Punkzilla

Adam, Rapp, Punkzilla, Candlewick Press, 2009, 244 pgs.

Summary: Jamie aka ‘Punkzilla’, is a runaway teen living in Oregon. He ran away from military school where his father put him believing that the military will fix him. Jamie begins writing letters to his brother and decides to make a cross country trip to see his brother after he writes him a letter telling him that he is sick and Jamie should visit. Having very little money, Jamie buys a bus ticket and begins the trek from Oregon to Tennessee. At one stop he is knocked out and everything gets stolen. He begins hitchhiking across the country and writing a journal/letter to stay alert. Along the way Jamie meets some very interesting characters as usual on a cross country road trip. Will Jamie get to his brother in time or will the only member of his family that understands him leave him to walk the earth alone.

Evaluation: This is a very raw novel. The writing is very effective in making the experiences Jamie has feel real and yet not glorify life on the road. I had a difficult time reading some of the issues that Jamie is dealing with which is something that will speak to young adults. Homosexuality, acceptance, and family relationships are all strong threads throughout this novel. Although Jamie is only 14, this novel is mature and is one that younger readers may have a hard time grasping the lessons throughout the storyline.

Annotation: P, Please don’t die. I am on my way to you. Hang on till I get there. Love, Jamie

Significance of Book: This book highlights the prevalence of teen runaways in the United States which is difficult to write effectively about. The threads of homosexuality and tension in families are also effectively touched upon.

Genre/subject: fiction, drugs, runaway teens

Awards:

National:

• Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2010
• Booklist Editor's Choice: 2009
• Michael L. Printz Honor: 2010

Why I selected the book: The cover seemed very dark and I also saw that it was set in Oregon which is near Washington where I live.

Price: $16.99

All the Broken Pieces: a novel in verse

Burg, Ann E., All the Broken Pieces: a novel in verse, Scholastic Press, 2009, 218 pgs.

Summary: This novel in verse is full of a young boys struggle to find himself. Matt Pin was adopted from Vietnam. Now living in the United States, Matt must deal with the struggle of discrimination from those around him because of what Americans believe “his kind” did to American soldiers. Through baseball and the support of his parents, Matt slowly begins to understand himself and how he fits into his new life in America and to let go of the guilt of being one of the lucky ones saved from the war. Matt at first doesn’t understand why his father takes him to meetings with Vietnam war veterans, but through talking with them and hearing their stories and sharing his own, Matt begins to heal and find a place for himself in his new home and with his new family.

Evaluation: This novel is a quick read and a great example of the struggles some cultures experience when thrown into the mixed salad of American society. I found the choice of writing in verse to be very effective in illustrating the feelings and experiences Matt has. The cover is a little deceiving, but effective in grabbing the attention of young readers. I would encourage many to read this book, knowing that even though it is not completely about baseball, it will draw the reader in with the story that develops through the simple verse on each page.

Annotation: I left my mother, brother, and homeland..and a terrible secret that no one knows but me.

Significance of Book: This book highlights the difficulties that many Vietnamese Americans had after the Vietnam War. By writing through the eyes of a teenage boy, the author adds an innocence and pureness to a very tough case of racial discrimination.

Genre/subject: verse, Vietnam War, Vietnamese-Americans, adoption

Awards:

National:

• Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2010
• Booklist Editor's Choice: 2009
• Capitol Choices: 2010
• Notable Books for a Global Society: 2010

State:

• Arizona: Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominees: 2012
• Illinois: Rebecca Caudill Award Nominees: 2012
• Indiana: Young Hoosier Award Nominees: 2012
• Iowa: Teen Award Nominees: 2012
• Kansas: William Allen White Award Nominees: 2012
• Kentucky: Bluegrass Award Nominees: 2011
• Maine: Student Book Award Nominees: 2011
• Maryland: Black-eyed Susan Award Nominees: 2011
• Missouri: Truman Award Nominees: 2012
• Oklahoma: Sequoyah Award Nominees: 2012
• Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominees: 2011
• South Carolina: Junior Book Award Nominees: 2012
• Texas: Lone Star Reading List: 2011
• Vermont: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominees: 2011

Why I selected the book: Truly I selected this book for its cover thinking it would be about sports, but really it was so much more than that.

Price: $16.99