University of Alberta library
1620 2283 5217
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Grades 4 to 12
English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
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2005
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English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
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Alberta Education Cataloguing in Publication Data
Alberta. Alberta Education. Learning and Teaching Resources Branch.
English language arts authorized novels and nonfiction list grades 4 to 12.
ISBN 0-7785-3799^1
1. Language arts (Elementary) — Alberta. 2. Language arts — Alberta —
Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Nonfiction novels — Bibliography. 4. English
prose literature — Bibliography. I. Title.
PE1113.A333 2005
372.65
The complete document is available online at
www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/english/
Questions or concerns regarding this listing can be addressed to the Director, Learning and Teaching
Resources Branch, Alberta Education. Telephone 780-427-2984. To be connected toll free inside
Alberta dial 310-0000 first.
The primary intended audience for this document is:
Administrators
Counsellors
General Audience
Parents
Students
Teachers
S
Copyright ©2005, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education. Alberta
Education, Learning and Teaching Resources Branch, 44 Capital Boulevard, 10044 - 108 Street NW,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5J 5E6.
Every effort has been made to provide proper acknowledgement of original sources. If cases are
identified where this has not been done, please notify Alberta Education so appropriate corrective
action can be taken.
Permission is given by the copyright owner to reproduce this document for educational purposes and on
a nonprofit basis, with the exception of materials cited for which Alberta Education does not own
copyright.
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Alberta Education would like to express its appreciation to the teachers and the ELA leaders
from the following school boards who participated in this project.
Grades 4-6
Edmonton Catholic Separate School District No. 7:
Rhonda Nixon, Lead Marilyn Landreville
Helen Hohmann, Lead Daniel Maas
Olive Argue Rob Madunicky
Brenda Coulombe Lynne Maltby
Jennifer Gluwchynski Angie McKenna
Markiana Hryschuk Monica Murphy
Angela Rozycki
Lorraine Williamson
Twyla Wylie
Marvin Zarowny
Leslie Zydek
Grades 7-9
Edmonton Catholic Separate School District No. 7:
Cecelia Fenrich, Lead Eugenia Kowalczyk
Monique Gibeault, Lead Nicole Lafreniere
Caroline Adamczuk Lorraine Lakusta
Angela Anderson Barbara Larochelle
Claudine Fuerderer Dina Murphy
Colleen Hauth-Lindenbach
Bill Ostashewski
Rhonda Paquette
Ida Ricioppo
Karen Thompson
Agnie Venne
Parkland School Division No. 70:
Harry Wagner, Lead
Rhonda Gauthier
Barb Gericke
Judy Jackson
Howard Kowalchuk
Karen Lasuik
Linda Man In't Veld
Kathy Mann
Karen McAmmond
John McDonald
Shannon McGann
Gladys Olson
Kathryn Sander
Stephanie Wong
Grades 10-12
Calgary School District No. 19:
Darlene Montgomery, Lead Laurette Lavoie
Katherine Bentley Nancy Lisi
Lene Fox Mary-Lynn McEwen
Colleen Hetherington Christine Ramsay
Margie Johnson
Rocky View School Division No. 41:
Shelley Robinson, Lead Colleen O'Handley
Pat Beingessner Jennifer Saban
Sandra Ens Kim Serhyenko
Shelley Wawryn
David Weisgerber
Janeen Werner-King
Carol Windlinger
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
/Hi
2005
Alberta Education's Grade 4-12 Novels and Nonaction Project Team
Learning and Teaching Resources Branch:
Raja Panwar
Gina Vivone-Vernon
Barbara Esdale, Lead
Bryan Ellefson
Kim Blevins
Lin Hallett
Teddy Moline
Dianne Moyer
Rebecca Pound
Donna Sauve
Carol Young
iv/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword xiii
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— Grade 4 1
Afternoon of the Elves 2
O Buffalo Sunrise 3
Dear Mr. Henshaw 4
CTheDoll 5
OHana's Suitcase 6
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 7
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 8
Number the Stars 9
OOwls in the Family 10
OPolar: The Titanic Bear 11
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes 12
Sarah, Plain and Tall 13
The Secret Garden 14
The Sheep-Pig 15
^Ticket to Curlew 16
The Van Gogh Cafe 17
The Whipping Boy 18
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— Grade 5 19
The Borrowers 20
Boy: Tales of Childhood 21
Bridge to Terabithia 22
OFinders Keepers 23
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 24
CThe Golden Aquarians 25
OThe Incredible Journey 26
£The Last Safe House: A Story of the Underground Railroad 27
The Midnight Fox 28
OThe Nose from Jupiter 29
OA Prairie Boy's Winter 30
Shiloh 31
CThe Sky Is Falling 32
OStorm Child 33
OTrapped in Ice 34
^Underground to Canada 35
A Wrinkle in Time 36
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— Grade 6 37
OAnne of Green Gables 38
OThe Breadwinner 39
Ella Enchanted 40
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12 /v
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2005
O Everything on a Waffle 41
I Was a Rat! 42
Oln Flanders Fields 43
Island of the Blue Dolphins 44
Julie of the Wolves 45
vtittle by Little: A Writer's Education 46
♦Mama's Going to Buy You a Mockingbird 47
Maniac Magee 48
The Phantom Tollbooth 49
♦The Root Cellar 50
OSilverwing 51
Talking with Artists: Volume Three 52
Tuck Everlasting 53
The White Mountains 54
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— Grade 7 55
Alien Secrets 56
The Cay 57
Charlie Wilcox 58
♦Cowboys Don't Cry 59
♦Days of Terror 60
Guts 61
TheHobbit 62
I Am David 63
♦Mystery in the Frozen Lands 64
♦Peacekeepers 65
Sees Behind Trees 66
Skellig 67
The Slave Dancer 68
Sounder 69
♦Touch of the Clown 70
Virtual War 71
♦Who Is Frances Rain? 72
♦Willa's New World 73
The Wreckers 74
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— Grade 8 75
Artemis Fowl 76
The Dark Is Rising 77
Dragonwings 78
Freak the Mighty 79
The Giver 80
Holes 81
♦invitation to the Game 82
Journey to the River Sea 83
Kensuke's Kingdom 84
vi/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
Looking Back: A Book of Memories 85
The Master Puppeteer 86
ORedwork 87
The Seeing Stone 88
^Shadow in Hawthorn Bay 89
Shane 90
Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy 91
A Single Shard 92
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle 93
OThe Tuesday Cafe 94
Under the Blood-Red Sun 95
Walk Two Moons 96
OWhatThey Don't Know 97
♦Winners 98
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— Grade 9 99
OAfter the War 100
AK 101
OAlone at Ninety Foot 102
OBIood Red Ochre 103
The Ear, The Eye and the Arm 104
Ender's Game 105
The Golden Compass 106
Homeless Bird 107
OThe Maestro 108
OMen of Stone 109
No Pretty Pictures 110
Out of the Dust Ill
The Playmaker 112
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution 113
The Return 114
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World 115
Touching Spirit Bear 116
An Unbroken Chain: My Journey Through the Nazi Holocaust 117
Westmark 118
The Wild Children 119
A Wizard of Earthsea 120
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— 10-1 121
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 122
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream 123
Animal Farm 124
OThe Book of Small 125
The Chrysalids 126
Dragonsbane 127
The Education of Little Tree 128
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12 /vii
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2005
Fateless 129
Girl with a Pearl Earring 130
My Family and Other Animals 131
A Night to Remember 132
October Sky 133
Oliver Twist 134
^Random Passage 135
Rebecca 136
ORick Hansen: Man in Motion 137
Silas Marner 138
Something Wicked This Way Comes 139
OThinking Like a Mountain 140
To Kill a Mockingbird 141
OTouch the Dragon: A Thai Journal 142
Waiting forthe Rain 143
OWho Has Seen the Wind 144
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— 10-2 145
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman 146
The Blue Sword 147
The Cage 148
OA Child in Prison Camp 149
Children of the River 150
OCrabbe 151
ODare 152
Deathwatch 153
Dove 154
OFish House Secrets 155
The Great Escape 156
Hatchet 157
OHunter in the Dark 158
In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic 159
Lyddie 160
ONever Cry Wolf 161
OOn the Lines 162
The Pearl 163
OThe Road to Chlifa 164
Speak 165
OTerry Fox: His Story 166
OWar of the Eagles 167
OWhiteout 168
OWhy Shoot the Teacher? 169
OYuletide Blues 170
Z for Zachariah 171
viii/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— 20-1 173
An American Childhood 174
♦The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz 175
♦Barometer Rising 176
♦A Bird in the House 177
Brave New World 178
Cat's Cradle 179
♦Death on the Ice: The Great Newfoundland Sealing Disaster of 1914 180
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant 181
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 182
Ethan Frome 183
The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) 184
♦Fifth Business 185
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe 186
♦Frozen in Time: Unlocking the Secrets of the Franklin Expedition 187
♦The Ghost Walker 188
The Great Gatsby 189
♦icefields 190
♦island Wings: A Memoir 191
Jane Eyre 192
The Joy Luck Club 193
♦Life of Pi 194
Lord of the Flies 195
♦Metamorphosis: Stages in a Life 196
The Moon by Whale Light 197
My Name Is Asher Lev 198
♦Nuk Tessli: The Life of a Wilderness Dweller 199
♦Obasan 200
The Old Man and the Sea 201
♦Old Man on His Back: Portrait of a Prairie Landscape 202
The Queen of October 203
♦The Road Past Altamont 204
A Separate Peace 205
Still Me 206
ATale of Two Cities 207
♦Tamarind Mem 208
2001: A Space Odyssey 209
The Wine of Astonishment 210
Wyrd Sisters 211
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— 20-2 213
Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea 214
♦Back on the Rez: Finding the Way Home 215
♦Before Wings 216
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway 217
Catch Me If You Can: The Amazing True Story of the Youngest and
Most Daring in the History of Fun and Profit! 218
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12 /ix
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2005
Dances with Wolves 219
The Day of the Triffids 220
Dear Nobody 221
The Eagle Has Landed 222
Flowers for Algernon 223
^Forbidden City 224
Gifted Hands 225
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 226
Hole in My Life 227
In the Heat of the Night 228
Of Mice and Men 229
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea 230
Planet of the Apes 231
The Runner 232
Ryan White: My Own Story 233
OShoeless Joe 234
Something for Joey 235
A Thief of Time 236
Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness 237
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— 30-1 239
Apollo 13 240
OThe Ash Garden 241
The Bean Trees 242
The Broken Cord 243
Crime and Punishment 244
Davita'sHarp 245
Einstein's Dreams 246
A Farewell to Arms 247
The Grapes of Wrath 248
Great Expectations 249
OThe Hero's Walk 250
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster 251
The Metamorphosis 252
Monsignor Quixote 253
The Mosquito Coast 254
Night 255
OOscar Peterson: The Will to Swing 256
The Outsider 257
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek 258
Pride and Prejudice 259
OThe Republic of Nothing 260
Saint Maybe 261
Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything 262
OThe Stone Angel 263
OThe Stone Carvers 264
To Destroy You Is No Loss 265
x/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
Touch the Earth: A Self-portrait of Indian Existence 266
OTruth and Bright Water 267
OUnder the Ribs of Death 268
OTheWars 269
OWild Geese 270
OWindflower 271
Wuthering Heights 272
English Language Arts Novels and Nonfiction— 30-2 273
Alicia: My Story 274
All Quiet on the Western Front 275
OBush Pilot with a Briefcase: The Happy-go-lucky Story of Grant McConachie 276
The Chosen 277
OCrowLake 278
♦Death and Deliverance 279
♦Downhill Chance 280
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage 281
Fahrenheit 451 282
Fallen Angels 283
Finding Fish: A Memoir 284
Finding Forrester 285
Into the Wild 286
Jurassic Park 287
♦Keeper x n Me 288
King Rat 289
♦Letters from Wingfield Farm 290
♦Medicine River 291
♦No Great Mischief 292
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich 293
The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's
Survival in Warsaw: 1939-1945 294
Siddhartha 295
Starship Troopers 296
♦The Suspect 297
♦Switchbacks: True Stories from the Canadian Rockies 298
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson 299
Walking with the Great Apes: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas 300
Title Index 301
Author Index 305
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12 /xi
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2005
xii/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FOREWORD
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction Titles for Grades 4-12
The Learning and Teaching Resources Branch of Alberta Education is proud to present the new
list of authorized novels and nonfiction titles for grades 4-12.
• The grades 4-6 list is completely new— the first elementary novels and nonfiction list
authorized by Alberta Education.
• The grades 7-9 list has been completely updated since the former 1990 list.
• The 1994 grades 10-12 list has been "refreshed" with seven to twelve new titles added for
each senior high school course.
This annotated list provides short quotation summaries, suggested themes and literary features.
It also identifies potentially sensitive issues. This list also includes video titles that have been
authorized to support some elementary and junior high school titles. The video series "Good
Conversation" presents original interviews with authors. The video series "All About the Book"
is billed as a "kid's video guide" to the text. Both series are produced by
Tim Podell Productions and can be ordered directly from ACCESS: The Education Station at:
ACCESS: The Education Station
Learning and Skills Television of Alberta Ltd.
3720 - 76 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
T6B 2N9
780-440-7728
https://estore.accesslearninq.com/
Review and Selection Process
In 2003, Alberta Education contracted specialists in children's and young adult's literature to
develop lists of potential novels and full-length nonfiction titles for each grade division under
review. Titles that were out-of-print or unavailable in Canada were not considered for inclusion
on the new list.
Selected school jurisdictions were then invited to form teams of teachers to evaluate these
potential titles for inclusion on the recommended list. The school boards who participated
were:
Grades 4-6: Edmonton Catholic Separate School District No. 7
Grades 7-9: Edmonton Catholic Separate School District No. 7
and Parkland School Division No. 70
Grades 10-12: Calgary School District No. 19 and Rocky View School Division No. 41
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12 /xiii
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2005
All short-listed titles were read, reviewed and validated by a minimum of three readers. As the
teacher review teams read the texts, they looked for and selected titles that:
• offered a variety of human experiences
• provided an interesting and challenging reading experience suitable for the age, ability and
social maturity of the students
• elicited thoughtful responses and a critical appreciation of literature
• illustrated literary merit, with a range of style and structure
• broadened student understanding of social, historical, geographical and cultural diversity
• encouraged students to develop a sensitivity to and an understanding of individual
differences, such as age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability
• used language effectively and responsibly, and used language that was essential to the
integrity of the work.
In addition, the potential titles were analyzed to ensure that guidelines for recognizing diversity
and promoting respect had been met. Several books were submitted for Aboriginal or other
content validation.
O
Please note that Canadian titles are identified with this icon.
Selecting Titles for the Classroom
The teacher must exercise care in selecting learning resources appropriate for their students.
Alberta Education and the teacher review teams strongly recommend
that teachers read the books prior to selection and carefully consider
the sensitivities of both the student audience and the community.
The teacher review teams carefully considered grade appropriateness when assigning texts to
this list. Teachers who consider a text from a different grade or course to be appropriate for
their students may wish to coordinate their choice with their colleagues.
Titles must be selected in a context of respect for the values of others. If a student, for
whatever reason, is uncomfortable reading an assigned book, an alternative choice should be
offered.
Teachers of all grades are encouraged to refer to the Choosing Resources section in the Senior
High School English Language Arts Guide to Implementation, 2003. *
1. The Senior High School Guide to Implementation is available on the Alberta Education Web site at
http://www.education.gov.ab. ca/k 1 2/curriculurn/bySubject/english/ela 1 0.asp . It is also available for purchase
from the Learning Resources Centre at http://www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca .
xiv/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
The Guide to Education: ECS to Grade 12 1 describes Controversial Issues as follows:
Controversial issues are those topics that are publicly sensitive and upon which there is
no consensus of values or beliefs. They include topics on which reasonable people may
sincerely disagree. Opportunities to deal with these issues are an integral part of
student learning in Alberta.
Studying controversial issues is important in preparing students to participate
responsibly in a democratic and pluralistic society. Such study provides opportunities to
develop the ability to think clearly, to reason logically, to open-mindedly and respectfully
examine different points of view, and to make sound judgements.
Teachers, students and others participating in studies or discussions of controversial
issues shall exercise sensitivity to ensure that students and others are not ridiculed,
embarrassed, or intimidated for positions that they hold on controversial issues.
Controversial issues:
• represent alternative points of view, subject to the condition that information
presented is not restricted by any federal or provincial law
• reflect the maturity, capabilities and educational needs of the students
• meet the requirements of provincially prescribed and approved courses and
programs of study and education programs
• reflect the neighbourhood and community in which the school is located, as well
as provincial, national and international contexts.
Controversial issues that have been anticipated by the teacher, and those that may
arise incidentally during instruction, should be used by the teacher to promote critical
inquiry and teach thinking skills.
The school plays a supportive role to parents in the areas of values and moral
development, and shall handle parental decisions in regard to controversial issues with
respect and sensitivity.
This information about controversial issues should be used as a guide in presenting various
points of view about an issue raised in a novel or piece of nonfiction. Teachers should also
investigate what policies their school system has in place that will assist in responding to
inquiries from parents or members of the community.
2. The Guide to Education: ECS to Grade 12 is available on the Alberta Education Web site at
http://www.education.gov.ab. ca/k 12/legislation . It is also available for purchase from the Learning Resources
Centre at http://www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca .
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12 /xv
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada 2005
*¥H?I
^ — I Grade 4 I — -y
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English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
Itmii
AFTERNOON OF THE ELVES
Janet Taylor Lisle
The elves might
keep themselves
hidden. They might
even be invisible to
the human eye, as
Sara-Kate believed.
But everywhere,
everywhere! there
was evidence of their
small, exotic lives. "
p. 35
New York, NY:
Penguin Putnam Books for
Young Readers
Paper Star Paperback 1999
©1989
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-69811-806-5
Awards:
Newbery Honor Book,
1990
Afternoon of the Elves is the story of an unpredictable
friendship between two intentionally juxtaposed characters:
nine-year-old Hillary and eleven-year-old Sara-Kate. Initially
Hillary is put off by Sara-Kate's unkempt appearance and crusty
language, but after Sara-Kate reveals that elves are building a
village in her backyard, a compelling friendship begins to
develop.
After it appears that Sara-Kate and her mother suddenly leave
town, Hillary discovers that her friend has gone into hiding,
emerging from the house only at night. When Hillary sees how
Sara-Kate lives, she realizes that the fantasy of the elves is a
refuge from reality for her friend.
While it exposes the problems of poverty, disability and neglect
that can sometimes exist virtually unnoticed next door, Lisle's
novel encourages us to celebrate individuality and imagination,
and to look beyond surfaces. Teachers will find many
opportunities to discuss the causes of socially unacceptable
behaviour such as lying and stealing and more appropriate
strategies for dealing with the challenges of life.
2/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
BUFFALO SUNRISE
Diane Swanson
O
Buffalo Sunrise is a comprehensive nonfiction resource about
the North American buffalo, focusing on the significance of the
buffalo in the history of First Nations peoples and Western
settlement. In particular, Swanson, who grew up in the
Lethbridge area, examines the importance of buffalo to
Blackfoot families living on the Alberta-Montana plains around
1870. The book also outlines the rapid decline in the buffalo
population due to over-hunting by European settlers, and
initiatives that helped to revive the herds in the 20th century.
Contemporary colour photographs, archival photographs and
illustrations provide a rich visual accompaniment to Swanson's
text. Fact boxes and sidebars provide detailed, interesting
information to enrich the reader's knowledge.
When approaching this text, teachers should be aware of the
Aboriginal content in the resource and be prepared to discuss
related issues that may come up during class work.
"More than 400 years
ago, Spanish
explorers in North
America spotted a
shaggy, brown beast
they had never seen
before. They said it
had horns like a cow,
a mane like a lion,
and a hump like a
camel. And when it
ran, it held its tail
like a scorpion —
straight up. " p. 3
Vancouver, BC:
Whitecap Books 1996
paperback
ISBN 1-55110-378-8
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
3/
2005
DEAR MR. HENSHAW
Beverly Cleary
"Dear Mr. Henshaw,
Mom is nagging me
about your dumb old
questions. She says
if I really want to be
an author, I should
follow the tips in your
letter. I should read,
look, listen, think and
write . She says the
best way she knows
for me to get started
is to apply the seat of
my pants to a chair
and answer your
questions and
answer them fully. So
here goes." p. 14
New York, NY:
Harper Trophy 1983
paperback
ISBN 0-38070-958-9
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1984
Beverly Geary's amusing and touching Newbery award-
winning novel unfolds as a series of letters from a sixth grader,
Leigh Botts, to his favourite author, Mr. Henshaw. Leigh
initially writes to Mr. Henshaw to get information for a school
report, but Mr. Henshaw replies that his favourite animal is a
purple monster that eats children who send authors long lists
of questions for reports instead of learning to use the library.
To top everything, the author has sent Leigh his own list of
questions, which Leigh's mother insists he must answer. In
responding to the questions, Leigh reveals that his parents are
divorced and that he is living with his mom in a tiny house on
the California coast. He misses his dad, a trucker, and his dog
Bandit, who rides along in Dad's cab.
Midway through the novel, Leigh quits mailing his letters and
begins addressing them to "Dear Mr. Pretend Henshaw," and
eventually he just dates and writes them as diary entries. This
daily writing routine serves as a psychological release for Leigh
as he deals with his parents' divorce and his problems at
school, and effectively models for students the process of
putting into the written word our thoughts and feelings about
the important things that happen to us.
4/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE DOLL
Cora Taylor
The Doll draws on the family history of Edmonton novelist
Cora Taylor. In this time-slip novel, an antique doll transports
the young protagonist, Meg, back to the 1880s. While
recovering from rheumatic fever, Meg stays with her
grandmother and is allowed to sleep with Jessie, an antique
china doll. Although she feels uncomfortable with the doll,
Meg eventually falls asleep with her head against Jessie's and
wakens to find herself with a different identity in a strange
time and place. She has become Morag, a girl travelling with
her family by ox and wagon along the Carlton Trail to a new
home in western Canada.
For the rest of the book, Meg slips between the world of the
present— with worries about her parents separating— and the
past— filled with the rigours of pioneer life on a wagon train.
She comes to love the people of her long ago family and winds
up saving "Little Lizzie" when she falls from a wagon during the
family's escape from a prairie fire.
Suspecting that the pioneer family has links to her own family,
Meg's investigation uncovers the story of "Angel Morag," her
great-great-grandmother's sister who protected her during a
prairie fire as a young girl, but never quite recovered herself.
This discovery may suggest the notion of reincarnation as an
explanation for the time slip in the story. Sensitive discussion
about different religious beliefs about reincarnation will enrich
understanding of the larger themes of facing life challenges,
making difficult choices and adapting successfully to changing
conditions.
"Meg opened her
eyes. 'Poor Invalid
Doll, ' she said, but it
was hard to feel
sorry for Jessie
face-to-face with
those determined
china features. The
eyes still bothered
her. Almost as if they
held something... as if
they were haunted."
p. 8
Vancouver, BC:
Douglas & Mclntyre 1987
[original 1985]
paperback reissue
ISBN 1-55054-218-4
Awards:
Canadian Children's Book
Centre Choice, 1988
Ruth Schwartz Children's
Book Award, 1988
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
5/
2005
HANA'S SUITCASE
Karen Levine
"They had each other
and they passed the
time reading, talking,
napping and thinking
of home. It was in
this warehouse on
May 16, 1942, with a
few candies and a
stub of a candle, that
Hana Brady
celebrated her
eleventh birthday. "
p. 52.
Toronto, ON:
Second Story Press 2002
paperback
ISBN 1-896764-55-X
Awards:
Canadian Library
Association Book of the Year
for Children Award, 2003
Hanas Suitcase tells two nonfiction stories simultaneously.
One story is a biographical retelling of the life of a
Chechoslovakian girl, Hana Brady, who died at Auschwitz. The
second story reveals how Hana's life impacted Japanese
children through the Tokyo Holocaust Centre in Japan.
When Fumiko Ishioka took on her job as coordinator of the
Tokyo Holocaust Centre in 1998, she made it her mission to
share with Japanese children the terrible story of what
happened to millions of Jewish children in World War II.
Fumiko visited the Auschwitz Museum in Poland and was able
to obtain a few objects to bring back to Tokyo, including a
suitcase that belonged to Hana. It was this ordinary, slightly
tattered, empty brown suitcase that most intrigued visitors to
the museum.
Levine's alternating chapters of biography and history provide
the reader with vivid details that encourage them to imagine
and empathize with the millions of Jewish people persecuted
by the Nazis. Teachers may be interested in expanding their
classroom study of this novel with the CBC documentary
available as a CD-ROM with this book: ISBN 1-896764-61-4.
6/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE
WARDROBE
C. S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the first novel
in C.S. Lewis' classic fantasy series. The novel has a mix of
human, animal and mythical characters engaged in high
adventure in an imaginary world.
During the bombing of London in World War II, four
children— Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Susan— are sent to live in
the English countryside with an eccentric professor. When
Lucy hides in an old wardrobe, she discovers it leads to
Narnia, a land where it is always winter and never Christmas.
On her first trip into Narnia, she encounters Mr. Tumnus who
tells her of the ruling White Witch and her determination to
capture the "daughters of Eve" and the "sons of Adam."
All of the children eventually travel together through the
wardrobe and find sanctuary from the Witch in the woodland
house of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Edmund soon betrays the
group by slipping away to join the White Witch, while the
Beavers and the other three children flee to the other side of
Narnia. Complications ensue culminating in the appearance of
Father Christmas and a magical lion named Asian and finally,
the great battle with the Witch, her wolves and her evil
minions.
Teachers should be aware that C. S. Lewis was a well-known
professor of theology at Oxford and that the series is
sometimes criticized for being too overtly an allegorical
representation of Christian theology. Sensitivity to biblical
references and mature discussion of them will help students
make thoughtful and appropriate interpretations of the text.
"'But you are —
forgive me — you are
what they call a girl?'
asked the Faun. 'Of
course I'm a girl, '
said Lucy. You are in
fact Human?' 'Of
course I'm human, '
said Lucy, sail a little
puzzled. To be sure,
to be sure, ' said the
Faun. 'How stupid of
me!'" p. 11
New York, NY:
HarperCollins 2000
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-06440-942-2
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
7/
2005
MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH
Robert C. O'Brien
"We all got used to
that, for from then on
we got injections at
least twice a week.
What they were
injecting and why, I
did not know. Yet for
twenty of us those
injections were to
change our whole
lives." p. 111.
New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster 1996
[original 1971]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-68971-068-2
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1972
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1972
ALA Notable Book, 1972
Horn Book Fanfare Book, 1972
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 'is a fantasy novel about
Mrs. Frisby, the widowed head of a family of field mice, and
her adventures with a group of super intelligent rats. When
her son, Timothy, is too ill to be moved from the field to their
summer home, Mrs. Frisby seeks the help of her deceased
husband's friends. One of them, a wise owl, urges her to take
her plight to a colony of highly intelligent rats holed up
beneath a rosebush in the farmer's yard.
There, Mrs. Frisby meets Nicodemus, one of the rat leaders,
who tells her the story of how their colony of rats, along with
her husband, had escaped from research scientists at the
National Institute for Mental Health. Thanks to the intelligence
serum given to them, their colony was left with superior
intellectual capacity and an extended life span compared to
other rats. Now, the rats are at odds about their future. As
this conflict escalates, with tragic results, Mrs. Frisby must use
all of her courage and resourcefulness to save her children.
This novel explores mature themes such as animal testing,
genetic engineering, civilization, survival, change, freedom,
and the relationships between living things. Sensitive
discussion will help students work through these themes.
8/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
NUMBER THE STARS
Lois Lowry
Number the Stars is a fictional account of a Danish family's
experience helping a Jewish family escape Nazi-occupied
Copenhagen in the 1940's. The novel centres around
ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen, who suddenly acquires her
Jewish neighbour, Ellen Rosen, as a "sister." Ellen's parents
have gone into hiding as the German troops sweep the city and
Annemarie's family, like many Danish citizens, are putting their
own lives on the line to help the Rosens escape. The escape
begins with a dangerous journey to relocate Mrs. Johansen,
her children and Ellen to their uncle's farm located on the
coast. Soldiers are combing the coast, too, though, and
Annemarie finds herself face-to-face with them as she carries a
crucial packet to her uncle's fishing boat that is poised to slip
across the channel to Sweden where the Rosens are in hiding.
Lowry's Newbery award-winning novel celebrates the heroism
of the Danish people who managed to smuggle almost the
entire Jewish population of Denmark across the sea to Sweden.
Lowry depicts the terror of war sensitively and powerfully,
without gruesome details. Familiarity with World War II, the
Resistance Movements in Denmark and other countries, and
the geographical locations of Denmark, Germany and Sweden
will enhance student understanding of this text.
Lowry's autobiography, Looking Back: A Book of Memo/res, is
included in the Grade 8 list.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Lois Lowry, 2002
[22 min. BPN 2075911].
"'I'm sorry I have
dark hair, ' Ellen
murmured. 'It made
them suspicious. '
Mama reached over
quickly and took
Ellen's hand. 'You
have beautiful hair,
Ellen, just like your
mama's, ' she said.
'Don't ever be sorry
for that'" p. 50
New York, NY:
Houghton Mifflin 1989
paperback
ISBN 0-44022-753-4
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1990
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
9/
2005
OWLS IN THE FAMILY
Farley Mowat
The sight of the
baby prairie chickens
popping their heads
out through Wol's
feathers, and that
great big beak of his
snapping anxiously
in the air right over
their heads, was the
silliest thing I've ever
seen. I guess Wol
knew it was silly,
too, but he couldn't
figure out how to get
out of the mess he
was in. He kept
looking at me as if he
were saying, 'For
Heaven's sake, DO
something.'" p. 78
Toronto, ON:
McClelland & Stewart Ltd.
1971
[original 1961]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-7710-6693-7
Owls in the Family is a humorous story about growing up in
Saskatoon in a household that indulges a boy's love of pets by
allowing him to keep two owls. The story is set in the 1930's
to 40's, and the young protagonist, Billy, is loosely based upon
Farley Mowat as a child.
After a violent storm, Billy and his friend Bruce save the one
remaining fledgling in a nest and name it Wol. They manage
to save a second owlet, Weeps, from an abusive situation.
The book tells of the misadventures that ensue, as Wol
terrifies the cook, a visiting minister and some town bullies,
while Weeps never learns to fly and looks to Mutt, the family
hound, for protection.
Teachers will need to provide a historical context for students
before reading this novel in order to support discussion about
sensitive parts of the text. There are instances of stereotyping
of First Nations people, reflecting the social attitudes of the
time period, but there are also positive references to the two
cultures co-existing peaceably within one community. There
are also examples of animals being mistreated by some
characters. Teacher-supported discussion about these
instances will address any confusion or concerns that students
may have, and help them form mature decisions about the
appropriateness of these references.
10/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
POLAR: THE TITANIC BEAR
Daisy Corning Stone Spedden and Laurie McGraw
<5>
Polar 'is an eyewitness account of the Titanic shipwreck written
in 1913 by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden for her 8-year-old
son, Douglas, and told through the eyes of the boy's teddy
bear, Polar. Watercolour illustrations, actual family
photographs, keepsakes, and historic postcards support the
printed text in providing a rich picture of the events.
Corning weaves fact and fiction together by telling a story that
begins in the toy workshop where Polar was born and tells how
he was given to Douglas. When the Spedden family decides to
tour the world, Douglas brings Polar with him. At the end of
this trip, the family boards the Titanic to sail home to America.
On the fateful night of the sinking, the Spedden's are fortunate
to be rescued in a lifeboat. In the commotion, Polar is left
aboard the sinking Titanic, but by the end of the book, Polar is
reunited with his owner.
This heart-felt retelling of a tragic story, written by a mother
for her son, resonates with bravery, love and loss surrounding
this historically significant event.
"Soon everyone had
been rescued — except
for me. I lay alone in
the empty lifeboat.
Several minutes went
by, but nothing
happened. Everyone
seemed to have
forgotten me. My
heart began to
pound . . . Would I
ever see Master
again?" p. 45
Toronto, ON:
Madison Press Books 1994
paperback
ISBN 0-316-80909-8
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
11/
2005
SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER
CRANES
Eleanor Coerr
"She looked at her
flock hanging from
the ceiling. As she
watched, a light
autumn breeze made
the birds rustle and
sway. They seemed
to be alive and flying
out through the open
window. How
beautiful and free
they were!" p. 63
New York, NY:
Puffin Books 1999
[original 1977]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-69811-8022
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a biographical
novel based on the life of a young Japanese girl, Sadako, who
faces and eventually dies from cancer caused by radiation
from the bombing of Hiroshima. Sadako is a star of her
school's running team until one day she starts having dizzy
spells. Soon Sadako learns that she has leukemia, the "atom
bomb disease." Reminded of a Japanese legend that says if a
sick person folds one thousand paper cranes, the gods will
restore her health, Sadako keeps up her courage and her
strength by folding hundreds of cranes.
The story beautifully and sensitively retells Sadako's battle
with leukemia, and reinforces the message of peace as the
preferred way of solving world problems. Teachers will need
to sensitively address the issues of illness, death and family
grief with students.
12/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL
Patricia MacLachlan
Sarah, Plain and Tall recounts the difficulties experienced by
two children and a single father on the mid-west American
prairies after the premature death of their mother. Anna, the
eldest child, narrates the story and acts as a maternal role
model for her younger brother. However, recognizing the need
for a wife and mother, the father advertises for such a person
in the newspaper.
Sara Elisabeth Wheaton replies to the ad and relocates from
the eastern coast of Maine for a trial period. MacLachlan
creates a realistic tension in this new family arrangement, with
the strong-minded, independent Sarah often at odds with the
traditional values and ideas expressed by the father. However,
the family embraces Sarah and ultimately she decides to stay.
The issue of the premature death of the mother will be difficult
for some young readers and will need to be addressed
sensitively by teachers.
"My father did not
see her look, but I
did. And I knew that
Caleb had seen it,
too. Sarah was not
smiling. Sarah was
already lonely. In a
month's time the
preacher might come
to marry Sarah and
Papa And a month
was a long time.
Time enough for her
to change her mind
and leave us. " p. 20
New York, NY:
HarperCollins 1985
paperback
ISBN 0-06440-205-3
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1986
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
13/
2005
THE SECRET GARDEN
Frances Hodgson Burnett
"... she held back the
swinging curtain of
ivy and pushed back
the door which
opened slowly —
slowly. Then she
slipped through it,
and shut it behind
her, and stood with
her back against it,
looking about her and
breathing quite fast
with excitement, and
wonder, and delight.
She was standing
inside the secret
garden." p. 79
New York, NY:
Harper Trophy 1962
paperback
ISBN 0-06440-188-X
The Secret Garden is a timeless novel centred around, Mary
Lennox, an unsociable and spoiled little girl who slowly
changes her attitude after discovering a secret garden on her
uncle's property. When Mary's parents die in a cholera
epidemic in India, she is sent to Yorkshire to live with her aloof
uncle and his protective housekeeper. Soon, Mary finds her
way into the forbidden garden, which has been locked since
the death of her aunt ten years ago. The garden quickly
becomes Mary's getaway, a secret she shares with Dickon, an
older boy who knows all about nature, and eventually with
Colin, her fretful, bedridden cousin. Mary, Dickon and Colin
work together to restore the neglected garden and soon
become close friends. As the garden comes to life and
blooms, so do the children. This novel prompts discussion
about dreaming, believing and creating hope in the face of
physical and emotional challenges.
Before studying the novel, it is important to be aware that the
book uses stereotypical terms such as "blacks," which are
intended to reflect the social, political era in England at the
time. Mature discussion and background information about
this historical context will help students understand the
inappropriateness of this language in today's society. A
general discussion of the historical context of India as a British
colony will enhance understanding. Finally, the book also
contains references to magic, which may be interpreted as
synonymous with the forces of God; these references will need
to be dealt with through sensitive discussion.
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE SHEEP-PIG
Dick King-Smith
The Sheep-Pig is a humorous animal tale about Babe, a
"Never win nothing" pig, according to Farmer Hoggett who
won him at a county fair by correctly guessing his weight.
When Babe is taken in by Fly, the farm's British sheepdog, he
learns how to be an effective, indispensable sheep herder by
talking respectfully to the sheep. After Babe protects the
sheep from thieves, the farmer's original plans to make dinner
out of Babe change to further honing his skills as a "sheep-
pig.
This charming, easy read will entertain children and lead to
discussions about relationships, love, loyalty and heroism.
Teachers may wish to lead a comparative analysis of the novel
with the popular movie version since many children will already
be familiar with it.
"'If I might ask a
great favour of you, '
he said hurriedly,
'could you all please
be kind enough to
walk down to that
gate where the
farmer is standing,
and go through it?
Take your time,
please, there's
absolutely no rush.'"
p. 51
Toronto, ON:
Random House 1983
Paperback
ISBN 0-67987-393-7
Awards:
Guardian Children's Fiction
Award, 1984
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
15/
2005
TICKET TO CURLEW
Celia Barker Lottridge
"All winter he had
worried that his
horse would die on
the winter prairie.
Now Josie had come
out with a new worry
that he had pushed
to the back of his
mind. The horse he
had seen leading a
whole herd was King,
not Prince. Maybe he
had gone wild. "
p. 131
Toronto, ON:
Groundwood/Douglas &
Mclntyre 1992
paperback
ISBN 0-88899-221-1
Awards:
Canadian Library Association
Book of the Year for Children
Award, 1993
Ticket to Curlew tells the story of eleven-year-old Sam
Ferrier, who moves from Iowa with his family to build a farm
in southern Alberta. When Sam's father returns from a trip to
Curlew with a white Mustang horse named Prince, the horse
becomes a source of transportation, safety and love for Sam.
As winter approaches, Sam is devastated to learn he must
release Prince into the wild for the winter, a custom of prairie
life. He worries that Prince will not survive or that he will
become wild and not return. When Prince finally returns in the
spring, stronger than ever, Sam is overjoyed and aptly
renames him King.
Lottridge sketches the Ferrier family and their small prairie
community with loving detail, showing us both the daily
routines of homesteaders and what special occasions such as
Christmas were like. The book reveals some of the negative
aspects of building a new life on the Canadian prairies, but
balances these with the positives, including the ideas of
community and helpfulness.
16/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE VAN GOGH CAFE
Cynthia Rylant
The Van Gogh Cafe tells of a series of magical, mysterious
occurrences that take place in the Van Gogh Cafe in Flowers,
Kansas. Ten-year-old Clara has been helping Marc, her dad,
run the cafe, serving coffee to the early morning customers
before heading off to school. It is Clara who first notices the
possum hanging upside down from a tree branch outside the
cafe window. The possum becomes the centre of attention for
cafe diners and is connected to magical happenings including
Marc's ability to write poems that appear to foretell the future.
Other serendipitous happenings involving sea gulls, an aged
film star, healing muffins, lost pets and travellers reaffirms that
"magic enough lasts forever in its walls" at the Van Gogh Cafe.
Teachers should recognize that magic may be a controversial
subject depending on the religious orientation of readers. The
text also contains a subtle reference to a possible homosexual
relationship.
". . . pretty soon word
spreads that there is
a cafe — the Van Gogh
Cafe — that is
wonderful, like a
dream, like a
mystery, like a
painting, and you
ought to go there,
they will say, for you
will never forget it.
You will want to stay,
if you can. Some
have for a while.
Like the possum ..."
pp. 2-3
Toronto, ON:
Harcourt Brace 1995
paperback
ISBN 0-590-90717-4
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
17/
2005
THE WHIPPING BOY
Sid Fleischman
". . . Jemmy felt a
bleak discomfort. He
would miss the
shelves of books he'd
left behind in the
castle. In the sewers,
he hadn't been
aware of his own
ignorance. He saw no
choice now but to
return. But he
realized that he'd lost
his taste for
ignorance." p. 66
New York, NY:
Morrow 1989
[original 1986]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-81671-038-4
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1987
The Whipping Boy is the story of two young boys: the
spoiled Prince Horace and his "whipping boy," Jemmy who
must receive the prince's punishments. Although Jemmy
annoys Prince "Brat" because he refuses to cry when taking a
thrashing, the two are destined to become fast friends when
the prince decides to run away from home. Before Jemmy can
carry out his plan to slip away, they are captured by two
fierce-looking highwaymen, Cutwater and Hold-Your-Nose
Billy. When the robbers demand that the prince write a
ransom note to his father, only to find him unable to write,
they suspect that Jemmy is the true prince, a role Jemmy
quickly assumes. This role reversal teaches both characters,
especially Prince Brat, about dignity and respect, equality and
diversity, loyalty and friendship.
The references to spanking and physical abuse are articulated
as a factual reflection of the era within which the novel is set.
Discussion about royalty, hierarchy and punishment during the
medieval era in England will support the reader's
understanding of the deeper themes that underpin the text.
18/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 4
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
ifHfi
■^- — I Grade 5 — 7-
/ *^3 \^ \
English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
THE BORROWERS
Mary Norton
"'Don't move!' said a
voice, and the voice,
like the eye was
enormous but,
somehow, hushed —
and hoarse like a
surge of wind
through the grating
on a stormy night in
March, Arrietty froze.
'So this is it,' she
thought, 'the worst
and most terrible
thing of all: I have
been seen'!" p. 71
New York, NY:
Harcourt Inc. 1989
[original 1953]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-15209-990-5
The Borrowers is a fantastical story about tiny blue-collar
people living beneath the floorboards of a mansion in
Edwardian Britain. Pod, his wife Homily and their daughter
Arrietty thrive on Pod's ability to 'borrow' what they need,
including furniture, clothing and food, from the upstairs
occupants— an elderly, bedridden lady and her servants.
Arrietty, who has never been allowed above the floorboards,
begs to go with Pod on one of his borrowing expeditions.
When he finally relents, she cannot resist sneaking out into the
yard, despite her father's repeated warnings about the
importance of not being seen. There, she is startled by a
gigantic boy whom she quickly befriends. When the borrowers
are discovered and suddenly endangered, the boy remains
loyal to his unusual friend and protects the family.
777e Borrowers is a clever satire on class distinctions in
Edwardian Britain, but readers unfamiliar with this element will
still appreciate the themes that the book highlights: friendship,
loyalty, cultural diversity, trust and survival. This popular
novel spawned a series of Borrowers adventures.
20/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
BOY: TALES OF CHILDHOOD
Roald Dahl
In Boy, Roald Dahl takes a different approach to
autobiography, sharing several humorous memories from his
childhood rather than trying to recount the events of his entire
life. He includes generous details about his family, including
his Norwegian father and mother, as well as personally
significant landmarks in his childhood. These anecdotes
provide many opportunities for the reader to empathize and
emotionally connect with his depiction of the innocence and
mischievousness of childhood. For example, he tells in wry
detail the story of how he got revenge on Mrs. Pratchett, the
nasty candy store owner, by putting a dead mouse in one of
her candy jars.
Teachers should be aware that Dahl tends to get carried away
with overly negative descriptions of teachers from his past,
even referring to one of them as a "torturer." Discussion about
punishment in English schools during Dahl's era in the early to
mid 1900s may be helpful to address students' concerns and
questions.
"Toothbrush
bristles?' I cried.
'How can toothbrush
bristles make your
appendix go bad?'
Nanny, who in my
eyes was filled with
more wisdom than
Solomon, replied,
'Whenever a bristle
comes out of your
toothbrush and you
swallow it, it sticks in
your appendix and
turns it rotten. In the
war, ' she went on,
'the German spies
used to sneak box
loads of loose-bristled
toothbrushes into our
shops and millions of
our soldiers got
appendicitis."' p. 95
New York, NY:
Penguin Group Puffin Books
1999
[original 1984]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-06^40184-7
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
21/
2005
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
Katherine Paterson
There in their secret
place, his feelings
bubbled inside him
like a stew on the
back of the stove —
some sad for her in
her lonesomeness,
but chunks of
happiness, too. To be
able to be Leslie's
one whole friend in
the world as she was
his — he couldn't help
being satisfied about
that." p. 76
New York, NY:
Harper Trophy, 1977
paperback
ISBN 0-06440-1847
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1978
Bridge to Terabithia is a realistic depiction of the touching
friendship between two Grade 5 classmates, Leslie and Jess, in
the fictional town of Lark Creek, in rural Virginia. When Leslie
moves with her family into the old Perkins place next to Jess's
family farm, she surprises Jess not only with her "hippie" ways
but also by outperforming him in a race. Even though they
are competitors, Leslie and Jess share similar, quirky and
secretive personalities and become fast friends. Soon they
find their own meeting place, Terabithia, a secret location
similar to Narnia in C. S. Lewis' classic fantasy series.
Leslie's unexpected, tragic death midway through the book
forces Jess to grieve and to mature quickly. The loss is
delicately described and eloquently handled by Paterson, but
readers will need to be warned before beginning the novel that
the story requires them to look at death and grieving.
This novel has support
videos available through
ACCESS: All About the
Book: A Kid's Video
Guide to "Bridge to
Terabithia/' 2002
[22 min. BPN 2076102]
and Good Conversation:
A Talk with Katherine
Paterson, 1999
[21 min. BPN 2075908].
22/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FINDERS KEEPERS
Andrea Spalding
O
Finders Keepers uses the relationship between two friends to
explore discriminatory attitudes toward First Nations peoples
and toward children with learning disabilities. The story
centres around the discovery of an 8000-year-old stone point
by Danny Budzynski, the main character, while he is wandering
nearby fields. Danny's friend, Joshua Brokenhorn, who lives
on the Peigan Reserve at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump,
confirms it is a lance head. Danny becomes determined to
learn more about First Nations culture and artifacts in order to
better understand this curious finding.
But even though he dedicates himself to learning, he has
difficulty sharing his ideas in writing. His teacher is easily
frustrated by Danny's difficulties and responds impatiently,
often treating Danny poorly and embarrassing him in front of
his classmates. Giving in to the negativity, Danny chooses to
abandon a traditional classroom for buffalo hunts, pow wows
and archeological digs in the Alberta hills with Joshua.
Readers will share Danny's rollercoaster of feelings as he
experiences heart-breaking moments in school and makes
exciting discoveries about the lance head and about himself.
Teachers will need to discuss the themes of learning
disabilities, discrimination, integration and segregation as they
arise within the text.
"You know about
this stuff?' asked
Danny eagerly as he
rewrapped the point
and thrust it in his
pocket. 'Great,
maybe we can make
bows, or lances, or
whatever, and play
at being Indians. ' 'I
don't have to play at
being 'Indian',' said
Joshua stiffly. 'I'm
Peigan.'" p. 31
Victoria, BC:
Beach Home Publishing 1995
paperback
ISBN 0-88878-359-0
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
23/
2005
FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF
MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER
E. L. Konigsburg
"Jamie couldn't
control his smile. He
said, You know,
Claude, for a sister
and afussbudget,
you're not too bad.'
Claudia replied, You
know, Jamie, for a
brother and a
cheapskate, you're
not too bad. '" p. 38
New York, NY:
Dell Yearling, 1967
paperback
ISBN 0-440-43180-8
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1968
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
begins when Claudia Kincaid decides to run away from home
to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Claudia
invites her younger brother Jamie to join her, since he has
saved nearly twenty-five dollars from his allowances and she
has sparse savings. After sneaking into the museum with a
group of school children and hiding in the washroom at
closing time, Claudia and Jamie have the vast building to
themselves every night. The children spend a week in the
museum until they become intrigued by a statue of an angel,
donated by the wealthy Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which may
or may not be a Michelangelo original. To find out the truth,
the children travel to Connecticut where Mrs. Frankweiler lives
and convince her to let them search her extensive files for
information.
Konigsburg's novel may be controversial for romanticizing
running away as an exciting adventure with unexpected
rewards. It is important to discuss the fictional, imaginative
licence taken by the author and to examine the likelihood of
events evolving this way in reality.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with E L Konigsburg,
1995
[22 min. BPN 2075903].
24/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE GOLDEN AQUARIANS
Monica Hughes
The Golden Aquarians is a science fiction novel set on the
planet Aqua in 2092. The story centres around Walt, whose
father is the chief engineer of a terraforming agency. For
eleven years, ever since his mother died, Walt has been living
with his aunt and has had little relationship with his father.
When his dad finally summons Walt to live with him on Aqua,
Walt anxiously tries to please his father but finds him to be
distant and preoccupied with his work. On top of that, Walt's
classmates on Aqua bully him.
To escape these problems, Walt spends his time exploring the
marshy channels of the planet. With each trip, he stumbles
across more evidence that Aqua harbours intelligent life, a fact
that would make his father's engineering project illegal.
Eventually, froglike creatures reveal themselves to Walt and
Solveig, the daughter of a biologist who has befriended him.
The two try to put a halt to the destruction of the creatures'
marshy home and in doing so, incur the anger of Walt's father.
While exploring the hostility that can exist between father and
son, Hughes uses name-calling and some questionable
language.
The Golden Aquarians is an accessible parable about
humankind's capability to destroy worlds in the name of
"progress." The story stresses the importance of respecting
ecosystems and the right of survival for all species.
"1 saw one of them.
In the reeds. An
alien, about the size
of the one that made
that print, I guess. '
'And you never told
me. Anyway, they're
not the aliens. We
are.'" pp. 104-105
Toronto, ON:
HarperCollins 1994
paperback
ISBN 0-00-647963-4
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
25/
2005
THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
Sheila Burnford
O
The young dog saw
the onrushing wave
several moments
before it reached
them, and frantically
tried to swim into a
position upstream of
the cat, instinctively
trying to protect him;
but he was too late,
and the great curling,
crested wave surged
over, submerging
them in a whirling
chaos of debris. "
p. 64 '
New York, NY:
Bantam Doubleday Publishing
Incorporated 1960
paperback
ISBN 0-44022-670-8
The Incredible Journey is a story about three pets who trek
across the Ontario wilderness to return to their home. Tao (an aloof
Siamese cat), Bodger (an old English bull terrier), and Luath (a large
Labrador retriever) are temporarily residing with Longridge, a friend
of their owners. When Longridge sets off for a three-week holiday,
a miscommunication with the housekeeper results in the trio being
unattended.
Seeing Longridge leave, the animals decide to head home, some
250 miles away across rugged Northwestern Ontario terrain. Tao is
the most resourceful at finding food, and Bodger and Luath soon
become ravenous with hunger. When Bodger collapses and a bear
cub investigates, something is triggered in Tao. He drives away the
bear and proceeds to bring food to the bulldog. Luath, too, learns
to forage for frogs and rabbits. Ultimately the obstacle-filled journey
teaches the trio the importance of relying upon each others'
strengths. Loyalty, love, determination, adaptation and survival are
central themes in this novel.
26/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE LAST SAFE HOUSE: A STORY OF
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Barbara Greenwood
O
The Last Safe House is an example of 'faction'— part fiction
and part nonfiction. The fictional portion is set in 1896 and
centres on Johanna Reid, a twelve-year-old girl who must live
with an escaped slave named Eliza. While Eliza waits to be
reunited with her mother and brother, who did not make it to
the safety of the Reids' home, Johanna learns to overcome her
own prejudices. Eventually the two girls become good friends.
The nonfiction portions are interspersed throughout the text
and include brief descriptions of plantation life and the
Underground Railroad: how it worked, who risked their lives to
escape or help others flee, and who profited from catching a
fugitive slave. A balance of Canadian and American historical
facts paints a complete portrait of these events. The text also
includes suggested activities, such as songs and storytelling;
directions for making important survival items, such as
lanterns; and commonly used recipes, such as gingerbread
cookies.
The fiction and nonfiction text compliment each other and
together help the reader to understand slavery and persecution
in American and Canadian history, while also developing
empathy for the people involved, especially children. Themes
of loyalty, friendship, equality and cultural diversity, change
and survival underpin this text.
"Johanna struggled
for words to comfort
Eliza . . . Then she
remembered the
gingerbread girl.
'Look!' She held it out
to Eliza. 'It's you —
running free.' Eliza
looked at the little
figure for a long
minute. 'No.' She
shook her head. 'Not
free. Just runnin'.
Til they find my
momma and Ben —
just runnin'.'" p. 33
Toronto, ON:
Kids Can Press Ltd. 1998
paperback picture book
ISBN 1-55074-509-3
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
27/
2005
THE MIDNIGHT FOX
Betsy Byars
"I had just gotten one
window to jerk down
about two inches
when I heard the
gunshot. I had never
heard any worse
sound in my life. It
was a very final
sound, like the most
enormous period in
the world. Bam.
Period. The end. "
p. 115
New York, NY:
Penguin Group 1968
paperback
ISBN 0-14-031450-4
The Midnight Fox tells the story of a young boy's growing
fascination with a black mother fox he sees on his aunt and
uncle's farm. Tom originally dislikes the idea of staying with
his aunt and uncle for the summer, but after spotting the fox,
he becomes mesmerized. When the fox begins stealing Aunt
Millie's poultry, there can be only one solution, and it is too
terrible for Tom to contemplate. Tom finally convinces Uncle
Fred not to kill his beloved fox.
The novel takes a compelling look at a boy's growing love for a
wild, free animal. It is a beautifully-written book about the
rights of all creatures and the need for compassionate
solutions, which will likely raise discussions about hunting laws
and animal rights. Other minor controversial points-
references to corporal punishment child labour, and body
image— can be dealt with through sensitive discussion and an
understanding of the historical context.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Betsy Byars, 1994
[20 min. BPN 2075902].
28/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE NOSE FROM JUPITER
Richard Scrimger
On the one hand, The Nose from Jupiter is a realistic story
about Allan Dingwall, a young boy with typical worries: seeking
approval and love from his divorced parents, dreading math
because it is difficult for him and wishing that school bullies did
not exist. On the other hand, it is a humorous story about an
unreal event that brightens Allan's otherwise tough reality— a
loud-mouthed but lovable alien named Norbert takes up
residence in Allan's nose. Soon Norbert becomes known as
"Squeaky," the school's suddenly gifted ventriloquist. This
amusing gift reinvents Allan's social image into a popular
classroom clown.
The novel takes a creative approach to exploring common
themes of peer pressure, bullying, insecurity, and overcoming
these childhood frustrations. As Allan seeks acceptance from
his parents and friends, and finally learns to stand up for
himself, readers can easily empathize with both the realistic
and imaginative methods the book suggests for dealing with
life struggles.
"'Bye, Mom,' said
Victor, pulling me
away. 'Bye, ' I said.
— Farewell,
mavourneen! called
Norbert. Victor
turned to me. 'What?'
'It's my nose,' I said.
'He speaks lots of
languages. He's very
talented.'" p. 36
Toronto, ON:
Tundra Books 1998
paperback
ISBN 0-88776-428-2
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
29/
2005
A PRAIRIE BOY'S WINTER
William Kurelek
<5>
There was
something different
about the snow on
balmy late winter
days: it was no
longer powdery.
Then, not even
hockey could hold the
attention of William's
schoolmates.
Everyone wanted to
make snowballs."
p. 36
Toronto, ON:
Tundra Books 1973
paperback picture book
ISBN 0-88776-102-X
A Prairie Boy's Winter is a nonfiction picture book that
describes life on the Manitoba prairies during the final years of
the Great Depression. Written from the perspective of the
author as a child, the beautiful paintings and short printed text
share experiences such as first snowfalls, terrifying blizzards,
typical farm chores and childhood games.
Kurelek provides a joyous, rich depiction of life, and
encourages the reader to fully appreciate and preserve the
natural environment. Descriptions in the text continually
reinforce the beauty of the prairies and the simplicity of
meeting one's needs with community love and support.
30/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SHILOH
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Shiloh is a realistic depiction of a boy's love and loyalty to a
pet beagle. Marty finds the dog in the fields behind his house
and brings him home even though he realizes that money is
tight and his dad would never approve of a pet. When his
father makes him return the dog to his actual owner, Judd
Travers, Marty is horrified to see Judd verbally and physically
abuse the beagle and his other hunting dogs.
When Marty is given the opportunity to keep Shiloh away
from Judd, life begins to fill with moral dilemmas and
complications— lying to his parents, figuring out ways to sneak
food from the house to feed Shiloh, keeping Judd off the
dog's trail. These ethical dilemmas present an opportunity for
rich classroom discussion.
References to animal abuse and hunting in the text will
require careful, thoughtful discussion with students,
emphasizing the time period and geographical location of the
text. Reynolds Naylor gives readers an opportunity to witness
acceptance and tolerance between Judd and Marty, and a
peaceful, collaborative resolution to community and family
challenges.
This novel has support
videos available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor—
first look, 1995 [25 min.
BPN 2075916] and All
about the Book: A Kid's
Video Guide to "Shiloh, "
2002
[21 min. BPN 2076105].
"1 wonder if maybe,
in time, if I never see
Shiloh again, I'll
forget about him. But
then I'm lying on the
couch that night after
everyone else has
gone to bed, and I
hear this Jar-off
sound again, like a
dog crying. Not
barking, not howling,
not whining even.
Crying. And I get this
awful ache in my
chest. I wonder if it
is a dog. If it's
Shiloh." p. 30
New York, NY:
Aladdin 2000
paperback
ISBN 0-68983-582-5
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
31/
2005
THE SKY IS FALLING
Kit Pearson
O
"Escaping into books
and having a friend
made being a war
guest more bearable.
But now Norah lay
awake worrying
about her family.
The radio reports
from England were
worse and worse —
London was bombed
every night now. She
checked the hall table
each day for mail,
but still no letter
came." p. 148
Toronto, ON:
Viking 1989
paperback
ISBN 0-14-034189-7
Awards:
Canadian Library Association
Book of the Year for Children
Award, 1989
The Sky Is Falling is set in the period in Canadian history
when nearly 8000 British children were evacuated to Canada
to escape the difficulties of World War II. In this novel,
brother and sister, Gavin and Norah, are sent to live with
Mrs. Ogilvie in her upscale Toronto home. While Gavin adjusts
easily, Norah is miserable and resents Mrs. Ogilvie's preference
for Gavin. Norah's aloof attitude also makes her unpopular at
school, but she soon finds one friend in Bernard Gunter,
another outcast.
Eventually Norah's misery causes her to run away from
Mrs. Ogilvie's home, taking Gavin with her. By the end of the
novel, Norah grows to appreciate her brother and their
relationship strengthens. She also makes peace with
Mrs. Ogilvie and agrees to give the arrangement a second
chance.
The text offers opportunities for rich discussion around the
themes of survival and adaptation to uncontrollable
circumstances.
32/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
STORM CHILD
Brenda Bellingham
Storm Child tells the story of Isobel, a young girl of mixed
ancestry living in Fort Edmonton in the early 1830s. Isobel,
named "Storm Child" at birth, is the daughter of a Peigan
mother and a Scottish father. When Isobel's mother receives
word that her husband is not planning to return from
Edinburgh, she and Isobel are devastated. While her mother
moves in with a widower in town, Isobel is angry at her
father's abandonment and, confused about where she fits in,
decides to head south to live with her grandparents in a Peigan
encampment. Isobel travels with Jamey Jock, another Peigan
who is also relocating to the encampment. When Jamey
betrays the Hudson Bay Company by trading illegally with
Americans, Isobel has a difficult choice and this reflects the
major theme driving the story: Isobel's conflicting loyalties and
search for her own identity.
Bellingham accurately and thoroughly represents the time and
place of the novel, including the social, economic and racial
inequities that existed. These references will require sensitive
discussion about the historical context. Despite these realities,
the underlying themes of the novel are positive: peaceful
resolutions to problems, tolerance and acceptance of cultural
diversity.
"Isobel bowed her
head. 'I have no love
for white men, ' her
grandfather had
said. Had he
forgotten that she
was half white? It
was what she had
wanted — to be
accepted as a real
Peigan — and yet ..."
p. 74
Toronto, ON:
Lorimer, 1985
paperback
ISBN 0-88862-793-9
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
33/
2005
TRAPPED IN ICE
Eric Walters
O
"Out of the corner of
my eye, I could see
the bear. It was
charging towards me
in big loping strides,
quickly closing the
gap between us. I
screamed
uncontrollably! It
was getting bigger
and bigger, coming
closer and closer. I
could see every ripple
of its body, the
muscles, the folds of
the skin, the mouth
partly open, the thick
tongue hanging out of
one side." p. 124
Toronto, ON:
Penguin Books Canada Ltd.
1997
paperback
ISBN 0-14-038626-2
Awards:
Shortlisted for the Ruth
Schwartz Children's Book
Award
Trapped in Ice is set in the winter of 1913-1914 on an
expedition launched by Vilhjalmur Stefansson to map
uncharted Arctic islands in Canada's north. When their ship,
the Karluck, became locked in ice en route to Herschel Island,
Stefansson took a small contingent to try and reach land. The
ship's captain, Robert Bartlett, faced the challenge of saving
the remaining members of the expedition and the ship's crew
as the ice in which they were encased drifted toward Siberia.
In this exciting novel, Eric Walters presents this story of Arctic
exploration from the perspective of thirteen-year-old Helen
Kiruk, the daughter of the seamstress hired for the expedition.
Partly through a diary format, we learn how Helen and her
younger brother Michael find themselves drawing closer
together in the face of an overwhelming task of dogsledding
with the crew over precarious ice. Helen also discovers in the
gruff captain, something of a kindred spirit who loves hearing
her stories and who invites her listen to his favourite Mozart
recordings.
The novel also explores the themes of diversity and respect
through the relationship between one of the scientists and the
Inuit guide, Kataktovich. While the scientist initially refers to
Kataktovich as a "dirty, filthy Indian," he later comes to learn
Kataktovich's language and customs while spending a large
amount of time with him.
34/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
UNDERGROUND TO CANADA
Barbara Smucker
O
Underground to Canada is a historical novel set in the
period just before the Civil War, when the Underground
Railroad was helping slaves escape to Canada. The novel
centres on a female protagonist, Julilly, who is separated from
her mother and relocated to a different plantation. Eventually,
Alexander Ross, an abolitionist posing as an orthologist,
devises an escape plan for Julilly and some other slaves on the
plantation. As Julilly makes the difficult trek across the
northern states, she finds the mental and physical strength
from the belief that her mother has also found a way to escape
to Canada.
In his introduction to the 1999 reissue of this novel,
Lawrence Hill argues that it is essential for teachers and
parents to talk to students about the term "nigger" and how it
represents the dehumanizing attitude many white people had
toward black people in the days of slavery. Rich discussion
about this terminology will enrich students' appreciation and
understanding of this period in history, and reveal the
underlying themes of tolerance, respect, sacrifice and freedom
that pervade the text.
There was moaning
now and crying up
and down the line of
slaves. The big slave
trader didn't care or
hear. He lashed his
whip in the air,
pulling children from
their mothers and
fathers and sending
them to the cart. "
p. 20
Toronto, ON:
Penguin Books, a division of
Pearson Canada 1978
paperback
ISBN 0-14-130686-6
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
35/
2005
A WRINKLE IN TIME
Madeline L'Engle
"Calvin's voice was
still angry and his
freckles seemed to
stand out on his face.
'Even traveling at the
speed of light it
would take us years
and years to get
here. ' 'Oh, we don't
travel at the speed of
anything,' Mrs
Whatsit explained
earnestly. 'We tesser.
Or you might say, we
wrinkle.'" p. 62
New York, NY:
Bantam Doubleday Dell Books
for Young Readers 1973
[original 1962]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-44049-805-8
A Wrinkle in Time is a science fiction fantasy novel in which
three children travel to a parallel universe and are forced to
overcome dark forces. The story centres on a female
protagonist, Meg, whose scientist father has disappeared.
When Meg meets three unearthly strangers, Mrs. Whatsit,
Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, she is determined to travel with
them to find her father. Together with her genius younger
brother, George Wallace, and her school friend,
Calvin O'Keefe, Meg journeys through space and time on a
daring rescue mission.
When they finally get to the planet of Camazotz,
George Wallace must face his own struggle in order to defeat
"IT," a dark power that is sweeping the universe and has the
inhabitants of the planet brainwashed. The children rely on
their own strength and the strengths of each other as they
face danger and darkness to overcome evil. The themes of
courage, love and hope are subtly developed throughout the
novel. Teachers should be aware that L'Engle makes many
biblical references in the novel that may require discussion and
explanation for students.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Madeleine L 'Engle,
1994
[22 min. BPN 2075913].
36/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 5
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
*¥H?I
^^■^—
■ ~^ , , ■ ■ ■ . -^m
English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
3 ^*
isiss
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
L. M. Montgomery
O
"She danced up to
the little looking-glass
and peered into it
Her pointed freckled
face and solemn gray
eyes peered back at
her. You're only
Anne of Green
Gables, ' she said
earnestly, 'and I see
you, just as you are
looking now,
whenever I try to
imagine I'm the Lady
Cordelia. But it's a
million times nicer to
be Anne of Green
Gables than Anne of
nowhere in
particular, isn't it?'"
p. 60
United States of America:
Random House
of Canada Limited,
Seal Books 1996
[original 1908]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-7704-2205-5
Anne of Green Gables \s a classic novel about Anne Shirley,
a spirited orphan girl who finds acceptance and love in the
rural town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, in the Victorian
era. Aging Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert own a farm that is
becoming too onerous for them to manage on their own.
They arrange to take in an orphan boy to help out on the
farm, but are surprised to find an eccentric, red-headed girl
has been sent by mistake. Fortunately, Matthew sees Anne's
inner beauty immediately and convinces Marilla to give the girl
a chance. The rest of the book tells of Anne's many mishaps
and her growing sense of family and friendship in the town.
Montgomery teaches young readers that differences in
physical appearance and emotional makeup can be strengths
rather than deficiencies: Anne begins her life with
mistreatment by both adults and children because of her
unusual red hair and hot temper, but she learns through
Marilla and Matthew that she is loved, trusted and has
potential to achieve scholastically and socially. Male students
may find it difficult to relate to the female main character, but
the book's universal themes and humorous events will likely
win over many of them.
38/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE BREADWINNER
Deborah Ellis
O
The Breadwinners a poignant novel about an 11-year-old
girl who must take on the dangerous task of supporting her
family in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. As a girl, Parvana is
not allowed to attend school, but her bitterness about this is
alleviated somewhat by the fact that she can accompany her
father into the market where he makes a small living reading
and writing letters for the illiterate. When the Taliban imprison
Parvana's father, the family faces the horrifying prospect that,
since women are not allowed outside the home alone, they will
have no source of income. It is decided that Parvana, who can
read and write, must disguise herself as a boy and take her
father's place in the market. Later Parvana encounters
Shauzia, another girl in disguise, and they decide to increase
their income by collecting and selling bones from a bombed
cemetery to a bone merchant. This experience in particular
affects Parvana deeply and makes her long for a safer, easier
life.
Having worked with Afghan refugees, Deborah Ellis writes from
a close knowledge of human rights abuses under the Taliban
regime. Descriptions brutality and violence are particularly
disturbing but ultimately The Breadwinner \s a story celebrating
the stamina and spirit of a young girl in the face of great odds.
Providing readers with a review of the historical context of
Kabul from 1978-2001 will prepare them for the harsh reality
of war described throughout the text.
"We have to
remember this, '
Parvana said. 'When
things get better and
we grow up, we have
to remember that
there was a day
when we were kids
when we stood in a
graveyard and dug
up bones to sell so
that our families
could eat.'" p. Ill
Toronto, ON:
Groundwood/ Doug las &
Mclntyre 2002
[original 2000]
paperback
ISBN 0-88899-416-8
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
39/
2005
ELLA ENCHANTED
Gail Carson Levine
"J broke away from
him and began to run
as the clock struck
midnight. Char
would have caught
me in a moment, but
Hattie must have
held him somehow.
Outside, a huge
pumpkin stood
uselessly in the line
of carriages. I
continued to flee. A
white rat skittered
across my path.
Somewhere I lost one
of my slippers. I ran
on, listening for my
pursuers." p. 221
New York, NY:
Harper Collins 1997
paperback
ISBN 0-06^40705-5
Awards:
Newbery Honor Book, 1998
Ella Enchanted \s a modern retelling of the Cinderella story.
In this version, a foolish fairy curses the feisty heroine, Ella,
with the "gift" of always being obedient. After her mother
dies, 15-year-old Ella finds her only comfort in the sympathy of
Prince Charmont and the tender love and care of Mandy, the
cook and wise fairy godmother. Ella's father is a cold and
distant man, anxious to get Ella off to finishing school as he
takes up life with his wealthy new wife, Dame Olga. Ella's new
stepsisters devise ways to make life miserable for her, and Ella
decides her only hope is to run away and find Lucinda, the
fairy who cursed her. She learns that Lucinda will be
attending a wedding of two giants, and goes to meet her
there, hoping she can convince Lucinda to rescind her gift.
Although the story is a fantasy, some allegorical connections
can be made. First, the notion of magic is used to parody
people who misuse power. Lucinda creates unending
problems for people by assuming what will be good for them,
while Mandy helps Ella by providing opportunities rather than
magical certainties. Second, diverse groups of mythical
characters interact to present themes of acceptance and
tolerance.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Gail Carson Levine,
2001
[21 min. BPN 2075904].
40/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLE
Polly Horvath
Everything on a Waffle is a humorous and positive portrayal
of life in a small fishing and whaling community on Vancouver
Island. The main character is Primrose Squarp, a young girl
whose parents were lost at sea. Primrose is sure her parents
will return but is relieved when her Uncle Jack arrives to look
after her— even though his main focus seems to be on the
town as a property development opportunity. Primrose's
guidance counsellor at school has other developments in mind
when she meets the handsome ex-military man.
Miss Bowzer, head cook and owner of "The Girl on the Red
Swing Restaurant" has her own ideas about what Primrose and
the customers from town need: everything on a waffle. While
Primrose patiently awaits her parents' return, she practises her
culinary arts, recalling her mother's recipes or jotting down tips
from Miss Bowzer. Each chapter concludes with a recipe:
everything from carrots in an apricot glaze to, of course,
waffles. The book illustrates how achievement means different
things to different people, and promotes the idea that everyone
has something to contribute to society regardless of gender,
age, race or disability.
"... at The Girl on the
Red Swing if you
ordered a steak it
came on a waffle, if
you ordered fish and
chips it came on a
waffle, if you ordered
waffles they came on
a waffle. Miss
Bowzer said it gave
the restaurant class. "
p. 24
Toronto, ON:
Groundwood Books/Douglas
& Mclntyre2002
[original 2001]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-88899-442-7
Awards:
Newbery Honor Book, 2002
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
41/
2005
I WAS A RAT!
Philip Pullman
"The doctor examined
Roger all over and
seemed to find only a
healthy little boy. 'So
what's this rodent
delusion?' he said
finally. 'Well, he
says he was a rat, '
said Bob. 'He's
convinced of it. ' 'A
rat, were you?' said
the doctor. 'When
did you stop being a
rat, then?' 'When I
turned into a boy, '
said Roger. Yes, I
see.'" p. 26
New York, NY: Random
House Inc. 2002
[original 1999]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-440-41661-2
I Was a Rat! is a humorous fantasy novel about an elderly
couple, Bob, a cobbler, and Joan, a washerwoman, who take
in a homeless, grubby boy named Roger who insists that he
was, until quite recently, a rat. Bob and Joan are skeptical,
but several incidents convince the couple that he may be
telling the truth. Eventually we find out that this clever satire
is revisiting the story of Cinderella.
The narrative detailing Roger's trials and tribulations is
interspersed with pages from a local tabloid, The Daily
Scourge. Their biggest story is about a monster found in the
city's sewers, a monster being defended by so-called scientists
who contend that the creature from the darkness is actually a
human and should be spared extermination.
The news stories in The Daily Scourge are, of course, prime
examples of media manipulation, half-truths and about-faces.
Teachers will require time to discuss issues raised by the
tabloid, including corporal punishment, juvenile crime, media
responsibility, political reactions, fairness of the justice system,
and treatment of children.
42/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
Linda Granfield
<£>
In Flanders Fields recounts a significant time in world
history through John McCrae's famous poem. This book
beautifully illustrates each line of the poem with a painting by
Janet Wilson. These vivid impressions of battle-torn cities,
hospital wards, cemeteries, and soldiers bring new meaning
and immediacy to the poem. Between verses, Linda
Granfield informs the reader with factual details about World
War I, John McCrae's life, the battle of Ypres, the grim
realities of trench warfare, and the memorials that continue
today.
The poem itself can be read in different ways. Some see it
as a call to arms, to the continuance of war. Alternatively, as
Granfield suggests, some believe that "we continue to honour
the memory of those who sacrificed themselves for a cause
they believed to be great and just." Granfield provokes the
reader to think about his or her individual perspective, and
treats the issue with sensitivity and respect while still
providing a realistic depiction of the First World War.
". . . the Great War
was unlike any other
in history. It was a
new and horrible
artillery battle fought
from rat-infested,
water-filled trenches
dug deep into foreign
soil. There would be
little noble about it,
except the dedication
of millions to fight for
what they believed.
Into the nightmarish
terrain of the Western
Front stepped
John McCrae. "
Markham, ON:
Fitzhenry and Whiteside
Limited 2002
[original 1995]
paperback picture book
reissue
ISBN 0-7737-2991-7
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
43/
2005
ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS
Scott O'Dell
"... at dawn, as light
spread across the
sea, my first glance
was toward the little
harbor of Coral Cove.
Every morning I
would look for the
ship there, thinking
that it might have
come in the night.
And each morning I
would see nothing
except the birds
flying over the sea. "
p. 57
New York, NY:
Bantam Doubleday Dell
Books for Young Readers
1987
[original 1960]
Paperback reissue
ISBN 0-440-43988-4
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1961
Is/and of the Blue Dolphins tells the true story of an
Aboriginal girl, Karana, who spent eighteen years alone on San
Nicolas, a tiny island off the California coast. The novel begins
on the island with a battle raging between Aleut hunters and
Russian fur traders. Karana's father and most of the other
villagers are killed, leaving survivors to relocate to the
mainland. As the ship is leaving, Karan realizes that her
younger brother, Ramo, is not aboard and she returns to save
him. Soon, though, a wild dog kills Ramo. Karana must
survive alone on the island and, ironically, ends up relying on
and befriending the leader of the dog pack that killed her
brother. She is finally rescued after nearly eighteen years.
O'Dell's novel offers readers an opportunity to observe the
ways of life of Aboriginal peoples before Spanish explorers
discovered and took over this island. Survival and loyalty are
the novel's underlying themes, as Karana is forced to figure
out ways to live independently and successfully in the rugged
habitat and accept her growing attachment to the wild dog
that killed her brother.
44/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
JULIE OF THE WOLVES
Jean Craighead George
Julie of the Wolves focuses on an Inuit girl, Miyax, who lives
in a sealing camp with her father. When Miyax's father dies,
her aunt is determined to see her niece live with her, attend
school and become an English-speaking girl with an English
name— Julie. However, when she turns thirteen, Julie agrees
to honour the terms of a marriage arranged years before by
her father and his friend Naka. Julie is assured that Daniel will
be more of a brother than a husband, but when he gets drunk
and tries to take advantage of her, Julie is forced to run away.
After finding her way to a port to attempt to board a ship for
California, Julie ends up on the Alaskan tundra and becomes
lost. Facing starvation, she discovers a wolf pack and slowly
insinuates herself into their community where she is able to
glean food from their kills. She recognizes in Amaroq, the
leader of the pack, a creature who epitomizes the spirit of her
people and their disappearing world.
Teachers will need to discuss the importance of using correct
terminology when referring to cultural groups. The term
"Eskimo," used throughout the text, is inappropriate by today's
standards and should be replaced by the term "Inuit." The
issues of childhood marriage, alcoholism and sexual
harassment will also require sensitive discussion. Ultimately,
though, the novel provides rich themes for discussion including
a powerful plea for respecting and preserving nature, and living
attuned to "the rhythm of the beasts and the land."
This novel has support
videos available through
ACCESS: All about the
Book: A Kid's Video Guide
to "Julie of the Wolves/'
2002 [22 min. BPN
2076104] and Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Jean Craighead George,
1991
[28 min. BPN 2075905].
"Here she was,
watching wolves —
she, Miyax, daughter
of Kapugen, adopted
child of Martha
citizen of the United
States, pupil at the
Bureau of Indian
Affairs School in
Barrow, Alaska, and
thirteen-year-old wife
of the boy Daniel.
She shivered at the
thought of Daniel, for
it was he who had
driven her to this
fate." p. 10
New York, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
1972
paperback novel
ISBN 0-06440-058-1
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1973
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
45/
2005
LITTLE BY LITTLE: A WRITER'S
EDUCATION
Jean Little
<>
"Little by little, I was
sorting out when and
whether belonging
really mattered.
Little by little, I was
choosing to be me.
Little by little, I was
discovering what
brought me joy and
learning its price. "
p. J 56
Toronto, ON:
Penguin Group,Penguin Books
1989
[original 1987]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-14-031737-6
Little by Little is Jean Little's autobiographical telling of some
of the milestones in her personal and professional life. Little
reveals how those who rejected or patronized her exacerbated
her struggle with vision impairment. To balance this
treatment, Little describes several important people and
experiences in her teenage and adult life that bolstered her
self-confidence. For example, her brother took her to a high
school dance where the two proudly won a waltzing contest.
She also emphasizes her admiration for her father who
encouraged her to improve her writing skills and to become a
professional writer.
Through these depictions, Little helps readers to appreciate
how people can overcome many physical, social and emotional
obstacles by relying on positive role models, maintaining a
hopeful attitude, and challenging themselves to become better
human beings.
46/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
MAMA'S GOING TO BUY YOU A
MOCKINGBIRD
Jean Little
O
Mama's Going to Buy You a Mockingbird is a touching
story about an eleven-year-old boy struggling with the illness
and then the death of his father. The story begins during the
summer holidays at a lakeside cottage where Jeremy Talbot is
staying with his little sister and their aunt. Jeremy's best
friends have moved away; his dad is in the hospital undergoing
an operation for cancer; and his mom has been staying in town
to be near the hospital. By the end of the summer, when
Jeremy's father is finally able to come to the cottage, Jeremy
begins to realize for the first time that his dad is dying.
Jeremy must deal with each new reality brought about by the
start of school, the mother's daily drives to the hospital and the
eventual death of his father.
Jean Little creates a realistic portrait of a family dealing with
the illness and eventual loss of a parent. The novel captures
the ambivalent feelings of an eleven-year-old who feels that he
has to be courageous but still can not help giving in, at times,
to the temptation to quarrel with a little sister or to think
selfishly of his own desires. Although Little's representation is
thoughtful and sensitive, teachers will need to carefully attend
to students' feelings and backgrounds when discussing death,
family illnesses and grieving the loss of a parent.
Tess came a step
nearer to him. He
flashed a glance at
her and saw his own
disbelief and sorrow
mirrored in her eyes.
All at once, he knew
why he had come to
find her. She had
been the one person
he could think of who
would understand.
She had spoken
herself of her
grandmother's death
and her parents . . .
Something must have
happened to her
parents." p. 93
Toronto, ON:
Penguin Books Canada 1984
paperback
ISBN 0-14-031737-6
Awards:
Canadian Library Association
Book of the Year for Children
Award, 1985
Ruth Schwartz Children's
Book Award, 1985
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
47/
2005
MANIAC MAGEE
Jerry Spinelli
The ball, the batter,
the pitcher all racing
for home plate, and it
was the batter, the
new kid out of
nowhere, who
crossed the plate
first . . . And that's
how Jeffrey Magee
knocked the world's
first frogball for a
four-bagger. And
how he came to be
called Maniac. "
pp. 27-28
New York, NY:
Little, Brown & Company 1990
paperback
ISBN 0-31680-906-3
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1991
Maniac Magee is a tall-tale style novel in which Jerry Spinelli
tells the origins of Maniac Magee, a boy who seems to arrive
from nowhere and quickly shakes up the town of Two Mills.
There, Magee meets many different people, learns how to read
from an impoverished elderly man, and befriends an African-
American girl named Amanda Beale. He also causes a bit of
trouble in Two Mills by intercepting a pass at a football game,
rescuing another boy from bullies, and stepping into a little
league baseball game and connecting with Giant John McNab's
fastball for half a dozen home runs. Of course, this last
episode means that McNab and his gang of Cobras are out to
get him.
Nobody can believe it when they realize this white-skinned
maniac is staying with Amanda Beale's family in the heart of
the black side of town. Spinelli's novel presents such current
issues as civil rights, racism, and bullying with poetry, humour
and a sense for what it means to be part of a global human
family.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Jerry Spinelli, 1994
[20 min. BPN 2075906].
48/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH
Norton Juster
The Phantom Tollbooth is a clever fantasy about a young
boy named Milo, who thinks that life is very boring and
everything is a waste of time until one day a gigantic package
arrives in his bedroom. Milo discovers that the package
contains a tollbooth, and once he assembles it and climbs
into the small electric car, he finds himself on the road to an
adventure of mind-boggling proportions. Milo and the reader
journey to a fantastical world of hilarious puns and double-
entendres.
While motoring Beyond Expectations, Milo is rescued from
the Doldrums by Tock, a watchdog with a gigantic clock for a
body. Tock becomes his guide as they travel to Dictionopolis,
a city of letters and words. In the word market, they are
befriended by the Spelling Bee, who flies about trying to
dazzle everyone with his spelling proficiency, and the
Humbug, a blowhard beetle in dapper dress. This journey
continues until Milo and Tock set off toward the Mountains of
Ignorance to rescue the twin princesses, Rhyme and Reason.
Although the tone and language of the novel are witty and
light, underpinning the story are themes of surviving, making
choices, dealing with unpredictable circumstances and
learning the importance of personal goals.
"'Now would you like
a long or a short
sentence?' 'A short
one, if you please,'
said Milo. 'Good, '
said the judge,
rapping his gavel
three times. '1
always have trouble
remembering the long
ones. How about I
am? That's the
shortest sentence I
know.' Everyone
agreed that it was a
fair sentence, and the
judge continued:
There will also be a
small additional
penalty of six million
years in prison. Case
closed.'" p. 63
New York, NY:
Random House Children's
Books 2001
[original 1961]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-394-82037-1
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
49/
2005
THE ROOT CELLAR
Janet Lunn
O
"After a while her
senses began to
settle, and as they
did the world became
real to her as it had
never seemed real
before. Colors were
brighter. Smells were
stronger. Sounds
were sharper. She
looked around. She
was sitting in the
Chambers Street
railroad depot in New
York City in August,
1865." p. 209
Toronto, ON:
Random House of Canada
Limited 2001
[original 1981]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-14038-036-1
Awards:
Canadian Library Association
Book of the Year for Children
Award, 1982
The Root Cellar is a time-slip fantasy novel about a girl
named Rose, who enters an abandoned root cellar and finds
herself transported back to 1862. When her grandmother dies
suddenly, Rose goes to live with her aunt and uncle and their
four children in the family's old Ontario farmhouse. Rose
discovers that a resident ghost who warns her that she 'shifts'
from the past to the present haunts the house. Indeed, Rose
herself is soon transported back to a time when the Civil War
was raging in the United States. Before she finds her way
back to the present, Susan and Will befriend Rose.
After her first adventure, time in the present seems tortuously
slow to Rose. In contrast, her trips into the past hurtle by with
drama and excitement. Her friendship with Susan and Will
bring Rose face-to-face with the realities of the Civil War.
Lunn invites young readers to consider poverty and slavery.
Lunn also presents the political relationship of the United
States and Canada after the Civil War as well as various
aspects of Canada's geography in the present and past.
As Rose struggles with being an orphan, grapples with her
dual realities and eventually discovers the joy of remaining in
the present, readers will begin to think about how this
character adapts to a new family, makes difficult choices and
copes with being thrust into harsh life situations beyond her
control.
50/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SILVERWING
Kenneth Oppel
Silverwing is Toronto writer Kenneth Oppel's first novel in an
animal fantasy series that has quickly gained wide popularity.
The main character, Shade, is a young silver wing bat. What
Shade lacks in size and power, he makes up for in curiosity and
courageousness. In fact, it is his curiosity that spurs him to
watch the sunrise, breaking the ancient taboo that all bats are
strictly nocturnal. With this breach, enemy owls declare war
and attack the bats' nursery tree with burning sticks of wood.
Escaping from the fire, Shade joins the colony as it begins its
migration, but he is separated from the group by a fierce
storm. Blown out to sea, he finds sanctuary on an island and
is befriended by Marina, a bright wing bat who has been
banded by humans. Once they get back to the mainland,
Shade and Marina encounter a couple of rogue vampire bats,
Goth and Throbb, who offer to protect them from warring
pigeons and owls. As they try to catch up with the colony,
Shade and Marina must deal with predator attacks, harsh
environmental conditions and a growing threat from the
vampire bats.
While offering an engaging fantasy storyline, Oppel also
provides readers with a wealth of information about bats,
including their eating habitats and migratory patterns. The
book is also woven through with rich themes of betrayal,
friendship and bravery that readers can interact with on many
levels depending on their maturity.
"He was in the sun.
In the light of day.
No bat had been here
for millions of years.
He could feel the heat
of it on his wings, the
fur on his back, and
even in the cold
winter day, it sail felt
glorious. It felt like
victory. " p. 250
Toronto, ON:
HarperCollins 1997
paperback
ISBN 0-00-648179-5
Awards:
Mr. Christie's Book Award,
1998
Canadian Library Association
Book of the Year
for Children Award, 1998
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
51/
2005
TALKING WITH ARTISTS
VOLUME THREE
Pat Cummings
"Ifeel very fortunate
to be able to illustrate
children's books and
be at home with my
family. It is as if
every day is a rainy
day from my
childhood and I am
allowed to stay
inside and color in
my own imaginary
world. "
p. 29, Jane Dyer
New York, NY:
Houghton Mifflin
Company, Clarion Books, 1999
hardcover picture book
ISBN 0-395-89132-9
Talking with Artists provides biographical sketches of
thirteen different artists that include practical advice for art
enthusiasts of all ages. Encouraging quotes and words of
wisdom are designed to inspire readers, and a consistent
theme throughout the narratives is to be bold and take risks
because mistakes are a necessary, integral part of the creative
process.
The text includes well-known samples of each artist's work, to
give students a better appreciation for the artists' explanations
of their professional growth. Cummings also includes
childhood drawings by each artist that cleverly bring a sense of
innocence and humanity to these accomplished professionals.
52/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TUCK EVERLASTING
Natalie Babbitt
Tuck Everlasting tells the story of the Tuck family, who have
unwittingly drunk from a fountain of youth to find that
immortality is a charm with a dark side. The Tucks were
shunned by their neighbourhood amid talk of witchcraft, and
his wife and family abandoned Miles Tuck when he stayed
young while they grew older. Eventually, the youthful Tucks
were forced into hiding.
Winnie Foster becomes an unsuspecting victim of this mess
when she witnesses a handsome teen drinking from a spring
and insists that she too needs a drink. When he refuses her,
she finds herself being kidnapped by other members of this
strange clan. The Tucks are forced to tell Winnie their secret
and now she is faced with a terrible dilemma.
Teachers will need to address the representation of a murder
as warranted within the circumstances of this fantasy and the
underlying issues of the sanctity of human life. Students will
be encouraged to think about natural rhythm of life, and death
and the desire of mankind to control it.
This novel has support
videos available through
ACCESS: All about the
Book: A Kid's Video Guide
to "Tuck Everlasting, "
2002 [21 min. BPN
2076106] and Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Natalie Babbitt, 1995
[21 min. BPN 2075914].
"You can't have living
without dying. So
you can't call it living,
what we got. We just
are, we just be, like
rocks beside the
road. " p. 64
Toronto, ON:
Douglas & Mclntyre 1975
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-374-48009-5
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
53/
2005
THE WHITE MOUNTAINS
John Christopher
"Oxymandias had
spoken of men
working in mines
underground to get
metals for the
Tripods, of the
Tripods hunting men,
of human beings
serving them in their
cities. But even if
those things were
true, they must
happen far away.
None of it touched
this secure and
pleasant life." p. 134
New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster Children's Publishing
Division 1999
[original 1967]
paperback reissue
ISBN 0-02-042711-5
The White Mountains is a science fiction novel set in a
ruined world of the future where giant creatures called Tripods
use a ritualized "capping" ceremony to rob adults of their free
will. When the main character, Will Parker, realizes that the
time for his capping is quickly approaching, he decides to run
away with the help of a mysterious outsider. Will is joined by
his cousin Henry, and later by another adolescent, Jean Paul,
whom they quickly dub "Beanpole."
As the three try to reach The White Mountains, where it is
rumoured that people are free from the Tripods, they explore
the ruins of a gigantic metropolis, and eventually find
themselves in strange, but beautiful chateau with knights and
ladies. Even here, though, the Tripods rule and capping
ceremonies occur twice a year. The three teens decide to slip
away during the excitement of the next ceremony, but Will
faces a difficult decision when he falls in love with the beautiful
young Eloise, Queen of the Tournament.
The book's themes of freedom, friendship and personal growth
offer opportunities for rich classroom discussion. The
potentially stereotypical and racially discriminatory language
used is intended to reflect the time period represented in the
novel; teachers will need to make students aware of this fact
and discuss the social and political culture of the early 1900s.
54/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 6
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
*¥H?t
^ — I Grade 7 I — -7-
English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
"j AV/*
i£lss
ALIEN SECRETS
Annette Curtis Klause
"He took the
chocolate gingerly
and carefully placed
it into his mouth. His
eyes grew big, and
his narrow lips
pinched together.
Oh, God. I've killed
him, Puck thought.
But his eyes closed,
and his purple tongue
snaked out to lick his
lips. His throat
gluggedfast in
pleasure. 'A taste
wonderful, ' he said.
'My thanks. ' He likes
chocolate, Puck
thought triumphantly.
He's a real person."
p. 47
New York, NY: Bantam
Doubleday Dell Books for
Young Readers, Yearling, 1995
[original 1993]
ISBN 0-440-41061-4
Alien Secrets opens with feisty, thirteen-year-old Robin
Goodfellow (nicknamed Puck) witnessing a fight on the
evening before she boards the Cat's Cradle, a spaceship bound
for the planet Aurora where her parents work. On board, an
alien passenger, Hush, appears upset and later tells Puck that
the sacred statue he's been carrying back to his home planet
has been stolen. Hush also tells her that, ironically, their
spaceship was once a Grakk slaveship that carried his
forefathers to a terrible destiny. In fact, more than one
passenger has heard the eerie cries of slave spirits on the Cat's
Cradle.
The story of Hush and his race is very much a parable of what
happened to enslaved people throughout Earth's history.
However, the story is suspenseful and written at an average to
below-average reading level. In the tradition of science fiction
mystery, every chapter ends with a cliff hanger and there are
a variety of suspicious characters: Michael, a young
hyperspace navigator intern; Cubuk, the steely-eyed man from
the fight; and Ms. Dante and Ms. Florette, two fussy ladies
who make disparaging remarks about aliens.
56/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE CAY
Theodore Taylor
The Cay is set in 1942, when Americans were becoming
nervous over the possibilities of German attacks. After a British
tanker burns and sinks within sight of Willemstad, the Enrights
decide that eleven-year-old Phillip and his mother should book
passage on a small freighter heading to Florida. When the ship
is torpedoed, Phillip is flung into the water and soon discovers
that he is blind. Only Timothy, an elderly negro deckhand, and
the ship's cat also survive. They drift for three days before
spotting a small cay. Timothy begins a regimen to help Phillip
become self-sufficient. At first Phillip rails against being
ordered around, but, after Timothy nurses him through
malaria, Phillip realizes his love for his protector. When the
island is hit by a hurricane, Timothy even protects the boy's
body with his own by lashing them to a palm tree. When
Timothy dies, Phillip must face the challenge of surviving on
the cay alone. Phillip finally regains his sight, but realizes he
has really learned how to see and what to see from Timothy.
777e Cay is an engaging survival tale that draws on
Theodore Taylor's experience with the merchant marine during
World War II. It is also the story of a boy's learning important
truths about living with a disability, caring for others and
overcoming racial prejudice. Timothy emerges as the hero of
the novel, a figure of great compassion, humility and dignity.
This novel has a
support video available
through ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Theodore Taylor,
1998
[21 min. BPN 2075918].
"Something
happened to me that
day on the cay. I'm
not quite sure what it
was even now, but I
had begun to change.
I said to Timothy, I
want to be your
friend. ' He said
softly, 'Young bahss,
you 'ave always been
my friend.' I said,
'Can you call me
Phillip instead of
young boss?' 'Phill-
eep, ' he said
warmly." p. 72
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Book,
Dell Yearling, 2002
[original 1969]
ISBN 0-440-41663-9
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
57/
2005
CHARLIE WILCOX
Sharon E. McKay
"'... J am fourteen,
only a Jew years
younger than these
soldiers. And I am a
Newfoundlander, too,
and you said yourself
that I've done good
work so Jar, and,
well, going home
seems-cowardly. '
There, he said it. He
was not a coward,
and if God himself
had seen Jit to drop
him in this spot, well,
made sense that he
was to do his bit right
alongside everyone
else." p. 145
Toronto, ON: Penguin Group,
Penguin Canada, 2003
ISBN 0-14-301470-6
Charlie Wilcox is a blend of fact and fiction that chronicles
the adventures of a Newfoundland boy who is inadvertently
put to sea with soldiers heading for the front during World
War I. After a successful operation to repair his club foot,
fourteen-year-old Charlie is certain he'll be able to go with his
dad to hunt seals, but his mother is determined that he'll go to
St. John's and complete his high school. Once in the city,
Charlie decides to run away and join a sealing vessel. He
finagles his way onto a ship and stows away inside a crate,
only to discover later that the back-home bully has made him
the butt of a cruel joke— Charlie is on a troop ship headed for
England.
From England, Charlie decides to cross to France and serve as
a Red Cross volunteer with the Canadian hospital at Etaples.
There, the blood, mire and horror of trench warfare are
conveyed through Charlie's fourteen-year-old eyes. As Charlie
takes on increasing responsibility, he demonstrates the book's
themes of courage, perseverance, personal growth and the
acceptance of differences.
Ontario writer Sharon E. McKay, the great-niece of Charlie
Wilcox, captures a feel of the historical period as well as the
flavour of Newfoundland's customs and speech. The novel is
written at an average reading level and a glossary is included.
58/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
COWBOYS DONT CRY
Marilyn Halvorson
O
Cowboys Don't Cry is set in a small rural community in the
southern Alberta foothills in the 1970s. Shane Morgan, a
bright fourteen-year-old, and his father, Josh Morgan, return to
the farm left to Shane by his grandfather. Shane is thrilled to
finally have a place to call home where he and his dad can
keep their horses. In the four years between his mother's
death and the inheritance of the farm, Shane has watched his
father, once a bull-riding champion on the rodeo circuit, sink
into depression, despair and alcoholism. When Shane gets
home from a rough day at his new school and discovers his
Dad has gone into Cochrane with an old buddy, likely to drink,
he carelessly lets the horses out to graze. When the golden
palomino that belonged to his mother becomes hung up on a
barbed wire fence, Casey, a neighbour girl, and her mother,
the town veterinarian, help rescue the horse.
While there are some predictable elements to the story,
Halvorson uses a richly-detailed rural backdrop to show
Shane's resiliency as he struggles to fit into a new community
while dealing with his father's grief and alcoholism. Teachers
will require time to discuss the issues of family dysfunction and
alcoholism.
"J started to say,
'What do you mean,
too late? You can
still be a champ, ' but
I didn't say it.
Because, for once in
his life, Dad was
seeing things like
they really were. He
was 36 years old, he
had a kid to be
responsible for, a
ranch he couldn't
leave, a drinking
problem he couldn't
drown, and a
memory he couldn't
bury. He was right.
It was too late. " p. 69
Toronto, ON: Stoddart Kids,
1998
[original 1987]
ISBN 0-7736-7429-2
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
59/
2005
DAYS OF TERROR
Barbara Smucker
O
"He hit harder and
harder at the leafless
tree until floods of
bitterness surged
inside him and
seemed to rush
through his swinging
arms into the splitting
woods. He hated the
men who pounded at
their door night after
night. Why must
they curse and steal
from his family?
Why must they point
their loaded guns at
Mother and Aunt
Lizzie? Why must
they destroy the
beautiful village of
Tiegen?" p. 95
Toronto, ON: Penguin Group,
Puffin Canada, 1981
[original 1979]
ISBN 0-14-031306-0
Awards:
Ruth Schwartz Children's Book
Award, 1980
Canada Council Children's
Literature Prize, 1979
Days of Terror portrays the plight of a Mennonite German
family living in southern Ukraine during the World War I and
the Russian Revolution. Although all Mennonites are pacifists,
young Mennonite men were drafted as hospital workers or put
into labour camps. When the army disintegrates with the
outbreak of revolution in 1917, Otto Neufeld, a Red Cross
worker, returns home. Ten-year-old Peter is thrilled about his
brother's return, but a restless Otto soon leaves to make his
own way in the world. He returns at Christmas with news of
the intensifying civil war. Throughout the following year,
invading soldiers and marauders burn much of the village,
leaving the survivors stricken with typhus. Mennonite
communities in North America rally to send food and
encourage friends and family to leave Russia and emigrate to
the new world. It is what the Neufelds decide to do, enduring
a long journey to Winnipeg.
Peter, a gentle, artistic and caring youth, is presented in sharp
contrast to his cruel and hostile surroundings. Smucker draws
from her own Mennonite background in this riveting reminder
of fragility in an uncertain world and the strength of a family's
bonds. Providing students with an historical and political
context of the former U.S.S.R. from 1914 to 1924 will prepare
them for the harsh reality of war the book portrays.
60/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
GUTS
Gary Paulsen
Guts is Gary Paulsen's autobiographical response to his
readers' frequent questions about his life and his inspiration for
his novels. The book is a short, easy and a compelling read,
and a valuable nonfiction companion to the author's Brian
Robeson series. Paulsen writes about his early determination
to create bows and arrows from scratch, details the skills a
person can develop to keep from starving in the wilds, and
describes how hordes of insects can drive animals and men
insane in northern woods.
Graphic descriptions of hunting may be offensive to some
readers. He also reviews his own experiences with heart-
attack victims, plane crashes and a number of other high-
drama incidents that contributed to Hatchet, included in the
ELA 10-2 list, and its sequels.
"Years later, when I
came to write Hatchet
and the scene where
the pilot is dying, I
remembered this man
of all the men I saw
dead from heart
attacks and car
wrecks and farm
accidents. I
remembered him and
his eyes and I put
him in the plane next
to Brian because he
was, above all
things, real, and I
wanted the book to
be real. " p. 6
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books,
Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2002
[original 2001]
ISBN 0-440-40712-5
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
61/
2005
THE HOBBIT
J.R.R. Tolkien
"Out jumped the
goblins, big goblins,
great ugly-looking
goblins, lots of
goblins, before you
could say rock and
blocks. There were
six to each dwarf, at
least, and two even
for Bilbo; and they
were all grabbed and
carried through the
crack, before you
could say tinder and
flint. But not
Gandalf." p. 57
London, England:
HarperCollins Publishers, 1999
[original 1937]
310 pages
ISBN: 0-261-10221^
The Hobbit is a prelude to the popular Lord of the Rings
trilogy. It is a fantasy saga set in the land of Middle Earth.
Bilbo Baggins is a Shire Hobbit— a peace-loving creature who
lives a life free of adventure. Gandalf the Wizard whisks him
off for a series of adventures with a group of dwarves to seek
a pot of gold that was stolen from their ancestors by Smaug
the dragon. Along the way, the group encounters giant
spiders, unfriendly elves and a creature named Gollum from
whom Bilbo wins a magic ring in a riddle contest.
Many elements of 7776 Hobbit are familiar archetypes: a quest
must be undertaken, there is a mentor, good battles evil, the
protagonist must find strength and courage within, and finally
a significant character change occurs. Tolkien uses allusions
and borrowings from ancient Norse legends. Many students
will enjoy Tolkien's original vocabulary as they escape into his
entertaining world.
62/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
I AM DAVID
Anne Holm
I Am David follows a twelve-year-old Jewish boy fleeing from
a concentration camp during the Holocaust to find safety in
Denmark. David is bewildered and suspicious when a guard he
has always despised arranges for his escape from the
concentration camp, but he is willing to take the risk and follow
the guard's plan of travelling to Salonica where he can work his
way northward to Denmark. David finds his way to Salonica
and stows away on a ship headed for Italy. When he is
discovered, David experiences the first of many kind acts from
strangers. Later, when David rescues a young girl named
Maria from a burning shed, the grateful family takes him in.
However, after a few weeks, David realizes Maria's mother is
nervous about their mysterious houseguest and he leaves,
continuing the long route to Denmark.
/ Am David is a testimony to claiming one's identity and
individuality. The novel shows the plight of countless children
after World War II and the random relocation of shattered
families, while emphasizing the value of courage, resilience and
trust. Throughout David's profoundly moving journey to find
his roots in Denmark during the 1950s, the reader shares his
experiences as he discovers a world that is dramatically
different from the only world he has ever known— the dull,
colourless, mean existence of the camp.
"David breathed
deeply, hardly
noticing the cold bite
in the air. He was
David. He was free
and strong. He was
on the move again,
but this time he knew
where he was
making for. There
might be many
difficulties ahead
before he reached his
goal, but difficulties
could be overcome ...
The long winter had
passed, and he was
going down to meet
the spring. " p. 1 67
London, England: Egmont
Children's Books Limited,
Mammoth, 2000
[original 1965]
ISBN 0-7497-0136-6
Awards:
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award,
1992
An American Library
Association Notable Book,
1992
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
63/
2005
MYSTERY IN THE FROZEN LANDS
Martyn Godfrey
"Despite an outcry
from the public, naval
officials believed the
Inuit stories and
declared that all
people on Sir John's
voyage were dead.
For me it is proof of
nothing. The
questions have yet to
be answered. I have
not given up hope
that my uncle is still
alive. That is why I
am here, frozen in a
foreign sea" p. 13
Toronto, ON: James Lorimer &
Company, Publishers, 1988
ISBN 1-55028-137-2
Mystery in the Frozen Lands is a historical novel that
recounts the disaster of the Franklin Expedition through the
journal of Peter Griffin, a fictional teenage cabin boy and
nephew of Franklin, who has joined a mission to discover the
fate of the lost expedition. In Peter's first entry, dated
November 10, 1858, The Fox \s locked in ice and the suicide of
one of the crew is fresh in Peter's mind. Through the following
months, he writes of the cramped quarters, the monotonous
routine of ship life, and his friendship with Anton, a young
Inuit from Greenland, whose job it is to care for the dogs.
In February, Peter is allowed to join Captain McClintock's
expedition by sledge along the Boothia Peninsula, where they
meet Aboriginal hunters with items that could likely have come
from Franklin's men. In April, Peter joins another expedition
exploring the west coast of King William Island. Eventually
they find evidence of the Franklin Expedition including a large
wooden boat with a sledge beneath it and two skeletons
inside.
The author was inspired to write Mystery in the Frozen Lands
when he read about the discovery of the graves from the
Franklin Expedition on Beechey Island and the likelihood of
lead poisoning contributing to mental disorders among the
officers. Although an easy read, this is not a typical
Martyn Godfrey novel. The story deals with themes of cultural
difference and human reactions during crises.
64/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
PEACEKEEPERS
Dianne Linden
O
Peacekeepers is about the challenges of thirteen-year-old
Nellie Letitia Hopkins. Nell's mother, Alice, is a reservist in the
Canadian Armed Forces on a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.
Nell and her brother Mikey have moved in with their bachelor
uncle who means well but is eccentric and doesn't know much
about kids. Nell resents her mother leaving and worries that
she will be killed in a land mine explosion so she refuses to
answer any of the e-mails her mother sends her.
When both Nell and Mikey are forced to attend new schools,
Mikey does all right but Nell becomes the target of increasingly
vicious bullying. She knows she should speak up, but instead
takes on the attitude of a victim, becoming withdrawn, refusing
help from school staff and administration, and obsessing that
the dangers she feels make her life similar to her mother's in
Bosnia. Sam Hashi, the one friend that Nell makes, tries to
support her as much as he is able and Nell opens up a little.
Just when life seems to be improving, she is assaulted on her
way home from school. In the end, Nell must dig deep within
herself and accept all the help that is offered in order to turn
her life around. Teachers will need to take time to discuss the
issue of bullying with students.
"After Mr. Melnyk
moved on, Shane
gave me the rogue
animal look again.
'You'd better be
careful. Smelly, ' he
said, 'I can make
your life miserable. '
'I don't think so,' I
said back, which
goes to show what I
know about
anything." p. 5
Regina, SK: Coteau Books,
2003
ISBN 1-55050-271-9
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
65/
2005
SEES BEHIND TREES
Michael Dorris
Then, from her sack
she brought out a
tightly woven sash,
placed it over my
eyes, and tied it with
a length of grapevine.
'What are you
doing?' I wanted to
know. 'Shhh, ' she
said. 'Describe this
place to me. ' 'But
I've never been here
before and I can't
see. ' 'Shhh, ' she
said again. 'Look
with your ears. '"p. 5
New York, NY: Hyperion
Paperbacks, 1999
[original 1996]
ISBN 0-7868-1357-1
Sees Behind Trees, set in North America's eastern
woodlands in the 16th century, follows the journey of an
Aboriginal boy who compensates for his poor eyesight by using
his other senses to "see" things around him in a way that no
one else in his village can. Walnut is frustrated that his poor
eyesight makes hunting difficult, and afraid that he may never
earn his adult name, until the expert on hunting arranges for a
special trial, explaining that the village needs "someone with
the ability to see what can't be seen." Walnut is able to
identify the approach of a man with a limp so far away that
none of the other contestants comes close to seeing him. The
weroance pronounces Walnut's adult name: Sees Behind
Trees.
The man with the limp is Gray Fire, an old man who wants to
make a trek back to a place of incredible beauty where a past
mishap resulted in his limp. He asks Sees Behind Trees to use
his special abilities to help him in his quest. The journey is
filled with adversity, spirituality and self-discovery, and
ultimately presents Sees Behind Trees with the sorrow of
losing a friend and the joy of saving a child. The book
presents an appreciation of the historical context and
demonstrates cultural diversity in a very accessible read.
66/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SKELLIG
David Almond
Skellig \s a strange and wonderful story about a boy who finds
a mysterious, sarcastic birdlike man living under a pile of
cobwebs in the garage of his family's dilapidated new house.
With his parents preoccupied with his chronically sick baby
sister, Michael is often on his own and is drawn to the decrepit
garage. It is packed with ancient furniture, rolled up carpets,
pipes, spiders, bluebottle flies, and a man who looks like he
might be dead— but isn't. In the days following his discovery,
Michael begins tending the man, who he learns is named
Skellig. He finally shares his secret with Mina, the quirky,
strong-willed girl next door, and the two of them make a plan
to try to help Skellig.
Skellig combines themes of change, faith and friendship with
frequent references to William Blake, science and art. The
startling introduction sets the novel's haunting and
atmosphere. True to the voice of the young narrator, the
prose is spare: brief sentences, dialogue exchanges with little
elaboration, details that would catch the eye of a boy. Put it all
together and it evolves into a rich, high interest story with
many levels to study.
"She unfastened the
buttons of his jacket.
She began to pull his
jacket down over his
shoulders. 'No,' he
squeaked. Trust
me, ' she whispered.
He didn't move. She
slid the sleeves down
over his arms, took
the jacket right off
him. We saw what
both of us had
dreamed we might
see. Beneath his
jacket were wings
that grew out through
rips in his shirt. "
p. 94
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books, Dell
Laurel-Leaf, 2001
[original 1998]
ISBN 0-440-22908-1
Awards:
New York Times Best Book of
the Year, 1999
School Library Journal Best
Books of the Year, 1999
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
67/
2005
THE SLAVE DANCER
Paula Fox
"I played on against
the wind, the
movement of the
whip and my own
self-disgust, and
finally the slaves
began to lift their
feet, the chains
attached to the
shackles around their
ankles forming an
iron dirge, below the
trills of my tune. "
pp. 69-70
New York, NY: Random House
Children's Books, Dell Laurel-
Leaf, 1975
[original 1973]
ISBN 0-440-96132-7
The Slave Dancer \s the Newbery Medal award-winning story
of thirteen-year-old Jessie Bollier who plays his fife at the
great market on the levee in New Orleans to supplement his
widowed mother's dress sewing business. One night Jessie is
kidnapped and forced aboard 777e Moonlight, a slave ship en
route to Africa. Jessie discovers it will be his job to play his
fife when the captives are brought on deck to exercise. During
the voyage to Africa, Jessie witnesses the cruelty of the ship's
corrupt Captain Cawthome, but nothing can prepare him for
the horror of loading black men, women and children into
777e Moonlights cramped hold.
Their return journey is plagued with disease and bad weather.
Jessie's disgust at the slaves' living conditions is coupled by
the growing realization that he is an unwitting accomplice to
this atrocity. When a fierce storm hits off the coast of Cuba
and the ship goes down, Jessie finds himself and a black boy
about his age the sole survivors.
The story of The Slave Dancer is almost unbearable at times,
but demands to be told. The difficult content is softened
somewhat by Paula Fox's challenging, lyrical prose and by the
sifting of the story through Jessie's young eyes. Providing an
historical context is one way to prepare students for the
racism, graphic violence and offensive language (i.e., "nigger")
that Jessie witnesses.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Paula Fox, 1995
[25 min. BPN 2075915].
68/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SOUNDER
William Armstrong
Sounder is an engrossing and often heartbreaking tale of a
black family's courage and endurance during the early years of
the twentieth century in the southern United States. When a
sharecropper, driven to desperation by hunger and poverty,
steals a ham that he feels he has rightfully earned, the county
sheriff tracks him down. As the sharecropper is taken away in
a wagon, the family dog, Sounder, chases after the wagon and
is shot by one of the deputies. The wounded animal
disappears into the night, adding to the devastation of the
family. Weeks later, it seems a small miracle when Sounder
shows up on the shanty porch, emaciated and injured.
In the following months that turn into years, the boy travels in
search of his father who has been sentenced to hard labour.
The boy must find him somewhere among the prison farms
and stone quarries.
Except for Sounder, Armstrong does not name any of the
characters in this novel. By referring simply to "the man," 'the
boy," "his mother" and "the younger children," Armstrong
moves the story from being the plight of one individual family
to the tale of an entire people. Stronger readers will find this a
rewarding novel.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Sounder
(feature film)
[90 min. BPN 2079201].
"His mother fed him
and said, 'Child,
child ... Some people
is born to keep.
Some is born to lose.
We was bom to lose,
I reckon. But
Sounder might come
back.' But weeks
went by, and
Sounder did not come
back." p. 52
New York, NY:
HarperTrophy, 1972
[original 1969]
ISBN 0-06^40020-4
Awards:
Newbery Award Winner, 1970
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
69/
2005
TOUCH OF THE CLOWN
Glen Huser
"... Cosmo wipes his
finger through the
white of his cheek
and uses the
greasepaint to make
a mark on Nathan's
cheek. He does it to
each of us in turn ...
The touch of the
clown, ' Cosmo says
in a voice so soft it is
almost a whisper.
'We pass it on from
one to another. It
was given to me by
my clown-master. A
little smudge of
Clown White. It
enters our pores and
we are changed
forever ...'" p. 123
Toronto, ON: Groundwood
Books, 1999
ISBN 0-88899-357-9
Touch of the Clown is a sensitively written novel about a
neglected thirteen-year-old, Barbara Stanwyck Kobleimer, who
finds support and friendship from Cosmo Farber, a clown
instructor living with AIDS. Since her mother's death,
Barbara's father and grandmother drink the days away in front
of the television, while Barbara looks after Liwy, her
demanding little sister. One summer day, Liwy chases a ball
onto a busy street and is struck by a man riding a bicycle.
Right from the start, Barbara realizes this man in multicoloured
clothes is someone extraordinary. Once they get Liwy off the
street and onto the boulevard, Cosmo pulls some balls out of
his backpack and adds Liwy's ball to them in a juggling act.
When Cosmo realizes Barbara's situation, he urges her to
register in an upcoming clown workshop while Liwy attends an
art class nearby. Barbara forges her father's name on the
application form and sneaks out of the house to attend.
There, Cosmo helps Barbara develop a belief in her own
creativity and talent and an awareness of people who can love
and help her. Although Cosmo ultimately passes away, he
leaves Barbara with the confidence she needs to seek help.
Teachers will require time to discuss the issues of family
dysfunction, alcoholism, AIDS and death.
70/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
VIRTUAL WAR
Gloria Skurzynski
Virtual War is set in 2080, on the brink of a "virtual" war to
be fought through simulations. World federations will battle for
twenty volcanic islands in the south seas that were once
contaminated, as most of the earth was, but now, finally, are
cleansed. Fourteen-year-old Corgan has led a privileged
existence in the company of virtual beings in return for his
willingness to train for the war. With the war only a few days
away, Supreme Council introduces Sharla, a female
"cryptanalyst" with an uncanny ability to break code, and a
mutant boy, Brig, a genius at strategy. At night, Sharla
manages to sneak her teammates out of the compound for a
look at the world outside. These glimpses convince Corgan
that they should bargain for their release and relocation to the
Islands of Hiva if they win the war. Eventually, Corgan makes
difficult decisions based on the inner strength and spirit
nurtured by the love and friendship of his fellow warriors.
As Lois Lowry does in The Giver, Skurzynski offers a new world
where individuality and humanity are sacrificed for a smoothly
running society. As Corgan finds out, virtual war has all of the
horrific dimensions of the wars that have plagued human
history, minus the bloodshed and pain. Other issues explored
in the novel include isolation and desensitization.
"Corgan felt his
stomach heave as the
simulated
battleground grew
sticky with blood. He
swallowed hard and
focused on his
soldiers, forgetting
that they were only
virtual images no
bigger than the
height of his hand.
He smelled ozone
and smoke and
chemicals — 'Gas
attack!' Brig
screamed. 'Get them
out of there,
Corgan!'" p. 116
New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster Children's Publishing
Division, Simon Pulse, 1999
[original 1997]
ISBN 0-689-82425-4
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
71/
2005
WHO IS FRANCES RAIN?
Margaret Buffie
O
"She grew clearer
and clearer, almost
like a Polaroid picture
developing ... 'She's
turning ... going back
into the cabin. Wait.
Now she's back with
a pair of binoculars.
It must be Frances
Rain. It has to be.
Omigod! What am I
seeing? I'm seeing a
ghost. I don't believe
itr pp. 100-101
Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press
Ltd., 1987
ISBN 0-919964-83-4
Awards:
Canadian Library Association
Young Adult Canadian Book
Award, 1987
Combining ghost story and time-shift fantasy, Who Is
Frances Rain? dramatizes the connections between the past
and the present. Lizzie and her two siblings have always spent
summer holidays at grandmother's cabin on Lake Winnipeg.
The only difference this summer, when Lizzie is fifteen, is that
her mother and new husband are joining them. Life has
turned into a perpetual argument. For solitude, Lizzie explores
Rain Island, where she stumbles across the crumbling remains
of a small cabin and a pair of unbroken wire-rimmed
spectacles. When Lizzie puts the glasses on, the world shifts
and she realizes she is seeing Rain Island in the past, when
the cabin still stood there. In recurring visits, she sees a stark,
solitary woman and a girl who is wearing the spectacles. In
the days that follow, Lizzie finds out everything she can about
the mysterious Frances Rain, who chose to live— and die— by
herself on the island. Like the pieces of Gram's jigsaw puzzle
everyone works on, Lizzie begins to see that the mystery of
Frances Rain connects to her own family. Lizzie's narrative
voice is funny, self-reflective and heartfelt as it reveals a
teenage girl's growing awareness of herself as an integral part
of her family and a link between generations.
72/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
WILLA'S NEW WORLD
Barbara Demers
O
Willa's New World begins in London, 1795, with recently-
orphaned 15-year-old Willa Thompson boarding a merchant
ship going to a Hudson's Bay post in the New World. Willa
endures the cramped, difficult journey and makes her way to
York Factory.
There, Master George, the chief factor, who becomes her
protector, gives her a job as a clerk. Amelia, an Aboriginal
cook, befriends Willa and tells her about the customs and
beliefs of her people. With the support of these two, Willa
finally begins to adapt to her new life, but when Willa declines
a marriage proposal from George, he "transfers" her to Fort
Edmonton House. Amelia's brother, cousin and mother escort
her there. During this long and difficult journey, she suffers a
vicious attack by one of the townspeople, but ultimately begins
to appreciate the beauty of the new world and its people.
"Visions of parties
past replayed in my
head. Drunken
brawls, blood,
emergencies, shouts,
and gunshots. Often
impromptu, spilling
out from the kitchen
to the hall to outside.
For some, Amelia
said, the entire visit
to the fort was a
party — a reprieve
from the arduous
work trapping and
hauling furs,
traversing the land
and water — a
reprieve from the
hazards of winter. "
p. 167
Regina, SK: Coteau Books,
1999
ISBN 1-55050-150-X
Awards:
R. Ross Annette Award for
Children's Literature, 2000
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
73/
2005
THE WRECKERS
Iain Lawrence
"Her voice dropped,
and she shivered.
The law said that
anything that came
from a wreck was
free for salvage. But
for it to be a wreck,
no one could
survive ... So it was
the law, John, that
made the devil's
work of wrecking. '
'Because, ' I said,
'they killed the
people who got to
shore. ' Yes. It came
to that. ' She sat
again, close beside
me. 'But it got worse.
It got much worse. '"
p. 48
New York, NY: Random House
Children's Books, Dell Yearling,
1999
[original 1998]
ISBN 0-440-41545-4
Awards:
Geoffrey Bilson Award for
Historical Fiction for Young
People, 1999
The Wreckers is the first novel in Iain Lawrence's highly
accessible High Seas Trilogy. This fast-paced, suspenseful
story is about a village off the Cornwall coast where, the
reader learns, people are luring ships to crash on the rocks so
they can take their goods. The story is written from the
perspective of 14-year-old John Spencer, who is taking his first
ocean voyage, when the ship is lured to a dangerous part of
the Cornwall coast and wrecked during a fierce storm. This
casts John into the hands of the Wreckers, who would rather
have no survivors to tell the tale of false beacons flashing
along the cliffs. John finds safety with a family that has
flourished from the spoils awarded through legitimate salvage
rights, but he suspects the master of the house may be in
league with the Wreckers.
Each chapter of The Wreckers ends on its own narrative cliff,
creating high interest. The plot follows the teenaged hero as
he faces the challenges of saving another ship in distress and
freeing his father, the ship's captain, from imprisonment.
74/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 7
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
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English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
ARTEMIS FOWL
Eoin Colfer
"Artemis' s main
problem was one of
location — how to
locate a leprechaun.
This was one sly
bunch of fairies,
hanging around for
God knows how
many millennia and
still not one photo,
not one frame of
video. Not even a
Loch Ness-type hoax.
They weren't exactly
a sociable group.
And they were smart,
too. No one had ever
got his hands on
fairy gold. But no
one had ever had
access to the book
either. And puzzles
were so simple when
you had the key. "
p. 63
New York, NY: Talk Miramax
Books/Hyperion Paperbacks,
2002
[original 2001]
ISBN 0-7868-1707-0
Artemis Fowl combines fantasy and modern crime adventure
into a fast-paced and humorous story. Artemis is a
12-year-old criminal genius who obtains a copy of The Book— a
mythical text that reveals all the secrets of The People (elves,
fairies and dwarfs who have been forced underground by
humans). Holly is a determined fairy creature who is the first
female member of Commander Root's LEP (Lower Elements
Police) recon patrol. When Holly goes to Ireland to replenish
her magic, she encounters Artemis staking out the replenishing
site. Despite Holly's incredible personal and technological
resources, she becomes his hostage. Artemis demands fairy
gold in exchange for her freedom. Commander Root and the
LEP locate Holly at Fowl Manor on the outskirts of Dublin.
Equipped with an arsenal of time-stops, mind-wipes, blasters,
bio-bombs and a terrifying troll, they try to rescue her but
Artemis is prepared and waiting for them.
Colfer's ending may be disappointing to some readers, but the
journey getting there is hilarious. The subterranean fairy
world that Colfer details parallels the world above. The text is
packed with witty dialogue, bright and not-so-bright
characters, and action sequences that loop one cliffhanger to
the next. While the humour and gadgetry may appeal more to
boys, girls will enjoy the tough and gritty female fairy, Holly.
76/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE DARK IS RISING
Susan Cooper
The Dark is Rising is a high-level fantasy read that
addresses the cosmic struggle between the forces of light and
dark. The story begins when Will Stanton first hears a
mysterious, ancient chant on his eleventh birthday. Though
he has grown up in a happy, loving family, he now senses
there are dark stirrings in the world. Even the animals are
afraid of him, and Will sees things that no one else does, such
as an olden-days blacksmith shop and a tall stranger who tries
to get Will to come up onto his great black horse. Soon he
meets Merriman, the first of the Old Ones, who tells him that
Will, too, has the power of the Old Ones, an ancient group
destined to battle the powers of evil that trouble the land.
Will is assigned an enormous task: he must find and protect
the six great Signs of the Light, which, when joined, will
create a force strong enough to fight that of the Dark.
In The Dark Is Rising, Cooper draws on rich sources of Celtic
and Druidic mythology to create an epic fantasy that is
grounded in the very real world of the child: a child's feelings
and observations, a child's fear, wonder and surprise. This
novel is the second in a series of five books.
"You are the Sign-
Seeker, Will Stanton.
That is your destiny,
your quest. If you
can accomplish that,
you will have brought
to life one of the three
great forces that the
Old Ones must turn
soon towards
vanquishing the
powers of the Dark,
which are reaching
out now steadily and
stealthily over all this
world ... For the
Dark, the Dark is
rising.'" p. 43
New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster Children's
Publishing Division, Aladdin
Paperbacks, 1999
[original 1973]
ISBN 0-689-82983-3
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
77/
2005
DRAGONWINGS
Laurence Yep
"Some Sundays,
though, they would
come to visit us and
help fly Father's huge
models. They were
as thrilled at Father's
progress as we were.
And when we began
to actually build the
aeroplane, they made
a point of coming
down with an
already fixed cold
supper and helping
us. But though they
called it the
aeroplane, or
sometimes the flying
machine, Father and
I always thought of it
as Dragonwings. "
pp. 269-270
New York, NY: HarperCollins
Children's Books,
HarperTrophy, 2001
[original 1975]
ISBN 0-06^40085-9
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1976
Dragonwings is built around the exploits of a fictional
character, Windrider, and is presented through the eyes of his
son, Moon Shadow, who comes from China to San Francisco at
the age of eight to join his father. The America that Moon
Shadow finds is no "Land of the Golden Mountain."
San Francisco seems a drab and dangerous place where
Chinese workers are ridiculed and sometimes attacked by the
white populace. When Moon Shadow, now ten years old and
helping with the bill collecting, is beaten and robbed,
Windrider becomes caught up in a gang war. It is necessary
for him to get out of Chinatown, and his skill with machinery
and construction lands him a job as a maintenance man for a
Polk Street landlady. Miss Whitlaw's niece befriends Moon
Shadow and, on a beach outing, the two families are thrilled
watching Windrider fly his amazing glider-kite. Windrider has
been reading about the Wright brothers' experiments with
motorized gliders, and he dreams of building one himself. The
dreams and plans of all San Franciscans are interrupted,
though, in April 1906, when the city experiences a devastating
earthquake.
Yep's novel is a deft weaving of Chinese mythology, details of
the Chinese immigrant experience, the famous earthquake
disaster, the logistics of building and flying an airplane, and a
young boy's own growth as he learns about compassion,
perseverance and courage from his father.
This novel has a
support video available
through ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Laurence Yep,
1998
[21 min. BPN 2075909].
78/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FREAK THE MIGHTY
Rodman Philbrick
Freak the Mighty \s a poignant tale of two misfits who find the
power to overcome their fear of the intolerant outside world.
Max, the narrator, is an overgrown eighth-grade kid who is
labelled "learning disabled" by his teachers. With his mother
dead and his father in prison, Max lives in the basement of his
grandparents' house, where he can escape from a friendless
world. Everything changes the day Kevin— "Freak"— moves in
next door. Freak has a normal-sized head but a body the size of
a two-year-old. He gets around on crutches, but is soon riding
on Max's shoulders, creating a formidable Arthurian knight.
Their imaginary quests form an invincible bond. Freak helps
Max get moved from the learning disabled class into an
academic class and supports him when his father gets out of jail
and goes on a rampage. In the end, Freak gives Max something
magical: a blank book for writing down their legend.
Rodman Philbrick portrays both Max and Freak with a skill that
makes their vulnerabilities and their triumphs come alive for
students. The voice of Max as the narrator is touching and
funny. Freak the Mighty explores loyalty and friendship within
an easy and high-interest read.
"Freak is still holding
tight to my shoulders
and when they ask
him for his name, he
says, 'We're Freak
the Mighty, that's
who we are. We're
nine feet tall, in case
you haven't noticed. '
That's how it started,
really, how we got to
be Freak the Mighty,
slaying dragons and
fools and walking
high above the
world." pp. 39-40
New York, NY: Scholastic
Inc., Scholastic Signature,
2001
[original 1993]
ISBN 0-439-28606-9
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
79/
2005
THE GIVER
Lois Lowry
"The Giver shrugged.
'Our people made
that choice, the
choice to go to
Sameness. Before
my time, before the
previous time, back
and back and back.
We relinquished color
when we
relinquished
sunshine and did
away with
differences.' He
thought for a
moment. 'We gained
control of many
things. But we had
to let go others. ' 'We
shouldn't have!'
Jonas said fiercely. "
p. 95
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books, Dell
Laurel-Leaf, 2002
[original 1993]
ISBN 0-440-23768-8
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1994
The Giver is a science fiction novel that presents a
utopian/dystopian future in which colour, pain and variation
have been erased. Conformity, good manners, precise
language, and work for the common good are the most highly
valued virtues. We discover this world through Jonas, a boy
approaching the "Ceremony of Twelve,"
a coming-of-age ritual in which young people receive life
assignments such as birth mothers, caring for the elderly, or
nurturers of the young. Jonas finds that his assignment will
be something very different: he is to train as the Receiver of
Memory under an aging, bearded sage, the only person with
access to the history of humankind. Through mental
transmission and the laying-on of hands, "the Giver" allows
Jonas to experience everything that has been lost to the new
society— everything from the colour and warmth of summer
sailing and a family gathering at Christmas to the pain of
battle and starvation. Jonas begins to realize that while his
carefully modulated society avoids the larger tragedies of
history, it creates a more subtle kind of horror.
Lowry's 1993 Newbery Medal winner is at once spellbinding
and disturbing. Euthanasia, an infant being put to death, and
post puberty medication to eliminate sexual urges are all
treated with sensitivity and occur only where integral to the
plot. These issues may be difficult for some students.
Although Jonas' rejection of these norms provides the central
conflict, the story's resolution creates an open-ended
interpretation that encourages critical thinking and debate.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Lois Lowry, 2002
[22 min. BPN 2075911].
80/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
HOLES
Louis Sachar
In Holes, Stanley Yelnats finds himself plunked down in Camp
Green Lake, a work-camp for juvenile delinquents, after being
wrongfully accused of theft. Stanley discovers there is no lake,
just a gigantic, dry wasteland where daytime temperatures
hover around 95 degrees in the shade. All of the boys are sent
out each day in the heat to dig holes. The warden, it seems, is
convinced that there is buried treasure on the site. When
Stanley digs up a tiny cartridge with the initials 'KB' on it,
enclosed in the shape of a heart, he's sure he has found a clue.
Stanley learns that one hundred and ten years ago, Katherine
Barlow, the schoolteacher, refused an offer of marriage from the
son of the richest man in the country. Instead, she fell in love
with Sam, a negro. There was a law in Texas forbidding their
romance, so the gentle schoolmarm became the notorious
outlaw Kissin' Kate Barlow.
Holes subtly addresses the themes of justice and friendship
through a humourous, descriptive and accessible style that has
wide appeal for students.
This novel has support
videos available through
ACCESS: All About the
Book: A Kid's Video Guide
to "Holes," 2002[21min.
BPN 2076103], Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Louis Sachar, 1999
[21 min. BPN 2075912] and
Holes (feature film)
[120 min. BPN 2079101].
"One thing was
certain: They weren't
just digging to build
character. They were
definitely looking for
something. And
whatever they were
looking for, they were
looking in the wrong
place. Stanley gazed
out across the lake,
toward the spot
where he had been
digging yesterday
when he found the
gold tube. He dug
the hole into his
memory." p. 71
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books, Dell
Laurel-Leaf, 2001
[original 1998]
ISBN 0-440-22859-X
Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young
Adults, 1978
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
81/
2005
INVITATION TO THE GAME
Monica Hughes
"'But why've they
done it? Why such
an elaborate scheme
just to entertain us? I
think there's more to
The Game than
meets the eye. Even
now we know how
it's done, we still
don't know why.'"
p. 93
Toronto, ON: HarperCollins
Publishers Ltd., 1992
[original 1990]
ISBN 0-00-647414-4
Awards:
CLA Notable, 1991
Invitation to the Game is set in a 2154 dystopia where
machines and robots do all the work, and humans are forced
to live on welfare or become colonists. Sixteen -year-old Lisse
and her friends live in an abandoned warehouse provided to
them by the government. Anxious to escape their dreary lives,
the friends brave their Designated Area's nightlife, shunning
drugs and easy pleasures to seek out an invitation to the
mysterious "Game" they have heard about. When they finally
get an invitation, they discover the game is an amazing
adventure that allows them to escape their reality. It seems
like paradise, but they cannot help but wonder what the point
of it is. Eventually the friends finish the game and as a reward
are transported to Prize, another planet; however, the author
leaves us wondering if the youths have gone to a real paradise
or if it is, in fact, just an illusion.
82/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
JOURNEY TO THE RIVER SEA
Eva Ibbotson
Journey to the River Sea follows Maia, an orphan, as she
travels to Manaus, Brazil to live with relatives. On the voyage
across the Atlantic, Maia befriends Clovis King, teenage member
of an acting troupe who is fretting over the fact that he is
outgrowing the child roles he was hired to play.
The dreams Maia has of the exotic life she will lead at the
Carters' rubber plantation come crashing down when she finds
herself suddenly in Brazil with a family determined to live, dress
and eat as if they were in Britain. The spoiled twin daughters
make it a project to see how miserable they can make things for
their new foster sister. In desperation, Maia heads into the city
by boat on her own. The journey begins with her becoming lost
but ends with her meeting a mysterious boy of the river. Their
paths are destined to cross again soon, and when Clovis shows
up, his life too will become intertwined with theirs.
The novel uses very descriptive passages at an average reading
level to demonstrate cultural diversity in this humourous
adventure.
"Clovis had come up
the river in on old
tramp steamer which
carried anything from
cattle to timber. He
had paid the last of
his money to the
captain, who had
allowed him to crouch
on deck between a
crate of bleating
nanny goats and a
leaking sack of
maize. But he
wouldn't put Clovis
off at the Carters '
landing stage. 'Bad
place, ' he said. "
p. 109
London, England: Macmillan
Publishers Limited, 2002
[original 2001]
ISBN 0-330-39715-X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
83/
2005
KENSUKE'S KINGDOM
Michael Morpurgo
"He was right. We
were happy, and I
was his family. But I
had another family
too. 1 thought of the
last time I had been
out in a boat, of my
mother and my father
and how they must
be grieving for me
every day, every
night. By now they
must surely believe I
was drowned, that
there was no chance
I could be alive. But I
wasn't drowned. I
was alive. Somehow
I had to let them
know it. "
pp. 126-127
London, England: Egmont
Children's Books Limited,
Mammoth, 2000
[original 1999]
ISBN 0-7497-3639-9
Awards:
Winner of the Children's
Book Award, 1999
Kensuke's Kingdom is a survival story that begins in
England when 11-year-old Michael's parents decide to buy a
small second-hand yacht. After fixing and outfitting the Peggy
Sue and learning how to navigate, they become sailors in the
south seas. Michael is thrilled with their travels. Then disaster
strikes. One night, Michael goes to retrieve his dog when a
sudden gust of wind rocks the boat and the two fall overboard.
After what seems like hours someone helps him into a boat.
He regains consciousness on a beach of a small island,
seemingly alone with his dog. Michael can find no water and
no edible vegetation. Parched and hungry, he finally falls
asleep.
With morning, Michael discovers someone has left a bowl of
water and some strips of fish. His benefactor does not reveal
himself until Michael starts a small fire on the beach. Suddenly
a small, enraged man emerges and hastily extinguishes the
fire. He is Kensuke, a Japanese man, and in time, Michael will
come to know Kensuke's story: how he survived a naval battle
at the end of World War II, how he hid from American marines
and how he heard them talk of the destruction of Nagasaki
where his family lived. Fond as Michael becomes of Kensuke,
he longs for his parents and searches for a way to get back to
them without betraying the Japanese man's whereabouts.
Morpurgo's spare text and Michael Foreman's pen sketches
make this a very accessible novel for below grade level
readers.
84/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
LOOKING BACK: A BOOK OF MEMORIES
Lois Lowry
Looking Back is Lois Lowry's generous and richly-illustrated
response to her readers' interest in how fiction is shaped from
the events of a life. The memoir has a general chronological
movement to it; however, much of the material is arranged
thematically. For example, a photo of Lowry as a one-day-old
baby in 1937 is followed by very similar pictures of her
grandchildren in 1983 and 1993. Other clusters explore the
relationships of siblings. Along with humour and nostalgia, we
find Lowry writing through the grief of losing her older sister to
cancer, and later the heartbreaking loss of her own son in a
flying accident.
For readers familiar with Lowry's work, it is easy to match the
author's reminiscences of her childhood exploits with those of
the irrepressible Anastasia Krupnik, one of the characters she
created. Each chapter in the memoir opens with a brief quote
from Lowry's published works, and through the photographs and
anecdotes, we gradually learn how her experiences influenced
all her novels, including award-winning titles such as Number
the Stars and The Giver, included in the Grade 4 and Grade 8
lists, respectively.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Lois Lowry, 2002.
[22 min. BPN 2075911].
"Looking back at the
child I was, I smile.
She was right to be
wary. There were
going to be a lot of
pitfalls ahead, for
her. But I know, too,
that her serious,
suspicious gaze was
momentary. Most of
the time the little girl
was laughing." p. 19
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books,
Delacorte Press, 2000
[original 1998]
ISBN 0-385-32699-8
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
85/
2005
THE MASTER PUPPETEER
Katherine Paterson
"He reached up to
untie the puppet ...
Hejelt instead
something quite hard.
He put his fingers
around it. It was
smooth and shaped
like a slightly
flattened pipe. With
a sort of mild
curiosity he pulled it
down off the rafter to
have a look. To his
surprise he found
that he was grasping
a sheathed samurai
sword." p. 125
New York, NY:
HarperTrophy, 1989
[original 1975]
ISBN 0-06^40281-9
The Master Puppeteer is a 'Robin-Hood' story set in feudal
Japan. For five years, the country has been in the grips of
famine, with the shogun blaming his government ministers,
the ministers blaming the rice merchants, the merchants
blaming the farm landlords, and the landlords blaming the
peasantry. The peasants have only the gods to blame. The
only beacon in this bleak landscape is Saburo, a bandit king
who uses surprise and trickery to steal food and riches from
wealthy merchants that he distributes to the poor and hungry.
The story follows Jiro, the 13-year-old son of a puppet-maker,
who is apprenticed to the harsh, ill-tempered Yoshido, master
of the most famous puppet theatre in Japan. When Jiro finds
a sheathed samurai sword in Yoshido's closet, he wonders if
there is a connection between his master and Saburo, the
bandit king.
While this easy reading novel focuses on the likeable male
protagonist, Japanese culture is woven into the tapestry of the
story. Paterson, who lived in Japan for four years, revisited
the country to do research on Banraku puppet theatre for the
novel.
This novel has a
support video available
through ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Katherine
Paterson, 1999.
[21 min. BPN 2075908].
86/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
REDWORK
Michael Bedard
O
Redwork explores the relationship that develops between Cass,
a resourceful and sensitive young protagonist, and Mr. Magnus,
his mysterious landlord. Cass has just moved to yet another
run-down apartment with his mother, who is trying to work days
as a cleaning lady while finishing a doctoral thesis on William
Blake. To make ends meet, his mother needs Cass to take an
usher job at the movie theatre. There he meets Maddy, and
together they face neighbourhood bullies and delve into the
world of alchemy with Mr. Magnus. Mr. Magnus is an eccentric
man who practises the strange arts of alchemy that were passed
on to him by a friend that he lost in the Great War. Despite the
local rumours and Mr. Magnus's eccentric mannerisms, Cass and
Mr. Magnus become both friends and co-workers in the tasks of
alchemy.
Michael Bedard explores the relationships between teens, and
with seniors, while maintaining an easy level of reading for wide
appeal.
There was a sudden
glint of gold on the
frail hand as the
ringed finger caught
the light. And for one
impossible instant
the scene was
overlaid with the
image of an aging
alchemist tending his
sacred fire, trying
desperately to coax
magic from the mud.
Could the old man
actually believe such
things were
possible?" p. 192
Toronto, ON: Stoddart
Publishing Co. Limited, 2001
[original 1990]
ISBN 0-7737-3332-9
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
87/
2005
THE SEEING STONE
Kevin Crossley-Holland
u 'So, Arthur,' says
the hooded man in
his deep voice, 'what
will your quest be?'
Then the hooded man
and the knight take
Arthur by the left arm
and the right, and
raise him to his feet.
They bow to him, and
give him the reins of
the riderless horse.
Then they mount
their own horses and
ride away, deeper
into the forest.
Arthur is alone. He
turns around, very
slowly, and I
recognize him. I am
Arthur: Arthur-in-the-
stone is me. " p. 1 55
London, England: Orion
Paperbacks, 2001
[original 2000]
ISBN 0-75284-42^-6
The Seeing Stone is an historical fantasy that melds the
story of Arthur, a foster child in a nobleman's home in 1199,
with the story of the legendary King Arthur. Arthur is a
sensitive thirteen-year-old boy who longs to be a knight but
also likes to write poetry. He bemoans the fact that he lacks
the skills for becoming a squire like his brother Serle, and he
raises his father's hackles by too readily helping peasants such
as his friend, Gatty, the reeve's daughter. When Merlin gives
the boy of the twelfth century a magical stone, it reveals the
future King Arthur as a boy like himself, on the threshold of
manhood in a time, like his own, when the knights of the
realm are in turmoil over who shall succeed to the crown.
Kevin Crossley-Holland presents this lengthy story from the
point of view of Arthur in one hundred short chapters. The
text captures details of day-to-day life in a great manor of the
twelfth century, including accounts of special occasions such
as Halloween and Yuletide. Teachers will want to discuss the
treatment of women in the context of medieval times.
Throughout, pages are decorated with woodcuts in the style
of early manuscript motifs. The Seeing Stone is the first novel
in a projected trilogy.
88/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SHADOW IN HAWTHORN BAY
Janet Lunn
O
Shadow in Hawthorn Bay is the story of a Scottish girl who
leaves her Highland home for Upper Canada in 1815 to seek her
cousin and childhood friend, Duncan, who she believes has
called to her in distress. Although it can be a handicap more
than a blessing, Mary Urqhart has the "gift" of second sight.
She can see into the past, future, distance, and even into the
hearts of others. Mary makes the difficult ocean voyage to
Hawthorn Bay on Lake Ontario. She arrives to find that her
cousin has died and her aunt and uncle have moved on.
Instead of returning home, she finds a place with the friendly
Colliver family. Mary also agrees to go and help with Luke
Anderson's ailing sister. Although she cannot save the baby in
the squalid Andersen homestead, Mary finds she has healing
capabilities, something she can build a new life on. She
continues to learn from Owena, an Indian healer. There is also
a growing place for Luke in her life. Eventually, Mary comes to
accept her new life, to give up the ties of a dead love, and to
relinquish the Gaelic spirits that seem to be misplaced in this
new world.
Janet Lunn weaves together very descriptive passages and a
strong female protagonist to address issues of tradition, values
and responsibility in this more challenging read.
"'What kind of
country is it?' she
demanded. 'Is there
none among them
who has the two
sights? Is it only the
Indians who have the
gift of healing? — who
speak the charms
against ill- wishing
here? Och, how
could there be fairies
in this flat, tree-
covered place?'"
p. 157
Toronto, ON: Random
House of Canada Limited,
Seal Books, 2001
[original 1986]
ISBN 0-7704-2886-X
Awards:
Canada Council Children's
Literature Prize, 1986
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
89/
2005
SHANE
Jack Schaefer
U 'I like hint ' Mother's
voice was serious.
'He's so nice and
polite and sort of
gentle. Not like most
men I've met out
here. But there's
something about him.
Something
underneath the
gentleness ...
Something ...' Her
voice trailed away.
'Mysterious?'
s ugges ted father.
'Yes, of course.
Mysterious. But
more than that.
Dangerous.'" p. 10
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books,
Bantam Books, 1975
[original 1949]
ISBN 0-553-27110-5
Shane embodies the elements of a classic western through
the fresh and innocent eyes of a child.
When the mysterious stranger, Shane, rides up to the
Starrett's small homestead, Bobby is mesmerized. Joe and
Marian Starrett are drawn, as well, to this man who manages
to have entire conversations without really telling anyone
anything about himself. Shane stops for a drink of water, but
ends up staying on as the Starrett's hired man. It is not long
before he is caught up in an ongoing feud between the
homesteaders and Fletcher, a cattle baron determined to keep
the range open. When Fletcher's men bait him at the saloon
in town, they discover that Shane will tolerate their insults only
to a point. After Shane knocks down a couple of the ranch
hands, Fletcher decides to hire a gunman.
Schaefer's novel sensitively tells the story of a boy's growing
up. Bobby becomes aware of the desperate loneliness of a
man who cannot shake his past, and he takes to heart Shane's
words that encourage him to live and grow strong in the
caring, loving heart of his family.
90/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SHIPWRECKED! THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF A
JAPANESE BOY
Rhoda Blumberg
Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy
chronicles the amazing true story of Manjiro (later renamed
John Mung), the first Japanese to set foot in America. Manjiro
was a lowly fishing boy in 1836 who gained a position with the
crew of a small fishing vessel only to be swept far out to sea by
a storm. The crew managed to land on a tiny island where they
survived for five months before American sailors from a whaling
ship finally discovered them. However, Japan's isolationist
policy at the time forbid foreign ships access to the country and
stated that any person leaving the country and returning later
would be put to death.
Captain Whitfield found a safe haven for the Japanese men in
Hawaii, but took the eager Manjiro with him back to New
England. For three years he worked on a sailing ship where the
crew eventually mutinied against its insane captain. Manjiro
then panned for gold during the California gold rush, earning
enough to buy a whaling boat and return to Japan with three
others of the castaways. When the four arrived, they were
immediately imprisoned, but following the arrival of Commodore
Perry in 1854 and the end of Japan's isolationism, Manjiro rose
to be a samurai and ambassador.
The account is interspersed with a wealth of archival
photographs and graphics, as well as whaling prints, whimsical
Japanese illustrations and sketches by John Mung himself.
"Manjiro dreamed of
digging enough
treasure to finance
his return to Japan.
He was tormented by
a vision of his mother
begging for food. He
had not seen her for
nearly ten years.
Although aware that
he could be
imprisoned and killed
for the sin of visiting
a foreign country, he
would risk death for
peace of mind. " p. 53
New York, NY:
HarperCollins Children's
Books, HarperTrophy, 2003
[original 2001]
ISBN 0-688-17485-X
Awards:
New York Public Library's
"One hundred titles for
Reading and Sharing", 2003
Judy Lopez Memorial Award,
2001
ALA Notable Children's
Book, 2001
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
91/
2005
A SINGLE SHARD
Linda Sue Park
"Holding the pouch
clear of the boulders
with one hand, he
climbed back to the
path. His every
movement was quick
with purpose; to
hesitate was to
doubt. He had made
up his mind: he
wouldjourney on to
Songdo and show the
emissary the single
shard." p. 130
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books,
Dell Yearling, 2003
[original 2001]
ISBN 0-440-41851-8
A Single Shard portrays the loyalty and courage of a young
potter's apprentice in a small Korean village in the
12 th century. For years, Tree-ear, an orphan, has lived without
a home. While scavenging meals for his friend and protector,
Crane-man, Tree-ear discovers the master potter, Min, plying
his craft. Of all the ceramics in Ch'ulp'o, Min's reveal the finest
craftsmanship and showcase the exquisite grey-green colour of
celadon. Tree-ear cannot help but dream of one day
becoming such a craftsman himself.
When he is startled and drops a box that Min has set out to
dry, Tree-ear makes a deal to work for nine days to pay for
the damage. It is grueling labour, but when the term is over
Tree-ear offers to continue working for the old potter.
Gradually, he learns the painstaking skills. Because a potter
will only pass on the skills of the wheel to a son, Min refuses to
let Tree-ear further his skills even though Min's son died many
years ago. Tree-ear thinks if he can make the long journey to
Songdo, to show Min's vases and seek a commission from the
royal household, he may yet win Min's favour.
Linda Sue Park's extensive research into an ancient art is
woven seamlessly into this story of a boy's growth as he takes
on responsibilities beyond his years. In examining Korean
society of the period, Park presents a culture in which the
humanism of the Buddhist and Confucian traditions were
strong features.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Linda Sue Park, 2002
[21 min. BPN 2075910].
92/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE
DOYLE
Avi
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle tells a tale of
adventure and mutiny on the high seas. When her father's
business recalls him to America, Charlotte remains to finish her
term at the Barrington School for Better Girls in England and
then boards a brig, The Seahawk, for the ocean voyage home.
Once aboard, Charlotte finds that the families that were to
accompany her are not there; she is not only the sole child but
also the sole female aboard. When the grizzled black cook
offers to be her friend and presents her with the gift of a knife,
Charlotte's sense of uneasiness grows. To occupy her time, she
records each day's events in a journal her father gave her as a
going-away gift.
Compared to the rag-tag sailing crew, Captain Jaggery's air of
refinement and authority provides her with a feeling of comfort,
but when she sees the punishment of a stowaway turn into
murder, she realizes that her allegiance has been misplaced.
Taking off her ladies' apparel, she dons the clothing of a sailor
and tells the crew she has decided to join them.
Suspenseful and inviting, this novel explores the society-driven
stereotypes and limiting class structure during colonial times.
An unexpected ending, in which young Charlotte is forced to
make a choice, reinforces the strength and hope this female
protagonist exhibits.
"You will understand
that there was no
doubt in my mind
regarding what I had
seen. There had
been a pistol. There
had been a round
robin. With the
warnings given to me
by Captain Jaggery —
and ever mindful of
the possibilities
revealed to me by
Zachariah — J had
little doubt about the
meaning of my
discoveries. The
crew was preparing a
rebellion." p. 81
New York, NY: Avon Books,
Inc., Avon Camelot, 1997
[original 1990]
ISBN 0-380-72885-0
Awards:
A School Library Journal Best
Book of 1990
ALA Notable Book, 1990
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
93/
2005
THE TUESDAY CAFE
Don Trembath
O
"... at the end of
class, Josh came up
and said, 'See, you
sure got them
interested ... That's
good writing. ' I
didn't know whether
I should believe him
or not, but when Mom
came and asked if I
wanted to come back
next week, I said
sure. Why not? I'd
spent two hours in a
classroom and I
didn't look at the
clock even once. "
p. 56
Victoria, BC: Orca Book
Publishers, 1996
ISBN 1-55143-074-6
The Tuesday Cafe is a warmly-humorous coming-of-age
story about a troubled teenager who learns about himself and
connects with others through an unlikely writing group. The
novel begins with Harper Winslow being sentenced to forty
hours of community service and a 2,000-word essay about
"How I Plan to Turn My Life Around" after setting a fire in his
high school. To help him with his essay, he is enrolled in The
Tuesday Cafe, a writing group that Harper soon discovers is
geared towards adults with special needs. For example, there
is short, stout Patty, who likes to poke people in the back, and
Lou, with shaggy grey hair who dropped out of school in Grade
4 and does not talk to anyone.
In Harper, Alberta writer, Don Trembath, offers the kind of
wise-cracking teenage cynic who appeals to teens in general.
Harper is convinced the class is going to be useless, and thinks
their first writing assignment— "My Sunday"— is a dumb idea.
But when he finally manages to get something written down
and reads it out, he realizes that it has touched all of them.
He decides to come back, and as he gets to know and care
about his unusual classmates at The Tuesday Cafe, Harper
begins to see his own problems in perspective.
94/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN
Graham Salisbury
Under the Blood-Red Sun is a story about the prejudice
experienced by a Japanese-American family in Hawaii during
the attack on Pearl Harbour. Tomi Nakaji and his little sister,
Kimi, were born in Hawaii, but their parents were born in Japan.
When their grandfather, Joji, comes from Japan to live with the
family and displays a Japanese flag in their yard, the family's
Japanese heritage stands out even more.
Tomi's best friend, Billy, a haole (white boy), shares a love of
baseball and dogs. Tomi and Billy are out for baseball practice
one morning when the sky is suddenly filled with low-flying
aircraft. Within minutes, they hear explosions and gunfire and
see black smoke rising from the navy yards at Pearl Harbour in
the distance. Immediately, Tomi's life is changed as his family
struggles to survive in the face of numerous calamities.
Mr. Nakaji is arrested in a roundup of Japanese men, and his
boat is scuttled. A vengeful neighbour boy draws attention to
the family's cages of racing pigeons, and Grampa's old Japanese
sword. Tomi and Grampa are forced to slaughter the birds, and
soon Joji is among those arrested and sent to camps on the
mainland. Tomi's mother, a housemaid, loses her job.
Salisbury's depiction of a teen caught in the chaos following the
infamous attack on Pearl Harbour is vivid, compelling reading.
The story deals with themes of cultural differences, racism and
war within a historical context. Teachers may wish to relate
Tomi's story to the experiences of Japanese-Canadians at that
time.
"By noon, everything
we had that had
anything to do with
Japan was spread
out over the kitchen
table — Mama's
beautiful traditional
kimono; a bundle of
letters tied together
with white ribbon; a
photograph of me
when I was younger,
standing in the front
row of my language
class with a
Japanese flag in the
background ... 'Bury
it, ' Mama finally said,
her eyes glistening. "
p. 137
New York, NY: Random
House Children's Books, Dell
Yearling, 1995
[original 1994]
ISBN 0-440-41139-4
Awards:
Scott O'Dell Award for
Historical Fiction, 1995
ALA Best Book for Young
Adults, 1995
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
95/
2005
WALK TWO MOONS
Sharon Creech
"We walked out onto
her porch and there,
lying on the top step,
was a white
envelope ... Phoebe
picked it up and
opened it. 'Gosh, '
she said. Inside was
a small piece of blue
paper and on it was
printed this message:
Don'tjudge a man
until you've walked
two moons in his
moccasins. 'What an
odd thing, ' Phoebe
said." pp. 44-45
London, England: Macmillan
Children's Books, 2001
[original 1994]
ISBN 0-330-39783-4
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1995
Hartland Award for
Excellence in Youth Adult
Literature, 1995
Walk Two Moons is a funny, bittersweet story about two
13-year-old girls whose mothers have disappeared.
Salamanca Tree Hiddle is retracing her mother's final steps on
a car trip from Ohio to Idaho. Her free-spirited grandparents
are driving and request a story to pass the time. The story
comes to us through Sal's voice as she fills the hours and days
of the trip with an account of her and her best friend, Phoebe
Winterbottom. Like Sal, Phoebe's mother left the family
suddenly. Phoebe is convinced the strange young man who
appeared on the Winterbottom's doorstep a while back has
kidnapped her mother, especially when she begins receiving
secret, cryptic messages on her doorstep. The two girls try to
unravel the mystery.
Sal tells Phoebe's story with a humorous tone and rich
backwoods flavour. She is also candid about the rebellion the
last year has raised within her. In telling the story to her
grandparents, Sal figures out some important things about her
own life. At journey's end, she is finally able to accept what
happened to her mother and close a puzzling and painful
chapter in her life.
96/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
WHAT THEY DONT KNOW
Anita Horrocks
O
What They Don't Know is a dramatic story about a
14-year-old girl named Hannah trying to deal with the sudden
discovery that the man who raised her is not her biological
father. This discovery, however, is not revealed to the readers
immediately. Instead, the story is narrated by Kelly, Hannah's
17-year-old sister, who is trying to uncover the reason for
Hannah's increasing depression and misbehaviour by going
through her sister's secret box, filled with stories, notes and
school documents. These documents are presented at the
beginning of each chapter. Kelly's voice provides balance and
realism, as we watch Hannah spinning out of control and getting
involved in alcohol, drugs and crime. Eventually Kelly learns the
truth, and helps her sister back from the brink of disaster.
The context of the story is both familiar and convincing: the
girls' parents are divorced, their mom is pursuing a career, and
their dad is about to remarry. Horrocks provides a glimpse of
the dark alleys that wait for teens determined to find them, and
creates high interest with a family almost brought to ruin. What
They Don't Know uses the intricacies of narrative in prose that is
graceful, poetic and spare when it needs to be.
"In Hannah's box of
secrets I found a
battered and torn
poster from her
science fair project
last February. I
found a lot of things,
but the poster
reminds me it was at
the science fair that
Hannah's story,
which began who
knows when, first
screamed to be
heard." p. 5
Toronto, ON: Stoddart Kids,
1998
ISBN 0-7737-6001-6
Awards:
Alberta Book Award for
Children's Literature, 1999
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
97/
2005
WINNERS
Mary-Ellen Lang Collura
"Everything was
clear now and the
world was brand
new. His father was
a star. His mother
was a winner. He
had been a rodeo
man. She had been
beautiful. Imagine if
they had lived, where
he'd be now. He
would be the junior
rodeo champion of
North America
Everyone would
know who he was.
He would be a rider
above the walkers. A
winner." p. 16
Vancouver, BC: Greystone
Books, 1993
[original 1984]
ISBN 1-55054-223-0
Awards:
Canadian Library Association
Award, 1985
Winners is set in southern Alberta on the Ash Creek Reserve.
Fifteen-year-old Jordy Threebears has already lived in eleven
foster homes; now he is sent to live with Joe Speckledhawk, a
grandfather who has been released from prison for
manslaughter. Joe is a taciturn, introspective old man, but
Jordy does not mind being left alone. He attends Grade 9 in
the small town high school. Slowly, with the help of the
community and Mr. Campbell, his social worker, he pieces
together the history of his deceased parents.
When his grandfather gives Jordy a horse as a Christmas gift,
both Jordy and Joe begin opening up to one another.
Miss MacTavish, one of Jordy's teachers, offers to give him tips
on riding if he will spend some time with another pupil, Emily
MacKenzie, a blind girl who loves to ride but requires a riding
companion. Jordy revels in having his own horse and being
with Emily. Complication is introduced with the sudden
disappearance of Jordy's horse. Jordy cannot help thinking
that one of the ranch hands is involved.
When Jordy finally gets his horse back, he trains for and
participates in a one hundred mile endurance race in the
foothills. The whole community rallies in preparation for the
race. In detailing Jordy's education, Collura brings out a
number of acculturation issues but also underlines the fact that
winning lies within the heart of the individual. Some coarse
language is used to develop characters.
98/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 8
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
*fH?t
■ I
English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
%W11
AFTER THE WAR
Carol Matas
O
There are about fifty
other kids our age
there, who have
obviously been at the
camp for awhile. We
are told that it will be
our job to help make
the children better.
(And who will make
us better, I wonder?)"
p. 62
Markham, ON: Scholastic
Canada Ltd., 1994
ISBN 0-590-12384-X
Awards:
American Library Association
Best Book of the Year Award,
1996
After the War looks at what happened to the young people
who, against all odds, survived the Holocaust. The story
follows Ruth Mendenberg as she returns to her uncle's house
in Ostroviec, Poland, the last place where her family was
together before being sent to the death camps at Auschwitz
and Buchenwald. After an unfriendly former servant tells her
that none of her family has returned, Ruth joins a group to
escape from Poland through Czechoslovakia, Austria, Italy, and
then by water to Palestine. The 15-year-old lies about her age
saying she is seventeen and is put in charge of a group of
children, some nearly her own age.
The personal story of Ruth and her family unfolds in brief
flashbacks. At the same time, Ruth's story reflects that of
many of the 69 000 Jews who managed to get to Palestine
illegally between the time the end of World War II in 1945 and
May 1948. The journey is filled with continued persecution,
suspenseful border crossings, narrow escapes, and finally the
crossing by boat to Palestine. Ruth finds herself growing to
care about the children in her group, as well as Zvi, a boy with
whom she forms a special relationship.
Winnipeg writer Carol Matas has written a number of powerful
historical novels that articulate the Jewish Holocaust
experience. After the War shows how a group, almost beyond
weariness and care, can slowly forge on, spurred by the
determination to find a home for their people.
100/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
AK
Peter Dickinson
AK depicts the horrible story of child warriors in Africa. Paul
was a homeless orphan boy when guerilla soldiers found him
wandering in the bush. The soldiers taught him to carry a
gun, an old AK, and become a "Warrior"— someone to prepare
meals for a soldier "uncle," serve as a sentry or act as a decoy
in ambushes. When the war ends, Paul's uncle, Michael,
declares that the boy is to be his adopted son. It will be
Paul's job to get an education, learn English and study the
country's dominant cultures. All arms are to be turned in to
the government, but Paul buries his AK in a secret place.
Paul is learning the Fulu language in a settlement away from
Dangoum, the capital city, when word comes that there has
been a coup. Along with a couple of the other boy Warriors
and Jilli, the young girl teaching him Fulu, Paul strikes out for
Dangoum where he is certain his uncle's life is in danger. It is
a route that will take him past the spot where the AK is
buried, and Paul knows the time has come to dig it up.
Written at an average reading level with graphic depictions of
war, the story presents two possible results of the violence-
one showing a positive direction; one locked into the bleak
recurrence of strife and warfare— and challenges the citizens
of today to effect a change for the better.
"At once the dream-
world was forgotten
and he knew exactly
who he was, Paul,
Warrior, of the Fifth
Special Commando of
the Nagala Liberation
Army, now out on a
mission to blow up
and ambush the
Grand Trunk Railway
between Dangoum
and Jomjom. Who he
was, what he was,
all he was. Paul.
Warrior. A boy with
his own guns. " p. 5
London, England: Macmillan
Children's Books, 2001
[original 1990]
ISBN 0-330-48204-1
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
101/
2005
ALONE AT NINETY FOOT
Katherine Holubitsky
"1 want this sadness
that's been part of
me since she died to
go away. It's like
this mean little
animal deep inside
me. Munching at my
guts. Feeding on me
day after day after
day after day. Once
in a while taking a
great vicious chomp.
It hurts so much
sometimes, it's just
about more than I
can take." p. 51
Victoria, BC: Orca Book
Publishers, 2001
ISBN 1-55143-204-8
Awards:
Canadian Library Association
Book of the Year, 1999
Alone at Ninety Foot is a funny, powerful story about a
14-year-old girl trying to deal with her mother's suicide. A
year ago, Pam's mother ended her life by jumping from a
suspension bridge at Vancouver's Lynn Gorge. Now, Pam goes
to an isolated spot at the bottom of the gorge to cope with her
loss, as well as the normal confusion and self-doubt she feels
in her life. She would like to get through the next while
without anything creating a stir, at school or at home, but it is
not that easy. She has to deal with friends, teachers, her
father's awkward new girlfriend, and Matt, a new boy at school
who does not seem to recognize the defenses she has built
around herself.
Many teenage students will recognize and relate to Pam. Her
journal entries are often self-deprecating, filled with the kind
of doubts that come from the physical and emotional changes
that are happening to her. However, her voice also conveys
humour, irony, and a growing sense of her own strength and
individuality.
102/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
BLOOD RED OCHRE
Kevin Major
Blood Red Ochre combines two plot lines: the historical
story of two Beothuk Indians in the 19 th century and the
contemporary story of two teens. Fifteen-year-old David has
just discovered that the man he believed to be his dad is, in
fact, a stepdad. His edginess now makes him ashamed that
his mother has been so nice to him. Thankfully, there is a
new girl in class: dark-haired, quiet Nancy with her
resourceful and intriguing ways. When David picks the
Beothuk Indians for a social studies project, he finds out that
Nancy has chosen the same topic, and she even suggests an
excursion to Red Ochre, a small island off the coast of
Newfoundland where archaeologists discovered the skeleton
of a single Beothuk Indian.
Simultaneously, the story of Dauoodaset, a young Beothuk, is
revealed. It has been a troubling spring, for Dauoodaset. His
band, already decimated by the violence and diseases of the
white men, has faced a harsh winter with little food.
Dauoodaset decides to make a trip by canoe to the seacoast
to replenish their food supplies. It will be an arduous journey
with many dangers, but he is sustained by the knowledge that
Shanawdithit, a girl from another Beothuk encampment, will
become his wife.
The two stories come together in a dramatic confrontation
between past and present on Red Ochre Island. The dual
narratives provide an opportunity to explore the effective use
of point of view.
The history of the Beothuk is one of the darkest chapters in
colonial exploitation, with an entire Indian Nation dying out
because of disease and murder. Historical white men are
portrayed negatively in what may be a challenging read for
some students.
"A sound like thunder
cracks the air! ... It is
the sound of a
whiteman's gun! I
paddle as fast as
ever I can away from
it and out to the sea.
I must get to the
island. I must not
lose my life. Not for
me, for my people. I
paddle with every bit
of strength I have,
harder and harder. "
p. 114
Toronto, ON: Random House
of Canada Limited, Seal
Books, 1996
[original 1984]
ISBN 0-7704-2717-0
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
103/
2005
THE EAR, THE EYE AND THE ARM
Nancy Farmer
"Out over the vlei
came a distant cry.
They couldn't hear
the words yet, but
Tendai knew what
they said. 'Run!' he
shouted. They
stumbled on. The cry
approached them,
speeding under the
earth, echoing out of
the mine shafts ...
The She Elephant's
commands burst out
of the ground. Bits of
the hills began to
detach and creep
after them. 'Find
children! Bring them
to meeee!'" p. 95
New York, NY: Penguin
Putnam Books Inc., Firebird,
2002
[original 1994]
ISBN 0-14-131109-6
Awards:
Newbery Honor Book, 1995
The Ear, the Eye and the Arm, which takes place in
futuristic Zimbabwe, is named after three sleuths who possess
special abilities. Arm has an electrical sensitivity in his hands,
Ear has extraordinary hearing ability, and Eye has amazing
eyesight. It is 2194 and the trio has been hired to track down
General Matsika's children, who left their privileged, automated
compound for an adventure and were kidnapped in the
market. The sleuths learn that the children have been carried
through a vast wasteland, Dead Man's Vlei, and are to be
slaves in a terrifying underworld.
Nancy Farmer's book is a fast-paced and challenging science
fiction adventure. The world it depicts combines some
fascinating aspects of a possible future with many of the
societal and political problems we associate with the world
today. The story contains references to witchcraft and
sacrifice; teachers should be prepared to discuss these topics
in class.
104/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
ENDER'S GAME
Orson Scott Card
Ender's Game is a science fiction novel where students in a
special Battle School engage in war "games" and video games
in training to fight an alien race known as the "buggers." The
world has won a series of battles with the buggers, but there
is always the likelihood of their resurgence. Andrew Wiggin,
called Ender, is a "third"— an additional child allowed to a
family through a government waiver. The government has
been monitoring Ender with an implant. With its removal, the
six-year-old erupts into violence when confronted with a class
bully. This behaviour is noted and he is seen to be a
candidate for leadership training and he is invited to Battle
School.
At Battle School, children are trained to take the place of the
leader who brought them through the last war. Ender is the
brightest, outwitting those who are older and have been at
the school longer. Ender's video game is a fairy tale where he
gets "killed" over and over again until he steps outside the
rules and tries tactics no one else might think of. The military
government has its eye on Ender's sister, Valentine, and
considers how she might be manipulated to achieve the other
desired characteristics of a perfect commander.
This is a challenging read with questionable language,
violence and a negative portrayal of adults. Orson Scott Card
developed this speculative fiction around the question of how
military training in the future might be carried out, focusing
on the question of whether the ends justify the means. While
ultimately optimistic about the human condition, Card's dark,
edgy novel suggests that military training has always included
some brainwashing and that great leadership requires
creativity, spontaneity and adaptation to new circumstances.
"As Ender left the
room, he heard
somebody say, 'It's
Wiggin. You know,
that smartass
Launchiefrom the
game room. 'He
walked down the
corridor smiling. He
may be short, but
they knew his name.
From the game room,
of course, so it meant
nothing. But they'd
see. He'd be a good
soldier, too. They'd
all know his name
soon enough. " p. 81
New York, NY: Thomas
Doherty Associates, LLC,
Starscape Books, 2002
[original 1977]
ISBN 0-765-34229-4
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
105/
2005
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
Philip Pullman
The consul turned to
Farder Coram and
said: 'Do you realize
who this child is? ...
The witches have
talked about this
child for centuries
past, ' said the
consul. 'Because
they live so close to
the place where the
veil between the
worlds is thin, they
hear immortal
whispers from time to
time, in the voices of
those beings who
pass between the
worlds. And they
have spoken of a
child such as this,
who has a great
destiny that can only
befulfiLled
elsewhere — not in
this world, but far
beyond. Without this
child, we shall all
die.'" p. 154
New York, NY: Ballantine
Books, Del Rey, 1997
[original 1995]
ISBN 0-345-41335-0
The Golden Compass is an elaborate, high-level fantasy that
follows Lyra Belacqua, a precocious 11-year-old orphan who
has been left by her uncle, Lord Asriel, to be raised by the
instructors of Jordan College in Oxford. Her studies focus on
the interconnections of science, theology and magic, but Lyra
refuses to be confined by courses and becomes more
interested in the discoveries on the streets and alleys of
Oxford. Lyra is puzzled by sinister and mysterious happenings
at the College: she observes an attempt to poison Lord Asriel
and listens to discussions of "dust" and a barely-visible city
suspended in the aurora borealis.
After Lyra's friend, Roger, is one of many children kidnapped
by "Gobblers," Lyra realizes that Mrs. Coulter, her London
benefactress, has been using her to lure children to a fate that
is difficult to imagine. Lyra takes it upon herself to find out
what has happened to Roger and the other children, and
rescue her now imprisoned uncle. It is a mission that takes
her to the far north where she finds allies ranging from
"gyptians" to witches and even an armour-clad polar bear.
Pullman's story deals with demons and witches, but the focus
is more on fantasy than on the occult. The novel is filled with
unique touches and exacting detail that brings fantasy to life.
For example, each person (and each witch) has a personal
daemon— a manifestation of the soul in animal form, which
can shift forms according to the mental state of its master.
106/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
HOMELESS BIRD
Gloria Whelan
Homeless Bird is an easy read about the plight of young
widows in India. The story follows Koly, a 13-year-old girl
who must take a husband. Money set aside for her education
is now for her dowry, and Koly learns the skills of a master
embroiderer rather than reading and writing. A betrothal is
finalized when the family sells their valued possessions, and
Koly moves in with her in-laws.
It is immediately apparent that her teenage husband, Hari, is
terribly ill, and Koly realizes that the family has acquired her
dowry money in order to take him to Varanasi where he can
bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges. But the trip only
serves to hasten Hari's death, and Koly finds she is an
unwanted widow with a sass (a mother-in-law) who despises
her. However, Hari's sister Chandra is friendly, and Hari's
father (her sassur) agrees to teach her how to read. In the
next few years, Chandra marries and then Hari's father dies.
Her sass persuades Koly, now seventeen, to go with her to
Delhi, and intentionally abandons her in Vrindavan, a city of
four thousand temples and a multitude of widows. Destitute,
Koly is helped by Raji, a young rickshaw driver who puts her
in touch with Maa Kamala, who runs a charity organization
that helps abandoned widows.
The story takes on a difficult social issue while portraying the
individual growth of a teenage girl. Koly's spirit grows as she
rebuilds her life using her skillful, creative fingers and quick
mind. Eventually, she even finds love with a young man who
cherishes her.
"Whatever my sassur
had said, I knew
Sass would never
think of me as a
daughter. I was
nothing now. I could
not go back to my
parents and be a
daughter again. I
was no longer a wife
or a bahus, a
daughter-in-law.
Yes, I thought, I am
something. I am a
widow. And I began
to sob. " pp. 45-46
New York, NY: HarperCollins
Children's Books,
HarperTrophy, 2001
[original 2000]
ISBN 0-06^40819-1
Awards:
National Book Award, 1993
ALA Best Book for Young
Adults, 1993
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
107/
2005
THE MAESTRO
Tim Wynne-Jones
"'Please, don't call
me sir. Call me
Baron, if you like.
No, I don't feel like a
baron any more.
Nathaniel. Better
still, call me Maestro.
Yes, I like that. What
do you think?'
'Maestro, ' said Burl.
That's like a
conductor?' 'OK
more than just a
conductor. Master.
Teacher. Here, I'll
teach you something.
Then you'll have to
call me Maestro. '"
p. 54
Toronto, ON: Groundwood
Books, 1996
[original 1995]
ISBN 0-88899-263-7
Awards:
Governor General's Literary
Award, 1995
The Maestro focuses on the unlikely friendship that forms
between a teen runaway from the Ontario backwoods and a
reclusive middle-aged musical genius. For years, 14-year-old
Burl Crow has tried to make himself invisible around his
physically abusive dad. All of his hopes and dreams are
secrets. When Burl is caught spying on his father and a
waitress, he must run into the forest to escape his father's
violent temper. In the Northern Ontario wilderness, he finds
an old cabin to hole up in. The next day brings rain, hordes of
mosquitoes and gnawing hunger. Then in the middle of the
wilderness, Burl discovers piano music coming from an
unusual-looking cabin. The pianist, a stooped, balding,
strangely-dressed man, emerges and addresses Burl. The
man is willing to share his Arrowroot biscuits with him, so Burl
listens to his banter. He learns that the man is Nathaniel
Orlando Gow, a composer taking advantage of the rural quiet
and solitude to concentrate on his work. Gow reluctantly
allows Burl to stay the night, but Burl figures out this eccentric
figure can use someone to do the chores, make coffee, and
fetch medicine from an arsenal of pills in the medicine cabinet.
When the composer decides to return to civilization, Burl
convinces Gow to leave him at the retreat as a caretaker.
When Burl gets news that Gow has died, his long experience
with living a secret life and telling lies presents Burl with a
daring plan to keep the cabin as his own.
The story's unique spin on the "odd couple" theme, combined
with Wynne-Jones's graceful prose, helped it capture the
Governor General's Award and makes it a rewarding novel for
better readers.
108/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
MEN OF STONE
Gayle Friesen
Men of Stone is a coming-of-age story that draws parallels
between people caught up in the currents of political strife in
post-revolution Russia and current-day teens caught up in their
own territorial wars. Fifteen-year-old Ben is feeling
overwhelmed: he's started senior high, his best friend Stan is
having problems at home, and he is being bullied by a group of
other boys who call him "ballerina boy." The leader of the
group, Claude, has even warned him to stay away from Kat,
the girl Ben would most like to befriend. The prospect of a
visit from Great-Aunt Frieda doesn't appeal to Ben any more
than contact with the rest of his family. At school, however,
his class has begun a social studies unit on Russian history,
and Frieda, born just before the Russian Revolution, has lived a
good part of that history. Frieda tells Ben about her life in a
Mennonite community, separated from her baby son, with her
husband imprisoned by soldiers with their rifles— men of stone.
Amazingly, the old woman has kept a graceful balance to her
life. As he spends time with Frieda and struggles to help Stan,
Ben gradually realizes how fortunate he is to have a family-
including Aunt Frieda. A very accessible read, the story
portrays bullying and some violence.
"A thousand thoughts
crowded into my
mind as she left the
room: horses
walking into living
rooms, chewing
freshly baked buns;
twelve laughing and
crying children in one
small house; tree-
lined streets; men in
army boots, storming
through doors, taking
people from their
warm beds. Men of
stone, she had said.
Men with no eyes.
Strangers with no
reason to hate, who
hated all the same.
Claude." pp. 90-91
Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press
Ltd., 2000
ISBN 1-55074-782-7
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
109/
2005
NO PRETTY PICTURES
Anita Lobel
"During the years of
flight I had heard the
fearful world
Konzentrationslager
so many times. But I
had never had a
picture in my head of
what a concentration
camp might really be
like. All I knew now
was that what we
had dreaded the
most had finally
happened. I was ten
years old. My
brother was eight.
We were Jews. The
Nazis had found us
out and caught us at
last." p. 87
New York, NY: Avon Books,
Inc., Avon Camelot, 2000
[original 1998]
ISBN 0-380-73285-8
Awards:
ALA Best Book for Young
Adults, 1998
No Pretty Pictures is the autobiographical story of
Anita Lobel's childhood, as she struggled to survive the
programs against the Jewish populace of Poland during the
Nazi occupation. Anita was barely five when her father went
into hiding to escape the roundup of Jews in Krakow. Her
mother had falsified papers allowing her to move freely for a
while, but when the program against them intensified, the
family's Polish-Catholic nanny, Niania, fled with the children to
her own small village. Anita's younger brother was disguised
as a girl and Niania declared that the two were her daughters.
When the village was combed by the Nazis looking for Jewish
hideaways, the trio escaped back to Krakow and found
sanctuary in a Benedictine convent. Before long they were
discovered there, and the children were wrested away from
Niania, imprisoned and sent to a nearby concentration camp.
Auschwitz and Ravensbruck were the next stops along the line.
There, the children faced starvation and disease but
miraculously made it through to their liberation in 1945, and
against all odds, were reunited with their parents in Sweden
following the war.
Lobel writes about the horrors of the Holocaust with heart
wrenching detail. Reviewing both her incarceration and the
slow recovery afterwards, Lobel writes candidly of the loathing
she had for herself as part of a reviled group, and the slow
healing that allowed her to rebuild and grow.
110/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
OUT OF THE DUST
Karen Hesse
Out of the Dust is an unusual example of historical fiction
that tells the story of a family in Texas during the
Great Depression in a unique free verse form. Billy Jo is
14 years old in 1934, when Arley Wanderdale asks her if she
would like to play the piano at the Palace Theatre on
Wednesday nights. Mama is expecting and Daddy is trying to
figure out how to keep the farm going. By summer, Billy Jo is
playing gigs with the Black Mesa Boys in spots all around
Lubbock, Texas, where crowds are grateful to hear a rag or
two played by a long-legged red-haired girl.
In July, everything changes when Ma, mistaking a pail of
kerosene for water, is badly burned. Billy Jo, trying to toss the
flaming pail out of the kitchen, ends up splashing it over her
mother and burning her own hands horribly. When the baby is
born, Ma dies first and then the newborn boy. Billy Jo's father
tries to drown his sorrows in alcohol. By winter, Billy Jo
begins, painfully, to try to play piano again, but her wounded
hands can no longer create the kind of music that could make
people forget their misery. In the presence of her father, Billy
Jo feels ever more invisible and alone, until she finally decides
to run away.
Hesse captures the emotion and the landscape of the story
through lyrical language and precise use of detail. The book's
unusual format— brief chapters that unfold in free verse — is
accessible to all levels of readers.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk
with Karen Hesse, 1998
[21 min. BPN 2075907].
Tonight, for a little
while
in the bright hall
folks were almost
free,
almost free of dust,
almost free of debt,
almost free of fields
of withered wheat.
Most of the night 1
think I smiled. "
p. 116
New York: Scholastic Inc.,
Scholastic Signature, 1999
[original 1997]
ISBN 0-590-37125-8
Awards:
Newbery Medal, 1998
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
111/
2005
THE PLAYMAKER
J. B. Cheaney
"I dared not show my
face on the docks;
they would no doubt
be watching, as they
had before. Stading
had been right about
that. Perhaps she
was right about other
things as well. What
I needed was a place
in London where I
might be free from
detection and still
earn a living. A place
where I could fit
immediately into a
set or trade and go
about in company —
unnoticed, even
disguised. A place
where no one
watching for me
would ever think to
look." pp. 60-61
New York, NY: Random House
Children's Books, Dell Yearling,
2002
[original 2000]
ISBN 0-440-41710-4
The Playmaker is a mystery-adventure set in Elizabethan
England. With the sudden death of his mother, 14-year-old
Richard Malory finds himself in London trying to track down a
lawyer who may know the whereabouts of Richard's father
who abandoned his family and disappeared years ago.
Richard gets a job with a wine merchant but is soon robbed
and realizes his life is in danger. He meets a girl named Star
who, after hearing him recite psalms, suggests he approach
her employer. Richard seizes the opportunity only to discover
that it is a company of actors and he will be expected to play
the female roles. At first he is not very good at it, but he gets
better, even winning the role of Perdita in William
Shakespeare's new play A Winter's Tale. During the months
that the theatres are closed in London, Richard works as a
copier and is sent by The Globe to the rival theatre, The Rose,
where he discovers they have stolen the plot of Shakespeare's
new play. There he also hears familiar lines penned by his
father to his mother many years ago, and begins to wonder if
his father is alive— perhaps even watching him.
Cheaney's robust and rousing story has some dramatic twists
and turns of plot. Elizabethan London is effectively displayed,
as is the rich, behind-the-scenes detail of Shakespearean
theatre. The story is set against the Catholic-Protestant
conflict in England at the time. In 1597, with an aging Queen
Elizabeth on the throne and no heir, it seems that a Catholic
may again rule the country that has been fiercely Protestant
over the decades of Elizabeth's reign. Providing information
on this historical context will prepare students for the violence
in this lengthy but rewarding read.
112/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
RED SCARF GIRL: A MEMOIR OF THE
CULTURAL REVOLUTION
Ji-li Jiang
Red Scarf Girl recounts author Ji-li Jiang's personal nightmare
during the Cultural Revolution. In 1966, Chairman Mao,
disillusioned with perceived failures in rebuilding the nation,
begins the Cultural Revolution to erase any vestiges of the old
order or foreign influence. At the time, Ji-li lives in Shanghai
with her father, an actor at a children's theatre, her mother,
once an actress and now with a secure job at a sports-
equipment store, her younger sister and brother, and her
doting grandmother. Life for the family includes an apartment
with running water, a maid, and the laughter and talk of
visiting theatre friends.
The novel tells how Ji-li's comfortable world begins to unravel
from the day the 12-year-old was invited to audition for the
elite Central Liberation Army Arts Academy. The move from
elementary school to junior high spirals into horror as
classmates learn that the Jiangs were landowners in Shanghai
before the revolution— a taint that marks them in the eyes of
the new order. Her closest friend is An Yi, also from a
blacklisted family, and Ji-li is shocked when An Yi's
grandmother commits suicide because of the harassment of the
Red Guards. In the coming months, the Jiang apartment is
raided, Ji-li's father is imprisoned, and her grandmother is given
the humiliating job of sweeping the alley outside the apartment
twice a day. Ji-li herself is urged by the Revolutionary
Committee to denounce her parents, but it is something she
cannot do.
"I wondered what I
would be doing if I
had been born into a
red family instead of
a black one.
Searching people's
houses? Hating
landlords and
rightists? Of course I
would hate them; I
hated them even
now ... But I had felt
sorry for Old Qian
even though he was
wrong ... The harder I
tried to figure things
out, the more
confused I felt. I
wished I had been
born into a red family
so I could do my
revolutionary duties
without worrying. "
p. 126
New York, NY:
HarperTrophy, 1998
[original 1997]
ISBN 0-06^46208-0
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
113/
2005
THE RETURN
Sonia Levitin
"We had been
hearing rumors.
Jews leaving
Ethiopia, a Jew at a
time, walking Jar, Jar,
then getting to the
land promised in the
Bible. Zion. Israel.
Every day oj our lives
we have prayed that
we might someday
return to Jerusalem.
But a prayer is one
thing, reality is
another." p. 10
New York, NY: Ballantine
Books, Fawcett Juniper, 1987
ISBN 0-449-70280-4
Awards:
ALA Best Book for Young
Adults, 1987
The Return recounts a terrible chapter in modern history: the
persecution of Jewish communities in Ethiopia. The story
begins in a small village high in the Ethiopian mountains,
where the main character, Desta, and her siblings were raised.
Desta's older brother, Joas, is convinced that it is time for
them to join a group headed first for Sudan and then Israel.
When a rendezvous with a larger group fails, Desta, Joas and
their younger sister Almaz decide to continue the tortuous
journey that even brought abuse to their attempts to buy food.
Finally Joas believes they have caught up to the others,
spotting a camp in the distance. He has his sisters stay hidden
while he scouts ahead. To the girls' horror, he is shot by
brigands. After burying Joas, Desta is determined to continue
the journey that meant so much to him.
Before reaching Sudan, they catch up with the advance group,
which has hired a guide to do their marketing for them and to
help them avoid attacks. In Sudan, they confront massive
refugee camps where there is little shelter and inmates fight a
constant battle with disease, famine and a scarcity of water.
There are rumours, though, of Jewish refugees being spirited
away by bus to a new life in Israel, which Desta, thinks is an
impossible dream.
Sonia Levitin presents Desta as a character with realistic hopes
and fears, thrust from a tradition-locked community into a
world of great change. The novel brings to life the children's
Jewish community, with its customs, language and religious
rituals developed over centuries. It also creates a vivid picture
of the persecution, abuse and genocide that Jewish Ethiopians
suffered because of their religion and ethnic background.
Within this context, the book presents violence,
religious/ethnic intolerance and sexual content, which will
require sensitive discussion with students.
114/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
WORLD
Jennifer Armstrong
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World recounts the
1914 true story of the Endurance, which Shackleton planned
to sail from South America to Antarctica. The journey failed
when the ship became locked into pack ice a hundred miles
from the Antarctic coast. What emerged from the venture
was a true-life survival story unrivaled in the history of polar
exploration. Against incredible odds, Shackleton managed to
bring his entire crew back to England in 1916. This
nonfiction account tells how the crew watched their vessel
being crushed to pieces by ice, dragged supplies and
lifeboats over disintegrating ice floes, survived blizzards and
managed to navigate, in their small boats, the earth's most
treacherous waters. Finally reaching solid ground on
Elephant Island, Shackleton decided that he, along with five
of the crew, would sail on to South Georgia Island and make
their way to one of the whaling stations there to get help.
Forced to land on an inhospitable side of the island, he left
half of his contingent and crossed a glacial mountain range to
reach the nearest whaling station. Numerous photographic
plates taken by the crew during the adventure enhance
Armstrong's well-researched account of the events.
"On the next day,
January 19, the fist
of the Antarctic
closed around the
ship: Endurance
was surrounded by
ice pack, with no
open water in sight.
They had sailed
12,000 miles from
London. They had
picked their way
through 1,000 miles
of icepack. Now
they were less than
100 miles from the
continent itself, but
Endurance would
never reach it. " p. 22
New York, NY: Crown
Publishers Inc., 2000
[original 1998]
ISBN 0-375-81049-8
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
115/
2005
TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR
Ben Mikaelsen
"As he tossed and
turned, Cole found
himself growing
angry again. He
tried to fight back the
familiar rage with his
memory of touching
Spirit Bear, but
nothing seemed to
ward off the
bitterness and
frustration that
flooded his mind.
Edwin had been right
when he said that
anger was never
forgotten." p. 141
New York, NY: HarperCollins
Children's Books,
HarperTrophy, 2002
[original 2001]
ISBN 0-380-80560-X
Touching Spirit Bear is an easy to read, high-action
adventure story about a troubled teenager learning to survive
in the wilderness while dealing with his anger. After a brutal
assault on a Grade 9 classmate, Cole Matthews must spend a
year by himself on an isolated island off the BC coast. The
idea is developed by a Native program— Circle Justice— in
which those concerned devise a healing path for the offender.
But Cole is not interested in healing; his plan is to play along
and stay out of jail.
Garvey, an Aboriginal parole officer, and Edwin, a Tlingit elder,
accompany Cole to the island and arrange to periodically bring
food and supplies. Edwin tells Cole that there is a Spirit Bear
off the coast of British Columbia, which is pure white and
revered by the Tlingit for its pride, dignity and honour. Cole
boasts that he would kill the bear if he saw it. Once the men
leave, Cole lets loose his contained rage and burns everything,
including the shelter. His attempt to swim to another island
fails and Cole finds himself back on the shore, cold, exhausted
and hungry. After his failed escape attempt, Cole encounters
the Spirit Bear and almost loses his life when the bear mauls
him. Fortunately, Garvey and Edwin return and find Cole.
After six months of physical rehabilitation, they are not sure
whether Cole should be allowed to return to the island and
complete his sentence. They are concerned, too, that Peter,
Cole's victim, has slipped into a deep depression and has
attempted suicide. The book portrays graphic violence and
deals with difficult issues, but it also presents an intriguing
look at justice, reformation and personal responsibility.
Ultimately, Cole has a moment of revelation from touching the
Spirit Bear, and begins to change his attitude and his life.
116/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
AN UNBROKEN CHAIN: MY JOURNEY
THROUGH THE NAZI HOLOCAUST
Henry A. Oertelt, Stephanie Oertelt Samuels
The Unbroken Chain retraces a chain of 18 harrowing
events that Henry Oertelt experienced as a Jewish teenager
in Berlin during World War II. Each event in the chain was
essential for Oertelt to survive the Holocaust. The story
begins in 1933, when Oertelt was 12 years old. At 14 his
education was halted, so he became a furniture apprentice.
By describing the restrictions imposed on him— restrictions on
shopping hours, attendance at public events, ownership of
bicycles and radios— Oertelt clearly establishes the dramatic
changes that quickly evolved in his life. At 22, Oertelt and
his family were arrested and shipped to Theresienstadt in
Czechoslovakia. This was the first of five concentration
camps and twenty-two months of captivity.
This is a gripping memoir of adventure and survival. Some
students might find the vivid presentation of atrocities
disturbing but these scenes are made more bearable by the
knowledge that Oertelt survived due to his own optimism and
the kindness of others.
"No more than two
feet in front of me
stood an SS officer,
with his back turned
half way toward me.
His gun slung over
his shoulder, he was
guarding the truck
and apparently the
door. This was
obviously not the first
time he had
experienced people
trying to escape. We
were trapped!" p. 52
Minneapolis, MN: Lerner
Publications Company, 2000
ISBN 0-8225-2952-1
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
117/
2005
WESTMARK
Lloyd Alexander
"'Even if the cause is
good, ' said Theo,
'what does it do to
the people who stand
against it? and the
people who follow it?'
'Next time you see
Jellinek, ' said
Florian, 'ask him if
he's ever found a
way to make an
omelet without
breaking eggs. '
Yes, ' Theo said.
Yes, but men aren't
eggs.'" p. 138
New York, NY: Penguin Putnam
Inc., Firebird, 2002
[original 1981]
ISBN 0-14-131068-5
Westmark is an historical fantasy novel featuring Theo, an
orphan and printer's apprentice, who flees from town after his
master is killed by the militia, and ends up travelling around
the kingdom of Westmark with a troupe of roadside
performers. Count Bombas (a charlatan with many aliases) is
the leader of the group, and puts Theo to work in their act as
a wild Trebizonian. In the next town, Mickle, a street urchin
with a talent for ventriloquism, joins the troupe. It is Mickle's
skill, in fact, that brings them their greatest success as she
uses her projected voice to simulate contact with the dead in
seances. The troupe's reputation reaches King Augustine who
is grieving the loss of his only child. Through a seance, he
believes he may be able to contact her. Never did anyone
anticipate the truth: that Mickle might actually be the lost
princess.
The Westmark trilogy is filled with adventure and skullduggery.
It explores a number of human foibles and examines the uses
and abuses of political power. Alexander's witty and elegant
prose, splashes of word play, and traces of romance make this
an ideal fantasy series for maturing readers.
118/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE WILD CHILDREN
Felice Holman
The Wild Children is a story of homeless orphan children,
struggling for survival during the Russian revolution around
1925. Twelve-year-old Alex wakes up one morning to
discover that the rest of his family has been arrested by
soldiers. On the advice of his teacher, Katriana Sokolova,
Alex goes to Moscow to find his uncle. Cold and starving,
travelling on foot, Alex arrives to find that his uncle is gone
and his house has been taken over by the state. Close to
collapse, Alex is taken in by a gang of boys living in the cellar
of an abandoned bakery. They survive by begging and
stealing. Peter, who seems to be the leader, has set down
rules that the boys live by: everyone works and shares what
they get; no one brings vodka or cocaine into the cellar. Alex
decides to remain with them.
When the Moscow winter makes survival increasingly a
struggle, Peter leads the group to a warmer area in southern
Russia. Hitching rides on trains, they jump off at a rural spot
and hide in some caves in the nearby hills. When a couple of
the older boys get caught drug running and betray Peter to
the authorities, the children are placed in an orphanage that
is as bad as anywhere they have been. Alex remembers
Katriana telling him of her brother in Leningrad who has
helped people to escape from Russia. After Miska, one of the
smallest boys, dies following a beating, the ragtag gang of
twelve decides that they must escape.
The Russian vocabulary does not detract from the novel's
wide appeal to male readers. A glossary is provided.
"If they could have
looked down upon
themselves from the
height of a cloud,
they would have
seen that they were
just a wave, a small
one, in a large ocean
of people along the
roads to Moscow:
people in wagons,
people in sleds,
people carrying
people, but mostly
people on their own
two feet, dragging
themselves by force
toward something
better — something
less bad, at least —
than they were
leaving. From the
known to the
unknown." p. 25
New York, NY: Puffin Books,
1985
[original 1983]
ISBN 0-14-031930-1
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
119/
2005
A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA
Ursula Le Guin
"You summoned a
spirit from the dead,
but with it came one
of the Powers of
unlife. Uncalled it
came from a place
where there are no
names. Evil, it wills
to work evil through
you. The power you
had to call it gives it
power over you: you
are connected. It is
the shadow of your
arrogance, the
shadow of your
ignorance, the
shadow you cast.'"
p. 79
London, England: Penguin
Group, Puffin Books, 1971
[original 1968]
ISBN 0-140-30477-0
Le Guin's fantasy trilogy, beginning with A Wizard of
Earthsea, offers an elaborately detailed locale with its own
peoples, beasts, culture and beliefs. A Wizard of Earthsea
follows the coming-of-age of a young mage. As a boy, Duny
learned spells and charms from his aunt, a witch. When their
village is besieged by fierce fair-haired kargs, Duny summons
fog and spins a concealment spell that sends the enemy
scattering back to their ships. Duny's skill as an enchanter
attracts the attention of Olgion, a mage who urges Duny's
father to release the boy into his care. The thirteen-year-old is
ready to receive his true name, Ged, and to begin his training
as a mage.
On Roke Island, Ged attends the famous School for Wizards
and advances into a thoughtful young scholar whose skills as a
mage grow daily. However, he still has a reckless side.
Although cautioned not to use his abilities before he is truly
ready, Ged is goaded into a display of magic that releases an
evil shadow-beast into the land. Facing the consequences
alone, he decides to pursue it, even if it means sailing to the
farthest reaches of Earthsea.
The lyrical prose in the book challenges readers to think about
the power of language and how the act of naming is in many
ways an act of creation. Themes of responsibility and
friendship are established through vocabulary. Teachers
should be aware that some students or communities might be
offended by the presentation of magic in the book.
120/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grade 9
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
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THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY
FINN
Mark Twain
"And when we
stepped onto the raft
I says: 'Now, old Jim,
you're a free man
again, and I bet you
won't ever be a slave
no more. '
'En a mighty good job
it wuz, too, Huck. It
'uz planned beautiful,
en it 'uz done
beautiful; en dey
ain't nobody kin git
up apian dat's mo'
mixed up en splendid
den what dot one
wuz.'" pp. 382-383
Markham, ON: Penguin Books,
1966
[original 1884]
ISBN 140430180
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn, son of
the town drunk, runs away to escape his father's brutality and
the tender ministrations of the well-meaning woman who
wishes to "civilize" him. He joins Jim, a runaway slave, who is
fleeing to avoid being sold "down the river." The narrative
traces the adventures of the two fugitives as they float down
the Mississippi on a raft. The novel begins as a boy's
adventure story, moves into a devastating criticism of society
in the central part of the book, and returns once more to
youthful adventure at the conclusion.
The strength of the novel lies in its delineation of character, its
humour, its satire, and is an excellent basis for discussion of
society and human nature. The novel also allows for
discussion of such concepts as point of view, thematic
development, plot structure and the characteristics of the
picaresque novel.
The book reflects that the society of the time supported
slavery and denied the slaves any opportunities. Jim's
apparent ignorance, therefore, loses all taint of discrimination
and becomes not only understandable but inevitable. It is the
white society Mark Twain criticizes, not the black. However
ignorant Jim may appear, he is immensely superior in his
humanity and moral standards to the majority of the whites he
and Huck encounter on their travels.
122/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE ALCHEMIST: A FABLE ABOUT
FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM
Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is a gentle and charming adventure fable. It
is told with magic and wonder by Brazilian author Paulo
Coelho. The main character of the book, Santiago, is an
Andalusian shepherd boy who leaves Spain in search of
treasure. Eventually, Santiago finds his way to the Egyptian
desert where he meets an alchemist who offers metaphysical
lessons and wisdom on life.
The message of the book is suggested by the subtitle: you
find your purpose by following your own dreams and bliss.
The book suggests that we must often go on a metaphorical
and spiritual quest to fulfill our nature and destiny. However,
despite some incidental allusions to God, Allah, the
Philosopher's Stone, the Elixir of Life, angels, rabbis and Sons
of God, this novella does not demand religious belief and does
not favour any specific religious denomination. Rather, it is
an open-ended fable that will appeal to high school students
who are beginning to ask their own questions about life's
purpose and meaning. The story is simply written and
appropriate for students at diverse reading levels.
"'My heart is a
traitor, ' the boy said
to the alchemist,
when they had
paused to rest the
horses. 'It doesn't
want me to go on. '
That makes sense, '
the alchemist
answered. 'Naturally
it's afraid that, in
pursuing your dream,
you might lose
everything you've
won.' 'Well, then,
why should I listen to
my heart?' 'Because
you will never be
able to keep it quiet. '"
p. 130
New York, NY:
HarperCollins Inc., 1998
First Harper Perennial
edition
[original 1988]
167 pages
ISBN 0-06-250218-2
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
123/
2005
ANIMAL FARM
George Orwell
"Is it not crystal
clear, then,
comrades, that all the
evils of this life of
ours spring from the
tyranny of human
beings? Only get rid
of Man, and the
produce of our labour
would be our own.
Almost overnight we
could become rich
and free. What then
must we do? Why,
work night and day,
body and soul, for
the overthrow of the
human race!" p. 5
Middlesex, England: Penguin
Books, 1979
[original 1945]
ISBN 0451514696
Animal Farm is a satiric Utopia, an indictment of dictatorship
and the abuse of power. The animals on Manor Farm drive
out their master, Jones, and take over and administer the
farm, adopting new principles consisting of seven
commandments. The last of these is: "All animals are equal."
Conditions on the farm soon become oppressive again and the
animals discover that, "All animals are equal, but some animals
are more equal than others," especially the intelligent pigs that
administer the rules and assume dominate positions.
This fable satirizes dictatorship and the abuse of power,
integrating complex political ideas and paralleling closely the
events of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. Orwell
believed that Stalin betrayed the Marxist revolution and
wanted to expose the nature of Russian communism.
The novel is reinforced by irony and symbolism, revealing both
the good and evil aspects of society. The plot moves full circle
from hopelessness to optimism to hopelessness, and is likely to
generate a great deal of class discussion.
124/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE BOOK OF SMALL
Emily Carr
In The Book of Small, Emily Carr, one of Canada's great
painters, recalls her growing-up years in Victoria, British
Columbia, in the 1870s. "Small" is her nickname as the
youngest of three sisters: Big, Middle and Small.
This series of short, readable, lively literary sketches provides a
sense of a Victoria which, even in its pioneer days, displays the
Englishness and eccentricity that becomes part of its character.
It also reflects the sensitivity to vivid detail of the artist as a
child. The writing is simple, unaffected; the tone warm, often
whimsical and humorous.
The Book of Small might be used to encourage students to
write their own autobiographical sketches— or writing up the
reminiscences of family members— with particular attention to
imitating Carr's selectivity, economy and eye for detail. It
would also be suitable for oral reading or readers' theatre.
The wind sauntered
up the stream
bumping into
everything. It was
not strong enough to
sweep boldly up the
tunnel, but quivered
along, giving bluff's
and boulders playful
little whacks before
turning the next
corner and crumbling
the surface of that
pool." p. 71
Toronto, ON: Clarke, Irwin
& Company Limited, 1966
[original 1942]
ISBN 0772002231
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
125/
2005
THE CHRYSALIDS
John Wyndham
"And God created
man in His own
image. And God
decreed that man
should have one
body, one head, two
arms and two legs:
that each arm should
be jointed in two
places and end in
one hand: that each
hand should have
Jour fingers and one
thumb: that each
finger should bear a
flat fingernail ..."
p. 72
London, England: Penguin
Books, 1955
ISBN 774010991
The Chrysalids tells of a time after a nuclear war in Labrador
when the survivors believe the devastation is a punishment
from God; and as a result, rigidly structure society so that any
deviation from the "norm" is considered to be seditious. David
Strom leads a group of young people who have telepathic
powers and when their deviation is discovered, they must
escape. At the climax of the pursuit, David and his friends are
rescued by the New Zealanders, members of a neighbouring
society that depicts the next stage of evolutionary
development where telepathic communication is accepted.
Two themes are strongly emphasized. First, humankind must
be able to accept individual differences and to adapt to
change, while intolerance leads to hate and the destruction of
civilization. Second, ambition and pride may be destructive
when one attempts to control all others. The novel provides for
interesting small and large group discussions. As with all
speculative fiction, there may be concerns regarding future
worlds with different ideologies.
126/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
DRAGONSBANE
Barbara Hambly
Dragonsbane is a fantasy in which John, a dragonslayer, and
Jenny, a mage, journey to kill the dreaded Morkeleb, the
fiercest of dragons. Through a series of adventures, Jenny is
able to search for truth and realize her destiny. Jenny's sense
of purpose and growing awareness of her needs and desires
provides a powerful ending when she realizes that she can
become a dragon— all powerful, or a human wife and mother.
Interesting discussions will develop regarding good versus evil,
the use of power, and the giving up of one's life in the aid of
others. There are strong thematic links to our struggles
against evil while searching for truth are universal to
humankind.
The use of magic and sorcery does not demand that students
believe in this fantasy, but rather it is a tool to develop plot.
The strength of this novel is in its writing style, character
development, and decision-making processes. Students should
enjoy class discussions regarding the moral dilemmas
encountered by Jenny and John.
"I cannot save you
without knowing your
name, ' she said. 'If
you slip beyond the
bounds of your flesh,
I need something by
which to call you
back.' Still that
molten wrath surged
through the
weakness and pain.
She remembered
Caerdinn saying,
'Save a dragon, slave
a dragon.'" p. 212
New York, NY: Ballantine
Books, 1986
[original 1985]
ISBN 0345349393
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
127/
2005
THE EDUCATION. OF LITTLE TREE
Forrest Carter
"I liked the field
plowing, though. It
growed me up. When
we walked down the
trail to the cabin, it
'peared to me that
my steps was
lengthening quite
some bit behind
Grandpa. Granpa
bragged on me a lot
to Granma at the
supper table and
Granma agreed that
it looked like I was
coming on to being a
man." p. 50
Albuquerque, NM: University
of New Mexico Press, 1976
ISBN 0826308791
The Education of Little Tree tells the story of a young
Cherokee boy who is brought up by his grandparents in a
small mountain community in early 20th century America. He
grows and matures as he learns about tolerance and
understanding, while becoming sensitive to other people and
the world of nature around him. Not only is Little Tree
educated, but the reader also gains great respect and love for
the Cherokee way of life. The story is told by Little Tree and is
limited by his perceptions as a child, suggesting naivete and
honesty. The novel should promote an understanding of and
empathy for Native peoples, as well as pride in Native culture.
Portrayals of animals are both positive and sensitive, using
some Native cultural symbols and their implications to life.
The Cherokee are presented as thrifty, sensitive and full of
love, while the Caucasians are seen as powerful and
insensitive. Any stereotyping of Native or white cultures
reflects the values of the characters and can be dealt with in
the classroom context. It is recommended that critical thinking
exercises be presented that would enable a student to obtain a
more balanced perspective on the racial-ethnic, religious,
social-economic, and political aspects of the novel. These
issues should be discussed during the study of this novel.
Physical violence, racial epithets and profanity are reflective of
the early 20th century.
Each chapter lends itself to being discussed independently.
The novel's humorous style and use of satire develop the
story's gently mocking tone. While the novel uses an
autobiographical voice, it is a fictionalized account using a
child's perception to enhance the humorous style. Character
development and point of view are also strong features of the
novel. It may be most appropriate for either small group or
individual study.
128/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FATE LESS
Imre Kertesz
Fate/ess, a nobel prize-winning novel is about the experiences
of George Koves, a Jewish boy surviving in a concentration
camp during the Holocaust. Although the book is fictional, it is
informed by Imre Kertesz's own life as a Hungarian Jew who
was imprisoned at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during his
boyhood.
Fate/ess is a mixture of history and strong emotional content.
It provides basic information about the appalling living
conditions and constant fight for survival of those who were
trapped by circumstances beyond their control. The narrative
is told in a matter-of-fact manner in harrowing detail. The
book's sometimes graphic language and references to violence,
cruelty, racism, gender orientation and sexuality may be
objectionable to some students and community members;
however, these elements serve to vividly illustrate the
treatment of Jewish people in concentration camps during
World War II. Some of the scenes are intensely unnerving and
may be particularly troublesome to students whose lives have
been directly affected by racism, war, incarceration, violence or
death. Teachers will need to provide some historical context
and guide students' interpretations around these very sensitive
issues.
"Only in Zeitz did I
realize that captivity
also has its gray,
everyday days, or,
rather, that true
captivity is really a
row of gray,
everyday days. "
p. 99
Evanston, IL:
Northwestern University
Press
Hydra Books edition
[original 1975]
191 pages
ISBN 0-8101-1049-0
Awards:
Nobel Prize, 2002
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
129/
2005
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
Tracy Chevalier
"I had not looked at
the painting long — it
was too strange
seeing myself— but I
had known
immediately that it
needed the pearl
earring. Without it
there were only my
eyes, my mouth, the
band of my chemise,
the dark space
behind my ear, all
separate. The
earring would bring
them together. It
would complete the
painting. It would
also put me out on
the street." p. 195
New York, NY: Penguin Group,
Plume Books, 2001
[original 1999; English
translation 1992]
ISBN 0-452-28215-2
The Girl with a Pearl Earring is a simple, readable novel
inspired by Johannes Vermeer's famous painting alluded to in
the title. In a 1600s household, Griet, a sixteen -year-old
servant becomes involved with the famous Dutch artist.
Vermeer eventually paints her wearing his wife's pearl
earrings, which are immortalized in the painting.
Although the narrative reflects the morals and values of the
17 th century, it avoids the heavy descriptions frequently
associated with historical fiction. Rather, the story focuses on
Griefs maturation— emotionally, physically and sexually
(teachers should be aware that some students or communities
might be offended by the description of sexual acts in the
text). The book explores gender politics, class structures and
morality, as well as themes of loyalty and self-discovery: Griet
is a survivor and protects her family despite the pressures of
class difference in the Netherlands at that time.
This vibrant novel contains rich examples of characterization,
setting and atmosphere, irony and symbolism. Introducing
students to background information and examples of
Vermeer's work early in the study may enhance students'
understanding and interest of the text.
130/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS
Gerald Durrell
A custom official aptly describes the Durrell family in My
Family and Other Animals as a "travelling circus and staff."
Persuaded by her eldest son, Larry, Mrs. Durrell sells her home
in England and takes her family to live on the island of Corfu
for five years. The amusing and eccentric antics of the family
are rivalled only by the author and youngest child's
reminiscences of his boyhood. Gerald's fascination with
animals resulted in incidents, such as snakes living in the
bathtub and magpies ransacking the house. Freed from the
rigours of regular schooling, Gerald spends his time
investigating nature and acquiring a miscellany of oddly named
pets.
Durrell's deft touch in creating humour is rare in nonfiction.
Students may wish to use his writing as a model for creating
their own comedy. The book inspires personal response and
may be presented for full class, small group or individual study.
"Suddenly there
came a rapid series
of colossal explosions
that rocked the house
and set all the dogs
barking downstairs.
I rushed out on to the
landing, where
pandemonium
reigned: the dogs
had rushed upstairs
in a body to join in
the fun, and were
leaping about,
yelping excitedly.
Mother looking wild
and distraught, had
rushed out of her
bedroom in her
voluminous nightie,
under the impression
that Margo had
committed suicide.
Larry burst angrily
from his room to find
out what the row
was about, and
Margo, under the
impression that Peter
had returned to claim
her and was being
slaughtered by
Leslie, was fumbling
at the lock on the
attic door and
screaming at the top
of her voice. "
pp. 172-173
Toronto, ON: Penguin
Books, 1977
[original 1956]
ISBN 0140013997
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
131/
2005
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Walter Lord
"And in a story
headlined, 'Desirable
Immigrants Lost,' the
New York Sun
pointed out that,
along with the others,
78 Finns were lost
who might do the
country some good.
But along with the
prejudices, some
nobler instincts also
were lost. Men
would go on being
brave, but never
again would they be
brave in quite the
same way. These
men of the Titanic
had a touch — "
p. 112
New York, NY: Bantam Books,
1956
[original 1955]
ISBN 0553205099
A Night to Remember is on April 12, 1912 when the Titanic,
the "unsinkable" British liner began its maiden voyage from
Southampton to New York with over 2000 passengers,
including the elite of British and American society. When the
Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, over 1000 people drowned.
This account emphasizes a fatal sense of invulnerability on the
part of owners, crew and passengers. The fairly rigid class
system in the early part of the 1900s is seen, to some extent,
as determining the fate of all.
A Night to Remember is retold as a moment-by-moment,
person-by-person account, from the sighting of the deadly
iceberg to the rescue of survivors by the Carpathia, five hours
later. The emphasis is on individual human reactions to the
disaster as it occurs, and on the memories of survivors, 63 of
whom the author interviewed in the process of writing the
book. In spite of the number of people followed in the
account, the story is relatively fast-paced and gripping. Lord's
style is simple, clear, dispassionate; the vocabulary
undemanding.
The sinking of the Titanic holds a continuing fascination for
students that is increased by the saga of the search for, and
discovery of, the wreckage. This book could be used as part
of a "survival" nonfiction unit; or in conjunction with the
equivalent type of "disaster" fiction, to examine significant
differences in approach and treatment.
132/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
OCTOBER SKY
Homer Hickam
October Sky, easier-to-read than its length belies, is a
rewarding book about a vanishing lifestyle represented by the
1950s small-town America. This entertaining and nostalgic
memoir is centred on a group of high school friends in
Coalwood, West Virginia, who share an avid enthusiasm for
rocketry at a time when the United States space program was
beginning. The boys experiment with scrap metal from the
town's company mines, and eventually succeed in building
functioning rockets. At the same time, Hickam struggles to
avoid the fate of so many teens in his area— working in the
mine— and for this reason, he comes into conflict with his
miner-father.
Themes of sibling rivalry, the generation gap, freedom versus
parental authority, marital difficulties and family loyalty are
particularly well developed. Teachers may want to provide
additional information on Wernher von Braun, Sputnik, the
Space Race or life in the 1950s; however, the book connects
with the dreams and problems of today's students despite the
setting.
"There was, he
reported, a huge
flash in Hickam's
yard and a sound
like God Himself had
clapped his hands.
Then an arc of fire
lifted up and up into
the darkness, turning
and cartwheeling
and spewing bright
sparks. The way the
man told it, our
rocket was a
beautiful and glorious
sight, and I guess he
was right as far as it
went. The only
problem was, it
wasn't our rocket
that streaked into
that dark, cold, clear,
and starry night. It
was my mother's
rose-garden fence. "
pp. 43-44
New York, NY:
Dell Publishing, 2000
[original 1998]
428 pages
ISBN 0-440-23550-2
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
133/
2005
OLIVER TWIST
Charles Dickens
"7 want a boy, and
he mustn't be a big
un. Loral' said Mr.
Sikes, reflectively, 'if
I'd only got that
young boy of Ned, the
chimbley -s weeper's !
He kept him small on
purpose, and let him
out by the fob. But
the father gets
lagged; and then the
Juvenile Delinquent
Society comes, and
takes the boy away
from a trade where
he was aming
money, teaches him
to read and write,
and in time makes a
'prentice of him. '"
p. 141
New York, NY: Bantam Books,
Inc., 1981
[original 1838]
ISBN 0553210505
The overall tone of Oliver Twist is romantic and sentimental,
and the characters are charming, but the events do reveal the
miseries of the poor. It is also a bitter social criticism set in
London during the early 1800s. Oliver, who is illegitimate,
starved and ill-treated, eventually becomes involved with a
gang of thieves and pickpockets. After many adventures, he
finds both friends and fortune.
The plot provides for interesting discussion on the varied
characters, most of whom are one-sided, and reveals the
extremes of human nature. Dickens' novel reflects how
society at that time discriminated against the Jews and the
poor.
Experienced readers should enjoy the novel, and class
discussion may lead to further research into that era. The
events that surround Oliver Twist may well surround some of
our own poor, and that should encourage some interesting
discussion.
134/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
RANDOM PASSAGE
Bernice Morgan
O
Random Passage is regarded as one of the most widely
read books about Newfoundland and is considered
representative of its culture. The protagonist Lavinia Andrews
is a seventeen-year-old living in a tiny outport of early
Newfoundland. In her journal, she records the adventures of
her family in this barren land in the language of the time and
place.
This rich book deals with love, power, greed, forgotten pasts,
missed opportunities, and the importance of community. The
effect of adversity on character is the main focus in this
coming-of-age romance. It also contains many 'exotic'
elements associated with romantic historical fiction or
adventure writing: privateers, polar bears, tragic love,
madness and murder.
Morgan's novel lends itself to creative response and would
make students more aware of a unique regional culture quite
different from that of the prairies. The book does include
negative references to Aboriginal peoples, violence, sexual
references, and occasional inappropriate language. Teachers
should be advised to discuss the concerns critically within
their historical context.
They come around
the corner below the
fish store and see,
well down the beach,
a sight so terrible
that they cannot at
first make any sense
of it. A dirty white
animal rears up on
its hind legs,
towering over and
half -hiding the man it
is attacking. The two
are locked in a silent,
deadly embrace, Ned
clinging with all his
strength to the
beast's great paw,
trying to force its
claws back from his
face." p. 174
St. John's, NL: Breakwater,
2003
[original 1992]
269 pages
ISBN 1-55081-051-0
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
135/
2005
REBECCA
Daphne du Maurier
"Rebecca, always
Rebecca Wherever I
walked in Manderley,
wherever I sat, even
in my thoughts and
in my dreams, I met
Rebecca" p. 244
Toronto, ON: Random House
of Canada
Arrow edition
[original 1938]
344 pages
ISBN 0-09-986600-5
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier's Gothic romance-melodrama-
mystery remains a popular literary staple. The story is narrated
by the second wife of wealthy Maxim de Winter. The new
Mrs. de Winter, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Rebecca,
Maxim's dead wife, comes to live at the Manderley mansion on
the Cornish coast. Feeling unwelcome and plagued by the
presence of Rebecca in the house,
Mrs. de Winter begins to unravel the mysterious sailing accident
in which Rebecca was killed.
The novel illustrates the influence that charismatic people can
have on the lives of others. This is especially evident with the
new Mrs. de Winter as she wrestles with overcoming her own
insecurities. Rebecca also deals with the feelings of loyalty,
obsession, possessiveness and jealousy, and how these
adversely affect the lives of others. Teachers will want to
provide their students guidance as they explore some of the
complex ethical questions that the novel explores.
This novel would lend itself to an examination of genre
conventions of mystery, romance and melodrama. It could also
be used effectively to study first-person point of view, setting
and atmosphere, and would be appropriate for evoking personal
response and creative assignments such as diaries, letters and
student artwork.
136/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
RICK HANSEN: MAN IN MOTION
Rick Hansen and Jim Taylor
Rick Hansen: Man in Motion is the modern success story of
a man who gives hope and encouragement to all people, as
well as to those in circumstances similar to his own. Hansen's
activities, supported by many volunteers, created a recognition
of and commitment to an awareness of the hopes, dreams and
feelings of those with disabilities.
Born in British Columbia, Rick Hansen was disabled at a young
age, but never let this inhibit his athletic or other endeavours.
While in his 20s, he undertook a world Man in Motion tour, in
his wheelchair, to draw attention to persons with disabilities,
their aspirations and needs.
The book promotes critical thinking and an evaluation of
personal values and attitudes toward people with disabilities.
Students could be encouraged to look for similarities among all
people. For example, Rick has a romance with his
physiotherapist, Amanda Reid, whom he later marries. While
Rick Hansen's Man in Motion tour occurred in the mid-1980s,
he remains an excellent role model of a very successful
individual.
The hoy was coming
off the shoes. I was
growing more relaxed
and comfortable in
the outside world,
accepting and
beginning to
understand who this
Rick Hansen person
really was, relishing
the companionship as
much as the
competition. And
while all this was
going on, I was
learning more about
the sport that would
really become my
passion." p. 55
Markham, ON: Penguin
Books Canada Ltd., 1988
[original 1987]
ISBN 014011713X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
137/
2005
SILAS MARNER
George Eliot
"'Nancy,' said
Godfrey, slowly,
'when I married you,
I hid something from
you — something I
ought to have told
you. That woman
Mamer found dead in
the snow — Eppie's
mother — that
wretched woman —
was my wife: Eppie
is my child. ". . .
'I oughtn't to have left
the child unowned: I
oughtn't to have kept
it from you. But I
couldn't bear to give
you up, Nancy.'"
pp. 162-163
Oxford, England: Heinemann
Educational, 1993
[original 1861]
ISBN 0435126040
Silas Marner is a relatively short, yet stylistically polished
novel providing a social, moral, religious and psychological
commentary on 19th century rural England.
Eliot traces the life of Silas Marner, a skilled weaver in the
village of Raveloe and a reclusive miser. His beloved gold is
stolen but its place in his heart is taken by a small golden-
haired child who mysteriously arrives at Manner's cottage, and
whom Marner adopts and cares for. The plot has other
mysterious and dramatic events, but it is essentially a fable of
loss and redemption through love.
In spite of its brevity, this is a complex novel with a slow
moving, two-fold plot that is united in the last third of the
book. The vocabulary and use of dialect may prove
challenging, but this edition contains a helpful glossary. There
is also a good introduction and end pages of interesting
"Activities" that are adaptable to students of different ability
levels.
This may be a novel best reserved for a more advanced
English 10 class, or for individual study.
138/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES
Ray Bradbury
In Something Wicked This Way Comes, suspense and
foreboding emanate from the very beginning of two boys'
involvement with the Carnival and Pandemonium Shadow
Show. They are caught in an evil nightmare where the old turn
young and the young turn old, mirrors steal souls, and the
exhibits within a wax museum are of living people. Before they
can escape, they must confront the ultimate evil. This fantasy
develops the idea of a secret dream or wish, but after that wish
is granted, things are never the same.
The plot develops the idea of youth and goodness versus the
carnival of evil. Youth is presented as wise, while those who
are older, especially males, are shown to be desirous of the
qualities of youth. One of the themes of the novel is that our
own fears may destroy us. While there is horror, there is no
descriptive violence. The book provides an opportunity to look
at language and the power of indirect description. There are
some racial and religious references, but they are used as a
backdrop for the social setting of the carnival.
This is an excellent novel for small group discussions or for
those students who enjoy speculative fiction and would like to
enhance their reading skills in this area.
"'Jim, the music that
the calliope played
when Mr. Cooger got
younger — '
Yeah?'
'It was the 'Funeral
March'! Played
backwards!'
'Which 'Funeral
March'?'
'Which! Jim, Chopin
only wrote one tune!
The 'Funeral March!'
'But why played
backward?'
'Mr. Cooger was
marching away from
the grave, not
towards it, wasn't
he, getting younger,
smaller, instead of
older and dropping
dead?'" p. 65
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, 1963
[original 1962]
ISBN 0553280325
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
139/
2005
THINKING LIKE A MOUNTAIN
Robert Bateman (with Rick Archbold)
The human race
may finally be
starting to learn from
its mistakes. We
may be standing on
the brink of a
revolution in the way
we relate to all other
creatures and living
systems on the
planet. But before
we can find a new
path, we need to take
our heads out of the
sand and embrace
new ways of life. We
need to pay
attention." p. 33
Toronto, ON: Penguin Books
Canada Ltd., 2002
[original 2000]
130 pages
ISBN 014301272-X
Thinking Like a Mountain is a passionate, eloquent plea for
conservation of nature and the planet. Bateman is a well-
known Canadian artist and environmentalist who writes
movingly about how nature has changed from his childhood to
the present day. In thoughtful, concise chapters, he clearly
indicts the influence of capitalistic greed and consumption on
the destruction of nature. The book is also illustrated by
Bateman's own drawings.
Bateman's tone is positive and passionate. The book urges
immediate change and includes a bibliography for further
reading on the topic. The accessibility and balanced
perspective of Bateman's text provides a good introduction to
ecological issues. This reflective, user-friendly text invites
personal, creative, critical and problem-solving responses on
many levels. In particular, most students will have strong
opinions about his assessment of their age group in the
chapter titled "Homo sapiens Teenager consumerensis."
140/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Harper Lee
In Alabama, during the Depression, Scout, the protagonist of
To Kill a Mockingbird, develops a growing awareness of
good and evil in the world around her; racial and class
prejudice within both the black and white communities, and the
religious prejudices of the various sects of the area.
Counterbalancing this are the positive qualities of compassion,
sympathy, understanding and wisdom demonstrated by various
characters, primarily Scout's father, Atticus.
Told from Scout's point of view, the novel is a look at the past:
a child's experiences described with the perception of an adult.
The novel deals with complex ethical issues, and may require a
great deal of class discussion. Characters, such as Atticus,
demonstrate that one individual can make a difference.
Treatment of blacks in Alabama is described clearly and
movingly, and the historical time frame is accurate. Some of
the characters use language indicating racial and class
prejudices; however, this language reflects the attitudes and
circumstances of the people at that time. The novel promotes
tolerance and understanding through the main characters of
Scout and Atticus Finch.
"You think about
that' Miss Maude
was saying. 'It was
no accident. I was
sittin' there on the
porch last night,
waiting. I waited
and waited to see
you all come down
the sidewalk, and as
I waited I thought,
Atticus Finch won't
win, he can't win, but
he's the only man in
these parts who can
keep a jury out so
long in a case like
that. And I thought
to myself, well, we're
making a step — it's
just a baby-step, but
it's a step.'" p. 216
New York, NY: J. B.
Lippincott Company, 1960
ISBN 044508376X
Awards:
Pulitzer Prize, 1961
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
141/
2005
TOUCH THE DRAGON: A THAI JOURNAL
Karen Connelly
O
"He talks about spicy
food, a famous
Buddhist monk who
is also a great
fortune-teller, the
school I will go to, the
people who are
anxious to meet me.
When I ask why
these people want to
meet me, he giggles.
'Why, because you
are a f along. ' A
foreigner. It is my
first Thai word. " p. 2
Winnipeg, MB
Turnstone Press, 1992
206 pages
ISBN 0-8801-162-8
Touch the Dragon is a first-person journal recounting Karen
Connelly's one-year stay in Thailand as a 17-year-old exchange
student. The memoir made Connelly, at 24 years old, the
youngest writer to win a Governor General's Award.
The book is about the honest frustrations of a teenager trying
to cope with the alienation and cultural shock of living in a
foreign country away from her family, boyfriend and familiar
surroundings. With passion, humour and some mildly course
language, the memoir gradually reveals how Connelly comes
to understand, appreciate and eventually miss the exotic
beauty of the Thai people. The accessible style of this text
could lead naturally to student writing as well as travel-focused
projects.
142/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
WAITING FOR THE RAIN
Waiting for the Rain is a South African tale of a friendship
between two boys, one black and one white. The boys
develop a harmonious childhood relationship oblivious to the
discord around them. As the boys grow older, their differences
are accentuated. Unlike Tengo, Frikkie has many opportunities
for advancement in society. Tengo is shocked by the injustice
to and maltreatment of his people on the farm, in the
townships and cities. When Tengo and Frikkie meet again,
both their dreams have been altered by the demands of their
respective societies.
Through this rather simple narrative, the writer presents
opposing views, factions and precepts of South African society.
The innocence of youth is transformed by the burdens and
tensions of a troubled society. While this subject matter may
be challenging and sensitive to some students, the strength of
this novel is its structure, character development, point of view,
setting and symbolism.
Sheila Gordon
"He remembered
how, when he had
been unpacking the
first box of books, he
had felt it held
something magic for
him. Perhaps the
magic, he thought
now, was in
knowing —
under s tanding
certain things that
Frikkie and the
oubaas were ignorant
of, which gave him a
power that lessened
their hold on him ..."
p. 48
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, 1989
[original 1987]
ISBN 0553279114
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
143/
2005
WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND
W. O. Mitchell
<5»
"Within him
something was
opening, releasing
shyly as the petals of
a flower open, with
such gradualness
that he was hardly
aware of it. Bat it
was happening: an
alchemy
imperceptible as the
morning wind, a
growing elation of
such fleeting delicacy
and pregnancy that
he dared not turn his
mind to it for fear
that he might spoil it,
that it might be
carried away as
lightly as one strand
of spider web on a
sigh of a wind. He
was filled with
breathlessness and
expectancy, as
though he were going
to be given
something, as though
her were about to
find something. "
p. 107
Toronto, ON: Seal Books, 1982
[original 1947]
ISBN 0770417701
Awards:
Eugene Field Award, 1947
Canadian Classics Committee,
1982
Who Has Seen the Wind, a Canadian classic, tells the story
of Brian, a boy growing up in a small prairie town during the
thirties. He gradually comes to accept life as he finds it-
imperfect, sometimes brutal and tragic, but ordered somehow
by a benevolent, all-pervading power.
Failure and frustration are often visible as Brian looks at the
life of his small town. Superficially, the view is tragic despite
its whimsically humorous atmosphere. Brian encounters
defeat, cruelty, injustice, misunderstanding and death. But, in
spite of his personal contact with the harsh realities of
existence, he emerges with a view of life that is essentially
positive: birth and death, struggle and failure, are a part of
nature and belong in the scheme of things. The book offers
rich material for the study of symbolism, prose style,
character, setting, plot structure, philosophy and psychology.
The novel can be approached from the philosophical, the
psychological or the literary point of view. A thorough study
should include all aspects.
144/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
r*H?i
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10-2
English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
3 HM> * , #
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
MISS JANE PITTMAN
Ernest J. Gaines
"'Just one more time,
and I'll kill you. ' She
looked at everybody
there. That go for
the rest qfy'all,' she
said. 'You free, then
you go'n act like free
men. If you want to
act like you did on
that plantation, turn
around now and go
on back to that
plantation.'" p. 19
New York, NY: Bantam Books,
Inc., 1972
[original 1971]
ISBN 0553205854
Awards:
Commonwealth Club of
California, 1972
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a searching
portrayal of life as a black woman living in the deep American
south. Ernest Gaines taped Miss Jane Pittman's reminiscences
in 1962 when she was already over 100 years old. Her
account details the suffering and humiliations that blacks faced
in their daily lives. However, through it all, Pittman maintains
her faith. As a result, this uplifting perspective celebrates the
unfolding of a determined spirit in the face of adversity.
Gaines writes in a clear, readable style, using Pittman as the
first person narrator.
146/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE BLUE SWORD
Robin McKinley
In The Blue Sword, Harry Crewe's father dies, so she leaves
her home and travels to the frontier where her elder brother,
Richard, is stationed. Living under the care of her brother's
superiors, Sir Charles and Lady Amelia, Harry finds life
confining until Corlath, ruler of the neighbouring kingdom of
Daria, comes seeking an alliance against the threat of Thurra
and his empire. Inspired by his "gift," or "kelar," Corlath
believes that Harry is important to the survival of his people,
and so he kidnaps her. She trains as a king's rider, and in the
end defies Corlath, whom she has come to love, and saves his
kingdom. Corlath admits his misjudgement, and this fantasy
ends happily. In this novel, women are shown to be equally
powerful and worthy of respect as are men. The relationship
between Harry and Corlath demonstrates the importance of
love and respect in keeping people together. Tolerance for
other cultures and for the differences between people is
encouraged. The Blue Sword may appeal particularly to female
readers, though the action should attract the interest of all
students.
"Take strength from
your own purpose,
for you will know
what you must do, if
you let yourself, trust
your horse and the
cat that follows you,
for there are none
better than they, and
they love you; and
trust your sword, for
she holds the
strength of centuries
and she hates what
you are learning to
hate. And trust the
Lady Aerine, who
visits you ... and
trust your
friendships. Friends
you will have need
of, for in you two
worlds meet." p. 164
New York, NY: The Berkley
Publishing Group, 1987
[original 1982]
ISBN 0441068804
Awards:
Best Young Adult Book
Award, American Library
Association (ALA), 1982
Newbery Honor Book, 1983
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
147/
2005
THE CAGE
Ruth Minsky Sender
"I must remember my
number. But I must
not forget my name. I
must not let them
wipe out my name.
Riva Minska. Number
55082." p. 175
New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster
Children's Publishing
Division, 1997
[original 1986]
264 pages
ISBN 0-689-81321-X
The Cage, set in and around 1942, is an autobiography relating
coming-of-age experiences during the Holocaust. Sixteen-year-
old Riva is a Jewish girl living in a hopeless Polish ghetto. After
Nazis take her mother away, Riva struggles to care for her
brothers and maintain a sense of family despite the horror
around them. The narrative is presented as easy-to-read
fragments of experience in Riva's diary. She uses the writing to
keep herself together in an atmosphere of prejudice,
discrimination and daily hardship.
Students will appreciate this enthralling perspective on
adolescent suffering in the context of the Holocaust. Students
might be invited to write their own memoirs and narratives
about keeping themselves together during their own times of
hardship. The novel contains ethnic/religious epithets, gender
references, and descriptions of intolerance and violence.
Teachers should discuss these issues critically within their
historical context.
148/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
A CHILD IN PRISON CAMP
Shizuye Takashima
In A Child in Prison Camp, artist Shizuye Takashima records
in words and paintings, her experiences as a child in a prison
camp. At the age of 11, she and her family, along with other
Japanese Canadians, were removed from their homes on the
West coast of Canada and sent by the Canadian government to
an internment camp in the interior of British Columbia. The
family lost their civil rights, their home, and their business.
Takashima vividly describes the actual camp, the housing, the
schooling, the humiliation, and the loss of freedom and rights.
The book is an example of racism in Canadian history. Not
only does it describe the actual happenings, but Takashima's
story shows the effects of childhood experiences on one's life.
It was not until 1984 that the Canadian government
condemned this internment and offered financial restitution.
Teachers may need to explain the historical background before
beginning the book. Sensitivity to the subject is needed for
successful presentation of this personal account. Discussion of
why and how people react in a time of crisis is important. This
book would work well with a combined English-social studies
approach and could lead to student research on such topics as
World War II, the atom bomb, Japanese culture, the human
will to survive, and prejudice. Either full class or small group
study would be effective.
"That's nothing — a
Jap is a Jap, whether
you're born here or
not!' 'Even if I
changed my name?'
'Yes, you look
oriental, you're a
threat ' 'A threat?
Why?'
'God only knows!'
Yuki replies. 'It's
mostly racial
prejudice, and
jealousy. Remember
we had cleared the
best land all along
the Fraser Valley.
Good fisherman.
This caused envy, so
better to kick us out.
The damn war is just
an excuse.'" p. 46
Montreal, PQ: Tundra
Books, 1989
[original 1971]
ISBN 0887762417
Awards:
Canadian Association of
Children's Librarians Gold
Medal, 1971
Look of Books Award, 1972
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
149/
2005
CHILDREN OF THE RIVER
Linda Crew
"She liked the
American ideal of
everyone being
equal — even a peanut
farmer could be
President — but at
times like this she
missed the strict
rules one followed in
Kampuchea. At
home she would have
known their
respective ranks and
spoken accordingly,
but here it was all so
treacherously free
and loose. A person
might make a terrible
mistake without
knowing it." p. 101
New York, NY: Doubleday
Canada Ltd., 1989
ISBN 0440210224
Awards:
Best Young Adult Book Award,
American Library Association
(ALA), 1989
Children's Book Award for older
readers, International Reading
Association, 1989
In Children of the River, Sundara flees Cambodia with her
aunt, uncle, grandma and two nephews to the United States,
where they struggle to make a living and adapt to a new
culture. Sundara falls for an all-American boy, but their
different political and cultural backgrounds make a relationship
impossible until they are able to reach an understanding of
each other's heritage. Sundara also has to face her
overwhelming feeling of responsibility for her niece's death.
A tender, moving and believable story, this novel identifies and
highlights the difficulties of moving into a different culture,
especially when the past involves violence and sexual abuse.
The flashbacks are well-integrated, and students in small
group or full class study should find an interesting blend of
internal and external conflicts that lead naturally to research.
The book strongly emphasizes the idealistic universal message
that individuals have a personal responsibility to make a
positive difference.
Regardless of origin or mother tongue, students should be able
to identify with the intergenerational conflicts and can be
expected to respond strongly to the differences between
Cambodian and North American culture and politics.
150/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
CRABBE
William Bell
O
Crabbe is a highly entertaining novel by popular Canadian
author William Bell. It captures the wilderness adventure of a
mixed-up adolescent. The first-person narrator is Franklin
Crabbe, a chatty, funny but troubled eighteen-year-old.
Feeling like an outsider and fed up with what he sees as adult
hypocrisy, Crabbe runs away from home and goes off to seek
freedom. As he learns to survive in the Algonquin Park
wilderness, he meets and falls in love with Mary Pallas, a kind
woman who has her own secrets to hide. Through his
relationship with her, Crabbe finds his identity and purpose,
ultimately taking the help she gave him to become
independent, be himself and learn to survive in a confused,
often irrational world.
Crabbe contains minor contextualized coarse language,
references to mercy killing and a few sexual references.
Because the book is set up in journal entries, it provides
opportunities to explore how point of view influences the
presentation of characters and conflict. Students might also
be encouraged to try their own journal writing.
"Layer by layer I was
being stripped away:
the ordeal with the
bear; the waterfall;
my breaking down
tonight and admitting
what I never before
admitted to anyone,
including myself.
What would happen,
I wondered, when the
last layer was peeled
off? What would be
left?" p. 81
Markham, ON:
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2002
[original 1986]
169 pages
ISBN 0-7736-7483-7
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
151/
2005
DARE
Marilyn Halvorson
"He didn't belong
there. He belonged
here. And that meant
I was trapped. Life
was such a rip-off.
The whole world was
full of people who
wanted someone to
need them. Me, I just
wanted to be a loner
and what did I get?
A kid brother who
thought I was the
Lone Ranger and
who just wanted to
hang around with me
and be Tonto. " p. 65
Toronto, ON: General
Paperbacks, 1990
[original 1988]
ISBN 0773672672
Dare is the name of the angry and confused 15-year-old who,
with his 12-year-old brother, Ty, have lived with their
grandmother in the same small Alberta town for five years.
When they are left orphaned after her stroke, Laura
McConnell, a substitute teacher and rancher, lets them live
with her. Dare is the typical rebel character— swearing,
drinking and driving, fighting, and even spending some time in
jail. However, Dare matures as he learns to accept
responsibility and confronts his part in his mother's death.
The realistic dialogue and intensity of Dare's emotions enable
students to identify with this character's turmoil, yet realize
how feelings can be changed without losing face. Effective
characterizations of a rebellious, defiant teenager and sensitive
and believable adults add to an action-filled story that is best
suited for full class study.
152/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
DEATHWATCH
Robb White
Deathwatch, a fast-moving and easy-reading narrative,
revolves around the tale of Ben, a young geology student
working as a hunting guide. Ben finds himself locked in an
intense struggle to survive when the expedition he is on turns
into a manhunt.
Madec, an oil executive, hires Ben to escort him through the
Southern California mountains in search of bighorn sheep.
Madec accidentally kills an old prospector, and Ben's sense of
justice demands that he report this incident to the authorities;
however, Madec wants to ignore the death and continue the
hunt. These two men are chained together by their different
outlooks on the situation. A struggle to outwit each other soon
develops.
Deathwatch presents clear contrasts in setting, mood and
character types. A study of foreshadowing, symbolism, conflict
and plot could also be undertaken. The ending, although
abrupt, provides opportunity for open-ended discussion and
various writing projects relating to decision making and the
question of ethics.
"He and this man
Madec were locked
together, chained
together in a struggle
for life itself— a
struggle with no
niceties, no rules of
behavior, no
sportsmanship, no
gentlemanly conduct
Madec could not
leave him. The
struggle had gone too
far for that. Nor, on
the other hand, could
Ben escape." p. 67
Toronto, ON: Doubleday
Canada, 1972
ISBN 0440917409
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
153/
2005
DOVE
Robin Lee Graham (with Derek L.T. Gill)
"Loneliness was to
ride with me for a
thousand days, and
throughout the
longest nights. At
time it was like
something I could
touch. Loneliness
slunk aboard as the
lights of Catalina
Island began to fade,
and I told myself that
time and distance
would destroy it.
How wrong I was. "
p. 19
New York, NY: HarperCollins
Publishers, 1991
Harper Perennial edition
[original 1972]
199 pages
ISBN 0-06-092047-5
Dove is an inspirational nonfiction account of the author's
remarkable five-year solo voyage around the world when he
was only sixteen years old. Graham journeyed 30 000 nautical
sea miles with his cats on a twenty-four foot sloop. Along the
way, he became homesick, was joined by his father and
friends, met his future wife Patti in Fiji, married her in Africa,
and later returned home expecting their first child. Graham
presents this odyssey chronologically, and has included
photographs of different people and experiences from his
journey.
The book portrays Graham's conflict with nature, contact with
other cultures, personal growth, and battles with loneliness in
a straightforward, entertaining journal style. In a postscript,
there is a very brief reference to the Christian faith that the
Grahams feel guides their lives. Teachers should be aware of
a few examples of coarse language in the book.
154/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FISH HOUSE SECRETS
Kathy Stinson
In Fish House Secrets, Chad and his father arrive at his Nova
Scotia grandparent's house, and it is here where Chad mourns
and accepts his mother's death. He meets Jill, a Halifax
runaway, and while helping her elude the authorities, Chad
comes to terms with his own grief, guilt and rebellion.
References to emerging sexuality and abortion reveal empathy
for others and are dealt with sensitively.
Chad and Jill have typical teenage actions and characteristics,
but their portrayals go beyond stereotyping. The clashing of
youth and parents, the need to assert oneself, the need to
communicate, the need for self-esteem and the need for
independence are some of the discussion topics that this book
should generate. The novel's style, using inner chapters,
reveals both Chad's and Jill's personal struggles and their
willingness to forgive and begin again. It could be used either
for small group discussion or for full class study.
"I say, 'my dad's a
nice guy, I just wish
he'd give me a little
space, that's all. '
'Parents don't like to
do that unless you
make them, ' Ian
says, and sounds
like he knows what
he's talking about. If
he's taken a job that
gets him away from
home for six weeks I
guess he does. I
have to admire his
doing that, like some
part of me admires
the nerve of that girl
hiding in our barn,
asking me to feed
her, then just —
moving on. " p. 60
Saskatoon, SK: Thistledown
Press Ltd., 1993
[original 1992]
ISBN 1895449103
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
155/
2005
THE GREAT ESCAPE
Paul Brickhill
There's one thing
we've got to keep in
mind. Glemnitz
doesn't know how
many tunnels there
are or how advanced
they are, and he
won't have the
faintest idea
everything is so
organized. He
mustn't get to
thinking it's anything
more than a little
effort of a few blokes.
If he does, he'll turn
the whole bloody
camp inside out. He
mustn't find anything
more." p. 89
New York, NY: Fawcett Crest
Books, 1978
[original 1950]
ISBN 0449237176
The Great Escape is a suspenseful and spine-chilling thriller
in which a World War II POW tells how more than six hundred
British and American air force officers escaped from Stalag Luft
III. Under cunning leadership, these prisoners outsmarted,
even manipulated, their Nazi captors into unwittingly assisting
them in their escape; which was made possible through
persistence, camaraderie, humour and the coordination of a
multitude of talents. The author follows the experiences of
key individuals through to eventual escape or death, and
includes the later war trials and the sentencing of the Nazi
officers who ran the stalag.
The book is written in short chapters full of action and
adventure. Brickhill inserts sketches of the compound,
equipment used in the escape, maps and drawings. He uses
technical vocabulary when describing the construction and
excavation of the tunnels. Even though this book was written
just five years after the war ended, Brickhill remains fairly
objective in his portrayal of prison life. He writes with a sense
of excitement, a touch of humour and dwells on the enormity
of the task rather than the daily drudgery of living in a prison.
156/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
HATCHET
Gary Paulsen
The engaging story of Hatchet unfolds as 13-year-old
Brian Robson flies to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness.
The pilot of the plane dies from a massive heart attack. Brian
crash-lands the plane in a remote lake and survives a two-
month ordeal with only a hatchet, a few camping skills, and his
instinct for survival.
This action-packed adventure offers plot detail and character
development. Students should be interested in the physical
and emotional growth of Brian, as well as his ability to cope
with insurmountable odds.
Brian's fragmented thinking is juxtaposed with the narrator's
sequential descriptions. This style of writing will be highly
appealing to many readers. The novel is an easy read, but can
provide interesting discussions in small group or full class
situations. Gary Paulsen's autobiography Guts is included in
the Grade 7 list.
"And a watch. He
had a digital watch
still on his wrist but it
was broken from the
crash — the little
screen blank — and he
took it off and almost
threw it away but
stopped the hand
motion and lay the
watch on the grass
with the rest of it.
There. That was it.
No, wait. One other
thing. Those were all
the things he had,
but he also had
himself. Perpich
used to drum that
into them — 'You are
the most valuable
asset Don't forget
that. You are the
best thing you have. '"
p. 51
Toronto, ON: Puffin Books,
1988
[original 1987]
ISBN 014032724X
Awards:
Newbery Honor Book, 1988
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
157/
2005
HUNTER IN THE DARK
Monica Hughes
"They loved him.
They wanted to
protect him, but he
couldn't let them do
that any more. When
he got back he was
going to have to be
strong enough to find
a way past his own
fear to his parents'
fear for him, and
somehow cancel that
out. Could he do it?
Could they find a
new way of being
close and truthful?
He could sure as hell
try, though it wasn't
going to be easy. "
pp. 53-54
New York, NY: Avon Books,
1984
[original 1982]
ISBN 0380677024
Awards:
Alberta Culture Juvenile Novel
Award, 1981
Canada Council prize for
children's literature, 1982
Best Young Adult Book Award,
American Library Association
(ALA), 1983
Young Adult Canadian Book
Award, 1983
In Hunter in the Dark, 16-year-old Mike Rankin comes to
terms with himself, his family and his fear of death. The
author develops relationships and conflicts through a rapidly-
moving plot with realistic characters and dialogue. The
survival theme is developed through the goal of taking one
more hunting trip.
Tact and delicacy should be used in dealing with the mortality
theme in this novel as many students have some personal
knowledge of someone who has, or had, a terminal illness.
The family's attitude of denial in this story may mirror the
students' own experiences. This novel could facilitate
discussions leading to creative writing and/or research.
158/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
IN THE LAND OF WHITE DEATH: AN EPIC
STORY OF SURVIVAL IN THE SIBERIAN
ARCTIC
Valerian Albanov
In the Land of the White Death is an engaging true
account of the Saint Anna, a Russian ship that became frozen
for a year-and-a-half in the Kora Sea in 1912. The author and
13 other crew members finally made sledges and kayaks and
set out for Franz Josef Land. This straightforwardly written
thirteen-chapter book is a suspenseful, gripping diary written
in the first person by one of the survivors. It tells a typical
but amazing survival narrative, with humans overcoming
isolation and seemingly impossible odds. The ship had
inadequate provisions, an incompetent commander and
inaccurate mapping. Over the course of the 18-month
disaster, the crew members faced sub-zero temperatures,
scurvy, starvation, blizzards, collapsing ice floes, wild animal
attacks, snow blindness and rebellion. Although most of the
crew eventually perished from starvation or hypothermia,
Albanov persisted and finally found help.
The book includes a preface written by Jon Krakauer, as well
as maps and photos to illustrate different aspects of the
odyssey. Students might use a problem-solution approach in
discussing or writing about the experiences of the crew. The
epilogue suggests some further research possibilities for
Internet or library explorations.
"Why had I come to
this frozen
wilderness on the
edge of an icy sea,
when the weather
was so beautiful in
the sunny lands to
the south? What
madness! ... But
what good would
complaining do? All
this torture is simply
deserved retribution.
One should not poke
one's nose into
places where Nature
does not want the
presence of man. "
p. 45
Toronto, ON: Random House
of Canada, 2001
Modern Library Paperback
edition
[original 1917]
243 pages
ISBN 0-679-6836 1-X
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
159/
2005
LYDDIE
Katherine Paterson
"She has me. Oh
Charlie, I ain't
perfect, but I do my
best. Can't you see?
I done my best for
you. She's all I got
left now. How can I
let her go? But even
as she stormed
within herself, she
knew she had no
choice. Like the rusty
blade through her
heart she felt it. If
she stays here with
me, she will die. "
p. 143
Toronto, ON: Puffin Books,
1992
[original 1991]
ISBN 0140349812
Awards:
International Board of Books
for Young People (IBBY) Honor
Book, 1994
Set in the United States during the Industrial Revolution,
Lyddie is a story of unions and personal courage. It follows
Lyddie, a young girl who goes to work in the garment factories
where she learns to weave and read— thereby finding her
future. Lyddie's struggle for independence, for her rights as a
woman, and for her rights as a factory worker, reflect the
social conditions of that time.
The novel should encourage interesting discussions on
character development, on the conflict between right and
wrong, and on the value of education. Gender references, and
the treatment of the birth of a child out of wedlock according
to the social mores of the 1800s, are also potential topics.
Some students might be interested in researching the
emergence of unions and women's rights.
While the topic is universal, students may wish to consider the
changing roles of women and examine the issues of women's
rights today.
This novel has a support
video available through
ACCESS: Good
Conversation: A Talk with
Katherine Paterson, 1999
[21 min. BPN 2075908],
160/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
NEVER CRY WOLF
Farley Mowat
O
In his fictional narrative, Never Cry Wolf, Farley Mowat
embarks on a mission to investigate claims about the wolves'
role in the diminishing caribou population. Isolated in the
frozen tundra among howling wolf packs, Mowat develops a
respect and admiration for these animals. The narrative is
developed with humorous recollections of encounters between
man and animal. In his journal, Mowat writes of observations,
enlightened feelings and lonely encounters with the wolves.
His findings conclude that the wolves have been wrongfully
blamed for the destruction of other animals in the North.
This deceptively simple narrative with its humorous details
provides another perspective about an animal that has been
falsely maligned. The appeal of this book is in its presentation,
simplicity and anecdotal recording.
"He was lying down,
evidently resting
after his mournful
singsong, and his
nose was about six
feet from mine. We
stared at one another
in silence. I do not
know what went on
in his massive skull,
but my head was full
of the most disturbing
thoughts. I was
peering straight into
the amber gaze of a
folly grown arctic
wolf, who probably
weighed more than I
did, and who was
certainly a lot better
versed in close-
combat techniques
than I would ever
be." p. 36
Toronto, ON: McClelland-
Bantam, Inc., 1979
[original 1963]
ISBN 0770421377
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
161/
2005
ON THE LINES
Ron Finn (with David Boyd)
"Ifell hard and I'm
thankful that I didn't
break anything, but
my legs, knees, and
my back were sore
for weeks. I was
dazed for a few
seconds because I
didn't know what
had hit me, but when
I turned and realized
it was Mason . . . well,
I was ready to go!
All I wanted was a
clean shot. That's
when Andy stepped
in and got Manson off
the ice for the second
and last time."
pp. 112-113
Oakville, ON: Rubicon
Publishing Inc., 1993
ISBN 0921156464
In On the Lines, Ron Finn tells a story of hockey from
another point of view— that of a linesman in the National
Hockey League. After he realizes he will not make the "big"
league as a player, Finn begins to take up officiating. As a
linesman, he is able to relate many important hockey incidents
from the best view in the house. Finn's love of hockey has
continued throughout his life. To him, hockey is a part of
Canadian culture and tradition, and he displays a positive
outlook toward life and people through his association with
hockey.
This book will appeal to any student who has a strong interest
in sports. Finn talks of not only the hockey players from the
1970s and 1980s, but also of others who are behind the
"stars." He reinforces the view that, in order for a sport to
continue at any level, there must be more than the "stars."
Coarse language is used in the book, but it is an easy read and
will appeal to students interested in hockey. The foreword is
written by Wayne Gretzky. Individual or small group study
would be effective and could lead to research in areas such as
hockey biographies, aspects of the National Hockey League,
media in sports, violence in sports, and careers in sports.
162/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE PEARL
John Steinbeck
The Pearl tells the story of a Mexican pearl diver, Kino, and
his wife who discover a valuable pearl. To Kino, this prize
symbolizes comfort, security, health and happiness; and his
dreams become larger and more urgent. Three attempts are
made on Kino's life as thieves try to steal the pearl.
Desperation and greed alter the lives of all who covet the
wealth of the pearl.
In this novel, Steinbeck captures the ethnic flavour of this
Mexican family, using a smooth -flowing style; many references
reflect the rich musical heritage of the people. Detailed
descriptions of the land and sea are presented.
The main characters are representative of human frailties. The
structure is conducive to plot mapping, and the study of
symbols, conflict and character. The novel can be used easily
for either small group or individual study.
"Kino had found the
Pearl of the World.
The essence of the
pearl mixed with
essence of mean and
a curious dark
residue was
precipitated. Every
man suddenly
became related to
Kino's pearl, and
Kino's pearl went into
the dreams,
speculations, the
schemes, the plans,
the futures, the
wishes, the needs,
the lusts, the
hungers, of everyone,
and only one person
stood in the way and
that was Kino, so
that he became
curiously every
man's enemy. " p. 23
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, 1947
[original 1945]
ISBN 0670545759
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
163/
2005
THE ROAD TO CHLIFA
Michele Marineau
(Translated by Susan Ouriou)
"Glancing up, I saw
Karim, on his feet
looking totally
shattered. There
was nothing left of
cold indifference in
him. In his eyes
were rage, horror,
fear, but mostly
terrible sadness.
That's when I
understood that the
newcomer wasn't
haughty or disdainful
like some said. He
was simply in
despair." p. 24
Calgary, AB: Northern Lights
Young Novels
Red Deer College Press, 1995
[original 1992]
ISBN 0-88995-129-2
The Road to Chlifa is a heartbreaking tale of what many
young people in war-torn areas of the world face. It is
midyear when Karim, a handsome Lebanese youth, registers in
a Quebec high school. Right from the start, he attracts
attention and seems to polarize factions. After living in a
country torn by war, where bombs and bullets and land mines
are part of daily existence, his life in Montreal should be easy,
but Karim feels out of place and haunted by the memories of
his horrible journey to Chlifa. When Karim discovers other
students trying to take advantage of another newcomer during
a ski outing, Karim is enraged. He attacks the students, ends
up being knifed and almost loses his life.
The reasons for Karim's anger become apparent when, in a
lengthy flashback, the story of his life in Lebanon is revealed.
His family had already left for Montreal, but Karim remained in
Beirut to continue school and experienced the civil war in
Lebanon. Finally, Karim makes a treacherous journey through
the mountains to Chlifa. There, he finds safety but not
without a tremendous price: the life of a young girl he is
travelling with.
The story unfolds in a variety of narrative voices: Karim's
journal entries, a first-person account by a girl in Karim's high
school in Quebec, and third-person narration in the flashback
to Lebanon. Students will need some background material
about Lebanon and reasons for the civil war. The language
and violence is hard hitting but credible, in the context of both
the war in Lebanon and the locker rooms of a high school.
The book emphasizes friendship, courage and the freedoms
enjoyed in Canada compared to the homelands of some
students.
164/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SPEAK
Laurie Halse Anderson
Speak is a painful but redemptive young adult novel about a
Grade 9 student suppressing and eventually dealing with the
trauma of a rape. The narrator, Melinda Sordino, is a high
school freshman who is struggling in school and feels like an
outsider. Gradually the reader learns the reason for her
depression and withdrawal: during the summer she was raped
by another student. In the ending, she finally confronts her
attacker, thereby learning to stand up for herself and to
become more self-empowered. Melinda's final character
change is inspiring and progressive; she finds her literal and
figurative voice and learns to "speak" up against what is wrong
and unjust.
This gritty, realistic book will have an empathetic resonance for
many female readers, especially those struggling in school.
Overall, it is an easy read— episodic, and gripping. It is written
in short descriptive paragraphs with some sections set up as
dialogue suitable for reading aloud. Teens are realistically
portrayed and students will likely want to discuss and write
about Melinda's experiences as compared with their own.
"We fail into clans:
Jocks, Country
Clubbers, Idiot
Savants,
Cheerleaders,
Human Waste,
Eurotrash, Future
Fascists of America,
Bit Hair Chix, the
Marthas, Suffering
Artists, Thespians,
Goths, Shredders. I
am clanless. " p. 4
Toronto, ON:
Penguin Books Canada Ltd.,
2001
Puffin Books edition
[original 1999]
198 pages
ISBN 0-14-131088-X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
165/
2005
TERRY FOX: HIS STORY
Leslie Scrivener
"He told them people
could get cancer and
die from, it and still be
winners. He told
them he would never
be called a quitter.
Then he repeated a
couple of sentences
that made a few of
the audience feel
uneasy .... If I stop, '
he said, 'it's because
something's
happened. I'm in bed
but I'm sail going to
think of myself as a
winner. '
He knew just how
good it felt to give. "
p. 128
Toronto, ON: McClelland and
Stewart Limited, 1981
ISBN 0771080174
Terry Fox: His Story is Leslie Scrivener's sensitive account
of the Marathon of Hope based on Terry Fox's personal diary
of the journey. The book begins by describing Terry's first day
of the cross-Canada run and then fills in his background. He
was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma just after entering
university. The amputation of his leg, and subsequent drug
treatment, terminated Terry's studies but did not dampen his
determination to conquer his illness. His personal pledge to
run across Canada was the result. In four and a half months,
Terry ran two-thirds of the distance before he was again
stricken with cancer. His run was given national news
coverage and raised 18.5 million dollars for cancer research.
Since his death on June 28, 1981 Canadians have continued to
raise funds in his memory.
Scrivener follows Terry's diary closely, quoting him directly in
journalistic style and filling in details of the run from her own
observations and from interviews with Terry, his brother Doug,
friends, family and roadside observers. The story is an
objective account of one of Canada's modern heroes, and
concludes with an epilogue written by Terry.
Terry Fox is portrayed as a man determined to reach his goal.
This universal theme contributes to a reader's knowledge and
understanding of self. The book is enjoyable and thought-
provoking, eliciting an emotional response from all who read it.
166/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
WAR OF THE EAGLES
Eric Walters
$
War of the Eagles is set in World War II on the West Coast
of Canada. This young adult novel is about an Aboriginal
youth, Jed, who is torn between loyalty to his country or his
Japanese-Canadian friend. While his father is away flying
fighter planes in Europe, Jed and his mother work at the
nearby military base. Jed's world is shaken when his best
friend Tandashi and his family, along with all the other
Japanese-Canadians in the community, are declared enemies
by the government and sent away to detention camps.
The theme of Walters' book is about choosing what one
personally believes is right. This is symbolized through Jed's
release of a bald eagle that was being contained on the military
base after he and Tandashi nursed it back to health.
War of the Eagles is an appropriate, balanced text for
presenting racial and cultural conflicts. This readable
coming-of-age novel will have a special appeal to students
from Asian-Canadian, Aboriginal-Canadian or military families.
It provides a reasonable critical reading challenge with respect
to character, conflict, theme and symbolism.
"'You got to
remember my people
feel like that eagle
chained out to your
flagpole. We've had
so much taken away;
so much that
belonged to us is
gone, forever.' There
was a pause, a long
pause. 'Now, all that
seems left to some of
them is to snap and
claw and fight. Like
the eagle.'" p. 93
Victoria, BC:
Orca Book Publishers, 2000
[original 1998]
224 pages
ISBN 1-55143-118-1
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
167/
2005
WHITEOUT
James Houston
<*>
They broke and
flung away the
wind-packed chunks
of snow, then using
all their strength
heaved back the
snow-laden bearskin.
Jon jumped with
fright when the small
gray bitch that led
the team scrambled
out ofPanee's arms.
They lifted the girl
from her gravelike
shelter." p. 187
Toronto, ON: General
Paperbacks, 1991
[original 1988]
ISBN 0773673458
Jonathan Aird, the protagonist of Whiteout, is a rebellious
and fatherless 17-year-old city boy who is sent to a remote
Arctic settlement on Baffin Island to fulfill his community work
requirements as part of a rehabilitation program. Jonathan
must come to terms with the harsh reality of the environment.
While doing so, he matures and learns to accept responsibility
for his actions.
Jonathan's self-discovery is paralleled by his initial stereotyping
of the Inuit and his final understanding of their ways. As he
learns to admire their strength and courage, he develops into
a mature young man. A strong emphasis on action and plot is
highlighted by accurate descriptions of life in the Arctic.
The story contains characters of Scottish, Inuit and Polish
origins, and these individuals are portrayed in
traditional/stereotyped roles. Inuit religious beliefs are
presented and the novel provides an empathetic look at Inuit
culture, thus demonstrating a need for acceptance and
understanding.
168/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
WHY SHOOT THE TEACHER?
Max Braithwaite
<5>
In Why Shoot the Teacher?, Braithwaite writes about his
first year of teaching in a small school district during the Dirty
Thirties. He talks, in a series of light and humorous anecdotes,
of the Depression years and the people who survived them.
His experiences with school dances, Christmas concerts and
political rallies present a good description of social activities in
rural Saskatchewan.
The author's style is direct. He creates a concise set of
episodes that facilitate easily organizable units for classroom
discussion. The vocabulary is medium range. The point of
view is that of an insecure, self-doubting young man who
encounters employment, meager subsistent living, and poverty
on the prairies. The book is recommended, not only for its
historical perspective, but also for its readability and humour.
"I was up before
daylight to stoke my
fire and, after eating,
went up to the
schoolroom and
looked out the
window. The wind
hadn't reached its
full force. I could still
see the barn, but
beyond that was a
grey mass of swirling
snow. No children
would show up
today, I knew,
because this had the
look of a two- or
three-day blow.
There was enough
water in the cooler to
last a couple of days,
if I didn't wash, but
the prospect of being
with my self for that
long made me sick to
the stomach. "
pp. 128-129
Toronto, ON: McClelland and
Stewart, 1965
ISBN 0771015992
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
169/
2005
YULETIDE BLUES
R. P. Maclntyre
"It's one thing when
you find out
something about your
friends that you don't
particularly want to
know, hut it's a
different thing again
when you find out
something about
yourself that you
don't particularly
want to know. " p. 99
Saskatoon, SK: Thistledown
Press Ltd., 1992
[original 1991]
ISBN 1895449049
Yuletide Blues begins when Lanny, a young hockey player,
plans to stay with his favourite aunt while his parents are on
holidays. Before their departure, this aunt, an artistic
eccentric, attempts suicide and Lanny must go to a reclusive
great-aunt's place. During his stay, he breaks his leg, and
discovers that his best friend has become a thief. Lanny
comes to terms with individual differences and deals with the
emotional, physical and psychological limitations of both aunts.
Students can easily relate to this episodic, humorous story that
should lead to excellent class discussion and personal
reflection on issues, such as delinquency, sexuality, aging,
depression, loneliness, personal responsibility and peer
pressure. The teenage vernacular will be appealing to
students as well. Because the novel contains some swearing
and references to sexuality and suicide, the book might best
be offered for either small group or individual study.
170/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
Z FOR ZACHARIAH
Robert C. O'Brien
In Z for Zachariah, sixteen-year-old Ann Burden believes she
is the last survivor of an atomic war. She has subsisted by
eating "safe" food from the nearby village store, farming her
father's land as best she can, and keeping her sanity by writing
a diary. The discovery of another individual, Loomis, leads to
doubt and confusion, resulting in an escape from the
comfortable valley. The conclusion amplifies Ann's courage
and desire for self-preservation.
The narrative is straightforward, the vocabulary terse, and the
structure chronological. Students should be able to
comprehend the actions of the characters and go beyond the
plot to understand the emotions that Ann describes so well in
her diary. This novel can provide for interesting discussions
regarding speculative fiction.
"'Except for this
valley the rest of the
world, as far as we
know, is dangerous
and uninhabited. I
don't know how long
its going to be that
way — maybe
forever. '
'But as long as it is,
the suit is the only
way to go out there
and stay alive.' ...
'. . . we've got to plan
as if this valley is the
whole world, and we
are starting a colony,
one that will last
permanently.'"
pp. 150-152
New York, NY: Dell
Publishing Co., Inc., 1974
ISBN 0440999014
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 10-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
171/
2005
i
i
172/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 10-2
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
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English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
:!: AV/*
AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD
Annie Dillard
"The things in the
world did not
necessarily cause my
overwhelming
feelings; the feelings
were inside me,
beneath my skin,
behind my ribs,
within my skull.
They were even, to
some extent, under
my control.
I could be connected
to the outer world by
reason, if I chose, or I
could yield to what
amounted to a
narrative fiction, to a
tale of terror
whispered to me by
the blood in my
ears...." p. 22
New York, NY: Harper & Row,
Publishers 1988
[original 1987]
ISBN 0060915188
Awards:
National Book Critics Circle
Award nomination, 1987
An American Childhood focuses on the memories of Annie
Dillard's childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dillard
particularly focuses on the nuances of her growing up that
bring meaning and beauty to youth. Her writing style, which is
simple and direct, paints clear and vivid accounts of her youth,
and provides an excellent model for detailed student personal
writing.
Do not be deceived by the word "American" in the title. This is
a collection that transcends national boundaries and can easily
be used, understood and enjoyed by Canadian students. Many
of Dillard's memories are common to Canadian youth and
should offer insight and delight. In particular, Dillard's
accounts of winter in Pittsburgh should ring true for
Canadians.
The author's partisan views of the wars between the Natives
and Caucasians as childhood memories are based upon the
literature of the times that she read as a child. There is some
stereotyping of Natives in these sections. As well, Dillard
reveals her childhood anti-Catholic bias. These issues of
stereotyping and negative images should be critically examined
by students during this nonfiction study. An American
Childhood may be most appropriate for individual or small
group study.
174/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE APPRENTICESHIP OF
DUDDY KRAVITZ
Mordecai Richler
O
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz traces Duddy's
important relationships with his grandfather, Simcha; his
father, Mack the Hack; his French-Canadian girlfriend, Yvette;
the "Boy Wonder," Jerry Dingleman; his brother, Lennie; his
friend, Vergil, and some other characters. Even before Duddy
leaves high school, his every action is motivated by the need to
acquire enough money to buy land. During his first summer
job as a waiter in a posh Laurentian hotel he sights a piece of
resort property he covets and, throughout the novel, uses any
method to obtain money to purchase this land. Much of the
comedy is situational and satirical, with the dialogue in
colloquial, often coarse language. Duddy's use of a more
formal and correct style, including his change of name to
Duddy Kane, is reserved for situations when he is "wheeling
and dealing." Richler develops the novel as satirical comedy,
directed not only against the culture, setting and characters of
the novel, but also Duddy's actions must be analyzed in the
light of any individual who is totally devoted to rising above his
own social station. Some students may have difficulty
comprehending Duddy's single-mindedness, his motivation and
drive at the age of 17, but the plot movement and character
schemes sweep readers along, if only to find out who Duddy
will "con" next.
"Duddy Kravitz
believed what his
grandfather had told
him: a man without
land is nobody. He
set his heart on land,
and if he made
himself hated along
the way... he couldn't
care less. " p. 43
Harmondsworth, England:
Penguin Books, 1964
[original 1959]
ISBN 0140021795
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
175/
2005
BAROMETER RISING
Hugh MacLennan
O
"Thank you Angus.
For two years my
family has been
insinuating that if
Neil had faced a
court-martial he'd
have been shot. In
that event,
presumably, Father's
military career would
have marched
gloriously on, and
he'd not be in Halifax
now. They don't
mean to persecute
me, but that's what
they'll never allow
me to forget. If Neil
had been convicted
before he was killed,
Father would have
been freed to all
official responsibility
for the failure." p. 37
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Inc., 1989
[original 1941]
ISBN 0771099916
Set in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917, Barometer Rising is a
story of entrapment and colonization. The focus of the novel
is as much on the city as it is on its inhabitants. This work is a
study of catastrophe: the explosion of the ship Mont Blanc in
the Halifax Harbour, the burning of the city, and the raging
blizzard that followed. The elements of earth, fire and water
purge the city as well as the novel's characters. Havoc by
nature is paralleled to the distant destruction of World War I
and the more immediate personal plights of the characters.
The lives of Penelope Wain and Neil Macrae are the centre of
the character study. Presumed dead by Penelope, Neil returns
home to reveal the truth about his military action overseas.
The lovers are reunited only hours before the Halifax explosion
occurs.
The graphic description of physical devastation is balanced by
minute details of character study. Halifax is symbolically
reflected in the strong but isolated characters. Occasionally,
the language used is graphic and may be considered offensive
by some.
The time frame of the novel is short. The story begins
Sunday, December 2 and ends Monday, December 10, 1917.
The events of these eight days provide a window through
which we view the years that bring the characters and culture
to this precise historical moment. The work is an investigation
of how time is both arrested and accelerated by catastrophe.
The city is levelled, and the novel closes with the suggestion
that new life and hope will be built from ruin.
176/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
A BIRD IN THE HOUSE
Margaret Laurence
A Bird in the House is a collection of closely connected short
stories set in the small Manitoba town of Manawaka in the
1930s and '40s. Each story presents an episode in the growing
awareness and maturity of Vanessa MacLeod, from the age of
6 to about 20. The same family characters appear and
reappear: on her father's side the Connors, dominated by the
uncompromising patriarch Grandfather Connor; on her
mother's side the MacLeods and the gentler but equally
unyielding Grandmother MacLeod. Amongst them they present
a vivid picture of the Scottish-Irish protestant values that
pioneered the West and can still be detected today. In many
of the stories Vanessa sees herself rebelling against her
grandfather, but in maturity, comes to recognize, reluctantly,
that she is his "monument."
Margaret Laurence has identified this work as being "semi-
autobiographical." The young Vanessa, who plans to be a
writer, records with shrewd observation, sympathy and humour
the tensions within the family. Vanessa, like Laurence in her
growing years in a small prairie town during the Depression,
develops "the sight of her own particular eyes."
Each story is well-crafted and can be studied separately, with
focus on the use of narrative voice, character development,
irony, symbolism and theme. The book can also be read as a
whole as a varied chronicle of a girl's growing up, with the
opportunity for individual or small group presentation on how
each story contributes to the total impression.
"No human work
could be applied.
The lake was not
lonely or untamed.
These words relate to
people, and there
was nothing of
people here. There
was no feeling about
the place. I looked at
the grey reaches of it
and felt threatened.
It was like the view
of God which I had
held since my
father's death.
Distant indestructible,
totally indifferent."
p. 138
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Inc., 1989
[original 1963]
ISBN 0771099851
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
177/
2005
BRAVE NEW WORLD
Aldous Huxley
"'But I don't want
comfort. I want God,
I want poetry, I want
real danger, I want
freedom, I want
goodness, I want sin'
'In fact, ' said
Mustapha Mond,
'you're claiming the
right to be unhappy. '
'All right then, ' said
the Savage defiantly,
Tm claiming the right
to be unhappy.'"
p. 240
New York, NY: Harper and
Row, 1969
[original 1932]
ISBN 0060830956
A few hundred years into the future, a Brave New World
has been established in which science reigns supreme.
Reproduction, from fertilization of the egg to birth and after, is
a laboratory process. Workers are mass-produced according
to specifications. Family life, and its related emotional
involvements, are forbidden. However, in New Mexico, an
area of primitive culture is kept for scientific study. There, a
young man is found who is the offspring of a forbidden alliance
between two visiting research workers. The young man is a
"savage," self-educated with the aid of an old copy of
Shakespeare's plays. As an experiment, the young man and
his mother are brought to London, where the mother dies
shortly thereafter. The son, appalled by a society that stifles
all beauty and all humanistic endeavour, eventually commits
suicide.
Rather than merely a story of human beings living in a world
of the future, the book is an examination of that world. The
reader's attention is directed to the mechanical and
philosophical aspects of the society. Appreciation of such a
society requires an understanding of satire. Discussion could
centre on such topics as the importance of the arts and
humanities to the quality of human life; the problems arising
from the artificial and controlled propagation of the species;
the breakup of family life; the use of drugs; promiscuous
sexuality; government control.
This novel requires teacher assistance to guide most students
to an understanding and appreciation of the specific elements
of Huxley's moral satire.
178/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
CAT'S CRADLE
Kurt Vonnegut
Cat's Cradle is narrated by a young American writer named
Jonah, who is collecting material for a book to be called The
Day the World Ended (the day the first atomic bomb was
dropped on Hiroshima). His research takes him to the fictional
and fantastic Caribbean republic of San Lorenzo, where he is
caught up in events that lead to the end of the world. The
end, however, is not fire, but ice. And the agent of destruction
is "ice-nine," which alters molecular structures and locks all
moisture into rigidity. This rigid misapplication of science
produces a world in which people cannot choose to be human;
they choose, instead, to die.
The combination of science fiction, fantasy, comedy, satire,
and a deliberately choppy narrative, make it difficult on a first
reading to see the moral and spiritual values that Vonnegut is
asserting. Some readers may misinterpret the novel as
satirizing all organized religion.
Nevertheless, Vonnegut's novel is a comedy, not a tragedy.
The author's humour and playfulness permeate the novel,
although the humour is sometimes grim and sardonic, and the
playfulness can be bizarre and fantastic. The tone is not
pessimistic or despairing. Critical satire, particularly of
technology, is combined with a sympathetic treatment of
humanity's strengths and weaknesses.
"And Castle nodded
sagely. 'So this is a
picture of the
meaninglessness of it
all! I couldn't agree
more. '
'Do you really agree?'
I asked. A minute
ago you said
something about
Jesus. '
'Who?' said Castle.
'Jesus Christ?'
'Oh, ' said Castle,
'Him. ' He shrugged.
'People have to talk
about something just
to keep their voice
boxes in working
order, so they'll have
good voice boxes in
case there's ever
anything really
meaningful to say. '"
p. 140
New York, NY: Dell
Publishing Company, 1974
[original 1963]
ISBN 0440511496
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
179/
2005
DEATH ON THE ICE: THE GREAT
NEWFOUNDLAND SEALING DISASTER
OF 1914
Cassie Brown (with Harold Horwood)
"In all, thirty-four
men turned back.
As the break between
the two parties
widened, many
others in the column
wavered. Even the
youngsters were
beginning to lose
their nerve, seeing
their weather-wise
elders so uneasy.
But Cecile Mouland
was astonished that
they should even
think of turning back.
A cowardly thing to
do!' he declared and
firmly believed that it
was. Still murmuring
about the weather,
they went on. " p. 76
Toronto, ON: Doubleday
Canada Limited, 1974
[original 1972]
ISBN 0385050372
In Death on the Ice, Cassie Brown documents the 1914
Newfoundland disaster in which a series of blunders, and some
callous misjudgements resulted in the deaths of 78 sealers.
This "investigative journalism" is based on a meticulous study
of primary sources, such as newspapers, court records,
transcripts and interviews. Maps and photographs are
provided for clarification.
The author reveals an underlying sympathy with the sealers,
who are treated with indifference by their skippers and by ship
owners who are concerned only with profit. A new perspective
is provided on the whole topic of sealing: the men are the
victims, not the seals. It is debatable whether or not students
will be able to see this irony, but they might be encouraged to
do some similar research into the conflicting sides of a public
concern, or into similar current problems in Newfoundland and
the Maritime provinces.
The dramatic qualities of the account override the amount of
historical detail. The dialect used should present no problem
to the average reader.
180/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
DINNER AT THE HOMESICK RESTAURANT
Anne Tyler
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant opens as Pearl, on her
deathbed, contemplates her life. Abandoned by her husband
in 1944, Pearl Tull raises their three children on her own. Her
reveries are the framework for the plot line that follows each of
the children through childhood to adulthood. The connections
made and paths followed by each reveal obsessions, hates and
passions, which are rooted in the life of the family. These
elements have affected decisions made by the characters, and
the ways in which they have influenced each other, as well as
others who have entered their lives. Jenny is strong,
deliberate and controlled in her goals and self-discipline but
cannot deal with the emotional issues of her relationships.
Cody is obsessed by the drive to be economically successful, to
control and manipulate but is never able to be satisfied or to
curb his personal jealousies. Ezra, the unwitting hub of the
family, is driven by an obsession to mold the Tulls into the
perfect family. Characterization is strong and deliberate, and
the emotional isolation of each is believable in spite of the
eccentricity of the Tulls.
The writing is straightforward and the flashback technique is
effectively used. The tone is bittersweet and invites the
inquiring mind to search for motive and consequence in the
obvious dysfunction of this family.
"Why did Ezra go on
trying?
Why did the rest of
them go on showing
up, was more to the
point.
In fact, they probably
saw more of each
other than happy
families did. It was
almost as if what
they couldn't get
right, they had to
keep returning to.
(So if they ever did
finish a dinner,
would they rise and
say goodbye forever
after?)" pp. 154-155
New York, NY: Ivy Books,
1992
[original 1982]
ISBN 080410882X
Awards:
PEN/Faulkner Award for
fiction, 1983
Pulitzer Prize nomination for
fiction, 1983
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
181/
2005
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE
Robert Louis Stevenson
"... all human beings,
as we meet them, are
commingled out of
good and evil: and
Edward Hyde, alone
in the ranks of
mankind, was pure
evil. " p. 84
Toronto, ON:
Bantam Books, 2002
[original 1886]
128 pages
ISBN 0-553-2 1277-X
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provoked sermons and scandals in
the past and continues to be an intriguing, relevant morality
tale for modern times. Henry Jekyll is a respectable Edinburgh
doctor whose experiments with the unknown transform him
into the notorious Edward Hyde, an antisocial criminal
alter-ego. The story is told from the perspective of Mr.
Utterson, a lawyer who becomes entangled in the situation
after one of his clients is murdered and Hyde is suspected.
Eventually Utterson learns that Jekyll has invented a drug that
separates the good and evil within him, purifying the doctor
himself but also causing periods as the monstrous Hyde.
Stevenson's presentation of the dual nature of humankind, and
the relationship between reality and illusion, make this a
worthy alternative or supplement to Tragedy of Macbeth or
Lord of the Flies. Though Stevenson employs semicolons,
longer sentences, and unfamiliar vocabulary, the mystery,
suspense, pacing, and the book's relative brevity make it
compulsively readable to the climax and denouement.
Teachers should discuss the book's religious references within
their historical context and ask students to critically examine
the references to violence and other sensitive issues.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lends itself well to critical and creative
assignments such as video-making, collages, imagined unsent
letters, and trading cards.
182/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
ETHAN FROME
Edith Wharton
Ethan Frome is a tragic love story set in a wintry and bleak
New England. It is told by an observer who comes into the
community of Starkfield (well-named) twenty years after the
events and is curious about Ethan Frome. Local residents tell
him what they know, and the story is retold of Ethan's
suppressed love for Mattie, a young cousin of his sickly wife,
Zena. Their love is initially unspoken, deeply felt, but hopeless.
Eventually, desperate at the thought of losing each other, they
attempt suicide on a toboggan run. The ironic ending is
suggested by the narrator at the start, but the reader is still
kept in suspense throughout.
Ethan Frome is a novel with an almost perfect, seamless form
and with a deceptively simple but very evocative style. It is
very short and easy to read, but requires a fairly mature reader
who can appreciate the narrative and descriptive skills, as well
as Wharton's keen psychological revealing of character. It is
excellent for the teaching of narrative techniques, particularly
novel structure and economical character delineation. It would
be interesting as part of a thematic unit on choices or the
sense of identity.
"With the sudden
perception of the
point to which his
madness had carried
him, the madness fell
and he saw his life
before him as it was.
He was a poor man,
the husband of a
sickly woman, whom
his desertion would
leave alone and
destitute; and even if
he had had the heart
to desert her he could
have done so only by
deceiving two kindly
people who had
pitied him." p. 118
New York, NY: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1970
[original 1911]
ISBN 0684174871
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
183/
2005
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
(The Lord of the Rings, Part 1)
J. R. R. Tolkien
"With a terrible cry
the Balrogfell
forward, and its
shadow plunged
down and vanished.
But even as it fell it
swung its whip, and
the thongs lashed
and curled about the
wizard's knees,
dragging him to the
brink. He staggered
and fell, grasped
vainly at the stone,
and slid into the
abyss. 'Fly, you
fools!' he cried, and
was gone. " p. 434
London, England:
HarperCollins Publishers, 1994
[original 1954]
535 pages
ISBN 0-00-714921-2
The Fellowship of the Ring is an archetypal mythological
fantasy that is the follow-up to The Hobbit and the first book
in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Frodo Baggins, a young
hobbit, becomes the unwitting keeper of the One Ring, a
powerful and evil force. Along with a fellowship of two men, a
dwarf, an elf, three other hobbits and the wizard Gandalf,
Frodo must begin a monumental quest to travel across middle-
earth to destroy the ring and end Dark Lord Sauron's rule.
The book includes a prologue that gives background to the
tale and maps of places relevant to the plot.
The book is a rich presentation of the quest motif as well as a
study of power and corruption and the need for cooperation in
overcoming evil. Many readers will enjoy the imaginative
exoticness of this fantasy, its fascinating creatures and
powerful scenes. Teachers will find numerous possibilities for
creative work and comparison of Tolkien's book to similar
works of literature and film.
184/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FIFTH BUSINESS
Robertson Davies
Fifth Business begins, "My lifelong involvement with
Mrs. Dempster began at 5:58 o'clock p.m. on 27 December
1908, at which time I was ten years and seven months old."
This richly comic, offbeat novel chronicles Dunstable Ramsey's
lifelong journey into the inner realms of hagiography, magic,
guilt, psychology, religion and the theatre. The story begins in
Deptford, a small village in turn-of-the-century Ontario. An
errant snowball thrown at Dunstable causes Mary Dempster to
slip on the ice, go into labour, and deliver her son Paul 80 days
early, which in turn causes her to "go-simple." Since the
snowball was aimed at him, Dunstable develops a lifelong
sense of guilt, which he tries to absolve by proving
Mrs. Dempster to be a true saint.
The story follows Dunstable through childhood, World War I,
his teaching post at a private boy's school and on various
journeys around the world studying saints, and the dual world
of history and legend. As well, much of the novel focuses on
his relationship with his "lifelong friend and enemy" Boy
Staunton. It is paradoxes such as this that Davies uses, not
only to develop plot and character, but to reveal several of his
themes.
There are two scenes of a sexual nature in this novel, which
serve as vehicles in developing Dunstable's character. One
occurs in his youth when he discovers Mrs. Dempster and a
tramp copulating in the local gravel pit; the second occurs late
in his life when he is seduced by the hideously beautiful Liesl.
"The saint triumphs
over sin. Yes, but
most of us cannot do
that, and because we
love the saint and
want him to be more
like ourselves, we
attribute some
imperfection to him
. . . Mankind cannot
endure perfection; it
stifles him. He
demands that even
the saints should
cast a shadow. If
they, these holy ones
who have lived so
greatly but who still
carry their shadows
with them, can
approach God, well
then, there is hope for
the worst of us."
pp. 172-173
Toronto, ON: Penguin
Books Canada Ltd., 1977
[original 1970]
ISBN 014004387X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
185/
2005
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE
WHISTLE STOP CAFE
Fannie Flagg
"Come to think of it,
Idgie and Ruth
bought the cafe in
1929, right in the
height of the
Depression, but I
don't think we ever
had margarine there.
Leastways, I cain't
recall if we did. It's
odd, here the whole
world was suffering
so, but at the cafe,
those Depression
years come back to
me now as the happy
times, even though
we were all
struggling. We were
happy and didn't
know it." p. 318
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Book Company, 1988
[original 1987]
ISBN 0070212570
The narration of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle
Stop Cafe is controlled by Mrs. Threadgoode, a colourful
elderly woman who is living in the Rose Terrace Nursing Home
in the 1980s. She slowly unravels the history of the people of
Whistle Stop, Alabama to Evelyn Couch, an unhappy, middle-
aged woman who accompanies her husband on weekly visits
to his mother, Big Momma. As the visits and weeks go by,
Mrs. Threadgoode tells the story of the two powerful women
who ran the Whistle Stop Cafe, a cafe known for fine
barbecue, good conversation and fair play. Superimposed on
this main plot is the modern dilemma of Evelyn, which is
gradually shaped, as she herself is, by the inadvertent
influence of Mrs. Threadgoode's storytelling.
Both plots are based on the theme of victimization. The
primary plot centres on murder as a result of racial prejudice
and sexual inequality in the 1930s; the secondary plot explores
contemporary issues of self-discovery and the role of the
middle-aged, middle-class woman of the 1980s.
The flashback technique and narration style may cause
problems for some students. Flagg deals with interesting but
sensitive issues, and the language, which is graphic and racist
at times, may offend some readers. Students should critically
examine the negative behaviours exhibited by a few
characters. There are violent scenes in the novel, but they are
necessary to the representation of particular characters and
the development of the plot. This novel may be most
appropriate for individual or small group study, or offered on
an optional basis.
Fannie Flagg writes with strength, humour and poignancy.
The important individuals in this novel take responsibility for
one another, and in so doing, shape their own lives of integrity
and worth.
186/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FROZEN IN TIME: UNLOCKING THE
SECRETS OF THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION
Owen Beattie and John Geiger
Frozen in Time is an account of the investigative scientific
expeditions led by Dr. Owen Beattie, a forensic pathologist at
the University of Alberta, to the Arctic grave site of three of the
sailors from the doomed Franklin expedition. This 1848 British
expedition to find a North-West passage ended in the
mysterious disappearance of all 129 crew members. The
mystery has aroused speculation for more than a century.
The first four chapters set out background information: the
nature and personnel of the Franklin expedition, and the
documentation of previous findings. The rest of the book is a
painstaking, detailed account of the exhumation of the frozen
and well-preserved remains and the subsequent solution of a
133-year-old mystery. Beattie, and a team of Alberta
scientists, applied the techniques of physical anthropology to
investigate the Franklin remains in the same way that modern
forensic science determines the causes of death. Thus, the
book combines the elements of a good detective story with
history and science.
The account is scientific and the descriptions detailed without
approaching the macabre. There may be readers whose
fascination is moderated (but more likely increased) by the
vivid photographs of the bodies and by the clinical description
of autopsy methods, or hints of cannibalism. Further research
and study projects should promote lively discussion.
"When their food
finally ran out, and
they were too
ravaged by hunger
and disease to
continue, the men sat
down and prepared
to die. But with the
first death came new
hope. The survivors
must have found
themselves
contemplating a stark
fact; starvation need
not be a factor any
more. Cannibalizing
the trunk of the body
would have given
them enough strength
to push on. " p. 62
Vancouver, BC: Douglas &
Mclntyre, 1992
[original 1987]
ISBN 1550540483
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
187/
2005
THE GHOST WALKER
R.D. Lawrence
<-?
"Even so the moment
her body came to
rest, the torn landed
on it. In swift
sequence, as his hind
feet came to rest on
the animal's back, he
reached out with his
leftforepaw and
grabbed the cow's
nose, pulling it
violently toward
himself as he
clutched the quarry's
neck with his right
paw and at the same
time sank his fangs
into the back of her
neck." p. 148
Toronto, ON: HarperCollins
Publishers Ltd., 1991
[original 1983]
ISBN 0006377041
In The Ghost Walker, Lawrence spends ten continuous
months observing a cougar in its natural habitat. A naturalist
and an environmentalist, he describes his interest in and
previous experience of the study of the puma and his decision
to settle on a specific territory in the Selkirk mountains for an
extended field study. He tells of his preparation for living in
isolated territory and details precise observations of many
kinds of wildlife: bears, wolverines, porcupines, pack rats.
His eventual discovery of one puma, which he calls Ghost
Walker, is followed by a close study of its behaviour and the
development, of what Lawrence calls, his own kind of strange,
extrasensory ability to communicate with the animal. He
describes not only his observations of the puma, but also the
gradual intensification of his own senses through isolation and
patient concentration.
The work is well-written, easy to read, and has enough
suspense and stylistic skill to hold student interest. Lawrence's
experiences as a naturalist and writer are evident, and the
association between man and animal is not sentimental.
188/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE GREAT GATSBY
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby, moves to
New York and rents a home in the Long Island colony of West
Egg. From a relatively neutral vantage point, Nick is able to
observe the lives of those he encounters. The contrast
between poverty and wealth and the struggles to achieve an
"American Dream" are depicted through each character.
A reflection of the historical values and morality of the 1930s
becomes evident as Nick examines the plight of Gatsby in his
pursuit of Daisy, Tom Buchanan's wife, Tom Buchanan's
adultery, the escapades in New York, and the adherence to the
superficial values of riches and self-gratification. Despondent
by what he sees and learns, Nick leaves New York.
This edition contains introductory material, a glossary, and
study suggestions. The novel provides students with an
opportunity to examine structure, style, character
development, narrative voice and point of view, and symbolism
and setting.
"He wanted nothing
less of Daisy than
that she should go to
Tom and say: 'I
never loved you, '
After she had
obliterated four years
with that sentence
they could decide
upon the more
practical measures to
be taken. One of
them was that, after
she was free, they
were to go back to
Louisville and be
married from her
house— just as if it
were five years ago. "
p. 70
Essex, England: Longman
Group UK Limited, 1991
[original 1925]
ISBN 0582060230
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
189/
2005
ICEFIELDS
Thomas Wharton
♦
"I closed my eyes.
And then I was
upside down again,
hanging in the
crevasse. The
graceful, motionless
figure there before
me. All around us,
silence and stillness.
The meditation of ice
and rock. " p. 58
Edmonton, AB:
Newest Press, 2000
Nunatuk Fiction edition
[original 1995]
274 pages
ISBN 0-920897-87-8
Icefields, set in Jasper, is an unusual story that tells of
Dr. Edward Byrne, who falls into a crevasse in the icefields in
1898 and becomes haunted and inspired by the figure of an
angel he sees suspended in the ice. The interlocking or
parallel stories of the rest of the novel's diverse characters
provide various views on the glacier, reflecting the characters'
different goals or ends: money, inspiration, adventure or
knowledge.
Short episodes and simple vocabulary make this textured,
poetic novel an engaging read. Thematically, the book is
about the quest for self-discovery and the sublime,
transcendent beauties of nature. Its subject matter and style
are both unique, and illustrate how rich and experimental
Canadian literature has become. Wharton's book also
demonstrates the influence of setting and atmosphere on
character and plot, and could be used to teach novel structure,
thematic development, irony and symbolism.
190/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
ISLAND WINGS: A MEMOIR
Cecil Foster
Island Wings is Cecil Foster's memoir of growing up in
Barbados after his parents left him and his brothers behind
when they moved to England after World War II. This was a
common experience at the time, producing what Foster refers
to as "barrel children." Although he experienced loss, regret
and a difficult life being raised by his grandmother, he
eventually educated himself and became a nationalist and a
reporter. In 1979, Foster left the Caribbean to settle in
Canada.
This thoughtful fourteen-chapter book is noteworthy for its use
of local colour to describe the author's homeland. Foster
celebrates community and cultural diversity, and illustrates the
loyalty, courage and determination that help people to make a
better life. Island Wings may be of particular interest to
immigrant students. Some pre-reading background on the
political history and culture of Barbados would enhance
students' understanding and appreciation of the text.
"Years after we met, I
would eventually
know from my own
personal experience
what caused my
father to spend most
of his life feeling
compelled to
vindicate himself
For him the spark
was music; for me it
was when I realised I
could write. I often
think this his greatest
gift to me is an
artistic mind — even if
he never hugged me. "
p. 217
Toronto, ON:
HarperCollins Publishers
Canada, 1998
Harper Perennial edition
313 pages
ISBN 0-00-63849-8
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
191/
2005
JANE EYRE
Charlotte Bronte
"1 will keep the law
given by God;
sanctioned by man. I
will hold to the
principles received by
me when I was sane,
and not mad — as I
am now. Laws and
principles are not for
the times when there
is no temptation:
they are for such
moments as this,
when body and soul
rise in mutiny against
their rigour; stringent
are they; inviolate
they shall be. If at
my individual
convenience I might
break them, what
would be their
worth?" p. 349
Toronto, ON: Bantam Books,
1981
[original 1847]
ISBN 0553210203
In Jane Eyre, the protagonist recounts her life through a
series of dramatic, even melodramatic, events: an unhappy
orphaned childhood, her grim schooling, employment as a
governess, a brief period of happiness as the intended bride of
her employer, Mr. Rochester, a disastrous wedding day
disruption, her desperate flight and near destitution, and
finally, independence and a happy reconciliation with the
blinded Rochester.
The choice of Jane Eyre as first person narrator places her
firmly at the centre of the story. The style is highly subjective,
mirroring the inner development and spiritual and emotional
struggles of Jane who is, from the first, a strong character
refusing to accept her appointed place in society and holding a
"passionate sense of the dignity and needs of her sex." Jane
is not the traditional heroine: she is neither pretty nor passive.
She possesses an independent moral force that pervades the
novel.
As a mid- 19th century novel, it is interesting to study as a
forceful and realistic examination of a woman's struggle for
self-fulfillment in an era that had yet to come to terms with
such issues.
192/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE JOY LUCK CLUB
Amy Tan
Jing-mei, also known as June, is invited to take her late
mother's place in a mah-jong foursome and begins The Joy
Luck Club, a powerful and compelling journey recounting the
stories of immigrant Chinese mothers and their very American
daughters. Chapters alternate the very diverse stories of the
lives of the older and younger generations, and promote
empathy for mothers and daughters alike. The novel is an
especially rich source for character studies that would allow
students to apply critical thinking skills in judging people and
their actions.
The book provides much insight into Chinese and Chinese-
American lifestyles. The chapters about the mothers' lives in
China cover a difficult time in its history, and the novel
includes examples of the mistreatment of women, as well as
violence, death, robbery and abortion. There is some use of
vulgar language. Hardships, poverty, family pride and the fear
of losing face dominated the lives of the mothers; however,
they survive incredible hardships and still strive to help their
daughters.
Some research on Chinese culture should be done by the
teacher or students. While many students of Chinese origins
may welcome the opportunity to read and discuss their
culture, there should be sensitivity to the discomfort that can
accompany an in-depth exploration of one's culture.
"But I worried for
Rich. Because I
knew my feelings for
him were vulnerable
being felled by my
mother's suspicions,
passing remarks, an
innuendoes. And I
was afraid for what I
would then lose,
because Rich
Schields adored me
in the same way I
adored Shoshana.
His love was
unequivocal." p. 193
New York, NY: Ivy Books,
1990
[original 1989]
ISBN 0804106304
Awards:
Commonwealth Club gold
award for fiction, 1989
Best Young Adult Book
Award, American Library
Association (ALA), 1989
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
193/
2005
LIFE OF PI
Yann Mattel
O
"1 will tell you a
secret: a part of me
was glad about
Richard Parker. A
part of me did not
want Richard Parker
to die at all, because
if he died I would be
left alone with
despair, a foe even
more formidable than
a tiger." p. 182
Toronto, ON:
Random House of Canada
Limited
Vintage Canada, 2002
[original 2001]
368 pages
ISBN 0-676-97377-9
Awards:
Man Booker Prize, 2002
Life of Pi, a fable-like fantasy-parable, is about Pi (Piscine
Molitor Patel), an intelligent sixteen-year-old East Indian boy.
A zookeeper's son and practising Christian-Moslem-Hindu, he is
on his way to Canada when he is shipwrecked with four wild
animals. Pi and the tiger Richard Parker have to come to
terms in order to survive during the 227-day raft journey.
Life of Pi is cleverly and thoughtfully composed, and
interweaves many themes: religion, survival, ecology, isolation
and love for life. The book lends itself to problem-solving and
decision-making responses, as well as creative writing. It
could be analyzed for the conventions of fantasy and fables,
but its main value will be in its presentation of a philosophy for
survival and enhanced living. Teachers should be aware of
extended discussions on beliefs related to Christianity, Islam
and Hinduism. Also, scenes of carnivorous animals killing their
prey may make some students uncomfortable.
194/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
LORD OF THE FLIES
William Golding
Lord of the Flies, an allegory in which a group of English
schoolboys, being evacuated during a nuclear war, are
stranded on an uninhabited tropical island. Under the
leadership of Ralph, who is staunchly supported by the
pragmatic Piggy and the visionary Simon, all goes well initially.
But irrational fears arise threatening the boys' sense of
security. Irresponsible behaviour increases; the children, under
the dictatorial influence of Jack, rapidly sink into savagery.
Simon is mindlessly and brutally killed. Evil has been
unleashed. At the culmination of the story, help arrives in the
person of a naval officer; ironically, the boys will return to an
adult world where the apparent order of civilization is
threatened by the same forces of disorder they have just
experienced.
Golding has said that his purpose in the novel was to trace the
defects of society back to basic defects in human nature.
Several elements combine to illustrate the forces of reason and
morality at war with the dark forces of human nature. The
same evil forces prevail in the adult world as well.
Characterization, conflict, plot development, foreshadowing,
irony, suspense, imagery and symbolism are prominent
aspects. A careful reading of the book reveals a critical view of
modern society. The tightness of structure, the power of the
narrative and the imaginativeness of the writing give a
dramatically forceful depiction of the "darkness in the human
heart."
The three boys
rushed forward and
Jack drew his knife
again with a flourish.
He raised his arm in
the air. There came a
pause, a hiatus, the
pig continued to
scream and the
creepers to jerk, and
the blade continued
to flash at the end of
a bony arm. The
pause was only long
enough for them to
understand what an
enormity the
downward stroke
would be." p. 31
New York, NY: Coward-
McCann, 1962
[original 1954]
ISBN 0698102193
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
195/
2005
METAMORPHOSIS: STAGES IN A LIFE
David Suzuki
O
"My parents had
faith that if I worked
hard and did well,
the opportunity
would arise. They
still carried the
tremendous respect
for education that the
Japanese have. ...To
my parents,
education was the
magic key to
changing one's status
from an outsider to a
respected Canadian. "
p. 106
Toronto, ON: General
Paperbacks, 1988
[original 1987]
ISBN 077367215X
Metamorphosis is an autobiography by David Suzuki that
adds "some meat to [his] electronic persona." Suzuki
organizes the book as a series of transformations in his life,
which he identifies as the metamorphoses necessary to the
development of the human as well as of the fruit fly.
The early chapters are particularly interesting because of the
author's candid examination of the "hybrid" quality that he
sees as an essential part of being Japanese-Canadian. Suzuki
identifies, without rancor, the racism and suspicion that sent
his Japanese family to internment in interior British Columbia
during World War II. Along with changes in his personal and
family life, Suzuki comments on his career in genetics, his
teaching, and his role in the media. It is heartening
throughout to note Suzuki's emphasis on, and loyalty to, his
Canadian identity.
The last two chapters seem rather disjointed, but in them
Suzuki examines such dilemmas as "genetics and social
responsibility" and "the media: news versus truth." The book
might be useful in a humanities approach, as an introduction
to a variety of related discussion topics such as Canadian
history and social justice, or the ethical roles of genetics and
the media.
196/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE MOON BY WHALE LIGHT
Diane Ackerman
The Moon by Whale Light is a collection of four "nature"
essays that originally appeared in The New Yorker magazine.
Ackerman, author of bestselling A Natural History of the
Senses, describes her adventures in field studies of creatures
that have not always had good press: bats and crocodilians, as
well as the more popular whales and penguins.
The approach is personal, perceptive and fresh, without being
cute. Bats are discovered to be "shy and winsome creatures,"
and wry connections are often made with the human animal,
such as the penguins' view of humans as freakish fellow
specimens who "stand upright, travel in groups, talk all the
time, sort of waddle." Ackerman corrects common
misconceptions and myths, asks curious questions, and
provides new and shrewd observations from her own
experience of a 20-million bat cave, an alligator farm, a whale
study station and an Antarctic expedition.
Developing sensitivity in both scientific and human terms, the
essays make easy and fascinating reading, suitable for a range
of student abilities and interests: natural history, biology, the
environment, adventure. They might be used separately, with
small groups of interested students or for individual study.
"The louder the song,
the plumper and
juicier the frog. This
puts the frog in an
awkward position, of
course. It needs to
sing for a mate to
perpetuate its kind,
and in the tropical
night it is full of
sexual longing, but
singing also reveals
its whereabouts to
any hungry Trachops
cirrhosis. If it sings
halfheartedly, the
female frog won't be
impressed, even
though the bat might
think it's just the call
of a lovesick runt. If
it sings about its
prowess with large,
croaking swollen
pride, then a bat
devours it." p. 20
New York, NY: Vintage
Books, 1992
[original 1991]
ISBN 0679742263
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
197/
2005
MY NAME IS ASHER LEV
Chaim Potok
"My father went into
my room one night
that week and found
my desk strewn with
drawings. There
were drawings on the
dresser and on the
floor. I saw him
peering at the
drawings on the desk
when I came in from
the bathroom.
'What's all this?' he
asked.
'Drawings'
'Don't be
disrespectful to me,
Asher. I see they're
drawings. You can't
study Chumash, but
this you have time
for.'" p. 99
New York, NY: Fawcett Crest
Books, 1972
ISBN 0449234983
My Name Is Asher Lev is the story of an Hasidic Jew, the
son of two important members of Brooklyn's Ladover
community. This novel tells of the conflicts he faces between
his artistic talent and his deep religious faith and traditions.
He is expected to follow the traditions of his family and faith,
and work to help spread Ladover Hasidism when he comes of
age. However, even at a young age, Asher is a gifted artist,
and it is this gift that moves him into conflict with his
community, faith and father. In the middle of this clash
between father and son is Asher's mother, who becomes
embroiled in a painful struggle to remain loyal to her husband
and to her son. As a result of her suffering, Asher, now in his
late teens, creates two symbolic paintings of her crucified
between her husband and Asher. These two paintings bring
the conflict to an explosive ending, and send Asher into exile
to Paris.
This novel is a demanding one for student and teacher alike.
Students may require information on the differences between
Judaism and Christianity, and care must be taken to ensure
that no misconceptions develop about either. Equally
important, students must be aware that Hasidic Jews are
representative of only one sect of the Jewish faith.
198/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
NUKTESSLI: THE LIFE OF A
WILDERNESS DWELLER
Chris Czajkowski
Nuk Tessli is an elegy to wilderness and a plea for its
preservation by British Columbia author Chris Czajkowski. "Nuk
Tessli Alpine Experiences" is the name of the author's hiking
business on remote Spinster Lake in B.C.'s Coast Mountains.
She lives there with her dogs Lonesome and Sport. Nuk Tessli
is also about self-reliance; the author, for instance, builds her
own cabins. Hardly a hermit, though, Czajkowski leads a busy
life running her tourist business, giving art courses, and
attending fairs in the outside world. This affectionate ode to
conservation leaves off as logging companies prepare to move
into the author's solitude.
Beautiful descriptions and drawings by the author make this a
memorable read. Most readers will be charmed by the author's
honesty and lifestyle. This is a book that will promote
discussions on environmental issues and invite personal
response. The writing itself can also be used as a model of
descriptive prose.
"Pessimism is an
integral part of a
wilderness-dweller's
make-up; unless you
can imagine
everything that might
possibly go wrong,
you cannot be
prepared for it when
it does. " p. 60
Victoria, BC
Orca Book Publishers, 2001
[original 1999]
180 pages
ISBN 1-55143-133-5
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
199/
2005
OBASAN
Joy Kogawa
"We were defined
and identified by the
way we were seen.
A newspaper in B.C.
headlined, They are
a stench in the
nostrils of the people
of Canada. ' We were
therefore relegated to
the cesspools. . . . we
lived in tents, in
bunks, in skating
rinks, in abandoned
hotels. Most of us
lived in row upon row
of two-family, three-
room huts, controlled
and orderly as
wooden blocks. "
p. 118
Toronto, ON: Lester & Orpen
Dennys, 1981
ISBN 0140067779
Awards:
Books in Canada First Novel
Award, 1981
Canadian Authors Association
Book of the Year Award, 1982
Obasan depicts the evacuation, internment and dispersal of
British Columbia's Japanese Canadians during World War II.
Naomi and her brother are separated from their mother and
father and others of their extended family, and are raised,
during the war years, by their aunt (Obasan) and uncle.
Despite being treated as outcasts, the characters maintain
their identity, dignity and self-worth at a time when racism and
intolerance were accepted and promoted in Canada.
Contrasts between hope and despair, anger and resignation,
beauty and ugliness, and pleasure and pain are presented
through calm documentation. One of the strengths of the
novel is its poetic and lyrical style, which should inspire
personal response and provide a model for student writing.
200/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Ernest Hemingway
In The Old Man and the Sea, an old Cuban fisherman,
Santiago, who has lived with the hope that he will catch the
largest fish in the ocean— does. Without appropriate fishing
equipment or sufficient food, he uses his wit and skill to
conquer this prize, a large marlin. Throughout the struggle he
is buoyed by the memories of his youthful, competitive arm
wrestling and his baseball hero who never gave up. Badly cut,
exhausted and hungry, Santiago begins the long sail home with
his large fish, only to fight off numerous vicious sharks who are
after an easy meal. In the course of a day and a night, the
prized marlin is completely consumed by ocean scavengers.
Santiago arrives home in the night to a deserted dock, single-
handedly secures his boat, and furls the sail. Manolin, a
devoted young friend, finds him close to death the following
morning.
Written in short, descriptive sentences and with minute detail,
Hemingway draws the reader into Santiago's struggle. The
novel is one long chapter emphasizing the extended battle.
Hemingway makes use of figurative language, foreshadowing,
irony, allegory and symbolism. Although teachable as a story
of personal struggle, there are deeper implications. Santiago is
figuratively struggling with life: its obstacles and triumphs.
"I wonder why he
jumped, the old man
thought. He jumped
almost as though to
show me how big he
was. I know now,
anyway, he thought.
I wish I could show
him what sort of man
I am. But then he
would see the
cramped hand. Let
him think I am more
man than I am and I
will do so. I wish I
was the fish, he
thought, with
everything he has
against only my will
and my intelligence. "
p. 64
New York, NY: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1952
ISBN 0684718057
Awards:
Pulitzer Prize, 1953
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
201/
2005
OLD MAN ON HIS BACK
PRAIRIE LANDSCAPE
PORTRAIT OF A
Sharon Butala and Courtney Milne
"I think now,
although I'd never
have admitted it
then, nor for years
afterwards, that I
married this stunning
landscape as much
as I married Peter.
To live in such beauty
seemed to me nothing
short of a gift from
God." p. 4
Toronto, ON:
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
(and the Nature Conservancy
of Canada), 2002
ISBN 0-00-200085-7 (paper)
Old Man on His Back tells about how Saskatchewan writer
Sharon Butala and her husband came to sell 13 000 acres of
their prairie ranchland to the nature Conservancy of Canada in
order to protect its heritage value. Butala celebrates the
prairies while describing her own personal connections to the
landscape. The book's themes include alienation,
environmental conservation, the relationship between humans
and landscape, and the discovery of the sacred in nature.
Butala makes references to Christianity, spiritualism of
Aboriginal peoples and her personal, very strong
environmental beliefs.
This coffee table book is a beautiful fusion of Milne's photos
and Butala's descriptive, reflective narrative style. The book's
photographs give teachers an opportunity to discuss visual
texts and representational skills and approaches. Students
might be asked to meditate on their own connections with
nature or their region.
202/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE QUEEN OF OCTOBER
Shelley Fraser Mickle
The Queen of October is the story of 14-year-old Sally
Maulden, who is living with her grandparents in Coldwater,
Arkansas while her parents are getting a divorce. She meets a
variety of interesting, and often eccentric, people in Coldwater
and matures in the process.
This is a sympathetic story of a girl eventually coming to terms
with a fairly common family situation. Her initial anger with
her parents' "bust-up" gives way to tolerance and a learning
"to love herself." She also learns to understand her aging
grandparents and the variety of off-beat characters of different
races and backgrounds that she encounters.
The simple, straightforward narrative avoids sentimentality,
and the tone is warm and humorous. Colloquial language,
occasional racial slurs and frank prejudices reflect the
sometimes stereotyped characters, but lead to increased
understanding and sensitivity, all reinforced through a child's
voice and perceptions.
"My grandmother
had already passed
me several pearls
about Jews. She
said they were big
eaters and were
oversexed. She told
me that I must never
get into a car with
one. Guy Levy was
wealthy, though —
very wealthy. He
owned a lot of the
town and most of the
houses people rented.
My grandmother said
that if Benjamin Levy
ever stopped the car
for me, it would be all
right to get in. In
fact, she encouraged
it. But Joel Weiss,
Mr. Weiss' s son —
now, he was a
different story. "
p. 67
Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin
Books of Chapel Hill, 1992
[original 1989]
ISBN 1565120035
Awards:
Best Young Adult Book
Award, American Library
Association (ALA), 1989
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
203/
2005
THE ROAD PAST ALTAMONT
Gabrielle Roy
O
"But always the
slave of our needs,
when and how could
she have yielded for
even a day to the still
eager desires of her
own spirit — those
wide ranging desires
that were turned
always toward
water, toward the
open plains, and
toward those distant
horizons which alone
reveal to us some
part of our truest
selves? And was she
not beginning to
realize that for her it
was late now and not
much time remained
to appease those
longings that, if not
satisfied, leave us as
if imperfect in our
own eyes, in a train
of nostalgic regrets?
But for this reason
she had become
vigilant to obtain for
us, at least, the
things she had not
possessed of the
world." pp. 52-53
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Inc., 1989
[original 1966]
ISBN 0771098561
In The Road Past Altamont, eight-year-old Christine, a
young girl from St. Boniface, Manitoba, eloquently describes
her adventures and presents the reader with impressions of
her mother, Eveline, her grandmother, and the neighbours of
her childhood.
This novel is divided into four sections, each of which is a
complete story and could be read as such. Each section
describes a journey: to the grandmother's house on the edge
of the Manitoba prairie; to the lake; from one side of Winnipeg
to the other in a mover's cart; and to Altamont, a country of
memory and dreams that may or may not exist. For Christine,
these journeys recalled from childhood to adulthood serve as a
foundation for her writing.
The tone of each adventure is nostalgic and should engage
student interest. Roy's writing can also be studied in terms of
structure and style. This delightful first person narrative is
easy to read and is ideal for small group study.
204/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
A SEPARATE PEACE
John Knowles
Set during World War II, A Separate Peace tells of boys in a
New England preparatory school that are eagerly anticipating
the day when they will turn 18 and be drafted. Gene causes
Phineas, his best friend, to fall from a tree and severely
fracture his leg, thus ending Phineas' hopes of ever enlisting.
Phineas returns to school and appears to have accepted his
new limitations, but Gene is guilt-ridden. He is accused of
purposely causing the fall. Phineas, angry and disbelieving,
accidentally falls again and dies, leaving Gene with a reinforced
sense of his responsibility in the death. The plot moves swiftly
and the characters are well -developed. Symbolism adds to the
texture of this novel, and the emotional moods of gloom and
sorrow make this a powerful and moving work. Knowles'
characterization is an effective topic for class discussion.
"He possessed on
extra vigor, a
heightened
confidence in himself,
a serene capacity for
affection which saved
him. Nothing as he
was growing up at
home, nothing at
Devon, nothing even
about the war had
broken his
harmonious and
natural unity. So at
last I had. "
pp. 194-195
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, 1959
ISBN 0553104403
Awards:
Rosenthal Award, National
Institute of Arts and Letters,
1960
William Faulkner Foundation
Award, 1960
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
205/
2005
STILL ME
Christopher Reeve
"I mouthed my first
lucid words to her:
'Maybe we should let
me go. ' Dana started
crying. She said, Tm
only going to say this
once: I will support
whatever you want to
do, because this is
your life, and your
decision. But I want
you to know that I'll
be with you for the
long haul, no matter
what. ' Then she
added the words that
saved my life:
You're still you. And
I love you.'" p. 28
Toronto, ON: Random House
of Canada Ltd., 1999
Ballantine Books edition
[original 1998]
344 pages
ISBN 0-345-4324 1-X
St/7/ Me is the challenging but interesting autobiography of
Christopher Reeve, the movie star/director who was left
quadriplegic after a tragic 1995 equine accident. The book
recounts Reeve's personal and his family's courageous
three-year adjustment to his changed condition. It also
reviews his Hollywood career, as well as his efforts to raise
public awareness on spinal cord injuries. On the surface, Still
Me is about Reeve's struggle with his disability, but at a deeper
level, it is a study of fame, true greatness, real heroism and
healing. This easy-to-read, positive and passionately-written
book also includes four of his post-accident speeches in the
appendix.
Still Me would provide an interesting real-life perspective
within the context of media or film studies. It may also be
particularly for individual study by students who have been
affected by disability in their own lives.
206/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
Charles Dickens
Set in London and Paris during the French Revolution, A Tale
of Two Cities is the story of Doctor Alexander Manette, his
daughter Lucie, and Charles Darnay. Dr. Manette, having been
unjustly imprisoned for crimes committed by the Marquis of
St. Evremonde, is called to identify Darnay at a trial in London
years later. Darnay is accused of treason and is only saved by
Sidney Carton, a dissolute man who bears a striking
resemblance to Darnay. Darnay and Carton become friends of
the Manette family and Darnay eventually marries Lucie. After
the birth of their first child, Darnay returns to France at the
height of the revolution to rescue an old servant of his
aristocratic family, the St. Evremondes. Caught, imprisoned,
and sentenced to death, Darnay is rescued by Carton who then
dies in Darnay's place. Darnay and Lucie are reunited in
England.
This classic novel has a complicated plot replete with intrigue
and suspense. The important element in the novel is the
portrayal of the social conditions of Dickens' era, with such
themes as "violence begets violence," "the gap between rich
and poor," and the "sacrifices required of individuals to
overcome poverty and the abuse of power." While not
precisely accurate from a historical point of view, this novel
does give the reader a sense of history.
This edition contains biographical notes on Dickens and a
helpful introduction. Teachers may wish to offer the novel in a
humanities unit, or study the novel at the same time that the
French Revolution is being discussed in social studies.
"He was driven on,
and other carriages
came whirling by in
quick succession; the
Minister, the State-
Projector, the Farmer-
General, the Doctor,
the Lawyer, the
Ecclesiastic, the
Grand Opera, the
Comedy, the whole
Fancy Ball in a bright
continuous flow,
came whirling by.
The rats had crept
out to their holes to
look on, and they
remained looking on
for hours; soldiers
and police often
passed between
them and the
spectacle, and
making a barrier
behind which they
slunk, and through
which they peeped. "
p. 143
Markham, ON: Penguin
Books Canada Ltd., 1985
[original 1859]
ISBN 0140430547
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
207/
2005
TAMARIND MEM
Anita Rau Badami
♦
"'Walking away is
hard, ' I reply. 'It's
easier to grit your
teeth and stay. ' 'No-
no, you have got it
wrong,' protests
Latha. 'Going away
is the easiest thing in
the world. It is like
dying. So simple it is
to die . . . The real
test is life itself,
whether you are
strong enough to stay
and fight.'" p. 208
Toronto, ON: Penguin Books
Canada Ltd., 2001
[original 1996]
266 pages
ISBN 0-14-100249-2
Tamarind Mem is a loving portrait of two generations of
women in an East Indian family. The protagonist, Kamini, is a
newcomer to Canada. She has left her eccentric family back in
India, including her mother Saroja (nicknamed Tamarind Mem
after a sour fruit). When Kamini receives a postcard from her
mother saying she has sold their home and is travelling
through India, both women are forced into the past to
confront their dreams and losses and to explore the love that
binds them as mother and daughter.
British Columbia author Anita Rau Badami successfully
captures the rhythms of Indian English speech while sticking to
traditional storytelling. This is a strong, humorous novel that
invites personal response from students to write about their
own families. This is also a model text for celebrating and
building community, and could be used to prompt discussion
about the differences between old and new world cultures.
208/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Arthur C. Clarke
2001: A Space Odyssey, a classic speculative fiction novel,
with a new introduction by Clarke, explores the origin and
development of humankind. It begins as early civilization is
visited by aliens from outer space, and follows human progress
to the time of space travel.
When a mysterious object called TMI is detected close to
Saturn, a manned-mission flight is launched to determine if
other life forms exist in the Universe. Guided by HAL, an
almost-human computer, the voyage ends in chaos and David
Bowman, the only surviving crew member, encounters the
unknown by himself. Isolated from Earth, David experiences a
shocking journey and undergoes a transformation that changes
his life forever.
This novel presents an intriguing plot and an unusual view of
humankind. The philosophical concepts, the symbols and
ethics regarding computers and technology, should arouse
student interest, particularly in small group study.
"When Earth was
tamed and tranquil,
and perhaps a little
tired, there would
still be scope for
those who loved
freedom, for the
tough pioneers, and
restless adventurers.
But their tools would
not be ax and gun
and canoe and
wagon; they would
be nuclear power
plant and plasma
drive and hydroponic
farm. The time was
fast approaching
with Earth, like all
mothers, must say
farewell to her
children." p. 66
Markham, ON: Penguin
Books Canada Ltd., 1991
[original 1968]
ISBN 0451450639
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
209/
2005
THE WINE OF ASTONISHMENT
Earl Lovelace
"One day he tell
Buntin, 'I feel as if
time flying away and
leaving me. '
You's a young man, '
Buntin tell him.
'What you would say
if you was old like
me.'
One day Buntin ask
him, when he come
back from one of his
trips, "What you want
with this place? . . .
He didn't have an
answer.
'You search for
something, what it
is?'
It was as if he was
searching for
something, like a
woman, Buntin say.
But it wasn't a
woman, it was his
life he was looking
for." p. 91
Oxford, England: Heinemann
International Literature and
Textbooks, 1986
[original 1982]
ISBN 0435988808
The Wine of Astonishment presents the history of a
Trinidadian Spiritual Baptist ("Shouter") community, from the
time when the sect's practices of worship were banned in 1917
until the ban was lifted in 1951. This edition has a good
introduction that deals with both contextual issues and
characterization, thus providing a solid starting point.
The novel is excellent social history, but social history made
vivid and immediate by a first person narrator— Eva, a black
peasant woman who has lived through these years. The
rhythms of her dialect and her eye for the significant details of
life, are the strong points of this novel. Some students may
need assistance with the Trinidadian dialect, and oral reading
might be helpful in this regard.
Major characters in the work show different reactions to
colonialism. Ivan Morton chooses an "English" education,
losing touch with his community as a result. Corporal Prince
chooses to serve his colonial masters, and deals even more
callously with his people than do they. Bolo is courageous and
defiant, wanting to aid his people, yet unable to direct his
anger effectively. Bee, in some ways a Christ-figure, is heroic
in his spiritual growth and adherence to his ideals. Lovelace's
characters all have human strengths and weaknesses, and he
presents them with sympathetic insight.
Colonialism, oppression, civil rights, religious beliefs and the
value of human dignity are major issues in this novel, and
students should critically examine them in order to gain a more
balanced perspective. Some research may also be required in
order to enhance meaning and students' understanding of the
social and historical context of the novel.
210/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
WYRD SISTERS
Terry Pratchett
Wyrd Sisters identifies the magic and mystical world of the
kingdom of Lancre. Another of his Discworld novels, Wyrd
Sisters is the rollicking story of three witches who, while
gathered around their cauldron, are interrupted by murder and
mayhem. Worse yet, they are burdened by the sudden arrival
of a royal baby. The sisters give the prince away to a travelling
troupe of actors, and assume their troubles are over.
However, their lives are further complicated by the appearance
of the King's ghost, who petitions them to recover his child and
restore the kingdom to the rightful heir.
This fantasy novel is designed with clever allusion and word
play. The dialogue is rich and engaging and the imagery
imaginative and colourful. Plot complications are funny and
fast-moving, and the role of the occult is not to be taken
seriously in this work. The tone is richly comic and cleverly
delivered tongue-in-cheek.
Granny Weatherwax and the spell sisters provide a comic
characterization in a farcical plot, which is a counterpoint to
Macbeth. The use of language is a delightful modern parody of
Shakespearean word play. The book should provoke some
interesting discussion on style and satire, and may be most
appropriate for individual or small group study, or on an
optional basis.
"'If you do confess,'
said the duchess,
'you will merely be
burned at the stake.
And, please, no
humorous remarks.'
'Whatfalse
rumours?'
The duke closed his
eyes, but the visions
were still there.
'Concerning the
accidental death of
the late King
Verence, ' he
whispered
hoarsely. . . .
'Oh, I don't know
nothing false, ' she
said. 'I know you
stabbed him ....'"
pp. 136-137
Toronto, ON: Penguin Books
Canada Ltd., 1990
[original 1988]
ISBN 0451450124
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
211/
2005
(
212/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-1
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
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20-2
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English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
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ADRIFT: SEVENTY-SIX DAYS
LOST AT SEA
Steven Callahan
"Presuming the raft
stays intact, and I
acquire no additional
food or water, I can
last at best until
February 22, fourteen
more days. I may
just reach the
shipping lanes,
where I will have a
remote chance of
being spotted.
Dehydration will take
its toll by that time.
My tongue will swell
until it fills my mouth
and then will
blacken. My eyes
will be sucked deeply
into my head. Death
will knock at the door
of my delirious
mind." p. 61
New York, NY: Ballantine
Books, 1987
[original 1986]
ISBN 0345340833
In Adrift, Steven Callahan, sailing solo across the Atlantic, is
left with only a life raft, knife, emergency kit, small sail and a
sleeping bag when his sloop sinks. For 76 days, his ingenuity
and resourcefulness keep him alive in his small life raft,
Rubber Ducky III. He survives on raw fish, tiny amounts of
painstakingly collected water and anything even remotely
edible. He expresses clearly the emotional roller coaster of
hope and despair as he is at the mercy of the weather, the
sea, sharks and large fish during his lengthy ordeal.
Emaciated and covered in sores, he lands in Guadeloupe,
having saved his own life with his initiative, skill and
endurance.
This is a survival story that should especially appeal to male
students, and to students who are able to empathize with
Callahan. Diagrams and illustrations allow the reader to
visualize the hardships endured by the author.
214/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
BACK ON THE REZ:
FINDING THE WAY HOME
Brian Maracle
O
Back on the Rez is the nonfiction account of Mohawk writer
Brian Maracle who returned to his boyhood reserve home in
the 1990s. The book tells of Maracle's adjustment to simpler,
rural living conditions and describes his attempt to "find his
roots." It also explores contemporary social issues related to
cultural heritage, change, adaptation and the community's
attempt to revitalize.
Back on the Rez is thoughtfully-written in short digestible
chapters, each about three to four pages long. The author is
honest and critical in his approach, attacking corruption and
fearlessly assessing Aboriginal issues such as gambling, tax
exemptions and media coverage. However, it is important to
note that the book is told from only the author's point of view.
Some readers may find problematic statements about
Caucasians, Aboriginals, politicians, and the discord among the
governing bodies of the Six Nations. Teachers should
undertake the teaching of this book with considerable care and
preparation, including research into the other perspectives on
key issues.
This would be a good model for Aboriginal students to explore
their own cultural roots, but will also be of interest to
non-Aboriginal students who want a better understanding of
Native issues in Canada. The text suits interdepartmental
curricular approaches to teaching English language arts, social
studies and Aboriginal studies.
The reserves mean
many things to the
Onkwehonwe. On
one level, these
postage-stamp
remnants of our
original territories are
nagging reminders of
the echoing vastness
of what we have lost
On another, they are
the legacy and
bastion of our being.
They are a refuge, a
prison, a haven, a
madhouse, afortress,
a birthplace, a Mecca,
a resting place,
Home-S weet-Home,
Fatherland and
Motherland rolled
into one. " p. 3
Toronto, ON:
Penguin Books of Canada
Ltd., 1997
[original 1996]
306 pages
ISBN 0-14-024361-5
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
215/
2005
BEFORE WINGS
Beth Goobie
♦
"She turned back to
the spirits. They had
stopped wailing and
were floating on the
quiet water, their
bodies intertwined as
if they were
extensions of one
another. She wasn't
certain, but she
thought they were
watching her." p. 91
Victoria, BC:
Orca Book Publishers, 2003
[original 2000]
203 pages
ISBN 1-55143-163-7
Before Wings is an honest, intense book by one of Canada's
top young adult fiction writers. The main character, Adrien, is
an intelligent, tough fifteen-year-old who survived a near-fatal
brain aneurysm two years earlier. Now she consumed by
thoughts of her own mortality. In hopes of helping her move
beyond her terrifying experience, Adrien's parents send her to
Camp Lakeshore, owned and operated by her Aunt Erin, a
woman with a haunted past of her own. While she is there,
Adrien bonds with Paul, a teen who is convinced that he has
dreamt and foreseen his own death. Adrien also begins
receiving visions and messages from the spirits of five young
women: a group of campers who died long ago in a tragic
accident. As Adrien learns to deal with her fear of death, she
becomes more focused on how to live a better life. Goobie's
theme is about the precarious coming-of-age of an unusual
youth.
This rich, realistic mystery-love story does justice to the
sensitivity and sensibilities of teenagers. Before Wings is
easy-to-read with lots of dialogue and an upbeat ending. The
book also powerfully captures the atmosphere and mores of a
youth summer camp. There is some contextualized coarse
language that effectively adds realism. The book also contains
references to gender orientation and a tactful scene of
premarital adolescent sex.
216/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE BUMBLEBEE FLIES ANYWAY
Robert Cormier
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is about sixteen-year-old
Barney Snow who can't remember what life was like before he
came to the experimental clinic for the terminally ill. He
mistakenly believes that he is a control subject and that it is all
the other patients who are sick. However, while he helps a
fellow patient, Mazzo, Barney unexpectedly uncovers the secret
that he too will die.
The construction of the Bumblebee, a car, on the rooftop of the
clinic, and its ultimate flight, are the result of the love, the
compassion, and the empathy the boys share with, and for,
each other. The flight does question assisted suicide and
moral obligations to the terminally ill.
The theme needs to be dealt with sensitively and requires a
great deal of acceptance and understanding. Small group
discussions leading to full class discussions may facilitate
increased comprehension of the novel. It is eloquently written,
and students should have no problems visualizing the
characters and the action. It is a compelling story.
"Sad somehow, one
life ending while
another began. But
he drew a kind of
comfort from this
knowledge, seeing for
the first time the
continuity of life,
nature at work in the
world, providing a
never-ending process
of life in all its forms.
Maybe there was
some kind of
continuity in people
too. Nature at work
in people. Or was it
God? He shivered at
the thought." p. 126
New York, NY: Dell
Publishing, 1991
[original 1983]
ISBN 04409087 IX
Awards:
Best Young Adult Book
Award, American Library
Association (ALA), 1983
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
217/
2005
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: THE AMAZING
TRUE STORY OF THE YOUNGEST AND
MOST DARING IN THE HISTORY OF FUN
AND PROFIT!
Frank W. Abagnale
"Once I embarked on
counterfeiting checks,
I realized I had
reached a point of no
return. I had chosen
paperhanging as a
profession, my
means of surviving,
and having chosen a
nefarious occupation,
I set out to perfect my
working skills. "
p. 128
New York, NY: Random
House, Inc., 2002
Broadway Books edition
[original 1980]
293 pages
ISBN 0-7679-0538-5
Catch Me If You Can is an easy-to-read example of true-
crime nonfiction about an individual who has had a successful
career on both sides of the law. A challenge-seeker, Frank
Abagnale flew a jet, practised law without a license, and
pretended to be a sociology professor. He lived out his wildest
fantasies cashing over 2.5 million dollars in forged cheques
before he was twenty-one. Living on the lam, he was pursued
in twenty-six countries and fifty American states. Then, he
experienced a life change and is currently a respected
authority on security and counterfeiting, working for the FBI
crime unit.
This popular, richly-detailed memoir is a psychological study of
a daring, intelligent and fascinating individual whose exploits
are strangely impressive for their flamboyance and sheer
audacity. Students could be asked to respond personally to
Abagnale's methods and analyze the reasons for his success as
well as his life change. The book contains minor examples of
1960s male chauvinism that does not detract from the
narrative but will need some teacher direction.
218/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
DANCES WITH WOLVES
Michael Blake
Dances with Wolves begins with the ironic circumstances
under which Lieutenant Dunbar is assigned to an abandoned
prairie army outpost. Isolated in the wilderness, Dunbar is
drawn irrevocably to the nearby Comanche camp where he
begins a cultural odyssey that changes him forever. He
gradually becomes part of the proud nomadic people who
fascinate him so much. Finally, he faces a critical choice by the
inevitable movement of the army against his new home and
people.
Although lengthy, the story line is fast-paced and should hold
student interest. Specific characterization, although
interesting, is secondary to the study of the moral dilemma
that Dunbar faces; essentially this is a story of one man's
choices. The plot has the classic elements of isolation and
survival; it is the study of "civilized man" and what that means
to Dunbar, and more importantly, what that means to the
reader.
The writing is descriptive and image-laden and has the ability
to transport readers to the world Dunbar inhabits. His motives
are essentially understandable and noble in spite of the brutal
and tragic elements of his life.
The white soldier
with blood on his
face had brought
back Stands With A
Fist, and Ten Bears
was convinced that
this surprise was a
bright omen, one that
should be followed
through on. The
issue of the white
race had troubled his
thoughts too long.
For years he had not
been able to see
anything good in
their coming. But he
wanted to
desperately. Today
he had seen
something good at
last, and now he was
determined not to let
what he considered a
golden opportunity
slip past." p. 106
New York, NY: Fawcett
Gold Medal, 1988
ISBN 0449134482
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
219/
2005
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS
John Wyndham
"'If we face it
squarely, there's a
simple choice, ' I said.
'Either we can set out
to save what can be
saved from the wreck
— and that has to
include ourselves: or
we can devote
ourselves to
stretching the lives of
these people a little
longer. That is the
most objective view I
can take. But I can
see, too, that the
most obviously
humane course is
also, probably the
road to suicide.'"
p. 103
Toronto, ON: Penguin Books
of Canada Ltd., n.d.
Penguin Putnam edition
[original 1951]
272 pages
ISBN 0-140-00993-0
The Day of the Triffids is a science fiction classic in which
carnivorous alien plants invade 21 st century Earth. After a
meteor shower blinds most of the population, the triffids use
their poison stingers to paralyze humans before they devour
them. The protagonist William Masen is in a London hospital
with bandaged eyes when the showers occur, protecting him
from the blinding effect. He and another patient, Josella
Playton, team up and go looking for other unblinded humans
to organize and resist the triffids.
This doomsday book suggests an unexpected way that alien
life might destroy the planet and examines how human beings
respond to a serious crisis. It raises problem-solving and
decision-making possibilities and scenarios that could be
explored and discussed by students.
220/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
DEAR NOBODY
Berlie Doherty
Helen, the main narrator of Dear Nobody, is pregnant as a
result of a brief sexual relationship with a young man named
Chris. Her letters to her unborn child, whom she calls
"Nobody," are a record of her anxieties, her confusion and her
growing maturity. At first, she hates the unborn child and
attempts, unsuccessfully, to abort it. As her pregnancy
progresses, the letters to "Nobody" develop a very real bond.
When Helen gives birth to her baby, she names her daughter
Amy, a name meaning loved one, or friend.
Chris, in contrast, has no sensitivity. He has some short-lived
feelings of guilt, but runs away from the consequences of his
actions. Chris shares the narration with Helen, and his
thoughts and deeds show that he cares for no one but himself.
Only at the end of the novel does he begin to admit his
weaknesses.
The issues in this book are difficult and, for some readers,
perhaps controversial. Yet this British author's focus is clearly
on the importance of moral choices. There are no depictions of
sexual intercourse, or even of childbirth. Throughout her
novel, Doherty emphasizes the importance of responsible
behaviour, of self-knowledge and of love.
"We walked back to
Helen's house in
silence, so full of
thoughts that there
was nothing to say. I
had my arm round
her. 'It'll be all right, '
I kept saying. Til
stay with you,
whatever happens. '
The words just came
out. I've no idea
what I meant by
them. When I
thought of them
afterwards I went
cold and scared
inside, but at the time
it seemed to be the
only thing to say, so I
said it. " p. 30
London, England: Hamish
Hamilton Ltd., 1991
ISBN 0241130565
Awards:
Carnegie Medal, 1991
Sankei Award, 1991
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
221/
2005
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
Jack Higgins
"'You have brought
me nothing and yet
with men like that,
with such facilities,
you should have
been capable of
bringing me Churchill
out of England.'
There was a moment
of complete silence as
Hitler glanced from
face to face. 'Is that
not so?'
Mussolini looked
hunted, Goebbels
nodded eagerly. It
was Himmler who
added fuel to the
flames by saying
quietly, 'Why not, my
Fuhrer. After all,
anything is possible,
no matter how
miraculous, as you
have shown by
bringing the Duce of
GranSasso.'" p. 27
London, England:
Ltd., 1976
[original 1975]
ISBN 0330246305
Pan Books
In The Eagle Has Landed, after intense training, a small
force of German paratroopers lands on the Norfolk coast of
England in November 1943, with the aim of capturing Winston
Churchill.
This action-packed wartime thriller contains elements of
heroism, duplicity, bloodshed, irony and surprise. The theme,
though certainly subordinate to plot and character, focuses on
the fact that war is a fight for survival and, therefore, will
expose many people to danger. This novel is an excellent
vehicle for the study of plot development.
222/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON
Daniel Keyes
Flowers for Algernon is told through the voice of Charlie
Gordon, who has an IQ below 70. He participates in an
experiment that gives him above average intelligence.
Recorded as a diary, Charlie's progression is revealed through
his initial poor writing skills and his later sophisticated language
abilities.
The novel focuses on man's inhumanity to man. Charlie is
seen by his co-workers as a source of humour, but as he
progresses intellectually, he is shunned by these same people.
The novel criticizes science for pursuing knowledge without
considering moral implications, and suggests that the
intellectual side of human nature needs to be balanced with
compassion and love. Charlie's progression from his childlike
state of innocence to his intellectual-social maturity prompts
the reader to question society and its motives.
Class discussion should include the idea that loneliness and the
inability to communicate occur at both ends of the intellectual
spectrum. The novel may promote an interesting study of
acceptance and understanding.
"But with the
freedom came a
sadness. I wanted to
be in love with her. I
wanted to overcome
my emotional and
sexual fears, to
marry, have children,
settle down.
Now it's impossible. I
am just as far away
from Alice with an
I.Q. of 185 as I was
when I had an I.Q. of
70. And this time we
both know it. " p. 1 26
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, 1966
ISBN 0553124986
Awards
Nebula Award, Science
Fiction Writers of America,
1966
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
223/
2005
FORBIDDEN CITY
William Bell
o
"Up until then,
thousands had
refused to leave the
square and every
day the place was a
carpet of humanity.
But on the thirteenth
one thousand
students started a
hunger strike and
vowed to keep it up
until either they died
or the government
promised to meet
with their
representatives and
the begin reforms.
When I heard that I
rushed down there. "
pp. 66-67
Toronto, ON: General
Paperbacks, 1991
[original 1990)
ISBN 0773673148
Awards:
Belgium Award for Excellence
in Children's Literature, 1990
Ontario School Librarians'
Award for Excellence, 1990
In Forbidden C/fyAlex Jackson, the 17-year-old son of a CBC
news cameraman, is with his father on assignment in China's
capital, Beijing. As Alex relishes the excitement and
adventures of his new residence, he reveals to the reader the
events leading up to the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989
and the forces controlling the lives of the Chinese people.
The events are told through personal accounts in Alex's diary.
His sojourns into a tranquil city, his zest to understand the
language and the people, and his encounter with the university
students are suddenly transformed into a battlefield.
Government forces are horridly depicted as opposing unarmed
citizens, whose goal is simply to seek an audience with those
in authority.
The novel provides us with an outsider's view of conditions
within China. As the opposing forces clash, Alex is shot and
seeks refuge in strange surroundings. As a student
sympathizer, he is now the one who is being entrusted with
the responsibility to capture the scenes of injustice and
present the truth to the outside world. What began as an
adventure now becomes a mission.
This is a thought-provoking novel that lends itself to discussion
about changing political and social order in the world.
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2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
GIFTED HANDS
Ben Carson (with Cecil Murphey)
Abandoned by his father, the protagonist of Gifted Hands
grows up in the tenements of Boston. The son of a single,
uneducated mother, Ben Carson is an unlikely candidate to
become a leading neurosurgeon. Yet, he overcomes
disadvantages, such as prejudice and peer pressure, to
succeed. His ability to work hard and laugh, and his belief in
God, permeates his story.
This easy-to-read biography offers the example of a positive
role model who overcomes much adversity with the support
and encouragement of adults. The narrative enhances the
reader's views of blacks and single mothers.
Ben Carson's story proves that one can achieve goals with
dedication and discipline. Students could discuss or write
about how they or their families have overcome adversity in
their lives.
"This is crazy,' I
finally mumbled. 'I
must be crazy. Sane
people don't try to kill
theirfriends.' The
rim of the tub felt cool
under my hands. 1
put my hands on my
face. Tm doing so
well at school, and
then I do this. '
I'd dreamed of being
a doctor since I was
8 years old. But how
could I fulfill the
dream with such a
terrible temper. "
p. 57
New York, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers,
1993
[original 1990]
ISBN 0061042536
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
225/
2005
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE
TO THE GALAXY
Douglas Adams
"'My God,'
complained Arthur,
'you're talking about
a positive mental
attitude and you
haven't even had
your planet
demolished today. I
woke up this morning
and thought I'd have
a nice relaxed day,
do a bit of reading,
brush the dog ... It's
now just after four in
the afternoon and I'm
already being thrown
out of an alien
spaceship six light
years from the
smoking remains of
the Earth!'" p. 57
London, England: Pan Books
Ltd., 1979
ISBN 0330258648
In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a classic episodic
science fiction novel made up of equal parts of adventure and
humour, Arthur hitch hikes through space in a quest for the
meaning of life, the Universe, and everything! Arthur Dent,
resident of a perfectly uneventful British town, is rescued by
Ford Prefect, editor of the electronic book, Hitch Hiker's Guide
to the Galaxy, just as Earth is blasted apart by Vogons. A
nontraditional female character provides added zest to the
unexpected, fast-paced happenings.
This somewhat irreverent approach to the creation of the
Universe and humankind is essentially British in approach and
language. It uses both subtle and slapstick humour to parody
revolution, racism, government, politics, religion, and even
literature. Mature students, working individually or in small
groups, should have ample opportunity to critically examine
popular opinions and a variety of ideologies during this novel
study.
226/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
HOLE IN MY LIFE
Jack Gantos
Hole in My Life is an autobiographical exploration of how a
Florida teen with a promising school record and a burning
desire to become a writer ends up in doing time in a medium-
security prison for drug offences. Although Gantos does not
attempt to absolve himself of his past, he does explicate how
easily a youth may be seduced into a life of quick money and
easy living. Gantos tells of a trail of circumstances that lead to
his unthinking involvement in a drug smuggling venture, his
descent into heavy drug use and his eventual conviction for
selling marijuana. By 1971, at the age of 20, Gantos was
serving a six-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison in Ashland,
Kentucky.
Gantos writes openly and candidly of a life lived on the edge of
poverty in Fort Lauderdale and St. Croix, the underworld of
drugs, and the brutality of prison. Teachers need be aware
that this text contains inappropriate language, and descriptions
of sexuality, prison behaviour, and drug and alcohol use. It
also contains references to race and social/economic difference
that will need sensitive discussion. However, Gantos writes
with equal power of his pursuit of the dream of becoming a
writer and of the redemptive power of literature. The positive
aspect of the book is that the writer survived prison, drugs and
alcohol to become a positive contributor in society and today is
the celebrated author of over thirty books for young readers,
most recently the highly-acclaimed Joey Pigza series.
"I wasn't raised
around this level of
violence. I wasn't
prepared for it, and
I've never forgotten it.
Even now, when
walking some of
Boston's meaner
streets, I find myself
moving like a knife,
carving my way
around people,
cutting myself out of
their picture and
leaving nothing of
myself behind but a
hole." p. 5
New York, NY:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux,
2002
ISBN 0-374-39988-3
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
227/
2005
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
John Dudley Ball
That was what hurt.
An outsider might be
all right if her were a
good fellow and all
that, but the idea of a
black man stuck up
like a jagged rock in
the middle of a
channel. By the time
they had reached the
police station, Sam
had still not made up
his mind. He wanted
the crime to be
solved, but he
wanted it solved by
someone whom he
could look up to and
respect." p. 60
New York, NY:
Carroll & Graf Publishing,
1992
[original 1965]
185 pages
ISBN 0-88902-029-9
In the Heat of the Night is an intelligent but readable
formula murder mystery set in the Deep South of the 1960s, at
the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Virgil Tibbs, a black
homicide detective in California, is mistakenly picked up and
arrested in a murder case while passing through a small town.
Eventually, the somewhat- bigoted Chief Gillespie enlists Tibbs'
help to solve the case and find the real murderer. As the
investigation continues, Caucasian officer Sam Woods starts to
emulate Virgil and his methods, suggesting that the detective
has become his role model.
This is a whodunit, read principally for the challenge of solving
the crime. It provides opportunities to study the form and
technique of the detective novel, including the use of stock
characters to advance the plot and the introduction of a red
herring to create obstacles.
It is also a study of prejudice and discrimination with a
message of hope, and could be studied for its positive insights
on tolerance and understanding. In a crisis, people of
different backgrounds are able to cooperate and overcome
their differences to deal with a challenge. Teachers should be
aware of potentially problematic language references,
especially to African-Americans and Italians.
228/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
OF MICE AND MEN
John Steinbeck
In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck tells the story of two
ironically-named drifters, George Milton and Lennie Small, who
arrive at a California ranch during the Depression. Not
realizing his own strength or size, the intellectually disabled
Lennie has, in the past, accidentally killed his pet mice, and
eventually he kills his boss' daughter-in-law. George, who has
lovingly cared for and looked after Lennie, realizes that this
death has killed his dream of acquiring his own ranch, and that
he must find Lennie before the ranch hands do. George does
find Lennie first and realizes that he must kill his friend as an
act of love, in order to remove him from further suffering.
"A guy needs somebody— to be near him. A guy goes nuts if
he ain't got nobody ... I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he
gets sick." These words, spoken by Crooks, a black ranch
hand, identify the theme. The style of the novel is simple— the
words are mainly monosyllabic, suggesting the nature of the
people Steinbeck is describing. The sentence structure is often
rhythmic, poetic, portraying sometimes a mood of peace and
tranquility, and sometimes one of violence. The simplicity of
the setting lends itself to a discussion of unity, symbol and
theme.
In the classroom, it is important to reflect on the social
considerations of alienation, desire, love, dignity and
commitment. Some of the characters use profane language,
but this punctuates the emotions that have been stirred up and
reflects the attitudes found in the lives and circumstances of
American workers at that time.
u 'Funny how you an'
him string along
together. ' It was
Slim's calm invitation
to confidence.
'What's funny about
it?' George
demanded
defensively.
'Oh, I dunno. Hardly
none of the guys ever
travel together. I
hardly never seen
two guys travel
together. You know
how the hands are,
they just come in and
get their bunk and
work a month, and
then they quit and go
out alone. Never
seem to give a damn
about nobody.'"
p. 43
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, 1972
[original 1937]
ISBN 0553131001
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
229/
2005
THE PERFECT STORM: A TRUE STORY OF
MEN AGAINST THE SEA
Sebastian Junger
The transition from
crisis to catastrophe
is fast, probably
under a minute . . .
There's no time to put
on survival suits or
grab a life vest; the
boat's moving
through the most
extreme motion of her
life and there isn't
even time to shout ...
The TV, the washing
machine, the VCR
tapes, the men, all go
flying. And, seconds
later, the water
moves in. " p. 1 77
New York, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers, 2000
Harper Torch edition
[original 1997]
344 pages
ISBN 0-06-10 135 1-X
The Perfect Storm, popularized by a hit movie, concerns the
'storm of the century' that happened in October 1991 off the
coast of Nova Scotia. The Andrea Ga/eand its six-man crew of
fishermen were deluged by one-hundred-foot waves and 120
mile-per-hour winds. Based on radio, dialogue interviews and
eyewitness accounts, the book documents the final minutes of
the Andrea Gale, along with the successful rescues of other
several boats. The book also deals with the meteorological
background and follow-up damage, while instilling empathy
and sympathy for the various victims.
This factual and suspenseful text is an excellent example of
realistic, evocative journalism. It is an objective study, first
and foremost, of humans fighting the destructive aspects of
nature. Secondly, it is an appreciation of true heroism arising
from disaster. 7776 Perfect Storm might stimulate research on
a number of topics, including the history of the fishing
industry, the science of storm prediction, and naval rescue
procedures.
Plot, characterization, suspense, setting, atmosphere, point of
view and irony are writing elements that could be analyzed
closely.
230/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
PLANET OF THE APES
Pierre Boulle
Planet of the Apes, a 21 st century tale, is about three
astronauts who land on a planet that resembles Earth, but with
one crucial difference: the planet is ruled by intelligent,
cultured apes, while humans are wild, mute and used for
scientific research. After being captured during a terrifying
manhunt and locked in a cage, the first-person narrator, Ulysse
Merou, tries to become the self-appointed saviour of
humankind. Studying his simian captors and learning their
language, Ulysse struggles to convince the apes that he
possesses intelligence and reason.
Planet of the Apes prompts readers to re-examine notions
about the relationship between humans and animals on Earth.
Boulle's satire is witty and moving. This social commentary is a
quick read and would be ideal for personal and creative
response work.
"I kiss my son with
passion, without
allowing myself to
think of the clouds
gathering over our
heads. He will be a
man, a proper man,
I'm sure. Intelligence
sparkles in his
features and in his
eyes. I have revived
the sacred flame.
Thanks to me, a new
human race is rising
and will bloom on
this planet." p. 251
Toronto, ON: Random
House of Canada Ltd., 2001
Del Rey/Ballantine Books
edition
[original 1963]
268 pages
ISBN 0-345-44798-0
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
231/
2005
THE RUNNER
Cynthia Voigt
"Strong and hard — in
your spirit — pitiless
and ruthless, that
too. Alone. They
were men of bronze.
I thought, when I first
met you, that it was
curious to meet such
a man when he was
a boy. In a different
time of history — do
you know? You
captured my
imagination, to see
how you would grow
up." p. 144
New York, NY: Fawcett
Juniper, 1986
[original 1985]
ISBN 0449702944
Awards:
Silver Pencil Award (Dutch),
1988
Deutscher Jugend Literatur
Preis, 1989
Set in a small rural community in North Carolina, The Runner
tells the story of Bullet, a young man from a dysfunctional
family who struggles to maintain his self-worth by becoming a
top, cross-country runner. His father is overly restrictive, his
siblings have run away from home, and his mother acquiesces
to whatever his father wishes. In this loveless existence,
Bullet retains his sanity through stoicism, self-discipline and
exercise. His relationship with a black runner allows Bullet to
deal with his own racial prejudice and stereotyping. It is
untimely that the Vietnam war ends Bullet's struggle to escape
from his father's domination.
The story accurately reflects the racist language and social
climate and attitudes of the times, focusing on the racial
tension in the United States of the 1960s, the integration-
segregation issue, and the Vietnam war. Through full class,
small group, or individual study, students should appreciate
how the author skillfully illustrates breaking down barriers
through communication and understanding.
232/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
RYAN WHITE: MY OWN STORY
Ryan White and Ann Marie Cunningham
Ryan White: My Own Story is the biography of a
hemophiliac who is determined to live a normal life. However,
at age 13, he is diagnosed with AIDS as a result of receiving
contaminated blood while being treated for hemophilia. Ryan
recounts his experiences with being shunned by friends, barred
from attending school, the legal battle to return to school, and
having to move to another community. Before his death, at
age 16, Ryan was befriended by a number of celebrities who
helped publicize his difficulties and the plight of many AIDS
patients.
Biographies of teenagers are rare, and Ryan's widely publicized
fight for fair treatment should interest many students. His
ability to cope with a life-threatening and socially unacceptable
disease is a strength of the book.
Teachers should be prepared to discuss frankly the issue of
AIDS, if this nonfiction work is selected. The candid discussion
of discrimination faced by Ryan and his family offers many
possibilities for comment on an important social issue.
"The Concerned
Citizens even tried to
have our county's
welfare director
declare Mom an unfit
mother, take me
away from her, and
make me a ward of
the court. Then, they
figured, the court
would keep me out of
school. They said by
letting me go to
school, Mom was
allowing me to kill
other kids — and even
to be killed myself if I
picked up some
illness from them!"
pp. 131-132
New York, NY: Signet, 1992
[original 1991]
ISBN 0451173228
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
233/
2005
SHOELESS JOE
W. P. Kinsella
"'And then you not
only see, but hear,
and smell, and taste,
and touch whatever
is closest to your
heart's desire. Your
secret dreams that
grow over the years
like apple seeds
sown in your belly,
grow up through you
in leafy wonder and
finally sprout through
your skin, gentle and
soft and wondrous,
and they breath and
have a life of their
own...'
You've done this?'
A time or two.'"
p. 84
New York, NY: Ballantine
Books, 1983
[original 1982]
ISBN 0345342569
Awards:
Books in Canada First Novel
Award, 1983
Canadian Authors Association
prize, 1983
In Shoe/ess Joe, Ray Kinsella, a small time farmer with a
mission, dreams that he is destined to build a baseball stadium
to which his hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson, will come to play ball.
Ray begins his quest, makes a baseball field, brings J. D.
Salinger to his farm, and watches as the ghosts of great
players from the 1920s arrive to replay timeless games. Ray's
conversations with the spirits of past baseball heroes are
nostalgic and unusual, as the ghosts are able to right the
wrongs of the past. Ray dreams of correcting errors from the
past, and thereby achieving self-fulfillment.
An interesting blend of fantasy and history, this well-crafted
novel allows students the opportunity to reflect on the power
of dreams and on the possibility of attaining them. The many
allusions and interesting characterizations may be best suited
to small group or individual study.
234/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SOMETHING FOR JOEY
Richard E. Peck
Something for Joey is the story of Joey Cappelletti who is a
victim of leukemia. This story tells of himself and his brother
John, their mutual love and support, and their struggle to
overcome life's hurdles.
John was a football halfback at Pennsylvania State University.
Joey was a feisty 8-year-old who idolized his older brother.
When Joey was diagnosed with leukemia, his parents put him
on an experimental treatment program. An attack of chicken
pox put him into a coma. With constant stimulation from
family members, Joey slowly revived from his unconscious
state. Meanwhile, John's popularity and skill grew with each
football game.
Peck skillfully draws the parallel between Joey's fight to
overcome his infirmity and John's struggle to reach professional
standards in football. Joey is able to travel to New York to
watch his brother win the Heisman Trophy. An emotional
climax is reached when John presents the trophy to his ailing
brother.
The author writes in an easy-flowing, conversational manner,
showing the Cappelletti family's strength and love for one
another during a time of crisis. This story provides an
opportunity to look at the family unit— its strengths and its
weaknesses. Students who have experienced a death in the
family, or know someone who suffers from a life-threatening
illness, may need support during the discussion of this book.
"...she was right
about his not being
needed at home. It
would be much better
for him to concentrate
on a contribution to
Joey's happiness
that the others
couldn't make.
Everyone knew how
Joey lived for the
Penn State football
games.
After Joey's success
at learning to walk
all over again, it was
now John's turn to
repay his fierce
determination." p. 66
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, Inc., 1978
ISBN 0553142259
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
235/
2005
A THIEF OF TIME
Tony Hillerman
"'Did she say which
one?' Leaphorn
asked. Here might
be an explanation of
how she had
vanished. If she had
been dealing directly
with a pot hunter, he
might have had
second thoughts.
Might have thought
he had sold her
evidence that would
put him in prison.
Might have killed her
when she came back
for more." p. 114
New York, NY: Harper & Row,
Publishers, Inc., 1990
[original 1988]
ISBN 0061000043
In A Thief of Time noted anthropologist, Dr. Eleanor
Freidman-Bemal, walks into a moonlit canyon of Anasazi
pictographs and hears the flute sounds of Kokopelli, the
"Humpbacked Flute Player" god of those vanished, ancient
people. That night, the Anasazi are not the only missing
people. Dr. Freidman-Bernal herself vanishes, which brings
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee of the Navajo
Tribal Police onto the scene to investigate her disappearance.
When two bodies later appear amid bones at an ancient burial
site, Leaphorn and Chee must rely on their own knowledge of
history, archeology, religion and the "Navajo way" to solve the
murders and find the missing Eleanor.
The protagonists, Leaphorn and Chee, are strong, well-
developed characters who do not fall into the category of stock
or stereotype "Natives." They exhibit the full range of human
emotions and provide much for the study of character
development in this novel.
This is a detective novel that blends strong characterization
with a riveting plot to create empathy and respect for the
Navajo people and their complex culture. Hillerman takes
great care in creating, with precise details, the intricacies and
nuances of Navajo social and family structures, and their
religion.
236/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TISHA: THE STORY OF A YOUNG
TEACHER IN THE ALASKA WILDERNESS
Robert Specht
In Tisha, Anne Hobbs, a 19-year-old school teacher from
Colorado, moves to the isolated gold mining community of
Chicken, Alaska. There she finds herself the centre of interest
and curiosity.
Few of her nine pupils, from Grade 1 to Grade 8, have formal
schooling or knowledge of the outside world. In the beginning,
she pleases students and parents alike. She gains her
nickname, Tisha, from one young student who couldn't say
"teacher." However, as time passes, community animosity
grows toward Anne as a result of her adoption of two Native
children, and her romantic relationship with a young male
Metis.
Based on a true story, Specht constructs a realistic scenario,
using techniques of fictional writing, emphasizing action and
character conflict. This biography introduces some
controversial issues concerning the cultural differences
amongst the inhabitants of Chicken. Teachers should be aware
that this book may evoke discussion concerning racism,
stereotyping and isolation.
The longer I stood
there listening to the
whole bunch of them
talking about Chuck
and Ethel as if they
were dirt, the more I
wanted them. Maybe
it was because
nobody had ever
wanted me either
when I was a little
kid — nobody except
Granny. They
needed somebody to
take care of them,
and I could do it. "
p. 221
Toronto, ON: Bantam
Books, 1977
[original 1976]
ISBN 0553145662
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 20-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
237/
2005
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APOLLO 13
Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
"Swigert checked the
panels and saw that
there appeared to be
an abrupt and
inexplicable loss of
power in what the
crew called main bus
B ... If one bus lost
power, it meant that
half the systems in
the spacecraft could
suddenly go dead.
'Hey, ' Swigert
shouted down to
Houston, 'we've got a
problem here.'"
p. 103
New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1995
Pocket Books edition
[original 1994]
418 pages
ISBN 0-671-53464-5
Apollo 13 was previously published as Lost Moon: The
Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13. This popular reprint is one
of the more accessible books on space travel ever written.
Specifically, it is an account of the problem-filled 1970 Apollo
mission to the moon. Co-author Jim Lovell was an astronaut
on the mission who was afterward named Time magazine's
Man of the Year. He tells about a mysterious explosion that
led to power and oxygen failure and the subsequent famous
radio message: "Houston, we have a problem." This adventure
is narrated chronologically with dates and times, and the book
also includes photographs and an Afterword on events after
splashdown.
Apollo 13 is an inspiring study of heroism and courage. The
main focus is the rescue itself, as the crew goes through
various crises but survive because of cooperation and
overwhelming human effort. The book uses ironic humour,
occasional technical language, and minor examples of coarse
language to convey the events and the mood of the story.
Apollo 13 would be a good choice for students who have a
strong scientific interest or for programs where courses are
taught interdepartmentally.
240/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE ASH GARDEN
Dennis Bock
O
The Ash Garden is a three-character fictional view of the
bombing of Hiroshima and its profound, long-term effects.
Anton is a proud German physicist who works at Los Alamos.
Sophie is his young wife who fled from the Nazis and ended
up quarantined on a ship in the Atlantic. Emiko is a six-year-
old girl who is playing on a riverbank when the atomic bomb
goes off, and later ends up as a documentary filmmaker after
receiving corrective surgery. The destinies of all three
characters are interwoven through the use of alternating
points of view.
Bock's focus is the moral ambiguities of war and how humans
learn to live with tragic events of history. The book does not
lay blame, but instead emphasizes, as Anton states, that "We
have all paid." The war topic is timely, relevant and helpful in
showing how humans cope with adversity and suffering. This
is also a useful novel for teaching character development,
point of view, plot structure, and the influence of plot on
character.
Teachers should be aware that some communities might find
offence in some of the language and references to sexuality,
race/ethnicity and people with disabilities. There is a brief,
contextualized and thematically-relevant description of
Sophie's physical emergence into womanhood.
"I know the world
requires a certain
payment from us all,
pain and suffering,
hunger, destitution,
solitude, for the
freedoms we enjoy.
We have all paid. Or
will. It is not right or
wrong to have used
the bomb. But it was
necessary." p. 203
Toronto, ON:
HarperCollins Canada, 2001
First Perennial Canada
edition
281 pages
ISBN 0-00-648545-6
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
241/
2005
THE BEAN TREES
Barbara Kingsolver
"To hear you tell it,
you'd think man was
only put on this earth
to keep urinals from
going to waste.'
That's not true, I like
Estevan. ' My heart
sort of bumped when
I said this. I knew
exactly how it would
look on an EKG
machine; two little
peaks and one big
one.
'He's taken. Who
else?'
'Just because I don't
go chasing after
every Tom's Harry
Dick that comes
down the pike. '
"Who else?'" p. 112
New York, NY:
HarperPerennial, 1992
[original 1988]
ISBN 0060915544
In The Bean Trees, Taylor Greer escapes rural Kentucky in a
dilapidated '55 Volkswagen. She arrives in Tucson, Arizona at
an auto repair shop called "Jesus Is Lord Used Tires," which
also doubles as a sanctuary for Central American refugees. En
route, she is persuaded to take responsibility for a 3-year-old
Native American child whom she names Turtle. Together, they
become an unlikely family, bonded by love and optimism,
helping others and being helped, as they make their way
through life.
Thematically, the book is warm and rich, loving and wise.
Trauma is counterbalanced by genuine humanity, and violence
is tempered by the warmth of human relationships.
Stylistically, the narration is casual and relaxed, but the novel
does contain some coarse language and controversial religious
references that may be offensive to some readers. The
characters are driven by understandable human motives in
such a way that they, and the reader, can laugh in spite of
some of life's tragedies and injustices.
Although the author deals with the trauma of child sexual
abuse, and the distress that comes of abandonment and
poverty, these issues are relevant to the plot and consistent
with the characterization and development of theme.
Teachers may also want to address the issue of inter-racial
adoption. The wisdom of the book is simple and clearly
drawn. It encourages the reader to acknowledge the power of
unexpected alliances and resources.
242/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE BROKEN CORD
Michael Dorris
The Broken Cord is the story of Michael Dorris, a young
bachelor, who adopts Adam. Over the course of the next 15
years, Michael gradually and painfully discovers that his
adopted son is epileptic and severely limited developmentally.
The challenges of physical and mental limitations strain
Michael's resources, and when he marries, family relationships
as well. Finally, after years of uncertainty, Adam is diagnosed
as a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS. The effects of
his mother's drinking during pregnancy have been catastrophic
to Adam and eventually lead to his death. Adam is unable to
imagine, to foresee the consequences of his behaviour, or to
remember from one time to the next the results of his actions.
As Adam becomes an adult, his adopted parents are less able
to protect him from himself and from others.
This account reads like a novel, though it includes scientific
evidence and statistics, as well as a brief autobiography of
Adam. But most of all, it shines with love and impotent fury
for a life destroyed before it was ever lived. Dorris, a well-
educated, articulate Native American, draws attention to FAS
and its effects. This book is best suited to the mature reader
and offers a sensitive yet important issue for students to
discuss.
"As time passed I
blamed racism:
negative evaluators
underrated Adam
because of
unconscious,
unexpressed negative
feelings about
minorities. I
discounted as
'cultural biased' the
IQ tests that
consistently scored
my son in the upper
sixties to low
seventies. I
periodically
concluded that
Adam's teachers
must be incompetent,
badly trained, or lazy
when they failed to
stimulate his
performance in the
classroom." p. 65
New York, NY:
HarperPerennial, 1990
[original 1989]
ISBN 0060916826
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
243/
2005
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Fedor Dostoevsky
"Kill her, take her
money, on condition
that you dedicate
yourself with its help
to the service of
humanity and the
common good; don't
you think that
thousands of good
deeds will wipe out
one little,
insignificant
transgression? For
one life taken,
thousands saved
from corruption and
decay!" p. 62
Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press, 1980
[original 1866]
ISBN 0192815490
Crime and Punishment is the story of a murder committed
on the principle of the superman who places himself above
society. In an effort to prove he is intellectually and morally
superior to Russian society, Rodion Raskolinikov brutally
murders a pawnbroker and her innocent sister with an axe.
The novel traces the psychological breakdown that leads to
Raskolinikov's eventual confession and sentence to a Siberian
prison.
This classic is a study of the complexities of human
psychology. It examines the processes that lead an individual
to break under the pressure of a flawed philosophy.
Dostoevsky's sinister portrait of life in 19th-century
St. Petersburg, with its gloomy tenements and rampant
drunkenness, contributes to Raskolinikov's psychological
breakdown and adds to the debate of nature versus nurture.
This is a lengthy, complex novel that provides insights into
psychology and the nature of human suffering and
redemption.
244/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
DAVITA'S HARP
Chaim Potok
In Davita's Harp, Ilanna Davita Chandel is the daughter of
David and Channah Chandel. Her father is a nonbelieving
Christian, her mother a nonbelieving Jew, and both are
Communists. Davita's story begins in pre-World War II
Brooklyn, where her parents are workers for the communist
cause. Her world is anything but normal. Because of their
views, her parents are forced to move from one apartment to
another, and their home is always alive with meetings
promoting communism. The family is thrown into turmoil
when Davita's father is tragically killed in Guernica, Spain while
covering the Spanish Civil War as a reporter. Furthermore,
when Stalin signs the nonaggression pact with Hitler, Davita's
mother becomes disillusioned with communism, which
exacerbates her crisis of faith. However, this crisis eventually
brings Channah and Davita closer to one another and
eventually leads them both back to the mother's Jewish roots.
Students may require extensive background information on the
differences between Christianity and Judaism, the Spanish Civil
War, and pre-World War II America and Europe. There is one
mention of a rape, a scene of sexuality, some violence and a
description of a lynching. However, none is gratuitous; each
incident helps to shape Davita's character.
Davita and Channah are strong female protagonists who defy
or overcome many of the conventions and traditions placed
before them. Davita's Harp is a poignant coming-of-age story
that may be most appropriate for the mature reader in small
group or individual study, or offered on an optional basis.
"You can't forget the
bad things that are
done to you by telling
yourself the world
isn't all bad. We
really can know only
the people and things
that touch us.
Everything else is
like words in a
dictionary. We can
learn them but they
don't live deep inside
us. Can you
understand that,
Rana?'
'I think so. '
'Religion is a
dangerous fraud,
liana, and an
illusion.'" p. 315
New York, NY: Fawcett
Crest, 1986
[original 1985]
ISBN 0449207757
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
245/
2005
EINSTEIN'S DREAMS
Alan Lightman
"It is a world of
impulse. It is a world
of sincerity. It is a
world in which every
word spoken speaks
just to that moment,
every glance given
has only one
meaning, each touch
has no past or no
future, each kiss is a
kiss of immediacy. "
p. 42
New York, NY:
Random House, Inc., 1994
Warner Books edition
[original 1993]
179 pages
ISBN 0-446-67011-1
Einstein's Dreams is a series of poetic meditations on time,
written as the fictional dreams of Albert Einstein as he was
putting the last touches on his famous theory of relativity.
What Lightman's fantasy proposes is that Einstein must have
speculated about his theory in the context of his daily life.
Einstein's thoughts and impressions are recorded in a series of
thirty short, diary-style meditations that present variations on
the given theme: in one world, time is circular; in another a
man is occasionally plucked from the present and deposited in
the past.
This novella is deceptively brief, charmingly and cleverly
written, and effectively captures the elusive and illusive
aspects of time. Einstein's Dreams can be read in its separate
'bits and pieces' or as a cohesive whole. It argues implicitly for
more thoughtful, sensitive, conscious living in the
here-and-now, and will have a special appeal to students who
are beginning to philosophize about life.
246/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
A FAREWELL TO ARMS
Ernest Hemingway
In A Farewell to Arms, Lieutenant Henry, an American
ambulance driver on the Italian front, meets and falls in love
with a beautiful English nurse, Catherine Barkley. The intensity
of their love is juxtaposed with descriptions of soldiers
demoralized by war. It is a story of love amidst a world of
chaos, where love and pain co-exist, yet move toward a
fatalism that is felt by Henry and Catherine.
War is not glorified, and the soldiers speak with characteristic
earthiness and irreverence. Students should be reminded that
the novel is set in the trenches of the Italian countryside and
stereotyping of women was common at that time. After
Hemingway's description of the German attack on Corpetto, a
better understanding of the grim realities of a soldier's world is
revealed.
Considered to be one of Hemingway's finest novels, A Farewell
to Arms is focused on the pointlessness of war and is a lyrical
novel of great power. It is an intense masculine portrayal of
the effects of war, and reveals an attitude and a literary
method characterized by Hemingway in the 1930s. The use of
rich language and detailed description should be of interest to
students, and the contrasting actions of loyalty and desertion
should provoke discussion and emphasize the futility and
horrors of war. The novel is appropriate for small group
discussion and is best suited to the mature reader.
"If people bring so
much courage to this
world the world has
to kill them to break
them, so of course it
kills them. The world
breaks every one and
afterward men are
strong at the broken
places. But those
that will not break it
kills. It kills the very
good and the very
gentle and the very
brave impartially. If
you are none of these
you can be sure it
will kill you too but
there will be no
special hurry. "
p. 249
New York, NY: Collier
Books, 1986
[original 1929]
ISBN 0020519001
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
247/
2005
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
John Steinbeck
The two men squat
on their hams and
the women and
children listen. Here
is the node, you who
hate change and fear
revolution. Keep
these two squatting
mean apart; make
them hate, fear,
suspect each other.
Here is the anlage of
the thing you fear.
This is the zygote.
For here "I lost my
land" is changed; a
cell is split and from
its splitting grows the
thing you hate — 'We
lost our land. ' The
danger is here, for
two men are not as
lonely and perplexed
as one. " p. 1 94
New York, NY: Penguin Books,
1976
[original 1939]
ISBN 0140042393
Awards:
Pulitzer Prize, 1940
The Grapes of Wrath traces the journey of the Joad family
in the mid- 1930s from a dried-out Oklahoma tenant farm to
the "Promised Land" of California, where they desperately
struggle to make a living picking fruit. In spite of the efforts of
Ma Joad to keep the family together, the hardships
encountered— hunger, sickness, discrimination, exploitation,
death— all take their toll.
The Joads are one fictional family intended to represent the
thousands who followed the same route and encountered
similar problems. Steinbeck, himself, travelled with these
migrants in 1937 and published newspaper articles and
documentary evidence of their plight. The Grapes of Wrath is
a social novel, a vivid protest against the victimization of
workers in a time of crisis; yet, despite the grim story line, it is
not pessimistic in tone, but rather celebrates the beauty and
triumph of the human spirit.
The novel is useful for a variety of teaching purposes: social
criticism; in conjunction with parallel Canadian literature about
the 1930s; for close study of varied novel techniques, such as
the use of interchapters; and for Biblical parallels and
symbolism. It lends itself well to small group work, to
background research, to the comparison of fiction to
documentary, or art to propaganda.
248/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Charles Dickens
Philip Pirrip, the protagonist of Great Expectations, is an
orphaned village boy who, through a series of mysterious
events, finds himself expecting to become a gentleman. His
new-found good fortune takes him to London and elevates his
social class, but does nothing to improve his character. The
startling discovery of the real source of his fortune, and the
eventual recognition of the needs of others, finally shows him
the true meaning of "gentleman." By the end of the novel, Pip
has become one, in the real sense.
The book could be useful in the study of the novel: structure,
character development, point of view, setting, symbolism,
style. It relates well to other fiction on the theme of innocence
and growth through experience.
Great Expectations is considered by many to be Dickens'
greatest literary achievement. It contains the usual Dickensian
variety of characters, humour, pathos, mystery, plot
complications and suspense. Thus, it sustains reader interest
over its considerable length, though it should probably be
chosen for the more skilled reader.
"'But as she grew
and promised to be
very beautiful, I
gradually did worse,
and with my praised,
and with my jewels,
and with my
teachings, and with
this figure of myself
always before her, a
warning to back and
point my lesson, I
stole her heart away
and put ice in its
place. '
'Better, ' I could not
help saying, 'to have
left her a natural
heart, even to be
bruised and broken. "
p. 313
New York, NY: Bantam
Classic Press, 1958
[original 1861]
ISBN 0553210157
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
249/
2005
THE HERO'S WALK
Anita Rau Badami
"She was losing all
that was familiar and
beloved, thought
Sripathi He wished
then that he could
promise her that
everything would be
all right. He had
even reached out to
pat her shoulder, to
tell her that she
would be okay — he
was going to take her
home to India — but
the child had shrunk
away from him. "
pp. 142-143
Toronto, ON: Random House
of Canada Ltd., 2001
Vintage Canada edition
[original 2000]
359 pages
ISBN 0-676-97360-4
The Hero's Walk is about Sripathi Rao, an unhappy,
unremarkable middle-aged man living in Toturpuram, India
with his eccentric extended family. His domineering mother is
making his life miserable, his son is becoming dangerously
involved in political activism, and his daughter has broken off
her arranged engagement to a local man in order to marry a
white Canadian. At the opening of the book, Sripathi learns
his daughter and her husband have died in an auto accident
leaving a daughter, seven-year-old Nandana, who reluctantly
comes to live with her grandparents. The novel portrays the
difficult relationship that forms between the child and her
traditional Indian grandparents, and Sripathi's struggle to let
go of the failures and tragedies of the past in order to move
on with life.
This rich, detailed book captures the atmosphere of East
Indian life with warmth, humour and insight. The Hero's Walk
lends itself to personal response and problem-solving or
decision-making work. Teachers need to be aware that the
book contains references to domestic violence, sexual
activities, masturbation and mercy killing.
250/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
INTO THIN AIR: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT
OF THE MOUNT EVEREST DISASTER
Jon Krakauer
Into Thin Air is the nonfiction classic that started a major
craze of books about mountaineering and climbing disasters.
Jon Krakauer was a journalist-mountain climber who had
originally gone to report on the commercialization of the
Everest and found a much more dramatic story. During the
climb, in May 1996, a freak blizzard overcame the group of
twenty climbers, killing five of them and leaving another minus
a hand from severe frostbite. Krakauer uses interviews,
corroborated details and first-hand accounts (some of which
include mildly inappropriate language) in this intense
examination of the tragedy.
This book is a fascinating study of humans against the
elements of nature, which critically explores the behaviour of
the other climbers and Krakauer himself. Perhaps even more
so, Into Thin Air is about why people are obsessed with
climbing a deadly mountain like Everest, and the triumph of
desire over common sense. Climbing is presented as an
intrinsically irrational activity that can lead to elation and
heroism but also hubris, frustration, guilt and death.
Into Thin Air may inspire students to research this specific
disaster, similar climbing tragedies or other high-risk
endeavours.
"If you can convince
yourself that Rob
Hall died because he
made a string of
stupid errors and
that you are too
clever to repeat those
same errors, it makes
it easier for you to
attempt Everest in
the face of some
rather compelling
evidence that doing
so is injudicious. In
fact, the murderous
outcome of 1 996 was
in many ways simply
business as usual. "
pp. 356-357
Toronto, ON:
Random House of Canada,
1998
Anchor Books edition
[original 1997]
374 pages
ISBN 0-385-49208-1
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
251/
2005
THE METAMORPHOSIS
Franz Kafka
"'What a quiet life the
family has been
leading, ' Gregor said
to himself, and while
he stared rigidly in
front of him into the
darkness, he felt very
proud that he had
been able to provide
such a life in so nice
an apartment for his
parents and his
sister. But what now
if all the peace, the
comfort, the
contentment were to
come to a horrible
end?" p. 22
New York, NY: Bantam Books,
1986
[original 1915]
ISBN 0553213695
In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa awakens one morning
to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect. He has
become a "filthy stinking vermin," and is increasingly rejected
and ignored by his family and all other persons who encounter
him. Confined to his room, excluded from any human
relationships, Samsa deteriorates, messily disintegrates, and
dies.
The story is often read allegorically: as a depiction of
alienation; as a religious parable dealing with the loss of faith;
as an indirect version of a psychoanalytical case study of
delusion and despair. Biographical comparisons can also be
made to Kafka's own circumstances as an Austrian Jew.
The text of The Metamorphosis is short, only 58 pages.
However, included in this edition is an introduction by the
editor-translator, explanatory notes, material by and about
Kafka, and a lengthy selection of critical material (much of
which may be too specialized for all but advanced students).
A selected bibliography is also appended.
Some students may have difficulty accepting the initial,
unusual premise. Once it is accepted, however, readers can
respond to the story's clarity and its careful use of descriptive
detail. Then, various interpretations can be developed,
interpretations that need not be either allegorical or
biographical.
This work is best suited for advanced students.
252/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
MONSIGNOR QUIXOTE
Graham Greene
Monsignor Quixote is an engaging dialogue between two old
friends who are travelling the countryside together. The novel
affords the reader the opportunity to explore two apparently
diverse points of view, but these marked differences between
the characters mask profoundly similar hearts. Father Quixote
and his Sancho Panza, an unseated communist mayor, are two
innocents abroad in modern Spain, embarked on a journey that
humorously, but philosophically, parallels Cervantes'
17th-century story of Don Quixote.
Despite different political, religious, economical, even sexual
perspectives, the priest and the mayor are bound together by
generosity of spirit, appreciation of creation and a longing for
truth. Their friendship and their growth allow the reader to
uncover the enigmatic elements of human goodness and moral
responsibility to society. Their journey provides background for
witty conversation and allows the reader to explore how
differences of opinion can lead to strong bonds of friendship.
The book is a commentary on the moral person as well as the
moral citizen.
Readers should not be put off by the seemingly irreverent
treatment of Christianity and the Roman Catholic church.
While it may appear that Greene is delving into profound
theological issues, he is really dealing with basic human
struggles common to all denominations, and is simply using
Catholic theology and socialism as the symbolic language of
the novel.
In order to understand the difficult references and allusions in
this novel, the reader needs to acquire a substantial knowledge
of Christianity, Marxism, communism and the Roman Catholic
church. It is also recommended that students be aware of
tone and theme in the writing styles of both Cervantes and
Graham Greene. Time, maturity and critical thinking skills
should lead to an understanding of Monsignor Quixote on a
symbolic level.
"You make the world
of the future sound
like Utopia, father. '
'Oh no, humanism
and religion have not
done away with
either nationalism or
imperialism. It's
those two that cause
wars. ... From
unhappy memories
too. That's why I'm
glad to have the short
memory of a priest. '"
p. 125
Markham, ON: Penguin
Books Canada Limited, 1983
[original 1982]
ISBN 0140065970
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
253/
2005
THE MOSQUITO COAST
Paul Theroux
"We drove past Tiny
Polski's mansion
house to the main
road, and then the
Jive miles into
Northampton, Father
talking the whole
way about savages
and the awfulness of
America — how it got
turned into a dope-
taking, door-locking,
ulcerated danger
zone of rabid
scavengers and
criminal millionaires
and moral sneaks."
p. 3
New York, NY: Avon Books,
1983
[original 1982]
ISBN 0380619458
Awards:
James Tait Black Memorial
Prize for Best Novel, 1981
In The Mosquito Coast, Allie Fox packs up his family and
escapes the capitalist world of America for the Mosquito Coast.
An eccentric misfit in the United States, he transfers his
inventive way of life to his new world. Allie believes that "any
sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
magic," and therein lies the motivation for his personal
pilgrimage and his attempts to overpower others. Theroux
interweaves the physical and metaphorical details of the
deliverance of this family in such a way as to engage the
reader in their isolation and turmoil. Allie is abusive but
spellbinding in his eccentricity. The narrator, his son Charlie,
is one of his victims, and yet Charlie's experiences are also his
adventures. Although exploited by his father, Charlie's
confusions are both understandable and compelling.
The Mosquito Coast is a powerful social satire because the
control exercised by the self-centred Allie Fox parallels the
rapid industrialization of the western world. He leads himself
to self-destruction, taking with him those he loves. The novel
can be a vehicle for an exploration of many issues in our
technological and capitalistic society. Because religious
references may be controversial in some communities, and the
treatment of theme and character are earthy and sometimes
vulgar, the novel may be most appropriate for mature
students, or offered on an optional basis. This is a story of
desperation and the breakdown of individuals and society.
254/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
NIGHT
Elie Wiesel
Night is the terrifying account of a Nazi death camp as told by
survivor Elie Wiesel. Wiesel was still a teenager when he was
taken from his home in Signet, Transylvania, to the Auschwitz
concentration camps and then to Buchenwald. The horror
turned this young Jewish boy into an agonized witness to the
death of his family, the death of innocence and the death of his
God. Even through all this, the story is one of hope and
bravery. Night is a warning to humankind to ensure that such
an atrocity never happens again.
Teachers should undertake the teaching of this novel with
considerable preparation and care. The topic is, by its very
nature, a sensitive one. The descriptions of violence and
cruelty may be objectionable to some students and community
members; however, they reinforce that the treatment of Jews
in concentration camps during World War II was focused on
humiliation, suffering and deprivation. Some of the scenes are
particularly unnerving and depressing. Reference is made to
cultured people who were victims of genocide while the world
remained silent.
Although this personal account deals with an historical event,
the issues are timeless— man's inhumanity to man, the struggle
to survive against all odds, and the hope that such things will
never happen again.
Through a series of short, powerful, painful glimpses, its pace
and style make Wiesel's story agonizing and convincing. This
excellent cross-curricular book could lead to related research
about genocide today. The book is suitable for full class, small
group or individual study.
"1 ran off to look for
my father. And at
the same time I was
afraid of having to
wish him a Happy
New Year when I no
longer believed in it.
He was standing
near the wall, bowed
down, his shoulders
sagging as though
beneath a heavy
burden. I went up to
him, took his hand
and kissed it. A tear
fell upon it. Whose
was that tear? Mine?
His? I said nothing.
Nor did he. We had
never understood one
another so clearly. "
p. 65
New York, NY: Bantam
Books, 1982
[original 1958]
ISBN 0553272535
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
255/
2005
OSCAR PETERSON: THE WILL TO SWING
Gene Lees
♦
"So just remember
one thing, Mr.
Higgins, when you go
up there to play,
don't compare
yourself to me or
anyone else. You
play your music your
way, and play it the
best you have in you,
every set, every
night. That's called
professionalism. "
p. 149
Toronto, ON: Lester & Orpen
Dennys Limited, 1988
ISBN 0886191297
In Oscar Peterson: The Will to Swing, Gene Lees
examines the challenges and struggles that a young black man
faced as he worked to become one of the world's greatest jazz
pianists. Oscar Peterson, from Montreal, became an
internationally known musician while still in his 20s.
Peterson is characterized as a positive role model. He works
hard, he actively fights to combat racism, and he exemplifies
those who lack economic advantages and still succeed.
However, some students may be offended by the coarse
language and examples of racial discrimination and prejudice
that appear in this work, and should critically examine these
instances as well as the negative behaviours of some of the
individuals presented. The book promotes the idea that
people of all racial/ethnic groups can achieve and interact
positively.
The content of the book should be interesting to those
students with musical interests and would be most appropriate
for either small group or individual study.
256/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE OUTSIDER
Albert Camus
The Outsider was first published
L'Etranger. Meursault, a young man
Algiers, tells the story of the last year
equal emphasis— or lack of it— he
funeral, a casual affair with a woman,
neighbour and his dog, a day at the
Arab under the hot sun, his trial and
thoughts in prison before his execution.
in French in 1942 as
in the French colony of
of his life. With almost
describes his mother's
his acquaintance with a
beach, his killing of an
conviction, and his last
The simple, frank and unemotional narration reflects a man
who refuses to "play the game": to pretend more than he
feels, to lie, to judge himself or others. He is, therefore, seen
as a threat to a conventional colonial society, to the legal
system, and to the Christian church. As a result, he is
condemned to death as much for his refusal to conform as for
his killing of the Arab. Meursault is an example of what Camus
calls "the Absurd Hero," one who finds himself a stranger in an
indifferent universe, and who does not require explanation of
or justification for his existence, but rather, accepts the simple
fact of life itself.
The novel is short and deceptively simple in narration. Its
unconventional protagonist, unexpected development and
strangely flat style attracts the interest of students and
stimulates thoughtful discussion and evaluation of the
existential view of life. It is also useful in the study of novel
techniques: structure, style, character development, and social
and metaphysical themes.
The prosecutor then
rose, looking very
grave, and in a voice
which I thought
sounded truly
emotional, and with a
finger pointing in my
direction, he slowly
pronounced,
'Gentlemen of the
jury, on the day after
the death of his
mother, this man was
swimming in the sea,
entering into an
irregular liaison and
laughing at a
Fernandelfilm. I
have nothing more to
say to you. ' He sat
down, still amid
silence." p. 91
London, England: Penguin
Books, 1983
[original 1942]
ISBN 0140180184
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
257/
2005
PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK
Annie Dillard
The mating rites of
mantises are well
known: a chemical
produced in the head
of the male insect
says, in effect, 'No,
don't go near her,
you fool, she'll eat
you alive. ' At the
same time a chemical
in his abdomen says,
Yes, by all means,
now and forever yes. '
While the male is
making up what
passes for his mind,
the female tips the
balance in her favor
by eating his head. "
p. 57
New York, NY:
HarperPerennial, 1985
[original 1974]
ISBN 0060915455
Awards:
Pulitzer Prize, 1975
Best Foreign Book Award
(France), 1990
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a season-by-season series of
Annie Dillard's personal observations of nature. She says of
herself, "I am above all an unscrupulous observer." They
centre on a poet and naturalist's "receptiveness and
concentration" on the countryside around Tinker Creek,
Virginia and range from minute observations of such
phenomena as caddis fly larvae to speculations about the
principle of indeterminacy, or Einstein's "holy curiosity" about
the nature of the Universe.
There is a passing allusion to a "simple and cruel Eskimo tale"
(source, Farley Mowat) that is effective in a disturbing way.
This work alludes mainly to male philosophers, artists and
scientists but this is counterbalanced by the overall strong and
sensitive voice of the woman who is writing. Dillard's style is
lucid, often witty, and personal. The writer moves calmly, and
often poetically, from the concrete to the abstract, from
observation to introspection. The scientific eye is balanced by
a very human approach and a reverence for the dignity of all
forms of life.
Since the whole work may demand more staying power than
can be expected from all but the most able and determined
readers, teachers might consider using excerpts from this
book. Passages from it would be excellent as models for the
teaching of writing and for developing "the secret of seeing,"
which lies behind most effective writing.
258/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Jane Austen
This opening statement from Pride and Prejudice neatly
combines the typical Austen subject matter, the search for a
suitable marriage partner, with the ironic tone of the novel:
"It is truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in
possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet of Longbourne, Hertfordshire, with an
estate entailed on a fatuous male cousin, have five unmarried
daughters, and so the quest for wealthy husbands for at least
the two oldest daughters is a serious matter. The arrival in the
neighbourhood of an eligible young bachelor, Mr. Bingley, sets
all the mothers atwitter and scheming. The eldest and most
beautiful Bennet daughter, Jane, seems a perfect choice for
Bingley, but the plot of the novel centres on her sister, the
lively and opinionated Elizabeth, and Bingley's supercilious and
aristocratic friend, Darcy. Pride and prejudice— on both sides-
complicate the plot.
This classic novel is probably the best known, and most
popular, of the Austen canon. It can be read not only for its
story but studied for its fictional techniques, especially the
development of character by speech and gesture, and a subtly
controlled ironic style. This edition contains a substantial
introduction, a select bibliography, Austen's chronology and
some explanatory notes.
"I might as well
enquire, ' replied she,
'why with so evident
a design of offending
and insulting me, you
chose to tell me that
you liked me against
your will, against
your reason, and
even against your
character? Was not
this some excuse for
incivility, if I was
uncivil? But I have
other provocations.
You know I have. "
p. 169
Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press, 1990
[original 1813]
ISBN 019282760X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
259/
2005
THE REPUBLIC OF NOTHING
Lesley Choyce
The island needed
saving and it needed
it now. Not
tomorrow. Not after
some goddamn
election or after a
dozen cabinet
meetings. My father
had started out in
politics as an
anarchist, but now he
was something else
that I didn't care to
think about." p. 277
Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane,
1994
363 pages
ISBN 0-864-92153-5
The Republic of Nothing \s set in the 1950s in Whalebane, a
small island off of Nova Scotia that has declared itself an
independent republic without a government. Ian, the narrator,
tells of the eccentric islanders with offbeat, character-driven
humour. This tone is set early with an incident involving a
missing G on a typewriter, to be followed by similar odd
moments such as when the moon talks to a villager or when a
dead elephant washes ashore.
This novel is an excellent example of wry Canadian humour
that examines themes of family struggle, independence and
political idealism. It is an imaginative and entertaining piece of
Maritime writing that presents a catalogue of human foibles
from a patently satirical perspective. To benefit most from
The Republic of Nothing, students will require maturity, a
sense of irony and a willingness to imaginatively "go with" the
text.
The inclusion of a graphic description of sex, as well as coarse
language and references to drugs and abortion, may be
problematic to some students and community members.
260/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SAINT MAYBE
Anne Tyler
Baltimore, Maryland is the home of the ideal, "all-American"
family, the Bedloes, the subject of the novel Saint Maybe.
However, this idyllic world is soon shattered when Ian, the
youngest child, learns a secret that has tragic consequences for
Dan, his older brother. This tragedy alters Ian, sending him on
a lifelong and painful search for redemption. His journey
begins at "The Church of the Second Chance" whose theology
expounds that forgiveness is not given freely, but must be
earned. After years of arduous labour, Ian finally gains his
redemption when he meets Rita, marries her, and they have a
child.
In typical Tyler fashion, the characters in Saint Maybe are
quirky and off-beat, yet are easily understood and accepted by
the reader. Some characters, however, are presented as stock
figures. For example, the Bedloes have a series of "Middle
Eastern" neighbours, university students, who are never
named, and are portrayed as people who never seem to adapt
to "Western standards," yet become part of the Bedloes'
extended family. Students could examine whether or not Tyler
does this to ridicule a particular ethnic group, or is she using
satire as a way of examining society's views toward
immigrants.
Tyler also uses many religious references to depict Ian's quest
for forgiveness and makes his religion one of the focal points of
the novel. When pre-reading, the teacher should consider
possible community concerns about the ethic or religious
references Tyler presents. During novel study, students should
critically examine these issues as well as the references to
foreigners, particularly those of Middle Eastern origin.
Overall, this is an excellent novel to use in examining character
development, an individual's search for redemption, and the
evolution of family.
"'God wonts to know
how for you'll go to
undo the harm you've
done. '
'But He wouldn't
really make me
follow through with
it, ' Ian said.
'How else would He
know then?'
'Wait. ' Ian said.
You're saying God
would want me to
give up my
education. Change
all my parents' plans
for me and give up
my education. '
'Yes, if that's what's
required, ' Reverend
Emmett said." p 133
Toronto, ON: Penguin
Books Canada Ltd., 1992
[original 1991]
ISBN 0140159592
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
261/
2005
STEPHEN HAWKING: QUEST FOR A
THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Kitty Ferguson
"In the academic
world physicists
continued to express
tremendous respect
for Hawking but were
a little nonplussed by
all the media hype. It
didn't take higher
math to multiply book
sales figures in the
millions.... There
was the occasional
hint of sour grapes, a
half-suppressed
mutter of 'His work's
no different from a lot
of other physicists;
it's just that his
condition makes him
interesting.'" p. 137
New York, NY: Bantam Books,
1992
[original 1991]
ISBN 055329895X
Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything is
an account of the life and work of Stephen Hawking, eminent
physicist of the 20th century who is diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) at the age
of 20. His quest for truth in the world of theoretical physics
becomes a triumph of the spirit and mind over extreme
physical disability.
Hawking's search, discoveries and theories are discussed in
relatively simple terms. Numerous clarifying diagrams are
provided, as well as a glossary at the end, which will aid the
reader in understanding. His quest covers the exploration and
explanation for "a theory of everything," which is nothing short
of an explanation of the Universe and everything that happens
within it.
This biography should be of special interest to students
fascinated by physics, science or science fiction. Research
projects could follow, such as group studies of "people who
have made a difference." Students not particularly interested
in science might still become involved in the biographical
material of a brilliant and courageous man. A glossary, to
assist with some of the scientific terms, is included at the end
of this edition.
262/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE STONE ANGEL
Margaret Laurence
♦
The Stone Angel tells of the last few days in the life of Hagar
Shipley, a proud, stubborn old woman of 90. Age has
rendered her incapable of living independently, she bitterly
resents the assistance she requires, and she struggles to
escape from her son's home. Her tired old mind wanders into
the past, calling into life, once more, the people — especially the
men— who have been important to her. Her father, from
whom she inherited her stubborn pride and inability to express
the softer side of her nature; her husband, who died never
suspecting her unspoken love; her favourite son, John, willful
and unmanageable like herself, are all dead now. Only Marvin,
her eldest son, is left, and when she finally forces herself to
voice the approval he longs to hear, the words are a lie. Hagar
dies as she has lived— proud and independent.
From a technical point of view, this novel provides good
material for the study of plot structure, point of view,
symbolism, characterization, and effective use of stylistic
devices. Central among these devices is the stone angel,
which Hagar's father has erected, ostensibly a memorial to his
dead wife, but more truthfully, as a monument to his own pride
and a symbol of Hagar herself.
The characters are interesting and convincing, and together
they offer a realistic portrayal of human nature. The
background provides a view of western Canadian life from the
1920s through to the 1960s. Student discussion of the novel
could consider the extent to which Hagar is individual and
idiosyncratic, or representative of elderly women of her time
and place.
"1 can't change
what's happened to
me in my life, or
make what's not
occurred take place.
But I can't say I like
it, or accept it, or
believe its for the
best. I don't and
never shall, not even
if I'm damned for it."
p. 160
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Inc., 1968
[original 1964]
ISBN 0771091591
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
263/
2005
THE STONE CARVERS
Jane Urquhart
"There is absolutely
nothing, ' he told her,
'like the carving of
names. Nothing like
committing to the
stone this record of
someone who is
utterly lost.'" p. 347
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Ltd., 2001
390 pages
ISBN 0-7710-8685-7
The Stone Carvers spans three decades at the beginning of
the 20 th century and geographically moves from Ontario to the
battlefields of France in an exploration of loss, war and the
healing power of art. Klara Becker, the daughter of an Ontario
woodcarver, is haunted by a love affair with a boy who died in
World War I. She remains a spinster but finds comfort
through carving. Years later, her mysterious brother and she
reunite and travel to Walter Allward's monument to fallen
Canadian soldiers at Vimy, France, where they both experience
epiphanies on war and try to rebuild their lives.
Thematically, this award-winning book is about the need to
remember, the sweep of history, the futility of war, and the
redemption that emerges through art. An intelligent and
spellbinding novel, 777e Stone Carvers is simply written and
appropriate for most English Language Arts 30-1 classes.
As pre-reading, teachers may wish to provide historical
background on Vimy Ridge, the war memorial, and the role of
Canadians during WWI. Teachers should be aware that the
book contains profanity, violence and references to the sexual
behaviour of the characters.
264/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TO DESTROY YOU IS NO LOSS
Joan D. Criddle and Teeda Butt Mam
To Destroy You Is No Loss is a compassionate biography
that tells of a Cambodian family's ordeal during the Khmer
Rouge holocaust in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The preface
gives an excellent background to the events leading up to and
during the holocaust. The book, itself, traces the life of one
very courageous young woman, Teeda Butt Mam, and her
family during those years of servitude and genocide while
Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge held the country in a death grip.
Following the fall of the Pol Pot, the family become refugees
and find their way to the United States. The co-author, Joan
Criddle, helps sponsor the Butt family's emigration to America.
She dedicates the book "To Teeda and her family for a
willingness to recount painful experiences, to make their ordeal
public, in order that we might understand."
Students who are concerned with the politics of the Asiatic
world, who wish to study political leaders and societies, who
wish to learn more about the Cambodians among us, who are
interested in world refugee problems, and who are concerned
with man's humanity or inhumanity to man, should be
interested in this book.
A remarkable "tour de force" that demonstrates the strength of
the human will to survive, this biography would fit well in a
humanities program.
"Slowly and
painfully, the dazed
woman had pried
herself from the
tangle of arms and
legs, crawled over the
bodies and made her
escape. She had
subsisted on grubs
and roots since then.
For five days, Vitou
and his friend had
risked detection by
bringing food to her.
When it became
known in the village
that several victims
had survived, and
were hiding among
the nut trees, the
leaders first
threatened death to
any villager who
aided them. " p. 1 65
New York, NY: Doubleday,
1989
[original 1987]
ISBN 0385266286
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
265/
2005
TOUCH THE EARTH: A SELF-PORTRAIT
OF INDIAN EXISTENCE
T. C. McLuhan
"We did not think of
the great open plains,
the beautiful rolling
hills, and winding
streams with tangled
growth as 'wild.'
Only to the white
man was nature a
'wilderness' and only
to him was the land
'infested' with 'wild'
animals and 'savage'
people. To us it was
tame. Earth was
bountiful and we
were surrounded
with the blessings of
the Great Mystery. "
p. 45
New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster, Inc., 1971
ISBN 0671222759
Touch the Earth is a sepia photo-illustrated compilation of
speeches and excerpts from documents, all told in the voice of
the North American Indian, many of whom, like Chief Joseph,
Tecumseh and Geronimo, are well-known historical figures.
Their voices range in tone from the nostalgic and
philosophical, to the bitter and defiant.
The material spans a century and records the Native view of
the white man's betrayal of nature and of an indigenous race.
Section headings indicate the range of topic and tone: "The
Morning Sun, the New Sweet Earth and the Great Silence";
"The Hairy Man from the East"; "My Voice Is Become Weak";
"If We Surrender, We Die." Early parts of the book reinforce
the closeness of the Native to the land and provoke interest in
a time of increasing concern about the environment.
The book promotes an empathy toward Native peoples and
provides for increased understanding of the spiritual
significance of many facets of Native life. There is, however, a
marked imbalance. All Natives are perceived positively; almost
all Caucasians are stereotyped negatively. While this might be
seen as a restoring of the balance against the negative
stereotyping of the Native in past literature and history,
teachers should be aware that Touch the Earth is not suitable
as a whole "stand-alone" resource. Its bias should be
recognized and the book used only if accompanied by other
material and activities, either to balance the "white view" often
historically presented, or with literature that reveals some
examples of Caucasians who have interacted positively with
Native people. The book may be most appropriate for either
small group or individual study.
The voices in this book are powerful, but students should be
aware that they are not reading a balanced history, but a
personal, literary and artistic view of history. The language is
often lyrical and passionate and, as a sort of anthology of
prose poetry, the book lends itself to oral reading of selections.
266/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TRUTH AND BRIGHT WATER
Thomas King
Truth and Bright Water is a fun and easy-to-read novel by
one of Canada's most respected Aboriginal authors. It tells of
two young cousins, Tecumseh and Lum, who live in both a
small American town called Truth, and a reserve across the
border called Bright Water. While Lum attempts to win the
Indian Days race and run away from his past and an abusive
parent, Tecumseh tries to figure out his own family.
This humourous novel is written in King's characteristically
plain, poetic and comic style. The book explores themes of
love, betrayal, reconciliation, self-discovery and the search for
purpose. For non-Aboriginal readers, this will be a delightful,
educational excursion into Aboriginal imagination and
perspectives.
The book contains extensive use of questionable language, as
well as references to sexual activities, suicide, environmental
issues, authority and corporal punishment. Some of these
issues may be offensive to students and members of the
community.
". . . maybe the bluff
was once a burial
ground. Maybe at
one time we buried
our dead there and
then forgot about it.
Maybe if you dug
down a little in the
grass and the clay,
you 'dfind entire
tribes scattered
across the prairies.
Such things probably
happen all the time.
A little rain, a little
wind, and a skull
just pops out of the
ground." p. 73
Toronto, ON:
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.,
1999
Harper Canada Perennial
edition
282 pages
ISBN 0-00-648196-5
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
267/
2005
UNDER THE RIBS OF DEATH
John Marlyn
"He crossed his legs
stubbornly. Some
day, he thought, he
would show them.
Some day he would
own a house that
would make this one
look like a shack.
The time would come
when he would throw
a party and the
people he invited
wouldn't have to
bring their own food,
either. That was a
dirty trick — inviting
you to come and eat
your own food. "
p. 42
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Inc., 1990
[original 1957]
ISBN 0771098669
Under the Ribs of Death tells the story of a young
immigrant boy as he struggles to become Anglicized in
Winnipeg during the late 1920s. Although Sander is
Hungarian, he could be any immigrant from anywhere, and the
story follows him through poverty to success and to poverty
once again. In his quest for wealth, Sander rejects his family,
friends and ethics — only to regain these values, love of family,
spiritual goals, and a sense of pride and dignity— when he
once more finds himself indigent.
The novel reflects the social mores of the era and deals with
the non-Anglo immigration experience through stereotypes of
the "English" and the "foreigner." In so doing, the prejudices
of English Canadians, and the effects of the Great Depression
are revealed. The writing style uses examples of dour humour
contrasted with expressions of despair and poverty. While
there is some blasphemy, it is used to reveal the despair of the
characters.
This novel provides opportunity for discussion regarding
theme, point of view, irony and characterization. Sander's
struggle for identity reveals the ironic need to be
simultaneously independent and dependent.
268/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE WARS
Timothy Findley
In The Wars, Robert Ross, a gentle 19-year-old Canadian,
experiences the horrors and personal dilemmas of war as a
young officer in France during World War I. He undergoes
moral and physical violation, and makes personally courageous
but politically treasonous decisions, which lead to court-martial.
The novel is a strong and sensitive condemnation of all "wars"
against the human spirit. In the midst of death, Ross is a
young man committed to, and affirming of, the value of all life.
Findley is critical of organized religion and, although he doesn't
emphasize it, it is clear he doubts the ability of the church to
respond meaningfully in times of either public or private crisis.
Robert's mother, an alcoholic who suffers terribly over Robert's
involvement with the war, derives little comfort from the
church. There are two explicitly sexual scenes that may need
to be considered if selecting this novel. One is set in a brothel
near Lethbridge where Robert observes his war hero, Captain
Taffler, in a homosexual act; another is the gang-rape of
Robert by his fellow officers, in the officers' dark steam bath.
Both scenes, however, are essential to the development of the
central character and to the themes of the novel. Because of
the religious and sexual references, the book might be best
offered on an optional basis. As a novel study, The Wars is
interesting for its unique narrative structure: the use of
different points of view as collected by a contemporary
researcher, through clippings, photographs, letters and
interviews. Shifts in time may cause some initial reader
confusion, but the purpose soon becomes clear. In spite of its
serious subject matter, the novel is fast-paced, immensely
readable, and written with a sure, fine touch.
"I know what you
want to do. I know
you're going to go
away and be a
soldier. Well — you
can go to hell. I'm
not responsible. I'm
just another
stranger." p. 28
Markham, ON: Penguin
Books, 1978
[original 1977]
ISBN 0140050116
Awards:
Governor General's Award
for fiction in English, 1977
City of Toronto Book Award,
1977
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
269/
2005
WILD GEESE
Martha Ostenso
"She straightened
like a flash and flung
it with all her
strength at Caleb's
head. Her eyes
closed dizzily, and
when she opened
them again he was
crouching before her,
his hand moving
across his
moustache. The ax
was buried in the
rotten wall behind his
head." p. 206
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Inc., 1989
[original 1925]
ISBN 0771099940
Set on a farm in Northern Manitoba, Wild Geese portrays the
life of Caleb Gare who cruelly suppresses his family. He
blackmails his wife with the threat of exposing her illegitimate
son, Mark Jordan, to the truth about his real father. The plot
is further developed when Mark falls in love with the visiting
school teacher, Lind Archer, whose confidante is Jude, Caleb's
daughter. Jude's strength and sexuality are contrasted to
Lind's delicacy and tenderness. Later, Jude rejects Caleb's
belief in the necessity of immigrant hardships, and triumphs
over her father's oppression.
The novel provides for an interesting discussion of the family
farm as a backdrop for a story of passion and manipulation of
power. The characters' emotions are paralleled to the
conditions of the land; Caleb is "a spiritual counterpart of the
land, as harsh, as demanding, as tyrannical as the very soil
from which he drew his existence," and he exerts this power
over his family.
The story is set in the period between the arrival of the geese
in the spring and their departure in autumn, further
symbolizing the natural world as representative of the
characters. The novel should provide for interesting
discussions on language, character development, symbolism
and theme, and is appropriate for full class discussion.
270/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
WINDFLOWER
Gabrielle Roy
O
In Wildflower, Elsa, a young Inuit girl, is seduced by an
American soldier in Fort Chimo, Northwest Territories. The
child who is born, Jimmy, becomes the object of his young
mother's devotion. She attempts to immerse him in the Inuit
culture, but finally loses him to the white man's world and his
wars. Windflower is a translation of La Riviere sans Repos, one
of four stories in which Roy depicts the Inuit in an uneasy
transition between two worlds, not fully at home in either.
Various themes emerge: the imprisoning effect of material
possessions; the brotherhood of man; the cyclic nature of life;
and the brief joys of love and motherhood— symbolized by the
short-lived tundra windflower.
The novel is short, easy to read, informal in style and clear in
structure. It provides a sympathetic insight into the Inuit way
of life, which is warmly and compellingly portrayed.
"'In the old days,' he
reproached her
gently, 'you were all
carelessness, Elsa,
now you're all care.
Couldn't you rear
your child more
simply, as you
yourself were
reared?'
'In filth!' she said
indignantly. 'Eating
the guts of animals?'
You're too quick to go
to extremes, ' he said.
'It's a question of
rearing the boy with
care but without the
danger of his ever
coming to be
ashamed of you and
Winnie and
Thaddeus. Do you
understand?'
Quite truthfully, she
did not understand. "
p. 48
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart Inc., 1975
[original 1970]
ISBN 0771092202
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
271/
2005
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Emily Bronte
"You teach me now
how cruel you've
been — cruel and
false. Why did you
despise me? Why
did you betray your
heart, Cathy? I have
not one word of
comfort. You deserve
this. You have killed
yourself. Yes, you
may kiss me, and
cry; and wring out
my kisses and tears:
they'll blight you —
they'll damn you.
You loved me — then
what right had you to
leave me?" p. 198
New York, NY:
Press, 1981
[original 1847]
Bantam Classic
ISBN 0686697278
The saga Wuthering Heights is narrated by a new arrival on
the wild Yorkshire moors, John Lockwood, whose informant is
his housekeeper, Nelly Dean. She recounts to him, in a series
of vivid flashbacks and time shifts, the events making up the
troubled love story of Catherine Earnshaw and the dark and
passionate Heathcliff— a story of love and vengeance, which
passes on to the next generation in the characters of Cathy,
the dead Catherine's daughter, and Linton, Heathcliff's son.
The novel can be read as a love story, but at a deeper level, as
an exploration of the darker side of human nature. Some
readers may find some of the incidents, such as the strangling
of a dog, or the hanging of puppies, troubling and distasteful—
but they are part of the vein of undeniable cruelty that
underlies the human nature portrayed.
This Bronte classic has both a poetic and a moral structure.
The intensity of the characters' emotions, the wildness and
remoteness of setting, and the Gothic atmosphere, make the
novel fascinating and disturbing.
272/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 30-1
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
*-*-H?l
30-2
English Language Arts
Authorized Novels and Nonfiction
Annotated List
ALICIA: MY STORY
Alicia Appleman-Jurman
u IJelt that old
sickening feeling
again, and pure
hatred for those
people. My God, I
thought, you people
feed me, visit with
me, suffer with me
for a week, and at
the first opportunity
you betray me to the
Germans. May you
all burn in hell, every
one of you!" p. 232
New York, NY: Bantam Books,
1990
[original 1988]
ISBN 0553282182
In Alicia: My Story, Alicia, an adolescent Polish Jew, suffers
the horrors of living and trying to survive under the Nazis. She
sees her mother murdered, and experiences terrible hardships
while hiding from the Nazis and their collaborators. Through
luck, street sense, and the help of many good people, she is
able to hide, survive and maintain her faith in the family and
the essential goodness of people. Eventually, she organizes
and leads a group who settle in the Palestine region. Later,
she marries an American and moves to the United States.
This vivid personal account of survival, and great personal
courage, deals with atrocities committed for racial and ethnic
reasons; an account of man's inhumanity to man. The topic,
by its very nature, may be sensitive in some communities.
Teachers should also be aware that this lengthy biography
contains some stereotyping of Germans and Ukrainians.
Alicia Appleman-Jurman's autobiography, however, has the
potential to broaden understanding and sensitivity to personal
sufferings and to holocaust events. While chapters are short,
the book may be most appropriate for small group or
individual study.
274/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Erich Maria Remarque
In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Baumer, a German
schoolboy, enlists with his classmates in World War I.
Although youthful and optimistic, they lose their childhood,
their connection to humankind, and their lives, through years
of horror. Paul tries to fight against the hate that destroys all
the young people regardless of country or uniform.
Preservation of life and the overcoming of prejudices are the
main themes of the novel. The destructive powers of war,
both mental and physical, are depicted through the many
hardships the soldiers endure. Their struggles are heroic and
universal. Classroom discussions can be enriched by the
realization that people everywhere are similar, no matter what
war they are fighting or cause they are defending.
As in all war stories, there is profanity, violence, sexuality and
stereotyping, all necessary for the framework of the novel's
setting. War is violent and destructive, and these young boys
initially respond in a similar manner, but they also mature,
realizing the senselessness of violence and death, and become
aware of the need for greater tolerance and understanding in
the world.
This novel relates well to the social studies curriculum and is
appropriate for full class study.
"It was that
abstraction I stabbed.
But now, for the first
time, I see you are a
man like me. I
thought of your hand-
grenades, of your
bayonet, of your rifle;
now I see your wife
and your face and
our fellowship.
Forgive me comrade.
We always see it too
late. Why do they
never tell us that you
are poor devils like
us...." p. 223
New York, NY: Fawcett
Crest, 1982
[original 1928]
ISBN 0449213943
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
275/
2005
BUSH PILOT WITH A BRIEFCASE: THE
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY STORY OF GRANT
McCONACHIE
Ronald A. Keith
O
There were damn
Jew breaks in the
drab routine. Meals
were served at the
fish company's cook-
house. Good food,
lots of meat. Nobody
ate fish. The pilots
did the cabin
housekeeping, which
meant sweeping the
plank floor once a
week. They hauled
cordwoodfrom the
cook-house woodpile
and melted snow in a
tub on the stove for
drinking, bathing and
brewing coffee. In
the evening, the
crews played bridge
or read in the
flickering yellow light
of the kerosene
lamps." p. 115
Markham, ON: PaperJacks Ltd.,
1973
[original 1972]
ISBN 0770102093
Bush Pilot with a Briefcase is the engaging biography of
Grant McConachie. From his youth in Edmonton to, at age 38,
his rise to president of Canadian Pacific Airlines, and through
his continuing escapades, Grant McConachie was an
irrepressible figure. As an early bush pilot flying over the
rugged and dangerous northland, his ebullient self-assurance,
sheer force of personality, and luck, enabled a meteoric rise to
the top.
Written in a well-paced and colourful style, this is an easy,
absorbing read. Despite careful focus on McConachie, the
result seems more a surface treatment than an analytical
study. The book illustrates the effects of personal
relationships and the force of personality in achieving success.
276/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE CHOSEN
Chaim Potok
The Chosen is a story of friendship that develops when two
Jewish boys are rivals during a baseball game. Reuven Malter
is an Orthodox Jew; Danny Saunders is a Hasidic Jew and
oldest son of his sect's rebbi. In spite of their religious
differences, the two develop a strong bond of love and
friendship that is able to survive all adversity. The story not
only revolves around their friendship, but also examines the
difficulties faced when the desires of a child do not match the
desires that parents and culture place on the individual. A
central question of the novel is: Should the individual sacrifice
personal desires to the aspirations of the community?
Students may require extensive background information on the
differences between Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. Furthermore,
students need to understand that the Hasidic Jews do not
represent the mainstream of Jewish thought and belief.
This is an excellent novel for the study of character and how
society helps define who and what an individual is.
7 went away and
cried to the Master of
the Universe, 'What
have you done to me?
A mind like this I
needforason? A
heart I need for a
son, a soul I need for
a son, compassion I
want from my son,
righteousness, mercy,
strength to suffer and
carry pain, that I
want from my son,
not a mind without a
soul!'" p. 264
New York, NY: Fawcett
Crest, 1982
[original 1967]
ISBN 0449213447
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
277/
2005
CROW LAKE
Mary Lawson
O
"Love goes deeper
than anything else, I
guess. It gets to the
core of you, and
when Daniel got to
the core of me I found
that Matt and Luke
and Bo were there
too. They were part
of me. In spite of
years apart I still
knew their faces
better than my own.
Anything I knew of
love, I had learned
from them. "
pp. 193-194
Toronto, ON: Random House
of Canada Ltd., 2003
Delta Book edition
[original 2002]
291 pages
ISBN 0-385-33763-9
Crow Lake is set in a northern Ontario farming community
and the labs of University of Toronto. Narrator Kate Morrison
is a zoologist in her late twenties who lives for her hero, her
brother Matt. The book portrays realistic family battles and a
painful past that gets in the way of Kate's relationship with
another boy, Daniel. Eventually, Kate learns to change her
views and becomes a survivor of sorts.
Lawson's novel is about misunderstandings, sibling love,
repressed resentment, loyalty, emotional isolation, and
surviving poverty and tragedy. Crow Lake will resonate for
rural readers in particular, because of the setting and culture,
but it has appeal for all students. It is a realistic and honest
novel about family. It is ideal for teaching about character and
conflict, and for generating both personal and critical
responses. Teachers should be aware that this novel contains
scenes of domestic violence and abuse, sexual relationships,
and coarse language that may trouble some readers.
278/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
DEATH AND DELIVERANCE
Robert Mason Lee
Death and Deliverance is about a military transport airplane
that crashed on October 31, 1991, 10 miles short of its
destination, Alert, North West Territories. Fourteen people
survived the crash to face a bitter arctic storm with little
protection. Hampered by weather and inadequate and
outdated equipment, Canadian search and rescue technicians,
or Sartechs, risked their own lives to save the survivors. A
number of Edmontonians were involved in the crash and the
rescue.
This intensely personal account reveals the thoughts, feelings
and dreams of the survivors and their rescuers during the three
tense days between leaving the south and arriving in Alert.
The occasional use of vulgar language is realistic in time,
character and situation. This easy-to-read survival story may
be especially appealing to male students or to those who enjoy
plentiful technical details.
"'My boys are going
nuts back here.
You've got to get us
over the site. Those
bastards are going to
waltz in and beat us
to it. '. . .
Frigging Americans!
... Of course the
Americans would get
in. They had the
tecrtnology. They'd
pull off the most
daring rescue in
Canadian history,
and his SARtechs
would be
bystanders." p. 215
Toronto: MacFarlane Walter
& Ross, 1992
ISBN 0921912498
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
279/
2005
DOWNHILL CHANCE
Donna Morrissey
"'... J don't mean to
make big of myself,
Clair, for I'm no more
than your father,
carrying around a
piece of hell as
though it were
separate from the
other. But I've not
lost sight of it, lovely,
like your father did.
He lost sight of his
good and became
caught in the other.
And that's what
killed him.'" p. 397
Toronto, ON:
Penguin Books Canada Ltd.,
2002
Penguin Books edition
428 pages
ISBN 0-14-303360-3
Downhill Chance is the tale of the Osmonds and the Gales-
two families in crisis, connected by love but torn apart by
secrets and fears. Set in pre-Confederation Newfoundland
during and after World War II, the book is a realistic comic
melodrama about ordinary folk written in lively, informal,
sensuous language. The book's colourful vocabulary (e.g.,
scroop, slouse) is a wonderful realization of Maritime-Canadian
regionalism and dialect.
Downhill Chance is a long but lively book about passion, love,
family secrets, childhood and maturity, good and evil, tragedy,
optimism, and reconciliation. Students will find this a
reasonable challenge yielding worthwhile insights into family,
relationships and turning points.
280/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
ENDURANCE: SHACKLETON'S
INCREDIBLE VOYAGE
Alfred Lansing
Written by a veteran journalist, Endurance is a gripping,
intense and suspenseful read. Ernest Shackleton was the
famous Antarctic explorer, whose boat, Endurance, became
locked in ice, drifting until it was crushed. After five months
of staying with the ship, the crew set out in lifeboats to head
850 miles to the nearest outpost. Incredibly, all of
Shackleton's men were saved. This definitive, illustrated
account is composed of diaries by team members and
interviews with survivors.
Thematically, this book is about survival against tremendous
odds and the importance of hope and determination in
achieving survival. Endurance is also memorable for its
accounts of the crew's boredom, hunger, lack of creature
comforts, and numerous setbacks. The book contains some
profane language within the historical context of the crew
members' diaries.
This text can be easily supported by numerous other books
and movies available on this popular topic. Students may be
inspired to conduct Web searches or other research related to
this remarkable story.
"They made a
pitiable sight — three
little boats, packed
with odd remnants of
what had once been
a proud expedition,
bearing twenty-eight
suffering men in one
final, almost
ludicrous bid for
survival. But this
time there was to be
no turning back, and
they all knew it. "
p. 160
New York, NY:
Carroll & Graf Publishers,
2002
Avalon edition
[original 1959]
280 pages
ISBN 0-7867-062 1-X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
281/
2005
FAHRENHEIT 451
Ray Bradbury
"Montag's hand
closed like a mouth,
crushed the book
with wild devotion,
with an insanity of
mindlessness to his
chest. The men
above were hurling
shovelfuls of
magazines into the
dusty air. They fell
like slaughtered birds
and the woman stood
below, like a small
girl, among the
bodies.
Montag had done
nothing. His hand
had done it all, his
hand, with a brain of
its own, with a
conscience and a
curiosity in each
trembling finger, had
turned thief. " p. 36
New York, NY: Ballantine
Books, 1981
[original 1953]
ISBN 0345294661
In Fahrenheit 451, a speculative fiction work, the state
controls all thinking. The general theme is that "Books are
bad. Books are burned because books are ideas." The
protagonist, Guy Montag, is a fireman whose job is to burn
books. Complications arise in Montag's professional and
personal life when, out of curiosity, he steals a book from a
burning library and is subsequently denounced by his wife and
workmates. He escapes to a faraway land where books are
preserved in an amazing manner.
The ideology of state-controlled communication, as outlined by
Montag's fire chief, Beatty, is closer to today's reality; e.g.,
information highways, than it was at the time Bradbury wrote
the novel. The author equates freedom with the expansion of
ideas through reading, writing and conversation.
The novel is an excellent example of social satire and should
generate lively discussions by technologically astute students.
Although the style is fairly simple, and the plot easily followed,
the emphasis is on character study and the idea of individual
choice.
282/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FALLEN ANGELS
Walter Dean Myers
In Fallen Angels, Perry, a 17-year-old black youth, has no
future in Harlem, and so enlists in the army to fight in the
Vietnam war. He and his friend, Peewee, survive physically,
but not before the horrors of war and the deaths of men,
women and children embed themselves in their psyches.
Disillusioned, Perry must find meaning in life. Realistic, harsh
language reflects the violence and killing that is constantly
questioned throughout the plot. The novel leads to
philosophical reflections on war, as young soldiers yearn for
the child within. Overcoming ethnic differences, political
biases, religious beliefs, interpersonal relationships and racial
hatreds are all components of the novel. However, concerns
may arise when dealing with this well-written, compassionate
novel. Teachers should be prepared for the controversial
discussions and responses that this work may engender.
Sensitivity to Vietnamese students in the classroom, school or
community is strongly recommended. This is a powerful and
moving novel. The composition, tempo, craft and rhythm are
well-tuned and ring true. Although engrossing, fascinating and
violently graphic, the male characters display blasphemy,
prejudice, discrimination, sexism, despair and violent reactions
within a war setting. This novel may be most appropriate for
small group or individual study, or offered on an optional basis.
The chopper came
down and we
handed up
Lieutenant Carroll. A
burnt offering. We
didn't hand him up
gently through the
chopper doors, we
pushed him as hard
as we could. It was
his life, but it was our
lives as well. God
have mercy.
We all climbed on
and the chopper
tilted, jerked, and
was off. The door
gunner kept spraying
the village as we
moved off into the
night." p. 127
New York, NY: Scholastic
Inc., 1988
ISBN 0590409433
Awards:
Best Young Adult Book
Award, American Library
Association (ALA), 1988
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
283/
2005
FINDING FISH: A MEMOIR
Antwone Quenton Fisher
"So here I am, in a
chair sitting outside
of his office,
determined to be as
nice as I can,
thinking maybe he'll
like me and think
about keeping me.
Inside, to myself, I
make a promise, like
a prayer, that if my
father does keep me
and I don't have to go
back to the Picketts,
I'll be good for the
rest of my life." p. 90
New York, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers, 2001
Perennial edition
340 pages
ISBN 0-06-000778-8
Finding Fish is a searing memoir about an African-American
orphan who survived emotional abandonment, sexual abuse,
orphanages, reform school, and a cruel adoptive mother to
join the navy and eventually become a well-known
screenwriter and producer. Fisher was a sensitive, withdrawn,
but intelligent and imaginative boy whose spirit remained
unbroken despite his experiences. This book recounts how he
developed strategies for survival and eventually assumed
control of his life. There is redemption for the long-suffering
Fisher as he moves from betrayal and abuse to liberation,
manhood and success.
Finding Fish deals directly with delicate, controversial issues,
and, remarkably, is narrated without self-pity. Well worth the
emotional challenge of reading, this unflinching memoir may
be the most memorable book that some students will study in
high school. Teachers are advised to approach the book
cautiously and to forewarn students about its emotional impact
and content, including questionable language and references
to foster care, race/ethnicity and sexuality. Some teachers
may prefer to use Finding Fish as an individual or small group
novel study.
284/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
FINDING FORRESTER
James W. Ellison
Finding Forrester is about Jamal, a sixteen-year-old South
Bronx African-American basketball player who gets involved in
the life of Forrester, a reclusive seventy-year-old Caucasian
Pulitzer Prize writer. Jamal is a gifted teen with a private
passion for reading and talent as a creative writer. As Forrester
provides writing instruction and helps mentor Jamal through a
snobby Manhattan prep school, the two form a close
attachment despite their differences in colour and age.
This book is about friendship and acceptance. It also explores
the dangers of cheating and the importance of education in
improving one's life. Finding Forrester recognizes diversity and
promotes respect; as such, it lends itself to personal response
and decision-making activities. The text is a novel adaptation
of the popular movie by the same name.
"He took a deep
breath and cracked
open the top
notebook . . . Notes
filled the margins of
every page. They
were written in a
tiny, precise hand,
and the more Jamal
studied them the
more struck he was
with their brilliance.
The man had torn his
work to shreds, and
yet the care and
insight that had gone
into his critiques
were signs to Jamal
that his work had
value. " p. 39
New York, NY:
Newmarket Press, 2000
192 pages
ISBN 1-55704-479-1
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
285/
2005
INTO THE WILD
Jon Krakauer
The prevailing
Alaska wisdom held
that McCandless was
simply one more
dreamy half-cocked
greenhorn who went
into the country
expecting to find
answers to all his
problems and instead
found only
mosquitoes and a
lonely death. " p. 72
Toronto, ON:
Random House of Canada,
1997
Anchor Books edition
[original 1996]
203 pages
ISBN 0-385-48680-4
Into the Wild is an eloquent nonfiction account of Chris
McCandless, a well-to-do young man who 'dropped out' of
society in 1992 and ended up dying in the Alaskan wilderness.
McCandless is an unforgettable, somewhat likable character
who gave his money to charity, abandoned his car, burned the
cash in his wallet, and took on a new identity— that of
Alexander Supertramp.
Krakauer, the author of Into Thin Air, first wrote an article on
McCandless that was later expanded into this book. He traces
the young man's travels, interviews people who knew Chris,
includes Chris's journal entries and letters, and tells of parallel
stories over the years before allowing the reader to pass final
judgement on the victim. Into the Wild goes beyond one
person's tragedy to look at why certain male individuals feel
compelled to escape society and recklessly test themselves
against nature.
Krakauer examines the effects of the wilderness on
imagination and decision making and the blurring of the lines
between dreams and reality. The fascinating psychological
profile of the hiker will be of particular interest to students
taking wilderness components of physical education classes
and those who have camped out or lived in the wild.
Infrequent coarse language used in context in the book should
not be of a concern to English Language Arts 30-2 students.
286/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
JURASSIC PARK
Michael Crichton
In Jurassic Park, Dr. Allan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler join
other consultants and guests at a dinosaur theme island off the
coast of Costa Rica. Dinosaurs have been cloned from
Jurassic-era DNA, combined with more recent DNA from frogs.
The resulting offspring develop overly aggressive
characteristics leading to lots of excitement, adventure and
violence, in which all the bad guys die, and all the good guys
survive.
Although somewhat gruesome and violent, this futuristic novel
should encourage extensive discussion on philosophical ideals,
the implications of genetic and scientific research, the ethics of
reproductive technology, dinosaurs, and ecosystems. These
topics lend themselves to cross-curricular research, discussion
or projects. The "Malcolm theory," named after one of the
novel's scientists, provides a focus for moral and ethical
discussions and observations. Either full class or small group
study should elicit strong personal responses to this work.
"'Didn't bite it-
twisted and ripped it.
Just ripped his leg
off.' Muldoon stood
up, holding the
severed leg upside
down so the
remaining blood
dripped onto the
ferns. His bloody
hand smudged the
white sock as he
gripped the ankle.
Gennarofelt sick
again.
'No question what
happened, ' Muldoon
was saying. The
T-rexgot him.'"
p. 222
New York, NY: Ballantine
Books, 1991
[original 1990]
ISBN 0345370775
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
287/
2005
KEEPERS ME
Richard Wagamese
"... I lost touch with
who I was pretty
quick. Growing up in
all-white homes,
going to all-white
schools, playing with
all-white kids can get
a guy to thinking and
reacting all-white
himself after a while.
With no one pitching
in any information I
just figured I was a
brown white guy. "
p. 12
Toronto, ON: Random House
of Canada Ltd., n.d.
Doubleday Canada edition
[original 1993]
214 pages
ISBN 0-385-25452-0
Keeper 'n Me is a positive story about an Aboriginal young
man who finds redemption by returning to his cultural roots.
When Garnet Raven was 3 years old he was removed from his
home on an Ojibway reservation and placed in a series of
foster homes. In his mid-teens, he escapes to the urban
streets and ends up in jail at age twenty. While there, he
receives a letter from his long-forgotten Aboriginal family, and
decides to return to the reservation when he is released. Back
on the reservation, Keeper, his grandfather and friend,
becomes his personal mentor and spiritual conscience. As
Keeper teaches him about the ways of the Ojibway— modern
and ancient— Garnet finds peace and a sense of identity for
the first time.
There are two narrators in this funny, poignant, mystical book:
Garnet and Keeper, whose witty observations are printed in
italics. Students will enjoy the odd, informal conversational
tone of Keeper's sections and the relationship that forms
between the young man and his grandfather. Most English
Language Arts 30-2 classes will not have a problem with the
book's minor and infrequent coarse language.
Wagamese's novel will entertain and inspire students as they
explore issues around family, identity, values and decisions,
and coming-of-age.
288/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
KING RAT
James Clavell
King Rat depicts the life of British and American personnel in
a Japanese prisoner of war camp. The key figure in the novel
is "the King," an American corporal who manages to retain a
standard of living envied by all other PoVVs. The King is
surrounded by countless underlings who both support and
betray him. He has one friend, British Flight Lieutenant Peter
Marlowe. The King's "greatest enemy" is L. Gary, Provost
Marshall, a lonely fanatic who is determined to entrap him.
Clavell carefully describes the highly structured nature of a
PoW camp and the British concern with "class." These
descriptions parallel one another and are used to advantage to
reveal the individuals who manipulate the system. The
incidents that make up the story help to develop the idea that
survival requires adaptation.
Some of the characters use colloquial language that may, at
times, be considered offensive. However, the setting is a
prisoner of war camp, and the language used realistically
reflects these circumstances. The transvestite Clavell writes
about is sympathetically portrayed. Women, as in most war
stories, are presented in traditional and subservient roles. This
novel may be most appropriate for mature readers in small
group or individual study.
"'I suppose so, ' Peter
Marlowe replied.
What an awful thing
to say. He was hurt
by the King and did
not understand that
the American mind is
simple in some
things, as simple as
the English mind. An
American is proud of
his money-making
capacity, rightly so.
An Englishman, such
as Peter Marlowe, is
proud to get killed for
the flag. Rightly so. "
p. 181
New York, NY: Dell
Publishing, 1982
[original 1962]
ISBN 0440145465
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
289/
2005
LETTERS FROM WINGFIELD FARM
Dan Needles
u> Go play farmer for
the summer, ' he said,
'and tell me in
October what you're
going to do, with the
rest of your life. And
leave that dumb hat
at home next time
you come down for a
board meeting. '
He's got a point. I do
have to decide where
I belong. I like the
life here all right but
it seems that trying to
farm these days
means taking avow
of poverty.
Especially the way I
doit." p. 105
Toronto, ON: Seal Books,
1989
ISBN 0770423868
In Letters from Wingfield Farm, Walt Wingfield leaves his
position as board chairman of a Toronto brokerage house to
take over the "old Fisher place" on Rural Route 1, Persephone
County. He begins to farm his newly acquired 100-acre plot as
a philosopher-farmer. He believes he can establish an
economically viable operation based on sound, big business
principles, while using only horse-drawn equipment.
In his attempt to become one with the land, Walt encounters
many of the well-established locals. Two neighbours in
particular, a dour, inarticulate auctioneer, and an old horse
trainer, provide colourful characterization in vignettes about
Walt's mishaps as a farmer.
Wingfield's Pyrrhic victories are chronicled with wit in the form
of letters to the editor of the local newspaper. By the end of
the novel, Walt's letters reflect a respect and appreciation for
his new life and friends, and reveal his emerging self-
awareness. Although humorous, Walt's growth is no less
important or evocative.
The letter format of this novel can provide students with a
refreshing approach to journal writing. The main character
laughs at himself and his mishaps, and invites the reader to do
the same. Rich in irony, understatement and dramatic pacing,
the work is valuable as a study of dramatic character
presentation and the vignette format.
290/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
MEDICINE RIVER
Thomas King
With Medicine River, Thomas King has created a
tongue-in-cheek account of the inhabitants and the social
structure of Medicine River. The protagonist, Will, returns to a
small Blackfoot community in southern Alberta to sort out the
details of his mother's death. This return to his roots stirs
many long-buried issues from his childhood and forces him to
confront his true values. His encounter with Harlen Bigbear
results in a series of events which direct his life and affairs into
otherwise unconsidered directions. He opens the only Native
photography shop in Medicine River and agrees to compile the
band directory. This project is the framework for Will's
encounter with the Native population. A progression of
escapades— sometimes painful, often hilarious— brings Will to
an understanding of his own identity and commitments.
The characters in this novel are warm and engaging, and the
story line is lighthearted without being predictable. Will's quest
to understand himself is universal, in spite of his unique
experiences. Life in Medicine River exposes dilemmas and
contradictions that exist in many small Alberta towns.
This novel is written in a clear, forthright manner and contains
enough good character dialogue and plot intrigue to hold
student interest. Often, the personal stories are painful and
touching, but there is an overriding sense of humour and
optimism to the work, which leaves the reader with a sense of
compassion for and understanding of the characters and an
appreciation of Native culture.
" 'People like that, '
said Elwood, 'don't
shoot themselves.
Shit. Only mistake
Jake made was
turning his back on
January. That
women's liberation's
what's doing it.
Fellow puts a woman
in her place once in a
while don't give her
any call to shoot him.
Hell we'd all be
dead.'" p. 50
Toronto, ON: Penguin
Books Canada Ltd., 1991
[original 1989]
ISBN 0140126031
Awards:
Writer's Guild of Alberta Best
Novel Award, 1990
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
291/
2005
NO GREAT MISCHIEF
Alistair MacLeod
O
"Sometimes my
brothers played their
battered violins
themselves. And
sometimes we
hummed or sang the
old Gaelic songs.
And when we talked,
often in Gaelic, it was
mostly of the past
and of the distant
landscape which was
our home. " p. 1 46
Toronto, ON: McClelland &
Stewart, 2001
Emblem edition
[original 1999]
283 pages
ISBN 0-7710-5570-6
No Great Mischief is described by critics as MacLeod's
masterpiece. This gentle-humoured novel is a love letter to
the author's native Cape Breton. The narrator, Alexander
MacDonald, is an Ontario orthodontist who goes to Toronto to
help his alcoholic older brother, Calum. The two eventually
drive to their beloved Cape Breton to join their family members
working in a mine, where they encounter the conflict between
Cape Bretoners and French Canadians.
Along the way, Alex relates a 200-year cross-generational saga
that traces his family from Scotland to the New World. Alex, it
turns out, was orphaned at age three, along with his twin
sister, when both parents fell through the ice near their home.
His three much older brothers were already on their own,
while the twins were raised by their grandparents. Now, Alex,
Calum (who seems to carry the legacy of the original, tragedy-
stricken Calum MacDonald) and their sister are all haunted by
the links between their family and the past.
This novel explores themes of family, love, loyalty, identity,
and the influence of history. Students will enjoy the stories of
loggers, miners, drinkers, exiles and adventurers, but the book
also contains beautiful haunting scenes depicting the sadness
of human beings. There are numerous references to violence,
ethnic loyalty and sexual behaviour that may be disturbing to
some students or community members. Examples of coarse
language are incidental and appropriate to the context of the
novel. This book might create student interest in telling
anecdotes of their own about family and family pride.
292/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF
IVAN DENISOVICH
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich tells of survival in a
Siberian camp for political prisoners. Ivan Denisovich depends
upon his shrewdness and skills as a mason to survive.
Solzhenitsyn introduces Ivan at 5 o'clock on a cold winter
morning, and the reader follows him through a typical day. In
Ivan's life, the overriding factor is self-preservation.
The novel is short and easy to read. Its apparent simplicity is
deceptive. Based on Solzhenitsyn 's own experiences, Ivan
becomes a type of "Everyman" in a novel whose main theme is
the overwhelming impulse and courage of the human spirit to
survive. The book is not depressing in tone, in spite of the
rigours and privations of a prison camp.
"In all the time he
spent in camps and
prisons, Ivan
Denisovich had
gotten out of the habit
of worrying about the
next day, or the next
year, much less how
to feed his family.
The fellows at the top
thought of everything
for him, and it was
kind of easier like
that. Winter after
winter, summer after
summer — he still had
a long time to go. "
p. 147
London, England:
Heinemann Educational
Books Ltd., 1974
[original 1963]
ISBN 0435122002
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
293/
2005
THE PIANIST: THE EXTRAORDINARY
TRUE STORYOF ONE MAN'S SURVIVAL IN
WARSAW: 1939-1945
Wladyslaw Szpilman
"I was now alone in
this quarter of the
city. The SS were
visiting the building
where I was hiding
more and more often.
How long could I
survive in these
conditions? A week?
Two weeks?" p. 164
Toronto, ON:
McArthur & Company, 2000
[original 1946]
222 pages
ISBN 1-55278-142-9
The Pianist, long suppressed by the Polish government, is a
Holocaust memoir of life in under Nazi occupation. Dodging
arrest and certain death in increasingly desperate
circumstances, the author, a successful concert pianist and
composer, was fortunate to receive unexpected compassion
from a German soldier. Set entirely in the Warsaw ghetto, this
unusual take on the Holocaust documents humanity's
primordial survival instinct and reveals the power of music to
keep people's hopes and spirits alive in dangerous times.
A quick read, The Pianist is written in an understated,
detached manner that emphasizes both the horror and the
banal details of life in the ghetto. The book includes
descriptions of the horrors of the Holocaust including suicide
as a choice people made to escape the atrocities of war. The
memoir also includes excerpts from the German officer's
wartime journal and an epilogue on Szpilman's life after the
war.
294/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
SIDDHARTHA
Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha traces the life of a young Indian man, Siddhartha,
as he embarks on a spiritual quest. Throughout his journey, he
struggles with worldly materialism, sensuous pleasures and
inner conflicts of spiritual truth.
The novel's rich imagery and numerous allusions to the life of
Buddha will provide the skilled, more mature student with
exposure to an Eastern philosophy. This work, however,
should not be construed as a document for teaching about
Buddhism.
The novel is most suitable for small groups of mature students
who may wish to explore the quest motif, the metaphor of life
as a journey, the difficult and elusive nature of wisdom and
truth, and the complexity of the imperfections of humankind.
"And he thought: It
was the Self, the
character and nature
of which I wished to
learn. I wanted to rid
myself of the Self , to
conquer it, but I could
not conquer it, I could
only deceive it, could
only jly from it, could
only hide from it.
Truly, nothing in the
world has occupied
my thoughts as much
as the Self, this
riddle, that I live, that
I am one and am
separated and
differentfrom
everybody else, that I
am Siddhartha; and
about nothing in the
world do I know less
than about myself
about Siddhartha. "
p. 31
New York, NY: New
Directions Publishing
Corporation, 1957
[original 1922]
ISBN 081120068X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
295/
2005
STARSHIP TROOPERS
Robert A. Heinlein
"There are a dozen
different ways of
delivering destruction
in impersonal
wholesale, via ships
and missiles of one
sort or another,
catastrophes so
widespread, so
unselective that the
war is over because
that nation or planet
ceased to exist.
What we do is
entirely different. We
make war as
personal as a punch
in the nose. " p. 99
New York, NY:
Berkley Publishers
Group/Penguin Putnam, Inc.,
1987
Ace Books edition
[original 1959]
264 pages
ISBN 0-441-78358-9
Starship Troopers is a science fiction classic in which the
narrator Johnnie, a young recruit in the future, signs up with
the Terran Mobile Infantry of the Federal Reserve. He is
determined to make the grade at grueling boot camp. As he
trains to fight the enemy Klendathu, and later goes off to war,
Johnnie learns why he is a soldier. The war scenes and
technology of this 1959 novel are still plausible even without
the modern details. The appeal of the book lies in the ideas
and moral philosophy rather than a fast paced plot.
The main theme of this controversial book is the conflict
between individual freedom and government control.
Secondary themes concern citizenship, duty and responsibility,
and crime and punishment. This thoughtful, readable novel
will invite discussions about the relationships between
individuals and society; values and choices; good and evil; and
conformity and rebellion. This is an 'idea book' for students to
relate and respond to critically. Teachers should be aware of
two issues: inappropriate language and disrespectful
references to people with disabilities.
Note: This novel should not be confused with the movie of
the same name.
296/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
THE SUSPECT
L. R. Wright
In The Suspect, George Wilcox, at the age of 80, commits the
near-perfect crime. The murder happens quickly, quietly, and
very unexpectedly, in a small town on the Sunshine Coast in
British Columbia. This unusual turn in George's life would have
gone undetected had his conscience not started to bother him.
The suspense mounts as George befriends the local librarian,
Cassandra Mitchell, and her new boyfriend, Karl Alberg, the
local RCMP Staff Sergeant. Together, these three find
themselves on a collision course of conflicting values and
loyalties.
This Canadian mystery allows for the study of characterization,
plot development and foreshadowing. Also, the examination of
right and wrong could lead to interesting response journal
writing, character analysis and the examination of points of
view. Students may need help with vocabulary, particularly at
the beginning of the book.
Teachers should be aware of blasphemy and scenes of
domestic violence, which may be distressing to some students.
However, the depiction of such violence provides a classroom
opportunity to discuss the issue of domestic violence, its
traumatic causes and effects.
"Alberg wondered if
she knew they had
been brothers-in-law.
If so, she wasn't
telling him. He found
this mildly
distressing, even
though he hadn't
convinced himself yet
that the old
relationship between
the two men had
anything to do with
Burke's death.
Cassandra looked at
the irises. . . . She
heard it again: He
got exactly what was
coming to him. She
had never heard
George Wilcox say
anything so
unfeeling. It must
have been the shock,
she thought." p. 60
Toronto, ON: Seal Books,
1986
[original 1985]
ISBN 07704421229
Awards:
Edgar Allan Poe Award,
Mystery Writers of America,
1986
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
297/
2005
SWITCHBACKS: TRUE STORIES FROM
THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
Sid Marty
"I like the Kid's
cockiness. In/act, I
distrust any young
bush ape who isn't a
bit on the cocky side.
Boundary patrol is no
place for weenies. "
p. 11
Toronto, ON:
McClelland & Stewart, 2001
[original 1999]
316 pages
ISBN 0-7710-5670-2
Switchbacks is a collection of fourteen mountain tales and a
glossary of related terms, written by a veteran Alberta poet
and climber. Using his own memories and those of others, the
author presents a variety of experiences— some tragic, others
humourous or redemptive— to create this colourful collection.
Marty's main purpose is to bring readers closer to the unique
stories of people who climb mountains. In the process, he
explores thoughts, feelings and experiences familiar to all
Alberta nature-lovers. The book also contains selections about
coming-of-age, apprenticeship, and the influence of mountains
on people.
Switchbacks invites both personal and creative response work.
Teachers should be aware of the book's coarse language,
descriptions of careless alcohol use, and critical references to
operations in the National Parks.
298/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE: AN OLD MAN,
A YOUNG MAN, AND LIFE'S GREATEST
LESSON
Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is an enriching memoir about a
teacher-student relationship. After a long separation, Albom
becomes reacquainted with his former sociology professor,
Morrie Schwartz, who by then is terminally ill. The two begin
visiting every Tuesday to talk about youth, aging, fear,
forgiveness and numerous other topics reflecting life's
complexity. The flashback-flashforward structure alternates
between the time when the younger Albom was in Morrie's
class and the time of their weekly visits.
Through these discussions, the book shares wisdom, insights,
valuable lessons in living, and the common desire to form a
philosophy of life that transcends the fact of mortality. The
book is moving without being sentimental or self-pitying, and
maintains a humourous tone despite its serious subject matter.
This short-sentenced page-turner will remind students of
mentors from their own past and will probably stimulate
personal anecdote writing. Very minor incidental coarse
language adds realism and is appropriate to the situations.
Teachers should be aware that the subject matter could be
sensitive for students who have experienced the serious illness
or death of a family member or friend.
"He repeated it
carefully, pausing for
effect. 'Love is the
only rational act, ' I
nodded, like a good
student, and he
exhaled weakly. I
leaned over to give
him a hug. And then,
although it is not
really like me, I
kissed him on the
cheek. I felt his
weakened hands on
my arms, the thin
stubble of his
whiskers brushing on
my face. 'So you'll
come back next
Tuesday?' he
whispered. "
New York, NY:
Random House, Inc., 2002
Broadway Books edition
[original 1997]
192 pages
ISBN 0-7679-0592-X
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
299/
2005
WALKING WITH THE GREAT APES
JANE GOODALL, DIAN FOSSEY,
BIRUTE GALDIKAS
Sy Montgomery
"Although no fighting
erupted over access
to Flo, all the males
seemed almost
frantic with fear that
she might walk away
and they would lose
another opportunity
to mate with her;
they would follow her
every movement with
eager, hungry eyes.
For nearly six weeks
she was followed
everywhere by this
retinue of up to
fourteen males. One
day Jane counted Flo
copulating fifty
times. " p. 30
New York, NY: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1991
ISBN 0395611563
Walking with the Great Apes is about Jane Goodall's work
with the chimpanzees of Gombe; Dian Fossey's defence of the
mountain gorillas of Risande; and Birute Galdikas' study of
orangutans in Borneo. It presents a composite picture of three
women who forge careers through their study of primates.
While this book portrays the work of these women, it also
compares the different psychological characteristics of each
researcher and is, therefore, as much a perceptive study of the
women as it is of the primates.
Different perspectives can be obtained from reading this book.
From one point of view, three admirable women scientists are
presented as role models and innovative leaders in their field.
Also, it can be viewed as a perceptive and insightful portrait of
feminist ideas. From another point of view, the book could be
interpreted as extreme and bizarre, and illustrative of a
spiritual relationship with animals that could be defined as
animistic, or possibly even shamanistic. While there are
images of death, sexuality and violence, a study of this
nonfiction book could give students insight into various ways
of seeing, understanding and appreciating others, especially
those with different cultures, religious and belief systems. It
might be best offered on an optional basis.
This book is a fascinating read for a wide range of student
abilities and interests. Further reading on environmentalism
and interaction with nature could easily follow.
300/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for 30-2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
TITLE INDEX
A
2001: A Space Odyssey 209
Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea 214
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The 122
♦After the War 100
Afternoon of the Elves 2
AK 101
Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your
Dream, The 123
Alicia: My Story 274
Alien Secrets 56
All Quiet on the Western Front 275
O Alone at Ninety Foot 102
American Childhood, An 174
Animal Farm 124
O Anne of Green Gables 38
Apollo 13 240
O Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, The ... 175
Artemis Fowl 76
OAsh Garden, The 241
Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, The . 146
B
OBack on the Rez: Finding the
Way Home 215
O Barometer Rising 176
Bean Trees, The 242
^Before Wings 216
OBird in the House, A 177
OBIood Red Ochre 103
Blue Sword, The 147
OBook of Small, The 125
Borrowers, The 20
Boy: Tales of Childhood 21
Brave New World 178
^Breadwinner, The 39
Bridge to Terabithia 22
Broken Cord, The 243
^Buffalo Sunrise 3
Bumblebee Flies Anyway, The 217
0Bush Pilot with a Briefcase: The Happy-
go-lucky Story of Grant McConachie ... 276
c
Cage, The 148
Cat's Cradle 179
Catch Me If You Can: The Amazing True Story
of the Youngest and Most Daring
in the History of Fun and Profit 218
Cay, The 57
Charlie Wilcox 58
Ochild in Prison Camp, A 149
Children of the River 150
Chosen, The 277
Chrysalids, The 126
OCowboys Don't Cry 59
OCrabbe 151
Crime and Punishment 244
OCrowLake 278
D
Dances with Wolves 219
ODare 152
Dark Is Rising, The 77
Davita'sHarp 245
Day of the Triffids, The 220
O Days of Terror 60
Dear Mr. Henshaw 4
Dear Nobody 221
ODeath and Deliverance 279
ODeath on the Ice: The Great Newfoundland
Sealing Disaster of 1914 180
Deathwatch 153
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant 181
ODoll, The 5
Dove 154
^Downhill Chance 280
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 182
Dragonsbane 127
Dragonwings 78
E
Eagle Has Landed, The 222
Ear, The Eye and the Arm, The 104
Education of Little Tree, The 128
Einstein's Dreams 246
Ella Enchanted 40
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
/301
2005
Ender's Game 105
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible
Voyage 281
Ethan Frome 183
♦Everything on a Waffle 41
F
Fahrenheit 451 282
Fallen Angels 283
Farewell to Arms, A 247
Fateless 129
Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the
Rings, Part 1), The 184
♦Fifth Business 185
♦Finders Keepers 23
Finding Fish: A Memoir 284
Finding Forrester 285
♦Fish House Secrets 155
Flowers for Algernon 223
♦Forbidden City 224
Freak the Mighty 79
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle
Stop Cafe 186
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E.
Frankweiler 24
♦Frozen in Time: Unlocking the Secrets
of the Franklin Expedition 187
G
♦Ghost Walker, The 188
Gifted Hands 225
Girl with a Pearl Earring 130
Giver, The 80
♦Golden Aquarians, The 25
Golden Compass, The 106
Grapes of Wrath, The 248
Great Escape, The 156
Great Expectations 249
Great Gatsby, The 189
Guts 61
H
♦Hana's Suitcase 6
Hatchet 157
♦Hero's Walk, The 250
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The 226
Hobbit, The 62
Hole in My Life 227
Holes 81
Homeless Bird 107
♦Hunter in the Dark 158
I
I Am David 63
I Was a Rat! 42
♦icefields 190
♦in Flanders Fields 43
In the Heat of the Night 228
In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of
Survival in the Siberian Arctic 159
♦incredible Journey, The 26
Into the Wild 286
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the
Mount Everest Disaster 251
♦invitation to the Game 82
Island of the Blue Dolphins 44
♦island Wings: A Memoir 191
3
Jane Eyre 192
Journey to the River Sea 83
Joy Luck Club, The 193
Julie of the Wolves 45
Jurassic Park 287
K
♦Keepers Me 288
Kensuke's Kingdom 84
King Rat 289
L
♦Last Safe House: A Story of the
Underground Railroad, The 27
♦Letters from Wingfield Farm 290
♦Life of Pi 194
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The ... 7
♦Little by Little: A Writer's Education 46
Looking Back: A Book of Memories 85
Lord of the Flies 195
Lyddie 160
M
♦Maestro, The 108
♦Mama's Going to Buy You
a Mockingbird 47
Maniac Magee 48
Master Puppeteer, The 86
♦Medicine River 291
♦Men of Stone 109
Metamorphosis, The 252
♦Metamorphosis: Stages in a Life 196
Midnight Fox, The 28
Monsignor Quixote 253
302/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
Moon by Whale Light, The 197
Mosquito Coast, The 254
Most Daring in the History of Fun
and Profit! 218
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 8
My Family and Other Animals 131
My Name Is Asher Lev 198
^Mystery in the Frozen Lands 64
N
ONever Cry Wolf 161
Night 255
Night to Remember, A 132
ONo Great Mischief 292
No Pretty Pictures 110
Nose from Jupiter, The 29
0Nuk Tessli: The Life of a Wilderness
Dweller 199
Number the Stars 9
O
Oobasan 200
October Sky 133
Of Mice and Men 229
Old Man and the Sea, The 201
Odd Man on His Back: Portrait of a Prairie
Landscape 202
Oliver Twist 134
OOn the Lines 162
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich 293
OOscar Peterson : The Will to Swing 256
Out of the Dust Ill
Outsider, The 257
OOwls in the Family 10
P
^Peacekeepers 65
Pearl, The 163
Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against
the Sea, The 230
Phantom Tollbooth, The 49
Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story
of One Man's, The
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek 258
Planet of the Apes 231
Playmaker, The 112
♦Polar: The Titanic Bear 11
^Prairie Boy's Winter, A 30
Pride and Prejudice 259
Q
Queen of October, The 203
R
'O'Random Passage 135
Rebecca 136
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural
Revolution 113
ORedwork 87
^Republic of Nothing, The 260
Return, The 114
0Rick Hansen: Man in Motion 137
ORoad Past Altamont, The 204
0Road to Chlifa, The 164
O Root Cellar, The 50
Runner, The 232
Ryan White: My Own Story 233
s
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes ... 12
Saint Maybe 261
Sarah, Plain and Tall 13
Secret Garden, The 14
Seeing Stone, The 88
Sees Behind Trees 66
Separate Peace, A 205
^Shadow in Hawthorn Bay 89
Shane 90
Sheep-Pig, The 15
Shiloh 31
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World 115
Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a
Japanese Boy 91
O Shoeless Joe 234
Siddhartha 295
Silas Marner 138
vSilverwing 51
Single Shard, A 92
Skellig 67
Osky Is Falling, The 32
Slave Dancer, The 68
Something for Joey 235
Something Wicked This Way Comes 139
Sounder 69
Speak 165
Starship Troopers 296
Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of
Everything 262
Still Me 206
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
/303
2005
♦stone Angel, The 263
♦stone Carvers, The 264
♦storm Child 33
Survival in Warsaw: 1939-1945 294
♦Suspect, The 297
♦Switchbacks: True Stories from
the Canadian Rockies 298
T
Tale of Two Cities, A 207
Talking with Artists: Volume Three 52
♦Tamarind Mem 208
♦Terry Fox: His Story 166
Thief of Time, A 236
♦Thinking Like a Mountain 140
♦Ticket to Curlew 16
Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the
Alaska Wilderness 237
To Destroy You Is No Loss 265
To Kill a Mockingbird 141
♦Touch of the Clown 70
♦Touch the Dragon: A Thai Journal 142
Touch the Earth: A Self-portrait of Indian
Existence 266
Touching Spirit Bear 116
♦Trapped in Ice 34
True Confessions of Charlotte
Doyle, The 93
♦Truth and Bright Water 267
Tuck Everlasting 53
♦Tuesday Cafe, The 94
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young
Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson 299
U
Unbroken Chain: My Journey Through
the Nazi Holocaust, An 117
Under the Blood-Red Sun 95
♦Under the Ribs of Death 268
♦Underground to Canada 35
V
Van Gogh Cafe, The 17
Virtual War 71
W
Waiting for the Rain 143
Walk Two Moons 96
Walking with the Great Apes: Jane Goodall,
Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas 300
♦War of the Eagles 167
♦Wars, The 269
Westmark 118
♦what They Don't Know 97
Whipping Boy, The 18
White Mountains, The 54
♦whiteout 168
♦Who Has Seen the Wind 144
♦Who Is Frances Rain? 72
♦Why Shoot the Teacher? 169
Wild Children, The 119
♦Wild Geese 270
♦Willa's New World 73
♦Windflower 271
Wine of Astonishment, The 210
♦Winners 98
Wizard of Earthsea, A 120
Wreckers, The 74
Wrinkle in Time, A 36
Wuthering Heights 272
Wyrd Sisters 211
Y
♦Yuletide Blues 170
Z
Z for Zachariah 171
304/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
AUTHOR INDEX
A
Abagnale, Frank. W 218
Ackerman, Diane 197
Adams, Douglas 226
Albanov, Valerian 159
Albom, Mitch 299
Alexander, Lloyd 118
Almond, David 67
Anderson, Laurie Halse 165
Appleman-Jurman, Alicia 274
Armstrong, Jennifer 115
Armstrong, William 69
Austen, Jane 259
Avi 93
B
Babbitt, Natalie 53
Badami, Anita Rau [Tamarind Mem] 208
Badami, Anita Rau [The Hero's...] 250
Ball, John Dudley 228
Bateman, Robert 140
Beattie, Owen and John Geiger 187
Bedard, Michael 87
Bell, William [Crabbe] 151
Bell, William [Forbidden...] 224
Bellingham, Brenda 33
Blake, Michael 219
Blumberg, Rhoda 91
Bock, Dennis 241
Boulle, Pierre 2 31
Bradbury, Ray [Something...] 139
Bradbury, Ray [Fahrenheit 451] 282
Braithwaite, Max 169
Brickhill, Paul 156
Bronte, Charlotte 192
Bronte, Emily 272
Brown, Cassie 180
Buffie, Margaret 72
Burnett, Frances Hodgson 14
Burnford, Sheila 26
Butala, Sharon and Courtney Milne 202
Byars, Betsy 28
C
Callahan, Steven 214
Camus, Albert 257
Card, Orson Scott 105
Carr, Emily 125
Carson, Ben 225
Carter, Forrest 128
Cheaney, J. B 112
Chevalier, Tracy 130
Choyce, Lesley 260
Christopher, John 54
Clarke, Arthur C 209
Clavell, James 289
Cleary, Beverly 4
Coelho, Paulo 123
Coerr, Eleanor 12
Colfer, Eoin 76
Collura, Mary-Ellen Lang 98
Connelly, Karen 142
Cooper, Susan 77
Cormier, Robert 217
Creech, Sharon 96
Crew, Linda 150
Crichton, Michael 287
Criddle, Joan D. and Teeda Butt Mam 265
Crossley-Holland, Kevin 88
Cummings, Pat 52
Czajkowski, Chris 199
D
Dahl, Roald 21
Davies, Robertson 185
Demers, Barbara 73
Dickens, Charles [Oliver Twist] 134
Dickens, Charles [A Tale...] 207
Dickens, Charles [Great...] 249
Dickinson, Peter 101
Dillard, Annie [An American...] 174
Dillard, Annie [Pilgrim at...] 258
Doherty, Berlie 221
Dorris, Michael [Sees Behind...] 66
Dorris, Michael [The Broken...] 243
Dostoevsky, Fedor 244
du Maurier, Daphne 136
Durrell, Gerald 131
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
/305
2005
E
Eliot, George 138
Ellis, Deborah 39
Ellison, James W 285
F
Farmer, Nancy 104
Ferguson, Kitty 262
Findley, Timothy 269
Finn, Ron 162
Fisher, Antwone Quenton 284
Fitzgerald, F. Scott 189
Flagg, Fannie 186
Fleischman, Sid 18
Foster, Cecil 191
Fox, Paula 68
Friesen, Gayle 109
G
Gaines, Ernest J 146
Gantos, Jack 227
George, Jean Craighead 45
Godfrey, Martyn 64
Golding, William 195
Goobie, Beth 216
Gordon, Sheila 143
Graham, Robin Lee 154
Granfield, Linda 43
Greene, Graham 253
Greenwood, Barbara 27
H
Halvorson, Marilyn [Dare] 152
Halvorson, Marilyn [Cowboys...] 59
Hambly, Barbara 127
Hansen, Rick and Jim Taylor 137
Heinlein, Robert A 296
Hemingway, Ernest [A Farewell...] 201
Hemingway, Ernest [The Old Man...] 247
Hesse, Hermann 295
Hesse, Karen Ill
Hickam, Homer 133
Higgins, Jack 222
Hillerman, Tony 236
Holm, Anne 63
Holman, Felice 119
Holubitsky, Katherine 102
Horrocks, Anita 97
Horvath, Polly 41
Houston, James 168
Hughes, Monica [The Golden...] 25
Hughes, Monica [Invitation...] 82
Hughes, Monica [Hunter...] 158
Huser, Glen 70
Huxley, Aldous 178
I
Ibbotson, Eva 83
3
Jiang, Ji-li 113
Junger, Sebastian 230
Juster, Norton 49
K
Kafka, Franz 252
Keith, Ronald A 276
Kertesz, Imre 129
Keyes, Daniel 223
King, Thomas [Truth...] 267
King, Thomas [Medicine...] 291
King-Smith, Dick 15
Kingsolver, Barbara 242
Kinsella, W. P 234
Klause, Annette Curtis 56
Knowles, John 205
Kogawa, Joy 200
Konigsburg, E.L 24
Krakauer, Jon [Into Thin Air] 251
Krakauer, Jon [Into the Wild] 286
Kurelek, William 30
L
L'Engle, Madeline 36
Lansing, Alfred 281
Laurence, Margaret [A Bird...] 177
Laurence, Margaret [The Stone Angel] 263
Lawrence, Iain 74
Lawrence, R. D 188
Lawson, Mary 278
Le Guin, Ursula 120
Lee, Harper 141
Lee, Robert Mason 279
Lees, Gene 256
Levine, Gail Carson 40
Levine, Karen 6
Levitin, Sonia 114
Lewis, C. S 7
Lightman, Alan 246
Linden, Dianne 65
Lisle, Janet Taylor 2
306/
2005
ELA Novels and Nonaction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
L
Little, Jean [Little by Little] 46
Little, Jean [Mama's Going...] 47
Lobel, Anita 110
Lord, Walter 132
Lottridge, Celia Barker 16
Lovelace, Earl 210
Lovell, Jim and Jeffrey Kluger 240
Lowry, Lois [Number...] 9
Lowry, Lois [The Giver] 80
Lowry, Lois [Looking Back...] 85
Lunn, Janet [The Root Cellar] 50
Lunn, Janet [Shadow...] 89
M
Maclntyre, R. P 170
MacLachlan, Patricia 13
MacLennan, Hugh 176
MacLeod, Alistair 292
Major, Kevin 103
Maracle, Brian 215
Marineau, Michele 164
Marlyn, John 268
Martel, Yann 194
Marty, Sid 298
Matas, Carol 100
McKay, Sharon E 58
McKinley, Robin 147
McLuhan, T. C 266
Mickle, Shelley Fraser 203
Mikaelsen, Ben 116
Mitchell, W. 144
Montgomery, L. M 38
Montgomery, Sy 300
Morgan, Bernice 135
Morpurgo, Michael 84
Morrissey, Donna 280
Mowat, Farley [Owls...] 10
Mowat, Farley [Never Cry Wolf] 161
Myers, Walter Dean 283
N
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds 31
Needles, Dan 290
Norton, Mary 20
O
O'Brien, Robert C. [Mrs. Frisby...] 8
O'Brien, Robert C. [Z for Zachariah] 171
O'Dell, Scott 44
Oertelt, Henry A. and Stephanie Oertelt
Samuels 117
Oppel, Kenneth 51
Orwell, George 124
Ostenso, Martha 270
P
Park, Linda Sue 92
Paterson, Katherine [Bridge...] 22
Paterson, Katherine [The Master...] 86
Paterson, Katherine [Lyddie] 160
Paulsen, Gary [Guts] 61
Paulsen, Gary [Hatchet] 157
Pearson, Kit 32
Peck, Richard E 235
Philbrick, Rodman 79
Potok, Chaim [My Name is...] 198
Potok, Chaim [Davita's Harp] 245
Potok, Chaim [The Chosen] 277
Pratchett, Terry 211
Pullman, Philip [I Was a Rat] 42
Pullman, Philip [The Golden...] 106
R
Reeve, Christopher 206
Remarque, Erich Maria 275
Richler, Mordecai 175
Roy, Gabrielle [The Road...] 204
Roy, Gabrielle [Windflower] 271
Rylant, Cynthia 17
S
Sachar, Louis 81
Salisbury, Graham 95
Schaefer, Jack 90
Scrimger, Richard 29
Scrivener, Leslie 162
Sender, Ruth Minsky 148
Skurzynski, Gloria 71
Smucker, Barbara [Underground...] 35
Smucker, Barbara [Days of Terror] 60
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander 293
Spalding, Andrea 23
Specht, Robert 237
Spedden, Daisy Corning Stone and Laurie
McGraw 11
Spinelli, Jerry 48
Steinbeck, John [The Pearl] 163
Steinbeck, John [Of Mice and Men] 229
Steinbeck, John [The Grapes...] 248
Stevenson, Robert Louis 182
Stinson, Kathy 155
Suzuki, David 196
Swanson, Diane 3
Szpilman, Wladyslaw 294
ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
/307
2005
T
Takashima, Shizuye 149
Tan, Amy 193
Taylor, Cora 5
Taylor, Theodore 57
Theroux, Paul 254
Tolkien, J. R. R. [The Hobbit] 62
Tolkien, J. R. R. [The Fellowship...] 184
Trembath, Don 94
Twain, Mark 122
Tyler, Anne [Dinner at...] 181
Tyler, Anne [Saint Maybe] 261
u
Urquhart, Jane 264
V
Voigt, Cynthia 232
Vonnegut, Kurt 179
W
Wagamese, Richard 288
Walters, Eric [Trapped in Ice] 34
Walters, Eric [War of...] 167
Wharton, Edith 183
Wharton, Thomas 190
Whelan, Gloria 107
White, Robb 153
White, Ryan and Ann Marie Cunningham .. 233
Wiesel, Elie 255
Wright, LR 297
Wyndham, John [The Chrysalids] 126
Wyndham, John [The Midwich...] 220
Wynne-Jones, Tim 108
Y
Yep, Laurence 78
308/ ELA Novels and Nonfiction List for Grades 4-12
2005 ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
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