Tears of A Tiger- Sharon Draper

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Written in 1994 Tears of A Tiger will still resonate with students now, 15 years later.  This story deals with the aftermath of a drunk driving accident that kills a high school student.  The relationships between friends, children and parents, teachers, and counselors are all discussed through transcripts of discussions, newspaper articles, diary entries, [...]

The Battle of Jericho- Sharon M. Draper

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I am a fan of Sharon Draper.  I love that her books are urban, but have subtle and not so subtle morals.  When I’ve used some of her other novels in class the students really identify with the characters.  She does it again with this book.  The characters are all easy to identify [...]

Copper Sun- Sharon Draper

This novel is much different than Draper’s other works.  It is set during slavery and follows  one girl from her capture in Africa through her experiences with slavery here in America.  It is clear that Draper did a great deal of research to write this book.  The main character is 15 years old.  Due to [...]

Monster- Walter Dean Meyers

This is a multi-genre piece written in the format of journals and a screenplay.  It deals with an under-privileged black boy on trial for murder. I think it could capture the attention of reluctant readers. Especially black males or students who have been incarcerated.  I would use this in an 8th or 9th grade classroom [...]