Novels in Verse, Fantasy, Sports, SciFi 7/11

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. Harper, 2011.  In this award winning novel, a young girl named Ha is forced to flee to the United States from Vietnam in the late 1970s. After her father goes missing years prior to the start of the novel, Ha and her family must survive on their own. They settle in Alabama and  adjust to the different culture. Told entirely in verse, the author is able to capture the struggles many refugees face when coming to America. Concepts addressed included, war, immigrations, assimilation and family. Most appropriate for upper elementary students in 5^th -6^th grade.

Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher. By Bruce Coville  Pocket Books, 1991. Jeremy is a junior high school student who wants to be an artist. He is bullied in school and is not treated fairly by his art teacher. After school he stumbles into a magic shop, and the owner Mr. Elivies decides to sell him a magic ball for twenty-five cents. Jeremy later finds out the ball is a dragon egg and that he must care for the newly hatched baby dragon. He names the dragon Tiament and they bond. With the help of his friend Mary Lou and a librarian named Miss Priest, Jeremy is able to uncover information about caring for dragons. When Tiament grows older, Jeremy must return her to Mr. Elivies' shop where she eventually must return to her own universe. Even though Jeremy is sad by this, he still is able to communicate with her through his senses and  his mind. This is a great book that can be used with junior high school students as in introduction into more advanced fantasy novels.   

  Love of the Game by John Coy. Feiwel and Friends, 2011. Jackson and his friends Diego, Gig, and Isaac have just started middle school. They are all avid sports fans who hope to play sports during the school year. Unfortunately, 6^th graders are not allowed to try out for the school team but are able to play for the community team.  The boys are excited to play football except for Diego who wants to play soccer. Told primarily from Jackson’s point of view, the readers are able to see firsthand the events that shape young adolescence lives during a very challenging time period. Divorce, bullying, crushes, deployment are just a handful of the various topics discussed in the work. Best for 6^th-8^th graders. 

The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man by Lloyd Alexander. Yearling, 1992. Lionel is Magister Stepanus’ cat and wants to become a human. They live in magical Dunstan Forest.  Magister Stepanus is very hesitant to turn Lionel into a human believing that they are all immoral beings.  After finally convincing his master to transform him, Lionel ventures off into the corrupt town of Brightford where he encounters an evil police officer named Swaggart and a mayor named Pursewig. Not only do they try to take advantage of the entire community, they also disrespect Miss. Gillian the town innkeeper whom Lionel befriends. Along the way Lionel meets Dr. Tudbelly in intelligent doctor who uses an armamentarium of potions to help defeat the corrupt officials. In his innocent way, Lionel and his friends are able to expose the corruption and free the townspeople from the evil. This can be used as tool to expose children to the negative and positive aspects human behavior. Great for students in 3^rd-5^th grade.

The Teachers from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler. Scholastic, 1989. In this collection of short stories,  a young boy dreads the first day of  school and meeting his new teachers. In the story The Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon, the boy hears a series of rumors describing the gym teacher as a monster who makes the students complete absurd tasks like running laps around the world and lifting heavy cars. In the end he meets the real teacher who is a very nice, normal person. This is a very amusing collection of stories for children in 3^rd -5^th grade.   

Sports Shorts by Joseph Bruchac, David Lubar, Marilyn Singer, Terry Trueman, Dorian Cirrone, Tanya West, Alexandra Siy, Jamie McEwan. 2005. In this anthology of various sports prose, the authors convey stories that can be appealing to all different types of non-traditional athletics such as the underdogs.  This collection is optimal for students in junior high school.

Mama Played Baseball by David Adler. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003.  In this illustrated picture book, a young girl named Amy watches her mother play baseball in an all women’s baseball league during World War Two while her father is stationed overseas. Amy attends her mother’s baseball games and watches them in awe. She helps her mother practice by playing catch together on the front lawn. She also documents her mother’s accomplishments in drawings. Eventually, Amy father returns home after the war and she is able to express her pride and admiration about her mother to her father.  This a great picture book that can help young students in elementary school learn about the bravery and determination of female athletes.

The Little Gentleman by Philippa Pearce. Greenwillow Books, 2004. When Mr. Franklin breaks his leg, he recruits his housekeeper’s granddaughter to assist him. Bet is told to read aloud in the forest.  While doing this, she meets a talking mole whom she befriends. Both Bet and the Mole embark on an open and honest relationship discussing many sensitive topics about life. This is a touching account of one child’s adventure with a magic mole. This book is appropriate for students in 4^th -7^th grade.