Friday, March 30, 2012
"The Disenchantments" by Nina LaCour
Colby and Bev have made plans to travel to Europe after graduating from high school. College can wait for a year, exploring the world and doing their own thing is more important. Bev is the lead singer of a band with her girlfriends Alexa and Meg. They call themselves the Disenchantments. They are super loud, somewhat talented and love to rock out and get crazy.
The band decides to embark on an epic road trip for a west coast tour before Colby and Bev leave for their trip. Colby borrows his uncle’s beloved VW van, named Melinda, and they hit the road, ready for adventure. But when Bev confesses she got accepted, and is going to college, Colby is left heartbroken, and without a plan for his future. Colby has been in love with Bev for years, but their relationship has never gone beyond friendship.
Without Bev in his future, Colby must find his own personality and rely on his own strengths to empower himself. In the meantime, he's busy playing stagehand to the band, and the token male in their artistic collaboration. The excitment of the road trip, the thrill of live music and the reality of high school graduation all come together to make the Disenchantments an enjoyable ride.
LaCour's characters are honest, powerful and on the cusp on adulthood, embracing what life experiences have to offer them. Some f-bombs, sexual situations, some alcohol, probably best for 8th and up. Highly recommended.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
"Geography Club" by Brent Hartinger
Russel feels like the only gay student at his high school. Well, he’s pretty sure he’s gay, but he’s never dated or kissed a guy before. He’s a pretty average guy, has friends, gets good grades, and has a decent social life. But if anyone knew he was gay, he knows his reputation would be ruined. So he keeps this secret to himself, and even goes on dates with girls to avoid questions about his sexuality. One night Russel goes online in a chat room, and discovers he’s not the only gay student at his school. Turns out that Kevin, the star baseball player, is also in the closet, and Russel learns that other gay students feel just as isolated as he does.
How can they hang out together and talk about these issues without being discovered? Start an after-school club that sounds so boring and lame that no one would ever want to join. That is how the Geography Club got founded. Meeting after school, the group members learn about each other, and start to realize how important it is to be true to yourself and be honest with your friends.
This is a great GBLT novel about discovering yourself, appropriate for 8th grade and up.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
"Why We Broke Up" By Daniel Handler
You may recognize the name Daniel Handler, as he is also known as Lemony Snicket, famous for his Series of Unfortunate Events. In this new teen novel, Min and Ed get involved in a brief and intimate relationship, which ends in heartache for Min. They are both high school students, and crossing the boundaries of stereotypes of their high school social groups. Min is an artsy student, an old film fanatic and an obsessive coffee drinker. Ed is a co-captain of the basketball team, and spends his leisure time at bonfires and parties with the popular crowd. Fed up with Ed, Min gathers all mementos of their relationship, throws them in a box, and dumps it off on Ed's doorstep.
This book illustrates "Why We Broke Up" by going through each of these items (bottle caps, ticket stubs, protractor, ugly earrings, etc) and elaborating on the circumstances of how it was required. Their relationship is a bit stormy, as they assure their friends that it is true love. Min struggles to understand basketball, and Ed doesn't know anything about cinema. Maybe opposites do attract?
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
"The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
"Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty" by G. Neri
In 1994, Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, received national attention when he made the cover of TIME magazine. Nicknamed Yummy for his love of candy and sweets, he was just 11 years old when he shot and killed a 14-year-old girl. He became a poster child for youth gang violence and drew attention to this heartbreaking problem in his Chicago neighborhood.
This graphic novel illustrates Yummy’s involvement with the Black Disciplines gang, and how he may have joined forces with these criminals in order to escape his sordid home life and absent parents. Told through the narrator’s Robert’s eyes, he explores what may have drawn Yummy into this violent life, and what (if anything) could have been done to avoid such tragedy. This is an excellent, quick read for middle school and higher.
"In Darkness" by Nick Lake
Be aware that the graphic nature of the conflicts and the high use of profanity may make it more suitable for older teens.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
"How to Rock Braces and Glasses" by Meg Haston
Kacey Simon says what's on her mind, even if people don't want to hear it. Her harsh critiques have made her a social butterfly at Marquette Middle School. Her popularity soars with her outrageous newscaster skills, and she's always surrounded by friends. But when she gets an eye infection, her contacts are taken away and replaced with new glasses. To make matters worse, her mom surprises her with a trip to the orthodontist, who puts on new braces. Getting used to metal in her mouth, Kacey struggles to overcome a new lisp. She realizes how her honesty towards others may have hurt some feelings. Her friends don't seem supportive to her situation, so Kacey starts hanging out with a new crowd, and even finds her voice as the singer for a new band. This is a hilarious look at overcoming puberty's challenges and making the best of a bad situation.