EXTRA CREDIT 1. Speak

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. Douglas and McIntyre Ltd: Canada, 1999.

Annotation: Melinda Sordino: hated by everyone in school, utterly alone, has a dark and horrific secret.

Justification for Nomination: I have never read a book with so much intrigue in my life. I had originally checked this book out because I thought it was one of the nominated books from class. My mistake, I realized too late that it wasn't but was delighted to read it anyway.

"Speak," is the quintessential story of a depressed teen, plunked in the middle of social drama and mean teens. Who hasn't felt like an outcast or uncomfortable in certain high school situations? Laurie Halse Anderson fully deserved her Printz award for the colorful language and incredible characters. This book was fully of so much beauty, art, and sadness. I haven't been this intrigued since I read my own nominated book "Postcards From No Man's Land."

"Speak," is broken up into sections rather than chapters which I found incredibly easier to follow and tempting to continue on in the story. I didn't once feel like I was pushing myself to get through it. The book was wonderfully broken into sections and wasn't annoyingly narrated. I felt a lot of sympathy for Melinda and the gritty material presented made it authentic.

In each scene, the protagonist was always placed in a dramatic situation and kept her eyes to the floor. You could tell there was a reason for her being so "off," therefore it kept you gunning through the book until you hit the end. As a reader you were cheering for this girl to act out or blow up in the end because she suppresses all her emotions yet is so void. It isn't until the powerful climax that you learn why she is so unpopular and traumatized.

This story covers so many contemporary issues that young woman may be feeling. The character locks you into her raw emotions and rocks you from the core. I found "Speak" to be a very inspiring and uplifting story, even though it was depressing at times. I would highly recommend it to many people because it shows the importance of speaking up and having a voice. The author uses manipulation and guilt as conflict and cleverly interweaves it to create a truly clever yet sad story.

10. Twilight

Meyer, Stephenie. Read by Ilyana Kadushin. Twilight. Little Brown and Company: New York, 2005.

Annotation: Clumsy Bella is the new girl in town and has her eye on Edward. There's just one problem, he's a vampire.

Justification for Nomination: This was my first time listening to a book instead of reading it. I will admit that it was sort of relaxing and a new experience but I didn't seem to get as much out of the "Twilight" audio CD than I probably would have reading it.

One thing I noticed with this story was the massive amounts of descriptions and building sexual attraction our heroin Bella has toward Edward. I didn't mind all the description but there was something just "off" about the way things were pronounced by narrator Ilyana Kadushin. I tried with all my might to be open to this new experience but I could never fully become comfortable with the audio and no visual.

I struggled to get through the audio book because I found too many distractions around me. It would have been great if I was a good multi-tasker or kept myself busy while listening, but for a twenty five year old film student I was too antsy. I was waiting to hear the books speaking parts acted out with more intensity or flare. I'm so used to my own visualisations that the experience felt like I had lost one of my major senses. Instead all of the female parts came off tedious and droning. I definitely thought they could have used a younger narrator.

As for the books overall plot points and storyline, I was incredibly intrigued. I'm no stranger to vampire genre and will be the first to admit my interest in its mythology. I grew up an avid fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and of the film version of Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire." Like most YA readers I have an incredible hunger for all of its interpretations. I found Stephenie Meyers own vision distinct and mysterious. She definitely has a skill for keeping the reader (or in my case, listener) intrigued.

A negative critique I had towards the overall story was the lengthy descriptions that dragged a chapter or scene out. I think she has a knack for beautiful descriptions and capturing the "angsty" teenager, but at times it became too much. Maybe I only realized it because I was listening and not reading. Perhaps its an entirely different experience reading the text but the audio CD became too long.

Overall the characters were fully developed and I could see the pull of YA readers toward each one. I found it interesting how Meyer's incorporates mystery, horror and romance but sometimes each portion either came on too strong or not enough.

It took a while to get through some of the set up and reach the climax of the book, but once I was there I was completely satisfied and thirsting for more.

9. The Kite Runner

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Berkley Publishing Group: New York, 2003.

Annotation: Two young boys face life in Afghanistan while dealing with political turmoils, the rise of the Taliban, and a betrayal that will forever lead to regret.

Justification for Nomination: At first read, I questioned whether I had picked the right Alex award winning book because of its graphic nature. The "Kite Runner" presented itself in a gritty and raw presentation that I found hard to believe for YA readers to attach themselves to it. If anything I would have labeled this a pure adult novel due to the sexual connotations, language and descriptions.

I took myself back to my YA years (which doesn't feel that long ago) and questioned whether or not I would have even attempted a book of this magnitude. As I read on I got used to the story, characters, and conflicts. The book was like a culture shock and the further you read in the book the easier the information became.

I found the book beautifully written and narrated. As stated in the "Crossing Over" article by Angelica Beneditti I reasoned on what I would tell a younger reader and it would be similar to what she had heard when she checked out the "The World According to Garp," that you should read this book when you're older. I never assume or doubt a young readers ability to understand such gritty material, but even I can admit to reading books at an older age and realizing that there were just some things that I didn't fully understand. "The Kite Runner" is full of adult material and depending on the readers self knowledge and grade level some subject matters may either confuse them or be simply glossed over.

"Kite Runner," does a phenomenal job blurring the lines between memoir and fiction. At times you felt that the author was telling a life story because of the fine sensory details you read. The emotion from conflict flows naturally and your heart breaks into a million pieces over and over again. It's like riding a bike for the first time. You seem to fall off, or step away from the book but keep coming back to learn more.

Another great aspect of this novel is that the information presented doesn't have an agenda. I often hate when films or books push the facts around so it becomes one sided. "The Kite Runner" shows the reader a different culture and line of events that happened naturally and weren't fudged to the authors transgression.

I was pleased that even though the conflict had dark moments that I didn't automatically turn away from the story because of its unfamiliar setting. It was brilliant because it's a culture some people know little about besides whats on the news and the author wasn't afraid to take you around dark corners or through a forbidden field.

Overall, I would highly recommend this story but I might warn younger readers about its adult conflict. If there were any books that followed almost every bullet point for a good adult book targeted towards YA readers "Kite Runner" would be it. This story develops new relationships with peers, has to accept physical changes of adolescence, prepares for a better life or education, acquires a new system of values/ethics and much more.

8. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Schwartz, Alvin and Stephen Gammell. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Scholastic Inc: New york, 1981.

Annotation: Alvin Schwartz's retelling of classic urban legends and folklore will chill and thrill readers of all ages.

Justification For Nomination: I've voiced my personal attraction to horror in blogs before, so it was only natural to be drawn to this collection of classic Folklore. Alvin Schwartz's collection of "Scary Stories," is a book I remember that never made it into my private Lutheran middle school library, or high school for that matter. There were a lot of horror related books such as "Goosebumps," "Fear Street," or anything by Christopher Pike that I was curious to read but wasn't allowed access too. Perhaps that's why I find them and the horror genre fascinating today.

At a young age, I didn't dare challenge authorities or the rules but a fellow rebellious classmate named Melissa did. She seemed to have a certain curiosity for all the things teachers outlawed which compelled her to check "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" out at the public library. I remember her showing it to other classmates during recess when the teachers weren't around, but I refused to read it. She always had books that weren't "school appropriate" and would secretly smuggle them to other classmates.

It wasn't until this lecture and viewing the ALA's banned/challenged books list that I was reminded of Alvin Schwartz's terrifying tales collection. Of course, as an adult I don't find the stories at all shocking, but to a young reader I could see the nature of the stories too terrifying.

The book is broken down into five chapters. Before entering each chapter there is a two sentence description informing the reader, of the authors purpose. The first chapter includes a story with directions to give your listeners a good "jump scare." The second includes classic ghost stories. The third chapter focuses on various horrors such as witches, corpses and all things scary. Chapter four are moral scary stories that warn you of real life dangers. The last chapter focuses on the dark material that is supposed to make you laugh in the end. Overall the author doesn't hide the danger, horror and violence from these tales which could really tick off a concerned parent.

Even though each story has a violent or terrifying ending, I didn't read anything particularly offensive. I would definitely suggest this book for older readers, but the most terrifying thing about the stories are the black and white sketches included. Illustrator Stephen Gammell has extremely gruesome and disturbing interpretations of each story. Thinking back to those middle school days it wasn't the text I remember most, but the images I quickly viewed as a child that gave me nightmares. If it weren't for the illustrations I can't say the book would be any better or worse but it might cut back some of a YA readers fear.

Since there weren't any central characters or extended plots it's hard to review the book for its story telling device. The thing I most highly claim with this book is its brutal honesty. Alvin Schwartz must have known what demographic he was aiming but didn't keep details from the reader. I respect that he put this information out and managed to keep the stories violent and scary while molding it into his own image. The information wasn't too over the top and filled with blood and guts. It was simplistic and just scary enough to become a cult novel (like it had in my middle school.) "Scary Stories" is filled with hands on activities, jokes and songs to thrill the YA reader instead of scaring them to death, like some films do.

While I highly recommend this book, I also see why parents may ban this from their kids readings list. This story does deal with graphic material but by preventing a reader from reading it may only provoke them to getting it themselves in the end.

7. MirrorMask

Gaiman, Neil and Dave McKean. MirrorMask. HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 2005.

Annotation: Helena yearns for an ordinary life, one that is far from her circus performing family but when she is jolted into an unfamiliar and magical world she thinks twice about the life she once had.

Justification For Nomination: Cruising through the YA reading I stumbled upon this gem and debated whether it was considered a children's book and was misplaced from the children's section. I checked in with the librarian on duty so I wouldn't mistake the reading and found that was in deed considered teen reading, due to some disturbing images. This made the intrigue for the story and visuals even more appealing to me.

The style the books was written in, reads like a picture book but zig-zags and swirls across the page and around the visual art work presented. Presented through Helena's voice the text comes off slightly angsty yet proper and poetic. Author, Neil Gaiman, proves he is no stranger to bizarre and wonderfully descriptive worlds. "Coraline," one of his earlier works, uses a similar plot of a girl that doesn't quite fit in who is transported to a strange and dangerous world. Both stories intertwine internal and outer conflict resulting with a final decision and showdown with the protagonist and evil force that wants them.

The setting of Mirrormask and the characters were brilliantly and carefully created. Even without the illustrations and visuals my mind was set free to interpret each unique vision to my own hearts desire. Usually the trouble with fantasy is creating an entirely different universe, but both writer Neil Gaiman and illustrator Dave McKean did a phenomenal job getting their visions across.

Mixed with a few still shots and original sketches, the tone of the book really took this simple story to a dark place. Through Helena's journey she is faced with disturbing, vial, creatures and at one point is consumed with darkness. The idea of good/light and bad/dark is played to its advantage in this book and you really see the internal battle between the two.

Another reason this book works so well is the sense of empowerment that Helena takes on. In her old life she is constantly answering to others while in this new one she is her own boss. The new problems she faces in this other reality is the conflict of being replaced in the old one or a sense of abandonment. Similar to "Alice in Wonderland" or "The Wizard of Oz," our protagonist finds the old world more to her liking and reveals the unsuspected horror and race to find a way home.

In the end, MirrorMask is a great run-away, fantasy tale that carries itself with its strong multi-dimensional plot line and twisted imagery. The characters are well written, the style and formatting of the text fits with the madness of every situation and the descriptions are literally out of this world. I highly recommend it to all ages, even the most daring of children.

6. The Babysitter

Stine, R.L. The Babysitter. Scholastic Inc: New York, 1989.

Annotation: Jenny's always hesitated taking on her new babysitting job, but combined with her paranoia and one too many suspicious phone calls the terror has just begun.

Justification for Nomination: Being an avid fan of suspense and having a particular love for horror "The Babysitter" by R.L Stine took a classic fright of a defenseless babysitter and pitted it against a drafty house, a manic stalker, and loads of suspense.

One thing I've always respected about R.L Stine is that fact that the man sometimes lifts certain stories/plots that we've all heard before and adds his own supernatural or suspenseful plot line to make it shiny and new again. His story "The Babysitter" for example is his own creation with colorful characters and sensory surroundings but uses a plot line similar to "The Babysitter" an urban legend, about an innocent teenage babysitter harassed by menacing phone calls only to find out that they are originating from inside the house.

A film example using the same plot device is 1979's "When a Stranger Calls" released ten years before Stine's "Babysitter" and following a lonely babysitter harassed and stalked while inside an eerie house. So as you can see this plot isn't exactly fresh material but as the past has shown with its successors, it makes for a great story.

Stine's toned down violence and YA version of the story remains suspenseful without becoming explicit. As you read the details and thoughts inside Jenny (our protagonist's) over indulgent mind you start to become one with her and see or hear things that don't exist. The beauty of "The Babysitter" is that when the protagonist's paranoia sets in the reader isn't sure if what she's describing is real or is imaginary. Each chapter ends with a suspenseful mark forcing you to push on in the story and find out the truth or violent end to its means.

The only negativity I would slap with R.L Stine is that he becomes so invested in his heroin and doesn't give the reader much time to get to know anyone else. He does such a good job getting into the main characters voice and her teenage curiosities and angst that we are shown mere glimpses of the supporting cast. The beauty of all of this is that by doing so, it cast suspicion on friends and even the family that hired her for the babysitting job. Stine reveals the different arch-types such as the geeky yet cute new kid, the sexually active best friend, an overbearing father, and the dark, mysterious stranger but still manages not to make them extremely cliche.

I recommend this book because even when it's not suspenseful, we still get to follow the socially awkward and slightly paranoid protagonist struggling with a mysterious stalker on top of relationships, boys, money and the horror of gym class packed into 167 pages.

Another thing I've always loved about R.L Stine whether it be stand alone stories like "The Babysitter", "Goosebumps" or his series "Fear Street" is that he always has some of the best cover art. If you really go back and research the old cover art for his early book you will see the detailed pictures that show you just enough to jump start your imagination. The cover art for "The Babysitter," as seen above, is worth a thousand words. Not only does it give you a great visual image of Jenny's character but also shows the intensity within a scene. You can see her, but she can't seem to see you, which interplays wonderfully with the theme and plot of this story.

Though "The babysitter" focuses in on more suspense than violence another respectable fact of R.L Stine's YA novels is that he saves the best details for last. You never actually think that he'll incorporate any physical violence or deaths but it all surfaces during the climax of this story. If you've already convinced yourself not to read this story due to its familiar plot, due yourself a favor and check it out, it may surprise you.

5. Street Love

Myers, Walter Dean. Street Love. New York: Amistad and HarperTempest, 2006.

Annotation: Junice and Damian, put an urban twist on a classic star crossed love story that forces them both to evaluate their own lives before entangling themselves into passion.

Justification For Rejection: While "Street Love" does a phenomenal job with its language, poetry and flow the content didn't seem to stick. Instead of the traditional format for a novel Walter Dean Meyers headlines each section or chapter and sets up in verse/poetry format. It wasn't the style that didn't stick, but the quick and fluid story lines that never really panned out.

Each chapter focuses on a scene or character divulging the reader with various information and their inner thoughts. It was interesting to read this style and I was surprised to see how fast the reading became, but the conflict and exposition seemed to be left out. While we get little time to reflect on each characters woes and different backgrounds, it didn't seem to be enough. Maybe reading the book a second time would help, but each chapter started reading like a bunch of words. It was very poetic and again I applaud the style but it felt like a collection of spoken word poems.

I will admit the authenticity was believable, as it follows these characters throughout Harlem and "the street." My original plan for this weeks reading was the book "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers, after reading about it in one of the lectures but then changed my mind when I paged through some of his other selections. I didn't blindly pick "Street Love" because of the title but had randomly read some beautiful passages within it.

After reading the entire thing I will admit that Meyers has a knack for beautiful language and details even within the different format presented. A reason I didn't nominate this book was specifically because of the quote (in evaluating multi-cultural literature) "the best multicultural work creates rich characters with dimension, who, through expert crafting immerse the reader in their experience and tap into something deeply universal."

Meyers didn't leave time for us (the reader) to gain a personal connection with our main characters. Everything was too neatly presented as "these are the characters who are demeaning to women so they are bad," and "this is the passionate polite character who is nice so you should like him." It was almost too easy to pick and choose the protagonist and antagonist. I don't know if it was on purpose but I feel that YA readers would feel belittled even though it contains adult situations.

In the end, I feel my decision was the right one, even when I teetered back and forth. There are parts of the book I found beautiful and perfectly appropriate but the fast paced verse format pushed the story too fast. It left too many questions and little interest into these characters passion for one another. "Street Love" literally read like an outline where a boy and girl are introduced, fall in love, and run away together while dealing with their complicated friends and family, the end.