This book was a requirement to read for this course. It was named to School Library Journal for best book of 2004.
Gabriela is a seventeen year old light skinned Hispanic girl who lives in Santa Maria de los Rosales, CA with her mother, father,brother, and tia. She is named after her abuela. Her mother had her when she was very young, her father is a meth addict, and her younger brother Beto who is 15, has a mohawk and is somewhat of a tagger. Her tia Bertha stays with the family to help them out when her father needs help. Her tia is religious but has her own set of demons to deal with. Gabi has two best friends one is named Cindy who is pregnant and the other is named Sebastian and he is gay. Gabi keeps a diary in and explains what is happening in her life during the last year of high school. Some of the topics she writes in her diary are filling out college applications, boys she likes, her cravings for food, and her love of poetry. Gabi writes letters in her diary to express how she feels and never lets them out of her diary. She has both family and school life to deal with which involved too much for one teenage girl to endure and with a new baby on the way, her mother is in no condition of supporting them with a father who is not there most of the time because he is an addict. Gabriela wants to go to college and this would be her only way out of the house, but her mother is old school and says she must learn to cook and clean so she could find a good husband one day. Her mother is overbearing and is constantly shaming her about her weight. Her mother even blames Gabi when her brother Beto makes bad decisions. Gabi is use to taking the blame since she is the older sibling. Gabi proves that she is not a product of her environment and gets into the college of her choice.
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces is a laugh out loud funny yet endearing story of a young girl's senior year of high school. Gabi works through the untold pains of loss, the unmistakably feelings of true love, and the stress of wondering if she would get accepted into the college she has always dreamed of attending. I think this book is great for High School students to read, because it shows someone their age going through some difficult times. Everyone can somewhat relate to the situations that Gabi was going through in her last year of High School. I remember during my Senior year of High School there were many girls that were pregnant and students just finding out who they like gender wise. I would have to say High School life is already tough and to have to go through many problems at home too will put so much pressure on anyone.While this story touches on several themes, the overall effect of this novel on the reader is spectacular. One thing I found interesting in this novel was Gabi's use of poetry to express her feelings and overcome the many losses she has had in her young life. There are many references to adult themes in this story such as drugs, sex, rape, a potential suicide, and abortion that I would suggest Gabi, A Girl in Pieces to mature young adult readers. I love how this story shows that you should never give up on your dreams even if you are going through hardships in your life.
Isabel Quintero webpage.
Gabi: A girl in pieces book trailer
Interview with Isabel Quintero
Some other titles by Isabel Quintero:
This books was a requirement to read for this course. Persepolis was on American Library Associations list of Top Ten most challenged books in 2014.
Persepolis tells the story of Marjane Satrapi, a young girl growing up in Iran during the 1980s and early 1990s. She sees her world change for the worse, and her once peaceful childhood rapidly transforms into an existence of madness, turmoil, and hate. As Marjane gets older and people she cares about become victims of the war, Marjane allows her feeling and beliefs to show through such as, her dislike of wearing her veil, her hatred of the of the government in place, and her love of American rock music. Marjane has a misunderstood altercation with her principal and her parents must now send her away to live in a safer land. While in Vienna, Austria, Marjane never feels as though she quite fits in. Marjane goes through a few misadventures in life and love and eventually returns home. Once, she returns home Marjane decides that she needs to return to school. At school she meets her future husband who will one day becom her ex-husband, and the world around her continues to crumble. When the war begins in Iran again and it becomes too dangerous for her to stay, Marjane's parents tell her that she must leave, but for good this time.
I was interested in reading this book once I found out that Persepolis was based on the life of Marjane Sartrapi the author of the book during the Islamic revolution and into the Iran-Iraq war. I like that it is an autobiography written in the form of a graphic novel. Persepolis is written in a collection of four different graphic novels. Each novel discusses a different time in her life, so it is important to remember this when suggesting the series to students. I am interested in reading the other novels that go with this series. I also found it interesting that Persepolis was made into a movie. I could never image the hardships that Marjane had to endure as a child. I would recommend this book to young adult readers and am looking forward to watching the movie and reading the other books in the series.
Marjane Satrapi webpage
Persepolis Book Trailer
Persepolis movie trailer
Interview with Marjane Satrapi
Other Titles by Marjane Satrapi:
This book was a requirement to read for this course. This book has was recognized in 2018 by the American Library Association with the William C. Morris Award for best debut book for teens, the Coretta Scott King Award for the best novel by an African-American author for children, and was an honor book for the Michael L. Printz Award for best novel for teens. This book was named to the National Book Award longlist for young adult literature and was nominated for the 2018 Carnegie Medal, and won the 2018 Deutscher Jungendliteraturepreis in the young adult jury section. The Hate U give was listed on the American Library Association as one of the ten most-challenged books of 2017 and 2018.
Sixteen year old Starr is a part of two different worlds. She lives in Garden Heights, which is known as a poor black neighborhood. She attends a prep school in a more suburban area that's about 45 minutes away from where she lives. One day, she attends a party in her neighborhood, which is something she usually does not do. At the party Starr runs into her childhood friend Khalil. A shooting ends up happening at the party, so Starr and Khalil leave and get in his car. As they are trying and catching up with one another lives a cop pulls them over. Starr thinks its just a regular traffic stop, but Khalil is asked to step outside the vehicle and to wait and not to move. Khalil moves to check up on Starr and the cop shoots him and kills him. Starr has just witnessed the murder. Khalil is portrayed in the news as a dangerous drug dealer who threatened the cop before he was shot. Starr knows this is not true, because she was there to witness the shooting. Starr is the key witness in the investigation and is trying to clear Khalil's name. Starr finds her voice to participate as an activist and find justice for her friend while at the same time riots are starting. She finds herself being caught in between two worlds.
I really enjoyed reading this story. I had so many different emotions while reading The hate u give. I find it crazy how realistic it is for today's world. It was sad to see the lives of these two teenagers change forever in one night. Khalil was shot because he appeared to have a gun and all he was doing was checking on the well-being of his friend. This book depicts the reality that many people of color go through when they are being racial profiled by law enforcement. I admire how Starr spoke up about the injustice that occurred to her friend. She used her strength to fight for what was right. I believe that her speaking up and using her voice is courageous and I applaud her for being so strong.I can not even imagine myself being put in that situation. I do not think I would have the strength Starr had to fight for what was right.So, Many people go through this same situation regularly and its a shame but this book perfectly depicts the reality that many people live on a daily basis. As I was writing this blog I found that their is a movie based on this book.
Angie Thomas webpage
The Hate U give Book Trailer
Angie Thomas discussing her book The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give movie trailer
Other Titles by Angie Thomas:
Alexander, K. (2016). Booked. NY: HMH Books for YOung Readers
This book was not a requirement to read for this course. I was given the author's name and I chose a book that I felt would be a great read for YA readers. Booked was a New York Times Bestseller, and on the National Book Award Longlist.
Nick Hall is twelve years old and his life revolves around soccer. He and his best friend Coby, always play and practice even though they are on opposing teams. Both boys are excited about the big tournament coming up in Dallas.Things seem to be going good for Nick until his mom moves away for a job to train horses. Nick's parents separate leaving Nick with his father who is a linguistics and obsessed with words. His dad wrote his own dictionary and forces Nick to read to expand his vocabulary. With all of these things going on at home, Nick also has things going on at school, such as bullies and having a crush on a girl named April.How will Nick juggle it all?
I love the fact that this novel is written in verse, which makes it an easy yet engaging read for young and/ or struggling poetry readers. As I was reading I noticed that each important moment that happened in Nick's life was it's own poem, which I believe helped make the plot progress smoothly. I believe that Booked is an excellent novel for young readers because of the issues Nick goes through.One thing readers his age will be able to relate to is the separation between his parents. I remember during this age a lot of my friends parents where going through separation/divorce and I think readers would be able to relate to some of the conflicts Nick is going through. I like how Nick is able to realize that he is going through these conflicts and decides to do something about each of them.
Kwame Alexander webpage
Booked book trailer
Kwame Alexander discussing Booked
Kwame Alexander reading an extract from Booked
Some other Titles by Kwame Alexander:
This book was not a requirement to read for this course. I was given the author's name and I chose a book that I felt would be a great read for YA readers.
Students in Period 8 are expected to tell the truth and "keep it real, about situations happening in their lives. In Period 8 the students get to share their opinions and are expected to keep it between those in the classroom. No one realizes that the truth can actually hurt others and create problems. When Paul Braum admits to his girlfriend, Hannah, that he cheated on her the situation is discussed within Period 8, but this is not the only issue that is happening within the walls of period 8, one of their peers, Mary, appears to be missing and not attending school. Things aren't adding up about this situation,and it appears that someone in Period 8 knows a little more than others and is not telling the truth.
Chris Crutcher's Period. 8 had me in suspense the entire time as I was reading the book. I feel that Paulie is a character that is easy for someone to root for, and I feel he is always trying to do the right thing. Paulie tried to be there for Mary even when it was hard and it was the last thing that he wanted to go. Logs is a teacher that everyone wishes they had. I loved how he created an amazing environment for students with Period 8. Students' lives outside of school can be tough and they deal with adult issues that they shouldn't have to and Logs created a safe space for them to communicate their feelings. I loved reading the relationships that Logs created with his students, but I kinda felt that some of the issues the students talked about could be a little too much for a group discussion. I would recommend this book to High School students, because it kept me at the edge of my seat.
Chris Crutcher webpage
Chris Crutcher talking about his book Period 8
Chris Crutcher Period 8 book trailer
Some other Titles by Chris Crutcher:
This book was not a requirement to read for this course. I was given the author's name and I chose a book that I felt would be a great read for YA readers. Please Ignore Vera Dietz was a 2011 Michael L. Printz award honor book and an Edgar Allan Poe Award nominee for best YA.
Vera Dietz and Charlie Kahn grew up together and have been best friends since forever. Both friends both feel like they are outcast and Vera is secretly in love Charlie. During their senior year in high school they drift apart and Charlie starts hanging out with other teens who are bad influences. Vera does not like that he hangs out with these teens and how Charlie is starting to treat her once he met Jenny. Charlie betrayed Vera in every possible way and now he expects Vera to clear his name. Charlie dies after a major town incident, and Vera feels guilty, because she hates who he became but she still wished she could have saved him in some way. People in town believe Charlie committed a crime right before he died, but Vera knows that is not true. Vera must deal with her conscious and decide whether or not she want's to clear Charlies name even though he did her wrong and he is now dead.
Please Ignore Vera Dietz is a YA novel that deals with many issues that most teenagers go through within their lives today. The novel discusses many topics such as alcoholism, responsibilities,domestic violence and internal conflicts. Vera loved Charlie but also hated his actions right before he died.She didn't know what was the right feelings to have during this situation which affected her mind every single moment of the day. I feel teens often feel lost and confused during a time like this and don't necessarily know how to go through the grieving process without help. During high school many students turn to alcohol to help with their pain and I think a lot of students will be able to relate to this story. I could never in image how Vera was feeling not only losing her best friend but also the person she was secretly in love with. She had a lot of internal conflicts that she had to work through, but just image how many teens are dealing with issues that are similar in this book alone.
A.S. King Webpage
A.S. King movie trailer
Interview with A.S. King
Some other Titles by A.S. King:
This book was not a requirement to read for this course. I was given the author's name and I chose a book that I felt would be a great read for YA readers. Grasshopper Jungle has won the Michael L. Printz Award Honor 2015, Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee 2015, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction 2014, The Inky Awards Nominee for Silver Inky 2015, And the Kitchies for Red Tentacle Novel 2014.
Austin Szerba lives in a small town in Iowa. He is a typical sixteen year old hormonal and confused teenager. Austin is telling the story of his History, which also just happens to be the end of the world. Austin has a best friend whose name is Robby. One day they are skateboarding behind the mall when they are attacked by the school bullies led by Grant. Grant throws their shoes and skateboards on the roof and later on that night the boys go back to the mall to get their belongings and discover a trap door into the store where Austin works part time. Once, the boys get into the store where Austin works they go into the boss' office to see what the boss is hiding and find several items in glass jars such as a two-headed baby, hands, and a glowing green globe. Grant and his friends return and Austin and Robby hide. Grant takes the glowing globe and when they are leaving he drops it into the blood releasing a plague that immediately begins to infect the townsfolk turning them into giant man-eating preying mantises that only want to eat and have sex. Austin and Robby go to Austin's girlfriends house where they find a machine that is typing a message that tells them the virus is in the air and they need to go to the silo. While at the silo, they discover a shelter that explains the origin of the plague, and contains everything they need in order to survive. The boys use the information from the silo to work together with Austin's girlfriends parents and Robby's mom and boyfriend to kill the creatures and are successful even though they are late and are not able to save the town. Austin thinks of having sex all the time and he can't decide if he wants Shann or Robby and eventually he has both. As the story flashes to the future, we see that Austin and Shann have a child and are raising it together but Robby and Austin are a couple.
Grasshopper Jungle is a soft science fiction modern novel that contains a lot of twist and turns. As I was reading Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith I personally didn't know how to feel about it. Even though I had mixed emotions about reading this book. I believe it is a good book for young adults, because it contains profanity, alcohol and drug use, and sexual situations and many young adults usually experience these issues at some point in their lives. The book mainly focused on the male characters in the story. Those male characters are always thinking about having sex and many boys that will read this story will also be mostly thinking about having sex.There are a few female characters in the story but they where not very well developed. The author portrays it through a funny yet intense action filled plot. I would recommend this book for 9th graders and up, because of the content the book contains.
Andrew Smith webpage
Jungle Grasshopper book trailer
Andrew Smith discussing Grasshopper Jungle
Some other Titles by Andrew Smith:
This book was not a requirement to read for this course. I was given the author's name and I chose a book that I felt would be a great read for YA readers.Won 2012 Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth.
Hazel Grace Lancaster, 16, is a brilliant young reader with a horrible taste in television shows. She lives with her mother and father in Indiana. Her mother is a stay at home mom and takes care of her while her father works. Hazel takes college classes and is doing her best to get around, because she is not like any normal teenager. She has thyroid and lung cancer in which she has to carry around an oxygen tank. Her mom tells her she must get out of the house and meet new people but she does not want to do that. Hazel decides to attend a support group meeting for people her age with terminally ill diseases and it is there that she meets a boy named Augustus Waters. He is a 17 year old boy and is in remission for osteosarcoma in which he has one prosthetic legs. Hazel befriends Isaac who is friends with Augustus who is also a candidate for cancer and he eventually loses his eyesight in the novel. Augustus Walters and Hazel become friends and the two develop a relationship like no other. They both fall in love and Augustus uses his free ticket to visit one of Hazel's most inspiring authors in Amsterdam, where she gets the okay to go from her doctors. She is determined to find an ending to the book she read by this author, which has no ending. It is her in Amsterdam that the two become closer than ever and her visit with the author she likes, doesn't turn out as expected. The author is a complete jerk and an alcoholic. Hazel does not want to hurt Augustus because of her terminally ill disease, but she cares about him and he has already lost one girlfriend to brain cancer her name was Caroline Mathers. Hazel feels that if she is with Augustus she will hurt him and feels it is unfair to put him through that in any sort of way. Hazel and Augustus become inseparable until the unexpected happens and a grenade burst.
This book was amazing to read, it was funny and heartfelt bringing me to tears. One of my favorite parts of the novel was when Augustus had a pre-service for his funeral with Isaac and Hazel reading their eulogies. I personally could not see myself in this position having to read a eulogy of one of my friends and have them sit and listen to it. This just showed the type of relationship that these friends have together. I only wish that I would be able to have this type of relationship with my friends at this age. The Fault In our stars contained many themes such as friendship, life, love, and death. I think students starting from Middle School will be able to enjoy this book. It is fascinating and the quick romance between these two teenagers which are both intellectual and emotionally physical would be able to draw any reader to love this book.
John Green webpage
The Fault In Our Stars Book Trailer
The Fault in Our Stars Movie Trailer
John Green discussing The Fault in Our Stars
Some Other Titles from John Green:
