When I was studying for my Masters in Reading and Language Arts I took a fascination in Picture Books not only because I knew that someday I would be a mother but also because I loved using them in my middle school classroom. I used Rose Blanche when we read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, and The Other Side when we read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry . My students loved the analysis and the change of pace.
It is obvious that some of the most controversial picture books were not originally created for children’s eyes …read more

After the success of the Fourth of July Picture Book post Mary Emma and I decided that you all should also have a resource for teens. I had a heck of a time finding teen books that were specifically about the Fourth of July or Independence day so I had to modify my search to teen books about summer.
I think that I have come up with a pretty good list…but I love controversial teen reads. These are all older teen reads.

Dandelion Wine
Keeping the Moon
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 
Feed
Not a Happy Camper: A Memoir
The Notebook
Someone Like Summer
Thirteen Reasons Why
One …read more