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Is Perfect Really Perfect? By: Tee’Jayh Angton November Blues, by Sharon Draper, had more than one story to it. One part of the book is about a girl named November, and her struggles of being a teen and pregnant. November was the popular girl in school. She had money, style, and most importantly, admiration from others. While living this perfect life, November soon learns that she is pregnant. With her deceased boyfriend’s parents who is also her baby’s father, offering a large reward for the baby, will November do the unthinkable and sell her baby? Or will November keep her baby, and suffer a lifelong struggle of being a single parent. The other part of the story is about a boy named Jericho. With the lost of a family, in which he was closest to, Jericho figured that physical pain would take away from the emotional pain that he was feeling on the inside. In his search for that physical pain, Jericho thought that with every tackle he received, he would remove some of the animosity he had from the death of his favorite cousin. But will sports handle the inner pain that Jericho is so depressed about, or will his crazy idea work for him. First, I’d like to say that I liked how the author took everyday problems from today, and turned those pic stories into one big intriguing page turner. I feel that the author saw how television today glamorizes being a teenage girl and pregnant, so she took the liberty of writing about the true reality of being in that situation. The reality is, being a teenage parent is a whole lot of work. Especially the expenses. Even with Jericho, I feel like a lot of teens today deal with a lot of death. The author showed how a lot of teens today cope with negative abstracts that come our way. We shut out the world and we feel the need to hide our inner feelings. What I would say that I liked most is how right off from the very fist chapter, you realize that this isn’t going to be a Cinderella story, which in my opinion made the story better. I also liked how at the beginning the author started right off telling about November’s perfect life, and the perfect image she portrayed. Then the author slowly guided you into the downfall of November. I liked this because it was so unexpected, and so out of sequence. Realizing early on that one decision could affect the rest of her life. But will November make the right one? November now not only has to think about how this decision will affect her, but also her unborn child. Will November only think of herself, or will she do what’s for her baby as well? One thing I didn’t like was how November and Jericho in a way kept there distance. Even when the story does bring them together, there is very little dialogue between them. I also feel that Jericho didn’t have enough emotion to hide. Jericho showed very little emotion to the outside world, and I liked that. But what I didn’t like was how most of Jericho’s problems had easy solutions. For example, when Jericho’s ex-girlfriend problem, the “easy solution” was to ignore her. Another thing that I didn’t like was how there were two stories. I feel strongly that each story should have been its own personal book. Both stories would have been better if they had been in separate books. For example, in the book, when the author switched stories, you missed out on 3-4 days of the other character’s life. Once again, I did love the book. I would recommend this book to teenagers who feel like everybody has a perfect life. So it you’re really into drama and reality, I would strongly encourage you to read this book. Find out what happens to Jericho and November in the quest for help. From being popular to being a mom, and from being in band to being in football……..Which one will make it and which one won’t? The Authors Look by Gloria Blake Plainsong by: Haruf, Kent. Penguin group,Canada,2004,352 pps. Kent Haruf writes his characters out as if they are people in real life. Most of the things that happened in the book, happened outside of the book as well. Kent weaves four stories in the book that link to one story at the end. One of the stories is of a young girl who gets pregnant, another is a story of two boys who live with their father but no mother figure. Finally, there are the McPheron brothers, who are two grown men. One character, Victoria, ends up finding out that she is pregnant. Her mother finds out as well, and ends up putting her daughter out of the house. She has no where else to go but down the street to one of her teacher’s house. But her teacher lives with her father who has a little problem. He ends up hurting her so she had to find somewhere else to go. Next she goes to the house of the McPheron brothers, but they don’t really know about taking care of anyone but themselves. The story ends up becoming very crazy because all of the things that started to go on with the characters in the story - loosing people and gaining people, as well. The part of the story that becomes the most interesting was pic when Victoria’s baby’s father comes back; she hasn’t seen him sense she got pregnant. Through the whole pregnancy, she felt like she was alone, because he just left and didn’t call to tell her anything. She thought that he knew what was going on. When he found out, he came to her school and took her to live with hi, not knowing that everyone back at home was worried about her. Eventually, she discovers that he is more likely to kill the baby when he takes her out to party’s knowing that there are drinks and people smoking. The author, Kent Haruf, is well known for stories that are confusing yet interesting. He uses details to make the stories relate to one another. At the beginning, he wants you to think that they are going to be independent from one another, but they end up becoming related. For example all the characters in the book have problems with their families as well as themselves. They all reach a point when they think that they should give up, but they manage to carry on.
Where You Belong By: Jordan Shirey When It Happens, by Susane Colasanti. Speak, New York, 2008. 336 pps. Colasanti was true to all the other works she has done; her two main characters, Tobey and Sara, are complete opposites who fall in love with each other, proving that opposites do attract. “’Look at him, he is way different than you; with his holey jeans, greasy hair, and his ‘I Hate School Attitude’, explained Lisa. ‘I know Lisa, but every time I look into his eyes I just fall more in love with him, like it doesn’t matter if we are two opposite people. It’s like we fit together like a puzzle piece.’” You can tell that these two belong together since the first day they laid eyes on each other, It’s where they both belong - with each other. From the beginning of the story, Tobey has already found what he’s looking for, but Sara is looking for something that is real; someone that truly gets her and understands her. What Sara doesn’t know is that while they are in their only class together, Tobey is plotting, with the help of Sara’s best friend, Lisa. He wants Sara to notice him, and to win her over, making Sara realize that he is the guy for her, even though they are complete opposites. “I want Sara to realize me and to make her see that she’s the one for me if she just gives me a chance. Don’t you see this plan will work; I just want to be her partner in our music class. That way we can spend more time pic together.” Tobey tried to reason with Lisa. Eventually his plan works, except the fact that people are going to try and break them apart just because they don’t like that they are different and think they don’t belong together. The story becomes complicated when Sara starts to realize she loves Tobey, however in the world of high school that isn’t right because they are so different and belong in two different cliques so there are some that will try to break them up, try to keep the status quo. However, Tobey hasn’t exactly been the perfect boyfriend because he’s hiding a secret that could destroy their relationship, as well. “’You know he had sex with me,’ Taunted Julie. ‘I couldn’t believe he would ever mess with her because she gets around the school. The fact that he never told me makes me wonder what else he never told me.’” Because of his secret, Sara starts to question if he’s lied to her a lot in their relationship since he couldn’t tell her such a simple truth. The more their relationship evolves, the closer they are become as they evolve into the people they want to become. “I’ve enrolled into college now, thanks to you, Sara. My dad couldn’t believe I actually enrolled into a college.” Colasanti is known for her stories about life and lessons in love at a young age; all her books contain two people that come from different places, or backgrounds and cross over all the ‘boundaries’ that some people have set up in their mind about love and relationships. But she always gives both sides of the two main character’s stories. As in one of her other books, Waiting for You, Marissa is falling in love with one of her high school friends who hasn’t talked to her in years. However, at first she thinks he’s nerdy and not her type, but as the story progresses, she finds that she likes his nerdy self a little more than she thought. Most of the girls in her stories have an idea of who’d they love, but in the end they end up loving someone they never thought they would. Colasanti manipulates her readers to break down boundaries and stereotypes people have about relationships. While doing so, she also makes you want to find that kind of love and happiness in your own life. She also makes the reader believe that complete opposites can be attracted to each other and fall in love. As she proves this time and time again in her books, we all have to wonder if there could actually be something to it. This twist on love and the obstacles you over come while breaking down boundaries keeps the reader enthralled to see if they will last. From cover to cover, the reader will want to keep reading about Tobey and Sara’s love while they try to find where they belong in the world. If I Was Your Girl Amberli Seay If I Was Your Girl by Ni-Ni Simone. Dafina (October 1, 2008) Ni-Ni Simone writes a wonderful fictional piece of a young woman battling motherhood, schooling and relationships. She does a magnificent job of knowing her audience and using this to her advantage. Simone has the natural ability to incorporate challenges teens face today and fuse them into the lives of the characters. Toi, the main character, struggles throughout the book with an ex-love and baby’s father, Quamir. pic “Stunned. Embarrassed. Wishing I could fly away and nobody would see me. Although he hadn’t hit me, I felt like I’d been beaten. Why would he play me like this? What happened to him falling on his knees and telling this chick I was wifey? I became anxious and didn’t know what to do, where to turn, or how to act. I thought about crying…” Simone writes of triumphs, travails and uncertainties, she grants readers reassurance even after a pitfall. Following Toi’s earth shattering breakup with Quamir, Toi meets an attractive stranger named Harlem. She enjoys his company, manners, and style but can’t seem to bring herself to tell him her deepest darkest secret, her son. “Believe me, guys are the worst when they find out you have a baby…” (pg 88) Due to their frequent arguments, missed dates and many spats, Harlem believes Toi is “a typical li’l hood chick [who] plays too many games and [is] too confused.” Toi is surprised by his harsh accusations and tries desperately to prove him wrong. She storms into the house, picks up her child and walks back onto the porch. “He’s why I’ve been canceling dates with you…” (pg116) Ni-Ni Simone is well-known for her young adult fiction series. She stays true to her audiences with simple word fragments and popular use of slang. Indeed, teens are able to identify to her characters and their situations. Simone does not switch her tone in the series to come such as, Shortie like Mine and A Girl Like Me. Simone illustrates an amount of sympathy to which many teens can relate. She emphasizes restoration and growth. Simone also explains the importance of delayed gratification subconsciously allocating self-worth in teenagers.
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Page 3 and 4: SEATBELT SAFETY Todd Richards Jr. A
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Page 7 and 8: y Jazmin Jenkins Over the years, th
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Page 15 and 16: BY: Dominique Thompson logo THE“U
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Page 21 and 22: Luck? By: Quentin Childers Slumdog
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Page 29 and 30: 2010 New Year! ♥ By Melody Foree
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Page 39 and 40: 15 2 8 TEXT ME 5 9 10 6 20 3 17 18

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