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2002 Summer Picks

I don't know about you, but I'm counting down the days: summer's almost here. No more snooze button, two months without pantyhose, and no late homework excuses...

Paradise.

And, if you're like me, your plans include a reading list. It's a perfect time to get caught up on some of the wonderful YA books out there.

Adventure

If you loved Gary Paulsen's Newberry honor book Hatchet, you have to read Brian's Winter. It's the 'real' sequel that a lot of people missed, about what would've happened if Brian hadn't been rescued in the first novel. In it are incredible scenes of survival during harsh winter conditions, of suspenseful encounters with wildlife, even a peculiar friendship that develops with a skunk...

But if you're tired of the cold and want to escape someplace warm, travel to the Grand Canyon in Will Hobb's Downriver. Follow the story of Jessie and four others enrolled in an adventure program. The problems start when they steal the rafts they're supposed to take down the Colorado River and hit the whitewater on their own. River Thunder is its sequel.

YA Autobiography

If you're looking for true adventure, a great autobiography is Mark Pfetzer's Within Reach: My Everest Story. Mark chronicles his dream of climbing: describing the training and travel, hard work and sacrifices he made to reach his goal. You'll climb along with him in May of 1996 to where, huddling in his tent at 26,000 feet, he waits his turn to summit Everest. Eight people died on the mountain that year -- and Mark was there.

Two more not-to-be-missed autobiographies include Walter Dean Myer's latest book Bad Boy and Melba Pattillo Beals' Warriors Don't Cry. Bad Boy chronicles Myer's life growing up in Harlem in the '40s and '50s, describing the battle between his love of reading and his need to be accepted on the 'street'. Walter Dean Myers has written dozens of books (Monster won the 2000 Printz Award) and this autobiography gives his readership a wonderful glimpse into his life and that time period.

Similarly, Warriors Don't Cry takes you back to 1957, three years after the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education ruling. You'll follow the story of Melba Pattillo, one of the 'Little Rock 9', as she dares to walk the halls and enter the classrooms of Central High School. Incredibly powerful, Warriors documents the triumphs of these true teen heroes over racism and discrimination. (There are two editions of this book: I love the adult version, but use the abridged young reader's edition with my kids.)

Topical and Theme Centered

If you're still in the mood for gritty reality, but want a dash of fiction thrown back in, check out Chris Crutcher's latest novel Whale Talk -- a sometimes humorous, sometimes serious look at race, violence and the very real human need for acceptance and forgiveness. Protagonist T.J. Jones is a mixture of black, Japanese and white cultures and says he looks like "Tiger Woods on steroids". Whale Talk is classic Crutcher: very real characters in very compelling situations.

Adam Rapp's The Buffalo Tree is another very 'real' story. Sura is shipped off to a detention center for stealing. There he meets his patchmate Coly Jo and together they have to protect themselves and each other from a dangerously corrupt system. Heavy hitting and powerful, The Buffalo Tree is one of my absolute favorites.

Another wonderful book written by Margaret Peterson Haddix is Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey. Tish Bonner is assigned to keep a journal for her English class with the teacher's promise not to read any entries marked 'Do not read'. Tish takes her up on that, pouring her dissolving home life onto the page, keeping it private until she's ready. That's the problem -- will she get the help she needs before it's too late?

And check out Virginia Euwer Wolff's companion books Make Lemonade and True Believer (winner of the 2002 National Book Award). Both are written in free verse and tell the ongoing story of LaVaughn who is struggling to overcome poverty to achieve her dream of college. The people she meets in both books are unforgettable and the writing is truly beautiful. After finishing them, you too will want to "rise to the occasion which is life."

Humor

But not everything needs to be heavy -- it is summer, after all. For some hearty chuckles, enjoy Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. Bookmark the glossary to help translate the British sayings; it's as funny as the book itself. Georgia's diary is the YA version of Bridget Jones', only funnier. Even if none of your students ever pick this up, (although many of mine really loved it) you still need to read this book. Consider it a reward for working so hard all year.

You want more?

Check out the American Library Association's web site: www.ala.org. There you'll find links to the winners and honor books for the Printz Award (YA), the Newberry (mid-grades), the Coretta Scott King Award (for African-American writers) and the Pura Belpre Award (for Latino writers).

The last word...

Just in case you'd rather be seen with a grown up book while you're at the beach, I have to mention two more, then -- I swear -- I'll stop.

For history buffs craving adventure, check out Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea. This true tale sparked the writing of Moby Dick and is about the sinking of the whaleship Essex in 1819. This book garnered a National Book Award for good reason: the writing is brilliant, the story unforgettable, and the history fascinating.

And for your funny bone, Dave Egger's Pulitzer Prize winning finalist, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I can't even begin to describe this book, so I won't try. Just don't let this book go unread.

'Nough said.

Alternative Network Journal May 2002 Page 24-25

All speeches and articles are copyrighted by, and are the property of, Laurie Thurston, and may not be reprinted without permission of the author.