The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Salinger, J. D. (1951).  The Catcher in the rye.  Toronto: Bantam Books.

ISBN: 0553250256   

Summary:  The story begins with Holden Caulfield explaining in first person narration about his final days as a Junior at Pencey Prep after getting kicked out for failing four of his five classes.  He leaves Pencey a few days earlier than planned after he gets in a fight with his room-mate about a girl. Holden takes a train in the middle of the night from Pennsylvania to New York City but chooses to not go to his apartment before the date his parents are expecting his return and to instead check into a hotel and bar hop in the city.  Everywhere he goes, Holden is quite miserable and depressed.  He meets a few characters over a few days in the city, all of whom annoy him for being "phony" and further depress him.

Additional Comments:  The Catcher in the Rye is a classic and timeless in its appeal to young adults, particularly privileged young adults who have a gripe with superficial social norms found among the upper echelons of society and who can relate to the prep school setting against which Holden Caulfield rebels.  Though nearly 60 years after its original publication, Holden remains an icon for teenage emotional turbulence and angst because of  his extreme depression, suicidal comments and daydreams, irrational ideas, impulsive behavior and remarks, utter sense of loneliness and isolation, confusion about his future, and resentment for and harsh criticism of others. 

Hair (Soundtrack)

MacDermot, Galt (1979). Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (Cast recording).  United States: RCA Victor Broadway. 

Summary:  After Claude receives his draft card, he arrives in New York City to report for military service but ends up meeting a tribe of long-haired hippies living in Central Park and gets swept away by their pacifist, bohemian, counter-culture lifestyle of LSD, marijuana, and free love. Hair was originally an off-Broadway rock musical in 1967 before being adapted into a movie in 1979 with such stars as Beverly D'Angelo and Treat Williams.

Additional Comments:  Hair addresses all the controversial issues that were dividing society at the time and remain relevant to the present:  anti-war, skepticism of the government and "Big Brother", racism, sexual liberation, experimentation with psychedelic drugs, a budding sense of spirituality and incorporation of eastern philosophies, and non-conformity with societal expectations. Many songs have become anthems for the peace movement and the era, including "The Age of Aquarius", "Good Morning Starshine", and "Let the Sunshine In".  Other simply paint a picture of values and lifestyles of the counter-culture, like the pride of long hair as described in "Hair":  "Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair / Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen. . .I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy / Snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty /Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining / Gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen /Knotted, polka-dotted / Twisted, beaded, braided /Powdered, flowered, and confettied /Bangled, tangled, spangled and spaghettied!"  Hair's rebelliousness and anti-establishment attitude is bound to touch today's teens as much as it did over thirty years ago.

Into the Wild (Soundtrack)

Vedder, Eddie (2007).  Music for the motion picture "Into the wild" (Audio recording).  J-Records.

Summary:  Into the Wild was originally published by Jon Krakauer in 1996 and told the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man whose desire to separate himself from the constraints of society and whose post-graduation adventures across America land him in the solitude of the Alaskan wilderness.  A diary he kept revealed that his attempt to live off the land while living alone in an old van led to food poisoning that eventually killed him. Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, went solo to create the acoustic soundtrack for Sean Penn's 2007 Oscar-nominated film. 

Additional Comments:  Eddie Vedder's melancholic guitar-strumming and thoughtful lyrics echo Chris' reflective musings and sense of detachment from others.  Eddie Vedder's raw, emotional vocals in songs like "Hard Sun" and "Society" set a mournful tone that echo Chris' departures from friends and family that care for him.  Lyrics, such as  "Society, crazy indeed / I hope you're not lonely without me" also further echo the story's tragic theme of a young man whose head-strong determination to make it on his own lead to an untimely death.  

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, Sherman (2007).  The Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian.  New York: Little Brown and Company.

ISBN 0316013684 / 9780316013680

Summary:  Tired of being made fun of and beat up for his physical differences and tired of the poor education, resources, and opportunities around him, Junior makes the difficult decision to leave the school on the  Spokane Reservation to attend all-white high school.  Considered a traitor by the rez and ignored by his new wealthy, white class-mates, Junior persists to make the 20+ mile commute to school, often hitchhiking because there's not enough gas money without much hope that his situation will improve.

Additional comments:  Despite the humorous narration, the story is quite depressing.  The reservation is rife with alcoholism that is so severe to cause multiple deaths, and opportunities for employment are so few on the rez that the best bet for Junior is to leave. Junior's poverty becomes very clear to him when he switches to the privileged school where he tries to hide his difficulties in an attempt to fit in.  Readers will get a reality check about the dismal living conditions on Native American reservations and the deep sadness of losing one's heritage. 

On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

Kerouac, Jack (1955, 1957).  On the road.  New York: Signet.  

Summary: The adventures of Sal Paradise as he travels across the country four times catching up with friends in various cities and always meeting interesting characters along the way.  

Additional comments:  Considered to be slightly autobiographical, On the Road-- a seminal novel for the Beat Generation--is a mix of philosophy, bohemianism, dionysian partying, and counter-culture separation from societal norms and expectations.  Set in the 1950's, On the Road provides a glimpse into a pivotal period of American history, a time of revolutions that will change American values and lifestyles, including the Civil Rights movement, the peace movement, the sexual revolution, and sexual liberation. Sal's experiences put the reader in touch with alternative lifestyles that rejected mainstream norms. The carefree spontaneity exhibited by Sal is sure to touch 21st-century rebellious teens as it has since its publication in 1955.

Sloppy Firsts, by Megan McCafferty

McCafferty, Megan (2001). Sloppy firsts. New York: Three Rivers Press. 

Summary: Jessica Darling is devastated that her best friend, Hope, moved away from Pineville, New Jersey shortly after her brother's drug overdose.  Jessica struggles with intense emotions and depression as her relationship with her family is strained, as she secretly loathes her friends at high school and chooses to sit with them in high school only to avoid being alone, and as she harbors a strong crush on an upperclassman on her track team. Her life takes a bizarre upswing when she begins a secret friendship with a "Dreg", who was friends with Hope's older brother.

Additional comments:  Jessica is an intelligent girl who wallows in her misery that her best friend is no longer in her everyday life, and she feels misunderstood and excluded by everyone else, particularly her family.  Jessica must come to terms with the way others--and herself--can be fake to others and can, thereby, be hurtful.  You might as well find a copy of the sequel, Second Helpings, because their is no real resolution at the end, only another dissatisfying problem. 

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, Stephenie (2006).  Twilight.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company. 

Summary: Bella's dreary days in rainy Forks, Washington become much more exciting when she strikes up a romance with her beautiful, mysterious lab partner, Edward.  As their relationship intensifies, she learns that he and his pale, godlike family are not human but vampires.

Additional comments:  This page-turning romance features sharp-witted dialogue between the passionate, young lovers as they unravel the mystery that the other presents.  Readers will get easily hooked and find themselves looking for the next book in the series.  The November 2008 release of the film version of Twilight will further solidify the Twilight fan base.  

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. (2004). Feed.  Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

Summary:  Set in a fantastical and futuristic version of America, Titus is a teenager who, like the majority of Americans, has a "feed" transmitter in his brain that broadcasts ads, shows, and music, and also networks with other "feeds" so that people can im chat around the clock.  On a trip to the Moon, a stranger hacks his "feed", which puts him in the hospital, exposes him to life without the "feed", and introduces him to Violet, a girl who tries to resist the "feed".

Additional Comments:  A scary vision of corporate America completely taking over every aspect of individual life and personal expression.  In the spirit of Brave New World, 1984, and The Giver, Feed presents an alternate reality and dystopia in which the general public doesn't question the corporate power structure and the mysterious lesions that are breaking out on everyone. 

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Cormier, Robert (1974, 1986). The Chocolate War. New York: Laurel Leaf Books.  

Summary:  The Vigils, an underground association that bullies underclassmen at Trinity High School into performing risky pranks, demand that Jerry Renault, a freshman, refuse to participate in the legendary, annual chocolate sale.  Jerry's non-involvement in the sale results in the scorn of the fundraiser's leader, a sinister and abusive teacher, Leon. Jerry must make decisions about whether to resist or comply with physical and psychological pressure and coercion exerted by Leon, the Vigils, and the rest of the school.   

Additional comments:  A dark and twisted story about resisting peer pressure, coercion, and oppression.  Jerry wonders "Dare I disturb the universe?", a question that will persist in the readers' mind after finishing the story.