If you love Chicago like I do, then you will recognize many of the streets and places in this Chicago-based mystery novel. Typically, I'm not a big fan of mystery, but I could not put this book down. Early is a middle-school girl whose family is barely making ends meet in Chicago. Her father loves books and shares his love of words with Early and her young brother. Suddenly, her father disappears, and Early and her mom and brother end up in a homeless shelter. But Early is determined to discover what happened to her father. Not only does this fast-paced novel keep your students at the edge of their seats, but it will expose them to Langston Hughes poetry and educate them about life in a homeless shelter as well. 5 stars for hooking me onto a mystery novel and educating students on so many levels. Click here to listen to Blue Balliett talk about how she imbedded Chicago research into her book and listen to her read an excerpt.
I am a huge fan of Joan Bauer novels because they always contain hope. "Tree" is over six feet tall, in seventh grade, and everyone expects him to be a basketball star like his older brother - or at least he thinks they do. His recently divorced parents love him and do all they can to help him through the transition, but Tree just feels stuck in the middle. Grandpa, a Vietnam Vet amputee, moves in with Tree and his dad and brings a new life perspective. This is a fabulous novel for middle school guys who need to learn to "stand tall." Use this in your classroom for a study on perspective, predictions, and character analysis. Always 5 stars for hope-filled Joan Bauer novels. Grades 7+
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