Literature Sets begin this week!

We will be starting literature sets in class this week and the readings/discussion and the group project will take us basically to the end of the semester...which is not as far away as it seems!

There are many different book options you will choose from. If you want to research them beforehand, go ahead. I have linked each title with amazon.com so you can read a synopsis. (I will also be going over them in class this week.) Not all of these books will be offered to both classes, just as a note. If you have previously read the book OR seen a movie version (three of these books have also been made into movies) then you will not be allowed to read it for class. Step out of the box and choose something else. :-)

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
Nothing but the Truth by Avi
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

NOTE TO PARENTS:
When choosing quality young adult literature that will be engaging, yet thought provoking and educational, the task becomes difficult but fulfilling. Obviously, not all young adult books are written for the same reading level, interest level, or maturity level. I have tried to amass a group of books that will offer students choice.

I would like to make you aware of a few of these titles that will require a more mature reader. If you feel your child will not be able to handle this material, then please speak with me personally or email me. Although the students rate their choices, I ultimately decide what books each student reads.

Between Shades of Gray is a beautifully written book about the sufferings of Lithuanians under Stalin's rule. It is a part of history that is often overshadowed by the Holocaust and yet it is also a story that needs to be told. The author of this book collected memoirs and spoke with many Lithuanian survivors to create an authentic reading experience. Because it is authentic, however, there is mature content. Nothing is described in too much detail but just as there actually was violence and suffering during this time, there also is in the book.

Bronx Masquerade is a book that deals with a high school English classroom in the Bronx. As their teacher opens up "Poetry Fridays," these inner-city students begin sharing their problems. Ultimately, it is a book about identity and stereotyping told in an interesting way, as each short chapter is narrated by a different character and includes their poems. Again, keeping the book realistic, these students deal with issues normal for teens dealing with difficult home lives--friends or family members who do drugs, teen pregnancy, single parent homes, etc. As each chapter's narrative is short there is not excessive detail.

Ender's Game has recently been released in film and is considered by many people to be one of the best science fiction novels written. The reading level is not difficult but the themes and concepts are complex. The book will bring up questions about the ends justifying the means and blindly following authority. There is some violence in the novel (as they are fighting aliens and also between students) and there is some mild cursing (mostly in just a few pages and mainly by the main character's brother, which I may be cutting out of the book anyway.) There is also some potty humor, as you might expect would happen in a school full of young and adolescent boys.

Hunger Games series is quite popular, of course. We may be at the point where so many students have read the novels or seen the movie that these choices will not be possible. Either way, the books are violent. However, this violence is not there just to tantalize kids into reading but has a real purpose to the theme of the novels.

Also, as a point of reference, all of these books were given a target age of 12 on the website Common Sense Media. (Bronx Masquerade is not reviewed on their website.)

Thanks for reading!

Hitchhiker Recordings

All music used written by Kevin MacLoed and located at incompetech.com
8F Radio Play recording of "The Hitchhiker"

 Starring:

 Orson Welles: Taylor
Ronald Adams: Joe
Mrs. Adams: Lauren
Hitchhiker: Thomas
Mechanic: Grant
Henry: Jack
Henry's Wife: Rachel
Girl: Bridget
Operator: Wyatt
Long Distance Operator: Keir
Albuquerque Operator: Joey
New York Operator: Camden
Mrs. Whitney: Avery
 Sound Effects: Elise, Grace, Alison
 Music: Julia, Nicole 8A Radio Play recording of "The Hitchhiker"
 (Bloopers at the end)

 Starring:

 Orson Welles: Lucas
 Ronald Adams: Ari
Mrs. Adams: Elizabeth
Hitchhiker: Sam
 Mechanic: Joel
Henry: Zach
Henry's Wife: Suzy
Girl: Joy
Operator: Maddie
Long Distance Operator: Evie
Albuquerque Operator: Abby
New York Operator: Gabriel
Mrs. Whitney: Elise
 Sound Effects: Paul, Marc, Nick, Grant
Music: Olivia, Yuria, Abby, Evan