Author: John Green
Ages: 10th - 12th grades
Review: There's quite a bit of hype and blogging going on right now about Looking for Alaska. The basis for this banter centers on the fact that this novel, Green's first, is targeting at Young Adults yet the adult language and sexual tones are quite explicit. Take a look at this post with a vlog embed from another blogger to see just how passionate both sides of this issue have been. Warning: Some individuals may be offended by the explicit language used in this posts: Bee's Booknerd. For a summary and commentary, check out Nymeth's exceptional review at her things mean a lot blog.
My take? This is an exceptional book, deserving the ALA Award it received. If it were a movie, it would be rated 'R' for explicit language and sexual content. My tension of recommending this book is tethered between the typical language of teens and actions of teens depicted in the novels versus what I would like to have teens absorb versus the intensely emotional journey Green takes us on as readers. It's the kind of book you want every teenager to pick up but you don't want them to read because it looks like you're condoning the language and sex. Do I think this book should be banned? No, I don't. But I also don't think this book could be chosen as a classroom novel -- unfortunately, even for high school seniors. Do I think high schoolers should read it? Yep, I do. The reconciliation of emotions bound in the storyline is a shared experience, indicative of the human condition.
AUTHOR: Martha Brooks
AGES: High school
REVIEW: This is another novel that got me in a big way. It ended up where I didn't even know it was going. The story is primarily told from teenager Odella's point of view. However, other characters' points of views are sprinkled in throughout the novel. The British Columbia Teacher Librarians Association (in Canada) awarded Mistik Lake the 2008 young adult book award, describing the story as:
In Martha Brooks’ Mistik Lake, family secrets are explored in an intergenerational narrative. When Odella’s mother leaves for another man, Odella must confront her mother’s past and cope with the impact it has on the way she sees the world. In this haunting and introspective story, Brooks creates a thoughtful character that will emotionally resonate with her readers.
In another post, Lauren W. described a novel called Speak. I found Speak's themes and mature content to be similar to Mistik Lake. Mistik Lake is full of very mature themes, including promiscuity and homosexuality. I recommend using this novel with care in a classroom.
AUTHOR: Stephen Chbosky
AGES: High School (14-18)
REVIEW: In the tradition of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Chbosky’s novel follows the painfully inept Charlie as he struggles to make a place for himself at his school. In this short novel, Charlie, an awkward sophomore in high school, writes letters to an unidentified friend, presumably the reader. Charlie chronicles his attempts to navigate high school, make friends, meet girls, and figure out who he is. His English teacher recognizes his potential and points him towards books that might help him.
What I like most about this book is that Charlie’s descriptions of high school are ruthlessly accurate. When Charlie’s best friends, who are seniors, leave for college, you feel exactly how sad Charlie is. Students will immediately latch on to the realistic details of high school life. Blogger Stewie81 says on his blog that this novel is a “caricature of real life apt enough to make some people consider their own experiences.” In another blog (Sellers Library Teens) the reviewer says that “this is a classic coming-of-age novel with a striking perspective.”
This novel is well suited for high school students, but be cautious—the same realistic elements that make this book easy to relate to are also quite adult in nature (including both sex and drugs). I would definitely discuss the ending with the class (in which the Charlie remembers being molested as a child). This difficult ending is also one of the weaknesses of the novel; it seems as if Chbosky wants to “explain” Charlie’s sensitivity and awkwardness with this revelation. Students who identified with Charlie throughout the novel might not be able to relate to this fact of his life.
You can check the plot summary at Barnes and Noble or at The Book Marque.
Guest Blogger: Edward C. is an Algebra I teacher and Chess Team coach at a high school in Memphis, TN. He is an avid reader and constantly on the search for new books. Edward is in the Teacher Education program at the University of Memphis. In the future, Edward sees him self continuing to teach and continuing to improve himself through higher education. Edward is a student in Dr. Anna Clifford's IDT 7061 course, Spring 08.
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