9. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Kwok, Jean. Girl in Translation. Riverhead Trade. 2011

Annotation: In this coming-of-age story Kim and her mother leave Hong Kong and move to New York to seek a better life in America. But life is not easy for them as their Aunt Paula has them living in an apartment that should be condemned and working nearly as slaves – both to Aunt Paula’s benefit. During this transition Kim is in 6th grade and the story closely follows her through high school and ends with a twelve year jump forward which shows how the difficult choices Kim has made have affected her life. Through this story we learn a lot about Chinese culture, what it might be like to have to assimilate into American culture, the weariness of poverty and the difficulty of balancing personal success with personal happiness.

Justification for Nomination: Girl in Translation is an exceptional book in two ways. First in how it immerses the reader into the experience of American immigration and secondly in how it intimately shares the experience of the coming-of-age of Kim, our protagonist. I’m always impressed by a story that can authentically depict the perspective of a different culture. As a white, middle-aged, male American who knows only a little of the Chinese American immigration experience I found much to learn and sympathize with in this story. Although racially and culturally I’m quite different from Kim, her descriptions of living in a squalid apartment in Brooklyn and working in a Chinatown sweatshop reveled a world which I’d only seen glimpses of during my own sojourn in New York. Although this created a distinct and personal connection for me I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know what life is like for many people in New York ghettos. In particular are the descriptions of the sweat-shop work Kim and her mother must do for much of the book. These scenes are palpable enough that you can almost smell the steam of the clothing presses but they also draw attention to the appalling fact that American immigrants continue to be subjected to a life that has little real difference from slavery. Readers with an interest in human rights, equal opportunity, immigration reform and other reformative actions would find Kim and her mother’s experience to be exemplary of those issues.
The cultural relevance of this story is greatest strength. In reading, we learn about Chinese customs and holidays and we also get a reaction to American custom from a very different perspective. Most engaging though are the Chinese sayings that populate the book such as “If you’re straight as an arrow you’ll have to beg for a living,” meaning that if you’re too honest it can be a detriment too.
In similar fashion Kwok does a good job of creating empathy for Kim through her  perspective. Told in the first person we are always surrounded by Kim’s thoughts. She’s a motivated person who sees education as the real means of her family’s social ascension. Moving to the United States is basically a lateral move for Kim and her mother, leaving Hong Kong for a better opportunity in New York actually is only a move to a vermin infested dump of an apartment and day-long garment work that barely pays the bills. Barriers of culture and language, fears of racism and their tyrant boss/landlord who is Kim’s Aunt Peg all stand in the way of progress for Kim’s mother. Kim though sees hope in education and this is the foundation for her character. Her focus on school allows her to set high goals for herself and her outstanding grades get her on a path of scholarship at Harrison Prep High School which in turn leads to her acceptance to Yale. All the while though Kim also plays a key domestic role as many children of non-English speaking parents do and it is Kim who finds a way out of their aunt’s traps to get a better job for her mom and a good apartment for both of them. For readers who enjoy self-determined characters will find a lot to appreciate in Kim.
Kim’s self-determination is also what brings this book into Alex Award territory. As the title implies Kim is growing up between two cultures. She wants to fit in with her white, prep-school American friends but this clashes with her poverty and culture in many ways that become commentary on both American and Chinese cultures. At times she may seem like a goody-goody, too easily navigating her way past drugs, alcohol and sexual urges (for the most part). But this likely stems from her sense of duty as a respectful Chinese daughter and there are times that she acts out of self interest. What’s interesting here though is that these somewhat selfish and thoughtless acts are signs of developing maturity and independence in Kim. This stands in stark contrast to many other characters of this age who’s selfishness pits them as frustratingly childish and emotionally vapid. The development in Kim’s maturity ultimately leads her to a situation where she must choose between the future she’s worked so hard for and an accidental pregnancy she finds herself in. The question of abortion is presented in this book as a skillfully balanced moral dilemma sure to embroil both sides of the abortion debate. But that’s what brings this discussion to an adult level because her situation is not present melodramatically. Her situation puts this pregnancy as the surprise stumbling block that could undo a lifetime of work and put her in and mother right back into the ghetto for the rest of their lives.
Although the issue of abortion avoids melodrama the weakness of the novel is that there are several scenes that are written with heightened suspense and/or drama which often are inconsequential side notes that do little to develop character, theme or plot. This happens several times with the character of Annette, Kim’s best friend. Although seeing Annette jump from being boy crazy one minute to developing communist sympathy the next shows how she is changing through her studies, these exploits are also fairly fruitless. This is a 320 page book and doesn’t need any padding. These scenes become sinkholes of anti-climax that the editor should have caught, yet, this is nowhere close to spoiling the book overall.

Genre of Catalog: Coming of age, Multicultural, Chinese, Based on true events, Fictional Memoir, Immigration tale, Winner 2011 Alex award.

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

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2009.

Reasons that this book was banned:

http://www.abffe.org/bbw-booklist-detailed.htm
In 2008, school officials in Crook County, OR, removed the book from ninth grade English classes at Crook County High School after one parent complained about a passage that discussed masturbation. The Kids Right to Read Project sent a letter to the Crook County superintendent and the school board, offering resources and support to school officials who objected to the book’s removal. The superintendent removed the book in violation of district policy, but a committee review board voted to reinstate it. While the book was returned to the library, it was suspended from classroom use while the superintendent, school board, and a committee reviewed the district’s policy on instructional materials. 

In April 2010, the Stockton (MO) School District voted to ban the book after a parent protested its use in high school English classes. The District says it voted to ban the book due to violence, language and some sexual content.

Annotation: Arnold “Junior” Spirit takes the opportunity to leave his reservation to go to the rich white school in Reardan. In doing so tests his friendship with his best friend, a boy named Rowdy who feels Junior has turned his back on him. At Reardan, Junior deals with the mixed emotions of being well accepted into this new, white, rich world and wonders himself if he’s not some kind of traitor.

Justification for Nomination: This book is hilarious. The voice of Junior, our protagonist, is spot-on as a 14-year-old who survived Hydrocephalus as a baby to grow into a stuttering, skinny, glasses wearing, Native American boy who loves to draw cartoons. He’s exceptional in many ways from his ability to launch into geometry problems with ease to being able to reflect on his life and relationships through the cartoons he draws (and which are “reproduced” in the book). He takes his awkwardness in stride and though never forgetting it or even completely growing out of it, he becomes comfortable with who he is and popular for that quality. What’s so great about this old lesson about appreciating yourself for who you are is that it develops so naturally and realistically that it’s not a lesson so much as it’s simply felt.
As mentioned the book includes many drawings that are supposed to be from our narrator. This not only gives us another level of insight into Junior and a means to specifically see the faces of important people in Junior’s life it’s a great way to break up the page. I don’t think this would have been a slow-paced book without the drawings but including them really makes this a page-turner and so would be excellent for engaging reluctant readers.
With virtuoso skill the comedy of the story takes us into issues of poverty and racism related to reservation life. Some tinges of pain are felt such as when he laments that the only glasses available to him seem to be retooled adults glasses with ugly black rims. Yet he also says with pride that being hungry isn’t so bad because it makes food taste better. Similarly issues of alcoholism are managed with funny lines from his father claiming his only an alcoholic when he’s drunk to a much more serious situation that claims the life of his sister. Yet throughout these tragedies it’s Junior humor that becomes a life preserver for him. This doesn’t come across as crass or unfeeling but realistic. It made me remember times in my own life where I could as easily laugh as cry because I was so helpless to do anything about it.
As to the issue of this book’s removal from the aforementioned school the scene that probably got the school’s attention most is where Junior tells us he likes geometry to the point that it makes him feel hormonal. He connects this to the curves he sees on girls particularly those he studies in magazines in the bathroom. He then unabashedly announces:

Yep, that’s right, I admit that I masturbate.

I’m proud of it.

I’m good at it.

I’m ambidextrous.

If there were a Professional Masturbators League, I’d get drafted number one and make millions of dollars.

And maybe you’re thinking, “Well you really shouldn’t be talking about masturbation in public.”

Well, tough, I‘m going to talk about it because EVERYBODY does it. And EVERYBODY likes it.

And if God hadn’t wanted us to masturbate,. then God wouldn’t’ have given us thumbs.

So I thank God for my thumbs. (25-6)

But consider the context, the opening of the book is a story of birth defects, poverty, alcoholism and racism. This is a boy fighting against so many social stigmas from being Native American to having a stutter or wearing glasses. He cherishes moments of escape which are only had through drawing cartoons. So here he suddenly takes a stand on something that’s natural and to him bestowed by God, not condemned by God. But what I think might really make adults nervous is the line, “EVERYBODY does it. And EVERYBODY likes it.” This flies directly into the Victorian sensibilities that hide the legs of chairs behind skirting as to prevent sexual thoughts towards our furniture. Maybe we're nervous because we remember how curious we were about sex when we were 14 and how we too may have saw photos or read about masturbation in a book and…hey wait a minute.

Now is this appropriate for public conversation as stated by Junior? Well that could lead to some interesting discussion about our own views on sexuality and what’s on public display in the media all the time. Would it have to be a direct discussion as to whether we should masturbate or not? It’s certainly not a discussion I’d rush to with a class. But that’s what makes controversy such great fodder for debate. It reveals the concerns of each of us.

Genre of Catalog: Native American, Fiction, Based on True Events.

7. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Book 1)

Brashares, Ann. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Book 1). Dell Books for Young Readers. 2005.

Annotation: Four 15 year old girls trade a pair of thrift store jeans via mail while on seperate summer vacations that span the globe. Striveing for experiances that are pants worthy they attempt to break out of thier old routines and meet the horizon of adulthood head on to find that in the end there's reality to deal with.

Justification for Nomination: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants containes exotic locations, fantastic aspirations and relationships with friends, family and some sexual relationships as well. Traveling Pants jumps back and forth between the four separate summer vacations of Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bridget. These four girls claim to be best friends since coming together pre-natally at their mothers’ Lamaze classes. Throughout the story they’re all 15 years old and Lena and Bridget are the ones who have to do battle with the sexual tensions in the book while Lena faces off with her father and his new fiancé and Tibby befriends a young girl with cancer. The variation in conflicts provides a little something for everyone a sort of literary salad bar where if Bridget’s story isn’t grabbing you, you can just hang on for a couple of pages and you’ll have an entirely different set of concerns. Similarly the settings range from Greece, Baja, South Carolina, and Bethesda where they live (and where Tibby spends her summer working at Walman’s) which also adds to a lot of variety.

Traveling Pants does a nice job of turning romantic cliche's on thier ears. What I think separates the craft from the pulp in writing is being able to use the conventions of genre to surprise and challenge the reader and Traveling Pants does so most effectively though the character of Tibby. Tibby’s relationship with Bailey starts out as awkward due to the fact that Bailey is four years younger than Tibby, yet there’s a connection between them which is well fleshed out through a documentary project that they work on together. The freshness and emotional risk and awkwardness that comes with a new friendship is natural and sincere and you really feel for them both when Bailey’s health takes a turn and this charming friendship ends all too soon. Although reminiscent of the movie My Girl it also smacks of the movie Love Story yet skillfully avoids seeming clichéd to which Brashares deserves kudos.

At the other end of the traditional romance spectrum there’s Bridget’s adventure in Baja where she stalks and seduces a soccer coach named Eric who is three and a half years her senior. Yet again Brashares does us the favor of avoiding a clichéd fairly tale ending with Eric resenting her and himself for bringing the relationship to a sexual level that is unsupported by any deeper feelings for each other. It was refreshing to see a bit of realism come into play as I was surprised and engaged in a way I wasn’t when it looked like Eric would indeed be a romance novel cliché.

The weakest aspect of the novel may be unfair to state as I read the first book in a series of four but for me there was a significant lack of character development in all of the girls and the experience the girls each go though demands some sort of epiphany or dynamic change. Instead they seem to only act out of self-interest and often it is the people around them that pay the cost of their selfishness. Lena is a good example who’s skinny dipping adventure in Greece leads to her grandfather getting beat up simply because she’s too embarrassed to speak up. My sympathy for Lena: going…going…gone. I had a similar experience with each of the girls in their own unique situations where I found myself saying, “what a B.” and the word wasn’t “Bridget.” Hopefully by book four these girls will develop a sense of conscience, responsibility and modesty before another elderly relative gets beat up. If not, I’m unsure as to why Brashares is putting these girls in situations where they should have such considerations.

Genre of Catalog: Romance, Comedy, Travel

6. The Lock Artist

Hamilton, Steve. The Lock Artist. Minotaur Books. 2011.

Annotation: Mike is a high school boy who experienced a trauma that has left him orphaned and mute (for psychological reasons not physical) which is the main mystery of the novel. Mike’s muteness makes him an outcast until he discovers he has a particular knack for understanding locks. After helping Brian “the house” Houser, who forgets his locker combination, Mike’s life take a turn where he’s recognized and highly admired for his talent but unfortunately this attention comes from those who want access to more than just their gym clothes.

Justification for Rejection: The real strength of this book is in the descriptions of lock-picking. As Mike learns the ins and outs and as he gradually becomes a safe-cracker he describes undoing the locks with great detail almost like a x-ray perspective of the inner workings of the lock in question. For someone with a similar interest this book seems to serve as a how-to guide for picking key locks and deciphering combination locks. This level of detail reminded me of Clive Cussler who also presents technical details while the adventure unfolds. It also has a bit of an air of Elmore Leonard in that it attempts to take you into the world of crime with authenticity.
Mike is a fairly rounded character mostly through his relationship with Amilia who he’s able to also share his talents as a graphic artist with. Mike communicates with Amilia by drawing paneled cartoons and so it’s through this communication that we learn about Mike’s sordid past. Amilia is also the vehicle through which Mike is able to show some caring and compassion. He’d be a very cold character without this relationship. They also become intimate and so we’re able to explore the feelings and concerns of sexuality through their relationship and maybe something sort of like love but not really, Mike’s just too selfish. The other characters are realistic albeit a bit stock especially the farther you get from Mike and Amilia – the more minor the character, the greater the cliché. Amilia’s impossible-to-like, goon of a boyfriend Zeke is a good example.
One aspect about Mike that may be very attractive for teens is that he is very independent. His Uncle Leto adopts him and pretty much let’s Mike do what he wants. In fact after Leto gets Mike a motorcycle, that’s about the last we see of Leto. Plus once Mike gets the attention of a criminal syndicate led by “The Ghost” he’s plunged into a world of adults who almost worship his lock-picking skill and give him all the money and freedom he could want. It’s pretty fantastic but I could see a teen connecting to this because we all hope to be recognized for our talents and respected. Yet this is a bit troublesome too because we’d hope that our students will be recognized and respected for something other than helping thugs steal from other people.
But I do have to give the book credit for not leaving the reader with the impression that everything is okey-dokey at the end of the story. At the beginning of the book Mike tells us he’s relaying this to us while he’s in prison so we know it’s not going to turn out okay. Moreover he doesn’t get the girl or ride of happily ever after. He’s left feeling the weight of all he’s done and it involves the theft of millions of dollars and the death of several of his cohorts. This serves as a cautionary tale and leaves us without the security and comfort of redemption, which is a good move by Hamilton.
The locations are many in this book and you have to wonder if Mike’s little motorcycle could really get him from L.A. to N.Y. to Detroit back and forth about a half a dozen times but I’ll graciously suspend my disbelief. But I won’t forgive the fact that these locations are pretty much just names and as cities they have no distinction from each other to speak of. Also there’s no reason that the events in the story couldn’t have all taken place in any one of these cities.
The real mystery of the novel is how Mike lost his parents and became mute. Although this is what Rosebud was to Citizen Cane - a MacGuffin to prod the plot along - Hamilton makes the mistake of revealing it 3/4 into the book which makes the last 1/4 tedious. Of course there’s the mystery of how he got into jail but – duh – he’s a safe cracker, one might guess that he gets arrested for breaking into a safe and they’d be right. Wow. Yet I will say that the reveal of Mike’s muteness is original and engaging and the event that caused it is truly thrilling and terrifying. It’s just too bad that Hamilton didn’t take the full page from Orson Wells and save the reveal for the very end.
And that brings me to the overall enjoyment of the book and although this book may meet much of the criteria of a YA mystery it’s not one I’d recommend. This book is just simply in need of a confident editor who can get Hamilton to condense this story. Similar to how he drops superfluous locations to add variety Hamilton uses the trick of a fractured plotline that jumps back and forth from Mike learning to become a “boxman” in Detroit to joining his second crew of thieves in L.A. where he’s finally caught. Although this does help with the pacing it also stands out as gimmicky and probably wouldn’t be necessary if Hamilton would have simply condensed. And the area he can condense on is the many descriptions of opening locks. Again this is the greatest strength of the book but after the tenth description that sounds all too similar to the previous nine I found myself skimming a lot. There are many other scenes too that are repetitive such as every time Mike meets someone it’s mandatory that have a discussion starting with, “Gee you really don’t talk do you?” This served its purpose after the first two times but probably happens a dozen times in the book. Characters also suffer similar repetition as Mike goes through not one but two crews of thugs on his rise to becoming the greatest boxman ever. Not only could either one of these crews be swapped for the other nearly every member of either crew could play musical chairs. Hamilton just spreads them all too thin, you don’t get enough time to know any of them let alone care about them. When they start getting shot and/or arrested it completely lacks any impact. So ultimately I could only really recommend this book to someone interested in becoming a locksmith, but then why bother with the superfluous characters, locations and repetitive dialogue? I’d simply recommend a book on locksmithing.

Genre of Catalog: Mystery, thriller, police procedural.