Wonderful YA Boys: Graham Larkin

This is the next in my series of Wonderful YA Boys.  To see what criteria I use to pick my favorite YA boys see this post.

Graham Larkin is a movie star, so by all accounts he shouldn't be a wonderful YA boy.  But he is!  He didn't grow up in the acting/fame machine, he only became an actor later on, after he was already a young man.  I think this helps him stay more grounded. 

He is also willing to really, really put himself out there for Ellie.  I mean, he gets his movie to change locations to her hometown for crying out loud!  Who wouldn't want a man/boy to do that!

And he is kind.  And handsome.  And really wants to be part of Ellie's world, not demanding that she fit into his. 

There is just so much to adore about Graham Larkin!  He is truly a wonderful YA boy!

Wonderful YA Boys: Durango from the Hell's Cross Trilogy

This is the fifth in my series of Wonderful YA Boys.  I have to admit, this is not the usual choice for me.  I wouldn't look at Durango and say, "yeah, I want my boys to grow up like that."  Mostly that's because of where Durango lives.  He is basically a mercenary on Mars.  But, when you look at who Durango is, his values, he does possess qualities I want to see in my sons when they are men!

First of all, Durango is a soldier. Not just any soldier, but a Regulator, so he has a very dangerous edge to him. I liked that! He was also a very good tactician. He was not the best of the Regulators, but he was probably the smartest. Of course, that had a little to do with Mimi, the artificial intelligence that was part of his brain, but he was strong enough to live through the process of being fused with an AI so you know he was something special before that happened.

Secondly, he is very, very loyal when you earn his trust. He would do whatever is necessary to help the people that have earned his loyalty. And most of all he is loyal to Vienne, whom he loves. Sigh!

He is also very, very good looking.  This is a fact that is brought up several times in the book.  He is always being referred to as handsome.  And since he is a soldier I am sure his body is in quite good shape.

Most of all, he wants to make Mars a better place for everyone.  That mostly comes from the guilt he feels because of what his father did to the planet and society, but Durango fights against the people and companies that are only out for himself.  And he does this for people who look down on him for being a dalit (read the books if you want to know).

All in all, Durango is awesome.  I loved being part of his world for three books and a novella and would go back again!

Wonderful YA Boys (in a MG novel!): Cagney from The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

I adore The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall.  I have blogged about them a ton:  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street inspired my first Food From Fiction post (it was the book that gave me the idea), I wrote about Tommy & Rosalind's sweet tween romance, and reviewed The Penderwicks on Mouette Street.  Whenever I write about my favorite books, these books top the list. 

However, I never gave Cagney a thought as a wonderful YA boy because The Penderwicks (which is the one he is in) is a MG book.  But I had a sixth grade girl turn it in the other day and when I asked her if she liked it she said she LOVED Cagney.  And even though this is a MG book, he is a YA boy.  So he is perfect for this kind of post!

I have done a few of these posts highlighting boys that I think are wonderful examples of young men in the YA books I read.  They all have qualities that I would like to see in my sons as they become young men.  Today Cagney joins the list.

Cagney is a gardener that works at the estate where the Penderwicks are renting a cottage for the summer in the first Penderwick book.  Rosalind, the oldest Penderwick, develops her first crush on him during the summer.  He is the perfect boy for a first crush!  He's older than Rosalind (he is 18 she is 12, maybe 13) so ultimately she has no chance, but he is so nice and friendly to her (and to all the sisters and to Hound).  He enjoys being a gardener and takes pride in his work.  The best word to describe Cagney is kind.  He is kind to all the younger kids and makes Batty feel as important as Rosalind; he put a rope ladder in the tree that Skye and Jane use to visit Jeffery; he lets them be kids and covers up for them if he needs to.  He is just such a good guy!

In the end, of course, Rosalind gets her heart broke, even though logically she knows that the age difference was too great (and to be fair to Cagney, he was just very kind to her never flirty).  But at the very end, he pays her a compliment that makes the crush totally worthwhile.

Check out Cagney in The Penderwicks--and try not to remember your first impossible crush on an older boy!

Wonderful YA Boys: Brian Nelson from the Dairy Queen trilogy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

A while ago I started a recurring post that highlights a male character from a YA novel that is awesome.  Just awesome.  So far I have done Matt Kruse from the Airborn series, Cash Sterling from ShutOut and Sean Griswold from Sean Griswold's Head.  This week Brian Nelson gets the treatment (you can read about my criteria here).

First of all, if you have not read this series correct that ASAP!  A few weeks ago one of my 7th grade Language Arts teachers came in looking for some lighter reading (she is mostly an adult book reader, but don't hold it against her, she's a good egg!).  I have her Dairy Queen, which she whipped through in a few days.  Then she took The Off Season and like me spent most of that book in tears.  I haven't heard if she liked Front & Center since she took that book home over the Thanksgiving break, but I bet she did.  This series of books is truly about DJ Schwenk.  She is the main character and it is all about her growth.  However, she wouldn't have gotten near as far without Brian Nelson in her corner.

I will admit that I didn't like Brian Nelson that much when I met him in  Dairy Queen, but he really, really, really grows on you over the three books.  And part of the reason he grows on you is how much he changes over the course of his relationship with DJ.  That's one of the things I love about Brian, he is willing to change for the better for the person he wants to be with--the kind of changes that DJ doesn't ask him to make, but that he recognizes makes him a better and more worthy person for DJ.

The second book, The Off Season, is really all about DJ.  And, honestly, Brian doesn't come off too good in that one.  He really became DJ's best friend, but let her down one too many times.  However, he is still in the front of DJ's mind, she can't stop thinking about him, so we, the readers, can't also.

I think that all of the growing Brian does is what makes him a wonderful YA boy in my book.  He recognizes what a jerk he can be and decides he wants to be someone who is worthy of being a friend to DJ.  It's not that he changes for her, he changes because of her and he was willing to.  It takes a lot for a high school boy to make positive changes in his life like that--especially at a time when most teenagers think they know everything.

The thing is, Brian is not at all perfect, but the whole series I was rooting for him to come around and for he and DJ to be together.  And most of the reviews I read say the same thing--as much of a jerk Brian can be, he's also someone worthy for DJ.  He really is a good friend to DJ, maybe not the best boyfriend, but a really good friend.  He tells her somethings she needs reaffirmed at just the right times.

Once you know DJ, and you know the kind of person she is, you have to realize that if she deems Brian worthy, then he is worthy.

Wonderful YA Boys: Matt Cruse (Airborn Series) by Kenneth Oppel

Donna from Bite My Books has a feature about Shitty YA Boy Toys, (her latest is Linden from Wither, definitely a tool!)so I wanted to do my own with Wonderful YA Boys.  The kinds of boys that make me think "I want my sons to turn out like that."  I know there are several other memes out there that are similar (Book Boyfriend is one that comes to mind) but this comes more from a mom standpoint.

I have written about Sean Griswold from Sean Griswold's Head and Cash Sterling from Shut Out.  Today Matt Cruse from the Airborn series by Kenneth Oppel gets the Wonderful YA Boy award.

If you have read my blog for any length of time you know how much I adore the Airborn series.  I highly recommend them, but I recommend listening to at least the first one on audio.  The actor who voices Matt in the audio version has the perfect voice for this crush-worthy character!

The first word that comes to mind when I think of Matt Cruse is integrity. Matt takes his job aboard the Auroroa very seriously.  He strives to do be a reliable worker and someone the captain can count on.  Another word that could be used to describe Matt is loyalty.  He wants to make sure that the people he cares about get the best of him and will work hard to help anyone he can.
Over the course of the series he grows more & more into someone that can be counted on, who will work to find a solution (this is big with me, I am always telling my sons to be problem solvers), and a man who tries to be the best version of himself.  He is a Wonderful YA Boy!

Wonderful YA Boys: Cash Sterling from Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Donna from Bite My Books is starting a feature about Shitty YA Boy Toys, so I wanted to do my own with Wonderful YA Boys.  The kinds of boys that make me think "I want my sons to turn out like that."  I know there are several other memes out there that are similar (Book Boyfriend is one that comes to mind) but this comes more from a mom standpoint.   

Last time I did Sean Griswold, today it's Cash Sterling from Shut Out by Kody Keplinger.  (Read my review here).  Cash was such a great guy and the perfect one for Lissa to fall for--especially compared to her first boyfriend, he was totally gross.

First off, Cash works in a library.  A LIBRARY.  Swoon.  And he gives the money he makes to his parents to help out after his dad loses his job.

Secondly, he is a soccer player.  Double Swoon.

He goes to parties to be the designated driver.

And he is, as described by a character in the book, "good looking, friendly and charming."

He's not afraid to tell a girl he thinks she's amazing.  Love it when a guy can talk to a girl to her face, none of that texting crap!

He is just so sweet and earnest when he and Lissa first hang out at a party.  

He is just mature and really secure with himself.

 That is something I strive to instill in my sons all the time!

I just adore Cash!  He is an AWESOME YA boy!

Wonderful YA Boys: Sean Griswold

Donna from Bite My Books is starting a feature about Shitty YA Boy Toys, so I wanted to do my own with Wonderful YA Boys.  The kinds of boys that make me think "I want my sons to turn out like that."  I know there are several other memes out there that are similar (Book Boyfriend is one that comes to mind) but this comes more from a mom standpoint.  

First up, Sean Griswold from Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsay Leavitt.  I ADORE Sean Griswold.  My very favorite thing about Sean is that he is interested in his own thing.  He is not caught up in the popularity trappings of high school.  He is a bike rider ("cyclist"), he is sweet, he is charming and he is very, very kind and caring.  You just know that he is going to be fine in his life after high school and beyond.  

I want my sons to be adorable and kind and charming.  Right now they are both very involved in sports, but one thing we stress is outside interests because when sports are over we want them to have lots of other interests.  I also want them to be devoted to their girlfriends, but not be doormats.  That's how I felt Sean was, he got Payton interested in things outside of her life instead of being just sucked into her life and drama.  That is wonderful!