YA literature: THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING TRAITOR TO THE NATION VOL 1: THE POX PARTY by M.T. Anderson

THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING TRAITOR TO THE NATION VOL 1: THE POX PARTY by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. 2006. THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING TRAITOR TO THE NATION VOL 1: THE POX PARTY. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 987-0-7636-3679-1

A virtuoso violin player, fluent in several languages including Greek and Latin, well-versed in the sciences and ancient literature, and a subject of an experiment describes Octavian, son of a princess. With his mother, Octavian lives in the house of serious minded philosophers and scientists, who afford the all the luxuries, attentions, and classical education they can, despite the fact they are Africans living in Colonial America. The characters of the story richly varied in personality and purpose, some playing archetypal roles. 

Though Octavian has never thought twice about acts such as tracking the intake and output of his food consumption, he discovers through the entrance of a forbidden area he is part of an experiment to prove inequalities in the various races of humans. He becomes aware that he and his other are in fact slaves, not the royal guests he had always presumed. Things begin to change as he learns more about his purpose in the house; a scandal causes the humiliation of a first beating, and the poor financial status of the College results in a cruel new leader, Mr. Sharpe. Octavian soon learns what the life of a slave entails as he seems to be set up for failure in the experiment. The rich 18th century language and harsh reality of detail absorb the reader into the historical time period with a fresh sense of realism over romanticism.

When scenes of revolution begin to appear, and another venture in the experiment causes the illness of his mother, Octavian begins to pay more attention to the warnings of fellow slave Pro Bono. After the death and appalling treatment of his mother, Octavian escapes to a life of hardship, fear, and uncertainty, ending up with the militia in the beginnings of revolutionary battle. Though he refuses to speak as a result of his trauma, Octavian begins to question further what freedom really means and what freedom is being fought for in the revolution against England. Historical facts and rumors are skillfully intertwined within this story which piques the readers’ interest into further research and investigation. Octavian’s mind is made up when he is captured, chained and tortured by Mr. Sharpe, then escapes again with the aid of his tutor. This intriguing story is unfolded as a collection of manuscripts in chronological order which tell the story of young Octavian. “The cover's gruesomely masked Octavian epitomizes a nation choking on its own hypocrisy. This is the Revolutionary War seen at its intersection with slavery through a disturbingly original lens” (Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept 2006). A gritty story which illuminates several perspectives during the time period will both entertain and incite contemplation for teen and adult readers alike. 

Classroom Connections:

-        Cross-curricular novel study for LA, history, science

-        Research project possible topics: beginnings of American Revolution, slavery in Colonial America, impact of slavery in the Revolution, science of the 18th century

Best Books:

Amazon Editors' Picks: Top 10 Books, 2006 ; United States
Book Sense Children's Picks, Winter 2006/2007 ; American Booksellers Association; Top 10; United States
Booklist Book Review Stars , Sep. 1, 2006 ; United States
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2006 ; Booklist Editor's Choice; United States
Booklist Editors' Choice: Top of the List, 2006 ; American Library Association; Winner; United States
Booklist Top 10 Black History Books for Youth, 2007 ; Booklist; United States
Capitol Choices, 2007 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Children's Pick of the List, 2006 ; NAIBA; United States
Choices, 2007 ; Cooperative Children’s Book Center; United States
Horn Book Fanfare, 2006 ; Horn Book; United States
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2006 ; Kirkus; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, September 15, 2006 ; United States
Notable Children's Books, 2006 ; New York Times; United States
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 2006 ; Publishers Weekly; United States
School Library Journal Best Books, 2006 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, October 2006 ; Cahners; United States
Senior High Core Collection, Seventeenth Edition, 2007 ; The H. W. Wilson Co.; United States
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2007 ; American Library Association; United States
YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 2007 ; American Library Association; United States

Awards, Honors, Prizes:

American Booksellers Book Sense Book of the Year (ABBY) Award, 2007 Honor Book Children's Literature United States
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2007 Winner Fiction and Poetry United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2006 Honorable Mention Best Book for Older Teens United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2006 Winner Best Book Title United States
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2006 Finalist Young Adult Fiction United States
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2006 Finalist Young Adult Literature United States
Michael L. Printz Award, 2007 Honor Book United States
Thumbs Up! Award, 2007 Nominee Michigan

YA literature: WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED by Judy Blundell

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Blundell, Judy. 2008. WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 978-0-439-90348-6

Evie Spooner can’t understand why her blond bombshell mother won’t let her wear lipstick and party gowns, why her friend Margie teases the neighborhood girl who happens to be Jewish, or why her stepfather Joe takes the family on an extended extravagant vacation to Palm Beach, Florida. The story is told by Evie in a circular flashback, leading the reader to many questions and suspense from the first page on. 

All seem to enjoying the new feeling of freedom and indulgence following the end of WWII, after the absence and rationing of the past several years. It is off season in deserted Palm Beach where the few residents of the Le Mirage hotel are very conspicuous. The Spooner family soon befriends the glamorous Grayson couple. Evie does all she can to feel less like a girl and more like a woman, including developing a secret relationship with the handsome older Peter who seems to be disliked by his past army buddy Joe, Evie’s dad. Things seem to be going well, when events begin to occur which confuse Evie. Her mom wants to hide the fact that she and Evie spend time with Peter during the day, Joe seems to be more and more agitated, and the Graysons are hiding something. 

“Using pitch-perfect dialogue and short sentences filled with meaning, Blundell has crafted a suspenseful, historical mystery that not only subtly explores issues of post–WWII racism, sexism, and socioeconomic class, but also realistically captures the headiness of first love and the crushing realization that adults are not all-powerful” (Jennifer Hubert, Booklist, 1 Nov 2008).A literal and figurative hurricane sweep the Spooner family into scandal, family intrigue, wartime theft, prejudice, a murder trial, an accused affair all which Evie weathers in her loss of innocence. Told through rich sensory details, this story reads more realistic than historical despite the setting. Though the overall story seems a bit farfetched and schizophrenic, the conflicts and experiences of Evie are relatable for most teens today. She finds out not all is as it seems, being grown up is hard, and people, including family can be very different than what you expect or think you know.  

Classroom Connections:

-       -  Cross-curricular novel study with LA and history relating to post WWII America

-       -  Booktalk props: lipstick, perfume bottle, music excerpts mentioned in the book, sand

Best Book Lists and Awards:

Booklist Best Books for Young Adults, 2009 ; American Library Association; United States
Booklist Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth, 2009 ; American Library Association; United States
Capitol Choices, 2009 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Choices, 2009 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, September 29, 2008 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Best Books, 2008 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, December 2008 ; Cahners; United States
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2009 ; American Library Association; United States

National Book Awards, 2008 Winner Young People's Literature United States

YA literature: THE PIGMAN by Paul Zindel

The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Zindel, Paul. 1978. THE PIGMAN. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-26321-8

“Being of sound mind and body on this 15th day of April in our sophomore year at Franklin High School, let it be known that Lorraine Jensen and John Conlan have decided to record the facts, and only the facts, about our experience with Mr. Angelo Pignati” (Zindel). This is the intriguing and somber beginning to a story about the unusual interactions between two teens and the man they refer to as the Pigman. What begins as a prank on an afternoon of boredom turns into regular visits to the Pigman’s house, and a growing friendship. 

The story, told as a flashback from the perspective of John and Lorraine alternatively, reveals the troubled lives of the characters, from John’s bathroom bombing at school to the parental struggles of both. Though thoroughly focused on their own issues, the teens discover the Pigman has struggles of his own, mainly that of finding the joy in a lonely life after the death of his beloved wife. Though unsure of why, John and Lorraine find themselves spending more and more time with Mr. Pignati, who erroneously thinks for quite a while they are adult charity workers due to the initiating prank. From roller skating in the house to visiting Bobo the baboon at the zoo, the teens discover life is what you make of it, despite your situation. This lesson is not fully realized, as the teens continually make surprising and at times insensitive choices, including throwing a raucous party in the Pigman’s house while he is in the hospital. The Pigman feels betrayed by the teens, as John and Lorraine respond differently to this and the subsequent actions and occurrences. With a dramatic ending which is both typical and surprising in the events and actions of the characters, this book is an intriguing mix of realism, humor, drama, romance, and grittiness most any teen would enjoy to read.  Though an older novel, it “…still offer[s] important messages to today's teens…” (Kathy Miller, School Library Journal review).

Classroom Connections:

-       -  Discuss symbolism of the pigs and the baboon

-       -  Socratic circle discussion and writing assignment related to unexpected friendships and learning from those in different life situations.

Best Books Lists:

Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Eighth Edition, 1982 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High, Sixth Edition, 1976 ; National Council of Teachers of English; United States
Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Senior High School Library Catalog, Fifteenth Edition, 1997 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States

Voice of Youth Award, 2006-2007 ; Nominee; 7th and 8th Grade; Illinois