Your Own Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill

Hemphill, S. (2007). Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. (p. 272). Knopf Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 037583799X

Classification: book, nonfiction

Genre: biography

Age Level : 9th-12th grade

Subjects: biography, identity, love story, nonfiction, novel in verse

Reader's Annotation: Each of the poems in this collection helps to tell the story of Sylvia Plath's life.

Summary: Stephanie Hemphill has written a collection of poems that tell the story of Sylvia Plath's life. Each poem is written from the perspective of someone from Sylvia's life and some are written in a specific style of one of Sylvia's own works. The story covers all of Sylvia's life, from the time she was born, through her childhood and school years, her failed marriage, up to the day she committed suicide. The poems describe her manic work ethic, the way in which such a wide variety of people were fascinated by her personality, and her troubled relationship with her family. Mostly, though, it chronicles her experience as a writer.

Reviews / Awards:

Common Sense Media Review

This was a Printz Honor book in 2007

Why it belongs in a Teen Collection: Plath's history may be known to some teens, and she may be an intriguing figure for some teens simply because of her tragic story. On the other hand, most teen readers would need this book pitched to them, and would be more likely to pick it up as part of an assignment. It's an approachable collection of poems, not as abstract as some.

Readalikes :

• What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonia Sonnes
  
• Letters Home by Sylvia Plath
  

Other Useful Info:

• Author's page on Random House
• Sylvia Plath info from Poets.org

Evaluation:
3.5 stars

Planet Pregnancy by Linda Oatman High

High, L. O. (2008). Planet Pregnancy. (p. 197). Front Street.

ISBN : 1590785843

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 11th-12th grade

Subjects: coming of age, family, fiction, identity, pregnancy, novel in verse

Reader's Annotation: Saharah's whole life turns upside down when she gets a positive result on a pregnancy test.

Summary: This novel in verse chronicles the nine months of Sahara's pregnancy. A high school student in a conservative town, Sahara doesn't have a lot of friends or much of a support network. She keeps her pregnancy a secret for nearly seven months, from everyone but her friend Emma. The book ends when Grace is born, so we don't get much of a chance to see how they do as a family once the baby has arrived.

Reviews / Awards:

Poetry for Children Review

Author Info:
Linda Oatman High's Website

Potential Hotspots:

teen pregnancy, discussion of abortion, accusations of date rape

Readalikes:

• What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonia Sonnes
  
• Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
Teen pregnancy is a topic that will certainly catch the interest of some teen readers, and for those patrons, it's good to have plenty of options available. Because this is a novel in verse, the book moves quickly. The verse is gripping and easily understood.

Other:

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Evaluation:

3.5 stars

Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith

Smith, K. (2007). The Geography of Girlhood. (p. 192). Little, Brown Young Readers.
ISBN : 0316017353

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: realistic fiction

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects: family, identity, love story, novel in verse, siblings

Reader's Annotation: Penny faces huge challenges in her freshman and sophomore years of high school.

Summary: This novel in verse follows Penny through her 9th and 10th grade years. Her mother has abandoned her, her best friend spirals into depression and must be institutionalized, her older sister is in and out of trouble, and her father remarries and brings home a wife and a stepson. Things are tough for Penny. She makes some good choices and she makes some bad choices, but ultimately survives her last year of middle school and first year of high school. This is an honest look at some of the hardest parts of growing up.

Reviews / Awards:

New York Times Review

Author Info:
Kirsten Smith's Website

Potential Hotspots:

drinking, sex, abandonment

Readalikes:

• What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonia Sonnes
  
• Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
Crams more teen angst and issues into 184 pages (especially when you consider they are poems, so per word is even higher) than any other book I can imagine reading. Great as an example of alternative story tell, fantastic for reluctant readers, I think many teen girls will feel like this novel is ripped from their own brains.

Other:

Really great cover art, and I found the poems to be really lovely.

Evaluation:

4 stars

The Braid by Helen Frost

Frost, H. (2006). The Braid. (p. 92). Frances Foster Books.

ISBN: 0374309620

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: historical fiction

Age Level: 9th -12th grade

Subjects: celtic, historical fiction, immigration, love story, novel in verse, siblings

Reader's Annotation: Two sisters are separated by the Atlantic Ocean when some of the family immigrates to from Scotland to Canada.

Summary: A family is separated as some immigrate from Scotland to Cape Breton and some remain behind. Sarah, the eldest child, decides to stay with her Grandmother in their homeland. She falls in love with Murdo, but they are also separated. Jeannie, her mother, and the baby of the family survive the sea voyage and must create a new life in a strange land. Jeannie tries her best to follow the example Sarah has always set for her. Their stories are told through alternating verses, interspersed with what the author describes as "praise verses." The words themselves fit together in a braid, or a knot, modeled after Celtic knot patterns.

Reviews / Awards:

Starred review in both School Library Journal and Booklist.

Reviews from Amazon

Author Info:
Helen Frost's Website

Potential Hotspots:

starvation, teenage pregnancy

Readalikes:

• Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale by Donna Jo Napoli
• Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
The unique structure of this novel in verse combined with the historical information make this a great book to offer to teens who might need convincing they'd enjoy verse or historical fiction.

Other:

The amazing structure of this novel wasn't clear to me until I read the author's note at the end. It's truly a puzzle made out of words, mindboggling, when I considered it in retrospect.

Evaluation:

5 stars