ttyl
Lauren Myracle
ISBN 978-0-8109-8788-3
209 pages;
Amulet Books, 2004
Genre: Epistolary; Contemporary Life; Humor;
Readers Annotation
Three best friends rely on their friendship for support during their sophomore year, in this story told exclusively through their IM logs.
Plot Summary
Cute, boy-crazy Angela, tough, sarcastic Maddie, and responsible, thoughtful Zoe are a trio of best friends who call themselves the Winsome Threesome. As they enter their sophomore year, they vow to remain as close as ever. Maddie counts down the days until she can get her driver's license. She starts the year complaining to her friends about Jana, the school's queen bee mean girl, but ends up forming a friendship with her. Angela and Zoe, though, suspect Jana may be more interested in Maddie's license and car than Maddie herself. Zoe joins the Christian fellowship. Her growing friendship with Mr. H., its faculty sponsor (and her English teacher), worries her friends, though Zoe swears his interest in her is strictly professional. Angela crushes hard on a series of boys; she's convinced each one is "the one," though her friends have seen her repeat the pattern often enough not to take her too seriously.
Will the Winsome Threesome remain as close as ever, or will they grow apart as their lives start to take them in different directions?
Critical Evaluation
I was a bit skeptical about how the book's structure would work--the story is told exclusively through the logs of their IM sessions--but I actually really enjoyed how the story unfolded. In their IMs, the girls talk about incidents at school, the TV shows they're watching, funny things that happened at work, mean things their parents said, the online quizzes they're taking. These small details, which might not make it into a more traditionally structured novel, work to give the reader a more intimate view of what these girls' lives really look like.
While the girls do occasionallyy join a group chat session, mostly they talk one-on-one. This also helps us get a more well-rounded view of the girls and their friendship because they interact in slightly different ways with the other two. And, just as often happens in real life, at times the trio is threatened when one girl feels that the other two are ganging up on her. This format also brings up the issue of the unreliable narrator; sometimes one girl lies to another, and sometimes the other girls (and reader) see the truth of a situation before the girl involved does.
It's a quick, breezy, satisfying read--a great book to recommend to reluctant readers.
Other Books in the Series
ttfn (2007)
l8r, g8r (2008)
About the Author
Lauren Myracle is a best-selling, often-praised and honored author whose works have also been frequently challenged. Besides the "IM" series, she is best known for Kissing Kate, a romance involving two girls, and Rhymes with Bitches, about a group of high school mean girls. Both books have been frequently challenged for their content, though they were also included a collection of best books for teens.
Curriculum Ties
This novel could be used as an example of non-traditional storytelling, a modern take on the epistolary novel.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about the book's structure, explaining how it gives the reader an intimate peek in their lives.
2. Talk about Maddie's relationship with Jana. Why she does she jump at the chance to be her friend, even though she knows she's mean?
3. Talk about Zoe's budding friendship with Mr. H. Should a teacher be friends with a student?
Reading Interest/Level
Though the book's take on friendships, relationships, and navigating social territory would appeal to both junior high and high school students, some potentially controversial content makes it more appropriate for older teens.
Challenge Issues
The book does contain some strong language, though it's used sparingly and realistically. Mr. H is clearly trying to seduce Zoe, which has huge challenge potential. Also, Maddie attends a frat party, where she gets drunk and is egged on to take off her top and do a striptease for the guys at the party, who throw money at her.
If the book were challenged, the librarian should read the book and point out that none of these incidents are portrayed in a flattering light. The librarian should be explain to explain and defend the library's collection policy to the challenger, pointing to ttyl's many positive reviews, including a starred review in SLJ, and its huge popularity with teen readers as proof of its worth.
Selection Criteria
ttyl was named a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. It was also included in Anita Silvey's book 500 Best Books for Teens.
Showing posts with label epistolary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label epistolary. Show all posts
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
ISBN 0-671-0273-4
213 pages
MTV Books/Pocket Books, 1999
Genre: Coming of Age, Epistolary
Reader's Annotation:
In a series of frank and funny letters to a virtual stranger, Charlie, a sad loner, details his sophomore year of high school and his struggle to participate in life more actively.
Plot Summary:
Charlie begins his sophomore year of high school by finding out that his one friend, Michael, has killed himself. He decides to write a series of letters about his feelings to an unnamed person (presumably a recent graduate of the high school) whom he does not personally know, but about whom he has heard other students say kind things. Through these extremely frank and funny letters, we learn about Charlie's past and home life. His beloved Aunt Helen, who came to live with his family after a tragedy, died unexpectedly on his 7th birthday, sending him into a spiral of depression and into psychiatric care. His parents are good and loving, though they both come from troubled backgrounds, and his older siblings are successful. His brother is a player on the Penn State football team and his sister is a top student at the high school.
Charlie's English teacher Bill recognizes his potential and assigns him a series of great books (The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye) to read outside of class; throughout the book, Charlie gives his reactions to these works. Music is also very important to Charlie, and throughout the book, he uses songs and music to express his emotions in a way he has trouble doing otherwise. Bill is concerned that Charlie is experiencing his life on the sidelines, so encourages him to "participate" more actively. Charlie befriends a brother and sister, Patrick and Sam, who include him in their circle of friends and expose him to a wider world that includes drug use, drinking, and homosexuality. Charlie also must deal with problems at home, including his sister's abusive relationship.
Throughout the novel, Charlie grows and becomes more involved in both his family and friends' emotional lives, but to truly participate in life, he must figure out why he put boundaries up in the first place.
Critical Evaluation:
What an excellent and moving book! I knew very little about this book before reading it, so it all unfolded for me naturally, without any spoilers or anticipation of major plot points. I think the epistolary format of this novel was a smart one; it lets us see into Charlie's mind and his thoughts on the day-to-day happenings of his life, but since we, like the unknown recipient of these letters, are not privy to his history, we slowly get filled in on Charlie's backstory as he realizes that for certain events to have context, he needs to fill in his reader on things that happened before. The reader becomes used to the conceit and accepts it, but later in the story, Chbosky reminds us, to great effect, that it's rather strange for Charlie to be opening up this frankly to a complete stranger and makes us wonder what it would be like to be the recipient of these letters.
Chbosky is very smart at depicting the role of adolescent friendships. While Patrick, Sam, and the rest of their friends open up to Charlie and give him a social network he's been missing, Chbosky is also very smart at portraying the ways in which Charlie does and does not reciprocate their friendship. Chbosky explores a lot of hot-button issues in this novel--homosexuality, molestation, teenage sex and pregnancy, teen drug use and drinking--but he wisely lets them be explored largely "off-screen" by Charlie's friends, forcing Charlie and the reader to make up their own mind about them.
The depiction of Charlie's nuclear and extended family is realistic and nuanced. While his extended family on both sides is quite dysfunctional, his parents are good and loving people who try to do the right thing. The sibling relationships in this book are smart, too: the brother off in college who still leaves a large and looming presence, and an older sibling who suddenly and unexpectedly becomes a close friend once you reach a certain age.
Chbosky also effectively uses culture--music, books, movies and television--to let us into Charlie's world. Music allows him a way to express himself to friends and family, especially ideas and emotions he does not yet have the ability to put into words, a trait many readers may relate to.
About the author:
Perks is the only novel Chbosky has written, though he has worked in film and television as a screenwriter and producer. After Perks, he is perhaps best known for his work as creator of the show Jericho.
Curriculum Ties:
Many people (including Chbosky himself) have commented that Wallflower explores many of the same issues of adolescence as does Catcher in the Rye. The book and the character of Charlie could definitely be explored in a high school English class--there's a lot going on here both structurally and emotionally that would be exciting for teens to discuss--but the controversial nature of the book (see below) may preclude its use in this fashion in many districts.
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Give the talk in the form of one of Charlie's letters.
2. Talk about the friendship between Charlie, Patrick and Sam
3. Talk about the role of books and music in the novel.
Reading Interest/Level:
9th and up
Challenge Issues:
Teen sex, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, violence, teen drinking, drug use, molestation, suicide
This book is often listed as one of the most challenged books of the year by ALA. Librarians facing a challenge should be aware of their library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to challengers. One could point to the many positive critical reviews it has received and its selection as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults as proof of its merits.
Selection Criteria:
I knew very little about this book, other than the fact that I had heard of it many times. When I saw it on the library shelf, I decided to pick it up. I was pleased to see so many classmates mention it during our discussion for Luna!
Stephen Chbosky
ISBN 0-671-0273-4
213 pages
MTV Books/Pocket Books, 1999
Genre: Coming of Age, Epistolary
Reader's Annotation:
In a series of frank and funny letters to a virtual stranger, Charlie, a sad loner, details his sophomore year of high school and his struggle to participate in life more actively.
Plot Summary:
Charlie begins his sophomore year of high school by finding out that his one friend, Michael, has killed himself. He decides to write a series of letters about his feelings to an unnamed person (presumably a recent graduate of the high school) whom he does not personally know, but about whom he has heard other students say kind things. Through these extremely frank and funny letters, we learn about Charlie's past and home life. His beloved Aunt Helen, who came to live with his family after a tragedy, died unexpectedly on his 7th birthday, sending him into a spiral of depression and into psychiatric care. His parents are good and loving, though they both come from troubled backgrounds, and his older siblings are successful. His brother is a player on the Penn State football team and his sister is a top student at the high school.
Charlie's English teacher Bill recognizes his potential and assigns him a series of great books (The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye) to read outside of class; throughout the book, Charlie gives his reactions to these works. Music is also very important to Charlie, and throughout the book, he uses songs and music to express his emotions in a way he has trouble doing otherwise. Bill is concerned that Charlie is experiencing his life on the sidelines, so encourages him to "participate" more actively. Charlie befriends a brother and sister, Patrick and Sam, who include him in their circle of friends and expose him to a wider world that includes drug use, drinking, and homosexuality. Charlie also must deal with problems at home, including his sister's abusive relationship.
Throughout the novel, Charlie grows and becomes more involved in both his family and friends' emotional lives, but to truly participate in life, he must figure out why he put boundaries up in the first place.
Critical Evaluation:
What an excellent and moving book! I knew very little about this book before reading it, so it all unfolded for me naturally, without any spoilers or anticipation of major plot points. I think the epistolary format of this novel was a smart one; it lets us see into Charlie's mind and his thoughts on the day-to-day happenings of his life, but since we, like the unknown recipient of these letters, are not privy to his history, we slowly get filled in on Charlie's backstory as he realizes that for certain events to have context, he needs to fill in his reader on things that happened before. The reader becomes used to the conceit and accepts it, but later in the story, Chbosky reminds us, to great effect, that it's rather strange for Charlie to be opening up this frankly to a complete stranger and makes us wonder what it would be like to be the recipient of these letters.
Chbosky is very smart at depicting the role of adolescent friendships. While Patrick, Sam, and the rest of their friends open up to Charlie and give him a social network he's been missing, Chbosky is also very smart at portraying the ways in which Charlie does and does not reciprocate their friendship. Chbosky explores a lot of hot-button issues in this novel--homosexuality, molestation, teenage sex and pregnancy, teen drug use and drinking--but he wisely lets them be explored largely "off-screen" by Charlie's friends, forcing Charlie and the reader to make up their own mind about them.
The depiction of Charlie's nuclear and extended family is realistic and nuanced. While his extended family on both sides is quite dysfunctional, his parents are good and loving people who try to do the right thing. The sibling relationships in this book are smart, too: the brother off in college who still leaves a large and looming presence, and an older sibling who suddenly and unexpectedly becomes a close friend once you reach a certain age.
Chbosky also effectively uses culture--music, books, movies and television--to let us into Charlie's world. Music allows him a way to express himself to friends and family, especially ideas and emotions he does not yet have the ability to put into words, a trait many readers may relate to.
About the author:
Perks is the only novel Chbosky has written, though he has worked in film and television as a screenwriter and producer. After Perks, he is perhaps best known for his work as creator of the show Jericho.
Curriculum Ties:
Many people (including Chbosky himself) have commented that Wallflower explores many of the same issues of adolescence as does Catcher in the Rye. The book and the character of Charlie could definitely be explored in a high school English class--there's a lot going on here both structurally and emotionally that would be exciting for teens to discuss--but the controversial nature of the book (see below) may preclude its use in this fashion in many districts.
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Give the talk in the form of one of Charlie's letters.
2. Talk about the friendship between Charlie, Patrick and Sam
3. Talk about the role of books and music in the novel.
Reading Interest/Level:
9th and up
Challenge Issues:
Teen sex, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, violence, teen drinking, drug use, molestation, suicide
This book is often listed as one of the most challenged books of the year by ALA. Librarians facing a challenge should be aware of their library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to challengers. One could point to the many positive critical reviews it has received and its selection as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults as proof of its merits.
Selection Criteria:
I knew very little about this book, other than the fact that I had heard of it many times. When I saw it on the library shelf, I decided to pick it up. I was pleased to see so many classmates mention it during our discussion for Luna!
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