Freakboy

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark, Farrar Straus Giroux Books, New York, 2013. ISBN: 978-0374324728

Plot Summary

“Freakboy” is told from the point of view of three different teens. Brendan seems to have the perfect life between his good grades, his wrestling meets, and his beautiful girlfriend, Vanessa.  But Brendan keeps having strange thoughts--like  what would it be like to be a girl, so graceful and beautiful? And how can he be transgender if he still likes being a guy?

Vanessa isn’t sure what’s going on with her boyfriend.  Sure he’s been moody and distant before, but this time it’s different.  She knows she’s not the typical frilly girlfriend--after all, she’s on the school’s wresting team with Brendan. Could her being a tomboy have something to do with Brendan’s distance?

Angel is the beautiful, worldly young woman who works at the local LGBTQ teen center. She’s also transgender and seems to be pretty comfortable with her life and who she is. Motivated by her abusive past, Angel is determined to help other LGBTQ teens get help and find their way. But can she get Brendan the help he needs, especially when he’s not being honest?

Critical Evaluation

The narrative in “Freakboy” has two distinct qualities with its  multiple first person points of view (POV) and being written in verse.  Clark makes it easy to figure out who’s speaking in each chapter, not only by their name at the beginning of their section but also their distinct voices. Brendan’s words are as jumbled as his thoughts, Vanessa ties in her family toward how she’s feeling, and Angel uses descriptions such as the color of the sky to correlate with how she’s feeling. The multiple POV’s helps the reader gain a better understanding into each of the characters, much more than a third person narrative might have.

Being written in verse does several favors for the book.  Readers who are fans of Ellen Hopkins and other YA verse authors will find Clark’s writing style familiar. Despite the book being over 400 pages long, it’s a quick read and reluctant readers will find it easy to get into the plot.  Several of the pages are also written out in different shapes: a T for transgender, a question mark for Brendan’s feelings. While the book does deal with several difficult and challenging topics such as gender identity and depression, the POV’s and verse narrative makes for an easy and diverse read.

Reader’s Annotation

If you like being a guy, but also think about being a girl, does that make you a freak? That’s what Brendan Chase thinks of himself, anyway.

About the Author

“Kristin Elizabeth Clark lives and writes in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Northern California. She hikes with her dog and reads to her cats… but she’s not one of THOSE people. Really. She has worked as a child advocate within the juvenile justice system, as a children’s theater producer, and is a proud volunteer at Project Outlet in Mountain View, California. Her young adult debut, Freakboy, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) on October 22^nd, 2013.”

(Bio. Retrieved  November 19^th, 2014 from http://kristinelizabethclark.com/about/)

Genres

LGBTQ

Contemporary/Coming of Age 

Verse

Curriculum Ties:

Poetry

Booktalking Ideas

1: Is it easier or harder to express your thoughts through verse?

2: Which of the three characters do you relate with most?

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

LGBTQ

Mentions of depression/suicide

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why Included?

I included “Freakboy,” because it’s a newer YA book dealing with gender identity. I also loved the beautiful verse it was written in.

The Age of Miracles

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. Random House, New York City, 2012. ISBN: 978-0812982947

Summary

Before her life changed on a Saturday, Julia was just a normal middle school girl: playing soccer, having sleepovers with her friends, and crushing on boys. But this was before the slowing of the Earth’s rotation, where the first days had an extra hour in them.  During the first days, Julia’s parents, teachers, and even world famous scientists and the President speculate about what caused the change and what could happen.

The only conclusion that everyone has is that their lives are slowing down, throwing the world into chaos.  Julia now eats breakfast and leaves for school while it’s still pitch dark out. The sun takes hours to rise, even from one side of the street to the other.  Animals are acting strange, there’s more hours of sunlight in October then in summer, and the change in gravity has affected both pro athletes and Julia’s own soccer team.

As the world outside changes, so is Julia’s home life. Her parents are fighting more, her friends are moving away to find a better place to live, and she starts to fall for Seth, one of her classmates.  While everyone else is preparing for the end, Julia is just trying to live for now and to be a teen before the world as she knows is it over.

Critical Evaluation

The pace in The Age of Miracles is slow and haunting.  It isn’t like typical ‘end of the world’ books where action, mayhem and chaos reign throughout the pages.  The characters, even Julia and her young friends, soon realize that their lives will be different from now on, but this doesn't  necessarily mean the end.

Walker’s decision to write in the point of view of a young teenage girl is a smart choice. Julia has the added pressure of trying to be a normal teen, all while dealing with the changes and terrors of the physically changing world.  Julia deals with normal teenage woes such as her parents fighting, losing touch with friends, and her first love, while also dealing with food shortages, power outages, and the dangerous heat of the changing sun. While Julie does dwell in her teenage longings and fears, she also has an honest, mature perspective of the world she now lives in. She realizes the world could end the very next day, meaning she can’t focus on what high school or driving will be like: she has to live in the here and now.  

While the book is originally written for adults, older teens would appreciate this book.  Julia is a mature, introspective narrator who is wise beyond her years. The plot is interesting and adds to the character-driven style of this novel. Overall, The Age of Miracles is  a beautiful  and lyrical read that will stick with its audience

Reader’s Annotation

As the Earth’s rotation slows and the world slowly changes, Julia is caught between being a normal teen and preparing for the end of the world.

About the Author

“Karen Thompson Walker was born and raised in San Diego, California, where The Age of Miracles is set. She studied English and creative writing at UCLA, where she wrote for the UCLA Daily Bruin. After college, she worked as a newspaper reporter in the San Diego area before moving to New York City to attend the Columbia University MFA program.

A former book editor at Simon & Schuster, she wrote The Age of Miracles in the mornings before work—sometimes while riding the subway. She is the recipient of the 2011 Sirenland Fellowship as well as a Bomb Magazine fiction prize. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.”

(About the Author.   Retrieved November 3^rd, 2014 from http://www.theageofmiraclesbook.com/author/)

Genres

Contemporary

Coming of Age

Adult Crossover

Curriculum Ties

Earth Science

English

Booktalking Ideas

1: How is the book different from other ‘end of the world’ titles?

2: How would you live in a world similar to “The Age of Miracles?”

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 8+

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why included?

I included The Age of Miracles for its crossover appeal, lyrical and haunting prose, and Julia’s mature narrative. 

Zac and Mia

Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts

Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts , HMH Books for Young Readers, New York, 2000. ISBN 978-0544331648

  

Summary

Seventeen year old Zac is one of the youngest patients at his hospital in Australia. He’s there for leukemia treatment and he’s tired: tired of the treatment, tired of being the only one under fifty in the hospital, tired of only having his mom for a friend.

Mia is a new arrival at the hospital.  She has osteosarcoma, and while her chances of survival are good, she’s still bitter and angry.  Before cancer her life was perfect: she had tons of friends, she went shopping and to the beach every weekend. But now she’s stuck in a hospital and left wondering if she’s going to die.

When a miscommunication happens between the rooms, Zac and Mia end up becoming Facebook friends.  Before the two of them can become closer, Zac is released from the hospital and falls out of touch with Mia.  While Zac tries to readjust to normal life, Mia runs away from her home, desperate to find another life. When Zac and Mia meet again in another chance encounter, the two of them must decide if they have the fight within them to live, and to love.

  

Critical Evaluation

While “Zac and Mia” has been compared to “The Fault In Our Stars,” this cancer story is different. Most of the story is told after Zac and Mia both leave the hospital, and while their cancer diagnostics still plays a part in the story, it doesn’t influence the plot as much as “TFIOS" does. The overall tone of the story has a very gritty feel and is probably best for older teens. Along with sexual situations and use of heavy language, the characters go through strong emotional moments throughout the book. While Mia and Zac have a strong chance for survival, they find themselves facing depression and intense anger over their situation.  Their emotions and feelings are never sugarcoated: instead every f-bomb and tear is shown.

The setting of Australia makes the book different from TFIOS as well. While the teens have the same emotions and musical interests of American teens, the Australia slang and location gives an international experience to the readers. While Zac and Mia is very different from TFIOS, it would be a perfect read-a-like for older teens who enjoyed Green’s book.

Reader’s Annotation

Being a teenager is hard enough. Having cancer is another story.

About the Author

“AJ Betts is an Australian author, speaker, teacher and cyclist. Zac & Mia, her most recent novel for teenagers, won the 2012 Text Prize, the 2014 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and the 2014 Ethel Turner prize for young adults at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. Inspired by her work in a children's hospital, Zac & Mia will be available in 12 countries by the end of 2014. AJ's other novels are Wavelength and Shutterspeed (both with Fremantle Press). She's lived in Perth for the past ten years.

 (About.  Retrieved October 19^th, 2014 from http://www.ajbetts.com/about.html)

Genres

Coming of Age

Contemporary

Romance

Curriculum Ties   N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1: Who did you identify with more—Zac or Mia?

2: How would the story had been different, if it was set in the US?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

Language

Sexual situations

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Literary Awards: Text Prize for YA and Children’s Writing (2012)

Why included?

I included Zac and Mia because it is a new release and thought it would be great for fans of “The Fault in Our Stars.” I also liked how it was set in and written by an Australian.

Winger

Winger by Andrew Smith

Winger, by Andrew Smith.  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers,  New York, 2013. ISBN 978-1442444928

Summary

Ryan Dean West isn’t like most fourteen-year-olds.  He’s a junior in high school, goes to a boarding school for the rich and privileged, and lives in a dorm. But while he isn’t a typical fourteen year old, everyone still thinks of him as a kid: his parents, the older teens he lives with, and Annie, his best friend who he’s in love with.   And everyone thinks of him as a troublemaker too, after he stole a teacher’s cell phone and is forced to live in the same boarding hall as other troublemakers.

Ryan Dean has an entire year in front of him: a chance to play on the rugby team, a chance to keep his grades up, and a chance to prove he’s not the little kid everyone thinks he is. With the help of his new friends and Annie, Ryan Dean is determined to make this year his best. But what will he do when tragedy strikes his circle of friends?

Critical Evaluation

There’s no doubt that the narrator of Winger is a teenage boy.  He frequently talks about sex, bodily functions, and sports. While these themes could turn off other readers, the book redeems itself with its humor and writing style. The chapters are short enough to hold any reader’s attention, and the plot moves along quickly despite the 400-some pages.  Ryan Dean himself is a likeable hero and it’s easy to identify with him throughout the book: whether that is for his unrequited feelings for Annie or his many embarrassing moments.

While the hero himself is only fourteen years old, Winger is meant for older teens, with its language, sexual themes, and violence.  There is also a plot twist toward the end of the book that can be seen as depressing and bleak for younger readers.  Winger does balance these challenging elements with its humor and cartoons sprinkled throughout the book.  Altogether, Winger is a great book for guy readers and reluctant readers.  

Reader’s Annotation

Think you were weird at fourteen? Try being a high school junior in a boarding school for rich, troubled kids.

About the Author

“Andrew Smith is the award-winning author of several Young Adult novels, including the critically acclaimed Winger (Starred reviews inPublishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness—an Amazon “Best of the Year,” and an ALA Top 10 for 2014) and The Marbury Lens(A YALSA BFYA, and Starred reviews and Best of the Year in bothPublishers Weekly and Booklist). He is a native-born Californian who spent most of his formative years traveling the world. His university studies focused on Political Science, Journalism, and Literature. He has published numerous short stories and articles. Grasshopper Jungle, a starred novel by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, andShelf Awareness, is his seventh novel. He lives in Southern California.”

 (Author Andrew Smith.  Retrieved October 11^th, 2014 from http://www.authorandrewsmith.com/Author_Andrew_Smith/Home.html)

Genres

Humor

Contemporary

Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties   N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1: Discuss the setting of Pine Mountain boarding school.

2: Why was Ryan Dean and his friends such a target for the bullies?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

Language

Sexual situations

Violence

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included this book because it was written in the point of view from a teenage boy. I also liked the humor and the short chapters in the book.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, New York City, 2009. ISBN: 978-0316013697

Summary

Fourteen year old Junior lives with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  He doesn’t really fit in and gets called names for his speech impediment. Junior uses his artistic talent to explain what he means to say, and how he feels.  While his life with his parents on the reservation isn’t perfect, it’s all he’s ever known.

That all changes when one of his teachers, Mr P, tells Junior that he should leave and go to a school off the reservation.  While Junior’s best friend, Rowdy, hates him for this, Junior’s parents realize this is the best option for their son.

Junior decides to go to Reardan, a rich school miles away from the reservation. Most of the student body is white, and the only other Indian in school is the stereotypical mascot.  Junior knows he’s going to have a hard time fitting in with all of the popular, white kids: on the first day, his classmates laugh at his name and voice, and almost start a fight with him.  But with the help of his family and his cartoons, Junior will try to find his own place in the world.

Critical Evaluation

The Absolutely True Diary is a hilarious and genuine story.  Junior’s commentary and outlook on the world keeps readers laughing and turning the pages, while the cartoons give the novel a comic book feel.   Readers of all backgrounds can sympathize and understand Junior’s feelings of being an outsider, in both his school and in his community.  The book also gives readers the chance to observe what life is really like on a reservation without ever coming across as too preachy or depressive.  While several tragedies do happen to Junior and his family, he is quick to bounce back with his trademark humor and cartoons.

The book has been banned and challenged for its sexual situations and language. However, the crude humor and foul language do belong to the narrative voice of a fourteen year old boy, and is necessary to the story.   Despite the challenges and censorships, The Absolutely True Diary makes a great addition to libraries for its humor and for its crossover appeal.

Reader’s Annotation

Junior is finally getting off the Indian reservation he’s known forever and going to a white, rich school—where the only other Indian is the mascot.

About the Author

“Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction, a PEN/Hemingway Citation for Best First Fiction, and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Sherman Alexie is a poet, short story writer, novelist, and performer.

He has published 24 books including What I've Stolen, What I've Earned, poetry, from Hanging Loose Press; Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories, from Grove Press; and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a novel from Little, Brown Books for Children.

He has also recently published the 20th Anniversary edition of his classic book of stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Smoke Signals, the movie he wrote and co-produced, won the Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

A Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, Alexie grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Alexie has been an urban Indian since 1994 and lives in Seattle with his family.”

 (Biography.  Retrieved October 6^th, 2014 from http://fallsapart.com/press/)

Genres

Multicultural

Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties

Cultural History

Social Science

Booktalking Ideas

1: The similarities between Junior’s story and the author’s life.

2:  Junior’s life on the reservation—how different from your life?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

Violence

Language

Sexual situations

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included The Absolutely True Diary for its humor, illustrations, and for its crossover appeal. 

The Truth About Forever

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. Speak Publishing, New York City, 2004. ISBN:978-0142406250

Summary

Sixteen year old Macy Queen has an uneventful summer ahead of her. Sure, she has a boring job at the library, with two of the queen bees at school. And she’ll be busy studying for the SAT’s and her upcoming senior year. But her boyfriend, Jason, will be away at “Brain Camp” all summer. And Macy’s really just doing these mindless things to keep her from thinking about her dad died of a heart attack the day after Christmas. Reminders of her dad and her life before are everywhere, and so are the whispers--that Macy is the girl who was there when her dad died.

But just as Macy is getting used to her quiet, boring summer, her mom asks her for help during one of her catering events. There, she meets the characters of the Wish Catering crew. Between talkative Kristy, quiet Monica, and handsome, introspective Wes, Macy starts to feel something she hasn’t in a while—alive. As she spends more time with the catering crew and with Wes, Macy wonders if it’s finally time for her boring life to become more alive.

Critical Evaluation

As with her other novels, Dessen’s quirky, loveable characters and strong emotional journey take center stage in “The Truth About Forever.” All of the members of the Wish Catering crew jump off the page with their strong personalities and big hearts. As in Dessen’s other works, character growth is also a strong focus point of her writing.  Sullen, quiet Monica, and happy-go-lucky Kristy may be quick for the audience to judge on first appearance.  But by the novel’s end, the characters have shown their weaknesses and their strengths, proving they are more than just one-dimensional creations.

Macy’s journey from by-the-numbers good girl, to taking emotional risks and following her heart is wonderfully portrayed. Dessen takes enough time for her lead character to go through her cycles of grief, without seeming too cold or emotionally withdrawn. Macy’s slow burning revelation that she must move on in order to full live her life happens slowly during the book, but works for the lyrical and beautiful prose.   With relatable characters and an emotional plot,  Dessen yet again creates a touching journey of grief and love.

Reader’s Annotation

Macy hasn’t felt alive since the sudden death of her father. But a loveable catering crew and an understanding boy named Wes may change all of that.

About the Author

 “Hi. I’m Sarah. Writing a bio is always a little weird, if only because it seems completely self-absorbed. I have a standard one that I send out, which lists where I got my degree, the names of my books, all the same boring basic facts. But for this website, I’m supposed to do something more, give a sense of who I really am. So here goes. I was born in 1970 in Illinois, but all the life I remember I’ve spent in Chapel Hill, NC. My parents were both professors at the University

of North Carolina: my mom is a classicist (which means she knows everything you could ever imagine about myths, Latin, and words) and my dad teaches Shakespeare (which means I’d seen As You Like It about five times by the age of 18.)

I’ve been writing, in one way or another, for as long as I can remember. I was always a big reader, mostly because my parents were. I used to get frustrated with my mom because she bought me books for Christmas when what I really wanted were the gift my friends got, things like sweaters and jewelry. But I did love to read. When I was eight or nine my parents gave me an old manual typewriter and a little desk in the corner of our den, and I’d sit there and type up my stories. I was the kind of kid that people always sighed over and said, “She has such a wild imagination,” which usually meant “I wish Sarah would try to stick to the truth.” I have a tendency to embellish: I think it’s just a weakness of fiction writers. Once you learn how to make a story better, it’s hard not to do it all the time.”

 (Bio/Press Kit.    Retrieved October 4th, 2014 from http://sarahdessen.com/press-kit/)

Genres

Romance

Contemporary

Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1: How does Macy’s grieving differ from her mother’s?

2: While Macy would rather grieve on her own, she thrives when she’s around her new friends. Is going outside of your comfort zone good or bad?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

N/A

Literary Awards

South Carolina Book Award for Young Adult Book Award (2007)

YALSA Teen’s Top Ten (2005)

Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2006)

Why included?

I included The Truth About Forever as it’s one of my favorite YA novels. I also included it for the loveable characters and the emotional journey.

The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier  

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Ember, New York City, 2012(Copyright renewed by Constance S. Cormier) ISBN: 978-0-440-94459

Summary

The Vigils rule at Trinity high school. A secret society composed of upperclassmen, the Vigils create embarrassing assignments and tasks for underclassmen at their private school to complete.  They've never worked alongside a teacher before the annual chocolate sale is introduced. Power hungry Brother Leon who aspires to be the school’s next headmaster, needs each boy at Trinity to sell at least fifty boxes of chocolates in order to make the sale a success.  In order to do that, he needs the support of Archie, the cold, analytical ring leader of the Vigils.

Archie agrees to help out Brother Leon, but also wants to have a little fun of his own: so he gives Jerry, a new kid, the assignment to refuse to sell any chocolates for  the first part of the sale. Once ten days is over with, Jerry will sell the chocolates, Brother Leon will get a little shock, and the Vigils will reign supreme.

But Jerry isn’t the weak freshman everyone thinks he is. For reasons unknown to even him, he refuses to sell the chocolates: even after his assignment is finished with. Now Jerry is dealing with peer pressure from Brother Leon and the Vigils, all while trying to stay true to his values.

Critical Evaluation

While it was published forty years ago, The Chocolate War is still considered a YA classic.  The themes of bullying and peer pressure are even more relevant for today’s young audience, as well as Jerry’s struggle to be an individual. All of the characters in the book are riveting and interesting and even the antagonists Brother Leon and Archie are well-developed and emotional characters. The plot is riveting and the narratives from Jerry, Archie, the Vigils, Goober, and other supporting characters is well-rounded and allows the audience to fully understand the complexities of the other characters.

The overall tone is dark and moody, but fits well with the theme of the story. It is not a book that promises a happy ending but  instead delivers a more realistic narrative throughout.  The book is still challenged for its language, violence, and sexual situations, but is pretty tame compared to more recent YA books. Young readers may be hesitant to pick up a classic, but the Chocolate War is still a must read for older teens and adults.

Reader’s Annotation

Jerry must deal with bullying, peer pressure, and the influence of a secret student society, after he refuses to participate in his school’s chocolate fundraiser.  

About the Author

“Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925–November 2, 2000) was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged in multiple libraries. His books often are concerned with themes such as abuse, mental illness, violence, revenge, betrayal and conspiracy. In most of his novels, the protagonists do not win.”

(Robert Cormier. Retrieved October 1^st, 2014 from https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10442.Robert_Cormier)

Genres

Classics

Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties

English—YA Classics

Booktalking Ideas

1: Discuss bullying and peer pressure in the book, compared to today’s examples.

2: The idea of the individual compared to following the crowd.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 14+

Grades 8+

Challenge Issues

Language

Sexual Situations

Violence

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included The Chocolate War for its relevant themes of bullying and peer pressure and because it’s a YA classic.

Stargirl

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Knopf Books for Young Readers, New York, 2000. ISBN 978-0679886372

Summary

When new students arrive at Mica High School, everyone notices.  But new sophomore Stargirl is unlike any other student before: she wears hippie dresses, plays a ukulele, and doesn’t wear any makeup.  She sings happy birthday to students, dances outside in the rain, and says hello to upperclassmen she doesn’t know.  

Junior Leo Borlock is fascinated by Stargirl, the minute he meets her. She’s different and refreshing from all the other girls at his school.  Everyone else likes Stargirl at first and she quickly becomes one of the more popular kids, making friends with the cheerleaders and embracing lonely freshmen.

But soon Stargirl’s novelty wears off and she’s seen as annoying and fake.  She doesn’t agree with the status quo of the school and thinks everyone should get along. After a disastrous interview on the school’s TV show, students begin to turn on Stargirl. Now as his fellow students mock and bully the girl he loves, Leo must decide what’s more important: his Stargirl, or his friends.

Critical Evaluation

Stargirl herself makes the book stand out.  She is unique not only in how she dresses and behaves but also in how she acts. She knows who she is as a person and isn’t afraid to be herself.  Even when given the chance to stand up and fight her bullies, she continues to show them love and peace.  It would have been easy for Spinelli to create Stargirl as a stereotypical weird outcast, but instead she’s portrayed  as a girl who  really does love her fellow students.

“Stargirl” could have read the same as any other high school tale of bullying and outcasts.  But there is a sense of hope and wonder throughout the novel and the belief that there is something bigger out there then petty high school drama.   The book is set in Arizona and Spinelli’s descriptions of the desert and the sunrises give the setting a mythical, magical feel.  Between Spinelli’s writing and Stargirl herself, the book makes for a beautiful, lasting read.

Reader’s Annotation

With her pet rat and ukulele, Stargirl is unlike any student at Mica High.  Can she show her fellow students that being different is okay?

About the Author

“When I was growing up, the first thing I wanted to be was a cowboy. That lasted till I was about ten. Then I wanted to be a baseball player. Preferably shortstop for the New York Yankees.

I played Little League in junior high and high school. I only hit two home runs in my career, but I had no equal when it came to standing at shortstop and chattering to my pitcher: “C'mon, baby, hum the pea.” Unfortunately, when I stood at the plate, so many peas were hummed past me for strikes that I decided to let somebody else become shortstop for the Yankees.

It was about that time that our high school football team won a heart-stopping game against one of the best teams in the country. While the rest of the town was tooting horns and celebrating, I went home and wrote a poem about the game. A few days later the poem was published in the local newspaper, and suddenly I had something new to become: a writer.

Little did I know that twenty-five years would pass before a book of mine would be published.

Not that I wasn't trying. In the years after college I wrote four novels, but nobody wanted them. They were adult novels. So was number five, or so I thought. However, because it was about a thirteen-year-old boy, adult book publishers didn't even want to see it. But children's publishers did — and that's how, by accident, I became an author of books for kids.

Life is full of happy accidents.”

 (Jerry Spinelli.  Retrieved September 29^th, 2014  from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/jerry-spinelli)

Genres

Coming of Age

Contemporary

Curriculum Ties   N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1: Is it better to stand out, or stick with the crowd?

2:  Have you ever known somebody like Stargirl?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 12+

Grades 7+

Challenge Issues

N/A

Defense File

Literary Awards: Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Book for Children’s Literature (2001,) NAIBA Book Award for Children’s Literature, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (Top Ten, 2011) (Retrieved September 29^th, 2014 from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22232.Stargirl)

Why included?

Stargirl was one of my personal favorite in high school. It’s perfect for reluctant readers and for any teen who feels like they are different.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York City, 2012. ISBN: 978-1442408920

Summary

Fifteen year old Aristotle, known as Ari, is headed into another bored, lonely summer. He has no friends to hang out with and there's nothing to do in his small town.  He’s the only child left at home after his older sisters left and his older brother went to jail. His mother is too busy with her job and her friends, and Ari’s father is silent and solemn, never talking with his son about his life or his memories of the Vietnam War.

Just when Ari thinks he’ll have another miserable summer, he meets Dante at the community pool. Dante is quiet and has a funny voice, but offers to teach Ari how to swim. Their swimming lessons grow to sharing comic books, and spending time at each other’s houses throughout the summer. Dante is the only one who understands Ari: his strained relationship with his father, his Mexican identity, and confusion about his identity.  With Dante, Ari feels like he can finally be himself. But is he ready to share his true self with his parents and family, or will he shut out all the emotions he feels with Dante?

Critical Evaluation

Aristotle and Dante is much more than a friendship or a LGBTQ novel.   While Ari’s conflicting feelings about his sexuality and his relationship with Dante is a central plot point, the novel is more about Ari coming to terms with who he is. His fragile relationship with his father, his questions about his older brother, and figuring out what makes his happy is something that Ari struggles with throughout the book. Dante’s friendship not only makes Ari feel important, but also helps him sort out through his emotions about his family and himself.

With lyrical prose and beautiful descriptions of Texas culture and landscape, Aristotle and Dante's pace is slow and sweet, most of the plot unfolding over the course of four years.  Saenz gives enough time to develop the friendship between the two boys, without making their relationship too rushed or forced. 

The narrative style is at times broken and jumbled, but it  works for the confusion  that Ari is facing.  Saenz does a nice job describing the cultural influence of Ari and Dante’s Hispanic heritage without bombarding the audience with too many confusing terms and experiences.   The setting of El Paso, Texas, in 1987 is a nice change as well, with several 80'3 pop culture references. At almost 400 pages,the slow pace of the story may be a turn off for some readers.  But for those willing to try it, Aristotle and Dante is a beautiful tale of friendship and finding oneself.

Reader’s Annotation

Have you ever felt alone and misunderstood? Aristotle did, at least until he met a quiet, funny voiced boy named Dante.

About the Author

 “Benjamin Alire Sáenz is an author of poetry and prose for adults and teens. He is the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the American Book Award for his books for adults. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe was a Printz Honor Book, the Stonewall Award winner, the Pura Belpre Award winner, the Lambda Literary Award winner, and a finalist for the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. His first novel for teens, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book for teens, He Forgot to Say Goodbye, won the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, the Southwest Book Award, and was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. He teaches creative writing at the University of Texas, El Paso.”

 (Benjamin Alire Saenz.   Retrieved September 28^th, 2014  from http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Benjamin-Alire-Saenz/44544494)

Genres

LGBTQ

Coming of Age

Friendship

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1: Why was it so hard for Ari to accept his family did love him?

2: In what ways did Dante change Ari’s life?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 14+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

LGBTQ

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included Aristotle and Dante for its emotional, beautiful writing, and the strong relationship between the two characters.