The+Change+Project

Click image to go to The Change Project Wiki. Apply to join.

The Change Project is dedicated to exploring how we might learn through literature to effect positive social change. Genres include speculative fiction (dystopia/post-apocalptic novels, fantasies, scifi, steampunk), sequential art, and nonfiction (in particular, creative nonfiction).

To contribute to this project, we will all contribute to a book set for each category: Speculative Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Sequential Art. You'll read two (including Rot and Ruin) from Speculative Fiction -- both independently. And one form Sequential Art and also Creative Nonfiction with book clubs. You form a book club by pitching a book and attracting two other people to join.

Independent responses may be blogged, bookcast, or presented in some other creative way if desired. The basic requirement, however, is to create a wiki page in The Change Project that shares information about the book that would be valuable to other teachers considering it for a project.


 * Speculative Fiction**

Rot and Ruin, Jonathan Maberry's zombie apocalptic tale (component of The Printz of YAL Project) plus one additional Speculative Fiction title from this list (with additional titles possible if you have one to suggest that fits well). All are dystopian and inspire questions about who we are and how we are changing: The Giver by Lois Lowry Unwind by Neal Shusterman The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson Genesis by Bernard Beckett Feed by MT Anderson Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster The Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Our goal is for each of us to read a different novel. So I'll place the list on The Change Project wiki and the early birds can mark their claims.

See the Project Specs . ..


 * Sequential Art**

Sequential art is the name that most artists-authors prefer for what many may call graphic novels. Sequential art serves the literary category much better because works can be nonfiction as well as fiction. For this project, we're looking specifically for YA books that deal in some way with social justice or the need for social change. These can be with nonfiction or fiction.


 * Creative Nonfiction**

Here are three very different books that could all fit under the title creative nonfiction. Each one could be used in a high school course though they are not categorized as YA. We're looking to expand this list to include YA titles as well as other adult titles that would be appropriate for older teen readers. Please note that I've included science/bioethics with Skloot's Immortal Life as well as historical works. Science often gets left out of creative nonfiction.

Tracy Kidder's Strength in What Remains

Dave Egger's Zeitoun

Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks