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Teen Read Week: It Came From The (Classroom) Library! Teen Nicholas Harris on the Unwind Trilogy

What’s the point of Teen Read Week? This is what it’s all about– bringing YA fiction to the forefront in the minds of everyone– librarians, educators, parents, and teens (although not necessarily in that order). Nicholas Harris, an eighth grader at Clark Pleasant Middle School in Greenwood, Indiana, was assigned to read Unwind by Neal Shusterman last year in class, and he agreed to write a review for us of the Unwind Trilogy (two books, so far). Want to see an end to readicide? Bring the right book into the classroom and library and bored teens like Nicholas Harris are hooked.  Thanks, Nicholas!

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Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009

ISBN-13: 978-1416912057

Available: Hardcover, paperback and Kindle edition

 

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012

ISBN-13: 978-1442423664

Available: Hardcover and Kindle edition

 

I read Unwind last year for my 7th grade English class. The book was a trip that you never wanted to end. At first, I thought this book was going to be a bore because most books that you have to read in class are unreadable. After the first chapter though, I was hooked for Unwind. I liked how it switched from between the main characters points of view and it just captured my attention and I couldn’t put the book down. I found it interesting how the parents could choose to “unwind” or have their kid taken apart when they reached thirteen years old if the kid was bad or didn’t act like they wanted him to behave. I finished the book the first week we started reading it.

This year, when I found out that the author was coming to our school to speak and I could buy the second book when he was there, I was overjoyed because I wanted to read the next book so bad. I even was able to get my book signed. It was so popular at my school that they ran out of books and had to go buy more copies at the book store. I rushed home that afternoon and began reading it immediately and finished this one in only two days. UnWholly, the second book was even better! I love the continuation of the storyline and how the kid was made of different “unwind” parts.

I can’t wait for the third book to come out so I can see how the story ends. I think everyone that reads these books will really like them and they are not boring like many of the books that you read in school.

Reviewed by: Nicholas Harris

Posted on October 18, 2012 by , Reply

School Librarians, Children’s Librarians, and Teachers- What Will You Do For Halloween?

I know you already know what your lessons and programs will be- I had to plan months in advance when I worked in the public library and in the schools (why yes, I did work in both). For October, for the little ones, I had programs on bats and pumpkins and owls. For kids a little older, I made Jell-o brains and did programs on monsters… and for upper elementary, I told scary stories, with the lights out. Fourth and fifth graders like to think they are so cool, and they’ll tell you they are scare-proof, but High Beams scared them stiff and Tailypo mesmerized them. If they’d been a little older, I would have loved to do a reading of the Tell-Tale Heart.

So already this year I have gotten a call from my son’s school, where they were concerned because he kept asking for books about monsters and didn’t want the non-scary, age-appropriate suggestions he was given. And when they talked about school parties Halloween was not one they mentioned. Valentine’s Day, sure, but not Halloween. I hope they just overlooked it. It is such a great opportunity to get kids involved in art projects, practicing listening and speaking skills (I’ve taught storytelling to third graders), measurement (my son is obsessed with Halloween cookbooks, and you’ve got to be able to measure to cook).

One of the coolest places we get hits from here is a lesson plan from a education website, and that always brings us extra visitors at this time of year. And here’s a site that just linked to us as a good place to come to build literacy skills. There is a place for Halloween and for a good scary story in the classroom or library. How do you incorporate these into your lesson plans or library programming? If you send me your plans, I’ll post them on the site for other teachers and librarians to find.

Thanks!

Posted on August 27, 2011 by , Reply

Help a Reader Out: Entering the Twilight Zone

No, this has nothing to do with a certain series by Stephenie Meyer, or even with Rod Serling. I’ve received a request from a science teacher moving from teaching high school to teaching eighth grade who needs to build a classroom library appropriate for middle school students. If you follow trends in YA fiction at all, you might have noticed that  some YA books are very dark, and they can be very explicit. In fact, there’s a debate going on right now about this very thing.  Most of these books are aimed at older teens, ages 15-18, and that means that they aren’t terribly appropriate for a classroom library for middle schoolers.  Just because younger kids CAN and DO read some of those books, doesn’t mean they are the best selections for their classroom library. However, in spite of the fact that I personally enjoy reading books for upper elementary students, most middle schoolers are moving beyond those. It is a tricky age to find reading material that walks the line.

This doesn’t mean books can’t have dark themes. But  books with foul language, explicit sex, and extreme violence and gore are not great choices for the majority of middle schoolers. As with any age, though, many of them love suspense, cliffhangers, a good scare, adventure, a little romance, humor, mystery, and stories about kids who might be going though the same things they are.  Among other things.

Do you have any ideas as to good titles for a middle school classroom library? What did you read for pleasure at that age? Honestly, I probably read more of a variety of titles and genres in middle school than I have at any other time of my life, and I’d be happy to share some of my favorites with you, and with her, but I’m one person. What are your suggestions?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by , 4 comments