Persepolis

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis: The story of a childhood. New York, NY: Pantheon.

In this memoir in the form of a graphic novel, Marjane Satrapi shares the story of her life in Tehran, Iran from age ten to fourteen.  During this period of time (1979-1983), Iran experiences political instability with the fall of the Shah and the implementation of Islamic rule.  Through her graphic novel, Satrapi tells about the imprisonments and death of family members, friends, and neighbors, strict rules inflicted on the Iranian people, and her experiences with bombings and attacks on her city.  Her family is upfront with her about the circumstances and because of this she is very informed and not afraid to stand up for what's right.  Eventually, after she is expelled from a school for striking the principal and conditions in Iran continue to escalate, her parents send her to school in Austria.

As someone who has taught sixth grade social studies, I believe this book would be a great tool to explore the concept of unlimited government.  The cruelties and harsh rules brought down upon the Iranians provide excellent examples of the characteristics of unlimited government.  The autobiographical and graphic novel format make the topic very accessible to students.  A few appearances of profanity could derail this from being incorporated into an assigned curriculum though.  Persepolis demonstrates the postconventional level of moral development because Satrapi experiences several times the reality that laws and social rules conflict with what is morally right.

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces. El Paso, TX:  Cinco Puntos Press.

Gabi is a Mexican American teenager who lives in Southern California.  She is a senior in high school who lives with her mother, brother, with the occasional appearance of her meth-head father.  Her senior year turns out to be full of surprises: her best friend is pregnant after a summer fling, she develops a love and talent for poetry, her mother gets pregnant, Gabi gets two boyfriends, her father dies, she gets into her first choice college, she has sex, she gets suspended, she doesn't get to participate in graduation.  Gabi's strong mind, support structure, and ability to express herself through poetry helps her to cope with it all.

The book is written like a diary starting a month before school starts and ending at her would-be graduation day dinner.  The diary approach lets the reader know Gabi's most intimate thoughts about all aspects of life and, naturally, creates that bond only a first-person narrator can achieve.  Quintero's writing style is a mix of Gary Soto and Sandra Cisneros.  The humor reminds me of Soto, whereas the raw discussion of the topics at hand reminds me of Cisneros.  Gabi, A Girl in Pieces is a shining example of contemporary realistic fiction.  Teenaged readers will be drawn into Gabi's story because so many facets of it reflect their own.  While it is unlikely that a reader will suffer from all the issues Gabi faces, one or two are sure to affect them or someone close to them.  Girls in particular will be able to see that they share the same doubts and concerns about sex, feminism, religion, family, and school.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, P. (2008).  The knife of never letting go. Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.

Orphan Todd Hewitt must flee the only home he's ever known (a town inhabited only by men).  Armed only with knife and a bag of supplies, Todd makes his way towards the place he believes can help him with Violet, a girl he found just before leaving town.  During their journey Todd learns the truth about his hometown and struggles to "be a man" and use his knife.  In the end, Viola ends up being more of a man than Todd and when they arrive at their destination, they are terribly disappointed to see what awaits them.

Fans of the Divergent, Uglies, and Hunger Games trilogies will love to sink their teeth into this dystopian series.  Were the use of the actual F-word a time or two not a problem, I could see this novel taking off in middle school English classrooms since the hero and heroine are of that age group.  Ness hits all the essential criteria for excellent science fiction with this novel.  Universal themes surrounding topics such as hope, truth, friendship and family are reinforced throughout the novel.  What the characters have to endure is totally foreign to us, but readers cannot help but sympathize with them.  The hardships faced by Todd and Viola and their uncertain fate were on my mind for days after I finished reading this novel.   I am not sure how I feel about continuing the series. I want to know what happens, but at the same time I am afraid to know.  When I was younger, it always bummed me out that the "villains" in stories never won, but now that it seems impending in this book, I don't want that to be the case.

Monster

Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Amistad.

Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon stands accused of the murder of a shop owner and is facing life in prison if convicted.  An aspiring filmmaker, Steve reveals his story in the form of a movie script complete with camera and stage directions.  It turns out that Steve is completely innocent and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Other accused individuals in the case, who happen to be people with records, are trying to use Steve as a scapegoat, or at the very least, take him down with the ship.  Steve is a good kid from a good family and winds up being found not guilty, probably largely in part to the testimony of his character witness, his filmmaking class teacher.

Even though this story is just the script for a movie, the details included are such that the reader can clearly visualize the movie playing.  I found that my mind's eye began to automatically telescope with the camera directions mentioned in the book.  Steve's story will appeal to nearly every reader because this is a realistic situation that frequently appears in the headlines and has the feel of many of the popular crime/law television shows these days.  As contemporary realistic fiction it certainly provides an insight into teenagers' world.  Some teens have friends, cousins, or other family members that are awaiting trial or in prison and this book will help them to understand what that is like.  Readers will find that Steve is just like them, a kid who wants to be successful but is facing what seems like insurmountable odds but never lets go of hope.

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health

Harris, R. (2009). It's perfectly normal: Changing bodies, growing up, sex, and sexual health. Somerville, MA:  Candlewick Press.

This informational title explains everything about puberty and sex to kids.  The book starts off by recognizing that kids have questions about these topics and explaining all the different meanings of the word sex before talking about bodies and the way they change for both males and females during puberty.  From there processes of the body during puberty are detailed which leads into topics like masturbation and having babies.  Much information about pregnancy and childbirth and even adoption follows.  Options regarding preventing pregnancy include postponement, abstinence, and birth control.  A chapter about abortion is also included.  The last chapters address online dangers, sexual abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases.

I think this book is straight forward and approaches what can be a very uncomfortable topic of conversation between parents and children very tactfully.  The gentle voice in which the information is revealed fills me with trust.  The illustrations are certainly cartoonish and detailed, but realistic and I appreciate that it prepares a kid for what to expect when they see naked bodies without showing them photos of real people.  In a school setting, I think the sections about online dangers and sexual abuse would be useful for counselors.  I was thoroughly impressed to see the pages of listed experts who were consulted for the creation of this book.  Keeping the information relevant, I like that the topic of online dangers was covered and that several of the illustrations included kids using smartphones or tablets.  Another win for the illustrations is that people of all ethnicities, sizes, ages, and shapes are featured in the book.  It's Perfectly Normal certainly keeps everything balanced by talking about male and female aspects of sex and puberty as well as heterosexual and homosexual relationships.  It's no wonder the cover boasts over one million copies in print.

George

Gino, A. (2015).  George. New York, NY:  Scholastic Press.

George is a fourth-grader who is anatomically a boy, but feels and believes herself to be a girl.  She also desperately wants to portray Charlotte in her school's production of Charlotte's Web.  With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George figures out a way to do just that.  Kelly also helps George make her public debut as Melissa by letting her borrow her clothes before taking a trip to the zoo.

With the media attention that has been given recently to transgender issues, the topic has worked its way into the schema of school-aged kids.  Because this conversation is happening, some kids may come out to their parents or peers as transgender at a younger age.  George would be a useful tool for a counselor when a student comes to him/her with a trans-gender question or concern.  Since the author, Alex Gino, is also transgender, the thoughts and feelings George experiences in the story are as close to real as one could get.  Not once in this story does George "give in" or try to be a "boy".  She insists and never gives up on being a girl which reflects the theme which is blazed upon the back cover of the book, "Be who you are."  The same is true of other characters in the book.  The older brother, the mother, the best friend, the principal, the bully, the disapproving teacher, they all stay true to who they are. They aren't changed by George, they just accept her, agree to learn to accept her, or continue to reject her.  George is a new way to look at Havighurst's appropriate sex roles task.  The book forces people to consider the plight of transgenders fitting into society.

Annie on My Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. New York, NY: First Square Fish.

Liza and Annie are two high school seniors who find that they have fallen in love with each other.  They hide their love for one another from their friends and families.  Eventually, their secret is found out my a classmate and school employee.  Things turn out OK for the girls, but a pair of teachers who are also lesbians are fired from their posts.

I absolutely adored this book and I think today's high schoolers would too.  Garden essentially leads readers through the entire process of falling in love.  I feel like I know these girls.  I feel like I know what it's like for someone (gay or straight) to fall in love.  I feel like I can appreciate the struggle of the gay community even more than I already do.  These two fictitious teenage lesbians illustrate the summer's celebratory phrase "love wins".  Perhaps in time, our nation will continue to grow to accept same-sex couples and eventually I hope a book like this would end up as a regular read in high school curriculum.  It's one of the best love stories I've ever read and it's what teens in a world of divorce and one-night stands need to learn about what true love is and what it takes.  Liza and Annie have made an art of falling in and maintaining love.  Kohlberg's concept of postconventional moral development is present in this novel because the girls find out that the social rules about homosexuality aren't necessarily "right".