Beste Collega’s,

In mijn verwoede pogingen om mijn leerlingen aan het lezen te krijgen, probeer ik bij sommige leerlingen boeken aan te raden die hun smaak in Nederlandstalige auteurs matcht.

Het is geen probleem om leerlingen die Harry Potter of Twilight in het Nederlands lezen aan het Engels te krijgen. En als een leerling erg historische kinderboeken van Thea Beckman houdt, dan kom ik nog wel op jeugdauteurs als Tracy Barrett, Joan E. Goodman uit of als ze er aan toe zijn auteurs als Ken Follet of Edward Rutherford. En zo kan ik voor heel veel Nederlandse auteurs wel wat bedenken. (Zo had ik laatst een 16-jarige leerling die nog steeds de Kameleon boeken leest. Die heb ik aan Swallows and Amazons gekregen. En hij vond het nog leuk ook.)

Maar er zijn een paar Nederlands auteurs waar ik geen Engels equivalent van weet te bendenken. Ik heb nog steeds geen echt alternatieven gevonden voor de tienerprobleemromans van Carry Slee (ik raad dan meestal boeken als Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants aan, maar die zijn beide wat luchtiger van stijl dan de boeken van Carry Slee en klikken zelden bij de fans van Carry Slee) en de real crime boeken van Helen Vreeswijk. Beide auteurs schrijven in genres die ik niet goed ken en ik heb dus geen referentiemateriaal.

Heeft iemand tips voor mij?

Beste collega’s,

Bedankt voor de vele en snelle reacties. Ik kon binnen een half uur na het verzenden van mijn mail al beginnen aan dit vervolgmailtje. Ik zag meteen tussen jullie reacties titels van boeken die ik ooit zelf gelezen had, maar inmiddels weer vergeten was. Zeker een titel als Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. vond ik een geweldig boek dat zeker moet aanslaan bij Carry Slee liefhebbers. Uit eigen ervaring kan ik de boeken van Judy Blume, Sophie McKenzie, Sue Townsend en Nick Hornby aanraden. Verder kan ik niet veel zinnigs zeggen over de meeste titels. Ik heb de samenvattingen gehaald van Wikipedia en Amazon. Misschien als ik over twee weken mijn nieuwe Kindle binnen heb, kan ik alle andere titels bijlezen.

Judy Blume

Judy Blum has written too much to mention here, but almost all of her books come highly recommended. I’ve read three or four of her books and to my mind she comes closest to the feel of Carry Slee’s books.

  • Iggie's House (Theme: racism. Plot: The new family moving into Iggie's house are the first African Americans in the neighborhood. While Winnie is quick to make friends with the new kids, she realizes that some people, possibly including her own parents, have trouble seeing past a person's color.)
  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (Themes: religion, menstruation. Plot: Margaret's mother is Christian and her father is Jewish, and the novel explores her quest for a single religion. Margaret also confronts many other pre-teen female issues, such as buying her first bra, having her first period, coping with belted sanitary napkins (changed to adhesive sanitary pads for recent editions of the book), jealousy towards another girl who has developed a womanly figure earlier than other girls, liking boys, and whether to voice her opinion if it differs from those of her friends.)
  • It's Not the End of the World (Theme: divorce. Plot: The lead character of the story is a 12-year-old girl named Karen Newman. Karen is the middle child in her family and is unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for her) not her parents' favorite. She has an older brother named Jeff (age 14; her mother's favorite) and a kid sister named Amy (age 6; her father's favorite).
  • Just As Long As We're Together (Theme: divorce. Plot: The novel is narrated by Stephanie 'Steph' Hirsch, who has several changes in her life happening at the same time. She is turning thirteen, her family has just moved, she is starting middle school, her parents are separating, she gains ten pounds over the holidays, she starts menstruating and becoming interested in boys, and her life-long friendship with the overachieving Rachel Robinson (the later protagonist of Here's to You, Rachel Robinson) is threatened when new girl Alison Monceau moves to town. Stephanie really likes Alison and feels that Rachel is threatened when the twosome becomes a threesome. Will this friendship be saved?)
  • Blubber (Theme: bullying. Plot: The protagonist is Jill Brenner, a Pennsylvania fifth-grader ]who joins her classmates in ostracizing and bullying Linda, an awkward and overweight girl. Linda gives an oral class report about whales and is hence nicknamed "Blubber" by her peers.)
  • Deenie (Theme: masturbation, being an outcast. Plot: Deenie chronicles the life of thirteen-year-old Wilmadeene "Deenie" Fenner, whose mother is determined to have her become a model. At the same time, Deenie's 16-year-old sister, Helen, who is academically proficient, is being pushed by their mother to keep her grades up so that she can eventually become a doctor or lawyer. One day, Deenie is diagnosed with scoliosis, and is prescribed a body brace to wear for the next four years. At the same time, Helen has fallen in love with a boy who works for the family business. Mrs. Fenner, upset that her plans for her daughters are coming undone, has the boy fired and still exhorts Deenie to pursue a modeling career once she stops wearing the back brace. Though fearful that Helen will hate her because Mrs. Fenner said that the boy was fired because of the family's doctors' bills, Deenie is astonished to learn that Helen refuses to blame her for the boy's departure, and the sisters close ranks.)
  • Then Again, Maybe I Won't (Theme: masturbation, teen pegnancy. Plot: Tony Miglione and his working class family live in Jersey City, New Jersey. When his older brother Ralph and his wife Angie announce they are having a baby but lack money to care for the child, Tony's parents offer to help. Both of Tony's parents work extra shifts to try and raise enough money.)
  • Forever (Theme: teen sex. Plot: Katherine, in the middle of her senior year in high school, finds herself strongly attracted to Michael, a friend, after a party. As their relationship unfolds, the issue of sex comes up early on, more as an emotional and health issue than as a moral one. Both of them are aware that physical intimacy is both common and complicated. Michael has been sexually active, Katherine hasn't. Their relationship progresses slowly; they are accompanied on various meetings by her friend, Erica, a realist, who has known Katherine since 9th grade and believes that sex is a physical act and not a romantic act. They are also joined by Michael's friend, Artie, who, with Erica's help, explores and acknowledges some uncertainty about his own sexuality.) 

 

Sue Townsend

  • The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ (The first book in the Adrian Mole series of comedic fiction. The book is written in a diary style, and focuses on the worries and regrets of a teenager who believes himself to be an intellectual. The story is in 1981 and 1982, and in the background it refers to some of the historic world events of the time, such as the Falklands War and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Apart from the humorous events described in the diary, a lot of the book's humour originates from the unreliable narration of Mole, who naïvely, yet confidently, misinterprets events around him.)
  • The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (The book is written in a diary style and set in 1982 through to mid-1983. Notable events in this volume are the break up and later reconciliation of Adrian and Pandora, Adrian's attempt to run away from home and subsequent breakdown, the birth of his sister Rosie Mole, and Adrian's general worry about his O levels and nuclear war.)
  • The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole (The book covers the same themes as the first volumes although it differs in style from the other books. There are short collections of Adrian's classic diary entries covering important events over a brief period of a few days (such as Christmas, Adrian leaving home, Adrian's first job etc.) but the continuous regular diary entries from the other books are absent. There are also several longer transcripts of radio programs on Pirate Radio Four, plus collections of letters and correspondence with characters from the earlier books, including Barry Kent, who is in prison. This format means that it covers a longer time span than any other Adrian Mole book at the expense of some detail.)
  • Adrian Mole From Minor to Major (This is an omnibus of the first three, and includes as a bonus the specially written Adrian Mole and the Small Amphibians.)

 

Sophie McKenzie

  • Girl, Missing (Plot: Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. How can she find her biological parents? And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her? She manages to wangle a trip across the Atlantic where she runs away to try and find the truth. But the circumstances of her disappearance are murky and Lauren's kidnappers are still at large and willing to do anything to keep her silent...)
  • Six Steps to a Girl (Plot: Luke spots Eve at his dad's funeral. She's hot - and she's the perfect distraction from his messed up family life. There's only one problem - she's got a boyfriend. Still, Luke's not going to give up that easily...When he meets Ryan at a party and hears about 'the Six Steps method' to guarantee success with any girl, Luke determines to put it to the test. Step by step, he begins to get closer to Eve - but one step forward seems to mean two steps back, and when he's hospitalised by the jealous boyfriend, he wonders if any girl - even one as gorgeous as Eve - is really worth it...)
  • Three's a Crowd (Plot: Luke and Eve are heading off on their first holiday together. But they're staying with Eve's dad in his Spanish hotel and things aren't going to go to plan...Eve's dad treats his daughter like a little girl - and if Luke was hoping for a some summer action with Eve, her father soon puts a stop to it. Eve showcases her singing with the hotel band in the evenings, which means she's spending a lot of time with the handsome male drummer. Luke's jealous, but a revenge snog with the gorgeous Catalina doesn't seem to help his relationship with Eve much, and Cat's boyfriend is none too pleased either. Suddenly, it's turning into a holiday from hell...)
  • The One and Only (Plot: Eve has been sent away to school in Spain to keep her out of Luke's arms. Lonely without her, Luke turns to someone else...But then Eve turns up, wanting to take their relationship to the next stage. She wants Luke to be her 'first'. She thought she was Luke's one and only - he just wishes she was...)

 

Julia Clarke

  • The Starling Tree (Plot: Determined teenager Fawn despairs of her crumbling school, her rebellious twin brother Ginna and her father who suffers from agoraphobia. When her first love Adam moves house and they drift apart, Fawn must rely on herself to make the right choices for her future and to protect her loved ones. Ginna cannot seem to stop himself drifting deeper and deeper into trouble, and as if she didn't have enough to worry about, Fawn also has to fend of the advances of "posh" Simon, an ardent suitor who sends her love poetry and sees her as a trophy. As if in answer to her problems, a new and inspirational music teacher arrives at her school and helps the twins to transform their lives. The beautiful Mr Thompson comes like a breath of fresh air, starting a band in which Fawn can sing and find expression. But as Fawn comes to realise, he cannot return her love.
  • The Kissing Club (Plot: When I was 14 I joined the Kissing Club. I became a professional virgin and also gave up telling lies. The first bit was pretty easy - the second was pretty hard... Emily loves being part of the Kissing Club. She loves the feeling of being special, and she loves the ruby ring her parents bought her when she joined. It's a symbol that means everyone knows she's made a promise not to have sex until she gets married. So how on earth has she ended up pregnant?)
  • Summertime Blues (Plot: A powerful novel about a boy coming to terms with his new life after his parents' marriage breaks up. When Alex's mother goes off to live with her new partner in the country, Alex goes too, determined to hate it, but soon meets two very different girls who afferct him in very different ways.)
  • Between You and Me (Plot: Jade has always felt secure and loved - by her doting parents and by her best friend, Jack, who everyone assumes she'll marry one day. Things start to change when Jade embarks on a school project about the place where the family lived when she was a baby. Meeting old friends opens up old secrets, and Jade soon becomes aware that her parents and Jack are all keeping secrets from her. Both secrets turn out to be painful - her father is not really her father, and Jack cannot love her as more than a friend bacause he is gay - but the strength of their relationships help them all to come through these revelations and reach a happy, life-affirming end.)

 

Helen Dunmore 

  • Zilla and Me (Plot: Dragged off to darkest Cornwall by her grieving mother, Katie is miserable. Not only has she lost her father-now she's lost her home and all her friends too. Her mother thinks she's going to make new friends just like that-she's even got a new friend lined up for Katie already - Zillah. Well, Katie certainly isn't going to like her. Even if she does have a boat of her own. And a diamond ring on a string round her neck. And a deep, dark secret.)

 

Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson is a very prolific (more than 50 titles) author who writes for a slightly younger age group (9 to 12 year olds) to be a true YA author, but her themes are universal and easily recognizable to pupils of all ages. Highly recommended come:

  • The Story of Tracy Beaker (Plot: The book is the "autobiography" of Tracy Beaker, a ten-year old tomboy. Tracy is living in a childrens residential care home (nicknamed "the dumping ground") where she has been placed as a result of adult neglect. She is unhappy because she hasn't seen her mum for a long time, she doesn't get on well with the staff or the other children at the care home, (especially a girl called Justine Littlewood) and has been rejected by two couples who tried fostering her. From an adult's point of view, Tracy has "behavioural problems" and she is always telling tales. A recurring story that Tracy likes to tell is that her mother is a glamorous Hollywood movie star, and that she is coming to collect her someday. Among other things, Tracy's autobiography details her life so far, her being "deprived and abused" in the children's home (for example, she is deprived of Mars Bars and Smarties) and the types of revenge she would like to take upon her enemies.She is very imaginative and believes that her mum will come home one day. She often portrays a deep and complicated mind.)
  • The Dare Game (Plot: Tracy and Cam often argue about anything, including Tracy's new school, where she has a ghastly class teacher, whom she has christened Mrs "Vomit" Bagley.She hates her. Most of her classmates spread rumors about her mum leaving her on purpose.Tracy says that her mum has to leave because she is a movie star in Hollywood. Tracy decides to exclude herself and go to her own secret house. After a few days she discovers she's not the only one who excluded herself from school as she meet two new friends, Alexander and Football. Alexander is a feeble little boy, whereas Football is the complete opposite, very burly, strong and large. Like Tracy, both boys have family problems: Alexander's dad hates him, and Football has a mother who is always going on at him; his Dad has left, and keeps promising to take him to a football match, but he never does, so he takes his promiscuous girlfriend instead. They all stay at a secret house and play dares day after day, childish dares, silly dares and downright daft dares (an example of this is when Tracy hung her underwear on a fir tree.)
  • Starring Tracy Beaker (Plot: Tracy is a orphan who lives in a Children's Home which she calls in her point of view "The Dumping Ground". She plans on becoming an actress just like her Hollywood mum, and she plans to make a start with this great opportunity. She desperately wants her mum to come and watch her acting Scrooge. Tracy does her very best. And spends her christmas with Cam.)
  • Bad Girls (Plot: 10-year-old Mandy White is mercilessly tormented at school by three classmates: Kim, Melanie and Sarah. After an incident where she is hit by a bus while crossing a road to avoid the bullies, she is kept at home from school and meets Tanya, a lively older girl being fostered by Mandy's next door neighbour. Despite disapproval from Mandy's elderly mother, who is very overprotective of her and treats her as if she were much younger, the girls become fast friends. They dream of a future where they will be older and independent, free from families and foster homes, and can live together and have fantastic adventures. Mandy becomes afraid when she discovers that Tanya is a frequent shoplifter, but decides not to say anything in case they are forbidden from visiting each other. At the end of the book, Tanya and Mandy are caught by police when Tanya steals from an upmarket clothing shop in town. Mandy's mother is initially angry, but realises she has been too strict with her and allows her to get new glasses and restyle her hair so she won't look quite as childish. Mandy also gains a new friend in Arthur, a shy boy in her class who is obsessed with fantasy stories. She greatly misses Tanya, who was taken to a new foster home when her previous criminal convictions were discovered, but the novel ends on a happy note as Tanya (who has dyslexia and hates writing) has with great difficulty written a letter to Mandy, assuring her that they are best friends forever and will one day be free to see each other again as they had dreamed about. Melanie, who in the past was Mandy's friend but had become friends with Kim and Sarah, becomes friends with her again.)
  • Best Friends (Plot: Gemma and Alice have known each other all their lives, but when Gemma reads Alice's diary at a sleepover, it eventually leads her to discover Alice is moving. Because of their distance, Gemma and Alice struggle to stay friends, with the possibility of each other making new friends. The story's theme throughout the whole story is that true friends will be together until the end.
  • Gemma and Alice have been best friends since birth. They were born on the same day, in the same hospital and have been inseparable ever since. Complete opposites (Gemma is athletic and messy, while Alice is graceful and tidy), they have a bond that is unbreakable and every year on their birthday they share the same wish: “We wish we stay friends forever and ever and ever.” Everything seems ruined when Alice's father gets a new job hundreds of miles away and the family has to move. Now Alice and Gemma have to navigate the rough waters of adjusting to life without each other.)
  • My Sister Jodie (Plot: Pearl and Jodie are sisters. Jodie, 13, is the tough, boisterous elder sister and Pearl, 10, is the shy, bookish younger sister. Their mother and father, Sharon and Joe, decide to move from where they live to a place called Melchester College, where they have both got new jobs as the cook and the caretaker, to give the girls a good chance with their education. Jodie doesn't want to move but Pearl is glad because she gets bullied a lot at her school but knows that she'll be bullied at secondary school too. They move to the college - Jodie says only because she needs to look after Pearl- and once they get there, Miss French, the school secretary, comes to meet them at the gate. On the first night there, they meet Mr Wilberforce, the Headmaster, and his wheelchair-using wife Mrs Wilberforce at dinner in the Wilberforces' bungalow, with Miss French too. As it is the summer holidays, not many students are there, apart from tall, badger watching Harley, who Pearl makes very good friends with, and three little children: Zeph, Dan and Japanese Sakura. Pearl prefers Sakura. They also meet the other staff, the under matron Miss Ponsonby ("Undie") and the gardener, bad boy Jed, who Jodie begins a serious relationship with almost straight away, even though he's 5 years older than her and despite the fact that Jed, at first, doesn't seem interested.)
  • Love Lessons (Plot: The story revolves around a girl called Prue who lives with her bossy, often scary dad who tends to loose his temper very easily, a sweet yet pressured mum and an immature but kind hearted young sister, Grace. Her dad is very temperamental and he gets mad on silly things like art classes for Prue and he thinks going to school is an absurd idea. He insists on educating Prue and Grace himself while running a not-so-successful book shop. One day a man from the education system comes and tells Prue’s dad that Prue will have to go to school so she can give her GCSE’s. After much grumbling her father decides to send her to Math’s tuition but not school. After the class, Prue gives up and bunks her classes, while spending £60 in the process. Prue’s father finds out and gets so worked up that he has a stroke and has to leave for the hospital immediately. After much thinking over, the girls’ mother decide to send them to the nearest public school there is and so it is settled, while still keeping it a secret from their sick father.)

 

Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby is not a YA author, but his novels mainly deal with mature men who never left their adolescence (About a Boy) or adolescent hobbies (Fever Pitch, High Fidelity) behind. They are only able to get a fulfilling relationship when they leave their adolescence behind. His one novel which can be deemed YA is:

  • Slam (Plot: The novel's protagonist is a troubled 16-year-old skateboarder, Sam that lives in London, UK . His mother, Annie, gave birth to him when she was just 16. They therefore have an unconventional relationship. He has a poster of Tony Hawk in his room that serves as his friend and confidant. Sam’s two best friends are Rabbit and Rubbish, two skateboarders. Sam’s father, Dave, is somewhat estranged from the family, visiting them only occasionally. After being introduced to Alicia at a party thrown by Annie’s co-worker, Andrea, Sam and Alicia start dating. He believes he is in love with her and visits her numerous times, almost daily, in which they have sex several times. However, one time Sam and Alicia try having sex not wearing protection…)

 

Paul Volponi

  • Black and White (Plot: Marcus and Eddie are the stars of Long Island City High School’s basketball team. Marcus is black and Eddie is white, but they got past all that “racial crap” and have been best friends for years. Both boys are looking forward to great futures in college basketball and are waiting to see where they’ll land their scholarships. Then one cold night, something goes wrong and they make a big mistake. Now they can’t turn back and one of them will have to pay. Told in their two voices, BLACK AND WHITE is the gripping story of two good boys who make a bad mistake. It’s also a heartbreaking look at the realities of the urban criminal justice system.)
  • Hurricane Song (Plot: Miles has only been living with his musician father in New Orleans for two months when Hurricane Katrina hits—and they haven’t really been getting along. His dad lives for jazz, while Miles’ first love is football. But father and son must set aside their differences when they seek refuge in the crowded Superdome. What begins as a safe haven from the storm soon turns into a nightmare as the power fails and gangs of thugs compete for turf. When his father decides to rebel, Miles must make a choice that will alter their relationship—and both of their lives—forever.)

 

Mark Haddon

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Plot: Christopher, a fifteen-year-old boy with autism, lives with his father; he explains that his mother died two years ago. He discovers the dead body of Wellington, the neighbour's dog, speared by a garden fork. Mrs Shears, Wellington's owner, calls the police, and Christopher comes under suspicion. When a policeman touches him, he hits the policeman, and is arrested, then released with a caution. He decides to investigate the dog's death, despite his father's orders to stay out of other people's business. However, he is severely limited by his fears and difficulties when interpreting the world around him. Throughout his adventures, Christopher records his experiences in a book: a "murder mystery novel". During his investigation, Christopher meets people whom he has never before encountered, even though they live on the same street, including the elderly Mrs Alexander, who informs Christopher that his mother had an affair with Mr Shears and had been with him for a long time.

Ed, his father, discovers the book and confiscates it from Christopher, after a brief fight between them. While searching for the confiscated book, Christopher uncovers a trove of letters which his mother wrote to him, dated after her supposed death, which his father has also hidden. He is so thoroughly shocked by his father lying about his mother's death that he is unable to move, curls up on the bed, vomits and groans for several hours until his father returns home.

Ed realises that Christopher has read the letters and cleans him up. He then confesses that he had indeed lied about Judy's "death" and also that it was he who killed Wellington, stating that it was a mistake resulting from his anger after a heated argument with Mrs Shears.

Christopher, having lost all trust in his father and fearing that Ed may try to kill him since he had already killed the dog, runs away. Guided by his mother's address from the letters, he embarks on an adventurous trip to London, where his mother lives with Mr Shears.

Boeken die een beetje buiten het genre vallen waar het me om ging, maar me toch wel de moeite waard lijken, zijn:

 

Alice Hoffman

  • Green Angel (Plot: Left on her own when her family is lost in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by her present and her past. Struggling to survive in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. When she destroys her feelings, she also destroys herself, erasing the girl she’d once been as she inks ravens and bats onto her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters with a white dog and a mute boy that Green relearns the lessons of love and begins to heal as she tells her story.)

 

John Marsden

  • Tomorrow, when the war began (Plot: It is a young adult invasion novel, detailing a high-intensity invasion and occupation of Australia by a foreign power. The novel is told in first person perspective by the main character, a teenage girl named Ellie Linton, who is part of a small band of teenagers waging a guerrilla war on the enemy garrison in their fictional home town of Wirrawee.)

 

Buiten het YA genre zijn er natuurlijk ook nog de klassieke coming-of-age-novels aan te raden, zoals Catcher in the Rye en My Name is Asher Lev.

Ik kreeg ook Nicci French, Patricia Cornwell en Jonathan Kellerman aangeraden in het genre real crime, als alternatief voor Helen Vreeswijk. Dit zijn geen Young Adult auteurs, maar zeker het overwegen waard.

In het genre  chick-lit werden het schrijversduo Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees en auteurs Jennifer Crusie en Sophie Kinsella aangeraden. Niet echt Carry Slee, maar zeker wel leuk.

Ook auteurs als Anthony Horrowitz en Eoin Colfer werden aangeraden, maar dit zijn auteurs die voornamelijk schrijven in het horror, fantasy, science fiction en actie-genre. Bovendien heb ik deze twee auteurs al specifiek benoemd in een eerder mailtje.

Ik hoop hierbij voldoende informatie gegeven te hebben. Ik kan er zelf in elk geval weer mee voorruit.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Jan Bernd ten Berg

P.S.  Vervolgmailtjes die ik al eerder beloofd heb, komen eraan. Maar december was verrassend druk en ik heb weinig tijd gehad voor dit soort hobbyprojecten. Ook nu heb ik het druk, dus nog even geduld. Ik denk ook na over een mailtje met tips voor apps voor de iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, en Android telefoons (en misschien ook wel die voor de Kindle) die de Engelse les kunnen verrijken. (Nee, aan Angry Birds heb je niks in je les, maar misschien wel aan een spelletje als Word Shaker.) Ik ben zelf helemaal verslaafd geraakt aan de The Independent en de BBC News apps. De hele dag, waar dan ook Engelse nieuwsberichten lezen en luisteren, heerlijk. Als iemand nog app-tips heeft, laat het me weten.