August Picks
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
The Outsiders is a “coming-of-age” young adult fiction book that is as timely now as it was when it was written over fifty years ago. The novel presents the class division between the ‘Greasers,’ who are poor and on the wrong side of the class divide, and the equally troublesome “Socs,” who are let off easily because they come from wealthy families. Ponyboy, the narrator, also goes through his emotional turmoil and struggles, as he comes to terms with his own identity and the loss of his ‘childhood innocence’ as he has to deal with the hardships of the adult world. Without giving too much away, The Outsiders is a novel that is authentic in its storytelling, and we believe every teenager should read it. Especially in these changing times, it makes the reader see that at the end of the day, as Ponyboy says, “we see the same sunset and that while we are the ones who create the divides between ourselves, we can also be the ones to challenge them.”
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
A Newbery Medal-winning novel, When You Reach Me, combines mystery with an element of fantasy that will keep readers on the edge of each page. The narrator, Miranda, is an average sixth grader growing up in New York City until she starts receiving anonymous messages from somebody who knows everything about her and even things that have not happened yet. Each message she finds brings her closer to believing that only she can stop a tragic death. Told through jumps between flashbacks and the present, Rebecca Stead intertwines all these seemingly unimportant moments and combines them into something much more significant and meaningful. The characters almost come to life off the page, and the unique storytelling of this book is what makes it truly one of the most fun and fascinating novels in the entire young adult genre that readers will not be able to put down.
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Elsewhere follows 15-year-old Elizabeth Hall, the victim of a hit-and-run driver, into the afterlife, a place known as Elsewhere, where Liz must come to terms with her own death. On the first glance, Elsewhere appears to be completely ordinary, but it is a place where one ages backwards. It doesn't take long for Liz to realize that not only has she been cheated out of her adult life on earth, but, to make matters worse, she must now age backward into childhood, and then, infancy. Zevin raises questions of life and death and love, as well as what happens when we age, how we can grow out of love and how experiences and memories really influence our age. Elsewhere is a deeply moving and thought-provoking book, and a great read for any young adult reader.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Truly worthy of its Carnegie Medal, The Graveyard Book is a fantastic story about, family, friendship, and coming to terms with growing up. Nobody "Bod" Owens, was 18 months old when the man Jack murdered his family. Wandering out of the open door and subsequently finding himself in an ancient graveyard, Bod is rescued by the creatures that live there. Subsequently adopted by the residents of the graveyard, Bod grows up in a different world to that inhabited by the living. The novel is suspenseful and will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Masterfully crafted, The Graveyard Book is a must read for young adult readers.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
11th-grader Leo has never met anyone like Stargirl, and neither has anyone else at Mica High. She dances around the cafeteria playing a ukulele, and never misses a chance to sing "Happy Birthday." She doesn't act right, she dresses weird, and she is always blazingly herself. At first the students are puzzled, then entranced, and Stargirl becomes the most popular girl at school. And Leo is in love. But just as quickly Stargirl becomes the most despised student, shunned by the others, and Leo, now her boyfriend, is shunned with her. Though she has opened him up to new ways of experiencing life, when forced to choose between Stargirl and everyone else, Leo does what any teenager would do, and that choice reverberates down the rest of the years of his life. Spinelli is able craft a story that blurs the line between reality and fantasy, and leaves readers with lingering questions long after reading the book. Stargirl has also been turned into a motion picture, though we definitely recommend reading the book first.
