Welcome to the final Weekend Picks of 2025! We hope the year is ending with health and happiness for our readers. As we turn the page to a new year, may the season bring a slower pace that's perfect for cuddling up with a new YA read! And if you're looking for that next read, you've come to the right place. Again this week, we have Dr. Briana Asmus's ELA education students from Aquinas College bringing the recommendation to us.
 Isabella Augustine, Kayla Kuiper, Bridget Sherman, and Cece Faber | Here's a recap from last week: Dr. A’s literacy students are at it again! This year, Aquinas College preservice teachers found some exciting middle grade texts while they completed a 30-day reading challenge. They reflected on how each story could draw in even the most reluctant reader, and thought carefully about ways teachers might leverage social emotional learning. Their selections are sure to open up conversations that will foster academic and personal growth. A couple of these might look good on your holiday break reading list, too. Blog contributors Isabella, Kayla, Bridget and Cece are all education majors at Aquinas College. Cece enjoys reading mystery, romance, and fantasy books. Isabella loves historical fiction and romance novels. Bridget enjoys fiction and mystery. Kayla enjoys reading romance novels. |
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
 | The Maze Runner is a dystopian novel revolving around the experiences of a boy named Thomas. It could make a strong choice text to add to your classroom library. The novel starts with Thomas waking up in a moving cage. He does not know where he is, how old he is, or even his name at first. When the cage finally stops, it is opened by a group of teenage boys who are living in a place called the Glade. Thomas soon learns that the Glade is surrounded by a Maze that the boys have searched endlessly in the hopes of finding an exit back to their old life, but to no avail. The Maze also hosts a monstrous creature called a Griever that stings and even kills its victims if they are found outside the walls of the Glade at night. Mysterious things start to happen as the story progresses, and the Gladers become more anxious to find a way out. Students can use critical thinking and problem solving skills by journaling and answering questions from the view point of a character in the story: Is life really better outside of the Glade? What is the purpose of the Glade and the Maze anyway? What would you do in this situation? How would you suggest getting out of the maze? |
| The genre of The Maze Runner is dystopian science fiction. Along with catching the attention of young readers, this genre pushes students to think beyond what’s possible right now, stretches their imagination, and supports problem solving skills. This book would appeal to students who like mystery and problem solving, adventure and action, science and technology, imaginative students, and those who enjoy suspense and cliffhangers. Students could create a chart to identify evidence of dystopian and science fiction genres in the book. |  James Dashner |
In the chart, students could state either dystopian or science fiction, a supporting quote, and their reasoning for the quote they cited. This activity could also be done using the themes included throughout the story.
The Maze Runner incorporates a variety of themes throughout the chapters of the book. One of the main themes is identity and memory loss. This is prevalent within the characters as none of them have a memory of themselves once they are put in the Glade. Moreover, they slowly start to remember themselves as the chapters go on and find their new identities. Teachers can use this theme to showcase how characters develop throughout stories and to discuss how identities are formed.
The Maze Runner revolves around the theme of friendship. Teachers can relate this theme to teamwork, collaboration, and partner work in class on topics from the novel. With the book centering around a group of teenagers that are forced to grow up and face the harsh realities of their situation, there is a theme of coming of age. Teachers can use this text to show character growth, motivation, and internal conflict.
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