Crutcher, C. (2003). Running loose. New York: HarperTempest.
Summary: Louie has it all together. He excels in academics and sports, has a wonderful personality, a supportive family, and an amazing girlfriend, Becky. Things take a turn when the football season starts and Coach Lednecky creates a plan to take out the opposing team’s star player, Washington, in order to secure a win. Louie refuses, quits the team, and his popularity status immediately declines. Becky sticks by Louie’s side showing how much she truly loves and supports him, but even that support system comes crashing down when Becky is involved in a fatal motorcycle accident. Will Louie have the strength and perseverance to hold it together?
Strengths & Connections To The Text: In novels, it is rare that we see a protagonist so boldly deny an antagonist that is an adult. Louie risks so much when he decides to quit the team and rebel against Coach Lednecky’s unmoral plan. This is a perfect example of Kohlberg’s Theory where Louie recognizes the law, doing what adults tell you to, but prioritizes Washington’s life instead. Students, especially athletes can learn a lot from this book about moral values and persevering through difficult times even when it seems everything is going horribly wrong.
Connections:
Interview With Author
Smith, A. (2015). Grasshopper Jungle. Harper Collins UK.
Summary: Austin and his best friend, Robby, are caught in the middle of an apocalypse after their run in with the town’s bullies transforms their rivals into giant human eating mantises. Will Austin and Robby be able to save their small town after uncovering some of its dark secrets? Will Austin be able to keep his hormones under control as his attraction grows for not only his girlfriend but also Robby? The Grasshopper Jungle is clever, strange, and wild with surprises.
Strengths & Connections To The Text: This book falls into the apocalyptic category of science fiction. As I am just starting to really read science fiction, I found this book hard to follow and it didn’t hold my interest, but I can see how it would be a good book for some. This book is young adult, 13-18 years old, not middle grade, and I would be mindful of the maturity level of the student checking this book out due to the subject of sex.
Connections:
Similar Books
Black, H. (2013). The coldest girl in Coldtown. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Summary: Tana is parties regularly, but she’s stunned one morning after she wakes up and finds herself surrounded by the corpses of all her friends. They’ve all been murdered by vampires except for herself, her ex boyfriend, Aidan, and a strange boy named Gavriel. However Aidan has been infected and Gavriel is already a vampire. Nonetheless, Tana rescues the two boys, but gets infected and must now go to Coldtown to beat the infection. The only problem is, once you enter Coldtown you never leave.
Strengths & Connections To The Text: This is the first vampire book that I’ve read since Twilight and strangely I want more! I love the protagonist, Tana, in this book, the courage that she displays, and her role in the romantic relationship between her and Gavriel. In this novel she smashes the damsel in distress stereotype and rescues the boys. I can already think of a few female students who have very strong, girl power-like feminists attitudes that I would recommend this book.
Connections:
Similar Books
Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Summary: There are no women in Prentisstown, only men and Todd. When the disease infected this town it not only killed all the women, but it caused all of the men to be able hear each other’s thoughts, the Noise. As Todd grows closer to being considered a man, he begins to have his suspicions about the town. In a rush, Todd’s guardians send him away from the town in the midst of a war beginning. While in the woods, he meets a girl, Viola, for the first time. Though Todd is perplexed by her silence, the two fight to get to Haven, to escape the war and his past.
Strengths & Connections To The Text: This book would be in the dsytopia category of science fiction. Prentisstown has plenty of rules that their citizens must follow and subjects such as distrust of authority and isolation are explored while Todd is in Prentisstown and furthermore when he escapes from Prentisstown. In a way, this book reminds me of The Giver.
Connections:
Angleberger, T., & Rosenstock, J. L. (2015). The strange case of Origami Yoda. New York: Amulet Books.
Summary: Dwight is an unusual junior high boy who has a green paper origami Yoda on his finger. Dwight insists that his wise Yoda gives useful advice and many of the students believe that is true except Tommy. Tommy decides to open a case and interview students who have an experience with Yoda. Tommy’s friend, Harvey, is also skeptical of Dwight’s Yoda and decides to make his own Yoda. Tommy asks both Yodas about advice concerning a girl he likes, Sara. Has Dwight’s Yoda been right all along? Tommy will put the Yoda’s advice to the test when he sees Sara at the dance.
Strengths & Connection To The Text: This book is easy to read, humorous, and sure to be a hit with students who love I Funny, Captain Underpants, or Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. The chapters are organized into case files in accordance with Tommy’s investigation. Pictures and doodling of objects discussed in the book support the case file theme. This book could easily be categorized as science fiction or humor.
Connections:
Website For Origami Yoda Series