ROCK THE DROP!

In honor of Teen Book Drop, my students donated three boxes of gently used books to the Department of Human Services office in our community.

They will put them on a bookshelf in the waiting area in their office for kids and families that are interested in reading but can't afford bookstores.  We hope they enjoy the books.

JUMPSTART THE WORLD by Catherine Ryan Hyde

As the book opens, a mother is helping her young daughter move into her own apartment, even taking time to make a visit to the animal shelter to select a cat to provide company during the sometimes lonely transition of living on one's own.  This not so unusual scene turns very unusual when the reader learns that the new tenant is only fifteen.

Elle is actually happy to move into her own place even if the reason is that her mother's current boyfriend doesn't want to deal with a teenager.  Her mother always wanted Elle to fit into a certain mold - wear the "right" clothes and have the "right" friends.  That's just not Elle.

Elle's neighbors include a young couple, Frank and Molly.  Frank immediately offers to help with whatever Elle needs.  His eagerness to help and his calm, gentle manner make him instantly attractive to Elle.  She is soon chatting with him and heading to the couple's apartment for homemade chicken noodle soup.  Elle doesn't like to admit it out loud, but she has a crush on Frank.

Starting school in a new school on the first day of the year has its challenges, but when Elle impulsively decides to cut her hair the night before that first day, she takes a risk she later regrets.  The day has hardly begun when Elle discovers the word "Queer" painted down the entire length of her locker.  She is furious and humiliated but pleasantly surprised when a girl named Shane offers her the needed supplies to remove the offending word.

With Shane's help, Elle makes friends with a group of misfits.  At least she now has a table to eat at in the cafeteria, and she quickly finds that the group wants to include her in all their activities.  They make her feel less lonely, and at a party they convince her to have at her apartment, they meet Frank.  The judgment of the group is that Frank is a "trans-man" and probably preparing for transgender surgery.  Elle is stunned and reacts by sending her friends home and avoiding them at school.

As much as she likes Frank, Elle just isn't certain how finding out about his secret makes her feel.  She questions if perhaps she isn't who she thinks she is and worries about her own possible sexuality.  At the same time she fears she will lose the friendship of the only person she has felt close to in a long, long time.

JUMPSTART THE WORLD is Catherine Ryan Hyde's fifth novel for young adults.  Elle is not your typical fifteen year old.  Hyde portrays Elle's tenuous relationship with her mother as a possible reason for her more mature attitude which allows her to handle herself in her own apartment and relate to the world with a much more tolerant view than most adults.  Readers will become attached to the misfit friends surrounding Elle and admire their courage in the face of potentially cruel treatment and prejudice.  As always this Hyde novel is well worth reading.

ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF IDENTICAL BY ELLEN HOPKINS

I'm pleased to announce the winner of the giveaway contest for IDENTICAL by Ellen Hopkins.  The winner is

****  DAISY  ****

Congratulations, Daisy!!!  I'll be emailing you immediately to find out where to send your winnings.

Thank you to all who entered and watch for a new contest soon!

LIKE THE WILLOW TREE: THE DIARY OF LYDIA AMELIA PIERCE by Lois Lowry

No one knows the actual statistics on deaths due to the Spanish influenza in 1918, but estimates range from 50-100 million worldwide.  When the sickness hit Portland, Maine, Lydia Pierce lost her mother, her father, and her baby sister.  Uncle Henry came to collect Lydia and her brother Daniel.  They went to live in a house crowded with their many cousins.

Uncle Henry and his wife just couldn't handle two more children so Lydia and Daniel were packed up and taken to the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake.  Life there was very different from their life in Portland.

The Shakers are a religious community that believes in hard work, clean living, and the separation of men and women.  There are no marriages and no romantic involvement in a Shaker community.  Everyone shares all material goods and everyone works to support the community.  It may sound harsh and impersonal, but that is not the case.  Love and respect are present in abundance.

Lydia desperately missed her parents and her baby sister, but life with the Shakers kept her busy.  She and Daniel attended school and each were given jobs around the complex.  Lydia helped in the kitchens, the laundry, and with basket making, although she never seemed to be given the chore she wanted most - helping with the candy making.  Daniel lived and worked with the men.  When he wasn't in the classroom, he helped with the animals and other chores on the farm.

LIKE THE WILLOW TREE is part of the Dear America series focusing on historical fiction.  Lydia's story greatly enhanced my understanding of the Shaker way of life.  Since the community never produced children, young people like Lydia and her brother were welcomed with open arms.  Lydia tells of the diminishing numbers in her Shaker family and how unless adults learned of this wholesome way of life, the communities would eventually cease to exist.

Author Lois Lowry captures Lydia's experience beautifully.  Although her diary simply recounts humble daily activities, I found it a fascinating read.

BATTLE DRESS by Amy Efaw

BATTLE DRESS takes readers to West Point with new cadet Andi Davis.  Andi is sure this is the place for her, but surviving New Cadet Basic Training will be a true test of her both physically and mentally.

Andi is leaving her home near Chicago without much support from her family.  Yes, they are all in the car as they travel the 1,000 miles to her new home for the next four years, but they are sure she will not last at West Point.  Andi's tumultuous home life is one of the main reasons she is willing to accept the challenge at the military academy.  With a crazy, unpredictable mother and an emotionally absent father, Andi knows she is not going to miss them.  Hopefully, her classmates will become her new family.

As one of only two girls in her platoon, Andi is determined to prove she deserves her spot among the men.  She excels in running and quickly impresses both cadets and officers.  She pushes herself and rises to every challenge directed her way.  A sometimes tense friendship develops with her roommate Gabrielle.  Very much the opposite of Gab, Andi still finds her fellow female cadet a source of inspiration and support.

Author Amy Efaw tells a powerful story that allows readers to experience the rigorous conditions of basic training at West Point.  It is very clear that cadets who survive the months of training preceding the start of their college experience are the best of the best and exemplify what we would want from future leaders of our country.  Efaw fans familiar with her other novel AFTER will find this one much different yet still a very worthwhile read.

RAGE by Jackie Morse Kessler

When I heard a young librarian "book talk" Kessler's HUNGER, I took a chance and ordered both HUNGER and her second novel for teens called RAGE.  I'm happy that I did.

HUNGER grabbed my attention with its unique combination of anorexia and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  It was a powerful book that didn't talk down to teens about a serious issue. 

RAGE has the same Horsemen of the Apocalypse connection, but its focus is on the subject of cutting.  This is another topic that mainly involves teens and young adults.  The real truth behind the frightening behavior will no doubt remain a secret to adults which makes it even more important to let teens know others share their pain.

Missy is dealing with multiple issues - a fairly new breakup with her boyfriend Adam, taunts from classmates about her choice of wardrobe, a younger sister who recently became an annoying freshman, and parents who say they understand but still pile on the pressure.  Relief from all the stress is hidden away in a lockbox in Missy's closet, and the evidence of that relief can be found in the form of scars on her arms, stomach, and inner thighs.  Missy cuts herself with a razor blade.

Just as HUNGER begins, an early scene in RAGE details the visit of a deliveryman arriving at Missy's front door with a mysterious package.  She doesn't understand the veiled message from the deliveryman and really doesn't have time to waste, so she grabs the package, slams the door in his face, and carries the box to her room where she shoves it on the top shelf of her closet.

She receives another visit from the deliveryman she comes to know as Death on the night of Kevin's party.  When Adam approaches her at the party and says he wants to make things right with her again, Missy falls for his ploy and ends up being humiliated in front of everyone at the party.  The only thing she can think about is running home to her lockbox and the release she can gain from the silver blade.

Unknown to her family and friends, Missy hides in her room and cuts and cuts until, fingers slippery with blood, she cuts too deeply and she realizes her life might be over.  That's when she remembers the package stashed on the shelf above her.  When she is finally able to knock it from its perch and open it, she finds out the true purpose Death has for her.

Becoming one of the Four Horsemen "War" gives Missy a glimpse of the power she has hidden within.  As she witnesses the tragedies of the world while on the back of her blood-red steed, she learns she has the power to defeat and deal with the stress and pressure that make her miserable.

Both RAGE and HUNGER by Jackie Morse Kessler are worth adding to your collection.  Her unusual approach to problems faced by teens today might be just the answer for readers dealing with similar issues.

SKATE FREAK by Lesley Choyce

When Quinn's mom decided to head west to attend a training school to become a heavy equipment operator, she left Quinn and his dad behind.  Without a job to support them, Quinn's dad announced that the two of them would be leaving their little seaside town as well. 

Now Quinn is living in the city and he hates it.  He has already been targeted by the punks at school who call him a Freak.  The one place he feels comfortable is on his skateboard, but even then he is harassed when he shows up at the skate park. 

Skating is Quinn's release.  When the skate park is filled with little kids and annoying teens, Quinn heads for the streets.  The city has a lot to offer in the way of illegal skating entertainment, but there are also more cops around to stop him from riding in off-limit public places.  One cop catches him riding the railing of a church and stops to give him some grief.  Instead of hauling him in for destruction of property, the cop takes Quinn's board and tells him he'll need to bring a parent with him to pick it up at the station.

Quinn's dad isn't terribly upset when he drives Quinn to the police station.  In fact, the trip nets Dad with a job replacing the station's janitor who recently quit.  Having a job is a good thing for Quinn's dad, but it also means less of a chance of them leaving the city and returning to Quinn's hometown.

There is one bright spot in Quinn's life - Jasmine.  When he sees her sticking her skateboard in her locker at school, he wants desperately to talk to her, but talking to girls has never been his strength.  Fortunately, he bumps into her one Sunday morning at the skate park.  They hit it off and begin meeting on Sunday mornings when the park is deserted.  She even starts to help him with his school work enough that his grades begin to improve.  Things seem to be working out for once, but of course, that doesn't last long.

Author Lesley Choyce has written over sixty-eight books.  SKATE FREAK is one written for Orca Currents and is written with the reluctant reader in mind.  Barely over 100 pages, it offers a high interest story at an easy reading level.  I had to sneak it out of my classroom to get a chance to read it.