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.
