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The assignment (writing about a theme in your book) is already set up and ready.

Select a book that is either realistic fiction or distopican fiction.

Here is the chart to use to record themes in your book, and evidence from the book that they are themes.

Additional assignment for unprepared students.

Have your book read by January 26/27, and bring it to class that day for a writing assignment that will be completed in class.  

To prepare for your writing assignment, take notes on themes you find in your book.

The genres are either realistic fiction or distopian fiction.  Please try to find a book that is at or close to your own reading level.   Notice that your book this time must be fiction.

Realistic fiction includes books that are set in the real world and have characters that could really exist and plots that could really happen.  For this term they should be contemporary -- set in modern times -- not historical fiction.

Joan Bauer is one writer of realistic fiction.  We will probably read her book Stand Tall as a class later in the school year, so don't use it.

Some examples of realistic fiction include The Outsiders (which we read as a class), Gary Paulsen's Hatchet (1020L) and others,  Because of Winn-Dixie (610L) by DiCamillo,  Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie (560L), Stargirl (590L),   No More Dead Dogs (610L) by Korman,  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler  (700L) by Konigsburg, Walk Two Moons (770L) by Creech, Rules (780L) by Lord, Downriver  (760L) by Will Hobbs.

More Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Absolutely Normal Chaos -- Sharon Creech

Amazing Gracie -- Ann Cannon

Baby by Patricia MacLachlan

Beardance by Will Hobbs

Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan

Chicken Boy by Frances Dowell

Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin

Crazy Lady -- Jane Leslie Conly

Downriver by Will Hobbs

Fifteen -- Beverly Cleary

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key -- Jack Gantos  (and other books in the Joey Pigza series)

Kira-Kira by Cythia Kadohata

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

P.S. Longer Letter Later and Snail Mail No More --  Paula Danziger and Martin

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Probably Still Nick Swansen by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Ruby Holler -- Sharon Creech

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli

Summer of the Swans  -- Betsy Byars

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit -- Paula Danziger

True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Walk Two Moons --  Sharon Creech

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

Distopian fiction is about a society (usually in the future) that seems to be trying to create a utopia, but has deep flaws.  The major conflict in the book is between the main character(s) and the society with its rules and  representatives.   Examples include The Giver (which we will read as a class), Lowry's other books Gathering Blue and The Messenger, Hunger Games and Catching Fire, and The Uglies series.  An example many of you are familiar with is Among the Hidden. The major conflict is caused by the society's rule that each family may have only two children. 

More young adult distopian fiction include The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau , Running Out of Time by Haddix,  The House of the Scorpian by Farmer,  Ender's Game by Card,   Tunnels by Gordon, Tripods Trilogy by Christopher,  The Time Machine by Verne,  Feed by M.T. Anderson, The Last Book in the Universe (740L), Storm Thief  (880L),  the Among the Hidden series.

(Note: I have not read all of these books, so parents may want to find out more about them before approving of them for their children.  I highly recommend reading books before or along with your children.)

Brave New World,  Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Fahrenheit 451 (890L) are distopian books for older readers.

Unwind (740L) is an excellent distopian book, but probably for readers 9th grade and up. The same goes for Bar Code Rebellion (880L).  Parents may also prefer that their seventh graders not yet read Hunger Games or Catching Fire.

Animal Farm, also distopian fiction, will be read by the students in ninth grade, so we don't use it as a class book or as an individual book.

Here is one teacher's list of distopian fiction. You may use books from this list.  I have not read them all, so do not know if there is anything objectionable in some of them.  See also my recommendations on the class blog.

Distopian fiction