Title:  Sold
Author:  Patricia McCormick
Year Published:  2006
Publisher:  Hyperion
Author Link:  http://www.pattymccormick.com/
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Sold-Patricia-McCormick/dp/0786851716/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0821558-5052164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174538240&sr=8-1

Some stories you wish didn’t need to be told….but you know they MUST.  Sold, by Patricia McCormick is one of those stories.  Fictional, but based on researched events, McCormick draws the reader into the life of Lakshmi…a 13 year old country girl from India.  Because her stepfather wastes away their money gambling, and the monsoon has washed away their rice crop, Lakshmi is sent to the city to work for a family in order to help provide an income back home.  However, after traveling several days and through many towns, Lakshmi arrives in a city of poverty, where she soon learns that her work is not house work, but child prostitution.  She is starved, beaten, locked up and drugged before she finally must give in do her “work.”  Through Lakshmi’s story, we also learn about some of the other girls forced into this brothel, only to endure nothing but disgrace and abuse when and if they ever return home. 

McCormick has carefully constructed this tale with enough detail to help the reader understand the horrors of the sexual exploitation of young girls in India, but not so much detail that it’s inappropriate for teenagers.    Her poetic prose paints a vivid picture of the landscape, the people and the emotions that converge throughout this story.  This is a story that should not and will not be forgotten.  Sold is a powerful book that will make readers want to cry with despair and scream with anger, touching them deep in their souls.

Title:  The New Policeman
Author:  Kate Thompson
Year Published:  2007 in US.
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books
Author Link:  www.katethompson.info/
Amazon Link: www.amazon.com/Policeman-Costa-Childrens-Award-Awards/dp/0061174270

In the novel The New Policeman, time doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s side.  All the Irish villagers of Kinvara feel like they never have enough of it. For teenager JJ Liddy, time seems to be passing too quickly, with no time to practice his Irish music, no time to understand his family’s mysterious history, no time to hang out with his friends to go clubbing.  In fact, JJ’s mom’s only request for her birthday is to have more time.  In search of it, JJ finds himself in the magical and musical world of Tír na n'Óg, the land of eternal youth, that he thought only existed in fictional storybooks.  Here, there has never been any time…until recently.  Somehow, a leak has been created between these parallel worlds…a leak which brings time to Tír na n'Óg, and will eventually bring death, to the fairy world.  In turn this leak is taking away the hours of the “noddy” (human) world.   If JJ can help the fairies find the leak, then he can bring time back to his mother, and even solve a few family mysteries as well.  However, unbeknownst to JJ, as time is passing at a snail’s pace in Tír na n'Óg, it is flying by in JJ’s village, and his disappearance is causing great concern back home. 

Author Kate Thompson has carefully crafted a story that fuses together Irish history, folklore, music, and mystery.  The short chapters that end with traditional Irish musical score section create an interesting break in the tale.   Although there is a glossary included that contains of many of the Irish terms used in the novel, it would benefit students to have background knowledge of such words along with some Irish musical information to create initial curiosity in a story that could seem overwhelming without such knowledge.  It would even be fun to begin the book Reader’s Theatre style in order to generate interest.  Cross curricular connections with the music teacher would enhance the text even more.   Students usually not interested in fantasy may at first be bothered with the introduction of the fairy world, but wondering how JJ will find the leak and whether he will make it back to his home before too much time passes will move readers willingly through this book. 

Title:  Copper Sun
Author:  Sharon Draper
Year Published:  2006
Publisher:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Author Link:p   http://sharondraper.com/home.asp
Amazon Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Coretta-Scott-Author Winner/dp/0689821816/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0821558 5052164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177872776&sr=8-1

History books may tell you facts.  But literature involves you in stories.  Stories about love, suffering and hope.  In Copper Sun, we learn about the story of Amari, a vibrant young girl living in a village in Africa who is suddenly and violently taken from all that she loves.  While her tribe honors their pale-faced visitors with a welcoming ceremony, her family is killed, her village burned, and she is shackled to other village members by feet, hands and neck, led around like animals to their fate overseas, as slaves.  In this novel, we follow Amari’s journey from her beautiful homeland to the ultimate in ugliness.  Amari and the other women are raped repeatedly on the ship to America, and once there, she is sold as a “16th birthday present” to Master Derby’s son, Clay, where the torture continues.  Yet through this fate that seems worse than death, Amari is comforted first on the ship by Afi, a strong woman who instructs her to “find beauty wherever you can” to help keep her alive.  Then on the plantation in South Carolina, the cook Teenie cares for Amari, teaching her the importance of survival and her duty to pass on the stories of Africa to others.   But through all this, Amari can think of nothing but having her freedom. 

Amari also encounters a white indentured servant, Polly, who although not a slave, is bound to the Derby family for 14 years to pay for her dead parents’ debts.  Initially, Polly hates Amari, hates that she is assigned to teach her the language, hates that she must interact day in and day out with a slave.  But eventually, through alternating chapters told through her point of view, we discover that she realizes her learned perceptions are truly false, and Amari is as equal a human as she is, not some animal to be tortured.  The two become friends and that friendship is tested when circumstances on the plantation force them and Teenie’s four year old son to run away or face a fate even worse than they have had to endure so far.  With the help of some kind strangers and complete reliance on their own strength and spirit, the three children head south, instead of the typical north, to Fort Mose, a place they’ve only heard stories about, and are not even sure exists.  And although Amari inwardly begins to question her decision to go south, she outwardly remains strong and exhibits the strength she has learned from the women who initially gave her hope when she longed for nothing but death.  

Author Sharon Draper has written a story that all must read.  It takes the distance away from “history” and brings the reader into the hearts and minds of the characters, helping them experience the true horrors of the slave trade.   What some might have otherwise brushed off as a sad period of history, now will be enraged and sickened with the travesty that occurred.  Draper’s detailed description paints an African mural of pure beauty, sharing a life and time of love, affection and honor, in a tribe that people today would characterize as “uncivilized.”  Although fiction, Draper has completed extensive research over the years with hundreds of sources to create an accurate tale of life during slavery, and even lists websites and sources for further research.  Although this text could easily be digested independently by an upper middle school reader, the opportunities for discussion and the cross disciplinary connections with social studies makes this an excellent whole class read.   An important story for all to experience. 

Title:  Eggs
Author:  Jerry Spinelli
Year Published:  2007
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Author Link:   http://www.jerryspinelli.com/newbery_001.htm
Amazon Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Eggs-Jerry-Spinelli/dp/0316166464/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-0821558-5052164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177873750&sr=1-2

Fragile….that’s the word one would use to describe the two main characters in Jerry Spinelli’s latest novel, Eggs.  David is a nine year old boy whose mother died suddenly and Primrose is a thirteen year old girl whose mother is just plain strange and distant.  Both children put up facades of toughness, and yet both long for the love and affection of their mothers. David copes by ignoring the love of his grandmother and following his own rules, believing that if he follows all the rules, then maybe his mother will return to him.  Primrose copes by retreating from her mother, creating her own bedroom in an old VW van just outside her house.  She also likes to play “pretend,” going so far as making up a father who she has never even met.  Both push others away, until they find one another.  An unlikely pair, David and Primrose develop a love/hate relationship, pushing each other’s buttons, yet surreptitiously clinging to their friendship.  They often sneak out together at night to visit Refrigerator John, who gives them a retreat from their own homes and tries to keep them out of trouble.  But when David and Primrose venture off down the railroad tracks to visit the city and end up spending the night in the woods, they push all pretenses aside and show their true emotions, sharing the secrets that have been weighing them down and opening up themselves to heal their wounds.  

This is a touching tale of two children longing for affection and eventually finding it in each other and ultimately with the family who they’ve been pushing away.  Probably aimed more at upper elementary school, but because of the teenage main character, this book certainly could be used in middle schools, especially with struggling readers.  The short chapters are appealing and readers who have experienced any kind of loss or longing for companionship can readily relate to this story of friendship.  Teachers may want to use this text to help students enhance their compare/contrasting and character analysis skills by analyzing David and Primrose’s situations, emotions and actions.   This novel could also be paired with many of Spinelli’s other texts that deal with “outsiders” who don’t quite fit in with their regular peers.

Title:  Rules
Author:  Cynthia Lord                       
Year Published:  2006
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Author Link:  http://www.cynthialord.com/
           http://cynthialord.livejournal.com/
Amazon Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Newbery-Honor-Book-Cynthia/dp/0439443822/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0821558-5052164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177874836&sr=8-1

David has many “life rules” to follow.  Some seem obvious, like not putting toys in the fish bowl, some not so clear, like sometimes people are laughing with you, but sometimes they’re laughing at you.  But for David, none of them are easy to follow.  David is autistic, and in order to help him cope with this world, and create less embarrassment for her, his twelve year old sister, Catherine, has created a rule book for him.  Told through the eyes of Catherine, Rules, by Cynthia Lord is a story about life with an autistic family member. A life that never seems to be fair, a life where Catherine must always be on guard for her brother, a life where the only way she can sneak in quality time with her mother is at the her brother’s OT appointments.  While in the waiting room, she becomes acquainted with a paraplegic who cannot speak.  Jason uses a communication book, with limited word cards and pictures to “speak” with those around him.  Catherine uses her artistic talents to help him communicate better by creating more words for him.  But while their friendship develops, she must decide how far she wants it to go.  Is she willing to sacrifice her relationship with some “normal” classmates in order to pursue a more meaningful friendship with Jason?  

In her debut, award-winning novel, Cynthia Lord has created a very believable character in Catherine, who like any adolescent, just wants to be normal.  This need for normalcy creates the realistic struggle of her wanting to protect, but also wanting to ignore, her brother with autism.  This novel will appeal to all adolescent readers, but especially those who have connections with family members or friends with disabilities. The story is also visually appealing, as Lord describes the scenes with vivid, yet accessible, imagery.   In addition, this text would be excellent to use in a unit on disabilities to help students develop empathy as they learn about the normalcies and abnormalities of people with different disabilities.  Cynthia Lord has created a much-needed novel about an ever growing issue in our society. 

Title:  Harlem Summer
Author:  Walter Dean Myers
Year Published:  2007
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Author Link:  http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/myers.html
                       http://www.indiana.edu/~reading/ieo/bibs/myers.html
Amazon Link :  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0821558-5052164?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=harlem+summer

Walter Dean Myer’s latest novel, Harlem Summer, brings us into the heart of New York City during the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance, when black people openly began to create new identities for themselves beyond what the white public imposed on them.  Teenager Mark Purvis, who plays the saxophone and dreams of being a musician, spends his summer trying to define who he is and who he wants to become while also considering the ideas of his parents, colleagues and friends.   Trying to earn just a couple bucks and make a connection with known musician Thomas “Fats” Waller, Mark takes a job one evening unloading a shipment of what he soon learns is illegal whiskey.  He doesn’t know that this night would change the direction of his summer, and possibly his life, forever.  While the consequences of this one-time gig begin to grow and loom over him, Mark’s mom makes him take a reputable job at The Crisis, a journal founded by activist W.E.B. Dubois, where Mark is introduced to the concept of the New Negro, and he struggles to decide if this is what he wants to become.  Through this job, he his introduced to many African Americans who later become the pivotal leaders in the Harlem Renaissance, including befriending Langston Hughes.  But Mark may not need to worry much about his future, if the gangsters he’s now having to face in this unfortunate twist of events have their way with him.  Mark must figure out how to get himself out of this dangerous situation and get back to living the normal life he now longs for.

Myers has written an exciting historical tale that will have the reader glued to this novel until they learn the fate of the main character.  An excellent text to use when connecting with history, Myers’ detail and description paints a vivid picture of a heated Harlem summer and the musical, artistic and activist culture of this time period. His use of actual people of the Harlem Renaissance at the time when they’re just coming onto the scene but not yet “famous” gives the reader a unique perspective.  At the end of the novel, Myers includes a photo biography of all the actual people and places referred to in the novel, including gangsters, publishers, club owners, musicians, etc.  However, it would behoove the reader to know about these “characters” beforehand, bringing heightened interest to the text as they make their “cameo” appearances.  Although historical fiction, young readers will be able to relate to the universal theme of “identity” that the main character struggles with and how his choices affect the way he feels and is perceived by others.  An excellent text to use with middle school readers; the straight forward word choice makes it an excellent choice for readers who may struggle with difficult vocabulary. 

Title:  The Invention of Hugo Cabret           
Author:  Brian Selznick
Year Published:  2007
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Author Link:  http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/
 Amazon Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Invention-Hugo-Cabret-Brian-Selznick/dp/0439813786/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0821558-5052164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177946023&sr=8-1

With his father dead, and his uncle missing, twelve year old Hugo Cabret finds himself living alone in the walls of a 1930s train station.  He continues his uncle’s work of maintaining all 27 clocks from within the walls, while being forced to steal food and other items for survival.  With no school, no relatives and no more friends, Hugo spends his days well hidden, looking out at the people of the station through the clocks and trying to fix the one machine that connects him with his father, the automaton.  A couple months earlier, before Hugo’s father died in a fire at the clock museum, he showed his son this mysterious robot-like machine that when working properly, would write some sort of message.  With his father gone, and only his notebook of drawings to help guide him, Hugo is determined to get the automaton working, holding onto the hope that maybe his father programmed a special message that would be written by the machine.   But when Hugo is caught stealing some toys for parts for his machine, his ‘secret” life begins to be revealed, as the grumpy old man working at the toy booth takes his notebook, which contains drawings that make the old man enraged.  In his attempt to regain his notebook, Hugo encounters the man’s book-loving goddaughter Isabelle, who helps Hugo recover his notebook and eventually get the automaton working.  But what the machine creates with the pen does not reveal a message, but rather a mysterious picture that appears to outrage Isabelle’s godparents.  Hugo and Isabelle, along with their movie-buff acquaintance Etienne, are now on a hunt to unravel the mysteries of her godfather’s true identity.   And as they search out clues, they are also on a journey to discover their own purpose in life, eventually finding true friendship in each other. 

Selnick has created a unique text with his combination of words and pictures.     Unlike most picture books whose drawings are there to enhance the text, Selnick’s sketches actually replace the text, taking off where the words end, telling a story through pictures, until the next words appear, sometimes pages later.  The story itself is well crafted, with a firm balance of action, suspense and emotion, giving the reader a glimpse of 1930s France and the magic of the first movies ever created.  Although struggling readers may initially be intimidated by a novel of 500+ pages, with over half the pages revealing pictures and the textual pages containing an abundance of white space, students will actually delight in this rather quick read.  Although it could easily be used as an independent text, the use of the pictures to tell the story creates many opportunities for learning and classroom activities, including the strategies of Questioning and Inferring.  The drawings also lend themselves as prompts for various classroom writing activities and discussions.  Furthermore, the “credits” page at the end contains valuable information for further research. 

Title:  Standing Against the Wind
Author:  Traci L. Jones
Year Published:  2006
Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Author Link:   http://www.fsgkidsbooks.com/authordetails.asp?ID=Jones
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Standing-Against-Coretta-Steptoe-Talent/dp/0374371741/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0821558-5052164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177948861&sr=1-1

Everybody needs someone to care for them.  Someone to make them feel important.  Someone to make them feel loved.  For eighth grader Patrice Williams, that someone was her grandma; although old, she was all she had….until her mother shows up one day and takes her away from Georgia to Chicago.  Two months later, her mom is jailed for fraud.  Patrice is put with her Auntie Mae, who works all the time, and Patrice becomes responsible for all the chores and care for the younger children in the apartment.  Her absent brother and self-absorbed sister are no help.  Patrice feels she has no one to turn to in this city, where she does not fit in with her plain looks, “puffy” hair and “country” ways.  So when the principal at her school presents her with an opportunity to apply for a scholarship at an African American boarding school, Patrice jumps at the chance.  But she can’t complete her application without obtaining her mother’s signature, a task that seems impossible. 

But just when it seems like everything and everyone is against her, a boy in her building named Monty begins to befriend her.  He had always halted the boys in his “group” who taunted timid Patrice, but she never really knew why.  Then one day he asks her for help with his little brother, who needs tutoring.  Their acquaintance soon blossoms, and eventually Patrice realizes that Monty really cares for her as more than just a friend.  He protects her from the dangers of the city and helps her become stronger, while she in turn influences him academically, helping him bring up his grades.  Although he doesn’t want Patrice to go, he knows that it would be best for her to leave the city before more people notice her hidden good looks and she becomes a victim of her surroundings.  Monty becomes instrumental in helping Patrice complete her boarding school application. 

Told with authentic language and honest detail, the author has created a story that truly mirrors the struggles that many inner city children face on a daily basis.  The lively dialogue not only reveals true to life characters but also places the reader directly into the story.  Many girls will empathize with Patrice’s struggle with her unmanageable hair, and boys will connect with Monty’s strong and caring heart that he must mask with a tough exterior just to survive in the tough city environment.   Excellent as an independent read for upper elementary and middle school, or for use in literature circles, as it addresses the themes of urban life, perseverance, education, peer pressure, friendship and family.

Title:  Twisted
Author:  Laurie Halse Anderson
Year Published:  2007
Publisher:  Viking
Author Link:   http://www.writerlady.com/
                        http://halseanderson.livejournal.com/
Amazon Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/dp/0670061018/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0821558-5052164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177965949&sr=8-1

As indicated by the title of Laurie Halse Anderson’s newest novel, life for a teenager is often Twisted.  High school junior Tyler Miller makes a bad decision, vandalizing the high school with spray paint, and fellow students begin to think he’s cool.  But when he makes a right decision, by refusing to take advantage of a popular girl who throws her drunken self at him, he is accused of a crime.  And no matter what he does, he feels like nothing but a disappointment to his stressed out, work-obsessed, controlling father.  Tyler can’t think of anything else to do but to leave his town…and maybe even this world.  

With her latest novel, Anderson is back at the top of her game with a story that is so real, one could probably walk into any high school and recognize the “characters” she has created.  In fact, Anderson used her interactions with many high school boys to help her develop this story, and she succeeds in her attempt to “echoe and reflect their struggles and triumphs.”  But as the intro to the novel states, “This book is not for children.”  Dealing with the pressures of young adulthood, including drinking, sex, and suicide, are strong issues in this text, along with the ideas of bullying, family, character and loyalty.  Told in a similar style to Speak, the short segments, the witty delivery, the identifiable characters, the nail-biting climax, with a teenager’s life as its plot, Twisted is a text that all mature readers will connect with and appreciate, for once, feeling understood.

Blogs: Young Adult Literature

Liz Burns: A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

Shirley Harazin: Medwriter

Stacy Dillon: Booktopia

Jonathan Pearce: Your Gracious Balona Blog

Gail Gauthier: Original Content

Gail Giles: The YA Novel and Me

Linda Lowe: LoweBrow

Becky Laney: Becky’s Book Reviews

Emma Waters Summer Library

Reading YA: ReadersRants

IlanaWrites

YA-Review

Wordpress Blogs: Young Adult Literature

Judith Ridge: Misrule Blog

Slayground

Mechele R. Dillard: Suite 101

Jackie Parker: Interactive Reader

Bookburger

The Goddess of YA Literature

English Teaching

Vandergrift’s Young Adult Literature Page
Bibliography of readings on young adult literature, booklists, literary biographies, feminist materials

Myth Man’s Award-Winning Homework Help Center
All information to help students understand Greek mythology.

The Literary Link
In depth study questions for various well-known YA books. 
http://theliterarylink.com/yaauthors.html
Includes links related to various multicultural books and authors. 

Web English Teacher
The title says it all.  With hundreds of author links and lesson ideas for children’s and young adult literature.  Plus links for ELL, grammar, poetry, media, speech, and much more. 

Favorite Teenage Angst Books
Read books reviews for olders teenagers, arranged by themes.

Children’s Lit
Includes summaries of children’s, middle reader, and young adult lit organized by theme. 

Secondary English
Book reviews, articles, columns and powerpoint presentations.

Teenreads
Contains book reviews, new books to read, suggestions for creating your own book club. 

Booktalks – Quick and Simple
Find books descriptions and reviews arranged by title, author, subject, and level.  Also contains tips for conducting effective booktalks. 

Choice Literacy
Contains resources to help improve K-12 literacy curriculum

Reading Rockets
All things reading…for all ages.  Includes reading resources, lessons, news articles, webcasts, parent tips, author links, etc.

Readergirlz
A monthly book club for girls, giving the “inside scoop” from the authors and other links dealing with the issues presented in the book. 

Guys Read
An exciting site encouraging boys to read…all levels...with book suggestions. 

Reading Rants – Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists
As its title suggests, this site contains book lists and reviews according to unusual categories, such as Slacker Fiction, Out of the Closet, Teen Tearjerkers, etc. 

Laurie Halse Anderson Links
Links of interest on writing and publishing if you want to write for kids and teens. 

Harper Teen Fanlit
Contains a daily blog written by different YA authors about their texts. 

The Author Corner
A place to learn about authors and illustrators of children’s books.  Written for grades 2 to 10.

Literacy Matters
Designed for middle school and high school English teachers as well as content area teacher to provide research-based resources to improve literacy.  Includes lesson plans, links and professional development opportunities.  \

Reviewers Checklist
Online database to help children, teens and families find books by topic, publisher, series, etc. 

Middle & High School:  Literature in Mathematics
Contains a chart of books organized by the math topic being addressed. 

The Phrase Finder
Researches the meaning behind thousands of English phrases, idioms and sayings. 

Language Arts
An assortment of links for teaching activities in language arts, including cyberguides to some novels.

Just One More Book
Podcasts about an assortment of children’s books.

Fantastic Fiction
Bibliographies of thousands of authors and information about thousands of books.

English Units
Contains lesson plans for Oral language, Visual language and Written language units. 

The Cybils
Children’s and YA bloggers literary awards

Children’s Literature Web Guide
Contains everything from discussion boards, to awards lists to Reader’s Theatre links to resources for teachers, etc. 

Carol Hursts Children’s Literature Site
So much here, including book reviews, ideas for integration with other subject areas, ideas for theme work in the classroom. 

Book Wink
A unique and exciting site that uses videos and podcasts “on location” to introduce books to 3rd through 8th graders. 

Awesome Library – Middle High School Literature
Contains actual texts and curriculum ideas for often studied classics in middle and high school. 

Oyate
An organization that works to ensure Native Americans are portrayed accurately in literature.  Gives books reviews and criticisms along with suggestions by grade level.

American Collection Educator’s Site
There’s so much useful information here, including texts to use beyond the usual core, teacher recommended links to sources about particular authors, a database of American literature on video. 

Talk It Up!
Contains ideas for starting a book discussion group and hundreds of guides for YA book discussions. 

Comic Books for Young Adults
Written for librarians, it gives an argument for using comics in the library and contains many links about comic books of interest. 

Cynthia Leitich Smith's Children's & Young Adult Literature Resources
Interesting author interviews, lists of books about diversity, writer’s links, book recommendations and more. 

MrDonn.org
Great site for teachers, including a literature index, lesson plans and activities, free powerpoint presentations to use in the classroom

ATN Reading Lists
An assortment of YA reading lists, organized based on such categories as targeted audience, author’s lists, school subject, themes, values and my favorite, Read Alike..where you find the book you like and they give suggestions for similar stories you may enjoy. 

Internet Public Library for Teens:  Teenspace
A list of zines for teenagers. 

Collector’s Post:  Medieval Drama Links
Includes texts, information about costumes, set design and other theatre links.

Classics Technology Center -- Guides
Contains units of study for studying Greek myths and other classical literature. 

Gander Academy – Readers Theatre
Links of resources to conduct readers theatre in the classroom, including scripts. 

Linda’s Links to Literature
A subscription site that has lesson plans and activities to thousands of YA and children’s literature.  Also contains many free useful links and resources for teachers.

VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates
Website for the library magazine serving those who serve young adults. Includes booklists and reviews.

The Edge of the Forest
An online monthly journal devoted to children’s literature, with YA reviews, interviews with YA authors and more.

Brookline Book Review Podcasts
A compilation of book review podcasts created by students and teachers.  An exciting way to learn about new books. 

Blogs on Young Adult Literature

Most of the blogs listed contain reviews of YA books.  Some however go beyond this and discuss issues surrounding YA literature, including reviewing, writing and publishing.

Bildungsroman

Becky’s Book Reviews

OMS Book Blog

VVM Book Blog

The Goddess of YA Literature

Booktopia

Jen Robinson’s Book Page

YA Author’s Cafe

Emily Reads

Deliciously Clean Reads

Shelf Life

Amoxcalli

American Indians in Children’s Literature

Muller in the Middle

Reading YA:  Readers’ Rants

YALSA Myspace

Alternative Teen Services – Teen Lit Blog

Cynsations

Confessions of a Bibliovore

Class of 2K7 Blog:  Debut of Children’s and Young Adult Authors of 2007

Young Adult (and Kids) Book Central Blog

Random Reads

Sketch Blog:  Author of Ellie McDoodle

Big A, little a:  Children’s books, writing, and life

Read Roger:  The Horn Book Editor’s rants and raves

The heart of a Mother. The soul of a Reader.

A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy

Rene Saldana Jr.

Strange Encounters with the Seer: Author Linda Joy Singleton

Changelog@tengrrl.com--includes her “Lists of Ten” for English teachers.
http://tengrrl.com/blog/index.shtml

Listservs/E-mail Groups

Adbooks
Reads and discusses a new YA literature title every 2 weeks.

Middle_school_lit
Discusses new YA books and other topics around YA lit.  Includes authors, librarians, teachers and others. 

NCTE
A variety of listservs are posted here, including those for high school, middle school and elementary school English teachers. 

Child_lit
 “A discussion group convened for the express purpose of examining the theory and criticism of literature for children and young adults. The list exists for anyone interested in discussing aspects of these broad fields, including authorship, illustration, publication, promotion, readership, reception, criticism and literature's changing social functions and implications.”

Middle-lit
A listserv that includes many middle school teachers across the country sharing opinions and ideas about teaching literature to middle school students. 

Return to Page 1.