VOYA Perfect Ten

What is a VOYA perfect ten?   A book that exhibits the prestigious Perfect Ten rating—a 5Q for literary quality and a 5P for teen appeal.

 

Brown, Jennifer. Hate List. Little, Brown & Company, 2009.

Ages: 13 – 18

Summary: It’s sixteen- year- old Valerie’s first day back at school after the shooting the previous Spring.  The shooter vas Valerie’s boyfriend and as she returns to school she must deal with the aftermath of his actions and her part in them.

Personal Reaction:  What a powerful book!  The reader is given a firsthand look at how tragedy affects everyone involved and even those on the outskirts.  No one goes away unscathed.  The reader can’t help but grow as they watch the adults and teens involved work through their feelings as they come to an acceptance of how the tragedy fits into their lives.

Evaluation:

·         appealing to both boys and girls

·         realistic fiction

·         protagonist is very courageous

·         gives the reader something to think about

·         gives the reader an idea about how their actions affect their parents

·         older readers will get the most from the book, but younger readers would also benefit

Alex Award Winner

A brief history on the Alex Award: given annually to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults.

Bender, Aimee. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. New York, Doubleday. 2010.

Alex Award

Summary: On the eve of her ninth birthday, Rose Edelstein takes a bite of her mother’s lemon cake and discovers she can taste her mother’s emotions.  Only George, her older brother’s best friend takes her seriously when she mentions this fact.

Reaction:  While the book was not a chore to read, I still feel rather ambivalent about the book.  Once Rose became a teenager, I thought the book might have more appeal to a teen audience.  I would recommend the book to eleventh and twelfth graders.

Evaluation:

• Would appeal to girls, not boys
• A book about emotions
• Storyline about brother is a bit of a stretch
• Partial love story
• Protagonist matures as story develops