The Most Excellent book of the semester?

Okay, sorry, the titles of these posts are really sort of cheesey. I just can't help myself.

Anyway, as the last book of the semester, I couldn't help but think back on all of the ones I've read. The one that stuck out most in my mind was Looking for Alaska. I just so enjoyed that book, and after that, nothing ever quite met that expectation. Sometimes it was the genre, sometimes the characters or the plot itself, but I never quite reached the satisfaction that I had while reading Alaska... until My Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger. The story is one of three friends growing up, dealing with love and loss, friendship, and mostly hope.

I know many people didn't like the varying format, but I thought it so enhanced the book and kept it interesting. It gave great insight on each of the characters and helped me better get into their heads and understand their motivations. I just thought the format was appropriate. No complaints.

I also think that one of my favorite parts of the book was its ability to get across a point without making it glaringly obvious. I don't think that it had an "agenda" so to speak, but I think it's fair to say that Kluger was trying to make a point about homosexuality, mostly by not making it at all, less perhaps one line, said by Augie's dad, "I realized that we'd never had the "I'm gay" conversation. Has this generation finally made it superfluous? If only."

Though homosexuality was a theme throughout the book, it was just that, A theme, not THE theme, and nothing jammed down your throat or shoved in your face. I so appreciated that. Perhaps it was an ideal world, perhaps it wasn't "realistic" enough, but the first step to accomplishing a social goal is to be able to envision it. And I think Kluger did an exceptional job with his handling of this social issue.

The rest of the book was simply about love. Father-son love, Mother-son love, friendly love, budding love, romantic love, the love of a child, among probably others. Yes, the world is full of horrible things, and often life is not fair... but sometimes it's nice to step outside of that and remember that love prevails. It was a pick-me-up book, an easy read, something fun, and it left me with a smile. I would give it my highest recommendation for any student looking for this sort of feeling.

Why do we read?

This question seemed to be glaringly significant after the class discussion for We Were Here, by Matt De la Pena. The discussion became somewhat heated and some feelings seemed to be hurt, but I think it very much boiled down to the question, why do we read?

Do we read to relate to our characters or the plot or setting of the book? Do we read to expose societal issues? Do we read to have a different experience or learn something new? Do we read simply to enjoy? I'd argue that all of those are great reasons to read, and there are so many more.

Reading the posts from the high school class in Michigan, they often referenced how the YA lit they were reading was easier to relate to, dealt with issues they deal with, and was more interesting. I simply stated that I believed that a book like We Were Here would not necessarily provide them with what they were looking for, if that in fact was it.

We Were Here is the story of a teenage boy who's committed an awful crime that he cannot face. He is sentenced to a year in a group home, where he must record his feelings and experiences in a journal. Along the way he meets a few different boys who teach him several lessons about himself, his experiences, and dealing with tragedies. The story is really one of forgiving- others, yourself. Running from life simply isn't the answer.

I could definitely see the concept of this book used in a classroom, but the profanity in this specific book may be difficult to bring into a classroom, depending on the district. The title of this section was "unheard voices", and I think that's something worth examining.

Do we bring voices into the classroom specifically because they are unheard? Or can we simply bring this book into a classroom because it has important themes and perspective, and it just happens to have three boys of color as its main characters. I think that the story is worth telling, and these questions are so important to discuss with students. It's a teacher decision, but students should understand the issues.

Not my cup of tea, but enjoyable

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore was a part of our "page turners" section of this class, and it falls specifically under fantasy with a very visible element of romance as well throughout. I'm not a fantasy person, but the book was definitely fun, smart, and enjoyable.

I could see where it was a YA book, but I also felt at times that the book was really mature. The romance was fairly mature, and there was a non-detailed sex scene at one point, but the characters themselves were very mature for their ages. The romance is fairly mature, and there is a very present issue of marriage and if you should get married and why or why not, which I thought to be advanced as well for some young readers. Although I suppose they might just not pick up on it.

This book obviously displays an extreme case, but it begs the question, do you use the powers (whatever they might be) you have to rule over people just because you can? Because the government has power over its people, should they take advantage of it? Or should they rule FOR the people?

The only issue I had with this book is this sort of question. Teen readers say they want something to "relate to" and such, but is this question really relevant in their lives? On some level maybe, but it's seems to be sort of a strange and abstract question. Even the romance, like I said, is so mature, it seems a little much for teen readers.

Though I think it was an interesting and enjoyable read, I would probably recommend it to an older crowd interested in fantasy, and I'm not sure I'd use it in the classroom. I just think there are so many other books out there with more pressing issues for high schoolers.

Octavian was nothing special for me

I've been very forthright about my opinions of these books, and I will continue to be honest. I got through less than half of this book before I just could not finish it. And I am not usually the type of person who doesn't finish something, a book or otherwise. I just could not do it. That being said, let me continue with what I can say about The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson.

The whole idea of YA historical fiction was terribly unappealing to me, but I really made an attempt to get through it. But when I was forewarned in class that, "the first 1/3 or so of the book is tough to get through, but then it's excellent!" I was just not pleased. I continued to try, but when other work piled up, I just could not make it a priority.

Though we like to think that our students are only taking our class and that our class is the most important, that simply is not the case. And I would have a really hard time pitching a book where I recognized that the first THIRD of the book was "tough to get through". Personally, I don't care how good the book turns out when over a hundred pages are not that great. A good author shouldn't take so long to draw a reader in- I believe that a good author draws the reader in right away. I also am more of a page-turner kind of reader, but I think most of my young students might feel the same way.

So I hope that if I want to teach this kind of a book in my classroom or encourage my students to read historical fiction, I can find a better option for them. I would not rule out this book entirely, because I'm aware that not everyone reads like I do, but I'd say that if a student is looking for YA lit, this is not quite what they're looking for.

Satisfying for what it's worth...

I'll be honest off the bat so you understand my bias... I am not a science fiction fan. The closest I come to science fiction is admittedly the Twilight saga, which is more a fictional vampire love story... still silly, but I'm a sucker for silly romance novels even as a junior in college. What can I say?

So it's important you understand that in order to take my review as you will. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins is a science fiction novel with a loud and clear social commentary on social class and government power among others. Our protagonist, sixteen year old Katniss, lives in a world where the Capitol runs twelve districts formerly known as North America. The government put down several revolts, even destroying the thirteenth district. In order to prove and remain in power, they host the Hunger Games, a competition amongst the districts, a battle to the death.

Because I didn't really connect with this book myself on a personal level, I'll comment on whether it accomplished its goal and whether that goal was worthy of pursuing.

I think the goal for this book was to reinvent the traditional dystopian literature topic. Collins uses a female narrator, which is less common in science fiction books. It gives the commentary a different spin than your typical male perspective. In addition, the book is certainly more updated; it just has a very contemporary feeling, with the love story and factoring in non-traditional elements. It's so easy to compare this to almost any of the reality TV shows out there right now on television, and so the feeling is very pop culture.

When I read this, the show Survivor came to mind, particularly that first season (the only one I watched regularly). This concept of people on TV conniving and backstabbing and forming alliances to "stay alive" in the game to win one million dollars was new and somewhat shocking. We watched these people suffer horrendous bug bites, near starvation, and exhaustion. And it was entertainment! In retrospect, it really was sort of sick. But that's what audiences crave. Are we so far off from something like the Hunger Games?

The social commentary was certainly another goal, and I personally thought it was a little forced. I really felt like around every turn was another criticism of our current society, mostly involving social class and government, as I said. This government's power is so great, so overwhelming that no one rises up; they give in, even support the government's power by supporting the Games. How easily can we be brainwashed?

So were these worthy goals? I suppose so. Though I think dystopian literature is sort of a dangerous route to go with younger students who are still developing a world view, it is important to discuss. When I say that this book was more contemporary, I'm thinking in comparison to something like Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. I also think that particular book is more of a classic and will be more likely to be taught in a high school, but Hunger Games is definitely a contemporary counterpart, and even darker than its classic.

These books make us really think about our current situations in society and reevaluate something we might not have before. Being critical thinkers in today's world is so important, and these sorts of books force us to do so. I think this book would also tie in great with a critical media literacy lesson, on taking a closer look at what the media presents us every day and breaking it down.

So in terms of the classroom, I think it could have a place. In conjunction with a classic like Brave New World or a lesson on critical media literacy, this book fits right in, and it might be more interesting to students, especially when compared to something like the show Survivor. I'd be careful with the dark instincts of human nature- but any dystopian has the potential to bring you down. Overall, I'd say it accomplished its goals and those goals were solid. So take it for what it's worth.

Found what I was looking for in Alaska

My punny title (sorry, I really couldn't help it) says it all. I was struggling to find YA novels of substance, of literary merit, of true quality. Granted, I haven't read many yet, but I was still disheartened. I was also hesitant to pick up another contemporary novel, afraid of the same issues I'd already run into.

I can honestly say that from the first page until the last, I truly enjoyed Looking for Alaska, by John Green. Miles is a junior in high school who decides to leave his boring life behind and seek the Great Perhaps at Culver Creek boarding school. Miles has a strange interest in knowing people's last words, and the last words of Francois Rabelais, "I go to seek a Great Perhaps" inspire Miles' trip and guide his journey. He immediately meets an eclectic group of friends, each bringing something interesting and distinctive to the table. One of these friends is Alaska- sexy, beautiful, rebellious, and perhaps reckless. And absolutely irresistible to Miles. The book moves at a steady pace, following the daily happenings and harmless mischief, until the climax of the story, where the book cuts into sections of Before and After. The event that separates them will devastate and challenge the friends together and as individuals.

One of the things I loved about this book was its ability to be laugh-out-loud funny and entertaining while still incorporating literary strategies, real-life issues, and so many elements to dissect and interpret. Students will likely enjoy the novel, and this always puts them in a more willing position to analyze. We discussed a few in class, but there are so many ways to look at this novel. Alaska's character alone presents family issues, gender issues, psychological issues. The Colonel, Miles' roommate, has an intense hatred for the "Weekday Warriors", the rich students who go home on weekends; this presents a prominent social class element. It's also then interesting to explore where Lara, a friend in the group who comes from a wealthy family, fits into the group despite her social class. If you delve deeper, there's a recurring image of running and what it means, be it running scared in the darkness or running from trouble with sparklers. Character development is also so important. How much of our personalities are shaped by the events and circumstances in our lives that we cannot control? What makes us who we are? Each character in the book is distinctive and comes from a different background and different life experiences. How does this motivate their actions? There are so many other questions to ask of students, and I really think you could spend weeks just delving into characters and all of the other issues I've mentioned.

I can't help but be cliche. I laughed. I cried. I loved this book for so many reasons. I would give it my highest recommendation for a classroom, a summer read, high school students, college students, even adults. I think it would satisfy most any reader.

First impressions aren't everything...

...and it's a damn good thing, because I might've thrown in the towel with the first book I read. Before I critique, I'd like to put out a disclaimer- there is nothing inherently wrong with this book. As I have said, reading is reading, and it can be a gateway to more challenging literature. That said, I did not care for this book, Printz honor or not.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things

by Carolyn Mackler

The novel begins with a very stereotypical teenager going through stereotypical problems. Our protagonist, Virginia Shreves, is a fifteen-year-old girl braving the high school world and all it entails. She has a budding romance with a boy named Froggy, a relationship many of us might label "friends with benefits". Virginia eats lunch alone in the bathroom stall, and it just so happens that one day, the popular girls waltz into the bathroom and gossip about how "uncool" she is. Imagine that. Did I mention that her best friend moved away? Right... they exchange occasional emails in which Virginia struggles to deal with her best friend making new friends. Oh, and she's fat. Not to be insensitive... she herself says she lives by the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct". And to top things off, her parents and siblings are disgustingly perfect- thin, smart, and popular. Her mother is an adolescent psychologist who is clearly embarrassed by Virginia, and her dad is rarely around. Her sister is beautiful and slightly rebellious, joining the peace corps to escape her mother; though we rarely hear from her, it's clear Virginia wishes she could be more like her.

And then there's Byron. Byron is Virgina's college-age brother who is referred to as "big man on campus". He's your stereotypical heart throb- tall, handsome, athletic. He and Virginia were once close, and she often reaches out to him through her struggles, but their relationship has much changed. This is especially true when the novel takes a sharp turn down maturity lane when Byron shocks and disappoints all by committing an awful crime. Virginia then has to deal with that in the context of her life and their relationship.

And in the end, Virginia finds herself through piercings and dyed hair. Really? She couldn't find a more meaningful way to come into her own, to break away from her cookie-cutter family? What a shallow perspective to give kids who are looking to create themselves. Couldn't she have found something that interested her, something that defined her, something she could believe in? Isn't that really what kids are looking for?

I was also frustrated by the simplicity of the writing and the maturity of the themes. According to several reviews, the book is placed at the 7-10th grade level. While a 7th grader may find the book humorous and entertaining, I think some of the events are simply beyond the maturity level of a 7th grader. As for the top of the spectrum, though a 10th grader may better handle the mature aspects, they're likely to find a more interesting and challenging book on the shelves.

And need I address the stereotypes played out over and over again? Outcast in the perfect family. Friend moved away. Doesn't fit in with the popular girls. Mom's a psychologist. Been there, done that!! The twist at the end certainly provides a different angle, but even so. Perfect brother not so perfect after all? I guess it's not so unique after all.

I must have missed something, some appeal. I could see a 5th-7th grader reading this book and thinking it's funny and a bit rebellious, with some mild sexual content... and that's sort of where I think the appeal ends. Even then, I think the ending would be lost on that age group. I think this book had potential to be honest, funny, and inspiring. It really fell short, in my opinion.