SEL & English-Language Arts

In 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year, navigating teenage life while uncovering dark secrets about Voldemort's past. With the help of Dumbledore, Harry delves into Voldemort's history and the mysterious Horcruxes. The story unfolds with themes of love, friendship, and betrayal, setting the stage for the final battle between Harry and Voldemort.

The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas, is a young adult novel that follows the story of Starr Carter, a 16-year-old African-American girl who navigates between her impoverished inner-city neighborhood and her predominantly white private school. The novel centers around Starr's experience after witnessing the fatal shooting of her childhood friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. This event propels Starr into a national news story and leads to her involvement in social activism, highlighting themes of systemic racism, police brutality, black identity, and the struggles of code-switching. The book has been praised for its timely and powerful portrayal of the Black Lives Matter movement and the challenges faced by black Americans, although it has also faced controversy and been one of the most challenged books in recent years.

Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a classic novel that explores themes of racial injustice, childhood innocence, and moral courage in the American South. The story is narrated by Scout Finch, a young girl who witnesses the trial of Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of a crime. Lee's powerful storytelling captures the complexities of race relations in the Jim Crow South, highlighting the prejudice and injustice faced by Black people. The novel's enduring appeal lies in its exploration of universal themes of empathy, compassion, and the importance of standing up for what is right. It remains a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial equality in America.