Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige

Paige, Danielle. Dorothy Must Die. New York: Harper, 2014.

"You have to get this book!" I heard this from more than one student at my school, I was a little embarrassed that is didn't really know the book, Dorothy Must Die. But intrigued by their excitement I thought I'd better get moving. This title was one of the last of my summer reads.

Paige flips the familiar world of Oz and the familiar perception of Dorothy 180 degrees. When Amy Gumm from Kansas finds herself in Oz after a harrowing spin in a tornado, things aren't at all as she's imagined them. Theodore she meets are afraid. The munchkins are victimized and controlled by a not so good Glinda the kingdom is ruled by a power hungry, exceptionally evil Dorothy. The lion feeds offered fear of other creatures and the scarecrow uses captives for horrifying experiments in his secret lab. And what is. Amy Fumm from Kansas to do? Dorothy has made it quite clear that she is to be the only Kansas girl to save Oz. Amy doesn't have that much faith in herself. Life in Kansas had been rough. Her mom was alternately drugged or out at a bar; she is bullied mercilessly by the popular, wealthy girls; her self confidence is at an all time low. When she is bonded to the wicked order who wishes to overthrow Dorothy, she is not at all sure of herself, their cause, or the training they provide. What follows is an epic adventure of twists and turns. Through it all Amy  Gumm becomes a newer, stronger version of herself.

The book's juxtaposition of Baum's fantastical Characters and Paige's purely evil ones is both jarring and intriguing. We journey there gradually along with Amy and Paige's world building gradually becomes more and more real. We are drawn into the battle and the suspense.

The language is a bit jarring, I get the idea of character building, but I'm not entirely sure the use of language renders Amy any more believable than she already is through the storytelling itself.  The book is also very violent, in the way of dystopias, and not graphic, but could be a bit much for younger readers who might be drawn to the title, based on their familiarity with the original story. But I will surely enjoy getting this into the hands of the mature readers who will appreciate this modern retelling of a beloved classic.

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Saint Anything - Sarah Dessen

Dessen, Sarah. Saint Anything. New York: Penguin, 2015.

Sarah Dessen does not disappoint in her latest work. Impatiently I waited for my summer book order to arrive to get my hands on it, zealously avoiding spoilers online. Then, boom, I had the weekend to get it read before my first book talk of the year. I feature in it some of my favorite American young adult authors, naturally Sarah  Dessen gets a slide in the power point. I am super excited to talk about Saint Anything.

Dessen consistently gives her readers strong young women, who grow and become empowered. Sydney is no exception. She has felt lost in the shadow of her brother Peyton.  His criminal history has almost left her feeling invisible. But she embraces change - a new school, new friends. These new friends - Layla, Mac, Eric, and Irv are fully developed characters who have their own struggles, but find room in their circle for Sydney. Pizza, music, an abandoned carousel provide a setting where Sydney will ultimately flourish. Certainly she experiences some missteps. She is fully developed - real, flawed, and vulnerable. My girls will relate to her. Romance develops, but what I like about Dessen is that the romance is rarely the driving force in the story. Lovely to be sure, but Sydney is independent, and I like that message so much. She finds as much strength in newly realized relationships with her parents, brother, and girlfriends, both old and new, as she does in her romantic one.

A couple of sound bites that I love... "This wasn't news to me how your entire life could come down to one word, and not of your choosing." I can see how often my students can allow themselves to be defined so narrowly, and I love that Sydney learns to fight against this. And another... "There's no shame in trying to make stuff work, is how I see it. It's better than just accepting the broken." Indeed. I look forward to talking about Sydney with my girls. Some good conversations are about to happen, and I just love this part of my job.  Thanks, Sarah Dessen.

Hidden Gold - Ella Burakowski

Burakowski, Ella. Hidden Gold. Toronto, Ontario: Second Story Press, 2015.

Stunning every time, the pure evil that defines the events of the holocaust and world war II.  Infinitely stunning is Hidden Gold as it is based on the true story of the family of David Gold written by David’s sister Shoshonna’s Daughter. Set in Poland, Burakowski recounts the harrowing journey of her family, struggling to escape the Nazis. The Golds are a fairly well to do family when the war begins; they own and operate two shops.  They work together and play together, an exceptionally close family.  When the Germans invade their small town, they struggle to avoid capture and stay together. While they are separated from their father nearly immediately, the children and their mother struggle through several Polish families and towns, ultimately spending 26 months hidden in an old barn. The Gold’s are in perpetual danger; they nearly starve; they almost give up.

Burtkowski crafts an excellent story based on the recollections of her family.  I appreciate very much the detailed characterization of each member of the Gold family. I enjoyed getting to know Shoshonna, Esther, David, and Hannah.  Equally as compelling, her characterization of the people who impact their lives - good and evil alike.  I wonder how difficult it must have been to bring to life the men and women who impacted her family in such a difficult way. She portrays the horrors of war frankly, but in a way that is accessible to middle school readers.

Readers will be drawn to the story - anxious to see what is to become of the Gold family.  My readers will be especially engaged as many prefer stories that are rooted in true events. We study the Holocaust fairly closely in both English and History.  Students become very intrigued, and I will be happy to have yet another story to share with them.  They will welcome yet another perspective into the tragedy of this time in history.  We can all do well to be reminded to value our freedoms and privileges and to be mindful of those in the world who don’t share in them. This will be a much purchase.

Netgalley provided an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Are You Still There? - Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Scheerger, Sarah Lynn. Are You Still There? Chicago, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 2015.

Instant suspense when the reader is in the bathroom stall with Gabi, an emergency lockdown drill, and she is stuck. Readers will be engaged immediately.  Gabi and her friends learn that someone had left a bomb threat at the school.  Gabi becomes involved - through her dad who is a police officer, through the school as a volunteer for the school’s new “hotline” for troubled students, through her own curiosity, and through the actions of the bomber - who seems to be targeting her throughout the story.  What really makes the book for me is the character development of Gabi, as she grows through her experiences.  She experiences love for the first time.  She inadvertently hurts her friends and has to find ways to deal with that.  She finds a new relationship with her sister, the family rebel. She even comes to a better understanding of both of her parents (while still relating to them in a truly teenaged way - so well done).

This book will punch a number of buttons for my readers.  The mystery, enhanced by the stranger’s manifestos, that punctuate the narrative will get my true crime readers. The love story develops and has ebbs and flows that will keep my romantics involved. The ripped from the headlines feel will grab my nonfiction lovers who are being forced to read some fiction.

Always, books that remind my kids to treat each other better - with more compassion and respect is one that I will encourage them to read. I think we always just hope that as educators that something will speak to them and inspire them to create a better world.

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Out of Darkness - Ashley Hope Perez

Perez, Ashley Hope. Out of Darkness. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Lab, 2015.

I had to sit with this one for awhile before I could write a review.  Not because I disliked it, but because it touched me so deeply and left me so raw that I wasn't sure what to say exactly. Based loosely on the 1937 New London school explosion, Perez's novel is a story of young love, painful prejudice, bitter loss, unspeakable cruelty. The love story is that of Naomi an Cash.  She is of Mexican descent and he an African American. Their presence is barely tolerated in their community and certainly a relationship between them must remain a secret and does so for most of the novel.  Naomi is forced to move with her younger twin siblings when their father finds religion and is encouraged by his pastor to bring his young children to live with him.  They have been staying with their grandparents for all of the 10 years since their mother died during childbirth.  Naomi's grandparents insist that she join them in the hopes that she will get a better education and a better chance at a good life.  They are unaware of the painful secret Naomi has kept hidden in the years since her mother's death. Naomi keeps her distance from Henry, her stepfather, but steps into the role of housekeeper and mother to the twins. She is not welcomed into the all white school she is attending and the community that surrounds it. Try as she might to keep her head down and get through each day, she is drawn to Cash who wins her over by charming her brother and sister.  Their relationship develops slowly and peacefully over time and is beautiful to watch.  But...the ugly grows. The prejudice in the residents runs deep.  Henry's true nature surfaces intermittently as the reader learns Naomi's secret. (Not a surprise...he is just dismal.) And Perez just creates this beautiful and ugly story in a way that engaged me subtly but very surely.

I don't want to spoil anything, but the inevitable explosion and the ramifications that follow.  I simultaneously knew what was happening and was stunned as the suspense mounted and the events unfolded.  I almost couldn't read some of it, but I had to.  And I was left gutted. I appreciate Perez's efforts throughout the novel to balance the dark with the light.  But the end was mostly just dark for me. Having said that, I don't see how it could have ended any other way.  The ugly of the world can be so profound but is so real.  

The brutal honesty in this book surely caused me to reflect as I often do on genre and the classification of books.  Out of Darkness is marketed to young adults but certainly its content is equally appropriate for adults.  Kids need to see real characterizations of the prejudice that can shape folks in the world in which they live.  The issues of race and gender live painfully on and we will look toward the next generation to continue toward some resolution. I was so struck with the ugly, though, that I will be very careful as to what young adults I would recommend it.  Perez handles molestation, the development of a sexual relationship, spousal abuse, and rape deftly, not graphically, but the darker moments are so incredibly cruel and painful I lost my breath.  Not all of my young readers are ready for such honesty. But for the mature and adult in my circles, a must read.  Thought provoking  - this book can inspire change.

A variety of ways exist for me to book talk this title.  Naomi is a strong young woman, and I can certainly put her with the other young women whom I admire.  I can certainly include it in books about racism, prejudice, and immigration.  Students seeking historical titles would be a good fit. These are 11th graders who would be better prepared for the mature aspects of the book.