Notes From the Dog

Bibliography

Paulsen, Gary. Notes from the Dog. 2009. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books ISBN 978-0-375-89450-3

Critical Analysis

Life as he knows it changes the second loner teen Finn meets his new next door neighbor Johanna at the beginning of summer. Finn has planned to spend his break from school reading stacks of novels and speaking to as few people as he can manage, but definitely no more than a dozen. That is until Johanna comes over to say hello to Finn, his friend Matthew and dog Dylan as they sit on the porch one summer day. At 24 years old Johanna is fighting breast cancer with as much optimism as she can muster. She pays Finn to plant a garden for her in his yard and as the garden begins to grow, so does Finn.

In Notes from the Dog Paulsen is able to show many changes in Finn's life without the transformation feeling rushed or shallow. He starts out the summer as a middle schooler who avoids people because they make him feel uncomfortable and "like an alien dropped onto a strange planet" who "always [has] to be on the lookout for clues and cues on how to act and what to say," but as the summer continues and he witnesses Johanna's struggle with cancer he starts to morph into someone who appreciates every day. As he and Matthew fundraise money for a cancer awareness triathlon Johanna is participating in, Finn is constantly forced into positions that he feels uncomfortable in, but because of his dedication to helping Johanna he pushes through them and comes out on top. His character provides hope for readers that may be struggling with their own self confidence.

Paulsen successfully integrates a dose of reality and the bad and good sides of human nature throughout the novel as well. Johanna's boyfriend breaks up with her during one of her chemo treatments and then drops her off, frail and sickly, outside of her house and drives away. Throughout the whole book the reader is rooting for Johanna as she trains for her triathlon, but Paulsen brings reality in when she is not able to compete in her physical state. These harsh realities are balanced with positive surprises like when a "tattooed man three times [Finn's] size" wearing a nose ring and "a picture of a skull on his black T-shirt" is the first to come forward when Finn tries to get the men of a construction site to donate money for cancer or when Finn starts receiving positive messages about himself attached to his dog Dylan. Paulsen's writing is truthful, honest and heartfelt and young and adult readers will both enjoy Notes from the Dog. 

Book Discussion Ideas

Have a cancer survivor come to the book group to share their perspective on the book and their story. Discuss the fundraising tactics that Finn and Matthew used. Discuss potential fundraising opportunities for the book group to do to raise awareness and funds for a good cause.

External Assessments

"Fourteen-year-old Finn is terrified of meeting new people, and conversation is painful. His true friend, Matthew, is talkative, overly confident, and sometimes a thorn in his side. The boy is content with books and Dylan, his canine companion. He's determined that his summer vacation will not be marred by the intrusion of people, and thus, the discomfort they cause him. Then he meets his pretty new neighbor, 24-year-old Johanna, who shares her joy of life with Finn and Matthew and employs Finn to help her create gardens in his sorrowful-looking backyard. Johanna's enthusiasm for research, compost, fertilizer, and all things garden break down Finn's barriers. When she tells the boys that she is a breast-cancer survivor, their initial trepidation shifts to friendship. As she trains for a triathlon to raise money for cancer awareness, Finn and Matthew join her team. Right before the race, more adverse reactions to chemotherapy thwart her run, and the two boys take up the torch. 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."—Alison Follos, School Library Journal

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Bibliography

Carter, Ally. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. 2006. New York, NY: Hyperion ISBN 1-4231-0003-4

Critical Analysis

From the outside, the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women looks like every other snooty, rich prep school, but the inside tells a whole other story. That is if you even figure out how to get in... Cammie Morgan also seems like just another prep school girl with nothing particularly special about her until she meets "townie" Josh and learns that she has more to offer than just being "Cammie the Chamelon."

Gallagher Academy is a school for geniuses who may or may not be training to be spies. The book's setting alone provides for an exciting and eventful story. The secret passageways and hi-tech accommodations keep the characters and readers on their toes, wondering what invention is going to pop up next. Gallagher Academy grads can take credit for the development of such inventions as Velcro, duct tape and Evapopaper- "paper that instantly dissolves when you put it in your mouth." It's little facts like this that help to make I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, fun and light-hearted while still dealing with the heavier issues of girl world.

Cammie puts the social atmosphere of school best when she says"even though Gallagher Academy is a school for girl geniuses, sometimes the emphasis should be kept on the girl." Despite the fact that the girls can speak 14 different languages and are well-trained in hand-to-hand combat, they still have to deal with the rumor mill, worry about studying for class, parent issues and boys. There is a character and situation for every type of girl in this book whether they are a spy-in-training or a regular girl. Cammie's friend Liz is studious and follows the rules precisely but is put in positions several times in the book where she has to weigh the options of following the rules or helping a friend. Macy McHenry, a senator's daughter and new enrollee to Gallagher Academy, is behind in school and not immediately accepted by the girls because of her seeming bad attitude and abrupt manner, but she slowly makes friends showing that there is more to meet the eye with people. 

Main character and narrator Cammie makes the biggest transformation after being noticed by Josh, a cute boy in town, during a mission. She is so used to being a "chameleon" that she is shocked that a boy could be interested in her. Despite all of her hard work and training at school she is still clueless when it comes to interacting with the opposite sex, making this super-spy teen easy for any teenage girl to relate to. 

Book Club Ideas

Create a "mission" at the library. Make clues that pertain to the book that will take the readers around to different sections of the library, eventually leading them to the "secret" meet-up spot in the library where a book discussion will take place. This exercise provides a fun and inventive way for young adults to explore the library.

External Analysis

"Cammie Morgan, 15, is a student at Gallagher Academy, a top-secret boarding school for girls who are spies-in-training. She studies covert operations, culture and assimilation, and advanced encryption, and has learned to speak 14 languages. Her troubles begin when she falls for Josh, a local boy who has no clue about her real identity. Keeping her training secret forces her to lie to her new love, which leads to comic complications. Subplots include Cammie's relationship with her mother–the headmistress at Gallagher–and her grief over the loss of her father, who died while on a spying assignment. 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."- Miranda Doyle, School Library Journal

Runner

Bibliography

Deuker, Carl. Runner. 2005. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company ISBN 0-618-54298-1

Critical Analysis

Carl Deuker's novel Runner leaves readers anxious to keep pace with main character Chance Taylor love of running when his daily workouts turn into a secretive, high-paying job. Chance lives on a small boat that can't even sail called the Tiny Dancer, in a marina with his alcoholic father who cannot hold a job for any length of time, leaving it up to Chance to figure out a way to pay the piling bills. His part-time job washing dishes on the weekend isn't cutting it and Chance spends most of his time worrying about things that teenagers shouldn't have to be worried about like "the moorage fee, the electric bill, the heating bill, the sewage fee, the food bills - and how [they] didn't have money to pay any of them." For these reasons, when Chance is offered a job picking up undisclosed packages on his daily runs and leaving them in a locker at the marina bathrooms for a few hundred dollars a week he is in no position to refuse, even if it is illegal...

Deuker's choice of first person narrative gives young readers direct insight to a side of life that many will never have to deal with, creating a character that faces obstacles that less-fortunate teens have to deal with everyday, like if there will be any food to eat for the next week. Teens from all walks of life will be able to relate to Chance however. His character is three-dimensional and despite the fact that he has to make many adult decisions, the typical senior year questions, like what to do after graduation and girl problems, are still confronted as well. Readers follow his thought process as he makes these difficult decisions and are given the opportunity to question what they would have done in the same situation.

A theme of politics runs cleverly throughout the novel as well. Chance's only friend Melissa is quite vocal about her political opinions in class, especially when a pompous, high school alumni that graduated a few short years early comes back to visit the school after enlisting in the Army and talks about how great it is. The threat of foreign smugglers at the nearby ports is ever-present in the book as well. Though mentioned frequently, the politics throughout the book are integrated so well that they set the scene rather than take over the book.

Runner will have readers on the edge of their seats as they try to keep up with Chance and his fast-paced journey to get off the Tiny Dancer and create a better life for himself.  

Book Discussion Ideas

Discuss the decisions that Chance makes throughout the book and what would have happened if he had made another choice. Ask if there were other choices. Discuss the choices other characters could have made in the book as well and what the outcome could have been. 

Example Questions:

What would have happened if Chance never spoke up in class to defend Melissa? 

What if Chance had not taken the job the man at the dock offered?

What would have happened if Chance's mother never left?

What if Melissa's father had not helped Chance at the end of the book?

External Assessment

"When his alcoholic Gulf War veteran father is fired from the first steady job he has held in years, Chance Taylor is understandably glum. He has no idea where they'll get the money to pay the moorage fees for the run-down sailboat they call home. Since his parents' divorce, Chance has tried to keep a low profile in school, and his only pleasure is running by himself along the Seattle waterfront. When a marina office employee offers to pay him $250 a week to pick up occasional packages at a tree along his running route, Chance is deeply suspicious of what they may contain but desperate enough to accept this opportunity to pay the bills. As this new job gradually becomes more dangerous and more clearly illegal, Chance's father is able to rise above his personal problems to help extricate his son. In a gripping climax complete with SWAT teams swarming throughout the marina as Coast Guard patrol boats close in on terrorists, Chance is afforded a final glimpse of the heroic man his father once was. Writing in a fast-paced, action-packed, but at the same time reflective style, Deuker uses fewer sports scenes than in his previous novels, and instead uses running as a hook to entice readers into a perceptive coming-of-age novel. A subplot involving Chance's friendship with a wealthy female classmate whose father was a close high school friend of Chance's father is nicely integrated into this timely, compelling story."- Ginny Gustin, School Library Journal

"My dad never hit me; never yelled at me. He was just a drunk." High-school senior Chance is a "ghost-walker" at school--barely talking, just passing, finding escape only in long, solitary, after-school runs. His hard-drinking father can't keep a job, and Chance worries how they will pay the mooring fees for their dilapidated, 30-foot sailboat home in Pugent Sound. When a marina worker offers him a job picking up secret packages, Chance can't turn down the lucrative opportunity, even though he's sure it's illegal. But as a friendship with smart student Melissa grows, so does Chance's concern about his job and its possible links to local smuggling rings. Deuker drops plenty of hints about what's in the packages, but the tragic blockbuster ending may still be a surprise. The authenticity of Chance's first-person voice occasionally wavers, and the initial pacing of the story is sometimes awkward. But the sports and suspenseful action will easily draw readers, as will the gripping adventure's consideration of crime, class, ineffectual parents, and a teen's questions about his uncertain future."- Booklist

Hope Was Here

Bibliography

Bauer, Joan. Hope Was Here. 2000. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons ISBN 0-399-23142-0

Critical Analysis

Hope Was Here is a heartfelt read that blends humor and realism beautifully. Hope and her Aunt Addie, her acting mother since her biological mother handed her over at a young age, have lived quite an exciting life, breezing in and out of diners, Addie cooking while Hope masters the art of waitressing- the only thing her real mother ever taught her- until they finally settle down at Welcome Stairway, a diner in rural Wisconsin. It is here where Hope learns her first lesson in politics, as the diner owner, G.T. Stoop- an good, honest man with leukemia- runs against the corrupt current mayor, Eli Millstone. As she gets involved with the local politics and starts helping G.T. campaign, young readers get a crash course in politics- the good, bad and the ugly. Bauer explores the ins and outs of the campaign trail and how quickly the tides can turn in the other candidates favor. She also discusses the importance of voting, that citizens have to register to vote, petition signing, and other aspects of a political election without sounding like a Government class textbook. Bauer integrates the factual aspects of politics throughout the novel so smoothly that young adult readers will learn the process of an election and won't even know that it's happening!

Hope Was Here goes far beyond being a novel about small town politics though. The relationships in the book are deep and genuine. Hope and Addie work well together and Addie is always honest with her telling her that she "never promised that life would be easy, but she did promise that if [Hope] hung with her the food would be good." Hope's relationships with the customers at the diner adds much comedic relief and leaves the reader impressed with her ability to read people so well and the tricks she has learned in her sixteen years. A slow budding romance builds between Hope and Bravermen, the short-order cook that works the grill adding another layer to the story. Their relationship is slow-moving and simple, yet still realistic. It is a great example for the young reader who cannot relate to books where the romantic relationships are fast-paced and deeply emotional. 

One major character often mentioned, but mostly missing is Hope's father. She has never met him and has no idea who he is, but she waits patiently for him to find her. Throughout the years she has cut out pictures of men who she thought looked like they could be a father and kept them in an album, flipping through it often. As the relationship builds between Hope and G.T. Stoop she realizes that she might have found just what she was looking for.

Book Discussion Ideas

Have readers bring their favorite snack to the book discussion with new diner menu names to set the diner tone. During the discussion, have each person cut out pictures of people from magazines to represent what they think each character looks like and why, just like Hope cut out pictures of people who could be fathers. Discuss why voting is important, how to register to vote, if applicable have Voter's Registration Cards available. 

External Assessment

"Bauer serves up agreeable fare in this tale of a teenage waitress's search for a sense of belonging. Sixteen-year-old Hope has grown used to the nomadic life she has built with her aunt Addie, a talented diner cook. She doesn't mind the hard work it takes to make a diner hum; she seems to have inherited a knack for waiting tables from the free-spirit mom (Addie's younger sister) who abandoned her years ago. But Hope would gladly give up always having to say good-bye to friends and places she loves. When Addie accepts a new job that takes the pair from Brooklyn to the Welcome Stairways diner in Mulhoney, Wis., Hope never could have imagined the big changes ahead of her. She and Addie shine in the small-town milieu and gladly offer to help diner owner G.T. Stoop, who is battling leukemia, run for mayor. Along the way, Addie and Hope both find love, and Hope discovers the father figure she has so desperately wanted. Readers will recognize many of Bauer's hallmarks hereAa strong female protagonist on the road to self-discovery, quirky characters, dysfunctional families, a swiftly moving story, moments of bright humor. Her vivid prose, often rich in metaphor, brings Hope's surroundings and her emotions to life. The author resolves a few of her plot points a bit too tidily, but her fans won't mind. They're likely to gobble this up like so much comfort food." -Publisher's Weekly

"It's Bauer's humor that supplies, in Addie's cooking vernacular, the yeast that makes the story rise above the rest, reinforcing the substantive issues of honesty, humanity, and the importance of political activism. Serve this up to teens-with a dash of hope." -Frances Bradburn, Booklist

Along for the Ride

Bibliography

Dessen, Sarah. Along for the Ride. 2009. New York, NY: Penguin Group ISBN 978-0-670-01194-0

Critical Analysis

Along for the Ride is filled with stories of journeys. Main character Auden learns that there is more to life than studying and being just like her mother when she goes to stay at the beach with her self-absorbed father, excessively girly stepmother and her fussy, newborn stepsister. Through her narrative the reader sees the journeys that all the other characters going through as well. Her stepmother, Heidi, learns to be more assertive, while her father learns to compromise and put the needs of his wife and daughters before his own. Auden's new friend and crush Eli learns to cope with the death of his best friend and Auden's first real girl friend, Maggie, spends the summer getting over her ex. With all of these characters facing different types of journeys, there is an experience for every reader to relate to. 

While staying up all night, every night, Auden meets Eli, a fellow night owl who shows her the underground nightlife of small town Colby- a coffee shop in the back of a laundromat, an all night supermarket 15 miles away. During their late night rendezvous, Auden reveals there are several childhood norms she missed out on because she was too busy trying to put back the pieces of her life after her parents got divorced. After Eli convinces her that "it's never too late to have a happy childhood," they begin their "quest" to do all of the things Auden missed out on. The feelings that come up during Auden's quest are well described, helping young adult readers that have experienced the same anger or guilt because of divorce understand that they are normal emotions to have. Dessen discusses events that are often not talked about in YA literature, such as the events that actually led up to the divorce and how most divorces don't end amicably. She also shows how history has a tendency to repeat itself when Auden's father and stepmother separate for a period. 

Dessen also provides a character for every type of reader to relate to. Auden's stepmother Heidi and all of the girls who work at her store, Clementine, are very girly and are interested in boys, parties and fun. Hollis, Auden's older brother, is carefree and hops from country to country looking for an adventure. Auden's crush Eli is friendly, yet quiet and distant. Auden's character has the most dimension at readers will be able to relate to her at some point in her quest. She starts out as studious and reclusive, and slowly blossoms as she understands that she can be smart and have some fun at the same time as she journeys through her quest to make up for lost time. 

Book Discusion Ideas

Have readers think about things they feel like they might have missed out on, but still have the opportunity to do. Have them write these items down to create their own personal "quest." Have them write about their experiences as they finish each item on their quest. Once the list is complete, have them write about any changes they experienced or if any of the items they thought the missed out on weren't really all that great.

External Assessment

"Dessen has built a well-deserved reputation for delicately depicting teen girls in turmoil. Her latest title showcases a socially awkward young woman who seeks solace in the comforting rigidity of academic success. Auden is about to start college in the fall, and decides to escape her control-freak professor mom to spend the summer with her novelist father, his new young wife, and their brand-new baby daughter, Thisbe. Over the course of the summer, Auden tackles many new projects: learning to ride a bike, making real connections with peers, facing the emotional fallout of her parents’ divorce, distancing herself from her mother, and falling in love with Eli, a fellow insomniac bicyclist recovering from his own traumas. The cover may mislead readers, as despite the body language of the girl in pink and the hunky blue-jeaned boy balanced on a bike, this is no slight romance: there’s real substance here. Dessen’s many fans will not be deterred by the length or that cover; they expect nuanced, subtle writing, and they won’t be disappointed." -Debbie Carton, Booklist

"Beautifully captures that sense of summer as a golden threshold between past regrets and future unknowns." -The Washington Post

Speak

Bibliography

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. 1999. New York, NY: The Penguin Group ISBN 0-14-240732-1

Critical Analysis

Freshman year is hard enough without starting the year out with the stigma of being the girl who called the cops on the high school party during the summer but this is how the year starts for the main character of Speak, Melinda. If anyone doesn’t know about that then they can just remember her as “that girl who got nailed by potatoes the first day” of high school. As the reader delves deeper into the book, Melinda’s story slowly unfolds.

Hers is not the story of normal teenage angst, but that of a girl who has suffered in silence for what really happened that fateful night at the party. Though the subject of the book is heavy, it is easy to read because of the short chapters, concise, first person narrative and dialog that reads more like a play than a novel. Fourteen is a difficult age to emulate the voice of but Anderson does so successfully without having Melinda seem to mature or immature for her age, making Speak an enjoyable read for both young adults and adults.

The classic high school happenings are present in the book- the events, teachers and token stereotypes that appear in all high school literature in movies, only because they are so true. The presence of these characters in Speak are what make it just as relevant in 2011 as it was in 1999 when it was written. The erratic art teacher, Mr. Freeman plays an important role in helping Melinda to express herself with her art topic for the year- trees. Of course, there is the group of mean girls- old friends turned enemies- who make Melinda’s high school life miserable and helping her remember just what an outcast she is by blatant meanness like mouthing “I hate you” when she passes by. Even Melinda’s parents don’t understand her behavior resulting in a frustrating and unhappy life at both school and home. And who could forget “the” guy that all the girls have a crush on- the one that Melinda refers to less than lovingly as “IT?” These characters all shape the Melinda’s character and effect her actions, leading to a sense of frustration on the part of the reader who wants Melinda to find the courage to stand up for herself. Due to mature subject matter, Speak is appropriate for grades 8 and up and will most likely appeal to female readers.

Book Discussion Ideas

Host a mid-book discussion at the library. Have readers discuss what has happened so far and make conjectures about how the book will end. Have them explain why and what evidence the text provides for that conclusion. Host another book discussion after reading the book in its entirety and compare the author’s ending to how the readers thought it was going to end. What did they like about the author’s ending? What would they have changed? Looking back, where there clues that hinted how the author was going to end it?

External Assessment

"In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. Divided into the four marking periods of an academic year, the novel, narrated by Melinda Sordino, begins on her first day as a high school freshman. No one will sit with Melinda on the bus. At school, students call her names and harass her; her best friends from junior high scatter to different cliques and abandon her. Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy. A girl at a school pep rally offers an explanation of the heroine's pariah status when she confronts Melinda about calling the police at a summer party, resulting in several arrests. But readers do not learn why Melinda made the call until much later: a popular senior raped her that night and, because of her trauma, she barely speaks at all. Only through her work in art class, and with the support of a compassionate teacher there, does she begin to reach out to others and eventually find her voice. Through the first-person narration, the author makes Melinda's pain palpable: "I stand in the center aisle of the auditorium, a wounded zebra in a National Geographic special." Though the symbolism is sometimes heavy-handed, it is effective. The ending, in which her attacker comes after her once more, is the only part of the plot that feels forced. But the book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired."- Reed Business Information, Inc.

"A ninth grader becomes a social pariah when she calls the police to bust a summer bash and spends the year coming to terms with the secret fact that she was raped during the party. A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose."- Reed Business Information, Inc.