"Uglies"
by Scott Westerfeld
Uglies is the first book in the Uglies trilogy written by Scott Westerfeld for young adult readers. It’s the story of Tally Youngblood, a fifteen year older girl about to have the most important operation of her life. Tally wants to be pretty, and so does the monoculture society she calls her own. But not everyone is as eager as Tally to surrender their individuality for superficial features: sparkling eyes, blemish-free skin, and a perfect smile. A group of resistors known as, “The Smokies” have a different idea about what it means to be beautiful, and they show Tally that when it comes to being pretty beauty is more than skin deep. Faced with new perspectives Tally has choices to make between beauty and loyalty, acceptance and independence, and the hardest decision of all her friends or herself. Image URL: http://www.simonandschuster.com/specials/kids/behindthepulse/uglies.jpg
Socialization, beauty culture, materialism, utopian communities, government control, and personal freedoms are all examples of strong sociological themes that accompany this compelling story. In addition, several scientific theories and concepts are explored, including: conservation and ecology, biological zero, energy, technology, surgical alteration, performance enhancement, and genetic manipulation. These topics will be explored together in collaboration with social studies and science classes. Image URL: http://www.valdosta.edu/~jnbaisden/social%20studies.gif