Thought Provoking

Gemma Malley's trilogy, The Declaration, The Resistance, and The Legacy offers a thought provoking series dealing with population control, health, longevity, and human rights.

I came across the series when working with my students, in a literature circle unit (book club). The premise in The Declaration is there is a drug that offers immortality. All adults who take it, must agree to not have any children. Those opting out of the drug can have a child, but can only have one. Any other children born are taken from the parents, and are considered "surplus." They are raised in institutions like orphanages. One young student of mine, who picked this book, struggled with it, due to being raised in an Albanian orphanage. She was adopted at the age of 5, and her parents rightly felt the themes in the book might be a bit much, so she switched to Peak, a novel I have mentioned in another review.

I have been railing against so many trilogy's in the YA market, and it seems most are dystopian, but this trilogy is different because the questions raised are truly thought provoking. Not many authors could pull this off, and I discovered that this author studied philosophy, in London. My older son is currently doing so (as an external student...he lives here), and it is understandable how she is able to offer a variety of themes, that make the reader question their own moral stances.

The second book in the series, The Resistance, had some flaws, primarily in continuity, but also added philosophical queries to ponder. I just finished the third novel, and feel it is a worthwhile series to recommend. It too ends with questions, both in plot and dealing with moral issues that were raised, but it is nice to leave a series thinking.

a critical review

I don't want to give away any plot points, but as a middle school teacher, who constantly reads and enjoys YA titles, I was under the mistaken impression that the The End of Everything by Megan Abbot was a YA novel. It seemed to be an interesting mystery as a teenage girl explores the disappearance of her friend. Unfortunately any young girl (or boy) who reads this thinking they might connect with the characters will be sorely led astray. I feel particularly that any child dealing with an adult who sexualizes their relationship will be vulnerable and misled into thinking some horrible aspects are "normal" and/or that the child is at fault.

Specifically Mrs. Shaw's character to me was entirely unbelievable; it is one thing to know that some mothers are in denial regarding what their husbands or 2nd husbands are doing with their own daughters, but for this woman to assist in hiding her husband and bringing the son into it, just doesn't play out for me.

The girls understandings of their "power" is misleading and alleviates pedophiles' actions. It is all portrayed as him not having control, the girls having control, and that they should understand how vulnerable the pedophile was.
The secrets revealed only further these misconceptions; the horror of what happened is too vaguely portrayed.

How high is height?

We've Got a Job by Cynthia Levinson, was a very interesting book. I had of course heard of the March on Washington, and knew of some events that took place in Birmingham, Alabama, but I didn't know anything about the Children's march, nor the events that took place in Birmingham in May, 1963.

I was a toddler in '63, and as I got older I was exposed through news stories and pictures, of horrible events. I vividly remember seeing photos of Bull Connor, and policemen, using dogs and water hoses on civil rights protestors. At the time I saw these, the events had taken place years earlier, but it made me ill to look at them. The raw hatred on peoples' faces as they looked at the protestors, the evil of using the dogs and the hoses, was just incredibly awful.

This book highlights the children's march, and focuses on 4 children who participated. Essentially, Dr Martin Luther King, Mr. Shuttlesworth, and a host of other adult civil rights' leaders, weren't having a great deal of success getting adults to commit to various protests. This was due to fear of losing jobs, being beaten or losing their lives.

The children united Black Birmingham, and all of this resulted in the nation's increased awareness, and the March on Washington in August of 1963.

Though I thought I knew a great deal, I truly didn't and thus learned a lot from this book. I think my students will find it engaging, and they too will learn a great deal.

We have all heard of discriminatory practices taking place during elections, like taxes and questions that were asked of black voters. I knew this was wrong of course, but had no idea the type of questions that were often asked. One was, "How high is height?"

And we of course know about the Jim Crow laws, and of the segregation that existed just a half-century ago.

When the students had their first protest, on May 2nd, they were called to the park through listening to a local DJ named Shelley Stewart. He said, "Kids there's going to be a party at the park. Bring your toothbrushes because lunch will be served."

This code told the kids to meet at Kelly Ingram Park, and that they would be arrested; hence the need for toothbrushes.

The book starts in an interesting manner, as a girl prepares to go to jail, with her parents permission. She is getting ready to attend a protest.

By the end of May 2nd, between 500-800 kids were arrested. This was 2-3 times the number of adults who had been arrested in all of April!

When they were arrested they were crammed into paddy wagons, and soon the police had to use yellow school buses. Prior to being arrested the children were also attacked by dogs and had water hoses...at a super strength..used against them. The water sheared off the hair of one girl's head.

The kids had no rights as they were interrogated (this was 3 years prior to the Miranda case) and they were exposed to some pretty horrific questioning, and had horrible experiences in jail.

I think this book will hook all readers, and that all, whether a young child or an older adult, will learn a great deal as they read the book.

There are numerous pictures and documents, that highlight the historical events.

All school libraries, and many classroom libraries, should obtain a copy of We've Got a Job.

This book will be published Feb. 1st.