Sepetys, Ruta. Out of the Easy. New York: Speak, 2013.
Plot summary:
It's 1950, and 17 year old Josie lives in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She's the daughter of a prostitute, but she wants so much more for her life--she wants to go to college. Her job in a book store is a good start, but she's also a part of her mother's underworld, not just cleaning the brothel but involved in the whole criminal side of the city. The odds are stacked against her, a million to one. Josie becomes entangled with a murder mystery involving a businessman from Tennessee. When her mother is suspected of the murder and leaves town, Josie has to figure out a way to pay her mob debt if she ever wants to leave the city.
Where I found it & why I chose it:
I'd already read Out of the Easy. I'd read Sepetys' Between Shades of Grey the year before, and knew that anything she wrote would be amazing. I was happy to trade the bleak tundra of Siberia for vibrant New Orleans. I was captivated by Josie. She'd had such a tough life, but she was smart and a fighter. I wanted to know if she could possibly get out or not. This book conveys its setting richly. It presents a portrait of the high and the low parts of New Orleans. Although it's possible that a parent could object to the focus on prostitution, kids can learn so much about what it takes to survive for a desperately poor girl in the city.
Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York: Speak, 2005.
Plot summary:
A old Navajo man tells his grandchildren a story about when he was 16. World War II is going on, and the Marine Corps announces that it is recruiting Navajo speakers. After boot camp, Ned is off to war. But he doesn't end up as a regular Marine Corps member. The Navajo servicemen are asked to use their Navajo language as radio communication among the allies. Their language was never "cracked" by the enemy, and in fact, the truth about the code only came to light 24 years after the war ended.
Where I found it & why I picked it:
I was walking around in Barnes and Noble and the title caught my eye; I'm not sure if I'd heard of this specific book before, or whether the concept was just familiar to me. Either way, I wanted to learn more about Navajo coding during World War II.
I chose to highlight this book, first of all, because it's such a great story premise, and true to beat! How great to have cultural underdogs provide such an amazing service to their country. Second, the book puts the reader right there in the thick of the war. Ned serves in everywhere from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima, and readers can see the war through his viewpoint. This book could be a nice complement to a unit on WWII.
Paulsen, Gary. Lawn Boy. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2008.
Plot summary:
12 year old "Lawn Boy" is given a lawnmower by his grandmother, and after he mows his own lawn, neighbors start to clamor for his services. Before long he's found a lucrative part-time job, and is earning hundreds of dollars. But one customer, Arnold, doesn't have enough cash to pay him, so he invests in stocks for him instead. Before long, the boy has a partner, 15 employees, money invested in the stock market, and a prizefighter. Now he has to figure out how to break the news of his wealth to his parents.
Where I found it & why I picked it:
I found this book online. I didn't want to choose all historical fiction books. I searched for middle school or high school books that taught math concepts. In the course of this one book, the boy learns about the stock market, fees, commissions, partnerships, employees, competition, and more. I can picture this book being assigned as supplementary reading for an introduction to economics class. Some middle school classes also have students do a stock market project, where they pick a stock and keep track of their stock's performance. This book would be a great companion to this kind of project.
I was walking around in Barnes and Noble and the title caught my eye; I'm not sure if I'd heard of this specific book before, or whether the concept was just familiar to me. Either way, I wanted to learn more about Navajo coding during World War II.
I chose to highlight this book, first of all, because it's such a great story premise, and true to beat! How great to have cultural underdogs provide such an amazing service to their country. Second, the book puts the reader right there in the thick of the war. Ned serves in everywhere from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima, and readers can see the war through his viewpoint. This book could be a nice complement to a unit on WWII.
Paulsen, Gary. Lawn Boy. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2008.
Plot summary:
12 year old "Lawn Boy" is given a lawnmower by his grandmother, and after he mows his own lawn, neighbors start to clamor for his services. Before long he's found a lucrative part-time job, and is earning hundreds of dollars. But one customer, Arnold, doesn't have enough cash to pay him, so he invests in stocks for him instead. Before long, the boy has a partner, 15 employees, money invested in the stock market, and a prizefighter. Now he has to figure out how to break the news of his wealth to his parents.
Where I found it & why I picked it:
I found this book online. I didn't want to choose all historical fiction books. I searched for middle school or high school books that taught math concepts. In the course of this one book, the boy learns about the stock market, fees, commissions, partnerships, employees, competition, and more. I can picture this book being assigned as supplementary reading for an introduction to economics class. Some middle school classes also have students do a stock market project, where they pick a stock and keep track of their stock's performance. This book would be a great companion to this kind of project.
Messner, Kate. Eye of the Storm. New York: Walker Childrens, 2012.
Plot summary:
Storms are coming like crazy, tornadoes and other monster storms. Jaden's dad, a meteorological engineer, creates shelters for people to survive these storms. Jaden attends a summer science camp and meets another science enthusiast, Alex. Alex and Jaden discover that Jaden's dad may be steering storms away from expensive areas and into local farm areas.
Where I found it & why I picked it:
I've heard Kate Messner speak, and have read some of her other books. I thought of this book right away as a possible science supplement. Messner's book contains solid science. Even though the book is futuristic/dystopian, the book is clear on topics such as storm formation, tornadoes, and environmental problems. The story also has plenty of mystery and suspense to hold kids' interest.
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