Read-Alikes: GRACELING

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FIND IT: YA CA

FOR FANS OF GRACELING BY KRISTIN CASHORE:

These titles have been selected not only on writing style and tone (comparable to Kristin Cashore's Graceling), but on three categories as well: characters with special abilities or powers; a setting primarily focused on kingdoms and royalty, with perhaps a "Medieval" feel to it; and novels featuring strong female main characters.  Readers that enjoyed any of these elements as presented in Graceling would likely enjoy any of the ten titles presented below, ranging from printed books, to digital audio books, to films, all covering these main components that readers of Cashore's Graceling Realm novels are familiar with.

Fiction about people with special abilities are reflective of the experience of difference--one that young people are all too familiar with.  Not only are these stories interesting, as the range of what counts as a special ability is so vast and infinitely possible, but they can be used to mirror the teen experience quite effectively.  We're all different, even in worlds immensely dissimilar to our own.

Fantasy fiction includes world-building as an incredibly essential component.  For readers looking for an escape from the real world, intricate world-building is essential.

Finally, young adult novels with strong female lead characters are rising in popularity (and availability), but it is how these young women choose to conduct themselves, despite opposition, that separates them from many women in YA fiction.

Use the key below to view the format of each recommendation.  To see the item in our catalog, click on the symbols provided above the "Find it" line.  If the item you want is unavailable, we can retrieve it for you from another library within SCLS.

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

Albin, G. (2012). Crewel. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

In Arras, some women are born with the ability to see the fabric of the universe as strands, and are able to manipulate them as they wish.  These women, known as Spinsters, have immense power and beauty, but are also under strict control by the Guild, who oversees the world and all its happenings.  Adelice has the gift of a Spinster, but her family trains her to hide her talents, so as not to be taken away from them. Using a compelling writing style and inventive world-building, Albin weaves society in which special abilities are revered, and controlled by those with power to abuse.   (368 pages)

FIND IT:  YA AL

Lu, M. (2014). The Young Elites. Rutherford, NJ: Putnam Pub. Group.

Not only did the blood fever in Kenettra kill most of its victims, but it left anyone unlucky enough to survive with a mutated appearance.  These mutants, known as malfettos, are unwanted, but those with unusual powers, dubbed the Young Elites, are the most reviled of all. Adelina was infected as a child, and discovers as a teen that she was also left with strange abilities.  The world-building and angst-filled writing will be sure to draw reader attention.  (336 pages)

FIND IT: ILL (in-house copy on order)

Mafi, T. (2011). Shatter me. New York, NY: Harper Teen.

Cursed with a touch that can kill, Juliette has been incarcerated for the better part of a year, far away from others.  Thinking herself unable to be around anyone else, for fear of killing them, she is suddenly presented with a cellmate, who is unaffected by her disturbing, unwanted power.  Juliette's situation multiplies in complexity as it becomes clear that both sides of an impending rebellion want to use her as a weapon and a symbol.  Readers looking for a suspenseful read will be satisfied with Mafi's dystopic debut. (352 pages)

 

FIND IT:  YA MA

Winter, R. (Producer) & Singer, B. (Director). (2000). X-men [Motion picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox.

Stigmatized for their strange powers, Mutants live in high tension alongside regular humans.  While out in the public, these Mutants are widely feared and shunned--but at Professor Xavier's school, a special institution that trains Mutants displaying special abilities, they are respected and welcomed.  Their training, however, comes in handy when the school's residents--known under Professor Xavier's tutelage as the X-Men--must band together to fight a group of Mutants with a sinister agenda.  Exciting and action-packed, this film shows just how important our talents can be, especially when we decide how to use them. (Rated PG-13, 104 min) 

FIND IT: DVD XME

A MEDIEVAL TIME

Carson, R. (2011). The girl of fire and thorns. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Princess Elisa's strategic military strengths and general intelligence have gone largely ignored in light of her large size, but she is a Chosen One, as indicated by the Godstone she received as a baby.  Her kidnapping after an arranged marriage makes it necessary for her to use her under-appreciated abilities in battle, to great success, but is that enough to satisfy her desire for acknowledgement and respect?  Carson's emotionally intense writing, along with the world-building presented in the novel, will be a welcome change of pace for Graceling fans. (448 pages)

FIND IT: YA CA

Goldman, W. (1973). The princess bride: S. Morgenstern’s classic tale of true love and high adventure. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 
This romantically-written, witty love story valuing inner strength and loyalty in love is full of humor, adventure and, yes, kissing.  Farm boy Wesley leaves Buttercup behind to seek his fortune so that they may marry, never to return (or does he?), while she is kidnapped as part an intricate plan to start a war with a neighboring country. This story-within-a-story is a light-hearted, humorous alternative to the imaginary kingdom presented in Graceling, showing readers the variety of fiction existing within similar settings. (308 pages print; 2 hrs, 33 min audio)

FIND IT: DIGITAL COLLECTION

 

Maas, S. J. (2012). Throne of glass. New York: Bloomsbury.

Celaena, a dangerous female assassin, has been imprisoned for her crimes for over a year, and is unlikely to leave until she is given a deal: either enter a brutal, murderous competition to become a contracted assassin for the royal king, or face the rest of her life laboring away in the mines.  Her interest in actually serving the king does not matter--it's the chance of freedom that does.  Those who perhaps want more of the Grace that Katsa had honed in Graceling, but in the form of a girl who is apparently very comfortable with her line of work, may enjoy this compelling first in a series. (416 pages)

FIND IT: YA MA

Marchetta, M. (2010). Finnikin of the rock. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

After the Lumatere royal family was murdered, a curse was placed upon the land: a curse preventing anyone from entering (or escaping) the doomed kingdom.  Finnikin promises to restore the Lumateran throne and seeks Prince Balthazar, who is rumored to have survived the slaughter.  Marchetta's exquisitely detailed world, compelling writing style, and honorable characters make for gripping tale. (399 pages)

FIND IT:YA MA

STRONG FEMALE LEAD

LaFevers, R. (2012). Grave mercy. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Ismae, hailed as the "daughter of Death," has been graced with a violent gift for killing, and becomes trained as an assassin.  Her abilities grow and strengthen, and she is assigned to watch Duval, a man who may be a traitor, in order to protect the Duchess of Brittany.  However, her job becomes exponentially more difficult when she falls in love with him. Written in a romantic tone to match that of Graceling, readers will enjoy reading a setting taken out of real life (15th century Brittany, France), and seeing how history plays into fantasy.  (416 pages)

FIND IT: YA LA

Rutkoski, M. (2014). The winner’s curse. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

·     The Valorians are a conquering people, as shown by their many enslavements of other races, like the Herrani. When Lady Kestrel, the daughter of a powerful general, buys a Herrani slave at an auction without real motive, she does not expect to fall for him.  Their romance is impossible, of course, due to their rigid class relationship, but nonetheless present and painful.  Lady Kestrel, who does not wish to marry or join the Valorian army, despite her father's wishes, reflects Lady Katsa’s distaste for traditional marriage, and her resentment of being her uncle’s thug.  Readers who liked Katsa's independent mindset will appreciate Rutkoski's first installment in the exciting Winner's trilogy. (368 pages)

FIND IT: YA RU

Doing It by Melvin Burgess

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Burgess, Melvin. Doing it. Square Fish, 2012 (reprint). 352 pages. $9.99. 978-0-312551353.

This angsty, humorous novel follows the romantic happenings of best friends Dino, Jon, and Ben; as they discover what they do and do not want in their respective relationships.  Dino, gorgeous, popular, and conceited, constantly pressures Jackie into having sex she isn't ready for. Jon has difficulty coming to terms with his attraction to overweight Deborah, which makes him a target for ridicule among his friends.  Ben has been harboring a secret for the last few years: his relationship with their teacher, Miss Young, who becomes steadily more unhinged as the story progresses.

While the sexual content itself is abundantly obvious, the copious amounts of British slang may cause confusion for American audiences, making familiarity with foreign vocabulary somewhat essential to fully understand the text.  Still, given the nature of the text, curious teens will likely continue on, in spite of the unfamiliar word choices, and laugh throughout the book.  However, given its raunchy subject matter, professionals may be wary of recommending this Burgess novel, and teens themselves will be secretive while seeking it.

Matched by Ally Condie

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Condie, Ally. Matched. Dutton Juvenile, 2010. 369 p. $17.99. 978-0-525423645.

Cassia Reyes, like most teenagers in the Society, is excited to be Matched to her perfect mate. When her Match turns out to be her best friend, Xander, she is very pleased.  But when she inspects her microcard at home with her Match's information, she sees another face on the screen: her childhood friend, Ky.  How can Cassia have two Matches?  The Society does not make mistakes, and the Officials are quick to try to clear up the incident.  But when Cassia starts falling for Ky, everything becomes unclear.  Could this be the most perfect mistake of them all?

In the midst of many dystopian novels, Ally Condie spins a romance in a world eerily similar to that of Lois Lowry's The Giver (1993).  Cassia's Society gives its people very little choice, under the guise of efficiency and structure.  While Condie may draw in readers with the promise of a love triangle, it is decidedly one-sided from the beginning.  Readers will have to continue on in the series if they are devoted to seeing all sides of Cassia's potential relationships. 

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

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Shan, Darren. Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare. Little, Brown Young Readers, 2000. 266p. $15.95. 978-0-316603409.

An illegal freak show has come to town, and school friends Steve, Darren, Alan, and Tommy must get tickets.  Too bad they're only allowed to get two with their flyer.  When Steve and Darren are chosen to go, they concoct a plan to sneak out to see the show--and, oh, is it worth it.  Giants, contortionists, monsters, and more leave the entire audience in awe--and fear.  Things take a turn for the worse when Steve demands to be turned into a vampire and threatens to blackmail one of the show's performers.  And when Darren steals a venomous performing spider, and his friend is bitten, he'll have to do the unthinkable to save him...

Shan weaves a simultaneously creepy and humorous story with his autobiographical tone and frank descriptions of fear and death.  Readers will be on the edge of their seat with excitement as Darren trains the vicious spider, attempts to cure his friend's deadly condition, and interacts with various dark creatures.  This dark and creepy series will be a favorite for readers that want to get a little scared.

Summer of Secrets by Paul Langan

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Langan, Paul. Summer of Secrets. Townsend Press, 2004. 160p. $3.99. 978-0-439-90491-9.

Secrets are consuming Darcy Wills.  Her parents are fighting a lot, but will not tell her why.  Her sister, Jamee, has been lying about where she's been lately.  Darcy herself has dark secrets of her own.  She can't sleep or focus, and can't bring herself to tell her friends and family why.  Her anxiety multiplies when her old friend Brisana gets romantically involved with an older boy who does not seem to care about her at all, but when Brisana finally comes to her for help, will there be an easy solution?  This summer off from Bluford High just might be their most difficult one yet.

Readers will be totally immersed in this fast-paced summertime drama, written in an engaging, yet no-frills style by series editor Paul Langan.  Summer of Secrets does not skimp on the excitement, letting the tension build up until the very end.  Occasional typos and spelling mistakes may temporarily distract the reader, but they will continue eagerly to find out what becomes of Darcy and Brisana.

A must-read for fans of the TV series Degrassi: the Next Generation.

From Stacked: YA in Translation

In my teen materials class, we recently discussed foreign young adult books.  For the week's reading, we had a choice between several translated YA books from countries such as Spain and the Netherlands.  How cool to find this post from book review blog Stacked talking about translated YA books in the publishing world.  Click here to see the post from their Get Genrified series.

... and definitely stick around for the list of translated YA titles at the end!  I've only heard of a few of them, one being No and Me by Delphine de Vigan, and possibly Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (although that may just be confusion with another book cover).

Try to pay attention to the translators' names--I recognized a few of them!  Anthea Bell, for example, translates a lot of German fiction, including Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series and The Thief Lord.  Another translator on the list, Margaret Sayers Peden, was the translator for the book I reviewed in a previous post, The Valley of the Wolves from Spanish author Laura Gallego Garcia.  A lot of the same names come up, if you look around.

The Valley of the Wolves by Laura Gallego Garcia

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Gallego Garcia, Laura. The Valley of the Wolves. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2006. 247 p. $16.99. 0-439-58553-8.

*translated into English by Margaret Sayers Peden

Dana has grown up on a farm with a very large family, and yet has always felt very alone.  Her strange friendship with a boy that only she can see has prevented her from forming relationships with those around her.  Still, with Kai, her unusual friend, by her side, she is happy enough with her lot in life.  However, when it becomes apparent that Dana has an aptitude for magic, she is whisked away to a faraway academy of sorcery known as The Tower, and begins her training to become a maga.  She moves through her lessons with grace, and she steadily gains confidence in her talents.  The mystery of Kai's origins still elude her, and she becomes even more curious when she is visited by the image of a powerful female sorcerer who comes to her with a request.  In her efforts to learn more about her visions, she may find out more than she originally bargained for.

The Valley of the Wolves is a fast-paced tale of magic with a strong focus on friendship, the love we have for those closest to us, and what we will do to protect them.  There are few typographical inconsistencies in an otherwise smooth translation, but readers will nonetheless wait with anticipation to find out Kai's secret origins, Dana's true magical ability, and the loyalties of the mysterious Maestro and Fenris, her fellow student of sorcery.  The magical atmosphere is not alarmingly present in the text, but those looking for a Hogwartsian setting may be pleasantly surprised.

Let's Get Crafty: The Big-Ass Book of Crafts by Mark Montano

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Montano, Mark. The Big-Ass Book of Crafts. Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2008. 384p. $19.95. 978-1-4169-3785-2.

Montano's enormous book of craft ideas gives even the novice crafter a plethora of possible projects.  Covering a range of themes, from body beauty products, to wooden masterpieces, to the just plain artsy, and everything in-between, Montano ensures the reader that there is certainly a craft for them.  With bizarre chapter titles (Artsy Fartsy, You've Been Framed, and I Made This for You... So You Better Love It, among others), out-of-the-ordinary project ideas, and the book's ridiculously blatant title, it will be difficult not to attract teens.

The Big-Ass Book of Crafts will certainly keep project-seekers busy and entertained.  However, there is a definite possibility of frustration when the crafts' instructions require the use of a jigsaw or drill bits, which may not be easily accessible (or affordable) for the young audience the book targets.  Still, teens may find it fun to flip through the book and admire the many crafts, and use them as a base for their own original craft ideas.  Advanced crafters will certainly be in their element.

Share this with the crafty teen looking to keep their hands busy, those with a lot of free time, and anyone up for a bit of a challenge.

Article Review: Can photos alone make nonfiction more fun?

Article:

Cart, M. (2010). The eyes have it - other visual forms: Photo essays and the new nonfiction. In Young adult literature: From romance to realism (pp. 179-185). Chicago: ALA.

Nonfiction for youth has certainly had a rough history.  Cart guides us through the last century or so of nonfiction meant for children and teens, with some distressing statistics.  Thanks to library grants from the National Defense Education Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, unimpressive nonfiction titles were made a thing of the past and series nonfiction were released in all their colorful, photographed glory... until the money ran out and children and teens (and let's not forget the librarians) were, again, left disappointed.

Cart mentions the emergence of "lexigraphical" nonfiction, as famously produced by Dorling Kindersley (DK Publishing) (181).  The combination of detailed, colorful, or otherwise interesting photos and illustrations with informational text was revolutionary in that it got kids to read and enjoy nonfiction.  I am in full agreement that the images and text inform each other and help to improve the reading (and learning) experience for the young reader--even for the old reader!

I think that readers, young and old alike, do not truly realize that, unlike fiction, nonfiction does not need to be read fully or consecutively.  Unless you are truly interested in a subject, or are particularly immersed in the reading experience, there may not be a need to read a nonfiction book in its entirety.  I feel that this is part of what turns people off from reading nonfiction--it has a (long) history of being boring and unappealing, and there is that connotation of it being "just a school thing," (184) so why would anyone want to read it in full, when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing?  You can still enjoy a nonfiction title while maybe not reading the entire text--just stick to what catches your eye (hopefully, it's not just the pictures) and continue as you see fit.

While children's nonfiction is certainly plentiful, having seen many juvenile nonfiction sections across libraries, oftentimes young adult fiction seems to get very little notoriety or attention in the teen room.  What little may exist in the collection is likely collecting dust in the space, or is relocated to adult nonfiction with no indication but a simple "YA" spine label.  Teens do not seem to realize that nonfiction can be enjoyable, so these titles get left on the back burner (or, rather, in the adult stacks) and they rarely see the light of day.  Children's nonfiction has had quite the number of makeovers in its existence as a genre, so that now we have access to beautiful photographs in each nonfiction picture book, with enthusiastic colors and text, simply bursting from the shelves.  I see plenty of kids that are excited to take home a nonfiction book, whether it be on mammals or outer space, and even though publishing is still working hard to make nonfiction more appealing for a teen audience, I think they still have a long way to go before teens stop rolling their eyes at the YA librarian for suggesting they take home that JFK biography for some light weekend reading.

Adding more photos, illustrations, fiction-like narratives, or comic book elements to nonfiction are a great start to reinventing the reputation of youth nonfiction.  At the same time, it is a science that has still not been fully explored.

I cannot say for sure whether or not the inclusion of photos or illustrations are the only way to improve youth nonfiction, but maybe that just means it is time to experiment!

Reviewing the Book Reviewers: Professional Journals vs. Bloggers

For my teen lit class, we are required to write a paper comparing professional book reviews (such as those printed in professional review journals such as School Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus) to "amateur" reviews (such as bloggers and commenters on websites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble).  In order to achieve this, I sought out a total of ten reviews for the books Every Day by David Levithan and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater--three professional reviews and two amateur reviews for each title.

Here are the highlights from my findings:

•  Professional book reviewers must be concise--they have space to worry about, as they often share the page with other books (and other reviewers).  Bloggers do not necessarily have such restraints (unless they purposely choose a word limit).
• Bloggers get much more personal with their audience--they may share personal anecdotes, or outright "fangirl" over the book they are reviewing.
• Book bloggers may borrow the book's summary from another source (such as Goodreads or the book jacket) and post that at the front of their review, rather than re-writing their own summary--by letting someone else summarize it for them, they can jump right into the review.  This differs from the professionals in that they (the professional reviews) are primarily focused on summary.
• Posting or publishing a book review before the book's release does not seem to be absolutely necessary for either type of reviewer, but submitting the review amid the book's release (say, within a 2-3 month window) is very common.
• While professional reviews seem very formulaic (and particularly strict with language), book bloggers have various review styles and rating systems that they apply when reviewing a book.

When searching for my blog reviews, I came across some great sites--old favorites and some new ones, too!  Please check out these bloggers to get some great recommendations.

• Forever Young Adult (Every Day review here)
• Pretty Books (Every Day review here)
• Pirate Penguin's Reads (The Raven Boys review here)
• Bookishly Yours (The Raven Boys review here)

Fan Fiction and Readers

Collins, Tara. "Filling in the gaps: What is happening in the world of fan fiction." Library Media Connection 24, no 4 (2006): 36-38.

For readers looking to continue the experience of reading a favorite or particularly gripping story, they may turn to fan fiction writing.  Those who are not quite ready to leave Hogwarts or Middle Earth, or feel that some characters simply have more to say, can use fan fiction writing as a creative outlet in order to remain close with the characters and worlds they have come to know and love.  Tara Collins invites 80 decidedly "popular" fan fiction authors whose content is hosted on fanfiction.net to participate in a survey about their writing: their preferred characters, settings, and opinions on why readers are drawn to their re-imagined (and expanded) stories and characters.  She shares the results of her 30 responses in her article, Filling in the Gaps: What is Happening in the World of Fan Fiction (2006).  Much of her focus is spent on the preferences of writers' character choices, meaning, their reasoning behind choosing one character over another to lead their story(-ies).

Rather than consistently, habitually choosing the previously designated "main character" from the original works, fan fiction writers have been known to select minor characters to be the face of their creations.  Instead of having Harry be the star of a Harry Potter series fanfic, fan fiction writers may elect to tell the story from a smaller-scale character's perspective.  This is due to various factors, including the desire to be more creative with a less (officially, or "canon-wise") fleshed-out character, or even the fear of offending readers with a new (and possibly inaccurate) interpretation of a much-beloved character.  A respondent of Collins's survey confirms this with her use of a minor character in the Lord of the Rings universe, in that "[he] is a minor character but with fan fiction you can extend this.  There is little we know about [him] and because of this you can let your imagination as an author run free without going against what Tolkien wrote."  By choosing to write about minor characters and their adventures, one has less of a chance of either offending other fans of the original story, or tainting the history that has already been established.  They are allowed a creative experience without detriment to the series they know and love.

Collins's findings represent a small window into the world of fan fiction, yet presents stimulating and interesting information, unveiling the secret inner-workings of fan fiction authors' minds.  Each reader takes away something different from the stories they read, and they may choose to apply those feelings and discoveries in different ways to share that love with others.