Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Bibliographic Information:
Maberry , J. (2010). Rot & Ruin. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. (978-1-4424-0233-1)
- Rot & Ruin, bk. 1
- Dust & Decay, bk. 2
- Flesh & Bone, bk. 3
- Fire & Ash, bk. 4 (to be released in August 2013)
Plot Summary:
In this post-apocalyptic world, the zombies are roaming outside the fence in the Rot and Ruin. Benny has grown up in the world after the First Night. Now, he is fifteen and if he does not work he will lose his food rations. So, he decides to join his half-brother, Tom, as a zombie hunter.
While working with his brother, he meets Charlie Pink-eye and Motor City Hammer, two unethical zombie hunters who pit children against zombies for fun. He is also introduced to the mystery of the Lost Girl who fascinates him.
Critical Evaluation:
Rot & Ruin is a gritty zombie novel about what happens when the humans lost the war. The humans are now living in small, scattered communities isolated from one another. So, what do the humans do that are left? That is really what the story is about. It is really a coming of age story about teens that are growing up in the apocalypse and want their world to be more than waiting for death.
So, the novel is not just about killing zombies – although there is definitely a lot of that. The plot is about keeping your humanity of grays. That makes this book very interesting; even to readers who are not zombie fans.
Reader’s Annotation:
Benny thinks his brother is a coward. But when Benny accompanies Tom beyond the fence is realizes that zombies aren’t the only monsters to fear. At least with zombies you know what to do.
Information About the Author:
Maberry is a zombie writer and a multiple Bram Stoker Award winner. “I write about people who fight monsters” (SimonSchusterVideos). This statement really does encapsulate his writing which includes Dead of Night, Patient Zero and The Dragon Factory.
His writing is graphic and very descriptive. These elements help to explain his success as a comic writer as well. Finally, he writes nonfiction covering topics of martial arts and zombie pop-culture.
Jonathan Maberry also teaches Experimental Writing for Teens class. He is the founder the Writers Coffeehouse and cofounded The Liars Club (Jonathan Maberry Biography).
Jonathan has also worked as a bodyguard, college teacher and women’s self-defense instructor.
For more information, please see Jonathan Maberry’s website.
Genre:
- Zombies
- Survival
- Bounty hunters
- Horror
- Post-apocalypse
Curriculum Ties:
- N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
- Compare to Forest of Hands and Teeth – created a book list of zombie books
- Show video: Maberry talks about Rot & Ruin from Simon and Schuster:
http://videos.simonandschuster.net/The-zombie-world’s-gone-to-ROT/632738882001
Reading Level/Interest Age:
- Ages 14 and up
Challenge Issues:
- Violence
Challenge plan:
- Listen to the critic to understand what the concerns are.
- Ask if he/she has read the book
- Ask if he/she has spoken to his/her child about the concerns
- Explain rationale for including the book in the collection
- Provide CLA Position Statement on Intellectual Freedom and CLA’s Position Statement of Diversity and Inclusion documents
- Provide school’s selection policy
- Provide list of reviews/lists
- If necessary, provide a “Request for Reconsideration form”
Why did you include this resource in the titles you selected?:
Zombies and post-apocalyptic fiction is very popular with my students.
Awards:
- Finalist for the 2010 Cybils Award
- Winner 2011 Cybils Award
Reviews:
- Kraus, D. (2010). Rot & Ruin. Booklist, 107(4), 51.
“The plot is driven by an evil bounty-hunter rival and the cruel games he plays, but Maberry has more than gore on his mind. The chief emotion here is sadness, and the book plays out like an extended elegy for a lost world.”
- Doyle, A. C. (2010). Rot & Ruin. School Library Journal, 56(11), 121.
“The relationship between Benny and Tom becomes surprisingly complex and satisfying, as does the romantic subplot between Benny and his friend Nix. The length of the book may intimidate some reluctant readers but the striking cover, compelling action, and brutal violence will draw them in and keep them reading.”
References:
Jonathan Maberry Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2013 from http://authors.simonandschuster.ca/Jonathan-Maberry/67600213/biography
SimonSchusterVideos. (n.d.). The zombie’s world gone to Rot & Ruin [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/rot-ruin/
The Enemy by Charlie Higson
Bibliographic Information:
Higson, C. (2010). The enemy. London: Puffin. (978-0-414-32501-9)
The Enemy series:
- The Dead, bk. 2
- The Fear, bk. 3
- The Sacrifice, bk. 4
- The Fallen, bk. 5
Plot Summary:
All the adults have been infected with the sickness. Two groups of children have developed bases in supermarkets. Together, they are stronger and can fight back and so far they have enough food. But when a younger kid, Small Sam is kidnapped and a boy named Jester arrives to tell them of another group of kids at Buckingham Palace, they decide to risk going there to join the other group.
Critical Evaluation:
There are two reasons why this series has been so successful. First, of course is the heavy dose of adrenaline-laced fight scenes with gore and death doled out is equal measure. Higson understands how to write an action book; he has had a lot of experience with his Young Bond series.
The other reason may not be expected in a book of this genre and that is the character development. Higson has put in a lot of time building back stories and developing individual characters. Usually, when an author invests the time in developing a character a reader expects that character will be around for a while. Not so with Higson, he kills off main characters as quickly as secondary characters. That, I think, is what surprises the reader the most. They invest in a character, start cheering for that person and suddenly, they are gone. Maybe that is where the horror comes from; the knowledge that nothing is certain and anyone can be the next victim.
Reader’s Annotation:
It is important to stay with a gang because the adults usually attack the isolated and weak. Together, the kids can survive because they are smart and quick. But the adults seem to be getting smarter they are coming.
Information About the Author:
Charlie Higson has a varied resume. He has worked as a decorator, an actor and comedian. He even formed a band.He has also written for television and radio and, of course, he is the author of the very popular Young Bond series (The author, 2013).
Genre:
- Horror
- Thriller
- Post-Apocalyptic
Curriculum Ties:
- N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
- Create a booklist of similar books including Gone series by Grant and the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
- Read the first page when a child is taken by the adults.
- Book trailer http://www.the-enemy.co.uk/home
Reading Level/Interest Age:
- Ages 14 and up
- Reading level 4.1
Challenge Issues:
- Violence
Challenge plan:
- Listen to the critic to understand what the concerns are.
- Ask if he/she has read the book
- Ask if he/she has spoken to his/her child about the concerns.
- Explain rationale for including the book in the collection
- Provide CLA Position Statement on Intellectual Freedom and CLA’s Position Statement of Diversity and Inclusion documents
- Provide school’s selection policy
- Provide list of reviews/lists
- If necessary, provide a “Request for Reconsideration form”
Why did you include this resource in the titles you selected?:
My students love it and the series is in constant circulation. The gross factor is high.
Reviews:
- Kraus, D. (2010). The Enemy. Booklist, 106(18), 46.
“Higson writes with a firestorm velocity that aspires to the sweeping reach of Stephen King’s The Stand (1978). A muscular start to what looks to be a series.”
Awards:
Booklist 2011 Top 10 Books for Youth, Horror
References:
The author. (2013). Retreived April 25, 2013 from http://www.the-enemy.co.uk/author
All Good Children by Catherine Austen
Bibliographic Information:
Austen, C. (2011). All good children. Victoria, B.C: Orca Book Publishers. (978-1-55469-824-0)
Plot Summary:
When Maxwell Connors returns home after his aunt’s funeral he notices that the kids at school are acting strange. It turns out that the students were given a treatment while he was away that has turned them into obedient, well-mannered citizens. His sister Ally notices it first. She says that the other kids are “are fuzzy and slow. They just go along.”
Middletown is special walled community that protects the inhabitants from the terrorism and disasters that are happening throughout the world. The whole community works for the same corporation, Chemrose International. As a result, the corporation controls everything that happens in the town. When Max’s class is vaccinated he has to pretend to be a “zombie” too. It is time for the family to leave Middletown but that may prove more difficult than one would expect.
Critical Evaluation:
Catherine Austen has created a multi-dimensional wise-cracking teenager as her protagonist in the dystopian world of All Good Children. A wise choice since young adults are very interested in developing their individuality at this stage. Max’s sarcasm and “tell it like it is” attitude will resonate with readers. These characteristics also infuse some humour into an otherwise stark plot.
Max’s development from a kid who accepts the way his world operates to one who is willing to give up all the nice toys for freedom is realistic. At first, Max is pretty comfortable with his situation. He lives in a safe community that has a good standard of living and the newest technology toys. He knows that he is smart enough to be successful. So, he is okay with the security. He likes that the city is clean and secure.
The novel, told from Max’s point of view, follows his dawning awareness that the New Education Support Treatment is stripping children of their individuality and making them into good workers with no emotions who are willing to do what they are told.
Reader’s Annotation:
In a world with terrorism and disasters, what would you be willing to give up for security?
Information About the Author:
Catherine Austen is an awarding-winning author of children and young adult fiction. All Good Children was her first young adult novel.
Catherine grew up in Kingston, Ontario. She studies political science at Queen’s University and environmental studies at York University. After, she worked in the conservation movement. While a student, she wrote short stories, which she published in small literary journals. She started writing stories for children in 2003 but her first children’s book, Walking Backwards, was published in 2009.
When she became a parent, she decided to become a freelance writer so she could be home with her family.
She currently lives in Aylmer (Gatineau), Quebec. She says she lives in a little house with a big yard (About the author, 2013) with her family.
For more information please visit her website.
Genre:
- Survival fiction
- Science fiction
- Dystopian fiction
Curriculum Ties:
- Social Justice
- Behavior modification in schools
- English program
- Companion book to Brave New World
Booktalking Ideas:
- Booklist with similar state control books like Brave New World
- Booktrailer: http://catherineausten.com/books_agc_trailer.html
Reading Level/Interest Age:
- Ages 14 and up
Challenge Issues:
- N/A
Why did you include this resource in the titles you selected?:
Austen is a Canadian author who wrote a great book with a theme that is very popular with young adults currently.
Reviews:
- Wiersema, R. (Ed.). (2011, October). Book review: All good children. Retrieved
- May 11, 2013, from Quill & Quire website: http://The Canadian Library
- Association’s 2012 Young Adult Book Award Winner.
Awards:
- Canadian Library Association Young Adult Canadian Book Award, 2012.
- The 2012 Sunburst Award (for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic) Young Adult Winner.
- A YALSA Teens’ Top Ten nominee and a YALSA 2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee.
- A Forest of Reading 2013 White Pine Nominee.
References:
About the author. (2013). Retrieved 15 March 15, 2013 from http://www.catherineausten.com/contact_author.html
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