Code Orange

Cooney, Caroline B. Code Orange. Delacorte Press; 2005. ISBN: 0385732597.

Summary:
Mitchell Blake, Mitty for short is a junior at St. Raphael's private school in New York City. He lives with his parents in a downtown apartment and they escape to the 'country' in Connecticut each weekend. Up until this year Mitty has been a good student, not stellar, but respectable. Teenage rebellion has set in, Mitty is not difficult or getting into trouble, he is just blowing off school. Advance Biology has a research paper due in a few weeks and Mitty hasn't picked his topic yet. Olivia Clark is in Advanced Biology, she is smart, studious and likes Mitty. If Mitty fails this assignment he will be taken out of the advanced class and put into regular Biology; a regular class without Olivia. At the Blake's country house, Mitty finds an old medical book with two scab samples of smallpox in an envelope dated 1902. Mitty removes them and handles the scabs to satisfy his curiosity. Now he has a topic for his research paper about the history and current status of a disease. After spending time researching smallpox, Mitty realized he may have caught it from handling the scab samples. Unsure what to do Mitty weighs his options and his moral responsibility to himself, his family, and New York City.

Critical Evaluation:
This book was published four years after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The story's setting is in New York City and the reality of the attacks are ever present in the telling of the story. Mitty is a likable protagonist. He is self assured, but not cocky and a great representation of how a teen lives in New York City. As a typical teen in his own way Mitty is impatient with his parents, secretive about his life, and head over heels for Olivia Clark in Advanced Biology. The author treats the story realistically with the ending being believable and exciting at the same time. Mitty's character doesn't go through a dramatic change emotionally, nor does he suddenly find maturity. The story's time frame is only about two weeks. The changes that take place in Mitty are the result of facing death and reevaluating your life. This book will cause teens to think beyond themselves and their immediate surroundings. Yes, there are people in this world who want to harm Americans. This is an everyday fact for today's youth. Learning to have an effect on the circumstances you can control and letting go of the rest is not always an easy lesson for teens or adults.

Reader's Annotation:
What if you had the ability to infect more than half of the population? Would you hide at home or go out in public?

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
It is easy to say, "If this situation happens, this is how I would react." But, do we really know how our bodies and minds will respond until the moment of truth? Books that make us think through pretend situations help us deal with real problems when they come along.

Genre:
Science Fiction/Adventure

Why I Include This Book:
I was fascinated by the premise.

Witch and Wizard

Patterson, James. Witch and Wizard. Little, Brown and Company: 2009. ISBN: 978-0316036245.

Summary: Whit and Wisty Allgood are normal everyday teens. Whit is a football star and Mr. popularity. Wisty is trying to get through classes each day. Everything changes one night when the police storm into their house and arrest them. Accused of being a witch and a wizard, the two are carted off to prison. A new government has taken over with a leader who is called, "The One Who is the One." This new regime is outlawing normal teenage vices like music and artists and books. Whit and Wisty deny having any special abilities until Wisty accidentally makes fire. With only each other to rely on, the brother and sister manage to escape from prison and realize that a new world order has taken over and life will never be the same.

Evaluation:
This book was interesting and exciting, but not original. Fans of dystopian and science fiction will enjoy this book on a lazy summer day or during a snow storm. It seems to be a way for an adult author to cross over and cash in on the hot young adult paranormal market. As main characters, it is hard to relate to Whit and Wisty. Whit is Mr. popularity, an experience that most teens do not have. Wisty and her attitude are more believable. The brother-sister magic connection reminds me of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott. Which, incidentally is a much better read. So, unless you love James Patterson, skip this one.

Reader's Annotation:
People are not always what they seem.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Teens can feel misunderstood and that everyone is against them. The teens in this book have that experience. Although, everyone is against them, they are confused and unprepared. Whit and Wisty lose their parents and have to take care of one another. They have their faults, but never stop trying.

Genre:
Dystopian, Science Fiction

Why I Included This Book:
Paranormal is so popular and becoming quite diverse. I wanted to sample some of the titles in this genre.

Mockingjay

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. Scholastic Press:2010. ISBN: 9780439023511.

Plot Summary:
Katniss Everdeen is finally out of the arena for good. After surviving two Hunger Games she is back in District 13 trying to decide if she will be the 'Mockingjay'. Not willing to be a pawn, but having her own agenda, Katniss agrees to be the face of the rebellion if all the victors of the Hunger Games are pardoned after the war. Her mother, sister Prim and Gale are living in District 13 as well because the Capitol savagely bombed Panem and many people did not survive. Peeta is a captive of the Capitol and makes occasional television appearances. It is obvious from these appearances that Peeta is being used and mistreated. A group from District 13 is able to rescue Peeta. He is sadly altered and wants to kill Katniss. The rebellion begins in earnest and Katniss motivated by compassion for her fellow rebels and hatred for President Snow and the Capital goes into battle against her orders.

Critical Evaluation:
Masterful and disturbing, Suzanne Collins has written a great ending to the Hunger Games trilogy. Katniss true to her character shows strength and resolve while dealing with internal conflicts, the first Hunger Games is never far from her mind. One of the character's deaths was extremely hard to handle and seemed pointless, but with this plot development Suzanne Collins shines a bright light on how devastating war is to the innocent. She makes us look at war and its effects straight in the face. One reason teens like this series is the author doesn't sugar coat anything, she trusts the readers to make their own conclusions. Friends have complained that the ending, especially the epilogue was not what they expected or they didn't like it. Ending a trilogy with so much suffering and devastation is not easy, a 'happy' ending would seem unreal and out of place. The ending was hopeful and that is realistic and true to the character's experiences.

Reader's Annotation: There is no real victory in war, there is only survival.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Sometimes to survive a situation we must do things that we are not proud of. Reading about Katniss and the moral choices she makes helps teens to understand the complexity of life and the human desire for survival.

Genre:
Science Fiction/Dystopia

Why Include This Book?
I loved the first two in the series and really like Suzanne Collins' Underland Chronicles. It is important to have popular titles in the collection.

The Hunger Games

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic: 2008. ISBN: 9780439023528.

Plot Summary:
Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 in the Seam. Her father was killed in a mining accident when she was eleven and Katniss has been the only source of provision for her mother and younger sister, Prim. District 12 is one of the poorer districts in Panem, a country controlled by the Capitol. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by fear and intimidation. The biggest ploy is the Hunger Games, a yearly ritual that is mandated by the Capitol. Each district must send two tributes, one boy and one girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen. The winner brings needed food and pride back to their district. The point of the games? To be the sole survivor. Only one tribute can win and they are required to kill each other to reach that point. Katniss' twelve year old sister, Prim is chosen for the games and Katniss volunteers to take her place. A boy named Peeta who has feelings for Katniss is chosen as well. Katniss and Peeta are immediately whisked off to the Capitol to prepare for the games. The Capitol is a foreign world compared to District 12, different food, strange accents and children killing each other for sport is entertainment.

Critical Evaluation:
This book is a masterpiece. Told in first person, we always know what Katniss is thinking and doing. Her perceptions are not neutral, but she is basically a reliable narrator. Suzanne Collins gives Katniss a humanity and depth of character that is rare in today's novels. The chapters dealing with Rue and her murder show us the depth of the Capitol's inhumanity by highlighting Katniss' humanity. In the middle of all the stress and horror, the author still let's us glimpse the sixteen year old girl who can't figure out how she feels about a boy. The normalcy transposed with the brutality is an effective plot device. The world of Panem is fictional, but not completely unrealistic, this basis in partial realty is surreal and a great springboard for discussions. Could a government actually be so cruel to it's citizens? Unfortunately we just need to look back in history to see the answer.

Reader's Annotation:
Katniss struggles each day to find food to keep her family alive. In the games she must fight each day to keep herself alive while depriving the other tributes of that luxury.

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Anyone who has fought in a war or been in a life and death situation can connect with Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Reading about suffering and tragedy can help others face feelings that are hard to deal with.

Genre:
Science Fiction/Dystopia


Why Include This Book?
I loved the Underland Chronicles. This book brings up important topics that are of interest to teens.