Publisher: Delacorte Press © 2008 ISBN (library bind): 978-0-385-73542-1 Price: $15.99 #pages: 168 Call number: F SCH
Genre: Realistic fiction
Annotation:
“I understood unhappiness when it came attached to something…But Dora’s unhappiness—or whatever it was—seemed to exist independently on its own. I pictured stunted, faceless creatures manufacturing it in a cave somewhere, like a toxic gas.” (Black box, p.59)
Elena’s big sister Dora is depressed. As her condition worsens, Dora eventually attempts suicide and ends up being hospitalized. As the “steady Eddie” of the family, Elena shoulders the burden of helping her sister and trying to support her very distracted parents as well. While her parents have had the wisdom to set Elena up with a therapist, she receives immediate help from a neighbor boy, Jimmy, whom she knows only slightly. Elena slowly builds her trust of the therapist, but comes to rely more and more on her friendship with Jimmy as the family situation and Dora’s condition spiral out of her control. Schumacher has captured the jerky, quirky writing style of many young adolescents in her moving account of a teenager’s descent into mental illness and its toll on her family. Chapters are rarely longer than three or four pages, but have a strong, forward narrative line that makes Black box not only emotionally affecting, but also compelling.
Recommended grade levels: 7-12
Showing posts with label Family Problems Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family Problems Fiction. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Author: Hill, Kirkpatrick
Title: Do Not Pass Go
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Date: 2007 ISBN: 9781416914006
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 229 Call number: FIC HIL
Annotation: Do Not Pass Go is the story of Alaskan high-schooler Deet: a good kid who has to take a leadership role in his family because his parents, although loving, are a bit flighty and irresponsible. Deet feels burdened by having to be the “adult” at home and these emotions are compounded by his growing alienation at school. When his father is arrested for drug possession and ultimately sent to prison, Deet’s first thoughts are not about his family, but about what the kids at school are going to think of him. Reality finally sets in, however, when Deet's family-life has to change radically as a result of the arrest. At first Deet is angry with his father for “ruining his life,” but soon Deet slips into a pattern of visiting his dad in jail every afternoon, while his mother learns to be the family bread winner. Eventually, Deet’s view of prisons and prisoners begins to change as he starts to see the people in prison through his father’s eyes. Through their stories, Deet sees the hopelessness of prison life as well as the reality that rehabilitation is not always possible. However, along the way, Deet also learns to have sympathy for people whose lives have followed an almost inevitable path while also realizing that something positive may come from his father’s incarceration after all.
Strength: Realistic characters and story. Serious subject matter is treated honestly and
tastefully.
Title: Do Not Pass Go
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Date: 2007 ISBN: 9781416914006
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 229 Call number: FIC HIL
Annotation: Do Not Pass Go is the story of Alaskan high-schooler Deet: a good kid who has to take a leadership role in his family because his parents, although loving, are a bit flighty and irresponsible. Deet feels burdened by having to be the “adult” at home and these emotions are compounded by his growing alienation at school. When his father is arrested for drug possession and ultimately sent to prison, Deet’s first thoughts are not about his family, but about what the kids at school are going to think of him. Reality finally sets in, however, when Deet's family-life has to change radically as a result of the arrest. At first Deet is angry with his father for “ruining his life,” but soon Deet slips into a pattern of visiting his dad in jail every afternoon, while his mother learns to be the family bread winner. Eventually, Deet’s view of prisons and prisoners begins to change as he starts to see the people in prison through his father’s eyes. Through their stories, Deet sees the hopelessness of prison life as well as the reality that rehabilitation is not always possible. However, along the way, Deet also learns to have sympathy for people whose lives have followed an almost inevitable path while also realizing that something positive may come from his father’s incarceration after all.
Strength: Realistic characters and story. Serious subject matter is treated honestly and
tastefully.
Author: Wolf, Allan
Title: Zane's Trace
Publisher: Candlewick Press Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780763628581
Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 177 Call number: FIC WOL
Annotation: Zane's Trace is the story Zane Guesswind, a young man whose teenage
years are made all the more difficult by the fact that his family is troubled by mental
illness, substance abuse and suicide. To make matters worse, Zane has epilepsy, is an
outsider in school and has to live with his aging and crotchety grandfather who treats
Zane, at best, with contempt. As a way of working through his pain and expressing how
he feels, Zane writes and draws obsessively with permanent markers all over his bedroom
walls until one day his frantic scribblings seem to start coming true. First, the bully at
school, who won't give Zane a break, suddenly moves away the day after Zane wishes,
(in writing on his wall), that he'd just disappear. The story quickly changes gears,
however, when, believing he has similarly caused the death of his grandfather, Zane
steals his father's car, (a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda), and begins a 300+ mile trek to
Zanesville, Ohio. There, Zane plans to shoot himself at his mother's graveside, using the
heirloom pistol that she used to kill herself when Zane was only a child. Along the way,
he picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, Libba, and meets motley, and even ghostly, cast of
characters, each of whom helps Zane come to terms with which he is and the hand that
life has dealt him.
Strength: Written almost entirely in free verse, this novel is fast paced, funny and
poignant. It handles serious subject matter with intelligence and honesty without
becoming maudlin. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and readers instantly care
what happens to them.
Weakness: Limited profanity and serious subject matter. However, all topics are handled
tastefully.
Title: Zane's Trace
Publisher: Candlewick Press Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780763628581
Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 177 Call number: FIC WOL
Annotation: Zane's Trace is the story Zane Guesswind, a young man whose teenage
years are made all the more difficult by the fact that his family is troubled by mental
illness, substance abuse and suicide. To make matters worse, Zane has epilepsy, is an
outsider in school and has to live with his aging and crotchety grandfather who treats
Zane, at best, with contempt. As a way of working through his pain and expressing how
he feels, Zane writes and draws obsessively with permanent markers all over his bedroom
walls until one day his frantic scribblings seem to start coming true. First, the bully at
school, who won't give Zane a break, suddenly moves away the day after Zane wishes,
(in writing on his wall), that he'd just disappear. The story quickly changes gears,
however, when, believing he has similarly caused the death of his grandfather, Zane
steals his father's car, (a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda), and begins a 300+ mile trek to
Zanesville, Ohio. There, Zane plans to shoot himself at his mother's graveside, using the
heirloom pistol that she used to kill herself when Zane was only a child. Along the way,
he picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, Libba, and meets motley, and even ghostly, cast of
characters, each of whom helps Zane come to terms with which he is and the hand that
life has dealt him.
Strength: Written almost entirely in free verse, this novel is fast paced, funny and
poignant. It handles serious subject matter with intelligence and honesty without
becoming maudlin. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and readers instantly care
what happens to them.
Weakness: Limited profanity and serious subject matter. However, all topics are handled
tastefully.
Author: Pfeffer, Susan Beth
Title: Life as We Knew It
Publisher: Harcourt Date: 2006 ISBN: 0152058265
Price: $17.00 #of pgs: 352 Call number: FIC PFE
Annotation: A frighteningly plausible tale of an asteroid hitting the moon and throwing
the Earth off its axis causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, an increase in
volcanic activity and millions of deaths. The book follows Miranda, a high school aged
girl and her family as they prepare for the worst. The world as we know it is changed.
Miranda is no longer worried about the everyday concerns of a normal teenager as she
now has to fight the elements, starvation, and disease in a daily struggle for survival.
Journal writing keeps Miranda focused and keeps the reader enthralled waiting to see if
there is a future for this family and others.
Strength: Well depicted characters and believable plot development.
Title: Life as We Knew It
Publisher: Harcourt Date: 2006 ISBN: 0152058265
Price: $17.00 #of pgs: 352 Call number: FIC PFE
Annotation: A frighteningly plausible tale of an asteroid hitting the moon and throwing
the Earth off its axis causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, an increase in
volcanic activity and millions of deaths. The book follows Miranda, a high school aged
girl and her family as they prepare for the worst. The world as we know it is changed.
Miranda is no longer worried about the everyday concerns of a normal teenager as she
now has to fight the elements, starvation, and disease in a daily struggle for survival.
Journal writing keeps Miranda focused and keeps the reader enthralled waiting to see if
there is a future for this family and others.
Strength: Well depicted characters and believable plot development.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Franklin, Emily The Other Half of Me
Publisher: Delcorte Press Date: 2007 ISBN: 0-385-90449-0 Price: $16.00 #of pgs: 247
Call number: FIC FRA
Annotation: Jenny is a struggling artist with many doubts about herself. The biggest doubt is whether her family cares about her interest as much as their athletic pursuits. She has known all her life that her biological father was sperm donor. Her mother was concerned that she might not have a family and wanted a child very much. The mother soon married and had three other children. Jenny has young twin sisters who are very much alike and enjoy each other’s company; she also has a younger brother who is quiet and very athletic.
Her long time love interest begins to pursue her and encourages her to pursue the donor registry to see if she has a sibling from Donor 125. She does and the girl comes for a surprise visit, much to the dismay of some in her family. When the new girl wins over the family, she is crushed and sees that they are not alike as she had hoped. The end of the story is realistic and one that reader will accept.
Strength: The plot surrounds the feeling of not fitting into your family; like you are an odd ball. New love and jealousy is a popular reading theme with our students. Definitely a chick lit book.
Weakness: Not sure if students are interested in sperm donors, but they will like the need to feel like you fit in your family.
Cover appeal: Bright yellow cover with empty, split-in-half egg shell.
Publisher: Delcorte Press Date: 2007 ISBN: 0-385-90449-0 Price: $16.00 #of pgs: 247
Call number: FIC FRA
Annotation: Jenny is a struggling artist with many doubts about herself. The biggest doubt is whether her family cares about her interest as much as their athletic pursuits. She has known all her life that her biological father was sperm donor. Her mother was concerned that she might not have a family and wanted a child very much. The mother soon married and had three other children. Jenny has young twin sisters who are very much alike and enjoy each other’s company; she also has a younger brother who is quiet and very athletic.
Her long time love interest begins to pursue her and encourages her to pursue the donor registry to see if she has a sibling from Donor 125. She does and the girl comes for a surprise visit, much to the dismay of some in her family. When the new girl wins over the family, she is crushed and sees that they are not alike as she had hoped. The end of the story is realistic and one that reader will accept.
Strength: The plot surrounds the feeling of not fitting into your family; like you are an odd ball. New love and jealousy is a popular reading theme with our students. Definitely a chick lit book.
Weakness: Not sure if students are interested in sperm donors, but they will like the need to feel like you fit in your family.
Cover appeal: Bright yellow cover with empty, split-in-half egg shell.
Bruchac, Joseph The Way
Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-58196-062-4 Price: 16.95 #of pgs: 156
Call number: FIC BRU
Annotation: One TP (trailer park) after another, Cody LeBeau remains unpopular and teased, often retreating into a fantasy world where he is always the unsung, no super-powers, martial art yielding hero. Long River High School seems to be no different, as Cody endures more torture at the hands of the jocks. To Cody’s shock, he is greeted one afternoon at home by his mother and a stranger that she introduces as Uncle John, her brother. John has come to stay with the LeBeaus while he trains for an Ultimate Fight Contest being held at the local Native American owned casino. Uncle John begins to teach Cody about "The Way" – not necessarily of the fist or fighting but a way of life that helps bring Cody into himself as a practitioner of self-healing and self-awareness.
Strength: high interest for boys, Native Americans, and those who don't feel they "fit in", contemporary issues/school violence
Weakness: time passes very quickly in this book, leaving the reader to wonder what has happened in between and why Cody "picks up" so quickly
Cover Appeal: Teenage non-white male on the cover with a bear paw and yin/yang symbol
Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-58196-062-4 Price: 16.95 #of pgs: 156
Call number: FIC BRU
Annotation: One TP (trailer park) after another, Cody LeBeau remains unpopular and teased, often retreating into a fantasy world where he is always the unsung, no super-powers, martial art yielding hero. Long River High School seems to be no different, as Cody endures more torture at the hands of the jocks. To Cody’s shock, he is greeted one afternoon at home by his mother and a stranger that she introduces as Uncle John, her brother. John has come to stay with the LeBeaus while he trains for an Ultimate Fight Contest being held at the local Native American owned casino. Uncle John begins to teach Cody about "The Way" – not necessarily of the fist or fighting but a way of life that helps bring Cody into himself as a practitioner of self-healing and self-awareness.
Strength: high interest for boys, Native Americans, and those who don't feel they "fit in", contemporary issues/school violence
Weakness: time passes very quickly in this book, leaving the reader to wonder what has happened in between and why Cody "picks up" so quickly
Cover Appeal: Teenage non-white male on the cover with a bear paw and yin/yang symbol
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