Let's admit it: of all the ages of life, probably the hardest to get through are the middle school years. In a time when one is desperately trying to figure out who they are, one of the greatest fears for most middle schoolers is being a "nobody." Humiliation can be defined as being ridiculed for being different from the status quo, or perhaps worse, being invisible.

And the media doesn't help. From its portrayal, it seems that the epitome of being "someone" is being a tv or movie star or a sports celebrity. Glamor, glitz, chest thumping, and loud lives are depicted as normal and routine. All needed, the media likes to tell us, in order to be a "somebody."

As a teacher, there is nothing more frustrating than seeing impressionable, young minds being turned towards such shallowness. After teaching hundreds and hundreds of students, many who idolize such behavior, I find myself more and more drawn towards role models who are on the other end of the spectrum: people who are ordinary, simply going about their everyday lives, who suddenly decide to do something extraordinary--not for the fame that it eventually brings, but because they believe in a cause that is larger than themselves.

This blog is a compilation of books, websites, and films that celebrate those who I call Extraordinary People. Their stories are an inspiration--to put it mildly. Some of them are extraordinary because they endure hardship unlike anything any of us have ever known and yet refuse to lose their humanity and dignity. Others are extraordinary because they decide to follow their passions and ultimately display a genius that shines on for centuries. Still others are so because they find a cause worth fighting for and choose not to give up despite tremendous obstacles.

My hope is that in reading and listening to these stories and exploring these websites, middle schoolers will find role models who are truly worth emulating and discover within themselves the desire to become their best every single day.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


Reading grade level: 8 - 12

Pages: 560 p.

Book summary and analysis: A small cast of characters shine forth in this novel and set the theatre of Germany during World War II ablaze with their simplistic reality. Liesel, a young German girl, and her little brother are sent to live with a foster family to escape what?--Liesel does not know. On the journey her brother dies, leaving her alone with two strangers and years of nightmares. But Life begins to quickly change as Liesel and her foster parents struggle through the war together and decide to fulfill a promise made long ago that will alter their lives forever.

Narrated by Death, this humorous but gripping story is a self-fulfilling example of its own treatise: the power of words and their ability to strengthen and to heal. It is a story for children about children, but it is also a story that will empower any reader's heart.

Winner of the 2006 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year Award and the 2007 ALA Best Books for Young Adults Award. Also a Michael L. Printz Honor Book.

Additional curricular connections: Holocaust, World War II, the human spirit, the power of words

Links:
Website for Markus and his books: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/
 Discussion questions for The Book Thief: http://www.literacypbc.org/files/2010_Read_Together_ReadersGuide.pdf
 To review & purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375831002
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