A Hole in My Life. By Jack Gantos

Title: A Hole in My Life.

Author: Jack Gantos

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Date: August 26, 2004

ISBN: 0374430896

Critical Analysis:
This is a moving story of Jack Gantos through his own personal narration of how his life’s path went drastically out of control by a series of events involving drug trafficking that ultimately changed his life.

Gantos provided a heart wrenching story of how a split decision of becoming a one time drug trafficker to raise money for his college tuition threw him into the harsh realities of prison life. His story is presented in a sort of conversational style that helps the reader connect to him and gives you the “fly on the wall” perspective. His story is dark and is full of the harshness of prison life such as rape, violence and drug use. Judy Silverman of Children’s Literature wrote, “The book is well put together, and is written in a conversational style that is easy to read without talking down to the reader. Prison life is presented as the horror that it is.” This story will definitely bring home the seriousness of the consequences a youth can experience by making bad decisions. The setting takes place along the eastern seaboard aboard a ship, in the prison and in the judicial system of the state of New York. Gantos remarkably never lost sight of his dreams to attend college and become a writer. Michael Cart from Booklist wrote, “Gantos' spare narrative style and straightforward revelation of the truth have, together, a cumulative power that will capture not only a reader's attention but also empathy and imagination. This is great for every aspiring writer and also a wonderful biography for teens struggling to discover their deepest, truest selves” (Booklist, Apr. 1, 2002 (Vol. 98, No. 15)).

Review Excerpts:
Michael Cart (Booklist, Apr. 1, 2002 (Vol. 98, No. 15)):

"Jack Gantos' riveting memoir of the 15 months he spent as a young man in federal prison for drug smuggling is more than a harrowing, scared-straight confession: it is a beautifully realized story about the making of a writer. As Gantos himself notes: 'It [prison] is where I went from thinking about becoming a writer, to writing.' His examination of the process--including his unsparing portrayal of his fears, failings, and false starts--is brilliant and breathtaking in its candor and authenticity. Particularly fascinating is his generous use of literary allusions to everything from Baudelaire to Billy Budd, which subtly yet richly dramatize how he evolved from a reader who became a character in the books he was reading to a writer and a character in his own life story. Gantos' spare narrative style and straightforward revelation of the truth have, together, a cumulative power that will capture not only a reader's attention but also empathy and imagination. This is great for every aspiring writer and also a wonderful biography for teens struggling to discover their deepest, truest selves. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Nonfiction. 2002, Farrar, $16. Gr. 8-up. Starred Review" Retrieved from the Children's Literature Database (accessed on November 09, 2009).

Judy Silverman (Children's Literature):

"Jack Gantos, widely read author of the 'Rotten Ralph' series of picture books and the Joey Pigza books, among others, did not become an author easily. He feels that he always wanted to write, and that he would become a famous author, but as a young man he never quite got around to putting his words on paper. His family moved around a lot, he didn't feel connected to anyone, and he didn't really care for school. Everything changed in 1971, when he made a really bad choice. For $10,000 (what seemed like a fortune) he agreed to help sail a ship from the Virgin Islands to New York City. An easy job, but the ship was loaded with hashish. Gantos didn't realize that Federal agents had been tracking them nearly all the way. At the age of twenty, he was sent to prison for six years. At first he didn't see any way to change his ways or his life-style, nor did he see anything that would give him reason to change. But he did want to finish high school, and was fortunate in finding a teacher who encouraged him and convinced him that the only way one becomes a writer is by writing, and the only way for a writer to get his work published is to write well. It was not an easy life that Gantos had chosen, but he was determined to succeed, and eventually he did. The book is well put together, and is written in a conversational style that is easy to read without talking down to the reader. Prison life is presented as the horror that it is. An encouraging look at a terrible part of life, and how this remarkable young man was capable of overcoming disadvantages and becoming what he had always wanted to be--a writer. 2002, Farrar Straus and Giroux, $16.00. Ages 12 to 16." Retrieved from the Children's Literature Database (accessed on November 09, 2009).

Awards:
Michael L Printz Award, 2003.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2003.

Thumbs Up! Award, 2003.

Connections:
You can access this author's website by clicking on: http://www.jackgantos.com/ (accessed on November 9, 2009). At this website you will be able to access a teacher's guide for this book that includes good discussion activities.

A Northern Light. By Jennifer Donnelly

Title: A Northern Light.

Author: Jennifer Donnelly.

Publisher: Harcourt Paperbacks; Reprint edition.

Date: September 1, 2004

ISBN: 0152053107

Critical Analysis:

This story is about a girl named Mattie Gokey and her life on a farm in rural upstate New York during the early 1900s. Mattie is a very intelligent young girl who wants to go off to college to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer. Mattie is left with the tough decision of following her dream or staying to help her recently widowed father run the family farm and raise her siblings.

Donnelly wrote a compelling and moving story that will keep the reader engaged. The story is told through Mattie’s narration and all of the characters were well represented. There are many elements included in this story such as suspense, mystery, romance and woman’s rights that will keep the plot going. Beth Guldseth of Children’s Literature wrote, “There are many issues here--murder, mystery, romance, discrimination, rights of women, the value of the intellectual life--and the author handles them all deftly. She uses the murdered girl's real-life letters to good advantage to advance the story.” Donnelly did a good job of presenting accurate historical information during this time period and the combination of the story moving back and fourth between the family farm and the Glenmore hotel gave good balance of the story. Viki Arkoff of Midwest Book Review wrote, “‘A Northern Light’ is a riveting page-turner for historical fiction fans, mystery buffs and any young adult readers who appreciates a well-written tale” (Midwest Book Review, "Vicki's Bookshelf" column, August 2003).

Review Excerpts:

Gillian Engberg (Booklist, May 15, 2003 (Vol. 99, No. 18)):

"Donnelly's first YA novel begins with high drama drawn straight from history: Grace Brown's body is discovered, and her murder, which also inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, is the framework for this ambitious, beautifully written coming-of-age story set in upstate New York in 1906. Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey is a waitress at the Glenmore Hotel when Brown is murdered. As she learns Brown's story, her narrative shifts between the goings-on at the hotel and her previous year at home: her toil at the farm; her relationship with her harsh, remote father; her pain at being forbidden to accept a college scholarship. 'Plain and bookish,' Mattie is thrilled about, but wary of, a handsome neighbor's attentions, and she wonders if she must give up her dream of writing if she marries. In an intelligent, colloquial voice that speaks with a writer's love of language and an observant eye, Mattie details the physical particulars of people's lives as well as deeper issues of race, class, and gender as she strains against family and societal limitations. Donnelly adds a crowd of intriguing, well-drawn secondary characters whose stories help Mattie define her own desires and sense of self. Many teens will connect with Mattie's deep yearning for independence and for stories, like her own, that are frank, messy, complicated, and inspiring. Category: Books for Older Readers--Fiction. 2003, Harcourt, $17. Gr. 10-12. Starred Review" Retrieved from the Children's Literature Database (accessed on November 09, 2009).

Beth Guldseth (Children's Literature):

"A Northern Light is a rousing and original first novel set in Adirondacks lake country in 1906. The infamous Gillette murder case (subject of Dreiser's An American Tragedy and the film, A Place in the Sun) provides the historical background. Mattie Gokey longs to escape backbreaking farm work and accept a state scholarship to Barnard College in New York City, but her motherless siblings need her, her father thinks education is foolish, and a handsome and ambitious farm boy comes courting. There are many issues here--murder, mystery, romance, discrimination, rights of women, the value of the intellectual life--and the author handles them all deftly. She uses the murdered girl's real-life letters to good advantage to advance the story. Details of daily farm life are specific and unusual. Many characters contribute to the rich broth but are easy to keep separate; Mattie herself is most appealing. This is smooth yet unpretentious writing with moments of real beauty and filled with literary allusions. An exciting and satisfying book. 2003, Harcourt, $17.00. Ages 14 up." Retrieved from the Children's Literature Database (accessed on November 09, 2009).

Awards:
Charlotte Award, 2006.

Michael L Printz Award, 2004.

Jefferson Cup Award, 2004.

Conncetions:
You can access a good discussion guide from the Multnomah County Library by clicking on: http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-northern.html (accessed on November 09, 2009).

Other books that may be of interest:
Kinkade, Thomas. Amanda's Story: a Cape Light Novel. Harper Collins. 2004. ISBN:9780060543501

Tripp Valerie. Samantha Saves the Day: A Summer Story. Pleasant Comapny. 1988. ISBN: 9780937295922

No Choirboy: Murder, Violence and Teenages on Death Row. By Susan Kuklin

Title: No Choirboy: Murder, Violence and Teenages on Death Row.

Author: Susan Kuklin

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Date: 2008

ISBN: 0805079505


Critical Analysis:

This book is a combination of criminals’, victims’ and lawyers’ views regarding the death penalty and teen offenders. The stories involving these incarcerated teens will keep the reader engaged and you will feel a connection through the narration of each convict’s story. There was an element of shock involved in many of the stories due to the reality of the crime committed and the punishment received. Each story is told through the teen’s own observations and their views of life and prison life and the atrocities they have or watched others suffer. Gilliam Engberg of Booklist mentioned, “Kuklin presents, with signature frankness, the men’s memories of their young lives; the murders, for which some claim innocence; and the brutal realities (including rape and other acts of extreme violence) of incarcerated life, first on death row and then in maximum-security prison, where most of the prisoners are now held” (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2008 (Vol. 105, No. 2)).

Kuklin did a good job of presenting the accurate information regarding the death penalty and underage offenders. The visual pictures that are included in the book gives the reader the ability to connect with the offender in a humanizing way instead of just seeing the harshness of the crime that was committed. Gillian Engberg of Booklist mentioned, “The mix of voices makes for a somewhat chaotic but riveting whole that combines powerfully with the occasional photos and hand-drawn portraits of the subjects” (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2008 (Vol. 105, No. 2)). The setting is primarily takes place through prison interviews but does branch out to the courtrooms of the legal system and attorneys involved. Even thought the story is a one-sided view, this book would be valuable to anyone who is interested in law or the death penalty.

Review Excerpts:

Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2008 (Vol. 105, No. 2)):

"In previous books for youth, Kuklin has explored harrowing topics such as AIDS (Fighting Back: What Some People Are Doing about AIDS, 1988) and child slavery (Iqbal Masih and the Crusaders against Child Slavery, 1998). Her latest title, about individuals who received death-row sentences while they were teenagers, is another direct, compassionate, and eye-opening inquiry. The prisoners’ words, drawn from Kuklin’s interview transcripts, form the bulk of the narratives, but Kuklin’s voice frequently cuts in with details about the events leading up to the alleged crime, legal issues, and the prisoners’ backgrounds. Some chapters also include commentary from the prisoners’ lawyers and the prisoners’ own writing (one, Nanon Williams, is a published author). The mix of voices makes for a somewhat chaotic but riveting whole that combines powerfully with the occasional photos and hand-drawn portraits of the subjects. Kuklin presents, with signature frankness, the men’s memories of their young lives; the murders, for which some claim innocence; and the brutal realities (including rape and other acts of extreme violence) of incarcerated life, first on death row and then in maximum-security prison, where most of the prisoners are now held. In unforgettable later chapters, families of prisoners and victims both speak about their grief and loss, and the closing section focuses on a world-renowned anti–death penalty attorney. This isn’t a balanced overview of capital punishment. Instead, it is a searing and provocative account that will touch teens’ most fundamental beliefs and questions about violence, punishment, our legal and prison systems, and human rights. An author’s note and extensive resources conclude. See the adjacent 'Story behind the Story' feature, Life on Death Row, for Kuklin’s comments about the project. Grades 10-12" Retrieved from the Children's Literature Database (accessed on November 09, 2009).

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 12)):

"Death Row inmates sentenced to die for crimes they committed as juveniles are profiled here, as well as victims' families, the family of one man already put to death and the lawyer who founded the Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama, an organization focused on the rights of indigent prisoners. Kuklin lets the inmates tell their stories in their own words, providing some minor narration about legal points. Readers may be surprised to learn of the diverse backgrounds of those convicted of capital crimes: Not all came from broken homes or disadvantaged backgrounds. Some didn't have a criminal record prior to their convictions. This is an excellent read for any student researching the death penalty or with an interest in law and sociology. The author/photographer paints the convicts and their families as neither wholly good nor bad, but human. The convicts themselves speak with a wisdom that can only come from years of negotiating the dangers of prison life, and their stories may change more than one mind regarding what makes a criminal. 2008, Henry Holt, 256p, $16.95. Category: Nonfiction. Ages 13 up. © 2008 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved." Retrieved from the Children's Literature Database (accessed on November 09, 2009).

Awards:

Cybils, 2008.

Connections:

You can visit the author's website to read more information on this book by clicking on: http://www.susankuklin.com/newsletter.htm (Accessed November 9, 2009).

Other books that may be of interest:

Korman, Gordon. The Juvie Three. Hyperion. 2008. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-0158-1.

Jacobs, Thomas A. They Broke the Law, You Be the Judge: True Cases of Teen Crime. Free Spirit. 2003. pap. $15.95. ISBN 978-1-57542-134-6.

Rapp, Adam. The Buffalo Tree. Front St. 2007. pap. $10.95. ISBN 978-1-93242-599-4.