LSSL 5385: Persepolis

Satrapi, Marjane. 2003. Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 037571457X

Persepolis is the author’s own memoir of growing up in Iran in graphic novel form.  Marjane was a strong willed little girl with outspoken views on social activism.  Always in the middle of everything, Marjane was also always on the hunt for someone to call a hero - someone working for the cause of social justice.  She finds this hero in her Uncle Anoosh who she grows close with and whose stories she enjoys.  She takes his execution very hard.  Her family makes a quick decision to take a vacation, and just as they return the war begins.  It intensifies, making things difficult for her family.  The must hide the things they do to avoid being beaten or killed, and they even have friends show up on their doorstep in the middle of the night.  Eventually Marjane’s outspoken nature and tendency to rebel against the societal norms and expectations causes her expulsion from school.  She is sent to Vienna to a boarding school because her parents feel she will be safer there.  

The black and white illustrations within this graphic novel carry some symbolism to match the story, but they don’t do much to keep the reader engaged.  They are plain and don’t add much to the content of the book.  This title would be best suited for audiences in their teens and above as it contains quite a bit of profanity and deals with the reality of what life was like in Iran in the 80’s and all the death and oppression that went with it.  There is definitely much to learn about history and cultural differences from this book making it good fit for any type of multicultural study in the secondary grades.  

Persepolis was on the list of required readings.

LSSL 5385: Reality Boy

King, A.S. 2013. Reality boy. New York: Little Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780316222709

Gerald Faust is a seventeen year old now known at “The Crapper” thanks to his mother’s willingness to sign her family up for a reality TV show when he was five.  Gerald was at the center of family dysfunction at an age when he could not communicate his feelings, so he gained attention the only way his five year old self knew how - by pooping on things.  This was, of course, the highlight of the show - a show that left out what was really behind all of Gerald’s behaviors that were essentially a cry for help.  Reality Boy is a story about how the teen navigates life after the show.  From bullying at school and in his own home, to the effect of his teacher’s treatment of him, his realization of his own mother’s mental struggles and his decision to run away and join the circus, this is an amazing story of resilience and growth.  Gerald makes a decision about his life’s course and how he will change it and takes a stand to make that a reality.  

With lots of language, some violence, and stories of abuse, this book is better suited for high school age and above.  As a teacher, it is an eye opening read into the mind of a teenage boy.  Educators should always stop to consider what may actually be going on in the minds and homes of their students.  Gerald is a key example of a kid who is trying very hard to make it in life under the most extreme and difficult circumstances.  Though there was more language than I care for in a book, it is likely very realistic of what many teens are used to in today’s society and I can understand why there would be a huge audience for this book.  Read half of the book and listened to the audio version of the other half.  The reader was engaging and gave life to the characters.  

A.S. King was on the list of required authors.

LSSL 5385: Smile

Telgemeier, Raina. 2010. Smile. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780545132060

Smile is a graphic novel Raina Telgemeier wrote about her personal experience as a pre-teen when she knocked out her two front teeth.  With colorful, expressive illustrations, Raina takes the reader through each dental and orthodontic experience she has to endure.  The dentist initially thinks he has fixed her teeth, but they fused with her upper jaw leaving them higher up than all her other teeth.  They then try braces and headgear to fix this issue to no avail.  Finally she ends up having the teeth removed, fakes ones made, and a whole new set of braces.  Add this to the emotional roller coaster of being twelve and thirteen and starting high school and Raina had quite the eventful adolescence.  Through it all she also learns a very important lesson about friendship and what true friends actually look like.      

Smile was a quick and enjoyable read.  I know this book is enjoyed by students in upper elementary and above due to the popularity of this title in my classroom.  The author is an amazingly talented illustrator and storyteller and had me engaged in her story from the very first page.  She makes her story relatable to pre-teens today, but also to those who grew up around the same time she did.  She added pop culture references in conversations and illustrations that I recognized and remember as part of my adolescence as well.  I look forward to exploring other titles by Raina Telgemeier such as Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts.

Raina Telgemeier is on the list of required authors.

LSSL 5385: With Malice

Cook, Eileen. 2016. With malice. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544805095

Eighteen year old Jill Charron wakes up in the hospital with no recollection as to what happened.  She has just been in Italy on the trip of her dreams with her very best friend, Simone.  Jill and Simone have been inseparable since the fourth grade.  Though Jill’s memory isn’t returning, she is more horrified by the day as she learns that she is being accused of murder and causing the accident that took her friend’s life and landed her in a rehab hospital.  Jill learns bits and pieces of what people are saying went on during the trip - that she and Jill were fighting, that there was a guy involved, that she slapped her.  All of which is unfathomable to her.  With twists and turns that will prevent you from putting this novel down, you’ll never guess the ending.

This thriller was more than I expected.  With the main character not remembering anything from the get-go, the author hooked me from the first page.  The story is told from Jill’s point of view, but scattered throughout it are the police reports from various friends, parents, and other students on the trip also.  There are TV scripts to show what the media is saying about her and the text from a blog that was started in support of Simone against Jill.  The various points of view add to the suspense and mystery of what really happened.  This book would be enjoyed by a reader of any age who enjoys  fast-paced thriller.  Other titles by Eileen Cook include Remember, Year of Mistaken Discoveries, The Almost Truth, Used to Be, and Do or Di, among many others.  

With Malice appeared on the Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list in 2016.

LSSL 5385: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Soan, Robin. 2012. Mr. Penumbra’s 24 hour bookstore.  New York: Macmillan. ISBN 9780374214913

Clay Jannon has lost his job and landed a new one climbing tall ladders to retrieve books in the middle of the night at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.  After working there for a bit and upon closer inspection, it seems that the majority of “customers” are not even actually customers but borrowers.  They come in at all hours of the night, request books that take some digging to locate, and borrow them, later coming back for something different.  There is a mysterious log book in which Clay must record all of his observations surrounding all the store’s visitors, their loans, and anything else.  When Clay makes a friend who works for Google, he finds himself in a position to begin to unravel the mystery happening under his very eyes at the bookstore.  This ends up causing a snowball effect that leads Clay and his friends to New York, then all the way back to San Francisco, and buried in years of mysterious code that no one has ever been able to break.

I listened to the audio version of this book read by Ari Fliakos and enjoyed it immensely.  The narrator’s voice seemed to perfectly match the character of Clay Jannon which made the listening experience even more enjoyable as the story is written in first person.  I loved Sloan’s style, wit, and humor.  He had me chuckling throughout the entire story.  I will say that even though I enjoyed the audiobook, it is one you really can’t zone out due to the technicality of some of the content (technology, coding, etc).  I found myself rewinding a few times because my mind had wandered and I realized I didn’t know what they were talking about.  This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys code cracking espionage and a whole lot of wit.  This audiobook reminded me of the Magic 2.0 Series by Scott Meyer, one of my personal favorites.  Though Magic 2.0 contains time travel causing it to fall into a different genre, the writing, characters, and story content run along a similar vein and would likely both be of interest to the same audience.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore was on the Language Arts list of Outstanding Books for the College Bound.  

LSSL 5385: Doll Bones

Black, Holly. 2013. Doll Bones. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416963981

Pennsylvania middle schoolers Zach, Poppy, and Alice have always played together.  With their combined imaginations they have created elaborate stories of mermaids, pirates, and an evil Queen.  The Queen is an old doll made of bone china and lives in the cabinet at Poppy’s house.  When Zach suddenly backs out of the game one day due to pressure from his father, Poppy removes the doll from the case claiming her ghost is haunting her and she needs to be buried.  The trio of friends set out in the middle of the night to see if they can locate her grave...in Ohio.  Alice and Zach don’t entirely believe Poppy at first, but then strange things begin happening.  Suddenly their quest becomes much more important and their safety much less sure.

Doll Bones was Holly Black’s first novel containing more middle school aged characters.  She did a good job keeping the suspense present with just the right amount of spookiness without going overboard for the target audience.  With 12 year old main characters, this book would appeal most to those within that age range or anyone who enjoys a good ghost story.  The ending contained a resolution that solved the story’s main issue while also leaving room in the reader’s imagination to dream up what may have happened once it was over.  

Holly Black is on the list of required authors.     

LSSL 5385: Booked

Alexander, Kwame. 2016. Booked. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780544570986

The follow up to Newbery Winner, The Crossover, introduces us to another sports loving boy.  This time the reader follows 12-year-old, soccer-loving Nick through the halls of his middle school and the issues in his home.  Another story told in poems, this time free verse, tells of Nick’s father’s love of words, and thus making his son learn them.  Nick navigates bullies, tries to talk to the girl he likes, and doesn’t know how to deal with the surprise of his parents separation.  

Just like The Crossover, Booked is highly engaging and expresses so many emotions with such few words.  Readers are able to get to know the characters just as well as they would in any novel.  Upper elementary to middle schoolers will be able to connect to the content in this book as Nick competes with his best friend in soccer, tries to talk to the girl he has a crush on, and feels alone in the battles he is facing at home.  This would be another great addition to a poetry unit to give an example of how free verse can tell stories.

Booked was on the Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers List.

LSSL 5385: Textbook Reflections for Chapter 10-13

Textbook Reflections: Chapter 10-13

Realistic Fiction

Contemporary and modern realistic fiction encompasses stories that are consistent with the real world today.  I explain it to fourth graders as stories that could really happen.  Characters, settings, and events could all occur in today’s world and are written in a way that they may happen.  Due to this fact, contemporary and modern realistic fiction may be the sub genre that students are most easily able to make connections with and will often tackle difficult topics creating a gateway for conversation.  The best realistic fiction with have more that one theme and they will emerge throughout the course of the story (versus slapping you in the face).  The author’s messages will reveal themselves gradually with all the dots connecting at the end.

Nonfiction

Nonfiction is much more broad genre because it contains so many different sub genres and formats.  We evaluate nonfiction differently as well.  One of the most important things to consider when selecting nonfiction text regardless of format is the credibility of the author.  Nonfiction text can absolutely be enjoyable, but when reading nonfiction we also expect to learn something, so it is vital that we use authors who do their research.  Additionally it is vital that students have an understanding of the way the information/text is organized.  Are they able to access and absorb the information?  Are their visuals to support their understanding?  What is the purpose of the book and for their reading?  Questioning students about nonfiction text will also look very different than questioning students about fiction text.  Fiction text will generally focus on plot and character relationships/interactions and the changes they undergo.  With nonfiction, Carter and Abrahamson provide us with some great evaluative type questioning to lead students through deeper understanding of nonfiction.  I plan to keep this list as a reference for when we cover different types of nonfiction during the school year.  

Fantasy/Science Fiction

I honestly didn’t realize there were so many different types of books in the fantasy realm.  It has never really been a genre I gravitate towards, but many of the titles shared in the video sound like something I would enjoy.  Of all the genres thus far, I feel like fantasy/science fiction is an area I need to read more of due it being the area I am least familiar with.  I had never even heard of steampunk as a type of book.  As a librarian for the upper grades, it would be vital to be familiar with all genres in order to be able to more easily match students with books.  Though fantasy, there should still be rules present and characters should still behave in ways that are believable.  To me, it seems that themes would be more challenging to pick out in this genre, but they should still explore truths that are universal.  However this may be due to my lack of familiarity with this genre.  My biggest takeaway from this chapter of the text is how much more there is for me to explore in fantasy/science fiction.

Graphic Novels

The graphic novel format can be seen across all genres/sub genres within fiction and nonfiction.  The look is similar to a picture book or comic book (illustration boxes, speech bubbles, etc.), the major difference being the complexity of the content.  The fiction variety will tell entire stories and nonfiction will convey information.  Graphic novels also vary greatly in their level of difficulty and can be enjoyed by readers of all ages and levels.   Students may need some guidance in knowing how to read a graphic novel and correctly track from box to box.  Graphic novels can be used in the classroom to support comprehension as they follow the same literary elements present in traditional literature.  I have enjoyed the graphic novels I have read thus far for this and other classes, but did not realize there were so many different elements to consider within this format.  Dr. Lesesne’s article for Random House shed some particularly bright light on furthering my understanding on the depth and complexity of this type of book.  I tweeted out a link to this article due to the wealth of information it provides on graphic novels and their usefulness in the classroom to support and deepen student learning.  

Questions to Ask About a Novel from Richard Peck

This list of questions would be ideal to use in any classroom of library to spark quality conversation about novels.  It would also be a great source to use for a novel study or in place of any traditional book report.  These questions cause deeper thinking and would be a much more quality product than the majority of “projects” or responses we are accustomed to seeing.  I plan on incorporating these into my read aloud novels I use with my students.  

The final link is to a spreadsheet of middle school authors.  This is a useful resource as a starting place for further exploration of what books are out there for students.  As a librarian, it is vital to be well read in all genres and formats so as to be able to match books with readers.  

LSSL 5385: Liar and Spy

Stead, Rebecca. 2013. Liar and Spy. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375850875

Georges, a seventh grader, has just moved from his house to an apartment in Brooklyn with his family.  He has found his circle of friends at school to be dwindling, so when he meets Safer, another boy his age, in his building he goes along with all the plans set before him.  At least at first.  Safer has started a spy club and wants Georges’s help in discovering what the mysterious Mr. X in their building is all about.  As the story progresses, Safer becomes more and more bold and Georges becomes more and more uncomfortable.  In the end, Georges makes a discovery about Safer that also helps him to uncover something about himself.  Sometimes the things we are most afraid of are the things we need to share the most.  

Liar and Spy kept me guessing until the end.  Stead drops little hints here and there, but the whole truth isn’t revealed until the very end.  This novel would be ideal to share with upper elementary to middle grade students.  Discussions would center heavily around relationships and the ways we interact with one another.  Family dynamics are also visited in this story as the two main characters come from very different homes.  The value of sharing your fears as a way of overcoming them ends up being a valuable message for the reader to take away from this fun novel.  

Other titles by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me

Goodbye Stranger

First Light

Plan B

Rebecca Stead was on the list of required authors.  

LSSL 5385: Crazy House

Patterson, James. 2017. Crazy House. New York: Hachette Book Group. ISBN 9780316431316

Seniors in high school, Becca and Cassie Greenfield are not having an easy senior year of high school.  Their mom has been sent away for “help” and hasn’t returned.  Their dad unsuccessfully attempted to commit suicide.  Somehow through it all, the girls have managed to keep a roof over the heads and food on the table.  The one day, Becca disappears.  Cassie tries desperately to get someone to acknowledge that her sister is missing, but in their “cell” everyon acts as though it’s business as usual and Becca just ran away, making her a bad citizen.  Meanwhile, Becca is in prison.  On death row.  For some unknown reason.  And then it’s made known that they have the wrong twin.  Eventually Cassie lands herself right next to her sister.  Through beatings and fights, the girls struggle to avoid being put to death.  But for what?  No one knows the real reason this crazy house is filled with kids.  

I listened to the audio version of this book read by Therese Plummer on Audible.  Plummer bring the girls to life by altering their voices just enough so the listener knows who is speaking.  Though I was engaged in the story from the beginning, the cussing was almost over the top--enough so that if I was not listening to this book as part of my coursework, I would have stopped listening.  This book is definitely for the upper end of YA due to the extensive language and violence it contains.  There’s a nice twist at the end I did not expect until I was almost right on top of it, answering the myriad of questions I had as a reader throughout.  Patterson ties up the novel nicely and leaves it open in such a way to invite a sequel.  This book could be used in the upper grades for literary analysis and discussion of dystopian societies.  

Crazy House continues to sit on the New York Times Bestseller list for Young Adult Novels.  

LSSL 5385: The Crossover

Alexander, Kwame. 2014. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 4500525452

Josh Bell raps and rhymes his way through this novel.  He and his brother, Jordan (who goes by JB), are the key players on their school basketball team.  They have their typical twin brother squabbles, but always remain the very best of friends until one day JB meets a girl.  This new girl consumes all of his time and suddenly Josh feels lonely.  On top of it all, their once star basketball playing father is dealing with health issues that he refuses to see a doctor about.  Josh ends up losing his temper on his brother during a game, landing himself on the bench for the rest of the regular season.  Just as JB and the team head to the finals, the Bell family faces a trial like they never imagined...and the boys will need one another more than ever.

The Crossover is written in a series of poems (or raps).  Initially I wasn’t sure if I would like that as a reader, but wow!  Kwame Alexander possesses so much talent in the art of storytelling and rhyming.  The poetic flow to the novel adds even more to the story.  I found myself almost able to hear Josh’s voice as the story carried on.  I was completely surprised by the ending and this is absolutely a book I will visit again.  Grab the tissues with this one!  This book would blend nicely as part of poetry unit to demonstrate the different ways we see poetry in literature.  There are many issues early elementary and middle schoolers can relate to.  Discussion opportunities would include issues with siblings, feeling left out, competition in sports, and, with older grades, the effect of romantic relationships on friendships.  

Readers that enjoy The Crossover may want to check out the second book, also written in poems, Booked.

Kwame Alexander is on the list of required authors.  

LSSL 5385: Ghost

Reynolds, Jason. 2016. Ghost. New York: Simon and Schuster Publishing. ISBN 9781481450157

Castle Cranshaw has not had a typical childhood.  He started off his running career by running for his life from his father who was shooting at both him and his mother.  As he navigates middle school, he continues to run into trouble.  One day he stumbles upon a track practice and decides to show one particular show-off that he isn’t all that like he appears to think he is.  This one run leads Castle, who goes by Ghost, to joining the track team who happen to be full of junior Olympic quality.  Coach, an Olympic medalist, is bound and determined the kids on his track team succeed.  He proceeds to be there for Ghost with tough love and support while helping him to get out of trouble and learn to make better decisions.  

Brought to life by Guy Lockard, the audio version of Ghost was funny, sad, highly engaging, and all the things a great YA novel should be.  I would highly recommend the audio version because Lockard’s talent really helps the personalities in the novel to shine through.  Ghost is a young African American boy trying to learn how to be himself and rise above his circumstances.  With a hard working mother and a Coach that believes in him, this is a story of hard work, tough love, and ultimately, success.  There are many opportunities to stop and discuss the choices we make and their potential to affect our future, both positively and negatively.  This book would make an excellent upper elementary/middle school read aloud.

Ghost is the first title in the Track Book series.  The second title, Patina, will be released August of 2017.

Readers that enjoy Ghost may also enjoy Jason Reynolds other titles including

As Brave as You

The Boy in the Black Suit

Miles Morales: Spider Man

Other titles that may appeal to the same set of readers

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Booked by Kwame Alexander

Ghost appeared on the Best Fiction for Young Adults List for 2016