Hello, readers! The Nutty Writer Lady is back. I've had a sort of rough week and a half (got turned down for a job I really wanted, no one else is hiring, hormones nuttier than my writing career, and various other disasters). So today, I decided to have a little fun with books.
It occurred to me that I should compile a list of the top 20 books I was currently reading, but then I realized there were two things wrong with that:
- I have read so many books in my lifetime, and there have been so many wonderful ones, that I would have to do separate categories
- Trying to choose the top 20 out of my current list would be impossible at this moment
Therefore, I decided to dedicate Round 1 to my top Adolescent Literature picks. (Note: If there are any moms with daughters out there reading this, a lot of books on the list would be great for them). So, let's begin:
20. Ella Enchanted. The quintessential Cinderella story with a lot more fantasy thrown in. Much better, and a lot less silly, than the 2004 movie (although I love Anne Hathaway). The first-person POV gives readers a great look into Ella's psyche, and the themes speak to girl power without discounting legitimate obedience. One caveat: a reference is made to ogres being able to sell eternal life, but the discerning reader should not find this a problem.
19. Behind the Attic Wall. This is an older "classic" by little-known author Sylvia Cassidy. Protagonist Maggie is an eleven-year-old with emotional problems, who has been thrown out of a myriad of boarding schools and foster homes, treated with no compassion. When she goes to live with two great-aunts, it appears her life will become more of the same, but then she meets and befriends two dolls that speak--only to her. This eventually leads to Maggie's discovery of true happiness and real familial love. A mysterious, but enjoyable trip into the world of magical realism.
18. Middle School Blues. This one comes from another little-known author, Lou Kassem. Cindy Cunningham, nicknamed Calamity Jane courtesy of her scholarly, perfectionist family, just doesn't fit in, a problem that worsens when she begins junior high. Her fresh account explores middle-school drama in a clean, friendly format with a few interesting twists. Interestingly, Cindy is a saxophone player with a penchant for writing, character traits that not many protagonists of books like Kassem's possess.
17. The Devil's Arithmetic. Jane Yolen's poignant look into the Holocaust is for mature adolescents only, although the depiction of concentration camps is not at all as graphic as it could be. Instead, Yolen focuses more on character development, symbolism, and respect for the Jewish religion and people in her novel. Riveting and thought-provoking, but probably best not read at night.
16. Beyond the Western Sea and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. All wonderful books by Avi (the first one has a sequel), these three tied for 16th place. Here, both boys and girls get a turn at being the protagonists (as a girl who was exposed to a lot of boy-centered lit, I have to admit most of these books star girls). Here, kids will meet intrepid Irish siblings Patrick and Maura, their friend Laurence, and in the second book, Charlotte, whose 1830s voyage shows her she is a lot braver than she bargained for. Shipboard mutinies, harrowing journeys, injustice, shady characters, and triumph make for some great historical adventures.
15. Absolutely Normal Chaos. In ANC, Sharon Creech gives us a delightfully funny, relatable heroine in Mary Lou Finney. Forced to keep a summer journal, she unearths plenty of personal growth and introspection as she muses on poetry, Homer's Odyssey, the mysterious behavior of Cousin Carl Ray, boys, and her inexplicably boy-crazy best friend. One caveat: Mary Lou is fond of using "God" or "Oh, my God" as an exclamation.
14. Bloomability. Another Creech classic, this one introduces readers to Domenica (Dinnie), a 14-year-old girl sent to boarding school in Switzerland after her family life falls apart (again). Dinnie rises to the occasion, finding new friends, new cultures, and new lessons about herself in and out of school. Her dreams and the symbolism therein also make for an interesting talking point.
13. The Moves Make the Man. This nets spot #13 by virtue of being the first sport-centered book I ever enjoyed, as well as proof that both boys and girls will like it. Jerome Foxworthy is a hero worth rooting for as he adjusts to being the only black kid in a recently integrated school. His life becomes more complicated when he befriends Bix Rivers, a boy with a mentally ill mother and an obsession with truth. Jerome's first-person POV is fresh, funny, and relatable. Caveat: For a more mature audience, due to an incident of racism, intermittent profanity, and depictions of a disturbingly mentally ill character.
12. The Giver. It may have landed at #12, but this novel by Lois Lowry is one everyone should read at some point. The unusually insightful 11-year-old Jonas gets more than he bargained for when he's chosen as Receiver for his utopian community. Deep characters, a thought-provoking plot, and heart-wrenching truths all combine to make this much more than the average science fiction tale. However, I would rate this PG-13 on a book scale for a disturbing scene of euthanasia, a reference to suicide, and some strong thematic elements.
11. Dear America and Royal Diaries. These series tied for #11, and all the books made it since I found it impossible to choose just one or two. These books are a great step up for any girl who's ready to transition from the American Girls collection. The first collection covers every historical period from pre-Colonial to the 1960s, and the second gives girls a realistic, non-fairytale look at what it really meant to be a princess. Each book also comes equipped with thorough historical notes. Some may have what could be considered caveats, but that depends entirely on the parent and the reader. Personal guarantee: there is no cursing or "dirty" situations involved.
And now we hit the top ten:
10. Waiting for the Rain. What happens when a white "little master" and the son of a black farm boss try to keep up their close friendship in the midst of South African apartheid? The knee-jerk answer might be "nothing very good," but as Sheila Gordon reveals, the plot gives each character room for a lot of self-discovery and growth. Apartheid is villified, but Gordon focuses more on the hope of its ending (which is what rain symbolizes). The subject of apartheid may prove too heavy for some readers, but those who are ready will find this book quite compelling.
9. Homesick: My Own Story. Jean Fritz's fictionalized autobiography chronicles her childhood in China as a missionary kid, her longing for America, the country she's rarely visited, and the ironic homesickness she feels for China once her family returns to the U.S. Fritz's writing style is simple without being simplistic, and her imagery is nothing short of amazing. The descriptions of Chinese culture and people are especially memorable.
8. Happily Ever After...Almost. As protagonist Kitty puts it, she never thought her parents' divorce would result in her gaining a stepfather, stepmother, and a pointy-nosed, studious stepbrother with "more problems than India" (this book was published circa 1980). But author Judie Wolkoff puts Kitty through all this and more in a funny, light, yet memorable look into the life of a "broken home kid" moving from Brooklyn to SoHo, New York, with a pesky little sister, newlywed parents, and that stepbrother in tow. Wolkoff's writing style carries the story, and readers will be eager to revisit this one many times.
7. Pageant. An older book, but quite possibly Kathryn Lasky's best. As the back-cover blurb asks, "What's a nice Jewish girl like Sarah Benjamin doing in an all-Christian girls' school?" Set in the '60s, this book chronicles Sarah's journey through the uber-conservative halls of Stuart Hall, using her default role as a shepherd in the annual Christmas pageant as a symbolic backdrop. The result is an extremely enjoyable, gently thought-provoking book. What's most interesting here is that although the author appears to be pro-liberal, her message is not anti-conservative or anti-Christian. Rather, it is a true snapshot of what can happen when anyone becomes overly self-righteous or judgmental.
6. A Time of Angels. Fourteen-year-old Hannah Gold has her hands full trying to keep up with her paper route, avoid Rocky Keegan and the other neighborhood bullies, make sure her little sisters stay out of trouble...and avoid catching the deadly influenza that has plagued the U.S. in the winter of 1918. Her parents are trapped in Russia thanks to WWI, and once Hannah and her sisters lose Tanta Rose to the flu, it becomes her responsibility to find a way to keep her family afloat. Accompanied by a strange girl with violet eyes and dark hair that only she can see, Hannah embarks in a journey that will impact her life forever.
5. The Quilt Trilogy. Yet another series that makes the list, Ann Rinaldi's only formal series is a sweeping look at several historical eras, through the eyes of three different protagonists. Beginning in the 1740s and ending in the antebellum South, Rinaldi's family saga is one fascinating character study and surprising plot after another.
4. The Staircase. Another Ann Rinaldi installment, and my favorite of her books. Lizzie Enders is enduring purgatory as the only Methodist in an 1850s Catholic school, but her life changes when she meets an itinerant carpenter who's as much of an outcast as she is. When she persuades the nuns to take him in, trouble ensues, but the miracle staircase the nuns are praying for might come in a more earthly form than their mysterious novena...
3. Catherine, Called Birdy. The Middle Ages becomes a lot more interesting when told from the POV of 13-year-old Catherine, a knight's daughter with smarts and spunk to spare, threatened with an arranged marriage to one odious nobleman after another. She's able to fend off almost all the "contestants," but when one proves more tenacious than she can handle, is Catherine doomed? Readers will definitely have fun finding out! Minor caveat: Brief discussions of bodily functions and drunken behavior.
2. Hope was Here. You desperately need hope when your mom names you Tulip, leaves you with your aunt, and has never been seen since. You also need an extra shot of it when your aunt's restaurants keep closing down, as Hope Yancey well knows. Fortunately, she has it in spades, as she proves when she helps turn her latest new town around by drastically decreasing the influence of a corrupt mayor. Plus, readers get to vicariously enjoy some great food.
1. Homecoming. The first book in Cynthia Voigt's 1970s-set Tillerman Cycle is nothing short of epic. In fact, I'm not going to say much about this one. It's the poignant, yet realistic and relatable journey of four kids' search for a home after their mentally ill mother abandons them. The journey is described in vivid, piercing detail, and the intrepid characters are well worth rooting for.
And so ends the Adolescent Lit Top 20. Tune in later for the next list!