The Book Thief

Zusak, M. (2005). The Book Thief. New York:  Knopf.

There have been many, many books written involving stories of children and adolescents during World War II.  Australian writer, Markus Zusak takes a different approach.  He chooses to write about a young German girl, rather than take a Jewish voice.  This fresh perspective is just what I needed for summer reading.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York:  Penguin.

I love when my students will read on their own. I love when we can discuss books that aren't required reading. I love when they recommend books. And once in a while, I'll actually get a chance to read them.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower.  New York:  Pocket Books.

I read this book when it was first released; I was a freshman in high school. It seems like forever ago. I know there was a new movie released, and I enjoyed the book then. So I decided to read it again.

I cannot believe I read this book at that age. I know it's classified as a young adult novel, but it contains some very adult themes. There are a lot of references to sex, suicide and drugs. And not just in passing. The protagonist is a freshman in high school and explicitly describes his experiences.  I think it's a great book for individual reading, but I don't see Perks ever being used in my classroom.  Then again, it's not meant to be used in a classroom. I'm just the type of teacher that doesn't like discussing certain issues with my students.