The Golden Compass

Title: The Golden Compass
Author: Philip Pullman
Published: April 1996
ISBN: 9780679879244
Price: 20.00
Genre: fiction, fantasy
Reading Level: 8th grade
Interest Level:  8th-12th grade
Awards: ALA Notable Children's Books, Booklist Editor's Choice, Carnegie Medal, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
Plot Summary: Lyra is an orphan who lives among the scholars at Jordan college. But when Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel , visits the college it sets everyone at ease. Lyra sneaks into the closet and is able to not only see some one attempt to poison her uncle but she also gets to hear about his discovery up north of dust and a city beyond the clouds. Lyra is then taken by Mrs. Coulter and while things start out okay Lyra soon starts too feel that Mrs. Coulter is not as kind as she appears on the outside. Then there is the issues of children going missing. Even her playmate Roger is a victim of this mysterious disappearance. Lyra soon sets off on a quest up north to save Roger. Her quest leads her to amazing adventures and terrifying discoveries.
Review: Philip Pullman has created an amazing and magical world. I really enjoy the creation of the animal daemons in the story. Pullman is able to create a complex story with many twists and turns and mysteries without overwhelming the reader. The story is an epic magical quest lead by a smart, witty and at times stubborn Lyra. She is far wiser than her years and acts very bravely for a girl of only 11 years old. The story also weaves in scientific and religious elements that are embattled in an epic battle for power and access to the world in the sky. It's often times difficult to know who you can trust in the story since both sides seem out for their own well being. Meanwhile Lyra is caught in the middle trying to do what she feels is best.
Reader's Annotation: Lyra is an orphan living a carefree life at Jordan College. But when Lyra learns about the dust and world in the sky up north Lyra sets on an epic quest.
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: Lyra's epic quest challenges her innocence as she learns that not everyone is trustworthy. Lyra must use her own smarts and gut feelings to decide who she can trust. She also learns that she must take chances and battle against evil. 
Issues: The story has offended many in the religious community for being ant-religious, anti-god and sacrilegious. Philip Pullman has been very outspoken about his atheist views and some feel he is trying to force them on his young readers.
Book Talk Ideas: There is many intriguing aspects to this story like the daemons that everyone poses, or the idea of dust that lives in all living things. These can be used to hook readers into the story.
Main Themes: Quests, friendship, heroes, religion, science
Read-alikes: Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
Author Website:  http://www.philip-pullman.com/
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
Why this book was chosen: This particular book was formally challenged at my library by a religious group who wanted the book removed. The story is very popular with teens despite its controversy. The book has also gained popularity due to the movie based on the book.

The House of the Scorpion

Title: The House of the Scorpion
Author: Nancy Farmer
Published: Sep 2002
ISBN: 9780689852237
Page number: 380
Price: 19.99
Reading Level: 4th grade
Interest Level: 7th-10th grade
Genre: fiction, sci-fi, dystopia
Awards: ALA Notable Children's Books, National Book Award, Booklist Editor's Choice, YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, Printz Honor Book
Plot Summary: Matt is the clone of 142 year old drug lord  El Patron. El Patron runs the country of Opium, the land that now runs between Mexico and the United States. El Patron has sustained his life by harvesting the organs of his clones. Clones are treated like animals and hated by society. Matt is kept in a hut and treated like an animal until he smashes the window and breaks out. It is then that El Patron demands that Matt is treated with respect and care. After all El Patron views Matt as himself since he is his clone. But Matt struggles with his role as El Patron's clone because he knows his role is to provide El Patron with a new heart. Matt's days are numbered as El Patron falls sick and Matt knows that his only hope is to escape. Matt fears that he will never be accepted by society because his not seen as human, but rather a worthless animal with no soul.
Reader's Annotation: El Patron plans to live forever with the help of the organs he gets from his clones. Matt, El Patrons clone has dreams of escaping and having a chance at his own life.
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: The story poses many ethical question on the what makes us human, identity and the idea of a soul. Teens can explore these ethical questions through a thought provoking sci-fi noel
Issues: Matt is treated like less than human and is told that he does not have a soul. El Patron has humans on his property that are called "eejits" they are basically humans who are controlled by brain implants. They do whatever they are told and don't do anything without being told to do so. This means that some die because someone forgets to tell them to stop working or to get a drink. The "eejits" are seen as disposable.
Book Talk Ideas: Clones are very real issues ever since the cloning of a sheep. The book talk could start by asking what people's opinions about clones are. This book may questions people's assumptions and ideas about what makes us human. 
Main Themes: human cloning, ethics, survival, souls, humanity
Read-alikes: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Author Website: http://www.nancyfarmerwebsite.com/
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
Why this book was chosen: Nancy Farmer is a well known author whose books are very popular. This story deals with many ethical issues that not many books address or deal with.

Unwind

Title: Unwind
Author: Neal Shusterman
Published: Nov 2007
ISBN: 9781416912040
Price: 17.99
Other books in the series: Unstrung, UnWholly
Genre: dystopian, horror
Reading Level: 5th grade
Interest Level: 9th-12th grade
Awards: YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
Plot Summary: In a futuristic America the issue of abortion was battled over in a bloody civil war. The sides finally agreed on a compromise. Babies can no longer be aborted but instead parents have the option to retroactively abort their child when they are between the ages of 13 and 18. This retroactively abortion is known as unwinding. Teens that are sent to be unwind are harvest for their body parts and their parts go to other people in need. The idea is that the person lives on through someone else.  No one seems to mind this, except for those being unwind. Connor, Lev and Risa are three teens who are all being sent to be unwound but through a set of coincidences the three teens end up on the run together in an attempt to avoid being cut into pieces. But with the police determined to find them the chances of them surviving are low.
Review: The story is an interesting with the idea of UnWinding. How would society be different if organ donation was no longer and issue because unwanted teens supplied all the transplants you could ever need. The story also focuses on issues of the soul and what makes us human. While the story was suspenseful with elements of creepy horror I found the overall plot to be a bit unbelievable. I had a hard time seeing how Unwinding would somehow be a compromise for the two sides on the abortion issue. I also couldn't imagine a parent who loves their child all of a sudden sending them to be unwound because they were suddenly difficult. I can see how the story can be gripping and interesting to some but for me it just seemed to far outside of reality to be believable.
Reader's Annotation: In future America teens can be unwound, a process that harvest their body parts. Three teens being sent for unwinding are determined not to be harvest but can they survive.
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: The story explores issues of what happens when we die and the soul. Teens can explore these issues through a fictional story. Teens can also relate to Connors, Isa and Lev's struggle to survive and battle against a society gone wrong. 
Issues: Lev is sent to be unwound as a religious tithe, basically his family is sending him to his death because of their religious beliefs. This may offend some religious people. There is also the issue of teens being sent to be harvest for their organs by their parents. The story may offend some parents who feel that it places parents in a negative light. There is also a very gruesome scene in which the author describes a teen being taken apart bit by bit as part of the unwinding process.
Book Talk Ideas: The book talk could focus on the idea of harvesting someone for their organs, does that person's soul still live on? 
Main Themes: survival, souls, organ harvesting, abortion,
Read-alikes: Eve and Adam by Michael Grant
Author Website: http://www.storyman.com/
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher's Weekly
Why this book was chosen: This book was a part of the Oregon Battle of the Books for 2013. The book has received rave reviews and presents some interesting issues of death, souls, and abortion.