Wii Sports

Wii Sports. Ninetendo: 207. ASIN B00212H6VG.

Summary & Evaluation
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.

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:

• 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
  
• in baseball, you are only pitching the ball and/or batting depending if you're playing against the Wii or another player
  
• 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
  
• 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
  
• 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.
  

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.

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.

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages: all ages

Why I included this game...
Wii Sports is fun and enjoyed by so many people. I like the social aspect of the games.

Graphic from qishan.com. Retrieved from http://www.qisahn.com/nintendo-wii-pre-owned-games-c-2_70/wii-sports-used-p-639 on December 14, 2010.

Gale Virtual Reference Library

Gale Virtual Reference Library. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=idahofpl&authCount=1. Gale Cengage Learning: 2010.

Overview
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.

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 VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever, Notable Sports Figures and Political Theories for Students. 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.

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.

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this database...
A traditional library can't be open around the clock, so having information that can be accessed beyond normal library hours is invaluable.

Graphic from Gale Cengage. Retrieved from http://www.gale.cengage.com/ on December 14, 2010.

My Bonny Light Horseman

Meyer, L.A. My Bonny Light Horseman. ISBN-10: 0152060030, ISBN-13: 9780152060039. Harcourt Children's Books. 2007.

Summary
In My Bonny Horseman, we meet up with Jacky Faber again. In this sixth installment of the Bloody Jack 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.

Critical Evaluation
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.

Reader's Annotation
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.

About the Author
Louis A. Meyer, also known simply as L. A. Meyer, is the author of the eight outstanding books in the Bloody Jack 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.

The inspiration for the Bloody Jack 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 Jackaroe. 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.

Genre
Adventure
Girls/Women

Curriculum Ties
History: Napoleonic Wars

Booktalking Ideas
To steal secrets from the enemy, would you act as a spy…
How would you react if you met a major political head on the battle field…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 14+

Why I included this title...
The Bloody Jack series is packed with adventure and suspense, why wouldn't people of all ages want to read it?!

Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don’t Float

Schmelling, Sarah. Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float: Classic Lit Signs on to Facebok. ISBN-10: 0452295734, ISBN-13: 9780452295735. Plume Books. 2009.

Summary
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^st century. And hilarity ensues.

Critical Evaluation
Sarah Schmelling has taken classics to a new humorous levels by bringing together authors like William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, and Jack Kerouac; literature (The Canterbury Tales to Lolita) 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.

Reader's Annotation
What will happen when all of the classic characters and authors sign-on to Facebook and talk about stories from Beowulf to Catcher in the Rye?

About the Author
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 The Washington Post, Real Simple, and The Huffington Post. It was in McSweeney's Internet Tendencies 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.

Genre
Non-fiction
Popular Culture

Curriculum Ties
English: to better understand the humor of the book, read the actual novels and plays

Booktalking Ideas
What do you think William Shakespeare would say if he were alive today and was on Facebook…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 16+

Why I included this title...
As a holder of a degree in literature and a Facebook junkie—it was a no brainer!

New Super Mario Bros

New Super Mario Bros. Ninetendo: 2009. ASIN: B002BRZ9G0.

Summary & Evaluation
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.

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.

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages: 10+

Why I included this title...
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.

Graphic from InsaneBear.com. Retrieved from http://www.insanebear.com/986/e3-09-nintendo-announces-the-new-super-mario-bros-wii/ on December 14, 2010.

Pretties

Westerfeld, Scott. Pretties. ISBN-10: 0689865398, ISBN-13: 9780689865392. Simon Pulse. 2005.

Summary
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

Critical Evaluation
In the second book of The Uglies 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.

Reader's Annotation
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.

About the Author
Texas native, Scott Westerfeld, is the author of short stories, five adult novels, and four different series for young adults: The Midnighters, The Peeps, The Leviathan and The Uglies. The Midnighters is about a town where for one hour a day—at midnight, of course—very dark things occur. The science fiction author says that The Peeps series isn't actually a series, but three stand-alone titles (So Yesterday, Peeps and The Last Days) all set in present day New York and deal with vampires, parasites and consumerism. The Leviathan series (Leviathan, Behemoth and Goliath) is Westerfeld's newest series and falls in the steampunk genre with an alternate version of the events from World War I. The Uglies series began as a trilogy but now has ended with four books (The Uglies, The Pretties, The Specials and The Extras) and an insider's guide (Bogus to Bubbly).

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.

Genre
Science Fiction
Friendship

Challenges
n/a

Curriculum Ties
Sociology: futuristic societies

Booktalking Ideas
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…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
Like I said, I'm not a big fan of science fiction; but after reading The Uglies, I had to know what happened!!

Forever

Blume, Judy. Forever. ISBN-10: 054512367, ISBN-13: 9780545123266. Scholastic Press. 2009.

Summary
Forever is one of Judy Blume's most challenged books for its sexual content. More importantly, Forever 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.

Critical Evaluation
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.

Reader's Annotation
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.

About the Author
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 (The Fudge and Pain and the Great One series), for young adults (Are You There Go? It's Me Margaret, Then Again, Maybe I Won't, and Forever) and for adults. (Smart Women and Summer Sisters).

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 (Forever, Blubber, Deanie, Tiger Eyes and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret) 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.

Genre
Girls/ Women
Romance
Banned/Challenged

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
Even if you said you'd love someone forever, do you think that's an honest reality…
Does sex cement a relationship…

Challenges
Sexual Content
Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
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.

What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know

Sones, Sonya. What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know. ISBN-10: 0689876033, ISBN-13: 9780689876035. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2007.

Summary
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know is a sequel to What My Mother Doesn't Know. 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.

Critical Evaluation
In this novel that picks up where What My Mother Doesn't Know 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!

Reader's Annotation
We met Sophie in What My Mother Doesn't Know, 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.

About the Author
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 Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy in 1999. In over the decade, she has written four young adult novels, three short stories and one children's picture book—Violet and Winston—with her husband Bennett Tramer.

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, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy 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 What My Mother Doesn't Know (2003). Next she incorporated her own story of an East coast girl moving to the West for One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (2004). But then What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know (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.

Genre
Poetry and Verse
Dating and Sex
Adolescence

Challenges
Sexual Content

Curriculum Ties
English: writing a complete story in verse

Booktalking Ideas
How would you handle your whole school making fun of you and your new boyfrien…
Is it more important to be popular than to be happy…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 14+

Why I included this title...
I wanted to see what happened with Sophie and Murphy, so I had to read it!

Twisted

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted. ISBN-10: 014131088X, ISBN-13: 9780141310886. Puffin. 1999.

Summary
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.

Critical Evaluation
So many times books are written to help girls who suffer from social issues, but in Twisted 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.

Reader's Annotation
Now that Tyler is popular and attention-worthy, he needs to face the ethical quandaries of being a man in the world today.

About the Author
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 Speak was a National Book Award finalist, a New York Times bestseller and a Printz Honor book. Catalyst followed in 2003, Prom in 2006 and Twisted in 2008—all of which touching on tough subjects with delicacy and the right about of humor.

Anderson is also very well known for her American History picture books that highlight the women who also helped shape our country. Vet Volunteers 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 Catalyst, Fever 1793 and Speak. 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.

Genre
Boys/Men
Adolescence

Challenges
Underage Drinking
Sexual Content

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
When faced with getting the very thing you wanted and realizing that it's all wrong, how do you respond…
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 …

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
Often the feelings of young men are overlooked, and this book is a great look inside the feelings of a guy.

The Pigman

Zindel, Paul. The Pigman. ISBN-10: 0553263218, ISBN-13: 9780553263213. Batnam Books. 1983.

Summary
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, this time a fatal one.

Critical Evaluation
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.

Reader's Annotation
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.

About the Author
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, The Pigman in 1968. In 1969, he quit teaching to write more books for young adults. With The Pigman, 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.

The Pigman started Zindel on a prolific career of writing. He published over 50 books for young adults and children. There are a couple series, The Freaky Facts Club and P.C. Hawke in addition to several novels, plays and a memoir. Notably, there is sequel to The Pigman, The Pigman's Legacy and The Pigman and Me, 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 My Darling, My Hamburger, Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball and The Girl Who Wanted a Boy. The author died in 2003, ending a career that spanned over 30 years.

Genre
Friendship
Adolescence

Challenges
Teen Angst

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
If you betrayed one of your dearest friends, would you be able to stand up and be honest about the betrayal…
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…

Awards
American Library Association's Notable Children's Books 1940-1970
American Library Association's Best of the Best Young Adult Books 1966-1968
The Horn Book's Fanfare Honor List (1969)
New York Times' Outstanding Children's Book (1968)

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
I was in eighth grade when my school librarian gave me The Pigman, 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.

*The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds was made into a movie directed by Paul Newman and starring Joanne Woodward

Uglies

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. ISBN-10: 0689865384, ISBN-13: 9780689865381. Simon Pulse. 2005.

Summary
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.

Critical Evaluation
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.

Reader's Annotation
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.

About the Author
Texas native, Scott Westerfeld, is the author of short stories, five adult novels, and four different series for young adults: The Midnighters, The Peeps, the Leviathan and The Uglies series. The Midnighters is about a town where for one hour a day—at midnight, of course—very dark things occur. The science fiction author says that The Peeps series is actually not a series, but three stand-alone titles (So Yesterday, Peeps and The Last Days) that are all set in present day New York and deal with vampires, parasites and consumerism. The Leviathan series (Leviathan, Behemoth and Goliath) is his newest series and falls in the steampunk genre with an alternate version of the events from World War I. The Uglies series began as a trilogy but now has ended with four books (The Uglies, The Pretties, The Specials and The Extras) and an insider's guide (Bogus to Bubbly).

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.

Genre
Science Fiction
Friendship

Challenges
n/a

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
If given the option to look like gorgeous and perfect like everyone else, or live in secret with your flaws—which would you chose…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
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, The Incredibles: if everyone is a super… then no one is. Same thing here...

Seventeen

Shoket, Ann, editor. Seventeen. Hearst Magzines: New York: 2010.

Summary
Seventeen 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 and 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.

Critical Evaluation
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 Seventeen 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.

Genre
Beauty and Fashion

Popular Culture

Challenges
Sexual Content— in a column called Sex Ed

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
Do you find your inspiration for your look from what's real or what you see in the advertisements in magazines…

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this title...
Like I've said, I loved it when I was a teen, and know that it's still a popular magazine for young women.

Graphic from gossipteen.com. Retrieved from http://gossipteen.com/2010/10/13/keha-beautiful-on-seventeen-november-2010-cover-photos-video/ on December 14, 2010.

What My Mother Doesn’t Know

Sones, Sonya. What My Mother Doesn't Know. ISBN-10: 0689855532, ISBN-13: 9780689855535 . Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2003.

Summary
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.

Critical Evaluation
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.

Reader's Annotation
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.

About the Author
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 Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy in 1999. In over the last decade, she has written four young adult novels, three short stories and one children's picture book—Violet and Winston—with her husband Bennett Tramer.

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, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy 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 What My Mother Doesn't Know (2003). Next she incorporated her own story of an East coast girl relocating to the West coast for One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (2004). What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know (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.

Genre
Poetry and Verse
Dating & Sex
Adolescence

Curriculum Ties
English: writing a complete story in verse

Booktalking Ideas
When you're older, what parts of your teen years will you remember? Be embarrassed of? Want to share with others…
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…

Awards
Iowa Teen Book Award (2005)
Michigan Thumb's Up Award Honor Book (2002)
American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults (2002)
International Reading Associate Young Adults Choice (2003)
Booklist Editor's Choice (2001)

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 14+

Why I included this title...
This is another book that was recommended to me by one of my young adult patrons.

Bound

Napoli, Donna Jo. Bound. ISBN-10: 0689861788, ISBN-13: 9780689861789. Simon Pulse. 2006.

Summary
Bound is a beautiful retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale with a Chinese twist. Xing Xing has been orphaned, and is now a slave girl to her stepmother and her big-footed half-sister. The sister, Wei Ping, has just begun the painful tradition of foot binding to prepare for marriage. Because no cares if Xing Xing gets married, she is spared this treatment. During her daily slave girl duties, Xing Xing speaks to the spirit of her mother, who she believes is watching over her while inhabiting the body of a fish. When Stepmother kills the fish, Xing Xing wants to keep the bones, yet they must be hidden. In the same bone hiding place, she finds a beautiful gown and slippers that once belonged to her mother. She wears the the striking gown and slippers to a local festival, where she sadly loses a slipper in her efforts to escape notice. The slipper ends up with a prince who searches the land looking for the owner. Xing Xing is then able to decide her own fate and future… and is bound to no one.

Critical Evaluation
There are many tellings of the Cinderella fairy tale, and Napoli does a great job incorporating the historical facts of the Ming dynasty to create a touching tale. She creates a very likable Xing Xing, who is orphaned and left to the mercy of her stepmother and half-sister. In her bleak life, she seeks guidance and love from a beautiful fish that she thinks is the spirit of her dead mother. Readers will maybe make the connection of the spirit of her mother and the idea of the fairy god-mother. The story will certainly be recognizable by the classic threads of Xing Xing finding a well-hidden gown and slippers that belonged to her mother, especially when she loses a slipper while she's trying to avoid Stepmother at a festival. Readers will also celebrate when Xing Xing will find herself loved, valued and free from her bindings.

Reader's Annotation
Napoli has taken the Cinderella story to China, and has given us Xing Xing, an evil stepmother and a big-footed half-sister.

About the Author
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.

Genre
Myth, Legends, Fairy Tales
Historical

Challenges
n/a

Curriculum Ties
Sociology: the traditions of Chinese foot binding
English: traditional fairy tales
English: rewriting of fairy tales
History: Ming Dynasty
Booktalking Ideas
Do you believe in the spirits of your favorite people watching over you and guiding your life today…
If you rewrote the Cinderella, how would you change it…

Awards
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this title...
After reading Hush, I'm a newly devoted fan to Napoli.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

Lyga, Barry. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. ISBN-10: 0618723927, ISBN-13: 9780618723927. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 2006.

Summary
Fanboy is having a really bad sophomore year. Rather than being invisible—which he'd prefer—he seems to have garnered the unwanted attention of the school bullies. And at home, he's irritated by his very pregnant mom and her husband, the Step-Facist. Only working on his comic book and knowing that he's got the bullet in his pocket seem to give him a break from his so-called miserable life. That is until, he meets Kyra. Kyra (also known as Goth Girl) steps in with her foul mouth, common hatred for the jocks and the bullies, as well as the matching love for comic books and graphic novels. He can't help but fall head over heels in love with her because she actually understands him. He leaves his rule-following life behind and starts following her on her rebellious escapades. In turn, Goth Girl teaches Fanboy that he can stand up for himself.

Critical Evaluation
Barry Lyga introduces us to Fanboy as a kid who is just miserable in his life. There is nothing good except for the comic book (Schemata) he's creating, and the bullet in his pocket. He hates home because his mom's pregnant, and Fanboy doesn't get along with his Step-Facist. He hates school because he's the easy target for bullies—all of which are added to "the List", which is the list of people he's going to get back at… someday. But one night he gets an IM from GothGirl, and his life changes. They come together as two outsiders that have found each other in a sea of confusion, and forge an odd alliance. Because she understands him, Fanboy falls in love with her; but as much as Goth Girl likes him, she keeps Fanboy at arm's length. Lyga touches on Columbine-esque violence, depression and suicide in this darkly funny and weirdly uplifting book. Readers will like seeing how Fanboy changes in the book, and how his confidence replaces the bullet and "the List." Adults and parents, who read this book, will also appreciate that Fanboy is able to put aside the violence fueled by his anger and loneliness.

Reader's Annotation
He's a comic book creator. She's a foul mouthed rebel. They commiserate about their miserable lives, and discuss their common love for comic books. Together Fanboy and Goth Girl learn about themselves and each other, even while they are misunderstood by everyone else.

About the Author
Barry Lyga is the popular author of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, 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.

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 The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl in 2006. Boy Toy followed in 2007, and it was garnered enthusiastic reviews. In 2008, Hero-Type was released, and then in 2009 Goth Girl Rising the sequel to The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl 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.

Genre
Relationships
Bullies
Comic Books
Romance

Challenges
Sexual Content
Language

Curriculum Ties
Sociology: are teens still afraid of violence at school?

English: create your own comic book

Booktalking Ideas
If you were bullied, what would you do? Wait it out or retaliate…
Do you have an object or an activity that you use to calm down when life works you up…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
After I read Boy Toy, I wanted to read all of Barry Lyga's novels.

Wolverine: Not Dead Yet

Ellis, Warren, writer. Leinil Francis Yu, illustrator. Wolverine: Not Dead Yet (Marvel Premiere Classic). ISBN-10: 0785137661, ISBN-13: 9780785137665. Marvel Comics. 2009.

Summary
Wolverine's past is one full of characters. One of the nastiest is one that Logan thought he killed years ago in Hong Kong. However, McLeish, also known as the White Ghost didn't die, and now he won't stop until he's killed the mutant with Adamantium weaponry—using the same metal that keeps Wolverine alive in efforts to destroy him. True to his character as a loner, Logan stands alone in this battle.

Critical Evaluation
In this installment of the X-Men/Wolverine series, The White Ghost is back to kill Logan using the most sinister of weaponry—Adamantium—he can to obliterate the mutant. Although, McLeish is looking for revenge for past events from their time in Hong Kong, readers will see that Wolverine has grown wiser and more capable to outwit any foe.

Reader's Annotation
Once left for dead, The White Ghost is coming after Wolverine for bitter and brutal revenge.

About the Author
Warren Ellis is the award winning English graphic novel author. He's worked with Marvel, DC Comics and Image Comics to produce many, many series such as Bad World, City of Silence, DV8, Hellstorm, Stormwatch, Transmetropolitan and took over the Fantastic Four series for Marvel. He's also a regular blogger with insight into other graphic novels and the world as he sees it.

Leinil Francis Yu is an author and illustrator of graphic novels for young adults. The Philippine-based illustrator has also worked with the major graphic novel houses, DC Comics and Marvel, on Batman, Superman, Fantastic Four, Wolverine and X-Men graphic novels, as well as many more.

Genre
Graphic Novel

Challenges
Violence

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
To save your friends, would you stand up alone to battle an arch-enemy…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+

Why I included this title...
I like the X-Men franchise… a lot.

Black Gives Way to Blue (Music CD)

Alice in Chains. Black Gives Way to Blue. Performers: Jerry Cantrell, William DuVall, Mike Inez and Sean Kinney, featuring Elton John. ASIN B0029LHW4U. Label: Virgin Records. 2009.

Summary
Black Gives Way to Blue is the first album of new material in fourteen years from Alice in Chains (AIC). The band is best known for its hard-rocking influence during the Seattle grunge music scene of the early 1990s. AIC replaced the deceased Layne Staley with William DuVall in lead vocals, however, the characteristic AIC sound still resonates from every track—even the piano mix of the title track with Elton John.

Critical Evaluation
The new Alice In Chains CD is as good as the three previous CDs. William DuVall will never fill Layne Staley's {vocal} shoes; but his voice harmonizes well with Jerry Cantrell's, and together they can carry the classic AIC sound. The title track is a tribute to Layne Staley that makes the album that much more moving after the long wait from the band.

The CD includes the following tracks: 1. All Secrets Known, 2. Check My Brain 3. Last of My Kind, 4. Your Decision, 5. A Looking in View, 6. When the Sun Rose Again, 7. Acid Bubble, 8. Lesson Learned, 9. Take Her Out, 10. Private Hell, 11. Black Gives Way to Blue, 12. Black Gives Way to Blue (piano remix), and 12. Your Decision (live). Young adults will like to have something new from a band from the (perhaps) romanticized grunge era of music, especially with the hard rocking sounds that can compete with today's current metal rock bands.

Reader's Annotation
Alice in Chains' first album in 14 years, has a new lead singer but all of the classic rock sounds that pay homage to their metal/grunge roots.

About the Performer
Alice In Chains formed in the late 1980's with Layne Staley (vocals), Jerry Cantrell (guitar, vocals), Mike Starr (bass, vocals) and Sean Kinney (drums) in Seattle, WA. AIC's sound is a distinctive combination of heavy metal rock and acoustic sounds, as well as the unique blend of vocals from Staley and Cantrell. The band produced three studio albums in the '90s: Facelift, Dirt and Alice in Chains. The albums were well received and often nominated for awards, but the band only won one award for the song Would from MTV's 1993 Video Music Award for Best Video from a film*.

AIC never disbanded, but were on hiatus just before Layne Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002. Black Gives Way to Blue brought back Cantrell and Kinney with Mike Inez on bass and William DuVall on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.

Genre
Heavy Metal

Curriculum Ties
Music: Seattle's Grunge

Booktalking Ideas
n/a

Challenges
Language

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 14+

Why I included this title...
Alice in Chains is one of those "bridge" bands for me and my kids. I listened to them when I was in college, they now enjoy the new CD, and we agree on what to listen to in the car.

More information:
Wikipedia, Alice in Chains. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Chains

*The film was Cameron Crowe's Singles

Graphic from Amazon.com. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Black-Gives-Way-To-Blue/dp/B002Q0F6V0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292426515&sr=8-1 December 14, 2010

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. ISBN-10 0671027344, ISBN-13 9780671027346. MTV Books. 1999.

Summary
Charlie is a high school freshman who isn't a super-jock like his brother, or very popular like his sister, and is thought to be a little odd. When he starts high school, he finds himself on the fringe of a social circle. He isn't meant to be on the fringe with Patrick and his step sister, Sam, but hey are seniors, and they adopt Charlie into their lives. Charlie chronicles the escapades he experiences with Patrick, Sam and all of their friends in letters written to an unknown recipient. And through the letters, Charlie talks about his love for Sam, his concern for Patrick and his lover, the drugs and alcohol that help him cope. We also see his downward spiral into depression as the school year winds down, and as all Charlie's friends graduate, move on and leave him alone again.

Critical Evaluation
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age story that is written in an epistolary style. "Charlie" is the said letter writer who lurks in the shadows of his friends as they maneuver through their senior year of high school. As only a freshman, Charlie writes to an anonymous recipient about his friends as the all frequent the late night Rocky Horror Picture Shows, drink alcohol, take drugs, and explore both hetero- and homosexual relationships. Charlie gets caught up in the lives of his friends, and experiences a depressive breakdown as his friends all begin to fade out of his life after their graduation.

Reader's Annotation
Charlie shares what it is like to grow up in high school through a series of letters written from the point of view of the proverbial wallflower.

About the Author
As a native to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stephen Chbosky graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program, and he's better known for his film and television writing. His film The Four Corners of Nowhere was accepted by the Sundance Film Festival. He's also worked as co-creator producer and writer for the short-lived television show Jericho.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky's first and only novel to date, but he also edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories as well as a hard-to-find Sexaholic. It is said that Chbosky is working on a screenplay for The Perks
of Being a Wallflower.

Genre
Adolescence
Boys/Men
Friendship

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
What would you think if one of your friends wrote about everything you and your friends did in a letter and sent it to someone else to read…

Awards
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
This is an often challenged book, and I read it for my group presentation.

Parrotfish

Wittlinger, Ellen. Parrotfish. ISBN-10 1416916229, ISBN-13 978416916222. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2007.

Summary
Angela Katz-McNair has just cut her hair, bought boys clothes and changed her name to Grady. The change to Grady—a guy—seemed very natural and comfortable to him, but Grady is now facing the criticism from his mom, his sister and his best friend. His solace in this world of critics comes from unlikely friends in the form of Sebastian who explains that this transgender change is normal especially in the parrotfish, Kita who might be Grady's first love, and his Dad who just keeps on loving him.

Critical Evaluation
Adolescence is a time for change. But deciding to change genders is less common, but in Parrotfish readers see Angela/Grady's feelings on his change. Readers may not be prepared for the idea of teens making a transgender decision, but will feel for Grady as he boldly defends himself for wanting to be more comfortable in his own skin.

Reader's Annotation
Angela has cut her hair, begun wearing boys' clothes and changed her name to Grady. He's ready for the change, but isn't prepared for other's reaction to him.

About the Author
Ellen Wittlinger was born in Illinois in 1948, and has lived and studied on both coasts as well as in the middle. With a Masters in Fine Arts from Iowa and two fellowship years in the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Wittlinger has produced a book of poetry (Breakers, 1979) and been a playwright, a newspaper write and a children's librarian.

It was as a children's librarian, that Wittlinger started reading young adult books. And after reading them, she thought she could write them too. Her first novel, Lombardo's Law was published in 1993, and she's still writing with her fourteenth book being published in 2010.

Genre
GLBTQ
Friendship

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
How would you respond to your friend if they decided they'd be happier with themselves if they were the opposite sex…

Awards
American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15-19

Why I included this title...
I wouldn't have chosen this title myself, but am very glad to have read it as a requirement for this class.

The House of Tomorrow

Bognanni, Peter. The House of Tomorrow. ISBN-10 0399156090, ISBN-13 9780399156090. Amy Einhorn Books. 2010.

Summary
After years of isolation with his grandmother in their geodome in the middle of Iowa, Sebastian Pendergast is about to break out. His unlikely liberators come in the form of punk-rock-wannabe Jared Whitcomb and his mom who come to tour the geodome. Sebastian’s eccentric grandmother has kept him in the dome for over eleven years on a steady diet of organic food and the teachings of Buckminster R. Fuller, but when she has a stroke, Sebastian must venture out and maneuver his own course in the real world with the help of Jared, his sister, his mom, punk rock, a stolen bass guitar and a church music competition.

Critical Evaluation
Sebastian and Jared are unlikely friends who have a common need to escape from the controlling women in their lives—Sebastian’s grandmother, and Jared’s mother and sister. They come together through Jared’s insistence that they start a punk rock band and that Sebastian needs to learn to play the {stolen from the church basement} bass guitar. But the music is just a cover for these scared boys to cling to each other as they emerge as young adults. Young adults reading this book will appreciate Jared and Sebastian’s desperate need to break away from parents/grandparents to create their own identity. As a crossover novel, adults will be reminded of the times in their own youth when breaking all of the rules seemed like the only way to survive.

Reader's Annotation
A beat-up mini-van, a stolen bass guitar and punk rock bring on a series of hilarious events bring sheltered Sebastian out to the real world after years of living with his grandmother in a geodome in the middle of Iowa.

About the Author
Peter Bognanni is the author of several short stories, and humor pieces in addition to his novel The House of Tomorrow. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and currently teaches Creative Writing at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.

And he also played in a high school punk band

Genre
Young Men
Friendship
Death and Dying

Challenges
Parental Angst
Language
Sexual Content

Curriculum Ties
Philosophy: Fuller R. Buckminster

Booktalking Ideas
When you live in a glass geodome are you watching the world go around you from the dome, or is the world watching you in your dome…

Awards
n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+

Why I included this title...
I was given this book at a conference and met the author who made me laugh, so I figured his book would make me laugh too.