Books to make you think

Here are four very different books but each has it's own thought-provoking premise.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. 2008. National Book Award Finalist; 2008.

The streets are abuzz in New York City during the American Revolution with talk of freedom. Unfortunately, it is only whites that will have freedom at the end of the war. For teenager Isabel, a slave, her concern is not about a country’s freedom but her own and her little sisters. Isabel has been sold to Loyalists in New York City and her sister has been sent away somewhere. To gain her freedom and to find her sister, Isabel will do anything for whichever side will help her find her freedom. Find out what she has to do and for whom to gain freedom when you read Chains.

Blundell, Judy. What I saw and how I lied. 2008. National Book Award; 2008.

Who would you lie for? Would you lie for your mother, your stepfather, the man you love, your family? Evie is just fifteen, in love with an older man who served with her stepfather in the war and slowly realizes that all the people around her are lying. These lies threaten her family and her happiness, Evie will have to lie in order to save some of the people in her life but who will Evie lie for? Read What I saw and how I lied to find out.

Cooney, Carolyn. Code orange. 2007.

Mitty Blake would like nothing better than to avoid studying and homework and concentrate on flirting with Olivia. But since he might fail he actually works on an infectious disease report. While doing research he discovers century old smallpox scabs, are they innocuous or fatal? Could Mitty actually contract smallpox from the scabs, would he die a horrible death or start an epidemic? Someone thinks he will and they decide to make it happen. Find out how Mitty’s smallpox research paper ends in Code orange.

Fox, Paula. The slave dancer. 1973. Newbery Medal; 1974.

Jessie Bollier is a thirteen-year-old boy living in New Orleans with his widowed mother and sister. He makes a little money playing his fife on the docks and doesn’t think much about the taverns, the ships or the slaves that surround his life. One evening two sailors kidnap him and take him to their ship; a slave ship. Why was he kidnapped? Because of his fife. He is to play his fife after they load the ship’s cargo of slaves when they reach port in Africa. Jessie will play while the slaves dance on deck for exercise. Jessie’s life aboard ship is cruel, brutal and full on contrasts. Read Jessie’s story to learn how he copes, survives and is forever changed by the life he is forced to live as The slave dancer.