CLP Teens Blog

It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living

It Gets Better is a collection of stories written by religious people, celebrities, and everyday people. The book was edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller who wanted to reach out to LGBT kids and give them hope. As a student who has endured bullying and someone who believes very much in equality I’m really glad that a book like this exists and I would recommend it to anyone gay or straight who was dealing with harassment in school. Last year I was really sad when I heard about those kids, all whom were gay and very close to my age who committed suicide. What’s great about this particular book is that it’s people from all different backgrounds and sexual orientations reaching out to kids that quite frankly have been being ignored for years and telling them not to give up, that they matter, and that life is worth living. Some of the stories are even from people who themselves have attempted suicide and are glad that they lived. The thing about this book is that there are so many different stories in the book you’ll undoubtedly find at least one person to relate to. It Gets Better also includes resources for LGBT youth and their allies, parents, and teachers. I think it’s unfortunate that a book and organization like this needs to exist, but until everyone realizes that we’re all human I’m glad it’s out there for people who are really struggling.

Review by Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark

1. Name two characters and give brief personality descriptions.

Mr. & Mrs. Frawley. Mr. Frawley was depressed and stressed-out. As for Mrs. Frawley, she was the same.

2. Write a sentence or two about what happened in the plot:

Mrs. 7 Mr. Frawley’s twin girls (age 3) were kidnapped and they had to pay a $8 million ransom.

3. Write two sentences about what it was that you enjoyed about this work (or about what you didn’t enjoy):

I enjoyed the part when they had go the twin girls back. And when the kidnappers had got caught and put in jail.

Review by Towanda

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

1. Name two characters and give brief personality descriptions.

Rosa Parks was brave and stood up for what was right. Mr. Parks was a great barber.

2. Write a sentence or two about what happened in the plot:

Rosa Parks had problems when on the bus.

3. Write two sentences about what it was that you enjoyed about this work (or about what you didn’t enjoy):

I like that the author describes Rosa as a strong woman. I also liked that the author indicated that she was good at what she did.

Review by Ta-Von

Boot Camp By Todd Strasser

In my own words, this book was a sad, intense, and bitter-sweet adventure.

When Garret is kidnapped by two bounty hunters, thrown into the back of a car, and told that he was a stupid, manipulating fiend, He has already had enough. But, it was only about to get worse.

From the first page to the last, this book will have you glued to the pages. I found it very difficult to put down.

To wrap all this up, I would like to say that It is hard to tell whether or not I loved this book…or just hated it. Pick this book up some time, and decide for yourself!

Simpsons Comics

Everybody has heard of the show “The Simpsons”, an animated show that has been around for ages and follows the lives of the Simpsons family (Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie). You may or may not have also seen some of the paraphernalia associated with the show such as t-shirts. But to my surprise today I found out there is also a series of comic books. Today I tried out these comic books by reading two issues “Simpsons Comics: Barn Burner” and “Bart Simpson – Class Clown” as well as part of a few other issues.

Each book, has multiple comics in it (usually around 10) that often varies in length but usually take no more then 5-10 minutes to read. The plot resembles the plot of the show, with Bart or Homer often causing trouble and occasionally focusing on other members of the family/various people of Springfeild. It is hard to describe the plot since it changes from comic to comic, but regardless almost all of them are entertaining. It definitely not as good as the show, but it still a fun read, especially in the months between seasons of the show. So next time you are at the library (if you are a fan of the show) be sure to check out The Simpsons comic series.

Review by Samantha, teen volunteer

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner is the newest book that seems to have become trendy (think Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games and so on), I eventually felt the need to read it to see what all the fuss is about. Unlike some books that have received a lot of hype but ended up (in my opinion) being awful (such as Twilight) The Maze Runner did not disappoint.

The book follows a character named Thomas, a teenage boy who has had his memory wiped and been placed in an elevator that takes him to a place called the Glade. Like Thomas all of the boys remember nothing from before they arrived at the Glade and have over time created a fairly successful society. Along with the Glade there is a huge maze that changes every night. I really can’t go more in depth or I will spoil at least some of the book (sorry).

The Maze Runner is definitely worth reading, and despite a somewhat slow start will keep you guessing until the last page. I doubt the book will become the next classic we will study hundreds of years from now, but it is well written and the author (James Dashner) successfully creates vivid images with words without spending a million pages on descriptions (unlike in Great Expectations). So when you have some free time and are looking for a good read check out The Maze Runner at your local library!

Review by Samantha, teen volunteer

Scott Pilgrim by Brian Lee O’Malley

I first picked up the first volume in the Scott Pilgrim series just to see what all the fuss was about (this was about the time the movie came out and everybody seemed to be talking about how awesome the graphic novel was). I admit it was not half bad, but I never really got around to finishing it until recently.

The premise is simple, the main character is a guy named Scott who meets a girl named Ramona Flowers and falls head over heels in love with her. Soon after this all happens he finds out that Ramona has seven evil exes who he must defeat in order to be with her. Over the course of the series (a total of six graphic novels) we see him battle and eventually defeat them. The plot is fairly obvious, making it easy to predict what is to come but it is still interesting enough to keep you reading. It may not be the best thing ever created, but it is worth reading when you have some free time and don’t want to read anything too complicated (personally I recommend reading it whenever you get bored in school/on the bus).

review by Samantha, teen volunteer

White Cat by Holly Black

Cassel is an ordinary boarding school student – or at least, that’s what he’s trying to be. Magic, which is illegal, runs in his family, as does the con and a connection with a famous crime family.

His charade falls through when he wakes up on the roof of his dorm building, and is unable to come down without calling for help. Soon, he finds himself on “medical leave” – back with his family.

This is a wonderful book and you should all go out and buy it right now.

Okay, gushing over, now I’m going to be coherent. The prose in this book is very accessible. Cassel’s constant thoughts about how to pull off conning people are kind of fascinating, although I did find his change from hating it to loving it to be a little fast and unsupported.

The real beauty of it, though, is the plot. The significance of the white cat is totally unsuspected, but makes perfect sense – and that’s largely the case for all of the twists in this book. The one real problem is that at the beginning of the story, it’s difficult to like any of the characters if you’re particularly set in them being nice. Things get better in that regard, though.

Review by Leo (teen volunteer)

Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer

The book Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer is the unfortunate but expected result of the success of Rick Riordan and his writing style. To be more precise, it takes the best part of Riordan’s writing: the wit, the quirkiness, and tries to replicate it. And, as inevitably happens when an author tries too hard to be like a different author, E. Archer failed.

Now, that’s not to say that the book is entirely bad. The idea is fairly original, and if handled by a more competent author, could have been entertaining. But in this case, the execution was horrible. The narrative was jumbled. Points of view were changed spontaneously. Poor word choice abounded. Characters were flat and boring. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t a particularly fun read.

If you have an afternoon free and nothing better to do, sure, pick up a copy of “Geek Fantasy Novel”, breeze through it. It’s not  a literary masterpiece, but its also no House on Mango Street.

review by Daniel Brusilovsky, 16.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl is a novel about the adventures of a child prodigy with a secret race of technologically advanced fairies and other magical creatures, thus perfectly blending the genres of sci-fi and fantasy. Despite his arrogance and maniacal love of money, he survives throughout the novel due to his extraordinary intelligence. Near the beginning of the novel, he forms a plot to extort gold from the hidden fairies by kidnapping and ransoming a certain fairy named Holly Short. This sends him into a great adventure involving dwarves, “leprechauns,” pixies, and a centaur. The resulting novel is a fantastic read for all young adults, especially those fond of the sci-fi and/or fantasy genres.

Review by Colin M.