Bibliography & Annotations

Bach, Richard. (2002). The ferret chronicles: rescue ferrets at sea. New York: Scribner. 0-7432-2750-6.

Dove, Mourning. (1990). Coyote stories. Ill: Heister Dean Guie. Lincoln, Nebraska: Bison Book. 0-8032-8169-2.

Franco, Betsy, Ed. (2001). Things I have to tell you: poems and writing by teenage girls. Ill: Nina Nickles. Cambridge: Candlewick. 978-0763610357

Hurston, Zora Neale. (1937). Their eyes were watching God. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. 0-06-093141-8.

Janie Crawford, a young black woman in the 1930’s, sets off to find herself in a world that wants her to fade into the background. Along the way she learns about love, happiness, individuality, trust, and peace. Written in dialect, it can be slow to read, but the scene that gives the book its title is beautifully written.

Mason, Bobbie Ann. (1985). In country. New York: Harper & Row. 0-06-091350-9.

It is 1984, and 18-year-old Sam Hughes has never known her father because he died in the Vietnam War before she was born. Now she lives with her “crazy” uncle while her mom has moved away with her new husband. Sam attempts to discover what her father was like, and in the process what makes up who she is. The story is slow but interesting, and culminates with an emotional scene at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Rosengren, John. (2003). Blades of glory: the true story of a young team bred to win. Chicago: Sourcebooks, Inc. 978-1402200465.

The 2000-2001 Bloomington Jefferson High School hockey team is expected to be the best. Author John Rosengren gives an honest portrayal of Coach Tom Saterdalen, Captain Tommy Gilbert, Goalie Timm Lorenz, and the rest of the team as they deal with high school pertinent issues like academics, drugs, girlfriends, parents, getting into college, and being a role model. The sometimes foul language of the players is not cut, giving the book an honest feel that allows the reader to feel as if they’re sitting with the team in the locker room.

Wasserman, Robin. (2008). Skinned. New York: Simon Pulse. 978-1-4169-7449-9.

Lia Kahn was popular, smart, rich, connected, and on the path to success from her high school. Until a car accident took her life. But in this futuristic society, that’s not the end. Lia’s brain has been downloaded into a new, mechanical body and she can continue to live her life, minus the eating, breathing, and sleeping. But she finds herself now an outcast of society, seen as inferior to other people. Themes of “racism,” acceptance, and personal responsibility create a story that teenagers will enjoy.