teen fiction

Catching Jordan – Miranda Kinneally

A few weeks ago, I discovered and loved Stealing Parker by Miranda Kinneally. I mean, I seriously couldn’t put it down and stayed up all night reading it.

I’m not sure why I found Stealing Parker first instead of Catching Jordan, which is actually the first in this series of connected books, but I’m kind of glad I did. I liked Catching Jordan, but I don’t know that I would have read another one of the series if I’d read it first. I know. That sounds kind of weird. I’ll try to explain. 
Jordan, the protagonist in Catching Jordan, is the quarterback of her high school football team… which means she surrounded by gorgeous football players constantly. But, they see her as a teammate and their leader, not necessarily as girlfriend material. On a certain level, I can identify with that from my own middle and high school experiences, but I struggled with really connecting to Jordan at first because she truly sounded like a football jock. Like, not just her spoken words on the football field but even in her narration of the story.
Once I got past that, though, I really enjoyed Jordan’s story and what she went through with her family, team, and romantic life. And really, it’s the kind of romance EVERY girl, jockette or not, dreams about. I also enjoyed learning more about the characters from Stealing Parker… and now I need to go back and read Stealing Parker again. :)
I’m excited for the third book connected to these Hundred Oaks books which is due to be released in March of 2013. I’d be even MORE excited if I got an ARC of it… Hahaha.You can read an excerpt of the third book here.
As with Stealing Parker, I’d recommend this for upper high school and college-aged girls. Enjoy the Hundred Oaks books! 
~Melissa

Al Capone Does My Shirts

I consider it great fortune that I just happened to discover an ARC (Advance Reader’s Copy – before final edits and polishing for publishing are finished) of this in one of my favorite used books stores in Boone, NC before the book was even published. I read it, loved it, and vowed to make my 7th graders read it as soon as it was published in 2004. Since then, it has been one of my favorites both in and out of the classroom.
Al Capone Does My Shirts is about a boy, Moose, who is forced to move to Alcatraz Island when his dad takes a job working at the prison. Of course, it’s more than a little intimidating being on an island with the most notorious convicts in America, and Moose and the other island kids take full advantage of this when they’re off the island, which lands them in all kinds of trouble and awkward situations. 
In this story, Moose is a really interesting character full of wit, intelligence, sarcasm, and integrity. His childhood has mostly consisted of taking care of his “little” sister Natalie, who is actually older than he is but acts younger because of her autism (in the 1930’s, they didn’t have a name for autism, so all they knew was that Natalie was just different). While he sometimes can’t stand the responsibility, it is clear that he’s the one who understands her the best, and so he’ll do anything to help her. What he eventually does do to help her is nothing short of risky business.
A few years ago, Choldenko published a sequel to this called Al Capone Shines My Shoes. I didn’t love it as much as the original, but it was a good follow up for those who want to know more about what happens to Moose and the other characters. 
If you haven’t read this, you should! Enjoy it. :)
~Melissa

Friday Favorite: Secrets of My Hollywood Life

Jen Calonita has an impressive way of writing intriguing stories that you’d like to go into and visit for vacation without making them so scandalously inappropriate that I have to worry about putting them on my summer reading lists for middle school. I appreciate that about her. I also love that while it’s good for upper middle schoolers, it’s also great for all high school grades. Heck, I loved it as an adult.

This series, The Secrets of My Hollywood Life, features a protagonist named Kaitlin Burke. She’s a famous teenage TV star in Hollywood, and throughout her adventures and dramas and everything else we get an insider’s look at the life of a Hollywood starlet. It’s very fun. And, as Calonita is a former entertainment editor for Teen people, you definitely get a legit inside look!

In this first book, Kaitlin wants to know what it’s like to be a regular, not-famous teenager in high school and goes behind the backs of almost everyone around her to enroll in a local school under a false ID. Of course, she falls for the school’s hottest lacrosse player (and who wouldn’t, really?)… lots of crazy things happen. And, while this book does have a fully satisfying ending,  you totally want to start reading the next book as soon as you finish this one to figure out what happens with Kaitlin and her crew. It’s awesome.

Check this book out, buy it, invest in the rest of the series… you’ll love it. Enjoy!

~Melissa

#ThrowbackThursday – The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

There are so many reasons to love this book. It’s so real and so amazing in the way that it was written – it was instantly popular when published by Hinton (AS A TEENAGER – OMG) and is still popular and relevant to teenage life today. I read somewhere once that this is considered the first of our modern YA novels… sort of a blueprint by which all others are written. I believe it. In an interview she gave, Hinton basically said she was bored by the books she had to read as a teenager and decided to write something she’d actually want to read. You gotta love that fierce teenage determination.

In The Outsiders, you follow the stories of teens in rival gangs – the Greasers and the Socials. While we don’t have gangs and cliques with the same names in today’s teenage society, we do have plenty of rivalry and hatred between groups of people that make this classic story one for today’s teens as well. If you’ve read the book, you know how powerful the story is. If you haven’t, you should.

For some reason, I never had to read this as a student. I really wish I had. As an adult I can appreciate it as I look back on my teen years and identify areas of my life that related to this, but it would have been a great one to make some connections to while I was dealing with high school.

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Epic Fail was really cute! Elise is a great protagonist – I love her fire and wit, even though I was slightly frustrated by her initial inability to trust Derek, the hot son of a famous actress. She soon learns, though, that she can’t judge people at her new school based on appearances or who their parents are, and we’re rewarded with a great teenage love story.

As a frequent reader of teenage love stories, I’m also particularly appreciative of the fact that Claire LaZebnik gives us that satisfying ending where the girl gets together with the right guy, there’s kissing involved, and then the story continues for a while longer. None of this ending on the verge of a kiss and abruptly the story is over business… you get a fully satisfying ending that feels good and solid.

I was also impressed with LaZebnik’s ability to tell a great story, drawing from an Austen classic, with out making the teenaged characters drunken sex-crazed idiots. Because, you know, not ALL teenagers are drunken sex-crazed idiots. The content of this was relevant to teenagers without being at all inappropriate. I’d be comfortable putting this on my middle school classroom shelves, but it easily has an appeal to readers through high school and into college.

Check this book out! I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. Enjoy. :)

YAforNJ

This is so very cool. Dozens of YA writers have come together to raise money for New Jersey as it recovers from the effects of Hurricane Sandy by auctioning off TONS of cool items on eBay. There are Advance Readers Copies of books not even released yet, Skype/school visits with authors, autographed copies of great books… My wallet is begging me to bid away. Go check it out! Auctions end on December 7th, so hurry!

http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=yafornj

#ThrowbackThursday – Sweet Valley Twins

First of all, I’m LOL’ing at these covers. Teenagers, welcome to the late 80’s and early 90’s…

I can’t believe I read books with covers this cheesy.

Anyway, I think Francine Pascal actually started with the Sweet Valley High books, which feature beautiful, blond, popular, identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica. Their adventures are cheesy, dramatic, wonderfully campy, romantic, and super edgy… I mean, check out the covers from Don’t Go Home With John and Teacher Crush. Hahahahahahahaha

Seriously though, these books were GREAT fun, and Francine Pascal is my hero – she created these worlds and then other people wrote lots of the books (there are some ridiculous number like 400+ of them). And now she lives in New York AND the South of France. REALLY? Tough life.

She is still writing some current books, including a ten years later book featuring Jessica and Elizabeth. I haven’t read any of her recent stuff yet. I have a few requested from the library. There are also several reprints of the Sweet Valley High books… if you ever find one, you should check it out just for fun. Or, next time you’re at the Goodwill, you’re bound to find some super cheap used copies.

Enjoy some cheesy throwback fun! :)

When It Happens

I swear I’m not just recommending this book because it has an allusion to Say Anything, which is one of the greatest YA stories of all time… but it did make me an instant fan of Susane Colasanti.In fact, it’ll be the focus of a new Throwback Thursday blog feature.

When It Happens is a great story told from two points of view (LOVE IT). Sara and Tobey are, quite simply, meant to be together. Tobey knows Sara is The One. Sara is a little too interested in the thrill of a shot at popularity to notice it right away, but when it does happen, it’s wonderful in a super happy heart kind of way. Along the way, it’s impossible not to fall for Tobey’s adorable self and identify with everything Sara deals with. And I love, love, love getting two character’s POVs on the same incident. It’s such an effective way of developing characters and letting the audience really get to know their personalities. Colasanti is able to write two distinct personalities in Sara and Tobey that make this book irresistible.

You should read this. Enjoy. ;)

#ThrowbackThursday: Say Anything

Say Anything is like everything you’d hope to see in a great YA book but come to life in a classic late 80’s movie. There’s one thing that puts it over the top and makes it completely irresistible, though… Lloyd Dobler. And, as the front of the DVD box so correctly states, to know Lloyd Dobler is to love him.

This is your classic slacker guy has a huge crush on overachiever girl kind of story, but something about it is absolutely magical. I’ve seen this movie so many times and I never get tired of it. I think my favorite thing about it really is Lloyd Dobler. Not because the young John Cusack is hot (though, really, he was) – but because of the way he pursues Diane Court. He knew he wanted to be with her. He knew they were meant to be together. So, he set out to make it happen. I think every girl wants to feel that wanted and worthy of pursuit. To feel cherished.

If you’ve never seen this, you should really watch it. Enjoy!