The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Summary:
In "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", Arnold Spirit 'Junior' is facing the struggles of living in poverty with his family on an Indian Reservation in Washington State. Like many of the Indians there, his small family lives in poverty and is plagued by alcoholism which, which will severely impacts many aspects of Junior's life. Through his teacher’s encouragement Arnold attends high school off the Reservation in Reardan, facing the challenges of being an outsider. All the while he is seen as a traitor to his people on the Reservation. Life strikes plenty of blows, but Arnold manages to keep fighting in order to overcome the bleak future that surely awaits him if he chooses to stay.
Commentary:
The story of Arnold’s ongoing struggles are a perfect example of YA literature. We see 14 year old Arnold go through what is likely the most trying time in his short life, and he is forced to do so relatively alone. His family has little means to help him navigate the impending struggles of being a minority in a new school, but Arnold makes the best of his situation, at times even succeeding marvelously. We meet him at a low point in his life, and while it never does become a perfect life, Arnold demonstrates an ability to adapt to the changes that occur over his first year in high school.
This book is a perfect example of Arnold’s independent spirit and emotional growth. A great lesson on resilience can be extrapolated from Alexie’s novel.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/gXCSwsBlWZo
Read Alikes:
If I Ever Get Out of Here
Black Boy White School
Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York, NY: Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Summary:
Melinda Sordino is starting out her freshman year of high school as the most unpopular student on campus. Due to an unknown event, Melinda calls the cops to a summer party, causing more than friction between her and most students at her school. She is ostracized and bullied, and even her parents don’t know what to do about her lack of motivation and progress in school. In her effort to survive this freshman year, she tries to make a friend and immerses herself in her art, but eventually the events of the summer party catch up to her. We find that the reason Melinda called the cops that day was because she was raped, by no less than Andy, an upperclassman who is now dating her former best friend. When he confronts her in a janitor's closet and assaults her once again, Melinda finds the voice she lost.
Commentary:
Anderson’s novel gives a voice to those who have lost their own as a result of sexual assault. Because Melinda is a teenager who experiences severe trauma, young adults can identify with her fears, her anxiety, and all the emotional and physical pains that she endures. Unfortunately events like this are a part of the reality of many students, but authors have given them a voice through books, and this is one way for those students to cope and hopefully heal
This novel and others by Anderson explore traumatic and serious social and emotional issues facing students, and they could be good books to study as part of small groups led by counselors.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/ySpPkHZ66aI
Read Alikes:
Recovery Road
Identical
Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Feed
by M.T. Anderson
Summary:
In what appears to be the near future, the majority of the U.S. population has a computer network
implanted in their brains. Corporations run the country and most aspects of daily life such as entertainment, shopping and communication are dictated by those same businesses. Even natural human reproduction appears impossible in this dystopian novel. While on vacation to the Moon, Titus and his friends meet Violet, a girl who is not thoroughly convinced that the feed and all it represents is something good, despite the fact that Violet also has a the feed. While at a club their feeds are hacked by an anti-feed activist, and it causes temporary problems, except for Violet, whose health begins to deteriorate progressively as a result of the hack. Titus and Violet date, and but as her condition worsens and she becomes more adamant about resisting the feed, Titus feels he can't stay with her, breaking off the relationship and eventually facing Violet's death.
Commentary:
This novel speaks volumes to the society we live in. Today more than ever before young adults can compare and contrast our current global and national events to those in the book. It gives students the opportunity to explore the value of constant connectivity versus more free thought. This is a novel that might resonate with them because it is likely that in the near future we may have the ability to participate in this form of technology.
Studying this dystopian novel may also open up discussions about corporate ethics and the possible consequences of embracing free surrender to corporate greed.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/7O0xw7ni_QE
Read Alikes:
Proxy
Invitation to the Game
Anderson, M.T. (2002). Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Scowler
By Daniel Kraus
Summary:
Monsters are real, and sometimes they live inside of us. This is what Ry, comes to realize as he, his
mother and little sister live their lives under the shadow and heavy hand of his abusive father Marvin. He commits a crime so heinous that Marvin will spend ten years in prison, escaping one day when a meteorite hits the prison. All the abuse did not spare young Ry emotional well-being, and as a growing boy he has battled with the demons of his father’s brutality. Now that his father has come back with a vengeance, Ry is forced to rely on three childhood “friends” that manifest themselves in his mind. All, but particularly one, will give Ry determination to rid their lives of the Marvin and his savage oppression, but not without making the reader question his sanity.
Commentary:
Young adult literature such as Scowler offers the reader insight into the outcomes of serious actions without actually living those experiences. Because of the horrors that Ry survives as a child, he comes out of it with emotional trauma that is not directly addressed. Readers however can explore the possibility that as a coping mechanism, Ry has developed three distinct personalities that help him survive and protect his family.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/buONFkNBpYk
Read Alike:
The Waking Dark
Rotter
Kraus, D. (2013). Scowler. New York, NY: Delacorte.
It’s Perfectly Normal
By Robie Harris
Summary:
This informative book is a great resource for parents and children who have questions about their
developing bodies and human sexuality. The information is scientifically sound and the age appropriate illustrations help parents discuss these important matters with their children. This book covers nearly any topic that one can imagine relating to human development, from changing bodies to pregnancy. No topic is off limits in this informative book.
Commentary:
This book can be explored to research a particular question, or can be browsed to find out more about what to expect as we grow from childhood to adolescence. Depending on the age or grade level, parents, teachers or students can use this book a great tool.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/Vya_DTyPbgU
Read Alikes:
It's So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families
Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL
Harris, R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.
Annie on my Mind
By Nancy Garden
Summary:
Liza and Annie are two high school seniors from different backgrounds. Liza an affluent girl
attending private school in New York; Annie a girl of modest means living with her immigrant parents and grandmother in a shabby apartment. Both coincide at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where they begin a close friendship despite their different academic goals. With time, the girls realize that they are falling in love and, and in the case of Liza, she realizes that she might be gay, something that she had not completely considered. Over Thanksgiving break both girls are outed as lesbians through an unfortunate discovery by Liza’s school administrator, and Liza shamefully ends her relationship with Annie. It is only after they have each moved on to college that they are on the verge of a possible reunion.
Commentary:
Students in our schools are as different and unique as snowflakes. No two are ever alike, but all would like the opportunity to see themselves in the characters they read about. This experience should apply to all students, regardless of their sexual preferences or orientation. While incorporating this book into curriculum could be a hard sell, librarians and teachers should be aware of it because we will have students who can benefit from reading about positive experiences of gay teens.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/v3aChHmZYac
Read Alikes:
Empress of the World
Dare Truth or Promise
Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Monster
By Walter Dean Myers
Summary:
After a drugstore robbery gone wrong, a man is dead and 16 year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for
murder along with other defendants. While Steve’s innocence is not clearly stated, his lawyer Ms. O’Brien fights to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that her client is innocent. Steve finds himself writing about his experience in this trial in the form of a script, complete with camera angles and movements. While Steve’s film club sponsor speaks on Steve’s behalf as character witness, we sense that the relationship with his father will suffer. Steve wonders if others see him as a monster, and interactions between him and his father, as well as his lawyer, seem to confirm that despite being found not guilty, he will never be able to outrun the their perception.
Commentary:
Myers writes a compelling story about the lived experiences of some Black youths. The unexpected writing style catches the reader’s interest and leaves us wondering if at any point Steve will confess that he indeed committed a crime. This books wonderfully allows for great discussions about the justice system in our country, and the disadvantages that Black people face in the mechanisms of this system.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/G2tKzK4B8-o
Read Alikes:
Tyrell (Tyrell #1)
Homeboyz
Myers, W. (1999). Monster. New York: HarperCollins.
The Notorious Benedict Arnold
By Steve Sheinkin
Summary:
Due to his betrayal of the Continental Army, many know only one part of the life or Benedict Arnold.
Sheinkin opens for us the human side of a man who loved his country and fought bravely for it. While it does not make excuses for his betrayal, as we read about his early life and the tragedies that befall Arnold, you find that it is easy to root for a great hero who frequently did not receive the respect of his superiors. No surprises abound in this nonfiction book, but reading about the last failed years of Benedict Arnold and his family makes your wonder what our history would be different if he had fought with the Americans until the end.
Commentary:
The story of Benedict Arnold is woven into the fabric of our history. While many books give a third person account of his life and misdeeds, The Notorious Benedict Arnold allows students to explore his life from his own point of view.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/nY_6OpyUZ-A?t=53
Read Alikes:
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship
Sheinkin, S. (2010). The notorious Benedict Arnold. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces
By Isabel Quintero
Summary:
Gabi Hernandez is a first-generation American high school senior in Southern California. She’s a
loyal friend to her best friends Sebastian and Cindy. She loves food (by her own admission), poetry, and recently she’s been crushing on several boys. Gabi must deal with the typical teenage dilemmas, but must also face her Mexican mother warning her about premarital sex and trying to act “white”, worry about her drug addict father who sometimes disappears for days at a time, and be a good role model to her younger brother, all while trying to get accepted to Berkeley. Quintero gifts us a very genuine look into the life of a young Hispanic girl in this very unique novel where you can’t help but cheer for Gabi.
Commentary:
This very authentic novel resonates with with any anyone who’s ever had to navigate through the demands of being a high school senior. So much happens in the span of one year, and to top it off, Gabi’s life gets exponentially more difficult with the tragic death of a parent, dealing with the the rape and teen pregnancy of a best friend, her gay friend's coming out, and issues of body image. After reading Quintero’s novel, one can attest to the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/Hy_Iwrzy2-Y
Read Alikes:
Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina
Quintero, I. (2014) Gabi, a girl in pieces. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.
Code Name Verity
By Elizabeth Wein
Summary:
In Wein’s novel about a friendship forged between two young British girls during the beginning of
World War II, Julie and Maddie, British spies and pilots, will prove their loyalty to each other. Held in an Ormaie, France hotel, Julie has been forced by the S.S. to give up information will have them tactical war-time advantage. Little do they know that Julie has been feeding them lies, embedded within the story of her and Maddie’s friendship. Maddie on her part has kept herself alive in France, plotting with Resistance members to free Julie and other prisoners from Ormaie. Buying herself time before being executed, Julie is able to get her message to Maddie, who will in turn make the ultimate sacrifice to spare her friend a torturous death.
Commentary:
Despite the complexity of information and history in this great novel, the umbrella theme was friendship. It was Julie’s desire, not so much to talk about the events that took place as a result of the war, but to share the amazing feats that her friend Maddie had accomplished.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/yEz6nPVubck
Read Alikes:
The FitzOsbornes at War by Michelle Cooper
My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve
Wein, E.E. (2012). Code name verity.
Freak Show
By James St. James
Summary:
Billy Bloom is fabulous, in every sense of the word. The gay teen and over-the-top drag queen has
just moved to Florida with his father, and he’s determined to make an impression on his ultra conservative new school. Billy more than ruffles the collective feathers of students and teachers, and becomes the target of bullying and violence. With the help of a few allies, he challenges the norm to postulate himself as Homecoming Queen, running against the school’s most popular (and secretly disliked) girl. Thorough confident speeches and moments of self doubt, Billy goes from surviving to thriving at his new school and amongst classmates who slowly learn to accept him as he is.
Commentary:
This book of realistic fiction gives a voice to teens struggling with issues of gender identity. It speaks to grit and a desire to overcome in the face of even the most harrowing adversity. Billy overcomes, but also inspires others to confront their own self-doubts and preconceived notions of what others should be like.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/LPn-P8rXcTg
Read Alikes:
Boy Meets Boy
Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda
St. James, J. (2007). Freak show. New York, NY: Dutton Books.
My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel
By Derf Backderf
Summary:
To the world, Jeffrey Dahmer is a notorious serial killer, a monster. But to John Backderf, he was a
misunderstood friend who never fit in. Odd and easy target for bullies in high school, Dahmer embraced the role of freak, all the while trying to suppress budding sadistic sexual urges, and a growing fascination with death. Jeffrey turns to alcohol to quell the demons inside, but soon even that cannot stop the fantasies. Before graduation, he is abandoned by his family, and teachers and friends don’t realize what is brewing inside of him. No one could have guessed the horrors that he would go on to unleash on his future victims. Backderf makes no excuses for him, but does paint him a more human light, to the point where you find yourself wishing that someone had lent a helping hand along the way before it was too late.
Commentary:
This graphic novel not only gives insight into the life of a serial killer, it paints him in such a way that makes you wish you could reach back through time and offer words of support and lend an ear. This novel is a great reminder that every person is fighting their own battles, some more difficult than others, but empathy and compassion could have changed the life a person who would go on to unleash great devastation onto others.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/MxAyCtsKvbc
Read Alikes:
Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Hellen Keller
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas
Backderf, D. (2012) My friend Dahmer: A graphic novel. New York:
Six of Crows
By Leigh Bardugo
Summary:
In the magical land of Ketterdam, Kaz Brekker is hired by wealthy merchant Van Eck to break
scientist Yul-Bayur out of Fjerda, an impenetrable prison complex. In order to pull of this complicated heist, Kaz must recruit the best crew, and he does. Six of the best criminals in the city make up the team, but not all things are simple. Some of them are in it to for their own reasons, making it difficult to trust one another. To complicate matters further, other people are looking to break out Yul-Bayur too, adding to the intensity of this fantasy novel. Kaz and his team risk it all to collect on the reward.
Commentary:
This high fantasy novel is a great book that still satisfies the reader’s desire for action and heist, while at the same time setting the reader in a new world to explore.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/am0Ouzf_AqU
Read Alikes:
The Lies of Locke Lamora
The Thief
Bardugo, L. (2015). Six of crows. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
By Holly Black
Summary:
Commentary:
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/F0nSwPPI3qo
Read Alikes:
Cinder
Team Human
Black, H. (2013). The coldest girl in Coldtown. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Lily and Dunkin
By Donna Gephart
Summary:
On the eve of 8th grade, both Lily (born Timothy) and Dunkin (real name, Norbert) are facing serious
inner struggles that will spill out as they make their way through the last year of middle school. Lily is a transgender girl desperate to take hormones before she begins to get the masculine features of a boy. Dunkin is a boy struggling with bipolar disorder, and is new to the city and state, moving in with his grandmother. Both become unlikely friends. The narration of the book from each of their points of view gives them each a unique voice that allows the reader to empathize better with each character. Lily will face the merciless bullying of the group that recruits Dunking to the basketball team, and Dunking will have to determine if stopping his medication in order to play better is worth the consequences. Both of them have a strong support system at home for the most part (Lily’s father refuses to allow hormones for her), but self acceptance is the best outcome for Lily and Dunkin.
Commentary:
This book offers a great lesson on empathy, acceptance, and self acceptance. It is a realistic fiction book written from the point of view of both Lily and Dunkin.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/qBDtalThIRE
Read Alikes:
Whatever.: Or How Junior Year Became Totally F$@cked
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit
Gephart, D. (2016). Lily and Dunkin. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.
Invisible
By Pete Hautman
Summary:
Doug is more than a little strange and socially awkward. He is plain weird. Others see it. The only
who does not seem to mind is his friend Andy. In fact, Andy is the only person who talks to him. Dougie has been spending two years in his basement, building model trains. He’s obsessed with making it just perfect. He also has an unhealthy obsession with fire. Despite therapy, Doug is not getting better, and he refuses to take his medication, exacerbating his condition. Through therapy, Doug is re-discovering the memory that his friend that his friend Andy died in an accidental fire at Tuttle Place three years ago, and we discover that all his interactions with him were Doug’s imagination.
Commentary:
This realistic nonfiction novel reads like a thriller due to the first person account from Doug, and the reader is never quite sure if what he says is true.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/rP19ElP92hk
Read Alikes:
Trigger
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.
Hautman, P. (2005) Invisible. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future
By A.S. King
Summary:
Glory’s Senior year of high school is coming to an end, but this is not a joyous occasion for her. She
is still coping with the emotional burden of her mother’s suicide and contemplating her after graduation. All the future’s uncertainty is cast away when she and her best friend Ellie, drink a concoction of dried bat blood that gives them the clairvoyant to see past and future of all they meet. And the future is terrifying, not only for the devastation of war, violence, and sanctioned crime against women, but also because of what Glory does not see: her own future. Glory felt lost going into adulthood, but after realizing what the future holds, she makes it her mission to record as much as possible in hopes that it will help others avoid their tragic destiny.
Commentary:
This contemporary realistic novel gives both a look into the present and also a look into what the future might hold.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/Co0BFLRCERg
Read Alikes:
We Are the Ants
King, A. (2014). Glory O’Brien’s history of the future. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
I Hunt Killers
By Barry Lyga
Summary:
Son of convicted serial killer, Jazz Dent leads a somewhat normal life. In his small town, he struggles
with the demons of his father’s crimes, to which he was a witness and apprentice, wondering if he could one day become like him. His father is now in prison, so when a woman’s body turn up near the town, emotions and demons from the past come rushing back to Jazz. His first hand experience with his father’s crimes put in him position to help the police track this new killer down. Through the quest to find the killer, Jazz faces the demons that keep him wondering if there is a killer inside him too.
Commentary:
This novel reads like a true crime thriller. It is a realistic novel that leads us to question, along with Jazz, the likely that he’ll turn into the killer that his father was.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/0wwRp7Ou53E
Read Alikes:
How to Lead a Life of Crime
The I-5 Killer
Lyga, B. (2012). I hunt killers. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
The Knife of Never Letting Go
By Patrick Ness
Summary:
In Prentisstown, where a strange germs called Noise has killed all the women, and made everyone’s
thoughts loud enough for all to hear, Todd is tasked with the dull jobs because he is the youngest. One day at a nearby swamp, Todd hears silence, a hole in the noise. He comes back home to his foster parents, and after telling them about the silence, they instruct him to leave and never come back. Todd heads back towards the swamp, being chased by the mayor’s son. There he encounters Viola, a girl and the source of the silence. In their search for the safe city of Haven, Todd learns that the women of Prentisstown were killed by all the men. The entire community of Prentisstown is a community of outlaws. When Todd and Viola reach Haven, they find only Mayor Prentiss, now President, and he welcomes them to his New World Order.
Commentary:
In this soft science fiction novel we have elements of science fiction set against contemporary times.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/tj4fowWo7xM
Read Alikes:
Red Blood Raod
Ship Breaker
Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Printz List
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
By Carolyn Mackler
Summary:
Ginny Shreves feels like an outsider in her own family. She is the daughter of a perfect mother who
is an adolescent psychologist, and the sister of perfect siblings. She is also overweight and self-conscious about it. She has a make-out buddy, Froggy, and that’s all he is, for now. Her mother criticizes Ginny about her weight, her father compliments the looks of skinny girls. This drives her to question her self worth. Her older sister is a beautiful thin girl who joined the Peace Corp to escape her crazy mother, and to boot, she faces the reality that the brother she idolizes, date raped someone. Ginny realizes that the perfection that everyone tried to portray was non-existent, and she starts taking steps to stand up to her mother and get control of her own life.
Commentary:
A realistic fiction novel that explores themes of body image, sex, appearance and transformation.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/uvXRH72GdiM
Read Alikes:
45 Pounds (More or Less)
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
Mackler, C. (2012). The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. Cambridge. MA: Candlewick Press.
Best Fiction for Young Adults
The Hunger Games
By Suzanne Collins
Summary:
In a dystopian North American future, Panem is a 12 district collective in which where each year, a
boy and girl from each district must join all others in an arena-style fight to the death. Randomly chosen is young Primrose as a female tribute (victim) from District 12. But her older sister Katniss, a skilled archer, will take her place to fight. Along with Peeta, her community acquaintance, she represents District 12, meeting up with 22 other tributes in this violent fight where only one will survive. Falling in love and breaking rules along the way, Katniss will go down in Panem history for a an unprecedented turn of events at the conclusion of the hunger games.
Commentary:
A low fantasy novel set in a dystopian future explores issues of ethics.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/YQcgJTqGsqs
Read Alikes:
The City of Ember
Legend, Book 1
Collins, S. (2009) The hunger games. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Chris Crutcher Book
Whale Talk
By Chris Crutcher
Summary:
T.J. is the adoptive son of a loving couple in Washington State. He is of athletic build but refuses to
join the school’s elite athletic program as a means to control the anger issues that have plagued him since childhood. Eventually, as a sign of protest and and defiance, he sets out to form a team of misfit swimmers along with a friendly school coach. Students who were bullied are actually thriving in the team with the help of T.J., their coach, and a homeless man who helps to coach them too. The are aiming to meet letterman requirements, and the succeed, upsetting people along the way. In the face of racism they succeed, but issues of the past will come back to make their victory bittersweet, and T.J. will lose a parent but gain a brother through fate.
Commentary:
A realistic fiction novel, you hope against hope that T.J. and his underdog team succeed.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/rvnohDtZP4o
Read Alikes:
The Arizona Kid
Night Hoops
Crutcher, C. (2002). Whale Talk. New York, NY: Dell Laurel-Leaf.
Maggie Stiefvater Book
Shiver
By Maggie Stiefvater
Summary:
Grace was nearly killed when a wolf attacked her. But she does not recall it as a bad thing. She is in
love with Sam the werewolf, but she does not know that he can also turn human. Jack, a high school student, is killed by wolves, and the Boundary Woods are searched to hunt them. In the search, Sam is shot and at this point Grace discovers that he can also turn human. But Jack is not dead, he's a werewolf. Grace herself is attacked by Shelby, a she-wolf, and despite Sam and Grace’s dad’s effort to kill her, Shelby survives. Sam spends his days hunting Jack in order to avoid him exposing the secret of the wolves to the world. Jack, desperta for a cure, kidnaps Sam and Grace, because she did not turn after being attacked. Jack’s sister, Isabel, believes this was due to the high fever Grace develops, so she sets out to get the inflected blood of a man with meningitis in order to inject Jack and Sam. Sam turns into a wolf in the middle of the procedure, and runs away. Jack dies three days later. Grace believes Sam to be dead, but they reunite one cold night when he comes back as a human.
Commentary:
This is a low fantasy novel set in contemporary times. It explores interspecies relationships as well as human relationships.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/a-8lvY8ni8Y
Read Alikes:
Taken by Storm
The Dark Divine
Stiefvater, M. (2009). Shiver. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Matt de la Peña Book
Mexican Whiteboy
By Matt de la Peña
Summary:
Danny is a half-Mexican half-white 16 year old boy who lives with his mother and sister in
California, but his father is out of the picture, back in Mexico, and Danny hasn't seen him in three years. He’s a fast pitcher, and could hone his skills to play baseball. That summer, when his mother and sister move up to San Fransisco with mom’s boyfriend, Danny decides to stay behind with his father’s family. He makes a friend, Uno, who like him is trying to connect with his father. Danny spends the days trying to fix his bad pitch and finding where he fits in a world where he is seen as an outsider.
Commentary:
A realistic fiction novel that takes us on Danny’s emotional journey to connect with one part of his cultural identity.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/5IdaTUQXv0k
Read Alikes:
Brown Girl Dreaming
Yaqui Delgdo Wants to Kick Your Ass
De la Peña, M. (2008). Mexican whiteboy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.
Neal Shusterman Book
Unwind
By Neal Shusterman
Summary:
After the Heartland War, parents have the option have have their child “unwound”. This process, done
to children between the ages of 13 and 18, maintains their consciousness intact, while their body parts are harvested and used for others who need them. Three teens about to be unwound, Connor, Risa, and Lev, meet by chance and each finds a reason to fight the unwinding. Together they join an Underground Railroad for “unwinds”, children slated for the unwinding process, and they meet others like them who are hoping to survive past their 18th birthday, when they are exempt from the unwinding process.
Commentary:
A hard science fiction novel in which the process of “unwinding” is the driving force behind the story.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/40MfyB2ym2o
Read Alikes:
The Adoration of Jenna Fox
The Secret Under My Skin (Secret Under My Skin #1)
Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
New Adult Book
Fangirl
By Rainbow Rowell
Summary:
Cath has just started her first year of college, and the socially anxious and awkward half of a set of
twins is unsure about how this first year will go. She is the author of popular Simon Snow (Harry Potter-esque) fanfiction, and she’s frantically trying to complete her new book before the release of the new Simon Snow novel. To add to her mental anguish, she worries that her sister Wren’s drinking is getting out of control, gets in trouble for submitting one of her fan fiction pieces for a literature class, and starts to fall for Levi, the ex-boyfriend of her roommate. Back on the homefront, Cath still suffers the emotional repercussions of her mother’s abandonment and her father’s bipolarity. Despite Cath’s hesitations, her introvertedness, and minor setbacks, Cath manages to have it all by the end of year.
Commentary:
Cath is struggling with real issues. While most people will not find fame as fanfiction writers, her concerns as a first year college student are real. Unlike her Wren, Cath was the worrier. She was concerned for her father and for Wren’s well being. She worried about herself and about her fans. Despite a nice resolution to most of the first-year-of-college dilemmas, Cath is still unable to resolve the issues with her mother and that’s OK.
Book Trailer:
https://youtu.be/uYk1H3DV8yk
Read Alikes:
Afterworlds
Anatomy of a Misfit
Rowell, R. (2013). Fangirl. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
