The Importance of Relating

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Teens want book that they can relate to, but what is the importance of relating to a book? First, we need a definition of 'relate' before we can discuss the importance of it. The problem is, everyone definition of relating is different, therefore the importance is relating is going to be different for every person.

Matt De La Peña's "We Were Here" is a great book to model the importance of relating to a story. The main character, Miguel, in the book is a young boy in a group home because of a terrible act that he committed. Is this a story that teens can relate to? Honestly, the story does not necessarily require the read to be able to relate to it. When reading "We Were Here" the reading has the opportunity to see into a life that other wise the reader would never experience. Although most readers have never experienced anything like Miguel, this story can still speak to any reader.

Challenge your definition of relating by reading Matt De La Peña's "We Were Here."

Graceling or Curseling

If you had one superpower, or grace, what would it be? In "Graceling" By Kristin Cashore the main character Katsa has a grace but unfortunately for Katsa, she didn't get to choose her grace. If Katsa had the ability to choose her grace she probably would not have chosen a killing grace.

Katsa has the "grace" to kill anyone with little to no effort. Once Katsa fully realizes what exactly her grace is about, she does not like having the grace. She has the ability to easily kill anyone and yet when her Uncle recruits her for his purposes. she does not kill. Katsa's grace seems likes more of a curse then a grace. Through out the story Katsa struggles with her grace because it is quite a responsibility have the ability to kill with ease. While struggling with her grace, she meets a boy which adds in another part of her life to struggle with. A girl with a grace that most people would see as lucky does not see herself as quite as lucky.

To see how Katsa deals with her grace and her relationship read "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore.

Typical?

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From geek to chic, social minimal to possible criminal, Frankie Landau-Banks seems to be the typical 16 year old girl, infatuated by her crush Matthew Livingston and desperate for his attention. Frankie hopes that this is finally her year to get Matthew's attention due to her transformation over the summer from caterpillar to butterfly. Frankie finally gets Matthew's attention and she feels like she is on top of the world, however, feeling on top of the world causes Frankie to be blinded by Matthew's control and put downs. Frankie puts up with a lot of teenage boy power struggle by Matthew either intentionally or unintentionally displays to Frankie. It is possible that this power is instilled by society which causes Frankie, as well as other girls her age, to become feminists and fight for their equality. Through out the course of the book, Frankie participates in many different activities, good or bad. She wants to try to get in with Matthew's senior friends. Does she just want to be liked or does she just want to be infamous?

Frankie seems like the typical teenage girl finding her first love. She puts up with Matthew's ridiculous behavior for the sake of her first love. Those on the outside see her relationship with Matthew as a joke and she needs to "dump the asshole" (Paige) however when you are the one in the relationship, it is not that easy.

Does Frankie ever find her place in life? Does she ever break up with Matthew? How do her activities effect her life? Is Frankie liked or infamous? To find out, read "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" by E. Lockhart

Ignorance is the key to Perfection

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Most of the time ignorance is seen as a bed thing. If we really think about, it is our ignorance that allows for a perfect world. As humans, we draw on our knowledge, to make conclusions. In the book "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" the main character Octavian does this exact same thing about his own world. Although he is in slavery and quite restricted, he does not know otherwise(ignorance) and therefore believes that he lives a wonderful life.

Eventually, Octavian realizes that his life is not "normal." Although he attempts to leave behind his life of imprisonment, ignorance still gets in the way. When living in own way for your entire life and one day finding out that it is not the way that lives should be lived, leaving that imprisonment can be very overwhelming. Octavian ventured on this tough journey but honestly was still effected by his ignorance.

A very interesting questions comes up after reading a book like this; should ignorance be educated or are we better off in our own perfect worlds? Challenging your ignorances is a real obstacle and while educating ourselves is not a bad thing, is it actually a bad thing to venture outside or ignorances and face the facts? I do not have the right answer to either question but the only conclusion I have drawn is ignorance is the key to perfection.

Challenge your ignorances and read "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" by M.T. Anderson

It isn't all about the classics

When thinking back to what you have read on high school, I am sure that most titles are what would be considered "Classics." While that classics are amazing and should remain in schools, there is more to YA then the classics.

At the high school I attended, all that was allowed to be on the curriculum was classics or heavy, dry book about real life situations. When I asked the head of the English department about this observation he told me that it was the way the high school had always been because it makes the parents happy. My response to his statement was very simple, do parents want to the classics taught because they are good books, or is it because that is all parents know of out there?

I believe that there is not enough public information out there about the YA field. The YA field is saturated with amazing books. Many of these books are disregarded due to content, however, a book is not simple what is on the page. A book is about a reader's response, feeling and connections with the book as well as the story. A story can take the reader on an amazing journey into worlds that we never thought we could possibly visit such as the after life, as described in the book "Elsewhere" by Gabrielle Zevin.

If there was more public, easily accessible information out there, then I believe that YA would venture further into schools and young adult reader would get to read not only what they have to read but also what they want to read. Administration and parents, as well as the students, ned to be educated on selecting books and reading past the words on the page. Education isthe key to the break through of YA!

The Value of Life and the Value of Power

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What is the value of life? This is a question that is never really asked. It is frightening to think about the value of life, we just live day by day never questioning our importance, our existence, our value. Suzanne Collins, the author of "The Hunger Games," gives us a grim look into the value of life after the fall of North America.

After North America fell, power became a major factor, even more then it already is now, in society. Power becomes more important then life. The higher social classes have more power then the lower classes, thus allowing them to have more food, freedom, and luxuries. Life is more of a right in the higher classes and more of an inconvenience in the lower classes. Katniss, who lives in district 12 (one of the poorest) does not live in freedom and luxury. She hunts to keep herself and her family alive, never having the ability to live like a normal 16 year old.

But the worst part of life is The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is the Capital's way of enforcing their power and devaluing life. Twenty-four young kids are forced into a literal live or die situation. The Capital uses the massacre of young kids as entertainment, again devaluing life.

This book is quite disturbing and definitely horrifying. The one thing that human fear the most is the unknown and this book takes a hypothetical look into the unknown. No one knows where they are going, we only know where we have been and judging by where we have been, The Hunger Games may not be far off.

To prepare yourself for your place in the Hunger Games, read Suzanne Collins "The Hunger Games."

Three Cheers for Cormier!

Powerful, unpredictable, and page-turner, are all ways that I would describe Robert Cormier's "The Rag and Bone Shop." In this novel, a 12 year old boy, Jason, is accused of the brutal murder of 7 year old Alicia. When the police have to leads or suspects in this case, they turn to Jason, the last person to see her alive. Jason goes through a very intense interrogation with one of the best interrogators in the area, who always gets a confession. Will Jason confess? Was he capable of committing such a horrible crime? The ending to this novel is a shocker, very unpredictable and will leave you wanting to read more.
I enjoyed this novel because the story kept me turning the pages, I wanted to know if Jason murdered Alicia, I wanted to know if he would confess, I wanted to see what would happen to a 12 year old murder(if he did it). By the time I got the end of the book, I was shocked and in disbelief. How could Cormier end the novel that way?!?!? I wanted to keep reading more and more.
I highly recommend this book for YA readers. It is a quick read, and a really good read.
Find out what happens to Jason.........