Hello Good Books!

This summer I have been trying to read some books that have been student favorites (that I hadn't previously read) and some new books that I thought looked interesting.  Here is a summary of some of the books I have read:

1.  Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth

     I really enjoyed both of these books and am excited to read the third book in the series when it comes out. It is a dystopian story about citizens being split into communities based on a certain skill, with some being "factionless" which means they don't belong to any group.  I was hoping to purchase these for my classroom, but there is some mature content that I don't think would be good for a 5th grade room.

2.  Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth

     This story takes place in India, where the main character is kidnapped and forced into working for a man keeping him locked up in a warehouse making picture frames for his "boss".  He is joined by several other boys who remain "nameless" (hence the title) because the boss doesn't let them speak.  It is sad to know that things like this really happen in other parts of the world, and it is a really good book for kids (gr 5 and up) to get a view of how kids in other parts of the world live.

3.  The Fault in Our Stars by Johns Green

     Super book!  However, not age appropriate for my 5th grade classroom.  I heard a lot about this book, and heard the movie was coming out, so I wanted to read it first.  Two teenage cancer survivors find each other and fall in love.  They go through many ups and downs with their cancer throughout the book, but are always there for each other.  Have the kleenex close by, this one is a tear jerker!

4.  Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Bradley

     I love finding good historical fiction that ties in with U.S. History and what I teach in my classroom.  This book is about Jefferson's sons that he had with one of his slaves.  Very interesting account of how the different groups, kids, races interacted at that time, and how the sons were viewed.

Happy Reading!