Luna by Julie Anne Peters

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Bibliographic Information:

Luna by Julie Anne Peters

ISBN: 978-1435284814

2006 Little Brown New York, NY

Plot Summary:

Regan is kept awake at night by her brother, dressing up and wearing makeup, Luna only comes out at night. During the day, Liam is the perfect brother, acing classes in school without effort. But Liam tells Regan that he is ready to transition and be Luna in the daylight.

This declaration makes Regan uncomfortable because she is afraid of the social consequences for her. Their father is also preoccupied with gender norms and this change is not going to go smoothly at home.

Regan stands by Luna, in spite of her misgivings. Luna covers for Regan at a babysitting job so that Regan can go on a date. Unfortunately, Luna is discovered dressed in the mother’s lingerie and Regan loses her job.

Luna is abandoned by her best friend and Regan is the only support she retains. When Regan decides to approach the boy she likes in school for another try, in walks Luna, dressed as a girl. Regan runs off, mortified, and leave Luna to deal with the school bully.

On Luna’s 18^th birthday she finally comes out to her parents. Her father is outraged and her mother ignores the situation. This tears their family apart, but Regan and Luna remain supportive of each other.

Critical Evaluation:

The first person point of view, told from Regan’s perspective, limits what the audience knows to what Regan knows. Regan does not know the feelings rolling around in Luna’s head as she fights to maintain the persona of Liam during the day. Regan still loves Luna/Liam, even though she is not omniscient.

Liam’s decision affects Regan and we learn her emotional response because of the point of view. Regan is just a 16 year old girl, learning her place in the world, but she wants to protect her older brother from the hurt she imagines he is going to experience when he transitions to female.

The themes of family and acceptance run throughout this novel. Regan is Luna’s only protector and she wants her brother to be happy. Regan sacrifices her sleep and her social standing to be supportive of Luna. This unconditional love is a strong familial theme.

In the story, Luna’s best friend Aly rejects her when she comes out. This reinforces the theme that family accepts unconditionally, as Regan never rejected her, but Aly needed time to come around to acceptance.

One disappointing aspect in the theme is that it turns out Regan’s mother was aware of Luna’s gender identity and ignored it, not helping along the way and leaving the girls at the mercy of their harsh father.

The point of view and the themes in this novel make it a strong, emotional story for adolescent readers.

Reader’s Annotation:

Regan loves Luna, she has to, she is her brother.

Author Information:

Julie Anne Peters is the critically-acclaimed, award winning author of more than a dozen books for young adults and children. Her book, Luna, was a National Book Award Finalist; Keeping You a Secret  wasnamed a Stonewall Honor Book; Between Mom and Jo won a Lambda Literary Award; and Define “Normal” was voted by young readers as their favorite book of the year in California and Maryland. Julie’s books have been published in numerous countries, including Korea, China, Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia, Turkey, and Brazil.

She is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, PEN America, Colorado Authors League, and The Author's Guild.

retrieved from http://www.julieannepeters.com/files/JPBio.htm on 8/5/2015

Genre(s):

LGBTQ, Fiction

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalk Ideas: Transgender coming of age stories

Reading level: grade 8+

Interest age: 14+

Challenge Issues: Issues of sexuality Challenge Defense File

Why I chose this book:

This book is a National Book Award finalist and was included in the curriculum for LIBR 265.

The Living by Matt de la Pena

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Bibliographic Information:

The Living by Matt de la Pena

ISBN: 978-0385741217

2013 Delacort Press New York, NY

Plot Summary:

Shy Espinoza is spending his summer vacation working on a luxury cruise liner off the coast of California. In his first trip he takes a large tip from a man right before the man jumps from the ship, committing suicide right in front of him.

On Shy’s second excursion he deals with being followed by a private investigator, taunted by some spoiled rich kids, and coping with a romantic encounter with a friend who already has a fiancée. This all comes to a head when a devastating storm preceeds a massive earthquake on the west coast and then a tidal wave that destroys the ship.

After surviving shipwreck, Shy is relegated to a lifeboat with one wealthy man and the snobby girl who had previously taunted him. By the time they reach a safe haven, it is just Shy and snobby Addy left alive in their life raft.

The island they arrive on has more secrets and disaster in store for Shy, as he uncovers a terrible plot to give a pharmaceutical company a corner on the market for curing a deadly disease.

Critical Evaluation:

Matt de la Pena writes a fast paced thriller. The dialogue is believable for a teen boy and the inner thoughts about girls and sexuality are definitely believable.

The separate portions of this novel are connected only in the tone of de la Pena’s writing, as the obstacles just keep piling on for Shy. De la Pena does not stop the action for Shy to recover from one problem before he writes another problem in. Shy deals with a suicide, but then has to deal with a snooping spook. Shy is coping with the spy when storms and disasters hit. Then Shy deals with dying customers while fighting off sharks and hunger.

The pace and tone never quits, but the foreshadowing is also relentless.

Shy deals with his grandmother dying of a mysterious illness. The man who commits suicide is a scientist. It does not take much of a leap to see there is a connection when the scientist apologized to Shy before he jumped ship.

When Shoeshine administers shots of “vitamins” to Shy and Addy, but has them hide the shots and tells them not to tell anyone about them, conspiracy theories quickly form.

The fact that the sick people are kept out of sight in the penthouse and no one is allowed to see them is downright ominous. A cloud of foreshadowing follows Shy to the fast paced end of this installment in de la Pena’s series.

Reader’s Annotation:

Shy battles natural and man made disaster to remain one of The Living.

Author Information:

Matt de la Peña is the New York Times Bestselling author of five critically-acclaimed young adult novels: Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, I Will Save You and The Living. He’s also the author of the award-winning picture book A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (illustrated by Kadir Nelson). Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn NY. He teaches creative writing and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.

retrieved from http://mattdelapena.com/bio/ on 8/5/2015

Genre(s):

Action/Adventure, Thriller

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalk Ideas: This book belongs in booktalks about conspiracies, dystopias, and classism.

Reading level: Grade 9+

Interest age: 13+

Challenge Issues: Challenge issues might include brief use of swear words. Challenge Defense File

Why I chose this book:

This exciting book adds a thriller to our collection and was recommended for young adults through audiobooksync.com

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles by Tanya Lee Stone

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Bibliographic Information:

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles (America's First Black Paratroopers)  

by Tanya Lee Stone

ISBN: 978-0763651176

2013 Candlewick Somerville, MA

Plot Summary:

This book begins by putting the reader in the place of paratroopers in training for World War II.

The black paratroopers were only allowed to train after the white troops were finished for the day. Some trainees noticed the black soldiers drive and hard work and began to embrace their training.

When the paratroopers were through with their training, they waited for orders to join the fight against Hitler. 

Instead, they were sent to fight forest fires in the Northwest as smoke jumpers. The black paratroopers worked hard and followed their orders, but they remained segregated and the respect they had earned in training had to be re-earned in their new assignment.

Meanwhile, Americans were turning on Japanese Americans in a misplaced anger over Pearl Harbor. The Japanese Americans looked like the enemy and they were interned. The passion of the Japanese to serve their country resonated with the Black Paratroopers and they served honorably in Pendleton.

The connection was that the Japanese bombs they sent to start fires on the west coast of the US were starting the fires that the Triple Nickles were fighting. This honorable service was not recognized in the press, in an act of subterfuge to undermine the Japanese belief in their tactics.

Critical Evaluation:

The language in this non-fiction book is direct. There is emotion behind the stories, but the facts are not affected by them.

The history is woven together with the feelings of fear and pride of the various cultures in the United States. The feelings of pride that Japanese Americans were trying to maintain while they were being interned is connected to the pride the black paratroopers were building as they worked to serve their country.

Booklist says the writing is clear and authoritative and the photos illustrating the story add to the story. The story is clear, written in the tone of history. These are facts, not emotions.

At times, the fact that the fires were not being widely reported undermined the idea that the Triple Nickles were fighting fires caused by Japanese balloon bombs. Their firefighting was still courageous and this book clearly expresses their valor.

These men earned their place in history and this book succinctly illustrates that.

Reader’s Annotation:

The courage of these paratroopers shines as they fight the unreported attacks on the US during WWII.

Author Information:

Tanya Lee Stone studied English at Oberlin College and was an editor of children's nonfiction for many years. She also has a Masters Degree. She teaches writing at Champlain College.

After many years as an editor, Tanya moved to Vermont and returned to writing. This award-winning author has written titles that include the young adult novel, A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl (Wendy Lamb/Random House), Up Close: Ella Fitzgerald (Viking),  picture books Elizabeth Leads the Way (Holt 2008), Sandy's Circus (Viking 2008), and Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? (Holt 2013) and narrative nonfiction Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream (Candlewick 2009), The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie (Viking 2010), and Courage Has No Color (Candlewick 2013). A new picture book about Jane Addams called The House that Jane Built (Holt 2014) is forthcoming. 

Retrieved from http://www.tanyastone.com/bio.html on 8/5/2015

Genre(s):

Non-fiction, Black History

Curriculum Ties: Black History Month

Booktalk Ideas: Booktalks about Black History, segregation, and prejudice.

Reading level: Grade 5+

Interest age: 10+

Challenge Issues: No apparent challenge issues.

Why I chose this book:

This book was recommended on audiobooksync.com and was a YALSA excellence in non-fiction finalist.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

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Bibliographic Information:

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

ISBN: 978-0064407311

1999 HarperCollins New York, NY

Plot Summary:

Steve Harmon was arrested in connection with a robbery that ended in the death of the owner of the drugstore. He was caught because some of the young men who participated in the robbery were caught selling cigarettes from the drugstore. The men ratted Steve out as an accomplice, who was responsible for acting as a lookout while they robbed the store.

Steve maintains his innocence to his attorney, but she does not instill a lot of hope in him. He feels like she thinks he is a monster. In jail, Steve writes a screenplay about his experience in court. He writes the stage directions, as if it is being really filmed.

Steve writes of the testimony from the other young men who make it sound like Steve was actively involved in the scheme. As the story goes on, Steve feels like he can see in the eyes of the people around him that they are not sure they believe in his innocence. 

The end of the screenplay resolves Steve's feelings by saying that no matter the outcome, people will still see him as guilty.

Critical Evaluation:

The book is published to look like it is the work of a teenage boy. The beginning of the script is handwritten in a young man’s scrawl. After that, the screenplay is typed with stage directions and dialogue.

The tone of the dialogue is authentic to what a teen boy would experience and observe in a jail and court situation. It is this authenticity that garnered Myers so many awards.

The changes in font and the screenplay structure can be distracting from the story, as you pause in the conversation to read the stage directions. I found that a detractor in reading, but it adds to the authenticity of viewing this as something that a teen boy wrote while he was in jail awaiting trial.

Myers did not use much slang in this book, except when the characters from the neighborhood were testifying in court. These characters would believably maintain slang usage, no matter the setting.

Steve’s dialog and writing imply that he is well educated. Perhaps Steve has an opportunity to escape his bad neighborhood, if he can only overcome the charges brought against him. The implication I felt is that his lack of using slang terms means that he is supposed to be one of the good kids, while the kids who speak in slang are clearly the bad ones.

The editorial choices make Steve’s innocence apparent to the reading audience, even while the characters in his play doubt him.

Reader’s Annotation:

Steve Harmon copes with his incarceration and trial by writing a screenplay of his experience.

Author Information:

Walter Dean Myers won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest in 1969, which resulted in the publication of his first book, Where Does the Day Go? Since then, he has won more awards than any author for young adults, and is one of the most prolific writers, with more than 110 books to his credit.

He is the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. He has won the Coretta Scott King Award five times and received two Newbery Honors. His book,Monster, was the first winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, a National Book Award Finalist, and a New York Times Bestseller. He delivered the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture, a distinction reserved for an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of children’s literature. Most recently, he served as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, a post appointed by the Library of Congress.

You can read more about Walter Dean Myers here.

retrieved from http://walterdeanmyers.net/about/ on 8/5/2015

Genre(s):

Realistic Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

Screenwriting

Booktalk Ideas:

Book talks centering around juvenile crimes and punishment.

Reading level: grade 7+

Interest age: 12+

Challenge Issues: This book may be challenged for its violence and portrayal of minorities.

Challenge Defense File

Why I chose this book:

This book was awarded the National Book Award, the Printz Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Award. It is a fantastic addition to our collection as it is resoundingly praised.

Here in Harlem: Poems in many voices by Walter Dean Myers

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Bibliographic Information:

Here in Harlem: Poems in many voices by Walter Dean Myers

ISBN: 978-0823422128

2009 Holiday House, New York, NY

Plot Summary:

Here in Harlem is a collection of poems in the style of the Spoon River Anthology. The difference is setting, in the inner city of Harlem.

The poetry comes from the characters on the street in mid-20^th century Harlem. There are the ladies in the beauty shop, the men in the barber shop, the people in the church, the working men and women in the city, each lending their own voice to Myers poetry.

The poems show the gossip on the street. They also show the pride in local behavior. There is also judgement of misbehavior and indignation over insults.

The whole collection creates a picture of Harlem as a colorful community.

Critical Evaluation:

Walter Dean Myers creates each poem with a voice of the subject. You can hear the deep resonance of the men in the barber shop in his words. The women who speak share their cattiness in each line. The culture oozes in the words chosen for each poem. There are poems about the music of the time and the jazz rhythms come through.

The voice of the young people sound like adolescents, with clipped syllables and slang. There is an anger in the oppression they feel in Harlem, but the community is strong.

The imagery in the poems is vivid. When a child describes a car screeching to a halt and a woman walking along the sidewalk, the picture comes alive with the words. Sounds of the city and views of the people are present in the pages of these poems.

The second class nature of the people in Harlem is shown in the poem about the babysitter having to go out of her way to make it to her job.

The dialogue of the couple discussing Jesus in Harlem uses slang and cultural tones to express how the spirituality of the neighborhood is alive.

The characters are happy in their culture. They are hard workers. They know that their voices may not be heard, but they speak anyway.

Reader’s Annotation:

Delve into the people on the streets of Harlem through this rhythmic poetry.

Author Information:

Walter Dean Myers won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest in 1969, which resulted in the publication of his first book, Where Does the Day Go? Since then, he has won more awards than any author for young adults, and is one of the most prolific writers, with more than 110 books to his credit.

He is the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. He has won the Coretta Scott King Award five times and received two Newbery Honors. His book,Monster, was the first winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, a National Book Award Finalist, and a New York Times Bestseller. He delivered the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture, a distinction reserved for an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of children’s literature. Most recently, he served as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, a post appointed by the Library of Congress.

You can read more about Walter Dean Myers here.

retrieved from http://walterdeanmyers.net/about/ on 8/5/2015

Genre(s):

Poetry

Curriculum Ties:

Poetry, Literature, History

Booktalk Ideas: 

Fantastic book talks from this book would be on poetry slams or the Harlem Renaissance.

Reading level: grade 7+

Interest age: 12+

Challenge Issues: There are no apparent challenge issues with this title.

Why I chose this book:

This book brings poetry to our young adult collection. The diversity of the black experience and the culture of Harlem in the middle of the 20th Century are great additions to our collection.

Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja

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Bibliographic Information:

Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja

ISBN: 978-014240-209-2

2003 Farrar Straus and Giroux, New York, NY

Plot Summary:

One day in the lunch room a strange new boy approaches each table, begging. Justin makes the social mistake of interacting with him and his fate is sealed because Buddha boy has attracted the attention of the bully, McManus.

After the lunchroom incident, Justin gets paired with Buddha Boy for a school project and they become better acquainted. Justin learns that the boy goes by the name Jinsen, which was given to him by his Buddhism teacher. Justin also learns that Jinsen is a gifted artist.

At school, McManus continues to unmercifully torture Jinsen. McManus vandalizes Jinsen’s art, but suffers no consequence because no one can prove it was him.

Jinsen shares with Justin that he has adopted a non-violent lifestyle because anger and violence were destroying his life. He is an orphan and in the care of his great aunt and he knows that he has to maintain this non-violent lifestyle for her.

When McManus once again vandalizes some of Jinsen’s hard work, Justin snaps and stands up for Jinsen. In the end Jinsen’s talent is recognized and Justin and Jinsen have a solid friendship.

Critical Evaluation:

This novel covers themes of bullying and religion.

In the theme of bullying, McManus rules the school. Justin and his friends do everything they can to avoid McManus’s attention, but he has the power. He is large, he is popular, and he is recognized as a superior student. Justin cannot compete with that. He chooses to avoid attention because any attention he would get from McManus would be bullying. The imbalance in power is fundamental to the bullying relationship.

The theme of religion comes directly from Jinsen, the titular character. Justin is not particularly religious, but Jinsen practices Buddhism. In his practice he has learned to deny himself extravagance. He is stripped down in his religious piety. Jinsen has also accomplished a life of non-violence, which he shared that he could not achieve before he became Buddhist.

These two themes shape the story. The bully would not get his payback if Justin had not had to learn to speak up for Jinsen. Jinsen would not have received his reward of art school if he had not observed his Buddhist beliefs. Staying peaceful gave Jinsen a chance, while lashing out gave Justin his voice.

Reader’s Annotation:

Justin wishes Jinsen would stop being so weird and keep his head down. Buddha Boy knows who he is, though.

Author Information:

My biography doesn't take very long to tell. I was born in Detroit, second of two sisters, and grew up in an east-side suburb. I've been writing since I was a very young girl -- it's not just what I do, it's who I am, the way I see the world, and the way I try to make sense of what I see. Read more here.

Genre(s): 

Realistic Fiction

Curriculum Ties: Bullying

Booktalk Ideas: This connects to themes for booktalks on bullying and religion themes.

Reading level: Grade 6+

Interest age: 12+

Challenge Issues: Challenge Defense File

Why I chose this book:

This book was recommended for teens and young adults from audiobooksync.com 

Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

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Bibliographic Information:

Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

ISBN: 978-1-4424-0621-6

2007 Simon and Schuster New York, NY

Plot Summary:

This novel follows teen Grady as he comes out as trans and leaves his life as Angela behind. His family and friends struggle with the adjustment and Grady gains new friends, Sebastian and Kita, who help him transition to a new life in his male identity.

Grady’s family is hugely involved in decorating their house for Christmas and his coming out coincides with the time of year that they all celebrate. As the family gathers, Grady’s mom struggles and becomes ill. 

Grady’s friend Eve eventually comes around and rekindles their friendship. Even attending the school dance in a group together.

When things balance out, Grady finds his life richer. He may even have found his first love.

Critical Evaluation:

Parrotfish is an emotional first person telling of a teen’s experience coming out as trans. The story shows how isolating the transition can be, as well as how freeing it is to recognize what you feel in front of others.

The feeling of isolation is common among teens and a common theme in Young Adult literature. The uniqueness of Grady’s situation of coming out as a trans male is just a new aspect of the isolation theme.

Grady narrates the story from inside his head. He concocts dialogues throughout in his imagination and the dialogues that he imagines always belittle his experience.

Whether the dialogue Grady imagines is close to reality or not, they show how he feels. No one really cares how Grady feels, he thinks. No one can relate to his feelings. He is alone.

This novel also delves into the theme of unconditional acceptance in family. Grady has gone from being a beloved daughter, to the lesbian daughter, to the transgendered son, yet his family remains. Their traditions continue and Grady is welcome in them.

Reader’s Annotation:

Grady used to be Angela. He's not anymore.

Author Information:

Ellen Wittlinger is a Printz Honor Award and Lambda Literary Award winning author. Ellen studied art at Millikin University and received her MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa. She currently lives in Massachusetts.

Genre(s):

LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

Sexuality

Booktalk Ideas: This book ties in with an ongoing theme of sexuality and identity.

Reading level: Grade 6+

Interest age: 12+

Challenge Issues: 

Challenge issues surround topics of sexuality and transgender issues. Challenge Defense File

Why I chose this book:

This book is critically acclaimed and shows a portrait of transgender lives. Ellen Wittlinger has won Printz Honors for her writing, so the ALA recognizes her prowess in writing for young adults.