The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963

The story of the Watson family, who live in Flint, MI in the 60s. Kenny, the middle child shares family stories of his simple life in the cold north. His older brother Byron is a bit of a troublemaker. When their parents feel By needs a change of scenery to straighten him out, they road trip in the Brown Bomber to the grandma's in Birmingham. The arrive at a pivotal time in the Civil Rights Movement and their local church is bombed leaving four girls dead.  This experience haunts Kenny long afterward and it takes a special person to dig him out of his spiral.

This books is filled with wonderful familial stories long before the road trip takes place. Life is simple for the Watsons and there is random hint every now and then that they left the south for a reason, but the reader doesn't know why until they prepare for the road trip. The author does a great job of working the dangers of traveling as a black family in that time. Momma critically prepares their every move so they meet little resistance from the locals.  The actual road tip opens up a great time to read Ruth and the Green Book, which is a 2012 Bluebonnet nominee and covers this very topic.  If I were using Watsons as my read aloud, I would weave this important picture book into the mix to provide a better understanding of Momma and her preparedness, or Daddy and his decision to scrap Momma's 3-day plan and drive the 18 hours in one swoop.

There is definitely some middle school language to be prepared for when reading allowed, but this book is so good it is worth the effort.

The Gollywhoppers Game

Gil Goodson had a pretty good life prior to The Incident. During and after his father was accused of stealing money from his employer, the Golly Toy and Game Company, everything changed - kids were mean, his family was stressed, and although his dad was cleared, no one seemed to get past it.  The Gollywhoppers Games offered Gil a way out. He got his dad to agree to relocate if Gil won the game!

National attention is focused on the games as 25,000 teenagers competing in a stadium-wide trivia game whittle down to select few who must compete as a team, and then as individuals. Gil created notebooks which he studied on the company, its founder, and the products it created. He must also solve riddles and stunts faster than everyone to move his way toward the finish line as the events are televised for all to see.

To get a vibe for this story, think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Amazing Race. Once in the elite group, the challenges are written for the reader to play along. As a teacher, post the riddles on a walk or to your website for the kids to spend some time breaking down the code to solve along with Gil. Other books that feature sections where a reader can "play along" with the character include Chasing Vermeer and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

The Running Dream

Jessica, a track star who's identity is completely associated with running, loses a leg in a horrible bus accident, which claims the life of a teammate. She has a long road to recovery, but is expected to walk again with the use of a prosthetic leg.

While dealing with this personal battle, and conquering the "simplicities" of life, like showering, Jessica misses a lot of school. She is assigned to student math tutor Rosa, who she previously ignored in school and who happens to have cerebral palsy. With Rosa as an inspiration, Jessica sets new goals for herself that go beyond walking.

Okay for Now

I admit I fear books that are going to make me uncomfortable or sad. Okay put me right on the heels of both feels, but the character of Doug allowed me to push through. It is historical fiction set in the 1968-1970 range as Doug is in middle school.

Moving to upstate New York, Doug and his broken family are following a job opportunity for his abusive father. Although the father's violent actions are never specifically played out, you know he is quick to through a punch when his very short fuse is lit. The mom obviously lives for her kids and puts up with the marriage for them. The youngest of three boys, Doug has a middle brother that is constantly in trouble with the law and an older one who returns home from the Vietnam War.

Doug flounders in who he is. He has little self esteem and is belittled by every adult in his life except mom. He lands a job for the local deli as a grocery delivery boy on Saturdays and gets to meet many of the town's residents in his route who support him, turn on him, and he regains their trust. His shady dad does so many underhanded things that could break him (and probably did break the older boys) but this move is filled with role models for him coming of age that leave a greater mark on his life.

* This is a great story for character changes. Doug could be bitter and resentful, but he finds places and people that keep him encouraged that he does not have to become a victim of his circumstances. This is what hooked me the most. You could compare it to how new girl India Opal meets the locals in Because of Winn Dixie.
* Though we don't know a lot about the prior setting, discussion on how Doug's new town and it's importance to the story could be a good discussion.

It's been a long time since I've had this much to say about a book. Especially one I was hesitant to read!

Aliens on Vacation

Scrub is spending his summer on the other side of the country helping his grandma at her Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast. Thinking it is a themed hotel for the sci fi fan, he learns it is actually the resort location for aliens across the galaxies.

Scrub tends to the aliens and their needs, all while hiding the truth from his friend Amy, her dad the suspicious sheriff, and the rest of the town. There are times it is extremely difficult, especially when the guests' unique behaviors and actions keep raising red flags.

Darth Paper Strikes Back

Love this book you will. 2012 Bluebonnet Award winner Tom Angleberger does not disappoint with Darth Paper Strikes Back. All the characters are back, only Harvey has decided to challenge Origami Yoda's powers with his creation, Darth Paper.

This sets off a chain of events with Dwight on the verge of a school transfer to a campus for kids with discipline issues. The kids (well, most of them) prepare a case file to present to the School Board in the hope of getting them to reconsider. In the end, we see why O.Y. gets the props that he does.

This book has the same balance of storytelling, humorous tone, sarcasm, and middle-school reality that I loved in Origami Yoda. If you have every read SOS Files, the case files work along those lines as stand alone essays so this could be a good launching point for writing from personal experience.

Balloons Over Broadway

Have you ever read a book and you can't wait to share it with others? Well this is one of those books! My brain started cranking out a dozen places to use this book as curriculum support.  What a wonderful biography of someone not famous by name, but by the contribution they made to a wonderful American tradition.

Tony Sarg is the creator of the concept of the beautiful balloon seen in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Taking his love for how things work and move, he applied it to a request by Macy's to sponsor a parade for the many immigrants who worked there.

Here are some subtle content integrations:
Simple machines that lead into compound and Rube Goldberg concepts
Biographical sketch
Communities post immigration
Thanksgiving tradition
Problem-Solution (live animals in the parade scared children so...)
Sequencing (he tried rubber puppets on wooden sticks, but even that had limitations so next he tried...)