These titles are adult titles that would appeal to older teens.
Title: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating currents of electricity and hope
Author: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Published: September 29th, 2009
Genre: Non-fiction
Awards: Alex Award (2010)
Plot Summary: The true story of teenager William Kamkwamba, the book traces the struggles of his poor African village as it deals with a lengthy and devastating drought. William is forced to drop out of school due to lack of money. While visiting his villages library he comes across a book that has a picture of windmill. William is inspired and through inginuity and determination despite the surmounting odds William builds a windmill from spare parts he pulls from a junkyard. Though despite all his hard work his village is skeptical of Williams invention, until some reports catch notice of it and William's life changes for the better.
Critical Review: William's life seems quite bleak at the beginning with his village struggling to survive and there are scenes that were difficult to get through. But it paints a very realistic and stark reality of what William went through and the trials he had to overcome. But this stark reality makes his rise and accomplishment even more amazing. William's joy over his eventual accomplishment came through and as a reader you found yourself cheering for his success. The story is very honest and presents a view of a world and culture that not everyone has experience with.
Reader's Annotation: When drought ravages William's village he is forced to drop out of school. But William refuses to give up on learning and when he finds a book at a library with a picture of windmill, William is inspired. This inspiration will change William's life as well as his small village.
Curriculum Ties: There is a lot of talk of how circuits work and electricity in this book that could easily be connected to a science unit. The book also focuses on science and how some cultures view science that could create some great debates.
Reading Level/Interest Level: High school reading level, but interest level is high school and adult.
Challenge Issues: It deals with a tragic drought in which people die.
Why include this book? William's story is one of hope and inspiration.
Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Published: September 13th, 2011
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Awards: Alex Award (2012), Locus Award for Best First Novel (2012)
About the author: Erin is an artist and writer who lives in Massachusetts. Erin studied art and theater at Smith College. Erin writes what she calls Flash Fiction pieces every Friday. They are short 10-sentence stories based off a picture that she posts on her blog. Erin is an artist and enjoys painting and selling her work. The Night Circus was her debut novel.
Plot Summary: There is a circus that appears only at night, without warning and in the morning it is gone. It is a circus like no other, but it has a secret. Celia and Marco are magicians who have been pitted against each other by their instructors. What Celia and Marco don't know are the stakes of their game, for their instructor have wagered their lives without their knowledge. But Celia and Marco fall in love and will now have to find a way to save themselves and their love.
Critical Summary: One of the greatest strengths of this story is the use of color. The theme of black, white and red runs through out the whole circus. It paints a visual image of the circus that is very strong in your mind as you read. The descriptions of some of the circus tents are told in great vivid detail. The use of smells is also a strong part of the story, The smell of the food at the circus is often mentioned and it again brings the reader into the story, immerses them in the circus and the world that Erin Morgenstern has created.
Reader's Annotation: It is a circus like nothing you've ever seen, it only appears at night and without warning. What lies beneath the black and white tent is feast for the senses. Behind the scenes, rival magicians have fallen in love but what they don't know is that there can be no happy ending for them, for they are players in a game that can have only one winner.
Book Talk Ideas: There are many themes and ideas; the use of color, of smell, the romance between Celia and Marco, the intricate tents that they create for the circus, all of these would make great book talks.
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Reading Level/Interest Level: upper high school/high school and adult
Challenge Issues: The only possible issue I could see would be the magical aspect of the book.
Why Include this book? The book is a well written story about love, magic and a circus that has won numerous awards and would appeal to romance and fantasy fans.
Title: The Secret Life of Bees
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Publication Info: Penguin Books, 2003
ISBN: 0142001740
Genre: historical fiction
Author Info: Sue Monk Kidd was born in Georgia and wanted to write from an early age. But Sue didn't start writing till she was in her 30s. Her books initially started out as religious and Christian works and didn't branch out into fiction until her 40s. The Secret Life of Bees was her first novel and was an instant hit selling over 4 million copies. She followed it up with another successful novel, The Mermaid Chair and is currently working on her third novel. Sue lives with her husband and their dog in South Carolina.
Plot Summary: Lily Owens is 14 and living in South Carolina in 1964. She lives with her father T-Ray and her black caretaker, Rosaleen. Lily lost her mother at four years old and blames herself for her mother's death. Lily's mom and T-Ray had been arguing after her mom had left T-Ray and came back to pack up some things. During the fight Lily's mom picked up a gun and during the fight it ended up on the floor and then in Lily's hand who fired the gun, killing her mother. Lily lives with the guilt and refuses to forgive herself. Rosaleen, was hired to help raise her after her mother passed. One day Lily goes with Rosaleen to town, so Rosaleen can vote for the first time. On her way she is harassed by some white townspeople and spits on their shoes getting both Lily and Rosaleen thrown in jail. Rosaleen is beaten and taken to the hospital while Lily is bailed out by T-Ray. Convinced the Rosaleen will be killed by the men who she spit on Lily decides she has to run away and take Rosaleen with her. Lily has a picture that was her mother's that has a picture of a black Madonna on the front and the words Tiburon S.C.. Lily believes that someone there might have information on her mother and sneaks Rosaline out of the hospital runs off to Tiburon. Lily has no idea what she will find but what she does will change her life forever.
Critical Review: The book really brings the reader into the time period and setting with well developed characters and locations. Tragedy and sadness is a large par to of the book but so is characters ability to overcome and heal. All the characters seem to carry their own wounds that they must let heal and learn from. Lily, while young, has faced a lot of adversity for someone of her age and at times seems quite old for her age. But Lily is also resilient which is what makes her so appealing to the reader.
Reader's Annotation: Lily killed her mother when she was 4 years old. Now at 14 Lily is on a mission to find out about the mother she never had a chance to know. The only thing Lily has to go off is a picture that her mother owned of a black Madonna with Tiburon, S.C on it. It isn't much but it's all Lily has and she is willing to take the risk.
Book Talk Ideas: I have actually book talked this as Lily, with a southern drawl. It helps to set the tone for the story.
Curriculum Ties: The story is set in the south in the 1960s at the peak of the Civil Rights movement. It would tie in well with a unit on American history and the Civil Rights Movement.
Reading Level/Interest: teen/ older teen and adult
Challenge Issues: There is violence, abuse and racism.
Why Include this Book? The book gives teens an insight to a time period in America that they have never experienced.
Title: Anansi Boys
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publication Info: Harper Torch, New York, NY, 2005.
ISBN: 0142001440
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: ALA's Alex Award (2006), Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2006), British Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2006)
Author Info: Neil Gaiman is an award winning and New york Times Bestelling author of both children's, teen and adult fiction. Born in England, Neil Gaiman now resides in the United States with his wife and musician, Amanda Palmer. Neil is an active supporter of libraries and credits libraries for his interest in books and writing. He is also active on Twitter and has his own blog. Neil started his career in journalism and broke out as an author with the publication of his groundbreaking graphic novel series, The Sandman. Since then he has written countless books and graphics and has even collaborated with authors like Terry Prachett. Many of his books have been turned into movies, such as Coraline and Stardust. Neil has also written several episodes for the widely popular Doctor Who series and has received great critical acclaim for his episodes. Neil's book The Graveyard Book was the winner of the Newbery Award. His other works are also the winners of countless awards. Neil is considered one of the greatest fantasy and sci-fi writers of today by many critics and readers.
Plot Summary: Fat Charlie hates being called Fat Charlie but his father started calling him that and it stuck. Fat Charlie, is a pretty ordinary and boring guy who has a crazy and often outspoke father. Charlie's father passes away, apparently while out karaoking at a bar and Charlie has to travel to Florida for his father's funeral. Charlie hasn't had much to do with his father and Charlie has been living in England with his fiance, Rosie. When Charlie returns to Florida for the funeral he finds out from his neighbor that his father wasn't an ordinary man and that there is a lot he doesn't know. Charlie's father is the spider god, Anansi and Charlie has a brother, named Spider who was sent away when Charlie was a child. Charlie decides to contact his brother, with the help of a spider and soon Charlie's world is turned upside down by his brother Spider.
Critical Review: Neil Gaiman is a master story teller and this story is no different. Charlie starts off as a very boring and ordinary character, especially in contrast to his flamboyant and eclectic father. When Spider appears, Charlie's ordinariness is made apparent to Charlie. Through the story Charlie starts to find himself, and discover he is a lot more like his father than he had originally thought. This self discovery I think is appealing to teens who, themselves are in the process of self discovery. Gaiman, also does a great job of weaving folklore into his stories. There is a lot of great information on the history of Anansi in the book that will appeal to teens who enjoy legend and folklore. The story is also funny and easy to read. Charlie is a very likable character despite first impressions. The story has a pretty climatic ending with different story lines coming together in the Caribbean.
Reader's Annotation: Fat Charlie always new his father was different but he never expected to find out that his father was a god. In fact, Charlie's father is Anansi, the spider god. Spider learns of this after his father's funeral and he also learns that he has a brother named Spider. Spider comes into Charlie's life and turns it upside down and now Charlie wants his brother out. But will getting rid of Spider be more than Charlie asked for?
Book Talk Ideas: There is some great characters in the book, Fat Charlie, Spider and Anansi so using those characters as a way to pull teens into the story. After all what teen wouldn't want to read about a guy who finds out his father is a god? This would draw in some older teens who were fans of the Percy Jackson series.
Reading/Interest Leve: Older high school, older high school and adult
Curriculum Ties: The book has a lot of folklore and legend and would work well with a lesson on different folklores. It could also tie into a history class on the place of folklore in history and culture.
Challenge Issues: There is drinking, talk of sex and murder. Plus, the book is written for adults which
Why include this book? Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer that appeals to all ages. Anansi Boys is a great example of an adult book that works for older teens.
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