Book 1
Bibliography:
Alexie, Sherman. 2007. THE
ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN.
III by: Ellen Forney. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group. ISBN
9780316013680
Cover:
Summary:
Sherman Alexie
chronicles the life of a young Indian boy that is filled with sadness,
failures, and emotions that are filled with humor. Arnold Spirit Jr. called Junior by his family
and friends was born with medical problems, which left him brain damaged after
surgery. He talked with a lisp and a stutter and was constantly trying to fight
his way through life due to the bullies that picked on him. At the age of fourteen all the reservation
called him retarded. Junior’s outlet in
life was drawing cartoons. They were
like tiny lifeboats that helped him escape the reservation and the life of
poverty. They helped him cope to
understand the world and perhaps the world would understand him. Junior finally finds the courage to leave the
reservation to attend and all white school in Reardan after Professor P visited
him with his advice to leave or die on the reservation. Junior leaves with much guilt and sadness as
well as hope to escape into a better world.
Commentary:
This book would
show a reader that other children have a hard time too and that some come from
backgrounds that they might not choose.
He also had a disability that made him look like he was “retarded,” but
he was not. So, he always understood
when others were making fun of him and calling him names. Junior also had to make a tough decision to leave
the reservation not knowing what the future would bring. He was hopeful that it would be better than
the poverty world he was living in. His
inner strength and courage to find a better world and a future with hope is to
be admired. I think another really
important thing to point out is that the author has Junior tell the story. It shows everyone has a story and you can
always tell your story.
Connections:
One thing I
really noticed that connects to the textbook is that a student could really connect
with this book in a few different ways. One
way being with the bullying, but he keeps on going and find a ways for him
self. Another way would be he is living
in poverty and still has hope and makes it work the best he can. Other books by
Alexie are RESERVATION BLUES, INDIAN KILLER, WAR DANCES, and THE TOUGHEST
INDIAN IN THE WORLD.
Book 2
Bibliography:
Myers, Walter Dean. 1999.
MONSTER. III by: Christopher Myers. New
York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060280778
Cover:
Summary:
This story is
about a sixteen-year-old boy on trial for felony murder. Steve Harmon and two
other men, Bobo Evans and James King went into a drugstore with the intention
to just rob Alguinaldo Nesbitt. Harmon’s
job was to go into the store and make sure that no one was in there. He was to come out and give a signal that
Bobo and King could go in. Osvaldo Cruz
was also involved, he was watching outside.
When they went in to rob the store Mr. Nesbitt pulled a gun on
them. After he pulled the gun there was
a struggle and King ended up shooting and killing Mr. Nesbitt. During the whole session in court everyone is
trying to blame someone else, so they are not found guilty. King was trying to say he wasn’t there at
all, but Bobo was saying he was. Harmon
just happened to be coming out of the store right before this all started. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time
or was he really involved.
Commentary:
I listened to
this book on audio. It was really neat
because the audio has a full cast. I
don’t know that I would have enjoyed it as much just reading it because the
cast was amazing. Throughout the whole
book Steve is recording all that is going on.
He does this in the way of a filmstrip.
He does this because he loves to film different things. Steve is in the film club at school. He also writes little journals throughout the
story. All the journals are what’s going
on and his feelings towards everything.
The illustrations in the story are very real like. They present Steve and what it is like to be
in a jail cell. They are black and
white pictures and give the feel of being “dark” and sad.
Connections:
I think that
this really will connect with kids that might be hanging out with the wrong
crowd. When you reach your teenage years
you start to want to experience with different crowds and different
things. This book might really put it
into perspective with someone that might be going through a hard time and with
the wrong crowd. I think this would also fall under reading autobiographically
because you are reading what other people are like. Another book similar to MONSTER and also
written by Walter Dean Myers would be BAD BOY.
Book 3
Bibliography:
Garden, Nancy. 1982. ANNIE ON
MY MIND. United States of America: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0374404143
Cover:
Summary:
This is the
story of two girls in love with each other.
Liza and Annie try to understand their feelings for each other, feelings
that society labels as unnatural and sinful. Neither girl understands their strong
urge to be together and constantly fight the story that rages inside. Annie has almost accepted being gay, but Liza
is just beginning to become aware of how she feels about Annie. Liza questions her feelings knowing it is
wrong yet it seems so right. Her mind is
in total confusion with both sides of right and wrong. Liza wrote several letters to Annie, which
she never mails. She tries to sort
through her feelings as she writes. They
both keep trying in the beginning to ignore their feelings and pull away from
each other thinking they need more time to adjust to what is happening. The
summary of the story of two gays can be that, the truth can make one free.
Commentary:
This book was
very tasteful and approachable for the topic.
It doesn’t attack the subject. It
simply explains how two girls are in love yet they really don’t understand why
they are feeling the way that they are.
It convinces others to be true to yourself and not hide from who you
really are. This is the way you find
happiness. Two teachers in the story
were also gay, but had hidden it for many years. I think telling this story shows that it
isn’t something you should have to hide or be ashamed of.
Connections:
I think this
connects to the textbook because it is something that more teens face then I
realize. When you have books that have
the same feelings they are having it might be easier to discuss with others. It shows they are not the only ones going
through the situation. I like that the
story was not graphic yet still discussed a heavy topic. Another young adult book that is like ANNIE
ON MY MIND is KEEPING YOU A SECRET by Julie Anne Peters.
Book 4
Bibliography:
Harris, Robie. Emberley, Michael. 1994. IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL. Somerville, MA: Candle Wick Press. ISBN 9781564028822
Cover:
Summary:
IT’S PERFECTLY
NORMAL is a nonfiction book all about growing up and what are bodies are doing
and how they are feeling. It is a very
factual book, but really detailed.
Harris does present the book in the most kid friendly way that you
possibly could. It would be able to answer almost any question a teen boy or
girl might have when going through puberty.
It even discusses what puberty is.
Other topics in the story are Our Bodies, What is Sex, Families and
Babies, Decisions, and Staying Healthy.
In the introduction it talks about all the questions you might
have.
Commentary:
Harris does
include some humor in the book. I like
this because I think that this is a hard topic to talk about with your
kids. I personally do not think that a
child or even teenager should check this book out on his or her own. I think it
would be a great reference for a parent to use when starting to have these
talks with their kids. He does have a
few comics in the book as well. The
illustrations they include are cartoon like, but show all the parts. It shows how your body is changing, but also
shows “love making.” Overall, the book
does a great job at being factual and to the point.
Connections:
I think this
piece of literature could defiantly fall under the “who am I, why am I the way
I am.” The book also hits on gays, so this would help teen struggling with
this. Even though it is nonfiction I think it would benefit some older young
adult teens or their parents. It is a
very informational book. This book will
help adolescents because it discussed everything that you are going through and
the way you are changing. The way it
shows the physical parts and explains why.
Harris also has a book called IT’S SO AMAZING and IT’S NOT THE STORK
that would be beneficial to you if you want to discuss the birds and the
bees.
Book 5
Bibliography:
Quintero, Isabel. 2014. GABI,
A GIRL IN PIECES. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 9781935955948
Cover:
Summary:
Gabi is a 17-year-old
girl going on 18. She keeps a journal
about her daily activities and feelings.
She is a Mexican-American and dislikes her skin because it is more white
than brown. Gabi feels writing down her
feelings is a way to understand herself.
It’s therapeutic and helps her to cope with trying to balance family
with a drug-addicted father, getting through her senior year, and getting
accepted into a college. Gabi loves
writing poetry and letters she never mails.
She is open about her feelings and talks very candidly about being a
virgin, boyfriends, sex, and other concerns that a young girl about to become a
woman has to face. She has an off color
sense of humor that fringes on the edge of being vulgar. Gabi’s father dies of an overdose. She is devastated although she knew this
would probably happen. Even with this
tragic reality in her life, Gabi believes in family. It’s the glue that makes you what you are.
Commentary:
This book is
written in a journal form from Gabi’s point of view. She writes in it almost everyday. I think this is a neat thing because I think
more people should keep a journal. It
encourages kids that it is okay to write down how they are feeling and what is
going on in their lives. It helps you to
understand how you are feeling and gives you a place to put your words without
having to talk to someone. It is an
outlook for you to express yourself. She
could just put it on paper and walk away from it. The books also show some poetry. She likes to express her feelings through
poems.
Connections:
I think this
book would connect with a teen girl or boy that their parents are really not
there for them. Also, in her mind she
thinks she is fat and thinks that she is not liked because of it. I think a lot of teen girls struggle with
their weight as well. This is a good
book to see that other teenage girls struggle with the same things and that it
is hard.
Book 6
Bibliography:
Alexander, Kwame. 2014. THE
CROSSOVER. New York, NY: Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt Publishing. ISBN 9780544107717
Cover:
Summary:
In this novel
the author has written an emotionally felt story about a beautiful and loving
family. Twin brothers, Josh and Jordan
(J.B.) Bell are inseparable growing up, but now in the 7th grade
J.B. is interested in a girl, so he begins to pull away and is not as close
with Josh. The whole family has a love for basketball. Their father, Chuck Bell, a champion player
known as “DaMan” played in Italy. He
began teaching the twins at the age of three to shoot baskets. Josh is knows to be sneaky and full of
surprises on the court. J.B. is known
and the jumper and shooter. Together
they are a winning team on the court.
The father is retired due to a heart problem. Chuck’s father died at the early age of 45,
so he has to be watchful of his health.
Commentary:
This is a novel
written in verse. The author’s language
and the font will make you feel like you are watching the game in the
stands. You can almost hear the crowd
roar and the dad loosing his cool at the game.
This novel will make you laugh and cry.
I think this is a great book to have in your library because it is about
a family that isn’t perfect. So many
kids struggle with family problems and this would be a great book to make a
connection with.
Connections:
This story is
very family oriented. It shows
competiveness in good ways. I also
really liked that it showed that families are not perfect. I think kids struggle with think they are the
only one and this really shows they are not.
There can be problems, but still so much goodness in your family. Another book by Kwame Alexander to check out
if you enjoy THE CROSSOVER would be BOOKED.
Book 7
Bibliography:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999.
SPEAK. United States of America: Farrar
Straus Giroux. ISBN 0374371520
Cover:
Summary:
Speak is what
Melinda wanted to do so many times, but she just couldn’t. Instead she spoke through her art. Melinda was raped by a classmate named Andy
Evans and didn’t talk to anyone about it.
She did call the police, but you don’t know why at the beginning. That night caused all her friends to reject
her because they thought she just called the police. That night she thought she was having the
time of her life, but then everything went wrong. The one person she trusted and enjoyed being
around was her art teacher. She either
hung out there or a janitors closet. In
art she was to create the same thing all year long, a tree. She has to face Andy Evans throughout the
year and it makes he feel sick every time.
She is finally able to face everything and is believed by her friends on
the situation.
Commentary:
I think this was
a very well written book. The way it was
divided into the four marking periods of the school year really pulled you in. I like that it didn’t have chapters because
you would just keep going. Throughout
the marking period there would be little headings about that section. All readers will be able to relate to being
in school and going through tough situations.
Melinda narrated the story, so you knew exactly how she felt and what
was going through her mind. The story
plays out very nicely because everything is understood in the book and has an
ending that makes you happy. Happy
because she stands up for herself and makes amends with her friends.
Connections:
I think this book
would be great for some high school kids that have been through the same
situation. I think it could give them
the courage to stand up for what is right.
Also, it could connect with other young adults in ways that sometimes
you are all alone and have no one. Other
books by Anderson are WINTERGIRLS, TWISTED, CHAINS, and FEVER.
Book 8
Bibliography:
Block, Francesca Lia. 2010.
THE FRENZY. New York, NY: Harper
Collins. ISBN 9780061926662
Cover:
Summary:
At the age of
thirteen changes begin to happen to Liv that made her question who or what she
was. The one normal occurrence was her
monthly period that was just beginning.
The other problems caused her to be rejected by her peers. She had a hairy body, long toes, and she had
difficulty controlling her anger. When
she felt weird she would escape into the woods and run. This happened for the first time at the age
of thirteen. She did not remember what
happen to her and was standing nude outside Pace’s house not sure why she was
there. Pace was as friend of hers who
was gay. Liv felt she belonged in the
woods. Pace listened and told her that
he understood. Live could not confide
her problem to Cory who was he boyfriend.
Cory was black and was not allowed in her home because he was
black. She and Pace pretended to date to
hide that he was gay and she wasn’t with Cory.
With so much mystery surrounding her life, Liv goes and searches for
answers about the curse.
Commentary:
This book was a
really easy and flowy read. It kept you
at the edge of your seat wondering what was going to happen to Liv, Pace, and
Cory. This book was one that you could
not judge by its cover. When I saw the
cover I thought it was going to be about another high school girl with “high
school” problems, but it was so much more.
Block does a great job at including so many different complications with
her characters. Each character has
something going on that they are struggling with and want to fix.
Connections:
This story
connects with teenagers on a lot of different lever. Being gay, interracial dating, and not being
like anyone else. Even though you can’t
turn into a werewolf, teens do go through difficulties that they have a hard
time facing and going through. Other
books by Block are WITCH BABY and I WAS A TEENAGE FAIRY.
No comments:
Post a Comment