Show Notes
Biggest Takeaways:
Miranda Kenneally is a prolific writer who really nails the teen experience. Her books are thought-provoking, entertaining, and riveting – and full of hot-topic issues that are great for discussion with your teen. Here’s my scoop on this long-time favorite of mine.
PERSONAL DISH
- From Manchester, TN
- Went to school in Washington, DC
- Worked for the Department of State
- If you want to know more, check out her website.
ACCOMPL- ISH -MENTS
- Her impressive body of work includes 8 books published in 11 years – a crazy-amazing feat in the writing world!
- All 8 books are set in the world of Hundred Oaks
- The books are companions, not a series
- All the books feature strong female main characters who blow stereotypes out of the water
- She asks bold questions through her characters and embraces the messiness of life and people
BOOK-ISH
All Miranda Kenneally’s books are fantastic discussion starters and cover a variety of hot-topic issues. I’ve listed all of her books, including a short description and a list of the issues that come up in each.
Catching Jordan
This first book in the Hundred Oaks books is about Jordan Woods, the daughter of an NFL pro football player. Jordan quarterbacks for her high school football team and her Dad isn’t super happy about it. Up until now, she’s not really dated, so when she’s attracted to the new guy who shows up and makes the team – also as a quarterback – she’s faced with lots of emotions.
Issues in Catching Jordan:
- Dating relationships
- Friendship
- Identity
- Parent/teen relationships
- Sexual activity
- Sexism
Stealing Parker
In the next book, Parker Shelton is a star student and softball player. Her life seems
Issues in Stealing Parker:
- Dating Relationships
- Friendship
- Identity
- Parent/teen relationships
- Sexual activity
- Sexual orientation
- Teacher/student relationships
Things I Can’t Forget
In the third Hundred Oaks book, Kate Kelly is grappling with her faith and her identity. A self-described “good girl,” she’s spending the summer as a church camp counselor, and it’s not going as planned. She is very clearly a people-pleaser – she struggles a lot with wanting to make sure she doesn’t sound “mean” – and she’s terrified that the people around her will find out her terrible secret – that she helped her best friend get an abortion a few weeks ago. Over the course of the summer, she begins to see that what she thinks of herself matters most of all.
Issues in Things I Can’t Forget:
- Abortion
- Dating Relationships
- Faith
- Friendship
- Identity
- Parent/Teen Relationships
- Sexual Activity
- Teen Pregnancy
Racing Savannah
In Kenneally’s fourth book, Savannah Barrow tries to fit into a new community when her father moves them to Hundred Oaks at the beginning of her senior year. They moved so he could take a better job as the head racehorse trainer on the estate of a wealthy family. Savannah dreams of becoming a horse jockey, but her father is dead set against it. Throw in the teenaged son of the wealthy family, Savannah’s over-protective Dad, and all the drama of being the new girl and you have the story of a girl who must figure out who she is and what she wants.
Issues in Racing Savannah:
- Dating Relationships
- Gender Discrimination
- Identity
- Parent/Teen Relationships
Socio Economic Differences- Stereotypes
Breathe, Annie, Breathe
In the next
Issues in Breathe, Annie, Breathe:
- Dating Relationships
- Forgiveness
- Grief and Loss
- Guilt
- Parent/Teen Relationships
- Perseverance
Jesse’s Girl
In the sixth Hundred Oaks book, Maya Henry gets to shadow country music star, Jesse Scott, for career day at school. (Maya is Sam Henry’s little sister, btw! He’s
Issues in Jesse’s Girl:
- Dating Relationships
- Dreams and Goals
- Friendship
- Future Plans
- Identity
- Teacher/Student Relationships
Defending Taylor
In this book, Kenneally introduces us to Taylor Lukens, the daughter of a Tennessee senator, whose life is falling apart. She’s been kicked out of a private school she adored, thrown off her soccer team, and lost her chance to be the valedictorian – all for something she didn’t do. As she bears the brunt of her parents’ disappointment and makes the transition to a public school, she has to figure out if lying for her boyfriend was worth it.
Issues in Defending Taylor:
- Academic Pressure
- Choices
- Friendship
- Identity
- Lying
- Parent/Teen Relationships
- Sacrifice
- Sibling Relationships
Socio Economic Differences- Transition
Coming Up for Air
In the final Hundred Oaks novel, Maggie King eats, breathes, sleeps and lives swimming. When she takes a break from Olympic qualification training to visit a college, she realizes all the “typical high school” things she’s missed out on. Now it’s game on as she tries to fit everything
Issues in Coming Up for Air:
- Athletic Pressure
- Competition
- Dating Relationships
- Friendship
- Identity
- Rivalry
- Sexual Activity
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