These are great ideas. Bernie, I would love to hear what your teachers settle
on as a replacement for To Kill a Mockingbird.
-Susanne
On Feb 27, 2019, at 11:08 AM, Andrea Kneeland <akneeland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I think Brown Girl Dreaming has been out long enough to be considered a
contemporary classic. It has a layered richness for literary analysis, but is
very approachable for varying levels of reading ability
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Zeale Hurston is a strong contender -
although if you have mixed reading levels, it might be difficult; unless you
have access to Learning Ally or some other mechanic for audiobooks.
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is also a possibility
Our tenth graders read A Lesson Before Dying; the Lexile is reasonable, but
the themes might be intense for eighth graders.
There are lots of really great contemporary texts, but those are some
suggestions for classics! Would love to hear what you end up choosing.
Best,
Andrea Kneeland
Library Media Specialist
4660 Harbord Drive, Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 450-1110 x. 122
hnhsoakland.org
Currently Reading
Visit the HNHS Library Amazon Wishlist
On Wed, Feb 27, 2019 at 10:53 AM Amy Pelman <Amy.Pelman@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Bernie. :)
Is Christopher Paul Curtis (Bud Not Buddy, Bucking the Sarge, Watsons Go to
Birmingham etc) too young? Otherwise, I think he would fit the bill...
Also consider
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Brown Girl Dreaming, or After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
The Skin I'm in by Sharon Flake
--Amy
Amy Pelman
Upper School Librarian
The Harker School
500 Saratoga Avenue
San Jose, California 95129
408.345.9296 phone
amy.pelman@xxxxxxxxxx
From: baisl-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <baisl-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of
Cressida Hanson <chanson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 10:05 AM
To: baisl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [baisl] Re: African-American literature for Grade 8
Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Also, Sunrise Over Fallujah.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes. It's an "easy" read technically (I read
it in an hour) but it will bring up much conversation. Black Lives Matter,
Emmett Till, and so forth.
I adore "Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler but that's better suited for HS.
Cressida Hanson
Librarian, Yearbook Adviser, 7th Grade Adviser
Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School
450 San Antonio Road | Palo Alto, CA 94306
650.494.8200 x421 | hausner.com | Facebook
On Wed, Feb 27, 2019 at 9:46 AM Bernie Morrissey
<Bernie.Morrissey@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Any suggestions on a seminal piece of literature by an African-American
author that would be accessible to 8th graders of varying ability levels
and also somehow be considered a classic? I have the entire Mildred Taylor
oeuvre under consideration, but hope to have as many options as possible.
This would potentially replace To Kill a Mockingbird in our curriculum.
Thank you for your help.
Bernie Morrissey, Librarian
Pronouns: He/ him/ his
The Harker School, Middle School Campus
3800 Blackford Ave
San Jose, California 95117
408.553.0310 direct phone
408.248.2502 fax
Bernie.Morrissey@xxxxxxxxxx
http://library.harker.org/middlelibrary
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