Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
The Berkley Publishing Group/Ace Books, New York, 2001.
ISBN: 978-0-441-01699-0

Plot Summary:
Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at Merlotte's, a bar in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps. She has what she calls a "disability," that is, she can read people's minds. She tries as hard as she can not to, and this leaves her somewhat mentally exhausted, to the point that people think of her as crazy Sookie. One day Bill, a vampire comes into the bar and sits at her table. She is excited about this, and when she goes to serve him, realizes that she can't hear his thoughts.

The vampires in this novel are sort of "coming out of the closet" and living amongst humans or "mainstreaming." The bar Sookie works at even stocks synthetic blood for them, even though there aren't many in her town. Sookie and Bill start dating, to the dismay of some of her friends and co-workers. Sookie loves that she can't hear Bill's thoughts. Soon, however, women start dying. All of these women have slept with vampires. Then Sookie's grandmother is killed, and it is obvious it was supposed to be Sookie. Sookie asks Bill to take her to a vampire bar in Shreveport to investigate and hopefully clear her brother's name, who has slept with all the women who have been killed (except her grandmother). At the bar, Sookie attracts the attention of Eric, an older vampire who wants her for himself.

When Bill goes out of town for a few days, he sends the vampire Bubba to guard Sookie. The murderer ends up giving Bubba a drugged cat. Sookie goes out to investigate and is chased down by Rene, Sookie's friend Arlene's boyfriend. Since Sookie can read his mind, she knows he is the one who committed the murders because he was upset that his sister was dating a vampire, and used it as an excuse to kill others and have sex with their dead bodies. Sookie is able to fight him off, since she is strong from drinking vampire blood, and they both wind up in the hospital after a long struggle. Bill returns to her side, and all seems well, with the exception of Eric the vampire, flying outside her window...

Critical Evaluation:
I was a little weary of another vampire book, but like Dracula and the Twilight series, this was a lot of heart-pounding fun as well. Sookie is easy to love and says the cutest things, it's impossible not to root for her. It's easy to understand why she likes Bill so much after she lets us in on other people's thoughts. I don't think I could handle listening to all of that either.

The book is sexy and fast-paced, with a lot of action. From the first few pages when Sookie confronts the Rattrays in the parking lot all by herself, we know she is a different type of woman. The writing is simple, and is not going to win any awards, but for a quick, fun read, it fills the bill.

Reader’s Annotation:
Crazy Sookie Stackhouse has finally met her match in Bill the vampire, but they have to face much prejudice and other meddling vampires in order to be together.

Information about the Author:
Charlaine Harris is from Southern Arkansas and has written a few different mystery series. The first features a librarian from Georgia, Aurora Teagarden, and then the Lily Bard series set in Shakespeare Arkansas. Finally the Sookie Stackhouse series, where she combines mystery and fantasy.

Genre: mystery/fantasy

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Sookie Stackhouse and her "disability." Then I would talk about how the vampires are living amongst the humans and being grudgingly accepted into society. Then I would talk about Bill and how Sookie can't hear his thoughts, and why this is attractive to her. Then I would talk about the murders and the suspicions everyone has.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book would be appropriate for older teens, 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book could be challenged for a number of issues including sexuality, violence, and dealing with the occult. 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 recommended to my by a few friends and was also on the list of recommended readings for this class.

Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths
Sire Records, 1984
ISBN: 0-7599-25569-2

CD Summary:
This is a long album--24 songs of melancholy 80's pop/rock music. I haven't listened to it since high school, when my friends and I were obsessed with the Smiths and their lead singer, Morrissey. I picked it up again because it has the song "Asleep" on it that is repeatedly mentioned in the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which I really loved. As I listened to "Asleep" again, I see how perfectly it goes with the plot of the book - sad and sweet at the same time. Morrissey also has a soft spot for young hoodlums, as evidenced in the songs "Shoplifters of the World Unite," and "Sweet and Tender Hooligan." And not all of the songs are depressing like people assume about The Smiths. Some are downright upbeat, like "Is it Really so Strange?," "Sheila Take a Bow," and "Ask."

Critical Evaluation:
It is easy to see why The Smiths have a huge following among teens to this day. I still see them wearing t-shirts with the band's album covers pictured on them. The lyrics are literate, cheeky, and most of all, melodramatic. They are filled with extreme angst that we only feel in our teen years. Take for example the lyrics from "Half a Person:"
"Call me morbid, call me pale,
I've spent six years on your trail,
and if you have five seconds to spare,
then I'll tell you the story of my life,
16 clumsy and shy...
that's the story of my life"

Or the extreme yearning in "Please please please let me get what I want" or "Unloveable" I think the titles sum it all up. I can easily picture Charlie from Perks lying on his bedroom floor listening to those songs over and over as well. There is also much sexual ambiguity in the lyrics that make the band a big draw for gay and questioning teens. Morrissey is the voice of every bad, lovelorn teen poet, but you can't help but love him.

Listener's Annotation:
Let your inner teen-poet loose and let The Smiths sing you to sleep.

Information about the Artist:
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in 1982 by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr in reaction against the synthesizer-pop new-wave bands popular at the time. The band broke up in 1987, but enjoys a cult following to this day.

Genre: pop-rock music

Curriculum Ties: none

CD-talking Ideas:
I would probably play a few representative tracks from the album, such as "Panic," "Sheila Take a Bow," and "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now."

Interest Age:
15 and up.

Challenge Issues:
It's hard to imagine much that this album could be challenged for. It contains a passing reference to Caligula, and people might suspect that Morrissey is gay (though he claims asexuality) and challenge it for that reason. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this CD:
I chose this CD because of the song "Asleep" that was featured prominently in the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I think it would be a great CD to recommend if teens liked that book.

Buried Onions by Gary Soto
Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1997
ISBN: 0-06-440771-3

Plot Summary:
Eddie is a 19 year-old community college drop-out living in Fresno, California. He is Mexican-American, and unlike most of the young men in his neighborhood, he has managed to survive without being in a gang or getting into any serious trouble. He is tough though, and knows how to fight when he needs to. For a job, he paints addresses on curbs in good neighborhoods. One day he gets a job doing yard work for Mr. Stiles. Later in the week, Mr. Stiles lets Eddie take a load of trash to the dump using his truck. At the dump, Eddie sees a refrigerator he wants to take for a yard sale, and swings by his house. He's inside for a few minutes, and in that time the truck is stolen.

After this, it is just one thing after another that really tests Eddie's belief in himself. He thinks all the cholos in the neighborhood are after him since he witnessed the stabbing of his good friend Jesus. He lives in constant fear of his supposed friend, Angel, who he comes to believe murdered Jesus. His friend Jose takes leave from the marines and is stabbed trying to get Mr. Stiles' truck back. Finally, after a big fight with Angel, Eddie decides he has to get out of Fresno. He's not sure how he feels about the military, but sees it as his only way out, so he signs up with the Navy.

Critical Evaluation:
This was a very touching story. It's obvious Soto is a poet, and his prose is quite beautiful as well. Even a story about inner city gangs and wannabes becomes a work of art. The cycle of violence and despair Soto describes comes to life. Eddie is such a believable character. He wants to do good, and he doesn't even care when people think he's a goody-goody, but luck is never on his side. His idea that people have onions buried in their yard that makes them cry for all the sorrows of the earth is so beautiful. The reader is rooting for Eddie the whole way, and we want to read more about what happens to him.

Reader’s Annotation:
Eddie lived to the age on 19--not an easy thing in Fresno, but how much longer will he survive?

Information about the Author:
Gary Soto was born and raised in Fresno and was also in the Navy. He is a poet and the author of the books Junior College, Living up the Street, and A Summer Life.

Genre: realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties: 9th grade English

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Eddie, who has just dropped out of community college, but is still looking for a way out of Fresno. I would explain how he's trying to stay out of trouble, but it seems to find him. I would talk about the cultural aspects of the book as well--how it describes life for Chicanos in the inner city.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book would be appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book could be challenged for its depiction of violence, gang activity, and drug use. 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 on the suggested YA reading list for this class, and I've read and enjoyed some of Gary Soto's poetry.

The Fame (music cd) by Lady Gaga
Interscope Records, 2008

Summary:
The Fame is best selling dance-pop album that is still spawning hits a year after it has been released. "Just Dance" was the first single to reach the top of the charts, followed by "Love Game," "Pokerface," "Paparazzi," and now "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" is currently making its way to the top. Even slower songs towards the end of the album like "Brown Eyes," and "Summerboy," still have strong beats.

Critical Evaluation:
I am not a huge fan of dance music, but Lady Gaga has won me over. This album is so fun and addicting, and especially great to listen to while cleaning or exercising. The eccentric Lady Gaga herself is fascinating to follow and only adds to the power of the music. The lyrics are not brilliant ("Let's have some fun/This beat is sick/I want to take a ride on your disco stick"), but definitely more substantial than most dance songs. In the current climate of recession and war, The Fame is a great escape after NPR has worn you down.

Listener's Annotation:
No one will get you moving quicker than Lady Gaga.

Information about the Artist:
Lady Gaga (real name: Stefani Germanotta) learned to play the piano when she was 4 years old, and by the time she was 17 was studying music at New York University's Tisch School of Arts. She was signed with a label by the time she was 20. The Fame is her first full-length album.

Genre: dance-pop music

Curriculum Ties: none

CD-talking Ideas: I would probably just play the CD, or describe the type of infectious electronic dance music it is.

Interest Age: This album would be appropriate for ages 13 and up.

Challenge Issues:
There are some questionable lyrics on this album, and people might have a problem with Lady Gaga herself, running around without pants like she usually does. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this CD:
Lady Gaga is incredibly popular right now and every self-respecting young adult library should know who she is. Teens and adults alike can't get enough of her.

Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block
Joanna Cotler Books, New York, 1995
ISBN: 0-06-024879-3

Plot Summary:
Dirk lives with his grandmother Fifi in Los Angeles. His parents died when he was young, and Dirk has always known he was different. When he meets Pup, they hit it off right away and become best friends and the coolest guys in school. Then Pup gets a girlfriend and he drifts away from Dirk, suspecting that Dirk loves him, and perhaps being afraid of his own feelings for Dirk.

Dirk gets involved with the punk rock scene, and ends up getting beat up pretty badly by three skinheads after a show. While Dirk is unconscious, he is visited by Gazelle, who turns out to be his great grandmother. She tells him the story of her life, and his grandma Fifi's story. Then he is visited by his parents. His father, Dirby, tells Dirk the story of how he met his mother. Then Dirk is flashed into the future where he sees Duck, a surfer from Santa Cruz who has moved to Los Angeles because he knows his mother will not accept him being gay. Duck seems like Dirk's perfect match. When Dirk awakens in the hospital, he knows Duck is out there, waiting for him, and he is filled with hope again.

Critical Evaluation:
This is a beautifully written story. I was not expecting the magical realism aspect, but it was a nice escape, and kind of turned the story into a fairy tale. I'm not sure how many teens would appreciate it. The ones I've met prefer ultra-realistic fiction or complete fantasy. This book was somewhere in-between and might be confusing for some teens at lower comprehension levels. But older teens and adults who enjoy lyrical writing would definitely appreciate the book.

Block kind of beats the reader over the head with her message that we must all tell our stories in order to heal. She draws parallels to gay people and Jews who survived the concentration camps, which I'm not sure is entirely apt, but I suppose gets her point across. We can all gain some healing by telling our story. The only problem I have with that, is that we get very little of Dirk's story, and I'd like to get to know him much better. Half of the book is Dirk listening to the stories of his ancestors and his future soul mate. His story is still left to be told.

Reader’s Annotation:
Dirk knows he is gay and thinks he is keeping it a secret. He will soon find out that all of his ancestors already know, and he is not going to be alone.

Information about the Author:
Francesca Lia Block is the author of many books for young adults living in Los Angeles, including Weetzie Bat and Witch Baby. She has received the Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement award and the ALA Phoenix award for Weetzie Bat.

Genre: fiction, fantasy

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Dirk and his playing with a toy train on which men are all taking a shower together and his grandmother realizing he is probably gay. Then I would talk about the isolation he feels after being abandoned by Pup and soon after getting visited by his ancestors who need to tell their stories.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
I would recommend this book for ages 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book would be challenged for its depiction of homosexuality and drug use. 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 I knew Block was a popular young adult author and this book in particular was mentioned in the genre presentation of controversial literature.

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
Simon & Schuster, New York, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-84100-0

Plot Summary:
Rainbow Boys is told from the perspectives of three different gay teens in various stages of the coming out process. Nelson is out of the closet to everyone and gets harassed non-stop at school, but he has an incredibly supportive mother who would do anything for him. Kyle is Nelson's best friend. Kyle is out to his friends, and over the course of the novel comes out to his parents. Jason is a jock and has a steady girlfriend, Debra. No one even suspects he is gay.

One day Jason works up the courage to go to a Rainbow Youths meeting, and runs into Kyle and Nelson. He is mortified that anyone at his school would know about him. It turns out Kyle has had a crush on Jason for a long time. Later on, Jason asks Kyle to help him with his math homework and finds it very difficult to deny his true feelings. Jason ends up coming out to his girlfriend, and eventually his parents, prompting his alcoholic, homophobic father to leave the family.

Even though Nelson has been in love with Kyle, he is glad to see him happy with the man of his dreams. He starts seeing and HIV positive guy named Jeremy, and he and his mother succeed in creating a gay-straight alliance club at school. In the final, powerful scene, Jason the jock walks past his teammates and hecklers into the first meeting of the club.

Critical Evaluation:
This is a very powerful book, yet it doesn't beat the reader over the head with any lessons. All of the characters feel very real and imperfect, just trying to navigate a confusing time. It's easy to understand all of their motivations. We cheer when Nelson stands up for himself, but we also understand how hard it is for Jason to come out. The romance between Kyle and Jason could just as easily be a romance between any members of two completely different cliques like so many high school stories are about. I really want to know what happens to them after the story ends. I already plan on purchasing a couple of copies of this book for some friends of mine who I know will love it.

Reader’s Annotation:
Nelson loves Kyle, but Kyle loves Jason. And Jason--is he or isn't he? Senior year is confusing enough without having to worry about coming out of the closet.

Information about the Author:
Alex Sanchez has worked as a youth and family counselor in the Unites States and overseas. On his website, he states that the idea for Rainbow Boys came to him when he was struggling with coming out himself. This was his first novel, and the first in a trilogy.

Genre: realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce the three different boys and how "out" they are. Then I would talk about their struggles and the difficult relationship between Kyle and Jason.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
Even though the theme is mature, I believe this book would be an enormous help to a young person struggling with his or her own sexual identity. I would recommend it for ages 15 and up.

Challenge Issues:
Obviously this book would be challenged for its depiction of homosexuality and some brief profanity. Characters do have sex, though it is not graphic at all. 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 after reading an article on controversial young adult literature by Rachel Cohn. She uses this book as one of her examples, and it sounded interesting.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Viking Press, Inc., 1939
ISBN: 0-14-200066-3

Plot Summary:
The Grapes of Wrath begins with Tom Joad walking home after being released from prison, where he was at for killing a man. Along the way, he meets Jim Casy, his former preacher who says he has lost his calling. When they arrive at what used to be Tom's house, the find it abandoned. The next day they find the family as they are packing up to head to California. They have nothing left to keep them where they are, and heard there are plenty of jobs out West.

The group consists of Ma and Pa Joad, Tom Joad and Casy the preacher, Rose of Sharon and her husband Connie, Granma and Granpa Joad, Noah Joad, Al Joad, Uncle John, and two children, Ruthie and Winfield. They take Granma and Granpa against their wishes, both of whom end up dying on the journey out. When the reach a river after days of travel, Noah decides he can't continue and stays there when the family leaves. Connie also abandons the family and his pregnant wife along the way.

Upon reaching their first Hooverville, Tom and Casy get caught up in a fight with some police, and Casy takes all the blame and is sent to prison, since Tom is still on parole. The family leaves and get to a much nicer camp with running water, and a self-governing philosophy. They stay there for about a month, but are not able to get any work, so they have to move on. The come to a peach farm and have to drive through protesters to get to the gates. After walking out of the camp one night, Tom meets Casy, who has been organizing the protest. He learns that they are strike-breakers. Anti-union men come to break up the meeting and end up shooting Casy dead and breaking Tom's nose.

The next day, the family moves out of the peach farm and eventually lands a decent gig picking cotton. They even have their own boxcar to live in. Soon enough though, it starts raining and won't stop. Rose of Sharon gives birth to a stillborn baby. The family has to move out or get flooded out by the rising river. They come to a barn and find a boy and his starving father inside. Rose of Sharon decides to let him feed from her breast, since she has no one to give her milk to now.

Critical Evaluation:
This novel is at once devastating and uplifting. The Joads experience one horrific event after another--and yet they keep on going. They find strength the never knew they had. The plain language makes this an easy read, but the themes are complex. The characters struggle with faith and demons. They have been warned all their lives about the evils of communism, but put in a situation where they see how unions would make their lives better, they struggle with what to do. Ma Joad becomes the head of the family, and the once selfish Rose of Sharon helps give life to a stranger. The reader does not know what becomes of the Joads after they find the barn, but they've struggled this far, we want to believe they will continue on.

Reader’s Annotation:
The Joads thought they were escaping drought and famine when they left their homes in Oklahoma for jobs in California. Little did they know, the worst was yet to come.

Information about the Author:
John Steinbeck is one of the most celebrated American authors in history, winning both a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize. He was born in Salinas, California in 1902. He attended Stanford, but he often pursued work as a laborer in the Salinas Valley. Even after gaining success and celebrity as a writer, he would work with migrants on farms. He died in 1968.

Genre: historical fiction

Curriculum Ties: 11th grade English and American History

Booktalking Ideas:
I would talk about the Joad's situation in Oklahoma and why they left thinking there would be work for them in California. I would describe some of the heartbreaking and violent experiences they have on the road and in the Hoovervilles and talk about their struggle finding work and keeping the family together.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book is easy to read, but is long and would probably only hold the attention of older teens, 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book might be challenged for its negative portrayal of business owners and its perceived socialist underlying theme. There is some frank talk of sexuality and questioning faith as well. I would explain the library's selection policy and the book's status as a classic, and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I remembered enjoying it when I was seventeen, and it has held up with this second reading. The current state of our economy also got me thinking about the Joads and how much worse they had it.