Denise+Lewis


 * T****itle:** The Talk-Funny Girl by Roland Merullo


 * Award:** Alex Award

Marjorie lives in rural New Hampshire with her parents who have secluded her and raised her in a cult like culture. Marjorie speaks a form of English that isolates her even further from her peers. When pressed by her parents to get a job, Marjorie is hired by a man (with the help of her Aunt) to help build what he calls "a cathedral" in the center of town. Slowly Marjorie is pulled out of the secluded environment and her life begins to change and she learns more about herself than she could possibly imagine.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Young Adult Fiction

Academic Expectation 1.11 Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.
 * Curriculum Connection:**


 * Promotional Activity:** Students will write their own fictional or non-fictional memoir.

ISBN: 9780307452924 Merullo, R. (2011). //The talk-funny girl//. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group.
 * Citation:**

Denise: Was this not the GREATEST book!? It's on my top 10 favorite books of all-time. Amazing read. I read it in a day. --Yes, I did love this book. I was so glad I picked it! (Denise)


 * Title:** The Crossing by Jim Murphy


 * Award:** Edwards Award

Jim Murphy's __The Crossing__ takes a historical figure, George Washington, and brings to life Washington's self-doubt and revels details about the American Revolution that paints a picture of what it must have been like for the first President of the United States in 1776. Using drawings and images, Murphy helps the reader make visual connections with the text and brings history alive.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Historical Nonfiction

AE 2.20 Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective.
 * Curriculum Connection:**


 * Promotional Activity:** Students will pick a historical event and write a short nonfictional story using the facts they discover while researching their historical event.

Murphy, J. (2010). //The crossing, how george washington saved the american revolution//. Raleigh: Scholastic Press.
 * Citation:**


 * ISBN:** 978-0439691864


 * Title:** The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson


 * Award:** Morris Award

Feeling as though she always lives in her sisters shadow, Elisa struggles with her own destiny that was bestowed on her as an infant. Elisa must face enemies she never knew she had and learn secrets that have been carefully hidden from her to fulfill a prophecy she isn't quite sure she is up to. Elisa learns more about herself during her quest for survival than she could have ever imagined all while trying to save a people in a land she barely can call home. This is a page turning novel that is the first of a trilogy.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Young Adult Fiction

Academic Expectation 1:2 Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.
 * Curriculum Connection:**

Write a response to the book in which you discuss how a character is like someone you know or how a character is like those in other books you have read.
 * Promotional Activity:**

Carson, R. (2011). //The girl of fire and thorns//. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
 * Citation:**

978-0-06-202648-4


 * Title:** The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie


 * Award:** Odyssey Award

This audiobook version brings the story of Arnold "Junior" Spirit to life with the author's authentic reading of his own work. The author, Sherman Alexie, a Native American himself, draws upon his own experiences to create this compelling novel and in the audiobook version, Alexie's narration serves to deepen the story for the listener as it allows the listener to connect with Junior as he experiences leaving the reservation and pursuing an education in a public school, something no one from the reservation has ever done. This is an inspiring story of perseverance and heartache and how one boy learns to overcome his challenges to seek out dreams of his own.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Young Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Academic Expectation 2.16 Students observe, analyze, and interpret human behaviors, social groupings, and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals and among groups.
 * Curriculum Connection:**

Based on the book, develop a comparative list of problems, issues, and concerns faced by the characters in the book and modem adolescents. Write a scenario which proposes a way of dealing with the problems.
 * Promotional Activity:**

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum+Documents+and+Resources/Academic+Expectations/Academic+Expectation+216.htm


 * Citation:**

Alexie, S. (2008). //The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian//. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books Inc.

ISBN: 978-1428182974


 * Title:** Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement by Rick Bowers


 * Award:** Nonfiction Award

This Nonfiction account of true events takes place in the 1960's during a time of great racial divide in the United States. The author uses authentic documents to inform the reader on how spies were used with government authority to assist in the continued destruction of African Americans and those who fought to end racial discrimination. This book is a reminder of what can happen when government powers go unchecked.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Nonfiction

Academic Expectation 2.20 Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective.
 * Curriculum Connection:**

Place yourself in the time period of the book. Analyze how you may have been able to influence the outcome of the situation had you been "an average person on the street." Examine ways in which you might use ideas developed in this activity to influence modern situations.
 * Promotional Activity:**

Bowers, R. (2010). //Spies of mississippi: The true story of the spy network that tried to destroy the civil rights movement//. (1 ed.). Des Moines, IA: National Geographic Children's Books.
 * Citation:**

ISBN: 978-1426305955


 * Title:** A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson


 * Award:** Printz Award

This well thought out poem takes an event in history, the death of Emmett Till, and uses emotion, imagery, history and personal commentary to produce a poem deep with imagery that combines event of the past, present and future. The author takes great care to provide the reader with imagery throughout the book as well as well thought out conscience explanations of her imagery in order to allow the reader to relate to the serious and disturbing events that took place and spurred the Civil Rights Movement.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Poetry

(RL.4) Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
 * Curriculum Connection:**

http://www.kde.state.ky.us/NR/rdonlyres/39021691-AF79-4263-9759-A5CD55A63E68/0/ReadingHighSchool.pdf

There is a long history of poets using their craft to draw attention to social problems or to protest local or national events. Have students write poems to express their opinions, thoughts, and feelings about a current social situation.
 * Promotional Activity:**

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/nelson_wreath.shtml

ISBN 978-0547076362 Nelson, M. (2005). //A wreath for emmett till//. houghton mifflin: boston.
 * Citation:**


 * Title:** Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue


 * Award:** The Bluegrass Award Grades 9-12

This novel chronicles five year old Jack as he lives out his life in a 11 foot by 11 foot room. The room is all Jack has ever known. He is trapped in an environment with his biological mother, Ma, and his biological father, Old Nick, who kidnapped his mother and has been raping her ever since. Jack's perspective is shaped by what he can see in his secluded environment, highlighting an interesting take on the world.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Young Adult Fiction

Academic Expectation 1.11 Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and information to different audiences for different purposes.
 * Curriculum Connection:**

Students will put themselves in Jack's shoes and write a narrative about the things they imagine they could see and hear given their enclosed environment.
 * Promotional Activity:**

Donoghue, E. (2011). //Room, a novel.// (1st ed. ed.). New York: Little, Brown and Company.
 * Citation:**


 * ISBN:** 978-0316098335


 * Title:** A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz


 * Award:** The Bluegrass Award Grades 6-8

Both gruesome and funny, Gidwitz takes the classic fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm and twists them into an adventure both young adults and parents alike can appreciate. Gidwitz focuses on Hansel and Gretel leave their own fairy tale and enter the world of eight other fairy tales.all while learning how to take charge of their own fate.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Young Adult Fiction/ Fairy Tale

Academic Expectation 1:2
 * Curriculum Connection:**

Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.

Students will investigate and compare and contrast the fairy tale characters in the book with those presented in traditional fairy tales.
 * Promotional Activity:**

Gidwitz, A. (2010). //A tale dark & grimm//. New York: Dutton Children's Books.
 * Citation:**

ISBN: 978-0525423348


 * Title:** Inheritance by Christopher Paolini


 * Award:** Ebook /NoveList K-8

In book four of the series, the teenager Eragon and his dragon Saphira face an epic battle with Galbatorix. The training and loss that has built up till now is all in preparation for their final battle for freedom from the stronghold ruler who enslaves all of Alagaesia. This is a gripping and suspenseful novel of speculative fiction readers find themselves immersed in a world of destiny, magic, elves, dragons and of course monsters of various kinds that all weave together
 * Summary:**

Young Adult Fantasy
 * Genre:**


 * Curriculum Connection:**

(RL.3) Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

http://www.kde.state.ky.us/NR/rdonlyres/39021691-AF79-4263-9759-A5CD55A63E68/0/ReadingHighSchool.pdf

Analyze how the characters develop over the course of the text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
 * Promotional Activity:**

Paolini, C. (2011). Inheritance. (1 ed.). New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
 * Citation:**

ISBN: 978-0375856112


 * Title:** The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan


 * Award:** Ebook/ NoveList K-8

Based in Greek Mythology, __The Lightning Thief__ takes places in modern times with twelve year old Percy Jackson as the main character. Percy is in all respects a normal boy with the exception that he is an outstanding swimmer. He discovers that he is a demigod, the offspring of the Greek god Poseidon and a mortal woman. In this first book of the series Percy goes on a quest to prevent a war from happening in a world previously unknown to him.
 * Summary:**


 * Genre:** Mythological Fiction

Academic Expectation 1:2 Students make sense of the variety of materials they read.
 * Curriculum Connection:**

Students will investigate and compare and contrast the mythological figures in the book with those presented in traditional Greek mythology.
 * Promotional Activity:**

Riordan, R. (2005). The lightning thief. (1 ed.). New York, NY: Miramax Books. ISBN: 978-0786856299
 * Citation:**