11/8 Best Books for Young Adults 2011 Discussion

[Pam Goble]

PART 3 - PARTICIPATION CRITERIA FOR THE NING.

1. Since all of you are reading different books, the idea is to share the many reads students can experience from reading YA literature. For each list you, will get
reviews on approximately 20 or more books.

2. What must be included in your posts are:

            a. A short summary

            b. A connection to YA Lit criteria

            c. A link to a resource for further information about the book/novel( these may include author information, reviews, insight or information about issues the text references.

            d. Your opinion/recommendations of the book/novel relating back to criteria. A key
question to consider is whether the book is
classroom appropriate, and, if so, what reading level/grade/studentswouldbenefit from reading the text. If it is not suited for the classroom, if students are reading the book, what is the appeal?           

3. Lastly, you must respond to at least 2 other posts in detail.

 Have fun this week; I did... reading your work.

 

Enjoy.
Pam

[Shelly Fields]

LOL Rosalind! You tried to bleach your hair with facial bleach?? I am sure you aren't the first one to do that.

My choice for best books was Into the Wild Nerd Yonder,I love nerds and geeks! I will have to check out this series.

[Shelly Fields]

**I reposted this because I originally put it in the wrong discussion**

My choice for Best Books for Young Adults is “Into the Wild Nerd Yonder” by Julie Halpern.
This book is a light-hearted coming of age novel about a high school sophomore named Jessie Sloan. Jessie is in search of new friends and a place to belong. Her two best friends, Bizza and Char have changed, and in Jessie’s opinion, not for the better. Her friends “go punk” and start hanging around Jessie’s punk older brother, who is in a band. To make matters worse, Bizza pursues Jessie’s long-time crush, Van (who is also “punk”). Jessie learns through the grapevine that Bizza performed oral sex on Van at a party and contracted gonorrhea in the process (not a rumor, she actually did). Feeling used and betrayed, Jessie sets out to find new friends and herself in the process. She ends up with the Dungeons and Dragons crowd (the ultimate nerds) and falls for one of them named Henry. She frets over being labeled a “nerd” but realizes the friends she makes are more important than being labeled a nerd so she sets off Into the Wild Nerd Yonder.
This book could be the manuscript for the high school experience for the way it shows how friendships grow and sometimes die, high school cliques, teen sex, and the way teenagers define and redefine themselves.
The YA reader faces these same challenges and will feel a connection to the characters. Jessie is a normal teen who experiences normal high school problems. How many of us can relate to that?
I would definitely recommend this book for the young adult reader. It is set in high school but I would recommend it for the 8th grade reader and up. I think it will benefit the junior high reader because she/he can see what they have to look forward too when getting to high school.

Here is a link to the author's website: http://www.juliehalpern.com/nerd.html

[Meghann Lothson]

The book that I read is entitled, “Gleektastic: Stories From the Nerd Herd.” It was sort of like a “Chicken Soup for Dorks” book, with numerous contributing authors writing in about numerous fictitious experiences—some funny, even some tragedies. The one thing they all have in common? They all fervently consider themselves “geeks.”
    Gamers, anime lovers, band members, choir performers, computer freaks, elvish speakers…each of them are represented in some way or another in this book. The funny thing is, I really identified with these kids. I was into Sailor Moon and show choir back in the day, and this book brought me right back. The stories have that artistic flavor that is so common with creative kids. Many would assume that these students are all unhappy and upset with their reportedly low status in the high school food chain, but this isn’t always the case. Many are satisfied with who they are, and take pride in the fact that they are supposedly different from everyone else. Some, on the other hand, consider it a success if they get through the day. The persecution at school, combined with personal troubles, maybe at home, make life as a whole seem unbearable. Each of these stories came from these types of situations.
    Popular students also get the pressure from their peers, and this book captured that as well. It made it plain that no one, even those who seem to have their lives all figured out, really do not. It reminded me very much of the show “Glee.” I know there is at least one other Gleek in this class (this means you, Monika Andes), and those who know the show would definitely see what I mean. High school is incredibly fickle. Sometimes you’re doing well. You’re generally happy, and everyone loves you. However, that can drop in a total instant. There comes the day when no one wants to be seen with you, and your reputation is shot. These things are glorified in television and film, but they are caricature situations of what really happens to us in high school.
    There was even a story by M.T. Anderson, the author of “the Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing.” His work was about a boy who is into games and comic books—and has a particularly difficult situation at home. He finds out about a family tragedy and must learn how to deal with it amidst his issues with his family. The young adult criteria absolutely apply to these works. The parents always have different positions; some are positive while others are not. These are internal journeys that these students are experiencing, and since most of them are told in limited narration, we are along for the ride.
    I would definitely use this book in a classroom. It’s long, 452 pages in all, but reading excerpts would be nice. It would make for a great discussion as well. There is much room for connections to be made between readers and the people in the book. They can identify with the story.

 

Here is a quirky teen blog website written by teens about being a nerd:

http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/pride_prejudice/article/49710/A-N...

 

Here is a website for Teens Against Bullying:

http://www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/