Blog Submissions 22-26

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:

Lesson Plan

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:

Book Trailer

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:

Book Trailer

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:

Author’s Website

Lesson Plan

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:

Author Interview

Website For Origami Yoda Series

Blog Submissions 16-21

Andersen, R. (2014). Walter Dean Myers. New York: Cavendish Square Publishing.

Summary: Steve is sixteen years old and on trial for robbery and murder. Although he was just the lookout guy, the robbery goes horribly wrong and the drugstore owner is killed while struggling to defend his store. During the trial the prosecuting attorney refers to Steve as a monster and he struggles within himself questioning if he really is a monster. Written in journal and screenplay format, Steve describes being incarcerated and courtroom scenes of being on trial awaiting the verdict that could change his life forever.

Strengths & Connections: Although this book would be considered realistic fiction, the format is quite unique as it is a mixture of journaling and screenplay giving the reader an unusual point of view. Many things can be left to speculation in this book and it would be great for lessons on inferring. Also, because Steve is on on trial for murder this provides a window for many students to look into and perhaps relate with relatives, friends, or others who they know who may have been in a similar situation.

Connections:

Reader’s Guide

Video Interview

Alexander, K. (2016). Booked. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary: Nick and his best friend, Coby, love soccer but soon become rivals when Coby joins another soccer team across town. It’s not the end of the boys’ friendship, but things turn upside for Nick when he learns that his parents are getting divorced, the school bullies won’t stop bothering him, and a surprisingly medical emergency pops up that may make him miss one of the biggest games of the year. Written in verse, this story is a sweet mixture of dealing with parents divorcing, friendship, bullies, and love. The icing on the cake is Mr. Mac, the school librarian and ex rap artist, who helps Nick through it all.

Strengths & Connections To The Text: I love how the cover of this book may grab the attention of readers that like sports or soccer, but it’ packed with so much more than just sports. This book would be great for students who are hesitant when it comes to poetry and figurative language. Due to Nick’s father being a linguistic professor he knows tons of words and they are written into the story and defined in footnotes in a way that the reader can also learn the words. I would also recommend this book to students who may be struggling with their parents going through a divorce.

Connections:

Vocabulary List

Teaching Ideas

Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor & Park. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin.

Summary: From the very first day of school Park saves Eleanor when the other kids on the bus deny her a seat. There busride routine develops more and more as though go from just sitting next to each other, to sharing comic books and music, and eventually into a relationship. Park is Eleanor’s escape from her abusive stepfather, Richie, and her protector against anyone who tries to bully her. The abuse from her stepfather continues to worsen and threatens to separate her from Park forever.

Strengths & Connections To The Text: The language and points of view used in this book would be great teaching points. Because we get to see both Eleanor and Park’s perspectives teachers can use this book to model the importance of point of view or how a story might differ, the mood/tone, and many other factors based on the character. Teachers could also have students find literary devices used within the story and create lessons surrounding certain devices such as metaphors, motifs, and symbolism.

Connections:

Printz Honor Award 2014

Book Trailer

Barnhill, K. R. (2016). The girl who drank the moon. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Young Readers.

Summary: It’s an annual tradition for the people of Protectorate to leave a baby as a sacrifice in the woods for the witch in order to protect their town. Unknowing of the real reason the babies are being left behind, the kind witch rescues the babies and gives them to a loving family. However, the witch makes the mistake of feeding one baby moonlight instead of starlight which gives her magical powers that will prove dangerous in the future, so she decides to keep the baby and name her Luna. As it is almost time for another sacrifice the next set of parents do not want to give up there baby and devise a plan to kill the witch.

Strengths & Connections To The Text: I would recommend this book to teens who may be skeptical about reading fantasy. Although the setting is in another world, it still holds true to the criteria of fantasy and is an entertaining read that will keep readers interested while exploring universal truths such as memories, lies, and male domination.

Connections:

NYT Bestsellers List

Interview With Author

Block, F. L. (2000). I was a teenage fairy. New York: Joanna Cotler Books.

Summary: Barbie’s mother is constantly forcing her into the spotlight to make up for her own dreams that her mother didn’t accomplish, but Barbie’s mother pushes to hard as she pushes her right into the arms of Hamilton, a photographer who is also a pedophile and molests Barbie. Barbie only has one real friend, Mab, a tiny fairy, until she becomes involved with Todd and his best friend Griffin who also happens to be in the modeling world and has had an encounter with Hamilton. Headed on a path of destruction, Barbie struggles to find herself and her voice.

Strengths & Connections To The Text: This book speaks to challenging relationships with parents. Due to Barbie’s mother obsession with trying to make her a model she puts her daughter in harm’s way to be abused and it’s soley her mother’s fault. In addition to her mother’s drunken rants and undercutting emotional abuse such as the Barbies she gives her daughter each year for her birthday and the diets she puts her own, this models a mother-daughter relationship that seems almost unbearable for a teen to deal with. Other subjects such as homosexuality, drugs, and sex should be considered when recommending this book to students who may not be mentally developed enough to deal with the content.

Connections:

Author’s Personal Website

Lesson Plan

Stead, R. (2013). Liar & spy. New York: Yearling Books.

Summary: When Georges’s family is forced to moved into an apartment due to his dad being laid off, he meets a new friend, Safer, who is holding a meeting for spies. Safer has his suspicions about one of the apartment tenants Mr. X, who Safer believes is sneaking dead bodies in/out of his apartment. As Safer’s demands during his spy routines get a little outrageous, Georges discovers that Safer made the entire thing up. On top of that Georges also has to deal with a school bully named Dallas and his mother’s illness that he hasn’t fully acknowledged. As Georges confronts his issues and devises a plan to stop Dallas, he gains friends and help others around him, like Safer, who are battling their own demons.

Strengths & Connections To The Text: The use of symbolism in reference to Georges’s friend Safer is one that I didn’t immediately recognize, but is surely a teachable moment once students make that realization. Even the title itself, Liar & Spy, holds a deeper meaning that can be discussed with students. Georges calls Safer a liar, but Georges also lies to himself in a way about the reality of his mother working nights at the hospital.

Connections:

Discussion Questions

Reader’s Theatre Script