The Unnameables by Ellen Booraem

This was a really interesting book but not one that I would recommend kids tackle on their own.  The whole book is a giant metaphor for the importance of art in our society, but I'm not sure most kids would get to that without some way to discuss it.  It tells the story of a child, Medford Runyuin, who is marooned on an island when his parents die at sea.  On this island, everyone is identified by the work they do - both in name (if you are a baker, Baker is your last time) and your value.  It is strictly forbidden to engage in activities that do not have some useful purpose - things without purpose are called "unnameables".  Medford is a carver who can not help but carve things that he thinks are beautiful, though they cannot be "used" in this society.  He must keep them secret, but when his best friend becomes one of the people in charge of enforcing the island's laws, things become more complicated.  When a half-goat/half-man who has the power to change the weather appears, things get still more complex.  I liked how much was going on beneath the surface in the book, and I think it would be really interesting to take on for lit.  I'm just a little worried that kids might find it too slow...