MG and YA Book Summaries (Part II)

Lily and Dunkin

Gebhart, D. (2016)Lily and Dunkin (Kindle Edition). Retrieved on July 1 from www.amazon.com

In this story, Lily does not identify with the biological body she was born with. She was born a boy, Tim, but she has known since she was 5 that she was a girl stuck in a boys body. She is going into 8th grade and is a late bloomer. She wants to start hormone therapy in order to stop the male features from forming such as a pronounced Adam’s apple, facial hair, broad shoulders, and a deeper voice. Her father is the antagonist as he opposes Tim’s plan to transform into a girl, buying hormone blockers, allowing him to dress as a girl or call him Lily. After going to through family therapy her father begins to struggle with change and becoming okay with Tim’s decision. Will Tim’s dad go through with his son’s wishes? We can also that “Lily” is another antagonist in this story. As Tim has never actually stepped out in public as Lily. He must also accept himself as a girl despite other the other students’ reactions. Will Tim finally be brave enough to show up as Lily in public?

It's as if the Gebhart gave us a 2 for 1 plot because the story's second main character, Dunkin whose real name is Norbert Dorfman, struggles to accept the seriousness of his mental illness. He is on medication for his bipolar disorder. His mother moves down to Florida from New Jersey. Because of his height, he is courted by the local basketball team to play. Dunkin realizes that when he is off his meds he has more energy and plays better. He wants to help his team become state champions. However, when he is off his meds his alter ego Phineas also comes around talks to him. His mother takes him to see the psychiatrist and gets a blood test to ensure that he is taking his medication. Dunkin decides to self-medicate and take only the detectable medication. Will Dunkin be able to control his bipolar disorder enough to get the team to state-championship?

When Lily and Dunkin meet they sort of becoming friends. Eventually, Tim dad does accept him as Lily. Dunkin loses control of his self-medication and has to be committed to a psychiatric unit until he stabilizes.

We are able to see both characters come to terms with their condition. At first, even though Tim wholeheartedly knew that he was a girl, he was not brave enough to present himself as Lily to the outside world. In the end, he dons his mother’s dress, the symbol of femininity, and sister’s necklace and shows up at the dance as Lily. Dunkin did not see the seriousness of his illness and the importance of his medication, a symbol of healing until he made a fool of himself on the basketball court in front of the spectators. He also finally comes to term with his father’s death and knows that it was necessary for his mother to move in with his grandmother in Florida.

This fiction book is an eye opener about the seriousness of mental health issues. Gebhart shows us what its like to hear voices in your head and have so much energy that it can’t be contained. She shows us the verbal abuse and mental abuse that transgender people go through. She shows us why some youth would choose suicide as a real option.

This Middle-Grade book is a great resource for people who want to know more about transgender and bipolar. Gebhart goes the extra mile and creates 7 questions for the discussion of these topics at the end of her book.

Other books by Donna Gebhart include Tod Durch Klopapier and Olivia Bean Trivia Queen.

Grasshopper Jungle

Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper Jungle (Kindle Edition). Retrieved on July 3 from www.amazon.com.

This novel by Andrew Smith was rather interesting. It read like a comedian setting up jokes and delivering punchline after punchline. It kept me pretty engaged, and although he repeated things and gave summaries of the events in previous chapters, at times I felt that I needed to be reminded of that detail while other times it was overkill. I like that it took the point of view of a historian writing down the history of the world from his Polish family tree perspective yet tried to remain objective.

In this story, Austin is a horny teenager in love with his best male friend Robby and his girlfriend Shann. He is a sexually confused 16-year-old and although he does not want to hurt either of them, he ends up hurting both of them when Robby and Shann find out Austin has had sex with both of them. Will Austin ultimately choose one lover over the other?

That was only the love/emotional layer of this story. It was rather interesting that the author wrote the plot of his book explicitly as he wrote the plot for a movie Austin and Shann watched to foreshadow what would happen to Austin’s world. Basically, in this sci-fi novel, the McKeon Labs, that was in production from the 1950s to the 1970s, try to create unstoppable soldiers and sell their product to the US government. However, after a series of failed biological projects the Lab decides not to move forward with their uncontrollable mutant insect soldiers, so McKeon Labs seal up an underground lab transformed into a fall out shelter and send some sealed jars with specimens of the virus to its inheritor Johnny McKeon. Some teenagers break into Johnny’s office take the photoluminescent virus with them, but drop the virus containing jar and release it into the atmosphere. The virus gets into their system and mutates 7 people into giant preying-mantis looking bugs that like to eat humans and reproduce. They begin eating the populace from the small town of Ealing, Iowa, where this story takes place. Austin and Robby stay alive and by some miracle, his gay friend’s blood is the weapon that destroys these superbugs with bulletproof exoskeletons. Austin, Robby, and Shan find the underground bunker/palace and are able to save their loved ones in the safety of the underground Eden. They must repopulate the world after the bugs destroy humankind up above.

In this coming of age YA story Austin struggles with his sexuality and eventually decides he is bisexual. This book is not for the squeamish reader as it references sex and ejaculates without a second thought. It is more of a guys read. Some of the symbolism in this book includes physical roads that intersect as a network of how people are always connected to each other. Sperm is a symbol for the coming of age milestone that marks when boys begin their transformations into manhood. Blood seems a vehicle that invents and destroys life and boys in boxers represents that someone is telling the naked truth.

Other books by Andrew Smith include The Alex Crow, Stand Off, and Passenger.

It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health

Harris, R.H., and Emberly, M. (2014). It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health (20th Edition [Kindle Edition]). Retrieved on July 1 from www.amazon.com

This nonfiction highly praised from the ALA and other lists tell about the changes youth go through during puberty.

The book explains in detail and in clear terms how the body grows and changes. It has illustrations and diagrams of the body to show not only outward physical appearance but also the anatomy of the sexual reproductive system.

This book tries to talk objectively about sexual health and the decision people make about sex. This book seems to make a case for abstinence and postponement of sexual relations.

It does a great job at summarizing and illustrating conception to birth but does not talk about different types of birth defects or reasons for miscarriage. I like that it talks about the types of diseases people can acquire from sexual intercourse and how it categorizes bacterial and viral infections.

While it does not talk about pro-choice or anti-abortion, it does mention some of the current laws and some of the resources out there for people who want to have babies and those who don’t feel like they are ready to.

The authors advertise the book as suitable for 10 year-olds and up making it a middle grade and young adult book.

More books by Harris include Whats In There? All About Before You Were Born, Who Has What? All about Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies, and Who Is In My Family? All About Our Families.

Smile

Telgemeier, R. (2010). Smile (Kindle Edition). Retrieved on July 5, 2018, from Amazon.com

In this MG book the main character, Raina, loses her two front teeth when she fell racing to her house with her two friends when she was in middle school. She had to get braces and was not able to replace her teeth permanently so she was given a retainer with 2 fake teeth. She struggled with her self-image through middle school. Her friends were not much help since they teased her about her braces, hair, boys, and clothes. Will Raina overcome her low self-esteem?

Eventually, Raina does grow a backbone. She stands up to her middle school “friends” and stops hanging out with them. She makes new friends who value her talents. Once she becomes more confident, people around her notice and she becomes happy.

The format was written in comic book style. The graphics and the dialogue work well to appeal to adolescent audiences. I enjoyed how the graphics moved the story along.

Telgemeeier addresses the topic of bullying and shows youth that not all friends are real or true friends. In the beginning, Raina wanted so much to belong that she let her friends take advantage, whereas at the end she realized that real friends accept her for who you are.

Other books by Taelgemeier include Drama, Sisters, and Ghosts.

The Hate U Give

Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate U Give (Kindle Edition). Retrieved on July 5, 2018, from www.amazon.com

Thomas recreates a real world that allows the reader to see a grim reality about poor oppressed people of color. She tells a story of what it is like for those who lose their lives to gun violence and are murdered by officers of the law, bringing into perspective the sad reality of living in a war zone in the United States of America.

In this fiction YA novel, Starr the main charter, a sophomore at a private school that is 45 minutes away from her ghetto neighborhood, witnesses the death of one of her childhood friends, Kahlil, at the hands of a police officer. At first, she is scared of speaking out for fear of putting her family in danger for snitching. The threat is very real as the gang lord of their territory threatens them when she does decide to testify before a grand jury. The police at their local precinct also inflict pain on her father in order to rattle their family out of testifying. Starr must decide if speaking up on behalf of Khalil’s life matters enough to go public about it.

Eventually, Starr does gain strength to talk after evaluating her white friendships at her private school. She cuts outs people who are racist out of her life and in the face of an unfavorable decision where the police officer is not punished for the murder of her friend, she joins the protest in her Garden Heights neighborhood that is suppressed by the anti-riot militia.

In this coming of age story, Starr finds her voice in an environment where she is considered guilty or part of the problem because of the color of her skin. This is a great book for young people who are also scared to speak up and out about injustice. This book resonates with Laurie Anderson’s message in Speak, that speaking up is the instrument/vehicle that allow things to change. The setting of the story is very similar to Sherman Alexie's The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in that it gives us a glimpse into what it is like to be one of the only poor black students in an all-white affluent private school.

This fictional story address topics of race, social economic status, gangs, American war zones, police-brutality, being brave, activism, oppression and the importance of family.

Angie Thomas is a new author, her other book is On The Come Up, I expect that Ms. Thomas will share more great stories in the future.

Booked

Alexander, K. (2016) Booked (Kindle Edition). Retrieved online July 6, 2018, from www. amazon.com.

This book was picked from Alexander an author for YA readers. I enjoyed the Crossover and found the same joy in reading Booked as I really enjoy the format of poetry to narrate a story. Initially, I thought this book would continue JDs story in the Crossover, but was pleasantly greeted with a new character and his love for soccer as watch the end of the 2018 FIFA world cup.

In this middle-grade book, Nick a soccer plays struggles with his parent’s separation. His mother moves away and he stays with his father. His grades drop and he does not stand up for himself with bullies drop his lunch tray and take his bike. With his cry for help, suicide threats, his mother drives home and soon they are in family therapy.

His cry for help has his mother move back in for a week and Nick believes they can be a family when his mother announces affirmatively that they will get a divorce. Nick world is shattered and he is angry with his parents. Just then what he thinks is food poisoning turns out to be appendicitis which renders him unmovable and Nick misses the most important soccer tournament of the season. Will Nick have the strength to move on?

This is a coming of age story where at the beginning, Nick was a shy boy who did not stick up for himself, who hated that his father made him study words from a dictionary, and was a reluctant reader. Nick learns to appreciate the knowledge he gained as he is a sought-after classmate because of his perspective and insight with words and with his new found love of books. Nick finally talks to April, a girl he has a crush on and to faces his bullies. He confronts the bullies and even though he gets knocked out, he is able to retrieve his stolen bike.

This book is a great book that deals with issues of divorce, bullying, suicide, courage, study habits, reluctant readers, and first loves. This book can be used to teach empathy for those going through such a difficult time that they think that suicide is the best option.

Other books in the Crossover series is Rebound. According to amazon kindle, other similar books are The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life also by Kwame Alexander and Ghosts (Track Book 1) by Jason Reynolds.

After Ever After

Sonnenblick, J. (2010) After Ever After (Kindle Edition). Retrieved on July 6, 2018, from www.amazon.com

Sonnenblick’s novel was selected from the American Library Association list of Best Fiction For Young Adults.

In this middle grade coming of age story Jeffery, a cancer survivor is paired with Tad a kid who was battling cancer. At first, Jeffery was reluctant to be Tad's friend, but by the end of the story, they were best friends. Math was not Jeffery's strong suit and it appeared to him that his father was upset with it. Jeffery blamed his cancer for his bad grades. Over the years Tad had the cancer return two more times. Tad tutored Jeffery on Math because Jeffery was required to pass the 8th-grade standardized testing in order to move on to 9th grade. This caused considerable stress among the 8th graders. Will Jeffery walk the stage and be promoted to 9th grade?

As a result, Tad organized a protest throughout New Jersey and students all over the state walked out on the first day of testing. As result, a bill was introduced that did not require passing the standardized test in order to move on to the next grade level, effectively taking away the high stakes. Eight grades were still required to take the test. At the end of 8th grade, Tad’s cancer returns and Jeffery organizes a bike-a-thon in order to raise funds for treatment.

Tad has his bone-marrow transplant that the day before Jeffery’s bike race. Tad had enough foresight in his gift to Jeffery that he was not to open until race day. While riding Jeffery turns on the playlist Tad gave him and they are songs of sorrow, losing someone, and the hope they will meet again in the afterlife. During Jeff’s race, Tad loses his life to cancer.

At eighth-grade graduation, Jeffery is happy to be able to walk the stage and he also is bestowed the honor of picking up Tad’s diploma for him. He realizes that Tad's life is not pointless, and he learns to stick with his loved ones and keep moving forward.

This is a great book that teaches about empathy for people with terminal diseases. Sonnenblick also addresses cancer, self-esteem, high-stakes standardized testing, teenage angst toward parents, and death and loss.

This book is timely as in Texas; standardized testing is so high-stakes that results are even reflected teachers’ end of year evaluations. While it did give a teacher’s perspective, we get a glimpse of the stress that comes down to the student who is pressured to pass the test or they won’t be allowed to continue in their education track with their peers.

Jordan Sonnenblick has several novels out, some titles include Drums, Girls + Dangerous Pie, Curveball The year I lost My Grip, and Zen and the Art of Faking It.

Lucky Broken Girl

Behar, R. (2017). Lucky Broken Girl (Kindle Edition). Retrieved on July 5, 2018, from www.amazon.com

Ruthie/Roofie/Ruti/beautiful girl is a member of an immigrant family from Cuba. She arrives in New York in 5th grade, but soon she is placed in the “dumb” class because of her lack of knowledge of English. Her family is grieving over the loss of their home/lives in Cuba and then the most horrifying accident that can happen to a ten-year-old, Ruthie’s leg is broken in a car wreck causing her to be placed in a body-cast and bedridden for over 10 months. She grieves the loss of being able to walk and do normal things 10 and 11-year-olds do outside. Will Ruthie regain the use of her leg and return back to her normal life?

Ms. Behar uses white boots to symbolize innocence at the beginning of the novel. Ruthie’s father bought her some boots which she loved and showed off. During the accident scene, Ruth lost one of her boots and then the other hung on to her broken leg. As Ruthie recovers from her injuries those white boots never return, representing a loss of innocence.

Ruthi eventually does gain her walking ability but had to work hard at overcoming her fears. To show that Ruthie’s final transformation Ms. Behar uses a tango dance with her friend Chicho that where Ruthie finally breaks free of all physical and symbolic crutches.

I believe this book is timely as it addresses the immigrant struggle from people of different cultural backgrounds such as Cuban, Mexican, Indian, Belgian, Polish, and Jews. I like how this book sheds light on the positive aspects of hardworking immigrant people driven by the hope that they will make a better life for themselves with the new opportunities that were not available for them in their native countries. I would use it when discussing diversity, empathy, hope, struggle and success regarding the ESL students in the class.

I found out that Ms. Behar writes about her own coming of age story as this is her autobiography. I’m inspired to write a memoir from an essay I wrote my freshman year in college about being scared in an all English kindergarten class, not knowing a bit of the language. The publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, recommends similar titles such as Joan Bauer’s Almost Home, and Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming.