Code Name Verity

Wein, Elizabeth. (2012). Code name Verity. NY: Egmont. This historical fiction novel starts out with the words “I am a coward.” We soon learn that Queenie, aka Verity, is anything but a coward. She has been captured by the Gestapo and she trades information for paper and pen and she begins chronicling her journey. We are in WWII and the story starts as a first person confession, but we are learning about Queenie and Maddie and their role in the war effort. The story then moves into Maddie’s perspective as we learn she crashed soon after Queenie parachuted out of the plane. Maddie chronicles her journey with the resistance army in her pilot’s journal. The most heartbreaking moment was when the death of Queenie was revealed. The plot twists in this book were amazing. Young adult literature isn’t usually written this well and with as many twists and turns. I was constantly turning back a few pages and reading them again because I was in utter shock. 14-16 year olds will enjoy the friendship of these two main characters. I think they will be equally shocked as the twists keep coming. The plot in this novel is anything but predictable. We actually have two viewpoints happening in this book. It seems entirely plausible that Verity will die by the hands of the Gestapo. Imagine the surprise when the plot twists around and we realize that she does die, but at the hands of her best friend. (It still gives me goosebumps.)

Leviathan

Westerfeld, S. (2009). Leviathan. NY: Simon Pulse. This fictional novel was based in 1914 and has two main characters. They are Aleksandar Ferdinand and Deryn Sharp. Alek is the prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and he is left orphaned at the beginning of the book. Deryn is a commoner girl pretending to be a boy, Dylan Sharp, just so she can be an airman in the service. The two main characters find themselves just trying to survive on opposite sides of the same war. I typically enjoy science fiction books, but this one had me scratching my head a few times. The invented terminology took away from the storyline. I found myself always pausing the figure out what a “Huxley” or “beasties” or “middies” were. There were times that I was reminded of the invented terms that were abundant in the Harry Potter series. This author seemed to use too many of the invented terms in my opinion. I would recommend to the high school students that read this book to continue with the series and read Behemoth and Goliath. The writing style of this book made it a little more difficult to read. The author chose to use a complex language that took away from the storyline. This particular style makes the book unique and does play a part in the fantastical genre of the book. 

Ship Breaker

Bacigalupi, P. (2010). Ship breaker. New York: Little, Brown.

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. This futuristic novel is based on the story of Nailer. He is a teenage boy working on a crew that tears down old tanker ships for parts that can be sold. His life changes when he finds a wrecked clipper ship that has so many things he can strip and sell. He makes a hard decision when he finds a dying girl trapped on this ship. He must decide if he will save her or strip the ship for the money. Nailer has a serious dilemma on his hands. Does he save the girl or does he take as much salvage as possible and get rich? I love that he decided to save the girl even though it ultimately required him to leave his home and help her find her father in order to save her life. This is a great novel for 14-16 year olds. This book falls into the science fiction genre for me. It has some realistic touches like locations, but it is clearly set in the future. The author gives a detailed perspective about what life is like during this time. We can picture what our Earth has turned into based on the detailed descriptions of this "new world". Because of the realistic touches, I found myself hoping life is never like this in the future. 

Persepolis

Sartrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. NY: Pantheon. Persepolis is a biography of a girl growing up in Iran. The story is told through black and white comic book images. Marjane tells the story of life before the Islamic Revolution and after. We learn of her belief that she is the last prophet. We follow her life through pictures. The story follows the war in Iran and how Marjane becomes and rebel and is sent away because her family fears for her life. The demonstrations in Iran affect her family tremendously and we follow her journey of determining the truth from the fiction she is being told in school. The struggles were still very real for her. We not only read of her struggles against her country, but we see her personal relationships, her marriage, and ultimately her divorce. It was obvious from the beginning that Marjane was a strong girl and was going to eventually stand up against the injustices against her people. This biography is a great read for high school students. It has great historical elements that are important for our children to read. We read all about the negative in Iran/Iraq, but this story spotlights someone who fought against the injustices in her own country. It is a very inspiring read. This autobiography was about Marjane, but it was also about life in Iran. It had historical elements that drew us into her story. We could feel her frustration and her boldness in wanting to stand up against the oppressor. 

Annie on my Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: FSG. The main characters in this book are Annie and Liza. These two teenage girls meet by chance one day when Liza hears Annie singing. They come from completely different backgrounds; public school vs. private school, professional parents vs. cab driver/bookkeeper, architect vs. singer. Despite all the differences, they become best of friends. Friendship soon turns to love. The story chronicles the relationship between two girls in love. We see that it is not always rosy and their relationship is revealed to the public. In turn, the gay relationship of their two teachers is also revealed and they are subsequently fired. Liza has tremendous guilt and ends her relationship with Annie. After being separated for several years, Liza finally comes to terms with her sexual orientation and reunites with Annie. I can understand why this would be constantly on the list of potentially censored books. Unfortunately, gay relationships are still tabu and many parents certainly don’t want their children reading about them. This book was a beautiful representation of the good and bad of a same sex relationship. It shows how two people, not matter their sex, can fall in love without even trying. It also shows how unsupportive people can change the lives of others just because their opinions are different. The characters are the heart of this novel. They are so well developed and they grew and changed through the novel. We see inside the characters and know what they are thinking and feeling. 

The Chocolate War

Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war. NY: Delacorte. This novel follows the lives of several characters at an all boy’s Catholic high school. The main character is Jerry Renault.  Jerry is an unassuming first year student that just wants to play football. His determination outweighs his athletic ability. The school is run by a secret organization of students called The Vigils. Every year these students pick a student to pull off a prank against the faculty. This story is Jerry’s fight to stand up against the bullies. I loved Jerry’s determination in standing up against these bullies. He could have given in and just sold the chocolates, but he didn’t. High School students will cheer for his fight and groan at the antics of the Vigils and many of the faculty members. I am not sure who was the biggest bully…the Vigils or the teachers. The conflict in this book is Jerry deciding to continue to stand up to the Vigils, teachers and other classmates or not. He knows he is being bullied and wants to end the madness, but that is easier said than done. He knows the bullies do not need to win. Students reading this would understand his conflict between what is right and wrong. 

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin. Melinda is a 14 year girl entering her first day of high school.  Over the summer she became an outcast. Everything about her is different; her hair, her clothes, and attitude. Life wasn’t always different for Melinda. Something happened at a party over the summer that made her friends turn against her. The only thing that she enjoys is art class. Very few people talk to her. Most ignore her or bully her. She has an almost non-existent relationship with her parents. Melinda is very alone. The novel follows her through the entire freshman school year. Is the last portion of the book we learn that Melinda was raped by a classmate that continues to taunt her. She finally stands up to him and gains back the confidence she lost during that difficult year.  Truly, Melinda turned against herself. She was a fun loving and confident girl that let the rapist win and she turned into herself and let all her friends believe she was just the “rat” that got them all in trouble for having a party. This book is perfect for the high school age. Melinda struggles with her emotional development. Something terrible happened to her, but she struggles with finding the courage to tell someone about it. She finds it easier to allow everyone to hate her than to tell the truth that the reason she called the cops was because she was raped. She even allows the boy to taunt and bully her. Ultimately, she finds her voice and uses it. 

Looking for Alaska

Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. NY: Dutton. Miles embarks on a new journey at a boarding school. His new roommate, Chip, aka The Colonel, becomes his best friend and mentor. The Colonel introduces him to Alaska and the three of them become virtually inseparable. These three teens forge a strong friendship and become very important to each other. The author is counting down through the book. The title hint that is has something to do with Alaska. We finally get through the countdown and find ourselves at the indescribable tragedy of Alaska’s death. I enjoyed the friendship these boys forged with each other and Alaska. They each had their own little quirks, but they embraced them. High school students will find solace in these main characters going through the same struggles they are experiencing like crushes, crabby teachers and bullying. I would recommend The Fault in our Stars to anyone that enjoyed this book. I thought of Havighurst's development task of "Adolescents need to learn how to get along with peers." when reading this book. Miles, Chip and Alaska show what true friendship looks like. Friendships tend to be based on shared interests. In this book, the thing they have in common is the school they attend. These teens stick together and grow stronger when other teens might falter and pull apart from each other. 

Janis Joplin: Rise up singing

Angel, A. (2010). Janis Joplin: Rise up singing. NY: Amulet. This biography about Janis Joplin was written using letters acquired from family and friends and interviews with those closest to her during her short life. The book starts in the 1950’s when Janis is struggling to fit in. During that time it was more important to fit in and be a good, churchgoing American that it was to be smart. Janis didn’t see herself as all the other girls. She tried to fit in by joining all the popular groups, but that did not help. Her clothes were different. Her hair was different. She even laughed differently. And she definitely didn’t listen to the same music as the others. This book follows her short 27-year life and the ups and downs she experienced along the way. I am not a child of the 60’s so Janis Joplin is not someone I know much about. Her music is not my favorite so I was dreading this read somewhat. I was thoroughly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Janis Joplin lived a lot of life in her short 27 years. Young adults, especially those that are already fans of her music, will enjoy seeing this in depth look at her life and all the pictures are an awesome addition. They will sympathize with the awkward teen she was and then turned that into one of the most vibrant rock stars of all time. This biography was told through the eyes of the family and friends of Janis Joplin. The author allows us into her life by more than just the music. I was drawn in by the pictures and stories of a girl from Texas that just struggled to fit in.

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller

Lambert, J. (2012). Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller. New York: Hyperion Books. Great Graphic Novels for Teens. The life and times of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller told through cartoons. It shows the amazing bond between these two ladies, one a teacher and one a student. Annie Sullivan had amazing patience in how she taught Helen Keller. This book shows us, not just tells us, her unwavering commitment to making sure Helen Keller knew everything about the world. I’ve read many books over the years about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller, but none were quite like this graphic novel. Typically, I am not a fan of graphic novels. It is usually just too busy for me to stay engaged, but this one wasn’t that way. I felt the illustrations switched between Annie’s point of view and Helen’s point of view. The black illustrations reminded us what it must have been like for Helen. This author did an amazing job of drawing the reader into the biography by using the cartoons to present it in a unique way. It didn't just tell the story of Annie Sullivan, but it showed the story of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. The author combined two different genres together in a fascinating way. 

We Were Liars

Lockhart, E. (2013). We were liars. Delacorte Press. New York Times Bestseller. This fictional novel is about a teenage girl, Cadence, and how she spends her summers on a private island in Massachusetts with her family and a friend. Many summers are chronicled by her age. The main focus is on Summer Fifteen, which Cadence does not remember. An accident clearly happened, but now she has no memories and only migraines to show for it. We see her relationships with her family and friends. It was a shocking moment when it was revealed that her three best friends, her cousins and boyfriend, were actually killed in a house fire that she helped set. The story was a little choppy and hard to follow at times. Young adults will enjoy the friendship the cousins forged when they only see each other for summers. Cadence and Gat have an undeniable bond that is hard to continue when her grandfather does not approve of it. The family dynamic as a whole is pretty messed up. The cousins are great friends, but the rest of the family doesn’t appear to like each other very much. We finally see the greed and that is ultimately what destroyed the family. The cousins decided to take matters into their own hands and tragedy occurred. The plot was unique in a way that we knew bits and pieces of the story, but had to be patient as the author filled in the rest of the blanks. An unexpected twist is always a favorite of mine, and it definitely occurred in this novel when it was revealed that the cousins and boyfriend were dead, and had been dead the entire novel. 

It's Perfectly Normal

Harris, R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press. This fictional book gives kid friendly explanations of their changing bodies. It has drawings, cartoons, and explanations over what they are experiencing, or will experience, as they are growing up. The topics covered are sex, our bodies, puberty, family, babies, and how to stay healthy. This book should be shared in the comfort of a home and not a school library. The pictures are graphic and should be discussed as a family. I believe children ages 10 and up could benefit from this book. It is a great way to discuss many of the topics that children start discussing at school. I prefer to talk about these topics with my children prior to the rumor mill starting the discussions. This book falls into the Informational Literature genre because it gives accurate and current information to the reader. It showcases an excellent balance of the subject. The author covers information about all sexes and issues with growing up in a tasteful and easy to read way.