ENGL 552-81, Spring 2009, Book Reviews, Round 2 of 3
Title: The Great Train Robbery
Author: Michael Crichton
Imprint: Avon Books – Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 1975
Plot: Edward Piecrce is determined to pull off the biggest bank heist/train robbery in England's
history. Based on a true story, this fiction work follows Edward Pierce throughout Victorian
England as methodically ingratiates himself with the upper crust of society in order to attain all
the information he needs to mastermind his ultimate crime; stealing gold on its way to soldiers in
the Crimean War. Pierce's charm and unassuming nature hide an astute criminal mind. He is a
patient mastermind, painstakingly assembling fellow felons and unwitting accomplices from
screwsmen and soaks, to dippers and snakesmen, and waiting patiently to strike at just the right
moment.
Key Issues: This book touches on what life in Victorian times in London was like. There are no
real emotional growth issues, or relationship issues. It's based on a true story of a criminal and
his cronies; however, there can be something gleaned from the role of women vs. men of the
time.
Warnings: This book does kind of highlight some ways crimes can be planned. Victorian
London was not always nice and genteel - bars, dog fighting pits, brothels and prostitutes are all
mentioned. With the exception of some graphic descriptions of training, baiting and fighting
dogs, none of the above subjects is written about in any great detail - they simply were part of the
life of London at the time. There are no explicit sexual scenes, but there is one brief part that is a
bit graphic about VD and the belief at the time that a cure for a man suffering from an STD could
be cured by having sex with a virgin.
Audience: This book is geared more for 10-12th grade. In fact, I started reading it because a
10th grader I tutor was reading it for his English II class. Mature audiences (those who won't
snicker at the notions of drunks, mistresses, and criminals) are a requirement.
Teaching Ideas: This is a great book to use in conjunction with a History/Global Studies class.
Although it's a historical fiction book - several true facts of the life and times of 1840s England
are highlighted and the excerpts from the real trial of the crime are used.
One idea would be to have students choose a character and write journal/diary entries as
the chapters, days, years go by.
Another idea would be to act out the trial of Edward Pierce and his cronies
A creative writing project describing the lives of the characters after the book ends would
be fun.
Title: Soldier Boys
Author: Dean Hughes
Publisher/Imprint: Simon Pulse
Copyright Date: 2001
Plot: At age ten, Dieter Hedrick looks up his Nazi Youth leaders; he wants to be strong and brave like
them. At age fifteen, he becomes the leader of a youth battalion charged with building a section of the
Luxembourg “Westwall” to protect Germany from the Allied advance. When the wall is finished, Dieter
gets himself assigned to one of the regular units fighting in France.
At fifteen, Spencer Morgan wants to be a hero like the soldiers who come home on leave to his
small Utah town. He especially likes the look of the paratrooper uniforms; the paratroopers are the
bravest. His only fear is that the war will end before he is old enough to join. At sixteen, Spencer drops
out of high school and convinces his father to sign the form allowing him to enlist. He soon is on his way
to paratrooper training in Georgia. After training, Spencer’s unit goes to France to reinforce the Allies
following the D-Day invasion of Europe.
Both Spence and Dieter begin to understand the true nature of war as they advance with their
units through the Ardennes forest during the Battle of the Bulge. But Dieter still embraces Nazi ideology
and wonders why his sergeant questions their purpose, telling Dieter, “There is something wrong with
German boys like us.” Dieter is troubled by this attitude and believes it could cost them the war.
Finally, both soldier boys’ armies are caught in heavy fighting with one another. At the end of the
battle, Spencer sees Dieter, wounded and calling for help. Spencer worries that Dieter will bleed to death
on the field, so he eventually decides to help him, sneaking past his unit's sentries. However, the next
morning, Dieter wakes up to the sound of German voices. He asks what happened to the young American
soldier who tried to help him. A German tell him that they shot the American for trying to take him
prisoner. Dieter's view of the world changes when he realizes that someone who is supposed to be his
enemy risked himself to save him. He vows never to forget it.
Key Issues: The key issues are idealism/ideology, war, faith, innocence vs. experience, death, and
sacrifice.
Warnings: There is no profanity. But the maturity of the reader should be considered because the subject
matter deals with war and death.
Audience: The reading level is appropriate for middle or high school, but the subject matter might be
better for 8th grade and above. It’s suitable for boys or girls.
Teaching Ideas: 1. Discuss the students’ reaction to the youth of the soldiers. 2. Define idealism and
ideology. Discuss how these cause each boy to enlist and why each boy believes his reasons are just. 3.
Students can write a letter home from the point of view of either soldier revealing how the war has/has
not changed them. 4. Use the novel in a cross-curricular thematic unit focusing on World War II. 5.
Explain the idea of archetype. How does Spence fulfill the archetype of hero and savior? 6. Discuss the
theme of loss of innocence as it relates to the boys in the novel. 7. Have the students write an alternate
ending to the novel in which the boys’ roles are reversed.
Title: Ophelia
Author: Lisa Klein
Publisher/Imprint: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: The Prologue of Klein’s story draws readers in by presenting the letter written to Ophelia
from Horatio following the fall of Elsinore and the death of Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and
others. From there we rewind back to before Ophelia’s entrance at Elsinore, as a young girl
living with her father and brother, Polonius and Laertes respectively. Readers follow Ophelia as
she enters as a lady in waiting to Queen Gertrude who is, at the time, still married to King
Hamlet. We see her fall in love with Prince Hamlet and then throughout the decline of the
kingdom after the sudden and suspicious death of the King. From this point on, Klein takes great
liberties in portraying the story from Ophelia’s point of view, a character who is almost
completely silenced in Shakespeare’s original play. Readers will get to see not only the story
from this quiet lady’s point of view, but also the events which ensued following those that are
already so well known. It is a tale of love and loss, sacrifice and redemption, weakness and
courage that I think readers will appreciate for its thoughtfulness and originality.
Key Issues: Love; heartache; sacrifice; redemption; loss;
Warnings: I have no warnings against language in the novel. There is mention of pre-marital
intercourse, though no details given;
Audience: This is the story of Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Because the central
character is a female I would recommend it primarily for girls in grades 9-12, however, if your
class is studying Hamlet I think it could be suitable for all students.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Because this is “the other side of the story” of Shakespeare’s Hamlet it would be easy to
use this novel for comparison papers/activities either as whole class or in small groups.
2. Since Klein has essentially already re-written the ending of the original story, it would be
interesting to have students discuss why they agree or disagree with Klein’s choices and
then either change her ending or Shakespeare’s ending yet again.
3. Have students make Life Graphs for the characters in this story as well as for the original
play and see how they vary.
Title: Fablehaven
Author: Brandon Mull
Publisher/Imprint: Aladdin Paperbacks (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division)
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: Brandon Mull opens his story as Kendra and her younger brother, Seth are heading to their
Grandparents’ home for a 17-day. Dreading the awkward weeks ahead Kendra and Seth prepare
to live with the only 2 grandparents they’ve never really gotten to know. What begins as a
mediocre 2-week stay turns quickly into a wildly adventurous escapade as Kendra and Seth
uncover the magical preserve, Fablehaven. Their grandfather, caretaker of Fablehaven, begins to
unveil the many secrets of this hidden world as excitement builds for Kendra and Seth.
However, as an annual event approaches, impending doom grips the household until disaster
strikes and Fablehaven’s dark side is let loose. Kendra and Seth must work together to figure out
a way to save not only their family, but Fablehaven’s entire magical preserve, but only if they are
willing to risk their own lives in the process.
Key Issues: Obeying rules and dealing with consequences; making hard decisions; making
sacrifices
Warnings: No warnings on language or content. There is a great deal of magic in the book, so
if parents or students or your school/administration has guidelines for handling magical/fantasy
stories I would suggest following the protocol for this book.
Audience: I really enjoyed this book and I think any student in grades 7-12 would really enjoy it
as well. In particular anyone who enjoys magical/fairytale/fantasy-type books will likely enjoy it
(including but not limited to the Harry Potter series.) I think boys and girls alike will enjoy this
book.
Teaching Ideas:
1. If you intend to teach students about magical realism or some other similar type of
literature this might be a great jumping off point for learning about magical elements in
literature. (An example of magical realism could be 100 Years of Solitude, or other
books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez).
2. Have students rewrite the ending.
3. Have students keep journals for any of the main characters and perhaps use these journals
to add to the story in places where we don’t hear from certain characters.
4. Have students draw pictures of some of the magical creatures from the story.
Title: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites
Author: Heather Brewer
Publisher/Imprint: Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: Since his parent’s mysterious death in a fire three years ago, Vladimir Tod has been raised
as normally as possible by his Aunt Nelly, a nurse at the local hospital. But Vlad is not normal;
he is the son of a human mother and a vampire father. To keep Vlad fed, Aunt Nelly takes blood
from the hospital blood bank and uses it to create special sandwiches, which she packs for Vlad’s
school lunches. Vlad’s best friend Henry knows about his secret, and it seems everyone else in
his class will too when a new substitute teacher assumes leadership of his English class
following the regular teacher’s disappearance. The new teacher, Mr. Otis, decides the class will
study mythical creatures, and he assigns the topic of “vampire” to Vlad. Even as Vlad attempts to
keep his secret hidden, he tries to work up the courage to speak to Meredith, the prettiest girl in
his class. When Vlad discovers his father’s diary and a book of vampire lore written in code, he
learns his parents may have been killed for breaking the law of vampire society. Now, he
suspects that a vampire is out to get him too, and that vampire may just be his new English
teacher.
Key Issues: Self-discovery, loss of parents, being different, bullying, middle school, crushes,
vampirism, myth.
Warnings: There is no profanity, but a few words—e.g. sucks, bites, etc—might be
questionable. Some parents will object to vampire fantasy. In addition, there are some grotesque
descriptions of drinking blood.
Audience: Middle school students.
Teaching Ideas: This novel would be best utilized by a book club, literature circle, or individual
reader. 1) Imagine you are Vlad and write journal entries for a few days based on his life and
how he feels hiding his identity. 2) Imagine you are Vlad’s best friend Henry, and send Vlad an
email message describing how it makes you feel to have a best friend who is a
vampire.3) Create a bio-body for Vlad showing the things he carries (blood, etc), what he thinks,
and how he dresses/looks (Goth). 4) Learn about and give a presentation on the origins of the
vampire myth. 5) Compare the novel to Bram Stroker’s classic.
Title: A Great and Terrible Beauty
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Delacorte Press (imprint of Random House Children’s Books)
Copyright Date: 2003
Plot: The novel opens on Gemma’s sixteenth birthday. She lives in India with her mother and father, but wants
nothing more than to return to England for a proper education. While walking through the market, Gemma and her
mother encounter a mysterious man and his younger brother. The man whispers a secret message to Gemma’s
mother, who immediately becomes agitated and demands that Gemma return home without her. During the long
walk home, Gemma has a strange vision of her mother committing suicide, which turns out to be true. After the
death of her mother, Gemma is sent to Spence, a prestigious boarding school in England. At first, Gemma is an
outcast at the school. However, one afternoon Gemma observes Felicity (the most popular girl) kissing a gypsy boy
in the woods. Gemma agrees not to report Felicity’s scandalous behavior, and the two girls soon become best
friends. Gemma continues to be tormented by her mysterious visions, but she is warned by Kartik (the younger
brother from the marketplace in India) that she must close her mind to them. During one of her visions, Gemma is
led to a cave where she finds the diary of Mary Dowd, a 16-year-old girl who attended Spence twenty-five years ago
and also suffered from visions. While reading the diary, Gemma learns about an ancient group called the Order and
becomes convinced that her visions are linked to it. Members of the Order have the ability to travel through a door
of light and enter the realm of the spirits. Gemma eventually tells her friends about her special powers, and they
begin traveling to the spirit realm together. There Gemma finds her mother alive, and the girls are able to achieve
the desires of their hearts. Gemma wishes for self-knowledge; Felicity wishes for power; Pippa wishes for true love,
and Ann wishes for beauty. Gemma’s mother warns her not to take the magic from the realm of the spirits back into
the human world because then the evil sorceress Circe will be able to find and kill her. However, the girls choose
not to listen to the advice of Gemma’s mother. They take the magic into the human world and soon discover that the
magic is evil. One evening, Gemma discovers a hidden picture and learns that her mother was Mary Dowd.
Gemma and her friends return to the realm of the spirits and are accosted by the evil sorceress. Felicity, Ann, and
Gemma escape, but Pippa is trapped in a river covered with ice. Gemma returns to the spirit realm to save Pippa,
but Pippa decides to remain in the spirit realm with her true love. At Pippa’s funeral, Gemma tells Kartik that she
will not give up her powers.
Key Issues: Making friends at a new school, The desire to be popular, Struggling with the death of a parent,
Supernatural experiences and visions, Making choices , Familial duty
Warnings: Mild language, Mild sexuality and nudity, Mild violence, Death
Audience: Females (ages 15 to 20)
Teaching Ideas: I personally would not teach this novel to an entire high school class because of the sexuality and
language. Also, I do not think that male readers would enjoy A Great and Terrible Beauty as much as a female
audience might. However, I still think that it would be a good book to use in the classroom in the form of literary
circles or individual book reports. There are a lot of thought provoking topics related to this novel that I think would
be interesting to discuss in a small group. One of the issues that I found most interesting while reading this novel
was the dynamics of an all-female boarding school in nineteenth century England. I think it would be fun for a
small group of girls to research boarding schools and present a report to the class in the form of a Power Point
presentation, poster, newspaper, skit, etc. Also, for students interested in history, I think it would be interesting to
research the British influence in India in the late 1800s. Of course, there are also the issues of peer pressure,
friendship, familial duty, etc. that would be interesting to discuss. There are four prominent female characters in this
novel: Gemma, Felicity, Pippa, and Ann. It might be interesting for four female students to read this novel, keeping
a journal from the point-of-view of one of these characters. Because of the mild language and sexuality in this
novel, I would send a letter home before allowing a small group or individual to read A Great and Terrible Beauty.
Tags: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Friendship, Coming of age, Self-discovery
Title: Drowning Anna
Author: Sue Mayfield
Publisher: Hyperion Paperbacks
Copyright Date: 2001
Plot: When Anna Goldsmith moves to a new town in the middle of her freshman year of high school, she
is immediately befriended by Hayley Parkin, the leader of the most popular group of girls in school.
Hayley buys Anna presents, compliments her appearance, celebrates her academic achievements, and
even invites her on family vacations. However, suddenly and without warning, Hayley begins to torment
Anna with cruel and constant teasing. Soon the entire school is participating in Hayley’s mockery of
Anna, even Anna’s best friend, Melanie. Hayley’s vicious and merciless behavior leaves a deeper
impression on Anna than anyone could have anticipated or imagined. Anna becomes extremely
depressed and begins cutting herself with her father’s razor. Finally, Melanie’s public rejection of Anna’s
friendship drives Anna to attempt suicide in her mother’s bathroom. Anna leaves behind a three letters
(one for her parents, one for Melanie, and one for Hayley) along with a journal filled with heartbreaking
feelings of worthlessness and insignificance. The reader is left to wonder if Anna will survive her suicide
attempt.
Key Issues: Suicide, Depression, Self-mutilation, Eating disorders, Peer pressure, Friendship, Bullying,
Family dynamics
Warnings: Mild language, Mild sexuality, Some of the issues addressed in this book are extremely
serious and may be inappropriate for an immature audience.
Audience: Females (ages 13 to 18)
Teaching Ideas: This is the first book that I have read for class that I can actually imagine teaching in a
large group setting. After reading The Chocolate War, I think that this would be a wonderful book to
teach alongside Cormier’s novel. These two books deal with several similar issues: bullying, peer
pressure, depression, etc. However, Drowning Anna is geared more toward a female audience. If I were
to teach Mayfield’s novel, I would have the class choose to read either The Chocolate War or Drowning
Anna. I imagine that most female students would choose to read Drowning Anna and most male students
would choose to read The Chocolate War. However, I would not assign the books based on gender.
Because the issues addressed in these books are so similar, I think it would be relatively easy to design
activities and discussions that all students could participate in regardless of which book they were
reading. When teaching Drowning Anna, I would incorporate a lot of journal writing activities because
the issues addressed in this novel are so personal. Also, Anna herself keeps a journal throughout the
novel, which her mother discovers after her attempted suicide. I think it would also be interesting to show
a clip from the movie Mean Girls, because there are quite a few similarities between the behavior of the
girls in that movie and the behavior of the girls in the novel. The conclusion of Drowning Anna is
somewhat open-ended; in fact, the reader is not even certain if Anna survives her suicide attempt. I think
it would be interesting to have the students write an epilogue for the novel. Here are a few questions that
I would have the students answer: Does Anna wake up from the coma? Does she return to school? How
does Hayley react when she sees Anna again?
Tags: Teen suicide, High school, Depression, Bullying
Title: Identical
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Copyright: 2008
Plot: This is book is comprised of the inner thoughts of mirror image, identical twin sisters. It
is a snippet in the teenage lives of the sisters. Their mother is running for congress and is selfabsorbed. She does not live at home, although technically their parents are still married. Their
father is a prominent judge who enjoys alcohol and OxyContin.
It is a coming of age story and is written in a stream of consciousness style via the use of
poetry. The girls’ dysfunctional parents and home-life, as well as their own lives and
relationships at school and work, are presented through the girls’ thoughts.
Key Issues: Sexual Abuse; Substance Abuse; Eating Disorders; Dysfunctional Family Life;
Teen Love/Lust; Mental Disorders; Death
Warnings: This book is very explicit in its portrayal of sexual abuse, drug abuse, and eating
disorders.
Audience: 16-18 year old, mature girls. A 17 year old girl recommended I read this book and
also enjoyed the others in the series. Each book by this author is meant to be read separately,
although they are grouped as a series. I definitely read the book quickly, cringing at parts, but
could not help but reflect and think about it after I finished.
Teaching Ideas: This book could never be used as book for an entire class group; however,
very mature female students in a book group would benefit from discussing the very serious, but
very plausible scenarios in the book.
The book is written using several different styles of poetry; having the students create a picture
poem or haiku about an incident in the book could be used to teach poetry style. Another idea
may be to have the students start journaling for themselves, to work through some issues they
may have in common with the characters in the book.
Title: Fever 1793
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Copyright Date: 2000
Plot: Mattie Cook, a fourteen-year-old girl, has the same troubles that most teenage girls face:
listening to her mother, wondering if that certain cute boy likes her, and what she wants to do
with her life. Same troubles...except that Mattie lives in eighteenth century Philadelphia at the
onset of the yellow fever epidemic. Mattie's mother owns a coffee shop (one of the only
occupations deemed acceptable for a widow) with her father-in-law. The story opens with the
sudden death of Polly, one of the workers in the coffeehouse. Mattie not only must fight for her
own survival, but also nurse the ones she loves dearly.
When her mother falls ill, both Mattie and her grandfather must escape to the country
where the air is "better," leaving her mother and their only other servant Eliza behind. When they
re-enter the city weeks later, Philadelphia is a different place. Finding the coffee shop looted,
assuming her mother is dead, and dealing with the painful death of her grandfather, Mattie turns
to Eliza. She spends time in the slave community, nursing the sick and helping orphans find
homes. After adopting a little girl of her own, Mattie decides its time to re-open the coffeehouse
herself. It is then that she realizes what her life is all about.
Key Issues: Loss of parents. Battling illness. Life in the late 1700s. Friendship. Overcoming
obstacles.
Warnings: There is no harsh language at all. Younger readers may need help with the historical
context of the book.
Audience: For younger readers, probably grades 4th through 8th. Girls will enjoy this book more
because of the female protagonist. She also spends much time thinking about Nathaniel, her love
interest, as well as clothing, etc.
Teaching ideas:
-The topics and issues of the book lend themselves easily to group discussions--especially in
history class. Science classes could also study how a disease like this spreads, and how it was
prevented.
- What other plagues have occurred in America...and in other places.
How does this effect a society?
- The main character in this book must rely on herself to survive.
What skills would you use to survive a plague or other tragic situation?
Title: The Night Children
Author: Kit Reed
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: Jule Devereaux’s parents disappeared years ago, the day before the opening of the
Castertown MegaMall, the largest mall in the world.
After her aunt also disappears, Jule finds herself locked in the mall after closing time.
Here in the dark she finds a world that she, and the town, never knew existed. Gangs of
abandoned or lost children roam the colossal mall, scavenging out a life for themselves. She
finds herself in the midst of a tug-o-war between two opposing gangs: the Castertown Crazies,
led by the heroic and compassionate Tick Stiles, and the Dingos, a brutish band of State Home
runaways led by the bully Burt Arno. Another mysterious figure comes and goes as he pleases,
helping the children avoid the Security Guards and tipping them off to a greater danger looming.
The billionaire owner Amos Zozz knows all about the children and is hatching a plan to
exterminate them.
Key Issues: Loss of parents. Consumerism, greed, and corporate evils. The abuse that the lowly
suffer at the hands of the rich. Learning the importance of depending on friends and community.
Overcoming hardships and growing from it.
Warnings: There is no harsh language at all. Younger readers will be frightened by some of the
creepy situations and the bizarre villain. Some parents may think the book glorifies standing up
to your parents and taking refuge in gangs. Others may not like the attacks on American
consumer culture. Overall, a pretty harmless, fun read.
Audience: For younger readers, probably grades 4th through 8th. Boys would probably be
slightly more thrilled by the free-running gangs, but two of the main characters are strong
females. Good for readers who have lost parents or consider themselves loners.
Teaching ideas:
-The topics and issues of the book lend themselves easily to group discussions of corporate
greed, consumerism, the complacency of the rich, etc.
- Amos’ tyrannical rule of his “suits” and security guards that work for him, as well as his
obsessive hate for children and desire to exterminate them echoes Hitler and holocaust events.
This could be a good tie-in for a thematic unit, and useful for comparing and contrasting.
- The children in the books rely on their peers to survive and lead lives completely void of
parental influence. Many students may relate somewhat to this situation and be inspired in their
personal writing.
Title: Ida B
Author: Katherine Hannigan
Publisher/Imprint: Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright Date: 2004
Plot: Ida B Applewood has the most enjoyable life of all the children in her town. As a
homeschooled girl, she is able to learn with her mother and father, and spend all of her free time
wading in the creek near her house, talking to the trees in the family orchard, and playing with
her slobbery dog, Rufus. She is very connected to nature and she describes what its like to be
able to talk to trees and animals, and the importance of listening to what they have to say back.
Ida Bs life is perfect until her mother is diagnosed with cancer and the family’s lives are turned
upside down. Since her mom is too sick to teach her, and her dad is busy with the orchard, Ida B
must return to Ernest B. Lawson Elementary School, where she hadn’t stepped foot in since
kindergarten. Ida B hates everything about school- the teachers who call her Ida instead of her
preferred nickname, Ida B, all of the exciting things in the classroom that you’re not allowed to
touch until it’s time, and the kids who aren’t nearly as fun to talk to as the trees in the orchard.
Even more things in Ida B’s life begin changing as her father must sell portion of the orchard,
and dozens of trees are cut down to make room for new homes. When Ida B learns that it is the
family of a girl in her class who is buying the orchard, she goes out of her way to be rude to her
classmate. With the help of her teacher, Mrs. Washington, Ida B learns to deal with change, how
to open up to new people, and the meaning of remorse.
Key Issues: Family, Forgiveness, Friendship, Nature, Illness
Warnings: Ida B’s mother develops cancer early on the book. However, the disease isn’t
discussed in any large amount of detail.
Audience: Early middle school- 6th and 7th grade.
Teaching Ideas:
1) Have students write letters or questions on a piece of paper with their name and the
school’s address, and put them in a bottle like Ida B does in the beginning of the novel.
Have the students send them out to sea, or down a river, and see if they get a response by
the end of the school year.
2) A major theme in the book is connecting with nature. Take a quick trip outside to the school
grounds and have students pick a tree, plant or animal that they see. Have them write a short
story from the plant or animals perspective telling about their life.
3) Arrange the student in Socratic circles, and have the inside circle discuss Ida Bs behavior
throughout the book. How must she have been feeling when she discovered her mom was sick?
Should she have handled the situation with Claire differently, or did she have a right to act out
the way she did? After the inside circle has spoken, have the groups switch to give the other
students a chance to voice their opinion.
Title: Second Helpings
Author: Megan McCafferty
Publisher/Imprint: Three Rivers Press
Copyright Date: 2003
Plot: Jessica Darling begins a new journal right before she begins her senior year at Pineville
High. She starts out by writing about her summer, which she spent at a camp for gifted students,
ironically called “SPECIAL”. Her writing classes at the camp are full of students who are even
more morbid and pessimistic than she is. No one in the class, including her teacher, Mac, seems
to think that Jessica’s writing contains enough feeling or realness. When Jessica accidentally
turns in her personal journal to Mac, instead of the journal she was supposed to write for class,
her professor is instantly impressed with the entries Jessica has written. When she tries to explain
her mistake, Mac encourages her to keep writing the way she does in her journal, and even writes
her a recommendation letter to Columbia University. When she arrives at school in the fall, a few
things have changed since junior year. The Clueless Crew has become the Clueless Two, after
Manda decided to sleep with Bridget’s boyfriend Burke last summer. Now that Bridget is no
longer speaking with Manda or Sara, Jessica must deal with the fact that she is now Bridget’s
new best friend. Marcus is still playing games with her head. One day he isn’t speaking to her,
and the next day he is wearing a handmade shirt with a quote from her favorite movie. When
Jessica discovers that Marcus is working at the nursing home where her grandmother is living,
she is forced to see him more often, and therefore can’t get that question out of her mind- Why
can’t she get him out of her mind? Marcus continues to confuse her by setting her up with his
friend Len Levy, who is suddenly incredibly good looking after taking Acutane all summer.
Jessica writes about dealing with pressure from her parents, picking out a college, her selfabsorbed sister getting pregnant, 9/11, having a boyfriend, her unhealthy obsession with Marcus,
and her heartbreak as her best friend Hope is still living thousands of miles away from her.
Key Issues: Love, Sex and Dating, Friendship, Family, Peer Pressure, Coming of Age
Warnings: The novel mentions sex and drug use, but not in a way that promotes either one.
Jessica is a teenage girl dealing with these issues as they arise in a typical high school setting. I
would definitely recommend getting parental permission before teaching this book.
Audience: Junior or Senior high school girls, in small groups, with parental permission.
Teaching Ideas:
1) Have the students write column articles like Jessica does for the “The Seagull’s Voice.”
Have them discuss what issues in their school they feel need to be brought up, and let
them express their opinions in a journalistic format.
2) Tell the students to break into groups and write 6 word memoirs about a couple of the
characters. The novel is full of fun and interesting characters, so the possibilities are
endless. Have them share their memoirs out loud.
3) Many references are made to the poem that Marcus wrote for Jessica last year. Talk to
the students about the structure of the poem, and have them write a couple themselves, on
which ever topic they prefer.
Title: Fire From the Rock
Author: Sharon M. Draper
Publisher/Imprint: Dutton Children’s Books a division of the Penguin Group
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: Based on true events set in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, Fire from the Rock follows the
story of Sylvia Patterson, an eighth grader who is chosen to be one of the first students to attend
an integrated high school. The reader closely follows Sylvia’s decision to attend the integrated
high school and the pressure and prejudice she and her family receive from people of all racial
backgrounds. The novel examines the racial tension of the time, incorporating such issues as the
murder of Emmett Till, Brown versus the Board of Education, the bombing of Martin Luther
King, Jr.’s home, and the Montgomery bus boycott.
Key Issues: Coming of age, racism, school integration, peer pressure
Warnings: The novel uses such racial slurs as “nigger” and “coon” a few times. Other than
that, the language is appropriate for a middle school audience. I think you would definitely want
to send a note home about the novel due to the racial slurs, putting the language in context for the
parents.
Audience: This book is written on a level for seventh or eighth grade students up until high
school. I would probably use it in middle school—eighth grade preferably. Male and female
readers would identify with the characters. Although the story centers on Sylvia, much of the
surrounding action involves her older brother, Gary—a character that many adolescent boys
would be able to relate to.
Teaching Ideas: 1. Sylvia keeps a diary all throughout the novel. Keep a diary from the
perspective of another character. 2. Sylvia writes about some pretty heavy issues in her diary.
You could post her diary entry on the overhead and have students do a quick responses to the
entry to jump start a discussion. 3. Show clips of these real life events from United Streaming in
order to make these events “more real” for your students. This would be especially effective for
pre-reading. 4. Music is incorporated into the novel. Do a writing activity with the music of the
50’s. 5. Sylvia writes poetry throughout the novel. Have students try to model some of her
techniques or experiment with their own. 6. Research projects on Emmett Till, MLK Jr., Brown
v. the Board of Ed, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, etc. 7. Sylvia questions the models in
magazines like LIFE and Ebony. Examine magazine ads of that time. How do they portray
race? Do they incorporate various races at all? How does that compare with the way race is
portrayed in the media today?
Title: Jude
Author: Kate Morgenroth
Publisher/Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Copyright Date: 2004
Plot: Jude is a 15 year-old high school student who has been raised since birth by his abusive,
drug-dealing father. In a drug deal gone sour, his father is shot and Jude is placed in the care of
the mother he thought abandoned him who also happens to be the district attorney in charge of
his father’s murder case. In a matter of weeks, Jude’s life transforms from one of poverty to one
of relative luxury. He leaves his old neighborhood and moves in with his biological mother. He
transfers to an expensive private school, where he has trouble acclimating to the more rigorous
academics. Soon, the other boys discover his background and pressure him to help them get
drugs. When one of them dies of an overdose, Jude is implicated in the murder and sent to jail
for five years. He later finds out that he was somewhat set up by his mother’s boyfriend who had
pretended to be on his side. How will Jude overcome these issues and prove his freedom? Read
to find out…
Key Issues: Abandonment, loss of a parent, acceptance, peer pressure, juvenile delinquent
Warnings: There is a tremendous amount of profanity in this novel making it very difficult to
teach in a traditional classroom or even in small groups. Additionally, the novel also deals with
drug use and violence; however, neither of those issues are glamorized. The profanity in the
novel is the major concern. Perhaps in an alternative school setting with parental permission it
could be taught. Otherwise, I would choose another novel to avoid problems.
Audience: The subject matter, short chapter length and language make this novel ideal for male,
reluctant-readers. I would possibly teach this in an alternative high school for students with
discipline problems as a last resort to get the boys to read. They may be interested in the subject
matter and identify with the main character.
Teaching Ideas: 1. Jude must make many choices throughout the novel. It would be
interesting to pose different scenarios to students and have them discuss possible choices they
would make. You could even use the 4-corners technique to start discussion. 2. Keep a journal
as if you were Jude. How is he feeling? Why is he making the decisions he chooses to make?
Title: Life in the Fat Lane
Author: Cherie Bennett
Publisher: Delacorte Press, Bantam Doublesay Dell Books for Young Readers
Copyright Date: 1998
Plot: Lara Ardeche lives the life every teen dreams of—she’s thin, beautiful, popular, smart. And
she’s genuinely nice. After being crowned Homecoming Queen, Lara slowly begins gaining
weight. Unconcerned, Lara exercises more and adheres to a stricter diet plan; unfortunately, she
continues to put on weight and soon weighs over 200 pounds. Lara spends a week in the hospital,
where doctors closely monitor her, and she discovers that the cause of her sudden weight gain is
Axell-Crowne Syndrome, a bizarre—and fictitious—metabolic disorder. Though Lara’s weight
gain is a medical phenomenon, her so-called friends turn their backs on her, and Lara’s boyfriend
suddenly becomes disenchanted with her. Nobody cares that Lara is sick; everybody cares that
Lara is fat. Life in the Fat Lane is Lara’s story of what it’s like to be overweight in a society
heavily consumed with outward appearances.
Key Issues: Being overweight; body image; weight gain; obesity; bulimia; anorexia; identity
crisis; parental relations; peer relations; bullying; self-esteem.
Warnings: Sex is mentioned quite a few times in the novel, and Lara’s father abandons the
family after he is caught having a long-term affair with an associate at his work.
Audience: Though Life in the Fat Lane contains no violence and no profanity, some parents may
not approve of some of the novel’s contents—sex, infidelity, bullying, eating disorders—
therefore, I would recommend this book to students in grades 8-10. And, though I think it would
be beneficial if both males and females read the novel, I would recommend it mostly to female
readers.
Teaching Ideas: As a pre-reading activity, have students write a short essay about body image.
While reading the novel, have students discuss Lara’s medical condition. Have them split up into
small groups, and ask them to discuss how being overweight can affect friendships and
relationships. After reading the novel, have students write about any weight issues they have
with themselves or have them discuss instances where others were ridiculed because of their
weight.
Tags: Fat; eating disorders; body image; obesity; romance; acceptance; young adult.
Title: The Ancient One
Author: T.A. Barron
Publisher/Imprint: A Tor Book published by Tom Doherty Associates
Copyright Date: 1992
Plot: The Ancient One tells the story of Kate, a young girl who has gone to visit her Aunt
Melanie in Blade, Oregon. While in Blade, Kate realizes that the town in turmoil. For decades,
the people of Blade have prospered from clear-cutting the forests of Oregon. Now, there aren’t
any forests left to harvest – except for a hidden grove of redwoods in the caldera of a volcano.
Kate and Melanie try to protect the hidden forest from the loggers, but, in the process, Kate and
a boy named Jodi are transported back in time. They travel to the time of the Halamis, a NativeAmerican society that is also fighting to save the redwood forest.
While living with the Halamis, Kate learns that a monster by the name of Gashra is bent
on conquering the Halami people and on claiming the redwood forest as part of his domain.
Kate, Jodi, and their Halami friend Laioni are given the task of finding the lost Touchstone, an
ancient artifact that has the power to defeat Gashra.
After leaving the safety of the redwood forest, the threesome travels to Gashra’s lair and
recover the Touchstone. The Touchstone also gives Kate and Jodi the power to travel back to
their time. The pair arrives in modern day Blade, Oregon just in time to stop the loggers from
felling the forest. In the end, the redwood forest is turned into a national park.
Key Issues: Loyalty and friendship, sacrifice and selflessness, dealing with the death of a loved
one, and standing strong in the face of adversity
Warnings: At worst, it could be said that The Ancient One contains violence that would not be
suitable for very young readers (for example, Laioni is stabbed with a spear at one point;
however, there is no strong description of the wound or the act). This novel also briefly
addresses the loss of a loved one (Kate’s grandfather).
Audience: The Ancient One is suitable for males and females who are in sixth to ninth grade (or
11 to 14 years old). Even though the main character is female, boys will most likely enjoy the
book because of the high level of action and adventure, the male character Jodi, and because
Kate is very much a tomboy.
Teaching Ideas: 1. The book quotes some of Lord Byron’s poetry (“There is please in the pathless
woods…). Have students research the poem and analyze its meaning. Then ask why they believe Barron
chose to incorporate Byron’s work into The Ancient One. 2. After researching Lord Byron’s poetry, ask
students to write their own poem about nature. 3. Students can also study different forms of poetry that
venerates nature/poets who wrote about nature (Japanese haikus or the poetry of Emily Dickinson). 4.
Divide students into groups and ask them to pretend to travel back in time to the time of Native
Americans. Assign each group a people group, and ask the students to answer the following questions:
how do they live? What do they eat? How to they hunt/harvest food? Who or what do they worship?
Find a fable or story from your Native American group. Then, have students present their findings and
share the stories they found. 5. Provide a brief lesson on how to write a formal letter. Then, encourage
students to think of a cause they believe in, and ask them to write a letter to their senator or representative
that expresses their beliefs. Be sure to emphasize the importance of correct grammar and word usage
when writing formal letters.
Title: Cybele’s Secret
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publisher/Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: Paula, the daughter of a Teodor, a Transylvanian merchant, accompanies
her father on a trading expedition to Istanbul. While in Istanbul, Paula’s father hopes to
purchases an ancient pagan artifact. However, while pursuing the artifact, which is known as
Cybele’s gift, danger seems to follow Paula and her father. Despite the fact that Teodor hired
Stoyan (a personal bodyguard) for protection, Teodor is attacked and severely hurt.
After learning of her father’s injuries, Paula races away to confront the party she believes
responsible for hurting her father: a former pirate by the name Duarte de Costa Aguiar. Stoyan
follows Paula to Duarte’s boat, but before Stoyan is able to return Paula to her father, Duarte
gives the order for the boat to leave port – even though he knows that Paula and Stoyan are still
on board. In the meantime, Paula and Stoyan learn that Duarte has acquired Cybele’s gift and
that he intends to return it to its original resting place.
Thus, Paula and Stoyan are forced to help Duarte attempt to return Cybele’s gift. While
traveling, Duarte’s boat is pursued by another party who wishes to acquire Cybele’s gift for their
gain. While trying to outrun their pursuers, Paula, Stoyan, and Duarte find themselves in the
Other Kingdom.
After completing a series of complicated tasks and puzzles, the trio defeats their enemy
and returns Cybele’s gift to its original owners. In the end, Paula is safely returned to her father.
After their return, Duarte asks Paula to marry him; however, she refuses his because she loves
Stoyan. Eventually, Stoyan finds to courage to pursue Paula, and he asks her to marry him,
which, of course, she accepts.
Key Issues: The importance of truth, finding true love, refraining from judging people, never
giving up hope, following your dreams
Warnings: The love scenes in Cybele’s Secret are fairly mild (kissing at the most), so there is
little to worry about here except with the most conservative of parents. Several characters are
wounded throughout the story – Paula’s father is beaten, one character is shot with an arrow,
another character is stabbed with a knife, and so on.
Audience: Females in grades eight thru twelve
Teaching Ideas: 1. Paula loves to read folktales or myths. Have students read a Middle Eastern
folktale and a Western folktale. Compare the stories – are they similar? Different? In what
ways? 2. While in Istanbul, Paula learns a great deal about Middle Eastern culture. Have
students read excerpts from One Thousand and One Nights or another accessible/simple Middle
Eastern work. Ask students how their readings perpetuated their understanding of Middle
Eastern culture. 3. While studying folktales, ask students to write their own folktale or to
rewrite a folktale into a modern day version. 4. During the course of the story, Stoyan begins to
learn to read and write. Ask students to write a journal entry that considers what life would be
like if they could not read or write.
Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Miramax Books: Hyperions Paperbacks for Children
Copyright: 2005
Plot: Perseus Jackson, or Percy for short, has never been able to stay in the same school for more
than six months. Strange things happen to him, and these strange events are usually bad enough
to get him expelled. But at Yancy Academy, things are going pretty well for Percy. He is
managing to stay out of trouble, he has made a friend, and his teacher, Mr. Brunner, believes that
Percy will succeed in his class. Then one day the students go on a field trip; from that day on,
Percy’s life is never the same. When his math teacher, Mrs. Dodds, turns into a giant bat with
huge yellow fangs, Percy knows that something is wrong. Then, when Mr. Brunner throws
Percy a pen that turns into a giant sword and Percy pulverizes Mrs. Dodds on the spot, he knows
something is very wrong. Percy begins to realize that the Greek gods Mr. Brunner has been
teaching Percy about are not myth, that the gods still have children with mortals, and that
believing in the unbelievable can be a matter of life and death. The father that his mother refuses
to talk about and the strange occurrences at school begin to make sense. Because Percy is not an
average 12-year-old boy. He is the son of a god, and when monsters begin attacking him with
full force, his mother knows where she needs to take him to keep him safe. Once he reaches
Half-Blood Hill, a safe summer camp for “half-bloods” like him, Percy learns more about Mt.
Olympus and the gods than he ever wanted to know. Poseidan, Zeus, and Hades have been
arguing over the thunderbolt that recently disappeared from Mt. Olympus, and Percy is the
chosen “hero” who will have to find the bolt and return it to Zeus to prevent a war worse than the
world has ever seen.
Key Issues: Growing up, Self-discovery, Relationship with parents, Doing things for others rather than
for yourself
Warnings: Mild violence
Audience: This book is appropriate for younger readers, ages 11-14. The plot is interesting and moves
very quickly, and while the length could pose a challenge, the text is not too difficult for a younger reader
to handle. It would appeal to both male and female readers. Although the main character is a boy, there
are several girls who are important in the plot of the novel.
Teaching Ideas: With a younger group of students (middle school) this book would be great to use with
the whole class. I think it would be very useful in a Greek mythology unit.
-The students could research the gods that they encounter in the reading and learn about the gods’ stories
and relationships.
-They could also do a family tree for the Greek gods and the half-bloods who are in the novel.
-This novel could be used for a creative writing assignment. Using their knowledge from the research
and the novel, the students could write the story of Percy’s mother and father, or any of the parents of
half-bloods in the novel.
-For an activity at the end of the unit, the students could have a feast like the “half-bloods” do. They
could research Greek food, and each student could bring something in and tell the class about it. And,
of course, there would have to be an offering to the gods before the meal begins.
Title: White is for Magic
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Publisher/Imprint: Llewellyn Publications
Copyright: 2004
Plot: It has been exactly one year since Stacey saved her best friend Drea from the stalker who
murdered a girl at school. Stacey has a boyfriend who loves her and things are back to normal.
She thinks it is all over: the nightmares, the danger, and her guilt over Maura’s – the little girl
who Stacey was not able to save – death. But the nightmares are back, warning Stacey of
impending danger; somebody has been following her, leaving strange messages and the letter M
painted in different places. What does M stand for? Maura, murder, or both? Stacey has less
than a week to figure out who is after her. This time, it is her own life that is at stake. She
knows that she needs her friends and her boyfriend for support, but the nightmares and the magic
just seem to push everyone away. Magic is the only thing she can depend on, until a mysterious
stranger appears who seems to understand Stacey and her powers more than anyone else she has
met. In less than a week Stacey’s life will change, and she must fight to do everything she can to
save it.
Key Issues: Guilt, Trust, Friendship, Romantic Relationships, Growing Up, Identity,
Mother/Daughter Relationships
Warnings: This book has some language that could be mildly offensive (crap, shit, etc.)
Although there is not a murder in this book, murder is referenced throughout the story: the
murder of a teenage girl and a child. There are also some references to sex, although they are
vague.
Audience: This book would be appropriate for readers ages 14-15, or freshmen and sophomore
students. Because there is a lot of focus on Stacey’s relationships with her boyfriend, girlfriends,
and mom, it would be more appealing to females than to males. I would not teach this book to a
whole class, but it could work well with an individual student or a small group.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Students who have read the first book in the series will be familiar with Stacey’s nightmares
and will know how she used her dreams to help her find Drea and the stalker. Using their prior
knowledge of the series, the students could keep a dream diary/log describing each dream that
Stacey has in this novel and then use that information to figure out what the dreams mean.
2. Students could use the title of the book to do a symbolism exercise. They could write a short
analysis of the title, explaining the significance of the color white, and they could also discuss
what other colors represent to them. If they have read the first book in the series, they should
discuss the title of that novel and the symbolism of blue.
3. The students could put together a spell book like the one that Stacey has in the novel. They
could record the spells and home remedies that Stacey uses in the book, ask family and friends
for common home remedies and/or anything that resembles a spell, and do research to find more
spells/home remedies for their books. For each spell/home remedy, the students should write a
few sentences explaining where they found it and the history behind it.
Title: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
Author: Kimberly Willis Holt
Publisher/Imprint: Henry Holt and Company
Copyright Date: 1999
Plot: Thirteen-year-old Toby Wilson and his best friend Cal McKnight spend the summer of
1971 getting to know Zachary Beaver, “the fattest boy in the world.” The arrival of Zachary’s
sideshow trailer is the most exciting thing to happen in Antler, Texas, since Toby’s mom entered
a singing competition at the Grand Ole Opry. Toby and Cal’s friendship grows throughout the
summer as they experience the realities of love and loss.
Key Issues: friendship, small town life, the Vietnam War, absent mothers
Warnings: a neighbor/family member is killed in the Vietnam War; Cal makes fun of his sister
for being “flat-chested”
Audience: Young adult (middle school, high school freshmen and sophomores)
Teaching Ideas: News Broadcast: Produce an episode of the local news in Antler, Texas.
Include weather forecasts, human-interest stories, local celebrity highlights, interviews with
people waiting in line to see Zachary Beaver, etc.
Letters from Home: Toby writes a letter to Wayne, a soldier serving in Vietnam. Compose a
letter for a soldier serving overseas.
Genre: Historical fiction, coming-of-age
Title: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Author: John Boyne
Publisher: David Fickling Books, Random House Children’s Books
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: Written from the point of view of a nine-year-old protagonist, The Boy in the Striped
Pajamas is Bruno’s story of his family’s move from Berlin to Auschwitz, a concentration camp
located in Poland. Naïve and sheltered, Bruno has no understanding of his either his father’s role
in the Nazi Army or the malignant nature of the death camp he sees from his bedroom window.
From his bedroom window, Bruno can see hundreds of people wearing striped pajamas and caps,
yet Bruno does not comprehend that these people are prisoners—Bruno sees these people as
potential playmates. And Bruno does form an unlikely friendship with one of the prisoners, a
young boy named Shmuel whom he meets one day while secretly exploring the grounds. For
months, Bruno and Shmuel meet in secret at the fence each afternoon, sharing with each other
their thoughts and feelings, yet Bruno still does not understand why his friend is sad and skinny
and afraid. The day Bruno is scheduled to leave “Out-With”—this is what Bruno calls
Auschwitz—and return to Berlin, Bruno crawls under the fence and tries to help Shmuel locate
his missing father. They never find Shmuel’s father, and Bruno never leaves Poland. Bruno
never leaves Auschwitz. While searching for Shmuel’s father, Bruno and Shmuel are transported
to a gas chamber where they die together, holding hands.
Key Issues: Holocaust; social issues; prejudice; parental relations; bullying; friendship;
loneliness; human kindness; human cruelty.
Warnings: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas contains no profanity and much of the violence is
implied, not detailed; however, the novel’s horrifying climax is sure to raise questions and
provoke controversy.
Audience: Though Boyne’s novel is written on a lower reading level, the subject matter is very
advanced; therefore, I would recommend it to students in grades 8-10.
Teaching Ideas: As a pre-reading activity, write the term “Holocaust” on the chalkboard, and
ask students to write an essay explaining what the term means. While reading the books, have the
students discuss ideas such as these: what factors contributed to the Holocaust, what were
Hitler’s motives, who were his victims, how many people were murdered? After reading the
novel, have students discuss Bruno’s naivety—for it is ultimately his naivety that leads to his
death.
Tags: Holocaust; anti-Semitism; Fascism; hate crimes; friendship; young adult.
Title: The Children of Hurin
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien
Publisher/Imprint: HarperCollins
Copyright Date:2007
Plot: The Children of Hurin is an epic tale set in the distant history of Tolkien’s Middle Earth,
before the Dark Lord Sauron threatened the kingdoms of men in The Lord of the Rings. Instead,
the original Dark Lord, Morgoth, threatens the realms of the elves and men alike. The story
mainly follows the adventures of Turin the son of Hurin, who was a great hero among men who
was captured by Morgoth during a great battle. Morgoth has cursed Hurin and his offspring to
lived a doomed existence, and the story follows Turin as he tries to escape his fate, fight back
against the dark forces of Morgoth, reunite with his mother and sister, and defeat the dragon
Glaurung.
Key Issues: fate vs. self-determination, the sins of parents being passed on to their children,
love, loss, the horrors of war, and the price of glory and pride
Warnings: The Children of Hurin is much, much darker than The Lord of the Rings. There is a
significant amount of violence through both warfare and character-to-character conflict. The plot
also plays out like a Middle Earth version of Oedipus Rex, including incest. There are no sex
scenes, but there are references to nudity. There is some inter-species “racism” between dwarves,
elves, and men.
Audience: The book is most definitely not for young readers. It would most like appeal to the
older fans of The Lord of the Rings, and would be suitable for 11th or 12th grade English classes.
The language, themes, and content are far too heavy for any reader under this level. It would
appeal to boys and girls. Fans of Greek tragedies or fantasy will enjoy it the most.
Teaching Ideas: The big thing about The Children of Hurin is that it plays out almost exactly
like a Greek tragedy. Although it doesn’t take place in one setting at one time, the language, plot,
and thematic elements are all very similar to a Greek tragedy. Therefore, this book would be a
fantastic way of introducing students to Greek tragedies via a contemporary story. One plan
would be to have students read Oedipus Rex at the same time they are reading The Children of
Hurin, and have them compare and contrast different thematic elements within. Students could
also compare The Children of Hurin to The Lord of the Rings and analyze what it is that makes
the former so much darker and more mature than the latter. As a writing assignment, students
could pick a favorite character and expand on some of their back story or tell about a previous
adventure that may have been only hinted at in the novel. Students could have a class discussion
about various opposing forces within the novel (fate vs. self-determination, action vs. inaction,
personal glory vs. inner-peace, etc.) and argue which force wins over Hurin in the end. Finally,
artistic students could do artwork of a particularly important scene, and explain how that scene is
important to the novel.
Title: The Neverending Story
Author: Michael Ende, translated by Ralph Manheim
Publisher/Imprint: Firebird, an imprint of the Penguin Group
Copyright Date: 1983
Plot: The Neverending Story is a book within a book. In the story, a boy named Bastian
Balthazar Bux steals a copy of The Neverending Story and sneaks away to his schoolhouse attic
to avoid some bullies and read it in solitude. It turns out to be a fantasy adventure about a boy
named Atreyu who is on a quest to save the world of Fantastica from the Nothing which is
consuming it. As Bastian reads the tale, he becomes more and more involved in it even to the
point that characters within the novel refer to him as he reads it. Eventually he is literally
“sucked in” to the book and told to reshape Fantastica according to his own wishes. But as he
makes more and more wishes, he begins to lose his memories of reality and his life before
Fantastica.
Key Issues: bullying, the importance of finding a balance between the imagination and reality,
dealing with the loss of a parent, the importance of reading and writing
Warnings: None. The book contains minimal fantasy violence, no sex, and no foul language. A
few minor characters “commit suicide” by voluntarily jumping into the Nothing.
Audience: The book would be appropriate for almost any age, from 5th grade up through 12th
grade. It would work better as a full-class teaching assignment with younger students, but would
be a good book for small groups or outside reading for the older students. It is fine for both boys
and girls, but boys would probably enjoy it more as both protagonists are male. Fans of fantasy
novels such as The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter would enjoy it the most.
Teaching Ideas: The Neverending Story is a unique sort of book in that it references itself and
incorporates the very idea of reading it into the action of the plot. Bastian acts as a stand-in for
the readers themselves and symbolically shows the power a good book can hold over a reader
and their imagination. It also acts as an allegory for the very act of authorship, as the world of
Fantastica is nothing but the culmination of the imaginative creations of various authors.
Therefore the book lends itself very well to a wide variety of assignment types. For example,
many minor characters exit from the greater plot with a vague reference to further adventures
and the quote, “But that is another story, and shall be told another time.” Students could pick one
of these characters and tell the rest of their story. Another good assignment would be to have
students explain how they would shape Fantastica if given the power that Bastian is given. Since
Bastian uses reading to escape from school, his home life, and from bullies, there could be a
class discussion on the role of books in escapism and what other people use to escape their
troubles and whether or not this is a good thing to do or not. The book also lends itself well to
lecture or discussion on the importance of balancing reality and imagination and why too much
of one or the other can be unhealthy. Finally, students could compare and contrast the world of
Fantastica with other fantasy settings, such as Middle Earth or Hogwarts or any others.
Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Author: C.S. Lewis
Publisher/Imprint: HarperTrophy A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers
Copyright Date: 1952
Plot: In this book, number 5 of 7 in Lewis’ famous The Chronicles of Narnia series, we join
Lucy, Edmund, and a new character, the naughty and ill-willed cousin Eustace, as they journey
to Narnia. The three make their journey by way of King Caspian’s ship, The Dawn Treader, by
entering through a painting of the ship in Eustace’s home. On board the ship, the three children
find Caspian and his loyal servant, Chief-Mouse Reepicheep. The Dawn Treader is on its way to
fulfill Caspian’s promise to Aslan to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia. They first visit the Lone
Islands and are sold into slavery but soon released by the first of the seven Lords. At the next
Island they visit, Eustace retreats from work in a dragon’s lair and is transformed into a dragon
on account of his greed. Aslan comes to Eustace’s rescue in the night and helps him to realize the
error of his ways. Here, our heroes also discover the fate of another of the seven lords. They
continue on in this manner, discovering new and strange lost islands and with these discoveries
they uncover the fate of several of the lost Lords. Finally, our heroes reach the last Island on their
voyage, finding the remainder of the missing lords asleep. To awaken the three lords they must
travel to the end of the world. This is the point at which the novel becomes very interesting. The
journey to the end of the world results in surprising and strange lands and another encounter with
Aslan whose revelations change the course of the series. This book is an excellent read, but
beyond that, it is an intensely thought provoking piece of literature. When I first read Prince
Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in middle school, I was blown away by the level
of complexity of the story of the two coexisting worlds and the temporal and situational
resonances between each. These books opened my eyes to a whole new level of thinking,
literally.
Key Issues: The issues dealt with in this book are the potential references to religion. C.S. Lewis
wrote The Chronicles of Narnia as allegory for the Christian religious story. Another issue
addressed is Eustace’s facing the error of his ways and that in itself is a good moral lesson.
Warnings: This is a very wholesome book. I have few warnings as there is little outright
violence and no foul language.
Audience: This book should be targeted towards middle school students.
Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be an excellent source for creative drama for middle
school students as it is so fantastical and the characters are comical, entertaining, and would
simply be fun to portray in front of peers. This book would be well adapted as drama by having
students portray a chapter in its entirety as a play, with each student in a small group of 5
portraying a main character of the story. This would work well because rarely in the story do you
see a group of more than five characters together in a scene. It could also work well as a drama
by having the entire story condensed into a single play. This would be a very humorous way to
have different students groups adapt the story. This type of condensing of scenes would work
well as the characters in the story visit several different islands and do different things at each.
Title: Touching Spirit Bear
Author: Ben Mikaelson
Publisher/Imprint: Harper Trophy An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
Copyright date: 2001
Genre: YA Survival Drama
Plot: After assaulting a classmate and nearly killing him, Cole Matthews is taken into custody.
The boy he assaulted has brain damage and he will probably never fully recover, as Cole
savagely and repeatedly slammed his head into the concrete sidewalk. Cole himself is a victim of
abuse and his probation officer seeks a way to give him another chance. Cole gains admittance to
Circle Justice, a program espoused by the Tlingit Indians said to help lost souls find themselves.
Under the ruling of the circle, Cole is sentenced to survive a year of his life in nature on a remote
Alaskan Island. On this Island he encounters a huge white bear and is attacked. The bear is the
fabled Spirit Bear of Tlingit folklore. On the island Cole’s will is tested. His quest for survival,
and ultimately, for change is a rich and powerful story full of significance and import.
Key Issues: I chose to read this book because of the richness of the story that it told and because
of the powerful portrayal of the near death experience expressed within it that changes
protagonist Cole forever. One of the real merits of this book is the value it places upon the
beliefs and culture of the Tlingit Indians. The merit of this aspect of the book is that it allows an
instructor to provide insight into a valuable, disappearing culture.
Warnings: This book is fraught with angry, unsettling behavior on the part of the protagonist in
its first several chapters. However, with an enlightened sensibility to what has happened to Cole
throughout his life, one can understand the reason for much of his antisocial behavior. There are
some extremely violent scenes in this book, but it really is a great read, and the lessons learned
by the characters outweigh the negative aspects of violence, in my opinion.
Audience: This book would be excellent for any student, boy or girl, from grades 6-12.
Teaching Ideas: I have come up with two excellent writing assignments that coincide with this
book.
Tlingit Indian culture holds that all Tlingit respect each and every single thing in the
universe. Failure to harbor respect for the environment and anything or anyone in it held the
penalty of the loss of the ability to obtain food, and with it, the loss of the ability to sustain life.
How has Cole’s disrespect for the people and things he has encountered affected his life
negatively? What has he lost through his actions?
In Tlingit societies, the belief was commonly held that each person had a personal
guardian spirit to watch over him or her. Could Cole’s guardian spirit on the island have been the
spirit bear? In a short essay, tell why or why not, citing textual evidence.
Title: Born Blue
Author: Han Nolan
Publisher/Imprint: Harcourt Books
Copyright Date: 2001
Plot: Leshaya survives a near drowning as a four-year old only to be given up twice by her
drug-addicted mother, and then forced to suffer physical abuse in a series of foster homes. She
has little comfort until she finds her voice; she has an incredible and precocious talent for
singing. Her voice becomes her connection to the emotions that she keeps protected from others.
“All I wanted to do anymore was go down to where my songs would take me, down deep to that
place that cut and healed, and cut” (25). She isn’t always likeable, but she is believable. She’s
mistrustful, often angry and rebellious, and usually very selfish; she’s basically a flawed but
authentic product of a bad home environment. She has some hard lessons to learn, but she
eventually does learn them and connects to her humanity in the process.
Key Issues: The main issue in this book is the development of trust—both in oneself and in
others. Leshaya is trying to do more than just survive, and her ability to trust is essential to that.
It’s very much a coming-of-age story and deals with how a child comes to know herself and
discovers her strengths and talents in the process.
Warnings: This book has some realistic depictions of drug use, teenage pregnancy , and
physical abuse, and it contains some profanity. It definitely needs parental consent in order to
read it.
Audience: Although the novel has a female protagonist, she is tough and street smart. Her
problems are not gender-specific, and therefore this story could be enjoyed by boys as well. It
has too many tough issues to be appropriate for a young audience. I wouldn’t teach it to anyone
under 16.
Teaching Ideas: Because this novel deals with sensitive issues, I don’t think that it would be
appropriate for an entire class. It would work better with a small group that was mature enough
to discuss the difficult subject matter.
There are many opportunities for writing with this novel. For example, because Leshaya
looses most of the people in her life before she learns to care about them, I would have students
write to these people from her point of view both before and after she changes. It would be a
great novel to bring in other art forms: music, dance, drawing, etc. I would have students do a
project that examines their own strengths and talents using a medium other than writing.
Tags: YA, music, drugs, pregnancy, foster homes, mother-daughter relationships, singing,
physical abuse, survival, coming-of-age, realistic fiction, National Book Award author
Title: Monster
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publisher: Harper Teen/ An imprint of Harper Collins Publisher
Copyright Date: 1999
Plot: Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is in prison and is on trial as an accomplice to a murder, a
murder that he swears he had nothing to do with.
This book is about his experience in prison when his fate is in the hands of a legal system
that too often associates guilt with race and appearance—he is, after all young, black, and looks
very much like the rest of the prison population. He feels like he has stepped into someone else’s
life, like he has walked into the middle of a movie, and therefore, he decides to record his
experience as a film screenplay, complete with lighting and stage directions. The story that
evolves out of this experiment is a mixture of courtroom scenes and personal journal entries. As
he struggles with the horror of his situation, he begins to doubt some of his decisions and actions
that might have contributed to his predicament. He fights to not take on the shame of the victim
or the accused when all those around him doubt his innocence.
Key Issues: The main issue explored in this book is racism, but the problem of being judged by
one’s appearance would resonate for most adolescents, as would the dilemma of having to live
with the consequences of one’s actions.
Another important issue is the idea of justice being arbitrary and relative.
Warnings: There is violence and sexual abuse in this story that would have to be handled
carefully. Instructors should probably require parental permission to read this book before
teaching it.
Audience: There is enough testosterone in this book to make it more of a boy’s story than a
girl’s, but there is enough emotional depth to Steve Harmon to make it appealing to girls as well.
It would work well in an urban environment where gangs, crime, and violence are more of a
common occurrence.
It would be more suitable for older teens than young ones, and could be enjoyed by adults
as well.
Teaching Ideas: The frame for this story is very creative and a teacher could build on the idea of
documenting one’s life experiences in original and creative ways. The class could be assigned
the project of recording an event that led to some new sense of self-awareness. They could be
given the option to use any medium they wanted: film, music, poetry, power-point presentations,
etc. Another excellent project would be a mock trial in which someone was falsely accused of a
crime. The Crucible would be a good film to watch in conjunction with this book.
Tags: Trials, murder, prisons, racism, African-American, family relationships, crime, justice,
social commentary, race relationships, coming of age, National Book Award finalist, Corretta
Scott King Award.
Title: Al Capone Does My Shirts
Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Publisher/Imprint: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group
Copyright Date: 2004
Plot: After Moose Flanagan’s father gets a new job, the family moves to a quaint little island in
the San Francisco Bay—Alcatraz. Twelve-year-old Moose records his experiences living
alongside the country’s most notorious criminals in a series of journal entries dated January to
June, 1935. While Mr. Flanagan reports for guard duty at the maximum-security prison, Mrs.
Flanagan prays desperately that her daughter, Natalie, will be accepted to the nearby school for
students with special needs. When Natalie is deemed “not ready” and Mrs. Flanagan takes a job
as a piano teacher, Moose must spend his afternoons looking after his autistic older sister.
Following Natalie’s final failed interview, Moose decides to make the school’s director “an offer
he can’t refuse.” Risking severe punishment and his father’s job, Moose enlists the help of
convicted gangster Al Capone.
Key Issues: autism, family relationships, making new friends
Warnings: This story deals with autism, a subject that should be discussed with great care and
dignity.
Audience: Young adult (middle school and high school)
Teaching Ideas: In Their Shoes: Imagine that you live on Alcatraz. Describe what your life
would be like as a child (like Moose) living in the civilian residences. Now describe your life
from the point of view of a prisoner. Draw a map of Alcatraz that highlights your daily
activities.
The Rest of the Story: Tell the story of Natalie and Prisoner 105’s meeting from Prisoner 105’s
point of view. OR Describe the scene in the warden’s office following the laundry lecture.
What did Piper say to her father to justify her participation in the laundry scheme?
Genre: Humor, historical fiction
Title: Small Avalanches and Other Stories
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Publisher/Imprint: Harper Tempest/Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright Date: 2003
Plot: In this collection of short stories, Joyce Carol Oates attempts to capture the awkwardness, danger,
power, and confusion all associated with typical coming of age stories. Each tale features a female
protagonist who attempts to discover her identity while dealing with some sort of trauma. Sometimes the
girl overcomes her adversary, such as with Nancy in “Small Avalanches,” while other times she seems to
be crushed by it, as seen in “Haunted.” Almost all the stories deal, in one way or another, with a sexual
threat, and Joyce makes it clear that a girl’s sexuality is an important factor concerning her identity.
While not many of these stories are particularly uplifting, many are outright uncomfortable, their
exploration of topics pertinent to young adults would make it a valuable read for any mature young adult.
Key Issues: Coming of age issues like sexual discovery, problems with parents or authority, questioning
of identity, death of parents or loved ones, the need to play a role that society has assigned you, and the
awakened understanding that the world is sometimes a cruel and threatening place.
Warnings: This book contains instances of rape and sexual abuse, psychological manipulation, and
strong language. The only story I would not feel comfortable teaching at all would be “Haunted” because
of its intense language and subject matter.
Audience: Because of the content and the advanced writing style, I would teach this book to juniors or
seniors. One could possibly go as low as sophomores at the honors level, but only if the teacher has a
good understanding of the class’ maturity level. Teaching the collection as a whole may be difficult for
both girls and boys (for girls because of the repetitive trauma the female protagonists undergo and for
boys because the lack of any male protagonist), but covering one or two stories in a class would be
enjoyable for both sexes because Oates employs foreshadowing in a way to make the stories into minimysteries.
Teaching Ideas:
1. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is dedicated to folk singer Bob Dylan. Some
have argued that it is because of its connection to Dylan’s song “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man.”
Have students individually examine the lyrics of this song and attempt to make connections
between them and the story. Then, as a class, generate a list of these connections on the board.
2. Icy, Orchid, and Crystal of “Bad Girls” are all similarly classified as “bad” by the public. Have
students compose one six word memoir that represents how the public sees the girls, then have
students compose three additional memoirs for each individual girl. Share memoirs on the board.
3. “The Model” is roughly seventy pages, by far the longest in the collection. It is also the story
with the most ambiguous ending. Have students construct an ending for the story along with a
paragraph that explains why they wished it to end this way.
Title: Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend
Author: Carrie Jones
Publisher: Flux/Llewellyn Worldwide
Copyright: 2007
Genre: Young Adult Realism
Plot: Belle is the president of Amnesty International, the player of guitars, the Harvest Queen, and the
girlfriend of Dylan. This is how her small Maine town knows her and how she is comfortable knowing
herself. All of this changes one Saturday when Dylan announces he can no longer see her…because he is
gay. Suddenly the world erupts. Belle soon realizes that for the past two years she has been living her
life to please Dylan and, in doing so, has lost her identity. At first she is angry and hurt, but she soon
realizes that Dylan too felt forced to live a lie. Set on accepting and supporting him, Belle soon realizes
that her continued friendship with Dylan causes her to be the subject of hurtful taunts and harassment by
some of her classmates that she has known all her life. This eventually erupts in violence against both her
and Dylan. As she comes to see the ugly side of some, however, her good opinion of others is reinforced
when classmates such as the soccer captain Mike come to her aid. By the end of the novel, Belle
rediscovers her strength as an individual and is happy both she and Dylan can establish a friendly love as
their true selves.
Warnings: This book includes references to sex, graphic violence, the death of a parent, foul language,
and the treatment of homosexuality.
Issues Addressed: This book may be particularly helpful to students with medical conditions, those who
have lost a parent, those questioning their own sexuality or those who know someone who is gay, and
those who have experienced the end of a long term romantic relationship.
Audience: Because of the content I would recommend this novel to sophomores through seniors. It is
important to note, however, that the writing style isn’t extremely sophisticated and may be out of place in
an honors or AP class. The protagonist in this novel is female, but there are many male characters as well
as the important issue of homosexuality, which I think both sexes would be interested in talking about.
Placement: Whole class or small groups working with the theme of discrimination.
Teaching Ideas:
Prereading- Read the opening passage, which sets up a revelation by one of the main characters, aloud.
Have the students write a paragraph about what they think the character will say and how it will play out
in the rest of the book. Do not tell the students the title of the book yet.
Making Lists- Belle deals with problems and offers advice in the form of lists she types up on her
computer. Have students identify an issue they are having problems with or an area in which they can
give advise, decide on a tone (humorous, serious, ironic), and generate their own list. The students can
present their list to the class or hang it anonymously on a bulletin board.
Reactions to Tragedy- Everyday tragedies occur all over the world and inspire different responses. Break
the class into two groups. Have one group research actual instances in which strength and love have
grown out of a tragedy. Have the other find examples of tragedy and hatred breading more pain. Discuss
the findings as a class, focusing on the steps taken and elements needed to have a positive outcome.
Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Hyperion Book Press, an Imprint of Disney Book Group
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: Until now, 15-year-old Frankie has gotten by in the shadows of her confident and
outspoken senior sister at Alabaster Prep. But when Frankie’s sister graduates and Frankie enters
her sophomore year at Alabaster, things begin to change.
First, a run-in with gorgeous senior Matthew Livingston blooms into an unlikely
romance. Then, Frankie finds herself hanging out with all of Matthew’s charming and very
senior friends, starting with an invitation to a mysterious party that Frankie later finds out was
organized by the secret club The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Frankie’s own father, an
Alabaster alumnus, had been a member of this club, though he was never willing to share its
secrets with Frankie and her sister.
When Frankie learns that Matthew and his closest friends are leaders of this secret
society, she wants in. Everything seems to be going so well for Frankie. But why isn’t it enough?
Soon Frankie realizes being the girlfriend of the most popular boy at Alabaster and the adored
baby of her family wasn’t all that she was. She wanted people to see that she was more. And to
prove it, she would transcend the history and the mystery of the Loyal Order of the Basset
Hounds. Bunny Rabbit, as Frankie was called by her family, would emerge a lioness. Or would
she?
Awards: Printz Honor 2009, National Book Award for Young People’s Literature finalist 2008
Key Issues: Self-realization, coming-of-age, girl power, breaking rules
Warnings: Reference to teen sex and condoms; some kissing and romantic situations
Audience: Middle and high school students; may appeal to girls more because the protagonist is
a girl though there are also several male characters
Teaching Ideas: I would recommend teaching this book to a small group or for individual
outside reading mainly because the book may not appeal to boys. Some teaching ideas may
include:
1. In the book, Frankie learns that The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds is planning its annual
Halloween surprise prank at Alabaster Prep. But Frankie trumps their plans and orchestrates her
own scheme on behalf of the Basset Hounds. Why does Frankie do this? What motivates her?
Was Frankie being a cool girl with grit or a mastermind of no good and why? Write a paragraph
supporting the first idea and then the latter.
2. Create a bio-body for Frankie Landau-Banks. She is an ideal character for a bio-body because
she is quirky and embodies specific ideas and pursuits.
Title: Criss Cross
Author: Lynne Rae Perkins
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright Date: 2005
Plot: Becky, Hector, Patty, Lenny, and Phil have been friends for as long as they can remember.
There is also Hector’s older sister Rowanne, Debbie’s crush at school Dan, Meadow from
Hector’s guitar class, and Peter from California who spends a week in their sleepy town called
Seldem.
Criss Cross intermittently follows the thoughts and lives of these young teens as they
venture into summer on their own and with one another. For Debbie, a one-week friendship with
an out-of-town boy deepens her curiosity about fate and love and what lies undiscovered in new
places. Hector quickly learns the disappointment and self-doubt that can come with an
unrequited crush. But he also finds he has a knack for making music as learns to play the guitar,
and for now, that seems to be enough. Lenny, who has a photographic memory but spends his
time tinkering with machines, finds himself occasionally glancing at Debbie and teaching her
how to drive a car, but he isn’t quite sure why.
Eating cones at Tastee-Treat, hanging out in Lenny’s driveway listening to radio shows
out of his dad’s pick-up, catching lightning bugs at a block party. It’s another typical summer in
Seldem, but slowly the friends feel things changing. Time, mixed with part will and part chance,
will tell what the future holds.
Awards: John Newberry Medal winner 2006
Key Issues: Coming-of-age, fate, chance, self-discovery
Warnings: None
Audience: Appropriate for middle school and younger high school students; would appeal to
girls and boys
Teaching Ideas: I think this book would be ideal for teaching to a literary circle/book club because much
of the book is about the wonder, questions, and feelings of an emerging adolescent. The book lends itself
to discussion among boys and girls about all the characters and what motivates them as well as how
students might relate to them. It would also be a good read for outside class. Some teaching ideas may
include:
1. One interesting part of this book is that the characters often find themselves doing and saying things
that they don’t yet understand. For example, Lenny wants to teach Becky how to drive a car, and he lies
that his dad says it’s ok. Becky agrees to hop on the bus with Peter and see where the bus takes them.
Hector throws his elephant ear in the air hitting a woman’s dress when he runs into Meadow with Dan.
Ask students to think of a time when they did something impulsive and later wondered why. Write a
paragraph about that experience.
2. At the end of the book, Hector and Becky are singing to the guitar together, when each of them for a
passing moment look at each other differently. But their moments don’t coincide, and the moments pass
without note. (p. 334-335). “Their paths crossed, but they missed each other.” Re-write this passage as if
they had not missed each other. What might they say to each other? What might they do differently?
Title: The Oxford Project
Author: Stephen G. Bloom, Peter Feldstein
Publisher/Imprint: Welcome Books
Copyright Date: September 16, 2008
Plot: In 1984, Peter Feldstein began the Oxford project, a project in which he set out to photograph all of
the residents of his town, Oxford, Iowa. The town had a population of 676 people, and Feldstein
successfully photographed 670 of them. His goal was to capture them in their true sense, as they normally
looked on a day to day basis – not as they wanted to be perceived or how they would appear for special
occasions. Twenty years later, he embarked to do the project again, but this time, he wanted to hear the
peoples’ stories as well. So, he convinced Stephen G. Bloom to accompany him on the project, and the
two worked together to photograph and interview the people of Oxford, Iowa once more.
In the time that has passed, much has changed while much has remained the same. Through
Bloom and Feldstein’s work, readers are able to see how time has changed peoples’ appearances and lives
and are also able to stay how relationships have grown, changed, been created, or in some cases, been
broken. Each resident has a story to share, and from each story, a lesson can be learned – whether positive
or negative.
Key Issues: Coming of age, death, love, memories, friendship, storytelling.
Warnings: Some of the stories discuss drugs, sex, and drinking. Very little profanity is used. Parents of
high school students would likely find few problems with this book. The biggest issue some may find
with the book is that it is not a traditional novel. It is a non-fiction work that contains as many pictures as
it does stories. However, the visual rhetoric from the images is as inspiring and useful as the words.
Audience: High school students, whether female or male, would likely enjoy this book. It contains many
different pictures and stories from several different perspectives. Students with attention difficulties, who
prefer shorter stories to read a little at a time would also enjoy the book.
Teaching Ideas:
Have students do an “Oxford Project” of their own by breaking the students up into small groups
and having these groups photograph and interview other classes in the school. Each group should
have one class and should work together to develop a portfolio of pictures and stories. They
should then post these items to a website so that the other groups can comment on the projects.
2. Have students write an essay of their own story, detailing how they have changed in the last few
years. Have them write what relationships have stayed the same and which ones have changed.
Also, have them include pictures of their life throughout the story.
3. Have students choose three of the stories in The Oxford Project and write about possible future
events in those peoples’ lives. Students can determine where the choices that they people have
made thus far will lead them. Once each student has written his/her paper, have the class sit in a
circle and discuss why they selected the future that they did for the people about whom they were
writing. Then, have the classmates debate whether or not they agree with the future outcome.
1.
Tags: Non-fiction; Memoir; Short stories; Visual rhetoric; Photographs.
Title: The Tale of Despereaux
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Publisher/Imprint: Candlewick
Copyright Date: April 11, 2006
Plot: Kate DiCamillo's book about an unlikely hero details the story of Despereaux Tilling, a
tiny mouse with extremely large ears. Despereaux is not like other mice, certainly not like his
other family members. He doesn't like to sniff for food, isn't afraid of people, loves music, and
can read. His differences lead him away from the comforts of home and onto a journey
through the palace and a dungeon where he meets several interesting characters, including Pea, a
princess, Miggory, a mistreated girl, and Roscuro, a rat who loves light. Together, these
characters learn much about forgiveness and overcoming obstacles.
Key Issues: Forgiveness; consequences of one's actions; parental abandonment; risk-taking;
celebrating differences.
Warnings: Some children may not be emotionally prepared to handle the parental abandonment
issues. There are also some scenes of mild violence and scenes of death.
Audience: Late elementary and early middle school male and female students. Students who
enjoy imaginative fiction and animal stories would enjoy the book. Also, readers of DiCamillo’s
other books, such as Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tiger Rising, would likely enjoy The Tale
of Despereaux.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Have students draw comic strips of a missing chapter in Despereaux's story. This chapter
could occur anywhere in the story -- before readers see it beginning, an extra occurrence in the
middle of the book, or even after the book ends.
2. Make a bulletin board that is full of different positive characteristics (bravery, forgiveness,
love, etc). Each characteristic should be written on a picture of one of the characters in
Despereaux who exemplifies the trait. Place each child's picture on the board, and have each
child choose one characteristic each day. At the beginning of the class period, children should
place the positive characteristic beneath his/her picture and then go through the day attempting to
exemplify that trait, similar to the way that the character in the book did so. This activity could
go through an entire nine weeks, if there are enough positive characteristics listed. At the end of
the activity, have children discuss what they learned in a large group setting.
3. Have children work in small groups, with a supervisor, to make board games. The children can
decorate the board games and come up with some of the rules while the supervisors (teachers and
aids) come up with the questions that go along with the games. Use the games as a review prior
to children taking an assessment at the end of the teaching unit.
Tags: Animal stories; overcoming obstacles; being different; film adaptations; Newberry Medal
winner.
Title: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher/Imprint: Penguin Group
Copyright Date: 1999
Plot: Melinda is a high school freshman with a big secret. Her friends from middle school
won’t talk to her and her grades and family life are in the pits. She finds a new friend, a new girl
from Ohio, that she can talk to and sit with at lunch. The only class she is really interested in is
Art.
Melinda is keeping a big secret from everyone, which is why she stays silent for most of
the year and a reason for her slipping grades. When she is ditched by the new girl she feels even
more alone and confides to her closet at school—that she’s made into a secret hiding place for
herself. One of her best friends from middle school, who won’t talk to her, has started to date
“IT.” IT is a senior and is the reason for Melinda’s silence. Melinda tries to warn her friend
about him but she won’t listen and has to find out for herself what a creep he is. He has already
violated Melinda once and she won’t let it happen again! In the end, she finds her voice and is
able to move on with her life.
Key Issues: Coming of age, Rape, Family, Friendship, Loneliness, and Recovery.
Warnings: This book is about a girl who was raped, a sensitive topic that would require parental
consent.
Audience: Small group, 11/12th grade.
Teaching Ideas:
1I would ask a small group, boys and girls, to research sexual abuse. I
would ask them to create a paper/presentation about how they could empower people, who have
been sexually abused, to stand up against what has happened to them and to help them find their
voice and to speak out against sexual predators. Slogans, campaigns, and pamphlets would be
some examples.
2Ask a small group, “Why doesn’t anyone, parents/friends, see her drastic
change in attitude and grades as a sign that something bad has happened; rather than thinking she
is lazy or weird?” I would have a small group discuss this with the teacher, or break the small
group into pairs and have them write a paper about it and then discuss it with the entire small
group and the teacher. The paper will be very informal; the assignment is more about discussion.
3Individually, I would have students create a piece of art that translates
how they felt after they read the book. They would have free range with this project. They can
be creative with their materials and ideas. I would want a brief explanation on what they are
planning to do before they turn it in;
in case there is anything inappropriate that they are using.
Title: A Single Shard
Author: Linda Sue Park
Publisher/Imprint: Dell Yearling
Copyright Date: 2001
Plot: Set in 12th century Korea, a boy named Tree-ear is living in a potter’s village with Craneman. His parents died when he was a child and Crane-man became his only family. Tree-ear
longs to make pottery and finds himself watching one of the best potters in the village: Min.
When he breaks one of Min’s pottery pieces, he agrees to work off the debt by working for him.
He doesn’t mind the hard labor of collecting clay, because he secretly hopes that one day Min
will agree to teach him how to create pottery on the wheel.
Little does he know that the art of creating pottery is only passed on from father to son.
After Tree-ear sets out on a dangerous journey for Min, he comes back to learn the sad news of
his friend Crane-man. With no family and no one to teach him the trade, Tree-ear loses all hope.
But in the end he is given all of the things he never thought he would have—a real name, family,
a house, and lessons on how to make pottery on the wheel.
Key Issues: Family, hard-work, art of pottery, death, and accomplishment.
Warnings: I do not have any warnings for this book. There is no bad language or inappropriate
references. There are two brief descriptions of someone dying, but they are very vague.
Audience: 6-9th grade. I think this book is appropriate for most audiences.
It is a wonderful depiction of 12th century Korea. It is a book that middle school students could
really do a lot with.
Teaching Ideas:
1Research: Students could do a research project on 12th century Korea.
They could be broken up into small groups and each group could be assigned a different topic in
the book to research on—such as, pottery making, living conditions, foods, etc. They could
present their research to the class using some sort of visual aid.
2Creative Writing: Students (individually) could be assigned a creative
writing project that stems from the part of the book when Tree-ear decides to go on the
dangerous journey for Min. They can ask themselves why he decided to take the journey, what
were his motives, etc. They could even change the outcome of the journey or the journey itself.
Title: Paranoid Park
Author: Blake Nelson
Publisher/Imprint: Viking (Penguin Group)
Copyright Date: 2006
Plot: The setting is Portland, Oregon. The narrator is Alex, a teenage skater. His parents are separated. He
and his younger brother, Henry, are living with their mother. The “family stuff” is tense. Skateboarding is
his release.
In the last week of summer vacation he and his friend, Jared, decide to skate an “underground
‘street park’” in the industrial district of downtown Portland – Paranoid Park. “A lot of the best skaters
come there … It’s also kind of a street-kid hangout. There’s all these stories, like how a skinhead got
stabbed there once. That’s why they call it Paranoid Park. It has that dangerous, sketchy vibe to it.” They
skate it. It’s cool. School starts up again. It sucks. They make plans to go back to Paranoid.
But Jared bails at the last minute. He thinks he can get laid. There’s “this weird college girl” at
Oregon State that wants him to party with her. Alex resolves to go to Paranoid alone. It’s sketchier this
time. He sits on his board and watches. A group of “streeters” (to Alex’s “prep”) play friendly with him.
Scratch, the sketchiest one of the bunch, coerces Alex into accompanying him on a beer run. They hop a
train – the quickest way out of the industrial district.
When the train pulls into the yard a security guard spots them. They try to scramble away, but the
guard catches Scratch and starts wailing on him with his nightstick. Alex comes to Scratch’s defense and
clobbers the guard with his skateboard. The dazed guard stumbles, his coat catches on the still moving
train, and he’s pulled under. There are no witnesses. Alex and Scratch beat it.
Alex is consumed with guilt, but too scared to tell the authorities. It was only an accident, wasn’t
it? He checks the internet, checks the paper, checks the TV news. Nothing for weeks, then – something –
suddenly it’s all over the news. The police are investigating. Guilt chases with paranoia. Alex disengages
himself – from family, from friends, from his girlfriend.
As Detective Matthew Brady and the police zero in on Paranoid Park, his parents start divorce
proceedings, and Alex’s world tightens like a noose…
Key Issues: alienation, crime and punishment, divorce, existentialism, guilt, homelessness, masculinity,
paranoia, skater culture, sex
Warnings: There are a few red flags. There’s a fairly gruesome death (detailed above). A little profanity
(an f-word, an a-hole). Some bucking of authority (Alex doesn’t turn himself in, the detective is
dishonest). Some under-aged drinking. Alex’s girlfriend is dead-set on losing her virginity so she can
have that reference point with her friends. None of it’s glorified though.
Audience: High school, top-to-bottom. Predominantly male.
Teaching Ideas: I highly recommend it, if you can skirt the little spats above. The quotations below are
taken from an e-mail from the author.
*The book is a great stepping-stone for heady works like Crime and Punishment and The Stranger. The
author mirrors CP “as accurately as I could.”
*The story is open-ended. Students could fashion a conclusion, a kind of what would you do? –
supporting it with details from the existing text. *There are some really juicy topics that can be probed
with class discussion, or finagled into writing exercises… e.g. “Is it Alex’s moral responsibility to subject
himself to the judgment of society or can he judge for himself? (As a society, we don’t think you should
decide for yourself.)” *The novel is written as a confessional letter. Students could write their own
confessional letter for something they got away with (real or imagined). *The book is an interesting foray
into skater culture. Students could give a presentation on that culture – the lingo, the terminology, its selfidentity, its societal identity, etc.
Title: Send One Angel Down
Author: Virginia Frances Schwartz
Publisher/Imprint: Holiday House Books
Copyright Date: 2000
Plot: This book centers on the lives of Eliza and Abram as they experience slavery in the South
just a few years before the Civil War. Abram moves from being a child, attending his
grandmother with births, to working in the fields, picking cotton. Eliza, a child born of the
master and a slave, has trouble accepting that she is meant to be a slave, and attempts to find
herself in a system that prevents her from being a human.
Key Issues: Coming of age, slavery, family, self-discovery, and friendship
Warnings: There is strong violence depicted in this work. The author represents slavery
accurately, and, so, there are depictions of whippings and abuse from the overseer. There is also
talk of the sexual relationship between the birthing women and the master. But because these
things did exist during this time, they are necessary to the text and its discussions.
Audience: Because of some of the violence witnessed, I would not recommend this to anyone
younger than 14. I would recommend teaching this text to a freshman or sophomore class of
adolescents around the age of 16.
Teaching Ideas:
It would be a fun and cool idea to do this in collaboration with a history class, choosing
to teach the text when the students are also studying Civil War history.
A good thing to teach with this book would be authorial intent, as the author had intended
this book to be taught to young adults with the focus being on showing children what life was
really like as a child growing up in slavery.
Because the author was trying to show what slavery was really like, language is an
important aspect of the work. The teacher could ask the students to select as passage that really
moved them, and ask them to explore why, showing the students that sentimental language is
powerful.
After explaining the power that sentimental language has, the teacher could show the
students excerpts from other anti-slavery literature, such as Frederick Douglass’ personal
narrative, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Additional excerpts can be found in Uncle
Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Alex Halley’s A Different Kind of Christmas, Eloise
Greenfield’s poem “Harriet Tubman,” Julius Lester’s To Be A Slave, along with any other first
account interviews with freed slaves. The teacher could divide up the class, each group reading
one selection, with the intent of focusing on language, what was powerful, what could have been
better, etc. Then, the teacher could have the groups share their finding with the class.
A good pre-reading exercise would be to have the class write down what they know
about the Civil War and explain how they got that information. Then, additionally, have them
write how they feel about it, and have them explain why.
Title: The Shadow Speaker
Author: Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
Publisher/Imprint: Jump at the Sun
Copyright: 2007
Plot: Ejii, a fifteen-year-old girl from Nigeria, is a shadow speaker. Ejii is one of many in the
work who has a special ability. Hers allows her to speak with shadows and manipulate objects.
Her powers increase throughout the work as she grows into herself. After witnessing her father’s
murder, Ejii struggles to find her place in society with its new freedoms never known to her and
to many other women in Nigeria. When presented with an opportunity to prevent a war between
Earth and the other worlds that has combined with it because of “The Great Change,” Ejii
chooses to leave home and set off on an adventure that changes her life forever.
Key Issues: Coming of age, women’s rights, war, peace, creation, and slavery in Africa
Warnings: This book contains a lot of violence, which is necessary to the plot. Ejii witnesses her
father’s beheading and several instances of stabbing and fighting.
Audience: Although the main character is female, her two best friends in the beginning are male,
experiencing life as shadow speakers as she does. Later, she meets Dikéogu who becomes her
close friend who is also a major part of the story. Because of that, I would recommend this book
to both male and female students. Because of the violence, I would not recommend it to anyone
younger than 13, but older students could enjoy it as well.
Teaching Ideas:
For a pre-reading assignment, the teacher could have the students describe someone that
they admire, describing who this person is and the reason that the student admires them.
Another pre-reading assignment could be to have the students write what magic power
they would choose to have if they could, say why, and say if they would choose to be a hero or a
villain and why.
In the work, while in school, Ejii is assigned a paper to write that places herself in
history. The teacher could have her students do something very similar with the attacks on the
twin towers in 2001.
Ejii is faced with several tough decisions along her journey. The teacher could have the
students, after each tough decision, write in a journal if they would have done what Ejii did, or
would they have done something differently and why.
The book talks about different worlds, other than Earth that have different inhabitants,
like animals that have special powers, and creatures that are made of wind, etc. A fun project
could be to have the students come up with a new world that could have existed in addition to the
other ones presented, and the have the students present their worlds to the class.
Ejii leaves two of her best friends behind when she leaves. The teacher could have the
students imagine that they are Ejii describing a certain event (choice of student) to her friends via
letter.
The end of the work leaves the reader hanging. The teacher could have the students write
the next chapter of the work. What does Ejii do now that she is home? What happens with her
relationship with her mother? Does Jaa come again for Ejii’s help in three years?
Title: Un Lun Dun
Author: China Mieville
Publisher/imprint: Del Rey Books (an imprint of Random House Books).
Copyright Date: 2007
Genre: Science fiction and fantasy.
Tags: Science fiction, fantasy, parody, imagination, and the power of friendship.
Plot: When best friends Zanna and Deeba realize that something strange is happening to Zanna,
they never guess that they will be transported into an alternative version of London – UnLundon.
Zanna is known to Unlunders as the “Shazzy,” or chosen one. Yet, she is unable to defeat the
Smoggler, an evil, embodied form of smog that is trying to destroy both London and UnLundon.
After Zanna fails in her supposed destiny, she loses all memory of her time in UnLundon,
leaving Deeba to find a way back to Undondon to save it from Smoggler. Will Deeba be able to
stop this monster, who is being helped by those hoping to achieve power in both worlds? With
an inventive imagination, Mievelle creates an outrageous and creative cast of characters,
including: a talking book, “unbrellas” who come to life and a half-ghost boy named Hemi,
amongst many others. Un Lun Dun is an original work, which not only mirrors the world of
London, but also parodies it. Mieville’s witty wordplay, humor and unpredictable plot twists
throughout the novel will appeal to readers of all ages.
Key Issues: overcoming obstacles, the power of friendship, environmental issues, self-identity,
and political corruption.
Warnings: mild violence.
Audience: With a page turning plot, short chapters, and plenty of action, this novel would be
great for any student in 6th grade and up. Although the novel’s protagonist and hero is a fourteen
year old girl, I think that boys would enjoy this novel as much as girls. Fans of fantasy and
science fiction will certainly love this unique novel. In fact, I would highly recommend this
book to both adolescent and adult audiences – its language is simple enough for sixth grade
readers to understand, but its content is complex enough for adults to enjoy.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Before beginning the novel, outline the elements of fantasy to which most works in the science
fiction genre adhere. Students can use this outline for a later discussion of how and why
Mieville does not conform to these standards.
2. Using Mr. Speaker as an example, have students analyze how powerful language can be in
both persuading and deceiving.
3. Have students create their own unusual UnLundon character.
4. Throughout the work, Mieville sketches several characters, monsters and buildings. Have
students create their own sketches or visual representations of characters or places that Mieville
did not draw.
Title: Big Mouth & Ugly Girl
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Publisher/imprint: Harper Tempest (an imprint of Harper Collin Publishers).
Copyright Date: 2002
Genre: high school fiction; realist fiction.
Tags: realist fiction, coming of age, bullying, peer pressure, overcoming obstacles, school
violence, and friendship.
Plot: When police officers escort popular but quirky junior Matt Doughy out of his homeroom
class, rumors abound at Rocky River High School. Two anonymous witnesses misinterpret a
juvenile joke that Matt makes in the lunchroom, where he suggests that he will bomb the school.
Because of the increasing violence in schools across America, the principal and the police feel
the need to take the threat seriously, suspending Matt. His only helpful witness is Ursula, who
steps forward to help him even though they are not friends. A self-described “Ugly Girl,” Ursula
is not the type to be concerned with other peoples’ problems; however, she testifies on Matt’s
behalf in spite of her reluctance and her parents’ wishes that she stay uninvolved. Although he is
cleared of any charges, Matt still suffers persecution from other students who are unwilling to the
let the rumors go. What ensues is an unlikely friendship between the two outsiders.
Although Ursula and Matt undergo some strain in their relationships – with each other,
their peers and their families – the book ends positively with a great deal of hope for their
futures.
Key Issues: peer pressure, bullying, mass media hysteria, problems getting along with parents,
and depression.
Warnings: Sexual references, bad language, mild violence, drug references and suicidal
thoughts.
Audience: I think that both boys and girls will enjoy this novel, and relate to it. Because of the
language, I would recommend it to 11th and 12th grade students only. However, I think that it
would be a great book to teach to mature readers as it deals with typical teenage issues like
bullying and acceptance in a sophisticated manner.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Before beginning the novel, have students brainstorm and free write about times where they
have felt bullied, or when they have been faced with having to stand up for someone else against
odds.
2. Have students divide into two groups with half of the class arguing for the lawsuit and half of
the class arguing against the lawsuit.
3. In the story, Matt writes a one-act play, as well funny pieces for the school newspaper. Have
students choose to do one of these two activities as an informal writing assignment.
4. Have students write a journal entry from either Matt or Ursula’s point of view.
Title: Houdini: The Handcuff King
Authors: Jason Lutes & Nick Bertozzi
Publisher/Imprint: The Center for Cartoon Studies
Copyright Date: 2007
Plot: The city is Cambridge, Massachusetts. The year is 1908. Harry Houdini – the great
magician and escape artist – is the world’s biggest celebrity. For his next feat of derring-do the
self-proclaimed “Handcuff King” will escape from a set of the Cambridge Police Department’s
regulation handcuffs, while submerged in the icy waters of the Charles River. How will he pull it
off?
The story builds to the escape, illustrating (literally – Houdini: The Handcuff King is a
“graphic novel”) the machinations that drove Houdini and his publicity machine in clear,
measured scenes. The reader glimpses Houdini's dogged preparation and work ethic, his loving
marriage to Bessie, his creativity in self-promotion, and the anti-Semetic recoil he faced.
Generally, the book goes a long way towards capturing life in Progressive Age-America:
the limits of communication (a reporter dictates his story over the telephone, a crowd has trouble
hearing Houdini's pre-escape microphone-less address); the limits of advertising (almost
exclusively print); the style (everybody wore hats).
Key Issues: anti-Semetism, escapology, fame, hard work, keeping a secret/the magician's code,
love, Progressive Age-America, publicity
Warnings: None.
Audience: Grades 6-10. Boys and girls.
Teaching Ideas: The book is very user-friendly. There is an enlightening Introduction, and an
informative Panel Discussions section in the back of the book. *The story makes for an
interesting prompt on the dynamics of celebrity: the pains people go through to achieve it,
sustain it - how did Houdini do it in the early 1900's? how do people do it today? *As a prereading activity, students can read or share what they know about Houdini, the man, and magic,
in general. *The book can blossom into a study of the cartoon medium (the author's webpage is a
wonderful resource, providing teaching tips on cartooning and storytelling . . .
http://www.nickbertozzi.com/teaching/index.html . . . ). *The cartoon study can consummate in
students writing their own comic, dramatizing another incident in Houdini's life, or the life of
another historical figure of intrigue.
Title: Seedfolks
Author: Paul Fleischman
Publisher: Harper Trophy (imprint of Harper Collins Publishers)
Copyright: 1997
Genre: Immigrant Fiction, Inspirational
Plot: Seedfolks is a story about a once abandoned plot of land in the inner-city of Cleveland that
has been used for years as a trash dump. A young girl plants seeds in a hidden corner and from
there strangers are attracted one by one to land. Seedfolks is told from the 1st person perspective
of 13 strangers who come together to turn the trash pile into a garden and moreover into a
community.
Key Issues: diversity, community, cultures from around the world, immigration, death,
pregnancy, old age
Warnings: Brief mention of marijuana (but is presented as a lesson against it), teen pregnancy
mentioned
Audience: This book is appropriate for all audiences grade 6 and up
Teaching Tips: This book offers a tremendous amount of lesson opportunities! A few ideas I
like: Have the students pick a character and research (in small groups) the character’s native
land and present findings (culture, agriculture, geography…) or, have the students individually
pick a character and finish writing their story. This is a great book for teaching: writing, voice,
and perspective.
Title: Smiles to Go
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher/ Imprint: Joanna Cotler Books (Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers)
Copyright Date: 2008
Plot: Will Tuppence is a high school freshman, a science nerd, a skateboarder, a future
astronomer, and an anchovy pizza fanatic. He leads the life of a typical teenager until Saturday,
September 26th at 10:15 when he learns that Protons can die and his world is changed forever.
From that moment on Will’s calendar is measured in PD days – Proton Death. He tries to
continue living as if nothing has changed though. He still rides his skateboard nicknamed the
Black Viper, plays Monopoly with his best friends BT and Mi-Su on Saturday nights, attends
Star Parties, and tries to ignore his 5-year-old sister Tabby whose mission in life is to annoy him.
But things have changed for Will. Until September 26th Will believed that Protons were
unsmashable, lasted forever, and that part of him too would last forever. But now nothing in his
life seems stable. He is unsure how he feels about Mi-Su. One day she is just a friend, the next
kissing her is all Will can think about. He becomes the Chess champion that can’t concentrate
on his next move and the “sensible guy” that blows up over a simple game of Monopoly. And
just when things seem to finally be back on the upswing Will learns that his little sister has taken
the Black Viper to Dead Man’s Hill.
Key Issues: Coming-of-age, first kisses and first loves, family relationships, and friendships.
The central theme of this book deals with learning how to handle and accept the past while also
appreciating living in the present.
Warnings: I have no warnings for this book. The language is appropriate for all ages and the
content is similarly suitable for any audience.
Audience:
This book is best suited for 6th to 9th grade students. Though older readers could
easily enjoy this novel, I feel that the younger audience would really be able to identify with the
characters. Both male and female readers would take pleasure from this novel, especially those
with an interest in science. Though I would not consider this work science-fiction, much of the
content has a scientific theme.
Teaching Ideas: I would likely use this book in small group settings or as a recommended read
for individuals. A few lesson ideas include: (a) have student groups design the Black Viper and
be prepared to tell why they thought it would be that way, (b) have students retell a part of the
novel from an older Will’s perspective (this will help them develop a sense of point of view and
past perspective). For example – they could write a brief passage where Will talks about the
moment he opened the wedding presents and then describe where those items are now, (c) give a
3-D content quiz. Hold up a gold star sticker, a black jelly bean, a Monopoly railroad property
card, and a can of anchovies (to name a few ideas). Ask students to write 2-4 sentences as to
why these items are important.
Title: Autobiography of My Dead Brother
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publisher/Imprint: Harper Tempest/ Harper Collins
Copyright Date: 2005
Plot: The narrator, Jesse, is a fifteen year old boy growing up in Harlem, New York. He is an
only child and lives with his mother and father who are loving and protective of him. Gang
violence and teen shootings occur regularly in Jesse's community, and he is reaching an age
where the violence is closer to his reality than he had imagined it ever would be. Jesse is an
artist, and he uses drawing to examine the people and questions in his life as well as to help
define who he is. Jesse is working on an illustrated autobiography of his life-long best friend and
blood brother, Rise, who is two years older than Jesse. Jesse has always looked up to Rise and
known him to be a wise and strong person. Lately, however, Rise has been changing into a
person who Jesse no longer recognizes or likes. Rise, Jesse, and their friends are members of a
teen social club called the Counts. The Counts' meetings are nothing more than a positive
social gathering for the teens until one of the members begins to involve the group in gang
activity. Jesse faces the challenges of understanding changes of his best friend, defining
himself, and making decisions that are in line with what he feels is right. This is a story of
friendship, self-discovery, family, and making difficult decisions that confront young black
males in Jesse's environment.
Key Issues: friendship, family, African-American culture, two parent household vs. absent
parent, peer pressure, coming-of-age/identity, young love, gangs, violence/guns, teen death, race
relations, media influence, judicial system
Warnings: There is no abrasive language in this book. There are some teen deaths, which are
not presented in a graphic way, but which confront a heavy and difficult reality.
Audience: The main character is 15 years old, and the issues in the book are applicable to
middle and high school aged students.
Teaching Ideas:
-adolescent identity is a key issue in this book, and the characters are trying to define themselves
by what they do and with whom they associate. Some are selling drugs and others are using their
artistic talents to help define themselves. Students could discuss what they think defines oneself
and create a written, visual, or musical representation of themselves.
-Jesse grows up in an urban and relatively violent African-American community, and he, his
peers, and his parents must respond to the challenges that his environment places on his daily life
and his dreams. Students could write a journal entry about the community they grew up in and
in what ways it helps and/or limits them in doing what they dream of doing with their future.
Title: Send Me Down a Miracle
Author: Han Nolan
Publisher/Imprint: Harcourt
Copyright Date: 1996
Plot: The narrator, Charity Pittman, is fourteen years old and lives in the small town of Casper,
Alabama, where her father is the town preacher and everyone knows everyone’s business.
Charity's father is a strict Christian who expects Charity and the town to devoutly follow the
rules of the Bible. It's the summertime, and Charity's mom has just left town for the annual
birdcage convention. Charity's mom plays the role of housewife and preacher's wife, but each
summer when it comes time to go to the birdcage convention, she happily flees the town. This
year she has left and told the family she does not know when she will return. A new girl,
Adrienne Dabney, has arrived in town from New York. Adrienne has moved back to her
family’s abandoned and boarded up home in Casper in hopes of reconnecting with her roots and
creating art. Charity is completely taken by Adrienne, her artistic ideas, and her sense of
freedom. Charity's father disapproves of Adrienne and the interest that his daughter and the
town have taken in her. When neighbors come to Adrienne's house with welcome pies, Adrienne
announces she wants to be left alone so that she can do her month-long "sensory deprivation
project," during which she will keep her windows boarded up and live in darkness, with minimal
food, meditating and becoming creatively inspired. After the month passes, Adrienne announces
at the town picnic that during the month in her dark house, she saw visions of Jesus hovering
over her living room chair. This news sends the entire town into a frenzy as everyone now
believes "the Jesus chair" has holy powers to make miracles happen. Charity believes the chair
can bring her mother home, her best friend, Sharalee believes it can help her lose weight,
and Mad Joe believes it can cure his daughters from sickness. But Charity's father believes it is
the work of the devil. Charity questions her father, Adrienne, and everything she thought she
knew about God and her world.
Key Issues: small southern town lifestyle, religious beliefs/superstition, coming of age,
friendship, idolizing people and objects, divorce, death, suicide, God, personal beliefs
Warnings: This book contains no profanity, but the storyline does include the death of two
young girls and a suicide.
Audience: Middle School
Teaching Ideas: This book may be slightly more interesting to a female audience. It would be a
good option for book clubs or out-of-class reading; however I would consider teaching it to a
class. In the back of the book, the author has provided discussion topics that relate to themes of
the book. These could be used in classroom or small group discussions. Also in the back of the
book is a Q&A section with the author that gives insight to her writing process, which includes
journaling and writing from topics that interest her. Students could write journal entries about a
topic that interests them and follow it with an outline or summary of a story they would like to
create from it.
Title: 100 Cupboards
Author: N.D. Wilson
Publisher: Yearling, and imprint of Random House Children’s Books
Copyright date: December 2008
Plot: When Henry steps off of a bus into dusty Henry, Kansas, to stay with his aunt, uncle, and
three cousins until further notice, he does not realize that his life is about to drastically change.
He knows that his parents have been kidnapped and ransomed. He knows he has led an
incredibly sheltered life. He does not know, until late one night, that behind the walls that line his
tiny attic room are 100 cupboards leading to different places, worlds, and times. He and his
cousin, Henrietta, discover that one leads to a post office, from which he receives mysterious
letters. Another leads to a beautiful island with rolling green hills, fresh smelling rain, and gentle
winds. Soon, by discovering the hidden key to their grandfather’s locked room, Henry and
Henrietta manage to discover a way into the cupboard worlds, and, unfortunately, things also
discover a way into their own world. Henry embarks on an adventure that causes him to question
who his parents really are and where he is from, and he is determined that one of the cupboards
holds the answers.
Key Issues: Coming of age, Trust, Truth, and Friendship.
Warnings: Some events are mildly violent and frightening.
Audience: 8-12 years.
Teaching ideas: Henry receives a postcard and several letters from other worlds in the
cupboards. Have students write a letter to Henry from one of the worlds described in the novel or
from one of the worlds not yet explored.
At one point in the novel, Henry’s uncle, Frank, talks to Henry about tumbleweeds and
likens them to people. He states: “If [people] are a little lost, they get blown around until they
drop into some shelter or hole or culvert.” Ask students to discuss what they think Frank means
by this statement. After they’ve read the entire novel, return to this discussion and ask them if
they have any further insight into what Frank was trying to explain to Henry.
Title: The Girl Who Could Fly
Author: Victoria Forester
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends Book/ Imprint of Macmillan
Copyright: July 2008
Genre: Kid’s Fiction/Fantasy/Adventure
Plot: Piper McLeod is born on a farm in Lowland County, a place where tradition reigns and
people simply don’t act or do things differently—ever. Unfortunately for Piper, she is exactly
what her parents and the townspeople fear most. When she was a baby, her parents noticed that
she could, well, float. Because her parents love her and aim to protect her, Piper is hidden away
from everyone, homeschooled by her mother on the farm and not allowed to socialize with any
of the other kids. However, her curious spirit and relentless questions perplex her father and
almost drive her mother crazy, so she spends a lot of time alone—teaching herself to fly. Piper
knows that she can float, and figures that she can teach herself to fly, too. One fateful day, Piper
goes a bit too far, exposing herself to the terrified townspeople and gets noticed by Dr. Letitia
Hellion, head of I.N.S.A.N.E., an institute for animals, plants, and children with exceptional
abilities. Piper agrees to leave the farm with Dr. Hellion and attend the institute. Upon arrival,
Piper meets other kids… just like her, but different: Ahmed and Nalen Mustafa, twins who can
control the weather; Myrtle Grabtrash, who can move at the speed of light; Violet, who can
shrink to the size of a doll; Smitty, who has x-ray vision; Bella Lovely, who has the ability to
make plants grow; and many others. She also meets Conrad Harrington III, a handsome but cruel
genius who seems to be trying to get Piper kicked out of the institute. However, Piper soon
learns that Conrad might not be the worst of her worries when she discovers evidence that the
institute might have an evil hidden agenda. Piper and the other children have a choice: fight for
what’s right or submit to authority?
Warnings: None
Key Issues: Pursuit of self; staying true to self; finding friendship
Audience: Middle school
Placement: Book club/Small group
Context: Some parts of this novel reminded me of A Mango-Shaped Space. On the farm, Piper
feels isolated and alone. When she arrives at the institute, she discovers that other kids have
special gifts, too, and finds friendship along the way. Stephenie Meyer describes the book as
“…the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men.”
Teaching Ideas: (1) Without telling students the title of the novel, read the first few paragraphs
and then ask them what they think will happen next. (2) Have students create bio-bodies for their
favorite character. What would Conrad, the genius, have in his backpack? What sort of personal
touches might Bella have on her uniform? What would Piper take with her on a flying trip
around the world? (3) Ask students to write in their journal about what they think their best
quality or special talent is and why. Or, students could write about what they would want their
special ability to be if they could choose one and explain why they choose that ability.
Title: Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Publisher/Imprint: Dell Laurel-Leaf/ Random House Inc.
Copyright Date: 1998
Plot: Stanley Yelnats is in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Yelnats family has terrible
luck, some might even categorize their luck as a curse, and Stanley’s situation only imitates his
ancestors’ past. Stanley is accused of a crime and when his innocence is not proven he is
sentenced to a detention camp for “character” improvement. The majority of the story takes
place at this detention center, Camp Green Lake, a correctional facility for young boys, located
in the desert of Texas. As punishment, the boys are forced to dig huge holes for the Warden and
if they find anything special they are to report it immediately. Despite the grueling conditions
and constant suspicion, Stanley learns many valuable lessons such as hard work, perseverance,
and the importance of following orders.
Key Issues: Crime, bullying, teambuilding activities, exposure to lifestyles outside the norm.
Warnings: None.
Audience: The book is best suited for Middle School students, but one might be able to
introduce it to a High School setting, perhaps a freshman course. It seems primarily geared
towards a male audience, but there are strong female characters and themes that would also
interest girls.
Teaching Ideas:
One major theme throughout the book is a reference to Staley’s family curse, “no-good-dirtyrotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather.”
1. Have students write a paragraph or two about a phrase commonly used in their household,
or maybe a story that has been passed down from one generation to the next.
2. Students can then assemble into groups to compare/contrast.
The book also presents great opportunity for cross-curriculum lessons, especially for science or
history.
1. Prepare a research paper (I recommend working in small groups) related to one of the topics
presented in the book. (i.e. red-eyed lizards, or climate conditions).
2. Present the ideas to the class as a formal presentation.
Title: Cracked up to be
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher/Imprint: St. Martin’s Griffin/ New York
Copyright Date: 2009
Plot: Parker is the typical picture-perfect high school girl: beautiful, popular, captain of the
cheerleading squad, and straight “A” student -- at least she used to be. Queen of the high school
is not an easy role and eventually Parker’s life comes crashing to a halt. She suffers from severe
anxiety attacks and the once perfect role model realizes how difficult it is to maintain such high
status. The story focuses on her mental health and her recent alienation tactics to ward off
everyone in her life as she faces a difficult challenge -- coping with the loss of a dear friend.
Parker’s best friend, Jessie, has been missing for almost a year and her safe return is not likely.
Parker feels partly responsible for her friend’s disappearance and is tormented daily by guilt. In
response to this guilt, she abandons everything -- her boyfriend, cheerleading squad, and is one
the verge of not graduating with the rest of her class.
Key Issues: Guilt, suicide, underage drinking, romantic relationships and friendship.
Warnings: Seek parental permission before suggesting this book to any student. The book is not
suitable for a classroom setting. Major warnings: drinking, sex, rape, suicide, bad language, etc.
Audience: I would only recommend this book to select girls in high school -- probably at least
junior-year if not senior-year students.
Teaching Ideas: I would not teach this book -- it deals with too many controversial issues and
so many other novels touch upon these ideas in a more suitable manner.
However, if I were to suggest this book for students, I would have them read it for a small book
club and discuss issues of guilt- a common theme throughout the novel. Perhaps they could
respond to one of the reoccurring sentences in the novel, “What’s the worse thing you’ve ever
done?”
Also, there is one party scene that Parker consistently recalls and it is used to create suspense. I
would ask the students to guess what happened at the party. They could even respond to it
several times throughout the reading because the author gives new information with each
flashback.