Looking for Alaska

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. ISBN-10: 0142402516, ISBN-13: 9780142402511. Graphia. 2007.

Plot Summary
"Pudge" has left his friendless life behind in Florida in hopes of a better life at the Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama. Things are immediately different when his roommate shows up and introduces Pudge to Alaska. She's beautiful, funny, rebellious, sexy and a mess. She fascinates him and makes him crazy with lust. That was all before what came after.

Critical Evaluation
All teens envision leaving behind bad times for what Pudge calls the "Great Perhaps" (from Rabelais). At his new boarding school, Culver Creek, he is able to shuck the boringness of the first 16 years of his life for the drinking, smoking and prank-pulling life with his roommate "the Colonel" and the Colonel's best friend, the beautiful Alaska. The two of them drag Pudge into the world and give him experiences beyond his wildest dreams. Interestingly, the book is in two parts (before and after), and further divided into the days "before" and the days "after." As the number of days before dwindles, readers wait with breaths held for what will happen. And when tragedy does strike, the characters and readers will realize that you can never go back, knowing what you now know. John Green weaves a story rich with the feelings young men have toward sex and love and friendship and how the three are vastly different. He ties humor into lives that are lacking any, and empathetic emotion where you least expect it.

Reader's Annotation
Pudge goes to boarding school to escape his boring life. He never expects to find the friends he does, or to fall in love with the funny, smart and {yet} sad Alaska, or to have to learn how to deal with losing her.

About the Author
John Green worked as a publishing assistant and production editor for Booklist during the years he wrote his first novel, Looking for Alaska. It was published in 2005 to excellent reviews—it went on to win the Michael L. Printz award in 2006, among many other accolades. His second novel for young adults, An Abundance of Katherines, was published in 2006, and followed by Paper Towns in 2008. Green also is working with David Levithan on the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Green's books are full of feeling and hilarity while facing deep topics.

Genre
Boys/Men
Dating/Sex
Death/Dying

Curriculum Ties
no applications

Booktalking Ideas
Would you leave this life you're living now behind for another…
How would you cope with a friend's death…

Awards
Michael L. Prinze Award (2006)

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
I have always heard good things about this book—it's a good one.

Slam

Hornby, Nick. Slam. ISBN-10: 1594483450, ISBN-13: 9781594483455. Riverhead Books. 2008.

Summary
Sam is a skater—not on ice, but on a board—which could be why Sam turned to Tony Hawk for someone to talk to. He "talks" to his poster of Tony and references the skater's autobiography when his life falls apart. He had this amazing girlfriend, then they broke up and now she's telling him that she's pregnant with Sam's baby. Sam was raised by a single, teen mom and he doesn't want that for his baby. But he's not sure he's ready to be dad either. He knows that he's got to do something, though.

Critical Evaluation
Sam is a normal fifteen year old. He was in love with a girl, then they weren't doing anything but having sex, and then they broke up. He was over her and thought everything was going great. That was until his whole life was upset with the news that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his baby. Without anyone else to talk to about this predicament, Sam channels the wise words of his skateboarding mentor, Tony Hawk, through the skater's autobiography. Mix that with the odd visions into his future, Sam starts to make very adult decisions. Nick Hornby gives us an inside look into the heart of boys and men. Teen girls will love knowing some of the things that go through a guys mind, and guys will be thankful to know that they aren't alone in their thoughts of fear and insecurity. The backcover of the book says, "Nick Hornby has made a career writing about men who act like boys. Now he gives us a boy who acts like a man…" Sam is very likable, unlike some of his other characters.

About the Author
English author Nick Hornby is another author who began his working life as a teacher. The Cambridge educated Hornby taught, worked for Samsung, and was a freelance journalist before becoming a novelist. He is better known for his books for adults. He started his career with the memoir (Fever Pitch) of his "support" for the Arsenal football (soccer) team. It was made into two movies: a British version with Colin Firth and the American version with Jimmy Fallon as the fervent fan of the Boston Red Sox. High Fidelity and About a Boy subsequently followed, and they were also made into major motion pictures starring John Cusak and Hugh Grand, respectively. In the last decade, he has written three other adult books (How to Be Good, A Long Way Down and Juliet Naked); in addition to Slam, his first young adult effort. Also, in the decade Hornby has collaborated with other authors to contribute to two short story collections—Big Night Out (2002) and Click (2007), edited an anthology (Speaking with the Angel, 2000), wrote several non-fiction books, and penned the Oscar nominated screenplay for "An Education."

Genre
Dating/Sex
Boys/Men

Curriculum Ties
Health: safe sex
Sociology: studying the value and effects of "family" on today's society

Booktalking Ideas
How would you react to being a teen mother/father…
How do you think your life would change…
Awards
Young Adult Library Services Association's Best Book for Young Adults (2008)

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
I was lucky to meet Nick Hornby while at a YALSA luncheon! As a fan, I was excited to read his young adult book, but it sat on my shelf unread for three years. I read his new book (Juliet, Naked) this summer and couldn't agree more with the quote "Nick Hornby has made a career writing about men who act like boys. Now he gives us a boy who acts like a man…" I plan to leave this book out in hopes that my boys will read it in a couple of years.

More information
Nick Hornby's Official Website: http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/nickhornby/

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Neri, Greg, writer. Randy Duburke, illustrator. Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty. ISBN-10: 1584302674, ISBN-13: 9781584302674. Lew & Low Books. 2010.

Summary
"Yummy" is the nickname for an eleven year old boy, Robert Sandifer. In 1994, Yummy was responsible for the stray bullet that killed another kid, a 14-year old girl from the same Chicago Southside neighborhood. In the span of three days, we see Yummy running and hiding from the police and eventually his own gang. The narrator, Roger, gives a insight into who Yummy is and the system that, in the end, may have failed Yummy and many other children like him.

Critical Evaluation
In stark, black and white illustrations, Yummy is a graphic novel about the very short life of the real Robert Sandifer, aka Yummy. He was 11 years old when he shot and killed 14 year old Shavon Dean. The story is told through the eyes of a fictional classmate of Yummy's, Roger. And he is the voice that asks the questions about how Yummy turned out like he did: Was it the dangerous Roseland neighborhood? Was it the attraction of gang life to fill in where his family was absent? It's impossible to know what happened to Yummy, but readers can look at this graphic novel as a cautionary tale for their own futures.

Reader's Annotation
The Roseland neighborhood in Chicago's Southside is a dangerous place to grow up. Watch how a boy who loved sweets, dubbed Yummy, became an 11 year old murderer.

About the Author
Greg Neri is the author of several books for children and young adults, a producer of interactive media projects for clients like Reebok, Disney and Mercedes Benz, writer and director of three films and the winner of numerous awards. He currently lives in Florida, but graduated from University of California-Santa Cruz with a degree in theater arts which explains his wide range of projects. Yummy began as a movie project and after 12 years, it became a graphic novel.

Illustrator Randy Duburke was born in Georgia, lived in New York and now resides in Switzerland with his family. Over his 20 year career, he has worked on comic books, book cover art, children's picture books, and animation. Duburke was awarded the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe award for best new talent/illustration for his first children's book, Moon Ring, in 2003. Now he is committed to his time to work on illustrating children's books and graphics novels.

Genre
Graphic Novel
Biography
Violence
Boys/Men

Challenges
Violence

Curriculum Ties
Sociology: Chicago's Southside Roseland neighborhood
Sociology: Gangs as family
Current Events: Gang Violence

Booktalking Ideas
What were you thinking about when you were 11… shooting another kid to into a gang…

Awards
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2010
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2010
Booklist Best Books of 2010
School Library Journal's Fuse #8: 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2010 List

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this title...
I read the review in Booklist.

Deadline

Crutcher, Chris. Deadline. ISBN-10: 0060850914, ISBN-13: 9780060850913. Greenwillow Books. 2010.

Summary
Ben is going to die. Not some day, but within the year. He's decided to keep that "little" secret to himself. Armed with this knowledge, he's decided that he's going to live the last months of his life to the absolute fullest—he's going to give up the safety of cross-country for the dangers and glory of football, he's going to speak up in class and press his opinions, and most importantly, he's going to ask the gorgeous Dallas Suzuki out on a date, rather than love her from afar. Unfortunately, not everything goes exactly to Ben's plans. He learns that keeping secrets isn't necessarily the best method to keep from hurting people.

Critical Evaluation
Deadline is a touching book that addresses the question of what would you do if you knew you had nothing to lose. Ben wants to make the most of his last days. While he enjoys the chances he's taking, he sees that withholding the truth to those he loves the most, hurts them just as much as the truth could. Young adults will like the idea Ben's philosophy of "having nothing to lose" during his last days, and will see how honesty improves Ben's short life. It's a book that could be very sad, and whereas it is sad, it's also got humor at work at the same time.

Reader's Annotation
Deadline is a book about living one's life to the fullest, as Ben is faced with his death during his senior year of high school.

About the Author
Chris Crutcher one of those rarities: an Idaho author. He was raised near Boise, in a small logging town that is similar to the town of Trout that appears in some of his novels. He holds a degrees in psychology and sociology, and a teaching certificate. He's taught in California and Washington, where he ending his teaching career at an alternative school for at-risk kids. He then started another career as a therapist and child protection advocate while looking for a way to help support his writing habit in Spokane.

He's still in Spokane, and he relies heavily on the experiences as a teacher and family therapist to give his fiction life. His writing style brings reality to the forefront with amazing humor. He's written ten novels for young adults in the last three decades; as well as a small series called Stotan, a short story collection, Athletic Shorts and a memoir, King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography. He is also often challenged and/or banned due to the real subjects of which he writes and the real language of teens. His book Whale Talk (2001) deals with issues of child abuse and drug abuse, and was 41^st on the American Library Association of the Top 100 Banned/Challenged books for the last decade. Coming in at 44^th on the same list, is his collection of short stories (Athletic Shorts, 1991), and at 85 is Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (1993).

Crutcher was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for a lifetime contribution to young adult literature in 2000.

Genre
Death/Dying
Frienship
Boys/Men

Challeneges
Death
Sexual Abuse
Language

Curriculum Ties
no applications

Booktalking Ideas
If you knew you had a fatal condition, would you tell everyone or would you keep it to yourself…
If you knew you had one year to live, what would you do…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
I heard Chris Crutcher speak at the Idaho Library conference, and couldn't believe I had never read his books.

More Information:
American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/2000_2009/index.cfm

Twisted

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted. ISBN-10: 014131088X, ISBN-13: 9780141310886. Puffin. 1999.

Summary
Before his senior year, Tyler was a nobody. He was invisible, but that's all changed due to his creative graffiti on the school walls and his summer spent in punishment working hard-labor outside. His reputation and his body have changed. He's no longer lurking in the shadows, and he's caught the attention of his crush and super-popular Bethany. This leads to conflicts at school because she is the sister to his archenemy, Chip. And this makes home awkward as she's also the daughter of his Dad's boss. As the story unfolds, Tyler's got to deal with his feelings to find out what kind of man he really is, or is growing to be.

Critical Evaluation
So many times books are written to help girls who suffer from social issues, but in Twisted Laurie Halse Anderson opens up the heart and mind a teen called Tyler. He's always been an outsider, and would still be overlooked if not for his crazy act of rebellion where he vandalized his school. His crime changed his reputation, and his punishment of manual labor changed his body. The superficial changes bring the attention of Tyler's crush, an equally superficial Bethany. He's now caught in the dilemma of what does a man do when he's got what he wants and it's nothing like he thought it'd be. Young readers will be acquainted with the inner conflicts of sex and love, drinking and partying, school, and parental issues.

Reader's Annotation
Now that Tyler is popular and attention-worthy, he needs to face the ethical quandaries of being a man in the world today.

About the Author
Laurie Halse Anderson is a native to New York state, and that is where she currently lives and writes. The bestselling author writes books for kids of all ages, but is maybe best known for her young adult books. Her debut novel Speak was a National Book Award finalist, a New York Times bestseller and a Printz Honor book. Catalyst followed in 2003, Prom in 2006 and Twisted in 2008—all of which touching on tough subjects with delicacy and the right about of humor.

Anderson is also very well known for her American History picture books that highlight the women who also helped shape our country. Vet Volunteers is a chapter book series written for elementary readers. Anderson alternates between her projects all the while being presented with 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award for Catalyst, Fever 1793 and Speak. In 2008, she received the ALAN Award for her "outstanding contribution to the field of adolescent literature. And in April 2010, she was chosen to be the School Library Month spokesperson by the American Association of School Librarians.

Genre
Boys/Men
Adolescence

Challenges
Underage Drinking
Sexual Content

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
When faced with getting the very thing you wanted and realizing that it's all wrong, how do you respond…
How do you shake the reputation that people gave you when they only know what they think you do without really getting to know you …

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
Often the feelings of young men are overlooked, and this book is a great look inside the feelings of a guy.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. ISBN-10 0671027344, ISBN-13 9780671027346. MTV Books. 1999.

Summary
Charlie is a high school freshman who isn't a super-jock like his brother, or very popular like his sister, and is thought to be a little odd. When he starts high school, he finds himself on the fringe of a social circle. He isn't meant to be on the fringe with Patrick and his step sister, Sam, but hey are seniors, and they adopt Charlie into their lives. Charlie chronicles the escapades he experiences with Patrick, Sam and all of their friends in letters written to an unknown recipient. And through the letters, Charlie talks about his love for Sam, his concern for Patrick and his lover, the drugs and alcohol that help him cope. We also see his downward spiral into depression as the school year winds down, and as all Charlie's friends graduate, move on and leave him alone again.

Critical Evaluation
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age story that is written in an epistolary style. "Charlie" is the said letter writer who lurks in the shadows of his friends as they maneuver through their senior year of high school. As only a freshman, Charlie writes to an anonymous recipient about his friends as the all frequent the late night Rocky Horror Picture Shows, drink alcohol, take drugs, and explore both hetero- and homosexual relationships. Charlie gets caught up in the lives of his friends, and experiences a depressive breakdown as his friends all begin to fade out of his life after their graduation.

Reader's Annotation
Charlie shares what it is like to grow up in high school through a series of letters written from the point of view of the proverbial wallflower.

About the Author
As a native to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stephen Chbosky graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program, and he's better known for his film and television writing. His film The Four Corners of Nowhere was accepted by the Sundance Film Festival. He's also worked as co-creator producer and writer for the short-lived television show Jericho.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky's first and only novel to date, but he also edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories as well as a hard-to-find Sexaholic. It is said that Chbosky is working on a screenplay for The Perks
of Being a Wallflower.

Genre
Adolescence
Boys/Men
Friendship

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
What would you think if one of your friends wrote about everything you and your friends did in a letter and sent it to someone else to read…

Awards
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
This is an often challenged book, and I read it for my group presentation.