The Unbreakable Code

The Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter is a children's story book about growing up as a Navajo Native American. John, the little boy doesn't want to go to his English school, but his grandfather sits down with him and tells him about his past. The grandfather didn't want to go to English school either, but it ended up changing his life. He was one of the Navajo's who volunteered for the US Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor was bombed. The Grandfather helped create the code and talked about how he faught in the Pacific Front. It helped John value his language more.

I would definitely use this book to help introduce WWII, or the Code Talkers or even a unit on Navajo Indians. Secondary students could benefit from a children's book and the illustrations in here are GREAT!

Christmas in the Trenches

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon is a children's book based on a true historical event. The book starts out on Christmas night after all the presents are opened and dinner is finished. Thomas Tolliver asks his grandfather about his favorite Christmas. Thomas’ grandfather tells him about Christmas in 1914 when he was a soldier during the Great War. He describes life in the trenches and how both sides knew there would be no end to the fighting just because it was Christmas. On Christmas night everything was very silent for the soldiers when the German’s began singing Silent Night on the opposite side of no mans land. German soldiers came closer and soon enough all of the soldiers were trading small gifts with one another but eventually they had to go back to their own trenches.

Although this is a picture book, I believe it can be used for students in older grades as well. The book comes with a CD disc with music, which is aweseome. The teacher I was student teaching with last fall spoke of the Chrsitmas in the Trenches and played some music from the era as well.

The Book Thief

I just started reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (I'm about 100 pages in). So far, I'm hooked! I would have finished already if it weren't for the end-of-the-semester assignments to work on!

So far, this YA novel is really intriguing. It's narrated by death, and is set in WWII Germany. The protagonist is young Leisel Meminger, who experiences the pain of death at a young age and is given up to a foster family under odd circumstances.

A local high school teaches The Book Thief in 9th grade. It is almost 600 pages long, so it may be daunting for some students. Has anyone read this? What did you think?

I'll check back when I finish...hopefully soon! =)

UPDATE 5/9/11: I finished the book on Friday and was sad that it was over. The novel really makes you think about life, death, and human nature. Throughout the book, you're prompted to think about the power of words...to heal, to hurt, even to kill--in Hitler's case. The interview at the end of the novel with Zusak is also incredible, as it discusses his thought process in deciding on a narrator and his research!

Copper Sun

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper is a book told from the perspective of a 15 year old African girl named Amari. When pale strangers enter her village, broughten there by a neighboring tribe, the village welcomes them and celebrates as is the custom. Confusion strikes when these pale people begin murdering those who are unfit and capturing the strongest villagers. While her whole family is slaughtered, Amari is beaten, whipped, and taken aboard a ship. Amari realizes she will never return to Africa. Cramped, beaten, and raped aboard the ship Amari is forced to witness horrors she could have never imagined. Once in America, she is sold to a plantation owner as a present for his son's 16th birthday. Survival and escape are the only things Amari dreams of, along with the other slaves on the plantation.

I could not put this book down once I started reading it. It is heart wrenching and vivid with details. The book gives the perpestive of the slave trade through a young girls eyes, which would captivate any reader and hold their attention. I would use this in conjuction with a unit on slavery. The students could read this to get true insight as to what a slave had to endure while serving their master. I recommend everyone puts this on their summer reading list!

Tree Girl

They call Gabriela Tree Gril. Gabi climbs trees to be within reach of the eagles and watch the sun rise into an empty sky. She is at home among the outsretched branches of Guatemalan forests. Then one day from the safety of a tree, Gabi witneses the sights and sounds of an unspeakable massacre. She vows to be Tree Gril no more and joins the hordes of refugees struggling to reach the Mexican border. She has lost her whole family; her entire village has been wiped out. This novel is great for the high school level and allows students the opportunity to learn about a country that is often overlooked.

Podcast from The Boy in Striped Pajamas

An excerpt of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, as read by Ashley.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a story told from the perspective of a nine-year-old boy named Bruno. Bruno and his family live in Berlin until the government promotes his father to Commandant and instructs the family that they will be moving. Bruno’s family moves to a place called “Out-With”, as he pronounces it. Bruno does not like his new home but is intrigued by the people he sees outside his window; all wearing striped pajamas and living inside a fence. Bruno has no idea why these people are there or why they are all wearing striped pajamas, but figures it must be some sort of village. While exploring, Bruno finds the fence and discovers a boy about his age named Shmuel. The two become friends and Shmuel never explains why he is on that side of the fence, other than the fact that the soldiers hate him and his people. Bruno comes to the fence everyday to meet Shmuel and can’t understand why they can’t play together. The story tells of the horrors of the holocaust and innocence of children. The ending will surely touch any reader’s heart.

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in the Holocaust and would teach it in conjuction with a unit on World War II.

Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy

Disposable People is a powerful awakening on the reality of slavery's existence in our modern world. His investigation of conditions in Mauritania, Brazil, Thailand, Pakistan, and India reveals the tragic emergence of a "new slavery," one that is intricately linked to a global economy. Bales explains the difference between this "new slavery" and Trans-Atlantic slavery. I would suggest using excerpts from this book. It is a good book to offer students at the high school level insight into a world that many thought had ended more than a hundred years ago.

To find out more or what you can do, go to the following website,

http://www.freetheslaves.net/

Navajo Code Talkers

Navajo Code Talkers by Nathan Aaseng is a big favorite of mine. I feel that this topic is just lightly brushed over in history classes and the Navajo weren’t given as much credit as they deserved for their sacrifices during World War II. This book is a compelling story of how the young men risked their lives for their country. The book opens with a little bit of background knowledge about the Navajo and their legendary struggle to keep their land, and the reason they shy away from white people. It also goes on to explain how Kit Carson and his crew wanted to stamp the Navajo language out of the people, but years later the US Marines needed them and used the Navajo to create an unbreakable code that the Japanese have yet to unlock. The story also unfolds and shows how they went through the basic training, and how they worked together to create and interpret the code, as well as some of the battle experiences. Some of the neat things for students that this book contains are the pictures. There are sporadically pictures about Navajo Marines working on message or creating codes. This would be a wonderful addition to any classroom in grades 6-8 and it would give kids a better understanding of US history.

A Rumor of War

A Rumor of War by Phillip Caputo is a a personal memoir about the Veitnam War. This is a heartwarming and educational novel about the horrors of what men experienced. Phil starts out by saying in the prologue “This book does not pretend to be history. …. In a general sense, it is simply a story about war, about the things men do in war and the things war does to them.” And so he goes on for 346 pages to talk about his personal struggles, losses, and experiences during our nation’s longest conflict. Caputo was one of the first men to enter the war, and he was also one of the last men to leave. His novel captures so many images and events from the war that it simply blows your mind. When he left school he entered the Marine Corps and was sent directly to Vietnam to fight in the rice paddies. Some of the men he went to training with and got sent over with were among the first to die and that really rattled him. By the end of the novel you can feel the desperation and humiliation radiating out of him which is a very powerful thing.

I would use this novel to teach about the devastation that was faced by many US soldiers at home and over seas. I would use it as a read aloud.

A Northern Light

Jennifer Donnelly's young adult novel A Northern Light is the fictionalized account of the famous 1906 Adirondack murder of Grace Brown. Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy is also based on the same incident.

A Northern Light is great not only because it gives insight to local history, but because it is a challenge to read. The chronological sequence of the novel is interesting; the plot seems to begin in the middle chapter and stem out in both directions, toward beginning and end. The tale is riveting, and those who are familiar with the lakes of the Adirondacks will feel a strong connection to the young female protagonist.

In the history classroom, A Northern Light is a great way to introduce local history. The class could even just read excerpts from the novel and discuss how the author used the fact of the crime to create the story.

Scholastic rates the novel at a 7th grade reading level, yet they suggest that it may be of interest to older students as well.

The Kommandant's Girl

The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite books. It is a great piece of historical fiction.

Emma, the main character in the book is a young Jewish woman, who has only been married to her husband, Jacob, for three weeks when Nazi’s begin to occupy Poland. Jacob is forced to go into hiding leaving Emma in a Jewish ghetto. The resistance movement in Poland is strong and they help Emma sneak out of Poland to live with Jacob’s Catholic cousin, Kyrisa. Emma takes with her a young Jewish boy, whose looks are not those typical of a Jewish person. As part of the plan to get Emma out she takes on a new identity, Anna Lipowski. Kyrisa is part of the resistance movement but has to keep up appearances and therefore holds dinner parties for many who are Nazi’s or support them. Emma (now Anna) is introduced at a party to Nazi Kommadant Richwalder. The Kommadant really likes Emma and asks her to come work for him in his office as his personal assistant. Emma agrees only to help gather information that will further help the resistance movement. Throughout the book Emma becomes more involved with the Kommadant in the hopes of gathering information.

While I'm not sure if I would teach it, it is a book I would definitely recommend to any student in 11th or 12th grade.

Princess Sultana's Daughters

Jean Sasson's sequel in the Princess triology, Princess Sultana's Daughters is an exhilerating sequel. Sasson takes the reader through a journey of fundamentalism, mental illness as well as the gender inferiority Sultana and her daughters face as a female. The detail of the Muslim Hajj is eye opening, as well as an increased same sex relationships as a result of the restrictions placed on mix gender relationships.
There are many opportunities for learning in this book just as Sasson's first book in the Princess triology. Please check it out!!! SOOOOOOO GOOOD!!!!

Until We Meet Again

Until we Meet Again: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Holocaust by Michael Korenbilt and Kathleen Janger follows two Jewish Families during the Holocaust in Germany. The Korenbilts son, Meyer, and the Nagelsztajins, daughter, Manya are deeply in love. Both families plan and prepare for where to hide when the Nazi’s come for the deportation of the Jews. Each family has a different idea and in a last minute decision Manya decides to join the Korenbilts along with her younger brother, Chaim. The novel follows Meyer and Manya as they hide and eventually travel from concentration camp to concentration camp, doing all they can to stay alive. The two are eventually separated and it is their love for each other that keeps them fighting to stay alive. I won't ruin the ending but it is a great book!

This isn't your typical book about the Holocaust and its vivid details are sure to engage readers.

I'm a Stranger Here Myself

I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to American After 20 Years Away is a collection of vignettes written by Bill Bryson. Bryson, an American who lived in the UK for two decades, wrote this humorous collection of stories after his long-awaited return to the U.S. The stories light heartedly comment on a number of aspects of American culture, including dental floss and the justice system.

While Bryon's work surely cannot be accounted as history, his commentary on modern America cannot be ignored. I believe this would be a good choice in a high school social studies room because it would get students thinking about the country we live in.

In the English classroom, we don't typically read a lot of humor writing. This would be a good place to start! Furthermore, this book provides a great model and inspiration to get students writing.

Jane Austen

Jane Austen's works are noted for their dry commentary on life in England during the late 1700's and early 1800's. That said, they are a great option for both the English and Social Studies classrooms because they are an example of incredible literature as well as a critique of society.

In my opinion, some of Austen's best works are Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey. Each novel contains an intriguing love story centered around the mixed-up romantic ways of the period. Austen was also privy to the political climate of the time period, which she makes clear in her novels as well.

One problem with Austen's novels is that she is a "love her or hate her" kind of author. I think that male students would have a difficult time getting into her novels, which are always told from a female perspective.

Many of Austen's novels have also been made into films. The recent Pride and Prejudice film starring Colin Firth and Keira Knightley is especially good! 

The Crucible

Arthur Miller's famous drama The Crucible is a well-known work on the topic of the Salem Witch Trials. Miller's play, which was written during McCarthyism and the Red Scare, is an allegory based in Massachusetts, 1690's.

The Crucible is an obvious choice in the English classroom, as it is a great choice for American drama. In the Social Studies classroom, The Crucible is a great way to talk about events of hysteria in history!

A great text that connects to this play is Margaret Attwood's poem "Half-Hanged Mary," which tells the story of Mary Webster, who was hanged for being a witch in Puritan Massachusetts. Interestingly, though...she survived the hanging and lived another 14 years!

The film version of The Crucible is also really recent and very well-done. I caution showing it mid-reading, however, because the director does take some liberties!

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a mesmerizing book. I picked this up during Spring Break and found that I couldn't put it down. This novel has quickly become my favorite book!

Jacob Jankowski is a college senior attending Cornell University during the Great Depression. About one week before final exams start Jacob gets horrible news: his parents died in a horrible car accident. When he returns home to pick up the pieces he finds there are no pieces, the bank has foreclosed on his parents house and his dad's veterinary business. So now Jacob feels like he has no future; the business he has was supposed to come home and take over doesn't exist anymore. He returns back to college to write his final exams, but ends up walking out of the exam and not writing the exam. After he leaves he continues walking and walking and eventually jumps on board a train that is going by next to him. He soon finds out that he has jumped on board a circus train. From that moment on his life is changed forever. The book continues on to tell about his adventures and all of the wonderful friends that he made including Camel, Marlena and Walter.

This is a very advanced book. It has some graphic content so I'm hesitant to teach it. An eleventh grader read it and recommended it to me, but I would probably use this in a 12th grade classroom or an AP classroom.

This novel is being turned into a movie and is due out sometime this year. I look forward to watching it!

Mississippi Trial, 1955

Chris Crowe's first novel, Mississippi Trial, 1955 is a fictionalized account of the Emmitt Till case of Money, Mississippi.

This novel is rated for grade levels 6 through 8 yet may be appropriate for older students as well.

I am currently teaching Nobel-prize winning author Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to International Baccalaureate seniors. They were really intrigued by the case and when we talked about the history of it were appalled and interested at the same time.

In the social studies classroom (especially the middle school one), this is a great way to introduce the impact of segregation and racism in the south. This is a particularly good novel because it is told from the point of view of a white teenager who disagrees with the racism he is forced to live in.

All But My Life

Gerda Weissman Klein's memoir All But My Life focuses on her experience as a Jewish girl during the Holocaust in Poland.

Students usually read The Diary of Anne Frank in middle school, and this novel would be a great companion piece for older students. The author's experiences during the Holocaust are heart breaking, but her positive spirit endures.

Watch the interview with the author about her experience.

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is the first book written by Khaled Hosseini. It explores the story of two young boys at the invasion of the communist Soviet Union. The reader takes an emotional ride with these two boys who experience a cultural/ societal change in Afghanistan.

This book is great for the boys in your classroom through an easily relatable male point of view novel. There are so many options for English/ Social collaborative projects!

Milkweed

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli is a touching, emotional book that touches high schoolers. Misha Pulsudski is an orphan who has a sort of big brother who looks out for him and "tells him about his family". Misha and Uri live in Warsaw and survive by stealing and sleeping where ever they can find an abandoned building. They spend quite a bit of time with a larger group of orphans, but that proves to not always be a great for the boys.

Misha is a gypsy who eventually decides he's going to pretend to be Jewish and moves into the Ghetto with his friend Janina's family. While living with this family he teaches Janina to steal and they sneak out of the Ghetto wall together every night. This books gives readers an up close experience with what it would have been like to live in the Ghetto and how hard it was to survive.

Night

Night by Elie Wiesel is a book about his experiences in Auschwitz, a concentration during World War II. The book follows Wiesel and his dad as they are taken away to a concentration camp, with details about the harsh experiences they experienced. Elie and his dad are separated from his mom and sisters and they feel lucky to just have one another. Elie feels he is living a nightmare and discusses the dehumanizing process of the camps.

This book is rather short but is full of vivid recollections from the Holocaust. The novel is at an 8.7 grade level, but could be used from 8th grade and up. I would use it as a supplementary material to teach the Holocaust.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini's novel A Thousand Splendid Suns chronicles the lives of two female characters during the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The novel follows two female characters through their struggles with the oppressive Taliban regime, abusive arranged marriages, and the way women were generally viewed in society.

In the social studies classroom, A Thousand Splendid Suns gives insight to the treatment of women in a culture that is so stereotyped and misunderstood in the United States. It also provides a good tie to current events.

This would be a great pick for the English classroom because it is a popular piece of popular literature that provides different viewpoints. Furthermore, the author is from Afghanistan and his experiences bring authenticity to his writing.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is a heart-wrenching work of non-fiction by a young adult from Sierra Leone. Beah was forced to become a soldier in the brutal civil war of Sierra Leone. He faced incredible hardship and violence.

Although it is quite graphic, Beah's work is also heartwarming. Beah survived such terrible things and has kept his positive spirit.

SUNY Potsdam chose this memoir for their First Year Experience common read for the Fall 2009 semester. Beah traveled to Potsdam and gave an incredible speech about his experiences and hosted a comprehensive question and answer session for the first year students. His honesty and his perseverance are truly inspirational.

In the social studies classroom, this book gives students a true idea of current events that are going on in Africa. It would fit well with a study of genocides and civil wars around the world.

In the English classroom, A Long Way Gone would be a work of diverse non-fiction that would help open the students' eyes to global issues. It is also good practice in identifying with a protagonist who is close to their age.

I strongly caution teachers, however, about how graphic the novel is. Be sure to read it thoroughly and gauge your students' maturity levels and needs before making it a class read!

Code Talker

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac, is an easy read for multiple grade levels.Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the US effort, sending messages back & forth in an unbreakable code in the Navajo native language. Perfect for US history in discussing US involvement in WWII.