November Blues (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Coach Barnes, Miss Nelson, Crazy Jack (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

When November Nelson loses her boyfriend, Josh, to a pledge stunt gone horribly wrong, she thinks her life can't possibly get any worse. But Josh left something behind that will change November's life forever, and now she's faced with the biggest decision she could ever imagine. How in the world will she tell her mom? And how will Josh's parents take the news? She's never needed a friend more.

Jericho Prescott lost his best friend when he lost his cousin, Josh, and the pain is almost more than he can bear. His world becomes divided into "before" and "after" Josh's death. He finds the only way he can escape the emptiness he feels is to quit doing the things that made him happy when his cousin was alive, such as playing his beloved trumpet, and take up football, where he hopes the physical pain will suppress the emotional. But will hiding behind shoulder pads really help? And will his gridiron obsession prevent him from being there for his cousin's girlfriend when she needs him most?

This sequel to The Battle of Jericho is a no-holds-barred look at what happens when life doesn't go as planned, by the acclaimed author of the 2007 Coretta Scott King Award winner Copper Sun.

About the Author

Sharon Draper is a two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning

author, most recently for Copper Sun, and previously for Forged

by Fire. She's also the recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John

Steptoe Author Award for New Talent for Tears of a Tiger and the

Coretta Scott King Author Honor for The Battle of Jericho. Her

other books include Romiette and Julio, Darkness Before Dawn,

and Double Dutch. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught

high school English for twenty-five years. She's a popular conference

speaker, addressing educational and literary groups both nationally and

internationally. For more information visit her online at

www.sharondraper.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (October 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416906983
• ISBN-13: 978-1416906988
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,806 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Books > Teens > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Draper, Sharon M.
  #19 in	Books > Teens > Social Issues > Pregnancy > Fiction
  #32 in	Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Football > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars November Blues, January 5, 2008

By	A Customer - See all my reviews

I read this book before putting it on the shelf in my middle school/high school library. The account of November Nelson's teenage pregnancy paints a realistic picture of the difficulties associated with mother/daughter relationships and the dangers assoicated with teenage pregnancy. All of the characters, except Josh, return from the book, The Battle of Jericho, and this community of young people bond together to recover from Josh's death.

During her pregnancy November faces the physical discomforts, the emotional trauma, the legal problems, and the social problems brought about by the unplanned event in her life. She matures somewhat throughout the book and realizes that her life will become more difficult as she faces raising a child with possible disabilities.

I recommend this book to high school students. It is an easy read and Sharon Draper is a wonderful author who takes on a teenage voice in her books with great success.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Don't Regret Buying This Book, December 26, 2007

By	Katrina L. Burchett "Author of Young Adult Fi... (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

In this sequel to The Battle of Jericho, November Nelson and Jericho Prescott deal with the loss of Josh Prescott in their own ways. But although November has lost a boyfriend and Jericho has lost a cousin, who was more like a brother, Josh left a part of himself behind. During her pregnancy, November faces emotional and physical difficulties, but not without the support of her friends, Dana, Olivia and Jericho.
From morning sickness to the delivery, the author gives a detailed, realistic account of what a pregnant girl goes through. She also shows how a young man can regain his balance in life after losing his best friend.
The cover of this book caught my eye, and when I noticed it was a companion to The Battle of Jericho, I bought that one so I could read it first. After reading The Battle of Jericho, I looked forward to reading this one. I enjoyed the story, and the ending was very touching.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My students love her books, September 8, 2008

By	goodforbooks - See all my reviews

My summer school students, most of whom NEVER read a book under any circumstances, LOVE her books. They really relate to them. We read the Tears of a Tiger trilogy as an assignment and the students begged me to order all of her other books because they read the trilogy so fast. Highly recommended to get distinterested young people to start reading. Fast.