An Abundance of Katherines - by John Green

Summary/Overview: The story is about a boy named Colin who has dated nineteen Katherines to date. The title of the book is not misleading at all. Colin is a very interesting character and very smart. Okay, he is very very very smart. He is trying to figure out his dilemma with dating and being dumped by nineteen Katherines. Colin also is trying to figure how to actually matter in this world. He goes on a road trip with his best friend Hassan to figure this all out. Their road trip quickly ends in a town they only wanted to visit a tourist attraction in. The town and a few of its residents helps Colin to figure out what life is all about. It turns out that it wasn't what he thought it was supposed to be.
Personal thoughts and opinions: I thought Looking for Alaska was amazing and didn't know how John Green could top it, but he did, or at least they are dead even. The characters he creates within his stories are so complex and amazing. Some moments just made me laugh out loud. An Abundance of Katherines is an amazing book about a teenager trying to find himself that any teen reader can relate to (even if Colin is very very very smart). The footnotes in this book were not only amazingly creative but usually pretty hilarious. The footnotes fit the story to a T. I would recommend this book to anyone who simply enjoys a good book.
Would I teach this book: I would love love love to teach this book in a classroom. What is even more exciting is that there is actually some material out there already on teaching this book. I had a hard time finding materials or talk of teaching Looking for Alaska. I think that An Abundance of Katherines tones it down a bit compared to Looking for Alaska but that doesn't make it any less brilliant, just more teachable is how I look at it. This book would be great for a classroom and I couldn't imagine having anyone object to it.
Quote:"It was the first time since arriving in Gutshot that he'd beaten the rooster to waking. Immediately he opened his bedroom window, pressed his face up against the screen, and shouted: COCK-A-DOODLE DOO! HOW DO YOU LIKE IT FROM THE OTHER END, YOU LITTLE FUGGER?"

Looks - by Madeleine George

Summary/Overview: Looks is a book about two girls, two very different girls. One is Aimee and the other is Meghan. They are on opposites sides of the eating disorder spectrum. Through their experiences and thoughts Looks shows to us the struggles teens face with eating disorders. But it's not just about that. These girls are in high school and need to deal with a girl named Cara, and in this way they are brought together. This book is written with such a unique voice and vivid images that it is hard to put down.
Personal thoughts and opinions: This was a great book. It speaks true to just how mean high school can be on all levels. Based on all the books I read this semester, and this being my tenth read, I would say Looks and Looking for Alaska are my favorite ones.
Would I teach this book: I would love to use this book in a classroom. It deals with eating disorders and sheds two very different but distinct lights on eating disorder. Also the way this is written is magical. The descriptiveness and rich language makes is very unique. This would make for a great whole class read focusing on the themes and language throughout the book.
Quote: "God must be a friendless fat girl, because only friendless fat girls are as omniscient as God."

The Ousiders - by S.E. Hinton

Summary/Overview: The Outsiders is a story of a family of three boys; Sodapop, Darry, and Ponyboy. The story is told from Ponyboy's perspective. The three brothers parents died just a while ago and they are poor. The poor kids around town are considered to be the "greasers" and the rich kids are called "socs". These two gangs are constantly at each others necks simply because of their differences in social class. As the story goes on Ponyboy discovers that the gangs go deeper than social class and at the end of the day they are all just human beings. It is an intense story of youths dealing with gangs and the tight relationships that are formed. It is amazing that S.E. Hinton began writing this book when she was in high school, but she was writing from experience.
Personal thoughts and opinions: I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed Ponyboy as the narrator because he is pretty entertaining.
Would I teach this book: I would definitely use this book in the classroom for a whole unit. I know the book has been around for a while and that it is pretty popular with middle school students. It's just one of those books that could easily be taught in a classroom with no hesitation.
Quote: "He ain't a Soc," I said, "he's just a guy. He just wanted to talk." - Ponyboy