Multicultural Literature

Working on December's YA display, Walk A While in Their Shoes, helped to revive one of my favorite discussions in library school (besides censorship and intellectual freedom chats) which centered on the notion of literature as providing the means of being mirrors and/or windows. What does that mean?

To me, it means that children, tweens, and teens should be able to readily see themselves reflected by the "mirrors" of contemporary literature. Further, literature can serve as "windows" into other cultures by way of allowing youth to learn and even possibly, depending upon how well-written, vicariously walk awhile in the shoes of someone else.

In the 1990 essay titled Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors by Rudine Sims Bishop (which was shared with me during library school and more recently cited in a Bitchmedia article), Bishop expounds:

When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part. Our classrooms need to be places where all the children from all the cultures that make up the salad bowl of American society can find their mirrors.

Children from dominant social groups have always found their mirrors in books, but they, too, have suffered from the lack of availability of books about others. They need the books as windows onto reality, not just on imaginary worlds. They need books that will help them understand the multicultural nature of the world they live in, and their place as a member of just one group, as well as their connections to all other humans. In this country, where racism is still one of the major unresolved social problems, books may be one of the few places where children who are socially isolated and insulated from the larger world may meet people unlike themselves. If they see only reflections of themselves, they will grow up with an exaggerated sense of their own importance and value in the world -- a dangerous ethnocentrism. 

In the article, Black Girls Hunger for Heroes, Too: A Black Feminist Conversation on Fantasy Fiction for Teens, authors Zetta Elliott and Ibi Zoboi discuss their experiences and thoughts about literature -- I'll share a few excerpts that resonated with me:

ELLIOTT: Do you remember reading books as a child that served as a mirror for you?

ZOBOI: Not at all. I remember having to read the Chronicles of Narnia. I went to a Catholic school in Bushwick, Brooklyn and Sister Ann was reading it to us and we were bored to death. It was all Black and Latino kids in the class. The nuns for the most part were Irish. I remember Sister Ann loved the book and we were like, "YAWN." I was that kid who did not read because I just didn’t care about the characters.

ELLIOTT: I recently met a Black teenager who told me she didn’t like to read. And I said, “But there are so many great books out there and many of them are being made into movies. Did you see The Hunger Games?” And she had. After we parted ways I thought to myself, “What do Black girls do when they’re watching The Hunger Games? Do they identify with Katniss more than Rue?" I thought of Jacqueline Bobo and her work on Black women as cultural readers. So many of us walk into the theater knowing that Hollywood is going to screw us over. And so we’re already prepared to navigate around stereotypes and extract meaning from the film. I was listening to the lively commentary during the film and it was clear the Black women and girls were engaged with the movie. I thought, “They’re finding a way to enjoy this experience even if there are no Black girls on the screen.”

//

ELLIOTT: I noticed in the previews that came on before Catching Fire that there are so many YA novels being turned into films—including Divergent. And so you have predominantly young white women being featured in these books that are then being adapted into films—

ZOBOI: And garnering a much larger audience. That’s the subject of my MFA thesis. If you’re going to create an atypical hero—she’s a girl, she’s not as pretty, or maybe she’s clumsy—you’re going to raise her to the rank of hero and let her save the day. Why not go deeper and get that girl who’s really at the bottom of the pile? Around the world, girls of color are the most marginalized group. So if you’re going to write a story about the marginalized, why not reach down and pick the darkest girl?

//

ELLIOTT: That brings me back to Rudine Sims Bishop and how she said the lack of diversity in children’s literature is also harmful to white children because they grow up thinking they’re the center of the universe. And that then makes it very hard for them to communicate cross-culturally because they haven’t had to learn how.  So what are your fears and your hopes for your daughters specifically in terms of finding heroes in literature and film?

ZOBOI: I have more hope than fear at this point. I’m teaching my daughters in an indirect way to think critically about everything they’re consuming. If they’re watching TV, I ask, “Where are the brown girls?” To them it seems like there’s more diversity because of what I intentionally put in place around them. They don’t see a dearth because on our bookshelf there is abundance of books that feature girls and boys of color. In terms of what we can do, I think it has to start at the ground level. I see it in the classroom. The teachers don’t know what books are out there. And if the teachers don’t know, the kids don’t know, and their parents don’t know. It’s choice fatigue if they walk into a bookstore.

I wholeheartedly concur with Zoboi: it needs to start at the ground level. As a librarian, it starts with YOU and your library's collection. Not only teachers, but the entire community looks to librarians to provide them with recommendations for materials. Aligning with S.R. Ranganathan's fourth law of library science, "save the time of the reader," librarians can develop annotated bibliographies to recommend and call attention to a specific works.

Throughout the course of my tenure at CADL, I've created a number of bibliographies for teachers and patrons alike; however, my most recent bib project focused on contemporary fiction featuring African American characters -- not as supporting characters or in the background of the story, but as main characters. Originally, the list focused on materials for the YA demographic (ages 13 - 18), but was later expanded to include works for children and tweens with the last phase of the project will include works of historical fiction. While working on the project, I flagged works of historical fiction (because I wanted the primary list to focus on contemporary pieces) and plan on building a supplemental list which will exclusively focus on African American protagonists in historical contexts. In the near future, I will sharing my lists here. Stay tuned. 

So...my fellow Bibliothekare, what say you?

Do you have lists/bibliographies to assist readers or even perhaps a special collection like several libraries do -- YA African Heritage. My library has a Coretta Scott King Award collection which primarily focuses on books for children and tweens.

Review: Neville by Norton Juster

2011, Schwartz & Wade Books
New York, NY
Unpaged, $20.99 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9780375967658; OCLC: 649077295

Author
Neville was written by Norton Juster, author of the classic children's book The Phantom Tollbooth.

Synopsis
Melancholic over relocating and skeptical about making new friends, a young boy takes a walk through his drab, monochromatic neighborhood where he begins yelling the name, "Neville." After just a couple of shouts, he is joined by a neighbor boy who begins yelling for Neville, too. Soon a gaggle of neighborhood kids, and dogs, are yelling and howling for someone named Neville. Curiosity overtakes the group and they enthusiastically begin asking the new boy all about Neville -- the boy in which they were all calling. As the boy answered more and more questions, someone cried out, "I like Neville already!" When the kids began parting company to make their way home, the group consensus was to meet up again tomorrow to continue looking for Neville. Feeling much better about the move, the boy's walk back home is illustrated in color. At bedtime readers learn the boy's name when his mother tucks him into bed and whispers, "Good night, Neville, pleasant dreams."

Illustrations
Illustrations for Neville were done by G. Brian Karas. Technique: mixed media. (He started with SketchUp!) Rather than droning on about his methods, I found a trailer for Neville:

The illustrations were supportive of the story and transmitted feeling/mood to the reader by way of the Karas's use of color -- e.g. the monochromatic neighborhood at the beginning of the story to depict the boy's melancholy. 

Accolades
Starred Review, School Library Journal, September 2011
Starred Review, Booklist, October 15, 2011
Parents' Choice Award, 2012

My Thoughts
While the story was predictable (it's a children's book), I found it to be humorous and heart-warming -- a great book to share in a classroom or a library story hour for early elementary school-aged children regardless if they have/haven't experienced a move in their life. In addition to the story showing readers that new friends can be made wherever you might be, it sheds light -- color in this case -- on how it feels to be befriended as the new kid. 

I plan on purchasing a copy for my private collection.

Tags 
children's picture book, life transitions, moving, making friends, illustrators,

Learning

 "...I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal. But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hollow."
--Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (E.L. Konigsburg, 1967)

Review: Unspoken by Henry Cole

2012, Scholastic Press
New York, NY
Unpaged (40 pp), $12.23 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9780545399975; OCLC: 769141329

As a new addition to the children's collection at work, I couldn't resist taking a peek inside of Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole.

Synopsis
Unspoken, a wordless book, tells the story of a young farm girl, via illustrations, who discovers a former slave embarking on a northern trek towards freedom. An illustration depicts the girl looking curiously over her shoulder, towards shocks of corn drying in the barn, while completing her chores. On the next page, amidst a sea of corn, a single eye peers at the reader -- which startles the young girl. As the story progresses, the girl begins offering food to the slave and keeps their hiding place a secret when Confederate soldiers on horseback visit the farm with a "Wanted" poster. The story closes with the girl visiting the barn at night and finding a doll fashioned out of corn husks wearing a gingham dress -- a fabric napkin, which the girl had originally used to carefully wrap the food that she secreted the slave in hiding. 

Illustrations
Cole used Staedtler Mars 4B pencils on Canson charcoal paper. The illustrations were printed on beige paper which gives the book a vintage look reminiscent of the time and the use of brown endpapers pay homage to the earthy, farm setting. I'll admit: upon first glancing at the book, the cover illustration reminded me of Chris Van Allsburg's work...beautiful.

My Thoughts
Cole's exquisite and powerful illustrations did a phenomenal job of depicting a relatively deep and complex story without the use of words. Young readers are given ample opportunity to elaborate upon the panels by creating their own dialog between characters.

A lengthy author's note provides the reader with a brief historical synopsis as well as personal background information.

While the book typically shelved with children's picture books, I concur with a School Library Journal review that states this item is appropriate for grades 3 - 8.  Unspoken would be a great addition to any public library and school media center.

Tags: children's picture book, historical fiction, African-American history, Civil War, military history, slavery, Underground Railroad, wordless book

Judging

My favorite Newbery book

Loads of post ideas floating around in my gourd, but when it comes time to actually write them...I get squeamish. I have lots of drafts saved!

Fact: people judge books by their covers.

Especially children.

If a book is dirty, tattered-looking, visited the bindery for recovering, decked out in a dated-looking cover, and/or sporting tape on its the edges, chances are pretty high that a child isn't going to want anything to do with it. One of my projects at work: reviewing the Newbery Award collection and making recommendations as to which copies should be replaced and with what edition.

While working on this project, I have been disappointed by some of the newer editions with  their supposedly "improved" covers -- many of them are...well...unimproved. I was pleased when I stumbled upon Travis Jonker's blog, 100 Scope Notes -- specifically: Covering the Newbery. He went through and re-designed each Newbery book cover.

Simple. Timeless designs.

Brilliant idea... 

Goodreads

Love it...

Whatcha Reading?

SP said, "Wondering what kids are reading these days? Our STACKS site asked, and this image depicts their answers. The bigger the text, the more kids who mentioned the title. For more information go to: http://ow.ly/gqtls"

Image courtesy of Scholastic Parents

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (Golden Compass), Inheritance Cycle tetralogy by Christopher Paolini, and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan are on my radar this year.

Bookishly Delectable

Random House Children's Books shared a bookishly delectable image courtesy of Victoria's Kitchen:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of my all-time favorite books...

Holocaust Literature for Young Adults

Four Holocaust-themed books with appeal to young adults were selected and evaluated for LIS 6530: Emil and Karl by Yankev Glatshteyn, The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman, Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli, and Once by Morris Gleitzman.

Emil and Karl
Originally written in Yiddish and published in 1940, Emil and Karl by Yankev Glatshteyn, otherwise known as Jacob Glatstein, was translated into English by Jeffrey Shandler in 2006. While Glatshteyn’s bibliography consists of books written primarily for the adult audience, an article in The New York Times (2006, Newhouse) describes Emil and Karl as originally (in 1940), “...intended for students at Yiddish afternoon and weekend schools.” Shandler added that Emil and Karl is “...among the very first books written about the Holocaust for readers of any age and in any language.” Further, in the book’s foreword Shandler posits,

In 1940, [this book] asked Jewish children living in America to imagine what it would be like to face the challenges of life under Nazi occupation, on the eve of a war that had just begun and whose terrible course was then unforeseeable. The book also asked its readers to think how, even though they were still children, they might understand what was happening far away from America and how they might realize its importance to their own lives -- as Jews, as Americans, and as human beings.

Set in Vienna, Austria, Glatshteyn carefully weaves the story of two best friends, one Jewish (Emil) and one not (Karl), as they band together and struggle to survive after the death of their parents in the early days of the Second World War. Perspective varies as Glatsheyn has both Emil and Karl narrate the story. While being merely speculative, Glatshteyn transmitted snippets of actual current events to the readers by way Emil and Karl's experiences – Jews being forced to wash the streets with their bare hands and clandestine Nazi resistance movements. It should be noted that Glatshteyn does not sugarcoat interactions with the Nazi regime which might cause distress for some readers. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of a series of strangers whom come from all walks of life, Emil and Karl find some semblance of safety while they await transport out of the country via a child relief effort – which Glatshteyn is likely referring to the famous Kindertransport which ran out of money in the later part of 1939.

Differing from much of the historical fiction on the market, Emil and Karl was actually written prior to start of the Second World War and published in the time in which the story was set. According the Newhouse (2006), Glatshteyn was inspired to write Emil and Karl when he experienced anti-Semitism while visiting Poland in 1934 -- he immigrated to the United States in 1914. In addition to starred reviews by both School Library Journal and Booklist, Emil and Karl was recognized as a Notable Book for Older Readers by the Association of Jewish Libraries in 2007.

The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
Born to Holocaust survivors Vladek and Anja Spiegelman, American cartoonist Art Spiegelman interviewed his father and produced a series of black and white comics which served as his biography documenting his parents' experiences during the Holocaust. With much controversy, Spiegelman chose to depict Jews as mice, Germans as cats, the Polish as pigs, the French as frogs, the Swedish as reindeer, and the Americans as dogs which closely resemble the Labrador retriever. In a 1987 review published by School Library Journal, Rita G. Keeler of St. John's School in Houston, Texas wrote:

Told with chilling realism in an unusual comic-book format, this is more than a tale of surviving the Holocaust. Spiegelman relates the effect of those events on the survivors' later years and upon the lives of the following generation. Each scene opens at the elder Spiegelman's home in Rego Park, N.Y. Art, who was born after the war, is visiting his father, Vladek, to record his experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland. The Nazis, portrayed as cats, gradually introduce increasingly repressive measures, until the Jews, drawn as mice, are systematically hunted and herded toward the Final Solution. Vladek saves himself and his wife by a combination of luck and wits, all the time enduring the torment of hunted outcast. The other theme of this book is Art's troubled adjustment to life as he, too, bears the burden of his parents' experiences. This is a complex book. It relates events which young adults, as the future architects of society, must confront, and their interest is sure to be caught by the skillful graphics and suspenseful unfolding of the story.

First serialized in the 1980s, Maus was published in its entirety via two volumes – Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History, in 1986, and Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began, in 1991. It wasn't until November of 1996 in which The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale was published which combined volumes I and II. In volume I of Maus: My Father Bleeds History, Spiegelman tells the story of how his Polish parents first met prior to the advent of the Second World War and their subsequent placement into a Jewish ghetto. The second volume of Maus: And Here My Troubles Began, picks up where the first left off – the Spiegelmans had been betrayed and end up being sent to Auschwitz. With great detail, Spiegelman describes what day-to-day life is like at the camp, the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945, and life afterwards in Sweden as well as America.

Worth noting, Maus, to date, is the only comic book or graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize which was awarded in 1992. In addition to the Pulitzer, Maus has also received the following awards and honors: National Book Critics Circle Award – nominee (1986); Joel H. Cavior Book Award for Fiction (1987); Angoulême International Comics Festival Awards – Religious Award and Best Foreign Album (1988); Urhunden Prize – Foreign Album (1988); Max and Moritz Prizes – Special Prize (1990); National Book Critics Circle – nominee (1991); Eisner Award – Best Graphic Album – Maus II (1992); Harvey Award – Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Material – Maus II (1992); Los Angeles Times – Best Prize for Fiction – Maus II (1992); Angoulême International Comics Festival Awards – Best Foreign Album – Maus II (1993); and the Urhunden Prize – Best Foreign Album – Maus II (1993). Twenty-five years later, after initially being published, Spiegelman released a companion piece titled MetaMaus which offers readers an in-depth look at the story behind the story. Earlier this year, MetaMaus received the Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Book.

Milkweed
Published in 2003 by Alfred A. Knopf, Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli is narrated by Misha Pilsudski – an innocent and naive young orphan boy without an identity – who later in the novel proudly claims to be a Gypsy and even later a Jew. This book was selected for inclusion in this project due to the unique perspective it offered to the pool of historical fiction currently available on the market. A brief synopsis offered by the publisher reads:

He’s a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham.

He’s a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He’s a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He’s a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels. He’s a boy who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he’s a boy who realizes it’s safest of all to be nobody.

What the synopsis fails to mention is that Milkweed concludes with Misha, an isolated and estranged grandfather living in the United States, who is haunted by memories of the past – a very bittersweet ending better which is suited for older readers. School Library Journal recommended Milkweed for grade 5 and up and Linda Leonard Lamme of Book Links recommended the piece for grade 7 and up. Further, Ginny Gustin of the Sonoma County Library System in Santa Rosa, California added her School Library Journal review, "This historical novel can be appreciated both by readers with previous knowledge of the Holocaust and by those who share Misha's innocence and will discover the horrors of this period in history along with him." Further, it was disappointing to find that Spinelli failed to provide readers with an author's note or include a foreword. Upon conducting cursory research for this project, it was found that the beloved character known as Doctor Korczak is actually based on Janusz Korczak, otherwise known by his pen name of Henryk Goldszmit – a Jewish children's author and pediatrician.

Milkweed has been awarded the following honors: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators – Golden Kite Award (2003); Young Adult Library Association – Best Books for Young Adults (2004); Carolyn W. Field Award for Fiction (2004); National Jewish Book Award Finalist (2004); and the Great Lakes Great Books Award – Fourth and Fifth Grade Winner – 2005.

Once
Once, the first in a series of four books was written by Morris Gleitzman and originally published in Australia in 2005 and five years later (2010) in the United States by Henry Holt and Company. Like the three other books selected for evaluation, Once is set in Nazi-occupied Europe in the early years of the Second World War – 1942, to be exact – and is narrated from a naive child's perspective quite similar to the narrator, Misha Pilsudski, in Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. While also orphan and naive, Felix, the narrator in Once, happens to be a bit more sophisticated as he's older by a few years and is knowledgeable about his background; however, he fails to grasp the danger unfolding around him. In a review published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (Ventura, 2011), Felix's naiveté is explored:

Felix loves books and is a great storyteller. He keeps a notebook full of his stories. After he sees Nazis outside the orphanage burning Jewish books, he runs away to find his parents and warn them so that they can hide their own books from the Nazis. He is greatly concerned about the hatred that Nazis have for books and cannot understand why they would want to destroy them. As he journeys, however, he begins to realize that the Nazis are out to destroy more than just books.

A review published in School Library Journal (Hastings, 2010) gives a succinct synopsis of the book:

...When the orphanage is visited by surly Nazis instead of joyous parents, Felix escapes with only his cherished notebook full of his stories into the nearby countryside, still hoping for a family reunion. He soon discovers a burning home with two slain adults in the yard and their young daughter bruised but still alive. He takes Zelda on his journey, shielding her from the reality of her parents' deaths in much the same way he's been comforting himself, by inventing alternative realities. But, as he encounters the escalating ugliness of the death marches that are emptying his old neighborhood, now a ghetto, Felix becomes increasingly conflicted about the need to imagine a hopeful order and the need to confront brutal reality head-on...

Once also has a connection to Spinelli's Milkweed in that Gleitzman was also inspired by Doctor Janusz Korczak. In an author's note, Gleitzman wrote:

Ten years ago I read a book about Janusz Korczak, a Polish Jewish doctor and children’s author who devoted his life to caring for young people. Over many years he helped run an orphanage for two hundred Jewish children. In 1942, when the Nazis murdered these orphans, Janusz Korczak was offered his freedom but chose to die with the children rather than abandon them. Janusz Korczak became my hero. His story sowed a seed in my imagination.

However, in Gleitzman's story, the caregiver archetype is portrayed by a man named Barney who runs a pseudo-orphanage in a basement in Nazi-occupied Warsaw.

Once by Morris Gleitzman has received the following awards and honors: Young Adult Library Association – Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011); United States Board on Books for Young People – Outstanding International Book (2011); and the Association of Jewish Libraries – Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Teen Readers (2011). Once has three sequels – Then (2007), Now (2012), and After (to be released).

In conclusion, the four books selected – Emil and Karl by Yankev Glatshteyn, The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman, Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli, and Once by Morris Gleitzman – are just a miniscule representation of Holocaust-related literature available to young adults today. Surveying the literature currently in print, some works are biographical while others are creative figments of an author's imagination or pulled entirely from nightmares; however, regardless of an author's chosen point of view, setting, or narrator, each book is truly poised to teach young adults about the history and atrocities committed against humanity during the Holocaust.  

References
Glatshteyn, Y. (2006). Emil and Karl. New Milford, CT: Roaring Brook Press.

Gleitzman, M. (2010). Once. New York, NY: Henry Holt.

Gustin, G. (2003, November). Milkweed. School Library Journal, 49(11), 149

Hastings, J. (2010, April). Once. School Library Journal, 56(4), 156.

Jewish Virtual Library. (2012). Janusz Korczak. Retrieved from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Korczak.html

Keeler, R. G. (1987, May). Maus: A survivor's tale. School Library Journal, 33(1), 124.

Lamme, L. L., Astengo, B. (2006, September). Book Links, 16(1), 40.

Newhouse, A. (2006). Emil and Karl. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/books/review/09children-newhouse.html

Spiegelman, A. (1996). The complete maus. New York, NY: Pantheon.

Spinelli, J. (2003). Milkweed. New York, NY: Alfred. A. Knopf.

Ventura, E. (2011, April). Emil and Karl. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 54(7), 546.

Exploring Books Across Genres: A Guide to Teen Lit for Girls

This bibliography was produced as part of my final project for LIS 6530 -- 30 books were selected from those presented by classmates throughout the semester. Each book selected for inclusion in this bibliography features female characters. Clicking on titles will bring you to the relevant WorldCat record.

PDF brochure for download: 
Exploring Books Across Genres: A Guide to Teen Lit for Girls

Adventure

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohen and David Leviathan

Lily leaves a mysterious notebook full of dares on a bookstore shelf in hopes that someone will find it and follow complete the dares. Enter Dash. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Biographies and Memoirs
I Am Scout: A Biography of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields
A biography that tells the story behind the author of To Kill a Mockingbird – Nelle Harper Lee. (Grade 6 & Up.)

Surviving the Angel of Death: The True Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri
The story of twin Jewish sisters who were sent to Auschwitz and were subjected to the experiments of Dr. Josef Mengele. (Grade 6 & Up.)

Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High by Melba Pattillo Beals
Fifteen-year-old Melba was one of the Little Rock Nine – nine African-American students who enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in 1957 – this is her story. (Grade 7 & Up.)

While Other Children Played: An Autobiography by Erna Gorman
A Holocaust survivor who lives in southeast Michigan tells the story of her childhood – living in several Polish ghettos and even in the hayloft of a generous farmer. (Grade 7 & Up.)

Classics
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Scout and her older brother Jem learn about race in the 1930s when their father, an attorney, defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
A coming of age story that follows the life of orphan Anne Shirley with her adoptive family. (Grade 5 & Up.)

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (Beatrice Sparks)
A coming of age story told in diary format about a teen girl's addiction to drugs which ultimately leads to her death. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech
Written in journal format for a class assignment, 13-year-old Mary Lou Finney grudgingly records the days’ events until her cousin visit – Mary Lou’s life takes some unexpected and interesting turns. (Grade 6 & Up.)

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abel-Fattah
16-year-old Amel decides to start wearing a hijab and her life abruptly changes – taunts from classmates begin and she’s worried what her crush will think. (Grade 7 & Up.)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Samantha Kingston dies, but is given a second chance – actual seven chances – to figure things out surrounding her death and perhaps find a path to redemption. (Grade 8 & Up.)

Page by Paige by Laurie Lee Gulledge
Graphic novel. A teenage girl who recently relocated to New York City keeps a sketchbook where she shares her innermost thoughts and dreams for the future. (Grade 7 & Up.)

How I Made it to Eighteen: A Mostly True Story by Tracy White
Graphic novel. A teen coming of age struggles with body image, self-esteem, substance abuse, and anxiety. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Dystopian Fiction
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
A society that is governed by The Sisterhood and protected by The Guardians from The Unconsecrated – zombies! Book 1 of 4. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Divergent by Veronica Roth
In post-apocalyptic Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior is required to make once choice that will change her life: which faction to join – Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite. Book 1 of 3. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Matched by Ally Condie
In a trusted society which dictates what to read and what to watch, even selecting one’s mate isn’t questioned until Cassia experiences a glitch. Book 1 of 3. (Grade 9 & Up.)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Unites States no longer exists and a country divided into 12 districts – each district is required to select two tributes who will battle on live TV until a child single remains standing. Book 1 of 3. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Fantasy
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
In a war-torn nation full of enemies and monsters, Alina discovers a hidden power in her that could save her country. (Grade 9 & Up.)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Puck Connolly is the first girl to partake in the dangerous races – not by choice, but rather to help her family. (Grade 8 & Up.)

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The younger of two princesses, Elisa was “chosen” and is now married to a king – but her life is far from perfect as she is being hunted. Will fulfill the prophecy and become her country’s savior? (Grade 7 & Up.)

Historical Fiction
A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
Orphan Mary Quinn is sent to Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls which actually turns out to not be a school at all, but rather a cover for an elite ring of female spies. (Grade 7 & Up.)

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Young Liesel Meminger is separated from all that she knows and sent to live with a foster family during World War II where she begins rescuing books from some very dangerous places. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Fifteen-year-old Lina and her family as well as thousands of others are torn from their homes in Lithuanian, placed in overcrowded cattle cars, and shipped to a labor camp in Siberia where they struggle to survive. (Grade 8 & Up.)

Mystery
The Mark by Jen Nadol
Cassie’s gift allows her to see a person’s imminent death by way of a glowing aura which she refers to as the mark. In this book, Cassie experiments with her gift and learns many valuable lessons. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Poetry
Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems by John Grandits
A collection of quirky and humorous stories in verse that focus on elements of Jesse's life: volleyball, playing the cello, her annoying little brother, and experiments with make-up and hair. (Grade 5 & Up.)

How to (Un)cage a Girl by Francesca Lia Block
In other words, this is a book for the girl who doesn't fit in; the girl who has loved and had her heartbroken; and, the girl who isn't comfortable in her own skin. (Grade 9 & Up.)

Sports
Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Quiet high school junior D.J. Schwenk, a star basketball player, learns how to better lead her team and soon Big Ten scouts visit her rural country town to watch her play ball. (Grade 8 &
Up.)

Suspense and Supernatural
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Sixteen-year-old Violet has a special gift – the ability detect dead bodies. Coupled with her boyfriend, Violet uses her gift to unravel a murder in her small town. Book 1 of 3. (Grade 9 & Up.)

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Not only does Chloe see ghosts, but she gets sent to a home for troubled teens and there is something more to her housemates than what meets the eye. Book 1 of 3. (Grade 7 & Up.)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou, a young art student living in Prague, has natural blue hair and can speak many languages – some of the them not human, but she has no idea who she truly is. (Grade 9 and Up.)

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Graphic novel. A coming of age story which follows a teenage girl struggling with conformity and the relationship with an intriguing new friend. (Grade 7 & Up.)

Now

Yesterday morning, I picked up, from the library, a book which I interloaned: Now by Morris Gleitzman. Now is the sequel to Once and Then -- Holocaust / Historical Fiction. Here's a passage that can be found on page 24 (hardcover) which really struck me:

"Felix looks at me, gives me a nod, and carries on chewing.

He understands.

He knows that lockets on their own can't make everything okay. No jewelry can.

It takes more than that.

Felix knows the secret.

So many sad things happened to him when he was a kid. Losing his best friend and his parents and the strength in his legs. And yet he's the happiest person I know. Because he's really good at doing happy things.

Reading books and making cakes and having hot baths and dancing.

Felix knows that as soon as bad things have happened, they're in the past. Which is the place to leave them.

From now on, I'm going to do what Felix does.

Leave the bad stuff in the past and concentrate on being happy now.

If I can."

 I highly recommend these books and I am really looking forward to the release of the fourth book, After!

Four Becomes Five

As part of my final for LIS 6530 (Young Adult Literature), I am required to read four books on a single subject/topic and then write a paper explaining how the books contribute to the overall theme. Expanding upon the literature review I first began in LIS 6510 (Current Literature for Children: Infant - Grade 3), I am continuing to read my way through Holocaust Literature; however, this time the primary audience is tweens and teens. Selecting just four books has proven to be a challenge and I wanted to choose books in which I haven't yet read...and books that were written from different angles. It looks like I'll be covering five...

 Once by Morris Gleitzman

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

Emil and Karl by Yankev Glatshteyn

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys



Once by Morris Gleitzman is the first book in a series of four with the fourth still yet to be published. Naturally, I couldn't resist reading the others. Here's a passage out of the second book, Then:

"One of the Hitler Youth at the front of the marching column yells something to he others and they all stop.

Right next to us.

Four of the Hitler Youth step out of the column and stride towards us. Behind them, a Nazi soldier raises his gun like he's keen to join in.

My insides are throbbing with fear.

I get ready to throw myself at the Hitler Youth if they touch Zelda.

But it isn't Zelda that they touch. It's Cyryl. They grab him and slap him and punch him really hard. His mother lets out a shriek, but when they turn to her she smothers her mouth with her hand.
They punch and slap Cyryl some more.
I get furious.
I can't help it. When I see how much those Hitler Youth thugs are enjoying what they're doing, I stop being Wilhelm and take a step toward them.
As soon as I do, I come to my senses. What am I doing? I'm not a fighter. I can't protect Cyryl. All I'm doing is getting my family into trouble.
Genia grabs me and pulls me back.
The jolt makes the Richmal Crompton book fall out of my shirt onto the ground. For a moment I think I'm sprung. I brace myself to be arrested.
But nobody notices.
Mrs. Szynsky is too busy helping Cyryl to his feet. The Hitler Youth thugs are too busy taking their places back in the column.
I crouch down to grab the book.
Just before my hand makes contact with it, the Hitler Youth leader yells something again.
I look up. He's not yelling at me, he's yelling at the column to start marching again, which they do.
But as the column marches off, one of the other Hitler Youth, not one of the thugs, stares at the book on the ground in front of me.
And does an amazing thing.
He grins at me. And with a small movement of his hand, so the other Hitler Youth can't see him, he gives me a thumbs-up.
I blink. Did he really do that?
Is he telling me he's a Richmal Crompton fan too?
I grab the book and stuff it back inside my shirt and stand up and try to look like nothing has happened.
Nobody seems to be looking at me.
Well, hardly anybody.
The Hitler Youth column is halfway across the square now, but the boy who saw the book is still throwing glances back in my direction."

Book Talk: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Wednesday night, I put together a book talk for my classical fiction selection for LIS 6530 (Young Adult Literature.) While we are only required to write a script and embed it via a PowerPoint, I like to actually record the talk as it's good practice. Hopefully you'll take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and view the video!

My selection is a unique twist on a popular classic:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – in graphic novel format – adapted by Trina Robbins

and illustrated by Anne Timmons.

I'll be hitting the road momentarily as I'll be commuting to the Historical Society of Michigan in Lansing for a workshop. Happy Friday the 13th!

Rosenburg's First Law of Reading

My response to The Power of Young Adult Fiction published by The New York Times:

TIME magazine columnist, Joel Stein said, “The only thing more embarrassing than catching a guy on the plane looking at pornography on his computer is seeing a guy on the plane reading ‘The Hunger Games.’ Or a Twilight book. Or Harry Potter. The only time I’m O.K. with an adult holding a children’s book is if he’s moving his mouth as he reads.” (Newsflash: you're a bully, Joel Stein.)

It’s really disheartening to know that grown adults are sometimes hesitant to pick up a book because others might judge them for reading something other than adult fiction. Judging a person based on what they read is petty and small – in fact, as library professionals, it is our ethical duty to uphold intellectual freedom and resist efforts to thwart access to materials based on age, sex, background, etc. I believe in the freedom to read -- be it children's fiction or erotica, if that's your cup of tea.

I couldn’t agree more with Rosenberg's First Law of Reading which states: "Never apologize for your reading tastes."

Author Patricia McCormick stated, “We’re competing with Facebook and smartphones, DVRs and iPods – not to mention SATs and extracurriculars. We have to capture and hold our readers’ (limited) attention on Page 1 and sustain it until the end.” And McCormick was only considering the YA spectrum – in this world of instant gratification, I am pleased to know that people are still reading. Who cares what they’re reading?! I only care that they are reading.

I not only appreciated, but wholeheartedly concurred with the following comments:

“It’s because adults are discovering one of publishing’s best-kept secrets: that young adult authors are doing some of the most daring work out there. Authors who write for young adults are taking creative risks – with narrative structure, voice and social commentary – that you just don’t see as often in the more rarefied world of adult fiction.” – Patricia McCormick, Authors Taking Risks Isn’t Kid Stuff.

“So what do regular adults see in young adult fiction? It's a different experience from reading, for example, literary fiction. Not better or worse, just different. The writing is different: young adult novels tend to emphasize strong voices and clear, clean descriptive prose, whereas a lot of literary fiction is very focused on style: dense, lyrical, descriptive prose, larded with tons of carefully observed detail, which calls attention to its own virtuosity rather than ushering the reader to the next paragraph with a minimum of fuss. That kind of writing can be marvelous, but sometimes you're just not in the mood for it…Bottom line, there's one thing that young adult novels rarely are, and that's boring. They're built to grab your attention and hold it. And I'm not as young as I once was. At my age, I don't have time to be bored.” – Lev Grossman, Nothing’s Wrong With Strong Plot and Characters.

And, writer Ilsa J. Bick:

“Really, what it comes down to? It’s the story. YA or not, if the story sucks, people won’t read it. If the story is great and just happens to be YA, people will. End of story.”

(To read Bick's full opinion, please visit her blog.)

Review: Dear Bully

Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories
Edited by Megan Kelley Hall & Carrie Jones
  (2011); New York, NY: HarperTeen
369 pp; $7.99 (paperback)
ISBN: 9780062060983; OCLC: 703206503
Genres: Young Adult / Non-Fiction / Biography

“YOU ARE NOT ALONE.” Between the two covers, a group of 70 young adult authors who observed, experienced, and even perpetrated bullying in their youth share some of their darkest moments which are conveyed to readers through a collection of stories, poems, and letters. With the hope of enlightening and inspiring victims of bullying, this heart-wrenching book that can be humorous at times providing not only comfort, but also encouragement to break the silence which all too often prevails.

Dear Bully is the nonfiction equivalent of a page-turner, but is better read in smaller doses due to the nature of the book. Popular contributors include: Heather Brewer, Carolyn Mackler, Lauren Oliver, Carrie Ryan, R. L. Stine, and Laurie Faria Stolarz. The contributors quickly bring readers into their confidence and bare the secrets of the vulnerable times in their lives. The book is broken into several sections or themes: Dear Bully; Just Kidding; Survival; Regret; Thank You, Friends; Insight; Speak; Write It; and, It Gets Better. Included at the back of the book, there’s even a section of resources for teens as well as educators and parents.

School Library Journal recommended this book for grade 9 and up; however, based on many of the stories shared, middle school students could definitely relate to this book. Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories would make a phenomenal addition to any public library and school media center; parents, guardians, teachers, and anyone else who works with youth could benefit from reading this book. 5/5 stars.

Read-Alikes: Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws by Kate Bornstein, The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir by Gaby Rodriguez, The Gifted Teen Survival Guide: Smart, Sharp, and Ready for (Almost) Anything by Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle, Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change by Bonnie Burton, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Middle School: 101 Stories of Life, Love, and Learning for Younger Teens by Jack Canfield.

(This review is also available on WorldCat, Barnes and Noble, and GoodReads.)

Enjoying the sunshine while reading Dear Bully...

Inside a Toddler's Brain

Via Facebook, the following image which details the inside of a toddler's brain has been making its rounds. It certainly gave me a chuckle.

I think this image should've been inside the front cover of my children's literature textbook and included in my programming class. Children's librarians should take note...

Image by Melissa Balmain - Parenting magazine

Book Talk: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Yesterday afternoon, I put together a book talk for my historical fiction selection for LIS 6530 (Young Adult Literature). While we are only required to write a script and embed it via a PowerPoint, I like to actually record the talk as it's good practice. Hopefully you'll take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and view the video!

Synopsis (from the book's jacket): “A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.”

Riggs, R. (2011). Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books.

352 pp; illustrated; $17.99 (hardcover); ISBN: 97815947461; OCLC: 664668604

Genres: historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery

Due to reading mixed reviews of this book, I was somewhat hesitant to pick it up; however, upon reading it, I found myself really getting into the story and wanting to know more about Grandpa Portman’s life. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I think the mixed reviews could be due to the fact that this book falls into multiple genres which likely surprises (and possibly disappoints) readers when they expect to be reading a certain type of novel and elements of a science fiction, fantasy, or mystery novel pop-up.

I recommend Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children for grade 8 and up, but should add that this book could certainly entertain adult readers as well which is why it would be a great addition to any public library.

Being interested in the World War II history theme included in this book, I selected three read-alikes for you: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, and Soldier X by Don L. Wulffson

Book Talk: Peak by Roland Smith

A few weeks ago, I did a book talk for LIS 6530 (Young Adult Literature), but ended swamped with other projects and happenings...and completely forgot to share the video. Humor me and take a few minutes to watch it.

Synopsis (from the book’s jacket): “When fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello’s long-lost father presents the opportunity for them to summit Everest together, Peak doesn’t even consider saying no – even though he suspects there are a few strings attached. And if he makes it to the top before his birthday, he’ll be the youngest person ever to stand above 29,000 feet. It’s not a bad turn of events for a guy who’s been stuck in New York City with only skyscrapers to (illegally) scale. Here, in Peak’s own words, is the exhilarating, gut-wrenching story of what happened on that climb to the top of the world – a climb that changed everything. Welcome to Mount Everest.”
Awards this book has received: ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, Booklist Editor’s Choice, National Outdoor Book Award, and the Junior Library Guild Selection.

Smith, R. (2007). Peak. New York, NY: Scholastic.
246 pp; $17.00 (hardcover); ISBN: 9780545032032; OCLC: 173666312

Read-Alikes: The Hunger Games (Part 2)

Over the past few weeks, I've worked on several more custom Hunger Games Read-Alikes bibliographies for rural libraries in the area. Here are some additional books worth checking out!
(Looking for the first posting? Read-Alikes: The Hunger Games)

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
(Book 1)
"Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers? Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity." (Grade 9 & Up)

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
(Book 2)
"Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries. Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead. Everyone except Jenna Fox." (Grade 8 & Up) 

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
"New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back. Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different. Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved." (Grade 7 & Up) 

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
"An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions…Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human." (Grade 9 & Up) 

The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
"Individuality vs. conformity. Identity vs. access. Freedom vs. control. The bar code tattoo.The bar code tattoo. Everybody's getting it. It will make your life easier, they say. It will hook you in. It will become your identity.But what if you say no? What if you don't want to become a code? For Kayla, this one choice changes everything. She becomes an outcast in her high school. Dangerous things start happening to her family. There's no option but to run...for her life." (Grade 6 & Up) 

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
"Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back. Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba’s unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization." (Grade 7 & Up) 

Candor by Pam Bachorz
"In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town's founder Oscar...has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior." (Grade 7 & Up)

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPru
"The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters. In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions." (Grade 4 & Up)

The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPru 
"The People of Sparks picks up where The City of Ember leaves off. Lina and Doon have emerged from the underground city to the exciting new world above, and it isn’t long before they are followed by the other inhabitants of Ember. The Emberites soon come across a town where they are welcomed, fed, and given places to sleep. But the town’s resources are limited and it isn’t long before resentment begins to grow between the two groups. When anonymous acts of vandalism push them toward violence, it’s up to Lina and Doon to discover who’s behind the vandalism and why, before it’s too late." (Grade 4 & Up) 

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
"Since the beginning of mankind, civilizations have fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…and now us. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening: An ancient evil has been unleashed, and it’s turning everyday people into hunters, killers, and crazies. This is the world Mason, Aries, Clementine, and Michael are living in—or rather, trying to survive. Each is fleeing unspeakable horror, from murderous chaos to brutal natural disasters, and each is traveling the same road in a world gone mad. Amid the throes of the apocalypse and clinging to love and meaning wherever it can be found, these four teens are on a journey into the heart of darkness—and to find each other and a place of safety." (Grade 8 & Up)

Divergent by Veronica Roth
(Trilogy: Book 1)
A futuristic coming of age tale that follows sixteen-year old Tris in post-apocalyptic Chicago. "One choice decides your friends; one choice defines your beliefs; one choice determines your loyalties - forever; one choice can transform you." (Grade 9 & Up)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
(Trilogy: Book 2)
"One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love... War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful." (Grade 9 & Up)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
(Book 1)
"Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It’s hard to be patient. It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn’t touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t." (Grade 9 & Up)

Hana by Lauren Oliver
(Book 2)
"The summer before they're supposed to be cured of the ability to love, best friends Lena and Hana begin to drift apart. While Lena shies away from underground music and parties with boys, Hana jumps at her last chance to experience the forbidden. For her, the summer is full of wild music, dancing—and even her first kiss. But on the surface, Hana must be a model of perfect behavior. She meets her approved match, Fred Hargrove, and glimpses the safe, comfortable life she’ll have with him once they marry. As the date for her cure draws ever closer, Hana desperately misses Lena, wonders how it feels to truly be in love, and is simultaneously terrified of rebelling and of falling into line. In this digital story that will appeal to fans of Delirium and welcome new admirers to its world, readers will come to understand scenes from Delirium through Hana's perspective. Hana is a touching and revealing look at a life-changing and tumultuous summer." (Grade 9 & Up)

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
(Book 3)
"I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do. The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame." (Grade 9 & Up)

Enclave by Ann Aguirre
"New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20s. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known." (Grade 8 & Up) 

Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card
"Welcome to Battleschool. Growing up is never easy. But try living on the mean streets as a child begging for food and fighting like a dog with ruthless gangs of starving kids who wouldn't hesitate to pound your skull into pulp for a scrap of apple. If Bean has learned anything on the streets, it's how to survive. And not with fists. He is way too small for that. But with brains. Bean is a genius with a magician's ability to zero in on his enemy and exploit his weakness. What better quality for a future general to lead the Earth in a final climactic battle against a hostile alien race, known as Buggers. At Battleschool Bean meets and befriends another future commander - Ender Wiggins - perhaps his only true rival. Only one problem: for Bean and Ender, the future is now." (Grade 9 & Up)

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
"After twenty-three years, Orson Scott Card returns to his acclaimed best-selling series with the first true, direct sequel to the classic Ender's Game. In Ender’s Game, the world’s most gifted children were taken from their families and sent to an elite training school. At Battle School, they learned combat, strategy, and secret intelligence to fight a dangerous war on behalf of those left on Earth. But they also learned some important and less definable lessons about life. After the life-changing events of those years, these children—now teenagers—must leave the school and readapt to life in the outside world." (Grade 9 & Up)

Epic by Connor Kostick
"Generations ago, violence was banned on New Earth. Society is governed and conflicts are resolved in the arena of a fantasy computer game, Epic. Everyone plays. If you win, you have the chance to go to university, get more supplies for your community, and fulfill your dreams; if you lose, your life both in and out of the game is worth nothing.When Erik, seeking revenge for the unjust treatment of his parents, dares to subvert the rules of Epic, he and his friends find themselves up against with the ultimate masters of the game: the Committee. If Erik and his friends win, they may have the key to destroying Epic’s tyranny over New Earth. But if they lose..." (Grade 8 & Up)

Exodus by Julie Bertagna
"Less than a hundred years from now, the world as we know it no longer exists. Cities have disappeared beneath the sea, technology no longer functions, and human civilization has reverted to a much more primitive state. On an isolated northern island, the people of Wing are trying to hold onto their way of life—even as the sea continues to claim precious acres and threatens to claim their very lives. Only fifteen-year-old Mara has the vision and the will to lead her people in search of a new beginning in this harsh, unfamiliar world." (Grade 9 & Up)

Feed by M.T. Anderson
"So says Titus, a teenager whose ability to read, write, and even think for himself has been almost completely obliterated by his "feed," a transmitter implanted directly into his brain. Feeds are a crucial part of life for Titus and his friends. After all, how else would they know where to party on the moon, how to get bargains at Weatherbee & Crotch, or how to accessorize the mysterious lesions everyone's been getting? But then Titus meets Violet, a girl who cares about what's happening to the world and challenges everything Titus and his friends hold dear. A girl who decides to fight the feed.
In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble." (Grade 8 & Up)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
"Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug." (Grade 9 & Up)

Fire by Kristin Cashore
"She is the last of her kind... It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her." (Grade 9 & Up)

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
"Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart." (Grade 8 & Up) 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
(Trilogy: Book 1)
"In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her... Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?" (Grade 9 & Up)

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan 
(Trilogy: Book 2)
"Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast--home is all she's ever known and all she needs for happiness. But life after the Return is never safe. Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling." (Grade 9 & Up)

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
(Trilogy: Book 3)
"There are many things that Annah would like to forget...but most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters. Annah's world stopped that day and she's been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again. Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah's longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?" (Grade 9 & Up)

The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer 
"Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium--a strip of poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a petri dish. Then he was placed in the womb of a cow, where he continued the miraculous journey from embryo to fetus to baby...As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister cast of characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family, and he is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards. Escape is the only chance Matt has to survive..." (Grade 7 & Up) 

The Inferior by Peadar O'Guilin
"Stopmouth and his family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. To live, they must hunt rival species, or negotiate flesh-trade with those who crave meat of the freshest human kind. It is a savage, desperate existence. And for Stopmouth, considered slowwitted hunt-fodder by his tribe, the future looks especially bleak. But then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky. It is a moment that will change his destiny, and that of all humanity, forever." (Grade 8 & Up)

The Knife of Letting Go by Patrick Ness
(Trilogy: Book 1)
"Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful..." (Grade 9 & Up)

The Ask and Answer by Patrick Ness
(Trilogy: Book 2)
"..Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical government. Todd, meanwhile, faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime." (Grade 9 & Up)

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
(Trilogy: Book 3)
"As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist?" (Grade 9 & Up)

Legend by Marie Wu
"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets." (Grade 8 & Up)

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
(Trilogy: Book 1)
"I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s still would be open. High school sophomore Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, the way “one marble hits another.” The result is catastrophic. How can her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis are wiping out the coasts, earthquakes are rocking the continents, and volcanic ash is blocking out the sun? As August turns dark and wintry in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove." (Grade 6 & Up)

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
(Trilogy: Book 2)
"...this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle. With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities." (Grade 7 & Up)

The World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
(Trilogy: Book 3)
"It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce. The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever." (Grade 7 & Up)

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace 1 by Alexander Gordon Smith
(Book 1)
"Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison. Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world." (Grade 9 & Up) 

Solitary: Escape from Furnace 2 by Alexander Gordon Smith
(Book 2)
"Alex tried to escape. He had a perfect plan. He was almost free. Even felt the cool, clean air on his face. Then the dogs came. Now he’s locked in a place so gruesome—so hellish—that escape doesn’t even matter. He just wants to survive." (Grade 9 & Up) 

Death Sentence: Escape from Furnace 3 by Alexander Gordon Smith
(Book 3)
"Alex’s second attempt to break out of Furnace Penitentiary failed. This time, his punishment will be much worse than before. Because in the hidden, bloodstained laboratories beneath the prison, he will be made into a monster. As the warden pumps something evil into his veins—a sinisterly dark nectar—Alex becomes what he most fears . . . a superhuman minion of Furnace. How can he escape when the darkness is inside him? How can he lead the way to freedom if he is lost to himself?" (Grade 9 & Up)

Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4 by Alexander Gordon Smith
(Book 4)
"Forever altered by his experience in Furnace Penetentiary, Alex has done the impossible and escaped. But the battle for freedom is only just beginning. Charged with his superhuman abilities, Alex must uncover the last of Furnace’s secrets—the truth about the man who built the prison, the man known as Alfred Furnace. And to do that he must stop running and finally confront his greatest fears." (Grade 9 & Up)

Matched by Ally Condie
"Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate...until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow." (Grade 7 & Up)

Crossed by Ally Condie 
"Separated by the dictatorial Society that rules them, Cassia has been searching for Ky while suffering the harsh conditions of labor camps far from home. About to be sent to the Society’s biggest city for her permanent work assignment, Cassia instead grabs an opportunity to reach the war-torn Outer Provinces, where she finally gets a lead in tracking Ky..." (Grade 7 & Up) 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
"Some race to win. Others race to survive. It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive." (Grade 8 & Up) 
 
Ship Breakers by Paolo Bacigalupi
"In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota—and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life..." (Grade 7 & Up) 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
(Book 1)
"Tally’s adventures begin in Uglies, where she learns the truth about what life as a Pretty really means. She rebels against the surgery that will make her a Pretty, but ultimately succumbs. In Pretties, Tally has forgotten all about her Ugly life, and when she’s reminded, she has a hard time listening. And what little’s left of the old Tally is further compromised in Specials, because Tally has been transformed into a fierce fighting machine. But when she’s offered a chance to forever improve civilization, will she be able to overcome her brainwashing? The answer is evident years later in Extras, after the Pretty regime has ended. Boundless human creativity, new technologies, and old dangers have been unleashed upon the world. But fame and popularity can be just as dangerous as extreme beauty..." (Grade 6 & Up)

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
(Book 2)

"In Tally's world, your 16th birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellant Ugly into a stunningly attractive Pretty, and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is having a really good time. Just before her birthday, Tally discovered that turning Pretty comes with a terrible price. She vowed to accept the operation, but with the understanding that her friends on the outside would rescue her, and let her be the guinea pig for the experimental and highly dangerous cure they're developing. But in the second book of the Uglies series, Tally's Pretty. And everything's changed. The new, Pretty Tally is totally happy right where she is. She doesn't think she needs any kind of cure at all. When someone from her Ugly life shows up with a message, Tally has a hard time listening. Did she really promise to give all this up? Is she bound by a promise she made when she was a different person? If there is anything left of the old Tally, how will she fight her way out to keep her word and help her friends?" (Grade 8 & Up)

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

(Book 3)

"The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary. And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more. Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same." (Grade 8 & Up)

Extras by Scott Westerfeld
(Book 4)
"Extras, the final book in the Uglies series, is set a couple of years after the “mind-rain,” a few earth-shattering months in which the whole world woke up. The cure has spread from city to city, and the pretty regime that kept humanity in a state of bubbleheadedness has ended. Boundless human creativity, new technologies, and old dangers have been unleashed upon the world. Culture is splintering, the cities becoming radically different from each other as each makes its own way into this strange and unpredictable future...One of the features of the new world is that everyone has a "feed," which is basically their own blog/myspace/tv channel. The ratings of your feed (combined with how much the city interface overhears people talking about you) determines your social status--so everyone knows at all times how famous they are." (Grade 7 & Up)

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
"Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives. The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape—and to survive." (Grade 9 & Up)

Variant by Robison Wells
"Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life. He was wrong. Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive. Where breaking the rules equals death. But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible." (Grade 8 & Up)