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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.  

'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






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  • Home
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    • Alternative Book Report Ideas
    • Padlet
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  • Ancient Civilization Units
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    • Mayans >
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    • Ancient India >
      • India Links
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      • Rome Links
    • Links and Websites
  • New Novels
    • Using Essential Questions with Literature
    • Literature Circle Groupings
    • Night Gardener
    • MiNRS
    • The Blackthorn Key
    • Circus Mirandus
    • A Night Divided
    • Wild Robot
    • Hour of the Bees
    • We Are All Made of Molecules
    • Raymie Nightingale
    • A Snicker of Magic
    • The War that Saved My Life
    • Paper Wishes
    • Novels in Verse
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    • Coming Soon
    • Spark Conversation
    • Book Reviews for myPita
  • Van Allsburg Resources
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