Title: “1984”
 Author: George Orwell

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE:

Title: “Life of Pi”
 Author: Yann Martel

LITERATURE THAT SUPPORTS CULTURAL DIVERSITY:

Title: “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian”
 Author: Sherman Alexie

GRAPHIC NOVEL:

Title: ”Wonderstruck”
 Author: Brian Selznick

YOUNG ADULT FICTION:

Title: “Uglies”
 Author: Scott Westerfeld

By  Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

This is a classical piece of writing that covers a classic story. The story is of a scientist who creates a monster who longs for a mate. The scientist, seeing the error of his ways, refuses to create a mate for the being and therefore the “monster” goes on a rampage of revenge.

This is a great read for intermediate kids because it:

-Is theme appropriate (Halloween)

-Written by a young person as a campfire story challenge

-Most kids know of Frankenstein but are amazed at the “real” story 

-Has a complex and exciting story line

-There are many versions available to meet diverse needs

By Margaret Peterson Haddix

This is a story about a society where there is a 2 child law and of a boy that is the hidden third child of a family. The book captures his experience, the underground of third children and the adventure of friendship, escape and adventure.

This is a great read for intermediate kids because it:

-Connects to laws around the world that are still in existence

-Layered with turbulent emotion

-Suspense full

-End chapters in just the right spot

-Good for a whole class read because it is a lower level text that deals with mature ideas

 

By Rodman Philbrick

This is a story about an unlikely friendship. A gentle giant befriends a small genius with a unique health condition and together they take on the challenges of school, family turmoil, bullies, inner struggles and sickness.

This is a great read for intermediate kids because it:

- Is part of a series

-Deals with some tough topics that kids can relate to

-Includes some hilarious vocabulary and humour

-Develops the character so well

-Has a meaningful end

By Shaun Tan

This is a story about a man immigrating to another country. The wordless story captures the heartache of leaving behind his wife and daughter, the struggle of the journey and being in a new country, the kindness of those who help him and the joy of being reunited with his family. 

This is a great read for intermediate kids because it is:

 -Has a unique look unlike other graphic novels with it’s sepia tones

-Has beautiful illustrations that speak to the reader

-Can connect with anyone who has experience immigrating to a new country

-Shows how simple acts of kindness can go a long way

-Demonstrates the power of love

By Rick Riordan

This an exciting story of a young boy realizing he is a demi god, son to a human mother and a powerful Greek God. His journey introduces him to many unique friends and to a very unique summer camp filled with others like him. But, the camp is threatened and so are the lives around him, so he embarks on a remarkable journey to save those that he cares about.

 

This is a great read for intermediate kids because it:

-Touched on Greek Mythology and magic which most kids love

-Has strong male and female characters

-Is based at a summer camp which many kids can relate to

-Has very real characters with very real teenage attitudes

-Contains wild and large-scale action and destruction

Lois Lowry’s The Giver is a dystopian novel that follows a boy named Jonas who has been selected as the Receiver of Memories. This text discusses the impact of language and memories in a society. It is appropriate to the intermediate reader because the language is simple and yet the concepts within the text can evoke deep, meaningful discussions around values within a society. 
 
 

2)   Contemporary literature text
Raquel J. Palacio’s Wonder follows the life of Auggie Pullman, a ten-year-old boy with a rare facial deformity, as he enters middle school. This text covers themes such as overcoming adversity and friendship. It is appropriate for intermediate readers because the language is simple, characters are engaging and the concept of struggling to fit in feels relatable.

 
 

Sylvia Olsen’s The Girl with a Baby follows the life of Jane who becomes a teenage mother. This story covers themes of cultural stereotypes, unexpected friendships, teenage pregnancy and overcoming adversity. It is appropriate for intermediate readers because it covers mature themes while speaking from the perspective of a young teenager. 
 
 

McKay, Sharon E.’s War Brothers is a powerful text based on true events of Ugandan school children who were captured by the Lord’s Resistance Army. This text offers varying perspectives into the lives and struggles of child soldiers. It is appropriate for intermediate readers because the protagonists are their age, the images are age-appropriate (there is minimal gore), and the concepts are meaningful and challenging. 
 
 

5)   Young adult fiction text

Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones describes the events after the murder of a teenager. It is narrated by the murdered teen who asks relatable questions and concerns about what will happen to their family when they are gone. It is appropriate for intermediate readers because it covers themes such as grief, safety and changing family dynamics. 

Title: To Kill a Mocking Bird

Author: Harper Lee

Title: Word Nerd

Author: Susin Neilsen

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

Author: Sherman Alexie

Title: Bone: Out from Boneville

Author: Jeff Smith

Title: Iqbal

Author: Francesco D’Adamo

Plot summary: A collection of Asimov’s stories about robots in the near future.  It offers the three laws of robotics: 1) A robot cannot injure a human being, 2) A robot must obey commands of a human being, except when in contravention of the First Law, 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as this does not conflict with the First and Second Laws.  The stories explore different possibilities of a world with robots, like robots gone mad, robot politicians, robots with humour, and so on.  

 

Rationale: Asimov is a master of the science fiction genre and this book is central in technology-based debate.  Through this book, intermediate readers can examine issues such as artificial intelligence, slavery, industrialization, man’s pride, and societal control.  

 

Contemporary Literature Text: A Long Walk to Water (Linda Sue Park) 

Plot summary: In 1985, eleven-year-old Salva hears gunfire nearing his town in South Sudan.  His village is swallowed in violence during the Sudanese civil war, he is separated from his family, and he joins a group on search of a refugee camp.  In 2008, young Sudanese girl Nya spends her days fetching water for her family.  Although it is physically exhausting and the water is far from clean, it is vital for her family’s existence.  One day a group of men arrive at her village, speak to the chief, and begin construction.  

 

Rationale: At its core, both storylines centre on survival, hope and resilience, and civil strife.  The book forces students to consider their own wants and needs, consider their own struggles, and gain a more worldly perspective.  It is also timely in bringing forth discussions about refugees in Canada.  

 

Cultural Diversity: My Name is Seepeetza (Shirley Sterling)  

Plot summary: Six-year-old Seepeetza is taken from her family and her home to attend residential school.  Her experiences there are horrid, but thoughts of her family and her strong spirit help her bear the hardship.  

Rationale: The book is ideal for students as they come to understand the experiences of Aboriginal children in residential schools and consider the long-term legacy.  As a novel, it is told simply from the perspective of Seepeetza in accessible language and is full of intensity.  

Graphic Novel: Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography (Chester Brown)

Plot summary: The life of controversial Metis figure Louis Riel is presented as a graphic novel.  It deals with Riel’s Red River Rebellion and is told using contemporary language, explicitly making itself applicable to today’s readers.  

Rationale: This book fits in extremely well to promote critical thinking and the use of form to communicate the author’s message.  Brown expresses that he does not see Riel as a hero or a villain, but somewhere in between.  The novel would be excellent with older readers to show the ambiguity of history and prompt critical thinking.  

Young Adult Fiction: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon)

Plot summary: Christopher Boone can name every world capital, every world capital, and relates well to animals.  Christopher takes little from daily human interactions and is highly routine and organized.  One day, this fifteen-year-old boy discovers that his neighbour’s dog has been killed, and Christopher is accused.  He then begins his search for the real killer.

 

Rationale: By entering into the character of Christopher, readers are given a perspective on autism that will have lasting effects.  The novel is full of emotional events that do not resonate with its narrator and will challenge readers to construct their own responses.  The story is a family drama, a comedy, and a mystery rolled into one.  

“According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs... Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.”

Why the selected text would be appropriate for the Intermediate reader:
When I teach Communications 12 (a course generally populated by students who “don’t like reading”), often, the only book students can name that they've enjoyed in the past is The Outsiders, which they read back in Grade 8.  

Many students relate to the class divide, and others can relate based on their experience with racial divides.  Those students who feel unaffected by either are still drawn in to the tight-knit greaser family and the high-stakes conflict.  There are always tears in the classroom when Johnny dies. There are always “non-readers” who can’t wait to hear the next chapter.  This is a universally-loved and arguably timeless story.  

2. Contemporary Literature Text:
A Long Way Goneby Ishmael Beah

“What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? … In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. 
“This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43015.A_Long_Way_Gone

This is technically a memoir, but its narrative structure allows it to be utilized as one would study a novel in the English classroom. 

Beah’s honest account of the civil war in Sierra Leone (in the mid-‘90s) takes the glamour out of war.  The high-stakes peril of the characters combined with the fact that it is nonfiction create a riveting story for Grade 9 readers. 

3. Cultural Diversity:
The Hill  by Karen Bass

Jared's plane has crashed in the Alberta wilderness, and Kyle is first on the scene. When Jared insists on hiking up the highest hill in search of cell phone reception, Kyle hesitates; his Cree grandmother has always forbidden him to go near it... After a night spent on the hilltop with no cell service the teens discover something odd: the plane has disappeared. Nothing in the forest surrounding them seems right. In fact, things seem very wrong. And worst of all, something is hunting them. Karen Bass… brings her signature action packed style to a chilling new subject: the Cree Wihtiko legend. ..."  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28139274-the-hill

 

This action-packed, suspenseful thriller (with a supernatural element) is ideal for reluctant readers. It’s a page-turner! 

The characters’ developing relationship and the books themes provide a jumping off point for digging into various cultural stereotypes and assumptions, including rich/not rich, white/brown, city/bush, dysfunctionall/functional families, etc. 
The fact that Karen Bass is a white writer representing Cree culture in her novel can open up interesting discussions about cultural appropriation.

 

 

4. Graphic Novel(s):
The Graveyard Book Vol 1 and Vol 2 by Neil Gaiman and various illustrators

Plot Summary:
This “glorious two-volume, four-color graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman's #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning novel The Graveyard Book [is] adapted by P. Craig Russell and illustrated by an extraordinary team of renowned artists.

 “Inventive, chilling, and filled with wonder, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book reaches new heights in this stunning adaptation. [The artists] lend their own signature styles to create an imaginatively diverse and yet cohesive interpretation of Neil Gaiman's luminous novel."

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18738869-the-graveyard-book-volume-1

Why the selected text would be appropriate for the Intermediate reader:
Neil Gaiman is a compelling writer in an astonishing variety of formats. He writes for children and adults.  The novel version of this story is well-known and critically renowned.  The students may be familiar with Gaiman’s animated film Coraline.  Some of his short stories are also excellent for the English classroom (e.g. “The Price”; “Chivalry”; “Troll Bridge”).

 

5. Young Adult Fiction Text:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Plot Summary:
“Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

 “Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family...
 “But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.“

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give

 

Why the selected text would be appropriate for the Intermediate reader:
This is a new novel (published in 2017).  I haven’t used this novel in the classroom yet, but am looking forward to integrating it into my Humanities 9 program, under the thematic umbrella of discrimination and power (part of the Socials 9 curriculum).    

Some of the reviews:
“Angie Thomas has written a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time.” (John Green)

 “With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr’s natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family. This story is necessary. This story is important.” (Kirkus Reviews)

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee.

This story is about a young girl and her father living in Alabama at the time of segregation and the Depression.  The young girl, Scout, and her friends become curious about their neighbour while her father, Atticus, a lawyer defends an African American man in a trial. 

This story would be beneficial for an intermediate readers to explore concepts and the history of the depression and racism in the United States.  The story is also a coming of age story for the character Scout.  The story could help students explore literary devices. 

 

2.contemporary literature text 
The Kite Runner, Khalid Housseini. The story takes places mostly in Afghanistan. It is about a boy growing up at the time of war.  It is also about friendship and loss. I think this book would be really beneficial for students to learn more about Afghanistan. In addition, the story could be used to explore themes such as loss/grief, friendship, war, migration and many more.  

 

3.piece of literature that supports cultural diversity 
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel, by Firoozeh Dumas
This story is about a girl who moves from Iran to California.  The story is about her fitting in in her new life so far and different from Iran. 
This story would be useful for students to learn perspective about cultures.  It is also a story about migration, acceptance and belonging.   

 

4.graphic novel 

Drama by Raina Telgemeier .  

The story is about a student’s drama experience in school.  It is also a coming of age experience of the protagonist. 

I would like to try this story because I think it is important for students to be exposed to different kinds of relationships that exist in their communities.  The story is also useful for exploring themes such as teamwork and friendship. 

 

5.young adult fiction text 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 

This story is about a boy who grew up on a reservation in Washington.  The book is about his experience going to school off the reservation and adapting to the two worlds he’s living in (off and on the rez).  

This would be a great novel study for students because they could explore the history of First Peoples in Canada and the United States.  The story is written in a way that is relatable to young readers.  Indigenous cultures are rich and vibrant cultures that exist today.  It is important for students to be aware of the continuing and present day effects of our colonial history.