Many thanks to some guys who have made their way here for a few nominations. I'm still hoping for more books for boys - I'll be adding Knights of the Hill Country for sure. It's one of the best books I've read in ages about a boy who learns to stand up for himself. There's also a very compelling story about another boy who must learn to cope with an injury that is destroying his athletic dreams - which pretty much destroys the only future he has ever imagined.
Why haven't I heard about this book anywhere else? It will be reviewed in my April column, but I'd love to know why it hasn't shown up on the other kid lit blogs.
For those of you who might think that YA coming-of-age books aren't for you, I'm looking for nominations of adult books that work for teens. We all know great adult novels that are really YA novels in disguise. One I read and reviewed last year (and adored) was Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide. (Bloomsbury is actually releasing it this year as a YA novel.) I'm also willing to consider Scarlett Thomas's PopCo - I think that works as a coming-of-age story (albeit about a twenty-something girl). If you have nominations for adult books that fit the criteria, be sure to nominate them!
February 16
2007
08:00 AM
Hi Colleen,
I'm a teacher-librarian at a high school in Stayner, Ontario. I'm obviously a huge reader and love your blog.
I'm reading Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay right now and it is definitely a book young adults would LOVE. It's fantasy/history/coming-of-age. The main character is a 15 year old boy who goes to Provence with his father, a professional photographer, and ends up involved in an ancient (we're talking 2 thousand years) feud that includes Celts, Romans, Druids, wolves, etc.
Also, another heads up. Check out the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading program for more young adult fiction ideas. The high school portion of the program is called "White Pine". You could check out the Stayner Collegiate Library web site at: http://sta.scdsb.on.ca/lib/index.php and follow the links for White Pine. Or go to www.accessola.com.
Take care,
Pam Jeffrey
Teacher-Librarian
Stayner Collegiate