YAL and the Classics

[E A Farley]

Grade 9 - I am looking to pair some YAL with the classics as I build thematic units for the upcoming school year. So far I have the following...

Romeo and Juliet W/ Breaking Rank
The Red Badge... W/ The Year of the Hangman

I am looking for one for The Odyssey that is appropriate for a Catholic high school. Any suggestions?

[Kelly Farrow]

I highly recommend checking out Sync, which is always a major highlight of my summer. They pair classic titles w/ contemporary ones every week in the summer and give out free downloads to the audiobooks! Love it!  :)  You can see what pairings they're doing this summer, plus I believe they list their past pairings on the site as well. (This is the 3rd year they've been doing this.) Even just knowing what pairings they've made could be very helpful for you. I don't remember off the top of my head if they've done the Odyssey, but check into it for sure:  http://www.audiobooksync.com/

[E A Farley]

Thank you very much for the suggestion.

[Susan A Garr]

Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea 

(from Amazon:)

Nineteen-year-old Nayeli works at a taco shop in her Mexican village and dreams about her father, who journeyed to the US to find work. Recently, it has dawned on her that he isn't the only man who has left town. In fact, there are almost no men in the village--they've all gone north. While watching The Magnificent Seven, Nayeli decides to go north herself and recruit seven men--her own "Siete Magníficos"--to repopulate her hometown and protect it from the bandidos who plan on taking it over.

 

This story is definitely a story that involves a long journey in which the characters are challenged to continue on.  Many colorful characters are met along the way.  Check it out!  Author of the Hummingbird's daughter and the Devil's Highway.  Great story teller.