Harmless

Reinhardt, Dana. Harmless. Wendy Lamb Books: 2008. ISBN: 9780553494976.

Summary:
Anna, Emma and Mariah are freshman at the local private school, ODS. Anna is an only child, and kind of a loner. She is not popular and has been best friends with Emma since 3rd grade. Emma is the sister of one of the most popular seniors at school, Silas. Mariah is new this year and has a bit of a reputation, she is dating a senior, DJ from another school. The girls become friends and with Mariah's urging go to an all night party at DJ's house. To accomplish this the girls must lie to their parents. The party is not what they expected and has life changing results for one of them. But, because they feel pressure to enjoy partying and boys, the girls tell another lie and attend another party. This time, their parents find out that they are not where they said they would be and to avoid punishment the girls concoct a story that grows like Pinocchio's nose and has far reaching effects.

Evaluation:
This story is a great example of how one event can have a domino effect through many lives. It's just one lie. Can one lie hurt? The book does explore the idea of lies that help and save someone's feelings. Written in first person with chapters that alternate by each girl, first Anna, Emma, then Mariah. The reader learns events from a couple of perspectives and this adds to the tension in the plot. This is a morality tale, not just about what is the truth, but underage drinking, rape and coming of age.

Reader's Annotation:
It's just a small white lie, it won't hurt anyone...

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Girls who are raped or have sex when they are drunk will find this book healing. Just because you don't say "no", doesn't mean consent.

Genre:
Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age

Why I Included This Book:
I recently found this author and was interested in her other works.

48 Shades of Brown

Earls, Nick. 48 Shades of Brown. Houghton Mifflin Company; 1999. ISBN:0618452958.

Plot:
Dan is a senior in high school in Australia. His father has just taken a position in Geneva for a year. Dan has a choice, he can go with his parents to Geneva or stay with his Aunt Jacq and continue his senior year. Initially, Dan goes to Geneva, but after two weeks he is on a plane back home. Except that Dan won't be living in his home, it has been rented out for the year. He will be living with his twenty year old aunt and her roommate Naomi. What Dan hopes will be an awesome experience turns out to be full of landmines and social guffaws. Calculus just might get the better of him and why does Naomi have to be so incredible? Confronted with unexpectedly missing his family, sexual situations and trying to be 'cool', Dan's senior year is full of self revelation and many humorous moments.

Critical Evaluation:
This coming of age story is typical in that Dan grows and changes into a better understanding of himself and those around him. The unusual part of the story is the genre. This reads like chick lit with humor and a light tone, but the protagonist is male. Written in the first person, we get all of Dan's egocentric and insecure thoughts and observations. An interesting convention used by author Nick Earls is there are no quotation marks in the book. When someone other than Dan is speaking, the text is in italics. The remaining text is in a normal font. The line between Dan's thoughts and what he actually speaks out loud to others is blurred. This convention made the book a little confusing, but it does put the reader 'smack dab' in the middle of Dan's thinking process. Knowing his thoughts and insecurities prompts empathy for Dan, and helps adults appreciate the angst of the teen years. There were a couple reference to items that were unfamiliar to an American reader, one example is a Chuppa-Chup. A Google search revealed that this is a lollipop. You learn something new everyday.

Reader's Annotation:
Dan spends his senior year living with two university students. Every senior boy's perfect fantasy, right?!

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
It is a change to be inside of the guys brain and hear the struggles and insecurities that plague a teenager. It is also okay to miss your parents, even as a senior in high school. Our parents irritate and annoy us, but when they are gone, we miss them.

Genre:
Contemporary Life/Romance

Why I Include This Book:
The story is set in Australia, I wanted to get a glimpse of teens from other countries.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Green, John and David Levithan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Dutton: New York, 2010. ISBN: 9780525421580.

Summary:
Both Will Graysons are high school juniors in the suburbs of Chicago. Due to a series of interesting events that involve the teen heart, love and some hormones, the Will Graysons meet at a porn shop in Chicago. Neither of their lives are the same by the end of the story. Being gay in high school can be difficult, but so can being friends with gay students. One Will Grayson is gay and the other straight and both perspectives are explored. Most teenagers' lives revolve around their friends and the Wills are no exception. Enter Tiny, who is anything but. Tiny is important to both Wills in completely different ways, yet the change in each character is similar.

Evaluation:
Told in alternating first person, this is a great read. Laugh out loud funny and touching at the same time. Many parents will object to the language used, but as the parent of teenagers, I can tell you it is authentic. One of the best aspects of this story is the realistic portrayal of family life. These kids are the products of normal homes. Parents who are divorced and hurting and parents who want to connect, but are unsure how. The book has two authors, but the plot is seamless. Each Will's voice is original and believable. Fans of realistic fiction and coming of age stories will love this book.

Reader's Annotation:
Life is not a spectator sport.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Teens who put on a tough exterior will relate to Will's rules of shut up and don't get involved. It may be the safe way to play it, but it will leave you lonely and bored! Also gay and lesbian students will enjoy seeing other homosexual students accepted and successful in school.

Genre:
Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction

Why I Included This Book:
This book was required for class. It also came across my desk to catalog a few months back. The title intrigued me and the fact that two authors collaborated.

Bamboo People

Perkins, Mitali. Bamboo People. Charlesbridge: 2010. ISBN: 9781580893282.

Plot Summary:
Chiko lives in a small home in a Burmese town with his mother. His father has been taken to prison for being a traitor to the government. In actuality, Chiko's father is a doctor and went out late at night to visit a sick patient. As with most of the population, Chiko and his mother live in fear of reprisal from the government. An advertisement appears in the paper asking for teachers. Chiko dreams of being a teacher, his father taught him how to read. Hoping to earn some money for his family, Chiko goes to the government building to be a teacher. Sadly, it is a trap to get more soldiers for the Burmese army. Chiko is upset, disoriented and taken far from home. Becoming a soldier is the hardest thing he has ever done. But, if his father can carry on in prison, then he can become a soldier and try to find his father.

Critical Evaluation:
Bamboo People, a recent Junior Library Guild selection has an honest, vulnerable voice that cuts to the heart. Told in first person, we know what Chiko is thinking and can see trouble coming. The author does a great job helping us understand what this experience is like for Chiko. The second half of the book is narrated by Tu Reh, a 16 year old Karenni, who's village was burned by Burmese soldiers. The path of the two boys cross giving the story more depth as enemies must learn to go beyond mistrust and prejudice. The end of the book gives a brief synopsis of the history of Burma and the on going civil war. This is a great advantage to readers who may not be familiar with the background of this country. Teens benefit from a wider world view and learning what life is like for kids their age in other parts of the world.

Reader's Annotation: Mind your own business and you will stay out of trouble. Beware, the result may be a slow death inside your heart.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Growing up in an area ravaged by war is very difficult. Understanding the enemy seems impossible until you realize they are the same as you; scared, hungry and wanting peace so their families can be safe.

Genre:
Contemporary Life/Coming of Age

Why Book Included:
I read the dust jacket and couldn't put it down.