This was a tough choice for our group, as both texts were really engaging for very different reasons. We Are Not Free offered a unique perspective that hasn't had a lot of coverage in YA literature that I've read. For many students, reading about the Japanese internment in America would be an eye-opening experience, especially paired with discussions about similarities in Canada. The multiple narrators were interesting, and even though each of them only got a chapter, I felt that I really connected to many of the characters. Me and Banksy was engaging for entirely different reasons. The conflict in this story felt very topical and current and felt like it would be very easily relatable for students. The narrator, Dominica, was SO ENGAGING and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. In the end, we voted for Me and Banksy because we thought it would have a broader readership among our students, but we will definitely book-talk We Are Not Free and encourage everyone to read it!
We wanted to create a way where we could read a few books, learn about many titles and have fun doing it! The tournament style reading of the Mighty Smackdown means that in the first round each participant reads two books, discusses both in a blog post, selecting one book to move on to the next round. Teachers are asked to commit to one round but most, if not all, continue on. We will read to the end when we will have only one book left standing!
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