Tag: House on Mango Street

Songs & Books for Tweens/Teens About Moving

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Moving has got to be one of the most stressful life situations. While it can be very difficult for adults to handle all of these changes at once, it is even more challenging for tweens and teens.

Many of us read or  listen to music to relate to circumstances that are happening in our lives. Below is a list of resources for middle and high school students to help with the transition of moving.

Songs

“Goodbye to You” by Michelle Branch. This one definitely takes me back to high school and break ups, but in looking at the lyrics it’s truly a great song to address saying goodbye to someone who has made an impact.

“The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert. During my first year teaching, one of my students told me about this song when we read House on Mango Street. It’s a great reflection song for tweens/teens to remember the different memories of their childhood in the house they grew up in.

“Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot. Sometimes tweens/teens need a little pick me up and motivation to make it through big life changes. This song encourages listeners to keep it going.

“Movin’ Out” by Billy Joel. This classic, fun song is great for packing and lightening the mood.

“Where Are You Going?” by Dave Matthews. Ever get in a mood where you just want a slower song? Dave Matthews has got tweens/teens in that mood covered with this song.

Books

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements. For readers who love Frindle, this book is perfect to help with the transition of moving. Sixth grade twins are about to start a new school and things don’t go as planned. I would recommend this book for fifth and sixth grade readers.

Anastasia Again! by Lois Lowry. If your kids love Number the Stars and The Giver, this is a perfect book to help cope with the struggles of moving. The twelve year old main character moves from an apartment to the suburbs. I would recommend this this book for grades 5-7.

The Kid in the Red Jacket by Barbara Park. For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this humorous middle school text is perfect. Howard believes that his parents have ruined his life by moving across the country. This story is all about making friends. I recommend it for readers in grades 5-7.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Behind all of the vampireness of this text, a component of the plot in the beginning is Bella moving from Florida to Washington. Not only does she deal with moving to a new state, she is also adjusting to living with a father she has only visited in the past. I recommend this book for readers in grades 6-12.

Swimming Sideways by CL Walters. This is the perfect YA novel for high school students who move. It tells the story of Abby adjusting to life after a move from Hawaii as she maneuvers friendships and relationships, while learning that the past does not always stay in the past. This book has been featured on My 10 Favorite YA Novels, 6 Favorite Indie YA Novels, and reviewed here.

 

 

 

Like Vanessa Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way. Like Vanessa by Tami Charles is an AMAZING book for young adult readers.

Book Description from Amazon: In this semi-autobiographical debut novel set in 1983, Vanessa Martin’s real-life reality of living with family in public housing in Newark, New Jersey is a far cry from the glamorous Miss America stage. She struggles with a mother she barely remembers, a grandfather dealing with addiction and her own battle with self-confidence. But when a new teacher at school coordinates a beauty pageant and convinces Vanessa to enter, Vanessa’s view of her own world begins to change. Vanessa discovers that her own self-worth is more than the scores of her talent performance and her interview answers, and that she doesn’t need a crown to be comfortable in her own skin and see her own true beauty.

Personal Thoughts: I am beyond excited to share this new book with you today! As an avid reader and well read educator I love getting my hands on young adult books, and this one is AMAZING!!! If I’m being totally honest, I spent an entire Monday night reading this novel from cover to cover because I was so emotionally invested in Vanessa’s journey. It has been a long time since I’ve stayed up half the night reading, and it was a fantastic decision.

The plot in Like Vanessa had two pieces that made it memorable. One piece is it’s a little predictable. About halfway through I got a feeling where Vanessa’s mom was, but the back story was one I did not expect. From an English teacher’s perspective, Charles did a beautiful job leaving some great foreshadowing breadcrumbs about Vanessa’s childhood. Some of them are a little more obvious than others, but in a positive way because it requires readers to think while reading.

The second piece is how the plot includes realistic situations. I’m a Jersey girl, born and raised, so I’m familiar with Newark, the setting of the story. Along with capturing the realities of living in an urban area, Charles hit on so many different experiences that young girls face. Peer pressure, puberty, family problems, friendship struggles, etc., can all be seen through Vanessa’s eyes.

I honestly fell in love with three characters while reading, Mrs. Walton, TJ and Vanessa.

As a teacher, I truly loved how Mrs. Walton, Vanessa’s music teacher, helped shape Vanessa into such a beautiful young woman. I make it my goal to reach one student every year, and to see the relationship between the two blossom reminded me that teaching is more than following a lesson plan. My heart melted when Mrs. Walton took Vanessa shopping because students don’t always realize that teachers are people too.

TJ is by far one of the strongest characters I have encountered in years. His love of fashion and creating works of art give him the strength to follow his dreams, regardless of his sexuality. Without giving too much away, I got choked up at a very scary part and started shaking. I had to put the book down so I could take a deep breath and continue reading.

Vanessa Martin is one of the most beautiful characters I’ve had the privilege to get to know. Nessy has a fabulous personality that shines through the pages of this novel. She is relatable to all girls, regardless of race or class. Her physical and emotional transformation is inspiring and motivating. She reminded me a little of Esperanza from House on Mango Street with her innocence and dreams, and like Esperanza she pushed through her environmental situations to take control of her life. At the end of the novel I wanted to climb inside the pages and give her a hug.

Personally, I recommend this book for grades eight and up because of mature content (references to drugs, alcohol and sex). Like Vanessa by Tami Charles is the best new young adult books that I’ve read since I found City of Bones. I encourage everyone to read this heartwarming story.

For more information on this fabulous novel please check out the following sites:

Tami Charles:  https://tamiwrites.com

Publisher’s Website:  https://www.charlesbridge.com/