Going, K. L. (2003). Fat Kid Rules the World. New York: Speak.
Annotation: 296 pound, 6 foot 1, 17-year-old Troy is about to jump in front of a subway and end it all. But then enters Curt MacCrae. Curt is mostly homeless skinny kid, but for some reason wants to start a band with Troy. Troy discovers a lot about himself, and a whole new world is opened up to him.
Justification for Rejection: I did not like the emphasis on drugs, language, and Troy’s weight in this book.
However, I do understand that that was a “reality” (haha yes I do know this is fiction! ☺) for him. And it is a reality for a lot of adolescents. Troy had a sense that everyone was looking at him all the time – which is so common to the adolescent experience.
I did also like how this book came around in the end. You could see the transformation in Troy’s relationship with his dad and his brother as he matured and began to love himself, he could love them.
I just do not think this book was “great”, and as far as the literary work itself I felt it was lacking and not good. It was confusing and hard to read.
Genre: Coming of Age/Search for Identity
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Ironman
Crutcher, Chris. (1995). Ironman. New York: HarperTempest.
Annotation: Because of how his dad has treated him in the past, Bo has had an ager welling inside him his whole life. Faced with getting kicked out of school, Bo is forced to attend Anger Management classes and for the first time in his life come face to face with these issues, while he is training for the Yukon Jack triathlon.
Justification for Nomination: At first, I was totally confused and did not like the switching between third-person and first-person writing. I felt like I couldn’t keep track of who was who and what was happening because there was some overlap and sometimes Bo was Bo and sometimes he was “me” (as in his letters to Larry King).
I really liked the strong positive themes throughout this book. Bo had every reason to give up, but he found something to keep him going.
I thought this book was a raw and real depiction of a boy with so much hurt stuffed inside him from so many years of struggles with his dad, and he faced them in a real way.
I loved his descriptions of the others in the Anger Management class. They all were so unique and I loved watching them come together to be Bo’s stotans.
I also felt that even through there was no definitive resolution in the end, Bo and his dad had faced enough of their problems to be able to have them in the open and work towards a solution.
Genre: Coming of Age/Sports
Annotation: Because of how his dad has treated him in the past, Bo has had an ager welling inside him his whole life. Faced with getting kicked out of school, Bo is forced to attend Anger Management classes and for the first time in his life come face to face with these issues, while he is training for the Yukon Jack triathlon.
Justification for Nomination: At first, I was totally confused and did not like the switching between third-person and first-person writing. I felt like I couldn’t keep track of who was who and what was happening because there was some overlap and sometimes Bo was Bo and sometimes he was “me” (as in his letters to Larry King).
I really liked the strong positive themes throughout this book. Bo had every reason to give up, but he found something to keep him going.
I thought this book was a raw and real depiction of a boy with so much hurt stuffed inside him from so many years of struggles with his dad, and he faced them in a real way.
I loved his descriptions of the others in the Anger Management class. They all were so unique and I loved watching them come together to be Bo’s stotans.
I also felt that even through there was no definitive resolution in the end, Bo and his dad had faced enough of their problems to be able to have them in the open and work towards a solution.
Genre: Coming of Age/Sports
Go Ask Alice
Anonymous. (1971). Go Ask Alice. New York: Simon Pulse.
Annotation: This fifteen-year-old anonymous author shares with us through her diary the ups and downs she experiences as she gets introduced to LSD, and other drugs and risky behaviors. Once she starts, it seems she just can’t stop.
Justification for Rejection: This book ended SO WEIRD!!! I was on the fence about it the whole time, leaning towards no. Then it got the end and I kind of liked the hopeful, peaceful way she ended the book. Then I read the one paragraph epilogue and wow that was weird and random and now it’s a definite no from me.
I did like the positive message and positive outlook the author gained through her experience. She has a lot of times of a fake “recovery” where she wanted to change, but in the end I really believe she did want that life change. For me, I used to volunteer with a youth group, and it was so amazing to see those teens go from a place of despair to a place of genuine life change.
I think the raw and realness the author shows in what she went through because of using drugs was good. I think adolescents reading this can understand somewhat of how messed up she got from the drugs and not want any part of it.
My one big fear is that teens reading this book will read about the times the author thought these drug highs were so great, and think “oh, I’ll just try it once.” They too will get caught in the downward spiral the author found herself sucked in to.
I really liked the strong family themes throughout the book. The author’s family really loved her and cared about her deeply. I think in a way, this subconsciously kept her going.
Genre: Edgy/Autobiography
Annotation: This fifteen-year-old anonymous author shares with us through her diary the ups and downs she experiences as she gets introduced to LSD, and other drugs and risky behaviors. Once she starts, it seems she just can’t stop.
Justification for Rejection: This book ended SO WEIRD!!! I was on the fence about it the whole time, leaning towards no. Then it got the end and I kind of liked the hopeful, peaceful way she ended the book. Then I read the one paragraph epilogue and wow that was weird and random and now it’s a definite no from me.
I did like the positive message and positive outlook the author gained through her experience. She has a lot of times of a fake “recovery” where she wanted to change, but in the end I really believe she did want that life change. For me, I used to volunteer with a youth group, and it was so amazing to see those teens go from a place of despair to a place of genuine life change.
I think the raw and realness the author shows in what she went through because of using drugs was good. I think adolescents reading this can understand somewhat of how messed up she got from the drugs and not want any part of it.
My one big fear is that teens reading this book will read about the times the author thought these drug highs were so great, and think “oh, I’ll just try it once.” They too will get caught in the downward spiral the author found herself sucked in to.
I really liked the strong family themes throughout the book. The author’s family really loved her and cared about her deeply. I think in a way, this subconsciously kept her going.
Genre: Edgy/Autobiography
Friday, August 8, 2008
Final Passionate Pleas
Fiction - Speak
I can't say it enough how perfectly I think this book resonates with the adolescent experience - especially for girls. This book uses language and themes that really can connect deeply with the adolescent, and yet it challenges their literary thinking to go to deeper levels. Overall, I think this book definitely deserves to win the award. In the book, the reader can so deeply connect with Melinda, which is an important aspect of adolescent literature. I think this book makes a breakthrough in that it talks about the internal silence of someone who's been raped and gone against her friends to follow her best judgment and do what was right - and now she's suffering the consequences of that. I think an important part of this book is that it shows its alright and good to do what's right, even when there are consequences. Through everything, Melinda learns so much about herself and her morals and standing up for what is right and discovers who really cares about her and who matters anyways.
Non-Fiction - Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
I think the amount of valuable pieces of history interwoven in this book (it is an important piece of history itself!) make it an important contender for the award. This book not only resonates with the development of the adolescent, but it is a completely true story. There is something compelling about knowing these diary entries really happened and she lived through an important time in our world's history. This book can be such a wonderful supplement to learning about the war and Jewish history in school. High school years are the years they delve deeper into these subjects, so it seems an appropriate time to read this book. Also, Anne being thirteen to fifteen years old throughout the book, she is struggling and facing the same things they are.
I can't say it enough how perfectly I think this book resonates with the adolescent experience - especially for girls. This book uses language and themes that really can connect deeply with the adolescent, and yet it challenges their literary thinking to go to deeper levels. Overall, I think this book definitely deserves to win the award. In the book, the reader can so deeply connect with Melinda, which is an important aspect of adolescent literature. I think this book makes a breakthrough in that it talks about the internal silence of someone who's been raped and gone against her friends to follow her best judgment and do what was right - and now she's suffering the consequences of that. I think an important part of this book is that it shows its alright and good to do what's right, even when there are consequences. Through everything, Melinda learns so much about herself and her morals and standing up for what is right and discovers who really cares about her and who matters anyways.
Non-Fiction - Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
I think the amount of valuable pieces of history interwoven in this book (it is an important piece of history itself!) make it an important contender for the award. This book not only resonates with the development of the adolescent, but it is a completely true story. There is something compelling about knowing these diary entries really happened and she lived through an important time in our world's history. This book can be such a wonderful supplement to learning about the war and Jewish history in school. High school years are the years they delve deeper into these subjects, so it seems an appropriate time to read this book. Also, Anne being thirteen to fifteen years old throughout the book, she is struggling and facing the same things they are.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Frank, Anne. (1999). Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Bantam Books.
Annotation: At thirteen, Anne Frank and her family must go in to hiding – as they can not be Jews living in Holland with the war going on. They find shelter in the “Secret Annexe” and Anne reveals to us her most intimate thoughts and moments through the 25 months she spends in the “Secret Annexe” with her family, the Van Daan’s and Mr. Dussel.
Justification for Nomination: This book was so raw and real. There is something amazing to me about reading an autobiography – this is not made up stuff. A real person really lived and felt this. How cool.
Anne Frank’s diary has been translated into 30 languages and made into a motion picture. I think this speaks volumes about the importance of this book.
Anne stays so positive throughout the whole time she is in hiding. I think this can be inspirational to teens. No matter who was fighting or what rotten food they had to eat that night, Anne always tried to have a positive spirit about it all.
Anne's style of writing is incredibly deep for a young teenager, but it is still easy to read and follow. You get sucked in as you feel like you are really there hiding with her in the Annexe.
Genre: Autobiography
Annotation: At thirteen, Anne Frank and her family must go in to hiding – as they can not be Jews living in Holland with the war going on. They find shelter in the “Secret Annexe” and Anne reveals to us her most intimate thoughts and moments through the 25 months she spends in the “Secret Annexe” with her family, the Van Daan’s and Mr. Dussel.
Justification for Nomination: This book was so raw and real. There is something amazing to me about reading an autobiography – this is not made up stuff. A real person really lived and felt this. How cool.
Anne Frank’s diary has been translated into 30 languages and made into a motion picture. I think this speaks volumes about the importance of this book.
Anne stays so positive throughout the whole time she is in hiding. I think this can be inspirational to teens. No matter who was fighting or what rotten food they had to eat that night, Anne always tried to have a positive spirit about it all.
Anne's style of writing is incredibly deep for a young teenager, but it is still easy to read and follow. You get sucked in as you feel like you are really there hiding with her in the Annexe.
Genre: Autobiography
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Monster
Myers, Walter Dean. (1999). Monster. New York: HarperTempest.
Myers, Walter Dean. (1999). Monster. James, Peter Francis. Audiobook on CD. Recorded Books, LLC, 2000.
Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon tells the story of being put through a trial for a felony murder some of his acquaintances say he was a part of. Steve is a filmmaker, so tells the story as a film of his own. He also shares with us through his journaling. Will Ms. O’Brien be able to convince the jury of Steve’s innocence and spare him the 25 years to life in prison he could face?
Justification for Nomination: I actually “read” this book as an audiobook. This was such a great book to listen to. There were so many characters, and “Listening Library” did such a great job of bringing them to life. It was also really a good one because it was meant to be written like a movie, so you were meant to “see” it and I felt I could do that a lot through listening to the book.
I also picked up the print copy of the book, and it looked like it was written in a really interesting way. I think this would make the book more interesting for a teen to read, as the words on the page seem to come alive too. You can almost feel the different emotions in the different size and stress of the text.
I don’t really know, because I’ve never been there, but I felt like it gave a somewhat accurate portrayal of a courtroom and court case. Again, I think the audiobook helped me with this part. You could feel the tension, and hear everyone’s arguments and it felt for me like I was there.
I liked reading this book because I think it is one that would appeal to boys. Not a ton of the books I read this semester would necessarily be a boy’s first pick, but this one I think would be a good choice for a male adolescent.
I also liked the innocence of Steve’s character. He was real, and had a real family and real values. I’m not sure why that appealed to me. Maybe because he could have been a “monster” as it was suggested in the beginning of the book, but he really had a gentle core to him.
I think this book would be a good one for a class to read together. I also picked up the print version of this book and, at least the version I got, had some really good discussion questions in the back. I think this makes it appeal to teens and their teachers.
Genre: Audiobook/Printz/Edgy/Coming of Age
Myers, Walter Dean. (1999). Monster. James, Peter Francis. Audiobook on CD. Recorded Books, LLC, 2000.
Annotation: Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon tells the story of being put through a trial for a felony murder some of his acquaintances say he was a part of. Steve is a filmmaker, so tells the story as a film of his own. He also shares with us through his journaling. Will Ms. O’Brien be able to convince the jury of Steve’s innocence and spare him the 25 years to life in prison he could face?
Justification for Nomination: I actually “read” this book as an audiobook. This was such a great book to listen to. There were so many characters, and “Listening Library” did such a great job of bringing them to life. It was also really a good one because it was meant to be written like a movie, so you were meant to “see” it and I felt I could do that a lot through listening to the book.
I also picked up the print copy of the book, and it looked like it was written in a really interesting way. I think this would make the book more interesting for a teen to read, as the words on the page seem to come alive too. You can almost feel the different emotions in the different size and stress of the text.
I don’t really know, because I’ve never been there, but I felt like it gave a somewhat accurate portrayal of a courtroom and court case. Again, I think the audiobook helped me with this part. You could feel the tension, and hear everyone’s arguments and it felt for me like I was there.
I liked reading this book because I think it is one that would appeal to boys. Not a ton of the books I read this semester would necessarily be a boy’s first pick, but this one I think would be a good choice for a male adolescent.
I also liked the innocence of Steve’s character. He was real, and had a real family and real values. I’m not sure why that appealed to me. Maybe because he could have been a “monster” as it was suggested in the beginning of the book, but he really had a gentle core to him.
I think this book would be a good one for a class to read together. I also picked up the print version of this book and, at least the version I got, had some really good discussion questions in the back. I think this makes it appeal to teens and their teachers.
Genre: Audiobook/Printz/Edgy/Coming of Age
Monday, August 4, 2008
Chill Wind
McDonald, Janet. (2002). Chill Wind. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Annotation: Nineteen-year-old Aisha receives a letter in the mail. This is not good news – she’s just about at the point where she’s been on welfare with her two young kids for five years and they’re going to terminate her benefits. Aisha has to figure out what to do now that she’s got two little mouths to feed, and a mother who’s not going to let her live for free.
Justification for Rejection: This book had no redeeming features. It did not come back around. You see Aisha struggle through not knowing what to do now that her benefits are up, but she gets off too easy. It was all too simple; she really didn’t have to work to get herself somewhere. It was not realistic and not even right.
Maybe I should not be so negative – I have not been in her place in life. Aisha grew up in the projects in Brooklyn, New York, and I’m sure that’s where a lot of her ideas and values about life come from.
I did not at all like that she just got off so easy. She had to go work for like less than a total of one day and then went off on her big commercial and modeling career. This is not the way that real life works and there are some of us who work out butts off day in and day out! I think this book will totally turn off teens that are in the work force. I think there is a small group of people this book may appeal to, but not enough to nominate it for an award.
Genre: Coming of Age/Edgy
Annotation: Nineteen-year-old Aisha receives a letter in the mail. This is not good news – she’s just about at the point where she’s been on welfare with her two young kids for five years and they’re going to terminate her benefits. Aisha has to figure out what to do now that she’s got two little mouths to feed, and a mother who’s not going to let her live for free.
Justification for Rejection: This book had no redeeming features. It did not come back around. You see Aisha struggle through not knowing what to do now that her benefits are up, but she gets off too easy. It was all too simple; she really didn’t have to work to get herself somewhere. It was not realistic and not even right.
Maybe I should not be so negative – I have not been in her place in life. Aisha grew up in the projects in Brooklyn, New York, and I’m sure that’s where a lot of her ideas and values about life come from.
I did not at all like that she just got off so easy. She had to go work for like less than a total of one day and then went off on her big commercial and modeling career. This is not the way that real life works and there are some of us who work out butts off day in and day out! I think this book will totally turn off teens that are in the work force. I think there is a small group of people this book may appeal to, but not enough to nominate it for an award.
Genre: Coming of Age/Edgy
Monday, July 28, 2008
Make Lemonade
Wolff, Viginia Euwer. (1993). Make Lemonade. New York: Scholastic.
Annotation: Fourteen-year-old LaVaughn answers an ad for a babysitting job because she has a desire to save some money so she can be the first in her family to go to college. She is surprised to find Jolly, the mom of the two children needing a sitter, to be only three years older than her. LaVaughn takes the position and finds in her so much love for Jolly and her two small children.
Justification for Nomination: This was a powerful and moving story. You can see how LaVaughn is totally transformed by love for these two kids.
Any teenager who has volunteered or gone on mission trips (which I did a lot of during my adolescence) will totally connect with this book. On those trips, just like the experience LaVaughn had, your eyes get opened to people who experience a different kind of life, and you feel a deep connection and love for the children in these scenarios.
Those experiences in my adolescence really changed me and made me into who I am today. I think this is why I have such a love for little kids now and seeing them become all that they can. I think this book has the potential to spur on an adolescent reader towards pursuing opportunities to help out those less fortunate.
I really liked the verse novel aspect of this book also. I think how the lines were broken up symbolized the brokenness Jolly felt and what LaVaughn was witnessing. The language was very fitting. This book was also a quick read which will appeal to teen readers.
Great book.
Genre: Verse Novel
Annotation: Fourteen-year-old LaVaughn answers an ad for a babysitting job because she has a desire to save some money so she can be the first in her family to go to college. She is surprised to find Jolly, the mom of the two children needing a sitter, to be only three years older than her. LaVaughn takes the position and finds in her so much love for Jolly and her two small children.
Justification for Nomination: This was a powerful and moving story. You can see how LaVaughn is totally transformed by love for these two kids.
Any teenager who has volunteered or gone on mission trips (which I did a lot of during my adolescence) will totally connect with this book. On those trips, just like the experience LaVaughn had, your eyes get opened to people who experience a different kind of life, and you feel a deep connection and love for the children in these scenarios.
Those experiences in my adolescence really changed me and made me into who I am today. I think this is why I have such a love for little kids now and seeing them become all that they can. I think this book has the potential to spur on an adolescent reader towards pursuing opportunities to help out those less fortunate.
I really liked the verse novel aspect of this book also. I think how the lines were broken up symbolized the brokenness Jolly felt and what LaVaughn was witnessing. The language was very fitting. This book was also a quick read which will appeal to teen readers.
Great book.
Genre: Verse Novel
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Floor of the Sky
Joern, Pamela Carter. (2006). The Floor of the Sky. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press.
Annotation: Toby’s sixteen year old granddaughter, Lila, comes to live with her in Nebraska the summer Lila is pregnant. Throughout the summer Lila finds out a lot about the history of her family and friends. She also does a lot of soul searching about what to do with the baby on the way – and finds interesting people to help her through it.
Justification for Rejection: I was so bored reading this book. It is an adult fiction book – and it showed. I do not really see it appealing to teenagers. Yes, one of the main characters is a teenager, but at least at the beginning the story is not mainly about her.
Once I got a little past halfway through this book it was not so bad, but I think most teen readers would not press on to that point.
I did like the close family ties that come through in this book. They are all quite closed off and cold-hearted at the beginning. But by the end their hearts have been softened and they find a new love and appreciation for each other. It was a very real transition and you can find an emotional connection with them through this.
Because I found myself bored reading this book, I feel like it took forever to read. It was not a quick read and I do not think teens would stick it out without being forced to read it to the end. Which is a bummer – because the end was pretty good.
This book was told from four people’s perspective. You heard from Toby, Lila, Gertie (Toby’s sister), and George (one of the hired hands). This was an interesting way to read a book and I actually found it confusing and hard to follow.
Genre: Alex Award Winner (2007)
Annotation: Toby’s sixteen year old granddaughter, Lila, comes to live with her in Nebraska the summer Lila is pregnant. Throughout the summer Lila finds out a lot about the history of her family and friends. She also does a lot of soul searching about what to do with the baby on the way – and finds interesting people to help her through it.
Justification for Rejection: I was so bored reading this book. It is an adult fiction book – and it showed. I do not really see it appealing to teenagers. Yes, one of the main characters is a teenager, but at least at the beginning the story is not mainly about her.
Once I got a little past halfway through this book it was not so bad, but I think most teen readers would not press on to that point.
I did like the close family ties that come through in this book. They are all quite closed off and cold-hearted at the beginning. But by the end their hearts have been softened and they find a new love and appreciation for each other. It was a very real transition and you can find an emotional connection with them through this.
Because I found myself bored reading this book, I feel like it took forever to read. It was not a quick read and I do not think teens would stick it out without being forced to read it to the end. Which is a bummer – because the end was pretty good.
This book was told from four people’s perspective. You heard from Toby, Lila, Gertie (Toby’s sister), and George (one of the hired hands). This was an interesting way to read a book and I actually found it confusing and hard to follow.
Genre: Alex Award Winner (2007)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Lovely Bones
Sebold, Alice. (2002). The Lovely Bones. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.
Annotation: Fourteen-year-old Susie has been murdered in her neighborhood. She now watches from heaven in the days and years following her murder as her friends and family struggle between missing her and moving on, and she herself comes to terms with her own unexpected death.
Justification for Nomination: This book was quite captivating. I was sucked in right away. It has enough mystery in that you cant explain or understand the different pieces of everything going on, but gives you enough information that you’re not too frustrated.
You really watch Susie’s family pull together and struggle so much with her death, and eventually fall apart only to come back together again. The pain and struggles for her siblings, parents, and friends were so real.
I think this book would connect well with teens. It’s another “what if” book. What would it be like to die and watch everyone grieve the loss of me? What would everyone say and do?
Susie is able to watch the daily lives of her friends, family, and neighbors – as well as rewind into the past to remember old times. This leaves her wishing for her old life and wanting to try to change the lives of those still on earth.
I could see controversy with this book in Susie’s description of “heaven”. From a Christian perspective this is not a God-filled heaven at all… it is perfectly customized for Susie, but not the “heaven” a Christian would think of. It is even explained as a transition type of heaven, and she will move on later – but this even was a little confusing.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Annotation: Fourteen-year-old Susie has been murdered in her neighborhood. She now watches from heaven in the days and years following her murder as her friends and family struggle between missing her and moving on, and she herself comes to terms with her own unexpected death.
Justification for Nomination: This book was quite captivating. I was sucked in right away. It has enough mystery in that you cant explain or understand the different pieces of everything going on, but gives you enough information that you’re not too frustrated.
You really watch Susie’s family pull together and struggle so much with her death, and eventually fall apart only to come back together again. The pain and struggles for her siblings, parents, and friends were so real.
I think this book would connect well with teens. It’s another “what if” book. What would it be like to die and watch everyone grieve the loss of me? What would everyone say and do?
Susie is able to watch the daily lives of her friends, family, and neighbors – as well as rewind into the past to remember old times. This leaves her wishing for her old life and wanting to try to change the lives of those still on earth.
I could see controversy with this book in Susie’s description of “heaven”. From a Christian perspective this is not a God-filled heaven at all… it is perfectly customized for Susie, but not the “heaven” a Christian would think of. It is even explained as a transition type of heaven, and she will move on later – but this even was a little confusing.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
Rennison, Louise. (1999). Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. New York: HarperTempest.
Annotation: Fourteen-year-old Georgia lets the reader in on her life through her diary. She has a large cat named Angus, which is a large pain. And this boy – the “sex god” – whom she adores. But things just never seem to go the way she wants them to.
Justification for Rejection: This book was very hard to follow. I think part of it was in English, but not American English that I understand! I was left confused the whole time. There was a “glossary” at the back, but I was frustrated by having to flip back and forth the whole time.
Georgia does share her experiences of things typical for adolescents, but I don’t feel they were conveyed in a way that the reader can connect with. It was a quick read, which could appeal to a teen reader.
I think this book had the potential to be a funny, good read… but I was just left frustrated and annoyed by the lack of cohesion and readability.
Genre: Humor
Annotation: Fourteen-year-old Georgia lets the reader in on her life through her diary. She has a large cat named Angus, which is a large pain. And this boy – the “sex god” – whom she adores. But things just never seem to go the way she wants them to.
Justification for Rejection: This book was very hard to follow. I think part of it was in English, but not American English that I understand! I was left confused the whole time. There was a “glossary” at the back, but I was frustrated by having to flip back and forth the whole time.
Georgia does share her experiences of things typical for adolescents, but I don’t feel they were conveyed in a way that the reader can connect with. It was a quick read, which could appeal to a teen reader.
I think this book had the potential to be a funny, good read… but I was just left frustrated and annoyed by the lack of cohesion and readability.
Genre: Humor
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
the perks of being a wallflower
Chbosky, Stephen. (1999). the perks of being a wallflower. New York: Pocket Books.
Annotation: Charlie is a freshman in high school and uneasy about the transition. He meets many new friends and has new experiences which he shares with “Friend” whom he anonymously writes letters to all year.
Justification for Nomination: I feel that I am a bad person to be reviewing this book. I really don’t know how much a teen reader would connect with it. I am only twenty, so have been reviewing books based on what I would have read and enjoyed and connected with a few years ago. With the issues I this book, my experience was a unique one, so I can’t really connect with the masses here. I’m going to nominate it, though, because I think it has potential to connect with adolescents.
Personally, I was home schooled so did not ever deal with most of the things Charlie went through! Not to mention I’m a girl…
This book is very real and raw though. It is basically a diary for Charlie, as he writes letters anonymously to his anonymous “friend.” It deals with many typical issues of high school – fitting in, being introverted, drugs and alcohol, sex and hormones, and past and current abuse. This is the age where a lot of these things are coming to a head in an adolescents life. For this reason, I think almost everyone (except apparently me!) could find something to connect with in Charlie’s life.
This book was also a quick read and written in first person which makes it easier for the teen reader to connect and walk away with something.
I also was impressed at how many books and songs and movies from popular culture were referenced in this book. It left me wanting to read them! I thought that was a cool outcome of the book.
Genre: Censored or Challenged Title
Annotation: Charlie is a freshman in high school and uneasy about the transition. He meets many new friends and has new experiences which he shares with “Friend” whom he anonymously writes letters to all year.
Justification for Nomination: I feel that I am a bad person to be reviewing this book. I really don’t know how much a teen reader would connect with it. I am only twenty, so have been reviewing books based on what I would have read and enjoyed and connected with a few years ago. With the issues I this book, my experience was a unique one, so I can’t really connect with the masses here. I’m going to nominate it, though, because I think it has potential to connect with adolescents.
Personally, I was home schooled so did not ever deal with most of the things Charlie went through! Not to mention I’m a girl…
This book is very real and raw though. It is basically a diary for Charlie, as he writes letters anonymously to his anonymous “friend.” It deals with many typical issues of high school – fitting in, being introverted, drugs and alcohol, sex and hormones, and past and current abuse. This is the age where a lot of these things are coming to a head in an adolescents life. For this reason, I think almost everyone (except apparently me!) could find something to connect with in Charlie’s life.
This book was also a quick read and written in first person which makes it easier for the teen reader to connect and walk away with something.
I also was impressed at how many books and songs and movies from popular culture were referenced in this book. It left me wanting to read them! I thought that was a cool outcome of the book.
Genre: Censored or Challenged Title
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Pier Pressure
Lantz, Francess. (2003). Pier Pressure. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Annotation: Luna meets David at a surf camp her parents are running, but he is not into surfing. Will she be able to calm his fears and help him learn how to surf, and will she be able to live up to her mother’s reputation and win the big surf contest… or will both dreams come crashing down?
Justification for Rejection: This book has many good points, however, I think would have a small audience. Throughout the book you can see the strong ties of friendship between Luna and her four friends. Even though they fight and go through some hard times, they always show a resolution and are friends in the end.
Luna has some tough decisions to make about what is most important to her. She has to choose between a boy, her friends, and what her parents think of her. She handles them all pretty well, trying to find a balance. She comes to the realization that living up to her mom’s reputation is not the most important thing to her. Her friends and her surfing for fun are more important. Her parents support her in this, which I think is a good and positive point to have in a book.
Throughout all of this Luna is going through a lot of inner turmoil. Being able to read this in a book gives you a good look inside of her and you can connect with the emotions she is feeling.
However, this book probably doesn’t have a big audience. It may appeal to teens as it is in a series and that may draw them in. I think the biggest following would be teens (probably not in Minnesota! ☺) who are in to surfing. There was a lot of surfing lingo in this book that I didn’t understand.
Genre: Romance, Sports, or Adventure
Annotation: Luna meets David at a surf camp her parents are running, but he is not into surfing. Will she be able to calm his fears and help him learn how to surf, and will she be able to live up to her mother’s reputation and win the big surf contest… or will both dreams come crashing down?
Justification for Rejection: This book has many good points, however, I think would have a small audience. Throughout the book you can see the strong ties of friendship between Luna and her four friends. Even though they fight and go through some hard times, they always show a resolution and are friends in the end.
Luna has some tough decisions to make about what is most important to her. She has to choose between a boy, her friends, and what her parents think of her. She handles them all pretty well, trying to find a balance. She comes to the realization that living up to her mom’s reputation is not the most important thing to her. Her friends and her surfing for fun are more important. Her parents support her in this, which I think is a good and positive point to have in a book.
Throughout all of this Luna is going through a lot of inner turmoil. Being able to read this in a book gives you a good look inside of her and you can connect with the emotions she is feeling.
However, this book probably doesn’t have a big audience. It may appeal to teens as it is in a series and that may draw them in. I think the biggest following would be teens (probably not in Minnesota! ☺) who are in to surfing. There was a lot of surfing lingo in this book that I didn’t understand.
Genre: Romance, Sports, or Adventure
Monday, June 23, 2008
Belle Prater's Boy
White, Ruth. (1996). Belle Prater’s Boy. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers.
Annotation: Gypsy and Woodrow are cousins who become best friends after they are brought together by the mysterious disappearance of Woodrow’s mother, Belle Prater.
Justification for Rejection: This book did not hold my attention for long. It was in the genre of mystery or thriller, but it did not seem to have enough of a mystery to keep you wanting to come back for more. I kept reading thinking it must get better, there must be a huge plot twist at the end or something… but no. The end was very melodramatic, nothing exciting.
This book may appeal to teenagers as Gypsy and Woodrow are adolescents going through a crazy situation with Woodrow’s mother disappearing, but I think they will be disappointed and give up before the end. Or maybe just skip to the last few pages and see how it ends.
Gypsy and Woodrow display a good example of friendship. They stick up for each other in hard times, and are always there for each other. They are careful not to push each other too far… and are always there to laugh at the others’ jokes. This I think is a positive point of the book.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Annotation: Gypsy and Woodrow are cousins who become best friends after they are brought together by the mysterious disappearance of Woodrow’s mother, Belle Prater.
Justification for Rejection: This book did not hold my attention for long. It was in the genre of mystery or thriller, but it did not seem to have enough of a mystery to keep you wanting to come back for more. I kept reading thinking it must get better, there must be a huge plot twist at the end or something… but no. The end was very melodramatic, nothing exciting.
This book may appeal to teenagers as Gypsy and Woodrow are adolescents going through a crazy situation with Woodrow’s mother disappearing, but I think they will be disappointed and give up before the end. Or maybe just skip to the last few pages and see how it ends.
Gypsy and Woodrow display a good example of friendship. They stick up for each other in hard times, and are always there for each other. They are careful not to push each other too far… and are always there to laugh at the others’ jokes. This I think is a positive point of the book.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Friday, June 13, 2008
Soldier's Heart
Paulsen, Gary. (1998). Soldier’s Heart. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.
Annotation: Fifteen year old Charley Goddard leaves his farm in Winona, Minnesota to enlist in the First Minnesota Volunteers. Not knowing what this was about, just knowing he didn’t want to miss out, he packed up and left home. He had no idea how much this would change him.
Justification for Nomination: This book is a short, easy read. Any teen interested in the Civil War, Minnesota history, the military of the past, or who has read and loved an of Paulsen’s other great books, would likely pick up, read, and enjoy this book.
The reader can feel and sense the mental and emotional anguish Charley is going through as they get deeper in the book. It can be eye opening for someone thinking about going into the military or be comforting to someone coming out of the military. They ma be able to relate to some of the same feelings.
I think the book was pretty historically accurate. This could be a history lesson as well as just a good read. Even Charley himself is based on a real person. In the back of the book it talks about the accuracy and how it was based on a real man and his real life.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Annotation: Fifteen year old Charley Goddard leaves his farm in Winona, Minnesota to enlist in the First Minnesota Volunteers. Not knowing what this was about, just knowing he didn’t want to miss out, he packed up and left home. He had no idea how much this would change him.
Justification for Nomination: This book is a short, easy read. Any teen interested in the Civil War, Minnesota history, the military of the past, or who has read and loved an of Paulsen’s other great books, would likely pick up, read, and enjoy this book.
The reader can feel and sense the mental and emotional anguish Charley is going through as they get deeper in the book. It can be eye opening for someone thinking about going into the military or be comforting to someone coming out of the military. They ma be able to relate to some of the same feelings.
I think the book was pretty historically accurate. This could be a history lesson as well as just a good read. Even Charley himself is based on a real person. In the back of the book it talks about the accuracy and how it was based on a real man and his real life.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio
Kehret, Peg. (1996). Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company.
Annotation: Peg thinks she has gotten a bad case of the flu when she spikes a high fever and starts having muscle spasms. Little did she know, at twelve years old, her life would be changed forever. Peg walks us through her journey with polio to the triumph in the end.
Justification for Rejection: For an autobiography of someone not famous per se, this book was wonderful. It was an easy read, and keeps the readers interest peaked throughout. However, I am not nominating this book, because I do not feel it would be a very popular choice.
Polio is not something teenagers today can feel or see the effects of. Because teenagers are not faced with the hardships of polio now, I don’t feel this would be a book of choice for them. I don’t think I even really knew what polio was until a few semesters ago when I had to do a report on the polio vaccine. I did not understand the intensity of it until then.
This book was eye opening for me. It walks through the course of the disease from a first person perspective and really captivates your emotions. You really get connected to Peg and want to “see” her walk again someday too!
Genre: Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
Annotation: Peg thinks she has gotten a bad case of the flu when she spikes a high fever and starts having muscle spasms. Little did she know, at twelve years old, her life would be changed forever. Peg walks us through her journey with polio to the triumph in the end.
Justification for Rejection: For an autobiography of someone not famous per se, this book was wonderful. It was an easy read, and keeps the readers interest peaked throughout. However, I am not nominating this book, because I do not feel it would be a very popular choice.
Polio is not something teenagers today can feel or see the effects of. Because teenagers are not faced with the hardships of polio now, I don’t feel this would be a book of choice for them. I don’t think I even really knew what polio was until a few semesters ago when I had to do a report on the polio vaccine. I did not understand the intensity of it until then.
This book was eye opening for me. It walks through the course of the disease from a first person perspective and really captivates your emotions. You really get connected to Peg and want to “see” her walk again someday too!
Genre: Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Speak
Anderson, Laurie Halse. (1999). Speak. New York: The Penguin Group.
Annotation: Melinda starts her freshman year of high school with a big secret, and everyone hates her. It’s all because they just don’t understand. Will she ever grow enough to have the courage to speak?
Justification for Nomination: This book was phenomenal. From page one I was sucked in. It could be because I could totally relate, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Anderson does an amazing job of getting inside an adolescent’s head. She knows what she’s talking about and can completely relate to a teen. Her descriptions and inner voice is so right on, you’d think this was a true story.
I also love the symbolism strung throughout the book. Melinda’s art project for the year is to creatively represent a tree. It can be in any form she would like; just “tree” is her assignment. As Melinda goes through the school year, she struggles and is frustrated by this project. This is a reflection of her inner self – one that is torn up, confused, and hurt. As she comes to a better place with it all, and eventually “wins” and everyone understands, her secret is no more. She gets her friends back, and is in a healthier place overall in life. Around this same time her tree comes to fruition. She turns it is, gets an A+ and is satisfied. All throughout the book you can see this transformation happening in her and in the tree.
This book was also fast paced, which will appeal to teen readers. It was an easy read, at just under 200 pages. Being sucked in at the first page, you don’t want to put it down and It just keeps going and going and you don’t want to stop.
The particular copy I had of this book was the “Platinum Edition.” I would definitely recommend this copy to others. There are some very interesting interview questions with the author at the end, and it really lets you see where she was coming from in writing this book. Very insightful.
Genre: Realistic/Edgy/Problem Novel
Annotation: Melinda starts her freshman year of high school with a big secret, and everyone hates her. It’s all because they just don’t understand. Will she ever grow enough to have the courage to speak?
Justification for Nomination: This book was phenomenal. From page one I was sucked in. It could be because I could totally relate, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Anderson does an amazing job of getting inside an adolescent’s head. She knows what she’s talking about and can completely relate to a teen. Her descriptions and inner voice is so right on, you’d think this was a true story.
I also love the symbolism strung throughout the book. Melinda’s art project for the year is to creatively represent a tree. It can be in any form she would like; just “tree” is her assignment. As Melinda goes through the school year, she struggles and is frustrated by this project. This is a reflection of her inner self – one that is torn up, confused, and hurt. As she comes to a better place with it all, and eventually “wins” and everyone understands, her secret is no more. She gets her friends back, and is in a healthier place overall in life. Around this same time her tree comes to fruition. She turns it is, gets an A+ and is satisfied. All throughout the book you can see this transformation happening in her and in the tree.
This book was also fast paced, which will appeal to teen readers. It was an easy read, at just under 200 pages. Being sucked in at the first page, you don’t want to put it down and It just keeps going and going and you don’t want to stop.
The particular copy I had of this book was the “Platinum Edition.” I would definitely recommend this copy to others. There are some very interesting interview questions with the author at the end, and it really lets you see where she was coming from in writing this book. Very insightful.
Genre: Realistic/Edgy/Problem Novel
Monday, May 19, 2008
Things I have to tell you: poems and writings by teenage girls
Franco, Betsy (Ed.). Things I have to tell you: poems and writings by teenage girls. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.
Annotation: Teenage girls are given a voice to say the things they’d like people to hear. These are raw and real words from a teenager’s heart.
Review: This book was a little too negative for my taste. I think that while it painted a raw picture of the hardships of adolescence, this can also be a time of great freedom and wonderful friendships and a positive outlook on life. Only one entry stands out to me as being positive and it is a letter to a great-grandmother expressing gratitude for everything she had done.
Most of the entries were quite dreary and negative. Adolescence is a tough and confusing time, and I’m sure that’s where the negativity came from.
I think this book could appeal to some teenage girls. I do not think it would be very popular, as my perspective is that most poetry books wouldn’t be. There are some that I think would really enjoy it and relate to it, and maybe it would inspire them to creatively express their emotions too.
This book could be good for someone working with adolescents, as it could help them understand the things going on inside a teenager’s world.
I do not nominate this book. I think it is too negative and does not appeal to a big enough audience.
Genre: Poetry or Verse Novel
Annotation: Teenage girls are given a voice to say the things they’d like people to hear. These are raw and real words from a teenager’s heart.
Review: This book was a little too negative for my taste. I think that while it painted a raw picture of the hardships of adolescence, this can also be a time of great freedom and wonderful friendships and a positive outlook on life. Only one entry stands out to me as being positive and it is a letter to a great-grandmother expressing gratitude for everything she had done.
Most of the entries were quite dreary and negative. Adolescence is a tough and confusing time, and I’m sure that’s where the negativity came from.
I think this book could appeal to some teenage girls. I do not think it would be very popular, as my perspective is that most poetry books wouldn’t be. There are some that I think would really enjoy it and relate to it, and maybe it would inspire them to creatively express their emotions too.
This book could be good for someone working with adolescents, as it could help them understand the things going on inside a teenager’s world.
I do not nominate this book. I think it is too negative and does not appeal to a big enough audience.
Genre: Poetry or Verse Novel
Sunday, May 18, 2008
The First Part Last
Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003.
Annotation: Faced with news of his girlfriend's pregnancy on his sixteenth birthday, Bobby shares the emotional ups and downs of going through a teen pregnancy and now raising his daughter, Feather.
Justification for Nomination: This book is unique. There are plenty of books detailing the female side of the story of a teen pregnancy, but this book looks entirely at the male perspective. I enjoyed that this book painted a positive but realistic perspective on Bobby's position.
The relationship Bobby has with his daughter Feather is shown as positive, which I think it is. His daughter needs him, and he works so hard to take the best care of her he knows how.
Johnson also shows the realistic side of Bobby's struggles, though. He struggles to find child care, is torn between his daughter and his friends, and is scared about what his parents will think of him.
One thing I found odd was that you didn't hear anything about Nia in the beginning. In reality, I think Bobby would have been more torn up and upset about losing Nia, and that should have been a bigger part of the story. Maybe he was able to just focus on Feather, but he still would have been grieving.
I think this book was well written. The chapters jump from "then" and "now". The "then" is set during Nia's pregnancy, and the "now" is Bobby at home with Feather. It keeps you wanting to read, because you never have the full story until the end.
Genre: Printz
Annotation: Faced with news of his girlfriend's pregnancy on his sixteenth birthday, Bobby shares the emotional ups and downs of going through a teen pregnancy and now raising his daughter, Feather.
Justification for Nomination: This book is unique. There are plenty of books detailing the female side of the story of a teen pregnancy, but this book looks entirely at the male perspective. I enjoyed that this book painted a positive but realistic perspective on Bobby's position.
The relationship Bobby has with his daughter Feather is shown as positive, which I think it is. His daughter needs him, and he works so hard to take the best care of her he knows how.
Johnson also shows the realistic side of Bobby's struggles, though. He struggles to find child care, is torn between his daughter and his friends, and is scared about what his parents will think of him.
One thing I found odd was that you didn't hear anything about Nia in the beginning. In reality, I think Bobby would have been more torn up and upset about losing Nia, and that should have been a bigger part of the story. Maybe he was able to just focus on Feather, but he still would have been grieving.
I think this book was well written. The chapters jump from "then" and "now". The "then" is set during Nia's pregnancy, and the "now" is Bobby at home with Feather. It keeps you wanting to read, because you never have the full story until the end.
Genre: Printz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)