Are you heading to Philadelphia in November for the 2026 ALAN Workshop! We are excited to learn from you! Write a proposal for either the Poster Session or Antiracist Session! Learn more about each proposal by heading here:
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ALAN Picks: Feminism, Coming of Age and Stories of Resistance
In this month’s ALAN Picks we feature several books that will appeal to students who may be interested in the coming-of-age, romance, dystopian, historical fiction and fantasy genres. This column also features several books that explore literature from a feminist lens in honor of Women’s History Month. Not Here to be Liked by Michelle Quach is a contemporary romance that deals with issues of identity and gender equality. Wilder Girls by Rory Power is a feminist take on The Lord of the Flies set in an all-girls school during an outbreak of a mysterious illness. Scattergood by H. M. Bouwman is a middle grade coming of age novel that is set in rural America during WWII. Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis is the fantasy retelling of the 16th century German Witch trials.
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
A Charming Story that Draws Attention to Issues in Feminism
Not Here to be Liked by Michelle Quach
Book Details
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publish Date: September 14, 2021
Page Count: 384
ISBN: 978-0063038387
Genre: Young Adult, Teen, Romance
Synopsis: Eliza is an aspiring chief editor at her school’s newspaper club — The Bugle, well she was until a washed-up baseball star who can make acne look good stole her thunder. In an act of anger, Eliza writes her very own “manifesto” privately on a public school computer… Mysteriously and without her consent, her piece of work is published on the school news front page where she repeatedly calls her club misogynistic and blames the face of the patriarchy, a.k.a Len DiMartile. In this acquiatances-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, Eliza struggles with gender inequality and the dismissive comments of her peers and teachers who think she is simply crying misogyny.
Review: I enjoyed this novel. This love story was a classic slow burn and it captured my heart in a way that I think will be relatable for many who read it. As a young adult myself, I feel enamored with the tension between these two characters and it feels as though I am watching my favorite TV drama. Not Here to be Liked touches on various issues with self-identity and gender equality. Eliza’s issues are ignored by the adults around her due to Eliza’s age and being a woman. I hope everyone finds this story as page turning and illuminating as I found it.
Suggestions For Classroom/Curriculum:
Thematic Connections:
Essential Questions:
Teaching Activities:
Formative and Summative Assessments:
Formative: The students will be participating in a socratic seminar at the half way point through the novel and at the end of the novel. Each student will need to prepare at least three questions for the group on their own sheet of paper but will be graded on both these three questions and at least one participation per socratic seminar. This seminar will be student-led but teacher encouraged. The teacher can direct students into a new conversation if needed but the idea is that with everyone’s three questions there should be a mountain of topics and thoughts that need to be discussed. Student questions can be about: plot, character development, tone, figurative language, the overall message of the story etc…
Summative: After we have completed both socratic seminars and read through the entire novel, as an entire class we will create our own mini newspaper that covers main points, themes, figurative language etc. throughout the novel. I will divide the class into groups of four and task each group with a different article to write (ex: over-all-plot, character insight, questions for the author, emerging themes) and the titles and photos they chose will be up to the group to decide. After each article is written and photos are chosen, I will print our class newspaper that gives a well-rounded view of the story.
Reviewed by: Keaira Ermatinger, Undergraduate English Education Student at University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
A Feminist Take on Lord of the Flies
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Book Details
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Publish Date: 06/02/2020
Page Count: 400
ISBN: 9780525645610
Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Horror Fiction, Mystery, YA Lit
Synopsis: Wilder Girls by Rory Power is a thought-provoking story that takes a feminist take on the Lord of the Flies. The protagonist is a young person with her two best friends who finds themselves in the middle of a quarantine against a deadly infection at their school. As the threat of the infection becomes real and friends start to disappear, she must test the ropes of her friendship and loyalty with those around her to brave the hidden truths of her life at the Raxter School.
Review: Wilder Girls is a gripping story that plunges the reader into the horrific reality for girls infected with a mysterious illness called “Tox.” Quarantined at an all girls school on an island. Isolated from the outside world save for the occasional rumor that brings more fear than hope. The story focuses on the life of Hetty whose life is intertwined with that of Byatt, a friend until events prove to Hetty that she is much more than that. The crushing weight of isolation has pushed Hetty to the brink of sanity and when Byatt disappears from Hetty’s life she breaks all chains to reunite with her. On her defiant journey to find Byatt she discovers that not everything is as it appears and pushes against all odds to defy a world transformed into horror.
Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use
Thematic Elements
Essential Questions
Teaching Activities:
Formative/Summative Assessments
Formative:
Summative Activity:
Reviewed by: Cody Dahms, Undergraduate English Education student at University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.
A Rural Coming of Age Set in WWII-era American Midwest
Scattergood by H. M. Bouwman
Book Details
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Publish Date: January 2025
Page Count: 308
ISBN: 978-0-8234-5775-5
Genre: Historical Fiction/Middle Grade
Find on Bookshop
Synopsis:
In June of 1941, the United States has not yet entered WWII, though the War and its effects are evident in twelve-year-old Peggy’s hometown of West Branch, Iowa. Through the newspaper and radio, she learns about events in other parts of the world, but it is not until she meets a Jewish refugee at Scattergood Hostel that the reality of the war comes into focus. All at once her typical farm life is turned upside down by the appearance of this young man as well as the leukemia diagnosis of her cousin. Peggy makes it her job to save her cousin, turning to science and then religion for answers. Ultimately, she realizes that life is not like the mathematical equations which come easily to her, instead it can be messy and void of straightforward answers.
Review:
Bouwman weaves together a rich story about family, grief, and coming-of-age. The small American town is an unlikely setting for a WWII story, but one that works well to illustrate another side of the effects of war. With a subtle hand, Bouwman introduces readers to farm life in the United States as well as key events and figures in world history.
While young readers can relate to Peggy’s coming-of-age story, they will also glean what it was like to live without modern medicine or technology and the struggles and triumphs of such a life. Even Peggy’s parents send her mixed signals regarding where she can go and what she can do with her life. Her mother is content in West Branch, but a young female volunteer at Scattergood Hostel opens Peggy’s eyes to opportunities beyond her family’s farm.
Bouwman wastes no time diving into Peggy’s story. The first page establishes the obstacles Peggy is up against, and by the conclusion of the first chapter readers are acquainted with the characters, setting, and the stakes. The first-person narration and the fluid prose enable the story to flow easily while keeping readers engaged. Peggy’s thoughts allow readers to fully submerse themselves in her daily life and the time period.
Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use
Thematic Topics:
Preliminary Activity: In pairs or individually, students will visit a library and ask for assistance with research on one of the topics below. They will report to the rest of the class not only on their topic, but also on the research process and the tools and techniques they used to gather information. This is also an opportunity to introduce or further develop students’ knowledge of documentation styles, such as MLA.
Topics for Further Exploration:
Society of Friends Rabbi Nachman
Scattergood Hostel Dr. E. C. MacDowell
The Stock Market Crash Robert Losey
Medicine in 1940s United States USS Kearny
John Keats Benjamin Franklin
Siege of Leningrad Farming in 1940s United States
Westerbork
Discussion Questions:
Creative Exercise: Choose a character and write their next chapter(s). While remaining historically accurate, write about the character’s life in the months or years following the last chapter of the novel.
Reviewed by: Stephanie Terrill, Visiting Assistant Professor, Massachusetts
A Retelling of 16th Century German Witch Trials
Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Book Details
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publish Date: October 3rd, 2023
Page Count: 416
ISBN: 9781728272160 (ISBN10: 1728272165)
Genre: Fantasy
Find on Bookshop
Synopsis
This book retells the Trier Witch Trials that lasted over a decade in Germany. These executions were some of the biggest within Europe and lit the flame to countless other investigations throughout the world, including the Salem Witch Trials in the United States. Fritzi and her cousin are the last survivors of their coven after an invasion from the hexenjägers, witch hunters. With fury and insanity, Kommandant Dieter Kirch kidnaps her innocent cousin and takes her to Trier to face the cruel fate of a witch during the 1500’s, in a few days, he plans to burn over 100 accused witches at the stake in the name of his holy, Catholic God. Journeying to save her cousin and avenge the coven. Fritzi, a stubborn spitfire, finds companionship in a rebel Hexenjäger named Otto. While their enemies-to-lover troupe is easily anticipated, I found their vulnerability towards each other comforting. It’s a standard story about good versus evil, except the expected good is revealed to have its own corruption as the story unfolds.
Review
*Spoilers*
The Night of the Witch was a great story against the abuse from the Catholic Rule during Witch Trials. Fritzi was written as a powerful woman determined to protect her religion and its followers. There’s commentary on corruption, complacency, religion. This is the main merit of the book as it retells pagan history to honor their heroism. Most people think of the Salem Witch Trials when these topics are brought up, it’s important for the public to understand that this brutal genocide occurred across the world. The world-building was beautiful, I could envision the story as I followed the pages. The fantasy and romance within the book create a cozy atmosphere
where the reader can briefly get lost in the wonder of the life of a Witch, only to get dragged back into their reality when they remember the threats the characters face ahead of them. However, as Fritzi and Otto journey through Trier, the German capital where the Hexenjägers control, there is a lull in the plot. I had to force myself to push through at least 100 pages of them planning their revolt against the Catholic reign.
Thematic Connections and Essential Questions:
Thematic Connections
Essential Questions
Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching strategies:
Formative: Assign students to groups to discuss the book. Have the students prepare discussions for major topics such as Fritzi’s relationship with Wild Magic, Otto’s intentions with Fritzi, The dynamic between Fritzi and Otto and both of their personal needs for each other. Encourage students to create their own topic questions and develop them as a thesis statement. Have the students come together and annotate sections of the book as a group. This can be done in sections of the book to compare plot development.
Summative: Sample questions from class discussions and lectures and to have students respond to through an essay format. Analyze and discuss the different characters and moments of the book that support the themes.
Reviewed by Brooklyn Bridges, student at The University of South Florida College of Education
Head here to read more about this month’s ALAN Picks!
In this month’s ALAN Picks we feature several books that will appeal to students who may be interested in the thriller, mystery and/or horror genres. This column also features several Indigenous authors to help you prepare for National Native American Heritage Month. Man Made Monster by Andrea L. Rogers is a YA collection of horror stories that follows a Cherokee family through multiple generations into the future. Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline is a YA coming of age story that features ghosts and friendships. If you are a fan of Knives Out, you may be interested in the YA mystery The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning. The YA mystery Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards tackles the topic of PTSD and trauma. YA thriller We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado examines the dark side of society through the lens of horror.
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
Cherokee Stories of Monsters,
Real and Imagined
Man Made Monster by Andrea L. Rogers
Book Details
Publisher: Levine Querido
Publish Date: October 2022
Page Count: 315
ISBN: 978-1-64614
Genre: YA, Horror, Speculative Fiction
Synopsis: A collection of horror stories that follows a Cherokee family line across generations. Monsters such as werewolves, vampires, and deer women exist alongside the terror of science experimentation, cultural appropriation, and the danger of going on dates. The collection begins with Ama Wilson on the Trail of Tears, whose forced relocation becomes secondary to her turn to a creature of the night. This sets off the horror collections’ genius interconnection between fictional horror and historical atrocities. Though each story could stand alone, the mastery of the collection is their interconnected nature and connection to the Wilson family tree.
Review: Andrea L. Rogers is masterful, taking up space in the horror renaissance among Indigenous authors. Throughout the collection, the family tree, provided at the beginning, and each chapter’s vivid Cherokee art from Jeff Edwards draws readers into the stories’ themes. The haunting storytelling includes first, third, and even second person perspective in a chilling narrative style. The stories are engaging and inspire student interest! I would recommend it for grades 10 and above.
Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use:
As a senior English teacher, I use Man Made Monsters as a mentor text for students’ own Horror Stories at the conclusion of our Horror Unit. Students study Frankenstein and Dracula in graphic novel format through a Monster Theory lens from Jeffrey Jerome Cohen. While reading Frankenstein, students investigated the history of medical experimentation and sterilization of Native American people. These are the essential questions we pose in our study:
Teaching Strategies and Activities
Create Horror Stories using literary techniques: The goal of this activity is for students to evaluate storytelling techniques in a selection of short stories from the collection that are directly inspired by Dracula and Frankenstein. This evaluation is meant to help them create their own horror stories using those same narrative techniques.
Select a few horror stories and offer choice to students. Before giving choice, you can select one of these to teach the whole class first, showing them what markers they should look for while reading. The short stories I selected are:
● “An Old Fashion Girl” -Begins the collection and links to Dracula
● “Man Made Monsters”-Titular to collection and links to Frankenstein
● “Lens” -This story approaches medical experimentation head on, connecting to our study of it in class.
● “Shame on the Moon” -This story has a vampire and werewolf face off, which resonates with students from their experience with Twilight.
● “American Predators” -This story masterfully is in second person, as the protagonist is not Cherokee.
As students read the short story, have them annotate for narrative techniques, such as flashback, multiple storylines, and point of view shifts. After reading, students should choose how they will engage with this mentor text as inspiration for their own horror story. Create a choice menu for students to choose from as a formative assessment, making sure to let them know they have to have a narrative technique in their writing.
| Mentor Text Engagements | ||
| Personal Connections | Letter to the Author | Interview a Character |
| Prequel or Sequel | Retell from another point of view | Background of a character |
Background Research Groups & Text Pairings
While teaching The Marrow Thieves, students return to this collection. Students are expected to research a background topic and present it to the class. After presenting, students could tie their topic with a theme from the book, such as Trail of Tears with Ama’s story or Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women with Ama’s Boys. The goal is to demonstrate how authors use historical events to enrich their narratives.
Reviewed by: Jaid Wehrenberg, 12th Grade English Teacher at Ogden High School and English Education Masters student at Weber State University, Ogden, UT.
A Haunting Story of Friendship and Coming of Age
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline
Book Details
Publisher: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 4, 2023
Page Count: 272
ISBN: 9780735265639
Genre: YA, Magical Realism
Synopsis: Funeral Songs for Dying Girls follows Winifred, a 16-year-old girl who lives with her father and obese dog in the Winterson Cemetery. She’s an outcast, “weird,” and determined to save the cemetery so she and her father can stay in their apartment on the property. After a few accidental “ghost sightings,” in which Winifred was mistaken for the ghost, a local ghost tour expresses interest in adding Winterson to their route. Winifred believes this may be the key to saving her home, especially after befriending a real ghost, Phil, on the property. Winifred must decide to exploit her new friend to save the cemetery or risk losing everything.
Review: Funeral Songs for Dying Girls is a beautifully written and haunting story. Winifred’s goals are realistic and understandable. She reads exactly like a teenage girl just trying to figure herself out. Winifred’s recurring grief for her aunt and her mother (among others) and the loss of an important friendship are both portrayed with care and gentleness. The pacing is slow as the story is more focused on character development than on plot. Overall, deeply personal, and poignant, with writing that conveys the trials and beauty of growing up as a girl. This novel would be perfect for book clubs in a classroom.
Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use
Thematic Connections:
The themes in this book can resonate with all teenagers but would be best suited for teenage girls. They touch on grief, loss, and death, while also incorporating the narrative of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls and cultural appropriation within the storyline.
Essential Questions
Teaching Strategies and Activities to Use:
Formative/Summative Assessments
Formative:
Summative:
Reviewed by: Mackenzie Pfund, English Education Student at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI
Knives Out with a Salem Witch Trial-esque Twist
The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning
Book Details
Publisher: Tor Publishing
Publication Date: September 2024
Page Count: 386
ISBN: 978-1-250-84106-3
Genre: YA Fantasy & Mystery
Synopsis: The Lies We Conjure takes place in Colorado, following Ruby (17) and Wren (16) Jourdain as they delve into a new fantastical world of witches, bloodlines, and family politics. Ruby and Wren are invited to a prestigious dinner at Hegemony Manor by a strange old woman who asks them to pretend to be her two granddaughters who haven’t been seen by the family in 10 years since they moved to London. The two girls agree to Marsyas Blackgate’s terms, being convinced by the $4,000 payment, and enter the world of the Four Lines. Soon after the three arrive at the party, the host, Ursula Hegemony, is murdered, and the manor is magically locked down until the attendees can solve the murder and locate the four relics that provide the power to each family’s line: the Blood relic for the Cerises, the Celestial relic for the Starwoods, the Elemental relic for the Hegemonys, and the Death relic for the Blackgates. However, the families only have 3 days, or they are stuck in the manor forever. Things get more complicated when Marsyas vanishes, and Ruby and Wren are left stranded with 13 witches who have no idea that they are two human girls with no magical ability whatsoever. The novel takes on a fantastical murder-mystery plot, and as the story progresses, family drama becomes unveiled and people continue to be murdered. By the end, the head of each family has been killed by Marsyas and only the teenagers are left. The novel concludes with a dramatic standoff between Ruby, Wren, the Four Lines teenagers, and the real Blackgate sisters.
Review: Henning’s novel is a Knives Out-esque story with a Salem witch-trials influence. She includes themes like family trauma, abuse, deception, innocence, and coming-of-age. For those who enjoy a good fantasy novel, I think these themes and this plot would be really appealing, especially for a YA audience. Pairing the fantasy genre with serious themes like abuse and familial trauma is impactful to young readers. Henning’s novel is written in two different POVs, Ruby’s and Auden Hegemony’s. The switching of point of view helps propel the narrative, while also providing two very different perspectives for the readers, with Ruby’s human “other” perspective, and Auden’s witch perspective. It helps add to the stress of Ruby and Wren trying to stay hidden in plain sight, while also adding to the drama, as the reader is experiencing the witch politics first-hand with Auden’s POV. I think regarding the character development, the effort is there. We see development through a lot of the more secondary characters, but I struggled to see development in our two protagonists. Overall, this book is fun and enjoyable, and fit for older YA readers. It has some strong language, which leans a little more to the older YA side, but no inappropriate themes or scenes that would make it too adult. There is a lot of ambiguity in the characters, with Henning leaving things like race and ethnicity up for interpretation, allowing space for all readers to find themselves in the pages. There is also LGBTQ+ inclusion in this novel, with a non-binary character and various queer characters. This book is perfect for high schoolers, whether it is read inside or outside of the classroom.
Thematic Connections & Essential Questions:
Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching Strategies:
Formative and Summative Assessments:
Abigail Leary Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, undergraduate preservice teacher
A Story of PTSD and Trauma
Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards
Book Details
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publish Date: May 2, 2023
Page Count: 336
ISBN: 9781728215815
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Synopsis: Jo and her six friends and co-workers are teens working at a shopping mall movie theater; their uptight, adult manager is the only one not part of the friend circle. This night will be the last that any of them have to deal with their manager anymore, as the theater is closing for good while the mall is under construction. Jo, eager to leave, is riddled with anxiety as she spots her temperamental manager in possession of a gun. After this, everything goes downhill as the lights go out and the first dead body is discovered. This story follows Jo and her friends as they struggle to escape the mall with all of the exits blocked off due to poor construction safety. As they run around the mall looking for a way out, they also have to stay clear of the murder on the loose. This experience causes Jo to relive and fight through her traumatic past to escape with her friends.
Review: Natalie Richards created a very engaging and thrilling novel that follows a main character who struggles with PTSD from a traumatic event in her past. The author does a great job of displaying how Jo’s PTSD affects her thoughts and decisions in a life-threatening situation. There were many other issues touched upon that display the issues of today. Inappropriate relationships, health disorders, and mental disorders are all touched upon in this novel in ways that are extremely important to the plot.
Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use
Thematic Elements:
● Gun violence
● PTSD/Mental Health Issues
● Murder
● Cheating
● Adult/minor relationship (grooming)
● Physical Health Issues
Essential Questions:
● How can someone’s past experience influence how they treat others?
● How can someone’s past trauma affect how they react during a traumatic event?
Teaching Strategies and Activities:
● Student-led discussion of mental health
● Reading about PTSD from trusted sources
● Reading short stories or watching short films/movies on PTSD
Formative Assessments:
● Write a short mystery/thriller narrative
● Journal entries on the depictions of mental health issues in the story
Summative Assessments:
A final project of the student’s chosen medium where they explore one of the main themes in the story: PTSD/mental health, gun violence, murder, etc. They talk about the instances in the book where this theme is in the spotlight and conduct research on the theme to connect the real world with the novel.
Reviewed By: Jadzia Colon, an undergraduate English Education major at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL.
An Exploration of Society Through the Horror Lens
We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado
Book Details
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publish Date: May 30, 2023
Page Count: 320
ISBN: 9781728280103
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Synopsis: When Bronwyn’s family makes the move to her father’s hometown, she is hopeful that she will adjust well. With help from her cousin Anais, and the occasional swim to help her take the edge off, she is sure she can remain sane for the short year she’d be living in Hillwood. What she doesn’t know is, her love for swimming has made her a target due to the town’s number one rule, “We don’t swim here.” Bronwyn doesn’t follow the rules, and that may just get her killed.
Review: Vincent Tirado’s We Don’t Swim Here was an intriguing read. At no point in the story did you know what was coming next. Tirado held an important conversation about the dangers of prejudice and ignorance, and the extreme lengths that people will go to uphold their beliefs. I would not suggest the story for lower middle grades, but it would be a great read for upper middle to high schoolers.
Suggestions for Curriculum & Classroom Use
Themes:
Character Analysis/ Autopsy
Essential Questions:
Formative:
Although the story is very fast paced, the reader is able to get a decent sense of each of the main character’s personalities and their perspectives. Students will be able to show their understanding of each character’s growth throughout the story through the Venn diagram, in which they will have to compare each character’s development throughout the story.
Summative:
Because there is a significant amount of horror in the story, students will enjoy an autopsy report of either Bronwyn, Sweetie, or Anais. As they are completing the report, they will complete a brief essay in which they will have to analyze their character and describe whether or not they believe the actions displayed by their character throughout the text are just or unjust based on textual evidence.
Reviewed by: Faith Young
In this month’s ALAN Picks we feature graphic novels that are great for both middle and high school readers. Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey by Edel Rodriguez is a graphic memoir about growing up in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. In Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy, the hilarious series continues with a family road trip that challenges Huda’s perceptions of herself and others. Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega is a story of one middle schooler’s hair journey and all of the emotions and identity that is connected to that. Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham is a graphic memoir where food takes a prominent role in telling one young man’s immigrant story. Based on Korean folklore, The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha challenges gender roles as the lead character finds her dreams changed to fit society’s expectations.
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
Book Details
Publisher: Metropolitan Books
Publish Date: October 17, 2023
Page Count: 293
ISBN: 9781250753977
Genre: Nonfiction (Graphic Memoir)
Find on Bookshop
Synopsis: A worm hides in the darkness of the dirt, digging and clawing its way through its life without knowledge of survival. In the world above, creatures bearing wings and legs search for the little worm. The worm does not know these things, but Edel Rodriguez does. In Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey, Rodriguez tells the tale of his early childhood growing up in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Nicknamed “Worm” for his small stature, Edel is a very observational child full of artistic vision. His love for drawing shows his awareness of the loss of his freedom and expression as he continues to grow up. When the chance for an escape to America presents itself, Edel and his family join many other Cubans in a large, dangerous exodus in a journey of hope, immigration, and identity.
A worm hides in the darkness of the dirt, digging and clawing its way through its life without knowledge of survival. In the world above, creatures bearing wings and legs search for the little worm. The worm does not know these things, but Edel Rodriguez does. In Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey, Rodriguez tells the tale of his early childhood growing up in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Nicknamed “Worm” for his small stature, Edel is a very observational child full of artistic vision. His love for drawing shows his awareness of the loss of his freedom and expression as he continues to grow up. When the chance for an escape to America presents itself, Edel and his family join many other Cubans in a large, dangerous exodus in a journey of hope, immigration, and identity.
Create a visual memoir
Students can take a story from their own lives and create a visual memoir in the style of Edel Rodrigues’s art. This would not only help students create a connection to the book but also create a connection to their lives and experiences. I recommend teachers read the book with the whole class, as the chapters go by fast in a graphic novel. Teachers should also introduce this project along with the book so students can read and build their memoirs as they soak in Edel’s story.
Essential Questions
This Builds:
Formative and Summative Assessments
Formative:
Have students answer questions in correspondence with the reading. As the teacher reads with the class, stop at key moments where the students can reflect and answer questions.
Summative:
After the graphic memoir project, have students write a 1-2 page reflection. This will include how their memoir connects to Edel’s memoir, how their story connects to a certain moment in the story, and explains their overall feelings about the project and the memoir itself.
Review by: Cameron Taber Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, undergraduate preservice teacher
Book Details
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publish Date: October 10, 2023
Page Count: 208
ISBN: 9780593532799
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Fictio
Find on Bookshop
Synopsis: Fourteen year old Huda F is excited to look more normal amongst her peers at school after getting contacts for the first time, but she is then forced to go on a road trip with her Muslim family right after finishing her freshman year of high school. Huda and her sisters have not been getting along, so their parents created this trip so they can get closer. The vacation ruins Huda’s perception of others outside of her religion as she deals with racism by standing out at public parks due to her religion. However, she learns the value of sisterhood, knowing that her family will stand by her no matter what. She also learns to embrace her religion even if there are people who oppose it, which is exactly what her parents wanted her to learn.
This graphic novel has great representation for Muslims, and the main characters are of Egyptian descent. The author is showing how it feels to be Arab and Muslim in a predominantly white environment that often has a negative view of them. The author chooses to have a teenage girl and her family as the main characters, which can help students to see that kids their age deal with hardships due to how they are viewed in society. Fahmy proves that they are just another family that are trying to live their lives as normal as possible in the United States.
The story was easy to follow. The visuals fully describe what is happening at every specific moment of the story, proving just how powerful the dialogue is as well. The characters’ actions are just as impactful. The sisters all learn the same lessons together due to their eventual close bond and courage.
Thematic Connections
Essential Questions:
Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Teaching Strategies:
Activity: Reimagining Scenes
Whenever Huda is thinking about something, a floating figure of herself tells her what she should say. This activity has students rewriting a scene with Huda actually saying something that she wanted to say. It would focus on the reaction of the other characters, which teaches students that they have to be careful about what they say.
Strategies:
Assessments that can be used:
Formative: Learning and applying facts about the characters’ native country and religion while reading the novel
Students could be given the opportunity to learn more about Egyptian-Americans and Islam and apply their knowledge during group and class wide discussions while reading the novel. For example, there is a scene where the family has lunch on a picnic table in public. Students can learn more about or share about traditional Egyptian foods.
Summative: Sister Fact sheet
Students could be assigned one of Huda’s sisters (except for Amani) to talk about. They could be put into groups and work together to make a fact sheet about her age, personality, day she was with Huda, and more. They can also talk about why Huda gets along with this specific sister.
Reviewed by: Martina Ibrahim, English Education student at Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA
Book Details
Publisher: First Second (an imprint of Macmillan)
Publish Date: October 18, 2022
Page Count: 224
ISBN: 9781250259622
Genre: Graphic novel, Comics, Fiction
Find on Bookshop (Also available in Spanish)
Synopsis: Frizzy follows the life of a young girl named Marlene. Readers dive into how her family views her, seeing that her hair is a major point of contention. Throughout the graphic novel, Marlene’s family comments on how messy and unladylike she is when her hair is not straightened. This affects Marlene’s self esteem, showing her that her self worth is based on her looks, and how she is naturally not good enough. Not only does Marlene have to deal with her family’s judgment, she also has to deal with other kids at her school bullying her when her hair is left natural. The novel progresses as Marelene struggles to cope with the loss of her father, her family’s cruel comments, and trying to find a balance between loving herself while also making her mother happy by straightening her hair. With the help of her Tia Ruby, Marlene figures out a hair care routine that not only accentuates her curls, but helps her feel proud of herself. But, Tia Ruby reminds Marlene that it does not matter what she looks like, but who she is inside. This novel speaks to mother- daughter relationships, being comfortable in your own skin, and the strength it takes to talk about uncomfortable topics.
This novel is a fantastic read for readers of all ages. Due to the stylistic choices of the book art itself and the comic-like set up, this novel is both a charming, yet thought provoking read. Ortega allows readers to transport themselves into Marlene’s life, with older readers able to feel those strange and awkward feelings of growing up all over again. For younger readers, this book speaks to all of the unspoken feelings they have bubbling inside of them. The acceptance of natural looks and the strength shown throughout the novel not only allows for students to feel comfortable in their own skin, but also helps build confidence for having tough conversations and expressing their emotions in a healthy and productive way.
Essential Questions:
Ideas for Use In The Classroom (Activities and Strategies):
Formative Assessments:
As students read, stop and allow them to discuss themes, important events within the novel, and key characters. Making sure students understand these topics can ensure their understanding of the novel, and allow them to critically think about what they are reading.
Summative Assessment:
After finishing the novel, ask students to write a letter to Marlene, acting as one of her peers. What would they say to her in order to show their support? How could they let her know that she is perfect the way that she is? This allows students to express their own feelings about the text, whilst also encouraging them to build their own morals surrounding diversity and self confidence.
Review by: Emma Gillespie, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, undergraduate preservice teacher.
Book Details
Publisher: First Second
Publish Date: June 20, 2023
Page Count: 240
ISBN: 125080972X; ISBN-13: 978-1250809728
Genre: Graphic Memoir, Nonfiction, Young Adult, Immigration Stories
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Synopsis: In this graphic memoir, Thien Pham recounts his life story through the foods that represented different challenges and/or victories at pivotal moments in his life. Each chapter tells part of Thien Pham’s journey beginning with his family leaving Vietnam as refugees and continuing through his young adulthood as he and his family chase the American Dream. Thien defines each point in his journey by the food that mattered most at that time – some periods are represented by Vietnamese recipes, others by American recipes. Thien wrestles with how to stay true to his roots while also fitting into a totally new culture.
An excellent graphic memoir that creatively expresses a life’s journey in terms of the foods that mattered most at each point. There is incredible depth in each page of illustrations that serves to bring greater understanding to the complexity of Thien’s story as a refugee and later as an American citizen. A beautiful read that also highlights the often underrepresented Vietnamese-American culture, this graphic memoir would be meaningful to all ages from middle to high school.
Themes
Essential Questions
Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies to Encourage Student Engagement
Formative / Summative Assessments
Formative:
Summative:
Reviewed by Aine Campion
Book Details
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: February 13, 2024
Page Count: 320
ISBN: 9780062685124, 0062685120
Genre: YA graphic novel, historical fantasy, paranormal romance, folklore
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Synopsis: Kai Song is the black sheep of her upper-class family. She dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and being the master of their martial arts school, but destiny and society have other plans. The Joseon Dynasty of Korea has strict rules and expectations for women, and everyone around Kai expects her to obey. Everything changes when Kai is plagued with the actions of her mother’s past and is forced into a destiny she could never imagine. Now, she must come to terms with her new way of life and learn about the truth of the Gumiho, an ancient fox spirit rumored to murder men and eat their livers. Can Kai learn to accept what she is and find a balance between her new world and the family she holds dear?
The Fox Maidens is a late middle-grade to early high school graphic novel surrounding the Korean folklore of Gumiho. The graphic novel is a page-turner and a quick read. It is easier to get through in one sitting. Although the story is set in sixteenth-century Korea, Robin Ha still touches on modern issues of gender, sexuality, and belonging. Ha’s story is one of resilience and fighting the family’s past mistakes. The novel is action-packed and suspenseful, definitely a good pick for lovers of the paranormal and dark side of folklore.
Themes:
Essential questions:
Teaching strategies and activities to use:
Summative
Students can pick and research a folklore legend from any culture they are interested in. They will use the information to write a short sheet about folklore origins as Robin Ha does at the story’s beginning (photo included on the last page). They will then create a two-page narrative around the chosen folklore.
Formative
Students can also create an extra chapter of the novel to continue the story of Kai and her future in a time skip or events immediately after the book ends.
Students will create a family tree of the characters in the story as they read and annotate their family trees with quotes, plot points, and character history.
Reviewed by Krystal Tolle, English Education Student at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.
In this month’s ALAN Picks we feature several books both middle grades and young adult by Asian and Asian American authors. There are also recently released books that tell stories of coming of age, social justice and mental health. Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrations by Lisa Sterle is a graphic novel about a girl trying to fit in with the popular girls, who also happen to be werewolves. Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa is a middle grade historical fiction, coming-of-age story set in Japan. Yolk by Mary H.K Choi examines the relationship between two sisters who used to be very close and are now estranged; it also addresses mental health and eating disorders. Song of Silver, Flame like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao is a YA fantasy about colonialism,Chinese history and mythology and also has environmental elements. Scattergood by H. M. Bouwman is a middle grade coming-of-age novel set in rural Iowa during WWII. Shackled by Candy J. Cooper is a book based on a true story about corruption in the juvenile justice system in a Pennsylvania county.
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
Book Details
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publish Date: Oct. 5, 2021
Page Count: 224
ISBN: 9780062943163
Genre: YA, Horror
Synopsis: Squad is a YA graphic novel written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrated by Lisa Sterle. The main character, Becca, finds herself in a small, upper-class town after living in L.A. all of her life. She quickly makes a good impression on the three most popular girls in her high school – who just happen to be a pack of werewolves. Desperate to fit in and revel in the same popularity that they do, Becca joins them in their murderous ways with the condition that they only kill predatory high school boys…but as time passes, their hunger grows, and Becca finds herself in very morally grey territory. This story reflects the internal battle many teens face when peer-pressured, and how quickly the consequences can spiral out of control.
I enjoyed diving into this easy-to-read and colorful graphic novel. It represents a universal feeling of wanting to belong that everyone has felt at some point in their life, especially in their teenage years. The graphics in this novel are truly stunning and interesting to look at, and bright colors create some really nice irony and juxtaposition to an otherwise, rather dark storyline. The pacing is well-done and had me on the edge of my seat waiting for the resolution at the end of the book. The story itself reads like a Mean Girls retelling with supernatural elements, which was very unique and intriguing.
Thematic Elements: This graphic novel features many thematic elements that students could further analyze and relate to other works and media, as well as their own experiences and lives.
Essential Questions
Suggested Teaching Strategies/Activities to Use:
Formative:
Summative:
Reviewed by Lillian Mantooth, a student at the University of South Florida
Book Details
Publisher: Pantheon
Published: August 13, 2024
Page Count: 288
ISBN: 9780593316085
Genre: Historical fiction, contemporary, fiction
Synopsis: Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa follows character Tomoko as she moves from living in Japan with her mother to her aunt’s extravagant house and lifestyle. The story is told through the eyes of Tomoko as she watches this family dynamic and how it quickly becomes part of her way of life as she lives with them. Tomoko, a 12-year-old Japanese girl lives with her asthmatic cousin Mina and her family for a few months while her mother is busy with her career and school during 1972. During her stay Tomoko enjoys school, learns to play volleyball, talk about boys, and maturing.
Through reading the characters’ perspectives, I really enjoyed the story. Author Yoko Ogawa expertly shares their heart warming, brilliant story. I enjoyed reading Tomoko’s experiences and memories.
Themes Connections:
In Mina’s Matchbox the novel explores themes such as:
Possible Essential Questions:
Possible Teaching Strategies and Activities:
Formative and Summative Assessment Suggestions:
Formative: Drawing: Students would spend time reading the book and prepare a list of different themes and create an illustration. Students will turn in a detail oriented and professional looking piece of art.
Summative: Literary Map: Students will create a literary map of the major events that took place within the novel Mina’s Matchbox – does not have to be in chronological order but must look well throughout and professional.
Reviewed by: Alexandria McLaughlin, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Student at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Book Details
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: March 2, 2021
Page count: 416
ISBN: 9781534446014
Genre: Contemporary YA fiction
Synopsis: ayne and June Baek are estranged sisters both living in New York City whose relationship has suffered after moving away from their home state of Texas. Their lives are complicated; Jayne is in fashion school, living in a difficult roommate situation in a rundown apartment, with problems piling up higher and higher. June is a seemingly self-assured professional working in finance struggling to keep it all together while being faced with a monumental diagnosis. Their lives soon become entangled once again, and both sisters must learn to rely on one another.
Mary H.K. Choi gives Jayne such presence and emotion, the words seem to melt away to reveal the hard truths of Jayne’s inner self. The angst of emerging into adulthood while carrying the baggage of your past is palpable in Choi’s writing, the heartbeat of the characters reflected in the rhythm of the pages. Though Jayne and June’s relationship is fraught with anxiety and confusion, it is easy for readers to feel the protectiveness and the love each sister has for one another. Their relationships with one another reflect the ways that both sisters must learn to look after and take care of themselves. This is a story about family, love, mental health, and the grief and joy that comes from being alive. Through the creation of such a rich internal world, we are able to experience these emotions for ourselves all over again.
Essential Questions:
Thematic Connections:
Activity
Community is a very important aspect of Yolk, about what it means to have it, and what it means to be separated from it.
Sample questions: What does community look like for you? How is it important? How is this relevant to the text? Do you relate to the characters’ search for community?
Instructions: Students will be put into small groups of no more than four where they will discuss as a group their responses to the questions listed above. This small group activity will allow for shared ideas and also strengthen classroom community. Their goal is to brainstorm about the impact the community has, as well as the ways in which the community fits into their individual lives. This will take about 7 minutes.
The second part will be done individually. Each student will write a letter to someone that is important to them in their community. This can be anyone: a family member, friend, teacher, coach, etc. They will write about the ways in which that individual shows community as well as why they are important in the student’s life.
Formative and Summative Assessments:
Formative: Students will respond in their readers notebook to daily prompts at the beginning of the class regarding the novel. These responses will be a tool for the teacher to get a gauge of student learning, and also learn more about individual students. The prompts will ask students to write their thoughts and questions on the text, as well as ways in which the text relates (or doesn’t relate) to them in their lives through windows and doors.
Summative: At the end of the unit, students will utilize what they have learned over the course of the unit to create a personalized project that places the novel within a larger societal context. This summative assessment project is designed to be very individualized and allows for a lot of student choice. Students will draw on their previous knowledge, including but not limited to previous formative assessments and activities, as a jumping pad for further research. The goal of this assessment is to allow students the opportunity to explore aspects of the novel and world they find important, relatable, or interesting.
Examples: Website demonstrating beauty standards throughout decades in America in contrast with Korea as well and a select other countries. Utilizing evidence from Yolk to discuss how beauty standards impact people today and have for centuries.
Fictional diary entries that detail the impact of migration on the writer. Use Yolk textual evidence to help the writer relate to the experiences of the characters within.
Reviewed by: Payton Parker, Secondary English Education major at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Book Details
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publish Date: January 3, 2023
Page Count: 455
ISBN: 9780593705797
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Fiction
Synopsis: Song of Silver, Flame like Night follows two teenagers as they attempt to stop imperial invaders from finding their four ancient demon gods. Set in the fictional land of Haak’gong, the narrative follows Lan, a song girl with a scar on her wrist in the shape of a scroll she can’t identify, that only she can see. Her world gets turned upside down when she meets Zen. Zen, a powerful practitioner, can perform fabled magic said to have been lost many years ago. When Lan demonstrates great power in a moment of intense emotion Zen recognizes that she is no usual song girl and they start out on a journey that takes them across the nation searching for the answer to Lan’s scar, power, and past. Little do they know that this journey will have them facing questions about what they are willing to lose in order to learn the truth.
Song of Silver, Flame like Night seamlessly balances fantasy worldbuilding with colonial allusions and commentary in order to create a world which deals with difficult questions of identity under imperial rule. Deeply imaginative, Amelie Wen Zhao creates a magical landscape that is rich and intricate, making readers wish they too could learn the art of practitioning. She weaves Chinese mythology and history within the landscape of the story, creating a world which both reckons with colonialism and recognizes its own beauty and mythology. Never a dull moment, the characters travel through bamboo forests, mountains, and across long terrains throughout their journey. The characters are heartfelt and flawed and the story contains compelling twists which will have you at the edge of your seat and rooting for them till the very last page.
Thematic Connections Analysis:
Essential Questions:
Teaching Strategies and Activities to Use:
In the world of Song like Silver, Flame like Night, everything in existence has qi. Qi is energy which can be either negative or positive, with most things having a balance of both negative and positive energy. People called practitioners have the ability to channel this qi. An assignment for this book could be having students go outside or pick a location and write down if they think the objects around them would have negative or positive energy. This would help students be more aware of their environment and their relationship with nature. It could also serve as a grounding technique for kids who struggle with anxiety.
Another activity the kids could do would be to pick an element from the book they were interested in that was unfamiliar to them and have them do research about it and present that research to their peers.
Formative and Summative Assessments:
Formative: Have students research Chinese folktale and lore and see if they see any connections between the stories they found and the book. Teachers can then help facilitate a conversation about how folklore informs the story and the characters.
Summative: Because this book left on a cliffhanger, and there is no sequel (yet), teachers could have kids write an outline for a possible sequel. They could outline what will happen to each character in the sequel and why this would be positive for their character development. Creating a full outline for a sequel would help the kids learn about character development as well as story structure.
Reviewed by: Gracie Neirynck, senior at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Book Details
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Publish Date: January 2025
Page Count: 308
ISBN: 9780823457755
Genre: Historical Fiction/Middle Grade
Synopsis: In June of 1941, the United States had not yet entered WWII, though the War and its effects are evident in twelve-year-old Peggy’s hometown of West Branch, Iowa. Through the newspaper and radio, she learns about events in other parts of the world, but it is not until she meets a Jewish refugee at Scattergood Hostel that the reality of the war comes into focus. All at once her typical farm life is turned upside down by the appearance of this young man as well as the leukemia diagnosis of her cousin. Peggy makes it her job to save her cousin, turning to science and then religion for answers. Ultimately, she realizes that life is not like the mathematical equations which come easily to her, instead it can be messy and void of straightforward answers.
Bouwman weaves together a rich story about family, grief, and coming-of-age. The small American town is an unlikely setting for a WWII story, but one that works well to illustrate another side of the effects of war. With a subtle hand, Bouwman introduces readers to farm life in the United States as well as key events and figures in world history.
While young readers can relate to Peggy’s coming-of-age story, they will also glean what it was like to live without modern medicine or technology and the struggles and triumphs of such a life. Even Peggy’s parents send her mixed signals regarding where she can go and what she can do with her life. Her mother is content in West Branch, but a young female volunteer at Scattergood Hostel opens Peggy’s eyes to opportunities beyond her family’s farm.
Bouwman wastes no time diving into Peggy’s story. The first page establishes the obstacles Peggy is up against, and by the conclusion of the first chapter readers are acquainted with the characters, setting, and the stakes. The first-person narration and the fluid prose enable the story to flow easily while keeping readers engaged. Peggy’s thoughts allow readers to fully immerse themselves in her daily life and the time period.
Thematic Topics:
War, Grief, Coming-of-age, Religion, Medicine, Gender Norms
Preliminary Activity:
1. In pairs or individually, students will visit a library and ask for assistance with research on one of the topics below. They will report to the rest of the class not only on their topic, but also on the research process and the tools and techniques they used to gather information. This is also an opportunity to introduce or further develop students’ knowledge of documentation styles, such as MLA.
Topics for Further Exploration:
Discussion Questions:
Creative Exercise:
1. Choose a character and write their next chapter(s). While remaining historically accurate, write about the character’s life in the months or years following the last chapter of the novel.
Reviewed by: Stephanie Terrill, visiting assistant professor, Massachusetts.
Book Details
Publisher: Calkins Creek
Publish Date: April 2, 2024
Page Count: 192
ISBN: 9781662620133
Genre: Nonfiction, Juvenile Justice
Synopsis: Reporter Candy J. Cooper sheds light on the irreparable damage two judges wrought on the youth of their Pennsylvania community. Through her extensive research, Cooper walks readers through the history of corruption in Luzerne County, from the mining days of the late 1950s and child labor to when corruption snaked its way into the juvenile courtroom in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Cooper describes how judges Mark Ciavarella and Mike Conahan used their power and privilege to contrive a diabolical plan to fatten their pockets at the expense of impoverished youth and their families in Luzerne County- open juvenile detention centers and make a profit off of every bed they filled with a juvenile offender, no matter how minor the offenses.
Though a very short book, this story is incredibly compelling. Through court statements, interviews, images, and incriminating documents, readers learn exactly how far people are willing to go to use their power and influence to gain more power and money, regardless of who is harmed along the way. Cooper also points out how negative perceptions of teens, such as the “super predator” of the 1990s, cemented the misguided belief that old-school discipline was an effective way to hold kids and teens accountable for bad choices and typical misconduct. This misguided belief is exactly what led judges Mark Ciaverella and Mike Conahan to commit countless crimes against children, by breaking the laws of the judicial system to make a profit off filling detention centers. Readers learn through Cooper’s interviews with the youth, now adults, how their illegal imprisonment and charges often led to years of mental health crises and addiction that was caused by the trauma of being separated from family and sent to juvenile detention centers or therapy adventure camps. What is most alarming is how fear and silence are weaved throughout this story of the Luzerne County victims. So many adults witnessed the crimes these judges were committing- lawyers, detention center placement officers, etc.- but no one spoke up or advocated for the kids. These judges were in powerful roles and would bully anyone who tried standing in their way into silence. And so, their abominable crime schemes continued for years.
Themes for Analysis:
Essential Questions:
Pre-reading Journal Question: Describe ways young people break rules and what consequences they deem fair for breaking those rules.
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment: Create brief research presentations about programs that serve as better alternatives to juvenile detention centers and include information about how these alternative programs have served juvenile offenders in more positive ways.
Reviewed by: Leslie Brenner, School Library Media Specialist at St. Joseph High School, Indiana
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is pleased and proud to announce the 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction finalists. Established in 2008 to honor the wishes of young adult author Amelia Elizabeth Walden, the award allows for a $3500 prize to be presented annually to the author of a young adult title selected by the ALAN Amelia
Elizabeth Walden Book Award Committee as demonstrating a positive approach to life, widespread teen appeal, and literary merit.
The 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award winner is:
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza
(Henry Holt and Co. / Macmillan Publishers)
The 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalists are
Rez Ball by Byron Graves
(Heartdrum / HarperCollins)
Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu
(Harry N. Abrams / Hachette)
Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / Simon & Schuster)
Libertad by Bessie Flores Zaldivar
(Dial Books / Penguin Random House)
The winning title and finalists will be honored at the 2025 ALAN Workshop on Monday, November 24th in Denver, CO, and the authors will be invited to participate in a panel discussion.
The 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee would like to thank: the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Foundation, the ALAN Executive Council, the ALAN Board of Directors, NCTE, and the many publishers who submitted titles for consideration.
The 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee considered over 300 young adult titles throughout the process. The committee was comprised of nine members representing the university, K-12 school, and library communities. They are:
Jung Kim, Ph.D., Committee Chair
Professor of Literacy
Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
L.E. Oldham, Ph.D., Past Committee Chair
English Language Arts Content Specialist
Deming Public Schools, Deming, NM
Shanetia P. Clark, Ph.D.
Professor of Literacy
Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Liz Deskins
Retired school librarian
Hilliard City Schools, Columbus, OH
Christian Gregory, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Education
Saint Anselm College, Goffstown, NH
Julie Hatcher
Library Media Specialist
Owyhee High School, Meridian, ID
Zainab Jabak
Secondary English Language Arts Teacher
Taylor High School, Houston, TX
Chris Lewis, Ph.D.
English Learner Teacher on Special Assignment
Mountain View High School, El Monte, CA
Lori Lieberman
Teacher Librarian
Lincoln High School, Portland, OR
T. Hunter Strickland
Assistant Professor of Reading, Literacy, and Language
Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA
Karimah Tennyson-Marsh, MFA
8th ELA Instructor/ELA Dept. Chair
Century Community Charter School, Los Angeles CA
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is pleased and proud to announce the 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction finalists. Established in 2008 to honor the wishes of young adult author Amelia Elizabeth Walden, the award allows for a $3500 prize to be presented annually to the author of a young adult title selected by the ALAN Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award Committee as demonstrating a positive approach to life, widespread teen appeal, and literary merit.
Rez Ball by Byron Graves
(Heartdrum / HarperCollins)
Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / Simon & Schuster)
Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu
(Harry N. Abrams / Hachette)
Libertad by Bessie Flores Zaldivar
(Dial Books / Penguin Random House)
The winning title and finalists will be honored at the 2025 ALAN Workshop on Monday, November 24th in Denver, CO, and the authors will be invited to participate in a panel discussion.
The 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee would like to thank: the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Foundation, the ALAN Executive Council, the ALAN Board of Directors, NCTE, and the many publishers who submitted titles for consideration.
The 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee considered over 300 young adult titles throughout the process. The committee was comprised of nine members representing the university, K-12 school, and library communities. They are:
Jung Kim, Ph.D., Committee Chair
Professor of Literacy
Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
L.E. Oldham, Ph.D., Past Committee Chair
English Language Arts Content Specialist
Deming Public Schools, Deming, NM
Shanetia P. Clark, Ph.D.
Professor of Literacy
Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD
Liz Deskins
Retired school librarian
Hilliard City Schools, Columbus, OH
Christian Gregory, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Education
Saint Anselm College, Goffstown, NH
Julie Hatcher
Library Media Specialist
Owyhee High School, Meridian, ID
Zainab Jabak
Secondary English Language Arts Teacher
Taylor High School, Houston, TX
Chris Lewis, Ph.D.
English Learner Teacher on Special Assignment
Mountain View High School, El Monte, CA
Lori Lieberman
Teacher Librarian
Lincoln High School, Portland, OR
T. Hunter Strickland
Assistant Professor of Reading, Literacy, and Language
Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA
Karimah Tennyson-Marsh, MFA
8th ELA Instructor/ELA Dept. Chair
Century Community Charter School, Los Angeles CA
For more information on the award, please visit ALAN Online: The Official Site of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents http://www.alan-ya.org/awards/walden-award/
