that’s NOT what happened by Kody Keplinger

A martyr’s best friend who survived the school shooting tries to tell the truth of what happened that day in the bathroom.

General Information:

Age Range: 12 and up
Price: $12.39
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Lexile Measure: 720
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (August 28, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1338186523
ISBN-13: 978-1338186529

Plot:

This book is about the aftermath of a school shooting. There were 6 survivors that the gunmen had contact with and five of them stay in touch every year. One of the survivors was named Lee and she was in the bathroom stall hiding with her best friend Sarah who was killed by the gunman. Sarah became a martyr through what ended up being an untrue story. Everyone thought she died defending her faith to the gunmen but in reality that is not what happened. This story explains the process of healing and understanding of what happened in this traumatic event three years before. This story of healing and understanding leads to the truth and various underlying issues with some of the survivors being discovered and worked through. Ultimately it ends with Kellie Graynor the girl who actually had the cross necklace everyone thought was Sarah’s and the girl who got ran out of town by trying to tell the true story.

Reading and Interest Level:

The book is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14. This is the correct rating for the interest level as well, especially after comparing it to other school shooting books. It is not nearly as dark or graphic but it still explains the process of healing that takes place after such a traumatic event.

Evaluation:

This book was well written, especially for being about a tough topic, while being oriented for a younger audience that other school shootings books. It terrific in the sense that the author does not make it about the shooter at all but rather the victims and the aftermath they have to deal with. It is about coming to terms with what happened and being able to speak out and tell the truth whether people want to believe you or not. It is a valuable lesson in staying true to yourself and understanding that healing is process and support is one of the key pillars of recovery.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value in this book is extremely high as the amount of school shootings has been a mainstay in our news for the past decade. It seems as if there are is a new school shooting every other week on the news and it predominantly is in high schools across America. Unlike the other school shooting books on this list this one is oriented for a younger crowd and is 100 percent on the healing process after the traumatic event of a shooting. The story takes place three years after the fact and it highlights many important issues such as keeping things bottled up and turning to alcohol, to letting lies get out of hand to the point that a young girls life gets destroyed. It talks about how important it is to truly recover and how even though the truth my not be accepted by everyone, if the victims don’t find the truth there lives may end up unraveling later on.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book are not actually about the shooting. The real issues are about bullying, alcoholism in minors, and a negative view of christianity as the most commonly challenged themes. The society itself turns on Lee just like they turned on Kellie when the truth was trying to be revealed. As for alcoholism is in reference to Eden who is a college freshman now and is turning to alcohol as a way of coping with the traumatic events. The issue about the negative view of christianity is in reference to how the community turns on Lee. The community is a christian community in a small town and they outcast and bully Lee in response to her trying to tell the truth. They were more concerned with pushing their agenda than helping out this young lady. Obviously this is not very Christian like which caused some outcry.

Defending the Title:

The way to defense the issues that I have presented are to explain the importance of how important it is to present some of these views to teens. The idea of turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism as a young teen is a very real reality. This book helps them realize that it does not help with anything and only drives you deeper into despair. The issues of bullying are also very real and a part of teens daily lives. The most difficult issue to defend would be the idea of a negative view of Christianity which is generally brought up by Christians. The book does not say all of Christianity is bad but when a lie gets out of hand certain groups such as religious groups may try to use it to further their agendas rather than get the truth out there.

Book Talk Idea:

The book talk idea that I would like to present would be to follow the letters that Lee has everyone write and try to understand them based off of the problems those characters are facing within the book. These letters give great insight and end up being part of the final healing process for these children. Pages: 47-55, 118-129, 181-189, 274-276, 285-296, 308-325

Genre:

The Genre of this book is Teen Fiction: The story of healing after the traumatic events of a shooting three years earlier.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.kodykeplinger.com/

Awards:

N/A

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kody-keplinger/thats-not-what-happened/

https://www.newyorker.com/books

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37825410-that-s-not-what-happened

Why I chose this book?

I chose this book amongst the other school shootings books because of the hook that they specifically never mention the shooters name. Not once is the shooter given attention where the other school shooting books clearly indicate who the shooter was and some background information about them. This book was one hundred percent about the victims and how they found the truth and used it to recover. It was a really good read and is definitely an important book to think about including in a collection.

this is where it ends by Marieke Nijkamp

The perspectives of the various students involved in the school shooting at the end of the morning assembly.

General Information:

Hardcover: 288 pages
Price: $11.33
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire; 1 edition (January 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781492622468
ISBN-13: 978-1492622468
ASIN: 149262246X

Plot:

This is where it ends is a book told from multiple perspectives of the students who went through the 50 minutes of a school shooting. It starts from the beginning when the principal finishes the speech and everyone who is in the auditorium for the assembly tries to leave and finds themselves locked into the room. Then Ty pulls out his gun and raises it saying he has a question before shooting the principal and commencing a school shooting. This book ties together all of these various perspectives and show how interconnected everyone was and the way things get put into perspective in those moments of terror. These were classmates, friends, and siblings of the shooter and it occurred in one of those towns where nothing ever happens. The book helps explain the emotions of the various characters and what they were witnessing in those moments.

Reading and Interest Level:

This book is marketed for grades 10-12 and for ages 15 and up. This is the correct interest level as well as the book is about dark material of school shootings and the complex emotions that occur within those incidents and the victims are in those grades making it the characters relatable.

Evaluation:

This book was very well written and effective in its portrayal of a school shooting incident and how the people involved reacted and were connected to one another within the incident. Many other school shootings books that I have read are very well written as well however they tend to explain the aftermath and the recovery while this book dives in and explains what is happening in the moment. The emotional confusion and reactions are laid out to bare and if you are a teen that has been fortunate enough to experience this situation it is something that can show you that you weren’t alone in feeling. It is an emotional book that delves deep into the psyche of the victims and how they deal with the moment at hand. Overall it is very well written and definitely recommended.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value in this book is extremely high as the amount of school shootings has been a mainstay in our news for the past decade. It seems as if there are is a new school shooting every other week on the news and it predominantly is in high schools across America. The concept of being a part of a school shooting is something that used to never be a possibility and now the confusion of possibly being a part of one leads to fear and confusion. How can someone get through a school shooting, what is going on at that moment? Why didn’t anyone just tackle the shooter and take the gun away? This book touches on the psyche of the victims and helps give some semblance of what is going through the victims minds at the time of the shooting.

Issues Present:

Issues presented in the book are the school shooting and the extreme violence that comes with the school shootings. The issues are rather straightforward as it is the subject matter of the novel. Some other issues that may be challenged or added on to the challenge would be the language used in the book as well but it is mostly about the violence.

Defending the Title:

To defend the issues presented as a librarian would be to explain the importance of this novel. Unfortunately our reality is that school shootings are a real and viable issue in our world at this time. It is a strongly confusing issue and something that is difficult to explain or comprehend. This book takes a inside glimpse of the minds of victims during this horrific event. That is why this book is necessary to have in the library. None of the violence though graphic in nature is graphically depicted with unnecessary details. In all for a book on such a grim subject matter it keeps it clean.

Book Talk Idea:

Some book talk ideas for this novel would be to follow Ty’s sibling and how she is handling watching her brother go through this act an the thought process she is going through while witnessing all of this. Some of the page numbers that can be referenced are: 57-60, 71-73, 86-88, 101-104, 146-147, 213-216, 236-238

Genre:

The genre of this book is Teen Fiction about a school shooting and the survival of some of the characters.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/

Awards and Lists:

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a National Indie Bestseller.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Publishers Weekly Bestseller.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2017 Barnes & Noble Bestseller.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Publishers Lunch Buzz Book (Fall/Winter 2015 edition).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Winter 2015–2016 Kids’ Indie Next Great Reads pick.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2017 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2017 Teens’ Top Ten pick.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2017 Teen Choice Book Awards finalist.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2017 Colorado Blue Spruce Award nominee.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2018 Buckeye Teen Book Award nominee.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2017 ILA/CBC Young Adults’ Choice.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2017 Hebban Award for Best YA winner (Netherlands).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2018 Cultura Talents YA laureate (France).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist (best YA fiction).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Cybil Awards finalist (best YA fiction).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is an Epic Reads Book Shimmy Award winner (category: Here and Now).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Barnes and Noble Teen Top Pick (January 2016).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Goodreads Best Book of the Month (January 2016).

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Hudson Booksellers Best Book of 2016.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a BuzzFeed Best YA of 2016.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a Paste Magazine Best YA of 2016.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a RTÉ Best YA of 2016.

☙ THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS is a 2016 ABC Best Books for Young Readers.

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/marieke-nijkamp/this-is-where-it-ends/

https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781492622468

http://www.booklistonline.com/This-Is-Where-It-Ends-Marieke-Nijkamp/pid=7726229

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=teens-review-marieke-nijkamps-debut-eve-buntings-latest-and-more

Why I chose to read this book?

I chose to read this book due to the interesting nature of the author writing about a school shooting specifically the events during the shooting more so than the aftermath. The mental anguish and confusion that gets highlighted by the author is an interesting glimpse into this horrific situation but also is very enlightening on the thought processes that can occur during such an event. Overall it was a terrific book and it one I would suggest to others to read.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

A young girl loses everything and must put herself back together after her boyfriend opens fire on the local high school before shooting himself.

General Overview:

· Paperback: 432 pages

· Price: $13.93

· Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (Oct. 5, 2010)

· Language: English

· ISBN-10: 9780316041454

· ISBN-13: 978-0316041454

Plot:

The Hate list follows the recovery of a girl named Valerie Leftman, whose boyfriend Nick was a mass shooter at her high school five months prior. To make things even more convoluted the names of the victims he chose were on “The Hate List” a notebook that she and Nick kept to vent their frustrations. On top of all of that she was the one who stopped him by saving a girl who was on that “Hate List” getting shot in the leg. She is confronted by bullying, domestic disputes and a family that no longer trusts her, threats to her life, trying to understand who Nick was and the confusion of feelings she has for him after the event, and on top of it all she finds a friend and support from unlikely sources. This book is not about the shooting itself but the aftermath and recovery from the shooting, and how nothing is actually black and white but people are complex shades of grey whether they be the shooter, victims, or family/society.

Reading/Interest Level:

The book is advertised for those between 10^th and 12^th grade and 15+ age’s group as its intended audience. After reading the book, I agree with the marketed age group as the book though not overtly difficult to read per a writing standpoint does have some very heavy topics discussed within it. I think this book would interest anyone in High school and college as that is the age group of the main characters and much of the dialogue is written in a dialect similar to those in that age group. Both males and females should be interested in this book as well regardless of the fact that the main character is a female.

Evaluation:

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown was one of the best books that I have read recently in all honesty. This book is written in a way that you get invested in the story and the characters and you want to keep reading to see what will happen next. The book deals with many heavy topics all at once and it does a great job of keeping everything realistic and yet shows how things can be dealt with and how no matter what happens during your recovery there will always be points of contention and struggle after going through a traumatic event. I think the most prevalent thing that this book does that really engaged me as a reader is how they humanized each character. No one was 100 percent good and no one was 100 percent evil (not even the shooter, actually especially not the shooter). It was highly refreshing and many of its teaching points come across strong and clear.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

First off this book is a wonderful tool and resource for anyone who was unfortunate enough to be involved in a school shooting situation. It is a book that they can read and relate to and know that they are not the only ones experiencing such feelings. This book however is not just useful to that group of people but to teens as a whole. The book is in in depth look at the mind of a teen that is in the midst of recovering from a traumatic event, it describes bullying, and social anxiety. It describes family problems and various uses of drug/alcohol use as a minor. Most importantly in my opinion it describes the fact that everyone has different levels to themselves. Nick the shooter wasn’t a murderer as a whole; he was also someone who was affectionate and easy-going and a person that Valeri could confide in. The people on “The Hate List” that were victims were not perfect angels that were killed and though they obviously do not deserve to be killed, they were flawed in their own ways. Many times Teens may think linearly about individuals when really there is much more to them and their actions have an effect on all of those involved whether in a positive or negative way.

Issues Present:

The controversies in this book are plentiful. There has been challenges about the very strong language being used throughout, there was extensive bullying as well throughout the book. The other large issue was of the violence depicted not only in the shooting itself but to the young girl Valerie after the incident as people could not figure out if she was a victim or a hero.

Defending the title:

To defend the issues presented as a librarian would be to explain the importance of this novel. Unfortunately our reality is that school shootings are a real and viable issue in our world at this time. It is a strongly confusing issue and something that is difficult to explain or comprehend. This book takes a inside glimpse of the mind of Valerie after incident and trying to make sense of exactly Nick was. Was he a killer, a good boyfriend, both? It allows readers to try to make sense of a very confusing and hard to comprehend subject matter? That is why this book is necessary to have in the library. None of the violence though graphic in nature is graphically depicted with unnecessary details. In all for a book on such a grim subject matter it keeps it clean.

Book Talk ideas:

If I was leading a book discussion on this book I would have the readers focus on the reactions of residents, surviving victims, and Valerie’s family to her as the book progresses. This young lady almost dies after witnessing her boyfriend killing people she knew right in front of her and yet she is treated as a villain and a possible suspect by everyone including her own family. In fact the only person who does not view her as that is the person she hated the most before the shooting. Pages, 40, 76,100, 123, 127, 150, 178, etc.

Genre:

The Genre is Teen Fiction: Realistic Fiction as it was about a school shooting in a high school.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

jenniferbrownauthor.com

Awards:

American Library Association 2010 Best Books for Young Adults
Young Adult Library Services Association 2012 Popular Paperback
Michigan Library Association’s Thumbs Up! Award
2012 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award^[
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2009
A 2009 Children’s Indie Next Pick
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A Young Adult Library Services Association Teens’ Top Ten Nominee
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
A VOYA Perfect Ten
A New Hampshire Flume Award nominee
An Arkansas Teen Book Award Honorable Mention
An Iowa High School Book Award finalist
A Louisiana Teen Readers’ Choice Award Winner
A Missouri Gateway Readers Award Winner

Professional Reviews:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316171-hate-list

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jennifer-brown/hate-list/

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/8530-Hate-List

Why I Chose To Read This Book?

I chose to read this book because of how they portrayed Valerie and Nick. The characters are not portrayed as black and white. They are not perfect angels nor are they raging psychopath killers. It is a very realistic portrayal and no it does not justify the killer but it also does excuse the the actions of the victims either. I think this book was a very interesting view into such a traumatic experience and the aftermath recover of it as well.