Resistance Book 1

Resistance, Book 1

Jablonski, C. (2010). Resistance Book 1. New York: First Second.

Paul Tessier, whose father is a German prisoner of war, lives in what has been until now, peaceful, southern occupied France where he, his mother and siblings, run a hotel until the Germans commandeer it for their own use.  After this happens, Paul’s best friend, Henri’s parents, who are Jewish, are missing and Henri is forced to go into hiding.  Already angry and rebellious toward the Germans and their occupation, Paul, who loves to draw and has already been posting anti-Nazi posters, and his sister, Marie, decide to join the French Resistance in order to smuggle Henri to safety.  The children are successful in their mission and Henri is reunited with his parents in Paris.  Written and illustrated as a graphic novel, Resistance, as is the case with many graphic novels, presents valuable information in a format that is excellent to use with struggling and/or reluctant readers.  This particular novel, however, includes factual information about World War II, both before the story begins as well as in the back of the book that helps establish to the reader that the information is based on true and accurate facts.  This novel would be great to use with lower high school students in a World History lesson.  Further reading could include Defiance and Victory, the other two books in the trilogy.

Monster

Monster

Meyers, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York: Harper.

Monster is the story of a 16-year-old, black, male named Steve Harmon who is accused and on trial for the robbery of a local pharmacy and the subsequent death of its owner. Interestingly written in the style that would read like a script for a reality show, by Steve, and including pages from his own personal journal which he writes as a means to endure the terror and overwhelming desperation he feels about being in jail, Monster gives the reader an in-depth view into not only what Steve is experiencing from the viewers’ standpoint, but a close-up of his inner conflicts as well.  We are able to witness his most intimate fears and concerns as he is “turned over” by some of the other participants to the crime and then eventually is able to establish that he was not involved.  An interesting twist at what should be a happy ending is achieved when we see that Steve, because of this emotionally charged journey he has just experienced, has, along with others, begun to question who he is.  He has begun to question his thoughts and decisions and how his parents and others see him as a person.

With a plot that reads like something from the newspaper, Monster is easily related to with its very real characters and raw emotions and would be an excellent choice for a high school humanities class to use with all its open-ended issues. 

It's Perfectly Normal

It’s Perfectly Normal

Harris, R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

It’s Perfectly Normal is an informational book that addresses the aspects of adolescents’ changing bodies and explains everything from puberty, sexual health, sexual identity to STD’s, pregnancy, and the responsibilities attached to the choices regarding sexual aspects of their bodies.  Set up in a very easy-to-use, easy to understand format including definitions, cartoon illustrations, and sectioned according to topic.  Because the average readers’ bodies begin changing somewhere in the middle grades (5^th, 6^th, maybe 7^th grades), this book would be appropriate to have in a middle school library and would be beneficial in a health classroom as well.  Parents could also find this book to be of benefit when explaining the topic of sexual health to their children and the uncomfortable parent could certainly find it to be beneficial.  In addition, because there are late bloomers and those who have only learned what they have managed to pick up along the way, I also believe It’s Perfectly Normal should be included in a high school library collection.  

Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska

Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York: Dutton.

Looking for Alaska is a modern fiction novel about a teenaged boy named Miles Halter who, bored and unhappy with his life in Florida decides to move to Alabama to go to the same prep school his father did in an attempt at self-discovery.  Once there, Miles makes friends with some very colorful characters who add elements to his life that he has yet to encounter.  Included in those friends are the beautiful, just-out-of-control, Alaska who Miles falls in love with only to lose one night in a car accident.  After her death, Miles and friends struggle with the guilt of allowing Alaska to drive when she was drunk and upset, not knowing if she committed suicide or if her death was due to drunk driving.  Throughout his journey to discover the truth about Alaska’s death, readers get a glimpse of the natural progression of Miles’ character development.  Because we get to hear the story from Miles’ point-of-view, we are able to connect with his character more effectively, a crucial quality in realistic fiction.  Last, but not least, the topics of suicide and drunk driving are major issues in schools today and something that must be talked about and dealt with, and the fact that Green deals with both of them in this novel makes it a great read for 9^th through 12^th grades.  

The Tequila Worm

The Tequila Worm

Canales, V. (2005). The tequila worm. New York: Wendy Lamb Books/Random House.

The Tequila Worm is a realistic modern fiction novel about a Catholic, Hispanic girl whose desire it is to excel in academics so that she can rise above her stereotypical station in life.  Sofia, growing up in McAllen, Texas, works so hard that she earns a scholarship to a top-notch school in Austin but struggles with the decision to go because it not only means leaving her family, but her heritage and community as well, to immerse herself into a predominately well-to-do white culture.  Sofia, however, makes the decision to go, and carries her values and culture with her, working hard to integrate her new life with her old one.   Sofia faces struggles and tragedies on her journey, like being picked on by other kids and losing her father to cancer, but overcomes them and allows them to help shape who she becomes as an adult. 

I think students of all ages could enjoy the book, but I believe students growing up and going to school in mixed cultures could truly understand the emotional struggles that are present.  Also, one of the qualifications that make this book good to use with students is the fact that The Tequila Worm is realistic in the developmental tasks that Sofia is experiencing so readers can identify with her. 

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing

Angel, A. (2010). Janis Joplin: rise up singing. New York: Amulet.

Janis Joplin, as told in this unbiased, accurate biography based on interviews and accounts, pictures and stories provided by family and friends, was a tormented girl growing up in the 50’s and 60’s.  As the book ranges from her childhood, throughout her career and eventually to her death at the age of 27 in 1970, we get first-hand accounts of the struggles she faced as a free-spirited child growing up in the straight-laced 50’s where she began to withdraw from mainstream society and pour herself into her art and music.  This path led her to find other, like-minded people with the same interests as herself, but it also caused her to delve into the world of drugs, something that no matter how hard she tried, kept its grasp on her until it led to her death of an overdose, but not before she produced music the world had not heard the likes of at that point including her last album, “Pearl”.  The book does a great job of including ephemera from her very colorful life, something that students often are fascinated by, even if they do not enjoy reading.  Janis Joplin is a great book for upper middle grades on through high school in so many ways.  The emotional struggle of not fitting in is a strong example of its validity as well as the indicators for being a good quality biography. 

Speak

Speak

Anderson, L.H. (1999). Speak. New York: Penguin.

Melinda Sordino, raped at a party by a popular jock from school, begins her freshman year as an outcast because she had the courage to call the police when the rape first took place.  Because of the backlash she experiences for speaking out, Melinda, who has lost even her best friend, retreats into herself to the point that she does not even speak much.  However, she has one place where she feels peace and that is in her art class where she is able to work through the trauma of not only being raped, but how she has been treated because of it.  When Melinda’s former best friend begins dating Andy, the boy who raped her, Melinda summons the courage to speak out against him only to incur further abuse from him.  When he corners Melinda in the janitor’s closet, she reaches an emotional and mental breakthrough and fights back, drawing the attention of others and is defended, finally, by Andy’s peers and others see him for what he really is, allowing Melinda the emotional freedom to talk about the rape with her art teacher—the first step toward healing for her.

I believe mature upper middle grade students on up through high school can appreciate Speak for its emotional content as well as its real-life, real-world conflicts.  While not every girl will be raped, many will and it is important for all of them to be able to identify, even if it is through vicarious experience.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian. New York: Little Brown.

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Arnold (Junior) is a young Native-American boy growing up on a Spokane Indian reservation.  In this coming-of-age novel, Arnold realizes that life as he knows it on the reservation is not the way it should be, and makes a conscious decision to change his stars by transferring to a nearby, all-white school.  He is then ostracized by his friends living on the reservation, including his best friend Rowdy, as well as the white kids at his new school.  Arnold is also faced with multiple other personal conflicts and struggles like the death of family members due to alcohol, his parents’ own alcoholism, his own medical issues, bullying, stereotyping, racism, and poverty, not to mention the normal, natural development teens go through.  In spite of all that, Arnold maintains his determination to change his life and begins to realize that just because things are the way they are, doesn’t mean he has to maintain the cycle—especially since it isn’t right for him.  Ultimately, Arnold begins to come into his own as a budding adult and he does so with humor and grace. 

Because of the themes and conflicts involved, this book lends itself especially to boys and could easily be enjoyed by those from middle grades on up due to the emotional development as outlined by Havighurst.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Massachusetts: Candlewick press.

With its interesting character dialog, vocabulary and dialog, The Knife of Never Letting Go,  book one of the Chaos Walking series, brings readers 13 year old Todd Hewitt who, at the age of 14 should become a man because in Prentisstown, that’s just the way it is.  In a town where no one’s thoughts are private and people’s thoughts are scrutinized, Todd exhibits typical adolescent feelings of resentment and frustration, especially once he discovers the pocket of silence in the swamp where thoughts are private and then eventually that there is more to the world than what he has always been taught.  When his guardians, Ben and Cillian, realize Todd has made this discovery, they become frightened for his safety and encourage him to escape.  Todd also meets a girl named Viola, and girls are something else Todd has not ever encountered.  As the two embark on their journey, they are constantly faced with obstacles all while being pursued by an “army” from Prentisstown.  Because the book ends with Todd trying to save Viola’s life after Mr. Prentiss shoots her readers will want to read book two in the series.  Because of Todd’s developmental stage, readers from middle grades on up can easily identify with his character, but a more reluctant reader may shy away from the number of pages this book has.

Monstrumologist

Monstrumologist

Yancey, R. (2010). Monstrumologist. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Monstrumologist was my first exposure to Rick Yancey and I’ve been hooked ever since!  Will Henry is a poor orphan who has been taken in and apprenticed to Dr. Warthrop, who  has a bit of a monstrous personality which we see in his maniacal tangents when he’s in the midst of his research.  Often abused by the doctor by today’s standards, Will is ever-faithful to him anyway and does his bidding, no matter how terrifying or dangerous, without question.  When Will finds himself knee-deep in a monster-hunt for a pack of man-made monsters who have begun terrorizing the area where he and the doctor live.  Will eventually finds himself on the monster-hunt to end all when he has to go to what seems to be the middle of the Earth to find the monster’s nest and kill them.  Being a little claustrophobic, I found myself urging Will to get the heck out of dodge!  Gothic fiction is usually not my cup of tea, but I found myself obsessed with this book—it’s THAT good!! Junior high students on up to adults will enjoy this book as long as they can suspend their ties to reality, and Yancey went on to write an entire series based on Will and his life (which I look forward to reading) as well as many of the other characters introduced in book one.  Also, the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series is very similar to this book.

Annie on My Mind

Annie on My Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

For starters, Annie on My Mind is a very difficult book to locate.  Whether this is because it is a controversial novel, especially for the time it was written, or because it was written so long ago, I had a difficult time getting my hands on it.  Having said that, Annie, somewhat ahead of its time,  is about two girls, Liza Winthrop and Annie Kenyon, who meet at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and find themselves drawn to one another and ultimately get caught together, and reported to Liza's school board,  while pet-sitting for a gay teacher/couple.  In the meantime, Liza confesses her homosexuality to her parents while at the same time defending herself at her private school for not tattling on a classmate after she witnesses something that is against the rules.  Ultimately, the girls have the freedom to express themselves but the reader doesn’t know if they find their happily-ever-after.  Because Annie deals with such an emotionally charged social issue, I think the book would be appropriate for upper middle and high school students.  As a contemporary fiction novel, I feel that students today, especially those who share some of the same conflicting issues such as sexual identity, can easily identify with the novel, in spite of the fact that it’s an older book.

Shiver

Shiver

Stiefvater, M. (2009). Shiver. New York: Scholastic.

Shiver, along the lines of Twilight, is a romantic fantasy about a girl, Grace, who falls in love with a boy named Sam who is a werewolf.  Attacked at the age of 11 by a pack of wolves, Grace was saved by a white wolf with yellow eyes, who she later meets in boy-form as Sam after he is shot when another young man, Jack, is assumed to be killed by the same wolves and then later becomes a wolf himself.  For whatever reason, Grace, who is not able to “turn”, but is immune to wolf-bites, is caught in between the worlds of her human friends and her love for Sam.  In an effort to find a “cure” for Sam, Grace and others who are also caught up in the supernatural phenomenon experiment on Jack and Sam.  When Sam runs off and Grace doesn’t see him for some time, she assumes he is dead, only to discover not only is he alive, but he is alive in human form at the time of year when he is normally firmly a wolf.  Shiver is a typical love story with the usual plot twists and turns and is appealing to most teenage girls. The characters are believable with the exception of those that change and there are multiple other aspects that make this modern fantasy “believable”.  Naturally, Linger, would be an excellent follow-up.

Shelf Life: Stories By the Book

Shelf Life: Stories By the Book

Paulsen, G. (2003) Shelf life. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Shelf Life is a compilation of short stories ranging from science fiction to historical fiction, written by a collection of well-known authors, and published in one book by another well-known author, Gary Paulsen.  Paulsen published this collection of stories to benefit the charitable reading organization, ProLiteracy Worldwide.  In his introduction, Paulsen details how and when books became such an important aspect of his life and how that prompted the need for him to write.  All of the short stories, in spite of having very different elements, shares one thing in common and that commonality is a book.  Each story contains characters who have either experienced a traumatic event or some type of developmental struggle, from Katie’s father suddenly dying at the age of 41, Georgie’s grandmother being diagnosed with cancer while she is living on Mars, to Henrietta’s father being held prisoner on suspicion of being a spy, to Jolene and Karly having a typical girl spat, and each of the major characters finds resolution or experiences a shift because of a book—a different book for each story with each book used in a different way.  Also included in Shelf Life are short snippets about each author which include other titles by the authors as well as awards they have won.  Because the stories are so varied and the vocabulary is very basic, readers from middle grades on up to grad students J can enjoy and learn from this book.

Winger

Winger

Smith, A. (2013). Winger. New York: Simon & Schuster.

This story, about a 14-year-old junior boy named Ryan Dean West who attends a private school called Pine Mountain, is humorous while, at the same time, highlighting common, very serious, and very real struggles of the adolescent male today.  Ryan Dean is academically gifted which explains his current standing in high school and is also fairly athletically gifted since he is fast enough to play on the school varsity rugby team with boys much bigger (and more intimidating) than him.  BUT, he is, after all, just 14 and therefore, still not as emotionally developed as the other boys that he is around.  He’s considered the “cute” kid to Annie and Megan and that’s certainly not how he wants to be seen by the girls, especially Annie who he considers himself to be in love with.  Winger, as he is known by his teammates, is often the easy target of the older boys, but he is also sometimes seen as sort of the little brother.  One twist that I was very shocked about was Ryan Dean’s friend Joey, was not only gay, but ended up murdered.  This novel is spot on in the way Smith portrays the relationships among all of the characters and even though it deals with very graphic content, would be suitable for readers in their teens and up because, in spite of language and content, it DOES address subjects inherent to young adults and in a way most of them can identify with.

I know this is going way over the word limit, but the art teacher in me would be remiss if I didn't speak to the wonderfully entertaining illustrations included in the novel that can only add a healthy dose of enjoyment for the reader. :)

Bad Island

Bad Island

TenNapel, D. (2011). Bad Island. New York: Scholastic.

Bad Island just seemed to grab my attention quickly with its parallel stories of young adult “boys”, both human and alien, struggling to find their own independent footing in the world as Reese and his family embark on a boat trip that is intended to bring them closer together.  When Reese’s family becomes shipwrecked on what appears to be an island, they quickly realize they are targets of strange inhabitants on the island.  They soon find themselves literally fighting for their lives and making discoveries about themselves and each other along the way.  One of Reese’s struggles, and one so common to young adults, is to be trusted enough to be treated like the adult he is becoming, and likewise, his father is struggling with trusting him.  As the family works together to overcome the aliens, the reader discovers that the island is not an island after all, but some sort of alien-machine disabled years ago and together, they provide the piece that restores it to life.  There is a happy ending for all (except the bad guys, of course) and readers leave off with closure.  Bad Island would be a great read for upper elementary readers all the way through reluctant 12^th graders as the reading is easy and the content has emotional depth that younger readers can understand and older readers can relate to.  I enjoyed Bad Island so much (surprisingly!) that I’m tempted to read Ghostopolis.

The First Part Last

The First Part Last

Johnson, A. (2003). The first part last. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Growing up in the city, sixteen year old Bobby is a typical teenage boy with great friends, a girlfriend he is really into, and a family who loves and cares for him while teaching him the responsibilities of life until he finds out that his girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant.  Life comes crashing down almost immediately—his mom is angry, his friends seem alienated, Nia’s parents are judgmental and controlling, and Bobby is confused.  As the novel flashes back and forth between the time prior to “Feather” being born and the time after, we get a bird’s eye view of the complexity of Bobby’s thoughts and emotions as a young father-to-be/father.  Because of Feather’s traumatic birth which renders Nia incapacitated, Bobby is forced (literally by his and Nia’s family) to deal with his situation as an adult and then, eventually, leads him to move with Feather to a slower paced life with his brother and family.  The content of The First Part Last would not be emotionally appropriate for readers younger than 14 but would be a great source to use in a child development or health class as I think boys and girls alike could benefit from the angst and emotional twists and turns caused by the physical and emotional involvement of the characters in the book.   

Feed

Feed

Anderson, M. T. (2002). Feed. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Feed is a futuristic novel where space travel is a common thing and manners are not. People’s brains are implanted, most of the time at birth, with a direct feed which can be compared to the way Google tracks our interests and then displays ads suited to them. Titus and Violet are teenagers from very different backgrounds—Titus is the typical privileged kid whose life IS the feed and Violet is not.  Violet is the girl from “the wrong side of the tracks” and was raised by a father who is the futuristic version of the anti-establishment type and didn’t allow Violet to have her feed installed at birth, both because they couldn’t afford it and because he didn’t believe in them.  When their feeds are hacked by a lunatic, Titus and Violet find themselves on a path that both drives a wedge between them and pulls them closer together with Violet constantly questioning the feed and its effects and ultimately causing Titus to question everything he’s ever been comfortable with.  For multiple reasons, Violet’s feed is killing her and Titus is incapable of dealing with her situation until the very end.  While I did not care for Feed, it does deliver a strong message about the need to question and think for ourselves and points out the reality of our culture today.  Readers would need to be able to delve into the unknown and think abstractly in order to appreciate Feed.

The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War

Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Jerry Renault is a freshman in high school who, after his mother’s death, lives with his emotionally detached father and is struggling with loss, emotional bonds, and self-identity.  When the “cool kids” known as The Vigils issue a challenge to Jerry in order to prove himself worthy of being one of them, he initially accepts it and refuses to sell chocolates, a choice that paints a large target on his back for Leon, the corrupt private school interim headmaster in charge of the fundraiser.  After his initial refusal, Jerry decides to take a stand on his own in an effort to forge his own path and even takes a stand against Archie when he tells Jerry to back down, making that target even bigger and creating an open-season order for The Vigils.  As Jerry continues to defy those around him, we see him becoming the victim of the ruthless struggle for power that exists at school, as well as the struggle of others against their own cruel human behavior and eventually, Jerry suffers physically when he’s brutally beaten by Emile.  The Chocolate War is appropriate for high school students and, even though it was written 40 years ago, the themes of belonging, moral code, courage, connections with others and even psychological defeat are still common in the lives of teens today and reinforce three of Havighurst’s Theory of Developmental Tasks as outlined in Dr. Lesesne’s textbook, Making the Match.

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity

Wein, E. (2012). Code name verity. New York: Hyperion Books.

Code Name Verity is a historical fiction novel about two young women from opposite worlds whose destiny brings them to a heartfelt and everlasting friendship.  Maddie Brodatt, the Jewish pilot/mechanic finds herself flying planes in World War II and eventually, ferrying spies over enemy territory.  Queenie is the beautiful Scottish aristocrat whose talent at being a spy often puts her in harm’s way.  On one of the missions, Queenie/Verity/Julie Stuart is forced to parachute from the plane being flown by Maddie/Kittyhawk and is captured by the German forces and tortured into giving up their secret codes, all made up, of course.  As a diversion, Queenie, who writes her biography in third person, also includes stories of her friendship with Maddie and other details that serve as clues.  Maddie, in the meantime is taken in by members of the Resistance whose mission is to rescue prisoners, Queenie among them, and destroy the Gestapo’s headquarters.  In twist of plot that literally caused me to gasp, Maddie is forced to make a horrendous choice that changes her forever.  This is an emotional rollercoaster that makes the reader both laugh and cry while also encouraging them to think and make connections.  Because of the emotional content and the sometimes subtle, sometimes startling violence, Code Name Verity would be appropriate for students in grades 9-12 and I believe is a great “strong girl” novel.   

Leviathan

Leviathan

Westerfield, S. (2009). Leviathan. New York: Simon Pulse.

Leviathan, a steampunk novel set during the World War I era, is about a boy named Alek, whose birthright is loosely based on the children of the real-life Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, who were both, in the novel and in reality, assassinated.  When word of their death reaches Alek’s home, he is whisked away to what his caretakers, Klopp and Volger, assume is relative safety but actually turns out to be one perilous encounter after another.  Alongside Alek’s story is Deryn’s. Deryn is a girl who disguises herself as a boy named Dylan in order to serve in the British Air Service and proceeds to encounter danger of her own at every turn.  In a plot that pits Darwinism against the machine, Alek and Deryn befriend one another and meet many fantastic characters, both human and not, including Nora Darwin Barlow.  Because the author includes an interesting “Afterword” that explains some of the thoughts behind the story, Leviathan, can be used at many levels for many purposes.  The reader who indulges in fantasy would certainly be pleased as would those interested in Darwin, war machines, World War I, the Ottoman Empire, and even the artist, as the pencil illustrations are simply amazing.  Advanced readers from upper elementary grades (5-6) on up to high school could easily enjoy the action-packed Leviathan since its emotional involvement is sparse.  The Leviathan series includes Behemoth and Goliath.

Persepolis

Persepolis

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books.

Persepolis is an autobiography of a young Iranian girl, Marjane Sartrapi, growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution.  Set as a graphic novel, this book vividly portrays the daily life of Sartrapi as she grows from a little girl into a young woman in the home of forward thinking parents during a time and in a place where thinking such as this could get you killed.  As the reader discovers over the course of the novel, many of the people Marjane knows and loves are imprisoned and even killed for their opposition to the government suppression of the Iranian people.  As Marjane grows up, she experiences her own personal battle between doing what she knows to be in keeping with her parents’ values and what she as an individual wants.  Eventually, after a close call when a bomb detonates near her home and several other close calls for Marjane herself, her parents decide to send her away to Austria in order to be safe and removed from the strife of her homeland.  Persepolis would be an excellent novel to use to learn about the Iranian culture in a World History class with high school students and could even lend itself to some middle school students because of its graphic format.  Satrapi has written a follow-up novel titled Persepolis 2.  

The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our Stars
Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. New York: Dutton Books.

Hazel Lancaster, a 16 year old girl living and dying with cancer, and her eventual boyfriend, Augustus Waters give us an in depth view into the world of teenagers with terminal illnesses, as well as a glimpse into the emotions and actions of the adults around them.  Hazel and Augustus embark on a journey that not only includes their romance but Hazel's desire (and eventual opportunity, thanks to Augustus) to interview the author of her favorite book.  Readers are able to witness Hazel's maturity in dealing with the less than positive aspects of life-- cancer, her parents' coping and grieving process, the book author's detructive attitude, and eventually, Augustus' death.  Because of the depth of emotion and content in the novel, it is necessary that readers be emotionally mature in order to deal with and understand the mental and physical aspects of the novel.  Hazel and Augustus are not only going through terminal illness together, but the need to be independent (not to mention sexually budding) young adults and a reader who has not reached the appropriate maturity level cannot process this information accordingly.  Most high school students will be able to appreciate the emotional aspects of The Fault In Our Stars-  not all of them, but most.  A good book to follow up with is This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl, a biography about the actual "Hazel" that Green's novel was based on.
I think in reading this novel, especially if it is followed up with the biography, young adult readers are able to see that life is not always a fairy tale, that it is often cruel and painful, but that we have a choice as to how we respond to the cards that we are dealt and sometimes, if choose to be, we are richer for what we experience.

The Surrender Tree

The Surrender Tree

Engle, M. (2008). The Surrender Tree. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

The Surrender Tree is a heart-wrenching chronology of the struggles of Cuba for independence.  Written in verse, Engle follows several characters throughout their personal struggles and their public involvement in the rebels' quest for freedom from the tyranny of Spain.  In a style that allows the reader to almost physically and emotionally experience what Rosa, Jose, Sylvia, and even their nemesis, Lieutenant Death think and feel, the author details the lives of many non-fictional characters with the exception of two.  Readers can understand Rosa’s (the main character) experiences in life through the vivid descriptions both she and Jose give of their day to day struggles to care for those fighting tyranny. Also included in this creatively educational book are a timeline of Cuba's struggles over the years as well as some historical notes that would provide an excellent springboard for a world history lesson.  As the story concludes, we see Cuba under the control of yet another country’s authority, yet absent the tyranny.  I, like many others who have reviewed the novel, felt a lack of resolution for the characters and very little growth, especially in Lieutenant Death.  I just knew he would see the error of his ways!  Readers at the conventional and post-conventional levels could easily benefit from the novel while both the concrete and abstract thinkers can understand and apply the information discovered in The Surrender Tree.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Riggs, R. (2013). Miss peregrine's home for peculiar children. New York: Quirk Books.

In this intriguing novel about a group of children and their caretaker, Jacob Portman discovers a family secret that only he and his grandfather, Abe Portman, are privy to.  Jacob and his grandfather share a bond that until his grandfather’s death, Jacob was unaware of and that bond is that they are “peculiar”.  After Jacob finds his grandfather brutally murdered in the forest behind his house, he begins to question everything he’s always known.  When he convinces his father to take him on a trip to Wales as part of his therapy, Jacob finds himself thrown into a world he knows nothing about but that he is an integral part of.  As Jacob is embraced by the peculiars and their headmistress, Miss Peregrine, he is also inundated with knowledge of his grandfather’s abilities as a hollowgast hunter and begins to piece together the connection between Abe and Emma, a peculiar that he increasingly finds himself drawn to.  In addition to the fascinating storyline is an amazing collection and index of antique photographs that were the basis for many of the ideas in the novel .    Miss Peregrine’s is an excellent novel for both middle and high school readers because the depth of emotion and development covers a range of stages that lends itself to a wide audience.  The ability to think in the abstract is essential for the reader must suspend realistic thinking in order to enjoy the book.  A great follow-up is Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Sendak, M.(1963). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books.

Where the Wild Things Are is a story about Max, a little boy who behaves badly and whose consequences are to be banished to his bedroom before dinner.  In an effort to escape, makes goes to a land where he is the ruler of the wild things.  Sendak wrote this tale in a way that children can easily identify with and illustrated in a way that encourages a second look.

Evaluation criteria: Line

Lesson at HotChalk

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion.

David Wiesner's version of The Three Pigs is another alternative take on a classic story as Wiesner takes the children's story of "The Three Little Pigs" and, through marvelous illustrations and conversational bubbles, allows the pigs to transcend their story and interact with various characters from other tales.  The intricate illustrations add a dimension to the tale that only serves to enhance and entertain the reader.

Evaluation criteria: Line

This is a lesson that I would love to do!

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: William Morrow Co.

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a story that involves a young boy (Leigh Botts) living with his single mother who is struggling to make ends meet because Leigh's father is an absentee father/ex-husband who doesn't always pay child support and Leigh is often left alone at night so his mother can go to school in an effort to better their situation. As the story concludes, Leigh's father comes around hoping to reconcile with his mother and the effort is unsuccessful. The relationship seems to proceed amicably and the story leaves the reader with the hope that Leigh will at least have a positive relationship with his dad.Much of the story is written as a series of letters/journal entries, making it unique to Cleary's writing style.

Evaluation criteria:  plot and style

Teaching ideas at Scholastic.com

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Curtis, C.P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham–1963. New York: Delacorte Press.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham, like many other historical fiction novels, is a Coretta Scott King award and Newberry Honor book and fits the genre so thoroughly through its characters, plot, theme, setting, and style. As the Watsons take their family to Alabama in an effort to curb their oldest child's errant ways, the characters are revealed and in doing so, so are multiple themes.  Bullying, family conflict, and racism lead the way in the plot and make this novel applicable in many ways to today's times.

Evaluation criteria:  Historical fiction

Random House lesson ideas

We Are the Ship The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: the story of Negro league baseball. New York: Hyperion.

We Are The Ship is beautifully illustrated and designed book about the hardships experienced by the first African-American professional baseball players and managers in America.  While the words are powerful on their own, the illustrations and page layouts richly enhance the readers understanding and experience of what is very factual and historical information.

Evaluation criteria: Design

Timmy Failure Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis

Pastis, S. (2013). Timmy Failure: mistakes were made. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Timmy is a young boy growing up with a struggling single mother, no mention of a father, a teacher who doesn't understand him, terrible grades, and very few friends. As a coping mechanism that he uses to deal with his every day life, Timmy uses his very vivid imagination to invent a detective agency with "cases" and a partner that's a polar bear. As we see his mother begin to give up, Timmy gets a new teacher who sees the potential he has and uses Timmy's imagination to drive his education. Things begin to turn around for Timmy in this children's book written from Timmy's perspective with Timmy's "case" notes and drawings sprinkled liberally throughout the story.

Evaluation criteria: Plot and Style

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Boston, MA: Candlewick.

This Is Not My Hat is cute story about a small, sneaky fish who steals a hat from a large fish and arrogantly swims away with it positive that he won't get caught.  Along the way, the small fish has a witness in a crab who rats him out to the big fish.  In a short, simple tale where an innocent take on good vs. evil is applied in effective, yet simple words and illustrations, children can grasp the meaning and experience out-of-the-ordinary pictures as well.

Evaluation criteria: Shape

Spiders by Nic Bishop

Bishop, Nic. (2007).  Spiders. NY: Scholastic.
 
Spiders, written and illustrated by Nic Bishop, is a reliable, informative book containing a plethora of facts about spiders along with excellent photographs of the various spiders included in the book.  While there is no formal bibliographic information in the book, Bishop is a well-respected author and photographer, and holds a Ph.D. in biology and devotes his time to researching and studying small animals and insects and the facts presented in Spiders is easily verified through multiple sources.

Evaluation criteria: Accuracy

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York: Scholastic.

Rules, a children's novel of self-searching and discovery, involves the main character, Catherine's, struggles to figure out who she is independent of her brother David, who has autism and who she is often asked to care for as her parents work, all while she is coming of age socially as we see her meeting new people and navigating the waters of friendship. All of this progresses easily out of both her inner-conflicts and guilt as well as her actual conflicts with her parents and friends. As is often the case in both children's and adult's contemporary fiction, the main character is a female who is experiencing these conflicts with multiple male supporting characters who are also cast in atypical roles due to emotion and disabilities, like her new friend Jason. 

Evaluation criteria: Theme and Gender/culture

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt and Co.

 Combined with the details of Rosa's life, the turmoil of race relations at that point in our country's history, and Nikki Giovanni's original presentation of the story of Rosa Parks, the design of the book successfully makes this portrayal of those historical events understandable and believable for young children and make it interesting for older children and even adults.

Evaluation criteria: Design

Primates by Jim Ottaviani

Ottaviani, J. (2013). Primates. New York: FirstSecond.

Primates is a book that presents the lives of three different women who spent their lives researching primates.  The reader can learn about Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galikas through the now-popular graphic novel design of the book.  Text is appropriately used throughout to indicate both human speech and animal sounds and together with the illustrations, provide the reader with a thorough representation of each woman and her work.

Evaluation criteria: Design

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

Munsch, R. (2012). The paperbag princess. New York: Annick Press.

The Paper Bag Princess is based on the classic idea of a girl in search of her prince, but this story takes on a humorous twist in its telling.  Elizabeth battles- and defeats- a fire-breathing dragon for her prince only to discover that her prince is an obnoxious oaf.  This "stand on your own two feet" take on a classic theme is refreshing and should be in the hands of every little girl...and woman.

Evaluation criteria: Shape

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. New York: Atheneum.

Out of My Mind takes place in the home and school of the main character, Melody, a pre-teen girl living with cerebral palsy and unable to communicate verbally. Through the "voice" of Melody, we are able to gain a first-person perspective of her surroundings in a realistic, effective way. The reader is also able to identify a universal theme of self-discovery since Melody is a strong main character who is trying to establish a place in her world, however small it is, while also battling her inability to express herself and be understood by others. The angst she sometimes feels is almost palpable to the reader, making her an extremely believable character and adding to the theme.

Evaluation criteria: Setting and theme

Olivia by Ian Falconer

Falconer, I. (2000). Olivia. New York: Atheneum.

Olivia is the well-known book about a typical little girl in the shape of a pig.  She is precocious and often bothered by her little brother but is also sweet and endearing at the end of the day.  Olivia is a simply written and illustrated book, making it really ALL ABOUT OLIVIA!

Evaluation criteria: Color

My Teacher Is a Monster! by Peter Brown

Brown, P. (2014). My teacher is a monster! (No, I am not!). New York: Little Brown and Co.

My Teacher Is a Monster! is a great book about a little boy and his teacher at odds with one another until a chance meeting in the park reveals to the boy that his teacher really is likeable and is in fact, not a MONSTER.

Evaluation criteria: Texture

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror, mirror. New York: Dutton.

Mirror Mirror is a fascinatingly written book of poems based on classic fairy tales.  But these poems aren't just your typical poems-- they are written one way, and then using the same words and the same order, but different punctuation, they are written in reverse to produce a different take on, yet again, the same story. 

Evaluation criteria: Color

Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell

McDonnell, P. (2011). Me…Jane. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Me...Jane is great book to use with very young readers as a way to introduce Jane Goodall's lifelong study of chimpanzees through her much-loved toy chimpanzee.  McDonnell presents the life and work of Goodall in a very sweet, childlike way that speaks to children.

Evaluation criteria: Style

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach A Cuban Foktale retold by Carmen Agra Deedy

Deedy, C.A. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach is a beautifully entertaining folktale that endears the main character, Martina to the reader through her grandmother's advice about testing her suitors for marriage material.  Through gorgeous illustrations, the tale comes to life and pokes fun at the various "men" who have come to woo Martina.  True to Cuban heritage and traditions, this proves worthy of cultural studies and is a heartwarming version of an old tale.

Evaluation criteria: Texture

The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie DePaola

DePaola, T. (1983). The legend of the bluebonnet. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.

In this tale about a young Comanche girl who sacrifices her most-loved possession out of sacrifice for her people, DePaola formulates an explanation for the state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet.  DePaola is intentionally true to the Comanche people in a story that is timeless and appropriate for a wide range of readers.

Evaluation criteria: Composition

It's So Amazing! by Robie Harris

Harris, R. (1999). It’s so amazing. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

It's So Amazing! is a great book to use as a sounding board when explaining the sexual functions of the human body.  With it's age-appropriate illustrations, its up-to-date use of language, and the child-friendly presentation, this book makes itself an excellent tool to use for what can be a sometimes challenging, uncomfortable subject with children.

Evaluation criteria: Organization

It's a Book by Lane Smith

Smith, L. (2010). It’s a book. New York: Roaring Brook Press

It's a Book is a clever little book that uses very few words, a donkey, and a gorilla to effectively explain in an ever-expanding technological age what a book is.  The illustrations are even simple, but very effective and are done in such a way as to draw the reader's attention to the written word.  The simplicity and humor of the book is, in my opinion, what makes It's a Book's impact so strong.

Evaluation criteria: Compostition

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

Schlitz, Laura. (2007). Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!, a Newberry Award winning book is written mostly in verse with descriptive, informative paragraphs throughout each of the 21 tales in which the author depicts 23 different characters, in a very Canterbury Tales style.  Schlitz originally wrote the book in a way that students could present a play where everyone had the opportunity to have a key role.

Evaluation criteria: Historical fiction

How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg

Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: the awful ends of the awfully famous. New York: Walker and Co.

How They Croaked is presented in a style that is interest-grabbing and thought provoking.  Georgia Bragg (I was surprised to realize that it was a woman who wrote in this voice/style, however sexist that may sound) delivers information in a way that oozes sarcasm and humor, while providing factual information about the unusual ends of historical figures.  Bragg also presents information in a way that suggests she is having a conversation with a peer or friend even, which draws the reader in even more.  Her no-holds-barred delivery give this informational text a flavor all its own and leave just enough to the imagination to make the reader dig a little deeper on many of the subjects.

Evaluation criteria: Style  

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Bartoletti, S. (2005). Hitler youth: growing up in Hitler’s shadow.  New York: Scholastic.

Hitler Youth is a terrifically enlightening book about the young lives, both the followers of Hitler and Jewish youth, which were impacted by the times in which Hitler reigned in Europe.  The words of the children are so moving that this book would be a great source for educators to use in their study of the Holocaust and the writing and photographs make it appropriate for readers of any age. 

Evaluation criteria:  Organization

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

Sweet, M. (2011). Balloons over Broadway: the true story of the puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Balloons Over Broadway, The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade is a masterfully written and illustrated book about Tony Sarg, the artist behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  This beautiful book uses collage to enhance the written word about a time-honored tradition that was the ever-evolving brain-child of Mr. Sarg.

Evaluation criteria: Design

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co.

Jess Aarons is not the typical leading male character in Bridge to Terabithia in that he does not care to conform to the stereotypical role of a small town boy but because of his dirt-poor upbringing and lack of encouragement, sees no other option and so he runs to escape. Then Leslie moves to this very believable small town with its small town ideas and limitations, and gives Jess a vision of hope and encouragement to pursue his artistic talents. As the two transcend the daily life that holds Jess back by creating an imaginary world, Jess begins to grow in strength so that even in the face of loss, Jess has become strong enough to have hope of one day overcoming his upbringing. 

Evaluation criteria: Character and setting