My vote is without a doubt Scythe by Neal Schusterman. I read this book before Refugee. I was immediately drawn to this book and found myself sharing information about it (not all, of course) with students and staff. Several of my students took interest and about ten of them (grade 8 and grade 9 girls) had started reading it as well. They loved it and many of them have already finished the sequel, Thunderhead.
This book is unlike any other book I have read. I loved how the scythes consistently referred back to the Age of Mortality and used this time period as a way to justify their actions. I found it particularly interesting that each scythe had a different method of gleaning. I would highly recommend this book to students who have a passion for reading or those you may consider more advanced readers. This would make for a great high level grade 8 or 9 book club, in my opinion.
I believe Refugee is a very good book for grade 7 or grade 8 readers. It was by far an easier read than Scythe. Students should have at least some background knowledge regarding WWII and the Holocaust to really understand and empathize with Josef's story. For me personally, Scythe was a much more engaging and intriguing read but I do believe Refugee is an important read for our students to understand the challenges that come along with fleeing and moving to a new country.
Now, onto reading Thunderhead!
Your blog exactly represent what we felt here at Brookside, as well as our colleague over at Spruce Ave. Both books were engaging and certainly have a place on our book shelves, but Scythe was the clear winner as just the better written and enthralling of the two!
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