Final Word
This was a wonderful class and semester. I have only taught the primary grades, but having this experience with young adult literature broadened my horizons! I had many memories of middle and high school come flooding back with novels I remember so vividly!
This blog and experience has served as a wonderful tool for exposure! I feel much more confident in my ability to group books across many genres that center around one universal theme. I also understand the importance of doing so!
This is just the beginning of my literature journey and career. I can't wait to see what the future holds. Thank you again for this semester!
Friday, May 5, 2017
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Graphic Novels
Brown, D. (2017). Drowned city: hurricane
katrina and new orleans. HMH Books for Young
Readers.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's
monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around
low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some
places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast
topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost
their lives. The tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American
city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage—and also of incompetence,
racism, and criminality.
Lexile
Level: GN920L
LA
Themes: You would be surprised of what you are capable of.
Universal
Themes: Survival; Perseverance
Humphreys, J. D., Chikwanine, M., &
Dav́ila, C. (2016). Child
soldier: when boys and girls are used in war.
London: Franklin Watts.
Michel is like many other five-year-olds: he
has a loving family and spends his days going to school and playing soccer. But
in 1993, the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Michel and his family live, is
a country in tumult. One afternoon Michel and his friends are kidnapped by
rebel militants and forced to become child soldiers.
Lexile
Level: N/A
LA
Themes: Loss of innocence
Universal
Themes: Survival; Perseverance; War; Corruption
Schwartz, S., & Watkinson, L. (2015). The
other side of the Wall. Minneapolis: Graphic
Universe.
Simon Schwartz was born in 1982 in East
Germany, at a time when the repressive Socialist Unity Party of Germany
controlled the area. Shortly before Simon's birth, his parents decided to leave
their home in search of greater freedoms on the other side of the Berlin Wall.
But East German authorities did not allow the Schwartzes to leave for almost
three years. In the meantime, Simon's parents struggled with the costs of their
decision: the loss of work, the attention of the East German secret police, and
the fragmentation of their family.
Lexile
Level: GN580L
LA
Themes: The sacrifices we make for others
Universal
Themes: Survival; Perseverance; War
Stoian, M. (2016). Take
it as a compliment. London: Singing Dragon.
Bringing together the voices of males and
females of all ages, the stories in this collective graphic memoir reflect real
life experiences of sexual abuse, violence and harassment.
Each experience is brought to life by Maria Stoian's exceptional artwork. Her unique and varied styles powerfully reflect the tone and mood of the different stories and in just a few pages express the complex emotions felt by victims of sexual abuse.
Covering acts such as sexual violence, public sexual harassment, domestic abuse and child abuse, this is a reminder for survivors that they are not alone and a call for all of us to take action. The stories clearly show that assault of any type is not an honor bestowed on anyone. It is not a compliment.
Each experience is brought to life by Maria Stoian's exceptional artwork. Her unique and varied styles powerfully reflect the tone and mood of the different stories and in just a few pages express the complex emotions felt by victims of sexual abuse.
Covering acts such as sexual violence, public sexual harassment, domestic abuse and child abuse, this is a reminder for survivors that they are not alone and a call for all of us to take action. The stories clearly show that assault of any type is not an honor bestowed on anyone. It is not a compliment.
Lexile
Level: N/A
LA
Themes: Speaking up; Loss of Innocence; Strength
Universal
Themes: Survival; Perseverance
Chmakova, S. (2015). Awkward.
New York: Yen Press.
Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don't get
noticed by the mean kids.
Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them.
On her first day at her new school, Penelope--Peppi--Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she's already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the "nerder girlfriend." How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!
Falling back on rule two and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can't help feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. Things are already awkward enough between the two, but to make matters worse, he's a member of her own club's archrivals--the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school!
Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them.
On her first day at her new school, Penelope--Peppi--Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she's already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the "nerder girlfriend." How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away!
Falling back on rule two and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can't help feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. Things are already awkward enough between the two, but to make matters worse, he's a member of her own club's archrivals--the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school!
Lexile
Level: GN280L
LA
Themes: Making the right decision, even if it’s the harder choice.
Universal
Themes: Survival; Peer Pressure
Magazine Articles
Centered around the Universal Theme of Perserverance
Entrepreneurs:
Milton Hershey. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://newsela.com/articles/bio-entrepreneurs-milton-hershey/id/19979/
After five unsuccessful years, Hershey headed west where he
found work with another confectioner. It was there that he discovered caramel
and how fresh milk could be used to make it.
But the businessman in Hershey wasn't content to work for someone else.
He went out on his own again, only to fail twice more. In 1883, he returned to
Lancaster where he started the Lancaster Caramel Company. Success soon followed. Within a few short
years, Hershey had a thriving business and was shipping his caramels all over
the country. See how these successes led
to his chocolate empire!
Hollywood
agents volunteer by mentoring public school students. (n.d.). Retrieved April
04, 2017, from https://newsela.com/articles/compton-talentagents/id/6911/
For the past four years, a
few dozen agents from William Morris Endeavor (WME), a talent agency, have been
coaching — or mentoring — students from two Compton schools to do better in
their studies. The agents typically help famous actors, singers and athletes
find jobs and sign contracts that pay them well for their work. Now, they're
taking the time to work with students.
The
Explorers: Ibn Battuta. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://newsela.com/articles/BHP-U8-3-ibn-battuta/id/3875/
The men in Ibn Battuta’s
family were legal scholars and he was raised with a focus on education. His
urge to travel was spurred by his interest in finding the best teachers and the
best libraries; he also wanted to make a special trip to Mecca, called the
“hajj.” For Muslims, the trip is a religious duty to be done at least once in
life.
Time
Machine (1904): The personalities of Professor and Madame Curie. (n.d.).
Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://newsela.com/articles/historic-news-curie/id/15540/
Madame Curie and her husband
have traveled life's pathway with untiring energy; and if we look backward at
their career we shall notice that their hard work led to their current fame.
Athletes
finding different ways to raise money to get to the Olympics. (n.d.). Retrieved
April 04, 2017, from https://newsela.com/articles/olympic-athletes-money/id/19162/
In 2014, ESPN wrote about Olympic athletes' financial struggles. "There are many athletes fighting to stay above the poverty line," said Nathan Crumpton, who served on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athletes' Advisory Council on revenue allocation. Superstars in such high-profile sports as swimming and gymnastics can sign endorsement deals that pay a lot of money, and winning a medal does come with a (taxed) cash prize. Generally, though, there is not a lot of money for Olympic athletes.
In 2014, ESPN wrote about Olympic athletes' financial struggles. "There are many athletes fighting to stay above the poverty line," said Nathan Crumpton, who served on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athletes' Advisory Council on revenue allocation. Superstars in such high-profile sports as swimming and gymnastics can sign endorsement deals that pay a lot of money, and winning a medal does come with a (taxed) cash prize. Generally, though, there is not a lot of money for Olympic athletes.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Content Related Bibliographies
Eleanor Roosevelt: a life of discovery, by
Russell Freedman. (1997). New York: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill.
The intriguing story of Eleanor Roosevelt
traces the life of the former First Lady from her early childhood through the
tumultuous years in the White House to her active role in the founding of the
United Nations after World War II. A Newberry Honor Book.
Lexile
Level: 1100L
LA
Themes: Beauty can be found within; Never Underestimate Yourself
Universal
Themes: Manipulation; Parent/Child Relationships; Emotional Abuse; Courage
Giblin, J. C. (2015). The Life and
Death of Adolf Hitler. Place of publication not identified: Turtleback
Books.
Lexile Level: 1100L
LA Themes: N/A
Universal Themes: Abuse of Power; Fall From Grace; Manipulation
Armstrong, J. (2005). Shipwreck at the
bottom of the world: the extraordinary true story of Shackleton and the
Endurance. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and 27 men
sailed from England in an attempt to become the first team of explorers to
cross Antarctica from one side to the other. Five months later and still 100
miles from land, their ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice. The expedition
survived another five months camping on ice floes, followed by a perilous
journey through stormy seas to remote and unvisited Elephant Island. In a
dramatic climax to this amazing survival story, Shackleton and five others
navigated 800 miles of treacherous open ocean in a 20-foot boat to fetch a
rescue ship.
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World vividly re-creates one of the most extraordinary adventure stories in history. Jennifer Armstrong narrates this unbelievable story with vigor, an eye for detail, and an appreciation of the marvelous leadership of Shackleton, who brought home every one of his men alive.
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World vividly re-creates one of the most extraordinary adventure stories in history. Jennifer Armstrong narrates this unbelievable story with vigor, an eye for detail, and an appreciation of the marvelous leadership of Shackleton, who brought home every one of his men alive.
Lexile
Level: 1090L
LA
Themes: Different people can work together as a team; How important it is to be
a good leader
Universal
Themes: Survival; Courage
Blumenthal, K. (2002). Six days in
October: the stock market crash of 1929. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers.
Over six terrifying, desperate days in October
1929, the fabulous fortune that Americans had built in stocks plunged with a
fervor never seen before. At first, the drop seemed like a mistake, a mere
glitch in the system. But as the decline gathered steam, so did the
destruction. Over twenty-five billion dollars in individual wealth was lost,
vanished gone. People watched their dreams fade before their very eyes.
Investing in the stock market would never be the same.
Here, Wall Street Journal bureau chief Karen Blumenthal chronicles the six-day period that brought the country to its knees, from fascinating tales of key stock-market players, like Michael J. Meehan, an immigrant who started his career hustling cigars outside theaters and helped convince thousands to gamble their hard-earned money as never before, to riveting accounts of the power struggles between Wall Street and Washington, to poignant stories from those who lost their savings -- and more -- to the allure of stocks and the power of greed.
For young readers living in an era of stock-market fascination, this engrossing account explains stock-market fundamentals while bringing to life the darkest days of the mammoth crash of 1929.
Here, Wall Street Journal bureau chief Karen Blumenthal chronicles the six-day period that brought the country to its knees, from fascinating tales of key stock-market players, like Michael J. Meehan, an immigrant who started his career hustling cigars outside theaters and helped convince thousands to gamble their hard-earned money as never before, to riveting accounts of the power struggles between Wall Street and Washington, to poignant stories from those who lost their savings -- and more -- to the allure of stocks and the power of greed.
For young readers living in an era of stock-market fascination, this engrossing account explains stock-market fundamentals while bringing to life the darkest days of the mammoth crash of 1929.
Lexile
Level: 1040L
LA
Themes: Power Struggles
Universal
Themes: Corruption; Greed
Freedman, R., & Hine, L. (1004). Kids
at Work: the Crusade Against Child Labor. New York, N Y: Clarion
Books/Houghton Mifflin Co.
Photobiography of early twentieth-century
photographer and schoolteacher Lewis Hine, using his own work as illustrations.
Hines's photographs of children at work were so devastating that they convinced
the American people that Congress must pass child labor laws.
Lexile
Level: 1140L
LA
Themes: Labor; Organizing
Universal
Themes: Greed; Need for Change
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Poetry, Drama, Short Stories
Collins,
B. (2003). Poetry 180: a turning back to poetry. New York: Random
House Trade Paperbacks.
A
dazzling new anthology of 180 contemporary poems, selected and introduced by
America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins.
Inspired by Billy Collins’s poem-a-day program with the Library of Congress, Poetry 180 is the perfect anthology for readers who appreciate engaging, thoughtful poems that are an immediate pleasure.
A 180-degree turn implies a turning back—in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry’s vibrance and abundance.
With poems by Catherine Bowman, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Dana Gioia, Edward Hirsch, Galway Kinnell, Kenneth Koch, Philip Levine, Thomas Lux, William Matthews, Frances Mayes, Paul Muldoon, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Katha Pollitt, Mary Jo Salter, Charles Simic, David Wojahn, Paul Zimmer, and many more.
Inspired by Billy Collins’s poem-a-day program with the Library of Congress, Poetry 180 is the perfect anthology for readers who appreciate engaging, thoughtful poems that are an immediate pleasure.
A 180-degree turn implies a turning back—in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry’s vibrance and abundance.
With poems by Catherine Bowman, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Dana Gioia, Edward Hirsch, Galway Kinnell, Kenneth Koch, Philip Levine, Thomas Lux, William Matthews, Frances Mayes, Paul Muldoon, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Katha Pollitt, Mary Jo Salter, Charles Simic, David Wojahn, Paul Zimmer, and many more.
Lexile
Level: N/A
LA
Themes: N/A
Universal
Themes: N/A
Dunning,
S. (1995). Reflections on a gift of watermelon pickle ...: and other
modern verse. Glenview, IL: ScottForesman.
Here
are modern poems chosen for their individual excellence and their special
appeal to young people. Exciting photographs accent the contemporary tone of
the collection.From lighthearted Phyllis Mc-Ginley to pessimistic Ezra Pound;
from the lyricism of Edna St. Vincent Millay to the vigor of Lawrence
Ferlinghette; from Carl Sandburg on loneliness to Paul Dehn on the bomb -- such
is the range. The little known or unknown poet and the widely recognized appear
side by siide.
Whatever the subject matter -- pheasant or flying saucer; lapping lake water or sonic boom; a deer hunt, a basketball, or a bud -- it is all poetry reflecting today's images and today's moods. The editors spent several years bringing together 1200 poems they considered fine enough to include, then slowly and carefully sifted out of 114 which appear in the book.
Whatever the subject matter -- pheasant or flying saucer; lapping lake water or sonic boom; a deer hunt, a basketball, or a bud -- it is all poetry reflecting today's images and today's moods. The editors spent several years bringing together 1200 poems they considered fine enough to include, then slowly and carefully sifted out of 114 which appear in the book.
Lexile
Level: N/A
LA
Themes: N/A
Universal
Themes: N/A
Whitman,
W. (2003). Oh captain! My captain!: a poem. Bushey Heath: Taurus
Press of Willow Dene.
The poem is an elegy to the
speaker's recently deceased Captain, at once celebrating the
safe and successful return of their ship and mourning the loss of its great
leader. In the first stanza, the speaker expresses his relief that the ship has
reached its home port at last and describes hearing people cheering. Despite
the celebrations on land and the successful voyage, the speaker reveals that
his Captain's dead body is lying on the deck. In the
second stanza, the speaker implores the Captain to "rise up and hear the
bells," wishing the dead man could witness the elation. Everyone adored
the captain, and the speaker admits that his death feels like a horrible dream.
In the final stanza, the speaker juxtaposes his feelings of mourning and pride.
Lexile Level: N/A
LA Themes: Good things sometimes come at a cost.
Universal Themes: Fall from Grace
Grandits,
J. (2007). Blue lipstick. New York: Clarion Books.
A
15-year-old girl named Jessie voices typical—and not so typical—teenage
concerns in this unique, hilarious collection of poems. Her musings about
trying out new makeup and hairstyles, playing volleyball and cello, and dealing
with her annoying younger brother are never boring or predictable. Who else do
you know who designs her own clothes and writes poetry to her cat? Jessie’s a
girl with strong opinions, and she isn’t shy about sharing them. Her funny,
sarcastic take on high school life is revealed through concrete poetry: words,
ideas, type, and design that combine to make pictures and patterns. The poems
are inventive, irreverent, irresistible, and full of surprises—just like
Jessie—and the playful layout and ingenious graphics extend the wry humor.
Lexile
Level: N/A
LA
Themes: Individuality; Finding who you are
Universal
Themes: Family; Coming of Age; Quest for Knowledge
Giovanni,
N. (2007). A poem for my librarian
mrs. long. Acolytes. New
York: William Morrow.
Giovanni reflects on her childhood in
her grandparents' home city of Knoxville, Tennessee in the late '50s. She
remembers their habits, including a lack of television during the day and cozy
nights spent listening to jazz greats singing on the radio. She centers her
happy memories of childhood on the Lawson McGhee Library in Knoxville and its
kindly librarian, Mrs. Long. The library
is a place of wonder for her, and Mrs. Long was always on hand to help her find
whatever she wanted to read. As her mind expands, the young Giovanni asks for
volumes that their branch library does not have. Mrs. Long takes it upon
herself to make humiliating journeys to the "big library" (read
"primarily white library") uptown to ask for the books for Giovanni.
She never failed in her quest. Giovanni
tells us that people like Mrs. Long and her grandmother made her world in
Knoxville, Tennessee a happy and safe place, despite the social inequalities
that made the South a generally inhospitable place for black families. She ends
the poem by saying that this love opened up the world in a positive way for
her, preparing her for all the changes that were to happen in her life and in American
society.
Lexile Level: N/A
LA Themes: Finding comfort in
people; One person can make all the difference
Universal Themes: Safety and Security; Love; Need for Change
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