Books. It’s all about the books.

After spending seven days in Orlando, Fla., for the National Writing Project/National Council of Teachers of English/Assembly on Literature for Adolescents conferences in November, I’m STILL flipping through pages and pages of books I brought home—when I can pry them away from my students.

Call it decompressing or whatever you want, but it takes a while to get back into lunch duty, taking attendance and all those other things that make up the everyday life of a teacher. And it also takes a while to get through stacks of new books. But my students and I have steadily made progress.

To continue reading “Books…by the Boxful”, click here.

Reviewed this month:

Efrain’s Secret by Sofia Quintero
Faithful by Janet Fox
Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Neilson
Good Behavior: A Memoir by Nathan Henry
It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
The Queen’s Daughter by Susan Coventry
Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman
Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood, with the Duchess of Northumberland
Sleepless by Cyn Balog
You Are Not Here by Samantha Shutz

Efrain’s Secret by Sofia Quintero
Knopf/Random House, 2010, 265 pp., $16.99
Relationships/Social Issues/Education/Urban Life
ISBN: 978-0-375-84706-6

Bronx native Efrain Rodriguez has his sights set on Harvard, but despite his high GPA, he needs to achieve a higher SAT score to stand a chance of admission. However, finding the money to pay for an SAT prep class and money to help support his family—let alone cover the expenses of attending Harvard—prove challenging. Efrain is frustrated by his perception that equally bright, but more privileged, honors students do not have to choose between achieving their college dreams and satisfying basic needs. With divided loyalties between his best friends Chingy, a fellow honors student; and Nestor, a streetwise drug dealer, Efrain starts selling drugs in Bronx’s Hunts Point to earn money to fulfill his ambitions. His secret becomes more difficult to keep as he embarks on a relationship with Candace, a recent arrival from New Orleans whose experiences during Hurricane Katrina have sharpened her political consciousness and who challenges Efrain with a different perspective on his Ivy League ambitions.

Filled with multidimensional characters and politically engaged debates on multicultural identity, Efrain’s Secret offers a searing portrait of the price of education—the social, emotional, and financial costs—in the ambitious American dreams of bright, but underprivileged youth. The novel’s almost effortless code-blending of literary prose and urban vernacular mirrors Efrain’s complicated self-concept as he struggles to disrupt any stereotypes by which others might attempt to define him and forge a unique identity that honors his heritage, his family, and his considerable intellect. Quintero has created a striking and highly relatable protagonist whose story demands to be told—and one hopes may continue in future volumes.

Reviewed by Sean Kottke, Lansing, MI

Faithful by Janet Fox
Speak/Penguin, 2010, 319 pp., $8.99
Relationships/Mystery/Yellowstone/First Wave Feminism
ISBN: 978-0-14-241413-2

As Maggie Bennet prepares for her debut into Newport’s society, she wants to wear elegant dresses, attract the attention of Edward, and win the approval of Mrs. Wolcott. Mrs. Wolcott sneers at Maggie because Maggie’s bohemian mother was last seen along the dangerous Cliff Walk, and her father has suffered a reversal of fortune. But Maggie, who yearns for a life of propriety and normality, must first travel west to Montana with her father. The Pinkertons, hired by Charlie Bennet, find a lead on her mother.

Montana and Yellowstone’s grandeur and the freedom of this sparsely settled area open up more secrets than Maggie knew were hidden. The raw elements help her connect with the spirit of her mother, and meeting young people who are not leading conventional lives helps Maggie decide that she wants “a future of [her own] design.” From the contrast of the strait-laced proper society to the hellish landscapes of Yellowstone’s geysers and from the wasp-waisted Kitty in Newport to the long-braided Kula in Montana, Janet Fox delineates the spectrum from which girls in 1904 had to choose as they forged their identities. Fox’s story gives today’s readers a broad definition of what it means to be a woman.

Fox has created a fascinating story line and beautiful scenic descriptions and characters that add to Maggie’s understanding that people are multi-dimensional. The mystery surrounding Maggie’s mother and a fresh love story keep the reader interested. The book has a sophisticated tone and theme and is action packed.

Reviewed by Lottie Waggoner, Bloomington, IN

Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
Balzar & Bray, 2010, 324 pp., $16.99
Vampires/Humor/Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-06-192090-5

Doug Lee is an average comic book geek until an acquaintance accidentally turns him into a vampire, and he finds himself facing eternity as a fat fifteen year old. Doug haphazardly makes his way in his new identity as a creature of the night; for example, when his best friend, Jay, tries to help Doug find food (at the San Diego Zoo), the two manage to be caught on tape. A cable-access vampire hunting show features the footage, and finding Doug becomes the show’s focus. Doug is “rescued” by a band of local vampires who try to teach him how to be a better predator. The results are, at best, mixed.

Edward Cullen, Doug Lee is not. Comic book fandom/geek culture references are thick. While many fans of the Twilight series might be turned off by Doug, the book is a fun romp through the prospect of immortal teenage angst. At times both amusing and melancholy, Fat Vampire is a solid comic alternative to other vampire narratives on the market. Readers also wishing for a romantic twist (as well as a thought-provoking ending) won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed by Adrienne Kisner, Boston, MA

Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Neilson
Scholastic, 2010, 296 pp., $17.99
Fantasy/Mermaids
ISBN: 978-0-545-09734-5

Adrienne and her little sister Cecily live on Windwaithe Island. Legend claims that over one hundred years ago, a lady vanished from the shores of the island. Some say she drowned; others say she was taken into the sea by a mermaid. Adrienne has always believed the legend to be mere fiction, until the day the mermaid calls to her sister, and Adrienne is forced to rescue her. Adrienne has struggled to provide for their family since their father was killed and is now faced with a choice: the Sea Queen offers her riches beyond her imagination if she marries the Prince, or she can stay on land and continue to struggle.

This story is a fast-paced fantasy that gives readers a wonderfully unique perspective of live under the sea. Adrienne is faced with a difficult choice, but she weighs her options and chooses with her heart.

Reviewed by Jennifer Dixon, Woodstock, GA

Good Behavior: A Memoir by Nathan Henry
Bloomsbury, 2010, 262 pp., $17.99
Biography/Prisoners/Criminals/Juvenile Delinquents
ISBN: 978-1-59990-471-9

The most revealing comment one can make about this book is that it is true, and that Nathan Henry lived to tell about his life is even more amazing. Nathan Henry was no ordinary teen—and today he stands as a remarkable testament to mind over matter. Nathan was raised in a  small, rural Indiana town by an abusive father, and his tragic, yet redemptive tale, is told in alternating chapters between his violent childhood and his sixteenth year when he find himself in the Paradise County Illinois Jail, locked up for armed robbery. We learn of his father’s obsession with guns; Nathan’s destructive behavior—including killing animals as a kid—and of his frequent youthful paranoid fantasies about death and dying. In jail, though, Henry spends his time reading and questioning his life’s choices, leading to an unexpected, yet life-changing early release for good behavior.

Explicit is the best word to describe this hard-hitting book that picks up where acclaimed author Jack Gantos left off. Both authors speak of a life of bad luck, self-destructive behavior and whole-hearted redemption. Most appropriate for older teens, this book’s frankness by its first time author brings a new sense of understanding of what it means to live with “demons inside one’s head.” Incarcerated youth and troubled souls will best appreciate reading how Nathan Henry’s life of crime and despair led him to a quiet place where he could feel the reawakening of his inner self. This portrait is not for the faint of heart as the language is frank, the images, raw and the honesty, vivid.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kaplan, Orlando, FL

It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Simon & Schuster, 2010, 278 pp., $16.99
Relationship/Summer Love/Coming of Age
ISBN: 978-1-4169-9555-5

Summer means only one thing to Belly: time at Cousins Beach with her first love, Conrad, and his brother—her best friend—Jeremiah. But this summer she has turned sixteen and dreads the start of July. Following the untimely and painful death of a family friend, Susannah, all Belly has ever known has irrevocably changed. She and Conrad have broken up; her own mother is distant in her grief over the loss of a lifelong friend, and now there is the threat of losing the summer house forever. When Conrad mysteriously disappears from college, Jeremiah risks sharing his true feelings for Belly as he asks her help to save the house.

Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty will fall comfortably into the rhythm of Belly’s point of view as she navigates the losses in her life in this sequel. A carefully constructed back story fills in the missing pieces without too much explanation. Every few chapters, the point of view switches to Jeremiah, allowing the reader to discover Jeremiah’s true feelings for Belly and understand the risk he is taking by confronting his brother Conrad about both the house and his treatment of Belly. The ending suggests yet a third novel as the reader gets a glimpse of a future chapter on the last page that hints at a continuation of Belly’s quest to understand where her heart truly lies.

Reviewed by Laurie Thurston, Portland, OR

The Queen’s Daughter by Susan Coventry
Henry Holt, 2010, 371 pp., $16.99
England/12th Century/Historical Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8992-9

Joan is the daughter of Queen Eleanor of Aquitatine and King Henry II of England. The Queen’s Daughter follows Joan from a childhood shaped by the political aspirations and intrigues of her family, to her young adulthood where she is unhappily wed to the king of Sicily, and later more joyfully so  to Raymond VI of Toulouse. The story focuses on Joan’s difficulty navigating the rocky terrain of her parents’ strained relationship and follows her growth from girl-princess to powerful queen.

The Queen’s Daughter is a good book for readers who do not necessarily enjoy historical fiction. Joan is a strong, likeable character, whose actual life provides enough drama for several novels. Joan’s tumultuous family life (including her divided loyalties among her mother, father, and brothers) is portrayed with realistic tension and candor. Though occasionally confusing with many names and settings, the story nonetheless moves quickly through the years of Joan’s life, and the action carries the historical narrative. At times bawdy, the story of Joan’s love life intertwines nicely with other characters’ plays at  power. Susan Coventry offers a solid addition to historical fiction about early European history.

Reviewed by Adrienne Kisner, Boston, MA

Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic, 2010, 278 pp., $17.99
Family Loss/ Friendship/Social Issues/Love
ISBN: 978-0-545-15144-3

Dani, a Jewish teenage girl in Argentina, and her family face a heavy loss when a car bomber attacks the building her aunt and unborn cousin are in. The war caused Dani’s Papa to lose his clothing business, and her mother must work longer hours. The only joy in Dani’s life is her boyfriend, Roberto. Unfortunately, life has gotten so bad for Roberto’s family that they decide to emigrate from Argentina to America. Dani has also lost her best friend, Gaby, whose family immigrated to Israel. As time passes, Papa gets more depressed and withdraws from the family. Finally, after getting caught in a demonstration and getting injured trying to get home, Dani’s Mama convinces Papa to leave for America.

Living in America creates more frustration for Dani as she is not sure how to fit in, has difficulty in school, and gets teased by other teens. However, strength, hope and love guide her as she makes some good friends, loses her old boyfriend and gains a new one, and convinces her father to make an effort to become an active member of the family again.

Littman hits upon a topic that is very common in today’s America: how drastically life can change for those who relocate  to a new country, especially under less than pleasant circumstances. Littman reminds readers that we never know what we have in common with others, regardless of our heritage.

Reviewed by Priscilla A. Boerger, Boca Raton, FL

Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2010, 181 pp., $16.99
Relationships/Family Conflict/Geneaology
ISBN: 978-1-4169-1259-0

Believing his emotionally unstable mother’s story that he was conceived with a donation from the mythical Nobel Prize Sperm Bank, the novel’s unnamed narrator is determined to learn his biological father’s identity. He takes on odd jobs to earn enough money for a DNA test that will help him determine his lineage and suggest where his natural gifts might lie, having thus far shown only average aptitude in many of the fields for which the Nobel Prize recognizes eminence. However, after he learns that the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank is only an urban legend, his entire sense of self is shaken to the core. Will he discover the truth about who his father is before his mother’s increasingly erratic behavior leads to tragedy?

In spare, subtle prose, Rune Michaels has crafted an effective psychological mystery about family and personal identity. The novel addresses grand philosophical issues such as nature versus nurture and the power of dreams in the engaging, emotionally authentic voice of a young man struggling to establish an individual identity under extraordinary circumstances. The depiction of his mother’s mental illness and the final revelation of the narrator’s parentage may prove too disturbing for younger readers, although more mature readers will likely find the novel’s emotional depth under deceptively simple language thought-provoking and worthy of intense conversation.

Reviewed by Sean Kottke, Lansing, MI

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood, with the Duchess of Northumberland
Balzer & Bray, 2010, 278 pp., $16.99
Human-plant Relationships/Poisons/Supernatural
ISBN: 978-0-06-180236-2

Sixteen-year-old Jessamine has lived a secluded existence with her father, Thomas Luxton, ever since her mother’s death when Jessamine was four. Thomas’ intense interest in the scientific uses for plants allows little time or companionship with his daughter. Jessamine’s life consists of her chores and the care of her father. When Weed, a mysterious young man with a perplexing past, is literally deposited at their doorstep, Jessamine’s life rapidly begins to change. Weed’s unusual affinity with nature fascinates Jessamine as she starts to see possibilities for herself beyond an isolated life as her father’s daughter. Thomas Luxton, consumed by his desire to unlock the secrets of the plants in his poison garden, is transfixed by Weed’s ability to communicate with growing things. Jessamine, ever beguiled by the fruits of the forbidden garden, becomes the pivotal point to her father’s manipulation as he uses her to trick Weed into gaining information about the dangerous plants.

Told in alternating narrative and journal entries, The Poison Diaries mesmerizes the reader as Jessamine and Weed’s world is revealed. Beginning with a seemingly innocuous scene in which Jessamine is working with the berries of the Belladonna plant, Wood gradually exposes the poison within Jessamine’s life. Reminiscent of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” the story provides an interesting twist that takes the reader into the realm of fantasy and adds layers of mystery and intrigue as readers attempt to unravel the truth and separate love from ambition. This is a good read for young adults seeking a disturbingly dark tale.

Reviewed by Susan M. Landt, Green Bay, WI

Sleepless by Cyn Balog
Delacorte/Random House, 2010, 215 pp., $16.99
Fiction/Fantasy/Friendship/Romance/Death
ISBN: 978-0-385-73848-4

Cyn Balog’s Sleepless shows us that there may just be some kind of life after death. In her novel, Balog introduces the reader to the Sandmen, whose sole duty is to ensure that their charges sleep well during the night—just like the fairy tale. However, the story gets more complicated when the Sandmens’ emotions get involved. Julia, one of the novel’s main characters, is a teenager who just suffered the loss of her boyfriend, Griffin. What she does not know is that Griffin is not totally gone—he has become a Sandman.

Griffin is being trained by Eron, a male who has been a Sandman ever since he died one hundred years perviously. As soon as Griffin becomes competent at his duties, which ironically include being in charge of Julia, Eron is able to become human again, and take care of what he feels is his “unfinished business.” The constant struggle of Julia trying to accept Griffin’s death and understand who Eron actually is and the emotional jealousy between Griffin and Eron will engage readers throughout the entire novel.

This novel is a great read for young adolescents. The concepts remind us of our youth (the idea of a Sandman actually helping us sleep peacefully), but they connect us to our teenage years as well (e.g., the idea of romance, commitment, and love). Readers can appreciate Julia’s curiosity about Eron—who he is and how he seems to know her so well—and her feelings of romantic interest toward him, despite the fact that she just tragically lost her boyfriend.

Reviewed by Jane Monnat, Baldwinsville, NY

You Are Not Here by Samantha Shutz
Push/Scholastic, 2010, 304 pp., $16.99
Social Situations/Death/Emotions
ISBN: 978-0-545-16911-0

Annaleah is head over heels for Brian, a boy only a handful of her friends know and her parents do not. He is elusive and sweet, and he does not seem to have told anybody about her either. When Annaleah receives a phone call from her best friend that Brian has died of a rare condition while playing basketball, how will she cope with the loss?  When only a few people know she lost her virginity to the boy who just died, how will she grieve appropriately?

This touching, poetic novel takes readers into the mind of Annaleah as she grapples with the death of Brian. Readers see her repeated trips to his grave and refusals to go out with friends. Readers see her mother and best friend try to get through and watch her spiral into depression, but readers also see hope as Annaleah pulls herself out of the depths and admits the truth about her relationship with a boy who shoved her out the back door when his father got  home. It is the truth that readers celebrate as Annaleah finally allows herself to breathe.

Reviewed by Cynthia Mitchell, Satellite Beach, FL

With every new young adult title, I find myself flashing through my class rosters—trying to connect each new book to a specific student.

For those of you in a classroom, you know it sounds easier than it is.  I’d love to hand each of my sophomores a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird (my favorite book ever), watch them smile and become totally engrossed in the novel—and know that the love of reading has been born.

But then I wake up and realize each student has his or her own unique likes and dislikes when it comes to reading, and Harper Lee isn’t going to offer that magical moment for all my other students like it did for me a few decades ago.So, sadly enough, I push my own interests aside to help them find something they’ll read—rather than just having them hold the book up and turn a page now and then when they think I’m watching.  (My daughter, who was 10 at the time, told me that’s the secret to making teachers think you’re reading.)

Lately, graphic novels have come to my rescue.  I wasn’t too excited about graphic novels myself, until my youngest daughter emerged as a reluctant reader.  In elementary school, she wasn’t really willing to try chapter books, but we found some humorous poetry books by Bruce Lansky (Kids Pick the Funniest Poems, etc.).  Those kept her interest, and we’d catch her reading the same poems over and over again—to herself, the cat, whoever would listen—to a point that her teacher told her not to bring the books to school anymore (another topic, for another column).

I then gave her a graphic novel or two, and now she devours them.  She stalks the school library shelves waiting for new books; she rummages through my stacks of books, pulling out any graphic novels.  Graphic novels have definitely made life at the Goodson house a little easier.

So, in my classroom, I’ve been dealing with Davie, a struggling reader and a classic “book holder.”  I tried books that were high-interest, low reading levels, which had worked with others, but Steve proved he wasn’t like the others.  He didn’t want anything to do with those books.  So, I picked up a graphic novel—The World of Quest, Vol. 1 by Jason Kruse—and handed it to him.  I wasn’t overly optimistic.

Imagine how surprised I was when I glanced over and saw him smiling as he turned the page.  Maybe it wasn’t the love of reading, but it wasn’t fake reading either, and that’s a start.

The next class, he returned to my room and asked if I had the second book in the series.  (Oops!  I didn’t even know it WAS a series.)  Turns out he’d done a little research on his own—that, in itself, is a good sign.  In a matter of seconds, I’d ordered the second book online.  He read it just as quickly.  Unfortunately, we’re still waiting for more books in that series to be published.  But I’ve since moved him on to other graphic novels (the Bone series by Jeff Smith) and he’s also reading a “regular” novel—something I haven’t seen him attempt before.  The graphic novels are giving him the confidence to try other books.

And, while he is branching out into other types of books, I refuse to say he’s outgrown graphic novels.  They’re lively, entertaining, and fast-paced.  Who wouldn’t want that as a reading option?  Part of the attraction has to be the colorful artwork that accompanies the writing.  (Remember that day when you realized the older you got, the fewer pictures you’d find in your books?  My daughter, moving on to more difficult books, heaved one onto the couch and refused to touch it.  “No pictures,” she said.  It was a sad day.)

Another plus may be that the students think they’re getting by with something—reading a graphic novel rather than one of those other “boring” books.But, in all honesty, we as language arts teachers often are literature snobs, and we’re often more than a little skeptical of books we don’t know and love.  I hadn’t read any graphic novels until I started finding them for my daughter.

Many teachers have wrinkled their noses at the possibility of using them in literature circles and as independent reading choices.  In doing so, we’re making our own teaching lives a little more difficult, and we’re not doing our students any favor by being the gatekeepers on quality literature.  By asserting our own tastes regarding literature, we’re not letting our students find their own favorites.

So, with much credit given to my daughter and Davie, here are some graphic novels that have proven especially popular with middle school through high school.  You might want to pick one up yourself and thumb through it.  Chances are you’ll keep reading.

*****

Bone series by Jeff Smith (Scholastic). This series of books continues to disappear from my classroom library.  I’ve bought the set several times, only to have them vanish from my shelves.  With reluctant readers, that’s a good sign.  These continue to be popular choices at the middle school and high school level.  My own reluctant reader was more than happy to lug around the 1,300-page collection, so that’s an endorsement worth noting, as well.

Coraline: The Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins).  A paperback version was coming out in May of this year.

The World of Quest (Vol. 1 and 2) by Jason Kruse.

Graphic Classics.  Published by Eureka Productions, these feature some of the classic short stories told in graphic novel form.  Featured authors include Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mark Twain, to name a few.

Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, this is an excellent way to get those reluctant readers who might balk at the thought of picking up the classic version to learn what the Bard is all about.

Sandman series by Neil Gaiman.

Japanese Manga such as:

Deathnote by Tsugumi Ohba

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Bleach by Tite Kubo

Eyeshield 21 by Riichiro Inagaki

And, if you have others to add, let me know!  I’m always looking for more possibilities for my students!

(Thanks to Dr. Nancy McFarlin of Wamego High School for adding some popular titles to this list.)

*****

Lori Atkins Goodson has taught middle school language arts and high school English and newspaper in Wamego, Kan. An instructor at Kansas State University, Manhattan, she received National Board Certification and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. She has received numerous teaching awards, including NCTE’s 2007 Hoey Award, being a 2008 top 10 finalist for the NEA Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Kansas Master Teacher Award. She is the former chair of the NCTE middle level nominating committee and co-editor of The ALAN Review. She has had articles published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Voices from the Middle, and Kansas English, among others. Her Book Business blog can be accessed at bookbusiness.lorigoodson.com.

As sub-genres go of young adult literature, we probably won’t find “Creepy Cool” on any library shelf.  But it’s the term I use for books that are a little edgy, a little unpredictable, a little uncomfortable to read, and incredibly engaging. 

Of course, I can’t tell sophomores a book is contemporary gothic.  Instead, I just say it’s “Creepy Cool,” and that seems to cover it.

These Creepy Cool books have helped snag several reluctant readers—those who try to find other things to do rather than pick up a book.  I’ve mixed in different grade levels, some for middle school and some for high school.  Of course, I know readers vary at any grade level, so use your own judgment when deciding who might enjoy one of these books.  

* * * * *

1. Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier—This is great for the mature middle-school reader or a high school student.  My favorite of all Cormier’s books, Rag and Bone Shop (Laurel Leaf, 2003) snags readers immediately with the battering of a 7-year-old girl.  Twelve-year-old Jason, the last person to see her alive, becomes the suspect, and an interrogator, determined to get a confession, won’t give up until that happens.

I have handed this one out to more mature seventh- and eighth-grade students, as well as my sophomores.  One female student, giving me the benefit of a doubt when I recommended it, had to be asked to quit reading it so we could continue with our other class activities.  Through the next few days—and it didn’t take many—she finished the book, slammed it down on the table, and huffed, “That’s so weird!”  Her follow-up comment?  “Got any others by this guy?”  Creepy Cool strikes again. (I next recommended After the First Death, by the way.)

2. Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman—Trueman gives us some uneasy reading in Stuck in Neutral (HarperTeen, 2001), with the story of a 14-year-old who has cerebral palsy and has lost control of all of his muscles—to the point that he can’t move, speak, or even control his eye movement.  While he’s happy enough (the story is told from his perspective), he begins to suspect that his father wants to end the boy’s life, to end his son’s suffering.  A powerful story, I include it in the Creepy Cool section because it’s such an uneasy story—the reader takes a journey that won’t quickly be forgotten.

Honestly, I use this with reluctant readers—the ones who always forget their book, don’t have one, etc.  The key in getting them to read it is its brevity—it’s only 120-some pages, and that seems a little less painful option for some of my students.  And I have yet to have someone “lose” the book or forget to bring it to class. Currently, I have about six sophomores reading it—to the point I ran out of copies in my classroom library.  But they keep track of who already has copies and pester them to complete it.  Kind of nice to see them taking charge and tracking down copies; that tells me they’re spreading the word about this book.   I’d be comfortable using this at the middle school or high school level.

3. Heroes by Robert Cormier—You knew Cormier would have to have more than one on the list, didn’t you?   The man was the master of Creepy Cool novels.  So here he is with Heroes (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1998), and his protagonist, Francis Cassavant.  Cassavant, 18, has returned home from serving in World War II—bearing the scars of war.  A grenade blew away most of his face, which he now hides with bandages and a scarf, which give him anonymity in a town where he grew up.  He is determined to get revenge on Larry LaSalle, who has heroically returned from war, as well.  But Cassavant isn’t seeking revenge because of the war—it’s due to something LaSalle did as a popular youth leader in their hometown.

Students like dealing with the gruesomeness of Cassavant’s war injuries as well as the tension that builds between the two.  Something’s going to happen, and readers want to stick around to witness it.

While I wouldn’t label this a “guy” book, the copies in my room mostly have been in the hands of my male readers who tend to love war stories.  The war idea might get them to try the book, but the tension of this thriller keeps them there.

While some more mature middle-schoolers would enjoy this book, I’m more comfortable with this at the high school level.

4. Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg—Similar to Rag and Bone Shop, Konigsburg’s Silent to the Bone (SimonPulse, 2004) makes the Creepy Cool list with its teen-aged protagonist Branwell, who calls 911 to report that his infant half-sister is injured, goes mute when the operator asks for details.

Everyone assumes that he is guilty of injuring the baby, and he is sent to a juvenile detention center.  It’s only through a friend’s clever communication system with Branwell that we start to figure out what really happened.

Middle schoolers enjoy this one as a precursor to Cormier’s novel, which is much grittier and dark.  The suspense, as well as the concept of a mute character, draw in the reader.

5. Inside Out by Terry Trueman—Another repeat author on my Creepy Cool list, Trueman is a popular option among high school students. Inside Out (HarperTeen 2004) is one of their favorite choices.

Zach, a schizophrenic 16-year-old, ends up in the middle of a coffee shop robbery and held hostage with others by two troubled teens.  Without his medications, Zach is prone to outbursts, which adds to the volatile situation.

One of my sophomores, complaining that there were no copies of Stuck in Neutral left in our school library or in my classroom library, picked up Inside Out as a last resort. I watched as he read during a portion of our class; he started handing the book to others and pointing out passages they should read.  “Listen to this,” he said, before reading a section aloud to me. 

Sometimes last resorts aren’t such a bad thing.

6. Invisible by Pete Hautman—I must confess—before I ever handed this book to anyone, I kept it for myself.  I was so intrigued by the book that I just had to drop by the author at an NCTE booth and thank him.  Unfortunately, I think I probably squealed, “I LOVE your book!” as I dashed up to him.  Not the coolest of introductions, but he tolerated me extremely well. 

Invisible (Simon Pulse, 2006) gets the Creepy Cool label for his story of Dougie, who spends years creating a miniature version of the Golden Gate Bridge out of matchsticks as part of his model railroad set.  Bit by bit, we learn of a horrific episode involving his one-and-only friend.

Students from middle school on up will grab this one because of the mystery, but along the way they’ll find a heartbreaking story of a young man’s mental illness as he copes with the results of his actions.

7. Being Dead by Vivian Vande Velde—Fortunately, I interviewed Vivian Vande Velde a few years ago for an article in The ALAN Review.  That got me to read this book, and the stories have never left my mind.  Being Dead (Magic Carpet Books, 2003).

Again, this book I would probably share with my more mature middle school readers, but it’s at the top of the list for my high schoolers.

Creepy story after creepy story give twists and turns that the reader won’t see coming.  And, for those reluctant readers, the short stories make it a book they can pick up and experience a great story in only a few short pages.  That can be a great start for moving the students into one of these other books.

8. More Horowitz Horror: More Stories You’ll Wish You’d Never Read by Anthony Horowitz—I inadvertently picked up More Horowitz Horror (Philomel Books, 2007) while my sophomore students had some independent reading time one day.  They got a little extra reading time because I got hooked on one of the short stories, “The Hitchhiker.” 

When I finished, I couldn’t help it—I put the book down and announced, “I didn’t see that one coming!”  With that, I didn’t get to read any more of the short stories, and the book didn’t make it back to the shelves until the end of the school year.  (Someone borrowed it for the summer, as well.) 

           This is a collection I’d feel comfortable with on my middle school or high school shelves.  And, again, a real plus, besides stories that figuratively grab the reader—and make you wonder if something’s going to literally grab the reader—they’re short stories.  That means those who have only a few minutes and don’t want to dive into a novel—or reluctant readers unwilling to tackle longer texts, will find these horrors to be just right.

9.  Locked in Time by Lois Duncan—OK, I fell in love with this many years ago when I took my first young adult literature class.  Since then, I have always made sure I have several copies in my classroom library.

Locked in Time (Laurel Leaf, 1989) tells of Nore, who returns to live with her father and her new stepmother and quickly finds some mysterious situations.  It’s a creepy tale of stepbrothers and stepsisters who seem to never age and a stepmother who, behind the scenes, isn’t so happy to have Nore around.

This is especially good for the middle school reader who wants to mix a little romance, a little mystery, and contemplate being stuck for life as a 13-year-old.

This book demonstrates why Duncan’s mystery writing led the way for many of today’s new authors.  Locked in Time, through more than 20 years, shows her novels don’t age through the years either.

10.  Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor—Naylor scores a Creepy Cool mention with Jade Green (Simon Pulse, 2001), the story of an orphaned teen who goes to live with her uncle.  But, we get a clue that things won’t go well when we learn that she’s disobeyed her uncle’s only rule and has brought something green—a picture frame with her mother’s photo. 

Middle school readers tear into this book—so much that I had to replace (over and over) my paperback copies because they just couldn’t survive the page-turning.  Not a bad problem, I know.  Meanwhile, I found it especially good for reluctant readers—primarily girls, at least for my classes—who enjoyed the murder mystery with a little innocent romance thrown in.  And it’s got enough creepiness—a chopped off hand that makes various appearances, etc.—to make it a solid Creepy Cool  contender.

* * * * *

While Creepy Cool may not be an official sub-genre, it’s a type of book that definitely has brought in some readers—especially some students I was struggling to get involved in any kind of text.  At this point, I’ve used the term enough that I don’t even have to explain.  They have a sense of what it’s about just by my label.  Hopefully, others are discovering the power of Creepy Cool books.  Feel free to email me with other Creepy Cool ideas to add to my list…and to get into my students’ hands.

Enjoy!

*****

Lori Atkins Goodson has taught middle school language arts and high school English and newspaper in Wamego, Kan.  An instructor at Kansas State University, Manhattan, she received National Board Certification and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.  She has received numerous teaching awards, including NCTE’s 2007 Hoey Award, being a 2008 top 10 finalist for the NEA Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Kansas Master Teacher Award.  She is the former chair of the NCTE middle level nominating committee and co-editor of The ALAN Review. She has had articles published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Voices from the Middle, and Kansas English, among others.  Her Book Business blog can be accessed at bookbusiness.lorigoodson.com.

I have a few personality flaws that have served me well in teaching.  Possibly the best of those is that I’m a tad lazy.  To be more specific, I like to find ways to make my life easier.  Remote mini blinds, pet doors, etc., all sound like wonderful inventions.  When it comes to teaching, one of my most valuable decisions was to create a classroom library filled with quality young adult literature.

At first, it seemed a little excessive—especially since my school library at the middle school where I taught was just across the hall from my classroom.  However, one of the things that hit me early on in my teaching career was that the kids who really needed books in their hands couldn’t check out books from the school library because they had unpaid fines from lost books.  My classroom library was an easy fix for this problem—they were accessible to all students.

Since then, I’ve gathered an estimated 2,000 books for my classroom—so much so that I had to have a friend build six new bookcases for me.

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What does a classroom library accomplish? Students come in during breaks to borrow outside reading books; those in my classroom know that during their silent reading time (well, almost silent), they can get up and thumb through the books to see what jumps out at them.  Teachers and librarians now contact me to see if I have extra copies of specific books students are wanting.  Parents check out duplicate copies so they can read along with their children.  (OK, this one made me a little nervous for a while, but the censor police haven’t approached me yet.)  This spring, on the last day of school, half a dozen students dropped in to check out a collection of books (one girl took home 41 books) for the summer.  Students and teachers alike refer to my room as the library annex.

In regard to my laziness factor, my classroom library makes it SO easy to make recommendations.  While the students are silent reading, I’ll go through my shelves and place a stack of book suggestions in front of specific students.  A couple students initially rebelled, when they mistakenly thought I was telling them what to read., until others around them soon explained the routine. (I’ve even had students interrupt me to say they think other books would better suit a specific student.  Ahh—let the students make recommendations to other students, and I’m even lazier!)

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So, if I’ve convinced you to be lazy like me (and get your students reading more than ever), here are some tips for getting your library started:

·      Check out book sales at libraries—usually you can get good, used books for 25 cents to 50 cents.  (Hand over the membership fee, if they have one, so you can go to the opening night sale that is usually limited to members only.  You’ll get a greater selection.)

·      Don’t forget garage sales.  I’ve been known to buy books by the box at garage sales.

·      Internet sales—you can buy “lots” of used books, or you can look for specific titles.

·      Shop for collections from publishing companies.  Scholastic and others provide an inexpensive way to build your library.

·      Let parents and community members know you’d welcome donations of books or funds for books.  If you teach middle school, check with older grades to see if students have books they’ve “outgrown.”

·      Do not take in books from your own collection if you can’t deal with them disappearing forever.  You’ll spend too much time worrying about their fate.

·      Attend conferences—such as NCTE and the ALAN Workshop, where you will receive dozens of new books—a great way to kick-start your classroom library.

You want quality and quantity.  I have to admit I am pretty selective about my classroom library—and have gotten more selective as time goes on.  I want quality young adult literature that students can relate to and enjoy—titles they will want to flip through and borrow.  Start small, and your library will grow through the years.

You’ll also need to determine a check-out system.  I had good intentions.  I had a typed list of books, and students were to fill out cards to show who had which book.  That lasted about a week.  Cards didn’t get turned in, and I spent too much time trying to keep track of books.  (Again, that laziness issue.)  Today, I simply stamp my name on the outside of the book and on the inside and then set them on the shelves.  I tell my students it’s really, really nice if they return the books at some point. For the most part, the books come back.  Do I lose some?  Yes.  Do I care?  Well, maybe.  But, at 25 cents or so a book, I’m OK, and I can still make my house payment.

*****

So, what books have I seen be especially popular on my bookshelves?  Here are a few suggestions, which I’ve loosely grouped into middle and high school levels.   Use your own discretion as for age appropriateness.

Middle school:

·      Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

·      Monster by Walter Dean Myers

·      Lemony Snicket series

·      Gary Paulsen books

·      Caroline B. Cooney books

·      Lurlene McDaniel books (Paulsen, Cooney and McDaniel were so popular that my students came in during breaks to arrange my books so those three authors each had their own shelves.)

·      Any automobile books (such as the coffee table books you find on sale in book stores).  These are great for reluctant readers who will flip through these and read a little here and there without committing to reading a complete novel.

·      Bone graphic novels by Jeff Smith

·      Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

High school:

·      Invisible by Pete Hautman

·      Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

·      Stephanie Meyers’ series

·      Homeboyz by Alan Sitomer

·      World War II books—again, the coffee table style books

·      Crime books—also coffee table style books

·      Any Chris Crutcher books.

·      You Don’t Know Me by David Klass

·      Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

·      After by Francine Prose

·      Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

·      Malcolm X by Walter Dean Myers

·      Feed by M.T. Anderson

·      Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos

·      Francesca Lia Block books

*****

These books won’t appeal to every student, but they’re a great start for your library.  In about a week, I’ll have a new crop of students who’ll spend the next year teaching me what’s hot and what’s not in YA literature.  They’ll give me all sorts of insight into which plots work, which characters capture their attention, and new titles I need to add to my library.

And I thought I was the teacher…. 

***

Lori Atkins Goodson has taught middle school language arts and high school English and newspaper in Wamego, Kan.  An instructor at Kansas State University, Manhattan, she received National Board Certification and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.  She has received numerous teaching awards, including NCTE’s 2007 Hoey Award, being a 2008 top 10 finalist for the NEA Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Kansas Master Teacher Award.  She is the former chair of the NCTE middle level nominating committee and co-editor of The ALAN Review. She has had articles published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Voices from the Middle, and Kansas English, among others.  Her Book Business blog can be accessed at bookbusines.lorigoodson.com.

In my years of teaching language arts at the middle school and high school level, I’ve had an amazing array of students come through my classroom doors—with a just-as-amazing array of reading interests and issues.

I’ve had a seventh-grade girl who loves the farm, hunting, and fishing. Going through my bookshelves, I picked up a Gary Paulsen book and put it on her desk.  She glanced up, and, with a wink, I told her to give it a try.  It could have been the wink that did it, but I think it was the book.  About once a week, she visited my room to exchange one Paulsen book for another.  In time, she decided Paulsen deserved his own shelf in my classroom library, so she came in during her homeroom time and rearranged my books.

At the end of the year, she took the standardized reading test, and her scores jumped several grade levels from the previous year.  Another teacher asked me my secret to success.

            “I had a little help from my friend, Gary Paulsen,” I said.

This past school year—three years after my initial introduction to the girl–as luck would have it, I switched to teaching high school in the same district.  And while I didn’t have her in my sophomore class, she maked regular stops.  One time another student asked why she came in my room when she doesn’t have me for a teacher and there’s a perfectly fine library down the hall.

            “Mrs. Goods—she knows the kind of books I like,” she said.

This year, she’s branching out to find other authors she can connect with, but she still has her first literary love to turn to. 

With this column, I’m hoping to help more teachers make those amazing discoveries I’ve made.  I plan to offer specific book recommendations for some students you may find in your classroom, as well as insight from my years of attending the ALAN conference.  Most of all, I hope it’s a practical column—where you, the classroom teacher, can snag ideas—and share a few, as well.  Think of it as an academic Dear Abby, where the focus is young adult literature.

I hope you join me on this new journey.  Just keep in mind, I may end up snagging a few ideas from you, as well.

***

For the record, I try to avoid the term “non-reader” when I talk about my students.  I really don’t think there are non-readers; instead, there are plenty of reluctant readers—students who haven’t found that one author who makes them feel excited about turning the pages in a book.  Let’s face it, there are plenty of other things—sports, television, video games, computers—that compete for a student’s free time…and often win.

Yet these reluctant readers are some special challenges that enter my classroom each year.  At the sophomore level, I’d love to tell you that all reading issues have been solved for all students; unfortunately, that’s not the case.  Trust me, I know it’s not because of lack of effort from teachers they’ve had before me.

This year, I found several books that helped pull in students who were struggling to make connections.  Probably the biggest hit of the year was Carl Deuker’s Gym Candy (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), which deals with steroid use and student athletes.  My students sit at tables, and one student at a table held up the book and boasted that his buddy—also at the table—had read the book in three days.

With that kind of endorsement, the book never made it back into my classroom.  There was an informal waiting list for it (mostly male athletes)—I never figured out the order, but the students—who could be SO frustrating because they often couldn’t remember to bring a pencil to class—always knew who was next in line for the book. Go figure.

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Lori Atkins Goodson has taught middle school language arts and high school English and newspaper in Wamego, Kan.  An instructor at Kansas State University, Manhattan, she received National Board Certification and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.  She has received numerous teaching awards, including NCTE’s 2007 Hoey Award, being a 2008 top 10 finalist for the NEA Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Kansas Master Teacher Award.  She is the former chair of the NCTE middle level nominating committee and co-editor of The ALAN Review. She has had articles published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Voices from the Middle, and Kansas English, among others.

To read more by Dr. Lori Goodson, visit her weblog “Book Business” at http://bookbusiness.lorigoodson.com.