Category Archives: Fiction
“Before We Were Free”
“Before We Were Free” by Julia Alvarez Life under a repressive dictator is hard for some of us to imagine. “Before We Were Free” shows us such a life—in the 1960s Dominican Republic—from the point-of-view of a twelve-year-old girl. Anita … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Multicultural, Read 180, Young Adult Literature
Tagged Read 180
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“The Body of Christopher Creed”
“The Body of Christopher Creed” by Carol Plum Ucci “The Body of Christopher Creed” is the story of a guy who doesn’t fit in with any group. After a note is emailed to the school principal—it might be a run-away … Continue reading
“The Wish List”
“The Wish List” by Eoin Colfer “The Wish List” is a quick, fun read for anyone looking for fast fantasy fiction. You might recognize the name of the author. He also wrote the “Artemis Fowl” series. Meg Finn is a … Continue reading
“Speak”
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson The summer before she starts high school, Melinda goes to a party where she calls the police. Because of her action, she is ostracized when school starts. Without a single friend, she pairs up with … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Young Adult Literature
Tagged parent-teen relationships, school problems
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“Whirligig”
Whirligig by Paul Fleishman In trying to kill himself, Brent causes an accident that kills Lea Zamora, a high school senior whose life is very promising. Brent was drunk and had just been humiliated at a party by the girl … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Literary Read Alike, Read 180, Young Adult Literature
Tagged Read 180, The Odyssey
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“Monster”
Monster by Walter Dean Myers “Lie down with dogs; wake up with fleas.” I remembered reading this ‘aphorism’—a witty little statement by Benjamin Franklin—as I read the novel “Monster.” The main character of the novel, Steve Harmon, is in just … Continue reading
“Cleopatra VII” (The Royal Diaries)
Cleopatra VII (The Royal Diaries) by Kristiana Gregory This is the first book I’ve read from “The Royal Diaries” series. If you’ve read books from the “American Girl” series or, better yet, the “Dear America” (“My Name is America”) series, … Continue reading
“When Zachary Beaver Came to Town”
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt When I was studying literature in college, I remember being told a story about a Southern writer, Flannery O’Connor. Asked why Southern writers always have freaks in their novels, she … Continue reading
Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Fiction, Read 180, Young Adult Literature
Tagged obesity, Read 180
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“Make Lemonade”
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff The blank verse form of this novel brings lyrical beauty to the story of two inner-city teen girls—fourteen-year-old LaVaughn and seventeen-year-old Jolly. Though LaVaughn lives in ‘the projects,’ she has a strong widowed mother … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Multicultural, Read 180, Young Adult Literature
Tagged Read 180
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“The Distant Land of My Father”
The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell The story of Anna Schoene’s childhood in Shanghai, China in the 1930s and her late childhood and teen years in Pasadena is so thick with period detail, that both locales should … Continue reading
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