If I grow up

Strasser, T. (2009). If I grow up. New York: NY. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Interest Level: Grade 7-10

Reading Level: 4+

DeShawn lives in the Frederick Douglass housing project in New York. This is a place where drugs, gang violence and teen pregnancy are commonplace and twelve year old DeShawn doesn't want any part of that. DeShawn is a good boy, a smart boy who wants to do the right thing. DeShawn's best friend Terrell sees it differently. He's looking forward to being accepted by a gang so he can start making some money to get all the things he can't afford. Unfortunately, no matter how hard DeShawn tries to resist, circumstances change and becomes involved with the Disciples. By fifteen life is about becoming daddy's, drugs and guns. And by the time the book ends DeShawn is no longer recognizable as the young boy determined to live a clean life.

This is an eye opening book for anyone not raised in the projects. The drugs, violence, teen pregnancy and poverty are overwhelming to an outsider, even in this book that seems to tone things down so that it's acceptable for the audience intended. You can't help but feel for all the players in this game, where gunshots and death are the norm and where the chance of escaping the drug and gang lifestyle are low. At times the novel sounds preachy, but in the end this book accomplishes what it intends to- opening the eyes of outsiders on to the gritty reality of the urban life. This book is especially appropriate for urban kids who sometime idealize "ghetto" life due to their exposure to rap music.

The total tragedy of a girl named Hamlet

 

Dionne, E. (2010). The total tragedy of a girl named Hamlet.  New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Interest Level: Grades 4-8

Reading Level: 5+

Eighth grader Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be a normal eighth grader. Unfortunately her family is making it difficult for her to do so. In the first place, there's her unfortunate name. Not to mention the fact that her 7-year old homeschooled but genius sister Desdemona will be attending eighth grade with her as well, to give her exposure to school and the arts before attending college. And then there are her parents. If you haven't figured it out by now, they are Shakespeare freaks. Well, college professors actually, and they are perfectly happy to guest lecture in Hamlet's classes in full costume when the classes are doing a unit on Shakespeare. If all of that isn't bad enough, Desdemona is now tutoring 8th graders in Pre-Algebra, a subject Hamlet does not excel at, someone is leaving origami pigs in Hamlet's locker, and Hamlet knows that the "in girls" do not have Desdemona's best interests at hand when they befriend her.

This is a fun read, but one that most any middle schooler will relate to. While most kids don't have parents who dress as characters from Shakespeare's plays, they generally do have some quality that embarrasses their child. Struggles with classes, friendships, and members of the opposite sex are also common and those are all present in this novel. I wish Hamlet's parents were a little less clueless from the beginning, but it's easy to see how they are so wrapped up in what they find fascinating and which others idolize them for (Huzzah!) that they might miss Hamlet's discomfort. Give this book to those who enjoyed Stargirl.

The running dream

Van Draanen, W. (2011). The running dream. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Interest level: Grades 7+

Reading level: 4+

Sixteen-year old Jessica is a runner. She can't really remember a time when she hasn't been a runner. It's not just what she does, it's who she is.  After setting her personal best record at an away track meet the school bus she's on is involved in an accident. One of her teammates died in the crash. Jessica's leg was crushed and 3/4 of it has been amputated. She wishes she were dead instead. Upon returning home from the hospital everything is a challenge. She can't get to her upstairs room, she can't shower on her own, and she can't run. Jessica spirals into depression, pushing everyone out as she learns to navigate on crutches and eventually on a prosthesis. When she returns to school she is behind on everything and to add to it, her math teacher puts her in the back of the class with Rosa- the girl in the wheelchair who has cerebral palsy and can hardly be understood. Jessica has to confront her own prejudices about the handicapped and figure out her place in the world.

Van Draanen has crafted an amazing story here. Readers can't help but empathize with the loss, pain and depression Jessica experiences even if they themselves aren't athletes. Rosa is a great addition to the story, tutoring Jessica in math and helping her to strive for all with handicaps to be seen as more than that. Jessica's discomfort at becoming a poster child so that she can get a runner's prosthesis is also realistic, but in the end she accepts it with grace and inspires many. This is a good book for anyone in need of inspiration, and aren't we all? It isn't preachy, just a real story about real like. Readers who enjoyed Sorta like a rock star by Matthew Quick will enjoy this one as well.

Porcupine

 
Tilly, Meg (2007). Porcupine. Toronto, Ont: Tundra Books.

Twelve-year old Jack Cooper lives with her mother and two younger siblings in Newfoundland. Her dad is overseas in Afghanistan serving in a peacekeeping unit.  Jack idolizes her dad and is anxiously awaiting his return. When the family receives word that he was killed by friendly fire they are all devastated. Her mother sinks into herself leaving Jack to take on the role of both mother and father until she eventually loads them all into the car one day and drives them to Alberta, Canada to visit their previously unknown great-grandmother who raised Jack’s mom. Great-grandmother is a tough old woman, angry at her granddaughter for eloping and living alone on her farm. When Jack’s mom eventually leaves, leaving the kids behind, Jack must come to terms with her great-grandmother whom she dislikes as well as “raise” her brother and sister as her dad would have.

I was surprised to find that this book was written by actress Meg Tilly. It is a touching novel of loss, grief, acceptance, love and family. In the beginning Jack is angry about the loss of her father and about the fact that her mom has abandoned her and her siblings. Her language in the first third of the book reflects that with Jack swearing often. However, this strong language is by no means gratuitous- it is a reflection of the anger that Jack is feeling. As she comes to terms with her life and her grandmother the language softens and we see Jack’s growth shine through. Recommend this to students who liked Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt.

The Misfits

Howe, J. (2001). The Misfits. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Interest level: Grades 5-8

Reading level: 5+

This is the story of four seventh-grade students who call themselves the "Gang of Five" to keep people on their toes. None of these kids really fit in with anyone else, but managed to find each other because they are the kids who get picked on and called names at school. Bobby, the narrator, is overweight, Addie is made fun of for being tall and for her love of school, Skeezie is seen as a hoodlum because of his style of dress and his lack of hygiene and Joe is coming to terms with his sexuality. All they want to do is survive middle school, but the other students don't seem to be on board with that. They decide to fight back and form the No Name Calling Party during student council elections. Although they lose the elections they are successful in instituting a "No Name Calling Day" at their school. Companion novels Totally Joe and Addie on the Inside were recently released, giving another dimension to the story.

This book is for anyone who has ever been picked on at school, called names, or made to feel as if they didn't belong. Howe creates likeable characters who take charge of their lives (even if it is under Addie's pressure), try to make and succeed in making a difference. This book spurred the No Name Calling Week movement, adding to its importance in middle schools. I was fortunate enough to have James Howe visit my school this fall to talk about bullying and being different and to read some passages from Addie on the inside. He's as phenomenal of a speaker as he is a writer and has dedicated his life to helping kids who feel like they are outcasts find their voice. Give these books to anyone who has ever experienced or will experience middle school. The discussions that will ensue if used as a class novel are guaranteed to be enlightening.