Age 14
I resisted these books for years, thinking they were not quality. Boy, was I wrong. I absolutely love this series and have read it many times. One of the most impressive things to me is how good a writer Rowling is—she mentions things in book one or two, then fully develops them into plot twists in future books. The attention to detail, humor, characterization, and gifted storytelling combine with a novel setting to make each book a compelling read.
This first book introduces Harry to the wizarding world. I love the descriptions of secret passageways and quirky castle magic and Harry’s whole introduction to this life. An important point to note about this series is that books 1-3 are more benign. The story gets increasingly dark with subsequent books.
Click for Discussion QuestionsWhile my focus is chapter books, this picture book is worth mentioning. A friend gave it to me in college as we frequently despaired over the brazen lack of etiquette in society. In fact, we saw a disproportionate number of these very things happen on the streets of NY.
The pictures are awesome; the text is amusing (and informative). I chuckle every time I read it.
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William, one of many children evacuated from London during the WWII bombings, finds a refuge in the country. Abused, frightened, and withdrawn as a result of his mother’s treatment, William responds to the patience and kindness of Mr. Tom, blossoming into a healthy boy, friendly boy with artistic talent.
For the most part, the story paints an encouraging picture of how a child responds positively to his nurturing surroundings. It also gives historical information about the war in terms of child evacuations. Be warned that William shows signs of physical and emotional abuse. William is reunited briefly with his abusive mother, and his disturbing living conditions are described in detail.
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Jonah lives contently in a carefully controlled world until he learns details of the world beyond and past from a man in his community. As Jonah learns more about this foreign world and foreign ideas, he becomes more alive, even though his life is made more difficult as a result.
This book provides an interesting look at a regulated world in which choices, emotions, the unexpected, and desires are all planned for and managed. Wouldn’t it be great if there were no suffering in our lives? Well, yes, but look what it takes to get there. The book explores the consequences of an “ideal” world, making for excellent discussion about the tradeoffs of a life of freedom.
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Self-conscious, 13-year-old Marcy deals with a poor self-image, a tyrannical father, and an enabling mother. Her life begins to change with the arrival of a new English teacher, Ms. Finney, who challenges her ideas about everything. When Ms. Finney is suspended, Marcy finds herself in a new position at school and at home in which she can no longer sink into the shadows.
One thing I like about this book is how Marcy learns about having the courage to stand up for what you believe in. Her process of acquiring this knowledge is quite overt, and conversations about it are blunt, which makes it easy to see. You can dig the groovy 70’s lingo, too.
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Margaret moves with her family from NYC to New Jersey, in part, she suspects, to separate her from her grandmother’s influence. The story focuses on Margaret anticipating puberty and her struggles with trying to choose a religion since she has been raised as “nothing.”
Both Margaret’s sixth grade year and her girls’ club focus on eagerness to grow up and make grown-up decisions. As I read this book, it made me think how important it is to give our kids the tools to make good decisions before they need to make them. In the story, Margaret feels pressure to identify the right religion, learns not to make assumptions about people, and feels pressure to leave childhood.
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Wow, there is a lot in this book. In fact, there is so much that I would say this is probably suitable for ages 11 and up, even though the main character is 10. Sally Freedman, lover of movie stars and full of imagination, makes a temporary move with her family to Florida for her brother’s health. Her adjustment to the change, the new things she is exposed to there, and growing into the world form the majority of the book. We see an insider’s view of family life in the late 1940’s, complete with stereotypes.
Here are some of the topics covered in the book so you can make up your own mind: Hitler, how Jews were killed, drinking alcohol, racism, breasts, kissing, teenage pregnancy, and where babies come from. As you can see, this book has a lot going on. In fact, it is a little overwhelming from a parent’s point of view. Great fodder for discussion, though!
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