Teen Book Reviews by Katherine Vasilik, Young Adult Librarian for The Franklin Lakes Public Library.
War Is . . . edited by Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell
War is many things to many different people. Aronson and Campbell have put together a book of stories that draw from the perspectives of soldiers to touch the hearts and minds of civilians around the world. This book is a collection of stories, letters, and news articles written by those who have seen wartime first-hand. Some of the writings tell the story of cruelty and heartbreak, while others illustrate the freedom and exploration of first-time independence. War
Is . . . does not attempt to make judgment on war itself; it simply exists to tell the stories of those men and women who decided to serve their country, both in the past and present day. The book comes from the perspective that those of us who have never experienced war from the inside can never understand it; therefore, it is essential that we respect war by listening to the stories it creates. Marc Aronson says, “I believe that it is criminal to ask soldiers to fight for us without listening to them.” None of these stories glorify war, and yet none spare us the gruesome or joyful details that emerge from some experiences. This collection simply tells a story, and asks the reader to strive for his own understanding.
This book is recommended for high school readers or other mature readers interested in the history of war, the military, and American men and women who have fought, and continue to fight, for their country.
3 Willows : the Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares
Ama, Polly, and Jo are as different as can be, except that they all just have one more summer before they start high school and that they have known each other their whole lives. Ama struggles through an outdoor wilderness adventure – for school credit, or course. In between babysitting, Polly worries about her weight and the growing distance between her mother and herself. And Jo is spending the summer working at the beach, avoiding her family, and gravitating toward an attractive distraction. As all three girls go off in separate directions for the summer, they learn more about themselves and each other and begin to come to terms with the fact that they are growing up and becoming independent. Their journeys are paralleled by the growth of the willow tree through scattered imagery and the mention of some fun facts: The roots of the willow tree are remarkable for their strength and tenacious hold on life. The girls wonder if their friendship has a place in their lives, while striving to figure out where they fit into the world.
There isn’t anything super-special here, but those who loved – or who had big sisters who loved – The Sisterhood series, won’t want to miss this one.
Converting Kate by Beckie Weinheimer
Kate and her mom have just moved from Phoenix , Arizona to small-town, Maine to help run Aunt Katherine’s Bed & Breakfast. Taking advantage of the move, Kate finally quits the Holy Divine Church in order to explore her own beliefs and to find out what exists beyond the church. Her devout mother doesn’t agree with Kate’s decision and continually reminds her of the beliefs with which she was raised. But Kate now has the distractions of public high school, where she makes friends, joins the school’s track team, and even starts going to Youth Group meetings at her aunt’s traditional Christian church. She forms relationships with a variety of people in the town, including vegetarian “tree-hugging” Jamie, cute lobsterman Will, and the new young priest at church. As her relationships with her family and new friends shift and develop over the course of the story, Kate also is faced with issues of tolerance, cruelty, and shame, and she discovers that not all situations are black-and-white, right-or-wrong.
Kate is a strong young woman, who doesn’t even realize how mature she is. There are a number of interlacing issues in this story – homosexuality, religious and educational tolerance and censorship, coming of age, and love and attraction to name a few – but everything works well together in a way that makes sense to the reader. Most of the characters are likeable and high school readers will have much to which relate.
Katherine Vasilik, Young Adult Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library
tel: 201-891-2224 x105
fax: 201-891-5102
vasilik@bccls.org
kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com