Grasshopper Jungle

Bibliography: Smith, A. (2015). Grasshopper jungle: A history. New York, NY: Speak.

ISBN-13: 978-0142425008

Genre: Sci Fi, LGBTQ

Plot Summary: Small town life doesn’t hold much excitement for 16 year olds Austen and Robby. They have very low expectations of their upcoming weekend, but are fairly certain it will include pizza and getting beat up. Things take an unexpected twist when they enter (illegally) the local antique store and discover some very strange items in the back office. They’re not the only curious teens in town, though. A group of bungling bullies come in right after them and steal a glowing blue orb. On their way out, an innocuous act of clumsiness starts the end of the world. It happens subtly, taking time to infest local citizens with mutant grasshoppers. Austen and Robby become witnesses to oddities untold. They struggle to piece together the clues around them and find a way to save humanity.

Critical Evaluation: Grasshopper Jungle is the history of the end of the world as written by a 16 year old Iowan. Each night, he dutifully records his thoughts (girlfriend, sex, best friend, sex, pizza, sex) and activities of the day (hanging with girlfriend, thinking about sex, hanging with best friend, thinking about sex, eating pizza, thinking about sex). Austen’s voice is consistent throughout the story, but the profane tone and verbiage extends beyond comfort level.  But the constant references to genitalia and repetition of curse words quickly moved from being true-to-life to completely gratuitous. Teen boys do very much use profanity and think constantly about sex. And all teens question who they are and how they fit into the world. While I applaud the author’s efforts of to highlight the normalcy of sexual confusion in teenagers, the storyline of Grasshopper Jungle is a poor conduit.

Reader’s Annotation: When mutant grasshoppers take over their small Iowa town, _ and _ have to piece the clues together to find out what exactly is happening. Could it really be the end of the world as they know it?

Curriculum ties: none

Booktalks: end of the world

Challenge issues: profanity; sexuality; underage drinking/smoking/drug use; LGBTQ; stealing; violence; graphic nature

Challenge Issue Resources:

• Library Selection Policy
• Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
• Active listening skills
• Awards
• Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
• Illinois Library Association (Banned Books Listings)
• National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
• Positive and negative reviews: expert, parent, student
• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Reasoning: Grasshopper Jungle is a Printz Honor Award winner. It approaches controversy honestly, couching it within the plot line to reduce sensitivity. It demonstrates natural sexual confusion and the curiosity teenagers often experience without giving it an uncomfortable level of priority. Few teenagers would have the courage to read a book specifically about a sexual confusion/curiosity; this book gives them empathy without the embarrassment factor. The sci fi plot line,  independent of the sexuality factor, provides a solid story base to entertain readers.

Author Information: Andrew Smith knew ever since his days as editor of his high school newspaper that he wanted to be a writer. After graduating college, he experimented with journalistic careers - writing for newspapers and radio stations - but found it wasn't the kind of writing he'd dreamed about doing.

Born with an impulse to travel, Smith, the son of an immigrant, bounced around the world and from job to job, working at various times in a metals mill, as a longshoreman unloading bananas from Central America and imported autos from Japan, in bars and liquor stores, in security, and as a musician, before settling down permanently in Southern California. Here, he got his first "real job," as a teacher in an alternative educational program for At-Risk teens, married, and moved to a rural mountain location. Throughout his life, Smith continued to write, but never considered seeking publication until challenged into it by lifelong friend, author Kelly Milner Halls.

In 2008, Smith published his first novel, Ghost Medicine, an ALA/YALSA "Best Books for Young Adults." This was followed in 2009 with In the Path of Falling Objects, also a BBYA recipient. The Marbury Lens is Smith's third novel, and will be followed in 2011 by Stick.

Smith prefers the seclusion of his rural setting, where he lives with his wife, 16-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter, two horses, three dogs, three cats, and one irritable lizard named Leo.¹

References:

¹Andrew Smith. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2015, from http://www.amazon.com/Grasshopper-Jungle-Andrew-Smith/dp/0142425001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443127195&sr=8-1&keywords=grasshopper+jungle