Bluford High Series: The Bully

Sometimes the bullies you face aren't only school. The Bluford High Series books are in Y Fiction and Young Adult Paperbacks. Most are written by Paul Langan, author of The Bully, and Anne Schraff.
Edginess Factor 2

Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper

Romeo and Juliet in Cinci with high school gangbangers and online chat. Sharon Draper, a former teacher, shoots and scores again!   Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper is available in Y Fiction and YA Paperbacks   Edginess Factor 2

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

It's your senior year, you are trying to remember, that "the tassle is worth the hassle", and deal with boyfriend issues, a job, life, family stuff, and being on the prom committee 'cause prom is something you are really looking forward to, and then your prom advisor/teacher turns out to be a total prom thief! How would you deal? Can the prom be saved? Read Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson and find out!
Edginess Factor 3

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, winner of the Newbery Honor Award and Michael Prinze Award, is an historical fiction inspired by real events in turn-of-the-century Maine. It is an interesting read about a friendship between an free-spirited African-American girl, Lizzie Bright Griffin, and the new kid in town, Turner Buckminster, whose dad is the new minister and who is a convenient target for the local bullies. Lizzie shows Turner that life on Maine's rocky coast can be exciting and fun. Turner tries to help Lizzie and her family when their community, which was founded by freed slaves, is faced with eviction off the beautiful coastal island where they live because the town elders want to make the island a tourist resort.
Southerners are used to hearing about prejudice and discrimination set in the South. This story, set in the Northeast, makes an interesting contrast to stories like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, which are set in the South. This book helps remind readers that prejudice is a national issue, not just a regional one.
Edginess Factor 1

Storytime by Edward Bloor

Take a pinch of Lemony Snicket of the Roald Dahl derivation, a dash of Louis Sachar, and a dollop of Edgar Allan Poe and mix with a base of Orwellian distopic angst to get the flavor of Storytime by Edward Bloor.

Author Bloor acknowledges the Orwell connection in his post-script about this story of two interestingly-related teens, George and Kate (he's her uncle but she's older), in this story of a magnet school gone wrong. Mandatory testing, Mother Goose, Peter Pan, and a haunted library also figure in this humorous noire satire.



Included on the Blessed Sacrament summer reading list (2007).

Bloor is also the author of Tangerine (a SC Junior Book Award nominee) and Crusader.

This title is available in Y Fiction and Young Adult paperbacks.

Edginess Factor 2

Edginess Factor: How I Rate Books

Once upon a time, when I was a YA, I liked to read edgy books about teens engaged in risky behavior and the consequences they faced. Things have not changed. These types of books are still popular and some of the books that I read and liked are still on reading lists today.However, it is important to remember that not every book is right for every reader. Some families don't feel that teens should read about adult issues and themes until they are older. Some families are not comfortable with certain types of books. As a librarian, I respect the wishes of families to make decisions about what their members read. Families generally want their members to read books that reflect their own family's values.In order to make sure that I am not making blanket recommendations for the books listed on this site, I have rated books by what I call their "edginess factor". This is a purely subjective determination on my part. In other words, it is just my opinion.I am using a rating from 1 to 4, with 1 being the least edgy and 4 being the most.Edginess Factor of 1 - Contains 1 or more of the following: conflict, making or almost making poor choices, some risky behavior, tragedy, exposure to bullying, etc.Examples - Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer CholdenkoEdginess Factor of 2 - Contains 1 or more of the following: conflict, characters making or almost making poor choices, some risky behavior, tragedy, graphic violence, sexual overtones, etc.Examples - Pirates by Celia Rees and Eragon by Christopher Paolini Edginess Factor of 3 - Contains 1 or more of the following: high level of conflict, teens making poor choices and/or engaging in risky behavior, tragedy, violence, minor use of drugs or alcohol, some sexual themes, etc. Ending is redemptive and positive and shows negative behavior consequences.Examples - Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas and Prom by Laurie Halse AndersonEdginess Factor of 4 - Contains 1 or more of the following: high level of conflict, deliberately making poor choices, highly risky behavior, tragedy, violence, high level of use of alcohol and drugs, strong sexual themes, disturbing images, etc. Ending may or may not be redemptive.Example - Gossip Girl SeriesA book with an Edginess Factor of 4 is basically an adult book.

Facing Bullies

Can there be a school without bullies? Bullies are a real problem for kids; some kids face them and some kids are them.5th grader, Gabe, in The Liberation of Gabriel King, by K.L. Going, gets help facing his 6th grade tormenters from Frita, a whip-smart, outgoing African-American girl who is Gabe's best friend (courtesy of integration), in rural 1976 Georgia.In The Revealers, by Doug Wilhelm, Russell bands together with two other victims to take on and expose the bullies in his seventh class using the student email system despite the insistence of the school's principal that bullying is not an issue at "Darkland" Middle School. Visit author, Wilhelm's, Revealer's website (click here) for more info on the impact of this book.Both books appeared on the 2007-2008 South Carolina Junior Book Award List. These books are recommended for ages 9 and up.