Andre the Giant

Brown, B. (2014). Andre the Giant. New York: FirstSecond

Genre and Themes: Young Adult Fiction Graphic Novel - wrestling, Andre Roussimoff, biography

This biographical graphic novel describes the entire life of Andre Roussimoff. From childhood Andre suffered from a rare disorder that caused him to grow too much. Because of his size he was often ridiculed throughout all his childhood. Andre, as we all know, grew up to become an actor as well as a professional wrestler dubbed Andre the Giant. In some cases such as this one his size worked to his advantage but in others it was a cause of excruciating pain, both emotional and physical. This graphic novel covers all his life both personal and professional up until his death in 1993. This novel also includes commentary from other well-known professionals that worked him professionally.

The way this graphic novel was written can make for a great lesson for high school students to create a comic book version of a biography for a famous person in history of their choice.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Black, H. (2013). The coldest girl in Coldtown. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre and Themes: Young Adult Fantasy - supernatural, vampires, teens, post-apocalypse

This story is full of vampires that actually coexist with regular people.  The main character, Tana, wakes up after a night of partying with having to escape a group of vampires trying to attack her. She manages to escape but realizes she was indeed bit and is now infected. Due to the infection she starts to evolve into a vampire or "cold". Because of this incident Tana decides that moving to Coldtown. Living here would prevent her from attacking other humans. On her way there she meets twins, Midnight and Winter who she thinks can become her friends but ultimately turn on her. Upon arriving to Coldtown she is told that she can leave if she is not infected. During this time she has to battle other vampires and at the end she is able to go home to wait out the infection.

Some Awards Won by This Title:

2013 - Andre Norton Award Nominees
2013 - NPRs Best Books of 2013: Science Fiction and Fantasy
2014 - Texas Tayshas Reading List

Six of Crows

Bardugo, L. (2015). Six of crows. New York: Henry Hold and Company.

Genre and Themes: Young Adult Fantasy - magic, adventure, drug use

Kaz Brekker is the leader of a powerful gang called the Dregs. The Dregs consists of Inej, Nina, Jesper, Matthias and Wylan. They are about to embark in a heist to get Bo Yul-Bayur and a powerful drug.  Their rival Pekka Rollins is also on the same mission and tries to sabotage The Dregs attempts. In a story that involves friends, enemies, betrayals and deaths, the lives of these six teenagers change constantly due to their magic and powers.

This book is just the first of an exciting and magical series from Bardugo.

Some awards won by this title:

2015 - Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction
2016 - YALSAs Best Books for Young Adults

My Friend Dahmer

Backderf, D. (2012). My friend Dahmer: A graphic novel. New York: Abrams.

Genres & Themes: Young Adult - Narrative Nonfiction. Jeffrey Dahmer, serial killers, graphic novel, high school, mental illness

This graphic novel is a memoir of Backderf's high school life set in Ohio that included Jeffrey Dahmer. Backderf describes Dahmer's antics and attitude that when seen in hindsight would demonstrate all the red flags that eventually would worsen, build up and become of Dahmer crimes and murders. The author describes how Dahmer was self-destructive partly due to his very hard home life and a combination of his difficulty with coming to terms with his sexuality and falling through the cracks of the school system. Dahmer tried to cope with all his troubles but it only ended up in leading him to alcoholism.  Throughout the novel Backderf empathizes with Dahmer up until he commits his first crime. The author sees Dahmer as someone who would have had a much different life if he lived through different circumstances yet still does not excuses his crimes.

Some awards won by this title:

Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten for 2013
Alex Award
Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers Top Ten

Feed

Anderson, M. (2002). Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press

Genre & Themes: Young Adult - computers, technology, brainwashing, teens, dystopia

Titus is a teenager from the future that enjoys trips to the moon with this friends. All these teens have implants in their brains that create a feed that essentially thinks and suggests everything they say or do. During one of their many trips to the moon their implants begin to malfunction. They are all hospitalized and forced to have their feeds down during this time. Since they were born into these feeds they are for once in their life being forced to think on their own.  With time they all seem to recover except for Violet, Titus' love interest. Her feed never fully recovers and her family cannot cover the costs of repairing it. All this becomes too much for Titus to handle so they end their relationship. Weeks pass and Titus finds out that that Violet is now brain dead. During this time he discovers he truly does love Violet.

Some Awards Won by This Title:

1995 - National Book Award Finalist
1999 - BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
2000 - SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Fiction
2000 - Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year
2000 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2000 - Printz Honor Book
2000 - Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults
2000 - Fiction Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
2000 - Edgar Allan Poe Best Young Adult Award Finalist
2001 - New York Times Paperback Children's Best Seller
2005 - New York Times Paperback Children's Best Seller

Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Genre & Themes: Young Adult Modern Realistic Fiction - high school, teen life, rape, sexual abuse
Melinda is a high school girl that has just endured a tragedy in what was supposed to be the time of her life. She was raped. This tragedy has caused her to fall into a deep depression and seclude herself from those around her. This seclusion includes finding solace in an old janitors room. She makes one friend named Heather but even she eventually backs away because she thinks Melinda is just too depressing to be around with. Melinda's anger and sadness worsens whenever she sees her rapist around school, especially because he's the popular guy that everyone loves. What makes matters worse is that IT (as Melinda refers to him) taunts her around school until one day he finds her hiding place and attempts to attack her again. This time Melinda fights back which leads to him getting caught. After this Melinda finally decides to tell her story. This book is about having the strength to overcome tragedies and finding your voice to allow the truth to set you free.


Some awards won by this title:

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults

Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist

IRA Young Adult Choice

Junior Library Guild Selection

Michael L. Printz Honor Book (ALA)

National Book Award Finalist

New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

New York Times Bestseller List

SCBWI Golden Kite Award

YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown.

Genre & Themes: Modern Realistic Fiction - Native American, Indian reservations, high school, teen life, racism

Age Range: 12-17 years

Junior lives in a Native American reservation in which he lives his normal teenage life. It isn't until he begins school that he becomes completely frustrated with the lack of positive change in his environment around him. This realization drives him to injure his own teacher with a book. The incident results into him getting suspended. After a deep talk with the teacher he struck Junior decides to switch to another school off the reservation. Initially he has a rough start there, especially with the mostly walking commute there. He also starts having major conflicts with the people in the reservation that assume that Junior has taken a holier-than-thou attitude due to the switch. The people in the reservation call him a traitor and his only friend in the reservation becomes his biggest enemy. With time his social life there blossoms while his personal life, in his eyes, begins to fall apart. At the end the people around him begin to see that his actions were made to move in a positive direction and to inspire those around him to do the same.

Some of the awards won by this title:
2007 - National Book Award for Young People's Literature
2008 - American Indian Youth Literature Awards - American Indian Library Association Best Young Adult Book
2008 - Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Fiction and Poetry