What's Popular

This is the last week of my class, and this week's topic is books that transport teens... in other words, what they actually read. What the trends show, what the teens themselves say.

Since I only have access to a 12 year old at home (although she will loudly insist that she's a teenager when it suits her), I turned to a few websites to see which books are most popular with teens right now.

Roth, Veronica. Allegiant. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2013.

_____. Divergent. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2011.

_____. Four: Divergent Stories.New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2013.

_____. Insurgent. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2012.

The Divergent series has been extremely popular with teens (and even adults!). Like The Hunger Games, there's a strong female protagonist, a dystopian society, and lots of action. They're also both trilogies, although Roth added extra stories about Four. Perhaps most importantly, the two trilogies are being made as movies. This series has been recommended by word of mouth, displays, movie posters, and more.

Dessen, Sarah. Along for the Ride. New York: Speak, 2009.

_____. .Just Listen. New York: Speak, 2008.

_____. Lock and Key. New York: Speak, 2008.

_____. The Moon and More. New York: Viking Children's, 2013.

_____. What Happened to Goodbye. New York: Puffin, 2011.

Sarah Dessen is the master of lighthearted romance for teens. Her books are sometimes considered summer reads, particularly since many of them take place on an island in the summer. Her heroines are complex and their relationships are, too. Even though I'm calling her books romance, there's a lot more to them; her stories have heart and are satisfying on several levels. She's written a lot more books than these, but these are her most recent five books.

Clare, Cassandra. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel, 2010.

_____. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince, 2011.

_____. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Princess, 2013.

The Infernal Devices series is a prequel to another series of Clare's, The Mortal Instruments. Once again we have trilogies, and both series have been optioned for film. Featuring: Shadowhunters, the Pandemonium Club, clockwork creatures, a love triangle, and enough heartbreak to keep fans obsessed. These books (both sets, as well as Clare's other books) still fly off the shelves.

"Nutritious Books"

This week's Young Adult literature focus is on "nutritious books," in other words, books that are good for students to read. These books are books that can supplement the curriculum, and align with the Common Core. I'm going to start my recommendations with some historical fiction.

Sepetys, Ruta. Out of the Easy. New York: Speak, 2013.

Plot summary:

It's 1950, and 17 year old Josie lives in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She's the daughter of a prostitute, but she wants so much more for her life--she wants to go to college. Her job in a book store is a good start, but she's also a part of her mother's underworld, not just cleaning the brothel but involved in the whole criminal side of the city. The odds are stacked against her, a million to one. Josie becomes entangled with a murder mystery involving a businessman from Tennessee. When her mother is suspected of the murder and leaves town, Josie has to figure out a way to pay her mob debt if she ever wants to leave the city.

Where I found it & why I chose it:

I'd already read Out of the Easy. I'd read Sepetys' Between Shades of Grey the year before, and knew that anything she wrote would be amazing. I was happy to trade the bleak tundra of Siberia for vibrant New Orleans. I was captivated by Josie. She'd had such a tough life, but she was smart and a fighter. I wanted to know if she could possibly get out or not. This book conveys its setting richly. It presents a portrait of the high and the low parts of New Orleans. Although it's possible that a parent could object to the focus on prostitution, kids can learn so much about what it takes to survive for a desperately poor girl in the city.

Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York:     Speak, 2005.

Plot summary:

A old Navajo man tells his grandchildren a story about when he was 16. World War II is going on, and the Marine Corps announces that it is recruiting Navajo speakers. After boot camp, Ned is off to war. But he doesn't end up as a regular Marine Corps member. The Navajo servicemen are asked to use their Navajo language as radio communication among the allies. Their language was never "cracked" by the enemy, and in fact, the truth about the code only came to light 24 years after the war ended.

Where I found it & why I picked it:

I was walking around in Barnes and Noble and the title caught my eye; I'm not sure if I'd heard of this specific book before, or whether the concept was just familiar to me. Either way, I wanted to learn more about Navajo coding during World War II.

I chose to highlight this book, first of all, because it's such a great story premise, and true to beat! How great to have cultural underdogs provide such an amazing service to their country. Second, the book puts the reader right there in the thick of the war. Ned serves in everywhere from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima, and readers can see the war through his viewpoint. This book could be a nice complement to a unit on WWII.

Paulsen, Gary. Lawn Boy. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2008.

Plot summary:

12 year old "Lawn Boy" is given a lawnmower by his grandmother, and after he mows his own lawn, neighbors start to clamor for his services. Before long he's found a lucrative part-time job, and is earning hundreds of dollars. But one customer, Arnold, doesn't have enough cash to pay him, so he invests in stocks for him instead. Before long, the boy has a partner, 15 employees, money invested in the stock market, and a prizefighter. Now he has to figure out how to break the news of his wealth to his parents.

Where I found it & why I picked it:

I found this book online. I didn't want to choose all historical fiction books. I searched for middle school or high school books that taught math concepts. In the course of this one book, the boy learns about the stock market, fees, commissions, partnerships, employees, competition, and more. I can picture this book being assigned as supplementary reading for an introduction to economics class. Some middle school classes also have students do a stock market project, where they pick a stock and keep track of their stock's performance. This book would be a great companion to this kind of project.

Messner, Kate. Eye of the Storm. New York: Walker Childrens, 2012.

Plot summary:

Storms are coming like crazy, tornadoes and other monster storms. Jaden's dad, a meteorological engineer, creates shelters for people to survive these storms. Jaden attends a summer science camp and meets another science enthusiast, Alex. Alex and Jaden discover that Jaden's dad may be steering storms away from expensive areas and into local farm areas.

Where I found it & why I picked it:

I've heard Kate Messner speak, and have read some of her other books. I thought of this book right away as a possible science supplement. Messner's book contains solid science. Even though the book is futuristic/dystopian, the book is clear on topics such as storm formation, tornadoes, and environmental problems. The story also has plenty of mystery and suspense to hold kids' interest.

Scaaaaaary books

For this week in my class, we're focusing on two genres I generally dislike, horror stories and fantasy/science fiction. I read very little in either category, although I've read (and enjoyed) the usual bestsellers like Hunger Games. I've read more fantasy than sci fi; I can't even think of a sci fi book I've read recently, except for maybe Cinder (Marissa Meyer), and that was because it got such great reviews.

So, let's move on to horror. I can't even deal with suspenseful movies--I squirm and get anxious, and it's not a good oh-my-God-I-can't-wait-to-see-what-will-happen-next kind of way. It's an oh-my-God-get-me-out-of-here-I-can't-deal-with-this way. I challenged myself to focus on horror this week, because it's the genre most out of my comfort zone. But I might have cheated; I picked two typical horror books, and then let myself pick two realistic fiction books, psychological horror stories. Here's what I ended up with:

Typical horror:

Alender, Katie. Bad Girls Don't Die. New York: Hyperion, 2009.

Plot summary:

Alexis keeps noticing weird things going on around her--for one thing, creepy things are happening in her house (for example, water boiling on the stove when no one has put it there). Her sister Kasey has also gotten freaky, with her eye color changing and her odd conversion to old-fashioned language. And worst of all, maybe she's not even Kasey. Alexis has to figure out what's going on before something really horrible happens.

Where I found it & why I picked it:

At Barnes and Noble, I was looking for another book by Alender, Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer (I saw her bed at Versailles two weeks ago!). I found this book instead. As soon as I read on the back cover that Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, I knew this would be the kind of book I wouldn't want to read. And that means teens probably would!

The book seems to be an interesting mixture of a realistic fiction "bad girl" story and a horror story as well. Some reviews say that the combination is awkward, but others say that it's a great book for teens (they say "girls," but whatever...) who want their horror packaged in a regular teen story. Alender has written a series with the same characters and their ongoing scary lives.

Lorenta, Dayna. No Safety in Numbers. New York: Speak, 2012.

Plot summary:

A biological bomb has been discovered in a mall, and the people inside the mall are trapped inside. As the days go on, the hundreds of people inside the mall fight for survival, turning on each other in their new microcosm of society. And, to make things worse, there's a virus spreading. Four teens in the mall tell the story.

Where I found it & why I picked it:

I saw the book at Barnes & Noble, and picked it up based on its bright cover and its title. The premise sounded interesting, even to me. The book is part of a trilogy--the other titles are No Easy Way Out and No Dawn without Darkness. Reviews online compare the book to The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Flies, but set in a mall instead (which some people might think is worse than the arena or a deserted island). Teens would enjoy the premise, and that the survival story is set in a familiar place.

Realistic fiction horror:

Werlin, Nancy. The Rules of Survival. New York: Dial Books, 2006.

Plot summary:

Matt, Callie, and Emmy's mother, Nikki, is abusive in a horrifyingly inconsistent way. Sometimes the kids can predict her attacks (when they've done something to displease her), but other times her psychotic abuse seems to come out of nowhere. And sometimes she ends up being unexpectedly kind. What she does to them is horrible, from cutting a bit of Matt's throat so he won't steal cookies anymore, to driving on the wrong side of the highway to teach the kids a lesson. Their father and aunt seem unable to intervene. Matt and Callie meet a man named Murdoch, by chance, and when he dates their mother, Matt and Callie start to see him as a father figure. They are devastated when Murdoch breaks up with Nikki. Finally, as Matt learns to advocate for himself, he builds a network of adults to help the kids, and they are finally free from Nikki (at least as free as they can be, knowing she is still out there). 

Where I found it & why I picked it:

This is my one choice that I've read before. I was struck by the premise of the book and listened to it as an audiobook. Then, when I was at my writing conference in May, Nancy Werlin was signing, so I bought the book and got to meet her. There was no line, which surprised me, because I think this book is so amazing. She was touched that I liked the book so much.

So, I love this book but it's so hard to read. I've read so many stories where kids are abused one way or the other, but I've never read about abuse that's so inconsistent; Nikki can be loving and vicious all in the same day. I also loved the character of Murdoch, who was treated so awfully by Nikki, but really came through for Matt, Callie, and Emmy in the end. I would highly recommend this book to teen readers, but with the caveat that it really is a horror book, in its way.

Watson, Carrie Gordon. Quad. New York: Razorbill, 2007.

Plot summary:

A shooter is on a rampage through their high school, and six students are trapped in the school store, desperate for safety. Each student is from a different clique--prep, jock, techie, geek, "choirboys," and "drama queens." The book is from the perspectives of all six, and the present time is mixed with flashbacks. The six students try to figure out who is terrorizing the school, and why. The answer isn't revealed until the end of the book.

Where I found the book & why I picked it:

Goodreads keeps recommending this book to me, based on the other teen books I read. I haven't even marked it as "want to read," because the book seems so intense. But I've read nonfiction about Columbine, and books that deal with school shootings like Jennifer Brown's Hate List. But both of those books treat school shootings from more of a distance. I'll probably read Quad now that I've looked into it, though.

I picked this book for a few reasons. First of all, it's definitely a horror story (although I don't know too many details). Second, school shootings, from a drastic situation like Sandy Hook to 'less horrible' shootings where someone is only injured, are a despicable possibility in America. Students who can handle this kind of book can explore the real-life shootings through a fictional perspective. Finally, according to the reviews, this book focuses on the bullying that made the shooter snap. Bullying is a perennial problem, and schools are finally trying to educate students about it.

*****

PS. As I go back and read through my post, I'm wondering if I put No Safety in Numbers in the right category. I put it into the traditional horror story category because it seemed like a regular horror story. But on the other hand, what differentiates this book from Quad? Could No Safety in Numbers actually happen? Is that the difference I'm looking for, fantasy/sci fi vs. realistic? Or are my categories manufactured & it's an overlap? Hmmm....