The Retired Rookie: April 2023

REALISTIC FICTION

Author: Louise O'Neill

Title: Asking For It

Summary: An Irish teen is gang-raped at the end of a night when she knows she participated in drinking, recreational drugs, and sexual behavior. She doesn't remember the rape but can see from pictures that are posted that she was not conscious. The book explores the aftermath of questions, guilt, anger, fear, accusations, and lack of hope.

Reaction and possible use: In all honesty, this book was hard for me to finish. I didn't like anyone in the book with the possible exception of the neighbor, Connor. I didn't like the ending - I understand the ending, but the lack of any type of conclusion was jarring - as was the whole book. I didn't notice until I was halfway through, but one of the reviews on the cover said "O'Neill writes with a scalpel" (Jeanette Winterson), and that about sums it up. I felt like the main character was sliced open and the author decided to leave her and the reader without stitches. Honestly, I do not feel qualified to use this novel with students, but I do believe that there are groups in the Counseling office of high schools that deal with victim issues and this book might be something that a trained counselor could use.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR

Author: Waka T. Brown

Title: While I Was Away

Summary: This is a memoir about a Japanese American teen who is sent to Japan to live with her grandmother for five months as a result of her Japanese immigrant parents feeling like she is not adequately learning the Japanese language in their American home. She learns to survive as a guest in her grandmother's home and as a newcomer in a Japanese school. She also misses her friends from Kansas even as she enjoys time with her cousins and a neighbor in Japan.

Reaction and possible use in school: I loved this book. I felt for Waka and was so angry at the adults in her life on her behalf. She proved to be really resilient and open to the people in Japan in spite of her being forced into the situation. I think this book could be used in a cultural study of Japan or Asia. The book could be recommended for students who also live with feet in two worlds and it can be used as a study of friendship as it explores examples of friendship as well as non-examples of friendship.

BOOK VERSUS MOVIE TITLE

Author: Jennifer Mathieu

Title: Moxie

Summary: A Texas high schooler attends a school that seems to be mired in an unenlightened era where both boys and the adults in charge are either happy with or compliant with a male-dominated culture that belittles and abuses female students. Vivian is at first satisfied to fly under the radar but then is bothered to the point of action. Her chosen path of action is to publish a "zine" which she calls "Moxie" and which she places around the school in secrecy. As the other students in the school begin to get on board, Vivian finds that others are also passionate about change. She challenges herself to open up and be a leader as others also find their voice and the school is forced to find better leaders.

Reaction and possible school use: I enjoyed Moxie due to the character development but was frustrated by the unrealistic lack of accountability of the teachers and administrators, the unrealistic level of acceptance of the female students and their families, and the predictability of the outcome. The book could be used to model student action and inspire confidence and I think it could be a great book club book for high schoolers.

SPECULATIVE FICTION

Author: Neal Shusterman

Title: Scythe

Summary: In a futuristic MidMerica world the human race has evolved past mortal death so to deal with overpopulation, there exist Scythes who "glean" people (put them to death). A realistic look at this societal role seems so logical and even compassionate at first to the main characters who are Scythe apprentices, but they come to discover a dark side of the Scythedom. There are two more books in the series, but in this book, the hierarchy of the Scythedom begins to be questioned and seems vulnerable to the new Honorable Anastasia and the rogue Rowan.

Reaction and possible school use: Frankly I can't wait to finish the rest of my 20 books so I can read the rest of this series! I loved it. At first, I thought the book was going to be a new version of The Hunger Games, but no - it was its own original story. I loved the character development and I loved the characters of Citra, Rowan, HS Curie, and HS Faraday. I can't wait to see what happens in the next few books! I think there are so many great conversations for book clubs and readers - finding the parallels between the "Thunderhead" and our cloud, between the Thunderhead and God, between the Thunderhead and Government. Ethical conversations and considerations.

HISTORICAL FICTION

Author: Nic Stone

Title: Clean Getaway

Summary: A teen boy is at best "asked to accompany," and at worst "kidnapped by," his grandmother. He spends the majority of a week trying to figure out what is going on with his grandmother as she seems to be alternating between the grandmother he knows and loves and some new version of his grandmother who is acting strangely and isolating them from her son and his father. Throughout this family drama, there is a trip through the Deep South and many historic sites from the Civil Rights Era.

Reaction and possible uses: Enjoyable, but frustrating for an adult to read. I was aggravated with Scoob once he knew he needed to contact his dad but kept not doing so. I think younger audiences will be more accepting of that, but I would use it as a lesson on when you "tell." I would also use it as a great walk through the history of the Civil Rights Era and an honest conversation on how far we have come or have not come in accepting all people as equals (Scoob is Black, his G'ma is White and they experience different reactions from people on their trip.)

LGBTQ NOVEL

Author: Leah Johnson

Title: You Should See Me In A Crown

Summary: Lighty is a high school senior who wants to go to a private college, but the only way to get the money is to win the Prom Queen Scholarship. What ensues is a great story where the main character breaks out of her comfort zone (or discomfort zone), makes new friends, learns tragic information about the people she thought she could count on, and rekindles friendships with others. It is an optimistic view of high school life through which the reader understands that being who you are is enough.

Reaction and possible uses in school - I loved Liz Lighty, While starting the book as a girl most interested in flying under the radar, I loved how she still had a backbone and a voice. I think you could use this book in an interesting way. Maybe high schools could make more of Homecoming Queen or Prom Queen - not the bad way that Campbell High kept electing the "same Prom Queen" - but the good way: the service projects, the GPA component, the school activities. Interesting possibilities. Of course, it is also a great book that is representative of LGBTQ characters as positive forces in their high school environment.

GRAPHIC NOVEL

Author: Jen Wang

Title: The Prince and the Dressmaker

Summary: A young prince likes to wear dresses so he finds a dressmaker to hide his secret and dress him in his alter ego, Lady Crystallia. He hides his nighttime journeys from his parents and the expectations of the world, but eventually his secret is revealed. By the end of the book, he is splitting time between male and female clothes and seems to have a romantic relationship with the dressmaker, Frances.

Reaction and Possible School Use: I didn't fully understand the ending and admit to looking up an interview with the author who is open to your interpretation of the ending. As a graphic novel, it was so well done - easy to read and understand the pictures which was so nice coming off of reading the manga. With very few words and the power of illustration, you really did love Frances and Sebastian. For students who are struggling with identity, this would be an assuring and affirming read.

AUTHOR ASSIGNMENT

Author: Judy Blume

Title: Tiger Eyes

Summary: Davey travels with her family from Atlantic City, NJ to the desert Southwest to escape the reality and memories of her father's death. In such an entirely different environment she finds beauty in nature and a new "wildish" friend even while she finds challenges living with her aunt and uncle and with her mother's new love interest.

Reaction and possible use in school: I both appreciated and was frustrated by this book. Davey seemed very victimized by the weird adults around her - the wounded mother, the Stepford wife aunt, and the rigid uncle. But she finds her own spaces and people and manages to heal. I do wish that Davey had been a little more gracious to her aunt and uncle who did try to help her and I would have liked to know just a bit about how she did once back in NJ. Perhaps the book could be used in grief groups in the Counseling office.

NON-FICTION TITLE

Author: James L. Swanson

Title: The President Has Been Shot

Summary: A historical non-fiction reflection of John F. Kennedy's life and the days that led up to and immediately followed the assassination of President Kennedy. The author allows us to see JFK as a member of a family, a military man, a husband, and a father. This book also sheds light on Jacqueline Kennedy, the assassin, and the reaction of the local law enforcement and secret service agents.

Reaction: I was really grateful that I chose this book. I feel like I grew up in the era of Kennedy fascination, but without really ever understanding the allure of the Kennedys. I would use this book in a history class as a read-aloud or an assigned reading.

AUDIOBOOK

Author: Jason Reynolds

Title: Sunny

Summary: I am so glad that I listened to this book instead of reading it. The power of voice really added to this book about an adolescent boy who lives with a grieving father and his mother's memory. It is at its core a coming-of-age story where a boy has to tell his father that he cannot live his life as a memorial to his mom and that he wants to explore his own interests.

Reaction and school use: I wrote down two lines from this book in my journal where I keep lines from books that just stopped me in my tracks. The voice and the expression of the narrator really added to the book and it is worth noting that Jason Reynolds plucked this narrator from his own childhood because he trusted him with representing youth from this perspective with the right tone. I would use this book in an English class as a mentor text for descriptive writing.

DISABILITIES TITLE

Author: Gillian McDunn

Title: Caterpillar Summer

Summary: After the family's summer plans are changed last minute, Cat and her brother, Chicken are instead sent to live with their grandparents who they have never met. Under her grandparents' care, Cat learns that she is to love Chicken, but she is not supposed to have to be his mother. She grows and learns about her own needs, and her own joys, and makes her own friends. She also finds that she doesn't love being Cat to Chicken - she would rather be Catherine.

Reaction: I am beginning to think it must be common in YA books to be frustrated with the adults in charge of the young people. I read this book shortly after Tiger Eyes and Clean Getaway and I was feeling inundated with adults who are clueless parents! In this book, the mother doesn't realize that she is leaving the parenting of her autistic elementary son to her older daughter. I think this would be a great book to use as a read-aloud in any class, but I think it could be enjoyed especially by students whose lives are affected by autism.

ALEX AWARD WINNER

Author: Casey McQuiston

Title: Red, White & Royal Blue

Summary: The President's son survives the life of being the President's son which is compounded greatly when he falls in love with a British prince and is publicly outed as being gay by an opposing presidential campaign. Other than being in such a complicated political situation, it is a genre-typical "enemy to lovers" trope. Alex and Henry are both strong and likable, but while Alex is supported by his family, Henry (the prince) is not as lucky.

Reaction: In the early 2000s I had a preemie who lived in NICU for a long time and when she came home I resigned the job that I loved, became a full-time mom to an infant, and in hindsight, I realize that I read 10,000 romance books during that time as an escape. This book felt like a return to that time in my life when I was just looking for some happily ever after. I honestly don't know how to use this book in a serious academic way, but I would recommend it to any student who loves the optimism of a rom-com.

PRINTZ AWARD WINNER

Author: Daniel Nayeri

Title: Everything Sad is Untrue

Summary: The very personal story of an Iranian refugee then immigrant to Oklahoma. The first part of the book is mostly him setting his history - as he knows or understands it. This is important to his experience because the way he was treated as an immigrant I am sure created the need for him to substantiate his Persian history and culture. As he winds up his grandmother's tragic story from Iran, he moves more to his story in America, his mother's tragic yet proud life, and his struggles in America. Painful and sad at times, the victimized person to successful person trope is real in this case and aren't we thrilled?

Reaction and possible school use: I was very lost at the beginning of the book and more than once considered throwing in the towel. I kept waiting to emotionally connect. Then I did. Several lines have made my notebook of lines from books that I don't ever want to forget. Also, noteworthy is that Dan has concocted survival strategies the same way Ellie does in Starfish. This is a powerful book that will allow children to empathize with the experience of others. Book Club is a good use of the book, but it is the most powerful mentor text of descriptive writing or of a memoir I can think of.

EDGAR AWARD WINNER

Author: John Green

Title: Paper Towns

Summary: Quinton and Margo are neighbors who played when they were little, shared a pretty traumatic event, then drifted apart until they became high schoolers who didn't talk to each other (that is another repeated element of YA, I am noticing). Then one night, Margo takes Quinton on her ultimate "give people what they deserve" night then promptly disappears. Quinton spends the rest of the book trying to find Margo (or her remains) culminating with his and her friends going for the ride of their lives.

Reaction and possible school use: I liked it even as I felt like Margo was a little unbelievable - like she was always too old for her actual self. I liked the uncovering of the meanings of paper towns as we went and guess that Margo obsessed over paper towns because she thinks of others and of Florida as flimsy paper, while it really seems that her life - in her home, in her friendships, etc. is what really might be a paper or flimsy existence. I am not quite sure how to use this in school if I am being honest. I don't think I would choose it for a book club and I don't see it being a mentor text although I do see teenagers liking the book so definitely a recommendation in the library.

MANGA

Author: Kohei Horikoshi

Title: My Hero Academia

Summary: Middle schooler Izuku wants to be a hero, but he has no "quirk." Quirks were a range of superpowers that most people in this fantasy world possessed, but not Izuku. However, Izuku dreams of attending the UA High School where heroes are taught, but he can't bring this about until his inherent heroism is witnessed by his favorite hero, All Might, who then passes his power down to Izuku. Izuku faces enemies and trials as he grows in his power, but he is defined and saved by his personal character.

Reaction: I honestly was so confused and my eyes could not read all of the speech bubbles or see all of the pictures with clarity, but I do see the attraction to younger audiences. I hosted a book fair this week and was able to purchase two manga titles for my library that my students had been asking for. I do like the pages inserted into the story in the edition I had (pictured above) where the author talked about his idea for the character and their look. Perhaps that would be useful in an art class.

VERSE TITLE

Author: Lisa Fipps

Title: Starfish

Summary: Ellie is an overweight middle school girl who is delightful in every way, but is part of a family where she is supported lovingly by only her father. Her mother supports her only through critical means which do not translate as love from a mother to a daughter. She loses her best friend, begins therapy, and survives a taunting brother and mildly dismissive sister. Somewhere along the way, she finds a new friend and her loving family, a support system, and her voice.

Reaction and possible school use: I loved this book so much. Along with Scythe, this book shoots to my personal top ten list. I did feel the YA frustration with her mother that I addressed earlier in these reviews, but not quite as bad because even as Ellie doesn't really claim her own rights until the very end, she isn't quite as passive as some other characters have been. I would do a book club with this book for sure!

STATE BOOK AWARD

Author: Jennifer Nielsen

Title: Lines of Courage

Summary: This book follows the lives of five tweens/teens as they intersect with World War One. We experience the fear and catastrophe of an Austria-Hungarian boy, a German girl, a British girl, a French girl, and a Russian boy. Their stories come together as their paths cross and their experiences shape lvoe and forgiveness rather than hostility and anger.

Reaction and possible school use: I really enjoyed this book as I love history and I loved the very thorough author's notes at the end. I just think the way that the young characters learn respect beyond the label "enemy" is so important. I am already using this book as a May book club with my 5th graders. I decided to use it when I read it as the 5th graders studied WW1 this year.

FREE CHOICE 1

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Title: The Poet X

Summary: A brilliant verse novel about a tough girl who is really not that tough. A girl who is her mom's little girl until she was no one's little girl trying to adjust her own mind and actions to her new body. She still lives with very conservative parents and a twin that isn't very much like her, although they do share the typical twin emotional connection when times get tough - which they do. Poetry provides an outlet for her emotional turmoil, but her life won't be settled until she and her mother can deal with their turmoil.

Reaction and possible school use: I recognize its brilliance, but it was hard for me personally to really attach to any of the characters. All of the characters have an edge, especially Xiomara - that is until she melts a little for a gentle boy and for her own brother once his secrets become known to her. I think the book could be used with older students to open poetry units or to support Poetry Out Loud initiatives in the school.

FREE CHOICE 2

Author: Joy McCullough

Title: Blood Water Paint

Summary: A famous painter's daughter is really the secret behind his talent. But she is a talented painter at a time when women aren't allowed to be anything outside of the home or convent. As she paints she creates stories for her heroines and they fight for their rights as she must fight for hers. Historical fiction meets fantasy, Blood Water Paint requires your attention as it is a heavy and weighty tale of abuse, power, and fighting back.

Reaction and possible school use: As I said in the description, this book was heavy. I can't say that I enjoyed it very much even though I see its importance. Artemesia is a strong character though that I did find myself rooting for. I was glad to see some level of responsibility from her father in the end. It could be a great book for studying Art History, World History, or the Renaissance.

Free Choice 3

Author: Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus

Summary: A modern-day tale of the Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus. This graphic novel takes Hades, Persephone, Eros, Apollo, Zeus, Poseidon, Artemis, etc., and places them in current situations with cars, smartphones, sexual abuse, etc.

Reaction: This had me wanting to look for a primer on Greek mythology. In fact, when I finish writing this, I just might do it! Really enjoyable and I liked that I could read all the episodes on Webtoon. I will likely finish the series to see what happens and if it lines up with mythology. While I might have the book in the high school library, given that it is an adult book, I likely would not assign it in school.

The Retired Rookie

Friday, April 14, 2023

20 YA Titles for Your Consideration

20 YA Titles for Your Consideration

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