Week of March 9

Fiction Book of the Week:

Counting by 7s  by Holly Sloan

Lexile Level 925-1185 

Reading Interest Level:  5-9

Twelve year old Willow might be one of my favorite YA characters of the past year.  After a tragic accident (YA is FILLED with tragic accidents by the way) Willow finds herself alone.  Willow is extremely bright, a gardener, sweet, and can learn languages amazingly fast- not the qualities that make a middle schooler popular but it endears her to the Nguyen family that helps her through her rough time.  Willow is a person that brings people together and finds the best in everyone.  The story ends too well (another YA trait) yet the characters in the book are authentic and grow in meaningful ways throughout the story.  The story is set in Bakersfield and features a diverse cast without feeling like a checklist.  

Why you should read it?  Willow is a very interesting and unique character.  She learns Vietnamese to be friends with Mai Nguyen and when 8th grader Angela saw this she said, "This character has my name!  Hey there is Vietnamese in this book!"  She was so excited.  When a student is excited for a book- go for it!  The Nguyen family struggles with poverty and the issues Mai and her brother fight through daily might resonate with students.  The metaphors to botany are also particularly striking and beautiful.  

Non-Fiction Book of the Week

World Without Fish by Mark Kurlansky

Lexile Level 925-1185 

Reading Interest Level: 8th grade

Big deal fish!  This is a story of the sorry state of our oceans- a depressing story- and how students can do something for the oceans.  This fast paced story, highlighted  with engaging graphics, breaks down very complex concepts: evolution , climate change, biology and economics  in a very accessible way.  Intermixed into the story is a graphic novel of a fictional story that complements World Without Fish.   The text layout is gorgeous.  It is a sad story but a beautiful book.  

Why you should read this book?  This book explains the domino effect of what will happen if we loose the ocean's fish. The story is bleak but asks students to act.  I think the difficult aspect of Climate Change is the lack of hope and the feeling of hopelessness.  What are we to do?  This book offers a call to action for teens.