Refugee

Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Alan Gratz
Illustrator: Alan Gratz
Awards: Bluebonnet
Grade level: 4th-6th

This is an amazing novel split into three different perspectives from three different time periods. The three perspectives are Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud. The story starts with Josef when his family's home is invaded in Berlin in Germany. His father is sent to a concentration camp, and they are allowed to leave if they leave Germany immediately, so they go on a ship heading to Cuba. Isabel is currently in Cuba (different time period) and watches as a riot unfolds during which her father is badly beaten. Mahmoud is the last to be introduced and one day while he is doing his homework, a missile explodes and tears the walls of his family's apartment. Throughout the book, it continues to switch perspectives and describes the struggles they all go through while seeking refugee. In the end, the stories actually connect in a crazy way. When Mahmoud finally reaches Germany, he stays at the home of a Jewish couple, and the wife actually ends up being Josef's sister. She describes to Mahmoud what Josef went through and did for her, and it makes Mahmoud feel at home.

This book is amazing! Definitely needed the tissues but it is an amazing read for older students and if I teach upper elementary or middle school I will definitely have this book in my classroom. It is definitely meant for older students between 4th and 6th because it is a huge book with large vocabulary for older students. I would use this book during a history unit describing one of the time periods in the story.

Hello, Universe

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Illustrator: Isabel Roxas
Awards: Newberry
Grade level: 2nd-5th

This book is a great chapter book for students! It is a story told from multiple viewpoints and explains how 4 children become friends. It all begins when the neighborhood bully pulls a prank and throws on a young boy named Virgil by throwing his backpack down a well. Little did the bully know that Virgil's guinea pig was in the backpack as well. Virgil goes down the well to try and save his guinea pig and ends up getting trapped at the bottom of the well with his guinea pig. Virgil had previously talked to a psychic named Kaori about how he liked a deaf girl named Valencia, who also happened to visit Kaori. Kaori begins to worry when Virgil doesn't make his appointment, and she remembers she had told him to bring 5 stones to their next visit. Valencia has an appointment scheduled with Kaori, and Kaori discusses that she is worried about Virgil. Valencia agrees to help Kaori and Gen (Kaori's sister), but when she passes the well, she didn't realize that Virgil was supposed to collect 5 stones and when she sees them on the side of the well she tosses them back in and covers the well. After lots of searching, Valencia learns about the stones and realizes Virgil was in the well, and Kaori and Gen realize Valencia is the girl Virgil likes. In the end, the girl's rescue Virgil and all have a new found friendship. 

I love this novel and will definitely have it in my classroom. It is a thick chapter book, but the font is large and the vocabulary is simple for younger students like 2nd graders to understand, but 5th graders will enjoy this book as well. I would use this book with older students and have them read it and discuss it in the class in a book club setting and give the students sheets of paper with ideas about what to discuss from the book. 

The Graduation of Jake Moon

Genre: Fiction 
Author: Barbara Park
Illustrator: None
Awards: Bluebonnet award
Grade level: 5th-6th

This book is about a young boy who grows up with his grandpa, Skelly, who has alzheimers. The book starts with a flashback of Jake and Skelly and how they came to live together with Jake's single mother. Jake describes how it has been having a grandpa with Alzheimer's, and how he has grown to resent his grandpa. He always has to take care of him, and how he has been struggling outside of the home and at school. As Jake is preparing for his 8th-grade graduation, his grandpa goes on an outgoing and goes missing. After a stressful 48 hours, the family becomes terrified when a cap is found next to a lake that looks like their grandpas. Thankfully after searching the lake, their grandpa wasn't there. Skelly comes home later that night with a friendly cab driver and Jake realizes that he could've almost lost his grandpa. He decides to invite his grandpa to his 8th-grade graduation, but while there he gets separated from the rest of the family and wonders on stage. Jake goes up to help his grandpa, and he stays with the rest of the family until Jake finishes his graduation.

I love this book so much and will definitely have it in my class! It gives an amazing view of how Alzheimer's can affect many people, not just the person who has Alzheimer's. It is a bigger chapter book and has a vocabulary that can be complicated for younger children, so I definitely think an appropriate grade level is upper elementary like 5th-6th grade. In my class, I would use this book to introduce students to Alzheimer's and how it can affect people.