Charity+A.

=**Book Summaries:**=

**Charity Andrews**
**Title:** What Happened to Cass McBride? **Author:** Gail Giles **Date of Publication:** 2006

**Summary:** Cass McBride is a teenage girl, who, on the outside, looks like she has a charmed life. She is all about status in high school. She lives with a father who puts appearances first. Her mother left when she was young because she didn’t like their ‘bitchy’ ways. David, a boy who has been verbally abused by his mother, asks Cass out on a date. She tells him kindly to his face ‘no’ but belittles him by writing a note to a friend. The note falls into David’s hands instead of her best friends. David commits suicide by hanging himself on the tree in the front yard of his house. He attaches a note to his shirt and Kyle thinks the words are referring to what Cass said in her note. So, Kyle kidnaps Cass and places her in a box underground. Cass and Kyle talk throughout the ordeal. Cass realizes if she wants to get out alive she must make Kyle see that their mother is the one who drove David to commit suicide, not her. Cass is learning so much about herself as she is buried because Kyle told Cass the reason David chose her is because she is so much like their mother. Cass has seen her ugly side and that is difficult for any human being. Cass makes it out alive and but not without second guessing what kind of a person she really is. Ending: And when the words make sense and all the blame is where it belongs, I’ll be ready to talk in the light. (This said as she is taping her story in the dark).

**How could a teacher use this book in a classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title?**

= A teacher could use this book to demonstrate the importance of being kind and sensitive to all students. Many people suffer from tremendous loss in their lives and are seeking comfort at school. When they are neglected and refused in multiple environments, they shut down. As for a reading skill, prediction would be an indicator to teach with this book. There are numerous predictions to be made along the way, such as: does Cass survive, does Matt save her, how will she get out, will Matt take his life too, etc.=

**Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book?** *What might have become of Cass and Kyle had they met under different circumstances? *What is the most important lesson Cass may have learned from her experience? *What were Cass's regrets while she was buried alive?

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**Title:** Sold **Author:** Patricia McCormick **Date of Publication:** 2006

**Summary:** This is story about a thirteen year-old girl from Nepal. She lives with her mother, stepfather, and baby brother. They live in a very poor village and Lakshimi is sold into the sex trade. She believes she is being sent away to become a maid. Lakshimi is a strong girl who fights to leave Happiness House in India and never gives up on her dreams and beliefs. The story tells of her triumphs and fears throughout this horrific time in her life. She finds laughter and continues her education as best as she can.

**How could a teacher use this book in a classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title?** One could teach students about various cultures and their beliefs. The book gives strong ideals of a women’s life in Nepal and its value. Another teaching piece could focus on beliefs. Lakshimi never gave up and never gave in to someone else’s beliefs. Teaching students to fight for their dreams and to not settle for anything other than what one wants out of life would be an encouragement to any student.

**Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book?**
 * How did Lakshimi’s value of education help her in this trying time?
 * How did Lakshimi find her freedom?
 * Did Lakshimi’s parents know exactly where they were sending their daughter? Why or why not? SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/teacher/Desktop/Literature%20for%20Adolescents//

// **Title:** Purple Hear**t** // // **Author:** Patricia McCormick // // **Date of Publication:** 2009 // // **Summary:** Purple Heart is about a young man, only eighteen, who is fighting in Iraq. Matt wakes up one day in a hospital not being able to remember what happened. Matt is struggling to remember but can’t form the words and images to create the true story. He is released back to his unit. His buddy Justin, who was with him at the time of accident, is staying clear of Matt, until he finally tells Matt to stop trying to remember. The unit finds themselves in danger once more. A bomb explodes and kills Wolf and Charlene. Justin is hit in the leg and starts telling Matt the story that he has been searching for. Ali, the young boy from the alley, had turned his back on them. He was working for the insurgents. Justin had to kill Ali because he was signaling the insurgents to kill Matt and Justin. Matt thought he had killed Ali. //

=//**How could a teacher use this book in a classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title?**//= // This could be a lesson if teaching about the brain and its complexity. TBI is a common injury sustained in war. I would use a model of the brain to show where the trauma occurred. Short and long term memory loss would be included in the learning and compared to Matt’s memory in the story. So that younger students can relate to the issue of traumatic brain injury, I would use the effects of car accidents as an example as well. // = = =//**Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book?**//= // 1. How did Matt feel about being a soldier? // // 2. Why didn’t Justin tell Matt the truth about Ali after Matt returned to the unit? // // 3. What obstacles did Matt face while he was in the hospital? //

SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/teacher/Desktop/Literature%20for%20Adolescents.doc **Title:** The Last Lecture **Author:** Randy Pausch **Date of Publication:** 2008 **Summary:** __The Last Lecture__ is a story about a man who finds out he has pancreatic cancer and has very little time to live. Randy was married later in life and had just started a family. He was the father of three young children. The book includes events that happened throughout his life. Randy then continues to tell these stories in a new light with a different perspective. Randy has the desire to speak to a group before he dies. The book guides you along the way until he gives his last lecture. An inspirational story!! **How could a teacher use this book in the classroom?** I would use this book for writing class. Students are required to write three paragraph narrative stories. I would have the students write a story about themselves and what they want to accomplish in their lives. I wouldn’t use the ‘death’ card because of their age but I would want them to think about their future and what they would want everyone to know about them and what they accomplished. It would be an inspiring story with lots of encouragement for kids. **Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book?** 1. Would Randy had lived his life any different if the cancer were not terminal? 2. How will Randy’s children more than likely describe their father as they grow older? 3. Do you think Randy always lived as carefree as he did when he was dying? Why or why not? What makes you determine your answer? //SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/teacher/Desktop/Literature%20for%20Adolescents.doc

SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/teacher/Desktop/Literature%20for%20Adolescents.doc **Title:** The Boy Who Dared **Author:** Susan Campbell Bartoletti **Date of Publication:** 2008

**Summary:** __The Boy Who Dared__ is about a boy, Helmuth, who grew up in Germany when Hitler reigned. Helmuth was not a believer of Hitler and was not afraid to act on his beliefs. Helmuth was cautious at first with his opinions and what he voiced but then he realized he must stand for what he believed. Helmuth, with the help of two friends, began distributing pamphlets during the night. The words on the pamphlets were translated from a radio that he listened to at night. The radio was forbidden to listen to and could result in consequences. The radio told the truth and that is what Helmuth was after. He knew the Germans were being lied to about the war. He wanted everyone to know what Hitler was all about. Eventually Helmuth was caught and imprisoned for the distribution of the information. **How could a teacher use this book in a classroom? What instructional strategies might you choose to incorporate with this particular title?** I think this would be a wonderfully realistic way for students to realize what it was like to live in a time when freedom wasn’t freedom at all. I would do a couple of different things with this book. I would have students write a letter to this young boy. The students could ask questions, make comments, or agree or disagree with his actions. This story could be turned into a skit for oral presentation skills. Of course this book could be used to teach culture, war, or discrimination as well. **Write three higher level thinking questions that you might use in a culminating discussion of this book?** 1. What character triats did Helmuth possess in order to be so determined to find the truth? 2. In his final days, did Helmuth still hold the same beliefs? Why or why not? 3. If the radio had not been available, would Helmuth have found the truth? Explain.