Ghost

Reynolds, J (2016). Ghost. New York, NY; Simon and Schuster.

Summary
Castle "Ghost" Cranshaw has been running almost his whole life.  He has a lot to run from. His home life is less than desirable. His father is an alcoholic and he doesn't have much support at home. He dreams of having a better life preferably be become the best at something. He stumbles upon a track team at practice. He doesn't see the purpose because as he sees it running is just something you do. There is no need to practice at it.  Soon Ghost moves from survival mode to surviving mode.  He begins to see a future and develops relationships with his teammates and coach. His coach's life in particular help Ghost realize what potential is. He is a former addict who has turned his life around. He sees that there is a possibility to escape the ghetto by running but not literally running. Just using as a means to get ahead. By the end, Ghost realizes that they is a chance for something better and you can turn your life around.

Commentary
It is hopeful to see males as protagonist in books where they have positive role models. The image of Ghost running from his father when he tried to shoot him is heartbreaking.  It is because events like this are true for many kids in our schools today.  I understand this book is supposed to be the first in a serious. I can't wait to see more. Jason Reynolds saw a need for literature with characters that reflected people that he know or that were like him. Novels like Ghost are needed especilly to encourage young minority boys to read.

Connection
Author Interview

Reading group guide

Connections to text

Realistic fiction should include plot structure that could happen. Young Adult literature should include characters and situations that young people can identify with. Jason Reynolds purposely wrote a book with a young black male as the lead. He wanted characters that looked like him that were involved in situations that black males were familiar with. So the conflict in this book is character vs self and society and character. The main character changes due to the other characters and events. Growth and maturity is shown. This is common for young people at this age. 

An Abundance of Katherines

Green, J. (2006). An Abundance of Katherines. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Summary

Colin has just graduate from high school and was dumped by his girlfriend Katherine XIX. It seems Colin is rather peculiar and only dates girls named Katherine. No variation just Katherine. When he realizes he hasn't really lived life to the fullest because his relationships with others in school are rather superficial after spending so many years together, he decides to go on a road trip with his best friend Hassan. He feels he needs a eureka moment because he just right now feels like a genius, one who knows a lot of information, instead of a prodigy, one who discovers something new. They end up in Tennessee and get a job interviewing townspeople. Colin falls in love with Lindsey but she has a boyfriend whose name also happens to be Colin. Hassan also starts to like someone. The book shows how the relationships grow.  Colin develops a formula that shows how long a relationship will last.  When the other Coline (TOC) is caught cheating on Lindsey, it opens an opportunity for the original Colin to let his feelings be known. They eventually begin to like each other and Colin uses his formula to find out how long they will last which turns out to be four days.  That  proves to be incorrect as Lindsey lets it know she likes Colin and has no intention of breaking up with him. So in the end the boys have found young love and discovered something new about themselves. 

Commentary

I am not big on romance so I am glad his book had plenty of humor instead of just being a sappy romance novel.  John Green writing style develop the characters effortlessly and make it easy for the readers to fall in love with them. I thought Colin was going to turn out to be autistic. He had some many quirks like anagrams and only dating Katherines. But he was just a bit quirky.  The book is appropriate for high school students and would be enjoyed by both boys and girls.  

Connections

Connections 
If it's YA literature, there is going to be a message about love. This one is related to math.  The character discovers matters of the heart can not be calculated like a math equation. It random.  This realization is how the character Colin grows and changes. That is something else common in YA books. The characters go through a change of some sort as they begin to adjust to the adult world.

Grasshopper Jungle

Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper Jungle. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Summary

Austin Szerba has written down his history for us maybe in hopes that we won't repeat his mistakes. this novel is his story. Austin and his best friend Robby are beaten up by some bullies. Their skateboards and shoes are thrown on the roof of a store. When they later return to go get the items, they sneak into a store where Austin works. They find a jar with a two-headed baby and a green glowing globe. When Grant and the bullies return, Austin and Robby hide. Grant ends up dropping the green globe in Robby's blood that had dripped when he was attacked. The bullies end up turning into 6 foot praying mantis. All they want to do is eat and have sex. A plague is released doing the same to the townspeople.  The boys go to Austin's girlfriend Shann's house. They receive a message telling them where shelter from the insect monsters is located. They find a way to fight and kill the monster but it is too late to save the town. It is hard to tell the boys from the the insects as they are both horny. In the future, Austin and Shann have started a family but he is also in a romantic relationship with Robby. 

Commentary

As literature goes, this seems to be a hodgepodge of  elements. Teen boys, sexuality, bullying, sex, the end of the world, and monsters. Science fiction lovers would probably really enjoy it.  And can how the elements are related. It took me awhile to see the relationship unless Mr. Smith was really trying to say that adolescent boys are really just a bunch of pestering insects that need to be eliminated until they can be cured or mature. But I am not sure that was his message.  I eventually came around to his theme of surviving adolescence and it is similar to surviving the end of the world.

Connections

Lily and Dunkin

Gephart, D. (2016). Lily and Dunkin. New York, NY: Random House.

Summary

 Timothy McGrother and Norbert Dorfman are getting ready to start the 8th grade. Tough for any child. Nortbert just moved to the town so he will be new. And Timothy plans to show up as Lily so in essence she will be a new student as well.  Timothy or Lily is transgender and Norbet has bipolor. Both of which is going to make it hard to get through middle school But is the catalyst for them to become friends. Both characters are outcasts and begin to go through life together as friends.But things change with Dunkin becomes part of the basketball team and gets accepted into a new social group that Lily isn't. Their friendship eventually brings them back together and they understand that acceptance starts with them.

Commentary

One controversial topic in a book for teen readers is normal. But two? That is rare. This book has a transgener character and another one who is bipolar. Both of these issues are hot in our society right now. There is debate on gender conformity and how others must come to terms with it and society's role in helping with mental illness. The books takes an honest look at how these characters begin their journey as the "go public" with their issues. It not only effects them, their family must come to terms with what is happening to them.  Some members are supportive and others are slow to accept it.  Students in middle and high school should not be shielded from these topics. Books like this are needed in circulation readers can understand people who have have similar issues. They must see that they are normal people who deserve to be respected. Lily and Dunkin is a book that can lead the way to conversation so that could happen.

Connections

Interview with Donna Gephart

Connections to the text

 YA realistic fiction to should be true to issues affection our youth today. And in 2017, gender identify is relevant. More and more children are identifying with a sex other than the one they were assigned at birth. Their voice deserves to be heard as well as any other minority.

Mental illness is also a topic that is afflicting children more and more.  Book are written to help certain populations feel less alone in the world. Dunkin's story would help those living with bipolar disorder. 

Drama

Telgemeir, R. (2012). Drama. New York, NY: Scholastic

Summary

Callie can't catch a break. The novel opens with her mistakenly assuming that Greg likes her. That is quickly crushed when he explains that he is getting back together with his girlfriend Bonnie.  The thearer class is putting on a production of Moon Over Mississippi. She will be the set designer. Her ideas are bigger than the production budget so she must come up with ways to create her "masterpiece" with little funds. The title Drama doesn't necessarily refer to what is happening on stage. There is plenty of drama behind the scenes as well. Callie's personal life is also a focus.  She has a crush on one of the new boys and is trying to find a way to let her feelings known. Turns out he is gay so her once again her feelings about a boy get crushed. In the end, Callie discovers that it is more important to make lifelong friends than worry about love.

Commentary

This book doesn't get too deep like other novels.  It's a graphic novel so moves quickly. It appears to be a book about middle school kids and their crushes with some slight kissing. Then a character reveals he is gay and he ends up going on stage in the role of the a female character and has to kiss a boy.  Some see this as inclusion of homosexual content. But I don't. He was playing a role in a play. It's not like it was to boys having a relationship. The gay character is included just like there are characters of different race. He is just part of the student body.  This book is appropriate for middle school grades. 

Connections

Interview with the author

Other books by Raina Telgemeier. 

    

Connections to text

This like other graphic novels has pictures that help the reader understand the story. Middle school girls can relate to the main character Callie. They have similar issues. Books for this age group should be appropriate in text and content for students in the intended age group and Drama is in both areas. 

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Quintero, I ( 2014). Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. El Paso, TX: Cinco Punto Press.

Summary

Any story that involves a stash of good beef jerky and a secret pile of KitKats in a drawer is a worth while read. Gabi lives in Santa Maria, California. This novel is her journal of her senior year.  She lives with her strict mother, younger brother, and sometimes her drug addicted father shows up. She has two incredible friends Cindy and Sebastian. Their year is going to take a turn for all of them. Cindy gets pregnant and Sebastian comes out as gay and gets kicked out by his family. Gabi suddenly finds herself attractive to the opposite sex whereas before she thought of herself as fat and invisible. Gabi relates many of the events that happen to her to the food she was eating at the time like hot cheetos. She gets through life with a wicked sense of humor. She is also is a talented writer. She is able to share her triumphs and pain in beautiful poetry. Her plan is it use her writing to get her to college and change her life. She wants out of her present situation. The story's tone turns dark when she must deal with her father's death from an overdose, an abortion of a classmate, and the fact that her friend was date raped.  In the end, Gabi gets her happy ending and a chance to start a new beginning.

Commentary
The novel written from Gabi's perspective is refreshing. Her observations of the hypocrisies around her are spot on. Her voice sounds like a typical flawed teen. Not a perfect size 2 character that gets everything she needs and deals with minor problems.  I know characters like Mrs Hernandez who are very strict with the daughters and lenient with their sons. They do not realize the cycle they are creating.  The other characters have valid stories on their own. Each one of them could have a novel written about them.

Connections

Teaching Guide

Vamos a Leer Teaching Latin America through Literacy

Connections to text

Books with a minority character should reflect customs, concerns, and or traditions of that minority group to be valid. Not only does this book include concepts of girl developing her own identity, it includes a girl struggling with weight and pressure to be someone else by family members. Dating is included.  The affects that addiction on other others is shown. Finally the Hispanic culture is included. From religion, to family structure, to male female relationships, Ms Quintero presents excellent novel with valid example of a  Latin American family.

Go A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design

Kidd, C. (2013). Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design. New York, NY: Workman Publishing.

Summary

 This is a nonfiction expository book that the main concepts of graphic design: form, typography or font, content, and concept. All of these put together should get a readers or viewers attention and send messages from your eyes to your brain to pay attention to the message. From includes the size, placement,white space, coloring, and appeal.  There should be thought into each of these pieces to make the project not only pleasing but functional. Typography includes font type, font size, letter position, and font color.  The audience and purpose must be considered. If it something that must be read easily, a fancy calligraphy font may not be best. Viewers need to be able to decipher letters and read quickily and move on.  The amount of text can also help determine what typography to use.  Some types are better for headings and titles. and others are more suited for the body of the text. Content dictates your design. The content will determine the purpose of the project.  Once that is known, a desginer will be better able to layout the design on paper. The purpose also helps determine the colors to use. Serious content needs subdued colors. Content that is brief and meant to stand out can be produced in bright colors. Finally the concept must be decided. Is it a magazine spread full of photographs or a report to present to professionals. Will it be paper and handed out or will it be shown on a projector? Book covers will look different based on the type of book, author's purpose, and intended audience.  All in all you want a design that is going to attract an audience

Commentary

The book was written to show different designs and since informing readers on how to produce material is the purpose showing different options is unique.  It did make it hard to read for a long period of time because my brain didn't receive it as text more like a series of posters.  But the authors intention was appreciated.

Conncections

Annie on My Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie On My Mind. New York, NY: McMillan

Summary

Liza meets a girl Annie Kenyon at a musuem. They become friends instantly.  Liza is immediately atteracted to Annie's spirit and is drawn to her all though she is not quite sure why.  Both girls are goal oriented. Liza wants to go to MIT and become an architect. Annie wants to go to Berkeley and be a singer and because she once lived in California and prefers it to New York. The friendship grows in intensity and soon it becomes evident to both girls that their relationship is more than just friendship.  They are attracted to each other romantically. Annie says she has known for awhile that she is gay but this is new for Liza and she is unsure if she really is. When they end up catsitting for 2 teachers from Liza's school, their relationship becomes physical. When they are caught by the head mistress and a student from Liza's prestigious private school, they must cone to terms with the consequences of what their romantic relationship will bring.  Liza faces suspension and she soon realizes that she can no longer lie to her family, others, or herself. She is a lesbian and she does love Annie. Intermittent throughout the story, is a subplot set in the future.  Annie has been writing letters to Liza but Liza has not returned  the favor. She is having trouble putting her feelings down into words. In the end, Liza becomes comfortable enough to accept her feelings and write to Annie and express her true feeling of love to her.

Commentary

This novel like other YA has the characters writing a lot. It seems authors think teenagers write letters and journals. This was written in 1982 before electronic devices and blogs so written letters does make sense.  It was different seeing a story from the perspective of a young person who is realizing they are gay.  Some many times homosexual characters are side characters and it is already know they are gay. Their story is rarely developed.  The other interesting subplot was the one involving the teachers. Maybe it was just be but is was obvious that the two ladies were going to be a couple. They lived together. The taught at a small school. One taught poetry and literature. It seems very typical.This couple helped give insight to the Liza character. She and Annie realized that these two ladies have had to hide their love for years and it is something the two girls would rather not do.  If everyone can like these two teacher without knowing about their personal life why can't they like them once they find out. Annie learns the hard way that it is not how it is. Both of the ladies lose their jobs as a result of Liza's actions. I guess this was to serve as a reminder that society may say that it is accepting but not totally.

Connections

Connections to text

If you are reading YA fiction, be prepared to read about finding love, and losing love, and love being reunited. This isn't a boy meets girl story. It's a girl meets girl story.  Girl falls in love with girl. Girl must decide to stay with girl. Girl realizes she can't live without girl. The topics of love, growing into adulthood, and finding one's true self are all included in this novel.

Monster

Myers, W. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Summary

Written in the format of drama or a movie script, Steve Harmon is a young black boy incarcerated for murder and armed robbery.  He is a co-defendant with another male who actually may have shot the store owner whereas Steve served as a lookout.  It is up to the reader to decide if Steve's role of scoping the drug store really makes him a Monster as the prosecutor labeled him. The story takes place during the trial and includes flashbacks of Steve's life in Harlem; sitting around with other kids being the butt of their jokes, kidding around with his little brother, and attending film club with Mr. Sawicki. The prosecutor works hard at tying Steve and James King, the other defendant, with Richard "Bobo" Evans, an intimidating career convict who admits to being part of the crime. The jury both in the book and the jury of readers have to decide whether to believe the criminals who are testifying to get lighter sentences or the trial attorneys who try to poke holes in their stories.  Steve's best hope is to get on the stand and speak for himself.  His attorney isn't too hopeful.Steve comes from a family with  two college educated parents. As readers we ask ourselves. how a boy who seemed to be on a good path could end up on trial and be sent to prison for what could be the rest of his young life. When did he take such a wrong turn? By the end, we are left to ask did he take that wrong turn at all. Was he just a scapegoat by guys looking to get off easy?  He could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the end, it looks like the jury gives Steve the benefit of the doubt and he is allowed to go home for a second chance.  

Commentary

The way the novel is written in first person from Steve's perspective but also as a script gives insight into Steve's inner fears but also has him being an viewer like a director and not part of the story.  Being able to see how Steve thinks let me know he was naive and was more than likely being taken advantage of by the older street smart males. I could see that even if he was part of the planning, he was far too naive to think his part was that important when it comes to the burglary. He is a good kid with a chance to find a way to have his voice heard as a filmmaker. Then you begin to wonder if the other characters like Osvaldo and James could have once been innocent boys who made a wrong turn unintentionally but got labeled by the judicial system and were never given a second chance.  They appear so unlikable, but they're further down the delinquent road than Steve. The attorneys, correction officers, and court employees are portrayed as typical bit players who assume all the the people in the court room are guilty. There wasn't really any judicial workers that appeared sympathetic and wanted to help Steve. His parents on the other hand were different. We feel for them. This is a mother and father who have done what they could to keep their boys out of trouble. As a black parent, it is their worst fear to have a son in trouble with the law. You know there is very little they can do to help him while his is in this predicament and the odds are stacked against them. By the end, you cheer for them just as much as you cheer for Steve.

Connections

Click covers to open book pages. 

Connections to text

The overarching themes in this YA novel are crime doesn't pay or keep being good and things will turn out well. But it is not that simple.  Being good is not always enough to have things turn out well. Being black and male is a double hurdle that is sometimes too big for many to get over. Once a boy is in the judicial system they are labeled monster and its a label they cannot not shed in the eyes of others. The prisons are awful for anyone and not meant to get inmates to reform. Prisoners do change, they are hardened so they can survive while incarcerated. And that hardening makes it close to impossible to survive once they are free. They only know prison life especially if they have been incarcerated since they were preteens. This books shows how if teens spend their formative years in detention centers they may end up as the title suggests: a monster.

When You Reach Me

Stead, R. (2009). When You Reach Me. New York, NY: Random House

Summary

Miranda is a middle school student and has had Sal as a friend for most of her life. They stop being friends after Marcus punches Sal in the stomach one day.Miranda meets a homeless man on the street who gives her messages that she soon realizes are the places where notes are left for her.  She befriends AnneMarie and Colin. They begin working at a deli but soon discover the owener is prejudiced against blacks so they leave.  Meanwhile, Marcus tries to apologize to  Sal. Sal runs into the street to avoid Marcus. The homeless man saves Sal from being hit while in the street. Miranda soon realizes that that was what the man was here for. To save Sal. She then realizes that the homeless man was a grown up  Marcus. He traveld in time to save Sal.

Commentary

It is a very interesting book and I can see how young readers like age 9 and 10 would enjoy it.  Their isn't mush of a unrealistic element until the time travel is introduced.  But the book on the whole is reasonable and entertaining. It is not confusing with new society and new rules. The book starts out as a mystery as Miranda tries to figure out who is leaving her notes and what the person wants her to do.  It ends surreal with a magic element of time travel.

Connections

Booklist Editor's Choice award and School Library Journal Best Book

Connections to text
This book isn't the teen drama type of YA literature.  It is more geared for younger teens or tween.  It starts out with many elements of realistic fiction; the characters could be real, the problem could really happen, the setting is believable. But that changes with the introduction of time travel. That changes this novel to fantasy fiction. The magical element does imply that maybe it can be considered science fiction but I don't think enough is included to warrant that classification.

Because You'll Never Meet Me

Thomas, L. (2015). Because You'll Never Meet Me. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Summary

Two recluse become pen pals and best friends. The irony is they have never met each other in person. They only write letters back and forth to each other.  Ollie is allergic to electricity. Moritz has a pacemaker. They are separated by their health issues as well as physically. Ollie lives in a forest in the America and Moritz lives with his family in Germany. Ollie does have one friend, Liz. As they get older they do grow apart. She begins high school and Ollie cannot go.  His dreams of taking her out around town or to the movie are diminished.  Moritz is not having an easier time. He is bullied at his school. Their physical limitations put them in the situation where they can be best of friends and feel like the two are all each other has.  A true friendship is what has grown between these boys after all the years of correspondence.  Ollie gains the insight and confidence to go out into the world and brave the chance of his health be affected.

Commentary

A book is good when you think it is going one way and it turns in a different direction. I thought the boys were going to turn out to be mutants like in X Men and that the story was a science fiction all along.  My interest was kept the entire novel. The novel being written in letters between the two customers helped move the plot along. The setting and events go back and forth between to two. The story of two boys having true friendship without having met each other shows young readers it has very little to do with outside appearance.  You have to be able to express yourself so that others can understand you

Conncections

teacher guide

Similar books

Connections to text

This novel shows the importance of friendship and how it will hep anyone through a tough time. It is realistic fiction but it is written as letter from one character to another. Finding ones worth is a common theme in YA literature.  These boys are both dealing with a handicapped that keeps them from living their live to the fullest and discovery what they want out of the world. 

The Sledding Hill

Crutcher, C. (2006). The Sledding Hill. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Summary
A traumatic event has resulted in Eddie becoming silent or mute. He found his father and best friend's dead bodies.  His friend dead friend Billy has come back to Earth to help Eddie through this hard time. He visits him in his dreams and gains his confidence. When he Eddie returns to school, he struggles to get through without Billy. Billy's father is the school janitor and he becomes a companion for Eddie. He had previously helped him deal with his ADD problems.  A English teacher wants to ban a book, Warren Peece, and it happens to be a book that Eddie enjoys reading. He begins to start a counter attack against the move to remove the book. He sees it as a way to fight for freedom. This fight causes Eddie to get his voice back literally and of course figuratively. By the end,  Billy sees that he is not needed anymore. Eddie has become comfortable with himself and around others.  His voice is back so Billy's purpose is done.

Commentary
This book is interesting because the protagonists are males in a realistic setting not in a science fiction or alternate society. The older intermediate grades would find it interesting because the character is fighting against what he sees as not fair. Even though he looses, the readers can identify with go against rules or systems that seem unjust. The theme of censorship and reaction to death are topics that can lead to great discussion in upper grades classrooms.

Connections
Interview with Chris Crutcher

Connection with text
While reading this book I immediately thought of Speak.  Both characters have selected to become mute because something traumatic happened to them. I also thought of Crenshaw.  Both stories have a non real character that helps a real character through a tough time.  This novel deals with theme of dealing with authority and how to fight against what one thinks is unfair.  The relationship between the main characters Billy and Eddie show how males can have deep lasting friendships and youth.

The Crossover

Alexander, K. (2014). The Crossover. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary

Twin brothers Jordan and Josh compete on and off the basketball court even though they are on the same team on and off the court. They are growing apart socially partly due to a girl Alexis.  The growing agonizing erupts in a fight between the two brothers.  This puts a strain on the family as well.  Suddenly their father passes shocking the boys who partly viewed him as invincible due to his former pro basketball career.  After his death, the boys realize the fragility of life and the importance of family being there for each other. 

Commentary

This novel is written in prose. It helps make the reading quick. It is rare to read a book with African-American male protagonist that aren't fighting the police, drugs, or gangs. Both the boys are good students with professional parents. The issues are not typical teen issues but for readers of a particular demographic their are familiar themes. Dealing with the police as black males, healthy diet and seeing doctors are common themes for black families. Alexander presented these in his novel without beating readers over the head with it.

Connections
   
Teacher Vision Educator's Guide 

Connections to text
The realistic fiction genre features characters in real settings going through real life issues. In YA books the characters are teens in middle or high school dealing with friendship, love, changing family dynamics.  These are all in the novel The Crossover. The fact that the main characters are male and not a teenage girl which is a change of typical YA.

Eleanor & Park

Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor & Park. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

Summary

Eleanor is a new girl in school and she doesn't fit in very well starting with her bright red hair and her strange outfit choice.  Park is the unlucky person who has to sit next to Eleanor on her first day on the bus.  He is not too happy about it.  Over the days an friendship develops then a romance.  Eleanor's home life is awful. She lives with her mother, 5 siblings, and an abusive stepfather. Richie had kicked Eleanor out of the house a year ago and she was forced to live on the couch in the house of friends of her mom.  Now that she has returned, she is forced to walk on eggshells so as to not disturb the fragile structure that is in place now in this new small home. Park recognizes that Eleanor is smart and finds a fellow comic book lover.  They share taste in books and music. When they begin dating, Eleanor has to make sure Park doesn't find out the truth about her home life.  While Park has no problem telling Eleanor how he feels about her, she cannot bring herself to reciprocate. One day he defends her against Steve, a bully, and gets in a fight. His mother gets angry and grounds him from seeing Eleanor again.  Eventually Park's parents see Eleanor's true family life and offer to let her stay with them. She accepts.  Then her uncle offers to let her come stay with him in Minnesota. Richie won't let her leave. However after a big fight between Richie, Eleanor and her mom, Park drives her up to Minnesota with monetary help from his dad. Park still holds on to their relationship by writing letters and sending packages. Eleanor never responds.  Park's hope of reuniting or continuing their relationship long distance slowly slips away.  Eleanor tells a friend at her new home that she didn't have a boyfriend. She thinks to herself that Park was her champion.  At the end, the author leaves us with a cliffhanger. Park finally gets a postcard from Eleanor and it says three words. We are left to guess what they are.

Commentary

A wonderful quick read.  The chapters don't dwell on forever repeating details over and over again.  The book moves fast much like the friendship and romance between Park and Eleanor.  I thought the character of Park was considerate. On the other hand, it took me a while to warm up to Eleanor.  I want to feel for her but she comes across as curt. I'm sure that is the wall she has to build up because of Richie and her mom.  This is true in real life too. The students that are hard to sympathize with are usually the ones carrying the heaviest baggage. When I saw that this book had been banned, it surprised me. I read through it so fast that the profanity and "sexuality" didn't really jump out at me as significant.  I just attributed it to the author writing what teenagers say and do. 

Connections

Connections to Text

This novel checks all the boxes when it comes to YA Realistic fiction; bullying, love, abuse, alcoholism, suffering through school, finding ones place, breaking up, and moving on. It is no wonder why it was a Printz Award Honor Book in 2014.  Girls and boys can relate to the themes included in the novel. 

I Crawl Through It

King, A.S. (2015) I Crawl Through It. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company.

Summary

Sorry to say but I Crawl Through It is how I made it through this book.  It didn't grab a hold of me to keep me interested in reading it. So it took me a long time to get through it. The story of 5 teenagers who have to suffer through the mundanes of high school. But these characters don't  react like typical teens. They make plans to escape in an invisible helicopter built by Gustav.  All the characters Stanzi, Landsdale, China, and Gustav are bright and unique. This aids in their feeling of alienation from others. Landsdale lies and her hair grows. China has turned herself inside out.  Gustav ends up leaving with a naked neighbor. China runs off to meet a boy she met online. All of this goes on while also dealing with testing and assaults and bomb scares.  In the end, the characters quirks are what helps them to escape their reality.

Commentary

I mentioned how I had to force myself to finish this book.  Not that it isn't good. I just don't enjoy surrealism. If I had time to read it again maybe I could get a deeper meaning and understanding but for a one time read, I found it very confusing.  I did catch on that the kids were actually finding a way to deal with everyday teen age issues. They all had issues to work on. But I didn't understand a lot of the details.  But there is an audience for this time of YA literature.  There are people who like the idea of escape in unusual ways or to take the ordinary and turn it on its ear.

Connection 

Connection to text
I'm not sure if this is considered a dystonia novel. It definitely shows an alternate way to deal with social structure. But the world itself is not alternate. The setting is a typical high school. That aside the other elements are familiar with YA literature; sexual assault, dating, testing, and fitting in.  The genre is fiction with characters, plot, setting, and theme. The author used an unusual approach to tell the story.

X A Novel

Shabazz, I. (2015). X: A Novel. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Summary

If anyone can write a semi-biographical account of Malcolm X's early life it is his daughter. She knew him and and access to others that knew him well. Malcolm Little  lived in Lansing, Michigan.  His father died when he was six. As a young teen, he started to get into trouble for playing pranks at school and stealing fruit from a store and a neighbor's yard.  He is moved to a foster home because the government believes his mother is not well and cannot take care of him. Eventually all of his sisters and brothers are moved to a foster home.  When Malcolm is 16, he decides to move to Boston with hsi half-sister. The big city immediately captivates him. He is drawn into the criminal life because he finds it so easy and he can make money quickly. He goes from job to job eventually become a porter on a train and discovers Harlem. He moves up  there and become even more of hustler. After getting in big trouble with a dangerous number runner, Malcolm's friend Shorty comes to rescue him and take him back to Boston. Waiting for him there is Sophia. She is the woman Malcolm cannot not shake because she is white and it is considered forbidden and that excites him. Sophia and her sister get Malcolm and Shorty involved in their robbery operation.  A foolish move gets them caught. Malcolm takes a watch he stole to get fixed and the jeweler calls the cops. Once in prison, Malcolm Little must come to terms with all the mistakes he has made in his life. He reevaluates what his father has taught him. He comes to term with is role in the United States and realizes he cannot depend on others but cannot blame others either. It ends with Malcolm Little becoming Malcolm X.

Commentary

The book coves Malcolm's early life in detail. Even though some stories and characters were made up or compiled of a collection of events and people it reads like a true biography. If you are familiar with the James Baldwin biography on Malcolm X. This serves as a perfect prequel.  the names and places are all true. Ilyasah Shabazz did a good job including events that explains why the Malcolm became the leader we know him for in his later life. 

Connections

Book Trailer

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Biographies should be true to the time they cover. The United States at the time of the novel was extremely divided racially. This novel can serve as a history lesson for young readers who were not alive in the 1940s. Readers will get a better understanding of the character Malcolm and how and why he became the man to lead people.

This is Where it Ends

Nijkamp, M. (2016). This Is Where It Ends. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.

Summary

On the surface, it is a book about a shooting in a high school in a rural community. But its actually an examination on brother sister relationships. There are 3 pairs of brothers and sisters; Autumn and Tyler, Sylvia and Tomás, and Matt and Claire. The novel flips between the present and the past. Tyler has arrived at the school after a suspension heavily armed and begins shooting. He wants Sylvia and Autumn are caught inside. Tomás and his friend Fareed are inside the school but not where the shooting takes place. They decide to help their fellow classmates escape Tyler's rampage. Claire was outside running with her drill team and must figure out how to help her brother who is inside. She has felt like his protector since he has a handicapped and is troubled that she cannot go in to find him. Claire also once dated Tyler. She runs through their history to try to figure out what would make him do such a thing. The reasons for shooting unfold through various first person accounts. Tyler is upset that his sister has found love with Autumn and is planning on leaving Opportunity, Alabama to go to Julliard. The characters must decide whether to sacrifice their lives to save others. They contemplate that sacrifice with their plans for their future and their role in the family. In the end, all the girls survive but are hurt physically and or emotionally. All the males let their sisters know how they felt before they died.

Commentary 

The book moves along quickly and transitions between characters at a quick rate to help the story move along except for the Claire/Chris story line.  This subplot was unnecessary. It seems like the author was trying to add a love story. As a reader, I don't want to read about how two teens are discovering they love each other in the midst of a mass killing. The Claire inner dialog was long and dragged out and kept the reader out of the interesting plot; inside the school. Each character had a issue to work through; same sex relationships, young love, parent with health issues, domestic abuse, rape, and family changes due to death and military. None of these topics are dealt with deeply because the main focus is how these students will make it through this day.

Connections

Interview with Marieke Nijkamp and School Library Journals

It was very hard to find a book trailer of good quality. The videos made by students are not edited well and lose focus. Here is one I found. Trailer

Connection to text

Young adult realistic fiction should cover current topics. This novel does cover several, school violence, homosexuality, teen dating, abuse, military separation, declining health, and death. None of the issues are written with any depth as the novel takes place over 50 minutes. The characters reminiscence on events in the past while they are being help hostage by the gunman inside and outside the school. Teens want to be the focus in books that are written for them and they are in this book. The grownups are just background characters like parents in memories and police officers telling them the teens to stay put. While the ending is not a happy one it does leave the readers hopeful that the remaining characters will find a way out city and situation.