Out of Darkness

Perez, Ashley Hope. (2015). Out of Darkness. Carolrhoda Books: Minneapolis, MN.

Awards: Michael L. Printz Award

Lexile level: HL660L

Age: 14-18

Genre: Historical Fiction

Topics: New London, TX Explosion, 

Race Relations, Segregation

African-American, Mexican American 

Quote from Out of Darkness: "This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?"

Summary: Naomi Consuelo Coronado Vargas is the "dark step-daughter" of Henry Smith. Her mother past away when giving birth to the twins Robbi and Carrie. She becomes the caregiver to the twins, who she adores, and a maid to Henry, who she detests. Henry moves the family from San Antonio to the segregated town of New London, Texas to work for an oil company. Naomi feels sort of in between. She is not white like her brother and sister or black like the community in Egypt Town. She is the only Mexican at her school, and is constantly bullied and made feel inferior by her classmates and teachers. She falls in love with Wash, an African-American boy, but their love crosses the deadly line of color that bring atrocious consequences.  In 1937, the community of New London suffers the worst school disaster in American history. A gas pipe causes the school to explode, but the angry lynch mob needs to point the finger at someone, and they target Wash. They make his family pay for a crime they didn't commit, they are saved from hanging thanks to the presence of the pastor. When Henry finds out about the love relationship between Naomi and Wash he makes them pay with their life, and worst of all he makes his son Robbie participate against his will.   

Reader's response: The historical-fiction novel gives the reader an open-window view of the life of many individuals  that were effected by segregation during the 1930's in East Texas. The author's choice of words describe in great detail the fear of African-Americans and the feeling of insignificance by Mexicans. While reading this novel I felt, pity, anger, frustration, heart-broken and happy for the few moments that Naomi, the twins, and Wash shared together. The title of every chapter was the name of the character it was going to focus on. After finishing the text, the cover of the novel makes perfect sense, the long braid represents Naomi's identity. She wears her long braid to remind her of her mother and her ethnicity. She wears it proud even though the braid makes her stand out even more at school and gives her peers another reason to tease. Teachers can use this novel for cross curriculum activities between reading and history. It can be use to teach reading skills and to teach Texas history or U.S. history during  the segregation period.

Discussion Guide by Lerner Books

Other Books by Ashley Hope Perez:

Looking for Alaska

Green, John. (2005). Looking for Alaska. Penguin Group: New York, NY.

Awards: Michael L Printz Award

Top 10 Books for Young Adults

Grades: 9-12
Pages: 350

Genre: Fiction

Topics: Interpersonal relations, school, death, forgiveness

Summary: Mile Hartor, (who is fascinated by famous last words), makes the decision to drop out of public school and attend the prestigious boarding school in Alabama, Culver Creek, seeking a "Great Perhaps." Miles makes friends with his roommate, Chip Martin "Colonel", who is good at memorizing facts and despises the Weekend Warrior, the rich kids at school. He meets Alaska Young, an endlessly fascinating girl with erratic behavior. Alaska pulls Miles into her labyrinth, her pranks brings joy to his hopelessly boring life. While secretly and openly loving Alaska, he learns about her mother's death and the guilt she carries. One night, Alaska in an emotional distress leaves school with the help of her friends and dies in a car accident. Her death leaves her friends with unanswered questions, missing puzzles to her life, and guilt for letting her drive intoxicated. 

Reader's Response: The protagonist, Mile Hartor, narrates the story in first person. The book has two parts, the first half narrates events before Alaska's accident, the second half narrates events after. After the author acknowledgements, John Green provides deleted scenes as well as Q&A. The novel brings up many topics that teenagers experience on a regular bases in their own lives such as friendships, good and bad influences, trust, struggles, childhood experiences, love relationships and the feeling of invincibility. The novel lends itself for writing and small or large group discussions on how teenagers perceive themselves and each other and how adults perceive them. One of my favorite part of the novel was when the characters played the game "Best Day/Worst Day." Students can analyze causes and  and lasting effects for each character. They can also keep a journal to write about their worst and best days. 

John Green Official Site

Teacher's Guide by the Penguin Group

Audio Book by Brilliance Audio

Other Books by John Green:

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, Patrick. (2008). The Knife of Never Letting Go. Candlewick Press: Somerville, MA.

Awards: Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

              James Tiptree Jr. Award

Grade level: 9th and up

Lexile: 860L

Pages: 496

Summary: Thirteen year old Todd lives in the supernatural and eerie Presstintown, a place where  women don't exit and everyone can hear each other's thoughts loud and clear through a germ called Noise. Todd finds a hole in the Noise, where he can actually hear silence, no thoughts. The source of the silence is Viola, a girl, a survivor from the Old World. Both run away to escape the Noise as well as the Mayor Prentiss's army who is after them. Through their journey they come across aliens, sickness, and death itself. Todd and Viola tried desperately to reach the town of Haven, a safe place. When they finally arrive is deserted, except for Mayor Prentiss. He welcomes them and declares himself president of the New World Order.

Reader's response: The story is told by the protagonist, Todd, point of view. I have to say the book was full of surprises. What makes this story incredible is that the protagonist is being pursue, but his thoughts can be tracked. He has to be creative and wise not to get caught by his own thoughts, something no one can control. We all think to ourselves all the time, sometimes unconsciously.

Chaos Walking Triology by Patrick Ness: 

Doll Bones

Black, Holly. (2013). Doll Bones. Simon & Schuster: New York, NY.

Awards: Newberry Honor Book Award
Grade appropriate: 6th-8th
Pages: 244
Lexile: 840L
DRA: 60
Topics: Adventure, Friendship
             Dolls, Ghosts, Family Problems

Summary: Poppy, Zach and Alice have been best friends since childhood. Ever since they can remember they have been playing an imaginary game with dolls and action figures- a game that includes pirates, mermaids, warriors, and the queen that rules and curses everything and everyone, the Great Queen, a bone-china doll that sits in a cabinet in Poppy's house. Poppy has been having dreams about a ghost name Eleanor, she is the girl who's bones where used to make the Great Queen and is asking to be buried in her grave. Afraid to be cursed by the doll, all three friends set out on a quest to deliver the doll to her grave in East Liverpool, Ohio. Their journey brings them all kinds of trouble; stealing boats, bikes, breaking into a library, and their friendship is put on the line. Weird things happen in their journey that are unexplainable; people see the doll as a real girl, the doll dissapears and appears in unexpected places, and she enters their dreams to explain her story. Poppy, Zach, and Alice will go all the way to finish their quest even if it's the last game they play.

Reader's response: Doll Bones hits many important topics related to middle school age children. One of the topics is growing up. In the book Poppy compares growing up to dying. She feels that both Zach and Alice are changing, that they spend more time doing extra-curriculum activities than playing, she's afraid of loosing her childhood friends. Zach's dad is forcing him to grow up and throws away his action figures. The other topic it covers is friendship, this three characters have been through thick and thin together. They play their imaginative game because they truly have a passion for it, even though they are scared of being teased at school if anyone finds out. Family problems are a topic amongs all three characters; Poppy's parents are always too busy, Alice's grandmother is too strict, and Zach's dad comes in an out of his life.  First time crush also comes into play in the book, when Zach realizes Alice wants to be more than friends. Besides being a great, scary ghost story, the plot can relate to many young-adult readers.

 Other books by   Black Holly:

           

Liar & Spy

Stead, Rebecca. (2012). Liar & Spy. Wendy Lamb Books: New York, NY.

Subjects: Family, Friendship, Beloning, Bullying, Self-discovery

Grades: 6th-8th

Pages: 180

Summary: Seventh grader Georges moves to an apartment in Brooklyn, NY and has to adapt to changes in his life, his father's layoff, his mother's extra shifts at the hospital, and getting tease at school. He tends to keep his feelings to himself even when his dad gives him plenty of opportunities to "pour his heart out".  He meets Safer, a twelve year old boy spy and becomes his recruit. They both spy on Mr. X, who Safer assures is committing crimes inside his apartment. Safer teaches Georges how to be observant, search for evidences, and be a good liar. Safer pushes the limit when he decides to break in to Mr. X's apartment to investigate. Georges is put in  a tough spot, he doesn't want to commit a crime himself, but he doesn't want to loose his only friend. 

Reader's Response: The novel contains rich vocabulary through out the story such as premonition, spindly, exasperation, espionage, unami and much more. The novel can be use to teach unknown words using clues from the text. Just like Georges learned to be observant to become a good spy, students can practice their writing skills by writing their observations at school or at home. The main character was names after the artist Georges Seurat, students can research about Seurat and make a painting using pointillism.

Rebecca Stead Official Site 

Lesson Plans by Random House

Other Young Adult books by Rebecca Stead: