Book 16

Stead, Rebecca. (2009). When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House.

Summary of the book:

The story begins when the mother is finally selected as a contestant on the $20,000 Pyramid Show. Miranda helps her mom study for the show with the help of Richard. Miranda’s name is derived from the infamous Miranda Rights. Miranda grew up alongside Sal, her best friend, but all that changes when Sal is punched by a stranger. Since her friendship with Sal is at a standstill, she is now left with having to socialize with her other peers. One day, after coming home from school, Miranda notices that her door is unlocked, so she decides to run to Sal’s place; however, he is not very welcoming, so she returns to her place. When her mother arrives, and they discuss the situation, that is when Miranda finds the first note asking her to write a letter, and that is where the plot starts to develop. 

Response:

When You Reach Me is a science fiction novel that contains a realistic setting, sprinkled in with a lot of mystery, therefore, enticing the reader to continue reading. The inclusion of time travel, which is hinted through the letters written to Miranda, adds a twist to the plot of the story. The length of the novel is one-hundred and ninety-seven pages, but the font is not your standard size 12, so this makes for the novel to be a quick read. The targeted audience for this book can be ages 8-12, with grade levels ranging from third to seventh grade; however, I do see this book appealing to older readers as well. Textbook connections could be “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle and “Moon Over Manifest” by Claire Vanderpool. 

Links and URLs:

Book summary analysis video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Ob0XV525M

Book review video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3thl4RS0Dk

Book 15

Block, F. L. (1998). I was a teenage fairy. New York: HarperCollins.

Summary of the book:

The protagonist, is eleven year old Barbie, who was named after the world-famous doll. Barbie is a young model, whose ex-model mother wants her to be a successful model no matter what it takes. The setting of the story is San Fernando Valley in Los, Angeles. In comes the little fairy, Mab, who helps Barbie cope with all her experiences, and the one painful personal experience she unfortunately went through. Mab, serves as a guide of sorts and friend for Barbie. Barbie is caught up in a grown-up world, filled with models, all the while her and Griffin deals with their issues. Griffin is dealing with the confusion regarding his sexual orientation. Mab’s purpose is to help them overcome their adversaries, their pain and issues and to show them that they can come out stronger because of it. Love is established as that it can heal all wounds. Is Mab real or is she a coping mechanism for Barbie? 

Response:

The author’s style is filled with imagery and the incorporation of a fantasy element, such as a fairy, which adds to the mystique an allure to the book. The plot of the story is not the greatest but it is interesting enough to keep the reader involved in the story. The length of the book is one hundred and ninety two pages. The targeted audience is ages 12 and up. This book can appeal to young girls who have experience similar feeling or issues, such as the unfortunate tragedy Barbie encounters. Textbook connections can be “Dangerous Angels: Five Weetzie Bat Books” and “Little Bram” by Michael C. Barrett. 

Links and URLs:

Book talk video analysis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Atl6GlevWw

Reference information:

http://www.librarything.com/work/107633

Book 14

Alexander, K. (2013). He said, she said. New York, NY: Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Summary of the book:

Kwame Alexander’s novel, “He Said, She said,” tells the story of Omar Smalls who is the All-American Football Quarterback and Claudia Clarke, an intellectual, good girl who is college bound and wants to make a positive impact in the world around her. As the story develops, Omar and Claudia’s romance blossoms, while the plot of the story continues to develop regarding the social protest surround the problem that their school is going through. Their school is losing funding, and as a result losing electives, so they form a plan and assemble to convince the school board to listen to their requests. The contrast between the characters makes the story interesting. 

Response:

This book is told through the perspective of the main characters Omar and Claudia. The use of dialogue is how the story is developed, the addition of the online post and comments from the posts makes it relatable to teens these day. The chapter alternate from Omar to Claudia. The length of the novel is three hundred and thirty-six pages. The targeted audience is Grades 10 and up and this type of literature will appeal to readers who are in high school, are athletes, female readers, of perhaps anyone who relates to the characters and plot. Textbook connections can be “Tyrell” by Coe Booth and “The Skin I’m in” by Sharon Flake. 

Links and URLs:

Book trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bTwXmw5C1U

Book talk with author:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5hQzmfNPt4

Book 13

Albertalli, B. (2015). Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens agenda. New York: HarperCollins.



Summary of the book:

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, written by Becky Albertalli stars the protagonist, Simon is a sixteen year old high school student, who has not yet announced his homosexuality. Simon’s secret is threatened to be exposed by Martin Addison, who reveals to him that he took screenshots of his emails and then attempts to blackmail him to asset him in dating a girl. Simon wants to not only protect his secret, but also Blue’s privacy as well. Simon whose online pen name is Jacques, has been talking to Blue for quite a while. Through their online conversations their correspondence has developed into more than a friendship. All Simon knows about Blue is that he is also gay and a student at his high school. The plot of the story develops through what is happening with Simon. 

Response:

The novel’s length is three hundred and three pages. The inclusion of the emails adds to the format and content of the story. The emails provide the reader with insight from the main characters and through them Simon’s personality is shown. This book’s protagonist Simon is well developed and can be relatable to the readers. The mystery surrounding who Blue is will surely keep the reader engaged. This is a very important book because it gives a platform to characters who offer plenty of diversity, begging from sexual orientation, to religion and race. The fact that the protagonist is a gay character is very impactful and powerful and important to any format of literature. There are some adolescents who will identify with the characters, themes or because it addresses the LGBTQ Community. The targeted audience is grades 9-12. Textbook connections can be “Call Me by Your Name: A Novel” by Andre Aciman and “Cupid Painted Blind” by Marcos Herzig. 

Links and URLs:

Book trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhlBuq0H8ws

Book and video critique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKa1rKz0eh8

Movie trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruX-PES5FSI

Book 12

Sartrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. NY: Pantheon

Summary of the book:

Marjane Satrapi’s, “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood” is a graphic novel that depicts the story of an Iranian girl’s life, her trials and tribulations, through which she offers a depiction of what is going on in her country. She offers her perspective on what is happening around her, the book contains nineteen sections, and within each section there are highlights of what she experienced. In “The Veil” she writes about and illustrates about the changes the revolution brought, and she firsthand experienced at the age of ten, going from a liberal coed school, to having to wear a veil. She describes the aspects of the revolution and what was institutionalized thereafter. The way that the political topics and demonstrations are explained and addressed makes the text livelier. Throughout the book’s sections the daily Iranian life is depicted and explored. Satrapi’s accounts are from her point of view of growing up during a time of war, its effects and overcoming it all. 

Response:

The artwork in the graphic novel was simplistic, yet enough to help in the telling of the story. The comic strips are black and white, with the black overpowering the panels. There are nineteen sections in the graphic novel with each one averaging seven to ten pages. The targeted audience would be secondary level. The themes explored are remorse, and the effects of war. Although it is a graphic novel, the way the content is written it is appropriate for older readers versus middle grade. Textbook connections can be Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return” and Gene Luan Yang’s “American Born Chinese.

Links and URLs:

Book and Movie analysis video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9onZpQix_w

Movie trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZKEH2E99f8

Book 11

Telgemeiser, R., Roman D.,&amp:A. (2009). X-men. New York: Del Rey


Summary of book:

The main character, Kitty Pride who is fifteen years old is the middle daughter in her family, wants to fit in when she was born to stand out. She works in her parents’ restaurant along with her two sisters. She is then offered a scholarship to a private school in Westchester, New York. She agrees to attend Xavier’s Academy. Once their Professor Xavier explains to Kitty that her feelings of confusion are normal, for someone like her, and that she will get a better sense of who she is if she embraces her powers. She soon, learns that she is the first female to enroll in the school for years, she then joins the Hellfire Club and through her practice in the danger room she finally starts accepting her mutant side. She starts spending time will the Hellfire Club members, especially Pyro. During the trip to New York, Kitty realizes that Pyro and company are bad news, so she distances herself. As they go into winter break and she heads home, there’s a foreshadowing of a new love interest…”Iceman,”

Response:

The graphic novel’s script is filled with interesting and fun dialogue that captivates the reader. The art in the panels is extraordinaire, it really offers more than just support to the text, without the images being so alluring the graphic novel would lose its edge. The fact that the characters are very cartoonish like, that is what makes them appeal to the younger readers. The story will definitely draw in readers who are into graphic novels and they will relate to the plot. The targeted audience would be grade 6-12. Textbook connections can be Dima Zales’s “The Thought Readers” and Noelle Stevenson’s “Nimona.”

Links and URLs:

Synopsis video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_aUM-GR290

Comic analysis and video critique:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUN0avrIFIc

Book 10

Geary, R. (2016). Black Dahlia. New York: NBM Graphic Novels.

Summary of the book:

Rick Geary’s, “Black Dahlia,” is a graphic novel in which he offers biographical information regarding the murder of a young woman. Part one deals with the story of the murder of Elizabeth Short and is retold very vividly through the comic panels. Part two chronicles the life of Elizabeth before she was murdered. Part three tells of her last days here on earth. In part four, the investigation process is explained. Part five wraps-up and concludes as an unsolved murder. The nature of the murder was very graphic and is illustrated accordingly. Rick Geary’s rendition of the events that occurred is detailed through his graphic and eerie panels. 

Response:

This graphic novel was a quick read, with a length of eighty pages and it was very informative and explicit in the telling of this true crime. Geary provides a basic overview into the unsolved mystery. It is exceptionally illustrated and he summarizes the events through his drawings, in which he grimly depicts his subjects. This type of literature will definitely appeal to comic book readers because of its format, and it will also appeal to readers who are interested in murder mysteries. The targeted audience for this graphic novel is young adults, grade levels 9-12.The textbook connection can be Rick Geary’s “Jack the Ripper” and “Louise Brooks: Detective.”

Links and URLs:

In-depth analysis:

http://troublewithcomics.com/post/153630269946/rick-gearys-latest-in-his-series-of-a-treasury-of

Movie Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCDXPn7OnrI

Book 9

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi: A girl in pieces. TX: Cinco Puntos. 

Summary of the book:

Isabel Quintero’s, “Gabi, A Girl in Pieces” is a telling story of a seventeen-year-old high school student, Gabi Hernandez who experiences are what shapes her life and future. Gabi, along with her two best friends Cindy and Sebastian, who both go through heavy personal experiences, experiences the ups and downs of high school. She encounters many difficulties, like the death of her meth-addicted father, her overbearing mother, her brother Beto’s rebel ways, and her uber-religious Tia Bertha. Gabi finds love, not once but twice, Eric turned out to be a bust, while Martin proves to be her true love. With Ms. Abernard’s support, Gabi’s confidence and poems blossom. In the end, Gabi’s future is looking brighter than ever, even though she can’t walk the graduation line, but she still has Berkeley! 

Response:

This novel is written in a diary format, with a length of two-hundred and eighty-four pages, in it the protagonist Gabi Hernandez expresses herself through her poems, pictures, and diagrams. This type of literature would appeal to high school students, secondary level, specifically young adult, adolescent female readers since they might be able to relate to certain topics discussed in the story and might even be able to identify with the characters. Some of the themes explored are love, mourning, and overcoming obstacles. The targeted audience would be grades 9 and up. The textbook connection would be Angie Thomas’s “The Hate U Give” and Judy Cory’s “Meet Me There.” 

Links and URLs:

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy_Iwrzy2-Y   

Synopsis Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4NwPawLGwA