A Journey into the World of YA: March 2011

Saturday, March 26, 2011

12. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

ISBN: 078683892-2

Hyperion Books, New York, 2006

302 p.

Plot Summary

At New York’s Duchesne School, there is an elite clique of students, just as with any high school. However, in this case, the clique is known as Blue Bloods, consisting of the most influential families in New York who also happen to be reincarnated vampires. In breaking from traditional vampire lore, the Blue Bloods do not become aware of their vampire existence until they near 15-years-old and begin craving raw meat and prominent blue veins begin to show on their arms, as well as start remembering events from years past. Schuyler Van Alen is a member of the Blue Bloods, but she, along with her friends Oliver and Dylan, are ostracized from the group by the more beautiful and popular teens, specifically Mimi Force. When Schuyler is invited to a meeting of The Committee, she discovers her true identity as a Blue Blood and forms a connection with Mimi’s twin brother, Jack. One night at a club populated by Blue Bloods, one of Mimi’s best friends, Aggie, is murdered. Intent on finding out what happened, Schuyler learns that she succumbed to “Full Consumption,” in which all of her blood was drained by a Silver Blood, a vampire that feeds on other vampires. Frustrated with the Blue Blood elders denying the existence of Silver Bloods, Schuyler is determined to figure out the secrets, putting herself in danger in the process.

Critical Evaluation

Melissa de la Cruz’s Blue Bloods introduces a unique, modern take on vampire mythology. Through reincarnation, the blood of the vampires is passed along from one body to the next, using the body as a sort of vessel to preserve immortality. In this way, the vampires can still age and blend into society seamlessly. Some vampires choose to live forever, but others decide to move on to the next “cycle” and become reborn in another body. Rather than hunting for humans and living on the outskirts of town, the Blue Bloods take on “human familiars” that they bond with for their blood supply and live in upscale neighborhoods in Manhattan, their vampire existence undetectable by the population. Also, the inclusion of real events in history works to make the danger seem even more plausible. From the moment I first learned about the lost colony of Roanoke in fifth grade, I have been interested in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a whole colony. The incorporation of Roanoke into the novel works to add to the mystery surrounding the history of the Blue Bloods. Through diary entries of Catherine Carver from centuries ago, we learn that a group of Blue Bloods fled Europe to come to the New World, mirroring the history of the Pilgrims coming to America for religious freedom. Docked just off shore while the men set up the colony, the women begin to worry that what was targeting them in Europe followed them to the New World. The word “Croatan,” that was found carved on a tree in the real lost colony of Roanoke, is used to give an alternative reason for the disappearance of a whole group of people. De la Cruz takes advantage of one of the most mysterious and still unexplained events in American history, adding to the mystery in the novel while also demonstrating the danger still facing the Blue Bloods.

Reader's Annotation

The Blue Bloods are the most powerful and influential families in New York. However, when one of them is murdered, Schuyler Van Alen puts her own existence in danger to figure out the secrets being kept from the younger Blue Bloods.

Information About the Author

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat. Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and Fox News. She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter. (information taken from author’s website: http://melissa-delacruz.com/index.php/info/about)

Genre

Young Adult – Mystery/Dark Fantasy

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on the relationship between Schuyler and Jack.

2. Compare the teens in Blue Bloods to those in Gossip Girl.

3. Tell the story from Oliver’s point-of-view.

4. Talk about the connection between Catherine Carver and the present group of Blue Bloods.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

There are instances of drinking and drug use in the novel. Also, the idea of the “human familiar” has sexual undertones.

When confronted with complaints about this novel, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content. Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it. Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom. As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

I heard about this book a couple of years ago when it was being developed into a TV series for the CW network. Although that fell through, it put the book on my radar and I decided to finally read it for this project.

11. Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (audio book)

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (audio book)

ISBN: 0-7393-3547-2

Listening Library, New York, 2006

Total playing time: 6 hr. 9 min.

Plot Summary

Dairy Queen is the first of three novels focusing on the life of DJ Schwenk, a quiet fifteen-year-old girl living on a dairy farm in Red Bend, Wisconsin. As the only girl in a family of four children in which two of her older brothers play college football, DJ has a love and knowledge of the sport rivaling any of the local high school boys. Because of this, the coach of the rival high school football team, who happens to be a family friend, pressures DJ into training his back-up quarterback, Brian Nelson, for the summer. Having years of experience watching her brothers train, DJ is able to run Brian through the ringer, although his stubborn streak gives her trouble at first. As they become friends, DJ starts to develop romantic feelings for Brian, which she dismisses because she believes she’s not as pretty or skinny as the girls he dates. Watching how DJ does whatever she is told, Brian compares her to the cows she takes care of. As they continue training, DJ realizes that she wants the chance to try out for her high school’s team and break out of her rut by doing something that no one would expect. Conflicted by her feelings for Brian, as well as the turmoil her dwindling friendship with her best friend, Amber, is causing her, DJ powers through in her quest to find true happiness.

Critical Evaluation

Dairy Queen seems like a simple story at first look, but the character of DJ Schwenk is much more complex as her different layers are revealed. Coming from a family that doesn’t do much talking, it is only natural that the DJ we meet in the beginning of the novel doesn’t think she has much to say. She does what people ask without complaint, including taking over the care of the cows when her father has an operation that limits his physical abilities. Because of this, Brian Nelson compares her to her cows in that the cows just go along doing what they’re supposed to do without thinking twice until they die. While this insults her, DJ realizes that she has put aside her own happiness in order to do what others expect of her. In this sense, Dairy Queen is a coming-of-age story, chronicling DJ’s journey of self-discovery. Even though many will not be able to relate to the conditions DJ goes through in baling hay and painting the barn, this journey of finding what makes her happy and how she can be true to herself is a universal teen issue. In fact, it is something that many adults struggle with, as well.

Reader's Annotation

Taking care of her family’s farm, DJ Schwenk does whatever she is expected to do, without thinking of the alternative. After a summer of training with the rival high school’s back-up quarterback, DJ realizes that she wants to thwart everyone’s expectations of her and find her own happiness—step one being trying out for high school football.

Information About the Author

Catherine Gilbert Murdock was raised in Connecticut on a small farm of mostly honeybees, a couple of goats, and Christmas trees. Her sister is Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, and Murdock admits that her sister was the writer of the family, while she was (and continues to be) a diligent reader of young adult literature.

Murdock writes on her website, “When someone recommends a book, I immediately ask, ‘Is it for grownups? Because I don't read those.’ Followed by "Does it have dragons?’” Aside from being a struggling screenwriter, Dairy Queen was Murdock’s first attempt at creative writing since her high school years. (information taken from author’s website: http://www.catherinemurdock.com/catherinemurdock/cgm_home.html)

Genre

Young Adult – Chick Lit/Sports

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Discuss Brian’s analogy that compares DJ to a cow.

2. DJ’s family does not talk much. Address the impact that the lack of communication has on the relationships between family members.

3. Focus on the story from Brian Nelson’s point-of-view.

Reading Level/Interest Age

13+

Challenge Issues

There are no foreseeable challenges to this novel.

However, should complaints arise about this novel, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content. Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it. Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom. As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

This audio book was recommended to me by a friend and, looking into it, I found that the novel was on the ALA’s 2007 list of the Best Books for Young Adults.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

10. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

ISBN: 978-0-670-01110-0

Viking, New York, 2009

278 p.

Plot Summary

Wintergirls is a story about Lia, an eighteen-year-old girl who has been struggling with anorexia since the eighth grade. In and out of treatment facilities several times, Lia has moved out of her mother’s house and now lives with her father, her stepmother, and younger stepsister. The novel begins with Lia discovering that her ex-best friend, Cassie, has died. Although she knows very little about the conditions of her death (except that she died alone, in a motel room), Lia is haunted by the fact that Cassie called her thirty-three times the night of her death. Because of numerous fights and an eventual falling out, Lia ignored each of the calls, but listening to the voicemails reveals the helplessness and anger Cassie was experiencing right before she died. Still every bit consumed by her eating disorder, Lia uses several tricks to make her family believe that she is on the road to recovery. Taunted by Cassie’s ghost, Lia is reminded about the competition they started when they were younger and developing their eating disorders together—the skinniest girl would win. Spurred by Lia’s younger sister walking in on her cutting herself down the middle of her torso, she is taken back to the same treatment center. However, it becomes obvious that no one can help Lia but herself, and as her weight drops lower and lower, will she help herself before it is too late?

Critical Evaluation

With this as my second introduction to Laurie Halse Anderson’s work, I am struck by her ability to bring the reader into the mind of the character. Told from Lia’s point-of-view, Wintergirls forces the reader to understand the thought process of an anorexic who also self-mutilates. The author’s use of striking-through phrases is unique and works to give some perspective as to how the disease is controlling Lia’s thoughts. It is almost as if the healthy thoughts are still there, but the anorexia crosses them out in favor of pro-anorexia thoughts. Although some may find it repetitive, this style added to the mood of the novel, providing a glimmer of hope when Lia would think that she should eat only to be squashed as her disease promoted finding strength through abstaining. This internal battle is present throughout the novel and I could feel Lia’s frustration and anger along with her. As someone who has never struggled with an eating disorder, I was surprised by how quickly I was pulled into Lia’s world and connected with her. While there will inevitably be readers who will find triggers in the novel, the convincing story that the author tells will particularly connect with people who are looking for characters that speak to their own struggles. Perhaps most importantly, the novel highlights the idea that no one can save you from yourself. Even though Lia’s family tries to get through to her and fight through her disease, the only way that she will be able to recover is if she truly wants it. The strength of the eating disorder’s control on her mind will resist any outside influence until Lia can chip away at that control.

Reader's Annotation

Lia and Cassie are wintergirls—caught in between this world and the next. When Cassie dies, Lia is haunted by the knowledge that Cassie reached out to her for help on the night of her death, while also struggling with an eating disorder that aims to reunite them.

Information About the Author

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous national and state awards, as well as international recognition. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Laurie was honored with the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award given by YALSA division of the American Library Association for her “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature…”. Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes.

Laurie has loved writing since second grade. She began as a freelance reporter for newspapers and magazines, but she had a lot to learn about writing. She earned hundreds of discouraging rejections letters when she started submitting her books to publishers. She joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and found a supportive critique group. (Retrieved from author's website: http://madwomanintheforest.com/laurie)

Genre

Young Adult – Realistic/Issues/Eating Disorder/Self-mutilation

Curriculum Ties

This novel could be used in a health class to give a glimpse into the psychology around eating disorders.

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on the control that the eating disorder has over Lia.

2. Discuss the relationships that Lia has with her family members.

3. Think of the dangers that pro-anorexia sites pose to relapsing anorexics.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

There are graphic instances of anorexia and self-mutilation in this novel.

When confronted with complaints about this novel, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content. Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it. Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom. As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

After reading Speak, I wanted to read another of Laurie Halse Anderson’s novels and the praise for Wintergirls that I’ve read brought it to my attention.

9. Red Riding Hood (Feature Film)

Red Riding Hood (Feature Film)

2011

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

Warner Bros. Pictures

Total running time: 100 min.

Plot Summary

Red Riding Hood is a dark fantasy film version of the classic fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood. Valerie is a young woman who lives in the middle of the wilderness, in a small Medieval-style village. Although Valerie is in love with Peter, her parents promise her to Henry because of his family’s standing in the town. The love triangle forces Valerie to choose between love and her parents’ wishes. For a couple of generations, the town has been threatened by a werewolf, forcing them to put out offerings of small animals in exchange for the town’s safety. However, when the werewolf mauls Valerie’s sister, the townsmen go on a rampage, trekking up the mountain to kill him. The men kill a wolf, believing it to be the werewolf that torments them. The next morning, Father Solomon arrives in town after being summoned to help rid the town of the werewolf. Seeing the head of the wolf that the men mounted on a stick, Father Solomon insists that the werewolf is still alive because it can transform from wolf to man and, when they beheaded it, it would have transformed back into its human form. Rather than believing that the werewolf was someone from the outside, Father Solomon closes the gates around the town, insisting that the werewolf is amongst them. When the werewolf appears during a town party, it confronts Valerie and tells her that she must go away with it or the town will be massacred. Paying attention to the brown eyes of the werewolf, Valerie looks around the town, thinking about who would want her to go away with them. Could it be Peter, Henry, her grandmother, or someone else?

Critical Evaluation

While the trailer initially attracted me, I was disappointed with the film. Although the colors were quite breathtaking, the content of Red Riding Hood left much to be desired. From the very beginning of the film, it is established that Valerie’s parents have promised her to Henry because of his fiscal standing in the village. However, considering that Henry and his parents still live in the same village as the poorer villagers such Valerie and her family, the advantage of marrying Henry as opposed to Peter was lost on me. While Henry’s house may be more extravagant than her own or the one that Peter could provide, there is no evidence of this beyond the knowledge that Henry has a better paying job than Peter. Also, whether or not the home she would live in as a married woman is extravagant, she is still in the same small village with the same resources no matter what. Therefore, it seemed too forced that her mother would be so adamant about Valerie forgetting about Peter and marrying Henry. Overall, the film was pretty good at keeping me guessing which character was the wolf right up until the moment it was revealed, but the conflict between love and money did not go over well and, therefore, limited the connection I felt with Valerie’s story.

Reader's Annotation

After decades of living in fear of the werewolf, the village decides to kill it. However, when they realize that the werewolf is one of the villagers and it only wants to take Valerie away with it, Valerie becomes suspicious of her friends and family, leaving her to wonder who is murdering the villagers.

Information About the Director

Catherine Hardwicke (born Helen Catherine Hardwicke;October 21, 1955) is an American production designer and film director. Her works include the independent film Thirteen, which she co-wrote with Nikki Reed, the film's co-star, the Biblically-themed The Nativity Story, the vampire film Twilight, and the werewolf film Red Riding Hood. The opening weekend of Twilight was the biggest opening ever for a female director.

She spent most of the 1990s as a production designer, working on such films as Tombstone (1993), Tank Girl (1995), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), The Newton Boys (1998), and Three Kings (1999). The following year, she collaborated with director/screenwriter Cameron Crowe and actor/producer Tom Cruise on Vanilla Sky (2001). The latter two films are notable for their original use of color-manipulation techniques to complement the narrative. Hardwicke who always wanted to make her own movies stumbled on to that chance while trying to help troubled teen, Nikki Reed, a friend’s daughter, who had fallen in with a bad crowd at school. (Retrieved from director’s Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Hardwicke)

Genre

Fantasy/Horror/Mystery

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Weigh the pros and cons of Valerie’s relationship with both love interests.

2. Discuss the conflict of love vs. security.

3. Address the differences between this version and the original telling of Little Red Riding Hood.

Reading Level/Interest Age

13+

Challenge Issues

The film is rated PG-13 for violence and some sensuality.

When confronted with complaints about this film, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content. Turn to reviews included on Amazon.com, as well as reviews from teens that have seen the film. Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom. As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Film in Selection?

The look of the film, as well as the fact that Catherine Hardwicke directed it, drew me to it for this project.

Monday, March 7, 2011

8. Flawless by Sara Shepard

Flawless by Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars Book #2

ISBN: 978-0-06-088733-9

HarperTeen, New York, 2007

330 p.

Plot Summary

After attending Alison’s funeral, Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily discover that “A” was not who they originally believed. It becomes even more evident that someone else knows everything about them, including their involvement in “The Jenna Thing.” With Jenna and Toby back in town, A’s knowledge of the incident that led to Jenna’s blindness leads a few of the girls to suspect Toby of sending the messages. After all, he was the only other person there when the incident happened and, although the girls don’t know why, he took the blame for the firework going off when Alison was actually the person who let it go. A manipulates the girls into doing what he/she demands. Hanna is forced to reveal her eating disorder to a couple of popular girls at school and Aria confronts her father’s mistress, in hopes that A will start to leave them alone. Also, Emily receives a text from A acknowledging her romantic relationship with Maya and Spencer believes that A told her sister, Melissa, that Spencer was secretly seeing her ex-boyfriend. Although the girls try to appease A, the messages and taunting does not stop. Is Toby who they think he is, or is he just another pawn in A’s plot against them?

Critical Evaluation

In contrast with the first novel in the Pretty Little Liars series, Flawless allows for a much more in-depth look at each of the girls lives, making it possible for the reader to relate to them. Whereas Pretty Little Liars introduced the distinct personalities that make each girl unique from the others, the second novel builds upon that to create a more sympathetic view. For instance, Hanna is presented as one of the mean girls at school, as well as a shoplifter, along with her friend, Mona. However, when her estranged father comes back into town, her insecurities are laid bare for the reader to experience. With a look into her pained relationship with her father, the connect between seeking her father’s approval and Hanna’s struggle with bulimia and need for perfection is explicit. Therefore, when her father once again expresses his disappointment in her, Hanna’s emotional and physical reactions help form a connection with the reader. The theme of wanting to please parents continues with Spencer’s storyline, as she is always second best in her family and she strives to accomplish things that her older sister never did. I found myself surprised at how much I was pulling for Spencer. Even though she pursues a relationship with her sister’s boyfriend (and continues once they became exes), the heartache she experiences when she realizes that her sister stole him back resonated with me. Spencer ruins her relationship with her parents in order to step out from her sister’s shadow, but in the end, it was just another instance of Spencer coming up short in her competition with her sister. Although she excels in school and has multiple extracurricular activities, her sister always remains the perfect child in their parents’ eyes. Overall, Hanna and Spencer share this inability to feel good enough and it is most exemplified through their interactions with their parents, the people who are supposed to love and accept them unconditionally. There are many teen readers that I am sure can relate to this struggle and will find a part of themselves in this novel.

Reader's Annotation

Still shocked at the discovery of Alison’s body, Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily continue to be taunted by “A.” With Toby back in town, the girls suspect he has more to do with the messages than they originally thought.

Information About the Author

Sara Shepard has been writing for as long as she can remember, though when she was young, the things she wanted to be when she grew up were a soap opera star, a designer for LEGO, a filmmaker, a claymation artist, a geneticist, and a fashion magazine editor. She and her sister have been creating joint artistic and written projects for years, except they’re pretty sure they’re the only ones who find them funny.

She got her MFA at Brooklyn College and now lives outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband and dogs. The Visibles/ All The Things We Didn’t Say is her first novel for adults. Pretty Little Liars, her bestselling young adult series, is loosely based on her experiences growing up on Philadelphia’s Main Line…although luckily she never had any serious stalkers. (Retrieved from author’s website: http://www.sarashepardbooks.com/bio.php)

Genre

Young Adult – Chick Lit/Mystery

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Discuss the lengths that some teens go to in order to be popular.

2. Focus on the intolerance for homosexuality that Emily experiences.

3. Compare A’s messages to the recent instances of cyber bullying.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

In the novel, the topic of eating disorders comes to the forefront. Also, Emily’s identity as a homosexual is discussed further. There is also an instance of suicide when one teen thinks that his or her secret is going to be revealed.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

After reading the first in the series and getting caught by the cliffhanger, I decided to include the second novel in the series as well.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

7. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

ISBN: 978-0-06-088732-2

HarperTeen, New York, 2006

286 p.

Plot Summary

In seventh grade, Hanna, Spencer, Emily, and Aria were the closest of friends, but they didn’t become close until the fifth member of their group, Alison, brought them together. Although they all spent time together, both inside and outside of school, each felt a stronger bond with Alison than they did with any of the other girls. Their bond was so strong that they shared secrets with Allison that they did not share with anyone else. However, when Allison goes missing during the summer before eighth grade, the group drifts apart. Spencer devotes even more time to her studying and extracurricular activities, Emily immerses herself in the school swim team, Hanna decides to reinvent herself along with the school geek, Mona, and becomes the skinny, popular girl she always wanted to be, and Aria’s family moves to Iceland. Three years later, Aria’s family moves back into town and she witnesses exactly how different things have become among her former group of friends. Not too long after Aria returns, each of the four girls begin getting texts and emails from someone named “A,” threatening to reveal their secrets. Remembering that Alison was the only person who knew their secrets, the girls begin to suspect her and wonder if she has returned. Is Alison really back, or does someone else know their deepest, darkest secrets?

Critical Evaluation

As a fan of the ABC Family version, I found that watching the television show before picking up the novel affected how I reacted to the portrayals of each character. While Aria is my favorite character in the television show, I felt a bit annoyed with how she acts in the book. In the television show, Aria is different from the other girls, but in the book, this difference comes off snobby. Separating my opinion of the television show from the book, it’s easier to judge how Shepard wrote the characters. Since Rosewood is such a small town, Aria’s return from Iceland automatically separates her from her peers. Also, moving back to Rosewood took her away from the place where she finally fit in. Therefore, writing her character as one that longs for the people and places she left behind in Iceland is relatable. In addition, the emphasis that Shepard places on the fickleness of popularity in high school is a relatable theme. While the girls were some of the most popular, as soon as Alison disappears, their popularity withers. Hanna is able to regain her popularity only by going to extreme means to lose weight and stealing clothes and purses to get the most stylish things. She is then paranoid that everyone will figure out that she’s not perfect and her popularity will disappear once again. The threatening messages from “A” only work to heighten Hanna’s worries. In addition to all of the other things that teens have to worry about, Shepard uses Hanna’s character to focus on the toll that the need to be popular can have on a young girl.

Reader's Annotation

When Alison disappears, Hanna, Spencer, Emily, and Aria’s friendship falls apart, lacking the one person that brought them all together. However, nearly three years later, the girls are tormented by an unknown person who knows all of their secrets—secrets that only Alison knew, or so they thought.

Information About the Author

Genre

Young Adult – Chick Lit/Mystery

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on high school cliques.

2. Discuss the effects that bullying has on the main characters.

3. Bring up different characters that might be “A” and the reason they would have to torment the girls.

4. Talk about friends growing apart.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

The novel includes teen drinking and partying, as well as an instance of drunk driving with little consequence. Also, one of the characters realizes that she is homosexual.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

I watch the television series and developed a slight addiction to it, so I was interested in how I would enjoy the novel.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

6. Slam by Nick Hornby (audio book)

Slam by Nick Hornby (audio book)

ISBN: 978-0-14-314283-6

Penguin Audio, New York, 2007

Total playing time: approximately 7 hours

Plot Summary

As the 15-year-old son of a 31-year-old mother, Sam had it emphasized upon him the importance of going to school and building a life prior to having a child. As an avid skateboarder, Sam turns to his poster of Tony Hawk (whom Sam refers to as TH), his skating idol, for advice on any kind of issue. Having read Tony Hawk’s autobiography many times over, Sam imagines TH talking to him, pulling from quotes in the book. Just as things start to fall into place and Sam is content in both his school and personal life, his relationship with Alicia, his new girlfriend, changes all of that. After meeting at a party for his mother’s friend, the two teens believe they are in love and spend most of their time together. Thinking back on it, Sam can pinpoint the exact moment when things changed—the only time when Sam and Alicia had unprotected sex. When Sam becomes bored in the relationship, he stops spending time with Alicia and ignores her calls. However, on his 16^th birthday, Alicia calls Sam, telling him they need to talk. Thinking back to that one instance of unprotected sex, Sam is sure that he knows what Alicia has to tell him. After meeting her at a coffee shop, Sam takes off just as Alicia goes back home to get money for a pregnancy test and, when talking to TH, Sam is whizzed into the future, placing him in Alicia’s bedroom with a crying baby. Once Sam comes back to reality, he is unsure whether he has truly experienced his future or if it was just a dream. When he gets up the courage to talk to Alicia, he finds out that she is pregnant and Sam finds out whether TH did, in fact, show him his future or if his life will take another turn.

Critical Evaluation

Slam by Nick Hornby depicts a realistic look into the life of a teenage boy faced with the difficulties of fatherhood. Telling the story as an 18-year-old, and therefore father of a toddler, Sam looks back on the events that brought him to his current state. Just as many teen boys in the same position would do, Sam contemplates skipping town and living by himself for the rest of his life, believing that to be easier than raising a child at 16. However, after just one night at a dingy bed and breakfast, Sam realizes that he is not ready for that either. When he returns home, he fully accepts his responsibility as the father of Alicia’s child and devotes himself to that fact.

Although the flash-forwards in the novel were an interesting element, by the third flash forward they became a bit redundant and unnecessary. While the first flash-forward brought Sam the realization of how difficult raising an infant would be and the second gave him a glimpse of how his relationship with Alicia could change as they raised a toddler, the third flash-forward make me exclaim, “Not again!” In this one, Sam learns that both he and Alicia have relationships with other people and are still on friendly terms. While the first two flashbacks serve to wake Sam up to the difficulties of parenthood, as well as provide some comedic situations with Sam completely clueless in his interactions, the third flashback did not seem to move the story along.

While I enjoyed the novel as a whole, the ending caught me by surprise. Not giving anything away, Sam conducts a question and answer session, catching the reader up in the events he has experienced up to this point in his life. Considering the novel is told as if Sam is sitting right next to the reader and sharing his story, it is an interesting way to end the novel—as if Sam has finished his story and is just checking with the listener as to whether he skipped anything important. With the exception of the over-use of flashbacks, Hornby created an amusing look into the life of a teenage father.

Reader's Annotation

As the son of a young mother, Sam never imagined that he would become a teenage father, but all of that changes when he gets a call from his ex-girlfriend. An avid skateboarder, Sam turns to a poster of his hero, Tony Hawk, for advice and when Sam doesn’t understand his stories, he finds himself whizzed several months into the future.

Information About the Author

Nick Hornby is the author of the bestselling novels Slam, A Long Way Down, How to Be Good, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, and the memoir Fever Pitch. He is also the author of Songbook, a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, Shakespeare Wrote for Money, and The Polysyllabic Spree, and editor of the short story collection Speaking with the Angel. A recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ E. M. Forster Award, and the Orange Word International Writers’ London Award 2003, Hornby lives in North London.

Many of Hornby’s novels have been adapted into successful films, including About a Boy and High Fidelity. In 2009, Hornby wrote the screenplay for An Education, introducing star Carey Mulligan. (Retrieved from author’s website: http://www.nicksbooks.com)

Genre

Young Adult – Realistic (Teenage Parenthood)/Contemporary Fantasy

Curriculum Ties

This novel could be used when teaching about the difficulties of teenage parenthood.

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on the challenges that Sam and Alicia experience in teenage parenthood.

2. Discuss how fast Sam and Alicia seem to fall in love and then fall apart.

3. Tell the story from Alicia's point-of-view.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

Although the novel involves teen pregnancy, there is little discussion of sexual acts or other controversial topics, so I don’t think there will be any challenges.

However, in the case that some arise, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content. Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it. Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom. As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

As a fan of Nick Hornby’s screenplay for An Education, I was interested when I spotted this audio book on YALSA’s 2009 list of Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults.

5. Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

ISBN: 978-0-7636-4059-0

Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA, 2007

311 p.

Plot Summary

Having just lost her parents three years prior, 17-year-old Quincie is left in charge of the family restaurant, Sanguini’s, with help from Uncle Davidson. When still in preparation for the new reveal of the restaurant as vampire-themed, the head chef, Vaggio, is murdered in the kitchen while Quincie is in the other room. Seemingly mauled by a Wolf, Quincie’s best friend, Kieran, becomes a person of interest. Although Quincie quickly dismisses the possibility, she begins to question the timing of when Kieran found Vaggio and starts to doubt her trust in him. Especially considering he is a hybrid Wolf, Quincie is very aware of his inability to control his transformation and her doubts increase. Also, when Kieran tells her that he must soon leave and join a pack of Wolves, Quincie begins to feel even more alone. Meanwhile, the restaurant is left without a head chef weeks before opening, leading Quincie and Uncle D to seek out a replacement. Henry Johnson shows up at the restaurant, looking to fill the position, and Quincie aims to transform him into the vampire chef that makes the restaurant unique, even renaming him Brad Sanguini. Even though her attempts don’t quite seem to make the grade, Brad enters the restaurant on opening night, looking the perfect picture of the Dark Lord. Still under suspicion for Vaggio’s murder, Kieran makes it his mission to figure out exactly who Brad is and, worried about the changes he sees in Quincie, hopes to convince her before it’s too late.

Critical Evaluation

Having read a few vampire novels, the aspect of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Tantalize that most appealed to me was the strength of Quincie’s character. In contrast to the typical female teenager in vampire novels, the story focused more on Quincie’s life and her struggles, adding a touch of romance with her attraction to both Kieran and Brad as one element of her life. Considering the tendency of many teen girls to throw themselves fully into relationships, Quincie serves as a role model that is able to balance the different parts of her life. Deeply affected by the death of her parents, Quincie is forced to grow up fast and take on more responsibilities than many girls her age, particularly when her only guardian does not provide much support beyond helping with the restaurant. Even then, though, Quincie is steadfast in her declaration of her ownership of Sanguini’s, aware that once she turns 18, the restaurant will be her sole responsibility. While other novels bring the protagonist’s romantic relationships to the forefront in that they are nearly constantly thinking about them, Quincie is able to manage her life, including entertaining thoughts of her romantic interests. However, Leitich Smith reveals her character’s fallibility and immaturity through her nearly blind acceptance of the new chef in town. Therefore, even though Quincie demonstrates a more mature outlook when handling her grief over the loss of loved ones and the responsibility she inherits, her naivety toward Brad makes her a more relatable character. It would have been easy to create Quincie as either a broken-spirited or a tough-skinned teen because of the trials she has had to deal with early in life, but the blending of the two makes her into a realistic character amidst the supernatural characters pervading the novel.

Reader's Annotation

Austin, Texas is a quirky town where vampires and werepeople are not an uncommon occurrence. When Quincie’s mentor is murdered weeks before her new vampire-themed restaurant opening, Quincie is forced to find a new chef, while her suspicions peak over her long-time crush’s involvement in the murder.

Information About the Author

Cynthia's fiction is noted for its diversity, humor, lyricism, imaginativeness, compelling action, and mid-to-southwestern settings. Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com, offers articles, interviews, reading recommendations, publishing news, and annotated links. It was named one of the top 10 writer sites on the Internet by Writer's Digest, and it was recognized among "Great Sites for Kids" by the American Library Association in the "Authors/Illustrators" category.

She is a member of the Authors Guild, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Writers' League of Texas, and Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. She graduated with degrees in news/editorial and public relations from the White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, Lawrence in 1990 and from The University of Michigan Law School in 1994. She also studied abroad in Paris, France during the summer of 1991 via a program sponsored by Tulane Law School and the University of Paris IV. (information from author’s website: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/CLS/about_cyn.html)

Genre

Young Adult – Paranormal Romance/Dark Fantasy/Contemporary Fantasy

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Popularity of teen vampire/werewolf novels.

2. Discuss the differences between Quincie's relationship with Kieran and Brad.

3. Focus on the topic of teens dealing with adult issues.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

Because of the inclusion of vampires and werepeople, there are some violent and gory depictions in the novel.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

This novel was a required read for the class. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the vampire/werewolf/human story and decided to cover it in this project, as well.

4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

ISBN: 978-0-525-42103-0

Dutton Books, New York, 2009

196 p.

Plot Summary

Mia is a 17-year-old girl with a passion for music (particularly her cello), a unique family consisting of a younger brother and two punk-era parents, and a rock star boyfriend. When going for a drive with her family, a collision changes Mia’s world forever as her parents are instantly killed and her younger brother is fighting for his life. Looking at the scene, Mia starts to realize that she, too, is lying by the side of the road, gravely injured, and she is having an out-of-body experience. Following her body to the hospital, she watches as doctors work upon her comatose body. She quickly learns that her brother was taken to another hospital and, unaware of his state, Mia ponders whether she should stay in this life or move on to be with her family. Wandering around the hospital, Mia sees extended family members and friends who come to visit her, but she is unable to interact with them. The story is told through a series of flashbacks, as Mia thinks back upon various moments from her life and tries to decide if the tragedy she has experiences is simply too much to live through or if it is worth it to continue on.

Critical Evaluation

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is told through first-person narrative, helping to connect the reader to Mia’s situation. As she looks down upon her body, Mia comes to the realization that it is her choice whether she lives or dies and only she can make that choice. This main issue of the novel is something that deeply resonated with me, and has the ability to resonate with many readers. From the moment the accident happens, the reader can easily imagine being in the same situation. Especially considering the closeness of Mia’s family, one can understand the debate going on in her head. When the tragedy is simply too monstrous, the option of dying can seem like the easier thing to do rather than dealing with the pain and sadness goes along with losing loved ones. Also, Mia’s ability to express her insecurities, particularly when recalling her relationship with her boyfriend, makes her all the more relatable. Although the novel has supernatural elements through Mia’s out-of-body existence, Forman is able to convey a very realistic story that left me thinking about whether I would make the same choice as Mia.

Reader's Annotation

After a car accident that killed her parents and left Mia and her brother both fighting for their lives, Mia must decide whether a life without her family is even worth living. Thinking back on her memories of family and friends, Mia tries to decide whether she should stay or move on.

Information About the Author

Forman started her writing career as a journalist who reported on young adult social-justice issues in SeventeenJane, Elle, and The Nation. After traveling around the world for a year, Forman published her first book, You Can’t Get There From Here: A Year on the Fringes of a Shrinking World, a travel memoir. Returning home, Forman and her husband had a child and she no longer had the freedom to travel around reporting with a baby at home. magazine, later becoming a freelance writer for magazines such as

Feeling most passionate about telling stories of young adults, Forman decided to write YA novels, allowing her to still go on journeys, but of her own creation. In her biography on her website, Forman sums up her story by writing, “I suppose the short version of this bio could simply read: My name is Gayle Forman and I love to write young-adult novels.” (Information retrieved from author’s website: http://www.gayleforman.com/bio/)

Genre

Young Adult – Drama with elements of Fantasy

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Discuss the definition of family.

2. Focus on the tragedy that Mia faces and the conflict she feels about staying in this world.
3. Talk about the relationship between Mia and Adam.

Reading Level/Interest Age

13+

Challenge Issues

I do not sense that any challenge issues would arise.

However, when confronted with complaints about this novel, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content. Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it. Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom. As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection?

I have seen this novel several times at the bookstore and the synopsis had intrigued me, so I decided to read it for this project.