YA Book Reviews Part 3 of 3

Part of my coursework for YA Lit (LSSL5385 @SHSU) has a requirement to read 25 books and review them. The books come from a required titles list, required authors list, and then free choice of books from select YA awards lists. Here is the third and final set of 9 books of the assignment. 


I have an annotated bibliography that can be viewed online or print out to share here.
Enjoy!
Harris uses a simple words and terms to be able to explain the physical, psychological, emotional and social changes every puberty--and some of the consequences of the changes.  The text is a matter of fact and non-judgemental, this allows the reader to gain the information needed in regards to the changes that occur to the human body. Harris discusses sexual orientation, sexual reproduction, pregnancy, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual abuse, and reitterates important facts such as the dangers of being sexually active.  The illustrations by Emberly are great and anatomically correct even though they are simple, some may believe they are graphic. His illustrations support Harris’ message that all bodies are different and all are perfectly normal.

Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Books 17-25

Alexander, K., & Anyabwile, D. (2018). Rebound. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Alexander writes this novel in verse as a prequel to The Crossover (2014). Charlie Bell is 12 years old, loves basketball though he isn’t a good player, his father died, and now he isn’t coping well with this change and the grief. His mother decides that it is in his best interest for him to go stay with his grandparents for the summer.  His 12 year old brain can't wrap itself around the thought that he isn’t the only one dealing with loss. While with his grandparents, Charlie learns about the world around him, about extended family and belonging, and even music, this helps him start to rebound in his grief. Charlie’s story is sprinkled with various black & white tonal illustrations by Anyabwile that are set up like comic book panels, and vary from 1 to 2 page spreads.  

Horn Book review, July/August 2018, “A story filled with preteen angst, peer pressure, realistic family dynamics, and first romance is elevated to uncommon heights by a visceral exploration of grief and a search for confidence that pays off in spectacular ways.”

Kirkus review, March 2018, “An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood.” 

Reader suggestions: This book is great for reluctant readers as the prose makes it move faster than an “normal” chapter book. This book would also peak the interest of readers who like sports &/or basketball.  

Book is part of the 7 free choice YA books for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne, this title came from 2019 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers put together by YALSA.

Alexander, K., & Hess, M. R. (2018). Swing. Blink.

Noah & Walt (or “Swing”) have been best friends for a long time, they are now both seventeen and have not made the baseball team the last three years they’ve tried out.  Noah’s elementary school romance, Sam, interest doesn’t seem to be interested in going past friendship. Swing isn’t letting these things down. He sets his goals of grandeur, on the boys making a baseball comeback, on Noah having the girl, and both being part of the cool crowd.  Noah is reluctant to share his feelings with Sam despite Walt’s ideas. Walt’s suggestion includes listening to podcasts for tips, and when he finds a bundle of 1960’s vintage love letters when shopping for him mom’s birthday, he knows it’s a sign he should do something. He begins to use those letters as inspiration for letters to Sam.  Meanwhile, Walt is busy working on his baseball skills trying to catch the coaches attention. As soon as things seems to be going for the two boys, flags keep showing up in their town. Why are they appearing? Who is behind it? 

Kirkus reviews, Aug. 2018, “The free verse tells a story as complex as the classic jazz music woven throughout. Noah is the narrator, but it is Swing, with his humor, irresistible charm, and optimism, who steals the spotlight. All the secondary characters are distinctive and add texture to the narrative.”

Publisher’s Weekly review, Nov. 2018, “Alexander and Hess (co-authors of Solo) embrace the malleability of free verse, heightening emotions with shifting styles and rhythms, and though Swing’s voice steals the show, the bantering friendship he and Noah share also shines.”

Book talk by Kwame Alexander on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK_N20aGZtI 

This book is part of Young Adult Authors Required List for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne.

Anderson, L. H. & Carroll, E. (2018). Speak: the graphic novel. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

This novel is a graphic adaptation of the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson with art by Emily Carroll.  Melinda is starting high school, and she now finds herself as an outcast after having called the police during an “end-of-summer” party.  High school is hard, and now her best friend won’t talk to her, her teachers don’t understand her, and the bullying and harassing from others just won’t stop.  What no one understands about Melinda is that she was raped by an upperclassman at that “end-of-summer” party, and she is trying to cope and heal with this using silence and art.  Carroll’s black and white illustrations of this novel are a great way for the reader to be able to get into Melinda’s thoughts. The graphic novel does not include a lot of the traditional panels and uses mainly a page illustration at times with a panel or two. The concept of left to right, top to bottom for readability still follows.  

Kirkus review, Feb. 2018, “With the rise of women finding their voices and speaking out about sexual assault in the media, this reworking of the enduring 1999 classic should be on everyone’s radar.”

School Library Journal review, Jan. 2018, “The characters are distinct and the action flows naturally; it is amazing how closely this version evokes the style and feeling of the original. The dialogue is pulled directly from the novel and enhances the progression of the story and of Melinda’s emotions. VERDICT This gripping, powerful work will introduce Speak to a brand-new audience and enthrall longtime fans.”

Counselor Connection-This book would be good for a student dealing with sexual assault, or rape. While Melinda used art as a way of expression, a student could use it as an example, or find an alternative as a way to cope. They could also see how her feelings changed.  A student could also read this book as a means to learn how sexual assault affects people.  

This book is part of Young Adult Novels Required List for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne.

Crutcher, C. (2013). Period .8. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Period 8 of this high school is supposed to be the place where it’s students can discuss anything and know that their words and thoughts are safe. Paul Baum is the stereotypical good guy who strives to tell the truth.  His mentor, a teacher who everyone calls “Logs,” is also the teacher who is in charge of this special class. In the class are also Paul’s girlfriend, Hannah, & the class president & his nemesis, Archey. Paul discovers that telling the truth all the time does have consequences when his girlfriend breaks up with him.  Paul and Logs do a lot of swimming together outside of school, and they talk. Paul and his other classmates are worried as one of their classmates has gone missing. Where has she gone? who is she with? and why is she gone? Are all questions that slowly Paul has answers for. Someone is lying about what they know, will the Period 8 students know who it is? 

Kirkus reviews, Feb. 2013, “Fast-paced intrigue keeps the reader hanging on as Paulie pieces together clues to the discomfiting truth behind the strange, shadowy behavior of people he trusted.”

Publisher’s Weekly review, Feb. 2013, “Logs and his mentee, 17-year-old distance swimmer Paulie Baum, slowly unravel what’s going on, leading to a high-octane finish that will keep readers furiously flipping the pages to uncover who the good guys really are.”

Short talk about truth and Paul Baum (main character in the book) by author Chris Crutcher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Nj9lsUFIQ 

This book is part of Young Adult Authors Required List for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne.

Harris, R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press

Parent Connection-This book would be a great resource to have for children who are starting to go through puberty, are curious about the upcoming changes, for a child that is scared or embarrassed to ask, and for those that may be sexually curious.   This book will even be good for parent’s who may not know where to begin to talk to their child, or one that wants an unbiased factual book to share.  

Kirkus reviews, May 2010, “A terrific teaching tool that just may help slow the spread of sexual diseases and ignorance. “

This book is part of Young Adult Novels/Books Required List for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne.

Medina, M. (2018). Merci Suarez changes gears. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Merci lives in one of three houses on a property owned by her family, her aunt and twin cousins have a house, and so do her grandparents.  She enjoys this arrangement most days. She and her brother,Roli, attend a private school in South Florida. She wishes she had a new bike she could use to get to school. Money is tight at home, and she is having to earn and save money to have a new bike by helping in the painting family business.  Things are changing at school as she starts off 6th grade, now students switch to different teachers for different subjects. Merci is looking forward to trying out for the soccer team, but after having been in the Sunshine Buddies Club as a newly enrolled student, she is required to be a Buddy to a newly enrolled boy this year. Now she also has to deal with the grade level bully and ring leader who was HER buddy last year.   On top of dealing with school things, Merci is noticing changes in her beloved grandfather, Lolo, and no one is telling her what is happening. Will Merci be able to change gears to deal with all?

School Library Journal review, July 2018, “VERDICT Pura Belpré—winning author Medina cruises into readers' hearts with this luminous middle grade novel. A winning addition to any library's shelves.”

Publisher’s Weekly review, Aug 2018, “Medina keeps the tone light as Merci’s take-charge personality helps her to succeed in this coming-of-age tale about family and the perils of sixth grade.”

Awards: Newbery Medal (2019), Kirkus Prize Nominee for Young Readers' Literature (2018), NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Book (2019).

Counselor Connection: This would be a good book for a student to read when trying to understand a family member being diagnosed with Alzheimers.  

Discussion Guide from publisher, this would be great if a teacher wanted to use the book as a novel study.  https://megmedina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Merci-Suarez-Discussion-Guide.pdf 

Book is part of the NYT Bestseller list requirement for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne. On April 13, 2019 this title had been on the NYT Bestseller list for 5 weeks.

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis. New York: Pantheon.

The “Islamic Revolution” just happened, Marjane (or Marji), doesn't understand what's going on around her, things are changing and she doesn’t like it. She is now having to cover her hair with a veil while attending school, she didn’t have to do that the year before.   She has come to idolize her Uncle Anoosh and others like him that were imprisoned and/or tortured by the new regime. Even though Marji and her family refuse to conform to the Fundamentalist and their rules/beliefs, they appeared to do so to an extent outwardly in order to live their daily lives. Each chapter ends with Marji learning a tough lesson, a lesson that the reader has to think about in order to learn it themselves.  As an illustrator of her graphic novel autobiography, Satrapi used simple images in black and white (no shading or gradient) on panels with wide gutters. The facial expressions, though simple, really show many different expressions to show their moods and feelings. There are a lot of symbolism in the panels, for example, there are panels that are drawn with complete backgrounds, and the images are outlined in white, in those the regime is doing bad things or Marji is having a rough day/time. The black took over the positivity/white in the story during those panels.  

Publisher’s Weekly review, July 2003, “Skillfully presenting a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals, she also shows quotidian life in Tehran and her family's pride and love for their country despite the tumultuous times. Powerfully understated, this work joins other memoirs—Spiegelman's Maus and Sacco's Safe Area Goradze — that use comics to make the unthinkable familiar.”

Classroom Connection: This book could be used in a History/Social Studies class that is learning about the history of Iran and Iraq as this gives first hand stories of how the war affected the children.  

This book is part of Young Adult Novels Required List for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne.

Sims, G. A., Anyabwile, D., & Myers, W. D. (2015). Monster : A graphic novel. New York, NY: Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Steve is young, black, in jail and being tried for robbery & murder, yes he’s terrified too because he knows he didn’t do it.  Steve, who dreams of being a filmmaker, envisions his story like a movie script. After each day in the courtroom, Steve is taken back to his prison cell to spend the night, he is left to replay the scenes of his actions and thinks about what he would have done differently.  “Filmmaker Steve” cuts and edits the changes. Steve has to ensure to convince others of his innocence, while trying to convince himself of his humanity. His fear, doubt, and confusion are illustrated and have great detail in his face. Anyabwile’s illustrations and panel set up allow the reader to be immersed in a “movie” as Steve’s story is told.  The illustrations are drawn in black and white, using an all caps text. The left to right, and top to bottom readability concept follows. The trial’s verdict release Steve from the MONSTER, but can he go back to living a normal life while the others that were on trial with him are in jail.  

Awards: Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist

Kirkus reviews, july 2015, “It’s not easy for an adaptation to please both old and new readers, but this respectful one pulls off that trick.”

This book is part of Young Adult Novels Required List for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne.

Woodson, J. (2018). Harbor me. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Ms. Laverne has decided to try something different with her last period class, a group of 6th grade students. She will have the six students sit in an abandoned Art room without adult supervision and allow them to talk, no particular topic, nothing is off limits. Haley knows only one person, her best friend Holly, and both are curious about the other 4 classmates. Haley brings a recorder to class and records their chats, and their stories as they begin to share.  As the weeks go by, the students are able to start talking about some of the issues that are bothering them and no longer worry that Ms. Laverne has set them up in some type of way. They begin to trust each other and the time they have been awarded to be able to discuss things, hard things that they are dealing with in their lives. Things like Esteban’s dad being detained by ICE, Amari not being able to play with toy guns anymore because he is black, to Haley living with her uncle while her dad is incarcerated and her mom deceased.  The group of six friends help each other understand grief, loss, identity, change, forgiveness, and even community.

Horn Book Reviews, Nov/Dec 2018, “Woodson’s ... latest will speak to young people’s insecurities and fears while recognizing their courage in facing them, and her craft as a weaver of words and imagery is evident on every page. A timely tribute to the resilience of young people and to the power of human connection that often overrides our differences.”

Publisher’s Weekly, May 2018, “Showing how America’s political and social issues affect children on a daily basis, this novel will leave an indelible mark on readers’ minds.”

Kirkus reviews, June 2018, “Woodson delivers a powerful tale of community and mutual growth. The bond they develop is palpable. Haley’s recorder is both an important plot element and a metaphor for the power of voice and story. The characters ring true as they discuss issues both personal and global. This story, told with exquisite language and clarity of narrative, is both heartbreaking and hopeful.”

Teacher’s Guide for Jacqueline Woodson works, for Harbor Me skip to page 12 of document, http://images.randomhouse.com/teachers_guides/9780399252525.pdf

Book is part of the 7 free choice YA books for LSSL 5385 Dr. Lesesne, this title came from 2019 Best Fiction for Young Adults put together by YALSA.