Doll Bones by Holly Black

 Black, H. (2013). Doll bones. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Poppy, Zach, and Alice have created their own world filled with adventure, danger, and fantasy; this world runs with champions focused on their queen, a delicate porcelain doll named Queen, that is held in a cabinet. Poppy begins to have dreams of Queen telling her that she is died in a tragic accident and her father created this doll from her cremated ashes in the mold of her favorite doll; Queen, formerly Eleanor Kerchner, is not at rest because she wants to be buried in her rightful spot. She says she will continue to haunt Poppy and her friends if they do not go on this quest to take her to the cemetery where she should be buried. Poppy, Zack, and Alice must find their way to this cemetery, but in the process end up missing school, being harassed on the bus, lose their food and possessions due to the angry ghost and a boating accident, and get caught sleeping in a library. After all this, they still manage to find Eleanor's grave and bury her with her family. 

This novel was a little slow in some portions, but in the end you cannot help but get goosebumps and chills. I think that students will enjoy the spookiness of the plot and will find themselves drawn in to the adventure within the novel. A good follow up for this novel would be The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier which is also a ghost story that intertwines morals through storytelling. 

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

George by Alex Gino

Gino, A. (2015). George. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. 

George is a ten-year-old transgender pre-teen who is trying to find a place in this world; a place where she is called "Melissa" and doesn't have to pretend she is something she is not. Although she has a very supportive mother, brother, and best-friend, George doesn't feel safe enough to open up to anyone about the struggles of her daily life that include being called a boy and being teased for wanting to play Charlotte from Charlotte's Web in the school play. Her main aggressor is Jeff, the meanest bully in school. Once she finally opens up to her best friend Kelly, George finds strength in becoming Charlotte, although the part was given to Kelly, in the school play and showing her mother that she is indeed a girl wanting to be accepted and loved. Her mother and brother open their arms to her and agree to help her become who she is one step at a time.

George was a one-of-a-kind book that had me delighted once I began. I felt my heart racing when hers did in the times when she had to admit who she was to the people she loved and prayed that she would get accepted for it. I believe that this is a great book to include in any library because it discusses an issue that is important for all to know: being transgender isn't bad. We need to help support our students in knowing that the person who they truly are is not a person they need to be ashamed of. I believe that teachers would find this as a great tool to discuss tolerance and acceptance, because I do believe that many students need to know that people come in many different shapes and sizes, but like with anything we may have some students and parents who are not yet open to discuss such topics. We need to help create an environment in which we can share such human experiences with respect and understanding.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Gabby: A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

 Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Gabi Hernandez is in her senior year of high school and she has so many things that can go wrong: one of her best friends is pregnant, the other has just come-out to her and his parents kicked him out of their house, her father is a drug addict, her overbearing religious aunt has now moved in with her family to help out, and her mom is constantly reminding her that she needs to lose weight if she ever wants to find a husband. In the midst of all this she still needs to pass all her classes if she plans on being accepted by her number one college prospect-Berkley. Gabi finds that when life hands you lemons you should write poetry, and in her case, fall into like and love with a few guys in the process. Through writing, Gabi finds her niche in a poetry club that inevitably gives her the strength to overcome the death of her father, finding out her friend was raped, and release all the pain that has been stored throughout the last school year. After all the this she finds that being herself, gordita, educated, and not afraid to speak her mind, is the best kind of thing. 

Because some of the topics discussed such as sex, teen pregnancy, drugs, and rape, this book would be better suited for students in high school. Gabi and her many different plights will make her relatable with many young readers in their search for a place in this world, and introducing students to a character like her would be great to discuss independence, individuality, culture vs. society, and coming of age topics. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 Zusak, M. (2006). The book thief. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

     Liesel Meminger's life has changed because of Nazi Germany. She just lost her brother on their way to their new adoptive parents' home in Munich, and while he is being buried she finds the first book that leads her to become "The Book Thief." It is with her new parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, that she learns to read in the basement, finds out the meaning of friendship and love, learns that not all Germans are Nazi's and Jewish does not equal evil, and that reading changes the world. In the times of war Liesel and her best friend Rudy begin stealing whenever they find themselves starved for food and literature; this usually leads them to the mayor's house because in it he is sure to have a lot of food and his wife Ilse provides Liesel with more books than she could imagine. In the end, the war takes over their small neighborhood and leaves all but one person dead: Liesel. We see her story told through the point of view of Death, and through his eyes we see how this young quiet girl is overtaken by the power of words. 

Very few books leave you feeling heartbroken and grateful at the same time, but Zusak's book does. This would be a great book to tie in with Social Studies discussions on World War II, Nazism, Hitler, the effects of war on the community, and Anti-semitism. You can also incorporate point of view, narration, and forms of writing. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

 Angleberger, T., & Rosenstock, J. L. (2010). The strange case of Origami Yoda. New York, NY:    

          Amulet Books. 

      Tommy and his friends have put together evidence in the search for one answer: how can Origami Yoda give such great advice when his commander, Dwight, isn't so bright? Dwight is considered "different" because he tends to do and say embarrassing things during lunch, but once he brings his finger puppet, Origami Yoda, to an after school dance he seems to have people believing that Origami Yoda can change lives and destinies. The whole 6th grade crew shares their experiences with Dwight and Origami Yoda in the hopes that they can figure out if Origami Yoda does have the power to predict the outcome of a situation when asked. In the end, the majority of the 6th grade group believes in the power of Origami Yoda despite the neigh-sayers. 

When seeing the way the story is formatted I believe that teachers can use it to discuss the elements of persuasion. Students can be given a chapter, many of them are short, and once the elements have been discussed students can use them to find the types of persuasion within the chapters, they can be given an activity in which they create persuasion within the chapters, or also they can be given an assignment in which they either defend or disprove Origami Yoda's magic. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!