Marly’s Ghost

by David Levithan

Assignment: #10 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Dial, 2006. 163 p.
Genre & Format: Romance; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Kirkus and Booklist (SLJ was not very positive)

Grades: 7 and up

Summary: This retelling of the Charles Dickens tale A Christmas Carol gets its root in Valentine’s Day. The main character Ben is filled with anguish over the loss of his girlfriend Marly to cancer that year. Although he is only sixteen, they had been together for three years before she died. His cloud of grief makes him turn on friends who only want to wish him the best this Valentine’s Day. His “humbug” response to the holiday draws four ghosts to him that night, beginning with Marly begging for him to let her go. The plot and timeline of the Dickens classic is heald to nicely. The characters are mostly represented from the first, with Fezziwig as the party animal, but the role of Tiny Tim replaced by a freshman gay couple named Tiny and Tim seems trite.

Comments: As a lover of A Christmas Carol, I thoroughly enjoyed this journey of bereavement, which many people forget is what Ebenezer was lamenting as well. He chose work and money over his young love only to mourn it his whole life in the name of greed.

Booktalking ideas: This would be great for a love story hook, or the traditional Valentine’s day topic. I think the dying from cancer point of view is more open now, so many students might identify with that side.

VOYAesque Rating: 4Q 3P

Boy Meets Boy

by David Levithan

Assignment: #9 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. 185 p.
Genre & Format: Contemporary Fiction; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Everybody has reviewed it.

Grades: 8 and up

Summary: Paul leads us through this utopian community where the gay population is rarely slighted or hurt for being gay, just for being teenagers. Paul is a sophomore in love with Noah, who is a senior. It could go smoothly, but Paul’s ex Kyle pops back on the radar. To add to it, his best pal Joni has unfriended him in favor of her new boyfriend. The lineup wouldn’t be complete without Infinite Darlene, the transsexual quarterback/prom queen—she’s one tough drama queen. It would seem like his life is on the rocks, but nobody has it worse than Tony, whose ultraconservative parents refuse to acknowledge his gay proclivities. All of these characters work through high school in the end in this funny and sensitive romance.

Comments: As with Levithan’s other books that focus on gay relationships, very little has to do with being gay (with the exception of dealing with parents), rather the focus is on how to be successful in a relationship. I got a kick out of it, and could see how there are plenty of characters/situations for kids to identify with.

Booktalking ideas: I would start by describing how immediately wonderful Paul feels about Noah, without really giving away that it is a boy falling for a boy. Try to relate the relationship, not the sexual orientation first.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 3P

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist

by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Assignment: #8 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. 182 p.
Genre & Format: Teen Romance; Novel (each author writing alternate paragraphs)

Awards/Reviews: New York Times Book Review and SLJ

Grades: 9 and up

Summary: Nick asks her if she minds being his girlfriend for five minutes—Norah answers him with a fiery lip lock. Five minutes turns into seven, seven turns into an all-nighter. Even though it is Manhattan, they both have run-ins with their exes, which actually act as a purge of the past in a matter of hours. The journey they take to figure it all out means club hopping and moshing to their favorite punk bands, with a bit of naughty cross-dressing Sound of Music thrown in for laughs. As it goes with teenagers, it is not a smooth journey, and mislaid hands with well-intended plans make their paths veer as often as cross. Every time they find each other again there is a song to commemorate the moment, which creates their infinite playlist. Even though both characters have major potty mouths, they are very intelligent and straight-laced (as far as drinking or drugs are concerned).

Comments: The use of song/band titles is going to date this book, but I have seen both Levithan and Cohn do that in some of their other work, so they must not care. The make-out scenes were steamy right from that first kiss. Nick plays in a queercore punk band, but the gay scene is not at the forefront of this novel. I know a ton of kids that I am dying to suggest this book to.

Booktalking ideas: Lead with the punk angle first, and then go for the romance. It will sell itself to that crowd.

VOYAesque Rating: 4Q 3P

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood

by Ann Brashares

Assignment: #7 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Delacorte, 2005. 352 p.
Genre & Format: Contemporary Fiction; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Everybody reviewed it.

Grades: 7 and up

Summary: It’s that summer after high school graduation before all four girls are ready to head off to four different colleges. Carmen looks after Lena’s grandmother while fretting over an impending baby sibling. Lena frets over paying for art school when her father finds her in a nude figure drawing class—and therefore refuses to pay for art school. Bee returns to her old soccer camp as a counselor, and surprise, Eric is there. No worries, Bee gained a whole new strength last summer. Which leaves Tibby to do her first dance with romance, and then must deal with her devastation after her baby sister falls out of an open window? The girls deal with old and new flames, as well as families and life decisions, all while wearing those ragged jeans they cherish.

Comments: I feel like I am growing weary with this foursome, but I still want to know what happens in the last book that finishes the set, so I guess I’ll read that this summer. Sometimes it gets tough keeping up with four storylines if you don’t read the book in big chunks, plus I become impatient that the romance doesn’t develop a bit faster since we’re hopping around. I enjoy bits of each character, but don’t really identify with any of them separately. Do you suppose that is on purpose?

Booktalking ideas: The book stands alone, but why wouldn’t you start with the first summer? Since all four have been released, I would booktalk the set, that way if some people forgot to look for the next one in their individual sequence, they can be reminded that all four are out there now. And if they have never met the traveling pants, what a great time to start—it’s almost summer.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P

The Secret Life of Bees

by Sue Monk Kidd

Assignment: #6 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Viking, 2002. 320 p.
Genre & Format: Contemporary Fiction; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Booklist and SLJ

Grades: 8 and up

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Lily, and Rosaleen, the black woman who has helped to raise her, go on a journey to both escape and look for the past. Lily is looking to find clues about her mother that was killed in her presence when she was just four, and running from her abusive father. Rosaleen gets sprung from the jail for sassing back to a white supremacist in town—and after all, this is the sixties in South Carolina and the Civil Rights Act is very new. The two end up at the house of three black women who keep bees and make honey, where they are taken in; graciously for the most part. It is a story of female friendships and the coming of age of a girl.

Comments: It is a nice quick read that still has a lot of substance. The mystic quality of the Southern Black culture weaves a tale of intrigue and truth. The development does not feel forced, but rather unfolds for you. I passed the book on to my mom when I finished it—it is one of those pass around kind of books.

Booktalking ideas: A beekeepers helmet might be a bit much, but it could be fun. Maybe connect the abused, motherless girl that touches a lot of buttons with kids.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P

On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God

by Louise Rennison

Assignment: #5 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Recorded Books, 2001. 5 discs; 5.25 hours.
Genre & Format: Chic Lit; Novel Audiobook (journal format)

Awards/Reviews: Book Report, Book List, Horn Book and SLJ

Grades: 6 and up

Summary: Georgia Nicolson faces her usual issues: climbing the snogging level chart, hiding her humongous nose, Wet Lindsay, Angus the crazy big cat, and a family that obviously doesn’t understand. The Sex God is older and suggests that they cool it until she ages a bit; even worse he suggests that she date Dave, who is supposed to be a great laugh. Dave The Laugh is great, but Georgia could only possibly consider him as a tool to make the S.G. come back to her. She is the typical self-absorbed teenager (I don’t know how she has friends as selfish as she is) that is obsessed with looks and romance and competing with other girls in the looks and romance department.

Comments: The audio book truly brought the rhythm and tone of British slang to life. I was laughing throughout, and before I knew it the book was over. God, was I that bad at fourteen? No, thirteen was my really bad year. Good lord, I think this is my personal diary from that age. I still adore snogging.

Booktalking ideas: Link it to the first one, Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging. Reintroduce Georgia and her inner monologue through journal entries. It’s a fast read, and you’ll laugh out loud.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P

The Subtle Knife

by Philip Pullman

Assignment: #4 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. 331 p.
Genre & Format: Fantasy; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Horn Book, Booklist

Grades: 7 and up

Summary: This is the second book, following The Golden Compass, in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra Belacqua, our protagonist, meets Will Parry in the middle world that she has stepped into on her quest to find the meaning of Dust. The Golden Compass tells her that she has a greater quest related to Will, and so she must follow that path first and foremost. In this episode the witches return, as well as other familiar friends and foes to do evil and good. Angels make their first appearance, solidifying the religious nature of the text, but overall this book is very dark, with few light spots of hope. It only makes it that much more intriguing to see how it will all play out in the third book, The Amber Spyglass.

Comments: I could not put it down! It would be pointless to read this book without reading the first book in the trilogy first. Pullman does a great job of referring back to characters or events from the first book without burdening readers with the feeling that you are being told the first book all over again. Brilliant. The religious aspects are fascinating as I am constantly trying to create an allegory of how his tenets fit into what I know about Christianity (not enough, as I am an agnostic). This would not be a good read as a whole class for obvious concerns of some parents, but great to offer in the library.

Booktalking ideas: Describe the idea of there being a Chicago or a New York that belongs to a different time or place. It is familiar, but different. When I read about Lyra’s Oxford in The Golden Compass, I keep looking for her to mention the familiar parts for me to latch on to. Well, in the second book we revisit that idea, but with a whole new middle world connected between the two. So what do you think is in that world?

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P

Red Kayak

by Priscilla Cummings

Assignment: #3 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Dutton, 2004. 224 p.
Genre & Format: Mystery; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Kirkus, Booklist and SLJ

Grades: 6 and up

Summary: Brady is a nice thirteen-year-old boy who lives with his family on the Chesapeake Bay as working crabbers. The area is changing with more summer house visitors and rich redevelopers on their road, all while the crabbing business is getting more difficult to make a living at. His friends, J.T. and Digger, are absorbed in the resentment their parents feel about the changes, and show their animosity whenever the subject of the new neighbors comes up. Brady is called out to take his boat to help search the backwaters when a mother and son get caught in the strong currents of the bay. He finds the toddler, but is distraught when the boy dies of hypothermia regardless. As he questions how this happens, details are revealed which cause him to figure out what the right thing to do is.

Comments: It is a story of friendship and coming of age that resonates with his age group, as well as older readers. It is so beautifully written, and I really could not see what was coming next. The details are believable but not overdone, and the emotions are real and succinct.

Booktalking ideas: My instinct is to talk about my personal experiences with kayaking, thinking that was what this book was about when I first picked it up. Then I would go into the fact that it is really a mystery that is very well written for anybody to read.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 5P

The Bermudez Triangle

by Maureen Johnson

Assignment: #2 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Penguin, 2004. 368 p.
Genre & Format: Contemporary Fiction; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Kirkus, Booklist and SLJ

Grades: 8 and up

Summary: Nina, Avery, and Mel make up the Bermudez Triangle, a best friend trio that finds new angles the summer before senior year. Nina goes away to a college camp to become the next great leader of student council and falls in love with a super-granola guy. While she is gone, Avery the punkish girl and Mel the gorgeous girl work at a Bennigan’sesque restaurant to make some money, and end up falling in love with each other. By the end of summer, Mel knows it is love, while Avery questions whether she really is a lesbian. As expected, Nina finds out about them in mid-makeout, which creates strain on the friendship parts of the triangle as she clearly feels like an outsider at that point. Through the school year all three girls figure out love, some sexuality, and how both can affect everything you do as a teenager, but as they grow it all irons out in the end.

Comments: I was annoyed by the cheesiness of where the title comes from—it is Nina’s last name, but it is supposedly an equal friend group, so why name it after her? It made the rest of the book plod along, but eventually the usual teen obsessions about relationships got on a roll and some decisions were made. I feel the need to read Johnson’s other books to decide if I like this author—this book doesn’t tell me enough.

Booktalking ideas: I think the best way to promote this book is from the lesbian/bisexual side of it. It is the main strand in the book, so why fight it. Maybe from the “Have you ever thought a best friend could become your best romance, or even true love?” That relates to almost anyone.

VOYAesque Rating: 3Q 3P

The Body of Christopher Creed

by Carol Plum-Ucci

Assignment: #1 of narrative annotations
Publication info.: Harcourt, 2000. 248 p.
Genre & Format: Mystery; Novel

Awards/Reviews: VOYA and SLJ

Grades: 8 and up

Summary: Torey, all-around good guy athlete, tells about why going to a private school away from home was the only way he could escape the grief of looking for Christopher Creed. Creed is the kid that begs to be bullied by everyone. He lives in a strict household that seems to have lost sight of the need to teach/model “normal” social behavior. When Creed leaves a cryptic note that implies a possible suicide or runaway mission, the parents and police look to lay blame on the kids that bullied him, even considering a boondock thug for murder. As Tory worries that maybe he, and everyone else, was at fault for sending Creed down that road, he believes that finding him is the only way to seek absolution.

Comments: I was hooked every step of the way. Even in the end when things start to fall into place, there was still an unexpected twist. I think students will see themselves in one or more of these characters, often relating as both a bully and the one being bullied in different situations in his/her life. I did (I’ll never forgive myself for the smallest of transgressions as a popular eighth grader).

Booktalking ideas: Are you a bully? Are you sure? Do you ever use the power you have that comes with either money, popularity, beauty, or talent to make other people fell less powerful? Even in the slightest way? Or maybe you see yourself as the one being bullied in any of these situations. My last question to all of you is: What do you do when someone begs to be bullied because they do everything about being a member of society wrong?

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 5P

Plainsong

by Kent Haruf

Assignment: #3 of popular novel annotations
Publication info.: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. 301 p.
Genre & Format: Drama; Novel

Awards/Reviews: New York Times Book Review and SLJ

Grades: 8 and up

Summary: A small community in Colorado is revealed through seven characters that come into each other’s lives. There are two teachers, a pregnant high school girl, two boys who miss their mother, and a couple of old bachelor brothers that are much less like the curmudgeons they seem. It weaves their stories to show rural life; its woes and its joys throughout. The story feels strong and arid, much like the Colorado plains landscape, including the constant need to leave for Denver that is felt throughout the cattle lands of that region.

Comments: The dialogue allows characters to describe themselves, while the narration offers glimpses of insight to keep the reader going. I was happy with how some things turned out, but it is not just a sappy happy ending. I can’t wait to read the sequel to see how these people get on after Plainsong.

Booktalking ideas: Perhaps go with the angle that all kids in Iowa feel like they need to “get out” to the big city where there is something to do.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson

by Mitch Albom

Assignment: #2 of popular novel annotations
Publication info.: Doubleday, 1997. 208 p.
Genre & Format: Drama; Novel

Awards/Reviews: Christian Science Monitor & NEA Today
Grades: 8 and up

Summary: Mitch Albom, a national sports reporter, sees a news clip about his mentor dieing of Lou Gherig’s Disease, and trying to make his last days meaningful and dignified. Mitch, as narrator, tells of his weekly visit with Morrie, flying in just to spend a bit of time every Tuesday, soaking up wisdom and truth about life. He tells about Morrie dieing, but it really is about life and how you look at it. He goes through the progression of the disease and how Morrie gains even more integrity as his body fails him, causing his physical being to be less under his control. He is however under control of his reaction to his demise, and Mitch is there to absorb these truths.

Comments: While it all seemed too sappy and “bestsellery” for me to read, it was a most delightful tear-stained surprise. As one of my students told me, it really makes you think about how you look at life. It is sad and hopeful all at the same time. It is really philosophy cloaked in narrative.

Booktalking ideas: If you are one of those people who think you have life all figured out, read this and see if you really were on the right track. What’s that…nobody feels that they have it all figured out… well, read this and see if it gives you somewhere to start a dialogue about life. You will be begging a friend to read it too so that you can talk about it together. Really.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P

Whitethorn Woods

by Maeve Binchy

Assignment: #1 of popular novel annotations
Publication info.: Alfred A Knopf, 2007. 339 p.
Genre & Format: Drama Comedy; Novel—written as interconnected short stories
Awards/Reviews: Review in Library Journal and Kirkus Review
Grades: 10 and up

Summary: The town of Rossmore in Ireland is home to a shrine in the woods which brings visitors from near and far begging for health, wealth, and happiness—and sometimes just answers. The interconnection of the folks that live there, are from there, have relatives there, or have emigrated from there is delightfully played out to the end. Neddy (my hero), is a plain, Forrest Gump type fellow, who is often underestimated, however he is lucky enough to have a handful of people that see his smarts and integrity. Father Brian Flynn is unnerved by the piety of visitors to the shrine, including his sister looking for love. The ones that have moved to London always seem to have an air that just proves you are always better off staying in Ireland if you want to continue to be good people. The American relatives are predictably American, but not in a stereotypical manner, just typical of Binchy’s portrayal of them in the past. In the end some are happy while others get their due.

Comments: For a student (mostly girls I’m afraid) that likes nice stories about people that seem real and make you laugh, this is a great book. There is no sex, drugs, or rock and roll—however in the Irish storytelling tradition, there is a bit of the drink. There were occasions where she would introduce a new character’s life and I would not feel drawn in, but a couple of pages later there would be the best twist that I did not see coming about that person. That might be half Maeve, and half my lack of foresight when I enjoy popular literature—I like to just let it unfold for me.

For classroom use: The opposing viewpoints on a situation would make a great example for a narrative writing exercise showing two very different takes on an event. Easy reading, great as a read-aloud, even for boys.

Booktalking ideas: I might booktalk this at the beginning of March for St. Patrick’s themes. I would also consider mixing this in with a chic lit booktalk for upper high school. Maybe summarize one of the subplots, then ask them what they think the point of view might be from the other characters—especially the bits about Becca’s plan to get her man.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 3P

Chewing Gum in Church

Text and Illustrations by Steven Weissman

Assignment: #3 of graphic novel annotations
Publication info.: Fantagraphics Books 2006. 94 p.
Genre & Format: Comedy Horror; Graphic Novel
Awards: Review in Booklist
Grades: 6 and up

Summary: This is not a cohesive narrative, rather a collection of Sunday funnies. The characters are mostly children of horror film characters: Li’l Bloody, the vampire kid; Pullapart Boy, a stitched up Frankenstein child; Kid Medusa, a girl with serpent hair and a penchants for stomping on anthills; X-Ray Spence, the nerdy kid with x-ray vision; and a fat kid named Chubby. There are the usual childhood issues of ganging up on the nerdy kid and talking about barf, but then there are issues specific to the undead such as smelling “worse than the Holocaust”, and Li’l Bloody enjoying the smell. Color illustrations are childlike and vibrant.

Comments: It is twisted and rather bizarre, but it made me laugh, so once again, perhaps I am twisted and bizarre (although no dark and twisty like Grey’s Anatomy, to clarify). The little monster characters are new, and sometimes the funnies show them doing almost nothing, which I think some weeks of the Sunday funnies are like that. My favorite part is when Kid Medusa opens her mailbox to find a black widow spider, and since she thinks perhaps her father sent it to her, she takes it out. After it bites her, she is so sick she hallucinates that Pegasus is her brother, calling her “Cute Boots”, and takes her to see their dad. The Cute Boots things made me laugh so hard, plus her serpent hair turned into unicorns. This was such a new idea, I love it. It could stand to leave out some of the “what the heck?” panels, but maybe somebody gets them besides me.

Booktalking ideas: Maybe a vampire cape. Oh, I know, bring in the comics section of the paper and talk about which ones the kids like and why, then move into the style being the same.

VOYAesque Rating: 4Q 4P

Maxx Hamm Fairy Tale Detective, V.1

Text and Illustrations by Frank Cammuso

Assignment: #2 of graphic novel annotations
Publication info.: Syracuse : Nite Owl Comix 2005. 207 p.
Genre & Format: Fairy Tale; Graphic Novel
Awards: Booklist 2006 Top Ten Graphic Novels; Reviews in School Library Journal and Booklist
Grades: 8 and up

Summary: “In this throwback to the pulp-novels and film-noir era, porcine detective Max Hamm is a combination of Sam Spade and Porky Pig. In the first story, The Big Sheep, he unearths scandal and deceit involving the murder of his partner, Humpty Dumpty. The Long Ever After is a carefully woven tale of intrigue surrounding Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. The characters communicate in pun-filled dialogue that works well with the story, and is not overdone. Typical graphic-novel panels alternate with a layout more typically found in picture books, a convention Cammuso employs to bring a solid juxtaposition of text and illustration to the book. Many fairy tales are referenced, and the concept of combining them with this setting results in a truly enjoyable plot. Readers of both comics and graphic novels will relish this volume.” Review from SLJ Nov. 2005

Comments: The graphic novel panels are used to tell the story in the present, while the storybook sections are to tell a story from the past to explain something happening in the present. I enjoyed the connections made between fairy tale characters that had never been put together before. The idea of a pig detective having a love affair with Snow White, a lounge singer, is reminiscent of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in that it presents a very unlikely love affair. The puns made me laugh, but maybe I’m a bit silly that way. I think this is a great segue way for students new to graphic novels that need that connection to a genre they are already familiar with to get into the format.

Booktalking ideas: I see a fedora and trenchcoat being implemented, plus a bit of the vernacular used in old detective films. “So you think fairy tales are just for the little kiddies, eh? Well hows about you meet Max Hamm, then we’ll talk.” Etc.

VOYAesque Rating: 5Q 4P

De:Tales: Stories from Urban Brazil

Text and Illustrations by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba

Assignment: #1 of graphic novel annotations
Publication info.: Milwaukie, OR : Dark Horse Books, 2006. 112 p.
Genre & Format: Drama and Magical Realism; Graphic Novel
Awards: Review in Booklist
Grades: 10 and up

Summary: Twin brothers both write and illustrate, sometimes switching roles, and sometimes going solo. This is a collection of twelve short stories that offer mystery and anecdotal interest. The recurring strand is about the brothers or other students their age clubbing in Brazil, as well as startling visit to Paris. There is a strong awareness of relationships, both random and deep. There is a ghost story about a friend who died too young that is touching and bittersweet. One story has a brief flash of nudity, but nothing is vulgar or corrupt.

Comments: This book is somewhat dark, but I think it shows how a couple kids thousands of miles away have the same interests as American students. The point of view of the frames drew me in. Power lines recur throughout any story in an urban setting, which makes me wonder if that is important where they live, or if they are using it as a tool to demonstrate the urban feel. As far as the magical realism goes, I think this is a great way to show how to suspend your disbelief through the ghost story “Happy Birthday, My Friend”. One thing I found difficult in reading is that it is often unclear when a new story begins. I suppose that is both a layout issue, as well as a frequent disconnect related to the endings. I was surprised that it did not feel “foreign” to me.

Booktalking ideas: My initial reaction is to focus on the short story aspect. With that you can sell the romantic side, or the darkness and mystery, as well as some humor—each aspect might appeal to different kids. Plus, for Davenport Central, this is great with the number of students that exchange with our sister school in Brazil.

VOYAesque Rating: 4Q 3P