Module 15: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Summary: Through a series of letters, Charlie reveals the inner turmoil of his freshman year as he grapples with abuse, the death of his aunt and the suicide of a close friend. When seniors Patrick and his stepsister, Sam, befriend Charlie, they open up his world and he begins to come out of his shell. As Sam and Patrick prepare to leave for college, Charlie realize that many of his problems stem from childhood abuse. 

Citation:

Chbosky, S. (2012). The perks of being a wallflower. New York, NY: Gallery Books.

Impressions: The epistolary nature of the narrative definitely makes the story more intense and personal than your standard third person narrative. Charlie's story and downward spiral becomes so intense that I had to take a break from reading a few times. 

Reviews:

Aspiring filmmaker/first-novelist Chbosky adds an upbeat ending to a tale of teenaged angst—the right combination of realism and uplift to allow it on high school reading lists, though some might object to the sexuality, drinking, and dope-smoking. More sophisticated readers might object to the rip-off of Salinger, though Chbosky pays homage by having his protagonist read Catcher in the Rye. Like Holden, Charlie oozes sincerity, rails against celebrity phoniness, and feels an extraliterary bond with his favorite writers (Harper Lee, Fitzgerald, Kerouac, Ayn Rand, etc.). But Charlie’s no rich kid: the third child in a middle-class family, he attends public school in western Pennsylvania, has an older brother who plays football at Penn State, and an older sister who worries about boys a lot. An epistolary novel addressed to an anonymous “friend,” Charlie’s letters cover his first year in high school, a time haunted by the recent suicide of his best friend. Always quick to shed tears, Charlie also feels guilty about the death of his Aunt Helen, a troubled woman who lived with Charlie’s family at the time of her fatal car wreck. Though he begins as a friendless observer, Charlie is soon pals with seniors Patrick and Sam (for Samantha), stepsiblings who include Charlie in their circle, where he smokes pot for the first time, drops acid, and falls madly in love with the inaccessible Sam. His first relationship ends miserably because Charlie remains compulsively honest, though he proves a loyal friend (to Patrick when he’s gay-bashed) and brother (when his sister needs an abortion). Depressed when all his friends prepare for college, Charlie has a catatonic breakdown, which resolves itself neatly and reveals a long-repressed truth about Aunt Helen. A plain-written narrative suggesting that passivity, and thinking too much, lead to confusion and anxiety. Perhaps the folks at (co-publisher) MTV see the synergy here with Daria or any number of videos by the sensitive singer-songwriters they feature.

The perks of being a wallflower. (2010, May 20). Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stephen-chbosky/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/

Library Use: This would be another great book to generate discussions about sensitive topics such as sexual abuse. Since it it frequently on the banned book list, it would also be a great way to discuss why it has been banned and why it is an important book to read.

Module 14: Tricks

Summary: Ellen Hopkins profiles five different teens--Eden, Seth, Whitney, Ginger, and Cody who all turn to prostitution for different reasons. Eden is the daughter of  preacher who falls into prostitution after her father discovers her illicit relationship with a young man. After escaping a camp designed to "reform" her,  she turns to prostitution to survive. Seth's father kicks him out of the house after discovering he is gay. After drifting from man to man and trying to find a place to live, Seth becomes a prostitute to survive. Whitney is forced into prostitution by her rebound boyfriend. Ginger is a victim of sexual abuse by her mother's boyfriend. Cody becomes a prostitute to support his family.

Citation:

Hopkins, E. (2009). Tricks. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Impressions: Much like Crank, this book unflinchingly tackles a controversial issue. Hopkins never sugarcoats the truth so at times, this book was difficult to read. Like her previous books, it shows how a few wrong choices can result in devastating consequences. Considering how popular media tends to romanticize prostitution, this is a sobering example of how the real world works.

Reviews:

Gr 9 Up-- Five teens desperately seek to find their way through the darkness in Hopkins's latest epic novel in verse. Eden flees an evangelical household; Cody blocks out a family illness with gambling and sex; Whitney gives up her body in exchange for the love she finds so elusive; Seth struggles to define himself as a homosexual; and Ginger comes to terms with an awful truth about her neglectful mother. Burden after burden piles on the teens' shoulders until they resort to the unthinkable in order to survive. As they near rock bottom, their narratives begin to intersect. It is only when their paths converge that a glimmer of redemption appears out of the hopelessness. From the punch delivered by the title, to the teens' raw voices, to the visual impact of the free verse, Hopkins once again produces a graphic, intense tale that will speak to mature teens.


Maza, J. H. (2009, October). Tricks. School Library Journal, 55(10), 128-128. Retrieved May 8, 2016, from Academic Search Complete.

Library Use: I think it would be an excellent discussion starter about the consequences of our decisions and the reality of prostitution. I think it is an excellent way to let teens know that there is help out there and they are alone.

Module 13: Boys Over Flowers, Volume 1

 Summary: Tsukushi is the new scholarship student at the elite Eitoku Academy. Everything is going well until she stands up for a fellow classmate who is being bullied by the F4, four privileged, spoiled rich boys who run the school. By standing up to them, she earns a "red slip" which marks her as a target for bullying by the elite few. Even fellow students ignore her for fear of attracting attention to themselves. Not one to be bullied, Tsukushi stand up for herself and begins to inspire others to do the same.

Citation:

Kamio, Y. (2003). Boys over flowers. Hana yori dango (Vol. 1). San Francisco, CA: Viz.

Impressions: As much as I loved parts of this manga, I found other parts a bit to over the top for a shojo manga. For example, the F4 pay a group of boys to rape Tsukushi. The attempt is foiled but this is a romance manga and considering I know how the series ends (she ends up with the leader of the F4), I found that problematic for a title that is rated T for teen. If it hadn't been for the incident, I would have really liked this manga. The artwork is engaging and the theme is timely.

Reviews:
It's spring in Japan. News reports on the nuclear disaster, and havoc and destruction wrought by the earthquake and tsunami are intertwined with progress reports on the wave of cherry blossoms sweeping across the nation. In the mountains, wild vegetables are beginning to push through the snow. Many of these weeds are sansai: mountain vegetables prized for their delicate flavor and sold in farmer's markets. On a given weekend, you may see women and a few men carefully poring over the warming earth, foraging for fuki no to (coltsfoot), warabi (ferns) and my favorite, tsukushi (horsetail shoot).
Tsukushi also happens to be the name of my very favorite Japanese heroine. She's the main character of Yoko Kamio's wildly successful manga series, Hana Yori Dango, which loosely translates to Boys Over Flowers, a pun that refers to people's preference for dango, or sweet rice dumplings, over flowers during a cherry blossom viewing picnic. Trust me, it makes more sense in Japanese than English. All the same, you must read this series.
The story begins at Eitoku Academy, where the students have a novel approach to bullying: Every few weeks an unsuspecting student opens his locker, sees a flag hanging inside and hyperventilates. It's a signal that the student will now be subject to mandatory ostracism and torture, while the cliquey F4, scions of Japan's wealthiest families, will sit back and watch. It's Gossip Girl meets Survivor. Into this fray steps young Tsukushi, a scholarship student.
In the summer of 2007, I spent a great deal of time absorbing Hana Yori Dango. Why? I too, attended an elite prep school in northern California with a trenchant cliquey system of which teachers were sometimes a part. I too, cowered from bullies and skipped lunch altogether to avoid having to figure out where to sit, while I longed for acceptance and escape. I'm an adult now, but my adolescent me still cheers for Tsukushi.
Because when Tsukushi's friend is bullied, she takes on Domyoji, the leader of the F4. Naturally, she gets a red flag. Incensed, she declares war on the clique, later marching up to Domyoji and kicking him in the face in the cafeteria. He topples over in full view of his minions and falls instantly in love. So begins a very complicated romance.
By the early 90s when the series came out, the "bamboo shoot" days of post war Japan, in which the country was forced to forage to find something to eat, had ended. But money did not provide an answer to the existential questions of the Japanese youth. Nationwide bullying became so popular an incident as to become a regular feature on the nightly news.
In 2010, Princess Aiko, the only daughter of the Crowned Prince, made headlines when she refused to attend school due to harassment. In Hana Yori Dango, Kamio was making a statement about the impact of wealth on the young. But in Tsukushi, she was also appealing directly to what she knew had made Japan so great: kindness toward others, a belief in justice and fairness, and the ability to regenerate, as wild weeds always do.
"I am a tough, wild weed!" Tsukushi often reminds Doumyoji, herself and us, when facing challenges that might otherwise seem impossible to surmount. With this strength, often missing in depictions of Japanese women in the west, Tsukushi takes on the bullies in her school and her own inner fears, to emerge a picture of composed triumph.

Mockett, M. M. (2011, March 28). Head over heels for 'Boys Over Flowers' Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2011/04/15/134563204/head-over-heels-for-boys-over-flowers

Library Use: I think it would be a good way to generate a conversation about bullying and problematic favorite characters. This manga is extremely popular with middle and high school teens so I think it would be a great way to talk to teens about sexual violence.

Module 12: Just Being Audrey

Summary: The life of Audrey Hepburn from early days in ballet school to her career in film and beyond. The beautifully illustrated book delves into her development as a fashion icon Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

Citation:

Cardillo, M. & Denos, J. (2011). Just being Audrey. New York: Balzer Bray.

Impressions: I found this book to be a perfect melding of art and writing. The watercolor illustrations brought Audrey to life and were the perfect personification of her personality. For a juvenile biography, the book covered all the major points in her life with the same grace that she herself possessed in life.

Reviews:

   K-Gr 3-In this delightful introduction to Audrey Hepburn, readers learn that as a child, she was gangly and imaginative, in a world of her own. When she announced that she wanted to be the prima ballerina of all of Europe, her mother told her that the world was bigger than she was, and to always be kind, a tenet that seems to have stuck with her for life. She was born into a family of some privilege (her mother was a baroness), but their small wealth was no match for the advancing Nazi troops in World War II. Along with her family and 40 others, she hid in a country house with no heat and little to eat. Through the ordeal, she kept dancing and taught the other children. As the war in Europe ended, a UN volunteer gave her a chocolate bar, an act of kindness that seemed to inspire her. After the young woman realized that she would be more suited to acting, her Cinderella career took her from London to Broadway to Hollywood, but the power in this book lies beyond her fame in the spotlight. Her generous humanitarian spirit is seen through her actions and deeds as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF as she used her celebrity as a vehicle to assist others. With a light, sweet narrative style, readers can almost picture Hepburn dancing as they turn the pages. Evocative of the period, Denos's almost impressionistic pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork is lively and colorful. This picture-book biography is a great addition to any collection.


Donnelly, A. (2011). [Just Being Audrey]. School Library Journal, 57(4), 158.

Library Use: I think this would be a wonderful way to promote biographies. Although I don't know how many children know Audrey Hepburn, I think this would be a book that their parents would pick up and share with them. The illustrations would definitely appeal to the "princess" crowd.

Module 11: The Day-Glo Brothers

Summary: The true story of Bob and Joe Switzer, two enterprising brothers who accidentally invent Day-Glo paint. While experimenting with fluorescent paint for Joe's magic act, Bob creates the dye that would eventually become Day-Glo paint.

Citation:

Barton, C., & Persiani, T. (2009). The Day-Glo brothers: The true story of Bob and Joe Switzer's bright ideas and brand-new colors. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Impressions: This falls under the category of stuff you see every day but didn't know how it was invented. I don't remember a world without Day-Glo colors so I found this book fascinating. I also like the retro illustrations that are reminiscent of late 1950's/early 1960's and the way to book goes from black and white line drawings to drawings with splashes of color (first fluorescent and then Day-Glo).

Reviews:
First featured in the Fall Preview, Chris Barton breaks down the story behind the discovery of Day-Glo colors in this tale of two brothers--one practical, one creative--who worked together to develop the neon brights that forever changed the world. The book required extensive research, as Barton delved into one brother's notes and interviews with the family to re-create the story The effort was well worth it. "The final pages explode in Day-Glo radiance," said the Kirkus reviews: "Rendered in 1950s-cartoon style, with bold lines and stretched perspectives, these two putty-limbed brothers shine even more brightly than the paints and dyes they created." (Ages 4-8)

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors. (2009). Kirkus Reviews, 77(22), 10.

Library Use: This would be a perfect book to use for either science or art class since it is perfect for STEAM projects. For art, it would be great to use for color mixing and the science of color. In a science classroom, you can also explore the science of color mixing from a chemistry perspective and also explore different types of fluorescence.

Module 10: Tomas and the Library Lady

Summary: Tomas leaves his home in Texas to travel with his migrant worker parents to a new job in Iowa. Thanks to a helpful librarian, Tomas begins to learn about the world around him through books and the library becomes his second home. He begins sharing his stories with his family and the other workers in the camp and becomes a storyteller like his grandfather. When they must leave for another job, he bids farewell to the library lady but his love of books travels with him.

Citation:

Mora, P., & Colón, R. (1997). Tomás and the library lady. New York: Knopf.

Impressions: Much like a lot of the books in this unit, this book left me with tears in my eyes. I need to buy a copy for myself so that when I am having a rough library day, I can bring it out, read it, and remind myself that what we do at the library is important. Tomas Rivera was a real person whose achievements in life were attributed to his early experiences in the library.

The artwork for the book is also extraordinary. The lithographs are done with crosshatching in warm colors that convenes the heartwarming nature of the book.

Reviews:

Gr 1-4-- Mora's slice-of-life account tells of the son of migrant workers (inspired by the boyhood of Hispanic author and educator Tomás Rivera) whose horizons and linguistic skills are thrown wide open by the guidance of a friendly librarian. The hardships of migrant life and the dreams that books and learning provide are carefully delineated in both text and muted illustrations. (Spanish edition: Tomás y la Señora de la Biblioteca)

Renner, C. (2005, July). Tomás and the Library Lady. School Library Journal, 51(7), 44-44. Retrieved  April 2, 2016, from Academic Search Complete. 

Library Use: The book is an wonderful way to demonstrate how libraries can affect your life and open up discussions about how reading can transport you to another place.

Module 9: Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?

Summary: Binky works the robbery detail out of the Pinecone Division where he ends up investigating the untimely death of Humpty Dumpty. When Pig suddenly sees an upswing in his omelet inventory, Binky suspects that he may have something to do with the crime. Binky also investigates the death of witch by Hansel and Gretel, Snow White's poisoning, and other famous fairy tale cases.

Citation: Levinthal, David, and John Nickle. Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries. New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2012. Print.

Impressions: I love fractured fairy tales and this one deftly combines those with crime noir. Each story is a different case. The illustrations are fun and colorful.

Reviews: 

Gr 1-4 -- These open-and-shut cases of nursery-rhyme mysteries are narrated by Officer Binky, a toad with a manner reminiscent of Joe Friday's on the old Dragnet TV show, with his typical "Just the facts, Ma'am" style. In the first of five short stories, the officer gets a call from Mrs. Bear, who is upset because someone broke into the family home, ate their porridge, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds. Based upon the evidence-a blond hair and an empty bowl, a piece of blue material caught in a chair that has seen better days, and a disheveled quilt on a bed -- Officer Binky deduces that it "could only be one dame: Goldilocks!" When questioned, she admits to being the intruder. The intrepid cop assures readers that "they'll feed her three meals a day where she's going, and she'll have plenty of time to rest." Hansel and Gretel, Humpty Dumpty, Snow White, and Jack and the Beanstalk are all similarly treated in eight pages or less with the police officer quickly solving the mysteries behind the well-known tales. Illustrations are presented in a variety of sizes and set off by frames in different colors. At the end of each segment, a red stamp reading 'CASE CLOSED' is superimposed over Nickle's richly colored acrylic artwork. The tongue-in-cheek telling of tales will tickle the fancies of children familiar with the originals. -- Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI.

Owen, Maryann H.1. "Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries." School Library Journal 58.9 (2012): 118. Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson). Web.  2016. 

Library Use: I think this book lends itself to a Readers Theater production. You could do it as a live action show or a puppet show depending on your resources.