5. Fever 1793

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2002.

Annotation: The acclaimed author of Speak pens this gripping historical fiction that takes place in Philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic that cast it’s shadow over early America. The 16-year-old protagonist, Matilda Cook, finds she has to grow up quickly as her family members die or become displaced by the malaria outbreak leaving her alone to survive in this epic and apocalyptic landscape.

Justification for Nomination: The elements that makes this story historical fiction are woven into this remarkable story with equally remarkable grace. Little details like washing out the butter churn with water boiled over an open fire give verisimilitude to the story while teaching us what life was like before refrigeration or supermarkets. These sorts of details also show the medicinal theories of the day as people fire off cannons to “purify the air” during the early stages of the outbreak. There’s even several characters based on historical figures like Dr. Rush who did his best to help his patients during this incredible time and George Washington who rides through town on his white horse near the end of the story to signal all that the danger has passed. Best of all is that each chapter begins with an excerpt from an actual letter, journal or other publication of the time. Here we get glimpses of proper etiquette for ladies, a sample of Poor Richard’s Almanac and even a bread recipe! All of which serve for either a giggle at how things have changed or to connect us to our setting.

But more wonderful than the excellent setting is the character of Matilda Cook the hard-working, ingenious and tough-as-nails 16-year-old who looses her beloved grandfather to the fever and her mother who’s displaced and lost through most of the story. Matilda finds herself alone while masses of people die in the street from malaria. But she’s definitely a survivor and by books end she’s not only preserved her family’s coffee shop from looting she’s restored it to a thriving business largely due to her own business savvy. She’s also taken on a business partner and an orphaned girl. She accomplishes this throughout the story by stepping back from situations and thinking them out. She keeps out despair by constantly re-affirming herself that she’ll make it to the next stage whatever that may be. Her strength is inspiring and engaging and for a reader who appreciates a can-do attitude there’s a lot to enjoy in Matilda.

The last point I want to tout on this book is it’s skillful use of humor. As you may guess this is often a grisly book where death is ever present and human kindness has also been quarantined. Yet Anderson through Matilda’s perspective and wit keeps this story buoyant throughout with Matilda’s intermittent humorous observations. One area where there’s some great play here is the Victorian dress of the time. When Matilda considers visiting Nathaniel (a boy she’s fond of) and may even dare to show her elbow she thinks better of it saying, “One must be careful when it comes to elbows and boys.” This historic context and Matilda’s charm are repeatedly delightful when they come together like that. 

My only complaint about the book is with a few characters like Nathaniel and the orphan Nell who add little to the story and are far from filled out as characters. It seemed there were a few characters that could have been taken out and hardly missed and in a story like this where you’re supposed to really care about the survivors it stands out. But this is mostly near the end of the book as events come to their conclusions so although noticeable there’s still other enjoyable reading going on so it’s fairly easy to overlook.

Genre of Catalog: Historic Fiction.

4. Hole in My Life

Gantos, Jack. Hole in My Life. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2002.

Annotation: As a teen, Gantos is kicked out of school for drinking and turns to psychedelic drugs thinking they will make him a writer like Kerouac or Burroughs. In reality, his drug use leads him to become a smuggler of hash. He’s eventually caught and the second half of the book is a prison memoir that realistically records Gantos’ terror in prison and his rather miraculous resilience as a developing writer and a human being.

Justification for Nomination: Joey Pigza, the main character in several books by Gantos, is a kid who suffers from ADD and often finds his life to be out of control, as a consequence Joey is often in trouble. Joey isn’t a bad kid, in fact he’s quite likeable. But bad choices and bad luck can quickly place us in a bad spot. Yet just because we might sometimes do bad things or make mistakes it doesn’t mean we’re bad people. The worst times in our lives can also be the times through which we experience the most important growth. We can see how Gantos developed this theme of human fallibility and redemption in his own life experience in his autobiography Hole in My Life.

The story arc is pretty simple: Boy wanders a troubled path, gets in serious trouble, boy does time, boy’s life is turned around for the better. But what keeps it interesting is Gantos’ humor and keen attention to detail. There are moments of the book that read like a how-to guide for drug smuggling and although some might balk that teens might use the book for just that purpose, it’s a necessary element of the narrative. Just because something’s a true story doesn’t necessarily mean it possesses verisimilitude. Gantos’ frank discussion of the life he lead gains our confidence and arrests our attention. Sure he might detail how the hid a ton of hash (literally) on the small boat that traveled from Florida to New York but he doesn’t detail how one would actually go about getting a ton of hash to begin with. So although it feels like a how-to it’s really not. The plot is interesting (trilling and terrifying at times) but it’s the other details woven in that make reading this fully worth the effort. In particular I enjoyed how Gantos details his development as a writer. His interest in writing is commented on throughout the book. In fact his plan is to take this one diversion, smuggle the hash, earn a quick ten grand, use the money to go to Florida State and gain the experience he felt he needed so that he’d have something interesting to write about. His plan does give him an opportunity to write but not in the way he’d planned. He’s arrested and convicted to prison and here between the lines and in the margins of a prison library copy of The Brothers Karamazov he starts his first real journal and takes his first serious steps as a writer. Ultimately Gantos is a positive figure in this book but only marginally. This helps though in that he’s not some superman who’s falls to unimaginable depths and then soars to unmatchable heights. No, Gantos is someone who can speak to someone else struggling with real everyday teen issues like drug use or poor self-esteem, yet harboring a greater vision for him/herself, to show that problems can be debilitating but they don’t have to define who your are. John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” In most ways that is what this book is about and so it metaphorically becomes much more than just a story about crime.

Gantos indeed goes to a real prison but his story could stand as a metaphor for the many self-imposed prisons we create for ourselves. Gantos may not have mortared the bricks together for the prison that held him but he made his prison all the same. His actions (no one elses) separated him from his true desires. This could be equal to a teen dropping out of school, committing other crimes, falling into drug or alcohol abuse, just plain laziness or anything thing that comes between a teen and his/her potential. What works well for Gantos is that while highlighting the peril he finds himself in he’s also able to find enough points of light to continue on and manytimes he's suprized to find that the light comes from within. This story is less about doom and gloom than it is about assessing one’s situation and finding the way through. Compare this message to the cliché of the kid getting caught with some pot and the parent condemning him or her as “worthless.” How often do teens get a similar message after making a mistake – “do better or else!” Not only is this a burdensome yolk to bear every time you make a mistake it’s simply not true. We all make mistakes and some are 100% our fault stemming from personal desire, greed, vengance or whatever. It’s in dealing with these situations that we learn to better manage them and become better people. Sometimes the results will haunt us sometimes they’ll uplift us but either way mistakes can be indelible learning experiences and though I don’t condone running towards potential mistakes recklessly I also don’t condone condemning teens who slip while learning to navigate life’s complexities either.

Where I think this book will really connect with teens though is not necessarily through the themes of drug use, drug trafficking or the realistic prison experience offered in this book. The real connection is though Gantos himself who goes through many difficulties shared by many other teens. He lacks self-confidence largely because of severe acne flair ups especially when he’s stressed out (which, as you can image, happens often in this book). He smokes, drinks and does drugs to feel more adult, to feel like the writers he hopes to emulate and to escape the depressing world he often finds himself in. He’s lured into some shady deals but not to hurt anyone, just to make a little money. He’s forced to spend time in an institution before getting to live a free life of his choosing. Each of these elements reminded me of my own experiences growing up. Often the connections were indirect, I never had severe acne for example, but as all teens do I felt awkward and insecure about my appearance. In finding these indirect connections the book really opened up for me. I found it easy to relate to Gantos even though we’re very different people in most respects. In this way Hole in My Life has something for any reader to appreciate.

Genre of Catalog: Autobiography, Non Fiction, Prison Memoir, Printz Honors and Sibert Honors (2003)

3. Please Ignore Vera Dietz

King, A.S. Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010.

Annotation: Vera juggles the demands of her senior year of high school, her job and her personal relationships, which some times leads her to drink from a bottle of vodka she keeps stashed under the seat of her car. All the while Vera is haunted by the presence of her dear friend Charley who’s death is presented as a mystery gradually revealed throughout the story.

Justification for Nomination: The first aspect that grabbed me in reading Please Ignore Vera Dietz is the authentic voice of the story’s main character Vera. Vera is a loner who’s concerned about getting good grades to finish her senior year and saving up some money for college by delivering pizza. She’d be perfectly happy focusing on these two things and keeping to herself. But some issues in her life have made it impossible for her to have her druthers to be ignored. There’s her father who drinks too much after being estranged by Vera’s mother, a stripper in search of a better life elsewhere. There’s Jenny Flick, the girl from school who was jealous of Charley and who still has it in for Vera. There’s James the older man at work who Vera likes but is unsure how far she should go with him. And through it all is the memory or ghost of her friend Charley, the boy next door who’s own problems with his family led him to become involved with a sexual deviant and then to Charley’s own mysterious death. Even though Vera struggles with all of these complex issues she does so with a certain confidence that reassures us as we journey with Vera that somehow we will get through this even if everything doesn't turn out okay. Through the book we’re positioned as a sort of confidant, a best friend that Vera seeks but only seems to fleetingly find within the pages of her story. I could see this being a great fit for a teen reader similarly struggling to find the language to express him/herself. In reading this book we can’t help but feel that we’ve developed a relationship with Vera and as we ride shotgun with her we can learn humor, resilience, independence, responsibility and confidence.
A. S. King must also be credited for how the book creatively switches point of view sometimes to Charley’s ghost or to Vera’s father there’s even a couple of chapters told from the perspective of the local mall where a tragic scene of a pet store arson takes place. it also makes creative use of flowcharts (seemingly a study technique of Vera’s) that’s crosses over into other aspects of her life. From organizing the thought process of whether to hit the snooze alarm to avoiding the destiny of family curses the flowcharts in the book are an inventive way for us to get yet another look inside the mind of Vera.
This book also maintains a great balance in theme. Even though there is a gambit of adult issues addressed in this book, Vera’s character, though far from perfect, is able to delve into problematic issues like drinking and sexuality with candor and authenticity. Sure she makes mistakes but she’s also thoughtful of cause and effect in her life. She’s not one to be victimized and so she takes responsibility and attempts to change or resolve issues in her life entirely on her own if she has to. We can’t help but admire Vera and hope to take a little of her strength with us after finishing her story.
Although this book contains a ghost I’m still considering it a realistic fiction. Another remarkable technique of King is that the Ghost of Charley can be interpreted as either a figment of Vera’s imagination or as the actual spirit of Charley. Chapters from the point of view of Charley’s ghost strongly pull us to think that his spirit is a real entity, yet still leaves some room for speculation and either interpretation works fine. Aside from Charley’s ghost, every other aspect of the novel rings true. I’m only now getting experience in reading YA novels so I’m no expert, but King was able to make me, a white male in his 40s, feel like Vera Deitz’s BFF – impressive to say the least and, I suspect, exemplary of the genre.

Genre of Catalog: Realistic Fiction, Problem Novel, Mystery, Michael L. Printz Award honor book 2011.

2. Locomotion

Woodson, Jacqueline G. P. Putnam’s Sons / New York. 2003.

Annotation: Lonnie Collins Motion, AKA Locomotion is an 11 year old boy living with his foster parent Miss Edna. Lonnie is an energetic kid (hence the pseudonym “Locomotion”) and needs to express the grief of his situation along with other complex emotions that connect to school, friends and his poetry teacher, Ms. Marcus. Ms. Marcus gets Lonnie writing poetry to work out these issues and the book is sort of like Lonnie’s finished portfolio. Through his poems we come to know Lonnie and sympathize with his tragic past and hopeful future. We also get to see Lonnie develop his poetic talent one poem at a time.

Justification for Nomination: Although Locomotion is a simple, little unassuming book it accomplishes some remarkable effects with noticeable grace. Starting with the title and cover art the book promises to be energetic and like the little boy dancing on the cover the poems shift and move, snap and pop. This works well in several ways. Right away the readability of the book is heightened with the lively imagery of poetry. What’s particularly effective is that Woodson’s voice seems genuine to that of an 11 year old boy with all the aforementioned issues in his young life. Very quickly we come to know Lonnie and care about him. We want to learn more about him and through the poems we get clues to the mystery of his parents death which is the lynch pin in understanding Lonnie. The sense of mystery makes the book a page turner and with some pages only containing a haiku, the pages flip and turn like subway break-dancers. So for students with an interest in music and lyrics this book could be an excellent fit.

                        Students interested, yet cautions about poetry in general could really benefit from this book as well. Is Lonnie a “good poet?” That’s all in the eye of the beholder. But what’s interesting is that we get to see him develop as a writer though the course of the book. In his poems he includes conversations with his teacher. In the very first poem he says “I write the string-of-smoke thing down real fast./ Ms. Marcus says We’ll worry about line breaks later” (2). We see Lonnie’s talent for imagery and metaphor, yet room for thought in poetic form. In this way Locomotion also reads like an introductory course in poetry. From the teaching perspective you’ll want to keep a notebook handy because lesson plan ideas will emerge with each poem. From analyzing line breaks, imagery, word choice, rhythm and even a little rhyme, these free verse poems show how we can jump into poetry at any time and begin working out our own voice and as Paul Valery said so long ago, “A poem is never finished, only abandoned.” This book could be a great introduction to students in demonstrating that poetry (and other writing and literacy) is alive, evolving it grows as we grow and some times we grow from it.

                        The great strength of poetry as an art form is its ability to deal with complex emotions. We could have endless discussion as to weather the poems in this book (or any book) are any good. Another great strength of Locomotion is that it turns the conversation more towards asking if the poems are effective or not. One of the turn offs to poetry is the impression that poems are inaccessible riddles, an inside joke between the author and his/her poem for us to puzzle though, and analyze only to be told by the teacher that the "true" meaning is something entirely different. Instead, Locomotion presents fairly simple language yet connects to complex emotions by showing and not telling what the emotional weight is. The artistry of the book plays heavily on suggesting the emotional connection which is key in understanding other poetry and in writing our own. A good example of Lonnie direct style is in his Poetry Poem:

You don’t just get to write a poem once
You gotta write it once and over and over
until it feels real good to you
And sometimes it does
and sometimes it doesn’t
That’s what’s really great
and really stupid
about poetry.

The ambiguity of what’s “great” and “stupid” in poetry would be a fun discussion of student’s own feelings and examples of great and stupid poetry. Throughout the book Lonnie continues to invite us into his conversation in this way. For Lonnie he just needs to get it on the page. It fits with his character that he’s not to the point where he’s ready to put clear labels on his feelings, he can only describe them. This works well in that we get to understand who Lonnie is while watching him develop as a writer and all the while we’re becoming better readers of him and of poetry. What’s even more impressive is that this doesn’t come across as a gimmick. Woodson maintains such an authentic voice throughout the book that I never thought I was reading her. I always felt that I was reading Lonnie.

Genre of Catalog: Verse Novel, Free verse poetry, Realistic Fiction, Awards: Maud Hart Lovelace Award nominee, 2007-2008.