LSSL 5385 Young Adult Book Blogs 1-8

Young Adult Book #1: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. NY: Little Brown.

Junior is from the Spokane Indian reservation. He constantly gets bullied by everyone there because of the many medical problems he was born with. He feels he doesn't fit in where he's from, and he also believes that he deserves a good education. In order to receive this, he would have to transfer to an all-white high school, which is pretty far from where he lives. His parents agree and allow Junior to switch schools, but there are challenges that came with that decision. People from the reservation are quite mad he had the nerve to do such a thing, including his best friend Rowdy, who was really the only one who never picked on him. In addition to this, the distance to the school was still a problem, so Junior had to work hard to constantly stay on top of things and find various ways to get him to school on time. Things were rocky at first at the new school, especially since he was the minority, but soon Junior starts fitting in with his classmates. Several deaths occur within Junior's family, which makes him realize that he belongs in both worlds and not just one.

This book was actually a book club novel choice for my middle school Pre-AP students. They loved how Junior was a cartoonist and enjoyed looking at his drawings for a good laugh. I believe that the humor the author used helped represent the character's honesty about the struggles within life, which many of my students were about to relate to. Young readers will be able to learn about Junior's culture's traditions and beliefs. Also, Junior wanted to establish an identity for himself, feel accepted,  and not be bullied, which again, most young people struggle with today. This explains why this novel has won many awards and received much recognition, including being a New York Times Bestseller, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Reviews Best YA Book, etc.

Check out this book trailer for the novel. The background music gives the trailer the whole reservation feel and includes some of Junior's cartoons!

Young Adult Book #2: Speak

Anderson, L.H. (2018). Speak. NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. (Original work published 1999)

Melinda is a freshman at Merryweather High, and it does not start off well. She classifies herself as an "outcast", for she has no friends and everybody seems to super hate her. It's all because of a party that happened in the summer. People know her as the girl who called the cops to shut down the party, but she most definitely did not call for that reason. Throughout her school year, Melinda appears to be going through a depression, for she hardly says anything and tries her best to just be invisible. Her whole persona has changed from previous years, and readers can tell it's because of something that happened at the party. Clues are given when Melinda would see a senior boy named Andy around. She refers to him as "IT". As time goes on, it is revealed that Melinda was actually raped at the party by Andy, and ever since then, she has not been the same and hasn't spoken up about it to anybody. She soon finds out that more girls at her school have had similar encounters with Andy, and when Andy attempts to hurt her again at another time, Melinda finally discovers her voice to call for help and say "NO!".

On the cover of the graphic novel, there is a tree with Melinda's face shadowed on it. In the story, Melinda is assigned to create art of only trees in her art class. In the beginning of the school year, she struggles with this task; however, as time progresses, she is able to create the trees. This represents her growth and her new life after finally being able to talk about and share what had happened to her with Andy.

I read the graphic novel version of Speak, but I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed it just as much through the regular published version. I was able to detect that Melinda was traumatized from a tragic event early on, but the other characters within the novel did not. This happens in real life today. Some people ignore the signs of a person who is silently crying for help and just automatically assume the worst instead of taking time to assess the situation. I believe that this novel is a great resource for young readers to have if they have gone through sexual harassment and abuse themselves. Melinda represents hope for those who are afraid to speak up. This graphic novel has been recognized in many ways, including being a School Library Journal Best Book of 2018 and a YALSA Great Graphic Novel Reading List selection.

Check out this book trailer for Speak. It includes quotes from the actual novel and even incorporates parts of scenes from the movie adaption that came out in 2004!

Young Adult Book #3: Lucky Broken Girl

Behar, R. (2017). Lucky broken girl. NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Ruthie is a Cuban-Jewish immigrant that worked hard to adapt to her new life in America, starting with school. She was considered "dumb" because she couldn't speak English at first. After many months, Ruthie was able to prove she knew English and belonged in the regular fifth grade class. Her parents, who were immigrants as well, worked hard when it came to financial matters and taking care of the family. So Ruthie was surprised when her father was able to get her a pair of go-go boots she was wanting for a long time. Things were starting to look swell for Ruthie, including the fact that her father bought a new car for them to travel in. Unfortunately, the family got in a really bad accident one day, leaving Ruthie severely injured and forced to wear a body cast. She is in the body cast for an extremely long time and was stuck in bed, meaning her mother had to basically do everything for her since she couldn't really do anything by herself. A new neighbor shares art with Ruthie, which is what she took up for the time-being. She begun to look up to Frida Kahlo, who also encountered a terrible accident. Eventually, her body cast was taken off, but she had to learn how to walk again, which definitely scared her and made her doubt herself. As challenging and terrifying as it was for Ruthie, she pushed through to get her life back to the direction she was aiming towards in the first place.

Ruthie pushed through and demonstrated a lot of resilience during her injured time. She referred to herself as broken, but she also considered herself lucky because the experience had opened up her eyes to new insights and a series of opportunities (i.e. writing and art). At several moments, she felt helpless and useless, which brought her self-esteem and hope down. However, she learned that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and even though things seemed bad right there and then, they weren't going to be like that forever. This just required optimism and patience. This novel is the winner of the 2018 Pura Belpre Award since it celebrates and represents a Latino culture. Other books by Ruth Behar about her journey and life as a Cuban-Jewish immigrant include An Island Called Home and Traveling Heavy.

Check out this book trailer narrated by Ruth Bear herself! She shares photos from her past, talks about her childhood, and even visits the place of her healing.

Young Adult Book #4: Annie on My Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

The beginning of Annie on My Mind opens up with how Liza Winthrop struggles to write a letter to a girl named Annie.  She backs up her story to the previous November, which is when she first met Annie Kenyon. Their worlds collided while they were both at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Liza attends a private school and aspires to be an architect one day, while Annie attends public school and would like to pursue music. They immediately click and grow a beautiful friendship, for they both feel they were never able to fully connect with anybody else before. As they spend more time together and get to know one another, they do become closer. Things started to get intimate, and they just felt right. However, these feelings are also confusing. What would others think/say? Are they really in love? Eventually, people found out about them after they were caught alone in a house together. At that moment, Liza decides to take time to figure out her feelings when they go away for college. It was then when she realized that no matter what, love always wins.

This novel was written in the 80s, which explains why the protagonists were so scared to show who they really were to the world. However, this still happens today. People are scared to come out, and they often doubt their true feelings when it comes to the ignorance of those around them. I believe that Annie on My Mind is an excellent read for the LGBTQ community. There is a happy ending for these two lovers, and they learned that they should not be ashamed of who they are. It is also a good novel to show how scary true love can be, but if you have that special someone, don't let them go.

Another recommended coming out novel is Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters. It is a love story about two girls who have feelings for each other, but aren't quite sure how to go about it.

Young Adult Book #5: Lily and Dunkin

Gephart, D. (2016). Lily and Dunkin. NY: Delacorte.

Timothy McGrother, who actually goes by "Lily", was born as a boy but does not identify as that particular gender. She is an 8th grade girl who has not transitioned physically. She is about to hit puberty soon, so it is important for her to start hormone blockers as soon as possible. However, there are external conflicts she has to consider before going about this. Even though Lily's mother and older sister are supportive, her father is skeptical and doesn't really accept the idea at first. In addition to this, Lily gets bullied at school since other students notice that she is "different". The other protagonist is Norbert Dorfman, also known as "Dunkin". He is also an 8th grader and has a bipolar disorder. He just moved to Florida from New Jersey, for him and his mother were forced to start a new life with his grandmother after a tragic event happened with his father. Dunkin and Lily's worlds are completely different; however, they both desire to be accepted. They befriend each other at the beginning of the school year, but unfortunately, Dunkin's need of sense of belonging overcomes him and he joins the basketball team and even starts hanging out with a tough crowd, which are actually Lily's bullies. Throughout the first semester of their 8th grade year, Lily's bullying worsens and Dunkin stops taking his medicine. Both of their lives arise with problems, but when a tree they both love has been ordered to be chopped down, they come together and bond with each other once again, realizing that they are both perfect just the way they are.

I absolutely enjoyed this novel. I strongly believe that the author did an excellent job in representing the theme of "finding identity". I am not quite familiar with what bipolar disorder consists of, but when I read about Dunkin's journey of trying to fit in, I cried multiple times. This is an 8th grader struggling with whether or not his medicine is beneficial for his health and then dealing with negative effects his decision costed him. When he had his breakdown at his game, I was able to picture it very clearly, and my heart ached for him. As for Lily's story, I felt myself cry with hers as well. I believe that this novel is a great read for those transitioning genders. I was able to read Lily's emotions and recognize how much her father's acceptance meant to her. When he didn't accept her at first, Lily herself felt guilty and thought she was the bad person in the situation. This is a huge problem today. Lily's identity is not a choice, and all she wanted was to be herself freely. This probably explains why this book has won many awards, including the 2017 Southern Book Award and the Voice Award from the Palm Beach County Action Alliance for Mental Health. It is also on several lists, including YALSA 2017 Best Fiction for Young Adults and ALA 2017 Rainbow Book List. 

Check out Gracefully Grayson by Amy Polonsky, which is also about a character who is born a boy but identifies as a girl and desires acceptance.

Young Adult Book #6:  It's Perfectly Normal

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

As children get older, they begin to have questions. These questions can include some that others may find uncomfortable to answer or just simply don't have a way to answer it easily. Everybody goes through puberty and curiosity about sex, so why not provide content that is completely open about it? Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley do exactly this in It's Perfectly Normal. Unbiased information is shared and detailed illustrations are provided to help prove accuracy. The purpose of this book is to ensure young readers that the changes they are going through are not only happening to them, for they happen to everybody and there's no need to be ashamed about it. To help do this, there are two characters, a bird and a bee, that are written in the text as two curious creatures uncovering the truth about these topics within sex education.

I can see how some young readers, and even some adults, may find this book as too extreme when it comes to the visuals; however, I believe they definitely serve their purpose. Some children and teens don't have access to an adult or a sex education program that is willing to uncover the truth about these various topics. The information itself is super useful, but I feel the illustrations also help as guides for readers so they can know specifically what the text is referring to. It promotes no judgement, for we want our young readers to feel welcomed when doing research about their own personal questions.

Check out this book trailer for It's Perfectly Normal! It represents the curiosity young people go through and how this text is a good way to answer any burning questions!

Young Adult Book #7: Monster

Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper.

Because of a Harlem drugstore robbery that ended with the murder of the owner, Steve Harmon is on trial and spends time in prison for supposedly being the crime's lookout. He is sixteen years old and believes he is innocent. He begins to document his experiences from the trial and prison in hopes that one day he is finally able to leave this nightmare. He is seen and called a "Monster", for people see him partially responsible for the owner's death. Even though other people involved in the crime were found guilty, Steve's verdict was finally declared as not guilty.

Monster is written in the point of view of young Steve, but it switches up as a screenplay for a movie to typical journal entries. I found this super interesting because it made the story even more engaging and allows readers to really understand Steve's feelings of nervousness, fear, and even regret. It adds suspense, for the way it is written, the reader is able to go through the journey of the trial as well. Readers are given the opportunity to witness the events happening in court and what had happened the day of the murder, meaning they can also decide whether or not Steve is innocent or guilty. This is kind of like being a member of the jury itself. In addition to this, the title of the novel plays a huge role. Steve is called a "Monster", which is what the public and justice system saw him as since he appeared to have been guilty. Even his lawyer appeared to have thought he was guilty, which is most likely because of the judgement of his skin color. As a sixteen year old boy, this hurts Steve and breaks him up inside. He is no longer seen as a child, but just as a criminal who needs to be punished. He wants people to know he is innocent like he believes he is, but they are already judging based on what's right in from of them. This novel is a National Book Award finalist and a Loretta Scott King Award Honor Book.

Check out this book trailer for Monster! It gives a brief summary and adds to the suspense of Steve's fate. In addition to this, I believe that if this is read as a class novel, it would be engaging to read as a read aloud since most of the parts are written like a script.

Young Adult Book #8: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

Todd is from Prentisstown, which isn't an ordinary town but more like an alien planet. There is constant "Noise", meaning all the people's and animals' thoughts can be heard between each other. Also, there are no women, just men. Except for Todd, who is a boy and will actually very soon be a man. He has two adoptive parents  and a dog named Manchee. One day, Todd and Manchee come across an unknown silence, in which they later find out belonged to a girl named Viola. This is weird since apparently back in the days, a germ killed all the women. This means that women's thoughts could not be heard, and there is something that his town is hiding. They end up leaving the community so no one will catch on and find out about Viola, but then again, there is a lack of privacy, so people find out anyways and the chasing begins.

When I began to read this novel, I admit I was somewhat confused. Like, is the dog really talking? Can they REALLY hear all the men's thoughts? I also believe the grammar got to me a little bit as well, which made me skeptical about whether the book was really amazing as others have told me in the past. As I continued to read though, I started to understand the story's plot, and I did not want to put the book down. I also realized that even though the grammar was weird and the text can be seen as hard to read to some readers, it actually helped make Todd's character seem more authentic. It is a science fiction book that incorporates an alien world, which is interesting to me because for some reason I didn't quite catch that at first. The men in the town can be seen as and compared to colonizers. Since their thoughts are heard, they must be careful with what they think. Basically, even their privacy is controlled in addition to their everyday lives! They must obey and go along with things without question. I believe that it would be nice for educators to do a brief recap of some colonization events that happened in the past and then compare and contrast it to the Todd's world in the novel. Several awards given to this book include Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the James Tiptree Jr. Award.

Check out this book trailer for The Knife of Never Letting Go! Also, this novel is part of a trilogy. The other titles are The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men.