Nie: You gotta get started reading this

Looking for a good book to read? Check out this list and be part of the Xpress/Newspaper in Education "You Gotta Read This" Book Club. The selections, chosen by Holly Atkins, NIE writer and teacher at St. Petersburg's Southside Fundamental Middle School, offer a variety of young adult fiction titles. Starting Nov. 4, on the first Monday of every month through May, Atkins will report on the discussion from a meeting of the actual book club, made up of seven students from around the Tampa Bay area. You can read the books each month and compare your thoughts with those of the club members. "You Gotta Read This" kicks off the continuing NIE classroom series Reading Matters.

"You Gotta Read This" book list

November: Jason's Gold by Will Hobbs

A young man, lured by the gold of the Yukon, travels far from home following his dreams of striking it rich. Along the way, he makes a few friends, and together they face the harsh realities of everyday life in the wilderness, including the cold, bears, moose and more.

December: The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley

Corinna Stonewall, 15 years old, has the job of watching over the Folk, a bunch of cave-dwelling gremlins that sour milk, rot cabbage and make farm animals sick. Once cold and fiercely independent, Corinna changes when she learns of her origins and where her powers come from. This starts her on a journey to discover more about joy, understanding and romance.

January: When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt

Toby Wilson thinks he's in for the worst summer of his life. His mother has left for good, his best friend's brother came back from Vietnam in a coffin, and a strange new kid just moved into town and is getting all the attention. Funny thing is, when things seem their worst, they can actually turn out to be pretty good.

February: 145th Street Stories by Walter Dean Myers

Set in contemporary Harlem, this collection of short stories is a real eye opener for those who haven't experienced how hard life can be. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and ultimately, you'll have a better understanding of what it's like to live in the inner city.

March: Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith

After tragically losing her best friend, a young woman closes herself off to the world only to be drawn out by a controversy at a nearby Indian camp. As the photographer for a newspaper, she learns a great deal about life and discovers another side to herself.

April: Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye

This story is about an Arab-American girl's move from St. Louis to Jerusalem. She is forced to deal with the realities of prejudice and religious intolerance. To compound matters, she begins a relationship with a Jewish boy.

May: Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury

This book is an unforgettable story of courage, survival and friendship as a young boy deals with problems of racism against Japanese-Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

For more information about the books, including authors' Web sites, go to www.sptimes.com/nie/kidsread.

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