This post is specifically for parents.
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 the students will choose from.
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
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
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
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). There is also some potty humor, as you might expect would happen in a school full of young and adolescent boys.
Code Talker is set in World War II and there are battle descriptions in the Pacific.
You can always check Common Sense Media for any of these books.
Thanks for reading!
