Crank
Ellen Hopkins
ISBN 978-0-689-86519-0
537 pages
Simon Pulse, 2004
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial, Verse Novel
Readers Annotation
While visiting her estranged father, gifted high school junior Kristina becomes hooked on crystal meth. Her life soon spirals out of control.
Plot Summary
Good girl Kristina hasn't seen her father in eight years; during her parents' divorce, her mother fought for sole custody, declaring his numerous addictions made him an unfit parent. A judge orders her to visit him, so Kristina flies from Reno to Albuquerque for a three-week visit. Annoyed by her mother's self-obsession and remarriage, Kristina looks forward to being reunited with her daddy, but from the moment she's reunited with him at the airport, it's clear that her dreams won't measure up to the reality. Hanging around at her father's squalid apartment, Kristina meets a boy named Adam. Impulsively, she introduces herself as Bree. Though Adam already has a girlfriend, they're immediately attracted to one another. Adam introduces Bree to crystal meth--also known as crank or the monster. Her father, also a crank user, snorts up with them. Bree loves the high. However, things end badly when Adam's girlfriend sees them kissing and jumps off a balcony, ending up in a coma.
When it's time for Bree to return home, Adam promises to love her forever. She flies home high. Her mother almost senses something is wrong, but her family is so caught up in their own lives that no one notices the huge changes in Kristina. Emboldened by her newfound confidence as Bree, she becomes bored with her old friends and starts hitting on new boys at school, including Chase, the school's bad boy, and Brendan, a beautiful lifeguard. Both Chase and Brendan are crank users, and as Bree looks around the world with new eyes, she notices crank use everywhere, including on the cheerleading squad. For awhile it seems she might quit, but after Adam dumps her and Brendan shows his true colors, she turns to crank for comfort. Then she can't stop chasing the monster. She's lost all her old friends, she's failing school, and her family starts to notice something is wrong, not to mention the fact that she's almost drained her entire savings. Can Bree ever return to Kristina, whose life was more boring but safe and secure? Will the monster ever release its hold on her life?
Critical Evaluation
Like all of Ellen Hopkins' novels, Crank is written in free verse. The story is told through a series of poems. Hopkins plays a lot with form in these poems; in one, words on the verso line up in neat columns, showing the order Kristina's life had before crank. Words on the recto are scattered all over the page, making it hard to read and showing the chaos of Bree's life on crank. In another, as Kristina longs for the comfort of home, the words take the shape of a house.
Hopkins wrote the novel about her own daughter's experiences with crystal meth addiction. Before the story starts, she tells the readers about the story's origins, which may make readers take the story to heart more than they would if they figured it was just another cautionary tale. Hopkins explores exactly why Kristina started to use drugs and why it was so appealing. While Kristina's life looks perfect on the surface, in reality, she has resented her mother for her remarriage and her focus on herself and a burgeoning writing career. She also blames her mother for her estrangement from her father. Though even she has to admit that her mother was probably right to excise him from their lives completely, enough tension exists in their relationship that she is unable to confide in her mother once things start to go bad in her life. Her stepfather is actually an excellent parent, the first one to suspect Kristina is in trouble, but Kristina resents his very presence in her life.
Hopkins is effective at showing why the drug is so appealing to Bree at first and how it sucks her into a completely different life experience. She meets new friends both good and bad--Brendan turns out to be truly evil, while Chase is a sensitive soul. The new experiences she has at first are exciting and dangerous, but by the time she realizes how much she has given up, it is too late to turn back. At that point, her addiction has completely taken hold, and she needs the drug just to function; it's completely deadened her emotions and she's unable to feel anything unless she's high.
It's an engrossing read; I stayed up late to finish it and can't wait to pick up the sequel. While the book ends on a slightly hopeful note, I have a feeling that Bree will soon be back in the grip of the monster.
Additional Books in the Series
Glass (2007) tells the continuing story of Bree/Kristina. A third book, Fallout, is due in 2010.
About the Author
Ellen Hopkins is known for her contoversial novels, which are all written in free-verse. Crank and its two sequels are based on the true experiences of her daughter, a crystal meth addict. Her other books include Burned, reviewed elsewhere in this blog, about a girl raised in an abusive Mormon household, and Impulse, about three teens whose paths cross while they're in a psychiatric hospital.
Curriculum Ties
This book is probably too controversial to be included in any school curriculum, but if it were able to be used, it could be used in a health class to engage kids in honest dialog about drug use.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain Kristina's transformation into Bree--her personality change and her drug use, and the influence each has on the other.
2. Talk about the three boys in Kristina's life: Adam, Chase and Brendan. Explain why she is attracted to each, and what their flaws are.
3. Talk about Kristina's family life. Why does she fall into drugs so easily? Why doesn't anyone notice how drastically she has changed?
Reading/Interest Level
This book's subject matter make it appropriate for high school students and adults.
Challenge Issues
The whole book is a challenge issue: from its primary subject matter (teen drug addiction), to the things it leads to (unsanitary tattoos, sex, rape, teen pregnancy, and general deliquency). There are also strong swear words, and Kristina/Bree's sister is a lesbian.
Should the book be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book to be able to properly defend it; if that is not possible, s/he should read as many professional reviews as possible about the book and read descriptions of the potentially controversial content on a site like Common Sense Media. The librarian should also be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy.
To defend the book, the librarian could point to the book's fairly positive reviews, its overwhelming popularity, and its awards (such as being named an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers and an ALA Popular Paperback). The librarian could also point to statistics about teen drug use, including teen meth use, as proof that the topic is quite relevant to students and explain that Hopkins meant the book as an honest portrayal of the drug that would help teens decide against using it.
Selection Criteria
I chose to read Burned because of its inclusion in section 10's presentation on controversial literature. I enjoyed that book, and while reading reviews of that novel, everyone mentioned the overwhelming popularity of Hopkins's first novel, Crank. This inspired me to read the book.
Showing posts with label issue novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label issue novel. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Little Brother
Cory Doctorow
ISBN 978-0-7653-1985-2
382 pages
Tor, 2008
Genre: Issue Novel, Politics
Readers Annotation
After a terrorist attack on San Francisco, the Department of Homeland Security institutes new measures that threaten citizens' civil liberties. With a motto of "Never Trust Anyone Under 25," teenager Marcus and his hacker friends fight back.
Plot Summary
17-year-old Marcus and his friends are skipping school when terrorists bomb the San Francisco Bay Bridge. In the confusion after the attack, Marcus and his friends are taken in by the Department of Homeland Security, where they are secretly imprisoned and questioned for days. Upon their release, the DHS warns them never to tell what happened, and Marcus doesn't even tell his parents.
Marcus is concerned by what he sees as infringements by the DHS of basic civil liberties. The adults in his life, however, seem to accept that the loss of liberty is a small price to pay for additional security. Marcus decides to fight back. Known only by his handle "m1k3y," he creates Xnet, an underground computer network using hacked XBox consoles that he persuades his friends and acquaintances to use. The network grows, and the Xnetters find ways to foil DHS's security attempts.
Marcus is incredibly secretive about his new identity, not wanting to be picked up by DHS again. However, as Xnet's influence grows, the DHS takes note and tries to find the mysterious m1k3y.
Critical Evaluation
Little Brother was pulsating with excitement; it seemed as caffeine-fueled as Marcus and his friends (and that's a good thing). Doctorow is really clever at setting it in a sort of Anytime, with details that make it both seem futuristic and contemporary. The book makes a compelling case for the power of youth; with their slogan, "Don't Trust Anyone Over 25," teens and young adults are shown as the primary force fighting to preserve American freedoms. Older folks view the teens as naive and idealistic, whereas the teens wonder why everyone else is so complacent and accepts so blindly the new limits on their freedom.
These are clearly very pertinent issues, and the book seemed to be in part a direct reaction to some actions of the Bush administration. (The president described in the book seemed to have an awful lot of Bushy characteristics.) The book mentions that Congress has approved "the Patriot Act 2," and at the end of the book, Marcus is waterboarded.
The book is quite successful at making its political points and explaining the technology behind Xnet and their many hacks. The book makes all this sound very cool and exciting, and indeed there are several essays and a bibliography at the back of the book that encourage readers how to get involved--and explain just how to do so. It's tightly plotted, and I wanted to keep reading "just a few pages more" to see what would happen. Characterizations are not particularly deep; the romance between Marcus and his new girlfriend Ange is a big part of the second half of the novel, but I didn't feel particularly invested in their relationship. I also felt like Marcus was too hard on his parents; while they dismiss his concerns, I felt like he also dismissed theirs and didn't try to understand why his father in particular was so anxious to believe that DHS was acting in the country's best interest.
Overall, though, it's a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking work.
About the Author
Cory Doctorow is an editor for the hugely influential blog Boing Boing, which started out as an underground zine in the late '80s. He has also written extensively for Wired magazine. In addition to his non-fiction journalism, he has released several science fiction novels. He has been a huge proponent of digital media rights and indeed has released online versions of his novels for free under the Creative Commons license. In the acknowledgements of Little Brother, he credits young adult authors Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier for encouraging him to write for a young adult audience.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used to discuss issues of civil liberties, the proper role of the government, revolution, civil discourse, technology, security, and youth culture.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain how being secretly held by the DHS turns Marcus into something of a revolutionary.
2. Talk about how the XNetters get around some of the measures DHS has instituted.
3. Explore the ideas of youth culture in the book: "Don't Trust Anyone Over 25."
Reading Interest/Level
I think this book would be most appropriate for high schoolers and adults. Some of the themes may be a little too sophisticated for younger readers.
Challenge Issues
There are many descriptions of violence in the book: people are trampled to death in a mob, Marcus is waterboarded and mentally tortured by the DHS, and his friend Darryl is stabbed. There is also some sexual content in the book; Marcus loses his virginity to his girlfriend Ange. There are some swear words used in the book, along with depictions of teenage drinking.
If the book were to be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book; if not able to, s/he should familiarize herself with the book by reading reviews, as well as descriptions of the potentially controversial material on a site like Common Sense Media. The librarian should also be able to explain the library's selection policy and how the book fits those criteria. As proof of its worth, s/he could point to the book's numerous starred reviews in professional review journals, as well as its awards, such as being named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008.
Selection Criteria
I first became aware of this book because it was assigned as part of this course, but its multiple positive reviews make it a worthy selection indeed.
Cory Doctorow
ISBN 978-0-7653-1985-2
382 pages
Tor, 2008
Genre: Issue Novel, Politics
Readers Annotation
After a terrorist attack on San Francisco, the Department of Homeland Security institutes new measures that threaten citizens' civil liberties. With a motto of "Never Trust Anyone Under 25," teenager Marcus and his hacker friends fight back.
Plot Summary
17-year-old Marcus and his friends are skipping school when terrorists bomb the San Francisco Bay Bridge. In the confusion after the attack, Marcus and his friends are taken in by the Department of Homeland Security, where they are secretly imprisoned and questioned for days. Upon their release, the DHS warns them never to tell what happened, and Marcus doesn't even tell his parents.
Marcus is concerned by what he sees as infringements by the DHS of basic civil liberties. The adults in his life, however, seem to accept that the loss of liberty is a small price to pay for additional security. Marcus decides to fight back. Known only by his handle "m1k3y," he creates Xnet, an underground computer network using hacked XBox consoles that he persuades his friends and acquaintances to use. The network grows, and the Xnetters find ways to foil DHS's security attempts.
Marcus is incredibly secretive about his new identity, not wanting to be picked up by DHS again. However, as Xnet's influence grows, the DHS takes note and tries to find the mysterious m1k3y.
Critical Evaluation
Little Brother was pulsating with excitement; it seemed as caffeine-fueled as Marcus and his friends (and that's a good thing). Doctorow is really clever at setting it in a sort of Anytime, with details that make it both seem futuristic and contemporary. The book makes a compelling case for the power of youth; with their slogan, "Don't Trust Anyone Over 25," teens and young adults are shown as the primary force fighting to preserve American freedoms. Older folks view the teens as naive and idealistic, whereas the teens wonder why everyone else is so complacent and accepts so blindly the new limits on their freedom.
These are clearly very pertinent issues, and the book seemed to be in part a direct reaction to some actions of the Bush administration. (The president described in the book seemed to have an awful lot of Bushy characteristics.) The book mentions that Congress has approved "the Patriot Act 2," and at the end of the book, Marcus is waterboarded.
The book is quite successful at making its political points and explaining the technology behind Xnet and their many hacks. The book makes all this sound very cool and exciting, and indeed there are several essays and a bibliography at the back of the book that encourage readers how to get involved--and explain just how to do so. It's tightly plotted, and I wanted to keep reading "just a few pages more" to see what would happen. Characterizations are not particularly deep; the romance between Marcus and his new girlfriend Ange is a big part of the second half of the novel, but I didn't feel particularly invested in their relationship. I also felt like Marcus was too hard on his parents; while they dismiss his concerns, I felt like he also dismissed theirs and didn't try to understand why his father in particular was so anxious to believe that DHS was acting in the country's best interest.
Overall, though, it's a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking work.
About the Author
Cory Doctorow is an editor for the hugely influential blog Boing Boing, which started out as an underground zine in the late '80s. He has also written extensively for Wired magazine. In addition to his non-fiction journalism, he has released several science fiction novels. He has been a huge proponent of digital media rights and indeed has released online versions of his novels for free under the Creative Commons license. In the acknowledgements of Little Brother, he credits young adult authors Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier for encouraging him to write for a young adult audience.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used to discuss issues of civil liberties, the proper role of the government, revolution, civil discourse, technology, security, and youth culture.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain how being secretly held by the DHS turns Marcus into something of a revolutionary.
2. Talk about how the XNetters get around some of the measures DHS has instituted.
3. Explore the ideas of youth culture in the book: "Don't Trust Anyone Over 25."
Reading Interest/Level
I think this book would be most appropriate for high schoolers and adults. Some of the themes may be a little too sophisticated for younger readers.
Challenge Issues
There are many descriptions of violence in the book: people are trampled to death in a mob, Marcus is waterboarded and mentally tortured by the DHS, and his friend Darryl is stabbed. There is also some sexual content in the book; Marcus loses his virginity to his girlfriend Ange. There are some swear words used in the book, along with depictions of teenage drinking.
If the book were to be challenged, the librarian should ideally read the book; if not able to, s/he should familiarize herself with the book by reading reviews, as well as descriptions of the potentially controversial material on a site like Common Sense Media. The librarian should also be able to explain the library's selection policy and how the book fits those criteria. As proof of its worth, s/he could point to the book's numerous starred reviews in professional review journals, as well as its awards, such as being named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008.
Selection Criteria
I first became aware of this book because it was assigned as part of this course, but its multiple positive reviews make it a worthy selection indeed.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
Burned
Ellen Hopkins
ISBN 1-4169-0354-2
531 pages
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial, Verse Novel
Readers Annotation
Raised in a strict, conservative Mormon household with an abusive father, Pattyn begins to question all her previously held beliefs about love and God.
Plot Summary
Pattyn is the oldest of seven daughters in a strict Mormon household. Her abusive father wants a boy and expects little other from his wife than to churn out babies, so most of the childrearing and household duties fall to Pattyn. A librarian at her high school takes a special interest in Pattyn and introduces her to the wider world through literature. After reading some racy classics, Pattyn has a sexual dream involving one of her classmates. She's been taught that all sexual activity before marriage is a sin, but decides she can't be held accountable for her dreams; she tries to discuss this matter with the church, but she's frustrated by the lack of answers, as well as its misogyny. Though the church leadership knows that her alcoholic father beats his wife regularly, they do not intervene. Frustrated, Pattyn starts dating a non-Mormon boy from school. When her father finds out, he forbids her to see him again. Pattyn punches the boy's new girlfriend in the nose and then accidentally throws her backpack through a window in the library. Her father banishes her to live with his estranged sister from the summer.
Pattyn's world changes dramatically at Aunt J's ranch. She learns some disturbing truths about her father from Aunt J, but she also develops a sense of worth and self-confidence she never had before. She also meets a boy, Ethan, with whom she falls deeply in love. But what will happen when she has to go back home at the summer? And what will happen if her father finds out she's dating another non-Mormon?
Critical Evaluation
Like all of Ellen Hopkins' novels, Burned is written in verse form. Each page is like its own little poem. Hopkins plays freely with the form of these poems; some sprawled across the page, some are written in couplets. Because of this, we get a very strong sense of Pattyn's interior life. The verse almost gives the reader a stream-of-consciousness effect, but with a heightened sense of emotions. The chapters where Pattyn's father eventually starts beating her are almost too painful to bear.
I found Pattyn's growth throughout the novel quite moving. Her relationship with Ethan is a tender first love, and Hopkins gives it the respect it deserves. For older readers, it will conjure of memories of their first intense summer love, but Pattyn insists theirs is a "forever love" and wise old Aunt J. tends to agree. The relationship between Pattyn and Aunt J. is also well-drawn. We get a sense of Aunt J., what a survivor she is and how much she has already been through... but she teaches Pattyn to soldier on and never stop believing in herself or in love.
The ending of the book, which is quite controversial, came up a little short to me. Though I believe Hopkins intended to show the rage Pattyn felt when everything she cares about is torn away from her--and the incidents that got her sent to live with Aunt J. show us that she is indeed capable of great rage--I also do not think that the Pattyn who loved and was loved by Aunt J. would resort to such violence.
About the Author
Ellen Hopkins is known for her free-verse novels. She touches upon many controversial topics in her work. The Crank series is about a teenage girl who becomes addicted to crystal meth, while Tricks is about teenage prostitution.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used to discuss issues of religion (especially religious corruption), abuse, and violence.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about Pattyn and her family life: her lazy mother, her abusive father, and her gaggle of younger sisters. Why is going to Aunt J's so liberating for her?
2. Talk about how Pattyn starts questioning the religious beliefs she was raised with -- especially its culture of misogyny and its lack of intellectual curiosity.
3. Talk about Pattyn and Ethan's relationship. Is it true love?
Reading Interest/Level
The themes and format of this book make it appropriate for high school students and above.
Challenge Issues
This book has a number of challenge issues: teenage sexuality, teenage drinking, abuse, and school violence to name a few. To defend it against challenges, the librarian should be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy and explain how Burned fits those criteria. S/he should ideally read the book, but if unable to, should read reviews to familiarize with its content and critical worth. S/he could point out the books many positive reviews and its many awards as proof of its worth.
Selection Criteria
Burned was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. It was also a National Book Award nominee.
Ellen Hopkins
ISBN 1-4169-0354-2
531 pages
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial, Verse Novel
Readers Annotation
Raised in a strict, conservative Mormon household with an abusive father, Pattyn begins to question all her previously held beliefs about love and God.
Plot Summary
Pattyn is the oldest of seven daughters in a strict Mormon household. Her abusive father wants a boy and expects little other from his wife than to churn out babies, so most of the childrearing and household duties fall to Pattyn. A librarian at her high school takes a special interest in Pattyn and introduces her to the wider world through literature. After reading some racy classics, Pattyn has a sexual dream involving one of her classmates. She's been taught that all sexual activity before marriage is a sin, but decides she can't be held accountable for her dreams; she tries to discuss this matter with the church, but she's frustrated by the lack of answers, as well as its misogyny. Though the church leadership knows that her alcoholic father beats his wife regularly, they do not intervene. Frustrated, Pattyn starts dating a non-Mormon boy from school. When her father finds out, he forbids her to see him again. Pattyn punches the boy's new girlfriend in the nose and then accidentally throws her backpack through a window in the library. Her father banishes her to live with his estranged sister from the summer.
Pattyn's world changes dramatically at Aunt J's ranch. She learns some disturbing truths about her father from Aunt J, but she also develops a sense of worth and self-confidence she never had before. She also meets a boy, Ethan, with whom she falls deeply in love. But what will happen when she has to go back home at the summer? And what will happen if her father finds out she's dating another non-Mormon?
Critical Evaluation
Like all of Ellen Hopkins' novels, Burned is written in verse form. Each page is like its own little poem. Hopkins plays freely with the form of these poems; some sprawled across the page, some are written in couplets. Because of this, we get a very strong sense of Pattyn's interior life. The verse almost gives the reader a stream-of-consciousness effect, but with a heightened sense of emotions. The chapters where Pattyn's father eventually starts beating her are almost too painful to bear.
I found Pattyn's growth throughout the novel quite moving. Her relationship with Ethan is a tender first love, and Hopkins gives it the respect it deserves. For older readers, it will conjure of memories of their first intense summer love, but Pattyn insists theirs is a "forever love" and wise old Aunt J. tends to agree. The relationship between Pattyn and Aunt J. is also well-drawn. We get a sense of Aunt J., what a survivor she is and how much she has already been through... but she teaches Pattyn to soldier on and never stop believing in herself or in love.
The ending of the book, which is quite controversial, came up a little short to me. Though I believe Hopkins intended to show the rage Pattyn felt when everything she cares about is torn away from her--and the incidents that got her sent to live with Aunt J. show us that she is indeed capable of great rage--I also do not think that the Pattyn who loved and was loved by Aunt J. would resort to such violence.
About the Author
Ellen Hopkins is known for her free-verse novels. She touches upon many controversial topics in her work. The Crank series is about a teenage girl who becomes addicted to crystal meth, while Tricks is about teenage prostitution.
Curriculum Ties
The book could be used to discuss issues of religion (especially religious corruption), abuse, and violence.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about Pattyn and her family life: her lazy mother, her abusive father, and her gaggle of younger sisters. Why is going to Aunt J's so liberating for her?
2. Talk about how Pattyn starts questioning the religious beliefs she was raised with -- especially its culture of misogyny and its lack of intellectual curiosity.
3. Talk about Pattyn and Ethan's relationship. Is it true love?
Reading Interest/Level
The themes and format of this book make it appropriate for high school students and above.
Challenge Issues
This book has a number of challenge issues: teenage sexuality, teenage drinking, abuse, and school violence to name a few. To defend it against challenges, the librarian should be able to explain and defend the library's selection policy and explain how Burned fits those criteria. S/he should ideally read the book, but if unable to, should read reviews to familiarize with its content and critical worth. S/he could point out the books many positive reviews and its many awards as proof of its worth.
Selection Criteria
Burned was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. It was also a National Book Award nominee.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg
Silent to the Bone
E.L. Konigsburg
ISBN 0-689-86715-8
261 pages
Simon Pulse, 2000
Genre: Issue Novel
Readers Annotation
After his baby sister is injured in a mysterious accident, 13-year-old Branwell stops speaking and is sent to a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of the crime. His best friend Connor is determined to find a way to get Bran to start talking again and find out what really happened.
Plot Summary
Bran and Connor have been friends since they were born. Both are the children of academics in a small university town, both are somewhat outcasts at school because of their obvious intelligence, and both come from broken and blended families. Bran's mother died when she was a baby, though his father has recently remarried and had a baby with his new wife. Connor's father left his mother for one of his graduate students; his father's daughter from his first marriage, Margaret, is in her 20s and maintains a good relationship with Connor, though her relationship with Connor's mother and their father is strained.
One day, Bran's sister's British nanny makes a hysterical 911 call; she says the baby is unconscious and accuses Bran of dropping her; the baby falls into a coma. Bran stops speaking and is sent to a juvenile behavioral center, where he is suspected of injuring his sister. Connor cannot believe that his friend is guilty of such a heinous crime and sets out to figure out what really happened. Using a series of notecards that have names and places written on them, as well as a sort of shorthand the two have developed over years of a mutual love of wordplay, Connor becomes a detective, piecing together clues after speaking to various people from Bran's life. He finds an ally in Margaret, who supports him in his quest.
Critical Evaluation
Silent to the Bone is a multi-layered work. While the mystery has many satisfying twists and turns, the book also has a deep emotional resonance. Bran and Connor's deep friendship is at the book's core; though Connor has faith in his friend's innocence, he does get frustrated that Bran cannot simply speak up and explain what really happened. The issue of family and identity is also explored. As Connor comes to understand just how deeply Bran was wounded by the remarriage of his father, he begins to understand why his older half-sister Margaret has never forgiven their father for leaving her mother. Shame, too, is a central concept of the book; are there certain feelings, certain emotions so shameful that one would rather take the rap for something he didn't do than admit to them?
Silent to the Bone also explores the relationship young teens can have with the young adults in their life. Caught between the adult world and the child world, Bran and Connor struggle to navigate the relationships with the young adults in their lives. Connor loves how his sister Margaret treats him as an adult, but his social inexperience leads him to fail to pick up some important social clues. Bran is mystified by the beautiful British nanny who lives with his family; she is playing a game for which he does not understand the rules.
About the Author
Two-time Newbery Medal-winning author E.L. Konigsburg is perhaps best known for her children's classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Though she wrote children's work earlier in her career, her most recent novels have been for a young adult audience.
Other Books in the Series
While not a sequel per se, Konigsburg's next novel The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, features the character of Margaret as a 12-year-old girl.
Curriculum Ties
This book would absolutely be suited to use in a curriculum to discuss the issues of shame, family, and friendship.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain the book's central mystery: did Bran injure his sister? If not, who did?
2. Talk about Bran and Connor's friendship. How far will Connor go to defend his friend?
3. Talk about the complicated relationships Brand and Connor have with their families.
Reading Interest/Level
Clearly a young adult book, the book would be appropriate for young teens in junior high. However, older readers who might be discouraged by the age of the protagonists should be encouraged to pick it up, too. There are a lot of mature themes here that will be interesting and relevant to older teens, and because Connor and Bran are so mature, Connor's point of view reads more like an adult than a teen.
Challenge Issues
Bran and Connor are teenage boys, and their budding sexuality is frankly (though not graphically) acknowledged in the novel. In a predatory scene, the older British nanny tries to seduce Bran. These scenes are absolutely crucial to the book's message and power, though some may find them offensive. Should the book be challenged, the librarian should be aware of the library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to the challenger. Silent to the Bones' laundry list of awards--an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Booklist Editors' Choice, a SLJ Best Book--as well as its multiple starred reviews could be used as evidence to prove the book's worth.
Selection Criteria
While browsing the YA section of a used book store, I came across this title. I remembered reading Konigsburg's books for children and saw that this title was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
E.L. Konigsburg
ISBN 0-689-86715-8
261 pages
Simon Pulse, 2000
Genre: Issue Novel
Readers Annotation
After his baby sister is injured in a mysterious accident, 13-year-old Branwell stops speaking and is sent to a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of the crime. His best friend Connor is determined to find a way to get Bran to start talking again and find out what really happened.
Plot Summary
Bran and Connor have been friends since they were born. Both are the children of academics in a small university town, both are somewhat outcasts at school because of their obvious intelligence, and both come from broken and blended families. Bran's mother died when she was a baby, though his father has recently remarried and had a baby with his new wife. Connor's father left his mother for one of his graduate students; his father's daughter from his first marriage, Margaret, is in her 20s and maintains a good relationship with Connor, though her relationship with Connor's mother and their father is strained.
One day, Bran's sister's British nanny makes a hysterical 911 call; she says the baby is unconscious and accuses Bran of dropping her; the baby falls into a coma. Bran stops speaking and is sent to a juvenile behavioral center, where he is suspected of injuring his sister. Connor cannot believe that his friend is guilty of such a heinous crime and sets out to figure out what really happened. Using a series of notecards that have names and places written on them, as well as a sort of shorthand the two have developed over years of a mutual love of wordplay, Connor becomes a detective, piecing together clues after speaking to various people from Bran's life. He finds an ally in Margaret, who supports him in his quest.
Critical Evaluation
Silent to the Bone is a multi-layered work. While the mystery has many satisfying twists and turns, the book also has a deep emotional resonance. Bran and Connor's deep friendship is at the book's core; though Connor has faith in his friend's innocence, he does get frustrated that Bran cannot simply speak up and explain what really happened. The issue of family and identity is also explored. As Connor comes to understand just how deeply Bran was wounded by the remarriage of his father, he begins to understand why his older half-sister Margaret has never forgiven their father for leaving her mother. Shame, too, is a central concept of the book; are there certain feelings, certain emotions so shameful that one would rather take the rap for something he didn't do than admit to them?
Silent to the Bone also explores the relationship young teens can have with the young adults in their life. Caught between the adult world and the child world, Bran and Connor struggle to navigate the relationships with the young adults in their lives. Connor loves how his sister Margaret treats him as an adult, but his social inexperience leads him to fail to pick up some important social clues. Bran is mystified by the beautiful British nanny who lives with his family; she is playing a game for which he does not understand the rules.
About the Author
Two-time Newbery Medal-winning author E.L. Konigsburg is perhaps best known for her children's classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Though she wrote children's work earlier in her career, her most recent novels have been for a young adult audience.
Other Books in the Series
While not a sequel per se, Konigsburg's next novel The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, features the character of Margaret as a 12-year-old girl.
Curriculum Ties
This book would absolutely be suited to use in a curriculum to discuss the issues of shame, family, and friendship.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Explain the book's central mystery: did Bran injure his sister? If not, who did?
2. Talk about Bran and Connor's friendship. How far will Connor go to defend his friend?
3. Talk about the complicated relationships Brand and Connor have with their families.
Reading Interest/Level
Clearly a young adult book, the book would be appropriate for young teens in junior high. However, older readers who might be discouraged by the age of the protagonists should be encouraged to pick it up, too. There are a lot of mature themes here that will be interesting and relevant to older teens, and because Connor and Bran are so mature, Connor's point of view reads more like an adult than a teen.
Challenge Issues
Bran and Connor are teenage boys, and their budding sexuality is frankly (though not graphically) acknowledged in the novel. In a predatory scene, the older British nanny tries to seduce Bran. These scenes are absolutely crucial to the book's message and power, though some may find them offensive. Should the book be challenged, the librarian should be aware of the library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to the challenger. Silent to the Bones' laundry list of awards--an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Booklist Editors' Choice, a SLJ Best Book--as well as its multiple starred reviews could be used as evidence to prove the book's worth.
Selection Criteria
While browsing the YA section of a used book store, I came across this title. I remembered reading Konigsburg's books for children and saw that this title was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Living Dead Girl
Elizabeth Scott
ISBN 978-1-4169-6059-1
170 pages
Simon Pulse, 2008
Genre: Issue Novel, Sexual Abuse
Readers Annotation
Abducted by a pedophile when she was ten, Alice fears he may kill her now that she has turned fifteen.
Plot Summary
When she was ten, Ray abducted her from a school field trip. He raped her, beat her, and renamed her Alice. She tried to escape and ask for help, but Ray told her that if she ever ran away, he'd kill her parents. That's what he did to the parents of the previous Alice, whom he also kidnapped as a small girl. When she reached age 15, he tired of her and killed her, too.
Now Alice is 15 herself. She's spent the past five years as Ray's sex slave, hiding in plain sight and anaesthetizing herself on trashy TV. He starves her to help her maintain a childlike figure, but she knows it's inevitable that she will soon grow too old for Ray, and then he will kill her, too. Alice longs for death; she's a living dead girl, a shell of a person. When Ray decides she'll help him find a replacement Alice, she learns whether or not there's any of the old girl, the one who lived with parents who loved her, left inside her.
Critical Annotation
Living Dead Girl is a short but incredibly haunting story. Scott tells it mostly from Alice's first-person point of view, but opens the story by describing Alice's life in a third-person view and in a second-person view. This helps the reader get inside Alice's head and figure out why exactly she never runs for help, even though she has multiple opportunities to do so. It also implicates the reader as part of a general society that has let Alice down. Though Ray has been the one who has raped and abused her for five years, people at large have continually let her down--from the gas station clerk who dismissed her when she tried to run for help to the neighbors who for years have ignored the clearly starved and neglected girl in front of their eyes.
Throughout flashbacks, Alice explains how she unwittingly became Ray's victim and what she has had to endure over the past five years. Though the reader feels great pain over Alice's situation, eventually the reader also comes to understand how immensely and irrevocably damaged Alice is. Desperate to survive after years of abuse, she is startled to realize that Ray has formed her in his own image. Ray is a fully realized villain; the reader learns why Ray is the way he is and, gradually, as Alice tells more of her story, understands just how evil he is and how he has rendered Alice completely powerless. The ending is shocking and affecting; it's a book that will stick with the reader long after the last page.
About the Author
Elizabeth Scott has written six young adult novels. Many of them are described as modern realistic romances, in the manner of Sarah Dessen; Living Dead Girl is quite a departure from her earlier work. Two of her other recent novels also take on more serious issues: Love You Hate You Miss You deals with a teen alcoholic whose best friend was killed in a car accident and Stealing Heaven deals with a teenage kleptomaniac.
Curriculum Ties
In my high school English class, we read The Collector by John Knowles, and I can see Living Dead Girl inspiring similar lively debates. Though Alice is clearly a victim, should she be held responsible for her decision to help Ray kidnap another young girl? Is Ray a victim himself, and does he deserve any sympathy? Who has let Alice down more: Ray or the people surrounding her? If Alice escaped, what would her life look like? Why do you think Alice didn't run away or ask for help? What would you have done?
Booktalking Ideas
Honestly, this one pretty much talks itself: just tell the premise of the story, and listeners will be hooked.
Reading Interest/Level
This book's intense subject matter and graphic depictions of violence make it appropriate only for older high school readers.
Challenge Issues
The book's intense subject matter and graphic depictions of violence, including sexual violence, make it highly likely to be challenged. Librarians should be aware of their library's selection policy and be prepared to explain and defend it to the challenger. The books numerous positive reviews, as well as its laundry list of awards, including being named one of YALSA's Best Books of 2009, could be used to defend its place as an important, albeit challenging, work for young adults.
Selection Criteria
When I saw this book on YALSA's list of the Best Books of 2009, I was drawn to the description of it.
Elizabeth Scott
ISBN 978-1-4169-6059-1
170 pages
Simon Pulse, 2008
Genre: Issue Novel, Sexual Abuse
Readers Annotation
Abducted by a pedophile when she was ten, Alice fears he may kill her now that she has turned fifteen.
Plot Summary
When she was ten, Ray abducted her from a school field trip. He raped her, beat her, and renamed her Alice. She tried to escape and ask for help, but Ray told her that if she ever ran away, he'd kill her parents. That's what he did to the parents of the previous Alice, whom he also kidnapped as a small girl. When she reached age 15, he tired of her and killed her, too.
Now Alice is 15 herself. She's spent the past five years as Ray's sex slave, hiding in plain sight and anaesthetizing herself on trashy TV. He starves her to help her maintain a childlike figure, but she knows it's inevitable that she will soon grow too old for Ray, and then he will kill her, too. Alice longs for death; she's a living dead girl, a shell of a person. When Ray decides she'll help him find a replacement Alice, she learns whether or not there's any of the old girl, the one who lived with parents who loved her, left inside her.
Critical Annotation
Living Dead Girl is a short but incredibly haunting story. Scott tells it mostly from Alice's first-person point of view, but opens the story by describing Alice's life in a third-person view and in a second-person view. This helps the reader get inside Alice's head and figure out why exactly she never runs for help, even though she has multiple opportunities to do so. It also implicates the reader as part of a general society that has let Alice down. Though Ray has been the one who has raped and abused her for five years, people at large have continually let her down--from the gas station clerk who dismissed her when she tried to run for help to the neighbors who for years have ignored the clearly starved and neglected girl in front of their eyes.
Throughout flashbacks, Alice explains how she unwittingly became Ray's victim and what she has had to endure over the past five years. Though the reader feels great pain over Alice's situation, eventually the reader also comes to understand how immensely and irrevocably damaged Alice is. Desperate to survive after years of abuse, she is startled to realize that Ray has formed her in his own image. Ray is a fully realized villain; the reader learns why Ray is the way he is and, gradually, as Alice tells more of her story, understands just how evil he is and how he has rendered Alice completely powerless. The ending is shocking and affecting; it's a book that will stick with the reader long after the last page.
About the Author
Elizabeth Scott has written six young adult novels. Many of them are described as modern realistic romances, in the manner of Sarah Dessen; Living Dead Girl is quite a departure from her earlier work. Two of her other recent novels also take on more serious issues: Love You Hate You Miss You deals with a teen alcoholic whose best friend was killed in a car accident and Stealing Heaven deals with a teenage kleptomaniac.
Curriculum Ties
In my high school English class, we read The Collector by John Knowles, and I can see Living Dead Girl inspiring similar lively debates. Though Alice is clearly a victim, should she be held responsible for her decision to help Ray kidnap another young girl? Is Ray a victim himself, and does he deserve any sympathy? Who has let Alice down more: Ray or the people surrounding her? If Alice escaped, what would her life look like? Why do you think Alice didn't run away or ask for help? What would you have done?
Booktalking Ideas
Honestly, this one pretty much talks itself: just tell the premise of the story, and listeners will be hooked.
Reading Interest/Level
This book's intense subject matter and graphic depictions of violence make it appropriate only for older high school readers.
Challenge Issues
The book's intense subject matter and graphic depictions of violence, including sexual violence, make it highly likely to be challenged. Librarians should be aware of their library's selection policy and be prepared to explain and defend it to the challenger. The books numerous positive reviews, as well as its laundry list of awards, including being named one of YALSA's Best Books of 2009, could be used to defend its place as an important, albeit challenging, work for young adults.
Selection Criteria
When I saw this book on YALSA's list of the Best Books of 2009, I was drawn to the description of it.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Breathless by Lurlene McDaniel
Breathless
Lurlene McDaniel
ISBN 978-0-385-73459-2
165 pages
Delacorte Press, 2009
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial
Reader's Annotation: Diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, high school student Travis asks his best friend, girlfriend, and sister to help him commit suicide.
Plot Summary: Travis--high school junior, diving champion, and self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie--breaks his leg jumping off a rock. While being treated, the doctors discover he has advanced bone cancer. They amputate his leg and start him on chemotherapy. Now unable to dive and also too sick to go to school, his best friend Cooper, his girlfriend Darla, and his sister Emily all form a circle of support for him and try to prevent him from getting too depressed.
When it becomes clear to Travis that he isn't going to beat the cancer, he decides he wants to die on his terms. When his parents deny his request to put a DNR on his chart, he turns to his best friend Cooper for help committing suicide. Cooper is torn by Travis' request, as are Darla and Emily when they learn of it. They struggle with the act's religious and ethical implications and their desire to honor their friend's wishes.
Critical Summary:
Lurlene McDaniel tells this story by alternating narrators: Emily, Travis, Cooper, and Darla alternate chapters, telling the story from their first person view. Though this should be a moving story, McDaniel seems too determined to rush the plot along in this extremely short novel. Indeed, in the span of a page, the story progresses a year and Travis moves from being fairly healthy to terminal. There's simply not enough time for her to develop the deep characterizations that would make the reader really empathize with Travis' wish not to suffer and the other teens' struggle with the decision's moral ambiguity.
However, despite the fact that there's not even enough space in this novel to explore its main topic, McDaniel chooses to have the mother of one character be an alcoholic prostitute and the father of one character be physically and mentally abusive, presenting the reader even more emotional territory that can only be very briefly addressed. Several of the characters have strong religious beliefs--the teens live in a very religious community--and yet the issue of how their beliefs might conflict with assisted suicide is only vaguely explored. Strange, too, is the manner in which Travis wants to die: drowning in the middle of a lake. It's a dramatic and complicated last act that would cause his loved ones severe emotional distress by having to watch him struggle and suffer. As a final insult, the answer of who eventually performs the act of euthanasia is never revealed. In a more masterful work, this open-ended finale might challenge the reader, but here it just seems frustrating and unresolved.
About the Author
Lurlene McDaniel is the queen of the "crying girl" novel. Her publisher describes her books as "inspirational novels about teenagers facing life-altering situations." Most of her books feature teens who have a terminal illness, though some do feature teens healthy teens dealing with their grief after a loved one dies. McDaniel has been quite prolific since the 1980s. Her previous release before Breathless did not involve death, but rather followed a teenage boy being seduced by a female teacher.
Curriculum Ties
Because it is so short, the novel could be used in a health class or similar to prompt discussion about the issue of assisted suicide. However, the resulting discussion would probably be much more nuanced than the book itself.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Tell the story from the point of view of Travis--why he wants to die on his terms.
2. Tell the story from the point of view of Cooper--if your best friend wanted you to help him kill himself, would you?
3. Tell the story from the point of view of Emily--should she respect the wishes of her parents or her brother?
Reading Interest/Level
Though the reading level is 7th or 8th grade, the novel's subject matter makes it more appropriate for high-schoolers.
Challenge Issues
Since assisted suicide is such a controversial topic, the book could attract challenges. The librarian might deal with the challenges by pointing out that McDaniel doesn't ever take a stand on the issue and that the arguments for both sides are presented. The reader is allowed to make up his or her own mind at the end as to whether or not the unnamed teen made the right choice.
If it were still challenged, the librarian should have a clear selection policy in place and be able to defend that selection policy to the challengee. The librarian could also point to the positive review the book received in SLJ.
Selection Criteria
I saw this book on the new release shelves of my library's YA section and thought it was an intriguing topic.
Lurlene McDaniel
ISBN 978-0-385-73459-2
165 pages
Delacorte Press, 2009
Genre: Issue Novel, Controversial
Reader's Annotation: Diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, high school student Travis asks his best friend, girlfriend, and sister to help him commit suicide.
Plot Summary: Travis--high school junior, diving champion, and self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie--breaks his leg jumping off a rock. While being treated, the doctors discover he has advanced bone cancer. They amputate his leg and start him on chemotherapy. Now unable to dive and also too sick to go to school, his best friend Cooper, his girlfriend Darla, and his sister Emily all form a circle of support for him and try to prevent him from getting too depressed.
When it becomes clear to Travis that he isn't going to beat the cancer, he decides he wants to die on his terms. When his parents deny his request to put a DNR on his chart, he turns to his best friend Cooper for help committing suicide. Cooper is torn by Travis' request, as are Darla and Emily when they learn of it. They struggle with the act's religious and ethical implications and their desire to honor their friend's wishes.
Critical Summary:
Lurlene McDaniel tells this story by alternating narrators: Emily, Travis, Cooper, and Darla alternate chapters, telling the story from their first person view. Though this should be a moving story, McDaniel seems too determined to rush the plot along in this extremely short novel. Indeed, in the span of a page, the story progresses a year and Travis moves from being fairly healthy to terminal. There's simply not enough time for her to develop the deep characterizations that would make the reader really empathize with Travis' wish not to suffer and the other teens' struggle with the decision's moral ambiguity.
However, despite the fact that there's not even enough space in this novel to explore its main topic, McDaniel chooses to have the mother of one character be an alcoholic prostitute and the father of one character be physically and mentally abusive, presenting the reader even more emotional territory that can only be very briefly addressed. Several of the characters have strong religious beliefs--the teens live in a very religious community--and yet the issue of how their beliefs might conflict with assisted suicide is only vaguely explored. Strange, too, is the manner in which Travis wants to die: drowning in the middle of a lake. It's a dramatic and complicated last act that would cause his loved ones severe emotional distress by having to watch him struggle and suffer. As a final insult, the answer of who eventually performs the act of euthanasia is never revealed. In a more masterful work, this open-ended finale might challenge the reader, but here it just seems frustrating and unresolved.
About the Author
Lurlene McDaniel is the queen of the "crying girl" novel. Her publisher describes her books as "inspirational novels about teenagers facing life-altering situations." Most of her books feature teens who have a terminal illness, though some do feature teens healthy teens dealing with their grief after a loved one dies. McDaniel has been quite prolific since the 1980s. Her previous release before Breathless did not involve death, but rather followed a teenage boy being seduced by a female teacher.
Curriculum Ties
Because it is so short, the novel could be used in a health class or similar to prompt discussion about the issue of assisted suicide. However, the resulting discussion would probably be much more nuanced than the book itself.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Tell the story from the point of view of Travis--why he wants to die on his terms.
2. Tell the story from the point of view of Cooper--if your best friend wanted you to help him kill himself, would you?
3. Tell the story from the point of view of Emily--should she respect the wishes of her parents or her brother?
Reading Interest/Level
Though the reading level is 7th or 8th grade, the novel's subject matter makes it more appropriate for high-schoolers.
Challenge Issues
Since assisted suicide is such a controversial topic, the book could attract challenges. The librarian might deal with the challenges by pointing out that McDaniel doesn't ever take a stand on the issue and that the arguments for both sides are presented. The reader is allowed to make up his or her own mind at the end as to whether or not the unnamed teen made the right choice.
If it were still challenged, the librarian should have a clear selection policy in place and be able to defend that selection policy to the challengee. The librarian could also point to the positive review the book received in SLJ.
Selection Criteria
I saw this book on the new release shelves of my library's YA section and thought it was an intriguing topic.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson
ISBN 0374371520
198 pages
Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999
Genre: Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation
After she is raped, 13-year-old Melinda retreats in silence, speaking as little as possible in school and at home.
Plot Summary
Melinda starts her freshman year at Merriweather High School as an outsider; she alienated most of the high school when she called the cops during a wild party over the summer. What Melinda never told anyone--not her best friend Rachel, not her parents--was that she was raped by a senior that night, but when it came time to tell the police, she clammed up and could not speak. In her pain, Melinda wonders if anyone would notice if she stopped speaking altogether. Her silence leads her to be an astute and often funny observer of human nature: her distracted, unhappy parents, the teachers who'd rather be elsewhere, the various social cliques.
Her art teacher seems to be the only one urging students to express their real emotions, and through art, Melinda finds a new way of self-expression. The book, which takes place over the course of a year, details both the depths of Melinda's pain and the promise of recovery.
Critical Summary
Speak is at once haunting and funny, painful and redemptive. In her masterful first-person narrative, Anderson is completely effective at evoking Melinda's head-space and getting the reader to understand how and why Melinda has gone silent.
She creates a deep cast of characters that all ring true, that people will recognize from their own high school: the spacey English teacher who tries anything to reach her students, the teacher who's more interested in promoting his own personal agenda, the principal who only cares about keeping the PTA parents happy. The students, too: the best friend from junior high who tries to reinvent herself as a freshman, the friend of convenience who only cares what she can get from you, the smart, principled boy you admire from afar, the jock girl you want to hate but can't because she's so genuinely friendly.
Anderson takes some risk with sentence structure and wordplay, which adds a bit of poetry to the prose. Her descriptions of Melinda's art is especially effective; we understand how, in learning how to express herself through an emotionally true piece of art, she takes baby steps towards expressing her truth verbally.
About the author
Anderson has written a number of books for children and young adults. Many of her young adult novels have been incredibly well-received critically. She's won numerous awards. She often deals with themes of depression and death in her novels, which are equally contemporary and historical. Speak was her first novel.
Curriculum ties
Rape, depression, alienation, art
Booktalking Ideas
1. If you are doing a booktalk with another person, have one person stand up there silent while the other person "voice overs" the booktalk from Melinda's point of view.
2. Talk about Melinda's first day of high school and her feelings of apprehension.
3. Talk about the role of art class in high school and in Melinda's recovery.
Reading Interest/Level
Because of the subject matter, I'd rate it at 9th grade or above.
Challenge Issues
The subject matter of rape could be challenged. There are some swears, some teenage drinking (Melinda is drunk when she is raped), and some violence (Melinda is attacked again at the end of the book). While trying to deal with her pain, Melinda spends her freshman year as a delinquent, cutting classes and failing most of her classes.
If the book were challenged, the librarian should read the book, if possible, and if not, familiarize herself with it through various professional reviews and through sites like Common Sense Media, which list many of the possibly controversial details of the work.
The librarian should also be familiar with the library's collection criteria and be able to explain to the challenger why the book fits the policy. She could show the challenger any of the many positive reviews Speak has earned and show its placement on a number of lists of best books for young adults. She could also point out that it was a Printz Honor Book.
Selection Criteria
I noticed this book has been mentioned in many of the readings we've had for the class as almost the paragon of the perfect modern young adult novel. After reading and loving Anderson's Wintergirls, I had to read her best-known work.
Laurie Halse Anderson
ISBN 0374371520
198 pages
Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999
Genre: Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation
After she is raped, 13-year-old Melinda retreats in silence, speaking as little as possible in school and at home.
Plot Summary
Melinda starts her freshman year at Merriweather High School as an outsider; she alienated most of the high school when she called the cops during a wild party over the summer. What Melinda never told anyone--not her best friend Rachel, not her parents--was that she was raped by a senior that night, but when it came time to tell the police, she clammed up and could not speak. In her pain, Melinda wonders if anyone would notice if she stopped speaking altogether. Her silence leads her to be an astute and often funny observer of human nature: her distracted, unhappy parents, the teachers who'd rather be elsewhere, the various social cliques.
Her art teacher seems to be the only one urging students to express their real emotions, and through art, Melinda finds a new way of self-expression. The book, which takes place over the course of a year, details both the depths of Melinda's pain and the promise of recovery.
Critical Summary
Speak is at once haunting and funny, painful and redemptive. In her masterful first-person narrative, Anderson is completely effective at evoking Melinda's head-space and getting the reader to understand how and why Melinda has gone silent.
She creates a deep cast of characters that all ring true, that people will recognize from their own high school: the spacey English teacher who tries anything to reach her students, the teacher who's more interested in promoting his own personal agenda, the principal who only cares about keeping the PTA parents happy. The students, too: the best friend from junior high who tries to reinvent herself as a freshman, the friend of convenience who only cares what she can get from you, the smart, principled boy you admire from afar, the jock girl you want to hate but can't because she's so genuinely friendly.
Anderson takes some risk with sentence structure and wordplay, which adds a bit of poetry to the prose. Her descriptions of Melinda's art is especially effective; we understand how, in learning how to express herself through an emotionally true piece of art, she takes baby steps towards expressing her truth verbally.
About the author
Anderson has written a number of books for children and young adults. Many of her young adult novels have been incredibly well-received critically. She's won numerous awards. She often deals with themes of depression and death in her novels, which are equally contemporary and historical. Speak was her first novel.
Curriculum ties
Booktalking Ideas
1. If you are doing a booktalk with another person, have one person stand up there silent while the other person "voice overs" the booktalk from Melinda's point of view.
2. Talk about Melinda's first day of high school and her feelings of apprehension.
3. Talk about the role of art class in high school and in Melinda's recovery.
Reading Interest/Level
Because of the subject matter, I'd rate it at 9th grade or above.
Challenge Issues
The subject matter of rape could be challenged. There are some swears, some teenage drinking (Melinda is drunk when she is raped), and some violence (Melinda is attacked again at the end of the book). While trying to deal with her pain, Melinda spends her freshman year as a delinquent, cutting classes and failing most of her classes.
If the book were challenged, the librarian should read the book, if possible, and if not, familiarize herself with it through various professional reviews and through sites like Common Sense Media, which list many of the possibly controversial details of the work.
The librarian should also be familiar with the library's collection criteria and be able to explain to the challenger why the book fits the policy. She could show the challenger any of the many positive reviews Speak has earned and show its placement on a number of lists of best books for young adults. She could also point out that it was a Printz Honor Book.
Selection Criteria
I noticed this book has been mentioned in many of the readings we've had for the class as almost the paragon of the perfect modern young adult novel. After reading and loving Anderson's Wintergirls, I had to read her best-known work.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Luna
Julie Anne Peters
ISBN 0-316-73369-5
248 pages
Little, Brown & Company, 2004
Genre: LGBT; Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation:
Regan's life has revolved around her brother Liam's struggles with his female identity, but lately she finds herself struggling to define her identity as a person separate from her brother.
Plot Summary:
High school senior Liam has known his whole life that he was born in the wrong body, and his younger sister Luna has known his secret her whole life. At night, Liam emerges as Luna, his female identity. Luna has kept her secret from everyone, but now feels ready to emerge from her cocoon. Regan adores and supports Luna, yet at the same time struggles with her own identity; her complicated family life has made having friends difficult, and at school she feels like an invisible loner. The possibility of romance with a new boy in school forces Regan to rethink her identity as more than just Luna's sister, while Luna struggles with the reality that her family, friends, and high school community may not be accepting of her true self.
Critical Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book and was amazed during our class Elluminate session how deeply layered it was. There's a lot packed into its 248 pages! I was especially intrigued by the whole family's dysfunctional dynamic; the parents are struggling with their own identities and have a hard time seeing their teenage children as they really are. I would have loved to read a book just from the viewpoint of the mother, who seemed completely clueless throughout but obviously knew more than she chose to let on.
I thought the relationship between the teens were really believable. The friendship and then romance between Chris and Regan was funny and touching, and I liked how it helped Regan see herself in a new light; I also loved the dynamic of their war against their chemistry teacher. I also liked the friendship between Aly and Liam/Luna; the resolution of that seemed quite realistic to me. In general, I really liked how frank and honest Peters was about the relationships in the book. Regan's loss of her babysitting job and surrogate family was quite upsetting, yet exactly what would happen in reality, as was the treatment of Luna when she decided to appear in public as a woman.
About the author:
Peters has written a number of award-winning young adult and children's novels. Many of her YA works feature LGBT themes. Her most recent work, Rage, centers around domestic abuse in a lesbian relationship. Her work has been noted by LGBT organizations for her thoughtful and realistic portrayal of gay teens.
Curriculum ties:
LGBT issues, transgendered people, bullies
Booktalking ideas:
1. Talk about the sibling dynamic between Regan and Liam/Luna
2. Talk about Luna's identity as a transgendered woman
3. Talk about the relationship between Regan and Chris, how he helps her form an identity outside of her family
4. Talk in character as Regan, giving a quick summary of Luna and her parents
Reading/Interest Level:
9th grade and up
Challenge Issues:
Its LGBT subject matter may be challenged by some who find it morally problematic.
If challenged, the librarian should be aware of the library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to the challenger. He or she could provide the challenger with the number of positive reviews and awards that Luna has won, as well as some statistics on teens and transgender identity, or perhaps a clipping about Fred Martinez Jr., the murdered transgendered boy who inspired the story.
Selection Criteria:
This was an assigned reading for our class, but the long list of accolades it's received would also make a strong case for its worthiness of inclusion.
Julie Anne Peters
ISBN 0-316-73369-5
248 pages
Little, Brown & Company, 2004
Genre: LGBT; Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation:
Regan's life has revolved around her brother Liam's struggles with his female identity, but lately she finds herself struggling to define her identity as a person separate from her brother.
Plot Summary:
High school senior Liam has known his whole life that he was born in the wrong body, and his younger sister Luna has known his secret her whole life. At night, Liam emerges as Luna, his female identity. Luna has kept her secret from everyone, but now feels ready to emerge from her cocoon. Regan adores and supports Luna, yet at the same time struggles with her own identity; her complicated family life has made having friends difficult, and at school she feels like an invisible loner. The possibility of romance with a new boy in school forces Regan to rethink her identity as more than just Luna's sister, while Luna struggles with the reality that her family, friends, and high school community may not be accepting of her true self.
Critical Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book and was amazed during our class Elluminate session how deeply layered it was. There's a lot packed into its 248 pages! I was especially intrigued by the whole family's dysfunctional dynamic; the parents are struggling with their own identities and have a hard time seeing their teenage children as they really are. I would have loved to read a book just from the viewpoint of the mother, who seemed completely clueless throughout but obviously knew more than she chose to let on.
I thought the relationship between the teens were really believable. The friendship and then romance between Chris and Regan was funny and touching, and I liked how it helped Regan see herself in a new light; I also loved the dynamic of their war against their chemistry teacher. I also liked the friendship between Aly and Liam/Luna; the resolution of that seemed quite realistic to me. In general, I really liked how frank and honest Peters was about the relationships in the book. Regan's loss of her babysitting job and surrogate family was quite upsetting, yet exactly what would happen in reality, as was the treatment of Luna when she decided to appear in public as a woman.
About the author:
Peters has written a number of award-winning young adult and children's novels. Many of her YA works feature LGBT themes. Her most recent work, Rage, centers around domestic abuse in a lesbian relationship. Her work has been noted by LGBT organizations for her thoughtful and realistic portrayal of gay teens.
Curriculum ties:
LGBT issues, transgendered people, bullies
Booktalking ideas:
1. Talk about the sibling dynamic between Regan and Liam/Luna
2. Talk about Luna's identity as a transgendered woman
3. Talk about the relationship between Regan and Chris, how he helps her form an identity outside of her family
4. Talk in character as Regan, giving a quick summary of Luna and her parents
Reading/Interest Level:
9th grade and up
Challenge Issues:
Its LGBT subject matter may be challenged by some who find it morally problematic.
If challenged, the librarian should be aware of the library's selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to the challenger. He or she could provide the challenger with the number of positive reviews and awards that Luna has won, as well as some statistics on teens and transgender identity, or perhaps a clipping about Fred Martinez Jr., the murdered transgendered boy who inspired the story.
Selection Criteria:
This was an assigned reading for our class, but the long list of accolades it's received would also make a strong case for its worthiness of inclusion.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Wintergirls
Laurie Halse Anderson
ISBN 978-0-670-01110-0
278 pages
Viking, 2009
Genre: Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation
Cassie and Lia were inseparable, though their eating disorders ended their friendship. After Cassie's death, Lia is haunted by visions of her friend and relapses into anorexia.
Plot Summary:
Lia and Cassie's friendship was both incredibly close and dysfunctional; they supported each other through the emotional pain caused by their family life, but they also encouraged each other in the eating disorders each used to cope with the pain. After Lia returns from treatment, Cassie ends their friendship, citing Lia as a bad influence. When Cassie dies, however, Lia spirals back into anorexia. On the night of her death, Cassie called Lia 33 times, but Lia didn't pick up the phone. Cassie's death haunts Lia both literally and figuratively; Cassie visits her at night and begs her to join her.
Lia hides her declining weight from her family and refuses to open up to the therapist her parents insist she sees. Her friends seem to have faded away, and her parents are largely absorbed with their work, leaving Lia with little to distract her from her increasing obsession with food, calories and exercise. She's largely a "wintergirl," starving, cold, frigid; the only real emotional contact she has is with her younger stepsister and a strange and fragile friendship with Elijah, who works at the motel where Cassie was found dead. Lia must literally choose between life and death, between joining Cassie or reentering the real world and addressing all the pain she's frozen away.
Laurie Halse Anderson
ISBN 978-0-670-01110-0
278 pages
Viking, 2009
Genre: Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation
Cassie and Lia were inseparable, though their eating disorders ended their friendship. After Cassie's death, Lia is haunted by visions of her friend and relapses into anorexia.
Plot Summary:
Lia and Cassie's friendship was both incredibly close and dysfunctional; they supported each other through the emotional pain caused by their family life, but they also encouraged each other in the eating disorders each used to cope with the pain. After Lia returns from treatment, Cassie ends their friendship, citing Lia as a bad influence. When Cassie dies, however, Lia spirals back into anorexia. On the night of her death, Cassie called Lia 33 times, but Lia didn't pick up the phone. Cassie's death haunts Lia both literally and figuratively; Cassie visits her at night and begs her to join her.
Lia hides her declining weight from her family and refuses to open up to the therapist her parents insist she sees. Her friends seem to have faded away, and her parents are largely absorbed with their work, leaving Lia with little to distract her from her increasing obsession with food, calories and exercise. She's largely a "wintergirl," starving, cold, frigid; the only real emotional contact she has is with her younger stepsister and a strange and fragile friendship with Elijah, who works at the motel where Cassie was found dead. Lia must literally choose between life and death, between joining Cassie or reentering the real world and addressing all the pain she's frozen away.
Critical Evaluation:
Anderson creates a very moving and intimate portrait of a teen girl struggling with so much emotional pain that she can only take it out on herself. The entire story is told by Lia, and the reader is given complete access to her inner thoughts and twisted logic. We see how Lia fools the adults around her into thinking she's OK, while all the time her weight dips lower and lower. Her thoughts are consumed by food and calories, as well as the pain she feels over Cassie's rejection and death and her guilt at ignoring what were Cassie's last pleas for help. Lia's voice is original, authentic, precise.
While the whole story is seen through Lia's skewed perspective, we do get a sense of her family life and why she has resorted to cutting and anorexia to express her internal pain. Her parents do care deeply for Lia, but are so preoccupied professionally that they are quick to accept Lia's excuses and not delve too deeply in the matter. Much of the day-to-day management of Lia's supposed recovery is handled by her stepmother, who's perhaps the only adult not entirely fooled by Lia, but doesn't feel she quite has the emotional authority to insist her husband and his ex-wife throw Lia back into treatment.
Anderson explains how anorexics use "pro-ana" websites and discussion boards to find the emotional support they need to continue starving themselves, much as Cassie and Lia supported each other in their diseases. And she explores how, despite the adults around her who are doing all the textbook right things, it's not until Lia truly wants to recover that she can.
About the author:
Anderson has written a number of books for children and young adults. Many of her young adult novels have been incredibly well-received critically, winning multiple awards. She often deals with themes of depression and death in her novels. Her works are equally contemporary and historical.
Curriculum Ties:
Anorexia, bulimia, cutting
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Talk about Cassie and Lia's supportive yet destructive friendship
2. Talk about Lia's pain and her ways of coping with it
Reading/Interest Level:
9th grade and up
Challenge Issues:
This book has many potential challenge issues: anorexia, bulimia, cutting, drug use, and suicide. This book may be challenged because of its subject matter. Librarians should be aware of their selection policy and be able to explain and defend it to challengers. They could point out the excellent reviews this book has already received and point to the many awards Anderson has received for her young adult as justification for its inclusion.
Selection Criteria:
Many of our readings in the class have held up Anderson's works as excellent young adult novels. I specifically read a review of Wintergirls in the Association for Children's Literature of Northern California's monthly newsletter that gave it a grade of "Outstanding," so I sought it out specifically.
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Someone Like You
Sarah Dessen
ISBN 978-0-14-240177-4
281 pages
Viking, 1998
Genre: Coming of Age, Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation:
Though Halley's life is falling apart, she knows she must stay strong for her best friend Scarlett, who found out she was pregnant after her boyfriend died.
Plot Summary:
Halley and Scarlett have been best friends ever since Scarlett and her mother moved in the house across the street. Scarlett's always been the brave one, helping Halley navigate the social waters of school. When Scarlett's boyfriend Michael is killed in a motorcycle accident just before the start of junior year and she realizes she's pregnant with his child, though, she must rely on Halley to help her get through.
Halley wants to be strong for her best friend, but she also has her own demons to battle with. These days she can't even manage a civil conversation with her mother, a well-respected counselor who's famous for dispensing advice on how to get along with your teenage daughter. And jealous of the relationship Scarlett and Michael shared, Halley enters a relationship with Macon, Michael's best friend, a freewheeling bad boy. Halley finds Macon exciting and dangerous, but both Scarlett and Halley's mother worry about his influence and how he may be pressuring her.
Critical Evaluation:
Dessen creates very well-rounded and believable characters. She perfectly captures the age where all of a sudden, you can no longer get along with one or both of your parents, but nobody's quite sure what happened and how to fix it. She also captures how critically important one's friends are in this period when one may not be able to reach out to one's family for help. Both Scarlett and Halley are failed by their mothers, but they're able to nurture each other and help each other make positive decisions. And when Halley fails Scarlett, too, there's yet another friend there to provide support and pick up the pieces.
The story is a little slight; it's rather short, and of course, of course, Scarlett goes into labor on the night of the prom. On the other hand, it's very honest and well-observed. One can see exactly why Halley is attracted to Macon, even though it's clear to everyone but her what a bad influence he is.
About the author:
Dessen has written eight other young adult books, which have been critically well-reviewed and remain extremely popular among YA readers. She's known for her thoughtful brand of "chick lit," in which the power of female friendship is stressed. This book was merged with another book by Dessen, That Summer, and turned into a movie called How to Deal starring Mandy Moore.
Curriculum Ties:
Teen pregnancy, Parent/Teen relationship
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Focus on the friendship between Halley and Scarlett
2. Describe the troubled relationship between Halley and her mother, and Scarlett and her mother
3. Explain the relationship between Halley and Macon
Reading/Interest Level:
8th and up
Challenge Issues:
Teen sex and pregnancy, drug use, underage drinking
If this book is challenged, one should be aware of the library policy on selection and be able to explain it to the challenger. One could point out how highly acclaimed this book was, pointing to its many positive reviews and its being named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and Best Book of the Year by SLJ.
Selection Criteria:
Because I'd read several glowing reviews of Dessen's latest novel, Along for the Ride, I decided to try some of her novels. This one caught my eye because of the aforementioned "Best Book" awards.
Sarah Dessen
ISBN 978-0-14-240177-4
281 pages
Viking, 1998
Genre: Coming of Age, Issue Novel
Reader's Annotation:
Though Halley's life is falling apart, she knows she must stay strong for her best friend Scarlett, who found out she was pregnant after her boyfriend died.
Plot Summary:
Halley and Scarlett have been best friends ever since Scarlett and her mother moved in the house across the street. Scarlett's always been the brave one, helping Halley navigate the social waters of school. When Scarlett's boyfriend Michael is killed in a motorcycle accident just before the start of junior year and she realizes she's pregnant with his child, though, she must rely on Halley to help her get through.
Halley wants to be strong for her best friend, but she also has her own demons to battle with. These days she can't even manage a civil conversation with her mother, a well-respected counselor who's famous for dispensing advice on how to get along with your teenage daughter. And jealous of the relationship Scarlett and Michael shared, Halley enters a relationship with Macon, Michael's best friend, a freewheeling bad boy. Halley finds Macon exciting and dangerous, but both Scarlett and Halley's mother worry about his influence and how he may be pressuring her.
Critical Evaluation:
Dessen creates very well-rounded and believable characters. She perfectly captures the age where all of a sudden, you can no longer get along with one or both of your parents, but nobody's quite sure what happened and how to fix it. She also captures how critically important one's friends are in this period when one may not be able to reach out to one's family for help. Both Scarlett and Halley are failed by their mothers, but they're able to nurture each other and help each other make positive decisions. And when Halley fails Scarlett, too, there's yet another friend there to provide support and pick up the pieces.
The story is a little slight; it's rather short, and of course, of course, Scarlett goes into labor on the night of the prom. On the other hand, it's very honest and well-observed. One can see exactly why Halley is attracted to Macon, even though it's clear to everyone but her what a bad influence he is.
About the author:
Dessen has written eight other young adult books, which have been critically well-reviewed and remain extremely popular among YA readers. She's known for her thoughtful brand of "chick lit," in which the power of female friendship is stressed. This book was merged with another book by Dessen, That Summer, and turned into a movie called How to Deal starring Mandy Moore.
Curriculum Ties:
Teen pregnancy, Parent/Teen relationship
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Focus on the friendship between Halley and Scarlett
2. Describe the troubled relationship between Halley and her mother, and Scarlett and her mother
3. Explain the relationship between Halley and Macon
Reading/Interest Level:
8th and up
Challenge Issues:
Teen sex and pregnancy, drug use, underage drinking
If this book is challenged, one should be aware of the library policy on selection and be able to explain it to the challenger. One could point out how highly acclaimed this book was, pointing to its many positive reviews and its being named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and Best Book of the Year by SLJ.
Selection Criteria:
Because I'd read several glowing reviews of Dessen's latest novel, Along for the Ride, I decided to try some of her novels. This one caught my eye because of the aforementioned "Best Book" awards.
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