Friday, December 2, 2011
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Hopkins, Ellen. Crank. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. 2004. ISBN 978-1416995135
AWARDS:
SSLI Honor Book Award 2006
IRA Young Adult Choices Award 2005
PSLA Top Ten for Teens 2005
Quills Award nominee 2005
Book Sense Top 10 2005
SUMMARY: Kristina Snow is a normal high school girl, until her mother reluctantly allows her to go visit her deadbeat father for a vacation. He lives in a drug infested neighborhood and soon Kristina joins him and partakes in what she calls the “monster,” which is methamphetamine. With the “monster,” she turns into her alter ego “Bree.” Bree is less shy and allows the “monster” to take over her life.
When she returns home she begins hanging out with a different crowd. All her new friends are pathways to get her to the “monster.” She is eventually raped, but is also sexually active with a boy she cares about. She becomes pregnant, but doesn’t know for certain whom the father is.
She has a son and they live with her mother and step father. Her life is hard with a son to take care of, and she is constantly tempted by the “monster.” In the end, she gives in and goes out the door to get high.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This story, told through the eyes of Kristina, is hard to read. The book shows how a perfectly good kid can succumb to the temptations of drugs. One mistake leads to another until she is a drug addict, as well as pregnant. The author has told a believable tale of teenage drug addiction. Kristina’s life spirals out of control and her trip down this path is totally believable. As Kristen says “Life was good before I met the monster. After, life was great. At least for a little while.” (Hopkins 2004.)
The character is well developed and most teenagers can relate to Kristin’s need to know her real father and in that need to be accepted, she chooses to try drugs. I would recommend this book to teenage girls. The book might be too long for reluctant readers. The novel in verse makes it easier to read, but it is long. I liked that the way the verses displayed on the page are constantly changing which makes the display and visual of the book more appealing. There is a lesson to be learned from this story and the fact that the author really experienced this situation with her own daughter makes it more appealing and believable.
I didn’t like that the author doesn’t include resources for students to use if they have a problem. I think it would have been more responsible to include ways for real teenagers to receive help.
REVIEWS:
School Library Journal Review:
“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.”
Booklist Review:
“Gr. 8-12. Like the teenage crack user in the film Traffic, the young addict in this wrenching, cautionary debut lives in a comfortable, advantaged home with caring parents. Sixteen-year-old Kristina first tries crank, or crystal meth, while visiting her long-estranged father, a crank junkie. Bree is Kristina's imagined, bolder self, who flirts outrageously and gets high without remorse, and when Kristina returns to her mother and family in Reno, it's Bree who makes connections with edgy guys and other crank users that escalate into full-blown addiction and heartrending consequences. Hopkins tells Kristina's story in experimental verse. A few overreaching lines seem out of step with character voices: a boyfriend, for example, tells Kristina that he'd like to wait for sex until she is "free from dreams of yesterday." But Hopkins uses the spare, fragmented style to powerful effect, heightening the emotional impact of dialogues, inner monologues, and devastating scenes, including a brutal date rape. Readers won't soon forget smart, sardonic Kristina; her chilling descent into addiction; or the author's note, which references her own daughter's struggle with "the monster.”
RESOURCES:
Hopkins, Ellen. Crank. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. 2004.
Ellen Hopkins website.
Ellen Hopkins/Simon and Schuster website.
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
Grimes, Nikki. Bronx Masquerade. New York: Dial Books. 2002. ISBN 9780142501894
AWARDS:
2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award
ALA Notable Book
SUMMARY: This story is told through the eyes of high school students in Mr. Ward’s English class. The students come from broken and lower class homes. Most students are raging about some issue in their lives, as well as worried about their ability to fit in with their peers. Mr. Ward starts “Open Mike” Fridays, where students can get up and read poems they have written. Releasing their true feelings through poetry, these students divert their anger through words and begin to bond as a class. The barriers each student had built to protect themselves are slowly peeled away and they realize that their first impressions of each other are not accurate.
The “Open Mike” Fridays become so popular that a reporter comes to the school and writes a report about the great things going on in Mr. Ward’s English class. As the end of school approaches, the class is allowed to perform their poetry in front of the whole school. The whole class has gone from mere acquaintances into a tight knit family, supporting each other. They perform for the school, and Mr. Ward’s class becomes one of the most sought after classes in the whole school.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: An inspirational and enlightening read for junior high through high school readers. It is refreshing to read about minority and economically challenged students where the whole book is positive. There were no bad characters, there was no fighting, there was no drug dealing, there were just students who were encouraged to succeed and feel good about themselves.
The setting is a Bronx high school with the story told through the eyes of students in a high school English class. The main character, Tyrone, is well developed. We see his insights about his own life and his impressions of the other students he gets to know through their poetry. We meet the other characters, but they only have small chapters coupled with their poetry. Most students will be able to relate to at least one character is this book.
Each student has a less than perfect life and feels a need fit in with their peers. They have little control over their situations, but gain power through their own words in their poetry. They began to see that they can be successful and their futures are bright. They begin to bond as a group and seek control over their anger and loneliness.
I would recommend it for any teenage student, and especially reluctant readers. The poetry mixed with the stories of the individual students is a good mix and an easy read.
REVIEWS:
Publisher’s Weekly Review:
“When a high school teacher in the Bronx begins to host open-mike poetry in his classroom on Fridays, his students find a forum to express their identity issues and forge unexpected connections with one another. Grimes's (Jazmin's Notebook) creative, contemporary premise will hook teens, and the poems may even inspire readers to try a few of their own. The poetic forms range from lyrics penned by aspiring rapper Tyrone to the concrete poem of a budding Puerto Rican painter Raul (titled "Zorro" and formed as the letter "Z"). Ultimately, though, there may be too many characters for the audience to penetrate deeply. The students in Mr. Ward's English class experience everything from dyslexia and low self-esteem to teenage motherhood and physical abuse. The narrators trade off quickly, offering only a glimpse into their lives. Not even Tyrone, who breaks in after each student's poem to offer some commentary, comes fully to life. The students' poems, however, provide some lasting images (e.g., overweight Janelle, who is teased for her "thick casing," writes, "I am coconut,/ and the heart of me/ is sweeter/ than you know"). Any one of these students could likely dominate a novel of his or her own, they simply get too little time to hold the floor here. Ages 12-up.”
School Library Journal Review:
“Gr 8 Up-A flowing, rhythmic portrait of the diversity and individuality of teen characters in a classroom in Anywhere, U.S.A. Each teen's story is told by combining his or her poetry with snippets of narration. Readers meet Tyrone, an aspiring songwriter who sees no use for school; Lupe, who thinks that becoming a mother would give her the love she lacks in her life; and Janelle, who is struggling with her body image. As their stories unfold and intertwine with those of their classmates, readers are able to observe changes in them and watch the group evolve into a more cohesive unit. Grimes's style is reminiscent of Mel Glenn's poetry novels, but by telling these stories in both poetry and narration, the author adds a new twist. Competent and reluctant readers alike will recognize and empathize with these teens. As always, Grimes gives young people exactly what they're looking for-real characters who show them they are not alone.”
RESOURCES:
Grimes, Nikki. Bronx Masquerade. New York: Dial Books. 2002.
Nikki Grimes website.
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones
Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 1999. ISBN 0060283866
AWARDS:
Christopher Award for best children's book
Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry
Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award
Reading Association Young Adults' Choice for 2001
Favorite Book of 1999 by Teenreads.com
American Library Association 2000 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
American Library Association 2000 Best Book for Young Adults
American Library Association 2002 Popular Paperback for Young Adults
International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice for 2001
SUMMARY: On Christmas Eve, the author’s sister has a nervous breakdown. She is put into a mental hospital. The author, as well as her mother and father, have no idea how to deal with the sister’s breakdown or how to communicate with each other.
Visiting her sister is torture. She wants to keep the whole situation a secret because she is afraid her friends will abandon her if they find out. She finally tells them and they spread the news around the school and shut her out of their social circle. She finds a girl with family problems like her, and they become friends. She also meets a boy. She finally introduces him to her family, including her sister. He doesn’t seem to mind that her family isn’t perfect.
Her sister begins to recover and the rest of the family begins to heal while she is away. In the end, she finds she doesn’t miss her old friends at all and she has a boyfriend that she loves.
CRITICAL ANALYIS: The story is told through the eyes of a teenage girl whose sister has a mental breakdown on Christmas Eve. The story is believable and the way the little sister has to deal with the situation is dead on. She doesn’t get attention from her parents because they are so worried about her big sister. She has to deal with the whole situation herself. She loses her friends and her sister’s situation takes over her whole life. I think many students can relate to the little sister and what she goes through. Almost every family has to deal with family members that suffer from some physical or mental problem.
The characters are all well developed and we see them in memories of the time before the sister’s breakdown, as well as how they deal with this new ordeal.
The novel in verse makes this book an easy read for any teenager. Most teenagers can relate to the feelings and thoughts of the younger sister. I liked that the display and visual of the verses changes frequently which adds to the visual appeal of the book.
The author also includes that this really happened to her sister when she was a teenager. She also lists resources for students if they need help. I thought that was a great addition to the book. Students need resources to reach for in case they see themselves in this story.
REVIEWS:
School Library Journal Review:
“ Grade 6-9-An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members. Based on the journals Sones wrote at the age of 13 when her 19-year-old sister was hospitalized due to manic depression, the simply crafted but deeply felt poems reflect her thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams during that troubling time. In one poem, the narrator fears that "If I stay/any longer/than an hour,/ I'll see that my eyes/have turned into her eyes,/my lips/have turned into her lips, ." She dreads having her friends learn of her sister's illness. "If I told them that my sister's nuts,/they might act sympathetic,/but behind my back/would everyone laugh?" and wonders what she could have done to prevent the breakdown. All of the emotions and feelings are here, the tightness in the teen's chest when thinking about her sibling in the hospital, her grocery list of adjectives for mental illness, and the honest truth in the collection's smallest poem, "I don't want to see you./I dread it./There./I've said it." An insightful author's note and brief list of organizations are included.”
Kirkus Review:
“In a story based on real events, and told in poems, Sones explores what happened and how she reacted when her adored older sister suddenly began screaming and hearing voices in her head, and was ultimately hospitalized. Individually, the poems appear simple and unremarkable, snapshot portraits of two sisters, a family, unfaithful friends, and a sweet first love. Collected, they take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence. The form, a story-in-poems, fits the story remarkably well, spotlighting the musings of the 13-year-old narrator, and pinpointing the emotions powerfully. She copes with friends who snub her, worries that she, too, will go mad, and watches her sister's slow recovery. To a budding genre that includes Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust (1997) and Virginia Euwer Wolff's Make Lemonade (1993), this book is a welcome addition. (Poetry. 10-14)”
RESOURCES:
Sones, Sonya. Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 1999.
Sonya Sones website.
Simon and Schuster/Sonya Sones website.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
NONFICTION AND BIOGRAPHY
A HOLE IN MY LIFE BY JACK GANTOS
Gantos, Jack. A Hole in My Life. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Girox. 2002. ISBN 0374399883
AWARDS:
American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
American Library Association Notable Children's Books
American Library Association Popular Paperbacks for Young Readers
Michael L. Printz Award – Honor
Parents' Choice Award Winner
Booklist Editors' Choice
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Robert F. Sibert Award – Honor
SUMMARY: Jack Gantos writes about his life before, during, and after he unsuccessfully tries to smuggle hashish from the Virgin Islands to New York City in a boat. His amateur attempt at drug smuggling is both humorous and anguishing to read. He talks fondly about his early years with his family, his unusual life in the Virgin Islands, as well as his senior year spent on his own in Florida. He graduates and wants to go to college to become a writer, but he doesn’t seem to know what to write about, plus he has no money for college. He is a lover of literature, but he is adrift without purpose until he ends up in prison. He spends over a year in prison on his drug charge and finally has time to organize and put his thoughts on paper. He credits prison with starting his career as a writer. Mr. Gantos can be credited for taking a bad choice and turning it into a positive life changing experience.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Jack Gantos has written one of his best works with this memoir about his teen-age years. The story is well written, has an interesting plot, as well as a truly sympathetic character in Gantos. I was glad that he included his mug shot for the world to see, because students will see in the first few pages that this is for real. I felt that Gantos’ memory was honest and genuine, as he included his flaws as well as his strengths. Obviously he was smart and responsible, yet he was also broke, with raging acne, no clue about girls, and not thinking of what he was risking to make a quick buck. Gantos still didn’t realize how serious his offense was, until he realized he was going to prison. The one detail of the book I grew tired of, was his constant reference to any literature he happened to be reading at the time. It was interesting for a few chapters, but I didn’t think I needed to hear about every book that Gantos ever read. Students might enjoy learning about new literature to read, but as an adult, I thought it was too much.
High school students, especially boys, can identify completely with this character. I would recommend this to any high school student, because as interesting as it is, it has a great message. Through all his mistakes and disappointments, Gantos never gave up on himself. He knew he wanted to be a successful writer and if he could accomplish that with no money and a prison record, what average teenager can’t realize their dreams also. He also sends a message to all of us pessimistic adults: don’t give up on a teenager just because they make mistakes. They need our support. (Nilsen 2009)
REVIEWS:
Publishers Weekly Review:
“After penning a number of novels for preteens, including the Joey Pigza books and the Jack series, Gantos makes a smooth transition as he addresses an older audience. He uses the same bold honesty found in his fiction to offer a riveting autobiographical account of his teen years and the events may well penetrate the comfort zone of even the most complacent young adults. The memoir begins with the dramatic image of the author as a young convict ("When I look at my face in the photo I see nothing but the pocked mask I was hiding behind"). The book then goes on to provide an in-depth examination of the sensitive and intelligent boy residing behind a tough facade. Inspired by the words and lives of some of his favorite American authors, Gantos sought adventure after leaving high school. He eagerly agreed to help smuggle a shipment of hashish from Florida to New York without giving thought of the possible consequences. Knowing that the narrator is destined to land in jail keeps suspense at a high pitch, but this book's remarkable achievement is the multiple points of view that emerge, as experiences force a fledgling writer to continually revise his perspective of himself and the world around him. The book requires a commitment, as it rambles a bit at times, but it provides much food for thought and fuel for debate. It will leave readers emotionally exhausted and a little wiser. Ages 12-up.”
School Library Journal Review:
“Grade 8 Up-The compelling story of the author's final year in high school, his brushes with crime, and his subsequent incarceration. Gantos has written much about his early years with his eccentric family, and this more serious book picks up the tale as they moved to Puerto Rico during his junior year. He returned to Florida alone, living in a seedy motel while he finished high school and realized that his options for college weren't great. A failed drug deal cost him most of his savings and he joined his family, now in St. Croix, where he accepted an offer of $10,000 to help sail a boat full of hash to New York. He and his colleagues were caught, and as it turns out, he was in more trouble than he anticipated. Sent to federal prison for up to six years, Gantos landed a job in the hospital section, a post that protected him from his fellow inmates, yet allowed him to witness prison culture firsthand. Much of the action in this memoir-some of it quite raw and harsh-will be riveting to teen readers. However, the book's real strength lies in the window it gives into the mind of an adolescent without strong family support and living in the easy drug culture of the 1970s. Gantos looks for role models and guidance in the pages of the books he is reading, and his drive to be a writer and desire to go to college ultimately save him.”
RESOURCES:
Gantos, Jack. A Hole in My Life. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Girox. 2002.
Nilsen and Donelson. Literature For Today’s Young Adults, 8th ed. Boston, MA : Pearson Education. 2009. p. 292.
Jack Gantos website.
Book Nuts Reading Club website.
Guys Read website.
Images by Google Images.
KING OF THE MILD FRONTIER: AN ILL-ADVISED AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY CHRIS CRUTCHER
Crutcher, Chris. King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. 2003. ISBN 0060502495
AWARDS:
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults
ALAN Award for a Significant Contribution to Adolescent Literature
SUMMARY: Renowned young adult author Chris Crutcher was born in the 1950’s in Cascade, Idaho. His mother was an alcoholic and his father “Crutch,” was a stern and often demanding father. His older brother always led Chris into trouble with his catch phrase, “Wanna do something neat?”(Crutcher 2003). Chris was a high school and college athlete who had trouble controlling his temper when he was young. He chronicles his high school adventures, as well as his life as a therapist, and later a writer. He gives us insights into where he came up with the ideas for his stories, as well as why he has made the choices he has in his own life.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Chris Crutcher’s autobiography is a touching and humorous story. I found his memories of growing up in the 1950’s, an accurate portrayal of life in a simpler time. His life in a small town was reminiscent of my own. His family was loving, but far from perfect. Crutcher let us see the happy times in his life, as well as the bad. I think young readers will enjoy reading about his life and find a little of themselves in this memoir.
High school students deal with some of the same problems that Crutcher faced in his youth. He wrote about how his failure to control his temper, as being one of his main character flaws when he was young. Many of today’s youth struggle with their tempers. I admired him for writing about his domineering father and alcoholic mother. Many families today face dysfunction with one or more members of their families. He also discusses his lack of prowess with high school girls. High school boys and girls will relate with his shyness and clumsiness around the opposite sex. I think that high school students will also relate to his discussions about when he was a therapist treating children through Social Services. Students that have read his books will also enjoy reading about where he got some of his main characters and story ideas.
The book contains a positive message for high school students and adults as well. He shows us that through perseverance, we can achieve our goals and be successful. Although he lacked confidence and worked in several professions, he eventually was able to do what he loves, which is writing. He also credits that without his previous experiences, he wouldn’t have become the accomplished writer he is today.
I would recommend this book for high school students and adults because of the language. I think boys will enjoy it more than girls. The story might be too slow moving for reluctant readers.
REVIEWS:
Booklist Starred Review:
“Gr. 8-12. Like his novels, Crutcher's autobiography is full of heartbreak, poignancy, and hilarity. Candid and casual, Crutcher shares stories from his childhood and adolescence in Cascade, Idaho. Reminiscences of some of his youthful rites of passage are laugh-out-loud funny, such as his humiliating initiation into his high-school athletic club. On a more serious note, he discusses his occasionally rocky relationships with his parents and siblings. He talks openly about his struggles with a bad temper that constantly got him into trouble, how he came to terms with questions about God, how he confronted intolerance, and how he found his own place in the world. He also shares several painful glimpses into his work as a child and family therapist trying to help people heal some very broken lives. This honest, insightful, revealing autobiography is a joy to read. Crutcher's fans will relish this intimate glimpse of the author, and the book may win some new readers for his fiction.”
Publishers Weekly Review:
"In this funny, bittersweet and brutally honest autobiography, Crutcher recounts his journey from a boyhood misspent in remote Cascade, Idaho, to his present life as a writer," wrote PW in a starred review. All ages.”
RESOURCES:
Crutcher, Chris. King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. 2003.
Chris Crutcher website.
HarperCollins website.
Learning About Chris Crutcher website.
Images by Google Images.
THE WEDNESDAY WARS BY GARY D. SCHMIDT
Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion Books. 2007. ISBN 9780618724833
AWARDS:
Newbery Honor Books: 2008
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2007
Notable Children's Books: 2008
Best Books for Young Adults: 2008
SUMMARY: This story set during the Vietnam War records Holling Hoodhood’s 7th grade year at Camillo Junior High. His family lives in the perfect house. This house contains a not so perfect family, which includes: a stereotypical 1960’s mother, a father who is too busy watching news about the war or building an empire to notice his own son, and a sister who wants to become a flower child. At Holling’s junior high, everyone is Catholic or Jewish except Holling. The rest of the junior high students go to religious classes on Wednesday afternoons, so Holling is left to spend it with Mrs. Baker, who he thinks hates him. Mrs. Baker works Holling hard academically, but eventually they bond by reading Shakespeare. Holling decides to run track, and finds out that Mrs. Baker was an Olympic runner, and she helps him train. Holling is also there when Mrs. Baker’s husband, fighting in the Vietnam War, is missing in action, and he is there when she hears that he is okay. She is there when Holling is hit by a bus, and his parents can’t or won’t make it to the hospital. Throughout the year, Holling begins to see Mrs. Baker as a real person and not just his teacher.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This work of historical fiction was a humorous yet emotional story. The setting during the Vietnam War is integral to the story. The story revolved around events that happened during the war. The death of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King play into the story, as well as Mrs. Baker’s husband fighting in the war. The fact that Holling’s sister wanted to be a flower child, also fits into the culture of the 1960’s. The story is told with details that bring the Vietnam War era to life. I believe the author grew up during this time, and you can see that he remembers it both sadly and fondly. The theme of this story is about bonding, friendship, and resilience. The characters go through many trying events, but they make it through all the turmoil together and become stronger because of it.
The main character, Holling seems genuine and most teenagers could relate to the emotions he goes through during his 7th grade year. Mrs. Baker is a typical teacher, yet the fact that she was an Olympic runner, helps Holling, as well as students’ today, realize that teachers are just people too. They have problems just like everyone else and lives don’t end in their classrooms.
I would recommend this book for junior high and high school students. Boys will probably enjoy the novel more than girls. Reluctant readers should enjoy the humor contained in story.
REVIEWS:
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review:
"Schmidt...makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous...a gentle, hopeful, moving story."
Horn Book, Starred Review:
"Schmidt rises above the novel's conventions to create memorable and believable characters."
School Library Journal Review:
"[An] entertaining and nuanced novel.... There are laugh-out-loud moments that leaven the many poignant ones."
RESOURCES:
Schmidt, Gary D. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion Books. 2007.
Reading Treasure Chest website.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Shan, Darren. Cirque Du Freak, A Living Nightmare. London, England: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. 2002. ISBN 0316607107
AWARDS:
ALA Notable Books for Children
ALA Top 10 Best Books for YA
ALA Top 10 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
BCCB Blue Ribbons
Booklist Editors' Choice
Boston Globe - Hornbook
Publishers Weekly Best Books
School Library Journal's Best Books
SUMMARY: Darren Shan and his friend Steve obtain tickets to a Freak Show. After the show, Darren steals one of the act’s trained spider. The spider bites Steve and the only way Darren can save him is to find the spider’s true owner. The owner, Larten Crepsley, just happens to be a vampire. He knows how to save Steve, but he will only give Darren the serum if Darren agrees to become his assistant. Darren agrees. The serum saves Steve, and Mr. Crepsley turns Darren into a half vampire. They fake Darren’s death and he leaves his friends and family behind for this other life. Before they leave, Darren sees his friend Steve once more, and Steve vows to destroy Darren.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: The story is told by protagonist, Darren Shan. Darren is not a saint, but he does exhibit most of the qualities your typical 12 year old boy possesses. He steals a spider, yet he gives up his life for his friend. He never comes clean about why Steve is dying, but he agrees to alter his life with a terribly brave act to save him. These are the kind of contradictions that make Darren believable.
Darren’s family is minor to the story. Steve, Darren’s best friend, seems like a true friend, but we see that he is evil by the end of the story. Mr. Crepsley is scary, as the vampire stalking the thief of his precious spider. His intentions are questionable, but in the end, he is one of the good guys.
The setting is not really important to the story. The story takes place in a town not specified, in the present. I enjoyed this quote from the book about this story being true, “In books, the heroes can make as many mistakes as they like. It doesn't matter what they do, because everything works out in the end. They'll beat the bad guys and put things right and everything ends up cool...Real life's nasty. It's cruel. It doesn't care about happy endings and the way things should be. In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost. Evil often wins."(Shan 2002)
The plot is suspenceful, exciting, and eerie. The deadly spider, a freak show, and a vampire, make this story a great read. This is my second time to read this book, and I still couldn’t put it down. The ending leaves you wanting more, and luckily there is a second book.
I have shared this book with my students since it was published in 2002. If I ever had a student that was a reluctant reader or one that just couldn’t find the right book, I always recommended this book. I have had very few students that didn’t end up reading this whole series. They always come back wanting the next book. Parents may not like the violence and a few cuss words, but kids love it.
REVIEWS:
From School Library Journal:
“Gr 4-8-In his introduction, 12-year-old Darren claims that this is a true story, though the names have been changed and the country (obviously England) kept secret. When a bizarre-sounding freak show comes to town, he and his friend Steve sneak out to attend, and Steve recognizes one of the performers-as a centuries-old vampire. Darren decides he must steal the vampire's performing, poisonous spider. The theft is successful, and he learns to control Madam Octa with a combination of flute music and ESP-until she bites Steve. Darren must then sell himself into vampire slavery to get the cure to the spider's poison. This volume is neither as well written nor as compulsively readable as the "Harry Potter" books (Scholastic), though surely J. K. Rowling's endorsement on the cover will win it a few fans. Most of the characters aren't developed much beyond their names and a brief description. The slowness of the plot in the beginning might turn some readers off, but once the supernatural enters, they will be hooked. The fun here is in the details and in the uniqueness of the non-evil vampire monster. Several volumes of the series are already out in England, and the movie rights have already been purchased, ensuring that this title and probably its sequels will be in demand.”
Booklist Review:
“Gr. 5-8. When Cirque Du Freak comes to town, Darren and his friends are obsessed with seeing the acts, which include a performing spider; spiders are a particular fascination of Darren's. It is a marvelously creepy show that lives up to their expectations. After the show, Darren's rowdy pal, Steve, stays behind and confronts the man with the spider--who turns out to be a vampire. Hidden in the shadows, Darren listens, horrified, as Steve begs Mr. Crepsley to make him a vampire, too. Steve's request is denied, but through a series of mishaps, Darren becomes the vampire. The unresolved ending will leave readers begging for more. The gripping plot moves forward at a lightning pace, and Darren's fascination with the grotesque will ring true for many. Though originally published in England, there are no off-putting Briticisms, just a rip-roaring story full of oddities, low-key horror, and occasional, unexpected poignancy. “
RESOURCES:
Shan, Darren. Cirque Du Freak, A Living Nightmare. London, England: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. 2002. ISBN 0316607107
Darren Shan website.
Kids Reads website.
Darren Shan’s blog.
Collins, Suzanna. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press. 2008. ISBN 9780439023481
AWARDS:
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2008: Children’s Fiction.
New York Times Notable Children's Book Of 2008.
An American Library Association
Top Ten Best Books For Young Adults Selection
Top Ten Best Books For Young Adults Selection
An ALA Notable Children’s Book
Indies Choice--Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book Honor
2008 Cybil Award--Fantasy & Science Fiction
2009 Children's Choice Book Award
YALSA'S Teens' Top Ten, 2009
A Kirkus Best Book Of 2008
School Library Journal Best Books Of 2008
A Booklist Editors' Choice, 2008
Barnes & Noble Best Books Of 2008: For Teens And Kids
Amazon Best Books Of 2008
SUMMARY:
Katniss, her mother, and her 12 year old sister live in a futuristic society. Katniss’ days are spent hunting and providing food for her family. Every year their society has an event called the Hunger Games. Names of all society members age 12-18 are put into a drawing. Two teenagers from each district are chosen. Those names chosen are to participate in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a televised fight to the death between the participants. The lone survivor is allowed to live the rest of their lives with all the amenities they need at their disposal.
Katniss’s sister Prim is chosen, but Katniss volunteers to take her place. Another boy Peeta is also chosen. He is in love with Katniss, but she is clueless. They fight until there are three participants left alive. The Capitol decides that if two people from the same district are the last two alive, they will both be declared winners. Katniss and Peeta are victorious, but Katniss’ feelings for Peeta remain unclear. Was it all an act so that they could both survive the game, or does she really love him?
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Katniss is an extraordinary female protagonist. Humble, clever, intelligent, resourceful, independent, and brave, are all characteristics she possesses. When her little sister Prim is chosen for the Hunger Games, Katniss doesn’t even consider any other possibility, but to go in her place. Told from Katniss’ perspective, we marvel at her ability to outsmart those around her. Her character is well developed and we root for her survival.
Peeta, who saves Katniss’ life and is also in love with her, is also an endearing character. They help each other survive and never lose sight that human life is precious even though the circumstances they are forced into, show them otherwise.
Katniss’ mother is never really anything but a burden. After her husband dies, she goes into a depression, and Katniss is forced to take care of the family. Prim, the little sister, is not developed as a character, but we feel sympathy for her as well as Katniss’ need to protect her.
The plot is suspenseful. Children fighting each other to the death is violent and hard to read at times, but the story has great emotional appeal as well. You know she will win the games, but finding out how she accomplishes victory is great reading.
The setting is a futuristic society where the capital of the country has made all the districts sacrifice two 12-18 year olds in a fight to the death with the other districts’ children. The setting is believable, and the evil corrupt government is easy to despise. The leaders of the game constantly play puppet master as they manipulate the game to make it more interesting for the audience.
I loved this book and would recommend it for grades 6-12, as well as adults. The violence, as well length of the book, might make it inappropriate for younger students.
REVIEWS:
School Library Journal Review:
“Grade 7 Up -In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like 'Survivor' and 'American Gladiator.' Book one of a planned trilogy.”
Booklist Review:
“*Starred Review* This is a grand-opening salvo in a new series by the author of the Underland Chronicles. Sixteen-year-old Katniss poaches food for her widowed mother and little sister from the forest outside the legal perimeter of District 12, the poorest of the dozen districts constituting Panem, the North American dystopic state that has replaced the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. Her hunting and tracking skills serve her well when she is then cast into the nation’s annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death where contestants must battle harsh terrain, artificially concocted weather conditions, and two teenaged contestants from each of Panem’s districts. District 12’s second “tribute” is Peeta, the baker’s son, who has been in love with Katniss since he was five. Each new plot twist ratchets up the tension, moving the story forward and keeping the reader on edge. Although Katniss may be skilled with a bow and arrow and adept at analyzing her opponents’ next moves, she has much to learn about personal sentiments, especially her own. Populated by three-dimensional characters, this is a superb tale of physical adventure, political suspense, and romance. Grades 9-12.”
RESOURCES:
Suzanne Collins website.
Good Reads website.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/153394.Suzanne_Collins
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