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Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj – Book Review

 

Title: Count Me In
Author: Varsha Bajaj
Publisher: Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books
Release Date: August 27, 2019

Karina and Chris may be next door neighbors but they also might as well live on opposite sides of the country. Their interactions are few and far between. As a result, each develop a multitude of assumptions about the other. When Karina’s grandfather moves in, he becomes a bridge between her and Chris. Their friendship blooms, but a hateful attack on Karina’s grandfather brings them even closer together. While Karina’s grandfather recovers from the cowardly, racist assault, Karina and Chris grapple with their worlds being turned upside down. Through the turmoil, both become advocates for good, rallying others to define what it truly means to be American.

Varsha Bajaj’s novel, Count Me In, has all the ingredients of a great novel: compelling characters, suspenseful conflict, captivating perspectives, real-life connections, and a necessary and important message. Yet, at times, the execution of some of these elements falls flat. Karina and Chris’ alternating perspectives effectively build suspense and highlight each character’s unique experiences, so much so that by the end of the novel, the two characters seemed to become one. This effect detracted from the characters’ unique experiences and individual growth, both of which would have been worthwhile to explore after each endured a life-alternating event. In addition, Bajaj’s more formal writing style clashed with the narrative’s realistic plot. One consequence of this formal style may be that readers find the novel more robotic than real. In other words, the narrative drily retells events rather than bringing them to life in a colorful fashion. The style becomes a distraction to the story, possibly impeding the book’s important message from moving readers. Still, Count Me In does send a clear and important message to its readers: We are all American and our diversity is our strength. This message will resonate, especially students in upper elementary grades that are at a moment in life where they are constantly searching to find where they best belong.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of social media.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading realistic fiction and novels about current events.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Social media
  • Hashtags
  • Current Events and Contemporary Issues
  • Stereotypes and Racism

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Count Me In. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

  • Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga (Character Connections, Thematic Connections, Nonfiction Connections)
  • Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan (Character Connections, Thematic Connections, Nonfiction Connections)

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes – Book Review

 

Title: Ghost Boys
Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 17, 2018

Jerome Rogers is a good kid. He loves his family, enjoys school, and does the right thing. However, his life is not without conflict. For instance, he faces relentless bullying at school. When Jerome befriends a new student, a series of events leads to his tragic death at the hands of the police. Now, Jerome must live as a ghost, watching his family grieve and move on while coping with the injustice of his death and navigating connections to others affected by senseless violence at the hands of law enforcement.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes is deeply affecting, timely, and thought-provoking. The author’s narrative technique seamlessly weaves the past with the present, mirroring the long, tragic history of African-Americans’ persecution and discrimination at the hands of law enforcement. Jerome’s perspective provides a voice to those lost too soon and powerfully advocates for its readers to take action against the systematic injustice the African-American community faces. Jewell Parker Rhodes’ novel adds to the growing chorus of narratives that tackle such tough topics with crystal clear conviction. As such, it is a must-read for students and adults alike, serving as an important springboard to open dialogue about urgent issues our society faces today.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of the African-American history, with a focus on systemic racism.
  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of books about the tragic deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement.
  • Writing – Use the novel as a way to teach a unit about short stories or vignettes.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Emmett Till
  • African-American History
  • Jim Crow Era
  • Black Lives Matter Movement

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Ghost Boys. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Thematic Connections, Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections)
  • All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (Thematic Connections, Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections)
  • Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson (Character Connections, Thematic Connections)
  • Dear Martin by Nic Stone (Thematic Connections, Character Connections, Historical Connections)

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds – Book Review

 

Title: Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
Author: Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Release Date: October 8, 2019

Look Both Ways recounts the myriad stories of a cast of characters and their walks home from school. Through their ten tales, Jason Reynolds offers a brief glimpse into the trials and tribulations students face in their lives outside of school. From dealing with chronic illness to fighting off bullies to coping with the loss of a loved one to a parent with cancer, the novel portrays the range of conflicts in young people’s lives that often remain unknown. In doing so, it provides a powerful statement about kids and the daily burdens they carry. It brings attention to the big problems that exist in their private lives and – therefore – exist at school too, even if they are not always explicitly known.

Aspects of Look Both Ways that could be considered its weaknesses – lack of in-depth character and conflict development, short stories loosely connected, shortage of deep thematic exploration – are secretly its strengths. The short stories serve as an appetizer for a bigger story that challenges the reader to fill with their own imagination. The approach prompts the reader to consider the lives of the students after they reach home. It also asks the reader to consider the lives of individuals passed daily that may go otherwise unnoticed, such as fellow riders on a subway, those passed at work, or those they stand next to in line at the store. All those individuals have deep, private stories worth consideration as well, just the same as all the kids sitting in every classroom every day.

The move to push the reader to engage in thoughtful reflection about daily interactions demonstrates Reynolds’ skillful writing abilities. He composes vivid, powerful short stories that gently show how lives can easily be connected, if one is willing to take the time to contemplate them. His craft inspires empathy and perspective and Look Both Ways begs for discussion about each, a conversation that can benefit young people and adults alike.

Classroom Applications

  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of Jason Reynolds’ books.
  • Writing – Use the novel as a way to teach a unit about short stories or vignettes.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Science of First Impressions
  • Snap Judgments and Stereotypes
  • Empathy

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Look Both Ways. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

  • Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson (Themes, Character Connections)
  • The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake (Themes, Character Connections)
  • Any of Jason Reynolds’ Novels

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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Pixie Pushes On by Tamara Bundy – Book Review

 

Title: Pixie Pushes On
Author: Tamara Bundy
Publisher: Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen Books
Release Date: January 14, 2020

In the 1940s, times are hard in the United States. Families struggle to recover from the Great Depression and World War II upends lives everywhere as soldiers go off to war and others go to work to support the nation. Prudence (Pixie) and her family struggle as well. After losing her mother two years prior, Pixie now tries to remain hopeful in the face of her sister’s illness. Pixie must navigate both challenging setbacks and uplifting moments. As she does, the support of her family and friends proves paramount and helps her learn valuable life lessons.

Tamara Bundy’s Pixie Pushes On is a refreshing upper elementary/middle grades narrative. While many new novels focus on present-day characters and present-day problems, Bundy’s narrative takes readers back to a seemingly simpler time. Yet, as Pixie’s story proves, times were far from simple during WWII. Perhaps by comparison day-to-day routines were simpler decades ago, but Bundy demonstrates the whole of a person’s life is always complex, regardless of time or place. Bundy’s characters shine in making this point, especially Pixie. She is far from perfect but takes her loved one’s advice to heart and slowly transforms throughout the story. Her development is appropriately paced and naturally developed, highlighting Bundy’s skill crafting relatable characters. Similar to the characters, the novel’s plot events also create a realistic portrayal of the time period. As a result, important lessons come to fruition in a powerful way. Bundy expertly balances the struggle to remain hopeful in difficult times and finding some of that hope in the end, and she does so without making the lessons learned in the process too preachy or perfect.

Pixie Pushes On is an intimate look at everyday Americans and their struggles on the home front during WWII. It provides a unique perspective on a time period often framed in literature by battles, Europe, and the Holocaust. Bundy’s story can be a wonderful way to incorporate choice in the classroom by pairing the novel with variety of others set in WWII. The cross-text connections and extension opportunities abound, making Pixie Pushes On an excellent addition to any upper elementary or middle grades classroom and curriculum.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Unit – Teach the novel for 6 weeks, incorporating literary and nonfiction analysis, extension activities, and projects.
  • Small Group Novel Study – Use novel for small groups or choice reading for various perspectives of the World War II era.
  • Project – If studying World War II in History class, use the novel as a project assignment.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • World War II
  • Great Depression and Effects
  • Polio

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Pixie Pushes On. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.


*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.