Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

Insightful look at what the Iraq war was like for a soldier tasked with helping rebuild the country of Iraq into a democracy after the initial push into Baghdad.

General Information:

Price: $8.99
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 – 12
Lexile Measure: 780
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; Reissue edition (April 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439916259
ISBN-13: 978-0439916257

Plot:

The plot of Sunrise Over Fallujah follows a soldier who recently joined the army after the 9/11 attacks. His name is Robin Perry though throughout the book he will become known as Birdy. Birdy is in a special unit that is tasked with helping the local populace recover and implement a democratic society as it rebuild from the presumed toppling of Saddam Hussein. Throughout the books letters between Birdy and his family members (mainly the uncle) show the thought process and turmoil that Birdy is dealing with internally. The rest of the book describes what it was really like on the battlefield in Iraq, which was very confusing as no one was completely sure who the enemy was and how to deal with them. It ends with a letter to his uncle saying that everyone had been reassigned and his understanding of why his uncle never really talked a lot about what he experienced while fighting in the Vietnam War as their are no words to really do it justice.

Reading and Interest Level:

The reading and interest level of this book is marketed for grades 10-12 and ages 15-18. Due to the realistic views of wartime activities and the look into the damage war does on one’s psyche I believe that the marketed reading and interest level is correct.

Evaluation:

Sunrise Over Fallujah is a very well written book that engages its reader in a unique style. The book discusses that realities of war, focusing on the Iraq war and describes what war does to a person not only physically and mentally. This book is effective in spreading its message as it describes everything about being over in Iraq not just focusing on the battles or scary moments but using those to augment everything else that happened over there. It’s value comes from the ability to share this story in such a creative and well thought out way. The book itself has the main character write to his uncles and state that he now knows why his uncle wouldn’t tell him more about his time in the Vietnam War as he understands the difficulty in expressing what happened in words. That is the value of this book as it attempts to help bridge the gap in our knowledge of what war is like as it is not easy for those who have been through it to talk about it.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of this book is very high especially for teens that may be in military families or those who are trying to learn more about current/recent issues in the modern world. As stated previously sometimes it is very hard for veterans and teens who may be children of those vets likely will have difficulty learning more about what happened to their loved ones over in the war. This book gives a realistic insight to what it was like and though everyone’s experience is different there are common themes that occur to people who experience such an event. This book also does a great job at showing the perspective of those that are deemed to be enemies. The perspective of these people from the outlook of a soldier is a much more different angle of reading than that of many other books. The different angle may be beneficial to those who are trying to learn more about the topic. Other topics of bibliotherapeutic value would include dealing with, friendship, PTSD, as all of these topics are covered within the book in some form and capacity. Birdy deals with his new found comrades being reassigned at the end of the book and the PTSD that occurs from being within an active war zone.

Issues Present:

The issues present within Sunrise over Fallujah mostly deal with the showing of death and violence within a war zone. Surprisingly enough the author Walter Dean Myers manages to stay away from high usage of swear words/bad language throughout the book which is impressive as it is a book about the military. Some who challenge the book may reference the crude jokes/references and mental/physical trauma that the soldiers within the book are shown to have gone through while in the combat zones.

Defending the Title:

The defense of the book stems from its bibliotherapeutic value. Not many books, especially teen books are able to examine and give a detailed realistic fiction look into into war. Walter Dean Myers not only does so but manages to do so without the involvement of heavy language or drug/alcohol which is an important in regards to the younger readers that may want to learn more about this topic. Delving deeper within the story allows readers to learn some history and context within the book in order to learn more about a war that has generally been decisive and confusing to most americans since its beginning.

Book Talk Idea:

The book talk for this book could go in multiple different directions as there is a lot of ground covered within the title. Personally if I was running a book talk group for a group of teens, I would have the book discussion follow Robin (Birdy) Perry and the letters that he both sends and receives. I would want them to discuss the contents of the letters which generally depict his state of mind at the time after whatever event had just occurred to him. It is a great way to delve into his character and what happens within the war zone in relation to the soldiers. Page Numbers to look at: 1, 59, 87, 106, 123, 137, 249, 280, etc.

Genre:

The genre of the book is listed as Teen Fiction with the subject matter of the 2003 Iraq war, Military, History. The book follows Robin Perry during his first tour in Iraq.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

walterdeanmyers.net/.

Awards Won:

Christopher Award in Books for Young People Category

Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice

New York Times Best Book of 2008

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/walter-dean-myers/sunrise-over-fallujah/

https://thebrownbookshelf.com/2008/06/13/ya-book-review-sunrise-over-fallujah/

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-91624-0

Why I chose to read this book?

I have always been a history buff, and my undergraduate degree was in history. Generally American history does not interest me a lot but the reviews of this book as an insight to the mind of an american soldier in the 2003 Iraq war was very intriguing to me. I liked that it was a war book that wasn’t about the fighting but the day to day grind and experiences these soldiers were experiencing. Overall it was a very good book that was surprisingly informative and valuable in sharing the experiences even if they may be of an fictional character.

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.

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.

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

A biographical look into the childhood of the famous serial killer Jeffery Dahmer.

General Information:

Paperback: 224 pages
Price: $19.99
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 59478th edition (March 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1419702173
ISBN-13: 978-1419702174

Plot:

The plot of My Friend Dahmer follows the the friendship of the author and Jeffrey Dahmer during there middle school and high school years. It explains how he met Dahmer and what he was like during his younger years. It paints a picture of extreme bullying and abuse by his teachers and parents. Dahmer was always encouraged by his friends to act out during the books pretending to have seizures in public. He also turned to hard drinking very early in his high school years. The author would also highlight some moments in his childhood that could have hinted towards his psyche which led to him becoming a prolific serial killer later on in life. This book is a graphic novel.

Reading and Interest Level:

The book is marketed for Young Adult. However its interest level and actual reading level is much more aligned with 10th-12th graders. We hold it in our teen graphic novel section at my library.

Evaluation:

I have read a lot of graphic novels and My Friend Dahmer is unique not only in its content but the way it portrays its content in a very different style of drawing. The art does a great job as does the writing in depicting the way Dahmer was from his slouch to his mannerisms when interacting with people, it is all portrayed within the writing/illustrations of the book. It is very effective in not giving Dahmer a pass for his crimes but highlighting what a troubled life and issues Dahmer went through during these crucial years during his life. Though he had friends they did not understand the darkness that was welling up in Dahmer and due to that they didn’t think anything other than he was a peculiar guy. Again this book was very effective and a compelling read.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value in this book comes from seeing the danger of isolation, bullying and a dysfunctional home. This book shows the workings of what a very troubled childhood can lead to mentally. Not even going as far as the serial killing but just the isolation leading to trouble-making, delinquency, hard drinking, and eventually the loss of his humanity. It is a dark read but it has value in the sense that you can learn from it.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book include bullying, the depiction of animal cruelty/brutality, profanity, and heavy underage drinking. All of these things were common occurrences in Jeffrey Dahmer’s life in middle school and high school leading to a lot of psychological and social problems in his younger years. Some of what makes these issues harder for parents to accept is the fact that they are visually shown as it is a graphic novel.

Defending the Title:

The defenses for this book stem from the fact that this book though it depicts violent actions of a serial killer in his younger years, it is a learning experience. Nothing in this book is exaggerated but a retelling of history from the viewpoint of one of Dahmer’s friends from school.This book should be defended by explaining that nothing even the visuals of these negative actions are shown in graphic detail and they are not meant to be gory or to scar those who read about it. This book is a lesson in humanity deriving from a troubled human serial killer.

Book Talk Idea:

A book talk idea for this book would be to have the readers follow his escalation with alcohol and the deepening psychological battles that he would be facing. It seemed like his decline went hand and hand with his increasing dependency on alcohol. Pages:81, 83, 98, 99, 124, 130, 131, 133, 149, 158, etc.

Genre:

The Genre is a Nonfiction Biographical Graphic Novel on the life of Jeffrey Dahmer.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

http://www.derfcity.com

Awards:

Alex Awards – Best Adult Books For Teenagers 1998 (And Ongoing)

Capital Choices Book Awards 2013 (And Ongoing)

Georgia Peach Teen Readers Choice Book Award Nominees 2004-05 (And Ongoing)

Virginia State Reading Association for Young Readers Program Nominees High School

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

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/derf-backderf/my-friend-dahmer/

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/31/my-friend-dahmer-review-jeffrey-dahmer-marc-myers-john-backderf

Graphic Novel Review: My Friend Dahmer by John “Derf” Backderf

Why I chose to read this book?

I chose to read My Friend Dahmer based off of its subject matter and the fact that it was a nonfiction graphic novel with a very peculiar drawing style. The hook of being able to read about this serial killers childhood on the graphic novel medium really struck me as interesting. For a book with such a dark figure as its main character and focus it was very well written and not gory or uneasy to read with content matter. Overall it was a very good book to read whether you are a fan of graphic novels or not.

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

A young biracial man who is a star athlete in a racist part of the United States, overcomes adversity and learns more about the world in the process.

General Information:

· Paperback: 304 pages

· Price: $14.99

· Publisher: Greenwillow Books; Reprint edition (June 30, 2009)

· Language: English

· ISBN-10: 9780061771316

· ISBN-13: 978-0061771316

Plot:

Whale Talk is about the story of a young man named The Tao Jones, though he prefers T.J, and his story during the senior year of high school. T.J is interesting in the sense that he is a gifted individual both intellectually but also physically dominating in all sports he attempts though he never plays an organized sport for his high school. T.J lives in a small town in Idaho and everything revolves around the high school sports teams. Due to his lack of participation in addition to the fact that he is an adopted and his ethnicity is a mix of Asian – African – Caucasian. T.J learns how to handle both himself and his “enemies” as the story unfolds centering on the creation of the school’s first ever swim team. In the end he learns a lot about himself and how the world works but also makes a large impact on those around him.

Reading and Interest Level:

Whale Talk is marketed to grades 7-9 and for ages 12-14, however the story is oriented more for high school readers. Though the writing is not overly challenging however due to the age of the main character and the situations that he is going through I think high school teens is the correct target audience for this book.

Evaluation:

Whale Talk was, like many of Chris Crutcher’s books, very well written. First of this book touches upon so many different topics, including but not limited to adoption, racism, bullying, anger issues, domestic violence, and male vs. female violence to name a few topics. The book touches upon all of these topics in a realistic viewpoint and yet dives into them all deeply in some form or another through the eyes of T.J. Chris Crutcher Whale talk is effective by portraying these tough topics for teens through the lens of a teen. It is also extremely effective in the way that it is written in the sense that these characters are hyper-realistic and easily relatable. The problems these characters face may be difficult and not easy to talk about but they are real issues that many teens may face and many of them that do face these hardships have no one to talk to or feel isolated as if they are the only ones that these hardships can happen to.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic usefulness of this book is incredible based upon the number of issues the book deals with all in one story. There is so much relatable material crammed into one story that almost anyone could find something to relate to in the book. There is material for those facing racial prejudice both through T.J’s eyes but also the little girl who tries to scrub the “black” off of her skin. It touches upon bullying with T.J getting jumped but also through Chris Coughlin who has a mental disability due to drugs given to him as a baby. There are family/domestic abuse performed by Rich and Mike Barbour, one on his own family and the other on his high school girlfriend. There are T.J’s rage issues and his reluctance to join in community events. All of these issues get confronted and dealt with by T.J and his family. There are even more than what I have listed and it is something that Teens can read about and realize that they are not the only ones facing these problems.

Issues Present:

Issues present within the book that may cause it to be challenged or banned are actually quite numerous. For starters the language in the book is very strong with a large number of swear words and racial language such as the N word. There are also racial issues with name calling; and straight up refusal of accepting children based off of their ethnicity, and even racial taunts towards the main character during the swim meets. Besides that the town in the book is a religious town in Idaho and the book references everything that the town lets slide for its athletes even though it is supposed to be a religious town. There is degradation of a mentally challenged student by both teachers and students, there are athletes that throw around racial slurs, and the star athlete literally tries to rape his girlfriend and the main character is told to keep quiet about it so that the star athlete’s reputation wouldn’t be tarnished. All of these things can be brought up in challenges towards the book.

Defending the Title:

Defenses of the issues that may be challenged are quite simple. This book is a realistic portrayal of a town that is facing these situations. Unfortunately that area of the United States is known for being racist towards non-Caucasians. When someone gets hit in the back of the head after being jumped they are not going to just say gosh darn, expletives are much more likely. All in all this book is realism and though that realism is ugly at times, the facts are that teens face this all the time all over the country and just because we don’t like it doesn’t mean that it isn’t how it occurs. When defending this book it these points should be brought up.

Book Talk Idea:

A great book talk that could revolve around the book Whale Talk would be to follow how T.J reacts to all of these events in his life with anger or defiance until the final act of his father at the end of the book. It is a story arc itself that shows how T.J is dealing with these anger issues until he finally learns that sometimes you have to forgive those who are at fault as some things can’t be changed. This is shown throughout the book on pages 22, 53, 85, 103, 135

Genre:

The genre of the book is Teen Fiction or Realistic Fiction as it is a story about a young man dealing with racism, being adopted and growing up finding himself.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

http://www.chriscrutcher.com/

Awards Won:

2002 – Washington State Book Award for outstanding books published by Washington authors

Professional Reviews:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49746.Whale_Talk

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chris-crutcher/whale-talk/

https://www.publishersweekly.com/0-440-22938-3

Why did I choose this book?

After reading Loser’s Bracket I was looking at more Chris Crutcher books. This one stood out to me because of the idea of this start athlete living in a small town where everything revolves around sports, yet he does not play any organized sports until his senior year and he picks swimming. The school never even had a swim team before. It was also appealing because the main character was adopted so it was something to relate to right off of the bat.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

A gang of greasers and soc who never get along go to far in their antics causing someone to die. In the process Ponyboy learns a lot about himself and the world around him.

.General Information:

Age Range: 12 and up
Price: 7.99 Paperback
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Lexile Measure: 750L (What’s this?)
Paperback: 142 pages
ISBN-10: 014240733X
ISBN-13: 978-0142407332

Plot:

The Outsiders is a story told through the eyes and perspective of a young Teenage boy named Ponyboy that is a coming of age story while living as an outcast in society’s eyes. Viewed as an outcast also known as a greaser in the context of the novel Ponyboy learns of societal prejudice and daily threats/violence with the Socs. When the violence is taken too far, Ponyboy learns a lot about society and growing up facing many problems that range from drug/alcohol use, using violence to solve problems, and social tensions/cliques.

Reading/Interest level of the book:

Content of this book is marketed towards those that are 12 and older. I think that the way it was written and the content of the book itself is right along those age lines as well. The “bad” language used in the book isn’t heavily used and the violence through realistically told is not written in a way that the older middle schoolers and young high schoolers would be turned away from it. The writing style used within the book is relatively straightforward and easy to read at a younger age reinforcing the fact that anyone 12 and up should be able to pick the book up, understand it, and enjoy the book/lessons learned from the book. These lessons and life issues should tend to make most kids ages 12 and up interested in the book as they are problems that show up in high school and middle school (though maybe not always as extreme as the ones in the story).

Evaluation:

This book is very well written even though it is not necessarily a tough or elaborately written novel. The author tells this story in a way that you can relate to the characters and the problems and no one in the book is a good guy nor a bad guy. It is hyper realistic in the sense that it describes problems of the world that a young person will likely face such as social cliques, being branded a label whether that label is viewed positively or negatively by society. It talks about drugs and alcohol without it taking center attention of the story. Overall the story itself is valuable in the way it was written and how easily approachable the characters are to the young readers. There is a reason this book is considered a classic and part of that reason is as this book ages some of the imagery may no longer be relevant but the messages and tropes within the book continue to do so.

Bibliotherapeutic value:

This book as mentioned previously in this review does a great job in describing social constructs through school and teens but also within society itself. The main source of the conflict is described between the Greasers and the Socs’, however as one reads deeper into the story you can understand how the lines aren’t really that distinct between the two groups. This book helps teens who may be going through that phase of being in the outcast group or facing social exclusion from various social cliques and how to continue being themselves in the face of all of the societal pressure.

Issues Present:

The Outsiders is commonly challenged for Juvenile violence, gang violence, and drug/alcohol use by minors. All of these topics are present in the book however even more controversial may be the topics of family abuse, societal neglect for those of a lower income, and bullying that escalates into major incidents of violence.

Defending the Title:

Everything in The Outsiders, even though it was written a long time ago, is relevant in some shape or form to today’s teens. Social constructs/cliques, and economic disparity is still very relevant in today’s society and just because you are labelled as something as a teen does not mean that is all you can be. These are critical life lessons that need to be learned and taken on as a teen which is all the reason to have this book and endorse it more. Nothing in the book is overly graphic in detail or unnecessarily violent in order to push the story. The real life situations however are completely relevant and something that teens should be allowed to read about.

Book Talk Ideas:

The descriptions of characters and how they develop would be an interesting book talk idea as the beginning of the book they greasers and Socs’ are described and each character is labelled as such as if that is what they were. Throughout the book we learn more about the characters and they no longer are just Greasers or Socs’ and we learn that there are many similarities and labels don’t limit who you are. These ideas are shown on many pages though good examples are: Pages 9, 10, 19, 28, 29, 66, 67, 101, 108 etc.

Genre/Subject:

The Outsiders genre is fiction though a more specific filing system would list it under realistic fiction. It is a story of self-identification, social constructs, economic disparity.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.sehinton.com/

Awards Won/Accolades:

New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967

Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967

Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975

ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975

Margaret Edwards Award

Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979

Professional Reviews:

https://www.hbook.com/1967/08/choosing-books/reviews/review-of-the-outsiders/

Why I chose to read it:

The Outsiders is a book that I read way back in middle school and have always remembered and references to it have always popped up throughout my life. After setting up my libraries banned book week display in the Teen Center that was one of the titles that was used in the display. Seeing the book in the “banned” book section made me want to read it again to truly remember what it was about.