TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA



Bibliographic Information:  Tan, Shaun. Tales From Outer Suburbia. 2008. New York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books. ISBN 978-0-545-05587-3.

Summary:
The book consists of fifteen fantastical, illustrated short stories (some humorous and some haunting)set in the Australian suburbs.

Critical Analysis:
Tales From Outer Suburbia contains a wide variety of stories.  Some are funny, some are touching and some are tales universally true, with morals from which we all could learn some good lessons.  "Alert But Not Alarmed" is a shining example of that latter type.  In it, Tan imagines a future where "every household has its own ballistic missile" because everyone needs to be a part of "upholding national security" in an "increasingly dangerous climate."  To make the best out of a strange situation, people begin to paint the backyard missiles bright colors, string them with Christmas lights, and use them for storage, pet kennels and even pizza ovens.  Talk about making lemonade out of lemons!  The final paragraph of the story tells how they hope that, if families in faraway countries also have backyard missiles, hopefully they have found a much better use for them too.  That's an anti-war statement with cleverness, not moralizing or preachiness.

Some of the best (and most easy to identify with) characters are not human.  The dogs in "Wake" band together to exert vengeance over a neighborhood man who had beaten his dog to death earlier in the week.  The man's home burned, they surrounded him as if claiming his rescued property as their own and then proceeded to urinate on all he had left while loudly moaning and mourning the fate of their fallen canine comrade.  In "Eric," a leaf-like creature comes to visit and is always yearning to learn the "why's" of everything.  The artwork in this story is amazing, with his miniature frame against seemingly giant postage stamps, popcorn and poker chips.  These characters aren't human readers will like them, relate to them and cheer them on.  Tan's creativity in these stories and the others keeps readers turning the pages quickly.

No matter how odd some of the stories and characters may initially seem, we find universal themes of love, joy, loyalty and peace running throughout them all.  The amazing variety of both black and white and color illustrations greatly complements the weirdly fun tales.

Book Review Excerpts:
"The thoughtful and engaged reader will take from these stories an experience as deep and profound as with anything he or she has ever read." - Jesse Karp (Reviewed 12-01-2008 in Booklist, Vol. 105, number 7, p. 50).

"Ideas and imagery both beautiful and disturbing will linger."  -  Staff (Reviewed November 3, 2008 in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 255, issue 44, p. 59).

"Graphic-novel and text enthusiasts alike will be drawn to this breathtaking combination of words and images."  - Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2009.

Awards:
Adelaide Festival Awards (Australia): Children's Literature
ALA Notable Children's Books - Older Readers Category: 2010
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 2009
Children's Book Council of Australia: Children's Book of the Year Awards: Older Readers
Children's Book Council of Australia: Notable Australian Children's Books: Older Readers
Children's Book Council of Australia: Notable Australian Children's Books: Picture Books
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books: 2009
Parents' Choice Awards - Fiction: 2009
USBBY Outstanding International Books - Grades 6-8: 2010
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards: Young Adult's Books

Connections/Further Activities:
Have students to compose a short story that's kind of out-of-the ordinary like the ones in Tales From Outer Suburbia.  Ask a couple willing volunteers to read their's aloud to the class.

Show short segments from a documentary film on the areas of Australia referred to in Tales From Outer Suburbia to give students a true vision of what life looks like there.

Read-A-Likes:
The eternal smile : three stories - Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim
The storm in the barn - Matt Phelan
Hereville : how Mirka got her sword - Barry Deutsch/colors by Jake Richmond
Laika - Nick Abadzis/color by Hilary Sycamore
The savage - David Almond/illustrated by Dave McKean

FEATHERS

Bibliographic Information:  Woodson, Jacqueline.  Feathers. 2007. New York, NY : G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0399239898 .

Summary:
It's 1971 and Frannie is a sixth grade student at a predominantly African-American middle school.  When a new white student nicknamed "The Jesus Boy" begins attending, Frannie's friendship with him makes her start to have a different view of life. 

Critical Analysis:
Feathers was a really interesting novel to me as its setting is 1971 and I myself grew up in the seventies.  Much like Frannie, I also attended a school that was all one race and can relate to the feelings that some of her classmates had when someone they considered very "different" suddenly entered their midst. 

Discussion of race plays a major part in this novel.  The "Jesus Boy" is white as snow but has black (adoptive) parents.  The class bully, Trevor, who calls Jesus Boy "white boy," is himself biracial and light-skinned.  Even though the classmates can be pretty disrespectful of each other and their respective backgrounds, Woodson writes about both races in a respectful, understanding manner.  Readers can empathize with "Jesus Boy" and the love he feels for his parents even though they do not share the same racial background.

Religion is another subject Woodson delves into in the novel.  The "Jesus Boy" is quiet, calm and patient thoroughout most of the novel and Frannie's friend, Samantha, even comes to believe he may be the Christian savior.  Frannie has been studying the Emily Dickenson poem that states "hope is a thing with feathers/that perches in the soul" and, when she sees the Jesus Boy's effect on his classmates, she almost begins to believe Samantha may be right.  That changes when he has a hateful confrontation with Trevor and she sees that his is human and makes mistakes like everyone else.

Frannie's home and family, including a deaf brother, are full of love and laughter.  She wrestles with despair at her brother's issues as well as the three miscarriages her mother - who is now pregnant again - has had.  Frannie questions her own prejudices, her own beliefs and, in the end, the novel ends on a hopeful note that things are going to be alright for her.

Book Review Excerpts:
"With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family. The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice. They will appreciate its wisdom and positive connections." - D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH. Reviewed April 1, 2007 in School Library Journal - Vol. 53, issue 4, p. 152.

"Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch."  Charlotte Sheedy - Staff (Reviewed January 8, 2007 in Publishers Weekly Vol. 254, issue 2, p. 51).

"Woodson captures perfectly the questions and yearnings of a girl perched on the edge of adolescence, a girl who readers will take into their hearts and be glad to call their friend." - Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2007).

Awards:
ALA Notable Children's Books - Older Readers Category: 2008
Oprah's Kids' Reading Lists - New Releases: 10-to-12 Years

Connections/Further Activities:
Share short segments of age-appropriate documentaries about the Vietnam War-era/early 1970's to give students a "feel" for the time period Feathers is set in.

Discuss what it must feel like to be the only one of a certain group (race, sex, religion) in a group of those different from them.  Ask students if they've ever experienced that personally or encountered it in school or social groups and have them describe the situation.  This can lead to a discussion on acceptance on those different from us and anti-bullying efforts.

Read-A-Likes:
Keeping Safe the Stars  - Sheila O'Connor
Coming On Home Soon - Jacqueline Woodson
Next-Door Neighbors - Sarah Ellis
Gold Dust - Chris Lynch
Under the Blood-Red Sun  - Graham Salisbury

SPEAK

 



Bibliographic Information:  Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. 1999. New York, NY : Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0374371520.

Summary:
At an end-of-summer party before she begins high school, Melinda is raped by a popular senior.  Though she doesn't report it, a call to the police breaks up the party and makes her a pariah at school.  With the help of an empathetic teacher, she comes to grips with what happened to her and regains her inner strength.

Critical Analysis:
Melinda's story is very believable, almost painfully so.  It is easy - especially as an adult who has been through high school and come out on the other side - to relate to the pain she feels as she loses the companionship of all those she once considered her friends and becomes an outcast, accepted by no social group.  One can almost feel the claustrophobia of being back in high school, judged by classmates for doing something they don't even understand. This feeling of not belonging is a universal one with which most readers are likely to empathize.

It is easy to relate to Melinda, even never having suffered an assault as she did.  As we are privy to her internal pain and the emotional growth she experiences, we as readers root for her to be vindicated and become popular.  In the novel's final pages as she tells her former friend and classmates about the rape and sees an outpouring from other girls about their own experiences with her attacker, she begins to become more confident and assertive.  When he attempts to assault her a second time, she fights him off and is finally able to talk about what happened.  The novel, thus, ends on a positive, hopeful note.  It's not a neat and tidy ending, all happy and tied up in a bow.  It's left open for readers to decide what eventually happens with Melinda but we know that Andy no longer has any power or control over here because the truth is out and she's talking and working through it.  We can be confident that she is going to be alright.

The story really keeps readers turning the page, wanting to know what's going to happen next.  It's a realistic story with believable dialogue.  Readers can actually imagine themselves in a modern-day high school in the midst of these conversations and interactions.  The characters don't always behave as we may want them to but they do behave in ways we can belive teenagers would.  The author does not moralize in Speak.  There is no indication that Melinda is to blame for being at such a party to begin with.  Readers are shown that she is just an average freshman kid, at the party with many others like herself, who was attacked by Andy for no reason other than he wanted to do so and thought she was weak prey.  By story's end, we all know she was not.


Book Review Excerpts:
"In her YA fiction debut, Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen's struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers."  (Reviewed September 15, 1999) - Debbie Carton.
"Anderson expresses the emotions and the struggles of teenagers perfectly. Melinda's pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story." -Dina Sherman, Brooklyn Children's Museum, NY.  Copyright 1999 - Cahners Business Information.

"The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget." - Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 1999.

Awards:

Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 1999

Carolyn W. Field Award (Pennsylvania)

Golden Kite Award: Fiction

Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature (1996-2010)

School Library Journal Best Books: 1999

Sequoyah Book Awards (Oklahoma): Young Adult Books

South Carolina Book Awards: Young Adult Books

Connections/Further Activities:
Have students discuss a time when either they or a classmate seemed to be an outcast.  Discuss how that person was treated by the group and why such ostracizing behavior is akin to -if not outright- bullying. 

Lead a further discussion on bullying and all the recent anti-bullying efforts.  Have students discuss something they or other classmates have done to fight bullying in their school or social groups.

Read-A-Likes:

Just listen - Sarah Dessen Please Ignore Vera Dietz - A.S. King Inexcusable - Chris Lynch Safe - Susan Shaw The Mockingbirds - Daisy Whitney

BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE

Bibliographic Information: Velchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin’s Nose. 2011. New York, NY : Henry Holt and Company, LLC.  ISBN 978-0-8050-9216-5.

Summary:
During the time of Stalin’s rule in the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha Zaichik lives with his widower father and 48 others in a single apartment.  He idolizes his father, a devoted Communist and member of the State Security secret police, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his beliefs. 

Critical Analysis:

In the final paragraph of the author’s note at the book’s end, Velchin says: “I set this story in the past, but the main issue in it transcends time and place.  To this day, there are places in the world where innocent people face persecution and death for making a choice about what they believe to be right.”  This statement effectively sums up the theme of Breaking Stalin’s Nose.  Velchin uses the facts of his own childhood, as experienced by the fictional Sasha Zaichik, to illustrate the horrors of life under Stalin’s regime but the theme is a universal one.  There are modern day rulers as totalitarian and repressive as Stalin and those horrors are just as real.

It is very easy to identify with Sasha and other characters in the novel as they live in fear of being reported for imaginary crimes against the state.  The narrative is a harrowing one as readers realize that Stalin’s repression and extermination of his people is something that has taken place (and continues to take place) in countries throughout the world.  The setting of Stalinist Russia could just as well be modern-day Sudan. 

The story is so authentic in its representation of such repression that it’s a hard read.  Knowing that the author lived a similar story, however, and left the country relatively unscathed, gives readers hope at the story’s end. 

Book Review Excerpts:  “This is an absorbing, quick, multilayered read in which predictable and surprising events intertwine. Velchin clearly dramatizes the dangers of blindly believing in anything. Along with Ruta Sepetys's Between Shades of Gray (Philomel, 2011), this selection gives young people a look at this dark history.” - Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ --Reviewed August 1, 2011 in School Library Journal, vol 57, issue 8, p 125).

“Yelchin's graphite illustrations are an effective complement to his prose, which unfurls in Sasha's steady, first-person voice, and together they tell an important tale. A story just as relevant in our world, "where innocent people face persecution and death for making a choice about what they believe to be right," as that of Yelchin's childhood.  Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2011.

Awards: 

ALA Notable Children's Books - Middle Readers Category: 2012
Mitten Award (Michigan)

Connections/Further Activities:

Pairing the reading of the novel with clips from documentaries on Stalin and his repressive regime would help students visualize the ruler and further comprehend the depth of the devastation of his rule.

Initiating a discussion on modern-day/current repressive governments around the world and how those countries' citizens are affected would drive home the idea that governments such as Stalin's are not a thing of the distant past and inform students that such activities are still occuring.  This could lead to a critical thinking exercise and a dialogue about how students feel about the United States intervening in such situations.  Should we?  At what point?   

Title Read-A-Likes/Further Reading:
The boy who dared - Susan Campbell Bartoletti
I want to live – Nina Lugovskaya
The endless steppe – Esther Hautzig
The wall – Peter Sis
Leon's story – Leon Walter Tillage

THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE

Bibliographic Information: Cushman, Karen. The Midwife’s Apprentice. 1995. New York, NY : Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-69229-5.

Summary:

Set in medieval England, this is the story of a nameless, homeless girl (about 12 or 13) who is taken in by stern village midwife, Jane Sharp, nick-named “Beetle” and used as free labor.  She begins to gain her own knowledge of midwifery but when she’s helping with a difficult birth, she runs away ashamed at her failure and lack of knowledge.  How Beetle (who later rechristens herself “Alyce”) comes to terms with her failure and returns to Jane's home as a true apprentice is a gripping story

Critical Analysis:

The Midwife’s Apprentice is not what I would call a fun read.  The setting is medieval England and times then were hard for everyone, especially female children like Beetle.  She was so poor she didn’t even have a name, let alone a home or way to earn money.  When Jane the midwife found her and took her in as cheap labor, as hard as that life was it was actually a blessing.  She struggled and worked hard for every scrap she got and the story is so realistic that we struggle along with her.  Readers can actually feel the cold, smell the dung, experience vicariously how it must hurt to be hungry and without a family and to have to work hard for an unforgiving mistress just to have a meal and safe place to lie down on a pallet at night.  “Fun” is not the word for the story.

That doesn’t mean it’s not a good one, however.  Because it is so realistic as to how children lived in that time period, it’s much too easy to identify with Beetle’s plight and that feels sad, especially when she experiences doubt in herself.  We feel all the more happy though when she gains self-confidence, rechristens herself Alyce and realizes her intrinsic worth and value.  To be along with her as she literally climbs out of a dung heap and becomes a self-sufficient young apprentice will bring readers the joy that is missing from the first parts of Beetle’s story.

Cushman’s novels are praised for their authenticity and attention to historic detail and The Midwife’s Apprenctice is no exception.  Through the speech, the vivid descriptions of clothes and homes and the winning balance of fact along with fiction, she effectively draws readers into the time and place Beetle lived.  We can all relate to the universal idea of wanting to be valued and needed as Alyce finally was.  The author’s note at the book’s end about herbs and the practice of midwifery further drives home the true story behind the fiction of the story.

Book Review Excerpts:  “Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart. Earthy humor, the foibles of humans both high and low, and a fascinating mix of superstition and genuinely helpful herbal remedies attached to childbirth make this a truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literature.--Sara Miller, Rye County Day School, NY (In School Library Journal via NoveList).

“Fortunately, Cushman (Catherine, Called Birdy, 1994) does the fathoming for them, rendering in Brat a character as fully fleshed and real as Katherine Paterson's best, in language that is simple, poetic, and funny. From the rebirth in the dung heap to Brat's renaming herself Alyce after a heady visit to a medieval fair, this is not for fans of historical drama only. It's a rouser for all times.”  (Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 1995).

Awards: 

ALA Notable Children's Books: 1996
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 1995
Newbery Medal
Parents' Choice Awards - Story Books: 1995
School Library Journal Best Books: 1995
Young Reader's Choice Award (Pacific Northwest): Senior

Connections/Further Activities:

Constructing a diorama of a typical medieval English village can be a fun way to vividly illustrate how they actually functioned.

Further discussion of the herbs mentioned in the author's note could include bringing in samples of them and a general discussion of the benefits of herbal remedies.

Modern times have seen a resurgence in the popularity of midwives so, without getting too graphic, a further exploration of midwifery and it's evolution over time could be conducted.

Title Read-A-Likes/Further Reading:
Missy Violet & me - Barbara Hathaway
In a dark wood – Michael Cadnum
Matilda Bone – Karen Cushman
The door in the wall - Marguerite de Angeli

ONE CRAZY SUMMER

Bibliographic Information:   Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. 2010. New York, NY : Amistad. ISBN 978-0-06076088-5.

Summary:  In the summer of 1968, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters Vonetta and Fern are sent by their father from Brooklyn, NY to Oakland, CA to spend a month with their mother, Cecile, for the summer.  Cecile – also known as Sister Inzilla – is a poet and revolutionary who left the family after the birth of her third daughter and is resentful of the intrusion of their visit.  They spend time at the neighborhood People’s Center, run by Black Panthers, and Delphine begins to understand, if not totally agree with, her mother’s choices.

Critical Analysis:

One Crazy Summer is a moving book that does an excellent job of combining historical truth with a powerful story of one individual family’s experience.  The story of Delphine, Vonetta, Fern and their estranged mother, Cecile, is a touching one.  The girls have been raised by their father while their mother, a poet, has headed out to Oakland, CA for fulfill her own dreams that do not involve her children.  She is part of a local Black Panther group that is a foreign idea to her girls.

The story is set in 1968, a very important era of African-American history, especially in California.  The Black Panther Party is depicted very accurately in the narrative and the concept of one’s political views and affiliations affecting his/her entire life and perhaps altering it completely is at the forefront.  The story is presented in all its rawness without glossing over the ethical implications of Cecile’s actions.  Readers will probably empathize with Cecile to a point in that she wants to express herself artistically and be part of a powerful movement for justice that’s bigger than just her own little sphere.  The fact that she is leaving her children behind to do so will, however, reflect negatively on her with many readers. 

Even though the setting (1968 Oakland) is integral to the novel, the theme transcends the time period.  We get to know Cecile as well as her children intimately and can feel the pain of all those involved.  Wanting to have the love of one’s family – especially a parent who has abdicated his/her role – is a universal need and one all readers can understand. 

Book Review Excerpts:  “Set during a pivotal moment in African American history, this vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn, universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent’s love.” - Engberg, Gillian (Reviewed 02-01-2010 in Booklist, vol. 106, number 11, p 61).

“Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility. With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading.” —Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library --Teri Markson (Reviewed March 1, 2010 in School Library Journal, vol. 56, issue 3, p 170).

“The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page.” Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2010.

Awards: 

ALA Notable Children's Books - Middle Readers Category: 2011
Amelia Bloomer Lists - Middle Graders Fiction: 2011
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Middle Readers Category: 2010
Coretta Scott King Award (Authors)
Oprah's Kids' Reading Lists - New Releases: 10-to-12 Years
Parents' Choice Awards - Fiction: 2010
School Library Journal Best Books: 2010
Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award

Connections/Further Activities:
Pairing excerpts from age-appropriate documentaries about the Black Panther Party with the reading of the book will serve to help young readers visualize and better understand who members really were and what they stood for. 

Introducing other books/film clips about the racial tensions of the era (late 1960's) may serve to help students better comprehend why the Black Power movement began and flourished.

Title Read-A-Likes/Further Reading:
The rock and the river - Kekla Magoon
Keeping the night watch – Hope Anita Smith
Weedflower – Cynthia Kadohata
Power to the people: the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party - Jim Haskins
Women of the civil rights movement - Stuart A. Kallen

THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE K.K.K: THE BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP

 

 

Bibliographic Information:  Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. They Called Themselves The K.K.K : the Birth of an American Terrorist Group. 2010. New York, NY : Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-618-44033-7.

 

 

Summary:

The book details the beginnings of the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, TN during the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) of US history.  After the slaves were emancipated, groups of whites in the American south secretly banded together and terrorized them and their white supporters.  KKK activities spread across the south and persisted through much of the 20^th century, slowing over the last few decades as the civil rights movement flourished. 

 

 

Critical Analysis:

Bartoletti is a Sibert Medel winning, Newbery Honor author with sixteen books to her credit.  She has exhaustively researched the subject of the birth and history of the Ku Klux Klan and provides a steady, factual, non-emotional narrative that provides the facts and lets readers judge for themselves.  Resources accompanying the narrative include a six page Civil Rights Time Line, five pages of information on all the quotes provided throughout the book, seven pages of bibliographic and source notes and a three page index. 

Though the book doesn’t read as much like a fiction story as many informational books for youth do these days, it is still very inviting especially due to the number and variety of the illustrations accompanying the narrative.  Hardly a page goes by that a detailed illustration doesn’t help readers really “see” the story coming to life before them.  It’s an interesting story that encourages readers to ruminate on the Klan’s history as well as its current state and future and to perhaps be curious and intrigued enough to continue reading about the subject.  By calling the Klan an “American terrorist group,” readers are perhaps challenged to re-evaluate what their own definitions of being a “terrorist” really are.

 

 

Book Review Excerpts:

“This richly documented, historically contextualized account traces the origin and evolution of the Ku Klux Klan from a small mischievous social club into a powerful, destructive organization…Bartoletti effectively targets teens with her engaging and informative account that presents a well-structured inside look at the KKK, societal forces that spawn hate/terrorist groups, and the research process.”  - Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC (Reviewed August 1, 2010 in School Library Journal (vol 56, issue 8, p117).

“Bartoletti expertly weaves together original sources, testimony, newspaper accounts, with plenty of photographs and illustrations. to paint a portrait of terrorism. It’s a nice mix of primary sources to tell a story…” Elizabeth Burns in School Library Journal, Jan. 4, 2011 (from http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2011/01/04/review-kkk/)

 

 

Awards:

ALA Notable Children's Books - Older Readers Category: 2011

Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 2010

School Library Journal Best Books: 2010

Nominated for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.

 

 

Connections/Further Activities:

Incorporating excerpts from age-appropriate documentaries about the K.K.K – its formation and history – would help to vividly portray the group’s terrorist activities and its dark place in history.

Initiate a discussion of what students think makes a “terrorist” and why or why not the Klan fits this definition.

 

 

Title Read-A-Likes:

Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan : the True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate - Rick Bowers

1963 Birmingham Church Bombing : the Ku Klux Klan's History of Terror - Lisa Klobuchar

The Return of Gabriel – John Armistead

The Legend of Buddy Bush – Sheila P. Moses

Witness – Karen Hesse

When I Crossed No-Bob – Margaret McMullan