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Common Core Informational Text – The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery

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Montgomery, S., & Bishop, N. (2006). Quest for the tree kangaroo: An expedition to the cloud forest of New Guinea . Houghton Mifflin This book falls under the genres of Nonfiction, Nature and Environmental Science and Biography Narrative. This book is recommended for ages eight to twelve. Thoughts- This book immediately captured my attention when I saw the title and cover. I’m not usually a fan of informational texts as leisure reading, but this one was surprisingly fun and engaging. I was amazed that I had never heard of a tree kangaroo before. In my mind, kangaroos only lived in Australia, on land, and they definitely didn’t look like the one on the cover. I was hooked right away and eager to learn more about this unusual species. The book does a great job of exploring important themes such as culture, language, diversity, the environment, and endangered species. Critique- This nonfiction account of the scientific expedition to the remote clouds of Papua New Guinea is t...
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Young Adult – The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

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Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower . MTV Books. This book falls under the genres of Young Adult Fiction, coming of age, Contemporary Realistic Fiction.   The recommended reading age is suggested for fourteen years and up. Thoughts- In interviews, Stephen Chbosky has said that he infused much of himself into Charlie’s character. In my opinion, this is what makes the book so relatable to readers. It captures the challenges of adolescence and the confusion, the search for identity, the desire for belonging, and the pain of personal loss and growing up. The novel takes readers on an emotional roller coaster, touching on powerful topics like abuse, grief, and mental health. Chbosky’s novel allowed me to reflect on difficult times during my own teen years. Unlike Charlie, I didn’t have a friend to write to or a safe space to express and release my emotions. Coming from a family of immigrants, our small circle was all we had. That’s why building a community with...
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Graphic Novel – Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

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    Kibuishi, K. (2008). Amulet: The Stonekeeper (Vol. 1). Graphix/Scholastic. The genre for this book falls under is graphic novel, fantasy and adventure. Suggested age levels are from eight to fourteen years old. Thoughts- Kazu Kibuishi does a great job bringing vivid emotion to his illustrations and immersing the reader in a rich fantasy world. The dialogue feels natural and easy to follow, with relatable family dynamics. The artwork carries a lot of emotional weight, especially in scenes involving tragic loss. What stood out most to me was how he connects fantasy with real, raw emotions. I’ve never been much of a graphic novel reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was captivated by the action and the intense scenes involving dark creatures from the fantasy world. The author balances all the elements of the story so well. The opening scene, where Emily loses her father, reminded me of how powerful a single image or picture can be, sometimes one picture t...
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Culturally Diverse – When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park

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    Park, L. S. (2002). When my name was Keoko . Clarion Books. This book falls under the genres of Historical Fiction, War Fiction and Young Adult literature. The age recommendations for this book are ages 10 to 16 years old. Thoughts- Linda Sue Park captivates readers with this deeply emotional story about difficult events such as war, oppression, and identity loss. She presents these complex topics in a way that is easy for young readers to understand. By sharing the perspectives of two main characters, she shows how people experiencing the same events can have different emotions and understandings. Park’s novel made me reflect on the importance of language, identity, and cultural traditions. Growing up with parents who spoke only Spanish for many years, I remembered times when they were shamed for not speaking English. It also reminded me of my early school years when we learned about World War I and World War II only from the American perspective. Now, I bette...
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