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.

The Giver

The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Bantam Books
New York
1993
ISBN: 0395645662

Plot Summary:
Jonas lives a happy childhood with his sister and parents in an unnamed community. The weather never changes, the sun doesn't beam, and the snow never comes. But the community lives sustainably and peacefully, devoid of lack or regret. At the age of twelve, each child is assigned to his or her designated position, a role each will be trained for, grow into, and never desert. Jonas is assigned the role of "Receiver of Memory," and he begins a mentorship with the very old man currently in the position. He is the Giver, and what he gives Jonas will change him forever.
Critical Evaluation:
A complicated dystopia that plunges the reader immediately into its world, neither explaining its strangeness too excessively, nor too coyly. Lowry relentlessly writes of a universalized society holding abstract ideals while clutching onto a violent sameness in a focused style that allows no way out until its conclusion.
Reader's Annotation:
Can you know what you're missing if you don't know it? Can loss only exist through the absence of what was once present? As Jonas begins receiving collective memories his mind is flooded with these questions, as well as those much more personal and painful. Can Jonas attain a balance between the world he knows and the world he "receives"?
Genre:
Science-fiction/YA Novel
Author Info:
Lois Lowry has written more than thirty books for children and young adults. The Giver and Number the Stars were both awarded the Newbery Medal.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Considered "soft" science-fiction, The Giver is aimed at young adult readers, but should be enjoyed by science-fiction readers of all ages.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Does Jonas know what he's missing?
*Why do people get "released"?
*Who is controlling this society?
*Why can't the inhabitants see color?
*Is the community policy of task assignment reminiscent of the Smurfs?
Challenge Issues:
Story's bleakness and general violent conformity make it a subversive read, therefore likely challenged. Its inclusion on the ALA's "Best Books for Young Adults" and its possession of a Newbery Medal provide reasonable justification for its place on any young adult reading shelf.
Why Include?:
A recommendation by a local young adult librarian, in addition to the novel's numerous awards and infamous reputation, make it a must-read.

Owl in Love

Owl in Love
by Patrice Kindl
Graphia
Boston
1993
ISBN: 0395661625

Plot Summary:
Owl Tycho is living her strange life the best that she can. By day she attends her classes, by night she transforms into her owl self, spying on her beloved science teacher for hours at a time. But when a strange owl and an equally strange boy begin haunting her time in the woods and outside of her teacher's house, Owl begins to wonder if someone else might understand her better than a middle-aged human high school teacher.
Critical Evaluation:
Kindl tells Owl's story in spare, beautiful prose, producing a unique, unlikely tale of transformation and love. Sometimes however, the spareness reveals a simplicity of tale, rendering the book of minimal interest to adult readers.
Reader's Annotation:
Owl believes she's found her mate. Sure, he's twice her age and boringly human, but you can't help who you love. That is, until a strange wild boy enters her life...
Genre:
Paranormal Romance/YA Fiction
Author Info:
Kindl is the author of four books, Owl in Love was her first book. She turned to writing in her late thirties, also volunteering her assistance with a group called Helping Hands, where she trained two monkeys to serve as aides to quadriplegics.
Reader Level/Interest Age:
Book is marketed as YA, Kindl's website proffers this to be 10-14. This disparity is evident in the book's prose and storyline.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Owl maintaining the right balance between her diurnal and noctural lives?
*Who is Houle, and why is Mr. Lindstrom so upset about the boy's presence?
*Does Owl's friend know her secret?
Challenge Issues:
None foreseeable.
Why Include?:
A prevailing interest in supernatural romances compelled me to check this book out; its metamorphic use of the owl seemed unique.

Girl, Nearly 16, Absolute Torture

Girl, Nearly 16, Absolute Torture
by Sue Limb
2005
Delacorte Books
New York City
ISBN: 0385732163

Plot Summary:
Book 2 of the Girl 15 series picks up right where Book 1 closed. Jess and Fred are
still in the throes of young and frenzied love, summer has begun, and they can't wait to snog in the park on a hot summer day. But wait! Jess' mum has decided to abduct Jess (with a willing Gran), and drive to the seaside for a meandering peek at gardens and old, dusty castles. The holiday will end with a first-ever visit to her father's home, but Jess is so bewildered and annoyed by the sudden snatch away from her suddenly love that she can't even look forward to that.
Critical Evaluation:
Sue Limb strikes again, employing a whip-smart wit with a fast-paced narrative, all signs which point to the reflection of the mood swings of a temperamental powerhouse. The humor is so personalized to Jess that when laughing, it's almost as if she's present, cracking jokes in your ear. Unlike many other novels I have read, there's no elephant in the room, no tragedy around the corner, and no massive, "real-life" issues to confront: just laughs and smiles and snorts and giggles.
Reader's Annotation:
Just when Jess and her best pal Fred decide they might not just be pals after all, her mum has to hijack her off to the countryside! Can their newfound love sustain the 2-week absence? And, what the heck is wrong with her dad?
Author Info:
Sue Limb is a writer, gardener, and apparently, the funniest woman in England.
She 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:
Romantic Comedy/ YA Fiction
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Fred really so randy as Jess imagines?
*Is she far lovelier than she realizes?
*Is her mother in love with the Romantic Poets? From 200 years ago!?
*Why are Grandfather's ashes so important to Gran?
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Published as a series for young adult readers, but the laughs are appealing, accessible, and desirable to any age.
Challenges:
Nothing but laughs and love, forgiveness and acceptance: the only person likely to challenge is Scrooge.
Why Include?:
Because I love Sue Limb, and I cannot figure out why her books do not suffer from worldwide acclaim.

This Lullaby

This Lullaby
by Sarah Dessen
Penguin Group
2002
New York
ISBN: 0670035300


Plot Summary:
Remy and her gang of girlfriends are aiming for a summer of fun before they disband for college. Remy's plans include breaking up with her boyfriend, planning her mom's (fourth!) wedding, and moving on with that cool, aloof demeanor that doesn't let emotions get in the way. One day some random dude named Dexter crashes (literally) into her life, and from then on he's popping up everywhere: at the strip mall where she works, singing in the band at her mom's wedding, always when she least expects it. After awhile she figures she might as well succumb to his relentless charms....and then the unusual happens--Remy might be in danger of falling in love.
Critical Evaluation:
An engaging book that follows four very different best girl friends through a summer of fun, nonsense,and heartache. Dessen gives Remy a guardedness that is both wise and naive, enabling the reader to have just enough wiggle-room to root for Dexter when he comes barging into Remy's well-ordered life. By writing Dexter as a love-interest both irresistible and full of foibles, handsome and a total slob, trustworthy and fly-by-night, she creates a love that is dreamy and rooted to reality. But that's the trick--Remy has to learn to leave her firmly-planted-feet-on-the-ground if she ever wants to soar.
Reader's Annotation:
Remy's got the next few years of her life all figured out--and there's zero space in her life plan for a shiftless slacker rock musician the likes of Dexter. But he keeps turning up, he won't take no for an answer to his constant date proposals, his dog's really cute, and he sees right past that protective sarcasm shield of hers.
Genre:
Romance/ YA fiction
Author Info:
Sarah Dessen is one of the most popular young adult authors working today. She has written nearly a dozen novels, many of which have topped number one on the New York Times bestsellers' list. Every one of Dessen's books has been heralded as a "Best Book for Young Adults" on authors4teens.com.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Remy as tough as she performs?
*How does her mother's career as romance writer affect her own (and Remy's) love lives?
*How can Remy's brother's diametrical transformation be explained?
*What is the future for Remy and Dexter?
Challenges:
Remy and her friends indulge in drinking and infrequent sexual encounters, yet these situations are primarily only hinted at, never heavily indulged. Thus it is arguable as to whether any of the book's scenes render This Lullaby questionable, and Dessen's reigning prominence in YA Romance necessitate and justify her inclusion in any YA collection.
Why Include?:
As stated above, Dessens' ubiquity make her required reading for anyone interested in YA fiction, particularly romance.

Moondancer

Moondancer
by Margaret Rostkowski
Browndeer Press
San Diego, CA
1995
ISBN: 0152001948Plot Summary:
Miranda and her sister Jenny accompany their cousin Emily and her college friend Max on a hiking trip to research the paths, caves, and waterways surrounding a female pioneer who lived alone in the desert. As the trail moves down further into the depths of the caves and desert, Miranda begins to feel a deeper connection to Katie and her neighboring Native Americans. The cave drawings they discover, and her burgeoning sympathies with Max lead to feelings of transformation and rejuvenation.
Critical Evaluation:
Rostkowski weaves the historical tale of Katie into the current story of Miranda in a way that produces a deeper understanding of both. Miranda's quest to discover more knowledge of Katie, and her growing feelings of identification with the pioneer works to make history come alive.
Reader's Annotation:
Miranda can't wait to graduate high school and start her new life in college. However, an adventure in the desert forces her to appreciate her life in the moment, as it's lived, never forgetting all the women who came before her.
Author Info:
Margaret Rostkowski is a high school teacher and author of many YA books.
Genre:
Feminist History/ Romance/ YA Fiction
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Middle school and up.
Booktalking Ideas:
*What does the discovery of Katie the Pioneer mean for Miranda?
*Does the journey transform Jenny like it does Miranda?
*Is Max the guide or the partner in Miranda's quest?
Challenges: No challenges foreseeable.
Why Include?: Cover beckoned. Novel's backdrop concerning the life of a solitary pioneer woman and the protagonist's cousin's academic feminist research proved beguiling.

Very Far Away from Anywhere Else

Very Far Away From Anywhere Else
by Ursula Le Guin
1976
Atheneum Books
New York
ISBN: 0689305257

Plot Summary:
Owen and Natalie attend the same school but are strangers, Owen immersed in his scientific ideas, Natalie in her music. All that changes suddenly one day on the bus, and though the attraction is immediate for Owen, the friendship develops slowly, after many talks and walks.
Because of the depth of their affinity for each other, Owen begins to believe that their friendship should evolve into love. Natalie does not see it this way, however,and Owen's attempts at transforming the friendship end up altering their lives in other, unpredicted ways.
Critical Evaluation:
An incredibly rich book that plumbs the depth of ambiguities concerning the need to be loved and the pressures to couple with another. Owen is satisfied with his friendship with Natalie, until he begins to absorb conventional expectations (something he refused to consider previously). He convinces himself that their friendship should move into romance, because that is the way things are supposed to be. Le Guin details this unconvincing jump with a gentleness and intuitiveness that does more than just describe Owen, forcing the reader to reflect on her own expectations and assumptions.
Further, Owen's subsequent depression is revealed with a subtle quietude, reflecting feelings more often explained in torrents and shouts. Owen's struggles are incredibly affecting, Very Far Away From Anywhere Else is a heartbreaking, incredibly moving story.
Reader's Annotation:
Owen and Natalie are two unique "smart kids," finishing high school and preparing for the movement out into a world of possibility. Their unexpected friendship changes their expectations of themselves, and the world outside of them.
Author Info:
Ursula Le Guin is a prolific and award-winning science fiction writer. In addition, she has written essays, children's literature, and short, realistic fiction.
The majority of her science fiction novels are categorized according to a series based on alternative planets and worlds.
Genre:
Romance/ Realist YA fiction
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Printed through a children's literature imprint; however, the mature emotional themes will provide a wonderful read for any age.
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Natalie as sure of her feelings and ambitions as she asserts herself to be?
*Is Owen's depression a result of his thwarted feelings for Natalie?
*Can musical ability or scientific expertise supercede and even replace the need for love?
Challenges:
The tale is quietly told, with little overt action and zero explicitness. Challenges are foreseeably nonexistent.
Why Include?:
I have always been an admirer of the diversity found in Le Guin's body of work. I was unaware that she had also written specifically for young adults, and was eager to discover the results.

Annie on my Mind

Annie on My Mind
by Nancy Garden
1982
Farrar, Strauss, Giroux
New York
ISBN: 0374303665


Plot Summary:
Liza meets Annie as both are wandering fascinated through the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Soon, they are wandering together. Their friendship blossoms into love before either of the girls fully realize it, and when they do they are forced to hide in plain sight. Liza's cat-caretaking responsibilities allow her and Annie to finally experience each other in private.
Critical Evaluation:
The novel starts out slowly, taking its time telling of Liza's and Annie's growing obsession with each other. Soon, they cannot bear to be apart, and these feelings are reflected in the story's exclusion of all others. There are few emotions, moments, or sensual description that do not emanate from one girl or the other, and the novel's descriptions work to further reveal the girls' absolute love for each other. These feelings become stifling, and the conflict near the story's end works to provide a levity to the girls' mutual adoration, allowing air to enter into the tale. It is doubtful that this is the intent of the author however, and instead just a reflection of the reader's own skittishness towards a depiction of love so intense as to become myopic.
Reader's Annotation:
Can true love really conquer all obstacles? Several months later, Liza looks back on her passionate relationship with another girl, Annie, wondering if a love even as intense as theirs is enough to overcome the prejudice, nonsense, and ignorance.
Author Info:
Nancy Garden is the author of many books for children and young adults--some non-fiction, fantasy, and mystery in addition to the more realistic romantic fiction of Annie on my Mind. She has won awards for her outspoken defenses of intellectual freedom and for her outstanding repertory of young adult books.
Genre:
Romance/ lesbianism/ YA fiction
Booktalking Ideas:
*Is Liza's thwarted letter-writing campaign to Annie a way for her to work through her confusion?
*Are Liza's guilty feelings a reasonable response to the uproar her love for Annie causes?
*Do Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Widmer serve as a healthy pair of role models for Annie and Liza? If so, then how does their decision to hide their relationship contradict this position?
Reader Level/ Interest Age:
Written with younger readers in mind, however the theme of first love against the odds should resonate with any age.
Challenges:
Potential challenges: Lesbian love amongst teenagers.
Answer to challenges: The ALA Freedom to Read policy will accompany the YA collection policy as a rational defense against any challenge. The book's ongoing place on best-of lists will also be considered.
Why Include?:
Annie on my Mind can be found on many best-of teen lit lists, as well as being an occupant on nearly every banned book YA list. My curiosity was piqued.