Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

The culmination of the series, Harry Potter and friends face off with Voldemort in the final battle of good versus evil in this magical series.

General Information:

Age Range: 9 – 12 years
Grade Level: 4 – 7
Price: $13.97
Lexile Measure: 980L
Series: Harry Potter (Book 7)
Paperback: 784 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (July 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545139708
ISBN-13: 978-0545139700

Plot:

The final book of the seven book series. Harry must escape the clutches of Voldemort as he, Hermione, and Ron scour the country looking for the last of Voldemort’s horcruxes. Along the way there are a lot of trials and tribulations the group goes through as well as many of the other peripheral characters from throughout the series. The book ends at the battle of Hogwarts where the final showdown occurs. Some characters step up and become heroes, and some fan favorites end up dying before the end. Almost all of the loose strings are tied up from previous books and we get to see a lot of background information on some of the more pivotal characters.

Reading and Interest Level:

This book is written in a low sixth grade level but the interest level is for everyone. A lot of the long time fans are older teens or Young adults currently and it is a book that sort of transcends generations.

Evaluation:

Evidenced by the immense book sales and movies, spin-offs and fan clubs one has to say that this book is the last of some of the greatest books written. They may not be over hard to read but with the size of them having good pacing and structure is critical. Also with such a grand story and world building occurring it does a very good job in keeping everything in order. There are very few if any contradictions and it always keeps the readers on their toes.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

Harry Potter is a book series that people grew up with. Many Young Adults and older Teens grew up with Harry Potter and as such find value within the books by relating their own growing pains to those in the book. Granted most of us aren’t being chased and hunted by a dark wizard, a lot of the relationship troubles, and friendship quarrels, sneaking out of school, cheating on homework, etc are all things that the readers can relate to and their is so much more. Overall this is one of the most therapeutic books out there and it actually probably caused some readers pain when it was over.

Issues Present:

The main issues as is with the rest of the series is with the use of magic. Many religious groups view it as satanic in nature. This last book does have its share of language, violence, war scenes, racism, and death within it which may also draw some challenges from certain parents. Most of the challenges do however come from religious groups.

Defending the Title:

This book is written at a very easy level and is intended for most ages. As stated before most of the challenges will be received from religious groups and as such one must look to the library bill of rights to explain that we will not be censoring books off of personal beliefs or reasons. Though the book may be in disagreement with what one parent thinks or wants to teach their children we will not be removing it from our shelves.

Book Talk Ideas:

If I was running a book talk involving the last Harry Potter book, I would follow the trials and tribulations the various friends go through. It is an interesting discussion topic as many times Harry Potter squeaks through purely off of the help of friends and it goes to wonder how different the series would have been if Harry had not been so generous and helpful in the previous books. Pages to support this discussion are very numerous but to throw some down 36, 78, 123, 166, 204, 384, 412, 427, 502, 543, etc. (Plus the whole final battle)

Genre:

This book is Teen Fiction (sometimes considered Juvenile and Adult as well as my library shelves it in all three spots) with the subject matter of Magic, friendship, war, fantasy.

Similar Reads:

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay

Author’s Website:

https://www.jkrowling.com/

Awards Won:

Booksellers Association Independent Booksellers’ Book Prize (shortlist) 2008
Carnegie Medal 2008 (longlist)

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jk-rowling/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows/

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/jul/28/booksforchildrenandteenagers.jkjoannekathleenrowling

Why I chose to read this book:

As a popular materials library I have offered this book and series to many children and I was surprised how many hadn’t read it because their parents wouldn’t let them. Though they were in the minority a lot of parents cited religious reasons for mot letting their kids read the Harry Potter books. For that reason alone I felt the need to reread them and put them on this blog post for future reference.

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

A young girl named Weetzie Bat uses three wishes from a genie to build her “perfect fairy-tale” family and nothing goes as planned.

General Information:

Series: Weetzie Bat (Book 1)
Price: $5.97
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen; Anniversary edition (July 6, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060736259
ISBN-13: 978-0060736255

Plot:

The plot for Weetzie Bat follows a unique girl named Weetzie Bat. Weetzie comes upon a genie and with her three wishes she finds a man as unique as her to fall in love with and then shapes and forms her very non traditional family. Unfortunately many of her wishes were given as literally as possible which causes multiple problems that Weetzie must overcome.

Reading Level:

The reading level of this book is for young middle school readers but it is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14. Overall I believe that with the odd storyline it would appeal to the marketed age groups quite well.

Evaluation:

When evaluating this book it takes the plot line and the issues that it is dealing with and creates an engaging story that is written like a fairy tale. There are a lot of fantasy elements within the story itself such as the genie and the witch, etc, which resonates well with its target audience. Though Weetzie is essentially living out her fairy tale, she still has many real life problems that she has to contend with and it’s through these problems that the book is extremely effective in spreading its message to its readers. That message is very valuable as it spreads the idea that life will not go perfect no matter how much you mold it but you can still get through it and live happily ever after.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of Weetzie Bat comes from the eclectic storylines and nature of her within the story. She represents the side of teens that thinks no one is like her or can understand her and her feeling/wants. She eventually gets to build her own perfect family thanks to a genie in order to have what she wants. Even that goes wrong and certain mistakes are made with people not understanding everything that she wants and that is the value of this book. It is make believe fantasy land and things still do not go perfect for her and in the end everything works itself out. That is what teens can gain value from, as they can realize that a lot of people will not understand them or they may feel ostracized but even those who seem like they have everything perfect run into problems as well. In the end though if you stay true to yourself things tend to work out just like they did for Weetzie Bat.

Issues Present:

The issues present within this book are rather numerous in number for how small of a story this book is. First off the book gets challenged for its magical (satanic) themes, the unorthodox representation of family, LGBTQ, underage sex, glorifying of teen pregnancy, and cultural appropriation. This is quite the list for a 128 page book but I believe a lot of this stems from the fact that it is meant for older middle school readers, whereas it may not receive as much backlash if it was intended for older high school students.

Defending the Title:

The defense of this book starts with the issues at hand. First off the magical themes in this book were purely for plot purposes and those who challenge the book over the magic or usually doing so in reference to religious beliefs. Those beliefs do not allow the to censor the books for other readers. As for the other issues within the book many teens do not live in traditional family atmospheres anymore, LGBTQ is a legitimate community of people, Weetzie is in high school where sex and/or sexual exploration is commonplace. The last issue is arguably the hardest issue to defend as the book clearly has Weetzie using cultural appropriation but does so in a way that means no harm to anyone and is more in reference to respecting that culture and doing so by incorporating it into her and her families lives.

Book Talk Idea:

If Weetzie Bat was the subject matter for a book talk there are a couple of various ways to lead a discussion about it. If I was running the book talk group I would choose to have a discussion on the concept of what Weetzie Bat thought was perfect. Throughout the book she is trying to mold the perfect family for herself but in the process of doing so makes some critical mistakes and bad choices that somehow always work out for her in the end (fairy tale aspect of the book). These instances within the book are great talking points as it readers can discuss the impacts of these actions and what real life implications it causes in Weetzie’s fantasy world.

Genre:

The genre of Weetzie Bat is teen fiction with the subject matter covering social themes and fantasy elements.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

www.francescaliablock.com/

Awards won:

2009 Phoenix Award

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/francesca-lia-block/weetzie-bat/

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/weetzie-bat-meets-the-genie/

Why I chose to read this book?

I chose to read Weetzie Bat purely off of the title and the synopsis of the book. The title alone is unique and intriguing and the synopsis portrayed what seemed like a wonderful fantasy world. The combination of the two really peaked my interest as I am a big fan of fantasy books especially those containing some form of magic. Overall it was a very interesting book and though I probably wouldn’t read it again it was definitely interesting enough to warrant reading once!

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.

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:

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.

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:

1974 School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
1974 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
1974 New York Times Notable Books of the Year

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.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

A young lady finds that she is one of the select few that have a divergent mind in this futuristic society which puts her life at risk.

General Information:

Series: Divergent (Book 1)
Price: $11.39
Paperback: 487 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062024035
ISBN-13: 978-0062024039

Plot:

Divergent is a book that takes place in the city of Chicago in the dystopian future. The world is divided into five factions. Each faction has a lot of conformity within them as people are tested to see what faction they belong to based off of aptitude tests taken once the teens hit 16 years old. This story follows a young girls named Beatrice Prior who goes by the name Tris when with the Dauntless clan after changing clans from Abnegation at her ceremony. What is special about her is she is actually showing aptitude for multiple factions meaning she is a divergent. She is told to hide that because the society views divergents as threats as they want conformity from everyone for each specific faction. As Tris tries to find herself in the Dauntless clan the is drugged and controlled and used as soldiers to invade the other factions to take power within the world however as a divergent the serum does not work on Tris. That is the foundation of the first book of the series.

Reading and Interest Level:

The book is marketed for grades 10-12 and ages 15 and up. Based off of reading the book and the themes within the book I believe that the marketing for the book makes perfect sense .

Evaluation:

The first book of this series was written exceptionally well. It hits one many different teen aspects, such as having a love interest, finding oneself, following your heart versus your family, total government control, and conformity. Each of these themes is touched upon within the book in an intelligent matter through the views of Tris (Beatrice Prior) and in a way that is easily relatable to the teen audience. Its effective in the sense that it uses these messages to move the plot and keep the book interesting without becoming heavy or to slow for what essentially is an action-adventure science fiction tale. That is why this book is effective especially with its target audience of older teens.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic usefulness of this book is very high which is likely why it is so popular with the older teens. On an individual level teens can relate to multiple problems faced and worked through by Tris. For example the finding oneself when you don’t seem to fit in anywhere is a theme faced by Tris as she is a rare divergent in her world. Or following your families footsteps versus carving your own path which is faced by both Tris but even more shockingly her brother who everyone expected to stay with the family. Then finally how important individuality is even if it is threatened as conformity can lead to very serious societal issues which get exposed in this book. All of these issues can be felt and experienced on a regular basis.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book include anti-government sentiment, child violence, and ostracizing the other as potential concerns that may be brought up in a challenge to this title. There are mutterings of dissent throughout the book starting with the doctor who tells Tris to keep her divergent nature hidden from the government through to the end where a rebellion starts by the divergents. The child violence was almost a softer version of spartan society in the dauntless faction which is a concern for some parents. One child from the dauntless ended up committing suicide during this training section.

Defending the Title:

How to defend this book from these challenges is to explain the importance of these topics and the fact that the book presents them in a clean and easy to relate way. The child violence in the dauntless training for example is for the most part safe beyond superficial injuries. The anti-government sentiment is a large part of our world today so it is a relatable subject. This book isn’t telling teens to become anarchists but rather to understand the dangers of totalitarian government and the conformity/exclusion of what the government views as the other or thoughts they view as radical.

Book Talk Ideas:

Some book talk ideas for this title would be the topic of Tris self discovery throughout the novel. It starts in the beginning while worrying about the aptitude test and it only grows as she joins dauntless. Some of the pages that could be referenced to in the book on this topic are: 6-7, 20-23, 40-43, 130-132, 177-179, 256-258, 378-384 etc.

Genre:

The genre and subject matter of Divergent is Teen Fiction, specifically science fiction and action adventure.

Similar reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.carvethemarkbooks.com/

Awards:

The Amelia Bloomer Award

2011 Goodreads Best Young Adult Book

2011 Goodreads Choice Awards Favorite Book

Yalsa Teens Top Ten

Professional Reviews:

https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/jul/15/review-veronica-roth-divergent

Why I chose to read this book?

The hook of this book that really drew me into it was the strong division of society into factions. I thought that it was reminiscent of what our political parties look like and I could see how a teen would really relate to it because not only do they see it in the government and politics but also within there daily lives with social cliques. Also from the viewpoint of Tris trying to find herself in a moment of transition in her life was intriguing as she has to decide what the rest of her life will be like at a young age. Overall the book was terrific to read and a top choice to have in a library.

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

After failing his chance to become a Rithmatist at a young age, a gifted young man uses his talents to help uncover the crimes happening at his school.

General Information:

Age Range: 12 – 18 years
Price: $13.70
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Tor Teen; Reprint edition (May 13, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765338440
ISBN-13: 978-0765338440

Plot:

The Rithmatist is a book that follows the journey of Joel Saxon. Joel lives in a world where there Rithmatists who can draw special chalk creatures and infuse them with magic in order to make them come to life (usually use them to attack). In the beginning of the book a young rithmatist named Lily gets attacked and disappears. Joel has always wanted to be a Rithmatist but his original inception which allows him to train as one was unsuccessful. He is above average in his subjects and has the makings of being a great Rithmatist. He meets a Rithmatist named Melody who would rather be anything else. At first they do not get along but she convinces Joel to have a second inception. Eventually Melody also gets abducted. Joel thinks that the school has been arresting innocent people and ends up helping his professor free all of the abducted people (who got turned into chalklings) and duel with Melody to defeat the criminals in the end thus becoming a Rithmatist.

Reading and Interest Level:

This book is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14. I agree with this assessment as the writing isn’t overly advanced and it will likely appeal to those in the upper years of middle school and early high school in general.

Evaluation:

The story is well written though very straightforward. It is a fun read that is clear and concise, not overly difficult to read or understand. That is where this book falls a little flat for me. I think of this book as a for fun book as it does not really have a significant amount of depth in my opinion. The messages it does spread such as never giving up on your goals is very well portrayed throughout the book. The book does a great job of highlighting that subject matter throughout. Again the book is a quick read and does share some good messages for the teen audience that it is intended for but overall this was more of a relaxed read than anything else. It is valuable in the since that the message shared for the teens is significant and it has great entertainment value.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic usefulness of this book really revolves around the idea of pursuing your goals and being who you strive to be. This is a common theme among teens, as being a teen is a time of transition and self discovery. In this book Joel wants to become a Rithmatist and Melody who is a Rithmatist wants to pursue other things. Melody in her search to pursue things other than Rithmatist things is the initial driving force that convinces Joel to redo his inception in a pursuit of becoming a Rithmatist. This strong message is something that many teens can relate to.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book revolve around the premise of the world. The world revolves around Rithmatist who draw chalk figures (with precise measurements) and breathe life into them with magic. This book can be challenged by religious groups as a book that condones unholy themes and satanic/cult worship.

Defending the Title:

To defend this book is similar to many books that have instances of magic through drawn symbols. The book if you believe does not follow your religious principles does not have to be read by those teens. However there is nothing graphic and it does not endorse following cult like initiatives within the text themselves.

Book Talk Ideas:

Book talk ideas for the Rithmatist would be to follow Joel and Melody’s interaction. This is where a lot of the growth and relatable material for teens will occur. Pages that this occur happen on 95-99, 159-161, 211-213, 235-241, 355-361 to name a few.

Genre:

The Genre of this book is fiction with it more specifically being fantasy. There is fantasy in a magical world that uses a combination of math and magic in order to create chalklings.

Similar Reads:

Awards:

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013 A New York Times Book Review

Notable Children’s Book of 2013

Professional Reviews:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-rithmatist

http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Brandon-Sanderson/The-Rithmatist.html

Why did I chose to read it?

The Rithmatist is a book that my younger brother had read for school in this year so I picked it up to see what it was about. Also in this class I had recently read in article on religious groups on book bannings and the title had come up as a challenged book so I decided to read it based off of that as well to see why it was challenged. The hook of the book that got me into it after starting the book was the somewhat similar idea of using specific math oriented circles and magic to bring creatures into the world which was similar in certain ways to one of my favorite children’s books of all time which was the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.