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Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve SheinkinGenre: nonfiction, action/drama, biography, history Summary: “Sheinkin delves into the life of Daniel Ellsberg, former Pentagon consultant and a self-described "cold warrior," who gradually made an about-face with regard to America's presence in Vietnam. Ellsberg famously leaked the Pentagon Papers, a lengthy document written by military insiders about the Vietnam War, to various members of the press in 1971. He was quickly labeled an enemy of the state and a traitor to his country, aka the most dangerous man in America. With access to many of the key players in this real-life drama, as well as mountains of source material, Sheinkin builds a narrative that is at once accessible and suspenseful, with revelations and details coming at just the right moments. In Sheinkin's careful hands, Ellsberg and others, including Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and Robert McNamara, are fully realized characters with strengths, flaws, and motivations that grow ever more clear as the story unfolds. Direct quotes, primary source documents, and archival photographs are peppered throughout, supplementing and complementing the text. Meticulous source notes indicate the level of research and time that the author has put into this particular work. With the news filled with stories about Edward Snowden and the NSA, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, and privacy rights and government overreach, this brilliant work about an extraordinary whistle-blower taking a stand should be on everyone's reading list”. - Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA, From School Library Journal Dangerous has a lexical score of 890L, placing it at a grade 7 reading level. Its DRA level is 70, and its Guided Reading level is Z. However, the book could interest students from grades 7 and up because of its themes of “patriotism, freedom, and integrity,” as it deals with civics, government oversight, politics, historical documents, international relations, and the Vietnam War. This book is a unique historical piece because it is fast-paced, suspenseful, and exciting, while at the same time well researched, historically accurate, and relevant to current political issues. It also delves deeply into the lives of important historical figures. Most Dangerous was the 2016 winner for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. Dangerous could fit into thematic units about government, freedom, or patriotism. For example, it could be used to discuss loyalty to one’s country and the conflict of interest between privacy and security. It could be studied in combination with current news stories about Edward Snowden or WikiLeaks, as well as fiction novels dealing with similar themes. This text would appeal to students that are interested in political issues, particularly war, the role of the government, and privacy rights. Due to its fast-paced action, lovers of action and suspense novels will also find it interesting. The New York Times even says that Most Dangerous has elements of science fiction in its apocalyptic descriptions of the Vietnam War. I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala YousazaiGenre: memoir Summary: “Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school. Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on October 9, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause: She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school… Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. In this Young Readers Edition of her bestselling memoir, which has been reimagined specifically for a younger audience and includes exclusive photos and material, we hear firsthand the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world -- and did.” am Malala Young Reader Addition has a lexical score of 830L, and is at a grade 5 reading level. This book is very unique because Malala Yousafzai is the youngest-ever recipient of the Noble Peace Prize for her work as a human rights advocate for education and women. Furthermore, she is only 19 years old, and therefore her writings may be relevant and relatable to many young adult readers. This specific edition is designed for young adult readers and includes exclusive pictures and material. The original edition has lexical score of 1000L, DRA of 60, and Guided Reading of Y, making it a grade level 7.1 equivalent. While the young reader edition is appropriate for middle school readers, the original edition can be used in both high schools and middles schools. I am Malala could easily fit into units about civil rights, discussing in combination with fiction and nonfiction texts or news articles about other social problems relating to race, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. It could be used in a coming-of-age unit because it is the story of how a young girl stood up for what she believed in and decided to devote her life to changing the world. It could also be used in a unit on dealing with conflict or opposition, and could be read in combination with works like The Diary of Anne Frank.This book would be particularly engaging and inspirational for adolescent girls because it may inspire them to embrace their education and be the best that they can be, to give them a vision of courage, ambition, and love. It would also be interesting for students who are engaged in civil rights movements both in an intellectual sense or in a physical daily life sense – maybe someone struggling to come out, or dealing with racism. For those who are facing certain obstacles or conflicts in their lives, this book provides the hope for change and the inspiration to be the change. In the Footsteps of Marco Polo by Denis Belliveau and Francis O’DonnellGenre: historical travel journal Summary: In the Footsteps of Marco Polo chronicles the remarkable two-year expedition of explorers Denis Belliveau and Francis O'Donnell as they follow Marco Polo’s book the Travels of Marco Polo, on a journey “over 25,000 miles, becoming the first to retrace his entire path by land and sea without resorting to helicopters or airplanes.?Surviving deadly skirmishes and capture in Afghanistan, they were the first Westerners in a generation to cross its ancient forgotten passageway to China, the Wakhan Corridor. Their camel caravan on the southern Silk Road encountered the deadly singing sands of the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts. In Sumatra, where Polo was stranded waiting for trade winds, they lived with the Mentawai tribes, whose culture has remained unchanged since the Bronze Age. They became among the first Americans granted visas to enter Iran, where Polo fulfilled an important mission for Kublai Khan. Accompanied by 200 stunning full-color photographs, the text provides a fascinating account of the lands and peoples the two hardy adventurers encountered during their perilous journey. The authors' experiences are remarkably similar to descriptions from Polo's account of his own travels and life. Laden with adventure, humor, diplomacy, history, and art, this book is compelling proof that travel is the enemy of bigotry—a truth that resonates from Marco Polo's time to our own.” School Library Journal says that this book is good for adults and high school students alike. It is certainly a unique piece of travel literature because it is a companion to an Emmy nominated PBS documentary film of the same name, and contains over 200 color photographs. Not only is this book an exciting travel journal, but it also has historical significance in the way that it tracks and researches Marco Polo’s journey, as well as an interdisciplinary educational component, teaching readers about various cultures, landscapes, and lifestyles. This book could fit into a unit on multi-cultural appreciation or multi-cultural literature, as it compares and contrasts various cultures and offers “compelling proof that travel is the enemy of bigotry.” You could read it in combination with other books from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, to gain perspectives from all over the world. It could also be read in a unit on travel books. Students, who enjoy fictional travel books such as Around the World in Eighty Days, and Gulliver’s Travels, may take an interest in In the Footsteps of Marco Polo. It would definitely appeal to those who enjoy traveling themselves as well, or those who may dream of traveling the world, but must do so vicariously through books for now. Furthermore, students who are interested in history and art may find it engaging and informative, while at the same time exciting and exotic. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca SklootGenre: Science based nonfiction Summary: “Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor?black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more.?Henrietta's cells?have been bought and sold by the billions, yet?she remains virtually unknown, and her family can't afford health insurance. This phenomenal New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.” Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has a lexical score of 1140L, making it appropriate for advanced high school students, most likely in grade 12. Rebecca Skloot offers resources, such as guides and advise, for teachers and students on her website . This book engages with a wide range of disciplines, including science, medicine, bioethics, law, poverty, African American studies, familial relationships, and civil rights. It is based on extensive research, and has won several awards, including?2010?Chicago Tribune?Heartland Prize for Nonfiction. The unique combination of so many disciplines makes this book particularly interesting. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks could be included in a unit on the presence of science in literature, as it deals with research on cells and virology, as well as the history of medicine. It could also be included in a unit on civil rights issues, or ethical issues in medicine. The New York Times says that the novel “is much more than a portrait of the Lacks family. It is also a critique of science that insists on ignoring the messy human provenance of its materials.” The ethical issues raised call into question “the interplay of race, poverty, and science” and can be read with other fiction or nonfiction texts that perhaps examine race and poverty from other angles, like economic, political, or psychological. book will appeal the most to students interested in biology and medicine, who will best understand the importance of Henrietta Lacks’s cells in the history of medicine. This book is extremely relevant in the world of medicine and is often taught in medical schools as well as high schools. Science fiction readers may also find it interesting as a real-life science novel. Students engaged in civil rights or racial tensions could also be engaged by it, as it makes readers think about the interplay of science and racial tensions. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline WoodsonGenre: nonfiction poetry, autobiographySummary: “Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child's soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson's eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.” Girl Dreaming has a lexical score of 990L, making it a grace 5 equivalent. Its DRA score is 50, and its Guided Reading score is U. However, the interest level of the book applies through grade 8, according to Scholastic. Brown Girl Dreaming is an interesting and unique work of literature because it presents an autobiography of African American experience in America during the 60s and 70s through poetic, narrative verse, making it difficult to classify as a memoir, a novel, or a book of poetry. It was a New York Times bestseller, a National Book Award Winner, a Newbery Honor Book, and a Coretta Scott King Award Winner. Brown Girl Dreaming could fit into a unit on poetry, and the different uses of poetry, as it employs poetic verse in a unique way. It could be read in combination with fictional narrative poetry, lyrical poetry, or more traditional styles of verse. This book could also fit into a unit on autobiography or memoir, and read alongside works such as I am Malala. It also would fit in a unit on civil rights and racial issues. You could study the history of the Civil Rights movement, read fictional works such as To Kill a Mockingbird alongside it, and look into Civil Rights speeches as well as newspaper articles about current events that may relate. This book would be interesting to students who enjoy reading poetry and are looking for new and unique forms of poetry. Students interested in the Civil Rights movement could also find it interesting as a personal book dealing with racial issues in a coming-of-age context. The book engages with African American identity and family life. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan Genre: historical fiction, coming-of-age novelSummary: “Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico — she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances — Mama's life, and her own, depend on it. Pam Munoz Ryan eloquently portrays the Mexican workers' plight in this abundant and passionate novel that gives voice to those who have historically been denied one.” Rising has a lexical score of 750L, making it a grade level 5.5 equivalent. It has a DRA score of 50 and a Guided Reading score of V. The novel received many awards, including the Pura Belpre award for portraying the Latino cultural experience in a literary work for youth. This book seems to portray the difficulties of immigration and assimilation into a new country, an experience of the Great Depression, and a picture Latino culture in a compelling, powerful, and realistic coming-of-age narrative. The protagonist, Esperanza, experiences loss, poverty, humiliation, and fear on her road to courage and hope. Esperanza Rising could be included in a unit on coming-of-age novels, and read alongside books such as Catcher in the Rye or To Kill a Mockingbird, which both offer very different ideas of dealing with teenage angst and identity, and overcoming trial. It could also be included in a unit on the Great Depression, and read with a book from a different perspective like Of Mice and Men, or related poetry. Furthermore, it could be used in a unit on immigration, and read alongside other immagrant narratives, perhaps from other parts of the world, to give multiple perspectives on what it is like to enter a new culture and be forced to assimilate. Students who typically like coming-of-age novels will find this book appealing. It would be great to teach this to students who have learned a bit about the Great Depression and show an interest in that as well. Students who have moved or immigrated from other cultures may also find it relevant and inspirational. The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus SedgwickGenre: science fiction, myth/fairytale Summary: “Timeless, beautiful, and haunting, spirals connect the four episodes of?The Ghosts of Heaven, the mesmerizing new novel from Printz Award winner Marcus Sedgwick. They are there in prehistory, when a girl picks up a charred stick and makes the first written signs; there tens of centuries later, hiding in the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who people call a witch; there in the halls of a Long Island hospital at the beginning of the 20th century, where a mad poet watches the oceans and knows the horrors it hides; and there in the far future, as an astronaut faces his destiny on the first spaceship sent from earth to colonize another world. Each of the characters in these mysterious linked stories embarks on a journey of discovery and survival; carried forward through the spiral of time, none will return to the same place.” Ghosts of Heaven has a lexile measure of 920L and is recommended for readers between the ages of 14-17. It was a 2016 Honor Book for the Printz Award for Young Adult literature. The book has an interesting structure, made up of four stories set in different times and in different places, but with similar themes. “Each story is set around a pivotal moment in the characters’ lives, which makes it a particularly engaging read for teens and young adults. The book is also laced with various narrative forms, from free verse to a diary entry, and the stories can be read in any way, not necessarily in the chronological order the book is printed in. The Ghosts of Heaven?is an excellent book that will open up new avenues of thought and future reading and introduces teenage readers to a more inventive understanding of storytelling.?The Ghosts of Heaven?is a book teens are likely to remember as a pivotal reading experience.” This book offers a unique structure, juxtaposing four unique characters and settings. book could work well in a unit or discussion of literary structure. It could be compared to Frankenstein, which offers the unique structure of a framed narrative that calls into question the reliability of the narrator. This would open doors to talk abou the purpose of the novel’s structure. It could also be studied in a short story unit, as an example of linking themes and styles together across texts. It could also be studied according to the themes that run across the 4 episodes: philosophy, the written word, and mental health. Any of these themes could be picked up as units in which to read this text in comparison to others with similar themes. Students who enjoy short stories, and would rather read a series of thematically connected episodes than one long novel, may enjoy this book. Its science fiction and time traveling aspect could draw in readers who enjoyed books like The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Students who have more philosophical interests may also find it fascinating. House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle Genre: historical fiction, mystery Summary: "In 1967, Rose is an old woman looking back on her childhood in Skullyville, Oklahoma, in 1897, in a novel that moves back and forth between Rose, her family and Choctaw community, and residents of the nearby town of Spiro. Among them is the marshall, a man who is despised by Choctaw and whites alike. His cruelty is often random, as when he strikes Amafo, Rose’s grandfather, at the train station one day. Amafo turns the other cheek, and in doing so finds allies among some of the whites in Spiro while leading his community away from confrontation. Tim Tingle writes beautifully and deeply about love and forgiveness as antidotes to violence and hatred in a novel that also doesn’t ignore hard realities. Sometimes bringing the truth into the light isn’t enough; sometimes you have to fight back with violence. This is illuminated not only through what happens to Rose and her community but also through the lives of several women in Spiro, one of them the marshall’s wife, who has endured his beatings for years. The power of family, of community and connection, and of love and compassion to transcend divides — among individuals, across cultures, between the living and the dead — is profound and hopeful in a story that is, above all, about the human heart. The tense plot unfolds through characters drawn with astonishing depth and subtlety, their actions and interactions richly revealing. Solace for Rose’s community is also found in both Christianity and in spiritual experiences imbedded in their culture, the two seamlessly reconciled in their lives.” of Purple Cedar has a lexical level of 860L, and the School Library Journal defines it as a book for 9th grade and up. It was the young adult 2016 winner of the American Indian Youth Literature Award. House of Purple Cedar is a powerful historical fiction novel revealing racial tensions, the power of community, and the triumph of love and forgiveness over violence and hatred. The novel also draws in elements of Mystical Realism and Christianity, making use of miraculous events and spirituality, as well as the language and culture of the Choctaw Indians. Finally, has an interesting structure, designed as a flashback, and often jumping from one character or narrative to another. The main themes in House of Purple Cedar include familial relationships, forgiveness and violence, mysticism, racial tensions, and Native American culture. Any of these themes could be the center of a unit. Particularly, this book could be used in a unit studying texts from a range of cultural backgrounds, and so could be read with other books like Brown Girl Dreaming and American Born Chinese (Gene Yang). If you focused even more specifically on perspectives about Native American culture, students could also read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Students interested in multi-cultural novels dealing with racism or overcoming obstacles would probably enjoy this book. I think it would appeal to a similar audience as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Also, students who like books dealing with conflict resolution might be interested in it because of its themes of love and forgiveness overcoming all. Briar Rose by Jane YolenGenre: fantasy, fairytales retold, historical fictionSummary: “Yolen takes the story of Briar Rose (commonly known as Sleeping Beauty) and links it to the Holocaust--a far-from-obvious connection that she makes perfectly convincing. Rebecca Berlin, a young woman who has grown up hearing her grandmother Gemma tell an unusual and frightening version of the Sleeping Beauty legend, realizes when Gemma dies that the fairy tale offers one of the very few clues she has to her grandmother's past. To discover the facts behind Gemma's story, Rebecca travels to Poland, the setting for the book's most engrossing scenes and its most interesting, best-developed characters. By interpolating Gemma's vivid and imaginative story into the larger narrative, Yolen has created an engrossing novel. She handles a difficult subject with finesse in a book that should be required reading for anyone who is tempted to dismiss fantasy as a frivolous genre.” – Publisher’s Weekly Rose has a Lexile measure of 820L, and is equivalent to a 7.1 grade level. It is most appropriate for late middle school students. This book was awarded a place in the 2016 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Top Ten. This book is particularly interesting because it is a rewrite of the old German folktale, “Sleeping Beauty” in which Yolen “turns the tale into a story about the ramifications of the Holocaust.” The extended metaphor between the fairytale and the protagonist, Rebecca’s, grandmother’s experiences in Nazi Germany, as well as the suspense of mystery as Rebecca seeks to understand the past, make this a unique and intriguing novel. Briar Rose would fit well in a unit of rewritten literature. For example, there are plenty of young adult novels that are based on Shakespearean plays, as well as other rewritten fairytale books such as The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, which could be read in comparison. Students could then practice transposing a fairytale or short story into a different genre or medium as part of the unit. Briar Rose could also be placed in a unit about the Holocaust, and could be read alongside Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, or Elie Wiesel’s Night, as a completely different genre for discussing the Holocaust. Students who have studied about the Holocaust before, or have read the books mentioned above might choose to read Briar Rose to continue their discussion of the Holocaust, and to gain another perspective. Students who enjoy folktales or myths might also be interested in this book and its use of old fairytales as a metaphor for historical events. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow PowllGenre: young adult romance and coming-of-ageSummary: “Eleanor lives in a tiny house packed with younger siblings, a mother who is a shell of her former self, and a toxic stepfather. She wears thrift-store clothing embellished with her own style, is overweight, and has wild red hair. Her first day on the bus no one budges to make room for her to sit. Except Park. Park is half Korean, which is rare for the flats of Omaha, Nebraska. He loves comic books, wears a black trench coat, and practices martial arts. Slowly but powerfully, Eleanor and Park fall in love through mix tapes, comic books, and what seems like an impossibility: the recognition of another unique soul dropped perfectly into an empty space that didn't realize it was waiting to be filled. But when circumstances test their relationship, can love survive? This portrait of vivid characters celebrates the power and importance of first love.” and Park has a Lexile Measure of HL580L, meaning that although it has a grade level equivalency of 3.8, the content and interest level of the novel is for high school students, in grades 9-12. Its DRA score is 70, and its Guided Reading score is Z. Because Eleanor and Park is classified HL, or “high-low,” it is “useful when matching older (grade 7 and beyond) struggling or reluctant readers with text at both an appropriate difficulty level and an appropriate developmental level.” This text deals with heavy themes of domestic violence and child abuse, bullying, poverty, racism, and body image, in a heartbreaking and yet somehow hopeful narrative about young adult romance. Eleanor and Park received many awards including a 2014 Printz Award Honor book, Amazon’s Teen Book of the Year, and a place on YALSA’s Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults. book could be placed in a unit on courage, examining various people who stood up to opposition and conflict, and how they dealt with what they were going through. Both Eleanor and Park, in the novel, have to be brave and stand up to their bullies, their stereotypes, and their difficult family situations. House of Purple Cedar and I am Malala have similar themes of standing up to adversity, finding your courage, and holding onto love, and could be read in the same unit. This novel could also fit into a unit about growing up or coming-of-age, as the characters discover more about themselves and find their courage. In this unit, it could be read alongside The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Eleanor and Park would appeal to students who perhaps feel themselves to be misfits, or have an interest in things like comic books and ‘80s mixed tapes, as the characters in the novel do. These kinds of students may be able to relate to and find hope in the story of Eleanor and Park. The book might also appeal to students who enjoy other books about ‘love in adversity,’ such as The Fault in our Stars. ................
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