Poetry - You Don't Even Know Me (Flake)

Sharon Flake, You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems about Boys (Jump at the Sun, 2010)

I SIT IN YOUR CLASS
I PLAY BY THE RULES
   I'M YOUNG
        I'M FLY
             I'M BLACK
        SO OF COURSE I THINK
                                       I'M COOL   


I wanted to read this title because we can never have enough good books that urban African American boys can relate to. It is a mix of free verse poetry often with a freestyle rap beat and short stories tackling big issues: teen fatherhood and marriage, relationships with father figures, HIV, seduction by an older woman, living in the suburbs and "talking white", the attraction of the gang life. One of the strongest of the nine short stories "DON"T READ THIS" is written in diary format about a teen whose twin who killed himself because of the abuse he endured from a club adviser. The diary writer is preparing to do the same thing, giving away his belongings, buying a rope, setting a date, practicing.

I liked the mix of poetry and short stories. Some of the poems had more appeal than others but I think boys (or girls who want to understand boys better) will like the book and it may inspire some to write their own poetry.

Sharon Flake's books were very popular in the middle school urban library where I worked in Dayton. They include Money Hungry, Begging for Change, The Skin I'm In, Who Am I Without Him: Short Stories About Girls and the Boys in Their Lives. Check out her website that includes a video of the first poem from You Don't Even Know Me read by teens. I would play that to introduce the book to grades 7-10.

Nonfiction - Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing

Janis Joplin: Rise up Singing (Ann Angel, Amulet Books, 2010)
YALSA Award for Excellent in Nonfiction for YA 2011

     Rock singer Janis Joplin is one of those 60s rock stars who died young, leaving a huge legacy (think Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison) of music that still resonates with today's teens. Janis grew up in a middle class family in Port Arthur, Texas where girls were expected to marry their high school sweethearts and everyone listened to Pat Boone. But Janis pushed the limits and listened to the blues. Odetta, Bessie Smith and Leadbelly were her idols. She drifted in and out of college, hitchhiking and spending time in Austin, Greenwich Village and California; drinking, taking drugs and playing small gigs. In the San Francisco of 1966 (the "summer of love") she teamed up with Big Brother and the Holding Company and threw herself "headlong into the 'hurricane', giving the band --and the music --everything she had" (p.38)  Pushing her voice to the edge, she developed her trademark raspy, rough and raucous sound (and image). We get to know Janis as someone who was outrageous yet needy. Someone who wanted somebody to love. As Janis sings in Piece of My Heart, "Come on come on - take another little piece of my heart now baby". She died of an accidental overdose at 27 years of age in 1970.
     This book is very attractively put together with great photos and colorful marginal designs that fit the psychedelic time. The photos make the book. Included are pictures of her from high school where she was part of the Future Teachers of America and the Slide Rule Club -- as well as pictures of her bare breasted in a bed with the partially nude long haired members of her band, album covers, concert posters and Rolling Stone covers.
     I'd recommend this book for high school. Janis had an Mexican abortion in 1967 when the procedure was still illegal in the U.S. The book of course talks a lot about Janis's drug and alcohol addiction, including the facts that she periodically tried to quit using and that drugs eventually killed her at a young age. Interestingly it does point out that, at the time, a lot of these drugs (speed, LSD) weren't even illegal. The obvious way to introduce this book to young people is to play some her music - Piece of My Heart, Mercedes Benz, Down on Me, and Bobby McGee are among my favorites.

Historical Fiction - Revolution (Donnelly)

Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution (Delacorte 2010) is a rarity - historical fiction created for older readers. It is a sophisticated mix: part wrenching realistic fiction and part historical fiction - with a little supernatural twist. Andi's younger brother has been murdered. Her mother has lost her grip on reality. She is in trouble at school because she hasn't started her senior thesis. Suicide is constantly on her mind. Music is the only thing that is holding her together (Andi plays guitar). Her distant, work-obsessed father who has remarried and moved on, is going to Paris and decides to take Andi with him. Once in Paris, Andi begins research for her thesis on an innovative 18th century musician. She also finds a diary written by a girl who lived during the French Revolution and risked all to help the pitifully imprisoned Louis Charles, the son of Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI. The more of the diary that Andi reads, the more she is absorbed in the story. While in a party at "The Beach" in the Catacombs under Paris, time shifts and Andi finds herself stranded in dangerous and chaotic Revolutionary Paris.

This book has many elements that will appeal to teens, particularly girls (grade 8-12). Music is a huge theme in the book as it is in many successful realistic novels (Perks of a Wallflower, Nick & Norah's Playlist, Fat Kid Rules the World, and this year's Harmonic Feedback). And there is the romance with hot taxi-driving Virgil. He's a musician too of course. And Paris IS the most romantic city in the world...

I listened to the book on audio and enjoyed it. For one thing the French pronunciation of Virgil is much sexier than the English :-) Some suspension of belief is required. The author did a good job weaving the story lines with the parallel themes of the death of an innocent boy, revolution, and music. In booktalking it to students, I would probably introduce the contemporary Andi and then describe the party in the Catacombs.

YALSA's Top Ten Fiction Titles 2011
ALA/ALSC Odyssey Honor Book 2010 (audio)

Fantasy/Science Fiction

This is my favorite genre. I love high fantasy and science fiction - horror not so much. I had planned to blog on Ship Breaker (Bacigalupi). However I have the idea that some of you may plan to blog on this terrific book. So instead of going into detail, I will just say that I really enjoyed the 2011 Printz winner set in a drowned New Orleans in a dystopian future. Reminded me in some ways of Terry Pratchett's Nation (Printz Honor 2009) though more violent. Nation has an alternative universe island setting rather than dystopian future but both books are adventure/survival stories with a male character who is "native" helping a shipwrecked upperclass girl.

Instead I'd like to discuss Megan Whalen Turner's Conspiracy of Kings. It is the fourth book in The Queen's Thief series - and yes I've read them all, breaking my rule of "read the first in a series and move on". So this book clearly has the Berg seal of approval. I noticed my 21 year old niece (who is at the University of Maryland Baltimore on a full academic ride) reading it on the beach last summer. I picked it up and started reading it while she was out in the surf boogie boarding. When she finally got cold and came ashore she reclaimed the book. I stopped at the library on the way home.

Horn Book (March/April 2010) summarizes it like this. "In this eagerly awaited fourth novel set in a semi-classical world, Turner focuses on Sophos, prince of Sounis, who has been kidnapped by rebel barons in cahoots with the Persian-like Medes. First encountered in The Thief as blushing and inept, Sophos here gives his account of a momentous period of maturing: he becomes a slave, rescues his father from murderers, becomes king, falls in love, fights a war, and negotiates the difficult territory of state and personal relationships in order to establish his kingship." Yep that is what happens. Action, adventure and relationships. Really well written. Follett lists for grades 5-8, Booklist grades 7-10.

The Thief (1996)
The Queen of Attolia (2000)
The King of Attolia (2006)
Conspiracy of Kings (2010)

Realistic Fiction Continued

I wanted to read something funny for this post since I've been reading lots of "heavy" problem-type novels for the James Cook Award committee. I decided on Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Kinney).  Even though the series is mega-popular with kids, I've always viewed it as elementary fodder and never felt any great need to read it. However since Gretchen Yonata included the books in Dayton Metro's top YA circulated titles, I decided to read the first title.  I was interested to see how a book can  appeal to and be appropriate for readers in grades 3 - high school.

Written in diary form (though the reader is informed right up front that this is a JOURNAL not a sissy diary), Greg recounts daily life as a middle school student. He points out, "Let me just say for the record that I think middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. You got kids like me who haven't hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with these gorillas who need to shave twice a day."  Celebrating Halloween, wrestling in gym class, participating in the school play and the safety patrol, changing friendships - its all there. One thing is for sure: Greg will make dumb choices that seemed like a good idea at the time. The text is "hand lettered". The kid-like drawings that appear on every page make the book. The chapter are short. Lots of kids appeal.

To be honest, Wimpy Kid bored me as an adult reader (which brings up the question - why is it so hard to find funny teen titles??).  But it's not about whether I like it - clearly kids do. Most reviews put it at grade 5-8 but I know younger kids enjoy too. It does surprise me that high school students would want to read it. For sure elementary and middle schools will need lots of copies of all the books in the series. Available in e-book format, different languages including simplified Chinese, audiobook - you name it. And of course there are the films - check out the movie Trailer

Realistic Fiction - almost perfect (Katcher)

   Logan's girlfriend of 3 years has just broken up with him. He's enduring his senior year at the small town Missouri high school that he attends, when a new girl shows up in his biology class. Sage is like no one Logan has know before. He really is attracted to her vivid, unconventional personality. He is shocked, disgusted, and angry when he learns that Sage was born a male (right after kissing her). The worse part is the worry that his own sexuality might be challenged. As he calms down he learns more about what Sage has gone through. From a very young age all she has wanted is to live as a girl. Logan realizes she needs a friend but he finds it hard to be there for her when she needs him.
   Almost Perfect is an honest look at the rarely explored subject of transgender issues (Luna by Julie Ann Peters is another good one). As one reviewer noted, it is a pretty "clean" book for one that deals with sexuality and identity. There are some funny parts mixed in all the angst. It is written by a school librarian, Brian Katcher. I liked it a lot and have nominated it for this year's James Cook award. Winner of this year's Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award. I'd recommend it for high school and progressive middle school libraries.
I'm not sure that I would book talk except to individuals and small groups or mature classes that I knew well enough to be feel they could handle the topic.