The Chosen One

Title: The Chosen One
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Published: May 2009
ISBN: 0312555113
Price: 16.95
Genre: realistic fiction
Reading Level: 3rd grade
Interest Level: 8th-12th grade
Awards: Amelia Bloomer List- Young Adult Fiction, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults: Sticks and Stones, YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Plot Summary: Kyra is part of a religious polygamist cult called The Chosen Ones. Their community is isolated from the real world so Kyra spends most her time with her family. Being part of a polygamist family means that Kyra has 1 father, 3 mothers and 20 siblings, with 2 on the way. Kyra is the second oldest sister but due to development issues with her older sister Emily, Kyra acts as the oldest sister. Their cult is overseen by the Prophet, whose word is law. The Prophet that proceeded him allowed families to venture out of the community and allowed more freedom. But things things have changed a lot since the new Prophet took over and not in a good way. Kyra uses books, which are banned, to escape. She meets the book mobile out on the road and gets books from the library that she hides and reads in her favorite tree. One day the Prophet tells Kyra she is to marry her much older uncle who already has many wives. Kyra can't understand how this can be. She is in love with a young boy her age and thinks it's wrong for the Prophet to force her to marry not only a much older man but her uncle as well. Kyra can't hide from this problem nor can she go against the Prophet. But what will Kyra do, what can she do?
Review: I found Williams story to be a fast and engaging read. It could have easily been written as a one sided story that condemns polygamy but Williams really presents the topic in a more dimensional and complex matter. You are able to see the love and support that is in Kyra's family. Kyra loves her father, siblings and mothers. The story shows that her religious cult was not always so oppressive. Kyra talks about how they used to read together and venture into the real world. The story focuses more on how the current Prophet becomes cruel, manipulative and corrupt. I think Williams points out how these types of religious groups can easily become oppressive and dangerous to those involved. The fear that the members feel is obvious by Kyra's father who struggles with protecting his daughter and then risking the safety of the rest of his family. I think the most difficult part of the story was the death of Patrick. It is then in the story that the absolute corruption is obvious. 
Reader's Annotation: Kyra has never questioned her families religion but when her religious leader demands that she marry her much older uncle Kyra feels trapped. 
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: The story exposes the dangers of religious cults and following a leader blindly. It shows just how easily these families were manipulated into allowing a religious leader to control every aspect of their lives. While most teens will never be exposed to such a cult it they may gain some insight into the importance of freedom and choice.
Issues:  Some may feel that the story is trying to slander certain religious beliefs or practices. While the story never says anything about Mormomism some may feel that it could be attributed to the Mormon religion since some sects of the religion do practice polygamy. The book also has some intense violence such as Kyra being beaten by the Prophet. There is also the issue of the cult killing and abusing babies. The scene in which they hold Kyra's babysitter under water for crying may be very upsetting to some. The cult leaders killed members of the community and even kill non members like Patrick. The portrayal of a polygamy family as loving might also bother those who feel that polygamy is wrong.
Book Talk Ideas: 
Main Themes: polygamy, religious cults, family, corruption, violence, abuse
Read-alikes: Leaving Fishers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Author Website: http://www.carollynchwilliams.com/
Professional Reviews: Publisher's Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
Why this book was chosen: This book has huge appeal to reluctant readers with it's gripping and emotional storyline. The reading level is not difficult but the themes and issues presented in the book allow for lots of discussion and reflection. Also, this book presents the issues without being slanderous or one dimensional.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox 
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Published: April 2008
ISBN: 0805076689
Page Number: 266
Price: $16.95
Reading Level: 6th grade
Interest Level: 10th grade and up
Other books in the series: The Fox Inheritance
Awards: Golden Kite Award for Fiction (2009)
Genre: Sci-fi
Plot Summary: Seventeen year old Jenna Fox awakes from a coma not knowing who she is or what happened to her. Her parents tell her that she was in a terrible accident that killed her two best friends and that she is lucky to be alive. As Jenna's memories start to come back to her Jenna realizes that something is wrong. Her memories feel all wrong and her parents are not acting right. They seem to be hiding something from Jenna but what? When Jenna starts to search for answers she may not like what she finds. She will soon start to question who she is and just how far her parents went to save her. But have her parents gone too far?
Critical Review: The book asks a lot of big questions, like what makes us human? How far should a parent go to save their child? Should their be restrictions on what science can do to save a human? It really does bring up many talking points. It also shows Jenna's struggle with what her parents did to her. She is disgusted when she thinks about how all her memories were placed on disc till her parents could repair her body. The desperation of her parents is shown through their illegal act to keep Jenna alive yet the author shows that while the acts were illegal her parents did it out of love.
Reader's Annotation: Jenna awakes not knowing who she is or what happened to her. Apparently, Jenna was in a horrible accident that she is still recovering from but Jenna feels like something else happened. When her memories start to come back they don't seem right, so Jenna starts to search for the truth but she may not like what she finds.
Book Talk Ideas: The book deals a lot with ethics and what it is that makes us human. Jenna struggles with being alive and what her parents did to keep her alive. I think the book talk should focus on that idea. What would you do to stay alive or to keep a love one alive? What makes us human, is it our memories or is it something more?
Main Themes: ethics, death, science
Issues: There is a lot of talk of ethically choices and how far science should go to prolong a life or save a person.
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: Jenna struggles a lot with her parents quest for a perfect daughter. I think that teens who have this same pressure at home could gain a lot from Jenna's personal struggle. It also has readers thinking about what makes a person human and how far they would go to keep someone alive. There book serves as a great discussion starter on some difficult topics of death, science and ethics.
Read alikes: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Matched by Allyson Condie
Author Website: http://www.marypearson.com/
Profession Reviews: Publisher's Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
Why include this book? The book is both sci-fi and mystery and has the reader turngin pages to find out what really happend to Jenna. It is also very relevant with discussion going on right now about the place of science in keeping people alive.

Godless

Title: Godless
Author: Pete Hautman
Published: May 2004
ISBN: 97811416908166
Page number: 198
Price: $7.99
Genre: realistic fiction
Reading Level: 5th grade
Interest Level: 7th grade and up
Awards: National Book Award
Plot Summary: Jason is a self proclaimed agnostic going on atheist but his parents are devot Roman Catholics. In hopes to sway their sons beliefs Jason parents send him to a weekly meeting at the church to discuss religion with other teens. Jason sees this as an opportunity to push everyone's buttons. One day Jason decides to mention that he is going to invent his on religion. Originally the comment was just to irritate the class but then Jason decides to act on his crazy idea. With the help of his best friend, Shin, Jason starts a religion that worships the towns water tower. Soon other members joined his group and what started out as just a joke starts to take a serious turn. Jason soon learns that starting your own religion comes with it's own set of problems and issues.
Review: Pete Hautman writes a story that is able to raise questions of faith and religion without insulting religion. Jason is a teenager surrounded by people with strong faiths but yet he struggles with his lack of faith. His attempt at making his own religion reflects his own struggle to understand faith and religion. The story address religion which can often be ignored in teen literature due to it's controversy. Hautman handles it with humor and some real questions of faith.
Reader's Annotation: What makes a religion? Jason Bock has decided that the only way to find out is to invent your own. So that's just what he does. His religion worships the the local water tower and what started out as fun and games quickly takes a serious turn. Maybe running your own religion is not as easy as it seems.
Issues: The story centers around religion and asks a lot of questions of faith and religion.
Book Talk Ideas: I would open the book talk by reading the the rules of Chutengodians.
Main Themes: faith, religion, questioning religion, atheism
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: The book shows a teen struggling with faith and his attempt at trying to make sense of religion. For teens who may be questioning their religion or asking questions this book may help them feel that their questions and concerns are normal.
Read-alikes: There is No Dog Meg Rosoff and Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger
Author Website: http://www.petehautman.com/
Professional Reviews: Publisher's Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
Why this book was chosen: There is very few teen fiction books that focus on religion. The book not only does this but it does it well, gaining critical acclaim.

The Rag and Bone Shop

Title: The Rag and Bone Shop
Author: Robert Cormier
Published: Oct. 9th, 2001
ISBN: 0-385-72962-6
Page Number: 154
Price: $15.95
Genre: realistic fiction, suspense
Reading Level: 5th grade
Reading Interest: 7th grade and up
Awards: ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2002)
Plot Summary: Trent is one of the best interrogators and never fails to get a confession out of his suspects. But when Trent is called in to get a confession out of 12 year old Jason for the murder of a 7 year old girl, things don't go as planned. The city, including a high profile senator, want answers but a confession out of Jason may not be the one they are looking for. Jason on the other hand has no idea why he is being questioned but wants to help the police in any way he can.  The victim is his friend Alicia and Jason was one of the last people to see her before she was murdered. Soon Jason starts to realize that questioning isn't going well as Trent tries to manipulate a confession out of Jason. Trent is only focused on one thing, a confession and he doesn't seem to care that Jason might not be guilty.
Review: Robert Cormier has written a dark, fast past mystery that has the reader on the edge of their seat. The story shows just how manipulative police investigations can be. Jason is young and only wants to help but he is no match for Trent's relentless questioning. Trent is able to break Jason and have him confess to a crime he didn't commit. The story is shocking in that it seems all but too easy for an innocent child to confess to such a heinous crime that he is innocent of doing. And Cormier doesn't stop there, he then shows how this false confession completely changes Jason who can't make sense of why he confessed. It's a page turning thriller that is full of surprises.
Reader's Annotation: Jason loves to spend time with Alicia, despite the fact that she's only 7 years old but he'd rather be doing puzzles with her than spending time with kids his own age. When Jason learns that someone has murdered Alicia and left her in the woods he is shocked. So when the police call him in for questioning he is eager to help find the killer. What Jason doesn't know is that his interrogator believes Jason killed Alicia and he won't stop till he gets Jason to confess. But who would confess to a murder they didn't commit?
Book Talk Ideas: In the story Jason confesses to a crime he didn't commit. I think the book talk should come from Jason's point of view and talk about he only wanted to help and then start to show how the manipulation of Trent has him questioning is own innocence.
Issues: The story discusses a very gruesome murder scene within the first few pages and then talks about the murder of a young girl. It also depicts the police, who normally are seen as good guys, as manipulative and coercive.
Main Themes: murder, manipulation
Bibliotheraputic Usefulness: Readers will find themselves questioning the legal system and the idea of right and wrong. Is a person who confesses to a crime really guilty or like in the case of Jason can a person be manipulated into a confession. Is Jason truly evil because he confessed to a horrible crime or is he just the victim of an overzealous police officer who was bent on maintaining his reputation and not seeking justice. These are the kind of questions that teens will be asking and it's a great way for them to see that they should question things, that sometimes good people can do terrible things.
Main Themes: murder, manipulation
Read-alikes: Kill Switch by Chris Lynch
Author Website: N/A
Professional Reviews: 
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
Why this book? Robert Cormier is known for his dark novels that don't always end happily. This story is no different and as his last novel before he died he ended on a powerful and suspenseful book that calls into question how our justice system works.

Raiders Night

Title: Raiders Night
Author: Robert Lipsyte
Published: August 1st, 2006
ISBN: 0060599464
Page number: 232
Price: $6.99 (pbk)
Genre: realistic fiction, sports fiction
Reading Level: 8th grade
Interest Level: 9-12th grade
Awards: Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2009)
Plot Summary: Matt is the captain of the high school football team and is revered throughout the school. He engages in teen drinking and seems to have his pick of girls to date. Being a Raider gives you popularity and power. But Matt and the rest of the football team, coaches included are willing to win at any cost. This includes taking steroids to improve performance. The team has acquired a new player who the coaches feel will provide the piece they need to carry their team to victory. But one can't simply join the Raider's football team, they have to earn it. Matt's co-captain, Ramp, is all too eager to haze the new players, including the bright prospect. But when Ramp's hazing plans cross the line Matt is put in a difficult position of choosing between his team loyalty and what is right.
Review: The story gives an inside look into the high school sports culture where it's program over integrity. The players will do anything to win and the coaches aren't willing to risk their programs good name due to scandal, instead their motto is to keep it in the locker room. Though as the book points out there are some things that shouldn't be kept in the locker room. A few things in the story did bother me. Mainly, there seems to be very little negative consequences from Matt's drinking or drug abuse. He seems to stop his steroid use just as easily as he started. The girls in the story seem all but to eager to sleep with him and he seems to not really care too much about their well being.  In general the girls in the story come across as very one dimensional characters. But overall the story is one that hits home for many teens. There has been actual incidents much like the one in the book that has happend in high schools and colleges. The book shows that while difficult, it is important to stand up for what is right. Matt, and the rest of the Back Pack show this by refusing to stay quiet on Chris' sexual assault.
Reader's Annotation: Matt is a football star with the admiration of girls and guys alike and as the captain of the Raiders football team everything is going his way. But when with a win at any cost attitude Matt's troubles go beyond just his steroid use when a hazing prank at football camp goes to far. Now Matt needs to decide what a real leader does in the face of opposition and controversy.
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: Often times the jock culture has a warped sense of team loyalty. There has been many scandals in which players and coaches cover up illegal activity for the sake of the teams image or to not ruin a chance at a championship. Raiders Night highlights this culture and exposes what can go wrong when you put team ahead of everything else. Teens can see how despite coaches and other players willingness to cover up what happend to Chris, Matt is not willing to let it go and decides that sometimes doing the right thing isn't easy.
Issues: The book deals with a lot controversial topics including drinking, drug use, sex, sexual abuse, foul language, and bullying. There is also a very graphic hazing scene in which Ramp, pees in the mouth of another player and then sexual assaults him with a bat.
Book Talk Ideas: The book has the "ripped from the headlines" type of vibe and using that idea would be a great book talk. The book talk should be written almost as a news story, start of with a headline, "Controversy rocks high profile football team" and then give a few details to draw in the reader.
Main Themes: hazing, bullying, drugs, addiction, sexual abuse
Read-alikes: Keeper by Mal Peet and Halfback Tough by Thomas Dygard
Author Website: http://www.robertlipsyte.com/
Professional Reviews:
Kirkus Review
Publishers Weekly