The Giver (Young Adult Classics)

 Lowrey, L. (1993). The Giver. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Adults.

 I’ve never been a big science fiction fan, beyond the old Star Trek television series, but I really like The Giver.  When well written, it’s an interesting concept to me; what is going to happen in the future?  In this future, humans basically have choices taken away from them, particuliarly the ability to have their own children and to decide how many to have.

   When the protagonist, Jonas, turns 12, he becomes an adult. He also becomes The Receiver of Memory, meaning he, alone, holds all old memories of pain, war, etc.  He gets this honor from The Giver, an old man who is the current Receiver of Memory.  He and Jonas grow close, as the only two humans who have memory.

   Jonas also develops a relationship with a small problem child, Gabriel, who is in danger of being “released,” or killed. The two escape the community but the ending of the book is left up to the reader to determine.

   I like the story because it tells us that our feelings are what make us human. Taking emotions away leaves little more than robots and putting all those emotions and memories on one person is too much for them to bear. My daughter read this book for a class in middle school and I highly recommend it for all young adults.

 

The Outsiders (Young Adult Classics)

   Hinton, S. E. (1967). The Outsiders. New York: PUTNAM BOOKS.

 The focus of my blog is changing from childrens literature to young adult literature. The first book I’m going to talk about is “The Outsiders.” This book was published nearly 45 years ago but holds up even today. We have copies of it available in our reading department at my high school and teenagers still enjoy reading it.

   I think this is due, in part, to the fact that it is still relatable to teens. Gangs still exist, although on a much tougher level than 45 years ago. It’s amusing to read the “gang” names, like Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Two-Bit. The plot is kind of “West Side Story” ish. The Greasers versus the Socials (the poor, wrong side of the tracks against the rich kids). There is romance among the two sides, there is fighting, and there is death. I think the fact that “The Outsiders” has been so durable is mostly due to the fact that it’s an entertaining story. By the time kids get to high school, most of them have read this book in middle school. And I don’t see that changing any time soon.

 

Final Book List

     **Picture Books**                                                     **Chapter Books**

Officer Buckle and Gloria                                         A Day No Pigs Would Die

Where The Wild Things Are                                     Esperanza Rising

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses                             Toys Go Out

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble                               The Underneath

Chato and the Party Animals                                    The Higher Power of Lucky

The Uglified Ducky                                                   Holes

Help Me, Mr. Mutt                                                    Hatchett 

One Potato, Two Potato                                            Heather Has Two Mommies

Chalk                                                                       Go Ask Alice

We Are The Ship                                                      Twilight

The Stupids Have a Ball                                            The Hunger Games

First the Egg                                                             Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Africa Dream                                                            The Girl Who Could Fly

Interrupting Chicken                                                 Thirteen Reasons Why

                                                                                 Ramona and Her Father                             

 

Ramona and Her Father (Newbery Honor book)

  Cleary, Beverly. (1977). Ramona and Her Father. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

  Ramona and Her Father is a Newbery Award Honor book for 1978.

  Ramona’s dad loses his job and this leads to all sorts of changes in the Quimby household. Ramona tries to make a million dollars starring in commericals but it doesn’t work out the way she wants it to.  In the end, of course, her dad says he wouldn’t trade her for a million dollars! The “Ramona” books are wonderful books that kids can relate to. I remember reading them in the 70’s and loving them. So many years later, they have now made a movie, “Ramona and Beezus.” I think they have lasting power because kids see their own lives in these books and they see a girl with courage and they are encouraged to go after things for themselves.

 

The Hunger Games

  Collins, Suzanne. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

  The Hunger Games is definitely one of the most popular books out there. Not only for teens but for many adults, as well. When this book first came into our school library, I remember our librarian telling me about it and recommending it for my avid readers. I had not, however, gotten around to reading it until this class. I really liked The Hunger Games. I am a big fan of science fiction. The plot of this book, with youngsters being forced to take part in televised games to the death reminded me of an old movie called, “The Running Man”. It had a similar plot, although adults were the ones who were “running for their lives”, not children. I found The Hunger Games to be an easy read and hard to put down. Those who are not into science fiction or fantasy may not be so fond of it but with the popularity of reality television these days, I think most readers will be able to relate.

 

Thirteen Reasons Why (New York Times Bestseller)

  Asher, Jay. (2007). Thirteen Reasons Why. New York: Penguin Group.

  Thirteen Reasons Why is on the New York Times Bestseller for Children’s list.

  Thirteen Reasons Why is a book that deals with issues that some parents might find offensive or, at least, unsettling. There is drinking and drug usage. And it centers around the suicide of a teenage girl. On the day she kills herself, she sends audiotapes to 13 people, explaining that there are 13 reasons why she committed suicide. I found this book disturbing and yet so compelling. I believe anyone who has objections to their teen reading it should take a closer look at the issues. Suicide, bullying, and indifference all exist in our schools and it’s up to us as the adults to bring them to light and help teenagers see the right way to treat people. I highly recommend this book for high school students and I will definitely recommend it to them once school starts again.

 

The Girl Who Could Fly (New York Times Bestseller)

  Forester, Victoria. (2008). The Girl Who Could Fly. New York: Feiwel and Friends.

  The Girl Who Could Fly is on the New York Times Bestseller for Children list.

  I kind of went into the book with an expectation that it was trying to be Harry Potter, except with a female protagonist. But it really is its own book. The girl, Piper McCloud, comes from a humble background but has a huge talent. She can fly. She ends up in a school for special children, where she discovers she is not alone in her uniqueness. What does happen, is an evil plot surfaces that aims to take away the talents of the kids in the school. So, while it is definitely a fantasy, in that the children have talents that don’t exist in real life, it is not nearly as fantastical as the Potter books. I liked The Girl Who Could Fly and I like the message it sends to it’s middle school audience. It’s okay to be different.

 

Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets (New York Times Bestseller)

  Rowling, J. K. (1998). Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic.

  Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets is on the New York Times Bestseller for Children’s list.

  This is a series that I am familiar with, having gotten involved in the whole Harry Potter craze from the first book, the Sorcerer’s Stone. I read that one with my daughter when she was fairly young. I am definitely a fan of the series. I find it clever and compelling. In Chamber of Secrets, Harry returns to Hogswarts to school where the legend of the Chamber of Secrets becomes known. Only the true heir will be able to control the monster within. Although these books have predictable endings (not many books don’t), the characters are so well developed and the plots are complicated without being confusing. I love the creativity and I would definitely recommend any of the Harry Potter books for all ages, including adults.

 

Twilight

   Meyer, Stephenie. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.

   I had put off reading Twilight because, to be honest, I just didn’t have the interest. However, as an aspiring school librarian, I understand why it’s necessary to be informed about the books your students are interested in reading. So, I read Twilight. It was exactly what I expected. The book was extremely difficult for me to get into. The pace is very slow. (As one of my fellow teachers put it, “the author spent the first hundred pages telling us about Edward’s eyes”). Everyone kept telling me it got better about halfway through. I never experienced this. I see the appeal, especially to teenaged girls. It’s a love story. The boys are extremely good looking. And every teenaged girl dreams of such a true love. So, while Twilight isn’t for me, I can certainly see why it has become so popular.

 

INTERRUPTING CHICKEN (Notable Books for Children)

  Stein, David Ezra. (2010). INTERRUPTING CHICKEN. China: Candlewick Press.

  INTERRUPTING CHICKEN is on the Notable Books for Children list for 2011.

  INTERRUPTING CHICKEN is an amusing, short read. Those of us who have children know they will do anything to put off going to sleep, so we can relate to this tale. The father chicken reads a story to the little red chicken at bedtime. But she interrupts every story by putting herself into the action and revealing what’s really going on. The father chicken starts over a couple of times but runs out of stories. So the little red chicken reads to HIM and HE falls asleep! The illustrations are very colorful and eye-catching. This is a good bedtime book for children under four years old.