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Milner Library

TCH 207 - Literacy Instruction in Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Middle Level Classrooms

Selecting Novels

You will select and read two (2) young adult novels that address diverse perspectives and populations of young adolescents. For each novel, you will complete a reading review and response that incorporates critical perspectives. A suggested list of titles is provided in the galleries below.

Milner Library and our larger I-Share library group have PLENTY of  copies of these titles from which you can borrow! You DO NOT have to purchase the 2 books you'll read for your analysis. 

Suggested YA Novels - Available at Milner

The 57 Bus
All American Boys
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Amal Unbound
American Street
Amina's Voice
The Astonishing Color of After
Betty Before X
Dear Martin
The Education of Margot Sanchez
Eleanor and Park
Esperanza Rising
The First Rule of Punk
Front Desk
Habibi
Harbor Me
The Hate U Give
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
I'll Give You the Sun
Little & Lion
Love, Hate and Other Filters
Marcelo in the Real World
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
On the Come Up
Out of My Mind
Piecing Me Together
The Poet X
The Round House
See You in the Cosmos
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
The Stars Beneath Our Feet
The Sun Is Also a Star
Symptoms of Being Human
This Is Where It Ends
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
The Lines We Cross
Wonder
You're Welcome, Universe
Sanctuary
Furia
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them

Suggested YA Novels - Available through I-Share

The Art of Being Normal
Ash
Calling My Name
The Dangerous Art of Blending In
Dreamland Burning
Fish in a Tree
The Gauntlet
Holding up the Universe
The House That Lou Built
Something in Between
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Wrong in All the Right Ways

Analyzing Novels

For your two diverse YA novels you select to analyze, you are asked to provide information on seven key factors:

  1. Reference information: Provide the correct APA reference for your novel. 
  2. Lexile Ranking:  Provide the Lexile ranking for your novel using NoveList Plus. 
  3. Reason for choosing this novel?: Briefly discuss why you chose this novel? (e.g., relates to you personally, sounded interesting, recommendation) 
  4. Brief summary of novel: Provide a brief (1 paragraph) overview/synopsis of the novel. 
  5. Main character(s): Provide description/discuss of main character(s). 
  6. Issue(s) of diversity and/or culture: How does this novel relate to our course content? 
  7. What was your reaction to this novel?: Briefly summarize your reaction to this novel. Would you recommend this novel? Why or why not? 

In order to answer some of these questions you will need to consult NoveList Plus. Directions on how to use NoveList Plus are included below for your guidance. 

Analyzing Novels with NoveList Plus

NoveList Overview

NoveList Plus is a database of literature that provides synopses and reviews of books, teaching ideas, and a Lexile Ranking (independent readability).

Watch the NoveList Plus Overview video to learn about how to find NoveList on the Milner website and an overview of the main features on NoveList. 

You can also open the NoveList Plus database directly using the link below. 

Looking up a Book

Watch the Basic Search for a Title Video to learn about how to search for a book by title on NoveList Plus.

Then, try searching for your book. 

Find and Interpret the Lexile Number

Watch the Determining Readability of a Text/Lexile Levels Video to learn about where to find a book's lexile number on NoveList Plus and how to convert that to an approximate grade level. 

Then, find the lexile number for your book and use the chart below to understand more about what that lexile number means. 

Advanced Searching

Watch the Advanced Searching Video in NoveList to get an overview of search limits (date, audience, grade, awards, etc.), how to narrow results, and find related lists and articles.

Additional Links