Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

 Aveyard, V. (2015). Red queen. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Mare Barrows lives in a divided world. Depending on the color of your blood, red or silver, you are given a place in society. If you are red-blooded you are treated like a slave and made to work like one too, and if you are silver-blooded you are considered royal and most likely have a special-power that sets you apart from the red-bloods (telekinesis, water control, superhuman strength, swiftness, and bend nature). Mare is a master thief and does so to help her family survive. When her best-friend, Kilorn, is told that he will be serving in the army she tries to help him escape, but to do so she needs to come up with a lot of money.  She resorts to pick-pocketing and ends up stealing from the kingdom's Prince Cal. He in turn does give her money, but to prevent her from being put in the army as well he has her taken to the castle to work. While there she finds out she has the power to conjure electricity from her body and is made to look as if she were in fact a silver-blood who was raised by the red-bloods, but that isn't so. She is a special kind of person, and war ensues as the red and silver-bloods try to over-power the other. As the feelings of love come in, Mare has to find a way to overthrow the silver-bloods before they decimate everything she has ever known and loved. In the end, she and Cal and a few special-blooded people seek a way to find Maven, Cal's half brother, who is planning to overtake the reign and kill all who get in his way.

Mare's story has a lot of adventure and deceit in it that can make students from middle school and above addicted to finding out the outcome of this saga. The themes that are included are of course society, social-class, slavery, friendships, and monarchies. Teachers will be able to use this novel in comparison to multiple events that have taken place in history and can answer the ultimate questions: does history repeat itself?

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Jackaby by William Ritter

 Ritter, W. (2014). Jackaby. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Abigail Rock has just set sail for New Fiddleham and is looking for a job and a place to stay. What she finds though, is something unimaginable: R.F. Jackaby. He is a private investigator in search of a new assistant, but he is a little out of the ordinary. He claims to be able to see things which others cannot, and has become a nuisance to the police force, that is all except detective Charlie Cane. While Jackaby sees things that lead him to believe they have a supernatural serial killer, this all because of a banshee he sees at the scene of the recent crime, they are still escorted out and hope to find the next victim before the killer does. They are constantly on the search, but arrive a little to late to each one and cannot save them, and the commissioner, Commissioner Swift, finally sees that Jackaby may be the only hope left for the case. When it comes time to confront the killer, with a large police force backing them, Charlie turns into a beast and is thought to be the killer until Abigail runs into the Commissioner who in turn also morphs and shows that he is actually a goblin. He injures both Charlie and Abigail, but they are saved by Jackaby. Charlie is unfortunately not reinstated to their force, but is forced to assume a new position, so it leaves Abigail and Jackaby alone for whatever adventure comes next.

This book was filled with exciting twists and turns, both real and supernatural, and one cannot help but fall in love with what Ritter has included in the novel. I believe that students from middle school and up will enjoy this novel because of the thrill and suspense it leaves you in looking for the killer. Teachers can include this novel to discuss plot, inferencing, myths, and characterization.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

 

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

 Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper jungle: A history. New York, NY: Dutton Books.

Austin Szerba lives in an uneventful town named Ealing, Iowa; the only thing that is remotely entertaining there is an old mall that has been used by Austin and his friend Robby as a skate park.  Unfortunately, it isn't only occupied by Austin and Robby, but also by a few bullies who beat up Robby and leave some of his blood on the strip mall ground and some of their belongings on the mall roof. When Austin, Robby and Austin's girlfriend Shann go to reclaim their belongings they go into a store that has a lot of abandoned creatures in weird jars that once shattered begin to form into very dangerous, and horny, praying mantis. When Shann finds a secret message in her room, they all go to a bunker that protects humans unaffected by the outbreak. They find a few tapes regarding the outbreak, but are missing some, so Austin and Robby are sent to go and find them. Through the tapes they discover that they can stop the creatures through Robby's blood, since it was his blood from the mall that created the, but when they go onto extracting it and putting them in paint-balls they discover that it is too late for them, the praying mantis' have repopulated. They are stuck underground and only leave during winter months to search for resources. 

This novel is an extremely interesting sci-fi apocalyptic journey into the unknown. I believe that many students will enjoy the adventure they are thrown into in the hopes that Ealing can be saved. There are some themes that would need to be addressed in this novel such as the sexual desires felt by Austin, but this is something that can be shared with students in high school rather than middle school and under. 

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by Amy Sarig King

 King, A. S. (2010). Please ignore Vera Dietz. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Vera Dietz has a lot going on in her life right now. Her ex-best-friend, Charlie, has just died in what people believe was a fire he started, her mother has been gone from her life since she was 12, she is a closet alcoholic, she and her dad have to work out their relationship together, and she keeps seeing Charlie's ghost who asks her to clear his name on the fire incident. It is through flashbacks that we see how Vera's friendship with Charlie started strong, built on strength they gave each other through helping each other get through their family issues, and ended when Charlie began hanging out and dating one of the girls from "the wrong-crowd." Jenny, Charlie's girlfriend, begins to convince Charlie that Vera is bad and he starts to change. She even convinces him to have sex on video so that they can sell it to a perverted guy, one that Charlie has already sold used underwear to, for money. When he doesn't want to do it anymore, Jenny threatens to set the pet store on fire and kill him. He goes to Vera for help, but she refuses to help him at first, but when she goes to the pet store all she see is Jenny and no Charlie, so she figures he didn't show up. In the end, Vera decides that she must confess what ultimately killed Charlie, and who is at fault for the fire. Vera and her father reconcile and look forward to taking some time off for themselves. 

Please Ignore Vera Dietz is filled with page-turning drama and suspense. Although it does discuss serious topics such as the relationship between Charlie and the perverted man, sex and money, verbal abuse, domestic violence, and alcoholism, it is still a text that can serve great purpose for young adults. It also shows the positivity of telling the truth to save those you care about and how building a relationship on honesty and trust can make your life better. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

The Knife of Never Letting Go

 Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Todd Hewitt isn't what you would call a "normal" teen; he lives in a town called Prentisstown and all the citizens here are male. They can all hear each others thoughts and this is what is called "noise." Everything seems normal until Todd finds himself hearing silence. When he goes home, his parents tell him that he has to leave before the others come looking for him. As he leaves he comes across a female named Viola, an alien who has crashed her spaceship, and she is the cause for the silence he hears. They need to escape from Prentisstown before the army come and claim them, but one of their pursuers will stop at nothing to get them first: Aaron, the towns larger-than-life preacher. Todd and Viola go from town to town in search of peace for themselves, and they find help along the way, but they cannot escape from Aaron who always seems to find them and refuses to die despite being maimed by an alligator. It isn't until the end that we see Aaron die because Viola stabbed him, and all looks well until they come across Mayor Prentiss' son who then shoots Viola in the stomach. As they are escaping Prentiss Jr. and head to Haven, another town, they are met with emptiness and Mayor Prentiss who is starting a New World Order. Who knows what this new town has in store for them because it was under Mayor Prentiss' regime that Prentisstown's residents were outcast men who had killed women and another alien race.

This novel is filled with unique twists and turns within the plot. Patrick Ness was able to create a world that would entice so many young adults to read and find it intriguing. The main themes for this novel would be coming-of-age, manipulation, gender, choice, and guilt. With these themes we would be able to bridge this novel with others that are similar in some aspects such as the Unwind series by Neal Schusterman.

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

Crutcher, C. (1993). Staying fat for Sarah Brynes. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. 

Eric Calhoun, a.k.a. Mobe, loves swimming, Jody Mueller, and writing his underground newspaper with his best friend Sarah Byrnes. Sarah and Eric have found comfort in each other because each they have always been outcasts together: Eric for being overweight and Sarah for having severe burn scars on her face and hands. Sarah is now in a mental ward and has refused to speak with anyone, including Eric. As time continues Eric's swimming body has began to slim, but he chooses to eat so as to continue to have that bond with Sarah. His ultimate goal is to find out why Sarah has become catatonic before it is too late for her. As he searches, it comes to light that Sarah has been abused by her father, and that his abusive behavior gets worse and worse. She is hiding out in the hospital because she cannot go home to him. Eric turns to his teacher Ms. Lemry and his friend/ex-bully Dale in the hopes that they can save Sarah from her father. In the end, Ms. Lemry tries to take Sarah to her mother in Reno and Eric gets stabbed by Sarah's father because he is looking for her and is saved by Dale and Dale's father. Finally, Sarah's father is found out and is sentenced to serve time in prison and Sarah is adopted by Ms. Lemry and her husband in order to gain some the love she has always needed. 

Chris Crutcher has always been a great story weaver. This is not only seen in this novel, but in his other novel Deadline where he discusses death and cancer in a young teen. Although his novels do discuss difficult topics and themes, Crutcher always provides information through example on resources a person can use should they find themselves in a similar situation. Please look for more Chris Crutcher novels at: http://www.chriscrutcher.com 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

 Anderson, L. H. (2001). Speak. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

The summer before Freshman year is an exciting time for Melinda Sordino. She is going to a Senior party and happens to meet Andy Evans and her most exciting night becomes tragedy: he rapes her. Melinda, at a loss for what to do, calls the police but cannot bring up the words to speak, so she doesn't say anything and runs home. The police break up the party and now everyone, EVERYONE, seems to hate Melinda for it. They don't know why she called, although she is dying to say something to her friend Rachel, nothing will come out. She cannot find solace in her old friends who have now abandoned her, her parents who are distant, to teachers who swear she does it for attention, or even her new friend Heather who eventually leaves her too. It isn't until she befriends David, and gives her pain liberty to speak in the art she produces, that he encourages her to say something. In this novel Melinda is forced to deal with Evan once again when she finds courage to share her story with Rachel, and he attacks her in the janitor's closet. Her story comes out and everyone now hails her a hero. She shares her story with her teacher Mr. Freeman, and she is given a voice to speak.

Melinda's story is one that has become iconic in so many ways. It has been interwoven in classrooms for ages despite some backlash on the content. Teachers of upper grades would be able to share this novel with students, particularly 9th grade and above, to discuss the topics of rape, depression, isolation, relationships, friendships, and trust. Although the themes are difficult to discuss, it can give students the strength needed to share any experiences to an adult they trust, or it can also impact students who need it most.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

 Garden, N. (1992). Annie on my mind. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

Liza Winthrop is student body president for her private school, Foster Academy. She has met a new friend, Annie Kenyon, at the Metropolitan Museum  and their friendship seems to grow fast despite their many differences. Since Foster Academy is very strict, Liza has been expelled because she witnessed an ear-piercing incident and didn't come forward, very bad for the student body president, so she has nothing left to do except wait to hear her fate when she returns. It is through Liza's experiences that Annie finally comes forward and explains how she is gay and has feelings for Liza; she doesn't want Liza to feel pressure, but hopes the feelings are mutual. When she finds out that they are, the girls try to explore their new relationship to the fullest, and eventually get caught by a teacher and one of the students while they are taking care of two of Liza's teachers pets. Since they were caught, the school claims that they were influenced by the relationship held by the two teachers in question. In the end, unfortunately, the teachers are let go and Liza and Annie split ways. Through this process Liza figures out that she truly loves Annie, and would love nothing more to have her back. They find each other again and seek a way to make it work. 

Annie on My Mind is a very interesting book; what amazed me was that since it came out in 1992, it was very rewarding to see that since then authors have been trying to bring about different human experiences to light. The themes that it discussed can be hard to share with a class sometimes, because of different beliefs by both parents and students, but in the end it is important to share these stories in order to bring about tolerance and understanding to different groups. I believe a good age range to include this novel in would be 9th graders and above because of the themes. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Doll Bones by Holly Black

 Black, H. (2013). Doll bones. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Poppy, Zach, and Alice have created their own world filled with adventure, danger, and fantasy; this world runs with champions focused on their queen, a delicate porcelain doll named Queen, that is held in a cabinet. Poppy begins to have dreams of Queen telling her that she is died in a tragic accident and her father created this doll from her cremated ashes in the mold of her favorite doll; Queen, formerly Eleanor Kerchner, is not at rest because she wants to be buried in her rightful spot. She says she will continue to haunt Poppy and her friends if they do not go on this quest to take her to the cemetery where she should be buried. Poppy, Zack, and Alice must find their way to this cemetery, but in the process end up missing school, being harassed on the bus, lose their food and possessions due to the angry ghost and a boating accident, and get caught sleeping in a library. After all this, they still manage to find Eleanor's grave and bury her with her family. 

This novel was a little slow in some portions, but in the end you cannot help but get goosebumps and chills. I think that students will enjoy the spookiness of the plot and will find themselves drawn in to the adventure within the novel. A good follow up for this novel would be The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier which is also a ghost story that intertwines morals through storytelling. 

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

George by Alex Gino

Gino, A. (2015). George. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. 

George is a ten-year-old transgender pre-teen who is trying to find a place in this world; a place where she is called "Melissa" and doesn't have to pretend she is something she is not. Although she has a very supportive mother, brother, and best-friend, George doesn't feel safe enough to open up to anyone about the struggles of her daily life that include being called a boy and being teased for wanting to play Charlotte from Charlotte's Web in the school play. Her main aggressor is Jeff, the meanest bully in school. Once she finally opens up to her best friend Kelly, George finds strength in becoming Charlotte, although the part was given to Kelly, in the school play and showing her mother that she is indeed a girl wanting to be accepted and loved. Her mother and brother open their arms to her and agree to help her become who she is one step at a time.

George was a one-of-a-kind book that had me delighted once I began. I felt my heart racing when hers did in the times when she had to admit who she was to the people she loved and prayed that she would get accepted for it. I believe that this is a great book to include in any library because it discusses an issue that is important for all to know: being transgender isn't bad. We need to help support our students in knowing that the person who they truly are is not a person they need to be ashamed of. I believe that teachers would find this as a great tool to discuss tolerance and acceptance, because I do believe that many students need to know that people come in many different shapes and sizes, but like with anything we may have some students and parents who are not yet open to discuss such topics. We need to help create an environment in which we can share such human experiences with respect and understanding.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Gabby: A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

 Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Gabi Hernandez is in her senior year of high school and she has so many things that can go wrong: one of her best friends is pregnant, the other has just come-out to her and his parents kicked him out of their house, her father is a drug addict, her overbearing religious aunt has now moved in with her family to help out, and her mom is constantly reminding her that she needs to lose weight if she ever wants to find a husband. In the midst of all this she still needs to pass all her classes if she plans on being accepted by her number one college prospect-Berkley. Gabi finds that when life hands you lemons you should write poetry, and in her case, fall into like and love with a few guys in the process. Through writing, Gabi finds her niche in a poetry club that inevitably gives her the strength to overcome the death of her father, finding out her friend was raped, and release all the pain that has been stored throughout the last school year. After all the this she finds that being herself, gordita, educated, and not afraid to speak her mind, is the best kind of thing. 

Because some of the topics discussed such as sex, teen pregnancy, drugs, and rape, this book would be better suited for students in high school. Gabi and her many different plights will make her relatable with many young readers in their search for a place in this world, and introducing students to a character like her would be great to discuss independence, individuality, culture vs. society, and coming of age topics. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 Zusak, M. (2006). The book thief. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

     Liesel Meminger's life has changed because of Nazi Germany. She just lost her brother on their way to their new adoptive parents' home in Munich, and while he is being buried she finds the first book that leads her to become "The Book Thief." It is with her new parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, that she learns to read in the basement, finds out the meaning of friendship and love, learns that not all Germans are Nazi's and Jewish does not equal evil, and that reading changes the world. In the times of war Liesel and her best friend Rudy begin stealing whenever they find themselves starved for food and literature; this usually leads them to the mayor's house because in it he is sure to have a lot of food and his wife Ilse provides Liesel with more books than she could imagine. In the end, the war takes over their small neighborhood and leaves all but one person dead: Liesel. We see her story told through the point of view of Death, and through his eyes we see how this young quiet girl is overtaken by the power of words. 

Very few books leave you feeling heartbroken and grateful at the same time, but Zusak's book does. This would be a great book to tie in with Social Studies discussions on World War II, Nazism, Hitler, the effects of war on the community, and Anti-semitism. You can also incorporate point of view, narration, and forms of writing. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

 Angleberger, T., & Rosenstock, J. L. (2010). The strange case of Origami Yoda. New York, NY:    

          Amulet Books. 

      Tommy and his friends have put together evidence in the search for one answer: how can Origami Yoda give such great advice when his commander, Dwight, isn't so bright? Dwight is considered "different" because he tends to do and say embarrassing things during lunch, but once he brings his finger puppet, Origami Yoda, to an after school dance he seems to have people believing that Origami Yoda can change lives and destinies. The whole 6th grade crew shares their experiences with Dwight and Origami Yoda in the hopes that they can figure out if Origami Yoda does have the power to predict the outcome of a situation when asked. In the end, the majority of the 6th grade group believes in the power of Origami Yoda despite the neigh-sayers. 

When seeing the way the story is formatted I believe that teachers can use it to discuss the elements of persuasion. Students can be given a chapter, many of them are short, and once the elements have been discussed students can use them to find the types of persuasion within the chapters, they can be given an activity in which they create persuasion within the chapters, or also they can be given an assignment in which they either defend or disprove Origami Yoda's magic. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

"I'll Give You The Sun" by Jandy Nelson

 Nelson, J. (2014). I'll give you the sun. New York, NY: Dial Books.

Jude and Noah are twins, look nothing alike though, but have an undeniable connection that only twins can have. Both are unique in their own ways: Noah seeps art from his pores, and Jude seems to breath air into everything and everyone she comes into contact with, but they see each other as competition nonetheless. It is through their eyes, the novel is divided into chapters narrated by both siblings, that we see how their lives and their relationship came apart. Through their narrations we see how this one family has gone through hell and back, and we see how fate brings them back together again in the end. 

What can I say about "I'll Give You The Sun" except that it did give me just that. Throughout the novel we hear from 13-year-old Noah and 16-year-old Jude and just hearing how they complete each other gives you goosebumps. It is written beautifully, and I believe that the target audience would be young adults 14 and up because of the topics discussed such as suicide, divorce, individuality, sex, and homosexuality. It is a wonderful novel to bring in topics such as being proud of who you are and accepting what makes you and individual. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley

 Harris, R. H., & Emberley, M. (2014). It's perfectly normal: Changing bodies, growing up, sex, and   

             sexual health. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 

In It's Perfectly Normal, we are shown how bodies change through puberty and also includes information about birth and sexual health. The book is divided into six categories: What Is Sex?, Our Bodies, Puberty, Families and Babies, Decisions, and Staying Healthy. Throughout each section, Harris and Emberley describe how both males and females cope with their changing bodies, and also give facts about the process of our bodies changing. Such facts include scientific names and their meanings, Latin roots that came to be known words, and medical information. In addition to these explanations, the book includes visuals to accompany the facts as well as an index at the end. 

The intended audience are children starting at the age of 8-10 and anyone older as well. This book would be a good accompanying text in Health and Science classes as they do discuss the changes in human bodies. Teachers and educators would find this valuable because the information is given in kid-friendly language while still remaining respectful to different ideas and world views. I loved how they also included sensitive topics such as abortion and sexual abuse in order to allow students to know that there is help whenever needed. 

I rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

 Andrews, J. (2015). Me and Earl and the dying girl: A novel. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Greg Gaines enjoys going through school being unnoticed by others; he prefers to hide out in one of his teacher's office with his friend and co-director Earl. He and Earl make films, not necessarily good ones, but films nonetheless that are uniquely weird and different. By starting off his senior year this well something was bound to go bad. Greg's kind of ex-girlfriend Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia and may be dying soon. Greg's mom has asked him to hang out with her, so now it is just him and Earl and Rachel trying to survive their senior year. In the end, Greg finds out that he does have some potential as a film-maker, but unfortunately Earl has abandoned the profession and sadly Rachel passes away. It is through their friendship that this realization is made. 

This book has been an interesting one in the sense that I do see young adults, mainly high-school students, reading this book and finding it relatable in some aspects. It does have themes of individuality and being true to yourself, so this would be a great book to share with students who are still finding out who they are. As a teacher, you can also use excerpts of the book as an example of a script just like we would with Walter Dean Myers' Monster. 

I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

 Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

In Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming we are shown the events that helped create the woman this great author came to be. It is an autobiographical text written in different poetic forms; Woodson's autobiography starts off with a family tree, and is divided into 5 sections: her birth, her life in South Carolina, her life in New York City, what happened to her family, and finally what inspired her to dream big! After the sections her book includes an author's note, her thanks to individuals, and even some of her family photos. 

I enjoyed reading her autobiography because it was rich in detail and you could practically smell the summer of 1963 come to life. I believe teachers would be able to use her autobiography to teach poetry, non-fiction texts, point-of-view, figurative language, and interweave American History in. The students would be able to use the information given in this book to help them understand the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and teachers would be able to introduce other American poets such as Langston Hughes into the mix. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Looking for Alaska by John Green

 Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York, NY: Dutton Books.

 Miles is obsessed with learning the last words said by famous people and with reading the biographies of writers. He has left his parents in Florida so that he can go to boarding school, the one his dad has gone to as well. His parents warn him to behave and do well, but little does he know what he is in store for. His roommate Chip, a.k.a The Colonel, is friends with an interesting group of people; one of those people is the amazingly charming and beautiful Alaska. Alaska has a larger than life personality that makes it hard for Miles not to fall in love with her. Once he has the chance to finally kiss Alaska and truly accept that he loves her, it is all taken away: Alaska dies. Now he and his friends are in the search for the truth behind her death in the hopes that they can get some closer.

The major strengths of this book is that it has a lot of themes and topics that can be discussed with students, particularly high school students, such as drug an alcohol use, friendships, death, suicide, parent-child relationships, and dating. As I was reading I went through a lot of emotions because the author included humor, drama, love, and death, so it felt like being on a rollercoaster that I would totally ride again.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

 Stead, R. (2012). Liar & spy. New York, NY: Yearling. 

Georges is in 7th grade and is struggling with bullies in school, a lack of friends, busy parents, and a "crazy" spy in his new apartment building. Georges (the S is silent) helps out Safer, the spy, in finding out what the mysterious Mr. X does. Throughout the process Georges finds strength from his dad, his table-partner Bob, and Safer and his siblings to fight against the bullies in school. Through his training he learns to find the truth in his daily life and accept the fact that his mother is in the hospital with a disease she is trying to fight off. In the end, Georges finds happiness with his new friends, other classmates, his mother's return, and in himself. 

The intended audience is students in middle school (6-8th grades) because of the subjects discussed. Teachers would be able to use this novel to discuss bullies and opening up to another person when you have a problem. 

I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

Persepolis by M. Satrapi

 Satrapi, M., & Satrapi, M. (2007). The complete Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon Books. 

This autobiography is based on the life of a young woman whose life has been altered because of war.  Marjane and her family find themselves in the midst of the Islamic Revolution that has taken over their lives and that of their friends. As we read her graphic novel we are not only given facts about the revolution, but we are shown how her life has been influenced by books, religion, family and politics during this trying time. We are not given glossaries, bibliographies, or indexes, but we are given images of these events, and many more!

Personally, I did have a hard time finding interest in the beginning of the book; not because I didn't think her story wasn't interesting, but I had a hard time understanding the portions where she was explaining the revolution. I felt that more explanation should have been given, especially for those, like me, who are ignorant of the Islamic Revolution. Eventually, the story began to grow on me, and I found her coming-of-age story powerful and enlightening. I feel that we can use portions of her graphic novel to introduce memoirs and autobiographies in a new way for our students. We can also tie this in to Malala Yousafzai's experience in being shot because of her thoughts on educating women. 

I rate this graphic novel a 4 out of 5 stars!

Hades Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter

 Shecter, Vicky Alvear, and J. E. Larson. Hades Speaks!: A Guide to the Underworld by the Greek   

                God of the Dead. Honesdale: Boyds Mills, an Imprint of Highlights, 2014. Print. 

In Hades Speaks! we are given information about the Greek god Hades. The book is divided into 11 parts, and each part explains either a piece of Hades' Underworld, the rites of death, the fates of mortals or gods who entered the underworld without permission, and other Greek myths and personas. In addition to these sections, the book also includes a glossary of terms used, a bibliography of sources (both primary and secondary), and illustrations that depicted either the realm of Hades or people within the myths. 

The intended audience of this book would be 6th-12th grade; the way it is written it sounds as if Hades is guiding you on a tour of his domain, and throughout the "tour" he will explain information so that the reader understands what is going on. A good follow-up book would be Anubis Speaks! by the same author because it also gives pertinent information without leaving the reader overwhelmed. This book would be well used when going into Greek or even Roman Mythology. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

An Abundance of Katherine's by John Green

 Green, J. (2006). An abundance of katherines. New York, NY: Speak.

Collin has just graduated from high school and is ready for what the world has in store for him. Unfortunately it isn't the same for Collin's girlfriend Katherine. Katherine the 19th, as he calls her because she is the 19th Katherine he has dated in his short life, has just dumped him on graduation night and he is at a loss of what to do. His friend Hassan has suggested they go on a road trip, and it leads them into Tennessee. While there they meet a girl named Lindsey and get hired to work for her mom, the town's main source of income. While there, Collin works to find an equation that can predict when a break-up will occur. With the help of Lindsey and Hassan, Collin finds his equation, and finds love as well.

Personally, I did not enjoy the book. I am a John Green fan, but this novel didn't do it for me because I couldn't relate to the main character, so I didn't feel any sympathy towards him. The intended audience is young adults, but I wouldn't suggest using it for a whole-class read unless you can find a way to make this novel connect to your students. It does have value in that Collin is a character who is reflective and uses knowledge to support his thoughts, but I do not see this becoming a novel that teachers would be able to pull resources to connect with.

I rate this book a 2 out of 5.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

 Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. New York, NY: Amulet Books. 

Cede is an ordinary child that enjoys spending time with her family and friends. That is until one day when she notices that something is different about her, she has lost her hearing. She now has to use a hearing aid to help her when she is at school, and this is what sets her apart from many of the other kids. After loosing and regaining different friendships in school, Cece sees now how important it is to find strength within yourself and be true to who you are. 

I did enjoy reading El Deafo because Cece goes through a lot of emotions that students can relate to. That feeling of inadequacy or fear of being different or losing your best friend can cause havoc to any child of any age, even to some adults! I believe that students of any age can read and relate to this graphic novel because of the message that it brings to it.  I can see it working in grades 4 and up because of the images as well as content in the novel. Teachers could use this book in order to relate to a theme of individuality, acceptance, or tolerance. I feel that Bell created a novel that would be able to be used in the Do The Write Thing campaign that is promoted in many school districts in my area as well as in other states. 

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

 Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown. 

Junior is a young boy who is trying to make a life for himself despite the fact that he has a lot of odds against him; not only is he living in a poor reservation with his family, but he isn't getting proper education, he has some medical issues, and his family is having a hard time holding things together. In order to try to better himself, Junior leaves his reservation to attend a "white" school. He is seen as a traitor and even loses his best friend in the process. He keeps moving forward despite all the bullying this move has caused him, both by adults and kids, and finds out that he did well for himself and gains back the respect and admiration of his family and friends. 

This is not the first time that I read Alexie's book. It is one that I do continue to find enjoyable though, each time I read it, because of the sense of humor included with all the deep lessons. I think that this book, because of some of the topics they talk about, would be best left at 8th grade level. I believe the kids would find it amusing with all the illustrations, but would be old enough to talk about the themes of this novel as well. I think that another novel that could be read after this book would be The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. It is another coming-of-age novel that has a female lead and also discusses leaving one's home in order to start a new life. Teachers would be able to use this as a good starting novel for the year since it isn't too overwhelming and would be able to begin practicing literature groups should they want to incorporate them in their classes.

The following video is a student made production of a book trailer for The Absolutely True Diary or a Part-Time Indian. 

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

 Myers, W. D., & Myers, C. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Steve Harmon is about to go into trial, he has been accused of murdering a store clerk during a hold-up. We see Harmon's case play by as if he is filming a movie, he is already being held in a correctional facility and we see his fears and his struggles going through this case. He is being represented by a lawyer, Kathy O'Brian, who is trying to prove his innocence to the state as well as the jury. He documents his flashbacks to times before the trial, and where he was during the time of the murder. In the end, he is found to be not guilty, but it does leave the reader wondering whether or not it was warranted. 

I did enjoy reading Myers' book because the teacher and student in me were both dying to learn more. I see the audience for this book falling between grades 6-8th because it is a quick read that can be understood by students of these levels while still being able to hook them on the story line. I think that a good book to bounce and follow up with would be Right Behind You by Gail Giles. It is also about a young boy who is in trouble with the law, but I would recommend it more for 7th or 8th grade. Teachers would see the benefit of this book play out in correlation with a Drama Unit because of the inclusion of stage directions. I believe that since it is written in a script format is a major strength in the book because we can also do Reader's Theatre with it. A lesson that I would probably do with it is first teach the elements of Drama, characters, stage direction, etc, to the students using the novel. Then we could begin listening to the audio to show how a Reader's Theatre would sound like. After doing this for a few days, I would allow students to work in groups to preform a particular section, and to increase the rigor we could have them change the dialect from modern, informal English to maybe "proper" English, or to change the point of view to another character. 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars!