The Color of Earth
Kim Dong Hwa
The first in a trilogy, this Korean manga begins to tell the story of Ehwa, a beautiful young girl becoming a woman. The story begins when Ehwa is only a child, after her father’s death. The story revolves around the mother-daughter relationship, and through the delicate illustrations and the interaction between Ehwa and her mother, readers can clearly see the intimacy that exists between the two women as they establish themselves as friends and confidants. Readers also experience the ecstasy and pain of the women through their separate romantic interests and experiences. Ehwa’s mother falls in love with a traveling salesman who often comes by unexpectedly, with long bouts of absence in between visits. Ehwa develops crushes on two young men, both of which are doomed to fail. It is the strength and vulnerability of the two women that makes them such believable and wonderful characters, and which makes readers crave the full story of their lives.
Recommended to high school and adult readers.
All the Wrong People Have Self-Esteem
Laurie Rosenwald
Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of books (movies, music, people) that try to tell you “You’re not alone!” and “Be yourself! You’re wonderful!”? Well, this book truly shows you that if you feel alone in your thoughts, appearance, or emotions, you really aren’t alone. How could you be alone if the person that wrote this book also exists?!
The tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic, over-the-top humor won’t be lost on most teens looking for a quick escapist-type read. And the truths attached to the emotion beneath the words will resonate with and empower most teens who (1) feel like they’re not good enough, (2) wonder if they’re the only ones who think most of what other people think is dumb, or (3) think that they’re really that much better than everyone else. This book is a cut-and-paste collage of images, colors, and words. It is eye-catching and exciting. But best of all, it speaks to the heart of the teenage mind, and doesn’t apologize for being seen or heard.
What I Saw and How I Lied
Judy Blundell
There are few words that could capture the essence of Evie’s world as she falls in love for the first time. Nobody is sure what to make of Joe Spooner’s decision to take his wife, Beverly, and her daughter, Evie, on a spur-of-the-moment “vacation” to Palm Beach , Florida during the autumn months just after his return home from World War II. At the Le Mirage Hotel, they meet Tom and Arlene Grayson, “The Swanks” who could make classy look like it was going out of style, and Peter Coleridge, a self-proclaimed “buddy” of Joe’s from the war who steals Evie’s heart with just one dance. Evie is stuck in that place that most girls get stuck in at some point or another: she wants to be grown up, feels grown up, but is constantly treated like a little girl who doesn’t know, feel, matter. Peter makes her feel all of those things. Joe doesn’t like Peter, and especially doesn’t like Peter hanging around his wife and daughter all day. When the hurricanes hit, Joe and Bev go missing for a time and Peter winds up dead. It is up to Evie to find out what happened and make everything right again.
While reading this story, we might forget to care how it ends, but only because we have found ourselves reading largely for the pure joy of the words. The characters are real people, the story forms a world around us, and we don’t realize that we’re reading about history, that we’re coming closer to the mystery’s surprise, or that we’re holding a book at all, for we’re so immersed in the life that is being brought alive before our eyes.
Recommended to high school readers. This novel breaks the boundaries of genre. (Have I mentioned that the cover art is a. maz. ing?)
Katherine Vasilik, Teen Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library
tel: 201-891-2224 x105
fax: 201-891-5102
email: vasilik@bccls.org or kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com
blog: http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com…