It’s
Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris
Harris,
R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.
The
non-fiction book offers great information about the growing body. It is updated for the 21st century
reader and offers plenty of information about puberty, sex, sexual health, the
changing body, and staying healthy. In
addition, it has integrated information on subjects such as safe Internet use,
gender identity, emergency contraception and more. It addresses many questions in a tasteful and funny, easy
to understand way while all along making the reader feel important and
loved. The illustrations are
appropriate, and I liked that the illustrations included many different types
of body shapes. This reminds the reader all about being the same and being
different at the same time.
This book is intended for ten
and up (tween and teens). It is the
perfect to-go-to resource for parents, counselors, and teachers trying to
answer some of the difficult questions children often have about their own
bodies and sex. It is a must-have for
any school library collection.
Connections:
Book TrailerAuthor’s Website
Author’s Interview
More to
Read: Sex and Babies: First Facts by Jane Annunziata, Sex
by James Bow , Sexual Health: Understanding Your Body’s Changes by Serena
Gander-Howser, How God Makes Babies by Jim Burns
Other
Books by Robie H. Harris: It’s Not the
Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends, It’s
So Amazing, What’s So Yummy?, Turtle and Me
Invisible
by Pete Hautman
Hautman,
P. (2005). Invisible. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Invisible is a modern realistic novel full of
suspense and twists. The story centers
around Doug or “Dougie” and his best friend Andy. The two are an odd couple but
have been friends since childhood and have lived right next door to each other
forever. Douglass is a seventeen year old who is shy, nerdy, and is for the
most part an outcast at school. Andy is
Doug character foil; he is effortlessly liked, handsome, and popular, and
interestingly has chosen Dougie as his best friend. Doug seems to realize that their relationship
is not typical since they don’t hang out and do stuff together, but he doesn’t
mind. We learn about the boy’s relationship through Doug’s flashbacks about
incidents like the mysterious Tuttle place, and the tree house fire. Doug has many social and mental issues. He spends most of his time alone in the
basement working on his train model and building the Madham town that goes with
it. He is obsessed with fire. His
parents think he’s crazy and force him to see a therapist on a weekly basis
because he talks to himself. Poor Doug
is also bullied at school, and one can say he has girl problems when he decides
to stalk Melissa the girl of his dreams and later gets beat severely for it and
ends up in the hospital. Doug’s mental
state cause erratic behavior and after making a bomb threat at his school and
getting caught he admits that he’s been intentionally skipping therapy sessions
and not taking his anxiety medication.
At that point, his psychiatrist makes Doug remember what truly happened
to him three years ago in the Tuttle place.
It is here where the reader learns that Andy died in a fire after
running back to find Doug’s knife. Doug
is confronted with the reality of his best friend’s death but choses to accept
the probability of Andy being a ghost rather than accept anything else. This and the possibility of going to St.
Stephen’s Academy cause Doug to set his model train on fire. The end of the
story leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
This novel is
intended for ages 12 and up. The themes
about friendship, death, mental illness, bullying make it a story about real
issues which I think our students enjoy reading about the most. There are many learning opportunities about bullying
and especially mental illness that as educators we can cautiously address with
this novel. I can see this being a great
book for middle schoolers and high schoolers as well.
Connections:
Book
TrailerAuthor’s Website
Author’s Blog
More to
Read: Choker by Emma Elizabeth, The
Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder, Every You, Every Me by David Levithan,
Other
Books by Pete Hautman: Eden West, The
Laatu Terminus, The Obsidian Blade: The Klaatu Diskos, What Boys Really Want,
The Big Church, How to Seal A Car, Godlessf
Glory
O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King
King, A.
(2014). Glory O’Brien’s history of the future. New York: Little, Brown Books for
Young Readers.
King’s magical
realism fiction about suicide, friendship, clairvoyance, and feminism centers on
Glory a girl whose mother committed suicide when she was just four years old
and is now seeking answers that may never find.
Glory fears ending up like her mother and shows no real interest in her
own life. Graduation is around the
corner, but instead of making plans for college she dwells on knowing more
about her mother. Like her mother, Glory enjoys taking photographs using old
cameras. One day she finds the courage to ask her father to let her work in her
mother’s old dark room. He finally gives
her the key, and Glory embarks into the life of Darla. Her best friend, Ellie is always there at
least she thinks she is, but Glory has always felt like Ellie just uses her for
one thing or another. Glory discovers
Ellie’s mother had sent her father nude pictures of her which caused some
serious problems in the relationship. She also finds out that Ellie’s family
have been living rent free in her mother’s land. All this makes Glory question her friendship
with Ellie even more, but feelings of pity more than loyalty is perhaps what
doesn’t let Glory totally sever the relationship she has with Ellie even though
she tells her self she will. One night
after having a few beers they decide to drink the remains of a dead bat. They both suddenly have the power to see a
person’s past and future. This new ability binds the girls for a little
longer. The future Glory sees is
horrible: women lose all rights, they are held in camps or prisons, and a civil
war starts. Glory feels it is her
obligation to write down everything she is seeing in an effort to help make the
future safer.
This novel is
intended for grades 9-12. It is a coming of age story that can be enjoyed by
young adult readers. The magical
elements set it apart from other novels, and the dystopian future Glory envisions
is also a great element that adds some mystery and horror to what seems like a
typical story about a girl coping with the loss of a loved one.
Connections:
More to Read: When Kacey Left by Dawn Green, I Was Here by Gayle Forman, Razzle by Ellen Wittlinger, Hold Still by Nina LaCour, Breaking by Danielle Rollins
More to Read: When Kacey Left by Dawn Green, I Was Here by Gayle Forman, Razzle by Ellen Wittlinger, Hold Still by Nina LaCour, Breaking by Danielle Rollins
Other
Books by A.S. King: Me and Marvin
Gardens, Still Life with Tornado, I Crawl Through It, Reality Boy, Ask the
Passengers, Everybody Sees the Ants, Please Ignore Vera Dietz
Scowler by Daniel Kraus
Kraus,
D. (2013). Scowler. New York: Delacorte.
This horror
fiction centers around the physical and emotional abuse a family endures for
years by the hands of the one person who is supposed to look out for them,
their father. The protagonist, Ry Burke is a nineteen year old whose traumatizing
life causes some mental instabilities.
As a child Ry was denied playing with toys, and as a psychological
torment had to witness his father use his childhood bat that was taken from him
to assault his mother. Even more
disturbing, Ry witnesses how his monster of a father sewed his mother to her
bed. In an effort to save his mother
and baby sister, Ry stabs his father with some shears and runs away to a nearby
forest. Marvin feeling disrespected,
follows him and tries to kill him. It is
this extremely stressful, and frightful event where Ry begins to talk to his
three toys: Mr. Furrington, Jesus, and Scowler.
The three manifestations help Ry survive, and Marvin gets sent to jail. However, not for good. An impeding meteorite falls on the prison
where Marvin is held and is able to escape and go back and wreak havoc on his
deteriorating farm. Another meteorite falls on the farm and Marvin becomes
obsessed with retrieving it. The horrors that the family experiences next bring
back Ry’s old friends back. However,
somewhere along the way Ry momentarily gives in to his father’s dark side
making the novel even more horrific.
This novel is
intended for more mature readers. The
violence depicted is graphic and not for everyone. Kraus succeeds in conveying how abuse and
violence, sometimes viewed as taboo subjects, can become vicious cycle in
families by having Marvin disclose some information about his own
upbringing. The way the story unfolds by
initial time before and after impact gives the story a foreboding feel to the
overall story.
Connections:
Book TrailerAuthor’s Webpage
More to
Read: Thursday’s Child by Sonya Hartnett, Oddly Enough by Buce
Coville, Second Chance by Heather Brewer, Three-Quarters Dead by Richard Peck
Other
Books by Daniel Kraus: Rotters, The Death and
Life of Zebulon Finch, Volume One: At the Edge of Empire, the Death and Life of
Zebulon Finch, Volume Two: Empire Decayed
I Hunt
Killers by Barry Lyga
Lyga, B.
(2012). I hunt killers. New York: Little, Brown.
This dark modern
realistic fiction centers around a conflicted teenager named Jasper “Jazz”
Dent. On the outside, Jass looks and tries to act like a typical teenager, but inside,
he questions his very nature. He lives
with the constant fear that he will end up like his father, a notorious serial
killer who killed over 100 people until he got caught. Billy Dent or how Jazz calls him “Dear Old
Dad” taught Jazz everything he knew about observing his victims, torturing,
killing and then disposing of the bodies.
Billy has been locked up for 4 years, but when the body of a women
appears in his small town with two severed fingers; he fears everyone will
think he’s responsible. Jazz decides he
will use everything his “Dear Old Dad” taught him to catch the murderer who is
later called “The Impressionist”. With the help of his best friend, Howie and
his girlfriend Connie, they set out to stop the murders from happening by referring
back to his father’s own crimes. Jazz
and Howie break into the morgue and get caught by a new deputy who Jazz
considers suspicious. The same Sheriff responsible for catching Billy
reluctantly listens to Jazz and allows him to meet with Billy in an effort to
shed some light on the case. With the
little information he gets, Jazz is able to figure out who the next victim will
be and walks in on the murder. Howie
almost bleeds out when the murderer slashes him. The Impressionist realizes that Jazz has to
be forced to see what he truly is -a murderer just like Billy and plans to
capture him and force him to kill his own grandmother. Howie and Connie get there right on time and
safe the day. In the meantime, the
Sheriff get word that Billy has escaped from prison. In the end, Jazz knows he will have to hunt
his father down. He gets a tattoo that
reads “I hunt killers”.
This novel is intended
for a mature audience because of the graphic murder scenes and sexual behavior
described. I can honestly say that I was surprised that this novel was YA in
the first place. I can see the murder
mystery factor being appealing to young readers, but altogether I thought it
was a bit too gory. However, I really
liked how Lyga developed Jasper and made him a hero by having him not succumb
to his killer instincts. In the end, he
chose the high road; he chooses good over evil.
Connections:
More to
Read:
Game by Barry Lyga, Counterfeit Son by Elaine M. Alphin, Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys, First Shot: What Would You Do If Your Dad Was a Murderer by
Walter Sorrells, Tell by Norah
McClintock
Other
Books by Barry Lyga: Bang, The Secret
Sea, After the Red Rain, Game: The Sequel to “I hunt Killers”, Mangaman, Goth
Girl Rising, Wolverine: Worst Day Ever, Hero-Type, Boy Toy, The Astonishing
Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
Monster
by Walter D. Myers
Myers,
W. (1999). Monster. New York: HarperCollins.
This realistic
fiction novel is about Steve Harmon, a sixteen year old on trial for
murder. He allegedly played the role of
the lookout in a drugstore robbery in which the local convenient store owner
was shot dead. Steve repeatedly claims
he is innocent, but the reader is left to wonder whether or not he is telling
the truth. Steve is terrified of the
possibility of spending 25 years or more in such a violent place. His descriptions of the other inmates, the
constant fighting, the lack of privacy, and the everyday threat of being beat
or sexually assaulted is too much for him.
To cope with the seriousness of the predicament he is in, Steve a
talented film student, turns his story into a film. He combines the court proceedings with entries from his journal and tries
to capture the intensity of it all. Although in the end Steve is found not guilty,
his attorney’s reaction in the end seems to suggest that she felt he was
guilty. Was reluctance to hug Steve due
to some prejudice she felt towards young African Americans or does she know
something the reader doesn’t? And if it’s the latter than questions about morals
and values and breaking rules for the greater good come into view not only with
Steve but with Mrs. O’Brien as well. Five months after the trial, Steve is still
trying to find himself and learn more about who he is. The reader is left questioning Steve’s
innocence.
This novel is appropriate for middle school students who will
be able to relate to Steve as a young student who likes to play basketball and
likes to make films. This novel raises
some interesting questions about the choices we make as human beings and the
consequences of those choices. It also gives
a lot to think about for students in terms of our judicial and prison systems.
Author’s Webpage
Author’s Interview
Reading Group Guide
Lessons/Resource Packet
More to Read: Monster: A Graphic Novel by Guy A. Sims, Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford,
Connections:
Book TrailerAuthor’s Webpage
Author’s Interview
Reading Group Guide
Lessons/Resource Packet
More to Read: Monster: A Graphic Novel by Guy A. Sims, Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford,
Other Books by Walter Myers: Frederick
Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History, Monster: A Graphic Novel, Juba, On a
Clear Day, Invasion, Cruisers Book 4: Oh, Snap! , Darius & Twig
The Knife
of Never Letting Go by
Ness, P.
(2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.
This science
fiction novel centers on Todd Hewitt, the thirteen year old protagonist and his
dog Manchee who live in Prentisstown, a town of 147 men and no women. This town is set in a new world where the men
can hear each other’s thoughts or “noise”; they can even hear the thoughts of
other animals and creatures. While picking
apples near the swamp, Todd comes across silence. At first he thinks it must be the Spackle an
alien creature native to that world that was supposedly exterminated long
ago. When he arrives to his farm Cillian
and Ben his parents realize what Todd just came across and without much
explanation demand he live Prentisstown. They put together food, some supplies,
and his mother’s diary which will explain everything; they tell him. Todd
blames everything on the silence or Spackle and wants to go back and kill it so
that he can return to his farm and his parents Cillian and Ben. He finds a girl instead and realizes that he
can’t hear her thoughts or “noise”. Soon
after, Aaron the town’s preacher, shows up and attacks them. They escape and Viola shows Todd the crash
site and her dead parents; he realizes she is from a different world. Together
they run from Prentisstown men that are trying to kill them. They set out to Haven, the first settled colony
in the new world. Along the way, they
come across different towns where there are women and men living together. Todd realizes there is a lot he doesn’t know
about his town. They take refuge in Farbranch and with the help of Hildy are
set up for a day until the mayor’s army come and burn it down. Todd and Viola continue on their journey to
Haven. Todd comes across a real spackle and kills it, and Aaron reappears and
stabs Todd and takes Viola. The next
morning, he wakes up with a fever and vows to safe Viola. He is helped along the way by Wilf and his
wife. He finally finds Aaron and Viola and with the help of Manchee distracts Aaron
and saves her. Aaron manages to kill Manchee. Todd passes out for days and
wakes up in a hospital. Dr. Snow is
taking care of him. He learns the truth
about Prentisstown and sees Ben again. Todd and Viola continue on their journey
to Haven after the mayor’s army arrives in Dr. Snow’s town. They run into Aaron again, who discloses the
reason why Todd is so important to Prentisstown, but this time Viola kills
him. Todd carries an injured Viola into
Haven only to be greeted by the mayor who is now calling himself President.
The intended
audience for this novel is 16 and up due to the vividly described violent
situations and Aaron’s grotesque appearance.
The author does a great job of developing the character of Todd. Throughout his difficult journey, Todd makes
decisions about the man he wants to become refusing to be like the other men in
Prenstisstown. We can see how this
character’s morals and values are shaped by the experiences presented in front
him and the truth he uncovers about his town.
We see him grow from a boy into a man.
Connections:
More to Read: A Beautiful
Friendship by David Weber,
Treecat Wars by David Weber, Talker
25 by Joshua McCune, Glow by
Kathleen Ryan
Other Books by Patrick Ness: The
Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men, Class: The Stone House, A Monster Calls,
The Rest of Us Just Live Here, More Than This
Gabi: A
Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
This is the story of a high school girl named Gabi. Her story is presented to us in a series of journal diary entries. Gabi is a Mexican American girl coping with many issues the average high school seventeen year olds struggle with. She is smart, funny, likes food a lot, and struggles with self-esteem issues. She often questions her Mexicanisim, Americanism, boys, whether or not she is a good daughter, and her self-image. Her friends Cindy and Sebastian make Gabi’s life a lot easier and a lot more dramatic at the same time. Cindy get pregnant and Sebastian is gay; the two face precarious predicaments that way heavily on them and their families. Writing in her journal helps Gabi deal with all of it including the heartbreaking and heart wrenching worries of having a meth addict for a father. In her quest for answers to all her questions, she finds a hidden talent for writing poetry which ends up giving her the self-confidence she’s lacked. Poetry helps her channel thoughts about sex, the absurdities society/her own family places on women, her body, boys etc. She also gains the strength to pursue her dream of attending Berkley despite her own mother’s wishes. Gabi learns to accept herself for who she is and embraces the good, bad and the in-betweens of being a Mexican American girl and decides to do what makes her happy and not what is dictated as right by anyone else.
This realistic
fiction is an appropriate read for students in high school. Gabi, discusses
serious topics such as drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, binge
eating, identity and sex in a smart and humorous manner. I was immediately drawn in from beginning to
end. I found myself laughing constantly and
relating to Gabi on a personal level: her critical Mexican mother, her inner
conflict with being true to her heritage while embracing the American culture
as well, her fear of not being a good enough daughter, and all the Spanish “dichos”
hit home for me. Young readers can
relate to Gabi and her ordeals too and learn about self-empowerment and the
importance of loving who you are while never forgetting where you came from.
Author’s Interview
Teacher’s Guide
Connections:
Book TrailerAuthor’s Interview
Teacher’s Guide
More to Read: Plan B by Charnan
Simon, Mariposa Gown by Rigoberto
Gonzalez, M or F? : a novel by Lisa
Papademetriou, November Blues by
Sharon Draper, Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski
Other Books by Isabel Quintero: Ugly Cat & Pablo
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