Author Archives: Victoria Waddle
The Known World
The Known World by Edward P. Jones is a wonderful book for any reader; fortunately, it also works nicely into some of Colony High’s reading requirements. Taking place in Antebellum Virginia (about 20 years previous to the Civil War), the … Continue reading
Mountains Beyond Mountains
When teachers ask students to read biography or memoir, I know their secret hope is that students will learn something about a role model. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder is a book that honors that secret hope. It’s the … Continue reading
Posted in Biography/Memoir, Non-fiction
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The Crossing
Manny is a street orphan living in Juarez, Mexico, whose life is full of hunger and danger. He lives in a cardboard lean-to. He had been abandoned by his mother when he was a baby and raised for a time … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Multicultural
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Cold Sassy Tree
Cold Sassy Tree opens with Grandpa Blakeslee telling his daughters that he plans to marry Love Simpson only three weeks after the death of his wife. The women are scandalized, as is the town. The new relationship is central to … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Junior Project
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The Boy Next Door
In The Boy Next Door by Sinclair Smith, Randy finds herself frightened when her father goes away on a business trip for three weeks, leaving her alone in the house. She also seems to be misplacing items that she never … Continue reading
Boy
Though the title Boy might suggest that this is a book for children, the tales of Roald Dahl’s own childhood is wacky good fun that young adults will enjoy. Dahl briefly discusses his parents, but he concentrates on memorable incidents … Continue reading
Posted in Biography/Memoir, Hi-Low/Quick Read
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Baby Help
Baby Help is a novel about teen partner abuse. Melissa is frequently beaten by her boyfriend, Rudy. Although the couple has a baby, Cheyenne, they live with Rudy’s mother, Irma, who uses Melissa’s welfare check to help pay the rent. … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Young Adult Literature
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
We often hear of Malcolm X and his militancy, but The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley helps the reader understand where Malcolm X came from, why he believed as he did, and how he came to change his … Continue reading
Posted in Biography/Memoir, Multicultural, Non-fiction
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Always Running
Always Running is recommended reading for the college-bound student, but every student I know who has read it liked it. Its author, Luis J. Rodriguez, was born in Mexico, but grew up in Los Angeles, in many impoverished neighborhoods. He … Continue reading
Posted in Biography/Memoir, Multicultural, Non-fiction
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School Library Lady 