tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74650680776066443582024-03-20T02:25:47.590-07:00young adult materialsjenniffer hentzen - Libr265 - Beth Wrenn-Estes - December 9, 2010the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-82888807587951796152010-12-14T19:35:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:44:22.736-08:00Looking for Alaska<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-1.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780142402511"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 186px;" src="http://content-1.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780142402511" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Green, John. <em>Looking for Alaska</em>. ISBN-10: 0142402516, ISBN-13: 9780142402511. Graphia. 2007.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Plot Summary</strong><br />"Pudge" has left his friendless life behind in Florida in hopes of a better life at the Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama. Things are immediately different when his roommate shows up and introduces Pudge to Alaska. She's beautiful, funny, rebellious, sexy and a mess. She fascinates him and makes him crazy with lust. That was all before what came after.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />All teens envision leaving behind bad times for what Pudge calls the "Great Perhaps" (from Rabelais). At his new boarding school, Culver Creek, he is able to shuck the boringness of the first 16 years of his life for the drinking, smoking and prank-pulling life with his roommate "the Colonel" and the Colonel's best friend, the beautiful Alaska. The two of them drag Pudge into the world and give him experiences beyond his wildest dreams. Interestingly, the book is in two parts (<em>before</em> and <em>after</em>), and further divided into the days "before" and the days "after." As the number of days before dwindles, readers wait with breaths held for what will happen. And when tragedy does strike, the characters and readers will realize that you can never go back, knowing what you now know. John Green weaves a story rich with the feelings young men have toward sex and love and friendship and how the three are vastly different. He ties humor into lives that are lacking any, and empathetic emotion where you least expect it.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Pudge goes to boarding school to escape his boring life. He never expects to find the friends he does, or to fall in love with the funny, smart and {yet} sad Alaska, or to have to learn how to deal with losing her.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />John Green worked as a publishing assistant and production editor for <em>Booklist</em> during the years he wrote his first novel, <em>Looking for Alaska</em>. It was published in 2005 to excellent reviews—it went on to win the Michael L. Printz award in 2006, among many other accolades. His second novel for young adults, <em>An Abundance of Katherines</em>, was published in 2006, and followed by <em>Paper Towns</em> in 2008. Green also is working with David Levithan on the novel <em>Will Grayson, Will Grayson</em>. Green's books are full of feeling and hilarity while facing deep topics.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Boys/Men<br />Dating/Sex<br />Death/Dying<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />no applications<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />Would you leave this life you're living now behind for another…<br />How would you cope with a friend's death…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />Michael L. Prinze Award (2006)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br />I have always heard good things about this book—it's a good one.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-2589129182576046992010-12-14T19:21:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:44:02.696-08:00Wii Sports<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbWdNEsRjbYH1NEf__LZmvtZwywtrrXoXTNSSFAXyqr6pSaYsGB7IdrXKOc36DvPo8NOVgkeIjuJgf5DkMyU4HPCVgCxxbFQm3IabOms5iJgXTW-kHPMa9XvVVqdrj_41Ak3KPEtEv4g-/s1600/wii+sports.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbWdNEsRjbYH1NEf__LZmvtZwywtrrXoXTNSSFAXyqr6pSaYsGB7IdrXKOc36DvPo8NOVgkeIjuJgf5DkMyU4HPCVgCxxbFQm3IabOms5iJgXTW-kHPMa9XvVVqdrj_41Ak3KPEtEv4g-/s200/wii+sports.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550774505176475826" /></a><b>Wii Sports. Ninetendo: 207. ASIN B00212H6VG.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.qisahn.com/images/wiisports.jpg"><br /></a></b><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary & Evaluation</strong><br />Ninetendo has a brilliant marketing department! They included the Wii Sports game with the console and a Wii-mote (remote controller) in a bundle. And Wii Sports is the game that many people associate with the Wii because of the commercials that showed families and friends of all ages off the couch and playing together. Although, Wii Sports doesn't have the truly realistic graphics like the one-sport specific games, it does have the functionality that makes it easy enough that anyone of any age can play.<br /><br />The Wii Sports game contains following games: baseball, bowling, boxing, golf and tennis. The games can be played almost anywhere, at anytime without taking any consideration to the weather. The games are simple because they are meant to be fun for everyone, and not targeted at only serious gamers—although, gamers do like this too. For example:<br /></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">In boxing, players need only their Wii-mote and nunchuk to mimic the two handed punching of the sport, and it can be played solo or with another player<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">in baseball, you are only pitching the ball and/or batting depending if you're playing against the Wii or another player<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">tennis is merely serving the ball, and then lobbing the ball back and forth with either a backhand or a forehand. Tennis can be played with the system or with four other players<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">golf is best played by using the power meter, the map and the wind monitor, all of which help you get the ball into the hole. Golf can be played alone or with a "foursome" of players<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">and bowling, is maybe the most difficult because of how closely it imitates real life bowling. You have to push the right buttons at the right time to actually throw the ball. This can be a four person game too.<br /></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><br />But before you begin to play Wii Sports, a custom-made Mii (a little avatar) must be created. Your Mii file will record your achievements and advancements in skill that take you to new levels. And to add to the level of competition, your Mii can play with other Miis because all of the games feature multiple player options. You can improve your statistics by playing any of the training games that help you play the sports.<br /><br />Wii Sports isn't meant to replace traditional exercise, but it can be used to bring people together in many different social settings—parties, retirement homes, schools and libraries.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages: all ages</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this game...</strong><br /></span></b>Wii Sports is fun and enjoyed by so many people. I like the social aspect of the games. </span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span">Graphic from qishan.com. Retrieved from </span></span><a href="http://www.qisahn.com/nintendo-wii-pre-owned-games-c-2_70/wii-sports-used-p-639">http://www.qisahn.com/nintendo-wii-pre-owned-games-c-2_70/wii-sports-used-p-639</a> on December 14, 2010.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-91892190881831730932010-12-14T19:04:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:42:24.577-08:00Prom<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-3.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780142405703"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" src="http://content-3.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780142405703" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Anderson, Laurie Halse. <em>Prom</em>. ISBN-10: 0142405701, ISBN-13: 9780142405703. Puffin Books. 2006.</span></strong></span><br /><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />After the math teacher runs off with all of the money for the senior prom, Ashley and her friends have to scramble for the next eleven days to get the prom off the ground. The problem is that Ashley doesn't care. She's got a lot going on in her life: she's struggling to graduate, has to wear a nasty rat costume and serve pizza to bratty kids, her mom is very pregnant and her drop-out boyfriend has ideas about Ashley's future than don't match her own. But between her prom-crazy aunts, and her friend Nat's relentless belief in the "prom cause" Ashley is dragged into helping the committee get creative and put together a great prom for their low-income high school.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />The concept of an elaborate prom in this low-income neighborhood high school is one that would appear depressing because not only did the math teacher run off with the money, the school authorities seem apathetic, and it doesn't sound like any of these girls can afford the niceties they dream of for the perfect prom. Laurie Halse Anderson takes this disheartening situation and tries to infuse some comedy with Ashley's prom-fanatical and boisterous aunts, her friend Nat who will stop at nothing to have the prom of her dreams and Nat's grandma who is a "little" crazy. Fans of <em>Speak</em> and <em>Twisted</em> maybe disappointed, but other readers may enjoy the comedic change of pace from Anderson.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Ashley is caught up in planning a prom she doesn't care about when the money goes missing with the math teacher. Together with friends and families, the prom committee works to all of their prom dreams come true.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Laurie Halse Anderson is a native to New York state, and is where she currently lives and writes. The bestselling author writes books for kids of all ages, but is possibly best known for her young adult novels. Her debut novel<em>Speak</em> was a National Book Award finalist, a New York Times bestseller and a Printz Honor book. <em>Catalyst</em> followed in 2003, <em>Prom</em> in 2006 and <em>Twisted</em> in 2008—all of which touching on tough subjects with delicacy and the right amount of humor.<br /><br />Anderson is also very well known for her American History picture books that highlight the women who also helped shape our country. <em>Vet Volunteers</em> is a chapter book series written for elementary readers. While Anderson alternates between her projects, she is often recognized for her outstanding efforts. She was presented with 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award for<em>Catalyst, Fever 1793 </em>and<em> Speak</em>. In 2008, she received the ALAN Award for her "outstanding contribution to the field of adolescent literature. And in April 2010, she was chosen to be the School Library Month spokesperson by the American Association of School Librarians.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Girls/Women<br />Adolescence</span><span style="font-size: 6pt; "><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas </strong><br />How far would you go to help a friend?…<br />Given a situation that seems hopeless, are you able to see around the limitations for a solution or hit the brick wall…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15-18<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br /></span></b>I really enjoyed <em>Speak</em> and <em>Twisted</em>… and I thought I'd enjoy this one too.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-4412506973450216052010-12-14T18:53:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:42:04.434-08:00Shiver<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-6.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780545123266"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 181px;" src="http://content-6.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780545123266" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Stiefvater, Maggie. <em>Shiver</em>. ISBN-10: 054512367, ISBN-13: 9780545123266. Scholastic Press. 2009.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />As a child, Grace was attacked by wolves. She survived and has been drawn to the wolf pack in the area ever since. She has interest especially in one wolf, the one with yellow eyes that seems to watch her. Sam <span style="text-decoration:underline">is</span> watching Grace as he is caught between his two lives—a warm weather human, and a wolf when the temperatures drop. When the wolf pack comes under fire, literally, Grace and Sam meet and fall in love. But the weather is getting colder in Minnesota, and they both come to realize what their future holds.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />A town in Minnesota has a big problem with wolves. Grace was attacked by the wolves when she was a child. So was Sam. Unlike Grace, Sam's is a part-time member of the pack. When the weather changes and temperatures drop, he and the others return to their wolf form. Now a local rich kid has been killed by the pack, but his body is missing and the wolf pack is one more wolf stronger. Amidst the mystery of the missing body, and the influx of wolves on the town, Grace and Sam have finally been brought together after years of watching each other from afar. Their relationship is intense because winter is closing in with colder temperatures. The immediacy of the relationship gives this paranormal romance its spark. Readers will turn the pages as quickly as they can to find out if Sam can be saved.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation </strong><br />Loving a werewolf is difficult. Grace loves Sam, but Sam is about to turn back to a wolf as winter draws near. They fight to keep him warm, human, and alive.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Maggie Stiefvater is a renaissance woman. In addition to being a fairly new author of young adult novels, she has worked as an artist and can play the piano, Celtic harp and the bagpipes. In fact she has just begin her writing career, as her first novel—<em>Lament</em>—was published in 2008. It was the first book in her <em>Books of Faerie</em> series. The series is about homicidal fairies and thus far has just the second book, <em>Ballad </em>(2009). That year was busy, as the first book in the <em>Wolves of Mercy Falls</em> series (<em>Shiver</em>) was also released in 2009. She's continued the series paranormal romance with publishing <em>Linger</em> (2010) and the soon to be released <em>Forever</em> (2011). On her website, she alludes to working on a collection of short stories and a "super secret" stand alone novel. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">Stiefvater (pronounced as <em>steve-otter</em>)lives in Virginia with her family and a collection of animals.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Paranormal Romance<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Absent Parents<br />Sexual Content<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />no applications<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />Would you keep dating someone who often "changed" into something else…<br />If you did keep dating that person, how far would you go out of your way to help that someone to fight the change…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />Australia's Silver Inky award for Best International Book (2010)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 14+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br /></span></b>Because I couldn't get into the <em>Twilight</em> series, I thought I'd try a paranormal/werewolf romance.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-47257940629873602462010-12-14T18:41:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:41:42.886-08:00Gale Virtual Reference Library<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.inasp.info/uploaded/images/Gale%20Cengage%20logo.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 65px;" src="http://www.inasp.info/uploaded/images/Gale%20Cengage%20logo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong>Gale Virtual Reference Library. <a href="http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=idahofpl&authCount=1">http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=idahofpl&authCount=1</a>. Gale Cengage Learning: 2010.<br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Overview</strong><br />The Idaho Falls Public Library provides access to the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) database from our home page to help anyone with their research projects. The GVRL is a collection of thousands of reference e-books that are instantly available. The Gale Cengage Group stresses that the information is solid and can be trusted for accurate information. The benefits for students are that the e-books offer a wide range of topics, are accessible at anytime and can be converted to text-to-speech (ReadSpeaker Technology) for those who require the help. There are also benefits to libraries who offer the GVRL: we can offer more sources for our patrons, while not using space we might not have; we will never lose one volume to a collection and we make our young adult patrons happy because of the easy and quick access—and happy patrons will remember us and use us again.<br /><br />The GVRL is easy to use. A patron can either do a basic search using either a document title, a keyword, or a subject search; or it's also possible to view the publications available for more of a browsing search. There are many areas that would appeal to a young adult, such as <em>VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever, Notable Sports Figures </em>and<em> Political Theories for Students.</em> For each publication, there is a search by table of contents and a list of illustrations—which is a great way to avoid the sketchy Google image search. The last best thing about this database is the citation tools. Building a bibliography can be very tricky, and having the most up-to-date styles are extremely helpful.<br /><br />I have used this site at the library, for my school and have helped my kids use it for their research. I have never had a link that was broken and all of the information is current.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 13+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this database...</strong><br /></span></b>A traditional library can't be open around the clock, so having information that can be accessed beyond normal library hours is invaluable. </span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span>Graphic from Gale Cengage. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.gale.cengage.com/">http://www.gale.cengage.com/</a> on December 14, 2010.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-88821818932178347672010-12-14T18:22:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:41:01.937-08:00My Bonny Light Horseman<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-6.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780152061876"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 177px;" src="http://content-6.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780152061876" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Meyer, L.A. <em>My Bonny Light Horseman</em>. ISBN-10: 0152060030, ISBN-13: 9780152060039. Harcourt Children's Books. 2007.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />In <em>My Bonny Horseman</em>, we meet up with Jacky Faber again. In this sixth installment of the <em>Bloody Jack</em> series, Jacky is back at sea, captain of her own shipping company… but not for long because she is captured by the British and taken back to England for her crimes. However, she doesn't make that far and is then recaptured by the French, for the crimes she committed against them too. In true Jacky Faber style, she shimmies her way out of certain death to become an English spy to keep an eye on Napoleon! Even as her eye wanders to a certain French gentleman, her heart still belongs to Jaimy.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />This is a great girl-power series of books. Jacky has come a long way from little Mary, the orphan on the streets of London. This book finds Jacky in some precarious positions in her first mission as a spy is under the ruse of a courtesan—if not an all out and out prostitute. Her wits keep her pure even as she gets information out of powerful men. And her military smarts help her on the front lines as a deep spy working for the emperor of France. There is enough history to be historic, but it's not boring for young adults because of the amount of suspense and adventure.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Jacky Faber is back on another adventure that takes her from her own boat, to a prisoner of Britain, then a prisoner to France, a dancer/courtesan and then a spy to watch over Napoleon.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Louis A. Meyer, also known simply as L. A. Meyer, is the author of the eight outstanding books in the <em>Bloody Jack</em> series. Since his birth in 1942, he has traveled the world with is Army family, graduated from the University of Florida-Gainesville, joined the navy, received his Master's of Fine Arts in Painting from Boston University, he taught school, published two children's books, married and raised two boys, and now splits his time writing about the infamous Jacky and running his Clair de Loon gallery in Bar Harbor, Maine.<br /><br />The inspiration for the <em>Bloody Jack</em> series came from listening to British and Celtic folk music in his gallery. The radio station was featuring songs about the tales of young girls dressing up as boys to follow their boyfriends out to sea. One of the most famous of these is <strong>Jackaroe</strong>. Sadly, the girls in history didn't have the spunk of Jacky Faber, as most were thrown to sea. But it was Meyer's vision that Jacky not go following her heart, rather going to fight her certain death by starvation. After eight books, Jacky is still cheating death.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Adventure<br />Girls/Women<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />History: <em>Napoleonic Wars</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />To steal secrets from the enemy, would you act as a spy…<br />How would you react if you met a major political head on the battle field…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 14+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br />The <em>Bloody Jack</em> series is packed with adventure and suspense, why wouldn't people of all ages want to read it?! </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-61038291735933289232010-12-14T16:54:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:40:39.537-08:00One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-6.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781416907886"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 169px;" src="http://content-6.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781416907886" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sones, Sonya. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 1416907882, ISBN-13: 9781416907886. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2004.</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br />Ruby's mom has died. But that's not the only problem: Ruby has to leave her Boston home, her Boston friends and her Boston boyfriend to move across the country to live with her father. Her father is a famous movie star who left Ruby's mom before she was born, and Ruby has turned her grief for her mother to anger toward her father. She's hateful, ungrateful and refuses to show her father any love. But there is more to the story of her father, and it'll take an act of God to help Ruby see that.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />Sonya Sones uses epistolary (emails mostly) free verse to tell the story of Ruby. Her mother dies from cancer and she is forced to leave Boston and move to Los Angeles to live with her movie star dad. She's grief-stricken, and funnels that grief to fuel her anger at the dad she never knew because he took off before she was born. She tortures him at every turn—his famous friends, her beautiful room in his mansion, rejecting his endeavors to get to know her. Ruby relies on her emails to her best friend and boyfriend who she left back in Boston, as well as her dead mother and her father's live-in trainer/personal assistant. Young adult readers will side with Ruby over her misery of having to leave her friends, and may understand her anger toward her dad. She's a smart character who tells a great story that twists with an earth-shattering earthquake.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Fifteen year old Ruby has just lost her mom to cancer, and is now living in her movie star dad's Los Angeles mansion—a world away from her best friend and boyfriend she left in Boston. She finds relief in her misery by writing emails to them and even to her dead mother, until an act of God shakes up what she thought she knew.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Sonya Sones has spent most of her life drawing, animating or editing something or another. The Boston native was educated at Hampshire college, has taught a Harvard, worked in the film industry as an editor and painted baby clothes for Neiman Marcus stores before enrolling in a poetry class at the University of California-Los Angeles. She had an influential professor who guided her into writing her first book <em>Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy</em> in 1999. In over the last decade, she has written four young adult novels, three short stories and one children's picture book—<em>Violet and Winston</em>—with her husband Bennett Tramer.<br /><br />In her young adult novels, Sones often incorporates bits and pieces of herself in each book. Inspired by her professor and the actual events surrounding her mentally ill sister, <em>Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy</em> was written first (1999). Sones was writing poems about her first love, and then started thinking about all of the "firsts" in a young girl's life, and she used many those thoughts for <em>What My Mother Doesn't Know</em> (2003). Next she incorporated her own story of an East coast girl relocating to the West coast for <em>One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies</em> (2004). <em>What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know</em> (2007) came from the copious amount of letters asking the author for what happened next in Sophie's story. Sones says she wanted to know what happened too, so she wrote the sequel. Sones is currently working on her fifth novel.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Poetry/Verse<br />Death/Dying<br />Adolescence</span><span style="font-size: 6pt; "><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Homosexuality<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />English: <em>writing a complete story in verse</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />How willing would you be to pick up and move across the country just because your mom has died and you're now forced to live in a Los Angeles mansion…<br />Do you think you can tell a whole story using free verse poetry tucked into emails…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />Tennessee Volunteer State Teen Read Award (2006)<br />Iowa Golden Apple Teen Read Award (2006)<br />Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2006)<br />New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Read Award (2006)<br />South Carolina Mustang Book Award (2005)<br />Cuffie Award from Publisher's Weekly for Best Book Title of the Year (2006)<br />Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association (2005)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">… and numerous nominations<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 14+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br />Sonya Sones' <em>What My Mother Doesn't Know</em> was recommended to me, and so I wanted to see if her other books were as good… this one was better! </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-88745584090546566382010-12-14T16:50:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:40:19.647-08:00Goth Girl Rising<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780547076645"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" src="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780547076645" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Lyga, Barry. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Goth Girl Rising</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 0547076645, ISBN-13: 9780547076649. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2009.<br /></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br />In this sequel to <em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, </em>Kyra (also known as Goth Girl) has just been released from the Maryland Mental Health Unit after a 6-month stay. She comes out just as angry as she was when she went in and is now looking for the one person she knows understands her. When she finds Fanboy, she's devastated by the change in him. He's unrecognizable, and her fury for her dad overflows over to Fanboy. She's set on destroying his new found confidence and popularity, by exposing that Schemata (his comic book) is nothing that his classmates think it is. Goth Girl's ire is rising, but will revenge quench it?<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />This time around, Barry Lyga focuses in on Goth Girl, and goes deeper into explaining who she is and what made her. Her stay in the Maryland Mental Hospital has done nothing for her attitude. She's still angry at the world. She's especially livid with her father for putting her in the hospital, and with Fanboy who has transformed from the quiet loner she left behind into someone she doesn't recognize. Fueled with her rage, she emotionally tortures her dad, and plots to ruin Fanboy's popularity and expose his comic book. Kyra remembers Fanboy's book as an homage to a senior Fanboy had a crush on, but hasn't seen how it's change to reflect a very different heroine.<br /><br />Kyra is a hard character to like, but readers will be able to relate with her feelings of isolation. Her alienation and loneliness is particularly hard to face for her, as life has gone on while she was away. And other readers will find that Kyra's friends to be irritating with their unoriginal thoughts, their replication of her all-white style, and their constant need to hook-up. Readers will see that the poem that grows throughout the novel shows that Kyra's anger goes very deep, and Goth Girl is an antihero you hope finds her way.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation </strong><br />Goth Girl has been in the mental hospital because she took his bullet and the gun. Now that she's been released, Goth Girl is searching for Fanboy and realizes he's not the same boy she left behind… and she remembers it was HE who called her dad, making him as much to blame as her dad for putting her in the hospital. And she's looking for revenge.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author </strong><br />Barry Lyga is the popular author of <em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl</em>, as well as a collector and activist of comic books. After he graduated from Yale (with a degree in English) he went to work in the comic book world, and he was a major player in the development of Free Comic Book day*. He served as the spokesperson for industry and is well-quoted in numerous publications as well as penning a book on the topic on incorporating these graphic materials into schools and school libraries.<br /><br />Lyga changed gears a bit when he jumped into the realm of young adult novels. He used his vast comic book knowledge to write the rave-reviewed young adult book <em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl </em>in 2006. <em>Boy Toy</em> followed in 2007, and it was garnered enthusiastic reviews. In 2008, <em>Hero-Type</em> was released, and then in 2009 <em>Goth Girl Rising</em> the sequel to<em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl</em> was published. He's also written books for middle school aged readers, short stories, a film and copious articles and essays. Lyga was named a "Flying Start" from Publisher's Weekly for his strong debut in 2006.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Girls/Women<br />Mental Illness<br />Death/Dying</span><span style="font-size: 6pt; "><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Sexual Content<br />Language<br />Parental Angst<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Psychology: <em>teen depression and suicide</em><em><br /></em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />At what lengths would you go to extract revenge…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards </strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br /></span></b>After reading <em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl</em> I needed to know what happened to Kyra. And I'm adding Barry Lyga to my list of favorite authors.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-21843648399190134312010-12-14T16:35:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:39:58.952-08:00Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don’t Float<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780452295735"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 160px;" src="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780452295735" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Schmelling, Sarah. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float: Classic Lit Signs on to Facebok</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 0452295734, ISBN-13: 9780452295735. Plume Books. 2009.<br /></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />It's taken them awhile, but now some of literature's favorite authors and characters have signed-on to the social network Facebook. Sarah Schmelling has taken classic novels and converted them to Facebook feeds to bring some of the most loved stories into the 21<sup>st</sup> century. And hilarity ensues.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />Sarah Schmelling has taken classics to a new humorous levels by bringing together authors like William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, and Jack Kerouac; literature (<em>The Canterbury Tales </em>to<em> Lolita</em>) and a wide range of classic charcters—Hester Pryne, Puck and Scarlett O'Hara to Facebook. Stories are retold on news feeds, groups are joined and heckling occurs through status updates. I think this is the just the beginning for Facebook-themed books. Anyone who is on Facebook and has a basic understanding of the classics will see the humor, but older, well-read teens will really enjoy the book.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />What will happen when all of the classic characters and authors sign-on to Facebook and talk about stories from <em>Beowulf</em> to <em>Catcher in the Rye</em>?<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author </strong><br />Sarah Schmelling is a journalist that is known for her writing about pop culture and entertainment, and has been published in a variety of publications including <em>The Washington Post, Real Simple, </em>and<em> The Huffington Post</em>. It was in <em>McSweeney's Internet Tendencies</em> that "Hamlet (Facebook News Feed Edition)" was first published. The wife and mom lives in a Washington D.C. suburb, and this is her first book.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Non-fiction<br />Popular Culture<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />English: to <em>better understand the humor of the book, read the actual novels and plays</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />What do you think William Shakespeare would say if he were alive today and was on Facebook…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 16+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br /></span></b>As a holder of a degree in literature and a Facebook junkie—it was a no brainer! </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-20614331542694418502010-12-14T16:27:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:39:22.154-08:00Slam<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781594483455"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 191px;" src="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781594483455" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hornby, Nick. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Slam</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 1594483450, ISBN-13: 9781594483455. Riverhead Books. 2008.</span></strong><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />Sam is a skater—not on ice, but on a board—which could be why Sam turned to Tony Hawk for someone to talk to. He "talks" to his poster of Tony and references the skater's autobiography when his life falls apart. He had this amazing girlfriend, then they broke up and now she's telling him that she's pregnant with Sam's baby. Sam was raised by a single, teen mom and he doesn't want that for his baby. But he's not sure he's ready to be dad either. He knows that he's got to do something, though.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />Sam is a normal fifteen year old. He was in love with a girl, then they weren't doing anything but having sex, and then they broke up. He was over her and thought everything was going great. That was until his whole life was upset with the news that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his baby. Without anyone else to talk to about this predicament, Sam channels the wise words of his skateboarding mentor, Tony Hawk, through the skater's autobiography. Mix that with the odd visions into his future, Sam starts to make very adult decisions. Nick Hornby gives us an inside look into the heart of boys and men. Teen girls will love knowing some of the things that go through a guys mind, and guys will be thankful to know that they aren't alone in their thoughts of fear and insecurity. The backcover of the book says, "Nick Hornby has made a career writing about men who act like boys. Now he gives us a boy who acts like a man…" Sam is very likable, unlike some of his other characters.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />English author Nick Hornby is another author who began his working life as a teacher. The Cambridge educated Hornby taught, worked for Samsung, and was a freelance journalist before becoming a novelist. He is better known for his books for adults. He started his career with the memoir (<em>Fever Pitch</em>) of his "support" for the Arsenal football (soccer) team. It was made into two movies: a British version with Colin Firth and the American version with Jimmy Fallon as the fervent fan of the Boston Red Sox. <em>High Fidelity</em> and <em>About a Boy</em> subsequently followed, and they were also made into major motion pictures starring John Cusak and Hugh Grand, respectively. In the last decade, he has written three other adult books (<em>How to Be Good, A Long Way Down </em>and<em> Juliet Naked</em>); in addition to <em>Slam,</em> his first young adult effort. Also, in the decade Hornby has collaborated with other authors to contribute to two short story collections—<em>Big Night Out</em> (2002) and <em>Click</em> (2007), edited an anthology (<em>Speaking with the Angel</em>, 2000), wrote several non-fiction books, and penned the Oscar nominated screenplay for "An Education."<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Dating/Sex<br />Boys/Men</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Health: <em>safe sex</em><br />Sociology: <em>studying the value and effects of "family" on today's society<br /></em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />How would you react to being a teen mother/father…<strong><br /></strong>How do you think your life would change…<br /><strong>Awards</strong><br />Young Adult Library Services Association's Best Book for Young Adults (2008)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br />I was lucky to meet Nick Hornby while at a YALSA luncheon! As a fan, I was excited to read his young adult book, but it sat on my shelf unread for three years. I read his new book (Juliet, Naked) this summer and couldn't agree more with the quote "Nick Hornby has made a career writing about men who act like boys. Now he gives us a boy who acts like a man…" I plan to leave this book out in hopes that my boys will read it in a couple of years.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span">More information<br />Nick Hornby's Official Website: <a href="http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/nickhornby/">http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/nickhornby/</a></span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-45785654681870999032010-12-14T16:19:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:38:58.727-08:00The Hunger Games<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-8.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780439023528"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 183px;" src="http://content-8.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780439023528" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Collins, Suzanne. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Hunger Games</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 0439023483, ISBN-13: 9780439023481. Scholastic Press. 2008.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />In another time, the United States as we now know it has become Panem. It's divided into twelve districts with one Capitol, and Katniss lives with her mother and sister in the poorest part of the poorest district. Since her father died, she has been providing for and protecting her family. And she continues to shelter her sister when Primrose's name is called to be a gladiator-type "tribute" in the Capitol's annual Hunger Games. The games are a brutal, bloodthirsty battle to the death that are televised across Panem. As Katniss steps into the games for her sister and her district, she knows that she is facing death armed with little more than her strong street smarts.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />Suzanne Collins has created a terrifying look into the future of the United States. Twelve districts ruled by one harsh and cruel Capitol. It's the same Capitol that institutes the Hunger Games—a gladiator-esque battle, where there can only be one winner. Each of the twelve districts sends a boy and a girl (known as Tributes) to the Games, and the point is that the one winner outlives their 23 competitors. Katniss has volunteered to be a tribute in efforts to spare her little sister from a certain death. Katniss has been providing for her family with her illegal hunting and bartering on the black market for years, and she takes those skills with her to the Games. The one thing that she didn't think about was her companion Tribute—Peeta. They have history, and the authorities in the Games have made that distant friendship into a romance. Do her past feelings of indebtedness to Peeta blur her goal, or does the sensationalism help her to admit true feelings? Collins gives us a complex character set in a complicated situation. Readers who enjoy science fiction will love this series, and the readability will draw in reluctant sci-fi readers. Katniss is a wonderfully strong character, but so is Peeta. They each bring something different to the Games and to their relationship—and that question of romance will attract readers too.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br /><em>The Hunger Games</em> is more than a story of kids killing each other. Suzanne Collins brings us to a chilling future society that pits teens against each other in a battle to the death, as well as telling us an adventurous tale of friendship, romance and survival. <strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Suzanne Collins has been writing for children for the past two decades, although mostly for children's television programs. She worked with Nickelodeon on projects such as <em>Clarissa Explains it All, Oswald </em>and<em> Little Bear</em>, and Scholastic Entertainment for <em>Clifford's Puppy Days.</em> She was approached by another children's author who persuaded her to try her hand at writing children's books. <em>Gregor the Overlander</em> was published in 2003 and kicked off <em>The Underland Chronicles</em> series, which includes three other following books. Then in 2008, Collins released <em>The Hunger Games</em> and began that trilogy which contains <em>Catching Fire </em>and<em> Mockingjay.</em><strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Science Fiction<br />Girls/Women<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Government/History: <em>the effects of war, violence, and poverty on societies</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />Would you put yourself in the danger of possible death to protect your sibling from certain death…<br />Do you think you could kill another person to save your own life…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />Publisher's Weekly's Best Book of the Year (2008)<br />Golden Duck Award in Young Adult Fiction(2009)<br />Cybil Wonner for fantasy and science fiction (2008)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span></strong><br />Thankfully this was required reading. I said repeatedly: why would I want to read a book about kids killing each other!? Now I know why… </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-25356102963820650192010-12-14T16:10:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:38:36.850-08:00Sports Illustrated<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhWPmyxgq3SdKscumq0ndd5_-DXd3p2-YDpAL9M8zimNyjQsj4t0-c4wvmr65YH2PT7VOckmFbHN4sRh63T6l75I09xi6XZtwF6-LcJZ1XDVW-TStm19WamNqrNm6PM5RzbUEUeBTBvrq/s1600/si.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhWPmyxgq3SdKscumq0ndd5_-DXd3p2-YDpAL9M8zimNyjQsj4t0-c4wvmr65YH2PT7VOckmFbHN4sRh63T6l75I09xi6XZtwF6-LcJZ1XDVW-TStm19WamNqrNm6PM5RzbUEUeBTBvrq/s200/si.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550933391456166386" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Levine, Adam, editor. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sports Illustrated</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Time Inc.: New York: 2010.</span></strong><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br /><em>Sports Illustrated </em>gives readers the information they want on almost all sports played in America and beyond. A typical issue will focus on the sports in season covering both the professional and collegiate realms. Most issues also offer information on the lives (and sometimes deaths) of athletes of interest. There are regular columns with well respected experts in the sports arena and factoid sections in each issue The cover photography alludes to an important upcoming game or event, while on page three is the complete "lineup" or table of contents. The photography in <em>Sports Illustrated</em> covers sports in a way that captures the spirit of the game or player. It's very artistic and dramatic.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br /><em>Sports Illustrated</em> is a weekly magazine that reports on what's happening in the world of sports. The cover articles are always the longest, spanning two or three pages, while other articles are shorter than a page, or in the shape of a factoid box. This allows readers to be able to easily finish any article over their morning cereal. The factoids can be quickly scanned quick reading entertainment and good-to-know sports statistics/trivia. The section called "Faces in the Crowd" will appeal to young adults because it highlights the achievements of the country's best high school athletes. Both guys and girls who are interested in sports will enjoy the weekly <em>Sports Illustrated. </em>And<em> w</em>ith the different lengths of articles, readers with different the reading abilities will get something from the magazine. <em><br /></em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Sports<br />Popular Culture<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Sexual Content— in advertisements and the annual <em>Sports Illustrated</em> swimsuit issue<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Physical Education: <em>the power of sports on a body</em><br />Psychology: <em> the power of sports on the mind</em><br /><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />Does knowing about an athlete's personal life change how you view them as a professional…<br />Are professional athletes role models? Overpaid? Rock stars…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age </strong><br />Ages 12+<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>This is a popular magazine with all ages, and I noticed that both of my tweens read it while eating breakfast. </span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span>Graphic from rant.sportslizard.com. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://rant.sportslizard.com/2007/08/18/my-new-favorite-custom-mcfarlane/">http://rant.sportslizard.com/2007/08/18/my-new-favorite-custom-mcfarlane/</a> on December15, 2010.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-42654188134501735822010-12-14T16:01:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:38:19.034-08:00New Super Mario Bros<span class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvKkI12PTQp3Ez8R5Kqal2onocrvihcomFqJzgrw4tpl303q2WhJ-7JMGOiIkHNMA2w69IGbP0eGt0HP2GhfVv4ZazMtv5uQdjmylvL1P3cKdMypw7nZK58Mg65obR_xSrlG8NpcHHH2D/s1600/mario.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvKkI12PTQp3Ez8R5Kqal2onocrvihcomFqJzgrw4tpl303q2WhJ-7JMGOiIkHNMA2w69IGbP0eGt0HP2GhfVv4ZazMtv5uQdjmylvL1P3cKdMypw7nZK58Mg65obR_xSrlG8NpcHHH2D/s200/mario.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550934564849624674" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">New Super Mario Bros. Ninetendo: 2009. ASIN: B002BRZ9G0.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary & Evaluation</strong><br />Mario and his brother, Luigi are back in this Wii game that is very reminiscent of the classic Mario games of the past. It's now a multiplayer game, and the players can choose their character from Mario, Luigi, or one of two Toads. The game steps up the challenge for players because of the many concealed rewards and secret places that offer a lot of replay value. Like the standard Mario games, the point is to make your way through all of the levels while avoiding hindrances and bad guys—and each level gets harder with more secrets and unknown things. To successfully get thru the levels, players need to be very aware of what's going on around them, be fast and anticipate many hazards in the shape of mushrooms and evil Bowzers.<br /><br />It can be very stressful to play the game in multiplayer mode because one player can be very skilled, while the other is a novice. However, while multiplayer games can be tough, players can also work together to help each other. For example, players can pick each other up to save them from peril. Also, Wii has incorporated the motion abilities of the Wii-motes to tilt see-saws to reach high platforms, or tilt it away to foil their competition. Players who grew up playing Mario, won't be disappointed with this game, and new players will enjoy the challenge.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages: 10+</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>Wii gaming is popular is many libraries, and I can see how using videos games would draw in teens who may not use the library for any other reason. </span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span>Graphic from InsaneBear.com. Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.insanebear.com/986/e3-09-nintendo-announces-the-new-super-mario-bros-wii/">http://www.insanebear.com/986/e3-09-nintendo-announces-the-new-super-mario-bros-wii/</a> on December 14, 2010.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-10087543034830718882010-12-13T20:37:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:37:23.778-08:00Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-4.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781584302674"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 160px;" src="http://content-4.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781584302674" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Neri, Greg, writer. Randy Duburke, illustrator. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 1584302674, ISBN-13: 9781584302674. Lew & Low Books. 2010.<br /></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />"Yummy" is the nickname for an eleven year old boy, Robert Sandifer. In 1994, Yummy was responsible for the stray bullet that killed another kid, a 14-year old girl from the same Chicago Southside neighborhood. In the span of three days, we see Yummy running and hiding from the police and eventually his own gang. The narrator, Roger, gives a insight into who Yummy is and the system that, in the end, may have failed Yummy and many other children like him.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />In stark, black and white illustrations, <em>Yummy</em> is a graphic novel about the very short life of the real Robert Sandifer, aka Yummy. He was 11 years old when he shot and killed 14 year old Shavon Dean. The story is told through the eyes of a fictional classmate of Yummy's, Roger. And he is the voice that asks the questions about how Yummy turned out like he did: Was it the dangerous Roseland neighborhood? Was it the attraction of gang life to fill in where his family was absent? It's impossible to know what happened to Yummy, but readers can look at this graphic novel as a cautionary tale for their own futures.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />The Roseland neighborhood in Chicago's Southside is a dangerous place to grow up. Watch how a boy who loved sweets, dubbed Yummy, became an 11 year old murderer.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Greg Neri is the author of several books for children and young adults, a producer of interactive media projects for clients like Reebok, Disney and Mercedes Benz, writer and director of three films and the winner of numerous awards. He currently lives in Florida, but graduated from University of California-Santa Cruz with a degree in theater arts which explains his wide range of projects. <em>Yummy</em> began as a movie project and after 12 years, it became a graphic novel.<br /><br />Illustrator Randy Duburke was born in Georgia, lived in New York and now resides in Switzerland with his family. Over his 20 year career, he has worked on comic books, book cover art, children's picture books, and animation. Duburke was awarded the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe award for best new talent/illustration for his first children's book, <em>Moon Ring</em>, in 2003. Now he is committed to his time to work on illustrating children's books and graphics novels.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Graphic Novel<br />Biography<br />Violence<br />Boys/Men<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Violence<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Sociology: <em>Chicago's Southside Roseland neighborhood</em><br />Sociology: <em>Gangs as family</em><br />Current Events: <em>Gang Violence</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />What were you thinking about when you were 11… shooting another kid to into a gang…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2010<br />Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2010<br />Booklist Best Books of 2010<br />School Library Journal's Fuse #8: 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2010 List<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 13+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>I read the review in Booklist.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-36483719472547179242010-12-13T20:29:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:36:35.373-08:00Pretties<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-8.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689865398"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 168px;" src="http://content-8.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689865398" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Westerfeld, Scott. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span">Pretties</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span">. ISBN-10: 0689865398, ISBN-13: 9780689865392. Simon Pulse. 2005.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />Tally is now a Pretty… finally. Her face, her body, her life are all perfect, but in the back recesses of her mind she feels like she is forgetting something. When a message from her past arrives, she is reminded about the ugliness that hides beneath the perfect life of a Pretty. Again, she is at the mercy of the Specials and has to be make some dangerous decisions about her future<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />In the second book of <em>The Uglies</em> series, readers will be happy to meet up with Tally as she has finally become a Pretty and is living her perfect life to the hilt—hot boyfriend, lots of friends and the best parties. But when her Ugly past catches up with her and reminds her of why she questioned becoming a Pretty, the plot thickens because any change in her behavior would cause the Specials to pay attention and watch her closely. The Specials don't want her to know what she already knows, and they will do whatever it takes to "help" her forget. Readers of the Uglies and Pretties will be ready to delve into the third book in the series—The Specials—to see where the action-packed story goes from here.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Now Tally is a Pretty, and enjoying the Pretty lifestyle. But she is going to come to remember that being a Pretty is ugly business, especially when the Specials get involved. The thrilling second book in the series will only get readers even more excited for the next book.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author </strong><br />Texas native, Scott Westerfeld, is the author of short stories, five adult novels, and four different series for young adults: <em>The Midnighters, The Peeps, The Leviathan </em>and<em> The Uglies</em>. <em>The Midnighters</em> is about a town where for one hour a day—at midnight, of course—very dark things occur. The science fiction author says that <em>The Peeps</em> series isn't actually a series, but three stand-alone titles (<em>So Yesterday, Peeps </em>and<em> The Last Days</em>) all set in present day New York and deal with vampires, parasites and consumerism. <em>The Leviathan</em> series (<em>Leviathan, Behemoth </em>and<em> Goliath</em>) is Westerfeld's newest series and falls in the steampunk genre with an alternate version of the events from World War I. <em>The Uglies</em> series began as a trilogy but now has ended with four books (<em>The Uglies, The Pretties, The Specials </em>and<em> The Extras</em>) and an insider's guide (<em>Bogus to Bubbly</em>).<br /><br />The author, who chooses to live in perpetual summer, splits his time in New York City and Australia with his wife, author Justine Larbalestier. Westerfeld was educated at the Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, TX, Vassar College for a degree in Philosophy and did some graduate work in Performance Studies at New York University. Prior to writing his own novels, he spent time as a factory worker, substitute teacher, textbook editor, software designer and ghost writer for other novelists.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Science Fiction<br />Friendship<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Sociology: <i>futuristic societies<br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />You have everything, the perfect boy/girlfriend, popularity, a closet of awesome clothes to wear to all of the parties you go to, would you risk all of it to know the truth about what being a perfect person actually means…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>Like I said, I'm not a big fan of science fiction; but after reading <em>The Uglies</em>, I had to know what happened!!</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-68516979856539700242010-12-13T20:17:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:36:13.574-08:00Forever<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-4.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781416934004"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" src="http://content-4.powells.com/cover?isbn=9781416934004" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Blume, Judy. <em>Forever</em>. ISBN-10: 054512367, ISBN-13: 9780545123266. Scholastic Press. 2009.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />Forever is one of Judy Blume's most challenged books for its sexual content. More importantly, <em>Forever</em> is a book about true love that feels like it will last forever, and unfortunately it doesn't always happen that way. Katherine and Michael fall in love during their senior year of high school, and over a short period of time—and much discussion—they become intimate. They are sure that their love is true and will last forever. Change is on the way as high school ends and they have other big decisions to make.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />Forever is one of those books that is often challenged for its sexual content without taking into consideration the context and the responsibility taken into thought. It's also one of the books that isn't always read all of the way through, either because most young people skim its pages looking for the "good stuff", or the adults challenging it are also just looking for the "bad stuff.". The book is about Michael and Katherine who meet in their senior year and build this intense and passionate relationship. That passion for each other brings them to talking and experimenting with their sexual urges. Judy Blume writes about sex in a positive and upfront manner. The beauty of young adults reading this book is that even though all of the feelings that flood in so strongly during these heady times of first love sometimes have a tendency to quench themselves out. It isn't a how-to-have-sex book, it's more of a book about the realities of relationships.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Katherine and Michael are in their senior year of high school, they are in love and they are on the verge of many decisions about the "firsts" in their lives.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Judy Blume was born in New Jersey, and has said that she was always making up stories in her head. It wasn't until her own kids were in school did she start putting them on paper. She has written more than 20 books over the years. In the last four decades, she has written for children (<em>The Fudge</em> and <em>Pain and the Great One</em> series), for young adults (<em>Are You There Go? It's Me Margaret</em>, <em>Then Again, Maybe I Won't</em>, and <em>Forever</em>) and for adults. (<em>Smart Women </em>and <em>Summer Sisters</em>).<br /><br />To no one's surprise, her adult books all spent time on the New York Times bestseller's list, while her books for children and young adults are often challenged and/or banned. Five of her books (<em>Forever, Blubber, Deanie, Tiger Eyes</em> and <em>Are You There God? It's Me Margaret</em>) were on the American Library Association's list of Top Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-09. Because of that scrutiny, she became an advocate for intellectual freedom working with writers, teachers and librarians to protect the freedom to read.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Girls/ Women<br />Romance<br />Banned/Challenged<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />Even if you said you'd love someone forever, do you think that's an honest reality…<br />Does sex cement a relationship…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Sexual Content<br /><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>I read just the "good parts" in high school, but was happy to read the whole thing again for my part of the Banned/Challenged presentation. </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-44709256746364427612010-12-13T20:03:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:35:53.731-08:00Deadline<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-3.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780060850913"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" src="http://content-3.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780060850913" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Crutcher, Chris. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Deadline</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 0060850914, ISBN-13: 9780060850913. Greenwillow Books. 2010.<br /></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />Ben is going to die. Not some day, but within the year. He's decided to keep that "little" secret to himself. Armed with this knowledge, he's decided that he's going to live the last months of his life to the absolute fullest—he's going to give up the safety of cross-country for the dangers and glory of football, he's going to speak up in class and press his opinions, and most importantly, he's going to ask the gorgeous Dallas Suzuki out on a date, rather than love her from afar. Unfortunately, not everything goes exactly to Ben's plans. He learns that keeping secrets isn't necessarily the best method to keep from hurting people.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br /><em>Deadline</em> is a touching book that addresses the question of what would you do if you knew you had nothing to lose. Ben wants to make the most of his last days. While he enjoys the chances he's taking, he sees that withholding the truth to those he loves the most, hurts them just as much as the truth could. Young adults will like the idea Ben's philosophy of "having nothing to lose" during his last days, and will see how honesty improves Ben's short life. It's a book that could be very sad, and whereas it is sad, it's also got humor at work at the same time.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation </strong><br />Deadline is a book about living one's life to the fullest, as Ben is faced with his death during his senior year of high school.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Chris Crutcher one of those rarities: an Idaho author. He was raised near Boise, in a small logging town that is similar to the town of Trout that appears in some of his novels. He holds a degrees in psychology and sociology, and a teaching certificate. He's taught in California and Washington, where he ending his teaching career at an alternative school for at-risk kids. He then started another career as a therapist and child protection advocate while looking for a way to help support his writing habit in Spokane.<br /><br />He's still in Spokane, and he relies heavily on the experiences as a teacher and family therapist to give his fiction life. His writing style brings reality to the forefront with amazing humor. He's written ten novels for young adults in the last three decades; as well as a small series called <em>Stotan</em>, a short story collection, <em>Athletic Shorts</em> and a memoir, <em>King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography</em>. He is also often challenged and/or banned due to the real subjects of which he writes and the real language of teens. His book <em>Whale Talk</em> (2001) deals with issues of child abuse and drug abuse, and was 41<sup>st</sup> on the American Library Association of the Top 100 Banned/Challenged books for the last decade. Coming in at 44<sup>th </sup>on the same list, is his collection of short stories (<em>Athletic Shorts, </em>1991), and at 85 is <em>Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes</em> (1993).<br /><br />Crutcher was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for a lifetime contribution to young adult literature in 2000.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Death/Dying<br />Frienship<br />Boys/Men<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challeneges</strong><br />Death<br />Sexual Abuse<br />Language<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />no applications<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />If you knew you had a fatal condition, would you tell everyone or would you keep it to yourself…<br />If you knew you had one year to live, what would you do…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>I heard Chris Crutcher speak at the Idaho Library conference, and couldn't believe I had never read his books.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>More Information:</strong><br />American Library Association. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/2000_2009/index.cfm">http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/2000_2009/index.cfm</a></span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-46085192741423652082010-12-13T19:43:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:35:37.767-08:00What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689876035"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 169px;" src="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689876035" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Sones, Sonya. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 0689876033, ISBN-13: 9780689876035. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2007.</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br /><em>What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know </em>is a sequel to <em>What My Mother Doesn't Know</em>. However we now get to hear from Robin Murphy, Sophie's sweet and artsy boyfriend. Everyone at school is as shocked at their relationship as Robin is, and because of it, Sophie and Robin are made to be outcasts in all of the social circles. And Robin is questioning the value of actually getting the thing you most want.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />In this novel that picks up where <em>What My Mother Doesn't Know </em>left off, Sonya Sones uses her familiar sparse free verse to tell Robin's side of the story and how he feels about Sophie. He knows she's now a social outcast because she is with him, and it's hard for him to see her suffering for being with him. He finds a bit of respite from the hard times of their high school when he enrolls in a college drawing class. Girls will be torn for their feelings of popularity and the love of Robin when reading this book. Guys will understand Robin's awkwardness and understand his torn feelings and the uncertainty about his sometimes-uncomfortable relationship with Sophie when a college student from his class takes an interest in him. All teen readers will appreciate both of the character's flaws, and applaud when they stand up to the bullies together!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />We met Sophie in <em>What My Mother Doesn't Know, </em>and now we get to meet her boyfriend, Robin Murphy. The couple is ridiculed and alienated at school, but come together to face their adversity.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Sonya Sones has spent most of her life drawing, animating or editing something or another. The Boston native was educated at Hampshire college, has taught a Harvard, worked in the movies as an editor and painted baby clothes for Neiman Marcus stores before enrolling in a poetry class at University of California-Los Angeles. She had an influential professor who guided her into writing her first book <em>Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy</em> in 1999. In over the decade, she has written four young adult novels, three short stories and one children's picture book—<em>Violet and Winston</em>—with her husband Bennett Tramer.<br /><br />In her young adult novels, Sones incorporates bits of herself in each. Inspired by her professor and the actual events surrounding her mentally ill sister, <em>Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy</em> was written (1999). Sones was writing poems about her first love, and then she started thinking about all of the "firsts" in a young girl's life, and she used those thoughts for <em>What My Mother Doesn't Know</em> (2003). Next she incorporated her own story of an East coast girl moving to the West for <em>One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies</em> (2004). But then <em>What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know</em> (2007) came from letters asking the author for what happened next in Sophie's story. Sones says she wanted to know what happened too. Sones is currently working on her fifth novel.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Poetry and Verse<br />Dating and Sex<br />Adolescence<strong><br /> </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Sexual Content<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />English: <em>writing a complete story in verse</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />How would you handle your whole school making fun of you and your new boyfrien…<br />Is it more important to be popular than to be happy…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 14+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>I wanted to see what happened with Sophie and Murphy, so I had to read it! </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-48509994482280459652010-12-13T19:37:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:35:15.257-08:00Twisted<span class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-1.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780142411841"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" src="http://content-1.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780142411841" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Anderson, Laurie Halse. <em>Twisted</em>. ISBN-10: 014131088X, ISBN-13: 9780141310886. Puffin. 1999.<br /></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />Before his senior year, Tyler was a nobody. He was invisible, but that's all changed due to his creative graffiti on the school walls and his summer spent in punishment working hard-labor outside. His reputation and his body have changed. He's no longer lurking in the shadows, and he's caught the attention of his crush and super-popular Bethany. This leads to conflicts at school because she is the sister to his archenemy, Chip. And this makes home awkward as she's also the daughter of his Dad's boss. As the story unfolds, Tyler's got to deal with his feelings to find out what kind of man he really is, or is growing to be.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />So many times books are written to help girls who suffer from social issues, but in <em>Twisted</em> Laurie Halse Anderson opens up the heart and mind a teen called Tyler. He's always been an outsider, and would still be overlooked if not for his crazy act of rebellion where he vandalized his school. His crime changed his reputation, and his punishment of manual labor changed his body. The superficial changes bring the attention of Tyler's crush, an equally superficial Bethany. He's now caught in the dilemma of what does a man do when he's got what he wants and it's nothing like he thought it'd be. Young readers will be acquainted with the inner conflicts of sex and love, drinking and partying, school, and parental issues.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Now that Tyler is popular and attention-worthy, he needs to face the ethical quandaries of being a man in the world today.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Laurie Halse Anderson is a native to New York state, and that is where she currently lives and writes. The bestselling author writes books for kids of all ages, but is maybe best known for her young adult books. Her debut novel <em>Speak</em> was a National Book Award finalist, a New York Times bestseller and a Printz Honor book. <em>Catalyst</em> followed in 2003, <em>Prom</em> in 2006 and <em>Twisted</em> in 2008—all of which touching on tough subjects with delicacy and the right about of humor.<br /><br />Anderson is also very well known for her American History picture books that highlight the women who also helped shape our country. <em>Vet Volunteers</em> is a chapter book series written for elementary readers. Anderson alternates between her projects all the while being presented with 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award for <em>Catalyst, Fever 1793 </em>and<em> Speak</em>. In 2008, she received the ALAN Award for her "outstanding contribution to the field of adolescent literature. And in April 2010, she was chosen to be the School Library Month spokesperson by the American Association of School Librarians.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Boys/Men<br />Adolescence<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Underage Drinking<br />Sexual Content<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />When faced with getting the very thing you wanted and realizing that it's all wrong, how do you respond…<br />How do you shake the reputation that people gave you when they only know what they think you do without really getting to know you …<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>Often the feelings of young men are overlooked, and this book is a great look inside the feelings of a guy. </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-8536154220083882282010-12-13T19:26:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:34:16.115-08:00Boy Toy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" 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"></a><img src="http://content-8.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780547076348" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Lyga, Barry. <i>Boy Toy. </i>ISBN-10: 0547076347, ISBN-13: 978547076348. Graphia. 2007.</span></strong></span><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br />Five years ago, Josh learned several things about himself—mainly that he knew how to please a woman. Sadly, five years ago, Josh was 12 years old and was having a very adult relationship with one of his teachers. Eve, the teacher, is now being paroled while Josh is trying to finish high school, improve on his already amazing baseball statistics, and start a relationship with Rachel. But he's still really angry—he flies off in violent rages; he can't commit to a relationship with Rachel because he's unsure of how to be in a real relationship, and he's holding on to a secret that everyone already knows. It's just time for him to know the truth too.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />Barry Lyga has taken a headline that is being seen more and more commonly, a teacher having a sexual relationship with one of her students. Josh is one of those students, and Eve was his teacher. He was seduced and convinced that he was in a loving relationship where this kind of behavior was acceptable. Five years later, he's still stuck in a mire of self-doubt, while searching for a little control in his life. The story is told in a flashbacks that he calls flickers where his mind drifts back to his time with Eve. The flickers slowly build up from grading papers, to kissing and then much more. Lyga's descriptions of Josh and Eve's relationship are honest, explicitly so. Older teens will understand many of Josh's feelings about relationships, ending high school and moving on. And all readers will get a better inkling into the mind of the silent male victim.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation </strong><br />Josh has been keeping a secret—but everyone already knows that he was a victim of molestation by his history teacher in seventh grade. He also needs to come to terms with the relationship, and the truth may release him.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author </strong><br />Barry Lyga is the popular author of <em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl</em>, as well as a collector and activist of comic books. After he graduated from Yale (with a degree in English) he went to work in the comic book world, and he was a major player in the development of Free Comic Book day*. He served as spokeperson for industry and is quoted in numerous publications as well as penning a book on the topic on incorporating these graphic materials into schools and school libraries.<br /><br />Lyga changed gears a bit, and jumped into the realm of young adult novels. He used his vast comic book knowledge to write the rave-reviewed young adult book <em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl </em>in 2006. <em>Boy Toy</em> followed in 2007, and it was garnered enthusiastic reviews. In 2008, <em>Hero-Type</em> was released, and then in 2009 <em>Goth Girl Rising</em> the sequel to <em>The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl</em> was published. He's also written books for middle schoolers, short stories, a film and copious articles and essays. Lyga was named a "Flying Start" from Publisher's Weekly for his strong debut in 2006.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Sexual Abuse<br />Dating/Sex</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Sexual Content<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Sociology: <em>abundance of sexual abuse with female teachers and young male students</em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />When you think about a female teacher having a sexual relationship with a male student, who do you think is to blame…<br />If you knew your best friend had been molested by a teacher, what would you do to be a friend and support him?<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 16+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>I stumbled on this one by accident... and as Bob Ross used to say, "it's a happy accident". I'm very glad to have found Barry Lyga.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">*On the first Saturday in May, participating stores join in to the industry-wide promotion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross">Bob Ross</a> was a painter, who created beautiful landscapes and entertained many for years on PBS channels.</em></span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-39758293185035889512010-12-13T19:16:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:31:41.199-08:00Beast<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-7.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689870057"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" src="http://content-7.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689870057" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Napoli, Donna Jo. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span">Beast</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span">. ISBN-10: 0689870051, ISBN-13: 9780689870057. Simon Pulse. 2004.</span></span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br />In<em> Beast</em>, we see that the prince of Persia has made a bad choice on the Day of Sacrifices and a fairy turns him into a beast. This retelling of the <em>The Beauty and The Beast</em> fairy tale is made fresh because it is told through the eyes of the beast, the heir to the Persian throne. His journey through the Middle East and into France includes his efforts to embrace his life of a beast. This proves complicated because his mind is still that of an Islamic man, and he struggles to stay true to those moral principles. The end of his travels bring him to find an abandoned chateau in France, where he plants a rose garden and waits for a woman come to love him. But who can love a beast?<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />Mixing Persian settings, Islamic moral codes and the beautiful fairy tale of <em>The Beauty and the Beast</em>, Napoli weaves an inspired retelling from the beast's point of view. The readers get to see first-hand how Prince Orasmyn is changed as a result of a fairy's punishment, his outward journey to the safety to the French chateau and his inward journey as an Islamic man trapped in a lion's body, as well as preparing himself for the woman—he hopes—who will come love him to set him free. Although the book is appropriate for younger readers, older readers will have the patience to relish in the story<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation </strong><br />Prince Orasmyn has made a terrible choice on the Day of Sacrifies, and is punished by a fairy. He's been turned into a beast until the love of a woman can break the spell. Donna Jo Napoli rebuilds this traditional tale with the opulence of Persian and Islamic cultures.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author </strong><br />The Pennsylvania author, Donna Jo Napoli holds degrees in mathematics (BA) and romance languages (PhD) from Harvard, and has taught linguistics at several institutions over the years. In additions to gaining degrees, teaching, and writing and speaking on the topic of linguistics, she has written over 50 books for children of all ages—19 specifically for young adults.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Myth, Legends, Fairy Tales<br />Historical<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Sexual Content<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />Sociology/Religions: <em>the conflict an Islamic man would have as living as a lion</em><br />English: <em>traditional fairy tales</em><br />English: <em>rewriting of fairy tales</em><br />Geography: <em>Persia</em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />When you think about <em>The Beauty and the Beast</em>, do you think about the beast or the beauty's point of view…<br />What if you were a vegetarian, and were transformed into a carnivorous beast with your human powers of reason and reckoning—how would you handle a hungry tummy…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />Carolyn W. Field Honor Book Award from the Pennsylvania Library Association<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 13+</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br />I'm a newly devoted fan to Napoli, and a long-time fan of the tale of <em>The Beauty and the Beast</em>.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-52239742664518325212010-12-13T19:06:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:31:18.161-08:00The Pigman<span class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-3.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780553263213"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 199px;" src="http://content-3.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780553263213" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Zindel, Paul. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Pigman</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 0553263218, ISBN-13: 9780553263213. Batnam Books. 1983.</span></strong><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br />Two pranksters, John and Lorraine, meet Mr. Pignati while trying to prank him out of ten dollars for the fictitious "L&J Fund." When they go to collect their money from the Pigman, a relationship is started as the teens realize that the old, bald fat man is all alone. Mr. Pignati is more than happy to take on the role as a father-figure to the jaded, bored and alienated teens. Sadly, he isn't well, and suffers a heart attack while skating with the teens. John and Lorraine betray him by having a party in his house and the man's prized possessions are destroyed. Learning that John and Lorraine are responsible for betrayal, Mr. Pignati has another heart attack<strong>, </strong>this time a fatal one.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />This novel was first published in 1968, and yet its story still stands true. John and Lorraine learn that life isn't meaningless when there is love. That is the legacy that was left to them by their friend Mr. Pignati. Unfortunately, they learned it too late and promise to tell the story of their friendship with the Pigman as honestly as they can. Mr. Pignati was a lonely old man they tried to con out of some money for a prank to entertain their bored lives. Quickly he embraced them as friends, and his love for life flows from him onto the teens. Yet, as teens can be, they are selfish and betrayed Mr. Pignati by having a party while housesitting his home. The party gets out of hand, and the Pigman's prized possessions are destroyed—his dead wife's collection of pigs. Realizing that his friends, John and Lorraine, betrayed him and learning of the coinciding death of his favorite zoo animal—a cantankerous baboon, he's pushed over the edge, and dies from another heart attack. Young adult readers will hopefully grasp on to this thought: Our life would be what we made of it—nothing more, nothing less. Adults will perhaps read this and think badly of the teens because they may have forgotten that being a teen is being selfish. All readers will love Mr. Pignati for his ability to love.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />John and Lorraine tell the story of how they meet and strike up a friendship with a bald, fat, old, lonely man, the Pigman. Contracted to tell only they facts, they talk about the Pigman's ability to love even the most difficult people/creatures and how the two of them betrayed that love and faith.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Paul Zindel was trained as a chemist at Wagner College in Staten Island, worked as a technical writer for about six months, and then moved to the role as a teacher. Inspired by with his time with mentor Edward Albee, Zindel began writing plays in college and continued to do so through the decade he taught high school chemistry and physics. His first staged play was "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds."* The play was seen by a book editor at Harper & Row, who encouraged Zindel to write his first book, <em>The Pigman</em> in 1968. In 1969, he quit teaching to write more books for young adults. With <em>The Pigman, </em>he used his own experiences as a teen to convey the way teens think and feel. That was the key to his success, and what he continued to do in his honest efforts to reach out young adult readers in ways the books being published for them at the time were not doing.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><br /><em>The Pigman</em> started Zindel on a prolific career of writing. He published over 50 books for young adults and children. There are a couple series, <em>The Freaky Facts Club</em> and <em>P.C. Hawke</em> in addition to several novels, plays and a memoir. Notably, there is sequel to <em>The Pigman</em>, <em>The Pigman's Legacy</em> and <em>The Pigman and Me</em>, a memoir that recalls the material in Zindel's life experiences that fueled his writing for young adults; as well as other well known titles such as <em>My Darling, My Hamburger, Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball </em>and<em> The Girl Who Wanted a Boy</em>. The author died in 2003, ending a career that spanned over 30 years. <em><br /></em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Friendship<br />Adolescence<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Teen Angst<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />If you betrayed one of your dearest friends, would you be able to stand up and be honest about the betrayal…<br />What do you think your legacy will be when you leave this school? Or what do you want your legacy to be when you leave college? Or even later in life…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />American Library Association's Notable Children's Books 1940-1970<br />American Library Association's Best of the Best Young Adult Books 1966-1968<br />The Horn Book's Fanfare Honor List (1969)<br />New York Times' Outstanding Children's Book (1968)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong><br />I was in eighth grade when my school librarian gave me <em>The Pigman, </em> and I remember liking it. I don't think it made as much of an impact on me then, as it did when I reread it now.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><i>*The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds</i> was made into a movie directed by Paul Newman and starring Joanne Woodward</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-46874533419552215862010-12-13T18:35:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:30:33.348-08:00Uglies<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-1.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689865381"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 167px;" src="http://content-1.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689865381" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Westerfeld, Scott. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Uglies</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. ISBN-10: 0689865384, ISBN-13: 9780689865381. Simon Pulse. 2005.</span><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />There are "Uglies" and then there are "Pretties." Luckily, everybody gets to be a Pretty when they turn 16. Tally and Shay are about to turn 16, about to have their Pretty operation. But Shay has been telling Tally about people purposely who have run away to escape the Pretty operation. Shay tells her that she is going to runaway and wants Talley to come away too. Tally can't believe that anyone would not want to be a Pretty, says goodbye to Shay and looks forward to her birthday. But Shay's disappearance didn't go by unnoticed by the Specials, because it is the Specials who force Tally to find Shay outside the city and bring her back before they will make Tally a Pretty. The decision Tally makes doesn't just affect her, or her and Shay but all of the others who chose to not become a Pretty.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation </strong><br />Tally, an Ugly, has been waiting to be turned into a Pretty just like any Ugly. However in the last weeks prior to her birthday, she learns about people who have ran away to escape the operation to make them a Pretty. This concept is so foreign to Tally, she doesn't really give it any consideration. When her friend disappears the authorities manipulate Tally to make a decision: help them find the band of rebels or never become a Pretty. Tally must come to terms with betraying her friend, as well as the rest of the rebels who have resisted the Pretty operation. The decision becomes especially difficult for Tally when she is told that besides being altered on the outside, the operation alters people's brains. The betrayal becomes unthinkable when her feelings get in the way. Readers will be drawn into the partying Pretty lifestyle, but will quickly see that being a Pretty isn't as pretty as it looks.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />If everyone was pretty there would be no jealousy or hatred or war because there'd be nothing left to fight over. However, Tally learns that being a Pretty has some very real and very ugly repercussions.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author </strong><br />Texas native, Scott Westerfeld, is the author of short stories, five adult novels, and four different series for young adults: <em>The Midnighters, The Peeps, the Leviathan </em>and<em> The Uglies </em>series. <em>The Midnighters</em> is about a town where for one hour a day—at midnight, of course—very dark things occur. The science fiction author says that <em>The Peeps</em> series is actually not a series, but three stand-alone titles (<em>So Yesterday, Peeps </em>and<em> The Last Days</em>) that are all set in present day New York and deal with vampires, parasites and consumerism. <em>The Leviathan</em> series (<em>Leviathan, Behemoth </em>and<em> Goliath</em>) is his newest series and falls in the steampunk genre with an alternate version of the events from World War I. <em>The Uglies</em> series began as a trilogy but now has ended with four books (<em>The Uglies, The Pretties, The Specials </em>and<em> The Extras</em>) and an insider's guide (<em>Bogus to Bubbly</em>).<br /><br />The author, who chooses to live in perpetual summer, splits his time in New York City and Australia with his wife, author Justine Larbalestier. Westerfeld was educated at the Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, TX, Vassar College for a degree in Philosophy and has done some graduate work in Performance Studies at New York University. Prior to writing his own novels, he spent time as a factory worker, substitute teacher, textbook editor, software designer and ghost writer for other novelists.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Science Fiction<br />Friendship<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />If given the option to look like gorgeous and perfect like everyone else, or live in secret with your flaws—which would you chose…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 15+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>I'm not a big fan of science fiction, but this series intrigued me and made me think of a quote from one of my favorite movies, <em>The Incredibles</em>: if everyone is a super… then no one is. Same thing here...</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-24258255837620723892010-12-13T16:27:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:30:06.611-08:00Seventeen<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpEgBENKVrdazhooldCONBfQDpOXoKH0kZiZVnO4hOEPPah7JjLBA2vQgKcl9FpwYDukZTvuChhAZkrHc_UOsATE-_FgTDAvVNcQVS6ork18LtIHKcdJWlgd8TOag9p2yEIXGuSzgDq1G/s1600/17.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpEgBENKVrdazhooldCONBfQDpOXoKH0kZiZVnO4hOEPPah7JjLBA2vQgKcl9FpwYDukZTvuChhAZkrHc_UOsATE-_FgTDAvVNcQVS6ork18LtIHKcdJWlgd8TOag9p2yEIXGuSzgDq1G/s200/17.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550932872245261586" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Shoket, Ann, editor. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Seventeen</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Hearst Magzines: New York: 2010.</span></strong><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary </strong><br /><em>Seventeen</em> magazine has been giving all kinds of advice to junior high and high school girls for years. Over the years, the cover has almost remained the same with a fresh faced teen or older young adult—usually someone of high influence at the moment. An addition to the cover is how it also works as a general table of contents for the magazine by giving the reader an idea of what the issue holds along with page numbers. Much of the magazine is focused on teen beauty and fashion, but there are also articles about young women's health, relationships (including friends <em>and</em> boyfriends), celebrities as well as the much loved astrology report and quizzes. In the November 2010 issue, there was a fashion section that addressed current trends and how different body types could pull off the look. Tied into that, were vignettes from celebrities of all shapes on how they made peace with their bodies, with encouragement for young women to do the same. In this issue, also, there was a piece about a young woman who escaped a kidnapping. She offered her advice on how others could do it too. The magazine goes far beyond superficial articles and still stays relevant to today's teen.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />The magazine was a staple in my room from junior high until I left for college. It's changed, but is basically the same magazine that it was in the 80s. The articles are meant to be positive, uplifting and empowering to girls in all facets of their lives—beauty, health, fashion, friends and romance. In addition to the information are advertisements, advertisements and more advertisements. Some of them I thought were in the wrong market, for example there was a Vera Bradley handbag advertisement with an older woman and a toddler—obviously, a mother and daughter shot completely inappropriate for young women. The November 2010 issue contained even a few articles that were informative to me: how to pick a bra and a piece on how to survive during abduction. The one thing I missed from the </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><i>Seventeen</i></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; "> magazine of my teens, was the place for fiction. The magazine has a lot to offer young women and goes beyond beauty and fashion to give real-life advice.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Beauty and Fashion<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">Popular Culture<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Challenges</strong><br />Sexual Content— in a column called Sex Ed<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />n/a<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />Do you find your inspiration for your look from what's real or what you see in the advertisements in magazines…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 13+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>Like I've said, I loved it when I was a teen, and know that it's still a popular magazine for young women.</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span">Graphic from gossipteen.com. Retrieved from </span></span><a href="http://gossipteen.com/2010/10/13/keha-beautiful-on-seventeen-november-2010-cover-photos-video/">http://gossipteen.com/2010/10/13/keha-beautiful-on-seventeen-november-2010-cover-photos-video/</a> on December 14, 2010.</span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465068077606644358.post-88372859326592025472010-12-13T16:13:00.001-08:002010-12-15T08:29:40.141-08:00What My Mother Doesn’t Know<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689855535"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 168px;" src="http://content-5.powells.com/cover?isbn=9780689855535" border="0" alt="" /></a><span xmlns=""><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sones, Sonya. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What My Mother Doesn't Know</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. ISBN-10: 0689855532, ISBN-13: 9780689855535 . Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2003.</span></strong><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Summary</strong><br />Sophie has a lot going on. She's new to high school, her parents have kind of checked-out on her, she's infatuated with the super-hot Dylan, she's crushing on sweet and smart "Murphy" and she's chatting with mysterious Chaz online. And while she and her friends are all talk about suffering from the common disease of "lackonookie," Sophie realizes that while her sometimes-reluctantly hooking-up with Dylan isn't as good as just being with Murphy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Critical Evaluation</strong><br />Sonya Sones tells Sophie's story in a series of free verse poems. She taps into the mind, body and heart of a young woman as she poignantly chronicles Sophie's freshman year of high school complete with her lusty thoughts, her fears, her insecurities over her height, and her frustrations with her remote father and her soap-opera addicted mother. Teens will love the honesty of Sophie's lustful thoughts, and older readers will remember when they too felt that way.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reader's Annotation</strong><br />Join Sophie as she enters high school and learns about love, lust and friendship. Sonya Sones perfectly chronicles this year of Sophie's life in short free verse poems.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>About the Author</strong><br />Sonya Sones has spent most of her life drawing, animating or editing something or another. The Boston native was educated at Hampshire college, has taught a Harvard, worked in the film industry as an editor and painted baby clothes for Neiman Marcus stores before enrolling in a poetry class at the University of California-Los Angeles. She had an influential professor who guided her into writing her first book <em>Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy</em> in 1999. In over the last decade, she has written four young adult novels, three short stories and one children's picture book—<em>Violet and Winston</em>—with her husband Bennett Tramer.<br /><br />In her young adult novels, Sones often incorporates bits and pieces of herself in each book. Inspired by her professor and the actual events surrounding her mentally ill sister, <em>Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy</em> was written first (1999). Sones was writing poems about her first love, and then started thinking about all of the "firsts" in a young girl's life, and she used many those thoughts for <em>What My Mother Doesn't Know</em> (2003). Next she incorporated her own story of an East coast girl relocating to the West coast for <em>One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies</em> (2004). <em>What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know</em> (2007) came from the copious amount of letters asking the author for what happened next in Sophie's story. Sones says she wanted to know what happened too, so she wrote the sequel. Sones is currently working on her fifth novel.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Genre</strong><br />Poetry and Verse<br />Dating & Sex<br />Adolescence<strong><br /></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Curriculum Ties</strong><br />English: <em>writing a complete story in verse</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Booktalking Ideas</strong><br />When you're older, what parts of your teen years will you remember? Be embarrassed of? Want to share with others…<br />Do you know the difference between lusting over a hottie and being in love with someone, and how do you get your body not to betray you…<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Awards</strong><br />Iowa Teen Book Award (2005)<br />Michigan Thumb's Up Award Honor Book (2002)<br />American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults (2002)<br />International Reading Associate Young Adults Choice (2003)<br />Booklist Editor's Choice (2001)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><strong>Reading Level/Interest Age</strong><br />Ages 14+<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><strong>Why I included this title...</strong></span><br /></b>This is another book that was recommended to me by one of my young adult patrons. </span></p></span></span>the hentzen househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108354342099095785noreply@blogger.com0