Death By Eggplant / Susan Heyboer O'Keefe

Death By Eggplant is the story of Bertram Hooks, a boy in grade eight with more than his share of problems. First of all, he is failing math and he has a bully in his class who mercilessly teases him. Thirdly, he really likes a girl in his class, but he doesn’t have the nerve to tell her and finally he wants to become a master chef, rather than an accountant like his father. Bertie can’t tell anyone about his secret cooking desire because he is sure no one would understand and he would be crucified by Dekker, the bully. When he is given a chance to pick up extra marks for math class he finds he has to care for a flour sack like a baby and things really get complicated, with his “crazy” mother, the girl he likes, Dekker who unfortunately gets a flour baby too, and Bertie’s secret desire to make muffins out of his baby.

Death By Eggplant is a fun book which weaves Bertie’s predicament into a good story which sounds realistic although highly unlikely. The author gives the main character several issues that he feels he has to solve by himself, but his main problem is simply telling other people about his troubles. If he did confide in someone, they might be able to help him with most of his problems.

O’Keefe, Susan Heyboer (2004). Death by Eggplant. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Life of Pi / Yann Martel

Life of Pi is the story…no I should explain it as an adventure of a young Indian boy who finds himself moving from India to Canada with a ship load of his father’s zoo animals. Pi has an unusual interest in religion to the point that he starts practicing Hinduism, Christianity and the Muslim faith. This is not the most extraordinary thing about Pi’s life. When the ship travelling across the pacific with zoo animals and Pi’s family is midway between India and Midway it sinks with almost all hands lost except Pi and several zoo animals that end up in the life boat with Pi, including a 300 pound Bengal Tiger. The remainder of the book is about the 227 days that Pi survives on the pacific with the tiger.

Yann Martel weaves an incredible tale of Pi’s adventure of not only surviving two thirds of a year alone on a lifeboat in the pacific and the outstanding metal torment that entails, but he also explores the metal and emotional survival skills that one needs to survive such a situation. Martel examines Pi’s thoughts as he attempts to overcome the pain of the loss of his family, the cool headedness one needs to find food and resources to survive in a lifeboat for so long and the logic and intelligence needed to live with a Bengal Tiger only a few feet away. Some may not consider this a book for young adults, but I feel it is not too difficult for well read young people who don’t mind a good story.

Martel, Yann (2001). Life of Pi. Canada: Knopf.

Skellig / David Almond

Skellig is another tale by David Almond that combines the real-life drama of a ten year old boy’s life with a mysterious creature that lives in his garage. Michael has just moved into a new house with his mother and father and his ailing infant sister. Michael sneaks into the garage that should be condemned only to find an old “man” or “creature” living behind some furniture surviving on bugs and mice and crippled to the point that he cannot move. Michael helps the cranky creature and with the help of his new friend Mina moves Skellig from the dangerous structure only to discover that the he is transforming from a crippled wisp of man into something very different.

Skellig looks at various questions that a ten year old boy might have like; how can he help his family through a painful event like having a sick baby, are there such things as angels and how would we know if we saw one. Michael also has to navigate the sea of friendships to see if he can trust new friends and if he should ignore old friends. Michael also has to sail through the waves of adults that continue to draw his attention away from his curiosity about Skellig and his love for his sister.

Almond, David (1998). Skellig. New York: Yearling Book.

Godless / Pete Hautman

Godless by Pete Hautman is the story of Jason, a teenager and his friends and their flirtations with creating a new religion. Much of the impetus for this action is Jason’s feeling that his father is forcing his Christian vies on Jason. With his sharp wit, his acid tongue and his vivid imagination, Jason creates a new religion called /Chutengodism, which is based on worshipping the local 10 legged water tower. Jason’s ne religion draws in some curious, obsessive and troublesome friends. The results of this adventure are surprising, exciting and at times scary.

Godless portrays a type of teen rebellion that I’m sure many teens have felt and reacted to in their own unique way. Jason gives voice to this rebellion making some good points along the way yet finding that being a leader is fraught with difficulties. This story does not in the end make any moral or philosophical conclusions about the existence of a God or gods, but it does examining the issues from the perspective of a boy who will not be told how he should think or believe on the topic of religion.

Hautman, Pete (2004). Godless. Toronto: Simon Pulse.

Buddha Boy / Kathe Koja

Budda Boy by Kathe Koja is story about a persecuted new boy is school who does not fit into any of the established clichés. Martin has saved his head and goes around begging for lunch money and is mercilessly picked on by everyone and especially the cool kids. Justin gets partnered with Martin on an economics project and becomes the only one in school to befriend him. Justin finds out the Martin’s spiritual name is Jinsen and that he is also an incredible artist. Justin has a soft spot for artists, because his father is also an artist and he is very close to his father.

Budda Boy is a powerful novel about bullying, tolerance, self-discipline, religion, and friendship. Narrated from Justin’s point of view the listener gets a vivid sense of strong emotions that teenagers have regarding their friends, fairness and how much pressure they undergo to fit in to the established norms. Jinsen shows great self control in his determination to follow his Buddhist teachings and undergoes humiliation and physical abuse for it, but he also ends up influencing almost everyone in school for the better because of his attitude and his great artistic talent.

Koja, Kathe (Author), & Murphy, Spencer (Narrator). (2003). Buddha Boy [Sound recording]. [Syracuse, NY]: Full Cast Audio.

Graceling / Kristin Cashore

Katsa is an 18 year old Graceling who has a killing Grace…or does she? Katsa’s uncle, “ King Randa” manipulates her to threaten or hurt people who do not deal honestly with him or to those who do not bend to his will. Katsa is not a willing participant in her uncle’s schemes as she continuously tries to find ways not to hurt people and she has formed a “counsel” that goes around righting wrongs in the 7 kingdoms. There are many other Gracelings in Katsa’s world with differing Graces that range from swimming to mind reading. Katsa meets Po another Graceling from a different kingdom who seems have a fighting Grace and a powerful allure for Katsa. Katsa and Po spend the bulk of this story searching for the reason why Po’s grandfather was kidnapped in possibly the only place where their graces wouldn’t matter.

In this fantasy / romance audio book titled Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Katsa spends much time questioning her own Grace and the apparent fact that she is a brute killer. Katsa has to learn to trust those around her and more importantly she has to learn to trust herself. Katsa spends this novel learning that she is a kind person and that her grace may not actually be a killing grace.

Cashore, Kristin (Author) & Baker, David (Narrator), (2009). Graceling [Sound Recording]. [Syracuse, N.Y.]: Full Cast Audio.

Douglas Adams’s Starship Titanic / Terry Jones

Douglas Adams’s Starship Titanic is a science fiction / comedy novel written by Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame). Jones flawlessly imitates Adams’s style by weaving a silly, unpredictable and exciting story of three earthlings that accidently get stranded on a gigantic alien starship with few other passengers and malfunctioning robots aplenty. The Starship Titanic almost broke the economy of the planet that built it and would be blown up if certain crooked officials have there way…and if the bomb ever gets to finish its countdown.

Jones has created a story faithfully in Adams’s style and if readers enjoyed The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy or any of the Monty Python works, should take a fancy to Starship Titanic. The earthling characters adapt to their respective roles with confusion and competence while the aliens are predictably unpredictable. Who would have thought that Yassaccan guards always shot over the heads of there combatants in a gunfight? The content of this book is a little bit violent, a little bit sexy, a little bit suspenseful and a lot of fun. It certainly a book that teens who enjoy science fiction would get a laugh from.

Jones, Terry (1997) Douglas Adams’s Starship Titanic, New York: Ballantine Books.