Books I’ve Taught

1. Books I’ve Taught • Here are some of the many books my students have raved about over the years. • I’ve included my Grade Level and Maturity Level Ratings Along With Reviews From Amazon.com.

2. 6th-8th Grade LevelRated G • The House on Mango Street is an interesting story about an adolescent Hispanic girl living in the barrios of Chicago in the 1980s. It is told in the form of vignettes that capture the essence of the main character, Esperanza Cordero, and is told in a realistic, first person format. It is an excellent coming of age novel that depicts different sources of happiness and sorrow for the main character in each "chapter". The book can be easily read by many age groups, and each will find something different in the story to relate to. • By Klay

3. 7th-9th Grade LevelRated PG • The tale follows the life and realistic adventures of Mexican-American Manuel Hernandez. Manuel's a good kid. He has a slacker older brother, an older sister that flirts with danger, and a baby sibling that doesn't understand the ways of the world just yet. His father is unemployed leaving him regularly drunk and belligerent. His mother, not quite up to facing the problems surrounding her, stays by his side despite the effects of his actions on the kids. But mostly this is Manny's story. It's a look at a sometimes painful adolescence and the world of classism and racism in which everyone lives. That and it's a beautiful read. • By E.R. Bird

4. 7th-9th Grade LevelRated PG13 • In a poetic, yet detached way, Maya Angelou captures the heart of her struggles growing up female and Black during the Depression. Neglected by their divorced parents, Maya and her brother get sent to Arkansas at ages 4 and 5 to live with their grandma and handicapped uncle. Maya and her brother are eventually united with "Mother Dear" in St. Louis when she is eight. Unfortunately Mother's boyfriend begins to abuse Maya. This is graphically portrayed in the book. Maya's feelings of not belonging and not being truly loved are compounded after the abuse. I admire all the autobiographical books by Ms. Angelou. She has achieved a lot in her life for a person who started out in such a sad situation. • By D. Mabey

5. 7th-9th Grade LevelRated PG13 • Elie Wiesel was removed from his home as a mere teenager when German soldiers took his Jewish family away from Transylvania and into the night. Elie, who was separated from his mother and sister at the dreaded concentration camp of Auschwitz, was forced to survive on his own in this new, terrifying world. Throughout Night, Elie Wiesel demonstrated the strength of his book and influenced you to enjoy the powerful writing of his book. • A Kid’s Review

6. 6th-8th Grade LevelRated G • This book is a breath taking story of unbreakable friendships, heroism, brotherly love, hardships, life, crime, and most of all, feeling like an outsider. In this book I guaranty you will find something you can relate to. I fell in love with Ponyboy and all his friends and family from the beginning. I've read the book at least five times and I own the movie. S.E. Hinton's writing is so beautifully descriptive, exciting, funny, and heartwarming, once you start reading this book you can't stop. This book isn't some stupid fantasy, this is a realistic story of hard, true life. I was shocked to find out S.E. Hinton was only 16 years old when she wrote this book! Hopefully you'll be as thrilled with it as I was. • A Customer