February 11, 2023

Themed Literature Circles: Facing Fear

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify the texts you are using in your classroom and incorporate student choice. Even just offering two choices instead of a whole class novel can be a nice change of pace. Literature circle texts can be chosen based on theme (growing up, testing friendships), genre (fantasy, memoir), or even an event in history (the Industrial Revolution, the Civil Rights Movement). When selecting texts, you’ll want to consider the number of choices you feel comfortable managing in your classroom. Once you’ve decided on a number, you’ll want to offer a range of reading levels, lengths and identities and experiences of the characters in the books. Below are the texts I’ve used in my sixth grade classroom with success for the theme of “facing fear.”

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


On My Honor

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer was the shortest of my original choices and had the simplest plot, but still gripped students because of the guilt the protagonist feels after making a bad decision that leads to the death of his best friend. The dynamics of the friendship between the two boys was very relatable. Even though students enjoyed this title, I decided to replace it with a text that would expose students to identities and experiences different from their own. It also didn’t address any topics that couldn’t be found in another book.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


Black Brother, Black Brother

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes was another of my original choices. The plot centers around a young many from a mixed race family. Donte and his lighter skinned older brother Trey attend a private school where Donte is bullied because of his darker skin. He decides to take up fencing as a way to confront his bully. Students enjoyed the book and it has important messages about colorism and the school to prison pipeline. Despite its appeal, I decided to add the title to my classroom library rather than to continue to use it in my literature circles because it centers black trauma.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


The Only Road

Set in Guatemala, The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz follows Jaime’s escape to America after his cousin and closest friend, Miguel, is killed for refusing to join the local cartel. Jaime is joined by Angela, Miguel’s sister, on his perilous journey north. Jaime is an introspective artist, but the plot is full of action and twists. I’ve used this with success for two years and considered replacing it because it centers Latinx trauma, but it also humanizes the experience of undocumented immigrants, so I’ve decided to keep it for now.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


Freak The Mighty

I used Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick as a read aloud the first time I did literature circles with this theme. It was helpful to have a common text during online learning to use as an example for activities and writing assignments. Students loved it so much that I decided to add it as a choice. I also picked this book to replace On My Honor (it’s fairly short) and add representation of physical disabilities and learning disabilities. Max, a large for his age boy with learning disabilities, befriends Kevin, a small for his age boy with morquio syndrome. Kevin is the brains and Max is the brawn of their adventures until Max’s past catches up with them.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


Tight

Like Freak The Mighty, Tight by Torrey Maldonado is one of my shorter options. In it, the main character Bryan loves drawing and superheroes, and is known for being a “mama’s boy.” His parents encourage him to befriend Mike, who has similar interests and appears to be a good student. It doesn’t take long, however, for Bryan to start questioning if Mike is really someone he can trust. I picked this book to replace Black Brother, Black Brother. All of the characters are people of color and the plot focuses on family relationships and friendships rather than racism.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


Maybe He Just Likes You

Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee is one of my original picks and the most popular choice among my female students. It focuses on Mila, a middle school girl who is unsure how to handle the sexual harassment she experiences from some of her classmates. This affects her relationships with her circle of friends, and when Mila’s mother loses her job, things are unstable at home as well. There is some diversity in the cast of characters, though it isn’t very developed, but the issues in the book are ones that are so important to discuss with students. 

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


A Good Kind of Trouble

A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée is one of my original picks and the second most popular choice among my female students. In addition to the main character being introduced to the Black Lives Matter movement, the novel focuses on the delicate and ever changing dynamic of friendships between middle school girls. Shayla is a character that many of my students can relate to. She tries to avoid confrontation and conflict with everyone: friends, classmates, family members, and other adults. The cast of characters is diverse, which is integral to the plot of the novel. All Shayla wants is to enjoy middle school with her two best friends, and struggles when their trio seems to be falling apart. Shayla finds herself trying new things, making new friends, and standing up for herself in ways she never thought possible.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


Under A Painted Sky

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee is one of my original choices, and one that I switched out this year, even though I had a group of students who absolutely loved it this past year, because it is just a little too mature for sixth grade. Samantha, a Chinese American girl wanted for murder, and Annamae, a runaway enslaved girl, team up and disguise themselves as boys to make their escape. As they head west on the Oregon Trail, their journey is full of action, romance, and even heartbreak. While I love that the book sheds light on lesser known parts of US history (anti-Asian discrimination), in additional to  some mature content,  I wanted to switch it out for a realistic fiction title to match the rest of my choices.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."


Other Title Considerations

This year I added Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake to include LGBTQ+ representation in my literature choices. Ivy’s world is turned upside down when a tornado touches down in her hometown. With the recent birth of twin brothers, Ivy was already feeling out of place in her our family and now her notebook of drawings has disappeared, including sketches of Ivy holding hands with another girl.

I’ve also considered adding The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez, which features a biracial female main character who feels like she isn’t Mexican enough when she and her mother relocate to Chicago. She has trouble following the rules and conforming at her new school. One thing that helps is starting a band and forming friendships with her bandmates, even though she is afraid of performing in public.

Another possibility is Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai, which is part graphic novel and focuses on an Asian male character who is dealing with the grief of losing his father. He and his mother and brother have recently moved to Australia, and he struggles to adjust and learn English at new school. He bakes cakes from his father’s recipes with his brother while mother is at work because he is afraid of losing his connection with his dad.

If you are looking for more information on setting up and running literature circles in your classroom, check out the series of blog posts below:

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.

Literature circles are a wonderful way to diversify classroom texts and incorporate student choice. Read on for texts connected to "facing fear."

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