Mini-Expert Project

An Annotated Bibliography

Young Adult Titles That Can Be Integrated Into An American Studies Program

 

Statement of Purpose

I chose this project, in part, because the team leader for our American Studies department had enlisted our help to find novels with a war theme that would present an American perspective, and be accessible and of interest to a wide variety of students.

I was pleased to see Soldier's Heart on our reading list, and hoped that it would be a book I could recommend. It turns out it's a wonderful book, with a protagonist that should appeal to boys and girls, avid readers and those who struggle.  This started me on a quest to find more books that I could recommend to our American Studies team.  This modest bibliography is the result of that quest.

Criteria for Selection

Ø     An American author

Ø     Setting of the novel fits within the chronology established in the California History-Social Science Framework for Grade 11 (approximately 1776-present)

Ø     Regardless of when it was written, subject matter and tone of the novel has appeal for contemporary teen readers

Ø     When possible, themes tie into novels and/or units currently taught in our American Studies program

Ø     When possible, under 250 pages in length

Ø     A variety of reading levels among books chosen

Annotated Bibliography

               Anderson, L.H.  (2000).  Fever 1793.  New York: Scholastic Inc. (252 pp.)

This novel will give students a unique look at early American history, through the eyes of a teenager who lives through one of the worst epidemics this country has ever known--the yellow fever outbreak of 1793.  It is set in the bustling city of Philadelphia, with people fleeing in every direction, yet Anderson writes a story that is absolutely personal, with a protagonist who is not unlike modern teens in many ways.  Written in first person, and filled with big chunks of believable dialogue, this is a very good read.

Intended for younger readers, this novel is set during the American Revolution, and would be a good way to get non- or reluctant readers interested in this subject.  It would be a good read-aloud book, and the narrative structure lends itself to discussions of short segments at a time.  An interesting point of view through a protagonist "soldier" who is only 13.  Good use of realistic settings.

               Collier, J.L., & Collier, C.  (1974).  My brother Sam is dead.  New York: Scholastic Inc. (216 pp.)

Although dated, when this book came out, the New York Times Book Review read, in part, that this novel "assumes for once that children can think."  It is accessible and of interest to reluctant readers, and it does a nice job of illustrating the difficult choices that families had to make when talk of an American revolution against the English king turned to action.  Tim's older brother Sam is for it, their father is against it.  This tension is well developed, as are the characters, and the Colliers manage to put a more complex face on a war that is often taught through black and white lessons.

               Cormier, R.  (1998).  Heroes.  New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf. (135 pp.)

This is not just a great book to teach during a unit on WWII, it could really be taught at any point in the year.  Although the setting is a small town just after the war, there are many themes in this novel--loyalty, revenge, forgiveness, heroism--that lend themselves to rich discussions apart from the book's milieu.  Teen readers will be drawn in from the first sentence:  "My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and I have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and I have no face."  Powerful and unsettling, this story taps into some of our deepest archetypes.

               Crew, L.  (1990).  Children of the river.  New York:  Delacorte Press.  (213 pp.)

This is a wonderful book to teach during a unit on immigration.  Nearly all of our students will identify with Sundara, who fled Cambodia to escape the brutality of the Khmer Rouge, and start a new life in America.  They will identify with her even if they are not recent immigrants, because Sundara's struggle to fit in, to be with the boy she loves, and to deal with the loss of her family are familiar issues for our students.  An excellent book, filled with poignant sorrows, but which leaves the reader "shimmering with hope."

               Curtis, C.P.  (1999).  Bud, not Buddy.  New York: Delacorte Press. (243 pp.)

Any book that has the protagonist carrying around "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself" has to pique your interest.  Although written with readers a few years younger than the target audience for this bibliography in mind, this would be a great book to use with reluctant readers.  In particular, this would be an interesting book to pair with Out of the Dust in a lit. circle setting--these are two very different looks at Depression-era America.  Bud's rules serve him well on his great adventure to find what he hopes is his long-lost father, a jazz musician with the Dusky Devastators of the Depression.  Wise and funny, and irresistible.

               Hesse, K.  (1997).  Out of the dust.  New York: Scholastic Press.  (227 pp.)

This is a beautifully crafted novel.  A masterful 227 pages of prose poems that movingly reveal to us the difficult life of Billie Jo, barely a teenager during the Great Depression, growing up in an Oklahoma swirling with dust, yearning for rain.  This will be a book that many students will read in one sitting--it is very compelling, and painfully real.

               Marino, J.  (1991).  The day that Elvis came to town.  Boston: Little, Brown and Company. (204 pp.)

This novel would be an interesting companion to To Kill a Mockingbird, as it explores racism in 1960s America, but within the context of a lively story about a young girl who idolizes Elvis Presley.  Along comes Mercedes, a jazz singer who is half black and claims to have connections to the King, and a complex relationship between the two girls slowly unfolds.

               Myers, W.D.  (1988).  Fallen angels.  New York:  Scholastic Press.  (309 pp.)

Many reviewers have called this one of the best novels about Vietnam to come along in a generation.  Myers has a great ear for realistic dialogue, and his liberal use of it moves this story along as the reader gets caught up in the horrifying events experienced by protagonist Richie Perry.  17 and just out of basic training, Richie discovers all of the hard truths about war, and begins to ask questions that deal with racism and America’s involvement in Vietnam.  Vivid, stunning details throughout.  Could be paired with The Red Badge of Courage.

               O'Dell, S.  (1990).  Sing down the moon.  New York:  Dell Laurel-Leaf. (124 pp.)

A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year, this novel is a gem.  The language is clean and straightforward, making the complexity of the issues easy for students to approach in classroom discussions.  Told from the point of view of a teenage Navaho captured by Spanish slave traders, the action is compelling and sheds light on the horrific effects of forced relocation.  Set in the 1860s, with concrete descriptions of the land and its importance to the Navahos.

               Paulsen, G.  (1998).  Soldier's heart: Being the story of the enlistment and due service of the boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesota Volunteers.  New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.  (106 pp.)

A wonderful novel to include in the Civil War unit.  The descriptions of what goes on in Charley's head are reminiscent of Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front.  Paulsen pulls no punches when it comes to the battle scenes--vivid and often disturbing.  The poignant ending reminds us that even those who survive a war have had something precious stolen from them--youth and the hope that sustains us.  This novel is made more powerful by the knowledge that Paulsen's fiction is based on the story of the real Charley Goddard who fought in the Civil War and died at the age of 23.

               Sebestyen, O.  (1983).  Words by heart.  New York:  Bantam.  (144 pp.)

An interesting companion to To Kill a Mockingbird, this award-winning novel centers on a young girl who must find a way to understand the prejudice that comes her way as a member of the only colored family in a small southern town.  The title refers to the Biblical scripture that Lena has memorized for a contest that will show everyone how special she is.  Instead, she faces violence and hatred, and has to decide how she will respond.  Set in the early 1900s, this is a quick read.

Additionally, these two short story collections are wonderful:

               Brown, W., & Ling, A. (Eds.).  (1991).  Imagining America: Stories from the promised land.  New York:  Persea Books.  (370 pp.)

From the book jacket:  "This multicultural anthology of thirty-seven short stories from 1900 to the present follows the waves of immigration into and migration within the United States and reflects the astonishing richness and diversity of American culture.  Here is a medley of different voices speaking in powerful stories by some of our best fiction writers--African, Asian, Latino, Native American, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and European.  Each is unique to its time and circumstance, yet all grapple with a common dilemma: how to reconcile America's mythologized 'promise' with its come complex reality."  (Most are for readers who are at grade level or above.)

               Helprin, M.  (1976).  Ellis Island and other stories.  San Diego:  Harcourt Brace & Co.  (196 pp.)

A remarkable collection of 11 stories--ten shorter stories and an eponymous novella--written by a writer in such control of his craft that it's often hard to keep moving through the book because it is so tempting to linger over his sumptuous prose.  For more sophisticated readers, this could be a wonderful literature circle book, with each participant reading a different story, then coming together to discuss themes and connections among them.  Or just read "Ellis Island" aloud--a powerful way for students to put names and faces on all those tiny figures standing against the railing of a ship bound for the Statue of Liberty.

 

---

A few useful web sites related to historical fiction:

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/historical.htm

http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~soon/histfiction/#ya

http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/social1.htm