Literary Tourism - Virginia

Most of my experience in Virginia has been in the Washington D.C. area.  It's quite a lovely state.  Most of my literary experience in Virginia has been with a series of novels about a high school that trains female spies.  While those books are fun, they didn't really meet my goals for the project.  But thanks to my book group, I have visited Virginia through prose.

The Cross Gardener by Jason F. Wright

John is born on the side of Route 11 in the Shenandoah Valley when his mother gets into a fatal car accident.  John is shuffled through a few different foster families, but finally finds home on an apple orchard with a good father who has adopted two other sons.  John's life is constantly impacted by death.  His oldest brother drowns while on a school trip.  His father dies of lung cancer.  But worst of all his wife and soon-to-be born son die in a car accident traveling home from the county fair.  John and his daughter, Lou Lou, are left to cope.  In John's struggle to grieve, he meets a man who calls himself the Cross Gardener.  He maintains roadside crosses and asks John to help him.  Along the journey John learns to have faith despite his sadness.    

The sense of place in this book is excellent.  When doing research for another book the author loved the Shenandoah Valley so much that he moved there.  The descriptions are accurate and detailed.  (I looked it up.)  John's love for his home mirrors the author's passion for it.

I liked the book.  You may have guessed by the title that it is Christian literature.  It's refreshing to find literature that extols virtue as a virtue.  The language was clean.  The characters were all people doing their best to live a good life - religious or not.

I have a few criticisms.  First, and this is mostly for Christian literature in general, it was melodramatic.  It was trying too hard to make me feel things.  I felt like I was being manipulated.  Second, the characters were pretty hollow.  Third, at times I felt like I was reading the summary of a story while at other times the author gave me every minute detail that I didn't need.  Fourth, the symbolism was overt.  I prefer a little subtlety. 

But overall it was a good book.  I felt uplifted and surprised at the end, and I liked the peaceful tone of the Cross Gardener.

LIterary Tourism - British Columbia

Since I'm Canadian by marriage and I came across a fun book set in Vancouver, I figured I would expand my literary reviews to the north.  It may be difficult to find books about every province and territory in libraries here in the States, but I'll see what I can do. 

I visited Vancouver about two years ago.  There was a lot going on and we didn't have a lot of time to explore the city, but I loved what I saw of it.  I'm a city girl so this isn't surprising.  This book helped add to my list of what to do on our inevitable next visit.

Word Nerd by Susin NIelsen

When bullies almost kill twelve year old Ambrose by slipping a peanut into his lunch, Ambrose's mom makes him begin correspondence courses.  Utterly lonely and bored, Ambrose becomes friends with Cosma, his neighbors' ex-convict son.  Behind his overprotective mother's back, Ambrose begins attending a Scrabble club and eventually enters the tournament.  Through Scrabble Cosmo and Ambrose bond and get into some trouble along the way.

The setting in this book was excellent.  The author really brings you to Jericho Beach, Granville Island, and Chinatown.  Ambrose and his mom rely on public transportation which feels real.  The Canadian phrases like the hydro poles, washrooms, and marking papers made it even better.  This book was a ten out of ten for fitting with my goals of the project.  Nothing was in there as a stereotype.  The details were naturally included.

As a word nerd myself, I enjoyed this book.  Ambrose was a perfectly developed twelve year old character.  He is big-hearted and smart, but also brutally honest, obnoxious and sometimes gross.  The story is more than a synopsis of scrabble games and really had some depth to it.  This is definitely a YA novel, not a children's novel.   

Literary Tourism - New Hampshire and Vermont

We're staying in New England for this week's entry.  New Hampshire and Vermont are similar in a lot of ways.  They are the most mountainous of the New England states and both of these books discuss the plight of the New England dairy farmer.

New Hampshire

First Boy by Gary Schmidt - Cooper is being raised by his grandfather, a New Hampshire dairy farmer during a heated presidential campaign.  Cooper's grandfather passes away and he copes by putting all of his energy into saving the dairy farm.  But mysterious men start to visit him and even the president sends her henchmen after him.  Is he really the president's illegitimate son?

This fun YA political thriller captures small town New England quite well.  There's the crotchety neighbor, the helpful families, and in the end they all pull together.  Anything by Gary Schmidt is a pleasure to read. Many of the reviews of this book on Goodreads are quite negative, but I actually enjoyed it.  Schmidt is a great writer.

"Keep reading!  There's more!"

Vermont  

Return to Sender by Julia Álvarez - Tyler's father, a Vermont farmer is injured while working and decides to hire Mexican migrant workers to save his farm.  Tyler is unsure of whether he wants the help on the farm and wonders if the family his father hires is documented or not.  Mari is the daughter of the man that startes working for Tyler's father and is undocumented.  Her mother is missing because she had to return to Mexico.  Mari and her family have just moved to the northern state and does not know if she will be accepted.  Many of the old timers in the town are upset that Mexicans are moving into their town to work on farms, but farmers who are desperate to save their farms are willing to take the chance and hire undocumented workers.

This book is based a a Vermont reality as told in the author's note.  The farmers' struggle is what inspired the author to write this book.  It is told from both Tyler's and Mari's perspectives which presents the worries of both teenagers' sides very well.  It was fun to listen to, but at times the story dragged a bit. 

Literary Tourism - Connecticut

Technically, I've been to Connecticut.  I've spent two nights there, but mostly in an I'm-just-passing-through capacity.  But it's part of New England and therefore, I must love it.

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora  - When I checked this book out, I wasn't planning on it being part of this project.  In fact right now I'm still a little ambivalent about it because my very brief research has not yielded a real West Glover, Connecticut.  But I really liked this book.  So, oh well.

Lucy, Elena, and Michael are assigned To Kill a Mockingbird as a summer reading book.  The rest of the class is dreading it but Lucy and Elena love the book.  In an effort to make people want to read it, they make the book disappear and they're not quiet about it.  They knew a little controversy would get a lot of people reading the book.  Soon the whole country is caught up in the craze.

I didn't know this book took place in Connecticut when I started, but from the beginning it had a distinct New England feel.  The small state matters too.  The kids were able to travel across the state to hide books.  It spins a little out of control, and they have to repair their work.

I loved these kids.  They were certainly not realistic middle-schoolers.  But I wish they had been my friends all those years ago.  They were smart and passionate and fun.  The dialogue in this book was spot on.  If you like books especially Harper Lee's classic, you should give this one a shot.

"Good books make me drowsy."

Literary Tourism - Massachusetts and California

Today, I'm finishing off books set in states I have lived in.  I've already covered Maine and Utah; now I'm revisiting California and Massachusetts.  The books are also connected because they create a great sense of place for me.  Using the names of specific streets and parts of the city, the authors really bring me back to the places I have been.  It's been awhile since I've read either of these books, but they have stayed with me in a profound way.

Massachusetts

Still Alice by Lisa Genova - Alice is a Harvard professor who is at the top of the research in her field when she begins noticing that she can't remember things the way she used to.  One day she is going for a run down the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts and she can't remember where she is.  Her family is devasted to learn that Alice has early onset Alzheimer's disease and the experimental treatments she undergoes fail to slow the progression of the debilitating disease.  This book tells the story of Alice and her family as they learn to endure and adjust to a woman who is completely changed. 

Setting this book at Harvard and in one of the most intellectually elite parts of the country was no accident.  It makes the changes in Alice's brain seem even more dramatic.  I enjoyed visualizing her runs, visits to the coffee shops, and Harvard Yard. 

This book opened my eyes to challenges and diseases I barely understand and I liked it for that reason.  But it is profoundly depressing and it took me days to recover from it. I would recommend it highly, but you have to be ready for it.

California

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender  - When Rose is nine she discovers she has a gift when she tastes her mother's lemon cake.  She can feel her mother's sadness.  Upon closer inspection she discovers that she can even taste where a processed meal has been produced.  This tells the story of how Rose learns to live with this curse.

This story takes place in Los Angeles and Bender is very detailed in her descriptions of street names and locations.  The story probably could have taken place anywhere, but I read it while living in Los Angeles which made it more memorable.

This book was weird, but I like weird.  It was a little depressing, but not like Still Alice.
 

"I'm not depressing; I'm cute"

Literary Tourism - Delaware

Delaware is probably the most forgettable state to me.  Sorry Delawareans, but it's true.  It's only claim to fame for me is that it was the first state to enter the union.  Anyway, I had to hurry up and read a book set there before I forgot it even existed.

There were not a ton of options for Delaware, but I used this handy list of YA books by state to help me out.  I'm not 100% using this list because it doesn't always fit my criteria, but it helps a lot.

The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls by Julie Schumacher

Page 9 of this book pretty much summed Delaware up for me.  "We lived in a flat oversized suburb ... a dot on the map in a state people drove through to get somewhere else."  I laughed when I read this because driving through is the only time I have ever experienced Delaware.  Highways and rest stops are all I know.  I got the impression that it is quite typical just ot pop over to Maryland or Philadelphia for a bit because they are that close. 

Did I like the book?  When I first started it, I thought it was exactly what I was looking for, but it devolved quickly.  I sometimes think YA authors write about what they think teens want to read about and not really what teens want to read about.

For instance, the narrator Adrienne is suddenly on a quest to find herself.  The quest is completely manipulated by CeeCee the obnoxious one who has a million issues that the book doesn't even address.  Does a teen really want to see a protagonist with zero backbone?  I hope not.  The characters just didn't work for me.  The book had it's fun parts, but I think I need to read a classic to get my IQ back up. 

2013 Reads

Whenever I think of books that I've read, I always feel a very strong sense of the place I was when reading it.  I remember the subway rides, winter chill, or smell of dinner cooking.  That's one reason why I like to keep track of what I read.

Here are some of the highlights and lowlights of 2013.  (Keep in mind this is what I have read this year and not necessarily books published in 2013.)

Highlights

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - Don't be distracted by the title.  This is a sad but powerful story of labor camps in the Soviet Union. 

Heist Society by Ally Carter - I have read all three books in this series.  They are fun art thievery stories that are light and fun but well-written.

Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz - this is a creative, high school story about a boy with Asperger's who sets out to the solve the mystery of a gun going off in the school cafeteria.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - 2013's Newbery Medal winner.  It's a sweet, sad story based on true events, but Applegate brings the animal characters to life.

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz - This is the second in a three book series.  Gidwitz takes the most gorey fairy tales and strings them together in clever stories.

Lowlights

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage - This children's book received a lot of acclaim, but I felt that the characters were unbelievable and the story was slow.

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz - This was another that critics seemed to love, but I can't even begin to describe everything I thought was wrong with it.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson - I thought this book was okay, but it wins my award for the most overrated book of the year.

Matched by Ally Condie - Condie jumped on the love triangle, dystopian novel bandwagon without success.  I've read the first two in the series, but have decided to leave the third alone.

The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult - Definitely my least favorite book of 2013.  As with Splendors and Glooms, there is just so much wrong with it.

Picture Books

As a children's librarian, I read hundreds of picture books a year.  Most are forgettable, but here are just a few standouts from my readings.  Again, they were not necessarily published this year.

• Love Waves by Rosemary Wells
• Hush: a Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade
• Up, Tall and High by Ethan Long
• Oh, No Gotta Go by Susan Middleton Elya illustrated by G. Brian Karas
• The Tooth Fairy Meets El Raton Perez by Rene Colado Lainez, illustrated by Tom Lintern

Almost Accomplished

Within two weeks, I will have accomplished a New Year's resolution of sorts.  I will have completed 100 books this year.  I'm not sure whether to be proud or depressed about this accomplishment.  Seriously, who has that much time?  I've read some incredible books this year - some short, some long.  I've also read some duds, but that is to be expected.

Here are five of the books which I loved.  I loved more than five and if you want a complete list become my friend on Goodreads.

Ida B ... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and Possibly Save the World, by Katherine Hannigan

Ida B. loves her life on the farm with her parents.  She is friends with the rocks and the trees and the mountains.  Her parents teach her school at home and that is how she likes it, but when her mom gets sick her whole life changes and she decides to have a hard heart.  If you like quirky characters and stories with a strong moral, this is the book for you.

How They Croaked: the Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous, by Georgia Bragg

Was this book gross?  Yes.  Was it awesome?  Yes.  This includes the fascinating and gory deaths of historic figures like Cleopatra and James A. Garfield.  It's factual, a little sarcastic, and a lot of fun.

Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand

This is probably one of the most talked about books in the past couple of years, and it deserves all the praise it receives.  It tells the story of an Olympian who survives a plane wreck and Japanese POW camps.  When he returns home he is able to put his life back together.  Every part of this lengthy book is exciting and inspiring.

Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creek

 Because of my interest in children's literary history, I set a goal to read every Newbery Medal winning book.  I avoided this book because I didn't like the cover.  But seriously, the old cliche is true.  Read it.   It's wonderful.

 Wonder, by R.J Palacio

 This is another book worth the hype.  A kid with severe deformities decides to enter school starting the fifth grade.  Here he endures bullying, the challenges of finding friends, and other associated difficulties, but finds himself.  Okay, so I hate middle school angsty stories with classic bullies, but this one really was excellent.

And now for the books I don't recommend ...

Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes

If you are actually reading my summaries, you will notice that I don't like  angsty, middle-school novels with bullies etc.  Yeah, this was one of those.

Fairies and the Quest for Neverland, by Gail Carson Levine

I love Gail Carson Levine, but I did not love this book.  I wish I had seen that Disney logo before wasting my time.

Small Persons with Wings, by Ellen Booraem

Maybe I should just avoid books involving fairies.  If you like fairies, you might enjoy this one.  

The Night Circus, by Ellen Morgenstern

In my opinion, this is the most overrated book of 2011.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham

Not all Newbery winners are winners.  This piece of historical fiction spent two much time explaining little bits of history and word origins and not enough time telling a story.     

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, by Gennifer Choldenko

Choldenko, Gennifer (2007). If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period. New York: Harcourt, 217 pages.

Aaaaah, another quirky, angst-ridden middle school drama, with a twist reminiscent of Days of Our Lives. Told from the perspectives of both Kirsten (her chapters in first person) and Walk (strangely told in the third person) the story begins with a new year at Mountain Private School. Kirsten is your typical rich, white student whose parents are constantly arguing and whose best friend is following a more popular path. Pair those things with her distorted body image and she's in for a hard year. Walk is an African-American student who worked hard and earned a scholarship. He excels in school but becomes angry when stereotypes affect him and his friends. It turns out that Walk and Kirsten are more connected than they ever imagined.

This isn't a bad book. It is fast-paced and has short chapters to hold a reader's attention. Small if not predictable events keep the story moving. All the loose ends are carefully tied up by the end which is a little too Full House for me, but I can see the appeal. I had a hard time deciding who I would recommend this to. The writing seems appropriate for a younger audience, but the themes (especially the plot twist) would take a more mature reader to handle - hence my labeling it young adult. I would say middle-school students would enjoy it the most.

After the Death of Anna Gonzales, by Terri Fields

Fields, Terri. (2002). After the Death of Anna Gonzales. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 100 pages.


The best word I could use to describe this book is weak. Told in poetry, it gives the reaction of 47 people to Anna Gonzales's suicide. Students, teachers, and friends give feelings or mostly their lack-there-of to the shocking news that Anna has taken her own life.

The poems allude to students' somber faces, but the majority of the poems were shallow, selfish reactions to the incidents. One cheerleader's concern is that the pep rally will be canceled. Another kid can't wait to uncover the inside scoop. Another wonders how long she has to wait to take Anna's desk which is next a cute boy. The teacher's on the other hand all had profound thoughts about the death. How patronizing for the young adult reader! I couldn't believe how the author portrayed these teens. It was infuriating and I'm not a teenager. Give the teens some credit!

The poetry was lifeless, and she had to tell the reader when she used metaphor. (Because a reader might not understand it in all it's frankness.) It was hard to tell one voice from another. This could have been a really good book, and I think it failed.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares

Brashares, Ann (2003). The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. New York: Delacorte, 373 pages.

In this sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the four girls have waited until this summer to pull out the pants and let them work their magic. Bridget, normally impetuous and confident, has hidden herself under hair-dye and excess weight. Spontaneously she leaves for a summer in Alabama to reacquaint herself with her mother's mother. Lena finds out that last summer's Greek boyfriend Kostos has a new girlfriend, but he manages to surprise on her doorstep. Carmen again has troubles with her parents, this time her mom. Tibby heads of to a summer film program in Virginia and learns a few things about what is good film making.

I liked this book even though it's cheesy and didactic. Besides the quotations at chapter breaks the dialog is full of those cliche adages about life, friendship and family. I think this is one of the reasons the book is so popular. It's comforting to see friendships exist as only in dreams. A pair of pants that fits four different shaped girls isn't the only fantasy here. The fantasy of being free to roam from state to state, sneak in and our of dorm rooms undetected, and having friendships so unconditional don't actually exist for teenagers. But the idea is attractive. The pedantic messages are often comforting and provide an objective viewpoint for a teen reader.

This book is full of those writing issues for which I criticized Meyer. I hold Brashares under the same scrutiny. But to be honest the quick pace of the book and the movement between characters distracted me from the writing.

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Giff, Patricia Reilly. (2002). Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York: Scholastic, 166 pages.

Hollis Woods was abandoned as a child and since then has bounced from foster home to foster home from which she has a tendency to run. Now, she is 12 and at Josie's house, a lovely older woman who has the tendency to forget. Hollis brings her pictures to Josie's in which unfold her strong desire for a family and the story of how she almost had one once. When the social worker threatens to take Hollis away from Josie, she escapes with Josie to the place where she first found family.

I was so excited to read this book. I loved the title and the little silver medal on the cover. I must say I was disappointed. It was short, but slow and honestly just dull. It all seemed extremely melodramatic and unrealistic. I can see how a child would like it but I was left wanting.

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Creech, Sharon. (2001). Love That Dog. New York: Harper Trophy, 86 pages.

At the beginning of the school year, Jack is not so sure about writing poetry and makes that very clear to his teacher in his poetry journal. First he starts by writing complaints broken into short lines. He discusses poems that his teacher presents to the class until finally he is able to share the love for his dog in a poem inspired by “Mr. Walter Dean Myers.”

I went into this book thinking 2 things:

1) This is going to be another pet story
2) There is going to be some really good poetry here

I was wrong on two accounts. More than a story about a boy and his dog is a story about a boy realizing that it is okay to be who he is. The poetry improves as Jack gains confidence in himself and his work. The story is told only in his words and we get the teacher’s perspective only through him. This is not another Because of Winn Dixie.

Second, the novel may be in verse but it is a child’s verse. Myer’s novel Street Love (see below) incorporates a more mature poetry with metaphor, rhythm and all other expected elements. This obviously reflects a child’s voice – an immature effort at poetry. This doesn’t make it bad. In fact, it makes it accessible to a younger audience than it would otherwise and will build confidence in understanding poetry.

The book incorporates both classic and contemporary poetry in a creative and not pushy manner, but focuses on Walter Dean Myers the most contemporary of the authors. This adds a personal touch and may motivate a reader to further exploration.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

Urban, Linda (2007). A Crooked Kind of Perfect. New York: Harcourt, 213 pages.

Ten year old Zoe has big dreams of becoming a world renowned pianist and playing at Carnegie Hall. But when her dad goes to the music store and comes home with a Perfectone Organ instead of a baby grand, she is terribly disappointed. Still, Zoe tries her best to prepare for the Perfectone Organ competition, but not without a few glitches along the way.

Fast-paced and funny, this book captures the true essences of what it is to be ten. From Zoe's struggle to fit in with her classmates to coming to terms with her quirky family - its all there. The book is structured in short journal like entries making it a very quick read and capturing Zoe's personality well. Some entries are straight narrative while others are lists or simply one sentence. At first, I thought this form was weak but came to terms with it along the way. This book is filled with pre-teen awkwardness that just brought a smile to my face.

When Jeff Comes Home, by Catherine Atkins

Atkins, Catherine (1999). When Jeff Comes Home. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Summary and Evaluation: Two and a half years after Jeff is kidnapped, Ray, the kidnapper, returns him to his family. Embarrassed, scared, and unable to cope, Jeff refuses to tell his family, friends, or investigators what really happened to him. As time goes on, Jeff's father tries to help him reenter normal teenage life, but Jeff's secrets and public speculation keep him from being able to adjust to his new life.

I put off reading this book for a long time knowing that it was a difficult topic; now I can't stop thinking about it. The choppiness of the paragraphs and the unrealistic dialog made the writing unremarkable, but the handling of a subject most people prefer not to think about made it disturbing and memorable. Jeff, the narrator, gave enough details so the reader could understand, but was careful to reveal himself. Especially profound was Jeff's relationship with Ray - fear, disgust, and some acceptance all blended together. Until the end he only, admits that to the reader. But even at the end, Jeff has barely begun to heal. Rarely does a book leave me wondering about what I would do in a similar situation. What kind of assumptions would I make? How would I act around him? Would I ask the same insolent questions? Would I be relieved when he lied to me? This is not one of those books that I would say I enjoyed. Indeed, I would much rather read Gossip Girl. Although I have not yet read any commentary on the novel, my guess is that Atkins did not intend this book to be entertainment.

Booktalk Hook: If I were to booktalk this, I would read from the prologue of the book telling of how Ray took Jeff until Jeff realized that he had blood on his throat. After that i would tell a little about Jeff's return and his struggle to come to terms with what happened.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher

Crutcher, Chris (1993). Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: Greenwillow Books, 216 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: Eric Calhoune, aka Moby, is obese; Sarah Byrnes is ugly and has been since she was three. An accidental burn permanently disfigured her face because her father would not let doctors repair it. Eric and Sarah Byrnes have been friends for life believing that "terminal ugliness" brought them together. At the beginning of high school Eric even started overeating afraid that he would lose Sarah's friendship if he lost weight due to swimming. Now it's senior year and Sarah Byrnes has suddenly sunken into a strange catatonia and is hospitalized. Eric finally discovers the truth about Sarah's deformity and must help free her from her horrible past.

I initially chose this book because I wanted to read a sports story. This one was about swimming (a favorite of mine), but seemed to have more than descriptions of monotonous practices and vicious competitive spirit. Well, that was true. Woven into a rather secondary story of preparing for regionals is a complex story dealing with issues of religion, abortion, and abuse. Crutcher presents these issues in such a way that it forced me to consider the reasons for my own beliefs on the matters. Although challenging, the topics were introduced with sensitivity. Students brought up each issue during a course called Contemporary American Thought; then the issues remained present as various students had to deal with the real life applications of them. Suspenseful action scenes and the occasional bit of humor prevent the book from being overly philosophical. Eric's clashes with Sarah's father and testosterone heavy competition keep the story moving for those who may not be the philosophy types.

Booktalk Hook: Because this book has so many layers it may be difficult to summarize well, but I think a five sentence booktalk would work best. "Sarah Byrnes and Eric Calhoune are best friends because they are both ugly. When Sarah Byrnes was three she was scalded by a pot of boiling water - at least that's what she says. Now it's senior year and the normally vicious Sarah Byrnes has slipped into a mysterious catatonia. Eric is trying to balance school, swimming, and helping his friend find a way out of her mental trap. When all the secrets finally come out, Eric has to choose the best way to be loyal to his friend."

Who Am I Without Him? by Sharon G. Flake

Flake, Sharon G. (2004). Who am I Without Him? Short Stories about girls and the boys in their lives. New York: Hyperion. 168 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: This book, a collection of ten short stories, presents in a variety of forms the challenges and joys of dating and relationships as a teenager. Erika, a scholarship student at a private school can't help but like white boys, but may be willing to go too far to get their attention. Asia is taunted so much for her skin disease that she's had to transfer schools, but finds her own way to cope. E wants to date Ona but finds that their class differences only bring problems to their relationships. Each story presents a different cast of characters and individual problems to face.

After reading the first story about the girl who desperately wants to be with a moderately abusive, cheating boyfriend for the sake of having one, I was worried that every character would have the same flaw. But as I progressed, I was pleased to find a variety of realistic and sympathetic characters. Some of the girls in the stories were attractive and dated a lot, but were not often the hero of the story. Other girls wanted boyfriends but were overlooked by boys because they weren't considered pretty enough. In one story a group of girls forbidden to date by their pastor set out to find boyfriends, but find themselves unprepared for the challenges they face. As I read, I found that I could identify each situation in some way (sometimes small) to real life events and attitudes. The stories focus on the inner city experience and have a strong African-American voice, but themes of love and respect for one's self are strong enough to give this book universal appeal.

Booktalk Hook: This would be an excellent book to have the group relate to their own lives. I would have a group imagine for a moment the type of guys/girls they are interested in or the type of person they are dating. Do they enjoy boys/girls that are responsible and or caring? Do they prefer guys/girls who are considered "bad?" How do you prefer this person to treat you? Then I would introduce a few of the male and female characters in the stories and relate some of the dilemmas they are involved in.

The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson

Johnson, Angela (2003). The First Part Last. New York: Simon Pulse. 132 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: Bobby is a father; he is only sixteen and now juggles who he really is, a kid who likes arcades and graffiti, with who he must be, a father willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of his daughter, Feather. This short novel alternates between “Now,” the struggle of raising an infant alone, and “Then,” the many decisions that Bobby and Nia, his girlfriend, need to make. The stories intertwine answering the question of how Bobby came to raise his daughter alone and what he does about it. Overall, I felt like the book was well done. The alternating structure of the book kept me wondering how exactly, Bobby came to be the single parent and whether I would meet his girlfriend in the “Now” chapters. Had the story been told chronologically, I probably would have found it difficult to finish. Angela Johnson did not waste words. The brevity of the descriptions and episodes enhanced the awkwardness of the situations. Short two word paragraphs without quotations are used to tell only Bobby’s side of his conversation with Nia’s parents. The concise narration is the unspeakable confusion Bobby is caught up in. One moment he’s watching fish swim around the aquarium and before he realizes it, it is six hours later. He starts spray-painting bricks before school and gets caught by a policeman in the same place hours later. At times the language threw me off. Sometimes Bobby refers to his mother as Mary, and at other times she is mom. At first, I thought that Fred was his stepfather, but in reality it was Bobby’s father who had been divorced from his mother for many years. The story also became somewhat formulaic. Johnson had to find a way for the father to raise his child alone which led to a rather uncreative demise of the mother. Though typical the mother’s fate was not a pedantic warning against teen sexual behavior.

Booktalk Hook: This book is unique because it tells the story of teen parenthood from the father’s perspective. I would booktalk it with other problem novels told from a male perspective and emphasize that most books about teen parents are told from the perspective of the mother.