Sold

McCormick , P. (2006). Sold . (1st ed., p. 263). New York : Hyperion.

Sold is about Lakshmi, a 13 year old girl living in Nepal. Her family is very poor and she is eventually sent to India to work as a maid, or so she thinks. She is actually sold into prostitution and can't leave until she pays her debt. Mumtaz is the owner of the brothel and is very cruel to Lakshmi and the other girls. The book is written into small, about 1-2 pages, of entries, each with a title. It is about her day to day life and the unimaginable struggles she faces. An American eventually comes to try and save Lakshmi but the girls in the brothel have been tricked into thinking that anyone who says they want to help are lying. 

There is an Author's note at the end of the book giving brief facts about girls that are sold into the sex trade. This book would be good for middle school students to read because it would open their eyes to things that are going on in the world that they didn't even know about. Students often do not have a chance to read books that take place in the Middle East. It is important that students read books from all over the world so that they can begin to build an understanding of different cultures around the world. This book could also tie into Women's Rights and how many countries still have a long way to go. 

The Battle of Jericho

Draper, S. (2004). The battle of jericho . (p. 337). New York: Simon Pulse.

The Battle of Jericho is about a black high school student, Jericho, who is invited to pledge an elite club. Jericho wants to impress a girl that he likes and he believes the Warriors will give him more status. Jericho, his cousin Josh, and friend Kofi, are all thrilled when they are asked to join the Warriors of Distinction. Although the Warriors do a lot of service in the community, some things are kept secretive that the town overlooks. When pledging starts, Jericho starts to realize that some of the things the Warriors have him do during hazing, he is not ok with. Jericho is asked to steal and instead of saying anything, he goes along with it. By the end of the book, the hazing goes too far and someone ends up seriously injured. 

This book is easy for middle schoolers to relate to because of the want to fit in. Jericho and his two friends are willing to do just about anything to join the Warriors of Distinction. Bullying has been a serious issue in schools and this shows students that not saying anything when you know something is wrong can lead to serious consequences. This book could be an option to read in a literature circle because students can discuss the things that Jericho goes through and relate it to their own lives. 

The Story of Jonas

Dahlberg, M. (2007). The story of jonas. (1st ed., p. 146). New York : Farrar Straus Giroux.


The Story of Jonas was a Mark Twain Award Nominee in 2009-2010 and is about 13 year old Jonas who is a slave in Missouri. Although he likes his master and hopes to one day become his personal slave, Jonas is sent with his master's son, Percy, to Kansas to dig for gold. Percy is very cruel and Jonas does not want to travel to Kansas with him. Jonas meets Miss Sky who teaches him to read and write. As Jonas learns more, he begins to understand freedom and dream of it. 

There is an Author's Note at the end of the book that briefly talks about the Gold Rush and which states were slave states. This book could be easily tied into a social studies class because of all the history the book brings up. Students could read this book when learning about slavery or the Gold Rush in social studies. Because it is set in Missouri and Kansas, state history of the two could be stressed. This book also stresses the importance of reading and writing which could be an important theme to stress to students. 

The 

Confucius

Freedman, R. (2002 ). Confucius. New York: Scholastic Press

            Confucius, by Russell Freedman, is about Confucius’ life and teachings. It talks about China at the time and some of the history there. It touches on the fact that many people make fun of Confucius and his teachings but the book points out that many of our country’s ideals are based off his teachings. The book also discusses how during his time, Confucius was not appreciated for his writing but they live on today, thousands of years later. The illustrations show Chinese culture and explain some of the teachings of Confucius.

            This book is a longer picture book and written for older students in middle school. It covers great teachings that middle schoolers should learn. This book shows Chinese culture and an important philosopher in not only China’s but the whole world’s history. I think this would fit into a lesson introducing different cultures. The book shows the importance of history and making a difference even after you have left the earth. 

Gandhi

Demi. (2001). Gandhi. New York: Maragret K McElderry Books.

            Gandhi, by Demi, is the story of Gandhi and his life. It starts at the beginning with where he was born and his family. It describes the work he did and the different people he fought for including black and Indian people and women. The main focus is about Gandhi and his fight to end British oppression. There are several history events including the Amirtsar massacre and the Salt March. Gandhi’s message of nonviolence is stressed throughout the book and is a great message for middle school students. This story shows that even though the British used violence, Gandhi stood behind his beliefs and practiced nonviolence.

            I would use this book in my classroom because of all the history and the important message that it contains. Because Gandhi is from India, it is very informative about some of the history and culture of India. I love how Gandhi’s message of nonviolence is stressed throughout because there were so many times Gandhi could have given up and become violent but didn’t. I also like how it discussed how important Gandhi was not only in India but the entire world. It is important for students to read about heroes from different cultures and not just their own. 

My People

Hughes, L. (2009). My people. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

            My People, by Langston Hughes, is Hughes’ poem, “My People,” with different pictures, taken by Charles Smith Jr, of black people; young, old, men, women, children, adults, etc. The poem is short so there are only two to three words on each page. There is a page at the end that explains why the pictures were chosen and why only black people are in it. It explains that Hughes wrote the poem in the 1920s to celebrate his culture. This book emphasizes that everyone is different but still beautiful.

            I would use this book to introduce a poetry section. I like how this short poem was turned into a book. This book would also be good to teach students about diversity. Black students will be in my classroom so I want to be able to incorporate as many different cultures and races into my curriculum. It is so important for students to learn that everyone is different and we need to embrace each other’s differences. You could also use this book to introduce a chapter book about the Civil Rights Movement or a different part of history involving equal rights. 

Traveling Man

Rumford, J. (2001). Traveling man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

            Traveling Man, by James Rumford, is the story of Ibn Battuta and his pilgrimage to Mecca. He travels through Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, India, and several other countries starting in 1325. He describes the people he meets and the things he encounters. He is faced with challenges but also rewarded with gifts. This book emphasizes the many rewards for traveling and the memories that come with it. The illustrations are also very pretty and show different cultures and clothes that people typically wore in each country. Ibn finds himself and learns many lessons along the way of his journey.

            This story is very original and gives a different perspective than what we are use to reading about. I like this book because it incorporates so many different countries and the different wonders of them all. I would like to use this story when covering story telling because it is all about his journey of Ibn Battuta. I would use this if students were writing stories of their own to show different writing techniques. I also like the glossary at the end of the book because students can use that to learn about history and the map shows all the countries he visited.