Category Archives: Fiction
Grendel
I’ve always thought that Beowulf would make a great movie because it has all the elements of high drama—friendship and betrayal, good v. evil, monsters and murder. Now that a film version of Beowulf is coming soon, I think that … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Literary Read Alike
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Water for Elephants
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is the story of a young man who joins a traveling circus during the Great Depression. It’s well researched and includes period photos. It’d be a really fun book to use as the starter … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Junior Project
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The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards, has had a nice run on the bestsellers’ list, I think, because it deals with the ways in which making a single bad decision can wreck lives. To be honest, it was difficult for … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Junior Project
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Ordinary Wolves
Although my copy of Ordinary Wolves tells me it’s a best seller, unlike The Kite Runner, I don’t know anyone else who has read it. Like The Kite Runner, it’s a good choice when a teacher asks for a ‘multicultural’ … Continue reading
The Road
One of the comments you’d never see in a professional book review is “The book is graphic enough to appeal to high school guys.” I hate to admit it, but this is something I think about when I’m reading. … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Movie Tie-In, Sci-Fi/Futuristic
Tagged Cormac McCarthy, future dystopia
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A Map of the World
I just finished a book by Jane Hamilton entitled When Madeline was Young. It’s about how crazy accidents alter life, about family rivalries and how very ordinary, undramatic incidents lead to severing ties. I’m not sure that it would interest … Continue reading
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The Red Badge of Courage
When I was asked to discuss The Red Badge of Courage with this year’s Academic Decathlon team, it had been at least thirty years since I’d read it. I figured another reading was in order if I hoped to be … Continue reading
The Kite Runner
In thinking of recent bestselling adult books that would appeal to highs school students, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini comes immediately to mind. Much of the novel is set in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the life of the protagonist, Amir, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Multicultural
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School Library Lady 