tiny pink books

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Penguin Books Australia, 1992

Josephine Alibrandi is a smart, sassy seventeen year old, living in Sydney during her last year of high school.  She’s got a lot to think about this year, as she struggles with her identity as an Australian-Italian, her first boyfriend, her relationships with her mother and grandmother, and meeting her absentee father for the first time in her life.  There’s a lot of heavy issues in this coming of age novel, but if I had to put my finger on the biggest one to Josephine is the idea of balancing two cultural identities.

While the characters in this book are universally appealing, especially headstrong Josephine, I think it may be more enjoyable to adults than teens at this point.  It’s very much dated in the early 90’s and, perhaps at least here in America, the concept of an Italian struggling to fit in, culturally, seems a ghost of the past.  Still, this was a satisfying read that was hard to put down in the end.  I’m not sure who I’d recommend this one to, other than librarians and readers who liked Marchetta’s other novels.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Harper Collins, 2002

Is it just me or is Neil Gaiman everywhere these days?  He’s gone from comic book and scifi/fantasy author, celebrated by gothgirls and teenage alterna-types everywhere in the 90’s, to multi-award winning children’s, adult, and young adult author, celebrated and praised by just about everyone.  And the funny thing is, he totally deserves it.  Coraline is Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece for children, combining just the right touches of creepy darkness and quirky, light-heartedness that makes a book memorable and beloved by children and adults.

In Coraline, Coraline Jones becomes bored one day when her parents are busy working and no one seems to be around to play with her.  She discovers a secret door in her flat that leads to an alternate world where the toys are alive and, more creepily, another, more doting, set of her parents live.  The other parents, most specifically, the “other mother,” want Coraline to stay in their world forever and when Coraline does eventually go back to her own world, she discovers that her real parents have gone missing.  Back in the other world, Coraline senses the darkness that lurks under the surface and must demonstrate all the intelligence, bravery, and cunning that she can to escape this weird other world and save her real parents.

I personally didn’t love this book in the same way that other do (especially given its long list of notable awards); however, I did think that it was a very well-written and exciting book that will hold up well to a vast range of audiences.  Children, who will read this more as an adventure, will be delighted with the character of Coraline and the fantastic elements throughout the book.  Teens and adults, on the other hand, will be sucked in by the subtle darkness that adds a real sense of urgency to Coraline’s dilemma.  I’ve seen many a review that compares Coraline to Alice in Wonderland. I can see the parallels in that both books are creepy to the core and surreal in their execution, however, I think that Coraline is a much more accessible book for most readers, young and old.  I adore Alice in Wonderland, of course, but I admit that it can be a challenging read, even for some adults.  Coraline, however, has that special place in that it is readable at many levels, allowing it to be interesting and enjoyable for all ages.  I would recommend this book to just about anyone who is in the mood for it.  I think it would work especially well as a family read.

I listened to the audiobook, read by Neil Gaiman himself.  Unlike many authors in their “read by the author” produced audiobooks, Gaimen does a good job of reading the book.  Music by the Gothic Archies is interspersed between disks, which I found a little irritating and out of place, though the musical interludes are short enough so as to be tolerable.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
HarperTeen, 2008

Taylor Mackham, seventeen, was abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe road when she was eleven.  She has since lived in Jellicoe School, a boarding school with other kids like herself and a woman named Hannah who has a mysterious connection to Taylor since she has arrived.  As leader of her dorm, Taylor is captain of the school’s involvment in longstanding, traditional territory war with the Townies and the Cadets, who come into town once a year for nature training.  As Taylor fights in the territory war, she begins to ask questions about her life’s story, her mother’s past, her confusing attraction to Jonah Griggs, leader of the Cadets, and her relationship to Hannah.

It’s hard to sum up my feelings about Jellicoe Road, the 2009 Printz award winner.  The second half of the book is powerfully emotional and gripping.  I found myself doing all the things you need to do when you read a book that is as moving as this–ignoring (or rather resenting) all conversation through lunchbreaks in order to read, staying up way past bedtime to finish another chapter or two, and tearing up as one emotional outpouring is followed by another in this heartfelt book.  If I were just reviewing the second half of the book, I would tell you that I loved it and that it was the best book I’d read in ages.  Unfortunately, there is the matter of the first half of the book.  I understand that it takes subtlety and length to built up to the kind of emotional power that the second half of the book offered, however, the confusing, nonlinear style of writing combined with the overly large percentage of pages dedicated to getting things going was frustrating to me.  I knew that this would, at some point, become a great book.  I just don’t think that it should take half the pages of a book to get started and I believe that a lot of teen readers will give up somewhere in the first 200 pages.  All in all though, there are a lot of things to love about Jellicoe Road. Despite the slow start, this is still one of the best books that I have read in a while.  I recommend it to teen and adult readers seeking a really layered and emotionally driven book.  Not for reluctant readers or readers seeking action though.  Oh and the book is Australian, which to me = love…because I love Australians (err, an Australian at the very least) and the slang (pashing!), the slightly different cultural references (to the song, Flame Tree, which is such a perfect song for Marchetta to pair her story with), and the way they spell the word jail (gaol!) is charming in its own way.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Hyperion Books for Children, 2008

In this charming novel, Frankie Landau-Banks takes on the male dominated, traditionalist society that is her upper crust boarding school, Alabaster.  The book begins as Frankie returns to school for her sophomore year beautifully grown into her once awkward frame and face.  Although she is now one of the prettiest girls at Alabaster, she retains her slightly geeky hobbies (debate club) and her old friends while making new friends, including new boyfriend Matthew Livingston, the cutest and most popular of all the senior boys.  Although Frankie couldn’t be happier to be dating the school heart throb, she realizes that he and his guy friends never really take her seriously.  Frustrated with the “old boys club” attitude that she faces daily at Alabaster, which was once an all male school, Frankie decides to take things into her own hands.  Filled with secret societies, mayhem, and pranks, Frankie takes Alabaster, and the male dominated traditions, by storm.

There’s something charming and kind of wonderful about the character of Frankie.  She’s smart.  She’s pretty.  She’s confident in herself.  I love the way that Lockhart managed to create such a charismatic, feminist teen character and I give this book a lot of merit based on that alone.  The thing is, however, that in creating such an all wonderful character, Frankie seems to be lacking vulnerability and fault entirely.  This makes it hard to imagine her as a real person.  The setting and the plot are similar in a way.  Alabaster and the old boys secret society are just a little too pitch perfect to be believable or emotionally stirring.  The snarky writing style, the flowery vocabulary, and the sheer intellectualism in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks are enjoyable and charming, but may turn readers off in the same way.

I don’t want to pan this book and certainly feel that it deserves the Printz honor that it received.  I do think that certain readers will enjoy it, but I would not recommend this book to teens seeking realistic portrayals of teenage frustration or emotion.  I did enjoy this book, but I think it belongs in a special place for “special readers,” as we sometimes call them.  Readers who want a smart book, but don’t mind checking reality out at the door will enjoy this one.  I also think readers who enjoy the structure and the social aspects of boarding school novels (such as in Prep) will find something worth reader here also.

Nation by Terry Pratchett
HarperCollins, 2008

In his first book written specifically for a YA audience, Terry Pratchett delivers an interesting novel of friendship, survival and faith.  Mau finds himself to be the lone survivor of his island home after a massive wave wipes out his village.  Everyone he knows and loves is dead and Mau finds himself questioning his faith.  Meanwhile, Daphne, a girl Mau’s age, finds herself shipwrecked on the island with Mau.  Having always been a firm believer in logic and science, she finds herself surprisingly drawn into the magic of the island’s religion as she befriends Mau.  Other survivors begin to turn up as the Mau and Daphne grow closer, questioning humanity, faith and growing up.

Clearly, Pratchett, perhaps most celebrated for his wit and humor, has tackled  some weighty subject matter in Nation.  Although he still manages to interject some humor, I would not consider Nation to be a very funny or lighthearted book.  The story begins not only with the death and destruction of everything Mau has ever known, but also with some very dense description of the Gods of Mau’s religion.  It takes quite a while before the plot really gets rolling and all the while, concepts of the Gods, faith, and freewill are in the forefront of every action.  This is not to say that this book was not enjoyable, however, I would definitely not hand this book to an even slightly reluctant reader.  I also think, even with the Printz honor it has won, Nation is one of those YA novels that is really more of an “everyone” novel (like Life of Pi, which is classified as YA or adult, depending on the marketing, for example).  While it is most certainly a coming of age tale (and one of rebellion and individuality), there is not much more particularly YA about it other than the marketing.  What I will say as a positive, however, is that this is a well written book.  There is a quality to the writing and the story that, even though I was never quite emotionally taken in with Nation, was a evident.

I would recommend this book to readers, adults or YA, who are looking for a quality novel that makes them think and question.  As noted earlier, I would not recommend this to a reluctant reader.  For reluctant readers or readers seeking Prachett’s trademark wit, I would hand them Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett for a take on faith instead.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Faber and Fraber, 2005

I had been meaning to pick Never Let Me Go off of the shelf for a while now.  I haven’t read any of Ishiguro’s other works, but I’d head so many good things about the quality of his writing that it was time to give it a go.  I wasn’t disappointed either.

Never Let Me Go is the coming of age story of Kathy and her dearest friends from school as she vividly recounts her memories from childhood, where they all grew up in a boarding school-like environment together.  The story is set in a dystopian Great Britain, though the details are laid with such expert subtlety, that the true darkness of their existence is revealed slowly, in touches here and there.  Kathy grew up in Hailsham, a mysterious school set out in the countryside.  The children are encouraged, almost to an irrational degree, to create art, there is no trace of parents, and there are several other details to the setting that make you realize that Hailsham is not a normal boarding school environment.  That said, the children have relatively normal lives.  Kathy recounts every emotional detail, especially within relationships with her close friends Ruth and Tommy, of her childhood.
While the book is told almost entirely in the past tense, it is completely compelling and engaging.  Ishiguro’s writing conveys to subtleties of emotion with such control that makes the book become more and more wrenching as you read on.  By the end of the book, I found myself feeling swept away in the emotional power of Kathy’s memories.  Also, Ishiguro keeps absolutely subtle with the dystopian details of the society he has created, layering them to build to a final and heartbreaking conclusion, making this book work more as an emotional tale than a science fiction novel.  Never Let Me Go reads like an adult take on The Giver, though the details of the characters and their worlds are completely different.

I would recommend this book to readers seeking something simple and easy to read, yet emotionally deep.  Although I would not say that Never Let Me Go has an action based plot, there’s enough human action that even readers seeking drama regarding relationships will probably be satisfied.  Readers seeking a fast paced plot or a more detailed, science fiction style dystopia will probably be a little disappointed, but I have to admit that, while Never Let Me Go was filled with controlled subtlety, it still managed to be a relatively quick page turner.

(winner of a 2005 ALA Alex Award, named best fiction novel of 2005 by Time Magazine)

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Tor Books, 1985.

A page turner from the very beginning, Ender’s Game is a smart and thought-provoking science fiction novel with enough action and plot twists to keep even reluctant readers interested.  Ender’s Game is the story of Ender Wiggin, a boy who was born for the sole purpose of becoming mankind’s last hope for survival–a strategic genius who could command Earth’s army against the mysterious Buggers, an alien race with whom humanity is at war with.  Despite what could easily be a complicated military plot, the story focuses on Ender, the young boy, and his journey through Battle School where he begins ,at age six, to play military war games, both physical and virtual, to learn the art of strategy, both within and beyond the game.  The result it a gripping story that’s difficult to put down.

One of the best things about Ender’s Game is that it is science fiction without being off-putting to those who are not necessarily fans of science fiction.  The story is intelligent and emotional enough so as to involve a much wider variety of readers.  It also doesn’t get too caught up in long, dry, explanations of everything in Ender’s world so as to distract from the story or the characters.   This is a good read for anyone, but might be especially worthwhile as a young adult reluctant reader pick.  Winner of both the Hugo and the Nebula awards.

Standing Against the Wind
by Traci L. Jones
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006

Standing Against the Wind is a touching children’s novel about Patrice, a young African American girl who is torn from her sheltered and comfortable life with her grandmother in Georgia to live in the tough inner-city of Chicago with her estranged Aunt and sister. Patrice is shy, studious, and passive–a target to the tough kids around her.  She cries easily and never stands up for herself, a quality that draws cruelty from the other kids. Encouraged by her principal, Patrice applies for a scholarship to a prestidgious African American boarding school, a possible ticket out of the inner-city.  While facing the many challenges of life in the inner-city with her estranged relatives, the application process, and the bullies at school, Patrice befriends Monty, a boy in her building, and, with his help, learns how to move beyond her passivity and finally stand up for herself.

The element of friendship in this book is what makes it most compelling.  Monty’s dedication to Patrice and his natural understanding of her shy and timid ways is touching. Patrice is a sympathetic and compelling character who is easy to identify with, especially for anyone who has been bullied before. Likewise, Monty is full of earnest dedication that readers will appreciate.  Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, this book is also extremely well written and suitable for children and tweens grades 6-9.

The Tale of Despereaux
by Kate DiCamillo
Scholastic, 2004

The Tale of Despereaux is the Newbery Medal winning tale of a tiny mouse who wants to be a knight.  Despereaux, our main mouse, does not fit in with the other mice.  Instead of focusing on such activities as eating and scurrying, Despereaux reads a fairy tale and falls in love with the castle princess.  The result, is the story of Despereaux’s exile and subsequent hero’s quest.  There is a princess, a king, some very mean rats, and a slow witted lazy girl named after a pig.

Tale of Despereaux is written in an interesting voice that addresses the you, the “dear reader,” in a way that gives the classic fairytale style a silly and witty feel.  The characters, too, are written with a wry sense of humor and hint of darkness that reminded me slightly of Mervyn Peake’s Gormonghast.  The problem I had with this book stems from this.  While the book’s tone has spurts of dryly sarcastic and dark humor, DiCamillo never quite commits to this, leaving us with an uneven plot that never quite moves away from the typical fairytale structure. The characters become cookie cutter as the book moves on:  we have one, tiny, underdog of a mouse for a hero, one motherless princess who is beautiful and smart, one dark and sinister rat as the villain, and, most upsetting, one fat, lazy, ugly girl who is dumber than a box of rocks.  Of course, I found some of these characters to be somewhat amusing (mostly the dumb and bumbling Miggery Sow), yet the fact that every character in this book seemed familiar and, in many cases, tired, left me feeling slightly bored.

All that said, there are many children who will enjoy The Tale of Despereaux. The book has a very classic fairytale feel to it and the postmodern narration adds a slightly original twist.  I have trouble using the word “original” when describing this book though.  Although there are elements of this book that are enjoyable and fun, everything in it has been done before.  Even so, children are fresh and new themselves…and this material may not be as tired and typical for them.  I would recommend it to children who are young enough to appreciate the wholesome, classic fairytale aspects of this book (it’s recommended 3rd grade and up and I would stick to the lower end of that age range).  As for me, after reading Tale of Despereaux, I found myself longing to reread The Secret of Nihm  to read a story that more successfully explores the whole rats vs mice in society concept.

The Giver
by Lois Lowrey
Houghton, 1994

The Giver is like 1984 for kids. I say “for kids,” not to imply that it is any less intriguing or thought provoking because The Giver is an incredibly interesting and sophisticated view of society and human experience. Set in a science fiction Utopian, or at least seemingly Utopian, world, The Giver is about Jonas, a 12-year-old boy who has been assigned to be the community’s Receiver of memories. He knows now what this job entails, but as he learns and grows from the community’s Giver, he comes to understand his society in a new and, in some ways, terrifying way.
The Giver is a wonderful book in that it is full of ideas and abstract concepts that have been made accessible to young readers (probably best for kids age 12 and up, though younger readers with an ability to grasp the concepts in this book may also enjoy). Although The Giver is about society and experience, it is also in itself a very good story. The character of Jonas is likable and very easy to relate to. He seems to grow up quite a bit in the book and his journey from complacency to active resistance is enjoyable and inspiring.
I think that where The Giver truly succeeds is in its ability to raise questions from readers, young and old. This book would serve well to be used as a discussion starter for children. A Newbery award winner, it is a great piece of children’s literature, but what is most remarkable about it, and probably the reason it is such a respected book, is not necessarily the actual story, but the ideas within the story and the questions that it can inspire.