So Not the Drama- Paula Chase

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So Not the Drama is a light easy read that still talks about some serious issues.  Mina is entering high school along with 3 best friends (1 girl, 2 boys) and is very concerned with becoming one of the “popular” crowd.  Throughout the novel Mina deals with keeping up her friendships, forming new ones, [...]

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 [...]

Scorpions- Walter Dean Meyers

I really enjoyed Scorpions.  I think Meyers does a good job of portraying what life can be like for kids living in impoverished neighborhoods.  The reading is pretty easy, and I think that this book can be used successfully in a middle school classroom.  Or even for a class of struggling 9th graders.  It lends [...]

Romiette and Julio-Sharon Draper

I have liked every single one of Drapers books that I have read.  This book is great because it plays off of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet by having two teens of different races dating.  It has gangs, some violence, and deals with race issues in a very real way.  Draper catches readers’ (esp teens) attention [...]

Whale Talk- Chris Crutcher

I just finished reading this book almost entirely straight through.  I found it interesting, engaging, and felt it touched on several key issues for teens today.  The protagonist is a 17 year old male, and is multi-racial.  The book deals with racism, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, the mentally handicapped, the physically handicapped, obesity, [...]

A Hero Ain’t Nothing But A Sandwich- Alice Childress

Childress’ classic story is written in the vernacular, but some of the slang is dated. Dealing with growing up poor, black, and addicted to drugs is the center of this story. I think this is a book that may appeal the most to young black males from a lower class background. I think this would [...]