https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k In order to participate in the summer reading challenge, post a book review here! You may post a video, a written review, or a piece of artwork that represents your recommendation. Get creative - the better the review, the more likely you are to win prizes! en-us 2020-05-11 19:36:32 UTC 2023-02-23 07:29:36 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4da.png kclodfelter1 https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/568396931 I give Kindred by Octavia Butler a 10/10!!! This book is absolutely fascinating - it has been categorized as science fiction, African American literature, and historical fiction, but I think it transcends genre! The story focuses on Dana, a 26 year old modern black woman who is suddenly transported in time back to the Antebellum South. There, she is assumed to be a slave, and must play the role in order to survive. The book is gripping, heartbreaking, and completely unique - it's definitely a page-turner! ALL of my students who have read this have given it rave reviews. ]]> 2020-05-12 18:40:34 UTC https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/568396931 phueller https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/582825527 Have you got basketball on the brain? Maybe, like me, you've been watching The Last Dance, a documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' dynasty. Or maybe, also like me, you're simply missing sports something fierce (both playing and watching). These two books, THE CROSSOVER and AFTER THE SHOT DROPS, get basketball (and playing sports in general) right. THE CROSSOVER is a book of easy-to-read poems, which makes sense: basketball, when played well, IS poetry in motion. The rhythms: the bouncing ball; the heavy breathing; the screeching and sliding and gliding sneakers; the chatter among teammates and the swishing of nets. In THE CROSSOVER, all these sights and sounds rhyme and resound. The book gets the game-time sensations exactly right. AFTER THE SHOT DROPS, on the other hand, gets the moments before and after the game exactly right. All the sacrifices it takes to be great are in here: the endless practicing; the tension between being a great teammate, a great friend, and a great player. For Bunny, the main character, basketball is his way out--and that's both a blessing and a curse. There's drama here--on the court and off--but mostly there's real life. I give both THE CROSSOVER and AFTER THE SHOT DROPS 10 out 10. ]]> 2020-05-19 15:42:50 UTC https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/582825527 cmah4 https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/583262284 When I told one of my 10th grade students that we would be reading this book, she literally ran around the classroom screaming and flapping her arms. The Hate U Give is THAT good. 

THUG follows the story of 16 year-old Starr Carter, who is caught between her mostly black neighborhood of Garden Heights and her wealthy, mostly white high school, Williamson Prep. After she witnesses her childhood friend's death at the hands of a police officer, she must decide if and how to use her voice in the fight for justice.

This book is for anyone who has ever felt caught between two worlds; anyone who has ever felt powerless; anyone who has ever looked tragedy straight in the eye and didn't blink. Angie Thomas's inventive language and gripping narrative makes this book an instant classic.]]> 2020-05-19 18:41:37 UTC https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/583262284 moconnor76 https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/594791105 Imagine keeping a journal of your innermost feelings and finding out that everyone you wrote about in that journal got their hands on a copy! Lara Jean, the protagonist in this book, writes love letters to all the boys she has ever had crushes on. Somehow, all those boys get sent a copy of the letter written about them and the drama unfolds from there. This book is light, funny, and often surprising, making it the PERFECT summer read! Not to mention there is a Netflix version of the book, and a sequel available. So, be sure to watch the movie after reading the book :) I read this book in less than a day. I truly couldn't put it down. If you enjoy humor, romance and a little drama, you will LOVE this book!]]> 2020-05-26 13:46:28 UTC https://padlet.com/kclodfelter1/ncsd9hz0b7puno5k/wish/594791105