LSSL 5385 Young Adult Literature

*All images retrieved from goodreads.com

Brown, J. (2013). Star wars: Jedi academy. NY: Scholastic Inc.

Roan is crushed when he is rejected by the Pilot Academy and unable to follow in his father’s footsteps. Mysteriously, he does get accepted into an academy that he didn’t even apply for: the Jedi Academy. Roan decides to give the Jedi Academy a chance, but he doesn’t quite fit in right away. The other students were accepted at a very young age and have known one another for years. The Jedi Academy isn’t all light sabers and the Force like you would think. Roan also participates in normal school stuff like Student Counsel and school dances. Even through his struggles to fit in, Roan comes to the realization that the Jedi Academy is right where he is supposed to be. Roan’s adventure is told through a scrapbook-like format which includes letters, journal entries, illustrations and papers collected from school. The intended audience for this book is grade levels 3 through 7.  Follow up readings include Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan and Jedi Academy: The Phantom Bully. There is also a companion journal which allows readers to create their own characters and write their own story lines!

Cooner, D. (2012). Skinny. NY: Point.

Ever weighs 302 pounds at only 15 years of age. She desperately wants to try out for the school musical, but Skinny, Ever’s inner voice, silences her. Skinny is always reminding Ever of how disgusting she is to others. To get rid of Skinny, Ever decides to undergo gastric bypass surgery. Though she loses over 100 pounds, Skinny is not as easy to lose as Ever thought. With the support of her best friend, Rat, Ever realizes that her weight gain was never the problem but a result of shutting others out for so many years after the death of her mother. In the end, Ever discovers her self-worth and that other had loved her the whole time. Ever is a very relatable character as so many of us struggle with accepting our appearance and could lead to some great discussions about depression, self-esteem, and inner conflict. The intended audience for this book is grade levels 7 to 12.

Crutcher, C. (2001). Whale talk.   NY: Greenwillow Books.

T.J. Jones was abandoned at a young age by his drug addicted mother. T.J. experienced anger as a result of his abandonment, but was able to overcome these feelings with the help of his loving adopted parents. T.J. is a gifted athlete, especially in swimming. However, he associates bullies with athletes and refuses to participate in group sports to avoid being labeled as such. Mr. Simet, T.J.’s favorite teacher, talks him into starting a school swim team. T.J. doesn’t recruit your typical Jocks. Instead, he creates a team of outcasts including boys struggling with developmental and physical disabilities. Though most of the team has no experience in swimming, T.J. and Mr. Simet are able to convince the Athletic Committee to allow the team to earn letter jackets as long as each swimmer improves his best time at each swim meet. The jocks are disgusted that a group of misfits will also be wearing letter jackets, so they attempt to retract the Athletic Counsel’s agreement. Though the team does not achieve their end goal, they formed something even more special: strong friendships. Throughout the story, the author provides readers with background knowledge about each misfit boy who have individual struggles ranging from child abuse to death. Anyone who feels left out can relate to one of these characters. My largest complaint about this book is the cover. While I enjoyed the book, I would have not chosen it based on its appearance. Luckily, I researched Chris Crutcher books and the plot involving a group of outcast teens, one being a student with special needs, caught my interest.

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my   mind. NY: FSG

When Liza meets Annie at the Metropolitan museum, her world begins to change forever. Though the girls come from different worlds, Liza from a rowdy public school and Annie from a prestigious private school, they have an immediate connection after they discover their common interests including a love for cats. Liza turns to Annie when school becomes stressful due to being suspended after witnessing her best friend break a school rule. Over time, Liza and Annie’s friendship deepens and turns romantic. . At first, both girls are timid and turn away from physical touch, but eventually they overcome their fears and the new struggle becomes finding a safe place to be alone together. The girls are comforted after they discover that 2 of Liza’s female teachers are lesbians. The 2 relationships are discovered and turned into the school supervisors. The teachers are fired, but Liza and Annie discover that it was for the best as the two are happier than ever in their retirement. After graduation, the girls lose touch due to the struggle of dealing with their sexuality. However, Liza realized how much she misses Annie and they arrange to reunite over the holidays. The intended audience for this book is grade levels 7 to 12. This book addresses a topic that will be discussed for many years to come: sexuality. Even though it was written in 1982, students struggling with their sexuality could easily relate to the main characters.

Gidwitz, A. (2011). A Tale Dark   and Grimm. NY: Puffin Books.

Faithful Johannes is a servant to the king as he was for many kings before. As a request from the king’s father, Johannes is to keep the king from finding a secret portrait of the Golden Princess. Johannes fails, the king finds the portrait, and falls madly in love with the princess. The king becomes cursed after he steals the princess and makes her his queen.  Johannes is able to break the curse but is turned to stone for doing so. The king will do anything to bring back his faithful servant…even chop of his children’s heads! Thankfully, Johannes is brought back and the children are spared their lives, but this isn’t your normal happily ever after ending. When the children, who are actually Hansel and Gretel, learn of their father’s betrayal, they run away from home and begin the greatest adventure of their lives. The two have anything but a safe journey. They encounter an evil witch, an attractive cannibal who lures young girls to his home only to eat them, and a deadly dragon who terrorized their kingdom! Hansel and Gretel devise a plan to beat the dragon which saves their kingdom from a dark and grimm ending. I really enjoyed reading the story of Hansel and Gretel integrated into a collection of gruesome, lesser known Grimm fairy tales. When I first started reading this book, I have to say I was a bit worried that I would be annoyed by the narrator’s frequent interruptions. Although the narrator can seem a bit intrusive at times, his warnings of upcoming gore kept me wondering, “what will happen next?!” Follow up readings include The Glass Grimmly and The Grimm Conclusion.

Gino, A. (2015). George. NY: Scholastic.

Fourth grader, George, is so excited about trying out for the school play, Charlotte’s Web. There is only one problem: George desperately wants to play the part of Charlotte, but only girls are allowed to audition for this part. Though George is physically a boy, she has always felt like a girl on the inside. She is scared to tell her family and friends the big secret, but George finally opens up to her best friend, Kelly who offers her support. Together, the two develop a plan which allows George to play her dream role of Charlotte and let people know her true identity: Melissa. I found this story to be a little heartbreaking. While George had support from Kelly and eventually his older brother, his loving mom was not able to accept George’s identity as a female. The intended audience for this book is grade levels 3 through 7. George is a great book for young adults struggling with their identity.

Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. NY: Dutton Books.

Hazel Grace is not your normal teenage girl. Why? Her body is fighting cancer which makes it hard for her to breath. While attending a support group, Hazel meets an attractive boy named Augustus, and the two have an immediate connection. After Hazel shares her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, the two spend hours obsessing over the book’s unresolved conclusion. As a surprise for Hazel, Augustus contacts the author who invites to two teens to Amsterdam to discuss the books ending. Augustus uses his “last wish” to arrange the trip for Hazel. Hazel’s family and doctors finally agree that she can travel to Amsterdam. Hazel is crushed after discovering that her favorite author is a mean drunk who refuses to answer any of her questions. Feeling horrible for the teens, Mr. Van Houten’s assistant takes to two on a tour of the city. The two share their first kiss and take their relationship to the next level after returning to the hotel. Soon after, Augustus tells Hazel that his cancer has returned, and his health begins to deteriorate quickly. Hazel stays by his side until the very end and even delivers the eulogy at his funeral. Mr. Van Houten shows up at the funeral and Hazel learns the root of his anger: He had a daughter who also died from cancer. The story ends with Hazel reading her eulogy that was written by Augustus. This book is filled with love and heartbreak and will have readers emotionally engaged with the characters. The intended audience for this book is grad levels 9 through 12.

Textbook:

Lesesne, T.S. (2003). Making the match. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.