Novels Wanted

In my endless quest to find the perfect combination of novels for my literature students to read during the school year, I have spent a good chunk of my summer vacation browsing through bookstores and online for book ideas. I have also spent many-a-day skimming and perusing through book after book that has fallen short of my expectations for one reason or another.

I have to be careful to find books in various genres, that cover different topics, and as much as I love certain authors, I also have to be careful to provide the students exposure to a variety of writing styles. For example, I absolutely love the author Avi. But, last year my 7th graders read (and LOVED!) his novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. And, though I also absolutely adore his novel Nothing But The Truth and have read it with 8th grade classes in the past, I won't use it for this 8th grade class because I want them to experience other authors.

I also am looking for books that grab the reader's attention and hold it - something that is probably the key element of a novel that is successful in a jr. high classroom. Because, quite frankly, I couldn't really care less that Watership Down is a classic and a staple in many-a-classroom. It would bore the hell out of my students and probably only about 5 of them would read it cover to cover. The rest would get plot summaries and character descriptions from the internet and call it a day.

My goal is to get my students reading the novel the whole way through. It is also to get them to discuss and question, wonder and theorize. I look for books that will cause my students to read ahead instead of staying with the group. I mean, really, everyone needs to experience the feeling of not-being-able-to-put-that-book-down a few times, and I sure would love it if some teenagers experienced that because of a book they were reading in my class.

I have the 6th grade novels pretty well set. We begin the year with a fairly light and entertaining read with Matilda by Roald Dahl, next we delve into the still fun, but thought provoking Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli, and we close out the year with the slightly more difficult read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Of course we cover more than just those 3 novels in the year, but I like to always do at least 3 novels together as a class.

For 7th grade, I feel as though I have thousands of options. I still haven't made my final decisions for this coming year, but I will choose 3 from the following list:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, Ann Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and The Giver by Lois Lowry

Right now, I am leaning towards The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (it was a true hit last year and one of my favorite books for this age group), Ann Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (because it is a small class of all girls and only 1 boy I think they will really get into this book), and Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.

It's 8th grade that is really giving me problems. I have cast book after book aside, as mentioned above, for various reasons.

The only book that I am 100% sold on is a book I read with the 8th graders last year called Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals. It is Melba's memoir of her integration into a white school in Little Rock, Arkansas. It is an eye-opener and a page-turner for sure.

Beyond that, I am really coming up short. I am unhappy with every single other book I've ever read with my 8th grade classes of the past so am starting from scratch with other options.

I recently finished a book called Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Meyer which gives an honest look at the confusion and pain of War. The only problem is that it covers the first 6 months of Operation Iraqi Freedom -- a "war" that is still going on today. I have to say, it was quite captivating for me to read, considering that as a military wife whose husband has served 2 tours in Iraq, it really hit a personal note with me. Walter Dean Meyer is a popular author who has written many well-known and award winning novels for teens. He does a really good job of staying impartial about the war and giving the reader the opportunity to ask his/her own questions and come up with his/her own answers at the end. It's about the reality of war rather than a political position on the topic. It was a very good book. I'm just unsure whether a book on this topic is even appropriate in the classroom at this time. It might all be a little bit too close to home, a little bit too fresh to broach in literature class.

Long story short, I really don't know. I have about a week to find 2 more books that I absolutely love for my 8th graders. Suggestions and comments are more than welcome (unless of course you disagree with one of my definite choices. If that is the case please keep it to yourself or you will send me into a tailspin!) :)

Until then, I must go for I have much skimming, perusing, and reading to do in order to find those perfect jr. high level novels.