Category: Selective Mutism

Blazer Tales

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***These reading levels are just a guide to help if needed. Please, please, please do not let any of these numbers deter you from reading whatever you want!!!***

After Zero by Christina Collins

9/2/2018

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Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 4.5

Imagine that every time you open your mouth to speak you say the wrong thing and end up hurting someone by mistake. All you are doing is trying to fit in at school but nothing comes out right. Would you maybe stop talking as much? Keep to yourself? This is exactly what happens to Elise. After being homeschooled, she begins a new school and is trying desperately to fit in with her best friend's friends, but it seems she is always messing up. Elise decides it is best if she speaks as little as possible so she begins a journal to keep a tally of how many words she speaks in a day at school. Her goal has become zero. She was hoping that her silence would let her just blend in, but it seems to make her stand out even more. This is causing her great stress and it is affecting her sleep. Her home life is less than perfect also. She has a mother that doesn't seem to even care if she is around. One night she sees her mom sneaking out of the shed in the backyard and her whole life changes. She finds out that her mother has been keeping a very dark secret from her and it sends Elise on a harrowing adventure in which she may not even survive. Will her ex-best friend, Mel, step in and help? What about the new kid at school, Conn? Will he be able to save her? And then there is her favorite teacher, Miss Looping and her stuffed raven, Beady. What roll will they play in this disturbing time in Elise's life? Don't miss After Zero to find out what happens to Elise!!

Many of our students have a fear and anxiety of speaking up in class. While we may see this as them not having the answers, it may be something deeper than that. There are many people in this world, young and old, that suffer from Selective Mutism. Many times this is overlooked as being shy. This book can be such a help for the person who is dealing with this type of anxiety or if you know someone who is dealing with it. Read Elise's story and be the teacher who makes a difference in a child's life.

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Thornhill by Pam Smy

12/9/2017

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Interest Level: 5-8; Reading Level: 3.3

Imagine that you are completely alone with no friends and no family and you live in an orphanage. Now imagine having a bully in this orphanage that torments you day and night. Now imagine that you are a girl who has lost her mother, had to move into a new place, and your dad works 24/7 so you are all alone with no friends. Imagine your view from your bedroom is an old abandoned orphanage, yet you see a girl in the window every night. Thornhill is a parallel story of two girls, one from 1982 and one from 2016. Mary's story is told through her diary from 1982. Ella's story is told in pictures from 2016. This is a very creepy and mysterious story that would be a scary read for any elementary or middle school reader.

Thornhill is a story that I just could not put down. It is part fiction and part graphic novel. There are a few cuss words that I wish were not in there, but other than that this is a must read for the reader who loves scary/suspense/mystery.

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Blazer Tales

After Zero by Christina Collins

Thornhill by Pam Smy

Laurie Evans

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