Roller Girl
Author and Illustrator: Victoria Jamieson
Published March 10th, 2015 by Dial Books
Goodreads Summary: For most of her twelve years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend Nicole. But after Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. And so begins the most difficult summer of Astrid’s life as she struggles to keep up with the older girls at camp, hang on to the friend she feels slipping away, and cautiously embark on a new friendship. As the end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship, and middle school… in short, strong enough to be a roller girl.
In her graphic novel debut, real-life derby girl Victoria Jamieson has created an inspiring coming-of-age story about friendship, perseverence, and girl power!
My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: How did I not read this book the instant it came out?! First, it has eye-catching, colorful artwork which is my favorite in graphic novels. Yes, everyone is comparing it to Raina’s work, and I can see why, because they are both just so well done and fun to read. Second, it is such a girl power book. Not an over-the-top girl power book, but it is a book about being a girl and being awesome at it. Third, it has roller derby in it! I love that we get to learn about the sport with Astrid. Fourth, the book has an awesome mom! Even when Astrid is complaining about her, she is being awesome (like taking her to poetry readings and the art museum). Fifth, this book is also about friendships and the ebbs and flows that come with teenage friends. Finally, it is about putting your mind to something and doing it! Astrid works her butt off, and it pays off. I think Roller Girl is also a great jumping off point to talk about bullying, friendship, and working hard to meet a goal.
This book is going to be loved by fans of Raina Telgemeier, El Deafo, The Dumbest Idea Ever!, Astronaut Academy, and Cleopatra in Space. It is definitely going to make the rounds in my classroom library!
Discussion Questions: How should Astrid had dealt with Nicole not going to derby camp?; Have you had a friend like Nicole?; Astrid really wants to learn roller derby; Nicole wants to get better at ballet–what is your passion?; How did Rainbow Brite help Astrid?; What do you think about Astrid’s mom?
We Flagged:
Read This If You Loved: Smile, Sisters, and Dramaby Raina Telgemeier, El Deafo by Cece Bell, The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley, Astronaut Academy by Dave Roman, Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack
Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog’s Tale Told in Haiku Author: Lee Wardlaw
Illustrator: Eugene Yelchin
Published: March 17, 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Goodreads Summary: Won Ton has a happy life with his Boy, until… Ears perk. Fur prickles. Belly low, I creep…peek…FREEZE! My eyes full of Doom.
A new puppy arrives, and nothing will be the same.Told entirely in haiku and with plenty of catitude, the story of how Won Ton faces down the enemy is a fresh and funny twist on a familiar rivalry.
Ricki’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: A Review in Haikus:
Quite Adorable
Fun for All, Especially
Middle Grade and Teen
Vocabulary
Will Teach the Crowds to Love Words
Fantastic Must-Read
Recommended for
Use as a Mentor Text for
Creative Writing
The Illustrations
Capture the Fun of this Tale
Or Should I Say Tail?
Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Well, Ricki sure one-upped me on this one! But I think she showed a really great example of what you can do with this book. I think it is a perfect introduction to haiku. It makes poetry accessible and fun which is the opposite of what students think when they think of poetry. I actually shared the first Won Ton book with my class at the time, and we wrote our own haiku about our favorite animal. Lee Wardlaw also includes very descriptive and specific vocabulary which would lead to a wonderful conversation about word choice and imagery.
I loved the first Won Ton book (see my review here), and I was happy to see that Lee Wardlaw had written a second so I could see what Won Ton was up to now. I am completely a cat person, so I love how Lee captures the nuances and thoughts of Won Ton.
Discussion Questions: How do the author’s haikus add to the complexity of this tale?; How does the vocabulary enhance the story?; What did you learn about friendship?; How do the illustrations enhance the themes of this book?; How does Won Ton’s feelings for Chopstick change throughout the book?
We Flagged:
“Master of escape!
High-flying, dog-defying
acrobatic cat!”
Read This if You Loved: Won Ton by Lee Wardlaw; One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste Davidson Mannis; If Not for the Cat by Jack Prelutsky; I Haiku You by Betsy E. Snyder; Dogku by Andrew Clements
Check out Won Ton and Chopstick at the Other Stops the Blog Tour:
“Eight Things I Learned from My Cats about Writing Haiku”
by Lee Wardlaw
1. There is no yesterday; there is no tomorrow. There is only you, scratching me under my chin right now.
Haiku poems focus on a right-this-instant experience—or from a memory of that experience. So remind your students to write in the present tense.
2. When poised at a hole, remain still—and use your ears, eyes, nose, whiskers and mouth to detect a lurking gopher.
Observation is crucial to haiku. It’s hard for children today to quiet their minds, especially when they’re constantly bombarded with TV, internet, iPhones, video games, etc. So take them outside, away from all of that! Encourage them to sit alone on the playground, under a tree, on a sunny bench, whatever, and use all five senses to absorb, appreciate, and anchor the moment.
3. Be patient. Then, when least expected—pounce!
Haiku captures ONE moment in time, revealing a surprise . . . or evoking a response of a-ha! or ahhh. This pounce helps the reader awaken and experience an ordinary moment or thing in an extraordinary way.
4. Most cats have 18 toes—unless we’re polydactyl; then we might have 20, 22, even 28 toes!
Japanese haiku feature a total of seventeen beats or sound units: five in the first line, seven in the second, five again in the third. But this 5-7-5 form doesn’t apply to American haiku because of differences in English phonics, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Too many teachers focus only on the 5-7-5 because they use haiku as lesson about syllables. Please don’t! When children force an unnecessary adjective or adverb (or a bunch of adverbs) into a haiku simply to meet the 17-beats rule, it ruins the flow, brevity, meaning, and beauty of a poem. It’s not a poem at all, just a laundry list. You end up with poems like this:
My cat is so cute.
He’s really, really, really
cute and so fluffy.
Encourage your students to experiment with any pattern they prefer (e.g. 2-3-2, 5-6-4, 4-7-3)—provided the structure remains three short lines. Remember: what’s most important here is not syllables but the essence of a chosen moment.
5. When I’m out, I want in; when I’m in, I want out. Mostly, I want out. That’s where the rats, gophers, lizards, snakes, bugs and birds are.
Traditional haiku focus on themes of nature, and always include a kigo or “season” word. This doesn’t mean you must be explicit about the weather or time of year. A sensorial hint (e.g. a green leaf indicates spring; a russet leaf indicates fall) is all that’s needed.
6. What part of meow don’t you understand?
Tease a cat and it won’t bother to holler—it will bite and scratch. It shows its annoyance rather than tells. Good haiku follows suit. Instead of explaining, haiku should paint a picture in the reader’s mind of the feeling it evokes. So encourage children to show the reader how cute and fluffy their cat is instead of just telling us.
7. If you refuse to play with me, I will snooze on your keyboard, flick pens off your desk, and gleefully shed into your printer.
Yes, haiku has “rules,” but remember to play! Encourage students to use words like toys, to frolic with them in new ways to portray images, emotions, themes, conflicts and character.
8. When in doubt, nap.
Good writing comes from revising. But before working on a second (or third . . . or fourth!) draft, both the students and their haiku need a “nap.” Set aside the poems for a few days (a few weeks is even better!). What needs revising will be much more obvious if the poems are read again with rested eyes, alert ears, and a fresh mind.
About Lee Wadlaw:
Lee Wardlaw swears that her first spoken word was “kitty.” Since then, she’s shared her life with 30 cats (not all at the same time) and published 30 books for young readers, including Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and many other honors. Lee has a B.A. in Education, an AMI-Primary Diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego, and is finishing her M.Ed. in Education/Child Development. She lives in Santa Barbara with her family. http://www.leewardlaw.com
and
**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing copies for review and giveaway!**
Life in Outer Space
Author: Melissa Keil
Published August 1st, 2013 by Peachtree Publishers
Goodreads Summary: Sam is a geek movie-buff with a ragtag group of loser friends who have been taking abuse from the popular kids for years. But when the super-cool Camilla moves to town, she surprises everyone by choosing to spend time with Sam’s group. Suddenly they go from geek to chic, and find that not everything boils down to us and them. With their social lives in flux, Sam and Camilla spend more and more time together. They become the best of friends, and Sam finds that he’s happier and more comfortable in his own skin than ever before. But eventually Sam must admit to himself that he’s fallen in love. If he confesses his true feelings to Camilla, will everything change again?
My Review: Kellee wrote her review almost a year ago, and after reading her review, I laughed because my notes about this book are so similar to her thoughts.
While reading this book, I thought about its connections to Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and Paper Towns by John Green, and the narrator reminded me of Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. But while this book is similar to others, it is very different.
Sam makes being geeky feel cool. I am geeky, so I appreciated this. He experiences tough life issues that many teenagers face, and he doesn’t lie about his lack of knowledge about dealing with these issues or understanding girls. The book contains scenes with World of Warcraft and there is a lot of information about horror movies (both of which aren’t interesting to me), yet I remained very engaged in the story and the characters. Keil writes the male narrator very well, and I think all types of adolescents will identify with the themes of this book. This is one of Kellee’s favorite books, and I see why. Thank you for nagging me to read it, Kel. It is one that will stick with me forever.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Why hasn’t this book received more press? It belongs in classrooms. As a teacher, I would use it as a mentor text for characterization. The scenes with Camilla are written breathtakingly well. If students read these scenes, they would want to read the entire book.
Discussion Questions: Did you find Camilla to be realistic? Could a student walk in and change the entire dynamic at the school in such a powerful way?; Why does Camilla like Sam? Is this realistic?; In what ways are media used by Keil to engage readers?; What does this book teach us about friendship?; How does Sam’s family life add to the complexity of this book?
We Flagged: “I guess some people enter your orbit and get stuck, and there’s nothing either of you can do about it” (p. 70).
And I loved the quote Kellee picked out. It is the scene I remember the most in the book:
“She is wearing a yellow dress that looks like it belongs to a 1950s housewife, and a pair of flat red boots. Her hair is longer than I’d imagine would be practical; it’s parted in the middle and hangs in brown waves almost to her waist. She peers around the room impassively. She doesn’t look terrified. She doesn’t look insanely overconfident, like Adrian that time in year seven when he performed a song as his book report for The Outsiders. Mike and I mark that event as ground zero for the downward social spiral of our group.” (p. 11)
Read This If You Loved:The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Paper Towns by John Green, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!
**This book is technically historical fiction, but I felt it was pretty darn close to nonfiction**
Never Fall Down Author: Patricia McCormick
Published May 8th, 2012 by Balzer + Bray
Goodreads Summary: This National Book Award nominee from two-time finalist Patricia McCormick is the unforgettable story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who defied the odds to survive the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 and the labor camps of the Khmer Rouge.
Based on the true story of Cambodian advocate Arn Chorn-Pond, and authentically told from his point of view as a young boy, this is an achingly raw and powerful historical novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace. It includes an author’s note and acknowledgments from Arn Chorn-Pond himself.
When soldiers arrive in his hometown, Arn is just a normal little boy. But after the soldiers march the entire population into the countryside, his life is changed forever.
Arn is separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp: working in the rice paddies under a blazing sun, he sees the other children dying before his eyes. One day, the soldiers ask if any of the kids can play an instrument. Arn’s never played a note in his life, but he volunteers.
This decision will save his life, but it will pull him into the very center of what we know today as the Killing Fields. And just as the country is about to be liberated, Arn is handed a gun and forced to become a soldier.
My Review: When I started Never Fall Down, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I began it because Ricki recommended it to me, but I didn’t read the back or have any prior knowledge about the book. So, when I began, I had no idea how tough this book was going to be.
I also have to preface with my ignorance of the Cambodian Genocide. I blame my lack of world history education because this is a time of history that should be taught. It, along with the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide, was based in racism and the attempt to purify a country. Reading Arn’s story throws you right in the middle of the genocide, and Patricia McCormick doesn’t hold anything back. Every time you think nothing can get worse for Arn and the Cambodians, something does, but you also have such hope for Arn’s survival as you seen him overcome every obstacle he faces. Even though death actually stares him in the face throughout the book, this young boy somehow continues. He continues through starvation, excessive work, lack of sleep, and murder surrounding him. Arn stated in interviews with McCormick that music saved his life, but I think it was more about his willingness to do whatever was needed to survive and especially anything to help those he cared for to survive.
Patricia McCormick tells our story in a broken English dialect that was influenced by “Arn’s own beautiful, improvised English” that McCormick heard in her head after interviewing him and traveling with him to Cambodia over a couple of years. The extent that Ms. McCormick went to ensure that Arn’s story was a true representation of his trials and heroism is honorable.
Teachers’ Tools For Navigation: This would be a perfect cross-curricular text! It could be read in a world history class in full or in parts. Although it is McCormick’s writing, it is definitely Arn’s story, and Arn’s story is one that needs to be shared. This book could also be used in lit circles where each group has a different book about a piece of history or an individual who/that is not usually learned about (maybe with Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Sold,Caminar by Skila Brown, The Glass Collector by Anna Perera, Son of a Gun by Anne de Graaf, Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, The Queen of Water by Laura Resau, orNow is the Time for Running by Michael Williams).
One of my amazing 8th grade students read this book recently, and she was as enthralled with it as I was. Immediately after finishing, she got online and started learning more about Arn and Cambodia. She came across an amazing video with both Patricia McCormick and Arn in it. It is 27 minutes long, but it is so worth watching:
Discussion Questions: What do you think ultimately helped Arn survive?; How did Sombo save Arn’s life at the orphan camp? When the war with the Vietnamese started? At the killing fields?; Do you think music is what saved Arn?; How were the Khmer Rouge able to make their prisoners do whatever they wanted them to?; Why did the Khmer Rouge kill all the educated Cambodians?; Why was Sombo so unsure about the Coca Cola?
We Flagged: “All the time now we hear girl screaming, girl running, girl crying. At night but also sometime in the daytime. All the tie, the Khmer Rouge they chase the girl, cut the hair. Sometime with scissor, sometime with knife. Chop short, to the chin, like boy. The girl, they cry and sometime they run. They run, it’s no good. The Khmer Rouge may shoot them, maybe take them to the bushes, do whatever they want. A lot of the girl afterward, they pull on their hair, pull like maybe they can stretch it, make it long, make it beautiful again.
My number two big sister, Maly, her hair like silk. Most proud thing about her, her hair. Shiny black, like blue, like a crow has. Every night she brush her hair, every morning. Sometime even she brush her hair not thinking, just dreaming maybe about the boy she love. One morning I wake up before everyone and see her making rice. Her neck, it’s bare now, her skin there is pale, never saw the sun, her long hair gone. Last night while I was asleep, the soldier, they cut her beauty. So now when she give me a bowl of rice soup, her eyes stay on the ground.” (p. 29-30)
Read This If You Loved: Titles listed above in Teachers’ Tools for Navigation
Jellaby Author & Illustrator: Kean Soo
Published February, 2008 by Hyperion Books for Children
(Rereleased in 2014 by Stone Arch Books)
Jellaby Author & Illustrator: Kean Soo
Published April, 2009 by Hyperion Books for Children
(Rereleased in 2014 by Stone Arch Books)
Jellaby Goodreads Summary: Quiet, brilliant Portia has just moved to a new neighborhood with her mom. Adjusting to life without a father is hard enough, but school is boring and her classmates are standoffish — and even Portia’s mom is strangely distant. But things start looking up when Portia mounts a late-night excursion into the woods behind her house and discovers a shy, sweet-natured purple monster. Life with Jellaby is a lot more exciting, but Portia’s purple friend has secrets of his own; secrets that may even lead to the mystery of Portia’s father’s disappearance!
Jellaby: Monster in the City Goodreads Summary: As Portia, Jason, and Jellaby continue their journey through the city of Toronto, Portia is torn between her friendship with Jellaby and her duty to help the sweet monster find his way back to his home. How can Portia say goodbye forever, when Jellaby has become her best friend?
But the clues leading them to Jellaby’s origins begin to turn sinister. When a hooded wizard introduces them to another monster like Jellaby, Portia and her purple friend are in for a gruesome shock — this monster befriends children, too — and then she eats them Now Portia must find a home for Jellaby, save Jason from the grasping tentacles of his new “best friend,” and come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of her father. It’s a lot to take on, but Portia is mad, bad, and ready to kick some monster butt.
My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I am a big fan of the mostly single color comics (ala Babymouse, Lunch Lady, etc.) and Jellaby is one as well with primarily purple in its illustrations. Also, Kean Soo’s style of illustrations are perfect for the story he is telling. They are very comicy, but realistic and filled with emotions.
This little graphic novel has a lot of heart in it. Portia, Jason (her classmate) and Jellaby all feel abandoned and the story is not only about finding where Jellaby belongs, but also helping Portia and Jason feel like they belong as well.
You will want the second one as soon as you are done, so make sure you have it available! And luckily, this sequel is a continuation of the first Jellaby because that one definitely left you hanging and the story does not disappoint. You see the characters growing so much through this journey even when they encounter obstacles that they shouldn’t be able to overcome. I, personally, didn’t like this one as much as the first one because I wish it had more answers, but I truly loved the ending. I am sad that there is no more Jellaby, but luckily the author has extras on his website!! I will be buying both for my classroom.
Discussion Questions: Portia doesn’t feel like she fits in at her new school- when was a time that you felt like you didn’t belong? How did you deal with the situation?
We Flagged: “I hope you like Tuna. I remember mom making me a tuna sandwich for my first day of school. It was terrible. My first day of school, I mean, not the sandwich. We had just moved out here, and I didn’t know anyone at all. Everyone was so strange and they all had their own friends anyway. I really didn’t want to be there, so I snuck out at lunchtime and ate my sandwich out on the bleachers. Now whenever I smell tuna, I always think about that first day.” (Jellaby p. 28-29)
Since the snatch doesn’t give you the full picture, below you will find the an interview with Kean Soo to give you an idea of the drawing style:
Read This If You Loved: Bone (series) by Jeff Smith, Zita and the Spacegirl (series) by Ben Hatke, Sidekicks by Dan Santat
Recommended For:
**Thank you Netgalley and Stone Arch Books for providing the e-galleys**
The Secret Hum of a Daisy Author: Tracy Holczer
Published: July 24, 2014 by Annick Press
Summary: Twelve-year-old Grace and her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their own. Just when she thinks she’s found it her mother says it’s time to move again. Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels and will always regret that her last words to her were angry ones.
After her mother’s sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she’s never met. She can’t imagine her mother would want her to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe itis her mother, showing her the way to her true home.
Lyrical, poignant and fresh, The Secret Hum of a Daisy is a beautifully told middle grade tale with a great deal of heart.
Ricki’s Review:The Secret Hum of a Daisy truly pulled my heartstrings. Readers of this blog know that I am a slightly critical reader of middle grade texts, and I often prefer high school texts, but my oh my, this one is beautiful. Having lost loved ones and friends, I know that grief hits you at random times. Holczer captured this reality beautifully. This book feels melancholy at the same time as it feels hopeful and lyrical. Young people will learn strength and resilience in Grace. Holczer’s thoughtful pacing makes this poignant coming of age story quite beautiful.
Kellee’s Review: This is one of those books that grabs you and sucks you in. I mostly love our main character. She has had to grow up too quickly thus making her a bit rough around the edges, but the way that friendship, family, history, poetry, and stories smooth her out is just so well done. Although at times I felt Grace came off older than she is, I realized, after talking to Carrie G., that it is because of the hardships she has endured. And the cast of characters, family and friends, who play a role in Grace’s transformation all are so well crafted. The Secret Hum of Daisy is a beautiful book because of Holczer’s word choice, Grace’s story, and the look at grief, family, and friendship.
Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: The Robert Frost references in this book easily lend themselves to instructional supplements for teachers. The sadness of this novel is important to discuss with students. They might consider poetry or journaling as an outlet for their emotions. Additionally, teachers my show students the stages of grief to help them better understand Grace’s emotions. Grace says that she gathers “every bit” she can of her Mama. Teachers might consider asking students to gather bits of people they love and sharing these with the class. Curriculum Guide from Penguin.
Discussion Questions: Does Grace’s mom make mistakes in her parenting? What might she have done differently?; Do you agree with Grace’s decision to live in the shed? Do you consider this to be immature or strong of her? Why?
We Flagged: “Mama pulled me into her lap and her yellow chair creaked under our weight. ‘You have to trust me, Grace. We don’t need anyone else.'” (p. 8)
“Trying to ignore the blasts of rain against the tin roof, I dug a flashlight out of one of the boxes and laid my sleeping bag and pillow on our flower-garden sofa. I took my latest notebook out of my duffel and climbed into the sleeping bag.
I hadn’t written anything in the six days since Mama died, and the words were scratching at me in the way they always did. I hoped to find the end of that string inside of myself–the string that tended to work into knots–and pull it straight. That was how the words felt sometimes as I wrote them down. Like I was taking something scrambled and unscrambling it.” (p. 24)
How It Went Down Author: Kekla Magoon
Published: October 21, 2014 by Henry Holt and Co.
Goodreads Summary: When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.
In the aftermath of Tariq’s death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.
Tariq’s friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.
Ricki’s Review: In light of the recent protests, this is an incredibly insightful book that is very important. The point-of-view shifts every 2-3 pages, which was very thought-provoking. Too often, books depict stereotypical portrayals of members of cultures, and the gamut of characters within this text felt very realistic. For some, this book may be too gritty and too uncomfortable. There is nothing comfortable about discussions regarding inequities and privilege in society. But if you walk down the halls of my high school, there is nothing in the book that is not a concern in schools. This is not a feel-good read, but it made me think. And thinking…is a very good thing.
Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: There is much to discuss in this book. Teachers could use it to start conversations about power and privilege. There are a lot of discrepancies between the characters’ perceptions of the shootings, and I imagine students would disagree about what happened. Teachers might elect to hold a verbal or silent debate. Also, I would love to discuss the structure of the text. The creativity in the form is purposeful, and it would be interesting for students to investigate why Magoon structured it in the way she did.
Discussion Questions: Why does Magoon structure the novel with alternating voices? How is the novel structured as a whole?; Does this story serve as a counter-narrative? If so, how? If not, why not?; Did Tariq have a gun in his hand? Why do/don’t you think so?; How does the story evolve as time passes?
We Flagged: “As a black man, you have to keep your head down. You have to keep yourself steady. You have to follow every rule that’s ever been written, plus a few that have always remained unspoken.”
Read This If You Loved: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, On the Run by Alice Goffman, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, Monster by Walter Dean Myers, The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees, Autobiography of my Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers
