Great Graphic Novel 2012 - Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Brosgol, V. (2011). Anya's Ghost (p. 221). New York, New York: First & Second.

Themes: Family, Friendship, Ghost
Characters: Anya, Dima, Sasha, Anya’s Mom, Siobhan, Emily, Sean, Elizabeth

Summary:

Anya is an ordinary girl except her family is from Russia.  Her mom encourages her to befriend Dima, a fellow Russian student. Anya falls in a hole one day and finds a skeleton. A ghost rises from the skeleton and introduces itself as Emily. Anya escapes the hole and take a piece of Emily’s skeleton with her, unknowingly. At school, Emily reappears and helps Anya pass a biology test. She also helps Anya talks to her crush, Sean.

Sean, Elizabeth (Sean’s girlfriend), Anya, and Emily go to a party and find out that Sean is a creep. She notices Emily changing; her hair and clothes. Anya wants to solve Emily’s murder, so she goes to the library. There, Dima helps Anya find that Emily actually killed her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. Emily finds out she can move things and injured Anya’s mom. Sasha, Anya returns the bone to the hole and decides to help cover the hole with the help of her fellow classmates.

The major strengths of the book is that you should take your family or your heritage for granted.  Anya is the perfect example of doing this.  It isn't until her mom gets injured, she realizes her love for her mom.

 

Aristotle and Dante by Benjamin A. Saenz

Saenz, B. (2012). Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe (p. 368). New York: Simon & Schuster.

Themes: Ari (Aristotle), Dante, and their parents

Characters: Identity, Sexuality, Love

Summary:

Ari and Dante are friends that meet one summer at the pool. Dante offers to teach Ari how to swim. Ari is an angry, loner. He came from an estrange family – his brother is a jail, his dad has PTSD. Dante is playful and artistic, coming from a professional family. His dad is a professor of English Lit. The story is about their love for each other. It first starts off as a friendship and grows into lovers. Ari is in denial of his sexuality and his love for Dante. Ari receives a red Chevy truck and takes Dante to the desert and they just talk. Dante uses words Ari has never heard of, it like he’s a new universe. Ari learns how to let go of the anger and he confides to his parents of his love from Dante.

The story hits home on tradition Mexican gender roles. Males are supposed to be machismo (manly and strong) and females are caretakers and housewives.  Homosexuality is still taboo in the Mexican culture. As a Mexican-American, we are taught to have tradition roles in the household. The lesson from the story is that it is okay to be yourself and love who you choose. 

Love in the time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

Block, F. (2013). Love in the time of global warming (p. 240Ne). New York: Henry Holt and.Co

Themes: Love, Adventure, Family, Loss

Characters: Penelope (Pen), Venice, Kronen, Hex, Noey, Ez, Ash, Merk

Summary:
Los Angles has been hit by a severe natural disaster. Pen has lost her family – her parent, Venice (brother) and dog (Argos). She stays in her home and survives on her family’s dooms day food reserve. One day, Merk and his crew brakes into Pen’s home. Merk provides a van and map to find Pen’s family. During Pen’s travels, she meets Hex, Ash and Ez. Their quest to Las Vegas mimics Homer’s The Odessey. They encounters giants, sirens, lotus flowers, and gods. Hex has the Odyessey and they use it as a guide to help them.  Pen has an attraction to Hex, who is a transgener boy. Whenever Pen and her crew were on the right path, monarch butterflies would appear.

I would recommend the second book, Island of Excess Lovers. It is a continuation of the first book, since the ending stops abruptly.

Great Graphic Novels: Will and Whit by Laura Gulledge

Gulledge, L. (2013). Will & Whit (p. 194). New York: Ambulet Paperbacks.

Themes: Grief, Fear, Healing, Friendship

Characters: Wilhelmia (Will), Autumn, Noel, Aunt

Summary:
Will lives with her aunt, who owns an antique shop. Her parents have died in a car crash.  Will is very crafty, she likes to make lamps made of trinkets. We find out she is afraid of the dark. A hurricane, Whitney, come through the town and knocks down the power.  The town does not have any light, and Will is scared, but has to face her fears. She confides to her friends about her fears and her parent’s death.

The lesson from the story is that not everyone is not perfect and some need healing. It also helps children face their fears and helps them deal with their emotions.

Printz Winner - Where thing come back by John Corey Whaley

 
Whaley, J. (2011). Where things come back: A novel (p. 240). New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Themes: Grief, Suicide, Friendship, Family

Characters: Cullen, Cabot, Gabriel, John Barling, Benton, Alma, Lucas

Summary:

The story is about the Witter family and their life in Lily, Arkansas. Cullen is a high school senior who is dealing with his cousin’s death. He and his friend, Lucas, go on a double date with Alma. Alma is recently divorced. Later that night, we find out Cullen’s younger brother, Gabriel, gets kidnap. The news of the kidnapping takes a step back because John Barling has discovered a Lazarus, an extinct bird. At the same time, we learn about Belton. He goes to Ethiopia on missionary. He return and attends the University of Atlanta. He meets Cabot, his new roommate and Alma’s boyfriend. He and Alma get married because of a pregnancy scare. During Christmas, Belton commits suicide. Cabot goes through Belton’s things and is convinced he need to do God’s work.  Alma files for divorce and moves back home, Lily, Arkansas.

Cabot follows her and finds out she is dating Culler. Cabot attempts to kidnap Culler but kidnaps Gabriel. As Cabot and Gabriel are waiting, a news caption read “No chances in Lily, Arkansas.” Cabot takes that as a sign and return Gabriel.

I would recommend the age group for this book to be 14 – 18. The book does contain violence and suicide.

 

Printz Winner - Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedwick

Sedgwick, M. (2013). Midwinterblood (p. 272). New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Themes: Reincarnation, Love, Death, Life

Characters: Eric (Eric Seven, Eric Carlsson, Erika, Eirik, King Eirikr), Merle (Melle and Queen Melle), Tor (Thorolf), Edward, David, Bridget, Gunner, Henrik, Rebecka, Benjamin, Nancy, Isabella, Mat, Maya, Jane, Wulf

Summary:

The story is divided into seven sections. In each section, Eric and Merle are, in some way, interconnected and love each other. The story starts in 2073 and ends in the 10 century.

 It starts with Eric Seven who is sent on assignment to research the island called Blessed. He meets Merle and is immediately drawn to her. He ends up on a stone table able to be killed. In part 2, an archeologist named Edward is looking for Viking remains. He meets Eric and his mother Merle. He finds a grave with two bodies holding each other. Part 3, introduces Lt. David Thompson who parachuted from his plane. He meets Rebecka, Erik and Benjamin, who take care of him and his broken ankle.  Erik demands David to burn everything because soldiers are looking for him. He manages to save his wallet, containing a picture of his daughter Merle. At the end Erik is killed and David returns to his daughter which he outlives.

Part 4 is about Merle and her mother Bridget who live on Blest Island. Merle is curious about a church in the western part of the island. Eric Carlsson, a famous painter, lives there. Merle and her mother take care of him. He is currently painting Midwinterboold, a painting of a king on a stone table being sacrificed. On day, Bridget checks on Eric and finds him death with a paintbrush in his hand.  He has painted Merle into the picture. Part 5 is a story of two twins. Their mom, Laura, tells them a tail of two lovers that are forbidden to be together. The children are so scared they go downstairs and find the real Laura. A ghost had recited that story. The real Laura recognizes the story, but it was two females (Erika and Merle) who were in love. In part 6, Melle is reminiscing about her past. Her dad and uncle (Wulf and Tor) come home from a voyage. She and her twin brother, Eirik, find out that Tor is their biological father. Wulf kills Tor and he becomes a vampire. One night, Eirik goes missing. Melle thinks Tor and Eirik are in a grave holding each other. In the last part, King Eiriki is ready to sacrifice himself to save his kingdom from crop failure. As he dies, he asks his Queen (Melle) to follow him because he will live seven lives . She says yes.

Teachers can use the book in meaning ways. You can have the students create a “family tree” showing how these characters are connected. They can also write another story of Eric and Merle and try their previous encounter in some way or form.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, S., & Thompson, K. (2009). Leviathan (p. 440). New York: Simon Pulse.

Themes: WWI, Courage, Science

Characters: Deryn (Dylan), Prince Alek, Dr. Nora Barlow, Wildcount Volger, Otto Klopp, Hoffman, Bauer, Jasper, Tazza

Summary:

Prince Alek is from Austria who has recently become an orphan.  Volger, his trusty fencing coach, and Otto, his master of mechanics, take Alek from his room to escape the Germans. Deryn is a girl who is dying to become a pilot for the British Air Service, but her gender is stopping her.  Her brother, Jasper, helps her dress as a boy and helps Deryn (Dylan) accomplish her dream. During her flight, a storm is approaching and the Huxley (jellyfish-like ship) started to fall. The Leviathan, a massive ecosystem ship, attempts to save them by tossing a rope. She joins the crew of the Leviathan.

Later, the ship crashes where Alek and his men were hiding in an hour castle. Deryn and Alek met and immediately Deryn know something is wrong. Captain Hoffes informs the crew they have to let the Leviathan go in order to save the crew. Deryn follow Alek to the castle and see a walker (Alek’s crew) coming towards them. Deyrn holds Alek as hostage and demands food in exchange. Volger agrees and Dr. Barlow goes with the clankers. The next day, they see two German zeepplins. During the battle, Alek stands in front of the walker and reveals himself a prince. The Leviathan’s engines are destroyed, Alek comes up with the idea of replacing it with the engine from the walkers. As the Leviathan adapts to the new engine, she comes back better than ever.

Since the book is the part of a trilogy, I would recommend reading the second and third book. The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman is also a steampunk book filled with adventure

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis (p. 157). New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

 

Characters: Marjane, Ebi, Taji, Grandma, Uncle Anoosh, Kia, Mali, Uncle Taher, Lucia, Doctor Heller, Julie, Reza

Themes:  Religion, War, Family            

Summary: Persepolis is a graphic novel depicting Marijane in lran. In the beginning, she explains the rebellion, the school she attends, and her dream of becoming a prophet. Her parents are protesters and her uncle helped Azerbaijan declare independence. Iran has been more and more violent. Her neighborhood gets bombed. Her house is unharmed but her neighbor’s house is in pieces. The only thing remains is Neda’s bracelet attached to her unattached arm. Marjane’s parents send her to Vienna because they are concerned for her safety. In Vienna, she lives with the nuns and soon gets kicked out because she calls the prostitutes. She moves in with Julie, then with a group of homosexuals and then with Doctor Hellers. At school, she meets new people and become the school’s drug dealer. Her life is getting bad – lives in the street and then she wakes up in the hospital. Marji returns home and enters school. She becomes very outspoken and voices her concerns about the double standards of dress. Marji soon marries Reza and then divorces him. She realizes she needs to move to Europe again.

As a lesson, a teacher can show the movie version of the book. Once it is done, you can compare and contrast the two versions.

Feed by M. T. Anderson

Anderson, M. (2002). Feed (p. 308). Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.

Characters: Titus, Violet, Violet’s Dad, Steve (Titus’ Dad), Calista, Loga, Link, Quendy

Themes:  Technology, Love, Control   

Summary:

Titus is the typical teenager except for the feed – a government advertisement implant. He meets Violet on the moon and he instantly falls for her. Violet is different, she speaks instead of e-chats. That is because the feed was installed at 7 years old instead of birth. Her feed starts to malfunction, but she continues to act like she is receiving it. She goes shopping but doesn’t buy anything. At a party, Violet starts to yell at Titus’ friends. Shortly after they break up. Violet is ill and Titus comes over.  Her dad explains he feels horrible about not installing the feed earlier. She is in bed making noise and she cannot control her body. Titus returns and talks about current events.  He soon realizes his love for her.

The lesson of the book is not to be too dependent on technology. For example, when Violet freaks out at Link’s party. She points out the need to constant information. We can relate because the majority of us have a smartphone. We can checking emails, texts, and social media.

 

 

Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger

Angleberger, T. (2012). Fake Mustache (p. 208). New York: Amulet Books.

Characters: Casper (Fako Mustacho), Lenny Jr., Jodie O’Rodeo, Soymilk

Themes:  Deception, Friendship, Politics, Bravery

Summary:

 Casper and Lenny are best friends. For Casper’s birthday, his rich grandmother gave him $400 to spend on anything. He decides to purchase a suit and a Heidelberg Handbar Mustache #7. People start to notice Casper in his new appearance. In the new, a mad band robber is on the loose. A picture is released and Lenny clearly identifies the robber as Casper. It turns out the fake mustache has powers, whoever wears it can manipulates anyone. Now Casper is Fako Mustacho and planning to run for mayor and then president. Lenny want to defeat Casper by giving an anonymous tip to the FBI. Casper catches on and convinces everyone that Lenny is evil. Now Lenny has to disguise himself as Jodie O’Rodeo. The real Jodie and Lenny defeat Casper.

I would recommend the age range from 7 -13 years old.  It contains images and the writing which is very comical and appropriate for this age group.

Schooled by Gordon Korman

Characters: Cap, Rain, Mrs. Donnelly, Sofia, Daryl, Hugh, Zach

Themes:  Friendship, Family, Courage, Perseverance

Summary:

Capricorn (Cap) is lives on a commune with his grandma named Rain. She also homeschools him. Rain gets seriously injured and is forced to stay in the hospital. Mrs. Donnelly, a social workers, asks Cap to stay with her and her daughter Sofia. His first day of school, Cap meets the school’s bully, Zach. Zach decides he’s going to nominate Cap as president. This way they can manipulate him, bully him and cause him to get a mental breakdown. School is bad, finding a dead bird in his locker and home is bad too.

Cap saves the day by driving the school bus, because the driver keeled over. The school rallies for Cap and his popularity grows.  The only two people that hate him now are Zack and Hugh. Cap gets in the middle of a fight between Daryl and Zach and is taken to the hospital. Everyone thinks he is dead so they have a candlelight vigil to memorialize Cap. Cap shows up that and everyone cheers.  Rain is observing everything. She sells Garland and Cap can return to school with all his new friends.

The lesson from Schooled is that no matter your background, situation or home life. Being yourself id always best. Cap was himself and he won everyone over with his kindness. At the end of the book, he has new friends.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Stiefvater, M., & Stengel, C. (2009). Shiver (p. 390). New York: Scholastic Press.

Characters: Grace, Sam, Olivia, Isabel, Jack, Paul, Shelby

Themes: Friendship, Love, Fear

Summary:

Grace was attacked by wolves when she was eleven years old. A wolf eventually saves her, which turns out to be Sam. Jack, a classmate, dies from being attacked by wolves. The town rallies together to hunt these wolves and ends up shooting Sam. Sam crawls to Grace’s door and she takes care of him. They fall in love, even though Sam is a wolf. Isabel, Jack’s sister, finds out he is a wolf and wants to find a cure. He remembers that Grace was bitten but never turned. Isabel thinks when Grace had a high fever, her body destroyed the “wolf virus”. So she develops a plan to inject meningitis to Jack, Sam and Olivia. Sam and Olivia refuse, so Jack gets injected and dies.

The book is very reminiscent of the Twilight series.  I would recommend as a follow up read, Twilight (New Moon) by Stephanie Myers. Both book discuss the transformation form human to wolves.

YA New York Times Bestseller: Paper Towns by John Green

Green, J. (2008). Paper towns (p. 305). New York: Dutton Books.

Characters: Margo, Quentin (Q), Ben, Radar, Lacey, Jase, Becca

Themes: Friendship, Love, Revenge, Adventure

Summary:

As children, Margo and Quentin (Q) were great friends, but slowly grew apart. Now they are seniors, a few weeks from graduating. Margo is one of the popular girls, dating a baseball player named Jase. Margo soon finds out that her best friend, Becca, is cheating with her boyfriend. One night, Margo wakes up Q and right all the wrongs. There are eleven problems that need to take care of. Quentin and Margo drive around getting revenge on Jase, Becca, Lacey, Chuck and they even sneak into Sea World. The following day, Margo goes missing and her parents are angry. Q, Radar, Ben and Lacey go on a wild goose chase decipher Margo’s clue and the meaning of Walt Whitman’s Songs of Myself. Quentin thinks that the meaning of paper towns are pseudovision (abandoned subdivisions), so Q starts searching for Margo there. On graduation day, Q figures out what paper towns meanings – Agloe, New York. The crew misses graduation and drives 19 hours to find Margo. They finally find her in a deserted barn. Everyone is upset to say the least. Margo didn’t want to be found and the crew because Margo is rude. Margo tells Q her story, her plan of pranks and her love for him. He leaves Margo at the barn, but promise to stay in touch.

I think the major lesson from this book is things (people) are not always as they seem. For example, Margo seems as if she is a happy, popular teenager. Her life is perfect – great adventures, great friends and a hot boyfriend. In reality, she is a tortured soul, she’s unhappy. Quentin realizes that no one really knew Margo, just her shenanigans. To sum it up, Margo is a “paper girl in a paper town”.   

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

King, A. S. (2010). Please Ignore Vera Dietz (p. 326). S.l.: Random House Children's Books.

Characters: Vera, Charlie, John the Pervert, Mr. Dietz, Jenny, Detentionheads

Themes: Death, Loss, Anger, Friendship, Family

 Vera is an 18 year old senior who is best friends with Charlie Khan. Their friendship starts to deteriorate when Charlie finds new friends, the Detentionheads, and starts to date Jenny. Jenny tell Charlie lies about Vera and they stop being friends. Vera continues to focus on her schoolwork and volunteers at the pet shop. Before Charlie’s death, he tells Vera that Jenny was going to kill him and burn down the pet shop. That night, Vera goes to the pet shop to see Charlie but see Jenny burning it down. The next day, Charlie is dead and is blamed for burning down the pet shop.

Vera goes to their tree, Master Oak, and finds evidence to support Charlie’s innocence.  She finds out that Jenny had forced Charlie to videotape them having sex and selling it to John the Pervert. Vera also found out that Jenny been blackmailing Charlie and threaten to kill him. Vera, along with her dad, turn in all of the evidence to the police. Her and father go on a vacation together with signs on their backs, reading “Ex-stripper's daughter" and "parsimonious”.  At the end, their relationship is mended and they both have let go of their pain.

Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes is a good follow up book because it also deals with a student who has parents who are not around and has afterschool jobs.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet (p. 208). New York: Bradbury Press.

Characters: Brian, Mother, Father, Terry, Jim, Uncle Carter

Themes: Survival, Nature, Manhood, Family, Adventure

Summary:

Brian is a 13 year old boy who goes to visit his dad in Canada. His parents are recently divorce and he finds out about his mother’s affair (the “secret”). The plane crashes into the lake because the pilot (Jim) had a heart attack and died.   Brian uses the hatchet his mom gave him to free himself from drowning. Brian is now stranded and hungry. He uses his hatchet to hunt for food, to construct shelter and to make tools. His attitude fluctuates from a can-do to attempting suicide. Brian has his trusty hatchet by side throughout the book.

A tornado hits the area and bring the plane up from the bottom of the lake.  Brian remembers about the pilot’s emergency survival pack, where he finds food, cooking tools, fire starters, and a transmitter. Brian plays with the transmitter but it seems to be broken. As he is eating, a plane lands and rescues him. His story of survival hits the news and his parents have reconciled. His father leaves and his mother continues with her “secret”. Brian never got a chance to tell his father of this “secret”.    

Teachers can use this book and have their students come up with plans of actions if they were in Brian's situation. You can have come up with items they will need for survival.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Crutcher, C. (2007). Deadline (p. 320). New York: Greenwillow Books.

Characters: Ben, Cody, Coach Banks, Mr. Lambeer, Dallas, Hey-soos, Rudy, Dr. Maria

Themes: Death, Love, Family, Relationship


Summary:

Ben Wolf is your typical 18 year old, but on a yearly physical he is diagnosed with a rare blood disease. He refuses treatment and wants to spend his last year to the fullest.  He quits cross-country and joins football and pursues Dallas, a girl he likes. Ben is good at football, playing along his taller, younger brother Cody. Ben is taken aback when Dallas asked him to homecoming after the interview.  Since he was diagnosed, Ben has been having dreams about Hey-soos, a Christ-like figure. Ben befriends the town drunk, Rudy McCoy.  Rudy supports Ben when he wants to create a project naming Malcolm X as a street.  At the end of the book, Ben tells his friends and family of his illness. Dallas dumps him but Ben doesn’t feel sad about it. Ben dies at the end of the book, but he does not regret any of his choices.

Teachers can have their student a writing prompt: “If you had one year to live, what would you do?” The students could list their priorities, adventures and goals they want to accomplish that year.   

Winger by Andrew Smith

Smith, A. (2013). Winger (p. 439). New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Characters: Ryan, Chas, Annie, Joey

Themes: Sexuality, School, Friendship

Summary:

Ryan (Winger) is a fourteen year old junior at Pine Mountain. Obviously he is much younger and smaller than his classmates and he gets bullied.  At the end of last year, he was caught using a teacher’s phone to call his crush Annie. Now he is living in the trouble maker dorms called Opportunity Hall.  Ryan is really good at running, he plays varsity rugby as a wing. Chas, Ryan’s new roommate, is the school’s biggest bully.  Ryan’s thoughts are composited of sex, penises, and rugby.  He also charts his emotions, experience and thoughts using graphs and diagrams. Ryan befriends, Joey, a gay rugby player which he is okay with. Ryan pretends to grow up and by doing so he actually kind of does.

I would recommend the age range from 14-18 years old.  Some of the content may be a little too much for a younger group.

 

The Knife of Never Letting Go - by Patrick Ness

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go (p. 479). Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.

Characters: Todd, Ben, Cillian, Aaron, Viola, Dr. Snow, Manchee, Mayor Prentiss

Themes: Communication, Power, Choice, Survival

Summary:

Todd is from the city of Prentisstown, where he is the only boy. Spackled (aliens) wiped out all the women in the city and also killed his father.  The aliens left the germ called the Noise, which amplifies everyone’s thoughts. Todd discovers a place in the swamp that the Noise does not appear. He tells his guardians, Ben and Cillian, and they tell him to leaves with Manchee (his dog).

Todd meets Viola, a girl from the Old World and they find out that everything was a lie. He and Viola go through hell and back on their journey. Aaron was sent by Mayor Prentiss to kill them. At the end, Viola gets shot in the stomach and Todd has to carry her to the Haven. Mayor Prentiss welcomes them to the New World and introduces himself as President.

 I would recommend the Maze Runner by James Dasher.  It has a simple feel of only males in the storyline and then suddenly a female show up. There are also two other books to the trilogy.

 

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, W. (1999). Monster (p. 2811). New York, New York: HarperCollins.

Characters: Steve, Jerry, Richard “Bobo”, James King, Kath O’Brian, Jose Delgado, Detective Karyl, Arthur, Sunset, Ernie, Mom and Dad

Theme: Life, Betrayal, Violence, Family, Fear

Summary:

Steve is facing 25 years to life. So to say the least, he is pretty freaked out. The story starts off as writing in his journal then becomes a screenplay then ends in his journal. Steve is sitting in his cell waiting for his trial to begin.  The screenplay documents his trial, life in jail and has flashbacks of his life. Steve questions if he is a monster – writing on his paper during the trial. James is found guilty and Steve is found innocent. His mom is so happy. Steve is back at home, staring at himself in the mirror thinking he is a monster.

A lesson for teachers would be how the judicial system works in the story and how the amendments applied to Steve’s trial.  

The Surrender Tree by M. Engle

Engle, M. (2008). The surrender tree: Poems of Cuba's struggle for freedom (p. 169). New York: Henry Holt and.

Characters: Rosa, Jose, Lieutenant Death, Marti, Silvia

 

Themes: Hope, Slavery, War, Freedom

Summary:

This is a book of poem from the Cuban Independence Wars. The poems documents Rosa, a freed slave healer. The book is divided into five sections which is narrated by other people. The poems describe Rosa’s life as a healer, then she goes into hiding because Spain does not accept free slaves. She meets and marries Jose, who is a slave. They both work as nurses during the war, but they have to go into hiding. At times, making make shifts hospitals in the jungle, so they are not caught.

Silvia is a girl which escapes the camp and joins Rosa.  She learns how to heal from Jose and Rosa. Lt. Death is searching for Rosa, so she can stop healing the rebels. At the end, the Americans have captured Cuba from Spain.

The main lesson of the book is perseverance. Rosa and Jose fought to survive and healed many people. The book is also a good tool to show the history of Cuban Independence.

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales

Canales, V. (2005). The tequila worm (p. 208). New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Themes: Family, traditions, courage, education

Characters: Sofia, Coach Clark, Tia Petra, Berta, Mama, Papa, Don Virginia, Lucy and Clara

Summary:

Sofia is a girl that lives in McAllen, Texas; a city rich with Mexican tradition. She was bullied in school and her teacher, Coach Clark, tells her she needs to be better than everyone else. She succeeds academically getting a scholarship to Saint Luke’s Episcopal School. Sofia wants to be strong enough to eat the worm in a tequila bottle. With this mindset, Sofia persevered hardship and accomplished her goals of going to Harvard.  She also learns to love her Mexican heritage.

Teachers can use this book to study Mexican traditions such as quinceaneras, El Dia de los Muertos,  and sobremesa. The teacher can also discuss why the author chose to use that metaphor of the tequila worm.

Janis Joplin by Ann Angel

Angel, A. (2010). Janis joplin: Rise up singing (p. 120). New York: Amulet Books.

Janis Joplin was an eccentric, powerful and influential artist. Her voice was very unique and distinctive. The books details Joplin’s life before her fame, during and after. Janis Joplin is from Port Arthur, Texas, a very ordinary town.  The book also documents Janis’ substance abuse, destructive behavior and death.

The book contains images of Joplin and quotes from her friends and band members.

The suggested audience is 14 and up, but the content of book is a little too graphic.  The author, Angel, mentions Joplin’s abortion and sexual encounters.  I would recommend the book be for 16 – 18 years old (high school sophomores through seniors).

It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris

Harris, R., & Emberley, M. (1994). It's perfectly normal: A book about changing bodies, growing up, sex, and sexual health (p. 89). Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.

The book discusses puberty, sex and contraception to name a few topics. The book is a guide to children on how their bodies change and the topics that come with it. The book does not judge on homosexuality or sexuality in general.

I was a little shock on the images in the book.  Needless to stay they are explicit and graphic.

I would recommend the book for a sex ed course or maybe a Biology course. The teacher can discuss the body system, health, sexuality, and puberty.

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garder

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my Mind (p. 234). Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Themes: Sexuality, School, Love

Characters: Liza, Annie, Sally and Mrs. Poindexter

Summary: 

Liza is at the museum admiring the architecture and hears someone singing. She finds the voice and meets Annie. They both are the same age but they attend different schools. Liza attends Fosters, a private school and is the school’s student council president. She finds Sally, a classmate, piecing students’ ears. Mrs. Poindexter finds out and calls Liza into her office. Mrs. Poindexter suspends Liza because she did not report the rule.

She and Annie set up a meeting at Cloisters and they agree Liza will attend public school with Annie. This is an eye opening experience, she see a boy with a chain around his neck.  Annie wrote Liza a letter expressing her feelings about her.

During Spring Break, Liza volunteers to house sit Ms. Widmer and Ms. Stevenson’s house.  Liza asks Annie to come over and they discover the teachers are gay. Sally and Ms. Baxter come by and catch Annie and Liza as well as the teachers’ living situation. The school fires the teachers and let Liza stay in school. In the end, Annie and Liza brake up but reconcile their relationship in college.

Staying with the theme of the book (homosexuality), another book to follow up can be Even Keeping you a Secret by Julie Anne Peters. 

The Fault in our Stars - New York Times Bestseller Young Adult

Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars (p. 313). New York: Dutton Books.

Characters: Hazel, Augustus, Isaac, Mrs. Lancaster (Hazel's Mom) and Mr. Van Houten

Themes: Death, Cancer, Love, Friendship

Summary:

Two ‘star-crossed’ teenagers fall in love; one has cancer and the other is in remission. Hazel and Augustus meet in support group and hit it off with their witty comments and book – An Imperial Affliction (AIA). Their friend Isaac has surgery to remove his eye – making him completely blind. To make matters worse, his girlfriend dumps him!

Augustus (Gus) surprises Hazel with his wish to go to Amsterdam to visit with the author of AIA, Mr. Peter Van Houten. Mr. Van Houten agrees to share the ending of his book with them. They fly to Amsterdam, along with Mrs. Lancaster. Hazel and Gus share a romantic dinner and watch the boats go by.  The following day they meet Mr. Van Houten who turns out to be a drunken jerk. His assistance quits and takes the teens to the Anne Frank Museum. There, Hazel and Gus share a romantic kiss then return to the hotel. After their sexual encounter, Gus drops a bomb – he’s cancer has returned.

Shortly after their trip, Gus’ health has deteriorated severely.  Before he dies, Gus asked Hazel to write a eulogy for him. After his death, Isaac tells Hazel Gus wrote something for her.  Hazel quickly started to look for it and realizes Gus sent it to Mr. Van Houten. It turns out Gus wrote a eulogy for Hazel.

Due to the genre of the book, I would recommend the age group would be 14-18 years old. The book is a love story and that hits home with many teens.  Obviously, the movie increased the popularity of the book and the author. 

The Chocolate War

 Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war: A novel (p. 267). New York: Pantheon Books.


Characters: Jerry, Archie, Goober, Obie, Brother Leon and Emile

Theme: Education, Bullying, Violence

Summary:

In the Trinity School, Brother Leon has ordered 20,000 boxes of chocolate. That means each student needs to sell 50 boxes.  Archie helps Brother Leon sell these chocolates. Archie is a member of the Vigils, the school's pranksters and they run the school. The Vigils force everyone to sell their allotted chocolate except Jerry.  He refuses to sell and the Vigils make him the enemy. He is harassed by random prank calls and his locker gets trashed. Goober, Jerry’s friend, is assigned a prank to remove all the screws in from the furniture in room 19.

Everyone is upset with Jerry because he refuses to sell the chocolate.  Archie comes up with a raffle – Jerry vs. Emile.  Each ticket sold has a boxing move written on it. Emile is much stronger than Jerry. Brother Jacques stops the fight as Brother Leon protects Archie from getting into trouble. Jerry is badly beaten and waiting for the ambulance.  Goober waits with him and Jerry tells him not to disturb the universe.

Teachers may incorporate this book into a lesson. They can start with a discussion about courage. Then brainstorm what Jerry meant by “Do I dare disturb the universe?”  The teacher can extend asking the students if they themselves have disturbed the universe or can name an event that has.