Welcome to my web site, and thank you for visiting. I am a high school English language arts teacher, and I constructed this website as part of a graduate education class in adolescent literature which I took at the University of Central Florida in the fall of 2002. This web site includes my reviews of a variety of titles from young adult literature, which can be defined as contemporary literature that appeals to middle and high school students.
For my students, I am glad you want to learn more about young adult literature. All of the titles listed here are available in my classroom library. You should check them out. Be sure to return to this site occasionally for new book reviews. For extra credit, the phrase is "Go Georgia Bulldogs."
For the purpose of the classroom, English language arts teachers divide books into four areas, Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, and Independent Reading. These areas relate to what that particular teacher envisions as the roll of that particular book in his or her classroom. These four areas make up a balanced approach to the study of literature. "Read Aloud" is when the teacher reads the book to the class while they listen. For Read Aloud, the teacher selects literature students might not normally read in an effort to expose them to varied literature, and because books in this area are more difficult for students to read on their own. "Shared Reading" is when a teacher reads a book to the class, and all of the students have a copy of that piece of literature so that they may follow along silently. Shared Reading is used with titles that are of high-interest for young adults and may be a challenge to some readers. "Guided Reading" is when a teacher divides students in the class into groups, and each group is assigned a book that its members will read on their own and meet again with the group to discuss it. "Independent Reading" is when a book is of interest to a particular child and is on his or her appropriate grade level. This is the kind of book a student would choose to read on his own or independently.
This home page links you to four pages on which I have listed my reviews for 15 young adult fiction novels I read as part of the course. They are listed under Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, and Independent Reading. I hope you enjoy my website as much as I enjoyed building it.
Parts of Balanced Literacy
Read Aloud
Shared Reading
Guided Reading
Independent Reading
