Spinning

Spinning  by Tillie Walden

Tillie Walden was a competitive figure and synchronized ice skater for twelve years, but she says that although an ice rink will always be a familiar place, it will also always make her cringe.

With skating as the backdrop, the author conducts readers through a tour of the changes in her young life:  a family move from New Jersey to Texas, making (and losing) friends, learning new skills on the ice, falling in love with another girl, coming out to her friends and family, and always prepping for the next competition. 

Tillie worked hard.  She was good, and successful...and she hated the whole thing.

Using a comic/graphic novel format, Tillie tells her story--not just the skating, but other parts as well:  her friends, her family, and always, her loneliness.  The illustrations are simple, thoughtful and compelling.  

Recommended for readers 12 to adult.  Sexual situations are discussed tactfully, and there are no nekkid bodies on the page.  

Tomboy

Tomboy: a graphic memoir  by Liz Prince

Liz was a kid who knew what she liked:  boy stuff.  Boy clothing, boy toys and games, boy sports, boys as friends.  She also knew what she didn't like:  girl stuff.

Her road to adulthood was bumpy and full of uncertainty.  Was she a lesbian?  Transgender?  A complete freakazoidal weirdo that nobody would ever like (except her mom, because that's her mom's, like, job)?  

Would Liz ever conform to gender norms?  And more importantly:  would Liz ever want to comform?

This quick-paced graphic memoir is full of angst, but it's also funny.  Liz may not be much like other people, but she's got a handle on that now.  Her story is worth reading--and sharing.

Recommended for ages 14 to adult. 

Star-Crossed

Star-Crossed  by Barbara Dee

12-year-old Mattie is thrilled when her 8th grade class mounts a production of "Romeo and Juliet" but things get complicated when the handsome boy in the leading role ducks out of the play...leaving Mattie to play the part of Romeo, opposite the beautiful Gemma as Juliet. 

Gemma, whom Mattie...likes.  Like, a lot.

Mattie has a lot of questions about her crush on Gemma, and nobody around her gives her the answers.  

However, several people--including her best friends, her older sister, a sympathetic teacher, and even Gemma herself--allow Mattie the freedom to explore some answers for herself.  That is what makes this gentle little story so nice.

I learned about this book when the author wrote about a terrible experience booktalking in a school where she was asked to refer to the book only in general terms.  In other words: avoid talking about the book.  Even when asked direct questions about it.

As often happens, censoring a book sometimes inspires people to seek that book out.  

That's how it worked with me, anyhow.

Having read the book, I've got to say:  

It's a great book.  And I plan to talk about it.  A lot.  In schools.  To students.

With positive reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus as well as the sexy librarians here at Sex in the Library, you know that although "Romeo and Juliet" was a tragedy, Star Crossed definitely isn't. 

Highly recommended for middle-grade readers, ages 10 and up.

Orbiting Jupiter

Orbiting Jupiter  by Gary D. Schmidt
Jack is twelve years old when his foster brother comes to live with the family on their little farm in Maine.  Joseph Brook is fourteen years old, recently released from a facility called Stone Mountain.  And he has a daughter named Jupiter, whom he loves deeply although he has never seen her.

The story is slowly revealed, in tiny, agonizing bits.  Jack narrates with clear eyes and a farm boy's practicality:  that you can tell all you need to know about someone from the way cows are around him.  That leaving a guy to get beat up while you go find a teacher is not okay.  And that being family means you've got somebody's back.

Just when things are looking brighter for Joseph, the end of the book comes crashing down.

What this book is: sweet. compelling. impossible to ignore.
What this book is not: easy.

Highly recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.

Anything but Typical

Anything But Typical  by Nora Raleigh Baskin

12-year-old Jason Black isn't dumb.  Since his diagnosis with autism when he was four years old, Jason has been coached by counselors, teachers, doctors, assistants, and members of his family, all in an effort to help Jason seem more normal to neurotypical people.  

But most days, it's just a matter of time before something goes wrong.  

Maybe somebody is already logged into the computer he prefers at the school library.  Maybe a teacher touches his shoulder when she talks to him.  Maybe he gets so lost in his own thoughts that he tears the first page of his math book into many tiny pieces.  No matter what, Jason does not fit in. His hands flap, he makes strange noises, he makes even stranger choices.  He does not understand why neurotypical people behave the way they do, and nobody understands why he acts as he does.

The only place Jason is really comfortable is on the Storyboard writing website.  He posts his original fiction there, and interacts with other writers, especially PhoenixBird, whom he considers kind of a girlfriend although they've never met in person.

Jason explains to readers that trying to explain his actions is like trying to speak in a non-native language:  the story often conveys the sense that Jason's thoughts have lost something in translation.

​

Thought-provoking and intriguing, this book would be a good discussion-starter in classrooms and reading circles. A reading group guide is included at the end. 

Recommended for readers ages 10-15.  

Better Nate Than Ever

Better Nate Than Ever  by Tim Federle

13-year-old Nate's love of musical theater invites teasing and torment by his peers and his older brother, but he is certain that he belongs on the Broadway stage.  Right now, he'd be thrilled just to see a Broadway stage. When his folks go out of town leaving Nate and his brother mostly-unsupervised, Nate grabs the opportunity for escape, and heads out on a Greyhound bus bound for NYC and a Broadway audition for "E.T: the Musical."

Of course, nothing goes according to plan.  Aided by a long-lost auntie, his BFF Libby back home, and a few surprising allies, Nate does arrive safely (if somewhat crumpled by the journey) and auditions for the part of Elliot.  

Nate's voice throughout the story is hilarious.  He doesn't know much, and he doesn't know how much he doesn't know, but he's got a goal and he's got guts, and he's got a sense of humor (which helps a lot if you don't know much).  

There's some bullying, some very unhelpful parents, and some cussing (he's a starstruck 13-year-old boy stuck in Jankburk, PA -- he has reason to cuss), plus one near-miss kiss.  Nate questions his own value as well as his sexuality, but through it all, he's determined to get up on that stage to sing.  How can we not applaud?

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Thank-you notes from a SITL presentation audience

Miss Manners would be so proud.

"Every since you came I think I am going to try to read as many books
I can that was on the list.  So far I have read "Somebody Up there Hates You."
It's really a good book.  your friend, Keyasiu

A few weeks ago, the Sex in the Library booktalking team journeyed to Licton Springs K-8 school in Seattle to present a program in conjuction with Banned Books week.  The classes are studying censorship and reading banned books, and wanted to talk about books with controversial content.

For the 2 best women to make someone exsited to read Aarene and Mary jo.
Its hard to make someone want to read but you did it.
Thank you.

We are happy to oblige!

I would never have thought me reading a book about Sex in a million years.
You guys taught me that we have the right to read what we want. Also that
not to be ashamed about what you read.  I really appreciate you guys coming to
suggest good books.
I plan on reading Beauty Queen[s], Doing It, and Forever.  Those books
seem either funny or every body reads them.  I cant wait to read them.
Thank you so much for to Licton Springs K-8. Please please please come again.

We love talking about stuff like that!

I want to Read all the banned books because It's fun to read!! Thank you so much!!
right now I'm reading "Doing It" It's a good book, also "breathing underwater".
I love books.  p.s. Im a book nerd.  --Styleen

Today, a stack of thank-you notes arrived.  Clearly, writing the note was an assignment, but it is just as clear that message content was not dictated.  

Middle school students are wonderfully opinionated!

After you guys told me about these Books I got really excited to just start reading.
I think the first Book I am going to read it "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian" by Sherman Alexie.

If you would like to have Sex in the Library at your next conference, convention, or staff in-service, contact us here via the comments box or find us on Facebook.

We'd love to put together a program just for you!

Steelheart

Steelheart  by Brandon Sanderson

Ten years ago, Calamity burst in the sky and ordinary human beings were transformed into Epics.  Some control the weather.  Some can stop bullets.  Some can electrically charge entire cities with a touch.  

Sounds like an ordinary teen flying-capes-and-tights superhero novel, right?  Except there's a catch:  not one of the Epics is a "good guy."  There's just something about using their powers that makes Epics selfish, cruel, and power-hungry.

Almost all humans cower before the Epics, except for a group of rag-tag renegades known as the Reckoners.  Using technology, ingenuity, and a bit of luck, they fight against the Epics.  Eighteen year old David is obsessed with joining the Reckoners.  But when he does, he discovers that fighting the Epics is a lot more complicated than he had thought.

Superhero battles with excellent action sequences interspersed with fabulous character development, plenty of humorous banter, plus a touch of doomed romance equals fabulous.

The only thing better than the book is the audiobook read by MacLeod Andrews.  This story had me making excuses to drive places so I could listen.  First in a series; volume #2 Firefight will be released in January 2015, and I will be waiting in line.

Recommended for ages 10 to adult.

Drama

Drama  by Raina Telgemeier, with color by Gurihiru

Middle-school student Callie loves everything theatric. 

She loves the lights, she loves the music, she loves the audience, she loves the costume vault, and she loves being set designer for the school production of "Moon Over Mississippi." 

Although Callie and her friends focus a lot of attention on the play, there is still plenty of time and energy to devote to the other kind of middle school drama:  the boyfriends, the girlfriends, the getting-togethers and the breakups.

Callie's friendship with the other drama kids is absolutely on-target, and the graphic novel portrayal of life behind the stage is note-perfect.  Racial and sexual diversity is portrayed realistically and with charm; no cussing, no violence (except a bit of social back-stabbing from the leading lady), a few sweet kisses, and a bunch of growing up for almost all the characters.

Highly recommended for drama kids, aspiring drama kids, and retired drama kids, ages 12 to adult. 

Photos from Sex in the Library at Einstein Middle School

Mary Jo: home from India,
and talking about Sex in the Library again!

Aarene: showing off the Mission Statement cue card

Sex-in-the-Library virgin no more:  
Anne has a Mission Statement cue card of her own!

Talking about books:  The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez

CAUTION: SITL books on display
Biggify the photo to see the covers clearly.

Confessions of a Serial Kisser

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

Evangeline has just been keeping her head down since her parents separated. She didn't try out for the vollyball team, she refuses to talk to her dad at all (since the separation was his fault and she will never forgive him!); instead, she concentrates on doing her homework and trying to keep the condo tidy so her mom can relax a little. While sorting through the laundry, Evangeline discovers her mom's secret stash of bodice-ripper romance novels. Intrigued, Evangeline reads one of the books and decides that what she needs most is a fabulous, passionate kiss like the kisses between Delilah and Grayson in The Crimson Kiss.

Evangeline's search for the perfect kiss quickly gets out of hand, and soon she has a reputation as a "serial kisser." Will she ever find passion and happiness?

The pink cover art and chick-lit plot are misleading. This is actually a carefully-crafted, well-told story about a teen's search for identity and love. The unexpected ending was a delight.

Recommended for readers 12 to adult. No cussing or violence, and no sex...but plenty of kisses!

Hunger Games

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The most horrible day of the year in District Twelve is "Reaping Day", when two young people are randomly chosen to participate as Tributes in the brutal Hunger Games. When 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen's younger sister is chosen, Katness doesn't hesitate: she volunteer's to take Prim's place in the game that will test her resourcefulness. In order to survive, she must win the game. In order to win, she will have to kill the other Tributes, even those who have become her friends and allies.

Katniss' unusual winning solution to the Games brings her fame in the Districts and in the Capital...but not everyone loves her. In book two, Catching Fire, President Snow wants to squash Katniss' popularity, and thus crush the uprisings inspired by her defiance. Only one thing could be more cruel than the ominous threats to family and friends: a return to the Hunger Games arena.

Carolyn McCormick reads both audiobooks with exactly the right pacing to keep listeners avidly tuned in. With themes of oppression and rebellion intricately woven with a tale of survival and abiding love, the quick-paced action sequences are interspersed with nail-biting suspense, and a cliff-hanger ending that left me howling for part 3 (scheduled for publication in August 2010).

Recommended for readers 12 to adult. A few kisses but no sex or cussing, and plenty of blood.

Eternal

Eternal
by Cynthia Smith

What we wanted was a sequel to Tantalize.

What we get is a companion novel- same quirky world of strange beings. This addition shows us Miranda, who wants to be a star. She is watched over by her guardian angel, Zachary, who has fallen in love with her and tries to prevent her death. That’s a real no-no in the angel world and not only does Miranda die anyway, she rises as the daughter of a vampire. Never fear, she meets Zachary again, and he is really intent on saving her soul now!

Not the romance we wanted, and not as much fun as Tantalize, but still a good ending. If you can conquer the first page, then anyone 8th grade and up would not have a problem with this one!

This is Mary Jo's review of Eternal.
To read Aarene's review of the same book, click HERE

Twenty Boy Summer

20 Boy Summer
by Sarah Ockler

Anna and Matt and Matt’s sister Frankie have been best friends forever. When Matt and Anna share a kiss, they agree that they have a love interest but agree to wait and tell Frankie. Before Matt can do this, he is killed in a car accident.

Frankie and Anna are still best friends, but Anna cannot reveal her relationship with Matt except to her journal, even when Frankie wants to have a summer of “a boy a day” in California.

Anna is full of questions:
Where does Matt now fit in her life? How can she now tell Frankie? What does she do about the boy she met that she really likes? When does she give up her virginity, which Frankie tells her it is easy, and time, to do?

Both of them have secrets.
But the biggest question of all is: How can your best friend really help?

Recommended for readers in 7th grade and up.

Fat Cat

Fat Cat : a novel by Robin Brande

Cat's goals: Win the science fair, and beat her former-science-buddy Matt McKinney in the process.

Her topic: The measurable physical changes resulting from returning an overweight American teen to a more primitive lifestyle, including eschewing technology like computers and cell phones, avoiding modern transportation options like cars, busses and bicycles, and eating only simple and unprocessed food.

The result: Formerly fat science geek girl loses weight, gains muscle, stretches her imagination, and learns more about science -- and people -- than she realized could be possible from a single experiment.

Cat's candid narration wryly chronicles the changes in her body and outlook through the experiment. This is not a "get skinny and get the guy" book--it's much more fun than that. Read it for the characters, read it for the relationships, and read it for the poetry. Just read it for the fun of it.

A few hot kisses but no nekkidness, no cussing, and no violence. Recommended for ages 12 to adult.

Ice

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

Cassie grew up on an arctic research station raised by her grandmother, her father and the other scientists. She loved to hear Gram tell the fairy tale of the Polar Bear King and the North Wind's Daughter...until, on her 18th birthday, she discovers that the story is true: her mother, the daughter of the North Wind, has been captured by trolls and can be rescued by the Polar Bear King.

The price of the rescue is simple: Cassie must agree to marry the bear.

This retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is a less-complicated version than East (Pattou) and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow (George), but readers of the genre will welcome this contemporary, quick-paced interpretation of the old story.

No cussing or blood; tactful sexual situations are mostly off-page (Cassie is pregnant when she embarks upon her own quest to save her husband in the second half of the book).

Recommended for readers ages 12 to adult.

Marcelo in the Real World

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

17-year-old Marcelo is on the very high-functioning end of the autism spectrum, and his classes at Paterson have taught him many skills for living in the "real world." However, his high-powered lawyer father isn't satisfied with Marcelo's progress, and insists that the boy take a summer job at the law firm, rather than working with the ponies in the therapeutic riding center at Paterson.

At the law firm, Marcelo meets people from all ends of the "real world" spectrum, including musically-talented Jasmine in the mail room, snobbish personal secretaries, and the lecherous son of one of the lawyers. Marcelo also becomes personally involved in the law firm's biggest cases when he discovers the photograph of a victim in the trash, and decides that he must take action.

Marcelo's strong, distinctive voice tells the unusual story of a self-possessed teen who is eager to fit in without sacrificing his own values and interests. No cussing or kissing; however, there is much thought and discussion about sex and sexual attraction (the whole concept baffles Marcelo), but no action on-page.

Highly recommended for readers ages 14 to adult. Those who enjoyed the voice of Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Haddon) will love reading about Marcelo's adventures in the real world.

Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
In the summer between graduating high school and beginning college, Auden leaves her mom's house to spend some quality time with her dad, his new wife, and their new daughter Thisbe in the little beach town of Colby. Auden's hopes of spending the summer studying college textbooks and having meaningful discussions about life with her father are quickly dispelled: the baby cries continually and her father insists on keeping distance between himself and the other family members so that he can finish writing his book.

Left to herself for much of the summer, Auden wanders the streets of town at night and meets up with Eli, another teen with time on his hands. Together, Auden and Eli do the things that she never did as a kid: bowling, food fights, and delivering newspapers. But just because she learns to ride a bike doesn't mean Auden has really changed, does it? And will her family ever change?

A sweet story of friendship, families, and growing up. The book contains some kissing and a tactfully-vague "hooking-up" scene on the beach, but no cussing or violence. Fans of the author will enjoy the cameo appearances of characters from earlier books.

Recommended for readers ages 12 to adult.

The Color of Earth

The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa

Ehwa is seven years old on the first page of this beautifully illustrated manhwa, interested in bugs, flowers, and her own body. As she grows and matures, she discovers the physical differences between boys and girls, grows into young womanhood and undergoes her first confusing experience with romance and sexuality. Her mother, the keeper of a small tavern in rural Korea, also experiences changes as a traveling artist reawakens her affection, and mother and daughter are able to share their experiences in a lovely, open, and age-appropriate manner. Themes of love, sexuality, and natural beauty abound in this attractive volume, which is first in a trilogy translated from the Korean by Lauren Na.

No cussing or killing; nudity and sexual situations are portrayed. According to the notes at the end of the story, the popularity of this series in Korea is surprising because it is written by a man and read by both men and women there.

Recommended for readers ages 12 and up, even those who do not normally read graphic novels. The next books in the series continue telling the story of Ehwa's maturation into adulthood.

The Garden

The Garden by Elsie V. Aidinoff

In the beginning, God created everything: the earth and sea, the sky, the animals...and Adam and Eve. Eve narrates this story of her childhood in Eden, where Adam is raised by God, and she is tutored by the Serpent, who is possibly the only thing that God did not create.

Eve learns to think, to reason, and to question. She explores the entire Garden, and then, assisted by the Serpent, she explores the world outside the Garden in preparation for the days ahead when she and Adam will go out into the world and away from the direct influence of God.

The bones of the story are familiar: Eve and Adam eat the forbidden fruit and are expelled from Eden. But the author explores the motivations, the questions, and the possibilities that the old story does not address: if they know the fruit is forbidden by God, why would Eve offer it to Adam, and why would he accept it?

This book invites the readers to ask questions and challenge their own long-held assumptions. There is a disturbing scene mid-way with some sexual and violent content which may upset sensitive readers.

The Garden will certainly be controversial, and is an excellent choice for book groups who like to argue about what they read. For readers ages 14 and up.