This summer I was able to spend an intensive Study Abroad semester in Oxford, England. Instead of three hours in class twice a week for 12 weeks, we compressed our 72 hours of academics into daily and consecutive learning activities – lectures, museums, campus tours – in just over two weeks, in addition to some pre-work about some of Oxford University’s most prominent authors from history. As a doctoral student at Columbus State University, I facilitated student-led lectures and immersive activities about an ‘Oldie but Goodie’, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.

​Traversing so many of the colleges within the Oxford University umbrella and experiencing landscape, architecture, libraries, and overall environment, I felt connected to some of the inspirations around popular books, such as the Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland series. But the highlight of my time literary immersion at Oxford was indeed diving into the academic and social interpretations of The Fellowship of the Ring.

The Fellowship of the Ring has fascinated some three generations of readers with its entirely relatable characters and a plot that intensifies with each page. From “you cannot pass” to “my precious,” there is a high likelihood that we’ve heard some of the cliché sayings of The Fellowship of the Ring at some point in our lives. The journey of Frodo Baggins, who inherits his uncle’s ring, is one of tragedy, bravery, suspense, and altruism. His quest and his decision to rid the world of a planet-conquering super evil is made all the more significant when you calculate that a middle-aged Halfling (barely two-thirds the size of a human) decides to journey nearly 2,000 miles to take The One Ring exactly where it belongs – no spoilers. He is joined by, not just a wizard, an elf, a dwarf, and two men, but three more of his kind – Hobbits. 

Welcome to our mid-August Weekend Picks! Many of you have already gone back to school, and many of you are preparing to do so. As the shift in schedules is underway, Dr. Erinn Bentley has your sci-fi YAL reading needs covered. And, as AI may be on the minds of many of our ELA teacher-readers, this pick will have us all considering the future. 
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​Dr. Erinn Bentley is a professor of English education at Columbus State University, where she also serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Global Engagement. She enjoys mentoring pre-service secondary English teachers, graduate students, and her doctoral candidates. In addition to teaching YA literature and pedagogy courses, Erinn leads study abroad programs for education majors in Belize, Ecuador, England, and Japan. In her free time, you’ll probably find her on a robotics field mentoring FIRST teams as part of the Columbus Space Program. ​​

​One of my favorite sci-fi YA novels is Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. The first in the Illuminae Files series, this space opera is thrilling to read as well as visually stunning. Set in 2575, the novel opens with two interstellar corporations at war over a distant mining planet. Barely escaping a deadly attack, teenagers Kady and Ezra are whisked away by a rescue fleet; however, the drama and danger are far from over. The drama: Kady and Ezra had a messy break up just hours before they escaped. The danger: They escaped on separate ships - one with a plague, the other with crazy AI, and both being chased by the attackers who bombed their planet. When none of the fleet’s leaders provide straight answers as to how they will survive, Kady uses her hacking skills to unravel the mystery of what’s really go on. And the only person who is there for moral support: her ex-boyfriend. 

​This novel really is a roller coaster ride of a read. With both protagonists in constant danger, there are plenty of action-packed scenes and plot twists to keep the reader engaged. As Kady and Ezra communicate through secret chat messages, we also witness their (literal) star-crossed on-again, off-again romance. I appreciate how each character is portrayed. On the one hand, Ezra is cocky and impulsive; however, we also see him break into tears when his buddy dies. Similarly, Kady is fearless and sassy, but she also has moments of deep vulnerability when she confronts all that she has lost. As a reader, I was not only rooting for them both to live, but to also find their way back to each other.

​​​Dr. Erinn Bentley is a professor of English education at Columbus State University, where she also serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Global Engagement. She enjoys mentoring pre-service secondary English teachers, graduate students, and her doctoral candidates. In addition to teaching YA literature and pedagogy courses, Erinn leads study abroad programs for education majors in Belize, Ecuador, England, and Japan. In her free time, you’ll probably find her on a robotics field mentoring FIRST teams as part of the Columbus Space Program. ​​

​As you may have noticed from past posts, I’m currently fascinated with YA sci-fi novels. Continuing with this genre, I am excited to recommend Jay Kristoff’s Lifelik3 as this weekend’s pic. This novel opens with seventeen-year-old Evie, her gal-pal Lemon, and her grandfather Silas fighting to survive on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where humans coexist with robots (though not always harmoniously). When Evie discovers a mysterious “lifelike” android named Ezekial, everything changes. Silas is kidnapped, sending Evie on a rescue mission accompanied by Lemon, Ezekiel, and her robot sidekick, Cricket.

​These unlikely heroes battle sea creatures, cyborg assassins, deadly robot hounds, and glasstorms in a nonstop trek across dangerous terrain. Along the way, Evie slowly recovers buried memories, making her question her identity, her past, and her current relationships with humans and the beautiful android. 

​​This novel keeps readers’ attention by alternating between action-packed scenes and cryptic flashbacks from Evie’s past. Throughout the novel, neither the protagonist nor the reader can quite figure out just who she is: “The walls were crashing in. Two lives, colliding like stars inside her mind. The life she knew – the life of Evie Carpenter. Domefighter. Top-tier botdoc. A skinny little scavvergirl eking out a living on the island of Dregs. And someone else. Another girl entirely. A virtual princess in a gleaming white tower, looming over a city now dead and abandoned.” Evie must decide: Did the past define her? Should she embrace her current self? Or, could she become someone new? 

​To some extent, these are questions adolescent readers themselves consider as they navigate challenges in their lives.

Welcome to the second Weekend Picks for August, brought to us again by professor Erinn Bentley who focuses on the YAL science fiction novel Chasing the Stars by Malorie Blackman. Another great recommendation for your YAL TBR list!


​​Dr. Erinn Bentley is a professor of English education at Columbus State University, where she also serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Global Engagement. She enjoys mentoring pre-service secondary English teachers, graduate students, and her doctoral candidates. In addition to teaching YA literature and pedagogy courses, Erinn leads study abroad programs for education majors in Belize, Ecuador, England, and Japan. In her free time, you’ll probably find her on a robotics field mentoring FIRST teams as part of the Columbus Space Program. ​

​​As someone who loves YA science fiction, I am excited to share Malorie Blackman’s Chasing the Stars with you all. Set in the future, we meet 18-year-old Olivia and her twin brother, Aidan, traveling across the universe to Earth after their crew dies from a mysterious virus. Along the way, they pause to rescue a group of stranded humans under attack. In this group we encounter Nathan, who falls head over heels with Olivia. These star-crossed teens navigate their relationship as their ship evades hostile aliens, and the new crew tries to build trust with the co-captain siblings. Aliens are not the only challenge, though. Jealousy and rumors threaten to tear Olivia and Nathan apart, sibling loyalty is tested, and a series of murders threatens everyone on the ship.

​Told from alternating points of view, we get to explore the inner thoughts of Olivia and Nathan; however, both are hiding secrets – from each other, other characters, and from the reader. Slowly, events from their past are revealed, and we learn how their lives were tragically woven together before they even met. Other readers have alluded to this novel being a retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello, which could be an interesting approach to teaching this text.

​Lastly, if you are familiar with Blackman’s YA series Noughts and Crosses, you know she is not shy about addressing themes regarding race, class, power, fate, and free will, which she also deftly weaves into this sci-fi novel.

​​While relaxing at the beach and lounging by the pool this last week of summer break, I was looking for a quirky, entertaining read to end my vacation. Louis Sachar’s Fuzzy Mud was an excellent choice. From the author of Holes, this novel is another imaginative story featuring three adolescents who stumble upon a scientific mystery. 5th grader Tamaya and her neighbor 7th grader Marshall run into the off-limits woods to avoid being bullied by school mate, Chad. Defending herself, Tamaya scoops some “fuzzy mud” from the ground, throwing it in Chad’s face before she and Marshall escape. And this is where reality blurs into fantasy. Later that night, Tamaya’s hand begins to tingle, and Chad is reported missing the next day. 

Feeling guilty, the pair search for Chad and uncover a mysterious “frakengerm,” which spreads throughout their community. Enter a mad scientist, the authorities, and series of Senate committee hearings – and this wild little mishap in the woods turns into a full-blown eco-thriller.
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​Geared for middle grades readers, Fuzzy Mud explores typical themes found in adolescent literature, including friendship and teamwork, fitting in vs. being oneself, and resilience through difficult challenges. This novel also portrays how environmental disasters can impact humans, animals, and nature, raising questions regarding the ethics involved in scientific experimentation and research.

While there are some dark elements (e.g., flesh eating bacteria), Sachar deftly weaves in pitch-perfect humor (e.g., “buttface”) to lighten the tone and remind us that this is a story for teens told by teens. While the horror/fantasy aspects of the novel might initially hook readers, it is the poignant characters that will resonate.