ALAN Picks: Check Out Book Recommendations For Middle Schoolers

In this month’s ALAN Picks, we are featuring all books for middle grade readers. So if you are a middle school teacher, get your notebook and pen ready to write down some good ideas! We also have another book review for our teacher educators, featuring Air by Monica Roe, a bildungsroman about a 12 year old who uses a wheelchair and has a dream of competing in a wheelchair tricks competition. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed is a graphic novel about two brothers living in a refugee camp after having to leave Somalia. The Pearl Hunter by Miya T. Beck is a fantasy adventure for those who are fans of sibling love, magical journeys, and the discovery of self acceptance. Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn is a novel that explores gender identity and acceptance.

Looking For Teen Reviewers: If you know students who are interested in writing book reviews of recently published young adult and middle grade books, let them know they can write for ALAN Picks too! 

ALAN Picks Book Selections: ALAN Picks accepts reviews of books published from spring 2020 to present-day, including soon-to-be-released books. This gives ALAN members who are interested in reviewing books more great titles to choose from, as well as accommodate some great books released during the beginning of the pandemic that still deserve highlighting. If you have some books in mind that you would like to review, please reach out to me!

Let Us Know How You Use ALAN Picks! If you read an ALAN Picks review and end up using the book with your students, let us know! We want to hear all of your great stories and engaging ways you are using young adult and middle grades literature in your classrooms. Remember, ALAN Picks are book reviews by educators for educators! Click on the archives to see previous editions. 

Submit a Review: Would you like to submit a review? Check out ALAN Picks for submission guidelines and email ALAN Picks Editor, Richetta Tooley at richetta.tooley@gmail.com with the book title you are interested in reviewing. Rolling deadline.

–  Richetta Tooley, ALAN Picks Editor

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*For Teacher Educators:

Synopsis: Emmie, a rural South Carolinian 12-year-old who uses a wheelchair, likes to spend her free time practicing freestyle wheelchair tricks and making wheelchair bags to raise money for her dream purchase: a wheelchair that will allow her to compete in WCMX (wheelchair motocross). An accident at school, though, has everyone—except Emmie—concerned. Rather than making the school ADA-compliant, the school administration hosts a fundraiser to buy Emmie her new chair. These recent events in her life are happening against a backdrop of loss and grief for Emmie’s family. Emmie’s mother, who was also her advocate at school, has recently died in an accident. Emmie and her dad navigate their new relationship as Emmie finds new connections with her maternal grandfather and a wheelchair bag customer in Alaska who Emmie turns to as a grandmother. Emmie tries to find a way to speak up for herself and communicate to her friends and school administrators as they try to make her a charity case inspiration.

Review:

This book took me a minute to get into, but I came out on the other side ultimately really enjoying it and appreciating the story it offers about how students with physical disabilities might navigate their physical school environments. The author, Monica Roe, is a physical therapist who used to work in K12 schools, and offers a brief history of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) in her author’s note to contextualize Emmie’s school setting. In the book itself, Roe makes concrete Emmie’s frustrations with fellow students, teachers, and administrators at her school who refuse to let her be independent. 

When the principal decides to host a fundraising event for Emmie’s new chair, she feels discomfort, but isn’t able to quite articulate why. She has some heart-to-hearts with a customer on her wheelchair bag site, who helps her understand that just because she’s disabled doesn’t mean that she needs to be an “inspiration” for other people. Roe reveals Emmie’s struggles to express herself, but also how she uses her creativity to come up with a solution that allows her to use her agency and promote systemic change in her school.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections

As a teacher educator, Air can be used to build preservice teachers’ libraries and to offer some insight into what it might be like to be a middle or high schooler who holds different intersectional socialized identities than the preservice teachers I work with and learn from.

Therefore, possible thematic connections include the following non-exhaustive list:

• finding your voice
• bodily autonomy
• festishization of disability and people with disabilities
• inspiration porn
• systemic change
• parent-child relationship
• navigating the death of a parent
• friendship

Essential Questions

Potential essential questions for a teacher education unit that includes Air are:

• What might be experiences of schooling for students who hold disproportionately affected intersectional socialized identities?
• What can middle grade and young adult texts help us understand about students we will teach and learn from?
• How do we as teachers learn to make space for students to exert their own agency?
• What might the physical, curricular, and pedagogical spaces of school communicate to students, especially those who hold disproportionately affected intersectional socialized identities?

Possible essential questions for a middle school unit that includes Air are

• How can I use my voice to change systems so that everyone can thrive?
• In what ways do my friends and classmates experience school that I might not know about?

Suggested Teaching Strategies/Activities to Use:

Exploring, Assessing, and Building your Textual Lineage

This activity is designed for pre- or in-service teachers, but can also be adapted for secondary students. The goal of the activity is to help learners explore their reading repertoire; assess the patterns that exist; hypothesize why the patterns exist, particularly as they overlap with systems of power and privilege; and expand what they read accordingly. 

• In the first stage of this activity, learners map texts that have been particularly salient for them, listing “texts…[that] are meaningful and significant in [y]our lives” (Muhammad, 2020, p. 147), that have “shaped [y]our thinking and understanding of the world and [y]ourselves” (p. 147). Learners can list texts by genre, by age when they read the text, or any other organizational measure they decide. Encourage learners to list texts beyond alphabetic texts. For example, learners can also list television/streaming shows, musical albums, and social media feeds. After listing texts, learners can share with a partner. This is especially fun if learners are from the same generation.
• In the second stage of this activity, learners note patterns in their textual lineage: what genres have they gravitated towards? What subjects have maintained their interests? What was going on in their lives that led them to these stories? After some time to identify patterns, learners can share what they’ve found with a partner.
• In the third stage of this activity, the teacher presents learners with a wheel of power and privilege (example 01, example 02). Learners then examine their textual lineages with the socialized identities in the wheel: which identities are reflected in their textual lineages? Which aren’t? Why might these patterns exist? (a reading of Bishop’s (1990) “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors” might be useful here.)
• In the fourth stage of this activity, learners select texts by and about identities they generally don’t read. 
• In the fifth stage of this activity, learners read and share their readings, responding to questions such as
  • What are you exploring, how is it going, what are you learning, what are your next steps?
  • In what ways do your intersectional identities shape your reading and how you’re taking up the reading?
  • How is your reading shaping your thinking about and what you’ll do in English class?
• This activity can be assessed by examining which texts learners are selecting to read in the fourth and fifth stages of the activity and the extent to which they engage with identities unfamiliar to the learner.

Check the Rep(resentation)

This activity is designed for pre- or in-service teachers, but can also be adapted for secondary students. The goal of the activity is to help learners explore who is representing which voices in texts. Thank you to a preservice teacher in my methods class as the inspiration behind this activity. 

• Complete the “Exploring, Assessing, and Building Your Textual Lineage” activity above. 
• As learners read fiction that offer representations of people who hold intersectional socialized identities that are different from their own, they can also explore nonfiction accounts. Have learners look up videos and posts on YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, TEDTalks, and similar sites, where people who identify with particular identities are sharing their stories. Click here for an example.
• Assess to what extent the representation in the fictional texts are aligned with the lived experiences communicated in people’s videos and talks.
• Look up news articles (an example) where authors have been criticized for writing about and representing identities that aren’t their own. Evaluate why an author might do so, and what factors might be involved in writing a text from a perspective that isn’t yours.
• This activity can be assessed by asking learners to track the similarities and differences between the fictional and nonfiction representations of the identities and presenting that information to their classmates. Teacher educators can specifically ask pre- and in-service teachers to design lessons and activities that show that they understand the complexity and nuance of representation, moving away from single stories of people to present more layered ones.

Formative/Summative Assessments

See above for suggestions on how to formatively assess the activities above. These formative assessments can be built to summative assessments as well. 

For example, in the activity “Exploring, Assessing, and Building Your Textual Lineage,” learners can create presentations to their classmates of what they read, why, what they learned, and how their learning is shaping their ideas about English class. Teachers can organize a gallery walk for learners to explore their classmates’ projects.

In the activity “Check the Rep(resentation),” learners can also present their information to their classmates. For these presentations, consider having learners build a blog to communicate their learning to each other, but also to potentially engage in a conversation with a wider audience of educators and non-educators alike.

Both of these assessments offer ways for pre- and in-service teachers to draw on knowledge of identities that are not theirs as they build their own knowledge. 

Reviewed by: – Naitnaphit Limlamai, Assistant Professor of English Education, Colorado State University-Ft Collins.

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Synopsis: Omar and his brother, Hassan, live in a refugee camp, Dadaab, after having to leave their home in Somalia behind to seek a safer place. These two brothers are on their own, and Omar has to care for Hassan, who has epilepsy and is nonverbal. Fatuma, another lady in the camp, has become what the boys consider their adopted mother. She helps feed the brothers and guide them as they grow older. Throughout this story, Omar struggles with making the choice to care for his brother or going to school in hopes to give him and Hassan a better future. Throughout his journey, Omar meets new challenges and discovers the unfairness and possibilities of the world around him.

Review

This is a story that opens up the eyes of the reader to other areas of the world. Where some readers may be able to relate, other readers will be able to empathize with the characters they meet along the way. When Stars are Scattered is catered towards students in middle school and older, told through many pictures with supporting text to help readers further visualize the true story Victoria and Omar are presenting. The characters in this book show how life is not always easy, but persistence and patience can come with great rewards. It also teaches students to speak up about the injustices in which they read and spark an internal fire to help others. 

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections:

• Displacement 
• Empathy 
• Perseverance
• Disability 
• Social Justice Issue 
• Friendship 
• Survival 
• Education

Possible Essential Questions:

• Why is education important for refugees? (What opportunities does it open up for them? What may their life be like if they do not get an education?) 
• How does attitude affect outcomes? 
• What is a social justice issue?

Possible Teaching Strategies and Activities:

• Research different refugee camps as a form of case study report. For example, as a class, research can be done over the camp Dadaab, the refugee camp Omar and Hassan live in, which will enhance the reading of the learners. Students can then do their own case study report over refugee camps like Kutupalong, Nakivale, or Zaatari. 
• Research different educational rights throughout the world. A few examples of countries to explore are Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Tanzania. 

Formative and Summative Assessment Suggestions:

Formative:

• As students complete their research projects and readings, they can fill out 3-2-1 sheets. This can be done in different ways. One way is to write down three things the student learned, two things the student would like to learn more about, and one question they have. Another way is to do three of the most important details from the day, two supporting details for each important detail, and one question they have about these ideas.
• Venn Diagrams can be used to compare and contrast information from different places (different areas of education, different refugee camps, readings, etc.). 

Summative:

• Students can create a project over the information they have learned (like over the characters, refugee camps, education, etc.) and present it to their peers. Keep the forms of medium vague, so students have the freedom to express their work in any way they want (e.g. powerpoint, video games, skit, poster board, boardgame, newspaper, etc.). 
• Students can create a profile over time that discusses all the speakers, research, and readings they have viewed and listened to.

Reviewed by: Morgan O’Shea, Elementary Education student at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Synopsis: Kai and Kishi are twin sisters from a small, traditional fishing village which places great value on the art of pearl diving. Both Kai and Kishi have each begun to grapple with the daunting responsibilities of growing up and maintaining the family business. One day while diving for mussels, Kai and her family encounter the vengeful spirit of an ancient whale known in local legend as the Bakekujira. After this tragic confrontation, Kai’s family is thrown into turmoil and she suddenly finds herself in the company of the gods. In order to save her sister and return to the peace of her old life, Kai is tasked with the dangerous quest of finding Dakini, the Fox God, and stealing her magical pearl. Along the way, she finds she must overcome other dangers such as roaming bandits, power-hungry generals, and supernatural threats all while also treading delicately through the world’s expectations for a young woman her age.

Review

The Pearl Hunter is a fantasy adventure which, if you’re a fan of sibling love, magical journeys, and the discovery of self acceptance, will hold you spellbound for every turn of the page. Set in a medieval Japanese inspired world, where magic and passion weave through the narrative like threads in a blanket, The Pearl Hunter is the stylish tale of Kai and Kishi, twin sisters who must overcome terrible odds to reunite after tragedy strikes, and the two are separated by the mysterious Ghost Whale,  Bakekujira.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections that Support Close Reading of the Text

• Sibling / Familial rivalry
• Spirituality
• Justice for the underpowered
• Coping with Grief
• Self love 
• Self discovery

Essential Questions:

• How can we forgive when we can’t apologize?
• When support systems fail, how do we persevere?
• How do we break free of the identities which have been assigned to us?
• Why don’t words heal as readily as they harm?

Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies/Activities

• Discussions on predictions & questions in groups.
• Use the text to encourage journaling, the creation of inspired fiction / fanfiction.

Formative and/or Summative Assessments

Formative: Students could create a verse / poetic introduction to the story. A fantasy ballad which introduces one of the characters, and explains their importance to the text.

Summative: Students could create a map of Kai’s journey, physical & emotional, across the text, accompanied by a one page description of the map’s significance to the text. 

Reviewed by: Clinton Christensen, Preservice teacher, Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Synopsis: 13 year old Elle Campbell is just like every other seventh grader their age – trying to figure out who they are and who they want to become. However, being nonbinary in a small town??? means that Elle’s journey is a bit more complicated. When their hero, non-binary author and icon Nuri Grena, is set to come to their town for a book signing, Elle can’t wait to meet them. Unfortunately, an altercation with a substitute teacher lands Elle in Saturday school, and their dreams of getting to talk to someone who might actually get them are dashed – that is until two of their friends decide to bust them out and set a course for adventure. 

Will they be able to outwit some hard-bargaining Elementary Schoolers?

Will Elle get across town to the book signing in time? 

Will their icon have the answers to their questions?

The odds are stacked against the trio – no money, no phones, no transportation – but they sally forth undaunted on an epic journey that takes them through one hilarious obstacle after another.

Review

This novel, the first from nonbinary comics writer Ben Kahn, explores what it means for adolescents to figure out their identity when that identity is marginalized and, all too often, not depicted in heteronormative literature that focuses on how changing hormones affect what it means to be a “girl” or a “boy” in today’s societies. Like Elle and their friends, nonbinary kids are often trying to figure out the best way to, figuratively, navigate the path towards finding identity without any of the standard maps or guides that other people their age might have.

Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use

Thematic Connections:

Educators might consider using this text in conjunction with other coming-of-age stories as a way to critically examine the ways in which we think about the formation of identity in conjunction with and in opposition to the world around us. Topics include:

• Gender and Sexuality
• Defining Morality
• Bullying
• The Power of Community

Essential Questions:

• What qualities are important in a heroic figure?
• Is it important to have heroes “like” you?
• How important is it to have community?
• How far would you go to help a friend?
• How do you figure out your next steps without a guide?

Teaching Strategies:

This book provides a rich text for critical thinking and considering the messages we give people about who we think they are and who we think they should be.

In studying this book, students could work on projects that encourage them to:

• Interrogate the qualities and traits which are considered “heroic” within a culture
• Examine representations of gender in media
• Examine representations of their own identities in media
• Consider the validity of school rules and punishments 

Book Parings

Epic Adventures

Educators might also consider the ways in which this text follows in the narrative tradition of epic stories – replete with a giant ogre and a magical helper – while still invoking realistic settings and obstacles. It could easily be used in conjunction with the likes of The Odyssey, The Lightning Thief, or a graphic novel like The Cardboard Kingdom to talk about journeys of self-discovery.

Reviewer: Alicia Whitley is a PhD student at North Carolina State University studying Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, with a specific focus on Literacy and English Language Arts Education