Mockingjay By Suzanne Collins

1.  Bibliography
Collins, Suzanne.  2010.  MOCKINGJAY.  New York:  Scholastic Press.  ISBN 9780439023511


2.  Plot Summary
This is the third and final installment of the HUNGER GAMES series.  Katniss Everdeen is still alive after surviving the games.  "The bricks of the chimney, which collapsed in a charred heap, provide a reference for the rest of the house" (3).  District Twelve has been obliterated by bombs.  Gale and Katniss's family have survived the destruction and fled to District 13.  "To have a new home at all is seen as a wonder since, up until a short time ago, we hadn't even known that District 13 still existed" (7).  The revolution has started and Katniss has to decide which side she is going to join.
It was no coincidence that she was rescued from the arena.  The plan was all premeditated by the revolutionists.  District 13 is the headquarters of the revolution and it is no longer going to be silent and let the Capitol rule.  The one problem is that the leaders of District 13 are relying on Katniss to be part of the revbels.  "What they want is for me to truly take on the role they designed for.  The symbol of the revolution" (10).  She will have to become the Mockingjay.   


3.  Critical Analysis
The story takes place in a dystopian society created from the author's imagination.  The setting is in the distant future and is ruled by the Capitol who control society by the laws that they enforce on society.  The factors of the progression of science have changed the rules of society in this future setting, for people to survive they have to live by the rules of the Capitol or there are severe consequences.

Katniss is a teenage girl who is the protagonist.   She tells the story from her point of view.  "The memories swirl as I try to sort out what is true and what is false" (4).  This style is used because it is important that the reader is able to understand every emotion and action the main character will take from the story.  BookList remarks that, "The highly anticipated conclusion to the Hunger Games trilogy does not disappoint. If anything, it may give readers more than they bargained for: in action, in love, and in grief." The reader has to be able to releate to what the main character is going through to become immensed into the book.  She does not have any super human qualities.  She is a teen age girl that is really good with the bow and the arrow, due to the fact that she provides food for her family.  Surviving is very important in the story line.  "What am I going to do?  I whisper to the wall" (10). 
The antagonist in the story is President Snow.  He runs the districts unfairly and is cruel to his people.  Katniss is a victim from the actions that the Snow has enforced on his people.  He is an evil person who wants to control the world. "No one will fully understand-how it's not just a flower, not even just President Snow's flower, but a promise of revenge..." (15).  Everyone can relate to good versus evil. 
The plot of the story is fast moving and full of suspense.  The protagonist has to figure out what part she will play in the revolution.  "Another power player who has decided to use me as a piece of her games, although things never seem to go according to plan" (59).  The plot is self vs. society.  The events in the story are believable and progress along making the reader not want to put down the book until they have read the last page of the story. 

The way society has run and progressed into the future have been effected by the laws of science.  Technology has destroyed parts of the world, so that the government has made changes in society and new laws to make living possible. "In the seventy-five years since the Dark Days-when 13 was said to have been obliterated in the war between the Capitol and the districts-almost all new construction has been beneath the earth's surface" (17).   Science has changed the world and will be used to fix it, which is a theme that could take place during current times or in the future.  The world progressed to fast and these changes had consequences. 

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL SAYS:  "But being the Mockingjay comes with a price as Katniss must come to terms with how much of her own humanity and sanity she can willingly sacrifice for the cause, her friends, and her family. Collins is absolutely ruthless in her depictions of war in all its cruelty, violence, and loss, leaving readers, in turn, repulsed, shocked, grieving and, finally, hopeful for the characters they've grown to empathize with and love. Mockingjay is a fitting end of the series that began with The Hunger Games (2008) and Catching Fire (2009) and will have the same lasting resonance as William Golding's Lord of the Flies and Stephen King's The Stand. However, the book is not a stand-alone; readers do need to be familiar with the first two titles in order to appreciate the events and characters in this one."
#1 New York Times Bestseller
#1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2010
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
A 2010 Booklist Editors' Choice
A 2010 Kirkus Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010
#1 USA Today Bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller

5.  Connections
This is a great book for any book club to read, adults or teens.
Other female heroines in science fiction novels:
Aguirre, Ann.  ENCLAVE.  ISBN 9780312650087
Condie, Ally.  MATCHED.  ISBN 9780142419779
Roth, Veronica.  DIVERGENT.  ISBN 9780062024022

Tithe A Modern Faerie Tale By Holly Black

1.  Bibliography
Black, Holly.  2002.  TITHE A MODERN FAERIE TALE.  New York:  Simon & Schuster.  ISBN 9780689849244


2.  Plot Summary
Kaye is a sixteen year old girl who life is very different from a traditional family life.  Growing up she has traveled with her mother's rock band to a different city every night.  "Go help load up the car," Ellen said voice hoarse from singing" (2).  She has never been able to put down roots and live the normal life of a child growing up.  Kaye's mother has taught her daughter how to drink, smoke, and not follow the rules.  But one night Kaye and her mom run into trouble.  "Honey," Ellen said finally, "we're going to have to go to Grandma's" (5).  Kaye returns to her childhood home where she used to have imaginary friends.  After a late night party she finds a beautiful man with a branch in his chest while walking home.  "You're a faerie, aren't you?" she said" (23).  She is drawn into a dangerous game between the two faerie courts that may result in her death if she picks the wrong side.

3.  Critical Analysis
The story takes place between the poor suburbs of New Jersey and the dark world of the faeries.  The author has created a magical world of the fey and mythological creatures that is believable.  "A winged boy skipped up to her grinning."  "Three woman walked past her, silver gowns trailing like find mist."  The low cut of the identical dressed showed off the w omen's hollow backs" (135).  The fey court is alive and it can be accessed by a secret entrance in the ground.  Many authors have created imaginary worlds beneath our feet.  "The cheap hotels they passed were long closed and boarded up, their pools drained and cracked" (7).  The modern world is poor and dirty setting a contrast to the world of the magical faerie kingdom. ""Kaye picked up a goblet off a table.  It was ornate and very heavy, but it seemed clean" (134).  The different between the settings create a  dark and dangerous element that fits the personality of the characters in the novel.  The author has made perfect backdrop for this twisted faerie tale.  "Not only are the descriptions of our world and the world of Faery crisp, delicious, and detailed, but the characters are intriguing and complex also." Annette Curtis Clause

Kaye the protagonist represents every teenagers dark side, enjoying the life of partying and freedom.  Even though the main character enjoys doing what she wants their is still a goodness inside of her.  She prefers not to go to attend school, but she knows if she did not have to support her family she would. Most of the story is told from the  main characters point of view with the voice of a teenage girl telling the story.  "Look, I'm only going to be in town for a couple of months at most.  The only thing that matters is that he is cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die beautiful" (55).  There are a few chapters in the story that are told from a faeries knight and human male friend of Kaye's.  "Corny could feel himself reacting to that, rich, smooth voice, could feel the shame and embarrassment receding until they seemed of only distant importance" (197).  This helps the reader gain a perspective from a male point of view and a faerie who has never lived in the human world.  It makes the reader see what everyone thinks and feels, even though it is only for a few chapters.  

The story begins in normal present day until the protagonist meets the faerie knight and is drawn into the conflict of good versus evil.  The antagonist in the tale is the evil faeries and their mythological creatures they rule over.   The inhabitants of the realm of the fey are normally not allowed to enter the real world, due to the laws of the rulers.  But once Kaye finds the entrance to the faerie court the magic and suspense begins.  "She slipped inside the hollow hill" (133).  The theme of this tale is good versus evil.  The main character is faced with the truth of who she really is and the events that unravel around her to battle evil. Can she accept the world she is really from?  How will it effect her humanity.  Even though she is a pixie she has been brought up by humans and lives by their rules.   Every event that happens in the faerie world has a consequence in the real world.  The plot leads the main character are many twists and turns that lead to her growth has a better character.  "A gripping tale" (Publisher Weekly). When the story ends their is still more for the protagonist to learn and evil is not vanquished.  The plot will continue in two more books. 

4.  Review Excerpts
FROM PUBLISHER WEEKLY, "Throughout, the author subtly connects Kaye's awakening sexual feelings in the real world and Roiben's sudden appearances. Kaye soon discovers that she is a changeling-and that her one-time "imaginary" faerie playmates want her to pretend to be a human, so they can use her as the Tithe ("the sacrifice of a beautiful and talented mortal") to earn their freedom for seven years. The author's Bosch-like descriptions of the Unseelie Court, with its Rackham-on-acid denizens, and the exquisite faeries haunt as well as charm. When fate intervenes, sudden tragedy teaches Kaye about the high cost of straddling the faerie and human worlds (and sets the stage for a possible sequel)."

Connections:
Other faerie tales:
Black, Jenna.  GLIMMERGLASS.  ISBN 9780312575939
Jones, Carrie.  NEED.  ISBN 9781599904535
Kagawa, Julie.  THE IRON KING.  ISBN 9780373210084
Marr, Melissa.  WICKED LOVELY.  ISBN 9780061214677 



 

Among The Hidden By Margaret Peterson Haddix

1.  Bibliography
Haddix, Margaret Peterson.  1998.  AMONG THE HIDDEN.  New York:  Simon & Schuster.  ISBN 9780689817007

2.  Plot Summary
Luke is a third child.  He was born in a world where a couple is only allotted two children according to the Population Law otherwise there are consequences.  If they have a third child it has to be taken care of. "Told you before.  We didn't have a choice.  Government wanted it.  You can't tell the government no!"  (2).   Luke has always been able to go outside due to the woods and no neighbors, but now the woods have been cut down and a housing development surrounds his families farm.  Luke is no longer allowed to leave the house.  "He has never disobeyed the order to hide" (1).  He passes the time by hiding in his room in the attic looking out the vents to the outside world, so that he won't be seen.  But one day he sees a child in his neighbors house.  "A face.  A child's face.  In a house where two boys already lived " (41).  Everyone is at work or school is it a third child?

3.  Critical Summary
The protagonist in the story is a twelve year old  boy who is very innocent of the outside world due to being confined to his home.  Luke tells the story from his point of view in a simple style and tone filled with tension and suspense from a deprived child who is scared for his life.  "I was safe.  You left the shades down, so I thought it was okay, and I made sure everyone was gone from the neighborhood,-and" (40).  The character is believable so young adults can relate to the way he tells the story and sympathize with his plight.  Young adults want to be able to be free and learn about the world outside their door, this helps them identify with the main character.  Everyone can relate with wanting to bend the rules and be free.
Luke is the victim of the laws passed by the government who is the antagonist in the novel.  "The question was, what could he do about it?" (50).  The plot of the story is self vs. society.  The protagonist has to follow the laws or their will be severe consequences.   The events in the story could happen in reality.  The laws have been passed because their is not enough food in the world to feed the population, which is a believable occurrence. 
The setting of the story is a futuristic society, but not many things have changed in the world, there just seems to be laws  passed by the government that have changed society. "Then they started running all that on TV about the Population Police, how the Population Police had ways of finding out everything, how they'd do anything to enforce the law" (10).  People still farm, drive cars ,and use the internet this makes the reader able to relate easily to the story and picture the setting of the story. 
The theme the author has created in the story is freedom.  No one wants to be confined by rules and restrictions no matter if it is the past or a future society.  A person has to be free to learn and become who they want to be even if it can be a challenge.  "Make a difference in the world" (149).

4.  Review Excerpts
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:  "This futuristic novel focuses on a totalitarian regime and the Internet. PW noted, "The plot development is sometimes implausible and the characterizations a bit brittle, but the unsettling, thought-provoking premise should suffice to keep readers hooked." Ages 8-12.
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "His is a near future of shortages and deprivation where widespread famines have led to a totalitarian government that controls all aspects of its citizens' lives. When the boy secretly ventures outside the attic and meets the girl in the neighboring house, he learns that expressing divergent opinions openly can lead to tragedy. To what extent is he willing to defy the government in order to have a life worth living? As in Haddix's Running Out of Time (S & S, 1995), the loss of free will is the fundamental theme of an exciting and compelling story of one young person defying authority and the odds to make a difference. Readers will be captivated by Luke's predicament and his reactions to it."

5.  Connections
Other books set in a futuristic society with environmental problems that have influenced society:
DuPrau, Jeanne.  THE CITY OF EMBER.  ISBN 0375822739
Lowry, Lois.  THE GIVER.  ISBN 9780385732550 

Notes From The Dog By Gary Paulsen

1.  Bibliography
Paulsen, Gary.  2009.  NOTES FROM THE DOG.  New York:  Wendy Lamb Books.  ISBN 9780385738453


2.  Plot Summary
Finn is a fourteen year old boy who has a plan for the summer.  He only wants to talk to his best friend Matthew, his Dad ,and his dog Dylan.  He wants to keep to himself and have a peaceful and uneventful summer vacation.  "I planned in fact, to speak to fewer than a dozen people over the entire summer" (14).  Everything is going smoothly until he meets his new neighbor Johanna.  She is a graduate student that is house sitting for the summer.  Johanna has breast cancer.  The boys help her with her treatments and become friends with her.  Johanna forms a plan for Finn to plant a beautiful garden in his backyard.  "But somehow I didn't have the heart to come right out and tell her that digging in the wormy dirt and pulling weeds in the sun all summer long was not anything I'd ever want to do even if I knew the first thing about plants and flowers" (15).  The only problem is that Finn does not have a green thumb.  "I would have said anything to make the sad look in her eyes go away" (15). 


3.  Critical Analysis
The story is told from Finn's point of view the protagonist.  He tells the story with the tone of a fourteen year old boy who feels he is not a part of the world around him.  The setting of Finn's story takes place during summer break in a normal suburban town.  The location and time period of the setting makes any reader able to relate to the story.  The plot of the story is self vs. self.  The main character Finn does not know how to interact with people.  He would rather be reading.  "It's not that I don't like people, but they make me uncomfortable.  I feel like an alien dropped onto a strange planet and that I always have to be on the lookout for clues and cues on how to act and what to say" (3).  It is interesting to see how the story progresses to see if Finn will be able to grow and be able to build relationships and communicate with the people around him.  How will the new neighbor Johanna change Finn?  The interactions between Finn and the different characters in the book make the reader want to see what will happen next.  "Before Johanna, I had never been the highlight of anyone's day" (9).  "I didn't want to confess to Johanna that my only plans for the next three months involved reading as many books as I could right here on my front steps and avoiding people" (13).
The theme of the story is believing in yourself.  Don't be scared to talk to people and live.  If a person does not take part in the world around them how can they really live?  "I try not to wonder what what she saw in me, sitting on the front steps with a book, that made her know there were so many things I needed to hear' (131).
This is a wonderful book!  It is a great read for young adults and adults.   The author did a great job of reminding the reader what is important in life and to believe in yourself.  Life is a learning experience that cannot be achieved gazing at the world while sitting on your front steps.

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "Johanna's spirit and optimism infuse Finn with courage and love, and he finds his voice. Paulsen's fans may miss his trademarks: the notorious exploits of boys, the page-turning wilderness adventures, or the sled dogs that often take center stage. Yet this candid and tender tale, told with his signature humor, is a salute to the bravest of the brave."
VOYA:  "Finn discovers a developing talent for connecting with others as he breaks out of his seclusion and soon the lives of his father and even his granddad are touched by his efforts. There is an undercurrent of lighthearted comedy in Finn's efforts with the garden and his fund raising speeches. Given the brevity of the book and its inclination to be a book for "boys," it could be recommended to reluctant readers."

5.  Connections
Other books about neighbors:
Baskin, Nora Raleigh.  ANYTHING BY TYPICAL.  ISBN 9781416995005
Jones, Kimberly.  SAND DOLLAR SUMMER.  ISBN 9781416903628
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds.  CRICKET MAN.  ISBN 9781416949817
 

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You By Ally Carter

1.  Bibliography
Carter, Ally.  2006.  I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU.  New York:  Hyperion Paperbacks.  ISBN 9781423100041

2.  Plot Summary
The Gallagher Academy is located in a small town, some townies believe it is a private school for rich girls, but secretly it is an all girls school for spies.  Cammie Morgan is sophomore at the academy.   "People call me the chameleon here- if you go to spy school, I guess that's a pretty good nickname" (22).  Her mom is the head mistress of the school.  This year there is a new Covert Operations teacher named Joe Solomon.  He is super hot and his class is really tough.  "Out there.  It's not for everyone, and that's why I'm going to make this hard on you" (19).  On a secret mission for her new teacher she meets a regular boy.  Cammie is not sure how to act with a normal boy.  "I realized how ridiculous it must have looked.  Under the warmth of the smile, I forgot my legend, my mission-everything..." (79).  Spy school has not trained her on how to be ordinary or to have a relationship.

3.  Critical Analysis
The setting of the story takes place in a small town.  This element adds to the secrecy of the school.  The main character is a teenage girl who has been raised in the world of spies.  The story is told from her point of view to allow the reader connect to her and understand what is going on in the story through her viewpoint. "Absolute torture!  And that's not a word I use lightly, considering the family business' (14).   The tone of the story is told with humor and a little bit of suspense.  The spy dialogue that the character uses while telling the story makes it unique.  For example every time Cammie meets Jason she analyzes the situation and him has if he is a spy mission.  "The subject liked to state the obvious, which may signify a defect in observation skills and/or short-term memory?" (149). This adds charm to the story and a different perspective.  The reader believes that the girls are not normal teenagers, but actual spy's in training.  The overall theme of the story is be yourself.  No matter where you go to school or who your parents are people are still going to like you.  The plot of the story is self vs. self.  The main character is trying to be accepted by a normal boy, and yet she is conflicted with who she really is.  A spy in training.  "But here's the thing about spy truth:  sometimes it isn't enough to achieve your missions objective" (248).  She has to decide who she really is and what it the most important  to her.  This is fun read with a new perspective on girls in spy school.  Any teenage will enjoy the suspense and humor of Cammie's adventures.

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "The teen's double life leads to some amusing one-liners, and the invented history of the Gallagher Girls is also entertaining, but the story is short on suspense. The stakes never seem very high since there are no real villains, and the cutesy dialogue quickly becomes grating. However, the novel has been optioned for a film and will likely attract readers who enjoy lighthearted, frothy tales and squeaky-clean romances. Unfortunately, it lacks the warmth and appeal of other teen books turned into movies, such as Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries (HarperCollins, 2000) and Ann Brashares's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pant."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:  "The spy game isn't just a guy game, as witnessed by Carter's diverting entry into the flurry of teen espionage novels flashing loads of girl power. Unfortunately, Raudman sounds like she's straining (and sometimes squeakily so) to sound younger than she is and her intonation is a bit off, giving her reading a falseness that's hard to overcome."

5.  Connections
Other books about Cammie Morgan:
Carter, Ally.  CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY.  ISBN 9781423100065
Carter, Ally.  ONLY THE GOOD SPY YOUNG.  IBSN 1423128205
Carter, Ally.  DON'T JUDGE A GIRL BY HER COVER.  ISBN 9781423116608

 

Stuck In Neutral By Terry Trueman

1.  Bibliography
Trueman. Terry,  2000.  STUCK IN NEUTRAL.  New York:  Harper Tempest.  ISBN 9780064472135

2.  Plot Summary
Shawn McDaniel is a fourteen year old boy and no one knows what his life is really like.  When he was born a blood vessel burst in his head and now he has Cerebral Palsy.  He can not move any of the muscles in his body.  "I've heard why the docs think I'm so stupid to my parents and my parents explain it to their friends about a trillion times.  They don't know that is only partially true" (5).  Shawn's father can't handle his sons condition and he leaves his family.  "He used to see me having seizures, hold me while I spazzed out, twisted up, jerked all around, and screamed.  I remember when I was about four years old, in the month or so before he left our family, I'd see his face after I'd come back from a seizure and he'd be holding me and his eyes would be so sad-looking" (23).  But lately Shawn's worried that his Dad may want to kill him.  "Dad wants to kill me to save me from suffering" (26).  How can he make his family realize that inside he is alive?

3.  Critical Analysis
The setting of the story takes place in the rainy city of Seattle, Washington.  The main character of the story is Shawn.  The other characters in the story are introduced by the main character, since the story is told from his point of view.  "I'm the youngest kid in our family, three years younger than my sister, Cindy, and two years younger than my brother, Paul, who although I'd hate for them to know I admitted it, are pretty cool for a brother and a sister" (2).  The style with which he tells the story is humorous and serious.  The author lightens the tone of the book with Shawn's humor.  "I'd sit there looking retarded and Cindy would play Special Education Teacher of the year" (8).  The story could be really sad due to Shawn's predicament, but the way he tells the story lightens the mood.  The reader is able to know that even though he can't move a muscle he is still happy to be alive.  Shawn's life is different from the norm, but he is still enjoying every moment he has.  The plot of the book is self vs. self.  On the inside he a smart young man who wants to learn about the world, but on the outside he can't move a muscle.  He has to learn how to understand himself.  The theme of the book is importance of love.  "I don't like to feel sorry for myself, but I'm aware of the trouble my condition has put on my family, and I can't help but feel sorry for them" (11).  No matter what is happening in the story the main character always loves his family; even though they don't understand him and know what is going on in his mind.  "My mom, Lindy, still talks to me as if I were a newborn baby or an idiot" (11).  When his Dad talks about ending his own son's life Shawn still loves him. This is a heartwarming story with humor with a new perspective of people who can't communicate with the outside world.

4.  Review Excerpts
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Quick Pick For Reluctant Young Adult Readers
ALA Booklist Books for Youth Editor's Choice
ALA Booklist Top 10 Youth First Novels
Parent's Guide to Children's Media Outstanding Achievement in
PUBLISHER WEEKLY:  "The strength of the novel lies in the father-son dynamic; the delicate scenes between them carefully illustrate their mutual quest to understand each other. The other characters (Shawn's brother and sister, mother, teachers) lack this complexity. As a result, many of the scenes feel more contrived than heartfelt ("I always feel so guilty complaining about it at all!" says his sister). All in all, the book's concepts are more compelling than the story line itself."

5.  Connections
Other books about people with disabilities:
Koertge, Ronald.  NOW PLAYING:  STONER & SPAZ II.  ISBN 9780763650810
Mooney, Jonathan.  THE SHORT BUS:  A JOURNEY BEYOND NORMAL.  ISBN 0805088045
Sachar, Louis.  SMALL STEPS.  ISBN 0385733143