Open Book

Everlost book trailer

2011-11-30T17:05:00.001-07:00

Everlost book trailer created by Brooke Austin

Sunshine booktrailer - take II

2011-11-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

Sunshine booktrailer

2011-11-10T09:12:00.003-07:00

Booktalk for neighborhood bookclub

2011-11-03T19:24:00.000-06:00

Ellen Hopkins

2011-10-25T22:24:00.001-06:00

Ellen Hopkins group presentation II

Dark Life by Kat Falls

2011-10-18T20:12:00.001-06:00

Booktalk presented to a 5th grade class in Utah

2011-09-17T13:02:00.000-06:00

Booktalk presented to a 5th grade class in Texas

2011-09-14T16:23:00.002-06:00

BOOKTALK: Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls by Meg Cabot

2011-09-14T16:22:00.000-06:00

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day by Meg Cabot

Allie Finkle is at war! She's at war with the idea of moving to a new house. Her family's old house is just fine. Her best friend lives just down the street, and she has the best teacher at her school. And school's already started. Moving after school starts is against the rules… And Allie is ALL about rules.

She likes science and math because they have rules. Allie also makes up rules, so many that she can't always remember them, and has to write them down in her notebook, Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Some are rules somebody told her, like "What goes up, must come down," or "Treat your friends like you'd like to be treated." Other rules are ones she makes up herself, like "Never eat anything red," or "If someone is yelling from excitement, the polite thing to do is yell back," or "Never put a cat in a suitcase." But the most important rule is "Never let your family move into a haunted house."

That rule is the reason why Allie's at war-but is it a war she has even any chance of winning? And what will she do if she loses?

*Written by Joni Bodart. Retrieved from Scholastic.com

BOOKTALK: The Roar by Emma Clayton

2011-09-14T16:19:00.001-06:00

The Roar by Emma Clayton

Everyone on Earth lived inside the Wall. Fifty feet of concrete, topped with three rows of electrified razor wire, it made a loop around the top one-third of the planet, and Earth’s entire population was jammed inside. It had been built during the Animal Plague, when every animal on Earth went insane and started attacking and killing humans. The Wall kept the animals out. But with only one-third of the space they used to have, humans were packed in on top of each other, living in tiny fifteen foot square fold up apartments. Babies were forbidden for 30 years, and twins Mika and Ellie were part of the first generation born inside the Wall.

They never got along, always fighting over something. But they were connected at a level far deeper than who got to sleep in the top bunk. That’s why Mika was so angry and upset when Ellie disappeared, and the police told them she’d fallen off a walkway and drowned. He knew she was alive—his connection with her was stretched so tightly that it almost hurt. She was far away, but alive. And no one was looking for her!

Ellie was determined to get away from Mal Gorman. He’d kidnapped her a year ago, and had been training her to be a warrior ever since. She smart, and learned quickly. And what she’d learned made it possible for her to escape.

When he found out she was gone, Gorman went after her with everything he had. She knew the Secret, and she was a ticking time bomb that could blow up in his face and ruin all his plans, perhaps even reveal the secret of what was really behind the wall.

BOOKTALK: The Candy Bomber by Michael Tunnell

2011-09-14T16:18:00.000-06:00

The Candy bomber: The Story of the Berlin Aircraft’s “Chocolate Bomber”

By Michael Tunnell

It is Berlin, Germany, 1948. WWII is just over. The country of Germany has been divided up between Russia, the United States, Britain and France. But everyone wants to be involved in Berlin, the capital of Germany. But Berlin is located right in the middle of Russia’s piece of Germany. Russia does not want to share. They do not allow anyone to travel to Berlin by water or land. They hope to starve the Berlin people so they will all agree to become Russians.

So the only way into Berlin is by airplane. But winter is coming. The city is hunger and cold. Britain and the United States decide to airlift everything the Berlin people need. “The cargo planes drop out of the sky to land every few minutes, twenty-four hours a day.”

But what about the children? Their country has been at war for years. And now they are being starved by the Russians. Basic food has been hard to find and candy or sweets impossible. One American pilot, Lt. Halvorsen, wanted to provide more for these German children. What could he do? Could he get candy to the children of Berlin?

To learn more about Lt. Halvorsen’s plans read The Candy Bomber.

Written by Tami Austin

BOOKTALK: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

2011-09-14T16:17:00.001-06:00

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Things just aren't going Moose Flanagan’s way. He has to leave his friends and winning baseball team behind. He never sees his Dad because he’s always working on his new job, and his Mom is acting just plain weird. Mom tries to make everyone believe Moose’s sister Natalie is ten, when she's really fifteen, going on sixteen. But Natalie is a little different. She has autism and sometimes her strange behavior gets Moose into trouble, especially now that he’s watching her. What’s a twelve-year-old guy to do? Having to move with your family isn't that unusual, unless you're moving to the “Rock”…Devil’s Island…ALCATRAZ.

It’s 1935, and Moose’s Dad has just started working as a prison guard on Alcatraz Island. Moose isn't too sure about this “twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water”. And on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away. Other kids live here with their families, and most of them seem all right…except for Piper. She’s the Warden’s daughter and sure, she's cute…but she's bad news. Piper has a scheme going all the time and nobody’s safe. She lies to her Dad, takes her classmates to the cleaners, and is determined to involve Moose in her plans. And let’s not even talk about the prisoners. Alcatraz gets the worst of the worst…the convicts other prisons don’t want. One of them is even famous. Alcatraz is home to the notorious gangster, Al Capone.

When the Flanagan family has a crisis and there’s nowhere to turn, will Moose break the most important rule on the Island: Never interact with or contact a convict? Would Moose dare to ask the most famous prisoner of all, Al Capone, for help? Find out in Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko.

Written by Patricia Jansen (graduate student)

BOOKTALK: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

2011-09-14T16:16:00.000-06:00

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Aah, hanging out with your friends. You laugh. You go shopping. You have sleepovers and you always have fun. Well, imagine this: you and your friends are chasing each other one day and you trip. When you fall, you hit the cement. You hit the cement so hard that you knock out your two front teeth! This is exactly what happens to the character of Raina in the graphic novel Smile by Raina Telgemeier.

After an emergency trip to Dr. Golden's office, the dentist glues Raina's teeth back into her mouth. He covers them in gauze. When Raina takes off the gauze, she discovers that the teeth have been inserted too far. Now she looks like a vampire! Going to school looking like a vampire will definitely make boys notice her, but not in a good way.

Luckily, Raina's dentist can fix her teeth, but there is one problem - it's going to take years! So many trips to the dentist's office to get fake teeth, braces and even head gear! How would you like to be called your dentist's star patient and see him more than you see some of your friends? It's no fun at all. And while suffering from this dental humiliation, she still has to find time to do all the things that normal middle school girls do. She needs to do homework, attend dances, try out for the school basketball team and secretly stalk Sean, the boy she has a huge crush on.

Will Raina's teeth ever grow back? Will she ever look "normal" again? Or is she doomed to a lifetime of surgery, all because she tripped?

BOOKTALK: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2011-09-14T16:15:00.000-06:00

The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman

“There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.”

So begins the story of Nobody Owens, known as Bod. On the night his parents are brutally murdered, 2 year old Bod calmly climbs out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into a nearby cemetery. There he is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens (childless and dead for 250 years!) who gladly care for the child and protect him from harm.

With loving ghostly parents, teachers, friends, and protectors, Bod grows from age two to fifteen in the graveyard. He learns to read and do numbers, and he also learns some ghostly skills. But not all the residents of the graveyard are friendly. There are witches, ghouls and creatures and let’s not forget Jack – the fiend who is out to finish the job he started.

How will Bod survive? Or will he? Can his loving family and friends really protect him from the evil Jack? Read the Newbery Award winning book, The Graveyard Book and find out!

written by Diana Ferbrache, Hazen High School Librarian

BOOKTALK: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

2011-09-14T16:13:00.001-06:00

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Billy was eleven and he yearned for a dog. But not just any dog. He wanted a coon dog and not just one but two coon dogs for hunting. Billy’s family did not have much money. They lived out in the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains. Billy’s mom wanted to move to town but they did not have enough money even for that. So they certainly could not afford to get Billy the dogs he really wanted.

Billy found an ad in a hunting magazine at an abandoned fisherman’s campsite. It read, “Registered redbone coon hound pups – twenty-five dollars each.” Now more than ever all Billy can see, hear, smell, think about were coon dogs. He must have these pups. But Billy knew he would not be able to get any help from his parents. So Billy started working. He sold vegetables, picked berries, caught minnows to sell to the fisherman as bait. He worked hard for 2 longs years. And finally he saved $50.

But now what? Will there still be dogs for sale? What will he name his new pups? Can he train them to be the hunting dogs he has always wanted?

If you like dogs, adventure or just a darn good story, read Where the Red Fern Grows.

Written by Tami Austin

BOOKTALK: Downsiders by Neal Schusterman

2011-09-14T16:10:00.001-06:00

Downsiders by Neal Schusterman

Have you ever thought about what could be running around underground, in the sewers of a big city, especially a city like New York? You’ve heard tales of large rats and urban legends about alligators, but what if there really was something down there? What it there were another whole city far below the subway tunnels and the sewer pipes? An entirely different culture with a different way of dressing, and talking, and living? What would it be like? Can you imagine it? Lindsay meets Talon when he breaks into her house looking for medicine to help his sick sister. Break-in isn’t really the right word for it. Talon just climbs up out of a hole in the floor of the apartment where Lindsay lives with her father and step-brother. Talon is not like any of the boys Lindsay’s met, and she soon finds out why. Who is Talon? Where did he come from? To find the answers to these puzzling questions, read Downsiders by Neal Shusterman

My favorite books

2011-08-13T17:11:00.002-06:00

I was telling a friend about this class and she asked if I had a hard time finding books to read that were any good. Ha! I believe this to be a common misconception about young adult literature. The selection of great young adult literature is nearly endless.

So give young adult literature a try. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Here are my 5 favorite books from this class:

1- Midnighters by Scott Westerfield

2- White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean

3- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

4- Code Orange by Carolyn Cooney

5- Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Blog project

2011-08-08T22:48:00.004-06:00

I have greatly enjoyed this class this summer. My only misgiving is that instead of the 10 weeks for the summer term I wish I had 20 to 30 weeks to study all the material. I loved all the readings and enjoyed all the different topics we addressed.

This blog project contains 50 material reviews for young adults for LIBR 265. There is a lovely list of tags for this class on the right sidebar. Hopefully it will help you navigate to the different books or materials that interest you.

**I enjoy using blogger but often have technical difficulties. So I apologize if the colors are off or if the spacing is weird or the fonts are different sizes. I try my very best but sometimes when I am copying/pasting things go terribly wrong. This is the third class I have used my blog for and this is the most technical problems I have ever had with blogger. So I know it is distracting and I apologize.**

The Summer Set

2011-08-08T21:21:00.004-06:00

The Summer Set

Love Like This

The Militia Group, 2009

ASIN B002MXA7PG

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot summary

1- The Boys You Do

2-Punch-Drunk Love

3-Chelsea

4-Young

5-Take it Slow

6-Can you Find Me?

7-Love like This

8-Girls Freak Me Out

9-This is How We Live

10-Where Are You Now

Critical Analysis

This is a great group! They are a bit off the beaten path and not very well known. I guess they sound a bit like any other rock band coming out right now, but still enjoyable. They sing about all the normal teenage stuff; love, friendship, etc.

Reader's Annotation

N/A

Information about the artists

Co-founded by brothers John and Stephen Gomez, the Summer Set took shape in 2007 in Scottsdale, AZ. The Gomez siblings rounded out their lineup with guitarist John Montgomery, drummer Jess Bowen, and vocalist Brian Dales, and the teenagers chose their band's name after opening an atlas and happening upon the town of Somerset, NJ. Despite the East Coast reference, Arizona proved to be the Summer Set's muse, and the group took inspiration from such local acts as Jimmy Eat World and the Format while composing its own emo-pop songs. After gathering a modest audience on MySpace, the Summer Set began playing local shows and issuing several EPs while still in high school, eventually signing with Razor & Tie shortly after graduation. Released in 2009, Love Like This marked the group's official debut. ~ Andrew LeaheyMySpace, the Summer Set began playing local shows and issuing several EPs while still in high school, eventually signing with Razor & Tie shortly after graduation. Released in 2009, Love Like This marked the group's official debut.
http://www.billboard.com/artist/the-summer-set/bio/997012#/artist/the-summer-set/bio/997012

Genre

punk rock

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 14 and up

Challenge Issues

The lyrics have quite a bit of swearing of the milder swear words.

It is best to be prepared for a book challenge before it is challenged. It is important to read the book all the way through and to have read both positive and negative reviews of the book from professionals and teens as well. Be aware of the library’s collection policy. Also check for any awards the book may have won. It would be beneficial to see how other library’s may have handled challenges for this particular book in the past.

*The above information applies for a music CD.

Why Included?

One of the teens I interviewed said this was one of her favorite groups.

19 Varieties of Gazelle

2011-08-07T09:29:00.007-06:00

19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East

by Naomi Shihab Nye

Greenwillow Books, 2002

ISBN 0060097655

141 pages

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Award-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye has brought together a collection of her poems about the Middle East, shedding powerful, tender light on a region filled with rich history and much turmoil. Nye, who is of Middle Eastern descent herself, speaks from the heart, capturing an entire culture in strong images -- especially in "Biography of an Armenian Schoolgirl," "Rock," and the poem that gives the anthology its title. Both remarkable and enlightening, this collection of poetry will help foster understanding in young and old alike for an area of the world most of us know only through nightly news broadcasts.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/342068.19_Varieties_of_Gazelle

Critical Evaluation

Although I do not usually read poetry, I enjoyed this book. A quote on the very first dedication page says, "If you look at the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religions, their first commandments are the same: 'Thou shalt not kill.' It's not taken seriously." This collection of poetry is full of imagery and questions. Questions about war and fighting, about intolerance and selfishness. The poems are beautiful and make me pause and think.

Reader’s Annotation

A collection of poems about the middle east.

Information about the author

Naomi Shihab Nye was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1952. Her father was a Palestinian refugee and her mother an American of German and Swiss descent, and Nye spent her adolescence in both Jerusalem and San Antonio, Texas. Her experience of both cultural difference and different cultures has influenced much of her work.

Nye told Contemporary Authors: “I have always loved the gaps, the spaces between things, as much as the things. I love staring, pondering, mulling, puttering. I love the times when someone or something is late—there’s that rich possibility of noticing more, in the meantime…Poetry calls us to pause. There is so much we overlook, while the abundance around us continues to shimmer, on its own.”

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/naomi-shihab-nye

Genre

poetry

Curriculum Ties

poetry. current events. geography. history.

Booktalking Ideas

*Close your eyes, breathe deeply. What do you hear, smell, feel? Can you write about your thoughts? Slow down. Notice things around you.

Reading Level

age 11 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I believe poetry adds a depth to a library collection. Some teens really respond to poetry. I also appreciated that this book was about other countries and cultures.

Gale Student Resource in Context

2011-08-02T10:05:00.002-06:00

Gale Student Resource in Context

Subscription Database

Gale Group, Inc.

Plot Summary

Gale Student Resources In Context is an engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information on a broad range of topics, people, places, and events. The new solution merges Gale's authoritative reference content with full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites organized into a user-friendly portal experience combined with new features such as "Search Assist" and quick fact boxes.

http://www.galesites.com/menu/index.php?loc=avon12

Critical Evaluation

WOW! This is an amazing database. I wish I had discovered it a few years ago. My daughter is in sixth grade in an accelerated program and this is perfect for her. She is currently working on a project about Edward Jenner who discovered the vaccination for small pox. So I browsed the database looking for information about him and small pox. There was a wealth and variety of information. We will definitely be using this database for many years to come in my home.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the author

Gale®, part of Cengage Learning, is a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses. Best known for its accurate and authoritative reference content as well as its intelligent organization of full-text magazine and newspaper articles, the company creates and maintains more than 600 databases that are published online, in print, as eBooks and in microform.

http://www.gale.cengage.com/about/

Genre

all different topics

Curriculum Ties

Absolutely amazing resource guide for nearly any topic.

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I went to my local library teen space on the library website. I just randomly picked a few databases to look at and play around with.

Learning Express Library

2011-08-02T10:04:00.003-06:00

Learning Express Library

Subscription Database

Plot Summary

LearningExpress Library is an innovative, Web-based learning solution that provides patrons, from elementary students to adult learners, with instant access to the most comprehensive collection of test preparation tools, skill-building materials, and career resources available. Over 770 online practice tests and interactive skill-building tutorials are available, along with more than 130 eBook titles-all developed by expert academic and industry professionals.

http://www.learningexpressllc.com/products/home.cfm

Critical Evaluation

Very cool! There are tons of different resources and tests for students and adults of all ages. I think teens will find this database very beneficial because there are lots of college prep tests they can take. For example, there are ACT prep tests. What a wonderful resource.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the author

LearningExpress, LLC was founded in 1995 to provide customized test-preparation materials for students and adults to improve their performance on academic, licensing, and certification exams. The company quickly emerged as an industry leader in both online and print resources, with special emphasis on career guidance and preparation, academic and career test preparation, and basic skills improvement.

Since its founding, LearningExpress has continued to pair innovative technology with a strong foundation in research-based test and course development. All of our products are developed by leading educators and professionals, and follow rigorous standards. Today, the company serves over 4,000 public libraries, 5,000 schools, and 800 colleges across the United States and Canada, and maintains over 20 statewide contracts for its online learning platforms.

http://www.learningexpressllc.com/company/home.cfm

Genre

nonfiction.

Curriculum Ties

test help for nearly every subject

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

elementary school age children and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I was looking for a database that would specifically appeal to teens. This database has tons of tests to help students get ready for anything that they need to prepare for.

Fruit Basket

2011-08-02T09:53:00.006-06:00

Fruit Basket

by Natsuki Takaya

Tokyopop Manga, 2007

ISBN 1427806896

434 pages

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Tohru Honda was an orphan, living with her grandfather, when one day fate kicked her out of the house and she was forced to take up residence in a tent in the forest. Little did she know that the land she was staying on belonged to the Sohma family, a mysterious clan. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for housework. Everything's going well until she discovers the Sohma family's greatest secret: when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they each turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/271199.Fruits_Basket_Vol_1

Critical Evaluation

This was a brand new experience for me. This is the first manga book I have ever read. I chose this one because it was referred to positively in the Manga's genre group presentation earlier in the semester.

There were quite a few things I liked about the book. 1- The artwork. I particularly enjoyed the artwork of the people. Somewhere I read (can't remember where now) that the author of Fruits basket likes to draw her men slender. That would be for sure. The men in the book are very beautiful also effeminate. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the males and females. 2- I liked the story line. It is interesting to have the characters turn into the different zodiac animals.

My only real problem with the book was getting used to the style. I still get confused about which way to read the pages. At the back of the book I found a "map" for how to read each page. But not each page perfectly follows that format and then I get confused. I followed the gist of the story just fine but sometimes I would read the dialogue in a backward manner.

Reader’s Annotation

When Tohru's mother dies in a car accident, Tohru lives in a tent. But she is soon found by some classmates and invited to live with them.

Information about the author

Natsuki Takaya (高屋奈月 Takaya Natsuki, real name Naka Hatake) is the penname of a Japanese manga artist best-known for creating the series Fruits Basket. She was born on July 7, 1973; (Tanabata). Takaya is left-handed and once revealed that she wanted to be a mangaka since first grade, when her sister started drawing.

She was born in Shizuoka, Japan, but was raised in Tokyo, where she made her debut in 1992. She enjoys video games such as the Final Fantasy series or Sakura Wars, or working on her different manga series, such as Fruits Basket, which is the second best-selling shōjo manga ever in Japan, and the top selling shōjo manga in North America. Fruits Basket has also been adapted into a twenty-six-episode anime series.

In 2001, Takaya received a Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga for Fruits Basket.

According to Takaya (in a sidebar of a Fruits Basket manga volume), she enjoys drawing girls (girly ones) more than she does boys. Takaya also enjoys electronics and music, but dislikes talking about herself. Also revealed in a sidebar of Fruits Basket, Takaya broke her drawing arm (left) after Fruits Basket volume six was published. She had to go into surgery, and as a result, had put Fruits Basket on a brief hiatus. Takaya made a full recovery, but complains that her handwriting had gotten uglier, due to the surgery. During her hospital stay, she gained an interest in baseball.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/26306.Natsuki_Takaya

Genre

manga. fantasy.

Curriculum Ties

literature. Japanese culture.

Booktalking Ideas

*What do you know about the twelve zodiac animals? What year were you born? And so then, which zodiac sign are you?

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

Manga is continuing to gain popularity and is a necessary part of a ya collection. Fruit Basket has great reviews and seemed like a good place to start for my introduction into manga.

J-14

2011-08-02T09:52:00.014-06:00

J-14 Magazine

July 2011.

Plot Summary

J-14 is a monthly teenage magazine marketed at girls in their early teens and younger. It is published by Bauer Publishing, the United States division of the German firm Bauer Verlagsgruppe. The contents of these magazines include features like teen gossip, quizzes, fashion, posters, and information on celebrities that pertain to the readers. The first issue was released in January 2001. The name of the publication is a sound-alike abbreviation of its tagline "Just For Teens". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-14_(magazine)

Critical Evaluation

Personally, not my favorite. However, I believe it has a place in a YA collection. There are many teens who love to follow the celebrities and this is the magazine to do just that. I thought the magazine was very busy and a bit confusing. I think the cover indicates that as well. The cover is very busy and bright and the inside of the magazine looks just the same. I feel that these magazines often sexualize girls way to young. Also some of the advice I don't think is realistic or healthy advice.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the editor

Rachel Chang is currently the editor-in-chief at J-14 Magazine, the top-selling teen magazine on newsstands published by Bauer Publishing. Prior to this, she was the entertainment editor at CosmoGirl Magazine, entertainment editor at J-14, and associate editor at Popstar! Magazine. She’s also written for Alternative Press, Glamour, Audrey, USOpen.org, and Clear Channel Online Music & Radio, as well as interned at In Style, YM, and the Daily Record. Rachel began her career in entertainment while she was an undergraduate at UCLA, interning at Nickelodeon, the Dawson’s Creek writers’ office, Buena Vista Pictures, Comcast, and The WB Television Network — and worked at The WB in photo publicity during its pop culture reign before heading to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where she earned her masters in Magazine, Newspaper, and Online Journalism.

http://www.bauerpublishing.com/teen-group/j-14/editor-bio/

Genre

magazine

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

There is quite a bit that a parent could object to.

*Above information applies to magazines as well.

I think it would be/will be more difficult to defend materials that I personally do not like or care for. However, it is still important to keep it on the shelf.

Why Included?

This magazine circulates well and the copies always look very well loved. I thought it would be a good addition to the YA collection.

Tweak

2011-08-02T09:52:00.012-06:00

Tweak: Growing Up On Methamphetamines

by Nic Sheff

Ginee Seo Books, 2007

ISBN 1416913629

336 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Nic Sheff grew up in California. His parents divorced when he was young and he lived the majority of his time with his dad. His dad treated him like an adult and took him everywhere with him. Nic was exposed to drugs, sex, violence at a very young age. By the time he was twelve he had started drinking, smoking and trying drugs.

When he went off to college he really became addicted and his life began to be out of control. Nic went through many cycles of sobriety and relapse. He lied, stole, broke into family's home, prostituted, etc. At one point in his early twenties he was diagnosed as being rapid cycle bipolar.

The book concludes with Nic having been sober for one year and living in the southern part of the United States. The book was published in 2007. I hope Nic is still sober.

Critical Evaluation

This was a very difficult book to listen to. (I listened to it as an eaudiobook). There is a lot of swearing, much more swearing than I prefer to listen to. There was some descriptive details about doing the drugs. There was also a lot of sex but no descriptive details.

I found myself alternating between feeling sorry for Nic and feeling frustrated with him. Sometimes I related to Nic. He talked alot about how difficult life is and I relate to that. But all of his behaviors made his life so much more difficult. Often I tried to think how I would feel as Nic's parents. That would be so hard. I know they loved him so much but time and again he hurt them. He would steal from them, lie to them, etc. Becoming involved with drugs very quickly ruins lives. It was amazing to listen to the descriptions of all that he put his body through. Not only were the drugs horrific to his body but injecting all those needles repeatedly into his body was damaging. And when he was in the middle of huge drug cycles he did not eat

or sleep so his body was wasting away. Nic was essentially killing himself.

Reader’s Annotation

Nic Sheff became addicted to drugs and cycled through drug abuse and sobriety over the course of many years.

Information about the author

Nic Sheff is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. Still in his early twenties, he continues to fight daily battles with his addictions. His writing has been published in Newsweek, Nerve, and the San Francisco Chronicle. TWEAK is his first book.

http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/nic-sheff

Genre

memoir

Curriculum Ties

Drug abuse.

Booktalking Ideas

*What happens to your body when you get addicted to drugs? What happens to your life?

Reading Level

grade 10 and up.

Challenge Issues

Drugs, sex, swearing.

Why included?

I included this book because enjoy memoirs. Nic's father also wrote a book about Nic and this time in his life. It is called Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction by David Sheff. I have not yet read this book but plan to in the future.

Seventeen

2011-08-02T09:50:00.003-06:00

Seventeen Magazine

July 2011

Plot Summary

Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications.News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications (later Primedia) in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the forefront of newsstand popularity among growing competition. This magazine is mostly for young girls and women from the ages of 12–19.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeen_(magazine)

Critical Evaluation

Again, not a big fan of this magazine. In fact, most magazines like this I just do not care for. The girls are sexualized way to early. There is very little substance in the magazine. And much of the advice given is not really realistic or healthy. In my pursuing of YA magazines I found a great one. It is entitled New Moon. (nothing to do with Stephanie Meyer's new moon). It looks absolutely wonderful but I believe the market is for younger girls not older teens.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the editor

Ann Shoket has been Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen Magazine since January 2007. Prior to that, Ms. Shoket served as Executive Editor of the award-winning CosmoGIRL! Magazine since October 2003. She had been with CosmoGIRL! since its launch in 1999, joining as senior editor. In less than two years, she helped lead CosmoGIRL! to become the number one teen magazine on newsstands. While there, she developed some of the most popular sections of the magazine devoted to the topics closest to teen girls' hearts: friends, love and celebrities. In 2004, in response to an epidemic of teen obesity, which flourished in counterpoint to a surge in anorexia, she re-imagined and expanded the magazine's health coverage to include a nutrition and exercise campaign to help all readers live healthier lives. Ms. Shoket has also made her mark as a champion of young women's leadership. She created a "CosmoGIRL! Born to Lead" patch program with The Girl Scouts and she developed a national leadership survey with The White House Project. As the editor in charge of CosmoGIRL!'s leadership campaign, Project 2024, she secured high-profile interviews with leaders such as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, ABC News' Barbara Walters, and designer Vera Wang. Before CosmoGIRL!, Ms.Shoket served as Senior Editor with the Parade family of publications, where she launched the style section for Parade's teen news magazine, React. At the beginning of the dot-com boom, she created the independent Web magazine Tag, which gave voice to an online community of artists and writers. She began her career as a reporter with renowned journalist Steve Brill at The American Lawyer. Ms. Shoket has B.A., cum laude, from New York University and a certificate in Media Management from The New School.

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=42084900&privcapId=4424815&previousCapId=4424815&previousTitle=Seventeen%20Magazine

Genre

N/A. format - magazine

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

girls age 12 to 19.

Challenge Issues

Always room for challenges with girl fashion magazines.

*Above information also works with magazines.

Why Included?

As much as I do not care for it, Seventeen has been a very popular magazine for many years now. It is a staple part of a YA magazine collection.

Beastly

2011-08-02T09:49:00.015-06:00

Beastly

Movie

Directed by Daniel Barnz

CBS Films, 2011

ASIN B0052QXAEK

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

'Beastly' is an edgy teen romance about learning how to see past false surfaces to discover true inner beauty.

Kyle Kingson (Alex Pettyfer) has it all -- looks, intelligence, wealth and opportunity -- and a wicked cruel streak. Prone to mocking and humiliating "aggressively unattractive" classmates, he zeroes in on Goth classmate Kendra, inviting her to the school's extravagant environmental bash. Kendra accepts, and, true to form, Kyle blows her off in a particularly savage fashion. She retaliates by casting a spell that physically transforms him into everything he despises. Enraged by his horrible and unrecognizable appearance he confronts Kendra and learns that the only solution to the curse is to find someone that will love him as he is -- a task he considers impossible.

Repulsed by his appearance, Kyles callous father banishes him to Brooklyn with a sympathetic housekeeper (Lisa Gay Hamilton) and blind tutor (Neil Patrick Harris). As Kyle ponders how to overcome the curse and get his old life back, he chances upon a drug addict in the act of killing a threatening dealer. Seizing the opportunity, Kyle promises the addict freedom and safety for his daughter Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) if she will consent to live in Kyle's Brooklyn home. Thus begins Kyle's journey to discover true love in this hyper-modern retelling of the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' story.

http://www.moviefone.com/movie/beastly/37954/synopsis

Critical Analysis

I always enjoy variations of fairy tales. I really looked forward to watching this movie but then thought it was only ok. I realize that a retelling of a fairy tale in some ways will always be predictable but this movie was even more predictable than I would have enjoyed. There was nothing special or unusual that made this telling of Beauty and the Beast unique or special. The change in the "beast" was not really very believable.

Other fairy tale movies that I enjoyed more are Red Riding Hood (released March 11, 2011), Tangled (released November 24, 2010) and Ever After (released July 29, 1998).

Reader’s Annotation

Another basic retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in modern time.

Information about the director

A veteran of Ivy League Yale University and the University of Southern California Film School, writer-cum-directorDaniel Barnz spent almost a decade circulating his original scripts among the studios, and culled interest from a substantial roster of A-list talent including Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson, but could never actually cross the line and get one of the scripts produced. Barnz's fortunes shifted in late 2006, when his Phoebe in Wonderland -- an offbeat drama about a troubled young girl drifting ever more deeply into a fantasy world of her own design -- received a greenlight from executive producers Chris Finazzo and Doug Dey, with Barnz himself attached to direct.

http://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/daniel-barnz/2380177/biography

Genre

fantasy.

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

rated PG-13

Challenge Issues

This movie is fairly tame. However, there is some violence, underage drinking, and kissing.

*The above information also applies to movies.

Why Included?

One of the teenage girls that I interviewed said this was one of her new favorite movies.

Bras & Broomsticks

2011-08-02T09:49:00.009-06:00

Bras & Broomsticks

by Sarah Mlynowski

Delacorte, 2006

ISBN 0385731841

320 pages

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Rachel comes home from school one day to learn that her mother is a witch and that her sister has just discovered magical powers as well. Unfortunately, Rachel has not been blessed with any of these magical powers. Rachel really wants to be popular, to have a boyfriend, get a date to the spring fling, have a larger bra size and dance in the cool annual fashion show. Rachel convinces Mira to use some magical spells on her to grant some of these wishes.

Rachel and Mira's father is also planning on getting married very soon to a woman neither of them much care for. They think Jennifer is mean and that she acts one way in front of their dad and another way when he is not around. So the girls plot to use magic to foil the wedding plans.

Magic can be dangerous and often have disastrous effects and the girls learn this the hard way.

Critical Evaluation

This book was a fun, easy read. The mood of the story was light and breezy. I found this to be true of all the chick lit books that I read for this class. Actually I believe this to be a selling point of chick lit. I have quite a few friends who say "life is hard enough, why do I want to read about more of life's problems?" Chick lit may have a few problems but they are all nicely tied up at the end. In Bras & Broomsticks there were a few loose ends but this book is the first in a series so I imagine everything will continue to flow nicely and problems will be solved as we go along. I would be interested to read the rest of the books in this series.

Even though chick lit, in general and this book in particular, can be predictable, I still appreciated the themes of this book. Two strong themes presented themselves in this book: 1- messing with fate and the universe by using magic (or any other technique) can prove dangerous. And 2- If people do not like (or love) us for who we are then using magic or bribes or pretending to be someone other than we are, etc., will not bring lasting friendship and happiness. Those who truly love us, love us for who we are.

This was my favorite chick lit book of the class.

Reader’s Annotation

Rachel finds out her mother and sister are witches.

Information about the author

Sarah was born in Montreal, Canada. After graduating with an honors degree in English literature from McGill University, she moved to Toronto to work for Harlequin Enterprises. While she never met Fabio, she used her romance publishing experiences to fuel her first novel MILKRUN.

Since then Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: FISHBOWL, AS SEEN ON TV, MONKEY BUSINESS and ME VS. ME, and the teen novels BRAS & BROOMSTICKS, FROGS & FRENCH KISSES, SPELLS & SLEEPING BAGS and PARTIES & POTIONS—all in the ‘Magic in Manhattan’ series, as well as GIMME A CALL and TEN THINGS WE DID (AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE).

http://sarahm.com/bio.php

Genre

Chick lit.

Curriculum Ties

Family relationships. Reading for pleasure.

Booktalking Ideas

*What would you do if you found out your sister was a witch? *If you had magical powers, what would you wish for?

Reading Level

Grades 6 to 9. So technically this may be a bit below this class level. But I still think older teenage girls would enjoy it.

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I included this book because I needed some Chick Lit in my database. I got this title from the Chick Lit presentation for our class.

Red Riding Hood

2011-07-30T21:55:00.005-06:00

Red Riding Hood

Movie

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

Warner Home Video, 2011

ISBN 9780780677029

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Valerie (Seyfried) is a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie's older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon's arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. As panic grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast--one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect...and bait.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486185/plotsummary

Critical Evaluation

From a purely entertainment stand point I enjoyed this movie. I really enjoy fairy tales and like to see different takes on them. Unlike Beastly, I thought this movie had something new to add. The director was also the director of the huge Twilight movie and the similarities were apparent.

Reader’s Annotation

Another retelling of Red Riding Hood.

Information about the director

Born in the border town of McAllen, TX on Oct. 21, 1955, Hardwicke studied art in Mexico and received her degree in architecture from the University of Texas at Austin. Among her post-graduation projects was a 20-acre solar townhouse complex built around a manmade lake, complete with waterfalls and swimming pools. Despite her success in her chosen field, she saw her true calling in film, so she relocated to Los Angeles to study at UCLA.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800196628/bio

Genre

fantasy

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

PG-13

Challenge Issues

violence, sex, swearing, drinking.

*The above information also applies to movies.

Why Included?

It is a new movie just released this year that looked like it appealed to teenagers.

Drake and Josh

2011-07-30T21:53:00.006-06:00

Drake & Josh

Television Show

Nickelodeon, 2004

ASIN B003N1DFRI

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

This series is about two very different teenage boys who become stepbrothers when their parents get married. They live above the garage in their fairly ideal upper-middle class suburban home, playing video games, eating chips, and avoiding their little sister's pranks. The series deals with age-appropriate concerns of acceptance and individuality, which both the boys struggle with in and outside the home. Ultimately, the boys learn from one another.

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/drake-josh

Critical Evaluation

I enjoyed this sit com. It was funny and had clever dialogue. I did not have, however, think it was believable. I found Malcolm in the Middle to be much better done.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the author

N/A

Genre

realistic fiction. situation comedy.

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

rated TV PG. age 10 and above

Challenge Issues

N/A. This is a pretty tame TV show. Maybe a bit unrealistic but overall a good message.

Why Included?

I wanted some TV shows that would appeal to older teens. The two main characters were younger when the show started but they grow older as the seasons progress.

Skinny Dip

2011-07-30T21:47:00.010-06:00

Skinny Dip

by Carl Hiaasen

Warner Books, 2006

ISBN 0446615129

512 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Joey's husband takes her on a romantic cruise for their two year anniversary and then proceeds to push her overboard. Chaz completes expects Joey to drown in the ocean. He plays the part of the grieving husband. Chaz miscalculates the ocean currents and Joey is a great swimmer and she is able to survive. She is rescued by a retired police officer named Mitch.

Now Joey has a conundrum. She can report Chaz's crime to the police but she knows that it will only be her word against his word. Or she can take matters into her own hands. Joey's parents died when she was young and she inherited millions from them.

Joey decides to get revenge on Chaz in her own way. She has millions of dollars at her disposal and Chaz believes she is dead. First, she wants to find out why Chaz dumped her over the edge of the cruise ship and then she wants pay back.

Critical Evaluation

I greatly enjoyed this book. Even though the actual subject matters of the book - murder, bribery, blackmail, dishonesty, etc. are serious they are treated in a lighthearted humorous manner. The only real serious topic is that of preserving the everglades in Florida. This is a common theme in Carl Hiaasen's books. He often interjects environmental issues into his book in a nonthreatening, unpreachy manner.

The characters are fairly predictable, stagnant people. The good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Only one character really changes during the course of the book and that is Tool. Tool becomes Chaz's bodyguard once Chaz realizes something strange is going on. Tool has worked as a hired thug for years now but changes his ways and becomes kind, sort of! Chaz's character so lacks any type of integrity and is so self-absorbed he is nearly unbelievable. But he does make for a good laugh.

This book is definitely adult fiction rather than young adult. But it would make an interesting crossover novel. Although many young adult novels have swearing and sex, this book is different because all the characters are adults and the approach to the sex and swearing feels different than what one would find in a young adult novel.

Reader’s Annotation

Joey is thrown overboard by her husband but she survives. Joey seeks to find out the reasons behind her attempted murder and to get revenge.

Information about the author

"Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida, where he still lives with his family.

A graduate of the University of Florida, at age 23 he joined The Miami Herald as a general assignment reporter and went on to work for the paper's weekly magazine and later its prize-winning investigations team. Since 1985 Hiaasen has been writing a regular column, which at one time or another has pissed off just about everybody in South Florida, including his own bosses. He has outlasted almost all of them, and his column still appears on most Sundays in The Herald's opinion-and-editorial section. It may be viewed online at www.miamiherald.com or in the actual printed edition of the newspaper, which, miraculously, is still being published. "

http://www.carlhiaasen.com/bio.html

Genre

YA crossover, humor and maybe even some mystery

Curriculum Ties

This book has some excellent areas for curriculum use; such as environmental issues, agriculture, pollution, and the Florida evergreens.

Booktalking Ideas

*What would you do if someone wronged you and you could seek revenge? What would you do? If you inherited thirteen million dollars, what would you do with it?

Reading Level

Grade 10 and up.

Challenge Issues

No challenge issues for an adult novel. But as a crossover novel there is quite a bit of swearing and sex.

Why Included?

I included this book because I wanted some crossover titles in my selection. I had also read the book Hoot by Carl Hiaasen which is an actual young adult book and was curious to see what his adult novels were like. I found this title on list of suggested adult fiction reads for young adults located at http://colchestervt.gov/Library/attachments/CrossoverFiction.pdf.

Little Brother

2011-07-30T21:45:00.005-06:00

Little Brother

by Cory Doctorow

Tor Books, 2008

ISBN 076519853

382 pages

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Marcus is a regular, although quite brilliant, seventeen year old just minding his own business when San Francisco experiences the worst terrorist attack since 9/11. Marcus and 3 of his friends are in the wrong place at the wrong time and get hauled in for interrogations. Marcus and two of his friends are eventually released.

Marcus finds himself now living in a police state. Every citizen is considered a terrorist and the citizen's every moves are being monitored. Marcus has no choice but to go after the Department of Homeland Security himself.

Critical Evaluation

The ideas, themes and concepts of this book were very intriguing. I do not understand all the technical language that Marcus used to explain his thinking and procedures with hacking yet I still enjoyed the main concepts. This book was very thought provoking. I pondered personal freedom versus safety. It is an idea that has been highlighted many times in the United States since 9/11.

My only problem with the book was that at times it felt a bit preachy. I understand what Doctorow wanted to put across to his readers. I felt like I was being talked down to and that Doctorow felt like he really needed to spell out his opinions for the reader to be able to understand. However, on the other hand, I felt that the afterwards at the end of the book were quite nicely written. They were nonfiction and the mood was refreshing.

Overall, the book is very interesting and definitely worth the read.

Reader’s Annotation

Marcus finds himself being interrogated and accused of being a terrorist. When he is released he find his city has turned into a police state.

Information about the author

Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger -- the co-editor of Boing Boing (boingboing.net) and the author of Tor Teens/HarperCollins UK novels like FOR THE WIN and the bestselling LITTLE BROTHER. He is the former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in London.

http://craphound.com/?page_id=1638

Genre

science fiction

Curriculum Ties

social studies. technology.

Booktalking Ideas

*What would you do if you were falsely accused of committing a crime? *How would you react if America was turned into an emergency police state?

Reading Level

ages 13 and up

Challenge Issues

This book has some anti controlling government themes. Marcus actively works to thwart the department of homeland security.

Little Brother has won quite a few awards. Such as:

Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (2009), Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2008), John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2009), Emperor Norton Award (2008),Prometheus Award for Best Novel (2009)

Prometheus Award for Best Novel (2009), Sakura Medal Nominee for High School Book (2010), Florida Teens Read Nominee (2009)

Why Included?

Little Brother was one of three required readings for the class.

One Tree Hill

2011-07-30T21:42:00.007-06:00

One Tree Hill

Television Show

Warner Home Video, 2005

ASIN B0006FFRBG

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

This series follows the eventful lives of some high-school kids in Tree Hill, a small but not too quiet town in North Carolina, where the greatest source of pride is the high school basketball team, the Ravens, since living memory coached by old Whitey Durham. Its greatest talent ever was Dan Scott, who now runs a successful car dealership. The present talents are his two sons, Nathan Scott, a beautiful and popular athlete, the absolute star, who was molded and stifled by his proud dad, ambitious Dan Scott, who pushes him harder then even the coach approves of, but rather neglected by his spoiled, impulsive mother Deb, an alcoholic, and Lucas, abandoned at birth with his devoted mother, hard-working café-owner Karen Roe, who grew up with Dan's older but poor brother Keith as substitute father as a social reject, only playing hoops on a public yard in the park with street-kids, his passion being reading; when an incident forces the coach to replace suspended players, Lucas soon proves the revelation, and after a while gets accepted and develops a dynamic, in the long run good relationship with his brother, who turns on his dad.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368530/plotsummary

Critical Evaluation

I enjoyed this drama. But I tend to enjoy the dramas. Other dramas that I enjoy are Gilmore Girls and Desperate Housewives. This type of drama -evening soap operas - are not realistic or actually portray very healthy lives, but they are good entertainment. I have discovered that I monitor and even censor much closer what my children watch than what they read. So although I greatly enjoyed this drama, I would prefer my children not to watch it! There is so much that can be gained and learned from reading all different types of books and about different life experiences but I do not think all the dramas and sit coms on TV provide the same experience.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the author

N/A

Genre

realistic fiction. soap opera for teens.

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 14 and up. rated TV-14.

Challenge Issues

This show has all the necessary drama to make a successful soap opera: violence, sex, swearing, alcohol, etc.

Why Included?

"Teen" soap operas are very popular. This was one that I had always wanted to watch but never got around to.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

2011-07-30T21:37:00.009-06:00

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

by M.T. Anderson

Candlewick Press, 2006

ISBN 0763624020

358 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Young Octavian is being raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers — but it is only after he opens a forbidden door that learns the hideous nature of their experiments, and his own chilling role them. Set in Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Anderson’s mesmerizing novel takes place at a time when Patriots battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never claim. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1845844.The_Pox_Party

Critical Evaluation

This book was a difficult read. However, many of the reviews I read about this book said the same thing. I enjoyed the first part of the book quite a bit. The experiment and the environment that Octavian was being raised in was interesting. I also liked how the setting was during the revolutionary war. So many books about slavery occur during the civil war.

Once the "management" changed hands of the home Octavian was living in and Octavian went to the pox party I did not enjoy the book quite as much. It got more confusing. Then there were quite a few pages crossed out and scratched through. I felt bogged down at this point. I did finish the book and hope the best for Octavian but I probably will not read part II.

Reader’s Annotation

Octavian Nothing is a young slave boy born into slavery and raised as an experiment to determine if African people are as capable as those of European descent.

Information about the author

M. T. Anderson is a published author of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of M. T. Anderson include The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware: M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales, Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware (M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales). http://www.jacketflap.com/m-t-anderson/209487.

Genre

historical fiction

Curriculum Ties

This would be a great book to use for any unit on slavery. It also takes place during the Revolutionary war which is an interesting twist because so many books about slavery take place around the time of the Civil War.

Booktalking Ideas

*Talk about the freedoms (or lack thereof) that slaves had. *Play some of the violin music that Octavian learned how to play.

Reading Level

age 14 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I chose this book because of the numerous awards it had won. Such as National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2006), British Fantasy Award (2007), Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (2006), BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2006), Printz Honor (2007) Printz Honor (2007), ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2007), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry (2007).

Code Orange

2011-07-30T21:35:00.005-06:00

Code Orange

by Caroline B Cooney

Delacorte Books, 2005

ISBN 0385732597

208 pages

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Mitty lives in New York and he enjoys doing the least amount of work that he can get away with at school. He has a huge report due on infectious diseases due the very next day. He wants to get something turned in because if he doesn't he will get kicked out of the honors biology class and that would be awful because the girl he likes, Olivia, is in that class. So Mitty goes through his mother's old books and find some old smallpox scabs.

The more Mitty learns about smallpox the more worried he becomes about handling the scabs. He finally sends out some emails to lots of experts and health organizations trying to find out if he could become infected from the scabs. If Mitty got smallpox, he knew he could cause a worldwide plague. The action gets more intense from here but I do not want to give any more away!

Critical Evaluation

This book is a wonderful suspense, action book. It is similar to the writings of Harlan Coben who writes action/suspense adult fiction. There was not huge character development but the gist of this book was the suspense and the action.

I find the topic of infectious disease to be very interesting so this was an added bonus to read about. There were tidbits of information about Edward Jenner who discovered the vaccination for small pox.

Reader’s Annotation

Mitty Blake discovers smallpox scabs in an old medical text. As he learns more about the disease he is concerned that he has contracted the disease from the scabs.

Information about the author

"I had a wonderful sixth grade teacher. His name was Mr. Albert. All the girls wanted to grow up and marry him, and all the boys wanted to be just like him. Every Friday, he made us write a short story. He had a stack of covers from New Yorker magazines — detailed and brightly colored, like cartoons. He'd pass them out and we'd have to write a short story to match the picture we got. I was the one in the class who never stopped.

I love to write. I love to make things up. I'm in a library or a bookstore most days of the week, because I love to be around other people's books, too. Reading and writing books takes up most of my life. Now I've added talking about books on school visits, which is all the fun and none of the work of writing.

The best part of school visits is meeting my readers, since my three children are grown now and I don't get to hang out with teenagers (although I still play the piano for the four choirs in our middle school). School visits are such a neat way to see America. When you're in Indiana one week, Oregon the next, and Louisiana after that, you go home astonished and honored to have met all those wonderful kids and their teachers.

“Where do you get your ideas?” Readers ask this question of every writer. I don't usually know. I just wake up with a mind full of ideas. But we all have great ideas; I could go to your school and brainstorm with your class, and we'd end up with a great plot, or ten of them. The hard part is turning the idea into a book.

Sometimes I do know where an idea comes from. When Louisa, my oldest child, became an ambulance volunteer at 16, I wanted to write a rescue book, and that idea became Flight #116 Is Down. I volunteered for several years in an inner city hospital, and from that experience came Emergency Room.

There's more teamwork in writing than you would think. I have a wonderful editor, and we talk and talk about the next book I'm going to write — or the book I've just finished writing that she thinks needs a little more work. It's sort of like having your own lifetime English teacher: No matter how well you write, she thinks you can do better and mails the story back to you to do again.

I was born in 1947 in Geneva, New York, and grew up in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. Except for a few years in North Carolina, I've always lived in Connecticut. I tried four colleges and faded fast at each. Every now and then I order myself to go back to school and get my degree, but nothing ever comes of it. I use my children, Louisa, Sayre (rhymes with fair), and Harold, in all my books. I just finished The Terrorist, based on the year Harold and Sayre convinced me to live in London, England.

I'm a happy person. I've been told this is shallow, and if I thought more deeply, I would know better; I would be miserable. But I think that most of us, even if our lives are full of misery, want to think on good things, and plan for good lives. So I write about good kids trying to do their best, even if the world around them has crumbled and doesn't offer good choices."

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=2296

I realize that was a long author biography, but I thought it was quite interesting and well-written for kids.

Genre

suspense. action.

Curriculum Ties

health. infectious disease.

Booktalking Ideas

*If you found scabs in an old medical textbook, would you touch them? *If you found out you were infected with an infectious disease that people no longer got vaccinated for, what would you do?

Reading Level

ages twelve and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

This book was included on a library list for mystery/suspense young adult novels. Reading the back cover intrigued me.

Wintergirls

2011-07-30T21:32:00.006-06:00

Wintergirls

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Viking, 2009

ISBN 067001110X

278 pages

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5152478-wintergirls

Critical Evaluation

I have been wanting to read this book for quite some time now and I am glad I read it. Eating disorders have always interested me because it is so far removed from my life experience. It is difficult to understand why someone would chose to keep losing weight when it was dangerous for their bodies and painful for them. I would hate to be hungry all the time. Two points that I found interesting were 1- Lia was unable to do anything else in her life. Because she was starving herself, her body was not able to do anything. She could not focus in school, she could barely drive, she could not maintain relationships. Her only friend died and so she was friendless. She did not date or hold down a job. Nothing. Her body was in survival mode and she was not really living. 2- It seemed that her eating was not just about being thin but about being in control. She felt out of control in her own life and felt that she had no influence on the relationships around her. Her controlling her body and her calorie intake gave her some measure of control. Or so she thought.

I was also surprised that I was occasionally out of patience with Lia. I feel that I am usually fairly compassionate toward other people. I believe that people are good and are doing the best they can. But sometimes Lia's behavior was so self-destructive and she was so out of touch with reality, that I would feel impatient with her.

Reader’s Annotation

Lia keeps trying to get thinner, thinner, thinner.

Information about the author

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, SPEAK and CHAINS, were National Book Award finalists. Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes.

http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-anderson-laurie.asp

Genre

realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties

physical health. psychology.

Booktalking Ideas

*Talk about all the things that happen to the human body when it starves.

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

The subject matter of anorexia can be quite disturbing. So there is a possibility a parent may object to this book.

This book has won quite a few awards. An ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2010),Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009), TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2010), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009), ALA Teens' Top Ten (2010)ALA Teens' Top Ten (2010), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award (2010), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award Nominee (2010), Iowa High School Book Award Nominee (2011), RT Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Novel (2009)

Why Included?

I wanted a realistic fiction book about mental health/body image problem. This book is a great fit.

The Book Thief

2011-07-30T21:24:00.006-06:00

The Book Thief

by Marcus Zusak

Knopf Books, 2006

ISBN 0375831002

550 pages

4.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

In Germany during WWII Liesel Meminger is sent to live with foster parents. Her father has disappeared, her mother can no longer care for her and her brother dies en route to the foster family's home.

When Liesel first arrives at her foster family's home she does not know how to read. But her father teaches her and Liesel learns to love reading. She loves it so much, in fact, that she often steals books. Liesel also goes to school and makes friends with the neighbors on her new street. As WWII progresses, life gets harder for the German citizens. There is not enough food or work. Liesel's family hides a Jew in their basement. Liesel's foster father is sent to war. And as nearly all WWI novels go, the ending is unhappy.

Critical Evaluation

I loved this book. I had actually tried to read it two times before and could never get interested in it. The narrator is death and it is a bit odd at the beginning of the book. But this time I pushed through the beginning as I was getting used to the narrator and then I could not put it down.

Most of the WWII books that I have read have been from a Jew's point of view. And while those books are not to be diminished. It was interesting to read a book from a German citizen's point of view. Essentially WWII was not pleasant for anyone.

I enjoyed the theme of Leisel stealing books. She met the mayor's wife who had a wonderful library full of her personal books. The mayor's wife had lost her only child and never recovered. Not only was the book narrated by death but death is one of the books themes. Everyone was touched by death and each character dealt with it differently.

Reader’s Annotation

While living in Germany during WWII, Liesel Meminger copes with the horrors of war by stealing books.

Information about the author

Australian author Markus Zusak grew up hearing stories about Nazi Germany, about the bombing of Munich and about Jews being marched through his mother’s small, German town. He always knew it was a story he wanted to tell.

“We have these images of the straight-marching lines of boys and the ‘Heil Hitlers’ and this idea that everyone in Germany was in it together. But there still were rebellious children and people who didn’t follow the rules and people who hid Jews and other people in their houses. So there’s another side to Nazi Germany,” said Zusak in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.

At the age of 30, Zusak has already asserted himself as one of today’s most innovative and poetic novelists. With the publication of The Book Thief, he is now being dubbed a ‘literary phenomenon’ by Australian and U.S. critics. Zusak is the award-winning author of four previous books for young adults: The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Getting the Girl, and I Am the Messenger, recipient of a 2006 Printz Honor for excellence in young adult literature. He lives in Sydney.

Genre

historical fiction

Curriculum Ties

history. WWII

Booktalking Ideas

*State some things you know about WWII? Have you read a book about WWII that was not a Jewish story? *How would you describe death, if it were a person?

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I have been wanting to read this book for years. I also kept hearing wonderful things about it. And I was not disappointed!

Malcolm in the Middle

2011-07-24T11:27:00.007-06:00

Malcolm in the Middle

Television Show

20th Century Fox, 2002

ASIN B0006G8J7

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Malcolm in the Middle follows a dysfunctional family in an anonymous location. The family is headed by super-stressed supermom Lois, and eccentric child-at-heart Hal. The eldest son, Francis, once a wild youth, now lives on a ranch with his wife, Piama. Next in line is dimwitted ne'r-do-well Reece. Second youngest emerging genius and evil mind in the making Dewey, and baby Jamie, already a troublemaker, is the youngest. Smack in the middle is Malcolm, a moody certified genius who seems to be the only hope his family has. Since his discovery at the age of eleven, Malcolm has been his own worst enemy - though he'll tell you that his family is his worst enemy.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212671/plotsummary

Critical Evaluation

Malcolm in the middle is a great sitcom. It is very funny. It also has many lines that are quotable which makes it a plus with teens. When I was a teenager, my friends and I would watch the same movies over and over and then quote many lines from them in conversation when it was appropriate. And often when it was not appropriate.

Although Malcolm's family lives in chaos, it is quite believable. In a home with four boys, I would imagine that nearly anything could happen. And in Malcolm in the Middle, it does happen.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the author

N/A

Genre

realistic fiction. situation comedy.

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 13 and up. rated TV-PG

Challenge Issues

This sit com is fairly tame but it is quite irreverent at times. There is also some nudity.

*Above information works the same for a TV show.

Why Included?

Malcolm is absolutely hilarious and has a huge following of fans.

Antsy Does Time

2011-07-24T11:21:00.005-06:00

Antsy Does Time

by Neal Shusterman

Dutton, 2008

ISBN 9780525478256

247 pages

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Fueled by friendship and sympathy, Antsy Bonano signs a month of his life over to his “dying” classmate Gunnar Umlaut. Soon everyone at school follows suit, giving new meaning to the idea of “living on borrowed time.” But does Gunnar really have six months to live, or is news of his imminent death greatly exaggerated? When a family member suffers a heart attack after donating two years to Gunnar, Antsy wonders if he has tempted fate by playing God.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3112309-antsy-does-time

Critical Evaluation

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I know I wanted a ya humor book but I put off reading this one for a few weeks because the cover did not appeal to me. But once I got started it, I found it to be quite funny. However, underneath the humor, there is some sadness. Gunnar's family is falling apart. His dad is losing everything to gambling and does nothing to change his behavior. The humor helps to keep the story light but does not diminish the pain of Gunnar and his family.

Reader’s Annotation

Antsy gets sweeped into a scheme to help saving a "dying" classmate.

Information about the author

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be everything. A writer, an actor, a doctor, a rock star, an artist, an architect, and a film director. I had a teacher who said "You can't do that ? you'll be a jack of all trades and a master of none!" But I had it worked out: I'd be a jack of seven trades, and master of three.

Then, in ninth grade I had an English teacher who really made a difference in my life. She saw my love of writing, and challenged me to write a story a month for extra credit. Since I desperately needed extra credit in her class, I took her up on the challenge, and by the end of ninth grade, I really began to feel like a writer. That's when writing emerged above all my other interests as my driving passion.

When I was sixteen, our family moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Mexico City, and I spent my last two years of High School there. Having an international experience changed my life, giving me a fresh perspective on the world, and a sense of confidence I might not have had otherwise.

My own children are a constant source of material, support, and editorial suggestions. I have four wonderful kids who fill out the core of my life, and keep me balanced. Writing is, after all, about taking your characters and challenging them to grow by throwing them off-balance. All the more reason for a writer to find some sense of balance in his or her own life. Of course our home is quite often a madhouse, but that's okay, because life is all about finding wondrous moments in the mayhem. And the same can be said for writing!" (http://www.storyman.com/bio/)

Genre

Humor. Realistic fiction.

Curriculum Ties

Booktalking Ideas

Reading Level

Ages 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I included this book because I wanted to read a humorous YA book. I have also read another book by this author entitled Unwind which is a post apocalyptic novel. I was interested to see his versatility. This is also a great novel for the reluctant reader.

Snow Queen

2011-07-24T11:18:00.007-06:00

Snow Queen

by Emma Harrison

HarperTeen, 2010

ISBN 9780061714900

377 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Chamberlain Ski Resort and Spa

Welcome to the 10th Annual Snow Queen competition!

I can't believe I got roped into this.

Snow Princesses must attend all pageant rehearsals, with appropriate outfits.

Well, no matter what it takes, I'm going to wipe that smirk off Layla Chamberlain's face.

Our rehearsal space can be booked to practice your talent.

Um, does "looking dumb in a dress" count as a talent?

See Grayson Chamberlain, the assistant director, with any questions.

If you insist! First question: How can someone so sweet (and hot!) be a Chamberlain?

Good luck! One of you will soon be our new Snow Queen!

Oh joy.

Unless Grayson comes with the tiara . . .

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6543760-snow-queen

Critical Evaluation

As far as Chick Lit goes, this one is not too bad! It was a bit predictable and nothing really stood out as amazing but I could read it without feeling pained. The writing was quite good. Nothing stood out as painfully written or executed. But this type of Chick lit does not speak to me. I find it to be a bit dull and superficial. However, I know chick lit is a popular genre and this book would be a great addition to the collection.

Reader’s Annotation

Aubrey gets roped into being an attendant in the Snow Queen Pageant.

Information about the author

Kieran Scott is a young adult author who was born, bred and still resides in New Jersey along with her husband Matt and her two-year-old son. A graduate of Rutgers University with a double-major in English and Journalism, Kieran worked as a YA editor for several years before striking out on her own as a writer. Her first hardcover novel, Jingle Boy (Delacorte Press), was published in 2002. Her next book, I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005) was an ALA Quick Pick, an NYPL Book for the Teen Age, and was featured on the Texas Library Association’s TAYSHAS Reading List for 2006-2007. The book spawned two sequels, Brunettes Strike Back (2006), and A Non-Blonde Cheerleader in Love (2007). Kieran’s fifth hardcover novel, Geek Magnet, was published by Putnam in 2008. She’s So Dead to Us, the first volume of her new trilogy about friendship, love and the things that really matter, was released in May 2010 from Simon and Schuster.

http://www.kieranscott.net/author.html

Genre

chick lit.

Curriculum Ties

peer pressure. friendship

Booktalking Ideas

*If your best friend convinced you to do a beauty pageant with her, what would you do for your talent?

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

The group who presented Chick Lit did a great job and this book stood out as one that might have appeal.

How Beautiful the Ordinary

2011-07-24T11:12:00.009-06:00

How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity

edited by Michael Cart

HarperTeen, 2009

ISBN 9780061154980

350 pages

4 (out of 5) STARS

Contributing authors: Francesca Lia Block, David Levithan, Gregory Maguire, Margo Lanagan, Jacqueline Woodson, Emma Donoghue, William Sleator, Eric Shanower, Ron Koertge, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Ariel Schrag, Julie Anne Peters.

Plot Summary

A girl thought to be a boy steals her sister's skirt, while a boy thought to be a girl refuses to wear a cornflower blue dress. One boy's love of a soldier leads to the death of a stranger. The present takes a bittersweet journey into the past when a man revisits the summer school where he had "an accidental romance." And a forgotten mother writes a poignant letter to the teenage daughter she hasn't seen for fourteen years.

Poised between the past and the future are the stories of now. In nontraditional narratives, short stories, and brief graphics, tales of anticipation and regret, eagerness and confusion present distinctively modern views of love, sexuality, and gender identification. Together, they reflect the vibrant possibilities available for young people learning to love others—and themselves—in today's multifaceted and quickly changing world.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6515763-how-beautiful-the-ordinary

Critical Evaluation

I really enjoyed reading this book. I have not read very much GLTBQ materials. I was hesitant to read such books because I did not know what it would entail. I really did not want to read any actual graphic sex materials. But I was laboring under a misconception. The very first GLTBQ book I read was Luna by Julie Ann Peters. It was a beautifully written book. I felt for Luna. I felt his pain, sorrow, confusion, and later courage. Because of that book I feel that I am more compassionate of other's lives and difficulties. I also have no fear of reading GLTBQ books and have found some wonderful novels of such.

This book is beneficial because it is GLTBQ and a collection of short stories. One of the stories really spoke to me. It was entitled Dear Lang by Emma Donoghue. It is about a non-birth morning who lost her daughter in a break-up with the bio-mother. I am currently going through a divorce and a custody evaluation and losing children and/or the fear of losing children is a horrific pain to go through. This letter made me cry. A parent is a parent no matter how they became a parent.

Reader’s Annotation

Twelve authors write twelve stories about gender and sexual identity.

Information about the author

Because there are twelve authors that contributed. I will only provide information here about Michael Cart, the editor.

Former Director of the Beverly Hills (CA) Public Library and a Past President of the Young Adult Library Services Association, Michael Cart is a nationally recognized expert in children's and young adult literature. Now a columnist and reviewer for ALA's Booklist magazine, he is the author or editor of eight books, including From Romance to Realism, a critical history of YA literature; MY FATHER'S SCAR, a young adult novel that was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and the anthology LOVE AND SEX: Ten Stories of Truth, also a Best Book for Young Adults and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Michael teaches young adult literature at UCLA and is the recipient of the 2000 Grolier Foundation Award. He lives in northern California.

http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-cart-michael.asp

Genre

GLTBQ. format - short story collection.

Curriculum Ties

health. relationships. sexual identity.

Booktalking Ideas

*Do you enjoy short stories? *Do you know what GLTBQ means? *Do you relate to this term? *Do you want to know more about some of your peers?

Reading Level

age 14 and up

Challenge Issues

GLTBQ issues.

Why Included?

This book was a wonderful find for many reasons. I just found it will I was shelving books at my library job. The editor is Michael Cart who is the author of one of our textbooks this semester. this book is a collection of short stories about GLTBQ issues. This book covered so many categories for this database.

Shift

2011-07-21T20:49:00.008-06:00

Shift

by Jennifer Bradbury

Atheneum, 2008

ISBN 9781416947325

254 pages

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Imagine you and your best friend head off on a cross-country bike trek.

Imagine that you get into a fight — the cheap s.o.b. won't kick in any cash.

Imagine you stop riding together.

Imagine you reach Seattle then come home alone, still p.o-ed.

Imagine the FBI is now at your college dorm.

Imagine finding out that your former best friend never made it home.

And imagine that he had actually been carrying over $20,000 in cash with him.

Imagine your world shifting....

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2874897-shift

Critical Evaluation

I found this book on the same list that I found the book Reality Check. Located here. Reality Check was okay, but Shift was wonderful! First, the idea of riding a bike cross country without any real plan sounds like a great adventure. Then having your friend totally disappear and then not reappear in time for college provided a very interesting mystery. This is one of the best mystery, but not scary, stories I have read in awhile.

Reader’s Annotation

Best friend Chris and Win go on a cross country bike ride. But only one returns.

Information about the author

"I grew up and attended college in Kentucky, and worked a few summers at a boy's camp in North Carolina. I met my husband there and we spent our honeymoon biking across the southern U.S. After that, we moved to Washington State, where I taught high school English for eight years. Most of my time was devoted to working with ninth-grade writers. Now, I'm a stay-at-home mom who manages to write a little every day (almost!) during my daughter's nap time." (http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2008/07/author-interview-jennifer-bradbury-on.html).

Genre

Mystery.

Curriculum Ties

This book would be great to use during a unit about character development especially when talking about perseverance. I could also be used in a P.E. or exercise unit.

Booktalking Ideas

Have you ever wanted to do some something physically challenging? Do you think you could bike across the whole country? What would you do if your best friend went missing?

Reading Level

Ages 12 to 17.

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I included this book because it is a good suspenseful mystery, yet not scary. It is also a good coming-of-age story. I found this title on a list of good books for teens produced by my library.

Dangerous Angels

2011-07-21T16:31:00.009-06:00

Dangerous Angels

by Francesca Lia Block

HarperTeen, 1998

ISBN 9780062007407

478 pages

4.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Love is a dangerous angel...Francesca Lia Block's luminous saga of interwoven lives will send the senses into wild overdrive. These post-modern fairy tales chronicle the thin line between fear and desire, pain and pleasure, cutting loose and holding on in a world where everyone is vulnerable to the most beautiful and dangerous angel of all: love.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14565.Dangerous_Angels

Critical Evaluation

What to say? This is one of the most unusual books I have ever read. The writing style is very unusual. Many of the reviews that I have read state the stories as modern day fairy tales. I think that is a good description. It is not realistic fiction but fantasy. The dialogue between characters is very poetic. Each characters dialogue does not change much over time. I liked that part but it was difficult to tell that the characters were growing up. But I believe the message is that our "soul" is ageless. Our responsibilities and life experiences may grow older but we are still the same. It is an amazing book.

Reader’s Annotation

Weetzie and those she loves experience love, peace, loss, fear and more.

Information about the author

"Author Francesca Lia Block is renowned for her groundbreaking novels and stories—postmodern, magic-realist tales that transport readers through the harsh, gritty landscapes of contemporary life to transcendent realms of the senses where love is always our saving grace.

Born in Los Angeles, where she still lives, Block’s work pulsates with the language and images of the city’s sprawling subculture. Lauds a reviewer for the New York Times Book Review, “Block writes about the real Los Angeles better than anyone since Raymond Chandler.”

Block has described her work as “contemporary fairy tales with an edge,” where the real world and its trouble find solace through the magic of creative expression and love. She has received numerous honors, including the Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award and the Phoenix Award, as well as citations from the American Library Association, The New York Times Book Review and the School Library Journal, Her work has been published around the world, translated into many languages." (http://www.francescaliablock.com/bio).

Genre

Fantasy. GLTBQ.

Curriculum Ties

life skills. interpersonal relations. fantasy unit.

Booktalking Ideas

*What are some of the most difficult challenges you have face?

Reading Level

age 13 and up

Challenge Issues

sex. swearing. GLTBQ issues.

This book won the Gaylactic Spectrum Hall of Fame award.

Why Included?

While reading our textbook by Michael Cart this book was always being referred to. So I decided it would be a must read for this class.

Benton Paul

2011-07-17T16:17:00.007-06:00

Benton Paul

Grey

Bridgeton, 2009

ASIN B002MXA7PG

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

1-Where are you?

2-The Devil

3-Good Habit

4-Jen's Song

5-Paris

6-At the Bottom

7-Don't Go

8-Look for the Light

9-Favorite Thing

10-I Only See You

Critical Evaluation

I was amazed how little information there is about Benton Paul. I greatly enjoyed his album. Paul has a charming voice. I do not know music the way I know books, but I enjoyed listening to this album.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the author

"Singer / songwriters can make any lady swoon (hello John Mayer!) And hottie Benton Paul is no exception, this crooner has toured with American Idol alum David Archuleta was at the top of the iTunes charts, and now has a new EP out called" Trois " We can not help but fall for this up-and-coming musicians! "

There is very little information available about Benton Paul. Interesting.

Genre

rock music

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 14 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

One of the teenagers I interviewed said Benton Paul was one of her favorite artists.

Depeche Mode

2011-07-17T16:12:00.008-06:00

Depeche Mode

Some Great Reward

Reprise/Wea, 1984

ASIN B000002L75

4.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

1- Something to do

2-Lie to Me

3-People are People

4-It Doesn't Matter

5-Stories of Old

6-Somebody

7-Master and Servant

8-If You Want

9-Blasphemous Rumors

Critical Evaluation

I LOVE Depeche Mode. They have been around for years. I listened to them when I was a teenager. I was excited to hear that some teenagers still listen to them now. Depeche Mode sings about all the normal teenage stuff.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the author

Depeche Mode (IPA: , ) are an English electronic band who formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter after 1981), Andrew Fletcher (keyboards) and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter 1980?81). Vince Clarke left the band after the release of their 1981 debut album, and was replaced by Alan Wilder (keyboards, drums, production) with Gore taking over songwriting. Wilder left the band in 1995 and since then Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher have continued as a trio.

Depeche Mode are one of the most successful, influential, longest-lived bands that have emerged from the early 1980s. They have had forty-five songs in the UK Singles Chart and #1 albums in UK, US and throughout Europe. According to EMI, Depeche Mode have sold over 75 million albums worldwide, as part of total worldwide record sales (including singles) in excess of 100 million.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/depeche+mode/biography.html

Genre

rock.

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 13 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

One of the teenage girls I interviewed said this was one of her favorite bands. I was surprised but pleased because I like Depeche Mode as well.

Reality Check

2011-07-17T16:00:00.007-06:00

Reality Check

by Peter Abrahams

HarperTeen, 2009

ISBN 9780061227660

330 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

After a knee injury destroys sixteen-year-old Cody's college hopes, he drops out of high school and gets a job in his small Montana town, but when his ex-girlfriend disappears from her Vermont boarding school, Cody travels cross-country to join the search.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5323360-reality-check

Critical Evaluation

This book is just okay. I gave it a 3 star rating because reading it was not unpleasant but it does not really have any redeeming qualities that makes me think about it, remember it or want to read it again. I did not really like any of the characters. Cody has no direction or goals in his life. At the end of the book Clea goes home with Cody. But to what end? What is their future together? I am glad she was found and is safe, but now what? I guess the book did not really move me or interest me. The mystery part was interesting though. And teens may quite easily enjoy the suspense and mystery.

Reader’s Annotation

When Cody's girlfriend goes missing from college, he travels cross country to join in the search to find her.

Information about the author

"As a boy, I read voraciously, almost anything I could get my hands on, but I enjoyed adventure stories the most. I wasn't one of those unhappy kids who loses himself in books. I was a pretty happy kid who did it. We had a summer cottage in Quebec. My grandmother would come up on weekends, bringing me a kind of popcorn I liked and a stack of books. There would be famous ones, like Treasure Island, and not-so-famous ones, like Red Pete the Ruthless. I can still recall the last scene of that one--Red Pete, buried up to the neck between the high and low tide lines, surrounded by his stolen gold, waves lapping closer. Can't you just hear the hiss of the bubbles? I could, even if the writer hadn't bothered to imagine that part. I loved a powerful story.

And still do, but I became much more demanding in my reading. Besides all the usual things - depth of characterization, atmosphere, the telling details--I grew to want that extra something that's so hard to pin down, related to the voice of the writer and the resonance of the story, which I think of as the spirit of the book. So many novels have none at all, but the great ones--Pale Fire, The Comedians, Crime and Punishment to name a few that affected me--glow with it.

Closer to my own field, I've been influenced by Graham Greene. I refer especially to what he called his entertainments. They are crime novels as far as I'm concerned(A Gun for Sale, Stamboul Train, Brighton Rock), and that's what I do. One of the problems in crime fiction is the evanescence of the reading experience, how light these stories--no matter how crammed with noir--really are. Greene's are weighty, and what momentum he establishes when they get going! With Greene, there's also the voice, so sympathetic at times, at other times off-putting, often both at once. I love how he does that.

But that's just another of the wonderful things about reading, this intimate and changing relationship between the book and the reader. No other form of entertainment--not movies, not TV, not the Internet--comes close for me. I feel very lucky that I've been able to add a few new stories to the collective body of written work." (http://www.peterabrahams.com/bio.html)

Genre

Mystery.

Curriculum Ties

psychology. peer relations.

Booktalking Ideas

*To what extent would you go to find a loved one that was missing?

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I found a great list of young adult books at the Austin public library. This was a book on the mystery list.

Rift

2011-07-17T15:59:00.006-06:00

Rift

by Beverly Birch

Egmont, 2006

ISBN 9781405215893

285 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

In a vast African landscape, four teenagers and a journalist vanish without a trace from a camp below a steep rock ridge. As Ella, the sister of one of the missing girls, helps Inspector Murothi piece together what happened, she realizes there are terrifying possibilities for her sister and the four others. There has been sinister behavior and bullying in the camp where the missing were staying. Has there been foul play? Then one of the missing turns up—but with no memory of what has happened. As the search helicopters continue their constant hum over the rock ridge, Ella and the inspector begin to wonder whether they are already too late.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1228423.Rift

Critical Evaluation

This book moved very slowly. The mystery part was interesting. Four students and one journalist went missing. And at the beginning there are no clues as to where they would have gone. Some of the other members of the camp are a bit sinister and distract the reader but nothing else really happens in the book. Overall, I still enjoyed the book because I don't mind a slow read but it was not what I expected.

Reader’s Annotation

Four teenagers and a journalist disappear from camp in the vast African landscape.

Information about the author

"Beverley Birch is a published author and a narrator of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of Beverley Birch include Rift, Shakespeare's Tales: The Tempest (Shakespeare's Tales), Julius Caesar (Shakespeare's Tales)." http://www.jacketflap.com/beverley-birch/16432

Genre

Mystery.

Curriculum Ties

archaeology.

Booktalking Ideas

*Four students and one journalist have disappeared without a trace from your camp in the unknown African landscape. What can you do?

Reading Level

ages 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

This book had appeal because it was a mystery set in Africa.

Tantalize

2011-07-17T15:55:00.006-06:00

Tantalize

by Cynthia Leithich Smith

Candlewick Press, 2007

ISBN 9780763640590

311 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses — or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who’s playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/353016.Tantalize

Critical Evaluation

I hesitant to admit but I did not love this book. Let me mention the things I did not like first and then I will approach the book in a more positive manner.

Not so positive aspects (in my humble opinion)

On a few occasions the writing style felt a bit stilted. The writing would break the flow of the story and I would be jolted back into reality. One example that comes to mind is whenever Quincie would talk about the moss green decorations at Kieren’s house. Moss green napkins were also mentioned at the picnic Quincie and Kieren took on the anniversary of Quincie’s parent’s death.
I got quite confused at the end. The different types of werecreatures were confusing. Also what is the town going to do with all those vampires roaming around? And how did Quincie’s uncle meet Brad? And really I would think everyone would be much more terrified if that many people had gone missing or been killed. There were just too many unanswered questions.
This complaint is probably just whining but I prefer a happy ending for my fantasy books. When I read “problem” novels or realistic fiction I want difficult topics handled that often have sad or unresolved endings. But I did not want Quincie to be a vampire. I realize this is the first book in a series and there is more to come but I did not love the ending.

Aspects that I liked:

The cover art.
I was pulled into the story near the end. I was rather intrigued to see what would happen by the end of the book. I had a hard time putting the book down once the restaurant actually opened.
I liked Quincie’s character. She was independent and strong-willed until Brad wrecked havoc on her life, but still she is a great character.

Reader’s Annotation

Quincie and her uncle are about to reopen their restaurant with a hot new vampire thing. However, strange things start happening in their town.

Information about the author

"Cynthia has worked as a popcorn popper and cashier in a movie theater, a waitress (in a Mexican chain restaurant, and at a country club restaurant and pool), an attendant at a gas station, a receptionist at a law firm, a telephone operator at a bank, a law clerk (for a legal aid, for a small firm, for a government agency, and for a federal appeals judge), and an English tutor for students of migrant farm families. She has also worked as a reporter (for small-town and big city newspapers) and in public relations (for a non-profit agency, for a greeting card company, and for an oil company). In addition, Cynthia has taught legal writing and writing for children and young adults.

Cynthia was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Her previous states of residence are: Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, and Oklahoma. She is a tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Today, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her four cats and her husband, award-winning children's book author Greg Leitich Smith."

(http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/CLS/about_cyn.html)

Genre

Romance. Fantasy.

Curriculum Ties

mythology. current literature.

Booktalking Ideas

*If you could run any business you wanted to as a teen, what would it be?

Reading Level

age 13 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

This book was one of three assigned novels for this class. It adds a nice edition to the database as a paranormal fantasy.

The Unspoken

2011-07-17T15:49:00.006-06:00

The Unspoken

by Thomas Fahy

Simon & Schuster, 2008

ISBN 9781416940074

166 pages

2 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Five years ago six children who lived with their families in Jacob Crawley's Divine Path religious cult escaped by burning the compound to the ground. They are reunited at the funeral of Jacob's son, Harold. Harold died of drowning -- his worst fear -- even though his body was found miles from any water. And it seems that each of the teens is marked for murder -- as Crawley had predicted years earlier. Can any of these teens save themselves?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2777561-the-unspoken

Critical Evaluation

I did not like this book. Granted I do not like nor read much horror, so technically this book may have great appeal to some other readers. Though, I must say, it does not have a great rating on www.goodreads.com. I do find religious cults to be interesting. I also found it interesting that the six surviving members were told they would die from their worst fear within five years time. And the prediction began to come true. All of those things were interesting and had great potential for a good book. However, the flashbacks to their time in the cult were very graphically violent. I do not do well with violence against children. I also do not do with violence at all. I believe the horror genre often has quite a bit of personal violence.

Reader’s Annotation

Six young members of a religious cult are told they will be dead in 5 years.

Information about the author

Thomas Fahy studied literature and music at the University of California at Davis, and he received a Ph.D. in literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has published ten books and currently lives in New York, where he is a professor of literature and Director of the American Studies Program at Long Island University, C. W. Post Campus.

http://www.redroom.com/author/thomas-fahy/bio

Genre

horror. thriller.

Curriculum Ties

I cannot think of any curriculum ties for this book. Religious fanaticism maybe.

Booktalking Ideas

*Your death has been predicted to occur within the next five years. What will you do now?

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

This book has quite a bit of graphic violence against children.

Why Included?

In trying to have a well-rounded collection of books represented a horror book was in order!

The Chocolate War

2011-07-17T15:45:00.007-06:00

The Chocolate War

by Robert Cormier

Random, 1974

ISBN 9780440944591

263 pages

4 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

New boy at strict Catholic High School, Jerry Renault, is bullied into selling boxes of chocolates for the school's annual fund-raising event. The sadistic headmaster, Brother Leon, and 'The Vigils', a viscious gang of school thugs, make Jerry's life hell when he decides he won't be pushed around anymore.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094869/plotsummary

Critical Evaluation

This book is a great piece of literature. A great piece of literature does not mean it has to be happy or have a happy, resolved ending, or that I even agree with it. But a great piece of literature is well-written, has strong characters, a good plot, makes me think and keeps me engrossed. The Chocolate War succeeded on every front. Although I did not really care for most of the characters, they were still very well done characters.

The book did not have a happy ending. Jerry, who tried to stand up for something, who tried to be different, to disturb the universe got beat up quite badly at the end of the novel. There was not justice for him. What made this book speak to me was that is how life is. Life is not fair. There often is not justice. Those who dare to disturb the universe usually suffer heavily from it.

Reader’s Annotation

Jerry Renault does not want to sell chocolates for the school fundraiser.

Information about the author

Robert Cormier, often considered the most important American writer for young adults, authored ten major novels and many short stories over the course of his career. For much of his life he was a newspaper writer for the Fitchburg Sentinel, where he won awards for his human-interest stories. Even after he became able to support his family solely by writing novels, he continued to write for the paper on occasion.

Cormier's four most popular novels The Chocolate War, I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, and Beyond the Chocolate War were often criticized for their sexual imagery and violent content, in addition to their dark subject matter. Several cities and school districts banned the books at various times. Cormier and several critics have pointed out that the unrelenting realism of the stories can actually encourage teens, rather than depressing them. The controversy over Cormier's subject matter has not dissipated, and the books still inspire division among critics and teachers. Each of Cormier's major novels has gone through several printings, and his popularity has not diminished. Two of his novels, The Chocolate War and I Am the Cheese, have been made into films.

http://www.gradesaver.com/author/robert-cormier/

Genre

realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties

psychology. peer pressure.

Booktalking Ideas

*What would you do to fit in? *What would you sacrifice to not be a target of bullies?

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

Because of the novel's language, the concept of a high school's secret society using intimidation to enforce the cultural norms of the school, and the protagonist's sexual ponderings, it has been the frequent target of censors and appears at number three on the American Library Association's list of the "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books in 2000-2009." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chocolate_War

Why Included?

I definitely wanted to include a regularly banned book in this database. This title also kept appearing in many of my class readings. I can see why some parents would like to ban this book but I believe it still has an important place in a library collection.

Fantasy: subgenres and themes

2011-07-13T22:53:00.003-06:00

500 Days of Summer

2011-06-29T19:44:00.007-06:00

500 Days of Summer

Movie

Directed by Marc Webb

Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2009

ASIN B002U1F32M

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

He's Tom, from New Jersey, working in L.A. writing greeting cards even through he's an architect by training. She's Summer, in from Michigan. Day one is her first day as an AA in Tom's office. We jump back and forth in time: by day 67, they've become an item when she decides to put aside the lovemaking and just be friends. Tom, a romantic who's sure Summer is the one for him, wallows in self pity. We go back to the early days and see the relationship begin. Summer tells him right away that she doesn't believe in love. He mopes well past day 100. Then, as day 500 approaches, they find themselves at a wedding together. Does the old flame rekindle? Is Tom right that destiny controls love?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/plotsummary

Critical Evaluation

When I was searching for movies to watch for this class I went two different directions. First, I used the movies that the teenage girls that I had interviewed suggested. One girl loved Beastly, which I watched and thought was okay. Another girl suggested Just Go With It. But that movie had Adam Sandler in it and I just wasn't up to Adam Sandler. So the next place I checked was Indie films. I did not know what Indie films meant but have since learned it means Independent films. I find these films are often quirky and unusual. 500 Days of Summer was no exception. I found a list of best indie films for teens at http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-lists/indie-films.

500 Days of Summer was quite enjoyable. Tom is mopey and cute. Summer is perky and not inclined to get emotionally involved. They are actually a very bad pairing. I really enjoyed the timeline of the movie. It jumps back and forth in time throughout their dating experience. Each new time shown is indicated by what day it is in their relationship.

Reader’s Annotation

A romantic comedy about a girl who does not believe in true love and the boy who falls in love with her.

Information about the director

An in-demand music video director for nearly 10 years, Marc Webb's career path changed dramatically after his first feature, the endearingly bittersweet romance "(500) Days of Summer" (2009). The film brought him to the attention of the critical community, which showered his debut effort with praise; it also ushered him into the Hollywood inner circle, where, in 2010, he was granted the keys to the "Spider-Man" franchise. Webb's visual skill and boundless imagination made him a talent to watch and admire for film fans worldwide.

Born Aug. 31, 1975, Webb was the son of academic parents, but his own tenure in higher learning was short-lived; he reportedly attended Colorado College for only a semester before delving into the professional side of filmmaking.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1809864220/bio

Genre

romantic comedy.

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

PG-13

Challenge Issues

drinking, swearing, sex

*The above information also applies to movies.

Why Included?

I looked for unusual and quirky teen movies.

American Born Chinese

2011-06-29T19:37:00.007-06:00

American Born Chinese

by Gene Luen Yang

First Second, 2006

ISBN 1596431520

233 pages

3 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

A tour-de-force by rising indy comics star Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/118944.American_Born_Chinese

Critical Evaluation

I enjoyed this graphic novel. It is an interesting format to tell the story of being an immigrant to the United States. It also addresses racial prejudice against the Chinese people and how everyone wants to fit in.

The thing I appreciate the most about this novel is the seriousness, importance of the message of the novel and that is told in a graphic novel. It does not lose any of its meaning in the graphic novel format.

Reader’s Annotation

Three main characters move throughout this book: Jin Wang, the Monkey King and Chin-Kee.

Information about the author

Gene Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade. In 1997, he received the Xeric Grant, a prestigious comics industry grant, for "Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks," his first comics work as an adult. He has since written and drawn a number of titles, including "Duncan's Kingdom" (with art by Derek Kirk Kim) and "The Rosary Comic Book," He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his lovely wife, Theresa, and son, Kolbe, and teaches computer science at a Roman Catholic high school.

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=184328

Genre

graphic novel.

Curriculum Ties

Cultural awareness. Chinese mythology.

Booktalking Ideas

*The United States is filled with peoples from all over the world. As we learn more about them we can be compassionate and tolerant.

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I have not read very many graphic novels. And I wanted to include at least one graphic novel is this database. American Born Chinese has won some awards so I thought it would be a good choice. It has won National Book Award Nominee for Young People's Literature (2006),Printz Award (2007), ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2007)