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Booklist: Multiple Narrators

May 6th, 2008 (03:50 am)
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Current Mood: thirsty
Current Song: So Young by The Corrs

There are two sides to every story - or three, or four, or more. Here are a dozen or more stories that employ multiple narrators, most of which are young adult releases. Listed alphabetically by author:

The Poison Apples by Lily Archer (classmates)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (classmates)
When It Happens by Susane Colasanti (classmates, then...)
Take Me There by Susane Colasanti (friends)
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko (classmates)
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (strangers, then...)
Naomi & Ely's No-Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (friends)
The Fruit Bowl Project by Sarah Durkee (classmates)
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (antagonists, then...)
Split Image by Mel Glenn (classmates)
Takeoffs and Landings by Margaret Peterson Haddix (siblings)
Grand & Humble by Brent Hartinger (classmates)
A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin (best friends)
Feathered by Laura Kasischke (best friends)
Going Under by Kathe Koja (siblings)
The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss (friends)
The Cheat by Amy Goldman Koss (classmates)
Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss (classmates)
The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan (schoolmates)
Are We There Yet? by David Levithan (brothers)
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle (friends/co-workers)
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty (best friends)
Many novels by Jodi Picoult, such as My Sister's Keeper (relatives and accquaintances)
Harmless by Dana Reinhardt (friends)
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone (schoolmates)
The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (bandmates)
Leftovers by Laura Wiess (best friends)
Anyone But You by Lara M. Zeises (raised like siblings)

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Our Twitchy by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan

May 6th, 2008 (06:55 am)
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Current Mood: thirsty
Current Song: Eleanor Rigby as sung by David Cook

Our Twitchy, written by Kes Gray and illustrated by Mary McQuillan, is an absolutely adorable picture book. The pictures are bright and eye-catching, and the text explains adoption to young children in a simple and loving way.

Be forewarned: This review gives away the identity of Twitchy's adoptive parents. )

Twitchy's parents clean him up and tell him that they love him just as he is. They emphasize that they ARE his parents, no matter what. Twitchy is content once more and they prepare to have their typical dinner, something all three of them enjoy: carrots!

If you are a parent or a schoolteacher, pick this book up. It is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the concept of adoption. It reinforces the fact that love makes you a family. Pick up People by Peter Spier and It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr while you are at it.

Related Booklist: Adoption in Juvenile Fiction

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How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, and Sarah Mlynowski

May 6th, 2008 (03:58 pm)
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Current Mood: okay
Current Song: For Wowser by Jessica Riddle

Three girls. One beat-up station wagon. Three days. One long stretch of road. Three different reasons for hitting that road. One crazy, impulsive road trip.

When Jesse gets the big idea for her and Vicks to drive down to see Brady at college in Jesse's mom's car, she didn't plan on taking an extra passenger. She ends up with two: Mel, who is definitely not her friend, and, shortly thereafter, a fine feathered friend that's a real quack.

Jesse wants to get away from her mother and her mother's boyfriends for a while. Vicks wants to see her boyfriend Brady, who is away at college. Mel just wants to get away. Jesse and Vicks are close friends; Mel and Vicks are co-workers; Jesse's not exactly a fan of Mel.

In three days, these three girls will learn How to Be Bad - and sad, and impulsive, and persuasive. They will also learn how to compromise, how to celebrate their differences, and how to live and love and let go.

Vicks, Jesse, and Mel tell their stories in turn, with the first person narration rotating through the trio with every chapter. E. Lockhart (The Boyfriend List), Lauren Myracle (TTYL), and Sarah Mlynowski (Bras & Broomsticks) teamed together for this story. In order to discover which author voiced which girl, you'll have to take this trip to the end of the line, as the narrative identities are revealed on the very last page.

Heads-up: I know that many of my fun tween readers devoured some of Myracle's books and Mlynowski's books, but I want to gently let them know that How to Be Bad is for older teens. :)

Related Posts at Bildungsroman:
Booklist: Multiple Narrators
Interview: E. Lockhart
Book Review: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Book Review: Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Book Reviews: Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen by Lauren Myracle
Book Reviews: Magic in Manhattan serires by Sarah Mlynowski

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