Saturday, February 29, 2020

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Title: Someone Like You
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Speak (originally Viking Books for Young Readers)
Publication Date: May 11, 2004 (originally May 1, 1998)

Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $10.99
Page Count: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 9780142401774

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up (ages 12+)
Lexile: 820L
Interest Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)

Annotation: After Scarlett's boyfriend dies in a motorcycle accident, Scarlett finds out she is pregnant with his baby. With her best friend Hallie by her side, they learn what true friendship looks like.

Plot and Content Summary: Someone Like You follows two best friends: Scarlett, the popular and well-liked girl at school, and Halley, the quiet one. Both have been friends for a long time and call each other sister as they do everything together. Not only do they work together at their town's grocery store, but they are also neighbors. When Halley meets bad boy Macon at school and falls in love with him, it feels like Halley and Scarlett's lives are reversed. Finally, someone notices her. At the same time, Scarlett discovers she is pregnant with her dead boyfriend's baby, and Scarlett and Halley learn to hold tight to each other.

Evaluation: Sarah Dessen's novel is one that will appeal to many teens, as it discusses many experiences that teens may encounter in high school. Love, loss, friendship, new relationships, a bit of bullying—these are all topics that show up in Someone Like You. Although being pregnant in high school is a rare (although not impossible) occurrence, Dessen writes it to be very relatable. We are reading from the perspective of Halley—who is close to someone pregnant but is not herself—and her honesty in the way she tells Scarlett's story will connect with teens. Through her narration, we get the frustrations of living under parents who do not understand the teenage struggle and emotions that come out when experiencing puppy love. It does not feel forced, and reveals how we can be blind when it comes to thinking we know what love is. Dessen's novel is valuable for teens because it shows the beauty of true friendship—how it goes beyond so much. When you love someone or something so much, you would do anything for them. (This is reflected in both Halley and Scarlett's relationship, as well as Halley and Macon's relationship.) It is up to teens to make the distinction, whether or not this is a good or bad thing. What makes Dessen's novel powerful is that she does not tell readers what to believe. She just writes an honest story and leaves the rest up to us.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: One of the issues Scarlett goes through is deciding whether or not she wants to keep her baby. Initially, she believes there is no way she can take care of him/her, so she feels like she has to get an abortion. Her mom agrees, insisting that this is the best and only solution. However, when the time comes for her appointment, she does not go through with it. Instead, she wants to go through with the pregnancy and put him/her up for adoption. This is not what her mom wants her to do, so Scarlett and her mom are at opposite ends. Teens who are going through this situation, or have friends who are facing this, may feel forced to obey their parents. However, seeing Scarlett make this difficult decision against her mom can give pregnant teens strength and courage to choose for themselves. It is not about what the decision is—Dessen is not insisting that abortion is bad—but that it is Scarlett's decision to make, not her mom's.

Similarly, with Halley's situation, her mom believes that Macon is a bad person and is influencing Halley in a negative way. She has never met him, but thinks she knows him. Because of this, Halley and her mom's relationship continues to drift apart. Teens may be able to see themselves in Halley, not wanting to tell their parents anything because it feels like they would not understand. Someone Like You can help them not feel alone, and maybe also see things from a parent's perspective. It is clear that Halley's mom wants the best for Halley, but perhaps she does not show it in the best way. Halley does not share much with her mom, which is why her mom makes a lot of assumptions, so maybe this can also show teens how important communication is.

Issues Present: One apparent issue for why Someone Like You could be challenged is teen pregnancy. Since teens are impressionable, adults probably believe that this would give the idea that "pregnancy at a young age is not a problem." Since nothing bad happens to Scarlett while she is pregnant or after she gives birth, adults want to censor this "happy ending" so they can continue their agenda to protect teens from "dangerous" topics. Even if they remove all books that contain teen pregnancy, teens will continue to have sex and get pregnant. Banning these topics does not mean it will stop teens from doing these things. Teens need books that talk about it, and perhaps this can guide them to make informed decisions. Reading about these difficult topics can help prepare teens for future challenges they run into. Let us contribute by helping teens prepare, instead of delaying the inevitable.

Book Talk Ideas: Scarlett and Halley's relationship, Halley's relationship with her mom (p. 237-238), similarities between Halley's mother and Scarlett's mother, Halley and Macon's relationship (p. 67-70, 223-231, 232-236)

  • How does Scarlett and Halley's friendship change when Halley's relationship with Macon develops and Scarlett finds out she is pregnant?
  • Why do you think Halley keeps so much about Macon from her parents?
  • How does Halley's mom feel about the way Halley lives her life?
  • How does Scarlett's mom respond to Scarlett's pregnancy? Why do you think she reacts this way?

Genre/Subgenres: Realistic fiction; Contemporary romance

Readalikes: Goodbye, Perfect by Sara Barnard, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

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Friday, February 28, 2020

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

Title: Shattering Glass
Author: Gail Giles
Publisher: Square Fish
Publication Date: January 6, 2015 (originally 2002)

Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $10.99
Page Count: 240 pages
ISBN-13: 9781250060006

Reading Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)
Lexile: 590L
Interest Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)

Annotation: When Rob decides to turn nerdy Simon into a popular kid, he knows everyone will follow his perfect plans. That is, until him and his friends end up killing Simon.

Plot and Content Summary: Simon, known as a big loser, is constantly picked on and made fun of at school. But one day, a transfer student who quickly became a leader in the senior class decides to try and turn Simon into someone cool. Along with three of his "friends" (or rather, followers), they set out to change the way Simon dresses and acts. However, they did not expect Simon to manipulate the entire situation. With Simon gaining new confidence, Rob's plans quickly go down in flames.

Evaluation: Shattering Glass takes the classic "makeover" story and turns it on its head with the added layers of mystery and intrigue. Typically, Simon's character would be receptive and willing to adjust under the guide of Rob and his friends. He should be thankful they want to make him cool, right? But Simon is his own person, and Rob and his friends play right into his hand. Simon is the one bullied in the beginning of the story, but that changes when he gets into Rob's inner circle. It was very twisted the way Giles used each friend to get back at Rob—slowly at first, until it became so big that Rob could not control it. Unfortunately, the ending was disappointing. We know Simon's fate, which is given to us in the first paragraph, so the mystery is in finding out why it happened. While there was intensity in the build-up, the reason for Simon's death was unfortunate but lackluster and unconvincing.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Manipulation is a theme that is constantly running through Shattering Glass, and this is a form of bullying that can be harder to recognize. Rob is using the situation with Simon for his own personal gain, and his friends are only pawns in the game he is playing. Simon appears to be kind to Coop, Young, and Bob (i.e., taking the ACT test for Coop so he could receive a higher score), but his actions are actually revealed to be selfish. For teens who are trapped in these situations, perhaps Shattering Glass can open their eyes so they can see what true friendship is.

Issues Present: Shattering Glass is a book about bullying, abuse, and manipulation. This book could potentially be challenged or banned because of these reasons, assuming that adults would not want teens to repeat these scenes in real life. But bullying happens too often in high schools, with students like Simon, who are quiet and passive, as victims. Shattering Glass shows the impact of bullying and what it could potentially lead to. All five characters—Simon, Rob, Coop, Young, and Bob—were affected in negative ways. By allowing access to this book, teens can be aware of the consequences.

Book Talk Ideas: "Simon Glass was easy to hate. I never knew exactly why, there was too much to pick from. I guess, really, we each hated him for a different reason, but we didn't realize it until the day we killed him." (p. 1)

  • Was the portrayal of bullying realistic? Why or why not? (p. 1-5)
  • Simon is the one bullied in the beginning of the story, but how does that change as we progress?
  • Why do you think it was so important for Rob to make Simon the prom king?
  • Why was Simon willing to let Rob and his friends change him?

Genre/Subgenres: Realistic fiction; Thriller/suspense

Readalikes: You by Charles Benoit, Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard, I, Claudia by Mary McCoy

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Thursday, February 27, 2020

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Title: Whale Talk
Author: Chris Crutcher
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: September 22, 2009 (originally April 10, 2001)

Format: eBook
Price: $9.99
Page Count: 352
ISBN-13: 9780061968532

Reading Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)
Lexile: 1000L
Interest Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)

Annotation: A bunch of misfits come together and form a swim team to annoy and trouble their school's stuck-up athletics program.

Plot and Content Summary: Although The Tao Jones (known as TJ for short) is physically built to be an athlete, he refuses to join any school teams. Since his school is prided on athletic achievements, all the coaches are frustrated with his refusal to participate. However, his English teacher convinces (read: somewhat bribes) TJ to start a swim team and be the leader. TJ ends up agreeing to it, recruiting six students and forming a strange combination of misfits. One member includes Chris Coughlin, a disabled student who wears his brother's letterman jacket in remembrance after losing him in an accident. He is bullied by Mike Barbour, one of the school's star athletes, for doing this, so TJ makes it his goal to have his team meet all the letterman requirements to shut everyone up.

Evaluation: Whale Talk felt like a hodgepodge of stories all over the place, with Crutcher undecided on what exactly he wanted to say. Although the writing style was nothing to write home about, the plot was admittedly interesting. As we follow TJ in his search to form of a swim team, there are a few side stories involving TJ's father's past and a biracial child, Heidi, that TJ's therapist sees and eventually asks him to help with. Actually, Heidi's story leads toward the end, with racism being a large focus. Even though I would not recommend this book to anyone, I still acknowledge the value of the themes presented in Whale Talk. It is admirable that Crutcher would tackle controversial issues, such as bullying and racism, but the story itself, stripped from these things, does not stand out in any way.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Whale Talk discusses many issues, one being racial discrimination. One character, Rich Marshall, was trying to brainwash his wife's half-black child and teach her that being black was not a good thing. He renamed her "Heidi" and told her she should work on scrubbing her skin so the color would lighten. Luckily, Heidi had people in her life to rid that wrong. Although being proud no matter her skin color was not a strong point in this book, teens will hopefully see the harm of telling someone they are not worthy anything if their skin color is not white. Heidi was loved by people outside her family that did not share her same skin color, and hopefully that speaks to everyone who picks up Whale Talk and wishes they were born differently.

Issues Present: Bullying, racial discrimination, high use of profanity

Whale Talk was challenged for racism and offensive language in 2005. These are two things that still happen today, in the year 2020, and it should not be hidden from teen's eyes. For teens who do not have first-hand exposure to this in real life due to whatever circumstances, this is a reality check. There are, unfortunately, people out there who say hurtful things. Secondly, for teens who talk and think like Rich Marshall, this will hopefully reveal to them the impact of their words. Explicitly seeing and exposing this true hate can open teens' eyes to recognize why it is dangerous. Adults should not think teens are not smart enough to recognize hate for what it is.

Book Talk Ideas: ""Over and over I tell you, racism is—" "Ignorance," I say back. The sound of running water brings our attention to Heidi in the kitchen, squeezing dish soap into the filling basin. She pulls herself up onto the lip, stretching to snag a bristle brush, then begins scrubbing her arms. Georgia sighs, closes her eyes, whispers, "She thinks if she can wash it off, her daddy will love her."" (p. 94-95)

  • Who is Rich Marshall, and what type of person is he meant to portray? How does his tone of speech and choice of words show you who he is?
  • TJ's father tells him that "whale talk is the truth" (p. 179). What does that mean?

Genre/Subgenres: Realistic fiction; First person narratives

Readalikes: Winger by Andrew Smith, Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, Crackback by John Coy

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