Shelly in VA Posted October 1, 2020 Posted October 1, 2020 I facilitate a monthly book club for kids aged ~10-14, and this year I'm trying to follow a geography theme. I want to pick engaging, discussable titles that also give a sense of the region (no particular time period). So far, we've read Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan (Eastern Europe/Russia) and The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood (Western Europe/England). But now I'm stuck. 😉 I am struggling to choose titles for Africa and Asia in particular (maybe because these regions encompass so many different cultures!). I'm roughly using the regions from Give Your Child the World by Jamie C. Martin, but those titles are on the younger side of the age range I'm targeting. Any titles or authors anyone can suggest? I appreciate it! Thank you! Quote
Lori D. Posted October 1, 2020 Posted October 1, 2020 (edited) What a great opportunity you are facilitating! 😄A few ideas below -- although that is a tough range to span (gr. 5-8), and have the book not overwhelm a young 5th grade reader while still being meaty enough for a mature 8th grader... 😉 I put (*) next to a few that my own DSs really enjoyed, and (**) by a few titles that went over really well in my middle school co-op class a few years ago.AFRICA Sudan = Long Walk to Water (Park)** Sudan = The Red Pencil (Pinkney) -- written in poems Malawi = The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Wamkwamba) -- nonfiction Mozambique = A Girl Names Disaster (Farmer) ASIA Vietnam = The Land I Lost, or, Water Buffalo Days (Nhuong)* Japan = The Master Puppeteer (Paterson)* -- set in 1700s Japan = The Demon in the Teahouse (Hoobler)* -- set in 1700s; detective/mystery Japan = Heart of a Samurai (Preus) -- 1850s true teen boy who was shipwrecked and rescued years later Korea = When My Name Was Keiko (Park) Mongolia = I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade (Wilson) -- set in 1300s Nepal/India = Daughter of the Mountains (Rankin) MIDDLE EAST Afghanistan = The Breadwinner (Ellis) OCEANIA Island of the Blue Dolphins (O’Dell)* EUROPE Scotland = Mad Wolf’s Daughter (Magras) -- Medieval; slight fantastical edge England = Adam of the Road (Gray)* -- Medieval AMERICAS Brazil = Journey to the River Sea (Ibbotson) Peru = Secret of the Andes Caribbean = The Cay (Taylor)** ANCIENT WORLD Mayan Empire = The Well of Sacrifice (Eboch) Mesopotamia = The Golden Bull (Cowley) Asia Minor = Hittite Warrior (Williamson)* Edited October 1, 2020 by Lori D. 3 1 Quote
Shelly in VA Posted October 1, 2020 Author Posted October 1, 2020 Thank you, @Lori D.! That is a fabulous list! And, yes, the age range is a bit challenging. 😉 We started off as two separate age groups, but merged last year and now this is where we are. 🤷♀️ We read Long Walk to Water last year - it was one of our favorites! Great story and great discussion. But we haven't read any of the others as a group. I really love the group and the chance to watch the kids interact with the books and each other! Thank you so much for the list of titles! Quote
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