U-Z
Voight, Cynthia. A Solitary Blue. New York: Simon and Shuster Inc, 1983
Summary: A young man named Jeff has lived away from his mom for almost his entire life. His mom left him and his dad alone and since she has left, he has never seen her. Out of the blue one day Jeff?s mom writes him a letter asking him to come out to the lake to visit. With hesitation, Jeff decides to go and try to reconnect with his mom. While he is there, he meets a girl his same age named Dicey and starts to relive memories he had held in for years. As these memories begin to replay in Jeff?s mind, he begins to question if he is telling too much. As the story continues, Jeff?s life becomes a solitary blue and questions begin to arise.
For Whom Appropriate: 9th ? 12th grade students
Teach it or circulate it? I would suggest having it available for small literature circle groups. This is a book that some student?s may feel connected to, whereas some students may have absolutely no connection to the book. Circulating the book would allow for a much more powerful discussion in a book because the students who are reading the book are actually interested in the discussion topic.
Shaded and Dense Questions: Should Jeff have gone to his mom?s cabin? Is it always safe to spill you inner most feelings with a stranger? Was Jeff?s mom in the wrong for not visiting him before he had to make his way out there? What would you do if you were Jeff? Would you go and visit, or would you stay at home and wonder how she was doing?
Thematically Related Literature: Moving Beyond Your Parents? Divorce, The Divorce Express, The Pistachio
Voigt, Cynthia. Homecoming. New York, New York: Fawcett Publishing, 1985. (Summary and questions by Kayti Flynn)
Summary: A group of brothers and sisters, ages 6-13, are abandoned in a mall parking lot by their mother. With no father in their lives, the kids must decide where to go and how to survive on their journey. Dicey, the oldest, takes charge of her brothers and sister and decide to lead then to their Aunt Cilla’s house in Bridgeport, but they aren’t sure how long it’s going to take. Throughout their journey they must conserve money in order to buy food, find places to sleep and stay safe, and figure out the right direction to travel.
Appropriate for all ages. It deals with a few mild relationship issues, but is still appropriate to read in class.
Teach or Circulate: I would not teach this book because it may only appeal to girls and not very much to boys. It is also a longer book for younger grades, but I can see where it would get boring for students who are in the upper grades/high school.
Questions:
Many characters in the book think Maybeth is mentally challenged. Which characters think this, and why? What do you think?
Do you think Dicey is a heroine? What does she do in the book that makes you believe she is or isn’t? Are there other characters in the book that could be considered heroes or heroines? Why?Dicey is the oldest of the children and has to take care of everyone and make adult decisions, do you feel that you could make the decisions she has made as a thirteen year old? What are some survival strategies that you would use if you did not have a home?
Related Literature: Dicey’s Song, Cynthia Voigt.
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Voight, Cynthia. Dicey's Song. New York: Ballantine
Books, 1982.
Summary: After safely bringing her family to her grandmothers house, Dicey Tillerman has to start over. She faces new and old problems: a town that thinks her grandmother is crazy, Maybeths learning problems, Sammy's fighting, and as always, money. This story focuses on family ties and overcoming obstacles, and the struggles of a young girl.
For Whom Appropriate? 6th - 10th grade students
Teach it or circulate it? Circulate it. This book isn't full of many "literary aspects" taught in school: symbolism, irony, etc.. It focuses on family problems, closeness and overcoming obstacles.
Dense Questions:
Does Dicey have any weaknesses? If she overcomes them, how does she do it? Do you share any of the weaknesses? How will you/have you over come them?
Thematically Related Literature: Homecoming- Cynthia Voight; Flowers in the Attic- VC Andrews.
Voigt, Cynthia. When She Hollers. New York: Scholastic, 1994. (Summary and questions by Natalie Rancone)
Summary: Tish is sexually abused by her stepfather. She struggles to take control of the situation. Tish works to take matters in to her own hands and act out against her stepfather.
Apprpriate for 8th grade and up
Teach or circuate: I would teach this book because it is powerful and it would lead to great class discussions.
Dense Questions: Is violence the right answer when trying to protect someone against abuse?
Thematically related literature:
Nip the Buds, Shoot The Kids
Count All the Animals
Homecoming
White Oleander
Speak
Don’t Hurt Laurie
The Lovely Bones
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughter House Five . New York: Dell Publishing, 1966.
Summary: A creative and bizarre science fiction story about a man named Billy Pilgrim who leaps to different points of different lives through time travel. This book is also somewhat of a social commentary that deals with the many themes that were prevalent in the late 1960's. Some of these themes are war, communism, and race.
For whom is it appropriate? 10 th grade and above.
Teach it or circulate? Although I believe that it would be best to teach it to helps students understand the text, there are some harsh scenes of violence and swearing, so it might be controversial to teach.
Dense question- Considering the problems and issues that were happening in the late 1960's, do you think that this book is saying something positive or negative about the human race?
Thematically linked literature- Cat's Cradle , Dead Eye Dick , Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
____________________________________Von Ziegesar, Cecily. Gossip Girl. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2002. (summary and questions created by Emily Dull-Heidenreich)
Summary: The book centers around a group of teenage socialites who live in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, have filthy rich, absent parents, and attend a prestigious private school. Serena returns from boarding school in the beginning of the novel and returns home to find that everything has changed. Why won’t her best friend Blair talk to her? What is Serena hiding? The book is told by a anonymous, omniscient, ever-present narrator who writes a blog about these socialites under the alias Gossip Girl.
Appropriate for: 8th-10th grade
Taught or Circulated? This book should be circulated amongst students because of its new pop-culture identity due to the hit television show; however, it could be taught in literature circles centered around cliques, popularity, or high society.
Dense/Shaded Questions: How true is the saying “you can’t ever come home again?” Have you ever had a secret that you couldn’t even tell your best friend? What makes popularity?
Thematically Related Literature: any other books in the Gossip Girl series, The A-list (series) by Zoey Dean, The Clique (series) by Lisi Harrison, Uglies (series) by Scott Westerfeld, The It-Girl (series) by Cecily von Ziegesar.
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Pocket, 1982.
Summery: Celie is abused by her father and beaten by her husband. Her sister, Nettie, moves away and they don't speak for many years. Celie grows from a quiet, sad person to an independent and happy woman with the help of her friend, Shug.
For Whom Appropriate: 11th or 12th grade -- There are many sexual things in this story that parents of younger kids may have a problem with.
Teach it or Circulate it: I would encourage all of my students
to read this book, but I'm not sure if I would teach it or not.
It is easy
enough for students to read on there own, but has enough depth
that teacher involvement may be very beneficial.
Dense Question: How is Celie similar to other women of her era and race, and how is she different? How do you feel about the choices she makes in her life?
Thematically Related Literature:
Warner, Gertrude Chandler. The Boxcar Children and the Animal Shelter Mystery. Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 1991. (summary and questions created by Kasey Kiehl)
Summary: The Boxcar Children kindly offer to care for the animals at the Greenfield Animal Shelter when it is forced to close. As they care for these animals, the Boxcar Children discover that most of the animals belong to an old woman who is missing from her house which strange men now inhabit. Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny decide to take it upon themselves to find out what happened to her and solve another mystery.
Appropriate for: Grades 5-6
Teach or Circulate? Because this book is part of a popular series, I think it would be fun to allow each member of the class to choose a different Boxcar Mystery to read about. Therefore, circulation would seem to be the best way to get kids involved and interested in the entire series.
Shaded and Dense Questions: The Boxcar children have gone from rags to riches, and when the animal shelter is shut down, they still want to help take care of the abandoned animals. Do you know someone who is very unselfish? What are some good deeds that the person does, even though he or she may not have to? Miss Newcombe kept a very deep secret for many years that forced her to run away. What are ways that secrets can eat away at you and cause you to hide from your problems? What are the best things that a pet can bring to the life of his or her owner? Do you have a pet? What does that pet bring to your life?
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Warner, Gertrude C. The Boxcar Children and the Mystery in the Mall. New York: Albert Whitman and Company, 1999. (Summary and questions by Amanda Doroff.)
Summary: The Mystery at the Mall is also about the children who live in the boxcar, but they are now working at Penny?s Emporium, a novelty shop. Some items start to be missing and the children try to figure out what is happening and they try to get the missing items back.
The Mystery at the Mall is a fun book to read, but not challenging enough for most middle school students.
The Mystery at the Mall is probably not a significant enough book to be taught in class, but it would be a good book for personal reading.
Questions: How would you have handled the situation that the boxcar children were in? Describe a similar experience to the situation that the children were in at the mall, to an experience that you have had. Have you ever felt like something was missing in your life?
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Warner, Gertrude C. The Boxcar Children and the Chocolate Sundae Mystery. Canada: Albert Whitman and Company, 1995. (Summary and questions by Amanda Doroff.)
Summary: The Chocolate Sundae Mystery is about a group of friends who live in an abandoned boxcar and with one of their grandfathers. They all work at an ice cream store. Things start going wrong and the children try to figure out what is happening.
The Chocolate Sundae is a fun book to read, but not challenging enough for most middle school students.
The Chocolate Sundae is probably not a significant enough book to be taught in class, but it would be a good book for personal reading.
Questions: How would you have handled the situation that the boxcar children were in? Describe a similar experience to the situation that the children were in at the ice cream store, to an experience that you have had.
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Watkins, Yoko Kawashima. So Far from the Bamboo Grove. New York: Penguin, 1986.
Summary: Eleven-year-old Yoko tells her fictionalized autobiography about her family's escape from Korea to Japan during World War II. Yoko tells about he sister Ko's strength, and their determination to finish school despite their lack of food and a warm place to live.
Appropriate: 6th grade. Easy reading.
Teach it or Circulate it? I would circulate this book because it is easy reading and doesn^Rt require a lot of explaining. This would be a good book for History teachers to recommend so students get a variety of affects World War I had on various cultures.
Dense questions:
1. If you were in Yoko^Rs position would you have stayed in school
even though no one was making you and the other kids made fun
of her? Why or why not?
2. If you were Yoko, what would you have done with the money she
got from winning the writing contest?
Thematically related literature:
Summer of My German Soldier, Bette Greene
Night, Elie Wiesel
The Journal of Ben Uchida, Barry Denenberg.
Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
Number the Stars, Louis Lowry
The Upstairs Room, Johanna Reiss
Webster, Jean. Daddy Long Legs. New York; Signet.
Summery- Judy Abbott is an orphan living in a dreary orphanage. She is sponsored through college by a mysterious man she calls Daddy Long-Legs. As part of the deal, Judy must write to her sponsor once a month, even though she has no idea who he is and he never writes back.
For whom appropriate- 7th grade or lower.
Teach it or circulate- circulate
Dense question: Do you think that Judy's sponsorship is realistic? Why?
Related Lit: Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre
(summary and questions by Dave Frankenfeld)
This memoir follows the narrator through the Nazi invasion of Poland, and the
subsequent persecution of Polish Jews. Gerda's family is torn apart, leaving
her to stick with a few close friends, first at various work camps and later
at a concentration camp. SHe is liberated by an American soldier who she goes
on to marry.
Appropriate for 8-11th grades
Can be taught as a class reading.
Questions:
The narrator of All But My Life claims, “It was less dangerous for a girl of
my age to venture out into the streets than a man.” Why is this so?
As the fist of Nazi control closes, most Jewish families are put out of
their normal means of income. Besides the money sent by Arthur from Russia,
how does the narrator’s family use their skills and resources to support
themselves?
What is the narrator’s “sacred vow” to her father? How does this promise help
her survive?
Abek enters the memoir at a stressful time for the narrator’s family.
Describe the relationship between Abek and the narrator. Regarding Abek, why
might the narrator’s father advise, “Whatever life may bring you, try not to
make any decisions during this horrible war“ ?
What is the last birthday gift the narrator receives from her parents? How
does she react to this gift? How is it different than a gift you may have
given or received lately
Related texts: Night and Dawn, Elie Weisel. Diary of a Young Woman, Anne
Frank.
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West, Stanley Gordon. Until They Bring the Streetcars Back. Lexington-Marshall Publishing, March 1997. (Summary and questions by Natalie Rancone)
Summary: Cal is a high school boy living in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1949. While dealing with being a senior and his family, he unexpectedly befriends a lonely girl named Gretchen and finds out many secrets about her. Cal is torn between helping his friend and keeping her secret throughout the year.
Appropriate for 8th-12th graders.
Teach or circulate: This book could be used both ways, but it would be a very interesting book to teach to the whole class because it brings up some very serious and interesting topics that would start great discussions on building character and some of life’s challenges. If you teach in the twin cities, it is especially interesting because you learn about the history of the city and it is very relatable for the students who live there, which would bring up even more discussion.
Dense/Shaded Question: It is hard not to “judge a book by its cover” or befriend someone who everyone else ignores. Have their been times where you have treated someone badly because of their appearance? Next time that happens, think about Gretchen and what someone could really be going through. What could you do to be a friend?
Nip the buds, shoot the kids
Count all the animals
Homecoming
White oleander
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Westerfeld, Scott. Pretties. New York, NY: Simon Pulse, 2005. (summary and questions created by Sarah Conlin)
Summary: The second book, in a series of four, delves into the wild and unpredictable world of a futuristic society. A young woman, Tally Youngblood, has had a life-altering surgery, which transformed her into one of many awe-striking individuals. With the ‘operation’ comes brain lesions, and all who undergo the surgery are not only physically changed but mentally as well. Once Tally remembers this horrible fact about her new, seemingly perfect world, she escapes to the city of her old friends. Tapping into prior knowledge from Westerfeld’s first book, Tally makes the choice to take a pill that will render her brain back to its normal self. The hidden society finds themselves at risk when Tally realizes her and her friends were tracked via a tracking chip. The question remains: will they get away in time?
Appropriate for 7th through 12th grade students
Teach it or circulate it? This book is best suited for circulation. It is a simple read in that the vocabulary and sentence structure are fairly easy, and by having a quickly moving plot packed with action, students will ideally keep with reading this story! An important note for Pretties is that it is the second in the series. Students are recommended to have read Uglies, as it will help with prior knowledge, character development and the author’s writing style. The series contains Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras.
Shaded and dense questions: If your self-esteem goes from level 1 to level 10 by over night and leaving you as perfect as everyone else, would you make the conscious choice to switch back, if you knew it was the absolute right thing to do? Do you foresee Tally’s futuristic society as believable, in the sense that the world’s future could potentially turn out this way? Why or why not?
Thematically Related Literature: Specials by Scott Westerfeld, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
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Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York, NY: Simon Pulse, 2005. (summary and questions created by Sarah Conlin)
Summary: Tally Youngblood, a fifteen-year-old girl, battles the internal struggle of following what she has been taught her entire life and revealing a community of friends who deserve the right to choose their own paths. Becoming beautiful is a privilege to the sixteen-plus crowd, as Tally has witnessed her entire group of friends change before her. Her last three months of living ugly, she meets the friend of a lifetime and gets into some sticky situations. After finding a city that exists in complete and natural ugliness, Tally needs to decide if being beautiful is worth betraying and leaving a happy society of her friends.
Appropriate for 7th through 12th grade students
Teach it or circulate it? This book is best suited for circulation. It is a simple read in that the vocabulary and sentence structure are fairly easy, and by having a quickly moving plot packed with action, students will ideally keep with reading this story! Another catching point to Uglies is that it is a series of books, so students would be able to get comfortable with the characters and writing style. The series contains Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras.
Shaded and dense questions: If you were raised from birth to believe you were ugly, would you betray the Smoke to become beautiful, unlike Tally? Should any group of people be able to control the wishes and desires of another group of people, as Special Circumstances did to the Smokies?
Thematically Related Literature: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
________________________________________Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Hill and Wang. 1960.
Summary: This is an autobiographical account of 15-year-old Eliezer Wiesel and his journey through concentration camps during WWII. His courageous fight for life and how his life view was changed by the events that took place in those 4 years.
For what age appropriate: 9th grade and older.
Teach or Circulate: Both. The book can be used instead of or along with many other WWII books, including The Diary of Anne Frank.
Dense Question: If you were in a situation such as Elie's in
the
concentration camp, would you try to stand up for your fellow
Jews, or live only for yourself?
Related Lit: Number the Stars, Louis Lowry. The Upstairs Room, Johanna Reiss. Summer of My German Soldier, Bette Greene.
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Wilhelm, Doug. The Gold Medal Secret. New York: Bantam Books, 1996. (Summary and questions by Amanda Doroff.)
Summary: The Gold Medal Secret is a ?choose your own adventure? book where a girl from the American teams knows that one of the competing coaches is making his swimmers take illegal drugs to help their performance. The book stops at particular points to make the reader choose what they would do in the American swimmers position. This book can be read many different times by choosing different options. There can be a number of different outcomes.
The Gold Medal Secret is appropriate of students who are having trouble comprehending what they are reading. It would normally be used for younger or lower level students.
The Gold Medal Secret is probably not a significant enough book to be taught in class, but it would be a good book for personal reading.
Questions: How would you have dealt with the information you found out about the other team? Did the American girl make the right decision with the information she for her team, the other swimmer?s team, and the Olympics? Why?
William, Kate. Sweet Valley High: What Jessica Wants. New York: Bantam, 1998.
Summary: Devon Whitelaw, the new hunk at school, falls for already-taken Elizabeth Wakefield. Her identical twin, Jessica, has her eye on Devon, however, and puts on all the charm. Devon won^Rt take the bait, and is determined to take Elizabeth away from Todd, her long-time boyfriend. For Whom Is This
Appropriate? 8th-10th grade
Teach or Circulate? Circulate. This is a girl-based serial.
Dense Question: Would you try to make someone jealous the way Jessica did to Elizabeth? Why or why not?
Related Literature: Other Sweet Valley High books, Sweet Dreams books
Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New York: Random House, 1945.
Summary: A mother wants the best for her handicapped daughter
and she forces these dreams upon her son also. She wants her son
to stay around and help find his sister a husband. Tom wants to
leave, but feels he owes his mother. He sets up a date for his
sister; not knowing the gentleman caller is engaged. The mother
is enraged. Tom abandons his family and leaves to start his own
life.
For what age appropriate: 9th or 10th grade students.
Teach or circulate: This book is written in play format and
could be
taught in the classroom with students taking on the roles and
reading
aloud during class.
Dense Question: Is the mother's request for her son to support the family until his sister married fair in society and what would you do if you were in Tom's position?
Realated Lit: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams. A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams.
Willis, Connie. The Doomsday Book. New York: Bantam
Books, 1993.
Summary: A female historian of 2048 travels back in
time to a small English village during the 1300^Rs. Mistakenly,
she arrives on the eve of the Black Plague. After overcoming initial
illness herself, she helps nurse the dying people and ^Scontemps,^T
undesirables, that she grows to respect and deeply appreciate.
Appropriate: 10th ^V 12th grade.
Teach or Circulate? I would teach this book and combine it with historical perspectives from the period as well as ethical discussions about responsibility to others. Because of its length, though, I would be more inclined to circulate it to avid readers needing more to read.
Dense Questions: How deeply should someone put their
own life at risk to help others? If we could travel through time,
what would be our responsibility to alleviate the suffering of
people in the past?
Thematically Related Literature: The Dark is Rising
Series
Wharton, Edith. Summer. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.
Summary: Summer is focused around one main character, eighteen-year-old Charity Royall. Charity is brought up in a small quiet town called North Dormer. Her life is dull, she has conformed to a mold until she encounters Lucius Harney, a visiting architect. Summer is a compelling novel that focuses around society, nature and human needs. Charity is real, someone I was able to identify with.
For Whom Appropriate/Teach or circulate: I would like to teach this novel to strictly seniors in high school. A certain amount of maturity needs to be had before any in-depth activity could be expected or rather, hoped for.
Dense Questions:
1. Look at Charity's attempts to leave North Dormer. Do you get the impression that she really isn't trying that hard to leave? Explain why or why not.
2. Lawyer Royall would like to be more than Charity's guardian. do you find Edith Wharton way off for her time period or did society merely not want to identify with it?
3. If you were Charity how would the end of the novel have been different?
Related Literature: I would plan on reading Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" right before this novel to address a common theme with women.
Whelan, Gloria. Goodbye, Vietnam. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1990.
Mai and her family face starvation and other effects of the Vietnamese government. Their only chance to survive is to flee to America, but first they must leave Vietnam and voyage across the sea to "safety" in Hong Kong.
This book is appropriate for seventh or eighth grade levels. It is easy to read and depicts a simple and comprehendible view of the Vietnamese refugees' experiences. I would circulate this book.
Mai and her family were in danger from the Vietnamese government. Have you or someone you love, been in danger by another of authority?
Mai faced a totally new environment in the warehouse in Hong Kong. Describe the feelings a new environment or people create inside you. How do your feelings compare to those of Mai?
Citation: White, Terence Hanbury. The Once and Future King. Ace, 1987, card created by Adam Hollerud
Summary: In Arthur's last tale he is faced with not only the hate of his illegitimate son, Mordred, but the deceitfulness of both his wife, Guinevere and his most trusted knight, Lancelot. The fall of the Round Table is brought on by lies and misconceptions. Each character plays his and her role in the ultimate failure of the greatest idealized kingdom in literary history. Good, Evil, and roles that cross between blend in this highly entertaining story about love, pain, and war.
Grades Appropriate: 9-12
Teach or Circulate: This story would provide more reading strategies in circulation. Students would read a specific section at home, then do activities in class. The teacher would be able to perform a variety of strategies that would give further understanding of the text with more time in class.
Questions:
War II?
Related Material:
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Merlyn by T.H. White
___________________________________________________________________________Wiesel, Elie. Night. Bantom Books: New York, 1960.
Summary: This is the terrifying story of Wiesel's experience with the Nazi Prison Camps. After being "selected," Wiesel was to never see his mother or sister again. He graphically tells of the cruelty and torture the Jews suffered in the camps. It is also a story of Wiesel's abandonment of God.
For Whom Is It Appropriate For?: grades 9-10
Should It Be Taught or Circulated?: This book is very short and factual, but because of its profound accuracy and important historical contents, it should be taught in class.
Dense Questions: Has anything in life happened to you to question the justness of God (or mankind) like Wiesel does? Have you ever been persecuted because of your beliefs because they differed from the mass majority?
Related Literature: Dawn by Elie Wiesel; Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo; The Book of Job; Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion.
Willey, Margaret. The Bigger Book of Lydia. New York: Harper and Row, 1983.
Summary: Lydia, is faced with her fathers death at a young age. She has a small stature and feels uncomfortable about it. An anorexic girl, Michelle, moves in with her family. Lydia, still wanting to get bigger, is confronted with a girl who is starving herself to get smaller.
For Whom Appropriate? 8th grade
Teach it or circulate it? Teach it. The book provides the contrasts of a girl who wants to get bigger with a girl who wants nothing more that to be thinner. It is an interesting and educational book.
Dense Questions: Why do you think Lydia want to be bigger? How would you describe the contrasts between Lydia and Michelle? How can you explain the
contrasts put on each girl by society?
Thematically related Literature
Wolff, Virginia Euwer. Make Lemonade. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1993.
Summary: Jolly is seventeen and a single mother of two. Jolly grew up in foster homes and homeless, living in a cardboard refrigerator box. She is fighting desperately to give her children a good home but it seems hopeless when she has a hard time keeping a job and paying the rent. Miraculously LaVaughn answers her add on the high school job board for a sitter. She becomes a true friend and makes it possible for Jolly to go back to school and begin putting her life together.
For Whom Appropriate : seventh through ninth
Circulate it? This book is a relatively easy read so it wouldn't need a teacher's involvement. It's more of a circulation book, for the student who may find some wisdom in its pages and may be struggling with a similar situation.
Dense questions: How is Jolly's situation similar or different to a single teenage mom that you might know? What might you have done in LaVaghn's situation, why were her sacrifices so important even if Jolly never verbally recognizes them? Despite what appears to be a desperate situation for Jolly and her children hope runs through this novel. Can you think of a situation in your life that seemed hopeless, how can/did caring people turn it around?
Thematically related Literature Dicey's Song--Cynthia Voight; Ellen Foster--Kaye Gibbons;
Woodson, Jacqueline. The House You Pass On The Way.
New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1997
Summary: This is the story of Staggerlee. Named after her grandfather who was a strong anti-slavery activist, born from different races of parents, and deals with her family's awkward identity among her other family members, such as her aunt who dislikes whites. Staggerlee also undergoes some sexual identity exploration when a family visitor comes named Tyler (Trout).
Appropriate: Contemporary issues of sexual identity, bi-racial identity: Should be taught in an 8th or 9th grade class.
Teach or Circulate: The book is worth teaching, but teach these subjects with care; know your class- are they developmentally ready for these issues?
Dense Questions: How should have Staggerlee or yourself helped Tyler not conform to the norms her mother and friends set for her? Using what you know about how great people changed narrow-minded perspectives of race, how could Staggerlee help her parents get along with her aunt?
Thematically related literature: I Hadn't Meant to Tell You
This by Jacqueline Woodson, If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson,
Deliver Us from Evie by M. E. Kerr
Wright, Richard A. Black Boy.
New York, NY: Harper Trade, 1969
Summary: Richard Wright's Black Boy is an autobiographical novel about the oppression of African Americans in the South during the early 1900's. Wright, as a boy, learns to overcome his "oppression" by rebelling against the common roles set by the "Jim Crow" laws. If he foreclosed on the societal oppressive identity that everyone else had submitted to, then he would have never become a great American author.
Appropriate: The book is appropriate for 9th and 10th graders
Teach or Circulate: I would teach the book because it handles sensitive issues of race well. In addition, the lessons Richard learns are good lessons.
Dense Questions: Do you ever hide when you are in trouble, such as when Richard hides under the house even though it is burning down? How does Richard learn to treat women, how could you help Richard get a better view of women?
Thematically related literature: The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn by Mark Twain; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Yolen, Jane & Coville, Bruce. Armageddon Summer.
San Diego, CA: Harcourt, 1999
Summary: In this book, the end is coming for the world. Marina and Jed, two teenagers, move up to the top of a mountain with their families who are in a religious sect called the Believers. The two develop a love for each other and learn that they are to bring life again to the world after the Armageddon comes.
Appropriate: I would teach this book to 8th graders or higher.
Teach or Circulate: The book is a good book, but a bit long, so it may be better just circulated. The characters reflect strong role models and that may be enough reason to teach it.
Dense Questions: How do you feel about Bleeson's electric fence? If you found a way to escape and if you wanted to escape, would you? Do you believe Marina and Jed believed Bleeson too easily, would you believe him if the world was suppose to end?
Thematically related literature: Another Gospel: Alternative Religions and the New Age Movement by Ruth A. Tucker; Cults, Sects, Religions, and the Occult by George A. Mather
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Yolen, Jane. The Devil's Arithmetic. Toronto: Puffin Books, 1988. (summary and questions by Kasey Kiehl.)
Summary: Hannah is a girl that is growing up in modern times and doesn?t like to go to her family?s Passover Seder because she is sick of hearing the same stories and performing the same customs year after year. Things drastically change for Hannah when she opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, and suddenly, she it is 1942 in a Polish village. Once Hannah finally figures out where she is, Nazi soldiers come to take everyone to the prison camps, and only Hannah knows what lies in store for them. In the end, Hannah understands the importance of remembering her culture and the horrible things that her ancestors endured, even though it is hard sometimes.
Appropriate for: Grades 7-8
Teach or Circulate? I think this would be a good book to do either one with. It is a book that relates to the present and the past at the same time. It seems like kids can relate well to the storyline, and it also makes them use their imagination. It could be a fun literature circle book, as well as a book that could be taught to the whole class and complimented with the film version of the book.
Shaded and Dense Questions: Hannah acts as if she is uninterested in any aspect of her culture. Do you think that she is uninterested or that the thought to remember is too unbearable? What do you think it would be like to be transported back in time with the knowledge of what the future would hold? Would you try to warn people, or would you allow the inevitable to happen? When Hannah returns to her family after her experience from the past, she has a new perspective on the customs and remembrance. Do you think that this was a good experience for Hannah?
Related Literature: Joy Luck Club ? Amy Tan, Stones in Water ? Donna Jo Napoli
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Yu, Chun. Little Green. New York: Simon & Schuster Children?s Publishing, 2005.
Summary: This book discusses the childhood of a girl, Little Green, and her memories of growing up during the Cultural Revolution. Written in small stories and free verse from, this approach to the Cultural Revolution shows a creative twist opposed to novel form. The experiences of Little Green express feelings of confusion, bewilderment, and uncertainty. Her broken memories give the reader a real life glance of how a momentous event can influence even the youngest of the society.
Appropriate: 7th grade and above.
Teach it or circulate it: Teach it. I think this book can be taught in two ways: one for poetry, and one for the content.
Shaded/ Dense Questions: What poem(s) describes the events and relationships most fittingly? In the poem ?Qing Ming? (p.79), what image best describes the relationships between the people? Between the city/ country and its people?
Related Literature: Red Scarf Girl, Forbidden City, Chinese Poetry, other poetry
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Zindel, Paul. The Pigman. New York: Harper and Row, 1968.
Summary: Through a prank, Lorraine and John--high school sophomores--befriend an elderly man. The man's peculiar generosity plunges them into a world of grief, loneliness, laughter, and guilt, culminating in a house party that gets out of hand.
For Whom is it appropriate? 7-11, though there are explicit references to teen drinking and smoking.
Teach it or circulate it? Either. Accessible language. Many issues worthy of discussion: honesty, alcoholism, socialization.
Dense questions: How is death dealt with in the book, in our society? Examine the relationships between the main characters and their parents in light of your own relationships with your parents.
Thematically related literature: Other works by Zindel.
Zindel, Paul. The Pigman and Me. New York: Bantam, 1993.
Summary: Paul Zindel had many adventures when he was a teenager just moving to a new town. He finds a best friend, a fist fight, a few kids to harass, and a wise, wise-cracking old man, his Pigman. With the Pigman's humor and advice, Paul gets through these trials^Euntil he has to move again.
For Whom Is This Appropriate? 5th-7th grade
Teach or Circulate? Circulate. Except maybe teach to younger kids. It's an easy read, but it does have some touchy topics.
Dense Question: Have you ever had a ^SPigman^T like Paul? How did it affect your life?
Related Literature: The Pigman by Paul Zindel