Booktalks Quick and Simple

Booktalk #1

When I read the summary of this book, I thought it was going to be just another teenage tragic soap opera, and I thought I would get nothing out of reading it. However, as I started reading, I realized I was wrong. This book is written from the point of view of a normal teenage girl, whose life suddenly changes when she is badly burned in an accident. It shows what Dayle must go through in order to survive and recover, how she must mentally recover. Her deceased grandmother helps her with this in a spiritual sense. Dayle’s story also shows how this accident affected her family and friends. It hurt them almost as much as it hurt her. The metaphor of a phoenix is used to describe Dayle’s recovery. Like a phoenix, Dayle was reborn from her ashes or burns. No matter what wild ride life takes you on, you must learn to cope with the hardships, move on and become a better person out of the suffering.

Prepared by: Mollie Carter for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees 2005

Booktalk #2

Have you ever felt like you were on the outside looking in? Ever feel like you wanted to be part of the “in” crowd? Sixteen-year-old Dayle certainly has. The death of her beloved grandmother and her parents’ divorce made her feel even more isolated. Thankfully, Dayle has outgrown her shy, awkward childhood and has blossomed into a beautiful teenager. Her popular, athletic boyfriend, Keith, has introduced her to his loud, boisterous group of friends. One night Dayle reluctantly agrees to attend a party located in an open field. Suddenly, a freak accident leaves Dayle and a few others with severe burns throughout her entire body.

Who else was injured? How badly was she burned? How did the accident happen? Will Keith still be her boyfriend despite the damage done to her body? Will Dayle survive? Join Dayle in her struggle to get Out of the Fire. (Joanne Suzara, jsuzara704@yahoo.com, Goose Creek High, Goose Creek, SC)