On My Bookshelf: Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

The basic plot from Amazon: In this Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower tale, narrator Anika Dragomir is the third-most-popular girl at Pound High School. But inside, she knows she’s a freak; she can’t stop thinking about former loner Logan McDonough, who showed up on the first day of tenth grade hotter, bolder, and more mysterious than ever.

Logan is fascinating, troubled, and off limits. The Pound High queen bee will make Anika’s life hell if she’s seen with him.

So Anika must choose—ignore her feelings and keep her social status? Or follow her heart and risk becoming a pariah. Which will she pick? And what will she think of her choice when an unimaginable tragedy strikes, changing her forever? An absolutely original new voice in YA in a story that will start important conversations—and tear at your heart.

Why I liked it: Anatomy of a Misfit's narrator, Anika has a unique voice; she is funny, but also incredibly blunt. Growing up in an incredibly not diverse area of Nebraska, Anika is labeled an "immigrant" because she is half Eastern-European. The social hierarchy of her high school is not too different from the plot of Mean Girls and Anika is #3 behind Becky, the cruel beauty queen of her high school, and Shelly, her sexually promiscuous, but weak-willed best friend.

Throughout the novel, Anika really comes into her own. She distances herself from Becky, her supposed friend who is a constant source of drama and negativity. She chooses Logan, the remade "dork" who adores her, over Jared, the suave older hottie. She takes comfort in her relationship with her mother, whose intuition about Anika's feelings and troubles is always spot on.

One of the things I likes most about the book was its message about gun violence. Logan's father has a large, unsecured gun collection, and he ends up killing Logan in an attempt to kill his wife and all three of his children. When Anika visits Logan and his father shows off this collection, her strong negative reaction sends a message to teens that you are never too young to recognize the danger of guns in the home.

Classroom application: I had this in my 6th grade classroom library, but after reading it myself, I decided it was definitely not staying there. The themes are relevant and important ones, but the language in the book, particularly some of the vulgar sexual comments made by the narrator, just isn't appropriate for middle school. If you are in a conservative school, district, or area, I highly recommend reading this one before you put it on your shelves.

Guns and domestic violence are extremely important issues and students can begin to learn more here and here.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Anatomy of a Misfit for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

On My Bookshelf: Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

The basic plot from Amazon: "Never go into the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul."

Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate. There's plenty to explore in Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt's vast and opulent home, but she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa have lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember. She has learned to prowl through the darkened corridors at night, to sneak and hide, using the mansion's hidden doors and secret passageways.

But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows the clues to follow. A mysterious man in a black cloak stalks Biltmore's corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of Biltmore's owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak's true identity before all of the children vanish one by one.

Serafina's hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear, where she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must not only face her darkest enemy, but delve into the strange mystery of her own identity.

Why I liked it: Serafina and the Black Cloak was a slow start for me, particularly because all of the talk about catching rats creeped me out. Fantasy isn't my favorite genre and because this is a cross between fantasy and mystery/thriller, this was a bit stranger than my usual reads. Eventually I was drawn into the mystery surrounding who the Man in the Black Cloak might be and where he might strike next.

Perhaps because I was listening to the book via audiobook rather than reading it, at times I found Serafina to be self-centered and hung up on her past. In fairness, she doesn't have a pretty amazing origin story, part of which she learns from her "father" and part of which she learns from her mother, a catamount (a woman who can take the form of a mountain lion). There were also parts of the novel where the passage of time and the occurrence of events didn't seem to match up realistically.

Classroom application: Serafina and the Black Cloak is the first book in a series (the fourth installment was released July 2019) that I would recommend for middle school. There is some violence, but mostly of the fantastical kind.

After reading, students could research the Vanderbilt family and the Biltmore Estate (both real!) and  mythological creatures like the catamount. Discussions could also be held about the difference between being an extrovert or an introvert (like Brayden) and the misconceptions about these personality types, i.e. introverts are often thought to be aloof.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Serafina and the Black Cloak for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: 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.

Stand Up For A Friend: A Social Emotional Learning Activity

One of the changes to our school’s schedule this year was to build in additional time for homeroom. Previously students had a 20 minute window of time to arrive, unpack, and report to homeroom before first period began. But because of issues with buses running late, many times half of our students weren’t arriving until 15 minutes into our first period.

This year our leadership team made some changes to our arrival procedures, buses are generally running on time, and we have a 15 minute period where all students are present so we can accurately take attendance and handle other homeroom business. Most mornings I put on CNN10 for students to watch and at least once a week, I do organization checks to help students keep their binder and folder in order.

This homeroom period is also dedicated to holding class meetings and implementing our school wide anti-bullying program (Olweus). Many of the class meeting activities I do are short and informal. For example, at the start and end of the week, I try to do a quick check in and check out. During these, I will ask questions about what they are looking forward to over the weekend, something they are proud of from the past week, something kind they did for someone or someone did for them that week, something they are struggling with in the transition from fifth to sixth grade, etc.

A more structured activity I did at the start of the year was called “Stand Up For A Friend.” First, students numbered a piece of loose leaf from 1 to 13. Students were instructed not to put their name on these papers. Then, in response to a series of statements (13 in total), students put a check mark next to each number that they agreed with. Statements included things like “I was nervous on my first day of sixth grade,” “Sometime I feel like I don’t fit in,” and “I worry about the future.”

Once students marked off all of the statements they agreed with, everyone crumpled up their paper into a ball and at my signal, tossed their papers to the front of the room, retrieved another paper, and returned to their seats. Then as I read each statement, students stood if it was checked off on their paper. After all of the statements were read, I asked students if they noticed anything, if there were statements where many or few students were standing, if there was anything that surprised them. Following our discussion, I shared with students how I would have responded as a sixth grader and how I responded as an adult (I did participate so my paper was one of the ones in the mix).

My hope is that activities like these will help build empathy among students and show them that they are not alone in some (if not all) of the feelings they have. If you’d like to try out this activity with your students, click here to make a copy of the Google Slides presentation I used.

On My Bookshelf: The Expedition by Chris Babu

The basic plot from Amazon: They survived the Initiation. Now the real test begins.

Drayden and his friends thought nothing could be harder than the Initiation. Little did they know it had only been a warmup for the challenge that lay ahead.

With New America’s situation dire, Drayden and the pledges venture into the unexplored world beyond the walls, escorted by a team of elite Guardians. The group seeks to contact another civilization in what remains of Boston, but Drayden has secret goals of his own.

Dangers abound in the outside world, including Aeru, the deadly superbug that wiped out humanity. While they battle the elements of a desolate landscape, a power struggle emerges within their ranks. The Guardians seem to be carrying out a covert mission themselves, and the quest turns everything they thought they knew about New America upside down.

Why I liked it: After reading The Initiation, book one in the series, I jumped right into The Expedition. While I liked the puzzles and riddles in The Initiation, I liked the realism of the struggles of Drayden and his friends as they ventured outside New America, their walled community, in The Expedition even better. This second book reminded me of a similarly realistic dystopian series, Life As We Knew It, particularly the final book in the series, The Shade of the Moon.

Because resources are running out in New America, Drayden, Charlie, Catrice, and Sydney barely have time to rest after completing the Initiation before they are sent out on a mission to make contact with Boston.They are accompanied by a team of four military guards and it quickly becomes clear that the two groups have different objectives. As the group suffers one disaster after another, they rely on their limited survival skills to carry on with their trek and risk making contact with groups of people who have been living outside of the walls of New America.

Drayden must use the same strategic thinking that got him through the Initiation except that the challenges are real rather than man made. His self-doubting unfortunately continues as does some of the awkward dialogue.

Classroom application: Just like the first book in the series, I would recommend this one for middle school and up. There's no concerning language, the romance and violence intensifies but are still pretty is PG, and drug references are few. Fans of The Walking Dead may appreciate this book in the series. You can also find more dystopian recommendations for your students here and here.

The treat of Aeru and the dangers of contact between Drayden and his friends and the world outside the walls of New America could be compared to the spread of disease that explorers caused in new lands and even settlers as they pushed West.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Expedition for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 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.

On My Bookshelf: The Initiation by Chris Babu

The basic plot from Amazon: Everyone is equal. But no one is safe.

In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth.

A timid math geek, sixteen-year-old Drayden watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and every one of its citizens is in jeopardy.

With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels—a perilous journey of puzzles and deadly physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. But failure means death. Can Drayden conquer the Initiation, or is salvation out of his grasp?

Why I liked it: The Initiation is action packed and perfect for anyone who loves dystopian series like the Hunger Games series or the Lunar Chronicles. After his mother is exiled, the main character, Drayden, enters the Initiation, a grueling set of trials that require both intelligence and strength, and if successfully completed, will guarantee a better life for him and his family. Drayden is joined by his crush, his best friend, his worst enemy, and two of his other classmates, and the six must work together as their brains and brawn are tested.

My favorite parts were the logic puzzles and riddles that Drayden worked out, often with the help of his crush Catrice. My least favorite parts were Drayden's constant self-doubt and some of the awkward dialogue, which likely could have been avoided if some of the characters were a little more fleshed out and a little less stereotypical.

Classroom application: I would recommend this one for middle school and up. There's no concerning language, the romance is PG, and the violence/drug references are mild. You can find more dystopian recommendations for your students here and here.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Initiation for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 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.