Raider's Night, by Robert Lipsyte

Title:Raiders Night
Author:Robert Lipsyte
Publish Date:July 3, 2007
Publisher:Harper Teen
Pages:256 pages
ISBN:0060599480
Classification: Fiction
Genre:
Age Range:Young Adult
Price:$6.99

Annotation: Co-Captain of his football team and school sports star, Matt witnesses the brutal, horrific rape of a rookie player by his teammates. Dealing with this and his own steroid use make for a horribly traumatic season.

Summary: This dark and at times down right scary sports drama revolves around Matt, Rydek High's Co-Captain of the football team.

He is being recruited for college and he's hitting the gym and juicing up. It's an aggressive time that includes pressure from his father and team as well as help with using the drugs. Meanwhile his life is falling apart. He witnesses a brutal rape of a teammate by teammates during the annual hazing and Matt begins to live on a constant emotional trip of sports-star and failure, embarrassment and ultimately hating his sport. he cooperates with the investigation, but all is not well with the world around him. A painful, realistic descent takes the readers into the emotional and physical world of the dark side of sports.

Evaluation: I am not gonna lie. The rape scene made my heart miss a few beats and it is not easy to store in your head after reading this book. But, the reality is, Matt's struggles are definitive of his role (and others like him) in high school sports and I can appreciate what this book does. His situation is a relatable one for sports players. And it also helps get inside the head of a Matt's messy world: one from letting sports rule and influence his entire life and, two, the allure of steroids. The pressure of Matt's father is a stunning window as well.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Brings to light many issues in the sports world: interteam abuse, steroid use, father-son relationship, obsessive nature of high school sports, bullying

Reason this book was chosen: I may have missed this book had it not been recommended. That being said, I would have picked it for it hellish but important depiction of sports and high school. I would have picked it if I had known on my own for it's subject as well as it's accessibility to readers who may not share matt's affinity for the world of sports. Where bad things happen but everybody looks the other way.

Website: http://www.robertlipsyte.com/works.htm

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title:Speak
Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
Publish Date:March 19, 2009
Publisher:Speak; 10 Anv edition
Pages:240 pages
ISBN:0142414735
Classification:
Genre:
Age Range:Young Adult
Price: $8.63

Annotation:

Summary: After being date-raped a party, Melinda Sordino suffers intensely through her first year at Merryweather High

in utter silence, that is, she has a secret and that secret is why everybody hates her. During the Summer Melinda is Date-raped, calls the police, and the party is broken up. Because nobody knows why she called the police they brand her. Melinda begins to get worse and worse as she folds within herself and becomes mute while loses enthusiasm for everything that should have been an amazing first year of high school. Abandoned by her friends, she wishes she could confide.

Evaluation: I loved the interactions between the teacher and the Melinda and the use of art as a catalyst for expression. It is stylishly written and it's tone with memorable. I love Melinda and feel deeply for her. Much of her school brings up memories of more then one of my teachers and experiences. Spot on amazing! There is a reason why Anderson is so beloved, in my opinion.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Expressing trauma, Art therapy, friendship, trust, depression, Communicating with your Parents

Reason this book was chosen: The use of art as therapy instead of the obvious choices like dealing with being raped and bullied.

Another Amazing Author Website: http://www.writerlady.com/

Lush, by Natasha Friend

Title: Lush

Author: Natasha Friend

Publish Date: 2007

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 192

ISBN: 0439853478

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: Teen

Price: 7.99

Annotation: Sam is 13, has an alcoholic dad, and she is having trouble dealing the whole situation. As a result she turns to an older student for advice.

Summary: 13 year old San has a dad who is an alcoholic. When he isn't drinking he is a amazing. But under the influence he is abusive. It scares Sam and her mom is in denial. Her four year old brother is young and Sam feels she needs to protect him. What is she supposed to do with her life? Sam decides to leave an anonymous note in the Library in hopes of an older girl that she admires picks it up. With this a back and forth stream of support flowers in which Sam can express her feelings about her home life, feelings, and even about her crush on a certain boy. In the return letters, Sam is forced to face the harsh realities of life.

Evaluation: Natasha Friend has a voice for teen issues and it shows in the story line, the dialogue, and the motives that drive the characters. Growing up with an alcoholic I can relate and vouch for the authenticity of her voice. Well done, I had a lot of feelings for Sam and was hopeful when she channeled some strength.

Bibliotherapuetic Usefulness: Dealing with alcoholic parents and expressing yourself.

Reason this Book was Chosen: From my own personal experiences, I can appreciate the need for a book like this. I wish I had it when I was young.

Website: http://www.natashafriend.com/

Shattering Glass, by Gail Giles

Title: Shattering Glass

Author: Gail Giles

Publish Date: August 2003

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 224pp

ISBN: 0689858000

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Suspense

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $7.99

Annotation: When Rob, the charismatic king of popularity in his the senior class, turns the school nerd into Prince Charming, his actions lead to unexpected violence.

Summary: Fat, clumsy Simon Glass is a total nerd and a loser. Until Rob Haynes showed up in his life, Simon is the brunt of teasing from almost everyone. Rob, a transfer with personality and charm, takes over the school easily and he has plans for Simon. Rob is setting out to make Simon a popular Prom King from his clumsy current state and Rob knows he can do it. And he does do it. Simon rises and rises on the high school popularity charts, but as he does he gets more and more confident and more and more devious and dark. As things get stickier and secrets are revealed this experiment turns deadly.

Evaluation: Once again, Gail makes the suspense and horror totally plausible and again I found myself paging through this book rapidly, stopping only now and then to mouth the words "wow" to myself. I love her perspective and I loved the tone of Shattering Glass.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Issues with Violence, Bullying, Family Issue, Friends, Incest,

Manipulation, Sexual Content, Sexual Abuse, Murder, Nerds, Peer pressure, Popularity, relationships, Violence

Reason this book was chosen: I have actually seen this agenda play out in school of turning someone from nerd to cool and was intrigued by the idea of a book about it. Also knowing the style of Giles and hearing about end I was knew that no matter what it would be a great read.

Whale Talk, By Chris Crutcher

Title: Whale Talk

Author: Chris Crutcher

Publish Date: April 2001

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 224pp

ISBN: 0688180191

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Sports

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $15.95

Annotation: The Tao, (yes that's his name-so he just goes by TJ), is an adopted, part black, asian, and white. After never taking part in sports (even though he is awesome at everything) he joins the swim team-on one condition-he gets to pick the school outcasts. Together they bond and horrify the football team while pursuing letter jackets.

Summary: T.J. is given up by his birth mother to a loving family who raises TJ like their own. He's grounded and matter of fact, and is incredible in sports. But in his High school where sports reign over everything else, T.J wants nothing to do with it. That is until a teacher approaches him to start a swim team. T.J. then comes up with a brilliant way to fight the injustices he see around him! He commits under the condition that he can recruit the players and they can all get letter jackets -the holy shrine of all things sports. Well, he does recruit and he recruits hard. He gets the less popular, outcast students and figures out a sly way of beating the odds to quality them all for the jackets. What he didn't expect was the bonds he would form while on the team. And what's more he may find some humanity in the craziness around him.

Evaluation: This book was so entertaining. It brought up all sorts of small town horrors but somehow you just love TJ and laugh out loud and grit through the tough parts. This is a Crutcher masterpiece in my eyes. And my boyfriend read it and loved it even more. So boys will totally enjoy this.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Mixed races, bullying, sports team bullying, outcast, bonding, surviving abuse, helping others, small town issues, everybody is human

Reason this book was chosen: This book was on a required reading list but I must say I probably would have end up reading it anyhow because Crutcher is a talented writer and one that I would recommend to pretty much all young adults. Even if you don’t like sports (which Crutcher seems to be a big fan of) you can still find the joy and meaning in his books.

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

Title: The Chocolate War

Author: Robert Cormier

Publish Date: 1974

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 271pp

ISBN: 0394828054

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $8.95

Annotation: In a religious, all boys school, Jerry Renault has decided to not sell the chocolates in the school fundraiser. This may not seem like a big deal, but with the secret society The Vigils teaming up with the headmaster and teacher Father Leon, torturing and bullying has become Jerry's life. Jerry must mow face an all in out school war of bullying and power struggles.

Summary: Jerry Renault is a student in an all boys religious school. Every year they have a candy selling fundraiser. This year father Leon has his mind set to break records and push the students to sell more. He secretly meats with the head of the secret society The Vigils and they agree to a secret plan. When Jerry follows his orders not to sell chocolates anger ensues. Assured that The Vigils has an ultimate plan, Father Leon continues to let them partake in bullying and peer pressure. But when the time comes for Jerry to sell the chocolates again, he defiantly refuses, he ends up challenging both Father Leon and the all powerful Vigils. The act turns the school into an power struggle that turns into a bullying war. Is it worth it?

Evaluation: It funny because as a child I never read this book. I actually thought it was a book about diabetes. Although this is a funny memory, when being introduced to this book I had a residue of disinterest. However, let me stand corrected because this book is a classic in young adult literature for a reason. It's stunning and authentic. It paints a picture of the reality of bullying, peer pressure, religious hypocrisy, and rebellion. It's quite good.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Perspective of bullying and power struggles, abuse of power, religious schooling, religious manipulation, violence, fear, rebellion, standing up to peer pressure

Reason this book was chosen: It's a classic, having been controversial over language and violence (and I am sure having such a hypocritical Father didn't help much-nobody likes commentary on their religion). It was me one of the most important books on this list and although it's dated it's still relevant and entertaining.