Plus: Humor

Minus: Readers may be think they can’t relate to growing a big pumpkin, but many will find out that they can relate to the competiveness, the conflict between Ellie and her Dad, Ellie and Cyril, and the conflict Ellie has with her weight!

Issues: Weight, Competition, Dating, Life Goals, Grief and Acceptance

Summary:

Ellie has two goals. First she wants to grow the biggest pumpkin in Iowa. Second she wants to lose 20 pounds. Her late mother had a knack for farming and Ellie does too. Her Dad doesn’t want her to follow that path. He thinks farming isn’t a good enough profession and worries that she won’t be happy or have enough money if she becomes a farmer. She is growing her pumpkin in spite of his dislike of the whole thing. She also meets a guy and feels better about herself as a result. Her rival is Cyril Pool, an “old man” (35 years old) who also wants to grow the biggest pumpkin.

Questions

Why doesn’t Ellie listen to all of the “no” voices in her head or from her Dad?

Why is she so competitive with old man Cyril Pool?

Do you think she would have cared about farming if her Mom were still alive?

Wasn’t it funny when Cyril’s pumpkin turned out to be a rotten mess?

Could she have still been happy if she had lost the contest?

What does Ellie mean when she says “Fragile people do not grow giant pumpkins…” ?

Why does Ellie worry so much about her weight?

The true-to-life dating worries of the two girls make an interesting read. Even though this is now an “old” book to today’s teens, it seems realistic given today’s more permissive lifestyles. It is at its heart a precautionary tale and not just to warn girls about getting pregnant.

Pluses: Realistic teenage talk, actions, thoughts. Although much emphasizes the girls’ actions and reactions, it also presents the guys’ anxieties over dating and relationships. There is little overtly offensive speech because this was written some years ago. It is remarkably modern for an ‘old’ book.

Objectionable material: A backstreet abortion and implied sexual activity. The book deals with this by sending messages that imply that girls need to wait for sexual activity because pregnancy is a very real threat and one they often deal with alone. It also makes clear that pregnancy changes lives even if an abortion ends the pregnancy.

Summary

Sean gets Liz pregnant. She ends up getting an (illegal) abortion. Their friends, whom they pushed together, Dennis and Maggie have started dating. They end up broken up because Maggie must choose between their prom date and going with Liz for the abortion. Maggie and Liz are not really friends anymore after the event. It is lifechanging for them both and there is much to indicate that they are sadder, but wiser about life. The four sets of parents are a mix of good and bad. They are not simiply there to hate for being permissive or for being too strict or unforgiving. They are realistic even if they aren’t as realistic as the teenagers.

Questions

What do you think would have happened to Liz if she’d had the baby? What about Sean?

If Sean asked Liz out again in a few years, what would happen?

What if Sean asked Maggie out?

Will this make the gossip rounds and what will students say about it? Who will believe it? Who won’t?

After everything Maggie did, why aren’t the girls’ still friends at the end of the book?

Would this be different if Liz were 14?

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume.  Bradbury Press 1981

Level: High School

Pluses:  Humor

Issues: Living with grief after the violent death of someone you love.

  Teenage alcoholism.  Racism.

Judy Blume was writing honestly before most other young adult novelists were born.  This book demonstrates why she is one of the best.  Tiger Eyes is told in a humorous yet serious style.  It is this sense of humor that helps you keep believing that Davey and her family will be survive their tragic loss.  This humor should help your teen keep reading to the end.

 Fifteen-year-old Davey was a happy girl until her father was killed in a robbery at his store.  She, her Mom and little brother Jason live out the next school year with relatives in the isolated town of Los Alamos, New Mexico.  There they deal with the stages of grief.  Davey also must deal with a new school, new relationships and the added feelings of isolation in a strange, remote city.  So now she is struggling to grow up and deal with her grief at the same time.  She experiences homesickeness, isolation and a growing rebellion because Los Alamos, New Mexico, is a geographically isolated and demograghically different city than she is accustomed to.

Driver’s Ed by Caroline B Cooney.  Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1994.

Level: High School

Rating:  Contains realistic language.

Issues: Guilt.  Driving.  Vandalism. 

     In this book, the characters seem like people that I know; the driver’s license quest is also a common one.  The students’ agonizing over the guilt and interacting with the other characters makes for a thought-provoking read.

         For me, it brought back memories of car crashes during my high school years.  I remember the deaths and I remember the blame that went around.  The guilty didn’t always get punished for their crimes then or now.

Book summary:  With their teacher only half-listening, Lark tells her driver’s ed class that she wants to steal a sign. Remy and Morgan, who have a mutual crush, agree to go.   A creep named Nickie drives the car that night.  Lark backs out.  Remy and Morgan steal three signs. The last one is a STOP sign that Nickie wants.

A woman dies that night at that intersection because the sign is missing. Remy and Morgan are wracked with guilt.  Nickie just wants to make sure they never tell.  Morgan’s Dad is running for governor.  How will he react?  What will happen to them if they tell?  Will Nickie make it look more sinister than it was?  Will someone tell on them before they tell on themselves?  The final resolution is a bit too happy for the guilty parties but the overall guilt and the school scenes are totally realistic.  The adults – a real plus — are realistic in their range of emotions, actions and attitudes.  

The book demonstrates that even things that are fun can get someone hurt or killed.  (Taking signs is fun, but it can result in death.)  And, of course, driving a car is fun, but it is a serious thing that can get someone hurt or killed.    Remy and Morgan find out that  “Guilt is hard to live with”.  They also find out that “families forgive even when it’s difficult.” They all discover that “being a good person most of the time does not insulate you from guilt when you are bad”.  The book illustrates that behavior is not necessarily influenced by feelings or values in adolescence.  This is probably its most important point.

Questions

If you were the judge, what sentence do you think that you would give Remy, Morgan and Nickie?  What about Lark?

If you could read their minds, as we do in this book, would you decide different sentences for Remy, Morgan and Nickie based on how remorseful (sorry) they were?

Can you be guilty of murder but not guilty of a crime?

Under what circumstances is a car also a lethal weapon?

What should we, your parents, do if we found out you had caused an accident?

What would you do if a car accident killed somebody you love?

What could you forgive?  What could you not forgive?

Harper Collins ©2005

      Like an old PG movie, car trouble carries you through the world’s craziness and problems

 without completely breaking down into cussing, violence or sex.  What an amazing ride!  -MHF

Level: High School

Pluses:  Comedy, excitement, mystery
 

Summary
Duff, a 17-year-old geek and high school graduate, travels cross country to get to a job in California.  His troubles include a car breakdown, a con artist hitchhiker, and two thugs who want the money stashed in the old car he hires on to drive.  By the time he’s through he’s been conned several times over, outwitted the thugs, and impressed a girl.  The ride is in three parts.  First, he has his own car which breaks down and must be abandoned.  Then, he drives an old car to St. Louis.  He’s supposed to be given 50 bucks, but there’s just Bonnie, a lonely 16-year-old girl, there.  His unwelcome companion, Stu, a con artist from Florida, hatches a plan to drive Bonnie to her aunt’s in New Mexico. This becomes the third part of the trip, including a stayover in a tiny commune in the desert.  Once at the Aunt’s house, the con artist pays cash for the aunt’s extra car.  Duff figures out that something is wrong and Stu admits that he found the money in the old Chevy.  Duff knows that the money is trouble and makes Stu promise to fix it.  The three set out for Bonnie’s other aunt, the one in Lost Angeles.  Duff finds out he doesn’t have the job after all.  The thugs run them off the road and demand the money.  Duff and Stu play it cool and the thugs are outwitted.  Duff wonders where the money is. It’s in the dog’s pillow, which Duff finds abandoned in a restroom.  Stu  leaves.  Duff and Bonnie continue on.  In the end, it’s alright because Duff’s Dad’s friend is able to help him.  He stays out west and goes to college after all.  He also gets compliments, a kiss and in the end an encouraging letter from Bonnie.  Comedy includes Duff’s thoughts, Stu’s quirkiness, Bonnie’s dog Mooney and Bonnie’s Aunt. 
 
 
The book is funny and keeps a quick-pace.  There’s also an element of mystery.  Will the thugs hurt them?  Will Stu get away with the money?  Will Duff see through Stu?  Will Bonnie’s mother get her money back?  What bad luck will befall Duff next on the trip? 
 
 
Questions
Why does Duff need to leave home so bad?  What about Bonnie?

Do you notice any similarities between Stu and Bonnie’s Mom?

What do you think Bonnie will do after the book is over?

Which of the cars would you rather drive?

What do you think Duff will do after the book is over?  If he had stayed in any of the other places where he broke down, what would he be doing?

“Because if someone offers you a glimpse of their Ugliest Thing, what are the chances that you aren’t going to look?”

One of the best books I’ve ever read about predatory friends.  This short book packs a wallop.  –  MHF 

Level:  Middle School

Pluses:  Dark humor, realistic situations, very short

Minuses: Ending does not reassure readers.  This is about real life not happy endings.

Rating:  Situations are scary, too real for some young teens.  Also, Amandine accuses Delia’s father of making a pass a her.  This might be hard to discuss.  The book leaves it up to the reader to decide this as true or false.  My best advice is to read this one ahead of your child.  That way you’ll be ready with your own take on the situation.

Summary

Delia is lonely from moving so many times.  She feels left out by her parents. In a new school once again, she is befriended by Amandine, an extrovert who takes over Delia’s life.  Delia is both fascinated and horrified by Amandine’s actions.  She is drawn into Amandine’s vivid fantasy life and almsot becomes party to her destructive behavior.  When the friendship reaches its breaking point, Amandine says that Delia’s Dad made a pass at her on a car ride home.  It seems like a lie in view of the fact that Delia stood up to Amandine. 

Delia has a major problem of her own.  She steals.  This, of course, Amandine figures out and uses as blackmail against Delia.  But fortunately an older neighbor also realizes that Delia is stealing.  She helps Delia confront this part of herself.  It turns out that Delia steals in order to have a keepsake of a person she likes.  This is partly a result of moving so much.  Stealing is portrayed as a symptom of loneliness but  it is clear from Amandine’s blackmail that stealing can destroy even the pettiest thief’s life.

Questions

If Delia’s parents found out about the stealing, what would they do?  What should they do?

If you could write a different ending for Amandine what would it be? And for Delia?  Would she be happier moving or staying?

What makes it seem like Amandine is lying about Delia’s Dad?  What makes it seem like she’s telling the truth?

What makes Amandine a bad friend?  A good friend?

What makes Delia a good friend?  A bad friend?

How can blackmail be part of a friendship?

“So how many relationships is a person supposed to be able to manage anyway?…never had any relationships until I turned 14…”

Level:  7th-9th grade humor and situations

Pluses:  Humor

Minuses:  Although I would recommend reading it for just this reason, girls may think it’s too much of a guy’s book.

Ratings:  Bathroom humor.  Four letter words.  Guy words.   

Summary:

Elvin hates the dogs, hates his weight, and is concerned about guy things like bullies and girls.  It would help if he didn’t have hemmoroids or people who called him fat to his face.  His relationship with his mother was okay until he decided to date. 

He has three friends, each with different attitudes.  His good friend Mike protects him and listens to him.  His friend Frankie gets him into bad situations.  Darth reels him into his group.  This is not a good place for Elvin, Frankie or for the two girls that they like.  Elvin first lies to Sally and then realizes that he must protect her.  By doing this, he ends up losing Barbara who he really likes.

In the end, he finds that he likes the dogs, and Mikie is still there to give Elvin someone to talk to.

Questions

When Elvin says he hasn’t had any relationships, what does he mean?

What does he mean at the end when he says he’s opened the door?  Opened the door to what?

What could Elvin had done differently to end up dating Barbara?

Was there some way to help Sally without losing Barbara?

How is Elvin a good friend?  How do you rate his friends Mike, Frankie and Darth?

In what way are girls in danger that boys are not?

 “(Superman’s) indestructible.  You can’t be brave when you’re indestructible.”  (Alexander, Angus)

Level: High School

Pluses: Laugh out loud funny.

Minuses:  Gross out factor is very high in The Telephone Man. 

Six short stories use a sports backdrop to discuss major issues.  Each one manages to be serious while being funny or funny while being serious. 

Angus Bethune is a fat football player elected king of the dance.  Will he go? Will he dance?  He has two sets of parents: two men and two women.  He gets a lot of grief from having homosexual parents and even more grief about being fat.  In this story, he gets his happy ending.

In The Pin, will a wrestling match continue or end the competition between Johnny and his Dad?  Like many parents, Johnny’s Dad expects too much from his son.  It’s truthful story telling in which Johnny must stop his Dad or die to himself. It’s an unfortunate match-up but gives much to think about.

Petey in The Other Pin is forced by Johnny to wrestle an opposing team’s girl member.  He solves this dilemma with her help in an amusing way.  A very funny story.

  Goin’ Fishin’ is about a swimmer who lost his family in a boating accident.  He is still struggling with grief as well as anger toward the boy who caused the accident. 

The Telephone Man is a funnny story about a special needs kid’s decision to reject his father’s racism. 

In the Time I’ve Got tells how a teenage boy deals with his phobias when he must work with a young adult man who has AIDS. Essentially the teenager must confront his prejudice against gay people and his natural fears of death and dying. This is the only story that may seem dated in the United States where we think we have the disease handled.  The truth is we don’t have it handled and a kid living with HIV or AIDS is very alone.

There are some universal messages…

It’s who you are inside that counts (Angus).  Parents and child should not be in competition (Pin). Thinking creatively can get you out of an embarassing situaton (the Other Pin). Society shouldn’t put limits on our compassion (Time I’ve Got).  Racism is wrong (Telephone).   Giving up our anger and bitterness is a step toward coping with grief (Fishin’).

Questions 

1.     Which adult reminded you of someone you know and why?

2.  Which character reminded you of someone you know and why?

3.  How are Angus’ parents and Johnny’s Dad different?

4.  What bad habits did these kids get from parents?  Which good ones?

5.  Which characters would you like to have lunch with? Why?

The title and subject matter made me afraid to pick this book up and then I couldn’t put it down.  –Maria

Level   High School

Pluses:  Easy to read, interesting format, some humor

Ratings:  To be authentic to its subject, this book contains some short graphic violence and curse words.  Both elements stay controlled so that the story shines through. 

Summary

Steve is 16.  He recounts his imprisonment through a journal interspersed with a ‘movie script’ he is writing about his trial.   The book relates his time in a Manhattan Detention Center and the criminals who influence him there.  It also tells the story of his crime.  He stood look out while his so-called friends James and BoBo held up a store.  The store worker was killed and now Steve is on trial for murder.

Steve is convinced that since he ‘only stood look out’, then he is not guilty.  Through his eyes, a reader sees how a person can fool themselves about their own lives, their own errors in judgement.

In the end, he is found not guilty but his defense attorney won’t even shake his hand.  His father looks at him like he’s a different person.  And what does Steve think?  Has he finally gotten the message?

Thoughts

It is terrible to be on trial and have no control over your own life.

Guilt cannot always be determined in a court of law.

The reality of your own guilt can be pushed away by excuses. 

Questions

At the end of the book, what made you feel like Steve was guilty?  What made you want him to be found innocent?

If Steve had stayed in jail, how would he have changed?

How had the people Steve  knew changed toward him?

Now that he’s out of jail, how should he change?

Brent starts as a completely downtrodden teenager and become a statistic, a drunk driver who killed someone.  He gets off lightly in legal terms, but the real atonement is what he must make to the dead girl’s mother.  She asks him to make four whirligigs and put one in four corners of the country.  He accepts this challenge to spread the spirit of the girl he killed.  In doing so he grows intellectually and emotionally.   One nice thing about this book is the progress he makes is broken down into chapters where he interacts with four different characters.   The final character who befriends him gives him the sounding board he needs.  The other chapters are basically short stories that give significance to the whirligigs in different ways.  The novel pulls you into Brent’s problems and his quest for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry if I talk to much¼Both my parents are teachers.”  P. 70

Questions

Brent went out of control in the first chapter.  What could he have done to keep himself together?

How did the girl’s mother feel about Brent?  How would you feel about a guy who killed your loved one?  What would be a fitting punishment?  What made his new friends likable or unlikable?

He got off easy.  He didn’t have to go to jail.  Why does he take his journey?