Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Here is the book on Amazon.

After reading Speak I was interested to see what else Laurie Halse Anderson has written. I was not disapointed with Twisted. In the begining we meet Tyler, a former wallflower in his high school. He describes himself as a nobody and really gives us the idea that he has been a nameless face in his institution for a while. From an educators point of view, it appears that Tyler has fallen through the cracks and the way he chooses to climb back into view is to commit a crime.

Tyler makes a mistake that changes his life. What begins as a simple stunt involving spray paint and school grounds, becomes an all-too-familier disaster. Tyler pays his dues but cannot shake the reputation he has earned. This tears the life he's known apart and wrecks havic on his future. This books powerfully illustrates a lot about society and the inner workings of the public education system through the eloquent and honest voice of a young man.

This book, in some ways, disturbs me. High school was not that long ago for me and teaching in one will be in my iminent future. Still, with that in mind, I would really like to use this book in the classroom. I think, as long as the mature subjects are introduced properly, students can learn from this book and cover not only the plot but the literary techniques, too. As a plus this book is written from a male point of view. As always, Anderson's voice is brilliant, strong and true and I think students will appreciate that.

Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville

Here is the book on Amazon.

One of the first reasons I picked up this book was because it is an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. I wanted to find a book that I could use in the classroom and manage to hold the interest of the majority of the class. In short, the plot is fairly simple. The book is told from the perspective of two young teens, Marina and Jed. At first it seems like the pair have nothing in common, but as we continue reading we discover that each of them has a parent involved in the same cause. Marina’s mother and Jed’s father are both involved in a Millennial cult. They are followers of Reverend Beelson, a cult leader who believes the world will end on July 27th, 2000. What happens beyond this is yours to discover...

I really liked how this book was written. Hearing the story told through two voices was really captivating and I could see how this book would be appropriate for all audiences, male and female. Interspersed between the narration of Marina and Jed are F.B.I. files, letters, excerpts from radio interviews, emails and sermons. This breaks up the continuity of the story and yet manages to add depth. I thought this book could easily be taught or used as a free-read because it has so many possibilities. It touches on religion, love, family, relationships, the idea of a Utopian society as well as the experience of being an adolescent in society.

I think the text is strong enough to stand on its own and has great things to offer in the classroom. I would definatly use this book in the classroom, but I am undecided about teaching it on its own, pairing it with another text or using it as an optional free-read. I think it will depend on the needs of my class and my students. In any case, this book is written by two outstanding authors. Jane Yolen has written The Devils Arithmetic and the picture book Owl Moon, so you may have heard of her. Bruce Coville has written many children’s and middle level books, including the “Sixth Grade Alien” series and numerous collections of ghost stories. Both authors are well respected in the writing community so it is just natural that their efforts together are successful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to exploring the possibilities of using it in the classroom.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Here is the book on Amazon.

I really enjoyed this book. Not only was it entertaining, it was thought provoking, too. It dealt with issues of socioeconomic equality, grief, loss, family and heritage without focusing too much on a moral or being overly dramatic. This book was also fun to read. The chapters are fairly short and the whole book is set up like a journal or a scrapbook. There are illustrations that appear to be taped to the pages throughout, ranging from small doodles to full-page pictures and comics.

I feel like I could definitely teach this book. I think would need to introduce this book to my class and remind them to be mature and respectful, due to the use of slang, issues of race and mentions of sexuality, but that standard will hopefully be set in my classroom to begin with. This book proved to be entertaining for me to read, and hopefully it would have the same effect on my students. It could be used to teach a wide variety of concepts and skills.

I think I could use it to teach about voice in writing, for the main character has a very animated voice that makes the story unique. Students could work with this text as they learn to develop characters in fiction writing. I also think this book could be used when teaching non-fiction writing and biographical pieces.

This books deals with a wide variety of "issues" that always seem to be taught with more classic texts. In the story, race is a huge focal point, and because the book is easy to read and comes from an adolescent viewpoint, I think students could really learn a lot about discrimination. This book also explores grief and shows different reactions and viewpoints on death and loss.

This book is written from a male viewpoint, but I feel like it would apply to a wide audience, both male and female. It's a fairly quick read and can definitely serve as a base for discussion and further exploration.