Disturbia

Disturbia
Directed by D.J. Caruso
Screenplay by Christopher B. Landon
2007
Dreamworks SKG
Rated PG-13

Plot Summary:
While 17 year old Kale is driving, a horrible accident occurs, leaving his father dead. One year later and Kale is still devastated by loss, and increasingly troubled. After punching a teacher in the face he is placed on house arrest for the summer. With no cable or X-Box and tons of time, Kale becomes a studious voyeur of his neighbors. This results in a tentative romance with the girl-next-door, but leads to other less fortuitous scenarios with the man-across-the-way. With the region-wide hunt for a serial killer on the loose occupying the headlines, Kale becomes convinced it is his next-door neighbor.
Critical Evaluation:
The film's story and sympathies can be tied directly to the famous Hitchcock film Rear Window, wherein a man recuperating from injuries entertains himself by watching his neighbors from his apartment window. Like Scotty in the earlier film, Kale becomes convinced his neighbor is a murderer. The plotline reflects the suspense, tension, and boredom found when a man is left to his imagination and immobility. However, Disturbia is no mere homage, and Caruso very ably lingers on the fear and impossibility experienced when the rug is suddenly swept out from under you. Though Kale's suspicions are somewhat obviously confirmed midway through the film, the rhythm and the tension produce a highly likable and suspenseful murder mystery.
Viewer's Annotation:
Kale can't shake the tragic death of his father. When he is placed under house arrest for assault, he begins believing there is violence all around him. Is Kale right, or delusional?
Genre:
Mystery/Suspence
Director Info:
Caruso's most notable film prior to Disturbia, was his Salton Sea, a cult classic starring Val Kilmer. He has been a director-for-hire for various television shows, including The Shield and Smallville.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Are Kale's troubles rooted in his inability to deal with the loss of his father?
*Does the film's trajectory ever allow any sort of catharsis concerning Kale's loss?
*Will a girlfriend and a solved murder resolve Kale's problems?
Viewer Level/Interest Age:
13 and up.
Challenge Issues:
Film is rated PG-13 for violence and language. Some scenes hint at very macabre scenarios, but little is glimpsed. This and the film's rating render challenges rationally answerable. Further, its presence is unlikely at a school library, while more likely to be found at a public library.
Why Include?:
I have always been curious about the top-selling, Vertigo knock-off, and I wasn't disappointed.

Nick &Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Directed by Peter Sollett
Based on a book by Rachel Cohn
2008
Depth of Field
Rated PG-13

Plot Summary:
Norah's been rocking out to various mixtapes sent by a heartbroken Nick to his former girlfriend for a while now.
The two finally meet one crazy night in Manhattan, Norah asking him to be her boyfriend "for 5 minutes." Nick agrees, and a bumpy night ensues...Norah's best friend gets so wasted she can't see straight. Nick's bandmates drive around for hours in search of the elusive late-night gig by everyone's favorite underground band Fluffy. And Norah and Nick keep dancing around each other and looking back at their old flames, unsure if they should move forward together or not.
Critical Evaluation:
The film moves quickly and erratically, mimicking the frenetic motion of the characters as they all search for Fluffy. Sollett consistently returns to the chemistry between Nick and Norah, even though a multitude of obstacles are thrown at their budding romance. The dialogue is snappy, the cultural references are hip. But it's just not as funny or as interesting as it assumes itself to be. Ultimately, whether Nick and Norah get together, whether Caroline sobers up, and whether anybody finds Fluffy is irrelevant.
Viewer's Annotation:
Norah's been pining over the d.j. of her "borrowed" mixtapes for months now. Finally they meet. But can Nick finally get over his treacherous ex-girlfriend in time to discover Norah?
Genre:
Romantic Comedy/ YA Fiction
Director Info:
Sollett's first feature film was the critically recognized Raising Victor Vargas. He is also the director of several short films, and television episodes.
Viewer Level/Interest Age:
13 and up.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Why is Norah so attracted to Nick?
*Why can't Nick get over his ex-girlfriend?
*Why does everybody want to find Fluffy?
Challenge Issues:
Sex, drink, rock & roll.
Answer to challenges:
Film is an adaptation of a popular young adult novel, and is rated PG-13.
Why Include?:
The popularity of both novel and film made me curious, so thought I should check it out. Not overjoyed that I did.

A Step from Heaven

A Step from Heaven
by An Na
Penguin Putnam
New York
2001
ISBN: 0142500275

Plot Summary:
Young Ju and her parents move from South Korea to the U.S. when she is a four. Shortly afterwards, her mother gives birth to a baby boy, and her father swells with an enormous pride Young Ju has never seen him possess. The parents are bursting with dreams of all the things they will do and have in their new country. But, as the years go by, Young Ju's family life does not progress according to their plans.
Critical Evaluation:
An Na uses the voice of Young Ju throughout the novel: as a child, an adolescent, and a maturing, confused teen. The voice never wavers in consistency and tone; Young Ju's struggle with comprehension and mastery of the English language is also portrayed with An Na's use of a kind of phonetic mish-mash of English and Korean. The unwavering voice produces a strong identification with the character, and her mother and brother's hopes and heartbreak.
Reader's Annotation:
Young Ju believes her parents when they tell her life in America will be better, easier. But absolutely nothing is better, and everything seems harder.
Genre:
Coming-of-age/YA Fiction
Author Info:
A Step from Heaven is An Na's first novel, and went on to win the Michael L. Printz Award in 2002. She has written two novels since, and currently lives in Vermont.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
12 and up.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Does the Park family achieve the American dream?
*Why is Young Ju's father so filled with anger and disappointment?
*Why doesn't her mother leave her father?
Challenge Issues:
Mature themes, however strong moral and emotional codes pervade the novel, making challenges unlikely.
Why Include?:
I have a strong faith in the selections made by those behind the Michael L. Printz Award, and haven't been disappointed yet.

Twilight

Twilight
Written by Stephenie Meyer
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
2008
Imprint Entertainment
Rated PG-13

Plot Summary:
In the middle of the spring semester, Bella moves to northwest Washington to live with her father. She glimpses the Cullen siblings from across the school cafeteria on her first day, feeling a strong pull towards the distant Edward. Bella cannot stop thinking about Edward, but she's uncertain as to why. Slowly, they begin to spend more time together, and Bella realizes she has fallen in love with a century-old vampire.
Critical Evaluation:
Shot in moody dark blues and icy whites, Hardwicke focuses her camera on Bella's wondering face and Edward's angry eyes. Each encounter between the pair is played out in extremes, mirroring the increasing passion Bella feels for Edward. The palpable chemistry between the two players is further heightened by the expressive score, sensitive voice-over, and unique beauty of both actors.
Viewer's Annotation:
Bella's uncertain as to what a future in Forks, Washington will hold for her. Then she meets Edward, and can't imagine a future without him.
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Author Info:
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series is a world-wide phenomenon. She has since began another series, whose first book is The Host.
Catherine Hardwicke's first film was the attention-getting Thirteen. She has since directed the skateboard bio-pic Lords of Dogtown, and the uber-Christian The Nativity Story.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Why does Edward seem repulsed by Bella?
*What is the history behind the Cullen's and Jacob's tribe?
*Why don't the Cullens bite humans?
*What are the feelings between Edward and Bella?
Viewer Level/Interest Age:
Swoonalicious for all ages.
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable, as there is zero sexual situations, little violence, and a lot of chastity.
Why Include?:
First I saw the movie, then I became obsessed with the books.

New Moon

The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Based on the book by Stephenie Meyer
Directed by Chris Weitz
2009
Imprint Entertainment
Rated PG-13

Plot Summary:
On Bella's 18th birthday, something awful happens at the Cullen house, leading to the family's departure and Edward's desertion of her. Unable to cope with the loss of him, Bella sinks into an abyss of depression. Months later, with the help of her old friend Jacob, Bella begins to climb her way out.
However, she still cannot get over Edward. Seeing a vision of Edward while recklessly attempting to ride a motorbike, Bella discovers she can see him if she engages in dangerous acts. This leads Bella to begin a series of ill-advised stunts, unwise for someone with her lack of coordination.
Meanwhile, her friendship with Jacob deepens, leading her to discover a dark secret of the Quilete tribe.
Critical Evaluation:
The second adaptation of the Twilight series meticulously follows the lead of both book and previous film. The depression experienced by Bella (so wonderfully detailed in the book) is symbolized by her motionless figure, seated in front of her bedroom window, and the change of seasons swirling outside. The friendship with Jacob is slowly developed, allowing for a successful shift in identification from Edward to Jacob, and the metamorphosis experienced by Jacob is convincing though fully digitized.
Viewer's Annotation:
After Edward's departure, Bella slowly attempts to rebuild her life--with the help of Jacob. Jacob,however, has his own pain and secrets to overcome.
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Author Info:
Weitz is a British director whose previous films include American Pie and About a Boy. Weitz also directed the poorly regarded filmic adaptation of Pullman's beloved novel The Golden Compass, part one in the His Dark Materials trilogy.
Viewer Level/Interest Age:
13 and up; but as I can attest to, this series is appealing to any age.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Why does Edward leave?
*What is wrong with Jacob, and why can't he tell Bella?
*What is the reason behind Bella's sudden love of danger?
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable. Minor violence and zero sexual situations. Just lots of pining.
Why Include?:
Because I have waited for this film to come out since I saw the last one (on its opening night!)

Ender's Game

Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card
1985
Tor Books
New York
ISBN: 0312932081

Plot Summary:
Ender is the youngest of three children. All manufactured, but for different reasons the older brother and sister did not turn out quite right--at least not for the government. Ender, on the other hand, is just about perfect. Shipped off to military training school when he is still a young boy, Ender learns early to fight back bullies, make allies with the other outcasts, and always strategize. Ender excels at battle games and in authority positions, and the military superiors decide that indeed Ender is the commander for whom they've been waiting. How Ender feels and what he ends up fighting against are rendered increasingly irrelevant by those in power.
Critical Evaluation:
Ender's Game immediately sets its tone as a post-apocalyptic suspense story. Sympathetically told, with lucid storytelling, intricately-wrought battle games, and an extremely fast pace, the novel makes for a quick, yet heartbreakingly thoughtful read.
Reader's Annotation:
One day Ender decides he's not going to take it from the school bully anymore. His action strikes the way on a course for which he will always remain uncertain.
Genre:
Science-Fiction/Post-Apocalypse
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Technically not cataloged as YA, however it reads as such.
Author Info:
Orson Scott Card is a prolific and heavily decorated science fiction author. Ender's Game won the Nebula Award for best novel in 1985, the Hugo Award for best novel in 1986, and was nominated for a Locus Award in 1986. It is the first volume in a six-volume series.
Booktalking Ideas:
*When does Ender's Game take place?
*Were Ender and his siblings synthetically made?
*Who is the world fighting against?
Challenge Issues:
Lots of detailed war games, yet sensitively told and never explicit. Challenges very unlikely.
Why Include?:
In the course of one week, it was recommended to me twice.

Bright Star

Bright Star
by Jane Campion
2009
Jan Chapman Pictures
Rated PG

Plot Summary:
Fanny Brawne and John Keats meet as neighbors in a small English town. They slowly begin to know each other, ultimately unable to resist the intensely emotional and sensual pull they feel towards each other.
Critical Evaluation:
Campion begins her film with the assumption of establishment: there is no introduction to the characters of Fanny and John. However, their relationship builds so slowly that the development of it and the individual characters becomes totally immersive. Their inclinations toward the other are juxtaposed with his words, her seams, and the budding flowers and drooping branches of the world around them. Indeed, it is as if the world is blooming for them. The historical knowledge of Keats' tragic end and with it the end of their love adds an element of constant regret and sadness, further magnifying the intensity of their love as it plays out on screen.
Viewer's Annotation:
Fanny Brawns and John Keats are seemingly opposites, one versed in the physical, the other in the ethereal. Yet what they create together transcends both.
Genre:
Historical Romance
Author Info:
Jane Campion has been an accomplished director for two decades. Her film The Piano was the first film directed by a woman to receive the Cannes' Film Festival's Golden Palm Award in 1993. She has directed films regarding everything from the life of New Zealand poet Janet Frame to film adaptations of Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady to Susanna Moore's In the Cut.
Viewer Level/Interest Age:
Though superficially a film for poetic adults, the film's swooning romance should appeal to teenagers.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Why can't Fanny and John marry?
*Why does John leave for Italy?
*Is Fanny an artist?
Challenge Issues:
The film is rated PG, challenges are basically impossible.
Why Include?:
I love the films of Jane Campion, and I strongly feel that a film such as this is an important educational and emotional work.

Truth & Beauty

Truth & Beauty
by Ann Patchett
Harper Collins
New York
2004
ISBN: 0060572140

Plot Summary:
Lucy and Ann meet in college, beginning a long, intimate friendship that somehow manages to weather torrid affairs, crazy parties, writers' workshops, life-long battles with cancer, and suicide attempts.
Critical Evaluation:
A wonderfully-wrought autobiographical tale of the long friendship between two writer friends. Written after the death of one, the other attempts to explain both the cycle of the friendship, and the death of it. The prior knowledge of the story's end never alters the need sprung from the book's beautiful story to reach its conclusion.
Reader's Annotation:
After being friends with Lucy for so long, Ann can't imagine life without her. But for Lucy, it's often imagining life that's the hard part.
Genre:
Memoir/Biography
Author Info:
Patchett's third novel, Bel Canto, won both the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize in 2002, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Truth & Beauty was named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Entertainment Weekly. It was also a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and won the Chicago Tribune's Heartland Prize, the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Alex Award from the American Library Association.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Adult Crossover
Booktalking Ideas:
*How does Lucy's illness determine her feelings towards living?
*What does their friendship provide for both partners?
Challenge Issues:
An adult book awarded by the ALA Alex committee, so verifiably appropriate for teens.
Why Include?:
Because Patchett is a wonderful writer, and the book is a symbiotic partner to Grealy's Autobiography of a Face.

Jesus Land

Jesus Land: a Memoir
by Julia Scheeres
Counterpoint
New York
2005
ISBN: 1582433380

Plot Summary:
Julia is a young white girl living with her extremely religious parents in rural Indiana. She has two black adopted brothers. The family's fundamentalism and the boys' blackness are the source of constant pain for the siblings at school. Incessant racism surrounds them always. When Julia and the younger David start fighting back they are shipped to a religious boot camp in the Dominican Republic. Nothing is ever the same forever afterwards.
Critical Evaluation:
A searingly honest and emotionally painful autobiography that flinches away from nothing. Every childhood stone is unturned, as Julia rehashes she and David's painful abandonment, and how it led to the pain she now must still confront daily. A beautifully written book, so successfully written I couldn't wait to finish it and put it away forever.
Reader's Annotation:
"Sinners go to: Hell./Rightchuss go to: Heaven./The end is neer: Repent./This here is: Jesus Land."
Genre:
Autobiography
Reader Level/Interest Age:
ALA adult crossover book.
Author Info:
Julia Scheeres is an award-winning journalist living in San Francisco. Jesus Land is her first book.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Why is Julia and David so close?
*How do their parents justify the children's expulsion to the Jesus camp?
*Has Julia recovered from her childhood traumas?
Challenge Issues:
Religious guardians might be offended (i.e. defensive) regarding the book's themes and the religious experiences recounted. However, it is a non-sensationalized, critically acclaimed, personal account of Julia and David's experiences, eschewing explicitness for heartbreak.
Why Include?:
I had read it some time ago and it broke my heart. I thought it would make for a diverse addition to my otherwise fiction-obsessed blog.

Gemma Bovery

Gemma Bovery
Written and Illustrated by Posy Simmonds
Jonathan Cape
London
1999
ISBN: 0224052519

Plot Summary:
A graphic reimagining of the infamous Madame Bovary, Gemma Bovery recounts the remaining days of a miserable dreamer whose name recalls the otherwise miserable earlier (anti)heroine. Transplanted to Normandy from her beloved England, Gemma at first attempts to enjoy her new life, but old dreams refuse to die. Condemning her husband to cuckold, Gemma engages in an unfortunate affair with a bad ex-boyfriend, and engages in other tawdry exploints.
The local baker reminisces on the effects of Gemma on the imagination and the libido.
Critical Evaluation:
Like Tamara Drewe, Simmonds utilitizes a narrative multiple perspective, allowing the story to be glimpsed from a diversity of characters. Also told in flashback, Gemma's tale becomes a whodunit of intrigue and sex, adding humor and spice to the Bovary construct.
Reader's Annotation:
Try as she hard as she might, but Gemma just can't manage to be a good girl. Does it cost her her life?
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Literary Revision
Author Info:
Posy Simmonds is the author of numerous comics for The Guardian, graphic novels, and illustrated children's books. Nominated in 2001 for Gemma Bovary, in 2009 Simmonds won the French Association of comics, critics, and journalists Prix de la Critique for Tamara Drewe.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Teens and up.
Booktalking Ideas:
*How similar is Gemma to Emma Bovary?
*Does the baker feel love towards Gemma or sympathy towards her poor husband?
*Are Gemma's evil ways responsible for her untimely demise?
Challenge Issues:
A lighthearted tale of love and adultery, no foreseeable challenges.
Why Include?:
Thought it'd be fun to read the graphic version of such a canonized work. It was.

Tamara Drewe

Tamara Drewe
Written and Illustrated by
Posy Simmonds
Houghton Mifflin Co.
2008
New York
ISBN: 9780547154121

Plot Summary:
Loosely based on the 19th century Thomas Hardy novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, Tamara Drewe details the exploits of a writers' colony in the provincial English countryside. Shook up by the return of a much-improved former resident, the various members of the colony and town relate the ways their lives change (for the better?) with the injection of a temptress.
Critical Evaluation:
Previous knowledge of the Hardy tale does not affect the obvious pleasure experienced while reading this light-hearted, intelligent, fluffy novel. The various players' perspectives all add up to an inability to truly choose sides, making the novel's morals and morays much harder to decipher than originally believed. A treat.
Reader's Annotation:
When Tamara Drewe returns to Stonefield, life changes for everyone. A little sex, a little intrigue, and lots of deceit.
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Literary Revision
Author Info:
Posy Simmonds is the author of numerous comics for The Guardian, graphic novels, and illustrated children's books. Nominated in 2001 for Gemma Bovary, in 2009 Simmonds won the French Association of comics, critics, and journalists Prix de la Critique for Tamara Drewe.
Booktalking Ideas:
*How do the multiple viewpoints add to a the reader's viewpoint of the story?
*Who is the most sympathetic character?
*Are Tamara and Beth victims of their circumstances?
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Teens and up
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable.
Why Include?:
Because I believe that Simmonds' revisions are great fun, literary, and inspirational.

Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan:
A Graphic Biography
Written and Illustrated by
Sabrina Jones
Hill and Wang
New York
2008
ISBN: 9780809094974

Plot Summary:
From a very young age, Isadora Duncan was filled with a sense of purpose, and a desire to dance her dreams in front of all who cared to watch. Dance halls were not to her liking, however, and what Isadora really wanted was to change the way people looked at movement in dance, and the perceptions of the female body as something to be contained and deformed. Isadora Duncan: a Graphic Biography, follows Isadora from her teenage years as a budding artistic dancer to her untimely death at the still-young age of 50.
Critical Evaluation:
Sabrina Jones' drawing style is vividly expressed through a style that utilizes strong lines, willowy movements, and expressive features. The graphite severity of the outer edges of her figures allows for a feeling of passionate investment in each drawing; while the humor that often accompanies a scenario provides a lightness to the boldness of the lines. Jones' love for her subject is never in doubt, and her love is contagious simply through viewing.
Reader's Annotation:
Isadora Duncan loved to dance, but she found ballet to be rigid and deformative. Her discovery of the arts of ancient Greece and European sculptures of the nude human figure inspired her to invent a totally new form of dance that celebrated the female body and expressed an organic, joyous movement. Duncan's discoveries and her schools of dance changed the world of dance forever.
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Biography
Author Info:
Sabrina Jones was a founder and editor of the Girl Talk and World War 3 Illustrated series. She has written several other full-length graphic novels, mostly concerned with labor and working-class political issues and histories. She rocks!
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Teens and up.
Booktalking Ideas:
*The Duncan family is artistically very evolved. How did they become this way?
*How does Isadora's strong self-confidence help shape her dance career?
*Where does Isadora's resolute autonomy come from?
*Is she a feminist?
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable, although Duncan was very risque in her time.
Why Include?:
I have loved the art of Sabrina Jones for 15 years now, so when I discovered she had crafted a novel on the life of Isadora Duncan I couldn't believe my luck!

Myrtle of Willendorf

Myrtle of Willendorf
by Rebecca O'Connell
Front Street
Asheville, NC
2000
ISBN: 1886910529


Plot Summary:
An outcast in high school, and continuing on as an outcast in college: that's how Myrtle sees herself and is pretty convinced that's how everybody else does too. She might be a good artist, and she's definitely smart, but she just can't seem to figure out how to balance a sense of independence with a healthy need to be loved. Eating takes up that latter need, and Myrtle feeds herself whenever she can, whenever she's anxious, whenever she's alone.
Critical Evaluation:
A message novel with good intentions regarding the overwhelming problems of self-hatred and female body image distortion. O'Connell's humor concerning Myrtle's ambivalence towards witchcraft and goddess worship is nicely wrought, and a pleasant counterpart to Myrtle's otherwise overwhelming anxiety. The descriptions of food and its propensity towards comfort are sensitively written, but the person of Myrtle is sufficiently annoying that O'Connell's talents are somewhat forgotten.
Reader's Annotation:
Myrtle is spending her summer in off-campus housing with her roommate Jada that drives her crazy. All Jada wants to do is wear make-up, diet, and make-out with her boyfriend. All Myrtle wants to do is eat and be left alone.
Genre:
Issues/Feminism
Author Info:
Rebecca O'Connell is a librarian in Pittsburgh. Myrtle of Willendorf is her first novel.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
15 and up.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Why is Myrtle so bothered by her roommate Jada's looks?
*Why did Myrtle stop talking to her old friend Margie?
*Is Myrtle happy in her own skin?
Challenge Issues:
Some hinted-at sexual situations, but due to the obliqueness of their description, challenges are unlikely. Further, the novel's larger message of self-worth will likely counteract any skepticism.
Why Include?:
It's cover art and leaf description proved alluring.

Epileptic

Epileptic 1
by David B.
1996-1998
L'Association
Paris, France
ISBN: 2844140858

Plot Summary:
Pierre-Francois is a young child in rural 1960's France. He has a sister, Florence, and an older brother, Jean-Christophe, who suffers from severe epilepsy. As the children age and Jean-Christophe's condition worsens, the family engages in a series of major moves and lifestyle changes in attempt to help heal Jean-Christophe.
Critical Evaluation:
David B.'s sensitive autobiography of growing up with his addled brother manages to walk a tightrope of empathy and anger. His brother's inability to see outside of his condition ultimately disables the family from seeing outside of it either, and David B. reveals the multiple dramatic decisions the family made in attempts to heal Jean-Christophe. These changes are staged in relief to those greater historical changes that both preceded their childhood and occurred simultaneously. Throughout, David B. interweaves personal family tragedies and ongoing nightmares in a simplistic line-drawn fashion, supporting his words, and adding to his expressions of emotion.
Reader's Annotation:
Jean-Christophe has an obsession with dictators and a predilection for falling into seizures when anxious. His family engages in a series of moves to communes, macrobiotic doctors, and anti-psychology, all in attempt to cure him. Looking back on these years, Pierre-Francois slowly uncovers the pain his family bears because of the struggle against epilepsy.
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Autobiography
Author Info:
David B. is a well-known French graphic novelist and artist. He was a co-founder of the comics publisher L'Association. The Comics Journal named him "Cartoonist of the Year" in 1998.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Mature Teens and up.
Booktalking Ideas:
*How does the outside world's responses to Jean-Christophe's condition effect the family?
*Why are brothers so obsessed with violence and war?
*How are their parents' choices influenced by the changing ideologies and culture in France?
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable.
Why Include?:
Epileptic is a famous autobiographical comic series, and I have been wanting to check it out for some time.

The Vampire Diaries

The Vampire Diaries
Season 1: Episodes 1-10
Created by Kevin Williamson, based on the novels by L.J. Smith
2009
Alloy Entertainment
CW Network

Plot Summary:
"For a century I have waited for her...." says Stephan in the show's opening moments. He meets Elena, and for both it is as if their lives never existed before the discovery of the other. Stephan's brother appears shortly thereafter, proceeding whenever possible to throw a deadly wrench (or fang) to any activity he can. Elena does not know the brothers are vampires however, or that they lived in Mystic Falls one hundred and fifty years ago. Her gradual discovery of their secret, alongside she and Stephan's deepening bond, possesses the potential for hours of delicious, romantic television torture.
Critical Evaluation:
Williamson's ear for teenage dialogue, polished production values, and the romantic intensity of the Smith series combine for fun and suspenseful television. The serialization allows for a gradual buildup of chemistry, mystery, and tragedy, that would not be allowed in a shorter format. The makers' obvious insistence that the story be played straight, sans irony, allow the characters and fantasy elements to deepen and thrive.
Viewer's Annotation:
Since her parents' tragic deaths, Elena has been sleepwalking through her life. Then Stephan shows up, and Elena begins to believe in happiness again; that is, if his brother Damon will stop feeding off of humans and leave town for good.
Genre:
Paranormal Romance/YA Fiction
Author Info:
Kevin Williamson, producer of the Scream films and the Dawson's Creek television series the primary impetus behind the serialized production of L.J. Smith's well-known YA series. Smith is also the creator of The Forbidden Game series, Dark Visions series, Night World series, and The Secret Circle series.
Viewer Level/Interest Age:
Gothic appeal and tormented romance appeals to all ages (though probably mostly females).
Showtalking Ideas:
*Why does Elena look so much like Katherine?
*Is Damon as evil as he seems?
*Can Stephan ever truly be happy?
Challenge Issues:
The occult, paranormal violence, sexual situations.
Defense to challenges:
The television show airs on the non-cable channel CW at 8 p.m., making any grievance against it basically futile.
Why Include?:
My obsession with all things vampire encompasses literature, film, and television.

The Heartbreak Diet

The Heartbreak Diet
by Thorina Rose
Chronicle Books
San Francisco, CA
2008
ISBN: 9780811860574

Plot Summary:
Thorina lives a comfortable life, married to a photographer, and mother to two boys. Steadily, she begins to notice that her husband is less engaged, and spending a lot more time out of the house. Eventually, he admits to being in love with someone else, and Thorina's life is suddenly upheaved.
Critical Evaluation:
A graphic novel designed to express a world where the drawings and text bleed into each other, both reflecting synchronized visions of the other. Neither format supercedes the other, and the drawings quietly illustrate the emotions described. There are several illustrations that stand in relief to the story itself--portraits of famous women and particular statements they were known for making--which serve to refocus the viewer back onto the book's images, reminding never to forget that a story isn't just words.
Reader's Annotation:
Thorina lives a comfortable life with her husband and two young sons. Sure, her husband's kind of turd, but you can't have everything, right? As Thorina slowly comes to realize--no, you can't.
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Romance/ChickLit
Author Info:
Thorina Rose is an author and illustrator. The Heartbreak Diet is her first book. In 2004 she was nominated for a SFMOMA SECA award.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Teens and up; an illustrated novel fun to read for anyone.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is this a book about body image?
*Why does X leave his family?
*Does Thorina truly love X, or is she just comfortable?
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable.
Why Include?:
Eyed it on the shelf, an illustrated sad romance is always very enticing.

Chicken with Plums

Chicken with Plums
by Marjane Satrapi
Pantheon Books
New York
2006
ISBN: 9780375714757

Plot Summary:
The story of Nasser Ali Khan's final days, interwoven with flashbacks to his formative years, and flash forwards to his family's later generations. After another nasty fight with his wife Nahid, she breaks his beloved musical instrument Tar in a fit of rage. His instrument broken, Nasser Ali slowly spirals downwards into a fitful depression resolving itself in a will to die. Though this resolution comes early, the remaining novel circles around his life, his family, and the history of modern Iran.
Critical Evaluation:
Satrapi's stories are always vividly rendered, the woodcut-style of the accompanying drawings possesses a depth and simplicity all at once--producing emotional effects that are universally felt and aesthetically understood upon immediate reading.
Reader's Annotation:
Nasser Ali Khan loves his tar more than anything, or anyone. After its destruction, Nasser Ali himself engages in a painful decline.
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Historical Biography
Author Info:
Marjane Satrapi is a best-selling author, her Percepolis series--detailing her childhood in post-Shah Iran, won numerous awards and received widespread acclaim and popularity. In 2007, the premier Percepolis was transformed by Satrapi into an animated film, which was later nominated for an Oscar.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Middle school and up. Its format will be enticing to teens, and its content interesting and informative for all ages.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Why does Nasser Ali Khan choose death?
*What effects does this choice have on the rest of his family?
*Why doesn't Nasser Ali see how important his life is to those around him? Further, how can his total narcissism not have pointed the way to any such realization?
Challenge Issues:
Absolutely none foreseeable...and, it's good for you!
Why Include?:
I am an avid reader of Satrapi's stories, and this project provided me with an excuse to enjoy it on semester time.

Green Angel

Green Angel
by Alice Hoffman
Scholastic Press
New York
2003
ISBN: 0439443849

Plot Summary:
Green has always generally felt like the black sheep of an otherwise supernaturally beautiful family. Farmers all, Green is particularly gifted with a green thumb. Then, one day as the family goes into the city to market, Green stays home to weed, and everything changes forever.
Critical Evaluation:
A wonderfully opaque book, Green's tale is told in simplified description and pared-down emotion, mirroring Green's gradual breakdown into apathy and despair. The chapters are aligned according to "Heart," "Soul," "Treasure," and "Rain," marking a trail from numbness to pain to torrential feeling to redemption.
Reader's Annotation:
After a seemingly natural disaster destroys her family, Green shuts down from all she knows and feels. She literally paints herself into a corner, painting the exits shut. But the natural world does not seem to want Green dead...
Genre:
Dystopia/Romance/YA Fiction
Author Info:
Alice Hoffman is the author of countless books for young adults and adults. Her books have been translated into film, and into over 20 different languages. Practical Magic and Aquamarine were both made into films.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
A young adult book, but with emotional themes and stylistic tendencies so mature that it will appeal to most poetry readers.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Why does Green change her name to Ash?
*What do the thorns, bats, and ivys signify?
*What does Diamond bring to Ash's life?
Challenge Issues:
A dark book, but no challenges foreseeable.
Why Include?:
The book jacket appealed to me; and Hoffman's name is well-known.

Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko
Written and Directed by Richard Kelley
2001
Pandora Cinema
Rated R

Plot Summary:
Donnie is an emotionally troubled boy with a propensity for sleepwalking. His family worriedly pressures him to take his meds and talk to his shrink; which he seems to do, for the most part. One day, part of an airplane engine crashes into Donnie's bedroom. Concurrently, a large bunny named Frank begins making overtures and suggestions to Donnie, most of which involve small-scale vandalism and destruction. Frank's visits to Donnie steadily increase, along with his countdown to Halloween, the day he says the world will end.
Critical Evaluation:
Despite its rootedness in a suburban neighborhood and a small private school, Donnie Darko immediately signals its grander ambitions with its opening aerial shots and grand musical score. The film's combination of confused boy and abstract existential philosophy plays to unique ends, allowing for an indulgence that graces both while refusing trivialization. Kelly very obviously bites off much more than he can chew, but the faithful emotion and polished style he brings to the material affords a grace that is unsurpassable.
Reader's Annotation:
A bunny keeps whispering to Donnie that the world is about to end. But between his encounters with Grandma Death, Stephen Hawking's worm hole theories, and his infatuation with the troubled new girl, he's not sure what to believe. Then it all starts to come together...
Genre:
Science-Fiction/Bildungsroman
Reader (Viewer) Level/Interest Age:
A teenage, post-apocalyptic cult movie.
Author Info:
Richard Kelly went to college with my sister in Radford, Virginia. Donnie Darko was his first film, debuting to apathy, building to intense B-movie fandom. Kelly has since directed two films, both of which garnered mixed, confused reviews.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Who is Frank and why does he choose Donnie?
*What role do the 2 sympathetic teachers play in Donnie's life?
*Does his mother understand his plight? And, what about his therapist?
*Why is the old lady on the hill referred to as Grandma Death?
Challenge Issues:
The film is rated R for language, violence, and "some" drug use. However, the drugs are prescription anti-depressants, the language is typical, and the violence is minimal. The themes are mature and dark though, and probably of interest only to older teens and morose adults.
Why Include?:
Because I love this film and believe it to be an important document recording teenage anxiety, confusion, and possible schizophrenia.

The Bride's Farewell

The Bride's Farewell
by Meg Rosoff
2009
Viking Peguin
New York
ISBN: 9780670020997

Plot Summary:
On the morning of her marriage to her childhood friend, Pell steals away, taking only her shawl, her beloved horse Jack, and her tiniest brother, Bean. Pell is determined to carve out a new life for herself, minus the pain, poverty, and despair of her childhood surroundings. She possesses a strong talent for blacksmith and horsemanship, but with few chances and even fewer coins in her pocket, Bean, Jack, and Pell are soon plunged into an even less certain world than the world of Nomansland.
Critical Evaluation:
A highly imaginative and emotional story, written with a sparseness of dialogue, and a simplicity of description. Rosoff manages to evoke a world distant and fully realizable at once; in turn, producing a heroine full of contradiction, opposing desires, joy and pain.
Reader's Annotation:
Pell has lived her whole life succumbing to the demands and desires of others. One early morning, she steals away into the countryside, determined to discover what her own desires might be.
Genre:
Gothic realism/Romance
Reader Age/Interest Level:
14 and up into 100!
Author Info:
Meg Rosoff didn't turn to writing fiction until well into her 40's, yet her first novel, How I Live Now, still managed to acquire numerous awards and loads of critical acclaim. The Bride's Farewell is her fourth novel.
Booktalking Tips:
*What makes Pell suddenly depart from Nomansland?
*Are her desires for an independent life a realistic ambition for a solitary young female in the 19th century?
*What does Pell share in common with Esther and her children?
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable.
Why Include?:
After reading How I Live Now, I will forever be a Meg Rosoff fan and avid reader of her writings.

Thirsty

Thirsty
by M.T. Anderson
1997
Candlewick Press
Cambridge, MA
ISBN: 0763600482

Plot Summary:
Chris and his friends live in a rural Massachusetts town, on the edge of the reservoir, and on the border of the woods. Every year the town holds the Sad Festival of the Vampires, a ritual fair which still holds true to its roots--the spell-binding capture of the vampire god Tch'muchgar, insuring he stay bound in the bottom of the lake. Chris has never really taken the spells and suspicions seriously, until one day a vampire on her way to execution seems to recognize him, and he slowly begins to change into something he in turn no longer recognizes.
Critical Evaluation:
A pulp novel for teens, Anderson writes with a humor and flare that never questions the existence of vampires, while always questioning the silly roles that human society confines us in.
Reader's Annotation:
Chris is slowly turning into a vampire. He can't seem to prevent the transformation of himself, but can he prevent the rising of the vampire god Tch'muchgar?
Genre:
Horror/Metamorphosis/YA Fiction
Author Info:
M.T. Anderson is the author of 9 novels to date, his 2 volumes of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing have both won Michael J. Printz awards. Thirsty is his first novel.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
High school and up; the novel's campy horror will probably remain more interesting to teens.
Booktalking Tips:
*Despite the acknowledgement that vampires are all around, Chris still takes a long time to realize and accept his metamorphosis. Why?
*What does the novel's closing pages suggest is in store for Chris?
Challenge Issues:
Some violence and hints of sexual themes.
Defense to challenges:
Anderson's ubiquity on the awards lists for his later titles indicates that his presence in a library collection will be demanded. If the inclusion of this particular book is further questioned, the library's collection policy and the ALA's Freedom to Read statement will be demonstrated. Also, the book's general tone and overall contents are not explicit, and this too will be affirmed.
Why Include?:
Forever a vampire afficionado....and, thought it would be interesting to read the first book of a novelist who has acquired so many accolades as of late.

Holes

Holes
Directed by Andrew Davis
2003
Walt Disney
Based on the book by Louis Sachar
Rated PG

Plot Summary:
Stanley Yelnats comes from a long line of men that just can't seem to catch a break. I mean, really bad luck. Stanley's walking down the street one day and a pair of super-deluxe running shoes almost hit him square in the head. He scoops them up, but before you know it he's arrested for stolen property, and shipped off to a work-camp in the middle of the desert, consigned to dig holes and avoid the camp bullies for 18 months.
He can't quite figure out the rules and reasons behind all the camp's prohibitions and diggings, but he does begin to sleuth the clues found in the bottom of the holes--with his new friend Zero's help of course.
Critical Evaluation:
A sunny and breezy tale of a boy's discoveries and his eradication of the family's long-standing bad luck. The camp's recollection of the penal colony and its slave labor-style ministrations are generally played as farce and high camp, its warden, jailer, and psychologist caricatured as greedy idiots. The story intercuts the 19th century tale of a feminist robber and her forbidden love for a black onion farmer throughout its scenes of boys digging, teasing, and bullying, with limited success.
Reader's Annotation:
Stanley Yelnats enjoys his life, and all his crazy family's stories. When he gets shipped off to the work-camp, he's inundated with the stories of all the kids around him, the rumors swirling around the monstrous staff, and the memories unleashed through the digging of the holes.
Genre:
Action Adventure/YA Fiction
Author Info:
Louis Sacher is the author of over 20 books of fiction. Holes won the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Tweens and up. Its engaging tone is fun for awhile, but ultimately its wide strokes will prove unsatisfying to mature readers/viewers.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is bad luck the reason Stanley got shipped to camp?
*Why do the camp denizens assume Zero is stupid?
*What is Zero's significance to Stanley's story?
Challenge Issues:
Some guardians might be wary of story's depiction of historical racism, but any indignation regarding such would be questionable at best.
Why Include?:
Just trying to keep it diverse...heard a lot of high praise concerning the story over the past several years.

Blood and Chocolate

Blood and Chocolate
by Annette Curtis Klause
Laurel Leaf Books
New York
1997
ISBN: 0440226686

Plot Summary:
Vivian is one of the younger female members of an extended werewolf tribe; the tribe has been on the move lately, due to the number of "unsolved" killings that keep popping up. Vivian longs for a normal life, far from the revenge of homo sapiens, and the death of her father, the pack leader.
The tribe's newest locale brings with it a turn of events, and Vivian quickly falls in love with a fellow high school student--very human and very poetic. Aidan is sweet and gentle, and carries the suggestion of escape for her. But can their love overpower all the differences between them?
Critical Evaluation:
Klause tells her story with an extra-special attention to sensory details: the swaying of the grass,the shape of the moon, the scent of the boy passing Vivian in the hall. These seemingly superfluous descriptions led an air of verisimilitude to the proceedings; indeed, Vivian's identity as loup-garou never feels less than vividly realized and deliciously contradictory.
Reader's Annotation:
Since her father's death, Vivian wonders what else the future might hold for her. Then she meets the human, Aiden, and decides she will decide the future for herself.
Genre: Paranormal Romance/ YA Fiction
Author Info:
Annette Curtis Klause was born in England and weaned by her father on gangster films. As a teen, her family moved to the U.S., and Klause currently lives in suburban Maryland. The vampire fantasy The Silver Kiss was her first novel, and she has since written three other young adult novels. She is also a librarian.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
A teen romance, but convincingly and appealingly written to satisfy fantasy readers of any age.
Booktalking Tips:
*Does Aidan's poem mean more to Vivian than it does to Aidan himself?
*What makes Vivian think she can merge her werewolf and human girl lives?
*What type of wolf is Gabriel?
Challenge Issues:
Some sexual and violent situations may prove offensive to guardians.
Defense to challenges: Book was awarded in the Top 10 ALA Best Book for Young Adults, the Top 10 ALA Quick Pick, and was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. This recognition and its long-running popularity amongst teen readers will serve to justify its presence on any library YA shelf.
Why Include?:
An insatiable passion for werewolf and vampire fiction elevated Bread and Chocolate to the top of my to-do reading list.

Little Brother

Little Brother
by Cory Doctorow
Tor Teen
New York
2008 ISBN: 978-0-7653-1985-2

Plot Summary:
Marcus Yallow is your typical teenage high school boy--likes to play games, hang out with friends, and thumb his nose at authority. But where he's not so typical is in his prodigious knowledge of the internet, hacking, and technology. Combine these with his rebellious spirit, and problems come running after a terrorist attack in San Francisco.
Critical Evaluation:
Doctorow writes with a strenuous attempt at converging tech speak with realistic dialogue and storytelling. But, does it work? The novel's consistent forays into detailed technological description sometimes borders on propaganda, and never provides a transparent understanding. Further, the tale places the protagonist upon an elevated pedestal that is never truly questioned.
Reader's Annotation:
Marcus and his friends love to play role-playing games, hack intricate computer systems, and engage in city-wide treasure hunts. This last predilection ends up setting up the gang in a more dangerous game than any one of them could have ever imagined.
Genre:
Thriller/YA Fiction/Paranoia
Author Info:
Cory Doctorow is a technology activist, an essayist, and an author of several works of fiction. Little Brother won the Hugo Award for Best Fiction.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Published under a teen reader label, its mature themes and highly technical language render it of interest to adults as well as teens.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Marcus a genious?
*Can anyone over 25 be trusted?
*Is technology your friend?
Challenge Issues:
Some sexual situations, violent situations involving detailed torture, extreme paranoia regarding the government's interference in the private lives of its citizens.
Answer to challenges:
The novel's supremacy in best-selling lists, its ubiquity on awards lists, and its relevance in post-Bush America render it required on any library shelf. These same qualities provide important justifications for its presence on the shelf.
Why Include?:
Little Brother is required reading for the YA Materials class in which I am currently enrolled.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart
Hyperion Books
New York
2008
ISBN: 0786838183

Plot Summary:
All her life Frankie's been the "Bunny Rabbit," and she's tired of it. After being noticed by Alpha and his pack of cool senior boys, Frankie begins riding the wave of popularity as one of the girlfriends. However, the honeymoon is short, and Frankie begins plotting how to be taken seriously--as one of the boys, instead of just a girlfriend.
Critical Evaluation:
A well-researched joyride following a very precocious girl and her quest to be recognized. Originally inspired by a teacher's use of the Foucaultian model of the Panoptican, as well as the "Cities, Art, and Protest" class, and her father's experience in the school's secret society, Frankie's stratagems, schemings, and acts are humorously connected to Lockhart's thorough studies into the topics. Frankie's quest is always funny, poignant, and engrossing.
Reader's Annotation:
Frankie's looks are finally beginning to catch up with her brains, and her schoolmates can't help but notice. But can Frankie break through the boy's club and be noticed as more than just a pretty face?
Author Info:
E. Lockhart is the author of three "Ruby Oliver Books," and four other novels. The Disreputable History... was the recipient of numerous awards including the Printz Honor Book Award and a finalist for the National Book Award.
Genre:
Coming-of-Age/Romance/YA Fiction
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
A young adult book, but it's well-researched subplot involving anarchic pranks and Situationist-style hijinks, as well as its protagonist budding feminist rebellions make it a stimulating read for absolutely anyone.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Why does Frankie hate her nickname "Bunny Rabbit"?
*Does Matthew truly like her? And, better yet, does Frankie truly like Matthew?
*What does Frankie learn from her sophomore year conspiracy?
*Do her activities ultimately disrupt the prevailing order at all?
Challenge Issues:
Intellectually advanced themes, but zero explicit or challenging topics.
Why Include?:
Another wonderful recommendation from my awesome library school colleague.

Going Under

Going Under
by Kathe Koja
Frances Foster Books
New York
2006
ISBN: 9780374303938

Plot Summary:
Hilly and Ivan are extremely intellectually gifted teenage siblings. Home-schooled by their mother, who basically left them to themselves and their brains, the two created their own separate universe--complete with a language. But when Hilly's newfound friend commits suicide, her parents (and even Ivan) are at a complete loss as to how to deal with her pain. At Ivan's bidding, their parents take Hilly to a psychoanalyst noted for his treatment of teenage girls. This decision aids in Hilly's spiraling displacement however,
and where she goes, goes Ivan.
Critical Evaluation:
Using the myth of Persephone and her journeys to hell as a kind of narrative reflecting pool, Koja creates a familial hothouse climate where Ivan and Hilly's symbiotic bond builds to a suffocating intensity. Alternating chapters recount each siblings emotional descent, and as each one worsens, the break between them becomes more and more complete. As the emotions accumulate, Koja tempers the escalation by the pattern of alteration, and by the absence of editorialization. The feelings deepen, and through the words and the weaving, all the reader is left with are the emotions. This paring-down effect allows the writing and the feelings to remain in pure, unadulterated prominence.
Reader's Annotation:
Because of ten measly pomegranate seeds, Persephone was fated to travel to hell for the rest of her days. However, as Hilly painfully discovers, the trip to hell can be handled, as long as the way out and up can always be found.
Author Info:
Kathe Koja is the author of six young adult books of fiction, all of which have met critical acclaim, and noted awards. straydog was the recipient of awards from both the Humane Society and the SPCA. Koja has written science fiction and adult literature, but her path as of late is in the young adult field. She lives in Detroit with her husband and cats.
Genre:
Mythology/Issues/YA Fiction
Reader Level/Interest Age:
A young adult novel, yet so wonderfully written and emotionally complex that it will delight serious readers of any age.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Are Hilly and Ivan siblings or Siamese twins?
*How does the alternating perspective provide windows into the personalities of both?
*Due to Ivan's somewhat predatory machinations, do reader sympathies slant towards Hilly?
Challenge Issues:
Though the theme of suicide is obviously mature, its handling is sensitive, and none of the novel's intensity can be considered dangerous for teen readers.
Why Include?:
I had read of Koja's work, seeing praise for her novel Buddha Boy, however her inclusion of Greek mythology in Going Under proved more alluring.

Whale Talk

Whale Talk
by Chris Crutcher
Random House
New York
2001
ISBN: 0440229383Plot Summary:
T.J.Jones is talented in almost every sport he's ever encountered, but the problem is, he's never wanted to assist in the glory of all the jocks and coaches at school that he hates. Born to a white, crackhead mother, he came out black, Japanese, and unwanted. Lucky for him, two wonderful people that wanted him, adopted him. But T.J. still needs to figure out what it is he wants. At his favorite teacher's urging, he crafts a band of fellow misfits into the new high school swim team: through the group, he finds himself.
Critical Evaluation:
The stories of abuse that consistently appear throughout the novel are expressed in a productive, sensitive way; pain is described as a natural part of a continuum towards healing. T.J.'s tale is told according to such a continuum, his progress towards emotional wholeness tracked alongside his physical and emotional engagement with a band of misfits. Whale Talk never deters from T.J.'s perspective, and though this leads to a greater understanding of the character, it furthers the feeling of his persona as a tad too grandiose, which in turn deflects from the character's potential impact upon the reader.
Reader's Annotation:
T.J.Jones is a rebel...but for the most part it's without much of a cause. Then he starts swimming with a bunch of other misfits, and finds a reason (and a heart) to go with that rebellion.
Author Info:
Chris Crutcher is the author of nine young adult novels, five of which can be found on the ALA's one hundred Best of the Best Books for Young Adults published during the last four decades of the twentieth century. His previous life as a child and family therapist has certainly aided in his complex and insightful views on the emotional lives of teenagers (and their parents).
Genre:
Issue/Athletic/YA Fiction
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Written with teenagers in mind, and categorized as such. The story's conflicts and T.J.Jones' emotions with resonate with a reader of any age, however his perspective often feels woefully outsized and juvenile.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Can T.J. finally live up to his own name and begin to see the yin and the yang of things?
*How can T.J.'s athletic prowess be explained? And, why won't he participate in high school sports?
*How is his participation on the swim team different for him?
*Is T.J. like his father?
Challenge Issues:
The multiple stories of child abuse and additional forms of violence will likely cause alarm for some, and the prevalent racism encountered by T.J. will also likely alarm. However, Crutcher's past experience as a psychotherapist means that the issues are managed, confronted, and overcome, serving as a model for any reader with similar problems. This reasoning will serve in defense to any challenges, as will Crutcher's place amongst librarians and other educators.
Why Include?:
Because of his ongoing popularity and large catalogue, knowledge of Crutcher's novels is a must.

Story of a Girl

Story of a Girl
by Sara Zarr
Little, Brown & Company
New York
2004
ISBN: 0316014540



Plot Summary:
Deanna lives in a small town outside of San Francisco, goes to a small high school, attended mostly by people with small minds. Two years earlier, Deanna's father had caught her and a much older boy in the act in the back seat of his Chevy. Her father still hasn't forgotten it, and, thanks to the boy's humongous mouth, the rest of the town hasn't either.
Deanna still can't figure out how to get past it herself; or, how to get past herself. Sure, there's a few people she loves desperately, but she just can't seem to manage telling them, or treating them better than how she treats herself.
Summer comes, and with it a new job, and hopefully a new outlook on life. But her past just keeps resurfacing, and it's up to Deanna to finally try to figure out how to forget.
Critical Evaluation:
Told through Deanna's eyes, Story of a Girl is an extended immersion into the mind of a smart, sensitive young girl, desperately afraid of moving outside of the familiar pain she's surrounded by. Desperate to escape, while terrified of change, Zarr provides a voice for Deanna that skirts despair, but refuses to succumb to it. Though Deanna is unhappy with nearly everyone around her, her told is story with an ongoing admittance of her own flaws and failures. This levity manages to produce a figure both compelling and infuriating, enabling a narrative movement dependent upon identification with the narrator and a suspended hope in her redemption.
Reader's Annotation:
Deanna can't wait to get out of Pacifica, away from her parents, and even further away from her own reputation. A summer job at the local pizza place promises an income to help realize her dreams of escape. But life just doesn't go according to plan, and Deanna is forced to confront the reasons behind her dreams of escape instead.
Genre:
Issues/Coming-of-Age/YA fiction
Author Info:
Sara Zarr grew up in San Francisco, and recently moved to Salt Lake City. Story of a Girl was a National Book Award finalist, and her first novel.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Teen and up. Intelligently and sensitive told, making it enjoyable for any age.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Deanna really in love with her best friend Jason, or just worried he and Lee might forget about her?
*Why can't Deanna's father look her in the face?
*Does Tommy understand the effects his actions have had on Deanna?
*Can Darren and April provide the surrogate family that Deanna craves?
Challenge Issues:
Sexual themes.
Defense to Challenges:
Provide an open ear and mind to concerns about title. Explain the library's selection policies in particular to this book, citing book's awards and recognitions.
Why Include?:
Another wonderful recommendation from a fellow student, book's presence on National Book Award list.

How I Live Now...

How I Live Now
by Meg Rosoff
Wendy Lamb Books
2004
New York
ISBN: 0553376055Plot Summary:
Daisy is a lonely, motherless girl living in NYC with her father and evil stepmother. Somehow, she convinces him to let her go live with her unknown cousins in the English countryside. Upon arrival, Daisy is seemingly transported into a timeless place-- where fields of flowers cohabit with sheep and goats, where children are "home-schooled' and parents are scarce, and where she's never felt so at home in the world.
Most of these feelings are because of her cousin Edmond; Daisy is happy, and even starting to eat again. But when the war everyone kept worrying about finally happened, Daisy's chance at happiness seems fated to disappear for good.
Critical Evaluation:
How I Live Now utilizes a stream-of-conscious voiceover that remains utterly consistent throughout. Daisy's perspective is revealed as subjective from page one, however this knowledge never detracts from the voice and the eye that develops, working instead to support a deep empathy for her and her loved ones. The journey that Daisy and her younger cousin submit to is sparingly described, yet completely redolent with detail at the same time; she describes emotional states in much the same way. A heartbreaking, devastatingly beautiful book.
Reader's Annotation:
Daisy is a little girl lost in the anonymous world of New York. Her journey to England changes all that, providing her with a place in the world for the very first time. That is until the outside world storms in and changes everything.
Genre:
Coming-of-age/Post-Apocalyptic/Romance
Author Info:
Meg Rosoff didn't begin writing until reaching her mid-40s. Her first novel, How I Live Now, captured numerous awards in both the U.S. and the U.K. She has since gone on to write several novels, the most recent of which, The Bride's Farewell, is also garnering critical acclaim.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Marketed as a young adult novel, however the themes are mature, dark, and definitely of interest to adult readers.
Booktalking Ideas:
*In what ways does Daisy's story draw the reader in?
*What happens to Edmond?
*What is the significance of the cousins being motherless?
*How does the descriptions of the English countryside coalesce with the later events?
*Is How I Live Now a fairy tale, or a nightmare?
Challenge Issues:
Anorexia, incest, apocalypse.
Defense to challenges:
Many of the themes of this book (particularly the incestuous relationship between the cousins), has the potential to perturb parents and guardians. However, other than a few scenes of war-related violence, the book refrains from explicitness. The book's numerous awards and recognition, particularly that of the Michael J. Printz Award, will be used as justification for inclusion.
Why Include?:
A recommendation from a friend, the book's dystopic setting, the amazing cover art, and the book's awards, all drew me in. Very possibly one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.