Joyce Carol Oates' Big Mouth and Ugly Girl

Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is a book about two high-schoolers, Matt and Ursula. Matt is accused of plotting to do...something...to his school; perhaps a bomb threat or a school shooting. It is revealed, however, that he was overheard saying something out of context, and the context was intentionally wrongly assumed to get the young man into deep trouble. However, young Ursula, who isn't really Matt's friend at all, comes to help him because she overheard the entire conversation and knows fully well that Matt was just a young jokester, and he really enjoyed school.

The book is about dealing with issues one faces in high school and the emotional despair one can suffer when the entire school knows something about you that hurts your reputation. Matt's reputation was tarnished and he lost nearly all credibility; his best friends stopped talking to him and, even though he was one of the most popular boys, was now being bullied around.

Ursula, however, demonstrates to young readers a common theme I have noticed in young adult literature: how, and the logical reasoning and and answering of the ubiquitous question why?, to do the right thing. It is a lesson of morals, and a lesson on friendship. At first, Ursula is afraid to talk to Matt about his situation, and she goes through emotional turmoil herself because of her family dynamic at home. But she soon realizes that Matt needs help, both emotionally and with the problem at school. She tells the principal immediately, because she realizes the consequences Matt could incur if this misinformation spreads, or even potentially, leads to his indictment.

There are some side stories in the novel about corruption, evil, and family dynamic, but the friendship that erupts out of all the turmoil accentuates the capacity that young adults have for caring for one another in the face of adversity. Ursula consoles Matt, they go through troubles, Matt's dog is stolen and he breaks down, but Ursula is always there. They are seen together in school and chastised, but Ursula is strong enough to ignore this ignorance. Eventually, because of their strong bond, they convince, without doing much emphatic convincing, the rest of their peers that these matters really aren't that big of a deal. They are both good kids, and they both do the right thing. They are to be admired and looked up to, and eventually the student body realizes this and the school goes back to it's old, normal ways, all thanks to kindly Ursula Riggs. This would be a great theme to teach freshman students: the social mores, friendship in the face of adversity, and simply doing the right thing even when it is tough to do and may affect your social reputation, perhaps one of the most important things to a high school student.