A Deep Sleep

THE ULTIMATE MIX

Rapp, Adam. Punkzilla. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 2009. Print.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7636-3031-7

Hardcover, $16.99

244 pages

***AWARDS AND HONORS***

ALA Printz Honor for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, 2010

ANNOTATION

When 14-year-old runaway Punkzilla travels across the country to reconnect with his dying brother, he finds just how far he is from being the only lonely and misunderstood person in the world. This unique, edgy novel is a disturbing and inspirational epistolary tale told through the protagonist’s letters, music interests, and transient experiences.

BOOKTALK (Open End)

*** READER ADVISORY: EXPLICIT CONTENT ***

Life on the road is anything but simple for Jamie—known to his Portland street friends as “Punkzilla” or “Zilla”—a 14-year-old runaway with little more than a paper notebook full of letters, a stolen iPod, a rubber mask, and the driving desire to see P, his dying older brother in Memphis. P has always been one of the few people to truly understand and accept Jamie.

However, as Zilla hitchhikes his way across the country to reconnect with his brother, he finds out just how far he is from being the only lonely and misunderstood soul in the world. But will Zilla make it to P in time, or will a life of homelessness and hitchiking with strangers leave him stranded and alone?

TEEN VOICE

"I mostly like books that feel real—like I can really get into the characters, and relate to what they're going through."

Jasmine M., age 14

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RELATED RESOURCES (COOL STUFF)

>>> Check out my 8tracks mix below, inspired by music references in Punkzilla and style from Tavi Genison’s Blog. While you're at it, you should try making your very own book mix...

Here's the full list for Zilla Mix for P, straight out of Jamie's notebook...

>>> Check out a Punkzilla book trailer here...

>>> While the Young Adult Literature wiki may be geared more toward teachers, it makes a really strong argument for the use of Punkzilla in English classes. It also offers a ton of information about the book, including some videos like this one...

>>> Find out about author Adam Rapp on Wikipedia, and follow him on Facebook.

>>> Learn more about the lives of street kids in Portland with Invisible People interviews like this one...

A SPECIAL VOICE

Wright, Bil. When the Black Girl Sings. NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2008. Print

ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-3995-5

Hardcover, $16.99

266 pages

***BOOK PRAISE***

To learn more about what critics have to say, visit the website of Simon & Schuster.

ANNOTATION

Lahni Schuler—a young Black teenager with White adoptive parents and a powerful singing voice—draws from her experience in a church gospel choir to set herself apart from the crowd at her school’s big talent competition. This heartwarming, dramatic novel is the predecessor to author Bil Wright’s hilarious Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy.

BOOKTALK (Snap'N Read / Open End)

As if being adopted weren’t hard enough for Lahni Schuler, having White parents with marriage problems makes life even more difficult. Lahni’s a young Black teenager attending a mostly-White private school in Connecticut, where parents and peers—including an odd male stalker student, who goes by “Onyx 1”—seem bent on obsessing over physical differences.

Lahni’s mother eventually takes her to a local church, where the gospel choir puts Lahni’s singing talents to work:

I was somewhere else, flying way over the auditorium, over the parking lot, when I heard them. The audience. They were clapping and I hadn’t finished singing yet. …Even though they were clapping, I didn’t stop flying. I didn’t want to come down (255).

With the support of her new extended family in the church, Lahni uses her voice to set herself apart from the crowd at school. But will she find the strength to step on stage and follow through with her school’s big talent competition?

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RELATED RESOURCES (COOL STUFF)

>>> Check out a book trailer here...

>>> Bellie reviews her top five books of all time, including When the Black Girl Sings...

>>> Check out two separate versions of Lahni's song, “His Eye is on the Sparrow” here...

>>> Listen to a podcast about “Musical Books for Teens” on ReadWriteThink.

>>> To discover more teen fiction exploring adoption, take a look at this list from the Hennepin County Library in Minnetonka, MN.

TAKING CHANCES

Lee, Ingrid. Thief Girl. Toronto: James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers. 2011. Print.

ISBN-13: 978-1-55277-539-4

Hardcover, $16.95

152 pages

***BOOK PRAISE***
To learn more about what critics are saying, visit Orca Book Publishers USA.

ANNOTATION

Avvy Go struggles to strike a balance between keeping her immigrant family and herself out of trouble, after finding a wallet in the streets of her Canadian neighborhood. This book is one of many dramatic installments in the Lorimer SideStreets hi-lo series for reluctant YA readers.

BOOKTALK (Snap'N Read / Open End / Wrap Back to Title)

Avvy Go is a sweet, smart, and hardworking Canadian high-school student just trying to do the right thing. She helps her Chinese immigrant parents with their take-out business at the food court after school, and tries her best to keep her siblings away from trouble. But when Avvy discovers an unused debit card in a misplaced wallet on the street, will she be able to keep herself out of trouble?

Too much. Too much. Everything was always too much. …It seemed like being alive was just too damned expensive. I got up and fished around in the drawer where I had hidden the money. I put it in my backpack. I was about to play Robin Hood again (68).

What will Avvy do with her newfound pot of gold? Will she manage to make things better, or will they completely backfire for her? Or will Avvy become just another Thief Girl?

TEEN VOICE

"I read all the time—on the way to class, on the bus, while I eat breakfast in the morning, and before I go to bed at night. Reading is something I love and could never live without. I think reading is so important—especially for young people—because it opens your mind to all sorts of ideas and possibilities, and sometimes even teaches you new ways to think."

Rita B., age 18

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RELATED RESOURCES (COOL STUFF)

>>> For a more information on Thief Girl, read this detailed summary on the Lorimer blog.

>>> Check out a full list of other books in the Lorimer SideStreets series on Lorimer Children & Teens.

>>> Learn more about Chinese immigration and culture in Canada here...

A Deep Sleep

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Monday, September 3, 2012