Shine

Shine. Lauren Myracle. 2011.  

Annotation

Cat's best friend is dying in the hospital following a traumatic beating and it's up to her to find those who participated in the hate crime. Even if those same attackers turn out to be people she knows just as well as Patrick.  

Booktalk

Cat's best friend, Patrick, is in the hospital following an almost deadly beating. It's not a surprise because Patrick has been getting harassed by classmates for awhile now, but Cat's been choosing to turn a blind eye. Unable to ignore the hate running rampant in her small Southern town any longer and convinced the police aren't doing enough to find his attackers, Cat sets out to bring them to justice. Along the way, though, she realizes those attackers may be closer to herself and Patrick than originally thought.  

Thoughts: Excellent
I read this book when it was first released and I still remember how I felt after reading it. Thought-provoking and heart-wrenching, Cat's struggle serves to remind us all that prejudice is still alive and well and needs to be stopped immediately. Myracle writes a book that is so realistic you can't help but stop and think. I recommend this novel all the time - one of the best releases of 2011.

Image credit: http://www.amazon.com/Shine-Lauren-Myracle/dp/0810984172/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350859763&sr=1-1&keywords=shine+by+myracle

The First Part Last

Johnson, Angela.  The First Part Last.  New York: Simon Pulse, 2003.  Print.

Awards

Teen People Pick

2004 Coretta Scott King Award (Writing Category)

2004 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

Annotation

Bobby celebrates his 16^th birthday by learning that his girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant.  Now the couple have to decide if they are going to keep the baby or choose adoption.

Booktalk

Bobby feels as if he’s caught between two worlds: his life Then and his life Now.

Then:  I turned sixteen by skipping school and going to a movie with my buddies.  I had my favorite meal, cheese fries and ribs, for dinner and headed home early to get some cake my mom baked.  “I never had any cake though ‘cause my girlfriend Nia was waiting on our stoop for me with a red balloon” and something she had to tell me.

Now:  It doesn’t matter to my daughter Feather that I just turned sixteen.  She’s counting on me to make the right choices for her.  I just wish I knew what they were.

Then:  Nia and I sat in the office of the adoption agency with our parents.  I thought about how if we gave up this baby we could go to college and get on with our lives.  Everyone was telling us we should be happy and relieved; we were doing the right thing…

Now:  My buddy, K-Boy, asks me: “So.  You going to keep her or what?”

This is Bobby’s life Then and his life Now.  Then, Bobby was only thinking about himself, his girlfriend and going to college after graduation…until Nia got pregnant.  Now what is Bobby going to do?

Image credit:  http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780689849237-0