Sold by Patricia McCormick

You must read this book! It is so beautifully written and such a powerful story; I read this book in three hours and was weeping at the end -- partly because of the story and partly because of how well it was written.

Lakshmi is a young girl coming of age in Nepal. After a monsoon that destroys most everything they own, Lakshmi's stepfather sells her into prostitution in India. This is the story of how Lakshmi survives . . .

I read this book right after watching Slumdog Millionaire, and the first thing I thought was that this could be Latima's story. Even though McCormick is an American author, the global issue of human trafficking makes it a good choice for World Literature.

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

Bog Child takes place in Northern Ireland in the mid-80's. While stealing peat with his uncle at the local bog, Fergus discovers the body of what appears to be a little girl. Once the authorities come in, they realize the body is hundred of years old. Fergus begins to imagine the life of the girl, just as he is trying to figure out the own mess of his family and community.

I learned a lot about the conflict in Ireland by reading this book. I think it would be a great summer read for Irish Lit!

Story of A Girl by Sarah Zaar

I read this book in about 5 hours . . . I just couldn't put it down. Shout out to Myles for suggesting this one. Another sad one . . .

If I were planning to teach Scarlet Letter again, I would use this book and 13 Reasons Why as introductions to the themes. In this novel, Dena is trying to live down the reputation she earned as an 8th grader when her father caught her in a "compromising position" with an 18 year old boy. Though she has been a good student and a well-behaved daughter, no one can get past seeing her as a slut . . . most of all Dena.

Rules of Survival

Another novel by Nancy Werlin, but a very different concept than Impossible. Rules of Survival tells the story of Matthew and his two sisters as they try desperately to find someone who will help them escape from their abusive mother.

This was a pretty sad book, but definitely something I think students would enjoy reading. The abuse isn't over-the-top; the relationships are very believable.