Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian-- Sherman Alexie

I have yet to encounter a novel with a teenage male protagonist that brimmed with affection like this book. Arnold Spirit ("Junior") is adamant in his love for his flawed but adoring parents, revered grandmother, tough sister, and always-angry best friend Rowdy. Later, Junior proclaims love for his classmates-turned-friends, his teammates and his coach. Junior's outlet is cartooning, but his tender pencil sketches reflect caring observation.

Junior is suspended after his first day at Wellpinit High School, when he throws a 30 year-old textbook at his math teacher. Recognizing Junior's rage, his teacher tells him to leave the reservation. Junior, a freakish and picked-on kid, does the unthinkable in enrolling at Reardon High School-- 22 miles away, off the rez. Junior suffers ridicule from community members and classmates alike, but eventually discover supporters and a sense of self-worth.

The illustrations-- sketches and cartoons-- are sometimes sweet, sometimes caricatures, and sometimes dark. The writing is accessible and the themes are plain: rez life is rough, family and friends are important, determination is key. Alexie also does some editorializing about reservations and alcoholism. Things become sad to the point of absurdity-- it feels wrong to say that, but I don't know how one could portray a sequence of senseless deaths more artfully. That said, the more dramatic moments tend to fall flat; I think the best material is in Junior's relationships with his father and Rowdy.

In reviews, teachers fretted about how to use this book in the classroom with the stereotypes of drunk Indians and frank sex talk, but censoring Alexie would be pointless. If anything, I felt that this semi-autobiographical work lacked the poignancy of his more autobiographical work for adults. Diary is good for late reluctant readers, but I would recommend Alexie's truly incredible The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven as a better alternative for high schoolers.

The Skin I'm In-- Sharon G. Flake

Friends, it has been so great to get your recommendations! I have a whole new stack of books from the library and I am very excited to dig in. The wonderful L passed on this recommendation to me from some kids she works with (thanks L... and kids!).

There are certain books that every teen seems to have read, like the Twilight and Hunger Games series. After I read a book, I look it up on online to add the cover design to the blog and check out reader ratings. I am ashamed to say I had never heard of Sharon Flake, but there was unequivocal praise for The Skin I'm In, and almost all of it from young readers themselves. Why is there not a reading campaign for this book?!

The Skin I'm In speaks deeply to those adolescent fears of standing out, not being accepted. Maleeka, the protagonist, is so easy to identify with. I am sad to say that I think this book hasn't gone mainstream on account of race issues-- Maleeka is harassed by her classmates on account of the deep blackness of her skin, a point of self-consciousness that might not resonate with some readers. The book's themes, however, are universal. Maleeka sees herself as ugly, ill-dressed in her homemade clothes, pushed around by her "friends" and put down by her classmates. In Maleeka's journey towards self-acceptance, the book shines a light on what teasing is really about: envy and control. Meanwhile, Maleeka grows to recognize her own potential, stand up for herself, and see who her true friends are.

The themes in this book were so powerful, it only occurred to be later that this would be great for reluctant readers. A strong recommendation for all the middle-reading girls in your life-- at that age, everyone can use a little push.

I Am the Messenger-- Markus Zusak

Zusak got a lot of press for The Book Thief, which I may or may not get around to this year. But I Am the Messenger is a mystery, and I've already told you how I feel about those.

(This makes me wonder-- why don't I tend to read mystery/ suspense novels for adults? My first thought is to say there are major differences between these and their young adult counterparts, but I have to give that some thought.)

I Am the Messenger is suspenseful, sweet, funny, and heartbreaking all at once. Ed Kennedy is 19, living in a shack in the same town where he grew up, but distant his family. He doesn't think much of himself; he feels stuck in his cab-driving job, and stuck in his hopeless love for his best friend Audrey, and sees his three friends as rather stuck too. One day, Ed unwittingly stops a bank robbery, and then receives a playing card in the mail with three addresses written on it. He can't run from these responsibilities and he can't doubt himself-- he is the messenger.

The story takes a series of emotional turns, connecting Ed to many people who were strangers-- even the people he knows well. Zusak does suspense really well; I had to finish this book the same day I started. It's not as subtle as When You Reach Me and the ending is not as clever, but it's incredibly enjoyable, and perhaps more relatable for older and/ or male readers.

Recommended for high school readers on account of some sexual content, some of it troubling, but nothing graphic.