Harry Potter Series

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
— J. K. Rowling



Of course I can't do a blog on great books for teenagers without mentioning Harry Potter, the entire series of course. Half of the world has already read this amazing series created by J.K. Rowling, so this is for the half that hasn’t! Start with the first book; it is according to the kids the worst book of the series. I believe this is because Rowling had to set up her alternate witchcraft and wizardry magical world for us and introduce us to the characters we will come to know intimately by the end of the series.
When this series first came out some people said it was against religion because of the witchcraft. If that is your belief then you are missing out on some wonderful FICTION! There are seven books in the series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Every book features Harry Potter and is best friends Hermoine Granger and Ronald Weasley.
Although this is children’s literature, it is edgy as the main villain Lord Voldemort wants to kill Harry Potter in every book. Harry, Hermoine, and Ron all grow up before our eyes making this a bildungsroman series. Readers can relate to these human parts of the story, how these kids feel and react to each other and the word around them. That is what makes this series so popular even if we can’t relate to the magical parts of these stories although we may wish we could. Adults down to kids as young as seven and eight are reading these amazing books. Readers are transported into a world that Rowling writes so clearly we can imagine the characters and setting as we read without any effort at all.
If you are not one of the 400 million people who have read these books, pick them up today!
Lexile 880L - 980L

Song of Night by Chris Abani

Song of Night by Chris Abani is a spellbinding and horrific view into the life of an Igbo child soldier whose has the “elite” job of scouting for landmines before the army walks through the war torn countryside; they are called mine sweepers. The fifteen year old boy who is telling his story is ironically named My Luck. Readers learn about My Luck’s life as he tries to find his platoon that he has been separated from. My Luck was brutally muted at 12 for his job. The worst phrase is “I took out my prick and pissed on..” It however goes so well in the story that no one flinched as read it aloud. This books is masterful because readers learn about like as a child in a war, what a child soldier thinks and feels. The writing is incredibly descriptive and moving as we learn of My Luck’s life through his memories.

I not only recommend this book for teenagers but for all adults as well. Chris Abani is an incredible author from Nigeria. He was jailed in Nigeria as they tried to silence his voice from writing compelling and telling books such as this one he wrong in Los Angeles after leaving Nigeria. My students are learning a lot reading this book and thinking a lot about what a different life other kids their age in other places and other circumstances have compared to the easy street they live on here in the United States. This is an easy and quick novella to read. Once you read it, you will be changed! I promise you will learn, grow, and never unknow what you read in this beautifully written novella. The writing by this Nigerian author will blow you away!

**Upon re-reading there is a scene where the boy of 12 if forced to rape a woman at gunpoint. This is a disturbing scene (to say the least). It's not more than four sentences but does make teens "uncomfortable." I do reiterate that Abani was thrown in jail in Nigeria for writing the truth about what was going on in his country. This is not just the story of one child soldier, it is the story of many...