Introduction

As a librarian, many times I encounter students who ask me for recommendations for novels to read. My reading list is probably not of interest to the younger generation so this is a list of novels that will hopefully strike your interest. Hope you enjoy!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown. 

It is human nature, I believe to feel as though we are at a disadvantage over those around us. They have prettier things, better physical attributes, more talents and it all seems so unfair. Right? 

This is a story about a boy named Junior whose handicaps clearly put him at a disadvantage over his classmates. That he is schooled in a ridiculous array of outdated educational materials found in his reservation's school motivates him to try getting an education elsewhere. His luck in the new school is not much different from his old school, he is still a "misfit" that of course is looked down upon for his handicaps. Being a fourteen year old kid is no easy task and this task is ten times harder for Junior. Through his life he encounters hardships that no kid should ever have to encounter, yet as difficult as the experiences of handicaps, death, bullying, a mother who doesn't seem to care much for  you, and more bring to his life, Junior just might be strong enough to get throug these difficulties. 

Heartbreaking and heartwarming, this work will be enjoyed by all, not just by kids who struggle with difficult life experiences. This book teaches ALL readers a little bit of perseverance and perhaps even a little bit of humanity. There are numerous activities that can be taken from this book to be used in a classroom and it is sure to bring life lessons to students, teachers, and anyone else who reads it. 

Trailer

Conversation with Sherman Alexie

Speak

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. 

Speak speaks to all teenagers going through a difficult time. Melinda is an incoming freshman who finished the eight grade expecting her freshman year to be the best of her life. However, the horrifying events that took place in an ordinary summer party marked her life forever and doomed her to a lonely school year. The power of speaking either sets us free or makes us prisioners of society. Not knowing what is best, Melinda decides to NOT speak up and tell the world of that horrible experience. As if the ninth grade isn't scary enough, for Melinda, spending it by herself, with no real friends to turn to, she is miserable. Who used to be her friends started hating her after that fateful night and she was left alone.

It's not until later that the reader becomes aware of just how bad that night was and it is then when we understand that she was raped. Her rape, needless to say, left her feelign traumatized but what is worse is that her friends didn't even give her a chance to explain herself. Reading this made me wonder just how many kids face situations like this where they feel trapped in a situation with no way out and with no one to turn to. Reading this made me realize that the life of a teenager, regardless of their experiences, is difficult and as an adult, one perhaps should be a bit more approachable and judge less.

I believe that any teenager would benefit from reading Speak because it really does speak to that young generation. It teaches them about the fact that their life experiences can be horrible, one must not be afraid to Speak and that speaking about these experiences will definitely set you free. The hope at the end makes us realize that everything that we experience, good or bad, will eventually not be the end of the world. 

Interview with Author

Book Trailer

Feed

Anderson, M. (2002). Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

The story takes place in the twenty-fifth century and exemplifies a dystopian society where considerably more than half of the population is controlled by an element that is called “The Feed.” The “feed” is a device implanted in people’s brains and its function is to provide them with unlimited internet access. The feed controls their thoughts, memories and emotions. Needless to say, this feed controls everything in society, including education. The feed provides the people with advertisement and other different forms of consumer media. Because this world is controlled by the consumer world, education and literacy have taken a back seat. The environment is also deteriorating. People are no longer thinking for themselves because the feed is controlling every aspect of the users’ minds.

 

The plot of the story might be a bit difficult to grasp at first. We have a group of teenagers who on a Spring Break trip to the moon, yes the moon, encounter a series of experiences that leave one in particular, Titus, changed forever. He meets a girl by the name of violet who is slightly different than he is. With her, Titus learns that perhaps this “feed” is not necessarily the best for anyone and learns to question the why of it all.

While reading this book, it reminded me of The Giver. And although this type of literature is not my favorite, I must confess that it is quite an interesting read. Quite frankly, I don’t see all of my students enjoying this type of format, however; I do believe that the reception would still be of awe. And perhaps, the ones more into obviously science fiction and technology, might find this type of read more interesting. 

Book Trailer

My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel

Backderf, D. (2012). My friend Dahmer: A graphic novel. New York: Abrams. 

The retelling of the life of a troubled teenager that leads to the dramatic and quite bloody culmination of the life of a serial killer is something that perhaps is not the conventional types of reading a teenager does, yet I suppose, might be the type of intriguing reading that will capture the attention of some teenagers. 

Jeff is no ordinary teenager to say the least. Aside from being an outcast and perhaps considered to be a little bit weird, or to call it as he was called many times by his classmates, a "freak," Jeff had an unconventional interest in dead things. It started with him putting animal carcasses in acid to feed his fascination for bones and their reactions to acid. Upon reaching his teenage years, he became aware of the fact that he was gay, yet the fantasies he experienced had not the ordidnary fantasies where he would have sex with other teenage boys, but rather his fantasies were that of him having sex with teenage boy dead corpses. The attempt to supress these feelings was futile, instead they kept growing and getting darker and darker. Something the author, his "friend" that put this together, keeps asking himself is where were the adults? He started drinking everywhere, at school even, and it was quite obvious to everyone around Jeff that he was drinking quite heavily, no one seemed to care enough to reach out and help. That his life could have led to better things is a possibility that now we will never know, all because the adults in his life were too engrossed in their own lives to give a damn about his. 

I must confess that while reading this graphic novel I had to take a few breaks. Breaks long enough where I would read another novel in between. And this is not because the writing is too complex, quite the contrary, it is simple to understand. More than anyting it was the content which is nothing but somber and filled with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness that drags the reader down on an abyss from which you can't easily recover unless, like I said, you have taken a break from it. It has taken me longer to read this novel than anything else I have read in a while. Once I would pick it upa again, I breezed through it because, you know, the format lends itself to that, however; like I said before, the content is what leaves the reader emotionally drained. 

Book Trailer

The Documentary

Six of Crows

Bardugo, L. (2015). Six of crows. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 

Kaz Brekker is offered a tempting job where he is asked to help a criminal escape from prison. This heist can turn deadly, yes, but if done successfully, this could mean that he would be richer than he had ever even possibly dreamed of. Although he is pretty much a criminal prodigy, he knows rather well that he cannot pull this heist alone so he enlists the help of other teenagers with a not so clean record. The task is equivalent to a mission impossible and is to free a scientist from the world’s most secure prison and the task is taken quite seriously. Far from acting for the good of the world, this group’s leader cares only for himself and no one else. Was inside the prison, things go terribly wrong and the Dregs find themselves trying to escape themselves. Although it may not be fast paced from the beginning, it quickly turns into a page turner. With a little bit of romance and high stakes action, Six Crows is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Will-

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Be able to pull of the heist of a lifetimes? Perhaps if they don’t kill each other first. 

Interesting to say the least, this novel will keep you at the edge of your seat and includes the best elements that a YA reader will most definitely enjoy!

Book Trailer

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Black, H. (2013). The coldest girl in Coldtown. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 

Vampires. Although the literary works that focus on the supernatural and vampires may be considered as overrated, to many they are not! The entire concept revolves around the fantasy world where vampires and humans can coexist. Can they, really? 

This novel starts with a world already infected by vampires in which Coldtowns were created by the government in an effort to control the infection. Vampires and the "cold" were sent here to prevent further infection of innocent victims. A "cold" person was a person who had been wounded by a vampire but had not drank human blood yet, which is what finalized the "turning" into vampires. 

The story starts off when after a night of partying, high school partying that is, Tana wakes up in a tub the next morning only to find that everyone had been brutally murdered by vampires. Her ex-boyfriend Aiden's life has been spared but has been bitten and confined by being tied down to a bed. Next to Aiden, she finds Gavriel, a vampire found in restraints as well. Before the rest of the vampires come up for more destruction and blood, she manages to help Aiden and Gavriel escape. However; in the pursuit, she receives a wound by one of the vampires that leaves her infected. Because she knows what is bound to happen, she makes her way to the nearest Coldtown to protect Aiden, Gavriel, herself and others of what can possibly take place later. 

The development of the story brings confused feelings, a possible romance between Tana and Gavriel and more action as we discover that Gavriel has a mission to carry out. An unexpected twist reveals Gavriel's true identity and in the end, after Tana has been infected, he professes his love for her as he promises to watch over her. 

I see this as what you may call, a teeny bopper romantic supernatural story that can very well be of interest for adults like me! Easy to read and interesting to say the least, this novel is guaranteed to be enjoyed by all. 

Book Trailer

Holly Black Introduces the Book

Holly Black Interview