A Hip Collection of Young Adult Materials: fiction

Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher [book]

Publisher: Razorbill; Reprint edition, 2011
Language: English
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 159514188X

Plot Summary:
This story is an unveiling of the the thirteen reasons why Hannah killed herself in a series of tapes meant for the thirteen people involved to listen to. Clay is the main character in the novel and his thoughts are interposed into the story of Hannah and why she felt so depressed and ridiculed in school that she committed suicide. There is another set of tapes that someone holds in the story that will be leaked if all of the thirteen people in the story do not listen to the tapes that Hannah left. The majority of the reasons have to deal with rumors, lies, and inappropriate sexual advances leading up until the last one that lead to a cry for help to a counselor that did not believe that she would commit suicide. Clay actually turned out not to have done anything to Hannah but be nice and be wary of her because of all of the rumors at school. In the book Clay also happens to run into his old crush that seems withdrawn and very quiet and in the end, after hearing about the things that caused Hannah to kill herself he reaches out to her to make sure that nothing happens like that again.

Critical Evaluation:
I liked the idea that Hannah wanted the people that made her feel this way to literally walk in her shoes and follow her footsteps hearing her story. I think that it held goo themes for people that are in high school and lets them know that they have an affect on the people around them and that rumors hurt. I think that there is a good message to listen to people when they are asking for help and to make sure that you are noticing the people that are around you and reaching out to them. It is a hard hitting narrative on the way that people can be negatively affected and how not taking action can sometimes be just as bad when you see someone is struggling.

Reader's Annotation:
Hannah Baker committed suicide and Clay Jensen along with 12 other people are the reason; now all of the people that caused her death must listen to tapes detailing the reasons why they were contributors.

Websites to look Into:
http://www.13rwproject.com/#/reviews/194
http://www.thirteenreasonswhy.com/
http://jayasher.blogspot.com/

The Author:
Asher went to high school in San Luis Obispo and left Cal Poly in his senior year to take up writing seriously; he has only written 2 novels.
Awards:
#1 New York Times bestseller in the US, 2011
Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers, 2011
International Reading Association, Young Adults' Choice list, 2009
YALSA, Best Books for Young Adults, 2008
YALSA, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2008
California Book Award winner, Young Adult, 2008

Similar Books:
"Hate List" by Jennifer Brown
"Willow" by Julia Hoban

Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing teen suicide and suicide prevention

Genre:
Mystery, Fiction

Interest Age:
16+

Challenge Issues:
Suicide
This book deals with a young adult committing suicide and it is very real and sad. I would combat this with the fact that it details the reason that the girl did it and shows the path of life that she walked in that lead her to do something so extreme. I think it brings light to a situation and also makes people more aware of it to read about it happening

Why this Book?
I chose this book a mystery and a book about teen suicide and the affect that young adults can have on each other.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick [book]

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011

Hardcover, US Edition, 304 pages

ISBN: 0316094609

Plot Summary:
In this book London is a sixteen year old girl that has a problem with her memory; she can't remember the past, she can only remember glimpses into the future. It seems that every night her brain is wiped clean and she is left with notes left to her from herself the day before. This is the only way that she can remember any of her past life. When London meets Luke she falls for him but is confused about why she does not see him in her future. She develops a romance with him, but her memory problem is not discussed until the end when she realizes that her younger brother was abducted when they were young and she experienced head trauma in the process. It turns out that he was sold and not dead like her parents originally thought (they divorced and her dad left because of the incident) and she finds out that he is still alive and sees him in a vision of the future. She also reconnects with her father in the end and slowly starts to regain her memory.
Critical Evaluation:
I thought that the book had an interesting plot that was intriguing and a good mystery in the book. I found it to be weird however that no one else in London's life seems to be aware that she has a memory disorder, and that she is so comfortable with reminding herself everyday of the past events in her life. Her relationship with Luke is sweet, but there is a lot of talk about how handsome he is all throughout the novel. I felt that the mystery was good in that you were wondering what was going on with her memory in the novel, but it did not really explain why she saw glimpses of the future in its fullest. I thought that it was very suspenseful and page turning and that young adult audiences could appreciate it.

Reader's Annotation:
London only remembers things from her future, and every night her memory is wiped clean as she sleeps making it very difficult to remember the new cute guy at school and understand her recurring dream that is starting to haunt her.

Websites to look Into:
http://www.catpatrick.com

Awards:
Summer 2011 Indie Next List

Similar Books:
"Revived" by Cat Patrick
"Entangled" by Cat Clarke

Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing the importance of real, honest relationships

Genre:
Fiction, Mystery

Interest Age:
13+

Challenge Issues:
I could not see any real challenge issues in this novel, I thought that the story moved smoothly and besides it being a psychological mystery nothing stuck out as being overly problematic.

Why this Book?
I thought that this would be a really good addition to the collection as a mystery book. It is captivating and it kept me guessing the entire time, I think that any teen would enjoy it.

Jump by Elisa Carbone [book]

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Speak; Reprint edition, 2010
Language: English
ISBN: 0142419133

Plot Summary:
P.K.'s parents don't understand her, and she is not doing well in school or in their eyes; so they decide to send her to boarding school, but P.K. is not on board with this idea. Critter's parents also don't understand him and the different way that he views life; he escapes a mental ward and is in the right place at the right time when P.K. decides to make a plan and leave. They meet at the rock climbing gym and as virtual strangers decide to pool their money and leave in the middle of the night on an adventure that will lead them west to Yosemite on a rock climbing adventure. The hitchhike and takes buses to each stop and rock climb sometimes dangerous surfaces all the while forming an attraction. They meet interesting characters, face life threatening climbs and are on the run from the cops because of their break away trip. P.K. is very strong minded and willed and thinks that she knows better for herself in life; she wants adventure and she is in love with rock climbing. Critter is an interesting character in that he says he can see people's auras and is very in touch with living a free life to its fullest. The novel it is fast paced with adventure and romance as they run from the cops and fall for each other's similar viewpoints on climbing and living a fun life.

Critical Evaluation:
I think that this book was an easy read, and I enjoyed all of the rock climbing lingo that was interspersed all throughout the novel. I have rock climbed so I am aware of the feelings that they have about it, but I wonder if people from an outside perspective will be able to grasp the sport as much through this novel. It is a good parallel story of both P.K. and Critter escaping from their societies to run away and do something that they love. I thought that the plot line of runaway romance was fairly typical for a young adult novel but liked that it was punctuated with philosophy, rock climbing, and adventure.

Reader's Annotation:
When P.K. finds out that she is going to be sent to boarding school she decides to run away to Yosemite to climb, and she brings a guy from the climbing gym with her thinking the idea is great until the past catches up with them.

Websites to look Into:
www.elisacarbone.com/

The Author:
Carbone actually reenacts some of the plots in the books that she writes, she researches the area, and completes interviews with the surrounding people when writing her books.

Awards:
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
Cybils Award nominee 2010
Maryland Black Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee 2011-2012
Keystone State Reading Association Young Adult Book Award Nominee 2011
Georgia Peach Book Award 2012-2013
Richie's Picks Best of 2010
Starred review Publisher's Weekly

Similar Books:
"The Half-Life of Planets" by Emily Franklin
"Somebody Everybody Listens To" by Suzanne Supplee
Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing running away from home
Actually going climbing while discussing the book to understand it more

Genre:
Adventure, Fiction

Interest Age:
13+

Challenge Issues:
Running away from home
I think that this could very well be a challenge because many teens do run away from home and it is important to talk about it and make it known that it is not as glamorous as it may seem, and that it may not be the solution.

Why this Book?
This book is a fun action book, and I chose it because I love rock climbing and I thought that it was a book that would appeal to people that think running away from home will take away your problems- because it won't.

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher [book]

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1 edition, 2009
Language: English
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN: 0385736649

Plot Summary:
Sage is a transgendered teen girl to parents that are ashamed of her and keep her home schooled until they legally cannot anymore and she goes to public school. She is quick witted, nice, and looks and acts like a girl Logan is a straight male senior at this Missouri high school and he falls for this slightly off new girl without knowing that she was a biological male. The story is told from Logan's perspective and is about him learning to cope with his feelings about Sage and about Sage as a person. When they do kiss, Sage tells Logan that she is transgendered and he rejects her with disgust in his mind. He battles with his desire for her, the fact that she's transgendered, and with what the world views it as. He continues the relationship on and off with her, breaking up and making up and even having a short physical relationship. After it ends Sage goes on a date with another boy and when he finds out her secret he beats her within an inch of her life. She goes to the hospital and it brings up past feelings of her suicides and the idea that she doesn't fit in in their society. The novel ends with them somewhat amicably when they both go off to college and Sage writes Logan a note forgiving him of the experience.

Critical Evaluation:
I thought that this book was very well crafted because it really made you feel for all of the characters involved in it. You root for them to be the people that you want them to be and that they want to be themselves. A major criticism that I do have for this book is that it was narrated from Logan's perspective and not from Sage's. It is a story about a transgender teen girl, but written from a perspective of a (at first narrow minded) straight male. I can imagine it being hard for transgendered people to read the portions about hate towards transgendered people and how others may view them. The story is not very upbeat either, but instead it is sad and heart wrenching when you just want one of the main characters to be accepted for who she is.

Reader's Annotation:
Logan is a high school senior in Missouri when a new girl comes to school; he is attracted to her and comes to find out that she was actually born a male and is becoming a female.

Websites to look Into:
http://briankatcher.com/site/

The Author:
Katcher has worked many odd jobs, lived on an Israeli military base, and is a school librarian.

Awards:

American Library Association as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2010.

A Capitol Choice Noteworthy Book for 2010

A Lambda Award nominee, 2010

A 2011 TAYSHASH (Texas) Reading List Book

Similar Books:
"Boy meets Boy" by David Levithan
"I am J" by Chris Beam
"Parrotfish" by Ellen Wittlinger

Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing gender identity in society and how it is perceived

Genre:
Gender Identity, Fiction

Interest Age:
16+

Challenge Issues:
Gender Identity
This book can be a challenge because it deals with a transsexual girl and a typical 18 year old boy and the attraction between them. To combat this I would say that it is important to talk about people and the many challenges that they have in life. There are many people that might be going through similar situations and for them this book would be helpful and comforting.

Why this Book?
I chose this book because it brings up a good subject and also lends another viewpoint to life other than what the majority of people know. I think having a subject that deals with gender identity in this format is essential when reaching out to young adults.

The The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh [audio book]

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh [audio book]

Random House Audio; New York, 2011
ISBN: 978037878939
Unabridged
9 sound discs (ca. 660 min.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.
Compact discs, duration: 11:00:00
Read by: Tara Sands

Plot Summary:
Victoria has just turned 18 and is now being turned out of a girl's home in San Francisco. She is rebellious and a loner that has not had good past relationships with people that she has encountered in life. She is reclusive and spends all of her time with flowers and with the language of flowers that was taught to her by a past guardian (the only woman that she was close to). The storyline switches back and forth between her life and the streets, eating off strangers plates and sleeping the wilderness, to her life with the guardian that she became close to. In her past she lived with Elizabeth whom she was difficult with at first and did everything she could to be kicked out, but with whom she finally bonds with and loves in her own way. Elizabeth lives on a farm and attends farmer's markets and lives her life for the plants that she grows; she instills a love for flowers and the meaning (or language) that every flower holds. But Victoria is a misguided young girl that, in the end, feels she will be left behind and on accident sets a fire that consumes almost all of Elizabeth's plants. After many missed connections and hurt feelings Victoria is taken away from Elizabeth and placed in the girl's home that she stays at until she is emancipated at 18.
In the current day story Victoria is hard from all of her disappointments in life and lives off of the street barely making it until she gets a job at a flower shop where she can use her talent and her love of flowers to make people happy and make business boom. She attends a flower market where she meets a boy that can communicate with her through the language because she knew him from her former life with Elizabeth. They end up having a tenuous relationship and eventually she gets pregnant and leaves him attempting to raise the baby alone. She is unsuccessful and leaves the baby with him, while she starts her own flower business and gets her life together. When she meets him again, he has left the child with Elizabeth, they all reconcile and work on trying to be the family that they always should have been.

Critical Evaluation:
Tara Sands did an excellent job reading this book. Her voice was hard at times when it needed to be for the character of Victoria and it was precise and knowing when she studied her language of flowers. The parallel stories in the book between Victoria's past and present life were wonderful to illustrate how she becomes the person that she is. Her character development and the past experiences enable the reader to understand how a young girl would prefer to be alone on the streets rather than doing something else with her life. The story is accented well with the language of flowers being how Victoria copes with talking to people and understanding the world around her. It shows that she had a connection with something that could not hurt her and in the end her dedication to it saves her. The book reads at a good pace and the Victorian language mixed with present day San Francisco give the novel a nostalgic tone.

Reader's Annotation:
When Victoria turned 18 she was put out of a girl's home and ended up on the streets of San Francisco; this book chronicles her love of flowers and how she got the life that she leads and where it will lead her if she wants it to.

Websites to look Into:
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/vanessa_diffenbaugh/
https://camellianetwork.org/

http://www.facebook.com/vanessadiffenbaugh

The Author:
Vanessa Diffenbaugh is also the founder of the Camellia Network, and the mission of the Camellia Network is to create a nationwide movement to support youth transitioning from foster care.
Awards:
New York Times Bestseller
Alex Awards nominations, 2011 & 2012

Similar Books:
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
"Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed

Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing homelessness
Showing the actual book that describes the language of flowers that is used in the book.

Genre:
Adult Crossovers, Culture, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Interest Age:
16+

Challenge Issues:
Homelessness
The main challenge of this book is that the main character is homeless and feels no need not to be for the most part. She faces situations that are dangerous to herself and also for a child. To combat this I would say that she makes her life better and attempts to improve herself over time, and in the end she succeeds. But it is also important to understand people that are homeless and that is present through her story that she tells.

Why this Audio Book?
I listened to this audio book on a road trip and I found the reader to be wonderful and the book so engaging and touching. It deals with homelessness and the pressures of family and society when you are on your own in the world. I think that it is a good book for young adults to read (or listen to) in order to get a different perspective on life.

Divergent by Veronica Roth [book]

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 2011
Language: English
Paperback: 576 pages
ISBN-10: 0062024035

Plot Summary:
In a world where everyone is split into categories of people there are five factions that a person can belong to: Candor, Erudite, Amity, Dauntless, and Abnegation. Beatrice has grown up with her family in Abnegation, which is the faction of the selfless. They are not able to think of themselves more than others, they cannot look into mirrors, they all must look and dress alike- they are selfless. During the ceremony that everyone must participate when they come of age, the young adults must go through a series of tests that tells them what faction they will be best suited for. They do not have to choose the faction that they test the highest at, but they may face challenges in being accepted into the faction if they do not have an affinity for it. When Beatrice goes through her tests, she finds that she is able to manipulate them and is marked as Divergent (having an aptitude for many factions), however it is very dangerous to be labelled Divergent and her tester hides her results to protect her. Beatrice ends up choosing Dauntless (the brave, and action leaders of the factions) and her brother shocks everyone by choosing to be a part of Erudite (the intelligence).
The story follows Beatrice chose to change her name to Tris and become part of the Dauntless, get a tattoo, and be one of the people that actually makes it into the Dauntless faction (they must pass initiation to get into the faction or they are cast away to become faction less). Tris meets a boy leader named Four with whom she starts a relationship and eventually, through many experiences, finds out that he too is Divergent. There are a lot of twists and turns in initiation with the leaders of the Dauntless and the initiates but after Tris is part of Dauntless a war is beginning between the factions and in the end all of Dauntless is given a serum by select members of Dauntless and the Erudite leadership that makes them unknowingly become soldiers sent to kill. Because Tris and Four are Divergent they are not put into a trance and they team up with Tris' family to make the trance simulation stop. In the process Tris' parents are killed and Tris must face her enemies and Four in a brutal attack to save the factions and the people that she loves.

Critical Evaluation:
This book was well written and well crafted. I felt that it was an original story with characters that you felt for and wanted to succeed. The only problem that I had with this book was with keeping the factions separated and remembering all of their intricacies- I think that it might have been better to have more in depth story lines with the different factions, or characters that were more involved with the story from their faction. The faction less characters are also intriguing but I felt that it might be better if there was a map included with the book to show where all of the boundaries and factions lie. The themes of belonging and being who you are I felt were very well done and it made the audience want to understand the characters more, and see them all come together.

Reader's Annotation:
In a world split into five factions, everyone must choose their destiny. But when it is Beatrice's turn to choose, she runs into complications that may change the person that she is forever.

Websites to look Into:
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/

The Author:
Roth has said that the third book in the series will be out in Fall of 2013.

Awards:
Publisher's Weekly, Best Book of 2011
Amazon.com, Best Book of 2011
Goodreads, Best Book of 2011, Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

Similar Books:
"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Booktalking Ideas:
Comparisons to dystopian literature novels
A look into segregation and the idea of warfare

Genre:
Fiction, Action

Interest Age:
13+

Challenge Issues:
Violence
This book contains a large amount of war and death. I would say that it can be a challenge issue because it can be hard to read about the violence and corruption in the novel, but I would combat it with the fact that it is a fantasy novel about defying corruption and attempting to make things right in the world.

Why this Book?
This book is very engaging and popular. I think that it is fun and action packed- it is an entertaining read that looks into societies that are segregated by types of people.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett [book]

Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 2009
Language: English
Hardcover: 464 pages
ISBN: 0399155341

Plot Summary:
Aibileen is an African American maid living in a small town in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960's, she has spent her entire life as a maid caring for the children of others. In the story Aibileen is looking after Mae Mobley who is the center of her life and daughter of a woman that wants to fit into the culture of her friends and does anything to fit in. Mae Mobley is ignored, and the only woman that cares for her is her maid, who later in the novel, cannot even use the restroom in the house. Skeeter is a young white woman fresh out of college wanting to make something of herself in life and living back with at her family's house. Skeeter is awkward, tall, and kind; she grew up with a maid that took care of her just as Mae Mobley. She is friends (by childhood default) with the mother of Mae Mobley and another young woman named Hilly who is the leader of the social circles in the town. Skeeter begins to see a pattern of how the maids are treated and starts to approach them in private about transcribing their stories. She first begins with Aibileen, who is extremely reluctant because she wants to keep her job, but she eventually agrees and through her Skeeter is able to get to the other maids and beg them to speak out. Minny is the third main character of the story. Minny is another maid that is loud, proud, a great cook and abused by her husband. She was Hilly's maid but was fired, and she did something so despicable to Hilly that she is not able to find work in town; not until a woman who is desperate to fit into the town hires her.
The stories that the women tell are heartbreaking and real and they make it known that they have been treated like they were nothing as maids. One of them asks for a small raise in order to put her children through school and is denied, and in a moment of self defeat steals and irreverent article from the household, and when she is caught she is arrested. All of the stories are of injustice and when Skeeter finishes the novel it is published and becomes wildly famous. All of the maids are terrified that the families they work for will realize it is their town, but when Hilly reads Minny's story she knows it is their town but convinces everyone it is not because of the embarrassment of what Minny did to her.

Critical Evaluation:
There was much said about the fact that this woman wrote about the injustice of the maids, but she was a white woman. I thought that this novel was very well written and it presented a good picture of how it must have been in that time era for the maids that lived in the south. The story did well in switching between all of the characters and I thought that the similarities between Skeeter and Mae Mobley were touching and so heart wrenching that the only women that they felt were their mothers were not treated like they should be allowed in the house. The dialog was well written, it moved at a good pace and the theme of treating people equally and understanding human plight was very present.

Reader's Annotation:
Skeeter is young woman living in Mississippi that decides to write the stories of the maids in the households of the town she lives in and how they are treated; when it is published the town is put under a microscope.

Websites to look Into:
http://kathrynstockett.com/

The Author:
This book was Stockett's first book and it took her 5 years to write it, and she grew up in Jackson, Mississippi.

Awards:
New York Times bestseller: 2009, 2011
Orange Prize: 2010
Indie's Choice Book Award: 2010
Townsend Prize for Fiction: 2010
Exclusive Books Boeke Prize: 2009
SIBA Book Award: 2010
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award: 2011

Similar Books:
"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
"The Kitchen House" by Kathleen Grissom

Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing the movie and the book
Talking about racial ethics and treatment/ behavior of other people

Genre:
Adult Crossover, Fiction, Multicultural

Interest Age:
16+

Challenge Issues:
Racism
I think that the main challenge of this book is the racism and not treating people ethically but the book faces it head on shows the injustice of doing this to people. It shocks people, but it does so in order to show the lesson of the book- that people should be equal and treated as human beings.

Why this Book?
I think that this is a good book that discusses racial issues and social behavior in the 60's but that it is still relevant today- it speaks of treating everyone equal and understanding how other people are treated.

3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares [book]

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009
Hardcover: 336 pages
Language: English
ISBN: 0385736762

Plot Summary:
3 girls are friends in a town that famous for another sisterhood. The girls are heading into high school and about to head off to their own journeys over the summer (they tried to have a bonding article of clothing as well) but with adventures that none of them quite expected. Ama is smart and determined in school, but in an odd chance of fate attends a scholarship program that takes her out of her academic comfort zone and instead has her hiking and learning life in the outdoors along with learning about the teens and life. She is originally from Ghana, following in her sister's footsteps, is a perfectionist and is very used to be good at what she does, so the summer proves to be very hard on her self esteem and in learning that she cannot be good at everything. Jo spends her summer on the beach working and trying to make new friends. She is not as concerned with her old friends in the light of flirting with an older boy and hanging out with cool older girls. Jo has other concerning problems with her parent's divorce and her brother's death, but places her time and effort into keeping the attentions of the older guy that she is into, which only leads to the loss of her job and the realization of what she did have. Polly feels that she is being left by her friends, and and decides that she wants to become something better- a model. She wants to fit in and be noticed, but she is doing it in the wrong ways in trying to change the way that she looks. She deals with an estranged father, and a mother that is not involved and has many problems of her own all while taking modelling coaching and classes. The reason that the book is called 3 willows is because when the girls were young they planted willow pieces of artwork in the woods, leaving a metaphor for growing but staying grounded in the same place and learning about the people that are there for you.

Critical Evaluation:
There are many comparisons between this book and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" because they were written by the same author, set in the same town, and their are glimpses of some of the characters from the book. I felt that this book was good, but that it was flat when compared with the travelling pants series because the girl's characters and friendship were not as developed or intertwined. If one goes into the book with expectations of more of the sisterhood type books they will be placated, but not if they go into it comparing it to the travelling pants because it is not as well maintained or entertaining. This book does bring up the issue of people leaving behind friendships that they thought might be strong, but it brings them back together in the end which makes for a happier ending.

Reader's Annotation:
A sisterhood of 3 girls in high school is formed before they part ways over the summer, dealing with all of life's tribulations will either bring them closer together or tear them apart.

Websites to look Into:
http://annbrashares.com/

The Author:
Brashares said that the topic for the book (The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants) started with a conversation that she had with her friend in which the friend told her of a summer that her and her friends shared a pair of pants that were eventually lost. She liked the idea that there was something solid (like the pants) in the midst of change.

Similar Books:
"Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares
"My Name is Memory" by Ann Brashares

Booktalking Ideas:
Comparing this sisterhood book with that of the "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants"
Discussing female friendships and bonding

Genre:
Chic Lit, Drama, Fiction

Interest Age:
14+

Challenge Issues:
I could find no really large challenge issues of this book because it deals with girls problems, but none that are overly dramatic. Looking to give up your past to be cool is an issue but I do not think that it could be explained as a challenge issue for someone that is reading it.

Why this Book?
I wanted to add another title by Ann and I thought that this would be a good book that is another continuation to the Travelling Pants novels but that was different and could give another story line for a chic lit book genre.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares [book]

Publisher: Ember, 2003
Language: English
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 0385730586

Plot Summary:
Four girls have spent their entire lives together; ever since their mothers met when they were all pregnant at the same time. They are all different: Lena is quiet, artistic and beautiful; Bridget is outgoing, athletic, and mildly tormented by the death of her mother; Tibby is a quirky, cynical filmmaker; and Carmen is a Latin, down to earth girl who is very close with her single mother. Before their junior year of high school the 4 girls mysteriously find a magic pair of pants that perfectly fit all of their different body types and they see it as a sign that the pants found them and they were meant for them. They use the pants as a catalyst to remain close as they are going to spend their first summer ever apart.
Bridget is not close with her father or brother, and over summer she decides to go to a soccer camp in Mexico. While their she spends time having fun, running and meeting her a counselor that she pursues actively. Bridget is beautiful and very reckless and she eventually loses her virginity to the counselor, which affects her more than she would have thought. Her summer ends with the counselor telling him that it could have been different and Lena coming to her side for support. Lena is painfully shy and reserved and spends the summer in Greece with her grandparents site seeing and doing her art. She meets a Greek boy and falls in love for the first time, finding heartbreak when she must leave him. Tibby works over the summer, while playing video games with her neighbor and being followed around by an annoying twelve year old girl that adores her. Tibby films the summer, and eventually finds out that the young girl that has been her friend is very ill and she dies affecting Tibby as she has never been affected before. She ends up making the film for and about Baily effectively sharing her beautiful, short time with her. Carmen has a hard time over the summer visiting a father that she is not close with. When she goes to visit she even sees that he is engaged with the woman's two other children living with them. Carmen bonds with her soon to be step brother but faces conflicting emotions about not being a part of a family that she feels that she should be. After battling her inner turmoil and storming home Carmen takes advice from her loving mother and attends her father's wedding. During all of their stories the girls mail the traveling pants to one another righting messages and drawing pictures of their lives apart on the pant that kept them together.

Critical Evaluation:
I think that this book is very well written; in each girl's perspective you are able to empathize with them and see how close their friendships are. They go through experiences that many girls in high school go through and they express them honestly and clearly along with their consequences. The themes of abandonment, friendship, and growing up are all very relevant and clear to young adult readers. The characters were well formed, the multiple story lines fit well together and I felt that even the characters were very diverse. I think that the storyline could have extended longer, I did feel that it was cut a little short, but there are three more novels to follow, so I felt that that made the difference.

Reader's Annotation:
4 best friends find a pair of magical pants that mysteriously fit them all. They have never lived their lives apart and they find them right before the spend their first summer apart; they use the pants to stay close throughout their lives even though they are apart.

Websites to look Into:
http://annbrashares.com/

The Author:
Brashares said that the topic for the book started with a conversation that she had with her friend in which the friend told her of a summer that her and her friends shared a pair of pants that were eventually lost. She liked the idea that there was something solid (like the pants) in the midst of change.

Awards:

ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Awards

ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Book Sense Book of the Year

Evergreen Young Adult Book Award

Garden State Teen Book Award

Volunteer State Book Award
Young Hoosier Book Award
Young Reader's Choice Award

Similar Books:
"The Second Summer of the Sisterhood" by Ann Brashares
"Girls in Pants" by Ann Brashares
"Forever in Blue" by Ann Brashares

Booktalking Ideas:
Showing scenes from the movie in comparison with the book
Discussing female friendship and life lessons

Genre:
Chic Lit, Fiction, Drama

Interest Age:
14+

Challenge Issues:
Sexuality
I think that Bridget's storyline is the most challenging because she loses her virginity as a junior in high school to a counselor that she is not supposed to be fraternizing with. To combat it I would say that she learns a harsh lesson in the book because it is not as carefree and fun as she expects it be when she gets into it. It also shows how having close friends by your side can help you in situations that you feel you cannot handle alone.

Why this Book?
This is a great book about lasting friendships and female fellowship. I fell in love with all of the characters and could not put these books down. I definitely think that they can be considered chic lit because it is all about girls and their lives apart from one another.

You Don't Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem [book]

New York : Doubleday, c2007
223 p. ; 22 cm
ISBN: 038551218X

Plot Summary:
Lucinda is in her early twenties, living in L.A. and the bassist in an ultra cool band that hasn't been discovered... yet. Practicing and being in the band is what is most important to the members and work does not seem to appeal to Lucinda. When she feels the need to get a job Lucinda goes to a friend that works in an art gallery, Falmouth is his name, and he gives her a job answering calls in his newest artistic endeavor: the complaint line. All day Lucinda answers the phone and listens to complaints, while jotting down the summary and imagining who is on the other line until a particularly interesting complainer catches her attention. His name is Carl and he is an older, sloppy man that intrigues her enough that she starts a relationship with him that consumes her even takes her slightly away from her band. During the novel the lead singer of the band, Matthew (and Lucinda's ex) steals a kangaroo from the zoo that he works at and keeps it in his house until he is caught by Lucinda and then deems it time to take it back.
Towards the end of the book the band plays at an ultra selective hip party that Falmouth puts on and is met with adoring praise and offers of record deals to which the band becomes confused and disheartened. In a strange twist of events the manager of the zoo inadvertently becomes that manager of the band and her and Carl start a relationship which leaves Lucinda broken hearted and alone. At the end of the novel Lucinda tells the guitarist of the band, Bedwin, that she likes him out of loneliness and confusion and this causes a rift in the band and ultimately leads to their destruction. In the end Lucinda and Matthew are semi in a relationship and Falmouth is one of her closest allies.

Critical Evaluation:
As I read this book I felt that the language that was used the characters blase attitudes were too hip for a normal reader. However, at the end of the book I thought the characters so unique, the plot so interesting, and the ending so open that I could not stop thinking about it. It delved into questions about why people fall for one another, the confusing emotions that people have as they get older in relationships, and the interesting world of performance art and living an artistic lifestyle in L.A. The characters' names are all so far- fetched and plot outlandish that one could only read it for entertainment and see the story ended. I thought it was a fun read, but not too heavy.

Reader's Annotation:
Lucinda is the epitome of cool, playing in a band and living in L.A. but she needs a job so she starts to work for a complaint line and falls into an odd relationship with one the complainers on the line.

Websites to look Into:
http://jonathanlethem.com/

The Author
Apparently the New York Times thinks that Lethem is "something of a hipster celebrity," due to all of his books and their scene and genre blending.

Similar Books:
"Weetzie Bat" by Francesca Lia Block
"Girl in Landscape: a Novel" by Jonathan Lethem
"As She Climbed Across the Table: a Novel" by Jonathan Lethem

Booktalking Ideas:
Comparing the book to other "hip" novels about music and friends
Using the names of the characters for a display or art piece because they are so unique

Genre:
Adult Crossover/ Fiction

Interest Age:
16+

Challenge Issues:
Sexuality & Language
Lucinda does engage in sexual intercourse in this book with a much older man, but it is in relation to her feelings for him and it is an obscure side story of the novel. I would combat this with the fact that I think it could appeal to older teens and it talks about sex in a frank manner in which young adults might be interested in to know about. The language is that of young adults living in L.A. in a hip scene, it is frequent enough to cause a stir but it is not profane.

Why this Book?
I read this book without a thought of what kind of book it was, and when I was through with it I thought that I could understand appeal that it would have to a young adult audience. It was cool and hip and I thought that older teens would enjoy knowing that they could take an interest in it.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher [book]

New York : Chicken House, 2010
299 p. ; 22 cm
ISBN: 9780545170932

Plot Summary:
While going on a vacation to Bangkok sixteen year old Gemma is drugged and abducted- to be taken to Australia by her captor Ty. He is twenty five years old and has been stalking Gemma for a long time looking for the right time to take her away and live in the outback with her. She is taken out of her element (she is from the UK) and put into a land that she does not know with a man that wants to tame her and keep her with him forever. The one friend that Gemma does make is a female camel that Ty takes, tames and then escapes- much like the Gemma's storyline.
During her captivity Gemma learns that Ty has had a difficult life, he never abuses her sexually, and she sees Ty's love for the land that they are living in and his obsession with her. One night in particular, she convinces herself that Ty is not all that crazy and that she might be falling in love with him. She is confused, but after being bit by a snake Ty rushes her back to civilization to save her life, and upon their return Ty is arrested and Gemma saved. The emotions about her kidnap, feelings for Ty, and her overall despair of the situation come through in her narrative; her letter to her captor is the book in a nutshell.

Critical Evaluation:
I had mixed feelings about this book because in my point of view Gemma's letter is detached. The book was slow moving, and at times hard to decipher- I did not feel a connection to the main character or sometimes understand the motivations behind their actions. I enjoyed that it was written in the form of a letter to her captor, but it is interesting if anyone has read a non- fiction book about this subject, like Elizabeth Smart's book. Gemma is articulate in the book and the reader does feel her confusion and unknowing attraction to the main character, but the story is such a common fear in our society that I could not get past the idea that she had been taken from her life, and the worse things that do indeed happen to these victims in everyday life.

Reader's Annotation:
Sixteen year old Gemma is stolen from her life and her family while on vacation and taken to a desolate land by Ty. At first she is miserable and alone, but over time she starts to develop a connection to her captor, but she has trouble deciphering her true feelings.

Websites to Look Into:
http://www.lucychristopher.com/stolen

Similar Books:
"Flyaway" by Lucy Christopher

Awards:
Barnford Boase Award
Printz Honor Award
Southern Schools Book Award
Gold Inky
Hull Children's Book Award
Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing Stolkholm Syndrome
Discussing romance novels in comparison

Genre:
Adventure, Fiction

Interest Age:
14+

Challenge Issues:
Kidnapping
The main challenge in this book comes from the main character being abducted and her establishing a connection with him. I would combat this with the idea of Stockholm Syndrome and that it is not an unfamiliar topic and should be discussed with young woman, especially a discussion that enables woman to know how to protect themselves from being abducted.

Why this Book?
This book won many awards and really struck me as an interesting, twisted love story. I think that it is an important read to discuss kidnapping and not talking to strangers- as well as monitoring your drinks when you are in foreign areas.

Push by Sapphire [book]

New York : Vintage Contemporaries/Vintage Books, 1997, c1996
139, [38] p. ; 21 cm
ISBN: 9780679766759

Plot Summary:
Claireece Jones (also known as Precious) walks through life going unnoticed. She is overweight, quiet, abused by her mother and father, alone, poor, uneducated, and still a very young soul. Precious writes about her struggles in school, her rape by her father, and the physical, and mental abuse from her mother in entries to speak out about her life and the injustices in it. Precious already has one child from her father when the reader is introduced to her and she is failing at school and struggling to make ends meet. When it becomes known that she is pregnant, she is taken out of school and meets a counselor named Blu Rain that introduces her to writing and expressing herself through art. Precious details the constant battle between her and her mother over jealousy of her father's affection, and the turmoil of having no support and in living in fear of a father that hurts her, in which she is defenseless.
Towards the end of the book Precious gives birth to her second child by her father and also learns that she is HIV positive. She struggles to keep both of her children, get away from her mother, and begins to speak about her life to others that need to hear her story. Precious shows determination and will power in the fight to better her life and tell the world about her life.

Critical Evaluation:
The book can be difficult to read both because of the dialect that Precious uses and because of the shocking rape scenes from her father and abuse scenes from her mother. The tone of the book is so innocent of the harms that this sixteen year old girl has experienced, but so adult in the fact that she speaks of them so honestly. It is a short book written from the perspective of Precious and it does not hold back in the description of her life and its misery to date. I like the idea that she is writing the book to tell her life story and it is written as if someone who lived in a bad neighborhood with a bad education was learning to write, but it made it difficult to understand at times. I could look at it as poetic in that respect, but I think that some people would put the book down when they saw the dialect that it is written in.

Reader's Annotation:
Claireece "Precious" is an abused, overweight sixteen year old girl that is pregnant with her second child from her father when a counselor takes special interest and teaches her how to speak up for herself.

Websites to look Into:
http://aalbc.com/authors/sapphire.htm
http://www.weareallprecious.com/

The Author:
Sapphire's real name is Ramona Lofton, and she only wrote the first 100 pages of Push before agencies auctioned for the rights to publish her and finish the book.

Similar Books:
"The Kid" by Sapphire

Booktalking Ideas:
Showing parts of the movie
Discussing the book in terms of family abuse and artistic outlets

Genre:
Multicultural/ Fiction/ Adult Crossovers

Interest Age:
17 +

Challenge Issues:
Sexuality & Incest
This book can be graphic, deals with incest and eventually AIDS. I think that to combat this I would say that the book discusses a young woman in a bad family home that eventually speaks out for herself and takes control of her own life. The book does have troublesome topics, but they can be real and this book helps people to see that they can overcome obstacles and come up from bad situations in life.

Why this Book?
I chose this book because I thought it was very interestingly written and was different from other books that I have read. I think that it is scary in the way that it depicts a girl with no support from her family and the novel does end positively for the main character. I think that it is important to have this type of book in a collection for a way to present a different point of view.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stehpen Chbosky [book]

Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 1999
Length: 224 pages
ISBN: 0671027344

Plot Summary:
Charlie is starting high school in the beginning and has issues with a death of a friend, which make him even more of a wallflower. Charlie comes from a somewhat stable family, with the exception of his Aunt, which you learn in the story molested him when he was younger causing him to be quiet and internalize his problems in life. He makes friends in the story with Sam (a girl) and Patrick in school and they form a group in which Charlie eventually dates a girl he is not really interested in, Patrick has a relationship with a male football player, and Charlie has an ongoing love for Sam. Sam encourages Charlie to come out of his box and talk and speak his mind, as well as live life with the rest of them. There are parties, drugs, and alcohol all involved in these high school experiences, and Charlie deals with also driving his sister to an abortion and being kissed by Patrick. In the end Charlie has a hard time dealing with his realization that he was molested by his aunt and has trouble being able to deal with it. He at least comes to have hope that he will be okay and will participate in life.

Critical Evaluation:
This book is written from Charlie's perspective and I think I would believe that a teenage boy wrote diary entries like this because of the way he describes people and things very short and to the point, while only elaborating on key points that he finds interesting. I found it interesting that the only person in the novel that Charlie names in his family is his Aunt, and then he comes to realization of what happened to him through his repressed memories. The themes of this book are positive for the most part with the chance of recovery in the end, and with the idea that life is for participators. There are definitely dark parts of the book, but I think that they are counterbalanced by love and friendship themes and of acceptance.

Reader's Annotation:
Charlie is trying to get through high school and navigate life while participating with the people around him through life's struggles and triumphs.

Websites to look Into:
http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Stephen-Chbosky/1843916
http://pages.simonandschuster.com/perksofbeingawallflower

The Author:
Chbosky says that this novel was semi- autobiographical in that he related to Charlie's character a lot, but said that his high school life was very different than in the book. He also wrote the screenplay and directed the movie that came out about the book.

Awards:

Bluegrass Award

Garden State Teen Book Award

Volunteer State Book Award

Similar Books:
"It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
"Looking for Alaska" by John Green
"The Realm of Possibility" by David Levithan

Booktalking Ideas:
Being an outsider in society
Dealing with the things that happen in life straight on

Genre:
Fiction, Sexuality

Interest Age:
15+

Challenge Issues:
Sexuality
This book deals with homosexuality, abortion, and molestation. It is a coming of age novel and I would combat this with the fact that these are things that people deal with in life and the novel presents this and confronts it straight on which they should be.

Why this Book?
I chose this book because it is a good coming of age novels (especially for boys) and because the movie was just made about it, so I thought that it would be good to have the original present to keep people informed that it was a book before a movie after all.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney [book]

Publisher: Amulet Books; edition unstated, 2007
Language: English
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 0810993139

Plot Summary:
In the book Greg is in middle school and drawing and writing in the red diary that his mother bought for him for school (he asked for a journal). He has an older brother named Rodrick that makes fun of him and a younger brother named Manny who gets his way all of the time. Greg is in the middle and seems to think that he is blamed for everything and is always getting caught for things. The beginning of the book leads Greg into his first day of school in which he is immediately outcast with Fregley (who is a nerdier kid in school). Eventually Greg and his friend Rowley join wrestling, in which Greg quits, get into an incident that breaks Rowley's arm, which was Greg's fault, and join a Safety program that results in Rowley being fired, which was also Greg's fault. This causes a rift in their friendship that is not mended until the end when Greg takes the fall for a "cheese touch" incident involving Rowley. There is also a play that Greg is in as a tree; his brother shows up to the play with a camera and Greg is too embarrassed to actually do his part and the show ends up in chaos. All in all the story contains many misunderstandings and befuddled attempts to fit into life in middle school for Greg.

Critical Evaluation:
This book is fun and the pictures are drawn as if a young kid like Greg was actually recounting his life in them. The book is predictable in the way that middle school stories are usually written because the young adults are usually confused about social norms and what is right and what is wrong at this stage in life. The writing is easy and it is refreshing to see that the writing actually looks like what you would think Greg would write and talk like. The story line of Greg always feeling off put both in school and in his family is very easy to relate to, and it is made even better because it is a humorous story.

Reader's Annotation:
Greg is in middle school and just trying to make it through alive with his friends intact without getting into too much trouble.

Websites to look Into:
http://www.wimpykid.com/

The Author:
Jeff Kinney's series has 58 million copies in print worldwide as of 2010 and the first book was developed into a feature film for which Kinney served as executive producer.
Awards:
#1 New York Times Best Seller (114 weeks)
Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, 2008
ALA Notable Book
Most Favorite Book Around the World, 2010

Similar Books:
"Rodrick Rules" by Jeff Kinney
"The Last Straw" by Jeff Kinney
"Dog Days" by Jeff Kinney

Booktalking Ideas:
Discussing the books and the movies
Talking about how kids can relate to feeling like an outsider, or bullying

Genre:
Humor, Fiction

Interest Age:
13+

Challenge Issues:
There is bullying in the books, but for the most part I can see no challenges in the book because it is humorous and it sends a good message to its audience.

Why this Book?
I chose this book because I used to see kid's at the library consistently checking these books out. They could never get enough of them, and after I read it I saw why... they are fun and have good themes and they make you feel good and laugh.