Great Reading: Bookmark It!

Volume 32, Number 1, October 2004

Deborah Taylor

The Power of Words

Hole in my life. Jack Gantos. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2002. $16.00. 0-374-39988. Grades 7-12. Writing honestly and without preaching, this award-winning writer explores the bleak years of his teen and early adult life, including a stint in prison, and his efforts to change his reality through writing.

King of the mild frontier: An ill-advised autobiography. Chris Crutcher. Greenwillow, 2003. $16.99. 0-06-050249-5. Grades 7-12. With the same humor and insight found in his fiction, Crutcher recalls his early years, including many stories that have appeared in his novels.

Powerful words: More than 200 years of extraordinary writing by African Americans. Wade Hudson. Ill. Sean Qualls. Scholastic, 2004. Grades 7-12. $19.95. 0-439-40969-1. Inspirational words from powerful figures such as early American Benjamin Banneker to hip-hop musician Lauryn Hill are presented in their cultural context. Includes brief biographical sketches and the impact of their words.

A student’s guide to F. Scott Fitzgerald (Understanding literature).Eva Weisbrod. Enslow, 2004. $21.95. 0-7660-2202-1. Grades 9-12. In this study of one of the 20 th century’s most important writers, careful attention is given to his most popular works, such as The great Gatsby and Tender is the night. A valuable chapter focuses on Fitzgerald’s lasting legacy and impact.

A student’s guide to Nathaniel Hawthorne (Understanding literature). Mary Ann L. Diorio. Enslow, 2004. $20.95. 0-7660-2283-8. Grades 7-12. Hawthorne’s influence in the establishment of a unique American literary tradition is presented through his best-known works. Titles in this series include a chronology, chapter notes, glossary, suggestions for further reading and web resources.

Deborah Taylor: Coordinator, School and Student Services, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD. dtaylor@epfl.net