The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2003. Print.
Annotation:

Everything around the life of fifteen year old, Virginia Shreves seems to be perfect...except for her. Virginia is just a little bit bigger than others, just not as prettier as her sister and hides behind baggy clothes.

Justification:

This is a book that talks about female beauty and identity. Females all over the world can read this book and make connections right away. And, not just women, but anyone who struggle with appearance and identity. Virginia Shreves seems to have a lot to live up to. Her mother is a psychologist, her father salivates over skinny women and her siblings are great in every aspect...except her. Readers will find a little part of themselves fitting right into this book. The stand that Virginia has for herself and the strength she pulls through with is amazing. This is a story that shows how society look at the female body and one cannot miss this read!

Genre: Printz, Coming of Age, Realistic/Edgy

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 2007. Print.

Annotation:

Arnold Spirit Junior is a young kid who lives on an Indian reservation. He is from a poor family and realizes that "it sucks to be poor." Junior transfers out to go to a high school 22 miles outside his reservation and struggle emotionally and physically.

Justification:

This is a must read! Sherman Alexie is one of the best known Native writers and in reality, the man is just naturally funny. Alexie's personality shines through his work effortlessly and that is what makes his books and novels so great.

Junior is from a poor family, a poor community, and it really sucks when everybody around you thinks alcohol is more important than education and money. He makes a decision to attend a white school outside of the "rez"and is now labeled as a "traitor" and an "apple, red on the outside, white on the inside." If anyone has read or heard of Sherman Alexie, there are many stereotypes and past experience from his own personal life he includes in his books. This is one reason why I love his work so much because he writes with truth and honesty. In this book, readers will find the constant battle Junior has to live with be the only Indian at his school besides the mascot and trying to keep it real with his best friend who is still back at the rez. This is a very powerful book that shows the issues of identity in young adults' lives. Moreover, readers will find great humor, stereotypes, relationship, social and political issues and trust in this book.

Genre: Humor, Identity, Multicultural



Speak

Anderson, Laurie H. Speak. New York: Penguin Group. 2001. Print.


Annotation:

"We fall into clans: Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, The Marthas, Suffering Artists, Thespians, Goths, Shredders. I am clanless... I am outcast." Melinda Sordino enters high school and essentially becomes voiceless because of a summer incident she was blamed for.

Justification for Nomination:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a young fourteen year old girl named Melinda Sordino. Friends and peers come to celebrate an-end-of-the-summer party and Melinda is put into a situation that leaves her no choice, but to call the cops. Everyone finds out that Melinda was the person who "ruined" their party and is shunned from her friends and social group. As high school starts, Melinda becomes traumatized by this fearful event and eventually fades away. She stops talking and finds comfort in art. Readers will get an opportunity to get inside Melinda's head and feel her emotions. This is a story that speaks about depression, abuse, identity, trauma and overcoming it all.

Anderson is such a genius! What a great debut for this author. She has a way of creating a story through Melinda's mind that is beautifully done. Anderson integrates symbolism in the narrative and incorporates imagery that would leave her readers breathless. Speak is such a powerful book that would relate to many young adults involving trust, relationship, and confession, especially trauma and recovery. This is a must read for everyone to realize the power of words and moving on after a turning point in life.

Genre: Printz; Realistic; Edgy

9. The Lover's Dictionary: A Novel

Levithan, David. The Lover's Dictionary: A Novel. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2011. Print.


Annotation:

breathtaking, adj.

Those mornings when we kiss and surrender for an hour before we say a single word... How does someone express their love? How does a person tell their significant other how they feel? Feel the power of words through this novel where the leading protagonist shares his story being in a relationship.


Justification for Nomination:

There is a nameless male who shares his love story. How could one really describe what love is? How could one really tell another person what love means to him or her? Through this novel, David Levithan has built a great way for his protagonist to speak to a wide range of audience. The protagonist opens up a window that allow people to read about love and relationship in our day and age. He expresses his thoughts and emotions, and shares his love life through each given word that is both bittersweet and heartfelt at the same time.

Levithan is a young adult author who took a different turn this time. The Lover's Dictionary: A Novel is written for an older audience, but young adults will fall in love with this book as well. It is written in dictionary entries and Levithan is a genius at creating a nameless protagonist which we come to find out early on is a male. However, this could be read by anyone whose ever been in love or hurt. Each word, put in alphabetical order, is given a definition anywhere from a word to a descriptive event that allow readers to put the pieces together. Although the protagonist is a male, anyone could relate to this and that is why this novel is worth your time.

Genre: Love; Romance; Multicultural; Adult Readings for YA