Perfect

     Okay, so I finished Chris Creed last night and thought I would just start Ellen Hopkins new book, Perfect. It is written in poetry, so I just wanted to get a feel for her new characters. 600 or so pages later, I couldn't put it down. She is a master of the written word with an amazing insight into the teenage mind. She brings devastating issues to light in an accessible way. While her books are not always appropriate for my 8th graders, they are certainly necessary. This one is no different. The book is told in 4 voices, Cara- a twin whose brother has just tried to commit suicide, Sean- a baseball player trying to get an edge with steroids, Kendra- a wanna be model just trying to be thin enough and Andre- a dancer who can't tell his overachieving parents he wants to dance. Of course in typical Hopkins style, all their lives intersect in heartbreaking and tragic ways, mixed in with a little hope for a better future.  These are all topics kids need to know about and this is a safe way to explore them, through YA literature. So while I don't put these books on my shelves, I have them in my classroom for the students who need them, and whose parents approve. I admire those parents. These topics are not easy, but can have devastating after effects if not dealt with. Enough of that. The poetry is beautiful, visually interesting and heartbreakingly real. It shows the consequences of our actions and delivers the message that each of us is perfect just the way we are, especially if we let our inner beauty out. Not just a message for teens. Don't know what I'll read next, the pile is 10 high, only two reports to go and a trip to Costco today. Happy Reading my friends, and remember you are all perfect the way you are.