I enjoyed digging into some novels, nonfiction and short story titles that have strong appeal for readers, ages 12+. Each of these authors deals with powerful topics to engage adolescents and help them think about their friendships, their feelings, their values, and their hopes.
BANNED TOGETHER: Our Fights for Readers’ Rights by Ashley Hope Perez (ed)’; illus Debbie Fong / multi-modal texts
Challenging, censoring and banning books has, in recent years, has been a disturbing thrust against the fight for the freedom to read. This anthology includes memoirs, short stories, essays, graphic pieces bh sixteen authors and illusrators to shine a light on the transformative power of books. Any one of these pieces ignites YA readers to question the harm of banning books and to take action when books are taken away from library shelves. Each of the contributors provide a testimony and insights into what happens when books under scrutiny. Reading lists of banned books, recommendations for protecting books, and actionable tips are provided throughout. Banned Together is a definitive guide to support everyone’s right to read with books that provide information and perspectives on gender issues, sexuality, and culture. This is a mighty fine book. This is a mighty important book.
“Book banners say they just want o protect teens from inappropriate material, but they end up creating stigma around information that matters to anybody with a body… which is all of us.” (p. 54)
“Book banning attempts to keep people ignorant; it is the violence of manipulation and the denial of access. Books make it possible for us to confront ideas thag confuse us or that are different from our own or that make us uncomfortable about each other. Books help us to grow perspective and learn to live together on this planet in less harmful ways, for the short time we get to live on it.” (p. 144)
“Why pretend that removing books from libraries is going to keep young people from asking questions. It just takes away the chance for students to become better readers as they engage with what they’re already curious about.” (p. 187)
BEST OF ALL WORLDS by Kenneth Oppel / Science Fiction
This book caught my eye during a recent visit to a bookstore. Featured atop a tomato-red cover is an illustration of an upside down cottage, surrounded by shadows of 4 figures and goats standing still on a grassy lawn. I was curious too about the image of a translucent shape (the moon?).On the back cover is a testimony from David Levithan “A masterpiece. I promise you – as soon as you finishg, you’ll want to talk to someone about it.” The blurb on the inside jacket cover read intrigued “When Xavier and his dad, and Nia go to explore, they find they are inside a dome, trapped. And there was no one else around.” Mmmm. this was going to be science fiction story, a genre that doesn’t particularly appeal to me. But the author is the great Canadian author, Kenneth Oppel. I bought the book and was immediately hooked. from the start. Xavier’s father, Caleb and pregnant stepmother, Nia plan to spend a weekend by a lake but early in the story, we learn that the cottage wasn’t where it was supposed to be having been lifted and placed elsewhere. This is the stuff of “The Twilight Zone”. Xavier Oak (aka Zay), Caleb and Nia and the newborn baby Noah are trapped. No explantation. No escape. Survival seems precarious. So many questions percolate (for the characters and for the reader). After 40 pages or so, it is three yearslater and Oppel introduces us to The Jackson family, who find themselves in the mysterious circumstance. When the two families meet they seem to get along (especially Zay who is head over heels when he meets Mackenzie Jackson, a girl Xavier’s exact age). But tensions mount, when the parents share opposing views of how they got their, who their captors are (Alien beings; A government conspiracy). The big question, will the Oaks and the Jackson’s ever escape. Encouners with danger (coyotes attack, midges swarm, guns appear) and plans to escape through a hole in the sky make this a novel filled with suspense, suspension of disbelief, wonder and hope. For lovers of Science Fiction this thrilling novel is yes, out of this world. WOW!
Excerpt
“A spark flew from the moon’s face. As it fell, it expanded, ten fractured into many smaller lights travelling together like a vast flock of birds, knotting then unravelling across the night sky. The lights divided again, then again, becoming even smaller. I felt nailed to the ground. They were coming closer. “(p. 74)
CAN POSTERS KILL?: Antisemitic Propoganda and World War II by Jerry Faivish and Kathryn Cole / nonfiction / Second Story Press
On the back cover of this publication, we are provided with a definition of the word Propaganda: “A dangerous weapon in the spread of hate.”. This book is a display of 38 historical posters demonstrating how the powerful potential of posters as a tool for spreading hate and promoting discord and outright lies. The book is organized into three sections: 1.Pre-World War II 2. World War 11 and Post-World War II. A majority of the posters come from Jerry Faivish’s personal collection. Faivish is a child of two Holocaust survivors and strongly feels “that they should be shown as a warning so people can recognize and prevent similar campaigns from succeeding again.” (Preface). The images, whether subtle or overt are often stark, often repulsive emerging from a campaign to impact European thinking during war time. Each poster is accompanied by text that provides background and analysis of the words and visuals that appear in the posters. Ultimately, Can Posters Kills? helps readers to examine hate propaganda from the past and to take an analytic approach to this familiar form of media in order to consider how in today’s digital world, caution must be paid to harmful messages of what is both true and untrue that may spread quickly. As stated in the introduction: “No posters can’t kill, but they can lead people to.”
DAVID HOCKNEY: A Graphic Novel by Monica Foggia; Giovanni Gastaldi ; 2025 / graphic biography
The life and journey of the prolific British artist David Hockney is presented in graphic format. The biography highlights Hockney’s artistic journey as a non-conformist student, his life in England, and the United States and his extensive work with portraiture, landscapes and still life as well as his experimental approaches with photography and digital technology. The book gives insights into one of the most unique talents of contemporary art by highlighting his visionary approaches experimenting with a variety of media, his renowned gallery showings worldwide, his friendships and the important value he has as a gay iconic figure.
FINDING HARMONY by Eric Walters / fiction
Harmony has gone from foster home to foster home but a court hearing deems her now qualified to once again live with her mother. Is this a good idea? Will her alcoholic, drug abusive mother give Harmony the support and love she needs? Mother and daughter now live in humble conditions in a somewhat sleezy apartment complex. Harmony is a tough tough cookie, who has put up with a lot and tries to keep things above board even though her mother proves to be an unreliable parent who lies, gets involved with shady characters and yes, is still addicted. (“I had been trying hard. Harder than anybody. Every day. Every hour. And what good was it doing? I couldn’t change my mother. I couldn’t control her. Sooner or later it was going to break down – ” (p. 211) . We first met Harmony in Eric Walters’ prize winning novel The King of Jam Sandwiches but this novel, a prequel of sorts, is.a stand-alone book. Walters is a great storyteller who invents strong characters in challenging situations. Readers are bound to root for Harmony, care for Harmony and hope that one day Harmony finds harmony. A gutsy read.
Excerpt
“Yeah, my mom had been in rehab and had a counsellor to talk to about her drinking and drug use – and maybe this time it might actually work. As least, I had hope it would. What else did I have except hope?” (p. 3)
“I’m worried all the time… But at least I have my mother.” No. She has you.” (p. 244)
FIRST TIMES: Short Stories about Sex by Karine Glorieux (editor); Translated from the French by Shelley Tanaka / short stories
The title, First Times, invites teenage+ readers to grab this book and dig into the stories. The opening page reads “Warning: Explicit Content. (What Were You Expecting?)” which offers another temptation for adolescents to read these engaging stories by nine French Canadian authors. And read these stories, they should. Each story is presented with honesty. There is a range of perspectives, cultures, sexual orientations and experiences whether being alone or wth another. To be sure, there is no one way to define what is meant by ‘first time’. It would take more than 9 stories to cover the expanse of stories of losing one’s virginity. But this collection provides teenagers with the pleasures, the frustrations, the anxieties, the disappointments, the relief, and the turning point of experiences with making out, masturbation, same-sex encounters, and penetration (or not). This is a must read book to help adolescents understand (and question) the anticipation, the preparation, the determination, the expectations and the achievements of First Time sex.
GLASGOW BOYS by Margaret McDonald / 2024 / fiction
This YA novel recently was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Writing and at 27 years of age the author Margaret McDonald is the youngest winner of the prize. The panel of judges praised the book for being an ‘an honest and hopeful tale.” One judge, Ross Harding claimed that “Glasgow Boys is an immersive and visceral read that completely draws the readers into the present and past lives of Finlay and Banjo.” Finlay is studying for a nursing degree in Glasgow. Banjo is settling in with a new foster family and trying to succeed in his final years of high school. Finlay and Banjo once shared a room in a group home care facility and seemed to have a special bond, especially since they had each been shattered by neglectful parenting. A huge falling out the two boys once had shatters their friendship (The author presents narratives of ‘Three Years Ago” when the two boys lived together). The novel’s chapters are presented in alternating voices. McDonald navigates the lives of these two teenagers who struggle with invisible barriers as they approach adulthood. We quickly come to care about these two adolescents, their frustrations, secrets, anger and hopes. Really, all they want from life is to feel the warm touch of another. Banjo finds company with a girl he works with at a local cafe. Finlay finds friendship with two other student nurses, the residents of a seniors home and most of all, a handsome guy, Akash, who he would love to love but is cautious in how he approaches the relationship. In an interview for the BBC, Margaret McDonald says It was important to me to showcase the difficulties of making your way through a world that is essentially not built for you.” Glasgow Boys is a powerful coming-of-age story of male friendships and of resilience, especially when forced to live in and out of care.
Excerpts
“I think the only way I’d ever feel truly safe is if I could absorb people. If I could just swallow them and keep them inside me or something.” (p.281)
“It took a long time for Finlay to recognize that the silent version of Banjo was hurt, not angry. Banjo could be every emotion in the span of a sentence, but when he was hurt he carried it around and held it close.” (p. 312)
THE MAGIC FISH by Trung Le Nguyen / 2020 / Graphic novel / folktales
This is an ambitious graphic novel. Le Ngueyn tells the story of a young Vietnamese adolescent, named Tien, struggling to come out to his refugee parents. Not finding the right words to get his parents’ acceptance, the boy finds answers in fairy tales in a language Tien and his parents share. I found the storytelling to be rather stilted and elliptical even though the visuals beautifully illuminates events from the traditional tales from Vietnam. Sections of the story are conveyed in different colour palettes helping to delienate the storytelling (purple), the present (reds) and the past life in the homeland (golds). The author’s notes tell us that the artist “wanted to explore how stories can seve both as an escape and as an anchor for our real lives, and maybe, for at least one story, decentre the gravity of marginalization…”
SAM by Eric Walters / fiction
Sam is a troubled orphaned young adolescent who has lived much of his moving from foster home to foster home. Early in the book he gets into a fight with the high school quarterback and after a gloomy court appearance is sent to Juvenile Detention Centre to await a trial. Controlling his temper remains a challenge for Sam, especially when he is being tormented by a bully. However, Sam finds some comfort and trust with his cell mate, Nigel, a therapist, a female guard and a compassionate teacher. As part of his sentencing, Sam must take English classes and when he is assigned the ‘perfect’ book he is resentful at first but comes to understand how much he has in common with another redheaded orphan, the iconic heroine of Anne of Green Gables. This novel is Eric Walters storytelling at his best. Description of life in the detention centre is conveyed with authenticity. Hatsa off to Eric for bringing attention to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s iconic novel, published in 1908. Eric writes: “My story is a tribute, a homage to the original work. The way it continues to “speak” to people is a testament to not only the words and the themes but also to L.M. Montgomery’s creating a book that trancends countries, cultures, time and place.” I look forward to rereading this great Canadian novel someday. I look forward to reading more books by the great Canadian author, Eric Walters.
SHOUT OUT
THIS BOOK WON’T BURN by Samira Ahmed / fiction
When Noor Khan’s father abandons the family, the teenager and her mother and sister move into a new place far from their home in Chicago. Enrolling in a new school can always be stressful but Noor has only a short time to get her high school credits and graduate and all will be good if she can keep her head time. Luckily Noor finds some good friends but she also discovers that hundreds have books (mostly queer and BIPOC authors) have been removed from the school library because the school board considers them to be ‘obscene’ or ‘pornographic’. For Noor, the fight is on. Her parents have always taught Noor to fight for what you believe in and Noor can’t sit back and do nothing. She ends up being targeted for being an Indian and Muslim. Racial slurs are hurled at her online and out loud as she stands up and organizes protests against the book bans, but Noor remains steadfast and courageous won’t back down for what she strongly believes in. Alas, the battle involves confrontations with a principled principal, a bigoted member of the board, insensitive peers. Burned books, a molotov cocktail, a boisterous emergency board meeting, and battles with her mother, have Noor question herself. This Book Won’t Burn is a timely and at times stomach churning YA novel. It is a testimony to the power of teenage activism. It is a fascinating and hopeful story about the power to change. It is an engaging read. It is a vital read. This is an excellent book gets a mighty high praise from me.
Excerpts
Anyway, they supposedly don’t want us to read cerain books because they’re harmful – I make air quotes arond harmful – ‘but they don’t want to keep us safe, they want to kep us ingorant. Because ignorant people are easier to control…” (p. 103)
“Hope is an act, not just a feeling. Hope is a choice. So are hate and cynicism and silence. Every day I have to think abut what I’m going to choose. And so do you. “(p, 216)