Middle grade fiction for social issues
One of the big units my fourth and fifth graders read during the year is one on social issues. They usually really like it because they get to read about the big stuff-death, abuse, war, homelessness, disabilities... I sincerely hope they haven't had to deal with the issues, but the truth is, they do. Not all of them, thankfully, but a lot of kids deal with some of these things on a daily basis, and it's great for building empathy, even if they don't have to deal with them directly. These new books all would be great for a social issues unit. The first one is called "Feathered" by Deborah Kerbel. It's about 11 year old Finch and it gets it's title from a story she tells that when Finch was little, she sprouted a feather. They pulled it out and no more grew in, but Finch always has had the sensation that she would one day be able to fly. In the meantime, her life is not awesome. Her dad died of cancer 9 months ago, her mom is suffering from dee...