Reading Closely and Reading Widely:
Recent Young Adult Novels for Middle School

Harriett Williams
University of South Carolina

If our goal is to get them reading, keep them reading, and then push them toward readings they would not have chosen for themselves, then we need to learn more about what texts are out there, and unfortunately we can't always rely on reviews to provide enough information about potentially controversial content. Moreover, without reading all the new novels, it is difficult for us to know which texts will challenge an entire class to grow. After all, once they cross that parking lot or corridor to the high school, they'll be analyzing Poe and Whitman and Faulkner, and no vast quantities of high-interest/easy reading will have adequately prepared them for comprehending this vastly different literary fare. On the other hand, we all realize that if middle school becomes only preparation for high school reading, we will lose lots of students along the way.

The annotated bibliography below is an attempt to provide information that will help teachers walk this fine line between having students read appealing books and having them read challenging books. As a college English teacher, I personally read all of the novels listed below during the fall of 1993 as I searched for those elusive novels that can be called potential Young Adult classics. I didn't find many. But I did find lots of books for wide reading. Before I get to the descriptions of the books, please allow me to clarify the reasons why I feel so strongly that middle schoolers must spend time reading both groups of novels.

As a foundation, students must read widely, and we know the majority of them won't read constantly unless they have some choice in the subject matter. Ideally, then, middle schoolers would have a chance to read, in class, novels of their own choosing on topics close to their own interests--first, to enjoy, and second, to learn about character, plot, pacing, sentence structure, and style. They begin to echo the language they read in their own writing, and through this reading begin to develop, through context, a meaningful reading vocabulary. Several years of constant, wide reading encourages students to reach a level of literacy that cannot be attained by reading only what is encompassed in the covers of a middle school language arts text, no matter how fine that text may be.

Unfortunately, however, it is unlikely that a majority of these students reading their own--even those who engage in conversational literary groups with peers--will move very far beyond their prior levels of interpretation. and it is this skill of interpretation that they will need to succeed in secondary classes. It is possible that students' failure to INTERPRET texts is the trigger that ignites the backbiting that sometimes occurs among middle and high school teachers. Therefore, it is equally important that middle schoolers have the chance to read challenging literature, works they must struggle to interpret. However, if the works are too difficult, we lose by default.

As Robert Scholes explains in Textual Power, interpretation "depends on the failures of reading" (22). A feeling of incompleteness can result from such simple items as cultural references or vocabulary that readers cannot understand, or from such "subtleties as the reader's sense that a text has a concealed or non-obvious meaning that can be found only by an active, conscious process of interpretation" (22). If students choose only those works whose meanings are clear to them, then they will not have a chance to develop this type of literacy. Because we (and especially secondary and college teachers) value interpretation more than reading, we tend to privilege texts that require and reward interpretive activity. As Scholes argues, this classification is one way we have of defining literature, and it is a safe bet that all the works students will read in secondary school will require interpretation. Therefore, we have a responsibility to middle schoolers to add some more difficult texts, ones they probably would never have chosen for themselves, to their curriculum. It is through these texts, read by the whole class, that a teacher can demonstrate how readers move from reading to interpretation. Our job is not to produce "readings" for our classes, but to give them the tools for producing their own; not to intimidate students with our own superior textual production, but to show them the codes upon which all textual production depends.

The following precis of recently published Young Adult novels have been arbitrarily divided, then, into two groups: one to recommend to students for wide reading--for interest and enjoyment and the secondary information about language that students will garner from reading them; the other to use as class texts to study together--to provide a reasonable, not overwhelming, challenge and an opportunity for students to learn those interpretive skills so prized by those teachers they will be encountering in high school.

I. Wide reading: recently published books which require little or no interpretation, yet provide good stories and language lessons

Forward Pass, by Thomas Dygard. Morrow, 1990 (ISBN 0-688-07961-X). Coach Gardner's team can't win a game. To improve their chances, in desperation he brings in a new wide receiver. Her name is Jill. I couldn't believe it; I was really searching for a guy's story, and this one is by one of the best sports fiction writers. But it's another sex role plot, and it's good. The 30-page climax at the big game is terrific. I hope boys will read it--good football scenes.

Halfback Tough, by Thomas Dygard. Morrow, 1989 (ISBN 0-688-059250). I decided to give Dygard another shot to see if I could find that elusive novel--one that young, male, weak readers would enjoy. This is one of them! I really loved this story about Joe, a kid with bad grades, worse attitude, and wretched friends who get him into trouble. When Joe's family moves to a new town, he gets so bored he goes out for football. He quickly shows real talent, but he's doubtful that his new teammates really like him, and he's dogged by his terrible record from his old school. It's obvious that Dygard is a gifted sports journalist; the action scenes are terrific, and the characterization and plot are well done.

Squashed, by Joan Bauer. Delacorte, 1993 (ISBN 0-385-30793-4). Voted Delacorte Annual Press Prize for First Young Adult novel; hottest novel among young adult readers at the 1993 NCTE meeting. Sixteen-year-old Ellie's life would be perfect if she could just accomplish her two life goals--growing the biggest pumpkin in Iowa to win the ribbon at the Harvest Fair and losing the twenty extra pounds she's gained cooking since her mother died. I found this to be a really wonderful look at the romance of growing things; Ellie lives on a half-acre suburban Des Moines lot, but she's inherited her grandmother's love affair with the soil. This funny, clever novel has terrific dialogue and a swiftly moving plot--a real winner in my book.

I'll Be Seeing You, by Mary Higgins Clark. Simon and Schuster, 1993 (ISBN 0-671-67366-1). Clark of course is not strictly a young adult novelist, but young people could easily read and enjoy this suspense thriller that is perhaps too transparent for adult readers. There's no sex, little violence, and a nifty plot that begins when TV reporter Meghan Collins, in the emergency room of a New York hospital for a story, spots a young woman who could be her own twin. The story moves quickly and will teach readers a great deal about in vitro fertilization as well as entertain them.

Piano Man, by Joyce Sweeney. Delacorte, 1992 (ISBN 0-385-30534-6). Sweeney has won the Outstanding First Young Adult Novel Award, so I thought it'd be a good bet. But I have mixed emotions about this novel dealing with 14-year-old Deidre's crush on the much older professional musician in the apartment upstairs. Be forewarned that there's lots of talk about sex (between friend Susie and her older boyfriend as well as between Deidre's mom and her boyfriend--although we don't see much except a shirt coming off) and a very sophisticated tone for the 14- year-old characters. It's a terrific story about first love and its heartbreak, but it's strong. It's recommended for ages 12 and up, but I'd never put it in the hands of a sixth grader.

The Truth About Kim O'Hara, by Erika Tamar. Athaneum, 1992 (ISBN 0-689-31789-1). The narrator of this novel set in Greenwich Village in New York is a bright 15-year-old named Andy Szabo who has finally gotten together with his dream girl, Kim O'Hara. Kim's part Vietnamese, part Irish, and as their relationship moves on, Andy realizes that Kim's beautiful exterior hides a very troubled interior. The plot moves swiftly, with lots of sophisticated longing for physical intimacy on Andy's part, with no cooperation from Kim. The novel's climax comes when Andy finally convinces Kim to accompany him to a homeless shelter where he regularly tutors the children. Kim has a breakdown there, and that's when Andy discovers the truth about his girlfriend. I'm still trying to decide if most Southern boys would stick with this novel; I wish they would because it would certainly broaden their horizons. I recommend this to both sexes, good and weak readers.

Out of Here, by Sandy Asher. Lodestar Books, 1993 (ISBN 0-525-67418-7). I've read all of Sandy's books, and I know her, so I was prepared to love this story of nine seniors and their passage through their senior year at a midwestern high school. The stories can be read almost as short stories, even though the fates of all these diverse (but all white and middle class) personalities are intertwined. Some key themes of coming of age are explored in a modern context: one girl worries that she can't make it in theater, and that's her only dream; one aspiring musician agonizes about college interfering with his band's career; one serious student whose father left to "find himself" copes at home while her mother studies for an MBA; one girl finds friends just as her broadcaster parents rejoice that they've been promoted to a bigger market. This book would especially interest middle schoolers whose fascination with senior high problems is intense. The reading is easy, the plots interesting, the characters quite real.

Where Are You When I Need You? by Suzanne Newton. Viking, 1991 (ISBN 0-670-81702-3). Newton has been chosen American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults writer and American Library Association Notable writer, and I see why. The main character is Missy, a bright and ambitious senior who lives in a remote rural area on the N. C. coast. She's applying for scholarships because her single mom and the relatives they live with are poor. Her chances are excellent, but then Missy falls in love with a local boy from the vocational track who's probably not going to graduate. As Missy's mom tells her, "Sometimes your heart can be a thousand times more persuasive than your brain." We really don't know until the last few pages whether Missy will settle for staying on with Jim or leaving for Chapel Hill or Raleigh. The book has a good narrative flow, great characters, and an important theme.

Pickle and Price, by Pieter Van Raven. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1991 (ISBN 0-684-19162-8). A boy's book--no female characters at all, but a great story that both sexes can enjoy. It's the early 50's, and Pickle, a 13-year-old slow learner is expelled from school and comes home to the prison farm his abusive father supervises. There he teams up with an older, smarter black prisoner who's due for release, and the two of them travel across the country getting into and out of adventures. It's the buddy/journey/awakening-to-discrimination theme of Huck Finn with a 90's twist. I read this all in a few hours--good story that moves swiftly.

II. Close reading: recently published books which could provide a challenge and require some interpretation

The Monument, by Gary Paulsen. Delacorte, 1991 (ISBN 0-385-30518-4). You remember Paulsen from his Newbery Honor book, Hatchet, and this one is a winner, too. The main character is a young handicapped orphan, Rocky, who's adopted by an older couple from a tiny Kansas community. The town fathers decide that what their home needs is a memorial to honor their dead from all the wars. When Mich Strum, an alcoholic artist, answers their call for creating a work of public art, all hell breaks loose. This is a short, touching novel about an interesting idea--how art can shake people up, bringing joy and sadness at the same time.

Shizuko's Daughter, by Kyoko Mori. Holt, 1993 (ISBN 0-8050-2557-X). The novel opens with Shizuko's suicide, a result of her overwhelming depression and her loveless marriage, just before the 12-year-old protagonist comes home from school. The rest of the novel explores her struggle to come to terms with her mother's death and the extremely difficult world she has to live in without her mother. The narrative takes her through high school, art school and on to a connection with a young man who helps her restore her faith in family. This is a first novel, but other reviewers have also praised its artistry.

Make Lemonade, by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Holt, 1993 (ISBN 0-8050-2228-7). Wolff's third young adult novel tackles the idea of poverty, both that of the protagonist, 14-year-old La Vaughn, and a 17-year-old single mother, Jolly, for whom La Vaughn babysits. La Vaughn learns first-hand the life of a woman who has few options as she sees Jolly's illiteracy, her filthy apartment, her two neglected children, and her failure to secure any financial support from either of the children's fathers. Both characters take hold of themselves and "make lemonade" from lemons, though, as the four of them help one another. The plot develops dramatically, and we can only hope that this novel will appeal to readers who could be like Jolly. The setting and ethnicity of this novel are vague; it's a universal story about struggle and the difficult, but possible, task of seizing one's destiny.

Molly Donnelly, by Jean Thesman. Houghton, 1993 (ISBN 0-395-64348-1). Molly, whose twelfth birthday is December 7, 1941, lives on the Pacific coast. Her life changes forever when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, just as she is collecting shells on the beach with her close friend Emily Tanaka. The novel follows the next four years of the war as Molly deals with her friend's being removed to an internment camp as well as with her fears about the safety of her relatives fighting in the Philippines. This coming of age novel keeps its focus on Molly; the wartime events are told, yet are always filtered through Molly's slowly maturing lens. This one is highly recommended both for its story and its historical frame.

Saturnalia, by Paul Fleischman. Harper and Row, 1991 (ISBN 0-06-021912-2). Here's a new one from another Newbery Medal winner. This is a strange and fascinating book that will probably challenge even good readers. It's set in Boston in 1681 and is peopled with dozens of realistic characters of the time, including William, a Narraganset Indian who's apprenticed to a printer, and Mr. Baggot, the tithing man whose job is to keep everyone spiritually in line. The high point of the novel is December 22, Saturnalia, the day of the pagan festival in which masters and servants trade places, eat, drink, and make merry.

Work Cited

Scholes, Robert. Textual Power: Literary Theory and the Teaching of English. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985.