Rondell is my Homie

Man, things these days are tough for Miguel. After it happened. Matt De La Pena's novel, We Were Here, is a story about a kid who in the beginning has sort of given up on the world. Group homes seem like the hell on earth to Miguel. He doesn't want to make friends, talk, or really even know the names of the other kids in the Group home. All he wants is for things to have happened differently.

Miguel's first encounter with a boy from the Group home named Mong developed into a fist fight. Mong, a small, scrappy asian kid, beat Miguel up pretty good. He even spit in his face. But eventually Mong and Miguel would become friends, one might even call each other best friends. They figure out that they have something in common, and decide that it's worth it to see where their similarities might take them.

Rondell, Miguel's old juvi roommate, who is a huge black kid who Miguel had also fought with, also ends up at the same Group home as Miguel. Small world. Although Rondell may have lacked certain things, he doesn't lack heart and loyalty. And man, the dude had some sick game on the basketball court.

Three kids, a hard-ass mexican, an insane chinese guy, and gigantic black dude, learn about what it takes to survive. These three have gone through more than most can imagine, but they never stop trying to figure it all out, to make things right.

I Wish I Were Graced...

Kristin Cashore's novel Graceling is magical story about a girl who has extraordinary powers. Never before had I ever read about a girl with so much dominance, a girl who men feared so much that they could not even look her in the eyes. Kristin Cashore's decision to create a fantasy world helps readers experience intense emotions with the characters, as they are going through them. Katsa's powers enable her to become victorious in any type of hand to hand combat or fight. Physically she has no weaknesses, and can not be defeated. Mentally, however, she is in a constant battle and the reader is unsure of who will prevail until the very end.

Another Big theme in Graceling is redefining oneself. Almost every person I have ever known has some sort of regret in life. Something that they can not take back or change. Yet it is how a person learns from these experiences and grows from them that determines what type of person they are. Katsa is no exception. Her Uncle Randa made her do some horrible things to people, people who may have deserved some type of punishment, but not these awful things. Through this story Katsa learns from her experiences and from her closest friends about the power of free will, bravery, and love.

Fantasy books are so popular right now. It is hard to imagine anyone who does not at least have an idea about what the Harry Potter series is about. The Graceling is a perfect book for those who have trouble getting into books because there is action from the very first page on!

The Most Dominant Hound

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks has some elements that would interest almost any teenager. Some of these appealing things include a long lasting tradition of a secret society, funny school pranks, and even a love story. Although these topics are usually quite popular in young adult literature, E. Lockhart delivers them from a difference perspective.

Frankie, a sophomore girl at Alabaster, was a pretty average girl in the beginning of the novel. Her sister Zada was well-liked, and showed her the ropes her freshman year. Now that sophomore year started she had some nice, close friends, but none of the "popular" kids even know she exists. This all changes when she catches the eye of most popular boy in school, Matthew Livingston, and he makes her his girlfriend.

Frankie is constantly struggling with the fact that she loves her new life, yet doesn't want to be considered "Matthew's girlfriend." One event that occurs in the book is Matthew gives his favorite T-shirt to Frankie, something that most girls would just be happy about. Instead, Frankie can't help but to analyze it whether or not he is just trying to show "ownership" over her to the rest of the school since everyone knows it was his shirt.

Frankie's mind plays tricks on her throughout the story. She learns of her boyfriends existence in a secret society and it drives her mad he won't include her. She later comes up with some brilliant schemes, but eventually things get out of hand. This novel has suspense, and action, and is a easy read. Teenage girls across the nation should make sure to grab a copy and start reading it ASAP!

Prince Octavian

In The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party it is quickly clear to the reader that Prince Octavian is not your average prince. Last I checked not every Prince has his fecal matter weighed and recorded. Yet Octavian lives in a world where he gets to experience many of life's finer things. He is giving a Classical education and becomes an expert at playing the violin. Although certain things about Mr. Gitney and the Novanglian College of Lucidity do puzzle him, including the numerical system of representation, for the most part Octavian is living a worry free life.

When Octavian grows older, however, his "blindfold" is taking off and he discovers that both his mother and he are being held captive. He can finally see his world for the way that it truly is. They are African and the Novanglian College of Lucidity actually performing an experiment to discover whether or not, given the same opportunity, Africans can succeed the same way that Europeans can.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party is a powerful story as well as an interesting and creative way to go about writing about the Revolutionary War time period.

Let the Hunger Games Begin!

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a piece of dystopian literature where the future has turned horribly wrong. Instead of everything being really advanced and new, life is how it used to be back before technological advances bettered our style of living. Life in District 12 is difficult. After Katniss lost her father to a mining accident, her mother was distraught by grief and Katniss was forced to step up and provide for the family. She learned how to hunt and trade for basic needs. Things take a drastic turn when Katniss volunteers to participate in "The Hunger Games" in order to spare her sister. The games consist of 24 children between the age of 12 and 18 fighting to the death while the rest of the population watches for entertainment. Katniss has learned how to hunt and kill for food, but now she knows she is depending on these skills now in order to survive.

This dystopian novel raises a lot of questions. First, could human beings mess up so horribly that the this world actually becomes a reality? These Hunger Games are comparable with all the reality TV shows out there these days. People tend to watch others go through some pretty awful experiences on these shows, including lies, backstabbing, and betrayal. Could a show where people fight to the death be that far off?

One theme that is evident in The Hunger Games is, "Should one go along with some thing just because it's "The Law?" Where is the point where people will start rebelling against governmental control? Katniss rebels in her own way, but most just go along with everything. There tends to be a lot of brainwashing in this story, with a majority of the population believing that the Hunger Games is a big spectacle, a big sporting event, even though it is clearly morally wrong to watch young children try to kill each other in any way possible.

The Hunger Games by Susan Collins will keep you reading with excitement and will leave begging for more!

YA Lit Circle - Robert Cormier

Robert Cormier is not afraid to test out what kids, or adults for that matter, can or can not handle in his novels. There are a lot of mature themes that occur in his books, yet many have argued that if you talk to a teenager like an adult, then they will act like one.

One theme that seemed to appear in The Chocolate War, I am the Cheese, and The Rag & the Bone Shop was, "What happens when good people stand by and do nothing?" In The Chocolate War, Cormier uses the character Goober to express this theme. Goober was Jerry's closest thing to a friend at school, yet when times got tough he was no where to be found. It's not that he didn't want to help, but instead that he couldn't risk becoming an outcast and having the cool kids against him too. Goober did not have the guts to stick up against the "corrupt" popular group.

Lastly, Cormier's characters seem to truly be alone in the novels. Jerry is not close with his father, and has difficulty communicating with him ever since his mother died from cancer. Jerry is left without a person to go to for advice. Cormier definitely does not sugar coat his endings, and directs his novels toward the common theme of "harsh reality."

Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska, by John Green raises questions about ways of dealing with suffering, as well

as the struggle for a teen to find a group of friends that he fits in with and appreciate him.

Miles Halter goes from being a loner to a cool guy. In only a couple of days! During his going away party that his parents set up, Miles didn't have many friends show up because, well, he didn't have any. After his first few days at Culver Creek, however, this all changes.

Miles goes from being completely obedient to having a certain disregard for the rules. He definitely is going through a stage where he experiments and acts impulsively. Yet, while dealing with the constant pressure of longing to fit in, he builds relationships with some of the other students at Culver Creek boarding school that will last a lifetime. Whether Miles and his friends are just hanging out having a cigarette, or planning their next big prank, there is never a dull moment in his new life.

Green uses effective foreshadowing to let the reader know that a character might die during the novel. Miles has always been interested in famous people's "last words." Although unique, his friends, especially Alaska, find this to be pretty cool. The coolest thing about it is that John Green is actually the one who finds last words fascinating. So he was able to put one of his own interests in the book as a trait of the main character.

The novel also has an interesting layout. In the first half of the book, or "Before," Miles and his friends get into all kinds of trouble. It isn't until tragedy hits, however, until Miles discovers what he has been looking for. The "After" part of the story shows how Miles and his friends deal with the harshness of life, and how each day must be appreciated because no one knows how much time they have.

This is a great book that all different types of teens with different interests can relate to in a similar way.