Category Archives: Multicultural
“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
“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
Leave a comment
“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
“Conception”
Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon I picked this new YA novel off our shelf because it won the Terry McMillan Young Author Award. I think of Terry McMillan as light reading. Although she does deal with the issues of Black women, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature
Leave a comment
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie “The Absolutely True Diary” is a fictional account of the life of a fourteen-year-old Spokane Indian, Arnold Spirit (Junior). He has a lot working against him—he was born with … Continue reading
Posted in "Banned Book", Fiction, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature
Tagged American Indian
Leave a comment
Bless Me, Ultima
“Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya This review has been created by the Academic Decathlon class at COHS. It’s a team effort. “Bless Me, Ultima” is a novel set in Guadalupe, New Mexico. The narrator, Antonio Marez, is an adult looking … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature
2 Comments
“Night” and “Dawn”
“Night” and “Dawn” by Elie Wiesel Knowing that all freshmen here at COHS read “Night” by Elie Wiesel, and that sophomores have “Dawn” as a possible outside reading choice for history projects, I decided I’d have a go at it. … Continue reading
Out of War
“Out of War: True Stories from the Front Lines of the Children’s Movement for Peace in Columbia” by Sara Cameron Nine chapters of “Out of War’ each discuss one of the child leaders of the Children’s Movement for Peace in … Continue reading
School Library Lady 