1. Favorite Authors! Grade 8 Book Talk
October 2016

2. Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix Genre: Realistic/Science Fiction
Haddix has written 35 books for children and teens to date, with her first published book being Running Out of Time.
Double Identity is the story of Bethany Cole, or is it Bethany Krull?
Right around her 13th birthday her parents begin to act strange.
She is dropped off to stay with an aunt she has never met, in a town she has never heard of.
This book will leave you in suspense from start to finish! The story doesn’t begin to make sense until at least ½ way through.

3. Advice to readers…
“Read a lot. Write a lot. Think a lot. Enjoy what you read, write, and think about. And, not to sound too much like a mom, but, really, next time start on your report before the night before, okay?”

4. The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman Genre: Realistic Fiction
The author has written many novels for children in teens that cross genres of humor, suspense and sci-fi.
Schwa-the faint vowel sound in many unstressed syllables in the English language. It is signified by the pronunciation “uh” and its symbol is the э.
If you were to call a person a “Schwa” what could that say about them?
Read experiments on p. 24 & 26
Read on to find out what happens when you are “invisible” and what you can do to be seen

5. Inspiration for the “Schwa”
“The idea came to me in the middle of an author visit. I was answering questions in a school library when a teacher pointed out a boy who had had his hand up the whole time and I hadn’t noticed. He was sitting in front of the library’s big dictionary and I made this odd connection. The kid was unnoticeable---like a schwa in the dictionary”.
---Neal Shusterman

6. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander Genre: Realistic Fiction
Winner of the Newbery Medal & Coretta Scott King Award, Kwame has written 21 books for children and teens. He is a poet, writer and educator who lives in VA with his family.
The Crossover is a novel written in verse about 8th grade twin brothers who are basketball phenoms
Their father is also a retired professional basketball player
This story, told in verse (poetry) follows the brothers through the struggles of first love, their first fight, a championship basketball season, and family drama that will either bring them closer or drive them apart
Excellent use of figurative language and colorful vocabulary

7. Down the Rabbit Hole: Peter Abrahams Genre: Mystery
Award-winning author Peter Abrahams lives in Falmouth, MA and this is his first novel for younger readers
Stephen King has referred to Abrahams as his “favorite American suspense novelist”
He also publishes under the name Spencer Quinn
Fan-made book trailer
This title is the first in a 3 book series of interconnected novels

8. Every Vote Matters-Judge Tom Jacobs and Natalie Jacobs Genre: Nonfiction
Tom Jacobs has served as an assistant attorney general, a Superior Court juvenile judge, a family court judge and a professor.
Natalie Jacobs works on the website Her focus is on helping teens and their parents to become better informed about youth rights and laws
Interesting facts:
In 2012 only 11% of year olds voted in the presidential election
In the 2014 midterm elections only 37% of eligible voters cast ballots-the lowest rate since WWII
In 1975 ballots were required to be in languages other than English
In several countries the national voting age is now 16 (Brazil, Austria, and others)