Posts going forward will be a little less structured, since this is no longer a class assignment.

I recently read The Fault in Our Stars by Josh Green. My initial reaction was that this was Juno, but with cancer being the central crisis, rather than teen pregnancy. It was hard to get over the super-slick dialog. I mean, I was a smart teenager, and I had smart friends, and we were never so quick-witted as Hazel and Gus.

I did, however, end up caring for the characters immensely and felt all the weight of the unfairness of what they were going through. It's a very Important book, without being didactic. I've already passed it to a reluctant reader who is enjoying it. I was surprised that while I did not cry when I read the book, as I was discussing it with someone else, I started welling up. Trust me, I don't cry easily.

I believe this book would appeal to both sexes, mature readers, and reluctant readers alike. Despite a few unbelievable episodes, it's definitely a book worth reading.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation
by M.T. Anderson
Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA: 2006
ISBN: 0-7636-2402-0

Plot Summary:
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing is the story of an slave who was a prince in Africa before being brought to America. It begins when Octavian is around six years old. He lives in a house inhabited by scientists and philosophers who we later learn are experimenting with Octavian as well. His mother was an African princess, and at first she is treated as one, rather than a slave. Octavian is taught the ancient languages and science, and also has his food and excrement weighed and recorded daily.

During the build-up to the Revolutionary War, the College of Lucidity starts to lose its funding. A new manager, Mr. Sharpe, is brought in to bring the College's experiments into line with what the investors want. The investors, as it turns out, are pro-slavery and seek to prove that the African race is inferior, and therefore they should be allowed to use them as slaves. Mr. Sharpe drastically changes Octavian's lessons, and puts him to work around the house--something he's never had to do before.

Eventually the Mr. Sharpe moves the College to Boston in fear either the war or a slave uprising. Mr. Gitney, the head of the College decides to throw a "pox party" where a group of people are infected with a weak strain of small pox in the hope of staving off a worse infection. However, Octavian's mother ends up dying from this "vaccine," sending Octavian into a deep despair. One night he remembers where a former slave told him he could find the keys, and he ends up running away.

Through the newspaper ads showing a reward for Octavian's return, and letters from an American soldier, we learn that Octavian is fighting for freedom with the Patriots, and that the College is actively searching for him. They find him and trick him into thinking he is going to play his violin for the army, but instead they take him back to Boston. However, as he is being interrogated by Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Gitney, Dr. Trefusis--Octavian's former tutor--poisons the men, and the two make their escape.

Critical Evaluation:
The premise of Octavian as a specimen in an experiment is very interesting, and the author really does a good job at pointing out the hypocrisy of the Americans fighting for their freedom, all the while making sure the British don't take away their slaves. However, Octavian is a very quiet young man, and that makes it hard to get to know him. I wanted to hear more from him, and was a little disappointed to have to read about his fighting with the Patriots from someone else's point of view.

Hardcore fans of historical fiction will enjoy this book, otherwise the language is almost laughably obscure. At times I felt as though I was reading a paper by a senior in AP History who was trying to use as many big words as he could. Granted, Octavian is a very intelligent young man, and I appreciate not being talked down to, but I felt as though the author was purposely trying to alienate any but the very brightest of young adults. Overall, the language turned what might have been an exciting, philosophical thriller into a stuffy history lesson.

Reader’s Annotation:
Victim of a cruel experiment, a highly educated slave must now learn to fight for his freedom.

Information about the Author:
M.T. Anderson is from Cambridge, Massachusetts and the author of several books for children and young adults. His book Feed was a finalist for the 2002 National Book Award and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing won the 2006 National Book Award for Young People.

Genre: historical fiction

Curriculum Ties: American history

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Octavian and his mother and their unique status at the College of Lucidity as royal slaves. Then I would talk about the circumstances of the College changing, and why it was necessary to prove that Octavian would fail at his tasks. Finally, I would juxtapose Octavian's fight for freedom with the Patriots' fight for freedom in the book.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book is for readers with a very high reading level, ages 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book would be challenged for its graphic depiction of slavery, mainly whippings and bondage. I would explain the library's selection policy, and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because it was the recipient of the National Book Award in 2006. It also has a very provocative cover which I thought would grab a teen reader's attention as well.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Little, Brown and Company, Boston: 1951
ISBN: 0-316-76948-7

Plot Summary:
There is not much plot to this novel--it's more about what Holden Caulfield, the 17-year-old narrator, thinks than what he does. His story starts after he has learned he has been kicked out of Pencey, the prep school he attends. This is just another school is a long list of schools he has been kicked out of. He has failed all of his classes except English, and has no plans for doing anything about it. He gets in a fight with his roommate, Stradlater, and ends up going back to New York city three days before he is expected home for Christmas break.

He spends most of his time wandering around the city, going to bars, meeting old friends and girl friends. He makes a lot of plans, but never follows through on anything, such as calling his old friend Jane Gallagher or hitch-hiking out West. He sneaks into his parents apartment to see his younger sister Phoebe, who is about the only person he can tolerate, and she calls him out on all of issues. He runs away from her and ends up at a former teacher's house, who ends up trying some funny business on Holden while he's asleep. This sends him to Grand Central station, and eventually he makes up with Phoebe and returns home.

Critical Evaluation:
This has to be one of the most simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking stories of all time. Holden pretty much hates everything (though he would disagree with that statement), phony-ness being on the top of his list. Though that doesn't sound funny, it's just very amusing the situations Holden finds himself in and his take on everything. I think most of us have gone through such a period of angst, maybe not as extreme as Holden's, but we can understand where he's coming from. After about a third of the way through the book, I started agreeing with him more and more vigorously, thinking that the world really was just full of phonies. We all know his quest for something real is not going to end well. Towards the middle of the book, Holden explains why he loves the history museum so much-- it's because things never change there. He's always going to know where the Eskimos and Native Americans and mummies are. What is so heartbreaking at the end is when he finally goes back to see the mummies and feels such a sense of peace, and then looks over to see someone had written "fuck you" on the wall. When he goes to the bathroom and passes out after that, we're given another clue that maybe something more than just teen angst is wrong with Holden. He's told us over and over again that he's depressed, but perhaps there is something physically wrong with him as well. Of course, he rarely eats or sleeps, and smokes like a chimney, so it might just be fatigue.

Holden's relationship with Phoebe is very special, and it seems as though he likes children because they haven't had time to become phonies yet. When Phoebe forces him to tell her one thing that he would actually want to be, he says he wants to just hang out in a field of rye, catching children that are in danger of falling off a cliff. When he wakes up to find his former teacher patting him on the head, Holden says that he's had to deal with perverts like that at least twenty times in the past. Of course, he exaggerates like that to comic effect throughout the novel, but it also might point to some serious underlying psychological issues, and why he feels the need to protect children. He's a very complex character, and we are left wanting to know much much more about him.

Reader’s Annotation:
Holden Caulfield is on a seemingly impossible quest--to find something real in a world full of phonies. He just might kill himself first.

Information about the Author:
J.D. Salinger was born and raised in Manhattan. He is a notorious recluse who has not published anything since 1965, but he recently made headlines when he filed a lawsuit against another author for using one of his characters from The Catcher in the Rye. He has published many short stories, and the novella Franny and Zooey.

Genre: realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Holden Caulfield and the situation he finds himself in--being kicked out of yet another school and afraid to go back home. Then I might read a few characteristically funny and sad passages, perhaps his fight with his roommate Stradlater, his conversation with a classmate's mother on the way to New York, or his date with Sally Hayes.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book would be appropriate for ages 16 and up. I'm not sure if younger teens would understand the alienation and impotence that Holden feels.

Challenge Issues:
This book would most certainly be challenged for its language and some of the situations Holden finds himself in, such as inadvertently hiring a prostitute, and under aged drinking and smoking. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
It would be a crime to have a blog about materials for young adults and not include The Catcher in the Rye. I read this in high school and loved it, and I think I got even more out of it this time around. Most teens will be able to relate to Holden's angst and indecision on one level or another.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, New York: 2008
ISBN: 0-7653-1985-3

Plot Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Marcus Yallow is a former LARP-er who is now heavily into computer hacking in a world where his every move is under surveillance. He and his best friends Darryl, Vanessa, and Jolu play an ARG (alternate reality game) called Harajuku Fun Madness that requires they perform tasks around the city of San Francisco. One day a new tasks arrives while they are in class. Marcus convinces Darryl to ditch school with him, and they meet up with Vanessa and Jolu. They begin to search for a wifi connection when there is a loud explosion, which we learn was a terrible terrorist attack on the bay bridge. The group heads to the BART station, where Darryl is stabbed in the crowd. They go back above ground and are arrested by the Department of Homeland Security.

The group is taken in for questioning at what is later revealed to be Treasure Island, and abandoned military prison. After six days, Marcus has revealed all his passwords to his phone and e-mail accounts and is finally set free. Vanessa and Jolu are released, but Darryl is no where to be found. They do not tell their parents where they have been because they have been warned not to by the DHS. Marcus vows to get revenge on them, and after finding out his laptop has been bugged, he hacks into his Xbox and creates a completely encrypted "Xnet" that uses Wifi connections that the DHS cannot read.

As the Xnet grows in popularity, Marcus, or "M1k3y" becomes a cult figure. The DHS has stepped up surveillance in the city, but Marcus and the rest of the Xnetters cause chaos by switching arphids on Fastrac passes and BART cards, trying to prove that the DHS is not catching any terrorists with their extreme surveillance measures. Eventually Jolu and Vanessa get scared of what Marcus is doing and drop out. Marcus meets Ange, and they become a couple. Finally, Marcus breakdowns and tells his parents that he was really in prison the six days after the terrorist attack, and they take him to an investigative journalist who writes a story about Marcus and the Xnet. This leads to Marcus's capture and he is taken prisoner again. However, Vanessa has provided the journalist with proof of what is going on in the prison, and the governor kicks the DHS out of the city, setting Marcus free, but not before he has been tortured again.

Critical Evaluation:
This was a very exciting book. I'd read it before bed and end up having dreams about what Marcus was going to do next. It's a classic cat-and-mouse story, but with a cyber-terrorism twist that makes it incredibly timely. At times it was pretty didactic--mostly when Marcus is in his social studies class debating the Bill of Rights, or learning about San Francisco's political history, or when he decides to write a paper on Jack Kerouac. However, I can look past the lessons because I think a teen reading this book would be interested in learning these things, just like Marcus was.

I, on the other hand, was fascinated by all the tech talk. I'm not completely illiterate when it comes to computers, but I don't sit around thinking of ways to hack into them either. I enjoyed how Marcus broke down everything he was doing. I felt like I learned a whole lot--though how much of it was based on fact, I'm not sure. It sounded plausible enough though. I feel much smarter about computer security now.

The book was well-written and fast-paced. I think it would be an enjoyable read for many teens who would find much to relate to in the story. It's exciting (and scary) to imagine a teenager could be responsible for bringing down the Department of Homeland Security. It certainly gives the reader much to think about.

Reader’s Annotation:
All Marcus Yallow wanted to do was play some Harajuku Fun Madness. When terrorists decide to blow up the Bay Bridge, he is taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security. They think they know who they're dealing with, but they have no idea.

Information about the Author:
Cory Doctorow is the co-editor of the blog Boing Boing and a science fiction writer from Canada. His other books include Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, and A Place So Foreign and Eight More. He has won multiple awards, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award for Little Brother.

Genre: fiction

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Marcus and his hacking hobby. How his school is under extreme surveillance and he manages to get around it. Then I would talk about the terrorist attack and how he and his friends are arrested, released, and begin their own cyber war on the Department of Homeland Security.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This books is appropriate for older teens, ages 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book would be challenged for its questioning of the government, depiction of torture, some sexuality, and the author encouraging hacking (in the afterword). I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
This book was required reading for class, and I'm glad to have read it. It will certainly be one I recommend to teens.

Feeling Freakish? How to be comfortable in your own skin.
by Veronique le Jeune, Philippe Eliakim, & Melissa Daly
Amulet Books, New York: 2004
ISBN: 0-8109-9164-0

Plot Summary:
This is a non-fiction self-help book for teens that focuses on overcoming physical imperfections and living a more full life. The authors are journalists, one from Seventeen magazine, and they call in the expertise of various psychologists. The book starts off with a collection of short anecdotes from teens (and former teens) about the torment that their physical imperfections have caused them. One is too short, one too fat, one has a weird birthmark, another a large scar on his face, etc., etc. Some are picked on by friends, others by family, and some even by teachers.

The next chapter seeks to explain why we feel the way we do about our bodies. It explains the developing hypothalamus and the disconnect teens often feel between their maturing bodies and immature emotions. And the final chapter gives advice for getting over hang-ups. This includes being patient, accepting yourself, emphasizing your good points, and working on improving yourself.

Critical Evaluation:
This was a very readable book, but I just wanted more of everything they offered. Beyond the real-life anecdotes about personal humiliation, I wanted to hear how the teens they interviewed were overcoming their set-backs and working to improve themselves, not just about the embarrassing incidents they experienced. In chapter two, instead of just explaining why teens feel the way they do, I wanted to get real activities that they could do to stop thinking of themselves so harshly. And in the final chapter, the advice is nothing most teens haven't heard before. I wanted more concrete advice for self-improvement, not just "take a shower every day" or "be patient."

This book will definitely help teens take a step back and look at themselves in a new, less harsh, light. It's a good introduction to the psychology of self-esteem and would help jump-start anyone on a quest for self-improvement. However, teens who are serious about making changes to not only the way they think about themselves, but to their actual physical appearance would be better served by checking out this book in conjunction with others more specific to their needs, such as a book on depression, or weight-lifting or skin care because this one does not delve deep enough into any one topic.

Reader’s Annotation:
Stop worrying about the way you look and live your life! There is a little freak inside all of us, some just hide it better than others.

Information about the Author:
Both of the authors are journalists. Veronique le Jeune works for the French TV network, France 2, and explores issues of concern to young people. Melissa Daly used to write for Seventeen magazine and is now an editor at Fitness. Her degree is in psychology.

Genre: non-fiction, self-help

Curriculum Ties: life skills/health

Booktalking Ideas:
I might read a few of the embarrassing anecdotes, such as the boy who asked a girl out at a party and was rejected, then he overheard her laughing about his fat rolls with her friends. Then I might read some of the stories about what is considered beautiful in other countries. Finally, I would talk about some of the psychological issues the authors explore and the advice they share.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This would be a good book for ages 13 and up.

Challenge Issues:
Nothing is too graphic in this book. It might be challenged for some of its bluntness--the authors don't sugar-coat everything by saying everyone will turn into beautiful creatures eventually. They tell it like it is. Some people are beautiful, some just aren't. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
Having taught awkward 8th and 9th graders, and been one myself, I'm always on the look-out for great self-help books to recommend to those who might not have positive role models in their lives to tell them they will get through this difficult time. This would book would be a good start.

The Snows by Sharelle Byars Moranville
Henry Holt and Company, New York: 2007
ISBN: 0-8050-7469-4

Plot Summary:
The Snows is told from the point of view of four different family members, all when they are 16 years old. Unlike other stories told from multiple perspectives, The Snows continues chronologically, rather than describing the same events four times over. It begins with Jim Snow in 1931. He lives in a small town in Iowa and his father has sold his barber shop and takes the family on a road trip out West in the hopes of opening a grocery store in Colorado. This story is sort of in the spirit of The Grapes of Wrath, in that they encounter a lot of hardships on the road during the Great Depression. However, unlike the Joads, they end up turning around and going back to Iowa, where Jim ends up marrying Julia, the girl he thought he was leaving behind for good.

The next section is narrated by Cathy, Jim Snow's younger sister. It is 1942 and men are being drafted to fight in the war. Cathy ends up falling for Julia's brother, and they make love right before he ships off for training. Of course, she gets pregnant and he dies in a Jeep accident. She is shipped off to a home for unwed mothers, however, instead of giving her child up for adoption, Julia and Jim end up keeping her daughter and raising it as their own.

Jill is the daughter of Jim Snow, and his second wife Alice, Julia had passed away from cancer. It is 1969 and Jill is a peace protester and smokes a lot of pot. He father ships her off to live with her older sister, who teaches at Kent State. Of course, Jill gets caught up in the shootings at the protest and her father comes back to get her.

The final section is narrated by Mona, Jill's daughter who is 16 in 2006. Jill is a famous reporter, and Mona feels like she's in her shadow. They have to return to Iowa to attend Cathy's funeral, and it turns out that after she had her baby, she went on to live a wonderful, prosperous life. Mona starts to appreciate her family more.

Critical Evaluation:
This was a very enjoyable book. I liked having to put together the pieces of the family story as it continued its trajectory into the future. It really made me want to learn more about my ancestors and reminded me that the people who I've only known as senior citizens were once young and probably did crazy things as well. Moranville's used major events in U.S. history not only as a backdrop, but something her characters participated in. All the events she chose: the Great Depression, WWII, Vietnam and Kent State would be ones that older teens would recognize (hopefully) and use to make sense of the characters' situations. The fact that all the characters were narrating their sections at the age of 16 brings a sense of importance to that age and would really make a teenager appreciate what teens of different eras experienced.

Reader’s Annotation:
Being 16 is hard no matter what generation you're from. The Snows all get through it with the support of their family.

Information about the Author:
Sharelle Byars Moranville teaches creative writing to children and adults in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a student at Kent State during the 1970 shootings, which she wrote about in The Snows.

Genre: historical fiction

Curriculum Ties: American history

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce the four characters and the different time periods they are 16 years old in. I would say they are all Snows, but would probably keep secret exactly how they are all related so the audience will have to read to find out.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
The reading level is not very difficult, but older students would appreciate the story more since they would be aware of the different times in history. Ages 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book might be challenged because one character is an unwed mother and another smokes pot. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
I was a fan of A Higher Geometry by Moranville, and thought the concept of this book sounded interesting. I think older teens would really enjoy this book and its unique structure.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Random House, Inc., New York: 1995
(first published in 1813)
ISBN: 0-679-60168-6

Plot Summary:
The five Bennet sisters: Elizabeth, Jane, Lydia, Mary, and Kitty are all unmarried and most of their father's estate is willed away to a male heir, Mr. Collins. Therefore it is the ultimate goal of their mother to get the girls married off to rich men. When Mr. Bingley decides to rent a house in the neighborhood, it is clear that Mrs. Bennet intends for one of her daughters to catch his eye. It turns out that Mr. Bingley does indeed fall for Jane. However, his close friend Mr. Darcy is not so sure of the match, and is very weary of the uncouth "country" manners of the Bennet family.

Mr. Darcy as it turns out is very handsome and even more rich than Mr. Bingley. He slights Elizabeth by not asking her to dance, and this leaves her forever after prejudiced against him. Although it is clear that Jane and Mr. Bingley are falling in love, Mr. Darcy and Caroline Bingley try to keep the two apart. Soon Mr. Bingley has moved back to London without explanation.

In the meantime, Kitty and Lydia have been flirting with the soldiers and Elizabeth herself has fallen for the smooth-talking Mr. Wickham. When he reveals that he had been raised by the Darcy family, and cut-off from any inheritance once the elder Darcy died, Elizabeth once again is appalled by Mr. Darcy's manners. Through a series of unfortunate events, Lydia runs off with Wickham causing quite a scandal. Later it is revealed that Mr. Darcy was instrumental in arranging for the two to be married, saving the family from what would be an insurmountable social faux pas.

On a visit with her aunt and uncle to his estate, she gets to hear from his maid what a great guy he is. Finally, he delivers a letter declaring his love for her. Although she is slightly offended by some of it, she is stunned by it. When Elizabeth finds out that it was Mr. Darcy who orchestrated the marriage of her sister to Wickham, her feelings towards him change completely. Against the wishes of the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who intends Darcy for her daughter, Elizabeth accepts Mr. Darcy's proposal.

Critical Evaluation:
This is my favorite Jane Austen novel. I love reading about the manners of the time and I appreciate how Austen twists the concepts of pride and prejudice back on themselves. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy struggle with their own pride and prejudices, and it is very gratifying to watch as they overcome them to be able to love each other. Of course Mr. Darcy is every girl's dream, but it is great that Elizabeth doesn't let him off the hook very easily. She is a spunky girl with a mind of her own, and she still gets what she deserves in the end. Everything is wrapped up very nicely, but it is rough going for quite awhile. Between the Elizabeth's embarrassing mother, the Bingley's fleeing the neighborhood, Lydia running off with Wickam, and Mr. Collins' proposal, there is enough drama to keep the pages turning at a rapid pace.

Reader’s Annotation:
Elizabeth Bennet is smart, pretty, and talented, but can all of this make up for her lack of money and embarrassing family? Will she ever get married or will she be an old maid forever?

Information about the Author:
Jane Austen was born in 1775 and never finished her formal education, but was very well-read.
She became a well-known writer with the publication of Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion (although she had already written Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice). It was reported that she had fallen in love, but never married. She died in 1817.

Genre: fiction, classic

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Elizabeth Bennet and her annoying family. Then I would introduce Mr. Darcy and talk about his opinion of the Bennets. Then I would give some examples of the obstacles they must overcome to be together.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
Readers should be a little older in order to get some of the old-fashioned language and customs Austen writes about. Ages 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
I can't imagine someone challenging this book, but it might possibly be challenged for its depiction of women needing to marry someone (though Elizabeth challenges this notion). I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
I first read this when I was 17 years old and it has been one of my favorites ever since. I think it's a great introduction to Austen and English books about manners.