Month: May 2018

Middle Grades Social Justice Novels

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One of the required novels for my 8th grade students is The Secret Life of Bees.  I thought it would be good to look at this novel through a social (in)justice lens, specifically focusing on race, gender, and social class.  But I didn’t want to stop at just the novel. Students dissected poems, read picture books, and annotated newspaper articles all focusing on injustice.  While solving or complaining of these problems wasn’t the focus with this unit, I did want students to develop a larger context of what social justice is.   The main goal of reading the core text was to develop empathy and understanding of those who feel marginalized.  It’s difficult to walk alongside someone when you don’t get where he or she is coming from.  Students are now finishing up this unit with book club books.  A few weeks ago, they speed dated 10 books that dealt with at least one of the three injustices.

Book Talk–Brown Girl Dreaming

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Teaching to adolescents, I am always on the lookout for a great book that grabs you right away.  Many adults have short attention spans, but young adults? Even shorter.  This novel is actually a memoir, but it’s told in poetry form.  The author hooked me right away, and I was drawn not only to the language and word choice, but the gripping story that unfolded.  I could not put it down. Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson Genre: memoir (told in poetry form) Summary: This memoir is about a young African American girl born in Ohio in the 1960s.  At a very young age, her mother leaves her father to move back home to South Carolina and takes Jacqueline (the author and narrator) and her two siblings with her.  Her mother then leaves for New York City, to try to obtain a job and a better life for her children.  While she is gone, Jacqueline is raised by her grandparents.  Later, her mother returns for the children, and she spends the rest of her childhood …

Book Talk–Pax

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While looking for a new book to read and share with my middle school students, Pax kept coming up as a recommended read.  This is the first book I have read by the author and in many ways, it brought me back to my childhood and reading Where the Red Fern Grows.  (Ahh, I loved that book!)  Pax carries the same punch and beautiful writing as that book.  It also tugs at the heartstrings, for anyone who has ever had a pet will instantly connect with the main character in this book.  Although it is written for upper elementary to lower middle school children, there is much that adults can connect to, and the writing is anything but “childish.”  Great sentence structure, vocabulary, and a powerful story creates an unforgettable book and journey as boy and fox try to be reunited again amidst a great war. Pax, by Sara Pennypacker Genre: children’s literature; nature; animals Summary:  Peter and Pax are inseparable, ever since Peter found Pax alone and abandoned as a kit.  However, years later a large war …

Independent Reading Assignments

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Have you ever read a book where, after you finished, you just couldn’t stop thinking about it?  I just finished reading Vincent and Theo and it has moved me.  So beautifully written about a man who has been largely misunderstood.  As I have been reading through this book the past few weeks, I shared what I was learning with my parents, my husband, and my walking partner.  Van Gogh’s story is fascinating, and so much of it I didn’t know, especially about the bond with his brother.  I didn’t even know Vincent Van Gogh had a brother. When my students choose their own books to read, they not only bring in their experiences as a reader, but their excitement to share what they’re learning.  It’s contagious watching their faces light up discussing what they are currently loving.  Required independent reading is a mix of enjoying books for fun and demonstrating understanding of literary terminology.  They’re reading for pleasure but also critically, to be able to write about characterization, author’s craft, imagery, tone.  They’re creatively writing as …

Speed Date with a Book

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School had been in session for a few days and we were ready to start reader’s/writer’s workshop.  How do you choose a book?  I pose this question to my students, with a picture of a woman staring at a large bookshelf filled with books. Hands start going up.  I find books by my favorite author, says one.  My friend is an avid reader, so I ask her what she’s reading.  That’s how I get so many good recommendations, says another.  My favorite genre is fantasy, so I look for that sticker on the spine, chimes in one more. How many of you have a what-to-read-next list?  About 1/3 of the class raises their hand. How many of you have a hard time reading a book that isn’t by your favorite author or a genre you really enjoy? Most of the students raise their hands. Have you ever thought about what life would be like without books?  Many give me a puzzled look.  It’s then that I show them this video from StoryCorps.  It’s powerful and all about books …