3. Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey. New York: Simon Pulse, 2004. Text.                                                               

Annotation: "DONT YOU DARE READ THIS, Mrs. Dunphrey. It's four in the morning, and i'm writing here because I can't sleep at all. I lie on my front, then my side, then my back, then my front again...And all the time my brain's racing around thinking of new things to worry about.  I'm scared. I'm scared like I've never been before. Mom's gone."

Justification for Nomination: Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a realistic fiction novel featuring a high school girl dealing with issues of divorce, abuse and neglect.  Tish, the main character, has to raise her younger brother, go to school, work a part-time job and run a household without the help of either of her parents.  

The format of the story is written as a journal that Tish keeps for her class. This format is great for the YA reader because it flows very easily and the reading goes pretty quickly.  Because it is in journal form, the reader is allowed inside access to the writer of the journal's mind.  In dealing with the sensitive issues of this novel, having this access is extremely important because it allows readers to understand how the writer is really feeling without the clutter of outside forces.  

There are two types of character development that take place in this novel.  The first is the development of secondary characters that we see through Tish's descriptions of her conversations with them, as well as their actions.  This type of character development can be challenging because it is only one-sided, coming from only Tish's minds.  It does not allow for the reader to see the other characters from different standpoints.  The second type of character development takes place as the reader grows to know the main character, Tish.  Through journal entries, the reader gets to see Tish's mind grow and change as she begins to face more challenges.  It is a very intimate way to learn about and understand a character.  I think that for a novel that deals with issues like this, it is important to be able to really see how the main character is affected.  

The issues that Tish deals with in this novel are very relevant for YA readers today because many of these readers will be dealing with at least one of the issues that Tish deals with.  In today's ever expanding school system, many more children are left to deal with issues ranging from problems at work/school to paying bills and feeding siblings because their parents expect more or are not around.  I think it is important for YA readers to have a novel that contains the same issues that they are dealing with in their lives as a way to see that they are not alone, as well as a way to understand what it is that is going on with themselves.  

Overall this is a pretty great read!

Genre: Realistic/"Edgy"/Problem Novel