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If you were to teach teens at a cultural center, what books would you suggest they read, other than vampire and dystopian (Hunger Games)? Are you able to provide ten books you think would be suitable for kids, between the ages of say 13 to 17, or thereabouts?

I'm glad you asked this, because my husband recently wrapped up his year-long participation as a volunteer teacher at a local program to help Burmese immigrant students learn English, get better at reading, and succeed with their school work.

He found great success by using the Bone graphic novel series by Jeff Smith. The pictures helped clue the students in to what they were reading about, giving them the patience to decipher the text. It is also hilarious, and the characters are well created. After spending the allotted time working on reading, they are allowed to play computer games. Every time a student got enmeshed in the Bone series, that student wanted to forgo the earned computer time (that is supposed to be a reward) to continue reading. I call that a win.

He also got a wonderful response from the students to Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. He brought the box of copies of this book that he was to give out for World Book Night, thinking only a few of the kids would be interested, but was able to find homes for all of the WBN books with the Burmese students! Also, he did a great exercise where he read the beginning of the book aloud to the kids and then stopped at the point where the narrator asks who you are and why he should trust you. Then, he got the students to each draw a picture of themselves and label different aspects they considered important to explaining who they were. They got up, shared their pictures, and "told" the narrator who they were and why he should trust them with his story. The kids really got into it and showed everyone their drawings for the rest of the day.

Thanks, Meg. That's certainly one direction I could take it. My immediate thought is that the kids I would teach, if indeed I can draw them to the center -- since none of the high schools in the area permit advertisements be placed in their schools (go figure) -- is that they should already read. Maybe not all on the same level, but they're most likely not as challenged as your husband's group.

The part time Indian book, is it set in India or the US? Burmese students would suggest East Indian. How well would that come across to middle class American students, I wonder? The reward may not be as easy to give, since most of the kids should own some form of internet connectivity, probably tablets. The how to teach examples were good to read.

Thanks for the input, Meg. It's one I will definitely consider. The Bone series, I'll take a look at.
David

David,

I was wrong! The Part Time Indian book was the one he read to his high school sophomore reading group during student teaching. The book (and related exercise) I was thinking of were James Patterson's Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life. Sherman Alexie is a rather well-known Native American author, and the book is set on the West Coast. It is semi autobiographical. The goal was not to connect with their Burmese culture but, rather, to find humorous and engaging narratives of any culture to get them reading, writing, thinking, and understanding.

Sorry for the confusion.

~Meg

So I might be wrong on age so take what I say with a grain of salt but my here are some of my favorites from middle school-early highschool or that I think everyone should read! Some might be too young and they are in no particular order.
- not a complete list!!

The Giver - Lois Lowry
Roll of Thunder,Hear my Cry - Mildred D. Taylor
Animal Farm - George Orwell
I am the Cheese - Robert Cormier
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keys
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Sold - Patricia McCarthy
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl

Hmm, Difficult question. I don't think I can provide 10 books, but I'll see how I do...

Great expectations,
To Kill a Mockingbird,
Remembering Smell (HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE) ,
The World is Flat,
Born to Run,
and lastly, The Great Gatsby.



Sorry that I couldn't provide 10.

Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451

I would reccomend

The uglies series: Scott Westerfeld (which is dystopian but still a great read) especially for young ladies it helps show how society works and how even though in society being beautiful is everything it really isn't.

The chasing Yesterday series: Robin Wasserman. Very easy simple and full of mystery for the younger of your age bracket

Midnighters series: Scott Westerfeld. Another series but Westerfeld, can you tell I love his books?? This one about teenagers who have the ability to live on blue time AKA the 25th hour of the day. So interesting with action and adventure.

I cannot think of anymore but if I do I will post again!

That's a pretty big age range, but I would suggest

The Great Gatsby
The Book Thief
Holes
Wintergirls
The Giver
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

1. Harry Potter-the whole series (It really does teach a lot of things)
2. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
3. To kill a mocking Bird by Harper Lee
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
4. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
5. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen
6. The Giver by Louis Lowry

These books made me think of so many things and made me grow. People might think harry potter is so kiddish but I must say that if you look at the surface that's what you see... Only if you go deep you will see there is a lot more to it. Love, trust, friendship, betrayal, bonds, scars, etc.

If I Stay - Gayle Forman
Looking For Alaska - John Green
Paper Towns - John Green
The Book Thief
Thirteen Reasons Why
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Mortal Instruments Series.
Clockwork Angel
When Summer Ends - Isabelle Rae
and while it might not be a very famous book, My Wattpad Love - Ariana Godoy, its a fabulous book.

Enjoy!

The Giver - Lois Lowry (dystopian, but still a great read)
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
Looking for Alaska - John Green
Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (again, dystopian, but wonderful)
Every Day - David Levithan
The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch
Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell

All right, let's see if I can name ten good YA books

The catcher in the rye - J.D. Salinger
It's kind of a funny story - Ned Vizzini
The perks of being a wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Looking for Alaska - John Green
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Flipped - Wendelin Van Draanen
Bridge to Terebithia - Katherin Paterson
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian - Sherman Alexie
Enchanted - Alethea Kontis
The Giver - Lois Lowry

There we go, that's ten! I hope you guys like them

-The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
-The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis
-Animal Farm by George Orwell
-Lord of the Flies by William Golding
-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
-The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
-The Giver by Lois Lowry
-Life of Pi by Yann Martel
-Switch! The Lost Kingdoms of Karibu by Karen Price
-Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

The Last Dragonslayer series by Jasper Fforde is inventive, imaginative and covers issues like loyalty, morals, power, greed and friendship:

1. The Last Dragonslayer
2. The Song of the Quarkbeast
3. The Eye of Zoltar