Chick Lit, Gay.Lesbian, Fractured Fairytales

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel. Simon and Shuster, 2007.  Emma, Jess, Megan and Cassidy are four sixth grade students from Concord, Massachusetts with very distinct personalities.  When their mothers decide to formulate a book club featuring the classic work of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, the girls are forced to evaluate themselves and their own friendships, as well as the ones they have with their own mothers. Over the course of a school year, the daughters learn a series of lessons and discover that many aspects of their lives are very similar to Alcott and her famous characters.  This is a wonderful book for young adult readers from sixth to eighth grade. Concepts addressed included bullying, friendship and loyalty.  

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. By Carolyn Mackler.  Candlewick Press, 2003. Virginia is a fifteen year old girl who is a bit overweight and has low self-esteem. She is insecure and feels as if she is the black sheep of her “perfect” family. She especially feels inadequate in the eyes of her mother whom constantly critiques Virginia’s body.  Virginia’s life drastically changes when her older brother gets expelled from college. She embarks on an emotional journey of self reflection and self-discovery to find out who she is as an individual. I would definitely recommend this award winning young adult novel to junior high school and high school students. Relevant issues such as date rape, dieting, body issues, depression, cliques, death and romantic relationships are addressed and are all extremely relatable.

Get It While it’s Hot Or Not. By Valerie Hobbs. Orchard Books, 1996. In this young adult novel, Megan, Kit, Mia and Elaine have been friends since eighth grade and pledge to remain that way forever.  Now as juniors in high school, their friendship is tested when Kit gets pregnant. The other girls under Megan’s leadership devise a plan to care for Kit.  As a school journalist as well, Megan decides to expose the issue of teen sexuality in her high school environment. Along the way, she encounters various roadblocks that prevent her from addressing the issue. Megan must accept the consequences of her behavior when she decides to defy school policy and express her views. This book is most appropriate for high school students due to issues of teen pregnancy, AIDs and sexuality.

Anna and the French Kiss. By Stephanie Perkins.  Dutton, 2010. For her senior year of high school, Anna’s father decides to send his daughter to an American boarding school in Paris. There, she meets Etienne St. Claire a fellow student of French, English and American heritage. As their friendship develops into a romantic one over the course of the school year, confusion and miscommunication occur.  This is a great read for high school students. The historical and cultural references are extremely helpful in understanding premise of the story.  Sexuality and language are addressed causing the book to be a bit inappropriate for students younger than eighth grade.    

Along for the Ride by Sarah Desson. Viking, 2009. After graduating from high school at the top of her class, Auden decides to spend the summer with her father and his pregnant wife in a small seaside town.   After living most of her life with her structured scholarly mother, Auden embarks on a journey to reevaluate her life and discover interest outside of the classroom. In Colby, Auden works at her sweet stepmother’s clothing boutique and meets a group of coworkers whom she befriends. She also meets a boy named Eli who helps her to break out of her shell. Auden discovers some dark aspects about Eli’s past and tries to support him as well. This is a great book for high school students, it address issues of female friendships, mother-daughter relationships, death and loss.  

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake.  Alfred A. Knopf, 1982.  In this anthology, Dahl expresses his unique talents by creating his own versions of fairytales. In these versions, the traditional characters are intertwined together to create dark, gory alternative characters that deviate greatly from the more recognizable ones that we are all familiar with.   For example, Little Red Riding Hoods shots the Wolf with a pistol and uses his remains for a coat. The cartoonish style illustrations convey a dark and eeriness.  Very creative adaptations for older children in the upper elementary grades.

The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Sciezka. Illustrated by Lane Smith.  Viking, 2002.  In Jon Sciezk’s humorous collection of fairytales, the reader is able to experience a different take on the traditional genre. Such collections include, “The Princess and the Bowling Ball”, “The Really Ugly Ducking” and “Jack’s Bean Problem.” The illustrations are very unique and abstract looking, the work is definitely recommended for younger readers in 2nd-4th grade.

Absolutely, Positively Not By David Larochelle. Scholastic, 2005. Steven DeNarski is a sixteen year old boy from Minnesota who is coming to terms with her sexuality. He is able to eventually accept the fact that he is a homosexual with the help of his friends, family and a support group. This is a very useful book for students in junior high and high school as a teaching tool for used for teaching tolerance and acceptance.