Extra Credit: The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things

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Citation:

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2003. Print.

Annotation:

Virginia is stuck surrounded by family and classmates who all seem perfect and skinny while she sees herself as fat and ugly. Things change when her brother gets in trouble and she finds new strength.

Nomination Justification:

I thought this book was clever and brutally honest in how YA often see themselves when they start the comparing game. It can be so hard to feel you measure up and quite a freeing shock to finally see how no one else has got it all right either. Virginia has very common body issues that many other teens have no matter what they look like. This is such a big problem considering the saturation level of photoshopped “perfect” bodies splashed across every available surface. Virginia does come off as a depressing character but it’s done with such rich humor it’s bearable. I personally would like to believe that her mother, a child psychologist, would be more in tune to how harmful her comments were to her daughter but the force is strong in that one in regards to denial. I’m not sold on the need for the brother’s trouble as a catalyst for some book events though. I think there were enough family dynamics already in play without bringing that plot in to it. Still, I think YA can find solace in how Virginia finally did see she was in control of her body and self. The message of independence from family and old idea plays out well in this book and thus earns my nod.

Genre:

Printz, Humor, Coming of Age, Realisitic/Edgy

Extra Credit: The Fault of Our Stars

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Citation:

Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Penguin Group, 2012.

Annotation:

Hazel is 16 years old and living off barrowed time after doctors found a miracle drug to keep her tumors at bay. At her mother’s urging, Hazel joins a teen cancer support group and meets gorgeous Augustus Waters. He turns out to be just the right kind of person to remind Hazel the stars, however misaligned, still hold wonders.

Justification for Rejection:

This book felt so close to a great story and yet missed the mark by just a little. The characters are fresh, honest and truly heartbreaking. The plot though veers them into not quite believable twists. Their trip to Amsterdam to meet Hazel’s idol, author Peter van Houten, didn’t seem possible in real life. There were a couple other events that missed the realistic mark too- egging the car and breaking of the trophies come to mind. The character of Hazel and Augustus seem too cliché even though I know cancer matures a kid like nothing else. Still, I do think their relationship was enduring- ironically so considering you know at least one of them will not make it out of the book alive.  What works best in the book is when the ill-fated lovers and their families talk about cancer, dying and the meaning to life... what does it all mean!? There’s something to be said to embracing our time on earth, knowing our days a numbered and realizing no one gets out of here alive. For YA, this can be hard to understand when a summer seems to last forever. Some of the lines were simply so beautiful as the teens and their families tried to muddle through the horror of cancer. I give this a soft no because the concept is great but there are parts that are too unrealistic.

Genre: Realistic, Coming of Age

Extra Credit: Blood and Chocolate

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Citation:

Curtis Klause, Annette. Blood and Chocolate. New York: Bantam Double Day Dell Books, 1997. Print.

Annotation:

Werewolf Vivian is 16 years old. She has come to a new town with her pack to get a fresh start. The pack had to blaze trails out of the old town. A human murder and retaliation killed the pack leader and a couple other members. Now the pack is in disarray with no leader and internal power struggles.

Nomination Justification:

There’s a lot going on in this book! I needed to write down character cheat sheets to keep everyone straight. The book keeps on a good pace and plot with the pages turning pretty fast. Vivian’s father was the pack leader. The pack above all else protects itself even against its own who might betray their secret. No human is to know they are shape changers. A young werewolf teen puts the pack at risk by killing a human girl and is put in jail. These events lead to the pack leader’s death and a couple other members. Vivian ends up in a new school and is reserved  and quiet after all that has happened. YA can easily relate to being in a new school and having to make friends or be a misfit. Things get complicated when against the rules of the pack, she falls in love with a human boy. The pack’s new leader takes love interest in her while her mother and another werewolf take interest in being his mate. Once again, YA will have an easy time seeing how her mother and her attitudes don’t exactly mesh. Vivian wrestles with coming out to her human love interest and it all goes badly. The point is she took a chance that it was better to be open and true than hide who she is. Even though it didn’t work out for her, YA can still connect to how it feels to have expectations fall short and then realize that who the friends really are. Throughout the book, loyalty, betrayal, love and honor are strong themes. The author creates a story that many YA will enjoy as they too explore what it means to belong and be part of a pack... or family and friends.

Genre: Supernatural, Romance, Coming of Age

Extra Credit: Fever, 1793

 

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Citation:

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever, 1793. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2000. Print.

Annotation:

Mattie lives in Philadelphia in the late 1700’s. She works in her family’s coffee shop. Then down at the city’s dock, yellow fever starts to strike illness and fear in people. As the city clears out in panic over the epidemic, Mattie too must find a way to survive and help her family.  

Nomination Justification:

This book deals with a girl coming of age in a situation where she may not actually live. All around her, society is in upheaval due to a deadly outbreak of Yellow Fever. No one knows how or why everyone is getting sick. Like teens of any time period, she did not always get along or appreciate her mother. That changes when her mom gets sick. Mattie also has to deal with the death of people she cares about when her friend gets sick and dies. That is not the only person she loses in this story. The author does go into somewhat gruesome detail about some of the deaths. It’s not easy to read if you’re sensitive to that type of thing in literature. Because parents of other children have dies, Mattie decides to help a couple kids even though it might put her more at risk. There is also a love interest in the book. It might seem typical for a YA to have that but against the backdrop of the epidemic and historical place, the courtship can hold a YA reader’s attention. Also of note when it comes to it being a historical book, the author did a fair amount of research and kept the dialog old school 1700’s style. In keeping with the time, the author does not shy away from including African-Americans as part of the story and Mattie’s family. I think this book gives all readers a chance to glimpse life in 1793 and how things are different but family, friends and love always have power in a teen’s life. Mattie is a tough character who makes you cheer for her to live and thrive. Luckily the book ends on a high note.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Death

Extra Credit: Rainbow Boys

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Citation:

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys. New York: Simon Pulse, 2001. Book.

Annotation:

High schoolers Kyle, Nelson and Jason all must deal with homophobia. Nelson is out and proud. Kyle goes with Nelson to a gay support group but isn’t out. Jason has a girlfriend even though something just doesn’t feel right about it. They become a force to be reckoned with when push comes to shove- literally.

Nomination Justification:

This is an edgy and refreshing book. All too often, same sex relationships do not appear in YA books. In Rainbow Boys, the boys all deal with common themes of coming of age. Nelson loves Kyle. Kyle is clueless about it. Kyle loves Jason. Jason is not even ready to admit to anyone or himself he is gay. Plus Jason really does love his girlfriend of two years, which is an eternity in high school! I found this to be tangled but realistic. It plays out this way all the time in high school but in this case, it involved gay guys. I also found the families the boys come from quite possible to find in real life. There are parents out there completely accepting of their child’s sexuality, some in the middle and others dead set against the idea of their child being gay. It might be canned the way Sanchez had each possibility presented but given how few YA books out there address this issue, I think he deserves some leeway. The tension between them is sweet as they work out their feelings towards each other and how to be respectful of their friendships too. It is sad how much this book does mirror real life struggles of gay teens as they deal with school bullies, lack of support from administration, shunning or teasing from friends, forming healthy dating practices and angry parents. This book offers hope that it can get better if resources and alliances are made. 

Genre:

Romance, GLBT, Censored, Coming of Age

Extra Credit: Chandra's Secrets

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Citation:

Stratton, Allan. Chanda’s Secrets. Toronto: Annick Press, 2004. Print.

Annotation:

Living in sub-Saharan Africa means many things to Chandra but most important is getting an education. An education will lead to a better life where food and water scarcity are not constant worries. Chandra is bright, capable and highly motivated. School will be her ticket out of the grinding poverty. When her mother’s depression over the death of Chandra’s little sister starts to tear the family apart, Chandra chooses to drop out and try to hold her family together.

Nomination Thoughts:

This heartbreaking book follows Chandra as she first deals with the funeral home for her baby sister, Sara, who spent most of her whole short life sickly and crying. Everyone in the village can guess what would kill a baby but no one will say it. AIDS stalks the village. Shame, fear and false belief in alternative medicines keep AIDS spreading. People who may have it are shunned. Chandra has had a hard life and it only gets worse when she comes to accept her mom has AIDS. Instead of maintaining the status quo, Chandra stands up for her mother and best friend, also striken with AIDS, so they can maintain their dignity as they struggle with AIDS.

Nominate? Yes! The story has a good pace and lots of layers of meaning. There is the story of how AIDS caused social upheaval because of who and how it strikes. This  book takes on issues of sex, poverty, abuse, drug use and traditional beliefs in way that gives the YA much to ponder. Chandra’s strength only builds as the book moves on and she takes care of her sick mother and friend. The story may take place in a far away land but Chandra’s bravery will be recognized as universally a noble thing.

Genre:

Multicultural, Printz

Extra Credit: American Born Chinese

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Citation:

Yang, G. L. American Born Chinese. New York & London: First Second, 2006. Print.

Annotation:

Jin Wang finds himself trying to fit in at his middle school. It’s made all the harder because of his Chinese heritage. Three stories wrap around Jin Wang as discovers being American is not one size fits all.

Nomination Thoughts:

Three stories come together with bright pictures and lively dialog bubbles in this graphic book. The common theme is how each protagonist deals with expectations of their identity. One story is an ancient Chinese myth about a monkey who longs to be so much more than monkey. Another story is Danny, a white boy, dealing with his obnoxious Chinese cousin. Finally there is Jin Wang. He is lonely in middle school after moving away from China Town where all his old friends are. Things made sense there. His classmates now poke fun of him for being Asian since there are so few Asian children at the school. When he starts to notice a lovely girl, it get even harder to figure out how to present himself as cool.

What comes through in all these stories is how complicated American racial relations are. Since it can be difficult to talk about that topic, this book takes the approach of how one child must deal with stereotypes and racism in all its subtle and harsh realities. The potential for discussions of all kinds (race, history, bullying, dating) is great. The content is all done in a very engaging way that trusts the YA to relate to the common experiences of Jin Wang.

Nominate? Yes! The characters are entertaining and each story has a good plot. The themes of racial identity and place in America makes for compelling reading for YA who are solidifying their identities especially considering how many are multicultural. Being a graphic novel also ups the appeal for many readers who may not view themselves as readers. My one complaint is having to wait so long to see how all three stories fit together. They do but it takes a second read to see the pieces clearly. That point aside, this book is a strong choice for our mock Prints Award.

Genre:

Graphic novel, multicultural, coming of age