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Citizenship: Service and Participation Chapter and Young Adult Books: Fiction Abby Takes a Stand, by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Gordon James (New York: Penguin, 2005). In 1960s Nashville, Abby experiences segregation and decides to support the lunch counter sit-ins and boycotts that desegregated stores in her city. Checking on the Moon, by Jenny Davis (New York: Orchard Books, 1991). When Cab Jones must spend the summer with their grandmother near Pittsburgh while their mother tours Europe with her new husband, she becomes involved in a community’s efforts to stop violence in its streets. Teachers should be aware that a sexual assault occurs in the story. Fighting the School Board, by Gloria Velasquez (Houston, TX: Pinata Books, 1993). With the help of the school psychologist, 15-year-old Juanita fights her expulsion from school. Jackson Jones and Mission Greentop, by Mary Quattlebaum (New York: Delacorte Books, 2004). The hero of this book saves a historic victory garden from a property developer. A Long Way to Go, by Zibby O’Neal, illustrated by Michael Dooling (New York: Puffin Books, 1990). Young Lila must struggle with her parents’ and brothers’ restricted views of what girls can do while learning about her grandmother’s efforts on behalf of women’s suffrage. The importance of the right to vote is conveyed in an interesting story. Rio Grande Stories, by Carolyn Meyer (San Diego: Gulliver Books, 1994). Middle-schoolers decide to raise funds for the school by creating a book that reflects the diverse heritage of their community. As the students work on their chapters, they learn more about their own heritage, as well as the values that hold the community together. Seedfolks, by Paul Fleischman (New York: HarperCollins, 1997). The voices of 13 residents of a Cleveland neighborhood describe how and why they became involved into turning an empty lot into a garden, an activity that creates a true community. Some teachers may find elements of this book (a pregnant teen contemplates suicide) too difficult for their students, so reading the book before using it with students is highly recommended. The Unsinkable Molly Malone, by Mary Anderson (San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991). Sixteen-year-old Molly not only supplements her family income by selling her artwork on the street, she also gives art lessons to children in a homeless shelter. When two of her young students suffer traumas, she decides that she must do more to help them. The Weirdo, by Theodore Taylor (Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991). Samantha Sanders and Chip Clewt work together to solve two murders and extend a federal ban on hunting bears in a nearby wildlife refuge. They prepare posters, discuss their views at a public meeting, and testify at a government hearing. White Lilacs, by Carolyn Meyer (Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace, 1993; fiction). Based on a historical incident, this book recounts the 1921 struggle to survive of a black community in Texas when their white neighbors decide to take the black families' land for a city park. The central character is 12-year-old Rose Lee Jefferson, who watches her brother become involved in organizing to protest the community's actions. After a march to the town square on Juneteenth, some white citizens retaliate, reminding readers of the courage required to exercise one's rights amid intolerance. |
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