Extra Credit #4: American Born Chinese

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. New York: First Second, 2006.

Annotation: A graphic novel about teenage Chinese Americans trying to fit into American culture.

Justification for Nomination: American Born Chinese is an intelligent and challenging book that intertwines three stories about adolescent Chinese boys trying to fit in. There is the folk hero Monkey King who wants to be a god among his people, Jin Wang, a Chinese American adolescent who wants to fit in with his classmates, and Danny who is horrified by his cousin Chin-Kee, a stereotyped Chinese adolescent.

In alternating graphical story lines, Gene Luen Yang creates a complicated world where each character feels the need to fit in and shed their stereotypes. Although it is another novel about fitting in for adolescents, this one is unique because of it's inclusion of Chinese culture and how the Chinese feel about their white American classmates. It begins in a way that the reader may think it's a fantasy, but eventually turns into a meaningful look at the sacrifices made for trying to be included. I think teens will appreciate the extraordinary drawings done by the author, along with the authentic voice given to all of the characters. It's uniqueness and it's surprising message will make the reader glad they read it.

Genre: Printz award winner, coming of age, graphic novel

Extra Credit #3: Whirligig

Fleischman, Paul. Whirligig. New York: H. Holt, 1998.

Annotation: A gentle novel about the importance of finding oneself in a world that is busy and complicated.

Justification for Nomination:

Brent Bishop is new in town due to his dad’s job move. He’s so excited to be in Chicago because his dad’s promotion has afforded them the opportunity to send Brent to private school. The book opens with Brent preparing to go to a classmate’s party. He wasn’t invited, but his friend says it’s cool if he comes along and besides Brent’s love interest, Brianna, will be there. When the party turns disastrously bad for Brent in the first hour of being there, Brent downs a bunch of liquor and drives away in an attempt to kill himself. Instead he winds up killing another teenager, Lea.

In mediation, Lea’s mother asks just one thing of Brent, that he create 4 whirligigs and place them in the 4 corners of the United States. She gives him a 45 day Greyhound bus pass and Brent is off on the adventure.

From Seattle to San Diego, Florida to Maine, Brent travels all over meeting many interesting people and having the opportunity to spend hours thinking about what he did to Lea and how perhaps his life isn’t worth wasting. In all his travels Brent regains a hold on how much he loves his life, how precious the life of Lea was that he took away, and how much he has to look forward to.

I believe this would be a good book for teenagers who are dealing with fitting in issues, new schools, and the wanderlust that so many teenagers have. It's a calm, gentle book about the importance of life and of how much bigger the world is beyond your home.

Genre: coming of age

10. Flipped

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Flipped. New York: Knopf, 2001.

Annotation: In alternating perspectives, two young teenagers describe their lives living across the street from each other.

Justification for Nomination: Flipped is an excellent novel about the different perspectives two young teens can have regarding their neighborhood, friends, school, and each other. Juli Baker is a spunky girl who loves the sycamore tree down the block, her collection of chickens, and her neighbor across the street, Bryce Loski. Bryce, on the other hand, has only feelings of annoyance towards Juli and his biggest goal each day is to try and avoid her.

Beyond the relationship Juli and Bryce have with each other, there are several really meaningful relationships that are formed between Juli and her dad, Bryce and his grandpa, and Juli and Bryce's grandpa. It's a powerful novel about the importance of good relationships over "things". Juli is the one with the spunky attitude and the close-knit family with little money. Bryce comes from a family where they can put on a good face, but they hardly know who they really are. As Bryce's family comes undone, Bryce begins to see Juli in a new light and appreciate her for her complexity.

Flipped is an excellent novel for the pre-teen and younger teenage reader. It's entertaining, fast-paced, funny, and the story will stick in their minds for a long time. As uplifting as it is, it's also a good reminder of how important your family relationships are and how much your happiness depends on non-monetary things.

Genre: humor, coming of age

9. Eagle Blue

D'Orso, Michael. Eagle Blue. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006.

Annotation: Set near the Alaskan Arctic Circle, this book follows a season of the Fort Yukon high school basketball team all the way to the state tournament.

Justification for Nomination: The town of Fort Yukon is located 8 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Although it is a pristine location, the town is full of troubles among its inhabitants, most of whom are Native. The average annual family income is less than $30,000/year and there is a major clash between the old and new ways. Hunting and trapping for food is still a major source of sustenance for the townspeople, but the new canned food is moving in and threatening their old way of doing things. Along with the culture clashes, drug addiction and alcoholism play a major role in the local families. And, of course, the weather is a major factor in this town. Temperatures range from the 60s in the summer to 70+ below in the winter, making it one of the harshest climates in the world.

Beyond the obstacles the citizens face, the town has a long history of high school basketball and D'Orso goes into great detail describing it. The history of the team is interesting, but what the author does so well is describing the citizens of the town. By the end of the book, you feel like if you went to visit, you'd know everyone there, and you probably would. The season of 2004-2005 looks promising and the townspeople are hopeful that they will go all the way. Fort Yukon is so remote that the team has to fly to every game, making their annual budget contentious.

Fans of high school basketball will find lots of things to love about this book, but there's plenty in it for everyone else as well. I found the anthropology parts to be fascinating and teen readers will definitely be able to relate to the teens in the book. Although it does get to be long, I think it's a good choice for a teen reader interested in basketball, Alaska, or Native Alaskans.

8. The Chocolate War

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1974.

Annotation: Set within a boys prep school, the annual chocolate fundraiser takes a turn for the worse when Jerry Renault refuses to sell chocolates.

Reason for Rejection: Reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, the boys going against each other with little or no rules mentality, we've seen all of this before. Freshman Jerry Renault finds himself in a new school, among a new secret group of boys, and in the middle of their annual chocolate fundraiser. When the secret group of boys (the Vigils) requires him to refuse to sell chocolate for 10 days, Jerry agrees, but then goes further and refuses to sell it for the entire sale. The Vigils treat this defiant act as an attack against them, and the remainder of the chocolate fundraiser turns into a war against Jerry Renault, culminating in an all-out beating.

Although I see the value in the outsider vs. mob mentality, this book doesn't allow the reader to see that it's important to be an individual. The psychological war that happens in the first part of the book is mesmerizing. I believe Cormier does an excellent job portraying the relationships among the boys in the prep school, but where it starts to go wrong is towards the end when the senseless violence is added. The message that Cormier is portraying by this intense violence is that conformity is more important than individuality. Perhaps that was true back when this novel was written, but I believe times have changed and teens are making more of an effort to be individuals. Yes, they certainly want to fit in, but for those who don't fit in, beating them to a pulp is not the best way to convey your message.

Genre: challenged novel, edgy/realistic fiction

Extra Credit #2: Incantation

Hoffman, Alice. Incantation. New York: Little Brown and Company, 2006.

Annotation: Set within the Spanish Inquisition, 16 year old Estrella learns the hard truth about her family and the people she thought were her friends.

Justification for Nomination: I would venture to say this novel is a masterpiece. After sitting on it for a week, the effects of the book start to sink in and you want to share it with everyone you know. With a unique subject matter, Hoffman has managed to tell a story of two young girls that will have the reader weeping from an emotional rollercoaster. The girls, Estrella and Catalina live in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. Catholicism is the only religion that is tolerated, and Jews are being burned and persecuted. Estrella and Catalina have been friends forever and know and trust each other fully. Eventually the Inquisition reaches their families and betrayal from Catalina forces the execution of Estrella's mother, brother, and grandpa, a family hiding their Jewish background.

This gripping, sparse, and powerful novel is not for the squeamish. The scenes of torture and burning are hard to read. The betrayal is heart wrenching and you wish you were present to do something about the injustices. Despite the incredibly difficult subjects covered, there were uplifting moments. Special bonds were created between Estrella and her grandma and grandpa. We also follow Estrella and her mother into the Moorish neighborhood where her mom brings wool to her dying friend. Teen readers will be quickly drawn into this novel which will surpass their expectations for an historical novel. This could easily begin the reader's search for more information about this period of time in Spain.

Genre: historical fiction

Extra Credit #1: Thirsty

Anderson, M.T. Thirsty. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 1997.

Annotation: A thoroughly satisfying horror tale of a teenager becoming a vampire.

Justification for Nomination: In M.T. Anderson's horror book about a teenager turning into a vampire, readers will be blown away by the frank and earnest writing and it's stunning twists and turns. In Chris's world, vampires are present and the town is always on the lookout and the hunt for them. Chris is struggling with his parents and their constant arguing, his older brother who doesn't understand him, and his friends who appear to be drifting away from him. Through all of this, his adolescent hormones are going crazy and his appetite is out of control. When Chris is visited by Chet the celestial being, he is told he is turning into a vampire and in order to stop the curse he must travel to another world and deliver the Arm of Moriator. Chris reluctantly agrees to this because all he wants is to return to being a normal teenager.

Thirsty is a novel that will stick in your mind for many days after reading it. Although it doesn't have a storyline that is uplifting and it is quite depressing, it does have humorous passages and realistic relationships. In Anderson's biography in the back of the book he says he was writing about kids "struggling with the isolation of wanting to do the right thing when there was no right thing to do". This is a poignant point about teenagers and their needs that are sometimes not met by their environment. Anderson's brilliance is in his sparse and satisfying dialogue. He is able to keep the reader emotionally involved with Chris, keeping them hooked until the hopeless ending. Teens, especially teenage boys, will see themselves in Chris and his struggles. They will appreciate the language and the realistic situations and friendships. Although the ending is depressing, I think the reader will be able to get that it is now always about happy endings.

Genre: horror

7. When it Happens

Colasanti, Susane. When it Happens. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Annotation: High school senior Sara has boys on her mind, but finding the one who is her true love proves to be tricky.

Justification for Nomination: As far as teen romance novels go, Susane Colasati's is as good as it gets. Told in alternating viewpoints between Sara and Tobey, one of her love interests, readers will see themselves in many of the situations. Senior year is starting and popular Dave asks smart, but not popular, Sara out. Sara is thrilled to now be included among the popular crowd, yet she can't seem to keep her eyes off Tobey, a smart, yet lazy student whose biggest dream is to be in a band. When Dave turns out to be a jerk, the relationship between Sara and Tobey takes off and the dynamics between them are fiery.

Colasanti's writing is full of teen speak, but not in a "trying too hard" fashion. She nails the complicated romantic relationships that teens face, especially with balancing popularity, brains, sex, college choices, teachers, and parents. Her writing will appeal to many teens who are looking for an easy romantic read with substance. Many of the subjects will resonate with teens, like Sara and her friends' concerns over getting into college, their relationships with their parents, and even the relationship they have with each other. Often that relationship becomes strained when boys become involved and Colasanti does a good job showing how important friendships are among teenagers.

I believe this book will appeal to teen girls because of its ability to connect to them and keep their interest. The subject and writing style are timely and teens will be able to see themselves in the characters. Snappy writing style and humorous anecdotes will engage even the reluctant reader.

Genre: Romance

6. Paper Towns

Green, John. Paper Towns. New York: Penguin, 2008.

Annotation: When high school senior Quentin Jacobsen reunites with his childhood sweetheart for a rowdy night of mischief, it sets off a chain of events that results in an intense analysis of the purpose of life, friendships, and destiny.

Justification for Nomination: John Green has produced another winning teen novel. As in Looking for Alaska, there's the protagonist who is geeky and doesn't really fit into the in crowd at school, there's the strong and crazy female love interest who is off in her own world, and there are the protagonist's side-kick friends. Quentin Jacobsen's long time love interest, his neighbor Margo, shows up at his window one night and forces him to go out on an all night prank playing excursion. When Margo doesn't show up at school the next morning, just weeks before they graduate, Quentin becomes concerned and the rest of the novel is devoted to his search for her.

The mystery element is definitely in the book. When they were younger, Quentin and Margo discovered a dead body in the local park, and that event is somewhat weaved throughout the story. When Margo goes missing, Quentin realizes that he really needs to find her and figure out why she left. There are long parts of the book where Quentin analyzes his feelings towards Margo, every scrap of paper he finds, and when he goes and looks in pseudovisions for her and those parts can make the reader skip ahead. But, where the novel shines, is in the large amount of time he spends philosophizing Whitman's poetry and in the really excellent humor that Green adds. When four of them take off on a long road trip to track Margo down, there are some scenes that will have the reader in stitches.

This novel will definitely be a good read for the more sophisticated teen, as the parts about Whitman's poetry are fairly elaborate, and the mystery in itself is not that gripping. The relationships that are developed will resonate with the readers, and the adventure that they have on their road trip will entertain. It's a solid coming of age novel with a mystery thrown in for variety.

Genre: mystery, coming of age

5. The Midwife's Apprentice

Cushman, Karen. The Midwife's Apprentice. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.

Annotation: On a cold winter's evening, in medieval England, a girl with no parents, no name, and no age is found by the neighborhood midwife.

Justification for nomination: Beetle, as she is soon called, is found in a dung heap in a farmer's barn by Jane, the local midwife on a cold winter's night. Instead of the story turning into a feel good novel about how the midwife takes her under her wings and teaches Beetle the trade, it is much more realistic. Beetle begins the book with nothing, just her scrubby clothes on her back and the cat she befriends in the barn. The midwife takes her in because she needs her help fetching stuff for her, not to teach her the trade.

Beetle must fend for herself and learn not to rely on anyone helping her. During the births the midwife attends, Beetle is instructed to not enter the house, so she develops very little first hand knowledge. She does sneak in to watch and observe and try to learn how the birth process works. Beetle eventually helps deliver a cow and then a baby, but her confidence is shaken when she's not able to deliver a different baby.

Karen Cushman does a great job in not sugarcoating life for her characters. The reader is able to feel how tough it is for Beetle, the midwife, and the townspeople in medieval England. She also doesn't gloss over details, portraying the birth process, relationships, extramarital affairs in a realistic manner than the reader will appreciate. The novel will appeal to those interested in medieval England and those who love stories about characters who have a lot of odds to overcome.

Genre: historical fiction

4. Jack London: A Biography

Dyer, Daniel. Jack London: A Biography. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.

Annotation: Jack London, the early 20th century popular adventurer and author, is masterfully displayed as not only a popular author, but as someone who traveled down every road in his path.

Reason for Nomination: Although the book does have a few boring moments, most of it is so interesting that it is hard for your mind to wander. Dyer does an excellent job of showing that Jack London's personal life was just as interesting as his fictional characters'. The book is arranged chronologically, and weaves through London's exceptionally complex life.

As a child, London always wanted to be a writer, but just like today, life gets in the way. London leaves school at age 11 to go to work to earn money for his family. He eventually returns to school again at age 19, but again needs to leave to earn money. He continues this struggle between needing to support his family and wanting to be a writer for a very long period of time. His writing finally begins to earn him money, but London never loses his love for adventure.

Dyer discusses London's love of sailing, his menial jobs working on the docks in Oakland, his involvement with the Socialist party, and his love of writing. We learn that London wrote profusely, as did many people who were close to him, so much of his life has been recorded. Dyer's skill in weeding through the thousands of letters, journals, and other artifacts about London and presenting London's colorful life in a clear way is not lost on the reader.

The younger reader, who may or may not know who Jack London is, will find that regardless of life's circumstances, adventure can be found and choices can be made. London clearly did not find his family's struggles as a barrier to becoming a popular and wealthy author. The reader will also learn how it is possible to balance wealth, family obligations, and the obligation to the poor as London did by fully supporting his entire extended family with his writing salary and by remaining a supporter of the rights of working people.

Genre: Nonfiction biography

3. A Dance for Three

Plummer, Louise. A Dance for Three. New York: Delacorte Press, 2000.

Annotation: When 15 year old Hannah Ziebarth finds herself pregnant with a boyfriend who rejects her, Hannah's mental state is challenged and her world is turned upside down.

Reason for Rejection: The premise of Louise Plummer's book is the pregnancy of Hannah Ziebarth. Hannah is 15 years old and lives with her mother. Her father died from a freak burp two years ago. Hannah's boyfriend, Milo, is Hannah's first love. Milo is from a wealthy family and Hannah believes that when Milo finds out she's pregnant with his child that he will ask her to marry him and move into his family's estate. What happens instead is that Milo beats her, which sends Hannah into a free fall and eventually lands her in the mental ward of the hospital.

While I believe that the topics of the novel are all timely (pregnancy, death, mental illness, relationships with parents, boyfriends, and friends), I think that Ms. Plummer tackled too much and fell short. Even from the cover, the book felt like it was clouded over and that the character experiences were not as realistic as they could be. When Hannah tells Milo that she's pregnant, Milo immediately shoves and hits her. Although this reaction may be realistic, the language Milo uses is awkward and therefore the reader finds it unbelievable.

Hannah's mother is portrayed as a widow who is unable to care for anything except her plants. Hannah does everything for her, including fixing meals, shopping, and lying to acquaintances that everything is ok. Although an interesting portrayal of a widow who has a mental illness, I don't think she is fully developed and the reader doesn't ever have a firm grasp on who she is.

The book also falls short in other ways. Hannah's mother is annoyingly not disturbed by her daughter's pregnancy. While the reader knows that Hannah's mother has some mental issues, she is not shown as somebody who is incapable of communicating. So the fact that she is so nonchalant about the pregnancy is not believable and unrealistic.

When Hannah tells Milo about the pregnancy and he proceeds to hit her and deny he's the father, I think it's questionable that Hannah does nothing about it. Maybe there are some girls who would just accept this, but I don't think that shows her in a very good light. Ms. Plummer's job is certainly not to preach what a teenage girl should do when she gets pregnant, but when she shows Hannah as weak and not able to confront Milo, it is depressing to the reader. Hannah not only does not report the assault, but she also doesn't pursue legal action against him. There was no dialogue regarding struggling about keeping the baby, abortion, or adoption or any other deep internal conflict that she must have been going through.

Books such as Prozac Nation and The Bell Jar deal with mental illness and realistic experiences in a way that is much more believable to the reader as they are full of raw emotions. The author of A Dance for Three spends too much time tippy-toeing over important subject and packs in too many problems for the novel to be believable.

Genre: realistic fiction

2. Out of the Dust

Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic, 1997.

Annotation: Two years of the Oklahoma dust bowl are brilliantly represented by 14 year old Billie Jo and her small family and their endless struggles. Through personal and ecologic tragedy, readers are sent through a whirlwind of emotions.

Justification for Nomination:

Written in verse novel form, Out of the Dust is an exceptional historical book about living in Oklahoma during the dust bowl and the Great Depression. 14 year old Billie Jo lives with her father, a hopelessly optimistic farmer, and her mother, a pianist trapped in the never ending cycle of dust and poverty.

The format of the novel follows Billie Jo and her courageous experiences for two years, each verse poem only about a page in length and dated with the month and year of when it was written. The young adult reader will appreciate the simple language and short stanzas, but will be moved to tears by the tragedy that envelopes the family.

The language is sparse, but is intense in what the narrator can portray in just a few lines. When Billie Jo's mother and baby brother die a tragic death, Billie Jo has the urge to run, something any young adult will relate to. Her father becomes a stranger to her and spots of skin cancer begin to show on him. Billie Jo hops a train going west to escape the dust and poverty of her life in Oklahoma. But, she realizes that her home is with her father:

When I rode the train west,

I went looking for something,

but I didn't see anything wonderful.

I didn't see anything better than what I already had.

Home.

This verse novel is a wonderful way to incorporate poetry and history into a young adult's repertoire. Hesse's brilliant choice of words, placement of characters and timing will easily keep a reader's attention with an authentic and approachable subject.

Genre Category: Verse novel

1. Looking for Alaska

Green, John. New York: Penguin Group, 2005.

Genre category: Coming of Age Fiction, Search for Identity, 2006 Printz Award

Annotation: When 16 year old Miles Calvary leaves his home to attend boarding school, he finds that not only are his new classmates different, but his whole world outlook is about to change.

Justification for nomination: This book would resonate with any teen who doesn't feel like they fit in with their classmates. Miles Calvary feels alone in his school and decides to go to boarding school to "seek the Great Perhaps". His roommate, the Colonel, comes from a background of poverty and is a genius. The Colonel's best friend, Alaska Young, is good looking, smart, and well-read and Miles immediately falls in love.

Miles becomes part of this misfit group---the group of kids from poorer backgrounds who are not "weekend warriors" (rich kids who go home on weekends). It's an us vs them mentality, which frequently comes through in the form of pranks and conversation.

The book is very edgy; I found myself cringing more than once, especially with the use of smoking, drinking, and sex within a high school boarding school setting. Teen readers will find the author's use of teen interests (video games, the opposite sex, meaning of life conversations, suicide, driving, and carousing) extremely easy to identify with. Adults may find the topics controversial, but it's extremely well-written and poignant.