Ricki – Page 65 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set Outside of the United States (By Continent)

July 19, 2016 by Ricki

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Books Set Outside of the United States

We decided to add a bit of a twist. We are sharing our favorites from five continents. We opted to exclude North America (to go a bit farther from the United States) and Antarctica (because options are limited).

1. and 2. Asia

Ricki

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

I recommend this book all of the time. It is a the harrowing true story of Arn Chorn-Pond. I learned a lot while reading it, and it inspired me to learn more about the Cambodian genocide. If you missed this book, I recommend you read it immediately!

Kellee

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Sold is about a young girl from rural Nepal who is sold into prostitution. Told in vignettes, this novel is harrowing and heartbreaking yet beautifully written. It was a coincidence that Ricki and I both chose a McCormick book, but that just shows how well she highlights the hardships of those living in this region.

3. and 4. South America

Ricki

Queen of Water by Laura Resau

When Laura Resau met Maria Virginia Farinango in Ecuador, two strong women collided to create this beautiful novel. Based on Virginia’s actual experiences, this is the story of many marginalized young women in Ecuador. I love the way Resau writes, and this story is just as beautiful as all of her others.

Kellee

Caminar by Skila Brown

Set during Guatemala’s civil war in 1981, this novel-in-verse tells the story of a boy who has lost everything and must decide how he is going to live now with war surrounding him.

5. and 6. Europe

Ricki

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman’s writing is always magical. I considered many books set on this continent, but I chose this one because the characters adventure to many countries throughout Europe. More than any other book set in Europe, this made me want to drop everything and travel the continent.

Kellee

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

This book fascinated me because it is a World War II story with WWII playing only a minor role in most of the book. It is mostly about Ada and Jamie and their journey to survive first in filthy conditions with an abusive parent then with Susan Smith, a lady forced to take care of them when they go to the suburbs to escape the war. The characters of this book with all their complexities, histories, heartbreaks, and triumphs will make any reader a fan.

7. and 8. Australia

Ricki

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Well, I didn’t realize that I have a mild obsession for books set in Australia. Apparently, I have read many books for this category. I chose this book because it gripped me from the beginning to the end. I love when students read this book because they always want to discuss it immediately after they finish. This is a book that engages readers from the very first page. Plus, it is set in the Australian Outback, which is neat!

Kellee

Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Opposite of Ricki, I had a very hard time finding a book set in Australia (I guess it is a book gap). Then I realized one of my favorite books is set there! Life In Outer Space is an under-rated contemporary nerd love story filled with true people, love for things like music and writing, and a ton of humor.

9. and 10. Africa

Ricki

Endangered by Elliot Schrefer

I love reading books set in Africa. I read about ten a year and am very glad the publishing industry highlights this continent often. While I could put dozens of great books on this list (maybe this is a future TTT category for Kellee and me!), in the end, it would always be Endangered as my final choice. This is a magnificent book that everyone should read. It is incredibly teachable and offers so many themes, ideas, and background that makes for rich classroom discussions.

Kellee

Diamond Boy by Michael Williams

While it was hard for me to not also pick a Schrefer book, I decided to pick a book that I feel should receive more attention than it does. I loved Williams’s Now is the Time for Running, so I was so happy to see that he had written a companion and that it explained one of the interesting secondary characters from Running. I was blown away by the characterization within this book. Although the plot is what propelled the story, the characters in this book are what made it. I also love the thinking that this book would cause. This book is at the same time easy to connect with, but also so completely different than anything most of the readers will have experienced. Quite unique.

Which are your favorite books set outside of the United States?

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Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Ah-Choo! by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams

July 14, 2016 by Ricki

Ah-Choo!
Authors: Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams
Illustrator: Ken Min
Published: March 1, 2016 by Sterling Books

Goodreads Summary: When hunting for his new best friend, a boy goes through an alphabetical menagerie of animals. From an antelope, to bobolink birds, to wolves and zebras—and of course, a cat and dog, too—he brings them all home. But each creature just makes his sister go AH-CHOO! Will he ever be able to have the perfect pet?

Ricki’s Review: Kellee and I videochatted and read this book together to our boys. It was so fun! This is a book that would make for an excellent read-aloud. I can imagine a whole classroom of kids yelling “ah-choo!” in a fit of giggles. Teachers will find much to talk about with the book–the alphabetical animals, the fact that not all families can have furry/fuzzy pets, the rhyme scheme, the illustrations, the variety across pages, etc. I can even see this book in older classrooms as a guide for students embarking on creative writing. It would be quite inspirational. The illustrations are hysterical, and it is very clear that a lot of work and effort went into making this text as successful as it is.

Kellee’s Review: I love books that have repeating pages yet aren’t repeating all the way through because it allows young readers to be a part of the read aloud while the text is still unique and interesting. This book fits into that category. Kids will love yelling AH CHOO! along with the boy’s sister which will make this such a fun class read aloud. I also loved the variety of animals that were featured in the book. Since the boy goes from A to Z with the animals he chooses, the author had to be quite clever to find animals that rhymed and fit the order. All this fun in addition to the funny illustrations make for one fun-to-read book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask students to create their own Ah-Choo! books with different animals. It would be fun to see how many animals the students would come up with! As an alternative, kids might think of their own themed text. Students can start with a problem (e.g. not being able to get an animal because a sibling is allergic) and come up with 26 A to Z alternatives!

Passages Flagged:

I asked my mom if I could have
a pet, or even two.

But every time I brought one home,
my sister went

Ah-Choo!

Discussion Questions: How do the authors provide variety in this text? How do they use creative elements successfully to draw in the reader? How does the illustrator appeal to readers?; While this book has humor, what more serious themes does it convey?; How can you reimagine this book with your own problem as the theme?

Read This If You Loved: The Alphabet of Bugs: An ABC Book by Valerie Gates; Which Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss; Alphabet Books

Recommended For:

“A Multi-layered Book Can be a Teaching Tool”

by Gloria G. Adams, co-author, Ah-Choo!

When Lana Koehler and I collaborated on our book Ah-Choo!, we knew we wanted it to be told in rhyme and also to be about allergies. But between the two of us and our wonderful critique group members, we ended up with a book that not only had rhyme and addressed pet allergies, but our interactive read-aloud also offers the alphabet, math, repetition, sibling relationships, rich vocabulary, and even includes a few trips to the zoo!

All of these layers add up to a multi-tiered package that can serve as a teaching tool for young children.

Kids often feel like they are the only ones suffering from allergies. Ah-Choo! is a great vehicle for teaching kids not only more about their allergies, but also the fact that they are not alone and there are many other kids who have the same problem.

Allergies to pets always wreak havoc in households, especially those with children who have siblings who are NOT allergic. In Ah-Choo!, our young protagonist cares so much about his sister that he brings an entire alphabet of animals for her to “test out” in hope of finding one that won’t make her sick. This story can be a great starting point to talk with your children about compromise and empathy; we think our young man is a great role model!

The rhyme and repetition serve as very important pre-reading skills. One is phonemic awareness, which helps break words down into smaller parts. According to one educator, “Repetition and rhyme give way to rhythm, recognition and memorization-all of which can have a huge impact on children learning to read.”

You can use Ah-Choo! in different ways to help your child practice rhyming even more.

Find all the words in the book that rhyme with Ah-Choo.
Search for other words that rhyme, such as “hen” and “then” or “Jack” and “back.”
Have your child choose a name for an animal, then think of a rhyming name. For example, maybe your child names the cat “Sammy.” Other names that rhyme with Sammy are Hammy, Jammy, Lammy, etc.

Building your child’s vocabulary can be an important factor in how well he or she does when school begins. In the pages of Ah-Choo!, you will find not only unusual animals names (Takin, Yaffle, Bobolink), but also longer words, such as “feathered” and “snuggled.” According to read-aloud guru, Jim Trelease, “It’s long established in science and research: the child who comes to school with a large vocabulary does better than the child who comes to school with little familiarity with words and a low vocabulary.”

Using Ah-Choo! is a fun way to teach the alphabet. It can also help with counting; just how many Umbrellabirds ARE there? Are there more than 26 animals? Yes, there are! Our illustrator, Ken Min, even added a surprise animal that isn’t found in the text! Subtract the animals as the brother takes them away when they make his sister sneeze.

A visit to the zoo is always educational. Take along your copy of Ah-Choo! and see how many animals your children can find that are in the book.

Best of all, Ah-Choo! is interactive; children love the repetition of the sneezing. It will make them want to hear it again and again and again…

and

**Thank you to Ardi at Sterling Books for providing copies for review! And thank you to Gloria for her wonderfully insightful guest post!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Facts About Us

July 12, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Bookish Facts About Us

Ricki

1. I get anxious any time a person tells me about a book. I don’t like to hear anything beyond the first page. I won’t even read the inside flaps of books!

2. I have seven bookshelves in my house, and yet I still have piles of books that don’t seem to fit.

3. I’ve only recently developed a love for libraries. In an attempt to save money, I started visiting them. Now, they are one of my favorite places in the world. There is nothing more peaceful and pleasant than a library.

4. At any given moment, I am typically reading 5-10 books. I’ve always struggle to maintain focus on things (bookish or not), and this helps me address this problem. I always make sure these books are very different, so I don’t get confused about plot points.

5. I have a small fear that my second son won’t love books as much as my first son. I have been so happy with my son’s addiction to books that I worry that my next child (who is currently in my belly) won’t have this same joy.

Kellee

1. Ricki and I have #1 in common. I am not a huge fan about knowing too much about books. I don’t read flaps, I don’t read backs, I don’t watch trailers, etc. If I am reading a review of a book I’ve never read, I try to stick to the review part (“The writing was so lyrical,” etc.) and stay away from the summary. My students think I am crazy! (I don’t like watching movie trailers either!)

2. I am learned to love ebooks. I love that there is away to always have a book with you without carrying around a book. With a diaper bag, my stuff, and a toddler, a book was very cumbersome; however, I always have my phone with me. I didn’t have trouble transitioning–I love reading on my phone, especially with black background and white text. It also allows me to read in the dark!

3. I have over 3,000 book titles in my classroom library (and I have 4 more bags from purchases and ALA in my car). I am immensely proud of my classroom library, and I love the feel of being surrounded by books in my classroom.

4. I hate when I go to read a sequel and I cannot remember the first book, so I write myself private notes in Goodreads about how books that will have sequels end. This is how I keep myself from having to reread (there are too many books!).

5. I do not like reading aloud. I know this is blasphemous, but I really would rather listen to an audiobook than listen to myself read. I mean, they do voices! I can’t do voices, and if I try to, I can never remember what the voice sounded like from day to day. Even with picture books I find myself having trouble being an entertaining read alouder. Sigh. If you are good at reading aloud, I am super jealous.

What are some bookish facts about you?

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All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

July 7, 2016July 7, 2016 by Ricki

All American Boys
Authors: Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Published: September 29, 2015 byAtheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

GoodReads Summary: Rashad is absent again today.

That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…

Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent again…and again…stuck in a hospital room. Why? Because it looked like he was stealing. And he was a black kid in baggy clothes. So he must have been stealing.

And that’s how it started.

And that’s what Quinn, a white kid, saw. He saw his best friend’s older brother beating the daylights out of a classmate. At first Quinn doesn’t tell a soul…He’s not even sure he understands it. And does it matter? The whole thing was caught on camera, anyway. But when the school—and nation—start to divide on what happens, blame spreads like wildfire fed by ugly words like “racism” and “police brutality.” Quinn realizes he’sgot to understand it, because, bystander or not, he’s a part of history. He just has to figure out what side of history that will be.

Rashad and Quinn—one black, one white, both American—face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn’t die after the civil rights movement. There’s a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world.

Cuz that’s how it can end.

Ricki’s Review: I read this book a few months ago, and frankly, I can’t stop thinking about how important this story is. We read so many books in our lifetimes, and some just take our breath away. This is one of those books. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I believe it belongs in every classroom. The strength of the two voices in this book is remarkable, and it makes for an excellent teaching tool—about heroism; about doing what is right and true; and about being a good, decent human being. The acts within this book are all-to-common, and I believe this book promotes genuine change. The book is literary at the same time that it is engaging. It will pull (and has pulled) readers of all ages and backgrounds. I typically don’t review books long after they have been published, but this book feels too important to leave out. If you haven’t read it already, I recommend it move to the top of your TBR list. It’s and incredible story.

Kellee’s Review: I too read this book a few months ago. It was a choice for our Faculty Book Club, and it was a perfect book to discuss with a bunch of educators. All American Boys is a book that is going to be a classic because it highlights modern history in a thoughtful and truthful way. This is a book that I would recommend to everyone to read. It is a perfect jumping off point to discuss race relations, Black Lives Matter, and We Need Diverse Books. The way the book is set up, with two voices, will help readers have permission to talk about what is happening in our country, the Civil Rights movement and its tie into modern times, and the racial tension currently happening in our country.

I’d like to also add that I recently was lucky enough to see Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely accept their Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award at the ALA Annual Conference here in Orlando, and they both moved me to tears. Jason actually gave two speeches since he won an honor for All American Boys and Boy in the Black Suit. His second speech was a brilliant advocacy poem titled Machetes which can be viewed here or read here. His first speech and Brendan’s speech are not available yet. Brendan says School Library Journal will be publishing his, and I am not sure about Jason’s; however, I did tweet some quotes as I sat and listened:

I hope The Boy in the Black Suit gives young men permission to feel and be human and sometimes need a hug. – Jason Reynolds
Memory in of itself is life. -Jason Reynolds
If you are doing this work, this award is yours too. -Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds talking about his mama made me cry. I hope my son’s love can be as true as his is.
There are bodies missing, and I cannot bring them back. It is time for action. -Brendan Kiely
Revolution begins in the heart. -Brendan Kiely
Love is art. Love is education. Love is accountability. And it needs repeating love is love is love is love. -Brendan Kiely
I want to reckon w whiteness…speak truth to myself. -Brendan Kiely

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book begs to be taught in classrooms. If I was still teaching it would be the first book that I would request to be added to curriculum. I think it would be particularly fascinating to use this book as a read-aloud while simultaneously doing literature circles with X by Ilyassah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon, The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon, and How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon. These books all deal with civil rights issues, as well, and it would be interesting to look at civil rights across time and history and also within other relevant contexts.

The Simon & Schuster Reading Group Guide gives some discussion questions, journal responses, and research ideas.

Discussion Questions: How do Rashad’s and Quinn’s voices shine differently in the text?; Did Quinn do the right thing? Would you have done the same?; What would you have done if you had been in Rashad’s circumstance? Would you have done anything differently?; How is racism present both in obvious and nuanced ways in the plot events of this text?

Flagged Passage: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Read This If You Loved: X by Ilyassah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon; The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon; How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon; Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles; Audacity by Melanie Crowder; The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

Recommended For:

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

August 4, 2016July 5, 2016 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

Ricki

I avoided new releases because I suspect they will get more ratings!

1. The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings by Anna Llenas (57 Ratings)

Every time I read this book, I am impressed by it. This is my favorite pop-up book of all time (and I read a lot of pop-up books!). I love the way Llenas captures emotions so vividly, and it is really helping my son learn about all of the different emotions he experiences.

2. The House of Purples Cedar by Tim Tingle (139 Ratings)

This book is an epic. I felt like I’d lived another life after I finished it. It is beautifully written and was life-changing for me. Tim Tingle is one of the best authors out there today, in my humble opinion.

3. Thrice Told Tales: Three Mice Full of Writing Advice by Catherine Lewis (140 Ratings)

This book is an English language arts teacher’s dream. Each page features a hysterical rendition of a literary term. I wish I had known about this book when I was teaching.

4. The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca (175 Ratings)

I am stunned that this book doesn’t have more ratings. Everyone I know loves it! This book has accompanied my son to bed (in the bed) for the past year. He won’t sleep without it by his side. The rhymes are very fun, and the racecar pictures are awesome!

5. Quicksilver by Stephanie Spinner (539 Ratings)

This is an older book (2006) that I would still recommend highly to teachers. Whenever I book-talked this book, I only had to read the first page to get a line of readers. It is told from the perspective of Hermes, and the book is hilarious. It teaches mythology through the story. If you love the Riordan books, I promise you will love this one (and the others written by Spinner). She’s awesome.

Kellee

As I was scrolling through my Goodreads READ list, I didn’t even make it to books with over 100 ratings because I found these and was so shocked that not more people have read/rated them!
P.S. I decided to focus on books published before 2015 & 2016 because with those books it may be more about time they’ve been out than anything.

1. Dolphin Sky by Ginny Rorby (42 ratings)

I cannot believe that any book written by Rorby doesn’t have thousands of ratings. I love everything she writes!

2. Star Challengers: Moonbase Crisis by Rebecca Moesta and Kevin J. Anderson (10 ratings)

I love the science mixed in with the fiction! It is written by a widow of a Challenger astronaut and hopes to keep kids interested in space exploration and the sciences.

3. How Fast Can You Go? by Kate Riggs (17 ratings)

Trent loved this board book that we checked out from the library! It is a perfect mix of fun illustrations and vehicles.

4. Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson (80 ratings)

This book is a book that all middle grade kids should read. It build empathy, passion, and leadership. I am so surprised more kids and adults haven’t found this amazing resource.

5. Mira’s Diary series by Marissa Moss (#1 301 ratings, #2 91 ratings, #3 37 ratings)

I love this series! It is a wonderful mix of history and science fiction! Mira’s adventures keep you reading, but I personally love all of the history you learn during her journeys.

Which underrated books have you enjoyed?

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Author Guest Post!: “When You’re Not ‘The Pretty One'” by Rose Mannering, Author of Roses: The Tales Trilogy, Book 1

July 3, 2016 by Ricki

When You’re Not “The Pretty One”

Fairy tales are full of beautiful maidens and handsome princes. There’s something whimsical, charming and a bit boring about this. I suspect that most of us don’t feel drop dead gorgeous one hundred percent of the time in our day-to-day lives and these fairy tale princesses and princes can therefore seem unrelateable and a bit annoying.

In my YA fantasy series, The Tales Trilogy, I set out to invert this. I wanted my fairy-tale-inspired characters to be unusually featured – they are clever and kind (sometimes) – but outcasts because of the way they look. I wanted them to embody how we often feel inside: that we are strange and different to everyone else.

In the first book in the series, Roses, Beauty is cruelly named because she is, in fact, not beautiful. With white hair and silver skin, she is freakish-looking and an oddity. Unlike the Beauty from Beauty and the Beast, the appearance of the main character of Roses causes strangers to scream (and not in a good way). Making Beauty not classically beautiful allowed me to bring depth to her character in other ways (she’s independent, prickly and defensive) and, I think, it makes her much more accessible and understandable to the reader.

Similarly, in the second book in the series, Feathers, my main character, Ode, is not particularly handsome. He has a big nose which he inherited from his father and is overall quite plain-looking. Feathers is a retelling of Swan Lake which originated from Russian folklore, and the main character, Ode, is a shape shifter who can transform into a swan. However, this is far from a good thing and alienates him from the rest of his tribe (who do not trust Magic). Ode’s physicality is a source of frustration and shame and I think that sadly, this is a universal feeling. However, my hope is that Ode’s acceptance of his gift and the way that he looks, will encourage readers to feel the same way. Like Beauty, Ode is not ‘the pretty one’ but it certainly doesn’t hold him back.

My favorite characters in literature are also not ‘the pretty’ ones. That’s not to say that they are ugly, which is subjective anyway, but I rarely have a character that I like and empathize with, who is ‘the pretty one’ in a story. Lizzie Benet in Pride and Prejudice, for example, is the second-class beauty to her sister, Jane, who everyone deems to be the real stunner. In I Capture the Castle, it is the narrator, Cassandra, who I really love and again, she is the plainer counter-part to her sister, Rose, who has the male leads chasing her for affection. Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird is also not the primed, beautiful Southern Belle that she is expected to be, but a spikey tomboy and engaging because of it.

I love that the worth of these characters is not reliant on their physical appearance – they are interesting and endearing because of who they are rather than what they look like. In my own work I have tried to emulate this and the third and last in The Tales Trilogy will be no different!

Roses: The Tales Trilogy, Book 1

About the Book: A dark rendition of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast!

She bears no name. Her silvery appearance is freakish to the numerous inhabitants of Sago, the cosmopolitan capital of Pevorocco in a fantasy realm. With her mother vanishing at the instance of her birth, she is sent to live with the cruel, rich Ma Dane, where she is punished daily for something, though she knows not what. Tauntingly named Beauty, she flees Sago in a violent uprising that sets out to massacre all Magics and journeys to the furthest point of the country.

But Beauty cannot hide in the grassy Hillands forever. Before long, the State officials find her and threaten to take her back to war-torn Sago where death surely awaits. In a midnight blizzard she escapes them, running into a deep, enchanted forest to a great and terrible beast who will bargain for her life.

But can Beauty accept Beast? Eternity is a long time.

Feathers: The Tales Trilogy, Book 2 will be coming out July 5, 2016!

About the Author: Rose Mannering has been writing ever since she can remember. Diagnosed with dyslexia aged eight, she never let it stand in the way of her love for books. She signed her first publishing contract when she was nineteen and she writes under the names Rose Mannering and G.R Manneirng. She currently resides in the UK and her favourite things in life are books, dogs and tea.

Thank you to Rose for this wonderful post.

Thank you to Cheryl at Skyhorse Publishing for connecting us with Rose!

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Burning by Danielle Rollins

June 30, 2016 by Ricki

Burning
Author: Danielle Rollins
Published: April 5, 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Summary: After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just a few months shy of release, and she’ll finally be free from the hole that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility. Then Jessica arrives. Only ten years old and under the highest security possible, this girl has to be dangerous, even if no one knows what she did to land in juvie. As strange things begin happening to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the new girl’s arrival, it becomes clear that Brunesfield is no longer safe. They must find a way to get out, but how can they save themselves when the world has forgotten them?

Review: This book was the perfect balance between realistic, interesting characters and chilling, creepy fantastic characters. From the first moment that I met Jessica, my skin began to crawl. Angela, the narrator, is pushing a mop in Seg in the juvenile hall. Jessica is mysterious and quite scary. I was frightened right along with Angela! I love how the characters are developed. While the book is definitely fantastic, I felt genuinely connected with the characters and their stories. I’d use this book as a bridge to help students who love realistic fiction. It would help them explore different genres. The book ends with a hook, and I imagined that Rollins has a sequel in the works! I am very excited to read it!

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I imagine that this book will create genuine interest in juvenile halls. I’d ask students to explore and research their own juvenile halls. They might also examine privilege and how the characters’ home lives seems to play a role in the fact that they are in the correctional facility. This would offer an interesting class discussion.

Discussion Questions: Does Angela make good choices in this book? What are some of the choices she makes, and do you think she makes the right decisions? Is she a moral person?; Most of the characters in this book are female. Consider all of the male characters and determine what their role is. How do they add to the story?

We Flagged: “I’m so focused on the blinking red light that I don’t notice the skeletally thin girl in the cell to my left until she skitters across the floor on her hands and knees” (p. 51).

Read This If You Loved: The Merciless by Danielle Vega, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Anything by Stephen King; Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

Recommended For: