"Finding the Right Balance"

Gallagher, K. (2009). Readicide, Finding the sweet spot (pp.90-109). Portland, ME: Stenhouse. 

What Matters: Meeting Content Goals through Teaching Cognitive Reading Strategies with Canonical Texts by: Styslinger, Ware, Bell and Barrett
Say:

This week's reading, specifically in Readicide, created some strong opinions in myself. For one, she only confronted the issue of readicide that happens to classic titles. To be honest, I'm not a huge proponent for the canon. I think the canon serves it's purpose for certain environments and classrooms, however most students don't need to be exposed to more than a few canonical texts in their entire lifetime. This is especially true if they are not planning on pursuing English and Literature in their post-secondary careers. It's even more true if they don't plan on pursuing a post-secondary degree at all.

Gallagher claims that most school districts don't allot enough time to include other texts besides canonical texts, but I think that she is stretching it a bit. I'm sure she could find the time if she skipped over the boring author's biography that no student ever remembers. She could definitely find the time if she didn't talk about the historical context if it really isn't needed for comprehension of the text. And she could always pair the canonical text with a multi-cultural or YA lit novel.

Gallagher also suggests that having students read the same title is beneficial. However, a flaw I found in her theory is that she only applies this theory to classical literature. What about literature that is way more relevant to our students, like YA? I think that doing book clubs or assigning supporting texts to all students would be more beneficial to my students. This is primarily because if all of the students are struggling with a canonical text, then they can refer to the supporting texts to extrapolate comprehension, analysis and meaning.

I don't agree that classical literature can illuminate modern cultural literacy. Culture is changing. Classical texts can be used as a means to peer into the culture of the time in which it was written. This comment precedes her opinion that canonical texts can also expose students to a certain kind of rigor. I think this is true, but can't any other text that uses advanced vocabulary and deeper meanings?

The biggest issue I have with Gallagher is that she tends to support canonical texts so much that she almost pushes out other kinds of literature. At this point in my life, I don't agree with her thoughts because I currently have a multi-cultural pedagogy and believe that YA literature can bring about relevant meaning to my students better than any canonical text.

I do agree that the problem lies with how a piece of literature, especially a classic, is taught.

But then Gallagher lets me down again! She states that she teaches classics in her classroom so that students can extrapolate a universal meaning out of it. Can't you do that with any of kind of text? Yes. Or let's take her comment about how likable at text is. Gallagher isn't worried about whether her students like the text, but whether or not they get something from it. I just don't think students will get anything from a book if they don't have even an inkling of interest in it.

In the text that Styslinger took a part in, cognitive reading strategies were discussed. They talked about it in the context of studying classical literature, but I think it can be effective for any kind of text. This is especially true if you have CP students. In that article many teachers focused on one strategy for a text and others chose to use multiple to aid in the comprehension of a text. I think that it depends on the text and the students. A teacher must know their students and know the text.

Cognitive reading strategies are a great way to decompose a canonical text, it can also be used for YA literature and multi-cultural texts. One of the cognitive reading strategies that I was able to use during EDRD 600 was "It Says-I Say-And So". My student and I were reading Wool and I was able to use it in order to break down important parts of the text. The artifact is there below.

"I am a teacher, not an assigner"

Do:

"Inviting Other Theoretical Perspectives"

Appleman, D. (2000). Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents, (pp.xv-24, 154-171). NY: Teachers College Press. 

Say

All English majors remember the daunting, "Literary Criticism and Theory" course we had to take at some point in our academic careers. We all sat in our seats trying to organize all of the information that was being thrown at as. We sat in those hard seats trying to make these abstract ideas become concrete ones. Personally, I remember being lost the first six weeks of the class. Which is literally half of the semester. I can't remember exactly when it was, but there was a "light bulb" moment for me. All of sudden everything that was vague and foggy, became crystal clear. I think it was the criticism partnered with the theory that threw me off track. We would talk about how great a theory was, then read a scholarly article, written by a theorist, who then shattered it into little bitty pieces.

With all of that said, I thought about my own experience and struggles with literary theory while reading the texts for this week. I realized that my own students will struggle with understanding the purpose, the importance and the clarifying powers of literary theory. I especially thought about it within the context of the kinds of students I wish to teach: at-risk. I began to ask questions like, "how detrimental would it be, to their education, if we didn't cover literary theory in some form?", "Would literary theory help my students better analyze a text?", "How can I teach literary theory that wasn't as confusing as the way it was presented to me in my college course?" and finally, "Is literary theory really that important in a high school English classroom?"

Before I go into my discussion, I would just like to point out that it has literally been an Appleman week. I'm not complaining because I really enjoyed the reading, I just saw what you did there ;)

In chapter four of Appleman's piece, she discussed the method in which teachers typically begin a new unit of study. As I read, I could relate because I distinctly my teachers always opening the lesson with an entire class period dedicated to an "About the Author" hour. It never failed. I have heard Shakespeare's life story at least five different times, but I couldn't tell you one thing about him. Appleman comments on this kind of classroom culture. This kind of teaching is simply not effective.

So if we choose not to open a unit with a presentation covering the in's and out's of an author's life, what do we do instead? Well, that's where critical literary theory comes in handy. I loved Appleman's suggestion to have a discussion, with students, about specific kinds of issues that happen within the novel. Then we could scaffold them into a deeper discussion about those issues within a political context. This was also an idea that Appleman suggested. My question, about politics specifically, is how far is too far when conducting a politically driven discussion within the classroom?

She also suggests opening a unit by discussing the intended audience. This could evolve into an even deeper conversation about audience construction, which then can turn into society construction. That is one thing that I have come to love about literary theory: it encourages students to look at their own society and question it. This is especially true if you are using the Marxist theory to drive a text you are interpreting.

As much as I have come to love the analytical properties of literary theory, I am sad to say that I was never introduced to it until college. After reading Appleman, I feel like it could have helped me to better understand the texts that I read in high school. I noticed that the books I re-read in college, that I had read in high school, had given me a totally different perspective. This is because I was using literary theory to interpret the text. So, this answers my second question. I believe that if literary theory was taught, effectively, in a high school students would understand a text better and differently than if they had no knowledge of it.

If you don't know already, I am a huge supporter of multi-culural texts. So, as I read the introduction, understanding multiple world perspectives resonated with me. I had never thought about literary theory as a means to expose students to different perspectives. Theory can even be used to translate classical texts written by white men to analyze a different viewpoint. Honestly, I had never thought about that as a method.

Lastly in chapter two, "meaning is constructed" was such a powerful point. This point drove the unit plan I designed around The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (TATDOAPTI). I decided to design a unit that focused on the theme of social justice, and to interpret that text through that lens. But let's just think about how important it is to have our students critically think about "meaning is constructed". How will they ever be able to interpret a text, if they don't understand the culture that that text was derived? My "Do" reflects a lesson that covers Literary Race Theory in TATDOAPTI.

Do

Ms. Spotts

• Daily Lesson Plan Format

Title of Lesson: Under the Skin, We're All the Same

Subject: English I CP- 90 Minutes

Topic: Racism

Objectives:

Students will cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text; identify multiple supported interpretations (5.1).

Students will write explanatory texts that organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make connections and distinctions (2.1c)

Students will synthesize areas of agreement and disagreement including justification for personal perspective; revise conclusions based on new evidence (1.5).

Purpose:

In order to be better citizens, we should strive to treat all people, regardless of background, race, culture, socio-economic status, gender or sex, with respect and equality.

Materials:

one-to-one iPad

Comic Strips

This American Life podcast, “Cops See it Differently” prologue

KidBlog

“The Story of Nusreta Sivac” UN Human Rights article (6 copies of each)

“Indian Human Rights Defender Fights to End Roma Discrimination” UN Human Rights article (6 copies of each)

“ A UN Declaration to Promote the Rights of People Working in Rural Areas” UN Human Rights article (6 copies of each)

“Sports Stars Come Out Against Homophobia” UN Human Rights article (6 copies of each)

“The Story of Cueuza Oliveira” UN Human Rights article (6 copies of each)

“Controversial Topics” Handout

Discussion Questions

Padlet Graphic Organizer

Twitter

Procedures:

As the students walk into the classroom, I will ask the groups, who weren't able to present their comic strips to the class yesterday, to prepare for their presentations to begin after the bell. Those groups will present their comic strips (10 minutes), then I will get the class settled to listen to a segment off of the This American Life podcast, “Cops See it differently”. They will listen to the prologue on part one (10 minutes), then log into their KidBlog sites to respond to the prompt that I posted (10 minutes).

Next, I will split the students up into five groups of six and hand out five different testimonies of racism to each group (2 minutes). Each student will have their own copy that they will read independently and silently (5 minutes). I will also be passing out a “*Controversial Topics Handout” to instruct them how to be appropriate while discussing controversial subjects, such as racism. After reading both documents, they will come back together as a group to discuss the kinds of discrimination their story depicted (13 minutes). They will be given **discussion questions.

Once they have finished their discussion about their article, they will begin discussing the kinds of racism Junior experienced in Alexie's memoir. They will compare and contrast the person from their article and Junior's experiences. The similarities and differences will go in the graphic organizer on Padlet assigned to their group (10 minutes) Each group will come up to the front of the class to give a summary of the article and experiences they read about, and present their graphic organizers. Each group will have, at most, five minutes to present (25 minutes). For the last five minutes of class they will get on twitter and tweet me a response to the exit slip for the day: “What was something new you learned today? Are there any other controversial topics, from TATDOAPTI, that you'd like to discuss further next week?”With any extra time left, they will be instructed to start their reading that is assigned to them tonight.

*This handout was originally made for a discussion on homosexuality, however the same principles still apply.

**Listed below

Homework:

Read pages 159-178

Evaluating/Assessing the Learning:

During the lesson:

blog

discussion

graphic organizer

presentations

After the lesson:

tweet

Accommodations for Diverse Learners:

Poverty: Francine will be placed in a somewhat leadership role within the groups that she works with. Also, presenting in front of the class should give her enough attention to keep her on-task.

ELL: Lucita should feel comfortable in the small group setting because students will be able to simply explain the instructions to her.

Physical Challenge: Marco will not have to be the “writer” in any of the groups since his dominant arm is broken. He will still be accountable for sharing his ideas verbally.

At-Risk: Taylor will only have reading to do for homework tonight.

Autistic: Madeline has been taken under the wing of one of her classmates. So, whenever forming groups, I always put the two of them together.

High-Achieving: Troy will be able to thrive in this analytical atmosphere and take on some leadership in the groups.

Discussion Questions

0=I would rather not talk about race/racism.

1=I am very uncomfortable talking about race/racism.

2=I am usually uncomfortable talking about race/racism.

3=I am sometimes uncomfortable talking about race/racism.

4=I am usually comfortable talking about race/racism.

5=I am very comfortable talking about race/racism.

1. On a scale of 0-5, how comfortable are you talking about race? Explain.
2. On a scale of 0-5, how comfortable are you talking about racism? Explain.
3. What does bias mean?
4. Explain colorblindness.
5. What is a stereotype?
6. What stereotypes can your group come up with about these people groups:

• African American/Black
• Asian
• European American/White
• Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
• Hispanic/Latino/Chicano
• Jewish
• Middle Eastern/Arab
• Native American

1. What country did they reside in? What was their nationality? Were they male or female? Young or old?
2. What kind of discrimination did the person of the article endure? Did they deserve what happened to them, why or why not?
3. What would you have done if you were in their shoes? How would you have felt?
4. Before reading this article, did you know about this particular story? Did you know that discrimination and racism existed in this area of the world?
5. How did this testimony change your perspective and idea about racism?

"(Re)Introducing Reader Response" Say/Do

How Effective is Reader Response in the English Classroom?

Reader response is one of the more well-known methods of interacting with texts. As many of the readings from this week have discussed, we have relied heavily on reader response in the classroom. The readings have also questioned the method in which we have facilitated reader response. It makes us as educators re-evaluate this strategy. Questions that came to my mind as I read were, has reader response become a shallow connection between student and text; and, or are students authentically making deeper relationships between themselves and the text?

While I was thinking about what I would want to do for my "do" portion of this assignment I kept those questions in mind. These are also questions that were brought up in the articles we read. For example, in Henneberg's "Dimensions of Failure in Reader Response" she says, "They are afraid of being wrong" (24). This creates a dilemma in reader response because it is dependent upon the students' own interpretations and connections to the text. If students are afraid of being wrong, they will be afraid to voice a personal connection to a text. Thus, reader response is stifled in the classroom.

Not only does Henneberg express that they are afraid of being wrong, but this fear was developed from having "wrong" answers in other teachers' classrooms. If students have become numb to the joy of questioning that leads to discovery, we have failed as educators.

So, as I came upon the idea in Probst's "Response and Analysis" I thought about a few things that Rosenblatt had to say about reader response. There was a quote from Rosenblatt that related well to my "do", since it included an activity that required all of the readers to respond by accessing their own experiences. The text says, "The reader brings to the work personality traits, memories of past events, present needs and preoccupations, a particular mood of the moment, and a particular physical condition...For the adolescent reader, the experience of the work is further specialized by the fact that he is probably not yet arrived at a consistent view of life or achieved a fully integrated personality"(31).

This is the beauty of reader response so wonderfully said in the aforementioned quote. We have students who are as different as can be from one another, yet we still have teachers who are looking for one right answer. That is an impossible feat, if I do say so myself. If that is the mission of the teacher leading reader response in their classroom, they are sucking the life and creativity out of reader response. There will be no potential if it is watered down to what is "right" and "wrong".

Rosenblatt goes on to share that students have not developed "a consistent view of life or achieved a fully integrated personality". This is one of the many reasons I chose to teach at the secondary level. It's so interesting to watch students begin with one kind of ideology, and watch it transform over the course of the semester and school year. Personalities are always changing. Students are changing their hair style, their fashion and their group of friends almost every week. They are finding themselves. Reader response is just another way we can help them do that.

However, we don't want reader response to end at just connecting the self to the text. This is an idea that is challenged in chapter three of "Critical Encounters in High School English". The text questions, "How can literature foster a knowledge of others when we focus so relentlessly on ourselves and our own experiences?" So, it's a great way to introduce response with a personal connection, but we cannot leave it there. We must build upon the personal connection, to make a world connection and then follow it up with some sort of analysis and assessment. We want to educate our students to not only worry about themselves, but to relate with others. Reader response can serve as a stepping stone to get there, but we cannot rely solely on it. This is beautifully modeled in Milner's "Bridging English" in figure 5-2 on page 123.

So, from this week's reading I discovered the value of using reader response in the classroom. I have also realized the dangers that could happen if it is not facilitated and built upon properly. From these discoveries I designed my "do".

I decided to use the teaching method from Probst's "Response and Analysis" found on page 8. The strategy he showcased was similar to an activity to assess reading interpretations, but I tweaked it to fit in my lesson on symbolism in short stories. The method goes like this: first, you have the students pull out a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Next, you have them close their eyes and remain quiet for about two minutes. Then, you say the word you would like to use for the lesson, I used a word that everyone had some knowledge of, which was "freedom". Then you have them open their eyes and write down the first thing that popped into their head when you said that word. After a few minutes you go around the room and ask them to share what they thought, as you record their answers on the board. Lastly, the answers spark a great conversation about how we read and interpret the same word differently. I used this method to teach symbolism. The things my students said were either very literal definitions of "freedom" or symbolically driven understandings. It blended in well with my lesson!

Later, I may use it as a pre-write activity and tweak it some. Instead of having students just write the first thing that pops in their head, I would have them follow that train of thought and write down everything they know or associate with a certain word with a time limit. This would be a great pre-write for any kind of major essay.

Probst's lesson plan example is found on pages 8-11. I am actually teaching this on Wednesday of this week! I hope it goes well. Enjoy! (: 

**DISCLAIMER**

I have taught this lesson plan and my students absolutely LOVED it! This was the story that I shared in Vic's class with you guys last week. The only thing I would edit would be to stay in the discussion longer than I had. I rushed through it, and I could have spent more time getting students to make connections between themselves and others.

DO:

Daily Lesson Plan

Instructor And Room #: Dutch Fork Middle School Rm. 306 Mrs. Wilson Ms. Spotts	Date & Start-Stop Times: September 9, 2015 11:20-12:22	Subject and Block/Period: English I 4th Period		Unit and Topic: Critical Reading: Literary Texts Short Story Elements: Symbolism
Student Objectives: Students will be able to engage in friendly and respectful discussion about symbolism. Students will be able to listen to a read-aloud and extrapolate meaning from the text. Students will be able to critically think about deeper meanings of words, relationships, objects, etc. in literature			SC Standards/PACT/Common Core RLMC 10.1 Use context clues to determine meanings of words and phrases. RLRC 13.1 Engage in whole and small group reading with purpose and understanding through teacher modeling and gradual release of responsibility. CMC 1.1 Prepare for and engage in conversations to explore complex ideas, concepts, and texts; build coherent lines of thinking.
Items to Display as Agenda: (Activities) Paper Pencil Dry erase board/Markers SmartBoard Freedom symbols Prezi http://prezi.com/8wtrluhnuwhk/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say Symbolism questionnaire “Scarlet Ibis”
Purpose: Opening Statement of Value for Day’s Lesson—the WHY Students are acquiring the skills to identify symbolism in literature, so that they are able to identify symbolism in everyday life. It's also important that students recognize that differing personal and cultural backgrounds may influence interpretations in order to be sympathetic and compassionate people.
Lesson Procedures: (Introduction, Development, Conclusion) Introduction (31 minutes): Students will walk in and sit at their desks before the final bell rings. Once the final bell rings students are allowed to eat their snack. As they are eating their snack, they will be instructed to write down their homework. Also, any announcements that need to be given will be given during this time (7 minutes). After all of the housekeeping items are taken care of, I will instruct them for their warm-up activity. I will ask them to pull out a piece of paper and pencil (2 minutes). Then I will tell them to close their eyes, sit in silence and clear their minds (2 minutes). As they are settling down I will say, “I'm going to say a word, and once I say the word you need to jot down the first association, thought or feeling, whatever it may be, that comes to mind on your piece of paper” (1 minute). Then I will say, “freedom” and give them a few minutes to write down their ideas (3 minutes). Once everyone seems ready, I will go around the room and have each person share their response. As they are sharing I will be writing down their responses up on the dry erase board/SmartBoard (5 minutes). Then, I will give them each a minute to look over the responses that have been written up on the board (1 minute). Next I will ask them a series of questions (10 minutes): What differences do you see in the responses? Do the different responses suggest different perspectives, different individual histories, different concerns? Are their similarities among the different responses? Do those similarities suggest common experiences or shared values? Development (22 minutes): Once the conversation has simmered down, I will end with presenting pictures or “symbols” of freedom, and ask them if they had imagined images, such as these, when I said, “freedom”. This will seamlessly segue us into a short explanation of symbolism using Prezi (10 minutes). Once the short presentation is done, I will begin a read-aloud of Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say (6 minutes). After the read-aloud, I will pass out questions, regarding symbolism, to each of the students (1 minute). I will instruct students to complete the questions and turn them in to me (5 minutes). Conclusion: I will instruct students to begin reading “Scarlet Ibis”, and read until the bell rings for dismissal. Approximately 53 minutes.
Materials and Resources: Paper Pencil Dry erase board/Markers SmartBoard Freedom symbols Prezi http://prezi.com/8wtrluhnuwhk/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say Symbolism questionnaire “Scarlet Ibis”
Assessments and Assignment: Warm-up discussion Symbolism questionnaire on Grandfather's Journey

Grandfather's Journey Questionnaire

1. Which symbol(s) did you identify in Grandfather's Journey?
   
2. What do(es) the symbol(s) mean?
   
3. Why do you think Allen Say chose the symbol(s) he chose to convey those meanings you discussed in question 2?
   

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


2.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


3.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________






Grandfather's Journey Questionnaire

4. Which symbol(s) did you identify in Grandfather's Journey?
   
5. What do(es) the symbol(s) mean?
   
6. Why do you think Allen Say chose the symbol(s) he chose to convey those meanings you discussed in question 2?
   

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


2.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


3.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Transacting with Literature" Say/Do

The Importance of Young Adult Literature

As English teachers, we love to read a good novel. I LOVE a good YA novel, myself. I'll take that novel with me to the gym as I cycle, to the bath tub as I soak in the bubbles and under the covers as I try to fall asleep. We even have our bookshelves stocked with more YA lit than classic lit. Why might that be? This week's reading sheds some light on the purpose and function of YA literature within the English classroom.

In Rice's "Using Graphic Texts in the Secondary Classrooms: A Tale of Endurance" she discusses her struggle with the implementation and study of graphic novels. Her dedication to the research of popular comics and graphics was inspiring. Through this research she was able to identify which ones were worth investing in, buying and using within her lesson plans and units. It also gave her a perspective into the lives and interests of her students.

Personally, I have not had very many encounters with graphic novels. I have read, "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi and "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel. I had great experiences with them. I haven't read more because, like Rice expressed, they are more expensive than the traditional novel. The next graphic novel I would absolutely LOVE to read is "Maus" by Art Spiegelman.

From the graphic novels I have read, I saw the value in what they brought to the "table of literature". Take for example, "Fun Home". The title itself has a double meaning, and the text is so complex and contains so much figurative language you don't even know what to do with yourself. "Persepolis" is a historical account of the Middle East and Europe pre-9/11. It walks the reader through what lead up to what made the countries they are today. So, graphic novels have value and they should at least be on the shelves in an English classroom, if not included in a unit or two.

The other readings for this week were activity ideas that could spur on some interest, within to students, to read. My favorite activity that was posted had to have been the book pass. I have never in my life experienced what Sty calls, a "book club", in any of my classes growing up. I was extremely excited when she shared what that was and how to use it in the classroom. Book clubs are the stepping stones to connecting text with text. I think it's ingenious to have a few groups who are all reading different YA novels, but they all still connect to the primary text of the unit. It's a great way to meet in the middle. It also allows for students to see how the canonical or primary text of a unit can still relate to their every day lives by reading contemporary YA lit. I hope to use book clubs and book passes in my future classroom, which isn't too far off! EEK!

In Mike Roberts, " Teaching Young Adult Literature" he suggests surveying your students' reading experiences and interests in order to have a better understanding of your students. This is what I used to model my "do".

I really loved Mike Roberts idea of administering a three part reader's profile. So, I'm going to steal his idea and use it in my classroom. The reader's profile is such a great way to get to know your students' reading interests and this is why I would use it. I would specifically use this in the beginning of the semester. I would use the data that I collect from these surveys to help me make decisions about assigned reading and how I will handle pleasure reading as well. Another way I will use it is to help suggest book titles to students. I want to implement the data I find in my every day lessons so that I can be relevant and relatable to my students.

Part I: Answer each of the following questions.

1. What are your earliest memories of reading?

2. What was the last book you read? Was it for school or your own
reading?

3. How do you choose a book? (Circle as many as apply)

I want to learn something.
I like the author.
The picture on the cover.
A friend recommended it.
My teacher requires it.
The description on the back cover. It’s short.
I like the genre (romance, adventure, fantasy, nonfiction).

4. What is the best book you ever read

5. Do you have a favorite author? If so, who?

6. What would you like to learn more about?

7. If you could be any character from any book, television show, or movie,
who would you be? Why?

Part II: Complete each sentence.

8. When I have time to read . . .

9. To me, books . . .

10. I like to read about . . . 

11. I’d rather read than . . .

12. I’d read more if . . .

Below is a list of book titles and authors. Please circle the title of any book you have read. Then, rank the book on a scale of 1–5 (5 being the highest) based on how good you think that book is.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  ____
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman  ____
The Giver by Lois Lowry  ____
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry  ____
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney  ____
Daniel X by James Patterson  ____
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer  ____

Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan  ____
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling  ____
The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson  ____
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan  ____
A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer  ____
Cut by Patricia McCormick  ____
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen  ____
Alabama Moon by Watt Key  ____
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson  ____
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers  ____
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton  ____
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick  ____

Soldier X by Don Wulffson  ____
Boot Camp by Todd Strasser  ____
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles  ____
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn  ____
Beastly by Alex Flinn  ____
Holes by Louis Sachar  ____
Unwind by Neal Shusterman  ____
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher  ____
Dairy Queen by Katherine Gilbert Murdock  ____
Gym Candy by Karl Dueker  ____
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer  ____
Artichoke’s Heart by Suzanne Supplee  ____

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder  ____
Pop by Gordon Korman  ____
Summer Ball by Mike Lupica  ____
The Cupcake Queen by Heather Helper  ____
I’d Tell You I Love You, Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter  ____
The Melting of Maggie Bean by Tricia Rayburn  ____
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott  ____