Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow

Doctorow, C. (2012). Pirate Cinema. New York: Tor Teen. ISBN 9781604864045 

Plot Summary 

Trent McCauley has one true passion, remixing and editing movies that he has downloaded from the Internet to create his own, new creation.  The new laws in Britain prohibit this, enforcing a three strikes ruling before suspending Internet access to your household for an entire year.  While Trent feels he can avoid this, he does not, bringing the punishment down on his household.  Figuring the best way to circumvent the law banning Internet on his household is to runaway and become homeless, Trent learns of even more strict laws set to arrive at Parliament and vows to fight a system he believes is unjust.

Critical Evaluation 

Much like Little Brother, Pirate Cinema is Doctorow writing about teens espousing their belief in the rights to open source media and Internet freedom.  Though this is fiction, it is also part of Doctorow's efforts to engage young readers in current events and make them more aware of the digital society they inhabit and how new laws and technologies are often at odds.  The villains in Pirate Cinema are media conglomerates threatened by illegal downloads so much so that they want to persecute the very people they should be making in to customers.  While not as explicitly serious as Little Brother, Pirate Cinema is a fine new book from Doctorow that fits in the same thematic arc of his oeuvre. 

Reader's Annotation 

If your life is spent on the Internet, what happens when they take it away and you become a felon?

Author Information 

Realizing the need for authoritative, brief author biographies, Doctorow offers one sentence and one paragraph versions, the latter listed here:

"Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger -- the co-editor of Boing Boing (boingboing.net) and the author of young adult novels like HOMELAND, PIRATE CINEMA and LITTLE BROTHER and novels for adults like RAPTURE OF THE NERDS and MAKERS. He is the former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in London."

In addition, he has made his recent works free under Creative Commons licenses and is exploring the usefulness in making his works available for free.  He is interested in the evolving relationship between traditional media and new ways in which to experience and manipulate that media.  These ideas appear frequently is his recent works.

Genre 

Fiction, contemporary

Curriculum Ties 

Reading and Language Arts, Technology

Booktalking Ideas 

As Trent describe all of the times he uses the Internet in a single day, presumably an exhaustive list.  Then show his fright at the possibility of losing access.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

This book is rated 1090L on the Lexile Range.  It is ideal for ages 15-18.

Challenge Issues
There are some political suggestions, but nothing really offensive here.
 

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly. Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone. As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

After reading Little Brother, I became more interested in Doctorow and his newest book tackles an issue that seems somewhat innocuous, but is revealed to be damning in this always connected world.

References 

About Cory Doctorow. (2013). Cory Doctorow's Craphound.com. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://craphound.com/bio.php

 

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Salinger, J. D. (1951). The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company ISBN 0316769533

 

Plot Summary 

Holden Caufield is a 16-year-old who is set to begin his Christmas break in just a few days.  A series of events involving losing the fencing teams equipment on the subway, fighting his roommate over a girl's reputation, and his not being allowed back at Pensey Prep after the break compel Holden to adventure around New York City not wanting to show up at home before expected.  He meets with teachers, girls he has dated, and several strangers.  Becoming more and more depressed with each encounter, he arrives at home to the delight of his younger sister and seems happy, but things do not end well for Holden.

Critical Evaluation 

This book is frequently cited when discussing modern teenage characters that are angsty and depressed.  Nowhere else is there such a perfect portrayal of adolescent misanthropy, one that teens can easily identify with, even if they don't want to.  The frame of the novel, with Holden admitting to being in a mental facility, colors every interaction he has over the course of the novel, with the reader wondering how this maybe affected his breakdown.  At the end, his supposed happiness is measured by the reader, knowing this is even closer to his breakdown.

Reader's Annotation 

After being expelled, Holden Caufield spends a few days navigating the phonies of New York before attempting to come home.

Author Information 

Jerome David Salinger was born on New Year's Day 1919 in New York City.  He attended a nearby private school as a kid, but being Jewish, felt pressure to fit in and went by "Jerry."  He graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy, and later attended New York University before dropping out and traveling to Vienna to learn about meat-importing at his father's behest only to return a few months later.

Salinger was drafted into the army during World War Two, seeing much combat and meeting Ernest Hemingway, with whom he maintained correspondence.  After returning home, Salinger continued to write stories as he had done for years prior to the war.  He eventually published a handful of short stories and The Catcher in the Rye, after which he became slowly more reclusive until he essentially cut off all public contact for the last several decades of his life.  Salinger passed away quietly in 2010.

Genre 

Fiction, adult title crossover

Curriculum Ties 

Reading and Language Arts

Booktalking Ideas 

As Holden's sister Phoebe, anticipate seeing your brother on the first day of his break and compare expectations to how Holden seems when he arrives.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

The Catcher in the Rye ranked a 790L on the Lexile Range, with teens of all ages showing interest.

Challenge Issues 

Language, sexual situations, homosexuality, and prostitution are all addressed.

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly. Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone. As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

This is the classic adult cross-over title that all other edgy teen books eventually draw comparisons to.  Not including it would be an oversight.

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

Baldwin, J. (1953). Go Tell It on the Mountain. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 0440330076

Plot Summary 

Go Tell It on the Mountain tells the story of John Grimes, and is set in Harlem during 1935.  On this day, he is pressured by his stepfather, a deacon in the local church, to experience a conversion.  John does not take to religion like his abusive stepfather, and is unsure of what to do.  The pain of all the characters in the family is brought to light through side stories, and by the end, in church, John has an experience like he never thought he would.

Critical Evaluation 

Ostensibly about John Grimes, chapters about his elders' pasts lend insight to their pain and motivations.  The church that John cannot understand is a source of strength for his family that has experienced much death, trauma, and racism.  Through this, Baldwin sets up the church as a complicated figure in the life of African Americans during this time of segregation.  John's ultimate conversion seems violent and unwilling, suggesting that he is destined to be a part of the same story.  For a teenager trying to discover who he is, John must struggle with forces beyond his control.

Reader's Annotation 

Religious conversions are not to be taken lightly, especially when your stepfather, the deacon, tells you that its time.

Author Information 

James Baldwin was born in 1924 and died in 1984.  A native to Harlem, New York, much of his work reflects this area.  Many parts from Go Tell It on the Mountain are taken from his early life.  His mother left his father because of his drug abuse when he was very young, marrying a preacher in Harlem with whom she had other children.  Baldwin's stepfather was a tyrant, much like John's.

As he grew older, he discovered he was a homosexual, and not wanting to face the prejudice and danger of being black and gay in 1940s America, he fled to France, where he would live much of his later life.  The religion he had as a young man was renounced, with Baldwin claiming he had no religion, that he was only a writer.

Genre 

Fiction, adult title crossover

Curriculum Ties 

Reading and Language Arts, History-Social Science

Booktalking Ideas 

Travel into the minds of several characters as they are in church, examining how the place makes them feel.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

This book scored a 1030L on the Lexile Range.  It is suitable for ages 15-18.

Challenge Issues 

Racial tensions, physical and verbal abuse, violence, and rape are all addressed.

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly. Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone. As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

This book is very much about adolescence and becoming who you want to be, but there are bigger forces at work, highlighting the difficulty of this time for reasons readers may not be familiar with.  Time Magazine included Go Tell It on the Mountain in its 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005 list, and the Modern Library ranked it 39th of 100 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

References 

Go Tell It on the Mountain (novel). (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Tell_It_on_the_Mountain_(novel)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Andrews, J. (2012). Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. New York: Amulet Books. ISBN 9781419701764

Plot Summary
Greg Gaines blends in to the background so well, that as a senior he has exactly one friend: Earl.  Greg likes this situation as he and Earl spend their time playing video games and experiencing the awkwardness that is high school.  Their favorite pastime is making, or rather re-making, movies by famous auteurs.  This single friend situation is changed when Greg's mom forces him to become friend's with Rebecca, who he has known a long time and who is dying of cancer.

Critical Evaluation 

The book is written from Greg's perspective, with him frequently addressing the reader telling them what they should expect or think.  Readers familiar with unreliable narrators may distrust him, but this confessional is more truthful than one may expect.  For a book with the words "dying girl" in the title, it is surprisingly unsentimental; Rachel is more a part of Greg's story than the focus.  Readers expecting The Fault in Our Stars-style revelations between their relationship will be let down, but one should not expect stories to be the same merely because there are similar elements.  Greg's story is wholly unique, and despite the dark title, very funny.

Reader's Annotation 

Greg Gaines has made an art of blending in an having only one friend, but when his mom demands he befriend the dying girl, its kind of hard to say no.

Author Information 

Jesse Andrews was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but since then he has traveled and lived all over the world, including San Sebastián, Spain; Berlin, Germany; Boston, MA; Brooklyn, NY; and Los Angeles, CA.  He graduated from Harvard and has worked as a screenwriter, musician, travel writer, and hostel receptionist in Germany.  The introduction on his website gives a little information and a little insight into his style:

"Hi. My name is Jesse Andrews. I am the author of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I am also a dog who can type. Specifically, a corgi. I am a corgi who can type intelligible prose. It's sort of incredible that this isn't a bigger story, but whatever. I can do without the publicity" (About me).

Genre 

Fiction, contemporary

Curriculum Ties 

Reading and Language Arts

Booktalking Ideas 

As Greg, brainstorm ideas for a new movie to film and how to go about it.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

This book scores a 850L on the Lexile Range and is suitable for ages 15-18.

Challenge Issues 

Coarse language, death, sexual language, and disease are all addressed.

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly. Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone. As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

This book is sort of the anti-The Fault in Our Stars, and while I loved that book, I feel that this one is a good inclusion to the library.

References 

Abour Me. (2012). Jesse Andrews is Napping Furtively. Retrieved May 5, 2013, from http://jesseandrews.com/bio

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Cohn, R. & Levithan, D. (2008). Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780375846144

Plot Summary 

Nick and Norah have never met, but Tris is Nick's ex-girlfriend, Norah's teenage rival, and the connection between the two.  After Nick plays a show with his bandmates The Jerk Offs, he and Norah spark a conversation that ends with them leaving with some friends to attempt to find a secret show by an elusive band playing in the area.  When Norah sees Tris, she grabs Nick to kiss him, not knowing about their former relationship.  Norah discovers Nick is the architect of the discarded mix CDs she has been listening to and adoring.  Throughout the night, they will continue to confront each other's pasts and insecurities while growing closer together.

Critical Evaluation 

This book takes place over the course of one night, developing in real time as much as possible, mainly following the titular characters.  Their quest to find Where's Fluffy? is punctuated by diversions and obstacles, but the two stick together, forming a relationship in practice before anything is official or stated.  The constantly shifting locales in the search for the band keep the pace quick, and frequent run-ins with different characters let the reader know more about Nick and Norah based on how they react to different people in their lives.  All of this happens very organically and makes for an engaging read.

Reader's Annotation 

Where's Fluffy?  Nick and Norah will spend a crazy night, partly caught up in this question and partly caught up in each other.

Author Information 

Random House provides quick biographies for both authors, summing up their works and accomplishments:
"Rachel Cohn is the highly acclaimed young adult author of Gingerbread, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for Young Adults, and a Publisher’s Weekly and School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, as well as its sequel, Shrimp. She lives in New York City.

David Levithan is the highly acclaimed young adult author of Boy Meets Boy, an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults, An ALA Quick Pick, and a Lamda Literary Award winner, The Realm of Possibility, an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults, and Are We There Yet? He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey."

Genre 

Fiction, contemporary

Curriculum Ties 

Reading & Language Arts

Booktalking Ideas 

As a confused Caroline waking up intoxicated in a strange van, talk about figuring out where you are and how you have good friends like Norah to take care of you.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

This book ranks a 1020L on the Lexile Range.  It is appropriate for and would interest teens aged 15-18.

Challenge Issues

Frequent cursing, sex, homosexuality, and drinking are all addressed.

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly. Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone. As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

I read this book when it was first released, uninitiated with young adult literature.  I was shocked at the subject matter and presentation, but I read it in one sitting.

Almost a Woman by Esmerelda Santiago

Santiago, E. (1999). Almost a Woman. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306820823 

 

Plot Summary 

Almost a Woman follows Santiago's When I Was Puerto Rican.  Santiago is now in New York living in a tenement with her mother, grandmother, and seven siblings.  Her father remained in Puerto Rico, and the conditions that she is living in in New York make her yearn to be back there.  Santiago is accepted into New York's Performing Arts High School, where she is able to express herself, playing the lead of Cleopatra in a play.  This jars with how she spends her time not at school, translating for her mother at all her appointments, including at the welfare office.  Despite not being allowed to date, Santiago asserts herself and sneaks away as she attempts to stake out her own identity.

Critical Evaluation 

Santiago sets up the conflict of a dual identity as she is a Puerto Rican daughter who must help her mother at home and in the city, but she is also a New Yorker, yearning to embrace this new adolescent identity.  She is continually torn between her Puerto Rican heritage and New York sensibilities as she becomes a young adult.  She finds a balance, but it is not easy, and it leads to conflicts with her mother, something that will be familiar to teen readers.

Reader's Annotation 

New to New York from Puerto Rico, Esmerelda Santiago must help her family acclimate as she struggles to find her place in the city

Author Information 

Santiago was porn in Puerto Rico in 1948.  Prior to the events in this book, Esmerelda Santiago moved around Puerto Rico with her family, usually in extreme poverty.  In New York, she eventually graduated from the Performing Arts High School and went on to graduate from Harvard.

She started writing when she worked as a documentary filmmaker, writing several biographies chronicling different periods in her life as well as historical and contemporary fiction.  There is a film version of Almost a Woman that was produced for PBS (Esmerelda).

Genre

Non-fiction, autobiography

Curriculum Ties 

History-Social Science, Reading and Language Arts

Booktalking Ideas 

As one of Esmerelda's siblings, describe seeing her taking on a lot of responsibility at home and at school, highlighting her struggle and sympathizing that she must do those things as the eldest sibling.

Reading Level/Interest Age 

Almost a Woman measures a 1030L on the Lexile Range.  It is a bit more complicated than some other book in this library and would likely appeal to ages 16-18.

Challenge Issues 

Not applicable, but if challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly. Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone. As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected
Non-fiction selections always seem difficult for me, but this one, with its true coming-of-age story is an easy recommendation for young adults as there should be something for them to relate to.

References 

Esmerelda Santiago. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmeralda_Santiago

Sex: A Book for Teens: An Uncensored Guide to Your Body, Sex, and Safety by Nikol Hasler

Hasler, N. (2010). Sex: A Book for Teens: An Uncensored Guide to Your Body, Sex, and Safety. San Francisco: Zest Books. ISBN 9780981973326

Summary 

Sex has a catchy title, and it does contain information about just that, but it also includes chapters on body image issues, sexual orientation, virginity, and birth control.  It also has illustrations of sexual positions or acts in hopes that teens will perform them responsibly.  Risks are always listed, with ways to minimize and avoid them.

Critical Evaluation 

Definitely a book written for teens, Sex features humor alongside its frankness, perhaps in order to engage teens first in the hopes of educating them.  While it will likely garner challenges for perceived flippancy, Sex allows teens an accessible book to learn about themselves and safe sexual practices.

Reader's Annotation 

You may think you are ready for sex, but why not read this book first and find out.

Author Information 

Nikol Hasler was born in Wisconsin in 1979 and spent much of her young life in the foster care system.  She notes that she became sexually active at the age of 11 and suffered eating and personality disorders as a teenager.  She became pregnant after a one-night stand and dropped out of college only to become homeless, spending her pregnancy and early months of motherhood in shelters.

Hasler is perhaps most popular as the host of The Midwest Teen Sex Show, a humorous podcast where she discusses teen sexuality as in this book.

Genre 

Non-fiction, health

Curriculum Ties 

Health

Reading Level/Interest Age 

Older teens, or any sexually active teens would find this book interesting, hopefully in aid of behaving responsibly and safely.

Challenge Issues 

Graphic illustrations and descriptions of sexual acts and some language could be challenged.

If challenged, I would first suggest being familiar with the work in order to speak about it directly. Then, listen the challenger's complaint, show them to positive reviews, and refer to the collection policy, stating a need to include a variety of works that may not be suitable for all, but should contain something for everyone. As a last resort, turn to the ALA Bill of Rights or First Amendment defense, but try not to let things get there; listen and reassure the patron.

Reason Selected

This book is a frank and unflinching look at all aspects of sex, aiming to educate teens in order to keep them safe and practicing responsible sexual activity.  Sex also received endorsement from former Surgeon General of the U.S., Jocelyn Elders.