The First Part Last

First Part Last
Angela Johnson
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Bobby and Nia are having a baby, they are 16 years old. They have choices to make, are they going to raise this baby or do they give it up and go back to being 16 again. All the while this novel switches between Nia and Bobby's decision to Bobby raising baby Feather all alone. Bobby is suffering from lack of sleep and wanting to go out with his friends and be the teenager he was before the baby. In "The First Part Last" Angela Johnson writes about something that few teenagers can empathize with. There are difficult decisions that have to made throughout the novel and many that don't have a right answer.

Personal Review
I can't comprehend what these teens are going through. I did find that I put myself in Bobby's situation and felt that he did an admirable job, at least compared to what I would do faced with a raising a baby. While reading i also kept on picturing my own younger sister who is 16 and what she would do with a baby. I really enjoyed reading this book and would use it to teach responsibility

War is...

War is
Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell
Candlewick

"War is..." it is a collection of short stories, testimonials and personal experiences. They will tug at your heart strings and make you question your own convictions about war. There are things that you have never heard before and some things that you might wish you didn't hear about. This book should be required for young adults to read, especially ones that are thinking about joining the armed services.

Personal Review
This book was especially hard to read for me. I have 3 friends that are in the National Guard and they are scheduled to be deployed in early September. I am going to have them read it. This is a powerful book for everyone, not just those that are looking into the armed services.There are so many things that do not occur to people when thinking about going into the National Guard or the Army or Marines.

How Joe Succeeded

How Joe Succeeded with the help of Grandma Howley's Gold Beads
Mary Morrison
David C. Cook

Joe is just a boy trying to find a place in the world. After he doesn't fit in on his Uncle's farm he heads for the forest to try his hand at being a Lumberjack. Being a Lumberjack is hard but Joe finds that he has a knack for it. The Lumberjack job teaches Joe the value of earning his own money. Going into town with his friends Joe also learns a few things the hard way but he eventually finds exactly what he is looking for all with the help of his grandmothers gold beads.

Personal Review
Goodness this is a good look at what literature was back in the early 20th century. Being written in 1905 this is a hard book to relate to. If I was ever teaching students the value of books this might be one that I would suggest for them to appreciate the value of books today.

Getting Away with Murder

Getting Away with Murder
Chris Crowe
Dial Books

Emmett Till was just a 14 year old black boy from Chicago. He didn't understand that things for black kids are different in Mississippi. He was kidnapped, tortured and murdered; for whistling at a white woman. He may have even hit on her a little. According to the citizens in Mississippi he deserved to be killed. Emmett Till did not deserved to be killed, his death brought the civil rights movement into full swing and brought many of the oppressed black population into the spot light.

Personal Review
I have never heard of anything like this, it was a cruel reminder that terrible things still happen here in the United States where justice is supposedly for everyone.The land of the brave, here where no one was brave enough to stand up for Emmett Till. I was shocked and sickened that this was the first I have ever heard of this monstrosity. This is one book that I will be telling many people about.

Warning
Vivid descriptions of the murder and pictures of the body that are disturbing.

Nicola and the Viscount

Nicola and the Viscount
Meg Cabot
Harper Collins

Nicola is done with finishing school and she has a target. Lord Sebastian would make her the perfect husband, not to mention that he so incredibly hansom that he has earned the nickname "the god." The only problem is that her best friends older brother, Nathanial Sheridan, is putting some doubts in Nicola's mind. Nicola thinks that she can just cast her doubt aside, unfortunately her head and her heart are in two different places when it comes to lord Sebastian.

Personal Review
As we all know Meg Cabot can have her sugary moments, but Nicola and the Viscount turns out isn't nearly as bad as you might expect. Yes there is still the poor pathetically stupid at times damsel in distress. In this novel however, the damsel discovers her stupid mistake moments after it happens instead of too late.

Warnings
overly lovey dovey

Inexcusable

Inexcusable
Chris Lynch
Simon Pulse

Keir was a football player, a good son and just an all around good guy. He didn't do bad things to people. Kier just got a scholarship to play football exactly where he wanted to, he has a great relationship with his father and sister and he just is a good guy. Keir couldn't have done what Gigi is saying he did. He loves her, he would never do that.

Personal Review
Chris Lynch shows the disturbing mind of a boy that has no idea what it means to take responsibility for his actions. He doesn't understand what it will take to be a good guy. It really is a scary look into a rapists mind. While it might be unsettling it is still something that i would encourage young people to read.

Warning
There is some language and sexual content

Hunger Games

Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Press

Katniss is a surviver. She will do what ever it takes to survive and to protect her family, in particular her little sister. When the Hunger Games come to district 12, the coal district and suddenly Katniss'little sister is in trouble, Katniss jumps in to take her place on the chopping block. There is not much chance for her to win with her fellow district 12 mate Peeta at her side. They have to face others who have trained and many who just enjoy killing. While this is new to them both there are many other things to face as well, new love, learning to trust the right people and just staying alive.

Personal Review
This was one of my favorite book that I have ever read. Katniss was such an amazing strong character. I loved her as a role models for young adults, while there is somethings that I thought were very sad and awful but, the characters were all so vivid and real.

Warnings
There is some vivid imagery involving carnage.

The Giver

The Giver
Lois Lowry
Dell Laurel-Leaf

Jonas is an eleven year old that has no choices to make, he won't choose his clothing in the morning, he won't choose his meal at night...ever. Jonas will be turning twelve in his futuristic community, which is when he will receive his profession. Jonas is very nervous, he has done his service hours in various facilities but doesn't feel particularly suited for anything. When the time comes Jonas is given a rare and "honored" assignment. This job will make Jonas suddenly question his life that until now has been perfect, but now Jonas realizes what he has been missing.

Personal Review
"The Giver"is a glimps into a life of "sameness." There is no individuality, nothing to set anyone apart from any one else. Lois Lowry does an amazing job at setting up a world that we can only partially imagine. I don't think that I can totally comprehend what it would be like to feel nothing like love or to appreciate my family as nothing but a unit to live with. Reading this as a young adult would be shocking and hard to grasp some of the larger complexities that are presented in this novel. As a teacher or "pusher" of books i would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Let it Snow

LET IT SNOW
Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle
Speak

A stranded train, fourteen cheerleaders headed to competition, and a small North Carolina town in the middle of a blizzard... not a good combination. This is the scenery for three different but related Christmas stories. Maureen Johnson begins with the story of Jubilee, a girls who has perfect boyfriend but her Christmas is interrupted by her parents over zealous holiday spirit. With the help a stranger she is able to see that her "perfect" life might only be a silly hope. John Green brings is next with his predictable cheeky humor in “Cheertastic Christmas Miracle.” fourteen cheerleaders stranded at waffle house brings out the best in Green when he tells the story of young boy doing what ever it takes to "rescue" the cheerleaders from a twister-less Christmas. Lauren Myracle wraps things up with “Patron Saint of Pigs” where the main character experiences something "resembling a traditional Christmas miracle." After a major mistake the main character realizes her self-absorbed ways will drive away everyone around her, including the love of her life.

Personal Review
Let is Snow is such a fun story, the short stories all intertwine in a creative an exciting way that keeps you moving through. The Christmas spirit is thick and you'll find yourself wanting to curl up by a fire to finish this Christmas romance.

Warning: There is some language.

Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska
John Green
Speak/ Penguin

Miles is not a cool kid, he doesn't have friends at his Florida high school he doesn't even really have people that pretend to be his friend. Which is why he has decided to attend his fathers boarding school in Alabama. "The Great Perhaps," is the driving force in Miles' brave leap but once he gets to Alabama he is suddenly not sure that he is up to it. Culver Creek Boarding School throws Miles a neurotic roommate: the Colonial, and Alaska: a self-destructive girl that Miles or better named, Pudge, is smitten with. The new school gives all that Pudge had hoped it would: friends, adventures and even a little romance but so much more than he was ready for.

Personal Review
Looking for Alaska will twist your insides with apprehension and adoration. I immediately fell in love with Pudge and his strange but endearing group of new friends. John Green again with his nerdy but charming characters will make you wish that you were part of Culver Creek Boarding school. Alaska is easily the most dynamic character that he has ever written,she is caring and vulnerable one moment then destructive and insane the next.

Warning: Lots of strong language and crude humor, vivid sexual content and adult problems.

An Abundance of Katherines

An Abundance of Katherines
John Green
Speak/Penguin

Colin has a thing for girls named Katherine, unfortunately they don't seem to have a thing for him. After being dumped by Katherine number XIX he decides to take his best friend's, Hassan, suggestion and go on a road trip. Driving just to drive brings them to a small town in Tennessee. Since being random is the theme of their road trip they decide to work for a business woman in town to gather and preserve the towns memories. Lindsey, the business woman's daughter helps them, but with more that just the towns history. All the while Colin, a child genius, is hard at work creating a mathematical theorem that will explain past broken relationships and help predict the outcome of future ones. While the summer isn't exactly going Colin and Hassan's way, it will defiantly be one to remember.

Personal Review
I am a huge John Green fan, and it all started with the reading of The Abundance of Katherines. This story is an incredible view into another young adults world. Colin is not really like any kid you have ever met, he is quirky and brilliant but for some reason not exactly someone that you would be friends with. Hassan is my favorite character because he seems to compliment Colin and only make the whole story a million times better. This book will keep young adult readers interested and laughing the whole time.

Warnings: There is language and some crude sexual jokes. There is also Sexual content.