![]() I chose this book to read because when my son came home with his 8th grade honors ELAR syllabus this novel was listed for them to read this year. I like to see what other teachers recommend, and I enjoy reading what my son does, so we can discuss it (he may not enjoy this as much). I am a big Jacqueline Woodson fan, and although I thought this book was fine, it is not my favorite by her. I do understand why the teacher chose this book, however. The novel centers around Haley and five of her friends who are part of a special class of students who need additional supports. They forge a bond over the school year with each other as their teacher creates a weekly space for them to talk. Through their discussions the reader learns about their family concerns as well as their societal concerns. Issues like death of parents, parents in prison, illegal immigration and how it can impact families, bullying, racial profiling and more. Some deep conversations can be had while reading this book; although, I am not convinced my son and his class are going to enjoy this book. I hope they do. I hope they have some enlightening conversations and learn about issues that teenagers often face behind the scenes. Maybe it will help them build some empathy and understanding for others. Approximate Grade Level - 5th-8th - The reading level of the text is something that could be handled in 4th or 5th grade; however, I am not sure most students of this age will be able to grasp all of the concepts discussed within the novel. I would personally recommend the book for middle school aged kids.
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![]() Watched by Marina Budhos was a difficult read for me. It opened a window to a world that I did not really know existed. After 9/11, I was aware of difficulties and Islamaphobia that many Muslims faced (and still face), but I guess I did not realize the intensity and how tough it must have been to be Muslim in America especially at this time in history. I did not love Budhos’s writing style or really connect with the protagonist Naeem, but I could not put the book down. It was like staring at a train wreck. I did not want to see what happened, but I needed to know. The one underlying point that Budhos makes clear in this novel is how the Muslim population felt “watched” and how that affected their lives and interactions with each other. It did not seem that the characters could really trust anyone because they were hyperaware that neighbors had been planted to “watch” them and report suspicious behavior. In the novel Naeem struggles with first being sort of proud that his handlers entrusted him with this important job. He felt that he was doing something to protect his community, and he enjoyed the money he received. But, as he got deeper into the program, and was in the midst of surveilling his friend, Ibraham, he began to feel differently. Naeem begins to empathize with Ibraham and see that he feels lost and isolated and does not know what to do. This internal struggle between what Naeem was seeing and how the police instigated and enticed Ibraham into admitting he is “planning” something is what really struck me. It made me realize how lost and isolated these young men must feel. Like many teenagers, they are struggling to find their place in the world, but they are also being pressured by their families to be “good Muslims”, they are feeling watched at all times, and then they become very susceptible to extremists and/or other outside forces that try to offer them a “better life”. Although, I hope none of my students have encountered a situation similar to Naeem’s, I do think the majority of teenagers could relate to Naeem and his struggles to find his place in the world and to make his family proud. I would be interested to see if my Muslim students see any of their lives mirrored in Naeem’s, and if they too have ever felt “watched”. I would hope they have not, but I imagine some of them probably have. I plan on adding this book to my recommended list for students to read. Approximate Reading Level: 6th-8th grades ![]() The Poet X has been in my reading queue for quite a while, but I just have not gotten around to reading it. And honestly, now that I have read it, I am not sure what to think. I personally enjoyed the book and feel like my female students would be able to relate to many portions of it, but it is pretty gritty and sexual in places with some difficult themes that would make recommending it and teaching it a little dicey in some school districts. While I am sure it would serve as a window for many of my students to view the experiences young girls often face, I am not sure it is a window a lot of my parents would like their students peering through. Although the book is fictional it reads like an autobiography in verse; the author, Acevedo is Dominican and grew up in New York City which correlates to the main character Xiomara. As I read, I wondered how much of the book was potentially inspired by Acevedo’s own life and experiences. Many of poems center around Xiomara’s feelings towards her body and how men react to her body. She seems to constantly be dealing with having to tell men to stop touching her or commenting on her body which honestly made me angry as I read the book. Xiomara, and no teenager or woman, should have to deal with unwanted sexual advances. Being a teenager and dealing with your body’s changes is difficult enough without adding in the advances Xiomara deals with throughout the book. I am sure teenage girls will see many of their thoughts and feelings mirrored in Xiomara’s and feel a since of kinship with her. Xiomara also grapples at home with her religious mother, twin brother who begins to realize he is homosexual, and a father who is not very present. Xiomara handles her home struggles through writing poetry and leaning on her best friend, Caridad. The mom in the story seems a bit cliché’ to me. She was sent to the U.S. to marry her husband, and left behind her country and desire to be a nun. Her husband was a philanderer and so the mom is basically not happy except for the birth of the “miracle” twins who essentially saved the family unit. Since the mom did not get to become a nun, she is very heavy-handed in her treatment with Xiomara and how Xiomara should act as a female. Xiomara is given very little freedom and is expected not to date until she is finished with college. Although, I did enjoy the book, I would caution parents to review the content before having their children read it simply because of the sexual nature of many of the poems. It would be a good book for mothers to read with their high school-aged daughters to facilitate discussions about some of the things and feelings Xiomara contends with. Approximate Reading Level - 8th and 9th (but I would put the content level at high school) ![]() I have yet to read a Kwame Alexander book that I have not enjoyed and learned from and The Undefeated is no exception. I read the book to myself initially and then found a video on YouTube of Alexander reading the book himself, and I had to listen to it multiple times in order to appreciate his word choice and view the stunning illustrations. In The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander celebrates and highlights black individuals who have triumphed despite the struggles they undoubtedly encountered over the course of their lives. The words and illustrations work in tandem to allude to specific Black heroes throughout history. For example, the page that includes “the swift and sweet ones who hurdled history” includes an illustration of Jesse Owens who broke barriers by winning four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics which came during Hitler’s reign and the idea of the “perfect Aryan race”. The words and illustrations by Kadir Nelson depict Black people in triumph and perseverance, as individuals and as families. The characters are not presented as stereotypes or as tokens, but as the heroes of their own stories. They are presented to the reader as people to aspire to be. Individuals who became heroes to others despite adversity. One of the illustrations that stands out to me the most is a young adult Black man with his hand on the shoulder of a younger Black boy. It is a show of support and strength. The older young man has his hat in his hands as a show of respect and the younger one has a book opened. They are both contemplative and are presented as an embodiment of strength and faith, not as slaves or someone who is being helped along by a white character as is often seen in African American literature. There is also an illustration of a young Black soldier carrying the American flag as the words on the page reflect his courage “on the battlefield to save an imperfect Union.” This is inspirational to me as it acknowledges the fight for a belief in something that matters despite current conditions which ties into the next page seamlessly with the reference to the current social and political movement of “black lives matter”. Despite the positivity and inspiration of the book, Alexander does not gloss over the topic of slavery or other tragedies throughout history. He announces them as “the unspeakable” which is illustrated on a page of Black individuals lying and standing together in rows that allow the reader to infer they are enslaved. There are also pages of “unspeakable” which illustrate others who have lost their lives to racism and injustice. I adore the layers in this book. The ties to Black heroes from the past and present, the references to historical and current events, the hidden allusions such as “the promised land” which references MLK Jr and his I Have a Dream speech and the “We Real Cool one” which alludes to Gwendolyn Brook’s poem of the same name are all amazing. Approximated Reading Level: Although this book could be read by children as young as 6-7 years, I do not think they will be able to understand the connection and layers. There is also a reference to Black Lives Matter. This is a book that could be appreciated at any grade level. ![]() My son came home in 5th grade with a copy of Ghost Boys that he had chosen for his reading class. I read the summary on the book jacket and was intrigued, so I decided to read it alongside him, and I loved it. That being said. It is not an "easy" read. The vocabulary and storyline is not difficult and is probably accessible for ages 10 and up, but the content is graphic in areas and the story is weighty. The storyline centers around as twelve-year-old boy, Jerome, who is fatally shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real gun. Jerome's ghost narrates the story as he watches the drama and devastation unfold around his killing. Along the way, Jerome's ghost meets the ghost of Emmett Till and the storyline weaves in the historical context and story involving the real-life killing of Emmett Till. Rhodes constructs a story that includes elements of fiction, history, and current sociological and political issues. The story centers on heavy topics and may be difficult for a child to read on their own. I would recommend reading this book alongside your child and discussing all of the layers within it. My son and I had very interesting and important discussions involving Emmett Till, racism, police brutality, profiling, and social issues in general. If you enjoy this book by Jewell Parker Rhodes, you might consider giving Towers Falling a read as well. Approximate Reading Level - 5th-6th grade (the content would work for higher grades) |
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