Harris & Me, by Gary Paulsen

Harris & Me, by Gary Paulsen, is a literature circle book that students read in class.  Personally, I loved this book!  I read it aloud with one of my classes, and kids were hooked with the humorous adventures of the boys in this story.  Definitely this is a must read for all, but will perhaps be more appealing to boys.

Eight Keys, by Suzanne LaFleur

Eight Keys, by Suzanne LaFleur, is a literature circle book that students read in class.  It seems like a nice story. 

The Fourth Stall, by Chris Rylander

The Fourth Stall, by Chris Rylander, is a literature circle book that students read in my class.  It seems like a great book!

Dangerous Waters, by Gregory Mone

Dangerous Waters, by Gregory Mone, is a literature circle book that students read in class.  This author has visited Woodbury several times over the years, and I expect that he will continue coming for the unforseen future.  With that said, read one of his books!  Fish is another great book that this author wrote.

The Big Field, by Mike Lupica

The Big Field, by Mike Lupica, is a book that students read during literature circles.  I have read a handful of book by this author, and he definitely is one of my favorites for this age group.  If you like baseball, the Yankees, and/or playing shortstop, this might be the perfect book for you!

Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko

This is a literature circle book that students read in class. It seems pretty cool, with the idea of one of the country's biggest gangsters of all time doing this kid's laundry. This book is on my list of books to read.

- Mr. Millas

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

The Newbury Medal is awarded each year to the author for having written the most significant contribution to American literature for children. Essentially, this award is the top prize for authors of children’s novels, and Lois Lowry won this award for The Giver.

I read this aloud with my 6th reading grade class. At first, the story started out a bit slow. Then we were all fairly well-hooked and into the strange and different world that the author has created, a society of normalcy. By the end, we were really rooting for Jonas and couldn't wait to see how the story ended. In fact, many of my students wanted to take the book home over the weekend to finish on their own the last couple of chapters, which was cool.

The Giver is thought-provoking and intriguing, with a futuristic and communal setting that drives home the importance of individualism and free will, or does it not?  Imagine a perfectly created world without wars, pain, and suffering.  What expense would come from this?  You can’t have the good without the bad, right?

If science fiction is a genre that you enjoy or are new to, perhaps after reading The Hunger Games or the something similar, then The Giver might be a great book that you’d enjoy.  Plus, if you like this one, then you’ll be happy to know that this is the first of a four-book set.  Enjoy!