Flight

Alexie, Sherman. Flight. New York: Black Cat, an imprint of Grove/Atlantic Inc. 2007.

Annotation: Time-traveling, dramatic story of Native-American and Irish-born “Zits”, a young disturbed teenager who finally comes to realize that violence is not the answer.

Justification for Nomination: A Native American himself, Sherman Alexie has created the powerful and poignant story of a young orphaned boy, who hates his long-departed father and who desperately misses his deceased mother. Telling of Zits' transformation by having him flash into the lives of people past and present, Alexie's radical handling of the storytelling is simply amazing. Zits “Flight” takes him from place to place, traveling from an Indian reservation of the past to the body of his own father, slovenly and yearning for respect.

Though the story is about a young boy of multicultural background who doesn't consider himself a “legal” Indian because his father never claimed him, Alexie does not make the story solely about his heritage. In these “flights”, the reader does learn something about the differing culture, but there is no unnecessary stereotyping of Native Americans. He uses his references well and as a means to enhance Zits' final transformation. The subject of identity in the book is both heavy but not overdone. While speaking of one of his foster parents, Zits comments, “So who cares if Edgar was an Indian or not? His Indian identity was completely secondary to his primary identity as a plane-crashing asshole”.

Alexie's portrayal of Zits in the book is completely authentic. He captures the essence of this troubled teenager with his deeply passionate thoughts, rebellious actions and bitter dialog, bringing to mind Salinger's Holden Caulfield. The teen reader will relate to Zits' feelings of not belonging and rebelling against a world where he thinks he has no place. Each setting presented in the book is fully developed and very authentic, with dramatic events that take place throughout. The horrific act which Zits is about to pull off at the beginning of the book starts the tension that propels the reader to the next page.

This is a book that is probably intended for a more mature young adult as the language is frequently harsh, but I believe a young reader would certainly benefit from having met Zits, who finally opens up about what his true name is and perhaps begins to accept his true identity by the end of this magical flight.

Genre: Multicultural, Coming of Age, Problem Novels

Witch-Hunt:Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials

Aronson, Marc. Witch-Hunt Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2003

Annotation: Compelling historical look back at the people and events that led to the infamous Salem Witch trials and the myths and theories surrounding that disturbing period.

Justification for Nomination: Famous historian, Marc Aronsen has concocted a very well researched and in-depth story, giving as many concrete facts as he possibly can in an effort to reveal the incidents which led up to and beyond the Salem witch trials - and allow the reader to draw his or her own conclusion based on the information offered. With tons of references that teens are certain to understand, this book also contains other informational resources that offer an endless supply of historical facts and dates. A notes and comments section as well as a time line of the milestones in Puritan history prove that this non-fiction book is well-researched, containing much information that a reader will find useful in conclusion-making.

Beyond the outstanding reference material offered, Aronsen offers much background around this period and even cites and offers comparisons to previous stories and fairy tales that a young reader can easily relate to. Definitely always knowing who his reader is, Aronsen makes sure the content of the book is not only relevant to the story as a whole, but that it will be compelling to young readers. Relaying the differences between myths, misinterpretations and what is known to be true, the book contains the actual, as well as proposed, events. He introduces all of the players in this community of people and asks the reader to use his own experiences to make the final decision.

The style and tone of the book are very conversational and are perfectly attuned to young adult readership. It is not so simple as to make one feel immature, but neither is it a work that would intimidate a reader. The story is told in a very informative and yet compelling way, with accompanying illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, provided by Stephanie Anderson. These illustrations enhance the story, adding that all important visual element.

With a very intriguing subject matter, Witch-Hunt is a book that is outstanding because it presents the reader with the vivid story of the events of that period and informs the reader, while at the same time encourages him to come up with his own determination of what really happened in Salem.

Genres: Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Supernatural

The Cather In The Rye

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1951

Annotation: After the death of his brother, young Holden Caulfield, disillusioned and unmotivated, struggles to find understanding and knowledge in the wake of this life-changing event.

Justification for Nomination: With dialogue including one of Holden Caulfield's opening lines, "I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything," this novel by J.D. Salinger exemplifies the voice of a young adult, bitter with life and dealing as best he can. This coming of age story not only takes the reader into the mind of this character, showing exactly how he feels and what he thinks along the way, but also delivers other characters just as rich and full as the main character himself. As Holden struggles with the death of his beloved brother, the resulting ennui and lack of motivation in school is something that many teens will be able to relate to. Having been expelled from yet another school, Holden's journey from that point is full of angst and anger. This book contains the universal theme that all teenagers will have that moment in their lives that will change everything dramatically, and the struggle to deal with that moment will surely strip away some of that childhood innocence that will never be restored.

Salinger takes us into the heart and mind of Holden, so that we witness first-hand his pain, grief and hopeful attempts to regain himself. The wide range of character ages in the book also will appeal to a broader range of readers, and the realness of the characterizations will be easy for any young reader to relate to. The richness of the characters is accompanied by the fullness of the settings and how they seem to relate to Holden's overall mood throughout the book; from cold and frosty to dismal and rainy. This certainly enhances the story's tone and adds to the style of the story. And I believe many young readers will be able to relate to having something affect you in such a way that you start to do poorly in school.

The experiences that Holden has during this search for understanding are all very interesting ones that will hold a young reader's attention as they marvel at the nerve he seems to have in taking on these things. This is a hero that is truly fascinating and interesting. The reader will enjoy this trek for understanding with Holden and I believe his thoughts and fears will resound with a wide group of readers. Does Holden get back on track? Will his disturbing behavior continue? Has he learned anything from his mentor? I believe any young adult will benefit from having read this work, which includes realistic and full characters, pitch-perfect dialogue, great scenes and settings and a story that will leave many readers with lots to think about.

Genre: Coming of Age

30 Days of Night

Niles, Steve & Templesmith, Ben. 30 Days of Night. San Diego: IDW Publishing. 2007

Annotation: Bloodthirsty vampires take over the small Alaskan town of Barrow just as the time of year arrives where there will be 30 consecutive days of darkness.

Justification for Nomination: With story by Steve Niles and compelling artwork by Ben Templesmith, this book melds together art and text beautifully to create an atmosphere both dark and eerie. The pace is fast and the deaths come quick and often as the vampires attempt to annihilate all human life in Barrow. The panels are easily followable, with stylistically designed dialogue; the vampires' dialogue is written as static and sharp, while regular humans have dialogue which is normal and rounded. Full page panels give the reader the full effect of certain dramatic and sometimes gory aspects of the action.

With the popularity of vampires today, this book will not fail to disappoint those young readers who have an interest in the gory world of the undead. The book is in color, but most of the tone is set with bleak black and white images, with an abundance of red to enhance the grisly atmosphere. The characters are well drawn, and the reader comes to appreciate Eben, the town sheriff, and all he has to endure in trying to save the remaining survivors. The story is well-developed and background information is provided to keep the reader informed and to keep the flow of the story going full throttle.

With lots of "SWAK!s" and "KASPULCHH!es" offered to elevate the action, the author, illustrator and letter designer do a marvelous collaborative job in bringing to the page a frightful yet compelling story that will be enjoyed by many of today's vampire-obsessed youth.

Genre: Graphic Novel