Choice Book

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas has been hovering at or near the top of The New York Times' Young Adult Hardcover bestseller list for 25 weeks now. It's in my top 5 favorite books for 2017, and is the book I chose to sponsor for HWRHS's summer reading choice list this year. Although, I originally considered picking from the fantasy or science fiction genre as I did last year (The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison), after reading Thomas' book the decision was over. The book sang choose me! choose me!! The story is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and could not be more relevant to our current time. The story and characters immediately draw you in and carry you through the course of a terrible event with insight, heart, and a sprinkle of humor. There was no other book I could choose over this one for the high school choice list. Tomorrow I'll be meeting with 15 of the 30 students who signed up to read the book over the summer. (53 books were sponsored this year.) A second group of 15 students will be meeting with Principal Eric Tracy as he too chose to sponsor Thomas's book. As part of my preparation for the book discussion I put together a read-a-like book list for The Hate U Give, which is shared below. Descriptions are whole or paraphrased from our library catalog. Titles are linked to the catalog.

If you liked THE HATE U GIVE, by Angie Thomas,

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Starr's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her. But what Starr does--or does not--say could destroy her community.

Genre: Realistic; Contemporary
Storyline: Character-driven; Issue-oriented

you might also like:
these Fiction read-a-likes about Racism, Race Relations

Bright Lights, Dark Nights, by Stephen Emond, 2015. Walter Wilcox's first love, Naomi, happens to be African American, so when Walter's policeman father is caught in a racial profiling scandal, the teens' bond and mutual love of the Foo Fighters may not be enough to keep them together through the pressures they face at school, at home, and online.

Allegedly, by Tiffany Jackson, 2017. When Mary, a teenager living in a group home, becomes pregnant, authorities take another look at the crime for which Mary was convicted when she was nine years old.

How It Went Down, by Kekla Magoon, 2014. When 16-year-old Tariq is shot to death, his community is thrown into an uproar because Tariq was black and the shooter is white, and in the aftermath everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events agree.

All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, 2015. When 16-year-old Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. Told through Rashad and Quinn's alternating viewpoints.

Flygirl, by Sherri Smith, 2009.  During World War II, a light-skinned African American girl "passes" for white in order to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

Blackand White, by Paul Volponi, 2005. Two star high school basketball players, one black and one white, experience the justice system differently after committing a crime together and getting caught.

PiecingMe Together, by Renee Watson, 2017. Tired of being singled out at her mostly-white private high school as someone who needs support, Jade would rather participate in the school's amazing Study Abroad program than join Women to Women, a mentor-ship program for at-risk girls.

AmericanStreet, by Ibi Zoboi, 2017.  When Fabiola's mother is detained upon their arrival to the U.S., Fabiola must navigate her loud American cousins, the grittiness of Detroit's west side, a new school, and a surprising romance all on her own.

Fiction read-a-likes that are 
Culturally Diverse, Character Driven, and Issue Oriented

The Lines We Cross, by Randa Abdel-Fattah, 2017.  Basketball enthusiast Michael attends anti-immigration rallies with his parents until a friendship with Mina, a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan, compels him to question his family's politics. Their mutual attraction demands they come to terms with their family's concerns and decide where they stand in the anti-Muslim politics of the time.

 The Radius of Us, by Marie Marquardt, 2017.  After being mugged, 17-year-old Gretchen is still struggling to deal with her fears when she meets Phoenix, an 18-year-old immigrant from El Salvador. Told in alternating voices.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina, 2013.  Informed that a bully she does not know is determined to beat her up Latin American teen Piddy Sanchez struggles to learn more about the father she has never met, until the bully's gang forces her to confront more difficult challenges.

If you liked THE HATE U GIVE, by Angie Thomas,

you might also like these Nonfiction books:

TheyCalled Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group, by Susan Bartoletti, 2010. Uses personal accounts unearthed from oral histories, congressional documents, and diaries, to unveil the creation of the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee, and its spread across the American South. (Narrative Nonfiction)

RacialProfiling: Everyday Inequality, by Alison Behnke, 2017.  An in-depth analysis combining research with personal stories that explores the history, the many manifestations, and the consequences of this form of social injustice.

Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, 2015. Told in a series of essays written as an open letter to his son, Coates confronts America's racial history and details what it has meant and what it means to be black in America. (Memoir)

In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives, by Kenneth Davis, 2016. An examination of American slavery through the true stories of five enslaved people who were considered the property of some of our best-known presidents.

March, Books 1, 2, & 3, by John Lewis, co-written by Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell, 2013-2016. Congressman John Lewis's first-hand account of his lifelong struggle for civil and human rights. (An Autobiography in Graphic Novel format)

Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching: A Young Black Man's Education, by Mychal Smith, 2016. A prominent journalist and contributing writer to The Nation magazine describes his education and the experiences of black masculinity against a backdrop of the Obama administration, the death of Trayvon Martin, the career of LeBron James and other pivotal influences that have shaped race relations in today's America. (Memoir)

The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed,Debated, and Deconstructed, by Shea Serrano, 2015. Serrano examines the history and culture of rap music--from artists' backgrounds to issues of race, the rise of hip-hop, and the struggles among its major players--both personal and professional. Covering East Coast and West Coast, famous rapper feuds, chart toppers, and show stoppers.

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

Did u hear about the rose that grew from a crack
in the concrete?
Proving nature's law wrong it learned 2 walk
without having feet
Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams
it learned 2 breathe fresh air

Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared!

                 --Tupac Amaru Shakur 1971-1996

The Rose That Grew From Concrete, by Tupac Shakur, 1999. A collection of verse by the late hip-hop star Tupac Shakur includes more than 100 poems confronting such wide-ranging topics as poverty, motherhood, Van Gogh, and Mandela. Included are facsimiles of the poems in Shakur's handwriting, with scratch outs and corrections, distinctive spelling, and ideographs (a drawing of an eye for I, etc.).

Top XIII First Quarter Reads

Out of the 41 books I feasted on during the first 3 wintery months of 2014, here are my top of the heap favorites.  If you want a book to take you through spring vacation week, these are just a few choice reads I would hand you. Stop by the library and visit with me if you would like other recommendations. (Descriptions following the book titles are from the Library's online catalog.)  

FANTASY    Our Children's Librarian suggested Revenge of the Witch, to me. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased the rest of the Last Apprentice 13 book series for the teen collection. Delaney's books fit in the fantasy genre but could also be placed in the horror genre due to scary events and dire creatures that appear during the many struggles between good and evil. The most recent book, Fury of the Seventh Son, was just published this month.  Seventh Son, a movie based on the Last Apprentice series, is planned for release February 2015.
Half Bad is urban fantasy, set in England in the present day, and is the first book in a planned trilogy. Besides telling a story about people with magical powers this story is about prejudice.  It is also, at heart, about a boy seeking his father and his place in the world.
It was exciting to finally hold the much anticipated prequel to Throne of Glass in my hands. It did not disappoint.  If you read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, you have to read Assassin's Blade.

Revenge of the Witch, by Joseph Delaney, 2005.  Young Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, starts work as an apprentice for the village spook, whose job is to protect ordinary folk from "ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties."  Book 1 in Last Apprentice series.

Half Bad, by Sally Green, 2014.  In modern-day England, where witches live alongside humans, Nathan, son of a White witch and the most powerful Black witch, must escape captivity before his 17th birthday and receive the gifts that will determine his future.  First book in planned trilogy.

Assassin's Blade: The Throne of Glass novellas, by Sarah Maas, 2014.  In these five prequel novellas to Throne of Glass, feared assassin Celaena embarks on daring missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and avenge tyranny.


HISTORICAL FICTION   These two books are very different in tone.  Northern Light is the darker of the two with a murder mystery at its core.  A Mad, Wicked Folly, you can just tell from the title, is a lighter, frothier historical tale. Both books concern themselves with balancing independent work aspirations with romance and their heroines expected role in society.

Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly, 2003.  In 1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and fiance, takes a job at a summer inn where she discovers the truth about the death of a guest.  Based on a true story.

A Mad, Wicked Folly, by Sharon Biggs Waller, 2014.  In 1909 London, as the world of debutante balls and high society obligations closes in around her, 17-year-old Victoria must figure out just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dream of becoming an artist.


REALISTIC FICTION   Panic is a modern day Hunger Games sort of story about facing fears and taking risks. You may ask yourself as I did, "Where are the people who might be concerned about safety, i.e. parents, teachers, police, etc.?!".  Sex & Violence is a psychologically gripping story that although it has a brutal beginning is sure to keep you turning the page.  Winger, set in a boarding school, is by turns funny and serious.  Violence in various forms is a theme in all three of these stories.

Sex & Violence, by Carrie Mesrobian, 2013.  Sex has always come without consequences for 17-year-old Evan. Until he hooks up with the wrong girl and finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. After an assault that leaves Evan scarred inside and out, he and his father retreat to the family cabin in rural Minnesota—which, ironically, turns out to be the one place where Evan can't escape other people. Including himself.

Panic, by Lauren Oliver, 2014.  A high-stakes competition marks a summer in a small isolated community and compels graduating seniors Heather and Dodge to tap inner strengths while hiding dangerous secrets and forging unexpected alliances.

Winger, by Andrew Smith, 2013.  Two years younger than his classmates at a prestigious boarding school, 14-year-old Ryan grapples with living in the dorm for troublemakers, falling for his female best friend who thinks of him as just a kid, and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team with some of his frightening new dorm-mates.

SCIENCE FICTION   Aliens, cyborgs, and video game characters people these futuristic stories in strong feminine roles.

Tin Star, by Cecil Castellucci, 2014. Beaten and left for dead, 14-year-old Tula Bane finds herself abandoned on a space station called Yertina Feray after traveling with the colonist group, Children of the Earth. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

Earth Girl, by Janet Edwards, 2013.  Abandoned on Earth because of her inability to survive on other planets, Jarra crafts a fake background for herself to join a class of norms who are excavating the dangerous ruins of the old cities.  First book in a planned trilogy.



Game Slaves, by Gard Skinner, 2014.  A highly intelligent group of video game enemy non-player characters (NPC) begins to doubt they are merely codes in a machine. Their search for answers leads them to a gruesome discovery.

Cress, by Marissa Meyer, 2014.  Working to overthrow Queen Levana, a fugitive Cinder and her companions search for Rapunzel-like hacker Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood and who has received orders from Levana to foil Cinder's efforts. This is the third book in the Lunar Chronicle series.

NON-FICTION   If you have ever thought you might like to pursue a career in graphic design, or that you would like to improve your skill with creating signs or posters, then this book is the place to start. There are 10 design project exercises included at the end of this informative book, such as creating your personal logo, redesigning a familiar object, and making your own font specimen sheet.

Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design, by Chip Kidd, 2013.  Go, by the award-winning graphic designer Chip Kidd, is an introduction to the ways in which designers communicate their ideas to the world, whether through images, color, text, or placement.

17 Third Quarter-ish Favorites

Here are my top 17 book picks from the 50 I read between July and October.  Out of these, the top two must not miss titles (imo) are Neal Shusterman's lastest book in his Unwind series, which stitches up more adventure with a dark thread of biological engineering horror, and Counting By 7s, by Holly Sloan, a sparkling gem of a story. In August I got hooked on the Forgotten Realms series fantasy books by R.A. Salvatore, thanks to a recommendation from a teen advisory board member.  Give Homeland, the first book in this series a try; it has adventure, battles galore, and intriguing character development. Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas, the sequel to Throne of Glass, arrived at the end of August, which was a squeee moment for me, only now, I again (sigh) must wait for the next book to be published to find out what happens with Celaena.  I am a huge fan of all the Tamora Pierce series so was very excited when her latest book Battle Magic, arrived to continue the story about Winding Circle's ambient magic mages.  Living with Jackie Chan, Pieces, and Rats Saw God, are all realistic fiction on serious topics told with humor from a teenage boy's perspective.  I had not read Jo Knowles, Jumping Off Swings, but after reading Living with Jackie Chan, I had to read that too.  Spirit and Dust is a romping paranormal/mystery road trip featuring ghosts, witches, psychics, and Egyptology.  I was amazed by Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, a well-told biographical narrative by Phillip Hoose, about a girl who ought to be as well known as Rosa Parks.  Relish was delicious graphic format nonfiction, and includes recipes.  If you pick up one of the following to read, let me know what you think.  (Book summaries are from the online catalog, just click on the title to place a hold or to see if the book is on the shelf, i.e. checked in.)

Fantasy

Battle Magic, by Tamora Pierce, 2013.  When messengers arrive in Gyongxe "inviting" Dedicate Initiate Rosethorn and her two young companion mages, Evumeimei and Briar, to court to celebrate the birthday of the Emperor of Yanjing, Rosethorn is eager to go, but Briar suspects that there is an ulterior motive behind the invitation.  (Third book in Circle Reforged series.)

The Bitter Kingdom, by Rae Carson, 2013.  Elisa, a fugitive in her own kingdom, faces great challenges to rescue the man she loves from her enemies, prevent a civil war, and take back her throne but as her magic grows, Elisa discovers the shocking truth about her enemy's ultimate goal.  (Third book in Fire and Thorns trilogy.)

Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas, 2013.  As the royal assassin to an evil king, 18-year-old Celaena Sardothien must decide what she will fight for--survival, love, or the future of a kingdom.  (Sequel to Throne of Glass)



Homeland, by R.A. Salvatore, 1990.  Drizzt the Dark Elf finds adventure, peril, and awesome magical power as he confronts the underground civilization of the evil race of Drow elves. (First book in Forgotten Realms Dark Elf series.)

Shadowfell, by Juliet Marillier, 2013.  Fifteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured, but when she sets out for Shadowfell, a training ground for a rebel group, she meets a mysterious soldier and the Good Folk, who tell her that she, alone, can save Alban. (First book in Shadowfell series.)

Historical Fiction

All The Truth That's In Me, by Julie Berry, 2013. Judith can't speak. But when her close-knit community of Roswell Station is attacked by enemies, Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice.

The Caged Graves, by Dianne K. Salerni, 2013.  Returning to her hometown of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, in 1867 to marry a man she has never met, 17-year-old Verity Boone gets caught up in the mystery surrounding the graves of her mother and aunt and a dangerous hunt for Revolutionary-era gold.

Mystery

Spirit and Dust, by Rosemary Clement-Moore, 2013.   Raised in a family of psychics and witches, teen Daisy Goodnight is happy to help local police solve cold cases but when the FBI seeks her talents, she becomes involved in a mess that even has the spirits terrified.

Realistic Fiction

Counting By 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, 2013.   Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident.

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell, 2013.  Feeling cast off when her best friend outgrows their shared love for a favorite celebrity, Cath, a dedicated fan-fiction writer, struggles to survive on her own in her first year of college while avoiding a surly roommate, bonding with a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words and worrying about her fragile father.

Living with Jackie Chan, by Jo Knowles, 2013.  After moving in with his karate-loving uncle in a different town, Josh struggles with regrets while practicing karate with upstairs neighbor Stella, whom Josh fears will reject him because of her jealous boyfriend and his own checkered past.  (Sequel to Jumping Off Swings.)

Pieces, by Chris Lynch, 2013.  18-year-old Eric deals with the loss of his older brother Duane by meeting three of the seven recipients of Duane's organs a year after his death, and pondering who they are to him, and he to them.

Rats Saw God, by Rob Thomas, 1996.   In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a 100-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from promising student to troubled teen.

NonFiction/Biographies

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip M. Hoose, 2009.   Presents the life of the Alabama teenager who played an integral but little-known role in the Montgomery bus strike of 1955-1956, once by refusing to give up a bus seat, and again, by becoming a plaintiff in the landmark civil rights case against the bus company.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, by Lucy Knisley, 2013.  Presents an illustrated memoir of the author's early life, as she describes key episodes and the foods associated with them, and the life lessons she learned from cooking and eating gourmet meals with her parents and friends.  (Graphic novel format.)

Science Fiction

Rot & Ruin, by Jonathan Maberry, 2010. In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter.  (First book in Benny Imura series.)

Unsouled, by Neal Shusterman, 2013.  After the destruction of the Graveyard, Connor and Lev are on the run, seeking a woman who may be the key to bringing down unwinding forever while Cam, the rewound boy, tries to prove his love for Risa by bringing Proactive Citizenry to its knees.  (Third book in Unwind series.)