School Library Journal» October 2012 Feature

Nail-biters: Gripping Tales | Focus On

SLJ — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:01:44 +0000

In this Article

Just what constitutes a “nail-biter” is certainly open for debate, but librarians know they are highly sought after titles. Suspense and action are two main requisites, and a good thriller is structured to keep readers hanging at the end of almost every chapter, leaving them hungry for more. For those serving reluctant readers, these titles are gold. Fortunately, nail-biters can be found in almost every genre. Since YA lit has been dominated by dystopian, postapocalyptic, and paranormal titles of late, many of the more recent nail-biters fall into those categories, though historical fiction, science fiction, and horror are also represented. Using these labels is of course problematic. Librarians often can’t even agree among themselves what is or isn’t a genre and what defines each one. To complicate the matter, successful YA authors tell good stories and rarely adhere to narrow definitions of genres. Many of the books here could arguably be classified differently. Is Darkness Becomes Her a romance, a paranormal story, or is it postapocalyptic? It is all of those and even has some Greek mythology thrown in. Librarians may disagree with the classifications assigned, but all will agree that these are exciting stories guaranteed to hook teens and tweens and keep them turning pages.

Historical Fiction

PETRUCHA, Stefan. Ripper. Philomel. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25524-3; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-1-101-56055-6.
Gr 6-10–An orphan and would-be detective seeks clues to his father’s identity. Could Carver really be Jack the Ripper’s son? And is he up to the task of catching him? The author brings 19th-century New York to life and includes some steampunk elements.

PRIESTLEY, Chris. The Dead of Winter. Bloomsbury. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-745-1.
Gr 7-10–Michael, recently orphaned, is sent to live with Sir Stephen in his creepy house on the moors and is immediately beset by unsettling visions and other strange occurrences. To save himself he must solve the murder of Sir Stephen’s wife. A chilling homage to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

REEVES, Amy Carol. Ripper. Flux. 2012. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-7387-3072-1.
Gr 8 Up–Here we have another orphan, another Jack the Ripper story, and another thrilling adventure. Part Victorian murder mystery, part supernatural thriller, this book features a strong heroine, 17-year-old Arabella Sharp, who faces down the world’s most notorious serial killer and a group of immortals with questionable scruples.

Dystopian

OLIVER, Lauren. Delirium. HarperCollins. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-172682-8; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-06-172683-5; ebook $7.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211403-7.
Gr 7 Up–Love is the problem. It has been classified “amor deliria nervosa,” and cured. All teens are inoculated on their 18th birthday, and Lena is anxious to get it over with. But, a few months shy of her the date, she finds love and must decide if she wants to give it up or lose everything. Audio version available from Listening Library.

ROSSI, Veronica. Under the Never Sky. HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207203-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207205-4.
Gr 7 Up–Aria is cast out of the domed city of Reverie into a world of savages, cannibals, and other horrors. But it is only with the help of the “savage” Perigrine that she survives. The two form an unlikely but well-matched couple, with each being instrumental to the other’s survival. This is an exciting and beautifully written novel. Audio version available from Listening Library.

ROTH, Veronica. Divergent. HarperCollins. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202402-2; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202403-9; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207701-1.
Gr 9 Up–In a dystopian future Chicago, society is divided into factions based on aptitudes. The system has worked smoothly for generations—until now. Tris is “divergent” and must keep her status secret. Put through a hellish warrior-training program, she still may not be able to thwart a near-genocidal murder plot. Audio version available from Harper Audio.
–––– . Insurgent. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-202404-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-211445-7.
The sequel finds Tris, Tobias, and other members of the “factionless” fighting the conspiracy and mind control of the Erudite. A common assessment for this trilogy-in-the-making is “better than the Hunger Games.”

Horror

MCNAMEE, Graham. Beyond: A Ghost Story. Random. 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73775-3; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89759-7.
Gr 7 Up–Is Jane accident prone, suicidal, or just plain crazy? She has survived many near-death experiences, several of them “accidents.” What she hasn’t told anyone but her best friend and fellow “creep sister” is that each “accident” was caused by her shadow trying to kill her. Creepy and exciting in equal parts.

SEDGWICK, Marcus. White Crow. Roaring Brook. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-594-0; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-25001-029-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-42997-634-3.
Gr 9 Up–Three very different voices narrate this chilling tale that explores the secrets of death. Rebecca moves from trendy London to lonely Winterfold where the enigmatic Ferelith, a local girl, introduces the dark secrets and legends of the village. A parallel story unfolds through the 200-year-old journals of a priest participating in a ghoulish experiment.

Paranormal

BRUCHAC, Joseph. Wolf Mark. Lee & Low/Tu Books. 2011. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-60060-661-8.
Gr 7 Up–A teen on the run after his father (a black ops agent) is kidnapped discovers that he is a shape-shifter. He will need all his abilities and the help of some Russian vampires to stay alive and save his father. The very complex plot is saved by action, action, action.

CLEMENT-MOORE, Rosemary. Texas Gothic. Delacorte. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73693-0; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73694-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89810-5.
Gr 8 Up–What could go wrong when Amy Goodnight agrees to house-sit on her aunt’s Texas ranch? Quite a bit when you come from a family of witches and then accidentally bind yourself to a ghost. Clement-Moore’s signature snarky humor pervades this exciting mystery.

KEATON, Kelly. Darkness Becomes Her. S & S/Pulse. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0924-8; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0926-2.
Gr 9 Up–Ari is weird. She has teal-colored eyes, silver hair, and very unconventional foster parents. Fitting in has never been an option—until she ventures into postapocalypse New Orleans to find out why her mother and all of her female ancestors killed themselves.
–––– . A Beautiful Evil. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0927-9; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0929-3.
In this sequel, Ari is living in New 2, the former New Orleans, where her frightening powers make her both dangerous and sought after. She must find a way to defeat a goddess and avoid becoming the latest victim of her family’s curse.

MILLER, Kirsten. The Eternal Ones. Penguin/Razorbill. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59514-308-2; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-159514-375-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-10146-003-0.
Gr 8 Up–Haven Moore has visions of her previous life and, possibly, her murder. She leaves her small Tennessee town for New York to pursue the man she believes is the reincarnation of her true love. But could he be the murderer tabloids claim he is? A mix of mystery, adventure, and romance.

PLUM, Amy. Die for Me. HarperCollins. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-200401-7; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-200402-4; ebook $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207700-4.
Gr 9 Up–Two orphaned teens move to their grandmother’s home in Paris and discover a hidden world of “revenants” (good looking zombies). The girls become romantically involved with two revenants on opposing sides of a battle between good and evil, leaving the young women caught in the middle. Audio version available from Harper Audio.

Apocalypse/Postapocalypse

BACIGALUPI, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-05621-2; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-05619-9; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-316-08168-9.
Gr 7 Up–In a devastated future America, a teen barely survives, risking his life daily on a salvage crew. A stroke of good luck quickly turns bad and sends him on the run from lots of very bad people, including his own father.
–––– . The Drowned Cities. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-05624-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20261-9.
Set in the same world, this companion to Ship Breaker introduces Mahlia, the half-breed daughter of a Chinese peacekeeper, a “castoff” left behind when attempts to reintroduce civilization to U.S. cities were abandoned. Reviled and constantly in danger, Mahlia sees an opportunity to escape when she finds the injured genetic half-man, Tool.

MABERRY, Jonathan. Rot & Ruin. S & S. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0232-4; pap. $9.99, ISBN 978-1-4424-0233-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-0234-8.
Gr 8 Up–Benny Imura was a baby when the Zombie apocalypse hit. As a teen he becomes a very reluctant apprentice zombie hunter to his older brother, Samurai-sword-wielding Tom. Benny learns some disturbing truths when they leave their fenced-in town and travel through zombie country. An extremely exciting and emotionally satisfying read. Audio version available from Recorded Books.

WILSON, Daniel. Robopocalypse. Doubleday. 2011. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-385-53385-0; pap. $15.95. ISBN 978-0-307-74080-9; ebook $11.99. ISBN 978-0-385-53386-7.
Adult/HS–A small group of hardy survivors manages to destroy Archos, the malignant AI directing the machines that turned on humanity. Written in the form of reports and video transcripts from the war, this book has no shortage of action. It will resonate with many teens in our ever-more-networked and automated world. Audio version available from Random House Audio.

Science Fiction

BREESE, K. Ryer. Future Imperfect. St. Martin’s/Griffin. 2011. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-64151-1; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-429-97819-4.
Gr 10 Up–When Ade suffers concussions, he glimpses the future and gets a high he calls the Buzz. Addicted, the teen looks for ways to bash his skull—hammers, car crashes, swan dives off the school roof—whatever it takes. A vision of himself murdering a classmate leads Ade to try the impossible—changing the future. A thrill ride for older teens.

CROSS, Julie. Tempest. St. Martin’s/Griffin. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-312-56889-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-42999059-2.
Gr 8 Up–Jackson can travel back in time, but he seems unable to alter anything. When his girlfriend dies in his arms, shot by temporal thugs chasing him, Jackson must find a way to change history to prevent her murder. But what price will he have to pay to save her? Audio version available from Macmillan Audio.

ÓGUILÍN, Peadar. The Inferior. Random/David Fickling Bks. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-75145-2; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73717-3; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-375-84952-7.
Gr 8 Up–What seems to be a grisly fantasy featuring cannibals turns out to be grisly science fiction (still featuring cannibals). Stopmouth, named for his stutter, must constantly prove his worth as a hunter or he will become a “volunteer,” traded as food to the intelligent beasts that are both prey and predator in their world.
–––– . The Deserter. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-75149-0; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98936-0.
As Stopmouth’s new tribe struggles to survive, he must do the unthinkable and leave them. Only the weapons of the technologically advanced Roof dwellers can save his people. But things in the Roof are far stranger and more dangerous than he could ever imagine.

WARD, Rachel. Numbers. Scholastic/Chicken House. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-14299-1; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-545-14300-4.
Gr 8 Up–When Jem looks into another’s eyes, the number she sees is the date of the person’s death. This dubious talent saves her and her friend Spider from a terrorist attack but also puts them on the run from the government and drug dealers. Audio version available from Brilliance Audio.
–––– . The Chaos. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-24269-1; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-545-26355-9.
Adam, the product of the one night Jem and Spider spent together, is struggling with the “gift” he inherited from his mother. When he moves back to London with his great-grandmother, Adam notices that many people share the same number. Can Sarah, another troubled teen, help him deal with this burden?
–––– . Infinity. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-35092-1.
Two years after the New Year’s Day disaster Adam, Sarah, and Sarah’s daughter, Mia, are living in the woods of a devastated, dystopic England, on the run and trying to survive. Somehow baby Mia survived the disaster and changed her number. Does she hold the secret to immortality?

Other Thrillers

VAN TOL, Alex. Knifepoint. (Orca Soundings Series). Orca. 2010. PLB $16.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-306-1; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-1-55469-305-4.
Gr 7 Up–Jill, working a summer job at a horse ranch, finds herself alone in the woods with a killer. But she is no damsel in distress. She uses her wits—and anything she can get her hands on—to survive. A quick, exciting read about a resourceful teen and a great choice for readers who don’t like “big” books.

VRETTOS, Adrienne Maria. Burnout. S & S/Margaret K. McElderry. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9469-5; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9470-1; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4391-6312-2.
Gr 9 Up–Nan, a graduate from rehab, wakes up on the subway with no memory of how she got there or why she is wearing a too-small Halloween costume and bizarre makeup. Did she relapse or is something worse going on? And where is her only friend, Seemy? A gripping thriller with a flawed but sympathetic protagonist.

WYNNE-JONES, Tim. Blink & Caution. Candlewick. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3983-9; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5697-3; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5455-9.
Gr 9 Up–Blink stumbles into a political plot disguised as a kidnapping while stealing breakfast from trays in a hotel corridor. Caution is on the run from her abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend. When their paths cross, they each might be just what the other needs. Action-packed, well-written, and sporting an eye-catching cover sure to draw teens. Audio version available from Brilliance Audio.

Graphic Novels

CHANTLER, Scott. Tower of Treasure. Bk. 1. illus. by author. (Three Thieves Series). Kids Can. 2010. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-414-2; pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-415-9.
Gr 5-10–A 14-year-old girl searches for her kidnapped twin brother as she works in a traveling circus. Desperate for money, she agrees to help two other performers rob the king’s treasury.
–––– . The Sign of the Black Rock. Bk. 2. 2011. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-416-6; pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-417-3.
The three fugitive circus performers wait out a storm by hiding in an inn but find themselves in uncomfortably close quarters with smugglers, a greedy innkeeper, and the soldiers who are hunting them. Chantler’s drawings harken back to classic comic books with very detailed backgrounds and plenty of action scenes.

RENIER, Aaron. The Unsinkable Walker Bean. illus. by author. First Second. 2010. pap. $13.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-453-0.
Gr 5-8–Walker is not your typical action hero, but to save his grandfather from a witch’s curse, he will take to the high seas and face pirates and witches with determination and his wits. Glossy pages full of bold colors and lots of detail bring the story to life in this rollicking adventure.

TENNAPEL, Doug. Bad Island. illus. by author. Scholastic/Graphix. 2011. RTE $24.99. ISBN 978-0-545-31479-4; pap. $10.99. ISBN 978-0-545-31480-0.
Gr 6 Up–Think Swiss Family Robinson meets Lost meets Transformers. A family, shipwrecked on an island with dangerous creatures discovers that the island itself is alive. Adventure abounds, as do parent-child conflicts. Colorful island scenes contrast sharply with the muted palette of the alien planet drawings.
–––– . Ghostopolis. 2010. RTE $24.99. ISBN 978-0-545-21027-0; pap. $12.99. ISBN ISBN 978-0-545-21028-7.
Garth, afflicted by an incurable disease, is accidentally zapped into the afterlife by a ghost hunter. On the other side, Garth discovers he has powers the ghosts don’t possess, making the young hero a threat to the evil ruler of Ghostopolis and prey to his minions. Expressive, action-packed cartoons carry the adventure.

TSANG, Evonne. I Love Him to Pieces. Bk. 1. illus. by Janina Görrissen. (My Boyfriend Is a Monster Series). Graphic Universe/Lerner. 2011. PLB $29.27. ISBN 978-0-7613-6004-9; pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-7079-6; ebook $21.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-7185-4.
Gr 7 Up–A baseball-playing girl and a nerdy boy begin an improbable romance after being teamed up in a school project. Then the zombies arrive. Görrissen’s black-and-white drawings make skillful use of facial expressions and body language to convey the characters’ thoughts and emotions, adding much to the story.

On the Web

For Librarians and Teachers

No Flying No Tights: A Graphic Novel Review Site. noflyingnotights.com

. Robin E. Brenner. (Accessed 8/22/12).

A project of a public librarian and comics expert from Brookline, Massachusetts, this site is a great resource for librarians serving fans of manga, anime, and comics. Reviews are arranged by age group and genre and include “horror” and “mysteries and thrillers.”

For Students

Guys Read. www.guysread.com.

Jon Scieszka. (Accessed 8/22/12).

Gr 5 Up–Developed “to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers,” Scieszka’s site offers reviews and recommendations for plenty of nail-biters with particular appeal for boys.

ReadingRants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists! Nail-Biters. www.readingrants.org/category/nail-biters. Jennifer Hubert Swan. (Accessed 8/18/12).

Gr 7 Up–Maintained by an independent New York City school librarian with over 10 years of reviewing experience and a love of YA literature, this site is a good resource for fans of all genres. Teen comments are included.

Teenreads. www.teenreads.com. The Book Report Network. (Accessed 8/18/12).

Gr 7 Up–While there isn’t a nail-biters category, there are reviews and recommendations under a plethora of genre labels such as adventure, action adventure, dystopian, and gothic horror, along with author interviews and upcoming publications.

Anthony C. Doyle is a Teacher Librarian at Livingston High School, Livingston, CA.

Gangs, Drugs, and Renewal: Self-published Memoirs Offer Hope to Troubled Teens

SLJ — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:01:10 +0000

Regina Mason talks to our teens about her great-great-great-grandfather’s
self-published memoir, Life of William Grimes, the Runway Slave.
Photographs by Michael Lucia

Ten teens, ages 16 to 17, dressed in tan pull-on pants and dark blue sweatshirts with “Alameda County Juvenile Hall” stamped across their chests, are in my library, crowding around me and talking all at once.

“He said he was hit with an electrical cord, but in the book he says it was a snakeskin belt,” says one boy, pouncing on a disparity between what an author told us when he recently visited and what he wrote in his memoir.

“Yeah, and he said he was wearing a black cap, but in the book, he’s wearing an A’s cap,” says another. “There’s like a million things he said that aren’t the same in the book.”

“Liar!” explodes one teen. “Poser,” adds another.

The teens are talking about Street Life, a self-published title by Victor Rios that charts his former life as a gang member in East Oakland, CA. I’m listening to what they’re saying with a serious look on my face and a big grin inside. One of the kids practically listed the page numbers of all of the inconsistencies he found.

“I’m impressed,” I tell them. “You guys are amazing readers. You could be editors! Let’s call him up and see what he says.” They’re stunned as I pick up the phone and reach Rios’s voice mail. “Victor, I have some young men here who have a lot to say.” I share the boys’ concerns and promise them that I’ll let them know when I hear back from him.

The next day they’re playing basketball, when I come in with my cell phone and Rios’s enthusiastic response on my voice mail. About five of them immediately come over when they see me. It’s not lost on me that this conversation is more interesting to them than being out of their cells and shooting hoops.

“What did he say?” asks one of the kids. “She here to tell us what Poser say,” says another, and he calls over someone who’s still playing basketball. Rios’s message explains how difficult it is to remember life’s specifics, especially after a significant amount of time has passed, and how sometimes details in a book may differ from those in an unscripted conversation. He also explains that as a self-published author, he didn’t have the benefit of working with agents, publishers, and editors. I’m not sure if my kids completely buy the explanation, but we have a satisfying discussion about memoirs, memory, trauma, and writing.

Recommended reading:

11 titles you may have missed

Bonelli, Patricia. Owning Patricia: A Story of Breaking Free. Book Publishers Network, 2011. In this part memoir, part inspiration, part workbook, Bonelli recounts her journey from teenage prostitution and joining a witness-protection program to her 20-year career as a probation officer.

Davis, Robert Leon. Running Scared. Monarch, 2010. Raised with eight siblings by Grandma on $300 a month in New Orleans, Davis turned to crime at a young age. He later joined the police force and continued his criminal ways while hiding behind a badge. Facing arrest, Davis fled and lived in the woods for 20 years, before eventually turning himself in after a religious experience.

De La Cruz, Jesse. Detoured: My Journey from Darkness to Light. Barking Rooster, 2011. This is a well-written account of people who have made it out of the prison system, and it’s a must-have for libraries that serve audiences like mine. The book is available from the author at www.jsdconsultations.com.

Glodoski, Ron. How to Be a Successful Criminal: The Real Deal on Crime, Drugs, and Easy Money. Turn Around Publishing, 1998. A victim of childhood abuse, Glodoski turned to gangs, drugs, and violence and built a drug empire. In the book, the author shows how he—and just about anyone—can turn street skills, such as risk-taking, running a start-up, and managing people, into a legitimate business venture.

Hill, Mike “Chainsaw.” The Courage to Change the Things I Can. Accent Digital, 2010. Born to teenage parents, Hill was given up for adoption. He ran away and became a drug addict and an alcoholic. Hill finally changed after he experienced Christ. This memoir features photos and lots of action.

Khamisa, Azim. From Murder to Forgiveness: A Father’s Journey. Balboa Press, 1998. Khamisa’s only son was shot and killed in a pizza delivery/robbery scam. How Khamisa comes to terms with the murder, befriends the shooter’s grandfather, and forgives the boy who shot his son—becoming one of his only visitors in prison—makes for great reading.

Rios, Victor M. Street Life: Poverty, Gangs, and a Ph.D. Five Rivers, 2011. Rios writes about growing up poor and fatherless in East Oakland, CA. A high school dropout who was involved in gangs and drugs, he turned his life around after witnessing the death of a friend.

Rodriguez, Art. East Side Dreams. Dream House, 2010. Life appeared hopeless during Rodriguez’s teen years, when he lived with his dictatorial father, so the boy joined a gang and ended up in prison. Without knowing how to read or write, Rodriguez later began his own business, and he painstakingly chronicles that experience. East Side Dreams won the Mariposa Award for best first book, and it’s used today in schools. It’s an example of a very successful self-published memoir.

Smith, Kemba with Monique W. Morris. Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story. From a college student to a drug dealer’s girlfriend and victim of domestic violence to being sentenced to serve more than 24 years in a federal prison, Smith’s story has been featured in the national media. Available from the author at www.kembasmith.com.

Stein, Deborah Jiang. Even Tough Girls Wear Tutus: Inside the World of a Woman Born in Prison: What Loss, Grief, and Uncertainty Taught Me About Joy. Cell7 Media, 2011. When Stein was 12, she discovered a secret letter hidden in her adoptive mother’s dresser drawer: Stein learned that she was born in prison addicted to heroin.

Tucker, Alfonzo. Noesis: Comprehension and Understanding: The Autobiography of Alfonzo Tucker. R.A.W. Advantage, 2003. Tucker, the son of a sexually exploited 18-year-old mother, was kidnapped at six months by his drug-addicted pimp/hustler father. When he turned 17, he was adopted by a white family and successfully made the transition from a troubled past to living in a white, middle-class environment.

The right stuff

I’m always looking for books that my reluctant—and picky—readers will want to read. Since the most common requests are for books about gangs, killings, violence, and sex—and since I work in partnership with both California’s Alameda County Probation and Alameda County Office of Education—it’s a challenge. When Rios’s self-published memoir came across my desk, I ordered 30 copies and set a date for the author, who’s now a sociologist and associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to speak to about half of my 250 African-American and Latino teens.

Frankly, I’m thrilled that they listened to his presentation so attentively and read his book so carefully. I’m also grateful that my teens, who on average read at a fourth-grade level, are engaged, reading, thinking critically, and discussing books. After Rios’s visit, they even talked about tackling his latest book, Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys (New York University Press, 2011), a three-year study of the juvenile justice system.

It’s no secret that street lit is hot, especially books by K’wan, JaQuaris, and Woods. But the vast majority of it is geared toward adults, and it’s too explicit. The teens in Juvenile Hall are state wards, and those of us who work here serve in loco parentis, so I can’t justify or defend those types of books in my library. There are a growing number of street-lit titles for teens, including series such as “Babygirl Daniels” and “Wahida Clark Presents YA,” that I carry and that my teens devour. Because kids can sometimes be in and out of the system for much of their teenage years (due to the system’s massive failures), they eventually start to read while they’re here. And when they do, they read a lot! And then they complain that they’ve read everything in the library. While that’s not exactly true, they have read everything in their narrow, picky zone of what they like to read, as well as what I’ve been able to get them to “give a chance” or “read for me because I want your opinion.”

I feel it’s my responsibility to find more for them.

What kids want

There’s a huge market for autobiographies and biographies of African-American and Latino people who have experienced the streets and the criminal (in)justice system. My teens read biographies by Jimmy Santiago, Luis Rodriguez, Chef Jeff Henderson, Cupcake Brown, and Ishmael Beah, all of whom they’ve also met, and other adult authors. There’s also definitely a demand for self-published memoirs among reluctant readers—teens as well as adults, incarcerated or not. (For some great suggestions, see “Recommended reading,” on the opposite page.) People are reluctant to read for many reasons: some because they’ve never seen themselves reflected in a book and, therefore, don’t connect with the characters; others because they only want to read a certain type of book, such as a “true story.” The genre or type of book is more important to them than skillful editing, perfect pacing, positive reviews, correct spelling, and the rest.

More than 300,000 titles were self-published in 2011, according to R. R. Bowker, so finding self-published memoirs that work isn’t a straightforward process, at least for me. It’s a combination of researching leaders and speakers in the field, finding out if they have a book, searching on Amazon, asking someone who knows someone, authors sending me their books, getting a tip from someone who’s sitting next to me on the bus or at a local bookstore—there are seemingly infinite ways.

My first priority is to find books for my marginalized and, frankly, ostracized community that they can relate to, that inspire them, that reflect their experience in our society. Most important is that the story gets told and heard. I do have standards that, in general, relate to the story and the ability of the author to have some form of reflection. I don’t care as much about how a story is told, or—shocking to many—about grammar, spelling, or lack of editing. Those are details that are extremely important in our white, middle-class publishing community, which places a high value on the written word. Other cultures and communities have an oral tradition and care more about story and communication than precision.

One of the most heated debates on the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Quick Picks Committee in 2009 was over the book Teenage Bluez III (Life Changing Books, 2009). While it contains fantastic stories not found elsewhere and was definitely a “Quick Pick” for my teens and other young people across the country, it didn’t make the list. The primary reason? Misspellings and grammatical problems.

Having worked for many years with teens and adults who haven’t learned the “proper” way to communicate, I’ve had to combat massive amounts of trauma from those who’ve given up and are afraid to write even a sentence for fear of having their poor grammar and spelling judged. Editing has its place after the story is told, I always tell my teens, in hopes that they won’t censor themselves because of a lack of confidence in spelling. It’s the same for books. The basic point of a book—and, indeed, of the written word—is to communicate. Yes, I personally loved reading Lynne Truss’s Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Gotham, 2006), but in this case, the comma really doesn’t matter because even without it almost all of my students would read the title as if the comma were there: that’s their experience. People read books to garner meaning, not to have a grammatical experience. (OK, most people, you word phreaks!)

While the amount of time spent browsing and the payoff of coming across a perfect or even good book isn’t high, you never know when you might find a gem. I came across Jerry McGill’s Dear Marcus: Speaking to the Man Who Shot Me (iUniverse, 2009) and was intrigued before Lorrie Moore wrote about it in May 2011 in the New York Times Book Review, before Spiegel & Grau picked it up, and before I gave it a starred review in SLJ (http://ow.ly/dOlHd).

One of the main downsides to self-published books is that professional journals tend not to review them. Publishers Weekly has a column that reviews 25 such books each quarter (it began in August 2010), but charges a $149 fee for reviews. Other sources that review these books include Kirkus Indie, which charges $400 to $550 to review, and Blue Ink Review, which charges $395 to $495. None of them guarantees a positive review. David Streitfeld just wrote a terrific article about paid reviews in the New York Times: “The Best Books Money Can Buy”. Don’t miss the comments section.

Clearly, traditional publishers do sometimes pick up self-published titles. Dear Marcus is the most lovely example. And in what might be one of the first self-published memoirs, Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave, picked up by Oxford University Press and edited by William Andrews and Regina Mason, Mason’s ancestor wrote about his experience as a fugitive slave in 1825—before Frederick Douglass.

Librarians are in a unique position, and it’s up to us to encourage our administrators to purchase books through nontraditional distribution channels. Take a chance on an author whom your patrons might love to meet and who they feel inspired by. Librarians are the ultimate in terms of our capacity for unbiased professional reviews. I do believe it’s up to us to research and provide books for the public—and not just the middle-class, mainstream public.

Amy Cheney is a librarian at the Alameda County Juvenile Hall in San Leandro, CA.

Take the Plunge: It’s time to start using audiobooks to support the STEM initiative | Listen In

SLJ — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:00:42 +0000

Illustration from Life in the Ocean ©Claire Nivola.
Courtesy of Frances Foster Bks./FSG BYR, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Pub. Group

An initiative that has gained national attention is the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education Coalition (www.stemedcoalition.org), supported by major associations and corporations such as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and Microsoft, to name just a few. The coalition not only advocates for federal resources and interest for these critically important studies, but also works to heighten awareness for underrepresented and disadvantaged groups.

There are many good sources for STEM education initiatives. The Jason Project (www.jason.org), an education partnership between the Sea Research Foundation and National Geographic, and the PBS Teachers STEM Education Resource Center (www.pbs.org/teachers/stem) in particular offer excellent information for teachers and students.

This month’s audiobook titles feature specific STEM topics that can be integrated with Common Core Standards and instructional extensions. Listening to informational audiobooks adds support to these essential subjects and

also assists young listeners with transitioning from stories to nonfiction. Audiobook publishers have increased their selection lists to acquire excellent nonfiction titles, from beginning math concepts to read-along biographies. This column focuses on elementary STEM themes, with future columns noting STEM topics in secondary as well as elementary grade levels.

Five Creatures. Written by Emily Jenkins. Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. Narrated by Kristen Hahn. CD. 4:50 min. with paperback book. Weston Woods. 2002. ISBN 978-0-439-80441-7. $18.95. K-Gr 2

A little girl classifies the important “creatures” in her life—herself, her mother, her father, and two cats—by number and category in this charming picture book read-along. Amusing, understated sound effects, a lively musical bed, and Hahn’s delightfully childlike narration allow listeners time to absorb Bogacki’s Venn diagram illustrations that provide additional applications for mathematical exploration.

Common Core Standard: 1.MD.4. Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

Instructional Extensions: Students can expand their skills by playing Cyberchase: Zoo Logic at PBS Kids (http://ow.ly/duRb4), where they categorize animals into their correct pens. The popular drawing program, Kid Pix, available in many school and public libraries, can also be used to create Venn diagrams.

Ivy and Bean: What’s the Big Idea? Written by Annie Barrows. Narrated by Cassandra Morris. CD. 1:15 hrs. Recorded Books. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4498-5098-2. $15.75. Gr 1-3

In this beginning chapter book, second graders Ivy and Bean are assigned a science fair project on global warming. Becoming junior science detectives and problem solvers, they try to think of an idea that will help. Their final solution is both realistic and heartwarming. Morris’s narration is paced for this listening audience, with good pauses between chapters and childishly appropriate voicing. An endnote gives information about global warming.

Common Core Standard: RL.1.5. Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

Instructional Extension: Themes of problem solving and working together provide fertile ground for students to combine their science investigations with Bill Nye the Science Guy (http://ow.ly/duRxs) and Sid the Science Kid (http://ow.ly/dvzg1). The list of episodes for both of these acclaimed series will provide numerous ideas for science fair projects.

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot. Written by Sy Montgomery. Narrated by Andrea Gallo. CD. 2:15 hrs. Recorded Books. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4640-0227-4. $25.75. Gr 3-5

Science writer Montgomery spent ten days on Codfish Island off the coast of New Zealand to record the painstaking and tireless scientific efforts of rangers and volunteers attempting to restore the population of this large, whiskered, flightless parrot. Gallo’s confident, expressive reading makes listeners feel as if the author is speaking directly to them. Students will get more benefit from this entry in the “Scientists in the Field” series if they keep the print edition nearby to take advantage of Nic Bishop’s remarkable photographs.

Common Core Standard: RI.4.3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Instructional Extension: Students can investigate bird conservation at these websites, where the Kiwi Conservation Club has updated information for kids on the Kakapo Recovery Programme (http://ow.ly/duQ6q), and the National Zoo website (http://ow.ly/duQbs) has a page filled with interesting information on bird conservation.

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Written and illustrated by Claire Nivola. Narrated by Nicole Poole. CD. 30 min. with hardcover book. Recorded Books. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4703-0113-2. $38.75. Gr 2-4

Sylvia Earle fell in love with the ocean as a child in Florida, where the Gulf of Mexico was in her backyard. Nivola includes information in both text and illustrations that will not only spark students’ imaginations, but will also be useful for units on ocean life and conservation. Poole reads with enthusiasm and an obvious interest in Earle’s work. Track two, with page-turn signals, is best for allowing time to pore over the inviting, tiny images describing the text.

Common Core Standard: RI.3.7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

Instructional Extension: The movie Finding Nemo is a good discussion-starter for different types of sea creatures and “What Kind of Creature Is It? Finding Nemo—Cast of Characters” (http://ow.ly/duRJL) will help students identify the ocean-dwelling characters from the film. The Monterey Bay Aquarium website (http://ow.ly/duRTO) and an interview from National Geographic Kids (http://ow.ly/duRXD) provide more information on ocean life to round out student exploration of this topic.

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic. By Robert Burleigh. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Narrated by Laura Hamilton. CD. 22:23 min. with hardcover book. Live Oak Media. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4301-1084-2. $29.95. Gr 3-5

History and drama combine to recount the 1932 Newfoundland-to-Ireland solo flight by Amelia Earhart. The long flight unfolded with heart-stopping weather and a display of courage and stamina, making Earhart the first woman to complete this feat. Hamilton performs with fine pacing and inflection, heightening the adventure and uncertainty of the trip, and the sound effects and music perfectly match the flow of the story. The pairing of Minor’s illustrations and Burleigh’s lyrical text makes this an excellent choice for a simple explanation of the aerodynamics of flight. Additional resources are narrated, including the endpaper quotes by Earhart. An excellent production featuring science and engineering information.

Pair Night Flight with the following title and use the same Common Core Standard and Instructional Extension for both to create an interesting comparison project.

The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont. Written by Victoria Griffith. Illustrated by Eva Montanari. Narrated by Jeff Woodman. CD. 25 min. with hardcover book. Recorded Books. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4640-3387-2. $37.75. Gr 3-5

The story of Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont will surprise and interest young listeners. Set in Paris in 1901, Santos-Dumont attained one goal when he flew his airplane around the Eiffel Tower, a first that has been overlooked. Explanations of his flight engineering—his attempts to improve the design of the flying machine—and his achievements are blended nicely with Woodman’s well-paced narration. The read-along format is enriched by the colorful, whimsical illustrations. Listeners will learn unexpected facts in the author’s note (read by the author) that gives fuller information about the controversy between the Wright Brothers and Santos-Dumont.

Common Core Standard:Reading Standard for Informational Text—Grade 4

RI.4.9. Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Instructional Extension: Compare and contrast important dates of the history of flight, including the “firsts” of Alberto Santos-Dumont and Amelia Earhart, using the Library of Congress’ Timeline of Flight (http://ow.ly/duQzF).

Reaching for the Moon. Written and narrated by Buzz Aldrin. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. CD. 30:37 min. with paperback book. Live Oak Media. 2006. ISBN 978-1-5951-9584-5. $18.95. Gr 3-5

Aldrin narrates the story of his early passion for science—from space exploration to rock collecting—and how that led him to become an astronaut on the historic Apollo 11 mission. Children will be delighted to learn that one of Aldrin’s duties was to gather rocks on the moon, hearkening back to his childhood hobby. Aldrin’s steady pacing and quiet confidence, paired with music and actual NASA recordings from the mission, round out this excellent production.

Common Core Standard: RI.3.3. Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Instructional Extension: Starchild, a web-based project of the Goddard Space Flight Center, has child-friendly information, images, and video on the Apollo 11 mission (http://ow.ly/duQG4). Students can investigate information on the website to compare and expand on what they learned from listening to Aldrin’s account of the mission.

Seven Blind Mice. Written and illustrated by Ed Young. Narrated by B. D. Wong. CD. 9:34 min. with paperback book. Weston Woods, 2007. ISBN 978-0-439-02785-4. $18.95. K-Gr 2

Seven blind and variously colored mice discover something strange down at the pond. One says it is “supple,” while another calls it “sturdy” as each mouse tries to determine exactly what it is. Wong’s controlled narration, accompanied by a sound bed of exotic music and squeaking mice, builds excitement for listeners. Investigating ordinal numbers, differentiating between defining and non-defining attributes, and determining measurable characteristics are among the ways to use this in math units. Rich vocabulary makes it an excellent choice for inclusion in Common Core lesson plans.

Common Core Standard: 1.G.1. Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

Instructional Extension:Students will use geoblocks to build and describe structures and relate the attributes of the shapes used in construction.

Sharon Grover is Head of Youth Services at the Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI, Lizette (Liz) Hannegan was an elementary and middle school librarian and the district library supervisor for the Arlington (VA) Public Schools before her retirement. They are co-authors of the book, Listening to Learn: Audiobooks Supporting Literacy (ALA Editions, 2011)