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Bone Gap
Summary:
Finn O’Sullivan is a high
school student who lives in Bone Gap, not an average town. He is considered to be different and a little
bit strange compared to the rest of the community. Roza, a girl who emerges in the barn of him
and his brother Sean, magically disappears one day. The community believes it is Finn’s fault
that she disappeared. Finn however, knows
he is not to blame, because he saw a man kidnapping Roza. Unfortunately, Finn is not able to describe
the kidnapper. During the ordeal, he
begins to date Petey, a beekeeper that considers herself ugly. Petey helps Finn sort out his lack of facial
perception vision and recognition issues.
Finn eventually is able to find the gap in the corn field, which leads
to where Roza is being held captive.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
Bone Gap is a fictional
novel with fantasy undertones. Laura
Ruby is able to lead readers on a spiral path that goes from horror to fantasy. The fantasy aspects of the story, rest in the
mysterious gap in the cornfield where Roza is held and in the helplessness of
the community towards finding the missing citizens. This story deals with issues our society is
faced with, when it comes to beauty and physical or mental disabilities. The character of Finn, is very relatable to
young adults, since like many he is also concerned with college acceptance and
finding a love. The author brought light
to a condition I did not even know about, facial perception. Sadly, our society values people’s
attractiveness by demonstrating a lack of empathy towards others who have a
disability. The story was slightly
confusing, yet it explored universal truths with characters that were
believable. This novel is appropriate
for middle school or high school students and has a great message of love and
acceptance. Young readers will be
encouraged to treat others with respect and value themselves as well, while
recognizing that beauty lies within.
Books by Laura Ruby:
1) Good Girls
2) The Wall and the Wing
3) The Shadow Cipher
Books with similar themes:
1) All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
2) Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
Book Trailer:
Grasshopper Jungle
Summary:
Austin is a
sixteen-year-old boy who has conflicting feelings about his sexuality, because
he loves his girlfriend Shannon and his best friend Robby, who is gay. Austin and Robby are tenth graders and spend
a lot of time together in a small town in Iowa.
One day, they get attacked behind the mall by some bullies, and their
belonging are left behind. That evening
Austin and Robby return to the mall to pick up the items, when they notice the
door that leads to a store where Austin works, is open. They decide to go in and search into the boss’s
office, when they find glass jars with unusual things inside them. The bullies return and take a glowing globe
from the office and accidently drop it.
It fell over the bloody spot were Austin and Robby had been attacked,
causing a biological reaction that turns people into giant praying mantises. The praying mantises only want to be eating
and having sex. The teenagers are able
to find a safe place in an underground silo called Eden. During this ordeal, Austin, continues to be a
typical hormonal teenager, and can only think about having sex. The story sparks into the future, showing
Austin and Shann having a child, yet Robby also becomes part of Austin’s love
life.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
Grasshopper
Jungle presents a witty character that uses sarcasm and
humor to tell the story. Throughout the
story we see Austin constantly aroused and thinking about sex, something I am
sure teenage readers will connect with, since it is part of the adolescent
development. The conflict of sexuality
is another topic that will allow young adults to associate with the story. I absolutely enjoyed the humor embedded by
the narrator throughout the novel, since it made it entertaining. Being that the story-line involved life-size
praying mantises and described the end of the world, it made the story a
science fiction apocalyptic novel. To be
honest, I’ve never been a science fiction type of girl, but this book was
written in such a manner, that its content and humor made it fantastic and easy
to read. Homosexuality, drugs, alcohol,
and sex, are just a few of the topics that are spiraled throughout the
book. I believe the audience for this
book is intended to high school students, due to its explicit language and sexual
content.
Books by Andrew Smith:
1) 100 Sideways Miles
2) Stick
3) The Alex Crow
Books with similar themes:
1) Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
2) Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
3)
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Book
Trailer:
Andrew
Smith on Grasshopper Jungle:
GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR
TEENS TOP TEN
Roller Girl
Summary:
Astrid and her best
friend Nicole have been friends since they were in first grade, but as time
passes, their interests are not aligned anymore. Nicole decides to attend dance camp with
Rachel, Astrid’s rival, and Astrid decides to attend Roller derby camp. This causes a rift in their friendship. This graphic novel tells a story of friendship
and that of a young girl’s drive and determination of becoming a roller derby.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
Victoria Jamieson’s
contemporary fiction graphic novel represents Havighurst’s developmental stage of
learning to get along with peers and finding a vocation. Astrid struggles with friendship issues and
is strongminded about her new-found passion of roller derby. I am pleased to have read a graphic novel
that empower young girls. Roller Girl is able to connect the character’s
feelings and emotions, to those of young teenage girls, providing a great
message of perseverance. What can I say
about the illustrations? I loved them,
they are very detailed and colorful. I
recommend this graphic novel to young middle-school girls who are looking for
inspiration.
Books by Victoria Jamieson:
1) All’s Faire in Middle School
2) The Great Pet Escape
3) Pest in Show
Books with similar themes:
1) Sisters by Raina Talgemeier
2) Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm & Matthew Holm
3) El Deafo by Cece Bell
Book
Trailer:
Interview with Victoria Jamieson on Roller Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r4zLaJrMWY
Thomas, Angie. (2017).
The Hate U Give. New York, NY: Balzar
+ Bray.
MORRIS
The Hate U Give
Summary:
Starr Carter is a
sixteen-year old girl who goes to high school on the good side of town, and not
in the poor neighborhood where she lives in.
Starr becomes the only witness to the fatal shooting of her childhood
friend, Khalil. The police shooting of
the unarmed African American boy, becomes a national headline. Questions arise after the shooting, leaving
many wondering what really happened that night.
Torn apart between grief and rage, Starr decides to take action and find
justice, even if it means her life would be in danger.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
Angie Thomas was not shy
about telling a story that hits right at home for many Americans at this time. The
Hate U Give is Thomas’s first piece of literature, and she did an amazing
job on writing it. I felt the author accurately
presented a character that is supported by her family and who finds courage to
stand for what she believes during tough times. The characters were delightful to meet. Thomas makes sure readers fall in love with
them and their personalities. I really
think Thomas cleverly wrote the book in first-person by using Starr to tell the
story, because she knew it would make the story more relatable to many young
teens. It offers the message to
everyone, that one’s voice is powerful. The
book is relevant, mentioning police brutality, racism, and the Black Lives
Matter movement. Even though it is a hard-hitting
subject to talk about, the author did not sugar coat any details. This book had me feeling all sorts of
emotions, particularly the feeling of being livid at all the injustice going on
in our country. I recommend this book to
middle-school and high-school teens and should be available at all libraries.
Another book by Angie Thomas
1) On the Come Up
Books with similar themes:
1) Dear Martin by Nic Stone
2) Monster by Walter Dean Myers
3) Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
4) All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
Book
Trailer:
Angie Thomas on The Hate U Give.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ufAb82GJ0
Looking for Alaska
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZOGUax4mPA
Alexander, Kwame. (2014). The Crossover. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.
King, A.S. (2010). Please Ignore Vera Dietz. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
The Earth, My Butt, & Other Big Round Things
Crutcher, Chris. (2001). Whale Talk.
New York, NY: Harper Collins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvnohDtZP4o
Looking for Alaska
Green, John. (2005).
Looking for Alaska. New York, NY:
Penguin Group.
Summary:
Miles “Pudge” Harper sees
himself like a nobody, that is until he goes away to boarding school. He meets Alaska, a girl who is friends with
Chip (The Colonel) and Takumi, his new friends at that school. This is when Pudge begins to feel like he is
living it up, way more than he ever has.
After a night of too much partying and drinking, Alaska receives a phone
call and asks The Colonel and Pudge to help her get out of campus. The following morning, they find out Alaska
has died in a horrible car accident.
Pudge and his friends set off to find out what really happened to
Alaska. In their failed attempt to find
the truth, they realize moving forward with their lives is the best
option.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
Just like other novels by
John Green, Looking for Alaska, makes
readers feel intensely caught in the character’s emotions. The characters are constantly pushing
boundaries, and young adults may see the characters vicariously as they smoke, drink,
do pranks, all while being able to academically be successful. That said, I believe this book is adequate
for high school students, versus middle school students. The novel includes moral issues such as
religion, death, and suicide, that some students will not be comfortable
reading at an early age. I loved how the
novel was written in two sections, the before and after. Green’s use of short and powerful sentences,
make this book easy and fast to read, without losing the clear message. It raises questions about what true
friendship, love, life, and loyalty truly are.
Books by John Green:
1) The Fault in Our Stars
2) Paper Towns
3) Turtles All the Way Down
4) An Abundance of Katherines
Books with similar themes:
1) Saving Francesca by Melinda Marchetta
2) Going Bovine by Libba Bray
3) Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Book
Trailer:
The Crossover
Summary:
Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover, is a story of two twin brothers,
Josh (Filthy) and Jordan (JB), who love basketball. They share a special bond with their father,
who was once a European League and Olympian basketball player. Both boys share the same dream of becoming
basketball superstars, and while Josh enjoys basketball to its fullest, his
brother Jordan is being distracted from the game by his girlfriend. Josh begins to feel hurt and jealous and initiates
a sense anger towards his brother. With
fury and rage, Josh throws a hard ball towards Jordan, that causes animosity between
the two brothers, especially when Josh gets suspended from the team. Unfortunately, their father develops extensive
health problems and passes away after massive heart attacks. This incident, brings the brothers back together
and their relationship begins to heal.
Josh is allowed back in the team just in time for their championship game
and leads the team to victory.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
The
Crossover is an inspiring realistic fiction novel by Kwame Alexander,
that deals with very relatable themes in young adults these days. The story presents topics of family death and
relationships. Alexander sends a positive
message towards family and forgiveness.
I enjoyed how the story was written in verses and had a rhythm in the
text. I’ve heard the saying, “Never judge
a book by its cover”, and boy this is so true with this book. I really thought I was just going to be reading
another basketball inspired book, but it was more about that. Family over everything, is the theme of this
book. It is a coming of age novel that will
allow readers to connect with the characters, specifically with teenagers struggling
with sister or brother relationships. The
contemporary issues discussed in the book are appropriate for middle school students,
and I am sure they will enjoy the book as well as I did.
Books by Kwame Alexander:
1) Booked
2) Rebound
3) The Playbook
Books with similar themes:
1) The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
2) Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes
3) Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger
Book
Trailer:
Kwame
Alexander Discusses The Crossover: TIME For Kids
Please Ignore Vera Dietz
Summary:
Vera Dietz tries to blend
in and ignore anything that goes wrong.
That is until her best friend Charlie, dies of asphyxiation after taking
pill and excessive drinking. Charlie
does not allow Vera to ignore what has happened and sends post death messages for
Vera to clear his name. Vera struggles
understanding the fact that her mother abandoned her and her father, the abuse
going on next door, her full-time job, friendship, and her crush towards her co-worker. Trying to cope with it all, Vera resorts to
alcoholism. With the help of her father
after putting their troubles in the past, Vera is sent to a counselor to deal
with her alcoholism and family issues.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
A.S. King, makes sure to
give readers a story where a character’s values are transformed for the better with
this novel. The tribulations Vera must
endure in Please Ignore Vera Dietz, are
unfortunately familiar with many teenagers now a day. This novel will connect many young adults is
an inspire others to overcome their troubles.
I enjoyed how this novel is wittily narrated mostly by Vera herself, her
father’s thoughts, Charlie, and the pagoda, giving the readers a better understanding
of the character’s perspective. The book
deals with love, alcoholism, abandonment, choices, and death in a way that will
allow young readers to relate and stick with the storyline. I recommend this book for high school students,
due to its complex topics.
Books by A.S. King:
1) Everybody Sees the Ants
2) Reality Boy
3) I Crawl Through It
Books with similar themes:
1) Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes
2) Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
3) Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
Book
Trailer:
PRINTZ
The Earth, My Butt, & Other Big Round Things
Mackler, Carolyn. (2006). The Earth, My Butt, & Other Big Round
Things. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Summary:
Virginia Shreves is the
daughter of famous adolescent psychologist.
She struggles to understand and live in a picture-perfect family, when
she feels there is nothing perfect about her.
Smart, but too large for society, Virginia battles with insecurities that
even make her think she might not be part of her family. Her mother’s weight comments towards her and
her father’s remarks about the beauty of thin people make matters worse for Virginia. Her best friend goes away for the summer and Virginia’s
secretly make-out partner is ashamed of her, producing more uncertainties for
her. Virginia begins to hurt herself and
goes on extreme diets in order to lose weight.
Things change when one day, her impeccable brother is sent home from
college, accused of raping a girl. Her
family tries to wash things under the rug and act like nothing happened. This makes Virginia question what really matters
and begins to rebel against her parents.
With her new-found courage, she begins to make new friends, start a
sport, and even find a boyfriend that is not ashamed of her.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
Carolyn Mackler brings readers
a story of a young girl with a few extra pounds and a lot of self-doubt issues,
who at the end is able discard her insecurities, by being truthful to herself. With the use of humor, Mackler creates a
character that is relatable to many teens struggling with family expectations
and body image. My emotions when reading
this story, went from depressed to frustrated, and finally feeling empathy
towards Virginia. I could not even
imagine how horrible it must be for a young teenage girl, to be the only one in
the family that does not fit in her picture-perfect family, especially when she
is a bit overweight and her mother and siblings are all thin. Psychological, emotional, and physical stresses
are carried on by many young adults currently, and this book is a great resource
that talks about weight, self-esteem, family, sex and rape. This book I believe is appropriate for high school
students, because of the mature content.
Books by Carolyn Mackler:
1) Vegan Virgin Valentine
2) Love and Other Four-Letter Words
3) I Crawl Through It
Books with similar themes:
1) Staying Fat for Sara Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
2) Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
3) Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Book
Trailer:
Whale Talk
Summary:
T.J. is a natural born
athlete, who refuses to play any sports at school. He links athletes with bullies, therefore
does not participate to avoid being branded like one. At a young age, he was abandoned, hence he
began to develop anger, which later was broken down with the care of his adopted
family. He befriends students who are
considered outcasts and forms a swimming team, in an effort to help them earn
their letterman jackets. T.J. is able to
convince the athletic committee to reach his objective. This infuriates some of the jocks and causes
a fatal misfortune. T.J. and the team
members realize the journey and friendship is worth more than the recognition.
Commentary
on Strengths and Connections:
Crutcher presents
controversial themes of racism and physical disabilities in Whale Talk. There is also a profound theme of acceptance in
the book, that will intrigue many young adults, since it is a popular topic
that affects many. High school students
will be particularly curious to read this book that involves topics that unfortunately
many teens secretly go through. With
humor and honesty embedded, this novel gives light to those who do not feel
valuable. I was impressed the way Crutcher discussed the
subject of adoption. We are used to
seeing adoption portrayed by characters that are rebels, renegades, or just
plain mean-hearted, instead we were presented with T.J., who is the total
opposite. I love this about Crutcher! He might not have the best book covers, but
his stories are amazing. With twists
and turns, the author depends on flashbacks to tell give background information
of the characters. I am particularly interested
in knowing how athletes will react to this book, knowing that many of them feel
the peer pressure of their team mates.
Many are noble, yet the fear of acceptance is sometimes stronger and issues
like the ones in the book become present in real life. This is a book that needs to be available at all
high school libraries, and in fact, should be part of a required reading. It provides a great message of friendship and
compassion, that we all agree uplifts anyone.
Books by Chris Crutcher:
1) Running Loose
2) Deadline
3) Stotan!
Books with similar themes:
1) The Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
2) America by E.R. Frank
Book
Trailer:
