Random Reads
Teen Book Reviews by Anne Keller
Frequently Challenged Books
The American Library Association celebrates Banned Books Week every year. Titles are frequently challenged because of violence, offensive language, homosexuality, and sexual content. A challenge can result in a banned book which is censorship. Any parent has the right to determine what is suitable reading material for their children. No parent has the right to determine what is appropriate reading material for everyone.
Warning! Danger! Caution! Beware!
Some people consider these titles dangerous!
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Publishers Weekly
Crutcher's (Running Loose; Ironman) gripping tale of small-town prejudice delivers a frank, powerful message about social issues and ills. Representing one-third of his community's minority population ("I'm black. And Japanese. And white"), narrator T.J. Jones voices a darkly ironic appraisal of the high school sports arena. Despite his natural athletic ability (at 13, he qualified for the Junior Olympics in two swimming events), T.J. has steered away from organized sports until his senior year, when Mr. Simet, a favorite English teacher, implores him to help form a swim team for the school (and thereby help the teacher save his job). T.J. sees an opportunity to get revenge on the establishment and invites outcasts to participate on the team; he ends up with "a representative from each extreme of the educational spectrum, a muscle man, a giant, a chameleon, and a psychopath." As might be expected, he accomplishes his mission: his motley crew of swimmers is despised by more conventional athletes (and coaches). The swimmers face many obstacles, but their dedication to their sport and each other grows stronger with every meet. The gradual unfolding of characters' personal conflicts proves to be as gripping as the evolution of the team's efforts. Through T.J.'s narration, Crutcher offers an unusual yet resonant mixture of black comedy and tragedy that lays bare the superficiality of the high school scene. The book's shocking climax will force readers to re-examine their own values and may cause them to alter their perception of individuals pegged as "losers." Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnby Mark Twain
This is my all time favorite classic. First published in 1885, Twain's novel tells the simple story of a boy named Huck and his adventures with a grown up slave named Jim. Huck helps Jim flee as they escape on a raft in search of freedom down the Mississippi River. Over a century later, many people think that this novel is a national treasure, an icon, a true classic of literature. While some find the book of historical and literary merit, others find the novel offensive and degrading. The book had been removed from many school reading lists due to the language and content. The controversy surrounding this epic novel lives on for it continually remains one of the most frequently challenged books of all time. Read this book and decide for yourself if it should be censored or if you should have the right to read Mark Twain's masterpiece. Go Ask Aliceedited by Beatrice Sparks
Go Ask Alice was first published in 1971. The novel is actually a diary about a teen addicted to drugs. The diary shows how drugs alter Alice's life and the troubles she experiences from being an addict. She eventually leaves home and suffers even more heartache. The tragedy in the end reinforces the anti-drug message conveniently scattered throughout the novel. Thirty years later, Go Ask Alice is still a popular read although some of the material is a little dated. It is still in print and remains controversial due to the references to drugs and sex. There is another controversy involving the authenticity of the novel. It was initially marketed as a non-fiction book but later sold as fiction. Beatrice Sparks, the editor, claimed that the book was based on one of her patients who kept a diary. Whichever version you choose to believe, the true mystery surrounding the book only enhances its overall uniqueness and controversy. Check out other Beatrice Sparks titles such as Jay's Journal, Treacherous Love, and It Happened to Nancy. Harry Potter Seriesby JK Rowling
Harry Potter is an orphan who learns that he is a wizard. He has the opportunity to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He befriends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley whose devotion and loyalty remain through the series. The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, becomes a father figure to Harry. The six novels and the seventh to be written follow Harry through his years at Hogwarts and his encounters with the evil Voldemort who killed Harry's parents. The popularity of the series has ignited a passion for reading in children and adults who have become obsessed with Harry Potter. The books have been made into movies, JK Rowling is one of the most successful authors in history, and the Harry Potter phenomenon has only gotten stronger. Unfortunately, the books are not without controversy. Christian groups oppose the books because they believe they promote witchcraft and the occult. These groups fear that young children will be influenced by the material written in the books. As one child said, "What are people afraid of, that we are going to jump off a rooftop on a broom?" Read and decide for yourself! Is Harry trying to promote witchcraft or is he one of the greatest literary figures of our time? What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Publishers Weekly
Drawing on the recognizable cadences of teenage speech, Sones (Stop Pretending) poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy. The author keenly portrays ninth-grader Sophie's trajectory of lusty crushes and disillusionment whether she is gazing at Dylan's "smoldery dark eyes" or dancing with a mystery man to music that "is slow/ and/ saxophony." Best friends Rachel and Grace provide anchoring friendships for Sophie as she navigates her home life as an only child with a distant father and a soap opera-devotee mother whose "shrieking whips around inside me/ like a tornado." Some images of adolescent changes carry a more contemporary cachet, "I got my period I prefer/ to think of it as/ rebooting my ovarian operating system," others are consciously clich?d, "my molehills/ have turned into mountains/ overnight" this just makes Sophie seem that much more familiar. With its separate free verse poems woven into a fluid and coherent narrative with a satisfying ending, Sophie's honest and earthy story feels destined to captivate a young female audience, avid and reluctant readers alike. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.