Fearless 3

I have to admit that I intended to read a different novel for my last book, but I was drawn into reading this one instead. I was obsessed with the Fearless series when I was younger and I wanted to revisit what was my favorite of the series. This is one of those really extended series, with over 15 books I believe. It's very much a trashy series, but I knew a lot of reluctant reader, including myself, who read these with enjoyment and always anticipated the next book. They are about a seventeen year old girl, Gaia, who is living in NYC without a fear gene. Okay, I know this sounds really lame, but it is actually a pretty catchy mystery that reveals itself slowly, book by book.

Gaia is being stalked throughout the series by an unknown person. Whoever it is causes turbulence in her life every time he appears and Gaia continues to use her lack of fear to uncover where her troubles are stemming from. She is strong and tough and stands up for herself, her friends, and her love interest at every bump in the road. In this particular book, she must complete the demanding tasks of the stalker in order to save her boyfriend from getting murdered.

It all sounds much cheesier than it is. I included the book here because it is SO different from the other books on my list. It is light, yet dark in substance and something I think kids could get hooked on. It's one of those books that has no place in the classroom, but could help get reluctant readers reading for reading's sake. I would recommend it to the right student as a means of inspiring interest in books.

Margaux with an X

This book really surprised me. I read it somewhat out of desperation for a short novel that I could get through quickly. However, it turned out to be a pretty awesome read. In a world where Margaux stands above everyone around her in looks, it seems she has quite a long way to come in terms of emotional stability. Her brain is racked with bad memories by which she becomes jaded and wary of life. What saves her is the friendship of a boys who acts as her equal, her friend rather than the royal treatment she's used to getting from other people. Through this down to earth relationship she learns to break out of her "pretty girl" mold and become the strong, independent person she's always longed to be.

The part of this novel that stood out the most to me is the strong sense of language that Koertge uses. She has instilled in Margaux a love of English and through that outlet comes a flood of wordplay and witty commentary. She exhibits a desire to discover new words and manipulate language to suit her needs. Besides the fact that this educational value sets her apart from her peer beauties, it also adds a real literary element to the novel. I enjoyed relating to a girl who I would have otherwise hated through her use of interesting words.

This book is also just morally refreshing. It has a protagonist that I haven't seen before, a kind of honesty and wit that allows her to have these serious problems without being a huge downer to the reader. She ends up being strong and admirable although she starts out seeming like that girl we all loved to hate back in High School. I was told that I would like this book because the main character is kind of a "bitch." And- I have to agree. Real people have attitudes and I love discovering new characters with unique attitudes that don't fit into any other literary mold.

I would definitely teach this book. It fits with others like Speak and Perks and could be really interesting for Young Adults to experience.

Miracle's Boys

This book is totally different from any of the others I've read this semester. It has a voice distinctly rooted in the urban culture and youthful insights of the narrator, Lafayette. He and his two brothers, Ty'ree and Charlie, are fighting to survive as a family without the pillars of a mother or father, both of whom have passed away before the novel begins. With Ty'ree taking on the responsibility of raising his two brothers, and Charlie dealing with the stress of being the trouble making middle child, Lafayette often imagines his mother is there and carries out conversations with her memory as a means of surviving his situation. It is through such memories that we, as readers, are able to piece together the picture of this family and how each character has come to be what they are now.

What ends up resolving the story, which takes place during a very short time, is Lafayette's ability to break down the barrier between himself and Charlie. He realizes how distanced he has been from the only family he has left, and decides to unite his brothers once again. We are left with a feeling of hope at the conclusion of the novel as the three brothers are pictured together, ready to try and build up a family if for no other reason than to make it in a really harsh world.

I was a little turned off of this book at first because it has such a young feel to it. However, it's message is strong and universal. I guess my initial dislike of it was very much a result of never having read "inner city" literature before. Which, in itself, is really kind of sad. I would hope that more and more books like this could be used in schools to create a greater feeling of connections for a bigger scope of students. It has something in it for those kids who aren't reached by books about the typical angsty white kid who just isn't satisfied with suburban living.

I ended up feeling really good about the book as something I could use in my classroom. I want to have a library that includes novels that reach beyond the kind of student I am, the only kind of student that I've experienced. I know I am going to encounter all sorts of students with a multitude of different problems and I feel better about it each time I read or experiences something that could act as a reference point. It has thematic value, things like family, survival, hardship, etc, that could make it really worthy of discussion and student response. In short, this one's going on the bookshelf.

Dairy Queen

This is a book that took me a while to get into. At first glance, I was a little turned off by the football based premise. I am totally anti-football and I wasn't sure I'd be able to stand it. However, once I got past that, I ended up reading most of the book in two days. It was actually way better than football...

The story follows DJ in her own coming of age tale. She has to overcome the silence that her family practices and learn to speak up for herself. One major way she does this is by befriending another town's QB and training him over the summer. As she becomes closer to him, she learns to speak and ends up trying out for her town's football team. This brave act of hers, while it immediately causes more trouble for her, ends up breaking the family silence, healing the wounds between DJ and her friends, and giving her the outlet she needed.

This is a really inspiring book. In some ways it reminded me a lot of Speak. It has a totally different plot, but the theme of speaking was so prevalent in both that I think students could easily tie the two together in discussion and writing. DJ has to learn to accept her family, her situation, and become comfortable enough with herself to have a voice. Once she does, everything seems to fall into place for her. There is just so much material in this book that is worthy of a classroom. If not for a whole class text I would definitely have this novel available for my students. DJ's voice is appealing to the YAL reader and her message is strong for anyone, not just the football playing farm girl. All in all, this is probably one of my favorite books this semester.