Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Learning how to survive in an abusive relationship with your own mother while taking care of two younger siblings is everything Matt is trying to do.

General Information:

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Price: $8.99
  • Grade Level: 2 – 12
  • Lexile Measure: 0660
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Speak; Reprint edition (March 13, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0142410713
  • ISBN-13: 978-0142410714

Plot:

Rules of Survival is a story that is told through the eyes of an older teen boy named Matt in the prose of a letter being written for his youngest sister. He is telling her the story of their childhood and how he finally got himself, Emma (youngest sister) and Callie (other sister) away from their biological mother after repeated abuse and neglect on her behalf. The story explains everything Matt had to do and go through in trying to get himself and his siblings to safety. A lot of it revolves around a man named Murdoch who Matt and Callie saw defending a little boy at a supermarket when they were younger. Eventually they found this man and he ended up dating their mom for awhile until he realized there was something off about Nikki. Eventually with the help of Murdock, his Aunt Bobbie, and his biological father Ben, they managed to accomplish getting everyone away safely from Nikki who now is living out the rest of her life and keeping in touch with everyone through the random postcard which still blames Murdoch and Matt for everything that happened to her.

Reading and Interest Level:

This book is marketed for ages 15 and up and for grades 10th-12th though the writing style is not overly difficult and most of the controversial material is not graphically shown or described. This leads me to want to increase the age range in order to include all of high school as it is relatively tame for a controversial book.

Evaluation:

Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin is an older YA novel, however it is still a valuable and effective piece of literature that has its place within a teen collection. It is a book about perseverance and overcoming any obstacles in order to better your situation and not resign yourself to your current fate. The teenage years are a time where many kids are unsure of themselves and sometimes get knocked down and are unable to right the ship. This book speaks to that situation and the realization that sometimes you must do anything to survive because as the main character says in the book: the survivor gets to tell the story.

“Surviving is something that can only be done for so long. Eventually you have to overcome your situation, however, sometimes that situation is your dangerous mother.”

  • Scott Krinninger

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value contained within Rules of Survival for teens comes from the overarching theme of the story which is enduring and overcoming. Life is not easy for teens or at the very least they perceive it to be not easy. People are trying to figure out who they are while still being socially accepted, juggling hormones, grades, getting into a good college, etc. Then you add on personal issues such as a broken family, and addiction, mental health issues, and teens start to drown in it all. Rules of Survival is an insight of no matter how down you are enduring and not accepting your station in life is the only way to overcome these issues. It can speak to those who are enduring something difficult or traumatic that they have trouble talking to another adult about, it can also speak to those who may be within a dangerous living situation. In the end this book has a lot of therapeutic value within it for a large variety of situations.

Issues Present:

The issues within this book range from physical abuse, to mental illness, to child neglect/abuse. Challenges against the book have also included the fact that it represents a broken household and is not appropriate for its targeted audience of teens. All of this leads to the rough situation that Matt and his two sisters Callie and Emma find themselves in during the telling of this story. Matt himself is physically assaulted by his own mother repeatedly, while the last time Emma sees her mom she was essentially force fed alcohol at a young age until she was sick.

Defending the Title:

The defense of this book is rather simple in nature. Nothing within the book is graphic or excessively violent, in fact most of the book was rather tame in comparisons to what my expectations were. All of the situations within the book are commonly dealt with by many teens and if you can’t relate in that way the overarching theme of perseverance and surviving the poor hand dealt to you is relatable by everyone. When I first read this book I was expecting something much worse or maybe an older book but to have this much outcry was somewhat a surprise to me to be honest.

Book Talk Idea:

For Rules of Survival, if I was to run a book discussion about it, I would likely focus on the interactions between Matt and Murdoch throughout the book. Matt realizes at the end that Murdoch was him as a child, however unlike Matt he had noone to turn to and get help from and he ended up killing his bad parent (who was his father). Luckily he showed up in time at the end of the story to save Matt from that similar fate. Pages to look at are: 1, 5, 32, 45, 47, 53, 94, 119, 133, 158, 202, 250

Genre:

The genre and subject matter of this book is Teen Fiction with the subject matter revolving around child abuse and social issues.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

http://nancywerlin.com/

Awards Won:

Arizona Young Reader’s Award Nominations 1998 (And Ongoing)

Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominees Young Adult 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Illinois Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award Nominees 2005 (And Ongoing)

New Mexico Battle Of The Books Children’s Book Award Nominees 2003-04

New Hampshire Isinglass Book Award Nominees 2013-14 (And Ongoing)

ALA Popular Paperbacks For Young Adults 1997 (And Ongoing)

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nancy-werlin/the-rules-of-survival/

http://www.yabookscentral.com › Books › Young Adult Fiction

Why did I choose to read this book?

I chose to read The Rules of Survival purely based off of its title and the back cover which has Matthew’s five rules of survival on it. The book ended up being nothing like I expected as I had not read a synopsis of it before picking it up so I was sort of picking it up purely on what I briefly saw on the book itself. It ended up being a good book though probably not something that I would regularly pick up out.

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

An autobiographical graphic novel about Jarrett Krosoczka’s childhood and how he overcame the absence of his father and mother. 

General Information:

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Price: $8.15
  • Grade Level: 7 – 9
  • Lexile Measure: 510
  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Graphix (October 9, 2018)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0545902487
  • ISBN-13: 978-0545902489

Plot:

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka is a graphic novel that recently became a National Book Award Finalist. It is an autobiographical look into Jarrett’s childhood and his relationship with his mother and his grandparents who ultimately raised him. Jarrett grew up with his mother dipping in and out of his life as she dealt what ultimately was a losing battle with Heroin addiction. His Grandparents raised him and did a wonderful job even though they were not perfect either with both of them being described as “chain-smoking, hard-drinking people with sailor mouths”. Ultimately Jarrett uses his love of art and drawing to either advance himself or help cope with what was happening in his life at the time and the book shows how perseverance and doing something that you love coupled with support from some loved ones can set your life on the right track.

Reading and Interest Level:

Hey, Kiddo is marketed by Baker and Taylor for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14, though I think the interest level for this book should be extended throughout high school as the book is a slice of life of Jarrett and would appeal to older teens as well.

Evaluation:

Hey, Kiddo is an extremely well written and valuable piece of literature that libraries should be including on their shelves. The story has terrific pace and the art is subtle but tells an incredible story on its own without Jarrett’s excellent dialogue. This book is something that so many teens could relate to and is written and drawn in an engaging and highly entertaining way. It is effective by explaining various problems within Jarrett’s childhood while also highlighting the positives and how the mixture of the two plus his drawing really paved the way for who he has become today.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of this book is so immense that I could write an essay on the topic, however, I would like to just highlight some topics that personally hit home and I am sure will resonate with teen readers. This book touches upon the idea of being in foster care or at the very least having your parents lose guardianship over their children. It deals with the hold that addiction has on families and how it can be passed down from parent to child whether it be drug and alcohol or something else. Teens can see that they may not be the only one who had a childhood similar to Jarrett’s. Personally this book has many parallels to my own life and childhood and I found great value in reading it which leads me to believe that their are likely many others as well.

Issues Present:

The issues present within the book may end up being frequently challenged due to its marketed age group. It is marketed for middle schoolers and young high school teens and there is a lot of drug references, swearing and the images can provoke powerful feelings. This book is extremely new so I have not found anything on it being officially challenged yet but it would not be surprising as it contains various subjects that tend to be darker. There is frequent smoking and drinking depicted in the images as well as Jarrett dealing with other more typical childhood problems.

Defending the Title:

In defense of the book however it is clear that this book takes on tougher subject matter but it does so without being graphic (very important in a graphic novel as the visualization is a very powerful tool). All of the things Jarrett talks about are very real issues that many kids and teens may have previously gone through or may be going through at the current time. Also many of the issues end up having long term impact of people that they have to deal with the rest of their lives. Some are born with super addictive personalities due to the drug use while in prenatal care, others may be bullied relentlessly causing social trauma and a lack of social skills. This book addresses these issues and is a terrific tool for kids to be able to gain insight into their plights or maybe plights of their close friends to gain a better overall understanding.

Book Talk Idea:

The book talk idea that I have for this book would be to follow Jarrett’s interactions with his mother throughout the story. I think that the letters that he chose to put in the story make for some interesting interactions and could spark a good dialogue within the book discussion. Since it is a graphic novel there are  no page numbers for me to give as examples but their are numerous possibilities. For example when Jarrett was talking about his birthdays he mentions the time his mom showed up and held his birthday in the middle of summer at a McDonald’s just to surprise him and let him enjoy a birthday with friends.

Genre:

The genre of Hey, Kiddo is Teen Non-Fiction – Biographical. Its subject matter follows the childhood of its author Jarrett Krosoczka and how he dealt with his families issues while growing up.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.studiojjk.com/

Awards Won:

None at the moment though is is up for the National Book Award. Book just recently got published.

Professional Reviews:

https://www.hbook.com/2018/10/choosing-books/review-of-the-week/review-hey-kiddo/

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=This-Was-a-Book-I-Needed-To-Write-Jarrett-J-Krosoczka-On-Hey-Kiddo

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jarrett-j-krosoczka/hey-kiddo/

Why I chose to read this book?

At Warren Newport Public Library, where I currently work, I order the graphic novels and manga for the juvenile and teen sections. I came across this book months ago to pre-order before I even knew about this class. I found a lot of parallels between my early childhood and what Jarrett had to go through which really intrigued me. Also I like a good graphic novel and the art in Hey, Kiddo is exceptionally well done. When you combine all those factors together it really got me interested and that is why I chose to read this book.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

A novel about a young girl who is trying to understand what real love is in comparison to what she has witnessed her whole life in her own family.

General Information:

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Price $9.89
  • Grade Level: 7 – 12
  • Lexile Measure: 820L
  • Paperback: 345 pages
  • Publisher: Speak; Reprint edition (March 8, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0142501557
  • ISBN-13: 978-0142501559

Plot:

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen is a YA novel following the life of Remy Starr who is a recent high school graduate and getting ready to go to college in the fall. Remy’s father had written a one hit wonder (song) and then left her mother who proceeded to have failed marriage after failed marriage which takes its toll on Remy. She now feels the need to control all of her relationships and as a result has trust issues when dating boys. As a result she is known for partying a lot and sleeping around. All of this stops after she meets Dexter Jones who says he has an immediate connection with her (not to mention being two of the things she dislikes the most which is a musician and a messy person). Their relationship is not without its ups and downs as Remy ends up pretending like it was supposed to just be a summer fling causing them to break up before she realizes that she truly does love Dexter.

Reading and Interest Level:

The reading and interest level for this book according to baker and taylor is for grades 10-12th and ages 15 and up. I think this is the correct age range to market this book as it does include an older teen protagonist and it has a lot of references to partying and sexual encounters.

Evaluation:

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen is a good novel that gets its points across in a unique way. It is written by a well known and award winning YA author in her signature writing style. This book is valuable on a libraries teen collection shelf as a piece of literature that can provide bibliotherapeutic value and an outlet for teens to answer their questions on the various dilemmas brought up by Sarah Dessen’s book.

“When all you expect is for your relationships to fail, you start to self sabotage yourself. What happens when you find someone you actually like? This is the dilemma that Remy Starr finds herself in.”

  • Scott Krinninger

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of This Lullaby comes from the various issues displayed within the book and how it is an outlet for teens to view others with their same issues and make sure they know they are not alone. It touches upon growing up without a stable father figure, especially one that can show you how a real relationship is supposed to look like. Remy’s mother goes from marriage to marriage and the family is repeatedly broken up. This leads to Remy having trust issues with relationships and her jumping around from boy to boy as she parties and sleeps around with the assumption that she is in control at all times. Many teens come from broken families or may not know how to handle relationships during such a tumultuous part of their young adult lives. The value this book brings to those teens is an invaluable lesson that may not be taught be adult figures within their lives.

Issues Present:

The issues present within the book that make the book controversial and are likely to be brought up in challenges against the book include strong language, underage sex and partying (alcohol), parents shown in a poor light. All of these are quite prevalent within the books and have been used as reasons for the books to have been banned. In fact on Sarah Dessen’s website you can find a copy of a letter that was sent in regards to an order of This Lullaby being rescinded for being inappropriate for that age group.

Defending the Title:

The defense of This Lullaby starts with the confronting the issues presented within the books. Having a broken family with no father (sometimes mother) to not only raise you but also to be an example to you, what a proper relationship looks like, is a common occurrence for teens. This book is very relatable for many teens and the author Sarah Dessen writes out the novel from their perspective. Having an unstable home life and not being aware of what relationships are supposed to be leads to various things at times such as having strong language, or partying a lot and sleeping around versus committing to a stable relationship. I know that these are issues that all parents would like to avoid there child doing but it is a possibility and many times they don’t know how rough they are making their own lives. This book is a snapchat of that life to explain to them that they are not alone feeling in that way but it ultimately is a great teaching tool as well. Even Remy realizes what she is doing wrong as she regrets breaking things up with Dexter.

Book Talk Ideas:

The book talk ideas that I have for This Lullaby revolve around the concept of relationships and I the best book discussion in my mind would have the readers following and talking about the many different relationships within the book, both adult and teen. These storylines supply the backbone of the book and Remy’s intense trust issues. The relationships are scattered all throughout the book and some examples include: Pages, 4, 20, 38, 40, 78, 112, 145, 168, 209, etc.

Genre:

The genre of This Lullaby would be teen fiction with the subject matter being about teen relationships, dating, and sex.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

https://sarahdessen.com/

Awards Won:

South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees 1997-98 (And Ongoing)

New Jersey Garden State Fiction Book Award Nominees 2004 (And Ongoing)

Missouri Gateway Readers Book Award Nominees 2004-05 (And Ongoing)

Missouri Gateway Readers Book Award Winners 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-dessen/this-lullaby/

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/1030-This-Lullaby

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/…lullaby-by-sarah-dessen/9780142501559/

Why I chose to read this title?

I chose to read This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen purely off of the recommendation from my sister. She is younger than me and attends the local community college and Sarah Dessen is one of her favorite authors. I told her that I was created a controversial literature blog and she handed me This Lullaby saying that it should fit the bill. In the end, however I really do like Sarah Dessen’s writing style even though the plotline isn’t necessarily my cup of tea.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars

This Sic-Lit features two star crossed lovers with terminal illnesses and overcoming them to find some joy within their lives. 

General Information:

Paperback: 352 pages

Price: $7.59

Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (April 8, 2014)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 014242417X

ISBN-13: 978-0142424179

Plot:

The Fault in Our Stars follows the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster who is diagnosed with a terminal illness, who meets a young man by the name of Augustus Waters, who also has a terminal illness, at a cancer support group. At first the two do not hit it off well with Hazel instantly becoming angered by him after seeing him with a cigarette (later we learn that he never actually smokes it) though eventually they start hanging out together and forming a bond. After reading each other’s favorite books they travel to Amsterdam to find the author of Hazel’s book to find out what the ending of the book is supposed to have been. He ends up being extremely rude but in the midst of this trip Hazel and Augustus fall in love with one another. Unfortunately shortly after coming back Augustus falls extremely ill and end up passing away. At the funeral the author shows up to apologize but Hazel ends up not accepting it as she reads Augustus final letter which essentially says that hurt is inevitable though sometimes we get to pick who hurts us. Hazel ends the story stating that she is glad that she got hurt from meeting Augustus.

Evaluation:

My evaluation of The Fault in Our Stars is a positive evaluation as this book is an effectively written story that takes what was a very overwritten genre (sick-lit) and created a valuable and engaging read for teens and young adults. The overall writing of the novel is not overly difficult from a technical level however its message and the way it portrays it was clever and well presented by the author. Its value is within the morals and themes that it represents towards teens while representing a specific group of people who may have terminal illness or know someone who does.

Reading and Interest Level:

The reading level and interest level that The Fault in Our Stars is marketed for by Baker and Taylor is for the grades 10-12 and ages 15 and up. I think that this book could easily be read by a slightly younger audience as though it mentions things such as death (from terminal illness) and sex it never graphically describes anything as it is stated in a matter of fact tone. I would likely increase the age range to 8-12 grade personally.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of The Fault in Our Stars is shown through the way it reaches teens and explains to them the shortness of life and the fact that we may not be in charge of larger issues such as terminal illnesses but what we can control is our attitudes and who we choose to share ourselves with/get hurt by. The story lets teens know that the world is not perfect and you will end up hurt at some point but sometimes it is worth getting hurt to enjoy the experiences while you can. It is a great tale that throws in romance and wise words and though some critics may slam it as a cash grab on the coattails of the sick-lit train, John Green makes sure that the book provides a purpose and something relatable for all teens and or young adults who may read this book.

Issues Present:

The issues present within The Fault in Our Stars revolve around the idea that the book is not appropriate for teens to read. Many challenges include the fact that the two main characters have sex (under the age of 18) and that it is inappropriate and distasteful to write a romance novel taking advantage of terminal illnesses. These were all reasons why the book itself has been challenged numerous times and at one point was completely banned from a group of middle schools in California.

Defending the Title:

The defense of this book from possible challenges involving the issue that were laid out above would be to first make it clear that terminal illnesses are something that many teens have to deal with whether with themselves or more likely with a friend or family member. Next the sexual nature of the book and the teens having sex with each other after such a short time being together has been brought up as an issue and first you must put into context why such actions were occurring (both teens could die at any moment) also none of the sexual content was graphically described within the book. Overall The Fault in Our Stars is a valuable book and can be easily defended with the right information and facts about the book.

Book Talk Idea:

The Fault in Our Stars provides many different questions and viewpoints for book discussions, however, if I was to be in charge of a book discussion I would have us talk about how much of Hazel’s life was limited by the disease versus self inflicted limitations. Some page numbers where this can be seen would be on pages 5, 24, 38, 57, 124, 168 etc. (examples being not willing to go outside the house, forced by her mom to go to the support group, etc. she clearly opens up as her relationship with Augustus grows)

Genre:

The genre and subject matter for The Fault in Our Stars is Teen Fiction more specifically teen romance. It follows the love story of Hazel and Augustus who happen to be both terminally ill.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

www.johngreenbooks.com/

Awards:

Washington Evergreen Young Adult Award Nominees 1995 (And Ongoing)

Oregon Reader’s Choice Award Nominees And Winners 2012-2013 (And Ongoing

Ohio Buckeye Teen Book Award Nominees 2013 (And Ongoing)

Wisconsin Golden Archer Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Wyoming Soaring Eagle Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Awards 1998 (And Ongoing)

Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Professional Reviews:

https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/aug/05/review-john-green-the-fault-in-our-stars

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/11098-the-fault-in-our-stars

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-green/fault-in-our-stars/

Why I chose to read this book?

I chose to read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green purely based off of having previously seen the movie. I rarely watch a movie before reading the book but this was a film that I normally would not go to myself. John Green is a well known YA author and I did enjoy the movie so I decided to give the book a try as the book is usually better than the movie. There was not much other initial motivation to pick up this book though I did find it a fun and engaging read.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

A young lady moves to a remote rainy area in the United States and encounters a clan of Vampires and Werewolves, one of which she falls in love with. 

General Information:

  • Series: The Twilight Saga, Book 1 (Book 1)
  • Price: $9.49
  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 6, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316015849
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316015844

Plot:

Twilight book 1 follows the story of a young high school girl who moves to the small and rainy town of Forks, Washington to live with her father as her mother remarries. Her name is Isabella (goes by Bella) and she meets and befriends a boy in new school named Edward Cullen who she ends up falling for in a romantic sense. While all of this happens she finds out that Cullen and his “siblings” are actually all vampires and shortly after gets saved from being crushed by a van by Edward. Bella is a little different from normal humans and this is expressed between her and Edward. Later on in the story there is another Vampire outside of the Cullens who gets a hint of Bella and wants her and almost succeeds in killing her before he decides to turn her into a Vampire. The Cullens however get there just in time and Edward manages to control himself enough to drain the toxic blood from Bella without killing her. That is the end of part one of a trilogy.

Evaluation:

Twilight part one is a fantasy novel that caters to the high school audience, in particular females. This book is all about teen angst and romance, however it does support many themes and messages throughout its storytelling which separates it from your cookie cutter vampire romance novel. It is a rather easy read with none of the writing being overly difficult to understand or get through. In the end it does extremely well in reaching its target audience and though it may not be for everyone it hits certain demographics extremely effectively which makes it an effective and worthwhile inclusion in any teen collection.


Reading and Interest Level:

Twilight is marketed for grades 10-12 and for ages 15 and up. I agree with this age group and later on in some of the challenges against the book I think some of the challenges come from younger readers reading this series prematurely or before they are ready to.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of Twilight was something that I would have said did not exist years ago when the books (and the movies) had originally come out. However, now my perspective has changed (along with the fact I actually read the book) and I truly do believe that it is of value to its target audience. It touches upon the differences of desires and lust and our abilities to control them, it touches upon young romance and teen angst that comes with it within our high school years. It also touches upon having a dysfunctional family but overcoming it by finding new friends and making the most of the change (even if those friends happen to be vampires). Most importantly though it discusses the changes that happen in this time of our lives and the natural want to speed through everything or make life-altering decisions rashly and in this book they clearly explain the importance of patience and to slow down and think. This is shown repeatedly through Bella with issues such as premarital sex, turning into a vampire, marrying Edward, etc.

Issues Present:

The issues present within this book that are commonly presented through challenges levied against the book are the fact that it is sexually explicit, forces religious viewpoints, and is unsuited for the age group that it is being marketed for. All of these issues are rather common in books that are frequently challenged which makes it no surprise that Twilight is one of the most frequently challenged books.

Defending the Title:

Defenses for Twilights “issues” are relatively straight forward. The first two issues that come up quite frequently are contradictory in nature as the book clearly pushes no premarital sex, yet the first complaint tends to be about the books being sexually explicit. The books are considered sexually explicit in the regards to the high levels of sexual tension between the main characters Edward and Bella, however this sexual tension is nothing new to high school students where hormones tend to run wild and is a common occurrence. The second issue of it pushing religious viewpoints comes from the contradictory information of no premarital sex (though remember it is sexually explicit at the same time). This viewpoint has strong underlying themes though again this message though steeped in religious overtones is not openly advertising that you follow a certain religion (as many have no premarital sex as a rule) and in that regards is a relatively weak argument. The last issue that it is unsuited for the age group tends to be a catch all phrase and with the writing style and the subject matter the book supplies it is definitely within the parameters of the marketed age group.

Book Talk Idea:

The book talk idea that I have for Twilight would be the idea of following Bella’s growing interest with Edward Cullen as the more she interested she gets the more intertwined their lives become. This starts off really early within the novel when Bella first sees the Cullens in the High School Cafeteria sitting off alone with an odd aura about them in addition to being strikingly attractive. The pages that you can find this topic on are too numerous to count but some include: 25, 40, 59, 103, 148, 203, 264, etc. There is a lot of pages where they can pull information from which is part of the reason it is such a great book discussion as the amount of material and different viewpoints from everyone can play a great role in pushing the discussion.

Genre:

The genre of Twilight is Teen fiction, more specifically fantasy with sub themes of romance and supernatural. The main subject matter is the growing love interest between Bella (a human) and Edward (a vampire).

Similar Reads:

Hush, Hush
A Shade of Vampire (New & Lengthened 2015 Edition)

Author’s Website:

https://stepheniemeyer.com

Awards Won:

Wisconsin Battle Of The Books Award Nominees 2005-06 (And Ongoing)

Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award Nominees Young Adult 2004-05 (And Ongoing)

Indiana Rosewater High School Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Missouri Gateway Readers Book Award Nominees 2004-05 (And Ongoing)

Iowa High School Book Award Nominees 2004-05 (And Ongoing)

South Dakota Young Adult Reading Program 1998 (And Ongoing)

South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees 1997-98 (And Ongoing)

Illinois Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award Nominees 2005 (And Ongoing)

Rhode Island Teen Book Award Winners 2004 (And Ongoing)

Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominees Young Adult 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Book Award Nominees Young Adult 2004-05 

Illinois Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award Winners 2005 (And Ongoing)

Arizona Young Readers Book Award Winners 2004 (And Ongoing)

South Carolina Children’s Book Award Winners 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Missouri Gateway Readers Book Award Winners 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award Winners Young Adult 2004 (And Ongoing)

Iowa High School Book Award Winners 2004 (And Ongoing)

New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Awards 1998 (And Ongoing)

Washington Evergreen Young Adult Award Winners 2005 (And Ongoing)

Indiana Rosewater High School Book Award Winners 2005 (And Ongoing)

Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Winners (All Grades) 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Nebraska Golden Sower Book Award Winners 2004 (And Ongoing)

Wisconsin Golden Archer Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Wisconsin Golden Archer Book Award Winners 2005 (And Ongoing)

YALSA Teens Top Ten 2004 (And Ongoing)

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stephenie-meyer/twilight-7/

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-16017-9

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/twilight-the-twilight-saga-book-1

Why did I choose to read this book?

I chose to read this book for this project based off of its overwhelming popularity. As I work in a popular materials library this book is checked out a lot even though it is now a relatively older book and all the movies have been released. I thought it would be prevalent to read this book as it is still frequently challenged. I also really disliked this book just to dislike it when I was in high school (thought it was just a typical romance book) though after reading it and studying different meanings of books through this class I learned a lot about the importance this book can have on its intended target audience. It was a much better read than anticipated and I truly do believe that it should have a spot on the shelf in most teen collections.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The world is in turmoil and the populace including Wade retreat into the Oculus VR in order to escape their troubles, also to possibly take over the Oculus and become the wealthiest person on the planet. 

General Information:

Paperback: 400 pages

Price: $8.76

Publisher: Broadway Books; 32089th edition (June 5, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0307887448

ISBN-13: 978-0307887443

Plot:

Ready Player One is a sci-fi novel that is set in the year 2045 and earth is essentially falling apart due to massive garbage overflow and a severe population crisis. It follows the story of Wade Watts who like everyone else on earth only finds happiness when plugged into the virtual reality game Oasis where he can be whoever he desires. The creator of the game and the largest business in the world passed away five years previously and left a message with everyone stating the fact that he left easter eggs within the game and whoever can solve the puzzle will be able to take over the whole game and corporation. It is filled with a lot of video game and movie references and a lot of 80’s sub themes however it is a sci-fi action book at its core. Wade learns a lot about himself in the real world through his antics in the virtual world as he uncovers the secrets that the creator left for everyone.

Reading and Interest Level:

The book is marketed for general adult through Baker and Taylor but the actual interest level in this book would be 9th grade through young adult. It may have older themes and pop culture references but the way it was written plus the movie/video game references appeal it to the younger high school crowd.

Evaluation:

This book is extremely well written and valuable for multiple reasons, especially when dealing with its core audience of high school kids and young college kids. It deals with a large variety of issues on varying levels starting with teen angst and young love, and progresses through what is family, and then moving on to environmental issues and the idea of being over reliant on technology to support us in all facets of our lives. So as one can tell there is a wide breadth of different topics being covered all at once within this novel yet all of it is told in a way that keeps the novel light and fast paced while covering heavier topics. It is the type of book that is hard to put down as the pacing is fast and pushes you through to the point that when you reread it you will catch things you may have missed in the first place.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of Ready Player One for teens is relevant from many different viewpoints. The most value comes within the viewpoint of the importance of finding out what your true self is. The virtual or technological world may be your fantasy image of yourself but true happiness comes in the real world which is something that Wade Watts discovers throughout the book. It also gives value on environmental issues as that is a strong underlying theme throughout the book which is in a dystopian world that is essentially a large garbage dump at this point.

Issues Present:

The issues present within this book, that most challenges levied against the book have, include the strong language, objectification of female characters, and reverence to elitism. All of these issues represent various things that would not affect adults but some of which may cause some concern of parents, if their children were to read it. The strong language and objectification of women characters are definitely the most prevalent of issues.

Defending the Title:

The defense of this book is a little more straightforward than that of the other titles on the list due to the target audience of the book. This book is meant to be for older teens and young adults, therefore one of the main problems with the book is essentially a weak argument in the sense that the language in the book is nothing that they don’t hear on a daily basis in public and or online/tv. The objectification of female characters is a trope that has been in heavy usage since the films and video games of the eighties which this book references a lot and it provides a solid platform to teach boys what not to do. The book does poke a little fun at themselves in this case as well. Last but not least the book is critically acclaimed and is extremely well written. Overall it is an easier book to defend in my opinion but that does not mean it doesn’t have its fair share of challenges.

Book Talk Idea:

There are two book talk ideas that I would discuss with this book, the first being a more for fun book discussion pointing out all of the references that they could find to films and video games from the eighties. This would really be for fun and it can be cool to see which ones you missed versus others. For the other book talk idea I would like to discuss the various times that Wade starts to “grow up” throughout the story. He goes through personal growth throughout the story and starts to understand the importance of the real world no matter how much it may not be fun. Pages: 17, 51, 65, 104, 176, 276, 312, 348, etc.

Genre:

The genre of this book is fiction but more specifically science fiction with fantasy subthemes. It takes place in a dystopian future where the world is falling apart and people hid from their problems within a virtual reality world.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.ernestcline.com/

Awards Won:

Wisconsin Battle Of The Books Award Nominees 2005-06 (And Ongoing)

Indiana Rosewater High School Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Illinois Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award Nominees 2005 (And Ongoing)

Washington Evergreen Young Adult Award Nominees 1995 (And Ongoing)

Pacific Northwest Young Reader’s Choice Book Award Nominees 2005 (And Ongoing)

New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Awards 1998 (And Ongoing)

Vermont Green Mountain Book Award Nominees 2005-06 (And Ongoing)

Nevada Young Reader Award Nominees Grade Young Adult 2004-05 (And Ongoing)

Illinois Read-For-A-Lifetime High School Reading List 2004-05 (And Ongoing)

Alaska’s Association Of School Librarian Battle Of The Books Nominees 2003-04

Professional Reviews:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/ready-player-one

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ernest-cline/ready-player-one/

Why I chose to read this book?

I love video games and movies and everything nerdy in this world (except for Star Trek) and I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction so this book checked off all the boxes for me! This book is right up my alley in my usual choices of reading material and I was interested in seeing the book after I read about challenges against it. It really is a terrifically written book that is fast paced and well written which helped me power through it quite quickly.

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

A social experiment involving the schools four most prominent boys who are all friends and the school school joke, turning him into one of the popular kids. 

General Information:

  • Age Range: 12 – 18 years
  • Price: $7.96
  • Grade Level: 10 – 12
  • Paperback: 240 page
  • Publisher: Square Fish; First edition (January 6, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1250060001
  • ISBN-13: 978-1250060006

Plot:

Shattering Glass follows the story of a group of four teen boys in high school named Rob, Thaddeus (Young Stewart), Bob, and Coop and their endeavors in making Simon Glass go from the butt of everyone’s jokes to the most popular kid in high school. Rob is top dog that everyone likes (besides Lance who used to be the top dog at the school), Thaddeus who is the son of rich and prominent members of the town, Bob who is known for being cool under pressure and attractive/good with the ladies, and Coop who was the football teams star linebacker. This group of four boys bring Simon from the depths of the high school social ladder to the top but not without learning things about themselves along the way. In the end the plan seems to come together perfectly with Simon making a remarkable turnaround in his social life but in doing so reveals all of the issues everyone within the group has and has been hiding. After challenging everyone with their issues Rob and Bob turn violent and end up beating Simon to death in a fit of rage while accidentally maiming Coop. All while Thaddeus watches with a bat in his hand.

Reading and Interest Level:

The book Shattering Glass is marketed for teens in 10th-12th grade and for ages 15 and up. I completely agree with this viewpoint. Though this book is easy to read it is filled with strong social themes and messages which can easily be seen in real life. Also there is a lot of strong language and then heavy violence in the end.

Evaluation:

Gail Giles writes an excellent book that really takes the reader on an adventure with multiple twists and turns. All of the characters are easily to relate to and as such it makes the read rather effective. Lots of people who feel belittled and mocked would love a chance to become the popular kid but how much of your individuality are you willing to give up while doing so? This book answers that question and has a startling twist that makes the lesson very valuable for the readers. Overall it is a well written and valuable book to have in a YA collection.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value in this book comes from the real life applications that can be taken from the story. Teens face social cliques ostracization, trying to fit in by changing themselves or maybe even doing something out of character in order to make others happy, all of the time in high school. It is almost a rite of passage for many teens in high school. This book shows all of this and what happens when people get used or try to change who they are for superficial reasons. Everyone in high school has issues both the popular kids and the unpopular kids. Some hide it better than others through wealth, or materials, or even good looks. This look into the teen psyche is a valuable tool for teens to be able to read.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book include, strong language, violence (death at the end), endorsing of bullying, view/usage of women as objects. All of these issues are present within Shattering Glass and were brought up in various challenges levied against the books. They are also all controversial topics especially for being used within a YA novel that is read by teens.

Defending the Title:

These controversial topics are defendable by librarians in multiple different ways. First off the book is a written by a terrific YA author and has been covered in accolades. As for more specific topics levied against the book there are various ways to defend against them. The language is nothing that most teens have not heard before or have used themselves at some point of time. As for the view/usage of women as objects, if you read the small interview notes at the top of each chapter and finish the book you can see that the female characters have multiple strong roles that are independant in the book. The violence in the end of the book is graphic but not overly detailed which makes it easier on the readers. Last but not least the topic of bullying is something that should be talked about by teens. It is a common occurrence within high schools and a topic that should be confronted not shied away from especially in YA literature.

Book Talk Idea:

A terrific book talk idea for this book would be to follow Simon’s transformation throughout the book and follow what happens with each change. This book talk really dives into the social politics and the other issues that many teens will likely face throughout their high school years. This can be shown from pages: 1, 28, 39, 55, 73, 103, 118, 139, 169, 195, etc.

Genre:

The genre and subject matter for Shattering Glass is Teen Fiction, more specifically fiction focusing on the social themes of friendship, values, and virtues. It does so by looking through the eyes of teenage boys while in high school dealing with these themes.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

http://www.gailgiles.com/Welcome.html

Awards won:

Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2012

2003 Tayshas Reading — Young Adult (Commended)

2005 Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers — Young Adult (Honor Book)

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gail-giles/shattering-glass-2/

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7613-1581-0

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/1539-Shattering-Glass

Why did I choose to read this book?

Shattering Glass peaked my interest as it was recommended to me by a coworker (who always recommends terrific books) after I told her about the need to read a lot of controversial YA novels. It was a really interesting read as the book really dug into the psyche of teens in high school including the social aspects and the individual problems that many teens hide away from their peers during these years. The writing style was clear and concise and I really enjoyed the little interview answers that were posted at the top of each chapter as the story progressed. Though between the subject matter and the person who recommended it to me, that is what drove me to read this book.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

A young Nepalese girl is sold by her stepfather into a life of prostitution on the streets of India.

General Information:

  • Paperback: 263 pages
  • Price: $8.39
  • Publisher: Hyperion (April 1, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9780786851720
  • ISBN-13: 978-0786851720
  • ASIN: 0786851724

Plot:

This book follows the life of a young thirteen year old girl from Nepal and her journey through multiple hardships including being sold by her own stepfather to a life of prostitution in India. Luckily she makes her escape being saved at the end of the story but not before she went through a year of unspeakable acts. The beginning of the book is a poignant look at her home life in Nepal where her family is quite poor and she and her mother are doing everything they can in order to keep the roof (which is made out of thatch, Tin roofs were to expensive for this family). The stepfather who took them in after her father died, foolishly throws away money gambling every night and drives the family into deeper despair. Out of necessity the mother allows Lakshmi to leave the village in order to work as a maid to help send money back home. However the stepfather sells her to a woman who in turn sells her to a man who takes her all the way to a large city in India where she is sold to a woman called Mumtaz for a sum of 10,000 rupees. Unlike other girls in her plight she has some education and is good at mathematics and quick to learn and tries to figure out what is needed to gain her freedom to realize that it will be almost impossible to earn back the money due to the system of debt that Mumtaz has implemented. All of this takes place between Lakshmi’s 13th and 14th birthdays.

Reading and Interest Level:

The interest level for this book is marketed for Teens that are in 7th thru 10th grade, so ages 12 thru 15. This is completely acceptable in my opinion as the main character in this book is a 13 year old girl. Though there is dark material in the book and there are clearly sexual acts occurring within the book they are not explicitly described in detail. In the end of the day I would extend the interest range to throughout high school but I do agree that 7th or 9th grade would be the starting point for interest.

Evaluation:

This book by Patricia McCormick was a very well written and, in my opinion, a very effective way to highlight the enormous problem of child trafficking that exists in the world today. Though this book takes place in Nepal and India which is on the other side of the world the problem of child trafficking is widespread throughout the world. This book was written in very short and concise paragraphs through the eyes of Lakshmi who is only thirteen within the book. It is written in very plain sentences with no extravagant words or excessively long paragraphs which makes it a relatively easy read. What is difficult to read is the content as it is very dark and takes us to a place that most either do not know about or would rather not know about. That is why the book is so valuable though, as the book takes us to that dark place that Lakshmi had to live in for a whole year with no respite, pity, or chance for escape. The story is effectively written as it describes these horrors in a way that girls of Lakshmi’s age could understand the dangers of this world and what can happen without being overly gruesome or turning this Teen/YA book into an adult book.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value within the book Sold by Patricia McCormick is significant in multiple ways. I would say that the book can be inspiring and provide therapeutic value for those who have experienced child trafficking, prostitution, or sexual crimes. This subject matter is very difficult for those who have experienced it to talk about for various reasons. As such Patricia McCormick helps these teens by providing a view into that world but also providing a positive light and ray of hope for escaping such a world. Lakshmi endures and eventually overcomes this world of sexual assault and prostitution even through all of the extremely difficult things she faced during her time at Mumtaz’ brothel. Though the content is rather dark and grim it does hold significant value.

Issues Present:

The issues present within the book Sold by Patricia McCormick revolve around the concepts of physical and mental abuse, child trafficking, sexual assault and rape, and prostitution. All of these topic are dark and grim in nature and due to that Sold  is one of the more commonly challenged YA books.

Defending the Title:

Defending this book is relatively easy as it is telling a very important story about child trafficking and prostitution. It tells about this dark subject matter in a way that is easier to read. Everything in the book is described by innuendo or as lightly as possible. Nothing is graphically told even though much of the book takes place in an environment filled with explicit activities. This message of this book will provide bibliotherapeutic value to many teens who may be dealing with sexual assault or rape, but it is also a tale of perseverance and overcoming pain and trauma. Lakshmi is a young girl that is 13 years old and she goes through unbelievable hardships and overcomes them by escaping in the end of the story.

Book Talk Idea:

There are many different book talk ideas that can be discussed in regards to the book Sold, however I would use the topic of Lakshmi and describe the many times she looks for a way out of her situation or tries to look at the positives in order to try and take hold of her life. This is a very impressive way Lakshmi handles herself throughout the books even in the face of overwhelming despair and abuse. This way of viewing the world is not just exclusive to her captivity within the brothel but also in her home life before she was sold off. It would be an interesting book topic to see and discuss why she views things in this particular way instead of giving into despair. Examples of this can be found on pages 2, 7,  45, 60, 77, 99, 108, 138, 141, 160, 223, 237, 263

Genre:

The Genre of Sold is teen fiction more specifically realistic fiction. It is a story based off of real events that happen everyday over in the Nepal and India border and unfortunately elsewhere in the world as well. Those events would be child trafficking and child prostitution.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

https://www.patriciamccormick.com/

Awards:

Alaska’s Association Of School Librarian Battle Of The Books Nominees 2003-04 (A

Indiana Rosewater High School Book Award Nominees 2003-04 (And Ongoing)

Vermont Green Mountain Book Award Nominees 2005-06 (And Ongoing)

California Young Readers Medal Program Winners 2003

ALA Popular Paperbacks For Young Adults 1997 (And Ongoing)

Professional Review:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/patricia-mccormick/sold/

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/sold

https://bookpage.com/reviews/5006-patricia-mccormick-sold-teen#.W_SX7zhKjcs

Why I chose to read this book?

I chose to read sold purely off of the description on the inside flap of the book. The story line was intriguing, especially due to the fact that it was based off of true events which really appealed to the fact that I really enjoy historical fiction. Overall I found the book quite engaging and interesting right from the start even though the content was about rather dark material. Again Patricia McCormick really does a good job sharing Lakshmi’s story in a way that engages the reader and makes them think.

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Two young ladies find love and companionship with each other in a time where same sex relationships were not just frowned upon but could ruin one’s life.

General Information:

  • Age Range: 12 – 18 years
  • Price: $9.89
  • Grade Level: 7 – 9
  • Lexile Measure: 1000L
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Square Fish; 1st edition (February 20, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0374400113
  • ISBN-13: 978-0374400118

Plot:

The summary of Annie on My Mind follows the story of Liza Winthrop who is a terrific student and the student council president of her high school as a senior. She is interested in going to MIT (she gets accepted to the school within the story) for architecture. As a very intelligent woman she goes to an art museum one day and that is where she meets Annie Kenyon. They almost instantaneously became friends and soon that friendship blossomed into love. Unfortunately they lived in a time where society strongly discriminated against same sex relationships to the point where many had to keep them hidden. At one point while house/cat sitting for two female teachers (who we learn later on to also be in a same sex relationship) the girls get caught together and there is a massive fall out. This book describes that fall out and the difficulties that could be faced by the girls but also on how they overcome this in order to continue their relationship in the face of this discrimination.

Reading and Interest Level:

This book is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14 according to Baker and Taylor. I however am of the opinion that this book can be read by those age groups as it is not a difficult read but it may be more appreciated by high school students due to the underlying themes and messages.

Evaluation:

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden is a wonderfully written book that gets its message out very effectively. This book is sure to be a hit for teens who may be in relationships that may not be viewed favorably by society. I personally do not read many romance books and this book captivated me from beginning to end in one sitting. The books message is specifically regarding same sex relationships and the fact that they are perfectly acceptable no matter what society may indicate. This book is an older book and besides a few odd facts and tidbits that showed its age the theme and overall message of this book can be timeless in my opinion and it really showed when I had to look up when it was written which was in 1982. The fact that this is true is a credit to the terrific writing style that Nancy Garden had within this book. So overall this book is a super effective read especially for those in the LGBTQ community as teens or young adults and has a very effective message.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of this book issues that this book works through revolve around same sex relationships but also overcoming societal pressures. At least one of these issues is likely to be experienced by teens at some point in their high school lives and having a book like this really is valuable in the sense that they have something to relate to. Liza does not start the story as a lesbian looking for a girl to love, in fact it isn’t on her radar for over half the story. Even when she accepts that she has feelings for Annie she doesn’t know what it is or how to label herself. Many teens can understand these feelings as they occur in many relationships besides those that would be considered LGBTQ in nature. Other than that the value in showing that society is not always right and you can overcome prejudice and not have to conform in order to succeed in this world and still be who you want to be. This is nicely shown at the end of the book where Liza is at MIT and in the end still is dating Annie.

Issues Present:

The “issues” present in the book that may get it challenged involve the concept of same sex relationships as well as “pornographic material”. These are the most common reasons for the book to be challenged.

Defending the Title:

As stated above the “issues” are relatively clear cut and not numerous in nature. One would think that this book would not need to be defended however it is consistently challenged. Fortunately the defense of this book is relatively straightforward as most of the people complaining about the lesbian relationship are doing so from a religious point of view. The “pornographic material” is generally thrown in with the original complaint. There is no pornographic material as everything is implied but nothing is graphically stated besides mild kissing and cuddling. As for the religious viewpoints it is not the libraries job to check what a teen is reading and there is no need to remove material based off of personal reasons for objecting to a common occurrence within the world.

Book Talk Idea:

The book talk idea that I would use in relationship to the book Annie on My Mind would revolve around the reactions by adults to Liza and Annie’s relationship throughout the books. There is an interesting mix of those that are supportive, to those that are vehemently against it, to those are not in support of it but clearly are not opposing it either.  Pages for support of this kind of book talk could be found on these pages and more: PAGES 70, 119, 166, 168, 211, 199, etc.

Genre:

The genre and subject matter of Annie on My Mind is teen fiction, more specifically realistic fiction. The subject matter is on Teen relationships (specifically lesbian relationships). It also discusses issues of societal pressure and the idea of being an outsider do to one’s actions or beliefs.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

N/A

Awards:

The book was represented on multiple top book lists in ALA sponsored lists. Nancy Garden won some awards in regards to discussing and defending the topics within the books as well though they were not literary in nature.

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nancy-garden-9/annie-on-my-mind/

http://lesbrary.com/2013/09/18/erica-gillingham-reviews-annie-on-my-mind-by-nancy-garden/

https://www.hbook.com/2013/03/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/a-second-look-annie-on-my-mind/

Why I chose to read this book?

This book is definitely not something that would normally be picked up by me and the reason I picked it up was one of my older coworkers at the library recommended it as a Nancy Garden book. I am glad I followed her advice as this book hooked me early with the writing style and kept me invested in Liza and Annie. I had to know where there relationship was going to go and how it would ultimately affect them. It was a terrific read that really kept me engaged.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

A young man at a private catholic school goes against the societal norms and ends up paying the price for nonconformity

General Information:

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Price: $8.99
  • Grade Level: 7 – 9
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Ember; Anniversary, Reprint edition (September 14, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375829873
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375829871

Plot:

The summary of The Chocolate War follows a young boy in a catholic private high school named Jerry Renault. He is a small boy only 5’9” who had recently lost his mother but is tough as nails as he goes out and competes quite well as quarterback for the football team. In this school there is a “secret” society called The Vigiles which is a student organization that runs the student body and creates tasks for students to fulfill which they are pressured to do in fear of crossing The Vigiles. One of the head faculty members named Brother Leon goes above and beyond in the schools chocolate sale overextending the budget and wanting the boys to sell 20,000 boxes of chocolates for the school (only about 400 students). He uses The Vigiles as a force to push these sales through. Unfortunately the boy who is the brains behind The Vigiles is named Archie and he pushes back by giving Jerry an assignment of saying no he will not sell chocolates for ten days. What ends up happening is Jerry decides that no he does not want to sell chocolates at all after those ten days and continues to say no. This leads to a discovery of how society reacts to someone who is being defiant and standing up for themselves. It also shows what happens when that person stands alone with no support. In the end this book is a deep thought provoking title that delves into roles people have in society and what happens when a lone person causes a ripple in the system.

Reading and Interest Level:

The book is marketed for ages 12 and up or 7th thru 12th grade. This book really will be more appealing and better suited in general for high school kids even though it is not an overly difficult book to read. The content within the book and the realism (some may argue pessimism) in the book will orient better with older teens.

Evaluation:

This book was very effective in its style of writing and the way it delivers its messages. Reading this book is very easy in the sense that it not complicated with its word choices or by the way the story is told. It is effective however as the writer keeps the reader engaged throughout always making you want to know what happens next. The story has the society of the school go through giant pendulum swings. At first Jerry is refusing the chocolates and everyone is stunned but after a couple of days people start finding out that it was his assignment from The Vigiles and everything is fine. Then he continues to refuse after the assignment is over and people start thinking hey maybe Jerry has the right idea and the sales plummet. After some coercion and threats Archie and The Vigiles realize that Brother Leon is in trouble with the sales and if he goes down so do they and so they try to force Jerry to sell the chocolates and he says no still. Eventually The Vigiles take matters into their own hands and sell the chocolates for everyone making it seem as if Jerry is the only one not selling, forcing the issue and they start making Jerry’s life miserable by making him seem like he is doing something wrong. It is valuable as it shows that one person can make a ripple, however if everyone just stands and watches that person whether they agree with them or not that ripple will diffuse and society will either crush that individual or make them  conform to society’s rules.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of The Chocolate War comes in the sense of its realism. Some may say that it is not therapeutic in the sense that everything that Jerry tries to do in order to be himself and be an individual fails and at times violently fails. However what it does highlight is that Jerry does make a ripple and it shows in the middle of the book and there were those who had similar thoughts as him after he was the first to make a stand. If a teen was to see this situation play out in front of them at High School and they had read The Chocolate War then they would know the importance of showing support for like minded individuals in the face of societal pressure. Sitting back and watching it unfold is never going to be enough in the face of institutions and those in powerful leadership positions opposing you.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book include, violence (whether it be student on student, teacher on student, mental, verbal, physical in nature), language, religious institution and sexual perversion. All of these topics will be hot button issues in challenges against the book. The violence in the book escalates as the situation with Jerry intensifies. Even before the situation with the chocolate sales violence was shown in the football field (acceptable violence there) but also in the classroom where Brother Leon is shown belittling a straight A student and at one point physically striking him for no reason before saying that it was a a “test”. The language in the book is not overly bad though if the book is marketed to 12 year olds the use of son of a bitch and hell repeatedly among the other lesser swear words spread throughout the book will be of concern to some parents. The religious complaints will come from the depictions of the catholic school and Brother Leon. It clearly shows that greed and corruption and violence on behalf of this christian institution which many may argue is a untrue view of the faith (as in no priest or brother would act in such a way). The last controversy which will likely come up in a lot of challenges will be based off of the sexual perversion shown in the books. There is a lot of reference to masturbation in this all boys school. When the boys view girls they are immediately viewed as sexual objects rather than people. In one part of the book a boy describes the way that he stares at the girls as visually raping them as he undresses them in his mind.

Defending the Title:

How to defend this book from challenges? The challenges in this book partially are due to the age the book is marketed for. This book should be marketed for high school students not middle school students. In light of it being marketed correctly the challenges thrown at it are much more manageable. Language of the book becomes much less of an issue as the book is now being read by older teens and the book does not use the word fuck in any of its phrases with the worst of the swears being son of a bitch. Next the sexual perversion that is challenged within the book is a strong teaching point within the book. These boys go to an all boys catholic high school and are in the middle of puberty. They have pent up sexual energy and it is important for male readers to understand that these thoughts are not uncommon but the importance of learning how to control these urges. Nothing is explicitly described or shown within the text of the book though the idea of viewing females as sexual objects is naturally not a good viewpoint but it offers a teaching experience. As for the violence shown it is used as a punctuation of how society will put down individualism and expression of freedom/dissent from an individual that does not have outside support.

Book Talk Idea:

A great book talk idea for The Chocolate War would be to follow Jerry’s best friend Goober and how the society impacts him and how his actions/lack of actions impact Jerry. Goober is a large athletic high school student who excels in football and running. He has an early experience with The Vigil’s and how society within the high school works. The way things work take an immense toll on him and he quits everything that makes him happy. He eventually quietly supports Jerry though it is through his lack of voice that his demonstrations go unnoticed and Jerry becomes fully isolated. You can see the way the story unfolds on pages: 30-36, 53-57, 82-83, 101, 117-118, 126-129, 157-159, 203-207, 247-249

Genre:

The genre of this book is Teen fiction, realistic fiction. The subject matter following a teen who rebels against his catholic school’s chocolate sale and feels the pressure of the school and the secret society within the school pressing upon him until violence outbreaks.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

https://www.robertcormier.com/

Awards Won:

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/robert-cormier/chocolate-war/

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/644-The-Chocolate-War

Click to access E_Pitzner.pdf

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17162.The_Chocolate_War

Why I chose this book to read?

I chose this book to read due to previous reviews that I had read about it. Also interested due to the fact that the summary spoke of a secret society within the school that is being challenged by Jerry the main character and that piqued my interest. Besides that there wasn’t much else that really interested my curiosity until I actually opened the book and started reading it. It was very engaging and kept my interest high throughout as I proceeded to read the whole book into one sitting. The premise selling the secret society is a great hook but the depth of the story will keep the readers there. Especially enjoyed and was surprised by the ending of the book.