Deborah 18 My blog
Writing and Teaching Outside Our Comfort Zones
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I blog regularly for I.N.K. (Interesting nonfiction for kids.) It’s a great blog for people interested in not only nonfiction for kids, but in any kind of writing for kids, or writing, period. The authors who blog there share insights about the writing and research process, about Common Core, about teaching and working with kids, and sometimes personal things about their lives. And the folks who comment always add more to the discussion. The way we do it is we each have a day a month. So I write my posts ahead of time, and then set it up to post on the day it’s due to go up. This past week my post came out the day after the bombing at the Boston Marathon. I wish I had had time to rewrite it, to address that horrific event. But I didn’t. I managed to add a comment. Like many others, I was focused on the news on Tuesday, and not reading blogs or much else. I’m sure many people did the same thing. Of course then life goes on, we get back to work, and we just check in every hour or so to see if there’s something new.
Anyway since my post is a topic I feel fairly attached to, I’m linking to it here so that it won’t get lost in the shuffle.
Now, back to work. I’m getting ready to go to IRA. If you’re going to be there, please check my schedule on my Appearances page so you can come say hi.
Happy 100th Birthday, Paul Erdos!
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of mathematician Paul Erdos.
Check out this wonderful blog at The New York Times about Erdos and my book!
I wrote here yesterday that today I would write more. I was wrong–at least for now. Yesterday I was making food for our seder. Today I am cleaning up from the seder. Paul Erdos, by the way, though Jewish, was not exactly the most religious guy. He referred to God as the Supreme Fascist. THAT is not in the book.
YA Books with Religious Themes
Francisco Stork and I had a panel discussion at ALAN/NCTE 2012 about YA books with religious themes. We handed out this list and promised to post it online. Herewith the post, just a little later than I would have liked. Sorry!
Please know that the list is not meant to be comprehensive, nor have we read every book, though we have read many of them, of course, and have even written a few (two each to be exact). Most are fiction, but a few are nonfiction. We compiled it based on recommendations by other writers, teachers and librarians. Please email me (Deborah@DeborahHeiligman.com) with additions or corrections. The books are listed by religious tradition and in each section alphabetically by author.
BUDDHISM:
Blue Jean Buddha Voices of Young Buddhists -Sumi Loundon, Editor
Taneesha Never Disparaging -M.LaVora Perry (this is middle grade, or young YA, really)
Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest to Find Zen on the Sea-Jaimal Yogis
Hardcore-Zen-Brad Warner
CHRISTIANITY/CHURCH OF LATTER DAY SAINTS/SPIRITUALITY
Clay-David Almond
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature-Robin Brande
The Girl of Fire and Thorns-Rae Carson (fantasy but religious)
The Miracle Stealer –Neal Connelly
Box Out-John Coy
The Miseducation of Cameron Post—Emily M. Danforth
The Dark Divine –Bree Despain
Stranded-by J.T. Dutton
Quaking – Katherine Erskine
The Gorgeous Game –Donna Freitas
The Possibilities of Sainthood – Donna Freitas
Godless –Pete Hautman
The Obsidian Blade-Pete Hautman
Charles and Emma – The Darwins’ Leap of Faith –Deborah Heiligman
With a Name Like Love-Tess Hilmo
Stained-Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Losing Faith – Denise Jaden
The Opposite of Hallelujah-Anna Jarzab
Saving Maddie -Varian Johnson
Born Again-Kelly Kerney
Dietrich Bonhoeffer-Michael J. Martin
Taken By Storm -Angela Morrison
Days of Little Texas – R.A. Nelson
Send Me Down a Miracle –Han Nolan
When We Were Saints – Han Nolan
Sorta Like a Rockstar — Matthew Quick
There is No Dog-Meg Rossoff
The God Box -Alex Sanchez
Back When You Were Easier to Love -Emily Wing Smith
The Way He Lived -Emily Wing Smith
Irises –Francisco X. Stork
Marcelo in the Real World – Francisco X. Stork
Small Town Sinners – Melissa Walker
Full Service – Will Weaver
Where Things Come Back – John Corey Whaley
The Chosen One -Carol Lynch Williams
Once Was Lost -Sara Zarr
HINDUISM
Maya Running –Anjali Banerjee
Siddhartha-Herman Hesse
Life of Pi-Yann Martel (more than Hinduism in this book, but it seems the best place to put it)
Karma – Kathy Ostlere
ISLAM
Ask Me No Questions –Marina Taimar Badhos
Where I Belong – Lillian Cross
Overboard – Elizabeth Fama
Does My Head Look Big in This? –Randa Abdel Fattha
Arts and Culture in the Early Islamic World-Lizann Flatt
In the Name of God-Paula Jolin
Skunk Girl –Sheba Karim
A Little Piece of Ground – Elizabeth Laird
From Somalia with Love – Naima B. Robert
Boy vs. Girl –Na’ima B. Robert
A Handful of Stars –Rafik Schami
Bestest. Ramadan. Ever –Medeia Sharif
JUDAISM
Hush –Eishe Chajil
The Diary of A Young Girl-Anne Frank
Hereville –Barry Deutsch
Intentions – Deborah Heiligman
A Family Secret-Eric Huevel
Real Time – Pnina Kass
One is not a Lonely Number –Evelyn Krueger
Gravity –Leanne Lieberman
So Punk Rock: And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother-Ostrow & Ostrow
The Chosen-Chaim Potok (and others by Potok)
Cures for Heartbreak-Margo Raab
Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance during the Holocaust-Doreen Rappaport
Never Mind the Goldbergs –Matthue Roth
The Weight of the Sky-Lisa Ann Sandell
Goy Crazy –Melissa Schorr
The Berlin Boxing Club –Robert Sharenow
The Devil’s Arithmetic –Jane Yolen
NATIVE AMERICAN
Night Flying Woman: An Ojibway Narrative-Ignatia Broker
Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories for Today- various authors, edited by Lori Marie Carlson
Stories for a Winter’s Night: Fiction by Native American Writers edited by Maurice Kenny
Rain is Not My Indian Name-Cynthia Leitich Smith
Walking the Choctaw Road: Stories From Red People Memory-by Tim Tingle
Places to find award-winning books and lists:
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/
The Christy Awards: http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/
The Christian Book Awards
http://www.ecpa.org/?page=cba_1_overview
www.Wisdompubs.org
www.Yalsa.ALA.org/theHub
Sydney Taylor Awards http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Awards/SydneyTaylorBookAward.aspx
Here’s this post as a PDF Religion Books for Web site.