Kristin Levine The Lions of Little Rock is a perfect example of engaging historical fiction. The story takes place in Arkansas in 1958. Due to the battle between segregation and integration of schools, high schools are closed and both white and black students are left to get their own education. One year after the Little Rock Nine bravely set foot in the integrated schools of Arkansas, the main character, Marlee, is trying to find her voice, literally. Marlee has a debilitating fear of talking and speaking up. As she goes to school, she meets a new student, Liz, and finally finds a friend she can actually talk to. As the frienship evolves, Marlee begins to speak up for herself, until Liz is thrown out of school because she is a black child who "passed" as white to go to the school. Marlee continues to meet Liz however, and when they are caught together in the zoo terrifying consequences result. The story illustrates how every family was affected by segregation, and how hatred blinded many to what was important: providing every child with an equal education.
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Michael Williams The book begins with the high energy of young boys playing soccer together in Africa, but it changes immediately. As the boys hear soldiers in the distance they have to decide if they can keep playing for one more goal before they arrive, jump off of their jeeps, and slaughter their village. This book about war on the continent of Africa is not for the faint of heart. It depicts the horror and inhumanity of war and some scenes are graphic. The main character, Deo, a soccer-loving teenager, lives in Zimbabwe with his brother Innocent and is forced to flee his home when rebel soldiers attack and kill almost everyone in his village. As the brothers journey miles on foot to get to South Africa, the reader learns about the realities refugees must face every day and the scenes are adventure-filled and vivid. Throughout the harrowing trek the game of soccer keeps Deo alive and beautifully human. This is an important book that opens the reader up to the world, and what others must face every day just to survive. Matthew Cody Powerless is a fantasy story with superpowers! The book begins with a young boy who is excited that he will finally be a teenager and turn 13. But what if turning 13 means you will lose super human powers that make you special? The main character, Daniel, meets new friends in the town of Noble's Green, and discovers each has a super power. They keep Noble's Green and its residents safe from harm, but is a supervillain taking their powers away? Daniel and his friends go on a quest to discover what is happening. The many different characters bring this book to life! This book is a Madison favorite which many students highly recommend! Note: This is also part of a series. The book Super, is next. Melissa Meyer Cinder is the first book in this Lunar Chronicles series. If you are a Hunger Games or Divergent fan, you will love this book! This story is a twist of science fiction with a touch of fairy tale thrown in. It takes place in the future where humans and androids live together and earth is threatened by the lunar people. Cinder follows the fairy tale plot of a young girl in servitude to her stepmother and stepsisters, but Cinder is a cyborg who cannot remember the accident that caused her to need bionic parts to be whole again. Earth is constantly under the threat of plague, but only the lunar people seem to be immune, which causes more of a conflict between the two worlds. When Cinder meets Prince Kai, the only one who can unite the two worlds, Cinder learns more about herself and the mission she must carry out to save Earth. Neal Shusterman If you like "different," than you will like anything by Neal Shusterman. I enjoyed this book for two reasons: I really empathized with the main character, and I loved that each chapter was told from a different character's point of view. The reader should also know that this is not realistic fiction. Brewster, aka Bruiser, is the kid in high school voted "most likely to get the death penalty," a big hulk of a loner that no one has taken the time to befriend. As a brother and sister, Tennyson and Bronte, get to know him we find out that Brewster is actually protecting himself and others by avoiding any real relationships. Chapter by chapter, the reader learns that Brewster takes on the pain of others, whether it be physical or emotional. Cut by cut and bruise by bruise, Brewster takes on all the pain of the people he loves. This is one book many students have even recommended to me! Sharon M. Draper I couldn't put this book down! This is the engaging story of 11-year-old Melody and her family, and this is one main character you will never forget. Melody has a photographic memory but was also born with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition affecting muscle movement. She also cannot speak. The story really makes the reader think about how we ignore or mistreat others who are different than us, and how our words and actions affect others. The plot really picks up when she begins inclusion classes and attempts to compete in the fifth grade Knowledge Competition. Let me begin by admitting I do not read a lot of non-fiction, and the genre usually does not hold my interest. However, I could not put this book down! BOMB tells the story of the race to create the atomic bomb, and the race to steal its secrets. I think the most intriguing aspect of the book is that the story is told from many points of view: scientists (Oppenheimer and Einstein), Soviet spies, and even Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay. It is also filled with photos and declassified documents from that era. As fascinating as all of the different stories are, the book led me to ask many questions: What if Hitler got the atomic bomb first? What if Russia did? And more importantly, Should any human being (or country) have the power to cause so much destruction? |
AuthorCorey Dwyer is a library media specialist at Madison Middle School in Trumbull, CT who views authors as rock stars. Her career began in marketing, working for companies in WIlton, CT, New York, and Los Angeles. Archives
January 2018
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