Books with Caring and Compassionate Characters

The Giver - Lois Lowry

Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

The Pinballs - Betsy Byars

Three lonely foster children learn to care about themselves and each other.

The Bumble Bee Flies Anyway - by Robert Cormier

Sixteen-year-old Barney is amnesic but, as a voluntary patient, he knows he is different from terminally ill patients. His involvement with the bitter, slowly dying Mazzo brings Barney hope, pain, and a moment of heroic glory.

Pictures of Hollis Woods - Patricia Giff

A troublesome twelve-year-old orphan, staying with an elderly artist who needs her, remembers the only other time she was happy in a foster home, with a family that truly seemed to care about her.

One Year in Coal Harbor - Polly Horvath

In a small fishing village in British Columbia, twelve-year-old Primrose tries to be a matchmaker for her Uncle Jack, befriends Ked, a new foster child, tries to decide if she is willing to go to jail for her convictions, and together with Ked, publishes a cook book to raise money for the Fisherman's Aid. Includes recipes.

Make Lemonade - Virginia Euwer Wolff

Fourteen-year-old LaVaughn, trying to earn the money for college, takes a job caring for the two children of Jolly, a single teenage mom, and must find the courage to make the right decision for all of them after Jolly is fired.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with an young paraplegic.

The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan

Suspicious of sixteen-year-old Marnie, a newcomer to their village, the residents accuse her of witchcraft when she discovers that the village madman is not crazy but deaf and she begins to communicate with him through hand gestures.

Freak the Mighty - by Rodman Philbrick

At the beginning of eighth grade, learning-disabled Max and his new friend, Freak whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces, they make a powerful team.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

Boy 21 - Matthew Quick

Finley, an unnaturally quiet boy who is the only white player on his high school's varsity basketball team, lives in a dismal Pennsylvania town that is ruled by the Irish mob, and when his coach asks him to mentor a troubled African American student who has transferred there from an elite private school in California, he finds that they have a lot in common in spite of their apparent differences.

The Misfits - James Howe

Four students who do not fit in at their small-town middle school decide to create a third party for the student council elections to represent all students who have ever been called names.

In My Hands : Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer - by Irene Gut Opdyke

Recounts the experiences of the author who, as a young Polish girl, hid and saved Jews during the Holocaust.

The Brimstone Journals

Citation: Koertge, Ron. The Brimstone Journals. 1st.. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2001.

Grades: 9-12

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse

Themes: School Violence, Rape, Frienship, Prejudice, Emotional Abuse, Self-Esteem

Main Characters: Boyd, Lester, Jennifer, Joseph, David, Sheila, Kelli, Damon, Rob, Carter

Plot Summary:

Brimstone Journals follow the thoughts of several different high school students who attend the school of Branston High School. Each student has a problem they are dealing with, the main issue being that a few of the students are planning a school shooting, and a few others are trying to decide whether or not they should tell someone about it.

Writing Style: The novel is written in verse which makes the book a quick and easy read. The novel is written from the view point of each character in the book.

Assessment of Quality and Utility:

The Brimstone Journals is a intriguing book and the reader is drawn in by each character. There is not a lot of character development but the reader quickly learns which students are in the "in crowd" and which are not. Each student is troubled in their own way. What surprised me is the non-tragic ending which is very believable. Even though the reader does not get to know the students extensively the knowledge that some of them step up and do what must be done is believable and commendable.

The Brimstone Journals could easily be used to open up discussions about school violence, the need to fit in, thoughts about how we treat others and how this affects people more then we know. Also this book shows that one can stand up for what one believes in or for what one thinks is right, and not become an outcast. And that often those who strike out the most are looking for a way out and a helping hand to stop their destructive behavior.

Monster

Citation: Myers, Walter D. Monster. New York: Harper Collins Children's Books, 2001.

Grades: 9-12

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Urban, Multi-Cultural

Themes: The Justice System, Friendship, Loyalty, Expressing Oneself

Main Characters: Steve Harmon, Steve's Lawyer O'Brien, the Prosecutor, Bobo Evans, James King

Plot Summary:

This novel follows the court case of Steve Harmon, an African-American boy accused of felony murder and armed robbery. The book begins at the beginning of the court case and through dialogue and flash backs, the reader sees in snip pits what happened on the night in question. The reader is also privy to the lead characters thoughts and feelings throughout the book and also how what has happened has affected other people in his community.

Writing Style:

The novel is written in screen-play and journal form. The reader reads the story through the eyes of the lead character Steven Harmon. The screen play and journal format of this book makes the book a fast read. The reader is held in suspense until the last few pages of the book.

Assessment of Quality and Utilization

Monster is a fast paced and exciting read. It would appeal to a variety of readers including young adults and adults. The reader really feels the emotions that the lead character is going through as he must sit through day after day of court proceedings, and then go back to his cell in the evening. Although placed in the urban or multicultural genre this book is so well written it would appeal to any young adult from any background. The themes of friendship, trust, and loyalty found in this book are things that young adults deal with every day and touch their lives everyday. This book also brings into question the treatment of prisoners, the judicial system, how it works and if it is fair, and the validity of the witnesses involved in court cases.

This book could be used in a variety of ways. Monster could be acted out in a drama class, and the actors could interpret the story in their own way. This book could be read in a Social Studies class when the judicial system and court cases are being discussed. It would be a great novel to be read by student groups who do mock court cases as well. Monster is a great book to read for discussion on racism, stereotypes, and how this affects the judicial system of our country. Also the over arching themes of how one picks ones friends and how one decides who to or not to trust could also be discussed after reading this book.

Cut

Citation: McCormick, P. (2000) Cut. New York, NY : Push Books

Grade Level: 14 years and up

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: cutting, therapy, group homes, anorexia, bulumia, overeating, drug use, frienship

Main Characters: Callie, Therapist, Callie's mother, father, and brother, Sydney, Debbie, Becca, Tiffany, Tara, and Amanda


Plot Summary

Callie is a young girl who is in a group home for girls with a variety of mental health issues. Callie cuts herself. Throughout the book the reader is introduced to Callie's family and the girls who Callie deals with on a regular basis at the group home. Eventually the reader learns the reasons behind Callie's destructive behavior and you go through her many ups and downs of her life at Sea Pines. The reader is also introduced to Callie's therapist who Callie slowly warms up to throughout the book. The reader experiences with Callie an awakening as she realizes what are the roots of her problems and that she can allow her friends "in" to help her through her healing process.

Writing Style:

The story is told through the eyes of Callie. She writes as if she is writing a journal to her therapist. You see the world as Callie would see it, at first scary and suffocating. Eventually as bright and optimistic. The relationship between Callie and her therapist grows slowly throughout the book and with it the reader's relationship with the characters grows as well.

Assessment of quality and utility:

Cut is a very emotionally driven and gut wrenching book. As each character deals with her own demons the reader can not help but feel empathy towards them. The writing of this book is well researched and touches upon several sensitive subjects. The author does a superb job at dealing with these subjects in a heartfelt and knowlegable way.

This book would be very useful for a therapist to use with his or her patient. The feelings that the characters experience in this book are real. The story is real and does not try to sugar coat anything. The reader struggles along with the characters and it could show a young reader that they are not alone in their struggles to make sense out of the emotions they are feeling. This book would also be a wonderful book for a parent with a child who cuts themselves to read. It would help that parent to better understand what might be going through their child's mind that would provoke them to take such actions against their bodies. Cut is also a great book to introduce the idea that one cannot blame oneself for the choices that other people make.