by Elizabeth Wein
Summary:
Emilia and Teo's lives changed the instant war came to Ethopia. It was supposed to be a place they could be free, that they and their mothers could live without the genderism or racism that dominated 1930's America. Now Em and Teo find themselves in the middle of the conflict between Ethopia and Italy, and they are about to discover how many things are worth fighting for.
Review:
Another wonderful read by Wein. Em and Teo are wonderful characters, and the opportunities they have are rare for both their genders and race in this time period. A good read for historical fiction lovers.
Age Level: 8th Grade
Genre: Historical Fiction
Showing posts with label Prejudice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prejudice. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Far From Home
by Na'ima B Robert
Summary
Tariro and Katie have never met. They are separated by more than just the 25 year gap in their ages, but they are linked together by a dark secret. The book tells both of their story, with events years apart having reverberating impacts across both of their lives. Set in Zimbabwe, it is the story how two different families had their lives ripped apart by war. The story of the price that victors pay, and the reminder that colonialization didn't take place that long ago.
Review:
Far From Home is a well written book about the Rhodesian empire and the wars for independence that led to it becoming Zimbabwe. The racism depicted in the book is very accurate, though difficult to read. The views held by the whites in the book were prevalent at the time, in a way it's similar to the Help. The struggles faced by native Zimbabweans were horrific, especially seen in retrospect. Katie's evolution from a girl raised in a privileged background to a more compassionate and understanding person is well written and believable. It's a good read for those studying civil rights or with an interest in more gritty historical fiction.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade
Summary
Tariro and Katie have never met. They are separated by more than just the 25 year gap in their ages, but they are linked together by a dark secret. The book tells both of their story, with events years apart having reverberating impacts across both of their lives. Set in Zimbabwe, it is the story how two different families had their lives ripped apart by war. The story of the price that victors pay, and the reminder that colonialization didn't take place that long ago.
Review:
Far From Home is a well written book about the Rhodesian empire and the wars for independence that led to it becoming Zimbabwe. The racism depicted in the book is very accurate, though difficult to read. The views held by the whites in the book were prevalent at the time, in a way it's similar to the Help. The struggles faced by native Zimbabweans were horrific, especially seen in retrospect. Katie's evolution from a girl raised in a privileged background to a more compassionate and understanding person is well written and believable. It's a good read for those studying civil rights or with an interest in more gritty historical fiction.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Speechless
by Hannah Harrington
Summary:
Chelsea has always been proud of her status as one of the most popular girls in her high school, and also as the one who knows the dirt on everyone and isn't afraid to share it. After all, gossip is just telling what you know about people. But when she lets out a secret about a boy in her class, a secret that results in him being attacked and almost killed, she realizes that maybe her inability to keep a secret is not good. As a penance of sorts, she decides to stop talking altogether. As she loses her friends and popularity, she beings to find that maybe everything that she thought she was was a lie. Maybe through not talking she'll find her true friends and a better way to be.
Review:
While I thought the whole 'vow of silence' thing to be a bit cliche and selfish of Chelsea, I really wound up liking her as a character by the end of the book. The book itself deals with some very heavy themes: sex, hate crimes, LBGT rights to name a few, but it does so in an age-appropriate way. The book really reminds you the impact that one careless statement can have on many, and in all honestly how many people can say they've never gossiped about someone and regretted it afterwards. A really good read for teens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Summary:
Chelsea has always been proud of her status as one of the most popular girls in her high school, and also as the one who knows the dirt on everyone and isn't afraid to share it. After all, gossip is just telling what you know about people. But when she lets out a secret about a boy in her class, a secret that results in him being attacked and almost killed, she realizes that maybe her inability to keep a secret is not good. As a penance of sorts, she decides to stop talking altogether. As she loses her friends and popularity, she beings to find that maybe everything that she thought she was was a lie. Maybe through not talking she'll find her true friends and a better way to be.
Review:
While I thought the whole 'vow of silence' thing to be a bit cliche and selfish of Chelsea, I really wound up liking her as a character by the end of the book. The book itself deals with some very heavy themes: sex, hate crimes, LBGT rights to name a few, but it does so in an age-appropriate way. The book really reminds you the impact that one careless statement can have on many, and in all honestly how many people can say they've never gossiped about someone and regretted it afterwards. A really good read for teens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Numbers
by Rachel Ward
Summary:
Every time you looked at someone, you can see the day that they will die. What do you do with that kind of knowledge? Does knowing the day you'll die help you? Would telling people stop them from dying? The numbers haunt Jem. Knowing the day that every single person she encounters will die makes every day almost unbearable. Until she meets Spider, a boy whose death date is not far in the future. Maybe knowing the date will let her stop if from happening. Maybe he can be the one she saves.
Review:
The premise of Numbers is interesting, but the book itself is a bit disjointed and the language a bit hard to follow at times. The main characters are kids from rougher areas of London, so there is a lot of slang written in that might be hard for some teens to follow. In some ways the harsher writing (or not as developed I suppose) does help the plot as it makes you feel a bit closer to the characters. Overall the book is an interesting read but nothing thrilling. Ok for teens who enjoy books about fate or star crossed lovers.
Age Level: 8th Grade
Genre: Realistic Fantasy Fiction
Series: sequel Numbers: the Chaos
Summary:
Every time you looked at someone, you can see the day that they will die. What do you do with that kind of knowledge? Does knowing the day you'll die help you? Would telling people stop them from dying? The numbers haunt Jem. Knowing the day that every single person she encounters will die makes every day almost unbearable. Until she meets Spider, a boy whose death date is not far in the future. Maybe knowing the date will let her stop if from happening. Maybe he can be the one she saves.
Review:
The premise of Numbers is interesting, but the book itself is a bit disjointed and the language a bit hard to follow at times. The main characters are kids from rougher areas of London, so there is a lot of slang written in that might be hard for some teens to follow. In some ways the harsher writing (or not as developed I suppose) does help the plot as it makes you feel a bit closer to the characters. Overall the book is an interesting read but nothing thrilling. Ok for teens who enjoy books about fate or star crossed lovers.
Age Level: 8th Grade
Genre: Realistic Fantasy Fiction
Series: sequel Numbers: the Chaos
Monday, October 22, 2012
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
by Emily Danforth
Summary:
The day Cameron Post's parents die is the day she first kisses a girl. She can't help but be relieved that they will never know about her, they will never have to be ashamed that she is gay. But when her extremely religious aunt moves in to take care of her, she finds being true to herself is a constant challenge. As she grows up, and embraces her sexuality, her aunt sends her to a religious boarding school which claims it can 'readjust' her sexual orientation. What she learns there will change her life forever.
Review:
Danforth's book about a girl who has to learn to embrace herself in the midst of a conservative community and family is both well written and timely. This is a great book not just for LGBT teens, but for any who seek to try and understand what these teens go through as they try to be themselves. The hurt and shame that Cameron feels as her aunt tells her she is going to hell for being who she is is something most teens will never go through, which is why reading a book on the topic is important. Highly recommended for slightly older tweens and teens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9-10th Grade
Summary:
The day Cameron Post's parents die is the day she first kisses a girl. She can't help but be relieved that they will never know about her, they will never have to be ashamed that she is gay. But when her extremely religious aunt moves in to take care of her, she finds being true to herself is a constant challenge. As she grows up, and embraces her sexuality, her aunt sends her to a religious boarding school which claims it can 'readjust' her sexual orientation. What she learns there will change her life forever.
Review:
Danforth's book about a girl who has to learn to embrace herself in the midst of a conservative community and family is both well written and timely. This is a great book not just for LGBT teens, but for any who seek to try and understand what these teens go through as they try to be themselves. The hurt and shame that Cameron feels as her aunt tells her she is going to hell for being who she is is something most teens will never go through, which is why reading a book on the topic is important. Highly recommended for slightly older tweens and teens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9-10th Grade
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Other Half of My Heart
by Sundee T. Frazier
Summary:
Keira and Minna aren't just best friends, they are twin sisters. They aren't completely alike, Keira is outgoing while Minna is shy, Minna loves to read but Keira isn't as gung ho about school. And well, Minna is white like her father, while Keira takes after their African American mother. But that never really bothered them until their grandmother enters them in the Miss Black Pearl beauty contest. As Minna learns what it's like to stand out as the only light skinned girl in the contest, she realizes that life hasn't always been that easy for her sister.
Review:
Frazier's novel addresses questions of prejudice and justice. Of what it is like to fit in and what it's like to be the only one like you. Both girls must learn to understand what it's like to be different, and of the importance of standing up for each other no matter what. The book is genuinely interesting and a good read for younger tweens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 4-5th Grade
Summary:
Keira and Minna aren't just best friends, they are twin sisters. They aren't completely alike, Keira is outgoing while Minna is shy, Minna loves to read but Keira isn't as gung ho about school. And well, Minna is white like her father, while Keira takes after their African American mother. But that never really bothered them until their grandmother enters them in the Miss Black Pearl beauty contest. As Minna learns what it's like to stand out as the only light skinned girl in the contest, she realizes that life hasn't always been that easy for her sister.
Review:
Frazier's novel addresses questions of prejudice and justice. Of what it is like to fit in and what it's like to be the only one like you. Both girls must learn to understand what it's like to be different, and of the importance of standing up for each other no matter what. The book is genuinely interesting and a good read for younger tweens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 4-5th Grade
What I saw and how I lied
by Judy Blundell
Summary:
Now that the war is over and her stepfather Joe is back, Evie is thrilled that life is getting back to normal. No more rationing or not being able to buy new things. Joe is even taking her and her mother down to Palm Beach for a proper vacation. A vacation where she can finally meet a boy to fall in love with. Peter is everything she could dream of in a man. But she's about to find out that things aren't always how they appear, and that she might not really know what even the people she loves the most are truly capable of. Terrible things don't just happen in war.
Review:
A historical fiction novel, What I saw and how I lied, combines a WWII story with lessons of prejudice and doing the right thing. Evie is a girl who can't wait to grow up, but when her parents go to trial for killing Peter, she learns that growing up is not all black and white. She has to make the choice about whether to tell the truth about what she knows, or to lie to save her parents from jail. The book talks about wartime injustices as well as war looting and profiteering (which is how Joe made his money). Evie must struggle with seeing her first real examples of prejudicism, when friends are kicked out of their hotel for being Jewish, and rectify that with her belief that that problem should have been over and done with now that such a huge war had been fought. It's a well written book that will hold ones attention.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Summary:
Now that the war is over and her stepfather Joe is back, Evie is thrilled that life is getting back to normal. No more rationing or not being able to buy new things. Joe is even taking her and her mother down to Palm Beach for a proper vacation. A vacation where she can finally meet a boy to fall in love with. Peter is everything she could dream of in a man. But she's about to find out that things aren't always how they appear, and that she might not really know what even the people she loves the most are truly capable of. Terrible things don't just happen in war.
Review:
A historical fiction novel, What I saw and how I lied, combines a WWII story with lessons of prejudice and doing the right thing. Evie is a girl who can't wait to grow up, but when her parents go to trial for killing Peter, she learns that growing up is not all black and white. She has to make the choice about whether to tell the truth about what she knows, or to lie to save her parents from jail. The book talks about wartime injustices as well as war looting and profiteering (which is how Joe made his money). Evie must struggle with seeing her first real examples of prejudicism, when friends are kicked out of their hotel for being Jewish, and rectify that with her belief that that problem should have been over and done with now that such a huge war had been fought. It's a well written book that will hold ones attention.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Fight On! Mary Churchill Terrell's battle for immigration
by Dennis Brindell Fradin & Judith Bloom Fradin
Mary Church Terrell had a privileged upbringing. Not only did she graduate high school, but she was one of very few women who went to and graduated college. And she wasn’t just at college to find a husband, she was there to learn! What makes Mary’s accomplishment in this even more extraordinary, was the fact that she was African American. Mary didn’t stop her accomplishments with graduating college, she led the fight to stop segregation in Washington DC restaurants through picketing and lawsuits. She believed that just because her skin as a different color she should not be banned from eating in certain restaurants. She knew that it was only ignorance that led people follow segregation laws, and she was determined to show people they were wrong.
This book is an interesting read about a woman who broke a lot of barriers in her day. The fact that she had such a privileged upbringing and was so dedicated to making life better for others is very moving. She was well educated, which gave her arguments against segregation a lot more sway than they might have had otherwise. She is a very strong woman, which makes a book about her a great motivational tool for tweens of both genders. In addition, the book looks at segregation policies very frankly. It’s a great book about someone who isn’t as well known for her work during the civil rights movement, but should be.
Mary Church Terrell had a privileged upbringing. Not only did she graduate high school, but she was one of very few women who went to and graduated college. And she wasn’t just at college to find a husband, she was there to learn! What makes Mary’s accomplishment in this even more extraordinary, was the fact that she was African American. Mary didn’t stop her accomplishments with graduating college, she led the fight to stop segregation in Washington DC restaurants through picketing and lawsuits. She believed that just because her skin as a different color she should not be banned from eating in certain restaurants. She knew that it was only ignorance that led people follow segregation laws, and she was determined to show people they were wrong.
This book is an interesting read about a woman who broke a lot of barriers in her day. The fact that she had such a privileged upbringing and was so dedicated to making life better for others is very moving. She was well educated, which gave her arguments against segregation a lot more sway than they might have had otherwise. She is a very strong woman, which makes a book about her a great motivational tool for tweens of both genders. In addition, the book looks at segregation policies very frankly. It’s a great book about someone who isn’t as well known for her work during the civil rights movement, but should be.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had
Author: Kristin Levine
Publisher: New York : G.P. Putnams Sons, c2009.
Plot Description:
All Dit was really hoping for was that the new postmaster would have a son his age, and that the son liked baseball. It didn’t seem like too much to ask for. Unfortunately, what he got instead was Emma. Emma might be his age, but they really don’t have much else in common. She grew up in fancy Boston, wears pretty clothes all the time, doesn’t play baseball, and she’s black. But as Dit and Emma spend time together, he begins to realize that even though she’s a girl, she’s not half bad. But a lot of people in the town don’t agree with him, and he’s got some decisions to make: does he stick by his friend? Or is the town right and her skin color really does make her different?
Review:
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had provides a different lens for the problem of racial prejudice and the civil rights movement. Seen through the eyes of Dit, the terrible racial tensions of the South seem petty. When the town’s barber, who is also black, is on trial for the murder of the sheriff (even though it was self defense), Dit learns that right and wrong are not always as clear to everyone else as they are to him. It’s a great story about a boy learning that the world isn’t always the best place, but that it’s important to always to what’s right.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reading level: 6th Grade
Similar Books: Maniac Magee
Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- really good book about how we shouldn’t judge people by our first impressions
Subjects/themes- Prejudice, friendship, Racism, Fiction
Character names/descriptions-
Dit- 12 years old and likes baseball
Emma- 12 years old and likes reading, is really smart but can’t go to the white kids school
Doc- accused of murdering Big Foot (who is also his half brother
Annotation: Girls can come in handy sometimes.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Maniac Magee
Maniac Magee
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Boston : Little, Brown, c1990.
Plot Description:
Maniac Magee had a family once. But not anymore. He might have originally been called Jeffrey. But now everyone calls him Maniac. They call him Maniac because he runs. Constantly. They call him Maniac because he does things no kid has ever done before. Like run on the rail on the railroad tracks. Or kiss a baby buffalo. Or sit on Finsterwald’s doorstep. Or cross from West to East Hector street and back like there’s not a line between them. Maniac can’t see why anything he does is special, or why people on both sides of Hector Street think he’s crazy to be going back and forth. Maniac can’t understand why the color of someones skin means that they have to live on a certain side of town or why they should think the others live differently than they do. Maniac’s a special kind of kid.
Review:
Maniac Magee is a fantastic book which allows kids to explore the problem of racism from both sides of the fence. Maniac lives with an African American family and learns the value of family from them. He also is exposed to racism for being the only white kid in the neighborhood. He lives with a white family who decides to arm themselves for when the blacks decide to attack them. Maniac approaches these situations with confusion, the scene when he talks about how he doesn’t understand why people call him white when he’s really a pinkish color is a great illustrator of this. He also demonstrates wisdom beyond his years in dealing with these situations and helping others overcome their own prejudices. It’s a great read for boys and girls alike, definitely recommended as a way to show how racism flowers in communities with no one there to stop it.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading level: 5th Grade
Similar Books: Esperanza Rising
Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- one of my favorites from childhood, has an even better meaning to it reading it now
Subjects/themes- loss, racism, prejudice
Awards- 1992 Newbery Medal
Character names/descriptions-
Maniac Magee- runs all night, lives with families on both sides of Hector street
Grayson- old baseball player who befriends Maniac and teaches him about family
Amanda Beale- first person to take him to her home, gives him her room and
eventually reminds him that her family is his family
Mars Bar- toughest kid in East End
John McNab- toughtest kid in West End
Annotation: Running might be hard for you, but for Maniac it’s a way of life.
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