Marchetta, Melina. Jellicoe Road. New York: Harper’s Collins, 2006.
Annotation: Abandoned at a 7-11 when she was 11 years old, Taylor Markham is haunted by the last time she saw her mother.
Justification for nomination: Taylor Markham is the central protagonist in a story filled with many protagonists. She is rescued by a stranger at the 7-11 and taken to Jellicoe boarding school. She has limited relationships and is angry most of the time, but she decides in her 11th year to take on the responsibilities of leading her house. She learns about the war games between the cadets, townies, and the houses at the school. When I first started this book, I was very lost as to what was going on. I was frustrated because I could not make connections with the plot line, characters, and setting. I decided to stick with it because it was a Printz award winner and fellow students highly recommended it. Boy, am I glad I did. This is a book is a rollercoaster ride about two stories; one being told in the past and one being told in the present that come together in the end. The author Melina Marchetta is a master at weaving an intricate web decorated with many plot lines, characters, and a beautiful writing prose. The protagonists have an authentic teenage voice that many YA readers can relate to; this may be due to the fact that the author is also a school teacher. The story line can be intimidating to young or struggling readers. It definitely requires an effort from the reader to make connections and fill in the blanks as the author introduces new clues. The reader is not given any background information on the characters, the setting, or the plot. As Taylor learns more about her past and her life, so does the reader. It would be easy to give up on this book in the early chapters, but I suggest that the reader stick with it and be rewarded with an incredible ending. Marchetta touches on many themes that resonate with teen readers. The themes covered in the book are: abandonment, love, sex, hope, friendship, family, loss, forgiveness, identity issues, drugs, and self discovery.
Genre: Printz award winner, fiction, coming of age, suspense/mystery, edgy, search for identity, romance, realistic novel
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Pedro and Me
Winick, Judd. Pedro & Me. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000
Annotation: Pedro Zamora changed many lives with his HIV/Aids education. He also had the disease. This is about his life during and after MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco.
Justification for Nomination: Judd Winick met Pedro Zamora on the set of MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco. Judd is a pretty liberal guy, but he was shocked at how he felt when he found out the Pedro had Aids. They ended up being roommates on the show and developed a mutual respect and love for each other. Pedro taught Judd the importance for safe sex and how to educate people. The author is a cartoonist and he wrote the book in as a graphic novel. The author chose to use square bound panels border in a thin black line with very little gutter space for an effective pacing. He tells their story with honesty, compassion, and humor. This is a great format to use for young adults because of the attractiveness of the graphic novel to teens, but also to educate the reader about HIV and Aids. What a great tool to use. Pedro was the international face for HIV and Aids awareness and Judd has take on his role to educate even more people.
Genre: Graphic Novel, Non-fiction, Edgy
Annotation: Pedro Zamora changed many lives with his HIV/Aids education. He also had the disease. This is about his life during and after MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco.
Justification for Nomination: Judd Winick met Pedro Zamora on the set of MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco. Judd is a pretty liberal guy, but he was shocked at how he felt when he found out the Pedro had Aids. They ended up being roommates on the show and developed a mutual respect and love for each other. Pedro taught Judd the importance for safe sex and how to educate people. The author is a cartoonist and he wrote the book in as a graphic novel. The author chose to use square bound panels border in a thin black line with very little gutter space for an effective pacing. He tells their story with honesty, compassion, and humor. This is a great format to use for young adults because of the attractiveness of the graphic novel to teens, but also to educate the reader about HIV and Aids. What a great tool to use. Pedro was the international face for HIV and Aids awareness and Judd has take on his role to educate even more people.
Genre: Graphic Novel, Non-fiction, Edgy
Hole in My Life Audio book
Gantos, Jack. Hole in My Life. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004.
Annotation: An honest memoir of life in and out of prison by a young man who is caught up an unbelievable drug bust.
Justification for Nomination: Jack Gantos writes a thoughtful biography of mistakes, redemption and success. He uses a humorous approach to tell his story of growing up with the itch to write, but thinks he does not have any good experiences to write about. He seems to fall into bad decisions without giving any thought to the ultimate consequences. This resonates with what teens are going through as their brains continue to develop. This audio book is read by the author, which, gives light to the intended voicing that a reader can not get from the written word. The literary pauses, accents, and pitch make the words come alive. This can be invaluable to the efferent reader. The author uses flashback and summary to tell his story with lots of action that will be riveting to teens. He references literary greats like Williams and Hemmingway and introduces the teen reader to the canon. The themes he discusses are crime and punishment, drugs, alcohol, who am I, and hope. While some of these themes are intense and some may think teens are too young to be exposed, the book allows for the opportunity to discuss healthy and healthy risks and decision making. These type of discussions are exactly what the young adult needs at this crucial time in their lives.
Genre: Audio book/ memoir, biography, coming of age, edge, non-fiction
Printz award
Newberry award
Annotation: An honest memoir of life in and out of prison by a young man who is caught up an unbelievable drug bust.
Justification for Nomination: Jack Gantos writes a thoughtful biography of mistakes, redemption and success. He uses a humorous approach to tell his story of growing up with the itch to write, but thinks he does not have any good experiences to write about. He seems to fall into bad decisions without giving any thought to the ultimate consequences. This resonates with what teens are going through as their brains continue to develop. This audio book is read by the author, which, gives light to the intended voicing that a reader can not get from the written word. The literary pauses, accents, and pitch make the words come alive. This can be invaluable to the efferent reader. The author uses flashback and summary to tell his story with lots of action that will be riveting to teens. He references literary greats like Williams and Hemmingway and introduces the teen reader to the canon. The themes he discusses are crime and punishment, drugs, alcohol, who am I, and hope. While some of these themes are intense and some may think teens are too young to be exposed, the book allows for the opportunity to discuss healthy and healthy risks and decision making. These type of discussions are exactly what the young adult needs at this crucial time in their lives.
Genre: Audio book/ memoir, biography, coming of age, edge, non-fiction
Printz award
Newberry award
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Mississippi Trial, 1955
Crowe, Chris. Mississippi Trial, 1955. New York: Speak, 2003
Annotation: 16 year old white Hiram has to face brutal realities as he is drawn into the torture and murder of 14 year old black Emmett Till in Greenwood, Mississippi.
Justification for Nomination: Mississippi Trial, 1955 is based on actual events that helped spark the civil rights movement. In 1955, America was a different place; especially in Greenwood Mississippi. The setting of the old south is an effective way to help tell about the African American struggle against hatred and bigotry. The reader is taken into the heart of racism. The author uses regional and historical language of the times to convey the message of racism. The book does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse of what racial hatred sounds like, looks like, and feels like. The teen reader will be able to relate to the protagonist Hiram and his inner struggle to do the right thing even though he is scared. This can be a tough read at times, but the book illuminates the darkness of hate because of skin color. There are brutal fights, dehumanizing scenes, and murder in the plot of this book, but it is necessary to convey the message of the book. Besides the themes of racism, bigotry, and hatred, it also has themes of courage, love, understanding, family dysfunction, alcohol abuse, and discrimination. The book shows how some characters try to change themselves or others around them. Readers have the opportunity to learn about the Jim Crow Laws, the White Citizen Council, and the NAACP.
Genre: historical fiction, multicultural, edgy, search for identity
Awards:
American Library Associations: 2003 Best Books for Young Adults list.
Parent's Guide Children's Media Awards: 2002 Honor Book.
National Council for Social Studies: 2003 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.
Association for Mormon Letters: 2002 Best Novel.
International Reading Association's Children's Book Awards: 2003 award in the Young Adult Fiction category.
Jefferson Cup 2003.
Annotation: 16 year old white Hiram has to face brutal realities as he is drawn into the torture and murder of 14 year old black Emmett Till in Greenwood, Mississippi.
Justification for Nomination: Mississippi Trial, 1955 is based on actual events that helped spark the civil rights movement. In 1955, America was a different place; especially in Greenwood Mississippi. The setting of the old south is an effective way to help tell about the African American struggle against hatred and bigotry. The reader is taken into the heart of racism. The author uses regional and historical language of the times to convey the message of racism. The book does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse of what racial hatred sounds like, looks like, and feels like. The teen reader will be able to relate to the protagonist Hiram and his inner struggle to do the right thing even though he is scared. This can be a tough read at times, but the book illuminates the darkness of hate because of skin color. There are brutal fights, dehumanizing scenes, and murder in the plot of this book, but it is necessary to convey the message of the book. Besides the themes of racism, bigotry, and hatred, it also has themes of courage, love, understanding, family dysfunction, alcohol abuse, and discrimination. The book shows how some characters try to change themselves or others around them. Readers have the opportunity to learn about the Jim Crow Laws, the White Citizen Council, and the NAACP.
Genre: historical fiction, multicultural, edgy, search for identity
Awards:
American Library Associations: 2003 Best Books for Young Adults list.
Parent's Guide Children's Media Awards: 2002 Honor Book.
National Council for Social Studies: 2003 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.
Association for Mormon Letters: 2002 Best Novel.
International Reading Association's Children's Book Awards: 2003 award in the Young Adult Fiction category.
Jefferson Cup 2003.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tasting the Sky A Palestinian Conflict
Barakat, Ibtisam. Tasting the Sky A Palestinian Childhood. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
Annotation: One minute you are watching your mother feed your baby sister. The next minute you are running for your life from the bulldozers that came to destroy your home, your village, and your way of life.
Justification for Nomination: Tasting the Sky offers a modest introduction to the Israel/Palestine six day war in 1967 through the eyes of a child. The author and narrator, and also the main character Ibiza writes in a first person narrative using a beautiful poetic prose to describe what she sees, smells, tastes, and feels during this traumatic time in her life. She uses flashback and summary to paint a picture of what it was like to grow up in the middle of a war, but she does it in a very unique way. The author writes in her childhood voice to the reader a glimpse of enduring the war and growing up as a refugee in her own homeland. This technique allows the reader to see the conflict through a child’s eye. The author gains the reader’s interest and sympathy by painting a picture of how families and children cope with the realities of war. The author never points a finger or lays blame. She allows her childhood self to convey the horrors and the beauty that she is surrounded by daily. While this would be a challenging read for the young reader, it is an important book to pursue to begin to understand what it is like for other children in other countries fighting for survival. There is a reference library provided in the back of the book for readers to learn more about this conflict. This would be a great classroom book for young adults to explore because it raises awareness about the six day war, opens minds, and offers the opportunity to engage in dialogue.
Genre: Memoir, multicultural, non-fiction, historical fiction
Annotation: One minute you are watching your mother feed your baby sister. The next minute you are running for your life from the bulldozers that came to destroy your home, your village, and your way of life.
Justification for Nomination: Tasting the Sky offers a modest introduction to the Israel/Palestine six day war in 1967 through the eyes of a child. The author and narrator, and also the main character Ibiza writes in a first person narrative using a beautiful poetic prose to describe what she sees, smells, tastes, and feels during this traumatic time in her life. She uses flashback and summary to paint a picture of what it was like to grow up in the middle of a war, but she does it in a very unique way. The author writes in her childhood voice to the reader a glimpse of enduring the war and growing up as a refugee in her own homeland. This technique allows the reader to see the conflict through a child’s eye. The author gains the reader’s interest and sympathy by painting a picture of how families and children cope with the realities of war. The author never points a finger or lays blame. She allows her childhood self to convey the horrors and the beauty that she is surrounded by daily. While this would be a challenging read for the young reader, it is an important book to pursue to begin to understand what it is like for other children in other countries fighting for survival. There is a reference library provided in the back of the book for readers to learn more about this conflict. This would be a great classroom book for young adults to explore because it raises awareness about the six day war, opens minds, and offers the opportunity to engage in dialogue.
Genre: Memoir, multicultural, non-fiction, historical fiction
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Maus
Spiegelman, Art. Maus. New York: Random House, 1992.
Annotation: A semi-autobiographical tale of Vledek and Anja Spiegelman living and surviving World War II in Hitler’s Nazi Poland.
Justification for nomination: This Pulitzer Prize winner of 1992 is a story of father who survived the holocaust, but can never forget the horror and atrocities he and his wife had to endure. Art is the son who attempts to tell his father’s story, but ends up with a better understanding of who is father is and what he has become since those tragic days of World War II. The author uses square bound panels with black and white imagery and limited gutter space. This allows the reader to move quickly through the story, but also, it seems easier to focus on the dialogue because it is in black and white. If vivid colors were used not only would it take away from the plot, but the use of vivid colors, I think, would brighten or cheer up a desolate time in history. This is not a story that has a happy ending; anyone involved is forever scarred. The author uses a variety of panel transitions that are fluid and true (action to action, subject to subject, and moment to moment). The word balloons and thought balloons were set up so it was easy to understand which character was speaking. The use of foreshadowing which started on the introductory pages was crucial for understanding the thought process of the protagonist—Vledek, Art’s father. The author uses two different narratives creating a story within a story. The present narrative is used when Art and Vledek are involved in the here and now dialogue and revealing their relationship. The past narrative is used when Vledek is retelling his experiences in Nazi Poland so the story jumps from present to past to present seamlessly without losing the reader. The double narrative seems to add a sense of importance of hearing stories told by your parent or grandparent. The themes of guilt (primary theme), racism, survival, death, violence (graphically, implied and language) foster passionate discussion and intense debate. For this reason, the book could and should be used in the classroom. It would work in a variety of classes, for example, history, sociology, and psychology. The author uses animal characterizations making the Jewish people mice, Germans cats, French frogs, and the Polish are Pigs. Some critics think that the use of animal depictions are insensitive to the Jewish people and the horrors that were inflicted upon them. I am of the thought that any stories about the holocaust are horrific and can be very hard to read about. The use on the animals gives the reader some distance from the horror to digest some of the themes.
Genre: Fiction/Graphic Novel/semi-autobiography/Historical/Challenged/Pulitzer Prize 1992
Annotation: A semi-autobiographical tale of Vledek and Anja Spiegelman living and surviving World War II in Hitler’s Nazi Poland.
Justification for nomination: This Pulitzer Prize winner of 1992 is a story of father who survived the holocaust, but can never forget the horror and atrocities he and his wife had to endure. Art is the son who attempts to tell his father’s story, but ends up with a better understanding of who is father is and what he has become since those tragic days of World War II. The author uses square bound panels with black and white imagery and limited gutter space. This allows the reader to move quickly through the story, but also, it seems easier to focus on the dialogue because it is in black and white. If vivid colors were used not only would it take away from the plot, but the use of vivid colors, I think, would brighten or cheer up a desolate time in history. This is not a story that has a happy ending; anyone involved is forever scarred. The author uses a variety of panel transitions that are fluid and true (action to action, subject to subject, and moment to moment). The word balloons and thought balloons were set up so it was easy to understand which character was speaking. The use of foreshadowing which started on the introductory pages was crucial for understanding the thought process of the protagonist—Vledek, Art’s father. The author uses two different narratives creating a story within a story. The present narrative is used when Art and Vledek are involved in the here and now dialogue and revealing their relationship. The past narrative is used when Vledek is retelling his experiences in Nazi Poland so the story jumps from present to past to present seamlessly without losing the reader. The double narrative seems to add a sense of importance of hearing stories told by your parent or grandparent. The themes of guilt (primary theme), racism, survival, death, violence (graphically, implied and language) foster passionate discussion and intense debate. For this reason, the book could and should be used in the classroom. It would work in a variety of classes, for example, history, sociology, and psychology. The author uses animal characterizations making the Jewish people mice, Germans cats, French frogs, and the Polish are Pigs. Some critics think that the use of animal depictions are insensitive to the Jewish people and the horrors that were inflicted upon them. I am of the thought that any stories about the holocaust are horrific and can be very hard to read about. The use on the animals gives the reader some distance from the horror to digest some of the themes.
Genre: Fiction/Graphic Novel/semi-autobiography/Historical/Challenged/Pulitzer Prize 1992
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Rats Saw God
Thomas, Rob. Rats Saw God. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Annotation: 18 year old Steve York is not going to graduate. He has mastered the SATS, but doesn’t care enough about himself to finish his work to graduate. If he can complete a 100 page paper over the summer and retell how he got to where he is throughout his high school career, the guidance counselor will pass him.
Justification for nomination: Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas is a story filled with controversial themes. He seemed to have lived two lives in his 18 years. One in Houston with his astronaut father, who he does not respect, but he does well in school, has a girlfriend, and is part of a school club that pushes all the limits. He lives here through his sophomore year. He then moves to San Diego with his mother and sister in his senior year after he loses his girlfriend. alienates his friends, starts smoking pot, and is flunking out of school. A high school guidance counselor makes him a deal. If he can write a 100 page paper telling how he got to the place is at today, he will graduate. The unique structure of the book allows the reader to watch Steve’s character develop in opposite directions. He starts out failing in his relationships and school as a senior, but by the use of flashbacks, the reader sees how his life fell apart. It is like this is a book within a book. The structure sets up a series of contrasts between Steve’s life in California and his life in Texas; both have the same elements, a parent, a girlfriend, school setting, supportive faculty member, and friends, but Steve is not the same person. The back and forth travel between the present and the past highlights the cause and effects of his action and the consequences that follow. The flashbacks are written like a report so you can clearly distinguish between the now and the before. It is told in limited 1st person point of view present tense, almost an autobiography, when he speaks of the present. It is told in limited 1st person point of view past tense when he is in a flashback so he is able to use the benefit of hindsight throughout the story. The secondary elements in the narrative deals with the character development and maturation of the additional characters, like Dub, Doug, the astronaut, his sister, etc. The characters are realistic, strong, and honest. Teen readers will be able to relate the characters as well as the strong themes. The themes represented are family, friends and enemies, challenges, triumphs, love, losing virginity, drug and alcohol use, and romance. This book also makes the censored list because of its themes of sex, losing virginity, teacher and student affair, and drugs.
Genre: Coming of age/challenged/edgy/search for identity
Annotation: 18 year old Steve York is not going to graduate. He has mastered the SATS, but doesn’t care enough about himself to finish his work to graduate. If he can complete a 100 page paper over the summer and retell how he got to where he is throughout his high school career, the guidance counselor will pass him.
Justification for nomination: Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas is a story filled with controversial themes. He seemed to have lived two lives in his 18 years. One in Houston with his astronaut father, who he does not respect, but he does well in school, has a girlfriend, and is part of a school club that pushes all the limits. He lives here through his sophomore year. He then moves to San Diego with his mother and sister in his senior year after he loses his girlfriend. alienates his friends, starts smoking pot, and is flunking out of school. A high school guidance counselor makes him a deal. If he can write a 100 page paper telling how he got to the place is at today, he will graduate. The unique structure of the book allows the reader to watch Steve’s character develop in opposite directions. He starts out failing in his relationships and school as a senior, but by the use of flashbacks, the reader sees how his life fell apart. It is like this is a book within a book. The structure sets up a series of contrasts between Steve’s life in California and his life in Texas; both have the same elements, a parent, a girlfriend, school setting, supportive faculty member, and friends, but Steve is not the same person. The back and forth travel between the present and the past highlights the cause and effects of his action and the consequences that follow. The flashbacks are written like a report so you can clearly distinguish between the now and the before. It is told in limited 1st person point of view present tense, almost an autobiography, when he speaks of the present. It is told in limited 1st person point of view past tense when he is in a flashback so he is able to use the benefit of hindsight throughout the story. The secondary elements in the narrative deals with the character development and maturation of the additional characters, like Dub, Doug, the astronaut, his sister, etc. The characters are realistic, strong, and honest. Teen readers will be able to relate the characters as well as the strong themes. The themes represented are family, friends and enemies, challenges, triumphs, love, losing virginity, drug and alcohol use, and romance. This book also makes the censored list because of its themes of sex, losing virginity, teacher and student affair, and drugs.
Genre: Coming of age/challenged/edgy/search for identity
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