Book Recommendation #3 (Week 1)

Title: That was Then, This is Now
Author: S.E. Hinton
I have not read young adult/teen books in a long time, so I was pleasantly surprised when the first one I picked up happened to be wonderful! This book takes place in the 60's and is about two best friends who grew up like brothers, Bryon and Mark. Mark's parents shot each other in a drunken argument when he was very little and since then has lived with Bryon and his mother. Bryon and Mark do EVERYTHING together. They go to school together, they get in trouble together, and they always know what each other is thinking or what the other is about to do. However, as time goes on, Bryon begins to grow up and mature. He starts to think more seriously about what he wants to do in life, and assess his actions and it's impact on other people. Bryon also begins to get serious with his girlfriend Cathy. Meanwhile, Mark is the same Mark. Living only for the moment and believing his is invincible. He continues to pick fights with gangs, steal and hot wire cars with the thought that he can get away with anything, and the two begin to grow further and further apart. Until one day, Bryon had to make a decision that ultimately ended his long time friendship with Mark. Mark was selling drugs and Bryon discovers this secret of Mark's immediately after his girlfriend Cathy's once innocent little brother is hospitalized from a "bad trip". Everything started to click for Bryon. Mark may have very well sold the drugs to Cathy's brother. Mark doesn't know the difference between right and wrong. Bryon needed to do what was best for Mark - call the cops and get him help.

This book really was a page-turner! Students will be able to connect this story to a social aspect in their lives, whether it be their relationship with their parents, boyfriend/girlfriend, classmate, or best friend, and what happens when people change. In a teenage world, a week feels like a month and a month feels like a year, and they themselves and their peers are constantly changing and continuously growing. Discussion about Bryon's decision at the end will give teachers a good opportunity to explore similar real life situations involving struggle between what is right and family/friendship, and prepare students with the right tools to handle them accordingly.

The setting of this book was really interesting as well. The author paints a clear picture of what teenage life was like in the 60's and 70's with many references to hippies and drugs. After reading this book, students will really be able to compare and contrast the language and slang used in that time period to current.

Apparently, S.E. Hinton has a few other great books out. To name a couple, "Outsiders" and "Tex". From this book, I can promise that her other works will be just as captivating!