Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama

A grand adventure starring a boy with a monkey tail who is a master martial artist goes on an adventure to find the seven magical dragon balls.

General Information:

Series: Dragon Ball (Book 1)
Price: $8.49
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 2nd edition (March 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1569319200
ISBN-13: 978-1569319208

Plot:

The plot of volume one in the Dragonball manga series starts with a young Goku who is practicing his martial arts in a remote area, living in the jungle training. He is a peculiar boy with a monkey tail but is clearly gifted at martial arts. There is where he runs into Bulma, a young lady who is travelling looking for the seven dragon balls scattered across the globe in order to have a mystical dragon grant her a wish. Goku’s grandpa left him a dragonball and she tries to get Goku to give it to her. He refuses and she tries to persuade him using feminine wiles (does not work as Goku has zero contact with the outside world at this point). Bulma then convinces Goku to go on this quest with her to keep the dragonballs safe and find the rest of them which he is glad to do! Eventually he meets other key characters such as Krillin and Master Roshi and acquires a magical staff and a flying nimbus (cloud) as his tools besides his incredible strength and great martial arts skills.

Reading and Interest Level:

This manga has a marketed reading and interest level for 4-6 graders and ages 9-11. I believe that the writing level may be appropriate for that age but the content within it has a lot of adult innuendos within the text and may be more appropriate for 6-12 graders.

Evaluation:

Dragon Ball Volume 1 is one of the most well written/illustrated manga that a library can own. This manga was the first volume of an immense fan base that has stretched multiple generations and had at least 3 sequel series to date. It is a mixture of action/adventure, martial arts and fighting, and comedy rolled into one series. Volume one in particular is effective and valuable because Goku is setting out on his own finally and learning about the world right at the age a lot of middle schoolers are also starting to learn more about the world as their knowledge and life experience starts expanding. They are confident just like Goku but easily influenced and may be misguided on certain facets of life such as Goku is. They can grow up with Goku and watch his transformations (literally in some cases) as they also grow and transform. Overall it is a very effective book as it reaches so many readers.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of this book stems from the relatable characters and the way the story is written. Goku is someone who has little outside knowledge of the world but he does have certain skill sets. He goes off and learns while going on a grand adventure. Throughout the adventure friendship and morality are all themes that Goku must deal with as the real world tests him in ways that even his super strength and martial arts skills may not be able to easily deal with. All of this is very relatable for readers of all ages but particularly middle school and early high school students.

Issues Present:

The issues present in Dragon Ball Volume 1 that cause the book to be controversial and repeatedly challenged stem from nudity, inappropriate sexual innuendos, violence, and unacceptable per religious beliefs. This book has been challenged and banned multiple times throughout its existence and will likely continue to be.

Defending the Title:

Now defending this book generally starts with where it is located. My library shelves it in the teen collection but I have seen many librarians put it in the juvenile manga sections and that is where some issues may occur. The nudity in this book is not drawn in any sexual manner as Goku runs around naked in the jungle. At one point this becomes a running joke in the book as Bulma forces him to get dressed. The sexual innuendos are not something a young child will likely understand as they are extremely subtle in nature, likely to appeal to some of the older readers as comedic relief. There is a lot of violence in the book as he is a super strengthened martial artist but then is little to no blood in the fight scenes and no one dies in them. The final issue of it being unacceptable from a religious point of view falls under the library bill of rights and how others do not have the right to censor based off of personal feelings or opinions.

Book Talk Idea:

The book talk idea that I would run with this manga would be for my readers to focus in on Goku and how he handles what should be normal interactions within the civilized world. First off, a lot of it will provide some comedic relief but it also is a great insight of how a child with limited knowledge no matter how powerful will look goofy as he is learning about the world in a grander scope. They will be inquisitive and possible do unexpected things (such as patting genital areas to check peoples gender) in order to further themselves. As this is a manga there are no page numbers but there are many instances throughout the book that can support a discussion on this topic.

Genre:

The genre of this book is Teen Manga with subject matter being adventure, friendship, fighting, and comedy.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

There is no official website but the author does use a twitter account!

https://twitter.com/rptoriyama?lang=en

Awards Won:

Top Selling Manga Series

Was the inspiration of many other top selling series

Professional Reviews:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/index.html

www.rationalmagic.com/Comics/DragonBall1.html

Why I chose to read this series?

I was originally going to use this series as the basis behind the controversial book challenge presentation before I read Living Dead Girl. This series is one of the best series written and drawn and continues to be one of the most circulated items within our teen collection. We rarely actually see more than a volume or two within the shelves as this book and all of the subsequent books are almost always checked out. This book is an inspiration for may series and is one of the greatest books to give to reluctant readers, especially male reluctant readers.

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.

two boys kissing by David Levithan

Harry and Craig kiss for 32 hours straight while live in order to promote positive for the LGBTQ community in particular the gay community as others are struggling in the same city.

General Information:

Hardcover: 208 pages
Price: $11.77
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (August 27, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307931900
ISBN-13: 978-0307931900

Plot:

Two Boys Kissing is a story of many teenage boys and one transgendered boy (female to male) and how their lives are intertwined with Harry and Craig who are setting a record by publicly kissing for 32 hours straight. This book takes place in a world where being a part of the LGBTQ community is frowned upon by society, and as such causes different levels of turmoil within the boys lives. Some like Cooper can’t handle the inane pressure put upon him by society and tries to drink and sleep around before an attempted suicide. Others such as Harry and Craig try to bring light to the issue by publicly kissing for 32 hours but not before Craig has his family torn from him due to their unwillingness to accept that he is gay and be okay with it. Others such as Avery and Ryan face public harassment and ridicule from their peers. Tariq tries to hide it and ends up being publicly assaulted to the point that they break his ribs. All of this happens and they are all trying to understand what it means to be gay and how to live their lives in a world that shuns them, while Harry and Craig are publicly defying society with their public 32 hour long kiss.

Reading and Interest Level:

The reading and interest level for this book is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12 – 14. After reading this book I agree that grade 7 or 12 years of age is probably an appropriate age to start reading this title though its interest level should go through 12th grade even if the reading level may not be that tough. This is purely based off of the message and themes within the story.

Evaluation:

Two Boys Kissing is an interestingly written book that creates multiple storylines that are happening simultaneously within the book without ever truly being directly in contact. This is what makes it such an effective read in my opinion. This book is about the LGBTQ community specifically the gay community (amongst men) and the transgendered community (Avery). It treats the community as a collective and highlights all of the different responses everyone gets, and how each person tries to deal with those responses. Some get shunned by their peers, others by their families, some get accepted for who they are by the ones closest to them but society is still won’t accept them, etc. By showing all of these angles this book is a valuable read for the whole community to not only read about someone similar as yourself but also to show how others in the community may be being treated or how they may be feeling.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of Two Boys Kissing stems from the effectiveness of the book that I previously mentioned. The book provides a safe look into the world of gay teenage boys/transgender teenagers and can be an invaluable tool in relating these real life situations to a character within the book. There are many examples within the book, one being Craig. Craig’s parents find out about his online chats and his father is enraged, yelling and screaming obscenities before hitting him. This book shows teenage boys one way of handling it. Peter and Neil who are another couple within the book have a different dynamic being shown. Peter and his family are well aware and accepting of his sexual orientation and extend that acceptance to Neil. Neil’s family are aware but they shy away from that fact as much as possible allowing the hatred from society rumble around them without even acknowledging it. Neil unlike others in the book confronts his family and he explains that he knows that they know, and they don’t yell obscenities and hit him like Craig’s father did to him but they don’t acknowledge it like Peter’s family. Eventually his sister and his father verbally acknowledge that he is gay and Peter is his boyfriend and that makes all the difference to him. These examples are all within one book and it is a great way for teenage boys in this community to see all the different possible avenues that can happen with belonging to this community, but also on how to deal with each of them. I think one of the most critical storylines is Cooper’s as he is the boy who tries to commit suicide at the end of the book before he is stopped by a police officer. The book plainly explains all of the young boys who were not stopped and did hang themselves, or jump from a bridge, or overdose on pills, and that the community tries to save each one but it generally is impossible. Though if one person can be saved it will not bring the others back but it will be a victory nonetheless for the community and this book is looking to make sure that other boys in the community do not follow down Cooper’s path thinking that they are alone. Overall the bibliotherapeutic value in this book is extremely high.

.Issues Present:

The issues present in Two Boys Kissing revolve around the fact that it is filled with LGBTQ material mainly gay relationships (though some transgender references: Avery). Though when one sees Two Boys Kissing being challenged they generally see complaints about the language, sexual references, and underage drinking within the book. Finally, some have argued that the book promotes suicide as an answer to being a part of the LGBTQ community. All of these are generally tied into the challenges along with the idea that the book is spreading unholy ideas in the eyes of most religions. For these reasons the book is considered controversial and is repeatedly challenged.

Defending the Title:

The defense of Two Boys Kissing staying on YA shelves is relatively simple in nature. For the most part a lot of challenges stem from the fact that the book is about the LGBTQ community and as such is religously unacceptable and socially unacceptable. This may be the view of certain individuals and maybe even communities but according to the Library Bill of Rights in ALA an individual cannot censor material based off of personal reasons and or beliefs. Secondly, the book does have a lot of language and their are random cases of violence and underage drinking within the book, however nothing is graphically shown. The underage drinking happens once in the book by Cooper and is a relatively common problem within our society. The violence shown involves some punches and verbal abuse but the worst of it is described when Tariq gets jumped. They describe him having a bloody mouth and broken ribs but that is all which is a lot more mild than most teens see on a daily basis in shows, movies, and video games. As for the idea that the book promotes suicide as a possible answer to being a part of the LGBTQ community makes one question if the person ready the entire book. There is a whole section of the book being dedicated to the fact that the LGBTQ community would love to catch every child and teen who gets consumed by the concept of suicide. Unfortunately many go through with it before it is too late, but this book in no way endorses that as a legitimate possibility.

Book Talk Idea:

If I was running a book talk for the book Two Boys Kissing I would focus on the individual hardships each character faces throughout the book and explain its importance in context to real life and how this book handles each situation. I believe this would stimulate a lot of conversation from both people in and out of the LGBTQ community and allow for a great back and forth debate on ideas and where everyone is coming from.

Some pages that contain the conflict that I would talk about include but are not limited to: 57, 89, 100, 127, 130, 143, 165, 190

Genre:

The genre of this book is Teen Fiction/Romance with subject matter covering LGBTQ, Social Themes, Feelings, and Gay Romance. It follows the lives of multiple gay boys and one FTM Transgender boy during a 32 hour long publically streamed kiss by Harry and Craig.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

http://www.davidlevithan.com/

Awards Won:

Stonewall Book Awards Winners and Honors 2012 (And Ongoing)

Capital Choices Book Awards 2013 (And Ongoing)

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

Library Journal Best Books 1997 (And Ongoing)

YALSA Best Fiction For Young Adults 2014 (And Ongoing)

Professional Reviews:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-levithan/two-boys-kissing-levithan/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/two-boys-kissing-by-david-levithan/2013/08/20/9bcf8886-f498-11e2-a2f1-a7acf9bd5d3a_story.html?utm_term=.9ccd4377b2ef

https://www.teenreads.com/reviews/two-boys-kissing

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-307-93190-0

Why I chose to read this book?

I chose this book purely off of the reviews on the back of the book that indicated how uplifting and cheerful this book was. I really wanted to read a controversial book without the doom and gloom that many may seem to have. Once I started reading it I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the different teens who all belong to this community but each have their own difficulties and how they handle these difficulties. The multiple perspective writing was reminiscent of a mixture of GRR Martin and Ellen Hopkins but not the their extremes which was enjoyable. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an uplifting tale that may be a bit controversial in nature.

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A coming to age tale following a freshman boy who is an introvert but opens up to his new friends Sam and Patrick as they open up his horizons.

General Information:

Paperback: 224 pages
Price: $6.60
Publisher: MTV Books; Media Tie-In edition (August 14, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781451696196
ISBN-13: 978-1451696196
ASIN: 1451696191

Plot:

The Perks of being a Wallflower is a coming of age story discussing the life of Charlie in his first year of high school. The story starts off on a somber note as Charlie must deal with the death (and apparent suicide) of his good friend Michael at the end of his eighth grade year. When Charlie enters high school his oldest brother has left to play football at Penn State and his older Sister is a high school senior at the same school as himself. Charlie is learning about who he is as a person throughout this story which includes being in a slightly dysfunctional family, in a world filled with sex and drugs in the high school scene. To help him along the way he becomes good friends with two older high school students named Patrick and a girl name Sam. They both open him up to looking at things from a different perspective while also introducing him to different things in the world such as some recreational drug use, love, and emotional connections.

Reading and Interest Level:

The reading and interest level for this book is marketed for grades 10 thru 12 and ages 15 up. I think due to the content within this book with clear references to sexual encounters (some of which are forced) some racially charged talk and drug/alcohol usage by minors.

Evaluation:

Chbosky’s book is written from Charlie’s perspective in letters written to someone about his experiences. This form of writing is unique and refreshing and a great way to let the readers know what Charlie is experiencing from his perspective and by showing us rather than just telling us. The book contains a lot of life lessons and through his technique of writing it is well delivered. Each memory that Charlie writes down in these letters is a realistic occurrence for many teens to go through personally or see personally throughout high school. All of which is something that can be relatable and therefore valuable to see from another perspective.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value within this book is extraordinary due to the overwhelming amount of relatable material within this book for teens to read and realize that yes it does happen to other people as well. The material covers so much information including domestic abuse, suicide, dysfunctional family setting, drug and alcohol use, racism, violence, sexual encounters, sexual assault, learning to love, and last but not least finding one self. It is stunning how much material Chbosky is able to fit in this novel and keep it so free flowing and well paced. YA books that provide a window or a mirror for their readers tend to provide much more value and Chbosky’s book provides all of that for his readers.

Issues Present:

The issues in this book that may be deemed controversial by those who challenge the book are quite numerous. The grandpa is racist. Charlie and other high schoolers smoke marijuana and take LSD while under age drinking. There is intercourse and talk of masturbation, and some of the intercourse is forced with a scene of a girl essentially forced to perform sexual acts with her boyfriend as she keeps muttering no. There is violence both domestic (Charlie’s sister and her boyfriend) and between students (apparently Charlie is a terrific but very dirty fighter). All of this is present throughout the books and is generally underscored by a lot of language.

Defending the Title:

The defense of this book would theoretically seem difficult with such a large range of issues present, however, the value of showing these issues in this light for teens is what makes the book so defensible. The first thing to do is to remind everyone that the target audience for this book is for older teens. As such many of these teens have likely experienced or know someone personally that has experienced a fair amount of the issues within the book. Nothing including the various sexual acts are graphically described beyond some light details. Also for the drug and alcohol references, the main character acknowledges that he knows that it isn’t healthy for him and it is mentioned throughout the book but never glorified. Overall the value that these issues provide the book are instrumental in making the book as great as it is.

Book Talk Idea:

During a book talk for The Perks of being a Wallflower I would have the group follow Charlie and his interactions with various issues and how it changes (or possibly stays the same) throughout the rest of the book. This can include interactions involving sex, or Sam, or drugs, etc. The pages that could really support this type of discussion include but aren’t limited to: 3, 19, 27, 31, 44, 92, 100, 124, 137, 144, 204, etc.

Genre:

The genre of this book is Teen Contemporary Fiction and it does have a subject matter that includes social themes and some LGBTQ themes.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

No Official Website.

Publisher Page is www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Stephen-Chbosky/1843916

Awards Won:

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

Professional Reviews:

https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/aug/07/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-stephen-chbosky-review

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stephen-chbosky/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-671-02734-6

Why I chose this book:

I chose to read this book purely due to the movie. As a huge Emma Watson fan, I loved the movie but I was curious to see if the book was better (as it usually is). I also was quite intrigued about the writing style that Stephen Chbosky used within the book. I had not seen that writing style used throughout a whole book in that way before. Besides that it was recommended by both my coworkers and a couple of YALSA lists I was peering through. That is why I chose to read The Perks of being a Wallflower and I am glad I did as it was an excellent book that was much better than the movie.

Iceman by Chris Lynch

Learning how to control ones anger and find balance is not as easy as it looks especially when you are unsure of who you are and what you really want.

General Information:

Age Range: 12 and up
Price: $6.89
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Lexile Measure: 0880
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (March 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1442460016
ISBN-13: 978-1442460010

Plot:

Iceman follows the story of Eric who is a part of an Irish family of four from the New England area. He is in high school and lives with his father, mother, and older brother Duane who used to be the star athlete in the family before he stopped everything and took up music and focused on education much to his father’s disappointment. That disappointment was filed by Eric playing hockey and he is a terrific player, maybe not as technical as Duane but the story starts off with him as a bruiser on the ice. He hits everyone and everything as hard as he can and can take over the game when he wants but at other times he doesn’t have his heart in it and may take someone out (albeit dirtily) but they end up losing. The story is Eric trying to discover who he is and what he likes to do. This coupled with the fiery nature of his family leads to a lot of inner turmoil and he uses that to fuel his rage on the ice. Eventually a terrific canadian player who he plays against in a tournament has a heart to heart with him after a brutal slugfest on the ice and Eric eventually finds who he is and what he is about in order to calm himself and find true happiness.

Reading and Interest Level:

The reading level for Iceman is for 7-9th grades and ages 12-15. However I believe the interest level for this book would likely be more for high school students. I think that middle school students can read this book and enjoy it however the subject matter will likely mean more to the High School students.

Evaluation:

My evaluation of Iceman is a positive one. It is not one of Chris Lynch’s more well known titles however it is definitely written in his style. The writing is concise and easy to understand with his points and themes coming across strongly. The reader will feel engaged but it has enough though provoking moments to keep the reader thinking about Eric the main character and the issues his character is working through. In this matter it also drives the reader to think about those issues as they tend to be shared by many people during their teenage years. As such the book is thought provoking which therefore makes it an effective book at sharing Chris Lynch’s thoughts.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of this book comes both from the message within the book and also how it was written. This book is written with a male audience as its intended main target and it provides an insightful look to growing up with a slightly dysfunctional family and with inner turmoil which can lead to some anger issues and general uneasiness about your life and situation. It provides a terrific look at how channeling anger and aggression through sports can be helpful but at some point in time you must sit down and look at oneself to deal with the root of these issues, otherwise even your sport will start to not bring you joy out their anymore.

Issues Present:

The issues present within the book Iceman are as followed: excessive violence, endorsing of violence within a sports setting, and a view of poor parenting. This book may not be as controversial as some of Chris Lynch’s other books however it does have its moments and with the targeted audience being so young it makes the issues highlighted previously much more important.

Defending the Title:

The defense of this book is that it is very realistic and it does not do anything “just to do it” when it came to the violence in the book. Many teen boys turn to sports to deal with issues (many others don’t as well) and those who do turn to sports may funnel their troubles into their playing style. This book highlights that situation which is very important so that teens don’t lose track of why they are playing a sport and that it can’t fix the problem at its source which is what really needs to happen. When it doesn’t other parts of your life start falling apart such as Eric’s when he stopped going to school as much and then the sport itself started not being fun anymore. Overall this is a terrific gateway book for reluctant male readers with a relatable tie in to sports that is well written by a well known YA author.

Book Talk Idea:

If one was to run a book talk discussion about the book Iceman, I would recommend the discussion to revolve around the situations of Eric discussing non-hockey things with his family. Throughout the book the story revolves around hockey as it is the main backdrop for the book however the insightful look into Eric’s psyche and thought process tends to come during the non-playing moments whether it be at home or in the car or between periods in the locker room. The pages that some of the more important moments happen on would be: 9, 14, 27, 49, 84, 95, 99, 110, 128, etc.

Genre

The genre of the book is Teen Fiction with sports, emotions, feeling, and family dynamics being the core subject matter within the book.

Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

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

General Information:

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

Plot:

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

Reading and Interest Level:

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

Evaluation:

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

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

Scott Krinninger

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

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

Issues Present:

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

Defending the Title:

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

Book Talk Idea:

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

Genre:

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

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

http://nancywerlin.com/

Awards Won:

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

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

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

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

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

ALA Popular Paperbacks For Young Adults 1997 (And Ongoing)

Professional Reviews:

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

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

Why did I choose to read this book?

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

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.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

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

General Information:

Paperback: 400 pages

Price: $8.76

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

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0307887448

ISBN-13: 978-0307887443

Plot:

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

Reading and Interest Level:

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

Evaluation:

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

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

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

Issues Present:

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

Defending the Title:

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

Book Talk Idea:

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

Genre:

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

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.ernestcline.com/

Awards Won:

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

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

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

Washington Evergreen Young Adult Award Nominees 1995 (And Ongoing)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Professional Reviews:

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

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

Why I chose to read this book?

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

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.

Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui

A super organism takes over a junior high class of misfits and helps them grow into the best people they can be.

General Information:

Series: Assassination Classroom (Book 1)
Price: $9.99
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; thai edition (December 2, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781421576077
ISBN-13: 978-1421576077
ASIN: 1421576074

Plot:

The plot of Assassination Classroom Volume 1 is our introduction to Class 3E of Kunugigaoka Junior High and them trying to kill their teacher in the classroom using spell B.B pellets. There teacher? An superorganism (humanoid) that can reach speeds of mach 20 and more importantly recently blew up two thirds of the moon with the threat of blowing up the world at the end of the school year. His catch is he wants to specifically teach classroom 3E and he will not harm any of the students. So what does he do with class 3E which houses the worst students and rejects of the school? Of course he casually dodges all their assassination attempts and help teach them while improving all aspects of them in the process! In this first volume we get introduced to many of the main characters and on top of that learn that whoever kills the Octopus gets 10 billion dollars!

Reading and Interest Level:

The marketed age group for this book is for 6th thru 12th grade and the interest level runs along that large range as well as it is a book that can be enjoyed for various reasons by teens in that range.

Evaluation:

This Manga is very effectively written in both style, drawing, movement of the plot, and the message behind the story. On the cover it is a somewhat silly story of a bunch of junior high kids trying to kill a superorganism octopus with special weapons that are harmless to themselves. In reality this manga has very deep messages about growing up, overcoming adversity, and believing in oneself through self improvement. This message is very strong and Koro Sensei (the octopus name given to him by the students) makes it very clear that he will do his best to mold and help each student grow to fulfill each of their full potential. The art and the pacing of the story also make it an easy and appealing read. The book has great value purely in an entertainment sense but also in the core messages that it is trying to spread to its readers.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of this book is very high because of the life lessons taught to each student by Koro Sensei. Each student is placed into class 3E for a reason and the class is purposefully kept down by the school as an example of what failures look like. Each student learns from Koro Sensei and though the lessons are limited in the first volume as the students are just being introduced, the rest of the series will offer many life lessons and ways of overcoming obstacles in your hopes and dreams.

Issues Present:

The issues that are present in this book to be challenged involve heavy use of violence, and in future volumes heavy sexualization of female characters. In general, especially with the first volume the heavy amount of violence in the manga leads to concerns. Also that violence uses guns and knives whether they are real or not, in a school where school shootings has been a pandemic in this country.

Defending the Title:

To defend these issues, a librarian should point out the fact that the book comes from Japan and there are cultural differences that will leak into the books. As for the violence, there is no gore and none of guns or knives in the manga are effective on humans. As for the sexuality in future versions, that is a difference in culture but nothing is overly revealing, though certain female features may be enhanced for visual effect they are fully covered at all times.

Book Talk Idea:

The book talk idea that I would use in this first volume would be to follow Koro Sensei and see what he helps each student with and what he ends up doing to either teach them or physically help them. (Example: Sugino and his baseball skills) Unfortunately there are no page numbers in manga but if you read the volume you can clearly pick up multiple instances and they are terrific talking points in a book discussion.

Genre:

The genre of this book is fiction but more specifically Manga: Science Fiction. Follows the students of Class 3E of Kunugigaoka Junior High and them trying to kill their teacher.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

N/A

Awards:

Texas Maverick Graphic Novels 2013 (And Ongoing)

Professional Reviews:

http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/2015/10/01/review-assassination-classroom-volume-1/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25165248-assassination-classroom-vol-1?rating=3

https://www.theouterhaven.net/2017/10/assassination-classroom-vol-18-review/

Why I chose to read this book?

I chose to read this book as it is an extremely well written manga that has a very high check out rate at our library. It also has a high rate of parents questioning it as they see what appears to be kids shooting up a school in some of the images. This plus the extremely interesting premise which ends up having many twists and turns throughout the rest of the series is what got me to pick up volume one of this manga!