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September 8, 2015

Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown.

In his book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Sherman Alexie gives us glimpse into the life of a Native American, teenage boy’s first year in a new school.  Junior, the main character and owner of the diary, is set to start his first year in his local high school in the Indian reservation where he grew up in. Through a set of misfortunate events, he ends up being expelled from that school and then persuaded into joining the neighboring “white” school instead.  While apprehensive at first, he decides to join the new school, and this ultimately leads to him parting ways with his best friend, Rowdy. While torn up about losing his friendship with Rowdy, Junior tries his best to fit in to his new school, and finds only mild success at first. After a while, he manages to develop true bonds and friendships in his new school, and these help him cope with the loss of several of his loved ones that passed away during the year. Throughout the school year, Junior never forgets his childhood best friend and makes every attempt to mend the relationship they had. In the end, Junior is finally able to reconnect with his friend, and share a game of one-on-one.

 This book was incredibly fun to read. Alexie’s interpretation of this character seems so on par that it’s easy to forget this is a work of fiction. Though at times the themes seem more adept for the higher level YA crowd, the illustrations and overall style allow for a wide range of students to enjoy. The language is a bit strong at times as well, but the messages of optimism and perseverance it carries seem to overshadow these racier dialogues. I think one of the many messages that all readers can relate to is having someone they know being affected by alcoholism. Junior’s case is a bit extreme, but not isolated so it is great that it brings awareness through the character’s experiences. Lastly, I believe one strong point is its relativity to our immigrant youth. Like Junior, most immigrant families decide to migrate in the hope of a better future for themselves and their families.

The True Diary of a part-time Indian was Alexie’s second novel after getting his start with a collection of shorts stories entitled The Lone Ranger and Tonto fight in Heaven . Being of Native American descent himself, all of Alexie’s works carry those themes as well.  Some of his other works include to other collections of short stories entitled, Ten Little Indians, and War Dances. His first novel is entitled Reservation blues.

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

                Melinda Sordino’s first day of high school is not going well. She starts off the year with a chip on her shoulder after calling the cops on the back-to-school party most of her classmates were guests in. Out of fear, she decides not to talk to the cops, but her friends know it was her who called.  This makes fitting in somewhat difficult for her, and after quickly figuring out that her old friends want nothing to do with her, Melinda finds herself lost and desperate. Her teachers seem to be of no help either, as each deal with their own trials and tribulations. She tries to befriend out a couple of her classmates, but to no avail and instead she finds an abandoned broom closet where she creates her own little haven of solitude.  Throughout the school year, Melinda is tormented with the thoughts of what happened to her during the back-to-school party, and if she should talk to someone about it.  Sadly, Melinda was sexually abused at this party, and it is only until she confronts her aggressor that she feels justice has been served.

                The first thing that should be stated here is that I have not seen the movie adaptation to this book, and interestingly enough, I don’t see a reason to do so. Laurie Anderson, the author, gives such spot-on emotions to her characters that it is impossible not to imagine this could be autobiographical.  As a high school teacher myself, I found Anderson’s characterizations of Mr. Neck, Hairwoman, and Mr. Freeman to be especially spot on and I found myself looking at my coworkers a little different.

                Another characteristic I enjoyed was her portrayal of the school as a setting.  The high school I work in is by no means huge, but it definitely has a lot of nooks and crannies where students seem to escape to. Ironically, our school mascot is a Trojan soldier, and for similar reasons I assume, we are called “the Gladiators” instead of what the mascot resembles.

Lastly, I can’t help but be attracted to her writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed her way of having subchapters within chapters to allow for short intermediate reads. Melinda is brought to life by having the ability to decide how much she writes. It feels like sometimes she is in a writing mood and sometimes she’s not.

Laurie Halse Anderson is an award winning writer of children’s and young adult novels. Among her novels are Catalyst, Prom, and Twisted, as well as the historical novel, Fever 1793. Anderson has also published children’s books such as Turkey Pox, No Time for Mother’s Day, and The Big Cheese of Third Street.

Andrews, J. (2012). Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Abrams Books.

In his book, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, author Jesse Andrews tells the story of a high school senior who just wants to get to graduation without having to make any friends. Greg, the main character, has one friend and is perfectly fine with that. Together, Earl and he share stories and interests such as film making. Greg’s life takes a sharp turn when his mother urges him to get back in touch with a middle school girl who he used to be friends with. His mother tells him she has cancer, and Greg reluctantly gives her a call. After a while, he figures out she’s is a great friend and introduces her to Earl. He, too, is delighted to have Rachel as his friend. Towards the end of the story, Greg and Earl decide to make a movie for Rachel which she gets to see and enjoy before passing.

I believe this book has a couple of strong points that make it stand out. The vocabulary used throughout this book seems age appropriate, and not too challenging for a high school classroom. The theme of friendship is also a very strong point for this book. I find it particularly interesting how Andrews portrays the reluctance with which Greg was willing to admit someone new into his extremely small circle of friends. Another strong point of the book is how easily relatable it is to teens. Greg distastes for the bigger high school crowds will be relatable to some, while building new friendships with unsuspecting peers will be relatable to others. Overall, I believe this book has usefulness in the classroom.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the debut (and currently only) novel by Jesse Andrews.

Angleberger, T., & Rosenstock, J. (2010). The strange case of Origami Yoda. Amulet Books.      

In his book, The Strange case of Origami Yoda, Author Tom Angleberger presents the story of a group of middle school outcasts that are ubiquitously helped out by a student’s origami style puppet. The books primary narrator, Tommy, starts off by describing how the Origami Yoda character and how it came to be. He then describes the Yoda’s handler, Dwight. Dwight is considered the class weirdo and he doesn’t get a lot of attention from his peers. Using his Origami Yoda, he decides he should try to give them advice. Tommy, the narrator, is the first to listen to the Origami Yoda, and its through him that we notice how Dwight’s advice is really helpful. At one point, Tommy gets fed up of with Dwight’s sometimes cryptic advice and he destroys the Origami Yoda.  After seeing the error of his ways, Tommy makes a mends with Dwight, and Dwight creates a new Origami Yoda, and continues to dole out useful advice to his classmates.

Overall, I think this book shows great usefulness in the classroom. Its vocabulary is fun for and an easy read for most middle school students. Its theme of being helpful and giving everyone a chance to be heard is a very positive message to instill in this age group. Depending on the time allotted for this book, there could be hands on activities tied to this book as well, and these could also build cooperativeness in the classroom. Another strong point of this book is its relatability among different grade and age levels.  Everyone remembers having a “Dwight” –like classmate, and it makes one wonder if he or she might have had the same insights he did. Something to note, is that this is the first book in a series.

Along with, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Angleberger has also written Darth Paper Strikes Back, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee, Art2-D2’s Guide to Folding and Doodling, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue!, Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus, Fake Mustache,  and Crankee Doodle among others.

 

Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. Harry N. Abrams.

In her semi-autobiographical book, El Deafo, Cece Bell presents herself as a young anthropomorphic rabbit dealing with an unforeseen handicap that she develops at a young age. Cece recalls having a pretty normal and active childhood before contracting meningitis. As a result of her ailment, Cece loses her ability to hear. As a result, Cece is taken by her parents to see a physician who specialized in hearing loss. After a thorough check up, he ultimately recommends Cece use a series of different hearing aid devices to help her cop with the hearing loss. Cece is not too crazy about the hearing aids and what it will do for her image among her school friends. Cece finally decides she hates being unable to communicate more than the hearing aid and gets accustomed to using them. In the end,  Cece is shown to build friendships as she puts her abnormally potent hearing aid to good use and helps the class goof off at school.

I believe this book has it’s a place in the classroom for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it teaches students about tolerance among people with disabilities. Bell does an amazing job at allowing her readers to see life through the perspective of a child growing up and coping with a crushing disability. Also, I believe the book is useful in that its chapters are broken into concise amounts that can be better coordinated for a lesson lasting one class period. The vocabulary seems age appropriate and not too advanced where it has to be reserved for a GT audience. Though I was a bit at odds at the beginning, I can see why depicting the main character as a rabbit can also serve a positive purpose.  Maybe the author was aiming to soften the seriousness of her disability or her perils, and in this way avoiding unnecessary pity for the deaf community.

Cece Bell’s other titles include Sock Monkey Takes a Bath, I Yam a Donkey, Sock Monkey in the Spotlight, Food Friends: Fun Foods That Go Together, Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie: A Friend Is Made, Sock Monkey Rides Again, Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood: A Star is Bathed, Itty Bitty, Bee-Wigged, and Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover. She won the Newbery Medal of Honor for El Deafo.

Black, H. (2010). White cat. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Cassel comes from a family of Curse workers. These are people with supernatural abilities that have taken to the criminal underworld as they’re seen as outcasts by society. These abilities seem to vary between family members, and some like Cassel, don’t possess any traits at all. Well, that’s what he is led to believe at first. Among other things, Cassel has been sleepwalking and having odd dreams. He sees a white cat that is trying to give him a message. As the story unfolds, it turns out that the cat is actually a friend he thought he had killed. Instead, he finds out his brother had him transform her to a cat, and erased his memory of doing so. After he figures this out, he turns his friend, Lila, back to human form, and together they help foil, his brother’s plan to kill Lila’s dad. At the end of the story, Lila confesses her love for Cassel, but sadly Cassel becomes aware that she feels that way because she is under a spell.

                I believe this book has its strong points in the vocabulary and the dialogue sequences used by the author as well as its ability to stay ground in reality. Though the vocabulary used is not necessarily extensive, it fits well among teens and young adults that might have the reading skills to keep up with more complex worded novels.  The dialogue seems also a bit simplistic at times, but again, it fits well if one considers the audience.  Lastly the author, Holly Black, does an outstanding job at giving this novel a sense of reality. The settings are very realistic as well as the characters’ points of view. An important note is that is only part one of a series. The book appropriately leaves with a bit of a cliffhanger. I see it as a summer ELA assignment possibility. The White Cat could be read in the summer and its successor during the fall semester.

Holly Black’s other titles include The Spiderwick Chronicles , The Modern Faerie Tale series, the Curse Workers series, Doll Bones, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the Magisterium series and The Darkest Part of the Forest.

Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower. Pocket Books.

In his book, The perks of being a wallflower, Stephen Chbosky presents the story of a teenaged boy name Charlie. The book reads like a collection of letters that Charlie mailed out to a specific person. More than just letters, they serve as a journal or memoir of Charlie’s tumultuous first year in high school. At the beginning of these letters, Charlie is shown as an introvert coping with the recent loss of a close friend, and his beloved aunt. After a while though, Charlie manages to move on a make more friends. The letters describe these experiences as well as his participation in drug use and the adverse effect they play in his life. Towards the end of the book, the main character abruptly finds out that he had repressed bad memories of being abused as a child by none other than his beloved aunt.

                Though this book is an amazing piece of literature in its own right, I believe there aren’t any particular strong points to make regarding its classroom usefulness. The book is very well written, and the style used makes its interesting to read. The characters are somewhat elusive, but that seems irrelevant as the author builds a great main character that seems like someone you would know. The vocabulary is age appropriate as well, though the content seems a bit too racy for the classroom. At best, I believe this book could serve in small excerpts to teach paragraph building skills and the like. It could also serve in an English 4 classroom maybe, but even then, some of its material doesn’t seem appropriate for the classroom setting. It can definitely be enjoyed at the library setting or at home.

Stephen Chbosky wrote and directed the feature film adaptation of his award-winning novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He has worked on the film version of the smash-hit musical Rent as well as the TV show Jericho. He also edited Pieces, a collection of short stories for the publishing company he is employed in.

Crutcher, C. (2009). Angry management: Three novellas. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Mr. Nak is getting back into the education field after over a decade of absences, and at an advanced age. As a counselor, he is entrusted with leading an anger management program for teens at his school. This book details three separate stories involving teens which he counsels. The book reads as a collection of diaries from the people involved in each story. This allows for the reader to see the different points of view regarding the issues that take place in each of the short novels. Though all stories are different, they all seem to have the same underlying theme of hatred, and intolerance among contemporary Americans. All of them involve teens dealing with and trying to overcome some wrong-doing that they have lived through. From issues such as child abuse and racial discrimination, to censorship, and the reinforcement of negative traditions, this book covers all these topics with these stories.

I believe some of the strong points in this book are the style in which it is written, and the usefulness it provides the student body at my school. The book reads like a compilation of journals the author handpicked from a group of people involved in each story. This helps students understand the plot and theme of the book easier, while allowing for short classroom reading sessions. The style also allows for students to see multiple points of view within the same story. This undoubtedly helps with the second aforementioned quality the book has. I believe it is useful to our students because of the raw nature the characters portray. Though not all the characters are equally represented in my school, it is fair to say that most students can relate to at least one of the characters in book. This is always a good thing because a fundamental part of engaging a student in learning is to make the information relatable.

 Along with Angry Management, author Chris Crutcher has written over ten other novels, and short stories. His first novel, Running Loose, would delineate the subjects for which he became for; at-risk teens. For his work, Crutcher has received many praise as well as sharp criticism. Some of his material has been challenged, and even banned in some school. He, however, has also earned many awards for his books including ALA’s Best Book for Young Adults Award for 8 of his works.

Gantos, Jack. (2002). Hole in my life. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

                In his book, Hole in my life, author Jack Gantos retells the story of his life as a youth and how he found the inspiration to be a writer. Gantos makes it a point to discuss his life in 3 sections or stages of his life. He starts off by describing his dreams and aspirations as a writer. After a couple of bad decisions, Gantos ends up having to give up his dream because of his lack of inspiration. In the second section, Gantos is shown as continuing his bad decisions and starts to spiral towards more serious illegal activity such as smuggling drugs. He justifies this by saying he needs the money to go to college to become a writer. The last section of the book deals with Gantos incarceration after he is charged with conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the United States. After his stint in prison, and after seeing all the horrors there, Gantos finally finds his inspiration to write. First he writes about prison then he transition into children’s books.

                I believe this book has a few strong points worth noting. The biggest strong point, in my point of view, is the message that it gives young men and women on the verge of graduating. Though sometimes it’s hard for students to listen to a higher authority, having Gantos recount his life allows for students to relate to someone their age. The issue of drug use is somewhat questionable, but in the end it proves that it was a wrong choice so the reader can be dissuaded from taking that route.  The style Gantos uses can also be considered a strong point because it allows for the students to further relate to the author. Living in a border region, our students are similarly exposed to the thrill of easy drug smuggling money and it is important for authors such as Gantos to write about the consequences of such actions.

                Aside from his autobiographical work, Gantos has written many children’s books though out the years. Among his best works are the Rotten Ralph series, the Jack Henry series, the Joey Pigza series, as well as standalone books such as Desire Lines and the Dead end in Norvelt.

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

In her book, Annie on my mind, Nancy Garden gives us a glimpse into the lives of two coming of age teens taking part in an unconventional relationship in their society. The book starts off with Liza writing a letter to her old friend Annie. Before she can finish it though, she finds herself reminiscing about her tumultuous relationship, and what moved her to write that letter. It was exactly one year ago that Liza met Annie for the first time, and her world was turned upside down. Through events and sentiments that even they can’t understand, the girls find themselves completely in love with each other. Both girls understand how taboo a same sex relationship is regarded in their society so they tried to repress those feelings from each other. This seems to only frustrate them and it is only until they are able to show their physical affection for each other that they feel content. Through a series of unfortunate events, they are discovered and Liza must now face the consequences of their actions. In the end however, Liza is unscathed by her actions and only suffers the loss of Annie’s friendship.

This book is great for the classroom in that it teaches tolerance among students. It portrays two nearly-adult teens from different social and economic spheres coming together in the name of love and friendship. That speaks for itself, I believe.  Though somewhat dated, it brings in a sense of reality for smaller communities in America. It is no secret nowadays that cities have pushed for tolerance among its citizens and students, but the same can’t be said for rural America.  Sadly, 33 years after this book was written, there are people today that share similar views to the antagonists here.  Another way it infuses reality and relativity is by mentioning actual locations in New York. Liza also mentions issues current high school students stress about as well such as college eligibility.

Among her other books, Nancy Garden has written Good Moon Rising, and Holly's Secret. She has also written numerous fantasy, mystery and horror titles. In 2003, she received Margaret A. Edwards Award for her work.

Gino, A. (2015). George. Scholastic Press.

In his book, George, author Alex Gino presents the story of a young boy caught in a peculiar dilemma. Though George is perceived by his family and friends to be a typical 4^th grade boy, he sees someone else when he looks in the mirror.  In his view, it is obvious that he is a she, though the rest of the world seems oblivious to it. He feels so strongly about it that he calls himself Melissa and refers to himself with feminine pronouns such as “she” and “herself.” George has a plan to come out to the world, and he wants to use the stage during his 4^th grade play to get his point across. Playing Charlotte in the recreation of the play adaptation of Charlotte’s Web, seems like the perfect time for George to show what Melissa is capable of. His teacher does not agree with George’s idea and instead gives the part to his friend, Kelly. George confides his dilemma to Kelly and she ultimately agrees to help George come out to the world.

                While formulating my point of view regarding the strong points for this book, I found myself at odds about what is considered a strong point in this case. On the one hand, this book seems very forward thinking, and also seems to be on the right track towards bringing awareness to the transgender community.  Alex Gino does a great job at keeping the vocabulary clean, and the conflicts are not too coarse. This helps bring the age appropriateness level down a bit. On the other hand, I feel it might not be age appropriate for such a young audience. It is definitely a must read at some point in middle school or for pleasure,  but I think the target group in this case seems a little too emotionally underdeveloped to handle this particular theme without stronger reinforcement from parents and the rest of the school community.

                George is Alex Gino’s debut novel.

Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. Penguin.

In his book, The Fault in Our Stars, John Green presents the story of a young teen girl dealing with cancer. Hazel, the main character, is only sixteen and dealing with an aggressive form of cancer. Though her mother fears she is depressed, Hazel actually finds herself interested in a boy he meets at her support group. While she is attracted to Augustus, Hazel is very reprehensive about her feelings towards him. Augustus, however, is not and he desperately wants to win Hazel’s approval and affection.  Hazel shares her favorite book with Augustus, and her distaste for the books sudden end, midsentence. Augustus sees this as a chance to woe her, and arranges to go see the author of the book in Europe. Though they do not get the answers they were looking for, the teens do form an incredible bond during their time there. It is later revealed that Gus was up for cancer treatments before the trip and cancelled them so he could be with her. They spent little time together after that, and reunite only one week before Gus passes away.

This book has great potential to be used as a resource in the classroom. First of all, the vocabulary is used plays very well with the audience. Though some scientific jargon is used from time to time, the author somehow reminds us that we are reading this through the eyes of a teen. The dialogue seems very relevant to our time in age as well. This brings a sense of reality to this piece of work in my point of view. The settings are also a strong point of the book. Not only well known locations such as Amsterdam, but even when describing typical small locations such as Augustus’ basement. The detail the author uses makes that space come to life. Lastly, dealing with the death of loved ones can be a painful process and I feel John Green showed a positive way of grieving in Hazel and Isaacs actions.

Among John Green’s other works are Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances, Paper Towns, and ‘Will Grayson, Will Grayson.’

Harris, Robie. (1994). It’s perfectly normal. Candlewick Press.

In her book, It’s perfectly normal, author Robie Harris presents an educational discourse on sex and reproduction in style meant for an early middle school audience. After a note to the reader, and a short introduction into the theme, the book starts off with the definition of sex and its multiple meanings. The book is broken into six sections each with its own set of smaller subsections of their own. While section one deals with defining what it is to be human from an emotional standpoint, the following section deals with the physical aspects of human beings. There is an array of illustrations to depict what the author is informing the reader about throughout the book. The third section of the book deals with puberty while section 4 deals with building relationships and reproducing. Section five deals with choices one makes regarding sex as an adult such as birth control or abstinence. Lastly, section six deals with the choices one makes when choosing to have a relationship with someone.

This is probably one of the few books that I’ve read that you can possibly substitute for a textbook. Robie Harris provides a wealth of information to those who are willing to listen. Better yet, Michael Emberley, the illustrator, creates incredibly detailed drawings throughout the book while keeping truly explicit images to a minimum. I think a strong point of this book is also its attention to detail. The book practically discusses everything related to sex and reproduction.  In the health classroom, it could prove as a good visual tool for the instructor. I could also see it be useful in a school where child care courses are available. The vocabulary is on par with what students are thought in science as well. Overall, this is a great book that can be used in the classroom under the right guidance.

Aside from, It’s perfectly normal, Robie Harris has also written It’s so amazing!, Who has what?, Turtle and me, Maybe a bear ate It, along with many other children’s books.

King, A.S. (2012) Please ignore Vera Dietz. Ember.

In her book, Please ignore Vera Dietz, author A.S. King presents the story of a teen girl trying to cope with the loss a friend who had a falling out with her before he died. Vera, the main character, is saddened to find out her ex-best friend, Charlie, has died. Even more depressing to her, is the fact that she could have done something about the matter. Before the book delves in to what led to Charlie’s untimely death, it lets allows readers to see how close Vera and Charlie’s friendship was before they had their disagreement. It details how the two friends grew up as neighbors and how they consoled themselves when their families were less than perfect. The book then discusses how things changed for the friends after a certain age. Charlie started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and ultimately his girlfriend drives a wedge between Vera and him. Before his death, Charlie lets Vera know that his girlfriend threaten to kill him. Vera, now in the present, makes an effort to find evidence of this in one of their old hang out spots. She does so, and avenges Charlie’s death by bringing the culprit to justice.

In all, I believe this book has some strong points that can prove to be useful in the classroom. The vocabulary used throughout the book is not very complicated, but it does have its share of key vocabulary words instructors could focus on. The style the writer uses is also conducive to the classroom as the book is broken into small chapter. The relatability in this book is also a strong point, in my point of view. Students getting ready to graduate, as the main character is, can relate to losing friendships along way. Even when not in direct relation, students can still be deeply impacted by the loss of a peer. I think the main strong point in this book, is its message of keeping positive friendships.  Though this might not be an academic lesson, it is nonetheless and important one to teach the youth of our nation.

Aside from Please ignore Vera Dietz, author A.S. King has also written The Dust of 100 Dogs, Everybody Sees the Ants, Ask the Passengers, Monica Never Shuts Up, Reality Boy, Glory O'Brien's History of the Future, and I Crawl Through It. In addition, she has collaborated in several anthologies with other authors.

Myers, W., & Myers, C. (1999). Monster. New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins.

Steve, like most teens, aspires to make it big on film. There seems to be a slight problem though. Steve is stuck in jail being charged with the murder of a person. The book is composed of a journal section intertwined with a a script for a film about his life during the trial. The script depicts the events during his trial, while journal depicts the periods in between trial sessions. All through the book, we hear testimonies from people involved in the crime, and the back and forth quarreling of the lawyers covering the case. Though carrying a pessimistic tone through the book, in the end, Steve is found not guilty of the charges. He passes the time post trial trying to figure out what makes him be who he is, and wonders if he is truly a monster or just misjudged.

Monster shows a lot of strong points when it comes to the message that it tries to get across. It works well in the classroom, though some of the courtroom lingo might seem too wordy at times. The message of questionable friendships among teens is something our society can relate to, especially at the high school level where I work.  Sadly, I have seen some of my students deal with such situations, and there are a lot of similarities between what some of them describe and what the author portrays in this book.  Another strong point of the book is the few times that illustrations are added. Somehow, being able to put a face on the character makes the work a lot more believable. I think it is even more interesting that the illustrator put actual photographs of the character instead of opting for actual cartoon illustrations.

Walter Dean Myers is an award winning writer, and among his other works are Angel to Angel, Scorpions, and Somewhere in darkness. He has won numerous awards for these books as well as other nonfiction books, and poetry.

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

In his book, The knife of never letting go, author Patrick Ness present the story of a young adolescent teen dealing with unforeseen events that take him on an epic journey through dystopian lands. The story is set in an unnamed planet, and the date is also never revealed. Todd, the main character, is part of an all-male society where women have been wiped out by aliens, and they have given the men the ability to hear each other’s thoughts. Animals are also given this ability. One day, Todd finds a girl in the nearby swamp he hangs around by, and everything changes for him after that. His townspeople turn on him and try to attack him so he is given a journal and a knife by his guardians and flees to meet up with the girl again. After talking with townspeople from other villages, they decide they have to go to the largest town to be truly safe. Right before they get there though, the girl is shot and Todd surrenders his town’s mayor.

                I believe the usefulness for this book is somewhat limited in the classroom. It is a very interesting read, but its vocabulary and character development do not seem as evolved as they could be.  I do think the plot was very refreshing, and the mental and physical conflict did seem emotionally heavy. The settings described in the book are visually captivating and seem to keep the story grounded. Ness doesn’t necessarily say it is another planet or Earth, but the similarities are uncanny. The villages and their type of government sound very similar to those of Earth at different points and places in human history so the argument could be made that the story does take place on Earth. The book is the beginning chapter of a series for Ness so it’s important to keep that in consideration as well.

Along with the knife of never letting go, Patrick Ness also wrote The Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men, The New World, The Wide, Wide Sea, and Snowscape for the Chaos Walking series. Aside from these, he also wrote A Monster Calls, Doctor Who: Tip of the Tongue, More Than This, and The Rest of Us Just Live Her.  

 

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces. Cinco Puntos Press.

In her book, Gabi: A girl in pieces, author Isabel Quintero tells the story of a teenage Latina girl entering her senior year of high school.  The book is written as the main character’s journal so the audience gets a firsthand view of Gabi’s life and her thoughts as the year progresses. From the get go, Gabi is thrown into a whirlwind as both her friends are dealing with life changing issues. Cindy is pregnant and Sebastian feels is about time to come out to his parents. Meanwhile, Gabi deals with issues of her own. Her mother’s antiquated and repressive point of view on a woman’s place in society confuses Gabi for the most part. She feels her mother wants her to live like women did a 100 years before her, and she wants no part of it. Throughout the book, Gabi deals with all of these issues and is shown to persevere in the end as she is ready for adulthood.

I believe this book has some limited classroom usefulness, but is definitely worth the read. Students at Roma High School can definitely relate to Gabi, as 99% of all students claim to be Hispanic or of Hispanic ancestry. The language the author, Isabel Quintero, used for this book is eerily similar to what students (and the community at large) use here so the connections between character and reader are easily attainable. The style in which the book is written is also very relateable to what students experience here.  With a sizable ELL population, journal writing is strongly emphasized in our school programs to develop their skills. The cover art for this book is truly a work of abstract art. It is very well made and goes well with the theme and title of the book. Aside from the cover art, the book does include a couple of pages from the characters artwork detailing the human anatomy.

This is Isabel Quintero’s first book.

 

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

In her book, Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi recount s her childhood growing up in Iran during the Iran revolution and the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980’s.  The book is written as a comic separated by different events the author recalls from her youth. The book starts off with Marji recalling the events that led to her (and all female students) first having to wear veils to cover their faces. She also notes that school is now separate for boys and girls, and this also seems to be something she finds displeasing. Throughout the comic, Marji starts to find out more about what exactly is going on around her and how she should feel regarding the situation. She first feels the need to protest out of a sense of adventure, but as she grows older she develops her true sense of purpose. In the end though, her parents are forced to send her out of the country in fear that she might be another victim of the wars there.

                As a historian, and currently teaching World Geography, I can see this book usefulness in the classroom. It helps explain dissension within cultural groups very well as it shows Marji’s family displeased with the status quot. The vocabulary is right on par with the content used when discussing the Middle East region of the world. Historical titles of figureheads such as the “Shah” and the “Ayatollah” are regularly taught in my classroom, and it is especially rewarding to see Satrapi herself simplifying the meaning of these terms when she calls her mom a dictator. The book is written as an autobiography and the events she mentions are validated and cross referenced so the credibility is sufficient  where student can debate the level of source they believe her work to be.

                Marjane Satrapi has also written Embroderies and Chicken with Plums which she was given the Angoulême Coup de Coeur Award for. Aside from writing graphic novels, Satrapi has also produced film adaption of some of her works as well.

Sheinkin, S. (2012)  Bomb: the race to build--and steal--the world's most dangerous weapon. Macmillan.

In his book, Bomb: the race to build—and steal—the world’s most dangerous weapon, author Steve Sheinkin recounts the events surrounding the creation of the first atomic bomb by the United States. More than just the creation of the bomb itself, Sheinkin recounts the stories of the people involved in the bomb building project.  The story begins when Albert Einstein is made aware of the discovery of atomic fusion in Germany.  He understands it has great potential to be dangerous so he notifies the President of the United States, and advises him to create a team to finish research on atomic fusion and develop its destructive potential before Hitler does. The Russians are also trying to figure out how to create an atomic bomb, but they are far behind so they send spies to steal the American scientists’ information instead. The book continues as the bomb is finally created and tested, and follows on to when the Russians create their own. Lastly, Openheimer, the original mastermind behind the project, is seen as incredibly regretful at his partaking in the making of the bomb.

                I believe this book has some good utility in the classroom. The writing style and breakdown allows for it to be used in excerpts for reading comprehension strategies. It is especially useful in the social studies classroom where it serves as an add-on to the textbook. The book could also serve as an assigned reading that serves as an educational/leisurely read. A very big strong point in this book is how the photographs provided bring a wealth of truthfulness to the book.  Though this is a work of nonfiction, it is important to further bring a sense of reality to the book by providing corroborating sources such as pictures of the pilot by the bomb plane. Other pictures show key figures that are discussed with the writing as well. In all, I believe this book would serve well in the classroom.

Aside from Bomb: the race to build—and steal—the world’s most dangerous weapon, author Steve Sheinkin also wrote Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War, The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights, and The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery as well as many others.

Silvey, C. (2010). Jasper Jones. Allen & Unwin.

In his book, Jasper Jones, author Craig Silvey tells the story of a young teen who has to make tough decisions in the name of doing what’s right. Charlie, the main character, is approached by Jasper Jones as the story begins. Jasper tells him that he needs his help urgently. Charlie finds it difficult to say no to him and agrees to help him. It is only when he gets there, that Charlie realizes what he has gotten himself into. Jasper’s girlfriend is hanging dead from a tree, and Jasper needs Charlie to help him hide the body until he can prove there was a culprit. Reluctantly, Charlie goes along with it. Coincidentally, Charlie love interest happens to be the sister of Jasper’s deceased girlfriend. This becomes problematic for Charlie as he finds it difficult to keep the truth from her while still being honest. It is at the end of the story that we find out that Eliza, Charlie’s love interest, knew all along and actually witnessed the whole thing.

I believe this book has a couple of strong points worth noting. Though the setting takes place far away, and in a somewhat distant past, the author does a great job of keeping the story fresh and relateable. The sad truth is racism is not restricted to post Viet Nam War-Australia. This makes this story all the more real to the reader. The theme of family dysfunction also gives this story a realistic feeling to it. Not only from the Wishart family, but from Charlie’s as well. His quarrels with his mother seem to bring out the worst in this character. Though the language is somewhat difficult for students to grasp without background knowledge, the books themes are stated fairly clearly. The book is a bit dialogue heavy which makes it difficult without proper scaffolding by the teacher, but in all an easy read.

Aside from Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey has also written Rhubarb, The World According to Warren, and The Amber Amulet.

Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper jungle: A history. Penguin Books.

In his book, Grasshopper jungle: A history, author Andrew Smith presents the story of two teen friends that are entrusted with saving the world from human head devouring aliens.  The story starts off with Austin, the main character and narrator, introduces himself and his purpose for writing as well as his interest for history. After this, Austin describes the events that led to the post-apocalyptic world he is living in.  He starts off with how a series of events unfolded between his friend Robby and him, and a group of young boys who bully them.  After getting beaten up by a group of boys, Robby is bloodied and attempts to write a message on the concrete with his blood. Austin later finds out that this was actually the catalyst to all that went wrong afterwards. As it turns out, a leading science company stationed decades before in their small town is involved with building genetically mutated insect-like soldiers to use in wars. The organic material used to make them somehow comes into contact with Robby’s blood, and starts to infect humans and turns them into giant man eating insects. Through many perils, the friends survive in a previously made silo, along with Austin’s girlfriend and a few survivors.

Though this book is very interesting and insightful, I believe some of its components make it a tough sell in the classroom. Though my experience in the classroom is limited to the social sciences, I don’t see ELA instructors allowing for some of the more vulgar language the book uses to be read out in the classroom. Furthermore, I feel like the book’s sexual theme might be too racy for even upper class students to deal with. Sexual confusion is a real issue for some students that age; however I don’t feel the book elaborates enough into it when necessary. Drug references are also used in this book on a few occasions, as well as confusion over religion. As stated above, the book is fun to read, I just don’t see how it could be applied in the classroom.

Aside from Grasshopper Jungle, Smith has also written Ghost Medicine, In the Path of Falling Objects, The Marbury Lens, Stick, King of Marbury, Passenger, Winger, and 100 Sideways Miles.  There are currently four editions of the novel: hardcover, e-book, audio, and a paperback version.

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. Wendy Lamb Books.

In her book, When you reach me, author Rebecca Stead presents the story of a young girl named Miranda. Though living a fairly typical childhood up until then, Miranda’s world is rocked when her best friend and neighbor decides he no longer wants to be friends with her.  Around this same time, she starts to receive notes from a mysterious stranger. These notes ask her to jot down future events, but she ignores them. As the story progresses, more notes are discovered and she is starting to find something is definitely weird. Through a series of crazy events, the homeless man that lives across the street from Miranda ends up saving her friend’s life by pushing him out of harm’s way and sacrificing himself in the process. It is in this way that she figures out that the homeless man was actually the future self of a boy who had bullied her friend, Sal. The letters were meant to be a guide for her to help him.

                I believe the strong points for Stead’s book are in its plot, style, and characters. The plot was very inventive and new to me based on what I’ve read in this age group. The story has definite science fiction components but somehow stays primarily anchored in reality. That is also reinforced by the description of her neighborhood in New York complete with homeless man in the street corner. The subtleness, with which the author brings in the theme of time travel, is what gives this story its unique style as well. Lastly, the characters were also very well thought out. Even Marcus’s future self is shown to have a big heart, and does what’s right. Miranda and Richard’s support for her mother is also a display of strong family ties and companionship.

Aside from this book, Rebecca Stead has When You Reach Me also written First Light, and Liar and Spy. She received a Newbery Medal in 2010 for.

Ward, J. (2011). Salvage the Bones. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

In her book, Salvage the Bones, author Jesmyn Ward present the story of a young African American teen girl and her family living in present day Mississippi.  The book’s narrator, Esche, starts her story by sharing a little bit about her family, and the location’s history with torrential weather. She discusses how she came to be the only girl in her family. Early in the book, she also describes her brother’s dog and how important she is to the whole family. She explains that the Dog, China, is actually a fighting dog and the litter of puppies she just had will help the family a lot monetarily. Throughout the book, Esche’s father prepares their old torn down house for a large hurricane headed their way.  At the same time, Esche’s brother deals with the well-being of his dog’s pups, and Esche herself deals with the fact that she is pregnant. Skeetah, Esche’s brother, loses his dogs in the storm, and the house becomes practically unlivable. After the storm has passed, the family comes together and perseveres as they deal with their losses.

Overall, I believe this book has its strongpoints in the classroom. Though the vocabulary is not necessarily the best at times, it does show students how English is used differently according to the region where it is practiced. Though the style of the book is also appealing, I think one obstacle this book faces as far as relativity in my area is that there are virtually no African American people living here.  Up until this year our school usually gets about one African American student every 2 years, and the student count at the high school is over 1,600 students.  The dog fighting scenario is relate-able though. Instead of dogs, young and old people here train and fight roosters instead.  This could be easily turned into a comparative essay focusing on the similarity between Esche’s family and the students. Lastly the book is very relate-able because it is centered around the events that took place during Hurricane Katrina.

Aside from Salvage the bones, Ward has also written Where the Lines Bleed, and Men we Reaped. Also, she received a National Book Award and an ALEX award for Salvage the Bones.

Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. Nancy Paulsen Books.

                In her autobiographical memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, author Jacqueline Woodson gives us a glimpse at what the South and New York were like at the culmination of the Civil Rights movement through the eyes of a young African American girl. Jackie’s first recollection of a home was in Ohio, but she was aware her parents were from Greenville, South Carolina, and from occasions they would go down south to visit. At some point, Jackie’s parents separate and she stays in South Carolina with her mother and her parents. From the get go, Jackie notices the difference between her life in the north and how people behave in the South. She listened to her grandparents while in the South and learned a lot about the inequalities suffered there. After a while, Jackie’s mother moves away to New York, and after a while comes back for Jackie and her other siblings. In New York, Jackie meets new friends and these allow her to create another perspective of the differences between social classes. It is there as well, that she decides she wants to be a writer.

                I believe this book has strong points in its credibility, and also its style and the carefulness with which it discusses sensitive issues such as religious rights and there social repercussions.  The credibility factor is easily discerned as this is the author’s own memoir. The mention of real life places and characters seems to give it a high level of reality as well.  Woodson goes as far as discussing the hair trends of the time. The style in which it is written is also critical in allowing for small reads during class periods.  Short chapters make it easier to be used in grammatical assignments as well. Lastly, I feel the other handled the topic of her beliefs and her family’s religion very carefully. It seems she went to extremes not to put her religion down, while questioning it as well.

                Among Jacqueline Woodson’s other young adult titles are Beneath a Meth Moon, Hush, Behind You, If You Come Softly, Miracle’s Boys, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This, Lena, and The House You Pass on the way. She has also written middle grade books as well as illustrated picture books as well.

Zusak, M., & Corduner, A. (2006). The book thief. New York: Random House/Listening Library ;.

In his book, The Book Thief, author Markus Zusak uses Death as his narrator to tell the story of a young girl’s perils in Germany during the Nazi era. The book starts off with Death describing his interest in colors and how they relate to his “work.” As he is recalled to pick up a soul, he sees Leisel, the young German girl, and he is instantly taken a peculiar interest in her. So much so, that he recalls the three times he comes across her. As the book progresses, Death lets the reader see what is going on in Leisel’s life as well as other people such as her stepfather. Death also makes it a point to show Leisel’s interest in books and reading, and how she doesn’t mind stealing if it’s in the name of reading a good book. Throughout the book, Death shows the reader the power of written words, as well as human’s violent nature and the true events that were unraveling during the Second World War in Germany.

This book is very interesting and well thought out, but I think it has limited usefulness in the classroom. Its vocabulary is appropriately dated to fit the time and setting of the book, and though this is a nice touch, I think it is best reserved for advanced readers. The style in which it is written is also a bit confusing. Instead of chapters, it is divided into ten parts and broken into small subsections between these parts. This, to me, made it hard to find ways to break this book up if I was using it in conjunction with a lesson. Another thing to note is that the book’s 500 plus pages don’t make for a quick read at all. The book is great in depicting Nazi Germany, and more importantly, the common folk of the Nazi regime.

Markus Zusak has also written Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting the Girl, and I Am the Messenger. He received a Michael L. Printz award for the latter book. The Book Thief still remains to Zusak’s most successful work to date.