It is about time to go back to school. Some of you may have started/your kids may have started already. Here, I don’t think any of the schools have opened back up yet, but they will be soon. School may be a very different experience this year. Some of you are suddenly homeschooling or online schooling. Some may be going back to classrooms with different setups to allow for social distancing. And some may be going back to “normal.”
I thought that I would share some of my YA books portraying different school experiences. Most of these books have won literary awards.
Parker
Endless Change
Parker’s school experience is pretty conventional. Public school with his friends, helping his mom out with the younger students.
But things do get derailed when he meets Dakota. There is something wrong with Dakota. It’s not just the hollowness in her eyes or her traumatic past. He can help falling for her. Dakota holds her secrets close, and Parker is worried that if he pushes too hard for answers, she’ll just run away.
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Ruby
Ruby, Between the Cracks
Ruby’s school experience is mostly not being there. She skips or goes there to meet with friends or hook up with boys. She spends a lot of time on the street or with a gang.
If you asked Ruby, she’d tell you she’s happy with her life. She’s tough and independent and doesn’t depend on anyone else. But things aren’t as rosy as she would have everyone believe, and the road ahead of her is filled with challenges.
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Kelli
Making Her Mark
Kelli starts in a school in the hood, and ends up in an exclusive private school where she does not feel like she belongs. It seems like there isn’t any place fo her.
Kelli’s life has never been easy. She’s always faced her problems head on. She’s strong and savvy and in charge of herself. All of that is about to change.
Her life is turned upside down when she discovers the secret that her mother has been hiding from her for years.
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Tamara
Tattooed Teardrops
Like Kelli, Tamara has to go through a big transition. After three years in juvenile detention, she is out on parole and back in public school.
Tamara had thought that when she got out of juvie, things would be easier. But before long, it seems like her life is spiraling into chaos.
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Nadie
Questing for a Dream
Nadie is Cree and starts out in the school on the reservation in Manitoba. It is a very different experience than most of us have.
Life on a reservation isn’t easy. When tragedy strikes, tradition and ritual provide her little comfort. Grief-stricken, Nadie sets off on a quest to the white man’s land in search of something better.
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Final Note
If you are homeschooling based on classic literature, don’t forget to check out Workman Classic Editions, such as Flatland and the Dave Dashaway series!
