Enchanted

Bibliography

Kontis, Alethea. Enchanted. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

Sunday is one of the Woodcutter Sisters named for each day of the week. Each sibling has a magical power and what Sunday writes comes true. While writing one day, Sunday meets and becomes friends with an enchanted frog. Their feelings for each other become close enough that Sunday kisses the frog which transforms him back into a man. Unfortunately, this young man is part of a family that has been at odds with her family for a long time. Will she learn to love the man who was her dear friend?

Analysis

“Magic and monsters, all before breakfast. Sunday wouldn’t have it any other way” (Kontis 187).

Enchanted is a fun read full of satire and sarcasm. There are surprises sprinkled throughout as a family story slowly turns out to be a familiar fairy tale such as Jack and the Beanstalk or The Golden Goose.

Like many other YA novels, Enchanted is blurred between genres. It mostly falls in the fairy tale category, but could also fall under humor, romance, or even adventure. It is not told in the first person. However, it does have traditional YA traits such as doubt about his and her strength, personal growth throughout the story, a mean mother and loving father. This book also features a traditional fairy tale happy ending.

The writing is verbose. This novel could have been told in about half of the words. Although, the story may be a bit meandering, it may be to layer in the other fairy tales and magic.

Overall, I would recommend this book to a female YA reader because it has a clever combination of familiar fairy tales, romance, and light humor. It would be an ideal read for the summer or over a weekend.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Bibliography

42: The Jackie Robinson Story. Dir. Brian Helgeland. 2013. Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, 2013. Film.

Nelson, Kadir. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York, NY: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, 2008. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

This nonfiction book is written to tell the story of Negro League baseball, the time during segregation when African-American baseball players had their own league. It is a passionate book written in nine innings (chapters) with full page illustrations. We Are the Ship describes the formation of the league, travel conditions, personalities and strengths of the players, and the ultimate acceptance of African-American players into the major leagues. The full page pictures in the book convey the emotion of the time, the strength of the players, and the excitement of the games.

Analysis

“We are the ship; all else the sea.”—Rube Foster, founder of the Negro National League

Nelson shows the “strength and resilience of the human spirit” through Negro League Baseball (81).  We Are the Ship features the unsung heroes who had a deep love of the game which helped them to overcome serious obstacles brought on by segregation.

The chapters are organized into 9 innings with an extra inning for follow-up notes. The book opens with gripping quotes from the players about the game. It is written in a conversational tone, as if one of the old-timers is sitting in front of the reader telling a story about how it was.

Nelson puts a face on segregation and racial discrimination in the sports leagues during segregation. The phrase “It was downright shameful” was used multiple times in describing the treatment of African-Americans for the duration of the league. He also goes into the politics of money and the “us versus them” mentality in sportsmanship with the non-negro leagues. However, it all comes back to the camaraderie of the players and their supreme love of the game.

           

This nonfiction book is very factual, thorough, and well rounded. It features a historical perspective of baseball in general while also layering in how the Negro League was unique. For example, Nelson describes that this was before all the safety equipment to protect their heads from the ball and shins from the shoe spikes. He also described the day-to-day living conditions of eating and housing between games, and working conditions in a segregated nation. An interesting addition is a chapter on Latin America where men from the Negro Leagues would play in the off season. Nelson also provides a list of Negro Major Leaguers, Hall of Famers, an authors note, bibliography, filmography, and endnotes.

           

The illustrations support the facts by featuring the key players and help the reader visualize all the different fields where the players competed. There are many names and places in the book, so having a visual of the person helps to make an emotional connection with the players.

           

Nelson goes into great detail about the personalities of the players and strife of having to compete on a secondary level as a Negro ball player. Nelson does a great job of presenting both the good and the bad personalities of the men in the League. He also mentions previous jobs they had had before becoming involved in baseball. For example, some men were working menial jobs and others were college educated. He presents the whole spectrum in an unbiased way.

           

One weakness is the density of the text. While this book is at the reading level of the intended audience, Nelson uses large, full pages of small text throughout the book. This would probably not be very engaging for a younger (third to fifth grade) audience. However, this may have been a concession to maintain the style of the book. The illustrations take as much of the focus as the text. A compromise would be to add focus boxes to help highlight the main themes and people in each chapter.

           

Overall, I would recommend this book to a young YA reader because it will leave a mark on their impression of the beginnings of baseball in the United States, the impact of segregation for a large part of the population, and ultimately, the love for a game.

           

As a side note, although this book is written for a YA audience, parents might be interested in a similar story in the Baseball movie 42: The Jackie Robinson Story (rated PG-13). Jackie Robinson was the first African-American baseball player in the major leagues and paved the way for all later players. We Are the Ship features a full chapter on Jackie Robinson.

Between Shades of Gray

Bibliography

Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. New York, NY: Philomel Books, 2011. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for   

       Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

In 1941, Lina, fifteen, and her family are forcefully taken from Lithuania as part of Stalin’s “intellectual cleansing” program. She, her mother, and brother are shipped via cattle cars and trucks for weeks before they are imprisoned in multiple Soviet labor camps in inhospitable places such as Siberia and the North Pole. Lina uses hope, her family, and her drawings, to attempt to survive the 6500 mile journey and life in labor camps.

 

Analysis

“Was it harder to die, or harder to be the one who survived?” (Sepetys 319). 

Between Shades of Gray allows the reader to immerse themselves as a prisoner of war in Stalin-era labor camps. The book is “steeped in time and place” and weaves in national pride, religion, and customs, including some of the political issues that led to Lina’s family being persecuted and labeled as criminals (Nilsen, et al. 258). There is a constant sense of danger, confusion, mystery, and even adventure. The characters in this book constantly move between total despair and hope, deep love and mindless hatred, and compassion and cruelty from the guards.  

Unlike many YA novels, the teen protagonist in Between Shades of Gray is not going through her challenges alone. Lina is with her family for the majority of the novel. The reader is witness to their suffering as well as the effect on Lina. Lina is mature and immature at different points. As things get worse, she progressively loses any remaining childhood and becomes a responsible adult trying to survive and protect her family. She has to make a choice to give up or fight for her life. She deals with her new reality by accepting the challenge of having to keep her brother alive by all means. 

Sepetys creates a believable 15-year-old character. She keeps sane by expressing herself and reflecting on her situation through her drawings. It is very easy to relate to Lina’s thoughts throughout her ordeal. Sepetys has a clever writing style, interlacing flashbacks of Lina’s previous privileged life with her current, stark situation. 

To Sepetys credit, several of the guards are also presented as three-dimensional characters. They are experiencing confusion and inner turmoil at having to enforce the brutal, and often inhumane, treatment on the prisoners that is demanded of them. Some of them are prisoners in their own right, just better fed.

Between Shades of Gray would be a good novel for introducing a discussion about Stalin, Communism, and the “intellectual cleansing” that claimed nearly 1/3 of the populations of Estonia, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. Lina’s family was sent to the labor camps and branded a thief and traitor because her father was the Provost at the University and an educated man. Students today could discuss what effect a political move like this would effect them and their family. Additionally, students could discuss current countries that do not allow freedom of speech such as enforcing a tight information barrier to the Internet and media, like in North Korea.

There is much action in the book as Lina and her family try to survive each day. At times, the action seems too thick as there is constant movement from some event to the next. There author needed to better balance mundane existence in a prison camp with more dramatic moments. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to a male or female YA reader because of the historical significance of this novel. Few books capture the history of a prisoner during Stalin’s genocide of the Baltic people. Sepetys’ writing makes this very accessible to a teen audience. 

Take Me to the River

Bibliography

Hobbs, Will. Take Me to the River. New York, NY: Harper, 2011. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

Two cousins, Rio, 15, and Dylan, 14, attempt to whitewater raft the 116 miles of the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande River for ten days on their own. In addition to trying to survive in this harsh climate, they encounter a tropical storm possibly heading their way and a murdering kidnapper on the loose somewhere in their vicinity with both the Mexican and American authorities on the hunt. Will they complete their journey alive?

Analysis           

Take Me to the River is a good adventure novel in that the “pace moved faster and faster to speed us into the tale” (Nilsen, et al. 227). There is much anticipation throughout the book as the boys battle for survival in the harsh, remote land and with two perceived threats looming – an incoming tropical storm and a fugitive on the loose. The reader can live vicariously through the boys as they travel down the Rio Grande like modern day Huck Finns.

Hobbs does a good job of quickly setting up major decisions that create tension for the main characters. Dylan constantly doubts himself as he is frequently confronted with having to take greater risks and go further outside his comfort zone as the trip progresses. For example, Dylan thinks to himself “You play it safe, you’ll disappoint your cousin and yourself. You’ll have to live with that.” He then says “I’m in. I’m going all the way, till the wheels fall off and burn” (Hobbs 77). This inner turmoil keeps his character believable and likeable. It also provides a reflection point for the reader to ask “what would I do in this situation?” Over time Dylan gains more confidence in his capabilities.

Hobbs provides an accurate picture of the day-to-day life on the border of Mexico and United States and how it has changed after the events of 9-11. He goes into detail about the trade relations and the political situation for people in this remote area including jobs and work situations, smuggling and trading of goods, illegal aliens, and the border patrol. Additionally, he gives a fairly detailed history lesson on the city of Boquillas, Mexico to personify the struggles of many remote border towns. 

Although the focus of an adventure book shouldn’t be the setting (Nilsen, et al. 228), the descriptive writing for this novel could have been stronger. Namely, many vocabulary terms and geological descriptions weren’t fully explained. An illustration would have been helpful to set the scene or provide more thorough descriptions than the cursory writing. The reader is left with a sense of the remoteness and poverty in the area, but often wouldn’t know what a Cat’s Claw Tree looks like or an octocillo. Hobbs also uses rafting terms that the average youth may not know. This takes the reader out of the rhythm of the book.  A short glossary in the back to describe some of the flora and fauna or what a “Canadian Stroke” is would be helpful. I found myself going to the Internet to help visualize what he was trying to describe.

Another weak piece of writing is in the characterization of the “bad guy.” He is very flat and not realistic. For example, he calls himself a gangster and is constantly waving his gun around. This character is too stereotypical to believe he is a serious cartel member.

           

Overall, I would recommend this book to a male YA reader because of the connection to nature, stirring adventure plot, and exposure to life on the Mexican-American border.

Across the Universe

Bibliography

Revis, Beth. Across the Universe. New York, NY: Razorbill, 2011. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

Amy, 16, and her parents are three of 100 people who have been cryogenically frozen for the 300-year trip to a new planet, Centauri-Earth. However, she is mysteriously unplugged 50 years before the scheduled landing, possibly by someone trying to murder the cryogenically frozen “cargo.” Amy must make sense of the new world she has awoken into onboard the Godspeed. At first Godspeed appears to be a harmonious Utopia, and a perfect society, but it turns out to be a dystopia full of secrets and lies run by a tyrannical leader, Eldest. Amy meets another teen, Elder, who is slated to be the next ruler, and together they try to untangle reality from appearances. Will they ever escape the cold metal walls of the ship and arrive on the new planet?

Analysis

Across the Universe has multiple layers of a true science fiction novel in that it involves time and space travel but also mad scientists, and a touch of cyberpunk. Revis describes the technology that runs the multi-thousand person ship and she also methodically unfolds the layers of genetic engineering that is taking place on the ship in preparation for colonization of the new planet. She also explores the sociological and environmental concerns of a planned society that has been operating inside the ship for hundreds of years. The workers are described as “empty” but compliant (Revis 321). This book also lists the causes of discord as: differences, lack of a strong leader, and individual thought. This would be a good discussion point for a teen audience.

Additionally, Revis throws in a cyberpunk thread in the use of “technology and [Eldest’s] power of communication as it is used to manipulate people” (Nilsen, et al. 177). This theme can be juxtaposed with current events in Istanbul and Egypt where people are protesting because of their perceived lack of influence in their government.

The two teen protagonists, Elder and Amy, are exploring the dualities of good versus evil, reality versus appearance, and order versus anarchy (Nilsen, et al. 144). Eldest states multiple times that “this ship is built on secrets; it runs on secrets” (Revis 314). Elder must decide if secrets are a necessary evil but has to contend with whether or not he will follow the status-quo as leader.

Revis has designed the book to move between the thoughts of Amy and Elder and has a strong command of youth voice from the first page of the book. It is unique to have two voices instead of only one first person narrative, and it is a major strength of the book. However, once Revis begins moving more quickly back and forth between the thoughts of Amy and Elder, the voice becomes muted because both characters are too similar. 

The characters fall into traditional YA roles. Elder wants more information and responsibility and resents the established structure. Additionally, he is constantly questioning himself as he grows into his position as leader. He is also a foil to Eldest in that Elder self proclaims that he likes “a little chaos” (Revis 42) and “needs a little disturbance” (313) in opposition to Eldest who likes things quiet and controlled. Many teenagers can relate to this. Amy is wild and rebellious because she is different than the other people who were born on the ship and is having to come to terms with how and if she wants to fit in. She and Elder make a good team as they investigate who might be trying to kill people who have been cryogenically frozen.

Amy and Elder together provide emotional and physical tension as they struggle with feelings of love and lust. Of note: the book contains some description of nudity and sexual thoughts by Elder. The author also creates a time termed “The Season” where people are drawn to mate. The scenes say that people are having sex, but do not describe any sex acts. This could be a point of contention for some parents and/or teachers.

          

Overall, I would recommend this book to a male or female YA reader because of the strong science fiction themes, unique narration style, and plot full of mystery and adventure.

Words in the Dust

Bibliography

Reedy, Trent. Words in the Dust. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

Zulaikha, thirteen, is growing up in a medium-sized village in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. She was born with a cleft palate that has left her severely disfigured, a bullied outcast. The Americans offer their assistance, but, her father, the head of the household, is not sure he wants their help. She is not sure she will get the life-altering surgery she needs. She is trapped between hope and despair. At the same time, Zulaikha hides a secret. She is learning to read. When she is given the option to leave her village she has a hard choice to make. Does she leave the family she loves and cares for to obtain a different life or stay at home, get married, and fulfill her duties as a good Muslim woman?

  

“Every triumph from patience springs, the happy herald of better things.” (Meena)

 Analysis

Words in the Dust is a traditional problem novel in that it contains hope, despair, friendships, and wish fulfillment but it also addresses family roles. Zulaikha’s sister, Zeynab is a foil to Zulaikha. While Zulaikha doesn’t think she will ever marry or live a normal life with her disfigurement, Zeynab is a dreamer and optimist speaking often of the children and marriages that they both will have. Zeynab also believes strongly in the old Muslim ways, while Zulaikha believes she wants a different life away from the “twisted” Islam and remaining echoes of the Taliban rule.

            

Reedy presents a believable story that layers in many viewpoints and moves effortlessly from one issue to the next. Unlike many other YA novels, Words in the Dust contains many main characters who are thoroughly explored. We get to see many sides of each character, including their growth throughout the book.

            

Words in the Dust captures the differing viewpoints of generational gender roles for men and women in Afghanistan. Zulaikha is very excited about daring to dream about going to school and learning to read. However, her traditional father still sees women in a subservient role and doesn’t understand why they need to be educated.  For example, he tells Zulaikha’s nineteen-year-old brother that he is “getting too old to listen to women” (Reedy 25). Zulaikha’s father is a sympathetic character in other regards, as he is fine with her keeping a cleft because he sees her for who she is and thinks she is beautiful. He strongly believes he can still pay a bride price for her and find her a husband.

            

Words in the Dust puts a face to a people and allows the reader to experience the day-to-day life in the sometimes harsh and difficult life of rural Afghanistan. This would be a good book to read in a history class to prompt a discussion about the current American drawdown in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to putting a face on an Afghani girl, it also personifies the role of the American government beyond a military presence; the Americans are helping to rebuild, educate, and provide medical services to citizens of Afghanistan. Reedy captures the rhythm of the day with references to the heat, dust, and call to prayer. He also frequently inserts Arabic words and colloquialisms. There is a glossary and pronunciation guide in the back of the book.

            

The only negative issue with this book is sometimes the “American viewpoint” can come across too forcefully in the attitudes of the American military personnel. These characters came across as a little flat.

Overall, I would recommend this book to a YA reader because of the exposure to day-to-day life in Afghanistan, the window it provides into another life and family structure, and the touch of politics. The reader will be left with something to think about.

Of Mice and Men

Bibliography

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1993. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

Of Mice and Men details the unique friendship of two men working the ranches of California. Lennie is a developmentally disabled man who is very large and strong. His friend and caretaker George is small but smart. The two of them work together and face the tough life of field labor. They are trying to make a better life for themselves, but this is not always easy. 

Analysis

This is a beautifully written book. Steinbeck creates a vivid description of the Salinas Valley, both the physical setting and the societal underpinnings of life on a ranch. Another unique feature of this book is the interesting blend of describing the scene in detail interspersed with the dialogue of the characters. At times, Steinbeck uses this to promote tension. It gives the book a feel of being a play script more than a novelette.

He also captures the characters on the ranch, most of whom are lost souls with fading dreams. Each character has a multifaceted tough past leading to an overall feeling of irritation and rawness. The reader can experience the life of a ranch hand living hand-to-mouth. 

Of Mice and Men is missing the normal trends of a YA novel. It is not written in the first person told through the eyes of a young person, nor does it involve parents. These characters are all adults, but they do reflect on Lennie’s childhood. Also, these characters are not truly optimistic for the future or  accomplishing anything in the present; most are making the same mistakes keeping them in their current situation. Throughout most of the book the characters do not evolve. In fact, it is because of the repeating patterns in their lives that George makes his final decision.

Of Mice and Men would be a book to use with an older YA audience. This book contains strong language and racial slurs, but it is fitting for the time and setting. The colloquial writing is hard to read sometimes, for example “It ain’t so funny, him an’ me goin’ aroun’ together,” would be difficult for a student to understand. There are also many time-specific words that a modern audience may not be familiar with such as “bucker” and “skinner.” This book would not be a good candidate for a beginning English language learner. Also, there are some sexual undertones that a less mature audience may not immediately identify. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to a YA reader because of the signature eloquent writing of Steinbeck who captures the rough personalities and lifestyles of working in the American West. Also, this classic is a gateway into adult books with more adult themes.