Shining on: 11 star authors' illuminating stories Foreword by Lois Lowry

Bibliographic Information:

Shining on: 11 star authors' illuminating stories. (2007). New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN# 9780385904704

Plot Summary:
Each of these eleven short stories, by well-known authors of young adult literature, deals with some aspect of coming of age, making decisions, growing up, or individuality. The book opens with a foreword by Lois Lowry discussing how and why this collection occurred. In the first story, Resigned by Meg Resoff, a mother gets tired of her family not helping out around the house, so she resigns. Meg Cabot’s Allie Finklestein’s rules for boyfriends is second. In it Allie tries to figure out the ins and outs of dating. In the third story, Melvin Burgess’s Coming Home, the teenaged narrator comes home early to find his mother is having an affair. Anne Fine’s Getting the message is the fourth story. In it the teenage narrator is trying to figure out how to tell his parents that he is gay. The fifth story, Sue Limb’s You’re a legend, Jess discovers some interesting facts about her grandmother’s past. Jacqueline Wilson’s The bad sister is the sixth story. The narrator had an older sister who died. She was born specifically to replace her sister and even has the same name, Angela. She had always thought that she was the bad one and the first Angela was the good one. Then she learns differently. The seventh story is Celia Rees’s Calling the cats. It is the only fantasy story in the book. Julia and her mother come to take care of Julia’s grandfather’s house after his death. It is an old, creepy house with many feral cats. Julia discovers that the cats are ghosts of dead children during the night and they want her to join them. In Malorie Blackman’s Humming through my fingers, Amber is a blind high school girl. While reading near the high school, Kyle comes up and asks about her blindness. She blindfolds him to let him experience some of what her life is like. The following story, A summer to die, is by Lois Lowry and depicts a family trying to deal with the fact that one of their children is dying. The tenth story is Skin deep by Rosie Rushton. Elle has been in an accident causing facial deformities. She feels that her boyfriend Matt no longer loves her or wants to be her boyfriend anymore. The last story is John Lennon said … by Cathy Hopkins. In this last story Jessica is trying to decide what she wants to do as an adult.

Critical Evaluation:
The short stories in this book are all written by well-known YA authors. Teens will be able to relate, if not to all of the stories than at least one of them. Each of the stories shows how a teenager learns, grows, or figures something out by the end of the story. All teens are confused about something in their life. Some may wonder why their mother constantly nags them to clean their room or get their chores finished. Others may be concerned with how to get and keep a boyfriend. Some teens may be dealing with how to explain to their parents that they are gay, lesbian, or have a different sexual preference. Others may wonder about their stodgy family members. Some teens may compare themselves to their siblings. Regardless of their individual situation, most teens should be able to see themselves in one of the characters in this book. By relating to one of these characters, s/he may better be able to understand and/or deal with his/her own life.

Reader's Annotation:
Eleven short stories about coming of age, making decisions, and/or individuality written by eleven well-known authors of young adult literature.

Information about the author:
All of the authors are well-known for their books aimed toward young adults. Each author has won awards for his/her writing. Lowry has written over 30 books and has won numerous awards including two Newbery Medals. Meg Rosoff has written seven books and won The Michael L. Printz Award. Meg Cabot has written five books for children, over 40 books for teens, and thirteen books for adults. She has received numerous awards for her books including the New York Times Bestsellers. Melvin Burgess has written seven books and won the Carnegie Medal. Anne Fine has written 27 books for younger readers, 18 books for middle readers, 14 books for older readers, and eight books for adults. She has won numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal. Sue Limb has written over 25 books and has been shortlisted for the Smarties Prize. Jacqueline Wilson has written two books for children ages 5-7, three books for children ages 7-9, 27 books for children ages 9-11, nine books for children over 12, and seven other books. She has won the Children’s Book of the Year Award. Celia Rees has written 17 books for young adults and has won the Border’s Original Voices Award. Malorie Blackman has written six picture books, 23 early reader books, six books for confident readers, 10 novels, five books for young adults, and two books of short stories. She has won the FCBG Children’s Book Award. Rosie Rushton has written over 30 books. Cathy Hopkins has written over 20 books.
http://www.loislowry.com/books.html
http://www.megrosoff.co.uk/oldsite/books.html
http://www.megcabot.com/alliefinkle/index.php
http://www.melvinburgess.net/
http://www.annefine.co.uk/books/younger.php
http://www.annefine.co.uk/books/middle.php
http://www.annefine.co.uk/books/older.php
http://www.suelimb.co.uk/index.php?id=4
http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/the-books/books-5-7/
http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/the-books/book-7-9/
http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/the-books/books-9-11/
http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/the-books/books-12/
http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/the-books/books-other/
http://www.celiarees.com/books.html
http://clcd.odyssi.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~hz6Izd:4
http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/books/picturebooks.html
http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/books/early_readers.html
http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/books/confident_readers.html
http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/books/novels.html
http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/books/young_adults.html
http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/books/short_stories.html

Genre: Short Stories, Realistic Fiction & Fantasy

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts

Booktalking Ideas:
• How are all of the stories tied together?
• What theme links them?
• Describe how this is the theme for each story.
• Which story do you relate to the most? Why?
• Do you see people you know in any of the stories? How?

Reading Level/Interest Level:
The widest age range, according to the reviews, is 12 – 18.

Challenge Issues:
Ghosts and supernatural occurrences in Rees’ story; neglect in Rosoff’s story; sexuality/ “touch it,” “doing it” in Cabot’s story; having an affair in Burgess’s story; coming out of the closet in Fine’s story; under-aged drinking in Wilson’s story; dying in Lowry’s story; tarot cards in Hopkins’s story.

If the book is challenged:
• Listen calmly to the complainant.
• Ask if s/he has read the entire novel.
• Show positive reviews of the novel.
• Show the selection policy.
If the complainant still has issues with the book:
• Request that the complainant read the entire book if this has not already occurred.
• Have the complainant fill out a reconsideration form.
• Set up a reconsideration meeting.
o Provide the reconsideration meeting members with:
 Positive reviews
 Selection policy
 Reconsideration policy

Selection Process:
I did a search on Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database with the following criteria: Award winner, reviews available, and age range from 15 – 18.

Six positive reviews

Awards/ Best Books Lists:
Appears on Two Best Books Lists

Reading/Interest level, selection process information, reviews, and Awards/Best Books Lists were accessed using the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database at http://clcd.odyssi.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~3fInSg:1 accessed through SJSU and not available to everyone.