I’m always looking for good books, and readers choice awards are a great way to find them. Every year the Young Adult Library Services Association collects nominations for its Teens Top Ten, a list of favorite YA fiction created by teens for teens.
I’m no longer a teen, so I can’t vote in YALSA’s 2018 Teens Top Reads. However, I can scour the list of 25 books nominated to get awesome reading ideas. This year, books like One of Us is Lying and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter caught my eye. Check out YALSA’s list to see if there’s anything you like:
If you are a teen, you can vote for up to three books on the list. The top ten books with the most votes will make the Teens Top Ten (TTT) for 2018. Help promote your favorite YA novels!
And, if you aren’t a teen, please share this list with teens you know and find some great reads for yourself!
I’m happy to see that John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down made the list. This is a powerful book about dealing with mental illness and loss. In his talented way, Green balances serious and difficult issues with humor. Definitely a must read.
Some people think that young adult books are fluffy novels about teen crushes and first kisses. Wrong. Young adult novels deal with tough issues, everything from eating disorders and suicide to, as in the case of my latest read, grief and divorce. They also can teach vocabulary.
Emery Lord, author of The Start of Me and You, taught me two new words last week: solipsism and pulchritude. Let me share what I’ve learned.
In The Start of Me and You, main character Paige is complaining about how her divorced parents have started dating.
“Sorry,” I said, giving a little laugh. “I didn’t mean for that to sound so solipsistic.”
Solipsistic/sō-ləp-ˈsi-stik/ from Latin solus (alone) + ipse (self):
of, relating to, or characterized by solipsism or extreme egocentricity
Here’s another Word Nerd Word. (Paige is a bit of a nerd; she’s on the school Quiz Bowl team for Pete’s sake. All cool nerds are. 😉 )
Max, another main character, says,
“I mean, I do think she’s beautiful and interesting… but that’s just, you know pulchritude and conversation.”
Pulchritude /ˈpəl-krə-ˌtüd/ from Latin pulcher (beauty)
physical comeliness
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a young adult novel that vividly addresses issues from the headlines: racism and police violence. It’s a thoughtful, well written book relevant for today.
Premise
Sixteen year old Starr Carter lives in a poor, black urban neighborhood, but she attends a fancy, mostly white, private high school in the suburbs. Starr struggles to balance her two distinct worlds and the roles she believes she must play in each of them. When Starr witnesses, at close range, the shooting of a childhood friend, her worlds collide and her assumptions about justice are challenged. Starr must learn to claim an identity, and a voice, that will serve her in all places and with all kinds of people.
What I like
In The Hate U Give, Thomas planted me firmly in an unfamiliar culture. (Isn’t that one of the greatest things about books?) Thomas describes Starr’s world using language and dialogue (”Boy, it’s good to see where the Lord done brought you), sounds (gun shots in the night), and images (gang symbols and colors). She forces readers to consider how it feels to be on the receiving end of racist comments, or to be scared simply because a cop pulls up next to you at a stoplight.
There are so many differences between my world and Starr’s, yet Thomas does a good job of showing the similarities too. Starr’s father glares at her boyfriend, and her mother fusses about how to treat other people. Despite our differences, I can still relate to Starr and that’s an important message of The Hate U Give – we can, and should, find ways to connect despite social, cultural, and economic differences.
Another thing I like is the relevance of this book to current events. With disturbing regularity, we hear about police shooting black people in controversial situations. Clearly, there is an issue in our country that needs addressing. Thomas’s book prompts discussion about this issue.
Finally, the ending of The Hate U Give is not tied up and happy, just like racism is far from resolved in the real world. However, Starr emerges wiser and stronger from her experiences.
There are several powerful lines in The Hate U Give, including:
When Starr realizes she’s allowed one of her white friends to get by with racist comments, she says, “That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” Pow!
And finally, Thomas closes her acknowledgments in the back of the book with this:
“And to every kid in Georgetown and in all ‘the Gardens’ of the world: your voices matter, your dreams matter, your lives matter. Be roses that grow in the concrete.”
Thomas’s story is powerful, but those two sentences of hers are my favorites.
Recommendation
Although this is a young adult novel, I think readers of all ages, above about 12, should read The Hate U Give. Hopefully, it will prompt thoughtful discussion about racism and its consequences.
The movie adaptation of The Hate You Give comes out October 19. Read the book quickly, before you see the movie. Here’s the trailer:
Notes on content
The Hate U Give includes violence and profanity that may not be appropriate for younger readers.
One of the benefits of living with teenagers is, if you’re a Word Nerd, the exposure to all kinds of new and interesting vocabulary. A few days ago, my daughter was filling me in on current social drama at her school when she said, “And she totally spilled the tea about that situation.”
I paused. “The tea?”
She said, “You know, the gossip, the good stuff.”
Ok, like spilling the beans. But where in the world did this phrase come from? The Word Nerd did some research, and apparently teens aren’t the only ones using this term:
More than halfway through it, and it’s quite good. A more personal Clinton than we’ve seen – frank and ready to spill all the tea. https://t.co/TP9kC6GOGQ
According to Merriam Webster, the phrase comes from black drag culture, much like “shade”. It appeared in print way back in 1994 in John Berendt’s non-fiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. In it, Berendt interviews Lady Chablis, a popular drag performer in Savannah, GA. While describing her dating life, Chablis says she avoids men who get violent when they find out “her T”. Berendt asks her explain “T”, and she says, “Yeah, my T. My thing, my business, what’s goin’ on in my life.”
T or tea in drag culture means truth, either a hidden personal truth or someone else’s hidden truth. “Tea” is currently used in general to mean gossip, especially if it’s juicy.
The comedian Larry Wilmore used the phrase “weak tea” on his Comedy Central show to suggest someone wasn’t telling the whole truth. Other writers have used this term too:
Pretty weak tea. Manafort’s lawyer say the real problem is not that prosecutors have a potential crook’s data – it’s that we know about it. https://t.co/Et1RH3hncG
I was late to see Steven Spielberg’s drama The Post, but I’m so glad I finally did, especially now, when the relationship between The President and The Press is at the forefront again. The Post depicts controversial events from the Nixon administration, but its commentary on the role of a free press in a democracy is timeless, and especially relevant given today’s headlines.
The Premise
The Post stars Meryl Streep as Katherine Graham, newly appointed publisher of The Washington Post, and Tom Hanks as her tenacious editor, Ben Bradlee. The year is 1971, and President Nixon has prohibited The New York Times from publishing The Pentagon Papers, documents that demonstrated that the U.S. government lied to the American public about The Vietnam War for decades. Nixon claims he’s protecting national security; journalists across the country believe he is attempting legalized censorship.
The NYT sues, and while the country waits for a judgement from The Supreme Court, Ben Bradlee gets his hands on The Pentagon Papers and encourages Graham to publish them in The Washington Post. Graham must choose between the best interests of her company and the best interests of the American public.
What I Liked
Graham was one of the first women in America to publish a newspaper, and even though The Washington Post had been her family’s business for years, the only reason she had the job was because her husband died. No one expected her, a woman, to be able to handle the job. Certainly no one expected her to risk her reputation, financial stability, and freedom in the name of free press. But she did.
I attended high school in a suburb of Washington DC, and as editor of our school newspaper, I spent a lot of time studying The Washington Post and Graham and admiring her as a woman of influence in journalism. The Post depicts her as a stumbling, somewhat unsure character, especially initially. It was interesting to watch her grow into her power and gain confidence. Graham’s decision to publish is an inspiring tale of courage for women and anyone who feels oppressed.
The Post explores a time when the relationship between journalists and politicians was changing. Bradlee was a close friend of JFK, and that affected how he covered the presidency. Over the course of The Post, Bradlee realizes he can no longer be friendly with politicians if he wants to do his job well. At one point, a character alludes to Justice Hugo L. Black’s opinion in the NYT case, saying, “The founding fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.” I love that quote.
The message of the movie is clear: a democracy must protect freedom of the press to function effectively. This is such an important lesson, especially when public officials decry the media as “fake news.” Or when lawyers say that “truth isn’t truth.” When two parties disagree, it’s hard to determine which person’s story is true. However, there is always truth somewhere, and with regards to the running of our country, it’s our collective job to find it. The free press helps us do that.
I liked how Spielberg and the actors captured the drama of this quiet but very important fight in American history. It could have been a dry story, especially since we know the outcome, but Spielberg keeps up the suspense until the end.
What I didn’t like
The initial portrayal of Graham as somewhat bumbling bothered me, but fortunately she gets stronger as the movie progresses.
Recommendation
If you are a fan of history, politics, journalism, or Hanks and Streep, I highly recommend this movie. It’s a docu-drama done well.
Have you seen The Post? What did you think of it? Are there any other books or movies you can recommend that explore similar themes?
The big day is quickly approaching. The one when I pack up a van with bedding, towels, and clothes. Drive three hours away. Drop off my son to live on his own at college. There are so many good things about this change.
He’s ready.
He’s excited.
All the fun things to do at college!
He will learn how to use the gifts he’s been given to make this world a better place.
He’s going to my alma mater, one of my favorite places on the planet.
But.
I’m amazed by the number of emotions I feel at one time: joy, excitement, pride, nostalgia, worry, sadness. I’m excited he has this opportunity, and yet, he is the child who rubs my back when he knows I’m stressed. I love his smile, his sense of humor, his driven nature.
I will miss him.
I will miss not just his physical presence in my days, but also his childhood. Now he is becoming a man, and our relationship will change. I remind myself that change isn’t bad. It’s natural, it’s normal, it often leads to good. (Like, the transition from Pull Ups to underpants was a great thing, right?)
A wise friend told me to start praying about this day years ago, so that when the time came, I’d be ready. And I am, mostly, although I plan to keep a pair of sunglasses handy for that final goodbye. I don’t want to embarrass the boy with my tears.
To help me, and anyone else who needs this, prepare for the BIG DAY, I asked some experienced writer friends to share tips for the college drop off. Dana and Amy both took their oldest children to school last fall, and they have some excellent ideas for making the day go smoothly.
Planning is the key to a smooth college drop-off. You can’t control the emotional weight of the day, but you can control other factors, and this will help you get through the process with less angst.
Do your homework ahead of time. Find out the wheres and whens of drop-off, unloading and parking. Decide who is staying with the car until it’s empty, who is moving stuff in, who will park the car, etc.
Let your student decide where everything goes in the room. It’s his space, not yours. You don’t want him texting you to ask where you put his underwear, do you?
Amazon has everything your student may need once you leave. Everyone else will be hitting Target or Walmart that day, and those stores are more crowded than they are on Black Friday. Last minute shopping will just add to the stress; there is nothing he needs that desperately.
Before drop-off day, write a note to your student. I tucked mine under my daughter’s pillow for her to find that evening. Two years later, she still has it in her desk.
Avoid prolonged goodbyes. A hug, an “I love you,” and a swift exit is best for everyone. You can cry in the car. This is an exciting time for your student, but even good change is stressful. He doesn’t need the additional stress of seeing his mom or dad lose it.
Make plans for when you get home – dinner with friends, a movie (comedy, please!), or anything else that brings you joy. You’ll have something to look forward to, and the activity will be a good distraction.
Be kind to yourself. It’s a big adjustment, but you’ll be okay. And so will your baby.
Amy Makechnie, published author and mother of four, had to take her daughter across the country to start college. Amy offers this advice:
Pack lightly. Dorm rooms are small. You really don’t need 100 books, old journals, scrapbooks, or photo albums – there’s too much fun to be had to be reliving the past!
DO bring a framed picture of your family. Amazing how much more you love each other when you’re not living with one another.
Take your child to college, if you can. I’m so glad I did. At 18, my husband flew across the country by himself – I still think that’s such a sad scene!
Put a note under your child’s pillow or hidden somewhere. He/she will find it at just the right time. Maybe a $20 bill, as well.
Say good-bye quickly. Cry later. This isn’t about YOU. This is a VERY exciting time for your child.
Let them go. It’s time to fly.
Keep their room at home for them. At least for the first year! Nothing says, “welcome back” like a sibling completely usurping your room and every possession in it! I always want my children to feel that they have a place and a room to come home to, no matter where they go. You don’t need a shrine(!) but that first year, when everything is changing so much, I think it’s important for your child to know that home stays the same (and hopefully that “same” is a good one!)
Did you notice how the note thing appeared twice? That’s a must. I’ve got a draft already.
Do you have any other suggestions for surviving the college drop off?
I’m no longer a teen, so I can’t vote in YALSA’s 2018 Teens Top Reads. However, I can scour the list of 25 books nominated to get awesome reading ideas. This year, books like One of Us is Lying and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter caught my eye. Check out YALSA’s list to see if there’s anything you like:
The Post stars Meryl Streep as Katherine Graham, newly appointed publisher of The Washington Post, and Tom Hanks as her tenacious editor, Ben Bradlee. The year is 1971, and President Nixon has prohibited The New York Times from publishing The Pentagon Papers, documents that demonstrated that the U.S. government lied to the American public about The Vietnam War for decades. Nixon claims he’s protecting national security; journalists across the country believe he is attempting legalized censorship.
