VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES (VOYA) - A PERFECT TEN 👍

AUTHOR - ROBIN BRANDE

GRADES - 6 - 10

VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES - A PERFECT TEN 

VOYA Founded in 1978, Voice of Youth Advocates, or (VOYA),This magazine is the leading library journal dedicated to the needs of young adult librarians, the advocacy of young adults, and the promotion of young adult literature and reading. Its most prestigious award is a Perfect Ten. This is given to a book that gets a five star rating for quality and a five star rating for popularity. 

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION - BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

BOOK SENSE - CHILDREN'S PICK LIST

NCSS/CBC – NOTABLE CHILDREN'S TRADE BOOK IN THE FIELD OF 

    SOCIAL STUDIES

This powerhouse of a story focuses on a high school freshman who finds herself ostracized from just about everyone because she apologized to a boy who had attempted suicide as a result of a church condemning him because he was gay. The protagonist, Mena Reece, tries to reconcile her belief in God, while accepting Darwin’s theory of evolution. This brings her at odds with her parents, her church, and just about all of her friends. The one bright light in her life is Casey, her lab partner. As this relationship evolves, so does Mena, as she struggles to find her identity. The author tackles the issue of whether or not intelligent design should be taught in conjunction with evolution. The result is a masterpiece and is must reading for anyone who needs to “get a handle” on this controversy.


Compare and contrast Mena to yourself. Use personality and examples 
of behavior in your answer.
    

Mena is shy and and does not like to be the center of attention. 

She
 has difficulty facing her problems. When the youth group begins
  to tease her and push her around, she does not respond to them by
 fighting back. She goes to the girls’ room rather than be teased in
 the cafeteria.
    

She loves to write. She always carries a notebook with her. She
 enjoys writing as Bible GIrl on Kayla’s blog.
   

She is a good person as evidenced by her apology to Denny. She
 knew that the church and the youth group hurt him and she wanted 
to make him feel better. She also felt bad about lying to her parents
 and eventually tells them the truth.
    

Mena is very determined. When she realized that the youth group
 was spreading hate and causing problems for her science teacher,
 she decided to do whatever it took to stop them.
    

She worries a great deal. She is afraid that Casey will not like her 
once he realizes that she is not very smart. She also worries about 
 her fading relationship with her parents.
    

According to Casey, she is funny.
    

She believes in God and the bible.
    

She loves science. 

AUTHOR - PHILIP PULLMAN

GRADES - 5 -12

😪WARNING! THIS BOOK HAS BEEN BANNED!😪

NEWSWEEK - TOP 100 BOOKS OF ALL TIME 

GUARDIAN PRIZE FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - WINNER

BOSTON GLOBE HORN BOOK - STARRED REVIEW

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - TOP 100 CHILDREN'S NOVELS #28 

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY - ALL TIME GREATEST CHILDREN'S NOVEL

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN. - BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS 

NEW YORK TIMES - BESTSELLER 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - STARRED REVIEW 

CARNEGIE MEDAL - STARRED REVIEW

Something strange is happening to the children who are approaching adolescence. They are disappearing. A lady with a golden monkey lures them into a basement, where they are taken by people known as Gobblers to a place in the Arctic. One rumor says that doctors are using the children for experiments. Others say that the children are eaten by a warlike tribe.  The heroine of this story is a young girl named Lyra, who gets captured by Gobblers and escapes. She gets rescued by the boat people who are angry because Gobblers have taken many of their children. Lyra decides to help them. However, her journey will be filled with obstacles - killer flies, good and bad witches and ferocious armored bears.  This is a story for mature fifth and up who desire something a bit more intense than Harry Potter. It is the first of a trilogy. Interested readers should read The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. This story is one of the best of the best, along with Where the Red Fern Grows, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

1. Almost everyone in this story had a daemon which was related to their 

    
personality. If you had a daemon, what shape would it take? Explain.
 Would 

    you like to have a daemon? 

    Explain. 

2. Many book reviewers say that The Golden Compass is one of the best
 novels 

    ever written. What do you think? Explain.


AUTHOR -PADMA VENKATRAMAN

GRADES - 5 AND UP

VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES (VOYA) A PERFECT TEN 

VOYA Founded in 1978, Voice of Youth Advocates, or (VOYA),This magazine is the leading library journal dedicated to the needs of young adult librarians, the advocacy of young adults, and the promotion of young adult literature and reading. Its most prestigious award is a Perfect Ten. This is given to a book that gets a five star rating for quality and a five star rating for popularity. 

NOTABLE BOOKS FOR A GLOBAL SOCIETY AWARD👍🏿

This is an annual list of 25 books created by the International Literacy Association 

which enhance student understanding of people and cultures.


CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 

    BEST BOOKS👍🏿

a committee of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) identifies the best in multicultural books.

BOOKLIST - STARRED REVIEW

KIRKUS - STARRED REVIEW

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW

INTERNATIONAL BOARD ON BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE -  

  OUTSTANDING BOOK FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN. A NOTABLE BOOK FOR CHILDREN

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY  - BOOK FOR THE TEEN

A young teen’s determination to realize her dream as dancer, and the inspiration she receives from others after losing her leg, provides page turning reading regardless of your interest in dancing. Get ready for an emotional roller coaster ride - buckle up.

1. Do you have a passion in your life that is similar to Veda’s?
 Can you describe 

    it?


2. At the end of the chapter called In the Eye, page 93 hardcover, Veda 
says that 

    she now understands the proverb - Beauty is in the eye of the 
 beholder. What 

    do you think it means?
    

    She is referring to the way her grandmother sees her.


3. In the chapter called Acting Anger, page 100 hardcover, Veda acts 
 differently 

    toward the lady on the bus. Do you agree with what she did? 
What would you

    have done?


4. In the chapter called Flight of Feeling, page 204 hardcover, Veda says,
 “You’d 

    prefer to be a demon like me.” What does that mean?
    

    Veda is somewhat rebellious, while Govinda tries to get along with
 

    everyone. He needs to be a bit more assertive. He needs to tell his 

    
parents that he wants to be a dancer, not an engineer. 

AUTHOR -MARTIN JENKINS

GRADES - 3-5

CYBILS AWARD - NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK - FINALIST 👍🏿

seeks out and recognizes books that represent diversity, inclusion, and appropriate representation for children and teens 

BOSTON GLOBE - HORN BOOK - HONOR 

JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - BEST BOOK LIST FOR NONFICTION

KIRKUS REVIEWS - BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF 2012

Without being too preachy, readers are encouraged to think about endangered species. While the tiger receives some attention, most of the book explains why animals became or are becoming extinct.

If you could save an animal from becoming extinct, which one would you
    choose? Explain.                                                                                           

AUTHOR - LAURA AMY SCHLITZ 

GRADES - 4 AND UP  

NEWBERY MEDAL - WINNER

The Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, to the author of "the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children”.

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN. -  NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK  

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH - NOTABLE CHILDREN'S TRADE BOOK IN THE LANGUAGE ARTS  

JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

This gem of a book depicts life during the Middle Ages by using a series of monologues featuring members of a feudal community. The characters include a falconer’s son, a knight’s son, a blacksmith’s daughter, and about twenty others. Their experiences are thought provoking and provide an excellent understanding of this period in history. The author, a school librarian, originally wrote this book as a play, which accounts for the brilliant dialogue as readers get into the minds and feelings of the characters presented. Do not skip over this one! 

1. Would you rather live in today’s world or in the Middle Ages? Explain.


2. If you could trade places with one of the characters, who would you choose? 

   Why?


3. Who led the happier life - Giles or Drogo? Explain.
    

    Giles was a beggar. He worked a scam with his father to fool people into 


    giving them food. Drogo was a tanner’s apprentice. He enjoyed his work, 


    however, he complained about the negative comments from the

 
   townspeople about the smell coming from the tannery. A case could be 


    made for both characters, however, I think Giles had more fun. 

4. What does Giles mean when he said, “…Look after your foxes as well as 


    your sheep.”
   

    He was referring to the way he and his father tricked the people. 
They 

    were sly as foxes.                                                      

AUTHOR - ERIN ESTRADA KELLY

GRADES -3-5

NEWBERY AWARD - WINNER 

The Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, to the author of "the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children”.

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 

     BEST BOOKS👍🏿

a committee of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) identifies the best in multicultural books.

WASHINGTON POST BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN - 2017

LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY - BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN - 2017

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS - 2017

CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOKS 2017 - FICTION FOR OLDER READERS

Celebrating differences and bullying are two themes that run through this Newbery Award winner, as three tweens with issues become friends through the unintended consequence of a bully’s behavior. 

1. Do you think Kaori really has special powers? Explain. 

2. Do you think the girls will succeed with their new business? 

3. Would you bring your problems and/or concerns to them? 

4. Will Chet act differently when he sees Virgil again? 
    

     Maybe. Virgil stood up to him causing him to reconsider his
 behavior. 

5. How could Virgil have gotten out of the well without any assistance?
    

    He could have tied his clothes together. By throwing the 
end over the

    bottom rung of the ladder and tying a knot, he might 
have been able to 

    pull himself up.                                                      

AS TOLD TO MICHELLE R. MCCANN BY LUBA TRYSZYNSKA-FREDERICK

GRADES -3-6

JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD - HONOR  👍🏿

The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award annually recognizes children’s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.  

SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER - ONCE UPON A WORLD AWARDS 👍🏿

This award was established by Sonia Levitin and her family to “support and perpetuate the values and mandate of the Simon Wiesenthal Center & Museum of Tolerance by honoring children’s books … which deal with issues of tolerance, diversity, human understanding and social justice, thus inspiring a young reader to promote positive change in the world.”

NOTABLE BOOKS FOR A GLOBAL SOCIETY AWARD👍🏿

This is an annual list of 25 books created by the International Literacy Association which enhance student understanding of people and cultures.

NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD 

Inau­gu­rat­ed in 1950, the Nation­al Jew­ish Book Awards is the longest-run­ning North Amer­i­can awards pro­gram of its kind and is rec­og­nized as the most pres­ti­gious. The Awards are intend­ed to rec­og­nize authors, and encour­age read­ing, of out­stand­ing Eng­lish-lan­guage books of Jew­ish interest.  

BOOK SENSE - CHILDREN'S 76 PICK 

During her first night in the concentration camp, Luba discovered 54 abandoned children who were left in the cold to die. She decided to keep these children alive by doing whatever she could to obtain food and clothing. She took advantage of her nurse status, which allowed her freedom to roam around the camp. When liberation day arrived, 52 of the 54 children survived.  While the main message of this book is one of caring and going beyond the call of duty, it should be noted that the art work and the text do not depict the horrors of the camp very well. Nevertheless, it doesn’t disappoint as a read aloud. 

1. What do you think was the happiest moment for Luba?
   

    Possible answers - getting birthday gifts from the children, being freed 

    from the camp, (from Epilogue - being honored by the Queen 
of Holland, 

    reuniting with her children after 50 years, meeting some 
of her relatives)


2. It is very difficult to hide fifty children. Do you think the guards knew about

    them and pretended that they didn’t know anything? Do you think 
that

    Luba and the children were lucky that no one found them? How do 
you 

    explain the fact that fifty children were never discovered?                                                          

AUTHOR - KEKLA MAGOON

GRADES - Mature 6th and up

CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD - HONOR👍🏿

The Award is given to an African American author and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions. The Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream of a pluralistic society. 

WALTER DEAN MYERS AWARD - FINALIST👍🏿

The Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children's Literature recognize diverse authors whose works feature diverse main characters and address diversity in a meaningful way.

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 

     BEST BOOKS👍🏿

a committee of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) identifies the best in multicultural books.

MICHAEL J. PRINTZ AWARD - HONOR 

Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". 

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE - 

     FINALIST 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - STARRED REVIEW

HORN BOOK - STARRED REVIEW

KIRKUS - STARRED REVIEW

During the fifties and sixties I was a follower of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his non-violent approach to civil rights. When the Black Panthers emerged, they were portrayed as a militant group, causing me to be somewhat confused as to how they were trying to accomplish their goals. I never really understood their purpose until I read this book which chronicles their history mainly from 1966-1982. I was astounded to learn how wrong I had been back in the day, as the media failed to give honest coverage to the Panthers. I was not aware of all the social services that they provided for their communities such as health care, food, clothing, shelter, education and more.

The first two chapters provide a history of racism in America which slowly caused the pot to boil over leading to the riots in the years following the King assassination. This crucial information allows readers to understand why the Black Panthers were formed. 

Revolution in our Time is not a casual read, as there are mountains of detailed information to be digested. However, for the serious reader who wants to learn about the Black Panthers, this is the book as the author left no stone unturned. It is ideal for young adults who will find captivating photos on most pages. The author deserves a ton of credit for doing the research and for allowing people like me to understand the humane side of the Black Panthers. Hopefully, readers will be influenced by this work and become contributing members to society.

1. Are there people in your neighborhood that are not getting the care they need. 

    What can you do about that?

2. If you were in charge of the Black Panthers, what would you have done 

    differently?

AUTHOR - ORSON SCOTT CARD

GRADES - 6 AND UP

NEBULA AWARD - WINNER 

HUGO AWARD - WINNER 

MODERN LIBRARY - :READERS' 100 BEST NOVELS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW

BARNES AND NOBLE- NEARLY 2,000 EXCELLENT REVIEWS

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN.  100 BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS FROM 

    1966-2000

This science fiction, anti-war classic places a young child named Ender in a position to save the Earth from aliens known as “buggers”. Ender is a genius and a superb military strategist. In the end, he accomplishes his mission. However, he learns along with the reader, that the war was unnecessary and many aliens and humans died for no reason. Ender spends the rest of his life making amends to the civilization he helped destroy. 

1.  Do you believe that the government should lie to people like they did to  Ender 

     and the people of Earth?     Answers will vary. 

2.  What did Ender do that impressed you the most?  Answers will vary. 

3.  A great deal of pressure was put on Ender. Was it necessary?
  Explain.
    

     Ender was only six years old. The intense pressure resulted in Ender
 

     killing one of his competitors. He also becomes obsessed with 
beating 

     the Giant’s game. He has to cope with the emotions of a  child and the 

     brain power of a genius. 

4.  Why does every chapter begin using bold print?    

     The start of each chapter is a conversation between the adults  involved 

     in the battle school. These are secret meetings. Ender has 
no idea that 

     these talks are occurring.


AUTHOR - CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI

GRADES - 6 AND UP

ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST FOR 151 WEEKS

BOOK SENSE- BOOK OF THE YEAR

A USA Today BESTSELLER

A #1  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -BESTSELLER 

A WALL STREET JOURNAL - BESTSELLER 

A BOOK SENSE - BESTSELLER

REBECCA CAUDILL YOUNG READERS' BOOK AWARD

YOUNG READERS' CHOICE AWARD  

I read this book shortly after it was published, and for fantasy lovers, I knew that I discovered a gem. I just reread the book (Sept. 2022) and enjoyed it immensely.

Eragon is a fifteen-year-old farm hand who was named for the first dragon rider. The dragon riders used to be the peace keepers of the world, but when the last dragon died, one of the riders went insane and killed all the other riders. He has since become an evil ruler. One day, Eragon finds a blue stone which turns out to be a dragon’s egg. When the dragon is born, Eragon secretly raises it. However, word gets out and the people who represent evil try to capture him. During most of this novel, he is on the run. While being chased he learns that in order to defeat the tyrants, he  needs training in the use of magic and combat. He finds safety in the kingdom of the dwarfs and the kingdom of the elves, where he develops his skills and becomes known as a fearless dragon rider. His goal is to restore peace to the land where humans, dwarfs and elves reside without conflict.

His adventures are absolutely breathtaking, as this book truly fits the definition of “hard to put down.” 

Recommended for sixth graders and up. This is the first in a set of four books. Book 2 - Eldest, Book 3 Brisingr Book 4 Inheritance. 

1. Which character was more important - Eragon or Saphira (the dragon)?
    

    Answers will vary. 


2. Suppose someone else found the egg. Would that person have achieved the 

    same results as Eragon?
    Answers will vary. 

3. Eragon found the stone and then tried unsuccessfully to get rid of it. Was this

    due to luck, or was it something else?