Children's Lit Book List

Title: Throne of Glass Author: Sarah J Maas Awards: Date Published: Characters: Cealeana Sadorthin, Dorian Hallivard, Choal Westfall, the King, Cain, Nox, Princess Nehmina, Vernin, Setting: The King's castle in Adarlan Summary: Cealeana is chosen to be the Prince Dorian's champion in his father's competition. Cealeana if pulled from a labor camp and thrust into a competition of skill. Cealeana isn't allowed to tell her competition who she really is. Cealeana trains to become the king's champion aka the king's assassin. Mysteriously competitors start dying gruesomely. Cealeana is given a mission from the first queen of Adarlan to find the evil in the castle and destroy it. Theme: Freedom and good vs evil Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 9-12

Can good people do bad things? Can bad people do good things? What does courage entail? What evil do you think is in the castle?

Title: The Little Prince Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Awards: Retro Hugo Award for Best Novella, Prix Femina, Croix de Guerre 1939-1945, National Book Award for Nonfiction, Legion d'honneur, Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française Date Published: April 6, 1943 Characters: narrator, little prince, king, a vain man, a drunkard, a businessman, a lamplighter, and a geographer, snake, fox, a railway switchman and a salesclerk Setting: Sahara desert Summary: The narrator, an airplane pilot, crashes in the Sahara desert. The crash badly damages his airplane and leaves the narrator with very little food or water. As he is worrying over his predicament, he is approached by the little prince, a very serious little blond boy who asks the narrator to draw him a sheep. The narrator obliges, and the two become friends. The pilot learns that the little prince comes from a small planet that the little prince calls Asteroid 325 but that people on Earth call Asteroid B-612. The little prince took great care of this planet, preventing any bad seeds from growing and making sure it was never overrun by baobab trees. One day, a mysterious rose sprouted on the planet and the little prince fell in love with it. But when he caught the rose in a lie one day, he decided that he could not trust her anymore. He grew lonely and decided to leave. Despite a last-minute reconciliation with the rose, the prince set out to explore other planets and cure his loneliness. While journeying, the narrator tells us, the little prince passes by neighboring asteroids and encounters for the first time the strange, narrow-minded world of grown-ups. On the first six planets the little prince visits, he meets a king, a vain man, a drunkard, a businessman, a lamplighter, and a geographer, all of whom live alone and are overly consumed by their chosen occupations. Such strange behavior both amuses and perturbs the little prince. He does not understand their need to order people around, to be admired, and to own everything. With the exception of the lamplighter, whose dogged faithfulness he admires, the little prince does not think much of the adults he visits, and he does not learn anything useful. However, he learns from the geographer that flowers do not last forever, and he begins to miss the rose he has left behind. At the geographer's suggestion, the little prince visits Earth, but he lands in the middle of the desert and cannot find any humans. Instead, he meets a snake who speaks in riddles and hints darkly that its lethal poison can send the little prince back to the heavens if he so wishes. The little prince ignores the offer and continues his explorations, stopping to talk to a three-petaled flower and to climb the tallest mountain he can find, where he confuses the echo of his voice for conversation. Eventually, the little prince finds a rose garden, which surprises and depresses him—his rose had told him that she was the only one of her kind. The prince befriends a fox, who teaches him that the important things in life are visible only to the heart, that his time away from the rose makes the rose more special to him, and that love makes a person responsible for the beings that one loves. The little prince realizes that, even though there are many roses, his love for his rose makes her unique and that he is therefore responsible for her. Despite this revelation, he still feels very lonely because he is so far away from his rose. The prince ends his story by describing his encounters with two men, a railway switchman and a salesclerk. It is now the narrator's eighth day in the desert, and at the prince's suggestion, they set off to find a well. The water feeds their hearts as much as their bodies, and the two share a moment of bliss as they agree that too many people do not see what is truly important in life. The little prince's mind, however, is fixed on returning to his rose, and he begins making plans with the snake to head back to his planet. The narrator is able to fix his plane on the day before the one-year anniversary of the prince's arrival on Earth, and he walks sadly with his friend out to the place the prince landed. The snake bites the prince, who falls noiselessly to the sand. The narrator takes comfort when he cannot find the prince's body the next day and is confident that the prince has returned to his asteroid. The narrator is also comforted by the stars, in which he now hears the tinkling of his friend's laughter. Often, however, he grows sad and wonders if the sheep he drew has eaten the prince's rose. The narrator concludes by showing his readers a drawing of the desert landscape and by asking us to stop for a while under the stars if we are ever in the area and to let the narrator know immediately if the little prince has returned. Theme: Truth Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 7-12

Describe a time you felt lonely. Riddle Day.

Title: The Pearl Author: John Steinbeck Awards: Nobel Prize in Literature, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Presidential Medal of Freedom, National Book Award for Fiction, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play Date Published: 1947 Characters: Kino, Juana, Coyotito, Juan Tomás, Apolonia, The doctor, The priest, The dealers, The trackers Setting: around the 1900 on an estuary (mouth of the river) somewhere on the coast of Mexico in the town of La Paz. Summary: Kino, Juana, and their infant son, Coyotito, live in a modest brush house by the sea. One morning, calamity strikes when a scorpion stings Coyotito. Hoping to protect their son, Kino and Juana rush him to the doctor in town. When they arrive at the doctor's gate, they are turned away because they are poor natives who cannot pay enough. Later that same morning, Kino and Juana take their family canoe, an heirloom, out to the estuary to go diving for pearls. Juana makes a poultice for Coyotito's wound, while Kino searches the sea bottom. Juana's prayers for a large pearl are answered when Kino surfaces with the largest pearl either of them has ever seen. Kino lets out a triumphant yell at his good fortune, prompting the surrounding boats to circle in and examine the treasure. In the afternoon, the whole neighborhood gathers at Kino's brush house to celebrate his find. Kino names a list of things that he will secure for his family with his newfound wealth, including a church wedding and an education for his son. The neighbors marvel at Kino's boldness and wonder if he is foolish or wise to harbor such ambitions. Toward evening, the local priest visits Kino to bless him in his good fortune and to remind him of his place within the church. Shortly thereafter, the doctor arrives, explaining that he was out in the morning but has come now to cure Coyotito. He administers a powdered capsule and promises to return in an hour. In the intervening period, Coyotito grows violently ill, and Kino decides to bury the pearl under the floor in a corner of the brush house. The doctor returns and feeds Coyotito a potion to quiet his spasms. When the doctor inquires about payment, Kino explains that soon he will sell his large pearl and inadvertently glances toward the corner where he has hidden the pearl. This mention of the pearl greatly intrigues the doctor, and Kino is left with an uneasy feeling. Before going to bed, Kino reburies the pearl under his sleeping mat. That night, he is roused by an intruder digging around in the corner. A violent struggle ensues, and Kino's efforts to chase away the criminal leave him bloodied. Terribly upset by this turn of events, Juana proposes that they abandon the pearl, which she considers an agent of evil. The next morning, Kino and Juana make their way to town to sell the pearl. Juan Tomás, Kino's brother, advises Kino to be wary of cheats. Indeed, all of the dealers conspire to bid low on the pearl. Kino indignantly refuses to accept their offers, resolving instead to take his pearl to the capital. That evening, as Kino and Juana prepare to leave, Juan Tomás cautions Kino against being overly proud, and Juana repeats her wish to be rid of the pearl. Kino silences her, explaining that he is a man and will take care of things. In the middle of the night, Juana steals away with the pearl. Kino wakes as she leaves and pursues her, apprehending her just as she is poised to throw the pearl into the sea. He tackles her, takes the pearl back, and beats her violently, leaving her in a crumpled heap on the beach. As he returns to the brush house, a group of hostile men confronts him and tries to take the pearl from him. He fights the men off, killing one and causing the rest to flee, but drops the pearl in the process. As Juana ascends from the shore to the brush house, she finds the pearl lying in the path. Just beyond, she sees Kino on the ground, next to the dead man. He bemoans the loss of the pearl, which she presents to him. Though Kino explains that he had no intention to kill, Juana insists that he will be labeled a murderer. They resolve to flee at once. Kino rushes back to the shore to prepare the canoe, while Juana returns home to gather Coyotito and their belongings. Kino arrives at the shore and finds his canoe destroyed by vandals. When he climbs the hill, he sees a fire blazing, and realizes that his house has burned down. Desperate to find refuge, Kino, Juana and Coyotito duck into Juan Tomás's house, where they hide out for the day. Relieved that the three did not perish in the blaze, as the rest of the neighborhood believes, Juan Tomás and his wife, Apolonia, reluctantly agree to keep Kino and Juana's secret and provide shelter for them while pretending to be ignorant of their whereabouts. At nightfall, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito set out for the capital. Skirting the town, they travel north until sunrise and then take covert shelter by the roadside. They sleep for most of the day and are preparing to set out again when Kino discovers that three trackers are following them. After hesitating briefly, Kino decides that they must hurry up the mountain, in hopes of eluding the trackers. A breathless ascent brings them to a water source, where they rest and take shelter in a nearby cave. Kino attempts to mislead the trackers by creating a false trail up the mountain. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito then hide in the cave and wait for an opportunity to escape back down the mountain. The trackers are slow in their pursuit and finally arrive at the watering hole at dusk. They make camp nearby, and two of the trackers sleep while the third stands watch. Kino decides that he must attempt to attack them before the late moon rises. He strips naked to avoid being seen and sneaks up to striking distance. Just as Kino prepares to attack, Coyotito lets out a cry, waking the sleepers. When one of them fires his rifle in the direction of the cry, Kino makes his move, killing the trackers in a violent fury. In the aftermath, Kino slowly realizes that the rifle shot struck and killed his son in the cave. The next day, Kino and Juana make their way back through town and the outlying brush houses. Juana carries her dead son slung over her shoulder. They walk all the way to the sea, as onlookers watch in silent fascination. At the shore, Kino pulls the pearl out of his clothing and takes one last, hard look at it. Then, with all his might, under a setting sun, he flings the pearl back into the sea. Theme: Greed, Fate, Oppression Rating: 2 out of 5 Grade: 9-12

I honestly really didn't like this book so I don't know if I would use it in my classroom unless I had to. On that note if I had to I could do an activity about how greed corrupts.

Title: Sounder Author: William H. Armstrong Author's Awards: Newberry Medal, Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, Publisher and Date: 1969 Characters: The Boy, The Boy's Father (paternal before he is sent to jail), The Boy's Mother (basically single mother), Sounder (family's dog), The Teacher (like a second father loves books), and The Jail Guard (enjoys frightening the boy) Setting: Summary: The story begins with a young boy asking his father where he got their dog, Sounder. The father responds that the dog came to him. The boy speculates he and the dog must be about the same age, and reflects on his failed efforts to attend school despite the long distance required to walk through the worsening winter weather. He concludes that the next year he will be older and thus stronger and better able to attend school. Sounder is named because of his incredibly loud bark, which can be heard a long way off. Sounder is ugly, but is a very skilled hunting dog. The family depends on the animal hides from the hunts that the boy and Sounder regularly go on. The father promises the boy that he will take him hunting. They have a meager dinner, and while the boy helps his mother shell walnuts, the father leaves. The mother reads from the bible, and the boy goes to sleep wondering where his father has gone. In the morning, he wakes up to find pork sausages and ham cooking. These are special-occasion foods, and he wonders where they got them from. Breakfast is joyful. Later, the sheriff arrives with two deputies. They enter the cabin and arrest the father, accusing him of having stolen the ham. As they drag the father away, Sounder chases after them, barking, and one of the deputies shoots at the dog. Sounder runs away. The boy goes looking for Sounder, but only finds a trail of blood and part of the dog's ear. He brings the ear home and places it under his pillow. He worries over the dog and wishes for the dog to come back. Although his mother believes Sounder went somewhere to die in peace, the boy keeps looking for the dog every day. The boy must watch his younger siblings while his mother shells walnuts in order to make money, and he begins to find their tiny cabin lonely and oppressive. As Christmas approaches, the mother bakes a cake and sends the boy to the jail with it to see his father. The boy is self-conscious as he walks through town. The guards at the jail are mean and disrespectful, and make him wait for hours to see his father. They also smash up the cake, but the boy takes it to his father anyway. The father is distant and unhappy. The boy tells him that he believes Sounder is alive. When the visit is over, the father tells the boy not to come back. The next morning the boy wakes up and finds Sounder outside. Sounder is in bad shape; he has lost an eye, an ear, and one leg is lame. The boy and the mother take Sounder in and treat his wounds. The family hears that the father has been convicted of theft and sentenced to a chain gang. The boy decides he will follow his father as the gang moves around the state, and begins searching for convicts. When he finally locates a chain gang, he watches them for some time, looking for his father, but one of the guards chases him off, making his hands bleed. The boy goes to a school and attempts to wash his hands. He finds a book in the garbage and takes it to the water cistern. He's found by an elderly teacher, who takes him inside and cleans his wounded hands. The teacher asks how he was hurt and the boy tells him the story of his father, and the teacher is moved. He offers to let the boy live with him and he will teach him to read and write. The mother sadly gives her permission, seeing this as the best opportunity the boy will have, and he goes to live with the teacher during the cold weather months, working in the fields as usual in the summer. One day while the boy is at the cabin, his father appears. He has been badly injured in an explosion at some point, but he is alive and has made it back to his family. Sounder is excited to see him as well. A few nights later, the father takes Sounder with him hunting at night. A few hours later Sounder returns alone, and the boy goes looking for his father. He finds him dead. Later, Sounder crawls under the cabin's porch and refuses to come out, and soon dies as well. Theme: the value of having dignity, courage, and love in the face of adversity Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

If the school does something like Character Counts I could use this book to teach courage.

Title: Killing Mr. Griffin Author: Lois Duncan Awards: Edgar Grand Master Award, Caldecott Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Date Published: April 1978 Characters: Mr. Griffin, Dave Rutters, Betsy Cline, Mark Kinney, Jeff, Sue McConnell, Kathy, Dave's Grandma, Police Detective Baca Setting: New Mexico high school Summary: Mr. Griffin is a tough English teacher: he won't accept anything late, even from class president Dave Rutters; he won't succumb to Betsy Cline's cuteness when she doesn't understand the assignment; he even made Mark Kinney beg for a second chance in his class. When Mark's buddy Jeff makes an off-hand comment about wanting to kill Mr. Griffin, he begins to plot an elaborate plan to scare him to death. They invite sweet, straight-A earning junior Sue McConnell to hang out with them. As she has a huge crush on Dave, she's all about it. They include her in on the plan to scare Griffin by asking her to request a meeting with him. After the meeting, they plan to kidnap him and scare him a bit. The morning before Sue's meeting, we meet Brian Griffin at home with his pregnant wife Kathy. She talks to him about being too hard on his students, especially the good ones like Sue. She panics before he leaves, like a horrible feeling it'll be the last time she sees him. So, the plan happens. Sue bails out after the meeting because when Griffin gets grabbed, he yells "Run!" to her to protect her. The others (Jeff, Betsy, Mark, and Dave) take him to a special place that Mark and his ex Lana found with a waterfall and such. They find his prescription for his angina, and Mark stomps on the pills. Then they decide since he won't beg for mercy, they'll leave him for the night. Dave goes by Sue's house later that evening, and she asks to go untie Griffin. Sadly, as you'd've already guessed, he died because of his heart condition. So, they spend the rest of the book hiding his death. They bury Griffin, they feed lies to the police, but Kathy's pretty smart and knows that Sue is BSing them big time (Sue being the last person who saw him, and a horrible liar). Later, Lana went on a hike with her new boyfriend and she found the prescription bottle. The police figure out where he is (the big mound of fresh dirt). Dave took Griffin's college ring because it reminded him of his father, and his grandma took it from him. So there's another liability. They also paint Griffin's car. Betsy, Jeff, and Mark need alibis so they can drop off Griffin's car on the nearby reservation. Betsy says she's at Sue's while Jeff says he's at Dave's. Well, when they call Dave, it doesn't fly because they're having a wake for his grandma who died that morning. A neighbor said grandma was talking to a boy in a brown sweater right before it happened. Sue realizes Mark killed grandma because he always wears brown. Mark sends the other two out to wait for him, and he ties up Sue and starts cooking the curtains. Luckily for Sue, Kathy and Police Detective Baca were coming over to question her, and they arrest the right people and she gets to live. Theme: peer pressure/manipulation, psychopaths, conscience/guilt. Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 9-12

If you committed a crime, how would you cover your tracks? Practice peer pressure exercises.

Title: Piecing Me Together Author: Renee Watson Awards: Coretta Scott King Award; Newbery Medal Date Published: February 14, 2017 Characters: Jade, Mrs. Parker, Maxine, Sam, Setting: St. Francis High School Summary: During Jade's junior year at St. Francis, Mrs. Parker encourages her to join a mentorship program for African American girls called Woman to Woman, which pairs each student with a St. Francis alumna. Jade's mentor is Maxine, a black woman from an upper-middle-class background. Jade and Maxine form an uneasy relationship, but Jade is critical of some of Maxine's behaviors: Maxine is distracted by her relationship with a deadbeat ex-boyfriend; she was late to their first-ever Woman to Woman meeting; but most of all, she treats Jade as an object of pity who will help give meaning to her life. Meanwhile, Jade forms a friendship with Sam, a white girl who rides the same bus to school. Sam is from Northeast Portland, a poor, primarily white section of the city. While Jade and Sam share an understanding based on socioeconomic class and their relationship to money, there is a huge divide in their understanding of race. Jade's life is peppered with all sorts of racist incidents: She is seen as "unruly" by a school lunch lady; she is ejected from a store in the mall for just browsing; she is looked over by her Spanish professor for St. Francis's study abroad program. The turning point in the novel comes when Jade begins voicing her needs: She lets Maxine know that she feels ignored; she tells the founder of Woman to Woman that the program would be more effective if it gave the mentees more practical advice and stopped treating them as objects of charity; and she tells Sam it is hurtful that Sam does not believe Jade faces racism on a daily basis. The novel concludes with Jade taking control of her own future. With the support of Maxine and the newly-transformed Woman to Woman, Jade combines her passion for collaging with her desire for social justice. Shaken by the recent violence against a young black student named Natasha Ramsey, Jade and her best friend, Lee Lee, raise awareness (and money to pay for hospital bills) for Natasha by putting on a community art show. Maxine offers to hold the event at her sister's art gallery, and the event is a fantastic success. By the end of the novel, Woman to Woman has transformed at its core: The organization no longer treats its mentees as problems needing to be "fixed," but listens to them and approaches their needs with respect. Theme: race, class, privilege and friendship. Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 7-12

Student could point out flaws in society and come up with a plan to counteract that flaw.

Title: Queer Person Author: Ralph Hubbard Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: 1930 Characters: Setting: Crow Indian Camp Summary: The story is a compelling tale of a lost, apparently deaf child who, upon removing mechanical obstructions to his hearing, grows up to be a noble and heroic figure. The story is suffused with intrigue and travails, as the young man becomes a respected citizen of his adopted band, but he must kill his own father and save the son of the leader of the band, all the while deceiving them that he is still deaf, to do so. He uncovers a plot of a traitor among the band in the process. Theme: Conquering Difficulties Rating: 2 out of 5 Grade: 5-8th

This book could be used as a disability does not define you. It can make students more empathetic to those who may have a disability.

Title: The Graveyard Book Author: Neil Gaiman Awards: Nebula Award for Best Novel, Newbery Medal, Hugo Award for Best Novel, Carnegie Medal, World Fantasy Award—Short Fiction, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, Ray Bradbury Award, Audiobook of the Year, Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fantasy, Hugo Award for Best Short Story, Hugo Award for Best Novella, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Graphic Novels and Comics, Audie Award for Multi-voiced Performance, Nebula Award for Best Novella, Bram Stoker Award for Novel, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Picture Books, Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic, Audie Award for Short Stories/Collections, Shorty Award for Best Author, Audie Award for Narration By The Author, August Derleth Award, Quill Award for Graphic novel, Locus Award for Best Short Story, Eisner Award for Best Writer, Audie Award for Children's Titles Ages 8-12, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation Short Form, SFX Award for Best Graphic Novel, Cybils Award for Fantasy & Science Fiction - Elementary & Middle Grade, Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book, Locus Award for Best Collection, SFX Award for Best Novel, Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire for foreign short fiction, Gran Guinigi for Best Script Date Published: September 30, 2008 Characters: Man Jack, Mr. Owens, Mrs. Owens, Lady on the Grey, Nobody Owens, Silas, Scarlet Perkins, Miss Lupescu, Liza Hempstock, Mr. Bolger, Mr. Hustings, Nick, Mo, Setting: England Summary: An assassin named "man Jack" enters a house at night and uses a knife to kill a man, his wife, and their daughter. He searches for the fourth family member, a toddler, but the little boy has wandered off into the night. The boy arrives at a graveyard at the top of a hill, where the ghost of a long-dead woman, Mrs. Owens, greets him. The murdered family's ghosts show up and beg her to protect the boy from the assassin, who has followed the lad's scent up to the cemetery. Mrs. Owens and her husband agree to watch over the toddler. A tall, mysterious, shadowy person, Silas, meets man Jack and makes him forget he saw the boy in the graveyard. The assassin wanders away. The ghosts hold a group meeting; the Owenses offer to be the boy's parents, and Silas volunteers to be his guardian. It's an unusual request, and the debate continues for hours until the Lady on the Grey, a ghostly goddess on horseback, arrives and suggests they exercise charity. The graveyard denizens agree at once that their community will protect and raise the boy. They name him Nobody Owens. Silas, who can travel beyond the graveyard, brings food, books, and toys for Nobody—"Bod"—and the other ghosts teach him what they know of life. When he's nearly five, he meets Scarlett Perkins, a girl who visits the park-like cemetery with her mother on sunny days. Scarlett and Bod become friends and play on the grounds. The two children visit the deep underground crypt of the Indigo Man, the oldest burial chamber there, where sounds and images threaten the two children, but they realize the scary things are protections, like scarecrows in a field. Whispery voices say they're the Sleer, guardians waiting for their master to return. When Bod and Scarlett climb back to the surface, they find that the police have been searching for her. Not long after, her parents find work in Scotland, and she visits the graveyard one last time to say goodbye to Bod. Silas must leave for a while, and he brings the boy a substitute guardian, grey-haired Miss Lupescu. She feeds him weird salads that he hates and makes him learn things of no interest, like how to cry for help in dozens of languages. Despondent, he naps near an old, decrepit grave but is wakened by three ghouls who invite him to join them for a delicious meal at their home world. He agrees, and they grab him and take him through the grave's ghoul-gate into a horrid desert land under a deep-red sun and giant moons. Bod realizes they've kidnapped him and plan to make him into one of them. High overhead soar leather-winged creatures, the night-gaunts, and Bod remembers how to call for help in their language. The ghouls climb a cliffside stairway toward their home city of Ghulheim, Bod trapped in a ghoul's backpack at the rear of the line. A giant dog-like creature bounds up the stairs. Its claws rip open the pack and Bod tumbles out over the edge, but he's saved by a night-gaunt. The dog is Miss Lupescu in her true form as a Hound of God. She retrieves Bod and returns him to the graveyard. When he's eight, Bod sneaks out to Potter's Field just beyond the graveyard fence. He climbs a tree but falls out and a teenage ghost somehow mends his damaged leg; she's a witch, Liza Hempstock, whose body lies buried nearby. Liza asks Bod to find her a gravestone and he agrees, retrieves a ruby brooch from the Indigo Man's crypt, borrows some old clothes from the gardener's shed, and walks into town to sell the brooch and buy a gravestone. At an antique shop, he shows the brooch to the owner, Mr. Bolger, who takes the item and locks the boy in a storeroom. He calls his partner, Mr. Hustings, who hurries over to examine the brooch. Bolger declares that there must be more where the boy found it, and he tells Hustings that the kid also might be the person wanted by a man named Jack. Liza materializes in the storeroom, where she confers on Bod the ghostly ability to disappear. The men open the room, can't find the boy, begin to fight over the brooch, and knock each other out. Bod steals a glass paperweight, escapes from the storeroom, collects the brooch—Liza insists he also take the calling card Bolger got from man Jack—and returns to the graveyard, where he gives Silas the card and tells him what happened. Mr. Owens punishes him with a spanking. Bod returns the brooch to the Indigo Man's crypt, writes Liza's initials on the paperweight, and places it on her grave. She thanks him. One winter night when he's 10, Bod notices that all the ghosts are edgy and singing a song about "the Macabray." The next day, the graveyard's ivy blooms, and town officials collect the flowers. That night, strange music brings out the townsfolk, who each receive a flower and begin to dance in the town square. Graveyard ghosts, along with the Lady on the Grey, appear and dance with the living people. Bod dances, ecstatic, until he's exhausted. At midnight, the ghosts disappear, and the people trudge back to their homes. The next day, no one at the graveyard will talk about it; Silas explains that some things should be left unsaid. At a hotel ballroom, 100 men meet in a Convocation. While the group secretary describes the charitable work they've performed over the past year, one member quietly chides man Jack for letting the boy escape the assassination job he started 10 years earlier. Man Jack replies that he has new leads and will shortly follow them up. When he's 11, Bod tells Silas he wants to attend school so he can learn more than graveyard ghosts can teach him. He points out that he can Haunt and Fade and has no fear of the assassin who lurks out beyond the gates. Silas gives in, and Bod enrolls in a local school. There, he makes himself too ordinary to remember, and he enjoys reading books from the school's libraries. A large boy, Nick, and a skinny girl, Mo, work together to steal lunch money from other students. Bod intervenes, and the victimized kids begin to defy the bullies. Mo gets Bod arrested on false charges, but Silas rescues him. Bod haunts Nick's dreams and Mo's daytime, but he and Silas agree to find other ways, instead of school, for Bod to learn about the outside world. Scarlett, now 15, and her mom move back to town from Scotland. She rekindles her friendship with Bod, who explains his family's murder and his odd upbringing. At the graveyard, she's befriended by a nice man named Mr. Frost from the local historical society. She asks him how to do research on Bod's family; he agrees to investigate it, then offers to report his results to her and Bod. When they visit him, he tries to kill the boy—he's the original assassin—but Bod and Scarlett escape to the graveyard, pursued by Frost and four other men from the Convocation. Bod hides Scarlett in the Indigo Man tomb. He tricks one pursuer into falling into a deep, open grave. He then goes to the crypt of the ghoul-gate and confronts three pursuers, who tell him they're the Jacks of All Trades, an ancient group dedicated to extracting magic from the deaths of people they murder. An ancient prophecy tells of a boy who'll wander between life and death and, when he's grown, destroy the Jacks. Therefore, they must kill him. Bod opens the ghoul-gate, and all three Jacks fall into the other world. The remaining Jack, Mr. Frost, sniffs out Scarlett's whereabouts, finds her in the Indigo crypt, and takes her captive. Bod arrives and he tells the guardian Sleer that their master has arrived. The Sleer, a giant three-headed snake, appears, wraps around Jack, and pulls him inside the rock wall. Back above ground, Scarlett accuses Bod of using her as bait to catch Jack Frost and says Bod's a monster, too. Silas, just back home from his overseas part in the battle, takes Scarlett home, erases her memories of Bod, and convinces her mother to return with Scarlett to Scotland. Silas informs Bod that Miss Lupescu died in the battle against the overseas Jacks. Now 15, Bod sees fewer and fewer of the ghosts and no longer can slip through solid tombs to visit them. Silas gives Bod a suitcase and money, explaining that Bod must leave the graveyard and seek his future in the land of the living. Liza gives him a goodbye kiss, and his adoptive ghost mother, Mrs. Owens, offers a tearful farewell. Bod steps out onto the street and walks down the hill, toward a world full of people. Theme: Be the Hero of Your Own Story Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 6-8

This book could be used to help students prepare for change. Change might be scary to think about but will probably be best for them.

Title: The Tale of Despereaux Author: Kate DiCamillo Awards: John Newberry Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature, Indies Choice Book Award for Children's Literature Date Published: August 25, 2003 Characters: Princess Pea, Roscuro, Despereaux Tilling, Miggery Sow, Botticelli Setting: The Kingdom of Dor Summary: Despereaux is the story of an unusual hero, a mouse. Despereaux was born with his eyes open and lives his life that way, looking for adventure and love in places other mice fear to go. For this reason, Despereaux finds himself trapped in the dungeon of a castle while the girl he loves is facing certain desolation at the hands of a disappointed rat and a forgotten child. Despereaux must save the day despite being less than two inches tall. The Tale of Despereaux is a funny yet eye opening novel of heroism that will both entertain and inspire its readers. Despereaux is born the last child to a self-centered, French mother and her adoring husband. Despereaux is the only of his litter to survive, leaving his family convinced he will not survive infancy. This, coupled with the fact that his eyes are open from birth, make Despereaux an oddity among his siblings. Despereaux only adds to his oddness when he refuses to be frightened of the humans, to search for crumbs as his siblings do, and when he reveals himself to the king and Princess Pea in order to listen to music. Despereaux's brother informs his father of this odd behavior. The music is the last straw for Despereaux's loyal mouse father. Lester calls the Mouse Council together and tells them of Despereaux's latest behavior. After hearing that Despereaux has revealed himself to a human, the council feels it has no choice but to condemn Despereaux to death in the dungeon. In an odd ceremony, Despereaux has a red thread tied around his neck and is sent to the dungeon under escort. When he arrives, Despereaux finds the dungeon to be a dark, sad place. Despereaux meets Gregory, the dungeon keeper. Gregory takes Despereaux under his care, protecting him from the hundreds of rats living in the dungeon. Roscuro is a rat who is fascinated by light. Most rats do not like the light, but Roscuro cannot get enough. One day Roscuro goes upstairs and finds himself in a dining room in the middle of a dinner party. Roscuro climbs to the chandelier to get a better view of the festivities. Princess Pea sees him up there and cries out, causing Roscuro to fall. Roscuro falls into the queen's soup bowl, causing her to die of shock. The death of the queen devastates the king, causing him to outlaw both rats and soup in the kingdom. Miggery Sow is a servant girl who is brought to the castle after a soldier discovers a man claims to have bought her from her father. Miggery becomes a servant at the castle, but she is so lazy and easily distracted that she is a poor servant. Miggery wants to be a princess someday, so when Roscuro suggests they kidnap Princess Pea together, Miggery jumps at the chance. Despereaux returns upstairs after Gregory sneaks him onto his dinner tray after a meal. When Despereaux hides in the kitchen pantry, he overhears the plan Roscuro has devised to lock Princess Pea in the dungeon. In love with Princess Pea, Despereaux tries to save her by telling the king where she is. However, the king does not believe Despereaux. It is then that Despereaux realizes he must save the princess himself. Despereaux returns to the dungeon to save the princess, but loses his spool of thread that he planned to use to keep from getting lost. A rat offers to help Despereaux. The rat takes Despereaux to Princess Pea, but Roscuro does not intend to lose his prisoner. A fight begins. Roscuro smells soup on Despereaux's breath and is distracted. The princess promises to allow Roscuro to eat soup if he will allow her to go free. Despereaux is hailed a hero and becomes Princess Pea's good friend. Roscuro is allowed to come into the light whenever he likes. Miggery Sow is reunited with her long lost father. Soup is returned to the menu of the kingdom. Theme: Forgiveness Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

This book is a good example of forgiveness. I made a bulletin board out of this book asking questions about the setting, plot, character, and what the students favorite part was.

(Title: My Brother Sam is Dead Author: James Lincoln Collier, Christopher Collier Authors' Awards: John Newbery Medal (Both) (Christopher was nominated for John Newbery Medal, National Book Award for Children's Books, Jane Addams Children's Book Award) Publisher and Date: 1974 Characters: Tim Meeker (14 @ beginning of story), Sam Meeker (Tim's older brother 16 @ beginning), Eliphalet Meeker (Father of Tim and Sam wants nothing to do with the war), Susannah Meeker (Tim and Sam's mother very religious), Betsy Read (Sam's girlfriend), Colonel Read (Betsy's Patriot Father), Tom Warrups (Native American who hides Sam), Jerry Sanford (Tim's friend who dies), Mr. Beach (Loyalist Preacher), Mr. Heron (probably a double agent), Benedict Arnold (Sam's captain), General Putnam (Sentences Sam's death), Colonel Parsons (one of Sam's officers), Mr. Platt (Tim and Sam's uncle), Ezekiel Platt (Tim and Sam's cousin), Captain Betts (local Patriot), Captain Starr (local patriot), Ned (black man beheaded by the British), and Dr. Hobart (Redding's Doctor) Setting: Redding, Connecticut during the American Revolution Summary: One rainy April day, Tim describes his brother coming to the family's place of business, a tavern, announcing that the rebels have won against the British in Massachusetts. Sam is wearing the rebel uniform that Tim cannot help but admire; he also admires all the facts and theories he picked up as a college student at Yale. Sam's rebel sentiments quickly earn a rebuke from his father. His father cannot understand why his son would turn against the King. Despite his father's protests, Sam explains to everyone at the tavern that the Minutemen (local soldiers) surprised the lobsterbacks (a mocking name for British soldiers) at the Battle of Lexington. Sam enjoys the attention his news receives. His father asks who fired the first shot, and Sam admits he doesn't know. The farmers and the minister, Mr. Beach, take Sam's father's side and say fewer deaths are worth higher taxes. Sam says it is the principle of British overreach that keeps him fighting. His father bangs on the table until everyone is silent. Once everyone has eaten, Tim visits Old Pru, the family's cow. After some prodding from their mother, Sam agrees to help milk the cow, even though his uniform may get dirty. Nonchalantly, Tim asks about girls, alcohol, and Sam's true feelings on the war. Sam says he has only returned home to steal his father's gun nicknamed, Brown Bess. Tim keeps his promise not to reveal this intention to their father. Late at night, Tim wakes up to Sam and his father arguing. His father says he does not want his son to suffer the fate he did serving in previous wars, and orders him to give up the rebel cause or leave the house. Sam leaves the house, and his father weeps privately. The next morning, Tim talks about the religious life in Redding. The town is Anglican and thus considered to be loyalists. Tim does not know which side to choose. He finds Sam hiding in a hut and tries to talk him out of going to the war. Sam is with his girlfriend, Betsy Read. When she asks which side Tim supports, he is silent and unsure. Several months pass until Betsy tells Tim that his brother is back in town. Soon after, Rebel soldiers enter the Meeker home. They demand the father's gun, which the father cannot supply because Sam took it; Tim promises to get it and runs to Sam's hideout. He meets Sam, and the two return home to find that their parents, though shaken, are not dead. Months later, Mr. Heron asks Tim to deliver a package of letters. Tim's father forbids it but Tim, craving adventure, does it anyway. Clandestinely, he walks through town when Betsy Read sees him. She steals and opens a letter, thinking it has intelligence on Sam; she is disappointed when it does not. In the summer of 1776, Tim joins his father on a business trip to Verplancks Point. He meets his cousins, whom he likes, but father and son are harassed by a gang of cowboys. They pay them off, but then are kidnapped by other Rebel cowboys further along the trail. Tim is able to outwit them and bring the merchandise back home, but he is shaken to his core. With this trip, he has suddenly become the man of the house. In the spring of 1777, Tim is horrified when British soldiers murder hundreds of people in Redding, including some of his friends. Despite this, Tim does not know where he stands: the British are looting his town but the rebels have kidnapped his father. Tim reunites with Sam after the British troops leave Redding. Sam tells him that he has chosen to reenlist. In June of 1777, Tim learns that his father died as a prisoner on a ship. Tim steps up his management of the tavern, taking the lead on trading decisions and maintaining financial ledgers. He dislikes the dogmatic nature of both sides. Tim and his mother discuss what to do with eight cows they have received through business transactions. Tim wants to make a profit from them, but Sam advises him to kill the cows and hide the meat to prevent cattle theft, a major problem with the military. While Tim deliberates, two men break into the barn to steal the cows. Sam stops them, but the men arrest him and frame him for the theft. General Putnam is fed up with cattle thefts and is set on making an example of somebody -- anybody. He is mute to Tim and his mother's testimonies of Sam's innocence. Tim tries, but fails, to enter Sam's holding cell to save him. In February 1779, Tim yells, "don't shoot him," as a squad fires at Sam's bagged head. In the epilogue, it is forty-seven years after Sam's death. Tim reports that he is happy with his family in Pennsylvania. After Sam was shot, Tim moved, along with his mother, to open another tavern. She died of old age, and told all her grandchildren about Sam's bravery and fortitude. Theme: Violence and Warfare Rating: 3.5 out 5 Grade: 4-8

This could be an example of family division and the hardships of war. We could compare and contrast what happens in the book with what is happening in the Ukraine.

Title: Crazy Lady Author: Jane Leslie Conly Author's Awards: John Newbery Medal Publisher and Date: 1993 Characters: Vernon, Maxine (alcoholic), Robert (Maxine's special needs son), Miss Annie (tutor) Setting: Teleny Heights Summary: Crazy Lady tells the story of Vernon, a boy in early adolescence struggling with family, friends and school. At first, Vernon lives like any other young boy, causing minor chaos on his block in a neighborhood of Baltimore. He laments that, as a boy in junior high, he can no longer play kids games, but remains too young to get a job like those in high school. This leaves Vernon and his friends to dismantle bicycles and hot wire cars, just to prove that they can. Then, however, Vernon receives his first report card. Already behind one year, and big for his age, he laments the failing grades in nearly every class. At his sister's advice, Vernon goes to see the guidance counselor. When she tells Vernon that tutoring costs $2 per hour, he know his family cannot afford the expense. Since the sudden death of his mother several years before, the family gets by, but just barely, and Vernon's father already works himself to near exhaustion to provide for Vernon and his four siblings. One day, however, a neighbor hears Vernon stand up to the local grocer, who frequently tries to overcharge customers. When she approaches him to commend the act, Vernon realizes he is talking to "the crazy lady," a single mother who lives one block over from Vernon's family. The neighborhood knows her as an eccentric, drunk, and rude woman. What's more, her son appears to be mentally retarded and attends a special school. The pair often bare the brunt of insults and jokes, even from Vernon and his friends. For reasons Vernon cannot explain, he helps the lady carry her groceries home and confesses that he is struggling in school. She promises to help. Vernon goes away from her dilapidated house, hoping none of his friends saw him at the crazy lady's house. A few days later, Vernon receives a note from Maxine, the crazy lady, offering to introduce him to a teacher. Desperate to pass the seventh grade, Vernon goes to the meeting. Maxine introduces Vernon to her son, Robert, then to her neighbor, Miss Annie, who lives in the other side of Maxine's duplex apartment. Miss Annie's side is as neat as Maxine's is messy. Miss Annie agrees to help Vernon in English. Quickly, however, she begins to ask him to "pay" for his lessons my helping Maxine. At first, Ronald makes Vernon very nervous, and Vernon seems to have a similar effect on Ronald. Eventually, however, the boys develop a close relationship. When Robert's teacher encourages Maxine to enter her son in the Special Olympics, Vernon organizes a neighborhood carnival to raise the money. The carnival becomes a huge success, and Vernon feels proud of his accomplishment and disillusioned that he felt incompetent for so long. When summer comes, Vernon passes all his needed courses, thanks to Miss Annie's diligent tutoring. He also takes Robert to the Olympics. The two boys enjoy the event immensely, and Vernon feels that Robert has become a close friend. However, he learns, at the end of the day, that Maxine has decided to send Robert to North Carolina to live with family, because she feels her alcoholism prevents her from taking care of him properly. Vernon reacts with much anger and sadness. The day Robert leaves for North Carolina, the neighborhood turns out to give him dozens of going away presents. Vernon runs alongside the car until he cannot keep up. When he lands, sobbing, alongside the road, Vernon's father is there to pick him up. Theme: Intelligence Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

This could be used to break students away from stereotypes. The person who helped Vernon was the person they considered to be crazy. If students come from a low SES they might be able to relate to the main characters

Title: Wolf Hollow Author: Lauren Wolk Awards: 2017 Newbery Honor Date Published: May 3, 2016 Characters: Annabelle, Betty Glengarry, Toby, Annie Gribble, Andy Setting: Autumn 1943, rural western Pennsylvania Summary: when the 11-year-old protagonist, Annabelle, is living with her family in a farmhouse in the hills of rural Pennsylvania. Although the world is at war, Annabelle's existence is peaceful until "incorrigible" Betty Glengarry moves to their community (5). From the outset, Betty is a vicious bully, threatening and beating Annabelle and crushing a bird to death in her bare hands. Annabelle tries to placate Betty with small sums of money and attempts to ignore her. This becomes impossible when Annabelle's best friend, Ruth, loses her eye in an accident caused by an unknown perpetrator. While Annabelle is convinced that malicious Betty is behind the incident, Betty is keen to shift blame onto Toby, a bearded outcast who wanders the hills; he's shell-shocked following his traumatic experiences in the First World War. As Betty appears innocent, while Toby appears eccentric, many in the community take Betty's side. When Betty disappears one rainy day, all the men in the community search for her. Toby is suspected to have some connection with her disappearance. Annabelle, who is certain of Toby's innocence, hides him in the family barn. There, she feeds him, shears off his beard, and learns about his traumatic experiences. As Betty does not appear, and suspicion against Toby mounts, Annabelle has a hunch about Betty's whereabouts. She decides that a shaven Toby, who is unrecognizable from his former self, should pose as an out-of-towner and rescue Betty from the well. Although Toby manages to rescue Betty, she has developed a severe infection, and she spreads the rumor that Toby pushed her down the well. Meanwhile, Toby reveals the truth about his identity to Annabelle's parents, and they agree to hide him in the barn as the hunt for him intensifies. However, Toby, who cannot stand being part of a campaign of lies, makes off into the woods. When Betty dies in the hospital, Annabelle knows that she must clear Toby's name. She calls Andy, Betty's partner-in-crime boyfriend, knowing that the community's gossipy telephone operator, Annie Gribble, will be eavesdropping. Andy confesses that Betty was the one who threw the rock at Ruth, and Toby did not push Betty down the well. Still, Andy's confession comes too late, as the search for Toby is already underway. The next morning, Annabelle learns that the police caught up with Toby near the Ohio border and shot him because he looked suspicious. Annabelle is devastated, and when Toby is buried near Wolf Hollow, she continues to visit him and tell him about her life. She determines that in the future, she will always tell the truth and fight for justice, no matter how trying the circumstances. Theme: evil, injustice and innocence Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

This is another book where it tries to teach don't judge a book by its cover to emphasis this I could have a spectacular book poorly wrapped in stained news papers. Then I could have a not great book wrapped in pristine paper or I could substitute it will food too. Students will probably choose the nice looking one and be disappointed.

Title: Dragonwings Author: Laurence Yep Awards: Children's Literature Legacy Award, Phoenix Award, John Newbery Medal, Jane Addams Children's Book Award Date Published: 1975 Characters: Moon Shadow Lee, Windider, Uncle Bright Star, Chef White Deer, Left, Hand Clap, Mr. Alger, Black Dog, Miss Whitlaw, Robin Setting: San Francisco Summary: As Dragonwings begins, seven-year-old Moon Shadow Lee lives on his family farm in China. The year is 1903, and he has never met his father, who has gone to work in America. Moon Shadow enjoys stories his mother tells about his father, a master kite-maker. His father, Windrider, eventually sends word for Moon Shadow to come to America and live with him. When Moon Shadow arrives, he meets the rest of his family abroad, including their leader, Uncle Bright Star, chef White Deer, poet Left, and the boastful Hand Clap. Called the Company, they run a laundromat in the Tang Chinese village in San Francisco. However, on Moon Shadow's first night, the laundromat is attacked by what Moon Shadow calls "demons"- white American bigots who throw a brick through the window. Windrider comforts Moon Shadow by telling him a dream he has, of saving a dragon's life and being told he'll come back as a dragon if he passes the tests he faces in life. Windrider shows his son the gadgets he builds and tells his son he wants to build an airplane. Uncle Bright Star thinks Windrider is crazy, but Moon Shadow is amazed. Moon Shadow helps his father at work and goes to school. He works on the car of a white man named Mr. Alger, and wins his respect. However, trouble arrives in the form of Black Dog, Uncle Bright Star's criminal son. Windrider and Moon Shadow rescue him from an opium den and protect him from the Justices, the cruel local watchmen. But Black Dog robs and beats Moon Shadow to steal the money he's collected from customers. Windrider is enraged, and goes to fight Black Dog at the headquarters of the Sleepers, Black Dog's gang. Moon Shadow follows. Windrider wins the fight, but one of the Sleepers is killed in self-defense. To avoid revenge by the dead man's family, Windrider takes his son to go work for Mr. Alger. The Company wishes them well and gives them gifts as they go. They move into a stable behind a boarding house owned by Miss Whitlaw. Moon Shadow sees her as kind, even though she's a demon. She has gadgets that he enjoys, and her niece Robin is a gifted piano player. Moon Shadow visits her daily and brings them Jasmine tea in his free time. He's bullied by the local boys, but he and Robin become close and they share stories. Miss Whitlaw teaches Moon Shadow how to write better so that he can write a letter to the Wright Brothers, and he begins designing a model glider. Father and son, along with Miss Whitlaw and Robin, go to the sand dunes to fly his model. Robin helps Moon Shadow deal with neighborhood bully Jack by telling him to punch Jack in the nose. This earns Jack's respect, and after the punch he leaves Moon Shadow alone. Father and son reunite with the Company at a festival in Chinatown. This is right before everything changes. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 devastates everything, and many people are lost, including Jack. The Whitlaws and Lees go to Golden Gate Park to search for survivors, and are reunited with the Company. They go to find Uncle back at the village and convince him to come somewhere safer. The Whitlaws and the Company meet and have dinner together. However, their newfound unity only lasts until soldiers come in and start rounding up the Chinese people, expelling them from the park and refusing to let them return home. Uncle is able to negotiate a deal with them, and the Tang community unites to rebuild their village. Windrider decides to pursue his dream of flying, and Moon Shadow goes with him. The two move into a barn in Oakland, and Moon Shadow works as a grocery delivery boy. He receives a letter from his mother and grandmother. His grandmother asks him to support his father, while his grandmother thinks Windrider is nuts. Windrider eventually builds an airplane that they paint like a dragon. They name it Dragonwings, but before they can fly it, Black Dog hunts them down and robs them of their savings, threatening to kill Moon Shadow. However, the Company arrives and gives Windrider a loan. They help Windrider launch the plane, and he flies for a bit, but then the plane snaps and Windrider breaks his leg and ribs. Alive but injured, he realizes he's achieved his dream and never wants to risk leaving his family again. He rejoins the laundromat as a partner, and earns enough money to bring Moon Shadow's mother to America. Moon Shadow, now closer with Robin than ever, is amazed at his good luck. The book ends with an afterword on the story of Fung Joe Guey, whose life inspired the book. Theme: cultural conflicts, the importance of family, and the cost of dreams Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 6-8

This is another gang violence one so if gangs were a prevent thing were you teach it might be able for students to relate to.

Title: The Hobbit Author: J. R. R. Tolkien Awards: Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation Long Form, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Poetry, International Fantasy Award for Fiction, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, Gandalf Award for Book-Length Fantasy, Gandalf Grand Master Award Date Published: September 21, 1937 Characters: Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, Smaug, Thorin, Gollum, Wargs, Beorn, Setting: Middle-earth Summary: Bilbo Baggins lives a quiet, peaceful life in his comfortable hole at Bag End. Bilbo lives in a hole because he is a hobbit—one of a race of small, plump people about half the size of humans, with furry toes and a great love of good food and drink. Bilbo is quite content at Bag End, near the bustling hobbit village of Hobbiton, but one day his comfort is shattered by the arrival of the old wizard Gandalf, who persuades Bilbo to set out on an adventure with a group of thirteen militant dwarves. The dwarves are embarking on a great quest to reclaim their treasure from the marauding dragon Smaug, and Bilbo is to act as their "burglar." The dwarves are very skeptical about Gandalf's choice for a burglar, and Bilbo is terrified to leave his comfortable life to seek adventure. But Gandalf assures both Bilbo and the dwarves that there is more to the little hobbit than meets the eye. Shortly after the group sets out, three hungry trolls capture all of them except for Gandalf. Gandalf tricks the trolls into remaining outside when the sun comes up, and the sunlight turns the nocturnal trolls to stone. The group finds a great cache of weapons in the trolls' camp. Gandalf and the dwarf lord Thorin take magic swords, and Bilbo takes a small sword of his own. The group rests at the elfish stronghold of Rivendell, where they receive advice from the great elf lord Elrond, then sets out to cross the Misty Mountains. When they find shelter in a cave during a snowstorm, a group of goblins who live in the caverns beneath the mountain take them prisoner. Gandalf leads the dwarves to a passage out of the mountain, but they accidentally leave behind Bilbo. Wandering through the tunnels, Bilbo finds a strange golden ring lying on the ground. He takes the ring and puts it in his pocket. Soon he encounters Gollum, a hissing, whining creature who lives in a pool in the caverns and hunts fish and goblins. Gollum wants to eat Bilbo, and the two have a contest of riddles to determine Bilbo's fate. Bilbo wins by asking the dubious riddle, "What have I got in my pocket?" Gollum wants to eat Bilbo anyway, and he disappears to fetch his magic ring, which turns its wearer invisible. The ring, however, is the same one Bilbo has already found, and Bilbo uses it to escape from Gollum and flee the goblins. He finds a tunnel leading up out of the mountain and discovers that the dwarves and Gandalf have already escaped. Evil wolves known as Wargs pursue them, but Bilbo and his comrades are helped to safety by a group of great eagles and by Beorn, a creature who can change shape from a man into a bear. The company enters the dark forest of Mirkwood, and, making matters worse, Gandalf abandons them to see to some other urgent business. In the forest, the dwarves are caught in the webs of some giant spiders, and Bilbo must rescue them with his sword and magic ring. After slaying his first spider, Bilbo names his sword Sting. Shortly after escaping the spiders, the unlucky dwarves are captured by a group of wood elves who live near the river that runs through Mirkwood. Bilbo uses his ring to help the company escape and slips the dwarves away from the elves by hiding them inside barrels, which he then floats down the river. The dwarves arrive at Lake Town, a human settlement near the Lonely Mountain, under which the great dragon sleeps with Thorin's treasure. After sneaking into the mountain, Bilbo talks to the sly dragon Smaug, who unwittingly reveals that his armorlike scales have a weak spot near his heart. When Bilbo steals a golden cup from the dragon's hoard, Smaug is furious and flies out of the mountain to burn Lake Town in his rage. Bard, a heroic archer, has learned the secret about Smaug's weakness from a thrush, and he fires an arrow into the dragon's heart, killing him. Before Smaug dies, however, he burns Lake Town to the ground. The humans of Lake Town and the elves of Mirkwood march to the Lonely Mountain to seek a share of the treasure as compensation for their losses and aid, but Thorin greedily refuses, and the humans and elves besiege the mountain, trapping the dwarves and the hobbit inside. Bilbo sneaks out to join the humans in an attempt to bring peace. When Thorin learns what Bilbo has done, he is livid, but Gandalf suddenly reappears and saves Bilbo from the dwarf lord's wrath. At this moment, an army of goblins and Wargs marches on the mountain, and the humans, elves, and dwarves are forced to band together to defeat them. The goblins nearly win, but the arrival of Beorn and the eagles helps the good armies win the battle. After the battle, Bilbo and Gandalf return to Hobbiton, where Bilbo continues to live. He is no longer accepted by respectable hobbit society, but he does not care. Bilbo now prefers to talk to elves and wizards, and he is deeply content to be back among the familiar comforts of home after his grand and harrowing adventures. Theme: Bravery Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 9-12

This is another good vs evil book so I could do an activity on that. Also the main characters and heroes may not be what you expect so I can let the students know you don't have to fit a certain type to be able to save the day.

Title: The Day They Came to Arrest the Book Author: Nat Hentoff Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship for Humanities, US & Canada Date Published: 1982 Characters: Deirdre Fitzgerald, Mrs. Salters, "Mighty Mike" Moore, Nora Baines, Gordon MacLean, Carl MacLean, Kate, Steve Turney, Barney Roth Setting: George Mason High School Summary: At the start of the school year at George Mason High School, the new librarian, Deirdre Fitzgerald, discovers that the former librarian, Mrs. Salters, resigned over conflicts with the principal. "Mighty Mike" Moore of the phony smile and chocolate voice is not a principal who appreciates disruption of his domain. Moore has been quietly having Mrs. Salters remove questionable books from the library collection without going through the established review committee procedure. Although Mrs. Salters badly needs the job, she finally quits, saying that she didn't become a librarian to keep books from people. Deirdre Fitzgerald braces for upcoming battles with Moore. History teacher Nora Baines starts her students' year with a discussion about democracy. She quotes De Tocqueville's concern that despite its democratic government, America has little independence of mind or freedom of expression. She assigns De Tocqueville's Democracy in America and Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as required reading. Gordon MacLean, an African American student, is angry at being forced to read a book that uses the word "n*****." He tells his father, Carl MacLean, who is also incensed at the book's racism. Meeting with Moore, Carl MacLean declares, "Every time a black child sees that word, it is an insult, a profound insult." He wants the book "eliminated" from the curriculum and taken out of the library. Moore assures the MacLeans that the situation will be resolved within the week. Moore tells Baines to stop teaching the book. She argues that freedom of the press is the bulwark of liberty and refuses to follow his mandate. She wants the book to go through the formal review process, agreeing to abide by the majority rule as long as Moore and the school board don't pull any funny business by stacking the committee. Baines says the book is presumed innocent and she will continue to teach it or go public with the controversy—something Moore doesn't want. He, in turn, threatens her credibility and reputation as a teacher. Meanwhile, another teacher hosts a debate titled "Is Individual Freedom Getting Out of Hand?" between the conservative Citizens' League for the Preservation of American Values and a liberal ACLU lawyer. The debate adds fuel to the book dispute. The students in Baines's class and the entire school become polarized around the issue. Kate, an outspoken feminist student, believes that Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be taught not only because of racist language, but because of sexism in its portrayal of women as sentimental caricatures. She, along with two other white students, and all the African American students in the class except one, walk out. Steve Turney, the African American student who remains, says he is staying because he has not made up his mind yet, saying, "I'm the only person I allow to make up my mind." Barney Roth, the student editor of the school paper, the Standard, believes, "No group should have veto power over what books we can read." The librarian agrees, worrying, "Where does it end?" Barney writes an editorial for the Standard, but his faculty advisor recommends he cut out the last two paragraphs that ridicule Moore by comparing him to the school's namesake, a former champion of free speech. Barney feels he is selling out but realizes Moore could write him a negative college recommendation and retaliate against his advisor. He removes the paragraphs. The book review committee meets publicly despite Moore's attempts to keep it on the down-low. Both sides present their arguments and opinions. The censors, including representatives from Parents for Moral Schools, assert that the book is racist, sexist, and immoral (since Huck is an irreverent liar and thief). Those who support the book argue for its historical significance and morality, pointing out Twain's use of irony and his opposition to slavery. The committee decides to make the book optional reading and put it on a restricted shelf in the library while they wait to make a final decision. Barney interviews Mrs. Salters, uncovering the depth of Moore's back-door censorship. Mrs. Salters tells Barney that the last straw was Moore's attempt to ban Dickens's Our Mutual Friend. Moore also ripped the nineteenth chapter of Judges from the Bible. She agreed not to go public with his actions if he gave her a recommendation for a new job, but now wants it all to come out. Barney prints the interview in the school paper, drawing the attention of local and national news. In a television interview, Kate says that schools should teach what is "right," but Deirdre Fitzgerald claims that is the educational philosophy of a dictatorship: schools should not restrict ideas but teach students how to think for themselves. When the review committee meets again, Steve Turney speaks out. He says that he knows when racist words are directed at him, and the ones in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn aren't. They are intended to bring scorn to the white adults who use them. He adds that while Huck uses the words, there is no malicious intent behind them, it is simply, albeit incorrectly, how he was raised. Steve feels fortunate that no one can protect him from the book because he has read it and will never forget it. The committee lifts the restrictions on the book. Theme: Censorship Rating: 3 out of 5 Grade: 7-12th

This would be a good book to talk about censorship with students. This could also be a book that helps students learn what power schools have and don't have.

Title: The Family Under the Bridge Author: Natalie Savage Carlson Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: 1958 Characters: Armand, Suzy Calcet, Paul and Evelyne, Jojo, Madame Calcet, Mireli Setting: Paris Summary: Armand long ago forgot his last name or what he looks like. He lives under a bridge over the River Seine in Paris. A grocery cart holds all his belongings, including one black dress shoe for which he believes he will eventually find the mate. He enjoys his solitary life until, one day, he returns to "his" bridge to find three children and a dog taking shelter there. Armand does not like children, so at first, he is very upset. That slowly starts to change when the oldest child, Suzy Calcet, introduces herself and her two siblings, Paul and Evelyne. The dog is named Jojo. When their father died, their mother, Madame Calcet, could no longer afford rent, and so the family was evicted from their house. The authorities want the children to go to a charity house, but in her desperation to keep her family together, Madame Calcet has hidden them under the bridge while she works at a laundry job. She hopes to save enough money to rent a small room. That night, Madame Calcet returns to the bridge and is upset to see a hobo with her children. The kids want Armand to stay, so Suzy attempts a compromise: she uses chalk to draw squares on the concrete to give Armand his own "room." Though he is reluctant to get close to the family, he decides to stay the night under the bridge. The next day, Armand realizes the children have not eaten, so he takes them out in search of food. They visit a department store where a friend of Armand has a job playing Father Christmas, and the children take the opportunity to tell him that they wish for a house for Christmas. Back outside the store, Armand suggests they all start singing Christmas carols. Soon people gather around and start giving them coins. They use the money to buy delicious roasted chestnuts from a vendor, as well as pancakes, which Jojo enjoys. When Armand and the children return to the bridge, they find Madame Calcet waiting there. She is worried sick about her children and becomes angrier still when she learns they were begging for money. She demands that Armand leave the bridge even though her children beg her to understand. Armand does as she wishes but soon returns when he sees two wealthy women going to the bridge. He suspects they are trouble, and his suspicions are confirmed. The women intend to return the next day with the authorities to take the children to a charity house. Armand visits Mireli, a gypsy friend of his, and begs her to help the Calcets. She invites them to stay at the gypsy camp. Madame Calcet is initially wary of the arrangement because of the people's unsavory reputation, but the group is kind and welcoming. Soon the Calcets feel at home. When Suzy discovers that the gypsy children don't attend school, she creates a makeshift school and tries to teach them to read. It is difficult work as the children question why they should bother learning such a thing. Meanwhile, Paul has become enamored with the gypsy lifestyle and wants to run away with them, but Armand, wishing to keep the boy with his mother, advises him against it as his red hair is too conspicuous for gypsy life. However, for several weeks, the family is happy. Paul learns to repair shoes. Madame Calcet gives Armand a bar of fancy soap for Christmas, and Armand finds the mate to his black dress shoe. One day, a police officer visits the camp searching for a thief. Although the person he was looking for was not at the camp, the gypsies decide to move on. As this leaves the Calcets homeless once again, Armand makes the enormous decision to take a job to support them. After a bath with his new soap, a haircut, and both black dress shoes on his feet, the hobo looks quite presentable. Armand hears of a job as a security guard from his friend at the department store. When he applies for the job, he learns that it is actually a management job at an apartment building. The owner wishes to hire a man who will bring his family and live on the site; Armand is overjoyed. As the book ends, Armand walks down the Paris streets back to the Calcets, now a working family man. Theme: Family Loyalty Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

Do you think pride can stand in the way for what is best for people?

Title: The Wanderer Author: Sharon Creech Awards: Newbery Medal, Carnegie Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature Date Published: 2000 Characters: Sophie, Brian and Cody, Mo, Dock, and Stew -- whose real names are Moses, Jonah, and Ulysses, Bompie, Rosalie Setting: the ocean and England Summary: The book opens with Sophie's first diary entry. The reader learns that Sophie is a thirteen-year-old teenager surrounded by male cousins (Brian and Cody) and uncles (Mo, Dock, and Stew -- whose real names are Moses, Jonah, and Ulysses). She writes about her intense fear of the sea, as well as her equally intense wish to join her family on a transatlantic voyage to England to visit distant relatives. Though she loves the idea of the sea, she has a recurring nightmare that a massive wave floats over her. As it starts to rush and descend upon her, Sophie wakes up. Her male cousins and uncles decide to use Dock's boat, The Wanderer, to visit Bompie, Sophie's grandfather, who may be nearing the end of his life. The crew hesitates to allow Sophie on-board. They think she won't be able to handle the physical and emotional demands of sailing across the Atlantic; they also believe they will have to act differently if there is a girl onboard. Once Sophie gets her parent's permission, the all male-crew assent. The crew makes repairs to The Wanderer before beginning its voyage from Connecticut. To the surprise of the crew, Sophie is great at making repairs. Sophie admits in her diary that her parents are her foster parents; she was adopted three years ago. She finds herself wondering what happened to her biological parents. Brian and Cody pester her for more information, but she only tells them about a "little kid" whose parents died before changing the subject. She does not admit to them or herself that this story is her own. While sailing, the crew is skeptical of Sophie's stories, especially the ones she tells about Bompie, because they know she has never met him. The Wanderer stops at Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, where the crew hears about Uncle Dock's long-lost love, Rosalie, who is somewhere in England. Their next stop is the southern coast of Canada, Grand Manan, where Cody and Sophie explore a ghost island. The two bond through the adventure, as Cody finds himself wondering more about Sophie's true origins. On another pit stop off the coast of Ireland, Sophie's nightmare comes true when a giant wave crashes into the boat. While shaken, all of the crew survive, but they no longer have GPS or radio and fear they will not reach land again. Everyone changes after the nearly lethal collision with the elements. They begin to treat each other with greater kindness and to not take each other's lives for granted. When they finally reach England, they are thankful to be on land again. Everyone is shocked to hear that Bompie knows who Sophie is. He has been sending her letters as she is growing up, and all of Sophie's "Bompie stories" are true. Sophie retells her stories, and Bompie confirms her memories are true. But when Sophie says that Bompie told her his parents were lost at sea, he sadly cannot say she is right. Cody and Bompie gently suggest that the story might be her own. Facing this realization, Sophie breaks down sobbing. Her new family supports her through this shocking truth. The sea, particularly the near-fatal wave the crew experienced off the coast of Ireland, symbolizes her repressed memory of her parents' death. By exhibiting such courage on The Wanderer, Sophie confronts and accepts her past. As they are about to return to America, Uncle Dock tells everyone he will stay behind to care for Bompie. He also hopes to reunite with Rosalie, though when they had met briefly, she rebuffed him. Sophie says she will miss him, but she is ready to lead her own life and tell her own stories. Theme: Family and Personal Identity Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

How would you feel if you were surrounded by only members of the opposite gender? I could have them do a pen pal activity.

Title: Savvy Author: Ingrid Law Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: May 1, 2008 Characters: Mib, Mib's mother, Poppa Beaumont, Rocket, Grandpa Bomba, Samson, Miss Rosemary, Bobbi, Will Junior, Fish, Lill, Lester Setting: Hebron, Nebraska Summary: As the story begins, Mibs's mother receives a call that Poppa Beaumont was in a car accident and is in a coma at Salina Hope Hospital. Momma and Mibs's brother, Rocket, prepare to leave for Salina immediately—Rocket gets to go because his electric touch makes the family's old station wagon run—while the rest of the children have to stay home with Grandpa Bomba. The next day, Mibs gets on the bus with her younger brother, Samson. Throughout the bus ride, Mibs is teased and made fun of. Luckily, it is Mibs's last day at school, and it is a terrible one. She returns home at the end of a tough day to find an unexpected visitor — Miss Rosemary and her children, Bobbi and Will Junior. After the visit, Miss Rosemary decides that she will take it upon herself to throw Mibs a proper birthday party. The next morning when Mibs wakes up, she notices something odd. All of the animals of the house are awake, even her little brother's pet turtle that everyone had assumed was dead. Mibs believes this has something to do with her savvy. She dresses in the outfit Poppa had picked out for her and goes to attend the party thrown for her by Miss Rosemary. When Mibs runs into Bobbi at the party, she notices that his tattoo of an angel is speaking to her. This interaction disorients her and she ends up passing out. When Mibs awakens, she finds that everyone is arguing. She sneaks out of the party and attempts to find a way to get to Salina where her dad is in the hospital. Sneaking onto a pink bus delivering bibles, she is soon accompanied by Fish, Will Junior, and Bobbi. She discovers Samson hiding behind the bus already. Mibs soon notices that the bus is heading in the wrong direction. She convinces the bus driver to bring them to Salina after finishing his deliveries. On the way, they pick up a waitress named Lill. They drop her off at the restaurant where she works and in return, she offers them all a meal. While they are eating, Mibs reveals that she has discovered her savvy — the ability to read people's minds through the ink on their bodies. Unfortunately, Bobbi overhears them and tells Will Junior. Meanwhile, Lill's boss is angered by her offering to feed the group and fires her. After causing a ruckus, the group heads back to the bus. Lill finally gets the truth out of the kids and learns that they have run away. She uses her last paycheck to put them up in a hotel for the night. The kids start to worry when they see a missing person's report for themselves, but they convince Lill that their parents know their whereabouts and hide the poster before she can see it. The next morning, they continue along on their journey to Salina. Samson is left behind on one of their stops, but Mibs uses her savvy to find him. When they finally track him down, they realize they are too late; the police are already there. They contact the hospital where Poppa Beaumont is and find out that his condition has worsened; the children must get there right away. Lester and Lill agree to continue the trip and they all enter Salina, only to find that the city has been temporarily shut down due to a power outage. The Beaumonts are all convinced that Rocket must have caused it with his savvy. When they arrive at the hospital, everyone says their good-byes, and the Beaumonts head upstairs to see their father. On the way, Momma Beaumont warns them that the doctors say he might not wake up. Mibs tries to use her savvy to read Poppa Beaumont's tattoo, but she finds that it is not speaking to her. Then, suddenly, she hears Poppa Beaumont in her mind, telling her that he will not give up. The doctors try to get everyone to clear the room, but Mibs refuses, wanting to continue to communicate with Poppa Beaumont as long as possible. She starts to tell him that it is his "little girl" talking to him but then realizes that she is not actually his little girl anymore. Poppa does wake up. He eventually makes a full recovery and comes home. He now has trouble remembering things, but he is still the same Poppa, "good and sweet as ever." Theme: Coming of Age and Growth Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 6-12

I could ask students if they could have any superpower what would they choose. I could ask the students how they think her powers will help or harm the family.

Title: The Crossover Author: Kwame Alexander Author's Awards: Newberry Medal (2015), The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Three NAACP Image Award Nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award Publisher and Date: HarperCollins Publishers in March 18, 2014 Characters: Josh (12), Chuck (Josh and JB's dad), JB (12), Crystal (Josh and JB's mom), Miss Sweet Tea/Alexis (12), and Vondie (12) Setting: A small town in Northern Virginia Summary: Josh is the identical twin brother of Jordan "JB" Bell, the son of Crystal Bell, the assistant principal, and the son of Chuck Bell, a former basketball superstar who is well-known and well-respected even years after his career ended. Josh and JB both love basketball, but it is Josh who truly admires and wishes to emulate his father by following in his father's footsteps. For Josh, basketball is not merely about fame at school, or future fortune, but because he truly does have a love - a deep and abiding passion - for the game itself. He loves his family dearly, and loves the way life is going for him. Things begin to change soon for Josh, however. JB gets a girlfriend, and begins spending less and less time with Josh and Chuck. Josh begins to feel lonely, and jealous of JB, leading to anger on the part of Josh. After a failed bet with JB leads to JB accidentally cutting off five of Josh's dreadlocks, Josh must have his head shaved, and his anger toward JB only increases. At the same time, Chuck's health takes a precipitous decline, as his lifetime of poor eating habits combined with a genetic predisposition to heart conditions finally catches up to him, causing him to experience numerous symptoms from nosebleeds to coughing fits to mild heart attacks. Josh's anger spills over during a basketball game when he intentionally throws a hard pass at JB's face, striking him squarely on the nose, and nearly causing a break. As a result, the relationship between the brothers is nearly broken as well, leading to JB giving Josh the cold shoulder for much of the novel. Ultimately, Chuck has a major heart attack, and is admitted to the hospital. Josh realizes that his father's superstar feeling of invincibility, his young age of 39, his horrible eating habits, and his distrust of doctors, have all led to Chuck's heart attack. Over the next few weeks, Chuck suffers two more major heart attacks, the second of which ultimately kills him. Chuck's death seems to suck all the light out of Josh's life, but Josh comes to understand that he still has his brother, JB. JB feels the same way, and as such, both brothers renew their relationship. Josh comes to understand that JB will symbolically take his father's place, and aside from their mother, the brothers realize that all they have are each other. Theme: Family and relationships Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

I could give this book to a student who likes basketball. I could use this book to show students the importance of their family.

Title: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut Author: Derrick Barnes Awards: Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King author and illustrator awards, Newbery Honor Date Published: October 10, 2017 Characters: James Setting: Barber shop Summary: "You came in as a lump of clay, a blank, canvas, a slab of marble. But when my man is done with you, they'll want to post you up in a museum!" What could cause this kind of transformation? Nothing but a "fresh cut." In a picture book ode that celebrates so much more than hairstyle, Derrick D. Barnes pays tribute to a unique cultural institution - the black barbershop and the role this setting can play in the life of a young black boy. Text and illustration work in perfect concert, exuding swagger and joy as our protagonist describes what it feels like to get that perfect cut: "When you see the cut yourself, in that handheld mirror..... That's the you that you love the most... that's the gold medal you." Gordon C. James's engrossing oil paintings depict the barbershop, the styles, and the fanciful possibilities engendered by the fresh cut: "Who knows? You might just smash that geography exam tomorrow and rearrange the entire principal's honor roll." Broad brush strokes and vivid colors invite long gazes. Theme: the importance of cultural settings and traditions Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 1-3rd

I could have students describe their own hair cut experiences.

Title: Nothing But the Truth Author: Avi Author's Awards: John Newbery Medal, Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature, Golden Kite Award for Fiction Publisher and Date: 1991 Characters and Ages: Philip Malloy, Margaret Narwin, Dr. Albert Seymour, Mr. Griffen, Jennifer Stewart Setting: Harrison, New Hampshire Summary: The novel opens with a district-wide memo from Superintendent Seymour on the morning public announcements in the Harrison School District. Students are to listen silently and respectfully while the national anthem is played. Philip, a student in this district, writes in his diary about his excitement over the possibility of finally joining the highschool track team, a dream that is as important to him as it is to his father, who had to give up running and drop out of college to work a sales job to support his family. Philip's only worry is that he is struggling in his English class, taught by twenty-year teaching veteran Ms. Narwin. Ms. Narwin is a committed but burned-out teacher discouraged by her inability to reach her students, who are mostly uninterested in the books they read in her class. Philip receives a C- on his winter term exam in Ms. Narwin's class after he writes a flippant response to an essay question. The exam score lowers Philip's grade in Ms. Narwin's course to a D, making him ineligible to run on the high school track team despite his speed. Angry that his poor grade in Ms. Narwin's class stands in the way of academic eligibility for track, Philip decides to hum along with the national anthem as it is played over the public announcement system during his homeroom period with Ms. Narwin. Philip stops humming on the first morning at Ms. Narwin's request but complains to his parents that the teacher will not allow him to sing the national anthem. They are appalled and encourage him to stand up for his rights. Philip hums the anthem twice more and is written up and suspended by Dr. Palleni, the assistant principal, for disrupting class. Angry at what he sees as an abuse of his son's rights, Mr. Malloy takes his problems to Ted Griffen, a neighbor who is running for school board. Eager to capitalize on an issue that can help him win the election, Griffen uses the story of Philip's suspension in his campaign speeches in order to discredit the current board. Griffen even contacts a reporter from the local newspaper to tell her the story. The reporter publishes the story after doing cursory interviews with the involved parties. The story goes viral once it is picked up by a national news service and publicized by a conservative radio talk show host. Worried by what the bad press may do to the chances of passing a new budget and his re-election, Dr. Seymour, the district superintendent, pressures the administrators at Philip's school to produce a report. The report slowly morphs until the blame for the situation falls on Ms. Narwin, despite evidence to the contrary. As the school and district receive a great volume of telegrams and letters criticizing Ms. Narwin, however, Dr. Doane, the school principal, moves Philip out of Ms. Narwin's homeroom and eventually her English class as well. Fearful of more negative press, the superintendent publishes a memo that changes the school policy by claiming that there is no rule against singing the anthem and that such displays are encouraged. The superintendent tells Griffen that the problem is Ms. Narwin and even shares cherry-picked quotes from her application for professional development funds to make it seem as if Ms. Narwin is out of touch. Dr. Doane tells Ms. Narwin that the district is now willing to provide her funds to take her class but that the school wants her to take a paid leave for the rest of the term. Ms. Narwin assumes this offer is a prelude to being fired, so she resigns and heads to Florida, where her sister lives. Dr. Doane's efforts are too little, too late: when elections come around, the budget is defeated again and Griffen wins his seat. Philip transfers to Washington Academy to escape the fallout from the story, but he discovers that the school has no track team. When his homeroom teacher encourages him to sing the national anthem that first morning at the new school, he tells her that he does not actually know the words. Theme: Subjectivity of Truth Rating: 3 out of 5 Grade: 7-9

I could use this as an activity of how easily things can spiral out of control. This could also be an example of something people disagree on what is right or wrong. This could be an opportunity to teach how to healthily handle the situation and not let your actions spiral out of control.

Title: All Thirteen Author: Christina Soontornvat Awards: John Newbery Medal, Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Older Readers Date Published: October 13, 2020 Characters: The Wild Boar Thai Soccer Team Setting: a cave in northern Thailand Summary: IT'S JUNE 23, 2018—a hot, cloudy day in northern Thailand. Twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach head into a local cave after practice. They plan to spend only an hour or two exploring, but outside, rain has begun pouring down, and when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out. The boys are trapped. Before long, news of the missing team spreads, launching a seventeen-day rescue operation involving thousands of rescuers from around the globe. As the world sits vigil night after night, people begin to wonder: How long can a group of ordinary kids survive in complete darkness, with no food or clean water? Luckily, the Wild Boars are a very extraordinary "ordinary" group. Combining material from community interviews with in-depth science content and details about the region's culture and religion, All Thirteen paints two scenes of unflagging perseverance: Aboveground, a global rescue team of military personnel, engineers, medics, cave divers, and other volunteers races to find the trapped boys. Almost half a mile below, a similarly heroic effort is taking place in the quiet darkness as the Wild Boars focus on conserving their energy and oxygen, and—most importantly—keeping their hopes up. Both the boys and their rescuers will soon prove to the world that even in the face of impossible odds, the human spirit is an irrepressible force. Theme: Survival Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade:5-7

I could have students do another survival game activity. We could research the cave in and what the team members did to survive.

Title: Wonderful Year Author: Nancy Barnes Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: 1946 Characters: Ellen and her father Setting: Kansas and Colorado ranch Summary: Ellen thought it would be an unhappy time when the family had to leave Kansas and move to a Colorado ranch, because her father was ill. But even living in a tent until they made other arrangements, plus the exciting things that began to happen, didn't give her one homesick moment. She didn't have time for that when there were floods, fires, picnics, new friends, learning to ride a bicycle and even growing up! Theme: change Rating: 3 out of 5 Grade: 2-3

I could have students journal about a time they were expectedly surprised for the better.

Title: One-Eyed Cat Author: Paula Fox Awards: Newbery Medal, Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing, Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US and Canada, Award for the Art of the Memoir, National Book Award for Children's Books Date Published: 1984 Characters: Ned Wallis, Martha, Uncle Hilary, Janet Hoffman, Evelyn (Evie) Kimball and Billy Gaskell, Mr. David Scully, Reverend James Wallis, Setting: Tyler, New York Summary: This is the story of Ned Wallis, a pastor's son living in a small town fifteen miles from Tyler, New York. Ned is an only child and his mother, Martha, suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. Ned remembers a time when his lovely mother was lively and energetic. The family lives in an old farmhouse that was constructed in 1846. When the novel opens, it is the autumn of 1936 and the country is still in the throes of the Great Depression. Ned Wallis is a normal boy who enjoys exploring the woods and marveling at the seasons as they change. In a few days, Ned Wallis will turn eleven years old. Although Ned has never been away from home, he still has a great sense of adventure. Ned collects stamps from other countries and loves to read National Geographic. Ned's Uncle Hilary is a world-traveler who sees to it that Ned receives an interesting souvenir from each country he has visited. In his collection, Ned has a bronze goat from Mexico and a piece of jade from China. Ned's closest friends are Janet Hoffman, Evelyn (Evie) Kimball and Billy Gaskell. As the story progresses, Ned and his friends undergo changes in their lives which are sometimes difficult to understand. After school each day, Ned visits his neighbor, Mr. David Scully. Mr. Scully pays Ned a little money in exchange for help around the house. Mr. Scully lives in a small house by himself. He bakes his own bread and makes his own applesauce. All in all, Ned Wallis' life is simple and happy. Ned often visits his father's parishioners as part of his father's job. Once, when Ned is with his father at an asylum, Ned sees someone watching him from an upstairs window. This feeling of being watched returns to Ned one evening just before his birthday. As a surprise, Uncle Hilary gives Ned a Daisy air rifle for his birthday. Ned is thrilled with the gift, but Reverend James Wallis believes Ned is too young to handle a gun. After Ned's father puts the rifle in the attic, Ned decides that he cannot wait until he is fourteen to shoot the gun. He sneaks the rifle out into the woods and fires it at a figure in the shadows. Later, when Ned and Mr. Scully see a gray cat with one eye, Ned is convinced that he is responsible for the cat's injury. Life and the seasons change and Ned comes to know himself and those around him in the most unexpected ways. Ned learns lessons about trust, friendship, family and telling the truth as he watches autumn turn to winter and then to spring in this delightful story of the simple life. Theme: Survival Rating: 3 out of 5 Grade: 5-8

I could have students journal about change.

Title: Yolonda's Genius Author: Carol Fenner Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: 1995 Characters: Yolanda, Andrew, Yolanda's mother, Aunt Tiny, Setting: Chicago Summary: Yolanda is a great big girl and strong for her age, bigger and stronger and smarter than anyone else in the fifth grade. She is cool and streetwise, too, and afraid of no one. It's easy for her to watch out for her little, first-grade brother, Andrew. But their mother, a legal professional and a widow, is concerned about crime and drugs in her children's Chicago school. She moves them all to a smaller and, she hopes, smaller town. Yolanda, at first, is scornful of her new town. And Andrew, who never talks much, is having trouble learning to read. What he loves to do is play on the old harmonica given to him as a baby by his father to teethe on and which he's kept blowing ever since. He can imitate any sound he hears, like bacon sizzling, or express any mood he feels, like the freshness of an early morning. Yolanda understands that that's the way he "talks." She is convinced Andrew is a true genius with a great musical gift. But no one else believes it--not her mother, nor Andrew's teachers, not even wonderful Aunt Tiny in Chicago. Yolanda sets out to open up adult eyes, a task whose strategies will call on far more than her physical toughness. Her plans crystallize on a visit back to Chicago to enjoy the great annual blues festival with Aunt Tiny. Theme: What is Genius Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

I could have students journal about siblings or fiends with great talents and what they might do to help them.

Title: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry Awards: Newbery Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, Regina Medal, Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature, Golden Kite Award for Fiction, National Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature Date Published: March 20, 1937 Characters: The Giver, Jonas, Gabriel, Setting: Summary: The Giver is written from the point of view of Jonas, an eleven-year-old boy living in a futuristic society that has eliminated all pain, fear, war, and hatred. There is no prejudice, since everyone looks and acts basically the same, and there is very little competition. Everyone is unfailingly polite. The society has also eliminated choice: at age twelve every member of the community is assigned a job based on his or her abilities and interests. Citizens can apply for and be assigned compatible spouses, and each couple is assigned exactly two children each. The children are born to Birthmothers, who never see them, and spend their first year in a Nurturing Center with other babies, or "new children," born that year. When their children are grown, family units dissolve and adults live together with Childless Adults until they are too old to function in the society. Then they spend their last years being cared for in the House of the Old until they are finally "released" from the society. In the community, release is death, but it is never described that way; most people think that after release, flawed new children and joyful elderly people are welcomed into the vast expanse of Elsewhere that surrounds the communities. Citizens who break rules or fail to adapt properly to the society's codes of behavior are also released, though in their cases it is an occasion of great shame. Everything is planned and organized so that life is as convenient and pleasant as possible. Jonas lives with his father, a Nurturer of new children, his mother, who works at the Department of Justice, and his seven-year-old sister Lily. At the beginning of the novel, he is apprehensive about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, when he will be given his official Assignment as a new adult member of the community. He does not have a distinct career preference, although he enjoys volunteering at a variety of different jobs. Though he is a well-behaved citizen and a good student, Jonas is different: he has pale eyes, while most people in his community have dark eyes, and he has unusual powers of perception. Sometimes objects "change" when he looks at them. He does not know it yet, but he alone in his community can perceive flashes of color; for everyone else, the world is as devoid of color as it is of pain, hunger, and inconvenience. At the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is given the highly honored Assignment of Receiver of Memory. The Receiver is the sole keeper of the community's collective memory. When the community went over to Sameness—its painless, warless, and mostly emotionless state of tranquility and harmony—it abandoned all memories of pain, war, and emotion, but the memories cannot disappear totally. Someone must keep them so that the community can avoid making the mistakes of the past, even though no one but the Receiver can bear the pain. Jonas receives the memories of the past, good and bad, from the current Receiver, a wise old man who tells Jonas to call him the Giver. The Giver transmits memories by placing his hands on Jonas's bare back. The first memory he receives is of an exhilarating sled ride. As Jonas receives memories from the Giver—memories of pleasure and pain, of bright colors and extreme cold and warm sun, of excitement and terror and hunger and love—he realizes how bland and empty life in his community really is. The memories make Jonas's life richer and more meaningful, and he wishes that he could give that richness and meaning to the people he loves. But in exchange for their peaceful existence, the people of Jonas's community have lost the capacity to love him back or to feel deep passion about anything. Since they have never experienced real suffering, they also cannot appreciate the real joy of life, and the life of individual people seems less precious to them. In addition, no one in Jonas's community has ever made a choice of his or her own. Jonas grows more and more frustrated with the members of his community, and the Giver, who has felt the same way for many years, encourages him. The two grow very close, like a grandfather and a grandchild might have in the days before Sameness, when family members stayed in contact long after their children were grown. Meanwhile, Jonas is helping his family take care of a problem newchild, Gabriel, who has trouble sleeping through the night at the Nurturing Center. Jonas helps the child to sleep by transmitting soothing memories to him every night, and he begins to develop a relationship with Gabriel that mirrors the family relationships he has experienced through the memories. When Gabriel is in danger of being released, the Giver reveals to Jonas that release is the same as death. Jonas's rage and horror at this revelation inspire the Giver to help Jonas devise a plan to change things in the community forever. The Giver tells Jonas about the girl who had been designated the new Receiver ten years before. She had been the Giver's own daughter, but the sadness of some of the memories had been too much for her and she had asked to be released. When she died, all of the memories she had accumulated were released into the community, and the community members could not handle the sudden influx of emotion and sensation. The Giver and Jonas plan for Jonas to escape the community and to actually enter Elsewhere. Once he has done that, his larger supply of memories will disperse, and the Giver will help the community to come to terms with the new feelings and thoughts, changing the society forever. However, Jonas is forced to leave earlier than planned when his father tells him that Gabriel will be released the next day. Desperate to save Gabriel, Jonas steals his father's bicycle and a supply of food and sets off for Elsewhere. Gradually, he enters a landscape full of color, animals, and changing weather, but also hunger, danger, and exhaustion. Avoiding search planes, Jonas and Gabriel travel for a long time until heavy snow makes bike travel impossible. Half-frozen, but comforting Gabriel with memories of sunshine and friendship, Jonas mounts a high hill. There he finds a sled—the sled from his first transmitted memory—waiting for him at the top. Jonas and Gabriel experience a glorious downhill ride on the sled. Ahead of them, they see—or think they see—the twinkling lights of a friendly village at Christmas, and they hear music. Jonas is sure that someone is waiting for them there. Theme: Importance of Memory Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 6-8

I could have students journal about the joys they would be missing if they lived in a emotionally numb society. I could ask the students what are the dangers of taking away all the memories good and bad. I could ask why do we need bad memories.

Title: Echo Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan Awards: Audie Award for Middle Grade, Newbery Medal, Pura Belpré Award for Writing, Jane Addams Children's Book Awards for Book for Older Children Date Published: February 24, 2015 Characters: Otto, Eins, Zwei, Drei, Friedrich Schmidt, Uncle Gunter, Mike Flannery, Frankie, Eunice Sturbridge, Ivy Maria Lopez, Mr. Howard, Kenneth Setting: Trossingen, Germany and Pennsylvania Summary: The books begins with a prologue that introduces both a fairytale, and a scene of a young boy, Otto, reading that fairy tale as he hides in the forest, during a game of hide-and-seek. Lost in the forest, Otto is saved by the girls from that fairytale, Eins, Zwei, and Drei. They entrust him with an enchanted harmonica: if he passes it on, and it eventually saves someone's life, they will be freed from captivity. The first part of the book takes place in Trossingen, Germany, where Friedrich Schmidt struggles with his physical appearance during the rise of Nazism. An aspiring composer, he has a large, red birthmark on his face that causes him problems in a Germany where racial purity reigns supreme. He apprentices at a harmonica factory rather than attending school, and it is there that he discovers Otto's harmonica, now painted with an "M." As he plays it, he is emboldened. His family comes under scrutiny by the Nazi party when his father invites a Jewish musician over to play, and Friedrich hatches a plan to help his father escape Dachau, and to help both his Uncle Gunter and himself escape Germany. Before working his last day at the factory, he slips his harmonica into a box. The second part of the book takes place in Pennsylvania. When their grandmother becomes sick, Mike Flannery and his brother, Frankie, go to live in an orphanage: the only one she can find with a piano for Mike to play. Their fortunes change when the wealthy heiress Eunice Sturbridge adopts them as a condition of her father's will. As they acclimate to life in her mansion, her friend Mr. Howard buys Mike a harmonica, and a painted "M" confirms it is the one Friedrich gave up. Afraid that two boys are too much for Eunice, Mike hatches a plan to convince her to keep Frankie while he joins the famous Hoxie's Harmonica Wizards. However, when he mistakenly believes that Eunice won't adopt either boy, he tries to run away from New York and falls from a window while attempting his escape. In the third part, Ivy Maria Lopez possesses the harmonica. She is a talented player and a young Mexican-American whose parents think music is silly. With her brother Fernando away at war, she is determined to be a "good soldier," even when her parents move her away from her best friend to a new town, where she must attend a segregated school. There, a new friend convinces her that the Japanese family whose farm her family is tending might be spies. She puts her country ahead of her family's prospect of long-term security, only to discover the Yamamotos were only hiding instruments for families placed in internment camps. She meets their son, Kenneth, and bonds with him, giving him the harmonica so that he may enjoy the comfort of music while at war. In the final section of the book, we learn that all three characters have made their way to Carnegie Hall, where Friedrich will conduct the orchestra in which Mike and Ivy play. They have all had happy lives and successful careers as musicians. In addition, the harmonica saved Kenneth from a bullet, which, in turn releases Eins, Zwei, and Drei from captivity. Theme: Struggle for Survival Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

I could have students look up the butterfly affect and see where in the story might it apply.

Title: Hope Was Here Author: Joan Bauer Awards: John Newbery Medal, Golden Kite Award for Fiction Date Published: September 11, 2000 Characters: Hope Yancey, Aunt Addie, Deena, G.T., Eli Millstone, Braverman, Setting: Mulhoney, Wisconsin Summary: Hope was Here, by Joan Bauer, is the story of Hope Yancey, who lives in Brooklyn with her Aunt Addie, a relationship that formed because Hope's mother didn't feel capable of raising a child alone after Hope's father left them. Hope and Addie both work at the Blue Box Diner, where Hope is a waitress and Addie is the chef and co-owner. One day, though, the Blue Box's other co-owner empties the company bank account and leaves town with another waitress. Unable to keep the diner running by herself, Addie makes the decision to move herself and Hope to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, where they've been hired to operate the Welcome Stairways diner. The new diner's owner, G.T. Stoop, is battling leukemia and is unable to manage the restaurant alone. Before Hope and Addie leave, Hope writes "Hope Was Here" in blue ink on one of the Blue Box's boarded up windows. Hope has moved around a lot in her life, and this ritual has become her custom. The novel flashes-back to Hope's birth. Born prematurely, Hope is still in the hospital, attached to breathing machines, when her mother Deena makes the decision to give the baby to Addie, her older sister. Addie welcomes Hope into her life, and resolves to be a devoted mother. Hope has a collection of scrapbooks that depict the story of her life. She's sure her father is out there, somewhere, looking for her, and when he finds her, she wants to tell him about everything she's experienced. When Hope and Addie arrive in Wisconsin, they find that G.T. is a nice man. Despite the town's small size, it is ripe with political corruption. G.T. has decided to run for mayor to help clean it up. The incumbent mayor, Eli Millstone, is deeply dishonest. He has made several illegal arrangements with the Real Fresh Dairy, whose workers will support his campaign in return for political favors. A group of students at the local high school, impressed with G.T.'s integrity, help him with his campaign. This group includes Hope, and the diner's young grill cook Braverman. The teens work hard to overcome the perception that G.T.'s illness makes him an unfit candidate. Millstone engages in several dirty tricks to discredit G.T.'s campaign, including claiming that the diner has rats. Eventually, Millstone's goons sink to physically assaulting Braverman. Eventually, G.T. and Addie begin a romantic relationship. This encourages Braverman to ask Hope on a date. Hope is reluctant—she has a rule about not dating cooks—but agrees to a practice date. The test is successful, and the two become a couple. At the same time, Hope becomes closer to the other employees at the diner, who increasingly lean on each other for support. During the campaign, G.T. learns that his cancer has gone into remission. Millstone's campaign claims, however, that the cancer has spread to G.T.'s brain. Millstone wins the election by 114 votes. However, shortly thereafter, the Election Board discovers that Millstone has cheated. Several of the people listed as having voted for him are not actually registered to vote. Millstone is forced to resign, and G.T. is made mayor. He immediately sets to work at fulfilling his campaign promises, a move that makes him even more popular in the town. He also proposes to Addie, and after they marry, he officially adopts Hope. About two years later, though, G.T.'s cancer has returned. Before he passes away, Hope takes the chance to tell him she sees him as her real father. Though their time together was short, Hope is grateful to have had the chance to know what having a dad is like. Before she leaves for college, she writes "Hope Was Here" in blue pen under the counter at the diner. This time, her writing feels different: she knows she'll be back. Many of the characters in Bauer's novel are working through issues of being abandoned. Hope was abandoned by her biological parents. Braverman's family was abandoned by his father. Addie's partner in the Blue Box diner took their money and ran. The novel's characters have to learn to lean on each other and trust they won't be abandoned again in order to move forward with the lives. They learn, too, to rely upon an inner strength that makes them stronger as individuals, an important part of the healing that takes place within the book. Additionally, the characters learn that there are many ways to form a family. When your biological family doesn't work out, you can assemble a family. That new relationship is often stronger and healthier than the one you're born into. Your chosen family will stay by your side through the good and the bad, and continue to love you despite your faults. Theme: battle between good and evil Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

I could have students run a fake election, This also might be a book that students who have divorced parents maybe able to relate to the single mom looking for a new dad in the book.

Title: Black Beauty Author: Anna Sewell Awards: NA Date Published: November 24, 1877 Characters: Beauty, Squire Gordon, John Manly, Ginger, Merrylegs, Jerry Baker, Setting: 19th-century England Summary: The story begins with the birth of a horse named Beauty on an idyllic farm in Victorian England. He is raised by his mother, Duchess, under the care of the kind Farmer Grey. Beauty learns that humans can be a horse's greatest friend or a horse's worst enemy depending on the circumstances. He begins to understand that not all horses are as lucky as he is. He spends the early part of his life well cared for and happy. Beauty is sent to Squire Gordon at Birtwick Park, where he spends some of the happiest years of his life. John Manly, a wise groom, cares for him, and he makes friends with the other horses there, including Ginger and Merrylegs. He has many adventures, including being ridden one night for a doctor to save Squire Gordon's wife's life. When Squire Gordon falls ill, he is instructed to move to a warmer climate. As a result, Squire Gordon sells all the horses on the estate. Beauty's life takes a turn for the worst. He is sold to a series of owners who neglect him. One night, a drunk groom causes him to fall, killing the groom and permanently scarring Beauty. Beauty is no longer a fashionable horse, but simply a horse for hire. Horse for hire is a tough life for him. He is eventually sold to Jerry Barker, a cab driver in London. Jerry is a wonderful cabbie and excellent with horses. Although his life is hard, Beauty grows to love his work under the care of Jerry. For a time, things look good for Beauty. However, after a brutal bought of bronchitis, Jerry moves to the country, giving up his cab life. Beauty is sold to another series of owners who work him so hard he drops. He encounters Ginger again, who has been cruelly treated — so much so that she dies. Beauty is nearly dead from work and injury, but a wise veterinarian fixes him up so that he can sell him later. A kind grandfather and his grandson buy him and rehabilitate him. At the end of the book, a family who recognizes him as Squire Gordon's beloved Black Beauty buys him and give him the life he deserves in his last years. The novel is a meditation on treating all life with respect. At the time, horses were a critical part of the infrastructure of England as the primary mode of transportation. Horses were subject to the whims of their owners, and Sewell uses anthropomorphism, giving human characteristics to non-humans, to elicit a feeling of empathy for Beauty. Beauty and the horses around him think and feel things in the way that humans do. They analyze their surroundings and react to happiness and pain. Using this method, Swell makes clear her belief that all life deserves kindness and respect through the story. Beauty's bravery is compelling. As with many heroes, courage is an integral part of Beauty's character, and in the face of danger, pain, and uncertainty, Beauty chooses to be brave. One a larger scale, the book also deals with man and nature. There is suffering in the world, and humans cause much of it by not recognizing their cruelty. As a horse, Beauty has no control over his life. His wellbeing and happiness are entirely dependent on each master, and for some of them, he is little more than a tool. They see no reason to treat him as a living being. Theme: Horse Care, Abuse, and Neglect Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 3-7

I could have students try and make modern parallels to the novel like instead of horses it could be cars or boats.

Title: Where the Red Fern Grows Author: Wilson Rawls Awards: Great Stone Face Award, Evansville Book Award Division III Date Published: 1961 Characters: Billy, Dan, Ann, Billy's grandfather, Rubin and Rainie Pritchard Setting: the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression Summary: Young Billy wants a pair of coonhounds, but they are not affordable for his family. He comes across an advertisement for a kennel in Kentucky that's selling coonhounds for $25. Billy begins working odd jobs, and with his grandfather's assistance, saves $50 in two years. The kennel not only honors its ad, but the price has actually dropped to $40 for the pair. Since the mail service does not deliver live animals, Billy makes his way on foot through the hills to a freight depot and picks up a male and a female puppy. He uses his extra $10 to purchase gifts for his family. On his journey home, Billy passes an evening at Robber's Cave in the Sparrow Hawk Mountains. During the night, a mountain lion paces outside the cave, kept away by Billy's fire. The following morning, Billy sees the names Dan and Ann carved into a heart on a tree and names his puppies Old Dan and Little Ann. Billy begins training the dogs. As Billy spends time with the dogs, he realizes that Old Dan's strong trait is bravery, while Little Ann's is intelligence. They bond with each other and with Billy. When the hunting season opens, they "tree" a raccoon in a sycamore that Billy calls the "big tree." Billy promised the dogs he would do the rest if they were to tree a raccoon. He spends two days trying to cut down the tree aided by a strong wind, and the dogs take the raccoon down. They go hunting nightly for months, and Billy becomes the most successful hunter in the area, saving his dogs several times. Billy and his grandfather bet the mean neighbor boys, Rubin and Rainie Pritchard, that Billy's dogs can catch the legendary "ghost coon." The Pritchards join the hunt. When the dogs manage to tree the raccoon, Billy will not kill it. Rubin's dog gets into a fight with Dan and Ann, and Rubin goes after Billy's dogs with an ax. He trips over a stick and falls on the ax, killing the boy. Rainie runs away without aiding his brother. Later, Billy feels guilty, and he takes flowers to Rubin's grave. After some time passes, Billy's grandfather enters him in a championship raccoon hunt. Little Ann wins a best-looking dog contest before the main competition starts. Four days into the competition, Old Dan and Little Ann tree three raccoons and get into the final round. A blizzard starts on the sixth day, and Billy's team cannot locate the dogs. When they manage to find them, Billy's grandfather hurts his ankle. As they build a fire, Billy's father cuts down a tree, and Billy's hounds take down two of the three raccoons it contains. They chase the third one into a tree and win the championship and a $300 prize. Billy continues hunting, and one night, the dogs tree a mountain lion. Billy attempts to protect the dogs with an ax, but they end up saving him. They kill the mountain lion, but Old Dan is badly injured and later dies. Little Ann is overwrought with sadness and dies a few days later at the grave of Old Dan. Billy visits the graves of his dogs and sees a red fern growing between them. Native American legend has it that only an angel can plant such a fern. Billy and his family see this as a sign that it is time to use the prize money to move out of the Ozarks and get the children a good education. Theme: determination and man's relationship to dogs Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade: 5-6

I could have students write about the bond with their pets. I could have students come up with different way to trap racoons to Billy can train his dogs.

Title: Hatchet Author: Gary Paulson Awards: Newbery Medal, Margaret A. Edwards Award, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature, Regina Medal, Spur Award for Best Juvenile Fiction, Spur Award for Best Juvenile Nonfiction Date Published: November 1, 1986 Characters: Brian Robeson, Brain's father, Brain's mother Setting: Canadian oil fields, lakes Summary: Thirteen year old Brian is flying on a bush plane when the pilot suddenly has a heart attack and dies. Brian manages to keep the plane level until it crashes into a lake. Brian survives the crash, but that is just the beginning. Brian must find a way to survive the wilds of the Canadian forest if he ever hopes to be rescued. Hatchet is an adventure story that will take its character from a common city boy to a survivalist in a manner of days. Brian Robeson is still reeling from his parents' sudden divorce when his mother drives him to a private airport where he is to fly on a bush plane to visit his father in the Canadian oil fields. Brian's mother gives him a hatchet as a parting gift and asks him to try it on his belt. For this reason, the hatchet is still on Brian's belt when he gets on the plane. As they fly, the pilot shows Brian how to use the controls. Then, suddenly, the pilot becomes ill. It takes Brian a moment to realize the pilot is having a heart attack. Brian is frightened and unsure of what to do. Brian uses the radio to ask for help, but he loses the signal before he can say much. Brian decides to keep the plane steady until it runs out of fuel. Then, he will try to put it down in a lake. When the moment comes, Brian manages to do just that, crashing the plane into the middle of an L-shaped lake. When Brian recovers from the crash, he climbs out of the lake and begins taking inventory of his situation. He finds a place where he can build a shelter and some berries to eat. After an attack by a porcupine in the middle of the night, Brian figures out how to make a fire and keep animals out of his shelter. Brian later figures out how to catch fish and even begins to move up to killing larger animals, mostly birds. One night a tornado hits the section of forest where Brian is surviving. The tornado destroys Brian's shelter, and it also turns the plane so that the tail section is sticking out of the water. Brian recalls the survival pack that is in the back of the plane and decides to try to get it. Brian builds a raft and takes it to the plane. Brian peels the metal shell off the plane and makes a hole large enough to climb inside. Brian is able to recover the survival pack and drag it back to his shelter. Inside the survival bag, Brian finds a great many things such as matches, cooking equipment, and multiple packs of freeze dried food. All of these items will be useful to him. Brian also finds a radio, but he does not understand how it works. So, he sets it aside. While Brian is making his first real meal in months, he hears a motor overhead. Brian is surprised to discover that the radio is an emergency transmitter, and he left it turned on. A trader flying overhead heard the signal and has landed to rescue Brian. Theme: survival, nature, and family Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

I could play one of those survival games like your lost in a forest. You can only bring ten items with you. Each item is assigned a point value. You need twenty points to win.

Title: The One and Only Ivan Author: Katherine Applegate Author's Awards: Newberry Medal (2013);Best New Children's Book Series Award (1997) Publisher and Date: HarperCollins Scholastic Corporation in January 17, 2012 Characters: Ivan (about 30 years old), Ruby (baby elephant), Stella (old elephant), Bob (stray dog), Mack (owner of Big Top Mall), Julia (10 year old), George (Julia's dad), Maya (works with the gorillas), Sara (Julia's mother/George's wife), Helen (Mack's old wife we haven't seen in 27 years), Snickers (dog that rides the elephants), Ivan's Father, Ivan's mother, Tag (Ivan's sister), Kinyani (female gorilla that Ivan is interested in) Setting: Big Top Mall and a Zoo Summary: Ivan is comfortable in his domain in the shopping mall where he watches TV and makes artwork that is sold to the people who watch him through glass windows far from the jungle. Stella, on the other hand, has a longer memory than Ivan and she longs to live in a zoo where larger domains are provided. Ruby, a new baby elephant, which has been plucked from the wild, is introduced to the Big Top Mall where she is to learn circus tricks from Stella. Soon after, Stella becomes sick. Before she passes away she charges Ivan with taking care of Ruby. Ivan begins to recall his time in the jungle and his desire for freedom and to help Ruby, rise. Theme: Hope and Friendship Rating: 3 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

I could see me using this book if we did a unit about should animals be captives. I could recommend this to anyone who has a family member that is sick. I could use it to show kids how this author portrays friendship.

Title: When You Trap a Tiger Author: Tae Keller Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: January 28, 2020 Characters and Ages: Lily, Sam, Mom, Halmoni, Setting: Sunbeam, Washington Summary: It is the summer between sixth and seventh grade for Lily. Lily, her older sister Sam, and their mother are moving from their sunny beach town in California to rainy Sunbeam, Washington. Mom says they must move in order to spend more time with her mother, the girls' Korean halmoni (grandmother) who immigrated to America long ago. The story opens as Mom drives through a rainstorm to Halmoni's house. Mom and Sam bicker in the front seat; Lily stays quietly "invisible" in the back. Suddenly, Lily sees a large tiger in the road with no rain falling on it. Lily fails to get Mom's attention, and the tiger walks off unseen by anyone but her. She can't wait to tell Halmoni, well versed as she is in Korean myths, magic, and spirits. Halmoni tells a surprised Lily that the tiger is real and wants something she herself once stole. The older woman says the kosa they offer (a meal for the spirits) before dinner will protect Lily. Lily wishes to hear more and recalls her favorite tiger story—one Halmoni used to tell back when the girls lived with her following their father's death in a car accident. In Lily's favorite story, a tiger eats the halmoni of two little girls, then disguises itself as their halmoni to trick them into letting it into their home. The sisters flee across the world, begging a sky god to save them. In exchange for a story, the sky god allows Eggi (the younger sister) to ascend to the sky via a staircase where she becomes the sun, and Unya (the older sister) by a rope, where she becomes the moon. The sky god banishes the tiger. Later that night, Lily discovers Halmoni sick in the bathroom. Halmoni tells Lily that she once stole stories in the form of stars and hid them away in secret jars; these stories were sad and dangerous, so Halmoni took them to protect herself and others. Now, covetous tigers hunt her, wanting the stories back. The next day, Halmoni becomes ill on a trip to the grocery store, and Mom makes her go to the hospital. That night, Lily sees a huge tigress in the house while everyone else is asleep. It offers her a deal: Halmoni will feel better if Lily returns the stories. She refuses. The next day, Mom tells her that Halmoni has brain cancer and will die within months or weeks. Bereft, Lily decides she must protect Halmoni. She goes to the library across the street to read up on tigers. A boy named Ricky enthusiastically offers to help build a tiger trap when he learns of Lily's interest in doing so. The two move a pile of Halmoni's boxes into a ring-shaped enclosure in the basement and secure it with a rope. Lily trips over one of the boxes and it breaks, revealing three odd glass bottles, dark and corked: Halmoni's star jars. Lily sneaks into the basement that night to wait for the trap to work and falls asleep. Lily wakes to find a tigress trapped. At the tigress's behest, she agrees to open the star jars and hear their stories. The first night, the tigress tells the story of a half-tiger girl who tried to save her baby from the same fate; she abandons her baby and trains to replace the aging sky god (in exchange for the infant's humanity). The next day, Halmoni has an upsetting episode of confusion in a restaurant; Lily knows time is running out. The tigress's story that night follows the baby becoming a half-tiger despite the deal her mother made. The infant flees from her caretaker, her own halmoni; the halmoni sends her jars of love across the sea. The next day, Lily is terrified when Halmoni briefly fails to recognize her. That night, Lily tells Halmoni that she plans to open the third star jar to heal her—but the older woman tells her the jars came from a flea market; no magic can save her. Crushed, Lily smashes the star jars against a wall. Halmoni collapses; paramedics take her and Mom to the hospital. Lily and Sam are forced to stay behind as the latter is too scared to drive in the rain. In her grief, Lily seeks the tigress's help once more; it keeps the road around the car rain-free. At the hospital, Halmoni asks for a story and Lily tells her one. She completes the tigress's stories with a twist: The two sisters of Halmoni's own tiger story find a new sky god in the tiger-mother who abandoned her baby. The sky god invites the sisters to open her daughter's star jars (the ones sent by her halmoni when she fled the land). The girls do, and the stars become stories of their own halmoni and previous generations of women. After Halmoni dies, the family grieves. They turn the community's library bake sale into a kosa honoring Halmoni, and many from town attend. When Lily takes a moment to rest, Sam approaches and asks her to tell another story. Theme: loss, grief, family history, identity, and LGTBQ Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 5-7

I could use this as a story that helps students see someone else in grief.

Title: Crispin: The Cross of Lead Author: Avi Author's Awards: John Newbery Medal, Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature, Golden Kite Award for Fiction Publisher and Date: June 3, 2002 Characters: Crispin (13 orphan), Bear (Foster Father Bard), Father Quinel (Elderly Priest), Lord Furnival (Dead), John Aycliffe (Main Bad Guy) Setting: England in the Middle Ages in the year 1377 Summary: Crispin is newly orphaned and at this point doesn't have a name. He is declared a criminal and that he can be killed on sight. He flees his home village and comes across this man named, Bear. Bear claims Crispin as his slave. Bear teaches Crispin skills to help him survive for if he ever passes. The two travel all across England. Bear teaches Crispin how to be bard and entertain. Throughout their journey Crispin is worried someone will recognize him and try to kill him. Bear tells him not to worry and claims him as his son. When reaching their final destination the man who named Crispin a criminal spots him and points him out. Crispin gets away but the man who has become like a father to him is captured. Crispin frees Bear and renounces his secret father and all the power that comes with it. Theme: Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

I could use this as an example of the smallest skills you might have still are valuable and that everyone is able to learn.

Title: The Girl Who Drank The Moon Author: Kelly Barnhill Author's Awards: Newbery Medal; World Fantasy Award Publisher and Date: August 9, 2016 Characters: Luna (magical girl we see her at 5-13), Xan (kindly witch), Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater (evil requires sacrifice of babies), Antain (13-20's Elder in Training), The Madwoman/Adara (Luna's mother), Glerk (swamp monster), Grand Elder Gherland (corrupted elder), Fyrian (dragonling), Ethyne (revolutionary ex-nun), Zosimos (old dead wizard), The Parent (tells the story), Antain's Mother (greedy woman), The Crow (Luna's Familiar) Setting: the sad Protectorate, the Free Cities, and the forest Summary: Throughout the novel, an unnamed parent tells their child about the history of the Protectorate and the Day of Sacrifice. The parent lost a baby to the sacrifice years ago, and they say that an evil Witch demands an infant every year. Long ago, the Witch forced dragons to make the volcano explode, and killed a wizard. She poisoned the forest and the Bog that was once life-giving. According to the parent, it's pointless to stand up to the Witch. In the novel's present, young Antain, an Elder-in-Training, is participating in his first Day of Sacrifice. It's horrific: the mother refuses to hand over her baby, and Antain's uncle Gherland doesn't even stay in the woods to make sure that the Witch gets the baby. The narrator says that this is because, as far as Gherland is concerned, there is no Witch. The Witch is a convenient narrative to keep the population sad and under control. But unbeknownst to Gherland, a kindly witch named Xan has been saving abandoned babies for the past 500 years. She doesn't ask why their mothers abandon them, but she feels it's her responsibility to rescue them. Xan takes them to the Free Cities after feeding them on starlight, which is why they're called Star Children. This year, Xan discovers a baby with a crescent moon birthmark. She takes her time traveling with the baby, and after 10 days accidentally feeds the baby moonlight. This enmagicks the baby. Xan knows this means she can't leave the baby with anyone else, so she names her Luna and decides to keep her. At home, the swamp monster Glerk isn't impressed while the dragonling Fyrian is ecstatic. Fyrian is the size of a dove, but he believes that he's a Simply Enormous Dragon and lives in the land of the giants. Glerk and Xan watch closely as Luna grows, as they know that her magic is going to burst at some point. They know that there's something they should remember and that sorrow is dangerous, but they don't know why. When Luna turns five, her magic erupts. Luna has no idea what she's doing and Xan can't teach her. Xan also grows weaker and weaker. Finally, Xan places Luna in a cocoon and returns to the old castle to reconnect to her memories of Zosimos, her mentor. After nine days of study, she comes up with a spell to encase Luna's magic in a small grain in her brain, turning her into a compliant student of magic. It will open when Luna turns 13, at which point Xan will die. When Luna wakes up, she feels different. She goes into trances whenever she sees or hears anything to do with magic, which disturbs Xan. However, Xan tells herself that Luna will be fine and that it's too sad and dangerous to think about what might happen in the future. Meanwhile in the Protectorate, Antain remains haunted by seeing the madwoman's baby taken. He goes to visit Sister Ignatia, the head of the Sisters of the Star. She allows him to visit the madwoman, whose cell is filled with paper birds and maps that say, "she is here." Antain is terrified, and the madwoman's birds attack him. His face scars horribly and he resigns from the Council of Elders. Though he loves his job as a carpenter, Antain feels as though he lost something important. His prestige grows, but he continually walks past the Tower and thinks of the madwoman. One day, he speaks to Sister Ignatia. He thinks that she looks oddly content until Sister Ignatia asks him to help Ethyne, a former Sister, move out of the Tower—she broke tradition and decided to leave the Sisterhood. Ethyne is the only person who looks Antain in the face without flinching, and Antain feels hopeful. Meanwhile, the madwoman can't remember her own name, but she doesn't see the point in remembering anyway. She knows that she's mad, but also that her madness has allowed her to discover magic and conjure paper out of the bends in the universe. She feels horrible for hurting Antain, but she watches him closely. Because of her magic, the madwoman now knows where the Witch lives. She draws maps leading into the forest and one day, Antain catches one. As Luna grows, she experiences headaches and dizzy spells. Xan visits the Free Cities twice per year but she only takes Luna once per year, something that annoys Luna. Luna begins to realize that Fyrian never seems to get any older. One morning as Luna muses about Fyrian, she has a flash of a memory of a woman with black hair. Fyrian calls to her and she comes to, crying. She lies that she's just thinking about how much she loves her family. Meanwhile, as Xan rescues another abandoned baby, Antain steps in her path. Antain is now married to Ethyne and is now filled with hope, so he suspects that he can reason with the Witch. Later that year, Xan takes Luna to the Free Cities. Xan's health is clearly deteriorating, but she insists that it's not. On the trip, Luna sits with Star Children and tells them about her memories of a woman with black hair. Xan insists that they're not true, but neither Xan nor Luna will talk about the truth. Luna begins to experiment with telling stories about a girl who can't remember things and a grandmother who lies. One night, she and Fyrian fall asleep. When Luna wakes up with a burn on her thigh from Fyrian's snout, she tells him to get out. Fyrian finds himself in a strange place and though he tells himself that his feet always stomp and his wings always blow leaves off of trees, he knows that this is odd. He finds a pair of tiny boots and then hears growling. He remembers Xan telling him to call for her if he needs help. Calling for Xan doesn't help, so he calls for Luna. Fyrian finds himself back in Luna's bed. In the morning, Luna discovers a pair of mysterious boots. They make her head hurt, so she throws them in her trunk and decides to ask Glerk about them. By the time she gets outside, she forgets about the boots. Luna leaves Xan a note and goes up the hill to draw. A crow follows her and Luna remembers that somehow, she created the crow yesterday. Fyrian sneakily tags along and falls asleep while Luna goes into a trance and draws. She wakes up after noon and runs back home, feeling as though everything is strange. Xan is still in bed. Luna discovers that she drew a detailed map of how to get to the Protectorate. At the same time, Antain tricks the Council into letting him speak. He insists that since Ethyne is pregnant and their baby will be the next one sacrificed, he's going to go into the forest and kill the Witch. Luna wakes up with a pounding headache and walks to a large stone. It lets her into a workshop where paper swirls around her. She's able to read the word "magic," and the papers tell her about how, 500 years ago, magicians enmagicked a child. That child and Zosimos tried to fight someone called the Sorrow Eater, but Zosimos died. The papers tell Luna that the child in question was Xan. In the Protectorate, Sister Ignatia assures Gherland that she'll go into the forest to kill Antain herself—the Witch must kill him. She seems to taste Gherland's sorrow with pleasure. Xan wants to explain everything to Luna, but she knows she can't. Knowing that there's an abandoned baby waiting for her, Xan leaves Luna a note and turns herself into a swallow to fly to the Protectorate. Luna discovers the note later, and doesn't finish reading it before tearing it up and heading into the forest with the crow, though a scrap of paper from the note crawls into her pocket. The madwoman watches Antain step into the forest and thinks that it's too dangerous for Antain to go alone—the Witch lives in the Tower and will follow him. She turns the bars of her window into paper, and her paper birds carry her into the forest. Later that morning, Sister Ignatia assures Gherland that she'll deal with Antain. They discuss that Antain's journey is stirring up hope. In the swamp, Glerk and Fyrian discover the empty house and Xan's note. It's been repaired with Luna's magic and it's missing the word "magic." Glerk decides that it's time for Fyrian to grow up, so the two of them set out to help Xan and Luna. They sense that the volcano is rumbling ominously, like it's about to erupt again. The madwoman's birds let her down in the swamp, where she discovers that her baby's name is Luna. She turns to caring for the animals, wearing a pair of boots that she's found. Luna is terrified, especially when a flock of paper birds descends around her—though she decides that they're okay when they protect her from Sister Ignatia, who's trying to find her Seven League Boots. Sister Ignatia goes to fetch them from the madwoman and congratulates herself on starting all the stories in the Protectorate about the Witch. At the same time, Antain, terrified, throws a rock at a sparrow (who is actually Xan) and breaks her wing. He carries Xan with him. Fyrian begins to grow at an alarming rate. Back in the Protectorate, Ethyne discovers that Sister Ignatia is gone and begins to plan a rebellion. Knowing that Sister Ignatia is the Witch who cultivates sorrow, she locks unsympathetic Sisters up and opens the library for everyone. Mothers who lost babies inexplicably begin to experience visions of their children growing older, and they feel hopeful for the first time. Luna suddenly remembers being a child. She saw Xan create a scrying glass and went into a trance, and Xan insisted that she and Glerk couldn't tell Fyrian the truth—he'd tell Luna that Xan is a witch, which would mean that Luna then wouldn't be able to see Xan. Luna instinctively creates a scrying device and asks it to show her Xan. It shows her a sparrow. Xan tries to convince herself that Luna is safe at home as Antain starts to talk about the Day of Sacrifice and tells Xan that he's going to kill the Witch. Xan is horrified to learn that the babies she saved were sacrifices. Antain hears someone coming up the hill. At the top of the hill, Luna, the madwoman, Xan, and Antain all converge with paper birds. Luna recognizes the madwoman as her mother and returns Xan to her human form, and Antain realizes that none of these women are the Witch he seeks. Xan apologizes for taking the abandoned babies and asks for forgiveness. As the three women stand, Sister Ignatia—the Sorrow Eater—appears. Antain is confused, but the madwoman explains that Sister Ignatia is the Witch and tells Luna that a piece of her is still human. Luna peers into Sister Ignatia's heart, which is encased in a pearl, and sees that it's full of sorrow. She unlocks it just as Fyrian and Glerk bound over the ridge. Fyrian now knows that Sister Ignatia is responsible for his mother's death, so he threatens to kill her. Xan and Glerk talk him down and then, as the volcano rumbles, Fyrian says they need to get to the Protectorate to save everyone from the eruption. In the Protectorate, Luna joins hands with Xan and the madwoman, and Xan coaches her through creating protective bubbles around everyone. In the aftermath, everyone in the Protectorate remains hopeful. They put the Elders in prison and Luna begins traveling to the Free Cities to tell the Star Children the truth about their parentage—and that their hearts can always hold more love. Luna discovers that her mother's name is Adara. Xan and Sister Ignatia's health deteriorates, and on the day that the first Star Children arrive in the Protectorate, Xan dies of happiness. Glerk takes her to the Bog with him. The parent explains to the child that the kind and generous Witch claimed the Protectorate, and that is the reason why they're prosperous and healthy. Theme: Judgement, Family, and Love Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 5-9

I could use this book as an example of healthy sceptics of leadership. This could be a book that one could teach instead of doing what everyone else is doing do what is right.

Title: Blue Willow Author: Doris Gates Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: 1940 Characters: Janey Larkin, Lupe Romero, Miss Peterson, Mr. Anderson, Setting: San Joaquin Valley of California Summary: Janey Larkin is ten years old when her family arrives in the San Joaquin Valley of California. She is an only child and lives with her father and stepmother, her mother having died years earlier. Janey notices that there is a family across the road and that there's a girl about her age, Lupe Romero. She wants to seek out Lupe's friendship but knows that the Larkin family never stays anywhere long so there probably won't be time to develop a friendship. Janey doesn't go to meet Lupe but is excited when Lupe makes the first move. The first thing Janey shows Lupe is her one important possession - a blue willow plate. The plate pictures a stand of willow trees, a river, a bridge and three people. Janey tells Lupe the story of the plate as it's been told to her. Though Lupe doesn't understand the importance - that the plate represents Janey's life prior to the family's financial hardships and the hope of a better life - she understands that it's important to Janey. This respect for each other is the heart of the girls' friendship, which grows over the coming months. Janey is invited to go with the Romero family to the fair and she's elated with the opportunity. Her mom gives her a nickel to spend and Janey buys gum to share with the others. She is most excited at the fair to see a large display of books, and she pleads for the opportunity to remain there to read. Later, Janey goes to school with the other children from the farm camp. She finds a friend in the teacher, Miss Peterson, and learns that even a ragged book can become an escape from life, taking her on exciting adventures. Meanwhile, Janey and her family know their time at the little shack that's become home is limited. The land belongs to Mr. Anderson, a kindly man Janey meets only once during their three-month stay. A foreman on the farm, Bounce Reyburn, demands a monthly payment of five dollars for rent. The rent straps the family's limited cash and Mr. Larkin announces that with the harvests gone, it's time for the family to move again. Bounce demands yet another month's payment - money the family doesn't have. Janey gives Bounce the plate in place of the rent. Bounce, recognizing that the plate is important to the family, accepts. The day before the family is to leave, Janey goes to Mr. Anderson's house. She hopes to see the plate one last time before the family departs. Mr. Anderson doesn't know about the plate or the rent that Bounce has collected. He is angry at the deception of his foreman and fires Bounce, returns the rent collected from the Larkins and hires Mr. Larkin as his new foreman, which means the family will no longer have to move in search of work. One day Janey learns that Mr. Anderson is building a larger house for the Larkins. When the house is finished, Janey asks the question that's been haunting her, "How long can we stay?" Mr. Larkin assures her that they can stay as long as they want. Theme: Friendship Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-7

I might have students describe a time when they moved or put themselves in the main character's shoes to create the experience.

Title: Fighting Words Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Awards: John Newbery Medal, Golden Kite Award for Middle Grade Fiction Date Published: 2019 Characters: Della, Suki, Clifton, Francine, Setting: high school Summary: Delicious Nevaeh Roberts, or Della, is tough and street smart, empathetic and kind, proud of her loud mouth and lobbed curses. She's the kind of girl who'll draw a mustache and devil horns on a princess, then defend her bullied friend. Della and her sixteen year old sister, Suki, have had to be tough after years of living with their mother's boyfriend, Clifton, who finally did something so bad they had to get out quick. With their mother in jail states away, the two must navigate foster care while memories of Clifton continue to haunt them both. Della continually looks to Suki as her protector, but when Suki attempts suicide, Della has a terrible, earth-shattering revelation: who's protecting Suki? Fighting Words is a stark reminder of the lessons boys need to be taught about abuse and consent. (That is not to say, of course, that males are the only ones responsible for sexual harassment or assault, or that females are the only victims.) What's more, Della's experience demonstrates the power of speaking up and telling the truth-even when it's a truth that's burdened the person she holds most dear. After accepting the extent of Suki's trauma, Della grapples with overwhelming guilt. Della was raised by Suki long before their mother had a psychotic break due to meth addiction. Della sought out Suki's protective presence as they endured years with Clifton, and it was Suki who got Della out when Clifton tried to rape her. Della isn't a fan of Francine, their new foster mother, either. When Francine admits that she keeps foster kids for the money, Della tells the readers that "I didn't mind her saying that. I liked to know where we stood" (18). Meanwhile,Suki continually puts Della first, by buying Della purple sneakers and forgoing clothes for herself and working at a grocery store to save money for them both. It's telling that Della declares that Suki's superpower is that she "can make herself invisible" (25). Della doesn't initially recognize Suki's struggles despite the signs, such as her screaming every night in her sleep. Eventually Suki explodes about having to take care of Della since she was six. "'When is somebody going to take care of me?'" (149) Accepting her sister's pain-moreover, accepting that she hadn't been there for her sister all those years-is the greatest burden Della has ever had to bear. "I'd never thought about it as worse for Suki than me. Suki was so strong" (129). Thankfully, more than one adult consoles Della about her guilt and reassures her that none of it was her fault. I cannot stress how grateful I was that adults patiently remind her of this truth-that she is not to blame for her sister's suffering-several times over. Because it is a truth worth repeating. It's bad enough that Suki had to sacrifice her childhood and well-being for Della, but it's just as egregious for her younger sister to feel responsible for it. Della goes so far as to defend cursing at a teacher over a family tree assignment. Della explains that had she not cursed, then she wouldn't have been called to the principal's office to explain the teacher's insensitivity. "See? It's useful, having a big mouth" (11). It's essential to teach children that certain words hold more power, and when we really need to say them-say, in the face of injustice-we should put them to good use. While Della is never ashamed of speaking her mind, she was nonetheless taught to keep silent about certain issues, like her mother cooking meth or the fact that Clifton was not her or Suki's real father. "I've learned that some things are almost impossible to talk about because they're things no one wants to know" (39). Della embodies the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous saying:"the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people." Theme: Sexual Abuse From A Child's Perspective. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade: 5-9

I think when we start sex ed that this might be a good book to read because it doesn't do the standard excuse boys will be boys. This gives girls the chance to see that if that ever happened to them or their friends that people are there for them.

Title: Getting Near to a Baby Author: Audrey Couloumbis Awards: Newbery Honor (2000) Date Published: September 13, 1999 Characters: Willa Jo Dean, Jo Ann, Aunt Patty Setting: Raleigh, North Carolina. Summary: Getting Near to Baby is the story of Willa Jo Dean who faces tragedy and loss at the tender age of just thirteen. Willa Jo is forced to take on the role of protector of a younger sister who is so traumatized by events that she has lost the ability to speak. Willa Jo takes on the worries, adult in scope, over the emotional and mental stability of her mother whose grief and pain turn to denial and obsession. The story beings with Willa Jo and her little sister, whose name is Jo Ann but is known merely as "Little Sister," sitting on the roof of their Aunt Patty's house. It is just before sunrise and the girls cling to each other as they wait for the burst of color that will soon appear over the horizon. A jogger spots the girls and alerts Aunt Patty... Theme: infant death and family grief Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 5-9

I would recommend this to a student that has had a family member pass away or almost pass away due to an illness so they can find someone like them.

Title: Waterless Mountains Author: Laura Adams Armer Author's Awards: Newbery Medal and Caldecott Honor Publisher and Date: 1931 Characters: Younger Brother (8- adolescence), Uncle (Younger Brother's mentor), and Big Man (white man who runs a trading post aka grandfather) Setting: Arizona in the 1920s Summary: Younger Brother, a Navajo Indian living in Arizona in the 1920s, wishes to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and become a medicine man. To accomplish this task, he must undergo several arduous years of training, to learn all of the ancient songs and customs of his ancestors. This includes a journey to the Pacific Ocean in the far west, participating in traditional ceremonies, and climbing the nearby Waterless Mountain. Throughout his training, his Uncle relates to him numerous legends of their culture. Theme: Finding Yourself Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 5-8

If I knew a student was having a rough time I could recommend this to a students.

Title: The 21 Balloons Author: William Pène du Bois Awards: John Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal Date Published: 1947 Characters: William Waterman Sherman Setting: volcanic island of Krakatoa in the 1880s Summary: In this story, a sixty-six-year-old retired arithmetic teacher decides to take a hot-air balloon trip around the world in an effort to get away from everyone. Halfway around the globe, however, he becomes stranded on a volcanic island that is about to experience a massive eruption. The fantasy of The Twenty-One Balloons is built around an actual historic event—the massive volcanic eruption that destroyed the Pacific island of Krakatoa in 1883. But there the connection with history ends. The Professor discovers that the inhabitants of the island have established a unique, Utopian society, which he seeks to understand. Threatened with destruction, the Professor and the inhabitants must cooperate and discover a way to escape the island before the final explosion. Theme: ingenuity and invention, exploration, teamwork, and playtime Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 6-12

If we are talking about inventions this book would tie nicely with it or hot air balloons. If we talk about the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa we could look up historically what happened and compare it with the books point of view.

Title: The Chocolate War Author: Robert Cormier Awards: Phoenix Award Date Published: 1974 Characters: Jerry Renault, Archie Costello, Goober, Brother Leon, Emile Janza, Setting: Trinity High School Summary: Jerry Renault, a freshman at Trinity High School, has a confrontation with the school gang, The Vigils. The Vigils, headed by Archie Costello, specialize in making assignments that other students have to complete. These assignments vary, depending on the person, and intend to inflict as much psychological injury as possible. Early in the book, Jerry's friend known as The Goober gets an assignment from The Vigils. He sneaks into one of the classrooms at night and unscrews desks, chairs and hinges, leaving the screws in by just a thread. The next day when students come to class, everything collapses and falls apart. The Goober suffers some serious emotional repercussions from carrying out the assignment and is never quite the same afterward. Jerry gets called to carry out an assignment and he is to refuse selling chocolates at the annual school chocolate sale. Archie gives him this assignment despite the fact that Archie told Brother Leon, the teacher in charge of the sale, that he and The Vigils would support the sale and make sure it is a success. At first, Brother Leon and the other students are shocked by Jerry's refusal. Eventually, it becomes common knowledge that Jerry's refusal is prompted by a Vigils assignment. Brother Leon, at first outraged, looks forward to the assignment ending, since after ten days, Jerry is supposed to accept the chocolates and begin selling them. After the tenth day, Jerry fully intends to accept the chocolates. When Leon calls his name during the chocolate roll call, however, Jerry blurts out "no." When The Goober asks Jerry why he refused, Jerry does not have an answer. He is rebelling against The Vigils and Brother Leon. Inspired by the poster in his locker that reads: "Do I dare disturb the universe?" and Jerry decides that that is precisely what he will do. The Vigils consider Jerry's refusal to sell a defiance of their assignment. They call Jerry into a meeting and ask him to sell the chocolates the next day. The next day, Jerry still refuses. Soon, he is somewhat of a hero in school as other students consider refusing to sell their chocolates too. The sales figures dip, and Brother Leon gets upset. The school treasurer overhears him telling another teacher that he spent unauthorized money to buy the chocolates and that to break even he has to sell them all. Archie and Brother Leon have a meeting in which Brother Leon accuses him of sabotaging the sale by creating Jerry's assignment. Archie decides that the best thing to do is to make the sale popular and make Jerry an outcast. Soon, the chocolates are selling like hotcakes, and boys who really have no sold boxes are getting tallies as if they have. It is obvious that The Vigils are selling all the chocolates. Meanwhile, Jerry still refuses and The Vigils are making his life hell. They are calling him at all hours of the day and night, and then hanging up. They are swiping his homework assignments, and trashing his locker. He even gets beat up by a gang of kids after football practice. Finally, all of the chocolates except Jerry's have been sold. Archie wants to get back at Jerry and get something out of all the work he put into the chocolate sale. He schedules a student-only assembly to raffle off the tickets. The raffle is a special one, however, which pits Jerry against school thug Emile Janza. The students who buy raffle tickets get to write on them a boxing move, directing Jerry to hit Janza or vice versa, and where. During the fight, Jerry and Janza are hitting each other as directed. Janza is much stronger, and his punches have much more staying power even though Jerry lands a good hit of his own. Then, a member of The Vigils draws a raffle ticket that tells Janza to hit Jerry in the groin. Jerry blocks the punch, and the warfare begins. Janza decides not to abide by any rules, and punches Jerry over and over. Finally, after Jerry collapses, the lights in the stadium go off. Brother Jacques is there, stopping the ceremony. Brother Leon is also there, and has been from the beginning, watching. He makes sure that Archie is not punished. Jerry has a broken jaw and possibly some internal injuries. As he is waiting for the ambulance he tells his only friend, The Goober, not to disturb the universe—that it is not worth it. The book ends as Archie displays no remorse for the past, and Jerry no hope for the future. Theme: Education, Ethics, Power, Identity, and Power Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 9-12

If we ever had a fun school fundraiser this might be a cool book to read along with it. This could also be an exercise of choose wisely who you look to for leadership and choose your friends wisely.

Title: A Girl Named Disaster Author: Nancy Farmer Awards: National Book Award for Young People's Literature, John Newbery Medal, Golden Kite Award for Fiction Date Published: 1996 Characters: Nhamo, Aunt Chipo, Masvita, Ambuya, Uncle Kufa, muvuki Setting: the border country of Mozambique and Zimbabwe in 1981. Summary: Nhamo, a young girl from a small village in Mozambique, eventually runs to Zimbabwe. When she was a baby, her mother was killed by a leopard. Since then, she has been raised by her Aunt Chipo. Chipo does not like her niece and puts her to work doing the most difficult chores, such as collecting firewood and pounding corn. Chipo has a daughter named Masvita who is Nhamo's age but is asked to do much less work. Masvita is nice to Nhamo, but still, Nhamo is jealous of her, especially when she passes into womanhood first and receives the traditional celebration that accompanies that milestone event. Just after this rite, the village is stricken with cholera. Nhamo's grandmother Ambuya explains that the disease is caused by tainted water, while others in the village believe it is the result of witchcraft. Many grow sick and many die. Masvita is hit especially hard by the illness. Uncle Kufa, Masvita's father, seeks the advice of a specialist, or muvuki, to learn the cause of the disease and to seek help for Masvita. Villagers, including Nhamo, go to see the muvuki at the trading post, but he cannot see them immediately. One night, Ambuya takes Nahamo to the trading post where she is surprised to see Ambuya drink beer. Joao, a Portuguese trader, is troubled by Nhamo's name which he realizes means disaster. Ambuya tells of Nhamo's background. Her mother was married to a lazy drunk named Proud Jongwe who refused to pay the expected bride price for Nhamo's mother because he was Catholic and not willing to abide by pagan rituals. He abandoned Nhamo's mother while she was pregnant after being involved in a serious brawl, which left a man dead. This is the first time Nhamo has heard the story. She had always held out hope that one day her father would come and arrange her bride price when she reaches womanhood, but that she realizes will not happen. As the daughter of a murderer, she knows that she is worth far less than Masvita. As Ambuya finishes the story, the villagers are given an opportunity to meet with the muvuki, who seems to already know Nhamo's story. He tells them that the epidemic of cholera is the result of the wandering spirit of the man who was killed by Nhamo's father. Aunt Chipo, in the spirit's voice, yells for justice to be done. The muvuki announces that it is Nhamo's life that must be used to extract justice. To achieve this, she is to marry the brother of the man who was murdered. Ambuya does not agree to this but is threatened by the muvuki; she is stricken with a stroke. In the subsequent days, Nhamo tends to Ambuya's health but is ignored by the other women. The man she is supposed to marry is diseased and has several wives. The arrangement made by the muvuki calls for no bride price, giving Nhamo no status in the society. It is likely that she will be mistreated by the man and his other wives and will never see her family again. Ambuya is the only one who might be able to help Nhamo, but since suffering the stroke, she has not spoken. Meanwhile, Joao, the trader, and Rosa, his wife, feel that Nhamo, who is only eleven or twelve years of age, is too young to get married and offer to have her live with them. People of the village do not agree, but Joao says that since her father was Catholic, Nhamo cannot be given away in a pagan rite. Since the rituals are legal, Joao seeks the aide of some soldiers, but Uncle Kufa and the muvuki stop him and say he will be killed if he continues to interfere. Nhamo does not know about Catholic customs so finds herself feeling conflicted in the situation. All she can do is stay with her family and prepare for the marriage. Nhamo continues to nurse Ambuya back to health, and Ambuya is now much more aware of what is going on around her. The day before the marriage is to take place, she tells Nhamo to run to Zimbabwe and seek the family of her father. This plan frightens the young girl, but Ambuya explains that it is the only way. Nhamo follows her grandmother's instructions and steals a boat and supplies. She follows the river on the way to Zimbabwe. She deals with numerous threats from animals and grapples with passing from childhood to adulthood. The trip that should have taken two days by boat ends up taking a year. She battles hunger and continued threats from wildlife. She begins speaking with spirits to gain advice and to deal with being alone. When she ultimately reaches Zimbabwe she lives with some scientists before meeting her father's family. Fitting into a modern society and letting go of the evil spirits that possess her according to the muvuki become new challenges for Nhamo. Theme: courage Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 6-10

Just because people only offer you bleak doesn't mean that's your fate. This could be used as an activity she had courage in big things so you can have courage in little things.

Title: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors Author: Drew Daywalt Author's Awards: He has received 65 awards for his children's writing, including the coveted E.B. White Read Aloud Award, New York Times Best Seller, and the Time Magazine Top 100 Best Children's Books of All Time. Publisher and date: April 4, 2017 Characters: rock, paper, scissors, clothespins, tape, apricot, printer, half eaten bag of trail mix, roll of tape, and dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets. Setting: the backyard, home office, kitchen, and garage Summary: Three great warriors journey to find someone who can beat them. They look high and low and challenge all who dare. Finally, the three warriors face off in an epic battle. This battle has brought three unlikely friends together.(bottom of the card) Theme: Friendship Rating: (3 out of 5) Grade: 1st

Side Two (read as though you are the teacher)Write in any ideas you have about how you might use the book educationally e.g. activities that relate to language arts or other subjects or questions that you might ask if you were using a literature based approach. I might use this as an approach to how to choose a book. This could be an example of choosing a book that you already know stuff about so they have prior knowledge. The prior knowledge then may be able to be used to contextually figure things out. I also might use this as an example for prediction. If the students know how to play rock paper scissors they can be able to make accurate predictions of how the battles will go.

Title: What Jamie Saw Author: Carolyn Coman Awards: John Newbery Medal Date Published: 1995 Characters: Jamie, Nin, Earl, Patty, Setting: Vermont Summary: One night, a little boy named Jamie awakens to see the man who lives with them, Van, take his baby sister, Nin, and throw her across the room. Fortunately, his mother steps up in time to catch the little baby. That's when Jamie's life begins to change drastically. While he is still numb from the shock, his mother packs a few things and they leave the house, never to return. Mom has a good friend, Earl, and he takes them in without questions, in the middle of the night. All these violent and scary events are seen through the eyes of a young boy whose life will never be quite the same. Jamie quickly loses the security of his daily routine and struggles to understand the events in his new life. He felt nervous getting dressed, in some sort of a hurry, but for no reason. He fought with his T-shirt, trying to get his arms and head through. His mother was lying on the couch, watching. "Slow down," she told him. "We have the whole day." But to Jamie, something is not right. He stepped outside into the bright sun, clear cold air, a gorgeous day, so bright it knocked him back. He wasn't ready for it. It made his eyes ache. His eyes? His head. His heart. Something about him, the brightness of the day was overwhelming; it gobbled up everything inside itself—everything that had come before and everything that might come next. Instead of going to school as always, he is staying home while he and his mom are getting settled in a trailer that belongs to Earl, way out of town, among trees and mountains. Earl seems not to be very happy that they are by themselves and mentions that they will be "sitting ducks," but Patty, Jamie's mother, thinks it will be a good place for them to stay. To Jamie, it feels safe because of the trailer's snugness and smallness (that is, not enough room to throw a baby). It seems to protect him from what happened before. "Mostly Jamie did not think about Van. Van wasn't there. They were there—Nin and his mother and himself—and the trailer fit them just right." Yet again and again, Jamie and Patty are reminded of that terrible night. At a school fair, Patty suddenly thinks she sees Van and panics. Only it is not Van. And that is when the fear starts. Patty is not the same, and Jamie, too, feels a rage he cannot control. His mother realizes what is happening. "Oh God, Jamie", she said, "we're afraid— just sick with fear. And it's so settled within us that we don't even know what living feels like without it." For the next few months, it is this fear that will come to dominate Patty's and Jamie's life until they hardly dare to leave their trailer anymore. Theme: Abandonment Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-7

This book I might recommend to a student that I know has been abused to try and help them cope. It may also be a book they relate to.

Title: A Wish in the Dark Author: Christina Soontornvat Awards: John Newbery Medal, Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Older Readers Date Published: March 24, 2020 Characters: Pong, Nok, Setting: a Thai-inspired fantasy world Summary: All light in Chattana is created by one man — the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong's prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free. Nok, the prison warden's perfect daughter, is bent on tracking Pong down and restoring her family's good name. But as Nok hunts Pong through the alleys and canals of Chattana, she uncovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always held dear. Theme: coming-of-age, protest, and the power of freedom Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-6

Students can see that it isn't always better on the other side so we can do an activity to show the appreciation for what we have.

Title: The Grey King Author: Susan Cooper Awards: Margaret Edwards Award, John Newbery Medal Publisher and Date: July 1, 1975 Characters: Will Stanton (11), Merriman Lyon (very first old one), The Rider (Will's nemesis), Hawkin a.k.a. the Walker (double agent), Farmer Dawson (Will's neighbor that is an old one), The Old Lady (is another old one), The Hunter (defeats the dark), Setting: Wales Summary: For Will is the last-born of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to saving the world from the forces of evil, the Dark. And it is Will's task to wake-with the golden harp -- the six who must be roused from their long slumber in the Welsh hills to prepare for the last battle between the Dark and the Light. Theme: Evil has many forms Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 5-7

Students could compare/contrast the evil they see in the book versus what they see in the world.

Title: The Lemonade War Author: Jacqueline Davies Awards: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Date Published: 2007 Characters: Jessie, Evan, Mrs. Treski, Scott Spencer, Megan Moriaty, Setting: Jessie and Evan's neighborhood Summary: Jessie and Evan are siblings. We find out at the beginning of the novel Jessie is skipping a grade to be in her brothers class. Evan not happy that his sister will be in fourth grade with his sister takes it out on her. The two siblings make a bet to see who can make more money to prove that they belong. The siblings do some terrible acts to each other all in the name of the war. Theme: Family and Belonging Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade: 4-8

Students could run a lemonade stand. Students can journal about how they relate to either of the characters. Students can see the inventiveness of the two main character. Then they can see what they can come up with to try and sell a ton of lemonade. Students can predict who will win and check in every chapter to see if they still believe in their prediction.

Title: The Midwife's Apprentice Author: Karen Cushman Awards: John Newbery Medal, Golden Kite Award for Fiction Date Published: March 1991 Characters: Brat/Beetle/Alyce, Jane, John and Jennet Dark, Magister Reese, Purr Setting: medieval England Summary: The novel begins with a young orphan girl, known as Brat, curled up atop a dung heap. Brat is woken from her sleep by a small band of boys, who tease and mock her. They are sent away by Jane, the town midwife, who also shoos away the girl. Brat manages to convince the midwife to let her work for food. Jane calls the girl Beetle. Brat refers to Jane as "Jane Sharp," for her sharp nose and glance, but stands in awe of her midwifery skills, which she thinks are a sort of magic. Jane is often rough with Beetle, but Beetle doesn't believe she deserves any better - as a former street urchin, her life has always been hard, and she can't imagine it any other way. Beetle begins to assist Jane by toting her supplies to her clients' homes. Although Jane is not explicitly training Beetle to be a midwife, and bars her from the birthing room, Beetle picks up many things about the craft by watching from the shadows (sometimes literally). One day Jane sprains her ankle, rendering her unable to run errands or work. Beetle goes to Saint Swithin's Day Fair for her, to purchase needed supplies, and while there is complimented by one of the merchants. He gives her a carved comb as a gift. Beetle is surprised by the attention and the gift; she has never received this kind of attention before. On her way home from the fair, a man mistakes her for a girl named Alyce. Alyce is described as a girl who can read, which shocks Beetle, who has never considered that she might appear intelligent enough to know how to read. Beetle resolves to take the name Alyce for herself. The moment is significant as it represents the former Beetle's first major step into selfhood - choosing her own name, after a lifetime of simply accepting the names that others have called her. Alyce has a difficult time getting others in her village to call her by her new name, however. The boys, in particular, continue to tease her. One day, Alyce has the opportunity to help one of the boys, a red-headed boy named Will. At great risk to herself, Alyce saves him from drowning in a river. Doing so, she earns his admiration, and they become friends. Alyce also begins to be more respected by the villagers, and one day is able to deliver a baby on her own. This fills Alyce with pride, but angers Jane, who isn't keen on the competition. Later, a mother in labor asks for Alyce's help during her birth, but despite her efforts, Alyce is unable to ease the birth. Defeated, she calls on Jane, who is able to deliver the baby without any problem. Alyce is humiliated, and her fledgling self-esteem crumbles. Collecting her pet cat, Purr (which she earlier saved from near death), Alyce runs away from the village and Jane. Alyce comes to an inn run by John and Jennet Dark, and asks to work for them in exchange for lodging, and they agree. The Darks are impressed with Alyce's work ethic; Alyce herself, however, is unsatisfied. She hasn't forgiven herself for failing as a midwife. She lives her days in a melancholy daze. But one day, a scholar named Magister Reese comes to stay at the inn. He can read and write, which entrances Alyce, but also intimidates her. She frequently watches Magister Reese from afar, but is too shy to approach him. Reese, however, realizes the reason for Alyce's shyness and her interest in him. He begins to hold "lessons" for Purr on how to read and write, knowing that over his shoulder, Alyce is paying attention. Soon, she is able to read. After some time, Jane comes to the inn. Alyce is afraid to hear from Jane, but to her surprise, Jane does not consider her a failure. Rather, she chastises Alyce for giving up when faced with difficulty, and running from her problems. Jane departs. Not long after, on a stormy night, a man and his pregnant wife arrive at the inn. The woman goes into labor, and Alyce, with great trepidation, offers her services to the couple, helping to deliver a healthy baby boy. This attracts much positive attention to Alyce, and employment offers, but she realizes that what she wants most is to return to Jane and become an official midwife's apprentice.Alyce returns to Jane's house, and entreats Jane to take her in again, but Jane turns her away. Realizing that she is being tested, Alyce returns and declares to Jane that she has learned her lesson, and will no longer run from difficulty. Jane agrees to take her on as her apprentice. Theme: Identity and Belonging Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Grade: 6-12

Students could write their own rising from the ashes snippet from either past memories or make one up.

Title: The Dark Rising Author: Susan Cooper Awards: Margaret Edwards Award, John Newbery Medal Publisher and Date: 1984 Characters and Ages: Will Stanton (11), Merriman Lyon (very first old one), The Rider (Will's nemesis), Hawkin a.k.a. the Walker (double agent), Farmer Dawson (Will's neighbor that is an old one), The Old Lady (is another old one), The Hunter (defeats the dark), Setting: Huntercombe Summary: The Dark Is Rising begins with Will Stanton awaiting his eleventh birthday. Everyone expects him to be happy with his birthday and the holiday season right around the corner, but he is not. All he wants for his birthday is for it to snow, but it does not look as if that is going to happen. He goes about his chores on the family farm, going to bed on his birthday eve, hoping for snow. When he gets up the next morning, he does not notice if it snowed because something very strange has happened. He can see his family as they go about their morning routine, but when he talks to them, they cannot see or hear him. When he looks out the window, he sees lots of snow on the ground. Forgetting temporarily about the strangeness, he goes outside to play in the snow, where he is approached by a mysterious woman. She offers Will, who has not had breakfast yet, some bread, and he takes it. She then gives him a horse. When he gets on the horse, it takes him to a group of doors in the woods. Will knows something strange is happening, but he decides to take a chance and see where this adventure leads. Will enters the doors; inside, he meets an old woman and a mysterious man named Merriman. They explain to him the truth—Will is an Old One, meaning he has the potential for mysterious powers, including immortality. He is confused, but Merriman tells Will to concentrate on an idea in his head and make it happen. He thinks of a fire, and one spontaneously is created in the fireplace. Will's initial skepticism is gone, and he cannot wait to play around with his new ability. However, his new mentors tell him that he must go on a quest for Signs. These are magical sigils that will help him defeat the Dark, an ancient evil with whom Merriman has been in an endless war. Will is practicing his magic for the quest when agents of the Dark attack. The old woman is kidnapped, but Merriman assures Will that she is okay. Old Ones can travel through time and space, so she can escape. Merriman tells Will he will contact him when he is needed. Will is sent back home to his family, who is released from the spell that made Will invisible. Things go back to normal for now. However, soon the leader of the Dark, The Rider, comes calling. Will learns that the Rider knows his father, and the Rider comes to their house on Christmas. This is right after Will is given a strange carnival mask from his brother Stephen. Will immediately has a feeling that the mask is key to defeating the Rider, so he hides it when the villain comes around. The Rider eventually leaves, not finding what he wants, but he also creates a blizzard that snows-in the town. Everyone gathers at the family manor to stay warm, including Merriman, who gives Will more instructions about collecting the signs. Will has been gathering them in his spare time, but Merriman tells him he needs all six to defeat the rider. As she makes her way back from the storm, Will's sister is kidnapped; the Rider plans to lure Will out to find her. Will, knowing that this is a trap, follows the Rider. He is nearly killed in the ensuing battle with the villain, but Merriman shows up in the nick of time and helps him escape. They stop along the way to collect the sixth sign, which will allow them to defeat the Dark. They bring the signs and the mask to the mysterious Hunter, an agent of the Light, who is the Rider's heroic counterpart. The two warriors battle, and the Hunter is easily able to defeat the Rider thanks to Will having collected all the signs and pumping him full of good magic. The book ends with Will and Merriman talking, as Merriman warns Will that more threats will be coming in the future. Theme: Unity is Power Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Grade: 7th+

We could use this book to look at how they are better together than apart. This could be an example for team work for the students.

Title: The Watsons Go to Birmingham Author: Christopher Paul Curtis Awards: John Newbery Medal, Michigan Author Award, Golden Kite Award for Fiction, Coretta Scott King Award for Authors, Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Date Published: 1995 Characters: Byron Watson, Wilona Sands Watson, Joetta "Joey" Watson, Kenneth Bernard "Kenny" Watson, Daniel Watson Setting: Flint, Michigan; Birmingham, Alabama; and along Interstate I-75 Summary: The Watsons are a black family living in Flint, Michigan. The mother, Wilona, is from Birmingham, Alabama, but moved to Flint when she married Daniel, the father. Their three children are Byron, who is 13; Kenny, who is 10; and Joetta or "Joey," who is 5. Kenny is the protagonist of the story; he is very smart and relatively quiet. Byron is something of a juvenile delinquent and possesses a knack for breaking the rules, and Joey is a sensitive child and a strict rule-follower. It is the dead of winter in Flint, and naturally it is extremely cold. Wilona misses the South for its warmth, but Daniel reminds her of the way African Americans are treated in places like Birmingham. (It is 1963, the height of the Civil Rights Era.) When Byron and Kenny are sent outside to scrape ice off the car, Byron's lips freeze and adhere to the rear view mirror as he attempts to kiss his reflection, and he must be yanked off. The Watson children go to school at Clark Elementary; Byron is still there because he was held back a grade or two. Yet Byron is king of the school, so Kenny does not get teased as much as he would if he were not Byron's brother. When he does get teased, though, it is either because of his lazy eye or because he is a bit of a teacher's pet. Because he is so smart, other students call him "Poindexter." Usually, a bully named Larry Dunn is the one who gives him trouble. One day, though, two new kids come to school; they are Rufus and Cody, who moved from the South. Because of their accents and the state of their clothes (they are poor, so they share clothes often), they immediately become targets for the jeers of other students. Kenny, however, becomes fast friends with Rufus, and the two boys often play with Kenny's favorite dinosaur figurines together. Their friendship is put in jeopardy when Kenny laughs after some bullies make fun of Rufus's clothes, though soon Kenny realizes he is wrong and apologizes. Byron's antics continue, and his misbehavior grows even worse. He manages to convince his little sister that the reason people in their area have to dress so warmly is because garbage trucks come and pick up frozen, dead people in the street every morning; people with Southern blood like the Watsons' freeze faster. When Larry Dunn steals Kenny's good leather gloves, Byron gives him such a terrible beating that Kenny even feels bad for the bully. Byron gets in big trouble for playing with matches, for signing his name for groceries at the store and not telling his parents, and for letting his partner in crime, Buphead, administer a chemical straightening treatment to his hair. The Watson parents decide that something must be done about Byron. They fix up their old car, equip it with a new record player, and decide that they will take a road trip down to Birmingham to leave Byron to spend the summer with strict Grandma Sands. Byron is not happy about this. Wilona plans the entire trip out to the last detail, including where they will stop to spend the night on the road, but once they get started it becomes clear that Daniel's plan is to drive straight through to Alabama without stopping once. The Watsons make it to Grandma Sands's house, and Kenny is surprised to see that Grandma Sands is just a little old lady. Things are different down in Alabama, starting with the heat, which is unbearable. Byron does not seem inclined to perform his usual antics, and Kenny believes that his brother has given up fighting against authority. One day the two boys go swimming in the lake, and Kenny goes off to a forbidden area by himself and gets stuck in a whirlpool. He almost drowns before Byron pulls him out and saves him. Joey goes off to Sunday school on a normal morning, but later on the Watsons are informed that the church she went to was bombed by white supremacists. Four innocent little girls died; Kenny follows behind his family to the church and thinks he sees Joey dead, too, but she shows up at Grandma Sands's house alive. She says she saw Kenny laughing and beckoning her away from the church before she went in, so she followed. Kenny has no idea what she is talking about. Even after the family gets back to Flint, Kenny is traumatized by the bombing and its aftermath for a long time, and refuses to talk to anyone about it. Finally he has a long conversation with Byron, who tells him that the world is not fair, since there are people in it who let hate consume them and turn them into monsters. He tells Kenny to snap out of it, and that he is going to be okay. After crying for a while, Kenny finally realizes that Byron is right. Everything is going to be fine, so long as he has his family around him. Theme: Family Rating: 4 out of 5 Grade: 4-7

You could use this book to teach the importance of family. The book has a fun winter scene where someone's lips gets stuck to a mirror so it might be a fun one to read at the start of winter. You could take what they character had to go through and compare it with what someone of the same status might have to go through today.