Spinning Through the Universe

Spinning Through the Universe: a novel of poems from Room 214 is written by Helen Frost. It's a touching novel of life in a middle school classroom, told through the eyes of the students.

This one's an eye-opener, and it would be great for my Special Education class. In the novel, readers meet every student in Room 214 (we even meet the custodian!), and every single one of them is different. Dustin cheats because his dad puts so much academic pressure on him, Shawna doesn't fit in because she's not one of the popular girls, Monique's father is in the military, and he is killed. Sam's family is evicted, and now they're living on the streets. Antoine has difficulty paying attention (perhaps ADHD?). Maria's father beats her and her mother, and Sharell tells her mother, who gets Maria help. It's a diverse group, and we hear how each one of them is feeling, why they do the things they do. When tragedy strikes, as with Monique, the classmates lean on each other and stand up for each other; as I said, the poems are moving.

I will definitely have this novel in my classroom. I would probably use it as part of a diversity unit, and every teacher (especially one who teaches middle school) should read it. I loved it and found it quite inspiring, as well as informational.