An incredibly moving autobiographical Holocaust account, I Have Lived a Thousand Years, by Livia Bitton-Jackson, is very emotional, and can be used to discuss racism, suffering, and hope.
info:
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (June 5, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743408756
ISBN-13: 978-0743408752
about: The author was 13 when the Nazis took Hungary. In intimate and excruciating detail, Livia Bitton-Jackson describes how her young life was transformed by her experiences, from suspension from school to surviving the horrors of Auschwitz.
Edward Irving Wortis, better known by the pen name Avi, is an American author of young adult and children's literature.
Avi's treasured Newbery Honor Book (1991), The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, is a great book to use when discussing gender roles.
info:
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; Reprint edition (September 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545477115
ISBN-13: 978-0545477116
about: Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is excited to return home from her
school in England to her family in Rhode Island in the summer of 1832.
But
when the two families she was supposed to travel with mysteriously
cancel their trips, Charlotte finds herself the lone passenger on a long
sea voyage with a cruel captain and a mutinous crew. Worse yet, soon
after stepping aboard the ship, she becomes enmeshed in a conflict
between them! What begins as an eagerly anticipated ocean crossing turns
into a harrowing journey, where Charlotte gains a villainous enemy . . .
and is put on trial for murder!
The Giver can be used to discuss pain and grief, as well as responsibility and community.
Perfect for a read aloud.
This bestselling book by Lois Lowry won the Newberry Medal in 1994 and the ALA Margaret Edwards Award
in 2007 citing The Giver alone (published 1993). The ALA award recognizes one writer and a particular body of work for "significant
and lasting contribution to young adult literature". The citation observed that "The Giver
was one of the most frequently challenged books from 1990–2000"—that
is, the object of "a formal, written attempt to remove a book from a
library or classroom." According to the panel chair, "The book has held a
unique position in teen literature. Lowry's exceptional use of
metaphors and subtle complexity make it a book that will be discussed,
debated and challenged for years to come."
info:
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Laurel Leaf; Reprint edition edition (September 10, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440237688
ISBN-13: 978-0440237686
about: Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war
or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role
in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive
special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of
the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive
the truth. There is no turning back.
Green Angel is about tragedy and how we deal with it.
The startling, universally acclaimed breakthrough YA novel from master bestselling author Alice Hoffman.
info:
Ages: Young Adults
Mass Market Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (February 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545204119
ISBN-13: 978-0545204118
about: Left
on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster,
fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to
survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to
grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of
her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy
herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her
skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green
can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her
story.
A Little Princess lends itself to discussion of race & social class, and overcoming prejudice and difficulty.
Suggested by a 5th grade teacher as a read aloud.
A Little Princess is a 1905 children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
info:
Age Range: 9-12 years
Grade Level: 4-7
Pages: 293
Publisher: Puffin; Reissue edition (2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0141341718
ISBN-13: 978-0141341712
about: Alone in a new country, wealthy Sara Crewe tries to make friends at
boarding school and settle in. But when she learns that she'll never see
her beloved father again, her life is turned upside down. Transformed
from princess to pauper, she must swap dancing lessons and luxury for
drudgery and a room in the attic.
