel deals with death and grief, students could research the stages of grieving and create a pamphlet that teaches people about dealing with death and the loss of a loved one.
• The students could do a creative writing assignment in which they create their own version of heaven, or what Susie calls “dreams come true.” Just as Susie has reasons for including certain things in her heaven, the students would have to have reasons for what is in their heaven, explaining why each thing is there.
• The students could write diary entries from the point of view of one of the characters. Although the reader is able to see the thoughts of a character when Susie is focusing on that person, we don’t know what everyone is thinking all the time. Using the thoughts that Susie hears from heaven to create a voice in the entries, the students could fill in the gaps and create the thoughts of the character that the reader is not able to see.
• The students could keep a “counselor’s notebook” for each character, taking notes on how each person deals with Susie’s death and analyzing the character’s experience, using the research on the grieving process to support the analysis.
Title: The Secret Life of Bees
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Copyright Date: 2002
Plot: Lily Owens is fourteen and living with her peach-farmer father in small-town Sylvan, South Carolina in 1967. Lily accidentally killed her mother when she was four years old and struggles to survive with the guilt of that incident, and with the wrath of an abusive, unloving father. When her black stand-in mother Rosaleen insults the biggest racists in town, she decides to flee to Tiburon, South Carolina and search out the past life of her mother. There she is taken in by three sophisticated and loving black sisters –August, June, and May - who know more about Lily than she thinks. They introduce her to beekeeping, the Black Madonna they worship, and ultimately, about loving others and loving yourself. Lily comes of age through her experiences with racism, her developing feelings for a boy her age that works with the bees, through the death of a loved one, and by finally coming to terms with her wrecked family.
Key Issues: Death of a parent or loved one. Guilt from an accident, and forgiving yourself. Abusive father. Racism. Coming of age. Southern literature.
Warnings: There is some strong language, especially from Lily’s father at the beginning. There is unsettling violence against women, domestic abuse, and racism. Parents should be aware of the language, but it’s important to establish believable characters.
Audience: Middle or high school students would love this book. More suited for women, since it deals mostly with women characters, motherly love, and even stresses the femininity of god. But certainly shouldn’t be overlooked or avoided by men. Would work especially well with students from abusive home situations.
Teaching ideas:
- Students could do research on the Civil Rights Act and other aspects of the book that are set firmly in 1967. Understanding the racial tensions of the time are incredibly important to understanding the relationships and conflicts throughout the book.
- The bee-keeping aspect of the book is incredibly interesting and provides a complex metaphor for Lily’s circumstances and development.
Have the students explore the various ways that bee culture reflect on the novel.
- Have the students write creatively. They could write further chapters on the “calendar sisters” or even a prequel to when Lily arrives. They could also write a chapter from the male point of view of the father or her love interest Zach.
- Food is central to the book, especially all the time that May and Rosaleen spend in the kitchen. Have the students bring in Southern dishes or recipes involving honey.
Title: Shadows on the Sea
Author: Joan Hiatt Harlow
Publisher/Imprint: Margaret K. McElderry Books: Imprint of Simon and Schuster
Copyright Date: 2003
Plot: This book is set in 1942 in Winter Haven, Maine. Jill, a fourteen-year-old girl, goes to stay with her grandmother while her famous father goes on a singing tour in North America and her mother visits her sick brother in Newfoundland. While there, Jill uncovers secrets of the Nazi plot in Germany and realizes that WWII is closer to her life than she thought.
Key Issues: This book contains themes related to family dynamics, issues of friendship, war and its effects, gossip, espionage, and religious faith.
Warnings: I have no warnings for this book. The only thing I can think of that might be a concern is that one of the characters was born out of wedlock and it is discussed a lot at the end of the work.
Audience: While the main character is a girl, there is enough mystery and action for boys to enjoy it as well. I would recommend this book for boys and girls between 12 and 16.
Teaching Ideas: Because the book is set in 1942 during WWII, I feel it would be very beneficial to have to students do something with the actual happenings of the war. The teacher could have the students write a research paper on something small having to do with the war, or have the students give a presentation. At the end of the book, the author includes an afterword in which she states her true-life inspiration for the story. The teacher could have the students research the accurateness of her information.
Jill has to leave her friend Patty behind when she goes to Winter Haven. While in Winter Haven, Jill experiences a lot while she is there. The teacher could have the students pretend that they are Jill writing a letter to Patty about what she is experiencing, expressing her fears and concerns for her family, but also telling Patty of her new friends and what she has been doing while there.
At one point Jill has to decide whether to tell the authorities about her discoveries. The teacher could have the students say if they agreed with her decision, not knowing the end of the story. The teacher could have the students say why or why not, and if not, what they would have done instead.
There is a point in the work where several girls write a letter to Wendy, one of Jill’s friends in Winter Haven, telling her that they do not want her to be a member of their group. The reader never sees this letter, but the girls indicate that they were nice to Wendy. The teacher could split the class into several groups and have each group write a version of the letter. Then, after each group reads their version aloud, the teacher could have each group then discuss how they would feel after receiving that letter and if they would blame Jill just as Wendy did.
At the end of the work, Jill is reunited with her mother and it is hinted that her father and friend Patty are coming to see her, but the reader never witnesses this reunion. For homework, in preparation for class, as a reading check, the teacher could have the students write a few paragraphs about that reunion, what would Jill say to her parents? Where would she take Patty in Winter Haven? What fun things could Jill, Patty, and Quarry do together? What ever happens to Ida’s husband?
Title: The Counterfeit Princess
Author: Jane Resh Thomas
Publisher/Imprint: Clarion Books: A Houghton Mifflin Company Imprint
Copyright Date: 2005
Plot: This book is set in the mid 1500’s in England. When the Duke of Northumberland kills her parents, Iris is left to fend for herself. She becomes a spy for Princess Elizabeth, and ultimately poses as her to help the princess escape Northumberland’s men. Initially, Iris’s decisions are made out of revenge, but towards the end, she just wants to be home with the people that she loves. The question remains: Will Elizabeth let her go?
Key Issues: This book contains issues of espionage, revenge, family, death, kings and queens, murder, and betrayal.
Warnings: Iris hears her parents being dragged away by Northumberland’s men and she hears of their beheading; sexuality also comes into play, as one of Northumberland’s men attempt to inappropriately touch Iris on her way to the castle, but nothing happens. There is also the death of a close family friend, which could be an issue.
Audience: While the main character is a girl, there is enough action and excitement for boys to enjoy it as well. I would recommend this book for boys and girls between 15 and 18.
Teaching Ideas: The book is set right before the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Anne Boleyn’s daughter. The teacher could have the students do research on Anne Boleyn and her relationship with King Henry and present their findings to the class, allowing for the discussion of the accuracy of the story.
Along the way, Iris makes very difficult decisions. The teacher could have the students keep track of their responses to these decisions in journal form as the story progresses. The teacher can use these randomly as reading checks, taking them up at the beginning of class and reading through them to make sure that the children are reading. Additionally, the teacher can have the students write down questions if anything seems unclear to them, using some classroom time to answer these for students.
In the book there is a lot of discussion about Queen Mary’s Catholicism and Elizabeth’s protestant faith. The teacher could divide the students into two groups, splitting the class in half. The teacher could have each half of the class look up one of the religions and research what they believe and why and then have the class engage in a discussion about the faiths. The teacher will have to be careful with this discussion to make sure that no one gets upset, but I think it would help give the students insight into why this discussion was so upsetting to people during this time.
For those students that are a little more creative, giving them the opportunity to draw some of the costumes described in the work could be a fun way to get them more involved in the story, while showcasing their talent to their classmates.
There is also mention of how difficult life was back in the 1500’s. People had to bake their own bread and get eggs from chickens. So, a fun project would be to spend a day as they would have in the 1500’s, baking homemade bread and collecting eggs from chickens. The teacher could have a lot of fun with this, having paper chickens with eggs underneath them that students have to gather. Having a homemade bread maker for the kids to use, or having the children bring in bread they make at home. This could be a fun idea if there was a way to do it.
Title: Nothing But the Truth
Author: Avi
Publisher/Imprint: Harper Trophy/ Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright: 1991
Plot: Phillip Malloy is a freshman at Harrison High School and he is interested in joining the track team. However, when he receives a low grade in his English course, the coach informs him of his inability to even try out for the team. This starts a chain reaction—
Phillip’s English teacher Ms. Narwin is recently assigned as his homeroom teacher and, as one might expect, she is not amused with his “acting-out” during announcements. The disciplinary problems spiral into a suspension and suddenly the whole community, even the entire nation, is involved in this issue of patriotism in school.
Key Issues: Patriotism, disciplinary actions, school sports teams, family support, and multiple perspectives regarding the same incident.
Warnings: There are a couple of curse words used, but that’s about it.
Audience: This book serves as a great novel for boys or girls in high school, and is a fairly easy read because of its compositional style (segmented mostly into conversations, similar to a play). The novel might also be a good way to bridge to a more complicated play (perhaps before a unit of Shakespeare). It might even be introduced to middle school students if they have a high reading level.
Teaching Ideas: I would definitely recommend teaching this book to the entire class.
1. Pre-reading assignment: Preceding chapter one, the author has written a question, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Does anyone say no?”
• Have students write a quick response to that statement and discuss.
2. The story is written in various forms: diary entries, conversation logs, newspaper articles, etc.
• While reading the book, have students record a journal entry in response to various topics, such as what might happen to Ms. Narwin, or what will happen with Phillip’s track career.
• Have students assemble into groups and discuss how this book can be compared to a play. Have them select a scene to act out with their group for the entire class. Student would probably really enjoy this because a the story focuses primarily on teacher verses student.
Title: Deadline
Author: Chris Crutcher
Publisher/Imprint: HarperTeen
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: Eighteen-year-old senior Ben Wolf learns that he has a terminal blood disease, which -- without treatment -- would leave him with approximately a year to live. Rather than electing to undergo treatment for this condition, he chooses to forego treatment in hopes of a normal senior year, with the understanding that this year would likely be his last. Ben chooses to keep the news of his impending death to himself and tells no one – not even his family or closest friends. To make the most of his last year, he tries out for the football team and makes it – even though he is a pint-sized athlete. He also decides to go after his high school crush, Dallas Suzuki.
The risks that Ben takes end up being fruitful for him. He performs well as an athlete and is noticed by the school for his performance, and his relationship with Dallas Suzuki goes beyond what he had hoped. Within these situations, he learns much about life and the importance of living purposefully. In addition to these new achievements, he determines to get all that he can out of his education and reads what he wants to read and selects projects for himself that are meaningful to him, even against the demands of his government teacher. This challenge allows for Ben to run across people he wouldn’t formerly have interacted with, including Rudy McCoy, the town drunk who ends up having much more to him than the people of Trout, Idaho suspected
Key Issues: Death, Carpé Diem, Family Dynamics, Trust, Confidentiality
Warnings: This book should only be recommended for emotionally mature students. It deals with some heavy issues, such as death at a young age, teenage pregnancy, sexual molestation, and psychological issues. While Crutcher handles these issues well, they still may be too heavy for many students. Also, many parents would likely object to the difficult nature of the issues and to the views expressed about them in the book. In addition, significant profanity is used throughout the book, and a sexual act occurs, although not in graphic detail.
Audience: Males and females would likely be able to read this book. Because of the intense football scenes, males would likely enjoy it more. Due to the mature emotional themes present in the book, teachers should be cautious about assigning Deadline as a whole class study. It would be better used as a small group or individual assignment. Students who have read Crutcher before and/or students with questions regarding death, especially untimely death, may benefit the most from the book.
Teaching Ideas (all of which occur in a book club setting):
Have students journal while reading the book, discussing how they may feel if they or someone they know were faced with a terminal illness.
Have students come up with a playbook for Ben and his team to use during football season.
Have students discuss the ideas behind the book Ben was reading, Lies My Teacher Told Me. In their group, ask them how they can better educate themselves by understanding several sides of an argument/story.
Tags: Sports fiction, YA literature, Realism
Title: No More Dead Dogs
Author: Gordan Korman
Publisher/Imprint: Hyperion
Copyright Date: 2000
Plot: Double-named Wallace Wallace, an accidental football hero, finds himself fighting against his English teacher when he is asked to write a report for Old Shep, My Pal. Due to family issues, Wallace absolutely refuses to tell a lie and believes that he always must speak his mind out rightly, something that always gets him in trouble. When he reviews Old Shep, My Pal, Wallace writes that he strongly dislikes the book and that he knew that in the end Old Shep would die. He points out that most dog protagonists die in the end and that he wishes that animal stories could end more happily. The teacher disagrees with Wallace’s review and says that he needs to write one that accurately reflects the wonderful nature of the book. Wallace, however, refuses to change his view on the book and is served detention.
Day after day Wallace serves detention in the theater while the cast of Old Shep, My Pal rehearses and while the football team practices. His adoring fans are disappointed that he cannot play due to detention, and the drama club star, Rachel, is frustrated with Wallace’s comments about the play. Wallace continues serving detention and continues giving suggestions to make the play’s dialogue and actions more realistic. Due to his newfound situation, he learns much about making the best of tough situations and helps teach others the importance of honesty and reality as well.
Key Issues: Family Dynamics, Honesty, Teacher-Student Relationships
Warnings: Parents and administrators would find little to quibble over in this book. The language is mild, and the subject matter is not overly mature. Teachers who do not like to be questioned would not enjoy the book; however, they are the ones who should read the book themselves.
Audience: Middle and high school male and female students; Gordan Korman fans; athletes; thespians.
Teaching Ideas:
Have students rewrite aspects of No More Dead Dogs to make them sounds more realistic, having the characters talk more like themselves.
Have students write an essay about a time that they had a disagreement with a teacher over an assignment, discussing why they disagreed and what measures were taken to overcome the disagreement.
In Socratic circles, have students discuss stories that contain animal protagonists. Ask students if they believe that most animal protagonists die, and then ask them why they think that is the case. Have them discuss the authors’ crafts, scrutinizing what they think the authors try to do with that technique.
Tags: YA literature, Realism, Theater, Sports Fiction
Title: A Step from Heaven
Author: An Na
Publisher: Front Street Press
Copyright Date: 2001
Plot: A Step from Heaven is a story about a young girl and her family who immigrate to the United States from Korea in search of a better life. But when Ju and her family arrive in America, they soon learn that their new life will be a struggle. Living in a small rented apartment and with her parents working multiple restaurant, landscaping, and cleaning jobs, Ju and her younger brother do their best to reconcile the gaps between their home and school life. Ju, who excels in school but is forbidden to make American friends at school, is ashamed of her family home and life. Her father, soon defeated by his inability to provide a good life for his family in the new country, turns to drinking and becomes abusive. Her mother, trying to hold the family together, bears the brunt of her husband’s abuse until one night Ju will take no more. A Step from Heaven follows Ju’s coming-of-age story from toddler into young adulthood.
Key Issues: coming of age, immigration, alcoholism, domestic abuse
Warnings: There are no warnings for this book.
Audience: Ethnic or multi-cultural readers; while protagonist is a girl, the immigrant struggle issues transcend gender
Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be suitable for a book club or literary circle. Some teaching ideas may include:
1. Some of Ju’s most comforting memories of her life in Korea are those of her grandmother, Halmoni. After Ju left Korea, she never saw Halmoni again. One evening many years later, Ju receives the news that her Halmoni has died. As Ju, write a good-bye letter to Halmoni. Include anything you think Ju would want her Halmoni to know.
2. Many times throughout the novel, Ju’s father (Apa) draws distinctions in ability between Ju and her brother solely based on their gender. Discuss several instances in which Apa does this in the book. Research gender biases in Asian cultures and incorporate into your discussion.
Title: Wait for Me
Author: An Na
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: An Na’s second novel Wait for Me is an immigrant’s story not unlike Na’s first novel, A Step from Heaven. The protagonist, Mina, is a Korean-American teenager who struggles between fulfilling her mother’s expectations and finding her own self. Mina’s mother is a stern, overcompensating, and brash woman. Her father keeps to himself and stays out of his mother’s way. Mina finds herself most rooted in her life by her sister, Suna, who is hearing impaired and relies heavily on Mina. When a young Hispanic teen, Ysrael, is hired at her parents’ dry cleaning business, Mina finds herself drawn to the mysterious boy with the quiet disposition. The two secretly become friends and their relationship blossoms into a romance, raising questions of loyalty and truth.
Key Issues: coming of age, immigration, self-discovery, familial expectations, disability, romance
Warnings: There are no warnings for this book.
Audience: Ethnic or multi-cultural readers; the romance story may appeal to girls more than boys
Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be suitable for a book club or literary circle. Some teaching ideas may include:
1. The last paragraph in the novel follows: “I thought of Ysrael then. I could hear the faint sounds of his music in the rustling trees. His voice lighting on a breeze. And I could feel my own voice rising up inside, deep and light, free yet weighted with an honesty that could only come from taking on the obstacles, the responsibilities of living a life that was true. The street hummed right along to my song. (page 169) Write the lyrics to Mina’s song as it would be written at the end of the novel.
2. The novel is set up in brief chapters titled Mina and Suna, as they are told from each character’s point of view. Write a chapter titled Uhmma, told from Mina’s mother’s point of view. You may choose to write the chapter for the beginning, middle or end of the novel.
Title: Georgie
Author: Malachy Doyle
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Copyright Date: 2001
Plot: Fourteen-year-old Georgie, suffering from an unnamed emotional disability, struggles to even get out of his bed to go eat downstairs at the clinic where he’s been living for most of his adolescence.
Told almost entirely through Georgie’s eyes, the story focuses on his new beginning at a last-ditch clinic in the country: a farmhouse and school for kids “like him.” Georgie reacts by attacking a caregiver and completely shutting down. At the new home, Georgie meets Tommo, a sympathetic doctor who uses love and patience to bring the real Georgie to the surface. Also helping Georgie heal is Shannon, another teenager at the home who suffers from the same violent outbursts as Georgie. By slipping smiley-face notes under his door, Shannon is determined to help George the way that Tommo helped her.
As George is given more and more trust, he ventures outside—both literally and figuratively—until he’s met with his past memories: the reason he’s struggling. Georgie must confront the horrifying story of his mother’s murder and his own part in that story.
Key Issues: Death of a parent or loved one. Guilt from an accident, and forgiving yourself. Mental illness. Emotional trauma. Psychological treatment. Coming to terms with differences.
Warnings: Two scenes are very unsettling. At the beginning of the book, Georgie wipes feces all over his cell walls when he finds out he is being moved. Towards the end, there is a scene of violence as Georgie remembers his mother’s bloody murder.
Audience: Middle or high school students would enjoy this book, especially if they are interested in psychology or struggle with their own mental or emotional difficulties. It is a very short book with larger type, so it’s also a fast-read and informative on how a person sometimes mentally shuts out trauma.
Teaching ideas:
- Students could do research on various mental and emotional illnesses and the history of how they’ve been treated.
- There are many “clues” pointing towards Georgie’s repressed memories. Make a chart or timeline of these and talk about how a therapist might do something similar.
- Have the students write in first-person using a stream-of-conscious style similar to the book, perhaps remembering a moment from childhood (not necessarily a trauma!)
- Have students reach out to a local boys or girls home by doing some sort of service project: a lunch, donating books and magazines, etc.
Title: Because of Anya
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Publisher/Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Copyright Date: 2002
Plot: Keely Michaels and Anya Seaver have been classmates since kindergarten, but their friendship has dwindled over the years. In fact, Keely barely notices Anya until the day her bossy friend Stef passes a note in class—“Look at Anya! I think she’s wearing a wig!” Ten-year-old girls are not supposed to wear wigs…unless they are dying of cancer. While Keely and her friends are determined to discover Anya’s secret, Anya is determined to conceal her condition, praying that her wig doesn’t fall off. Though Anya does not have cancer, she has been diagnosed with alopecia areata, a medical condition that makes her allergic to her own hair. Told from the points of view of both Anya and Keely, Because of Anya is a heartbreaking story of childhood suffering and the difference true kindness and compassion can make in a child’s life.
Key Issues: alopecia areata, childhood hair-loss, bullying, friendship, perseverance, family relationships, sympathy, loneliness
Warnings: The language used in this book is completely appropriate for young readers. A teacher might consider explaining alopecia areata before beginning this novel. It might also be beneficial to discuss compassion, sympathy, privacy, and polite behavior with younger students.
Audience: elementary and middle school students
Teaching Ideas: Medical Research: After Keely finds out about Anya’s condition, she does some research and finds a way to donate her own hair through Locks of Love. Have students research alopecia areata or another medical condition. Students will make a brochure describing the symptoms, causes, and treatment of the condition. A section of the brochure should address ways to help those suffering from the condition or suggestions for compassionate treatment of those individuals.
Point of View: Students will choose an episode from the book and tell the story from a different character’s point of view. A student may also choose to recount the scene from his or her own point of view. What would that character (or you) have thought about during the scene? What would you have said? Would you have done something differently or prevented something from happening?
Genre: Realistic fiction, inspirational fiction
Title: Boost
Author: Kathy Mackel
Publisher/Imprint: Dial Books/Penguin Group
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: Eighth grader Savvy Christopher is six two and growing, which she considers a good thing. Savvy’s height, along with her skill, has helped her secure a position on Fire, an elite eighteen and under basketball team in her new home of Rhode Island. Now it’s up to Savvy to boost her game so she can capture a starting role. Through practice and work on her great aunt’s sheep farm, Savvy gains skill and strength and is named starting center for Fire. Savvy’s success is cut short, however, when steroids are found in her game bag. Savvy is innocent, and although she is cleared by blood-tests, she realizes the only way to completely escape the title of user is to discover how the pills got there. Could they have been stashed by Savvy’s sister’s boyfriend Marc, planted by one of the thugs from Power, Fire’s rival team, or is it something much closer to home?
Key Issues: Steroid use and athletic pressure, body image issues, moving/attending a new school, sibling rivalry and discord, nervous disorders and breakdowns
Warnings: None
Audience: This is a great book for athletes or any student gifted in a specific area because it discusses the serious pressures they are exposed to. Also, it is told from an interesting, and often overlooked, perspective of a female athlete and may help male readers understand the similarities of desire and drive that exist in their female counterparts. Even though the protagonist of the story is only in eight grade, the supporting characters are, for the most part, high schoolers which would make this an enjoyable text for middle school and early high school students.
Teaching Ideas:
Marc’s Point of View: Marc, Savvy’s sister Callie’s boyfriend, plays an interesting role in the text. At a party early on in the story, he plays a game of horse with Savvy and offers a kiss for a reward if she wins. At that same party Savvy later catches him making out with Callie. Have the student’s write this scene from Marc’s point of view. They can make him out to be a jerk or a good natured guy who meant Savvy no harm, but they must use textual evidence to support their interpretation of his character.
Quotable Quotes: Savvy often relies on Michael Jordan quotes to provide guidance in her day to day life both on and off the court. Have the students identify a public figure that they admire and collect a range of quotes from speeches, writings, movies etc. Periodically throughout the reading of the book, have the students journal about how they attempt to work the philosophy of the quotes into their everyday life.
Title: Game
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publisher/Imprint: Harper Teen/Harper Collins
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: Drew Lawson is beginning his senior year at James Baldwin Academy. Up until now, he has been sure that his basketball game is deep, but he knows that this is the year that counts if he wants to score a scholarship to a Division I school and realize his dream of becoming an NBA player. Drew is thrown for a loop, however, when the team’s coach introduces two new players along with a new playing philosophy. One of these players, an Eastern European named Tomas Dvorski, seems to be the center of this philosophy and Drew begins to wonder if he is being intentionally boxed out by his coach. Unlike Othello, whose story he is reading in English class, Drew must remain calm and master his suspicions or he will end up playing himself out of the only shot he has to realize his dreams.
Issues: Race relations, the plight of lower class blacks--especially male teenagers, self doubt, resistance to authority, the realization that it is up to an individual to achieve his dream
Warnings: “pussy” is used once, but other than that it is a clean text
Audience: While the inner city dialect makes the writing seem simple, it is actually stylistically complex and can be used with higher level texts. I would recommend this for freshmen and sophomores, at both the regular and honors level. The plot creates an accessible read for athletes, minorities, and male readers in general. There are a lot of technical terms in this book and one should be familiar with them if they want to understand it.
Teaching Ideas:
Companion Pieces: This book would be an excellent companion piece for Othello. The story loosely follows the Shakespearean plot triangle, and Drew suffers from the same tragic failing as Othello. Students could compare and contrast the two texts. This text could also be read along with a short dialect tale from Charles Chesnutt’s The Conjure Woman. Students could explore the different uses of black dialect over time and debate its success in both works. Finally, Game can also be read by a part of the class while the other reads Boost. Each group could then lead a discussion that would form connections between female and male athletes.
“Who Should Be in the Game?”: While at the homeless shelter, Drew runs into a man who argues “If you know you don’t have a win, then there’s no use for you being in the game.” Reflecting on this, Drew acknowledges that “There are a lot of brothers [he] couldn’t imagine making a real get over.” Have students research statistics involving high school drop out rates, college attendance, and juvenile crimes, and have them use their findings to lead a discussion on the effects socioeconomic status and race have on personal success.
Title: The House of the Scorpion
Author: Nancy Farmer
Publisher/Imprint: Simon & Schuster/ Simon Pulse
Copyright Date: 2002
Plot: Matteo Alacran is not a typical boy; he is the cloned son of El Patron, the 142-year-old lord of a country called Opium. Opium is little more than a large farm of poppy fields that separate the United States from what was once Mexico. Matteo is not the only clone in Opium; the entire country is farmed by clones. But there is an essential difference between Matteo and the other created beings. The other clones, called eejits, are medically altered at birth so that they cannot feel or think for themselves. Matteo, raised by El Patron and given the best education available, is certain that he is different and that his future is secure. As he tries to understand the reason for his existence, he must somehow cope with the hostility of El Patron’s children and grandchildren.
Key Issues: Primarily this is a story of survival in a hostile world. Embedded in this tale, however, are ethical issues of cloning, drug trafficking, addiction, and power struggles within families.
Warnings: Even though the drug use is portrayed negatively, it is still prevalent in the story.
Audience: There are some serious issues explored in this novel that a young audience would not be able to process. I would only teach this novel to high school age students. There is enough adventure and suspense to engage boys, but the story is universal and would appeal to girls as well.
Teaching Ideas: Because this novel deals with such powerful and engaging issues, I think that it would be appropriate for an entire class. There are many opportunities for researching and reporting on some of the major social or political issues. These same themes could be used to create op-ed responses or interviews. You could also stage several debates so that each student could get an opportunity to participate.
Tags: YA, drugs, science fiction, cloning, dystopia, fantasy, adventure, futuristic societies, National Book award winner, family relationships, father-son relationships, friendship, survival, freedom, addiction
Title: The Cay
Author: Theodore Taylor
Publisher/Imprint: Avon Camelot
Copyright Date: 1969
Plot: After being shipwrecked on a deserted island, a young, prejudiced boy, Phillip, discovers the only person who survives with him is an old black man, Timothy, who was working on the ship. Shortly after the wreck, Phillip begins to go blind and must rely completely on the old man. Timothy and Phillip have many survival adventures on the island while they wait and hope to be rescued. During this time Phillip slowly overcomes the racism instilled in him by his parents and society. He learns to accept and love Timothy and his life and views completely change.
Key Issues: Survival, racism, prejudice, adventure, shipwreck
Warnings: Derogatory descriptions of black people by a few characters, although this is balanced by the story line in which the young boy overcomes his prejudice.
Audience: Male or female, may be more interesting for male readers. Sixth grade reading level, although this could be taught in any middle school grade.
Teaching Ideas: 1) Focus on the author—Taylor was born in N.C. and began writing at age 13 (sports for a local newspaper). Relay this information to the students before beginning the novel so that they may have some type of a connection to the author. Also, it’s important to let them know about writers who started writing at their age. 2) Characterization—Character development is so important in this novel. Students can write character maps, body tracing maps, or draw a circle for each of the main characters with their traits and an example from the text radiating from the circle. 3) Reading Comprehension—Draw a map of the island. 4) Write and deliver “how-to” speeches about one of the inventions in the novel.
Title: Jason & Kyra
Author: Dana Davidson
Publisher/Imprint: Hyperion
Copyright Date: 2004
Plot: Jason Vincent is a star athlete and one of the most popular kids in school with a hot girlfriend to prove it. Kyra Evans is kind of a nerd who doesn’t get much attention at all from any boy. When the two get paired together to work on an English project something unexpected happens—they begin to fall for each other. Jason breaks up with his girlfriend, and he and Kyra begin a relationship that neither has experienced before. But will the pressure of academics and dating be too much for the unlikely couple? And will Kyra’s inexperience ultimately be unacceptable for a boy like Jason who’s always gotten what he wants?
Key Issues: Love, peer pressure, romance, dating
Warnings: Very mild swearing, references to premarital sex and heavily described passionate scenes although the two main characters never have sex and do choose to act in a maturely responsible way that may actually be a model of behavior for high school students
Audience: Primarily girls since this is a romance, but many boys would be able to relate to the character of Jason. I just don’t know if there is enough action in the plot to hold their attention. I would only consider this novel for high school—sophomores and above.
Teaching Ideas: I wouldn’t choose to teach this novel, even in small groups. While fairly entertaining, there is such an abundance of young adult lit with more merit that I just wouldn’t consider this one as a top choice. However, if someone were to use this novel in class here are a few suggestions: 1. Jason and Kyra make many responsible choices throughout the course of the novel. Identify three of the choices they make and discuss them in class. 2. Jason and Kyra come from two different backgrounds as far as their parents are concerned. Using a t-chart identify and explain the parental guidance and control the two characters receive in their lives. 3. Write an email correspondence between two of the characters in the novel. Perhaps you could re-write the break-up between Jason and Lisa as if he had done it via computer, not in-person. Or you could write the email that Heather may have written to Kyra to tell her about Lisa’s deceit. Or come up with a scenario of your own.
Title: Godless
Author: Pete Hautman
Publisher/Imprint: Simon & Schuster/ Simon Pulse
Copyright Date: 2004
Plot: Jason Bock is in many ways a typical adolescent boy who is questioning the established beliefs of his culture. He is intelligent and unafraid of being different. His inquiry of systems takes a unique twist, however, when he examines the religious beliefs of his parents. This agnostic boy, who is rapidly veering toward atheism, decides to create his own god, and arbitrarily chooses the town’s water tower as his new deity. His convinces an odd assortment of friends to be the new religion’s acolytes, and imparts the titles of High Priestess and Keeper of the Sacred Text to his two favorite worshippers. The new religion, named the Chutengodians, seems odd but relatively innocuous when first formed, but like many cults it turns out to be dangerous and impossible to control. Although Jason recognizes the fiction behind the worship of a water tower, his best friend becomes enthralled with his new position, and his belief in this new idol threatens to destroy him.
Key Issues: The primary issue is the struggle with belief systems that all teenagers engage in. Within this struggle, are a coming-of-age story and a boy’s attempts to establish an independent self within his culture.
Warnings: There is no profanity, no sex, and no drug use in this book. There is, however, a serious questioning of faith at the center of the story. Consequently, parental consent would be necessary to teach it.
Audience: This book has both male and female protagonists, and therefore, would appeal to both sexes. It is funny and engaging, but it deals with issues that would not be appropriate for a young audience. I would teach it to any level of high school student.
Teaching Ideas: Because this story is about religion, it might not be appropriate for an entire class. I would use it for a smaller group who would be able to engage in discussion of one’s beliefs in a respectful manner.
There are some interesting characters in this novel and I think that a character journal would be useful. Jason’s best friend, Shin, as Keeper of the Sacred Text, keeps a diary of his emerging belief in this new spirit. It would be interesting to create diaries of the other characters that examine the way each character believes in their creation.
Tags: YA, religion, cults, coming of age, National Book Award winner, Catholicism, alienation, friendship, belief systems, independence
Title: The Breadwinner
Author: Deborah Ellis
Publisher/Imprint: Publishers Group West
Copyright Date: 2000
Plot: In Kabul, Afghanistan, girls are not permitted to go to school and women are not allowed to work. The daughter of educated parents, eleven-year-old Parvana assists her crippled father to the market each day. When her father is arrested by the Taliban, Parvana decides that she must find a way to support her mother and siblings. Donning her deceased brother’s clothing, Parvana disguises herself as a boy and takes over her father’s business: reading aloud and writing letters of correspondence for the illiterate. The Breadwinner follows Parvana as she risks her freedom and her life to make money for her family.
Key Issues: life in Afghanistan, women in Afghanistan, the Taliban, war-torn countries, child labor, oppression
Warnings: This novel addresses the tragic realities of war: Parvana’s family members are killed and crippled by land mines; the Taliban oppresses women and resorts to physical violence; desperate for money, Parvana digs up corpses to sell gold teeth and jewelry.
Audience: middle school and high school students
Teaching Ideas:
A Week in the Life: Compare your life in the United States to Parvana’s in Afghanistan. Describe the differences. Are there any similarities? Write an essay or short story describing what you would do if placed in Parvana’s situation. Would you take the risks that she did? How would you make money? Would you attempt to flee the country?
Country Study: Research the history, religion, food, clothing, language, geography, etc. of Afghanistan. Create a poster or booklet with pictures or illustrations that you will share with the class. Include informative paragraphs as well as recipes, newspaper articles, song titles, articles of clothing, etc. You might consider dressing up, cooking a traditional dish, or playing some music on the day of your presentation.
Genre: Foreign culture, realistic fiction, historical fiction, adventure
Title: I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter
Author: Linda Cullen
Publisher/Imprint: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: Cornelia, the hard-working, illegitimate daughter of Amsterdam artist Rembrandt van Rijn, struggles with poverty and tragedy in 17th century Holland. After losing her mother at a young age, fifteen-year-old Cornelia assumes the responsibility of caring for her father, a tortured artist who becomes increasingly mad. At one time a publicly renowned and financially successful painter, Rembrandt’s scandalous refusal to marry Cornelia’s mother Hendrickje results in his losing favor with the art community, and is a source of personal pain and public humiliation for Cornelia. Furthermore, Cornelia assumes all of the domestic responsibility while her father nonchalantly goes about painting, unconcerned with surmounting debts and their inability to purchase the most basic necessities, such as food. As much about the struggle to love her father in spite of his short-comings as the novel is about her subsequent romances, I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter follows Cornelia through her quest to find true love, to determine whether Rembrandt is her biological father, and to overcome a devastating tragedy.
Key Issues: poverty, tragedy, family, romance, coming of age.
Warnings: mild sexual references (mention of nudity and illegitimacy) and the death of a main character.
Audience: I would recommend this book for 9th grade students to adult readers, particularly women. Because of the focus on romance and the father-daughter relationship, I do not believe most male readers would enjoy the novel; however, anyone interested in art would probably love the novel.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Cullen refers to various paintings by Rembrandt throughout the novel. Have students create a power point presentation and speech discussing some of these paintings.
2. Show the class a painting by Rembrandt and have them write creatively about what the painting means to them in a journal, or to be turned in for an informal assessment.
3. Compare and contrast the novel to other works of fiction or nonfiction that explore the history of the plague in Europe. One example could be Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.”
4. Have students rewrite the ending of the novel and change which male character Cornelia ends up falling in love with, or rewrite who winds up being Cornelia’s biological father. They should investigate what effect this change has on the story’s plot and ending.
Genre: historical fiction, romance, art history fiction, coming of age story.
Tags: romance, history, art history, Amsterdam, 17th century, plague, poverty.
Title: Wildwood Dancing
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publisher/Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf (an imprint of Random House Children’s Books)
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: Jena and her four sisters have been visiting the magical realm of Wildwood for nine years. By saying their names in the correct birth order, they are able to access this magical world through a secret portal whenever there is a Full Moon. When Jena’s father has to leave the dreary winter of Transylvania because he is ill, the girls must begin taking care of themselves. At only fifteen, Jena is a mature and responsible young woman. But her cousin, Cezar, becomes increasingly threatening of the girls’ way of life. Not only does he threaten their travels to Wildwood, but he also begins taking over their household, attempting to force Jena into marriage with him. Furthermore, the order of the Wildwood glade is under the threat of the terrifying Night People, a morose clan of vampire-like people with special powers. Can Jena stop Cezar from seizing control of her own and her sister’s lives? Can she restore the tranquility of the Wildwood glade that existed before the Night People’s arrival? And can she save her sister Tati from a doomed love affair with Sorrow, a lonely Night Person who may or may not be evil? In order to protect her sisters and the magical creatures of Wildwood, Jena must brave confronting Draguta, the terrifying witch who is ruler of the Wildwood. In spite of the danger, Draguta is the only one with the necessary knowledge to stop Cezar and the Night People, and set things in Jena’s world back in order.
Key Issues: finding one’s self, overcoming obstacles, self-reliance, being non-judgmental.
Warnings: Parents who object to fantasy may have an issue with the book. Also, there is one racy scene where a male character tries to touch Jena inappropriately (Marillier handles this incident carefully, so it would probably be an issue only for extremely conservative parents).
Audience: Teenage girls or adults who love fairy tales. Thematically, it would be appropriate for grades 6 and up; however, the diction is difficult at times, so only advanced younger reads should read it. I doubt most male readers would be interested.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Have students write from the perspective of one of the sisters other than Jena (Paula, Tati, Iulia or Stela). How would this change the story if one of these other sisters was the protagonist?
2. Have students rewrite a well-known fairy-tale, as Marillier does with “The Frog Prince.”
3. Have students research folk and fairy tale motifs and identity the various ones that Marillier uses throughout the novel. They may then write their own story, or write a paper analyzing Marillier’s use of these motifs.
4. Have students give an oral report, in groups, about various subjects brought up in the book. For instance: Night People, Draguta, Transylvania, Romania and other types of pertinent folklore within the story.
Genre: fairy tale, folk tale, supernatural fiction, fantasy
Tags: fairy tales, fantasy, romance, Transylvania.
Title: Messenger
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher/Imprint: Houghton Mifflin
Copyright Date: 2004
Plot: Messenger is the third book in Lois Lowry’s loose trilogy that started with The Giver and continued with Gathering Blue. Messenger is about a boy named Matty who lives in a peaceful place called Village with his guardian, a man named Seer. Jonas, the main character of The Giver, returns as the leader of Village and plays a supporting role. Matty is a young boy about to come of age and receive his “real” name: the title of the job he will have. Matty hopes to receive the name Messenger because he is one of the few people who can travel through the evil forest that surrounds Village to deliver messages to other towns. However, the townspeople are slowly being corrupted and are beginning to refuse newcomers to Village. When they decide to shut the town off from the outside world, it is up to Matty to travel through the forest and reach a neighboring town to find Seer’s daughter Kira.
Key Issues: coming of age, self-sacrifice, the importance of work and fulfilling your role in life, friendship, the value of kindness
Warnings: The book contains a few scary scenes and (spoiler alert) the main character sacrifices himself at the end. But like most of Lois Lowry’s books, there is no controversial material or language.
Audience: Good for boys or girls from the 5th grade up. Younger kids might not catch some of the heavier themes, but a competent teacher could help them with that. Older kids might find it a bit juvenile or too easy to read, but it would be good for independent reading (especially if paired with the other two books in the trilogy)
Teaching Ideas: Messenger makes for an excellent introduction to dystopian fiction (although not as good of an introduction as The Giver). Teachers could use Messenger as a short, easy read to introduce students to heavier books such as Brave New World or 1984. Another idea is to have students say which character they would most like to be and why based on what their “name” or role is in the community (Messenger, Seer, Leader, Stocktender, Teacher, etc…). Alternatively, students could talk about what they think their role would be in the community. A third idea is to have a class discussion analyzing the evil forest – throughout the novel it seems to possess an intelligence of its own and it warns people not to enter. The class could discuss and debate what the forest is supposed to represent or what its purpose is. Finally, for any class where you could get away with including religious instruction, you could have students look for any religious imagery or parallels between Matty and Christ.
Title: Small Steps
Author: Louis Sachar
Publisher/Imprint: Delacorte Press
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: Small Steps is the sequel to Holes, but does not star Stanley Yelnats. Instead, it is the story of Armpit, a 17-year-old African-American ex-inmate of Camp Green Lake. Armpit is trying to take small steps to get his life back in order when he is suddenly caught up in a shady ticket scalping operation with a fellow ex-inmate named X-Ray. At one point he decides to take his friend Ginny, a 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, to a concert for a pop star named Kaira DeLeon. As events progress, Armpit meets Kaira and the two strike up a romance as Armpit gets caught up in a police investigation regarding the scalpers as well as discovering a plot by Kaira’s managers to do away with the pop star and take her fortune.
Key Issues: life after prison/juvenile correction, doing what is right, race issues, self-improvement, redemption
Warnings: Although Armpit is 17, the book is written for and suitable for grades 5 and up. There are a few scary scenes and some sinister villains up to no good, but nothing crazy or inappropriate.
Audience: Grades 5 and up. Boys will like it for the main character and girls will like it for the characters of Ginny and Kaira. Younger readers might miss out on the heavier social commentary (such as the difficulty of being black, a teenager, and an ex-con). Older students might find the read a bit too easy, but it would still be good for independent reading.
Teaching Ideas: If time permits, this book could easily be paired up with Holes. One teaching idea would be to have a class discussion about what life would be like after leaving a correctional facility (whether it be Camp Green Lake or an actual prison) and whether or not it would be easier or more difficult for one race or another. The teacher could even do a bit of research and tie the book in with news stories or current events involving ex-prisoners doing either good or bad. Another teaching idea would be to teach students about the term ‘serendipity’ (a fortuitous series of events that leads to some positive outcome) and explain how Armpit’s meeting and budding romance with Kaira could be seen as unlikely but serendipitous. Then students could write about an event in their own life that seems comparable. A third idea would be to have students write a police report or news article about the scalping or the attempted murder of Kaira. Finally, students could write their own “sequel” to Holes involving Stanley Yelnats and tell how they think is life is progressing after being found innocent and becoming rich.
Title: Story of a Girl
Author: Sara Zarr
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: Deanna Lambert has just finished tenth grade at Terra Nova high school in Pacifica, CA. When Deanna was thirteen, her father caught her having sex with seventeen-year-old Tommy in the back of his car. It's now three years later, and Deanna is still struggling to overcome the negative consequences that followed the sexual encounter. Deanna has been labeled as a slut at school, and she has never been forgiven by her father. Deanna has a negative view of herself and her life in Pacifica, and she struggles to have faith and confidence in herself. Deanna finds solace in her two close friends and in her role as the aunt of her teenage sister's baby. Deanna faces conflicts with herself, her family members, and her friends, which she ultimately resolves.
Key Issues: teenage self-image and reputation, teenage sex, family conflict, rejection, friendship, teenage parenting, working class culture
Warnings: The narrator of this book is a teenager who often uses crude slang and phrases. Curse words occur fairly often in this book. The story is centered around the effects of a sexual encounter between a thirteen-year-old and a seventeen-year-old.
Audience: Most likely High School. The writing style and themes are not very complex and would be appropriate for middle school and early high school reading levels; however, the foul language and topic of sex may not be appropriate until later in high school.
Teaching Ideas: I would not choose this book to teach to a whole class. If a student wanted to read it outside of school, I would advise the parents to be aware of the language and content. In my opinion, the themes and characters were not deeply developed, so I would have a harder time justifying the use of crude language. If this was chosen for a book club or individual read, discussion and/or writing topics could include: one's reputation at school -- how it is formed and how it can be changed; teenager's relationship with parents -- think about a conflict you had with parent or sibling that you overcame; and struggle with self-image -- how can one's confidence in one’s self decrease and increase?
Title: It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Author: Ned Vizzini
Publisher: Hyperion Paperbacks
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: The narrator, Craig Gilner, is an intelligent, witty, and kind-hearted fifteen-year-old who is battling severe depression. Craig lives in New York City with his supportive and loving mother, father, and little sister. He is unable to sleep, unable to keep food down, unmotivated to get out of bed, and consistently challenged by the voice of a general in his head. Craig does not understand the specific changes that have taken place in his mind, or how to correct them, but he recognizes that he began feeling this way after starting at Manhattan’s highly competitive Executive Pre-Professional High School. Craig tries desperately, with the help of therapists and medication, to bring on the big “Shift” that he knows must take place in his brain in order to pull him out of his current mental state. It is not until he nearly commits suicide and ends up in the mental hospital that Craig begins to make the positive shifts he’s been hoping for. In the hospital, Craig meets people of all sorts, makes quality friendships, and has time to reflect on and let go of the pressures that had brought him into severe depression.
Key Issues: depression, pressure to succeed, coming of age, friendship, love, following one’s passion
Warnings: Although the story revolves around the heavy issue of depression, it is narrated intelligently and wittily, and it offers hope and resolution to the difficult and sometimes hopeless feeling of depression. Some scenes contain experimental behavior typical of teenage years such as smoking pot, cursing, drinking beer, and sexual encounters.
Audience: High School. The narrator is a mature and intelligent fifteen-year-old, and the language and subject seem best for 11th -12th grade. However, it may be appropriate for mature ninth and tenth graders. I would recommend this book to a student who is struggling with depression, as it offers a positive and strong character with whom to relate.
Teaching Ideas: I would teach this book to a mature high school class. It would most likely be best for small group work, to allow in-depth discussion about the issue of depression. Some teaching ideas:
-Craig loves drawing maps from his imagination. Students could draw a map of an imaginary place, or of their brain.
-Students could research clinical depression and how it is being addressed in the medical field today.
-Craig realizes that he has pressured himself into doing something he doesn’t really want to do, and eventually chooses to pursue his interest instead. Students can write a journal entry about a time that they felt pressured to succeed in something and a time they pursued something they really wanted.
Title: Masquerade
Author: Mellissa De La Cruz
Publisher/Imprint: Disney Publishing/Hyperion Books for Children
Copyright: 2007
Plot: Schuyler Van Alen is on the fringe of one of New York’s most elite, wealthy, and infamous social circles: the Blue Bloods. The Blue Bloods are an ancient clan of vampires with power, money, and style that have lived in relative peace…until now. Young vampires are being attacked and killed mysteriously. Schuyler and her best friend Oliver (a red blood, a.k.a. human) travel to Italy with the hope of finding the one vampire that may hold the key to solving the crimes – Schuyler’s grandfather. While she and Oliver comb the streets of Venice, the Manhattan Blue Bloods plan the annual Four Hundred Ball. The exclusive event reveals the ancient identities of the young vampires. But this year Mimi Force, one of the most powerful and most popular of the young vampires, throws an after-party masquerade. The party reveals as much as it hides. With love triangles, forbidden relationships, mystery and murder, this book keeps the pages turning and leaves the reader wanting more.
Key Issues: Self discovery, belonging, family, romance, murder, history.
Warnings: The novel contains some descriptive lust/love scenes that imply more than they describe. However, I did not find them so detailed that it would prevent me from recommending this book to older high school students or mature younger students. The language was mild.
Audience: Late middle school through high school students. The series will provide more of a connection for a female audience with the emphasis on fashion throughout the books.
Teaching Ideas: I would use this book for small group reading circles. Some of the content does not lend itself nor appeal to a whole class use of the book. Some teaching ideas that I would incorporate would be: 1) Have students pick a passage from the book and insert themselves into the dialogue. What would you say to the character? What advice would you give? Would you be a friend or an enemy? The assignment would provide the student with the opportunity to talk straight to any character. 2) Have students create a “family” tree for the characters in the novel. The relationships of the characters are central to the plot of the story. For at least 3 of the characters create character profiles to be included with the tree. The profiles should have physical characteristics of the character, personality traits, and some additional information that gives insight on the relationship to other characters. Creating a physical drawing of the characters may appeal to some students because of the novel’s heavy fashion references.
Title: Revelations
Author: Mellissa De La Cruz
Publisher/Imprint: Hyperion Juvenile
Copyright: 2008
Plot: The third book in the Blue Bloods series continues the saga of Schuyler Van Alen and the elite Manhattan vampires. Schuyler’s blood line is questioned as the mystery of the attacks on the Blue Bloods is investigated. The Silver Bloods, ancient enemies of the Blue Bloods, are back and someone inside the Blue Blood committee knows the secret. Meanwhile, Schuyler is forced to live with her nemesis Mimi Force, and continues to threaten the eternal bond of her lover Jack who is betrothed to Mimi. Schuyler must also come to terms with her relationship with Oliver -- her best friend, human familiar, and conduit. But while romance distracts the young vampires a dangerous battle begins to unfold in Rio de Janeiro between the Blue Bloods and the Silver Bloods and one vampire’s secret identity is on the verge of exposure.
Key Issues: Self discovery, belonging, family, romance, murder, history, good vs. evil.
Warnings: Much like Masquerade, Revelations contains some descriptive lust/love scenes that imply more than they describe. Again, I did not find them so detailed that it would prevent me from recommending this book to older high school students or mature younger students. The language was mild.
Audience: Late middle school through high school students. The series will provide more of a connection for a female audience with the emphasis on fashion and romance throughout the book.
Teaching Ideas: Similar to Masquerade, this book is best suited for use with small group reading circles. Some of the content does not lend itself nor appeal to a whole class use of the book. Some teaching ideas: 1) Have students recreate the front and back covers of the novel. Make sure to include a description of the book on the back cover that would sell it to your classmates. OR create a movie poster for the book. Students can decide who would play which character. Creativity counts! 2) The novel ends as a cliffhanger. Have students write the next chapter or a brief plot description of the next novel (which does not come out until October 2009).
Title: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher/Imprint: Anchor Books A Division of Random House, Inc.
Copyright Date: 2002
Plot: This book series is a great new product of fiction concerning Southern Africa, and the country of Botswana in particular. What I found most notable and interesting about the series is that it was written by a white man and it concerns the daily lives of African black women. The skill McCall Smith employs to craft his stories lies in his ability to empathize with others. When most people think of Africa, or Southern Africa, in particular, they think of South African apartheid, poverty, war, and Aids. Few people know the story of the democratic little neighbor of South Africa, Botswana. Botswana is portrayed by McCall Smith to be a beautiful, peaceful country, full of humorous simplicity and wholesome goodness. The first book in the series starts with the life story, thus far, of the main character Mma, (which is the Setswana equivalent for Ms, or Mrs.), Precious Remotswe. Precious has been brought up in a loving home by a modern father, who has allowed her to grow into a modern woman. In doing so, however, he has allowed Precious to make her own mistakes, and as a result of this she was briefly married to a wicked man early on in her life. This man, a musician called Note, ran off with another woman shortly after the consummation of their marriage and left Precious alone to miscarry his baby. Much of the book is also concerned with the back-story of the early life of Precious’ father, Rra, or Mr., Obed Remotswe, who was a great man. Much of his early life was spent working in the diamond mines in Johannesburg, South Africa. In these mines he encountered danger, cruelty, and sorrow. After witnessing four Zulus murder an Xhosa man in the mines, Obed, fearing for his life, escaped Johannesburg forever and returned to Mochudi, Botswana. Obed tells of how when he stepped off the bus in Mochudi, he wept, and a random stranger comforted him. This is the same sweet and genuine nature of the Botswana people that is displayed throughout the story. On his deathbed, Obed promises his daughter Precious the inheritance of his herd of cattle. As he lies dying he asks his daughter Precious to start a business. She takes his request to heart and decides to open Botswana’s first lady-run detective agency. Precious is a very intuitive woman and she learns, with the help of a copy of Clovis Andersens’ The Principles of Private Investigation, to read the truth in situations. Precious hires a plucky and spirited, but serious, secretary called Mma Matuki, and they begin to solve capers ranging from the simple problems of jilted lovers and ultraconservative Hindu fathers who don’t trust their daughters, to the very serious problem of a young boy abducted in Botswana for use in witchcraft and black magic rituals.
Key Issues: The issues dealt with in this book are mainly centered upon racial harmony, gender equality, and the cooperative, friendly spirit of African people. It is a good lighthearted, happy read.
Warnings: This is a very wholesome book. I have few warnings as there is little outright violence and no foul language. There are instances of real danger, but it is relayed with such levity as to consider it harmless.
Audience: This book should be targeted towards High School students. It may work well for use as a whole class, but using it for a small group book club might be even more fun, as students could talk more intimately about the subtleties of humanity that McCall Smith expresses so cleverly.
Teaching Ideas: I think it would be a great exercise to have students create their own mystery/detective story from the world they know around them. Like Alexander McCall Smith has done, students could take the ordinary and the mundane and express it in a way that is mysterious and interesting. Using your local high school as a setting, have them craft a story wherein someone comes to them with a problem, as a client would to a detective. Have them, in their story, follow procedural steps, like Mma Remotswe does, in finding this problem’s solution. Another idea that may be interesting would be a character sketch of Mma Remotswe. Students could be as creative as they wanted in outlining the traits that made Precious a round character in the story, citing actual events that happened in her life. Students could create a life-sized cutout of Precious Remotswe and fill it with quotes from the book that exemplified a single trait she possesses strongly such as intuitiveness.
Title: The Miracle at Speedy Motors
Author: Alexander McCall Smith Publisher/Imprint: Anchor Books A Division of Random House, Inc.
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: This is the latest installment in the series about a ladies detective agency in Botswana that has now become an original television series on HBO. A lot has happened from Volume One to Volume 9: Mma Remotswe has, of course, been married to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, owner of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, for some two years and has adopted two Masarwa orphans from Mma Potokwane, who runs the orphanage. Her adoptees are a boy called Puso, and a girl called Motholeli, who is in a wheelchair. Throughout the course of the book, and the course of the series for that matter, the kind-hearted Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is always doing favors for people, like Mma Potokwane whose orphans he and Mma Remotswe have adopted. A recent development in the series is the promotion of Mma Makutsi from Secretary to Assistant Detective to Associate Detective. Mma Makutsi has also been asked by Phuti Rhadiphuti, proprietor of the Double Comfort Furniture Store, to marry him. At the very start of this novel Mma Remotswe receives a very threatening letter. Part of the intrigue of the first half of the story is who the letter is associated with; it is found to be related to someone very close to her. As the story continues to unfold, Mma Remotswe is approached by a new client who has no people. Mma Marka Sebina comes to Remotswe claiming that her mother and father had no existing relatives and that now that they are deceased she has come to find out that they were not her real parents after all. Through investigation, however, Mma Remotswe begins to suspect more and more that something is amiss with this Mma Sebina, and to further compound things this is when she realizes that someone very close to her may have been responsible for the threatening letter. While all this is going on, Mma Remotswe’s Associate Detective, Mma Makutsi, has convinced her fiancée, Phuti Rhadiphuti, to buy them a bed for when they are married. He does so and has it shipped to her house, only it will not fit. The movers are forced to leave it outside. It should be fine, but everyone seems to forget that it is the start of the rainy season. The bed is caught in a terrible downpour and is ruined before Mma Makutsi can return home in Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s tow truck to save it. This book is hilarious. Meanwhile, during this same torrential downpour, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni rushes out to help some random person who needs his assistance. The person in need turns out to be a doctor who says that he can fix the problem with Motholeli’s legs and that he can make her walk again even though all other doctors have said this to be impossible. This series of events sets the stage for the miracle at speedy motors to take place.
Key Issues: The issues dealt with in this book are mainly centered upon racial harmony, gender equality, and the cooperative, friendly spirit of African people. It is a good lighthearted, happy read.
Warnings: This is a very wholesome book. I have few warnings as there is little outright violence and no foul language. There are instances of real danger, but it is relayed with such levity as to consider it harmless.
Audience: This book should be targeted towards High School students. It may work well for use as a whole class, but using it for a small group book club might be even more fun, as students could talk more intimately about the subtleties of humanity that McCall Smith expresses so cleverly.
Teaching Ideas: One of the reasons that I believe that young adults will be able to relate to this is that the series has become such a staple of the daily dietary intake of pop culture. What gives this series merit in teaching it to kids is the endearing way with which Alexander McCall Smith expresses the purity and good nature of the people of Botswana in telling his story. This can lead to great writing assignments wherein students empathize with those they have very little in common with. Students can attempt to design a story about people they know very little about. Their story should be told from the perspective of someone who is completely different from themselves. This character must be either of another race, gender, religious background, or country. The student must attempt to empathize with their very different character and relate events from their daily life in a way that helps to express the similarity between all people.
Title: Massive
Author: Julia Bell
Publisher/Imprint: Simon Pulse/ Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Copyright: 2002
Plot: Carmen is a freshman in high school and she lives in a small town in England. She is somewhat shy and awkward, as to be expected at this age, and faces many challenges, such as a rocky relationship with her mother, Maria. Her “mum”, on the other hand, is not your typical mother. She is obsessed with her weight and diets constantly to maintain an unhealthy, low body mass. Maria is so paranoid about body image that she even insists upon Carmen following her strict, bizarre diets. The book provides a realistic insight to eating disorders and the stress it is places on a person, their family, and relationships.
Key Issues: Eating disorders, divorce, changing schools, friendship, relationships, and family issues.
Warnings: Drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex, profanity, and graphic descriptions of eating disorders.
Audience: The book is geared towards a female audience between the ages of 13 and 16 and is written specifically for people who have dealt with eating disorders. But, the issues are not necessarily suitable for young girls and I would be cautious to suggest this novel to a student.
Teaching Ideas:
I probably would not teach the book, but if I were to use it in the classroom I would suggest it for an individual reader or a small book club.
1. For pre-reading, students should study British culture (it will help them to understand some of the terminology/dialect at least).
• Research online to find common English phrases
• Suggest watching commercials or short clips from England
• Write a summary of the clips and note words or phrases that are different from our own language.
2. It illustrates eating disorders from multiple perspectives, so students would benefit from studying some of those disorders in a small group setting.
• Have students research the disorders and role play
• Either create new dialog based upon their research or get into character and re-enact some of the events/dialog in the book.
• It will help them to form a greater sense of the mind-set associated with this disorders and highlight the negative consequences.
Title: Before we were Free
Author: Julia Alvarez
Publisher/Imprint: Dell Laurel-Leaf/ Random House Children’s Books
Copyright Date: 2002
Plot: Anita de la Torre is a twelve-year-old girl living in the Dominican Republic, during the 1960’s—when Trujillo was dictator. She never contemplates her limited freedoms, until her family starts fleeing to the United States. She finds out that her father and family members are in on a movement to overthrow the dictatorship. She struggles growing up through this difficult time, and eventually has to go into hiding with her mother; before fleeing themselves. It is a spectacular journey to take with Anita, as she makes her way through adolescence.
Key Issues: Hispanic, historical fiction, dictatorship, and coming-of-age.
Warnings: Depictions of death.
Audience: 8-12th grade.
Teaching Ideas:
1- Historical research: Small group--students will write a research paper on different aspects of life in the Dominican Republic during the 1960’s. They will be required to put together a small presentation about their papers, and present them to the class.
2- Creative Writing: Small group--students will act as if they are American news journalists. They will put together a news article that will be worthy of the front page of the newspaper, covering the difficult times in the Dominican Republic, and the influx of immigrants into the United States.
Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Publisher/Imprint: Little, Brown and Company
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: When Reynie Muldoon read the words, “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities,” in the local newspaper, he could never have guessed what would be in store for him. After passing several difficult tests he found himself in a strange situation—along with three other children: Sticky, Kate, and Constance. They were all asked to join Mr. Benedict’s quest to save the future of the world; by going on a secret mission to the “Institute.” They have to learn to depend on one another in order to succeed in their mission, but for them this is easier said than done. Mr. Curtain, head of the Institute, has been secretly sending messages through T.V.'s and radios around the world, so that one day he can manipulate every person’s mind into thinking he is the “master.” The children must learn his secrets before it’s too late, but doing this is no simple task. By quick thinking and bravery the children can defeat anything.
Key Issues: Friendship, bravery, mystery, and morality.
Warnings: None.
Audience: 7-12th grade.
Teaching Ideas:
1- Creative Writing: I believe this book would be a great addition to a child’s library, but not necessarily one I would teach to a class. If I were to use this in class, I would have a small group of students read this book and do a creative writing project from it. Students can choose their favorite character and write a paper about how they think the character should have been portrayed, or how they would act if they were in that character’s shoes. The students could also change the ending of the story, and write about how they would have liked it to end.
2- Art: I think children would have a blast creating a piece of art from this book. After reading the entire book, the students can create a map/drawing of what they think the Institute looks like. The book gives several descriptions of the Institute, which can aid in their creation. They don’t have to stick to paper and pencil; they may use any materials they choose. They will make a small presentation to the class about the book and the art they created from it.
Title: Luna
Author: Julie Anne Peters
Publisher/Imprint: Little, Brown and Company
Copyright Date: 2004
Plot: Regan’s older brother Liam feels like he is a girl stuck in a boy’s body. By day, he is Liam, a boy who gets good grades, has lots of friends who are girls, and fights with his dad who wants him to try out for every sport imaginable. By night, he is Luna, a girl who loves to wear dresses, wigs, and make up, and looks at herself in the mirror for hours. Regan seems to be the only person who understands her brother, and is the only one who knows his secret. Every day, Luna feels like she is trapped more and more inside Liam’s body. He doesn’t feel like he can show his real self, mostly because of his super-macho dad, and often gets depressed. Regan helps Liam through his times of depression and suicidal tendencies. Regan supports Liam when he finally decides to show the world who he really is -- a girl. They start out in safe places, like a mall 30 minutes away from their house. Liam changes his clothes in the bathroom, and emerges as Luna. They browse the mall for girl clothes, and Regan notices some stares and repulsed looks from other shoppers as they walk by Luna. When Luna notices herself, she is thrown back into her pit of depression, and continues to feel even more trapped. When Liam finds a fellow transgender on the Internet, he realizes he can take the first step to becoming the girl he wants to be, and maybe even eventually get Sex Reassignment Surgery.
Key Issues: Transgender, Coming of Age, Family, Love, Dating, Sexuality
Warnings: The book is heavily centered around the issue of transgender, which you may want to mention to parents before teaching. Other than that, there are no other warnings.
Audience: Upper high school, students who are mature enough to handle a story dealing with transgender issues.
Teaching Ideas:
1) Start a discussion with the students: Why was the story told from Regan’s point of view? Why were her thoughts and actions such an important part of the story? How would you feel, and what would you do if your brother or sister was transgender?
2) Tell the students to create a bio body of Luna. Have them describe why they dressed Luna the way they did. Would Luna describe this outfit as her “blending in outfit,” or her “prom outfit,” etc. and in what situation would she dress this way?
3) Play the “Carmen” CD that Regan listens to in the novel. While the music is playing, have the students write a journal entry told from Regan’s point of view. What would she say in her journal about Materas, about Liam and Aly’s relationship, about her parents?
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