Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl.
Laurel Leaf. 2004 (2000).
ISBN: 8780440416777
$6.99. Paperback. 208 pages.

Readers Annotation
Uniquely individual, Stargirl has everyone talking, but it isn’t all good. Can Leo resist the peer pressure to dump the girl he likes just so he can fit in?

Plot Summary
Stargirl Caraway has been homeschooled her entire life, so when she arrives at Mica High School she has never been exposed to the cliques and groups of a normal high school. Stargirl is a nonconformist. She wears the fashions her mother creates, doesn’t wear makeup, brings her pet rat to school, and plays the ukulele during lunch break. The students don’t know what to make of her. She is kind, thoughtful and supremely self-confident. Leo Borlock is attracted to her and soon they start dating. Leo pressures Stargirl into conforming to his perceived standards, and soon Stargirl is going by the name Susan and worrying about peer pressure. Leo isn’t sure if he likes the girl she is becoming and breaks away from her. Stargirl is also pressured into an interview on the school’s radio station where she is humiliated. The student body turns on her and Stargirl is now alone, her self-confidence is shattered. She decides to return to the girl she was, and leave the school. She returns one last time for a dance, where she leads the students in the bunny hop.

Critical Evaluation
I read this story a long time ago and was struck by how courageous the Stargirl character was in the face of tremendous pressure to conform. Jerry Spinelli has imbued his character with a spirit bordering on the supernatural. I only felt sorry for Leo. He lost the girl of his dreams, and he lost his chance to break free from the old school mold. His discovery that it was Stargirl who sent him the porcupine quill necklace shows just how caring and benevolent Stargirl really was. Stargirl is really more like a mythical creature (maybe angelic), sent to Earth to teach lessons in kindness and benevolence to people who lack those traits. Her disappearance adds even more to the mythology. Leo as narrator implies that 15 years have gone by since Stargirl disappeared, and for him it seems little has changed. Except for the day he again receives a porcupine necklace for his birthday. This book is deeply touching, and remains in my memory (like Leo’s) as a favorite.

Information about the author
Jerry Spinelli (1941-) won a Newbury for his novel Maniac Magee, and a Newbery honor for Wringer. You can find out more about him on his website at http://www.jerryspinelli.com/newbery_002.htm

Genre
Narrative fiction, contemporary life

Curriculum ties
Self-esteem, bullying issues

Challenge Issues
None

Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book. You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Stargirl-Readers-Circle-Jerry-Spinelli/dp/0440416779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260324197&sr=1-1

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss Stargirl’s self-esteem and how she isn’t bothered by what people think.
2. Talk about Leo’s attempt to change Stargirl.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult, ages 12 and up

Why I included this title
This book is on the 2000 ALA Best Books for Young Adults list.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Delacourt Press. 2001.
ISBN: 0385730586.
$8.95. Paperback. 294 pages

Readers Annotation
Four girls and one magical pair of jeans embark on a summer adventure none of them will forget.

Plot Summary
For the first time since their birth, four best friends: Lena, Tibby, Bridget and Carmen are spending the summer apart. Carmen, half Puerto Rican, buys a pair of jeans from a thrift store on a whim. Somehow, magically the jeans fit each girl although they have very different figures. Together they decide that the pants must have some kind of good mojo, so they create The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Each girl will wear the pants for a week before forwarding them to the next friend. Lena travels to Greece to visit her Grandparents. Bridget travels to Baja California to attend soccer camp. Carmen goes to visit her Dad in South Carolina. Tibby is the only girl staying home because she has a job at Wallman’s. Each of the girls faces a crisis that they must cope with alone. For each of them the Traveling Pants is the linking force in their friendship as they learn about love, family, and death.

Critical Evaluation
Brashares does a very complicated thing and makes it look easy. She takes four characters, gives them individual voices, and places in a story that manages to remain contiguous, easily read, and enjoyable. Brashares uses the epistolary format for part of the novel. Each girl has a set of troubles that she must learn to overcome. Lena must deal with the fallout from a misinterpreted situation with the boy Kostos. Bridget (Bee) has her first sexual encounter with a camp counselor. Carmen discovers her Dad is getting married again and will have a second family. Tibby befriends a little girl dying from leukemia. Although Brashares is dealing with big life changing subjects she is not heavy handed. The book is a little gem that I would recommend to any student.

Information about the author
Brashares is the author the the “Sisterhood” series of books. She also has a website that is connected to her blog. However her biography hasn’t been updated since 2008. You can find out more about http://annbrashares.com/

Genre
Fiction, epistolary novel

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Underage sex

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Sisterhood-Traveling-Pants-Book/dp/0553494791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260311481&sr=8-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about how Carmen finds the pants and they fit all the girls.
2. Discuss the characters individual issues, for example: Lena and Costos.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 13 and up.

Why I included this title
This book is on the 2001 Best Books for Young Adults list.

10 Things I Hate About You directed by Gil Junger

Junger, Gil (Director). 10 Things I Hate About You.
Touchstone Pictures. 1999.
Screenplay: Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith.
Based on a play by William Shakespeare.
Run time: 97 min.
Rating: PG-13

Watcher’s Annotation
Outcast Kat isn’t interested in dating anyone at Padua High School, but her sister Bianca is determined to set her up with Patrick so she can finally begin dating.

Cast
Heath Ledger, Patrick Verona
Julia Stiles, Kat Stratford
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cameron James
Larisa Oleynick, Bianca Stratford
David Crumholtz, Michael
Larry Miller, Walter Stratford
Andrew Keegan, Joey Donner

Plot Summary
This modern version of William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, is set in Tacoma at the fictional Padua High School. Michael introduces new transfer student Cameron to the ins-and-outs of the campus. When Cameron spots sophomore Bianca Stratford, Michael warns Cameron to set his sites elsewhere because Bianca’s older sister will make his life hell. Katerina “Kat” Stratford is part of the loser crowd because is so hostile. Cameron, with help from Michael and Joey Donner, concocts a play to pay Patrick Verona, a guy with a possible shady past to date Kat, leaving Cameron and Joey free to vie for Bianca’s affections. Bianca slowly comes to like Patrick even though she doubts his sincerity. Kat is suspicious of Patrick’s interest in her, and when she uncovers the plan set forth by Cameron and Joey she leaves him at the prom. Patrick takes the money he earned for dating Kat and buys her a guitar. The pair makes up.

Critical Evaluation
This movie is very loosely based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Some of the names are a close match (like Padua High), and Stiles plays a shrewish kind of high school girl, but it is really a teen formula piece. The movie is teen-boy-meets-girl film, with little to recommend it beyond some very funny scenes. Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona steals the film with his rendition of “I love you Baby,” on the bleachers. When he looks at Stiles you really believe he is falling for her. Stiles as the smart-alecky Kat, shines when she gives her English professor hell during class. Together Stiles and Ledger have a definite chemistry that makes you wish they could have made another film together. Oleynick as Bianca, Kat’s boy crazy younger sister is charming, and her love interest Gordon-Leavitt is a classic good guy.  Miller as Dad Stratford is suitably clueless about his daughters, but he does have several a very good scene involving a pregnancy suit that he forces daughter Bianca to wear before she goes out.  Scenes of a drunken Kat dancing on a table, and flashing her breasts to spring Patrick out of detention could have been left out, but it seems that teen films require these scenes as part of their formula. I like this movie, and I seen it several times, but as soon as the singing scene is done I always shut it off.

Genre
Romantic comedy.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Crude sex-related humor and discussion, teen alcohol and drug use.

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/externalreviews
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this title
I like the film (within reason), and it is included on the ALA 2009 Best Films for Young Adults.

Juno directed by Jason Reitman

Reitman, Jason (Director). Juno.
Fox Searchlight. 2007.
Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Run time: 96 minutes.
Rating: PG-13.

Watcher’s Annotation 
Juno is 16 and pregnant with Paulie Bleeker's baby.  All she needs now is a nice family to adopt their child.
Cast
Ellen Page, Juno MacGuff
Michael Cera, Paulie Bleeker
Jennifer Garner, Vanessa Loring
Jason Bateman, Mark Loring
Alison Janney, Brenda MacDuff
J.K. Simmons, Mac MacGuff
Olivia Thirlby, Leah


Plot Summary
In this comedy 16-year-old Juno MacGuff discovers she is pregnant with best friend, Paulie Bleeker’s baby, and she doesn’t know what to do. She decides to have a quick abortion, but is put off when a schoolmate is outside the abortion clinic. Talking with her friend Leah she then decides to put the baby up for adoption. After finding an ad in the Pennysaver, Juno then tells her father and stepmother about the baby. First shocked by Juno’s news, the parents try to support her decision. Juno is happy with her selection of the adoptive parents. Vanessa and Mark Long have a nice house, and good jobs, but Vanessa is a little standoffish. Mark, on the other hand, is happy to have a little buddy to talk to about music and slasher movies. As Juno’s pregnancy progresses she stops by Mark and Vanessa’s house occasionally to fill them in on baby news. Juno brings out Mark’s inner child. He makes a mild pass at Juno and tells her he is leaving his wife. Juno is furious, and Vanessa is heartbroken because she really wanted Juno’s baby. Juno makes a deal with Vanessa that excludes Mark, and when the baby is born Vanessa becomes the adoptive mother. In a parallel story, Paulie (a track star) feels slighted by Juno and decides to take another girl to the prom. Juno is jealous and begins to realize that she is in love with him. They become a couple just before the baby is born.

Critical Evaluation
Although it doesn’t sound like it from the plot summary the film is very funny and touching. Diablo Cody wrote a sweet treatise with another viewpoint about teen pregnancy. Sometimes things happen and it all works out for the best. This movie is not a big sobfest. Cody’s characters are superb, and the acting is natural and understated. Ellen Page as Juno is a wise cracking teen that admits that she’s just a kid. Her boyfriend, Michael Cera as Paulie just wants to do what’s best and still be Juno’s best friend. Mom (Alison Janney) and Dad MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) are probably the funniest characters of all. When they find out that Juno is pregnant there is no screaming and yelling, they just comment that it might have been easier if Juno had gotten a DWI. They are smart and funny parents, which is unheard of in a teen film. It’s true that Juno doesn’t talk like a normal teenager. Yet she is compelling. Underneath her snarky exterior is a really nice kid who is trying to do her best. The quirky soundtrack by Kimya Dawson is perfection. This film was nominated for many awards including Best Picture at the Oscar’s. Cody won the award for Best Screenplay in 2007.

Genre
Comedy, contemporary issue.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Teen pregnancy

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467406/externalreviews
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this title
I like the film and it is included on the ALA 2009 Best Films for Young Adults.

The House of Dance by Peg Kephart

Kephart, Peg. The House of Dance.
HarperTeen. 2008.
ISBN: 9780061429286.
$16.99. Hardcover. 272 pages.

Readers Annotation
Rosie’s wants to give her father one last gift before he dies. She wants to learn to dance for him like her grandmother used to do.

Plot Summary
Rosie’s widowed grandfather is dying of cancer, and her mother hasn’t spoken to him in years. Her mother is also having an affair with a married man. It is only the beginning of summer and Rosie told by her mother to see to her grandfather’s needs. Rosie loves spending time with him. Together they decide to go through his belongings and decide which items should be thrown out, given away, or kept ‘in trust.’ In performing this task Rosie sees and hears her grandfather’s life. While listening to her grandfather’s collection of LPs, Rosie discovers that her grandmother loved to dance the foxtrot. She comes to know him better, and as a final gift she decides to throw him a party. Rosie notices a dance studio on the second floor of a building she passes everyday. As she watches she decides that she will take ballroom dance lessons so that she may dance for her grandfather as her grandmother once did. The dance studio has some quirky characters, and she makes new friends while learning to dance. Yet, Rosie gains more from her lessons than a few dance moves, she also gains self confidence.

Critical Evaluation
This is a beautifully written novel. It is filled with lyrical prose that is laden with descriptions of the natural world. A literary novel, this book focuses on the emotions of losing someone you love, while pulling your family together again. Rosie tells the story in a poetic first person narrative. Kephart’s character development of Rosie and her grandfather are nearly perfect. There relationship is loving and sentimental. Rosie’s mother treats her as if she was an adult already, and her relationship with a married man is creepy. While she both loves and derides her mother’s romantic decision-making, it is her relationship with her grandfather that gives her emotional sustenance. A budding romantic relationship between Rosie and the boy next door is never fully realized, but you wouldn’t expect it to be in this type of novel where the focus is on the passing of a loved one. The story is slow, and drawn out, just as Rosie wants her remaining time to be with her grandfather. This book is for a young adult reader who has a budding love of literature, and wants to read a sentimental story.

Information about the author
Peg Kephart currently teaches advanced fiction writing at the University of Pennsylvania. Although she doesn’t have a permanent web address, she has a blog that you can find at http://beth-kephart.blogspot.com/.

Genre
Contemporary fiction

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
None

Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book. You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/House-Dance-Beth-Kephart/dp/0061429287/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_5.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss why Rosie is helping her Grandfather go through his possessions.
2. Talk about Rosie’s relationship with her mother.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult, ages 13 and up.

Why I included this title
I discovered this book last summer and it stuck with me. It is a lovely read.

Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black

Black, Holly. Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie.
Simon & Schuster. 2005.
ISBN: 0689868227.
$16.99. Hardcover. 336 pages.

Readers Annotation
Betrayed by her mother, Valerie runs away to New York City only to find herself living in the subway system tunnels and addicted to faery drugs.

Plot Summary
Valerie Russell, a 17-year-old runaway finds herself living in the subway tunnels under New York City with a troop of captivating homeless teens. Lolli, Luis and Dave all work for a mysterious creature making deliveries of a substance called Nevermore: “Never more than once a day, never more than a pinch at a time, and never more than two days in a row,” Lolli tells Val. As Val becomes more and more addicted to the substance, Lolli talks her into approaching the troll who supplies the creatures of New York their drugs. The troll, Ravus agrees to hire Val as another runner to deliver the products necessary for their survival outside of faery. But faery folk are dying, and Ravus is accused of poisoning them. Val finds that she is beginning to fall in love with the honorable troll. Ravus teaches the very athletic Val how to fight with a sword so she can better protect herself against faeries. Val is not there when Ravus is attacked and his heart is stolen. Val travels with Luis to the Unseelie Court. She makes a deal with King Roiben (from the book Tithe). If Val can defeat Mabry she can have Ravus’ heart back. After Val successfully defeats Mabry, and returns his heart, she and Ravus decide to stay together.

Critical Evaluation
Holly Black has written three stories of a beautiful, but brutal faery kingdom. In this novel, Val is an angry, angst-filled teen that quickly becomes addicted to a faery susbstance.
As she descends into addiction she becomes deeply tangled in the politics of the faery courts without even knowing it. She is flawed - but trying to find a way out of the situation. For Val she finds a hero and romantic partner in an exiled troll. Like all of Black’s novels that I have read, there are parts that are difficult to stomach, and this novel is no different. Val witness’s barbarism and cruelty, when she has already been wounded by her mother’s betrayal. Yes, it’s difficult to read, but it is worth it. Black uses easily understood symbolism, which will appeal to reluctant readers.

Information about the author
Holly Black lives in New Jersey with her husband and her secret library. You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.blackholly.com/index.html

Genre
Fantasy

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Drug abuse and violence

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Valiant-Holly-Black/dp/1416901183/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260220302&sr=8-2
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss the betrayal that forces Valerie to leave her home.
2. Discuss how Val meets Ravus and begins to work for him

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 14 and up.

Why I included this title
This book is included on the ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and CCBC Choices.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother.
Tor Teen. 2008.
ISBN: 9780765319852
$17.95. Hardcover. 384 pages.

Readers Annotation
Marcus thinks he knows how things work in the net world until he and his friends are caught in the backlash over a terrorist attack in San Francisco.

Plot Summary
Marcus skipped school one day to play Harajuku Fun Madness with his geek squad, when the worst terrorist attack on American soil takes place in San Francisco. Picked up and detained by the Department of Homeland security at Gitmo-by-the-Bay, he is interrogated for days before being released and ordered to be silent about the questioning. On his return home he discovers that much of San Francisco is now a police state. Marcus can’t be a passive bystander. He is determined to discover where his missing friend has gone, and to stop the DHS from turning San Francisco into a prison camp. His attempts to thwart the DHS only make things worse. His friends begin to fear for their safety and leave Marcus to pursue answers on his own. With time running out for his friend he seeks help from his parents, and a reporter. While his technical knowledge is awe inspiring it is his words that make a difference in gaining freedom for all the detainees.

Critical Evaluation
The book is an Orwellian view of a possible world to come. The book felt over-hyped to me because of the technical jargon used by the author. I believed at the time that I understood what Marcus and his friends were talking about, but I only got a small portion of the technical babble. It was a little like trying to read a foreign language. As a cautionary tale this book works. If there were another attack on American soil like the one described in the novel, I feel certain that the DHS would find a way to detain citizens under the auspices of the Patriot Act. What I think most people will take away from this book is that it is possible for our freedoms to be taken from us in an instant if something should go wrong. That is a very scary proposition. While the technical stuff is essential to the novel many people might be put off by it.

Information about the author
Cory Doctorow is an interesting character, he writes that he “is a science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist.” You can find out more about him at http://craphound.com/

Genre
Fantasy, technology

Curriculum ties
English, could be compared to Orwell’s Big Brother.

Challenge Issues
None

Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book. You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Little-Brother-Cory-Doctorow/dp/0765319853/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260172565&sr=1-1

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss why Van and Jolu break with Marcus.
2. Discuss Marcus relationship with Ange.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult, ages 14 and up

Why I included this title
Required reading.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist directed by Peter Sollette

Sollette, Peter (Director). Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
Columbia Pictures. 2008.
Screenplay by: Lorene Scafaria
Novel by: Rachel Cohn
Run Time: 90 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Watchers Annotation
At their first meeting Norah asks Nick to play her boyfriend for five minutes. That five minutes leads to an evening together in the Lower Eastside of Manhattan searching for a band called Where’s Fluffy?

Cast
Michael Cera, Nick
Kat Dennings, Norah
Aaron Yoo, Thom
Rafi Grayon, Caroline
Alexis Sziena, Tris
Jay Baruchel, Tal

Plot Summary
It has been months since Tris broke up with Nick, and with one last message he tells her that he is leaving one last CD mix on her doorstep.
At school in New Jersey, Norah and her friend Caroline are finalizing plans for the weekend. Norah tells Caroline that she will go with her as long as she doesn’t get drunk. Tris (also a school mate of Norah) brags about her ex-boyfriend leaving CD’s on her doorstep and throws it into the trash. Norah, who has snatched all the CD’s Tris has thrown out loves the mixes and cover art created by the boy she doesn’t know. The girls are also on the hunt for the elusive band Where’s Fluffy?
At the gig Norah askes Nick and asks him to play her boyfriend for five minutes.  By this time Caroline is very drunk and Norah decides to take her home. This leaves Nick and Norah free to search for Where’s Fluffy? Along the way, Nick and Nora get a call that the boys have lost Caroline. After meeting up the group scours the city looking for the very drunk Caroline. Caroline in the meantime has found her way to the bus station, where she becomes violently ill. At one of their club stops, Norah’s ex-boyfriend tries to drag her away from Nick. Norah escapes and continues to search for the band and Caroline. They finally find Caroline at a gay cabaret show. Nick lets Norah drive his car. She crashes it into a fire hydrant while looking through his ipod.  They agree to go someplace that is more private and end up at Electric Lady Studios, which is owned by Norah’s father. While there the pair makes out on the sofa. Soon after Norah gets a text message from Caroline that they have found Where’s Fluffy? They rush to get to the gig. Once they arrive they are both confronted by their ex’s. As the band begins to play Nick holds out his hand to Norah and they leave together. By this time it is nearly dawn.

Critical Evaluation
This is a great premise for a movie. Unfortunately it plays like a scavenger hunt. Michael Cera (Nick), and Kat Denning (Norah) have a lot of chemistry on the screen. They are totally believable as two people that are attracted to one another. Their little spats seem funny and silly. However, I did not find the character of Caroline to be humorous. An incipient alcoholic, Caroline has one of the grossest scenes ever filmed. She paws through a toilet bowl filled with puke to find her cell phone and her lost gum. The gum later ends up in Norah’s mouth, and then Nick’s. The best characters in the film are Nick’s gay band mates. They are fast-talking, fun seekers, and I wish they had been in more of the film. The ex’s, Tal and Tris and shallow selfish children who do little for the story, except provoke ridicule.  Because of the title I expected a stellar soundtrack.  I was disappointed that the music was barely noticeable in the film. You can find more information about the film on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/.

Genre
Romantic comedy.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Underage drinking, language and sexual situations

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/externalreviews
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this title
The movie was advertised as a teen film based on the book of the same name, and I had heard good reviews.

Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Peters, Julie Ann. Luna.
Little, Brown & Company. 2004.
ISBN 9780316011273.
$7.99. Paperback. 256 pages.

Readers Annotation
Luna hides her true identity from everyone except her sister, Regan. Regan loves Luna even though she is her brother.

Plot Summary
Regan and Liam, work hard to hide Liam’s true identity. Liam is struggling with his sexual identity.  He is a transgender who longs to become a woman full time.  Regan struggles while keeping her brothers secret, he wants to come out to his family and friends as his true self.  Going back and forth in time, Regan narrates her viewpoint of her life growing up with Liam.  Regan just wants a normal life but the family is keeping too many secrets. Luna’s attempts to be out in public are difficult and embarrassing for Regan. Luna’s coming out to her father is dramatic, it takes place on her 18th birthday. Dad doesn’t understand, and Mom is outraged that Luna picked that day to come out. Regan doesn’t understand until she thinks about it later. Mom had known all along and kept the secret with Luna and Regan. For Luna to have the freedom to become who she is inside, she must leave her home. She tells Regan that she id doing this for her as well. Regan doesn’t understand the truth in the statement. If Luna stays Regan will forever try to protect her and keep her secret. Luna doesn’t want to live in secret anymore, she wants to fully become a woman. Luna’s departure means freedom for her and her sister, Regan.

Critical Evaluation
Julie Ann Peters ( 1952 -) writes novels that speak to disenfranchised youth. Luna is an important book for many reasons. It assists young people who are transgender and living in difficult circumstances. It brings up the importance of acceptance of all people no matter their differences. It is also difficult to read at times. Peters has created believable characters whose struggle with the truth is faced by many families. There were times while reading the novel that I felt angry with the parents for their lack of involvement in their children’s lives. This kind of realism is what young adult novels are all about. Peters captures the essence of what it is to be transgender and living a secret life with integrity. She also understands sibling dynamics. While Regan loves Liam/Luna she feels deeply ashamed about his status. While it is easy to feel sympathetic about Luna’s plight, Peter’s real hero in the story is Regan who puts up with Luna. When Luna gives Regan her car it is a small payment for putting up with her secrets and demands.

Information about the author
Julie Ann Peters has written a number of books for the GLBT community. She has also won numerous awards for her books. Luna is a National Book Award Finalist, and has been included on the following lists of best books: ALA Stonewall Honor, 2005; ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2005; and ALA popular paperbacks for young adults.   You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.julieannepeters.com/files/index.htm.
Her newest book By the Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead, is already generating buzz although it will not be released until January 2010.

Genre
Narrative fiction, contemporary GLBT issues.

Curriculum ties
English and social studies, contemporary issues.

Challenge Issues
Transgender, GLBT

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Luna-Julie-Anne-Peters/dp/0316011274/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Talk about what it means to be transgender.
2. Talk about Regan keeping Luna’s secret.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult, ages 15 and up.

Why I included this title
Class requirement, and the book is on many best books lists.

Tithe: A modern faery tale by Holly Black

Black, Holly. Tithe: A modern faerie tale.
Simon Pulse. 2002.
ISBN 0689867042
$8.99. Paperback. 336 pages.

Readers Annotation
16-year-old Kaye has always seen faeries. She just didn’t know she was one.

Plot Summary
After Kaye, a foul-mouthed teen, is almost murdered by her mother’s boyfriend, she and her mother escape to Grandmother’s house at the Jersey shore. A high school dropout, Kaye rekindles and old friendship with her friend Janet. Strange incidents keep occurring around Kaye. She makes a broken merry go ground pony come to life, and she enchants Janet’s love interest into falling for her unknowingly. When she meets the dark knight Rath Roiben Rye, she is drawn into the politics of faery. She discovers that she is a changling. Her blond asian looks are a glamour to hide her true green skinned, black eyed pixie nature. She has been hidden away from faery for 16 years to hide her real nature so that she will become the next human sacrifice (or tithe) in the Unseelie Court. Corny (Cornelius), Janet’s younger gay brother becomes besotted with Nephamael, a knight of the Seelie Court, who attempts to subvert the current Unseeling Queen. Kaye finds she must also rescue her friend while trying to save herself. Because she is not human the plot is foiled and all the wild denizens of faery begin to roam the town. It is only when Roiben claims the empty throne of the Unseelie Court that Kaye is free again. Kaye and Roiben declare their feelings for each other even though he is now the king, and she remains a disguised pixie.

Critical Evaluation
Holly Black has earned her living writing modern stories of a beautiful, but brutal faery kingdom. Her novels brim with beauty and horror as the two faery courts meet and battle for dominance. In the three novels about modern faery, her characters are deeply flawed but fighting to overcome supernatural odds. While it is difficult to understand the protagonist’s point of view at times, Black makes her characters believably sympathetic but quirky. Kaye is a sarcastic chain smoker who is her mother’s keeper. She is independent and thinks nothing of behaving badly. She is difficult to like. Her love interest Roiben has been spell bound to obey any who use his full name as a command. He is violent and murderous. It is difficult to understand what he finds so alluring in Kaye. There is a great deal of violence in this book – mostly all supernatural. Still, the novel has an original viewpoint, and many will find themselves cheering for a positive outcome for the changeling and her kingly boyfriend. The novel is gritty and dark, and difficult to put down.

Information about the author
Holly Black lives in New Jersey with her husband and her secret library. You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.blackholly.com/index.html

Genre
Fantasy

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Drinking, smoking, homosexuality, violence

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Tithe-Modern-Faerie-Holly-Black/dp/0689867042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259128853&sr=8-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss how Kaye meets Roiben
2. Discuss how Kaye discovers she is really a pixie

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 14 and up.

Why I included this title
This book is included on both the ALA Best Books for Young Adults and YALSA Teen’s Top Teen Booklist.

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen.
Graphia. 2006.
ISBN-13 9780618863358
$8.99. Paperback. 274 pages.

Readers Annotation
DJ Schwenk knows a lot about dairy farming and football, but she doesn’t know how to talk to Brian Nelson. While she’s busy helping on the farm and training Brian to be a better quarterback for the opposing team, she’s also learning how to talk about the things that really mean something.

Plot Summary
When DJ’s dad hurts his hip using the manure spreader on the farm, it’s up to DJ and her nearly silent brother Curtis to run things. Her two older siblings Bill and Win are away at college football training camp. Life is not easy, with so much to do on the farm, and when Brian Nelson arrives to help DJ is not pleased. Brian, captain of the rival Hawley football team has been encouraged by his coach, Jimmy Ott, to ask DJ for football training. Although DJ is a girl, she has been playing football with her brothers for years. With the agreement between DJ and Brian set in place, the two begin training on the farm. As their friendship grows, both teens find that they are attracted to each other. It isn’t long before DJ acknowledges that she is in love with Brian. Between farm work and football practice, both DJ and Brian gain skill and speed. DJ’s mom is a teacher and acting principal of a local elementary school. After DJ’s dad was injured, her schoolwork suffered and she failed her English class. Mom and the English teacher set up a schedule of writing so DJ will be able to graduate. Facing school and working the farm while training Brian is overwhelming. DJ often comments on how the Schwenk’s stop talking when anything bothers them. For DJ, it means she feels like a cow on the farm, slow and stupid, chewing her cud. She is anything but stupid. DJ decides that after all the training she has endured with Brian, she wants to try out for the Red Bend football team. When she is accepted on the team it drives a wedge in her budding romance with Brian. During the first game of the practice season, DJ scores a touchdown on an interception from Brian. Her team wins the game. Surprisingly, Brian pays her a visit the next day, and although he doesn’t formally ask DJ to date him, he hints that he might want to date a football player.

Critical Evaluation
The small town setting for this novel is unlike anything I have read before. Told in the first person by DJ brings the characters to life. The characters are honestly portrayed with all their foibles. One theme of the novel -- learning to speak for oneself is one that many families face. Life on a dairy farm is described in enough detail for teens to understand the difficult work facing a family of four, with a working mother and disabled father. The family isn’t very close at the start of the novel. Mom works long hours at two jobs, and Dad decides to learn to cook since he is housebound. Younger brother Curtis speaks so rarely that DJ barely knows him. None of speaks about the disagreement that drove the two oldest brothers away from the farm. Murdock has created two teens that could not be more different. Brian is growing up in a family that always talks about their problems, and DJ’s family keeps silent. Both teens learn that there is some good in each viewpoint. Murdock’s character, Amber (DJ’s best friend), seems to be gratuitously added into the mix. We find out fairly late in the story that Amber is a lesbian and also in love with DJ. The plot line is never expanded on in this novel. This novel is the first in a trilogy. The second novel is titled Off Season, and the last novel is titled Front and Center.  I would recommend this novel to reluctant readers because of its honesty and ease of reading.

Information about the author
Catherine Gilbert Murdock was born in the mid 1960’s. She currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two children. She has a website, but it doesn’t include much biographical information. You can find it here: http://www.catherinemurdock.com/catherinemurdock/cgm_home.html

Genre
Contemporary issues

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Underage drinking, homosexuality

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Dairy-Queen-Catherine-Gilbert-Murdock/dp/0618863354/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss DJ's tomboy nature, and how she loves sports.
2. Talk about her Dad’s injury and how DJ assumes most of the work on the farm.
3. Discuss DJ and Brian’s relationship.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 14 and up.

Why I included this title
This book is listed with the ALA 2006 Best Books for Young Adults.

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big In This?
Scholastic. 2007.
ISBN-13  9780439922333
$8.99.  Paperback. 368 pages.

Readers Annotation
Australian-Pakistanian teenager, Amal decides to wear the hajib as a full-timer.   Her decision causes some to ostracize her, but her deep faith gives her the inner strength to be true to her beliefs.

Plot Summary
Spunky teenager, Amal Mohammed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim, decides that she is ready to wear the hajib fulltime. She carefully makes a “to wear or not to wear list,” while trying all of her clothes with a variety of head scarves. Like many teens she first approaches her close friends Leila and Yasmeen about her decision. When she tells her parents, they quietly attempt to talk her out of it. They know that she will face racism and condescension among her peers at McClean’s Prepartory Academy. Amal’s focus and determination convince them, and her principal at McClean’s that she truly wants to wear the hajib. Amal’s friends Simone and Eileen are proud of her, but her friend Adam isn’t sure what to think. The school queen bees, Tia, Claire and Rita try to make her life uncomfortable, but Amal is brilliant at comebacks. She foils the snooty comments with her own brand of snarkiness. Adam, her school crush, grows closer to Amal as they share their life stories. Eventually, Adam makes a move on Amal and she is forced to decide whether to remain true to her faith or become his girlfriend. Later, when terrorists bomb hotels and nightclubs in Bali, Amal must face the criticism and lack of knowledge of her peers. Throughout the story are subplots about Amal’s girlfriends, and her neighbor Mrs. Vaselli. All of them are sweetly told, with realistic contemporary issues.

Critical Evaluation
This is a beautifully executed novel about a Muslim girl growing up in Australia. While Amal is both smart and snarky, she is also unsure about herself at times. My only criticism is that at times she seems a little too adult. She gets along a little too well with her parents, and she is a little Pollyanna-ish when dealing with her crotchety neighbor Mrs. Vaselli. Yet she is heart rendingly human when dealing with the reactions from her classmates over the Bali bombings. She flees home, staying in bed for several days rather the deal with her classmates. She feels like a target for their anger because she wears the hajib. The other characters in the novel especially her parents are also fully developed. When they argue over Amal’s reaction to the bombings it is the mother who exclaims that she is “sick of it.” She is reacting to the racism experienced by her daughter in her home country. The author’s choice of topic, although a little dated now, remains contemporary.  Issues of racism exist in every country, and this book explains much that western society doesn’t understand about Islam.

Information about the author
Randa Abdel-Fattah, is an attorney living in Australian. She is married and has two children. You can find out more about her on her website at http://www.randaabdelfattah.com/.

Genre
Contemporary issues, multicultural

Curriculum ties
Cultural differences, Islamic studies

Challenge Issues
None

Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book. You can find out more about this book on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Does-Head-Look-Big-This/dp/043992233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258863679&sr=8-1.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss why Amal would decide to wear a hajib.
2. Discuss what Amal says about Islam.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 15 and up.

Why I included this title
Recommended by a librarian.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Illustrated by Ellen Forney.
Hatchette Book Group. 2007.
ISBN 9780316013697
$8.99. Paperback. 288 pages.

Readers Annotation
Junior (Arnold Spirit) leaves the Spokane Indian reservation to attend an all-white high school. His hopes to rise above the poverty of the rez, but will his best friend ever forgive him?

Plot Summary
Junior, born with “grease” on the brain, draws because it is easier than words. He is small boy with big dreams. On his first day of high school he opens his geometry textbook only to discover that it had been his mothers. This enrages Junior, who throws the book and hits his teacher. The teacher, Mr. P. convinces Junior to take a chance and have hope for his life. Junior decides to leave the reservation school and go to the rich all white school called Reardan. This decisions sets off a chain of events at the reservation and at his new school. Members of the tribe think he is a traitor to his people. His best friend Rowdy hates him, and for the first time, Junior begins to have friends beyond his community. While Junior is enjoying his time at Reardan, his life on the rez is filled with sadness. At 14, Junior has been to 42 funerals. During his first year of high school, his grandmother is killed while walking by a drunk driver. Then his father’s best friend, Eugene is shot and killed. Finally, his big sister, Mary Ran Away (who ran away to marry), dies in a house fire. Junior nearly breaks down, he feels “helpless and stupid.” Even with all of the grief, Junior is still hopeful and hilarious. His drawing and writing help him overcome his deep grief. He even joins the Reardan basketball team, becoming a freshman starter on the varsity team. During a game with the rez team, Junior realizes that his former classmates on the Wellpinit Redskins team were in some distress. Some probably had not eaten, some had alcoholic parents, or parents in jail, and none of them were going to college. He sees the dichotomy of the two communities. Although his team wins because of his efforts, Junior realizes that he is no longer angry with his tribe. Instead, he becomes more determined to leave the reservation and attain his dreams of success.

Critical Evaluation
Sherman Alexie portrays the characters in this novel with great compassion and humor. He takes on the stereotypes of the Native American culture, and consequently informs the reader of both the truth and myths behind life on the reservation. His characterization of Junior is well rounded and superbly realized. Junior has no qualms about informing the reader that his is excellent at masturbation and cartooning, or that his best friend likes to beat people up. Junior’s perspective of life on and off the reservation is unsentimental. He wants to fit in both places, but he realizes that he must let go of his life on the reservation in order to attain his dreams. As Junior states in the novel, he feels like he is half Indian on the reservation, and half white at school. Either way, he is a lovable and believable character. The illustrations by Ellen Forney tell a story by themselves. Each cartoon depicts some aspect of Junior’s life: his hopes, dreams, and frustrations. The pencil illustrations, created to look taped into the journal, add much to the narration.

Information about the author
Sherman Alexie was born in October, 1966, on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This novel is based on his early life. This novel has won a number of awards including:

• 2007 National Book Award
• 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
• 2008 ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Genre
Multicultural Fiction

Curriculum ties
English or social studies. This is a good book for multicultural studies.

Challenge Issues
Language, sexuality, alcohol abuse

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Absolutely-True-Diary-Part-Time-Indian/dp/0316013692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258319587&sr=1-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss Junior Spirits life and his disabilities.
2. Talk about Junior’s arrival at Reardan high school.
3. Talk about Junior’s grief and his success at his new school.

Reading Level/Age
Young Adult. Age 13 and up

Why I included this title
This book is included on the 2008 ALA Best Books for Young Adults.

ttyl by Lauren Myracle

Myracle, Lauren. ttyl (Talk To You Later).
Amulet Books. 2005.
ISBN 0810987880
$6.95. Paperback. 233 pages.

Readers Annotation
Maddie, Angela and Zoe are best friends approaching their sophomore year of high school with high expectations. Their mistakes along the way may cause arguments, but it also brings them together.

Plot Summary
Three best friends (“The Winsome Threesome”) embarks on their sophomore year of high school. Maddie (Mad Maddie) has just gotten her drivers license, and has a pretty bad temper. Angela (SnowAngel) loves to be in love, and pursues boys relentlessly. Zoe (zoegirl) the good girl of the group finds herself in a dangerous situation with a teacher. The story told completely in IM (instant messaging) covers only a small part of the school year. Within that short time (September 7 to November 20) the girls each experience a traumatic event that nearly drives them apart. Maddie attends a frat party with a Jana (the high school queen bee), only to get drunk for the first time. She ends up dancing topless on a table. Soon after pictures start appearing on the Internet much to the girl’s horror. Angela thinks she finds the boy of her dreams in Rob, but he turns out to be a jerk. When she spins into depression her friends come to her rescue, but it’s only when she finds another crush that she is healed. Zoe, the “good girl” of the bunch, likes going to church with her 24-year-old teacher Mr. H. The naïve Zoe does have a little crush on the teacher, but she is unprepared when he hits on her. This event brings the girls back together again after a tumultuous couple of months. As the story ends the girls are planning a camping trip together during Thanksgiving break.

Critical Evaluation
Although Lauren Myracle states that she wanted to write a book that was true to life for teenage girls, what she has done is create three characters that a single aspects of one overall personality. Each character is only one part of the whole, and that creates characters that have personalities that are stilted and unreal. The overall format of the book is a take off of earlier pioneering works of experimental literature. Told in short IM missives, the story can be difficult to follow for a novice. Overall, this story worries me. My feeling is that this is a missed opportunity to talk about issues of love, sex, and safety with our young women. The entire time I was reading this novel I was thinking – where are the parents? But maybe that is the point.

Information about the author
Lauren Myracle was born on May 15, 1969. You can find out more about her on her lovely website at http://laurenmyracle.com/index.html. She also has an account on MySpace.

Genre
Contemporary Fiction

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Sex, alcohol, language, and bad driving

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/ttyl-Talk-You-Later-Internet-Girls/dp/0810987880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258313225&sr=8-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss the format of the book.
2. Talk about the characters Maddie, Angela and Zoe.

Reading Level/Age
Young Adult. Ages 13 and up

Why I included this title
This book is included in the 2005 ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Fade by Lisa McMann

McMann, Lisa. Fade.
Simon Pulse. 2009.
ISBN 978416953586
$15.99. Hardcover. 256 pages

Readers Annotation
Dream catcher Janie and her boyfriend/partner Cabel try to uncover a sexual predator at Fieldridge High School.

Plot Summary
In this second book of the series, dream catcher Janie and her partner/boyfriend Cabel are assigned to a new case. They are investigating a possible sex offender at their high school. At first, Cabe doesn’t want Janie on the case, but when she accepts it he is forced to work with her. When Janie begins falling into the dreams of her classmate Stacey, she knows that she is on the right track. Stacey dreams of being sexually assaulted by a man she can’t identify. Janie is helping but her gift is taking its toll on her health. She realizes that she is slowly losing her sight and her hands are becoming crippled. Soon she can no longer drive. When Martha Stubin’s files come into Janie’s hands she discovers more about her gift – she will go blind, she will be crippled, but she will also be able to help people. As the case progresses, Janie discovers that there are multiple offenders. Invited to a house party by one of the teachers involved Janie is drugged with GHB. Although drugged Janie is able to protect herself, and get enough evidence to arrest all three men. Cabel and Janie have more love-angst-filled moments together. They are finally able to go on their first date together. As this story ends the pair are finally graduating from high school.

Critical Evaluation
Fade is written in the same style as Wake. Each chapter is broken down by date and time, giving a clear timeline of events. Much of the book is written in short clipped sentences, and sometimes sentence fragments. This book is grittier than the last. The subject matter is more adult in nature as it deals with themes of sex and sexual violence. As Cabe and Janie explore their love through sex, the author is not explicit, but it is an important and realistic aspect of their growing relationship. The chapters of the book that deal with the discovery and arrest of the perpetrators are realistic. Looking through Janie’s drug induced stupor is disturbing. It left this reader clenched in fear for her safety. The story does end well, with Cabe and Janie again facing unexpected aspects of their relationship, but finding a way through it to each other.

Information about the author
Lisa McMann currently lives in Arizona. She was born of February 27, but won’t divulge her year of birth. She got the idea for Wake from a dream. You can find out more about Lisa McMann on her website at http://lisamcmann.com/ or on her blog at http://lisamcmann.blogspot.com/.

Genre
Paranormal Fiction. Mystery.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Sex and Violence

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Fade-Lisa-McMann/dp/1416974482/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258251914&sr=1-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1.  Discuss Janie and Cabel’s next case (sexual predator on campus).
2.  Talk about Janie and Cabel’s relationship and how it continues to develop.
3. Talk about Janie’s discovery of the effects of her curse.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 15 and up.

Why I included this title
This is the second book in a series that I really like, and the first book (Wake) made the 2009 Top 10 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Wake by Lisa McMann

McMann, Lisa. Wake.
Simon Pulse. 2008.
ISBN 9781416953579
$8.99. Paperback. 224 pages.

Readers Annotation
17-year-old Janie keeps getting sucked into other people’s dreams, and she can’t control when or where it happens.

Plot Summary
Janie Hannagan falls into other people’s dreams. This happens whenever she is near someone who is sleeping. She has seen her share of naked-in-front-of-a-crowd dreams, falling dreams, and sex dreams. She can’t tell anyone about her curse, but when she falls into classmate Cabel Strumheller’s dreams he begins to figure out what is happening. As their relationship develops Janie tells Cabel that it is driving her crazy. Janie and Cabel’s relationship is uneasy because he doesn’t tell Janie the truth about his life or work. Janie’s job at a convalescent hospital helps pay her bills, but can also cause problems when patient’s dream. When she meets Martha Stubin, a patient, she is drawn to her. Since Martha is blind, Janie spends time reading to her. When Mrs. Stubin dies she leaves Janie some money to help pay for college. She also calls Janie a “catcher.” This is the first time Janie has ever had a name for her ability, and it is the first time she meets someone who shares her talent. Janie blames Cabel for many things. It is not until he forces her to meet his boss, police captain Fran Komisky, that he is able to tell Janie everything.  Cabel has been working undercover to crack a drug ring. Captain Komisky knows about Martha Stubin, and she offers Janie a job working with Cabel. As Janie continues to work with the police she also learns about lucid dreaming. Through lucid dreaming she is able to help people through her dreams. As the book ends, Martha Stubin visits Janie in her dreams. Mrs. Stubin tells Janie that she will come to Janie in her dreams to teach her how to be a better dream-catcher.

Critical Evaluation
Wake is an original work of fantasy fiction that is like no other. Each chapter is broken down by date and time, giving a clear time line of events. Much of the book is written in short clipped sentences, and sometimes sentence fragments, which completely make sense in the situation. Janie only has bits and pieces of her own life because she is continually drawn into other people’s lives through their dreams. As Janie enters the dream sequences the font changes creating an additional layer of clarity to the events. This makes the book a very quick read. Janie and Cabel are both intriguing characters. Their attraction to one another is romantic and edgy. Both Janie and Cabel have had damaged childhoods and are struggling to survive in an adult world. While those portions of the book are difficult to read, McMann treats the subject with integrity.  This is book one of a planned trilogy.  Book two, Fade, is also included in the blog.  Book three, Gone, is schedule for release in February 2010.

Information about the author
Lisa McMann currently lives in Arizona. She was born of February 27, but won’t divulge her year of birth. She got the idea for Wake from a dream. You can find out more about Lisa McMann on her website at http://lisamcmann.com/ or on her blog at http://lisamcmann.blogspot.com/.  She also has accounts on Facebook, MySpace, an Twitter.

Genre
Paranormal Fiction

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Drugs

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Lisa-McMann/dp/1416974474/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258239398&sr=8-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss Janie’s ability to fall into people’s dreams, and how she thinks it is a curse.
2. Talk about Janie and Cabel’s relationship and how it develops.
3. Talk about Mrs. Stubin and how she identifies Janie as a fellow dream-catcher.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 15 and up.

Why I included this title
This book is on the 2009 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

When Dad Killed Mom by Julius Lester

Lester, Julius. When Dad Killed Mom.
Harcourt. 2001.
ISBN: 0152046984.
$6.96. Paperback. 196 pages.

Readers Annotation
Their mother is dead, and their father killed her. Jenna and Jeremy must each find a way to deal with the tragedy.

Plot
Jenna and Jeremy know that their parent’s marriage is ending, but they never expected that their father would murder their mother. As the story unfolds, Jenna and Jeremy each tell the story from their own perspective. After the murder the children decide to separate. Jenna, her father’s favorite child, wants to support her father. At first she believes his innocence due to insanity. Jeremy, an artist like his mother, wants only to remain in her studio where he feels closest to her. The children do not understand their father’s motivation, and as each child searches separately for answers they come to understand the dynamic of their parents marriage. 14-year-old Jenna, living with her mother’s best friend, befriends with a boy whose father has committed suicide. Jeremy refuses to return to his classroom. Instead, he stays with his art teacher every day. Both Jenna and Jeremy attend their father’s trial. Jeremy, who has discovered his mother’s diary, knows he has uncovered the reason for her murder. Jenna also doesn’t believe the stories her father has told her. She knows that he has lied to her in the past. It is through Jeremy’s discovery of the diary that their father, Eric is forced to admit his guilt.

Critical Evaluation
Although the protagonists in this story are in the 6th and 8th grades, this book is written for an older audience. The story seems to be ripped from the headlines. The author, Julius Lester, is known for extensive research on his topic but I question whether the reactions by the children are true to life. The decision of the siblings to separate into different households seems contrived. Jenna’s decision to remain with her mother’s best friend, and adopt a new name seems more possible than Jeremy’s solution. Jeremy, who remains at his mother’s studio nearly alone, meets and is adopted by a family living in the same town. I’m not sure that any judge would determine that this was the best action for an 11-year-old child. Additionally, the melodrama played out in the courtroom by Jeremy would certainly not happen in real life. Although it plays out to a reasonably happy ending the story seems contrived. The story is heart-rending but not necessarily truthful.

Information about the author
Julius Lester was born on January 27, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri. To date he has published 43 books. He has won numerous awards for his writing including a Newbery Honor, and multiple ALA Notable Book nominations. To find out more about Lester go to http://members.authorsguild.net/juliuslester/index.htm. You can follow his blog at http://acommonplacejbl.blogspot.com/, although he doesn’t post very often.

Genre
Contemporary fiction.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Violence

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/When-Dad-Killed-Julius-Lester/dp/0152046984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258233502&sr=1-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1.  Discuss the murder of the mother, and the children’s reactions.
2.  Talk about the children’s decision to live apart.

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. Ages 15 and over.

Why you included this title
This title is included in Teen Genreflecting, 2nd Edition (2003), as an example of a book about issues of death.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen.
Speak. 2006.
ISBN 9780142410973
$8.99. Paperback. 400 pages

Readers Annotation
Annabel Greene seems to have a perfect life. She models and is popular at school, until her friendship with the vindictive Sophie ends bitterly.

Plot Summary
Annabel Greene, the youngest of three sisters seems to have it all – a wonderful family life, and a career as a local model. Yet, she has secrets that she can’t tell anyone. Her middle sister suffers from anorexia, her mother has had bouts of depression, and she doesn’t want to model anymore. Caught in a toxic relationship, her best friend, Sophie blames Annabel for attempting to sleep with her philandering boyfriend. What Sophie doesn’t know is that her boyfriend, Will tried to rape Annabel at a party. Now ostracized by nearly everyone on campus, Annabel accepts that she will never be able to tell the truth about what happened that night. Although ostracized by many of her classmates, Annabel develops a budding relationship with the tall loner Owen. Owen, a local DJ, draws closer to Annabel through music and discussions about his issues with anger management. Through her relationship with Owen, Annabel learns to listen to herself, and to speak her truth.

Critical Evaluation
Beautifully realized with honest characters this book is a classic young adult novel. Dessen’s portrayal of Annabel, a fragile frightened teen, is so realistic that many young women will believe she exists. It is rare to find a literary character that is so realistic. Young women will think (as I did), that if this can happen to Annabel – it can happen to anyone. Annabel’s vindictive best friend Sophie is over-the-top. From the first meeting with Annabel and Clarke, she oozes a troublesome meaness that never changes. Sophie never grows up or changes until the very end. Annabel’s friendship with Owen is disconcerting at times. Although Owen is the same age as Annabel he seems much older and wiser. Their budding relationship is sweet and it is the only time Owen seems equal to Annabel.

The parallel story about Annabel’s family is also very honest. Annabel’s family is fragile. Her episodically depressed mother, and a severely anorexic sister contribute to her self-imposed silence. How can Annabel tell her family about her own experience when they are so entwined with metal illness? When Annabel finally does tell her family, she finds that they will listen and help her. This book is definitely a two-hankie read, but well worth it.

Information about the author
Sarah Dessen was born in 1970. She has lived most of her life in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She currently has nine novels in print. She has a wonderful biography that you can read at http://www.sarahdessen.com/bio-press. This novel has won many accolades, including:

• A Booksense Top Ten Pic
• An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• A New York Times Best Seller
  

Genre
Contemporary Fiction.

Curriculum ties
This book could be use for discussion about mental health issues like: depression and anorexia. It could also be instrumental in discussions about rape, or attempted rape.

Challenge Issues
None.

Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book.  You can find some reviews on amazon.com hhttp://www.amazon.com/Just-Listen-Sarah-Dessen/dp/0142410977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258220278&sr=1-1

Booktalking Ideas
1.  Discuss Annabel's is ostracized for something she didn’t do.
2.  Talk about how Owen helps Annabel overcome her inability to tell what happened to her.
3.  Talk about how Annabel copes with her sister Whitney's struggle with anorexia. 

Reading Level/Age
Young adult. 14+.

Why I included this title
This book is included on the 2007 ALA Best Books Young Adults.

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat.
Harper & Row. 1989.
ISBN 0060205342
$12.89. Hardcover. 88 pages.

Readers Annotation
Weetzie and her best friend Dirk live happily together in Shangri-L.A. Together they build a happy home with their lovers and Weetzie’s children.

Plot Summary
In this modern fairy tale, Weetzie Bat, a girl on the fringe of society, meets Dirk, a young gay man. The two become best friends. Together they build a near utopian home for themselves. Both Weetzie and Dirk wants to find love. Dirk finds his soul mate in Duck, while Weetzie discovers “My Secret Agent Lover Man.” The foursome lives happily together until Weetzie decides she wants to have a child. My Secret Agent Lover Man balks at the prospect of becoming a father, but Weetzie persists. Dirk and Duck offer to become surrogate fathers, and later when My Secret Agent Lover Man returns after the birth of their daughter, the four friends/lovers settle down to raise their child. My Secret Agent Lover Man, an independent filmmaker, is blessed with a second child. Tender-hearted Weetzie decides she wants to raise this child with her daughter, Cherokee. The addition of “Witch Baby” livens up the household even more. When Charlie Bat (Weetzie’s father) dies, it is the first great grief felt by the friends. The toll of deaths (the unspoken AIDS crisis) takes its measure with Duck, who leaves his long-time lover. Dirk searches for Duck. He finds him in San Francisco. In the end, the friends are seated around a dinner table together, and Weetzie understands that love is a choice, and she and her family can exist happily together.

Critical Evaluation 
This first novel by Block has moments when it reaches the sublime.  Grandma Fifi giving the Genie to Weetzie.  Weetzie's three wishes coming true, and the intense happiness felt by the foursome living together in Grandma Fifi's Hollywood home.  There is a level of magical realism that suits the storyline.  Yet I found myself confused at times.  There is no clear timeline. The story begins when Weetzie and Dirk meet in highschool. Soon they are going to concerts and bars, hanging out at Grandma Fifi’s house. After Grandma Fifi dies and leaves the house to Dirk and Weetzie, I was no longer clear on the ages of the protagonists. Were they still teens or young adults? Wikipedia states that Weetzie is about 23 years old at the end of the first novel, but I don’t agree with that assessment. She could be any age. Although not openly stated it is obvious that Block is talking about the AIDS crisis when she discusses the friends that have died in the gay community. I wish she had been more open, speaking more clearly about the disease. I deeply appreciate the honesty and hopefulness portrayed in this novel.

This is a very short easy-to-read novel.  It is also part of a series of books called Dangerous Angels.  The series includes Weetzie Bat, Witch Baby, Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys, Missing Angel Juan, and Baby Be-Bop.

Information about the author
Born on December 3, 1962, Francesca Lia Block is a native of Los Angeles. Weetzie Bat was written while she was attending UC Berkeley. She is a prolific writer who has completed more than 25 novels. In 2005 she received the Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Library Association. You can find out more about her at http://www.francescaliablock.com/.

Genre
Fiction, Contemporary Issues

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
This book is loaded with controversial issues. Librarians should be prepared for challenges. Issues will include: sexuality, homosexuality, and abortion.

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Weetzie-Bat-Francesca-Lia-Block/dp/0060736259/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258216146&sr=8-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1. Discuss how Weetzie doesn’t like high school very much because no one understands.
2. Talk about how she meets Dirk and they become best friends.
3. Mention that Dirk is a young gay man.
4. Talk about the images of magical realism in the story (Genie, and Lanka Witch).

Reading Level/Age
Young Adult. Ages 16 and up.

Why I included this title
This book was suggested by SJSU Assistant Professor Joni Bodart as a "must read."

Dunk by David Lubar

Lubar, David. Dunk.
Houghton Mifflin. 2002.
ISBN: 0618439099.
$6.99. Paperback. 256 pages.

Readers Annotation
The first time Chad hears the new Bozo at the dunk tank he decides that he wants to become one too.

Plot
Chad Turner doesn’t want to spend another summer doing nothing but hanging out on the Jersey Shore. He can’t convince his Mom that he’s ready for a job so he spends his time running errands for vendors and hanging out with his best friend Jason. While he wants to work he also wants to see Gwen, a summer worker at the shore. Everything changes the day he hears the new Bozo at the dunk tank dragging in his marks. Chad becomes enchanted with the idea of becoming a Bozo just like the guy in the tank, but he is soon disappointed. Chad discovers that the new Bozo is actually his mother’s new tenant upstairs. Malcolm, the new tenant, has secrets of his own. At first the two develop a dislike for each other. However, when Chad’s best friend, Jason becomes very ill, it is Malcolm that takes Chad under his wing and begins to teach him the art of becoming a Bozo. Chad learns that the power of laughter can help his friend recover from a serious illness, and the confidence he gains helps him to win Gwen.

Critical Evaluation
Author David Lubar is a master at creating male characters that are realistic and believable. Like many teen novels this book deals with a character that is trying to move beyond his parent’s expectations. Chad, who is quiet and unassuming, longs to break out and say the things he can’t voice. He wants to tell his mother that he longs to work as a Bozo, he wants to tell Gwen that he likes her, he wants to tell the neighbor (Malcolm) he thinks he is a jerk. But he can’t find his voice until he listens to Malcolm. As Malcolm fills a part of the void from his missing father, Chad comes to have a grudging respect for his new mentor. The real change for Chad comes when his friend Jason faces a grave illness. Chad must face the possibility that his friend might die. For Chad, finding his voice through the Bozo makeup gives him a power he never had. It is only while wearing costume that he is able to finally tell Gwen he would like to take her out. In the end Chad discovers that his true power is in creating laughter. Chad and his friends will keep readers entertained and asking for more.

Information about the author
To find out more about David Lubar you can visit his website at http://www.davidlubar.com/. Like most authors, he does not offer much biographical information, but his FAQ page is interesting because he answers questions about the writing process.

Genre
Fiction. Contemporary Issues.

Curriculum ties
None.

Challenge Issues
Violence, Criminal behavior, Alcohol and drug use

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the book and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Dunk-David-Lubar/dp/0618439099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258086600&sr=8-1
· Try to get reviews of the book from teens that have read it.

Booktalking Ideas
1.  Discuss why Chad wants to be the Bozo so badly.
2.  Talk about how Chad discovers that there is more to being the Bozo than just insults.
3.  Discuss how Chad finds that humor can help his friend Jason get well again.


Reading Level/Age
Young Adult. 12+.

Why I included this title
I have become a Lubar fan after reading Hidden Talents and True Talents. I would suggest his books to any reluctant reader.