Why I Loved MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD

Here are ten reasons I'll be happy if this year's ALA's Printz Award goes to MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork:

10.  The story is classic bildungsroman.



9.  We get a Latino teen guy protagonist who isn't in a gang, on the streets, or primarily defined by cultural angst.

8.  We're intrigued and captivated by descriptions of music. (Stork even created a playlist to accompany the book for the New York Times' blog, Paper Cuts.)

7. We're given a stark, honest portrayal of...