 Ilyasah Shabazz, with Kekla Magoon, X: A Novel, Torri

Torri

Title:  X: A Novel

Authors:  Ilyasah Shabazz, with Kekla Magoon


 

 Shabazz, Ilyasah, and Kekla Magoon. X: A Novel. Print. Candelwick Press (2015) 

From the early years of Macolm Little's life it always seems that he is running, running from something. Running from state to state, running from the pain of his father's death and running from right and wrong, just running. As a young man Malcom's constant running ultimately lands him as one of the prominent figures in the Civil Rights Movement. Due to becoming a product of the foster care system and getting in trouble, Malcolm left Lansing, Michaigan to live a better life with a step sister in Boston. Several years lateer, now in Harlem, Malcom chooses a life  as a local hoodlum, Now running from the law, other hoods and the memories of his family, However, his running seems to come to an end when Malcom enters prison and begins to evolve in to the Malcolm history knows him to be, X.

Thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel that is geared toward grade eight and above, This is an excellent companion to other nonfiction material about this noted Civil Rights activists. The flip flopping through periods of his life, for me, was a little annoying at first, however, the use locations and dates made it easier to follow. I was slightly disappointed because I thought the book was going to go a little futher in Malcolm's life. However, the insight on the young life of the future Malcolm X brought some meaning to the beliefs and actions of the great man we know today.

Good reads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22292486-x


Macolm X, History.com
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/malcolm-x

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Debate

http://ed.ted.com/on/qdlPzFzh

In the late 1950s and 1960s two remarkable men, both African American, both relatively young, shook the social foundations of America. In the exercise you will be asked to explore the ideas of these two men in order to answer the question above.

Graphic Novel - Drowned City - Kate

Kate

 

 

                The non-fiction graphic novel, Drowned City Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans by Don Brown tells the story of the devastating effects of the infamous, Hurricane Katrina on Monday, August 29^th.  While people in New Orleans are instructed to evacuate, 200,000 remain to wait out the storm.  45,000 people are rescued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Coast Guard while oil, flying cockroaches, mosquitoes, and gnats swarm around them, as well as poisonous snakes within the water.  Twenty thousand people take shelter in the superdome and three thousand at the convention center, while an evacuation is promised, “Federal, state, and city officials can’t decide how to share responsibility” (Brown, 2015, p. 67).  Meanwhile, people starve and live in squalor, yet President Bush doesn’t receive the reports of how bad the conditions truly are.  Finally, on Saturday, September 3^rd, hundreds of busses reach New Orleans to take people to shelters and the National Guard patrols the streets. “But the city didn’t snap back to life. By 2012, only 80% of New Orleans’s residents had returned” (Brown, 2015, p. 90). However, those that have returned were protected from Hurricane Isaac by the enormous storm surge barrier that has been built since Katrina.

The author did a tremendous job of explaining how Katrina grew, while including facts and figures on the dramatic effects, but also included dialogue from many different people to provide a story element for the reader as well.  For example, a FEMA worker stated, “When I have a nightmare. It’s a hurricane in New Orleans” (Brown, 2015, p. 7).  As an animal lover, I was pleased that the author addressed the fact that people were forced to leave their animals behind and that FEMA now allows people to bring their pets with them.  Don Brown also shows, without pointing fingers, that disaster relief efforts could’ve been handled better, especially when President George W. Bush praises FEMA director Michael Brown saying “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job” (Brown, 2015, p. 83).  Given that the author’s illustrations portray the deceased face down in the flood water, children pumping and oxygen mask to keep a person alive, and the images of police shooting a gun as evacuees try to walk over the bridge into the next town, this calls for a recommended audience of upper middle school - adults.

Don Brown's website: http://www.booksbybrown.com/

 3 Views On A Tragedy: Reporters Recall First Days After Katrina http://www.npr.org/2015/08/29/435623921/3-views-on-a-tragedy-reporters-recall-first-days-after-katrina 

Before and After Photos

http://www.nola.com/katrina/index.ssf/2014/08/hurricane_katrina_then_and_now.html 

Videos Show New Orleans 10 Years after Hurricane Katrina

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/08/28/watch-videos-show-new-orleans-10-years-after-hurricane-katrina

Bibliography

Brown, D. (2015). Drowned City Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

 

 

 

Marvin - This one Summer

Marvin

Summary of This One Summer

“This One Summer” is a young adult graphic novel by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, which is a story that follows young Rose Wallace as she walks through family difficulties, friendship, and local drama while at Lake Awago on Summer Vacation. For as long as she can recollect, Rose has spent summers at Lake Awago. It is there where she has a best summer friend, Windy, who younger than rose by a year and a half. The two girls are inseparable, doing everything together from swimming to exploring to watching horror movies.

                The summer begins normally enough. Rose and Windy fall right into their normal summer routines with their families. They swim, cook out, go for walks, explore, collect pebbles, shells, glass, and other small items. They reflect on their summers, their desire to grow boobs, and about their adventures from past summers. As the girls begin to rent horror movies from Brewster’s, the lake town’s sole business, Rose begins to have a man crush on Duncan, a teenager who works there. As we move forward, the crush that rose has on Duncan begins to grow stronger. Rose and Windy end up spending a more consistent time at Brewster’s, while here, they overhear other teens using profane words, such as “slut”, and talking about sexual things such as blow jobs; as a result, Rose and Windy start to reflect on how they might turn out one day. Rose, who knows her parents have been distant for about a year, is stunned to see that her parents not only actively argue, but that her father leaves to go home for a few days. It upsets her, and causes her to argue with her mother. Rose accuses her mother of never wanting to be happy, of always making others miserable, and that it should be her and not her father who has gone home for a few days. Rose and Windy also come to learn about local drama as it unfolds. Duncan’s girlfriend, Jenny, is pregnant. Duncan is seen attempting to avoid his responsibilities time and time again, not wanting to go with Jenny to the doctor, disbelieving that she even is pregnant, and gossiping with his friends about the idea that the baby, if there is one, belongs to someone else. At the summer cottage, Rose’s father returns, but barely speaks to her mother.

As the summer draws to a close, Jenny finally confronts Duncan about his responsibilities. Duncan tells her to get lost. Meanwhile, Rose, Windy, and their families enjoy their final bonfire together. It is then that Rose discovers Jenny’s friends are looking for her. Rose sees a drunken Jenny sinking in the ocean, and screams for her mom. Rose’s mom rushes to the rescue, diving in to save Jenny from drowning. Later that night, Rose learns that her mother suffered a miscarriage while swimming the summer before, and so has not been right since. Rose and her mom come to peace with one another. Rose and Windy say good bye and look forward to next summer. Rose hopes she will have boobs by then.

This story is one long flowing narrative told in words and illustrations. Words are used carefully, while illustrated sequences can speak more to the story than words otherwise would have been able to. Some pages are composed entirely of a single illustration, and few if any words. This long, flowing, and uninterrupted novel is something that students would gravitate to especially with the illustrations and how the novel is formatted. Instances, events, thoughts, and feelings all run together and I believe young adults would think of this as an easy read and something they could identify with; especially the young adult females. Family, friends, and love are themes in this novel that I also believe young adult readers would enjoy reading through because these are the things that they deal with on a daily basis. Authors Discussing Collaboration on "This One Summer"
Authors Interview on Multi Award Winning Novel
LA Times Book Festival Interview
Florida Restricts Access to "This One Summer"

       Graphic Novel Review

        Lisa

      In a journal style format, with a mixture of graphics, narrative and first-person dialogue, Drowned City depicts the days immediately before and after Hurricane Katrina. Muted watercolor drawings portray how “a swirl of unremarkable wind” (p. 2) leaves Africa in August of 2005 and becomes one of the worst natural disasters in United States history. Winds and water cause many of the levees around New Orleans to break and eighty percent of the city is flooded. The human response to the tragedy is as wide-ranging as the physical damage of the storm, as we learn about the failures of local and national agencies, as well as the rescue efforts by organizations and individuals. Acts of kindness, courage and selflessness by some are contrasted with those of indifference, incompetence and criminal behavior by others. The triumph of the thousands of lives saved is suppressed by the tragedy of over 1,400 lives lost, in large part due to lack of preparation, communication and coordination. Although most of New Orleans would be restored and its residents return, thousands of residents and some areas (like the Lower Ninth Ward) would never be the same, seemingly taken away with the receding waters of Hurricane Katrina.

            As both author and illustrator, Don Brown takes a complex event and presents it in a manner suitable for younger readers. The graphics help the reader visualize the magnitude of the storm, the resulting devastation of a city and the desperation of the people left there. The news-feed text format interjects facts about Hurricane Katrina without appearing overly scientific or textbook in style. “As it crosses the Gulf of Mexico, the whirling storm creates an air pressure in its center, or eye, that lifts the ocean’s surface into a kind of massive bubble.” (p. 8). Quotes from victims of this disaster provide a window into the human aspects during all phases of this event, and are indicative of the amount of research the author completed prior to writing this book. (Almost fifty references are noted in the bibliography.) This book is an excellent example of how the graphic novel format can bring a true story to life and be used as a succinct, yet accurate, nonfiction resource for research projects. This book is recommended for middle school students and beyond, but could be introduced at upper elementary level.

Bibliography: 

Brown, D. (2015). Drowned city: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Author's website:

www.booksbybrown.com.
Video of Hurricane Katrina & aftermath:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fhc0oWxF1Q

Articles and pictures of Hurricane Katrina:

http://www.history.com/topics/hurricane-katrina

http://www.livescience.com/22522-hurricane-katrina-facts.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fhc0oWxF1Q

http://www.livescience.com/22522-hurricane-katrina-facts.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ (includes articles on the impact on Gulf of Mexico/wildlife)

10 years later - recovery and lessons learned:

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/30/-and-now-in-pictures.html

http://www.fema.gov/hurricane-katrina-decade-progress-through-partnerships

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/08/27/hurricane-katrina-then-and-now-lifting-the-fog-of-memory/



Graphic Novel Pick- This One Summer

Erin

3/21/16

 

Review of This One Summer by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki

*Graphic Novel Selection

              In This One Summer Jillian and Mariko Tamaki tell the story of summer friends, Rose and Windy.   The 2 girls have been friends as long as they have been going to Awago Beach. This summer Rose is 13 and she is excited for vacation. As the summer rolls by, Windy and Rose pick up their friendship and also begin to notice a group of local teenagers who work and hang out at the convenience store. The girls are uninterested by them at first, but when a rift is torn between one of the couples and the boy won’t talk to the girl, curiosity gets the better of Windy and Rose. They have to get to the bottom of what has happened. As they follow the teens, the girls slowly uncover that the girl is pregnant. But it isn’t all just summer gossip and fun. Rose has been dealing with trouble between her parents. Her mom sinks into a depression, her father leaves, and Rose begins to change. The summer comes to a climax with party for the teens where the central couple confront each other, driving the girl (Jenny) to disappear into the ocean. It takes Rose’s mom to save her bringing back both Jenny and herself.

              This One Summer conveyed its style not solely through words, but primarily through illustrations. Jillian Tamaki is the illustrator. Her pictures have a soft bubbly style that keeps the light feel of summer throughout the story. She also uses her illustrations to flash back to previous trips to the beach. Jillian focuses and highlights important symbols throughout the book by giving close ups of individual images. For example, the first images of the book where we see single leaves floating to the ground. These isolated images help to cement the tone of the book. This novel was a fun and easy read but allowed for exposure to deeper themes and topics that young adults deal with in our world today. I recommend this book to 8^th and 9^th graders as well as reluctant readers who have yet to get excited by a book or who may struggle with reading.

Reference

Jillian Tamaki, M. T. (2014). This one summer. New York: First Second .

 

 

 

 

 

Graphic Novel: Nimona review by Terrie

Graphic Novel review by Terrie        Spring 2016

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Meet Nimona. She's brash, violent, and the shape shifting evil side kick she believes Balister Blackheart truly needs. While Lord Blackheart isn't as sure, their villain/sidekick relationship builds from disturbing misadventures and wisecracking to a story of acceptance and protectiveness. Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, Blackheart's former friend and current arch nemesis, works for the (not always heroic) Institute of Law Enforcement and Heroics.  When the director of the Institute orders Ambrosius to "dispose of" Nimona, the plot takes unexpected turns for all three of our characters.

Stevenson has created characters that begin as two dimensional  and are almost four dimensional by the end of the story. Her drawings capture the fidgety nature of Nimona in a unique way. Never do any of these characters seem static. The artwork in this graphic novel is exceptional in its portrayal of the emotional upheavals through simple yet multi-faceted drawings.  In this alternate fantasy universe, Stevenson reminds us that hidden motivations can make black and white very gray.  This book is recommended for students in eighth through twelfth grades.

Stevenson, N. (2015). Nimona. New York: Harper Teen.

 The original blog can be found here: http://www.gingerhaze.com/nimona/comic/page-1

You will find, though, that the original artwork in the book does not match what you will see online.  As Stevenson let Nimona evolve through her magnificent mind, Nimona representation changed.  In the book format, Stevenson went back to the first few chapters and re-drew Nimona and friends so that all would be consistent. 

For an interview by NPR with Noelle Stevenson: http://www.npr.org/2015/05/13/406467585/nimona-shifts-shape-and-takes-names-in-sensible-armor-of-course

 I'm not the only one who likes this book!
*National Book Award Finalist
* New York Times Bestseller
* New York Times Notable Book
* Kirkus Best Book
* School Library Journal Best Book
* Publishers Weekly Best Book
* NPR Best Book
* New York Public Library Best Book
* Chicago Public Library Best Book
* A Spring 2015 Indie Next List Pick

For more YA graphic novels:
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/great-graphic-novels

Teacher's guide to using graphic novels
http://www.penguin.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/you_can_do_a_graphic_novel_TG.pdf 

Graphic Novels in the Classroom by Gene Yang
https://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/trc/upload/Gene_Yang_article.pdf

Graphic novel post: Kelsey

Tamaki, M.(2014) This One Summer. First Second Publishing.

Kelsey

Review “This One Summer”

    This one Summer by Mariko Tamaki is a graphic novel that captures the summer vacation of a young girl and her family. This story relates that this is a vacation spot that the family visits every year. The young girl in the story, Rose, is growing into a young woman. She is starting to see grownup problems for what they are. She sees her parents having problems over the inability to have a baby and a young couple having problems because of an unplanned pregnancy. As the story continues Rose becomes furious with her mother because she can’t understand the pain she is experiencing and her mother is not entirely honest with her for fear of overwhelming her. Eventually we find out the truth when her mom is able to overcome her fears to save the young impregnated girl from the water.
     One interesting piece of this graphic novel is how everything weaves together so nicely by the end. In that way it feels like a typical novel. This graphic novel would be suitable for many ages of readers. There is teen pregnancy and the topic of miscarriage so this would be better suited for upper middle school and high schoolers. In addition this would be a much more interesting book for females than for the male reader. I was not as interested in this novel as I have been in other novels this semester. Parts of it caught my attention but throughout most of the story I felt like I was reading a very “young” book. For his resin younger readers would not have the same bias I have and would still be very interested in the read. I would definitely recommend this book to struggling readers who do better with less text at the middle or high school level.

Graphic Novel: March: Book One

                                                                               Carrie

                                                  

                                               Photo Credit: http://www.google.com/

                March: Book One is a graphic novel that tells how Georgia Congressman John Lewis became an active participant in the civil rights movement. As a boy growing up in rural Alabama, John Lewis saw injustices everywhere. His school was inferior to the white school, and the prisoners he saw working the land on his way to school were always black. A trip to the north with his uncle had to be carefully planned…there were some gas stations where it would be unsafe for blacks to stop. Hearing stories about the Montgomery bus boycott and about the murder of 12 year old Emmett Till motivated John Lewis to action. In school at Nashville, John Lewis was taught the ways of non-violent protest. In practice sessions, he was beaten, spat on, and repeatedly called the “n” word to test his resolve. Finally it was time to stage a sit in at segregated lunch counters.  The process lead to his arrest, and the bombing of a friend’s house, but eventually, the Mayor declared that all lunch counters will be desegregated.

                The rich illustrations which extend the text make it accessible to younger students. I would recommend this book for middle schoolers.  The message of standing up for justice at all costs makes it a powerful book. The content is sometimes troubling; particularly when young Emmett Till is killed and his murderers escape justice.  Because the “n” word is repeated multiple times, this book would require guidance from an adult. Students who have never heard this word would need assistance to understand the oppressive power it held.

Works Cited

Lewis, John. (2013.) March: Book One.  San Diego, CA. Top Shelf Productions.

 

Website

NPR Civil Rights Giant Becomes Comic Book Hero: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/civil-rights-giant-becomes-comic-book-hero/

PBS Independent Lens: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/februaryone/film.html

Teaching Guide Aligned with Common Core State Standards: http://cbldf.org/2014/02/using-graphic-novels-in-education-march-book-one/

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPVlbcKkk9E

John Lewis Interview on Book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQU8rMufqLQ

YAL graphic novel

Meghan

Brown, Don.  2015.  Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans.  New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

            Author Don Brown wrote a graphic nonfiction account of the events and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  The book was the School Library Journal’s Best of 2015, the Booklist Editor’s Choice, and received many other accolades. The pages of the novel are covered with courageous watercolor illustrations, which speak to the desperation that the people of New Orleans felt.  Brown takes us through the few days leading up to the hurricane all the way through the rebuilding of the city.  The audience learns of specific details about the storm that they may not have been aware of.  For example, only eighty percent of the over one million residents chose to evacuate the city as recommended by the major and the National Weather Service.  Of those that choose to stay in their homes, stubbornness and fear crippled them, as they learned of the magnitude of the category 5 storm.  “Water rolls down streets.  I don’t know what’s happening, but there are cars floating down the avenue.  It looks like a river.  Neighborhoods flood.  It’s gushing, gushing, gushing and we can’t open the door and then the water is up to my neck.” (p. 67) Brown also fills the pages with his belief that the recovery of the storm was mishandled by many people in charge.  He gives credit to everyday heroes as well as the Coast Guard, but faults the efforts of FEMA as well as President Bush.  The tale of the momentous storm of 2005, was filled with captivating images as well as relevant phrases to depict the complete destruction of a city.  The inspiring story offers insight into the incompetence surrounding the relief, but also the courage and selflessness of many people who risked their lives to assist those in dire need.

            I would recommend this book for upper middle school grades, high school, and adults as well.  I believe this book has the power to move all ages similarly as the muted illustrations and spare, but precise language, serve to capture the treacherous conditions and the desperation of all.  The novel was a very easy read and would lend itself well to reluctant readers as there is not much text to get lost in, but still a very powerful story.  I believe this novel would allow students to attempt to see a world outside of their own, and begin to understand that there are difficult situations going on all around them.  Students could have the opportunity to feel empathy for others, and hopefully in turn learn to emotionally connect to other people; a sometimes very difficult undertaking at an age of self-centeredness.

E-book selection
      Lisa

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

     

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda is a coming of age story that depicts the complex and ever-changing dynamics among high school students and family members. The main character is Simon, a seventeen year old junior who has an ongoing friendly and flirtatious email relationship with another unidentified male student at the school (Blue). Though sure of his sexual identity as gay, Simon is unsure of what the response will be of those around him – his friends, his family, and his classmates. If he “comes out”, will he be known as Simon who has made a lifestyle choice, or as a lifestyle choice that happens to have a name of Simon? The timing and choice are taken out of Simon’s control when a classmate uses a screenshot of an email posting between Simon and Blue to blackmail Simon. As Simon’s sexual identity is revealed through personal conservations and social media posts, Simon experiences rejection, ridicule, acceptance and compassion from the most likely – and unlikely sources. The story concludes as the next chapter in Simon’s life begins – a love story with Bram and plans to continue the conversation of being true to yourself. After all, “I like no endings. I like things that don’t end.” (p. 302).

       In her debut novel, Becky Albertalli writes a realistic fiction story that transports the reader to virtually any high school in our country. Through a mixture of email transcripts and narrative, we experience the struggles of being accepted for who you are – especially when that is considered outside the “norm.” She challenges the status quo, as Simon says, “As a side note, don’t you think everyone should have to come out? Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it should be this big awkward thing whether you’re straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I’m just saying.” (p. 146).  Friendship, self-identity, the impact of social media, and the choices we make when placed in a difficult position are all themes explored in this novel. We are reminded that individual lives and relationships are complicated, and “people really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.” (p. 293). This book is recommended for high school age students, but could be introduced at the end of middle school. 

Bibliography: 
Albertalli, B. (2015). Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda, New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Want to know more about this author? Visit www.beckyalbertalli.com/

Resources for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual youth:

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/727-resources-for-gay-lesbian-bisexual-and-transgender-youth-select-organizations-web-sites-videos

http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/

http://changingminds.org/explanations/values/values_morals_ethics.htm

Teaching Resources and other LGBTQ books (all levels):

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/lgbtq-books

http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/may/12/lgbt-books-week-childrens-books-teenagers-ya

E-book - The Unlikely Hero of 13B - Kate

Kate

                                                 

                The Unlikely Hero of 13B by Teresa Toten is an eye opening work of realistic fiction, which tells the story of fifteen year old Adam who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as he begins attending a support group for OCD as recommended by his psychiatrist, Chuck.  Adam does the best he can in individual and group therapy by offering support whenever possible to the other group members, all the while keeping the secret of his mother’s hoarding and drinking problems, as well as dealing with being a father figure to his five-year old half-brother at his father’s house.  He falls in love with a girl named Robyn from the support group and she eventually convinces Adam to open up to the group about his mom, including the mysterious letters she’s been receiving that tell her how much she’s messing up her son’s life and to kill herself.  Chuck explains to Adam that Robyn has progressed to a point where it’s counterproductive to be in the support group.  Adam makes the painful decision to let Robyn go so that she can lead a “normal” life and returns home to find a small fire on the stove and his mother on the floor rambling about getting into a fight with the author of the letters.  It is revealed that Adam’s mother wrote the letters and is institutionalized, while Adam then settles in to life at his father’s house with his ever loving brother, Sweetie.  

            The author tells the story from the third person point of view. However, the main character, Adam’s thoughts come through clearly throughout the book. For example, “Adam’s feelings stumbled and tripped around like out-of-control drunks; he was jubilant one minute, drowning in anxiety the next. This was love? It was like being held hostage by a terrorist.” (Toten, 2013, p. 99)  While the ending was not exactly a happy one, the author left things as they should be. Adam broke it off with Robyn so that she could move forward while she was still in remission and Adam’s mom was in a psychiatric hospital receiving the care she so desperately needed. I did enjoy that Adam, “Batman” found a new “Robin” in his younger brother, Sweetie and finally felt comfortable enough in his environment to cry. The topics of hiding obsessive compulsive disorder from others, erections, suicide, self-harm, call for a recommended audience of mature middle school and high school.

 

Teresa Toten's website: http://www.teresatoten.com/home.html

 

 

Bibliography

Toten, T. (2013). The Unlikely Hero of 13B. Delacorte Press.

 

 

The Hunted- E-book

 

Kelsey       

Peña, M. D. (2015). The hunted.

E-book review

The Hunted

        The Hunted by Matt De Pena is a captivating adventure about a group of friends determined to help the people of California during a major crisis. The story begins as the friends arrive on a lifeboat after being stranded at sea. With them they carry syringes containing a vaccine to cure people of the virus that has swept through California. They also have paperwork implicating the drug company for spreading the virus in the first place in order to create a demand for a “cure”. These friends face all kinds of trouble as they travel. They can not tell anyone their real purpose because then they will no longer have the vaccine, and once they make themselves known they become hunted by the drug company who obviously do not want the information to be leaked. They travel all the way to the border and manage to get the vaccines over after a great deal of struggle and find themselves having to make decisions about what they will do next.

       The author does a wonderful job of holding the readers interest. The story is packed with adventure and the reader is always holding his/her breath waiting for what will happen next. This book would be suitable for high school readers. There are some moments that are suggestive for younger students. The main characters have sex in the story and there is a great deal of graphic violence and disturbing imagery. I became very much absorbed in this book and couldn't stop reading it. I was disappointed when I got to the end and realized that there was a book that came before because I wish I had read that first. Overall the book had very rich characters. Many races were represented clearly in the story which was great for young readers to help students identify.

More Resources

http://www.ca.gov/
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2015/08/06/one-thing-leads-to-another-an-interview-with-matt-de-la-pena/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR8dhpQBCMc