Radical Reads 2: Working with the Newest Edgy Titles for Teens

by Joni Richards Bodart

In Radical Reads , Joni Richards Bodart identified 101 young adult books that featured gritty, complex plots, focused on multidimensional characters, and tackled such difficult subjects as teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, gangs, prejudice, violence, drugs, or other provocative issues. Teen readers were drawn to such books because they could identify with both the characters and the situations depicted in these raw and edgy works of fiction.

In Radical Reads 2: Working with the Newest Edgy Titles for Teens , Bodart continues where the first book left off, examining more than a hundred titles published since the previous edition. The books featured here are engaging and tough, yet well written and accessible to readers. For each novel, Bodart lists the main characters, major themes and subject areas, and offers a brief summary. Along with providing book report ideas, she cites the strengths of each work, excerpts important reviews, and lists any awards the book has received. Indexed by author, title, subject, curriculum area, reading level, interest level, and genre, Radical Reads 2 is an indispensable tool for librarians, teachers, and parents alike, and will appeal especially to teens looking for relevant and topical fiction.

Genres: Nonfiction

504 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2009

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda dated for today's YA books but gives a good list of past books. For each book, it lists subject areas, characters, a booktalk, major themes, book report ideas, booktalk ideas, risks, strengths, and reviews. The appendices discuss censorship and how to deal with it and also how to write a rationale, along with examples. Very helpful!

[Melissa Wehunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best Teen Fiction programming book I've seen in a long while. I loved that it wasn't cover to cover "planning"-- by which I mean, start planning 4 weeks in advance, on week 3, do this...blablabla...I HATE how most Library programming books do this!! So, I appreciated the level of content in this book. It was concise, to the point...gave lots of relevant and useful information on the selection of books. It was a great introduction to book club-y type reads...and even though we all know that we have to read those books with the teens, it gave great background information for choosing a productive and appropriate read. Also, gave me some insight to some books I might be missing from my collection, or books that I've overlooked reading because I didn't know what they were really about. So, bravo. We need more compilations like this and less like the other 3 I rated in the last hour. :P

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A list of 100 good YA titles, slanted towards older high school students and those interested in difficult topics. The summaries, while good, aren't why I like this book - after all, those are available lots of ways. Each title is supported with thematic ties and a list of ways to 'book report' the title, and that could prove invaluable for students looking for fresh ways to handle such assignments. I think teachers and librarians will really appreciate this title.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for media specialists, librarians, teachers, and students at the high school level. I especially liked the introduction, "The Value of Controversial YA Literature." It gives excellent rationale for including literature in the collection that provides both windows and mirrors for teens - and rationale for not censoring. The information on each title included as a "radical read" is thorough, insightful, and useful. Highly recommend!