2.
Book Club
A Tale of Magic was absolutely wonderful!
​
Now I am starting to read The Black Friend.
​
Chapter questions to come soon!
​
​
Scroll through some of the books I have read! Along with their chapter questions.
​
George
​
This book is about a young transgender girl who wants the role of Charlotte in her schools production of 'Charlotte's Web'. This story explores the thoughts and feelings of a young girl born in the wrong body. What's great about this novel is that it talks about the narrators struggles around dealing with social structures of gender and what it means to a grade 5 student, without diving into sexual attraction or anatomy. Sweet and short, this story touches on something everyone can relate to; a feeling of belonging while being true to yourself.
​
Grade Level: 3 - 7
​
Activities:
-
Perspective taking: How would you feel if you were born in the wrong body?
-
Self Love:
-
Write a letter to yourself, including all the things you love about yourself and what makes you special.
-
Ask students to write a letter to a classmate listing all the amazing things about them.
-
In groups, ask students to think of 5 positive words that describe their group members individually.
-
-
Art: Melissa struggles with clothing. Can you create an outfit that she would love! What would be your fantasy outfit?
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
​
This is a story about a girl who goes through a devastating change in her life. Coyote and her father, Rodeo, choose to sell everything and go on a never ending adventure in their travelling home; a school bus. This story touches on loss, friendship, family, motivation and what really matters in life; living with love and cherishing those close to you.
​
Grade Level: 5 - 7
​
Activities:
-
Ask students to create their own three questions they would ask before letting someone on their bus.
-
Create a travel guide of their journey throughout the book. Where do they go? What cities do they visit? Where do they stop to eat or swim?
-
Have students create their own memory box. What would they put inside it and why? What significance do the items hold?
-
Have students create a home inside a box. Coyote's memory box is filled with the feeling of "home", so ask students to recreate the same feeling. This can also be opened up to allow students to represent their family however they want.
A Tale of Magic​
​
A fantasy that explores racism, oppression, sexism and so much more in an approachable and age appropriate way. This book addresses these issues with a beautiful story of friendship and learning to love yourself. Brystal finds out she is a fairy and is recruited to an academy for magic, something that is outlawed and seen as dirty and disgusting. As she learns about dangers that lurk beyond her kingdom, things turn out to be more complicated than she imagined.
​
Grade Level: 5 - 7
​
Activities: ​
-
Students can engage in inquiry based research projects on what oppression, racism and discrimination is.
-
Asks students to find these examples in the real world and make connections between what happens in the story to real life events.
-
Have students create a self-love plan. What do they imagine their true selves to look like? And how can they work their way towards being that true self! Much like Brystal's transformation from future wife to a leader in the magical community.
The Unteachables​
​
A realistic fiction that explores a class full of misfits. This class of misfits includes students that nobody else wants, one with an angry problem, one who can't read, one who isn't even enrolled and more. Led by a teacher who only cares about coffee and crossword puzzles, this class comes together as they defy their stereotypes and learn to love themselves and one another.
​
Grade Level: 4 - 7
​
Activities: ​
-
Address student stereotypes and how we can work towards breaking those stereotypes down.
-
Learn about character development by following and documenting the changes one of the characters goes through.
-
Passion projects that address students interests. Create science projects based off of their passions.
-
Write stories that follow the characters after this book. Where will Mr. Kermit or Aldo go next?
Pet​
​
This story is set in the future after a revolution surrounding social injustices like the Black Lives Matter movement and more. Jam is living in this utopia of safety, lead by their community 'angels' when she is forced to going hunting for a monster they all thought to be extinct. Themes of injustice, good vs. evil, child abuse and more come up throughout the book. I really enjoyed this short read and would use this as a class read aloud (to edit out the three swear words in the book). Whats beautiful about this book is that the characters are so diverse and that their diversity does not become the plot.
​
Grade Level: 5-7
​
Activities: ​
-
Address student stereotypes and how we can work towards breaking those stereotypes down.
-
Learn about character development by following and documenting the changes one of the characters goes through.
-
Class debates on knowledge, good vs. evil, monsters and angels and more.
-
Research projects into what/who are considered monsters and how can we work towards fighting those monsters.
-
Research projects/activities on real 'angels' that do the work to fight these monsters.
The Black Friend
​
This book was written to help white people understand what it is like being Black in the world. Through the life events of the author, Fredrick Joseph, and interviews he has with other Black artists/creators/activists, he tells the terrible tails of what it was like growing up in America and how everyone can change their perspectives to make the world a better place. My suggestion is to read with a more mature and passionate audience, and watch out for the odd bad word. The 'N' word is used in this book for truthful re-tellings and accuracy. Do not use that word with your students.
​
Grade Level: 6+
​
Activities: ​
-
Address student stereotypes and how we can work towards breaking those stereotypes down.
-
Learn about character development by following and documenting the changes one of the characters goes through.
-
Create a shortened list of how to be a better person.
-
Research projects on BIPOC lives.
-
Branch out to other minorities and create a booklet on how to learn about the struggles they encountered.