Let's Booktalk--Define “Normal” by Julie Anne Peters

Courtesy of Amazon.com

So, how do you define “normal”? Is “normal” a little bit punk rock and angry? Or, is “normal” doing your homework and making sure everyone is taken care of? Is “normal” having a good home and money? Or, do you think “normal” means having very little and even less when there is no one there to help you?

It started with Dr. DiLeo, he thought Antonia and Jazz would be a good pair for peer counseling. But, Antonia was clean cut, did her homework, knew her responsibilities, and always took care of your family. Jazz, on the other hand, was tattooed, mouthy, looked punk, and had an attitude that would make Sid Vicious seem like the “boy next-door”. So, who is “normal”?

Antonia is struggling to keep her family together as her and her brothers’ watch their mother fall apart from depression. But, she takes care of her family. Buying groceries after school, making supper, putting her brothers to bed, cleaning up the house, and finishing homework, keeps her busy into early hours of the morning. Can her world really be “normal”?

Jazz, the girl people sneer at first and avoid later. She has a bad attitude and in case you didn’t know that from the start you will when she opens her mouth. Both parents work hard and provide for her family. She has a polished home and her mom encourages frequent activities to do together. But, her mom doesn’t really show she is ever listening. Jazz can play the piano like Hendrix could play his guitar. Gifted, but spiraling out of control with no one stop her. Is her world “normal”?

Two girls teamed up by as part of a school program, two girls who find companionship in times that are anything but normal. Two girls that can do anything, but define “normal”.