Books 1 - 8
Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. NY: Little Brown
Junior is a teenager with hydrocephaly who is trapped in a world that does not offer many opportunities for improvement. On the reservation he sees a continuous cycle of drinking, which eventually leads to many deaths. Junior wants to become more, so he decides to go to an all white school in Reardan. When Junior tells Rowdy, his best friend and constant protector, he gets very upset. Rowdy always looks out for Junior, but this time he gets so mad that he punches him in the face. Rowdy is not the only one that is upset, when the rest of the reservation finds out, they also give Junior the stink eye. At the new school, Junior sees a beautiful blonde girls named Penelope that he is attracted to. He eventually starts going out with her, because they understand each other in a strange way. He also gets in some trouble when Roger starts to pick on him. Junior who goes by Arnold at the new school decides to stant up to Roger. He punches him in the nose, and the strangest thing happens. Instead of getting clobbered, Junior actually gains Rogers respect, and everyone elses. Just when things start to look up for Junior, his sister dies, his grandmother dies, as well as his fathers best friend Eugene. This is a tough time for Junior, because he is having a hard time trying to figure out who he is and wants to be. He is called Junior on the reservation, and Arnold at Reardan High School, which adds miles in between both his worlds. Through out the book Junior tries to fix his broken relationship with Rowdy, but he is never really successful at it. Junior plays basketball, and towards the end of the book has to face Rowdy for a second time, except this time it is on the reservation and Arnold's team wins. In the end Arnold learns to except himself for who he is, and even manages to become friends with Rowdy again. Rowdy surprises Junior by callng him a nomad, which suits Junior just right. This book is an excellent example of what kids go through in todays world. Junior has supportive parents like most kids, while Rowdy is the bestfriend who is always hanging around because his home life is horrible. Junior is trapped like most teenagers, not really knowing where they fit in. This is a perfect example of a book that can be a mirror for most kids, a book where they see their own lives. I love the way Junior's character evolves through out the book, this book can help YA reader know that they are not alone in their experiences. It sheds light on certain situations, and lets them know that their is hope at the end of the tunnel if they hold on long enough.
Here is book trailer that I think you will like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3QMxf4yySA
Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin
Melinda is a typical ninth grader who is about to start school, except she has a terrible secret that no one knows about. Like most kids Melinda and her friends attend a summer party, where thinks go really wrond. Melinda gets raped by a guy named Andy, and she ends up calling the police. The result is the party getting busted, and everyone blames her. When school starts no one knows what really happened, not even Melinda's best friend Rachel. Melinda's freshman year is not going to good, and she has become a social outcast. She starts spending alot of time alone, and in a janitors closet that is no longer in use. She decides that not to speak about what happened, or even at all. Even when it looks like she might make a friend, Heather abondons her so she can climb up the social ladder. No one is really paying any attention to Melinda, and they think it is just a phase that she is going through, except for her art teacher and David. Here art teacher and David encourage Melinda, but even with their efforts she seems to just be going through the motions in life. One day she finds out that Rachel is dating Andy, and that is when things begin to change. She decides that it is time to speak, and let Rachel know exactly what happened. Rachel is sympathetic, but gets upset when she says that Andy is the one who raped her. It seems that Melinda has hit another wall, until Rachel shows her that she really does believe her. Andy gets so mad that she told Rachel, and tries to rape Melinda once again in the janitors closet. This time Melinda fights back, and screams for help. She is saved by the lacrosse team, and then the table finally turn. Everyone finds out what really happend the previous summer, and Melinda's social status changes to that of being excepted. At the end of the book Melinda turns in her art project, and decides to speak once again, and tells him her story. This is a wonderful story of strength and courage, which provide a window for readers that are going into high school to peer into.It provides them with many opportunities for philosophical specualtion It shows them the dangers that lurk at parties, as well as the cruelty that social ladders can be governed by. I love how this book shows conflict with the world, and well as the internal struggle that that main character faces. Melinda not only has to figure out how to deal with the world around her, but has to fight her own demons to break out of the depression that she is in. The character comes full circle in the end, which make this a beautiful story of redemption and acceptance. Although Speak is a wonderful book for all YA reader in my opinion, it has come underattack on many occacions. I have included an article below from School Library Journal, that sheds more light on the subject.
School Library Jouranl link:
http://www.slj.com/2010/10/industry-news/andersons-speak-under-attack-again/
Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: FSG
Liza meets Annie at a Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they end up having a lot of fun. They even manage to enteratain some kids with a duel, before the security guard comes in, and tells them that they should know better. They continue visiting the museum, and but manage to exchange phone numbers before they have to part ways. Liza can't stop thinking about Annie, and even her brother accuses her of being in love on their way to school one day. Liza brushes his comment off and continues with daily life. She is the student council president at her school, which carries a lot of responsibility. One day Liza gets in trouble for not stopping Sally from from piercing peoples years. There is a rule at Liza's school that they must either ask the person breaking the rule to turn themselves in, or turn them in themselves. Liza did not do either, even though she know the rule by heart, and gets into alot of trouble with Mrs. Pointdexter. Sally and Liza end up going to a hearing where they are both suspended. Liza's parents see her suspention differently, and when Annie hers about it, she thinks is ridiculous. While she is suspended, Liza visits Annie's school and is amzazed at what she sees. As time goes by Liza and Annie become more drawn to each other. Annie eventually confesses her love for her, but does not want to pressure Liza into anything that she is not ready for. Liza ends up house sitting for two of her teachers, and this is where Liza and Annie really start to spend time with each other. This is where they kiss, and break the awkwardness/tension that has been building between them. The two girls eventually get caught, and Sally and Mrs. Baxter, from the school Liza attends. Liza finds out that the teachers she was house sitting for are gay, which leads to even bigger problems. Liza's school ends up letting the teachers go, and Liza tells her parents about her relationship with Annie. In the end the girls end up going their separate ways to college. Once Liza has worked through her sexual identity, the girls are able to reunite on winter break. This was a pretty heavy book, that dealt with a lot of the issue that YA readers are dealing with in silence. Although our world is very open and become mainstreamed in many areas, being gay is strill something that not everyone is ready to announce to the world. This book goes through the ups and downs of the girls trying to iron out the feelings they have for one another, and gives the reader an inside look at what parents go through when they are in this situation. I think this book really lends itself to a lot of philosphical specualtion by readers. I think we need more books like Annie On My Mind, to let students in high school know that it is ok, they are perfectly normal. This book can even help many adults iron out some feelings that they may have been repressing because they did not quite know how to explain them. I would not consider this book for middle school students, only because they only at the start of understanding all of the changes that they are going through.
Annie On My Mind Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3aChHmZYac
Gephart, D. (2016). Lily and Dunkin. NY: Delacorte.
Timothy and Norbert are two boys who are struggling with who they really are. Timothy feels that he is a girl, and wants everyone to be okay with him being Lily. Lily's family supports him, but his dad is still has trouble emabracing that fact that his son wants to be a girl. Norbert on the other hand suffer with being bipolar and does not like to take his medicine. One of the issures that Norbert has is that he really does not not like his name. He really linkes Dunkin Donuts, and decides that he wants to be called Dunkin. Both Litly and Dunkin go through a great deal of emotional termoil, before coming to a place where they are happy. Norber loses his dad, but he is only able to accept it after he is released from the hospital, and his mom tells him that she did not want to lose him as well. Dunkin promises to take all his medicatin and says goodbye to Phineas for good. Lily's father also comes around at the end of the book, but she can not figure out why. He tells Lily that the doctor told him some statistics, and that he would rather have a daughter that is alive versus a dead son. This book is perfect for students in high school, who are struggling with issues of the sort, or just trying to understand them. This book sheds light on a topic that even in our generation is just starting to make it to the main stream. People do not really understant transgender or being bipolar as much as we would like to think. This book is definety a window into the life of Lily and Dunkin and their families. It think the strength of this book is in the family dynamics, and how they mirrored enents that have really happened. It helps students make a connectin to it from the start.
Link to Lily and Dunkin Educators Guide: https://www.perma-bound.com/static/TPR/000457607.pdf
Harris, R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press
This book is about all the things that parents dread they will one day have to tell their little ones about. It is very informative and gives a detailed explanation of what is sex, puberty, our bodies, families and babies, deciding to have sex, contraceptives, and how to stay healty in the process. I would recommend this book for seventh graders, because some of the images require a certain level of maturity. I think this book is very helpful for parents who are not quite sure how to tackle the subject. The conversations between the bee and the parrot also provide some comic relief along the way. I think the strength of this book lies in it's illustrations, and ability it has to help the reader make a connections to the written literature.
Here is a link to the author and his books that you might be interested in: http://robieharris.com/?page_id=186
Kidd, C. (2014). Go:A Kidd’s guide to graphic design. NY: Workman.
This book is exactly what the title states, a book about graphic design that is written in a kid friendly way. It covers form, typogrpahy, content, concept, and even gives you ten design projects. This book provides art history for the reader as well, to help them understand the underlying concepts. This book provides plenty of visual exaples that can be used as a guide for students interested in this area of study. I would recommend this book for anyone in middle school and up. It is a wonderful that helps us relate to and understant the world around us. After reading this book, one will be more aware of the techniques that advertisers use to sway our way of thinking. This book also helps us understand why we might have react a certain way to propoganda that is all around us.
Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper
Steve Harmon is a young kid, who is being charged with a crime they say he commited. A convenient story was held up, and the owner of the store was murdered. The police are looking for everyone who was involved in the crime. One day the police arrive at Steve Harnon's home, and he is accused of being the look out for the crime. He is put in jail, and has developed and interesting way of looking at his situation. He decides that this is like a movie, and decides write down everything that happen from the perspective of a movie that is being made. Steve writes about what happens what goes on in jail, and how he understands why they take your shoes and laces when you first arrive. He says a man go go crazy enough to want to give up and kill themselves. In court Steve is faces with his lawyer not believing him, and mainly just tries to separate him from the rest of the guys involved in the crime. Steve's praents are sad, and Steve misses his little brother. He doen't understand which wrong choice he made, that put him behind bars. Steve survives being in jail, because of the making of his movie. It gives him a purpose while he is in the courtroom and locked up. The two guys that are testifying again Steve, are doing it to get a deal so that they can be let out of cour sooner. Even though Steve's teacher takes the stand, and vouches for him being a good kid, his lawyer does not have much faith that they are going to win. When his trial is over, Steve does not know what to do with himself, because know there is nothing to do. When Steve returns to court for the verdict, he is found not guilty, and is able to return home with his mother and little brother. I really love this book and the interesting perpective that it was written from. You read many book about gangs and violence, but I have not come across one with this type of perscpective. The reader was able to walk in Steve's shoes, and see what life in his neighborhood was like. Not only the bad parts were highlighted, but the good that he was trying to do. Through his videos, Steve was able to find himself, and bring meaning to his life. Sometimes YA readers might feel trapped, and like they are the only one living in a certain situtaiton. This book connects readers to life, and lets the know that they can rise above they challenges they face on a daily basis. This book would be wonderful for anyone in sixth grade or above. It give a true picture of what life is like for many kids, who are trying to overcome where they are from.
A link to Walter Dean Myer discussing Monster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtlkXnf3-vY
Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press
Todd lives in a Prentisstown, where everyone can here each others thoughts. It has not always been this way, and was brought on by what they called the Spackle. Not only are the Spackle responsible for this, but for the death of all the women in the town. Todd's parents died, so he is being raised by Ben and Cillian. Prentisstown is part of the New World, and everyone is told that nothing else exists outside of their town. In Prentisstown when boys become men, all the secrets of the town are revealed to them, so Todd is anxious to become a man. Anther reason he is anxious, is because he is the only boy left int he entire town. One day Ben and Cillian tell Todd that he has to run away, and he doesn't understand why. The men of the town find out and try to stop Todd from leaving. Ben and Cillian hold off the angry mob, and Todd is able to run away with a back pack and his dog Manchee. While in the swamp Todd encouters what he calls a hole in the noise, and looks for the source. He discovers that it is coming form a real life girls, and he is surprised, becaue in his town girls only exist in the noise of men. Aaron, the towns preacher also appears, and tries to hurt the girl. Todd decides to save her and confronts Aaron. They manage to get away, but are not sure if Aaron is alive or dead. Todd later discovers that even though he can not hear the girls noise, she can hear his. Todd is later faced with the girl at her space ship, and two othe bodies. He later discovers that these are her parents, but she still decided to run away with him. Todd is a little confused because the girls shows no interest in her parent's bodies as she runs away. In the backpack that Todd is carring, their is a map that Ben told him to follow. He must follow the map until he gets to town and warn them. Todd does not know how to read very well, so he only partially understand the directions. Never the less Todd, Manchee, and the girls run for their live, in fear that Aaron and town is coming after them. Together Todd and the girld burn the bridge that connects Prentisstown to anyother possible settlements. Todd eventually learns that the girls name is Viola, and she offers to read the map, but Todd is embarassed and acts angry. He puts the map and book away and tells them they must keep moving. They come across their first town, and they get help from Matilde and her husband. They stay the night and in the morning Matilde take them to the next town wehre Matilde's sister is in charge. They don't stay long because the Mayor and his army have found a way around the burned bridge and are attacking everyone, and their army is growing as they move through the towns. Along with this army Aaron also keep appearing out of nowhere, because he wants Todd to kill him, in order for him to become a man, like the rest of them. Todd does not want to, even after he kills his dog, but they injure him enough every time to get away. Todd and Viola have only one hope, to get to the town of Haven. As Todd and Viola run for their lives, Todd struggles to make sense of everything he thought was true. Todd and Viola have one last confrontation with Aaron befroe reaching Haven, but Viola is the one who ends up killing Aaron. After this confrontation they run for the Town of Haven, only to have Viola shot. Todd carries Viloa and runs to the town as fast as he can, only discover, that the Mayor and his army have already arrived. This book was a bit confusing for me, but provided a glimse into events that might be perceived by our imginatin to happen. It also give an understanding into cultural acceptance. We might not always understand each other, but it is important to embrace the differences that exist between us. I would recomment this book for anyone in nineth grade or above.
The author's page where he has a conversation about the Chaos Walking Trilogy which includes The Knife of Never Letting Go Series: http://patrickness.com/book/the-knife-of-never-letting-go/
