Reading like I'm 16 again

We know I read a bunch of Young Adult Literature not only because it is fun, but in order to be a better (and more relevant) teacher. I've read three such works of late.

The Tequila Worm

At fist, I was like meh another coming of age novel broken into snippets for each chapter. However, after reading a few chapters I was struck with the heartfelt nature of the words. The book is about a young (and smart) girl from McAllen, Texas who is very close to her family. She gets an offer to attend a prestigious boarding school in Austin (aka FAR away) on scholarship. What should she do? Is leaving her family the right thing to do? What does she want her life to be like?

I may be biased as I lived in southern Texas, and the whole thing left me nostalgic. But more than that, reading this book made me remember that even at an early age (high school) we are already on the road to the adults we will become.

Amazon tells me it is for readers 5-8, but I think it is for anyone making a big decision in their life.

The Runaways

The Runaways can't be called a graphic novel. It is a straight up comic. In my mind, graphic novels are art and comics are fun. And this was. Imagine a bunch of mutant/alien/super power adults who have formed a yet to be determined if they are good or evil group. They have infiltrated every level of society with informants. Oh, and they sacrificed a person. I think I'm going to vote evil.

Only their kids walked in on the sacrifice. They obviously run away from person killing parents. Oh and guess what - the kids have similar powers to their parents and cool gadgets (including a RAPTOR).

The illustrations were fine, but what was really fun was the storyline where a group of kids ranging from 5th grade to a 17 year old try to figure out who they are, and who their parents are, and who to trust, and oh yeah how to get food for themselves.

The Chocolate War

What's funny is of the bunch, this is supposed to be the "classic" YAL book. I loathe this book. It is only a tiny little thing that should take me an hour to read, but it took me over a month. Because over and over again I was disgusted with it.

It is the usual boys prep school blah blah lots of boys being mean to one boy (which I hate). Only it is really mean. Like Lord of the Flies mean. There is a 'gang' only it is white middle class boys so they are mainly a psychological warfare gang. They hand out 'assignments' to boys in the school who must complete them due to veiled threats.

*SPOILER (but you shouldn't read this book anyways, so it is moot)

There is also this whole chocolate sale thing that one boy (who lost his mother to cancer just a couple months before...come ON) is made to say no to. There are evil teachers who don't mind boys being tortured and team up with the gang. NOT COOL. But then when the assignment is over the boy continues to say no and it ends up with him being beaten up to a gym full of boys who paid to see the spectacle.

Oh and did I forget to mention that the only insertion of females into the plot is a girl they see at the bus stop (they never speak to her) that makes them put their hand down their pants and rub liberally. First I say EW and then I say why is this book a proponent of unhealthy sexual manifestations turning teenage girls in to sexual beings only as opposed to fellow people who should be respected and - I don't know - TALKED TO.

All in all, it is Lord of the Flies without the overarching societal implications.

"There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a children's book."
Philip Pullman