The Underneath

Appelt, K. (2008). The Underneath. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
   In the swamps of the Texas/ Louisiana border, Ranger the Hound is chained to the tilting house of Gar Face, a wicked hunter out to catch a legendary alligator.  For years Ranger has been chained to his loneliness until one day a cat comes to him underneath the house.  The cat gives birth to two twin kittens and the three become Ranger's family.  They are happy together in The Underneath, they are safe as long as they stay in The Underneath.  For in the swamp lies something older than the trees.  Something that has been waiting for centuries and no longer makes distinction of friend or foe.
  The setting of The Underneath is a part of the book that steps out of the fantasy realm and into reality.  The swamps of east Texas are something that most Texans are extremely familiar with.  The snakes and alligators that inhabit the area present threat on a daily basis for its residents.  It is this setting that allows Appelt freedom with her characters as far as reality goes. 
While the talking animals, immortal beings, and giant alligators may seem a little far fetched for some readers, the universal theme of hope is something that everyone can relate to.  There is hope that Ranger and the cats will eventually escape The Underneath.  Hope remains even when Night Song is lost to the ancient being, hope that she may be reunited with Night Song's daughter.   regardless of what type of being has it hope fills the pages of this novel. 
  
A trailer for the book can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ4Ds1Yub3Q

Good masters! Sweet ladies!

Schlitz, L.A. (2007). Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a medieval village.  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
  When Laura Amy Schlitz was a librarian she was faced with the task of finding a medieval script with 17 parts of equal length.  When none could be found she decided to create her own collection of monologues and two dialogues.  In this book we learn of the daily lives of children from all different classes and stations in medieval life.  Meet the miller's son who learns to cheat customers.  Hugo, the lord's nephew who make his first kill while hunting for wild boar.  There is Isobel, the lord's daughter who doesn't understand why she is hated.  There is even an outcast, Constance, who is making a pilgrimage to Saint Winifred's well in hopes of a miracle.
   It is true that the settings and some of the situations for Good masters is foreign to middle school readers (how often will they need to kill a boar to be considered a man?) the feelings of the characters are those of every child at any point in time.  Readers, or performers in this case, can understand the pressures of living up to family expectations.  Teens in the middle of adolescence know what it is like to feel unwanted or left out and to want to find a way, any way, to change that situation. 
   Good masters! Sweet ladies!  would make a wonderful addition to any lesson on the medieval time period.  Having the students perform the monologues and dialogues gets the students up and moving and striving to put them self in the place of another.

We are the ship

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship. New York, NY: Hyperion.
  Before there was Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, or Mark McGuire there was Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Cool Poppa Bell.  At the roots of major league baseball there was the Negro League, home of the fastest, toughest, most talented African American players yet to be seen.  While they couldn't go into hotels, restaurants, or even a train these players rose over adversity and found a way to make a living doing what they loved.
  Nelson's style and voice can be heard throughout We are the ship. His tone adn dialect of someone who actual lived through events like those in the book bring each adn every player to life.  With his words, Nelson takes a time period that no longer exists and brngs it to today.  Using his own speech patterns and dialect Nelson allows the reader to hear every crack of teh bat and every smack of teh glove.
  We are the ship  is a great way to teach students about segregation in a setting they may not normally hear about.  It would also be a great starting place for a student who may be looking to do a project over the history of baseball.

The Watsons go to Birmingham- 1963

Curtis, C.P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.
   Kenny Watson has a normal life in Flint, Michigan.  He has finally made a friend and he excels at school.  While his father, mother, and younger sister are a little strange it's his older brother Bryon, "By", who creates the biggest commotion.  By is a trouble maker.  Never so much as to really be in trouble, but it seems he is always up to something.  Overall life is pretty good but once By really gets into it the entire family will be uprooted- even if for only the summer.  The Watsons travel to Birmingham, Alabama to visit Kenny's very southern grandmother.  What begins as a fun filled family vacation becomes a nightmare when the family comes face to face with the racial issues on the deep south.  Will the family learn to adapt to things away from Flint, Michigan or will some of them return home never to be the same?
  In his usual fashion, Curtis creates characters that while years apart from today's readers they are every bit as relate-able as if they were in the current time period.  Kenny still struggles to make friends, he tries to walk a fine line between excelling in school while trying to blend in, and his older brother has the possibility to make his life really difficult.  Readers may not have to deal with the civil issues the Watsons' face but they can understand what it means to be a little different and some readers may even know what it is to face a tragedy as a family and the changes that happen afterwards.  This book is an obvious choice for middle school teachers looking for a way to introduce segregation.
 

Out of my mind

Draper, S.M. (2010). Out of my mind. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
  Melody never forgets.  She knows every word she's ever heard.  Melody loves music and sees the notes in colors and tastes the flavor of the music rather than merely hearing it.  But Melody has never said a word to anyone.  She can't talk, walk, or even write.  That doesn't mean she is dumb and Melody is going to prove it.  Melody plans on competing in the Whiz Kid Quiz Bowl and show everyone exactly how smart she really is.  However, if Melody wins will the other kids finally accept her or will it only make things worse?  Either way it is a risk Melody is willing to take.
   Despite being mute and wheelchair bound Melody is a character that many young readers will relate to almost immediately.  Melody is often frustrated by outsiders and her class work.  Like all young teens she longs for friendships and sleepovers.  When faced with being doubted and dismissed Melody strives to prove others wrong, inspiring readers along the way. 
  Draper's inside look of a mind locked in its own prison is an eye opener for readers who haven't had close personal contact with challenged adolescents.  Having never suffered what it means to live life every day with difficult challenges, Out of my mind gives the reader empathy and understanding for a culture they may otherwise  dismissed. 
    While it is easy to focus on Melody's handicap, Out of my mind  is also a wonderful introduction into setting goals and working hard to obtain them.  Students can read this book and identify Melody's desire to join the Quiz team.  This opens the class up for discussions as to what steps Melody takes to reach her goal and what obstacles stand in her way. 

Rules

Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
  Catherine is your average 12 year old girl.  She loves art and wants nothing more than to make a new friend this summer, a friend who hasn't heard anything about her family.  When a new family moves in next door Catherine might just get her wish.  Kristi is the same age as Catherine and they will be at the same school next year.  But will Kristi still be Catherine's friend once she meets David, Catherine's brother?  David has autism and requires special rules such as "No toys in the fish tank."  Things become even more complicated for Catherine when she befriends a wheelchair bound boy named Jason who communicates by using word cards.  In the end Catherine must accept things she cannot change, even if her new friend Kristi can't. 
  While few young readers will have challenged relatives to deal with, being embarrassed by one's family and simply trying to fit in are themes that every child reader can relate to.  Who hasn't had trouble making friends?  What teenager hasn't wanted to hide their family from others at one point or another? 
   Rules  is an excellent way to introduce young readers with how we view and deal with others different than us.  Lord introduces the reader to a family struggling with a child with autism and to another teen who must communicate through word cards rather than speaking.  Younger teenagers are notorious for making fun of what they don't understand.  Rules shows readers a culture they may not be familiar with and gives them a better understanding of how it affects the entire family. 

Diary of a wimpy kid

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York, NY: Amulet Books.
  Greg Heffley is finally in middle school and it's going to be a rough year.  Besides being the shortest and skinniest Greg also has to deal with his mean older brother Roderick, his friend Rowley who never get s anything right, and the constant fear of the Cheese Touch!  Then through a random series of events Rowley becomes the most popular kid in school.  Will Greg get to ride his coattails to popularity too or will he be left in the dust of outcast forever?
   Kinney's writing style is totally new and fresh.  His dialogue is spot on for middle school aged children and has readers laughing out loud.  Readers everywhere can connect with Greg and his adventures.  Set in a small town middle school and at Gregg's own home, Diary of Wimpy Kid  could just as easily take place in the reader's home town as it could in Greg's.  Combined with Kinney's comical drawings Diary of a wimpy kid  is a story middle school age readers will relate to and older readers will flash back to their own wimpy days.
   A film version of the book was released in 2010.  A trailer fro the film can be seen at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZVEIgPeDCE
  There is also a website completely dedicated to the Wimpy Kid Series and can be found at
http://www.wimpykid.com/