Lighter Than My Shadow

Lighter Than My Shadow is an inspiring story that sparks memories to those who have suffered from sexual abuse, eating disorders, and self esteem issues. Through drawings, it makes these issues real! Katie Green did a wonderful job showing the reader how her eating disorder almost conquered her life and made her disappear.  Even though there was a “therapist” that promised he would help but did nothing more than contributing to the problem, there were many who supported her (and loved her) through her journey.

Katie Green, along with Tim Malnick, has contributed in The Crystal Mirror and Other Stories. “Enter the Crystal Mirror and find timeless tales for children and grown-ups alike – a world of monsters, painters, princes, princesses, courageous bats and chuckling old men who live on rocks in the middle of the ocean. Each is a story of questing and transformation, and of the surprises that await us when we finally discover what we have long been looking for” (Green).

This is a very impactful book that produces in you a special love for Katie Green. She stops being “author Katie Green” and soon becomes more like a friend, Katie. Katie’s book has an official trailer that may produce in your soul immediate sadness. I encourage you to watch it's trailer, and to read this moving graphic novel.

Trailer 

If you are interested in seeing a vlog in which Katie Green shares a little about her life and the projects she is working on, feel free to watch this video:

Get to know her!

Lighter than My Shadow is more than a book with pictures and words. It is a book about survival and recovery. It is an excellent resource to have in the counselor's office, in the library, at home, and part of the classroom library. This book can be used to motivate those students that want to learn to draw or those who were born to be great artists.

There are numerous books that can help teens and adults understand the struggles of a person struggling with an eating disorder. These books are great because they help you develop a sense of sympathy and the desire to help those who are struggling. Another interesting and heart breaking book that touches this subject is Letting Ana Go by Anonymous. Ana seems to have it all together. But, look deeper and you might find a withering teen with an eating disorder and struggling to survive. You may also learn more about this topic by reading Thin by Lauren Greenfield,  David B. Herzog, Michael Strober, Joan Jacobs Brumberg. It is a compilation of stories, interviews, journal entries, and photographs that show the lives and struggles of twenty girls and women who are enduring similar afflictions.

Green, K. (2013). Lighter than my shadow. NY: Vintage.

YA Eating Disorder Fiction (135 books). (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2140.YA_Eating_Disorder_Fiction

Graphic Novel

The Fault in Our Stars

This novel is about a young teenager who has cancer, Hazel; she is falling in an abyss of depression. She agrees to go to a support group (which she totally hates). Suddenly, her eyes meet with a newcomer,  Augustus. Augustus is simply accompanying a friend to show him his support. He shares with everyone that he once had cancer but is in remission. Hazel and Augustus immediately connect and watch a movie together. Hazel tells him that she loves a book written by  Peter Van Houten. He tells her he can make her dream come true and take her to Amsterdam to meet her favorite author. There, Augustus confesses that his cancer has returned. Hazel is devastated because of such horrifying news and the terrible experience she had meeting Van Houten. He ended up being rude and an alcoholic. When they return home, Augustus’ cancer worsens, and he passes away.  Hazel is in such great pain, for they will not have an opportunity create a future together. The author, Peter Van Houten, shows up at the funeral and we learn that he lost a daughter to cancer causing him such bitterness. Hazel learns that Augustus wrote something special for her, and she gets it emailed to her by the author’s representative. Before passing, Augustus wrote an eulogy for her. In it, he hopes she is happy with the choices she has made in life. This helps Hazel focus on his life and not his death.

The Fault in Our Stars is a love story that will open your eyes and help you see life differently. As you read, you forget about material things, time, and future appointments. When you are done crying with the book, you may watch the movie. Go on and grab popcorn and fall in love with the characters all over again. Watch the movie trailer here:

Movie

If you want to see the one and only, John Green, read the first chapter of The Fault in Our Stars,

click here:

John Green Reading 1st. Chapter

This wonderful and captivating novel reminds you, page after page, to live in the now and be grateful for the love in your life. If you wish to continue reading books with the same themes such as coming of age, illness, loss, and romance put together, you may also enjoy the following books:

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder is about at 16 year old girl who has spent half her life in hospitals. She is losing hope, but miraculous things happen that make her believe in love, in herself, and in miracles once again.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews is about a teenage boy, Greg, that is forced to revisit his childhood friend, Rachel. Unfortunately, Rachel has leukemia. Greg decides to make a video for her, and this action changes their lives.

Don't Die, My Love by Lurlene McDaniel is about Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower. These two high school sweethearts have made plans after high school and have been dreaming of being together 24/7! Suddenly, Luke becomes ill and their plans are forced to change.

John Green has received the Printz Medal, a Printz, Honor, and the Edgar Award for his fascinating writing style. He has written several books: Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, The Fault in Our Stars, and Turtles All the Way Down.

The Fault in Our Stars is definitely a page turner. It is an excellent book for making predictions. Students can make numerous prediction using text evidence and their own background knowledge. It would be great to have them participate in literature circles sharing their predictions.

Books. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2018, from http://www.johngreenbooks.com/books/

Green, J. (2012). The Fault in Our Stars. New York, NY: DUTTON.

YA Fiction About Cancer (92 books). (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2018, from https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/16271.YA_Fiction_About_Cancer

The Crossover

Josh Bell is passionate about basketball, for the love of basketball runs through his veins. He is the son of a former basketball star, Chuck Bell. He has a twin brother, Jordan Bell or JB. He also loves basketball but not as intensely as Josh. Their relationship is affected due to JB’s new girlfriend, an immature bet, and the deterioration of their father’s health. Of course, blood is thicker than water; they both realize they need each other when they lose their father. Family may be one the strongest themes in this novel. Josh describes family as the basketball court and his heart represents the ball. Nothing else is more important. His father has taught him to be committed to his family and leave his heart on the court. Crossover was not only written with a lot of passion, but it is also extremely entertaining. You can’t help but rap, bebop, and get “down” as you read the text’s mix of hip hop poetry, sensational rhyming skills, and remarkable use of onomatopoeia.

Kwame Alexander is a talented and genuine writer. He has become one of my favorite authors; I admire his humor and humbleness. These unique traits have probably influenced his writing and have taken him to a world of fame. He has written Surf’s Up, He Said, She Said, The Playbook, Acoustic Rooster, and an excellent resource for teachers titled Kwame’s  Alexander Page-to Stage Writing Workshop.  He shares important strategies and tools that can help students master the writing process and unleash their creativity.

The Crossover is an excellent book to use while studying poetry because of the way Alexander uses rhythm and rhyme throughout the book. Students can focus on one page, learn more about the author’s style, and use that knowledge to create their own poem. This book can also benefit students in a writing class. Students can see the various examples of onomatopoeia and get inspired to incorporate it in their own writing!  

Kwame Alexander has provided in his Youtube channel, and extended version of the book trailer. It is preeeeetty enjoyable! Enjoy the author’s hilarious personality and the jams he chose to accompany the trailer by clicking on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BONWz5Ao82E

Alexander, K. (2014).  The crossover.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

            Kwame Alexander. (2018, June 22). Retrieved October 24, 2018, from       https://kwamealexander.com/about/me/

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Vera just lost her best friend. Well, he was her best friend until he started to hang around the wrong crowd and began ignoring her. He loved him, but felt angry at his funeral and was struggling to forgive him for what he did to her (he hit her). Charlie, while he was alive, left his “secrets” in the Master Oak, thus sharing what really happened.  

Months go by and Vera tries to live a normal life. But, she begins to have visions of Charlie (remember, he is dead).Vera starts to conclude that dead Charlie wants to communicate with her.

Soon we learn that Charlie wanted to be as sophisticated as Vera, but his true self hindered these desires. He quickly realized it was not possible to escape having a violent father, and the fact that he was destined to live a certain type of life (different from Vera’s). Therefore, he decided to distance himself from her in order to protect her. He didn't deserve her! He begins to hang around with the “Detentionheads” and dating Jenny Flick (the girl that Vera feels is the one that caused Charlie’s death). Vera continues with her life, but she is having trouble coping with the death of her friend. She begins to drink when she wouldn’t drink before.
 

Vera is interested in a co-worker, James. One New Year’s, after work, Vera and James decide to drink and make out. Suddenly, thousands of Charlies appear in the car. Vera is stunned; she ends this rendezvous.  Apparently dead Charlie did not agree with this relations and sent the cops to stop them.  He felt Vera deserved better than a college dropout that worked as a pizza delivery guy.  After the cops stop them, one of them walks Vera home; he tells her James is a bad influence.

Charlie continues to appear; he even invades her dreams. He gives her a mission, choosing her for her bravery. Dead Charlie wants to make things right and wants the truth to come out. He confesses and shares how he got involved with the wrong people, including Jenny Flink. He believed her lies and fell for her charm (sexual favors, mainly). When he realized what a terrible person she was, he broke up with her. Her rage took control over her, she threatened to kill him, and to burn down the town’s pet shop. After Charlie’s death people believed he was guilty of this, but he was innocent. Dead Charlie had no peace until Vera went to the cops, showed them all the evidence Charlie had left behind, and his reputation was repaired.

This would be an excellent text to use for character analysis. Since the author provides several perspectives from multiple characters, the readers are able to have a deeper understanding of the plot and the lives of the characters. Vera was constantly having vocabulary tests! Students can learn those words (vivacious, parsimonious, apathetic, deviations, etc.), use the context clues from the sentences she would write using the vocabulary words, and sharpen those dictionary skills to find the meaning of the words.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz is a wonderful book! A.S. King did an outstanding job meshing several themes: abandonment, family, bullying, and coming of age. She has also written Still Life With Tornado, I Crawl Through It, Ask the Passengers, Everybody Sees the Ants, and Reality Boy (one of my favorites.) You have to read her work, check out the trailer for Please Ignore Vera Dietz!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=q1c4d5kSX6c

Home. A.S. King. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.as-king.com/

King, A.S. (2010). Please ignore vera dietz. New York, NY: Random House.

Printz

Solo

Blade Morrison is the son of a rock star who has fallen in a web of addictions. He has given Blade and his sister, Storm, a life of lights, paparazzi, and after parties. Blade wants to flea this life and focus on his girlfriend, Chapel. But, his father’s lifestyle has made this relationship complicated, for Chapel’s parents do not want her to see him.

He refuses to be like his father or sister. He hates everything about their way of thinking and behavior. Well, he soon finds out that his blood has been rejecting this way of life because he is adopted. Storm, angrily reveals to him this family secret. Blade struggles to understand, and he wants to know more. He begins the search for his mother and receives an envelope with her information. He immediately finds out that she is a teacher and is currently helping the people in Ghana. He heads to Ghana, leaving the life he knew behind. To his surprise, the madness he had been fleeing from, followed him. His father showed up in Ghana like the rock star he is! He promises to help build dormitories and to help the people.

Blade spends his 18th birthday in Ghana and meets a young woman whose inner beauty captivated him, Joy. His father gifts him a guitar, and Blade doesn’t want to accept it, but he loves it.  After several adventures in this magical new world, Blade and his father reconnected and undergo spiritual transformations.

After several days, Blade is finally able to meet his biological mother. He bombards her with questions, but doesn’t answer many. He obtains the answers he desperately needs after opening and envelope his deceased adoptive mother left him. Inside that envelope she explains why his biological mother gave him away but reassures him that she loves him deeply.

Ghana and its people have transformed Blade and his father. It took them from chaos to peace and true love. Blade knows what it truly feels to be home. 

This talented author has written several books which have earned him awards such as The Coretta Scott King Award and the Newbery Medal. He has written Swing, Rebound, The Playbook, The Crossover, and poetry because he believes it can change the world. 

Since giving students choices motivates them to be more involved in their project, the teacher can assign an author study project; Kwame Alexander can be included in the list. The teacher and the librarian can work together to provide the students with several books written by the author of their choice. If the school library does not have enough copies, they can always ask for the public library’s support. The students can learn about Alexander and how his books reflect his personality and his upbringing.

It would be wonderful for students to have some background knowledge on Ghana. Many students do not fully understand other cultures. The teacher can create a Prezi, PowerPoint, or provide a video that can give students that base knowledge that can help them appreciate the book much more. 

To learn about how this book was inspired, check out this video in which Kwame Alexander explains how Solo was born:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzJX7c2VwlQ

Alexander, K. H., & Hess, M. R. (2017). Solo. Grand Rapids, MI: HarperCollins.

Kwame Alexander. (2018, June 22). Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://kwamealexander.com/about/me/

Drama

Callie enjoys theater and will be part of the Moon Over Mississippi spring musical production. She is excited to work on set design and be close to her crush, Greg (who kissed her after breaking up with his girlfriend). Suddenly, they get back together, and Greg starts to ignore Callie. This hurts her, but bounces back when she becomes friends with two brothers that lift up her spirits. Callie struggles to add excitement to the set with very little money but manages to create a canon to gets people interested in the play. The planning of the play continues and the drama does too. Callie becomes interested in one of the brothers she recently met. But, he never showed signs of being interested in her. And, Callie continues to wait for him to ask her to the dance. The drama continues on the set as well. Callie’s cannon is not working properly and she is at risk of not having her precious prop in the play. Ticket sales are low and the cast decides to promote the play during lunch time and give the students a sneak preview. Callie’s cannon is ready and makes a loud explosion. It captivates the viewers, and they dash to the ticket booth. Callie is the day’s hero!

The play was a success on opening night. The next day is affected by the star’s break up. Jesse decides to play the role of the female star and puts on a dress. He does an excellent job and saves the day. At the end of the play, Jesse asks Callie to go with him to the dance.  They are having fun but things change when the D.J. plays a slow song. Jesse avoids the slow dance and excuses himself. Callie is looking for him and he finally confesses to being attracted to boys. Callie feels confused but understands. A crew member confesses his feelings to Callie and the book ends with the stage crew celebrating the play’s success. Callie has a bigger reason to celebrate; she is selected as next year’s crew manager.

This is an entertaining graphic novel that will make students want to read more books written by Raina Telgemeier because she introduces everyday challenges faced by teens in a fun and exciting way. Watch the trailer and see for yourself! If you love drama in your life, this is the book for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysWrqAMktc0

Telgemeier has also written and illustrated Smile, Drama, Sisters, and Ghosts. They are not just extremely appealing to children and teens, but they can be used in the classroom for numerous things. Graphic novels are great for teaching vocabulary because of all the illustrations that can help students understand the meaning of new words.

After reading Drama, you will want to add to your graphic novel repertoire. You will also love All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson. It is about a teen girl who no longer wants to be home-schooled! But, when she goes to a public school, she begins to worry about fitting in. Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom, by Booki Vivat, is another graphic novel that talks about teen issues and growing up. The main character, Abbie Wu, is freaking out because she is going into middle school, and she has no clue what adventures (or nightmares) await!

GoRaina! The Official Website of Raina Telgemeier. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://goraina.com/

Rhuday-Perkovich, O. (2018, October 03). 10 Next Reads for Kids Who Love Raina Telgemeier. Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.readbrightly.com/10-next-reads-kids-love-raina-telgemeier/

Telgemeier, R. (2012).Drama. Broadway, NY: Scholastic.

Grasshopper Jungle

Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper jungle. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Grasshopper Jungle takes place in a time where a recession is affecting the town’s economy. The once highly visited mall transformed into an abandoned ghost town. Two best friends (or are a little more than best friends), Robby and Austin,  spend most of their time there. The boys have changed the mall’s name to Grasshopper Jungle; this is where they hang out, skate, and smoke!

While the two friends were hanging out, a couple of boys ask to use their skateboards. Robby immediately refused, and this earned Robby and Austin a beating. The bullies not only gave Robby a bloody nose which caused him to bleed everywhere, but they also threw the boys’ boards and shoes on to the roof of a consignment store.

After picking up Austin’s girlfriend, they decide to come back to retrieve their belongings and they enter the store without anyone knowing. They explore the store and unlock the owner’s office. Johnny McKeon, the owner of the consignment store From Attic to Seller, kept his secrets in his office. They were no ordinary secrets...there was nothing ordinary about them. The boys find sealed glass globes with different labels and body parts.  They also saw giant bugs that looked like grasshoppers in tanks. Austin and Robby were not the only one who had broken in to the store. They heard noise coming from a group of kids, Grant and his friends, who had broken into the consignment store and dropped a globe that emitted blue light. Little did they know that the end of the world was near.

The boys decide to go to a gay bar. There, they see several unexpected things: a pastor visiting the bar and a man getting hit by a car. When they get near the body, they see a giant praying mantis coming out of the dead man’s body. They boys take off running and don’t look back.

Austin, Robby, and Shann find an underground chamber in which scientists were working on creating a species of unstoppable soldiers in the 1970s. These “soldiers” were created with a mission to save the world if it was ever necessary, but the experiment failed.

The teens continue to explore the chamber and find themselves in Eden, a safe place that was built to protect the survivors of a nuclear or any other form of attack.  After looking around the area, they find films that give specific instructions on how to survive these attacks.  That was the only safe place since these “unstoppable soldiers” were eating humans and reproducing quickly. Since Robby’s blood was what activated this plague, Austin’s plan was to use his blood and use paintball guns to shoot at the giant bugs! They engage in a battle to save humanity.

Unfortunately, they are unable to save the world. The friends and several other people remain in Eden and try to repopulate their new world. Austin and Shann have a baby together, Arek. They try not to leave unless they are looking for food and other items.

With all the sexuality in this book, I would feel uncomfortable using it in a middle school or high school classroom. In my opinion, this is a book that adults may read, at their discretion. One of the publishing companies created a short but creative trailer which you may access it by clicking on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMBWd_6FwyI

Andrew Smith, the author of Grasshopper Jungle, was awarded the Michael L. Printz in 2015, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and the Carnegie Medal Longlist.  He is certainly a talented writer.  He was written Winger, The Marbury Lens, Passenger, Stick, Losing It, and several others.

If you enjoy science fiction and love giant bugs, you may also enjoy Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, Mort(e) by Robert Repino, The Mist by Stephen King, and Bedbugs by Ben H. Winters. You will see giant ants, flies, and bed bugs. Enjoy!

Author Andrew Smith. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2018, from http://www.authorandrewsmith.com/Author_Andrew_Smith/Home.html

Smith, E. (2015, March 27). Five Books in Which Giant Insects Ruin Everyone's Day. Retrieved October 22, 2018, from https://www.tor.com/2015/01/16/five-books-in-which-giant-insects-ruin-everyones-day/

Reality Boy

King, A. S. (2013). Reality boy. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Gerald lives in a dysfunctional home in which he had to endure physical and psychological abuse that followed him even as a young adult. When he was five years old, he participated in a reality show, Network Nanny. This allowed millions of people to witness his “abnormal bowel movement skills” and “crapping all over the place” behavior. Therefore, people around him began calling him the Crapper. For ten years, he has “been recognized, scrutinized, analyzed, criticized, and even terrorized by a handful of the millions of Network Nanny viewers” (King, 2013, p. 39).

His sister, Tasha, continuously harassed him and physically abused him at a very young age. This type of bullying and home environment filled with abuse, negatively impacted this teen’s life causing him to have anger management issues. To cope with his anger, Gerald participated in anger management classes and even went to a boxing gym! The home environment was so toxic, that Lisi, one of Gerald’s sisters, moved (fled) to Scotland to study literature, psychology, and environmental science.

Luckily, Gerald did have supportive people in his life. Mr. Fletcher, Roger, and Hannah. Gerald was placed in the special education class by his mother; Mr. Fletcher is his teacher. Gerald respects him for his patience and his true desire to help his students. Roger is his anger management coach. He monitors his behavior and provides him with ways to manage his triggers. And, Hannah is the pretty girl he works with who stole his heart.

Unfortunately, neither of them are happy at home. Therefore, they decide to run away.  They simply hop in Gerald’s car, leave their dark life behind, and start their search for his friend Joe who works at a circus. Their plan is to never come back! But, after a phone conversation with his dad, they decide to return.

Gerald’s father made a drastic move: he moves out and takes Gerald with him. He also removed him for the special education classroom, and Gerald was able to take regular classes. He began to dream about college….and to dream again.

Reality Boy is definitely a page turner! You want to know what happens next! You need to know if they are coming back or not! This book is sure to keep young adults interested and engaged. I am sure students would be eager to read this after a librarian’s book talk.

In the classroom, while reading Reality Boy, students can open up and share their pain and the troubles they face as teens. This well written book can allow a “free to share” and “you will not be judged” discussion. Students can share their stories of abuse and broken homes. Reality Boy touches those hard to swallow subjects that probably many students experience. And, if there are some who have been blessed with growing up in stable home, they may read this book to learn about what it feels like to be bullied, harassed, abused, and rejected. Students can make self-to-text connections to improve their comprehension.

A.S. King has now become one of my favorite authors. Her writing style is filled with creativity, and she is extremely talented. She is the author of Still Life With Tornado, I Crawl Through It, Ask the Passengers, Everybody Sees the Ants, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, and many others. On her website, she has trailers for some of her books but not for Reality Boy. Luckily, a college student created an excellent trailer. You can access it by clicking on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkUAclwRWx8

Home. A.S. King. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.as-king.com/