Am I
Blue? Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence. (Edited by Marion Dane Bauer)
Idea One - Based on "The Honorary Shepards" Key passage: "To satisfy your curiosity first: yes, this is a story about two boys who sleep together. Eventually. Not genitally, or anyway not at the time of this writing. But focus, liberally as you like, on the picture of it. Two teenage boys on a single-size futon, under a fraying tangerine-colored afghan reeking of mothballs. Two guys. Warm, scared. Unbelieving. Alive. Cautious. Too alert, too new to each other to giggle or wisecrack. They are both beautiful, at least to each other. The casting department of a film company might not agree." P. 65 Approach: Mood-based Notes for Booktalk: First,
let me note that I would booktalk this in a collection of teen-angst
stories. Some funny and some serious, and at least one collection
of funny love stories for teens (perhaps If This Is Love, I'll Take
Spaghetti) and including Annie on My Mind, as well as at least one
wrong-side of the tracks (heterosexual) love story. Call it Tough
Love Books. This is to partially play down the theme of homosexuality,
so that students see this (and Annie) as just books on the teenage
experience, because an approach that takes homosexuality as the entire
theme might alienate some readers, and this collection is crucial
for anyone-for readers who are or might be homosexual, this will show
that they are not alone; for readers who are bothered by the mere
thought of homosexuality among their peers, this will show them that
it is not something that makes people different, it's just another
facet of the great mystery of love and life. The talk: For the last decade
and more, there has been a lot of talk about the fact that great literature
has a tendency to have been written by dead white guys, and that despite
the fact that we live in a cultural melting pot of a world, much of
it remains voiceless. This is a story about two boys who want to rewrite
the myths of their world-Lee is Puerto-Rican, Polish, and Hispanic,
and Pete is half-black, half-Chinese. They are bursting with life
and a mixed bag of cultural identity, so they tackle the oldest book
of all, the Bible. Not in an angry or judgmental way, but in a manner
that respects the original and attempts to give voice to everyone,
everywhere, of all sexes and sexual preferences, of all cultural heritages.
Lee and Pete are in love, and they want to share their love for each
other and for the world that has created them with everyone they know.
The story follows them through a year of discovery under the tutelage
of a wonderful teacher and each other. Hook: "Would you come
and be with me, Willie? Just for a few days?" my father asked
me on the phone. He hadn't called me Willie since I was maybe four." Approach: Plot based Notes for Booktalk: Am I Blue?
is a collection of stories dealing with gay and lesbian relationships
and tendencies in the lives of teens from a variety of lifestyles.
One story in the book is "Holding" by Lois Lowry. In this
story, Will, a seventeen-year-old boy from California, flies to New
York to be with his father after the death of Chris, his dad's significant
other. Will's mother fully supports his trip and still cares for Will's
dad. During his visit, many people come and go from the apartment
including Amanda, an unsuccessful actress with lots of hair. However,
after the funeral is over, Will and his father are left to deal with
the grieving process on their own. They go running, rent movies and
eat pizza, ignoring the grim reality that Chris is gone. Ultimately,
Will's dad breaks down one evening and lets out the tears he was holding
back. Will holds his father and rocks him until he can cry no more.
Upon Will's return home and to school, Jon, Will's best friend keeps
referring to Chris as Will's dad's 'wife.' Will reminds Jon, yet again,
that they were not married. However, Will finally breaks down and
admits to Jon that Chris was a guy. His father is a homosexual and
Will had mislead Jon and everyone else in California for nine years.
Read Am I Blue? to discover more stories dealing with this sensitive
topic! (Robin Sitarski) Hook: The stories are written by authors whose names will be familiar to young adults. Approach: Scene based (p.19-26) Notes for Booktalk:
More about
this book
Idea One Hook: Character of Holden Caulfied - First person narration of "this madman stuff" he experienced. Holden is complex, but his honesty and vulnerability, his fear of growing up and all that that entails, make the reader clamor for his story. Approach: Character based - (Holden Caulfield) Notes for Booktalk: Salinger's famous (or shall we say infamous) novel has been the subject of controversy since its publication over 40 years ago. The book has been banned, yet it is one of the most widely read novels in modern American Literature. The story of Holden Caulfield details two days in New York City after he has just been expelled from prep school. Holden is confused and very cynical. He rants and raves about all the "phonies" he encounters, and has some sarcastic or caustic comment on everyone and everything. Yet Holden is more complex; His cynicism covers a deeply troubled soul, a young man hanging precariously on the edge of adulthood. Holden's story can be funny at times, but is ultimately poignant. To find out what all the fuss and
controversy are really about, you must read this one yourself. (Barbara
Gillen) Hook: Teenagers can identify with Holden Approach: Character based - (Holden Caulfield) Notes for Booktalk:
Idea Three Hook: "I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy." (p. 1) Approach: Character based - (Holden Caulfield) Notes for Booktalk:
More
about this book The Chocolate War. (Robert Cormier)
Idea One Hook: P. 1 "They murdered him." - (Immediately piques reader's curiosity and foreshadows martyrdom which awaits Jerry later on.) Approach: A combination of plot and character based (Jerry) Notes for Booktalk: Like Elliot's J. Alfred Prufrock, Jerry Renault asks: "Do I disturb the universe?" Jerry learns that every action has its consequences, when he dares to defy the powers that control Trinity Prep. Searching for meaning in his life after his mother's death, Jerry must summon every ounce of courage to say "no" to Brother Lean and the Vigils, to finally stop being a "Peter" who had heard a thousand cocks crow in his lifetime. (p. 8) Cormier eloquently conveys man's inhumanity to man through the brutally realistic story of Jerry's refusal to sell Brother Leon's chocolates. Throughout this complex and dark novel, the author truthfully depicts the harsh reality of a teenager trying to be true to himself and coping with the pain this often brings. Although Cormier would never condescend
to his readers with a television-style happy ending (human nature
and real life are too complex for that), Jerry does achieve a certain
amount of self-knowledge from his ordeal. The reader can close the
book on a somewhat hopeful note that this young man will be all right.
(Barbara Gillen) Hook: "They murdered him." This is the first sentence in the book and makes the reader want to continue reading to find out what is happening. Approach: A combination of plot and character based Notes for Booktalk: The Chocolate
War is about this kid named Jerry Renault who, after the death of
his mother less than six months ago, is trying to decide who he is.
He is a freshman at an all boys Catholic High School and tries out
for the football team. Although he makes it, Jerry isn't very good
and always gets pummeled by the other players. Then there is the problem
of the Vigils, a secret society at Trinity High, and the Annual Chocolate
Sale. Archie Costello, the head of the Vigils, singles out Jerry for
a special assignment. At role call each morning, each student must
say aloud how many boxes of chocolates they have sold. Jerry's assignment
is to refuse the chocolates for ten school days, then, on the eleventh
day, accept the chocolates and sell them. However, when the eleventh
day arrives, Jerry refuses. At first Jerry is hailed as a hero…then
things begin to change. Read The Chocolate War to see what happens
to Jerry as the Annual Chocolate Sale culminates one dark evening.
(Robin Sitarski) Hook: What will happen to Jerry as he stands up to these bullies. Does he dare disturb his universe - the little world that exists at Trinity? Approach: ANY of the approaches (plot, character, scene or mood based) would be an interesting hook for this book. Notes for Booktalk: The following is an example of a combination of scene and plot based:
More
about this book The Dreams of Mairhe Mehan. (Jennifer Armstrong)
Idea One Hook: "So who can say if they happened or no? They're true enough that I swear. They're woven tight and strong as any story's woven, thread following thread, the patterns emerging, the knots broken, the stitches dropped and reclaimed, the loose ends left or tied, the way we weave our own lives. They are stories. I'll tell them." (p. 1) Approach: Scene based (p. 77) Notes for Booktalk: Mairhe's
brother Michael has joined the Union Army. Mairher decides she can't
go it alone, with her father having had a mental breakdown and leaving
her with no home but the tavern. Mairhe says, To find out what happens to Mairhe
as she tries to get her brother home, and what happens to her beloved
Mike, you'll have to read the book. (Leslie Cunningham) Hook: The hook is that is is great historical fiction: how an ordinary girl and her family were affected by the Civil War. What it did to her life, how people change, etc. Making it more relevant for the teens: How would their life change if war broke out and their brother needed to enlist? Approach: Plot based Notes for Booktalk:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. (Maya Angelou) "When I was three and Bailey four, we had arrived in the musty little town, wearing tags on our wrists which instructed "To Whom It May Concern" that we were Marguerite and Bailey Johnson, Jr., from Long Beach, California, en route to Stamps, Arkansas, c/o Mrs. Annie Henderson." (p. 1) Idea One Hook: Quote cited above Approach: Character based (Maya) Notes for Booktalk:
In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Marguerite Johnson, re-named
Maya by her brother Bailey, arrives in Stamps, Arkansas at the age
of three to live with her grandmother, Mrs. Annie Henderson. Over
the next few years, Maya and Bailey come to view their grandmother
as their mother and begin calling her Momma. Life in Stamps is hard,
and Maya must learn to deal with segregation and racism. She also
must deal with cruel school children the KKK. Momma has strict ways
of doing things, such as always washing before going to bed. Momma
says, "Wash everything that isn't prudent, then was prudent."
Maya world abruptly changes one day when her father, Bailey Sr., drives
up to Momma's store in a shiney car and soon wisks her and Bailey
away to St. Louis, Missouri to live with their mother and her family.
You'll have to read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to find out about
Maya's adventures in St. Louis and eventually San Francisco. (Robin
Sitarski) Idea Two Hook: Reads like a novel. Approach: Character based (Maya) Notes for Booktalk:
Idea Three Hook: Maya draws the reader in with her rich poetic narrative. Approach: A combination of character (Maya) and scene based Notes for Booktalk: Read pages
1 - 3 (preface); Introduce Maya, telling a little about her (can use
key passage); who she is today; where she came from and some of the
hardships she endured (rape, silence, racism, rejection, etc.). I do
not want to go into detail because it spoils the story. I would just
wet their appetite and draw them in using Maya's words. (Daphne Jorgensen) More about
this book
Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. -Robert Frost Idea One Hook: Conflict between the greasers and the socs culminates one night when things go too far. Approach: Combination of Plot and Character based Notes for Booktalk:
Idea Two Hook: What happens to Pony Boy and Johnny after they run away from the fight in which Johnny killed Bobby? Approach: Scene based - Dramatizing the scene in which Johnny kills Bobby. Pages 61-64, until "I think I'm gonna be sick." Notes for Booktalk:
Out of all the options, I prefer
the "scene based" because if done right, it provides more
of a "hook" for teenagers. As one of my co-students pointed
out in the first class, it is not enough to just entertain. We should
provoke the audience to want to go out and get the book. Read on
for more ideas using the various approaches to booktalking. (Daphne
Jorgensen) Idea Three Approach: Mood based - Pages 55-60 Portray Pony Boy's dreams contrasted with his reality. Notes for Booktalk:
If I were doing the booktalk in a predominantly female setting (all girls' school), the mood based idea might be just as attractive to them. Or if I am doing a series of booktalks in one sitting and want variety in the approach, the mood based idea would be a viable option. (Daphne Jorgensen) Idea Four Approach: Plot based - highlighting social conflicts Notes for Booktalk:
The Ruby in the Smoke. (Philip Pullman)
Idea One Hook: What is the meaning of "the Seven Blessings" and what does it have to do with the opium trade, a stolen ruby and the death of Sally Lockhart's father? Approach: Scene based Notes for Booktalk:
Idea Two Hook: "Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man." (p. 3) Approach: Plot based Notes for Booktalk: In The Ruby in the Smoke, Sally Lockhart, a sixteen-year-old girl from nineteenth century London finds herself at the center of a deadly mystery. Soon after the death of her father, Sally receives a note saying: "SALI BEWARE
OF THE Sally, being a precocious teen,
is determined to find out what the note means and what it has to
do with her father, who was killed when his ship, the Lavinia, sank
of the coast of Asia. Her first stop is her father's office at the
shipping agency he owned. Once there, Sally inquires about the "seven
blessings" and the results are deadly. She realizes that she
has entered a world where almost no one can be trusted, not even
the police. Along her way, a few people, such as Jim, the office
boy at the shipping agency, and Frederick, a photographer she meets
on her way to see Marchbanks, befriend Sally. She also, much to
her dismay, comes in contact with and is hunted by such characters
as Mrs. Holland, a dreadful old woman who will stop at nothing to
solve the mystery before Sally. Who will solve the mysteries first?
Read The Ruby in the Smoke to find out how the opium trade and the
mystery of the Ruby lead to suspense and a surprising conclusion.
(Robin Sitarski) Sixteen. (Edited by Donald R. Gallo) "Gary couldn't wait for tenth grade to start so he could strut his sentences, parade his paragraphs, renew his reputation as the top creative writer in school." (Taken from "Future Tense" by Robert Lipsyne, p. 60) Idea One Hook: Variety of genres and topics. Approach: [Depends on which story you choose] Notes for Booktalk: Mention
the variety of genres and topics and then focus on one story as
an example. (Donna Cifarelli) Idea Two- Based on "Future Tense" by Robert Lipsyte Hook: The title "Future Tense" has multiple meanings and piques the curiosity of the reader right away. Approach: Plot and character based (Gary) Notes for Booktalk:
Idea Three - Based on "Do You Want My Opinion" by M. E. Kerr Hook: "Last night I dreamed I told Lauren Lake what I thought about John Lennon's music, Picasso's art, and Soviet-American relations. It's getting worse. I've tried putting my head under the cold-water faucet." (p. 93) Approach: Plot based Notes for Booktalk: Sixteen is a wonderful collection of short stories covering a variety of topics. My favorite story is "Do you want my opinion?" by M. E. Kerr. In this story, John is a high school student in an alternative universe where affection and sex are totally accepted, but sharing thoughts is taboo. One day, John wakes up after having dreams of exchanging thoughts with Lauren, a girl at his school. His father lectures him not to get serious with girls and to keep his thoughts to himself. When he gets to school, he can't help but remember what happened in Thought's class last week. Lauren brought up the idea of an alternative universe where sharing thoughts is totally acceptable, but touching was a special thing. The class had laughed at her answers and the teacher told her to keep her thoughts to herself. John longs to spend an evening exchanging ideas with Lauren, but knows he shouldn't ask a girl out when he is only interested in one thing! (Robin Sitarski) Idea Four - Based on "Priscilla and the Wimps" Hook: The dynamics between Priscilla, Monk and Melvin. What happens when Priscilla clashes with Monk? The key passage that augments this hook: "Listen, there was a time when you couldn't even go to the restroom around the school without a pass."" ("Priscilla and the Wimps," p. 42) Approach: Plot based Notes for Booktalk:
The Trouble with Lemons. (Daniel Hayes)
Idea One Hook: "Lymie told me
we'd be sorry if we went." (p. 1) Notes for Booktalk: The Trouble
With Lemons is the story of Tyler McAllister, a.k.a. "Lemon,"
and his experiences during his eighth grade year at a new school
in a new town. Tyler gets off to a rocky start because both his
mother and his brother are famous movie stars. As a result, most
people refer to Tyler in relation to them, and he becomes an outcast.
This all begins to change one night when Tyler and Lymie, his best
and only friend, sneak out and go swimming in a quarry just outside
of town. This in and of itself isn't so bad, but add to it the gruesome
discovery of a dead body floating in the water and you have yourself
one good murder mystery…or was it? Tyler and Lymie, who anonymously
report the body to the sheriff's office, must piece together clues
only they know about to find out the truth before the truth finds
them! Along the way, both boys grow up a bit and learn some of life's
lessons. Read The Trouble With Lemons to see what happens to the
boys in this mysterious yet heartwarming story. (Robin Sitarski) Hook: Friends sharing an adventure. Approach: Plot based Notes for Booktalk: The situation
Tyler is in is what will capture the young teen reader so emphasize
the dead body he and Lymie find and how they are determined to find
out what happened. (Donna Cifarelli) Idea Three Hook: There are several hooks, because when one hook is resolved, another one takes its place, making this a page turner. Who are the killers? Will the killers catch up with Tyler? Will authorities believe him? Approach: Scene based: Selected readings from Chapter one when Tyler and Lymie found the body. Notes for Booktalk:
Weetzie Bat. (Francesca Lia Block) "Weetzie was pregnant. She felt like a Christmas package. Like a cat full of kittens. Like an Easter basket of pastel chocolate-malt eggs and solid-milk-chocolate bunnies, and yellow daffodils and dollhouse-sized jellybean eggs." (p. 58) Idea One Hook: The unusual characters and vivid descriptions in the book. Approach: Character based (Weetzie) Notes for Booktalk: Weetzie
Bat is feeling isolated as many teens do - until she meets Dirk
and although theirs isn't a typical romantic relationship, they
connect in a way that all people want to connect to another. Find
ways to relate the joy of living Weetzie has. Perhaps use some props
that evoke Los Angeles - like a poster of Marilyn Monroe, a fake
palm tree, pink sunglasses. (Donna Cifarelli) Idea Two Hook: Will Weetzie find her
fairy tale man and live happily ever after? Notes for Booktalk:
However, I would never promote this book to any children I have any kind of influence over. (Daphne Jorgensen) Idea Three Hook: "The reason Weetzie hated high school was because no one understood." (p. 1) Approach: A combination of plot and character based (Weetzie) Notes for Booktalk: Weetzie
Bat is a story of Weetzie, a high school girl from Los Angeles.
She and her good friend, her only friend, Dirk are inseparable.
They understand each other like no one else can. However, Weetzie
and Dirk each want to find a duck, or man. They decide that there
are all sorts of ducks in the world and set out to find their own
special duck. When Dirk's grandmother Fifi dies, she leaves her
cottage to Dirk and Weetzie. They move in and soon after, Dirk finds
his duck…named Duck. Duck moves in with Weetzie and Dirk and
they are happy, but what Weetzie really wants is to meet her secret
agent lover man. Finally, she does, and he too moves into the cottage.
Read Weetzie Bat to discover how this most unpredictable family
pulls together in good times and bad and ultimately discovers that
love can conquer all. Where Harriers Dance. (Dean T. Spaulding)
Hook: Did you ever think bird watching could be exciting? Even interesting? Find out how a troubled teen makes an unsuspecting connection with the hawks flying about Cape May. Approach: Plot based Notes for Booktalk: At the start of this story, Bryan, a bright, but misunderstood teenager, is forced to move to Cape May, New Jersey. He must live with his older brother, Sean, because their mother has been hospitalized for a nervous breakdown, again. Bryan couldn't be more upset because not only must he begin a new school, but he must accompany his brother to the bird watching platform where Sean is head bird counter, a job Bryan is sure could not be more boring. As Sean tries to create some sort of relationship with his brother, Bryan is determined to be better at anything his brother does. Bryan decides to rebel by getting good grades in school, but even better, he plans to be the best bird watcher Cape May has ever seen. Bryan befriends a grumpy old man he meets in the swamp, Jack McCabe, and makes a deal with the man. Bryan will do Jack's errands and fix up his house if Jack will teach him to count hawks as well as his brother. As the two work on their deal, and Bryan learns about responsibility, a first year harrier named Pale Face is on a journey of his own. He must survive all alone, using his instincts, and make the Big Flight south. His journey and adventures coincide with Bryan's experiences at Cape May. Eventually Bryan and Pale Face's worlds collide, but only in time for one of the worst hurricanes to hit the Cape. Can Pale Face survive? Will Bryan be able to make a relationship with his brother and prove that he is more than just a troubled teen? You'll have to read to find out. (Britt Costa) Idea Two Hook: The hook of this novel is the parallel between the boy and the bird. Approach: A combination of plot and character based (Bryan and Pale Face) Notes for Booktalk: Where Harrier’s Dance is two stories told parallel to each other and at times, interacting with each other. It is the story of a boy, Bryan Kingsly, and a bird, Pale Face. Bryan is forced to leave his home in New York after his mother has yet another nervous breakdown to go live with his older brother in Cape May, New Jersey. Pale Face, on the other hand, is left along on the northern plain of his birth. Abandoned by his parents and unsure of what to do next, Pale Face must follow his own instincts and fly south for the winter. At the same time, Bryan must also use his instincts to come to terms with his new life in New Jersey. Bryan must deal with his hatred and jealousy for his brother, Sean, and his resentment at both his father and mother for leaving him to fend for himself both mentally and physically. Read Where Harrier’s Dance to see what becomes of Bryan and Pale Face the night a hurricane threatens not only them, but their families and friends as well. (Robin Sitarski) More
about this book Woodsong. (Gary Paulsen) "I was standing in the driveway facing the woodpile and saw Hawk launch herself like a speckled red missile. She hit Russel in the back of the head so hard cat hair flew out in a circle. Then she hung on and rode him out of the yard, raking his sides like a professional bull rider." (p. 46) Idea One Hook: "Grilled by Disney and others, I believed Bambi always got out of the fire. Nothing ever really fot hurt. Though I hunted and killed it was always somehow clear and removed from reality. I killed yet thought that every story had a happy ending… Until a December morning…" (p.2) Approach: Mood based Notes for Booktalk:
Idea Two Hook: What happens to Gary when he interrupts the wolves at their deer kill and they notice him? P. 7 Approach: Scene based Notes for Booktalk: I would do one of two scenes, depending on the group and if I wanted something serious or humorous. I would tell a little background about the story first. Serious:
Humorous:
This page last updated May 11, 2001
|
Top