A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz

 Rabinowitz, A. (2014). A boy and a jaguar. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
A Boy and a Jaguar is a Schneider award winner.
Alan loves animals, but the great cat house at the Bronx Zoo makes him sad. Why are they all alone in empty cages? Are they being punished? More than anything, he wants to be their champion—their voice—but he stutters uncontrollably.
Except when he talks to animals…
Then he is fluent.
Follow the life of the man Time Magazine calls, "the Indiana Jones of wildlife conservation"as he searches for his voice and fulfills a promise to speak for animals, and people, who cannot speak for themselves. This real-life story with tender illustrations by Catia Chien explores truths not defined by the spoken word.
Another book that is on the same topic as A Boy and a Jaguar is Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands by Katherine Roy.
A few miles from San Francisco lives a population of the ocean's largest and most famous predators. Each fall, while the city's inhabitants dine on steaks, salads, and sandwiches, the great white sharks return to California's Farallon Islands to hunt their favorite meal: the seals that live on the island's rocky coasts. Massive, fast, and perfectly adapted to hunting after 11 million years of evolution, the great whites are among the planet's most fearsome, fascinating, and least understood animals.

The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley

 Gownley, J. (2014). The dumbest idea ever! New York: Graphix.
Great Graphic Novels for Teens is a list of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages 12-18, prepared yearly by YALSA.

Jimmy Gownley's graphic novel memoir about the "dumb" idea that changed his life forever!
What if the dumbest idea ever turned your life upside down? At thirteen, Jimmy was popular, at the top of his class, and the leading scorer on his basketball team. But all that changed when chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game. Things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school. Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right. How did Jimmy turn things around, get back on top at school, and land a date with the cutest girl in class?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7luMG8zTdMM

Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin

 Sheinkin, S. (2014). The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, mutiny, and the fight for civil rights.  New York: Roaring Book Press.
This book is a YALSA nonfiction award winner.  YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year.
An astonishing civil rights story from Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin.
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution. This is a fascinating story of the prejudice that faced black men and women in America's armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in service of a country where they lacked the most basic rights.
Lesson plans:

 

Hold a Civil Rights forum in your class with students acting as the panel of “guest speakers”

(see below). Through independent and group research, as well as class discussion, students will

prepare to answer questions as their assigned historical figures and discuss their roles in and

views of the Port Chicago explosion and subsequent trial.

Suggested historical figures to assign as “guest speakers” are:

Joe Small, Thurgood Marshall, Spencer Sikes, Dorie Miller, Secretary Frank Knox, President

Roosevelt, Lieutenant Ernest Delucchi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Robert Edwards, Corporal Rupert

Trimmingham, Commander Joseph Tobin, Admiral Carleton Wright, James Forrestal, Lieutenant

Commander James Coakley, Rear Admiral Hugh Osterhaus, Lieutenant Gerald Veltmann,

President Truman

Step 1: To build sufficient background knowledge needed to prepare for the panel,

have the class view and discuss the Labor Movement as detailed at this site,

http://www.history.com/topics/labor and do a close reading of pages 29–37 in the book. Students

should learn what the sailors on the docks experienced, and how those experiences compare

to the struggles workers experienced during the Labor Movement. As a class discuss how this

movement might have influenced the Port Chicago 50’s decisions after the explosion.

Step 2: Instruct students to do independent research on their assigned historical figure by using

Sheinkin’s book and at least three other sources. They are to gather evidence that helps them

understand the motivations of their historical figure.

Step 3: Each student is to write a page of notes detailing their historical figure’s behavior before

and after the explosion and what they believe to be the reasons behind it. They should bring

these notes to class on the day of the forum.

Step 4: On the day of the forum, ask student audience members to write down at least two

questions they would like to ask the guest speakers. Students take on the role of guest speakers

and sit in front of the audience. Each introduces him/herself and the class begins by asking

questions to the guest speakers. Guest speakers answer and defend their positions as best they

can and express their motivations for their words and actions before and after the explosion.

Step 5: As a conclusion to the panel, students choose one “guest speaker” and write a reflection

from the point of view of that historical figure explaining whether or not he/she has any regrets.

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

 Tamaki, M. (2014). This one summer. New York:  First Second.
This One Summer is a winner of the Printz award. The Michael L. Printz Award annually honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year.
Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It's a summer of secrets and sorrow and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq1CENzgW6Q

El Deafo by Cece Bell

 Bell, C. (2014). El deafo. New York: Amulet Books.
 El Deafo is the winner of the Newbery award. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school--in the hallway...in the teacher's lounge...in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it's just another way of feeling different... and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend? This funny perceptive graphic novel memoir about growing up hearing impaired is also an unforgettable book about growing up, and all the super and super embarrassing moments along the way.
https://youtu.be/uEmrTJOscvo

The Right Word Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant

 Bryant, J. (2014). The right word: Roget and his thesaurus. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.
The Right Word is the winner of the Sibert award. The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, established by the Association for Library Service to Children in 2001 with support from Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc., is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. ALSC administers the award.
For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions -- and it wasn’t long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn’t write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time. Readers of all ages will marvel at Roget’s life, depicted through lyrical text and brilliantly detailed illustrations. This elegant book celebrates the joy of learning and the power of words.
https://youtu.be/6Z8VGJ0s3RY  

Mikis and the Donkey by Bibi Dumon Tak

 Tak, B. (2014).  Mikis and the donkey. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdsmans Books for Young Readers.
Mikis and the Donkey is the winner of the Batchelder Award.  The Batchelder award  honors Mildred L. Batchelder, a former executive director of the Association for Library Service to Children, a believer in the importance of good books for children in translation from all parts of the world. This award, established in her honor in 1966, is a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States. ALSC gives the award to encourage American publishers to seek out superior children's books abroad and to promote communication among the peoples of the world.
One day, Mikis's grandfather has a surprise for him: a new donkey waiting! Mikis falls in love with the creature, but his grandparents tell him that the donkey is a working animal, not a pet. However, they still let Mikis choose her name -- Tsaki -- and allow the two of them to spend their Sundays together. Mikis and Tsaki soon become fast friends, and together the two have some grand adventures. Eventually, both Mikis and his grandfather learn a bit more about what exactly it means to care for another creature. Brought to life by drawings from Philip Hopman, Bibi Dumon Tak's gentle, humorous story is perfect for any readers who may have their own soft spot for animals."
Another book written by Bibi Dumon Tak and also winner of the Batchelder award is Soldier Bear. Based on a real series of events that happened during World War II, Soldier Bear tells the story of an orphaned bear cub adopted by a group of Polish soldiers in Iran. The soldiers raise the bear and eventually enlist him as a soldier to ensure that he stays with the company. He travels with them from Iran to Italy, and then on to Scotland. Voytek's mischief gets him into trouble along with way, but he also provides some unexpected encouragement for the soldiers amidst the reality of war: Voytek learns to carry bombs for the company, saves the camp from a spy, and keeps them constantly entertained with his antics. Always powerful and surprising, Bibi Dumon Tak's story offers readers a glimpse at this fascinating piece of history.