Strong YA Women for March

I've been thinking of strong women this month as I prepare book talks for March. I am surely enjoying thinking about some of my favorite female protagonists. We go a long way back. 

One of my favorite historical characters is Mattie Gokey from Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light. When I was completing my masters degree in library science, this is the first formal book talk I gave as part of my training.  I chose it in part because I loved the strength of the main character. Mattie is 16 when the story begins.  She dreams of going to college but questions her ability to afford to get there. In a move toward some level of independence she takes a job at a summer resort to earn some income.  She is still being courted by a young man from home and must decide whether to pursue an education or follow the path of her closest friend into marriage and motherhood. Then...in the middle of the summer, she becomes involved in the solving of a murder.  A beautiful coming of age story - a young woman our girls can look up to.

13 year old Isabel from Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains is also a terrifically strong young woman from historical fiction. A slave in revolutionary war era New York City Isabel feels compelled to fight for protection for her sister Ruth and ultimately freedom for herself when her world is turned upside down. In order to do so, she begins to act as a spy.  Her journey here and in Forge sets an example for our young ladies.  

Hulse Anderson also gives our young ladies even more strong protagonists in the contemporary setting. Most recently, the story of Hayley Kincaid who for several years has been coping with the fallout in her life from her father’s PTSD after his time in Iraq.  More than anything Hayley would just like a normal life - where she can worry about school and about falling in love.  The path will certainly not be simple for her.  And for years my students have been passionate about the story of Melinda Sordino in Speak.  She endures the unspeakable at her first high school party and must spend her entire freshman year dealing with the intense fallout.  Through her art, she ultimately finds her voice and becomes a spokesperson for a generation of readers who must learn to speak up for themselves.

Caitlin O’Koren of Dreamland was my first Sarah Dessen protagonist. This girl and this book started by love affair with the Sarah Dessen ladies. Caitlin’s life is upended when her sister Cass runs away to be with her boyfriend.  Caitlin becomes involved in cheerleading and stays involved, even though she doesn’t like it, because her cheerleading seems to give her mother pleasure. She then becomes involved with Rogerson.  The reader’s heart hurts at the negative places this relationship takes Caitlin, But, like Melinda, she ultimately finds her voice and her strength. Naturally then, I read all of Dessen's work and eagerly await the next. Dessen gives my readers strong, smart heroines. They make big choices, sometimes mistakes. They make friends and sometimes fall in love, but are seldom defined by that love.

These are just a few of my favorites. I am so grateful to have such a strong group from which to choose. Probably more to come!
 

Thoughts on the Core and Assessments and Such...

 

As I prepare for this year's testing at my own school, I am not surprised by the number of tweets and blogs and articles about the common core and high states testing that are surfacing.  Here is a look at just a few of them that I found the most intriguing.  Perhaps my bias shows.

Study: Twitter Discourse Reveals Deeper Rifts on Common Core: Parents, Non-Experts Also Gained Bigger Voice on Common Core
By Sarah D. Sparks

An interesting look at a study by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education that explores tweets about the common core on Twitter. “Overall, the researchers identified five common objections in which common-core opposition is conflated with concerns about the federal role in education, student data privacy, standardized testing, business influence in public education, and focusing on student test scores to the exclusion of underlying causes of low achievement, such as poverty and inequality.”

Why My Children Will Not Take State Assessments
By Mrs. Momblog

She explores the notion that the right to opt children out of state assessment programs is constitutional.  Among other thing she notes,” Our children are not percentages or scores. In addition to being students, they are athletes, community members, school theater participants, student government representatives, and musicians–all of which can’t be shown on a bubble sheet of a state assessment.”

Teaching to the Test is Not Teaching
By Peter Greene

An experienced educator looks at the flawed design of the current assessment system in many common core states. Among other things he suggests, “Teaching to the test means preparing students for one narrow task, like teaching a chocolate lab to fetch.  It is not so much teaching as training. It is not the work we signed up to do, but it has become the work we are judged by.”  

Penalty Kick - Terence O'Leary

O'Leary, Terence. Penalty Kick. Toledo, Ohio: Swan Creek Press, 2014.

I am always in the market for more sports books. Certainly the title and cover art drew me to this title at NetGalley. Penalty Kick did not disappoint as a sports book and offered so much more.

Honestly, when it opened in an oncologist's office, I thought, "Not another cancer book..." Initially, I think, because I was expecting something different. Then I realized the surge in popularity of such books would make this a popular title. Anyhow, I kept reading and learned that Brooke was recovering from an intense fight with cancer.  Her experiences allowed her to feel an overwhelming compassion for Josh who was fighting is own life and death battle. An amazing soccer player, he is driving on his learner's permit and is involved in a horrifying accident that takes his mom's life. He is nearly unable to go on. This is a beautiful story of friendship and recovery, of family, loss, and love. Through counseling, friendship, love, and soccer Josh fights his way back and challenging Brooke to grow along the way.

I'm pleased that this book will appeal to the guys and girls in my library. Both Brooke and Josh are full realized characters whose strengths and flaws will make them relatable. The book is realistic and intense without being overwhelming for students simply looking for a solid read. The love story develops slowly and in a lovely way, suitable for the younger readers in my 7-12 library. The sports scenes are action packed and suspenseful. I look forward to adding this to my collection soon. 

Net Galley provided me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for this review. 

Even In Paradise - Chelsey Philpot

Philpot, Chelsey. Even in Paradise. New York: Harper, 2014.

I have a number of girls that will love this book.  Charlotte meets Julia Buchanan during her junior year at St. Anne’s Academy and her life is never again the same.  She becomes one of the Buchanans.  Belonging means summers and vacations at the beach house, a new roommate, and the “responsibility” of making sure that Julia is OK.  Julia, the only survivor of a car crash that took the lives of her sister and her sister’s boyfriend is fragile.  The Buchanan family trusts Charlotte to make sure she doesn’t break on her watch. Through it Charlotte nearly loses many of her friends at St. Anne’s, becomes involved with Julia’s brother, and pursues her dream of attending art school upon graduation.  If only it weren’t for the secret...the one that nearly costs everyone in the book something.

This title had a bit of the feel of Lockhart’s newest, We Were Liars. Like much of the public is fascinated by celebrity and the wealthy, so, too are many of my readers drawn to stories that feature the rich.  Something in us likes to live vicariously the lives of those who have beach houses and throw the kinds of parties we can only dream of.  Through Charlotte, the reader has just that experience.  In the end Charlotte ultimately learns to be true to herself, EVEN at the expense of the loss of her first love.  I do like a strong female protagonist who makes independent choices who learns and grows.  Even in Paradise offers just such a protagonist. This is a book that deals with some pretty powerful topics: grief and loss, friendship, family relationships, and first love, but does so in a way that will not overpower the reader.  While I would prefer it for my older readers, it will work well for the mature younger reader.

I can absolutely book talk this with Lockhart’s We Were Liars.  Along for the Ride and What Happened to Goodbye could round out a lovely beach theme.  For the final spring book talk, this would be a neat grouping. I have written before of my affinity for boarding school books as well.  Even in Paradise could be a neat addition there to get it moving quickly in the fall as well. I look forward to sharing this title.