Shadowshaper - Young Adult Fantasy

This urban fantasy follows the life of Sierra Santiago, a teenager living in Brooklyn, New York. Sierra seems like a normal teenager until she learns she is part of a community of shadowshapers. Without spoiling too much of the book, Sierra learns the "art" of shadowshaping and what must be done to save her ancestors and the rest of the shadowshaping community.

The author, Daniel José Older, did a beautiful job of choosing a strong group of main characters from diverse backgrounds. Although the plot is based in a fantasy world of shadowshapers, many students will be able to identify with Sierra, her family, and even her group of friends. Older did a great job of embracing Sierra's heritage in the book, without taking away from the magical world he created.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and I was so glad I did! The narration was done perfectly, and it really helped me understand Sierra's Latino culture. The narrator showed Sierra's urban accent along with native Spanish words she and the other characters used. I don't think I would have felt the importance of her culture if I had not listened to the book as I read it. I think the audio version would be a fantastic tool for teachers to use!

How Can I Use this Book in My Classroom?

This book could lead to multiple teaching points, depending on the age group you are teaching. I think this would be a fantastic read aloud for all students in the middle school and high school grades. Like I had mentioned before, the audio version of this book is so enjoyable! The author chose to integrate Spanish and English words throughout this book. This could lead to a great discussion with students who are unfamiliar with Spanish and determining how this language integration adds to the story and understanding of the characters.

Teachers looking to use this book for more in depth teaching points should visit Scholastic for more discussion ideas: Shadowshaper Discussion Guide