The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, P. ( 2008). The Knife of Never Letting Go. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

Summary

Todd lives in a town Prentisstown. You soon discover that life here is different. First eveyone can hear each other's thoughts even animals. Second,  there are no women. There was a germ that spread and got rid of the the females and gave men the ability to hear thoughts. Todd stumbles upon area that is quiet.  It is referred to as a hole since it is a hole in the noise that surrounds him constantly. When he tells his parents about the hole, they realize he is in danger and must leave. Since everyone can hear everyone's thoughts, the men in the town know that Todd has found a hole.  Once he leaves he finds the person responsible for the hole, Viola. She is an alien from another planet and needs help because her ship has crashed and her parents have died. The two need to get to a place called Haven. On the way they are attacked by a bully Aaron numerous times. Viola finally kills him in the end. They are chased by the Printesstown army and escape villages just before they are burned by the army. When they finally get to Haven, they see the mayor of Printisstown. he welcomes them to ta New Order setting the stage for a new chapter in a series.  

Commentary

For a novel in the realm of fantasy science fiction there was quite a bit of adventure to keep the readier entertained. Todd makes the observation that "There is no such thing as silence, not here,not no where." This is true our world too.  Even in a silent room, the voice in our head may be talking. The book make very good use of the feeling of being desperate and alone and then finding one person to cling to to make it through a tough time. Todd must come to terms with his ability and the truth about his town's history.  His turn as hero in the end refreshing. He learns to stand up for himself and others. 

Connections

Connections

This book falls into the genre of modern fantasy fiction.  The characters could easily be taken out of the book and would fit into our world.  This would be appropriate for upper age Young Adult audiences. Concrete topics are not the major focus. It is more concentrating on survival and equality and manipulation. Using this novel, teacher can begin a discussion on if having the ability to hear other's thoughts is a blessing or a curse.

The Island of Excess Love

Block F. L. (2014). The Island of Excess Love. New York, NY: Henry Holt Company.

Summary

Pen lives in a pink house with Hex, Ash, Venice, and Ez. The world around them has been destroyed but they have been spared.  The ship appears one day and they board it and end up traveling to a land that is different than the world they came from. It is ruled by a king. And soon it is discovered he sent the ship because he wants to marry Pen. There is plenty of magic in this book. The characters fall under a spell on the ship and on the island. While under a spell, Pen has sex with Dylan the king even though she is dating Hex.  They two characters must come to terms with this and also with Hex being transgender. They must decide if their relationship will last as they sail back to their homeland. 

Commentary

I was  confused while reading this book.  I discovered that it is a sequel to another book and that maybe I should have read that book first or instead. The author relies heavily on the element of magic and altered states as part of the story.  If you are not into magicians and spells, you may find the book enjoyable. It couldn't really give it the time it needs to be fully appreciated. The fact that Pen was actually raped by Dylan seems to be blown over as well. She was in a altered stated so that he could have sex with her to impregnate her. This is rape because she was not lucid enough to consent. I also didn't catch on initially that Hex was transgender. They may have been explained in the first book and since I didn't read it I didn't know.

Connections 

Other books by Francesca Lia Block

Love in the Time of Global Warming

The Elementals

Weetzie Bat

Connections to Text

This is a dystopian novel under the subgenre of science fiction. The setting is continuation from the prequel. It does require the reader to suspend belief and believe that magic ships appear and potions can put spells on people like what happened on the ship. There are some real current topics present as well. Hex's gender identification and how it affects Pen is addressed. That brings a sense of realism to the novel. 

The Hate U Give

Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate You Give. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Summary

Starr Carter is caught up in a tragedy that unfortunately will play out for more than just her. It will put her, her family, and her neighborhood under a microscope. The city and perhaps the whole country are watching. Starr is a witness to the police shooting her childhood friend Khalil. She must conquer not just her nerves but fear of retributions against her in order to tell the truth about what happened that night.  She has to worry about the consequences from the black community, the police and city officials while she decides if she should do what is right. Thrust into unwanted attention, Starr also is contending with being one of only a few black students and an all white prep school. She is living a double life.  Her friends at school know very little about her life outside of school. She has a white boyfriend that she must hide from her family. When she testifies. the hope for justice is short lived as the verdict comes back and the police officer is let off.  The anger in the town boils over and Starr realizing that she is the onlv voice her dead friends has understand then that she must begin to speak for Khalil and others again police brutality and profiling.

Commentary

You can't read this and not see the connection between what is going on the the wold today. Police harassment and Black Lives Matter are hot topic in our country now. So the timelessness and relevancy of the novel is appreciated. There aren't many books that are written in the view point of someone who was with the victim and explain what they have to go through as survivors. In this day and age where everything is recorded and shared on social media, this novel serves the same purpose. It shares Starr's story. Readers are left to observe and come to their own conclusions on the killing just like we do when we watch reports on the news or video shared to our facebook page.

Connections

Teaching about the responsibility of teenagers in society using The Hate U Give and Romeo and Juliet
-Teaching Shakespeare 

Similar book  All American Boys

Connections to Textbook

Realistic fiction for this age should provoke thought and discussion and be current.  Life for young adults is not all easy and our present day society definitely  is not especially if your black and or poor in the United States. This book touches a nerve because the topic of theme of racial equality is still something our country is struggling with.  As a theme for a book, it falls in line with conflict for the characters.  Realistic Fiction in YA literature should be reflective of what is going on in the lives of those like the characters in the books.  There is character vs character conflict. Young girls are trying to figure out their relationship with the opposite sex like Starr is with her boyfriend.  They are also adjusting to changes in the relationship with their parents just like Starr is with her mother Lisa and dad Mav. There is character vs society conflict. Starr must face the city, the police, and the black community in order to tell the truth about the incident.  There is also character vs self.  She is fighting a battle within herself as she debates on what to do. 

Persepolis

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis. New York, NY: Random House.

Summary

Marjane is growing up in Tehran during the reign of the Shah. Her everyday life is filled with the city streets full of revolts. New laws encompass her daily life affecting her school and how she should dress. Marjane is a rebel. She longs to make a purpose of her life and enjoys hearing how her relatives like her grandfather and uncle fought for justice. The older she gets the more bold she gets in her outrage at the laws of the land and the lies told by the government and officials. Soon she gets so upset she hits her principal and stands up to a religion teacher.  Because of this, her parents fear she will be executed.  Their only  option they feel is to send her to Vienna. 

Commentary 

This biography was a decent explanation of the Iran Revolution.  I didn't understand what went all during that time. I just knew it was a war that had been going on for years.  Marjane uses her experiences to explain to the reader how the revolution affected her land but how citizens still had love for their homeland and fought for it return to what they loved.  Her family is close and supportive of each other which explains how Marjane grew up with such confidence.  The book is a pleasant alternative to reading and expository article on the conflict in Iran.

Connections

Connections to Text

Persepolis is a autobiography written in graphic novel format.  It tells events of the author's life in sequential order. Being a graphic novel it has pictures in every panel on every page. This helped me tremendously in understanding the content. I have no point of reference for the conflict in the middle east and many of the vocabulary was foreign.  I imagine other readers would feel the same and begin to use the pictures to aid in understanding what is happening in the book.

It's Perfectly Normal

Harris. R. H. & Emberley, M. (2014). It's Perfectly Normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

Summary

A handbook on what is happening to your body inside and out during the stage we call puberty and young adulthood. It covers, hygiene, maturity, sex, birth, and choices people must make as they get older. The illustrations are specific but not so professional looking that readers will be shocked or repulsed, maybe just blush a little. The book covers topics that many parents may be too embarrassed to discuss with their child. Or maybe teens are too embarrassed to talk to their parents about them. Either way, the book is a good way to get the discussion going. I was surprised to see the details on the mechanics of sex but glad to see that the authors also included alternatives like abstinence.

Commentary

A resource of this type is very useful. I am unsure if it needs to be included in a school library.  Teens need to learn these topics but there are some who still feel that it is a families responsibility to inform and decide when to inform.  It is obvious that young people need to be taught about safe sex from professionals or parents instead of each other but that is not mandatory. And due to that fact, the issue of teen moms, and rising STD will continue to happen.  The book is a perfect solution to how to tackle these issues.  Adolescence is a very confusing time. The body is changing inside and out rapidly. The pace is so fast before they can come to terms with one change another one is coming down the pike. 

Connections to other books

It's So Amazing: A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families.

What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys

What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls

Connection  to Text

This book is an expository nonfiction book. There aren't photographs but plenty of illustrations and a few diagrams. It's purpose is to inform readers. I don't think the language will unintentionally influence students to do anything. The content is well balances to give a full explanation on all sides. 

Everything, Everything

Yoon, N. (2015). Everything, Everything. New York, NY: Random House.

Summary

Madeline Whittier cannot leave her house. She essentially is allergic to the outside. Her only company for the past 17 years of her life have been her mother, Carla her nurse, and the occasional tutor who passes inspection to be allowed in the house.  Madeline knows she is missing something but doesn't really know what it is because she doesn't know anything different. Then one day a new family moves next door, and they have a son Olly. A friendship thru text soon turns into a mutual crush which then turns into a romance. Carla arranges for secret meetings in the house. But they the 2 teens get caught and are forbidden to see each other. By now it's too late and they can't stand to be apart from each other.  The lovebirds runaway to Hawaii for a quick 2 days. Madeline wants to experience everything just everything and she wants to experience it with Olly.  Illness catches up to her and she is flown back to the mainland and strictly forbidden from talking to Olly. Her mother blames him for this sudden change in her normal dutiful daughter. Surprising news from a doctor in Hawaii turns Madeline's beliefs upside down. She was never ill but because she spent so long inside her immune system is underdeveloped and may become compromised if she goes out in the world now. Now Madeline must come to terms with either her mother lied to her or has her own illness where she believes Madeline is ill when she isn't. She also must figure out what she will do with her life now that she is 18 years old and can essentially enter the world if she wants to without her guardians permission.  Madeline ultimately makes the decision that she rather take risks with Olly than be safe inside not living.

Commentary

"He tastes like nothing I've ever experienced, like hope and possibility and the future." That's how Nicola shares with her readers her character's Madeline's first kiss. It's not her first kiss with Olly, its her first kiss ever. It's phrases like this that is the beauty of this book.  On one level it is a book about first love, something everyone can relate to. On the other hand it's a book about a girl who is experiencing everything for the first time. The line between curiosity because the experience is new and excitement because it is simply exciting is blurred for Madeline. Teens at this age are having crushes, broken hearts, and changing roles with parents.  Teens are keeping secrets and feeling guilty but find it necessary to continue doing what feels so good. Ms Yoon's novel is a wonderful book to relieve those feelings again. New and forbidden love is a theme than never changes.

Conncections

The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

NPR interview of Nicola Yoon

Connections
Because love, sex, and rebellion against parental rules are common themes in YA literature, this book fits into the sect of the fiction genre perfectly. Madeline is a teen trying to deal the feelings of attraction to Olly while conforming to her mother's wishes.

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. New York, NY: Penguin.

Summary

Melina Sordino is having a tough time in high school. The freshmen seems to have lost her friends that she has had since elementary school over the summer.  It seems the whole school is against her because of something that happened over the summer. Melinda meets a new student, Heather. They begin to hang out but soon Heather ditches her to become part of the clique The Marthas. All of these isolation plus an unknown trauma, and disinterested parents are the cause for Melinda to become a selective mute much to her parents' frustration.  A abandoned janitorial closet becomes her refuge and she begins to find her voice as she tries to complete her art project "Tree".  When Andy Evans, a character we find out raped her earlier, attacks her again in her hiding place, she fights back and gets help from the lacrosse team.  At the end of the book, she finds her voice and feels comfortable enough to tell her story.

Commentary

The book is rather predictable.  I was able to figure out on the bus ride in the first chapter when she mentions a party that she was probably raped.  That seems to be the go to for young females when a trauma is needed.  But the story is well written and develops nicely.  After reading the after thoughts by Laurie Anderson I began to see why rape is a common theme for young female characters.  Sexual assault is prevalent in the lives of young girls in the 21st century. Laurie wrote about all the letters she got from girls saying that they were raped or attacked.  It is a shame that our girls are still having to face this. However it is nice that so many found this book something that helped expressed the confusion and hurt they were feeling inside.  It is a very quick read and doesn't try to go to deep into theory. It is just a girl telling her story of the immediate aftermath after she is attacked.  Many victims go through the stages of shock, self-blame, depression, and anger.

Connections

Connections
Finding your voice is a common theme in YA literature. That is why Speak is such an appropriate title.  Of course it works literally, because Melinda will not speak after her attack. But it also comes in to play with what is going on inside of her. She was silent during her attack and didn't speak up.  She was silent after attack and didn't speak to the 911 operator. She is trying to find her voice when it comes to friendships and speaking up for herself against difficult teachers.  All around her it appears others do not have a problem making their voice heard but Melinda does. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York, NY: Little Brown.

Summary

Junior is a teenage Native American living in poverty with his family on the Spokane reservation.  His life includes alcoholism, illness, and death, racism, bullying, changing friendship roles, and finding love for the first time. He decides to change his life’s path by going to the all white school in the next town. While it doesn’t get better immediately it does allow him to gain a new perspective to encountering problems in society. He meets a girl, begins dating, and becomes the star of the basketball team. But none of it comes easily. The book is told in first person and includes illustrations. Junior is a talented artist so the drawings are a way to show his ability and get a peek as to what is inside his head. 

Commentary & Connections to Textbook

This is an excellent book written to show the boy’s point of view as they go through their awkward years. The character of Junior is even more different than his peers because of his disability; water on the brain.  He is a target for bullies even on a reservation where everyone is looked down upon by those that live outside.  It deals with contemporary issues like realistic fiction should. These issues are sensitive and too mature for early childhood. Things like sexuality and dealing forging your own path are common in YA literature and needed for YA audience. The intermix of cartoons is a nice inclusion that helps keep the reader interested. I had read that it is on the banned list on libraries around the country but I honestly didn’t find anything that would be inappropriate for the intended audience ages 12 – 17 years old. I gather that it is not to common in YA for boys to be the protagonist in coming of age where action and adventure are not involved. Sherman Alexie does a nice job with this novel.

Connections 

Similar title: American Born Chinese by Gene Luene Yang

Graphic novels

Graphic novels are a growing format of literature.  It is important to note it is a form not a genre. Any of the various genres can be written in graphic novel form. Teachers do not read these in great numbers but our students do. They enjoy the appearance and these books help in comprehension. Like picture books do for young readers, graphic novels rely heavily on the illustrations to help tell the story.

Elements include:

• dialogue balloons
• panels
• gutters
• thought balloons
• captions
• sound effects

The books go deep into complexity but readers find it easier to read because there are less words to decode and more interpreting characters faces and actions through the illustrations. They are a great benefit to English language learners.

How it will affect how I read and evaluate

Graphics novels should be more than just books with pictures, speech bubbles and captions. The content should be relevant to what teens and young adults like and need to read. Because these are not a separate genre just a different format, the same criteria should be used to evaluate them as others genres.  Does the content deal with themes young adults find relevant: evaluating friendship, finding love, establishing their role in family and society? Are the characters using language that teens would use? Is slang current or valid to the time period that the story take place? If it is science fiction, are the elements consistent with that genre: involve magic or alternate universe, etc...? Does the content go deep not just surface level so that the intended audience can carry something away with them?

Science Fiction Fantasy for YA

This seems to be one of the fastest growing sub genres for teens.  I'll be honest. It is not my favorite. This is a sub genre of fantasy. Readers are asked to suspend their beliefs. Magic, time travel, and super human powers, are common elements.  The societies present in these stories still have rules and sometimes class systems among characters. In these books, it is stressed that rules are followed. That is usually how the conflict or plot begins; someone is breaking the rules.

Science Fiction is divided even more. The first category is hard science fiction which are books that are stringent on being scientifically accurate. Soft science fiction is the other category. The themes in these books are more about humanity and social interactions in an alternate world.

The sub genres of science fiction are:

• Apocalyptic and post apocalyptic
• Steam punk, bio punk,and cyber punk
• Dystopia
• Extra sensory perception
• artificial intelligence
• robots, cyborgs,  and androids
• time travel and parallel universe
• virtual world
• gaming

How this will affect how I read and evaluate  Science Fiction

I must remember to not take it too seriously, to let go of what is naturally known and common to mankind.  There is an audience for this so it is important to understand why they enjoy it. Teens are looking for an escape from their reality; schoolwork, nagging parents, jobs, curfew, rules, etc... these books provide it.  I must look to see if the author includes characters who are going through normal issues such as love, relationships, friendships, and those listed above but in an alternate setting. Issues and problems do not change. The world around us and how they are conquered are. Giving teens a chance to escape and enjoy a new scene is the ultimate purpose of this genre. 

Do the books teach readers how to work with human race and how changes in  technology can improve or harm our society? Do they allow readers to escape but still have something they and identify with such as a character or theme? That's what should be looked for while reading science fiction. 

Realistic Fiction for YA

This genre is sometimes called contemporary fiction as it deals with settings that include the present day scenarios. The characters, settings, and plot are believable. The elements must be consistent with the present day real world. Carefully consideration should be given to gender roles and cultural stereotypes.

Themes and subject matters may cover sensitive matters especially when the audience is teens and young adults. Their world is full of changes and conflict. Stories written for them should include the same to be considered realistic.

My reflections 
As I read these novels, I see that the realistic fictions deal with love, friendship and finding a role or spot in society. Some of the subject matters are sex, rape, and drug use.  Authors include these because the characters are teenagers and those are some of the themes in real teenage lives. Teens are more apt to read stories where the characters are going through the same types of conflict as they are. The solutions that the characters find for these problems are eye opening. I am getting insight into how young adults think. It has been a while since I thought my whole existence revolved around friendships and finding a mate to share life with. These books remind me how teens have tunnel vision when it comes the world. Everything revolves around how others will perceive them.

How I will evaluate 
As I look for realistic fiction books to add to my collection, I will look for books that have themes of finding love, friendship, feeling alone or misunderstood. Books should include language that is consistent with the language we hear today.  Books that include slang should be approached cautiously as it changes quickly and it can date a book.  Not every YA realistic books should be sad and have moody characters. They can be upbeat and hopeful as long as they are consistent with how teens conquer the world today. I definitely think social media and digital media sources should be included in any text to be considered realistic.

Nonfiction

Nonfiction is a separate genre of literature. It can be split into subgroups; narrative nonfiction and expository. Narrative nonfiction are stories that read like a narrative story with settings, characters, problems, etc... but they are based on real events. Titles include the I Survive series and the popular Hazardous Tales series. They are different from biographies because they are not about the life of just one person.

Nonfiction text features in expository texts include diagrams, charts, photographs, timelines, maps, among others.

When picking nonfiction titles for your library, one should pay close attention to the credentials of the author. What qualifies the author to write the stories? Did the live through it? Are they an expert because of their studies? Evaluating the author helps us to determine if the information is true. That is the second item to evaluate when looking at texts.  You should also look to see what role the visual contribute to the information. These visuals can help develop academic vocabulary especially in English language learners.

It is important to remember that the purpose of most books in the nonfiction genre are written to inform readers. However when it comes to controversial topics this information may unintentionally persuade students who are beginning to shape their moral compass. It is hard to judge whether a book will shape someone's mind unless there is an obvious bias from the author. In intermediate grades the topics become more varied. The topics dealing with staying healthy does not include just how to brush your teeth but also items on safe sex and drug use.

How I will read and evaluate nonfiction texts

As a librarian, I will keep abreast on current events and look for the angle on how young adults and teens are affected. I will look for books that give a complete coverage of concepts. When looking for biographies, I will make sure to include current modern world figures not just people from history more than 30 years ago. I need to also make sure all figures in all media are represented if possible. For examples my biography collection should just be government figures but also current movies or YouTube stars. History for young adults and teens is more recent than it is for educators my age. The World Trade Centers attack for instance is considered history for some of our students because they were not born or very young when it happens. The content of my collection should not be just what I consider history.

As I read books, I am reading remembering the intended audience is middle and high school students. The vocabulary and scope should be aimed for them not adults who routinely watch the nightly news. I am looking to see if events and concepts are clearly and fully defined and explained.