Variant

Wells, R. (2011). Variant. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Interest level: Grades 8+
Reading level: 4+

Seventeen-year old Benson Fisher is a foster kid in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He's lived in over thirty foster homes since he was five and just wants to stay put and belong for a little while.  He finds out about a scholarship to the Maxwell Academy, a private school in New Mexico. He is accepted immediately and he walks away from his current foster family, never looking back. He's picked up by a representative to the school and is taken to the school deep in a forest and deposited at the doorstep without even an escort in. It quickly becomes apparent that things are not normal at this school. First off, it's completely run by the students with not an adult in site. There are video cameras everywhere and the slightest infraction is punished severely. Students have banded together into three rival groups who all fight for the best jobs. Escape is not possible, or is it? Benson is determined to figure out what's going on at this sinister school where students sometimes just disappear and he's determined to escape. Will he succeed?

This is a E-ticket ride all the way. There is little back story on Benson, but it really isn't necessary because all that really matters is the here and now at Maxwell Academy. The idea of young people being trapped together and at the mercy of unseen adult puppet masters is not an all together uncommon theme is YA literature, but that doesn't detract from this story. There is a lot of violence in this book, with students killing each other in order to survive. The sense of urgency and the twist and turns as things are rarely what they seem to be will keep readers turning the pages and anxiously awaiting the sequel. Hand this to older readers who enjoyed The Maze Runner trilogy and are anxious for more.

The forensic anthropologist

Yancey, D. (2006). The forensic anthropologist. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books.

Interest level: Grades 6+

Reading level: 10+

Part of the Crime Scene Investigations series, this book introduces readers to a specialty many may think their familiar with through TV shows like CSI and Bones. All aspects of forensic anthropology are addressed here, from fieldwork to the lab or classroom. The perception that these specialists are not welcome by police or at crime scenes is debunked, pointing out that because anthropologists are trained at fieldwork they are a welcome addition at burial sites. The chapters build upon each other. The introduction gives a brief description of this unusual scientific field and introduces some of the field's most respected scientists. Chapter one takes us to the field, detailing what happens in the recovery of bones. Chapter two takes us to the lab where the bone experts determine whether they have human or animal remains, reconstruct what they can of the skeleton and determine characteristics such as sex, height and race as well as extract DNA. Chapter three details how the scientists use their knowledge to help determine cause of death while chapter four discusses the challenges found when unearthing mass graves. In chapter five readers learn about the reconstruction of the bones and the creation of 3D models. There are extensive supporting notes and a lengthy "Further readings" section. Each chapter also includes many account of actual cases where the methods were used and cases were solved.

This is a solid book for anyone interested in crime scene investigations and more specifically in solving cold cases. Information about the educational path one must take to become a forensic anthropologist as well as the agencies that hire them is plentiful and readers can clearly see the value of such a career. The writing is clear and easy to follow and would be accessible and pertinent to both middle school aged kids and those in upper grades. This book would be a good supplement in Life Science classes or in high school Anatomy and physiology classes.

Brainjuice: American history, fresh squeezed

Shields, C.D. (2002). Brainjuice: American history fresh squeezed. Brooklyn, NY: Handprint Books.

Interest level: Grades 4-8

Books in this series offer a sometimes humorous look at different curricular topics through poetry. In this volume, the top of each page features a timeline of events that impacted American History. The poems are arranged chronologically, with the first one being about the very first Americans- dinosaurs and ending with a poem about the September 11th attacks from the Statue of Liberty's viewpoint. Each poem features illustrations that further the understanding of what the poem is about.

This is a good book for anyone interested in American History. It would be a particularly good classroom resource either before or after a particular topic is discussed to grab students' interest. For instance the poem "Job Available," which is about Sacajawea and the Lewis and Clark Expedition ("Opening for a teenage girl/ (With baby in a pack):/ Help lead an expedition/ Twelve hundred miles and back...") could be used as an interest grabber when starting the unit and also as a wrap up poem to refresh students' memories. All books in this series would also be good for poetry units in English classes.

The Misfits

Howe, J. (2001). The Misfits. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Interest level: Grades 5-8

Reading level: 5+

This is the story of four seventh-grade students who call themselves the "Gang of Five" to keep people on their toes. None of these kids really fit in with anyone else, but managed to find each other because they are the kids who get picked on and called names at school. Bobby, the narrator, is overweight, Addie is made fun of for being tall and for her love of school, Skeezie is seen as a hoodlum because of his style of dress and his lack of hygiene and Joe is coming to terms with his sexuality. All they want to do is survive middle school, but the other students don't seem to be on board with that. They decide to fight back and form the No Name Calling Party during student council elections. Although they lose the elections they are successful in instituting a "No Name Calling Day" at their school. Companion novels Totally Joe and Addie on the Inside were recently released, giving another dimension to the story.

This book is for anyone who has ever been picked on at school, called names, or made to feel as if they didn't belong. Howe creates likeable characters who take charge of their lives (even if it is under Addie's pressure), try to make and succeed in making a difference. This book spurred the No Name Calling Week movement, adding to its importance in middle schools. I was fortunate enough to have James Howe visit my school this fall to talk about bullying and being different and to read some passages from Addie on the inside. He's as phenomenal of a speaker as he is a writer and has dedicated his life to helping kids who feel like they are outcasts find their voice. Give these books to anyone who has ever experienced or will experience middle school. The discussions that will ensue if used as a class novel are guaranteed to be enlightening.