My 5th grade students are doing mini-book-club novel studies in March for Reas Across America. Students will be doing projects at the end of month. My students are in pairs reading a wide variety of books. Two of them chose The Red Pencil from the school library. I had not read it before and wanted to read it in order to help them throughout the month. 

It was a deep and reflective book. Sad at many times but glimmers of hopefulness and childhood throughout. I think my students will appreciate and learn from this more serious and "grown up" book.