Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots. McDonald, Abby. Candlewick Press, Somerville. ISBN 978-0-7636-4382-9

PLOT SUMMARY:

Jenna is a vegetarian and a Green Teen. She fights to rid the world of environmental injustice. When her Dad goes to work in Europe and her Mom goes to Florida, Jenna has the opportunity to stay with her godmother in Canada and experience the nature that she fights so hard to protect. She has a hard time making friends. Her godmother’s step-daughter is the princess of gloom and the local boys always seem to be making fun of Jenna. Finally after some time Jenna seems to fit in and even manages to find a love interest. All the while she begins to find out who she really is. And what is really important.

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

Jenna is a typical teen. Her parents think that ‘this green thing’ is just a teenage phase. Alarm bells go off for Jenna when her parents spend the summer apart. She tries to tell herself that it is just because her dad had a job opportunity in Europe. Jenna is not ready to hear the truth. While she is in Canada, her environmental theories do no go over so well with her new friends. It’s not that they disagree; it’s just that Jenna only sees the one side of the picture. Everything is black and white for her. Anything in the middle is uncomfortable. Even her best friend from back home is a green teen to the core, spending her summer at a green camp. Jenna is given an old book, The Modern Man’s Mountain Survival Guide. Not only does the book teach her about surviving in nature, but she also learns about how to deal with other people. When she meets the man that wrote the book, she is disappointed. He is not the environmentalist that he used to be. He shows her that the world is not black and white and there is a middle ground. Slowly Jenna realizes that her experience in Canada has changed her. She has learned to look at the world in a different way. She has learned to compromise. Jenna has learned that there are some things that are more important than standing firm in a rigid one-sided belief.

READER’S ANNOTATION:

Seventeen-year-old Jenna has the opportunity to live in Canada for the summer with her godmother. The events of this summer will change how Jenna views herself and the unknown.

AUTHOR:

Abby McDonald grew up in Sussex, England and studied Politics, Philosophy & Economics at Oxford University. She has worked as a music journalist. McDonald is now a full-time novelist and screen-writer. She is a young author at age twenty-five.

Her debut book for teens, Sophomore Switch, was published in 2009. A second title, Boys, Bears & a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots, followed in April 2010, and a third, The Anti-Prom in April 2011. She has also published two adult novels: The Popularity Rules and The Liberation of Alice Love.

After spells in Montreal and London, Abby recently moved to Los Angeles, where she is enjoying blue skies, drive-thru everything, and an abundance of frozen yogurt. (McDonald)

GENRE:

Fiction

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: English

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

Environmental issues
How everyone seems to change over summer break

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 15 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

Gay/Lesbian character

In order to prepare yourself should this book be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Read the book or familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
•Refer to the library’s collection development policy.
•Read the book reviews from sources such as Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Publisher’s Weekly, or BookSpot.com
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have read the book.

Should this book be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

I found this book while trying to find some non-series books in the teen room. As usual, the title caught my eye.