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 VOLUME XXXVII, ISSUE 1, FALL 2013 /WINTER 2014

SIGNAL journal
The Journal of the International Reading Association’s Special Interest Group: Network on Adolescent Literature

Celebrating the Newest Voices

in Young Adult Literature

Photo by Jennifer Burnes, University of Oklahoma

Coming of Age and Flying Out of the Starting Guadalupe García

Coming of GAYge: Gates: A Survey of the McCall: A Storyteller of
An Interview with Finest Books from New Cultures and Odysseys
emily m. danforth Young Adult Novelists
Katherine Mason Michael Cart Rodrigo Joseph Rodríguez
KaaVonia Hinton
 SIGNAL journal
The Journal of the International Reading Association’s Special Interest Group: Network on Adolescent Literature

Celebrating the Newest Voices in Young Adult Literature

04 FROM THE EDITOR

05 CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS

06 FLYING OUT OF THE STARTING GATES: A SURVEY

OF THE FINEST BOOKS FROM NEW YOUNG
ADULT NOVELISTS
by: Michael Cart

11 COMING OF AGE AND COMING OF GAYGE: AN

INTERVIEW WITH EMILY M. DANFORTH
by: Katherine Mason

17 GUADALUPE GARCÍA MCCALL: A STORYTELLER

OF CULTURES AND ODYSSEYS
by: Rodrigo Joseph Rodriguez and KaaVonia Hinton

22 FUSING HORIZONS: NEW AUTHORS AND TITLES

THAT PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING
by: Dawan Coombs

26 DIVERGENT COMPLEXITY: VERONICA ROTH AND

THE NEW DYSTOPIAN HEROINE
by: Casey Cothran and Robert Prickett

30 AN INTERVIEW WITH A NEW VOICE IN YOUNG

ADULT LITERATURE, THANHHA LAI: VIETNAMESE
REFUGEE, ACCIDENTAL POET, NATIONAL BOOK
AWARD-WINNER
by: Toby Emert

33 YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE: A VEHICLE FOR

IMAGINING OTHER WORLDS
by: Sean P. Connors

36 BOOK REVIEWS

2 SIGNAL Journal
GUEST EDITOR
Toby Emert, Agnes Scott College
CO-EDITORS
Robyn Seglem, Illinois State University
Shelbie Witte, Florida State University
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Christian Goering, University of Arkansas
YA BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
Joellen Maples, St. John Fisher College
EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD
Steven T. Bickmore, Louisiana State University
Jim Blasingame, Arizona State University
April Brannon, California State University - Fullerton
Chris Crowe, Bringham Young University
Toby Emert, Agnes Scott College
Leylja Emiraliyeva-Pitre, Louisiana State University
Bonnie Ericson, University of Tennessee
Hilve Firek, Roosevelt University
David Gill, University of North Carolina - Wilmington
Judith Hayn, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Lisa Hazlett, University of South Dakota
Crag Hill, University of Oklahoma
Susan James, University of West Florida
Angela B. Johnson, Wright State University
Jeff Kaplan, University of Central Florida
Joan Kaywell, University of South Florida
Kathy Kelly, Radford University
Pat Kelly, Virginia Tech University
Teri S. Lesesne, Sam Houston State University
Reagan Mauk,Willmore Middle School
Rebekah Mcloud, University of Central Florida
Amber Simmons, University of Georgia
Colleen T. Sheehy, University of Indianapolois
Connie Zitlow, Ohio Wesleyan University
SIGNAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Chair: Judith Hayn, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Chair-elect: Shanetia Clark, Salisbury University
Past Chair: Carol Bedard,Houston Independent School District
Secretary: Colleen Sheehy, University of Indianapolis
Treasurer: Linda Parsons, Ohio State University, Marion
Membership Chair: Patricia Bandre, Baker University
Website Director: Matt Skillen, Elizabethtown College
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Steven Bickmore, Louisiana State University
Karina Clemmons, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Sean P. Connors, University of Arkansas
Susan Groenke, University of Tennessee
Jeffrey S. Kaplan, University of Central Florida
Robert G. Prickett, Winthrop University
Linda Rider, Hermitage House Youth Services
Mary Sparkes, retired
Julie Warner, Armstrong Atlantic State University
Patricia Kelly, Virginia Tech University
ABOUT SIGNAL JOURNAL
SIGNAL Journal is a peer-reviewed (refereed) journal
of the International Reading Association’s Special In-
terest Group - Network on Adolescent Literature. The
journal publishes articles, essays and reviews about
varying aspects of young adult literature. Ideas for us-
ing young adult literature in the classroom, ways to get
students interested in reading, interviews with young
adult authors, critical analyses of several works by one
author, thematic comparisons of books by different
authors, and topical bibliographies are examples of the
types of articles SIGNAL Journal publishes.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Manuscripts, which may be 4-15 pages in length, should
be double-spaced and follow APA documentation style.
NOTE: Please italicize book titles, but not series titles. Se-
ries titles should be capitalized but not italicized or placed
in quotation marks. Please also submit manuscripts as
Word documents, attaching tables, charts, and photos (.jpg
or .gif) in a separate file.
We do not accept simultaneous submissions. Manuscripts
should be submitted electronically to SIGNALjournal@
gmail.com. Please include a short biographical sketch, in-
cluding the name of your school and position. The editors
reserve the right to modify manuscripts to fit length and
language considerations. SIGNAL Journal requires that ar-
ticles have not been published elsewhere. In addition to our
calls for manuscripts on the following pages, we always wel-
come general submissions.
REVIEW PROCESS
Each manuscript will receive a blind review by at least two
members of the review board, unless the content or length
makes it inappropriate for the journal. The review board
will make a decision within four to six weeks of receiving
manuscripts. Any revisions of manuscripts submitted for
further review will also receive a blind review by at least
two members of the review board. The review board will
make a decision within four to six weeks after the manu-
script submission deadline.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Design / Layout / Graphics: Ashley Beason-Manes,
University of Arkansas
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 3
 From the Editor
Photo by Tom Meyer
Toby Emert
Y
oung adult literature, as a literary market sub-genre, has
weathered the tides of critical and popular opinion for
more than four decades. The 2004 National Endowment
for the Arts’ (NEA) study, “Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary
Reading in America,” offered an alarming conclusion: the num-
ber of young adults reading literature declined 20 percent in the
twenty year period between 1982 and 2002—“the greatest loss of
readership in the country’s history” (Withers & Ross, 2011, para.
1). The decrease in the population of readers was attributed, at
least partially, to the growing love affair Americans have with
gadgetry. It might have been hard to predict, given these dire sta-
tistics, that over the ensuing decade, reading trends among young
adults would shift dramatically.
In fact, over the last ten years, the number of YA titles pub-
lished each year has exploded, causing D.B. Grady (2011), in an
article in The Atlantic, to call young adult fiction the market’s cur-
rent hottest genre. The demographics of the readership has like-
wise expanded, with adult readers becoming an important seg-
ment of the audience for popular novels with young protagonists.
Recent statistics reported in Bowker Market Research’s biannual
study of publishing for children suggest that 55 percent of the
buyers of books designated YA are older than 18, with the largest
segment falling into the 30-44 age bracket.
Cynics sometimes opine that the proliferation of titles has
diluted the quality of the stories being told, though book lovers
would likely disagree. The field is attracting a diverse group of
new authors, whose first novels offer indelible messages about the
struggle to negotiate the developmental chasm that links child-
hood and adulthood. And the range of voices, themes, and sto-
ries is rich and compelling. It seemed reasonable for the SIGNAL
Journal to devote an issue to celebrating some of these newest
voices.
In this issue Michael Cart, former president of both the Young
Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and NCTE’s Assem-
bly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN), describes a list of what
he considers the very best YA books by recent first-time authors
in his article, “Flying Out of the Starting Gates: A Survey of the
Finest Books from New Young Adult Novelists.” Rodrigo Joseph
Rodriguez and KaaVonia Hinton offer an introduction to Pura
4 SIGNAL Journal
Belpré Award-winning teacher-cum-writer Guadalupe García
McCall, whose first book in verse, Under the Mesquite, earned a
spot on School Library Journal’s 2012 Best Books list.
I had the privilege of interviewing National Book Award win-
ner Thanhha Lai, a Vietnamese refugee who immigrated to the
U.S. immediately after the fall of Saigon in 1975, who writes her
first book, Inside Out and Back Again, in the voice of ten-year-old
Hà, a character whose poetic story is similar to Lai’s own. Kather-
ine Mason talked with Lambda-award finalist emily m. danforth,
and the interview is as richly detailed as danforth’s debut novel,
The Miseducation of Cameron Post. It is the story of a lesbian teen-
ager growing up in Miles City, Montana, in the 1990s.
Dawan Coombs spotlights authors who won the International
Reading Association’s Children’s and Young Adult Book Award,
given to newly published authors deemed to show unusual prom-
ise, in “Fusing Horizons: New Authors and Titles That Promote
Understanding.” Rounding out the issue is Casey Cothran and
Robert Prickett’s exploration of the fascination with dystopian
fiction, especially novelists who feature female heroines, like the
wildly popular twenty-something phenom Veronica Roth who
writes the Divergent series, and Sean P. Connors’s thoughtful
analysis of YA literature’s capacity to boost imagination and em-
pathy.
It is difficult to predict what the market trends of the next
decade will reveal about readers of young adult fiction and how
those trends will influence the publishing industry, but it is not
difficult to celebrate the memorable voices of the some of the
field’s newest luminaries.
Toby Emert
Guest Editor
References
Bowker Market Research. (2012, September 13). Young adult books at-
tract growing number of adult fans. Retrieved from http://www.
bowker.com/en-US/aboutus/press_room/2012/pr_09132012.sht-
ml
Grady, D. B. (2011, August 1). How young adult fiction came of age. The
Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/
archive/2011/08/how-young-adult-fiction-came-of-age/242671/
Withers, H., & Ross, L. (2011, February 8). Young people are reading
more than you. Retrieved from http://www.mcsweeneys.net/ar-
ticles/young-people-are-reading-more-than-you
Call for Papers

FALL 2014/WINTER 2015

Theme: Transmedia Storytelling in YA Literature
Deadline: September 1, 2014
In 2003, media studies professor Henry Jenkins coined the
term “Transmedia Storytelling,” which describes the coordinated
use of storytelling across media platforms. In basic terms, one
avenue of transmedia storytelling brings characters that we grow
to love in print to visual life through “digital channels” such as
comics, movies, television shows, interactive texts, games, mobile
applications, and websites. As the digital landscape of text ex-
pands, we see narratives and interactive experiences for readers
as a new frontier in the world of storytelling. Popular young adult
novels such as the Harry Potter series, the Hunger Games series,
Lord of the Rings, and Beautiful Creatures, among others, are part
of the transmedia storytelling experience.
As consumers, authors, fans, and teachers of young adult lit-
erature, we are likely to have a variety of divergent views on the
transmedia storytelling experience as it relates to our relation-
ship to young adult literature. As teachers and researchers, have
you had success in incorporating these storytelling channels with
your students? What transmedia storytelling experiences have
you created, based on YAL, to use with your students? Does the
use of transmedia storytelling in the classroom diminish students’
experiences with the traditional texts?

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 5

Flying Out of the Starting Gates: A Survey of the
Finest Books from New Young Adult Novelists
by: Michael Cart

W
e might consider the first novel a hurdle in what, for a Now, does all of this mean that I kept a list of the above
writer, can prove to be a lifelong race. Understandably, elements and checked them off as I read? Originality, check.
some authors stumble; others soar. Let’s forget those Voice, check. Style, check. No, of course not. I mentioned earlier
who stumble, and, instead, focus on some of those who soar, that I’ve been a reader for sixty-five years (since I was seven) and
along with the first novels that have helped them fly out of the a reviewer for nigh onto half a century. As a result, these elements
starting gates. have become a kind of subconscious critic that informs my often
But first: How did I select the eighteen exemplary authors who visceral first reading (I love this book; I hate this book). It is
follow? What criteria did I apply to their novels? Well, for starters, only after I’ve finished the book that I consciously examine my
as I read my way through the current crop, I looked for originality. reactions in a critical context. And that then drives my decision
As someone who has been a voracious reader for some sixty-five vis-à-vis inclusion on or exclusion from the list.
years and a reviewer for forty-four, I’m only too well aware that This has been a very long introduction that should be viewed
we live in an age where nothing succeeds like imitation. And so, not as justification but, instead, an explanation of the means and
authors who bring freshness and innovation to their first novels methods that shaped the list that follows. I recognize that not
are a shoo-in for a list like the one that everyone will agree with every author/
follows. I also left room for the quirky title I have included and surely there
and offbeat, the sui generis, the novels will be those who exclaim at omissions,
that appeal to special, as well as general, but such disagreements (and, I hope,
readers. Next, I looked at character. Nothing is more exciting agreements) are what make lists like the
Have the authors created fully realized, one that follows so much fun. Sharpen
multidimensional characters or are
than reading a book that is your critical knives if you wish, but even
they superficial stereotypes? What so compelling--or if you do, I hope you will enjoy my list of
about voice? Have the authors found famous firsts. Here they are.
theirs or do they simply echo the voices controversial--that it simply
of authors who have influenced them? demands you talk about Jesse Andrews. Me and Earl
If voice is a consideration, so, surely, and the Dying Girl (Abrams/
is style. How have the authors used it with other readers. Amulet, 2012.)
language in terms of diction, syntax,
imagery, and rhythm? And what about About the Author: A graduate of
mood, tone, and atmosphere? Are they Harvard University, Andrews is a
consistent with the thematic content of the story(ies) the authors novelist, screenwriter, and musician. Currently living in Los
seek to tell? Contextually, this is the place to nod at setting. There Angeles, he has also lived in Spain and Germany, where he was a
was a time when this consideration took a back seat in young adult receptionist in a youth hostel.
books, but that is, or should be, a thing of the past. A fully realized
setting is nearly as important as a fully realized character and, About the Book: The “me” of the title is high school senior Greg
indeed, some settings emerge as de facto characters themselves. Gaines, who has made it his business to avoid being associated
To return, for a moment, to story, what about the plots? Are they with any of his high school’s cliques while remaining friendly
interesting, lively, engaging, compelling, or are they derivative or with them all. As a result, Greg has only one real friend, the Earl
as full of holes as Swiss cheese? Or are they—worst of all—as of the title, whose language is not fit for delicate ears. Their hobby
dull as yesterday’s dishwater? What is the book’s appeal? Without is secretly making awful films (“Apocalypse Later” with super
readers a book is nothing but a dusty artifact. Will these books, soakers, “The Manchurian Catidate” with, yes, cats, etc.). Greg’s
then, speak to potential readers? Will they invite emotional as life is turned upside down when his mother insists that he visit
well as intellectual engagement and further invite thought and Rachel in the hospital, where she is dying of leukemia. Though
discussion? Nothing is more exciting than reading a book that is reluctant at first, Greg finds himself bonding with the dying girl
so compelling—or controversial—that it simply demands you talk and his wisecracks help ease her passage. He also shows her his
about it with other readers. And, lastly, do all of these elements films and, as a result, word gets out about them and finally he and
cohere and come together as an artful whole, or do they remain Earl are persuaded by Rachel’s friends to make a film about her.
nothing but a collection of disparate elements? If the former, look “Rachel the Film” turns out to be absolutely terrible. Obviously
for them on the list that follows; if not, you’ll search for them in Andrews manages to mix humor and sorrow to good effect in his
vain. offbeat—and memorable—first novel.

6 SIGNAL Journal

Hannah Barnaby. Wonder Show. (Houghton, 2012.
William C. Morris YA Debut Award Honor
Book.)
About the Author: The first children’s writer in residence at the
Boston Public Library, Barnaby holds an M.A. degree in Chil-
dren’s Literature from Simmons College and an M.F.A. in Writ-
ing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She
has worked as an editor, bookseller, and writing instructor. Small
wonder that she says her work has always related to books. Now
she’s writing them.
About the Book: Barnaby gives us an idiosyncratic, Depression-
era story of a girl who finds a sort of sanctuary in a circus with
its “freak” sideshow. When her father leaves her to find work,
Portia finds herself remanded to the dreadful Greavey Home for
Wayward Girls run by a cold-hearted man called, simply, “Mis-
ter.” When a tragedy at the Home sends her fleeing, Portia seeks
refuge in Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show, where she also hopes
to locate her father. She finds work there as a cook and uses her
storytelling skills to attract customers to the sideshow. When
Mister, who has an uncanny ability to track down runaways,
comes dangerously close, Portia realizes she must do something
desperate. The wonderfully original story is enhanced by interpo-
lated chapters in which various of the freaks—the term used in
the book—tell their own stories. The characters in Wonder Show
are endlessly fascinating and the setting is equally fascinating and
richly realized. Wonder Show is a wonder of a book.
Kathryn Burak. Emily’s Dress and Other Missing
Things (Roaring Brook, 2012.)
About the Author: Burak teaches writing at Boston University.
She says her first published writing was a letter to Santa Claus
published when she was seven.
About the Book: Life has been hard for Chloe; first, her mother
committed suicide and, second, her best friend Richy has gone
missing and the police believe she might have been complicit in
his disappearance. To escape this fraught environment, she and
her college professor father move from Providence to Amherst,
Massachusetts, where Chloe will repeat her senior year in high
school. There she becomes fascinated with the poet Emily Dickin-
son. The student teacher for her English class, Mr. Tate, becomes
equally fascinated with Chloe and concerned about her emotion-
al health when he reads her dark poetry, which is included in the
novel. When, one evening, she breaks into the Dickinson House
and dons the poet’s dress to feel closer to her mother, he follows
her and, discovered, the two flee, Chloe still in Dickinson’s dress.
How will she return the dress and how will she cope with the
difficulties visiting her life, especially when she discovers Richy’s
unhappy fate? Fans of character-driven, literary fiction will find
this novel especially rewarding.
Laura Buzo, Love and Other Perishable Items
(Knopf, 2012. William C. Morris YA Debut Award
Honor Book.)
About the Author: Buzo lives in Sydney, Australia, where she
was born and raised. Growing up, she says, she loved swimming,
riding horses, tennis, netball, running, chocolate, and, above all,
reading. She has served as a social worker in various acute and
community-based mental health settings.
About the Book: Set in Australia, Buzo’s first novel introduces
readers to fifteen-year-old Amelia, who is desperately in love with
Christopher, her college-age supervisor at the Sydney super-mar-
ket where they work. But Chris is not only too old for her (he’s
twenty-one) but he is in love with his co-worker Michaela—or is
it his supervisor, Kathy? This fresh and funny story is told from
two perspectives: Amelia’s first person, present tense voice and
excerpts from Chris’s emotion-rich journal entries. A large cast
of quirky, offbeat secondary characters adds to the novel’s charm.
S. D. Crockett. After the Snow. (Feiwel and
Friends, 2012. William C. Morris YA Debut Award
Honor Book.)
About the Author: S. D. (Sophie) Crockett reports that she grew
up on a yacht as her parents circumnavigated the globe. After
graduating from London University’s Royal Holloway and Bed-
ford New College with a degree in Drama and Theater Studies,
she lived in Russia, Turkey, and the United States. Today she di-
vides her time among homes in the Montagne Noire of Southern
France, Suffolk, and London. Booklist magazine has called her a
“writer to watch.”
About the Book: The world is in the grip of a new Ice Age when
15-year-old Willo’s family of trappers vanishes and he sets off into
the wilderness to find them. On the way to his nearby destina-
tion—the dangerous, occupied city—he rescues a young girl from
starvation, a girl who will have an unexpected impact on his per-
ilous quest to find information about his still missing father. One
of the particularly notable aspects of this fine novel is that Willo
speaks in a singular, seemingly unlettered argot that invites spec-
ulation that his is a post-apocalyptic world. The fully realized
setting and the darkly ominous tone of the novel recall Cormac
McCarthy’s 2006 novel The Road.
emily m. danforth. The Miseducation of Cameron
Post (HarperCollins, 2012. William C. Morris YA
Debut Award Honor Book.)
About the Author: Born and raised in Miles City, Montana,
danforth has an M.F.A. degree in fiction from the University of
Montana and a Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing from the
University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She currently teaches creative
writing and literature at Rhode Island College.
About the Book: Cameron’s parents are killed in a car crash when
she is a girl and she is sent to live with her grandmother and con-
servative Aunt Ruth. As she grows into her teenage years, she dis-
covers she is a lesbian and begins a clandestine affair with her
bisexual best friend Coley. When their affair is discovered, Coley
blames Cameron for their relationship and Aunt Ruth arranges
for Cameron to be sent to God’s Promise, a church camp that
claims to cure young people of their homosexuality. Set in eastern
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 7
Montana, a setting that is vividly realized, the novel then follows
Cameron’s disturbing experiences at the Camp. Such conversion
therapy is rooted in reality; in fact, it has recently been declared to
be illegal in the State of California. danforth’s coming of age novel
is a work of literary fiction that is notable for its characterization
and its intelligent treatment of its thematic content. It was short-
listed for the Morris Award and was also selected for the Best Fic-
tion for Young Adults List of the Young Adult Library Services
Association (YALSA).
Nicole Griffin. The Whole Stupid Way We Are
(Atheneum, 2013.)
About the Author: Nicole Griffin, who is currently an
educational consultant, has also worked as a teacher. She reports
that, as a child, she knew she wanted to grow up to write young
adult fiction. She began her first novel when she was an M.F.A.
student at Vermont College.
About the Book: Best friends Dinah and Skint, both fifteen, are
a study in opposites: Dinah is bright, optimistic, and ebullient.
Skint, on the other hand, is increasingly dark, dour, and remote
with good reason: his father is suffering from early-onset demen-
tia and his mother, angry and sometimes violent, is not reacting
well. Though unable to help himself, Skint is anxious to help oth-
ers, including an elderly couple and a young boy whose angry
father refuses to let him see his mother. Dinah is more focused,
determined to help Skint and his family, but will she go too far
and jeopardize their friendship? Griffin does an excellent job with
her small town Maine setting and creates, in Dinah and Skint,
sympathetic characters whose emotional problems will touch
readers’ hearts.
Rachel Hartman. Seraphina (Random House
Books for Young Readers, 2012. William C.
Morris YA Debut Award.)
About the Author: Born in Kentucky, Hartman now lives in
Vancouver, B.C. She has a B.A. in Comparative Literature and
chose to pursue illustrating and authoring comic books rather
than graduate school.
About the Book: Winner of the 2013 William C. Morris YA
Debut Award for a first novel and recipient of seven starred
reviews, Seraphina is a richly imaginative fantasy that will
delight dragon lovers. The story centers around sixteen-year-
old Seraphina—a gifted musician and assistant to the court
composer—who has a closely guarded secret that could mean
the difference between her life and death. Events, however,
seem to be conspiring to reveal that secret. Prince Lucian Kiggs,
the perceptive Captain of the Queen’s Guard, has asked her to
join him in investigating the violent death of Prince Rupert,
whose head has been bitten off, a sign that a dragon has been
the murderer. But has it? Someone, after all, is attempting to
destroy the tenuous, 40-year-old treaty between the Kingdom
of Goredd and the Dragon Kingdom. Heightening the tension
is the presence of an unusually large number of dragons at the
Court, come to observe the anniversary of the treaty (in a neat
plot twist dragons must assume human form when they are at
Court). As the investigation continues, Seraphina becomes a
mashup of mystery, fantasy, and romance, filled with vividly
8 SIGNAL Journal
drawn characters and a believable Medievalesque setting. Expect
a sequel to this extremely fine novel.
Leila Howland. Nantucket Blue (Disney/Hyperion,
2013.)
About the Author: Howland presently lives in Los Angeles,
where she teaches in the adult division of the Los Angeles
Unified School District. She has also worked as a waitress and an
actress; like the protagonist of her novel, she even worked one
summer as a chambermaid on Nantucket.
About the Book: Seventeen-year-old Cricket has been invited
by her best friend Jules to spend the summer on Nantucket with
her and her family, with whom Cricket has always been close.
Perhaps best of all, Cricket’s crush, Jay, will also be on the Island.
Things change dramatically, however, when Jules’ mother dies,
and the plans fall through. Nevertheless, Cricket decides to go
to Nantucket anyway and gets a job as a chambermaid. To her
dismay she finds that Jules has become distant and Jay, whom
she has offended, is no longer a factor. Happily, however, love
emerges from an unlikely quarter and the summer becomes …
livelier. The novel has more depth than most stories of summer
romance; the characters are well-developed and the Nantucket
setting is beautifully realized.
Jenny Hubbard. Paper Covers Rock (Delacorte,
2011. William C. Morris YA Debut Award Honor
Book.)
About the Author: In addition to being a novelist, Hubbard is a
poet, playwright, and teacher.
About the Book: Set in an all-male prep school in 1982, this first
novel inevitably recalls John Knowles’ classic A Separate Peace
but definitely has its own individual identity. The story begins
when protagonist Alex, a junior, and his friends Thomas and
Glenn, the school’s golden boy, go swimming in an off-limits
river. Alcohol is consumed and Thomas, diving from a rock,
drowns. Given the circumstances of the death, Alex and Glenn
are terrified they will be expelled and desperately try to cover
up the circumstances of the accident. To deal with his guilt,
Alex begins keeping a secret journal writing the truth of what
happened. In the meantime he finds himself falling in love with
his young English teacher, Miss Dovecott, who encourages his
gift as a poet. Unfortunately, the charismatic Glenn is convinced
that the teacher observed what happened at the river and insists
Alex join him in an attempt to discredit her. What will Alex do?
This is an extraordinarily fine, character-driven work of literary
fiction. It is beautifully written, especially the poetry the author
has created for Alex, and its themes of honor, truth, and integrity
are sure to invite serious discussion among its readers.
Alaya Dawn Johnson. The Summer Prince (Arthur
A. Levine Books, 2013.)
About the Author: Alaya (pronounced like papaya) Dawn
Johnson, a published adult author, lives in New York and
graduated from Columbia University in 2004 with a B.A. degree
in East Asian Languages and Cultures. She has lived and traveled
extensively in Japan. She loves, she says, all forms of speculative
fiction, historical fiction, and even sometimes a good, highbrow
novel.
About the Book: Johnson’s first YA effort is a dystopian novel
set in a post-nuclear winter Brazil, where the survivors have
built a vertical city, an enormous pyramid called Palmares
Tres. A teenage artist and rebel, June is a privileged citizen of
the matriarchal city ruled by the Aunties, to one of whom her
mother is married. June and her best friend Gil become involved
with Enki, a beautiful boy from the Bottom Tier, who is selected
as the Summer King to serve for a year before his ritual sacrifice.
Both of them fall in love with him, but it is Gil whom Enki
selects in a world where there are no gender restrictions on
love. However, Enki collaborates with June on groundbreaking
artwork. Highly imaginative and lushly executed, The Summer
King is a significant addition to the ranks of dystopian fiction.
T. Michael Martin. The End Games (HarperCollins,
2013.)
About the Author: A novelist and screenwriter who lives in
West Virginia, Martin holds a B.F.A. degree in Filmmaking from
the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
About the Book: It’s a zombie apocalypse in West Virginia
and seventeen-year-old Michael and his autistic five-year-old
brother, Patrick, are running for their lives, one step ahead of the
light-fearing, flesh-eating undead. Michael helps Patrick cope
with this nightmare scenario by pretending it’s all a video game,
but the reality is much more horrific, especially when the boys
run afoul of a fanatical religious cult called the Rapture. They
will also encounter a super-competent but mercurial military
man named Captain Jopek, who may or may not be a good guy.
There is even a romance with a girl named Holly to distract
Michael. Tense and fast-paced, The End Games is an auspicious
debut that is sure to delight horror fans and zombie junkies
alike.
Emily Murdoch. If You Find Me. (St. Martin’s/
Griffin, 2013.)
About the Author: Poet and novelist Murdoch lives on a ranch
in rural Arizona, where she operates a sanctuary for slaughter-
rescued horses and burros. She calls herself a lefty trying to live
in a right-handed world.
About the Book: Ten years after she was kidnapped by her
drug-addicted mother, 14-year-old Carey lives a hand-to-mouth
existence in a trailer deep in the Tennessee woods with her
mother and her younger sister Nessa, who suffers from selective
mutism. With their mother often absent, Carey must raise
herself and her younger sister until a social worker arranges
for the girls to be taken to live with their father (though he is
not the biological parent of Nessa). It’s a new life replete with
such “luxuries” as regular meals and running water and Carey’s
budding relationship with a boy she knew before she was
kidnapped. It seems an ideal life, but Carey has a closely guarded
secret that she fears could bring the whole thing crashing down.
Beautifully and poetically written, If You Find Me is an affecting
and sometimes disturbing portrait of children in extremis. It
offers an irresistible invitation to empathy from its readers.
Mary O’Connell. The Sharp Time (Delacorte,
2012.)
About the Author: A graduate of the prestigious Iowa Writer’s
Workshop, O’Connell is the author of the short story collection
Living with Saints. She is a recipient of a James Michener Fel-
lowship and a Chicago Tribune Nelson Algren Award.
About the Book: Following her single mother’s death,
Sandanista Jones (she’s named for an album by the rock band
Clash) finds herself living alone. Worse, following a humiliating
altercation with her algebra teacher—spurred by Sandanista’s
ADD—the 18-year-old drops out of school. Waiting in vain
for her school to call to resolve matters, Sandanista, to her
delight, gets a job working at the Pale Circus, her favorite
vintage clothing store. There she makes a new friend, Bradley, a
druggie kind of do-gooder who has problems of his own. In the
meantime Sandanista indulges in violent fantasies of retribution
against the teacher, fantasies that may turn into reality when
she acquires a handgun. Fortunately she finds cautious hope for
a new lifetime in friendships with inhabitants of the rundown
Kansas City street where she works, among them Trappist
monks, her HIV-positive boss, and the owner of an erotic
bakery. Readers will sympathize with the troubled teen and wish
her the best.
Evan Roskos. Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young
Readers, 2013.)
About the Author: Roskos attended the Bread Loaf Writer’s
Conference and received his M.F.A. degree from Rutgers
University. His short story “Conspiracy of Males” was chosen
by the magazine Granta for its New Voices online feature, while
Narrative named him one of its 20 Best New Writers. He teaches
at Rutgers University, Camden.
About the Book: Sixteen-year-old James Whitman is a self-
described depressed and anxious kid. He is also a poet like his
hero Walt Whitman and, like Whitman, is given to sounding
the occasional barbaric yawp—like most mornings! Despite its
self-deprecating first person voice, this is very much a serious
novel about suicidal depression and anxiety. For help James
turns to an imaginary therapist who happens to be a pigeon
he calls Dr. Bird. And to feel better, he embraces trees. Quirky
stuff, but unfortunately, James is also riddled with guilt for not
standing up for his sister, who has been expelled from school
and kicked out of the house by their abusive parents. James’s life
is largely interior and Roskos does an excellent job of capturing
adolescent angst. His is the kind of offbeat novel that could
become a cult favorite.
Rinsai Rossetti. The Girl with Borrowed Wings (Dial,
2012.)
About the Author: Rossetti was born in Thailand, where
her name means “a waterfall of sand.” She chose to attend
Dartmouth College, she says, because she liked the color (green)
of its webpage, adding that it took her thirteen days to write her
novel when she was a teenager but two years to revise it.
About the Book: Seventeen-year-old Frenenquer Paje lives
with her rigidly controlling father at a Middle Eastern desert
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 9
oasis. When, against her father’s wishes, she rescues a cat from a remains missing. The second story is of Cabot Searcy, who is
souk, she discovers the animal is actually a shape-shifter named obsessed with the non-canonical Book of Enoch, which recounts
Sangris. A free spirit, he is the direct opposite of the closely the story of how the angel Gabriel came to earth to destroy the
controlled Frenenquer (her name means “restraint”). At night fallen angels. Searcy wants to change the world. To that end he
he sprouts wings and transports the at-first reluctant girl to continues, obsessively, to study religion and the Book of Enoch,
places they have lived. When it appears their relationship may the Old Testament figure who did not die but was taken up to
become intimate, Frenenquer rejects Sangris. However, through heaven by God. Intricately plotted and filled with too many
the agency of a friend, he continues to follow her life and when memorable characters to mention here, Where Things Come
Frenenquer is able to seize an opportunity for independence, Back is a profound story of loss and resurrection. Once read, it is
the relationship between the two is restored and deepened. not easily forgotten.
Beautifully written, this highly original novel is an outstanding
romance-cum-fantasy. And there you have it: eighteen of the finest first YA novelists
of the moment and the work that distinguishes them. How will
Erin Saldin. The Girls of No Return (Arthur A. they fare with their second novels? Stay tuned.
Levine Books, 2012.)
About the Author: Saldin went on her first backpacking trip to
Michael Cart, a former president of both YALSA and NCTE’s
Southern Idaho when she was 14. Her work has appeared in The
Assembly on Literature for Adolescents, is a columnist and
New York Times and the Best New American Voices series. She
reviewer for Booklist magazine. He is also the author or editor of
lives in Missoula, Montana, and teaches creative writing at the
twenty-one books, most recently Cart’s Top 200 Adult Books for
University of Montana, Missoula.
Young Adults: Two Decades in Review (ALA Editions, 2013). He
About the Book: Told in extended flashbacks, this first novel can be reached at mrmcart@sbcglobal.net.
is the story of 16-year-old Lida Wallace, who—because of her
anger and destructive behavior—is sent by her father and step-
mother to the Alice Marshall School for Girls in Idaho’s Frank
Church River of No Return Wilderness. There she becomes one
of fifty troubled girls, each of whom has a “thing,” the reason
for her presence. Lida is determined to keep hers a secret—both
from the other girls and the reader—but gradually becomes
familiar with those of the other girls. At the same time she
develops a tentative friendship with her fierce and dangerous
roommate Boone. But then Gia arrives and Lida finds herself
attracted to the beautiful newcomer and caught in the middle of
the acrimonious relationship between Boone and Gia. And, yes,
there will be a violent confrontation that leaves Lida with fresh
insights about her own behavior. This first novel is distinguished
by both the depth of its characterizations and its richly realized
wilderness setting.

John Cameron Whaley. Where Things Come Back

(Atheneum, 2011. William C. Morris YA Debut
Award; Michael L. Printz Award.)
About the Author: Whaley grew up in the small town of
Springhill, Louisiana, where, he says, he learned his affinity for
sarcasm and started writing stories. He has a B.A. in English
and an M.A. in Secondary English Education from Louisiana
Technical University. He taught in public schools for five years.

About the Author: Whaley’s dizzyingly complex and

imaginative first novel won both the Michael L. Printz Award
as best young adult novel of the year and the William C. Morris
Award as best first novel. It is actually two stories that ultimately,
in an ingenious way, come together. One story is of 17-year-
old Cullen Witter, who lives in Lily, Arkansas, and whose life
and that of his family is turned upside down when his younger
brother, the 15-year-old Gabriel, vanishes. At the same time
a visiting ornithologist announces he has sighted the Lazarus
woodpecker, thought to have been extinct for 60 years. The
news turns Lily into a national tourist destination while Gabriel

10 SIGNAL Journal
Coming of Age and Coming of GAYge: An Interview
with emily m. danforth
by: Katherine Mason
W
hen I reviewed the notes I made in my personal read-
ing log in September 2012 after reading emily m.
danforth’s debut novel The Miseducation of Cameron
Post, I had to smile: “Loved this book. The voice of Cameron
Post will stay with me for a long time. Wry, tender, and smart,
she is a character I’d like to spend more time with, even after 470
pages.” I am not alone in my admiration
for the book. Cameron Post has earned
numerous accolades, including the 2012
Montana Book Award and starred reviews
from Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly,
and School Library Journal. In addition,
it was a finalist for the William C. Morris
YA Debut Award and the Lambda Liter-
ary Award. In February 2012 in a book
review for National Public Radio, award-
winning young adult author Malinda Lo
described it as a novel that “transcends”
the typical coming-out novel formula and
“demonstrates why these stories still need
to be told.”
Described by danforth as a “coming-
of-GAYge” story, The Miseducation of
Cameron Post invites the reader to expe-
rience adolescence through the eyes of
Cameron Post. During the summer be-
fore her 13th birthday, Cameron’s parents
die in a car accident while she’s stealing
bubblegum and kissing her best friend
Irene. Mixed with her sadness and shame
is the relief that her parents will never
know that she kissed a girl. This loss and revelation haunts Cam-
eron for much of the novel as she swims and runs competitively,
falls in and out of love, confides in her friends Lindsay and Jamie,
and is outed by her crush (and friend) Coley Taylor to her ultra-
religious Aunt Ruth. When Aunt Ruth opts to send Cameron to a
conversion therapy school called God’s Promise, Cameron finds
a sense of community that she’s never experienced before, as well
as the courage to forgive Coley, her family, and most importantly
herself.
KM: You write in your acknowledgements that
Cameron’s voice first emerged in a short story
in a fiction workshop. Can you describe the
process of developing her character and the
characters who surround her?
emd: Cam is the only fictional character I’ve ever created whose
experiences are most akin to my own past. The novel is, without
question, autobiographically informed—this is particularly true
in its treatment of small town Montana in the early 1990s. How-
ever, in all kinds of crucial, crucial ways, Cam is not me, not even
teenage me. (I’m not an orphan; I wasn’t sent to conversion thera-
py; I didn’t have a high school Coley Taylor-type break my heart.)
Constructing Cam became a question of deciding when to rely on
my own memories of growing up queer
in eastern Montana and when to deviate,
often significantly, from those memories
(which is what I did probably sixty per-
cent of the time, because choosing to do
so better served the story I was trying to
tell). If I’d gotten too precious about my
own memories—some of my own nos-
talgia—it would have weighed the book
down considerably. This isn’t to say that
I didn’t sneak some of that in—of course
I did—but Cam emerged as a character
who is unlike me in important, notice-
able ways.
Every character in the novel comes
from a piece of me—from something
I’ve observed or thought about, a judg-
ment I’ve had, a question I’ve consid-
ered. And I take liberally from people in
my past, from those around me, but it’s
never a straightforward process of build-
ing a character, whole cloth, from the at-
tributes of someone I know. I might bor-
row a hairstyle or a belief system, a way
of phrasing something, but then I’ll com-
bine that with another element and another element, until these
characters become very distinctive, not pulled from my world at
all. When friends from high school tell me that they recognize so
and so (from our collective past) in Cam Post, I have to chuckle,
because, you know, it’s just not so—they’re never right. But I think
it gives readers who knew me then great pleasure to try to exactly
match my own high school experiences with Cam’s. It’s not at all
accurate, but I do understand the impulse.
KM: You write in a 2012 Huffington Post article
that “the 1990s felt so fraught and, frankly,
dangerous that from the ages of 8 to 18,
closeted-me inhabited a very active and wholly
imagined fantasy world in which a braver,
not-closeted-me, was, well, braver and not
closeted” … which was ultimately “good fuel
for fiction writing.” At the 2012 Kansas state
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 11
English teacher’s conference, I shared some of
my favorite excerpts from Cameron Post, and
one English teacher responded that Cam’s
voice sounded wise beyond her years. This is
something that I love about your book. What do
you think are some of the benefits of teens (and
adults) reading from the perspective of such a
strong, smart, witty character?
emd: Well, Cam-as-narrator is a bit older than the experiences
she’s telling us about. She’s had some time to do some process-
ing (though not always as much processing as she’d perhaps want
you to believe). The thing about all first-person narrators is their
inherent unreliability. You just can’t be objective about your own
experiences—not fully (and certainly not without some time and
distance). So, I tried to play with that some as I constructed the
novel. There are a few times when Cam claims to have come to a
kind of understanding about her life, or about a particular inci-
dent, and then she later makes a conflicting statement or observa-
tion that seems to indicate something else. This isn’t accidental.
While Cam is a narrator who’s interested in making sense of the
world, and of her own experiences in that world, she’s still close
enough to the things she’s telling us about that she doesn’t have
quite the perspective she wants to believe she has. The simple
way to put this is that sometimes she seems to want to convince
readers that she’s put all of this tragedy and these difficult times
behind her, but her own way of telling her story, of lingering on
certain moments (or not), betrays that conviction.
I don’t see her as an adult narrator looking back on her
youth—she doesn’t have that kind of distance, thirty or forty
years. I think of her as a narrator who’s maybe 19, maybe 20, so
she’s just a few years removed from the events she’s talking about.
And I think those few years of wisdom help her to at least attempt
a kind of reasonable, sometimes even generous, approach when
recounting her story. Perhaps, for some readers, this plays as wis-
dom. This doesn’t mean that she doesn’t get passionate or angry
or lose that sense of generosity, sometimes, but I think she does
try, as a narrator, to, at least occasionally, see more than one side
(her side) of the experience. This is hard to do in the moment, of
course, when you’re passionate, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a
teen or an adult for that to be true. When we are wronged or be-
trayed or wounded, it doesn’t take much to start feeling bitter and
petty, even if we’re talking about now old wounds or old betrayals.
Cam is certainly not a perfect or pious or even necessarily
moralistic narrator, but she does attempt a kind of authentic, even
honest, narration, a willingness to see some of her own faults and
prejudices, even while she’s pointing them out in others.
KM: Do you have a favorite moment (or
moments) in the story—maybe one that was
particularly enjoyable to write or one that
resonates with you in some way?
emd: I’m partial to a scene at the Custer County Fair, the first
event Cameron ventures out to with Irene, after her parents’
death. It comes pretty early in the novel. I usually just refer to it
as the Ferris Wheel scene, and I often use it when I’m asked to
do a reading. It’s a scene rich in sensory detail, and there was a
pleasure in mining my own pool of memories of that exact fair—
the smells and the sights and the sounds.
12 SIGNAL Journal
And then, the Ferris Wheel itself, that slow, rotating motion,
and Cam and Irene riding it together with this pile of unsaid
things sitting between them, and their mutual, uncomfortable at-
traction—well, the tension of all that—I’m not quite sure how to
put it, but thinking of that slow but constant rotation of the wheel
helped me to find the rhythm, the musicality, of many of the sen-
tences in that scene. I was also listening to the band Rilo Kiley a
lot, right around the time I was writing that scene (I’m a big fan),
and so it will forever be tied (for me) to one of my favorite, favor-
ite Rilo Kiley songs, “Pictures of Success.” Lyrically there’s noth-
ing in that song that would make you think Cam on the Ferris
Wheel, but if you listen to the lengthy opening, in particular, the
plinking music, the rhythms, it’s there. I’ll never be able to hear it
again without thinking of Cam and Irene at the fair.
I don’t, by the by, actually listen to music while I’m actively
writing (I find it distracting), but I do listen to it pre- and post-
writing session, and while I’m swimming (thanks to the amaz-
ing feat of technology that is the SwiMP3). I do a lot of think-
ing about my writing while swimming. I remember, distinctly,
swimming laps to “Pictures of Success” while thinking about that
Ferris Wheel scene, that entire section of the novel, really. It’s a
fantastic memory, one of those that reminds me how my writing
process affects so many other facets of my life (and vice versa).
KM: As someone who swam competitively as
a kid, coached swimming as a college student,
and still participates in the sport as an adult,
I am always eager to read novels that involve
competitive swimming. You have depicted the
sport and Cam’s love for it so authentically and
convincingly, I would imagine, because you were
and still are a swimmer yourself. How did you
get involved in swimming, and what keeps you
involved in the sport now?
emd: By age three I was in swimming lessons at the same man-
made lake that Cam describes in the novel (Miles City, Montana’s
best stab at a pool), and by five I was on a team, competing. Duck
to water seems apt. Swimming is really the only sport that’s ever
felt completely natural to me, like a gift, something I had real abil-
ity in.
In high school and college, I lifeguarded and taught swimming
lessons and even coached a couple of age group teams in both
Montana and New York. Large swaths of my life—first jobs and
rebellious behaviors and crushes—have been built around my
relationship with swimming, particularly being outdoors, in and
around water.
I no longer compete or coach, but I still lap swim with regular-
ity. (When I can.) Everything goes better when I’m swimming
four or five days a week; my writing comes more easily, I’m calm-
er, I sleep better—I just feel healthier, in general. And the actual
time I spend in the water—down to one wall, flip turn, back—that
time is always very generative for me when I’m writing fiction,
especially when I’m working on something new. I contemplate
character motivation or plot points while I swim. Other times it
can feel more like meditation than anything else. This is particu-
larly true, I think, with good open water swims. I’ve done several
(the longest a 5K), and I hope to do many more. I don’t think
I’ll ever work up to a Diana Nyad level, but I’m quite sure I’ll be
swimming for as long as I’m able.
KM: Sports/physical activity play a big role in ties, her capacity to surprise you (or me, anyway, while I was writ-
Cameron Post (swimming, running, Christian ing her). Why not have her be a Vikings fan? Particularly because
aerobics, the Viking Erin’s love of football). Why the staff at God’s Promise might see that interest as too mascu-
did you choose to weave sports/athletics into line—if she doesn’t practice her fandom appropriately. I liked the
this story? tension there.
As for the Christian aerobics: the first time I saw a partial
emd: I’m not sure that it’s something I did consciously, at least if video of one of those workouts—someone emailed me a clip, I
we’re talking about my careful consideration of the role of sports think—I knew that I had to work that subculture into some of my
in the novel as a whole. What I did do was think of what those fiction. It just fascinates me that someone would see those two
interests would mean, individually, to each of those characters— things (Biblical instruction and aerobics) as a natural combo for
Cam and the Viking Erin in specific. a workout video. It’s even more fascinating to me that Christian
Cam’s both a swimmer and a runner, two noticeably solitary, aerobics has its own devoted following.
you might even say lonely (if you run or swim long distances)
KM: Have you heard from teachers who have
sports, even when they’re done on teams. Unless it’s a relay, you
swim a race, you run a race, alone, and Cam is a character who used Cameron Post in their classes? I and
values that alone time, who uses it to both think and escape (oranother faculty member plan to use your book
not think, to stop thinking). this semester with our
Also, her successes as an ath- future English teacher
lete allow her to form friend- candidates … as a
ships with some boys on her teacher yourself, do
track team, Jamie in particular, The easiest way to avoid othering you have any advice or
that she mightn’t have gotten
a chance at, otherwise. At one
these novels, this content, is to recommendations for
point in the novel, both Cam’s consistently investigate/question us or for our students
athleticism, and this friend- as we think about
ship she has “with the guys,” are
how said content is being identified integrating Cameron Post
talked about specifically by the and defined--when, where, by into our curriculums?
characters themselves. It’s while
they’re at prom. She asks Jamie whom, for what purposes. emd: Thank you! I’m delighted
if everyone is saying that she’s
gay—if everyone knows and is
Usually this will lead you to to hear that. It’s incredible to
me when I hear from teachers
talking behind her back. He tells a discussion of privilege. who are using this novel in their
her no, that what they say is that classes, and with such a variety
she’s “just a jock or whatever.” of topics, too. (YA Lit/Fiction
For Cam, who’s not ready to Writing/Contemporary Wom-
come out, who’s not even sure what that means, exactly, for her, en’s Lit/LGBTQ Lit, among others.) Frankly, I’ve been routinely
this feels like a kind of comfort. There seems to be room for her impressed when I’ve heard what Cam Post has been paired with
to be strong and athletic without those attributes having anything in terms of secondary readings or discussion topics/questions. I
to do with the way her peers perceive her sexuality. (Although, a feel like I have little to add to the smart approaches people are
comment like Jamie’s also seems to problematically indicate that already using.
these guys are trying to come up with excuses for why Cam is HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray did a fantastic job, I think, creat-
strong or not feminine enough for their tastes, why she seems ing a Book Club guide for the novel. You can find it on my website
maybe masculine-of-center. In their eyes, the label jock is like (www.emdanforth.com, in the “Explore Cam’s Dollhouse” sec-
giving her the “benefit of the doubt” that she’s not this thing that tion), or the HarperCollins Epic Reads website.
would be more upsetting, more of a problem for many of them: Because the guide is intended primarily as a discussion starter
a lesbian.) for book clubs, I’m not sure that it’s rigorous enough to be used
This speaks to something I remember from my own high in the classroom (probably not in a college classroom, anyway).
school experiences. If you go to a school with a strong sports pro- However, I did consult with the fantastic team who put it togeth-
gram, with winning teams, much can be “forgiven” or allowed, er, and I think the questions it asks are useful/generative ones.
overlooked, if you’re someone whose ability contributes to those I’m also interested in how/where the book fits into discus-
wins. Don’t get me wrong, this presents all kinds of problems. I’m sions of the traditions of the coming of age novel (particularly
not advocating for this system, but it does seem to exist. Certainly the American bildungsroman), and also the “lesbian” novel. (And
it did in my school. Cam’s sexuality is, of course, nothing that what it means, of course, to call a novel a “lesbian or gay or queer”
needs to be forgiven or excused, it just is, as she eventually comes novel in the first place. How’s that label decided and by whom and
to understand. But my point is really just that people so often in what circumstances?)
see what they want to see. And if you’re the student scoring the When I’ve visited classes discussing the novel, I’ve witnessed a
touchdowns or winning the track events, athlete or jock or “win- couple of interesting debates regarding the (clichéd) nature of the
ning team member” might well be the first descriptor on the list “coming out novel,” and the ways in which Cam Post either main-
when people are talking about you. tains/embodies or refutes (or both: maintains and refutes) those
When it comes to the Viking Erin, well, I love her incongrui- models. Personally, I think of it as a quintessential coming-of-age

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 13

novel without thinking of it as a coming-out novel, but I’m always
interested to hear how readers/students respond to/interpret it.
KM: In a 2012 interview with Malinda Lo, you
noted that we tend to “other” novels with
queer characters, making the LGBTQ content
the novel’s primary feature. For those of us
who study and write about YAL with LGBTQ
content, what advice do you have for us to avoid
“othering” it, if that is even possible?
emd: As I recall, I made that observation while Malinda and I
were specifically discussing the publishing industry and its recep-
tion (or lack thereof) of YA novels with LGBTQ characters or
“content” (a rather nebulous term). There had been some relative-
ly recent controversy regarding editors allegedly asking authors
to “straighten” queer characters, or remove those characters from
their (YA, in the cases I’m thinking of) novels entirely, and so
Malinda asked me about my own experiences getting Cam pub-
lished. (For the record: I never experienced anything but com-
plete and dedicated support for this novel from my agent, editor,
and entire publishing team.) Malinda and I then went on to talk
about our sense of the general publishing landscape as it pertains
to LGBTQ YA novels.
I’m prefacing my answer to your question with all of this back-
ground because I want to make clear that my point had to do
with publishing practices and a house’s lists—or, basically, what
a particular imprint is publish-
ing in a given publishing season.
My concern was (is) that often,
when those lists are compiled,
when decisions about what will
or won’t be published are made,
a YA novel’s LGBTQ content
(however that’s being defined)
becomes its primary identifying
feature, as in, “Well, this fall we’re
publishing two sports novels,
four romances, three fantasies,
two LGBTQ novels….” You get
the idea. (Though I’m not saying
that the process actually looks
just like that, it can sometimes
seem that way from the outside.)
Which is why those, as I mentioned, nebulous definitions of just
what constitutes LGBTQ “content” become so crucial—especially
when such content sometimes seems to be treated as something
akin to a genre by some folks in publishing (and some readers
too, for that matter).
However, if you’re rigorously analyzing a novel in an academic
setting, using a theoretical framework, say, I don’t think that’s at
all the same thing as othering content to satisfy (heteronorma-
tive) publishing demands or hazy “genre” conditions. The easiest
way to avoid othering these novels, this content, is to consistently
investigate/question how said content is being identified and de-
fined—when, where, by whom, for what purposes (usually this
will lead you to a discussion of privilege). There’s so much good
academic writing on this topic already, and more being produced,
it seems, every day.
When a student says, even in an offhanded way, “Oh, you
14 SIGNAL Journal
know, it’s a queer (or lesbian, or gay) novel about….” I usually
stop him or her to ask, in as truly interested and genuine way
as I can, what they mean by that. How is s/he defining the work
in terms of its characters or content? Does having a queer main
character/narrator necessarily make the work in question queer?
Does the sexuality of the author come into play when one is judg-
ing a novel’s relative queerness? How much do style and form
inform a work’s queerness, or do they do so at all? Is a work of
fiction that is post-postmodern inherently more queer than a
work of representational realism? I’m genuinely interested in the
answers to those questions, and I never assume, for one second,
that everyone studying the same novel will answer them similarly.
KM: In Experience & Education (1938), John
Dewey writes, “Any experience is mis-educative
that has the effect of arresting or distorting the
growth of further experience” (p. 25). Was your
selection of the term “miseducation” for the
book’s title an intentional connection to Dewey?
Obviously, the reparative therapy at God’s
Promise was miseducative, particularly for Mark;
however, other disciples, including Cameron,
Jane, and Adam, seemed equipped to overcome
their miseducation and even thrive with each
other’s support and friendship. I was wondering
if you might be able to comment on the idea
of miseducation and/
or the importance
of community (in the
1990s and today) even
further.
emd: My fantastic editor actu-
ally suggested The Miseducation
of Cameron Post as the title, once
we were already a ways into the
publishing process. My working
title had been Lucky Human,
which was, of course, ironic, but
also referred directly to some-
thing that happens much later
emily m. danforth in Cam’s life (in some material
I’d written that didn’t end up in
this book). We’d gone back and forth about a number of titles and
they all felt wrong for various reasons. When Alessandra (said
fantastic editor) finally suggested The Miseducation of …—it was
one that I immediately liked, that felt right and good, but I did
have some hesitations. One of which was, frankly, my devotion
to the Lauryn Hill album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which
I would still to this day rank amongst my top 10 favorite musical
albums of all time.
Even though I knew that Hill herself had titled her album in
reference to Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s foundational book about
cultural-conditioning, The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933), it
was my own associations with her album (not necessarily with
Woodson’s book), and its significant role in my early college life
(it went in my very fancy 5-slot CD player and didn’t leave one
of the slots for literally two years), that made me hesitant. But I
considered the term “miseducation” for awhile, I thought about
it, did some reading (came across the Dewey definition you re-
ferred to in your question), and decided that both Woodson and
Carter’s take (as well as any popular understanding of the term)
did fit Cam’s experiences well.
Yes, she is, as you observe, sometimes well-suited to handle
the various kinds of miseducation thrown at her, but I think that
term gets at more than just the things that happen at God’s Prom-
ise (the conversion therapy center). The entire concept of hetero-
normativity speaks to cultural conditioning, so Cam is up against
(and reacting to) a set of socially normalized protocols and be-
liefs long before she gets to God’s Promise. In more general terms,
coming-of-age, for many of us, is not only about becoming aware
of the ways in which we don’t buy into our parents’ beliefs, or our
culture’s beliefs (or the ways in which we do, in fact, understand
and accept those beliefs), but then also feeling confident enough
to express our understanding in reasoned ways.
KM: You must receive lots of fan mail from your
readers. What responses to the book from teen
and/or adult readers have stood out to you the
most?
emd: I’m sure most authors feel this way, but I feel so lucky to
have such diverse, interested, and interesting readers. I’ve heard
from teens, parents, senior citizens, red-staters and blue-staters,
teachers, librarians, journalists, athletes, the devoutly religious/
spiritual and atheists, avid readers and occasional readers. And
I’m so delighted, really, each and every time a reader takes a mo-
ment to drop me a sentence or two about the book, or tweet me,
whatever. It still feels a little bit like magic to me, to think of peo-
ple out there reading this story, being with Cam.
There are so many good ones to choose from—like the thir-
teen-year-old girl who wrote me to tell me that she’s decided that
she’s not straight, she’s bent (she was happy with this personal def-
inition—it fit for her), and that “as a bent girl,” Cam’s story was
so important, so meaningful. (She’d actually lost her first copy of
the book in a movie theater, of all places—Cam herself would love
that—and so I was happy to be able to inscribe her another).
Also, one of the very first emails I received from a reader will
always stay with me. A few days after the book was published, I
heard from a fifty-something husband and father of two grown
children. He lived in New Jersey, had no connections to Montana.
He wrote a really, really kind email about having read the NPR re-
view online, and then, because he was intrigued, also reading the
brief excerpt from the novel posted alongside the review. And (he
said), it was on the strength of his interest in that excerpt alone
(though I suspect that the very generous review also helped sway
him), that he found himself buying, for the first time, a YA novel.
And not just any YA novel, but one about a young lesbian from
Montana, written by a lesbian author from Montana. As he put
it, this was not the kind of book he typically read. And he loved
it. He asked all kinds of specific questions about where Cam goes
after Quake Lake, and suggested that I write a sequel (immedi-
ately). He was really very passionate—and it was so wonderful
and unexpected to hear from him so soon after the book came
out. Because of my own shortsightedness/incorrect assumptions,
I wouldn’t have ever imagined this particular guy as a devoted
reader of this particular novel. As the kids say: my bad.
KM: I’m sure SIGNAL readers will want to
know what books you enjoyed reading as an
adolescent. Did any of them capture for you
what Cameron’s story must be capturing now
for so many teen (and adult) readers?
emd: I read such a strange range of stuff as a pre-teen and teen.
Lots of Roald Dahl (and I would secretly return to his books,
even when I felt that I’d outgrown them, which, of course, I
now know, you never do). I was devoted to Choose Your Own
Adventure books for awhile. Same with those paperback horror/
thriller novels. (In junior high, I would read them in a single
sitting, just gulping them down—three in a Saturday.)
Like so many teens, I felt a special connection with Catcher in
the Rye (though not necessarily with Holden Caulfield, himself).
I also was smitten with To Kill a Mockingbird (with Scout, in par-
ticular), and The Grapes of Wrath. Upon finishing each of those
books for the first time, I remember feeling like I was older, wiser.
I probably couldn’t tell you how, exactly, or by what measure, but
I felt changed. My junior year of high school I remember reading
(and then immediately re-reading) Wally Lamb’s She’s Come Un-
done, and feeling so, so connected with (and sometimes disturbed
by) that novel. It just felt so honest and, well, real—and I loved
that Dolores Price (its protagonist) doesn’t really “come of age”
until she’s in her forties. In terms of making me want to one day
write novels myself, that book was hugely inspirational. As was
Janet Fitch’s White Oleander.
As far as novels with LGBTQ characters or content are con-
cerned, I didn’t have the opportunity to read very many of them,
unfortunately, prior to college. (Much like Cam, as a teen, I
searched for queer content—for reflections and for potential
“ways to be in the world”—from films.) I did read Rita Mae
Brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle while still a teen. (I stole it, actually,
from a garage sale, after reading the synopsis on the back and
convincing myself that buying it would officially announce my
lesbianism, which was not something I was ready to do.) I re-
member being simultaneously confused, scandalized, and excited
by that book. I also, easily/readily, queered characters in novels.
Of course George in the Nancy Drew books was gay, I told myself.
Absolutely.
KM: What are you working on now? I have
read that you have several hundred pages of
Cameron’s story already written—although you
are happy to be working on other projects now.
What are the chances that readers will be able
to experience a continuation or extension of
Miseducation at some point in the future?
emd: I’ll answer the second half of your question, first. The truth
is, I don’t know, for sure, but I think the chances are pretty good.
Might be several years down the line, I can absolutely imagine
writing and publishing a follow-up book (and yes, I do already
have material toward that end). For right now, though, I have
other novels I want to write about other characters.
I am right now finishing drafting my second novel, a YA con-
temporary. It’s been slow-going, writing while teaching full time
(or not writing, as it were), and I’m finally (again) excited about
this book, now that it’s begun to take the shape of a complete
novel. The story is told from the alternating point of view of its
two main characters—Sylvan (a wunderkind writer whose first
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 15
book is being made into a movie, one that stars) Audrey (a teen
actress, and the daughter of a once famous, now C-list, actress).
The plot primarily concerns the making of this movie—from Au-
drey’s initial cold-read at the director’s house in Hollywood to
the location-shoot in Maine (this is where the bulk of the novel
takes place) to the months leading up to its premiere. The movie
is controversial (for all kinds of reason, too many to go into in de-
tail), but the queer storyline, as well as a potential literary scandal
involving Sylvan, add to the controversy.
Part of the pleasure of the book, I think, is experiencing some
of the same moments, scenes, from both points of view, and then
deciding, as a reader, if one of them feels more reliable or authen-
tic than the other. In other words—when their stories conflict or
deviate, which one is lying, or can we chalk the deviations up to
simple human bias?
Because, in my novel, Sylvan’s book is nonfiction (it’s about
the lives of boarding school girls of the early 1900s), I’ve done all
kinds of research into that period, and much of my novel concerns
now-dated-but-still-apt notions of romantic friendships between
girls/women and the sometimes blurry lines that governed them.

KM: Is there anything else you would like to

share with SIGNAL readers, who are mostly
English teachers, English teacher educators, and
librarians?
emd: Thank you for the important, life-changing (really) work
that you do. Teachers and librarians don’t get thanked enough.
Most people, really, probably don’t get thanked enough for the
good they put into the world on a daily basis, but this is especially
true of teachers and librarians. So thank you.

References
danforth, e.m. (2012, February 28). Growing up gay in the 1990s: Has
that much changed for today’s gay youth? The Huffington Post. Re-
trieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
danforth, e.m. (2012). The miseducation of Cameron Post. New York, NY:
Balzer + Bray.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & education. New York, NY: Simon & Schus-
ter.
Lo, M. (2012, February 7). ‘Miseducation’: A cowgirl coming-out story
for teens. National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.
org
Lo, M. (2012, June 13). YA pride: Interview with Emily M. Danforth [Web
log post]. Retrieved from http://www.malindalo.com/2012/06/ya-
pride-interview-with-emily-m-danforth/

Katherine Mason is an assistant professor and program chair for

middle/secondary English Education at Wichita State University in
Kansas. She can be reached at katherine.mason@wichita.edu.

16 SIGNAL Journal
Guadalupe García McCall: A Storyteller of Cultures
and Odysseys
by: Rodrigo Joseph Rodríguez and KaaVonia Hinton
G
uadalupe García McCall represents an important new
voice in young adult literature, one that spans diverse cul-
tures and influences. Her debut novel in verse Under the
Mesquite (2011) received several accolades, including the 2012
Pura Belpré Award, 2013 Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet
Award, and 2013 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s
Book Award. Summer of the Mariposas (2012), McCall’s second
young adult novel, has also been embraced, earning a citation on
School Library Journal’s 2012 Best Books list.
As educators interested in using culturally diverse and socially
responsible young adult literature in our classrooms, we reached
out to McCall via e-mail to learn more about her life and work as
an author. In this article we highlight moments from our conver-
sation as we discuss McCall’s beginnings as a writer. We also offer
a reading of her two novels that emphasizes how her writing is
influenced by personal experiences—par-
ticularly her vocation, connection to lit-
eracy, and commitment to community. We
conclude by arguing that McCall’s voice
speaks directly to young adults and should
be included in our classrooms to advance
culturally and linguistically diverse per-
spectives.
Writing Compelling Stories
McCall was born in Piedras Negras,
Coahuila, México, immigrated to the U.S.
when she was six years old, and grew up
in Eagle Pass, Texas, a town located on the
border of the Río Grande. McCall’s parents
inspired her to pursue her interests in a
home rich with cultural heritage, books,
Guadalupe García McCall/Photo provided by author
and storytelling (McCall, 2012a). In our
conversation with her, McCall told us, “I’ve been writing since
my Papi put a pencil in my hand and I heard it whisper with its
magical voice across the page” (McCall, personal communica-
tion, June 1, 2013). Her teachers nurtured her talents as well.
My third grade teacher, Mr. Hernández, read a story I
wrote in Spanish and asked me if I was going to become
a writer. That planted the seed. Then, in high school, Ms.
García and Ms. Urbina were convinced I had the talent to
become published. Even Ms. Moses, my mentor and math
teacher, wanted that for me. I’ll never forget that she gave
me a Writer’s Digest book for my high school graduation.
(“Meet novelist,” 2011)
McCall’s peers were also encouraging: “In middle school, I
wrote love poems and love stories for my friends,” she says. “I sup-
pose you can say I was writing to the market back then, writing
what my readers were demanding.” As a young adult, McCall be-
gan to write for self-actualization, documenting her own coming
of age: “Once I entered high school, I learned to write for myself,
to cleanse, to purge, to reflect, to make sense of the world around
me, and to find my place.” Her voice was enriched by the experi-
ences and cultures that shaped her development while growing
up in Northern México and the Texas-Mexican borderlands.
After high school, McCall attended Sul Ross State University
in Alpine, Texas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre
arts and English and became a middle school English language
arts teacher in San Antonio. In the poem “The 411 on The Muse”
(2013), McCall acknowledges:
[W]hen I became a teacher, I forgot about
Being special. I thought only
Of being significant,
About making a difference,
Because teaching is not just a job.
Teaching is what makes me whole.
After more than twenty-five years of teach-
ing at the secondary-school level, McCall
maintains, “Now I write for my students,
to show them they are not alone, to teach
them the lessons I’ve learned, and to hope-
fully help them make it through the most
wonderful yet difficult time in their life ...
growing into adulthood.”
Rooted in Experience
Under the Mesquite and Summer of the
Mariposas both feature girls growing up in
loving families in border towns of Texas and northern México.
These female protagonists must endure heartache brought about
by personal loss, deferred dreams, and on-going disappoint-
ments. Many of the characters’ experiences are loosely based on
McCall’s own life, especially their resilience to soldier on and care
for their siblings. More specifically, McCall’s novels are grounded
in her experiences as a teacher and reader. For example, both
novels grew out of her teaching experiences. Under the Mesquite
was initially a compilation of poems written for her students,
while Summer of the Mariposas was inspired by students who
wondered why the books they read lacked adventurous female
characters (McCall, 2011a; McCall, 2012c). Lupita, from Under
the Mesquite, and Odilia, from Summer of the Mariposas, are also
reminiscent of McCall’s very own students, particularly the ones
who have stood firmly against life’s adversities—determined to
bloom, thrive, and succeed (McCall, 2012b). However, the great-
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 17
est influence on her work is probably McCall’s own youth. Even after she has pulled it out
Rozmus (2012), writing about Under the Mesquite, points out, by its roots repeatedly,
“The mesquite tree is ... an appropriate symbol in this story, told pricking herself on its thorns each time,
in verse, of Lupita. Based on the author’s teenage years, the book it keeps growing back. (McCall, 2011b, p. 11)
is an homage to survival despite great tragedy. Using beautiful
metaphors and lyrical Spanish words, McCall writes simply of The devastation of her mother’s death lingers, but by novel’s end,
what it is to love and lose and to find strength in nature” (p. 69). the mesquite tree is a symbol for Lupita and her family. When
As Lupita’s mother in Under the Mesquite battles cancer, Lupita spring arrives, so does graduation and opportunities for a prom-
accepts many responsibilities as the eldest daughter and sister to ising future. Lupita flourishes as “the world around [her] is
seven siblings. In these roles, performing arts and writing poetry blooming brightly” (McCall, 2011b, p. 181). In the final chapter,
bring her strength, solace, and affirmation as she comes of age. she takes refuge by the revered mesquite tree as she writes her
Similarly, McCall found solace in literacy: way through the pain, gathering the courage to begin a new jour-
ney without her mother’s physical presence:
When I was a young woman, I had a lot of issues. I was
quiet and “different” in a quirky kind of way, so I had few I find a tall mesquite
friends. I was also losing my mother, so I was very lost. to sit under;
Consequently, I read a lot. Books became my refuge, my and with my pen in hand,
friends, the place I went when I wanted to escape. Books I open my journal
fed my mind. They showed me the world. to a blank page and begin
writing a whole new batch of poems,
Since McCall’s reservoir for storytelling seems to come directly poems filled with memories
from her young adult experience and her current teaching life, we and hope. (McCall, 2011b, p. 195-196)
commented, in our correspondence with her, that the performing
arts and literacy take center stage in her work. McCall responded: Thus, writing from experience allows McCall to offer an
honest and sincere look at female adolescents slowly discover-
All through my teen years, I tore through ... library ing themselves and their place in the world. In Women Singing
bookshelves like a in the Snow: A Cultural Analy-
ravenous beast, want- sis of Chicana Literature (1995),
ing to find the con- Rebolledo argues, “As Chicana
nections between us, writers ‘remember’ their child-
wanting to know how
English language arts and reading hood, they are witnesses to the
we were all the same. teachers are challenged to make construction of their own iden-
Then, in high school, tities and the development of an
I discovered plays literature come to life for students understanding of their historical
(Romeo and Juliet/ of all abilities, ages, backgrounds, role in their families and com-
Shakespeare), and I munities” (p. 107-108). Such is
just knew I wanted to races, and interests, as well as the case for McCall who explains
act, so I took drama that while writing poems about
classes. It made per-
across all elements of literacy: her childhood that began as
fect sense to me to act, listening, noticing, performing, models for her students to learn
to perform, to bring from, she revealed the route of
literature to life by questioning, reading, speaking, her own courageous journey
opening up the flow of thinking, viewing, and writing. in a family scarred by the loss
emotions I had been of its matriarch. In this realiza-
holding back. These tion, McCall (2012b) found ad-
experiences, the vora- ditional strength and a desire to
cious reading and the share her story with others who
love of acting, made me who I am today. I can’t help but might be traversing pain: “I wanted young people to connect with
write about them. They are a part of who I am. my book, to have it make an impact on them. I wanted my book
to help them.” Contemporary realistic fiction such as Under the
In a sense, McCall’s approach to literacy involves not only read- Mesquite often “reflect[s] the world as we know it and the prob-
ing and writing, but also performing and viewing for an inter- lems and challenges many young people face daily” (Bucher and
active literary experience that explores adolescent life, thought, Hinton, 2013, p. 125). Students can make connections between
struggles, and survival. McCall’s adolescent life and struggles to belong and the struggles
In Under the Mesquite, the mesquite tree is resilient, naturally characters face in her contemporary young adult novels. Regard-
stubborn, and thrives in the harshest conditions, much like the ing Lupita in Under the Mesquite, McCall (2012b) reveals,
characters that McCall introduces to her young adult audience:
You see, I have taught many Lupitas in my 23 years in the
A thorny mesquite has sprouted classroom. I’ve listened to them talk, to me and to each
in the middle of [Mami’s] rose garden. other, but I’ve also read their innermost thoughts, their

18 SIGNAL Journal
 dreams, their fears, their triumphs, their losses. Some-
times, their stories spill out of them, sometimes they
keep their pain tucked away, where no one can see it.
I wrote this story for those young people who can’t talk
about it, for those who are struggling alone in the dark.
McCall is direct about the power of books in her own life:
“[Books] showed me the world. I discovered Greek mythology
in middle school and it led me to world literature. I explored
every myth, legend, and ancient world in the library by reading
everything I could get my hands on.” Various world literatures
and traditions inform her narratives through communal wisdom,
legends, myths, and texts. For instance, similar to Homer’s Odys-
sey, McCall’s most recent novel Summer of the Mariposas follows
the journey and trials of Odilia and her four younger sisters who
are seeking to find answers to life’s numerous questions and to
honor a drowned man by returning him home to his family in
Coahuila, México. Odilia leads the sisterhood pack and explains,
“Rule Number One of the code of cinco hermanitas [five little sis-
ters]: The eldest sister has the final word. Always. Good night”
(McCall, 2012d, p. 31).
In their epic journey, Odilia’s bond with her sisters increases
as they rely on one another to overcome trials and tribulations
of their own making as well as those cast upon them by various
characters, including a witch and warlock. In their adventures,
they must rely on intelligence, language, wit, and cultural codes to
establish order and honor in the face of danger and indifference.
In their journey, the obstacles bring them closer to a sisterhood of
trust and self-affirmation.
McCall’s interests as a voracious reader and committed Eng-
lish language arts teacher merge in similar ways in her attempts to
find understanding and connections between her characters and
the circumstances they face. For instance, the metamorphosis of
the butterfly, or mariposa, serves magical purposes in the odys-
sey of hardships endured by the five sisters in her second novel.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan (2012) describes Summer of the Maripo-
sas this way:
Written in the style of magic realism, this is an enchant-
ing look at Mexican mysticism, coupled with the realis-
tic celebration of the true meaning of family. The sisters’
relationships are believably drawn, and the juxtaposition
of modern realities and ancient Aztec mythology eluci-
dates the importance of the spiritual side of life in Latin
cultures. (p. 111)
McCall makes connections that braid her narrative across bor-
ders, cultures, environments, geographies, languages, time, and
space. Her narratives explore what it is to be young and human
in dominant environments, especially those that may not initially
recognize the cultural and linguistic wealth of diverse communi-
ties.
Community and Literacy
Issues of race and ethnic identity as well as dilemmas about
membership and authenticity surface in McCall’s work, possibly
affirming her characters and many readers. For instance, in Un-
der the Mesquite, Lupita and Sarita have the following exchange
about speaking and being in “to be or not to be mexican”:
[Sarita says to Lupita] “You talk like
you wanna be white.”
“What,” Sarita asks, “you think you’re
Anglo now ‘cause you’re in Drama?
You think you’re better than us?” (pp. 80-81)
Another classmate is more direct and adds:
“Then stop trying to act like
them,” Mireya says accusingly.
“You’re Mexican, just like the rest of us.
Look around you. Ninety-nine percent
of this school is Mexican.
Stop trying to be something you’re not!” (p. 81)
Lupita communicates her way of defining herself despite limited
points of view about marked utterances and appropriated attire:
“Just because of how I talk?”
I ask heatedly. “What—
because I’m Mexican
I’m supposed to speak with an accent?
Should I wear a rebozo too?
Being Mexican
means more than that.
It means being there for each other.
It’s togetherness, like a familia.
We should be helping one another,
cheering our friends on, not trying
to bring them down.” (pp. 82-83)
In the article “Multicultural Young Adult Literature as a Form of
Counter-Storytelling” (2013), Hughes-Hassell argues, “For teens
of color and for indigenous teens, coming of age is integrally tied
to the process of racial and ethnic identity formation” (p. 218).
This is the case for Lupita (and many of our own students) as she
affirms her diverse identity, interests, and perspectives. In a re-
view of migration and immigration policy legislated against Mex-
ican-origin people in the borderlands of the Southwestern United
States, Cummins (2013) concludes, “United States immigration
policy has, over time, vacillated between welcome and rejecting
Mexicans” (p. 58). As a result, feelings of inadequacy and rejec-
tion are not foreign even for native Mexican-origin and indig-
enous people living in the borderlands. English language arts and
reading teachers are challenged to make literature come to life
for students of all abilities, ages, backgrounds, races, and interests
as well as across all elements of literacy: listening, noticing, per-
forming, questioning, reading, speaking, thinking, viewing, and
writing.
For whom and for whose community does a new writer write
and promote literacy? What is the writer’s purpose and commit-
ment? Bista (2012) explains, “Literary creation depends on the
imagination and experience of authors rather than whether the
author comes from a particular group” (p. 318). In contrast, Mc-
Call’s imagination and literary odysseys are informed by ethnic,
familial, and regional cultures that strengthen her narratives. In
her speech as a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award
for Under the Mesquite, McCall (2012b) elaborates,
[A]s I structured the book and thought about characters
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 19
 and conflict and theme, I began to consider the “job” I
had accepted, the task I had undertaken, and it became
very clear to me that this was not about me getting pub-
lished at all, but about the young people who would be
opening the pages of my book, leaving their little fin-
gerprints all over it. I reflected on the choices I made in
picking books, the motivation behind those choices, and
I remembered the ambiguity, the muddled emotions,
the sense of turmoil and bereavement I went through as
a young woman.
This reflection by McCall can be
beneficial for students in their role
as emerging readers, writers, edi-
tors, and publishers. Students can
reflect on their own audience as
well as their writing process and
production. McCall states further
in her speech:
I remember being hun-
gry for understanding. I
wanted, above all else, to
be moved, to be enlight-
ened, to find solutions to
my problems. The books
I came to love opened
my eyes. They showed
the world to me—like
friends, they were there
when I need them to
comfort me. They helped
me find myself. They
helped me to grow by Guadalupe García McCall/Photo provided by author
answering questions I
didn’t even know I had. In this way, they empowered
me.
Which books and cultures do our students hunger to discover,
read, discuss, and write? Are we teachers engaged with them to
discover the books that they crave to find comfort, direction, and
understanding? In “Embracing the Face at the Window: Latino
Representation in Children’s Literature and Ethnic Identity De-
velopment of Latino Children,” Naidoo (2011) concludes, “Books
are windows into the soul of society, illuminating the social, po-
litical, and cultural mores that underlie our world. It is through
the illustrations and narrative of books that Latino children en-
counter these messages and discern the dominant culture’s view
toward their cultural group” (p. 19). If we maintain Naidoo’s
perspective in our literary selections, nonfiction collections, and
assignments for our students, we can begin conversations about
young adult novels such as McCall’s that are based on critical dia-
logue about cultures and perceptions that inform what we see and
do not see in society in terms of self-discovery, self-empower-
ment, and self-determination.
The role of the writer is an enduring question, especially for
new young adult writers of color who are often asked for whom
they write and why. In the essay “Poet as Curandera” (2008), Pat
Mora addresses the responsibilities that are often undertaken by
many U.S. contemporary writers; there is resonance with Mc-
20 SIGNAL Journal
Call’s profile and her mission as storyteller and teacher:
Writers of Color, Chicana writers, feel a moral respon-
sibility to serve their own. Just as the curandera uses
white magic, manipulates the symbols that are part of
her patients’ experience base to ease communication,
the Chicana writer seeks to heal cultural wounds of his-
torical neglect by providing opportunities to remember
the past, to share and ease bitterness, to describe what
has been viewed as unworthy of description, to cure by
incantations and rhythms, by lis-
tening with her entire being and
responding. She then gathers the
tales and myths, weaves them to-
gether, and, if lucky, casts spells.
(p. 131)
Mora’s metaphor of the curandera
seems relevant to and appropri-
ate in describing McCall’s novels,
especially the storytelling, hope-
fulness, and poetic images that
appear in her work, as well as her
commitment to writing about the
lives of young female adolescents.
Final Thoughts on the Impact
and Future of New YA Voices
In our conversation with Mc-
Call, we commented that teaching
young adult literature can be chal-
lenging and asked her to share her
thoughts. She said,
The biggest challenge in teaching
literature to young adults is that we don’t all have the
same strengths, the same dreams, the same tastes. It’s
hard to get 165 students to love the same book we are
all reading. They are not all on the same page. I wish I
could find the one book that can touch all their hearts
... and I wish it were part of my curriculum, the one I
have to use in my classroom. But that’s impossible. So
I have to keep trying, to keep searching, to keep rec-
ommending, and hope that at least one book, one story,
one poem I put in front of my students will touch them
in some way and make them wake up to the wonder of
reading and the beauty of learning. It’s a mission I am
happy to undertake.
McCall’s actions as a teacher reflect her on-going commitment to
young adults and the literary selections available to them.
In “The Changing Face of Young Adult Literature: What Teach-
ers and Researchers Need to Know to Enhance Their Practice and
Inquiry,” Kaplan (2012) suggests how we might do a better job of
increasing the possibility of finding books that will “wake [stu-
dents] up to the wonder of reading and the beauty of learning”:
More importantly, today, the changing face of multicul-
tural literature has made considerable progress in helping
adolescents (and teachers) move away from the practice
 of using stories about Caucasian and European Ameri-
cans as the only literary canon suitable and required for
adolescents; instead, multicultural literature has given
significant voice and credibility to readings and narra-
tives in which the characters and events represent other
traditions and perspectives that are nontraditional. (p.
23)
As a new young adult novelist, McCall has written two books
that serve as an example of nontraditional perspectives. Her nov-
els introduce characters long absent in our classrooms and liter-
ary pages and forge new ways of seeing, reading, and interpreting
adolescent life and thought.
Under the Mesquite provides a representation of a gifted Latina
character who creates poetry and dramatic performances, sup-
ports her siblings, and seeks ways to keep her mother’s memory
alive. The impact of new voices in the YA canon, like McCall’s, is
immense and further advances our discussions on culturally re-
sponsive reading, teaching, and learning in the secondary-school
classroom. In “Multicultural Readings of Multicultural Litera-
ture and the Promotion of Social Awareness in ELA Classrooms”
(2012), Morrell and Morrell argue,
Students bring their multiple cultural perspectives with
them wherever they go and these perspectives allow
them to read with and against the texts they encounter.
This has to be taken into consideration when we ponder
a theory of reading that accompanies our ideas about in-
clusivity, solidarity, and awareness. (p. 12)
The dilemmas and choices young people face that lead to trials
and triumphs are not foreign to adolescent readers. To further
illustrate the world young people encounter for survival, we turn
to the words of the wise grandmother Remedios in Summer of
the Mariposas in which she explains to her five granddaughters,
“The truth is, adults don’t always make sense. They don’t always
do what’s right. Sometimes, they are like children themselves, do-
ing whatever they want. Cada cabeza es un mundo, they have a
mind of their own” (p. 257). McCall’s first two novels and her
hope “that everyone find[s] life in reading books, any books, be-
cause books are the words of wisdom” make us confident she will
continue to give young adults and their teachers texts that will
offer affirming literary and cultural odysseys.
References
Bista, K. (2012). Multicultural literature for children and young adults.
The Educational Forum 76(3), 317-325.
Bucher, K. & Hinton, K. (2013). Young adult literature: Exploration, evalua-
tion, and appreciation (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Cummins, A. (2013). Border crossings: Undocumented migration be-
tween Mexico and the United States in contemporary young adult
literature. Children’s literature in education 44(1), 57-73.
Kaplan, J. S. (2012). The changing face of young adult literature: What
teachers and researchers need to know to enhance their practice
and inquiry. In J. A. Hayn and J. S. Kaplan (Eds.), Teaching young
adult literature today: Insights, considerations, and perspectives for the
classroom teacher (pp. 19-40). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield
Publishers.
Hughes-Hassell, S. (2013). Multicultural young adult literature as a form
of counter-storytelling. The Library Quarterly 83(3), 218-228.
McCall, G. G. (2011a). BookTalk: Fictionalizing a life story with Guada-
lupe García McCall. Retrieved from http://www.leeandlow.com/p/
under_the_mesquite.mhtml
McCall, G. G. (2011b). Under the mesquite. New York, NY: Lee & Low
Books, Inc.
McCall, G. G. (2012a, Summer/Fall). Belpré Author Award acceptance
speech: The blessing of books. Children & Libraries,10, 15-16.
McCall, G. G. (2012b). Finalist speech for the ALA Young Adult Library
Services Association Morris Award, January 2012. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/booklist-
sawards/bookawards/speeches/2012/McCall.pdf
McCall, G. G. (2012c). Guadalupe García McCall on La Llorona, lechuzas,
and other things that go bump in the night. Retrieved from http://
www.leeandlow.com/p/mariposas_bt.mhtml
McCall, G. G. (2012d). Summer of the mariposas. New York, NY: Lee and
Low Books, Inc.
McCall, G. G. (2013). About the author: The 411 on The Muse. Re-
trieved from http://www.guadalupegarciamccall.com/Biography/
Meet novelist Guadalupe García McCall. (2011). Retrieved from http://
hispanicreader.com/2011/09/28/meet-novelist-guadalupe-garcia-
mccall/
Menaldi-Scanlan, N. (2012). Review of the book Summer of the Maripo-
sas by Guadalupe García McCall. School Library Journal, 58(11), 111.
Mora, P. (2008). Nepantla: Essays from the land in the middle (2nd ed.).
Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press.
Morrell, E., & Morrell, J. (2012). Multicultural readings of multicultural
literature and the promotion of social awareness in ELA class-
rooms. New England Reading Association Journal, 47(2), 10-16.
Naidoo, J. C. (2011). Embracing the face at the window: Latino repre-
sentation in children’s literature and ethnic identity development of
Latino children. In. J. C. Naidoo (Ed.), Celebrating cuentos: Promoting
Latino children’s literature and literacy in classrooms and libraries (pp.
19-41). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, ABC-CLIO, LLC.
Rebolledo, T. D. (1995). Women singing in the snow: A cultural analysis of
Chicana literature. Tuscon, AZ: The University of Arizona Press.
Rozmus, E. (2012). Review of the book Under the Mesquite, by Guada-
lupe García McCall. Library Media Connection, 30(4), 69.
Rodrigo Joseph Rodríguez is an assistant professor in the Depart-
ment of English at The University of Texas at El Paso. His research
interests include children’s literature, content area literacy, cultural
and language studies, and young adult literature. He can be reached
at rjrodriguez6@utep.edu.
KaaVonia Hinton is an associate professor in Educational Curricu-
lum and Instruction at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virgin-
ia. She is the co-author (with Katherine T. Bucher) of Young Adult
Literature: Exploration, Evaluation and Appreciation. She can be
reached at khintonj@odu.edu.
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 21
Fusing Horizons: New Authors and Titles That
Promote Understanding
by: Dawan Coombs
I hauled my camera everywhere trying to see more. Now it’s like my
lids are pinned back, nothing between me and—everything. How
did I not see it? Pain is everywhere. I’m just another sorry story.
—Amy McNamara (2012, p. 123)
T
his line at the center of Amy McNamara’s award-winning
young adult novel Lovely, Dark and Deep (2012) resonated
with another I read not long ago. In her memoir Reading
Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi (2004) described literature’s unique
ability to bring to light what she called the “evil” in everyday life,
in relationships, and in people. But the evil to which she referred
was not that of the stereotypical villain of fairytales; instead, she
defined evil as “the inability to ‘see’ others” (p. 315). Nafisi goes
on to explain this evil—this blindness—is so terrible because it
causes even the best of people to lose sight of the problems and
pains of others and “not seeing them means denying their exis-
tence” (p. 132). In other words, people have a tendency to see only
what they deem valuable, necessary, or true from their individual
vantage points, but stories possess a unique power to help indi-
viduals recognize blindness in even the most exemplary charac-
ters, helping readers contemplate potential blind spots in their
own views.
Since 1975 the International Reading Association Children’s
and Young Adults Book Awards Committee has recognized out-
standing fiction and nonfiction by newly published authors of
primary, intermediate, and young adult fiction and nonfiction
books. This award celebrates authors whose work demonstrates
particular promise and potential for contributing to the fields of
children’s, intermediate, and young adult literature. As this issue
of SIGNAL Journal examines new voices in the field of young
adult literature, this article highlights the 2013 winners of the
IRA Children’s and Young Adult Book Award and considers how
each of these texts invites readers to expand their ability to see
perspectives beyond their own.
A Fusion of Horizons
In stating the value of young adult literature, The Young Adult
Library Services Association (YALSA) explained part of the value
of young adult literature lies in
its capacity for fostering understanding, empathy, and com-
passion by offering vividly realized portraits of the lives—
exterior and interior—of individuals who are unlike the
reader. In this way, young adult literature invites its reader-
ship to embrace the humanity it shares with those who—if
not for the encounter in reading—might forever remain
22 SIGNAL Journal
strangers or—worse—irredeemably ‘other.’ (Cart, 2008,
ALA http://www.ala.org/yalsa/guidelines/whitepapersyalit,
emphasis in the original)
In this spirit, many teachers and librarians agree that young
adult literature offers readers glimpses into lives, cultures, and
perspectives they themselves might not typically explore. As
readers connect with characters—both like and unlike them-
selves—they better understand and humanize the other.
But this endeavor towards empathy can also be fraught with
complexity. For instance, many young adult authors and re-
searchers advocate the use of young adult literature as a means
of fostering empathy towards students traditionally “othered” by
their peers. Many studies document the use of adolescent litera-
ture to build empathy towards students who are continually at
risk, specifically LGBTQ youth (Dail & Leonard, 2011; Mason,
2010; Meixner, 2009); those considered the “enemy” as a result of
national conflicts and wars (Bloem, 2011; Brinda, 2008; Kazemek,
1996); those represented in multicultural literature (Kuo & Alsup,
2010); and those who find themselves in nontraditional family
relationships (Vincent, 2008). In each of these studies, teachers
used young adult fiction to help readers better understand the
experiences of individuals or groups with which they did not
typically identify. In regards to work of this nature, Bott, Garden,
Jones, and Peters (2007) explained, “Encouraging kids to imagine
how other people have felt in various situations, both real and
in the books they read, can foster empathy—which in turn can
contribute to a climate that doesn’t accept bullying” (p. 47). In-
deed, young adult literature possesses the power to help readers
develop compassion and understanding for classmates, commu-
nity members, and other citizens in the global society.
However, some also caution about the dangers inherent in
using literature in an effort to stimulate empathy (Jurecic, 2011;
Keen, 2007). Using literature to foster empathy can prove prob-
lematic because, according to Jurecic (2011), affective feelings
such as empathy have been the driving forces behind historically
recognized “expressions of power, appropriations of others’ ex-
perience, and falsely oversimplified understandings of social and
cultural relationships” (p. 11). In other words, one novel about
the experience of an LGBTQ youth is not representative of the
experiences of all LGBTQ youth; reading one memoir of a Latino
immigrant does not offer the reader immediate insider under-
standings of this culture. Basing generalizations on these sorts of
readings can be dangerous because they may give the reader a
false sense of understanding. Using literature as a window into
the experience of another can minimize the complexity of actu-
al experience or force a single interpretation of a culture on the
whole of a people.
Therefore, when considering the value and risk associated with
using young adult literature as a lens to view diverse perspec-
tives, it is useful to consider the hermeneutic notion of a “fusion
of horizons” as a way to understanding (Gadamer, 1960/1975).
For the hermeneutic philosophers, each individual’s life experi-
ences, perspectives, cultures, and understandings comprise his or
her “horizon,” and it is from this perspective that each views the
world. However, in an effort to truly seek to understand a differ-
ent perspective, dialogue with another individual or text situated
within this different horizon can lead to increased understanding.
When one individual’s frame of reference meets that of another,
a “fusion of horizons” occurs. This doesn’t mean that the two po-
sitions necessarily come into agreement, nor does it mean the
individual fully espouses the other perspective; instead, in this
fusion the perspectives of “text and reader are combined into a
new and more encompassing horizon” (Widdershoven, 1993, p.
13). In this sense, although reading YA lit does not mean readers
will be able to empathize with the exact feelings and experience of
a book’s characters, reading about the experiences of others opens
wide the horizon of individual understanding and expands the
reader’s ability to consider the perspective of others.
The Books
This year’s winners of the IRA Children’s and Young Adult
Book Award advocate and facilitate opportunities to foster such
fusions between the horizons of YA readers and texts. Not only
do these texts provide opportunities to expand the reader’s own
horizon of understanding, but the themes and stories also remind
the reader of the importance of seeing the other. The following
analyses of this year’s winners outline each text’s story frame and
offer a brief discussion of ways they support the idea of seeing the
other more clearly.
Lovely, Dark and Deep
Winner in the category of young adult fiction, Lovely, Dark
and Deep by Amy McNamara (2012) tells the story of Wren, an
18-year-old girl who survived a tragic drunk driving accident that
took the life of her boyfriend but left her unscathed. Desperate to
escape her former life and the wake of this tragedy, Wren leaves
her mother and friends to live with her artist father in a small
town in Maine.
But Wren begins to realize two shortcomings in her escape
plan. First, despite the physical distance she puts between her-
self and her past, her reclusive lifestyle cannot shield her from
the power of her own thoughts. Her only scattered moments of
temporary solace come during her daily runs through the woods.
Second, even in a small town, Wren can’t totally escape the influ-
ence of other people. Her attempts at isolation seem continually
thwarted by her father, his graduate students, and a local named
Cal Owens who accidentally hit her with his car.
Caught up in trying to understand her own grief, Wren refuses
to acknowledge the danger inherent in becoming consumed by
her own guilt and depression. Amidst her thoughts and reluctant
interactions, she doesn’t realize the danger of her own blindness
until someone she cares about displays self-destructive behaviors
similar to her own. At the heart of the novel, Wren startles herself
with an observation about her inability to see the pain of oth-
ers. Reflecting on her former life, she states, “I hauled my camera
everywhere trying to see more. Now it’s like my lids are pinned
back, nothing between me and—everything. How did I not see
it? Pain is everywhere. I’m just another sorry story” (McNamara,
2012, p. 123).
Wren’s blindness to others comes because she’s lost in her own
grief and, as a result, she fails to see the struggles and triumphs of
those around her. But Wren isn’t the only character in this book in
danger of not seeing the other; her former friends are blind to the
changes in her life that make it impossible for her to be the person
she was before. And Wren’s parents seem blind to anything but
their own solutions to Wren’s problems.
Although the reader catches only pieces of Wren’s former life
and current struggles as the book begins, by piecing together
Wren’s stream-of-conscious glimpses, comments, and occasional
flashbacks, the reader makes sense of Wren’s current behavior and
the complexity of her situation. Part of the beauty of this book
also results from the author’s ability to craft a main character
whose struggles and grief help readers question their own blind-
ness to situations they know nothing about. Through Wren, the
author depicts a character dealing with profound grief in realistic
and honest ways, but who remains relatable and real to readers.
Personal Effects
One of two recipients of the IRA Children’s and Young Adult
Book Award Honorary Mention for Young Adult Fiction, E.M.
Kokie’s novel Personal Effects (2012) tells another story of a teen-
ager dealing with profound grief. Seventeen-year-old Matt re-
cently lost his older brother TJ, who was killed while serving his
third tour of duty in Iraq. So when he sees TJ’s name among the
fallen soldiers listed on the back of his classmate’s anti-war t-shirt
reading “Support OUR troops: Bring them home … but not in
pieces,” Matt releases his rage. He attacks the student, literally rip-
ping TJ’s name off the fabric and leaving the shirt in shreds.
At home his short-tempered and calloused father offers Matt
little support, dealing with his own grief by removing all pictures
and remembrances of TJ from the house. Although this approach
may help his father cope, it only exacerbates Matt’s pain as he
longs for some physical remembrance to help him retain a fad-
ing connection to TJ. But Matt finds a source of unexpected hope
when, one afternoon months after the funeral, the Army deliv-
ers TJ’s personal effects, contained in three locked footlockers, to
their home.
Before his father has a chance to eliminate these items too,
Matt secretly begins going through TJ’s lockers. Among TJ’s
belongings, Matt discovers a stack of letters written to TJ from
someone named Celia. As Matt reads the letters, he realizes Celia
and TJ shared a life together that neither Matt nor his father knew
anything about. Despite troubles at school and home, Matt steals
out on a quest to find TJ’s Celia, hoping to find answers to ques-
tions raised in the letters and to connect with part of his brother’s
secret life.
But Matt’s love for his brother is tested when he learns TJ’s re-
lationship with Celia was not what Matt envisioned. Realizing the
name “Celia” was actually a pseudonym for TJ’s boyfriend Curtis,
Matt feels deceived but questions how he could be so blind to his
brother’s hidden life. In the midst of his feelings of anger, betrayal,
and grief, Matt asks himself,
I can hear Dad’s voice in my head, all the things he’d say
about Curtis. About those people. Before yesterday I would
have laughed. Did Dad say that stuff to TJ? How many
times had Dad called me a fairy or a girl? Pretty boy? I
know he called TJ those things, too. I heard it. God. I close
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 23
 my eyes. How many times did I say faggot or homo or fairy
in front of TJ? (Kokie, 2012, p. 276)
Torn between his prejudices, beliefs, and love for his brother,
Matt questions his own unwillingness to see TJ as he really was.
Now Matt must decide if he prefers to live alone with the memo-
ries of the TJ he thought he knew, or build connections with the
people who seem to care as much about TJ as Matt does—even
if building those connections means trying to embrace who TJ
wanted to be, who he wanted to be with, and reconceiving the
brother Matt knew.
Matt’s honest struggle invites readers to question their own
blindness, particularly in situations when their prejudices and
stereotypes contradict the choices or lifestyles of people they love.
The first-person perspective helps the reader experience what
Matt experiences and see what he sees. In addition, the author’s
ability to craft well-developed, complex characters brings an ele-
ment of vitality to the lives and individuals the reader encounters
throughout the story.
Out of Reach
National Book Award Finalist and winner of the IRA Chil-
dren’s and Young Adult Book Award Honorary Mention for
Young Adult Fiction, Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos (2012) ex-
plores the effects of lies, choices, and perception through the ex-
periences of a teenage girl in search of her brother. Separated by
a little less than a year in age, straight-A, college-bound Rachel
and her free-spirited rock star brother Micah couldn’t be more
different. Growing up, the two had always been close, but their
relationship took a drastic turn as Micah began his descent into
drug addiction a few years earlier. Now torn between her feelings
of heartbreak about his disappearance, anger at his lack of caring
for their family, and guilt about the role she played in keeping his
secret, Rachel doesn’t know how to respond when she receives an
anonymous e-mail informing her of Micah’s whereabouts. With
few details about where to begin, she reluctantly enlists the help
of Micah’s best friend and former band member, Tyler, and the
two set out one summer morning for Ocean Beach to begin their
search.
What follows is 24 hours of narrative based on Rachel and Ty-
ler’s experiences. Situated as an unlikely pair, the two join togeth-
er in their efforts to find Micah. Through their interactions with
people living on the street, drug addicts, and one another, Rachel
begins to see Tyler as more than the pothead band member she
pegged him for. At the same time, the reader also learns of the
individual struggles Rachel and Tyler each face in their own lives,
in addition to that of Micah’s disappearance. For instance, next to
the deep pain Rachel feels at the loss of her brother prominently
sits the hurt she internalized after being betrayed and publicly
humiliated by her ex-boyfriend.
Alternating between Rachel and Tyler’s attempts to find Micah
as well as the flashbacks Rachel considers as they make these at-
tempts, the complexity of each character’s situation unfolds. As
Rachel struggles to make sense of Micah’s actions, as well as her
inability to deal with her own problems, almost everything she
thought she understood so clearly becomes blurred.
At the climax of her own personal drama, Rachel comments,
“‘All that matters is perception.’ It’s why my parents didn’t see Mi-
cah for who he was becoming, and why I didn’t see Keith [her
ex-boyfriend] for who he was” (p. 74). She realizes, and the rest of
24 SIGNAL Journal
the book demonstrates, how easy it is to see what you want to see,
both in the world and in other people, particularly when not see-
ing temporarily prevents pain. For example, desperate optimism
causes Rachel’s parents to hope Micah’s recovery was sure, even
in the face of hard evidence that would indicate otherwise. Rachel
wanted so badly to see the boyfriend she deserved and longed for,
that she missed seeing her ex for who he really was. But as Ra-
chel begins to open her eyes, her experiences searching for Micah
challenge her perceptions and assumptions about those around
her, about her own preconceived notions of how life works out,
and about herself.
Like so often in life, and in the other texts on this list, this book
does not end neatly and the only answers come in the form of
bite-sized moments of insight. Although based on research, the
book does not offer answers to those searching for cures to help
drug addicted family members, nor does it offer a happy, hopeful
ending. However, this story does challenge the reader to look at
those ideas and assumptions they conveniently embrace in order
to see problems—both their own and those of others—in their
true light. Despite the pain these understandings might bring, the
reader wonders whether the complexity of reality is better than
idealized untruths.
We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March
Winner of the IRA Children’s and Young Adult Book Award
for Young Adult Nonfiction, We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birming-
ham Children’s March by Cynthia Levinson (2012) uses a multi-
plicity of perspectives to depict historical and cultural conditions
that culminated in the real-life protest of over 3,000 children and
youth from the Birmingham area, marching in defiance of Ala-
bama’s racial segregation laws.
Throughout the book, narratives combine to paint a picture of
life in 1960s Birmingham for Black men, women, and children,
as well as the variety of approaches these individuals took in their
struggle for equality. The narratives of Audrey Faye Hendricks,
Washington Booker III, James Stewart, and Arnetta Streeter each
showcase different aspects of growing up in Birmingham dur-
ing this era. Although these four youths came from families with
different economic and educational experiences, as well as dif-
fering perspectives concerning the best way to pursue equality
for Blacks in their city, they were united through their shared ex-
perience participating in the march. Their narratives reveal the
excitement, childlike innocence, and very real dangers faced by
the children and youth who chose to march and the adults who
rallied the children to the streets.
Besides the perspectives of the children, specific chapters of
the book also offer intriguing glimpses from the opposite side of
the protest. Drawing on newspaper articles, speeches, and other
historical documents, Levinson puts forth a discussion of the dif-
ferent reactions the march and the struggle for freedom elicited
from the white community. This diversity of perspectives in-
cludes members of the KKK, local citizens, and whites who sup-
ported integration.
Part of what makes the diversity of perspectives so valuable
is that, when woven together, they demonstrate how individuals
on all sides are harmed when one group of people tries to im-
pose their traditions, culture, and beliefs on another. At one point
Levinson writes,
Since whites rarely interacted with Blacks other than
 those who worked as their servants, many might not
have considered how they felt about integration. They
didn’t have to think about it because integration wasn’t
an option—until Shuttlesworth, King, and others insist-
ed that it was not just an option but an absolute neces-
sity. Suddenly, the white citizens of Birmingham had to
face the possibility of sharing space with Black people.
(Levinson, 2012, p. 95)
By failing to consider the perspectives of the other, even the
citizens who didn’t actively demonstrate prejudice against their
Black neighbors contributed to the oppression. A silent response
can also lead to blindness and the same dangerous consequences
of failing to consider the other.
Beyond the power of the narratives, a variety of text features
provide additional power to the stories shared in the text. Vivid
black and white photographs bring to life the spray of the fire
hose, the silhouettes of the mobs of white-hooded figures, and the
confrontations between the two sides. Sidebars showcase the text
of the laws the protesters fought against, quotes from speeches
made by each side, newspaper headlines, and summaries of other
attempts to fight integration. Together these elements help the
reader understand the historical context of this event in the battle
for Civil Rights in the United States.
Conclusion
Although these titles represent only a handful of excellent
young adult literature written by new authors over the past year,
they exemplify some of the best, both in terms of their literary
quality and their ability to expand the horizons of their readers.
Their themes and stories allow readers to broaden their own un-
derstanding of the world and their place therein.
It’s not that these books allow the reader to totally understand
the experiences of others, to really “know” what it is like to ex-
perience the pains or triumphs of another. Readers do not even
have to agree with the situation, beliefs, or opinions in the text.
But through the act of reading, they cannot not consider experi-
ences beyond their own. Beliefs or practices readers might only
hear about on TV or read about on the Internet become personal
through the stories within these texts. Ideas they previously only
considered in theory influence actual people as students read
about accounts of racism or see the danger of intolerant attitudes
towards those who live lifestyles different from their own.
If there is one thing each of these books lacks, it is the kind of
clean endings where all of the difficulties faced by the main char-
acters are resolved and life takes a rosy turn. It is unclear what
will happen to Matt and his father, how much of a connection to
Curtis—and therefore TJ—will remain in Matt’s life. Levinson’s
“Afterword” makes it clear that although the marches ultimately
contributed to the desegregation of Alabama, life didn’t necessar-
ily get easier for the children who marched for freedom, nor for
those fighting for Civil Rights. Wren realizes she cannot go back
to the life she lived or to who she was before the accident and that
she is forever changed; the only closure Rachel receives is when
she quits looking for her brother but remains willing to let him
come back to her. In short, the price to see clearly often comes at
the cost of giving up on former desires and expectations.
However, these characters—and subsequently, the readers
of their stories—have the opportunity to open their eyes to the
possibilities of others’ existence, to see singular representations
of what the other is really like, and to question their own un-
derstandings of particular issues. These new authors introduce
perspectives that encourage readers to see others more clearly
for who they are, enlarging their own horizons when they invite
these perspectives to join with their own.
References
Arcos, C. (2012). Out of reach. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.
Bott, C.J., Garden, N., Jones, P., & Peters, J.A. (2007). Don’t look and it
will go away: YA books—a key to uncovering the invisible problem
of bullying. The ALAN Review, 34(2), 44-51.
Bloem, P. (2011). Humanizing the “so-called enemy”: Teaching the poetry
of Naomi Shihab Nye. The ALAN Review, 38(2), 6-12.
Brinda, W. (2008). “Can you name one good thing that comes out of
war?” Adolescents’ questions about war and conflict are answered
in nonfiction literature. The ALAN Review, 35(2), 14-23.
Dail, J., & Leonard, J. (2011). Creating realms of possibilities: Offering
mirrors and windows. The ALAN Review, 38(2), 50-57.
Gadamer, H.G. (1960/1975). Truth and method. New York, NY: Contin-
uum.
Jurecic, A. (2011). Empathy and the critic. College English, 74(1), 10-27.
Kazemek, F. (1996). The literature of Vietnam and Afghanistan: Exploring
war and peace with adolescents. The ALAN Review, 23(3), 6-10.
Keen, S. (2007). Empathy and the novel. New York, NY: Oxford UP.
Kokie, E.M. (2012). Personal effects. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Kuo, N.H., & Alsup, J. (2010). “Why do Chinese people have weird
names?” The challenges of teaching multicultural young adult litera-
ture. The ALAN Review, 37(2), 17-24.
Levinson, C. (2012). We’ve got a job: The 1963 Birmingham children’s
march. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.
Mason, K. (2010). From preservice teacher to trusted adult: Sexual ori-
entation and gender variance in an online YAL book club. The ALAN
Review, 38(2), 7-14.
McNamara, A. (2012). Lovely, dark, and deep. New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster.
Meixner, E. (2009). “Would you want to read that?”: Using book passes
to open up secondary classrooms to LGBTQ young adult literature.
The ALAN Review, 36(3), 92-98.
Widdershoven, G.M. (1993).The story of life: Hermeneutic perspectives
on the relationship between narrative and life history. In R. Jossel-
son & A. Lieblich (Eds.), The Narrative Study of Lives (Vol. 1, pp. 1-20).
Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Dawan Coombs is an assistant professor of English at Brigham
Young University where she works in the English teaching program.
She also serves on the International Reading Association Children’s
and Young Adults’ Book Awards Committee. She can be reached at
dawan_coombs@byu.edu.
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 25
Divergent Complexity: Veronica Roth and the New
Dystopian Heroine
by: Casey Cothran and Robert Prickett
S
ince The Hunger Games was released in 2008, more than 12
million copies of all three books have been printed in the
U.S., and it has spent more than 130 consecutive weeks,
to date, on the The New York Times bestseller list (“The Hunger
Games: Media Room,” 2011). In the December 2010 edition of
Entertainment Weekly, Suzanne Collins, the author of the trilogy
of novels, was named one of the Entertainers of the Year, and the
film version of The Hunger Games, released in March 2012, with
its budget of nearly 100 million dollars was “the costliest produc-
tion ever for Santa Monica-based Lions Gate” (Fritz, 2011, para.
4). In turn, the film was considered “the most anticipated liter-
ary adaptation to hit Hollywood since Twilight and Harry Potter,”
and it established the popularity of The Hunger Games series even
more fully (Fritz, 2011, para. 2).
The Hunger Games books are especially significant because
these texts are representative not only of the popularity of the
young adult novel but also of the increasing and sustaining rele-
vance of a subset of young adult literature—the dystopia featur-
ing an adolescent female hero. This intriguing new character
type seems to be most clearly modeled by Katniss of The Hunger
Games trilogy, although an early version can be found in Tally,
the protagonist of Scott Westerfield’s Uglies series. The modern
dystopian heroine also can be seen in the characters of Mary, Ga-
bry, and Annah in Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth
series, Cinder and Scarlet in Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles,
Amy of Beth Revis’s Across the Universe trilogy, Lena of Lauren
Oliver’s Delirium trilogy, Cassia in Ally Condie’s Matched trilogy,
Rhine of Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, and in Tris
of Veronica Roth’s Divergent series.
The dystopian genre of young adult literature is an evolving
phenomenon that is worthy of study; the growing age range of
its readership, as well as the exploding volume of YA dystopian
book titles, demands scholarly attention. In these texts, female
protagonists are required to think deeply about how they define
their identity and live ethically in a dystopian world. The texts
ask readers to think deeply as well—to consider their own identi-
ties, their own understanding of morality in the face of real and
imagined societal corruptions. We argue that the modern dysto-
pian heroine alters readers’ natural inclination to imagine women
in traditional ways. Dystopian heroines face a variety of violent,
creative horrors in the dystopian worlds that they inhabit. As they
grow into maturity, young female characters must diverge from
society’s feminine norm if they are to change these worlds; they
must develop new (and sometimes, disturbing) ways of viewing,
valuing, and rebelling against societal structures.
Veronica Roth’s first published works, the Divergent series (re-
leased 2011-2013) are an exciting new addition to the YA dysto-
26 SIGNAL Journal
pian canon. Roth is a 25-year-old author who wrote Divergent
while still in college earning her B.A. from Northwestern Univer-
sity’s creative writing program. In an August 20, 2013 interview in
Elle magazine, Roth discussed writing Divergent while in college:
“I wrote these books at a point when I was growing up. Senior
year in college, about to do what Tris [the protagonist] does, she’s
making decisions about what she’s going to do with the rest of
her life” (Codinha). The first two installments have been on The
New York Times bestseller list for more than 45 weeks. A film ver-
sion of the opening book of the trilogy, Divergent, is currently
being produced by Lions Gate and will be released in March 2014.
While Roth’s protagonist is illustrative of the dystopian heroines
featured in recent YA literature, Roth’s voice, characters, and set-
ting are distinctive, compelling, and worthy of exploration. This
essay examines Roth’s presentation of her female hero, Tris, who
exists as an exemplary representative of a new, popular, and com-
plex YA character type.
Beatrice Prior, the heroine of Divergent (2011), Insurgent
(2012), and Allegiant (2013) lives in a world where, at the age of
16, teenagers must choose to become members of one of five fac-
tions that exist in a future-imagined Chicago. The five factions
represent specific personality traits. They are Abnegation (self-
lessness), Amity (understanding), Candor (honesty), Dauntless
(bravery), and Erudite (intelligence). Being raised as a member of
Abnegation, the faction that honors selflessness, Beatrice shocks
her family by choosing to join the Dauntless faction, one that
honors bravery and strength in battle. During the initiation pro-
cess, Beatrice chooses to be called “Tris.” In Divergent, Tris excels
in her new faction, but she loses her place in society when she
foils a plot by Erudite leaders (who wish to seize power by using
mind control on members of all factions). In Insurgent, Tris over-
throws the entire system of government; yet, as she does this, she
exposes the shocking, depressing truth that the world outside of
walled-off Chicago may be even more desolated than the strange-
ly organized city in which she lives. In both novels, Tris struggles
with questions about her private and social identity.
Private Identity: Self-interest and Selflessness
Roth’s teenage heroine is a young woman who is driven by
shifting interests. She experiences both a selfless need to protect
others and a selfish desire to be “in charge” of her future (even
if this means rebelling against authority or putting herself and
others in danger). Beatrice grows up accustomed to a life of sac-
rifice. She is raised by the faction Abnegation, a community who
values selflessness above all other character traits. They wear gray,
non-distinct clothes so as not to draw attention to themselves.
Beatrice’s mother, father, and brother all interact selflessly. When
the moment comes for Beatrice to decide which faction she wants
to join, she acts on impulse. Her choice can be seen as both self-
interested and self-sacrificing.
Beatrice chooses Dauntless, the faction that honors fearless-
ness and bravery. In most respects, the Dauntless faction is the
absolute opposite of the selfless Abnegation faction. Her decision,
like Katniss’s decision to sacrifice herself for her sister Prim in The
Hunger Games, is made in a seeming haze: “I open my eyes and
thrust my arm out. My blood drips onto the carpet between the
two bowls. Then, with a grasp I can’t contain, I shift my hand for-
ward, and my blood sizzles on the coals. I am selfish. I am brave”
(Roth, 2011, p. 47). While at the moment of decision, Beatrice’s
action seems to be wholly selfish—leaving her faction, leaving
her family—Beatrice’s struggle regarding which faction to join
highlights how this choice is also a selfless act. As a divergent,
someone who displays multiple personality traits that might place
her in multiple factions, the decision regarding which faction to
join is a choice that will actively negate another option. In or-
der to join Dauntless, Beatrice gives up something of herself. She
symbolizes her choice to sever part of her identity by shortening
her name, changing Beatrice to Tris as she becomes a member of
Dauntless.
In this novel, the heroine struggles between selflessness, a be-
havior that she has been taught, and self-interest, a behavior that
is innate. Beatrice is told that she must be either one or the other;
she must choose a consistent motivating characteristic if she is
to be part of a community. She notes, “To live factionless is not
just to live in poverty and discomfort; it is to live divorced from
society, separated from the most important thing in life: Commu-
nity” (Roth, 2011, p. 20). Tris’s initial struggle to leave Abnegation
echoes feminist critiques of traditional cultural narratives that
define women as nurturing, generous, and altruistic. Yet, in spite
of Tris’s desire to throw off the role of the traditional feminine,
Tris sees that a life of abnegation is an honorable one. She dreams
of a community that encourages her to be ambitious, daring, and
gallant, but she also sees the value in the choices of her mother,
who has dedicated her life to loving and serving others. The night
before the choosing ceremony, she thinks:
I realize the decision might be easy. It will require a great
act of selflessness to choose Abnegation, or a great act of
courage to choose Dauntless, and maybe the mere act of
choosing one over the other will prove that I belong. To-
morrow, those two qualities will struggle within me, and
only one can win. (Roth, 2011, p. 37)
Despite her culture’s attempt to pigeonhole its members, through-
out this novel, it becomes increasingly clear to the reader that
successful participation within a community requires both self-
assertion and self-sacrifice. Indeed, it is the possession of both
of these traits that will make Tris into a great leader and heroine.
Over the course of the second book in the series, Tris develops
a larger vision about how she views the actions of others, as well
as her own choices to stand up for herself or risk herself to save
others. In Insurgent, she thinks about her enemy, Peter, a psycho-
pathic boy who joined Dauntless at the same time she did:
I can’t imagine living the way he does—always keeping
track of who gave me what and what I should give them
in return, incapable of love or loyalty or forgiveness, a one-
eyed man with a knife in hand, looking for someone else’s
eye to poke out. That isn’t life. It’s some paler version of life.
I wonder where he learned it from. (Roth, 2012, p. 395)
It is notable that Roth makes this character one-eyed because he
literally and symbolically suffers from a lack of vision. Tris, on the
other hand, sees beyond what is good for her or what is good for
her world. She explores the complexity of categories of right and
wrong, recognizing that people’s actions and motives are complex
and varied, like her own.
This vacillation between self-interest and self-sacrifice can be
considered alongside the historical forces that normalize self-
sacrificing impulses in women. At times, twenty-first century
dystopian heroines (Katniss, for example) act heroically (and in
a traditionally feminine way), putting aside their own needs for
a greater good; nevertheless, few of these popular characters can
be consistently described as altruistic. In Ellyn Lem and Holly
Hassel’s “‘Killer’ Katniss and ‘Lover Boy’ Peeta: Suzanne Collins’s
Defiance of Gender-Genred Reading,” they argue that
Katniss Everdeen is a female character who balances tradi-
tionally masculine qualities such as athleticism, indepen-
dence, self-sufficiency, and a penchant for violence with
traditionally feminine qualities such as idealized physical
female beauty and vulnerability. (2012, p. 118)
This same balance can be seen in Roth’s works. Both Katniss and
Tris are strong, self-assertive fighters who can and will prioritize
their personal wants over the demands of their communities,
families, friends, and lovers. Katniss will kill so that she can sur-
vive. Similarly, Beatrice will reject her upbringing to pursue her
“true self.” These heroines are capable of heroic self-sacrifice—
and at times, do sacrifice; however, this is not their sole focus.
Rather, their own self-interests are recognized and important.
Public Identity: Masculine and Feminine
Capable heroines, and even warrior-heroines, are not new in
the last three decades of YA literature; warrior-heroines appear in
books such as Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword, Tamara Pierce’s
Alanna series, and Mercedes Lackey’s Heralds of Valdemar series.
However, Roth’s Tris shifts from traditionally feminine to tradi-
tionally masculine states of feeling (and action) in ways that are
fresh and interesting. Female characters who reject “womanly”
behavior, such as a desire for marriage or motherhood, assert a
female identity that is atypical yet appealing. In Divergent, Tris
is asked by Four, “Can you be a girl for a few seconds?” to which
she replies “I’m always a girl” (Roth, 2011, p. 369). As this quote
suggests, Tris sees her femininity as a constant, a part of her; in
contrast, however, her surrounding society perceives her gender
as fluctuating between feminine and masculine. By illustrating
the contrast between Tris’s view of herself and how the world sees
her, Roth pushes the reader, like Tris, to embrace an organic, in-
trinsic sense of identity instead of the culturally constructed view
of the feminine.
As Tris joins the Dauntless faction, she is required to jump off
speeding trains, to enter into brutal fistfights, to shoot guns, and
to brave perilous heights. Nevertheless, she successfully faces the
physical and emotional challenges of her new faction, even de-
lighting in the danger of her new world. In what might be catego-
rized as a stereotypically male attitude, she takes great pleasure
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 27
in risking her life. For example, she flies down a zip cable from
the top of a skyscraper in the dark for the adrenaline rush. Even
though, for a moment, she thinks, “Part of me wonders if this is a
suicide mission disguised as a game” (Roth, 2011, p. 217), risking
her life is a joyful thing. She thinks, “I am pure adrenaline” (Roth,
2011, p. 221). Participating in these athletic, daredevil stunts is
unladylike, but Roth’s Tris revels and thrives in Dauntless activi-
ties. Tris’s tenacity and bravery result in success, despite the fact
that she is untrained in combat and small of stature. Her diver-
gence describes both her complex personality and her abilities.
Indeed, her success in the Dauntless faction is a result of her abil-
ity to act in stereotypically masculine ways, despite her feminine
body: she plans battle strategies, fights, and exhibits no fear.
While they fight like men, many dystopian heroines experi-
ence feelings of tenderness and passion for men. Nevertheless,
unlike Stephanie Meyer’s Bella Swan, the heroine of Twilight, for
instance, the teenage stars in these texts are not desperate roman-
tics, although they do experience feelings of desire, longing, and
love. In Roth’s trilogy, sexual activity is not overtly described.
While the romantic interludes in the novels further the charac-
ters’ depth, the romance seems to be secondary to Tris’s need to
follow her destiny. In turn, even though Four tries repeatedly to
protect Tris from danger in Insurgent, he is unable to do so. Only
Tris is swift, strong, and cunning enough to successfully fight
against the corrupt forces that rule their dystopian world. This is
a break from tradition; Carol Pearson and Katherine Pope (1981)
note that “women in dystopian novels frequently represent the
humanizing influence in an impersonal, competitive, masculine
world” (p. 261). In Roth’s world, as in other twenty-first century
YA dystopian works, women fight and protect men, who often
appear more sensitive, fragile, and interested in love.
Like Katniss in The Hunger Games, if Tris seems to have any
anxiety, it has to do with others’ assessment (or critique) of her
femininity. Tris struggles with her romantic feelings for her train-
er, Four, and with sleeping in a co-ed dorm room. (One of the
subconscious fears illustrated in her final Dauntless test exercise
is her embarrassment at the thought of having sex for the first
time.) When she’s not jumping off trains, researching government
plots, or learning how to fight and shoot, Tris learns how to put
on dark makeup, and she buys clothes that are much tighter and
more revealing than the ones she wore growing up in Abnegation.
She also gets a number of tattoos, highlighting her shoulders and
back. Although Four, her pledge class trainer and romantic inter-
est, always seems aware of her as a young woman, Tris is driven to
make the feminine aspects of her body more visible. In these YA
dystopian texts, Roth describes heroines who must openly assert
their femininity through dress because the people around them
interpret their behavior as drastically non-feminine.
Interestingly, in the first book of the trilogy, her success brings
about a specific, sexual kind of punishment for Tris. As she moves
up in the ranks of her training class, a former friend (and large,
powerful male) named Al joins with a group of teenagers led by
the psychopathic Peter. In a key moment in the novel, Al helps
them to capture Tris, to blindfold her, to grope her sexually, and
to try to kill her by throwing her over the side of a cliff. It appears
as though Al is unable to accept the fact that a petite female is
ranked as a better Dauntless candidate than he is. As Four notes,
“He wanted you to be the small, quiet girl from Abnegation ….
He hurt you because your strength made him feel weak. No other
reason” (Roth, 2011, p. 285). Others in her new community join
28 SIGNAL Journal
Al to dramatically punish Tris for not behaving in predictable,
vulnerable feminine ways. Interestingly, although Tris is shaken
by the threat to her life and by the betrayal of a man she thought
was a friend, she seems most wounded by the sexual insults she
receives in this scene:
A heavy hand gropes along my chest. “You sure you’re six-
teen, Stiff? Doesn’t feel like you’re more than twelve.” The
other boys laugh.
Bile rises in my throat and I swallow the bitter taste.
“Wait, I think I found something!” His hand squeezes
me. I bite my tongue to keep from screaming. (Roth, 2011,
p. 279)
Even the nickname the boys give her, “Stiff,” insults her femininity
in this scene. This is yet another interesting moment where Tris’s
presentation of her own gender is rejected by a vocal group of
her peers. Despite the fact that she can excel in masculine pur-
suits, Tris recognizes and respects her womanly body. She may be
a brilliant fighter, but she never thinks of herself as a man. She is
most hurt by their denial of her femininity, rather than their at-
tempted physical betrayal.
Conclusions
Throughout the Divergent series, Tris transforms herself and
her world because of her divergence from what is expected of her
and her strength. This is not an easy task. Both the physical trauma
and the intense depression that many dystopian heroines experi-
ence are described in graphic ways that may shock and disturb
a number of readers. Specifically in Insurgent, the second book
in Roth’s trilogy, Tris is tortured repeatedly and feels a constant
sensation of horror as she discovers the corruption of the adults
in her world. This corruption is just another example of why the
female heroine must determine and control her own identity for-
mation, rather than following the dictates of those in positions of
authority. Although she chooses to keep fighting and living, Roth
shows readers that this is not a simple choice. Tris’s narrative is
still unfolding; however, in the two published books of the series,
the dystopian heroine saves the proverbial day, stopping genocide
and saving her boyfriend in the process. More importantly, Roth
explores the theme of divergence in each book, asking questions
about what it means to be a woman, what it means to be an adult,
and what it means to be a moral human being.
Like many other recently-published YA novelists, Roth pres-
ents readers with a memorable dystopian world, and the heroine
who walks within it remains a compelling, inspirational figure in
the mind of the reader. Because of shifting loyalties and shifting
behaviors, Tris is strong and heroic. Indeed, she achieves whole-
ness by ignoring societal expectations. She can be both selfless
and selfish. She can act like a boy or like a girl. In turn, Roth’s
books do not provide clean, clear-cut happy endings in the classic
sense. For a reader in an increasingly complex and gray world,
this type of dystopian heroine provides a sense of closure with the
recognition that society and personal identity never reach stasis.
The narratives, as well as the heroines highlighted within them,
are—simply—divergent.
References
Suggested Reading List
13. Suzanne Collins. (December 2010). Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved
from http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20430932_20446631,00. Young Adult Dystopian Heroines
html#20884228
Codinha, C. (August 20, 2013). The new Roth. Elle.com. Retrieved from Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games series, Scholastic
http://www.elle.com/pop-culture/best/divergent-author-veronica- The Hunger Games (2008)
roth-interview. Catching Fire (2009)
Divergent (2014). IMDB.com. Retrieved from Mockingjay (2010)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840309/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Fritz, B. (2011). Hunger Games could be a game changer for Lions Gate. Ally Condie, Matched series, Penguin
Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2011/ Matched (2010)
sep/13/business/la-fi-0913-ct-lionsgate-hunger-games-20110913. Crossed (2011)
Lem, E., & Hassel, H. (2012). “Killer” Katniss and “lover boy” Peeta: Reached (2012)
Suzanne Collins’s defiance of gender-genred reading. In M.F. Pharr
& L.A. Clark (Eds.), Of bread, blood and The Hunger Games: Critical Lauren DeStefano, The Chemical Garden Trilogy series,
essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy (pp. 118-127). Simon and Schuster
Pearson, C. & Pope, K. (1981). The female hero in American and British Wither (2011)
literature. New Providence, NJ: Bowker. Fever (2012)
Roth,V. (2011). Divergent. New York, NY: HarperCollins. Sever (2013)
Roth,V. (2012). Insurgent. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
The Hunger Games: Media Room. (2011). Scholastic.com. Retrieved from Lauren Oliver, Delirium series, HarperCollins
http://mediaroom/scholastic.com/hungergames. Delirium (2011)
“Veronica Roth.” (2013). HarperCollinsPublishers.com. Retrieved from Pandemonium (2012)
http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/ Requiem (2013)
Aboutaspx?authorid=37588.
“Young Adult.” (2013). The New York Times Best Sellers. Retrieved from Marissa Meyer, Lunar Chronicles series, Fiewel and Friends
http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-10-27/young- Cinder (2012)
adult/list.html. Scarlet (2013)

Beth Revis, Across the Universe series, Razorbill

Casey A. Cothran is an assistant professor of English and Criti- Across the Universe (2011)
cal Thinking at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She can be A Million Suns (2012)
reached at cothranc@winthrop.edu. Shades of Earth (2013)

Robert G. Prickett is an associate professor of English Education Carrie Ryan, The Forest of Hands and Teeth series, Random House
and acting Department of English chairperson at Winthrop Univer- The Forest of Hands and Teeth (2009)
sity in South Carolina. He can be reached at prickettr@winthrop. The Dead-Tossed Waves (2010)
edu. The Dark and Hollow Places (2011)

Scott Westerfield, Uglies series, Simon and Schuster

Uglies (2005)
Pretties (2005)
Specials (2006)

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 29

An Interview with a New Voice in Young Adult
Literature, Thanhha Lai: Vietnamese Refugee,
Accidental Poet, National Book Award-winner
by: Toby Emert
B
orn in 1965 in Vietnam, Thanhha Lai is the youngest of
nine children. When Saigon, a city in South Vietnam,
fell to the communist forces of North Vietnam in April,
1975, Thanhha, her mother, and her siblings became refugees
and boarded a ship bound for the U.S. They ultimately settled in
Montgomery, Alabama—a place they had never heard of—most-
ly because a man there was willing to serve as the American spon-
sor for a large refugee family. Lai spoke no English, and she was
the first Asian child her classmates at school had ever met. Life
was complicated. She recalls that it took ten years to feel truly
comfortable with English.
Her family later moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where she at-
tended high school. She completed a degree in journalism at
the University of Texas at Austin and worked for a few years as a
journalist in California, reporting on the Vietnamese community,
before undertaking an M.F.A. in fiction at New York University.
After spending 15 years working on an adult novel that she
was unable to sell, Lai says that she wrote her first novel for young
adults, Inside Out & Back Again, in only six months. Hà, the ten-
year-old narrator in this novel-in-verse, tells a difficult immigra-
tion story very similar to Lai’s own. Lai won the 2011 National
Book Award for Young People’s Literature and a Newbery Honor
for Inside Out & Back Again, which was published by HarperCol-
lins.
This interview was conducted in the fall of 2013.
TE: What made you want to write this book?
TL: I’ve always wanted to write about a refugee family finding
itself in Alabama, and in shock. I’ve read just about every immi-
grant tale out there, but I wanted mine to be funny because sad-
ness is a given in any displacement story. It took years to narrow
the focus to the youngest member of the family.
TE: Why is that? How did you ultimately decide
on this voice for the narrator? Did you try
others?
TL: First, I tried the kitchen sink approach and jammed 4000
years of Vietnamese history and more than 20 characters into
a convoluted narrative. That kind of ambition I acquired while
sitting in M.F.A. workshops. After years of failure, I was tired.
Once tired, I turned less ambitious. So instead of 20 characters,
I focused on one, and again, because of exhaustion, I chose the
one I knew best, myself. But before I chose myself, the voice had
entered my head on a playground in New York City. The voice
dictated the focus of my novel.
TE: Can you talk a bit more about that idea of
30 SIGNAL Journal
the ambitious approach you adopted for your
writing as a result of doing an M.F.A. at NYU?
TL: I had read way too much Marquez and every other sentence
of mine mirrored his loopy, digressive style. The problem with
that style was that Marquez had already done it to beyond per-
fection. It took me years to get over wanting to be Marquez and
relax into my own voice. As for the scope of the initial project, I
wanted to say everything about everything in one book, and that
proved impossible. Something about sitting with lots of other
fledging writers in one tiny room, ripping sentences and struc-
tures apart, each of us aching to write the book, all that added up
to over-ambition.
TE: How did you settle on a format for the story
you tell in the book? Did you know from the
beginning of the writing process that you wanted
to write the novel in verse?
TL: I’m not a poet, so the poems came after 15 years—that’s right,
years—of struggling to tell a similar narrative involving a family
of Vietnamese refugees resettling in Alabama. I tried telling the
story in third-person omniscient, via Marquez, but that proved
too distant. I tried close third, switching among various char-
acters, but that proved too confusing. I tried first person, play-
ing with various points of view, but nothing clicked. Disgusted, I
stopped writing. Then one day, while standing on a playground
in New York City with my daughter, all these feelings returned:
anger, disgust, embarrassment, confusion … all felt while I was
standing in a school playground in Montgomery, Alabama, when
I didn’t know English and my world literally had turned inside
out.
The emotions didn’t arrive in sentences, such as, “I hate lunch
time.” They arrived in images: finger-shaped meat, mushy and
salty, orange angry flares, eyes narrowed, heart tightened. I knew
right then I had found the voice to tell a more focused story of a
10-year-old girl rebuilding a sense of self in Alabama. The images
reflected the Vietnamese language, which is derived from Chi-
nese and thus is based on images, not letters. So by being inside
the mind of a girl who’s thinking in Vietnamese, not English (be-
cause she has yet to learn it), I became an accidental poet.
TE: What a lovely idea, becoming an accidental
poet. Once you had the voice in your head,
how quickly did the poems get onto the page?
Do you remember which poem you wrote first?
TL: As they say in M.F.A. workshops, voice is everything. Once
the voice was cemented, the lines flew out of my fingertips, and I
had a draft in six weeks. I wrote the poems in the order they
appeared in the final version.
TE: Which poems in the book are your favorites?
Are there particular reasons that you would
choose those poems as special?
TL: I especially enjoyed writing any poem that involved the
mother character, who was based precisely on my own. My
mother never learned English, for which I’m utterly grateful be-
cause I was forced to retain my native language. The Vietnamese
my mother speaks is vivid and filled with verses from Nguyen
Du, thus introducing me to a literary culture I would never have
learned in school.
TE: What does your own mother think of the
mother character in the book? Did she know
you were writing this story?
TL: Of course my mother likes her stand-
in because the character was portrayed in
a realm of awe. Trust me, if I had written
in some flaws, I would have heard about
them. She always knew I was writing
something about Vietnam and its 4000-
year history. Since l was little, I’ve been
following her around asking intimate,
none-of-my-business questions about my
ancestors.
Thanhha Lai/Photo by Sloane Bosniak
TE: How did she respond to
your questions? Does she enjoy telling stories
like you do?
TL: She responded to shut me up. I was quite annoying. She
told stories as effortlessly as breathing. I didn’t watch TV or go
out that much. My entire childhood consisted of me listening to
her, for hours.
TE: What was your process for organizing the
poems? Did you think, for example, “I need a
poem about ... a particular moment/incident”
and then write one, or did you write poems and
then fit them together?
TL: Structure was easy because the poems followed historical
events. Saigon fell on April 30, 1975. So in the year I docu-
mented, events lined themselves up according to an established
timetable, and all I had to do was add the details.
TE: How are you drawing the line between
memoir and fiction in the book?
TL: I wrote fiction instead of a memoir for one simple reason: I
have a large, loud, and opinionated family. I envisioned tons of
emails from my siblings nagging me about how I got this wrong
and that wrong, and fiction won hands down. The voice of the
narrator represents an idealized version of my fluency in Viet-
namese. I don’t speak Vietnamese as well as I write in English
while thinking in Vietnamese, if that makes any sense.
TE: How many siblings do you have? How have
they responded to the novel and its success?
TL: I have six brothers and two sisters, all older. They read the
novel and are proud of me. We are not a verbally expressive
bunch, so it has been a nod here, a pat on the back there.
TE: How difficult was it to find an agent for the
manuscript? I’ve heard many authors tell stories
about sending the manuscript out many, many
times before getting an agent (or publisher).
TL: My horror story actually happened with an earlier, convo-
luted manuscript that took 15 years to write. I sent it to 20 or so
agents and was rejected by all. They agreed: “beautiful writing,
but, man, this thing is a mess.” By the time I sent out Buddhists
in Alabama, the original title for Inside
Out & Back Again, I had toughened
myself to handle rejections. But to my
delight, agents responded within a day.
After reading the query letter, they asked
for five pages, then 25, then 50, then
the entire manuscript. Within a week, I
signed with Rosemary Stimola because
she responded the most quickly and I
liked, and still like, rolling her name on
my tongue.
TE: And how long did it take
for the book to be accepted by a publisher?
TL: Within weeks.
TE: What was it like working with your editor?
TL: I lucked out and got two, Tara Weikum and Sarah Sevier.
They improved the manuscript by moving a word here, asking
for a scene there. After their input, I learned to see how readers
would likely respond to my words upon the first read.
TE: How did you find out that you’d won the
National Book Award? What was your reaction?
TL: I received an email from the National Book Foundation with
just one word, “Call.” I did and spoke to Harold Rosenberg, who
asked me not to tell anyone (except my husband) of my nomina-
tion in the young people’s category. I was in such a dreamlike
state that I actually listened. I remember thinking, “Well, I guess
somebody likes it.” I had spent decades trying to finish the
manuscript, and my mind was already on overload after finding
an agent, who found a publisher, that to be nominated brought
more disbelief than elation. It was too much, if such a thing is
possible.
TE: What has surprised you most about getting
this first book published and winning a major
national award for it?
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 31
TL: Many surprises. First, I did not know I was writing a book
for young adults, specifically one for middle grades. I learned
that in a workshop. Next, I wasn’t sure the prose-poem format
would work. My agent told me it would be a hard sale, and my
editor was going to pass the manuscript to a colleague until
she actually read it. Third, I thought this was the kind of book
teachers and librarians had to push on kids, and, to my sur-
prise, the kids seemed to be seeking it out themselves. Fourth,
I thought, who on earth would want to know about a pouty
refugee who longed for papayas while stuck in Alabama? And
it turned out all kinds of readers did, even video-playing boys
stuck on the Wimpy Kid series. Then at the National Book
Awards banquet, I was so sure someone else would win that I
spent my time eating chocolate cake. No speech prepared, hair
not even curled. My name was called and I thought, “NOOO!”

TE: What are you working on now?

TL: I’m revising my second novel, Listen, Slowly, to be published
in February, 2015. It’s a contemporary middle-grade novel about
a spoiled Vietnamese-American girl born in Laguna Beach, Cali-
fornia, who is forced back to a tiny village in north Vietnam for
a summer full of predictable pouts and surprising connections.

TE: Is it also a novel-in-verse?

TL: The new novel is in prose because the main character is fluent
in English, thus she thinks in English.

TE: I can’t wait to read it.

Toby Emert is an associate professor and chair of the Department

of Education at Agnes Scott College, near Atlanta, Georgia. He can
be reached at temert@agnesscott.edu.

32 SIGNAL Journal
Young Adult Literature: A Vehicle for Imagining
Other Worlds
by: Sean P. Connors
A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part
limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and
feelings, as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical de-
lusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us....
Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our
circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole
of nature in its beauty.
—Albert Einstein (quoted in Shusterman, 2007, p. 315)
I
n John Green’s (2009) young adult novel Paper Towns, the
protagonist, Quentin Jacobson—or Q to his friends—is on
the brink of graduating from high school when Margo Roth
Spiegelman, the most popular girl at his school and the object
of his affections, inexplicably
goes missing. At first, neither Q
nor Margo’s friends are overly
concerned—she had run away
before only to return with tales If imagination is the machine
of adventures that solidified her
status as a school legend. After that kills fascists, then literature,
over-hearing her parents tell
an investigating detective that as literacy teachers and
Margo typically leaves behind
clues hinting at her where- librarians have long known,
abouts, Q discovers that she left
a series of clues for him, one of is surely the engine that drives it.
which, a dog-eared copy of Walt
Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, con-
tains seemingly ominous notes
she’d written in the margins
surrounding the poem “Song of Myself.” Concerned that Margo
may have taken her life, Q, with the help of friends, takes it upon
himself to find her. In the process of doing so, he discovers how
little he knew about the girl he had idealized, and his quest to find
Margo gradually evolves into a journey to understand her.
Throughout the novel, Whitman’s poem serves as a guide for
Q; at first, he is confident that it will yield clues about Margo’s
whereabouts, but as time passes he comes to regard the poem as a
blueprint for understanding her. At one point the poem’s speaker
inhabits the subject positions of the people he encounters, be-
coming the captain of a sinking ship, for example, as well as a
fugitive slave and a wounded man. Reading the poem, Q con-
cludes, “To find Margo Roth Spiegelman, I must become Margo
Roth Spiegelman” (Green, 2009, p. 226). He later rejects this pos-
sibility, however, having accepted that the best he can do is “ask
the wounded man where he is hurt, because I cannot become the
wounded man. The only wounded man I can be is me” (p. 298).
To read Green’s novel as dismissing the possibility of our ever
knowing others, however, is to do it a disservice, for in the end
it is Q’s commitment to imagining the lives of others that enables
him to cope with the existential crisis that Margo’s disappearance
inspires in him. “Imagining isn’t perfect,” he concedes. “You can’t
get all the way inside someone else …. But imagining being some-
one else, or the world being something else, is the only way in. It
is the machine that kills fascists” (p. 299).
If imagination is the machine that kills fascists, then literature,
as literacy teachers and librarians have long known, is surely the
engine that drives it. Despite the current education reform move-
ment’s insistence on reducing the study of literature to a set of
narrowly defined, measurable skills, and a recent spate of argu-
ments that seemingly associ-
ate “close reading” and “textual
complexity” exclusively with
canonical literature, those of us
who value young adult litera-
ture, and who have the privilege
to share the books we love with
students, appreciate that, like
literature for adults, it is capable
of creating a space for readers to
inhabit other subject positions
and experience, at a safe remove,
circumstances and emotions
other than their own. In this
way, young adult literature offers
readers a way out of the prison
of delusion that Albert Einstein
referred to in the quotation that opened this article, allowing
them to understand that they are neither disconnected from the
universe nor from others.
Historical Perspectives on the Empathic Potential of
Literature
Throughout history, philosophers, poets, and scholars have
celebrated literature’s ability to serve as a vehicle for the imagina-
tion. Although he was concerned about its potential to mislead
young readers, the Greek philosopher Plato nevertheless charac-
terized poetry as “a dream for awakened minds, a work of imagi-
nation withdrawn from ordinary life, dominated by the same
forces that dominate a dream, and yet giving us a perspective and
dimension on reality that we don’t get from any other approach
to reality” (quoted in Frye, 1964, p. 102). Percy Shelley celebrated
literature’s ability to take readers outside of themselves so that
they might view the world through eyes other than their own.
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 33
For him, the goal of identifying with others constituted a moral
imperative to which humans ought to aspire. He wrote:
The great secret of morals is love; or a going out of our
own nature, and an identification of ourselves with the
beautiful …. A man, to be greatly good, must imagine
intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in
the place of another and of many others; the pain and
pleasure of his species must become his own. The great-
est instrument of moral good is the imagination; and po-
etry administers to the effect by acting upon the cause.
(quoted in Bogdan, 1992, p. 39)
More recently, Louise Rosenblatt (1938/1995) celebrated liter-
ature’s ability to cultivate “the kind of imagination needed in a de-
mocracy—the ability to participate in the needs and aspirations
of other personalities and to envision the effect of our actions
on their lives” (p. 212). For Rosenblatt (1978), aesthetic reading
requires that readers pay close attention to their cognitive and
affective experiences as they transact with a work of literature.
Importantly, she did not regard these experiences as “virtual” in
nature. Rather, she conceptualized literary reading as a “unique
mode of experience, an expansion of the boundaries of our own
temperaments and worlds, lived through in our own person” (p.
68, emphasis added). Today, research in the fields of neuroscience
and cognitive psychology lends support to Rosenblatt’s assertion.
The Brain on Literature
In The Storytelling Animal, Jonathan Gottschall (2012) reviews
neuroscience research which suggests that neural networks in the
mind are activated not only when people perform an action or
experience an emotion, but also when they observe others per-
form an action or experience an emotion. How is this relevant
to reading literature? Importantly, it suggests that reading about
characters who endure a loss may entail more than our simply
imagining the sorrow they feel; instead, what neuroscientists call
the “mirror effect” may result in our experiencing sorrow, much
as we might if we lost a loved one. In the same way, Keith Oatley,
a cognitive psychologist, likens reading fiction to experiencing a
computer simulation. He argues, for example, that much as the
latter prepares people to deal with “complex problems such as
flying a plane or forecasting the weather, so novels, stories and
dramas can help us understand the complexities of social life”
(quoted in Paul, 2012, para. 10). Developing this “simulation”
metaphor more fully, Oatley (2010) argues that in transacting
with works of fiction, readers:
experience emotions as events and outcomes of actions
are evaluated in relation to the protagonist’s goals. But
here is the extraordinary feature: although the goals and
plans are simulated, the emotions are not. They are the
reader’s own emotions. The fictional narrative allows us
to experience emotions and to understand them more
clearly than in real life. (no pagination)
Beyond our experiencing a story as if it were happening to us, one
might ask whether literature is, in fact, capable of changing us.
Kaufman and Libby (2012) believe that it is, and they attribute
its ability to do so to what they call “experience taking.” According
to them, experience taking occurs whenever readers experience a
34 SIGNAL Journal
story as if they were a character in it. When this happens, readers
“let go of key components of their own identity—such as their
beliefs, memories, personality traits, and in-group affiliations—
and instead assume the identity of a protagonist, accepting the
character’s decisions, outcomes, and reactions as their own” (p.
2). Citing findings from a series of research studies, Kaufman and
Libby conclude that experience taking has the potential to change
a person’s social behaviors.
Collectively, research of the sort described above appears to
support what literacy educators and librarians have long sus-
pected—namely, that reading literature can foster empathy and
encourage identification with others, behaviors that are crucial
to the well being of a democratic state. Young adult literature is
capable of no less.
Young Adult Literature: Envisioning Other Worlds
In the current education reform climate, the value of teaching
literature to foster empathy may be overshadowed by the empha-
sis that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) place on close
reading and textual complexity. At the same time, the dissemi-
nation of CCSS-approved lists of exemplar texts, the majority of
which are canonical, threatens to undermine the already tenuous
foothold that young adult literature holds in the secondary lit-
erature curriculum (Connors & Shepard, 2013). To be sure, the
architects of the CCSS are careful to caution that these so-called
“exemplar” texts are not mandated. Under pressure to prepare
students to succeed on the high-stakes tests that will accompany
the CCSS, however, there is no guarantee that school leaders and
teachers will not treat them as such. Indeed, a list of texts that a
school district near the university where I work recently adopted
for grades 9-12 in response to an imperative to implement the
CCSS is populated almost exclusively by canonical titles. Of the
approximately 115 works featured on the list, only four are young
adult novels.
If literature constitutes a vehicle for the imagination, then
what sort of world does contemporary young adult fiction invite
adolescents to envision? Critics of young adult literature routine-
ly assail it for portraying what they characterize as unnecessarily
dark problems and social ills. Meghan Cox Gurdon (2011), for
example, argues that “teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house
mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portray-
als of what life really is” (para. 5). But is this the case? One could
just as easily argue that young adult literature is rife with hope,
for even at its darkest, it presents readers with a world in which
teenagers are deeply interconnected, drawing on each other—and
on adults—for support. Holden Caulfield, the alienated and disil-
lusioned protagonist in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, is
sometimes regarded as a prototype for the angst-ridden teenage
characters thought to populate the pages of contemporary young
adult fiction (see, for example, Waller, 2004). In truth, however,
the cynicism and individualism that Holden exemplified have
long since given way to what Coats (2010) characterizes as a “gen-
erative ethic of interconnectedness” (p. 319). Perhaps not coinci-
dentally, this spirit of interconnectedness is cultivated in young
adult fiction as characters submerse themselves in reading litera-
ture.
Citing a preponderance of intertextual connections in contem-
porary works of young adult fiction, Michaels (2005) argues that
“adolescent characters draw on … the artistic works of others,
and their own artistic creations, in [an] on-going project of con-
struction and (re)construction of their own selves” (p. 4). This is
evident in several prominent young adult novels published in the
past decade. As explained above, reading Walt Whitman’s “Song
of Myself ” enables Q, the protagonist in Paper Towns, to appreci-
ate the role he played in idealizing his friend Margo. Although
he eventually concedes the impossibility of ever imagining others
perfectly, he nevertheless takes trying to do so as his aim at the
end of the novel. In Jennifer Donnelly’s (2003) A Northern Light,
Mattie Gokey finds strength in the words of Emily Dickinson and
other writers, as well as in a series of letters written by a teenage
girl shortly before her death on a small lake in the Adirondack
Mountains. In the end, reading gives Mattie the strength to defy
social conventions and escape the constraints that threaten to en-
snare her. Like Stephen Daedalus, the hero of James Joyce’s Por-
trait of the Artist as a Young Man, she breaks a promise she made
to her dying mother to remain at home, leaving behind a life of
domesticity to pursue a career as an artist.
In We Were Here, a young adult novel by Matt de la Peña,
reading books such as Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, John
Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and Salinger’s The Catcher in the
Rye enables Miguel, a Mexican-American teenager on the run,
to cope with a tragedy that befell him and his family. Likewise, in
John Green’s (2012) critically acclaimed The Fault in Our Stars,
Hazel and Augustus, two teenagers battling cancer, embrace the
fictional novel An Imperial Affliction as a tool to make sense of
(and cope with) their respective illnesses.
In these and other young adult novels, literature serves as a
catalyst for adolescent characters to process their experiences,
connect with others, and imagine alternative ways of being in
the world. The students we teach deserve no less. At a time when
fanaticism inspires acts of violence around the globe; when the
ideological divide between political parties prohibits any sort of
compromise; and when homophobia, bullying, racism, and other
forms of intolerance claim the lives of young people, it falls on us
as educators to create a space for our students to imagine other,
better possible worlds. Young adult literature, which focuses on
adolescent characters while exploring problems and issues that
are germane to all people, remains one of the more powerful ve-
hicles we have at our disposal for doing so.
Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. New York, NY: Dutton.
Green, J. (2009). Paper towns. New York, NY: Speak.
Kaufman, G.F., & Libby, L.K. (2012). Changing beliefs and behavior
through experience-taking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychol-
ogy, 103(1), 1–19.
Michaels, W. (2005). Paradigm shift and evolutionary adaptation: Con-
current trends in Australian young adult realistic fiction. Somerset
Conference, March 2005, Australia. Unpublished conference paper.
Oatley, K. (2010, August). Why fiction may be twice as true as fact: Fic-
tion as cognitive and emotional simulation. New English Review.
Retrieved from http://www.newenglishreview.org/Keith_Oatley/
Why_Fiction_May_Be_Twice_as_True_as_Fact/
Paul,A. M. (2012, March 17).Your brain on fiction. The NewYork Times. Re-
trieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/
the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=all&_
r=0
Rosenblatt, L. M. (1938/1995). Literature as exploration (5th ed.). New
York, NY: The Modern Language Association of America.
Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Waller, A. (2004). Is Holden Caulfield still real?: The body of theory and
practice in young adult literature. In S. Chapleau (Ed.), New voices
in children’s literature (pp. 97-104). Lichfield, Staffordshire, England:
Pied Piper.
Sean P. Connors is an assistant professor of English Education in
the College of Education and Health Professions at the University
of Arkansas. His research interests include multimodal literacy,
graphic fiction, and the application of diverse critical perspectives
to young adult literature. He can be reached at sconnors@uark.edu.

References
Bogdan, D. (1992). Re-educating the imagination. Portsmouth, NH: Boyn-
ton/ Cook.
Coats, K. (2010). Young adult literature: Growing up, in theory. In S. A.
Wolf, K. Coats, P. Enciso, & C. A. Jenkins (Eds.), Handbook of research
on children’s and young adult literature (pp. 315-329). New York, NY:
Routledge.
Connors, S. P., & Shepard, I. (2013). Reframing arguments for teaching ya
literature in an age of Common Core. SIGNAL Journal, 35(3), 6-10.
Cox Gurdon, M. (2011, June 4). Darkness too visible. The Wall Street
Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240
52702303657404576357622592697038.html
Donnelly, J. (2003). A northern light. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Frye, N. (1964). The educated imagination. Bloomington, IN: University
Press.
Gottschall, J. (2012). The storytelling animal: How stories make us human.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 35

 Book Reviews
The Adventures of Jo Schmo: Pink-
Book Reviews
beard’s Revenge
by Greg Trine (art by Frank W. Dormer)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 118
pp., $12.99
Superhero, Adventure
ISBN: 978-0-547-80797-3
This is the fourth book in the series fea-
turing fourth-grade superhero Jo Schmo
and her super-drooling dog, Raymond,
who live in San Francisco. The first plot
line involves Jo learning more superhero
moves, like the Tasmanian Chop, from
her Grandpa Joe, and learning how to use
the superpower of invisibility to sneak
into movie theaters. Meanwhile, two
villains, Dr. Dastardly and Numb Skull,
attempt to break out of prison and seek
revenge on Jo Schmo and “her little dog,
too” for helping with their arrest. The
third plot line involves time-traveling pi-
rates, led by Pinkbeard, who have come
to this century to do what pirates do best:
drink grog, chase women, and steal mon-
ey. It is the climax of the story when these
three plot lines crash together. Trine’s
humorous narrative intrusions and silly
plot will engage readers. With child-like
pencil drawings, plenty of white space on
each page, and short chapters, this book
is perfect for reluctant middle readers,
both boys and girls.
Jake Stratman
John Brown University;
Siloam Springs, AR
Awakening
by Karen Sandler
Tu Books, 2013, 396 pp., $18.95
Social Issues, Slavery, Relationships, Civil
Rights, Genetics, Diseases, Rebellion,
Science Fiction, Artificial Intelligence
ISBN: 978-1-60060-982-4
Kayla, from Tankborn, returns as a cou-
rier with Risa as they do a route on the
planet Lo-ka for the Kinship. Kayla is
a GEN, Genetically Engineered Non-
human with embedded neural circuitry.
Kinship is trying to improve the lives of
Gens and lowborns to be more equitable
36 SIGNAL Journal
with the trueborns. Gens are dying. A
new group called FHE: Freedom, Hu-
manity and Equality, has appeared and is
interfering in Kayla’s information down-
loading. The world building that Sandler
has done is very successful. There is a
glossary of unfamiliar terms.
Mark Luetkemeyer
Jefferson City, MO
Beauty’s Daughter
by Carolyn Meyer
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Children’s Book Group, 2013, 352 pp.,
$16.99
Greek Mythology, Adolescent Fiction,
Love, Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-544-10862-2
Many have read the well-known myth,
Helen of Troy, also known as the Trojan
War. We know that Helen, considered
to be the most beautiful woman in the
world, was married to King Menelaus
of Sparta. However, she falls in love with
Prince Paris and runs off with him and
becomes known as Helen of Troy. Mene-
laus, wanting to win Helen back and save
his honor, gathers 1000 staffed ships and
sets sail for Troy, thus beginning the Tro-
jan War. While we have heard variations
of this myth, the stories have been told
from male points of view. Meyer, how-
ever, tells the story through the point
of view of Hermione, Helen’s daugh-
ter. Hermione stows away in one of the
ships that sails to Troy and for ten years
lives outside the walls of Troy witness-
ing the entire Trojan War. Hermione sees
the ravages of war and realizes that her
mother lives in splendor inside the walls
of Troy. Readers follow her through girl
meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl
loses boy romances. What will happen to
her in the end? What about her relation-
ship with her mother, her father? Meyer
is a masterful storyteller, holding the au-
dience’s attention throughout the story.
Great read.
Jeanne Gerlach
University of Texas at Arlington;
Arlington, TX
Boston Jacky: Being an Account of the
Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Tak-
ing Care of Business
by L. A. Meyer
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for
Young Readers, 2013, 368 pp., $16.99
Adventure, Historical Fiction, Swash-
buckling Heroines
ISBN: 978-0-547-97495-8
Impulsive and independent-minded
Jacky Faber returns to Boston in 1809
after a sojourn in Spain where she spied
and worked as an artist’s model. Of
course, being Jacky, she is rarely cautious
and doesn’t always act in the wisest way.
As she quickly gets down to business,
reuniting with her friends, rescuing her
favorite tavern from its perilous finan-
cial situation, and waiting to hear from
her beloved Jaimy Fletcher, she also finds
herself in the middle of local resentment
over the increasing numbers of immi-
grants arriving in Boston. Sometimes
her arrogance and quick way of speaking
offset her business savvy, and she cre-
ates enemies with very long memories,
including the local leader of the women’s
temperance and suffrage movement. The
book is brimming with intrigue, missed
opportunities, and humor. It’s hard not to
get a kick out of Jacky’s arrogance, self-
assurance, lust for life, and the freedom
she enjoys so thoroughly.
Barbara A. Ward
Washington State University;
Pullman, WA
Breath
by Jackie Morse Kessler
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 321
pp., $9.00
Relationships, Social issues, Mental
health, Alcohol, Sociology, Psychology,
Religion, Philosophy
ISBN: 978-0-547-97046-1
Death is coming. He is angry, depressed,
suicidal, and wants to end the world.
Death comes to talk with Xander Atwood
about life and death. This is volume 4 of
the Riders of the Apocalypse, a take on
the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.
Everyone has to face death. The conver-
sation provides a theoretical basis for this
as young adults have to face death in their
lives at one time or another. The book
could be paired with other fictional and
nonfictional representations of death, in-
cluding the Kubler-Ross model of grief
or Terry Pratchett’s personification of
Death.
Mark Luetkemeyer
Jefferson City, MO
Byrd & Igloo: A Polar Adventure
by Semantha Seiple
Scholastic, 2013, 192 pp., $16.99
History, Action, Adventure, Dogs, Pets
ISBN: 978-0-545-56276-8
Richard E. Byrd was an explorer who
was the first aviator to fly over the North
Pole and the South Pole. An acquain-
tance of his in Washington, DC came
across a small dog that needed a home.
She concluded that Byrd would be a good
master and owner. After some initial re-
sistance, Byrd took the dog, whose name
became Igloo. Igloo became Byrd’s close
companion on his arctic adventures and
expeditions. Though not told from the
dog’s perspective, the story clearly pic-
tures how Igloo’s ebullient and sharp
personality fits into the situations in the
story of Byrd’s major accomplishments
of cultural and historical significance.
The wonderful collection of pictures in-
cluded makes this book an exciting read
about history being created. The knowl-
edge this book provides about living and
working in arctic regions, combined with
plane crashes and equipment and human
failures, make this book an exciting non-
fiction selection for readers ages 8-12.
Herb Thompson
Emory & Henry College; Emory, VA
Cameron and the Girls
by Edward Averett
Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin),
2013, 220 pp., $16.99
Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness through the presence of cannibalism and
ISBN: 978-0-547-61215-7
Cameron’s story is a short, high-interest
read for adolescents of all ages. Cameron
attends a special program in his junior
high; he has been diagnosed with a form
of schizophrenia. Cameron is a good kid
who hears voices. He is also a young man
who wants to establish his own identity.
Cameron, in trying to be his own person,
quits taking his medications, unhinging
his whole family. He hears the familiar
voice of “the professor” but also a new
voice—that of a girl who likes him. To
complicate matters, Cameron meets a
real girl in his class with depression prob-
lems of her own. Adventures and misad-
ventures follow. The author is a clinical
psychologist, but one may still wonder
how accurate the description of Camer-
on’s illness is. Nevertheless, the portrayal
humanizes the adolescent suffering from
mental illness. Cameron just wants what
all teenagers want: love, self-respect, and
a sense of life’s possibilities. and physical journey including harsh
Gretchen Schwarz ships among the imprisoned boys and
Baylor University; Waco, TX young men, African-American all, the
ChickenHare
by Chris Grine
Graphix/Scholastic, 2013, 160 pp., $10.99
Graphic novel, Fantasy, Adventure,
Animals
ISBN: 978-0-545-48508-1
ChickenHare is a graphic fantasy novel
grounded in realism. Protagonist Chick-
enHare, a heroic rabbit with feathers and
chicken legs, along with his friend Abe,
a bearded box turtle, must outwit an evil
taxidermist who collects exotic speci-
mens. They liberate imprisoned crea-
tures and escape the Arctic home of the
taxidermist, Klaus. A dead goat named
Buttons manifests in ghost form to stop
the cycle of Klaus’s cruelty to animals.
The creatures join forces with cute yet
vicious cave monsters called Shromph
to overthrow Klaus and his henchmen.
An epic battle in ice tunnels ensues. This
first full-color production of author-illus-
trator Chris Grine’s ChickenHare offers a
diverting, action-filled story. The quirky
tone shifts between whimsy and horror
taxidermy procedures. Grine’s beautiful-
ly drawn, hybrid creatures create visual
fascination and raise themes of accept-
ing those who are different and finding
your hidden talents. More development
to build reader interest in the characters
may appear in a sequel.
Amy Cummins
University of Texas-Pan American;
Edinburg, TX
Book Reviews
Cy in Chains
by David L. Dudley
Clarion Books, 2013, 336 pp., $16.99
Chain Gangs, Prison Brutality, Race
Relations, Freedom, Family
ISBN: 978-0-547-91068-0
Set in Georgia in 1890, this story of
thirteen-year-old Cy Williams’s harsh
imprisonment on a trumped-up charge
chronicles his emotional, psychological,
details of many types of abuse as well as
kindnesses, loss, and illness. Relation-
white supervisors, and the cook are re-
vealed through their friendships, adver-
sarial encounters, and the theme of hope
as Cy resents his father’s not coming for
him. Will his father come? If so, what will
be the result? Who will survive, and who
will keep up hope? Will escape plans be
tried? Will they succeed? The book is a
realistic and compelling read. Using a
real case of a young boy’s imprisonment
in the convict labor system at the end of
the nineteenth century, the author imag-
ines the rest of his story.
Ruth L. Copp
Saginaw Valley State University;
University Center, MI
Dark Triumph
by Robin LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin, 2013, 387 pp., $17.99
Historic Fiction, Family Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-547-62838-7
In the middle of 15th century France, Sy-
bella has been estranged from her family
and is now serving as Death’s assassin.
Her current assignment finds her some-
what trapped in a castle recently taken by
her father, Alain D’Albret. It is here that
the author does excellent work creat-
ing a family of villains so vile that they
could only be described as pure evil. On
several occasions, the troubling issues in
the D’Albret household (murder, incest,
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 37
 manipulation, etc.) almost caused me
to abandon the book. This book offers a
heroine who is at once strong and deeply
broken. The trials of her life have almost
ruined her desire to live, yet she presses
Book Reviews
on. High school readers will find an im-
perfect heroine who finds reason to love
herself again. This is the second in the
His Fair Assassin’s Trilogy. Readers who
enjoyed the first book will be excited to
find this one and will be left anxiously
awaiting the final book.
David Grossman
TK Stone Middle School;
Elizabethtown, KY
Dead is Just a Dream
by Marlene Perez
Harcourt Children’s Books, 2013, 176
pp., $16.99
Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-544-10262-0
Viragoes, werewolves, seers, sorceresses,
and other paranormal beings populate
this titillating story. After several mur-
ders take place in Nightshade, California,
Jessica and her friends follow clues to
uncover the killers. A white horse, night-
mares, and black magic add to the sus-
pense. The play on words and the char-
acter’s names will delight readers of this
genre. Students who enjoy the macabre
will find this book is for them.
Joy Frerichs
Chatsworth, GA
The Dojo: Triangle Choke
by Patrick Jones
Lerner Publishing Group, 2013, 125 pp.,
$7.95
Mixed Martial Arts, Relationships, Real-
istic Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-4677-1487-7
Eighteen-year-old Hector Morales is
preparing for his first amateur Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA) fight. With an al-
coholic father, a worried mother, an ex-
girlfriend, and ex-best friend, practicing
and staying focused on the fight isn’t easy.
Will Hector win? Will Hector and his fa-
ther make amends? This book would be
of high interest for readers (particularly
38 SIGNAL Journal
boys) who are interested in MMA or the
more popular and visible Ultimate Fight-
ing Championships (UFC). For students
new to the language and experience of
MMA/UFC, Jones provides a glossary of
terms and a chart outlining the various
weight classes utilized. Jones’ writing is
clear, straightforward, and easy to read.
Triangle Choke is part of a series entitled
The Dojo centered on mixed martial arts
competitions. With all four books of the
series being published at the same time,
readers could find multiple storylines
surrounding MMA.
Robert Prickett
Winthrop University; Rock Hill, SC
Double Digit
by Annabel Monaghan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 182
pp., $16.99
Cyber Security, Romance, Suspense
ISBN: 978-0-544-10577-5
Farrah, with a penchant for order and
a brilliant mind for math problems and
complex number sequences, sports an
apt nickname, Digit. Headed to MIT, ea-
ger to leave behind in LA a summer of
traumas, she’s greeted by Tiki, her tall,
spiked-red-haired roommate who tacks
up an Adam Ranks poster. Ranks, a
popular LA graphic artist, had been kid-
napped three weeks earlier. Ultimately
Digit discovers Ranks has fallen captive
to the same terrorist thugs who want her
hacking abilities. Though Digit would
like nothing more than being a “normal”
MIT undergrad, Jonas Furnis, futurist
and extremist, the CIA, and Department
of Defense have other ideas. Monaghan
creates in Digit a compelling narrator,
navigating the issues resulting from her
phenomenal “geek” skills and the nor-
mal life of first-year college students.
The novel reads quickly; the plot inter-
sperses cyber security with romance and
suspense, appealing to male and female
readers alike.
Mary Warner
San Jose State University; San Jose, CA
The Elsewhere Chronicles, Book Six: The
Tower of Shadows
by Nykko, artwork by Bannister
Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing
Group, 2013, 48 pp., $6.95
Survival, Good and Evil, Religion, My-
thology, Horror, Friendship
ISBN: 978-1-4677-1517-1
Although the quick summary of the pre-
vious five Elsewhere Chronicles books in
a foreword is not enough to explain pre-
vious events, and although the story and
characters are thinly developed and the
plot somewhat disjointed, the illustra-
tions plus dialogue are enough to create
a suspenseful story of good vs. evil with
a cliffhanger ending as Rebecca, Max,
and Theo, with Grandpa Gabe, enter the
Other World to destroy the source of the
power of the Tower of Shadows. We find
that Grandpa Gabe, thought dead, had
lost his faith when imprisoned in Aus-
chwitz because he was a member of the
Resistance. Is he a reliable guide? Will
they be able to save Rebecca from the ill-
ness she caught in the Shadow World? A
quick, suspenseful read.
Ruth L. Copp
Saginaw Valley State University;
University Center, MI
Escape from the Pipemen!
by Mary G. Thompson
Clarion Books, 2013, 342 pp., $16.99
Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-547-85905-7
In Escape from the Pipemen!, Thompson
creates an intergalactic world where hu-
mans are not the supreme life force. In
fact, Ryan and his family serve as the hu-
man exhibit in the Pipemen’s zoo. When
Ryan’s father is poisoned, Ryan and his
sister, Becky, are forced to escape the zoo
to find the antidote. While befriending
alien species and traveling through space
portals, Ryan and Becky learn that their
journey might not only save their father,
but also free all species that are oppressed
by the Pipemen. While the book is an en-
tertaining read, it is not recommended as
an addition to a classroom curriculum.
Instead, the novel is more appropriate as
a title for a summer reading list or oth-
er supplementary reading program. In
those settings, Escape from the Pipemen!
would be a popular choice, especially
amongst adolescent males and possible
reluctant readers.
Amber M. Simmons
Gwinnett County Public Schools;
Snellville, GA
The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die
by April Henry
Henry Holt and Company, 2013, 213 pp.,
$16.99
Mystery, Survival, Amnesia, Biological
Warfare, Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9541-8
What if you woke up and had no idea who
you were or where you were? What if you
realized you were close to death and had
to act to save yourself; what would you
do? How would you do it? Beaten and
tortured, Cady has no memory of who
she was or why she was tortured. Howev-
er, with the help of her friend Ty, they fol-
low an escape route that twists and turns
throughout the story, keeping readers
engaged to the very end where Cady dis-
covers who she is and why certain people
have been trying to kill her. The strong fe-
male role model should pique the interest
of adolescent girls in particular. Henry is
masterful in capturing the psychological
state of a young girl pitting herself against
great odds that she will not survive, and
she builds suspense by limiting the action
primarily to three days.
Charles R. Duke
Boone, NC
Goblins
by Philip Reeve
Scholastic Press, 2013, 340 pp., $17.99
Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-545-22220-4
Henwyn is a cheesewright’s son who
knows he was destined for more than
his small village can offer. He can feel it
in his soul. He was born to be a hero, to
rescue princesses, to slay giants. None-
theless, Henwyn’s father insists that he
make cheese, that is, until magic is awak-
ened and Henwyn finds himself smack in
the middle of it. Forced from his home,
Henwyn makes his way to Clovenstone, a
mystical land where the ancient ones lin-
ger. He encounters a goblin, Skarper, who
was catapulted from his home for being
“too clever by half.” Together the pair
embarks on an adventure that takes them
through mires and forests and into the
dark Keep itself. Fantasy fans encounter
many familiar elements of the genre here:
Unlikely companions embark on a quest.
Goblin armies rise to serve an evil lord. A
star in the sky awakens the beings of old
as magic again stirs upon the earth. Reeve
moves the story along quickly, and some
new adventure or creature or challenge is
to be found on each page. Of course, the
forces of good prevail as our heroes learn
that absolute power corrupts.
Hilve Firek
Virginia Wesleyan College; Norfolk, VA
Goodbye, Rebel Blue
by Shelley Coriell
Amulet Books (imprint of Abrams),
2013, 306 pp., $16.95
Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Death
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0930-2
While serving time in detention, Kenne-
dy Green tells Rebecca “Rebel” Blue that
they were meant to be friends, because
blue-green is the greatest color. Rebel
doesn’t see it. She’s a snarky, rule-break-
ing nonconformist, while Kennedy is the
upbeat, rule-following do-gooder. After
tragedy strikes, their lives are inextrica-
bly connected. Rebel is clearly the pro-
tagonist: we watch her succeed and fail
in school, with her relationships, and in
mourning her mother’s death. And, read-
ers are subjected to her strong existential
philosophy of life. However, Kennedy’s
philosophy that all things happen for a
reason and that “we are where we need
to be when we need to be there” nags
Rebel’s conscience and the novel’s plot.
While the plot may be thin, and a bit cli-
ché in spots, teachers and advanced stu-
dents will enjoy the philosophical debate
and the exploration of “the bucket list,”
while more reluctant readers will engage
quickly with complex, realistic characters
and a very accessible plot-line.
Jake Stratman
John Brown University;
Siloam Springs, AR
Heaven is Paved With Oreos
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s
Book Reviews
Book Group, 2013, 208 pp., $16.99
Romantic Relationships, Grandmothers,
Rome, Friendship
ISBN: 978-0-547-62538-6
Sarah and Curtis, 14, develop the “bril-
liant outflanking strategy” of letting their
peers think they’re dating so they can
protect their deep friendship based on
their love of science and inquiry. Things
get complicated as they realize that they
may, in fact, have “boy-girl-liking” feel-
ings for each other. After accompanying
her unusual grandmother on a whirlwind
trip to Rome during the summer vaca-
tion, Sarah learns a lot about her fam-
ily history, confronts family secrets, and
finds the courage to create, with Curtis,
a more romantic relationship on their
own terms. Sarah’s voice reads a bit too
young at first, but as she comments on
everything from Z’s history to other girls
in the school, develops a friendship with
Curtis’s sister, and takes charge of her life,
the voice settles, and the reader cheers
Sarah’s developing insight, delights in her
humor, and is sad to turn over the last
page.
Lois T. Stover
Marymount University; Arlington, VA
Hero
by Alethea Kontis
Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
2013, 304 pp., $16.99
Fairy Tales, Romance, Adventure
ISBN: 978-0-544-05677-0
Saturday, a fey, regrets that she doesn’t
have talents as magical as her myriad
siblings. When she angrily tosses aside
a mirror that doesn’t seem to have the
qualities her sister’s mirror has, she un-
leashes a maelstrom. Concurrently, Per-
egrine, Earl of Starburn, victim of a fairy
who stole his identity, remains impris-
oned at the Top of the World, where the
fairy’s witch mother and a dragon dwell.
Through a series of parallel perils, Sat-
urday’s and Peregrine’s lives collide. Can
they together assure the sleeping dragon
isn’t awakened, defeat the Witch holding
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 39
 them captive, and restore Peregrine to his
rightful reign in Arilland? Hero weaves
together a range of fairy tales, including
Jack in the Beanstalk and Snow White.
Fantastical characters abound, including
Book Reviews
Peregrine’s companion, Betwixt, aptly
named as it continually changes iden-
tities. Lovers of fantasy will enjoy this
well-crafted, complex tale of fate, daring
adventures, courageous actions, and ro-
mance.
Mary Warner
San Jose State University; San Jose, CA
Hitler’s Secret
by William Osborne
Scholastic, 2013, 352 pp., $17.99
Fiction, History, Action, Adventure,
Military & Wars, WWII
ISBN: 978-0-545-49646-9
Otto and Leni both escaped from the
Nazi regime and made their way to Eng-
land at the beginning of WWII. They are
recruited by the secret service to engage
in a spy mission. Though only around
fifteen years old, they are to be parachut-
ed back into Germany. They will then
kidnap a person who is so important
to the Third Reich that if they succeed,
the direction of the war may be altered.
This story reads with the same urgency
as Jack Higgins’ highly successful adult
novel and movie, The Eagle Has Landed.
This will not surprise readers when they
learn that although this is the author’s
first novel, he has been a successful Hol-
lywood screen writer, working on movies
like The Mummy and Golden Eye. Once I
started to read this book, I couldn’t put it
down. I highly recommend this book to
readers age 12 and up.
Herb Thompson
Emory & Henry College; Emory, VA
Hollywood, Dead Ahead
by Kate Klise & M. Sarah Klise
Harcourt Children’s Books, 2013, 144
pp., $15.99
Mystery, Ghost Tales, Comedy, Multi-
modal Genre
ISBN: 978-0-547-85283-6
Olive, Seymour, and Grumply share their
40 SIGNAL Journal
ghostly tales with readers in this fifth in-
stallment of 43 Old Cemetery Road. In
this story, the unlikely trio travels to Hol-
lywood for a Buster Boy Entertainment
production of their first movie based on
their well-loved ghost stories. A few “du-
plicitous shenanigans” by Willie Shadow
and some misguided makeovers by Luke
Ahtmee place Seymour and Grumply
in peril with their fans. Most impor-
tantly, an unscrupulous contract with
a very grim clause leads Olive to gather
the group together, along with their new
friend Ivana Oscar, to develop a plan to
solve an almost murder mystery. In the
end, the “majority rules” and the trio of
authors is able to return to Ghastly to
continue supplying their fans with their
spirited stories. This humorous, multi-
modal text does not disappoint readers.
Klise and Klise mold this story around
letters written among the three main
characters, contract signature pages, bal-
lots, newspaper articles, airline tickets,
mug shot pages, and much more. This
comical tale will keep young adolescents
wanting more from the mysterious 43
Old Cemetery Road.
Kim Pinkerton
University of Houston-Downtown;
Houston, TX
Independent Study
by Joelle Charbonneau
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children,
2014, 320 pp., $17.99
Science Fiction, Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-547-95920-7
This second book in a trilogy is about
Cia and the dystopian world around her.
The United States has been virtually de-
stroyed and a new order is emerging.
The premise is that the old world with its
power and greed did not work, but the
new world is turning out to not be much
better. Cia is chosen to attend the Uni-
versity; although her memory has been
erased, she has managed to keep rem-
nants of the Testing and its horrors. As
she is selected to be a participant in Gov-
ernment Studies, she finds that intrigue
abounds. What seems evident on the sur-
face is, in fact, not always to be depended
upon. Cia seeks a world of cooperation
and trust. She will have to find a way to
create it. A deftly woven tale with many
exciting adventures and twists, this book
will invite readers into a new world.
Joy Frerichs
Chatsworth, GA
Inhuman
by Kat Falls
Scholastic, 2013, 384 pp., $17.99
Science fiction, Survival fiction
ISBN: 978-0-545-37099-8
Lane lives on the west side of a quaran-
tine line established after a virus kills half
of America’s population. One night she is
arrested by the line guard hired to keep
those in the west safe. Lane learns that
the person the Biohaz Squad really wants
is her father and they intend to use her to
find him. In the Feral Zone Lane comes
face to face with the reality of the world
she is living in and the secrets that her fa-
ther has kept from her. She must do what
she can to save him and survive. Two
young men appear to offer assistance, but
can Lane trust them? Readers who enjoy
action, a hint of romance, and a threaten-
ing future will love this captivating story
with its likable characters. The issues the
novel addresses reflect our current world
and provide lots of fuel for discussion.
Barb Dean
Prince George, BC
I See the Promised Land: A Life of Martin
Luther King Jr.
by Arthur Flowers
Illus. Manu Chitrakar
Designed by Guglielmo Rossi
Groundwood Books/House of Anansi
Press, 2013, 156 pp., $16.95
Civil Rights, Social Justice, Biography,
Graphic Novel
ISBN: 978-1-55498-328-5
Filled with expressive and vibrant Patua
scroll paintings and providing a unique
perspective on the civil rights struggle,
this graphic novel reveals the movement’s
complexity as well as the inner struggles
with which civil rights leader Martin
Luther King contended. Although some
readers may be disconcerted by the lack
of correct grammar in some of the lines,
it works well here since it mimics oral
storytelling.
Essentially a graphic history of the civil
rights movement woven together with
King’s life story from a global perspec-
tive, the book prompts consideration of
the role fate plays in our lives. Certain to
be provocative since it describes some of
King’s failings and his increasing concern
that the movement and his part in it had
become irrelevant, this book will spark
conversations about social justice. Read-
ers who lack historical context may need
some support in understanding some of
the narrative’s pertinent symbols and ref-
erence points.
Barbara A. Ward
Washington State University;
Pullman, WA
Leaping at Shadows
by Megan Atwood
Darby Creek, 2013, 100 pp., $7.95
Mystery, Evil Spirits, Friendships, Fine
Arts
ISBN: 978-1-4677-1483-9
Madeleine earns a scholarship to The
Dario Quincy Academy of Dance, a most
prestigious ballet school. Her first hours
at school though are ominous: an eerie
gloom pervades the ancient, massive
building; Ophelia, the best dancer, makes
snide remarks when Madame Puant
recognizes Madeleine’s perfect jeté; and
Madeleine’s heirloom necklace disap-
pears. When Madeleine aids Ophelia,
who sneaks into the building after curfew,
Madeleine learns she isn’t alone in hav-
ing a personal valuable missing. She and
others launch a midnight search leading
to startling revelations about the strange
curse on the school. Leaping at Shadows
follows the key aspects of mystery novels,
leaving unanswered questions for subse-
quent books. A single reference suggests
Madeleine is in high school, but the novel
doesn’t reveal the girls’ ages. For its de-
piction of the ballet school world and of
friendship amid competition, the novel
will appeal especially to middle school
female readers.
Mary Warner
San Jose State University; San Jose, CA
Lenny Cyrus, School Virus
by Joe Schreiber with illustrations by
Matt Smith
Houghton Mifflin, 2013, 288 pp., $15.99
Science, Middle School Relationships,
Comedic Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-547-89315-0
How will he get his long time crush, Zoo-
ey, to like him? This is the question that
inspires and guides Lenny Cyrus, middle
school scientist. The son of two Nobel-
prize winning parents and a genius him-
self, Lenny decides he will shrink himself
to microscopic size, travel through Zoo-
ey’s brain (focused on directing and pro-
ducing her own stage play), and change
her mind from inside. And then there is
Harlan: Lenny’s best friend and the one
who will make sure everyone is OK once
Lenny turns himself into a virus-size 8th
grader. Lenny learns more about Zooey,
what is making her act erratically, but
does he do it in time to save her life?
More importantly, does he get the girl?
This quick-paced read, told from three
perspectives that alternate chapters, will
appeal to a young adolescent audience
and will keep the reader entertained
through Lenny’s crazy, scientific adven-
tures.
Colleen T. Sheehy
University of Indianapolis;
Indianapolis, IN
Marco Impossible
by Hannah Moskowitz
Roaring Book Press, 2013, 247 pp., $16.99
Friendship, Family, Gays, Jews, Bullying,
Rites of Passage, Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-59643-721-0
Stephen Katz and Marco Kimura, best
friends and fellow “detectives” since first
grade, and at loose ends on the last day
of eighth grade, try to determine how
they will declare their love (for Benji, ex-
change student from England, in Marco’s
case; and for the beautiful Sasha, in Ste-
phen’s case), as well as solve local hate
crimes against gays and Jews. Stephen’s
large family (three sisters, two brothers)
and their relationships figure prominent-
ly in the novel’s events. All is mystery in-
cluding how Benji will react to Marco’s
planned public declaration of love, and
sometimes the detectives find out more
than they want to know. Will Marco go
through with his planned declaration
Book Reviews
despite the risks and some disturbing
threats? An engaging portrayal of the rite
of passage to high school as seen through
the lens of a friendship, alternately comic
and serious. Engaging events and dia-
logue. Compelling read.
Ruth L. Copp
Saginaw Valley State University;
University Center, MI
Mistwalker
by Saundra Mitchell
Harcourt, 2014, 308 pp., $16.99
Grief, Romance, Ghost Story
ISBN: 978-0-547-85315-4
Among the superstitions Willa Dixon’s
family believed was that the Grey Man
protected Jackson’s Rock, the island off
the Maine coast near their Broken Tooth
fishing community. No one went there.
When her family is torn apart after her
brother’s murder and her relationships
with her boyfriend and best friend be-
gin to fray, Willa finds herself strangely
drawn to the misty spirit, a young man
trapped in the lighthouse, who may be
able to help her and her family. Told in
alternating chapters by Willa and Grey,
Mistwalker is a compelling romance with
a strong sense of place. The lives of stu-
dents in this small-town New England
fishing community revolve around the
weather, fog, and the typical interactions
of a small town high school. Mitchell’s
grasp of both character interactions and
descriptive passages make this a gripping
read.
Barbara G. Samuels
Houston, TX
My Basmati Bat Mitzvah
by Paula Freedman
Abrams, 2013, 236 pp., $16.95
Coming of Age, Peer Relationships,
Spirituality
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0806-0
Tara Feinstein has a dilemma. She is at-
tending Hebrew School to prepare for her
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 41
 bat mitzvah, but wonders if she really be-
lieves in God and if the ceremony will in
some way deny her Indian heritage. Add
to this Tara’s normal adolescent concerns
and conflicts. She wants to make deci-
Book Reviews
sions for herself but isn’t sure how she
feels or what she truly wants. Tara can’t
figure out childhood friend Ben-o who
is suddenly acting funny, dressing up
for their weekly movie night, or what to
do when she has to share her best friend
Rebecca. But above all, Tara just wants
to find herself, by bringing together her
two sides, her Jewish and Indian heri-
tage. Freedman has crafted a coming-
of-age story reminiscent of July Blume,
which faithfully relays the growing pains
of a pre-teen girl. Adolescent readers will
connect with Tara and root for her as she
discovers insights about who she is and
how all the parts of her life fit together.
Jeanne M. McGlinn
University of North Carolina at Asheville;
Asheville, NC
My Life as a Cartoonist
by Janet Tashjian & Jake Tashjian
Henry Holt/Christy Ottaviano Books,
2013, 259 pp., $13.99
Comedy, Friendships, Bullying
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9609-5
For much of this book, Derek, the fun-
loving main character, struggles to make
sense of why the new kid, Umberto, is
torturing him daily at school. All Derek
wanted was for Umberto to be the per-
fect companion for Frank, the foster
capuchin monkey. When Derek is chal-
lenged to a fight, he begins to contem-
plate the possibility of fighting Umberto,
a bully in a wheelchair. A collaborative
cartoon project and an unexpected trag-
edy force the boys to face each other and
the personality flaws that have cultivated
their dysfunctional relationship. Young
adolescents who have been with Derek
through the previous books in the My
Life As … series will love how much he
has grown. No longer is Derek consumed
with troublemaking and an inability to
face problems. Derek now thoughtfully
grapples with making things right with
Umberto, a newfound responsibility as
the leader of a cartoon club, and the news
that one of his best friends, Carly, has a
42 SIGNAL Journal
boyfriend. Despite the serious themes,
the book is still grounded in Derek’s lov-
able qualities and his interactive vocabu-
lary cartoons. It is sure to be a favorite,
especially for students who struggle to
love reading.
Kim Pinkerton
University of Houston-Downtown;
Houston, TX
The Lost Kingdom
by Matthew J. Kirby
Scholastic Press, 2013, 352 pp., $17.99
Fantasy and Magic, Action and Adven-
ture, Historical, Colonial United States,
Revolution
ISBN: 978-0-545-53956-2
Billy idolizes his botanist father, mem-
ber of a learned secret society discreetly
protecting colonial America. He is over-
joyed to join an expedition seeking a
Welsh lost kingdom when their support
is necessary to halt the looming war with
France. Traveling in a unique airship, the
expedition quickly becomes dangerous
from ferocious bear-wolf attacks, loom-
ing French soldiers, a traitor among the
group, and tremendous shocks concern-
ing the kingdom once found. Younger
readers will enjoy this thrilling, action-
packed story, full of twists, turns, sur-
prises, and Billy’s budding romance with
Jane, a member’s dynamic stowaway
daughter. Readers follow the group’s
adventures through Billy’s narration,
which also shows his growth from naïve,
excitement-seeking boy to thoughtful in-
dividual, contributing productively and
creatively to the expedition. Moreover,
Billy discovers he can oppose his father
yet retain their relationship, a profound
realization. Stunning actions and resolu-
tions pack the final scenes, with perhaps
a sequel forthcoming.
Lisa A. Hazlett
University of South Dakota;
Vermillion, SD
Monument 14: Sky on Fire
by Emmy Laybourne
Feiwel and Friends, 2013, 215 pp., $17.99
Survival, Dystopia
ISBN: 978-0-312-56904-4
Book Two in the Monument 14 series
begins where the first ended. One group
of a band of kids hiding in a Greenway
superstore outside Monument, Colorado,
after a NORAD disaster has fled in an
abandoned school bus. Catastrophe and
chaos, plus imminent death, await those
left. Alex Grieder is 13 and is writing a let-
ter to his brother back at the store as he
and other escapees head for safety at Den-
ver International Airport. High schoolers
Nico, Brayden, and Josie travel with Sa-
halia, also 13, and three children. Their
journey through the bleak and devastated
landscape is surreal and ominous. Dean,
Alex’s 16-year-old brother, alternates the
storytelling as he chronicles what is hap-
pening back at Greenway. Astrid, a senior
and Dean’s crush, is carrying Jake’s baby;
Jake has deserted them along with three
children as they await rescue. Alex and
Dean bring humanity and compassion to
this grim dystopian tale.
Judith A. Hayn
University of Arkansas at Little Rock;
Little Rock, AR
The Nazi Hunters
by Neal Bascomb
AAL/Scholastic, 2013, 256 pp., $16.99
Nonfiction, WWII, Social Justice, War
Crimes
ISBN: 978-0-545-56239-3
The hunt to bring to justice Adolf Eich-
man, one of the men responsible for the
execution of millions of Jews, is the fo-
cus of this narrative nonfiction selection.
Well-researched, the details of the plan
to capture Eichman and turn him over
for trial reads more like a thriller than
typical nonfiction. Suspense, detailed
character development, and steady pac-
ing add to the sense of adventure as spies
place themselves at risk to complete their
mission. This book would make a great
pairing with The Diary of Anne Frank or
Night or other books about the Holocaust.
Teachers might consider tying The Sur-
render Tree in for a look at holocaust in
another culture (Cuba).
Teri S. Lesesne
Sam Houston State University;
Huntsville, TX

Out of the Cold: A Robyn Hunter Mys-
tery
by Norah McClintock
Darby Creek, 2007, 223 pp., $8.95
ISBN: 978-0-7613-9396-2
High school student Robyn Hunter is be-
coming more civic-minded and decides
to help out at a homeless shelter. When
one of the homeless men dies, allegedly
from cheap wine and exposure to the
cold, Robyn is wrongfully accused by
one of the shelter volunteers of contrib-
uting to the man’s death. To make mat-
ters worse, the volunteer demands that
Robyn find out who the man was, so that
he won’t be just another homeless man
buried in an unmarked grave. Upset by
her co-worker’s accusation and shocked
at his challenge, Robyn is reluctant to
get more involved. Eventually, Robyn
decides to investigate the man’s life. She
soon finds out more than she ever imag-
ined, both about the mysterious home-
less man and her own heart. Fast-paced
and highly-intriguing, Out of the Cold, a
Robyn Hunter mystery, is guaranteed to
engage reluctant middle and high school
readers.
Melinda Butler
Sam Houston State University;
Huntsville, TX
Parched
by Melanie Crowder
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 154
pp., $15.95
Realistic Fiction, Drought, Survival
ISBN: 978-0-547976518
The desolate land of all-consuming
drought has little to offer in sustenance or
protection. Young Sarel, the only survi-
vor of her family’s massacre, struggles to
keep herself alive with her knowledge of
plants and healing while caring for Nandi
and her pups. Musa, fleeing from vicious
Sivo, who kept him captive for his water
witching abilities, is near death when
found by Sarel and Nandi. Despite fear
and distrust, the young girl, emaciated
boy, and wise dog work together as they
face danger in the barren land of death
and desolation. Told from the alternat-
ing perspectives of Nandi, Musa, and
Sarel, Crowder’s sparse text provides just
enough detail in each short chapter to
keep the reader wanting more. Revealing
each character through the other’s eyes
provides a rich depth to the tale. Parched
is a starkly emotional story surprisingly
full of hope and promise. Adolescent
readers will be fascinated.
Susan M. Landt
St. Norbert College; De Pere, WI
Pull Down the Night
by Nathan Kotecki
Houghton Mifflin, 2013, 352 pp., $17.99
Mystery, Supernatural, Growth to
Awareness
ISBN: 978-0-547-73114-8
Kotecki returns readers once again to
Suburban High School in this sequel to
The Suburban Strange. Life is still trou-
bling for the students, especially when a
curly-haired girl ghost disrupts their lives
with “kiss notes.” Some members of the
Rosary, a student clique, are still around;
others have gone to college. Readers meet
Bruno, the new kid on the block, his
brother, Sylvio, and his minister father.
Bruno becomes enthralled with Celia, a
returning character who helps him navi-
gate the world of the Rosary when she
isn’t distracting him in his battle between
good and evil. Bruno discovers that he
has supernatural map reading skills that
help set the tone for this dark, romantic
mystery. Readers continue to explore
themes of unrequited love, growing up,
and fitting in while they are also intro-
duced to religious and spiritual motifs.
Kotecki has created a growth to aware-
ness novel that is well-paced and effective
in taking the readers into the world of
Suburban High.
Jeanne Gerlach
University of Texas at Arlington;
Arlington, TX
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
by Lucy Knisley
First Second, 2013, 173 pp., $17.99
Graphic Novel, Memoir, Food
ISBN: 978-1-59643-623-7
This is the book I needed ten years ago
for my burgeoning foodies, chefs, and in-
ternational travelers. Lucy Knisely invites
readers into her life one meal at a time:
starting as a young child in Manhattan, to
Book Reviews
adolescence in rural upstate New York, to
college and beyond in Chicago. And, toss
in a few trips abroad: Japan, Italy, and
Mexico. The text is episodic: each chap-
ter explores a different event in Knisley’s
life as it intersects with food and cooking.
For bonus, each chapter ends with an il-
lustrated recipe. Knisely’s tone is engag-
ing and welcoming. This is not the elitist,
esoteric narrative that you might expect
(I especially enjoyed her balanced opin-
ions—and humor—regarding junk food
and fast food). Reluctant readers and
graphic novel newbies may get confused
with the narrative structure and, some-
times, busyness of each page. However, it
is the author’s genuine voice and realistic,
colorful illustrations that will win over
readers. Highly recommended.
Jake Stratman
John Brown University;
Siloam Springs, AR
Rogue
by Gina Damico
HMH Children’s, 2013, 336 pp., $8.99
Gothic Comedy, Friendship, Action,
Adventure
ISBN: 978-0-544-10884-4
For readers who were “culled” by Croak
and Scorch, they will not want to miss
Lex’s most daring capers in Rogue. The
final book in this comically dark series
is packed with morbid action as Lex and
the rest of the Junior reapers from Croak
travel to Necropolis to thwart Norwood’s
evil plan to have them cast in the Hole
and steal Grotton’s Wrong Book. Most
importantly, they must stop the destruc-
tion of the Afterlife, no matter the cost.
While Damning seems to be the grim-
mest of all fates for souls, Lex learns
that the ability to Annihilate, which will
destroy the whole Grimsphere, might
be the only way to save her half-ghost/
half-human boyfriend Griggs, her dead
sister Cordy, and all of the other souls in
the Afterlife. This series about delinquent
teens turned grim reapers will appeal to
teen readers with a quirky sense of hu-
mor who are looking for an offbeat ac-
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 43
 tion/adventure series. Readers will love
the surprise twist in this book when they
find out just how rogue Lex can be.
Kim Pinkerton
University of Houston-Downtown;
Book Reviews
Houston, TX
Seeing Red
by Kathryn Erskine
Scholastic, 2013, 346 pp., $17.99
Civil Rights, Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-545-46440-6
Life couldn’t get any harder, thinks sixth-
grader Red, until Mama decides to move
the grieving family away from their Vir-
ginia home, shop, and Daddy’s grave.
Throughout Seeing Red losses multiply,
namely the loss of Red’s innocence in this
moving coming-of-age story by Newbery
winner Kathryn Erskine. A winning cast
of characters includes Red’s whiny little
brother, the family’s sweet but “slow” em-
ployee, a witty elderly neighbor, a “big
city” lawyer, Red’s progressive teacher
who encourages students to think on
their own (an unpopular concept in this
small town in the 1970s), his mama who
finds strength to battle her grief, and Red
himself, a boy full of anger and disap-
pointment with everything from his fam-
ily to the world’s injustices. A plot crafted
with gut-wrenching scenes and tender
moments, Erskine moves and inspires
readers to, in the words of the epigraph,
“discover the past, understand the pres-
ent, change the future.”
Angie Beumer Johnson
Wright State University; Dayton, OH
The Shade of the Moon
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s
Book Group, 2013, 304 pp., $17.99
Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Survival,
Social Conflict, Soccer
ISBN: 978-0-547-81337-0
Susan Beth Pfeffer’s influential Life As
We Knew It series began with billions
of people dying after the moon’s orbit
moved closer to the Earth. In The Shade
of the Moon, set four years later, society is
divided into “grubs,” the exploited work-
ers, and “clavers,” who fulfill elite yet pre-
44 SIGNAL Journal
scribed roles. Complicated protagonist
Jon Evans, age seventeen, fits in neither
side because he is a “slip” who used a pass
to join the privileged enclave of Sexton.
A soccer star, Jon feels survivor’s guilt
and confusion about right and wrong.
Jon must learn to forgive himself and
his sister Miranda for difficult decisions
made during crisis. After witnessing a
riot and finding his mother lynched, Jon
struggles with whether he can leave Sex-
ton—and how he can be with the girl he
loves. With twists to the end, The Shade
of the Moon offers fast-paced adventure
and serious ethical questions. A must-
read for anyone following this series, it
can also stand alone. Recommend Pfef-
fer’s book to teens intrigued by the social
hierarchies and injustices in series such
as Aguirre’s Enclave, Laybourne’s Monu-
ment 14, Roth’s Divergent, and Collins’s
Hunger Games.
Amy Cummins
University of Texas-Pan American;
Edinburg, TX
Side Control
by Patrick Jones
Darby Creek, 2013, 124 pp., $7.95
Mixed Martial Arts, Overcoming Adver-
sity, Doing the Right Thing
ISBN: 978-1-4677-1488-4
Jackson James is still trying to stay on
the straight and narrow path after brief-
ly getting off track. Somehow, he al-
lowed Hakeem, an influential neighbor,
to lead him in the wrong direction. But
he’s learned from his mistakes, and now
he uses the discipline he’s learning at
the dojo to strengthen himself mentally
and physically through mixed martial
arts. But he has several issues that kept
distracting him: his younger brother’s
involvement with illegal activities, his
school work, his growing attraction to
a girl at the dojo, and his own volatile
temper. While he tries to make the right
choices, both during his cage matches
and in daily life, Jackson also wants to
live up to the expectations his own father
had for him before he died. Teen readers
will be drawn to Jackson’s story and the
very real dilemmas he faces. The author
doesn’t sugarcoat his struggles or his fal-
libility.
Barbara A. Ward
Washington State University;
Pullman, WA
Serafina’s Promise
by Ann E. Burg
Scholastic Press, 2013, 304 pp., $16.99
Family, Caribbean and Latin America,
Social Issues
ISBN: 978-0-545-53564-9
Serafina lives in rural Haiti, experienc-
ing abject poverty in everything but love.
While her days are filled with never-
ending chores, she dreams of attending
school and becoming a doctor. Unfortu-
nately, one obstacle appears after another,
as parental permission depends upon
earning school costs along with house-
hold tasks, but this formidable effort
hardly compares to an upcoming flood
and later earthquake. This fast-paced, ex-
citing story is written in blank verse and
narrated by Serafina, with her story com-
pelling to younger females. Although
contemporary readers’ lifestyles are far
removed from Serafina’s, her goals, in-
domitable spirit, and cherishing family
first resonate and are likely shared. Her
family’s situation and worries, includ-
ing Serafina’s, provide needed balance
for viewing her invincible character as
multi-faceted. The novel strongly resem-
bles Patricia McCormick’s Sold (2006),
without the human trafficking but with
Serafina’s friend also experiencing unex-
pected hardships. Educators could pair
these or retain this for younger students.
Lisa A. Hazlett
University of South Dakota;
Vermillion, SD
A Spark Unseen
by Sharon Cameron
Scholastic Press, 2013, 352 pp., $17.99
Love and Romance, Historical, Mystery,
Suspense, Europe
ISBN: 978-0-545-32813-5
Katharine continues concealing her child-
like, yet brilliant, Uncle Tully in this se-
quel to The Dark Unwinding (2012) after
his mechanical fish (torpedo prototype),
becomes desired by France and England,
both battling for naval supremacy in
1854. After narrowly escaping murder-
ous intruders, Katherine, her maid, and
solicitor smuggle Tully from England to
hide in their Paris home. Katharine is im-
mediately surrounded by danger, as she
is seeking Lane, her missing beau, while
those wanting Tully’s invention need her
to attain it. She soon discovers no one is
as they seem and trusting anyone could
be deadly. Younger females will love this
compelling novel, filled with surprising
twists and turns. Following Katherine
through Paris’s frightening underground
or attending Napoléon’s glittering ball,
alternately seeking and being sought, her
intimate narration allows readers to share
her experiences and emotions. Delight-
fully, a final jaw-dropping connection
between Lane and French royalty appear
before the satisfying ending.
Lisa A. Hazlett
University of South Dakota;
Vermillion, SD
Stained
by Cheryl Rainfield
Harcourt, 2013, 296 pp., $16.99
Identity, Bullying, Abuse, Trauma, Ab-
duction, Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-547-94208-7
Born with a port wine stain covering half
of her face, Sarah is not OK with herself
even though she has parents who love
her, a best friend, and a secret admirer in
a pudgy boy named Nick. Sarah longs to
be beautiful like all of the pretty girls in
fashion magazines and believes then she
would be happy. Both Sarah and Nick
find out about inner strength and beauty
on multiple levels after Sarah is abducted,
imprisoned, starved, and traumatized.
Though she is a victim of mind control
and threats to herself and family, Sarah
learns that outward appearances are de-
ceiving in this fast-paced thriller that will
leave readers hanging onto the edge of
their seats. The author’s note captured my
interest from the start: “Every two min-
utes someone in the United States is sexu-
ally assaulted … I hope Stained will be a
kind of good-news story, where readers
can see that survivors can fight back and
rescue themselves.”
Joan F. Kaywell
University of South Florida; Tampa, FL
Stolen Luck
by Megan Atwood
Darbycreek, 2013, 100 pp., $7.95
Friendship, Magic
ISBN: 978-1-4677-0931-6
Kayley attends the prestigious Dario
Quincy Academy of Dance. She is study-
ing ballet. After several half-hearted re-
hearsals, Kayley loses her role in the new
show. Remembering the ballet slippers
on display and the legend behind them,
Kayley steals the shoes. The legend is that
good luck will befall anyone who possess-
es the shoes. Kayley’s dancing improves
but at a great cost to her friends. Before
anything else bad can happen, Kayley re-
turns the slippers. This book deals with
friendship, self-awareness, and a touch of
magic.
Joy Frerichs
Chatsworth, GA
Stuck in the Middle (of Middle School): A
Novel in Doodles
by Karen Romano Young
Feiwel and Friends, 2013, 112 pp., $12.99
Relationships, ADD, School
ISBN: 978-0-312-55596-2
Like many middle school students, Doo-
dlebug (really Doreen) documents her
middle school challenges by constantly
doodling. Whether it’s the problem of
moving to a new school and finding
friends, getting along with a teacher who
tries to force her to focus, or putting to-
gether a singing group for the talent show,
Doddlebug draws, writes, and comments
on her life in her journal. While it’s some-
times hard to follow the order of the doo-
dles on the page, a sign of Doreen’s ADD,
middle school students will identify with
this engaging character and the problems
of finding her place in a family with the
tensions of a new city and new jobs.
Barbara G. Samuels
Houston, TX
Swagger
by Carl Deuker
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 297
Book Reviews
pp., $17.99
Realistic Fiction, Sports, Ethics, Christi-
anity, Adult Role Models, Trust
ISBN: 978-0-547-974590
Some teens proclaim their swagger with
in-your-face T-shirts. Jonas chooses to
distinguish himself on the basketball
court. After a breakout game in which Jo-
nas’s skills begin to gel, his coach encour-
ages him to apply to Division II colleges.
This is a paradigm shift for Jonas, who
had not even considered attending col-
lege. Only one school shows interest, but
also demands improved grades and more
challenging course work. Jonas has begun
to improve his school work when his dad
loses his job and the family must move
to Seattle. On his arrival in Tangletown,
Jonas meets his neighbor Levi, who dotes
on his little sisters. Levi already plays for
Harding High, but Jonas has to convince
an aging and conservative coach that he
should make the team. Conflict arises
when a young, impatient assistant coach
encourages flashy plays on the court and
worms his way into the lives of the play-
ers. In between detailed descriptions of
basketball strategy, the reader suspects
that something is going to go terribly
wrong. When the crisis comes, it is far
less developed than the tale of the basket-
ball season. One wonders if Levi’s father,
who is depicted as an unbending, non-
denominational minister, had projected
more of the compassion of Christianity,
things would have gone differently. Also,
when Jonas faces his own demons, there
is barely any mention of repercussions af-
fecting his teammates. These omissions
could provide fertile ground for discus-
sion and lead readers to the helpful web-
sites listed at the end of the book.
Linda Rider
Hermitage House Youth Services, Inc.;
Cambridge Springs, PA
The Testing
by Joelle Charbonneau
Houghton Mifflin, 2013, 325 pp., $17.99
Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic,
Dystopia
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 45
 ISBN: 978-0547959108
It’s been ten years since the last student
in the Five Lakes Colony has been cho-
sen for The Testing, but Cia Vale has high
Book Reviews
hopes for this year. She desperately wants
a chance to go to University and The
Testing is the only way for that to happen.
Without a university education, a gradu-
ate has to settle for a job within their own
colony. Cia wants more than the agricul-
tural community of Five Lakes, but when
her graduation ceremony comes and goes
without any students selected, she begins
to fear she’ll be working on tractors for
the rest of her life. Cia’s life changes for-
ever the next day when she is called to the
magistrate’s office and told she and three
other students from her class have been
chosen for The Testing. Charbonneau
has created an enthralling world where
passing the test really is the difference
between life and death. Cia’s first-person
point-of-view drags the reader into this
post-apocalyptic world. This story is
perfect for the adolescent who can’t get
enough of The Hunger Games or Diver-
gent. Readers will scramble for the next
two books in the trilogy, Independent
Study (2013) and Graduation Day (2014).
Karin Perry
Sam Houston State University;
Huntsville, TX
Tides
by Betsy Cornwell
Clarion Books, 2013, 294 pp., $ 16.99
Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-547-92772-5
When Noah and his sister, Lo, go to live
with their grandmother on the Isles of
Shoals for the summer, they thought they
were in for an uneventful holiday. How-
ever, when they meet a selkie, a being
that can transform from a seal to a hu-
man, everything changes. When a human
starts kidnapping members of Mara’s pod
for scientific research, Noah and Lo must
help to save the selkies. There are many
elements to this novel that make it appli-
cable to the adolescent classroom. For ex-
ample, the weaving of Irish and Scottish
folklore with the modern world would
make the novel an appropriate supple-
46 SIGNAL Journal
mentary addition to a thematic curricu-
lum unit on mythology. Cornwell also
delicately addresses critical issues such
as gender identity, body image, and eat-
ing disorders, creating opportunities for
meaningful classroom discussion. Over-
all, Tides explores many issues that are
relevant to the lives of adolescent readers,
and Cornwell’s lyrical storytelling and in-
corporation of folklore validates its place
in an academic setting.
Amber M. Simmons
Gwinnett County Public Schools;
Snellville, GA
Under the Light
by Laura Whitcomb
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children,
2013, 237 pp., $17.99
Ghosts, Spirit Possession, Love Relation-
ships
ISBN: 978-0-547-36754-5
Jenny, for the first fifteen years of her
life, practices leaving her body to escape
the strictures of her fanatical father and
tyrannized mother. She travels to places
where she can be truly herself without
being afraid. Then one day Jenny feels
“called” to a place where she meets a boy
who is also temporarily outside of his
body. How are these two spirits connect-
ed? Where do they go and what do they
do? Why does another spirit take over
Jenny’s body for its own? What is that
spirit seeking? And will Jenny and the
boy connect when they come back to the
world? Whitcomb poses these provoca-
tive questions about the capacity of the
human spirit and how much the worlds
of the living and dead can interact. Her
novel will definitely attract teens with its
paranormal situations and its touching
love story about two troubled teens find-
ing each other.
Jeanne M. McGlinn
University of North Carolina at Asheville;
Asheville, NC
The Vine Basket
by Josanne La Valley
Clarion Books, 2013, 249 pp., $16.99
Multicultural, Family, Survival, Coming
of Age
ISBN: 978-0-547-84801-3
Teenage Mehrigul sees no future for her-
self. Yet, she fights for her culture and the
survival of her family anyway. Immedi-
ately readers are enchanted by Mehrigul’s
kindness and fierce spirit, and then by
the rare glimpse of a culture not often ex-
plored by Western readers: the Uyghur of
East Turkestan, a culture being overtaken
by the Han Chinese. For the sake of her
little sister, her beloved grandfather, and
the hope that she will be able to uphold
what is left of her diminishing heritage,
Mehrigul abandons her education when
her brother is forced to run for dissenting
and her mother is cowed by the weight
of poverty and depression. Despite her
bleak reality, Mehrigul finds beauty and
possibility in basket weaving, perhaps the
one opportunity to save her culture, her
family, and herself from ruin—that is, if
she is not hindered by her father and the
Han Chinese.
Melissa Page
St. Pius X Catholic High School;
Atlanta, GA
The Watcher in the Shadows (Inquisi-
tor’s Apprentice)
by Chris Moriarty
Harcourt Children’s Books, 2013, 326
pp., $16.99
Magic, Detectives, Early Twentieth Cen-
tury New York
ISBN: 978-0-547-46632-3
Take the glamour and grit of early 20th
century New York, add to it magic, and
set it in a crime novel. That’s what you
get in Chris Moriarty’s The Watcher in
the Shadows. The premise of the book
sounds amazing. Not only are you deal-
ing with mob bosses of the garment in-
dustry, there is surface magic that is used
to make the garments and deeper magic
that is used by the mob bosses to keep
everyone in line. The actual story, how-
ever, is much more difficult to follow. It is
far removed from most readers by time,
place, and culture. While readers may not
be able to identify with the time, place,
or culture, they will certainly be able to
identify with Sacha and his battle to de-
termine the right path for himself. This
book is the second in The Inquisitor’s Ap-
prentice series. It leaves plenty of mystery
at the end to keep readers anxious for the
next installment.
David Grossman
TK Stone Middle School;
Elizabethtown, KY
Whatever After #2: If the Shoe Fits
by Sarah Mylnowski
Scholastic, 2013, 166 pp. $14.99
Fantasy/Humor
ISBN: 978-0-545-41567-5 by Keith McGowan
Abby and her little brother, Jonah, dis-
cover a magic mirror in their basement
that transports them to fairy tales. When
modern kids interact with ancient fairy
tales, however, the stories can change.
Abby and Jonah become embroiled in the
tale of Cinderella; in this version, Cinder-
ella has to prove to the fairy godmother
that she is an independent female, one of
the evil stepsisters turns out to be quite
sympathetic, and the land of Cinder-
ella discovers the wonders of delicious
brownies. A cute, light, and quick read
for the younger set.
Gretchen Schwarz
Baylor University; Waco, TX
When We Wuz Famous
by Greg Takoudes
Christy Ottaviano Books (Henry Holt
and Company), 2013, 305 pp., $16.99
Boarding School, Basketball, Spanish
Harlem, Gangs, Drugs, Relationships,
Outsiders
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9452-7
Senior Francisco, a brilliant student and
basketball player, is plucked out of Span-
ish Harlem and into the mostly white
world of an elite boarding school. Con-
fronted with stereotypic assumptions
about his background, Francisco doesn’t
fit in at school—but he doesn’t fit at home
anymore, either. Overwhelmed, he makes
a series of bad decisions and, in the end,
loses his best friend, and what he thinks
is his only chance for a better life. But his
girlfriend Reignbow ultimately helps him
see he does have options, and the novel
ends on a note of hope that both lead
characters will find a way forward. Us-
ing the straight-talking style of a movie
script, and a murder mystery to drive
the plot, Takoudes attends to important
themes of friendship, loyalty, and iden-
tity, while also making Spanish Harlem
come alive in this gritty first novel based
on his movie Up with Me.
Lois T. Stover
Marymount University; Arlington, VA
The Witch’s Curse
Yoko Tanaka (Illus)
Harry Holt and Company, 2013, 293 pp.,
$16.99
Brothers and sisters, Witches
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9324-7
Darkly humorous and delightfully funny,
The Witch’s Curse follows the siblings Sol
and Connie as they escape from Grand
Creek and the witch Holaderry. Their
tribulations are, however, just beginning
as they enter the forest territory of Mo-
nique, a witch who, after turning children
into animals, sends her hunter David af-
ter them. The plot’s twists and turns have
Sol and Connie wondering who is friend
and who is foe as they face one danger af-
ter another: do they trust the camper lady
or the mysterious thrush? The siblings’
concern for one another along with typi-
cal sibling competition adds comedy and
distress in equal portions. McGowan’s
descriptive detail provides readers with
vivid images of each scene. The excep-
tionally well-suited illustrations graphi-
cally portray characters and scenes to
the reader’s delight. Fast paced and full
of intrigue, The Witch’s Curse will delight
young readers looking for a sinister yet
funny adventure.
Susan M. Landt
St. Norbert College; De Pere, WI
The Wolf Princess
by Cathryn Constable
Chicken House, 2013, 309 pp., $16.99
Fairytale, Fantasy, Russia, Wolves,
Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-545-52839-9
Sophie, a poor orphan girl, dreams of
castles, snow, and Russian princesses. A
strange Russian woman visits her school
and invites students, including Sophie,
to visit St. Petersburg. En route Sophie
and two friends take the wrong train and
Book Reviews
end up in the middle of nowhere. A kind
man, who serves a woman who claims to
be the lost Russian princess rescues them
and takes them to an abandoned winter
palace. Will Sophie’s dreams come true?
A mysterious mood hovers over the un-
winding story and many clues are intro-
duced to suggest that this princess and
the situation in which these girls find
themselves are not what they seem. This
magical story brings Burnett’s A Little
Princess to mind and will appeal mostly
to young teen or pre-teen girl readers.
Characters, other than Sophie, are not
well-developed. The novel’s strength lies
in the creation of a Russian fairytale at-
mosphere.
Barb Dean
Prince George, BC
A Wounded Name
by Dot Hutchison
Carolrhoda LAB/Lerner, 2013, 320 pp.,
$17.95 HC, $12.95 eBook
Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Murder,
Revenge
ISBN: 978-1-4677-0887-6
The Headmaster, Hamlet, is dead. His son
Dane is distraught about the behavior
of his mother Gertrude and his father’s
brother Claudius. They do not seem to
be as upset about Hamlet’s death as the
others at the boarding school. Ophelia,
the daughter of one of the Headmaster’s
assistants, knows something is terribly
wrong. However, she has her own de-
mons, made worse considering she is not
taking her medications for depression. A
contemporary retelling of one of Shake-
speare’s classics, this novel parallels much
of the plot of the play. Intrigue, revenge,
and madness both pretend and otherwise
bring events to a startling climax.
Teri Lesesne
Sam Houston State University;
Huntsville, TX
Fall 2013/Winter 2014 47
 story for the twenty-first century class-
room and for young people who want to
The Worm Whisperer do right.
by Betty Hicks
Illustrated by Ben Hatke Barb Dean
Book Reviews

Roaring Brook Press, Prince George, BC

2013, 186 pp., $16.99
Realistic fiction, Animals
ISBN: 978-1-59643-490-5

Although Ellis Coffey is a fourth grader,

older students in middle school can still
enjoy reading about his struggles and
accomplishments. Ellis wants desper-
ately to help his family, down on their
luck, by raising $1,000 by winning the
annual Wooly Worm Race in his small
town. Finding just the right worm, car-
ing for it, and training it all turn out to
be challenges. Ellis is also challenged by
the kinds of problems any kid in school
will understand—dealing with the class
“jerk,” making friends, finding his own
role in class, pleasing the teacher with
new vocabulary words. The illustrations
are charming, and Ellis is a real person
for whom everyone will be rooting. The
story seems simple, but it touches on im-
portant issues.

Gretchen Schwarz
Baylor University; Waco, TX

Zero Tolerance
by Claudia Mills
Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2013, 231 pp.,
$16.99
Realistic Fiction, School Stories
ISBN: 978-0-374-33312-6

Sierra Shepard, the seventh grade girl in

this story, always follows the strict code
of behavior at her school, which includes
NO weapons. One lunch hour she opens
her lunch bag and discovers a paring
knife. What is she to do? Sierra decides
to follow the rules and hands in the rule-
breaking evidence. To her horror, the re-
sult of her honesty is suspension. When
the media gets hold of this story the ten-
sion mounts and a special school board
meeting is called. In the days leading up
to this event Sierra comes to know the
kids in detention and discovers that peo-
ple, rules, and life are complicated. This is
a book that invites discussion about right
and wrong, good and bad, and the issue
of fairness. Mills has written an excellent

48 SIGNAL Journal
 You are cordially invited to attend
Sunday, May 11, 2014
IRA 59th Annual Conference
Event Title: 2478 - Special Interest Group Network of Adolescent Literature (SIGNAL): Experiencing Adolescent Literature with Authors
E. Lockhart and Sarah Mylowski

Type: Special Interest Group (SIG)

Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Location: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 237

E. Lockhart (Emily Jenkins) is the author of We Were Liars (May 2014), Fly on the Wall, Dramarama, The Disreputable History of Frankie
Landau-Banks and the Ruby Oliver quartet: The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, The Treasure Map of Boys, and Real Live Boyfriends. How to
Be Bad was co-written with Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski. Disreputable History was a Printz Award honor book, a finalist for the
National Book Award, and recipient of the Cybils Award for best young adult novel. She teaches at Hamline University’s low-residency
MFA program in Writing for Children.

Sarah Mylowski is the author of Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags and Parties & Potions—all in the Magic
in Manhattan series. She wrote Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have), plus Fairest of All and If the Shoe Fits,
the first two books in the Whatever After Series for ages 8-12. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to be
Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote a guide to writing called See Jane Write. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collec-
tions (Girls’ Night In and Girls’ Night Out), and contributed to various anthologies. Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-one
languages and optioned by Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Printed at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, Little Rock, AR

A special thank you to the College of Education, University of Arkansas at Little Rock,
for funding the mailing of the journal

Fall 2013/Winter 2014 49

 SIGNAL
Special Interest Group Network on Adolescent Literature
Membership Application
SIGNAL is an organization dedicated to bringing young adults and books together. Membership includes voting rights and a subscrip-
tion to SIGNAL Journal, which is published twice per year. Each issue includes an extensive review section on books of interest to
middle grade and young adult readers. In addition, there are articles by authors of young adult books, interviews with authors, teach-
ing ideas for using YA books, literary critical pieces, and notes on new materials and services from publishers.

SIGNAL members have the opportunity to meet at the IRA Annual Convention and hear current young adult authors talk about their
books or discuss issues related to the use of adolescent literature in the classroom.

The Editors of the SIGNAL Journal are listed below:

Chris Goering Robyn Seglum, Co-Editor Joellen Maples, Book Editor

Assoc. Prof., English Education Assist. Prof., Secondary Content Literacy Assist. Prof., Literacy Department
Univ. of Arkansas Fayetteville Illinois State University St. John Fisher College
305 Peabody Hall Box 5330 RCW Bldg. Rm 111
Fayetteville, AR72701 Normal, IL 61790 3690 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618

To become a member or to renew your membership, fill out the form below and mail it, along with a check made payable to SIGNAL
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