Title Grl2Grl
Author Julie Anne Peters
Julie Anne Peters was born in New York in 1952 and moved when she was five to Colorado. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education and a B.S. in Computer and Management Science. She is the author of many books for young people including Luna, also reviewed here.
ISBN 9780316013437
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Copyright Date 2007
Reading Level/Interest Age 15+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
Grl2Grl is a collection of ten short stories by Julie Anne Peters that feature mostly teenage lesbian characters. “Passengers” is the story of Tam who finally approaches the girl that she’s seen on the train to school every day for years. In “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” sophomore Mariah struggles over whether or not to attend a GSA meeting, fearing what it will do to her reputation. Rachael tries to decide what to do when her cheating ex asks for forgiveness in “After Alex” and in “Outside/Inside,” the narrator tries to choose a card to tell her secret crush about her feelings – but the object of her affection is not who you might think. Basketball serves as a metaphor for physical attraction in “On the Floor,” while “Stone Cold Butch” tells the tale of Cami’s attempt to close herself off to the possibility of physical attraction. Old friendships are rekindled over a discussion about abstinence in “Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder” and “Boi” explores the pain of being transgender and the joy of feeling right in your own skin. Peters ends her collection with “TIAD” (Tomorrow Is Another Day), a story about using the internet to get over your first love and “Two-Part Intervention” about the possibility of love at a music summer camp.
Critical Evaluation
Peters’ first person narration is achingly honest and raw, dealing with issues that are heavy and real. Her ability to draw you in and make you connect with the characters is truly astounding given the length of her stories. These are snippets out of any queer girl’s life, glimpses into the confusion, the fear and the anxiety of growing up gay. From coming out, to dealing with first loves and first heartbreaks, Peters nails the lingo and the tone of this important part of growing up. Many of these stories would be particularly helpful for teachers wanting to ease their students into LGBT issues as many are written specifically to tug at one’s heartstrings, without being too graphic or sappy. A fantastic read for queer or questioning youth or anyone who is trying to understand a young, queer person in their own life.
Reader’s Annotation
From first loves to first heartbreaks, these stories tell it like it is, grl2grl
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Read any of the stories, particularly Can’t Stop the Feeling or Outside/Inside, encouraging the audience to pick up the book to read more stories like it.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
Rainbow List Starred Pick (2008, ALA); I wanted to include books of short stories and Peters is considered an important author in this genre.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Last Exit to Normal
Title Last Exit to Normal
Author Michael Harmon
Michael Harmon was born in Los Angeles and spent his childhood riding his skateboard and BMX bike. His family moved to Spokane, WA where he learned to appreciate the outdoors even more. He is currently 37 years old and has two children. He is also the author of Skate.
ISBN 9780375840982
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright Date 2008
Reading Level/Interest Age 15+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
Ben Campbell is seventeen years old and he’s just been busted by the Spokane police after he slips back into his old ways. See, when Ben was fourteen, his dad came out of the closet and his mother left. Ben was angry and rebellious and lost himself in marijuana and a bad crowd. After trying to straighten up, one last act of rebellion forces his dad to decide that it’s time for a big change. They move with Edward, his dad’s boyfriend, to a tiny town in Montana to live with Edward’s elderly mother – a fresh start and, hopefully, a good place for Ben to learn a lesson about respect and maturity. But Ben, a city-boy at heart, doesn’t make it easy – mouthing off to Edward’s mom, causing trouble with their nasty neighbor and refusing to let go of the hurt and anger that he harbors towards his father for having a family and making him part of the lie. But when Ben meets Kim he starts to think that maybe living in Montana won’t be so bad after all.
Critical Evaluation
Michael Harmon has crafted a real gem in Last Exit to Normal. The plot line of “city boy sent to the country to straighten up” might have veered towards the cliché, but the addition of gay dads and Ben’s flawed, but ultimately good-hearted, character make it a page-turner. There are no easy answers in the book and all of the relationships and characters engaged in them are complicated and multi-faceted. By the end, though Ben and his father have come to a better understanding of each other, there is no cloying idea that things are perfect and it is this realism that truly makes this book stand out. A great book to recommend to teens, particularly those that might be dealing with LGBT parents and how to handle the particularly difficulties of a parent who comes out later in life and the painful divorce or separation that often follows.
Reader’s Annotation
Ben thought it was bad enough when his dad came out and his mother abandoned him. Little does he know that it’s about to get much worse when his dad decides to move the family to a rural town in Montana.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a first person narrative from Ben’s point of view, focusing on the pain he feels his dad has caused him.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
Rainbow List Starred Pick (2009, ALA); I wanted to include at least one title that dealt with the issues of having a parent who is LGBT.
Author Michael Harmon
Michael Harmon was born in Los Angeles and spent his childhood riding his skateboard and BMX bike. His family moved to Spokane, WA where he learned to appreciate the outdoors even more. He is currently 37 years old and has two children. He is also the author of Skate.
ISBN 9780375840982
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright Date 2008
Reading Level/Interest Age 15+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
Ben Campbell is seventeen years old and he’s just been busted by the Spokane police after he slips back into his old ways. See, when Ben was fourteen, his dad came out of the closet and his mother left. Ben was angry and rebellious and lost himself in marijuana and a bad crowd. After trying to straighten up, one last act of rebellion forces his dad to decide that it’s time for a big change. They move with Edward, his dad’s boyfriend, to a tiny town in Montana to live with Edward’s elderly mother – a fresh start and, hopefully, a good place for Ben to learn a lesson about respect and maturity. But Ben, a city-boy at heart, doesn’t make it easy – mouthing off to Edward’s mom, causing trouble with their nasty neighbor and refusing to let go of the hurt and anger that he harbors towards his father for having a family and making him part of the lie. But when Ben meets Kim he starts to think that maybe living in Montana won’t be so bad after all.
Critical Evaluation
Michael Harmon has crafted a real gem in Last Exit to Normal. The plot line of “city boy sent to the country to straighten up” might have veered towards the cliché, but the addition of gay dads and Ben’s flawed, but ultimately good-hearted, character make it a page-turner. There are no easy answers in the book and all of the relationships and characters engaged in them are complicated and multi-faceted. By the end, though Ben and his father have come to a better understanding of each other, there is no cloying idea that things are perfect and it is this realism that truly makes this book stand out. A great book to recommend to teens, particularly those that might be dealing with LGBT parents and how to handle the particularly difficulties of a parent who comes out later in life and the painful divorce or separation that often follows.
Reader’s Annotation
Ben thought it was bad enough when his dad came out and his mother abandoned him. Little does he know that it’s about to get much worse when his dad decides to move the family to a rural town in Montana.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a first person narrative from Ben’s point of view, focusing on the pain he feels his dad has caused him.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
Rainbow List Starred Pick (2009, ALA); I wanted to include at least one title that dealt with the issues of having a parent who is LGBT.
Little Brother
Title Little Brother
Author Cory Doctorow
Doctorow is a writer and blogs on Boing Boing and Craphound. He is an adamant supporter of opensource and releases most of his books under a Creative Commons License that allows it to be downloaded and distributed electronically.
ISBN 9780765319852
Publisher Tor (Tom Doherty Associates)
Copyright Date 2008
Reading Level/Interest Age 13+
Genre Adventure; Science Fiction/Fantasy
Plot Summary
Marcus is seventeen years old and living in San Francisco. As a computer-savvy hacker, he regularly spends his time programming and playing alternate reality games that require him to skip school and run around the city. On one day in particular, as he's tracking down some clues with his friends and teammates, terrorists attack the Bay Bridge. In the panic that follows, Marcus and his friends are swept up by the Department of Homeland Security, taken by boat to a prison and tortured. When he is finally released, he realizes that one of his friends did not come back and resolves that he will do what he can to work against the DHS. By using his hacking skills and ability to construct hardware, Marcus starts an underground resistance to fight against the government's increasing encroachment on individual rights.
Critical Evaluation
Doctorow's novel Little Brother is a frightening near-future portrayal of what could happen if there were another terrorist attack on American soil. The details are very vivid and Doctorow has a wonderful ability of description that makes one feel as if they were right there amidst the action, with the tastes, smells and sounds of San Francisco. Some of the issues that Doctorow tackles (First Ammendment rights, Patriot Act laws, terrorism and torture) might be slightly heady for some teen readers, and the description of technology might also go over many teen's heads. Overall, though, Doctorow does a great job of depicting what the world could look like after a terrorist attack akin to that on the World Trade Center. Winston's character is very likeable and though he is leading a revolution, he is accessible as he deals with some of the issues that all teens face: parents, school and girls. A great read for young adult fans of dystopic fiction like 1984 and Brave New World and teens that are interested in hacking and technology.
Reader’s Annotation
You've heard of big brother, but this is Little Brother. After terrorists blow up the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, the government starts to take some drastic measures against U.S. citizens, what can a seventeen year old hacker and his friends do? You might be surprised!
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into a discussion about First Ammendment rights and the Patriot Act, particularly about the war on terror and torture in light of recent events and discoveries.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do character sketches of Marcus and his friends, asking the audience if they think they sound like terrorist. Hook them with the line, "The government thinks so."
2. Do a plot summary, beginning with the attack on the Bay Bridge and some of the steps that the government starts to take. Ask the audience what they might do in response.
Challenge Issues
None
Why did I include this book?
Best Books for Young Adults (ALA, 2009); Best Books of the Year (Publisher's Weekly, 2008); Best Books (School Library Journal, 2008); class requirement.
Author Cory Doctorow
Doctorow is a writer and blogs on Boing Boing and Craphound. He is an adamant supporter of opensource and releases most of his books under a Creative Commons License that allows it to be downloaded and distributed electronically.
ISBN 9780765319852
Publisher Tor (Tom Doherty Associates)
Copyright Date 2008
Reading Level/Interest Age 13+
Genre Adventure; Science Fiction/Fantasy
Plot Summary
Marcus is seventeen years old and living in San Francisco. As a computer-savvy hacker, he regularly spends his time programming and playing alternate reality games that require him to skip school and run around the city. On one day in particular, as he's tracking down some clues with his friends and teammates, terrorists attack the Bay Bridge. In the panic that follows, Marcus and his friends are swept up by the Department of Homeland Security, taken by boat to a prison and tortured. When he is finally released, he realizes that one of his friends did not come back and resolves that he will do what he can to work against the DHS. By using his hacking skills and ability to construct hardware, Marcus starts an underground resistance to fight against the government's increasing encroachment on individual rights.
Critical Evaluation
Doctorow's novel Little Brother is a frightening near-future portrayal of what could happen if there were another terrorist attack on American soil. The details are very vivid and Doctorow has a wonderful ability of description that makes one feel as if they were right there amidst the action, with the tastes, smells and sounds of San Francisco. Some of the issues that Doctorow tackles (First Ammendment rights, Patriot Act laws, terrorism and torture) might be slightly heady for some teen readers, and the description of technology might also go over many teen's heads. Overall, though, Doctorow does a great job of depicting what the world could look like after a terrorist attack akin to that on the World Trade Center. Winston's character is very likeable and though he is leading a revolution, he is accessible as he deals with some of the issues that all teens face: parents, school and girls. A great read for young adult fans of dystopic fiction like 1984 and Brave New World and teens that are interested in hacking and technology.
Reader’s Annotation
You've heard of big brother, but this is Little Brother. After terrorists blow up the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, the government starts to take some drastic measures against U.S. citizens, what can a seventeen year old hacker and his friends do? You might be surprised!
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into a discussion about First Ammendment rights and the Patriot Act, particularly about the war on terror and torture in light of recent events and discoveries.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do character sketches of Marcus and his friends, asking the audience if they think they sound like terrorist. Hook them with the line, "The government thinks so."
2. Do a plot summary, beginning with the attack on the Bay Bridge and some of the steps that the government starts to take. Ask the audience what they might do in response.
Challenge Issues
None
Why did I include this book?
Best Books for Young Adults (ALA, 2009); Best Books of the Year (Publisher's Weekly, 2008); Best Books (School Library Journal, 2008); class requirement.
Luna
Title Luna
Author Julie Anne Peters
Julie Anne Peters was born in New York in 1952 and moved when she was five to Colorado. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education and a B.S. in Computer and Management Science. She is the author of many books for young people including Grl2Grl, also reviewed here.
ISBN 0316022374
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Copyright Date 2004
Reading Level/Interest Age 15+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
Luna is a novel told from the point of view of Regan, a teenage girl who is shouldering the burden of having to keep her 17-year-old brother’s secret: Liam is really Luna, a transgender girl who is closeted about her true identity to everyone except Regan. When Liam decides that he is tired of living as a boy and that he wants to transition into living as Luna full-time, Regan must act as a buffer between not only her parents, but the rest of their high school. Will Regan be able to deal with all the normal high school worries like her cute new lab partner, her parent’s constant fighting and trying not to fail chemistry while keeping Luna’s secret?
Critical Evaluation
This novel is very well-written and Peters has created a convincing and relatable character in Regan. Her voice as the narrator is very strong and her particular issue of living in her brother/sister’s shadow is told from a place of empathy. I think it is particularly striking that Peters chose to tell the story from Regan’s point of view. This narrative technique helps to assist the reader in understanding Luna’s struggles, from an intimate, familiar perspective. Peters is also particularly excellent with her sensitivity to pronoun use – switching between the two in a way that is sensitive to Luna’s true identity, while really highlighting the issues that she will have to face. Additionally, this is a sensitive portrait of the way in which family members are intricately involved in an adolescent’s transgender identity. A great read for anyone dealing with transgender issues, particularly someone who is trying to learn about a friend or a family member.
Reader’s Annotation
Between Chemistry I, a boy that just might like her and her mom’s pill-popping, Regan’s life is complicated – but not nearly as complicated as her sister Liam’s life.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a character sketch of Liam and then a character sketch of Luna. Use the fact that Luna and Liam are the same person as the hook, emphasizing that this is a book about what it means to be transgender.
2. Do a first-person narrative from Regan’s perspective, highlighting all of her “normal” high school issues, ending with the fact that her brother Liam is actually her sister Luna, encouraging the audience to read the book to find out more about transgender issues.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
National Book Award Finalist; Stonewall Honor Book; Lambda Literary Award Finalist; ALA Best Book for Young Adult’s; I wanted to include at least one book about transgender young adults.
Author Julie Anne Peters
Julie Anne Peters was born in New York in 1952 and moved when she was five to Colorado. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education and a B.S. in Computer and Management Science. She is the author of many books for young people including Grl2Grl, also reviewed here.
ISBN 0316022374
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Copyright Date 2004
Reading Level/Interest Age 15+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
Luna is a novel told from the point of view of Regan, a teenage girl who is shouldering the burden of having to keep her 17-year-old brother’s secret: Liam is really Luna, a transgender girl who is closeted about her true identity to everyone except Regan. When Liam decides that he is tired of living as a boy and that he wants to transition into living as Luna full-time, Regan must act as a buffer between not only her parents, but the rest of their high school. Will Regan be able to deal with all the normal high school worries like her cute new lab partner, her parent’s constant fighting and trying not to fail chemistry while keeping Luna’s secret?
Critical Evaluation
This novel is very well-written and Peters has created a convincing and relatable character in Regan. Her voice as the narrator is very strong and her particular issue of living in her brother/sister’s shadow is told from a place of empathy. I think it is particularly striking that Peters chose to tell the story from Regan’s point of view. This narrative technique helps to assist the reader in understanding Luna’s struggles, from an intimate, familiar perspective. Peters is also particularly excellent with her sensitivity to pronoun use – switching between the two in a way that is sensitive to Luna’s true identity, while really highlighting the issues that she will have to face. Additionally, this is a sensitive portrait of the way in which family members are intricately involved in an adolescent’s transgender identity. A great read for anyone dealing with transgender issues, particularly someone who is trying to learn about a friend or a family member.
Reader’s Annotation
Between Chemistry I, a boy that just might like her and her mom’s pill-popping, Regan’s life is complicated – but not nearly as complicated as her sister Liam’s life.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a character sketch of Liam and then a character sketch of Luna. Use the fact that Luna and Liam are the same person as the hook, emphasizing that this is a book about what it means to be transgender.
2. Do a first-person narrative from Regan’s perspective, highlighting all of her “normal” high school issues, ending with the fact that her brother Liam is actually her sister Luna, encouraging the audience to read the book to find out more about transgender issues.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
National Book Award Finalist; Stonewall Honor Book; Lambda Literary Award Finalist; ALA Best Book for Young Adult’s; I wanted to include at least one book about transgender young adults.
Skim
Title Skim
Author Mariko Tamaki
Mariko Tamaki lives in Toronto where she is not just a writer but a performer as well. She is the author of True Lies: The Book of Bad Advice and Fake ID. Jillian Tamaki is her cousin.
Illustrator Jillian Tamaki
Jillian Tamaki is originally from Alberta, Canada, but currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
ISBN 9780888997531, 9781406321364
Publisher Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press
Copyright Date 2008
Reading Level/Interest Age 14+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
Skim is a graphic novel set in Canada that tells the story of Kim (aka Skim), who is a tenth grader at a religious all-girls school. She has a best friend, Lisa, with whom she is practicing Wicca in order to become a witch. One of her classmate's ex-boyfriends kills himself and the rest of the school takes their anti-suicide/anti-depression/anti-bullying message a bit too far, creating a group called "Girls Celebrate Life." Suddenly Kim's moroseness is the subject of much concern and even Lisa begins acting strange. At the same time, Kim starts to form an emotional relationship with her English teacher, Ms. Archer and as her feelings grow, she becomes even more withdrawn and uncommunicative. But then Kim becomes friends with Katie, the suicide victim's ex-girlfriend, and things start to look better for Kim.
Critical Evaluation
Skim is truly a beautiful, short novel. The art within its pages is nuanced and detailed and extremely evocative of the somber mood of the whole piece. The writing is also lovely, allowing the reader glimpses inside of Kim's mind and feelings, particularly through brief excerpts of her diary entries. This is a novel that does a whole lot more showing than telling, which is intriguing on an aesthetic level, but might be frustrating to some teens as the reader is forced to make more assumptions than is usual for a teen novel. For mature teens, though, the novel might capture the depressed, sometimes tortuous emotions that teenagers feel, particularly when they don't quite seem to fit in with their peers. The novel is also praiseworthy for casting a girl with a more curvaceous body than is often seen in teen fiction. Unlike many of the other books in this genre, the storyline does not focus on Kim's exploration of her sexual identity exclusively and seems to be more concerned with teen depression and moodiness in general. In fact, the book reads like an excerpt out of Kim's life, rather than a story with a long and steep narrative arc. But the honesty of Kim's experiences shine through, creating a slightly haunting story that will stay with you long after you finish the book.
Reader’s Annotation
Kim is busy being a normal teenager (you know, practicing Wicca and tarot and hanging out with her best friend), but then a classmate's ex-boyfriend kills himself and suddenly, everyone seems to be taking things more seriously.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a mood-based booktalk, setting the scene from Skim’s perspective, focusing on being depressed and feeling different from everyone else.
2. Describe the characters of Kim, Lisa and Katie and encourage your audience to read the book to find out what happens to each of them.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
Rainbow List Starred Pick, 2009 (ALA); NYT Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book Award; I wanted to review a graphic novel dealing with LGBT themes.
Author Mariko Tamaki
Mariko Tamaki lives in Toronto where she is not just a writer but a performer as well. She is the author of True Lies: The Book of Bad Advice and Fake ID. Jillian Tamaki is her cousin.
Illustrator Jillian Tamaki
Jillian Tamaki is originally from Alberta, Canada, but currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
ISBN 9780888997531, 9781406321364
Publisher Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press
Copyright Date 2008
Reading Level/Interest Age 14+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
Skim is a graphic novel set in Canada that tells the story of Kim (aka Skim), who is a tenth grader at a religious all-girls school. She has a best friend, Lisa, with whom she is practicing Wicca in order to become a witch. One of her classmate's ex-boyfriends kills himself and the rest of the school takes their anti-suicide/anti-depression/anti-bullying message a bit too far, creating a group called "Girls Celebrate Life." Suddenly Kim's moroseness is the subject of much concern and even Lisa begins acting strange. At the same time, Kim starts to form an emotional relationship with her English teacher, Ms. Archer and as her feelings grow, she becomes even more withdrawn and uncommunicative. But then Kim becomes friends with Katie, the suicide victim's ex-girlfriend, and things start to look better for Kim.
Critical Evaluation
Skim is truly a beautiful, short novel. The art within its pages is nuanced and detailed and extremely evocative of the somber mood of the whole piece. The writing is also lovely, allowing the reader glimpses inside of Kim's mind and feelings, particularly through brief excerpts of her diary entries. This is a novel that does a whole lot more showing than telling, which is intriguing on an aesthetic level, but might be frustrating to some teens as the reader is forced to make more assumptions than is usual for a teen novel. For mature teens, though, the novel might capture the depressed, sometimes tortuous emotions that teenagers feel, particularly when they don't quite seem to fit in with their peers. The novel is also praiseworthy for casting a girl with a more curvaceous body than is often seen in teen fiction. Unlike many of the other books in this genre, the storyline does not focus on Kim's exploration of her sexual identity exclusively and seems to be more concerned with teen depression and moodiness in general. In fact, the book reads like an excerpt out of Kim's life, rather than a story with a long and steep narrative arc. But the honesty of Kim's experiences shine through, creating a slightly haunting story that will stay with you long after you finish the book.
Reader’s Annotation
Kim is busy being a normal teenager (you know, practicing Wicca and tarot and hanging out with her best friend), but then a classmate's ex-boyfriend kills himself and suddenly, everyone seems to be taking things more seriously.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a mood-based booktalk, setting the scene from Skim’s perspective, focusing on being depressed and feeling different from everyone else.
2. Describe the characters of Kim, Lisa and Katie and encourage your audience to read the book to find out what happens to each of them.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
Rainbow List Starred Pick, 2009 (ALA); NYT Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book Award; I wanted to review a graphic novel dealing with LGBT themes.
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
Title Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You
Author Peter Cameron
Cameron grew up splitting his time between New Yersey and London, England. He received a B.A. in English Literature from Hamilton College and is the author of The Weekend, Andorra and Leap Year.
ISBN 9780374309892
Publisher Frances Foster Books (an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Copyright Date 2007
Reading Level/Interest Age 15+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
James Sveck is an eighteen year old who lives in New York. It’s the summer after senior year and he is working at his mother’s art gallery with the one other employee, John. His mother has just returned, early, from the honeymoon of her third marriage after her husband stole her credit cards to gamble. James’ sister Gillian is a junior in college. She has just decided that her name should be pronounced with a hard G and is dating a much older, married college professor. While James is trying to decide if he really wants to go to college, he must answer to these women along with his father and therapist: What’s wrong with you? The problem is, James doesn’t know. This is a story about feeling as if something, everything is wrong, but not quite knowing what it might be.
Critical Evaluation
Peter Cameron’s novel Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You is not an easy book. The plot is not propelled forward by action and most of the drama occurs within the main character James’ head. But the dialogue, when it does occur, is fast-paced (think Gilmore Girls) and the characters are, though flawed, interesting enough to be likeable. James himself is a particularly likeable character, even when he is painfully, self-indulgently introspective or overwhelmingly angsty. He is likeable because he is easy to relate to – and I think most teenagers will feel the same way. We have all felt the way James feels: unidentifiably sad and lonely. The only difference is that for some reason, James doesn’t let the idea that he should at least pretend to be happy or pretend to know what to do to make himself feel better. This is not really a story about being gay, but a story about being a teenager who happens to be gay. The “coming-out” issue is not really an issue, but the novel could be read as the particular melancholy of a gay boy who has grown up in New York and feels cut off from everything around him. A great book filled with colorful, memorable characters; a book that is quietly read and mulled over for days after – I would recommend this book to any teenager, particularly older teenagers who are looking for good reads with fleshed out characters.
Reader’s Annotation
This is a book about when nothing is right, but nothing is particularly wrong. This is a book about James or a book about anyone.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Read chapter 5, page 69 and all through James’ first visit with the therapist. Talk about the idea of being sad without knowing what’s wrong.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
Rainbow List Starred Pick (2008, ALA).
Author Peter Cameron
Cameron grew up splitting his time between New Yersey and London, England. He received a B.A. in English Literature from Hamilton College and is the author of The Weekend, Andorra and Leap Year.
ISBN 9780374309892
Publisher Frances Foster Books (an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Copyright Date 2007
Reading Level/Interest Age 15+
Genre Issues: Sexual Identity; LGBT Fiction
Plot Summary
James Sveck is an eighteen year old who lives in New York. It’s the summer after senior year and he is working at his mother’s art gallery with the one other employee, John. His mother has just returned, early, from the honeymoon of her third marriage after her husband stole her credit cards to gamble. James’ sister Gillian is a junior in college. She has just decided that her name should be pronounced with a hard G and is dating a much older, married college professor. While James is trying to decide if he really wants to go to college, he must answer to these women along with his father and therapist: What’s wrong with you? The problem is, James doesn’t know. This is a story about feeling as if something, everything is wrong, but not quite knowing what it might be.
Critical Evaluation
Peter Cameron’s novel Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You is not an easy book. The plot is not propelled forward by action and most of the drama occurs within the main character James’ head. But the dialogue, when it does occur, is fast-paced (think Gilmore Girls) and the characters are, though flawed, interesting enough to be likeable. James himself is a particularly likeable character, even when he is painfully, self-indulgently introspective or overwhelmingly angsty. He is likeable because he is easy to relate to – and I think most teenagers will feel the same way. We have all felt the way James feels: unidentifiably sad and lonely. The only difference is that for some reason, James doesn’t let the idea that he should at least pretend to be happy or pretend to know what to do to make himself feel better. This is not really a story about being gay, but a story about being a teenager who happens to be gay. The “coming-out” issue is not really an issue, but the novel could be read as the particular melancholy of a gay boy who has grown up in New York and feels cut off from everything around him. A great book filled with colorful, memorable characters; a book that is quietly read and mulled over for days after – I would recommend this book to any teenager, particularly older teenagers who are looking for good reads with fleshed out characters.
Reader’s Annotation
This is a book about when nothing is right, but nothing is particularly wrong. This is a book about James or a book about anyone.
Curriculum Ties Could be tied into lessons about LGBT issues, tolerance and prejudice.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Read chapter 5, page 69 and all through James’ first visit with the therapist. Talk about the idea of being sad without knowing what’s wrong.
Challenge Issues
Please see "Controversy & LGBT Teen Collections"
Why did I include this book?
Rainbow List Starred Pick (2008, ALA).
Speak
Title Speak
Author Laurie Halse Anderson
Anderson was born in Potsdam, New York in 1961. She graduated from Georgetown University and is the author of many critically acclaimed young adult novels including Twisted, Prom, Catalyst and the most recent, Wintergirls. Anderson currently lives in Central New York with her husband, Scott Larrabee.
ISBN 0142407321
Publisher Penguin Group
Copyright Date 1999
Reading Level/Interest Age 12+
Genre Issues: Depression, Sexual Abuse
Plot Summary
Speak is the story of Melinda Sordino, the social outcast of her high school after she calls the cops at an end-of-year party and everyone gets busted. At first, Melinda thinks she can handle it and even manages to make a new friend, Heather, after all of her old friends refuse to talk to her. But throughout the school year, Melinda sinks further and further into an all-consuming depression – she can’t concentrate on classes and her grades suffer, she starts cutting classes in order to avoid school entirely and she slowly speaks less and less until she is basically not talking at all, to anyone. Melinda is so afraid that if she speaks, the truth will come spilling out about the night of the party and then she will have to face it head on. Will Melinda be able to remain mute for the whole year or will she find the courage to speak up for herself?
Critical Evaluation
Laurie Halse Anderson has created a classic in Speak, crafting a story that is at once sad, frightening and powerful. With her very adept writing skills, Anderson is able to create a whole world, seen from the eyes of a young girl, slowly sinking into a very dangerous depression. The change in Melinda’s narration due to the depression caused by bottling up her emotions is subtle, but the effect is devastating. The reader is drawn into the story through Melinda’s descriptions which are often haunting, but just as often hilarious and sarcastic. She is a character to whom the reader feels immediately connected and for whom we want nothing but a happy ending. This is a fantastic book for any young adult reader, particularly those that are interested in realistic fiction with great character and plot development. It is also a good read for anyone struggling with rape or sexual abuse as it speaks directly to the pain, confusion, anger and fear that can be involved, while simultaneously encouraging victims to stand up and to be heard.
Reader’s Annotation
So what do you do when all your friends drop you and you become a social outcast? Keep your head down, stare at the floor and, of course, refuse to speak.
Curriculum Ties Ties into English curriculum; could be compared to The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne; used to teach about writing from a first-person perspective.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a first person narration from Melinda’s point of view, using the device that Anderson uses for dialogue with “Me: “ to emphasize that Melinda is not speaking much. Encourage the audience to read more to find out why.
2. Do a plot summary starting with Melinda starting school and being outcasted.
Challenge Issues
Issue: Depiction of rape is inappropriate for the age group.
Defense: 44% of rape victims are under 18 years old and 46% of those are 12-15 years old. Young adults who have experienced the trauma of rape or sexual abuse need to see their own experiences reflected, particularly to know how to fight back and how to talk about sexual abuse.
Why did I include this book?
Michael L. Printz Honor Book; National Book Award Finalist; Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist; Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist; New York Times Bestseller; ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults; more awards than I can count.
Author Laurie Halse Anderson
Anderson was born in Potsdam, New York in 1961. She graduated from Georgetown University and is the author of many critically acclaimed young adult novels including Twisted, Prom, Catalyst and the most recent, Wintergirls. Anderson currently lives in Central New York with her husband, Scott Larrabee.
ISBN 0142407321
Publisher Penguin Group
Copyright Date 1999
Reading Level/Interest Age 12+
Genre Issues: Depression, Sexual Abuse
Plot Summary
Speak is the story of Melinda Sordino, the social outcast of her high school after she calls the cops at an end-of-year party and everyone gets busted. At first, Melinda thinks she can handle it and even manages to make a new friend, Heather, after all of her old friends refuse to talk to her. But throughout the school year, Melinda sinks further and further into an all-consuming depression – she can’t concentrate on classes and her grades suffer, she starts cutting classes in order to avoid school entirely and she slowly speaks less and less until she is basically not talking at all, to anyone. Melinda is so afraid that if she speaks, the truth will come spilling out about the night of the party and then she will have to face it head on. Will Melinda be able to remain mute for the whole year or will she find the courage to speak up for herself?
Critical Evaluation
Laurie Halse Anderson has created a classic in Speak, crafting a story that is at once sad, frightening and powerful. With her very adept writing skills, Anderson is able to create a whole world, seen from the eyes of a young girl, slowly sinking into a very dangerous depression. The change in Melinda’s narration due to the depression caused by bottling up her emotions is subtle, but the effect is devastating. The reader is drawn into the story through Melinda’s descriptions which are often haunting, but just as often hilarious and sarcastic. She is a character to whom the reader feels immediately connected and for whom we want nothing but a happy ending. This is a fantastic book for any young adult reader, particularly those that are interested in realistic fiction with great character and plot development. It is also a good read for anyone struggling with rape or sexual abuse as it speaks directly to the pain, confusion, anger and fear that can be involved, while simultaneously encouraging victims to stand up and to be heard.
Reader’s Annotation
So what do you do when all your friends drop you and you become a social outcast? Keep your head down, stare at the floor and, of course, refuse to speak.
Curriculum Ties Ties into English curriculum; could be compared to The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne; used to teach about writing from a first-person perspective.
Booktalking Ideas
1. Do a first person narration from Melinda’s point of view, using the device that Anderson uses for dialogue with “Me: “ to emphasize that Melinda is not speaking much. Encourage the audience to read more to find out why.
2. Do a plot summary starting with Melinda starting school and being outcasted.
Challenge Issues
Issue: Depiction of rape is inappropriate for the age group.
Defense: 44% of rape victims are under 18 years old and 46% of those are 12-15 years old. Young adults who have experienced the trauma of rape or sexual abuse need to see their own experiences reflected, particularly to know how to fight back and how to talk about sexual abuse.
Why did I include this book?
Michael L. Printz Honor Book; National Book Award Finalist; Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist; Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist; New York Times Bestseller; ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults; more awards than I can count.
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