I've read two YA books in the last month that resonated with me personally.
Once in a while a book comes along that haunts you, grabs your emotionally and doesn't let go. Recently, I read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Maybe it's my own health circumstances that caused the book to hit me so hard. Maybe, it's the memory of watching my brother die 11 years ago and knowing I couldn't stop it. Conor's nightmares are real and they shape his own beliefs. The Monster comes along to show him it's not so bad and it's not wrong to feel the way he does. Do our nightmares reflect ourselves?
The second book was John Green's The Fault was in our Stars. I loved how Green took a serious subject and approached it from a humorous and realistic standpoint. Cancer can be funny and the actions and reactions of others can provide moments that are both amusing and stressful. Augustus and Hazel's journey with their own disease and with each other is poignant, moving and heartbreaking.
What happens when a book comes along that moves you emotionally? What about the student who is moved by a book? Do we honor that? Do we acknowledge the power of words .