Kit’s Wilderness- David Almond

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Kit’s Wilderness is a novel that is very realistic but includes fantastical elements.  Kit is a 13 year old boy whose family has recently moved back to the town in which is grandfather grew up.  Part of the story revolves around Kit’s grandfather’s declining health and mental state.  I identified with this aspect [...]

Tangerine- Edward Bloor

  Tangerine kept me interested for the entire novel.  Paul, the seventh grade protagonist, is an engaging character with whom I was able to empathize.  One of the story lines that kept me the most intrigued throughout the book was the mystery of how Paul’s eye sight was harmed.  There is just enough mystery and intrigue in [...]

Bullyville- Francine Prose

  I picked this book up in the hopes that it would address the issues of bullying in a way that speaks to students.  In that regard it fell short.  While I found the novel interesting, it did not do enough to show the negative effects of bullying and what the best ways do deal with [...]

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 [...]

Out of the Dust- Karen Hess

This historical fiction piece is written in verse form. The language is easy to understand however. It takes place during the 1930’s in the middle of the “dust bowl.” This book I believe is appropriate for students ages 10-13 depending on their reading level. If a class were studying this time period it [...]