Stitches by David Small

Module 10/SLIS 5420/August 9-15

Bibliography

Small, David. (2009). Stitches: A Memoir. New York: W.W. Norton and Company
ISBN: 978-0-393-06857-3

Summary

David's father is a radiologist, and as an errant therapy to cure his son's sinusitis, exposes David to over 400 x-rays as a child. As a result, David gets cancer - but his parents don't acknowledge or address David's illness for years. Small, through his graphic novel, takes the reader through his sad, lonely life as a child of a mother who appears to be apathetic toward her children and husband and a father who cares more about his career than the health of his family.

My Impressions

This was a quick read, and although a downer, was quite enjoyable. The illustrations were the best part of the novel and told the story, many times without words, deftly - but the characters and plot seemed a bit shallow. I feel as though Small could have given me more. Because it was such a quick read, and skimmed the surface of David's childhood - by basically giving the gist of what happened to him and what he and his family are doing now - this book will go over well with young adults reading their first memoir. David Small, at the end, talks about how if the memoir were about his mother, not him, he would have delved into more detail about her issues, etc., but I feel as though he could have given more context to all of his family members, including himself. We see, in the beginning, that he likes to draw, but he uses this only a few times to illustrate his character as a child. We learn about his mother's mother, but then we never find out about his family history of mental illness. I felt like I was left with many questions. Maybe he will do a follow-up, but I think Small could have made this a bit longer, or at least a few volumes and added more detail to this interesting story.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly: Starred Review. "In this profound and moving memoir, Small, an award-winning children's book illustrator, uses his drawings to depict the consciousness of a young boy. The story starts when the narrator is six years old and follows him into adulthood, with most of the story spent during his early adolescence. The youngest member of a silent and unhappy family, David is subjected to repeated x-rays to monitor sinus problems. When he develops cancer as a result of this procedure, he is operated on without being told what is wrong with him. The operation results in the loss of his voice, cutting him off even further from the world around him. Small's black and white pen and ink drawings are endlessly perceptive as they portray the layering of dream and imagination onto the real-life experiences of the young boy. Small's intuitive morphing of images, as with the terrible post-surgery scar on the main character's throat that becomes a dark staircase climbed by his mother, provide deep emotional echoes. Some understanding is gained as family secrets are unearthed, but for the most part David fends for himself in a family that is uncommunicative to a truly ghastly degree. Small tells his story with haunting subtlety and power." (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal: Starred Review. Grade 10 Up–"Small is best known for his picture-book illustration. Here he tells the decidedly grim but far from unique story of his own childhood. Many teens will identify with the rigors of growing up in a household of angry silences, selfish parents, feelings of personal weakness, and secret lives. Small shows himself to be an excellent storyteller here, developing the cast of characters as they appeared to him during this period of his life, while ending with the reminder that his parents and brother probably had very different takes on these same events. The title derives from throat surgery Small underwent at 14, which left him, for several years, literally voiceless. Both the visual and rhetorical metaphors throughout will have high appeal to teen sensibilities. The shaded artwork, composed mostly of ink washes, is both evocative and beautifully detailed. A fine example of the growing genre of graphic-novel memoirs." –Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia

Suggested Library Use

I think graphic novels should be promoted more frequently as an excellent genre to engage reluctant readers and to introduce students into genres they might not otherwise pick up. Stitches is a great book to introduce teens to nonfiction and memoir.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Module 10/ SLIS 5420/ August 9-12 Bibliography

Chbosky, Stephen. (1999). The Perks of Being a Wallflower. New York: MTV Books
ISBN: 978-0-671-02734-6

Summary

Charlie lives on the fringe, but doesn't mind it so much. As he tells his story through a series of letters that act as a diary of his first year in high school, the reader learns along with Charlie what it's like to "participate" in life. Although at first Charlie may seem strange, this book will make you think again about the definition of strange and normal; good and bad. It will make you think again about what it means to be infinite.

My Impressions

This is one of the best YA books I have read all year. It reminds me a bit of how I felt when I read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Charlie's voice is so authentic that this book will resonate with teens, and hit a nerve for adults. Chbosky is able to convey Charlie's emotions with succinct writing and the observant Charlie is able to talk to the reader and make you care. Often controversial, this book is not light reading. Charlie goes through seriously depressive periods, learns about sexuality, deals with abortion, experiments with drugs, etc. But, if you give this book a chance, all that will not stand out as the main point of the story. Give it a chance, and I know you won't be disappointed.

Reviews

Amazon.com Review: "What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood. Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone of undisclosed name, age, and gender, a stylistic technique that adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness saturating this teen's story. Charlie encounters the same struggles that many kids face in high school--how to make friends, the intensity of a crush, family tensions, a first relationship, exploring sexuality, experimenting with drugs--but he must also deal with his best friend's recent suicide. Charlie's letters take on the intimate feel of a journal as he shares his day-to-day thoughts and feelings:

I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why.

With the help of a teacher who recognizes his wisdom and intuition, and his two friends, seniors Samantha and Patrick, Charlie mostly manages to avoid the depression he feels creeping up like kudzu. When it all becomes too much, after a shocking realization about his beloved late Aunt Helen, Charlie retreats from reality for awhile. But he makes it back in due time, ready to face his sophomore year and all that it may bring. Charlie, sincerely searching for that feeling of "being infinite," is a kindred spirit to the generation that's been slapped with the label X." --Brangien Davis

School Library Journal: Grade 9 Up "An epistolary narrative cleverly places readers in the role of recipients of Charlies unfolding story of his freshman year in high school. From the beginning, Charlies identity as an outsider is credibly established. It was in the spring of the previous school year that his best friend committed suicide and now that his class has gone through a summer of change, the boy finds that he has drifted away from old friends. He finds a new and satisfying social set, however, made up of several high school seniors, bright bohemians with ego-bruising insights and, really, hearts of gold. These new friends make more sense to Charlie than his star football-playing older brother ever did and they are able to teach him about the realities of life that his older sister doesn't have the time to share with him. Grounded in a specific time (the 1991/92 academic year) and place (western Pennsylvania), Charlie, his friends, and family are palpably real. His grandfather is an embarrassing bigot; his new best friend is gay; his sister must resolve her pregnancy without her boyfriends support. Charlie develops from an observant wallflower into his own man of action, and, with the help of a therapist, he begins to face the sexual abuse he had experienced as a child. This report on his life will engage teen readers for years to come." Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Suggested Library Use

Use during banned books month, or for a controversial reading program. It's also a great book to pair with a classic that is mentioned as one of the protagonists favorites to get teens interested in titles outside of the YA genre.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Module 9/SLIS 5420/August 2-7

Bibliography

Hopkins, Ellen. (2004). Crank. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN: 978-0-689-86519-0

Summary

Through verse, Ellen Hopkins relays the tale of Kristina - a girl who gets caught up in the madness and monster of meth. The verse relay two tales - that of Kristina (the good girl) and that of her alter ego, Bree, who she has developed after a summer with her doped up Dad. Through word play and honest emotions, Hopkins tells a story that hits close to home, as it mirrors issues that she and her daughter dealt with in real life.

My Impressions

I really enjoyed the verse in this novel. I know that, for many, verse novels are tough to get through, but the word play and structure make this an interesting read, while the topic and raw emotion make it a page-turner. Once Kristina visits her Dad and meets the "monster" that is meth, it's hard to turn back and no longer be "Bree." This book has it all, falling in love, drugs, LGBTQ issues, and a lot more and - on top of all that - it's based on a true story: cautionary tale.

Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Review: "Ellen Hopkins's semi-autobiographical verse novel, Crank, reads like a Go Ask Alice for the 21st century. In it, she chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank. Soon, her grades plummet, her relationships with family and friends deteriorate, and she needs more and more of the monster just to get through the day. Kristina hits her lowest point when she is raped by one of her drug dealers and becomes pregnant as a result. Her decision to keep the baby slows her drug use, but doesn't stop it, and the author leaves the reader with the distinct impression that Kristina/Bree may never be free from her addiction. In the author's note, Hopkins warns "nothing in this story is impossible," but when Kristina's controlled, high-powered mother allows her teenage daughter to visit her biological father (a nearly homeless known drug user), the story feels unbelievable. Still, the descriptions of crystal meth use and its consequences are powerful, and will horrify and transfix older teenage readers, just as Alice did over 20 years ago." --Jennifer Hubert

School Library Journal: Grade 8 Up–"Seventeen-year-old Kristina Snow is introduced to crank on a trip to visit her wayward father. Caught up in a fast-paced, frightening, and unfamiliar world, she morphs into "Bree" after she "shakes hands with the monster." Her fearless, risk-taking alter ego grows stronger, "convincing me to be someone I never dreamed I'd want to be." When Kristina goes home, things don't return to normal. Although she tries to reconnect with her mother and her former life as a good student, her drug use soon takes over, leaving her "starving for speed" and for boys who will soon leave her scarred and pregnant. Hopkins writes in free-verse poems that paint painfully sharp images of Kristina/Bree and those around her, detailing how powerful the "monster" can be. The poems are masterpieces of word, shape, and pacing, compelling readers on to the next chapter in Kristina's spiraling world. This is a topical page-turner and a stunning portrayal of a teen's loss of direction and realistically uncertain future."–Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suggested Library Use

I plan to use Crank at a middle school/high school age book talk on realistic fiction. I figured throwing in a verse novel might interest the teens to check out more verse and poetry.

Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill

Module 9/SLIS 5420/August 2-7 Bibliography

Hemphill, Stepahnie. (2007). Your Own, Sylvia. New York: Random House
ISBN: 978-0-375-83799-9

Summary

Stephanie Hemphill attempts to portray a biography of Sylvia Plath's life through verse and through the eyes of her friends, family, professors etc. Each poem is from a different point of view - each describing Sylvia from their perspective. The poems take the reader from her beginning at Smith through and after her suicide.

My Impressions

I really wanted to like this book, because I really love Sylvia Plath (both her poetry and prose). But, and I realize I may be alone in saying this, it just didn't do it for me. Now, I understand the poems are for young adults, but let's give them more credit than this book. These aren't poems, they are prose that are artificially broken up into verse. I wish the author would have written actual poetry - that would have given the young adults who read this a challenge and opened their mind up to Plath. Anyone can pick up one of Plath's biographies or - better yet - read her unabridged journals, but skip this. I knew it would be hard to write a book in verse about Plath - because her poetry is tough to live up to - but this didn't even attempt at coming close.

Reviews

School Library Journal: Grade 8 Up—Through a series of skillfully crafted poems, Hemphill has pieced together a collage of the life and work of the American writer. Arranged chronologically from Plath's birth to the month of her suicide, the poems are written from the points of view of people involved in her life. The voices of Plath's mother; her poet husband, Ted Hughes; and other intimates are interspersed with those of more fleeting acquaintances, each chosen to underscore a unique aspect of the subject's fiery life and tumultuous literary career. Hemphill rises to the challenge of capturing the life of a poet through poetry itself; the end result is a collection of verse worthy of the artist whom it portrays. Form is of paramount importance, just as it was to Plath herself. Many of the selections were created "in the style of" specific Plath poems, while others are scattered with Plath's imagery and language. While the book will prove an apt curriculum companion to Plath's literary works as touted on the jacket, it will also pull the next generation of readers into the myth of Sylvia Plath.—Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Booklist: *Starred Review* As in Margarita Engle's The Poet Slave of Cuba (2006), this ambitious portrait uses poetry to illuminate the facts of a famous life, in this case, Sylvia Plath's. Although classified as fiction, the book draws from numerous nonfiction sources, including biographies and Plath's journals and letters, and each poem is accompanied by footnotes grounding Hemphill's imagined scenes within the facts. Rather than write in Plath's voice, Hemphill channels the voices of those who knew the poet in chronologically arranged poems, written from the perspective of family members, friends, colleagus, even Plath's doctor. Plath's own voice is evident in the poetic forms, though, with many of the poems written "in the style of" specific works. The result is an intimate, comprehensive, imaginative view of a life that also probes the relationships between poetry and creativity, mental fragility, love, marriage, and betrayal. Some readers may be slowed by the many poems that chronicle the bitter dissolution of Plath's marriage, and readers who know the Plath poems Hemphill references will have an advantage. But Plath's dramatic genius and personal struggles, particularly the difficulties of reconciling the writing life with the roles of wife and mother, have long attracted teen interest, and this accomplished, creative story may ignite new interest in Plath's original works. A bibliography of sources is appended. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Suggested Library Use:

I probably would rather use Plath's own journals and poetry in a Plath or poetry segment at the library.

The A-List by Zoey Dean

Module 8/SLIS 5420/July 26 - 31 Bibliography

Bibliography

Dean, Zoey. (2003). The A-List. New York: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0-316-73435-7

Summary

Anna Percy chooses to leave her perfectly predictable, private school life in Manhattan for a new, exciting and spontaneous life with her father in Los Angeles. Along the way, literally, she meets who she thinks might be the man of her dreams... but is he? Beverly Hills has some surprises for Anna - new frenemies, new school (public! gasp!) and a whole new perspective on life.

My Impressions

I really expected to hate this book. I thought it would be fluff and annoying, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. Dean portrays her private-school, academic characters as witty and intelligent, if they are snobby and back-stabbing. Unfortunately, I think this is an accurate portrait of many rich, LA and Manhattan teens. Does that mean it is quality reading? Not necessarily, but it is fun and it's not bad writing.

Reviews

School Library Journal: Grade 9 Up-"Moving from Manhattan's elite world to "Hollyweird" presents Anna with quite a culture shock, but one that she's ready for. White gloves and tea give way to her drugged-out dad in the gazebo and a Hollywood celebrity's wedding where she is introduced to Ahi rolls. She discovers that all is not without controversy in LaLa land, and that beautiful girls are not always welcome in the inner circle, especially those who pick up the hunk whom all the insiders are lusting after. After surviving the evil competitors, bad yogurt, and a vengeful seatmate on the plane, Anna proves that gorgeous good girls can, and do, survive in L.A. All of those nasty, high-society types that populate the "Gossip Girl" series (Little, Brown) can be found here in bikinis and Oakleys instead of wool pashminas and Blahnik boots. Unfortunately, this book tries to be more than the others of its genre by making frequent use of words and phrases that don't fit the beach-baby scene, such as "-she wasn't one to snivel over the vagaries of her own existence." Fans of the series will flock to this book, but they may be a tad disappointed with the replay."
Lynn Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suggested Library Use

I'm not sure I can think of another use for this besides incorporating it into a "Summer Beach Read" list or book talk.

Nightmare by Joan Lowery Nixon

Module 8/SLIS 5420/July 26 - 31

Bibliography

Nixon, Joan Lowery. (2003). Nightmare. New York: Delacorte press
ISBN: 0-440-23772-4

Summary

Emily Wood's has had the same haunting recurring nightmare since she was little. Now, at seventeen, she is about to find out why. A certified "slacker," Emily's parents are sending her to Camp Excel to help her with her motivation and grades - but Emily will get quite a bit more out of her visit. Who is haunting her dreams? Only someone at Camp Excel knows.

My Impressions

I did not really enjoy this mystery. The plot seemed simplistic and the dialogue and character development was contrived. However, I am an adult - and the purpose of this mystery book is to appeal to "tweens" who are not quite ready for adult mysteries and their complex plot, but are too mature for children's mysteries. This is a good bridge book, for that purpose, but the writing certainly doesn't stand out.

Reviews

School Library Journal: Grade 5-8-Since childhood, 10th-grade Emily has had nightmares about a shadowy, slimy place where she is entangled with vines and sees a body lying in water. She is so petrified by this dream about the open-mouthed and blankly staring corpse that she is unable to confide in anyone. Her parents are upset because she won't let them help her and are frustrated because she doesn't take after her two brilliant sisters. They send her to Camp Excel, an experimental program for underachievers, where Emily has a sense of deja vu, and her true nightmare begins when she realizes her life is in danger. Elements of suspense and mystery are cleverly integrated with the teen's problems resulting from what she witnessed as a child. Readers will once again fall under Nixon's spell as they enjoy this page-turner.
Susan Cooley, formerly at Tower Hill School, Wilmington, DE
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Booklist: Gr. 6-10. The nightmare has haunted teenage Emily Wood since she was a child: a crumpled body lying half in and half out of the water; dead eyes in a pale, bloody face; a mouth open in a scream that no one can hear. Did it really happen? Whose body is it? Who was the killer? And who is now stalking Emily at Camp Excel, the summer camp for underachievers that her parents have forced her to attend? There's some heavy coincidence, but the late Nixon was a multiple award winner for her YA mysteries, and this one, published after her death, continues her inimitable blend of horror and whodunit, this time with a touch of shivery mysticism and a lively contemporary cast. Readers will rush with Emily to solve the puzzle, even as they shudder at the occasional terse statements by the killer, who is steadily getting closer to another victim. The climactic confrontation in a creepy cave in the Texan Hills is unforgettable. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Suggested Library Use

As mentioned in my impressions, this is a good recommended read for students or "tweens" who have not yet graduated to adult mysteries but want a good bridge in between. Good book for a mystery book talk, as well.

What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio

Module 7/SLIS 5420/July 18-25

Bibliography

D'Aluisio, Faith. (2008). What the World Eats. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.
978-1-58246-246-2

Summary

D'Aluisio's book features families all over the world from Bosnia to Chad, Mongolia to Mali and the United States, and shows us, truly, what the world eats. Not only does D'Aluisio tell the story of a week's worth of food for each family, but also breaks down how much money they spend on a week's worth of food, how they get the food and what the food means to each culture. Interspersed throughout each family's food-story are various facts, information and graphics about the world and food.

My Impressions

This is one of the most interesting books on food for young adults and children. It's easily relate-able because D'Aluisio features families, and it's interesting because, who doesn't want to peek inside a stranger's fridge/pantry? Especially if that stranger lives in Poland, Egypt, etc? There are just so many great parts of this book, I don't know where to begin. I absolutely love the breakdown of cost for a week's worth of each family's groceries. It's startling, for young people, how little can be spent on food - but additionally, how few processed foods some families live on. When you take a look at US families as compared to, say, Guatemalan families, there are so many pre-packages, pre-made foods, but then you look at the colorful, delicious array of fruits and veggies that the Guatemalan family use in their everyday cooking, and it makes your mouth water. Maybe this book will give kids a reason to try new foods and understand how important food is within each unique culture.

Reviews

Publishers Weekly: Starred Review. "Adapted from last year's Hungry Planet, this brilliantly executed work visits 25 families in 21 countries around the world. Each family is photographed surrounded by a week's worth of food and groceries, which Menzel and D'Aluisio use as a way of investigating not only different cultures' diets and standard of living but also the impact of globalization: why doesn't abundance bring better health, instead of increased occurrences of diabetes and similar diseases? These points are made lightly: delivered almost conversationally, the main narrative presents friendly, multigenerational portraits of each family, with meals and food preparation an avenue toward understanding their hopes and struggles. A wealth of supporting information—lush color photographs, family recipes, maps, sidebars, etc.—surrounds the text (superb design accomplishes this job harmoniously) and implies questions about global food supplies. Pictures of subsistence farmers in Ecuador cultivating potatoes from mountainous soil form sharp contrasts with those of supermarkets in a newly Westernized Poland. Fact boxes for each country tabulate revealing statistics, among them the percentage of the population living on less than $2 per day (47% in China, where the average daily caloric intake is nonetheless 2,930 per person); the percentage with diabetes; number of KFC franchises. Engrossing and certain to stimulate." All ages. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suggested Library Use

I would use this book during an international food or food and culture themed program. It would be great to incorporate some different "food tastings" to allow kids to taste different foods that are featured within the book. Tasty, informative and fun - you can't lose.