13 Reasons to Read This Debut YA Novel

Thirteen Reasons Why was a NYT Bestseller and winner of about a dozen other awards, including Best Book for Young Adults (YALSA), and deservedly so.

Jay Asher's first novel, about suicide, is told by two narrators. One, Hannah, is dead. She left behind 13 cassette tapes explaining how she reached the decision kill herself. Clay is the other narrator. Clay is one of Hannah's classmates and one of the 13 "reasons" she committed suicide.

Hannah left the tapes with very specific instructions regarding who would listen, and how they would get the tapes. The set-up gave Asher a unique mechanism for telling the story.

The book's backmatter contains a brief Q&A with the author, where he explains a little about the process of writing 13 Reasons, and the message he hopes it sends to readers.

... Basically, even though Hannah admits that the decision to take her life was entirely her own, it's also important to be aware of how we treat others. Even though someone appears to shrug off a sideways comment or not to be affected by a rumor, it's impossible to know everything else going on in that person's life, and how we might be adding to his/her pain. 

Or as Hannah says in the book, "Everything affects everything."

While the subject matter is about as serious as can be, Thirteen Reasons is quite palatable, even - it sounds bad to say this - quite enjoyable reading.  


Thirteen Reasons Why is available in paperback in June 2011.

Teenagers in Love (Interview)

It's spring and love/lust is in the air - and on bookshelves, thanks to anthologist Andrea N. Richesin.

To create her latest title, Crush, Richesin asked 26 authors to remember when love was exciting and new. Not surprisingly, most of those times coincided with the writer's ride on the roller-coaster of adolescence.

And while I enjoyed Crush quite a bit, I hesitate to recommend the (whole) book to my daughter, or anyone at that first crush/serious relationship stage, because many of these crushes went all the way. If you know what I mean, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

To clarify: this is a PG-rated book; there are no graphic scenes, sexually or otherwise. Still... I'm one of those moms who doesn't want to condone teenage sex. Excuse me.  [[[Deep breath. BIG SIGH.]]]

OK, I'm back. There for a minute I thought I might have to face reality. Whew.

Anyway, whether your teenage years were PG-rated or not, you know what first love is, how crazy a crush can make you, and that no two experiences are the same. To review the book in a nutshell, it's good - because no two of these essays are the same, and you'll want to read them all.

Now... let's talk to the woman who put all those stories to bed.

("To bed" is publishing industry lingo for "to the printer." Get your mind out of the gutter!)

Dishing about Crush with Anthologist Andrea Richesin

How many essays did you solicit and/or review before selecting the ones that appear in this anthology?

I contacted roughly 75 authors to contribute to the collection and I read about 35 essays all together.

So 26 writers told you all about their first loves, or crushes. Did any of them tell you TOO much? And did any of the writers you approached refuse to divulge their early experiences, citing heartbreak or total embarrassment?
  I suppose you could reveal too much, but that all depends on how you tell the story. Yes, many of the contributors expressed some anxiety about delving into their tender teen diaries and remembering the boys they pined after. I believe most memoir writers have to be willing to confront feelings of discomfort and embarrassment to convey their true emotions. I’m in awe of the Crush contributors for being able to adequately convey what they felt, who they were and what their loved ones meant to them. I’ve never felt that way again and I doubt I ever will. So it makes the telling all the more dramatic and shattering.

Notably absent is your essay on a first love. C'mon! What would it say...in 50 words or less?

I fell in love with a charming boy who was crazy and scared, but lovely and ready to grow up. We loved each other at a time in our lives when we desperately needed to feel affection and as if we were understood. I envy them their love for each other.

I enjoyed Crush immensely - as I told you, I read it in one sitting! - but of your four anthologies, Because I Love Her is still my favorite. Which is yours, and why?

I love all of my anthologies for different reasons. I love The May Queen because she was my first book and it was unbelievably exciting to be published and to share that experience with my best friend and contributor Kimberley Askew. Because I Love Her also meant a lot to me because I’ve struggled in my relationship with my mother. I wanted to present a collection of essays that wasn’t sentimental, but took a hard look at the mother-daughter relationship and how complex it can truly be. What I Would Tell Her came as a complete surprise to me. I was floored by the emotional outpouring in the father’s essays, many of which brought me to tears. Crush was the hardest anthology I’ve edited as it didn’t go according to plan and thus required more work. I’m satisfied with it as an examination of first love, but I would have liked to have included a few more men in the collection.

Where will you take us with your next book?

I’m in the beginning stages of working on a follow-up to The May Queen about being a woman in one’s forties. I hope to work with the same contributors and a few new ones. I’m excited to see how these writers’ lives have changed and what has transpired differently from what they imagined six years ago. I would also like this collection to take the form of a backlash to the media’s attempt to portray older women as crones or cougars. I’ve been offended by the negative caricatures of older women in film and on TV. I’d like to see how the contributors investigate many issues facing women in their forties: struggling with infertility, caring for their children and elderly parents and aging gracefully with dignity rather than trying to be forever 21.

I know you've been busy, but I'm pretty sure you make time to read, too. Of the books you've read in the past couple of years, what are some of your favorites? And what's on top of your reading pile?

I loved Julie Orringer’s The Invisible Bridge, Jo Ann Beard’s The Boys of My Youth, Rumer Godden’s memoirs, and The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer. Right now, I’m reading In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard. I’m also anxious to read Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder and Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos. 

There you have it, a woman in love with books... who brings 'em to market and still makes time to read. Now what about you? What are you reading? Crush is available tomorrow...why not grab a copy and remember what grabbed you about your first love?

postscript  postscript  postscript  postscript postscript  postscript  postscript postscript  postscript  

Beyond the Crush

Faithful readers of this blog will remember that I had a major crush on Richesin's first anthology, Because I Love Her, about mothers and daughters. I still recommend it highly. It's a lovely gift for any mom, of course, but especially - perhaps - for YOUR mom? In case it's just kind of hard to talk to mom about being a mom? Um, you know who you are. (And yes, I am.)

Asking Questions about Reading

No matter how good their reading skills, little kids aren't big kids; they're just not ready for many of the books for older readers. So what's a parent to do?

Ask questions.

My son's teacher recently shared this very simple advice, and guess what? It works.

Last week we returned to reading quite a few of the picture books I'd (sadly) assumed we were "done with" because his reading skills have improved so dramatically.

Asking questions about what he's just read builds comprehension skills, said the wise teacher.

And his answers could be quite entertaining, thought his dubious mom.

After reading Ribbit (a HOWL! by Bender and Bender), Hi, Fly Guy (by Tom Arnold), and Wemberly Worried (by Kevin Henkes) I asked my little reader, "which was your favorite?"

He thought for a moment, then chose Hi, Fly Guy.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it's about pets, and I like pets. And it's about friendship, and friendship is important."

"Really?" I said, bested by a first-grader.

OK. I'll read it again. Clearly, I need to work on comprehension.

Age Matters When Selecting Picture Books

Recently, I was disappointed in two highly-touted new picture books by two solid authors, until I realized a painfully obvious fact about the genre: One size does not fit all.

Once upon a time, I knew that. Obviously, sweet as it is, Goodnight Moon wouldn't enthrall a 5- or 6-year-old. Thank goodness Margaret Wise Brown wrote it; and better still, shared her delightful way with words in many other stories, including the stunning collection The Fish with the Deep Sea Smile. That title deserves its own review; for now, suffice to say it was a brilliant gift from a wonderful teacher and very dear friend. (Thanks, Shelly!)

But now that my little guy is reading on his own, selecting picture books and other things we can read together seems harder than ever. Teachers tell us that even very competent young readers can (and should) read picture books on their own and with adults. 

Not just any picture book will do for older kids, however. Probuditi is a great pick for the upper end of the picture book demographic, as is anything featuring dear old Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - although I'll admit it's not quite a picture book, it's perfect for new readers in kindergarten through second grade, at least. (The lady lives in an upside-down house and was married to a pirate. How could kids not love her? The book uses words I haven't heard for 20 years. How can I not love that?)

Unfortunately, at least for me and my little guy, Interrupting Chicken (David Ezra Stein) and Children Make Terrible Pets (Peter Brown) only looked like good-for-older-kids titles. They're both good books, don't get me wrong - Interrupting Chicken earned a Caldecott Honor Book sticker in 2010. They're just not especially interesting to kids who've graduated from preschool.

Lessons learned (again): One, the picture book landscape is vast and varied. And two, don't judge a book by its cover (or even the Amazon "Look Inside!" gizmo). If I'd actually read these titles before purchasing, I wouldn't have purchased either one. (Hello! I know better; I should shop at my local bookstore. Twenty lashes with a wet bookmark.



Now, what do you think? Do we need a new picture book designation? Does the standard "for ages 4 to 8" really cover it? And now that I've got a couple of like-new books taking up room on my shelf, who can tell me all about Amazon's Seller Central??

The Naked Roommate Makes a Good Graduation Gift

If you can believe the cover blurb, Harlan Cohen's The Naked Roommate and 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College is THE #1 GOING-TO-COLLEGE BOOK! Dubious as I am, after picking it up this weekend, in all seriousness, I recommend it as a great graduation gift. And it's under $20!

I'm on a bit of a losing streak lately with books, buying titles I was "sure" would delight that disappointed instead, so I was glad the weekend allowed for a bit of browsing at Borders. (Doubly glad our nearby Borders is still open!)

The Naked Roommate, 4th edition, hit shelves April 1. I recommend it because it's one of those great books that actually lives up to its title - the good advice inside is as easily-absorbed as the catchy cover and title. 

I suspect most people (ok, old people like me) who made it through college would give much of the same advice to today's graduates, and being the parent of a teen, I'm pretty darned sure the kids won't listen. So I'll put it this way: I sure wish I'd read the chapter on credit cards before my junior year,  and the advice about getting to know your advisor probably would have made a world of difference in my college (and career) experience.

But enough about my mistakes. Cohen has done a very nice job packaging his advice, and he offers at least a little to help in dealing with a variety of college experiences. 

He leads with a few short sections on arriving on campus and what to do about homesickness, then covers social situations (from the titular roommate to drugs, clubs, and religion) and writes less than 20 pages each on Greek life and athletics. In between, he spends more time (an entire chapter) on 'Life Inside the Classroom,' which is also packed with good advice. At the end of each chapter there's a summary called Harlan's Tip Sheet. If the college-bound student read only those tips, the book would ease the student's transition and improve his odds for success.

In short, I'm glad that I found the book, and I plan to take The Naked Roommate to a few graduation parties with me. (As a gift!) Sigh. I'll admit that was a bit crass. I hope you'll forgive me for trying a little SEO experiment with this alluring title.

For additional titular pleasure, visit Cohen's website all about The Naked Roommate.

Coming soon: The expanding Worst-Case Scenario

To clarify, the series is expanding. I like to think that by definition, the worst-case scenario couldn't expand to get worser. Right? We can hope...

Anyway, the very popular Worst-Case Scenario book, card, and board game survival series is introducing a new title for young readers, The Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure: Mars; available from Chronicle Books in September. Look for it...and look closely, there's a lot to see.

At the end of 5th grade, a child should be ready to manage a level V text without help. But don't stop there, parents of young readers! There's a lot more to the guided reading concept, and  parents can pick up the basics, quickly, thanks to this nice site from Duke University:
http://dukes.stark.k12.oh.us/marl/curriculum/guidrdg.html#dominie

A short list of sample comprehension questions at the end of the first page help parents who want to help their kids boost comprehension (and therefore, enjoyment...and grades!) as well as vocabulary and other basic reading skills. And isn't that really the best case scenario?