All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Grades 7 and up--

As cliche as "ripped from the headlines" sounds, this book is just that. And it is excellent. I cannot say enough positive things about this novel. The story of a brutal interaction between a police officer and a teenager is told through the eyes of two boys: one black, one white. One is a witness, the other a victim. I couldn't take myself away from this book. It followed me for weeks after I put it down in the same way news of similar stories has haunted us in recent years. I do not want to give too much away, but I think this fictionalized version of an all-too-familiar tale is absolutely worth the time, teens and adults alike.

Although the intended audience may be teenagers, I think this book could appeal to a variety of individuals young and old, teens and those who parent or work with them. The strength of the book comes in its rawness and realistic portrayal of recent events. It also shows multiple perspectives which is crucial for addressing such a difficult issue. The only weakness I noticed was the lack of female characters, but this issue does more often affect young males, so it is understandable that they played smaller roles.

VERDICT: This book is a must-have for all middle (7+) and high schools. Its relevance and quality create that rare book that has the potential to build bridges.

Awards: Coretta Scott King, 2016

Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

Grades 6 and up--

This novel was unlike anything I've read before. It is part realistic fiction, part spirituality narrative, part fantasy, part romance, the list goes on. 
Sierra is an admirable, witty heroine. She talks a mile a minute, paints stunning murals in the city late into the night and has a family secret that she can't quite figure out. For some mysterious reason, her elderly abuelo (grandfather) who hasn't spoken in months starts muttering "lo siento" (I'm sorry) and Sierra wants to know why. Her adventure takes her into a “thrilling collision of artistry and spirituality” (47) that shows young women can be just as powerful as men in any realm. I found myself admiring Sierra for her courage and laughing as she and her friends dealt with every day teenager angst alongside issues of life and death (think Hunger Games or Divergent with a spiritual twist). VERDICT: I think this magical book would make a great addition to any middle or high school media center. It has the power to grab the unsuspecting reader and hold on for the ride, meanwhile exposing him or her to issues worth discussing: race, identity, family, culture, art, heritage, and the power of art to transform relationships.

Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly

Grades 6 and up--
I had hoped that Seventeenth Summer would be like a dusty treasure found in an attic that contains lost wisdom of the ages.

Let's just say my hopes were left unmet. As a lover of literature, I hate to say it, but getting through this book was a struggle! I know that this novel was well received when it was released and I am absolutely in awe of a 17-year-old who can write and publish a novel, but I couldn't stand it! When I began reading, I knew there was bound to be more than a bit of teen angst and overly pliable female characters, so I wasn't surprised to read lines like "Friday and Saturday limped on" and "The next day meant nothing, because I didn’t see Jack at all," but I was nonetheless disappointed in the character's lack of agency in the novel. I can't help but to wonder how my perspective would shift if I had read it at the time of publication. Would I be in awe of how openly she spoke of her affection? Would she be more brazen than other girls her age? I can't imagine it, which is a shame. VERDICT: A single edition of this book in a media center or library would do. It would provide a resource of "back in the day" YA literature and be a fascinating historical text for reference in a social studies classroom. For pleasure reading, not so much.

Enjoy the covers through the ages...

Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia

Grades 10 and up-
Mysterious and musically inclined, Bellweather Rhapsody brings the reader into the quaint world of the Bellweather Hotel in upstate New York. A hubbub of activity for years, the hotel's popularity has declined, but is busy one weekend a year due to the Statewide high school music competition. This year, Statewide happens to fall on the 15th anniversary of a murder-suicide at the hotel and someone is using this occasion to disturb the competition, in a deadly way.

I loved the constant perspective shift of the novel's quirky characters; there's Hastings who's run the concierge desk since before any of the other characters were born; Minnie Graves, who witnessed a murder-suicide at the hotel 15 years prior and has returned with her companion pooch to finally put to rest her inner demons; Alice and Bertram (Rabbit) Hatmaker, inseparable twin music geniuses; their pugnacious chaperone, "Weirdo" Wilson and a cast of wacky conductors and musical prima-donnas.

Reminiscing on my own high school band experience and the angst and anticipation of a hotel room with minimal adult supervision, I was drawn in immediately.  As a sporadic reader of mysteries, I wasn't sure what to expect, but the variety of plot lines from teenage lust to haunted hotel rooms kept me hooked.

Although, this novel was written for adults. I think that the sharp wit of the characters and the constant forward motion of the mystery will engage young adults as well. VERDICT: While intriguing and just the right amount of strange, this novel should remain widely available at public libraries and accessible to curious high school readers.

Awards: Alex Award, 2015

Tangled Threads by Pegi Deitz Shea

Shea, Pegi Deitz. Tangled Threads. Newark: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.

Tangled Threads is the story of 13-year-old Mai and her experiences from the refugee camps in Thailand through her immigration to the United States. Written in the first person, the story sheds light on the harsh conditions of refugee camps for Hmong and gives a detailed account of the processes necessary for immigration to the U.S. The descriptions Mai gives of her first encounters with transportation, technology and American culture give the reader insight into the potential experience of an immigrant to the United States. The novel focuses on issues of immigration, culture, religion, race, socioeconomic status, belonging, family and survival.

I really enjoyed reading Tangled Threads. Although I didn't find the writing to be particularly excellent, I felt the issues discussed were valuable to a young adult audience. I also appreciated the opportunity to delve deeper into the Hmong culture, of which I have very little prior experience. Given the high population of Hmong people in Minnesota, I think this would be a great text to use with middle school students in the context of cultural competency and coming of age tales.

Podcast: Absolutely, Positively Not by David LaRochelle

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Art Spiegelman's father Vladek is a survivor of the Holocaust. Maus is the retelling of his experiences before, during and after the Holocaust. Set in Vladek's home over a number of afternoons, the story follows the thread of the father and son's conversation and covers everything from Vladek's romantic relationships, his wife (and Art's mother)'s suicide, to his absolutely terrifying experiences in Auschwitz. Spiegelman is an artist and the text is written in graphic novel form in which each of the groups of people is represented by a different animal. It is a new take on a story often told in a traditional novel style.

Overall, I cannot say that I particularly enjoyed the novel, though I can see its value. Although I have not read many graphic novels, I will say that I enjoyed all of them more than I did Maus. For some reason I couldn't get into the story. Perhaps it was the fact that there were multiple plot lines occurring simultaneously, or that it was so non-linear? I am not sure. However, I do see how Maus could be a useful text in a middle school or high school language arts class. Sporadically including graphic novels is a great way to "spice up" the curriculum and keep your students on their toes. It would be a good text to pair with perhaps The Diary of Anne Frank or Night as it would give an alternate perspective (the Polish experience) and present visual images to elicit potential discussion.