Robot Dreams, by Sara Varon

Robot Dreams, by Sara Varon.  New York: First Second, 2007. 205 pp. ISBN 9781596431089


READER'S ANNOTATION
Now that Dog and Robot are separated, how will they each survive?  Will they ever again feel as happy as they were together?

GENRE
Graphic Novel

SUMMARY
"This moving, charming graphic novel about a dog and a robot shows us in poignant detail how powerful and fragile relationships are. After a Labor Day jaunt to the beach leaves the robot rusted, immobilized in the sand, the dog must return alone to the life they shared. But the memory of their friendship lingers, and as the seasons pass, the dog tries to fill the emotional void left by the loss of his closest friend, making and losing a series of friends, from a melting snowman to epicurean anteaters. But for the robot, lying rusting on the beach, the only relief from loneliness is in dreams." (barnesandnoble.com synopsis)

EVALUATION 
Despite the fact that this novel is completely wordless, Varon tells a completely original story that really grabs at the heartstrings.  We feel the pain of both Dog and Robot at the loss of their friendship, yet also the hope in the fact that  life does go on.  In soft browns, aquas, and other pastel colors, Varon communicates the characters' emotions vividly.  The last few pages of this novel are very touching as one old friend gives another the ultimate gift in the form of music: a wish for him to remain happy. Potentially controversial element: graphic novel format.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This novel could help teens who have drifted apart from a formerly close friends, letting them know that they will indeed make new friends.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I've always loved any anthropomorphic fiction, and I couldn't resist the cover drawing of a contented dog and robot sweetly smiling as they rowed along in a little boat.

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. 480 pp. ISBN 9780385904117


READER'S ANNOTATION
Escaping his hospital bed to travel cross country with his hypochondriac mama's boy roommate and save the world -- this is the mission presented to Cameron by his very own punk angel.

GENRE
Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
Cameron is a sixteen-year-old who really is not making much of his life, and whose only real passion is listening to music.  Suddenly, he is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jacob, or "mad cow" disease, landing him in the hospital.  A hypochondriac dwarf roommate named Gonzo then moves in, and he and Cameron -- encouraged by the angel Dulcie who has begun visiting Cameron -- embark on a road trip to find the man who purportedly has the cure for mad cow disease and also save the world from the evil wizard and fire giants who have also begun appearing to Cameron.  During this trip, which parallels Don Quixote in many ways, Cameron and Gonzo have various adventures at stops as varied as a New Orleans jazz club, the headquarters of a happiness cult, and a spring break party spot in Florida.  Along the way, they take on a third traveling partner, a living breathing lawn gnome/Norse god.  By the end of the journey, Cameron must use the strength and wisdom he has gained to face the dark forces.

EVALUATION
I absolutely love this novel.  It is completely zany fun (you have to read it just for Cameron's hysterically funny visit to the "Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack-n-Bowl" alone) and at the same time conveys some earnest messages about the importance of connection with others and jumping right into life with purpose and gusto.  Cameron is a fully-fleshed, entirely believable character, as is his emotional growth by the end of the story.  As the story is picaresque, it is composed of several distinct adventures, yet all are pulled together cohesively by Cameron's ultimate quest to save the world and himself.  Make sure to get your hands on this thought-provoking read as soon as possible.  What some may find controversial is the novel's subject matter of terminal illness and some language.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book could be very helpful to terminally ill teens, but also to any teen who is socially isolated.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
It sounded like a lot of fun and unlike anything I'd ever read before, and also won the Print Award in 2010.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by David Levithan and John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan. New York : Dutton, 2010. 310 pp. ISBN 9780525421580


READER'S ANNOTATION
Two teens named Will Grayson meet by pure coicidence in downtown Chicago one night, and their lives are forever changed...

GENRE
Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
This novel is narrated in alternating chapters by two high school students who meet by chance one night in downtown Chicago -- both are named Will Grayson.  The "Original Will Grayson" (OWG) and Tiny Cooper have been best friends since fifth grade, but OWG is starting to become slightly irritated with what he considers to be Tiny's selfishness.  Tiny, who is gay, has been through numerous romantic break-ups and OWG has always been there to help pick up the pieces.  Even though Tiny has now decided to play matchmaker for OWG, OWG at first doesn't see the generosity of this act, because he is too blinded by his fear of getting close to girls and potentially getting hurt.  Once the two Will Graysons meet, Will #2 begins dating Tiny.  Will #2, however, has not told his mother or anyone else that he's gay.  Meanwhile, OWG decides to step out of his comfort zone and give dating another chance.  As a backdrop to -- and also representative of -- all of this, Tiny is writing a musical about life and love, to be performed at the high school.

EVALUATION
This is the first novel I’ve read of either Levithan or Green, but if this novel is any indication of the general level of fun and insight of their writing, I can’t wait to read more!  I found the two Will Graysons to be very believable and representative of many teens, as we are privy to their self-doubt and conflicting emotions.  It is true that Tiny Cooper is a larger-than-life character in more than just his size, yet there really are teens with that kind of self-confidence and drive, and his character is also necessary to our understanding of OWG, the friendship between the two of them, and to keeping the plot moving in several instances. And Tiny is just too hysterically funny too resist.  Overall, this novel is highly entertaining and contains a lot of sage advice to teens, and all of us really, regarding navigating interpersonal relationships.  These lessons about friendship and love, and the complexity yet necessity of both, are interwoven into the story naturally, as characters come to realize them themselves.  I highly recommend this gem of a book to anyone.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
I think that this book would be very helpful to teens who are questioning their sexual orientation or are aware that they are gay, lesbian, or bisexual and are thinking of letting their family and friends know.  I think this book would also help teens who are experiencing depression.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I love anything involving unbelievable coincidences, and the high school musical aspect and the Tiny Cooper character both sounded really fun.

Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher

Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2009. 220 pp. ISBN 9780061771316


READER'S ANNOTATION  
Putting together a swim team composed of the most unlikely members, and then winning meets together and sticking it to the jocks and naysayers -- how cool would that be? 

GENRE
Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
High school senior T.J. Jones, of mixed African-American, Japanese-American, and white ethnicity, was a prominent swimmer in his younger years.  He has avoided organized competition in recent years, however.  That is, until his beloved English teacher, Mr. Simet, approaches him for help with starting a school sports team.  T.J. decides to start a swim team, planning to use it as an example to the jocks and others who bully students in the school who don't fit the prescribed mold in some way.  In particular, he wants to use the team as a vehicle for Chris Coughlin, a developmentally delayed student who has been harrassed for wearing his late brother's letterman jacket, to earn his own jacket.  T. J. thus assembles a team of non-swimmers, each member with a different personality and personal issue.  As they train, they come to know each other and give their all to pursuing their common athletic dream.

EVALUATION
I found T.J. to be very inspiring in his convictions and follow-through.  Both adults and teens can learn much from this character.  Despite the anger that T.J. felt as a young child -- resulting from his biological mother's abuse of him -- and still deals with as a teen, T.J. does the right thing in most situations.  Although he does seem a little too perfect at moments, I think his self-awareness and approach to life are conceivable for an intelligent teen who's been through as much therapy as he has.  I would have liked to read more about his relationship with Carly, as it did seem unrealistic that two high schoolers would have such a hermonious relationship, but then Carly isn't the focus of the story.   And this is positive too; Crutcher's lack of focus on T.J.'s relationship with Carly hopefully demonstrates to teens that being in love shouldn't take over one's life, that one should remain one's own person with one's own interests and goals and friends outside of the relationship.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book should be helpful to any teen who is being bullied or who has been told they can't do something which they desire to achieve.  It should encourage teens to believe in themselves.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
The idea of creating a swim team from non-swimmers sounded intriguing.

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak [sound recording], by Laurie Halse Anderson. Read by Mandy Siegfried. New York: Random House/Listening Library, 2004. 5 CDs (72 min. each). ISBN 1400089980


READER'S ANNOTATION
Something happened at that party last summer, and Melinda still hasn't told anybody about it.

GENRE
Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
Ninth grader Melinda Sordino memorably narrates her own story, and we meet her on her first day of high school.  We learn that over the preceeding summer she called the police to a party that she attended, although we do not find out the reason why she made this call until the latter half of the book.  For making this call and its consequences to party-goers, her best friends have dumped her and she starts the school year completely alone.  Melinda finds herself unable to speak to anyone, neither parents nor former friends, about why she made the call.  There are a few bright spots in her life, however, the most notable one being her art class, which is taught by a caring teacher who encourages her to express herself. Throughout this incredibly tough year, Melinda manages to maintain a wonderfully dry sense of humor and wit.      

EVALUATION
I have met few literary characters as engaging as Melinda.  She is equally capable of believably expressing sarcasm and wonderment, and everything in between.  Anderson describes her emotions, from  fear to moments of joy, palpably.  Anderson's descriptions of Melinda's feelings while eating alone in the lunchroom, for example, are spot on for anyone who's ever experienced that kind of isolation.  The plot of the novel  is fairly simple, consisting of the day-to-day school and home life of Melinda; the interest of this story is in Melinda's observations and interpretations of the actions of people around her. Readers will definitely find themselves rooting for Melinda, as she goes through her cocoon phase, and then grows, slowly at first and then more bravely, gathering strength and some new information which lets her know that she is not alone in her experience, that there are others to whom she matters, and that she is indeed strong.  Because I drive a lot, I listened to the unabridged audio version of Speak, read by Mandy Siegfried. I most highly recommend it.  Siegfried strikes Melinda’s various tones so perfectly and naturally, that I think it adds another level of richness to the narrative.  The aspect of this book which could be controversial to some is its discussion of rape.  However, Melinda's rape is described much more in terms of her emotional response to it, and not in terms of the physical act itself.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
I feel that Speak can help teens who have survived sexual assault, by letting them know that they are not alone in their feelings and response. Hopefully, reading about Melinda's year of isolation will encourage survivors to speak up sooner rather than later, to a trusted adult or friend.   

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I had read rave reviews of this novel.

Lush, by Natasha Friend

Lush, by Natasha Friend. New York: Scholastic, 2006. 178 pp. ISBN 9780439853460

READER'S ANNOTATION  

GENRE
Realistic Fiction


SUMMARY
Inspired by the personal stories of two close friends who grew up in households with alcoholic parents, and affected by alcoholism in her own extended family, Natasha Friend decided to write about the experience of a young teen with an alcoholic father.  Her fictional protagonist is Sam, a thirteen year-old girl.  Sam's alcoholic father's unpredictability and a shocking act of violence to toward Sam’s preschool-age brother lead to Sam's acute need to seek assistance with coping with the situation.  Yet she finds it impossible to share her frustration with anyone, not even her closest friends.  She thus initiates an anonymous correspondence with another teen, accomplished by exchanging notes inside one of the books at their local library. Meanwhile, Sam also experiences various common aspects of teen life, including navigating a rift between herself and her former best friend, her self-consciousness about her quickly developing body, and a very brief romantic relationship.

EVALUATION
Sam is a very likeable protagonist who does not approach her dilemma melodramatically, but with believable frustration and also a sense of humor and a tad bit of sarcasm.  She is also real, and like her father, does not always make the best decisions herself.  And I really enjoyed the letters she writes to her anonymous friend.  They are poignant, but I also found myself laughing out loud at her humorous observations in several instances.  The novel's ending does not tie up everything with a cute little bow, but it is realistic and hopeful, and we know that Sam has taken positive steps in one of the areas she can control, namely sharing her family secret with friends old and new and allowing them to be a support system for her.  What some may find controversial about this novel is that Sam’s first experience drinking alcohol leads to her near sexual assault by several boys. This incident is pivotal to Sam’s development and to Friend’s message, however, because it helps Sam and readers internalize more personally the potential destructive outcomes of drinking.
 

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
Lush lets teens living in alcoholic households know that they are not alone, and suggests possible coping strategies.  At the end of the book, Friend includes a list of resources for such teens, including hotlines,Web sites, and books.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I wanted to learn more about the experience of growing up with an alcoholic parent.