Born Blue Han Nolan Harcourt, Inc., 2001 277 pages
SUMMARY: Janie, who changed her name to Leshaya, was neglected
by her mother and neglected and abused by her foster parents. Listening
to female Blues singers with her best friend, Janie discovered within herself
a deep desire and ability to sing. She hoped that singing would take
her away from the terrible life in which she grew up and help her find
the love and acceptance that she longed for.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Send Me Down a Miracle by Han Nolan
Dancing on the Edge by Han Nolan
The Rain Catchers by Jean Thesman
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
Angel Baker, Thief by Jeanette Eyerly
One True Friend by Joyce Hanson
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Language Arts: Use literary circles in English class to examine
Born
Blue and similar titles: Dreamland, Ellen Foster, The Rain
Catcher. Compare and contrast the lives and obstacles faced by
the main characters.
Freshman Focus: Read and discuss the efforts Leshaya made to
overcome the hardships in her life. Find stories and report about
the lives and struggles of celebrity singers.
Family Life: Consider the choices and decisions Janie/Leshaya
makes when she engages in unprotected sex, and the consequences she faces
after learning she is pregnant. Write reports on topics such as teen
pregnancy, teen abortions, what happens with girls who opt to keep their
children, and the adoption process.
Psychology Examine the effects of abuse and abandonment
on the self esteem of children. Look for articles that track such
children and report on what their typical behavior will be.
WEB SITES: A
Conversation with Han Nolan Survivors
of the System Foster Children United Free Arts
for Abused Children Web Site BOOKTALK: One cannot begin to understand what Janie's childhood
was like if you haven't been there. Han Nolan depicts the unpleasantness
that many of us only read about or see on television. But we know
of cases similar to Janie. Her mother was a drug addict who, when
Janie was four years old, one day did not pay attention to Janie who was
about to drown. Janie was rescued from the water and from her mother,
only to be placed in a foster home with people who were slovenly, negligent,
and abusive. The silver lining of her life at that time was to connect
with another child in the house, Harmon. Another positive connection was
the social worker, Doris. In an unusual twist of this story, because
the two positive people in her life were Black, Janie, who was white, didn't
trust anyone white and wanted to be Black like Doris and Harmon.
She also decided that her father who she didn't know must be Black.
Later she changed her name to Leshaya, the name of Doris' daughter.
Nolan has Janie's character speak with a vernacular dialect to depict her
desire to be like her Black friends. As Janie and Harmon got to know
one another, Harmon let her listen to his tapes of singers like Etta James
and Aretha Franklin. Janie realized that she had a voice and a tremendous
desire to sing. The "Blues ladies" were going to be her trip out
of the miserable life she was living. As Janie faced one disappintment
after another she continued to try to become a famous singer. The
one thing in her life that was positive was her singing ability.
She did sing with some groups but continued to make poor decisions about
almost everything, including betraying her friendship with Harmon in a
powerful way. In the end Janie reaches a crossroads where she finally
makes at least one good choice.
Prepared by: Sheila Reynolds Back to Top
The Boy in the Burning
House Tim Wynne-Jones Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux,
2001. 214 pages
SUMMARY: After two years, 14-year-old Jim Hawkins is slowly
recovering from his father's disappearance, until Ruth Rose, the slightly
older, moody, dressed-in-black, previously institutionalized, bad-girl-stepdaughter
of the town pastor, Father Fisher, tells Jim that she suspects her stepfather
of murdering Jim's father.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… *Older readers might try Jordan Poteet Series:
Do Unto Others by Jeff Abbot
Jenny Cain Series: Confession by Nancy
Pickard
Anna Pigeon Series: Endangered Species
by Nevada Barr
*Younger series readers might try Nancy Drew:
Power
of Suggestion by Carolyn Keene
Hardy Series:Hard Evidence by John T.
Lescroart
Other Titles:
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon
Twisted Summer by Willo Davis Roberts
Jinx by Julie Robitaille
Holes by Louis Sachar
Locked Inside by Nancy Werlin
*Reluctant readers Might Try:
Finders Keepers by Elizabeth Travis
Reef of Death by Paul Zindel and some
other "pot-boilers," Doom Stone, Rats, and Raptor CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Social Studies Unit: “The Demise of the Family Farm: Fiction or Fact?”
Or “Family Farms in Trouble? Fiction v. Fact”
In conjunction with the novel, research magazine
articles and other non-fiction sources to evaluate the decline of farming
and farmers. Is it a mystery? Are family farms on the decline?
Why or why not?
Do the problems the Hawkins family encounter
mirror examples found in research?
Are there other contributing factors?
Based on the research, predict if the Hawkinses
will succeed. Back up your assumption with your research.
Enrichment: Contact local farm.
Math/Business Finance Unit: “Farm Finance”
Learn various math concepts: area, geometry,
compute crop yield and market value, percent/ration, etc.
Learn various accounting skills and business
administration skills.
Organization: students create virtual farm; order
seed, fertilizer, equipment, labor, etc.
Contact local farm or farm bureau for information
and set up
Science Unit: “Farm ‘Life’” or “Botany Business” or “Agriculture”
Study various crops and growth rates and climatic
influences.
Life cycle
Water cycle
Study otters (and other water-mammals) and dam
building…the effect on man and man’s effect on nature/habitat
How effective is Hawkins’s scarecrow as a deterrent
to otters? Students could research ethics of chemical, biological,
or other means of pest control. Could these measures maintain the
Hawkins farm?
Spelunking
Psychology Unit: “Dealing with Adversity”
Discuss and research articles in conjunction
with reading of novel to delve into how humans deal with adversity in life.
WEB SITES: Review
of Novel Interesting
5th grade(!) Web Site of Student-read Novels. Borrow an idea?? Link
to Ten Sites Dealing with the Author and His Writings Brief
Biography and Book/Awards List Brief
Biography, Book/Aards List, and Links Review
of Novel General
Link to Past Edgar Allan Poe Award Winners List
of Edgar Award Nominees and Winners. Links to Other Awards Lists BOOKTALK: After two years, Jim Hawkins is slowly recovering
from his father's disappearance. His father's body was never found,
and Jim and his mother have struggled to keep the farm that has been in
the family for generations. While attempting to dismantle a beaver
dam that floods parts of the farm's fields, Jim is startled by Ruth Rose,
the slightly older, moody, dressed-in-black, previously institutionalized,
bad-girl stepdaughter of the town pastor, Father Fisher. Although
the pastor is one of Jim's father's childhood friends, Ruth Rose sets a
spark to the fragile walls of Jim's recovery when she tells him that she
suspects her stepfather of murdering Jim's father.
Jim doesn't know whether to believe Ruth Rose
or, worse, face sifting through memories of his father and find a truth
he might not be able to understand or want to know.
This novel is the Winner of the 2002 Edgar Allan
Poe Award.
Tim Wynne-Jones has published 21 books for children
and young adults, and has authored four novels for adults. He has received
numerous awards and accolades for his work, including the 1979 Seal First
Novel Award, the Governor General’s Award (1993 and 1995),The Boston Globe-Horn
Book Award, and the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children
Award (1994, 1996 and 1998). In 2000 he participated in the J.K. Rowling
event at Skydome.
Prepared by: Brian Glassman Back to Top
Breathing
Underwater Alex Flinn HarperCollins Publishers, 2001 263 pages
SUMMARY: Privileged and popular, Nick Andreas is forced
by the courts to attend counseling after he is convicted of hitting his
girlfriend, Caitlyn. Through the counseling sessions and the journal he
must keep, Nick deals with his abusive father, his own issues with anger
and violence, the consequences of his actions, and ultimately, how he must
change his future.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
You Don't Know Me: A Novel by David Klass
My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Child Abuse
Date Abuse
Anger Management
Relationships
Trust
Friendship
Teen Violence
WEB SITES: Alex Flinn
Web Site The
Story Behind The Story: Alex Flinn on Breathing Underwater Danger
Signs in Relationships Safe Child
Program Controlling
Anger--Before It Controls You BOOKTALK: How did he get here?
Nick really loves Caitlyn. He loves how she makes
him feel. He just wants to be with her. She is the only person who knows
the truth about his father's abuse. Nick loves Caitlyn! That's why he wants
to know where she is and who she is with at all times. That's why he hates
it when she hangs around people he doesn't know or like. That's why he
discourages her from trying or participating in anything that doesn't include
him! If she would only listen to him! If only she didn't make him so angry!
Life was good. How did he get here? His friends aren't speaking to him.
Caitlyn has requested a restaining order to keep him away. It was just
a little slap, that's all, and she provoked it! If he can only get Caitlyn
back, everything will be o.k., won't it?
Prepared by: Cathy Garland Back to Top
SUMMARY: Seventeen-year-old football hero Austin, trying
to understand the inexplicable depression that has drained his interest
in life, thinks he has found relief in a girl who seems very pretty and
special.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…. Slam by Walter Dean Myers
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
The Rag and Bone Shop: A Novel by Robert
Cormier
Every Time a Rainbow Dies by Rita Williams-Garcia
You Don’t Know Me by David Klass
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Health: Research the feelings and effects of somebody
suffering from depression
English: Study the style of first person writing and explore
imagery through Jenkins' writing.
WEB SITES: Depression
in Teenagers Suicide
in Adolescents A.M.
Jenkins Information BOOKTALK: Welcome to the mind of a seventeen-year-old male
jock, who loves the game of football. Austin has been involved in many
relationships, but finds himself lacking the will to live. Enter the beauty
queen of Parkersville High school, and things are looking up for the football
star, but something is still missing. Things just don’t seem to fall into
place. Read Damage to see how things end up.
Prepared by: Chris Adams Back to Top
Double
or Nothing Dennis Foon Publisher, Publication Date: 144 pages
SUMMARY: Kip want to catch the buzz, so he organizes games
of chance in the school cafeteria.College is securely in the future until
he meets the magician, King Hewitt and his gambling spirals out of control.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Stone Cold by Pete Hautman
Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Psychology, Family Living, or Sociology: Look at addiction and its influence on the lives
not only of the addicted person, but others in that person's sphere.
Mathematics: Compare the mind set of the gambler with the
statistics of probablity.
WEB SITES: Book
Review Dennis
Foon Web Site National
Council on Problem Gambling, Inc. BOOKTALK: Kip is doing well in high school. His senior
year holds the promise of work, fun, and college the following year. Kip's
single mother has managed to provide for him and save for his college education.
He has a wonderful, posh restaurant owning uncle whose support has been
present both emotionally in terms of school plays and baseball throwing,
and financially, in terms of a steady job at the restaurant. Kip's girlfriend's
father, King Hewitt, is a famous magician who is a compulsive gambler.
Until he met King, Kip's desire for thrills was limited to gambling in
the school cafeteria during lunch period. But, Kip basks in King Hewitt's
attention to the exclusion of friends, family, girlfriend, and responsibility.
Kip is thrilled when he is presented with opportunities to get the buzz
with King Hewitt. Highlights in Kip's life are trips to the race track
and gambling casinos with King Hewitt. Especially when he wins, Kip feels
on top of the world. When he loses, Kip knows he just needs "one
more chance" to get even. Kip begins to arrive late, sneak out, lie
and "borrow" money from friends and even his mother's bank account. Read
Double
or Nothing to find out if Kip is able to control his gambling addiction
and get back on life's right track!
Prepared by: Linda Bryant Back to Top
In
the Company of Men: A Woman at the Citadel Nancy Mace with Mary Jane Ross Simon & Schuster, 2001 238 pages
SUMMARY: This is Nancy Mace's autobiographical account
of her experiences as one of the first women to attend the Citadel, South
Carolina's military academy; she was the first to graduate from there.
Opposition to her attendance was great, but she was determined to do her
best, make herself and her family proud, and to do honor to her school.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Battle Dress by Amy Efaw
Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy
Black Frontiersman: the Memoirs of Henry O.
Flipper, first Black Graduate of West Point compiled and edited by
Theodore D. Harris
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Women's Rights
Women and Gays in the Military
Coping with Learning Disabilities
WEB SITES: Nancy
Mace Citadel West Point Air
Force Academy Naval Academy BOOKTALK: There's an old saying: "When the going gets tough,
the tough get going." Really overused, but it works about this book.
Nancy Mace had to be one tough girl to purposely put herself through the
ordeal of attending and graduating from the Citadel. As one of the
first women, she broke ground in many areas, and with almost continual
abuse from many other cadets and outsiders. After going through some
problems as a high school student, and learning to cope with Attention
Deficit Disorder, Ms. Mace wanted to challenge herself by attending her
father's alma mater. But how could she maintain her focus on her
goals with all the furor going on about her, from the press, from the other
cadets and alumni? Ms. Mace proved herself to be worthy of the corps
of cadets to which she strove to belong, graduating three years after she
entered the Citadel, and with honors. A truly inspiring individual.
Prepared by: Nancy Self Back to Top
The Land Mildred D.Taylor Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2001 375 pages
SUMMARY: In this prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry, readers will meet the relatives of the Logan family who lived
during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Paul Edward is the son of
a slave and her white master. He is treated well by his white half
brothers and by his father, who teaches him to read and write. However,
he and his sister learn that they are part of the white family in only
certain respects. Early in his life, Paul is tormented for his mixed
racial heritage by a black boy, Mitchell Thomas, who later becomes his
best friend. The story follows these two young men as circumstances
force them to run away from home and make their way in the world.
Through hard work, the kindly help of a white employer, and sheer determination,
Paul logs a tract of land that will supposedly be his. After much
backbreaking labor, he is cheated out of it by the white owner. The
plot takes several surprising twists as Paul and Mitchell fall in love
with the same young woman, and tragedy lies in wait for them. The
ugliness of racial hatred and bigotry is clearly demonstrated throughout
the book. It is wonderful historical fiction about a shameful part
of America’s past. -School Library Journal, August 1,
2001
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred
D. Taylor
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred
D. Taylor
Tell Me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South
by James McEachin
Theory of War by Joan Brady
The Mississippi Run by Paul Darcy Boles
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Social Studies: Students research the Reconstruction era.
Guidance: Students discuss prejudices.
WEB SITES: Mildred
Taylor Information Web Site Mildred
Taylor Teacher Resource File BOOKTALK: Ever since running away at the age of fourteen,
Paul-Edward had one dream: to own land every bit as good as his daddy’s.
While growing up, Paul-Edward, son of a slave and her white master, loved
and feared his father, but he loved the land unconditionally. Then,
after a rash act of youthful rebellion, he leaves his family behind and
vows to succeed on his own. However, for anyone Black coming of age
in the 1880’s in the South, this is no simple goal. This book has it all
-- horse-racing, double-crossing businessmen, friendship and romance.
If you enjoyed Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, you will certainly
find The Land to be an exciting, moving novel. Note: the language
in this book may be offensive to some.
Prepared by: Angela D. Bardin Back to Top
Of Sound
Mind Jean Ferris Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001 215 pages
SUMMARY: Theo is the only hearing person in his family,
and has had to carry more than his share of family responsibility because
it is difficult for his parents to communicate in the "hearing world."
A family crisis forces the entire family to rearrange their priorities
and learn to rely on friends and one another in different ways.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Eight Seconds – also by Jean Ferris
Deaf Child Crossing by Marlee Matlin
Living with Hearing Loss :The Sourcebook for
Deafness and Hearing Disorders by Carol Turkington and Allen Sussman
Extraordinary People with Disabilities
by Deborah Kent and Kathryn A. Quinlan
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Hearing disabilities
How does a disability affect a family?
Services for the Handicapped
American Sign Language
Americans with Disabilities Act
WEB SITES: Gallaudet
University Home Page Americans
With Disabilities Act Author information
can be found in the Biography Resource Center in DISCUS BOOKTALK: What if you were the only person in your family
who could hear? Theo is a senior in high school, the oldest child
of two deaf parents, Palma and Thomas. Theo’s younger brother Jeremy
is also deaf. Because it is simpler for him to deal with the “hearing
world,” Theo has always been in charge of making things run smoothly for
the family. He is at times tense and hostile about the demands placed
upon him, but he’s not fully aware of just how resentful his feelings are
until he begins to think about going away to college. His new girlfriend,
Ivy, whose father is also deaf, urges him to go wherever he wants to go,
which is to a college out of town. When a family crisis forces him
to re-consider his future plans and dreams, he and his entire family must
consider ways of coping with their limitations and learn to adjust.
Prepared by: Nancy D. Self Back to Top
Pedro and
Me: Friendship, Loss and What I Learned Judd Winick 2000 187 pages
SUMMARY: Pedro Zamora and cartoonist Judd Winick were
roomates on MTV's "The Real World: San Francisco" and became lifelong friends.
This graphic-novel memoir depicts the struggle Pedro had with HIV and the
AIDS virus. Millions of viewers learned about homosexuality and grew to
love Pedro as he shared his life on the reality show. The book describes
the final days of Pedro's life through Judd's eyes as the two bonded on
the set of the television show and stayed friends until Pedro's death.
This is an honest portrayal of what it is like to struggle with HIV while
trying to maintain a satisfying life.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… AIDS: Why Should I Care Teens Across America
Speak Out by Robert Starr
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence
by Marion Dane Bauer
Good-Bye Tomorrow by Gloria D. Miklowitz
The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Health
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
AIDS Awareness
Graphic Novels
Friendship
WEB SITES: The
National Pedro Zamora Project National Youth
Advocacy Coalition Gay, Lesbian,
and Straight Education Network Centers for Disease
Control BOOKTALK: When Pedro Zamora of MTV's The Real World succumbed
to AIDS in November 1994, his death made international news. But what was
it like to really know him? Even President Clinton applauded Pedro's bravery
in speaking out about AIDS prevention all over the United States, but would
you have been his friend? Judd Winick was! Judd was Pedro's roomate on
the television show and the two became fast friends. Judd put all his apprehensions
about AIDS aside when he met Pedro and stayed friends with him until the
very end of Pedro's life. If you would like to know what it was like for
Judd to look inside himself and get over the fear of AIDS, or what it was
like to watch a true friend struggle with the disease until the end, read
Pedro
and Me, Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned by Judd Winick.
Prepared by: Sue Anne Spears Back to Top
Razzle Ellen Wittlinger Simon and Schuster, 2001 247 pages
SUMMARY: Kenyon Baker is forced to move to Cape Cod with
his parents and start a new life. When he meets Razzle Penney at
the dump, his life takes a turn. With his interest in photography
and his newest subject, Razzle, he embarks on a journey to find true friendship
and life changing experiences.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Hard Lov by Ellen Wittlinger
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonja Sones
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Friendship
Photography
Alcoholism
Northeast coast shoreline
Art
Genealogy
Suicide.
WEB SITES: Booklist
Page on Razzle Authors
Among Us Page Official
Ellen Wittlinger Website California
Museum of Photography Website BOOKTALK: “Looking back, I’d have to say my life was one
long snooze until the day I met Razzle Penney at the Truro dump.” Kenyon
Baker says when looking back and thinking of Razzle. Ken and his retired
schoolteacher parents moved from urban Boston to a quaint summer cottage
colony in Cape Cod. Ken is so upset—this move has shattered his plans
of being accepted by his old friends and his plans for a photography darkroom.
His parents want to restore the cottages and rent them for retirement income.
Unfortunately, Ken’s dad hurts his back and Ken is forced to take on the
repairs mostly by himself. That is except for the young plumber Ken’s
father hires, who becomes a voice of reason as well as a trusted friend
for Ken. In exchange for his hard work though, his parents let him
live in one of the cottages during the summer so he can create a darkroom
for his pictures and have some privacy of his own. On a trip to the dump
one day, Ken meets and befriends Razzle Penney, an odd, shorthaired girl
who works at the swap shop at the dump. She is long, lanky, and sees
value in some strange things, but she fascinates Ken. A natural friendship
develops between them, and Ken meets her brother, grandmother, and eventually
her alcoholic mother, which leads him deeper into her mysterious life.
Ken also meets an elderly renter who has an interest in the arts and who
helps inspire him in his photography skills. What he doesn’t expect
to find in Cape Cod is Harley. She’s gorgeous, popular, and for some
reason, she likes him. But this new found friendship plants seeds
of discontent with his relationship with Razzle and causes Ken to make
some poor choices. Find out what happens between Ken and Harley.
Will Razzle work things out with Ken?
Read Razzle by Ellen Wittlinger to find
out.
Prepared by: Donna E. Moyer Back to Top
Scribbler of
Dreams Mary E. Pearson 2001 223 pages
SUMMARY: Kaitlin Malone and her sister had to tranfer
to the public high school. They were registered under their mother's maiden
name to protect their identity. Their father had killed Robert Crutchfield
and their mother felt this would make things easier for them. The Malones
have been feuding with the Cruthfields for several generations and his
death was a result of this conflict. Kaitlin meets a very special guy at
her new school and they immediately fall in love. She has a major problem:
he is Bram Crutchfield, son of Robert Crutchfield. Bram does not
know that she is a Malone. Her family does not know Bram is a Crutchfield.
Kaitlin's lies contiune to build until they explode around her. The future
of the Crutchfield/Malone feud depends on Kaitlin and Bram to either continue
the conflict or to defuse it.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare,
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis
Klause
Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper
West Side Story by Arthur Laurents
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Famous Fueds in history--Hatfield McCoy Feud--
Romeo and Juliet-and other star crossed lovers
West Side Story WEB SITES: The
Hatfields and the McCoys Devil
Anse Hatfield and the Hatfield-McCoy Feud Mary
E Pearson BOOKTALK: Kaitlin Malone's father is in prison for killing
Robert Crutchfield. The Malones and Crutchfields have been feuding for
generations. This death is a result of the hatred between the two families.
Now Kaitlin has to go to the public high school and use her mother's maiden
name to protect her identity. She is now in Crutchfield territory. She
meets a wonderful guy. They are instantly attracted to each other. Kaitlin
is in love at first sight. It is too late when she finds out that he is
Bram Crutchfield--son of Robert Crutchfield. She is in love and cannot
bring herself to tell this wonderful person that she is a Malone and that
her father killed his father. Her deception contiues to build until Bram
and their families catch her is her lies.
Prepared by: Judy Hall Back to Top
Shades of Simon
Gray Joyce McDonald Delacorte Press, 2001 245 pages
SUMMARY: Seventeen-year-old Simon lies in a coma, finding
his space and time overlapping with that of a man who was lynched over
200 years ago, while a member of the cheating ring he has been helping
wonders if their actions have caused the plagues assaulting their New Jersey
town.
IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK, TRY... Devil's Race by Avi
Johnny Mnemonic by Terry Bisson
I Met a Man Who Wasn't There by Mary Callaghan
Computer Crime : Phreaks, Spies, and Salami
Slicers by Karen Judson
Life At These Speeds by Jeremy Jackson
The Hangman's Knot : A Novel by David
Wiltse
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Language Arts: Students write different endings to the
Jessup Wildemere saga.
Social Studies: Students research the lynchings of innocent men
in history.
Sociology/Criminal Justice: Students research "white collar" crimes.
Students research different acceptable use policies
adopted in schools.
Students research the impact of computer related
crimes.
Guidance: Discuss with students the "do anything" attitude
regarding being accepted to a top university.
WEB SITES: Joyce
McDonald Official Web Site Reader's
Guide When
Kids Hack and Commit Computer Crimes Review
of Book Macbeth
Web Site BOOKTALK: This is a book that has just about everything
in it: a ghost story, a teenager who will do anything to be accepted by
his peers, computer-hacking, and time travel. What more could you
ask for? Simon Gray has helped a few of his "friends" hack into the
school computer network. Simon accesses tests so that everyone can
ace their exams and inflate their GPA's to gain admittance into the college
of their choice. Eventually, Simon is consumed with guilt and wants
out. Before Simon can turn himself in, he is involved in a serious
car
accident. His friends and the police wonder if Simon was trying to
commit suicide by deliberately running into a tree. While Simon is
in a coma , he is able to depart his body and leave the hospital. He meets
a "man" who was lynched two hundred years ago. Read Shades of
Simon Gray to see how a ghost story and a story about computer hacking
can be successfully blended into a suspenseful read!
Prepared by Patty Tucker Back to Top
The Sisterhood
of the Traveling Pants Ann Brashares Delacorte Press, 2001 294 pages
SUMMARY: For the first time in their lives, four best friends find themselves
going in separate directions for the summer holidays. One goes to Greece,
another to South Carolina, another to soccer camp in California, and the
fourth is left home in Bethesda, Maryland. A pair of thrift shop jeans
is sent from friend to friend and with the jeans comes the comfort and
love that friendship can bring.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
by Louise Rennison
Sloppy Firsts: Megan McCafferty by Megan McCafferty
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Family Relationships
Friendship
Self Esteem
WEB SITES: Sisterhood of the Traveling
Pants Web Site Sisterhood
of the Traveling Pants Web Site 2 Interview
with Ann Brashares Interview with
Ann Brashares 2 BOOKTALK: Imagine a pair of jeans that fits four friends equally well when one
is tall (that would be Bridgett, the athlete), one is beautiful with a
perfect body (that would be Lena), one is short with a J Lo rear-end (that
would be Carmen), and one is perfectly average (that would be Tibby). These
four girls have been friends for a lifetime. Now in the summer of their
sixteenth year they are all going in different directions. The girls have
a ceremony of sorts before they leave and make rules for them and the "traveling
pants" that will link them together as the summer goes by. Each has quite
a summer of surprise and adventure. Lena travels to Greece for a two month
visit with her grandparents and she gets the pants first. Carmen
goes to South Carolina to visit her Dad only to find that he is about to
remarry. Bridget goes to soccer camp in California and develops a mad crush
on her assistant coach. Tibby stays home to work and finds out it isn't
as boring as she anticipates it will be. Read about the pants and this
story of friendship.
Prepared by: Tookie Harrop Back to Top
Soldier X Don Wulffson Viking Press, 2001 226 pages
SUMMARY: A common Russian infantryman finds his position
overrun, and the only way to survive is to become one of the enemy until
he can again reach Russian lines. He dons the uniform of a German soldier,
and bluffs his way out of every situation. He finds himself in a hospital
and becomes friendly with the nurses. He eventually escapes and returns
to Russian lines.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY…. A Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor
by Harry Mazer
Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death
Camps by Andrea Warren
The Last Mission by Harry Mazer
The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
The Rag and Bone Shop: A Novel by Robert
Cormier
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Social Studies: Research what life was like in the army during
World War II.
Research how the war affected the Russians.
WEB SITES: Soldier
Narratives Soldier
Memoir BOOKTALK: Welcome to the life of an ordinary Russian soldier
who does extraordinary things, when he finds the Russian positions overrun.
He plays dead and pretends to be a German soldier to escape capture and
to return to the Russian lines. Fighting exhaustion, hunger, and fear he
makes the trek through enemy lines to safety. Does he make it? Well, read
Soldier
X and find out for yourself.
Prepared by: Chris Adams Back to Top
SUMMARY: Raven, a sixteen-year-old high school senior
with college aspirations, finds herself a teenage mother with no prospects
of pulling herself out of the projects. She doesn’t even know the
father’s last name, and like her own mother, doesn’t expect anything from
him. But when her college-educated sister suggests she compete in
a spelling contest for a college scholarship, Raven is tempted to try to
beat the odds.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Detour for Emmy by Marilyn Reynolds
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Teen Pregnancy
Families
Friendship
Gangs
Spelling Bees
Poverty
WEB SITES: Booklist
Information on Spellbound Arizona
State University Paper on Janet McDonald’s “Project Girl”.
Janet McDonald
Authorized Webpage National
Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Website BOOKTALK: Raven Jefferson’s life has changed suddenly and
dramatically. Just last summer she earned money for graduation and
her senior class ring. Now she hopes she can get a refund. Like her
best friend Aisha and even her own mother, Raven finds herself a teenage
mother with no support from the child’s father and no prospects.
In fact, Raven doesn’t even know the father’s last name. She met
him at a party; he was handsome, polite, sweet and very convincing, and
he told her he would call. That was the last time she saw him.
After Smokey, named for the soul singer, is born, Raven sits around watching
TV and wishing for a better life. Then Raven’s older, college educated
sister Dell tries to convince her that the project life is no life for
Smokey or Raven. Dell and a coworker try to convince Raven to participate
in a spelling contest for college scholarship money. Meanwhile Raven
runs into Jesse, Smokey’s father. What will he do when he learns
he has a baby? Will Raven try to overcome her situation and a life
of poverty by competing in the contest? What lessons does she learn
from her crazy, single parent friend Aisha? Find out when you read
Spellbound
by Janet McDonald.
Prepared by: Donna E. Moyer Back to Top
Stick Figure:
A Diary of My Former Self Lori Gottlieb Simon & Schuster, c2000 222 pages
SUMMARY:
Written in diary format, Lori tells the true
story of how she became an anorexic teenager.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Life in the Fat Lane by Cherie Bennett
Wasted: A Memoir by Mayra Hornbacher
Cut by Patricia McCormick
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Diseases: Anorexia Nervosa
Health/Personal Living: Food and Nutrition
Language Arts: Diary Writing
WEB SITES: Author's
Web Site Reviews Empowering Books
for Girls Eating
Disorders Information Network Dads
and Daughters-Raising Healthy Daughters BOOKTALK: Did you know that mayonnaise has one hundred
calories per tablespoon? Or that drinking three full glasses of water one
hour before every meal will help curb your appetite? If you're eating at
home, try to eat only half portions, but in a restaurant you should eat
no more than a fourth of everything. A slimming breakfast is exactly 19
flakes of Product 19 cereal with only two ounces of nonfat milk. Chocolate
- in any way, shape or form - is not an option. As the saying goes, "You
can never be too rich or too thin." A wallflower at school and ignored
at home by her self-absorbed parents, Lori decides to take control of her
life by taking control of her weight. As she shrinks down to almost sixty
pounds in an effort to become the "stick figure" society finds desirable,
her parents and classmates finally do take notice of her - as she risks
losing her life to an eating disorder.
Prepared by: Jennifer Garrett Back to Top
Touching
Spirit Bear Ben Mikaelsen Harper Trophy, 2001 240 pages
SUMMARY: Cole Matthews is angry, defiant, and very much
a bully. His anger finally erupts into violence and he beats a classmate
severely. Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate
in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice
in which victim, offender, and community all work together to find a healing
solution. Cole plays along and when his sentence is to be sent to a remote
Alaskan island for a year, he secretly plans his escape. But an encounter
with a huge legendary white bear, also called a Spirit Bear, leaves him
near death. The experience forces Cole to begin to turn his life around,
but first he must convince everyone else that this time he really wants
to change.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… You Don’t Know Me by David Klass
Breathing Underwater by Alex Finn
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Incident at Hawk's Hill by Allan Eckert
Petey by Ben Mikaelsen
Countdown by Ben Mikaelsen
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Sociology:
Teen Violence, Survival
Social Studies: Juvenile Justice System
Multiculturalism:
Native American Circle Justice
Biology: The Kermode or "Spirit" Bear
WEB SITES:
Ben Mikaelsen’s
Home Page Become
a Spirit Bear Defender Circle
Peacemaking Alaska
Justice Forum, information about Circle Justice About
Circle Peacemaking Process and Related Links Article
entitled “Conservationists Seek Refuge for Elusive Spirit Bears CNN
article entitled “The Spirit Bears” Page
by the Native Law Center of Canada about Sentencing Circles Natural
Resources Defense Council: The Spirit Bear and the Great Bear Rainforest Sawmill
Valley students in British Columbia’s page about Spirit Bears The
Kermode Bear page by city of Terrace, British Columbia Native
American Story entitled “Spirit Bears” Minneapolis,
MN’s Circle Archives page on Restorative Justice BOOKTALK: "Get out of my face! Go on, get!" How dare any
creature
defy him and not be afaid of him! Cole Matthews raised his makeshift spear
to his shoulder and slowly advanced toward the massive white bear. A lifetime
of hurt, a lifetime of proving himself, and a lifetime of anger all controlled
him now. He had convinced everyone else he had been ready to change, yet
had never meant a word. He did not know that each step he took closer to
the bear brought him closer and closer to the horrifying moment that would
indeed change his life forever. Ben Mikeaelsen offers a clearly drawn portarait
of a bullying young con man deftly playing the system in Touching Spirit
Bear. Cole Matthews’ anger unleashed at a classmate finally has landed
him in the juvenile justice system facing jail time. His probation officer
offers him a chance to apply for Circle Justice, a new system being used
with young offenders that attempts to bring healing to all the parties
involved rather than simply punishment. Willing to do anything to avoid
jail, Cole pretends he wants the chance Circle Justice offers, and he is
given a Native American sentence, banishment by himself for a year to a
remote island off the Alaskan coast. The Indian elder who brings
Cole to the island leaves him with the caution to remember that he is not
the only creature there, that he is a part of a much larger circle, and
that he could learn much from the animals. Once he is left alone on the
island however, Cole demonstrates he has no intention of staying. But his
plans didn’t include the mysterious appearance of the huge white bear.
Facing the Spirit Bear changes everything. Read Touching Spirit Bear
and you, like Cole, may discover your own place within the Circle.
Prepared by: Rose Grayson Back to Top
Whale Talk Chris Crutcher Greenwillow Books, 2001 220 pages
SUMMARY: High school student TJ Jones forms a very unusual
swim team at school as a way to combat the prejudice that exists throughout
his community.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
Damage by A. M. Jenkins
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
You Don’t Know Me by David Klass
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: (correlated websites in following section)
Life Science: Debate the importance of studying communication
practiced by species other than humans; whales, for instance.
Health: Discuss what constitutes “physical abuse”, “emotional
abuse” and “co-dependency” and determine possible ways to handle unhealthy
relationships.
Sociology: How important was the role of organized sports
in different ancient cultures (Roman, Egyptian, etc.)? How important in
American society today? How important in your school?
World History: What aspect(s) of the philosophy of Taoism could
have contributed to its decline as a major world religion? What aspect(s)
of the philosophy of Taoism could be appealing to someone in present day
America?
Physical Education: Is T’ai Chi a beneficial form of exercise for
high school students?
Language Arts: Identify instances of bigotry of any type in
Whale Talk. Do you think that the prejudice evidenced in TJ’s community
exists in your community? Keep a journal for one week noting any remarks
you hear at school that point to intolerance on any level. Are you comfortable
with your responses to these remarks?
WEB SITES: Life Science: A search on “Animal Communication” in the DISCUS
InfoTrac One File database and in the Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia provided
by DISCUS (remember to look at the Web Links here) will result in many
good hits on the topic.
Health: Childhelp
USA - A child abuse web site.
Sociology: Organized
Sports for Children and Preadolescents World History: Taoism
Information Page Physical Education: A search on “T’ai Chi” in the DISCUS Health and
Wellness Resource Center database is a good starting place to research
this form of exercise.
Chris
Crutcher’s Authorized Web Site BOOKTALK: TJ Jones is smart, good looking (“like Tiger
Woods on steroids), and is one of the best athletes at his high school.
The problem is, he refuses to participate in the school’s athletics program.
Call it a problem with authority. And since athletics is a huge deal at
his school, his refusal really ticks people off. Under pressure, TJ agrees
to start up a competitive swim team at school. His choice of team members
is most unusual and is met with the reaction he wanted—now the powers that
be are really angry! Reading this book will allow you to get into the heads
of people you probably don’t usually hook up with. And you’ll enjoy it
more than you can imagine. Word of caution: language and situations get
graphic so mature audience is recommended.
Prepared by: Elizabeth Harrell Back to Top
What My Mother
Doesn't Know Sonya Sones Simon and Schuster, 2001 259 pages
SUMMARY: A typical teenage girl, Sophie tells in free
verse narrative about her love life as she searches for Mr. Right, her
relationship with her two best friends and the trials and tribulations
of being an only child caught between a controlling mother and distant
father.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
by Ann Brashares
Love and Other Four-Letter Words by Carolyn
Mackler
Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
Razzle by Ellen Wittlinger
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Language Arts: Have students read the novel and then write a
free verse poem about their love lives, friendship or their families.
Psychology: Read the novel and have students discuss the
difference between love and lust, the importance of peer support or the
influence of family.
Sociology:-
Read the novel and have students research dating
customs in different countries or different time periods. Students could
also write about family relationships and friendship.
WEB SITES: Author
Interviews Author
Interview Review Teen Issues BOOKTALK: Meet Sophie - a typical ninth grade girl whose
story reminds us that it's okay to be boy crazy, to have self doubts, to
argue with your mother, and to clash with your best friends. Through her
free verse narrative, Sophie explores her relationships with three boys
as she searches for Mr. Right. Girls, if you want to capture the joy and
surprise of falling in love with someone totally unexpected, this is the
book for you. Guys, if you want to have a better understanding of teenage
girls, read this book. It's a fast, funny, touching read.
Prepared by: Kathryn Thomas Back to Top
You Don't Know Me: A Novel David Klass Farrar, Straus & Giroux, c2001 262 pages
SUMMARY: Fourteen-year-old John creates alternative realities in his mind as
he tries to deal with his mother's abusive boyfriend, his crush on a beautiful,
but shallow classmate, and other problems at school.
IF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, TRY… Breathing Underwater by Alex Finn
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
A Child Called "It" by David Pelzer
You and Violence in Your Family by John Giacobello
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: Child abuse
Self-perception
WEB SITES: Review Hands of Hope Resource
Center The Worst
Nightmare: Fiction About Child Abuse for Teens BOOKTALK: Nothing in John's world is what it seems to be. John lives in a house
that is not a house, he goes to a school that is not a school - a place
of torture that John calls anti-school instead. From the sounds it emits,
the tuba he plays in band class is actually a frog pretending to be a tuba.
And if his mother could only see, she would learn that her live-in boyfriend
who John calls "the man who is not my father," is physically abusing John
when she is not around. Follow John's rich imagination and quirky sense
of humor as he gives you the opportunity to get to know him through his
struggles with Mrs. Moonface, his algebra teacher set on stranding him
on Torture Island with her never-ending questions about axioms and algebraic
expressions; Glory Hallelujah, the most perfect girl at school except for
her gorilla-sized father and bizarre behaviors such as eating his love
notes; Billy Beezer, his supposed best friend who is also vying for the
lovely Glory's attentions; and Mr. Steenwilly, the band teacher who knows
John's trouble with his tuba is in some way connected to something terribly
wrong going on at home.
Prepared by: Jennifer Garrett Back to Top
