#43--The Name of the Star

Bibliographic Information

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Putnam Juvenile. (2011)

Price: $16.99 for hardcover; $9.99 for paperback

Pages: 384 for hardback; 400 for paperback

Plot Summary

Rory Deveaux can’t wait to start the equivalent of her senior year in high school as a foreign exchange student at an English boarding school. Even though England is crazy with Jack Ripper fever after a recent Jack the Ripper copycat murder, Rory manages to settle into her new life as an English scholar. She grows used to a school schedule filled with Saturday classes, double periods, and more studying than she has ever done before. She becomes fast friends with her roommate Jazza and even starts developing a crush on a boy. Soon, however, her life is disrupted when one Ripper-like murder turns into several, all of which are located in her school’s neighborhood. One night, while breaking curfew, Rory meets a strange man right near campus. While slightly frightened she shrugs off the incident until the next morning when she discovers that another murder happened fifteen minutes after her encounter with the man right in the middle of the campus green. With more murders occurring and few leads Rory finds herself involved in a chilling mystery unlike anything she’s ever encountered.

Critical Evaluation

The Name of the Star is a deliciously good read not just because of the intriguing premise but also because of the delicious twists and turns in both plot and characterization. Rory makes an excellent protagonist as she is someone to whom most people can relate. Although excited to attend an English boarding school she worries about fitting in. She must, as all students must eventually, reevaluate the way she spends her time and studies as she grapples with a demanding workload. While many of the people around her seem confident in their identity and work, Rory is continually thrust into new situations whether that be celebrating Guy Fawkes Day for the first time or learning about a secret group that policies London’s ghostly population.

Of course, Rory is not the only one that must come to terms with her new reality. Each member of the Shades, London’s secret police force, had to at one time reorient themselves after realizing they could see ghosts. Some certainly function better than others leaving readers fascinated by each of the Shades’ back stories as they are revealed little by little. Their journeys, along with Rory’s, make The Name of the Star more than just another murder mystery. Johnson not only understands how to create complex characters but how to pace a novel as well. In a brilliant move, Johnson does not reveal the paranormal side of her novel until readers are halfway through it. As such, readers can focus on Rory’s development as a student and teenager without the distraction of the paranormal element. It is only when readers gain insight into Rory’s character that the author introduces the paranormal and the subsequent characters that go with it. The Name of the Star is truly a wonderful book which makes it all the more fortunately that it is a part of a new series.

Reader’s Annotation

When Rory is the only one to spot a suspect involved in a string of Jack the Ripper-like serial killings, she becomes an important person not only to the police but to the killer as well.

Side Note

I realize that the cover of a novel does not necessarily accurately portray the contents within but having a beautiful cover certainly helps. Case in point:

 

The hardback cover, on the left, alerts the reader to the historical roots of the novel. It has a more Romantic feel to it than its paperback counterpart. The paperback cover, on the right, is quite a departure from the hardback cover. More gritty and dark, it looks more like a modern day horror novel rather than one whose premise has a basis in history. I’m glad I came across the hardback book first because otherwise I wouldn’t have picked it up!

About the Author

Maureen Johnson is a remarkable person. This is not only because she held a series of interesting jobs from bartending to working near tigers in Las Vegas but also writes about a wide variety of topics. She has written about serial killers, letter writing, movie stars, teenagers figuring out their sexual identities, and demons. Her next book, The Madness Underneath, is due to be published in February 2013. 

To learn more about Maureen Johnson visit her website.

Genre

Mystery, Paranormal fiction, Realistic fiction, School story

Readalikes

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

·         The sequel to The Name of the Star

The Diviners by Libba Bray

·         Also about a girl caught up in a series of murders. Contains a paranormal element.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

·         Also about girl, a ghost, and a series of murders.

Tags

12^th grade, Boarding school, English culture, Ghosts, Jack the Ripper, London, Murder mystery, Private school, Secret police, Serial killers

Awards Won/Lists On

2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

2012 Young Adult Edgar Award Nominee

Professional Reviews

Booklist
Kirkus Reviews

Locus Magazines

School Library Journal
The Horn Book

Booktalk Ideas

Add up the clues

·         CCTV cameras (p. 28)

·         Alistair (p. 56)

·         Man at pub crime scene (p. 71)

·         Veronica’s discovery (p. 78)

·         Guy outside window (p. 104)

Culture Clash

·         Lousiana

o   Use beginning of first chapter

o   Cheese whiz

·         England

o   Hockey

o   Little differences (p. 61)

o   Dealing with stress (p. 127)

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness

This book could be used to talk about cultural differences as well as methods to deal with stress. For example, how did members of the Shades’ handle their old worldview being shattered? How should we handle our own worldview being shattered and reformed?

Reading Level/Interest Level

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 6^th grade and up

These levels are according to AR Bookfinder

Challenge Issues

This book includes the following potentially controversial elements:

·         Ghosts

·         Graphic descriptions of murder victims

·         Making out

·         Paranormal powers

·         Serial killer

·         Slight swearing

·         Underage drinking

Librarians can point out that while this book contains paranormal elements it has many other wonderful parts. For example, it is full of little facts about English culture and history and contains sections that speak on how to fit into a culture that is not your own.

Why Was This Included?

I’ve picked up The Name of the Star and Ripper a few times when shelving at the library because the premise of both is intriguing. I love mysteries as well as books that include lots of historical facts and The Name of the Star includes both!

#44--Speak

Bibliographic Information

 Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Square Fish. (2011).

Price: $17.99 for hardcover; $9.99 for paperback

Pages: 208 for hardcover; 224 for paperback

Note: This was originally published in 1999. The above date refers to the reprint edition

Plot Summary

Melinda is not looking forward to her freshman year in high school. Ever since she called the police at a drunken party during the summer she has been hated and ignored by the people she once called her friends. Her suspicions that their behavior will continue throughout the school year is confirmed on her first day back. Suddenly, she finds herself sitting alone at lunch, shunned by all except new girl Heather. To cope with her friends’ rejection and the horrible things done to her at the summer party, Melinda closes up and rarely speaks. Whenever she tries to explain her side of the story she finds that she cannot. Fortunately, she finds some solace in art class where her teacher has assigned her to create trees all year until she can breathe life into them. As she muddles through the school year with her grades continually in decline she wonders if she will ever be able to find her voice and tell someone about the event that changed her into a wraith of her former self.

Critical Evaluation

Speak is the sort of novel that you hope finds its way into the hands of everyone, adult and teenager alike. On the surface Speak is a story about a freshman in high school struggling to fit in. Through first-person narrative Melinda explains all the trials of high school—substandard cafeteria food, cliques, and clueless teachers. However, throughout her story, there is the hint that she is struggling with something more insidious. While readers know that she called the police at a summer party gaining her the enmity of her former friends, they do not know why she called them. Every so often she will refer to HIM, the monster who committed some unspeakable act against her and whom she must see in the hallways at school. Slowly, readers watch Melinda sink into depression. The once high achieving student develops dismal grades. She chooses to speak very little and the only pleasure she takes is in her linocut trees and even that is very little. The ultimate question becomes what exactly happened at that summer party. The pacing of the novel is perfect as the truth behind Melinda’s depression is revealed little by little leading to a powerful confusion.

Speak is a powerful testament about how one terrible act can affect a person’s life. Even though readers are left knowing that Melinda can and will heal they are also aware that it will take some time. It is unclear, just as it is in many real-life cases, if her rapist will face judgment or walk away freely. Speak ultimately makes readers realize that rape is a huge issues today and one that affects not only adults but teens and children as well. As such, it is the perfect book to use when discussing issues surrounding rape and sexual assault.

Other Notes

Although not linked to Speak directly folks at The Enliven Project created this infographic. Just something to think about.

Reader’s Annotation

Melinda struggles through her freshman year in high school as she tries to forget HIM and the unspeakable things he did to her.

About the Author

Recognized as one of the greatest authors in teen literature (as seen through her 2009 Margaret A. Edwards award), Laurie Halse Anderson has written on many difficult subjects including rape, poverty, crime, depression, eating disorders, and slavery. Not surprisingly several of her novels have faced censorship including Speak and Twisted. As is the case with numerous authors, she faced hundreds of rejections before finally having a book professionally published. Now, when she isn’t writing, she enjoys running marathons and gardening. To learn more about Laurie Halse Anderson visit her site here.

How to pronounce her name: Laurie HALT-ZZ Anderson

Genre

Realistic fiction, Mystery

Readalikes

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

·         Some consider this a companion to Speak as it takes place at the same time as Speak. Main character, Melinda, even makes an appearance in this book.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

·         A powerful novel about a girl who was raped at a party and her courage to finally speak out about it.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

·         Sarah Byrnes inwardly locks herself away in order to cope with the terrible things that have been done to her.

Tags

13 year old, 9^th grade, Art, Cliques, Depression, First amendment, Friendship, New York, Rape, Sexual assault, Speaking up, Symbolism, Trees in art, Troubled marriage, Workaholic parents

Awards Won/Lists On

This book has won numerous awards and been featured on multiple lists including but not limited to:

·         1999 National Book Award Finalist

·         1999 BCCB Blue Ribbon Book

·         2000 Printz Honor

·         2000 Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year

·         2000 Edgar Allan Poe Best Young Adult Award Finalist

·         2001 & 2005 New York Times Paperback Children’s Best Seller

·          

It has also won state awards in California,Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada,  New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

Learn more about the awards Speak has won here.

Professional Reviews

Not surprisingly, Speak has garnered numerous professional reviews from sources like:

Booklist

Kirkus Reviews
Publishers' Weekly

The Horn Book

Booktalk Ideas

If you had a dark secret whom would you tell?

·         Art teacher? (Mr. Freeman)

·         Former best friend? (Rachel)

·         New friend? (Heather)

·         Parents?

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness

This is an excellent novel to help victims of rape heal. It can also be used for those in the midst of depression to help them better understand their condition. It can also be used to generate discussion about the stigma of reporting rape and highly sexualized Western culture.

Reading Level/Interest Level

Reading Level: 4th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade

These levels are according to AR Bookfinder

Challenge Issues

This book includes the following potentially controversial elements:

·         Bullying

·         Cliques

·         Depression

·         Double standards

·         Political Correctness

·         Racism

·         Rape

·         Sexual assault

·         Stereotypes

·         Troubled marriage

Librarians can point out that while this book contains heavy themes it serves a vital purpose in informing teenagers about how damaging rape can be. One of the most shocking parts of an interview with the author contained in the 10th Anniversary Edition of the novel is her experience with certain teen boys who read the novel. She says, “I have gotten one question repeatedly from young men. These are guys who liked the book, but they are honestly confused. They ask me why Melinda was so upset about being raped. The first dozen times I heard this, I was horrified. But I heard it over and over again. I realized that many young men are not being taught the impact that sexual assault has on a woman. They are inundated by sexual imagery in the media, and often come to the (incorrect) conclusion that having sex is not a big deal. This, no doubt, is why the number so sexual assaults is so high” (p. 206) This quote alone is enough reason why books like Speak should be included in the high school (or middle school) curriculum.

Why Was This Included?

I decided to include this title because of three reasons. Firstly, it was required. Secondly, because I had read the other optional title (Wintergirls) somewhat recently and finally because Speak is one of the most powerful books I have encountered to speak on the subject of rape.

#45--Shooter

Bibliographic Information

Shooter by Walter Dean Myers. Amistad. (2005).

Price: $17.99 for hardcover; $9.99 for paperback

Pages: 208 for hardcover; 224 for paperback

Note: This was originally published in 2004. The above date refers to the paperback reprint edition.

Plot Summary

The aftermath of a school shooting leaves two students dead—one a victim and the other the shooter himself. What the county, federal government, and board of education want to discover is how the shooting came about and, if possible, how to prevent another one. Enter Cameron Porter, best friend of the shooter, and Carla Evans, the shooter’s love interest. Through a series of interviews, Cameron and Carla try to explain to officials what the shooter was like while proclaiming their own innocence. Slowly readers piece together what actually happened that one fateful day at a high school in Harrison County.  

Critical Evaluation

Just like all his other novels, Walter Dean Myers’ Shooter is masterfully written. It’s clear that Myers subscribes to the school of “show don’t tell” as he presents the bare facts to the reader and lets the reader assign guilt to the proper party. The epistolary form of the novel not only ensures that the book can be read in one sitting but that the story is more believable as the sorts of newspapers articles, interviews, and diary entries used are precisely what would be written if an actual school shooting were to occur. Particularly apropos in today’s world, Shooter allows readers to ponder the harder truths surrounding school shootings. While Len, the shooter, is obviously to blame for the shooting itself there is a large grey area about who else is to blame. For example, can a victim of a school shooting really be a victim if they had previously bullied the shooter? Should guilt be assigned to Carla and Cameron for not speaking to anyone about Len’s frightening outlook on life? How much is Len’s abusive father to blame for Len’s state of mind which led to the shooting?

Additionally, Shooter allows readers to gain insight into the manipulative techniques used by adults to gain information from teens. Perhaps the most fascinating element of the novel is the differences between the various investigators. Although subtle, each has their own method of discovering the truth. The superintendent of the board of education, Dr. Jonathan Margolies, speaks kindly to Cameron and tries to relate to him while F.B.I. analyst, Victoria Lash, is much more condescending and harsh. Spectrum Group’s Franklyn Bonner is professional but uses clinical words that Carla has trouble understanding while Sheriff William Mosley uses self-deprecating language in order to gain Cameron’s trust. Reading about the adults’ different techniques causes readers to ponder how they and others seek to gain the truth and whether some ways are more effective and ethical than others. Overall, Shooter is an excellent novel, filled with hard but necessary truths that will leave readers thinking about the book long after they have finished the last page.

Reader’s Annotation

Told in a series of interviews, newspaper articles, and diary entries details emerge about a deadly school shooting and the motivations behind it.

About the Author

Winner of the 1994 Margaret A. Edwards Award in honor of his lasting contribution to young adult literature, Walter Dean Myers has penned over fifty books for both children and young adults. He is currently working on the new young adult novel Darius & Twig which will be published in April 2013.

To learn more about Walter Dean Myers visit his site here.

Genre

Epistolary novel, Realistic fiction

Readalikes

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

·         Another epistolary novel by the same author

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

·         Also about a teen that does something illegal that he thinks is justifiable

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

·         Also about the close friends of a school shooter that are left behind after the rampage

Tags

Abusive father, African American identity, alcoholic father, anger management, body image, bullying, clubs, driven parents, fitting in, foster home, gun range, gun shows, guns, justice system, outcasts, parental authority, prescription drug abuse, school shooting, suicide

Awards Won/Lists On

2004—Book Sense Summer Pick for Teen Readers

2005—ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Professional Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

 Publishers' Weekly

School Library Journal

Booktalk Ideas

Introduce the three characters

·         Len

o   Violent temper, abused prescription drugs, abusive father

·         Cameron

o   Appreciates people who understand him, also has an abusive father along with a materialistic mother, admires Len but sometimes fears him

·         Carla

o   Likes Len, likes Cameron more, is fairly open-minded, sexually abused when younger which shapes the way acts now, accepts betrayal/abuse as a matter of course

How would you discover the truth behind a school shooting?

·         Jonathan Margolies—superintendent of education

o   Inclusive manner but manipulative (89)

·         Victoria Lash—FBI threat analyst

o   Use condescending language (86, 89)

·         Franklyn Bonner—spectrum group

o   Use clinical language (108, 110)

·         William Beach Mosley—sheriff

o   Be frank & inviting; admit your inexperience (123)

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness

This would a great book to use for those who have experienced a school shooting. It also may be helpful to teens who live with abusive and/or neglectful parents.

Reading Level/Interest Level

Reading Level: 4^th/5^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade

These levels are according to AR Bookfinder

Challenge Issues

This book includes the following potentially controversial elements:

·         Abuse of the justice system

·         Bullying

·         Marijuana use

·         Neglectful mother

·         Physically abusive father

·         Prescription drug abuse

·         School shooting

·         Suicide

·         Vandalism

·         Verbally abusive father

Librarians can point out that this reading this book with your teenager can lead to many deep discussions such as how and why school shootings can happen, the proper role of parents as well as the authorities, peer pressure, and bullying.

Why Was This Included?

I read this because it was recommended on my 267 reading list and I had never read a book about school shootings. I chose this specific school shooting novel because I was impressed with Walter Dean Myers’ Monster and I enjoy epistolary novels.