1. SUSAN BETH PFEFFER’S IF YOU AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH IT, YOU SHOULD BE THE LAST SURVIVOR SERIES

2. INTRODUCTION Whether we are librarians, teachers, parents, or come into contact with young adults in other ways, we know that these readers want and deserve literature that respects their intelligence, entertains, and makes them think. They need books that acknowledge their “basement” of intensely private and personal explorations of things like love, sexuality, and morality, and the beliefs with which they have been raised. (Aaronson, 2001) They want to read about situations in which these same issues are addressed and about characters that share these same questions and emotions. Above all, they want literature that “feels real.” The best young adult authors know this and create books that fulfill this need. Without a doubt, Susan Beth Pfeffer is a prime example of this type of author.

3. Pfeffer has been writing for children and young adults for more than 40 years, and to date has published 77 books. Her work has received critical acclaim and several honors and awards, including the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association Best Book for Young Adults 2007, and was a finalist for the Andre Norton Award, Quill Award and Hal Clement Awards. (Wikipedia) But she is perhaps most well-known for the books that will be the subject of this presentation, The Last Survivors series.

4. There are three books in the series: Life As We Knew It (2006), The Dead and the Gone (2008), and This World We Live In. (2010) Let’s begin with a look at each of them…

5. BOOK 1: LIFE AS WE KNEW IT

6. BOOK 2: THE DEAD AND THE GONE Synopsis: Alex Morales is a 17 year old Catholic school senior in New York City when the meteor hits the moon. His world changes in the blink of an eye, as both of his parents disappear in the resulting tsunamis, and he is left to care for his two younger sisters when life as they knew it is forever destroyed. Struggling to stay alive in a decimated city that grows more dangerous by the day means risking riot conditions to get food, making difficult decisions about his sisters’ futures, and finally swallowing his pride to rely on the kindness of strangers for a chance at survival. Alex’s story, told parallel to Miranda’s, is more graphic in its portrayal of death and destruction, but ultimately relays the same message of love and hope in a time of catastrophe. Religion plays a bigger role than in the previous book, as the devoutly Catholic Alex’s faith is shaken in the face of devastating loss. He experiences moral dilemmas over having to steal and scavenge dead bodies for things his family needs, but it isn’t heavy-handed. Readers of Life As We Knew It will be intrigued by seeing the same events from a different perspective, and contemplating the ethical questions that arise about helping others or looking out for one’s own needs in the face of widespread disaster. It is a worthy companion novel and every bit as haunting.

7. BOOK 3: THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN Synopsis: It’s been a year since a meteor knocked the moon closer to Earth’s orbit, causing worldwide destruction. For Miranda Evans and her mother and brothers, life has become far more difficult, and far more precious. Their old lives seem like ancient history as each new day brings greater challenges for survival, once again chronicled in Miranda’s journal. And now their world is about to change again with the re-appearance of Miranda’s father and stepmother, long thought dead, with a group of strangers in tow. Among the newcomers are Alex Morales and his younger sister Julie, who have traveled the decimated country alongside Miranda’s father. Their arrival causes tension in a household where it’s already difficult to keep everyone fed, and resentment from Miranda as she sees how much her father has come to love Alex and Julie. However, Alex doesn’t plan to stay long, intending to deliver Julie to a convent and then join a monastery. But as he and Miranda work together to help the others survive, they grow increasingly attracted to one another. They are forced to question their priorities, before the moon’s altered gravitational pull causes a catastrophic storm that changes their lives once again. Like the previous books in the series, This World We Live In ends on an uncertain, yet hopeful note that will appeal to fans of dystopian fiction.

8. WOW! Sounds like a great read! You aren’t alone. The Last Survivors books have made the New York Times Bestseller List and garnered positive reviews from critics: “A frighteningly plausible account of the local effects of a near-future worldwide catastrophe.” – School Library Journal “Everything Pfeffer writes about seems wrenchingly plausible.” – Booklist “Celebrates the fortitude and resourcefulness of human beings during critical times.” – Publisher’s Weekly But that’s not the only reason you should know about these books, and pass them on to your YA readers. Here are a few more to consider… I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING…

9. Why you need to know about the last survivors: reason #1 Dystopian Fiction is immensely popular among YA Readers. (You can thank Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games for that.) Dystopian fiction is nothing new – earlier examples include A Wrinkle in Time and The Giver – but the overwhelming success of The Hunger Games trilogy launched a new wave of dystopian fiction for young adults. (Young, 2011) Another reason for the surge of dystopian fiction? “It's the zeitgeist. Adults write books for teenagers. So anxious adults – worried about the planet, the degradation of civil society and the bitter inheritance we're leaving for the young – write dystopian books.” (Young, 2011) Readers who liked The Hunger Games will come to our libraries looking for similar stories. The Last Survivors books will appeal to that audience.

10. The appeal of dystopian fiction So why do young adult readers love dystopian fiction so much? How do we know that The Last Survivors will be a hit with this crowd? Books set in chaotic, strictly controlled societies mirror a teenager's life at school, at home, and among their peers. Teens can relate because “high school [is] a dystopia. A bell rings and you march to your next station; what you say and wear is monitored; the newspapers are censored—for your own good!” (Westerfield, 2008) Most teens will never encounter the worldwide chaos that Miranda and Alex experience. But they still lack control over their own lives, and feel as confined to their world of home and school as Miranda is confined to her house in Life As We Knew It when the danger of the outside world becomes too great to leave. Similarly, most young adult readers do not live in a place where riots and violence are common events, like the remains of New York City in The Dead and the Gone. But to a lonely teenager, a high school cafeteria can certainly feel just as volatile and dangerous.

11. Not all teens are forced to steal to feed their family. However, many face choices that contradict the values with which they were raised. Alex’s moral dilemma about stealing in The Dead and the Gone will resonate with readers who have made their own difficult choices. One thing that makes The Last Survivors stand apart from other dystopian novels like The Hunger Games and Delirium is that instead of taking place in a distant, unimaginable future, the catastrophic event happens in the here and now, hitting much closer to home. It’s very easy to relate to Miranda when she muses “I guess I always felt that even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s would still be open.” While the precise circumstances of Miranda and Alex are unfamiliar, at their core The Last Survivors books are stories of struggling to survive in a familiar world that has suddenly become unfamiliar. And “what can be described as familiar yet unfamiliar better than adolescence?” (Stewart, 2010)

12. WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LAST SURVIVORS: REASON #2 They are wonderfully well written books. The basic premise of the moon being forced closer to Earth and causing global devastation is difficult to imagine - yet Pfeffer makes it seem completely plausible. The events are “consequence based,” (Pfeffer, 2008) and presented in a logical fashion. The moon effects tides, so enormous floods destroy oil refineries and coastal cities. Satellites go down, knocking out cell phones, Internet and cable TV, leaving survivors cut off from the world around them. The readers feel as helpless as the characters at the thought of being stranded in their homes, unable to communicate with the outside world, as drastic climatic changes cause increasingly dangerous conditions.

13. Pfeffer uses vivid, lyrical, sometimes graphic description that makes the reader see, hear and feel what is happening through the eyes and ears of her characters. For example… “The moon wasn’t a half moon anymore. It was tilted and wrong and it got larger, way larger, large like a moon rising on the horizon, only it wasn’t rising. It was smack in the middle of the sky, way too big, way too visible.” “The noise was what attacked him first, a cacophony of screams and sobs. He could make out some cursing, some praying, but mostly the noise was just the sound of agony. Then came the smells, unlike anything he’d ever known, a sickening combination of vomit, body odor, and decomposing flesh.” “I heard Dad tell Alex what had happened. I can’t be sure Alex understood. He wasn’t there when Julie couldn’t move, couldn’t feel. We were trying to describe a color he’s never seen.”

14. Pfeffer also incorporates little details to effectively get inside her character’s heads and let the reader understand their perspectives: “Even though we knew it was going to, we were still shocked when the asteroid actually made contact with the moon. At that second I think we all realized that it was Our Moon and if it was attacked, then we were all attacked.” “There weren’t any street vendors selling pretzels or hot dogs, roasted nuts or souvlaki. Strange to see a New York where you couldn’t get a complete meal on the street.” “It was a pleasant day, but no one smiled as they walked by…Eyes were downcast, as though no one wanted to acknowledge what other people might be feeling.” “I’m already starting to forget what normal life felt like, clocks that were on time and lights that went on with the flick of a switch, and Internet, and streetlights, and McDonald’s…”

15. WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LAST SURVIVORS: REASON #3 The ultimate praise for young adult novels: They “feel real.” The Last Survivors series has been the subject of debate in regards to the scientific plausibility of the plot… much to Susan Beth Pfeffer’s surprise. She says: “It truly never occurred to me that anyone would take it seriously. It was quite a surprise when I read blog reviews evaluating the science.” (The Unread Reader, 2010) Pfeffer knew that the moon controls tides, and thus wrote of giant tsunamis destroying coastal cities when the moon was pushed closer to Earth. However, she later learned that tsunamis are actually caused by oceanic earthquakes, and are not just gigantic tidal waves. (Pfeffer, 2008) So, the scientific “facts” are not completely accurate… But does that matter?

16. Not according to readers, who have made these books bestsellers. While many may have picked up on the scientific inaccuracies, for the most part the more implausible events did not take away from the story for its fans. Just as a teenaged reader today is unlikely to undergo a “procedure” to take away their capacity to love, as in Delirium, it is not at all likely that they will live to see the moon move closer to Earth… whether this would result in tsunamis or just unusually high tides. In this case too, the books “feel real” because although the characters experience situations that most readers can’t imagine, they also experience other things the reader has encountered, and react to them with the same emotions. For example…

17. Miranda falls in love, first with a boy from her school in Life As We Knew It, and later with Alex in This World We Live In. The world may be slowly disintegrating around them, but love is the one constant that makes life still worth living. Both Miranda and Alex begin to think critically about religion. Alex is very religious, but begins to question his faith in a God that would allow such pain and suffering. Miranda is not particularly religious, but she watches as a close friend makes what seem like bad decisions under the influence of her church pastor. Alex and Miranda struggle with the need to steal and lie in order to obtain food and other things their families need for survival, and whether to help others or look out only for themselves and their loved ones. When Alex’s sister is seriously injured in This World We Live In, Miranda makes a difficult, unfathomable decision that will haunt readers, making them wonder what they might do in her place. Love, faith, family values and morality… these are all things YA readers explore in their private “basement,” and they will recognize the character’s struggles and know that they aren’t alone.

18. WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LAST SURVIVORS: REASON #4 …perhaps the most important reason of all… They are just really, REALLY good books. Read them!

19. OH, AND BY THE WAY…

20. COMING SOON! The Shade of the Moon: Book 4 in The Last Survivors Series Publication Date August 13, 2013

21. REFERENCES Aronson, M. (2001). Exploding The Myths. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc. Interview with Susan Beth Pfeffer | The Unread Reader. (2010). Retrieved from http://theunreadreader.com/2010/04/interview-with-susan-beth-pfeffer.html Pfeffer, S. B. (2006). Life as we knew it. Orlando: Harcourt. Pfeffer, S. B. (2008). The dead and the gone. Orlando: Harcourt. Pfeffer, S.B. (2008). The science of life as we knew it and the dead and the gone. Retrieved from http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/2008/07/science-of-life-as- we-knew-it-and-dead.htmlhttp://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/2008/07/science-of-life-as- Pfeffer, S. B. (2010). This world we live in. Boston: Harcourt. Stewart, M. P. (2010). Joseph Bruchac's "dark" novels: confronting the terror of adolescence. Studies in the Novel, 42(1-2), 84-95 Susan Beth Pfeffer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Beth_Pfeffer Westerfield, S. (2008). Mess o’ politics. Retrieved from http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/2008/09/mess-o-politics/ Young, M. (2011). Why is dystopia so appealing to young adults? The Observer. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/oct/23/dystopian-fiction