I have desperately been wanting to get back into regular blogging, but it's hard for me to stay motivated at times and find inspiring content. When I stumbled upon The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday (by way of Casey Rose), I knew I'd found something that would get me thinking and writing. I hope to make this a weekly thing, but I might not always do it if I don't feel I can add to the prompt or something. Anyway...here's my first go!
The Broke and Bookish gave a freebie "Back to School" prompt this week, but I really liked their suggestions so I decided to go with one that they offered up:
The Broke and Bookish gave a freebie "Back to School" prompt this week, but I really liked their suggestions so I decided to go with one that they offered up:
Books That Would Be on My Classroom Shelf If I Were a Teacher
- Wonder - RJ Palacio
This middle-grade book is perfect for all ages and is the story of a boy named Auggie, who has a facial deformity, going to a public school for the first time. It's told from various perspectives (his older sister, her boyfriend, kids from class, and, of course, Auggie) and I love that it is all about acceptance and kindness. We could all benefit. - Bad Romance - Heather Demetrios
In this imaginary teacher scenario, I feel like I would be teaching middle/high school students. Bad Romance tells the story of an emotionally abusive relationship and I feel like a lot of students might relate to it and hopefully learn that they are worth so much more than the belittling, possessive behavior of an abusive partner. - What We Saw - Aaron Hartzler
Based on real events, this is a story about rape culture and the way people tend to criminalize the victim. It's a tough read, especially when they discuss the events of what happened, but it covers the topic of consent and is very blunt about why this way of thinking is harmful to society. - Highly Illogical Behavior - John Corey Whaley
Our main character has anxiety and agoraphobia and I love how Whaley handled his mental illness. Though he makes friends, they are not medicine and cannot fix him. They can be helpful in times of trouble, but they are not what cure mental illness. Such an important lesson wrapped in a funny story! - The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this Own Voices story is a must-read for all ages and races. When Starr's unarmed friend is shot and killed by a cop right before her eyes, she has to learn how to cope with grief and debate whether or not she can stand up and speak the truth about what happened without risking her own life. Intense, but also a beautiful story about family, justice, and self-strength/self-acceptance. - George - Alex Gino
This is another Own Voices story about a trans girl in elementary school who struggles with her identity and the way people perceive her after she tries out for the role of Charlotte in her class's production of Charlotte's Web. George is written in third-person, which is brilliant as it never gives any room to doubt George's identity while also showing how uncomfortable it is to be called something you know you're not (a son, a brother, etc.). I love that a story like this exists for people in this age range, but anyone would enjoy and learn from it. - Sloppy Firsts - Megan McCafferty
The Jessica Darling series, written in diary format, spoke volumes to me in high school. The YA section has grown leaps and bounds since then, but I will forever love and cherish how relatable these books were for me and would love to share them with others. - Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
This is the LGBT YA contemporary romance the world needed! Though there are plenty of stories that cover the complexities of coming out and how difficult it can be with friends and family, this one has a more accepting and hopeful vibe. It's also genuinely funny and has some awesomely realistic friendships. - Looking For Alaska - John Green
This is a modern-day YA classic, and it's a book that continues to crack the top ten most-challenged list a decade after it's release. This teacher (me) wouldn't keep her students from this story. There's refreshing honesty and heartache and hope here. If you say you like YA but haven't read this, I might not trust you? - The First Time She Drowned - Kerry Kletter
Despite the hardships we face and the setbacks that knock us down, we always have our families to help build us back up. Right? What happens when your supposed support system is actually part of the problem? This book covers a complicated mother-daughter relationship, along with mental illness, and it's beautiful and sad but so, so good!
As you might be able to see, my goal would be to remind my students that they aren't alone in their feelings. They are seen and heard and they can find themselves in stories. It would be important to me to keep my shelves stocked with inclusive, honest, and inspiring books that would also be fun to read.
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