Boy Proof

Boy Proof
by Cecil Castellucci
Candlewick Press
Cambridge, Massachusetts
2005
ISBN: 0763627968Plot Summary:
Egg is a loner: although she's surrounded by other science-fiction fan geeks, comic book lovers, and Hollywood kids, she still can't shake the feeling that it's her against the world. Her mother doesn't get her, her dad only loves his special effects gear, the kids at school with the same interests as hers just bore her. Then, suddenly, Max Carter arrives: a new kid who gets along with everyone, is super smart, and likes everything she likes.
Egg keeps her distance, and the more Max tries to befriend her, the more she pushes him away. Him and everybody else.
Critical Evaluation:
Boy Proof moves quickly, Egg's days and nights passing according to the slights she accumulates. The moments are measured in a diaristic fashion---each chapter beginning with the location and time of day. Experiences that take place online are noted as well as those at school, home, and the comic book shop. The tale is told through Egg's voice, so the moments she is describing are relentlessly solitary, self-pitying, and alienating. The tone is not grating, however, and instead its relentlessness works to mirror the heightened emotions Egg is experiencing.
Reader's Annotation:
Egg's not sure why she hates everyone, she just does. But after awhile, her fatigue of everyone else just becomes fatigue with herself. Can Egg get over herself and find her own way?
Author Info:
Cecil Castellucci is an author of young adult novels and comic books, most notably Boy Proof and The PLAIN Janes. Upcoming in 2009 are a bunch of short stories in The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.
Genre:
YA fiction/ Romance
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Egg a sympathetic narrator or a pain in the ass?
*Can Egg finally figure out how to be happy?
*Do her friends and family really "see" her? Or is she as invisible as she believes?
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Marketed as a YA romance, but its wonderfully descriptive emotional states and rhythms make it enjoyable for any reader interested in emotional pain and the possibility of change.
Challenges:
Themes are emotionally mature, yet situations are never risque or explicit.
Why Include?:
A wise friend recommended it, and she's never been wrong so far...

Ready or Not

Ready or Not
Meg Cabot
Harper Collins
New York
2005
ISBN: 0060724501

Plot Summary:
Samantha has been (in)famous in the city of Washington, D.C. ever since she put her own life in jeopardy to save the life of the President of the United States. Since then she's dodged merry photographic tourists and fallen in love with the President's son. She's having a tough semester: juggling her new job and revolutionary co-worker; drawing a naked guy in her art class; attempting to understand her older/prettier sister's attraction to a nerd; and understanding her accelerating sexual feelings towards David...and his towards her.
Critical Evaluation:
Samantha's story is regularly juxtaposed with a series of lists citing her woes, catastrophes, and fleeting moments of peace and happiness. These lists attempt to reflect the waterfall of emotions and confusions flooding her daily life. The lists and the narration are told through Samantha's voice and and seen through her eyes. This is not a unique authorial tactic, yet it is part of the weakness and glibness which permeates the tale. Neither very funny nor overly intuitive, the story relies on the hopes of over-identification with the narrator. However, she's just not that interesting.
Reader's Annotation:
Book two of the All American Girl series follows Samantha as she attempts to navigate her growing sexual feelings towards David, her mystification throughout her life-drawing class, and her outrage at the President's tactical use of "moral values." What does Samantha really want and how patient is her boyfriend?
Author Info:
Meg Cabot is the best-selling author of the YA series The Princess Diaries in addition to the All-American Girl series--of which Ready or Not is the second book. Cabot has written several other young adult novels and adult mystery novels, and is at work on a middle-reader series.
Genre:
Romance/ YA fiction/sexual coming-of-age
Booktalking Ideas:
*Samantha loves her boyfriend...but is she ready for a sexual relationship?
*What is Lucy's attraction to her tutor based on?
*Why does the President's speech at her high school evoke such a strong reaction in Samantha?
Interest Level/Reader Age:
Young readers from middle school and up.
Challenges:
Protagonist struggling with whether or not to have sex with her boyfriend for the first time--may cause alarm in the minds of parents.
Answer to challenges: Meg Cabot is a renowned writer, noted particularly for her restraint in matters of sex. Her books are heralded and best sellers; these facts would be noted in addition to the library's policies regarding free speech and a diverse collection.
Why Include?:
Cabot is a very popular writer with teen readers, the movie on which Princess Diaries was based was highly successful. Her popularity demands inclusion.

sloppy firsts

sloppy firsts
Megan McCafferty
Three Rivers Press
2001
New York
ISBN: 0609807900

Book Summary:
When her best friend moves far away, Jessica Darling is left adrift in a high school where she was already on the fringe. Taking solace in her track meets, midnight runs, and massive correspondences to her long lost friend, Jessica tries to work herself out...but things just keep getting in the way: her insomnia, her parents, the unreadable new girl from Manhattan, the stuck-up posse of her former friends. And there that's burnout Marcus Flutie; who is he really and why won't he leave her alone?
Critical Evaluation:
sloppy firsts is a consistent read, utterly entrenched in the voice and character of Jessica. The tale is primarily expressed via Jessica's journal, interspersed with letter's to Hope at chapter/journal ends. This consistency produces an accurate immersion into Jessica's thoughts and anxieties. It does make for a sometimes exhausting and long-winded read however. The total absence of Hope, the constant figure of Jessica's longing and heartbreak, further adds to the feeling of extendedness; leading, perhaps paradoxically, into a longing for her to just hook up with Marcus and stop whining.
Reader's Annotation:
Running is something Jessica can't stop doing--it's in her blood and her spirit. But is she running towards something or away from it?
Author Info:
sloppy firsts was Megan McCafferty's first novel, winning the ALA Top 10 Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, an ALA Popular Paperback, and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. She has continued the story of Jessica Darling, and has recently completed the fifth book in the series. In addition, McCafferty's writings have been included in fiction and non-fiction anthologies.
Genre:
Romance/ YA fiction/ coming-of-age
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Jessica's insomnia stemming from evidently very over-active brain?
*Does Hope's near-total absence account for the hole that Jessica feels in her heart? Or, might it be caused by other anxieties?
*Is Marcus Flutie a bad example for Jessica? Or the closest thing to a soul mate she's going to find after Hope?
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Teen readers.
Challenges:
Book includes much talk of drug use (primarily marijuana), and teenage sex. The central character engages in neither however, so challenges likely minimal. Further, the drug use is heavily condemned in narrative.
Why Include:
Book was cited on a "best recent romantic fiction" public library YA site.

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
by Deb Caletti
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
New York
2004
ISBN: 0689867654


Plot Summary:
Ruby begins her story as if in confidence, slowly reminding us of the summer of her 16th year. She hints ominously of her silly and dangerous obsession with Travis, the rich new guy, and the tale of their entanglement quietly unfolds.
Ruby's all too aware of the lack of fit between them, the difference in perspectives, desires, and goals. But none of this matters when she's near him, his presence eggs her on, convincing her she might possibly be someone else.
Their relationship doesn't end well, but that's no surprise because she warns such in the opening chapter. The real surprise is the suddenly unexpected--but oh so satisfying detour the novel takes in its third and final act.
Critical Evaluation:
Generically, the novel unfolds as a tragic summer love affair should: the sun-kissed rich boy, the Quiet Girl. Yet the narration's quiet urgency, Ruby's extreme likability, her acute observations of the people and events around her, all convey such a strong sense of character that Ruby's story becomes utterly irresistable.
The longing for solitude combined with the ache to be loved are consistently revealed as not so disparate after all. The pain of true first love combined with the stark realization that infatuation wears goggles is told with humor and clarity.
Ruby, her mother, and The Casserole Queens are so lovingly rendered that the constant, nagging ache to be invited to their book club never fades.
Reader's Annotation:
Ruby McQueen is the Quiet Girl. Life moves slowly, and Ruby remains satisfied with her title. That is, until she catches her first glimpse of Travis Becker, his motorcycle, and that gaudy gold necklace.
Author Info:
Deb Caletti chose to major in journalism rather than her initial love, creative writing, because she was scared of failure. Several years later, after the birth of two babies and time spent teaching, she began writing plays and stories. It wasn't until her fifth book The Queen of Everything, that Caletti's books began to acquire serious acclaim and consideration. Next came Honey, Baby, Sweetheart and a National Book Award nomination.
Genre:
Romance/ YA/ Chicklit.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Why is Travis so alluring to Ruby?
*How do Ruby and her mother reflect each other's emotions and behaviors?
*What do The Casserole Queens teach Ruby about life? How do they accomplish this? And, do they plan it?
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Definitely a young adult romance novel, yet the situations are complicated and mature: a love story for any age.
Challenges:
Though the book contains difficult situations involving thievery, lying, and dangerous love, there is zero explicitness, and tale is gently told. No challenges predicted.
Why Include?:
Book was listed under a Romance Guide from my local public library. Although the title was off-putting, I thought I'd give it a try (always a sucker for a book that shouts it's a coming-of-age and troubled-love-in-the-summertime story).

Girl 15, Charming but Insane
by Sue Limb
Random House
2004
New York
ISBN: 0385732147

Plot Summary:
Jess Jordan is a witty smart-alec, full of imagination but low on self-esteem.
She's been obsessed with Ben for as long as she can remember. Her best friend Flora thinks he likes her too, but Flora is beautiful and nice and perfect...and clueless!
Jess' other best friend, Fred, suddenly stops speaking to her, confusing Jess even more! Jess has so many other problems to worry about--like, will Bonnie and Clyde (her boobs) ever get bigger?
why did her parents break up? was it because of her? why is her Gran so obsessed with violence? why can boys only deal with football?
Critical Evaluation:
A rollicking roller coaster of a book, the character of Jess is so well-written that it's almost as if she was right there next to me, whispering her smart-ass comments in my ear. The novel's pitch never slows, its breakneck pace perfectly mirroring Jess' topsy-turvy daily emotions. Jess' humor is razor-sharp, yet the voice is never cruel or condescending.
Reader's Annotation:
Can such a smart girl with such a lack of ambitions ever make good? Will her librarian mother see her for the smarty-pants she is? And, how about Fred...what is the deal with Fred? (And does her crush on Ben really amount to anything?)
Author Info:
Sue Limb was a teacher for over a dozen years, then she turned to writing for plays and television, then documentaries, and finally....writing books! She has written three other series in addition to Jess' story, which is now on its fourth book.
Genre:
Chick Lit/ romance
Booktalking Ideas:
*Will Jess realize the nature of her feelings for Fred?
*Is Flora really as perfect as Jess believes?
*Why is Gran so obsessed with murder?
*Is Jess' dad a deadbeat?
Reader level/ Interest age:
Clearly marketed for YA chick lit market/ sophisticated voice and humor make this enjoyable for absolutely any age.
Challenges:
No foreseeable challenges...funny, no sex, drugs, or violence of any kind.
Why Include:
A fellow librarian-in-training recommended it. Thank you !!!!

Sandpiper
by Ellen Whittlinger
New York
Simon Pulse
2005
ISBN: 0689868022

Plot Summary:
Sandpiper is a bold and intelligent girl with few friends and lots of sexual experience. Her struggle to achieve self-awareness and overcome the bullying and incomprehension of others provide the framework of the novel's evolution.
When another solitary misfit called the Walker inadvertently comes to Sandpiper's aid, she latches onto her perception of him as some kind of rescuer, desperately hoping he can help her discover something else.
Critical Evaluation:
Sandpiper is a highly sophisticated novel, engaging complex and sensitive issues regarding female promiscuity and adolescent alienation with a tone both brave and quiet. Wittlinger intersperses each chapter with Sandpiper's poems, all of which detail the events swirling around her. This technique provides both a unique artistry to the novel, and evokes the character of Sandpiper in a unique and generous way.
Overall, one of the most moving stories I have read in a long while...
Reader's Annotation:
Sandpiper is a very smart girl with alot of issues....
Can she pull it together on her own? Or, will she finally learn how to accept the love and help from her family?
Author Info:
Wittlinger began her adult life as a college dropout, returning to college to acquire an MFA in creative writing, and continuing as an accomplished poet. She turned to playwriting, and was endowed with several fellowships in support of her poems and plays.
Later, after becoming a YA librarian and having children, she turned to writing YA fiction, and has written 13 books. Hard Love won the Printz Honor Award in 2000.
Genre:
Coming-of-age/ romance/ YA fiction/ poetry
Booktalking Ideas:
*Why does Sandpiper become so fascinated with the Walker?
*What kind of influence does her father, Rags, exert over her?
*How do Sandpiper's feelings regarding her stepsister and little sister evolve over the course of the story?
*Describe the effect of poetry on Sandpiper's life.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
High school age and up; novel's complexity provides an engaged read for any age (over teen...)
Challenges:
Detailed explanations of sexual promiscuity, along with the protagonist's continued alienation due to it. Complex substory of trauma and death further add to the mature themes.
Defense to challenges: Wittlinger is an award-winning novelist, her books--while revolving around mature situations--contain inspiring lessons for survival and growth. Her canonical status entails a heavy fanbase of teens and young adult readers, making her presence necessary to any public library.
Why Include?:
Novel highly recommended by course readings. Ellen Wittlinger is a renowned and prolific writer.

Betrayed
by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
St. Martin's Griffin
New York
2007
ISBN: 0312360282

Plot Summary:
Zoey Redbird is settling into her new life at the House of Night Academy--loving her friends, testing her powers,and enjoying being the object of two hot guys' desires. But something's afoot: her instincts are atwitter whenever she's around her advisor,the highpriestess Neferet; jocks from her old high school are turning up dead; and then, the worst happens...death strikes the House of Night.
Critical Evaluation:
A compelling addition to the series, the book smoothly picks up where Book One ended. The Cast family's prose flows infectiously, the situations ooze an eroticism and vividness.
Reader's Annotation:
Zoey began to channel her powers in Book One, but now she needs to learn how to ignite and direct them. Can Zoey understand herself and her talents in time to help those she loves?
Author Info:
P.C. Cast was an established romance genre writer before her agent suggested she and her daughter write a series based on a vampire boarding school. Since this suggestion they have published 6 books in the series, and watched it gain in popularity in the states and Europe.
P.C. also writes adult romance and a mythical series for young readers; Kristin is a journalism student.
Genre:
Paranormal Romance/ YA fiction
Booktalking Ideas:
*How does Zoey balance her vampire world and her former world?
*Is the love and attraction between Zoey and Heath because of the imprint or something else?
*What happens to Stevie?
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Geared for young adult/teen readers, but themes are emotionally mature and books should attract all ages. (As I can attest!)
Challenges:
Some violent and sexual situations might alarm guardians.
Response to challenges: The series' massive popularity amongst teenage girls both here and abroad, demonstrated through costume parties, book signings, readings, and contests, reveal a devoted fan base which should be supported by the library structure. The ALA guidelines and collection policies will be displayed if necessary.
Why Include?:
Betrayed is Book Two in the House of Night series. I love this series, and it's all I can do not to spend all my free time reading them.