The annotations below are part of a class project presented by librarians, pre-service teachers, and in-service teachers enrolled in a contemporary young adult literature course at the University of Alabama. For further information about the course, go to the syllabus at
SYL4555S.98.html.
Title: Homesick: My Own Story
Author: Jean Fritz
Publisher: Cornerstone Books
Length: 128 pages
Interest Level: Ages 9-13
Awards: Newbery Honor Book
Genre: Biography
Censorship Issues: None
Themes: Growing Up, Cultural Diversity, Prejudice
Young Jean Fritz is caught between cultures. Born in China to American parents where she lives the first ten years of her life, Jean attends a British school. She resists singing "God Save the King" at school each morning and claims that she was "born on the wrong side of the globe." Jean longs to go home to America to meet her relatives. Although she corresponds with her grandmother regularly, she still feels disconnected from her American heritage. In China, Jean experiences discrimination when a Chinese boy she thought was her friend turns on her and calls her a "Foreign devil." Confused and perplexed, Jean tells her father she is "mad . . . at the whole world." When the Fritz' finally return to the U.S., Jean discovers that her American classmates consider her a foreigner. The homecoming that she had anticipated turns out to be bittersweet.
Homesick: My Own Story is a fictionalized autobiography of the first ten years of Jean Fritz' life written from her adult perspective. The events are true and the photographs are authentic. The book could be used for geography enrichment in the study of Chinese history. A group of photographs at the end of the book pictures Young Jean Fritz on the Yangtze River and the Great Wall. The book could be used as an introductory activity to a student autobiography. Homesick: My Own Story is a universal story of children struggling to discover who they are and where they belong. Jean Fritz emerges as a strong character role model for young readers.
Reviewed by: Emily Craft
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Title: Out of the Dust
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: Scholastic
Length: 227 Pages
Interest Level: 7th grade and up
Genre: Poetry/Historical fiction
Themes: Death, Poverty, Identity, Family Relationships
Billie Jo is a talented young pianist with the potential for a bright artistic future. Unfortunately, she is growing up under circumstances that challenge those dreams. During the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the 1930’s, Billie Jo loses her mother and infant brother in a tragic accident and must learn to find hope for herself in the midst of seeming hopelessness. The piano that might have rescued her instead becomes a symbol of her loss, as the accident has left her hands disabled as well as her family. She and her father, at first, maintain the passive sort of relationship many fathers and daughters do, but are forced by the loss of her mother to either communicate, or lose one another as well.
The setting for this novel serves to provide a fantastic and frustrating metaphor for the problems in the lives of its characters. The dust settles, can be moved, but never really leaves. It covers and changes everything it touches. There is no cure for such a bizarre problem, no prevention; it exists and must be dealt with like adolescence, like poverty, like death.
Billie Jo’s diary is at once troubling and encouraging. The free verse form of the book makes for emotional stops that cannot quite be captured in prose; the reader must pause when Billie Jo does, must carry on as well. Young adults might not find their own reflections in this setting, but will undoubtedly find another young person overcoming her obstacles, dealing with her losses, and taking charge of her own life.
Reviewed by: Heather Fann
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Title: When She Hollers
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 1994
Length: 177 Pages
Interest Level: 9th Grade and Up
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Survival; Family Relationships; Confronting Abuse; internal/ external locus of control; justice
This is a gripping story of Tish, a young girl who is trying to save herself from the menacing clutches of her stepfather. The struggle is not only between Tish and Tonnie (stepfather), but it is also her struggle to regain strength, courage and the power to take control. This horrifying account will produce feelings of outrage and contempt, only to leave you with the possibility of a hopeful resolution. It is a story that provokes such questions as: "what will happen to me?", "what can I do?", "is there hope for something better?"
Due to the sensitive and also controversial topics mentioned in this novel, the possibilities for classroom use are quite diverse. This book may not only be taught in a Literature class, but also Social Studies and Home Economics. The topics raised call for social reform, accessible aid and community service. Although English teachers can use this book to discuss theme, language, and style, other teachers may discuss contemporary problems and concerns plaguing society, and contemplate possibilities for reform.
Although this book is a quick read, the concerns, issues and problems raised justify its brevity. A longer book only delays the potential for resolution and social action. I believe this book addresses issues that are central to the lives of today’s young adults. The profane language can be useful only if it illustrates the reality of the problem, and suggests a practical form of resolve.
Reviewed by: F. Emamaullee
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Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
Length: 180 Pages
Interest Level: 8th Grade and Up
Genre: Science Fiction
Themes: social responsibility; roles/ identity, utopic/ dystopic societies, religion
This is the story of a young man who although lives in a seemingly perfect society, is haunted by the lengths the leaders will go to uphold a "utopia." When Jonas turns twelve and is assigned his new role in life as the receiver of memories, he now holds all the worlds pain and joy in the palm of this hands; in effect he possess all the qualities and experiences that make up life in order to save the common good. A simple book, but one that addresses very controversial and sensitive issues – what is best for society, what is best for the individual?
Because this book addresses issues about society (utopia/ dystopia), I believe it can be taught in not only a Literature class, but also a Social Studies class. This book can be used for a unit on science fiction and fantasy. Teachers can use this book to draw parallels and contrasts with their own community. Possible questions to ask are: 1) What is the role of the individual in The Giver, 2) What problem of community does the author pose?, 3) What positive message can you take from this book?
I really enjoyed reading this book. I believe this book has a strong message about the individual and the society in which they live. The reader is left questioning their own freedom, their own roles in society, and whether or not Jonas did the right thing in the end. This book calls for a definite evaluation of one’s own values and beliefs.
Reviewed by: F. Emamaullee
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Title: A Solitary Blue
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1983
Length: 245 Pages
Interest Level: 6th Grade and Up
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Separation, divorce, isolation, and loneliness.
Seven year old Jeff returns from school one day to find a note from his mother informing him that she had left. All she leaves him is a note telling him there are hotdogs in the refrigerator and that the world is full of children and adults that need her. Jeff is left with his older withdrawn and silent father. The incident isn’t really discussed until Jeff is a teenager. Melody, Jeff’s mother, reappears five years later and has him travel to Charleston for the summer. The visit was not what he imagined it would be although he comes into some information about his heritage through his great-grandmother, Gambo. Several years later, the Professor, Jeff’s father, manages to publish a successful book that allows them to move to Crisfield where Jeff meets Dicey. Dicey becomes a special friend.
After reading Dicey’s Song, I looked forward to the sequel. However, Dicey does not make an appearance until the second half of the book. Jeff’s character is likeable and well developed. Kids dealing with broken homes, alienation and abandonment will strongly sympathize with Jeff and perhaps maintain a sense of optimism as they see this character cope with his feelings. The rest of the characters are also well developed. In particular, Brother Thomas is an exceptional supporting character and helps Jeff and his father become more connected. I think the multidimensionality of the characters, as well as the plot, added complexity and dimension to the novel, creating greater depth and believability in the story.
Reviewed by: Michele Kahn
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Title: Maus
Author: Art Spiegelman
Publisher: Pantheon Books, 1986
Length: 159 Pages
Interest Level: 9th Grade and Up
Genre: Graphic Novel
Themes: Survival; Family Relationships; Death, Suicide
"Protagonist Against Society" describes the plot of Art Spiegelman’s Maus. Spiegelman reveals the horrors of Hitler’s extermination by employing mice and cats as his characters. Before one is able to begin reading, the eye is drawn to Hitler’s dark words, "The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human." Hence, the reader understands the purpose involved in Spiegelman’s depiction of the Jewish people as mice and the Nazis as cats. The sense of loss is evident in Vladek and Art as they each journey along a trail of memories that still holds a piece of Anja.
Captured through pages of cartoons, Spiegelman’s portrayal of the "hunted’ and the "hunter" offers a unique survivor’s perspective. One seems to connect instantly to Vladek as the reader visually experiences his heartache over the loss of family, property, and position. Within Maus Spiegelman presents an equally moving comic strip, "Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History," which illustrates his agony over his mother’s suicide. The Holocaust continually draws me into its world through books, films, and even a trip to the Netherlands to see Anne Frank’s house; thus, Maus offered me a unique experience.
As a result, I find Maus an excellent resource for the entire class and even more appealing for visual learners. Since most eighth graders read The Diary of Anne Frank, Maus provides a meaningful transition to look more closely at the horrors of the Holocaust.
Reviewed by: Andrea Edmonds
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Title: Catherine, Called Birdy
Author: Karen Cushman
Publisher: Harper Trophy, 1995
Length: 205 Pages
Interest Level: 7th Grade and Up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: Identity; Acceptance of Fate
Catherine is not the typical fourteen-year-old girl of the 13th Century. Instead of preparing herself for marriage as her contemporaries, she devises plans to avoid it. Catherine’s father intends to marry her to the suitor who will net him the most gain, regardless of Catherine’s feelings. She, in turn, foils each of his plans with mischievous stunts that disgust or anger her possible suitors and drives them away. One very wealthy pig farmer, however, will not be deterred, and he is Catherine’s greatest obstacle of all.
The events of this easy-to-read novel take place in one year and are recorded in Catherine’s journal. Her diary proves to be an insightful view of medieval life from its festivals to its daily drudgeries. Most of the entries include the daily religious practices and their significance, as well as, a view to medieval government.
This book is well suited for classroom use across the curriculum. Excerpts could be used to begin a unit on journal writing; history teachers could use portions of the text to make the 13th Century more realistic and to spark discussion of medieval life; science students could explore the medical practices of that era; and government teachers could read the entries about hangings to introduce capital punishment.
Reviewed by: Cindy Dixon
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Title: Nothing but the Truth: A Documentary Novel
Author: Avi
Publisher: Avon Flare, 1993
Length: 212 Pages
Interest Level: 9th grade and up
Genre: Comedic Problem Novel
Themes: Teacher-student relationships; Conflict resolution
Philip Malloy is a high school freshman who is ecstatic to be invited to try out for the varsity track team and begin a career that will lead him to the Olympics. However, Miss Narwin, "an English teacher who's so uptight she must have been put together with super glue," foils his plans. The conflict of the story arises when Philip and Miss Narwin have a difference of opinion regarding the interpretation of the behavior policy related to the playing of the national anthem. Their misunderstanding snowballs into a war of semantics that spreads beyond the school into the political arena of the upcoming school board elections, the local news, and eventually onto the Associated Press line. After the ordeal Philip faces an ironic reversal of his previous attitude.
The novel presents a humorous situation regarding the politics of education and the dire consequences of a minor infraction. The format of the novel makes it easy to read: information is presented in small chunks in a variety of short sections such as school memos, diary entries, personal letters, conversations, and newspaper articles. Also, the labeling of each section to constantly re-identify the characters and reinforce the situation is helpful to reluctant readers or those with lower reading ability.
Nothing but the Truth could be used in the classroom to demonstrate the perceived distance between teachers and students. Ultimately, both groups share a common goal, but the innate animosity between them often interferes with achieving that goal. The author has created a novel that can be useful to both teachers and students as they take the opportunity to identify with fictional characters to gain a better understanding of the opposing force in education. For adult readers the novel also presents an amusing look at somewhat stereotypical characters as well as the seemingly absurd nature of school administrative policies, local politics, and the news media.
Reviewed by: Andrea Creel
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Title: The Thief
Author: Megan Whalen Turner
Publisher: Puffin Books, 1996
Length: 224 Pages
Interest Level: 8th Grade and up
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Themes: Ambition, Honor, Loyalty
Gen is a thief who is imprisoned and thrown into the dungeon of the King's castle for boasting about stealing the crown jewels. Because of Gen's unique skill of being able to steal anything, the King's magus takes him on an adventure to steal a hidden treasure. As they journey together, many things are not as they appear. Gen is looked upon as a lowly thief and nothing more. Eventually, all find out that Gen is not what he appears to be but so much more. He is a skilled fighter and an honorable servant who teaches the others in the group about loyalty and friendship. The magus teaches many things as well, but he finds out he has much to learn. A betrayal nearly costs all of them their lives. An ironic twist in the novel not only saves him but also saves the King's heir and advisor.
Stereotypes and labels can be very deceiving. Gen is a thief; therefore, he can be nothing else--wrong! Through this fantastic journey, Gen proves that he is much more than just a thief. There is more to people than just a name or a label. Students would be able to identify with Gen's character and lose themselves in this fantastic world of gods and goddesses. This book could be useful in a unit on ambition, loyalty, friendship, trust or honor.
Reviewed by: Ginny Roberts
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Seventeen-year-old Slam Harris has talent as a basketball player but faces a host of challenges off the court. Gangs, drugs, and violence are just part of his Harlem home. Slam feels a sense of loyalty to his community and his neighbors, yet he wants success as an athlete and no part of the crime around him. He worries that his long-time friend Ice may have gotten involved with drugs. He wants a relationship with Mtisha, a girl not so easily coerced into sex. Additionally, his grades are low, his grandmother is sick, his father drinks too much, and even the coach thinks his attitude is bad. Slam comes to accept some changes he must make within himself, but also faces the reality that he cannot control all of life’s problems.
Slam’s home life, attitude, and talents are similar to those of my own students. Students can identify with this character, and through this book, perhaps find a means of coping with their own challenges. I see many of my students who do not want to fall into the destructive lifestyle of people around them; rather, they want to be like those who have achieved dreams they sought. This novel could reinforce a study of relationships, goal setting, attitude vs. ability, athletes’ need for education, or accepting one’s limitations.
I enjoyed reading this book. The detail of the basketball games were a bit too detailed to me, but I feel young men and women who enjoy playing or watching the sport will find it true to the game. I also like that although many conflicts were resolved by the book’s end, everything did not achieve finality. Slam did change, but everything in his life magically, unrealistically did not.
Reviewed by: Renae Summerlin
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Title: Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Publisher: Aladdin Paperback
Length: 195 pages
Interest Level: Sixth through Ninth Grade
Genre: Adventure
Themes: Survival, divorce
Brian is on a plane travelling to Canada to visit his father for the first time after his parent's divorce. While on the plane the pilot is struck by a heart attack and dies, it is left up to Brian to land the plane safely and save his life. The plane goes down somewhere in the Canadian Wilderness; Brian is forced to survive on his own with only the aid of a hatchet that his mother gave him before he boarded the plane. Throughout Brian's stay in the wilderness he learns many things about himself, he learns how to survive and live on his own without the aid or help from anyone or anything other than the hatchet. Brian changes into a totally different person while he is lost in the woods. He learns how to survive with necessities alone such as food, water, and shelter. Each day he is lost he conquers different feats, first, he makes himself a shelter that protects him from the cruelties of nature. Second he learns how to gather food by finding berries to eat. Third, he furthers his food gathering by building himself a spear in which to kill fish. Later, towards the end of the novel he has learned how to kill birds as well as other meat such as rabbit. Throughout the book, Brian changes from the youth of the big city to the youth that has to learn how to utilize his surroundings for his survival. Finally, on Brian's fifty-fourth day lost in the wilderness a fur trapper finds and rescues Brian and returns him back to his home in the city.
This book is a great adventure that I am sure most outdoor people would love to read. I think that this book would be a wonderful book that boys, especially, would enjoy. Hatchet deals with the themes of survival and growth that appeals to many teenagers today. The author, Gary Paulsen, paints a vivid picture of what it would be like to be stranded without any provisions as well as the issues one faces concerning food, warmth, shelter, and their fellow animals. I strongly recommend this book to any teacher looking to entice his or her students to read on the own.
Reviewed by: Christi D. Cornelius
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Title: Make Lemonade
Author: Virginia Euwer Wolff
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 1994
Length: 200 pages
Interest Level: 9th Grade and up
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Premarital pregnancy, sexual harassment, and personal relationships between mother/daughter and friends
LaVaughn and her mother agree on one thing-college. For this reason LaVaughn decides to take on an after-school job to raise money for her future education. She studies the job board at school and chooses a babysitting position. But once she goes to the address on the flyer, she realizes the job will be more than just a few hours after school. Jolly is a seventeen-year-old single mother of two, working as a waitress to support her children. She needs someone to watch the kids for several hours in the afternoon. Together Jolly and LaVaughn decide on a schedule but before long there is trouble. Jolly comes in later and later each night and LaVaughn's grades are dropping steadily.
The two young women that the novel focuses on are both strong and determined. Jolly is centered on surviving the circumstances she is faced with each day; LaVaughn is concentrated on school, achieving success in her life and not turning out like Jolly. The bond that grows between the family and the sitter is strong as Jolly is persuaded to go back to school and put the children in daycare. LaVaughn's interactions with her mother are realistic and emphasize the position of the characters in society.
This book is written in blank verse and an easy, conversational tone. Make Lemonade is well suited for an upper high school classroom group read, possibly focusing on the aforementioned themes. Both males and females would benefit from the realistic portrayal of a single parent, poverty level home.
Reviewed by: Christine E. Graves
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Title: The Face on the Milk Carton
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1994
Length: 184 Pages
Interest level: 8th Grade and Up
Genre: Realism
Themes: Deceit, family relationships, and identity search
Janie is a sophomore in high school and leads a normal teenage life until one particular day in the school cafeteria during lunch. As Janie is eating her sandwich she looks down on the back of her milk carton and sees a picture. The picture on the carton is a smaller version of her face starring straight back at her with a caption that reads "MISSING." Janie's head begins to spin with questions when she realizes the little missing child on the carton is in fact she. Janie begins to ask herself questions like: "Can this be true?," "Are my parents really my parents?," "Was I really kidnapped?," "Could my parents be criminals?," and "Who am I?" Throughout the rest of the novel Janie struggles with these questions and how she is going to handle her situation.
This is an extraordinary story of a young girl who wants to know who she really is and where she came from. Janie deals with many different issues in this novel that all teenagers deal with and can relate to. I recommend this novel for individual reading for entertainment. I would not recommend this novel for a classroom read.
Reviewed by: Susie Winter
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Title: Fast Talk on a Slow Track
Author: Rita Williams-Garcia
Publisher: Puffin Books, 1998
Length: 186 Pages
Interest Level: 10th Grade and Up
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Maturity; Race, class, and gender equity; Decision-making
18-year old valedictorian Denzel Watson is shocked to learn that he is average at best after attending a special summer program at Princeton University for promising minority students who would be freshmen in the fall. Denzel, voted most likely to succeed, is revealed as a fast talker who lacks substance. He vows that he will not return in the fall and uses the rest of his summer selling candy door to door where his sense of superiority is temporarily restored. However, after a violent confrontation with another candy seller, he comes to understand that he must remove his mask, accept responsibility for his academic ineptness, ask for assistance, and develop his potential to its fullest. After asking God to, "Walk me through the nightmare," he enters Princeton unpretentious, determined, and hopeful.
This is an excellent story that happens to countless numbers of students who come to major universities under-prepared, arrogant, and scared all at once. Williams-Garcia also weaves in lessons about race, class, and gender equity in this realistic story about a young black man who must come to terms with his inadequacies and his false sense of superiority. I believe this book would be good to use as a choice among selected books for units on identity; perseverance; self-esteem; relationships; and race, class, and gender discrimination.
Readers know that Denzel will ultimately triumph even though he is at the brink of self-destruction. Readers are left with the assurance that Denzel will continue to struggle in his studies, harness his potential, and make positive contributions both at Princeton and in society. Although the middle of the book moved slowly, I thoroughly enjoyed this very honest, compassionate, and authentic novel. I would recommend it to all teens heading off to college in the fall!
Reviewed by: B. Joyce Stallworth
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Title: Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
Length: 137 pages
Interest Level: Ages 11 - 15
Awards: Newbery Medal
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Censorship Issues: None
Themes: Survival, Holocaust. Courage, Friendship
Number the Stars is a historical fiction novel inspired by Annelise Platt, friend of author Lois Lowry. The story traces the escape and relocation to Sweden of Ellen Rosen and her parents. Among the heroes of this novel are Annemarie Johansen, Peter, Uncle Henrik, and nameless other citizens of Denmark who aided Jewish families in their attempts to escape the Nazis. An element of mystery surrounding Ellen's deceased sister Lise unravels as Annemarie parents protect the Rosens and aid them in their escape from the Nazis. An interesting feature of the book is Lois Lowry's afterword in which she separates fact from fiction.
Number the Stars is a good introduction for young adults to the horrific era of Hitler's reign over Europe. Lowry treats the subject gently, yet realistically. The suspense of the closing chapters will spellbind young adult readers. The novel could be part of a Holocaust unit. It could be paired with the story of Anne Frank for comparison of a classic work to a contemporary Young Adult novel.
I enjoyed Lois Lowry's fictionalized account of the story of her friend, Annelise Platt. I am always spellbound by stories of courageous people who endangered their own lives to help save the lives of innocent victims of Hitler's tyranny.
Reviewed by: Emily Craft
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Title: Izzy, Willy, Nilly
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1986
Length: 262 pages
Interest Level: 9th grade and Up
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Themes: Family Relationships; Acceptance of Disability
Izzy is a popular high school sophomore. She is a cheerleader and has many popular friends. Izzy goes on one date with a senior football player and her life is changed forever. She gets both her legs amputated in a car accident that was caused by her date’s drunk driving. Izzy spends the first couple of days in the hospital feeling fine about herself until her friends and her brothers start acting like she is the plague. They can not deal with the fact that she is disabled. Rosamunde, a classmate she hardly knew, starts to visit Izzy and this turns her attitude around. Instead of hiding Izzy’s disability, Rosamunde brings it into the open. She talks very frank with Izzy and supports everything that she is going through. The novel takes place over a couple of months and ends with Izzy facing school again. She does this mainly with the help of Rosamunde. Both Izzy’s former friends and family never quite understand the connection that they shared.
This novel addresses the important problem of dealing with disability. It shows also how one wrong decision can dramatically change your life forever. Many teenagers often feel that they are invincible and this novel shows that nobody is. I feel that this would be a good book to use with whole class or on an individual basis. It can teach lessons on how to deal with a friend or classmate that becomes disabled. Izzy is a wonderful character to learn from.
Title: All Quiet On The Western Front
Author: Erich Maria Remarque
Publisher: Fawcett Books
Translator: A.W. Wheen
Length: 295 pages
Interest Level: 7th grade and up
Genre: War/ historical fiction
Themes: Realities of war, human suffering and hardships, insights into the human spirit
Paul Baumer is only twenty years old, yet he is a hardened veteran fighting in World War One for his home country of Germany. He and several of his schoolmates joined the army in search of glory and adventure. Instead they found unimaginable horrors which altered their perspectives of the world and of life. They live and fight and die on the front lines and in the trenches, struggling against insurmountable hardships. There is little to eat, no rest, no comfort, and none of the glory they sought to find. Paul does not know what he is fighting for, and through his conversations and thoughts we are familiarized with his philosophy of life and death, which is horribly altered by his experience.
The novel is full to the brim with grotesque descriptions of death, corpses, detailed strugglings of dying men, wounds, putrification on the battlefield when the dead lie unburied and other slightly distasteful subjects. And all of this is very detailed and to the point. Of course, this all has an effect on Paul, and it is necessary for the reader to experience what Paul experiences in order to empathize with him and ultimately to receive his message. Paul decides that if he lives through the war, he will fight against hatred and try to promote peace. However, he only decides this on a subconscious level and this is basically the moral of the story; we should all do whatever is necessary to avoid meaningless warfare in the future.
I believe this novel would be eagerly accepted by boys, who generally like the gross and grotesque. It is quite readable; there are very few extremely large words, but it has been translated from German and is written in an odd sounding first person present tense. I would recommend the novel for 12th grade, but the reading level is much lower, in my opinion. However, be warned—the subject matter, or the detailed nature of it, may offend some parents.
Reviewed by: John Trimm
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Updated: June 2, 1999
Created by : B. Joyce Stallworth