The Enemy by Charlie Higson

No one is really sure what caused it, but parents in London suddenly began to get sick.  Not only sick, but as the illness continued, these parents turned on their children and began to hunt them.  Children are forced to join together, but can they really outwit the zombie parents and survive this deadly illness?

Content Notes:

This book contains bad language including deity swear words.  This book would probably be rated PG-13 for the language.  The violence is pretty grotesque (zombies!) but it isn’t exceptionally graphic.  This book also does not contain any boy/girl relationship issues.

 Teacher Notes:

I was pretty pumped because up until probably half-way through there wasn’t any bad language!  That doesn’t happen very often with books any more.  Then the language started.  It wasn’t horrible, but I would not recommend this book to younger 6^th grade readers.  The book is also written in shifting points of view, so if your reader has trouble keeping up with characters, this may not be the best book for him or her.  There were a couple of times I had to go back to previous chapters to re-read in order to keep up with who was doing what.

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

When the tornado sirens begin to sound, Jersey didn’t really think much about it. Living in Elizabeth, Missouri, the tornado sirens frequently blew in the spring and it never meant danger.  As the sky began to get darker and the storm pounded against the house, Jersey’s concern began to grow. Along with the sound of a freight train, all-out dread encompassed her and what happened next changed the course of Jersey’s life forever.

Content Notes:

This book contains bad language including deity swear words and would probably be rated PG-13 for the language.  Aside from tornado violence, this book does not contain violence & does not contain any boy/girl relationship issues.
 
Teacher Notes:
This book was pretty intense and was very relatable living in “Tornado Alley”.  I was immediately gripped by the storyline & read this book in an afternoon.  In my opinion, it is more of a Jr. High book & I would not recommend it for my younger readers.

Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Schecter

Faced with an unwanted marriage to a man forty years older than her, Lucia feels trapped in her home.  Things begin to change, however, with the return of a house slave, Tag, a childhood friend who has obviously grown up in the three years he had been in Rome to train as a medic for Lucia’s dad’s gladiator school.  As the earth begins to tremble, Lucia and Tag are faced with decisions in a desperate attempt to find freedom.

Content Notes:

While there isn’t any sexual content other than kissing, “virginity” is mentioned several times.  There is no bad language.  Even though the setting is at a school for gladiators, the violence is minimal.

 

Teacher Notes:
The only thing that made me a little uncomfortable for my middle school students was the infrequent talk of virginity.  Other than that, this was a good romance book that was essentially “G” rated in nature.  I would recommend this book for Jr. High students and up.  One thing to note is that the chapters are written in alternating points of view (Lucia & Tag) so a reader who has trouble keeping characters straight may struggle with this book.

Up for Sale: Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery by Alison Marie Behnke

This nonfiction book relays statistics and true stories about people who are involved in the human trafficking epidemic in the world.  The book is divided into sections that discuss the different types of slavery (from debt-bonded slaves to sex trafficking slaves) and the final chapter outlines what is currently being done to help fix the problem.  It also lists websites so the reader can look up how he or she is inadvertently contributing to the human trafficking problem.

Content Notes:

The book does talk about the sex-trafficking industry.  It also describes the physical abuse many slaves face in captivity.

Teacher Notes:

This is a very tastefully written book about the current human trafficking problem.  Because of the discussion on sex-trafficking, I would not recommend this book to any student lower than an 8^th grade level.  I do think we need to educate our students about this problem & have real discussions about ways they can protect themselves & help others. 

The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien

In a world where the only hope of receiving an education is through participation in a reality tv school, Rosie struggles to remain within the top 50 students who will make the cut to stay.  As Rosie struggles to remain, she uncovers a startling mystery about the school and what really occurs during the night. This discovery leads to a fight for her life as she tries to outwit the people in charge.

Content Notes:

The book mentions the word “sex” one time and is a vague reference to something that occurs in a rough part of the country.   

Teacher Notes:

I was able to read a pre-released copy of this book (it is scheduled to be published September 16, 2014).  I read another series by this author (Birthmarked) and while that is more Jr. High/High School appropriate, The Vault of Dreamers would be appropriate for middle school students and up.   This book was a little more Sci-Fi in nature and had an interesting cliff hanger twist at the end of the book.  I enjoyed it!

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

In an effort to prevent war, Arabella is being forced to marry an old man who she has never met before.  Seeing no other way out, Arabella (or Lia as she is known throughout the rest of the book), takes her ladies maid and runs away to start a new life far from wars, kingdoms, and being a princess.  Lia soon discovers, however, that no matter how far she runs, she cannot escape her destiny or her duty to her kingdom.

Content Notes:

The book has bad language & mild sexual content (kissing, discussions about sex, a character is an unwed mother).

Teacher Notes:

This book is not appropriate for middle school students but would be appropriate for mature Jr. High and High School students. While a little slow at the beginning, the storyline did pick up as the book went along.  This book is similar to The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.