Textbook Chart Analysis

Textbook Chart Analysis 

 

 

Lesesne, T.S. (2003).  Making the match: The right book for the right reader at the right time. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

The Martian

Weir, A. (2014). The Martian. NY: Broadway Books.

Mark Watney becomes a Martian when a freak accident during a mission causes him to be stranded on Mars. His team believes he is dead.  He has to learn to survive and make his supplies last for as long as possible in the hopes of being rescued.  During a routine check of satellite images of Mars, NASA discovers that Mark has survived. Now the race begins to keep Mark alive and the plans for a rescue begin.  Mark’s team turns around and heads back to Mars to get him.  Mark must travel a great distance to meet them at a different landing spot.  He encounters many setbacks along the way, but finally makes it.  His team eventually manages to rescue him just in time.  I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t stop telling my family and friends about it while I was reading it.  I loved the wit, sarcasm, and positive attitude of the main character.  He has the strength of character that I think many of us wish and hope we also possessed. This book is a great example of a science fiction novel.  It was filled with “real science” to make the scenarios so believable.  This sci-fi novel could truly apply to the real world.
This book could be used with grades 11-12.
 To see a great Quizlet for this book, click HERE!

Check out these great trailers for the movie based on this book!

Brewster

Slouka, M. (2013). Brewster. NY: W.W. Norton and Company.

Jon is growing up in a small rundown town called Brewster. It’s 1968 and the world he knows is going through many changes. When Jon’s little brother dies, his mom becomes distant and blames Jon.  Jon unexpectedly makes friends with Ray, a boy who has his own family problems.  Ray’s dad is an abusive alcoholic.  To cover up the abuse, Ray starts fights with others. Jon doesn’t really know that Ray’s dad is abusing him, he believes the stories that Ray is boxing at a club for money. When Ray finally tells the truth, Jon tells him he needs to get out.  Ray begins making plans to secretly leave with his girlfriend.  Ray's dad finds out and uses Ray’s little brother Gene against him to get him to stay.  On the day that changed everything, Jon walks in on Ray’s dad beating him so badly that he almost dies.  Jon tries to protect Ray and ends up hitting Ray’s dad with a metal club and killing him.  The police don’t believe that it was Jon that did it, they think the constant troublemaker, Ray is the one who killed his father.  Ray’s punishment is to enter the Army and be sent to the war in Vietnam.  Jon later finds out that Ray was killed in action.  Jon’s parents adopt Ray’s little brother and raise him as their own. This book was beautifully written and so emotional.  The ending was sad, but satisfying. As I was reading, I was thinking of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.  The main character, Jon, is in the conventional stage as he tries to do the right thing and tell others that he was the one that killed Ray’s dad. He wants to follow rules and laws and be honest about his involvement.

This book could be used with grades 9-12.

Check out this short book trailer I made for this book!
 

Freakboy

Clark, K. (2013). Freakboy. NY: Ferrar Straus Giroux.

 

Brendan is a high school athlete, good student, boyfriend, and loving big brother. In his senior year he is finding out that he is different.  He loves his girlfriend Vanessa, but sometimes wonders if he actually wants to be her…to be a girl.  He feels that inside he is a girl, but doesn’t want to admit that.  He tries to live the lie, but it is catching up to him.  When he meets a stranger on the bus in front of a teen

center that helps kids that are struggling with their identity, things begin to slowly change.  The stranger, Angel gives Brendan her number and offers help.  He later works up the courage to begin talking to her and finds out that she is transsexual, and he may be too.  When his best friend walks in on him wearing a woman’s bra, Brendan’s nightmare really begins.  His friend tells everyone on the wrestling team and Brendan’s secret is out.  He quits the team, distances himself from his girlfriend, and considers suicide. Angel eventually helps him understand his feelings and Brendan tells his girlfriend the truth and he asks his mom to see a therapist.  This book was written in verse that was amazing to read.  I chose this book because of the title and the book cover.  It is so amazing! Kids really do judge a book by its cover, this book would circulate because the title and cover art is so intriguing.

This book could be used with grades 11-12.

Here's a great book trailer for this book!
 

Doll Bones

Black, H. (2013). Doll bones. NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Zach, Polly, and Alice have been friends for many years. They enjoy playing imaginary games that involve pirates and many adventures. When Polly discovers that an old porcelain doll may be inhabited by a ghost, the adventures become very real.  The three friends set out on a journey to return the doll to the grave where the ghost belongs.  They must travel to a small town in Ohio to return the doll.  They begin by bus, but when a strange man hassles them, they must leave the bus and take off on foot and then end up on boat.  When they finally reach the right town they are dirty, exhausted, and angry with each other. They eventually find the grave for the doll and have a funeral for her before their adventure ends. This book was very eerie and mysterious.  I loved the mystery and often wondered if the book was going to end up being a ghostly mystery or just a hoax put on by Polly. The theme of this book was showing how the friends are growing and changing.  They face the possibility that they may grow apart from each other. As Havinghurst describes, adolescents need to learn how to get along with peers.  This includes the changes in how relationships and friendships are made during adolescence. Friendships become based on shared interests, not just proximity of where our friends live.
This book could be used with grades 5-8.
 To download a curriculum guide for this book, click HERE!

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future

King, A.S. (2014). Glory O'Brien's history of the future. NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Glory is preparing for her high school graduation. She is preparing in a different way than all the other soon-to-be graduates.  Glory’s mother killed herself when she was only four. She wonders if she is different like her mother and if she will kill herself too very soon. Everything changes when her and her friend Ellie find a dead bat and put it in a jar.  Later, when the bat is dust, they add beer to the jar and drink it.  After drinking the bat, they can both see transmissions from other people when they look at them. They can see everyone’s infinite past and future.  When Glory begins to see her own amazing future, she realizes that she does continue to live for a very long time.  She’s not like her mother and she will do great things in the future. This book was sad, funny, quirky, and I loved it. While reading this book, I thought of Havinghurst’s developmental tasks.  Specifically this book made me think of how adolescents undergo changing relationships with parents.  In this story, Glory begins to understand herself and her family and creates a new relationship with her father that makes him come out of his 13 year depression. Then, her father becomes a father again and takes charge of his life and helps Glory get on with hers.

This book could be used with grades 9-12.

To download an educator's guide for this book, click HERE!

Liar and Spy

Stead, R. (2012). Liar and spy. NY: Random House.

When Georges’ dad is laid off, his family is forced to sell their family home and move into an apartment. While him mom is busy working extra shifts at the hospital, Georges and his dad are on their own.  Georges quickly finds a friend in Safer, a quirky young boy in his apartment building. They start a spy club together that becomes very real for Georges. When things come to a head, Georges realizes that it was all a game and feels angry with Safer for playing this game with him without his knowledge.  Georges is also a target at school for the bullies. In the end, Georges learns to conquer his fears and deal with the difficulties in his life and he helps his friend Safer do the same. As I was reading, I was thinking about Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. The main character in this book could certainly explain the conventional stage. He is very concerned with obeying laws and displays a strong moral code.
This book could be used with grades 5-7
To download a great study guide for this book, click HERE!