Gearing Up for Book Reports

I always thought that I was familiar with Young Adult books until I started teaching middle school Language Arts. Then I discovered how many books there are out there that I don't know about. In an effort to be more informed about the books my students read and the books they should be reading, I've been immersing myself in YA books this summer. Most of them I've listened to on CD, but I've also read a few for a 7th and 8th grade book group I'm leading this summer. Some come from a list of recommended books compiled by the school librarian and some were books my students wrote about in their book reports.

Gilda Joyce and the Ladies of the Lake by Jennifer Allison (CD) is the second in a series of books about none other than Gilda, a middle school age girl, who carries around business cards that identify her as a psychic investigator. Gilda is a quirky girl with a love for wigs who always has something snarky to say, and her character is the reason why I love these books. She's a real kick in the pants.

Blood Read Horse by K. M. Grant (book group): Set in England around the time of the third crusade, this book follows the experiences and adventures of William and his war horse Hosanna, first as they grow up and then as they go off with King Richard to fight in the crusade. Of course, being an English history junkie, I loved the historical aspect, but it's also a great adventure story and Grant does a nice job portraying both sides of the Crusade fairly without sacrificing any of the adventure or sounding didactic. This is the sort of book that even adult book clubs could get a lot out of. Although the language isn't as literary as "adult" books, it's a great read and the author is always throwing in great words like "chivied." It's my favorite YA read this summer.

Heat by Mike Lupica (book group): This is a great book for boys who love baseball and knowledge of baseball jargon is helpful for following some of the games in the story. The writing should be entertaining for boys who love sports and the story is engaging and heartwarming, but I didn't love the baseball aspect, and at times the story tended towards the melodramatic.

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher (CD): This book is a retelling of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights through the eyes of a young, crippled girl who has also taken up the art of storytelling herself in admiration of Scheherazade. This book seems to be for an audience a bit younger than my students, but at the heart is the moral that stories can teach great truths and what English teacher doesn't love that idea?!

Over the past few months, I also managed to read Cold Comfort Farm, which I highly recommend to anyone who loves English literature and a good laugh.