Soror Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 I've started making ds' lit list for next year and would love to add some diversity but my brain is blanking and Google is failing me. Can anyone point me to some good lists or have any suggestions that you love? We are not following any theme for the next year, I'm aiming for us to read a book a month or so for lit, I'm trying to hit some classics we've missed so far (although of course can't get them all) but I don't want to leave out diversity for our subjects & authors. TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Exactly how serious and/or grown-up do you want these books? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Ones we have read that ds has enjoyed: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (Revolutionary War told through the perspective of a young slave girl...the other two in the series are also excellent) A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (tough to read, about the lost boys of Sudan, but is told on a junior high or younger level and ends with some hope) Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle Crossover by Kwame Alexander I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (there is a younger reader edition and the original adult edition) Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus (I haven't read this but I remember ds really liking it last year when he read it for a book club class) The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue ParkA Single Shard by Linda Sue Park Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (excellent! ) Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhh Lai Wonder by R. J. Palacio El Deafo by Cece Bell (I haven't read this one either but ds liked it, it's a graphic novel about a girl with hearing loss) Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida (about the Japanese internment camps in America, I remember this one vividly from reading it as a kid myself) we have liked several of Joseph Bruhac's books about Native Americans, he has one Code Talker that I have thought about having my boys read at some point. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Exactly how serious and/or grown-up do you want these books?Gah. I am trying to figure out the answer to that. He is not a sensitive kid at all and Social Justice is a frequent topic BUT I am not looking to dive into super depressing and dark reads.for example he read I Am Malala but the YR edition and I thought was just perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder Amos Fortune, Free Man (forget the author?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Gah. I am trying to figure out the answer to that. He is not a sensitive kid at all and Social Justice is a frequent topic BUT I am not looking to dive into super depressing and dark reads.for example he read I Am Malala but the YR edition and I thought was just perfect. So some fun stuff mixed in with the grimdark? And some of it targeted towards kids instead of adults that we then make kids read? Gotcha. Gotta do my chores, then I'll post something. I'll try to divvy up into categories, but no promises. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Thank you Alice for all the suggestions. I feel bad now I didn't list we had already read but my mind blanked. We are doing BYL 7 this year which has a good chunk of diversity as it studies world cultures and I have tried to hit stuff here and there throughout the years. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (Revolutionary War told through the perspective of a young slave girl...the other two in the series are also excellent) I like the perspective change. Thanks A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (tough to read, about the lost boys of Sudan, but is told on a junior high or younger level and ends with some hope) He is starting this next week. Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle Looks wonderful! Crossover by Kwame Alexander Hmm I haven't heard of it, looks interesting I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai read the YR ed. This year The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (there is a younger reader edition and the original adult edition) read YR ed. Last year Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus (I haven't read this but I remember ds really liking it last year when he read it for a book club class) Oh, I have this one but I don'tthink he has read it, reading the description he would love it. The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park- Hmm. sounds good! A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park read Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (excellent! ) I have this down, glad to hear the rec. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhh Lai Looks good thank you! Wonder by R. J. Palacio read El Deafo by Cece Bell (I haven't read this one either but ds liked it, it's a graphic novel about a girl with hearing loss) read Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida (about the Japanese internment camps in America, I remember this one vividly from reading it as a kid myself) Sounds interesting, we've talked about this, I'd love to explore the topic some more. we have liked several of Joseph Bruhac's books about Native Americans, he has one Code Talker that I have thought about having my boys read at some point. we did some Bruchac books but I can't remember if we made it to that one, I know I did want him to read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 So some fun stuff mixed in with the grimdark? And some of it targeted towards kids instead of adults that we then make kids read? Gotcha. Gotta do my chores, then I'll post something. I'll try to divvy up into categories, but no promises.fabulous, thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 The Outsiders by SE Hinton. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 We just read Lily and Dunkin and I thought it was very well done for middle school. It deals with LGBTQ issues and mental illness sensitively and sympathetically without being too preachy or heavy. My girls, who don't like to read, enjoyed it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purduemeche Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) Wonder Edited January 22, 2017 by purduemeche 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Where the Streets had a Name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 So some fun stuff mixed in with the grimdark? And some of it targeted towards kids instead of adults that we then make kids read? Gotcha. Gotta do my chores, then I'll post something. I'll try to divvy up into categories, but no promises. I love poking through your book lists! Hoping that quoting you here reminds you to post on this one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Some of the books we have enjoyed together over the last year or two, even though many of them have already been mentioned: Inside Out and Back Again The Watsons Go to Birmingham Chains trilogy (Chains, Forge, Ashes)Lily and DunkinAs Brave As YouThe Thing About LuckOut of my Mind El DeafoI am Malala (YR edition) Sold (about a girl being sold into sex slavery, this one might be too intense for some kids)I am Nujood, Aged 10 and DivorcedKira-KiraShooting KabulFarewell to ManzanarRed Berries, White Cloud, Blue SkyThe Red PencilA Long Walk to WaterThe Birchbark House series (The Game of Silence, The Blue Jay's Dance)The CrossoverAmerican Born Chinese One Crazy Summer (PS Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama)March graphic novel series by John Lewis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) Honestly, I meant to pop back sooner but then real life intervened. Boooo! (And it's still not over, so this is just a short list.) So I'm going to divide this list into two sections: fiction written for kids and teens, and fiction written for adults. (I'll italicize those which I think were written for a slightly older group of teens). These aren't "reading level" divisions, or even necessarily divisions based on appropriateness, though as a rule the ones written for older groups will probably be slightly more complex or longer, but they will also be more likely to have mentions of sex or masturbation or explicit violence. As always, you are the one with the obligation to pre-read or to at least check out reviews if there are things you want to avoid or if you're concerned about books being "too easy" or "too hard". For reference, many of the "grown-up" books are books I read in the 8th or 9th grade, either in school or on my own. Kids: The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm House of the Scorpion Al Capone Does My Shirts (one of very few books with an autistic character that I have few reservations about handing over to a kid. The other is The Real Boy.) Breadcrumbs Codetalkers Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian El Deafo (skews a bit younger) Deaf Child Crossing Vodnik (includes one rather violent assault) Hammer of Witches (skews a bit younger, I think) Chains Octavian Nothing One Crazy Summer Kinda Like Brothers Wonderstruck Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It American Born Chinese Hellfighters Bud, Not Buddy Dave at Night Hidden Roots Celeste's Harlem Renaissance Under a Painted Sky Sugar Monster Sold The Breadwinner Summer of the Mariposas (many ties to The Odyssey here) Flygirl Wonder Sunrise over Fallujah Dash (definitely skews a bit young, but if you like it you can try Liberty by the same author) Little White Duck Persepolis Black Dove, White Raven Revolution is Not a Dinner Party When My Name Was Keoko Harlem Summer Inside Out and Back Again Out of Many Waters Blackbird Fly Boxers and Saints The Birchbark House (skews slightly younger) My Name Is Not Easy Rain is Not My Indian Name Echo The Red Umbrella The Dreamer A Time to Dance Where the Streets Had Names Boys Without Names Diamond in the Desert Jefferson's Sons Shooting Kabul Outrun the Moon Gaby, Lost and Found (skews a bit younger) Save Me a Seat (definitely skews younger, but worth a read) Becoming Naomi Leon The Thing About Luck A Long Walk to Water Rabbit-Proof Fence (Wait, I read this in college. Should I have put this in the grown-up file?) City of the Beasts Geography Club Gracefully Grayson Some Assembly Required Grown-ups: Invisible Man The Golem and the Jinni Kindred The House on Mango Street Maus (Jews count, right?) Roots Things Fall Apart Americanah How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents One Hundred Years of Solitude The House of the Spirits These books all do tend towards the SERIOUS, which is problematic in two ways. First, I'm not a fan of the death march through literature. More importantly, you do run the risk of sending the message that minority stories specifically are all about suffering and overcoming. If you like, I can make a secondary list of books that have no particular literary value other than being just plain fun. Edited January 26, 2017 by Tanaqui 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 My kid cannot do dark literature, unless it is politically dark (dystopian). Social juustice dark makes him a basketcase and really feel the weight of the world. He has a whole stack of fun, interesting books. He is really into young adult feminist literature right now as well. Any interest in those? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) edited for 5 mil typos- I was typing on my phone Thank you all for the suggestions, real life has intervened Ihere as well so I haven't had a chance to look at them all yet although I have started to comb through them and tweak my list.Tanaqui I am not interested in the death March either, I want some classics, some diversity, and some fun. How much of each I've got to figure out! I would love to see your more fun list.EoE I would love your feminist lit. List. I like to keep that perspective in there for him. I was just thinking I need to add in more female perspective to his history list for next year too but I have got to do more searching. We are studying the history of Science if you have any good nonfic on female scientists, I have just a couple so far. Will have to come back to post lists my phone is dying. Ds read A Long Walk to Water this week, it isn't even on his schedule yet but he thought it looked interesting and devoured it in a couple sittings. Another one he devoured this year was Breaking Stalin's Nose. I know neither are hard literature but it is good to read nonetheless. So, although I want some books that are harder I want more books like that as well. Reading level isn't the most important thing, or should I say the only important thing, I've got much more to teach him than how to read hard books. The greater range today available from such a wide diversity of authors is something I want to take advantage of! AND I have a Social Work degree and like to include a perspective of social justice in education :) Edited January 26, 2017 by soror Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) Wonder My 4th grade son really loved this one. He also loved the picture book What color is my World? The Lost History of African-AMerican Inventors (more of a jumping off place at his age) Edited January 26, 2017 by vonfirmath 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) Okay, secondary list incoming. These all skew slightly younger than the first list, and I don't know why that should be the case. Note: A great many books in the first list are also hugely fun - but they do have tearjerker moments or some serious subjects. This list tends more towards fun with no crying at all. So The Birchbark House is mostly just fun - but there is a smallpox epidemic near the end. That sort of thing. (Also, some books I forgot before snuck on this list. Except for Nest and Salvage, they aren't SUPER serious - and Salvage is fun + serious combined. Nest, I'm sorry to say, is a wonderful book that will make you cry worse than when Lesley died in Bridge to Terebithia.) Mirror of Fire and Dreaming Bayou Magic The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher Ambassador and Nomad (must read both books. Really, this belongs on the first list, I just forgot about it!) How Tia Lola Came to Stay (short books!) Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer (this book is so adorable, I suggest it to EV ER Y BODY!) Salvage (this is another one which should've been on the first list, but it definitely qualifies as feminist YA. Comes with a sequel that is also worth reading.) Stranger (bit dystopian) So You Want to Be a Wizard Dangerous by Shannon Hale Akata Witch (though it should be noted that this book is somewhat criticized for having a literal magic albino and also the fact that her magic removes most of the physical issues with her disability - though social ones still remain) Zahrah, the Windseeker Earth Force Rising (I'm not sure what I think of this book yet, but it's possibly the only middle grade or YA book I've ever read that explicitly used the word "neurodiversity", and I don't hate it, so give it a read) How Mirka Got Her Sword Mission Mumbai The Great Green Heist Pickle by Kim Baker Not Your Sidekick Millicent Min, Girl Genius (and its two companion novels) The Boy at the End of the World Eighth Grade Super Zero How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy The Toothpaste Millionaire President of the Entire Fifth Grade Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Starry River of the Sky Year of the Dog The Jumbies (a bit scary) It Ain't So Awful, Falafel (slightly more serious than the others on this list) Nest (this one belongs on the other list, for reals - covers anti-semitism, child abuse, parental suicide. But if I put it on the other list now, you won't see it.) The Grand Plan to Fix Everything (very much written for a female audience) Dragonwings (forgot about this!) The Inquisitor's Apprentice (argh, but we never seem to get book three) Dreadnought Circus Galacticus Zeroes Shadowshaper Ramayan 3392 AD The Savage Fortress Darwen Awkwright Marco Impossible The Wig in the Window (well, it's a murder mystery for kids....) The True Meaning of Smekday The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez The Truth About Twinkie Pie (okay, this is more serious, but not much) Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle Handbook For Dragon Slayers The Extraordinary Princess (not "The Ordinary Princess". Main character is obviously dyslexic, but the word is never stated in the text because that wouldn't make sense in the setting.) Confetti Girl Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel Heart of a Samurai Vanished This list, too, is incomplete. Edited January 27, 2017 by Tanaqui 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmyboys Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) I don't have much to add, but Save Me a Seat on Tanaqui's first list is my ds10's most favorite book ever. I have no idea why (and I have tried to find out because he generally hates reading). He also really liked The Unusual Chickens book from Tanaqui's second list. Edited January 27, 2017 by lovinmyboys 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Ah. Finally read Greenglass House, which has been sitting in a Strand bag for months. Well, I'm reading it now, don't know how it ends. Anyway, you can add it to the list. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 (edited) And one more update - The Kat Sinclair Files. Haven't read yet, but just realized I've got a several-months old ARC on my desk. Edit: Oh, and The Way Home Looks Now. And Click Here to Start. I have got to read through some of these books! There's also a whole bunch of sports books, but that's not really my thing, so.... Edited February 5, 2017 by Tanaqui Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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