Category Archives: Controversial Issue/Debate
“Will Grayson, Will Grayson”
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan How many times have you texted the message ‘LOL’ or ‘ROFLMAO’ when you are doing neither one? In fact, when was the last time you really laughed out loud—uncontrollably, in … Continue reading
“They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan”
They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng and Benjamin Ajak with Judy A. Bernstein In the introduction, Judy Bernstein compares the situation that the three … Continue reading
“Fast Food Nation”
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Though I’d read several books about food in the last few years, I missed this one. So when it came up as a choice for summer reading in the English II Honors class, I … Continue reading
“Telling”
Telling by Marilyn Reynolds The novel begins with twelve-year-old Cassie meeting her new neighbors, the Sloans, and agreeing to baby-sit their children. Each time Cassie baby-sits, Fred Sloan makes a sexual advance toward her, progressively becoming more obvious and direct. … Continue reading
“Freakonomics”
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner When your econ teacher assigns some outside reading, this is the book to grab. It’s entertaining as well as informative. Its authors are a well-respected economist (as you’ll learn from … Continue reading
“Beautiful Boy” and “Tweak”
“It hurts so bad that I cannot save him, protect him, keep him out of harm’s way, shield him from pain. What good are fathers if not for these things?” Thomas Lynch, “The Way We Are” David Sheff begins Beautiful … Continue reading
“Twisted”
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson I loved Speak and when someone told me that Twisted was Speak for guys, I had to read it. The New York Times Book Review (Oct. 27, 2009) tells us that Anderson’s “novel Speak (1999) … Continue reading
“Readicide”
Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do about It by Kelly Gallagher The dedication of this book states: “For those educators who resist the political in favor of the authentic.” So this is a book for … Continue reading
Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Non-fiction
Leave a comment
“Endgame”
Endgame by Nancy Garden Here’s a new one,and I admit I haven’t read it yet, but it intrigues me. Here is the blurb from the book jacket. A new town, a new school, a new start. That’s what fourteen-year-old Gray … Continue reading
“So Sexy So Soon”
“So Sexy So Soon” by Diane E. Levin, Ph.D. and Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D. I don’t think the blurb on the book jacket—which uses examples straight out of the 1970s and 1980s for parent strategies to counteract the assault of a … Continue reading
School Library Lady 