Books 17-25
Ben Wolf has
been anxiously waiting his senior year of high school – and he knows it’s going
to be a memorable year. Unfortunately,
it will also be his last one. Prior to
the start of the school year, Ben was told that he has an aggressive form of a
rare blood disease and that, even with treatment, the doctors have given him about
a year live. Not wanting to waste his
chances away during his last year, he really starts to think about what he
wants to accomplish within the time that he has left. In doing so, he joins the football team and
makes memorable memories with his brother, Cody; he asks out Dallas Suzuki, who
agrees to be his Homecoming date; he takes a stand in Mr. Lambeer’s class when
it comes to his senior project (to replace a current street’s name with Malcolm
X Ave.); and, ends up befriending (in a way) the towns social outcast. Throughout the entire time that Ben is
creating (or ruining) these relationships, he never really gave much thought to
what would happen to these people after he was gone, and it is because of that
thought that he comes clean and starts telling the people he cares about what’s
really going on in his life before it’s too late.
This is a YA
novel that can be enjoyed and read by many as it is not a difficult read. Many readers will find Ben and his witty
responses enjoyable, as well as come to understand and respect his decision to
deny treatment. Ben’s goal was to enjoy what
bit of life he had left, and he knew he couldn’t do that while receiving treatment. What some younger YA readers may have trouble
with is the fact that Dallas Suzuki was forced by her Uncle to have sexual
relations with him, which resulted in a child, and that Rudy McCoy is
responsible for the death of 14-year-old boy that committed suicide because he
was being sexually molested by Rudy for over a year. For some, many may view these situations as
inappropriate; but, for others, this is their reality and Crutcher is trying to
relay a message to the reader by telling them how hurtful and devastating
keeping secrets is.
Websites of
Interest:
Book
Talks/Trailers:
Garden, N. (2017). Annie on my mind. New York, NY: Open Road Media Teen & Tween
Eliza ‘Liza’ Winthrop has always
wanted to be an architecture, and had big dreams to attend Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT). It is because of
her love of architecture that Liza constantly visits the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, and it is during one of these visits that she meets Annie Kenyon. Both girls are immediately drawn together,
Liza enraptured by Annie’s angelic voice while Annie finds beauty in the artwork
and designs Liza shows her. And even Liza
and Annie come from very different backgrounds (Liza comes from a very well-off
family that can afford to send her to private school, while Annie comes from a
low-income family that sends her to public school), nothing prevents them from
becoming friends. As the girls continue
to spend time together, Liza and Annie cannot help but feel that their
friendship relationship is progressing into something more – which definitely
takes place after Liza gets suspended from school and during their Thanksgiving
break. At this point, Annie is quick to
accept what she feels for Liza, but Liza is still a bit hesitant with accepting
the fact that she, too, is a lesbian.
Because of Liza’s doubts and unwillingness to accept the truth, the two
girls separate. However, Annie
apparently refuses to give up on Liza as she writes her letters to MIT, which
eventually leads Liza to contact Annie and reconcile.
Annie on My Mind is another great read for young
adults in the upper secondary levels who have an open-mind about lesbian
characters. The fact that author Nancy Garden
wrote this book for herself in mind (because there were no books on the positive
reinforcement of lesbian couples) is what makes this book stand out, as well as
keep it in print over the past twenty plus years. Again, young readers will be able to connect
to Liza as she struggles to come to terms with being a lesbian, and will sympathize
with her when she makes the decision to leave Annie.
Websites of Interest:
Book
Talks/Trailers:
Gephart,
D. (2016). Lily
and Dunkin. New York, NY: Delacorte
Press.
The fact
that Gephart wrote this book or her son (who suffers from being bi-polar) and in memory of Leelah Alcorn (born Josh Alcorn), a
transgender teen who committed suicide after not being accepted for she identified
herself as a girl, speaks volumes and brings awareness to those struggling to
find acceptance. This book is perfect
for middle and secondary level students since they are at the age where they
struggle to find and define themselves. Dunkin’s
character is also not to be overlooked as he embodies and shares the mental
struggle that many teens go through. The
readers also can’t help but feel sympathy toward him and Lily because, though
they may not be a transgender or bi-polar reader, they may have experienced
similar situations where a parent refused to accept them.
Websites of
Interest:
Book
Talks/Trailers:
Harris, R.H. & Emberley, M. (2014). It’s perfectly normal: Changing bodies, growing up, sex, and sexual health. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
As children get older, they start to
have questions about their body and its functions. When children hit puberty, they then begin to
wonder if what they’re experiencing is normal.
Unfortunately, not many children get talked to about these topics concerning
sex and sexual health because a parent may still see their young adult as a
child. By parents not speaking to their young
adults, they then worry that they might be the only odd ones going through
these experiences. Thankfully, within
the pages of this book, young adults will get a crash course in sexual health
and quite a few explanations about what and/or why their body is functioning or
behaving that way. Young adults will
also get a glimpse of what to expect as they get older and their bodies change and
age.
Though it’s
understandable to see why this book may not be favorable in the eyes of a
parent, it is actually one of the best types of informational books out there
for young adults who hitting puberty and are curious about their bodies. With vividly anatomically correct images and
easy to read text, young adults will be shown that everything that they are
experiencing is in fact normal and that they are no different from any other
young adult. The anatomically correct
images may also help promote self-respect, self-acceptance, and self-love since
all those bodily images are combined together onto one page, showing that no
one body is better or acceptable from another.
However, it is because of these ‘naked’ and anatomically correct images (as
well as the book’s topic) that many might think this book to unsuitable for young
children.
Websites of
Interest:
Book
Talks/Trailers:
Keplinger,
K. (2010). The
duff: Designated ugly fat friend.
New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
In high school, everyone is used to
hearing the common terms used to describe the ‘cliques’ – jocks, nerds, goths, preppies,
and the list goes on. However, one term
that many may not know about is because it is a term used for a very selective group
of people; and, that term is The DUFF. According
to Wesley Rush, the school’s ‘hottie’ and ‘man-whore’ extraordinaire DUFF
stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend, which is exactly what he calls Bianca
Piper that one fateful night before she throws her Cherry Coke at him and
stomps off. And as much as Bianca tries
to stay away from Wesley, she can’t help but think that he is exactly the kind of distraction that
she needs to keep her mind off from thinking about how her parents’ marriage is
falling apart. However, what started off
as a distraction soon starts turning into something more and lines get blurred. In the end, Bianca realizes that she is more
than just a DUFF and that labels and the fear of the unknown shouldn’t prevent
her from going after what she wants.
This would definitely
be a great read for upper secondary level students as there are some themes and
situations that younger readers might not be able to comprehend. Young adult readers will find Bianca’s
thoughts and actions relatable, especially since she holds nothing back in how
she perceives the world around her, which is definitely a strength since many first
person narrators tend to hold back on their perceptions of how they view the
world. The fact that some readers may end
up disliking Bianca’s mother and father (and possibly even Wesley in the beginning)
only proves that they are definitely believable characters and that they can’t
help but feel sympathetic towards Bianca, especially when she struggles with accepting
the actions of her mother, father, and Wesley.
Websites of
Interest:
Book Talks/Trailers:
Movie Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_awm5slV5ZM
Interview with Actors - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnhhgc9KlnE
King, A.S. (2012).
Ask the passengers. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Astrid enjoys spending her days in
her back yard, looking up at the sky as planes pass by. With each plane that passes, she sends her
love up to the passengers in the planes, asking questions that apparently no one
has the answer to. When she’s not
looking up at planes, she spends her time with Kristina and Justin – two of her
best friends that have her keeping a secret about them that comes out in the worst
kind of way. Astrid, who feels stressed and
pressured from keeping everyone’s secrets (the fact that Kristina and Justin
are actually gay, and that Astrid has no interest in Jeff because she’s
currently in a relationship with Dee), hopes to have a bit of fun with Dee,
Kristina and her girlfriend Donna, and Justin and his boyfriend Chad, the three
couples head out to Atlantis, where cops bust the ‘gay bar’ and rumors start to
spread about Astrid which jeopardizes her reputation at school and her familial
relationships. In the end, Astrid
realizes how worthless keeping secrets are because keeping her friends’ secrets
influenced her to keep her own.
The story
about Astrid and her realization of how damaging a secret can be is perfect for
young adult readers in the secondary level, especially if those readers are
open-minded to lesbian and gay characters.
Readers will be able to relate to Astrid’s dilemma, struggling with her
as she contemplates her choices on how to ‘come out’ and tell her family and
friends that she is a lesbian. Readers
will also sympathize with her when her best friend, Kristina, takes that choice
away from her, and Astrid is left to fend for herself.
Websites of
Interest:
Book Talks/Trailers:
Saenz, B.A.
(2012). Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
Aristotle ‘Ari’ believes that he’s living
a semi-normal life, at least as semi-normal as possible for a 15-year-old boy
who’s trying to figure out where he belongs in life and what exactly is his purpose
– until he meets Dante that one day at the pool, who offers to teach him how to
swim. Sufficed to say, ever since that
fateful day, the two become inseparable.
It is during his time with Dante that Ari starts to realize that him and
Dante are really not that much different from one another – and both continue
to be friends even after Dante moves back to Chicago. The boys continue to remain friends, keeping
in contact with one another through letters.
And though Ari finds some of Dante’s letters puzzling, he gladly stands
by Dante as slowly begins to admit that he might be gay. When Dante comes back to El Paso again for
the summer, Ari is happy to have his friend back, but he starts to realize that
he might not be as accepting of Dante’s sexuality. However, when Ari’s father (whom Ari believes
never really understood him) puts things about life in perspective for him, Ari
comes to the realization that the reason why he always questioned where he belonged
is because he had trouble accepting who he always was.
This young
adult novel is a perfect read for secondary level students who are open-minded when
it comes to reading about gay characters.
The plotline of this story is perfect, slowly unraveling which allows
the reader to be drawn into the world of Ari and Dante. The slow unravel of the plotline is a
strength to the story as it allows the reader to connect with Ari and revel in
how his character develops. The fact
that Ari has trouble coming to terms and accepting who he really is is
something that many young readers can relate to as they become more aware of
the world and people around them, as well as struggle to find their place in
the world.
Websites of
Interest:
Book Talks/Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAKhjvVri5o
Marjane Satrapi, born
from a strong-willed family that refused to cower under the pressure of the
social and cultural changes happening within their country, looks back at her
childhood to retell what growing up was like in Iran during that time. She starts off by explaining how a ‘cultural
revolution’ changed her people’s perspective on what was deemed acceptable and
appropriate, such as the wearing of the veil and the separation of gender in
schools. Satrapi also reveals how
involved her family was in the revolution, attending demonstrations that
involved many people being arrested and/or executed. She then reveals just how destructive the revolution
and the war were on not only her family, but on the families of friends she
knew. It is because of these horrific
events that Satrapi’s resolve to take a stand against unjust actions was
hardened, such as when she hit her principal in an effort to prevent her mother’s
bracelet (a forbidden item) from being taken away from her. In the end, her parents realize that Iran is
no place her, so they send her away to a family friend in Austria so neither of
them need to worry about her being arrested or abused or, worse, executed.
Satrapi,
M. (2003). Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
This YA
novel is suitable for upper secondary level students who will be able to quickly
grasp and understand Iran and its culture.
And although Satrapi briefly explains and/or mentions certain individuals,
such as Gandhi and Fidel Castro (as well as the revolutionaries of her country),
it will be beneficial for the reader to have some background knowledge as to
who these people are – especially since they’ve made an impact on Satrapi’s
understanding of life and the world. A
perk to this YA novel though is that it’s written in graphic novel format,
which makes the information being presented by Satrapi clear and concise. The black and white (positive and negative) images
that she uses enhances the emotions of the characters within and really gets
the reader to focus on what Satrapi is trying to convey within the image.
Websites of
Interest:
Book Talks/Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwAWGdRx_Qc
Smith, A. (2008).
Ghost medicine. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends Book.
More like brothers
than friends, Troy Stotts, Tommy Buller, and Gabriel ‘Gabey’ Benavidez decide
to do what they do best during the summer – be young boys at heart and work the
Benavidez’s ranch. And just when Troy’s
summer starts looking up (Luz (Gabey’s older sister) agrees to date him and he befriends
Rose, a widowed woman who lives alone on her own ranch), it doesn’t seem to get
much better after that. Troy and the boys
are having to continually deal with losing things that come to matter the most
to them. Furthermore, it also doesn’t help
any to know that the sheriff of the town, Clayton Rutledge, seems to have it
out for Troy and the boys as he never hesitates to insult them and find a way
to make their lives miserable. However,
it seems that the worst part of the boys’ summer comes from Chase Rutledge, the
sheriff’s son, who attempts to rape Luz and (thankfully) fails when the boys
fight him off. In an attempt to get back
at the boys for their meddling, Chase enlists the help of his friend, Jack
Crutchfield, and together they create a deadly plan. Unfortunately, it is because of the actions
of these boys that they all lost much more than they bargained for.
This is
another YA novel that would be perfect for secondary level students who will be
able to grasp the complexities of Smith’s plot, especially since he throws in
moments of flashbacks every so often.
However, due to the complexities of Smith’s plot, this feature could
also be a weakness as some readers (especially the reluctant ones) may be intimidated
and turned off by its structure. And although
some readers may have no problem at all connecting with Troy, they might
struggle to understand how he’s able to deal with death of his mom (though it’s
clear that Troy hasn’t had a strong relationship with her for a while) and the
death of someone he considered to be a brother over the course of a few
weeks. And yet, this could also be used
to show readers that as much as Troy wanted life to stop, it can’t and neither
can he. Young adult readers who can follow
complex storylines and who are looking to read about male protagonists will
thoroughly enjoy this one and find a bit of themselves in each of the boys
(Troy, Tommy, and Gabe).
Websites of
Interest:
Book
Talks/Trailers:
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