Literature Circle Groupings: Themes
Here are some possible groupings, the list is ever growing!
When choosing books for Literature Circles, please check the appropriateness for the age you teach. Many of these books I would not use below Grade 6 and some even below grade 8.
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'Distopian' / Science Fiction (Discovering the Truth, the cracks in the perfection, The Secrets Adults Keep) City of Embers - Jeanne DuPrau The Giver - Lois Lowry (or consider Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry) Among the Hidden - Margaret Peterson Haddix House of Scorpion - Nancy Farmer Invitation to the Game - Monica Hughes MiNRs - Kevin Sylvester Child Slavery / Labour Iqbal - Francesco D'Adamo Holes - Louis Sacher Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (An abridged version, or just watch the movie for comparison) Sold - Patricia McCormick Chains - Laurie Halse Anderson MiNRs - Kevin Sylvester ((You could include the novel, or just use Chapter 17 as an anchor text) Social Justice Sold - Patricia McCormick A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park Homeless Bird - Gloria Whelan The Breadwinner - Deborah Ellis I am Taxi - Debrah Ellis Iqbal - Francesco D'Adamo I am Malala - Malalay Yousafzai The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne Focus on Communism in different countries: (China) - Revolution is not a Dinner Party - Ying Chang Compestine (Soviet Union) - Breaking Stalin's Nose - Eugen Yelchin (China) - Forbidden City - William Bell (Germany) - A Night Divided - Nielsen Focus on Chinese Culture - Past and Present: Revolution is not a Dinner Party - Ying Chang Compestine Forbidden City - William Bell Red Butterfly - A.L.Sonnichsen Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin Young Fu of the the Upper Yangtze - Elizabeth Foreman Lewis Children in Different Government / Cultural situations The Other Side of Truth - Beverley Naidoo The Breadwinner - Deborah Ellis Iqbal - Francesco D'Adamo The Tiffin - Mahtab Narsimhan A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park (China) - Revolution is not a Dinner Party - Ying Chang Compestine (Soviet Union) - Breaking Stalin's Nose - Eugen Yelchin (China) - Forbidden City - William Bell (Germany) - A Night Divided - Nielsen WWII Theme The War that Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Prisoner B-3087 - Alan Gratz The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak Echo: A Novel - Pam Munoz Ryan Number the Stars - Lois Lowry Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein The Devil's Arithmetic - Jane Yolen Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne Between Shades of Grey - Ruta Sepetys Paper Wishes - Lois Sepahban WWII - Holocaust Prisoner B-3087 - Alan Gratz The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak Number the Stars - Lois Lowry The Devil's Arithmetic - Jane Yolen Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne Between Shades of Grey - Ruta Sepetys Milkweed - Jerry Spinelli Briar Rose - Jane Yolen WWII - Japanese focus Sadako and the Thousand Paper Crains - Eleanor Coerr Hiroshima Under the Blood-Red Sun - Graham Salisbury Dash - Kirby Larson Caged Eagles - Eric Walter (Canadian Internment) Naomi's Road - Joy Kogawa (Canadian, it's the children's adaptation of the author's novel Obasan) Racism against African American/Canadian Chains - Laurie Halse Anderson Elijah of Buxton - Christopher Paul Curtis The Watson's Go to Birmingham - 1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis One Crazy Summer - Rita Wita Williams Garcia Canadian Authors The Night Gardener - Jonathan Auxier MiNRS - Kevin Sylvester Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders - Kevin Sylvester The Nest - Kenneth Oppel Silverwing - Kenneth Oppel Elijahof Buxton - Christopher Paul Curtis Breadwinner; I am Taxi - Debroah Ellis Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery The Sky is Falling; The WHole Truth- Kit Pearson Lost in the Barrons - Farley Mowat Gordan Korman Eric Wilson |
Mystery
Mr. Lemoncello's Library - Chris Grabenstein The Blackthorn Key - Kevin Sands The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler - e.l. konigsburg The London Eye Mystery - Siobhan David Chasing Vermeer - Blue Balliet The Night Gardener - Jonathan Auxier Ghosts / Spooky / Supernatural The Night Gardener - Jonathan Auxier The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman Coraline - Neil Gaiman Doll Bones - Holly Black Liesl & Po - Lauren Oliver The Swallow - A Ghost Story - Charis Cotter (Set in Toronto) Lockwood and Company: The Screaming Staircase - Jonathan Stroud Acceptance, Family, Overcoming Challenges, Empathy The War that Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Wonder - R.J. Palacio El Deafo - CeCe Bell Out of My Mind - Sharon Draper Counting by 7's - Holly Goldberg Sloan Absolutly Almost - Lisa Graff A Time to Dance - Padma Venkataraman Rules - Cynthia Lord Grief and Loss The Thing About Jellyfish - Ali Benjamin The Fourteenth Goldfish - Jennifer L. Holm Pax - Sara Pennypacker Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson Counting by 7's - Holly Goldberg Sloan Because of Mr. Terupt - Rob Buyea Diverse / Loving Families Surviving the Appplewhites - Stephanie S. Tolan The Watson's Go to Birmingham - 1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis Savvy - Ingrid Law Raymie Nightingale - Kate DiCamillo Wonder - R.J. Palacio The Misadventures of The Family Fletcher - Alison Levy People with Unique Abilities Savvy - Ingrid Law A Tangle of Knots - Lisa Graff A Snicker of Magic - Natalie Lloyd Friendship - Different Syles Roller Girl - VIctoria Jamieson Crossover - Kwame Alexander Center of the Universe - Linda Urban Raymie Nightingale - Kate DiCamillo Crummy Circumstances - Get by With the help From your Friends Flora and Ulysses - Kate Di Camillo Matilda or BFG - Roald Dahl Circus Mirandus - Cassie Beasley Magical Elements Matilda or Witches - Roald Dahl Circus Mirandus - Cassie Beasley A Snicker of Magic - Natalie Lloyd The Boundless - Kenneth Oppel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs Harry Potter - JK Rowling Jinx - Sage Blackwood Survival Theme: Wild Robot - Peter Brown Pax - Sara Pennypacker Hatchet - Gary Paulsen My Side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George Kate DiCamillo - Author Study Raymie Nightingale Because of Winn Dixie MIraculous Journey of Edward Tulane The Tiger Rising Flora and Ulysses The Tale of Despereaux The Magicians Elephant Literature Circles - Love (and sometimes loss) of a Family Pet Because of Winn- Dixie - Kate DiCamillo Handful of Stars - Cynthia Lord Love that Dog - Sharon Creech Paper Wishes - Lois Sepahban Dash - Kirby Lawson |