She Would Draw Flowers: A Book of Poems by Kirsten Savitri Bergh

This book of poetry is so incredibly heart wrenching and powerful. The book is comprised of poetry and drawings from the journals of Kirsten Savitri Bergh published by her mother after she passed away in a car accident at the age of 17. She and her family were from Minneapolis and she attended the Minnesota Waldorf school. The writing is absolutely beautiful and her language is well beyond her years. Because the poems weren't written necessarily to be published, the poetry is just that much more raw and emotional. You can really tell what an amazing, articulate and artistic person she was. She writes about everything from something as mundane as lime jello to the passing of her father when she was 16. She was also a student abroad in France and some of her poetry includes elements of French. This is also a wonderful example of the ways free verse poetry can be just as affective as any rhyme scheme. She not only writes from her own perspective but from many others--a practice which I think all poets should exercise. She even includes an Ars Poetica (poem about the process of writing poetry) called "Beginning Barefoot." I would HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who is interested in poetry or someone who wants to try poetry but is intimidated: this is a great entry to poetry and it is by a young person. So inspiring!

Kirsten's mom, Linda provides more information about Kirsten on this wonderful website. Happy reading (and surfing!)

Looking for Alaska by John Green

John Green's novel about 15 year-old Miles' experiences at an Alabama boarding school is an incredible read. The first person narrative takes the reader into a world that not many teenagers have the opportunity to experience: independent living where friends serve as family and school is life. Miles speaks so genuinely and his interactions with his friends are so realistic that you feel as though you are there. I have seen John Green speak and to be honest I was worried that he could only be funny in person, but I was pleasantly surprised by his hilarious writing. Who would have thought that rapping in a novel could actually be effective? (even more so if you are willing to read those parts aloud!)
One of my favorite elements of this book is that Miles has friends, teachers, and family members from all walks of life--the same as any reader likely would. And these characters are dealing with big important issues that other authors might shy away from, but Green attacks them head on and does it extremely well. As a writer he has a keen appreciation of what these kids can handle and doesn't sugarcoat issues like death, drugs, alcohol, sex, and relationships. He sees adolescence for what it truly is: a confusing, exhilarating, eye-opening, stressful, enjoyable, roller coaster of a ride. He gets it. And that is what makes this book so awesome.
The book's title character, Alaska Young, can really only be described as a charming whirlwind of a human. Feisty, feminist and flirty she draws in not only the protagonist but the reader as well. The title of the novel is quite accurate, as a large percent of Miles' time is spent trying to delve a little deeper into what makes this mysterious girl tick.
Not only are Green's characters intriguing, but they are not flat. Each of them has a background, a struggle and a multi-faceted personality. They are not just names on a page. Take for instance, the protagonist, Miles. Like all of his classmates, he is quirky, and his particular idiosyncrasy is that he studies and remembers "last words." This adds an element of darkness to the novel, but in a way that is seen as lighthearted and eccentric.
Miles, or 'Pudge' as he has been ironically dubbed (he more closely resembles a string bean than anything remotely 'pudgey') has a very tight relationship with his roommate Chip or the Colonel. This is also a bold move on Green's part that I applaud. It is not often that we as readers see the interworkings of male-male friendships and it is really refreshing to see them talk to each other, rely on each other and support each other in similar ways to female-female friendships or male-female friendships.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to YOU. Whoever you are...for while you are "looking for Alaska" you will undoubtedly find out something more about yourself.
Happy reading!

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

-->“Some of the things that made the biggest impression were the things that were almost normal but not quite” (Rosoff 72).

I chose this quote from Meg Rosoff's novel, How I Live Now as an entry point into my review of this text because it gives insight to the themes of the text. Rosoff writes in a way that I have never experienced before and it is fascinating. She does not use quotation marks in her text at all so the thoughts of one character become the words of the next in a very Woolfian stream-of-consciousness style of writing. The story is written from a first person perspective, but because of the style it feels as though you are in the minds of more than one character at a time. Throughout the novel we follow Daisy, a hip 15 year old New Yorker who is visiting her family on the English countryside to escape from her new evil stepmother, whom she so kindly refers to as Davina the Diabolical. However when she arrives in England she discovers a war has broken out and soon she finds herself alone with her four cousins and no adult supervision. A kid's dream come true right? Well, yes for a while, but after a time Daisy finds herself on the run and the story becomes an adventure tale with only her wit to keep her and her cousins alive. Throughout the story she questions why survival wasn't taught in school in place of literature and asks her reader to do the same. This is the first story we've read from a female perspective and it was great. Her sarcastic tone and hilarious titles for places, events and people made the book enjoyable to read and I kept finding myself reading bits aloud to get the full effect. I would love to read this book with other people out loud to see how different people interpret her language. It is incredible insight into the mind of someone who has been forced to grow up too quickly and becomes the caretaker for others at the ripe old age of 15. There were parts in the novel where I had no idea what I would have done and I admired our protagonist—or heroine, for her determination and strength of spirit. We also get a taste of the experience of being in a foreign land, although Daisy speaks the same language as her cousins, she still finds herself in an unknown land with none of the comforts of home. This book is all about disequilibrium and finding a way through the changes. Just as the characters are getting to know their way of life, it drastically changes and they have no choice but to change with it. I appreciate Rosoff's willingness to go beyond an innocent adolescent experience and show us what some young adults actually go through on a daily basis: struggling for survival and taking care of each other when there is no one else. Happy reading!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

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I absolutely, truly enjoyed this book. Alexie's partly autobiographical novel that relays the experiences of a teenage boy is so genuine and honest it is impossible to dislike.

The first-person style of the book makes it easy to dive into the reading. You really do feel as though you are reading someone’s journal and it makes you feel that much closer to the main character, Arnold or “Junior” Spirit. You know a book has been written well when you feel as though you know the characters well enough to care about what happens to them. And Arnold is hilarious. You will laugh out loud at least once.

Additionally, I will always enjoy a book that includes cartoons because sometimes words cannot express every feeling we are trying to evoke. Arnold’s drawings make this book much more real because I can relate to it. We all doodle and draw and make diagrams in order to express things more fully. It was wonderful to see an author do the same. Arnold explains his reason for drawing pictures: “when you draw a picture, everybody can understand it. If I draw a cartoon of a flower, then every man, woman, and child in the world can look at it and say, ‘That’s a flower’” (5).

Not only is the book genuine, candid, funny, and artistic, but it is also open minded. The book brings up issues of race, sexuality, culture, group association, family structures, alcohol use and abuse, legacy and self-fulfilling prophecies, and relationships. By deciding to leave the rez for school, Arnold has made the decision to grow up extremely fast and is not afraid to talk about how scary and overwhelming this can be. Arnold understands the challenge he is facing and knows what kind of ridicule he will face, but HE DOES IT ANYWAY. This is so courageous. I found myself asking, “Would I have the guts to do this? How would I react if my family and friends were harassing me for following my heart? Would I be able to stand the (metaphorical and literal) ‘boos’?” He is conscious of the weightiness of his decision. One of the questions he asks that I might pose to my students (and colleagues!) is: “Should a teenager be worried about his fricking legacy anyway?”

The race issues addressed in this book include very specific references to White teachers teaching at the all Indian school on the reservation. This is extremely powerful because it is the first time that Arnold is exposed to the racist nature of the reservation and is (rightfully) outraged by it. This conversation ultimately leads to his decision to leave the rez and attend school elsewhere. Difficult topics like this are what makes this book so important and memorable.

This is an important, enjoyable, honest read that I would recommend for any reader. The insight Alexie gives the reader is incredible and eye-opening. This book poses though-provoking, discussion-creating questions that I think everyone should be exposed to. This book allows its reader to begin to formulate an understanding of the meaning of belonging…something to which we can all easily relate. Happy reading!