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

Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray

• Title: Rebel Angels
• Author: Libba Bray
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Date: December 26, 2006
• ISBN-10: 0385733410
• • Reading level: Young Adult
    
  • Paperback: 592 pages
  • Classification: Fiction
  • Genre: Historical Fantasy

Series Title: Gemma Doyle Trilogy

Reader's Annotation: The second book in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, the adventure of Miss Doyle continue on. She continues her mission to search for and destroy Circe while at the same time facing more complex barriers and difficulties between both the magical worlds and the high society 19th Century London.

Summary: After initially breaking through to the "realms" and Gemma finds out her connection to magic, she and her friends continue to fight to bind the magic of the realms (as much as the resist). But as they do this they are seduced by London society and the temptation to be proper young ladies and all that entails. Meanwhile, Gemma continues to brake the "rules" of being a proper young lady by being more and more captivated by Kartik who is squatting with gypsies outside her proper boarding shcool and is a messenger of the Rakshana, an questionable organization that may be out to get her. This makes Kartik even more dangerous and alluring.

Evaluation: I found this book the be the best of the three. Beautifully woven pictures of London, the gypsie camp, and the artwork Rebel Angels, at the turn of the Century juxtaposed by the magical world the three girls of The Gemma Doyle Trilogy. Bray creates a world poetic by nature and conflicted by harsh reality.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: The relationship between Kartik and Gemma serves as a go way to look at racial and economic divides and/or when people don't approve of interracial relations. There is magical, anti-religious themes even if the don't tend to be-but if you look closer there are classic battles of good and evil, self-discipline, and friendship. Also, an interesting look at the role of women in the Victorian era which gives a lot of insight into the role women play today and how we got to this point in women's lib.

Reason this Book was Chosen: Again, I wanted some depth in my genre choices, and was impressed by the story telling and the racial undertones. I also wanted to look at the history of women in society in the past. relation

Notes:

WINNER 2006 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults

NOMINEE 2007 - Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

Official Trilogy Website:

http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/home.php

Official Trailer Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/parlor/bktrailers.html

One of My Favorite Fan Trailers:

Freaks and Revelations

Title:Freaks And Revelations
Author:David Willis Hurlin
Publish Date:November 4, 2009
Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages:240 pages
ISBN:0316049964
Classification:
Genre:
Age Range:Young Adult
Price: $12.23

Annotation: The true and disturbing story of a violent clash between one homeless, gay 13 year old boy and another older, neo-nazi boy.

Summary: Based on a true story that was shared on both NPR and The Oprah Show, "Freaks and Revelations" follows two boys in alternate voices in order to get both perspectives. One boy is a 17 year old misfit, Doug, who has a mohawk and rebels and starts off somewhat cool. And Jason, who was cast out by his family. As the book goes on, and the boys cross paths, Doug prejudice takes over and the ugly violence that ensues ends in tears for the reader and blood for the young boy. And its a rude awakening for the rest of the world.

Evaluation: This book made me cry. Uncontrollably. Mostly because I have seen this crap happen and it's honest and sad. I really liked that it didn't try to make it prettier or easier for kids to takes. It is straightforward. Reality. And what's more, knowing it is based on a true story makes it all the more teary eyed for me. It's horrible.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Tolerance, Acceptance, Awareness

Reason this book was chosen: Because of the truth in the story. Because of this:

The Red Necklace

Title: The Red Necklace
Author:
Hardcover: 376 pages
Publisher: Speak
Date: May 1, 2008
Language: English
Young Adult
Classification: fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN-10: 0803731000
ISBN-13: 978-0803731004

Reader's Annotation: Paris, 1789. Set against the backdrop of the French revolution this murder mystery centers around Sido, a noble girl and Yann, a Gypsy boy with mysterious and magical powers must outplay the villians before it is too late!

Summary: Yann is a Gypsy boy with special magical gifts, Sido is a girl who has a cold father how barely cares for her. Together they meet briefly and form an intense connection that will affect them both. Set against the French Revolution, Sido must face being used by a so-called devil Count and Yann has to face being cast out as a Gypsy. For a country that desperately yearns for liberty, these two face coming of age in a time of political and social turmoil.

Evaluation: The historical fictions weaves drama, issues, and history seamlessly. And at the end lets you know the facts. You should both be able to enjoy a story and know the difference. It will be up issues that were pertinent to a time and can help you learn from them today. This novel does manage to do that. It gives you a story. It illustrates war, violence, causes, French History, and ties it together with a coming of age story that is timeless. I enjoy historical fiction and this was an interesting story of two teens without a concrete place in the world. Gardner also include historical notes at the end.

Bibliotherapuetic Usefulness: Self-Discovery, finding your place in the world, how politics

shapes your individual world, surviving, children of war

Reason this Book Was Chosen: A lot of American ideals of the French Revolution appear in our constitution. It is an interesting book about both a time in history where the people stood up for their beliefs (right or wrong is was totally brutal). as well as a time when children had to come of age during a very scary, war-hungry time.

Website: http://www.sallygardner.net/