On My Bookshelf: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

The basic plot from Amazon: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home.

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend, Lorena, and her first love (first everything), Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

Why I liked it: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez reminded me of a darker more emotional version of the movie Real Women Have Curves. Julia is a star student who loves to read, but she spirals into a depression after her old sister is hit by a bus, an incident that she blames herself for. After her sister Olga's death, in an attempt to knows her better, Julia discovers that her sister had some secrets, but can't quite figure out how they all connect. Julia becomes determined to find out what her sister was hiding, but then once she does, she doesn't know what to do with the information.

Julia is a character you can't help but root for. She is unabashedly herself even when it annoys, and sometimes hurts others. There are times when it seems that things are on the up for Julia: she meets a guy who seems to get her, she has a supportive best friend, and she has a teacher who is guiding her on her path to college, but the death of her sister and its effect on her already volatile relationship with her mother lead to a suicide attempt. Through it all I couldn't help but root for her.

Classroom application: This one is for high school and up as it is filled with mature content and language. This novel will appeal to students for so many reasons: the main character's biting sense of humor, the relatability of the difficulties in getting along with your parents, as well as the main character's mental health struggles. You can find more books about mental health for secondary students here and here.

I couldn't help but think of it as a sister to The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo and a cousin to The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. The narrators push back against the expectations of their gender and race and all three have aspirations to become a writer. Other titles to add to this book "family" might include Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, Almost a Woman by Esmeralda Santiago, Black Dove Mama, Mijo, and Me by Ana Castillo, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez, In The Country We Love by Diane Guerrero, “Try to Remember” from Petty Crimes by Gary Soto, and anything by Reyna Grand.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 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: Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald

The basic plot from Amazon: Thirteen-year-old Teddy Youngblood is in a coma fighting for his life after an unspecified football injury at training camp. His family and friends flock to his bedside to support his recovery—and to discuss the events leading up to the tragic accident. Was this an inevitable result of playing a violent sport, or was something more sinister happening on the field that day? Told in an innovative, multimedia format combining dialogue, texts, newspaper articles, transcripts, an online forum, and Teddy’s inner thoughts, Game Changer explores the joyous thrills and terrifying risks of America’s most popular sport.

Why I liked it: Sports books are not my usual read because sports are not something I'm terribly interested in, but I've been trying to read more of a variety of books in my classroom library. Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald was a quick read. I liked the variety of formats: verse, text messages, dialogue, articles posted online with accompanying comments, and how each new "piece" helped you to put together the puzzle of what happened to Teddy out on the football field. Throughout out the book I found myself questioning which characters had good intentions and which ones were covering up something bigger. Be prepared for some unexpected turns in the plot in this one.

Classroom application: I would recommend this one for middle school and up. Sports fans, particularly football fans will like this one, but also students who enjoy novels in verse and the mystery genre.

The novel raises the issue of adults' responsibility to protect children, which includes Teddy's parents and coach. After reading, students could debate who was responsible for Teddy's injury. It would be also be interesting to discuss the role of social media and technology in uncovering what happened to Teddy.

Hazing in sports and concussions are just two possible after-reading research topics. Students could make connections with Will Smith's 2015 film Concussion well as the real life experiences of athletes like Art Monk, Tony Dorsett, Jim McMahon, and Jamal Anderson.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Game Changer 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.

Back to School Activities to Get to Know Your Students as Readers

I’ve done a variety of activities on the first days of school. Each year I consider what to do on the first day based on the message I want to send to students about what is important in my classroom, mixed with the first day/week business that needs to be accomplished.

This year my school had some changes in leadership and did an overhaul of our school wide systems and procedures, so our first day was spent exclusively with our homerooms with much of the time spent on introducing and reviewing these systems and procedures. We also did some get to know you activities and took first day of school pictures, but students didn’t begin attending all of their classes until day two.

On My Bookshelf: Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake

The basic plot from Amazon: When a tornado rips through town, twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed and her family of five is displaced. Ivy feels invisible and ignored in the aftermath of the storm--and what's worse, her notebook filled with secret drawings of girls holding hands has gone missing.

Mysteriously, Ivy's drawings begin to reappear in her locker with notes from someone telling her to open up about her identity. Ivy thinks--and hopes--that this someone might be her classmate, another girl for whom Ivy has begun to develop a crush. Will Ivy find the strength and courage to follow her true feelings?

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World exquisitely enriches the rare category of female middle-grade characters who like girls--and children's literature at large.

Why I liked it: Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake is a sweet middle grades read focuses on a preteen girl who is figuring out her sexual identity and struggling to find normalcy after her town is struck by disaster. The novel begins with a tornado which destroys Ivy's family's home and displaces them for the length of the novel. Even before the tornado hit, Ivy felt like she wasn't fitting in with her family and her relationship with her older sister was particularly strained. After the tornado strikes, her family relationships are even more strained with all six members of her family living out of a single hotel room.

To add to Ivy's troubles, her notebook filled with her most personal drawings gets lost during the transition from destroyed house to temporary shelter to hotel room. When the drawings start showing up in Ivy's locker along with notes, Ivy tries to puzzle out who might be leaving them for her. She hopes it might be June, a classmate who she develops a close friendship with in the aftermath of the tornado. As Ivy and June begin to spend more time together, Ivy begins to hope that June may share her romantic feelings as well, but does not seem to notice the rift growing between herself and her best friend Taryn. I liked that while in the end, things might not have worked out perfectly for Ivy, the book still had a happy ending with Ivy and June still trying to figure out who they are.

Classroom application: This novel is a perfect fit for middle school students. Many titles featuring characters who identify as LGBTQ+ have other content that is too mature for middle schoolers, particularly the sixth grade level which I currently teach. I appreciated that the novel had LGBTQ+ of varying ages that Ivy could connect with. Ivy, and students, can also see themselves in her older sister's best friend and the owner of the hotel Ivy's family is staying at.

The novel could also be used as a choice during literature circles focused on disasters, coming of age, or friendship.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World 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: The Boy In The Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

The basic plot from Amazon: Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can’t handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who’s dealt with a lot more—and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down—in this “vivid, satisfying, and ultimately upbeat tale of grief, redemption, and grace” (Kirkus Reviews) from the Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award–winning author of When I Was the Greatest.

Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.

Why I liked it: The Boy In The Black Suit is another gem from Jason Reynolds about loss and love. Matt's mother has recently died from cancer and his father is drowning his sorrows in a bottle. It's Matt's final year of high school and he takes a part time job at the local funeral home. Up to this point he has found his grief extremely isolating; his father is largely absent and his classmates at school treat him a little like a pariah.

But when Matt begins working at Mr. Ray's funeral home, he is able to take comfort in others' grief and feel a little less alone. He connects with Lovey, a young woman he had fallen for while considering applying for a job at a local fast food restaurant, and Lovey is also all too familiar with loss. The two begin to lean on each other as they discover things in life worth living for.

The beauty of this book is in the intersections of the characters' lives. The local drunk that Matt's father begins spending time with is Mr. Ray's brother. Mr. Ray's basketball career was ended by a now washed up man Matt serves at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving. The shooting Matt witnessed as a boy at his friend Chris's apartment complex was of Lovey's mother. I also appreciated the anti-gun message that is present in so many of Jason Reynolds's titles like Ghost, Long Way Down, and As Brave As You.

Classroom application: This title is appropriate for middle school and up. While the protagonist is in high school and the novel touches on violence and substance abuse, there isn't any content that would too mature or inappropriate. If your students enjoy this book, I would recommend any of Jason Reynolds's titles as their next read.

If your students are interested in reading more about gun violence, they may enjoy Enough Is Enough, a nonfiction title for teens.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Boy In The Black Suit 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.

Making The Most of HMH Collections Curriculum (Or Whatever Dry, White Centered Series You Teach)

This will be my third year using Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Collections curriculum in my sixth grade classroom. I know that the series is often criticized for its dry, not so diverse texts and the lack of supplemental materials. You may find that the curriculum you are using has similar issues. Here's how I deal with both.

Dry Texts That Lack Diverse Representation
1. Not all collections (units) within Collections are created equal The textbook includes six. Look closely at the themes of each collection and focus on those that would be of greatest interest to your students, connect with other content areas, or tie into your school's mission. Depending on the length of time I spend on each collection, i usually teach only three or four of the collections in a school year.

2. Get picky with your text choices within a collection. Each one usually has at least two short stories, a poem or two, several nonfiction pieces, a multimedia text plus the texts included in the Close Reader. Choose the texts that are high interest, match the standards that you are teaching, and/or help you meet your end goal (for example, writing an informational piece on a topic covered in the collection like animal intelligence).

3. Add in other texts that tie into the theme of the collection. For each collection, I add in a novel or run literature circles connected to the theme. I make sure that the whole class text I choose or the choices I offer students for literature circles bring in non-white authors and present students with a variety of experiences and perspectives since the authors and characters included in Collections are overwhelmingly white. Adding additional poems, spoken word pieces, or song lyrics are easy ways to add other voices into a collection since these text types are shorter than the usually lengthy pieces in the Collections textbook. Sites like Common Lit can be very helpful for finding additional texts by theme.

The Lack of Supplemental Resources
1. Before I start to create or look for additional resources, I take a close look at what is included in Collections for the text, terms, and skills in focus. Sometimes these can be used as is or just need a little tweaking. The Interactive Whiteboard Lessons can be used to introduce a term or skill and the Level Up Tutorials can be used to reinforce those same terms and skill (though I wish they collected data on students' responses). The Close Read Application is perfect to assign for homework (though sometimes I have to reformat these handouts to add the section of the text in focus) and then discuss the next day.

I use the selection quizzes as a starting point for an after reading assessment. I usually remove the vocabulary multiple choice questions, add a sixth multiple choice question focused on applying key terms or skills, and revise the other multiple choice questions if there are too many focused on reading comprehension rather than application of skills. I make similar revisions of the short written response questions. Similarly, I use the collection assessments as a starting point, edit them down into a more manageable length, and remove questions focused on terms and skills I didn't touch on in the collection due to omission of certain readings.

2. Once I've looked at what is already mostly ready to go from the Collections offerings, I start working on creating the rest of the materials I need to support my students. While these I have to make "from scratch," there are a variety of places within the teacher's edition that I turn to as I create these materials.

I create a Google Slides presentations with the terms and definitions we'll be focused on with a text. I find these right after the selection (it's the "Teach" page in the teacher's edition). We review this Slides presentation in class before beginning the text and then I post it on Google Classroom for my students' reference.

Collections has guiding questions in the teacher's edition, which can also be downloaded as a Word document online, but these questions are mostly very skill focused and for many texts my students need support with basic comprehension of the text. I like to generate one or two questions per page that ask students to find a key text detail or specific lines in the text to make sure that they are understanding what they read and keep them engaged in the text if we are reading aloud or listening to the audio of the text as a whole class. Sometimes I have students respond to these questions on whiteboards so that I can have 100% participation and other times I use them as turn and talk questions and then call on a few students to share out.

While the guiding questions Collections includes are focused on literary elements, I like to have a concise handout that allows students to identify and/or analyze sections of the text related to those terms. The "Extend and Reteach" page after a selection in the teacher's edition can be a good starting point for thinking about examples of those terms in focus. 

I usually alternate between giving students a traditional quiz to assess their understanding of a story and the related terms/skills and having students write a text dependent analysis (TDA) essay. The Collections curriculum includes a Performance Task on the "Practice and Apply" page of the teacher's edition that is often a writing piece, but the prompts do not align with the types of prompts my students see on standardized state tests. I do look at the "Analyze the Text" questions, also on the "Practice and Apply" page of the teacher's edition, for inspiration for building a TDA prompt. While I do not teach in Nebraska, I often reference these TDA examples when I am building on of my own.

In addition to using TDAs throughout a collection, I like to have a major writing assignment at the end of each collection. There are Performance Tasks at the end of each collection and sometimes I find inspiration there, but I still need to develop all of the graphic organizers, outlines, rubrics, etc. that will support students through the writing process.

3. What is missing altogether from the Collections curriculum is anything that would be fun, require creativity, or allow students to express their learning in less traditional ways. I don't have any singular approach to remedying this, but I try to add in something a little different with each selection that I use from Collections, whether it is getting students out of their seats for a question trail, engaging in academic conversation in a debate, or utilizing their art and design skills to create a one pager.