CCAC CI Cycle 5 Executive Summary and Recommendations - EI Fall Book Clubs

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Vetting and Review Criteria: 1. Diversity: Exposes students to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences; students see themselves in the books 2. Student Appeal: Variety of reading levels and topics 3. Literary Merit: Awards, positive professional reviews, compelling characters, exemplary author’s craft and story telling 4. Alignment to Curricular Goals: The text matches the unit focus and can be used to teach the English Language Arts skills specific to the unit of study 5. Student Navigation of Text, Topics, and Themes: Is the content sensitive? Is the content age appropriate? Can the book stand on its own without needing a lot of supplemental adult support? Will students understand what is going on?
2	Vetting Criteria CCAC Response Summary English 1 A Study of Individuality and Belonging April 2021	% of Ratings of "Keep as Selection: Adequately Meets Criteria"	% of Ratings of "Keep but may require advisement"	% Ratings of "Concerns in this area sufficient to consider repurposing"	Summary of Commentary	Action
3	All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely	63%	25%	13%	The book shows the perspective of two teens -- one who was brutalized by a police officer and one who witnessed it. It portrays the emotions each one had following the event and the difficult decision of Quinn on whether to be loyal to his family and friends or tell what he saw. The accessible read makes it an option for students to delve into the characters deeply. This text does contain some language, mentions of drug and alcohol use, and an incidence of police brutality.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
4	American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang	100%	0%	0%	American Born Chinese explores Asian experience and the racism and stereotypes made. The content may be sensitive at times by allowing the reader the opportunity to see how a person from a marginalized group may feel uncomfortable in the world/environment/culture of the majority. This text builds empathy and understanding.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
5	Black and White by Paul Volpini	92%	4%	4%	Many students have not been exposed to inner city racial tensions. This book could definitely start those conversations. As well as validate students who have experienced racism. Not sensitive. Age and content appropriate for middle and high school. Students will understand without adult support.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
6	Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman	87%	13%	0%	Book is about mental illness. Will make students experiencing mental illness feel validated and will make students that don't have mental illness have empathy for others that do experience mental illness. This story is very complex. The main character was very compelling and easy to empathize with. Content is not sensitive. Content is age appropriate. There is no bad language or sexual references. The only support a teacher might offer is explaining that the book is about mental illness. If you don't know it does seem confusing until you find out you are reading from the point of view of the boy with mental illness during a very bad period of his mental illness.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
7	Dear Martin by Nic Stone	73%	8%	20%	This book provides a valuable perspective on police brutality and general discrimination of Black Americans. The main character, Justyce, is very relatable.His internal monologue is endearing and real. Students of all reading levels would be able to read and follow the plot of this book. The letters that are written help to move the plot forward without spelling out every detail of events that happened. Content can be sensitive for people of color but is necessary to realize what is happening in today's world. Content is age appropriate. Does not need adult support and it will be easy for students to understand. The book contains language including the "N" word, and references to sex, alcohol use, and an incidence of police brutality.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
8	Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell	63%	30%	8%	There are characters in this book that any high school student can either identify with or relate to one of their classmates. The diverse living experiences of our students is often hidden and this book does a good job of revealing that some will go great lengths to conceal personal trauma and living situations. LISD is largely a community of economically stable families, students would benefit from having a view different than that to help understand the dynamic of a community. Some of the content could be sensitive such as profanity, domestic violence and the threat of violence from Eleanor's stepfather. The final sexual encounter for Eleanor and Park is not over the top and could be relatable to many high schoolers as they show that you don't have to go all the way.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
9	I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez	90%	5%	5%	The main character struggles as a first generation Mexican-American to figure out where she belongs. There are mentions of rape, self harm, suicide, gang violence, and sexuality. Resources are provided at the end of the book.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
10	Love, Hate, & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed	100%	0%	0%	Written from the perspective of an Indian Muslim American girl who loves her culture and traditions but also finds her place in the dominant culture. It was a very positive portrayal and handled the sensitive topic of Islamophobia appropriately. The plot was suspenseful without being graphic, the characters were true to who they seemed to be—the main character didn’t abandon her beliefs or values in the face of temptation or peer pressure	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
11	None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio	78%	7%	16%	Students will be drawn to this book because of its topic of intersex people; however, many students will need support in building background knowledge and understanding the concepts of sex and anatomy presented here. This book is engaging and informative without being too technical or overly detailed. There are some sensitive topics, but they were dealt with in a way that was integral to the story, for the most part. The book contains strong language and sexual references.	Considerations sufficient to remove title from 20-21 EI book club unit.
12	Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez	77%	20%	3%	This historical fiction novel taking place during a school explosion in East Texas in the 30s and the racism that existed in the community. Students get a glimpse of the racial divide. This book will appeal to high school students. The book does discuss the familial sexual abuse endured by one of the characters. There is also a rape scene involving the same two characters. Both are written in such a way that are NOT graphic and the reader would need prior knowledge of sexual acts or rape to truly understand or picture what is going on in each scene. It should also be noted that there are some potentially cathartic moments in the text, where a character stresses to the other character that this abuse was not her fault, which is important too.	Considerations sufficient to remove title from 20-21 EI book club unit.
13	Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson	89%	7%	4%	There are a lot of opportunities for windows and mirrors in this book. People who encounter racism or racial bias will find a mirror. Readers who struggle with financial challenges will also see themselves in this book. All teens who are learning to speak up and self-advocate will find a mirror, too. Those students who do not struggle with racism or socio-economic challenges will gain insight through Jade's perspective, as she offers a window into the lives of people whose struggles are different from theirs. This book explores racism without inflammatory content; violence is minimal. Dialogue is realistic without being gratuitous or graphic. It is completely appropriate for teens and pre-teen readers. Students will understand what is going on and will be enriched as a result.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
14	The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie	63%	3%	33%	This book shows a perspective for an indigenous/Native American teenager. This character has chronic health issues, a sometimes difficult home life, and seemingly never ending grief. While there are some topics that are sometimes hard to talk about, these topics are brief. For example, there is a lot of death in the book; however, it is never graphic. Rather, it explains the grief process afterwards. Drinking is present in the text but is not glamorized or done by the main characters. Additionally, the narrator mentions masturbation very briefly. For the single page that the narrator discusses it, never once does the material become graphic or descriptive. Concerns raised about the author and accusations of sexual hararssment.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
15	The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden	92%	8%	0%	The author did a great job of introducing several different perspectives and experiences. The review on the cover says that "This is a compassionate look at poverty, hard choices, and defending one's right to be treated humanely." The author did her homework. Not only was she raised by a single mom, but she interviewed people who dealt with domestic abuse and poverty. This makes the story have more merit and credibility. The book contains references to domestic violence, emotional and verbal abuse, and gun violence.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
16	The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas	40%	48%	12%	The main character is stuck between two different cultures. Throughout the story, she tries to figure out her identity and where she belongs. Some students may need support around sensitive topics like systemic racism, discrimination, the idea of power, death, police brutality, and even abuse. There is use of strong language (F word) throughout, and there may need to be a discussion around school policy on profanity.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
17	The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo	83%	17%	0%	This book is a great teacher's aide in both creative writing and poetry. It can be used as a novel with a typical storyline for high schoolers struggling with family and self confidence issues as well as a method to help develop the use of poetry to tell or enhance a story! The author offer her vulnerability and authenticity which is relatable to students since she speaks to students from her experience dealing with the same issues that other teens go through. There are brief references to sexuality and religion.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
18	Uglies by Scott Westerfeld	100%	0%	0%	There is great opportunity for students to see themselves in this book. They can see the feelings that they have with fitting into certain groups and to following societal norms. It lends to areas of discussion between peers about struggles that teenagers may have on a daily basis. Good depth to the main characters, and the story just kept humming along, pulling you forward into the book, and into the sequels.	Meets criteria. Available for use in the 20-21 book clubs.
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