The Literary Maven

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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsELjksBr4A/Wy6aRv5KKgI/AAAAAAAAMTE/RFBVRsgHCyUa2YgIuzlfZ7KM-h_74LYYQCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah is an incredibly powerful book featuring strong female characters just like her bestseller, The Nightingale. Both books alternate between the past and present, but Winter Garden spends much more time in the present and the past is at first presented as a story rather than fact. My heart ached for Meredith and Nina who struggle to cope with the death of their beloved father, their distant mother, and their inability to be close with their significant others. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsELjksBr4A/Wy6aRv5KKgI/AAAAAAAAMTE/RFBVRsgHCyUa2YgIuzlfZ7KM-h_74LYYQCLcBGAs/s400/Slide3.png" title="Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah is an incredibly powerful book featuring strong female characters just like her bestseller, The Nightingale. Both books alternate between the past and present, but Winter Garden spends much more time in the present and the past is at first presented as a story rather than fact. My heart ached for Meredith and Nina who struggle to cope with the death of their beloved father, their distant mother, and their inability to be close with their significant others. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Mesmerizing from the first page to the last, Kristin Hannah's Winter Garden is one woman’s sweeping, heartbreaking story of love, loss, and redemption. At once an epic love story set in World War II Russia and an intimate portrait of contemporary mothers and daughters poised at the crossroads of their lives, it explores the heartbreak of war, the cost of survival and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. It is a novel that will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned.<br />
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1941. Leningrad, a once magical city besieged by war, cut off from aid, buried in snow. A city full of women desperate to save their children and themselves…<br />
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2000. Loss and old age have taken a terrible toll on Anya Whitson. At last, she will reach out to her estranged daughters. In a halting, uncertain voice, she begins to weave a fable about a beautiful Russian girl who lived in Leningrad a lifetime ago…<br />
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Nina and Meredith sit spellbound at their mother’s bedside, listening to a story that spans more than sixty years and moves from the terrors of war-torn Leningrad under siege to modern-day Alaska.<br />
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In a quest to uncover the truth behind the story, Nina and Meredith discover a secret so shocking, so impossible to believe, it shakes the foundation of their family and changes who they believe they are.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__6rpcL0f2Q/W04sw5X2MSI/AAAAAAAAMjA/lEjzIWvVg4EnovE6ksoDmCD2i9CIEeG3wCLcBGAs/s1600/Winter%2BGarden.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah is an incredibly powerful book featuring strong female characters just like her bestseller, The Nightingale. Both books alternate between the past and present, but Winter Garden spends much more time in the present and the past is at first presented as a story rather than fact. My heart ached for Meredith and Nina who struggle to cope with the death of their beloved father, their distant mother, and their inability to be close with their significant others. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__6rpcL0f2Q/W04sw5X2MSI/AAAAAAAAMjA/lEjzIWvVg4EnovE6ksoDmCD2i9CIEeG3wCLcBGAs/s400/Winter%2BGarden.png" title="Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah is an incredibly powerful book featuring strong female characters just like her bestseller, The Nightingale. Both books alternate between the past and present, but Winter Garden spends much more time in the present and the past is at first presented as a story rather than fact. My heart ached for Meredith and Nina who struggle to cope with the death of their beloved father, their distant mother, and their inability to be close with their significant others. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b><i>The Nightingale, </i>the first of Kristin Hannah's novels I've read, is an incredibly powerful book featuring strong female characters and <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2yDKrsq" target="_blank">Winter Garden</a> </i>is much the same. Both books alternate between the past and present, but <i>Winter Garden</i> spends much more time in the present and the past is at first presented as a story rather than fact. My heart ached for Meredith and Nina who struggle to cope with the death of their beloved father, their distant mother, and their inability to be close with their significant others. </span>Their mother Anya's tale of her past is incredibly painful, but the novel ends with a surprisingly happy twist.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Classroom application: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The novel in its entirety would only be appropriate for (and likely interesting to) upper class students in high school. However, excerpts of it could be used in connection with a World War II unit to give students an understanding of what life was like in Russia during that time period. Students could also examine how at first the mother's stories about her past are presented as a fairy tale, almost like an allegory. Students could select a historical event and write an allegory conveying the message to be learned from that historical event.</span><br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Winter Garden</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2yDKrsq" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note:</i> The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--iosFwH0QHk/Wy6acoXQwiI/AAAAAAAAMTM/c2vJjsPDa8ARMGBYfJiaT6qwV0c5gi1ewCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah is an incredibly powerful book featuring strong female characters just like her bestseller, The Nightingale. Both books alternate between the past and present, but Winter Garden spends much more time in the present and the past is at first presented as a story rather than fact. My heart ached for Meredith and Nina who struggle to cope with the death of their beloved father, their distant mother, and their inability to be close with their significant others. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--iosFwH0QHk/Wy6acoXQwiI/AAAAAAAAMTM/c2vJjsPDa8ARMGBYfJiaT6qwV0c5gi1ewCLcBGAs/s400/Slide3.png" title="Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah is an incredibly powerful book featuring strong female characters just like her bestseller, The Nightingale. Both books alternate between the past and present, but Winter Garden spends much more time in the present and the past is at first presented as a story rather than fact. My heart ached for Meredith and Nina who struggle to cope with the death of their beloved father, their distant mother, and their inability to be close with their significant others. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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More From The Blog

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Brynn Allison, <a href="http://theliterarymaven.com/">The Literary Maven</a>, & Lisa Spangler, <a href="https://mrsspanglerinthemiddle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. Spangler in the Middle</a>, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.<br />
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We'd also love for you to join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>, even if you aren't on Twitter.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.</div>
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On <b>Tuesday, August 21,</b> our #2ndaryELA chat will be about curriculum and unit planning.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gaQRqQBcYbE/W1TG0uTCLBI/AAAAAAAAMpQ/NJd_Y49Bp-c1kecKO-Aet_9x5T01wHYPQCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about curriculum and unit planning." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gaQRqQBcYbE/W1TG0uTCLBI/AAAAAAAAMpQ/NJd_Y49Bp-c1kecKO-Aet_9x5T01wHYPQCLcBGAs/s400/Slide10.png" title="Join secondary English Language Arts teachers Tuesday evenings at 8 pm EST on Twitter. This week's chat will be about curriculum and unit planning." width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Directions:</b><br />
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.<br />
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”<br />
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.<br />
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.<br />
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.<br />
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.<br />
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.<br />
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You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like <a href="https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/">TweetDeck</a> or <a href="http://signup.hootsuite.com/pro-ent-na-english-r7t/?mkwid=sDAsRitua_dc&pcrid=44033846494&pkw=hootsuite&pmt=e&cntry=na-usa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hootsuite_pro_google_search_usa_english_branded_alpha&gclid=CjwKEAjwlPOsBRCWq5_e973PzTgSJACMiEp20deRUBEuNIc3-ysreF3wIpeNKNT2xjnz9NpEMAnVhhoCvPDw_wcB">HootSuite</a> (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like <a href="http://tinyurl.com/">tinyurl</a>, <a href="http://www.bitly.com/">bitly</a>, <a href="http://goo.gl/">goo.gl</a> or <a href="http://ow.ly/url/shorten-url">ow.ly</a> Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.</div>
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<b>New to chats? Here are the rules:</b><br />
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!<br />
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.<br />
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.<br />
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.<br />
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.<br />
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)<br />
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You can also check out a quick video tutorial in <a href="http://www.2peasandadog.com/2016/01/how-to-use-twitter-chats.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a>.<br />
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Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>!<br />
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<b>Get caught up on past chats here:</b><br />
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This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about the five keys to student motivation. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed credibility, belonging, effort, efficacy, and value.<br />
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Read through the chat below to find out how teachers demonstrate their compassion to students. You'll get ideas about cultivating students identities as readers and writers.  You'll also find strategies for scaffolding work to lead to student success.<br />
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Hope you'll join us next week for another chat. We'd also love for you to join <span style="text-align: center;">our </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/" style="text-align: center;">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a> (<span style="text-align: center;">even if you aren't on Twitter).</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="text-align: center;">2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.</span><br />
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<a class="twitter-moment" href="https://twitter.com/i/moments/1030248386107191297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">The Five Keys to Student Motivation</a> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> </div>

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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FmHkR-O31xk/Wy6Z-XQv8PI/AAAAAAAAMS0/gC1i3ns-ickKmPK5_x1Ihq0WSI8bsq4LQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Slide2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Solo by Kwame Alexander, Blade marches to the beat of his own drum, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say to the strum of his own guitar. He is determined not to be like his father, a former rock star now battling addiction, or his sister, who still worships his father despite his faults. After disaster strikes (his father ruins his graduation, he discovers that he was adopted, and he finds his girlfriend with another guy), Blade takes off for Ghana to find his birth mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FmHkR-O31xk/Wy6Z-XQv8PI/AAAAAAAAMS0/gC1i3ns-ickKmPK5_x1Ihq0WSI8bsq4LQCEwYBhgL/s400/Slide2.png" title="In Solo by Kwame Alexander, Blade marches to the beat of his own drum, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say to the strum of his own guitar. He is determined not to be like his father, a former rock star now battling addiction, or his sister, who still worships his father despite his faults. After disaster strikes (his father ruins his graduation, he discovers that he was adopted, and he finds his girlfriend with another guy), Blade takes off for Ghana to find his birth mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy, including the loss of his mother. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming Blade will become just like his father.<br />
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In reality, the only thing Blade and Rutherford have in common is the music that lives inside them. And songwriting is all Blade has left after Rutherford, while drunk, crashes his high school graduation speech and effectively rips Chapel away forever. But when a long-held family secret comes to light, the music disappears. In its place is a letter, one that could bring Blade the freedom and love he’s been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift.<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b>I loved Kwame Alexander's first book, <i><a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/03/review-crossover-kwame-alexander.html" target="_blank">The Crossover</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2tntAoN" target="_blank">Solo</a> </i>did not disappoint (I still need to read <i>Booked</i> and <i>Rebound</i>). Blade marches to the beat of his own drum, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say to the strum of his own guitar. He is determined not to be like his father, a former rock star now battling addiction, or his sister, who still worships his father despite his faults. After disaster strikes (his father ruins his graduation, he discovers that he was adopted, and he finds his girlfriend with another guy), Blade takes off for Ghana to find his birth mother. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hw0ejF7H4ig/W04dES-CLfI/AAAAAAAAMi0/pwUJWWz2O7kzhOTbdWmeK59Hmm4Dfz4iACLcBGAs/s1600/Solo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="In Solo by Kwame Alexander, Blade marches to the beat of his own drum, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say to the strum of his own guitar. He is determined not to be like his father, a former rock star now battling addiction, or his sister, who still worships his father despite his faults. After disaster strikes (his father ruins his graduation, he discovers that he was adopted, and he finds his girlfriend with another guy), Blade takes off for Ghana to find his birth mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hw0ejF7H4ig/W04dES-CLfI/AAAAAAAAMi0/pwUJWWz2O7kzhOTbdWmeK59Hmm4Dfz4iACLcBGAs/s400/Solo.png" title="In Solo by Kwame Alexander, Blade marches to the beat of his own drum, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say to the strum of his own guitar. He is determined not to be like his father, a former rock star now battling addiction, or his sister, who still worships his father despite his faults. After disaster strikes (his father ruins his graduation, he discovers that he was adopted, and he finds his girlfriend with another guy), Blade takes off for Ghana to find his birth mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I loved the contrast of serious moments and humor in the novel: the poverty, but happiness in Ghana contrasted with Rutherford's struggles as he is filming a reality show. I also appreciated Rutherford's commitment to his relationship with his son. Despite all of his mistakes, he desperately wants to be there to support his son, whether it is crashing his graduation or showing up uninvited in Ghana. You couldn't help but root for the two to repair their relationship. </span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Classroom application: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Like <i>The Crossover</i>, <i>Solo</i> is appropriate for middle school and up. </span>There are some references to drug and alcohol use, but nothing is actually depicted. The novel is written in free verse, so fans of <i>Brown Girl Dreaming</i> and <i>Inside Out and Back Again</i> will like this one.<br />
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Solo references several songs throughout the novel and explains the significance of each. As a follow up project, students could create their own playlist of song and write about the memories connected with each.<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now that Kwame Alexander has several published novels, he would be the perfect subject for an author study with groups of students reading his different novels including this one.</span><br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Solo</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2tntAoN" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note:</i> The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H3IoZHdVGOI/Wy6aKhmn1HI/AAAAAAAAMS8/e1fSNWhZ2QkSe-mp6zDF68ZsK-TfKOMIQCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In Solo by Kwame Alexander, Blade marches to the beat of his own drum, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say to the strum of his own guitar. He is determined not to be like his father, a former rock star now battling addiction, or his sister, who still worships his father despite his faults. After disaster strikes (his father ruins his graduation, he discovers that he was adopted, and he finds his girlfriend with another guy), Blade takes off for Ghana to find his birth mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H3IoZHdVGOI/Wy6aKhmn1HI/AAAAAAAAMS8/e1fSNWhZ2QkSe-mp6zDF68ZsK-TfKOMIQCLcBGAs/s400/Slide2.png" title="In Solo by Kwame Alexander, Blade marches to the beat of his own drum, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say to the strum of his own guitar. He is determined not to be like his father, a former rock star now battling addiction, or his sister, who still worships his father despite his faults. After disaster strikes (his father ruins his graduation, he discovers that he was adopted, and he finds his girlfriend with another guy), Blade takes off for Ghana to find his birth mother. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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Brynn Allison, <a href="http://theliterarymaven.com/">The Literary Maven</a>, & Lisa Spangler, <a href="https://mrsspanglerinthemiddle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. Spangler in the Middle</a>, host #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 8:30 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.<br />
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We'd also love for you to join our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>, even if you aren't on Twitter.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.</div>
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On <b>Tuesday, August 14,</b> our #2ndaryELA chat will be about the five keys to student motivation.<br />
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<b>The Directions:</b><br />
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-8:30 PM EST.<br />
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “Latest.”<br />
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.<br />
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 5 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.<br />
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.<br />
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.<br />
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.<br />
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You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like <a href="https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/">TweetDeck</a> or <a href="http://signup.hootsuite.com/pro-ent-na-english-r7t/?mkwid=sDAsRitua_dc&pcrid=44033846494&pkw=hootsuite&pmt=e&cntry=na-usa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hootsuite_pro_google_search_usa_english_branded_alpha&gclid=CjwKEAjwlPOsBRCWq5_e973PzTgSJACMiEp20deRUBEuNIc3-ysreF3wIpeNKNT2xjnz9NpEMAnVhhoCvPDw_wcB">HootSuite</a> (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like <a href="http://tinyurl.com/">tinyurl</a>, <a href="http://www.bitly.com/">bitly</a>, <a href="http://goo.gl/">goo.gl</a> or <a href="http://ow.ly/url/shorten-url">ow.ly</a> Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.</div>
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<b>New to chats? Here are the rules:</b><br />
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!<br />
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.<br />
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.<br />
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.<br />
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.<br />
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)<br />
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You can also check out a quick video tutorial in <a href="http://www.2peasandadog.com/2016/01/how-to-use-twitter-chats.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a>.<br />
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Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening and in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2ndaryELA/">2ndaryELA Facebook group</a>!<br />
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<b>Get caught up on past chats here:</b><br />
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<a data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="240" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="https://www.pinterest.com/LiteraryMaven/2ndaryela-twitter-chats/"></a><script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>

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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZCuSPkYkeE/Wx1Ppzu8TUI/AAAAAAAAMNs/Txq2XwhQiiYfqmOL_nWNNYe8XY7zsnDTwCLcBGAs/s1600/Slide07.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sometimes I find that the sports books targeting male readers are full of fluff and lacking plot and character development. There's little to take away from them other than the idea that sports are cool. Here's 6 novels about sports that offer some deeper messages about relationships and self-worth that I've recently read and would recommend to secondary students." border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZCuSPkYkeE/Wx1Ppzu8TUI/AAAAAAAAMNs/Txq2XwhQiiYfqmOL_nWNNYe8XY7zsnDTwCLcBGAs/s400/Slide07.png" title="Sometimes I find that the sports books targeting male readers are full of fluff and lacking plot and character development. There's little to take away from them other than the idea that sports are cool. Here's 6 novels about sports that offer some deeper messages about relationships and self-worth that I've recently read and would recommend to secondary students." width="400" /></a></div>
Sometimes I find that the sports books targeting male readers are all to similar to the romance novels targeting female readers: full of fluff and lacking plot and character development. There's little to take away from them other than the idea that sports are cool (just as romance novels offer the idea that love is amazing). Here's 6 novels about sports that offer some deeper messages about relationships and self-worth that I've recently read and would recommend to secondary students. Click the title of each to read my full review and ideas for using it in the classroom.<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/03/review-crossover-kwame-alexander.html" target="_blank"><i>The Crossover</i> by Kwame Alexander</a><br />
This fast-paced novel is written in verse. Josh, a 12-year old basketball player, must learn to balance school and basketball, as both family and friendships change.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/10/review-second-impact-david-perri-klass.html" target="_blank"><i>Second Impact</i> by David Klass and Perri Klass</a><br />
Senior football star Jerry Downing navigates his "second chance" are shares it all publicly on his school's blog at the urging of a classmate reporter. His mistakes and his chances to do things differently are always on his mind, which sets a great example for less than perfect teens.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/08/review-qb-1-mike-lupica.html" target="_blank"><i>QB 1</i> by Mike Lupica</a><br />
Jake Cullen is following in the footsteps of his older brother and his father as a freshman quarterback on his high school football team. Constantly struggling to fill their shoes, Jake must prove that his talent makes him worthy of a starting position, not his last name.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/01/review-ghost-jason-reynolds.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghost</i> by Jason Reynolds</a><br />
This novel quickly grabs your attention. The narrator, Castle, reveals a traumatic incident involving his father in the first few pages and a chapter later strolls into a track practice and challenges the fastest runner, despite having never running track before. Castle doesn't claim to be fearless, but he is bold and unwilling to let others define him.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/05/review-patina-jason-reynolds.html" target="_blank"><i>Patina</i> by Jason Reynolds</a><br />
In the second installment in Jason Reynold's Track series, Patty faces challenges at home and running track is her escape. Her mother suffers from diabetes so Patty and her younger sister live with their aunt and uncle, who are an interracial race couple. Patty also struggles to make friends at her new school where many of the students are well off.<br />
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6. <a href="http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2018/06/review-jake-reinvented-gordon-korman.html" target="_blank"><i>Jake, Reinvented</i> by Gordon Korman</a><br />
This is a modern take on The Great Gatsby set in high school. For anyone who has read Gatsby, the similarities are immediately clear, but for anyone who hasn't the story is just as enjoyable. The novel is narrated by Rick, but the focus is on the mysterious Jake who has just moved to town, takes up the position of snapper on the football team, and holds the wildest parties every Friday night. </div>

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<b>The basic plot from Amazon: </b>Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.<br />
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But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.<br />
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Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.<br />
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Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ApurcApyvO0/W038qLYTBtI/AAAAAAAAMis/L-jYX7kbvbcqxixmgLVP8uSunOYNaC9-QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Caraval.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Caraval by Stephanie Garber is full of magical details that reminded me of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: dresses that are constantly changing shape and color, potions that take a day of your life, cards with messages that appear and disappear. The eclectic cast of characters were also reminiscent of Carroll's books. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ApurcApyvO0/W038qLYTBtI/AAAAAAAAMis/L-jYX7kbvbcqxixmgLVP8uSunOYNaC9-QCEwYBhgL/s400/Caraval.png" title="Caraval by Stephanie Garber is full of magical details that reminded me of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: dresses that are constantly changing shape and color, potions that take a day of your life, cards with messages that appear and disappear. The eclectic cast of characters were also reminiscent of Carroll's books. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Why I liked it: </b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2Ml7Il5" target="_blank">Caraval</a> </i>is full of magical details that reminded me of Lewis Carroll's <i>Through the Looking Glass</i> and <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: </i>dresses that are constantly changing shape and color, potions that take a day of your life, cards with messages that appear and disappear. The eclectic cast of characters were also reminiscent of Carroll's books.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As a "type A" older sister, I could relate to Scarlett's difficulty straying from her life plans and her desire to protect her younger sister Donatella. The puzzler in me also appreciated the series of clues that Scarlett had to figure out to try to reach her sister. The book is as much about Scarlett finding her sister as it is about her finding herself. </span>The plot was action packed with one twist after another until the final scenes of the book. I thought the plot was a little too drawn out once the sisters were reunited.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Classroom application: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This one is for high school and up due to its mature themes (violence, death, romance). It is the first book in a trilogy with the third installment expected to be published in 2019, so students who like to get lost in a series will appreciate this one.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">After reading, students could research the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Caribbean_carnivals_around_the_world" target="_blank">Caribbean tradition of carnivals</a> and if you are lucky, there might even be an international one in your vicinity that students could attend. </span><br />
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If you are interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Caraval</i> for yourself, you can find it on Amazon <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ml7Il5" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<i>Note:</i> The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YjUSmEBaqoY/Wy6Z0Q2rWZI/AAAAAAAAMSs/-a_aBCQG5_Ii1-zohaZdgPa6p8q3irPqACLcBGAs/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Caraval by Stephanie Garber is full of magical details that reminded me of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: dresses that are constantly changing shape and color, potions that take a day of your life, cards with messages that appear and disappear. The eclectic cast of characters were also reminiscent of Carroll's books. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="590" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YjUSmEBaqoY/Wy6Z0Q2rWZI/AAAAAAAAMSs/-a_aBCQG5_Ii1-zohaZdgPa6p8q3irPqACLcBGAs/s400/Slide1.png" title="Caraval by Stephanie Garber is full of magical details that reminded me of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: dresses that are constantly changing shape and color, potions that take a day of your life, cards with messages that appear and disappear. The eclectic cast of characters were also reminiscent of Carroll's books. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application." width="266" /></a></div>
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On My Bookshelf: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 8/21 Topic: Curriculum and Unit Planning

The Five Keys to Student Motivation

On My Bookshelf: Solo by Kwame Alexander

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat on Tuesday 8/14 Topic: The Five Keys to Student Motivation

6 Novels About Sports With Meaningful Messages to Recommend to Your Secondary Students

On My Bookshelf: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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