SHSU Library Science Book Club discussion

Please add books you think would be great for discussion. Be sure to tell us if it is a Young Adult suggestion or a Tween suggestion.

I would love to see some discussions about challenged young adult books. I really struggle with where to draw the line about what's appropriate in a high school library, and I'd appreciate other viewpoints. One example is Tricks, by Ellen Hopkins. . .

TRICKS is a tough one!!! WOW! Such gritty subject matter. Of course it wouldn't be appropriate for middle school, but the two high schools in the district I used to work in have it.

Would you like to read and discuss an "edgy" book in this group?

Ellen Hopkins' stuff is all gritty, and students love her books, but this book just went a little further than her others with the subject matter, I thought. I am not sure what its value is in a school library. Entertainment? eek. Maybe in the same way as Nicholas Cage/Leaving Las Vegas, but the audience for that is not teens. And I wonder, just because the characters are teens, does that make it worthy of the "young adult" label?

The other high school in our district does not have the book, and the retired librarian where I am bought it but then never put it on the shelf. I might call her to see why.

I would love to hear viewpoints on this book if anyone else has read it.

I would strongly recommend that we read the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It is such an awesome read!

Great. Thanks for the suggestion.

In another group I'm in we vote from say 5 possible choices, that way the members can see if their library has the book available first. Plus I have a book suggestion, THE GRIMM LEGACY, set in NYC library.

Cool. We'll do that one next month. The problem with offering 5 book choices is the size of our group. It is small. If we had 5 books going we might not have ANY discussion. I already have 2. Teen and Tween. If we get bigger though we could do that. Thanks for the suggestion.

I loved The Grimm Legacy!!!

I just read Wonder and it was SO good. I would love to do a reread if we get to it. It would be a great book to discuss.

Thanks. We can do it next month for the Tween selection.