Hi PJ Mommy readers. My name is Kristina Brooke, from the website Mom on the Rise, bringing you book finds for your Young Adult reader. I am an English Teacher (9th and 11th grades) and also a mom. I know how difficult it can be to pull your child away from the TV and get them to read a book. In fact, I also know how hard it is for parents to resist the urge to use the TV to buy some much needed alone time. I’ll be introducing you to some good books as well as some activities that may get your Young Adult reading.

Brooks, M. (2003). True confessions of a heartless girl. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks is a chaotic story about love, motherhood, and friendship. While each of the characters in the story has his/her own story, Noreen’s story is the one that touches the others. She is running from something that does not seem to exist and ends up finding the home she always wanted. This is a mature young adult novel with simplistic language. It will appeal to older students (15+) with lower reading skills.

What I really loved about this novel was the character development. Although the book is a quick read, Brooks does a great job of allowing each character the chance to grow as individuals. Noreen is a very emotional character and is easily hurt by her own actions. In addition, she does not think about how her actions will affect others. When discussing this story, focus on actions and consequences.

Herrera, J.F. (2002) Crash, boom, love: A novel in verse. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press.

Caesar Garcia, a sixteen-year-old Chicano (Mexican) is trying to adjust to his new life in the United States. His father, a migrant worker, has left Caesar and his mother and now lives in Denver with his new family. Mama Lucy struggles to make ends meet in California and at the same time is trying to keep her son from repeating her mistakes.

Herrera’s use of Spanish and English in his poetry is great for bilingual readers. The mixture of the two languages illuminates the struggles of not knowing the language and represents the division of communication that many new-Americans face. In fact, Herrera even provides footnotes to define many of the Spanish phrases and words that he uses.

The lessons taught by Mama Lucy are even more appealing than the language. It is refreshing to read a story in which the mother admits that she made mistakes and shares those mistakes with her son in order to prevent him repeating them. Despite the depressing reality of Caesar’s life, his mother is strong and positive. Caesar has a great support system and his mother is a great role model.

Readers will definitely understand Caesar’s struggles for acceptance in his high school. He feels like an outsider and is treated like that by many of the students. He looks for comfort in others who are like him: new and Chicano. In fact, this novel would work well during the beginning of the year when they may feel insecure about starting a new school.

If you love working with kids, you can look for accredited online colleges and get your online teaching degree while your kids are at home and then go into the education field when they are older