Favorite Books from each Genre:

Shine
Outsiders
The Arrival
I Am The Messenger
Eagle Blue
Ender's Game

A.)  The best overall book for me was Shine because I had so many little (significant) connections with my own life that do not necessarily fit into the themes of the book.  This book was so captivating that I could not put it down.  The mystery about who beat-up Patrick was too much for me and I couldn't stop until I had an answer.  I really enjoyed the protagonist Cat, as she seemed to be the most open-minded of all the characters, yet she still had significant growth and development throughout the text.

D.)  I believe that The Arrival should be made into a screenplay.  Yes, I know this is strange but I believe a wordless movie, simply following the characters in The Arrival could be amazingly powerful as a motion picture...the added element would be the music that accompanies the motion picture.   I picture the movie, Fantasia when writing this.

G.)  The most vivid descriptions of setting was Eagle Blue because I loved the description of how the family used live off the land and in peace.  The description of the family that is true to their heritage and culture and how that eventually changed over time.  I also really enjoyed the description of Alaska and life in Alaska through the eyes of the characters in Fort Yukon.

H.)  The best book to stimulate research questions would be The Outsiders.  I believe that understanding why this book is and has been so popular for so  long is worth researching. My ideas stem from the very real fact of varying socio-economic backgrounds but the most important idea worth investigating would be one's innate and natural desire to belong...fit-in...be part of a community...family etc.  There is something so powerful about having a group of people that you can identify with or at least feel a belonging to, no matter how dysfunctional.

Wonder- RJ Palacio

RJ Palacio does a wonderful job in her book, *Wonder*, at tapping into the difficulties of being a new kid in school but on top of it being a new kid born with a facial deformity.  Auggie's story and experiences make you feel warmth and love through his difficult yet heroic navigation through life in school, home, with friends etc. 
Auggie is very aware of even the slightest reactions from others in regards to his appearance.  He spends time sharing how people try hard not to react, but he notices. This book does a great job of addressing  identity and sharing the importance of empathy and acceptance.  A definite must read for middle school aged children and beyond.

Monster- Walter Dean Myers

Reading this book, *Monster* by Walter Dean Myers, initially overlapped in some of the recent news happenings I have been skimming lately regarding the Zimmerman case and the Hernandez case.  This book is written as a screenplay by Steve Harmon (the protagonist) and his experience being held in jail during a murder trial he was involved with.  I didn't think I would like how the book is written like a screen play, but when I started it was so easy to fly through the book...it didn't even feel like I was reading a book, it felt more like an actual movie. 
This book makes you really think about the justice system and how things work out, or don't work out.  It is really a matter of who you associate with and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Steve even at some points seem so numb when actually in court and mentions the reality of what is happening when he goes back to his jail cell.  It is like he is sitting back and watching himself in a movie...hence the screenplay approach when writing the book.  I have to say after reading several "hardship" books in this class and keeping up with the terribleness in the news, I am overwhelmed and need a feel-good-read after this :)

Eagle Blue-by Michael D'Orso

I just started this book, but I am liking it so far. Reading Eagle Blue: A Team, A Tribe, and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska written by Michael D'Orso right after reading Shine by Lauren Myracle, I have found a lot of similarities despite different locations.  

D'Orso takes the reader to a small town called Fort Yukon in Alaska.  He describes how the people of Fort Yukon used to be proud of their history and worked hard for a living and did not waste a thing.  Though, now, the natives are not so proud, or if they are, they don't show it and have sunken into addiction, laziness, dropping out of school and living off of pre-packaged food from the AC.  I imagine the "good part" is yet to come but thus far the book does a beautiful job at describing the people and the land, and juxtaposing beauty and ugliness.

Shine- Lauren Myracle

The book *Shine* written by Lauren Myracle is about a teenage girl's (Cat) journey of piecing together evidence in a hate crime attack against her best friend (Patrick).  Patrick is gay and being gay is not accepted in this very religious, small, North Carolina town.  Cat's journey not only reveals some of the ugly realities of people/friends she thought she knew but also reveals the good in people she thought did not exist.  Her own growth and development occurs throughout the text.
This book weaves through a maze of becoming of age, meth and alcohol addiction, physical and sexual abuse, "broken" families/friendships, socio-economic divides, and close-minded/ignorant thought processes and judgments made by people about others.  This is quite the book that hooked me from the beginning and had me hanging on to the very end.  I felt a connection to this book in the very small but significant ways, i.e. the little crawl space description and coming from a not so well-off family (growing up and working on a dairy farm) and fearing that others knew I was not well off ect.  I feel like there is so much "variety" that is covered in this book that students will find something they can connect with.

My Library...

Crista’s YA Classroom Library (work in progress)           

I chose to focus my library collection around middle school aged children, primarily 8^th graders.

Rawls, Wilson. Where the Red Fern Grows.  New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books,

            1961. Print. ISBN 0-440-22814-X.  Lexile: 700.

            This book is about a young boy, Billy, who wants nothing more than to have two

            coonhound dogs.  Billy is determined to work hard and save money to buy two

coonhound puppies.  This story shows the struggles, bonding and growing of

Billy through his love and dedication to Old Dan and Little Ann, his coonhounds.  I chose this book to put in my classroom library because, 1, it is a classic and 2, it shows what determination, dedication, responsibility, growth, love and loss through Billy’s dream of owning two coonhounds looks and feels like.  This is a very passionate story that, I believe, kids can relate to, especially if they have a love for animals, hunting or have a dream they are shooting for.

Sonnenblick, Jordan.  Girls, Drums and Dangerous Pie.  New York: Scholastic Inc.,

2004.    Print.  ISBN 10: 0-439-75520-4.  Lexile: 940.

This is a beautifully written story about a middle school boy, Steven, who experiences the very sad and powerful struggle of his younger brother, Jeffrey, going through cancer.  On top of all of Steven’s experiences as a middle schooler (crush on the hottest girl in school, homework, making friends etc.) he has to go through the hardships of his little brother’s sickness and the stress it puts on the family.  I believe this is a great book to have in my classroom library because, unfortunately, cancer is a very prevalent thing and is all around us.  Having student’s understand this hardship and what it is like is a powerful exposure to learning about oneself in relation to others and the world and having an empathetic awareness of hardship.

Obama, Barack. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.  New York, Random

            House, Inc.  2010. Print.  ISBN 978-0-376-83627-8.  Lexile: 830.

This book is a beautiful story in which our President of the United States wrote for his daughters.  Obama’s letter to his daughters expose them to American history and important people, to some degree, and finds similarities among these important people to his daughters and all American children.  This book is for 5 to 8 year olds and has beautiful pictures that will and can appeal to not so literate children.  I chose this book for that reason, so children may read a story through pictures.  It is also very nice to have a book written by the actual President of the USA.

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  New York, Abrams, 2007. Print.  ISBN 978-0-

8109-9313-6.  Lexile: varies from 910-1060.

This book is neat in the way that it is sort of a comic book and story book all in one.  The font is made to sort of look like hand writing and gives a more relaxed read approach.  This book is also a series and is a fairly short read.  It follows a middle school kid, Gregory (Greg) and his experiences as a middle schooler.  I chose this book because kids with varying lexile levels can enjoy it and follow it through the ‘series’.  The pictures, font and length make this a fun, relatable and quick read.

Salinger, J.D.  The Catcher in the Rye.  New York, Little, Brown Co. (original publisher),

            1951. Print. ISBN 0316769487. Lexile: 790.

This book is about a young boy who is in a mental hospital for a part of the story and then follows him, Holden, through his tumultuous school experience and relationships with others.  This book, though set in 1951, really takes a peek at mental illness.  Though this book does not explicitly indicate Holden’s mental illness, it does provide Holden’s perspective through some tough, emotional (irritating) times.  Though this book has a low lexile level, the content is not appropriate for that of 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th graders.  This book would be best suited for older middle school aged children or high school children.  I chose this book for my classroom library because it is a classic and it shows a different kind of perspective with mental illness wrapped up in it. 

Green, John.  Looking for Alaska.  London, Penguin Books, 2005. Print. ISBN 978-0-14-

            241221-3. Lexile: 930.

This book follows Miles (Pudge) to a preparatory boarding school which includes many friendships, pranks between some of the richer kids and Pudge’s friends and a tragic event.  This book exposes the reader to a lot of the experiences and varying friend types at around the age of sixteen.  Though this book has a lexile level of 930, it is much more appropriate for 8^th graders and older due to content.  I chose this book because it really takes a look at how children act and experience life at this age and some of the devastating outcomes that can occur. 

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders.  New York: Puffin Books, 1967.  Print. ISBN 0-14-038572-

X.                Lexile: 750.

I love this book because it is written by a sixteen year old FEMALE about teenaged boys.  This book follows three brothers and their lives of trying to stay together as a family after the loss of their parents.  This book follows the brothers in the gang, the Greasers, and their rivals the Socs.  The gangs represent the socioeconomic differences in society then and now.  This book reflects a lot on identity and finding one’s place in the world.  I chose this book because it is a classic and was written by a sixteen-year-old female.  This book is also great in that we all go through life trying to figure out our identity and how to fit in.

Golding, William.  Lord of the Flies.  New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 1954. Print.

            ISBN 0399501487.  Lexile: 770.

This book is about a group of boys on a plane that crashes on an island.  This book follows the story of how the boys initially attempt to work together to get help and then lose focus and play around.  The group of boys then start becoming scared of a possible monster on the island and then the boys start turning against one another and it turns out to be quite a deadly and dangerous experience.  This book is another book with a low lexile level but content that would be more appropriate for 8^th grade or older.  I chose this book because it is a classic and focuses in on survival and the devastating effects that fear can have on the psyche and how people can respond in unusually volatile ways.

Adams, Douglas.  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. New York: Harmony Books,

1979.    Print.  ISBN 0671746065.  Lexile: 1000

This book is a lovely sci-fi comedy that keeps the reader laughing.  Arthur Dent and Ford Perfect are the main characters in the book that float and journey through the galaxy after the planet Earth was destroyed.  One of the reasons why I chose this book is because it reminded me of something one of my silly brothers would have read when they were in middle school.  Also, it seems that a lot of my books have focused on not-so-light-hearted topics/themes.

Chbosky, Stephen.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  New York: MTV Books,

1999.    Print. ISBN 0671027344. Lexile: 720.

This book is a great book for kids in or entering high school.  It explores the life of a kid exposed to new friends, dating, drugs etc.  This book really brings to life the ups and downs of “growing up”.  I chose this book because after working as a tutor with 8^th graders this last school year, a huge concern for the students was what the social life was going to be like in high school.  I think kids will really gravitate towards this book for insight on high school life and how to navigate through it, to some extent.

Sutton- J.R. Moehringer

The book, *Sutton* written by J.R. Moehringer is an exciting and good read thus far.  This book is listed as a 'historical fiction' book about Willie Sutton ("America's most successful bank robber").  Mr. Sutton is a real person in history who grew up in Brooklyn, NY.  He was well-known for breaking in and robbing banks and breaking out of prison when he was caught.  In fact, he was one of the first people to make it on the very first Most Wanted List for the FBI.  The interesting thing about Sutton is that he, allegedly, never killed anyone and was very popular among the public and they rejoiced in his escapes.  The author J.R. Moehringer, starts the book by telling the reader that on the night of Sutton's final release from prison on Christmas eve 1969, he had to spend the entire next day (Christmas day) with a reporter and photographer telling his story and revisiting all the banks he robbed.  The unfortunate thing is that the reporter published the article with errors and lies.  J.R. Moehringer wrote this book as an attempt to tell the story of Sutton based on what he perceives was the truth.

I Am the Messenger - Markus Zusak

*I Am the Messenger* is a great book written by Marcus Zusak. Ed, the protagonist, is a guy that is pretty ordinary.  He drives cab, has a not so nice apt., a smelly dog (which I could not stop thinking of Steve's disgust in dogs, particularly stinky ones throughout the entire book) and a few friends.  Ed starts receiving tasks/assignments on playing cards to help people he does not know. Some of the tasks/assignments include: "He must help two brothers realize their love for one another" and "He must buy an ice-cream for a woman who can't afford her own". It is through these helping deed assignments the Ed transforms from an ordinary guy to confident and caring guy.  This book really sends the message of hope to those that don't believe they can or be someone great and needed.  Everyone has an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful and helpful way in society, you just have to take the first step.  I think this book would resonate well with high school aged children who are trying to discover who they are and where they will fit in to society after high school/college.  This is an uplifting book that reminds us that we all have something great and wonderful to share, not only with the world but with ourselves.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

Though this is a graphic novel with no words, I had to go through it several times.  As the saying goes, a picture is worth 1000 words.  Well, there are a lot of pictures to go through and examine and each time going through, I found something new.  As the title suggests, the story follows a man leaving his home, wife and daughter in search of a better place to eventually bring them to.  The book takes the reader through the man's experience step-by-step, frame-by-frame and reveals the difficulty and scariness in finding a home, a job and eventually finding comfort in his surroundings through the people he meets and interactions they share. 
The cover of the book is representative of a photo album of sorts.  The man on the cover shows his life in a suitcase as he stares inquisitively at an animal of sorts.  It is evident throughout the book that there are a lot of new and unknown things the man encounters, one is the animal-like character on the cover.  There are a lot of symbols that seem to look like they could be words, but really do not have meaning to the reader or the protagonist.  This book really depicts how confusing, scary and 'foreign', if you will, a new world is for an immigrant.  Oh, it is also very important to note that the inside front and back cover show "mug-shots" of what looks like immigrants entering a new land. Their faces are emotionless and almost blank.  The images of their faces are very powerful.  I can't help but imagine what they have endured and how much they have sacrificed to get to this point and then have that earthy, raw reality snapped in the form of a photo and documented in history!
Unfortunately, I believe people forget how difficult life can be and the sacrifices one makes to provide a better life for themselves and their family.  The incredible strength humans have and the courage that it takes to overcome adversity and uproot everything known to them, in hopes of something better, is quite magical and brave.  Shaun Tan knew that the best way to portray this kind of courage and strength could only be captured in a photo...or several of them.  

The Outsiders- S.E. Hinton

I was intrigued by Kelly's (professor) inquiry about why a book written in 1967 is still relevant to teens today.  First of all, S. E. Hinton was 16 years old when wrote the book, The Outsiders.  I believe her age has an incredible impact on the success of her book and its connection to tweens/teens.  There is something to be said about having the author's age be that of her characters.  Hinton's age and insight transferred to paper and produced into a book, taps into a very raw and real reflection of this age and experience that an author older in age would not be able to capture.

Hinton's book hones in on the reality of socio-economic status, that was alive in '67 and continues to be relevant today (and indefinitely).  The book focuses on the two gangs, the Socs and the Greasers.  These two gangs represent opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum, with the Socs representing the wealthy west side kids and the Greasers representing extreme hardship.

It is evident, when examining the Greasers as  individuals, what is "cool"/accepted and what is not.  Ponyboy's interest in books and movies sets him apart from his brothers, Darry and Sodapop.  Because the brothers lost both their parents to a crash, they all are sort of forced to grow-up and do what they can to make ends meet and survive.  Darry, the oldest of the brothers at the age of 20, works two jobs to keep everyone together.  Sodapop is 16 years old and has dropped out of school and is working at a gas station.

As you can see, Ponyboy (who is 14 years old) is sort of an outsider (hmmm...) in comparison to his brothers.  This book not only shows the struggles of trying to fit in within one's family but also fitting in with society and the world around you.  Isn't this exploration of oneself and fitting in in the world what teen life consists of, to a large degree?