GRADES - 7-9

AUTHOR - NATALIE BABBITT

GRADES - 5 - 7

NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSN.  -TOP 100 BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

AMAZON - TOP 100 BOOKS FOR CHILDREN #16 

GOODREADS - 100 BOOKS TO READ IN A LIFETIME  #67 

CHRISTOPHER AWARD - 👍

This award is presented to authors who "affirm the highest values of the human spirit by making a positive difference in the world."

ANUSZ KORCZAK MEDAL  - FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY👍

The members of the Tuck family drank water from a stream which caused them to live forever. While eternal life may seem like a good thing at first, it does present some serious problems. How do you maintain social relationships if you remain the same age and everyone else grows older? This, and other issues are raised in this thought provoking novel.

1. If you could live forever, what age would you choose to be? Why?
    

   Answers will vary.


2. Did Winnie make the right decision?
   

   Answers will vary. Winnie decided not to dring the water which would 

   have given her immortality. Her tombstone said "Loving mother and wife" 

   indicating that she might have led a good life.

3. Has this story changed your mind about living forever? Explain.
    

    Answers will vary.   

AUTHOR -REBECCA STEAD

GRADES - 5 -8

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”.


ANDRE NORTON AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW

HORN BOOK - STARRED REVIEW

BOOKLIST - STARRED REVIEW

JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD - SELECTION

ALA-ALSC  - NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK

ALA-YALSA - TOP TEN BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

KIRKUS REVIEWS - STARRED REVIEW

Set in Manhattan, twelve-year-old Miranda doesn’t understand why her best friend has stopped talking to her. She also receives strange notes from someone who knows things that no one should know about her, indicating that something horrible will happen to a friend. This novel deals with the concept of time travel which often strains the mind to understand what is happening. The story begins slow and then gets more interesting with each chapter, leading to a terrific conclusion. Recommended for mature thinkers fifth grade through eighth grade.  

1. If you could travel back in time, where would you go? Why? 

2. Why did the laughing man (Marcus) need Richard’s shoe?


    He needed a strong shoe to kick Sal out of the way of the truck. 

3. If you were Miranda, what would you have written to Marcus at the end
 of the 

    story? 

    Miranda knew that someday, Marcus would return as a time traveler and

    save Sal. 

AUTHOR -COLIN MELOY

GRADES - 5 - 7

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.  

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW

NEW YORK TIMES -  BESTSELLER

INDIE - BESTSELLER

E.B. WHITE -  READ-ALOUD MIDDLE READER AWARD

While a twelve-year-old girl is baby-sitting her brother, he is kidnapped by a group of crows who take him into a place called the Impassable Wilderness, which borders Portland, Oregon. This area is so thick with vegetation, that no one ever goes there. The girl and her friend Curtis decide to rescue her brother and find themselves in a world filled with animal bandits, warring coyotes, military birds and a power struggle for control of this secret world. This is Book one of The Wildwood Chronicles. It is followed by Under Wildwood and Wildwood Imperium.

1. After Prue’s brother was taken, she waited a day before deciding to go into the 

    Wilderness alone without consulting her parents. What would you have done? 

    Answers will vary. 

2. Why do you think Curtis decided to stay in the Wilderness, rather than 

    return to his home? 

    Curtis felt important here. The other bandits respected him. He

    made many friends. In Portland, he was a loner. 

3. Why would Prue and Curtis be good people to have as friends? 

    They were very loyal. Prue was loyal to her brother and Curtis was

    loyal to the bandits. They were caring. They cared about each other

    and the animals in the woods. They were likable. The woodland

    creatures became good friends with both of them. 

4. Do you think Prue will return to the Wilderness? Explain.

    Probably. At the end of the story, Curtis‘ parents told her to say hello to 

    him the next time she saw him. 

5. Do you think Curtis will leave the Wilderness? Explain. Answers will vary. 

6. How did Curtis’ parents feel at the end of the story? 

    They seemed to be happy because they knew their son was happy. They

    told Pru to say hello to him. 

AUTHOR -CAROLL PLUM-UCCI

GRADES - 7 - 12

MICHAEL L. PRINZ AWARD - HONOR 

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

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW

INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION - CHILDREN'S CHOICE AWARD

When Christopher Creed, the class freak, disappeared, it tore the town apart. Suicide, murder, kidnapping - everyone had an opinion. Readers will identify with the teen world of the haves and the have-nots. This suspenseful story will not only hold its intended audience, but it will illustrate how dangerous preconceived notions can be regarding people. A perfect book for the teen who doesn’t like to read.

1. What do you think happened to Christopher Creed?

2. This book received an award for the best book written for teens in 2002.

    How would you rate it? Explain.

AUTHOR PHILLIP HOOSE

GRADES - 5 AND UP

JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD - HONOR BOOK 👍

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.  

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD  - WINNER 

NEWBERY AWARD - HONOR

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”.

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.

ROBERT F. SIBERT BOOK AWARD - HONOR 

This award is presented annually to the writer and illustrator of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW 

BOOKLIST - STARRED REVIEW 

WASHINGTON POST - BEST BOOK OF 2009 

THE HORN BOOK - STARRED REVIEW 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - STARRED REVIEW 

BULLETIN FOR THE CENTER OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS - STARRED REVIEW

Most people connect Rosa Parks with the Montgomery bus boycott as a result of her refusal to give her seat to a white person. However, this incident was ignited by a teen-age girl named Claudette Colvin, who was dragged off a bus by two policemen, and taken to jail where she was fingerprinted. This rebellious act was repeated by another teen a few months later. However, these two children were not considered mature enough to be the test case. Unfortunately for Colvin, she was considered to be a pariah by some and she lost just about all of her friends who regarded her as a troublemaker. To complicate matters, she became pregnant by a white man and gave birth to a white boy. 
Although Parks is given much of the credit for ending bus segregation, it was the legal system that decided the matter. It is interesting to note that two of the plaintiffs were Colvin and the other teen. Parks was not involved in the lawsuit.  
One basic message of this book is that history is often unfair. On the one hand we have Colvin, a young teen, who decided on her own to stand up to a horrible system. She had no plan or support at the time. On the other hand we have Parks, who was not only hand picked, but she worked for the NAACP and she had the confidence of knowing that once she was arrested, a support group would be waiting for her. While the author recognizes Parks for her courage, he makes it clear that Colvin should have received more credit for trying to beat the system single-handed. Although Colvin was somewhat miffed at the time, and felt that she should have received her share of positive publicity, she later realized that Parks was better suited for the role as the barrier buster. 
As noted below, this book is a National Book Award winner and rightfully so. The compelling narrative accompanied by dozens of great pictures make this story very appealing and informative. 

Chapter Five - When Claudette returned to school, many of her classmates made fun of her. Why didn't they respect her for what she did?


They could have been afraid. Claudette challenged white authority, and 

that usually meant that some African-American was going to get hurt.                                                                                                                     

Chapter Six - Sometimes it takes a great deal of courage to do the right thing. Explain how Claudette made her feelings known without breaking the law.


She braided her hair and told everyone that she was proud to be African.



Chapter Eight - At the end of the chapter, Claudette feels as though she was being thrown to the lions. What do you think that means?


She was going to be a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the city of Montgomery. This meant that she would face hostile lawyers and resentment from the people who did not want the Jim Crow laws changed. 

AUTHOR - KYLE LUKOFF

GRADES - 4 - 7

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD - FINALIST 

STONEWALL AWARD -👍

The Stonewall Book Award is a set of three literary awards that annually recognize "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience" in English-language books published in the U.S.

RAINBOW LIST: TOP TEN LGBTQ BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS👍

NEWBERY AWARD - HONOR

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”.  

KIRKUS - STARRED REVIEW  

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - STARRED REVIEW  

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - STARRED REVIEW  

BOOKLIST - STARRED REVIEW  

BOSTON GLOBE - BEST BOOK OF 2021 

TIME - BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK 2021 

WASHINGTON POST - BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK 2012

Not being transgender, I cannot speak for the manner in which the main character, who is experiencing an identity crisis, deals with this issue. However, the author has been there and done that, so if my faith in him is justified; this is one helluva book. Trans kids will recognize their own inner voices, and those who have acceptance problems just might be a bit more tolerant after reading about Bugs and the journey she takes from being a girl to discovering that she is really a he. This easy, quick read delivers a powerful message - be yourself.

1. Tommy was able to fit in rather easily in his new school.  How would he be  

    treated if  he came to your school? 

2. Should gender be a consideration when choosing a friend?                                                       

AUTHOR - ZORA NEALE HURSTON

GRADES - 7 AND UP

JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD - FINALIST👍

A national committee of members with passion for and expertise in children’s literature and social justice is responsible for making the choices each year.

TEACHERS’S FAVORITE AWARD - SELECTION

LIBRARIANS’ FAVORITE AWARD - SELECTION

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - SELECTION
The School Library Journal is an American monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people.

The author, a cultural anthropologist,  interviewed an eighty-six year old man named Cudjo Lewis who was believed to be the last slave from Africa. Although the information was gathered in 1927, the book was not published until 2018. Readers will learn about African culture, how Cudjo was captured  and brought  to America, and how he survived after slavery was abolished. In order for Hurston to get Cudjo to speak to her, she felt it necessary to bring gifts. On one occasion  they ate an entire watermelon.Although most of the dialogue is written in dialect, it is not difficult to read. These first hand accounts are better than anything you can find in history books. To understand the entire slave experience, this version is must reading.

1.   If you had the opportunity, what would you ask Cudjo?

2.   Do you think Cudjo would have led a better life if he returned to Africa?  

      Explain.                                    

AUTHOR - JORDAN SONNENBLICK

GRADES - 5 -7

REBECCA CAUDILL YOUNG READERS' AWARD


BOOK SENSE CHILDREN'S PICK

BEEHIVE YOUNG ADULTS BOOK AWARD

MAUD HART LOVELACE AWARD

NUTMEG CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD


VOLUNTEER STATE BOOK AWARD

ARIZONA GRAND CANYON READER AWARD


MARYLAND BLACK-EYED SUSAN AWARD

PENNSYLVANIA YOUNG READERS' CHOICE AWARD

Steven is a typical eighth grader. In addition to playing the drums, he has a crush on a girl who doesn’t seem to notice him. He has to deal with an annoying little brother and a somewhat overprotective mother. When he learns that his brother has leukemia, his entire world gets turned upside down. His parents pay little attention to him. His mother quits her job and his grades begin to drop. He decides to deal with this burden by himself, which only makes his life more difficult. Ironically, listeners will find themselves laughing more than shedding a tear, as Steven is extremely witty. His observations and comments regarding his parents, teachers, and friends are very humorous. This is an exceptional story about love, and the notion that life must go on despite setbacks. After a somewhat slow beginning, the story moves along at a rapid pace, which is perfect for a read-aloud. You should get many laughs and many great discussions as you present the story.  

1. Compare and contrast Steven to yourself. Use personality and 
examples of  

    behavior in your answer.        

    plays the drums in the school band / eighth grader / annoying little 

    brother / hates journal assignments / small for his age / wears  braces /  

    poor  at sports/ very witty / 

    imaginative - When his brother became upset because he
  thought he 

    looked like a raccoon, Steven told him a wild story 
 about raccoons

    taking over the world, causing Jeffrey to forget that he had two black  

    eyes.      

    caring - When Jeffrey threw up on him,  he 
joked about it. He asked him

    to aim for his dress shoes the next 
time he vomited. He reads to his 

    brother. He also shaved his head 
because his brother lost his hair. 

2. Read the last sentence in chapter 4, “The Fat Cat Sat”. Besides being
 a star in

    the spring concert, what was Steven really thinking about?          

    He was wishing he could share this great news with his Mom, but
 the

    family was in a state of turmoil and he never got the opportunity 
to tell 

    her. Maybe he didn’t  think it was appropriate to discuss his
 happiness

    at this time. 

 3. Steve worries about many things. Besides his brother’s health, what do 
 you 

     think is the biggest concern in his life?          

     Possible answers - 
 wanting Renee to pay attention to him for the right

     reasons
 / how his family will survive after paying huge medical bills
 /  

     dealing with his father who has not paid him much attention/
  keeping

     up his grades
/ doing well in the  band concert                                                           

4. Sometimes bad situations lead to good things. Explain how this 
happened to 

    Steven.
       

    When Jeffrey was diagnosed with leukemia, Steven did everything 
he 

    could to help him. His behavior was noticed by his peers and  they began

    to treat him  with respect and admiration. He even won 
the hearts of two

    girls. The band held a concert to raise money for Jeffrey’s cancer 

    treatments. In short, Steven became one of the  most popular boys in

    the school as he demonstrated his love and devotion to Jeffrey.      

AUTHOR - ANN M. MARTIN

GRADES - 5-7

INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION - YOUNG ADULT CHOICE 

    AWARD  

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY – BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

CHILD MAGAZINE – BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

NUTMEG BOOK AWARD 

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The story takes the reader to a small rural community in the South during the early sixties where Belle Teal Harper is introduced. She is a fifth grader in a town that is experiencing the turmoil caused by desegregation. In addition, a new girl moves into the neighborhood who thinks she is better than everyone else because she is rich. Belle becomes the champion for the black children, while dealing with the abusive behavior of the new girl.  

1.Write a paragraph using the following as a topic sentence:
   Belle was a kind, 

   loving, caring person. 

   She loves her Mama and Gran. She likes Little Boss even though he is not popular with the other children. She sits next to Darryl in the lunchroom when she sees him sitting by himself. When Vanessa does not get the part of Mary in the school play, Belle feels sorry for her and tried to be her friend. Belle protects Darryl from people who try to hurt him. She feels sad when she sees how poorly the adults are behaving with their racist attitudes. She tries to get some of the boys to accept Darryl by tricking them. However, the plan backfires. She feels bad when Little Boss and his father spit at Darryl. She is very kind to Little Boss as she walks with him to his father’s truck. She cares for him because she knows that his father abuses him.  Belle accepts everyone regardless of skin color. She cannot understand why  all people do not share that same point of view. When Little Boss does not show up at school, Belle becomes worried. She hopes nothing bad happened to him. 

2.  What do you think were the two worst things that happened to Daryl?
   

    a. Some white parents picket the school shouting hateful remarks as 

        Darryl enters the building.
     

    b. Little Boss hits Darryl on the back causing him to spill his milk.
     

    c. Little Boss’ father spits on Darryl and tells him to go back where he 

        came from.


    d. When Darryl enters the classroom for the first time, several students

        make it known that they do not want anything to do with him.
     

    e. Vanessa brings a note from home asking that her seat be changed so

        
that she does not sit next to Darryl.
     

    f.  Little Boss’ father blames Darryl when Little Boss shoots himself in the

        foot.
 

    g. Vernon and his friends tell Darryl that he better not come to the

        Halloween party because it is not for his people.
     

    h. Little Boss tells Darryl that he has poisoned the school. 
     

    i. Vernon tells Darryl not to bring his cookies to the party because no 
one

       is going to eat them. 
     

    j. Vernon tells Darryl that he will not be in the pageant because colored

       
people had nothing to do with the birth of Christ. 

AUTHOR - CARL HIASSEN

GRADES -  5-8

NEWBERY AWARD - HONOR BOOK - 

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”.


VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES (VOYA)  TOP SHELF FICTION  FOR MIDDLE

    SCHOOL READERS

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSN. - NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK

TEXAS LONE STAR READING LIST - WINNER

KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS MASTER LIST  - WINNER

MAINE STUDENT MASTER LIST - WINNER

KEYSTONE STATE READING ASSN. BOOK AWARD 

CONNECTICUT NUTMEG CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD

As the title suggests Hoot is about a group of burrowing owls. Since they are a protected species, permits are needed to build in their nesting area. A pancake company bribes a town official as they try to build their restaurant on protected land. When some middle school students learn that the owls are in jeopardy of getting killed, they try to sabotage the project. However, Hoot is more than an environmental story. The protagonist is a new boy in town who finds himself at the mercy of the school bully. Since he cannot outmuscle the boy, he uses his wits to gain the upper hand. Before the arrival of the new boy, a young teen from an abusive home ran away to live in the woods. He becomes a friend of the endangered owls as well as the new boy. Together, they work to defeat the bully and save the owls. 

1. Explain how Roy’s behavior caused people to like him. Be specific. 

    He was kind. He brought sneakers for the running boy and he provided a 

    place for Beatrice to sleep when things got out of hand at her home. 

    He was considerate. He developed a passion for saving wildlife. After his 

    mother had  miscarriage, he wanted to be sure that nothing happened to him. 

    He tried to avoid risks or do anything that would put himself in danger. 

    Roy was loyal. After he brought the running boy to the hospital, he lied to help 

    him. He also took care of him after he ran away from the hospital. Finally, he 

    protected him by  not revealing who he was to the authorities. 

2. Roy was a very determined boy. Give specific examples to support this 

    statement. 

    He never gave up trying to find out the identity of the running boy. He 

    chased him all over the place and even got hit in the head by a golf ball

    during the chase.

    He was determined to stop the owners of the Pancake House from 

    destroying the owls’ nesting place. He went to the town hall and learned 

    that the necessary permits for building the house were missing. He went 

    to school and told his class about the owls during a current events 

    lesson. He was able to elicit the support of his classmates to protest the 

    construction of the Pancake House. 

    Roy also helped save the owls by giving the running boy his digital 

    camera so that pictures of the owls could be taken. Roy used Dana as a 

    distraction so that  the running boy could remove seats from the 

    bulldozers. 

    Although he didn’t succeed, he tried to become friends with Dana. 

3. What makes the running boy so different from other boys his age? 

    He can catch a fish with his bare hands. 

    He does not go to school. 

    He lives in a junkyard by himself.

    He doesn’t wear shoes. He captures alligators and poisonous snakes.  

                                                     PAGE 28