Week of March 2

Best Fiction Book of the Week:

Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt

Reading Lexile: 925-1128

Interest Level:  5-8

Genres:  Humor, Poetry, Realistic Fiction

Kevin Jamison is a bully. And the entire school knows it. But when Kevin’s jerk of a brother, Petey, chucks Kevin’s poetry notebook (the whole book before that point) through the car window, a kid that Kevin had been bullying, Robin, finds the notebook. Now Robin is using it to blackmail Kevin and Kevin has to do everything Robin says. Now Robin begins to bully Kevin and Kevin is powerless. What’s even worse, is that the teacher is turning a blind eye to the situation! What can Kevin do? (from goodreads).

Kevin is not a nice kid- he is a bully- yet he is likable.  This is a a good book to start a discussion of what does the word bully mean and can a person change.  The word bully gets thrown around so much, it can lose meaning and this book reminds you that often victim and bully are interchangeable.  

This book is written in verse a good choice for a student who says, "too many pages".  

Best Non-Fiction Book of the Week

March Book One by John Lewis

Lexile: 925-1128

Reading Interest Levels: 7-12

Genres: Historical, Nonfiction, Graphic Novel, Biography

This is John Lewis's personal story of growing up as a share cropper's son, in a segregated school, attending the 1963 March on Washington, and his great participation in the Civil Rights Movement.  Book One focuses on Lewis's upbringing, his meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., and his participating in ending segregation at lunch counters.  

Why should read this book:  

1.  There was a comic book called, Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story that introduced the ideas of passive resistance and non-violent action in the 1960s and had a great influence on the movement.  Yeah graphic novels!

2.  It will challenge you to think and could change you a little.  

3.  The other day, I did a non-fiction book talk for Mr. Major's class.  On boy said, "I dont like books.  Only short ones with pictures!" Bam- I have a book for you- March Book One!  Not long and has pictures.

4.  Book One means (like all YA Books it seams) there will be a Book Two and Book Three.