Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

AMAZING AUDIOBOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS, 2009

Scott, E. (2009). Living dead girl.

This audiobook was hauntingly as told by narrator, Kate Reinders. She was lovely as she portrayed young Alice, a girl abducted by the perverted Ray. In his clutches for five years she wants nothing more to escape. With eloquence of voice, each character is distinctively narrated and the listener can distinguish easily between personalities. My favorite character, of course, is Alice, abused sexually, physically, and emotionally. The listener will fight for Alice and won’t even blame her when she willingly goes along with Ray to abduct another girl. She is fighting for her life and the listener fights along with her. Is it a book for every teen? No, but for any teen struggling with abuse or for those empathetic enough to listen to it, it is an important book. It could easily be introduced into a select audience as a booktalk, it is graphic, emotional, and raw. It is a book that will move the listener, it is overly compelling, and it will provoke much thought. It was an audiobook so poignant and emotional, as much as I didn’t want to listen to it I had to know that our protagonist, Alice, would survive.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

QUICK PICKS FOR RELUCTANT READERS, 2009

Bodeen, S.A. (2008). The compound. Feiwel and Friends: New York.

The literary element that resonates throughout this book is the suspenseful tone the author creates. It is a page turner for sure. A family has been confined to an elaborate bomb shelter for the next 15 years, built by the billionaire father of the family. After being in the Compound for six years our protagonist, Eli, begins to question things. Why did the cattle and crops die so soon after entering the Compound when everything had been so intricately planned? What’s behind the padlocked door in Father’s office? And could the most horrendous plan for staying alive revolve around whatever lives behind the yellow door.  As Eli puts the pieces together the reader grows increasingly concerned for the well-being of the family. Father is knocked out by Eli and he is the only one that knows the code that will allow the family to leave, Mother is pregnant and confined to bed rest, and Eli establishes and Internet connection where he receives and IM from his “dead” brother, Eddy. As the suspense builds within the Compound, the reader is swept along with the current of anticipation. This book is sure to quickly grab the attention of teens. The book is filled with plot twists that set the stage for this teen thriller.  

Wake by Lisa McMann

TOP TEN TEENS BOOK, 2009

McMann, L. (). Wake. Simon Pulse: New York.

The conflict in this novel is between Janie and her battle to escape from falling into people’s dreams. There are additional conflicts that mirror teenage life such as Janie’s antagonist, Melinda, a rich, snotty girl that teases Janie about being poor. Janie is anxious over her relationship with Cabel and is riled by the thoughts that he dreams about her, his recent transformation into a good-looking senior, and his knife brandishing monster-man that also appears in his dreams. There is even a passive aggressive struggle with her alcoholic mother as Janie strives to maintain some sort of order in her life. The conflicts are all real to Janie but she struggles most with the dreams. Teens will find this book easy to read and exciting. The setting is Janie’s senior year in high school and she falls into students’ dreams that will be relatable to the reader.

Room by Emma Donoghue

ALEX AWARD WINNER, 2011

Donoghue, E. (2010). Room. Little, Brown and Company: New York.

Told by the point-of-view of five year old Jack, this story begins in Room where he has been held captive with his mother by Old Nick. Jack’s point-of-view is that of the innocent and naïve. He loves living in Room and does not seem to think there is anything unusual about it. Ma has established a daily routine for the two of them which allows Jack to feel a sense of normalcy about his living conditions. Through an elaborate plan where Jack must pretend to be dead, the two are able to escape. Telling the story through the voice of a child allows the reader to understand Jack’s unhappiness once he is away from Room. He struggles in the real world and desperately misses his days when he was alone with Ma. The story is written for adults but it is also a one that young adult readers can appreciate. Teens may be able to appreciate the horrific aftermath that occurs when events like this happen in the real world.  I appreciated the last scene where Jack and Ma visit Room one last time. It looks different to him and smaller. It brings some closure for him.

Prey by Lurlene McDaniel

YOUNG ADULT CHOICES BOOK, 2010

McDaniel, L. (2008). Prey. Delacorte Press: New York.

Told from the point of view of the three main characters, Honey, Lori, and Ryan, this book is the tale of a female teacher who seduces one of her male students. The chapters alternate between the voices of the three characters. This makes it is easy to gain personal insight on each of them as they speak honestly to the reader. After Honey finds out that Ryan and Lori have been together she tells us “knowing what’s going on between them has pulled my life out of shape and turned me into someone I don’t like.” We see Ryan go from an innocent teenager to a hardened young adult. As the story concludes, Ryan is seeing Lori again but this time he states, “This time I’ll be in the driver’s seat. She’ll give me anything I want. And I’ll make sure she never deserts me.” By executing this point of view we delve into the personal thoughts of each character and can establish early on that Lori is bi-polar predator, abused by her own father. The story is sure to attract teens because it is a relevant issue in today’s society and sadly does happen. It would be good to use as a discussion on the way society views relationships between male teachers and female students versus the other way around.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

SIBERT HONOR BOOK, 2010

Hoose, P. (2009). Claudette Colvin: Twice toward justice. Farrar Straus Giroux: New York.

Although the Civil Rights Movement is well-known and well-documented history, this informational book had a lot of foreshadowing, implying to the reader that the climax of all the combined events was going to be huge. This story centers around Claudette Colvin, a teenager living in Montgomery, Alabama, who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white woman nine months before the famous Rosa Parks did the same thing. There was enormous tension in this city during the 1950’s. Segregation was in full swing and laws that other states had adopted regarding anti-segregation simply did not apply in Montgomery. African-Americans were angry yet fearful. Many events occurred to spur the people into action. A sixteen year old boy was falsely accused of raping a white woman and sentenced to death. Tension mounts. People refusing to give up their seats to whites are arrested, bus boycotts are organized, more arrests for African Americans challenging the laws, and the Bell Street Baptist Church is bombed. All these events culminate in the lawsuit that ended segregation on public buses. My favorite scene is early in the book when we get a glimpse at just how strong Claudette is. She decides she will no longer straighten her hair in an effort to look white. She states, “All of a sudden it seemed like such a waste of time to heat up a comb and straighten your hair before going to school.” This is such a great informational book for teens. It is packed with pictures and the writing style is easy to read with a good portion being the words of Claudette. It certainly gave me a lot of information about Civil Rights that I did not know.

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp

PRINTZ HONOR BOOK, 2010

Rapp, A. (2009). Punkzilla. Candlewick Press: Massachusetts.

This book is presented as a series of letters from Jamie, aka Punkzilla, to his older brother, Peter, who is dying of AIDS. While most of the letters are from Jamie, there are others that are dated a year before when Jamie has not yet gone AWOL from military school. The letters are an account of Jamie’s journey as he travels to see Peter before he dies. During his journey he meets many colorful and interesting characters, one of which is Lewis who is transgender. Jamie states that he is mistaken for a girl many times. This encounter could be representative of one of the many issues teens struggle with; their sexuality. This book contains graphic sex scenes including pedophilia, homosexual sex, and heterosexual sex. It also references drugs. As I looked at the dates of the letters, I could determine that Jamie went AWOL right after his domineering father came for a visit. Another relevant teen issue, that of parents. All these conflicts that Jamie deals with are the same for the teens reading the novel. This is a book for the mature teen reader. Jamie has plenty to say in his diary-like readings and teens will easily relate. My favorite character was Sam who Jamie described as a nice kid, he shared food with Jamie and his mom offers Jamie a place to stay. This brought tears to the eyes of Jamie, then he steals Sam’s backpack and hid behind a dumpster.

Naruto, Vol. 30: Puppet Masters by Masashi Kishimoto

 MANGA: Noted on the Great Graphic Novels List, 2009

Kishimoto, M. (2008) Naruto, Vol. 30. Puppet masters. VIZ Media LLC: San Francisco, California.

I chose this Manga volume because it was on the Great Graphic Novels List. However, I quickly realized that starting with volume 30 was not going to make for easy understanding of the storyline. In fact, it is very unclear to me the exact plot of the story and it was difficult to keep the characters straight since they had all been introduced in much earlier volumes. I would like to focus on the playful tone of the book. There are whole pages with fight scenes and few or no words. Words such as “pow-pow-pow-pow-pow,” “pshhhh,” and  “ka blam, spit, swoop” has the reader poring over the pictures looking at the details, gathering further clues about the storyline. This manga series may be highly appealing to the reluctant teen, male reader. If the reader can get hooked on the first few books then they will be eager to read the remaining volumes.

Prime Baby by Gene Luen Yang

Prime Baby by Gene Luen Yang                   

LITERARY GRAPHIC NOVEL: Noted on Great Graphic Novels List, 2011

Yang, G.L. (2010). Prime baby. First Second: New York.

This particular graphic novel will appeal to a certain group of teens. It is a classic tale of sibling rivalry as told through the voice of the older brother, Thaddeus.  The pictures are simple, the pages are uncluttered, and it alters between the characters speaking with talk balloons and boxed thoughts from Thaddeus. Although the plot is predictable, it will capture teens because aliens are brought on to the scene. When they are first introduced the audience may think they are part of Thaddeus’s imagination but it is proved otherwise during my favorite scene. Once the secret underground research facility has Maddie under observation, Thaddeus finally understands the value of having a sibling, albeit a much younger one. He decides he will barf up alien space crafts, as Maddie did, so he can join her in the research facility. This graphic novel is short enough to appeal to the reluctant reader and a sweet enough story for the reader not to have to necessarily be in the same situation as Thaddeus in order to appreciate it.

The Clique: Book 1 by Lisi Harrison

TEEN SERIES BOOK

Harrison, L. (2004). The clique, Book 1. Little, Brown and Company: New York.

This series is a typical mean girls versus nice girls story. I only read the first one yet can see how the others in this series will follow suit. I believe the setting of this story is imperative as it takes place in a very expensive, very elite part of the country. These young teenage girls want for nothing. Their materialism is uncomfortable for those that do not have chauffeurs, new clothes for every season, huge mansions, and elite, private schools. They are beautiful, they are privileged, and they are oh so shallow. They are narcissistic, two-faced, hypocritical, deceitful, scheming, and cunning little bitches (their word, not mine.) If this story had taken place in a middle-class high school perhaps the story would hit closer to home for most teens. However, exaggerating the characters privileged lifestyle will have most teenage girls relating to these most manipulative and malicious girls. My favorite character? Claire, as she was so innocent but quickly realized that being the victim allowed her to turn the tables on the bullies. It is a good book because it gives those victimized teenaged girls a safe place to fantasize about those that bully them.

Complete Book List as of July 2011

Chapter Books:

Challenged Books ( 4 of 6):
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume
Go Ask Alice by Annonymous

Coretta Scott King Award (2):
Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper

Bluebonnet Books (3 of 6):
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Mudshark by Gary Paulsen
Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury


Newbery Honor Books (4):
The Underneath by Kathi Applet 
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Notable Books for Children (1 of 3):
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

New York Times Bestseller (1 of 3):
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

New Moon by Stephanie Myers
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Picture Books:

Caldecott Medal Winners (4):
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel
One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian

Notable Books for Children (2 of 3):
Good Enough to Eat by Brock Cole
Nothing by Jon Agee

Pura Belpre (2):
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes
Just in Case by Yuyi Morales

Challenged Books (2 of 6):
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Super Diaper Baby 2: Invasion of the Potty Snatchers by George Beard and Harold Hutchins

New York Times Bestseller (2 of 3):
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Phillip C. Stead
Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems

Bluebonnet Books (2 of 6):
Pirates by David L. Harrison
That Book Woman by Heather Henson

How to Eat Fried Worms

This book is on the Challenged Book List

Summary: This is the story of four boys that have been life-long friends. Alan bets Billy that he cannot eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. Now Billy is up for a bet, for he's the kid that was dared to sleep in an igloo in the dead of winter and did it. However, eating fifteen worms has to be worth his while so Alan agrees to pay him fifty dollars if he can do it. After Billy eats the fourth worm with little trouble, Alan begins to get worried. He and Tom try every prank in the book, including gluing worms together so Billy will have to eat a monster of a worm. They tell his mother, they send fake doctor's notes describing poison worms, and they make a fake worm out of beans. Billy is encouranged by Tom not to fall for the pranks. After all is said and done, Billy wins the bet and buys a mini-bike with his winnings.

Personal Reaction: When I went to look for challenged books to read I had to just laugh that this book made the list. Supposedly it is challenged because it promotes inappropriate behavior. I doubt after reading this book that young boys will be inclined to run off, digging for worms, smothering them in ketchup, and eating them. Of course I remember this book when I was younger and it was a lot of fun reading it again. Since all four boys were introduced at once I thought I might have trouble keeping the characters straight, but it is a nicely written book that quickly establishes who is who. The boys get into typical boy trouble, including pulling silly pranks and fist fights. This is definately a classic, a fast-paced story about friendship and growing up.

Rockwell, T. (1973). How to eat fried worms. New York:Yearling. 

Just In Case

This book is a Pura Belpre Honor Book

Personal Reaction: This brightly illustrated book is actually a Spanish alphabet book. I loved it and read it to my own children. My kids are teenagers, one of them taking Spanish in high school. She had fun correcting me on the Spanish words. Told in English, the story begins with Senor Calavera setting off on his bike for Grandma Beetle's party.  He is approached by Zelmiro the Ghost who questions him about what gift he will be bringing to the party. This is where the fun begins. Senor Calavera collects gifts for each letter of the Spanish alphabet. However, every few letters (gifts) he is interrupted by the ghost. The words have a great deal of rhythm to them. There are many repeated phrases that if read aloud to a class the students would soon be speaking along with the cadence of the words. This would be a great book for ELA students. I think it would be a great introduction in a beginning Spanish class as well. I really enjoyed the illustrations and the use of skeletons and ghosts seems culturally appropriate. When I was at the library with my enormous stack of books, I leaned down to pull this one off the shelf. There happened to be a little guy, probably six years old, and when I put this book on top of my stack he reached for it. Well, battle was on! I quickly scooped the stack up and went on to search for other books. This little guy became somewhat of a stalker. The  cover was so colorful, he really wanted MY book. Yes, I resorted to some immature tactics to get my book home, but hey, a librarian does what she has to.

Morales, Y. (2008). Just in case: a trickster tale and Spanish alphabet book. New York: Roaring Book Press.   

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

This book is a Pura Belpre Honor Book

Personal Reaction: This illustrator also illustrated Just in Case. They are whimsical and beautifully done. They may be a little dark with a lot of ghosts, skeletons, vampires, and witches, however, it is a Halloween book. Some parents may not want to read it to really young children as it contains verse such as, "the corpses with their cold dead eyes." I wouldn't have a problem with it as the story is about a Monster's Ball and in the end, it's the monsters that are afraid of the trick-or-treaters. It is a rhyming book with Spanish words interspersed throughout the verse. The text lends itself to this amusing little story as it slants and curves giving the rhyme a musical quality. It would be great read-aloud Halloween story to any class. When I read aloud to my students and come across a Spanish word it is always my ELA kids that get a big smile on their faces and correct my pronunciation. This book also has a helpful glossary at the end.

Montes, M. (2006). Los gatos black on Halloween. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Pirates

This book is a 2010 Bluebonnet Book

Summary: This is not your typical book of poems about pirates. It is richly illustrated and the poems are about the harshness and dangers of being a pirate. The first poem describes the sad and lost man that would decide to be a pirate. From there it takes the reader through the signing of the pirates oath, the consequences of breaking rules, the boredom of being at sea, capturing and robbing ships, and eventually death by hanging. It is a realistic view, beautifully illustrated, that does not glamorize the life of a pirate.

Personal Reflection: This book is amazing. I can't believe how bold the illustrations are. They show the pirates with broken teeth and sinister expressions. You can just feel how difficult and scary it was to meet a pirate. The poems have a natural flow as it takes the reader through the life of a pirate. It has one pirate being beaten and another being left for dead on an island where he is to live out the rest of his life alone after breaking the rules. It's a great book to illustrate that Jack Sparrow is NOT a real pirate and pirates certainly aren't heroes. I love how the author included a "Here's How It Was" page at the end of the book. It has little gems about pirates that kids really should know like the harrows of scurvy and the filthy water, rotting wood, and manure that could be found on the pirate ships. This is a BIG book, easily measuring one foot by one foot. Kids will love it!

Harrison, D.L. (2008). Pirates. Honesdale, PA.: Wordsong.

Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invation of the Potty Snatchers

This book is on the challenged book list

Summary: The Hoskins family goes on a where Super Diaper Baby and Diaper Dog come to the rescue of many people that need their superpower help. Meanwhile, evil Dr. Dilbert Dinkle and his cat, Petey, are up to know good. After being accidentally shot by his evil Liquidator machine, Dr. Dilbert is turned into water. This suits him just fine as he can still rob people even if he's water. Then Petey drinks Dr. Dilbert and over the course of a day, turns him into pee. Now nobody in town wants to deal with an evil puddle of pee so Dr. Dilbert goes on a rampage. He builds a giant robo-cat and has it steal all the toilets in town. This forces the people to pee themselves and stink like Dr. Dilbert. In the end, Super Diaper Baby and Diaper Dog are able to push the earth so the temperature drops, turning Dr. Dilbert into a block of ice. They deliver him to a planet where he will never hurt anyone again, Uranus.

Personal Reaction: This is the most ridiculous book I have ever read! I loved it and kids will love it! There is not a kid in the world that is not going to find humor in this story. It is written in comic book style and has plenty of purposely misspelled words to give the book the feel that it is written by a baby. For instance "New clear" is used for "nuclear" and the technique works well with the silly plot. I can see kids reading this book over and over just because they get to say things like "Rip-Van-Tinkle" and "urine big trouble." I can understand why this is a challenged book. It can definately be labeled as inappropriate. I think kids are going to talk about pee and diapers and a lot of other stuff so why not put it down on paper and let them read a fun little story about it, as inappropriate as that sounds. I think I could hand this book to a reluctant reader and they would enjoy it.

Beard, G. & Hutchins, H., (2011). Super diaper baby 2: invasion of the potty snatchers. New York: The Blue Sky Press.

New Moon

Summary: Bella is in love with Edward. She attends a b-day party that the Cullens are throwing for her and cuts her finger. This triggers the bloodlust of the vampires and Jasper attacks her. Edward and the Cullens will not put Bella in jeopardy so Edward tells her he does not love her and they move away. Bella goes into deep depression until she decides she will start hanging out with Jacob. Jacob becomes increasingly distant because he can transform into a werewolf and will not break the promise of his pack; the promise that he can tell no one. Bella eventually guesses what Jacob's secret is. Victoria, a very evil vampire, returns to Bella's town. Meanwhile, Alice Cullen has seen a vision and tells Edward that Bella has died. After escaping death from the Volturi, the Cullens return to Forks and Edward vows to never leave Bella again.

Personal Reflection: Several years ago I went to a Book Talk workshop. It was excellent and I've gone every year since then. One of the books highlighted that year was Twilight. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and read it. I told my daughter that this book was going to be the next Harry Potter. Was it as well written? Not the best in my opinion, but it was a fun and memorable book. I began to see girls at my school carrying the book around and I begged my daughter to read it. When she finally did she loved it and quickly became part of Team Edward. This is the perfect series for teenaged girls. It has thrills, suspense, vampires, and undying teenage love. What more could a girl want?!

Meyer, S. (2006). New moon. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Hunger Games

Summary: Katniss is our protagonist and the story is told in first person by her. The story takes place in the future. Katniss and her family live in District 12 and the reaping day is quickly approaching. Reaping day is a lottery selection where one girl and one boy from each district are selected to participate in the Hunger Games, in which only one person will survive. When Katniss's little sister is chosen, Katniss quickly jumps in to take her place. Peeta is the young man that is selected and both he and Katniss must leave to prepare for the Games. When the Games begin Peeta and Katniss must fight not only against the other contestants but against each other. The Capitol changes the rules and announces their will be two winners. This forges and alliance between Katniss and Peeta where Peeta quickly begins to fall in love with her. When in the final hours of the Games the Capitol makes yet another rule change. There will be only one winner. Peeta and Katniss decide they will both eat poisonous berries and there will be no winner. The Capitol rushes in and declares both victorious. 

Personal Reaction: This book had me on the edge of my seat. I could not put it down. I read it when it first came out and re-reading it brought back just as much suspense. The characters are all well developed and believable. Oh, Katniss may be a little bossy and hard-headed and you want to just slap her once in awhile but that is what makes her beleivable. I loved Haymitch, the old codger really loves those kids but he keeps it well hidden. This is a dark book that really has a horrendous plot but it is sure to appeal to this generation. My library didn't have the last book of this trilogy so I asked one of my sixth graders if I could borrow her copy. She was happy to lend it to me and we had a great discussion about it. This is a captivating series.

Collins, S. (2008). The hunger games. New York: Scholastic Press.

My Brother Sam is Dead

This book is a Newbery Honor Book

Summary: This story takes place during the Revolutionary war in Redding, Connecticut. The Meeker family runs a tavern and there sixteen-year-old son, Sam, has run off to fight with the Rebels. The rest of the family, especially Father, are on the side of the Tories so Sam's decision does not sit well. While Sam is gone, Father and his son, Tim, take a three day journey so they can sell their cattle. During the trip Father is captured by cowboys. Tim and Mother must now survive without him. Sam continues to fight and his company arrives in Redding. Sam urges his mother to slaughter the cattle they own before it is stolen but before Mother can do that, Sam is falsely arrested for stealing his own cattle. Young Tim appeals to the Generals, but in the end, Sam is sentenced to be shot.

Personal Reaction: I really enjoy historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. This story is told in first person by Tim. His greatest dilema is what side of the war he believes in. What with his father being a staunch Tory and his brother joining the rebel cause, he is torn. He really loves and admires Sam and struggles to be as brave and courageous as he believes his brother to be. I enjoyed seeing Tim grow-up because of the pressure of the war. He really had to step up and went from a boy that complained about his chores to the man of the house very quickly. I always like the author's notes when it comes to a historical fiction novel. It sorts out what was real and what was made up. These authors included the names of many real people and places and events. And although Sam is a fictional character, there were many executions similar to the way Sam was excuted. 

Collier, J.L. & Collier, C. (1974). My brother Sam is dead. New York:Simon & Schuster.

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret

This is a challenged book

Personal Reaction: I actually have a copy of this book. I bought it years ago to read aloud to my step-daughter (who is now 27!) I kept the book because I loved it when I was a young girl. It held such taboos at the time that it almost felt like I was doing something wrong when I read it. When my own daughter turned 13, I broke out my worn copy of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. I would like to think that I have two children that love to read but truth be told, they would rather be on the computer. However, when I gave my daughter this book she read it right away and loved it as much as I did at her age. I think of this book as a classic. All girls feel self-concious during these years and Margaret is very relatable as she struggles with growing into womanhood. I plan on keeping my worn copy and handing it down to another generation.

Blume, J. (1970). Are you there God? it's me, Margaret. Cavaye Place, London: Piccolo.