To: Michael Green Superintendent of Woodland School District
Text Adoption Recommendation:
The Text Adoption Committee recommends adoptions of the following books for use at Woodland High School.
The Absolutely Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie for use in the Junior English course. The book will be one of five options students may choose from while they participate in the literature circle unit. It is a powerful story written in the format of a diary and highlights experiences most high school students have, however it amplifies minority differences and how the main character is able to overcome hardships that come with his heritage. It also nicely demonstrates how he embraces and celebrates his culture. The book is unique in that it is written by a Native American writer and is set in the Pacific Northwest.
Le Morted-Heroes, Myths, and Legends by Sir Thomas Malory for use as a supplemental text in the Senior English course. The book is a classic text that reads like an anthology of the Knights of the Round Table and connects them to the life of King Arthur. The book is unique in that it contains several female protagonists and antagonists and offers students opportunities to apply their understanding of archetypal criticism.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers for use as a supplemental choice text for use in Junior the English course during the literature circle unit. This nonfiction text offers a personal and detailed account of an event that has happened in our students’ lifetime, Hurricane Katrina. It offers students the opportunity to discuss the aftermath of a natural disaster and in the context of ethnic and racial prejudice.
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah for use as a supplemental choice text for use in Junior English course during literature circle unit. A key learning objective for this course is for students to gain new perspectives and follow character development throughout a novel. This particular text offers the perspective a boy who experiences the traumatic events during the Sierra Leone civil war that occurred in the 1990s. Due to the context of the story, the book contains some of the harsh realities of the violence of war and is therefore an optional text students may chose not to read.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett for use in the Junior English course. The book will be one of five options students may choose from while they participate in the literature circle unit. A key learning objective for this course is for students to gain new perspectives and follow character development throughout a novel. This book offers the opportunity for students to examine the development of multiple characters set in the context of race relations during the 1960s. Students will analyze how different characters respond to bigotry and ignorance in different ways.
The Road by Alfred Knopf for use as a supplemental choice text for use in Junior English course during literature circle unit. A key objective in this course is for students to analyze literary elements of a text. This particular text offers a futuristic setting as the story takes place in a post apocalyptic world. The main theme of this novel is about the power of love in desperate times. The uniquely book offers a futuristic setting for students to discuss contemporary topics like war, social conflict, and environmental issues.
Asha Riley