Just Another Hero

Just Another Hero

Sharon Draper

This book is the final trilogy to the two-time Coretta Scott King trilogy by Sharon Draper. The story mainly takes place in high school and it follows the life of two teenagers and their friends in Cincinnati, Ohio. Arielle, who was living a life of luxury but at the expense of a deranged step-father and Kofi, who was fighting an addiction to pain pills related to a hazing accident years before. Other characters include November, who is a teen mom of a special needs baby girl. The child's Joshua was killed in that same hazing accident in a previous book. It is their senior year and their experiences make this book a definite page turner. It is full of unexpected moments from a teacher that steals to a mother whose chooses parties over her sons education.

I would recommend this book to junior high and above. It's not vulgar or full of sex scenes but it still capture's one's attention. This book is also very up to date so it will be relate able. I think the 7th grade and higher age group will enjoy this book because they will feel like they can relate to characters dealing with high school and personal issues.

As a book hook I would use these lines from the book jacket to capture students eye on Yellow Poster board...

Suppose someone showed up in YOUR classroom carrying an AK-47.

You have a split second:

To think.

To act.

To be a hero.

But what is a hero? 


I know it caught my attention so I'm sure it will capture students attention. From there I would like to start a small discussion on what they THINK they may do? Then  get them to find out what happens in the book by reading it.

Edgy/Controversial- MONSTER

EDGY

MONSTER

WALTER DEAN MYERS

 It was nominated for the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2000, and was named a Coretta Scott King Award Honor the same year.

Steve Harmon was said to have been a look out in a corner store robbery where the owner was killed. This story is his trial told as a screenplay that he is writing. I thought this was a great read, definitely a page turner. The age group I would recommend this book too is 7th grade and up. There are some sexual situations that happen in prison and language that anyone younger may not be mature enough for.

Book Hook-
I would start with this excerpt from the story to get students attention-
"Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady prosecutor called me ... Monster."

Then I would have a discussion -

- I would see how the students felt after reading this book, knowing that the main character was their age?

- What would they do if they were in his situation?

- What are their dreams and goals?

- What would they do if it were all snatched away in an instant/

Graphic Novel- Jane Eyre

The Graphic Novel

Jane Eyre

Author- Charlotte Bronte

Graphic Novels "Making the classics accessible for ALL learners."

 Charlottes Bronte's classic story comes to life in this full color graphic novel. In Jane Eyre the illustrations helped move the story along. Jane's life is filled with hardship once she looses both parents to Typhus and is sent to live with her old uncle and his cruel and selfish wife. After her uncle dies, his wife does not want to care for Jane and sends her away to a charity school. At the school, Jane suffers from the lack of basic human needs and must endure the cold, hunger, lack of proper clothing and suffer at the hands of the school's cruel administrators. Once she is old enough, she leaves the school and becomes a governess at Rochester Manor. She soon falls in love with Mr. Rochester, who hides a destructive secret he wants no one to know. However, when Mr. Rochester's secret is revealed, Jane must decided whether to follow her heart and stay with Mr. Rochester or flee and find her own independent life.Jane Eyre is the story of an orphan girl, raised by her wealthy but cruel aunt in nineteenth century England.

Full of romance, suspense, and colorful characters it will definitely keep and hold students of all ages attention. As a book hook I would use some pictures of important periods in Jane's life to get students interested.

 Just enough to make them want to know more. I read this story in a little over an hour. I haven't read a comic style book in a long time so I got confused on how conversations went a couple times in the beginning but after I  got the hang of it I just got lost in story. I had never read the story of Jane Eyre before and I thought this version was perfect. I would definitely recommend it to all ages.

Diversity- Every Time a Rainbow Dies

Every Time a Rainbow Dies

Rita Williams-Garcia

 It's an ALA Best Books for Young Adults Top Ten (2002)

Since the death of his mother, sixteen-year-old Thulani has isolated himself on his rooftop, caring only for his pigeons, but one day, from this high vantage point, he witnesses a girl being raped. Thulani yells at the assailants to stop and runs down to intervene. He's met with hostility and fear from the girl, Ysa, who is lying in the alley naked and bleeding. Thulani gives her his shirt and helps her to her nearby apartment. When he returns home, he finds the girl's skirt behind the dumpster. It's a marvelous, colorful creation and he puts it up on his wall, using it to feed his growing obsession with Ysa. He finally finds her, but she is still inaccessible behind a screen of meanness. Thulani is determined and gradually breaks down her defenses. The two bond over their sense of displacement. Through their relationship, both Thulani and Ysa grow and redefine their goals.


In this story award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia celebrates the healing power of love. The characters are very real and overall the reader is very invested in the outcome because the characters are so honestly portrayed. There is no happy-ever-after in this book, which makes it more realistic and valuable for a teenage audience.


I would recommend this book to a mature teenage audience, particularly high school males. The author uses a slightly more distant third-person narrative to tell about Thulani's love for Ysa I think they could relate to him. Sexual encounters, the violence of the rape, and the gentleness with which Thulani makes love to Ysa nearly a year afterwards, are described in some detail. I think that students at least 16 years of age and up are at a good age to read this book.


When I read the jacket of this book I knew it was one that I wanted to read. So I would use it in my book hook-

"He watched her.
 Her skirt billowed.
 Her hair was gathered on top of her head held high. Just as he remembered from those Wednesday on the roof. If she saw him and smiled, if she saw him and smiled.
Ever since the night he found her battered and raped in the alley near his home, Thulani has not been able to think about anything but Ysa.
This is the first time since his mother died that Thulani has given a thought to anything but the rock doves he keeps on the roof of his house in Brooklyn.With his father in Jamaica and his older brother and sister-in-law always wanting to "man him up," the only place he finds solace is near the sky with his birds.
Now that he has seen Ysa, Thulani finally has a reason to come down from the roof. But it's not as easy for him--especially when it seems that Ysa doesn't want him in her world at all."

If this catches their attention I know that they are interested. I would put it on bright mutli-colored paper like the skirts Ysa wears in the story which are vividly described throughout the book.

Poetry/ Plays- Ego- Tripping and other poems for young people

Ego-Tripping is a collection of poems for young people that touches on everything from self-awareness to drug use. Nikki Giovanni finds moments in time, particularly black youth moments, that report on cultural issues. I chose this book because Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. She prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others.




This is a great book.The poetry had a heavy Afro-centric vibe to reflect the times they were created. At some point, the reader can relate to, or be inspired by one of the poems. I really enjoyed the artwork, it was very detailed. It makes the reader feel like you are seeing the poem come to life.  Overall I thought this book was a good and fast read. I would definitely use this book when introducing poetry to a class.  It could even be used in a history lesson.

I would not recommend this book for elementary readers and/or for an age under 13 due to the mature language several poems contain. I would recommend this book to a high school age group.
I would use some of the illustrations in the book and this excerpt from the poem " Ego-tripping" as a book hook to catch the attention of students, I think this would get their interest to read the book.

"I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
   the earth as I went
   The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
   across three continents

I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission

I mean...I...can fly
   like a bird in the sky"...

Nonfiction- Maritcha. A 19th Century Girl

Maritcha. A Nineteenth-Century American Girl

Author- Tonya Bolden

Nonfiction

Coretta Scott King Award

Non-Violent Social Change Honor

Based on an actual memoir written by Maritcha Remond Lyons, who was born and raised in New York City, this story tells what it was like to be a black child born free during the days of slavery. Everyday experiences are connected with hight-point moments, such as visiting the U.S.'s first world's fair. Also included are the Draft Riots of 1863, when Maritcha and her siblings fled to Brooklyn while her parents stayed behind to protect their home. The book concludes with her fight to attend a whites-only high school in Providence, Rhode Island, and her triumphant victory, making her the first black person in its graduating class.

 As an African American woman this type of book is always powerful to me. This particular book was a good read. It is full of historical moments and full of information. I would recommend it to all age groups. The book includes photographs of Maritcha, her family, and friends, as well as archival and contemporary maps, photographs, and illustrations.I think younger students will enjoy the pictures that are in the book. While older students will appreciate that it is an informational book that will capture and hold their interest.

As a book talk hook I would use pictures and memorabilia that are is shown in this book. I would let students know that it is an easy yet interesting read. Furthermore they will walk away with a lot of knowledge. I would end my book talk with this quote from Maritcha Lyons- " To do the best for myself with the view of making the best of myself."

The Minister's Daughter

Historical fiction

Book- The Ministers Daughter

 

Author- Julie Hearn

The Minister's Daughter was a really good book. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the book knowing that it was going to have to do with witchcraft. But once I got started it was definitely a page turner about the petty, human side of a dark time for anyone who was different.

 

Set during the tumultuous era of the English Civil War, The book focuses on Grace and Patience Madden, the ministers' daughters and Nell, granddaughter to the village healer, heir to all her knowledge. Conceived on May Morning, Nell is claimed by the piskies and faeries as a merrybegot, one of their own. She is a wild child: herb gatherer and healer, spell-weaver and midwife...and, some say, a witch. Grace is everything Nell is not. She is the Puritan minister's daughter: beautiful and refined, innocent and sweet-natured...to those who think they know her. As for Patience she is considered slow and dim witted while she never plays an active part in the main narrative, her confession years later adds dimensions to the story being played out. The force of her rage and resentment nearly fifty years later permeates her "confession," as well as a self-portrayal as an innocent victim that the main storyline casts into doubt.


Problems arise when the ministers daughters are suddenly confined to their beds. They are unable to rise, prone to wild outbursts and insane visions. All the signs seem to point to one thing--witchcraft. As the old pagan ways of Nell and her grandmother clash with the new Puritan views of the Madden family, dragging the whole village in after them, one thing comes clear only one family can come out on top.

However there are things nobody knows about Grace Madden except for Nell. Like the identity of the boy Grace has been sneaking out at night to see. Like Grace's secretive visit to Nell's house. Like the due date of  16 year old, unmarried Grace's child.

There are so many twists and tuns in this story to keep your attention. I would recommend this book to an older age group. Maybe junior high because they are mature but possibly freshmen and up. Not so much because of the content but the book does get a little confusing sometime because the chapters go between their present day story and Patience Madden's future confession to the role she played in the story when she was younger. In addition the story is written with some lyrical prose thrown in kind of randomly.

I would tell a summary about the story to grab students attention and read one of the spells used in the story. For instance-

A SPELL TO SOOTHE A TRUCULENT PIG
First, catch your pig. Do it on a Monday,
on a waning moon, when the time be right for healing.
Point him to the north, and hang on tight.
Rap his snout three times with a wand of oak, and call: "Powers of earth, tame and soothe this creature that he
may become docile and no longer a bogging nuisance."
Wait seven beats of the heart, then let him go.
So mote it be

Fantasy- Banished

Banished

By- Sophie Littlefield

Modern Fantasy

No awards. Highly Recommend by an 8th grader I tutor :)

This story Banished is about 16 yr. old named Hailey. She is a social outcast who lives with her grandmother Alice, their dog Rascal, and a 4 yr. old foster child named Chub, in the small town of Gypsum, Missouri. She never knew her mother who died when Haily was very young. So the only family she thinks she has is her drug-dealing grandmother who only cares about herself and her television. Hailey looks forward to getting out of Gypsum and taking Chub with her when she turns 18. She dreams of starting a life somewhere far away.

One day Hailey finds out she is one of the Banished, a group of people with special gifts. Hailey's power is that she can heal people. She is from a line of Healers and she may be one of the last ones left. Hailey’s world can be violent and terrifying, but there is always a speck of hope, just waiting to be discovered. When Hailey’s Aunt Prairie comes to claim her, more secrets are revealed, and an even bigger threat is looming. Someone wants to use her gift for a horrible end. It is a race against time to stop a evil plan. 

I actually enjoyed this book. There is plenty of action to keep you glued to the pages, and hints of possible romance along with an intriguing mystery to add depth to the story. I was kept interested in what was going to happen Hailey from beginning to end. I would recommend this book on an individual basis, not so much age. It has a few kind of creepy moments but depending on the student it may not even bother them.

I would use these simple lines from the book to jacket to reel students in::::

Hailey is drawn to those in pain, those who need to be healed. And when her dog Rascal is hit by a car, Hailey’s gift is revealed. Not only can she heal, she can bring the suffering back to life. And Hailey will soon find out, this power to heal is just the beginning . . .

Realistic Fiction- ttyl

Title- ttyl

Author- Lauren Myracle

Realistic Fiction

TTYL is part of a series titled Internet Girls. The book catches your attention because it is written entirely through instant message between three friends, Angela Silver (SnowAngel), Zoe Barrett (zoegirl), and Madigan "Maddie" Kinnick (mad maddie). It is is an easy read for the younger generations. The threesome is just starting their tenth grade of high school. At the beginning of the book, the trio believe that they will stick together forever. Zoe wants something meaningful and big to happen in her life, Angela knows it is going to be a fabulous year and that she is going to meet the boy of her dreams, and Maddie can't help but feel low and down on herself.  While they are instant messaging the go through the ups and downs of high school. Angela is in several different relationships throughout the book. Zoe has a relationship that teeters on the edge of going to far with a young teacher. Maddie is experimenting with new friends and discovering who she is through trial and error. The main question is will the threesome make it through the year?

I enjoyed the way it was written in the IM & texted language, it made it more interesting. However personally I did not care for this book as a whole. Back when I was in maybe 6th or 7th grade I think that I would have loved this book. However as an adult I just could not get into it. A lot of the issues I was like "Oh this is a problem?" Don't get me wrong it had its "cute" moments but it's not of any real substance. Its definitely just a fun book.

I would recommend it to a younger crowd. I think that 5th-8th graders would really enjoy this book so they can day dream about what they think high school may be like. I also think some older kids would get a kick out of this book because it is written in the language they speak ( text & IM.)

I would try and get their attention by reading page one from the story. It gives them a gist of the book and either they want to read more or they don't.

Realistic Fiction

The first part last.

Angela Johnson.

Realistic Fiction

This book is a winner of the Coretta Scott King award.

This book is about a 16 year old young man who has taken on the responsibility of raising a baby girl named Feather. The story takes place in urban New York and is focused on a teenager named Bobby. Bobby is trying to get a grip on his new reality, the fact that his is a teenage father. He is struggling with doing the right thing for Feather and still live the way he did before he became a father. Bobby has both of his parents in his life. His mom is more firm she holds on to the fact that he is the parent while he is dad is more understanding. The book is written in a way that flashes between present day, the daughter is there and the past, before her arrival. Angela Johnson keeps your attention because you never quite know where Feathers mother Nia, is. She is present in the THEN chapters but non existent in the NOW chapters. The author does some foreshadowing so you have to come up with your own theories about where Nia may be. Bobby is thrown a lot of curve balls at a young age your left wondering and wanting to know what happens to him and baby Feather? I'm rooting for them!

The book can be a little confusing at times with the flash back between chapters so I would recommend it to a high school crowd. The content is a little mature, some of the things said with a younger crowd it may go over there heads. I think a 15-18 year old would be able to read this book and possibly relate to Bobby..

The first part last definitely kept my interest because I am a fan of realistic fiction. I liked the way the author speaks in first person so you know exactly how Bobby is feeling. You can feel his pain, frustrations and understand his struggle with raising a newborn at 16. This book definitely tugged on my heart strings. Overall it sends out a good message to young people- Life Happens, how you deal with it is what matters.

The book cover the author uses is very attention grabbing. You see a young African American male holding this infant and I know I was curious to know what it was about. Bobby is a teen that made a mistake and is now dealing with the consequences I think it would be of interest to teens just to see how the story plays out.

This book gets my vote!