LSSL 5385 Book Blog- One of Us is Lying

McManus, K. M. (2017). One of Us is Lying. NY: Delacorte Press.


Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper, Nate, and Simon are in detention together because a teacher found phones in their backpacks that according to them, are not theirs. That is just the beginning of a much more sinister mystery. This is the way the novel One of Us is Lying begins.

Early in the story, Simon mysteriously and dramatically dies right in the middle of detention from an assumed peanut allergy. Knowing about his peanut allergy and the police finding traces of peanuts in his water, the suspicion immediately falls on the others. They are all quite different people in every way, and although not connected to each other, all may have a motive to kill Simon. Simon likes to gossip and spread rumors via an app used and read by many students at Bayview High School.

As the police investigation zeros in on the group, they are forced to work together to find real answers. When the accusations begin to fly, evidence is found, and arrests are finally made, the story will climax in a revelation that the reader won’t see coming.

According to Hainghurst’s Theories of Developmental Tasks, readers in this range are developing more mature relationships with people of the same age, along with developing values and morals that ultimately guide their behavior. In a time where social status is everything, this novel highlights the consequences of spreading rumors. As we have seen in the news, quite a bit over the years, it can even lead to death. McManus does a great job laying out details in a way that keeps the reader guessing. I couldn't put this book down because I thrive on figuring out the answers before the author tells me. I couldn't do it with this one! Who doesn’t love a good mystery and surprising ending? This book would be suitable for upper middle school and high school readers.

**NYT Bestseller 2017


https://twitter.com/writerkmc?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor- Karen McMnaus' Twitter Page

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LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Eleanor and Park

Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor and Park. NY: St. Martin’s Griffin.


Eleanor & Park is the story of two teenagers who are sharing their first love together. They live in middle America, Nebraska, set in the 1980's. Eleanor is the new girl and comes from a broken home complete with an alcoholic step-father who abuses her mother and she lives in poverty, in a tiny home with her four siblings. She is a little heavier than your average teen girl and wears men’s clothes making her sort of an outcast.

Park Sheridan, on the other hand, has a more stable home life, yet not without troubles of his own. He is half-Korean, loves music, and comic books. He is different from his father and doesn't feel accepted at home. He is a bit of a wallflower himself living in a mostly Caucasian city. One day after offering Eleanor a seat on the bus, and after many long silent bus rides together, they strike up a friendship.

While the two characters are very different, their friendship develops into much more and they begin to fall in love, longing for their time together. Eleanor will use Park’s house and his family to help escape her days at home, but once her relationship is found out, she becomes terrified at the thought of her stepfather’s wrath. With the help of Park, she escapes to Minnesota to live with an uncle, which will possibly be the end of their relationship. Although Park writes many letters to Eleanor they go unanswered and he is forced to move on with his own life, until one day he receives a postcard with only three words written on it, but the three words mean everything.

This novel is written in the first-person point of view but in a dual narrative format. Using this format allows the reader to get a more detailed view of the character’s thoughts and feelings. It would also lend itself easily to a lesson on point of view. Several of Havighurst’s Theories of Developmental Tasks are evident in this story including acceptance of one’s physical changes, more mature with members of the opposite sex, and the struggles with parents. This story is beautifully written, and you can feel the anguish as Eleanor and Park experience love and loss. The language and themes in this story make it best suited for the upper range of young adult readers.


**2014 Printz Honor Book

https://us.macmillan.com/static/eleanorandpark/pdfs/Eleanor%20&%20Park%20Reading%20Group%20Questions.pdf – Book Discussion Guide

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LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Please Ignore Vera Dietz

King, A. S. (2010). Please Ignore Vera Dietz. NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Vera is going through a tumultuous time in her teenage life, in more ways than one. She is being haunted by the ghost of her former best friend, Charlie, who died after a fire at the local pet store in town. She is also a closet alcoholic, having trouble dealing with the secrets she knows about Charlie and the fire.

Growing up, Vera and Charlie were inseparable best friends. Charlie suffered from an abusive home life, and found solace in his friendship with Vera. They spent a lot of time in a treehouse they built together, and were as close as friends could be, until Charlie fell in with the wrong crowd. Vera was scared for Charlie when he got wrapped up in selling his underwear to a local pervert.
Once Charlie met a new girl named Jenny Flick, she began to drive a wedge between the two by spreading awful rumors about Vera and her family and also lied to Charlie about her.

Vera finds out later from the ghost of Charlie and letters who actually burned down the pet store. Soon, she goes to the police about what she knows and comes to terms with the death of her best friend. She begins to reconcile her problems by going on a road trip with her father, and lets herself move on with her own life.

Many of the issues that Vera faced are relatable to readers. She is torn between doing what is right, and  what feels right at the moment. A clear example of Havighurst’s Theory of Developmental Tasks is the lack of communication between Vera and her father. During this age, kids start to seek emotional independence from their parents. The topics of alcoholism and death in this story would be most appropriate for high school readers.

**Required YA author


Books with similar themes:

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes  ISBN 978-0060094898
The Perks of Being a Walflower   ISBN 978-1451696196


https://www.as-king.com/ - Author's Webpage

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LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Stick

Smith, A. (2011). Stick. NY: SPEAK/Penguin Group.

Stark "Stick" McClellan and his brother struggle through everyday life. Stick is a thirteen-year-old boy who was born with one ear, under an abusive and often cruel, militant father and mother. His older brother, Bosten, is unable to be open about his sexuality in fear of his parent’s wrath. Although Stick is abused at home and bullied at school for his deformity, he has the love of his brother and his one best friend, Emily who he also loves very much.

Once his parents discover that Bosten is gay, their physical and mental cruelty begins to take its toll. After a severe beating at the hands of his father, Bosten leaves home for their Aunt Dahlia’s house in California. Stick eventually follows Bosten and the book turns from an interpersonal drama to more of an adventure. Along the way, he meets people who are good, bad, and indifferent to him, but he holds out hope for love and finding his brother. In the end, Stick is able to reunite with his brother and they never look back.

The first-person narrative gives the reader an in depth look at Stick and what he and his brother were forced to endure at the hands of their parents. We also see the unconditional love as Stick goes in search of his brother. This novel covers a wide range of topics ranging from family abuse, homosexuality, depression,  and acceptance. However, the most heartfelt theme is brotherly love.

Stick’s mental struggle to accept his physical deformation fits into Havighurst’s Theories of Developmental Tasks. In addition, the dysfunctional relationship between the boys and their parents matches up perfectly with this age group. Stick’s feelings toward Emily are to be expected as readers in this phase of development establish more mature relationships with people of the opposite sex. With so many sensitive topics addressed, I think this book is most appropriate for eighth grade through high school readers.


**Required YA author


Additional Resources:

http://ghostmedicine.blogspot.com/ - Author’s Blog
http://www.authorandrewsmith.com/Author_Andrew_Smith/Home.html - Author’s Website

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LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Diary of a Tokyo Teen

Inzer, C. (2016). Diary of a Tokyo Teen: A Japanese-American Girl Travels to the Land of Trendy Fashion, High-Tech Toilets, and Maid Cafes. VT: Tuttle Publishing


This graphic novel is part autobiography, part scrapbook, and part comic book. It revolves around the author and her account of her trip to her homeland of Japan. Inzer tells the story, which is sort of more like a guide book, from the point of view of a tourist, even though she spent her first years in Tokyo before moving to America at age six. 

Inzer shows us plenty of illustrations coupled with actual photography. The youthful depictions add an extra layer of light-hearted comedy to the moments within. From her family members descriptions to the trendy people she encounters at the Kashiwa Station, the food and customs of Tokyo, and her account of her interaction with the deer in Nara, you are given a very real feeling of being in these moments. This novel is a great read for anyone interested in travel, Japanese culture, or even Manga and comic book style drawing.

This detailed memoir incorporated Inzer’s hand written drawings and photographs which created a first-hand experience for me as a reader. You could see the shock as she re-entered a world she was once a part of.  Even though she came from Japan, she is all American. Readers that immigrated to America would relate with Inzer because she is kind of caught between two worlds. I don’t have a huge connection with this tale, but I can relate to feeling lost within an unfamiliar culture. Where I am from is completely different from where I now live. I remember feeling overwhelmed when I first moved here because nothing felt familiar. The graphic novel makes this book an enjoyable read for everyone in the YA category.

**YALSA Required List – 2017 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers


Books similar to Diary of a Tokyo Teen:

A Geek in Japan ISBN 978-4805311295
My Awesome Japan Adventure ISBN 978-4805312162

http://christinemari.com/   -Author’s Website

LSSL 5385 Book Blog- The Crossover

Alexander, K. (2014). The Crossover. MA: HMH Books for Young Readers.

The Crossover is an award winning book by Kwame Alexander about brothers whose passion for basketball takes different paths, as they enter junior high school. Josh (Filthy) and Jordan (JB) are twins who both share a love of basketball and have a father who at one time was a European League and Olympic Basketball player. Now a stay-at-home dad, he missed his opportunity due to needing a surgery and a fear of doctors. Their mother is an assistant principal at their school. Josh loves the game of basketball and hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps, while his brother is not as dedicated to as Josh.

The first sign of change in Josh’s life is when JB finds a girlfriend and begins spending more of his time with her than with his family. Josh’s feelings of isolation from his brother, mixed with jealousy, eventually turn to anger. While the distance grows between the brothers, an incident on the court causes Josh to be suspended from playing basketball, which causes great animosity between the two of them. Their father also begins to develop health problems, leading to two heart attacks and finally a third that kills him. This sends Josh into a depression and takes the joy from his life.
In time, the two brothers learn to lean on each other to cope with their problems. They are brought back together, and the divide between them begins to heal. They realize the importance of having family and each other.

Written in verse, this story is a personal account of Josh’s experiences in his life. The theme of family, jealously, and loss are recognizable to most readers. During this age, readers are considering their future careers and seeking emotional independence. The changing relationship between the brothers also fits in with contemporary issues readers face. The Crossover is appropriate for all YA readers. I can relate to the struggling relationship between Josh and JB because my older sister and I had similar issues through middle school and high school. I think everyone can get something out of it.  Even if you are not a basketball fan, this book is about more than that. It’s about the unconditional love of family.


**2015 Quick Pick Top 10


If you liked The Crossover, try:

The Red Pencil   ISBN 978-0316247825
Almost Alive, Volume 1 ISBN 978-0615792965

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LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Code Name Verity

Wein, E. (2012). Code Name Verity. NY: Disney-Hyperion Books.

Code Name Verity is a historical novel for young adult readers. It is a type of dual-narrative, written in two parts and the story of two women, Maddie Brodatt and Julie Beaufort-Stuart. It’s a story about friendship, set amongst the backdrop of World War II.

Julie (AKA Queenie, code name Verity) is a prisoner of war in Germany, after the plane they were in was shot down. She is found to be a spy for the allies, and the Germans torture her to find out intelligence. She thinks Maddie (code name Kittyhawk) died in the crash, but she escaped and is living in hiding in France. As Julie writes her confession, masked as the story of her friendship with Maddie, she is able to stave off her own torture, six week "experimentation," and subsequent execution. After crashing in France, Maddie joined a resistance group called "Damask," and they help hide her by giving her a false identity. In an unforeseen twist of events, a rescue attempt by "Damask" goes awry and Maddie ends up shooting Julie to save her from torture by the Nazis.

                

After acquiring the papers written by Julie from an inside source, Maddie realizes it’s all a farce, hidden in the true story of their friendship, and it hides a code which she begins to decipher. It helps lead them on a mission which allows them to carry out Julie’s original orders to destroy the headquarters of the Gestapo. The book ends with Maddie sending Julies letters to her mother. She responds by writing and relieving Maddie of her guilt.

This book was an emotional read. You can’t help but feel connected to the characters and their story. This book is well suited for all age ranges in the YA category. There are some themes such as death and torture, which might be uncomfortable, but it is not so much to make it inappropriate. Other more prominent themes are friendship and justice. Fitting in with Havinghurst’s Developmental Tasks, this book incorporates ideas such as developing a set of values that guides behavior. 

** Top Ten Best Fiction YA 2013

Discussion Guide:

http://books.disney.com/content/uploads/2013/11/CodeNameVerity-DG-2013-%C2%A6%C3%86.pdf

Book Trailer