Monster

 

   

    Monster is written more as personal notes and a screenplay for the theater than a novel.  In this story, the reader meets sixteen-year- old Steve who is experiencing prison and a trial due to a robbery gone bad.  Steve recounts the most recent time spent in jail along with the trial leading up to the jury's verdict.  Supposedly, Steve and two other men entered a drug store intending to perform a robbery when the owner of the drugstore was accidentally shot and killed.  Numerous witnesses arise that don't seem to have direct encounters of what actually happened inside the drug store.  Steve ends up being declared not guilty.

    The wording used at the end used imagery that resonated with me.  When the jury declares Steve not guilty, he reaches out to hug his attorney, who didn't really seem to trust Steve the entire time.  The attorney walks away dismissing the hug leaving Steve to look like "some strange beast, a monster."  He fought so hard the entire story to not be portrayed this way, but the lingering image is still the monster.

    I would love to see this story acted out in a high school theater program.  Students could learn about creating a screenplay with imagery that would leave the readers/viewers wanting more.  Similar events to the one in this story have been seen on the news in recent years.  Young adult readers would be able to better relate with real life characters.

Myers, W.D. (1999).  Monster. New York: Harper.

Celebrate Your Body 2

 

    

    This book is an incredible guide to one of the toughest, natural parts of life that young women go through- puberty.  This book addresses the major areas such as bras, braces, and romantic feelings.  However, it dives into a little more when it comes to your body shape, being confident, handling mood swings, and finding the right group of friends.

    All parts of this book are helpful for any young adult female.  I especially like that the author dives a little deeper into how to be calm during mood swings and even focuses on increasing self-esteem.

    

    Young females need to have a reliable resource to navigate through puberty.  Knowing that they have a guide like this within their library walls for free would benefit them.  Social issues that seem to be surfacing even earlier than middle school and high school presently need to be addressed in a way that the readers can relate and learn.

Leff, C. (2019).  Celebrate your body 2. Rockingridge.

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

 

        

    In this novel, Gabi is a Mexican-American who experiences some major life-changing events during her senior year of high school.  She discovers and experiences the pregnancy and birth of her best friend's baby along with her father's meth addiction and her mom's pregnancy and birth to a new baby brother.  Gabi's father claims his addiction days are over, however, it doesn't include any form of rehab.  After the breakup with her boyfriend, Gabi experiences the discovery of her dead father from a drug overdose in her garage.  It takes a lot for her to realize that life can and will go on even in what seems like the end of her world.

    What I loved most about this novel is that it was written like a diary. Some of the events and content are sensitive, but having it told in the form of the diary and poetry written by a young adult gives readers the chance to better relate to the story.  

    Young adults could not only use this story to learn the power of journaling, but it also gives them a chance to dive into a story that covers some real-life events.  Learning how to face these kinds of experiences with the right mindset is crucial to the young adult development.

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi: A girl in pieces. Texas: Cinco Puntos.

    

Persepolis

 

    Persepolis is a graphic novel about a young girl named Marjane who is living life as a young adult during the Islamic Revolution.  She encounters experiences including having to wear a veil at school and her school changing to segregating the boys and the girls.  Marjane proclaims that she is going to be a prophet due to all the problems that she sees and intends to fix.  She ends up falling in love with the boy next door, but cannot be with him because of their differing social classes.  The Revolution continued causing bombs to be dropped in her country along with the scarcity of food.  The story ends with her parents sending her to safety in Austria.

    My favorite part is when Marjane decides she's going to be a prophet despite what those around her would think considering the facts that she is young and female.  People around her don't take her seriously, but she is able to see the problems in the world and wants to at least attempt to fix them.

    I would love to use this book in library with young adults.  I think the appeal of a graphic novel makes the story more interesting to young adults.  Learning about the Islamic Revolution can be a sensitive and difficult topic to comprehend.  Having students read about it through the perspective of a young adult and in style they can easily understand would be very beneficial.

Satrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. New York. Pantheon.

Annie on my Mind

 

        Annie on My Mind is a story about two main characters, Annie and Liza, who develop a deep friendship that leads to them discovering their lesbian romantic relationship.  As Annie and Liza deepen and proclaim their love for one another, they realize they have to hide their relationship from those around them.  Not only does this story focus on the two young lesbian lovers, but it also features an adult lesbian relationship, two of Liza's teachers.  The school finds out about Liza's and Annie's relationship and it forces Liza to tell her parents.  Even though the teachers are supporting Liza, she still decides to break it off.  The two girls go their separate ways for college, but ultimately end up back together.

    What I find most interesting about this story is that it was published in 1982, a time when homosexual relationships were not as accepted by society. Not only does the author feature a young adult lesbian relationship, but an adult relationship as well.  What a lesson for students to read and see an author who was confident enough to be a trailblazer in the writing and publishing world.

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on My Mind.  New York. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Speak

 

            This story features Melinda, a ninth grader who experiences a serious situation involving a rape incident with a senior boy right before the beginning of school.  The entire school thinks that Melinda ended a party with the arrival of the police, but never knew the real reason why the police were called.  Everyone at school rejects Melinda to the point where she ends up finding sanctuary in a janitor's closet until a new friend and teacher persuade Melinda to start speaking about what really happened.

    One of my favorite parts, and one of the most climatic moments, in the story is when the senior tries to rape Melinda for a second time.  Things are different this time because not only does she fight back, but the lacrosse team hears her and comes to protect her.  I love that through a tragic and emotional experience, Melinda grows and learns for the better.  

    I would be a little unsure about using this within a classroom setting due to the mature nature of the rape situation, but the lessons learned of how a young girl overcomes major fear and learns how to speak up for herself is a priceless lesson for every young adult.

Andeson, L.H. (1999). Speak. Square Fish.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

 

    

    Todd lives on a planet called the New World where a germ as wiped out all the women where the men and animals can hear each others' thoughts.  Todd is about to enter the journey of becoming a man and encounters a whole in the Noise- silence.  His parents send him away for fear the other men in town hearing about Todd's noise.  Todd not only is having to survive away from his family, but then he encounters a crashed spaceship with a girl.  The two travel together trying to escape the army of the village on their route to Haven (their safe place).

    I love how even though Todd has never seen or talked to women, he still develops a relationship with Viola in which he cares for her.

    Within a later middle school or high school group of students, I think this book could be used to explore various themes such as boyhood to manhood, friendship, and family.  Todd's journey as an adolescent gives readers a chance to relate to a character going through similar changes and handling life as it comes at him.

Ness, P. (2008).  The Knife of Never Letting Go.  Candlewick Press.

    

Lucky Broken Girl

 

        

    The main character in this story, Ruth, is an immigrant from Cuba living in New York.  After leaving Castro's rule, Ruth and her family are trying to find their way while working, going to school and learning English.  Ruth and some of her family are involved in a car accident that leave Ruth with broken leg, but she ends up having to spend months in a full body cast in order to keep her legs growing at the same rate.  Ruth has friends come and go throughout this process, and she has to overcome the fear of learning how to walk again and go back to "normal" life.

    What I loved most about this book is that it offers a new perspective for young adults to relate to life challenges including how to find and value true friendship.  Not only does Ruth find one friend in Ramu, but she also finds a friend in Chicho.  Kids at the adolescent stage are constantly fighting to find their place, especially among circles of friends.  

    I would love to use this book with my 4th and 5th grade readers in a book club.  This would be such a great opportunity for them to define what a good friend is, list qualities of a good friend, and even make lists of people they currently know that would qualify.  

Behar, R. (2017). Lucky Broken Girl.  World Cat.

True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

 

    The main character, Junior, is an Indian that currently lives on a reservation. He decides there is more to life and decides to attend an all white school off of the reservation.  He loses respect from his fellow reservation residents and becomes a "traitor" as he broadens his educational career and basketball career.  The trials he encounters include deaths of family members and close friends, but grows a lot as a young boy because of the decisions he makes.

    Some parts of the book were a little too descriptive when it came to mature, adolescent topics, but I feel that most young adult could relate to the characters in their story.  As a young adult, you're just beginning to find your place in the world.  This books addresses a lot of realistic aspects of this process such as growing apart from a best friend, not fitting in at school, and losing a close family member.  I know people will say the ending is their favorite part for a happy reason, but I like the ending because the author did a great job of offering closure to the main character's story. Even though there was some sadness in the end, the beginning portion of Junior's journey to adulthood has ended and he's ready to embark on his next phase.

    This book could definitely be used in an upper middle school or high school class to emphasize growth and how to battle real life situations.  Students would be able to dig deeply into these themes when reading this book and could even complete projects of their own journeys as young adults.  One project idea could be to create a timeline from birth to adulthood where students could plan out goals and achievements they hope to attain later on in life.

Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little, Brown and Company.