The elected leader leads them onto the school bus in hopes of making it to Denver. They story ends without the reader knowing if they make it or not.
Meeting the CCSS:
While this text offers a dooms-day scenario that students often enjoy, it does contain content that would not be appropriate for some readers (attempted rape, sex, and drugs). However, it can be used to teach students about the development of the complex characters in the story (RL.9-10.3). Further, the author provides limited information at times, making the text useful for practicing the skill of making inferences (RL.9-10.1). In addition, teachers can ask students to analyze the cenral idea of the text and how the themes of survival, relationships, and others develop throughout the story (RL.9-10.2).
4. The List by Biobhan Vivian (Recommended grade level: 9-10)
Summary:
Every year before homecoming, "The List" is anonymously published, and copies are littered throughout the high school. The list names the "prettiest" and "ugli-
est" in each of the four classes.
The story is told from the point
of view of all eight girls named
on the list and is told within a
one-week time frame beginning
with the publication of the list
and ending with the naming of
the Homecoming Queen. Danielle, the "ugliest freshman," is listed for her masculine athleticism. The "prettiest freshman," Abby, lives in the shadow of her older, smarter sister, Fern. The "ugliest sophomore," Sarah, is listed because of her offbeat style. The other five
girls struggle with issues from eating disorders to being the new girl in school. The story follows the characters from their initial reactions to their inclusion on the list to their realization that their lives mean more than what is "listed."
Meeting the CCSS:
Students in high school may be able to easily relate to the characters in this text, since a variety of characters are included in the story. Both character development (RL.9-10.3) and text format (RL.9-10.5) can easily be taught using this text. Further, the central idea of the book is a relevant topic for high school students, so the text can be used to encourage an examination of the theme (RL.9-10.2). In addition, because of its realistic fiction format, teachers can use this text to assist students in writing a complex narrative through an examination of the multiple plot lines in this story (W.9-10.3b).
1. All My Friends are Still Dead by Avery Monsen and Jory John
2. Boy21 by Matthew Quick
3. Breaking Beautiful by Jennier Shaw Wolf
4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
5. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
6. Cracked by K. M. Walton
7. Dead to You by Lisa McMann
8. Every Day by David Levithan
9. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
10. Fracture by Megan Miranda
11. Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
12. Girl Meets Boy by Kelly Milner Halls
13. Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
14. If I Lie by Corrine Jackson
15. The Last Free Cat by Jon Blake
16. The List by Siobhan Vivian
17. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
18. Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
19. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
20. The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
21. October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman
22. The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost
23. The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir by Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer
24. The Raft by S. A. Bodeen
25. Skinny by Donna Cooner
26. Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide by Ryder Windham
27. Starters by Lissa Price
28. Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
29. Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams
30. The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
2013 Young Adults' Choices
Award Winners
25