The Spellman Files

Lutz, L. (2007) The Spellman Files, Simon and Schuster, New York, NY

 

Annontation: Isabel Spellman lives and works with her family until one day, she wants out.  Now, all she has to do is get out without it forever hurting her family, herself or her dreams.

 

Nomination: Decline

In Lisa Lutz's Spellman's Files, 23 year-old Isabel struggles to find her own identity seperate from her parents and the family private investigator business.  However, when she struggles to branch out on her own, her parents have a very difficult time letting her go and proceed to spy on their own daughter.  The book has many themes consistent with a YA book, including the search for self-discovery and individual identity, "grown-up" characters (mainly her parents and uncle) who continually fail in Isabel's eyes and are considered inferior to Isabel, as well as the constant strife with a younger sibling.  The strife with the younger sibling vacillates between Isabel struggling to be a role model for her younger sister and her anger towards her younger sister's insistent meddling in her life.  Isabel finds herself drawn between wanting to stay a kid as her parents would prefer, under their roof, working the family business and adhering to the family conformities and having her own life.  The breaking point is when her parents don't agree with her boyfriend choices and begin to follow her, ultimately ruining the relationship, or so she thinks.  Isabel soon comes to the conclusion that she sabatoged the relationship herself with her immature approach to the relationship, and finds that she can really be accepted for who she is and what she (and her family) does.  Though Isabel's age brings a different set of problems that most teens would encounter, the prominent themes of family strife, quest for self-identity and interpersonal relationship problems (and solutions) rings true with any reader.  The immaturity of Isabel's character does mirror that of a teen going off to college, with the same implications of leaving the nest.  I would recommend the book for 11/12 graders, but not any below that age.  For that reason, I decline to nominate for a PRINTZ award, as it doesn't fit the criteria.  It is an excellent "crossover" book, however, and should be recommended to the appropriate age group.

 

Genre: ALEX Award winner

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

8.         Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Citation:  Rowling, J.K., (2003) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hubsta Ltd.

Annotation

Faced with his most difficult year of Hogwarts, Harry must stand up for the truth despite condemnation at every turn and discovers that he must fight for every step if he is to truly triumph over evil.

Nomination

Accept. Though it is only one in a series of books, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is truly a coming-of-age book.  Harry has reached the age of 15 and his faced with cutting his own path through the myriad of life.  Though many of his classmates, teachers, society and peers condemn and shun him for what they believe to be a lie (the return of Lord Voldemort), Harry doesn’t waver and continues to stand up for the truth - a valuable lesson for any age.  His ever-changing hormones and realization of romantic feelings for a classmate will appeal to any teen. When it is apparent that the adults in charge don’t “know it all,” Harry bands with his peers to prepare for what he knows to be inevitable and to protect his friends.  The leadership and support he shows for his classmates sets a great example for positive ways for teens to disagree with adults. When Harry and his friends rush into a situation they are not well-prepared for instead of finding adults, they discover that it doesn’t work out the way they should.  This is also a good lesson for teens that if help is available, they should ask for it.  However, Rowling does this in such a non-patronizing way, that most teens wouldn’t even realize they are learning a lesson.  With action at every turn, true teen-relatable stories and many lessons in friendship, truth, honesty, love, strength, hard-work, determination and courage, this book is one of the best in the series.

Genre: Censored material - fantasy

Flash Fire

4.         Flash Fire

Citation: Cooney, C.B. (1995). Flash Fire. Scholastic, Inc.

Annotation: Trapped on a mountain being consumed by fire without any adults, five children discover they need only trust themselves and each other to make it down alive.

Nomination: Accept.   

Cooney’s Flash Fire is a wonderful adventure novel providing teens readers with a thrilling, realistic story filled with twists and turns.  While Cooney could have easily taken the “easy” way out, she tells the story realistically to her readers and doesn’t sugarcoat the dangers her characters face.  You spend time getting to know each character, and the story is told from their point of view. Surprisingly (though impressively) at the end of the story, two of the characters perish.  Cooney leaves the reader wondering until the last minute if those characters will survive and the reader feels the pain of that loss, just as they would feel in real life.  Cooney is unique in that she could have easily written a way for these characters to survive, but it would have not been realistic to the situation or the danger.  Cooney doesn’t patronize her readers by giving them false hope or a fantastical way of life. Many of the supporting characters of the adults are foolish and oblivious to their children, except for the one that is from the neighborhood and only recently an adult, further appealing to the teen reader and providing additional ways for the reader to relate to the story.

Genre: Adventure

Playing for Keeps

6.         Playing for Keeps

Citation: Nixon, J.L. (2003). Playing for Keeps. Laurel Leaf

Annotation:

When Rose goes on a cruise with her grandmother, she meets her first love in strange circumstances and soon learns that the mysterious young man is in a fight for his life.

Nomination: Accept

Nixon’s Playing for Keeps is the epitome of young adult mystery with its strong teenage characters, the amateur detective of the main character, Rose, and the logical, yet unpredictable, plot twists as the teens race to solve a mystery that can forever change a young man’s life. While Nixon deals with very serious issues of illegal immigration, murder, communism, political gain and greed, she balances it well with teenage embarrassment, first loves and age appropriate humor. The supporting characters provide a unique perspective of Cuban immigrants and the loss they realize after their immigration, while other characters provide perspective of why so many Cubans live in Communism and how it is perpetuated by Castro’s government. The mystery would leave an adult wondering (though an adult reader proficient in mysteries may pick up on Nixon’s clues), providing a good challenge for teens and demonstrating the solution through logic and good observation.

The main character of Rose is a well-developed teen suffering from normal teenage angst of a matchmaking grandmother, difficult family dynamics, a tumultuous relationship with her mother, the difficulty of choosing the “good guy” or the attractive, mysterious stranger and friendships.  The majority of the angst is resolved throughout the book, teaching teens that problems are temporary and solutions are available, lessons that all need to learn. 

Genre: Mystery