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
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