Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz, is an exciting, “can’t put it down” WWII spy thriller. This historical fiction is a great novel to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies to complement a WWII study.
This novel will introduce your students to the countries that were neutral in WWII and countries such as, Ireland, which were secretly fighting behind the scenes with the use of diplomatic spies placed in Nazi Germany while claiming neutrality. Your students will learn about the Hitler Youth, Kristallnacht, Operation Paperclip, The Manhattan Project, and get a taste for why the German people were so fearful of the Nazis that they turned on each other and allowed Hitler to come to power.
From the Book Jacket:
Infiltrate. Befriend. Sabotage. World War II is raging. Michael O’Shaunessey, originally from Ireland, now lives in Nazi Germany with his parents. Like the other boys in his school, Michael is a member of the Hitler Youth. But Michael has a secret. He and his parents are spies. Michael despises everything the Nazis stand for. But he joins in the Hitler Youth’s horrific games and book burnings, playing the part so he can gain insider knowledge. When Michael learns about Projekt 1065, a secret Nazi war mission, things get even more complicated. He must prove his loyalty to the Hitler Youth at all costs — even if it means risking everything he cares about. Including… his own life.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Projekt 1065, which includes informational WebQuests to learn more about the Sturmabteilung (SA), the Gestapo, Kristallnacht, Operation Paperclip, and The Manhattan Project for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
The School Library Journal describes it well, “While the book is replete with fascinating historical insight, Gratz has also crafted a suspenseful mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. With short, action-packed chapters, it is a great choice for reluctant readers as well… A winning combination of action, suspense, and historical setting.”
This book will capture the attention of even your most reluctant reader with the fast-paced, action-packed story. Students will get a glimpse into the brainwashing and fear-mongering tactics that the Nazis used to gain power, and do it in such a way that will make it relatable to the middle-school mindset. It really makes kids think about the Holocaust and WWII in a way that makes them want to learn more. This novel study is great to use as a complement to a history unit on WWII and the Holocaust.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
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Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams, quite deservedly, is the winner of the 2020 Newbery Honor and the 2020 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent. This modern novel brings diversity and intersectionality to your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
Published in 2019, it is written in a modern language that middle schoolers will relate to. It is written by a Black author with a Black female protagonist and is a great way to bring diverse voices into your classroom, not just for representation, but for all students to learn from and relate to. Genesis has been dealt a hard hand in life and with her issues and those of her friends, just about every student will find something to relate to.
From the Book Jacket:
There are ninety-six reasons why thirteen-year-old Genesis dislikes herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list: -Because her family is always being put out of their house. -Because her dad has a gambling problem. And maybe a drinking problem too. -Because Genesis knows this is all her fault. -Because she wasn’t born looking like Mama. -Because she is too black.
Genesis is determined to fix her family, and she’s willing to try anything to do so…even if it means harming herself in the process. But when Genesis starts to find a thing or two she actually likes about herself, she discovers that changing her own attitude is the first step in helping change others.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Genesis Begins Again for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
It is vital to use literature in your classroom that is diverse and represents all voices. Students should see themselves in the literature that they read, and it’s also a way for other students to learn from and understand people that are different from them. Learning from different cultures enhances our empathy as humans to open minds as well as hearts.
Genesis Begins Again tackles issues of poverty, being evicted and having to move homes and schools frequently, having an alcoholic and untrustworthy parent, and at the root of Genesis’s hurt, is the colorism that she faces from her peers, her father, her grandmother, and most of all herself. The novel shines a light on how our American culture and media have a set image of what “beauty” is and how all too often, most of us don’t fit that mold. Genesis Begins Again is a relatable tale of how Genesis learns to trust others and love herself for who she is instead of striving for some unattainable image that could never be. This book is worthy of all the accolades that it has received and is a valuable novel for middle school students to use in their classrooms.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars is a great coming of age novel to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, in small book groups, or with individual book studies to explore the character’s path to self-acceptance and the growth to understand what is really important in her heart.
The Summer of the Swans was published in 1970 and went on to be awarded the Newbery Medal in 1971. Betsy Byars is well-versed in tapping into the mind of a young teen while giving empathy to characters who face adversity in a relatable way. The protagonist, Sara is going through all the normal doubts and fears of all 14-year-old girls while also dealing with feelings of grief over her mother’s death, abandonment by her father, and the hardships of having a brother who is disabled.
From the Book Jacket:
Sara’s fourteenth summer was turning out to be the most confusing time of her life. Up until then, things had flowed smoothly, like the gliding swans on the lake. Now she wanted to fly away from everything—her beautiful older sister, her bossy Aunty Willie, her remote father, and, most of all, from herself.
But could she fly away from Charlie? She loved her younger brother in a way she couldn’t understand, though sometimes she grew tired of his neediness. But when Charlie himself took flight, Sara suddenly knew what she had to do…
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The Summer of the Swans for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
This book shows the reader how our perspective can change in an instant when the things we truly care about are threatened. Byars’ incorporation of the beauty and fascination with swans is symbolic of the loyal nature of a swan. It helps to show Sara where the true loyalty of her heart lies.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Louis Sachar has a special way of using wit and compassion to help his readers really get into the heads of his characters to understand their hearts. He does it again in Small Steps, the sequel to his wildly popular novel, Holes. It is a great book to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
The main character, Stanley Yelnats’ story was wrapped up in the book Holes. In Holes, we were introduced to several other boys who had been sentenced to Camp Green Lake but the book didn’t go too much into their backstories, nor do we know what happened to them moving forward. Small Steps fills this hole for the readers regarding the characters, Armpit and X-Ray.
From the Book Jacket:
Two years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is home in Austin, Texas, trying to turn his life around. But it’s hard when you have a record and everyone expects the worst from you. The only person who believes in Armpit is Ginny, his ten-year-old disabled neighbor. Together, they are learning to take small steps.
Armpit seems to be on the right path until X-Ray, a buddy from Camp Green Lake, comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme. X-Ray’s plan leads to a chance encounter with teen pop sensation Kaira DeLeon, the Beyoncé of her time, and suddenly Armpit’s life spins out of control. Only one thing is certain: he’ll never be the same again.
I offer a complete novel study to accompany Small Steps for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
The subject matter of Small Steps is a little more mature than Holes. I have my Holes novel study marked for 4-6th grades, whereas Small Steps is marked for 5-8th grade due to the more mature nature of the plotline.
The issues of race, the nature of celebrity, how things happen out of our control that shape our lives, and the hard road of choosing to do the right thing vs. the easy, are all addressed by Sachar in this novel. Readers will learn to understand a little better the hard road people face once they are released from prison and how it is always shadowing them ready to ruin the good things that they’ve worked hard for. Readers will empathize with Armpit as he tries to do the right thing, one small step at a time.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Andrew Clements followed up the wildly successful novel, Frindle, with a series of school stories with main characters working to push through adversity. The School Story is about two middle school girls who are determined to show that they have what it takes to publish a novel of their own by whatever means necessary. It is a great book to use in your classroom or homeschool for a whole class novel study, small book groups, or individual book studies.
Andrew Clements has a special knack for treating his readers with respect by writing tween characters as intelligent, witty, and clever. This technique has worked well and has made him one of the most popular tween authors of our time. In The School Story, he used this talent well in writing about two smart and determined female protagonists.
From the Book Jacket:
Natalie’s best friend, Zoe, is sure that the novel Natalie’s written is good enough to be published. But how can a twelve-year-old girl publish a book? Natalie’s mother is an editor for a big children’s publisher, but Natalie doesn’t want to ask for any favors.
Then Zoe has a brilliant idea: Natalie can submit her manuscript under a pen name, with Zoe acting as her literary agent. But it’s not easy for two sixth graders to put themselves over as grown-ups, even with some help from a couple of real grown-ups who are supportive but skeptical. The next bestselling school story may be in their hands—but can Natalie and Zoe pull off their masquerade?
I offer a complete novel study to accompany The School Story for use in the classroom or homeschool. The unit includes both a printable format and a Google Drive™ format for use in a paperless classroom or with Google Classroom.
Students will quickly empathize with and relate to the main character, Natalie, who works through the grief of losing her father in a car accident by writing. Students will also admire Natalie for wanting to succeed on her own merits and not by favors through connections with her Mom’s employer. With the help of a good friend and a trusted teacher, Natalie is able to persevere and is a great role model for tween students to emulate.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
