Telia Sherwood
LIBR 265
Summer 2012
Showing posts with label 265Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 265Reviews. Show all posts
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Alphabetized List of Books Reviewed
| 500 Days of Summer | Film | ||
| Anya's Ghost | Vera | Brosgol | Book |
| Blown Away | Carrie | Underwood | Music |
| Born This Way | Lady | Gaga | Music |
| Boy Meets Boy | David | Levithan | Book |
| Broken Memory | Elisabeth | Combres | Book |
| Catching Fire | Suzanne | Collins | Book |
| Crank | Ellen | Hopkins | Book |
| Crazy | Han | Nolan | Book |
| Crossed | Ally | Condie | Book |
| CultureGrams | Proquest | Database | |
| ESPN | Magazine | ||
| First Kill | Heather | Brewer | Book |
| Flowers in the Attic | V.C. | Andrews | Book |
| Freegal | Library Ideas | Database | |
| Glass | Ellen | Hopkins | Book |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | J.K | Rowling | Book |
| Harry Potter and the Sourcers Stone | J.K | Rowling | Book |
| Hunger Games | Suzanne | Collins | Book |
| It's Kind of a Funny Story | Film | ||
| Juno | Film | ||
| Little Brother | Cory | Doctorow | Book |
| Lock and Key | Joe | Hill | Book |
| Marked | P.C. & Kristin | Cast | Book |
| Matched | Ally | Condie | Book |
| Me, Earl and the Dying Girl | Jesse | Andrews | Book |
| Opposing Viewpoints in Context | Gale | Database | |
| Save the Last Dance | Film | ||
| Set this House in Order | Matt | Ruff | Book |
| Seventeen | Magazine | ||
| Someone Like You | Sarah | Dessen | Book |
| Teen Vogue | Magazine | ||
| Teen Voices | Magazine | ||
| Teenage Dream | Katy | Perry | Music |
| Testing and Education Reference Center | Gale | Database | |
| The Fault in our Stars | John | Green | Book |
| The Invention of Hugo Cabret | Brian | Selznick | Book |
| The Myth of the American Sleepover | Film | ||
| The Pact | Jodi | Picoult | Book |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephan | Chbosky | Book |
| These Things Hidden | Heather | Gudenkauf | Book |
| Tough Love: High School Confidential | Abby | Denson | Book |
| TTYL | Lauren | Myracle | Book |
| Twilight | Stephanie | Meyer | Book |
| Twisted | Laurie Halse | Anderson | Book |
| Want to go Private? | Sarah Darer | Littman | Book |
| Weitze Bat | Francesca Lia | Block | Book |
| White Oleander | Janet | Fitch | Book |
| Wonderstruck | Brian | Selznick | Book |
| Zelah Green | Vanessa | Curtis | Book |
Born this Way- Lady Gaga
Born this Way
Lady Gaga
Label: Interscope Records, 2011
Disks: 1
Tracks: 14
You and I
Genre: Pop
Interest Age: All ages
About the Music and Artist:
Lady Gaga has been a huge star since her first album Fame Monster released in 2008. This album sold 15 million copies and Lady Gaga was famous. That album won two Grammy's and was nominated for 6. She has taken the digital music world by storm and won countless awards for her artistry.
What Lady Gaga is known for, other than her music, is her unique sense of style. She has worn many outfits that have turned heads including a dress made of meat. Because of the outlandish way she dresses, she has been topic of many conversations and many people did not take her seriously at first. Now, four years later, she is still on the top charts.
Critical Evaluation:
This album is a good mix of up beat songs and ballads. She has put together music in this album where the listener can hear more of her voice and less a computerized version of her. This makes the album more diverse than the first two. Lady Gaga has also added some interestingly uplifting and encouraging lyrics to this album. This could cause the listeners to regard her in a more serious manner than before. The music is very different, but it has a nice, dance quality.
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
What Lady Gaga is known for, other than her music, is her unique sense of style. She has worn many outfits that have turned heads including a dress made of meat. Because of the outlandish way she dresses, she has been topic of many conversations and many people did not take her seriously at first. Now, four years later, she is still on the top charts.
Critical Evaluation:
This album is a good mix of up beat songs and ballads. She has put together music in this album where the listener can hear more of her voice and less a computerized version of her. This makes the album more diverse than the first two. Lady Gaga has also added some interestingly uplifting and encouraging lyrics to this album. This could cause the listeners to regard her in a more serious manner than before. The music is very different, but it has a nice, dance quality.
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this album were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the music. There are many good qualities in this album that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Listen:
In her previous albums, Lady Gaga has had some unusual songs, but this album has empowering song and lyrics. The listeners can hear her voice more and it is worth listening to.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this album were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the music. There are many good qualities in this album that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Listen:
In her previous albums, Lady Gaga has had some unusual songs, but this album has empowering song and lyrics. The listeners can hear her voice more and it is worth listening to.
Teenage Dream- Katy Perry
Teenage Dream
Perry, Katy
Label: Capitol, 2010
Disks: 1
Tracks: 14
Teenage Dream
Interest Age: All ages
About the Album and Artist:
Teenage Dream is Katy Perry's second album. She made her debut with "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008 and became a huge star. Katy writes all of her own music which is not popular these days. This gives the listeners a look into who she is and creates a connection different from if she was simply singing the music.
Katy Perry is a performer. She pus on elaborate shows and makes people notice who she is. She does this without being too out there which gives her a good balance. She has made many appearances on television shows as well. In the past four years, Katy Perry has been all over the United States media and her creativity has not run out yet.
Critical Evaluation:
Teenage Dream is an interesting album with 14 unique songs in terms of their lyrics. Some of her instrumentals sound very similar to each other which can make the album less interesting. Her songs are very catchy and many of them are on the radio. Teenage Dream does not have very many slower songs so the whole album is full of energy. This could bore the listener or energize them.
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Katy Perry is a performer. She pus on elaborate shows and makes people notice who she is. She does this without being too out there which gives her a good balance. She has made many appearances on television shows as well. In the past four years, Katy Perry has been all over the United States media and her creativity has not run out yet.
Critical Evaluation:
Teenage Dream is an interesting album with 14 unique songs in terms of their lyrics. Some of her instrumentals sound very similar to each other which can make the album less interesting. Her songs are very catchy and many of them are on the radio. Teenage Dream does not have very many slower songs so the whole album is full of energy. This could bore the listener or energize them.
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this album were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the music. There are many good qualities in this album that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Listen:
Katy Perry is an up and coming artist who knows what today's teens want to hear. She is a song writer and artist.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this album were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the music. There are many good qualities in this album that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Listen:
Katy Perry is an up and coming artist who knows what today's teens want to hear. She is a song writer and artist.
Blown Away- Carrie Underwood
Blown Away
Underwood, Carrie
Label:Sony Nashville/Arista, 2012
Disks: 1
Tracks: 14
Good Girl- Carrie Underwood
Genre: Country
Interest Age: All ages
About the Album and Artist:
Carrie Underwood began her career as the winner of American Idol in 2005 and has since become an American icon. She has sold 14 million albums and has had 14 number one singles. She co writes a lot of her music and truly believes in what she does. Underwood grew up on a farm and her country roots show in her music as well as the way she speaks. She has released four different albums with Blown Away being the latest one.
She has been excited to release this album and feels it is her most ambitious one yet. Underwood grew up in Oklahoma and enjoys many different types of music. She partnered with Steven Tyler in 2012 on CMT's Crossroads. This inspired her to make music differently. She does not want to be stuck into one genre and so she strives to branch out and challenge herself.
http://www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/us/biography
Critical Evaluation:
Blown Away has a vast variety of emotional songs in it. There are songs to empower, to make one cry and so create a sense of change. There is a good mix of slower and faster songs as well as a good mix of sounds. Some of her previous albums have had songs that sounded similar, but this album changes constantly and the listener feels as though they are being transported by her stories. Each song has a story in it and when the listener pays attention, they can connect with at least one of the songs.
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Blown Away has a vast variety of emotional songs in it. There are songs to empower, to make one cry and so create a sense of change. There is a good mix of slower and faster songs as well as a good mix of sounds. Some of her previous albums have had songs that sounded similar, but this album changes constantly and the listener feels as though they are being transported by her stories. Each song has a story in it and when the listener pays attention, they can connect with at least one of the songs.
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this album were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the music. There are many good qualities in this album that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Listen:
Carrie Underwood is extremely talented in a world where many voices are computer generated. She is a strong woman with something to say. Her music breaks boundaries and is innovative.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this album were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the music. There are many good qualities in this album that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Listen:
Carrie Underwood is extremely talented in a world where many voices are computer generated. She is a strong woman with something to say. Her music breaks boundaries and is innovative.
Save the Last Dance- Film
Save the Last Dance
Actors: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas and Kerry Washington
Writers: Duane Adler and Cheryl Edwards
Directors: Thomas Carter
Studio: MTV Films
Interest Age: 15-adult
Annotation:
Her mother dies and she does not feel like she can dance again. Sara moves with her father and meets a whole group of new people. Will she ever go for her dream?
Plot Summary:
Sara's mother is her best friend and the person who has helped her become the amazing ballet dancer she is. When her mother dies on the way to an audition, Sara moves to Chicago to live with her father and she is determined not to dance again. Chicago is completely different from the quiet Midwest town she is used to and she meets a completely new set of people.
Derrick is smart, kind, and challenges Sara in many ways. He helps her learn to dance hip hop in the clubs and they begin to fall in love. Problems arise because Sara is white and Derrick is black. Many of the other girls in school feel the white girls take all the good black men. Suddenly Sara is in the middle of a race battle as well as an internal one. Derrick is pushing her to dance again, will she succeed?
Critical Evaluation:
This movie has many different interesting elements in it. It explores the stereotypes of the inner city life of places like Chicago. There is gang activity, drugs, teen pregnancy, and poverty. Race is also an issue this movie deals with. It is an incredible story about how one can move beyond their circumstances and be whatever they want to be. Sara really wants to dance but is held back by tragedy and Derrick wants to be a doctor but needs the encouragement to forget the past of gangs and illegal activity. This story reminds the audience that your dreams really can get you somewhere. It was very well written and is still relevant 11 years later.
About MTV Films:
In 1996, MTV the television network, started their own film company called MTV Film. They have been creating movies as well as television ever since. They started out with only releasing films based on their television shows such as Jackass the Movie and Beavis and Butthead Do America. As time went on, MTV Films branched out and started creating different films such as Save the Last Dance. In 2006, they became an official division of Paramount Pictures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV_Films
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Sara's mother is her best friend and the person who has helped her become the amazing ballet dancer she is. When her mother dies on the way to an audition, Sara moves to Chicago to live with her father and she is determined not to dance again. Chicago is completely different from the quiet Midwest town she is used to and she meets a completely new set of people.
Derrick is smart, kind, and challenges Sara in many ways. He helps her learn to dance hip hop in the clubs and they begin to fall in love. Problems arise because Sara is white and Derrick is black. Many of the other girls in school feel the white girls take all the good black men. Suddenly Sara is in the middle of a race battle as well as an internal one. Derrick is pushing her to dance again, will she succeed?
Critical Evaluation:
This movie has many different interesting elements in it. It explores the stereotypes of the inner city life of places like Chicago. There is gang activity, drugs, teen pregnancy, and poverty. Race is also an issue this movie deals with. It is an incredible story about how one can move beyond their circumstances and be whatever they want to be. Sara really wants to dance but is held back by tragedy and Derrick wants to be a doctor but needs the encouragement to forget the past of gangs and illegal activity. This story reminds the audience that your dreams really can get you somewhere. It was very well written and is still relevant 11 years later.
About MTV Films:
In 1996, MTV the television network, started their own film company called MTV Film. They have been creating movies as well as television ever since. They started out with only releasing films based on their television shows such as Jackass the Movie and Beavis and Butthead Do America. As time went on, MTV Films branched out and started creating different films such as Save the Last Dance. In 2006, they became an official division of Paramount Pictures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV_Films
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie bridges the gap between rich and poor and people with opportunity opposed to those who do not. It shows there is more to life than what you were raised as. It also has great dancing and characters in it. This is a great movie for teens.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie bridges the gap between rich and poor and people with opportunity opposed to those who do not. It shows there is more to life than what you were raised as. It also has great dancing and characters in it. This is a great movie for teens.
Juno- Film
Juno
Actors: Ellen Page, Michael Cera and Jennifer Garner
Writers: Diablo Cody
Directors: Jason Reitman
Studio: Focus Features
Genre: Comedy
Interest Age: 15-adult
Annotation:
They had sex one time because she was bored and now she is pregnant. Juno is in high school and cant keep the baby.
Plot Summary:
Juno and Bleeker have sex in a chair one day because she is bored and wants to try it. When Juno ends up pregnant their lives change forever. Juno is sure she cannot keep the baby but when she goes to the abortion clinic, a protester yells that her baby has fingernails and that makes it real to Juno. She sets out to find adoptive parents for her baby. That is when she meets Mark and Vanessa. They seem like the perfect couple, but things are not always what they seem.
As Juno navigates the world of high school being pregnant, she realizes what really matters to her. Her and Bleeker are more than just friends, but they are not together and that is confusing to both of them. Juno realizes that she may be having a baby but she is still a kid who wants to have fun.
Critical Evaluation:
This is a movie with personality and quirky people but it is worth watching. The casting was done perfectly for this movie and all the characters have great chemistry together. The theme seems to be that everyone can find their happiness. This movie brought a lightness to teen pregnancy that could be construed as encouraging it. This is not the case because Juno knows she is too young to be having this child. She realizes that what is important to her is hanging out with friends and going to movies. Vanessa plays a person who really wants a baby but cannot have one. This makes Juno realize even more that she is not ready.
This film will make the audience laugh, cry and be frustrated all because the events are ones people can relate to if they know anyone who has been pregnant and did not want to be. Teens will love this movie because it is the lives they live in a comical way.
About Fox Searchlight:
Fox Searchlight Pictures was started in 1994. They work with independent, foreign and British films and like to have a variety of shows in production. They are a division of Fox Filmed Entertainment which is a very large American film company. Fox Searchlight has come out with many films that are not widely known, but they have also had some of their films make a huge profit.
Some of their most famous films in the United States are 500 Days of Summer, Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Adam, Whip It and Fast Food Nation. Some of their movies are quirky and different and some, like Fast Food Nation make a statement about the well being of our nation and world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Juno and Bleeker have sex in a chair one day because she is bored and wants to try it. When Juno ends up pregnant their lives change forever. Juno is sure she cannot keep the baby but when she goes to the abortion clinic, a protester yells that her baby has fingernails and that makes it real to Juno. She sets out to find adoptive parents for her baby. That is when she meets Mark and Vanessa. They seem like the perfect couple, but things are not always what they seem.
As Juno navigates the world of high school being pregnant, she realizes what really matters to her. Her and Bleeker are more than just friends, but they are not together and that is confusing to both of them. Juno realizes that she may be having a baby but she is still a kid who wants to have fun.
Critical Evaluation:
This is a movie with personality and quirky people but it is worth watching. The casting was done perfectly for this movie and all the characters have great chemistry together. The theme seems to be that everyone can find their happiness. This movie brought a lightness to teen pregnancy that could be construed as encouraging it. This is not the case because Juno knows she is too young to be having this child. She realizes that what is important to her is hanging out with friends and going to movies. Vanessa plays a person who really wants a baby but cannot have one. This makes Juno realize even more that she is not ready.
This film will make the audience laugh, cry and be frustrated all because the events are ones people can relate to if they know anyone who has been pregnant and did not want to be. Teens will love this movie because it is the lives they live in a comical way.
About Fox Searchlight:
Fox Searchlight Pictures was started in 1994. They work with independent, foreign and British films and like to have a variety of shows in production. They are a division of Fox Filmed Entertainment which is a very large American film company. Fox Searchlight has come out with many films that are not widely known, but they have also had some of their films make a huge profit.
Some of their most famous films in the United States are 500 Days of Summer, Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Adam, Whip It and Fast Food Nation. Some of their movies are quirky and different and some, like Fast Food Nation make a statement about the well being of our nation and world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie is funny and fun. The viewer leaves with a smile on their face and will fall in love with the characters easily. I loved this movie as a teen and that is why I wanted to add it to the collection.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie is funny and fun. The viewer leaves with a smile on their face and will fall in love with the characters easily. I loved this movie as a teen and that is why I wanted to add it to the collection.
500 Days of Summer- Film
500 Days of Summer
Actors:Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Geoffrey Arend
Writers: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Director: Marc Webb
Studio: Fox Starlight
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Interest Age: 15-adult
Annotation:
Tom Hansen wanted to meet the one true love. He thought he found that in Summer until she broke his heart.
Plot Summary:
Tom and Summer spend 500 days together. At the beginning of the story, Summer breaks up with Tom and they go their separate ways. Tom is heartbroken and his sister asks him to start from the beginning. The movie goes through the time they spent together, showing which of the 500 days the events happened on. The two fell for each other immediately. She is quirky and fun and he works for a card company. He is much more straight laced than she is.
Summer turned Tom's world upside down as they begin their love affair. At the end of it he is devastated because he feels his one chance at happiness is gone. Summer does not share his beliefs and thinks that people love and then they stop. She feels that life is what it is and you have to go with the flow. Will Tom find love in Summer again, with someone new, or not at all?
Critical Evaluation:
This movie was well put together and had some funny pieces to it, but it had a rather sad premise. Because of this, the movie was not as easy to watch as other romantic comedies. The audience knows from the beginning that their romance ends in Summer leaving Tom and yet they are still drawn into what is happening as the romance begins and flourishes. This is something many people do when the end of a relationship comes. They remember all the good but not the bad. Tom begins to see the whole story when he is recounting the days and begins to understand why it did not work. This is a well done piece of work and it would come recommended as an interesting look at a love affair.
About Fox Searchlight:
Fox Searchlight Pictures was started in 1994. They work with independent, foreign and British films and like to have a variety of shows in production. They are a division of Fox Filmed Entertainment which is a very large American film company. Fox Searchlight has come out with many films that are not widely known, but they have also had some of their films make a huge profit.
Some of their most famous films in the United States are 500 Days of Summer, Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Adam, Whip It and Fast Food Nation. Some of their movies are quirky and different and some, like Fast Food Nation make a statement about the well being of our nation and world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Tom and Summer spend 500 days together. At the beginning of the story, Summer breaks up with Tom and they go their separate ways. Tom is heartbroken and his sister asks him to start from the beginning. The movie goes through the time they spent together, showing which of the 500 days the events happened on. The two fell for each other immediately. She is quirky and fun and he works for a card company. He is much more straight laced than she is.
Summer turned Tom's world upside down as they begin their love affair. At the end of it he is devastated because he feels his one chance at happiness is gone. Summer does not share his beliefs and thinks that people love and then they stop. She feels that life is what it is and you have to go with the flow. Will Tom find love in Summer again, with someone new, or not at all?
Critical Evaluation:
This movie was well put together and had some funny pieces to it, but it had a rather sad premise. Because of this, the movie was not as easy to watch as other romantic comedies. The audience knows from the beginning that their romance ends in Summer leaving Tom and yet they are still drawn into what is happening as the romance begins and flourishes. This is something many people do when the end of a relationship comes. They remember all the good but not the bad. Tom begins to see the whole story when he is recounting the days and begins to understand why it did not work. This is a well done piece of work and it would come recommended as an interesting look at a love affair.
About Fox Searchlight:
Fox Searchlight Pictures was started in 1994. They work with independent, foreign and British films and like to have a variety of shows in production. They are a division of Fox Filmed Entertainment which is a very large American film company. Fox Searchlight has come out with many films that are not widely known, but they have also had some of their films make a huge profit.
Some of their most famous films in the United States are 500 Days of Summer, Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Adam, Whip It and Fast Food Nation. Some of their movies are quirky and different and some, like Fast Food Nation make a statement about the well being of our nation and world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie brings people together. It also shows why sometimes things just do not work out between two people. It is an interesting and entertaining movie.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie brings people together. It also shows why sometimes things just do not work out between two people. It is an interesting and entertaining movie.
The Myth of the American Sleepover- Film
The Myth of the American Sleepover
Actors: Claire Sloma, Marlon Morton and Amanda Bauer
Writer:
David Robert MitchellDirector: David Robert Mitchell
Studio: IFC Films
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Interest Age: 15-adultAnnotation:
Its the last night of summer and everyone is out trying to enjoy it. Many start at a sleepover, but most end up somewhere else.
Plot Summary:
The Myth of the American Sleepover follows four teenagers on their last day of summer before the new school year starts. They are mournful that it is their last night of freedom and all are3 determined to have a good time. Some are being kissed for the first time, some are finding parties, or chasing a crush who does not know they exist. One goes to find out about a love missed. Although each of the teens are doing separate things, their worlds collide in one way or another through the film. There are many different connections between these four young people.
With all the crazy happenings of the night, each character learns something about themselves and the people they want to be. They all realize at some point that being with the people that care about them is really the most important thing.
Critical Evaluation:
This story has an interesting premise and it would appeal to young people because it is one variety of their world. Each young person has a different point of view and a different experience, but as the story moves forward, there is not enough of a connection between the characters. Because of this, the movie seems a little disjointed and confusing. The audience needs to focus on the movie wholly in order to understand what is going on at one time.
There is a lot of non-verbal expressions in this movie that truly make it worth watching. The actors and actresses were able to capture the different ways people interact with no words. The cast seemed to have good chemistry and made the whole story much more believable.
About IFC Films:
IFC strives to be the leading company in independent films in the United States. They have made many movies famous over the years and want to show different individual's visions in their theaters. There are many different divisions of IFC including IFC Centers, IFC in Theather, IFC Films and IFC Prodcutions. They try hard to reach the largest group of people with artistic and different films.
IFC in Theaters is something interesting this company does. They release a movie in theaters and On Demand through Pay Per View at the same time. This gives people the option of where they would like to watch the movies and what they would like to do.
http://www.ifcfilms.com/about-ifc-films
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
The Myth of the American Sleepover follows four teenagers on their last day of summer before the new school year starts. They are mournful that it is their last night of freedom and all are3 determined to have a good time. Some are being kissed for the first time, some are finding parties, or chasing a crush who does not know they exist. One goes to find out about a love missed. Although each of the teens are doing separate things, their worlds collide in one way or another through the film. There are many different connections between these four young people.
With all the crazy happenings of the night, each character learns something about themselves and the people they want to be. They all realize at some point that being with the people that care about them is really the most important thing.
Critical Evaluation:
This story has an interesting premise and it would appeal to young people because it is one variety of their world. Each young person has a different point of view and a different experience, but as the story moves forward, there is not enough of a connection between the characters. Because of this, the movie seems a little disjointed and confusing. The audience needs to focus on the movie wholly in order to understand what is going on at one time.
There is a lot of non-verbal expressions in this movie that truly make it worth watching. The actors and actresses were able to capture the different ways people interact with no words. The cast seemed to have good chemistry and made the whole story much more believable.
About IFC Films:
IFC strives to be the leading company in independent films in the United States. They have made many movies famous over the years and want to show different individual's visions in their theaters. There are many different divisions of IFC including IFC Centers, IFC in Theather, IFC Films and IFC Prodcutions. They try hard to reach the largest group of people with artistic and different films.
IFC in Theaters is something interesting this company does. They release a movie in theaters and On Demand through Pay Per View at the same time. This gives people the option of where they would like to watch the movies and what they would like to do.
http://www.ifcfilms.com/about-ifc-films
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie seems to embody summer for children. There are things going on but gangs and drugs are not part of it. There is an innocence in this movie that is fun and interesting.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie seems to embody summer for children. There are things going on but gangs and drugs are not part of it. There is an innocence in this movie that is fun and interesting.
Its Kind of a Funny Story- Film
It's Kind of a Funny Story
Actors: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts
Writers: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, & Ned Nizzini
Directors: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
Studio: Focus Features
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Interest Age: 15-adult
Annotation:
Craig is clinically depressed and having a hard time. He checks himself into a psychiatric ward and his life changes forever.
Plot Summary:
When the audience meets Craig, he is depressed and having suicidal thoughts. He decides he needs to go get some help so he checks himself into a psychiatric ward of a hospital thinking he can take some time to think and get better then leave when he is ready. What he does not realize, is once he checks himself in, he cannot leave until the doctors think he is stable which is a minimum of 5 days. This makes Craig feel trapped and like he does not belong in the hospital. The pediatric ward is closed so Craig is placed in the adult ward where he meets Bobby. Bobby is a patient at the hospital and becomes friends with Craig right away. Bobby gets into trouble often and plays a lot of jokes on the others in the ward.
Craig also meets Noelle. She is also a teen placed in the adult ward. She is mysterious and is very intriguing to Craig who has only had eyes for a popular girl in school for years. As the days progress, Craig learns a lot about himself, others and what it means to be a friend.
Critical Evaluation:
This movie has a serious premise and yet it is very light-hearted and funny. This movie is based on a novel written by Ned Nizzini. The casting was perfect in this movie. Craig was just a quirky enough person to be likely to put himself in the hospital, Noelle was beautiful but had troubled eyes and Bobby had an outlandish personality, but had a deep pain in him as well.
The plot of this story was not drawn out or over played. The movie spans the five days Craig spends in the ward and it feels to the audience a lot longer than five days because of all that happens. The love story was good because although it was foreseeable, the depth in which the characters created their emotions was breathtaking.
About the Studio:
Focus Features and Focus Features International try to push the envelop of film. They strive to create films worldwide that reflect something different than the mainstream of movies. Both names are used to describe the same company. In North America, they are known as Focus Features and everywhere else in the world they are Focus Features International. They are owned by NBCUniversal which is one of the leading companies in networks and productions.
Focus Features films can be seen across the world and they plan to continue to grow any way they can. Visit them at www,focusfeatures.com
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
When the audience meets Craig, he is depressed and having suicidal thoughts. He decides he needs to go get some help so he checks himself into a psychiatric ward of a hospital thinking he can take some time to think and get better then leave when he is ready. What he does not realize, is once he checks himself in, he cannot leave until the doctors think he is stable which is a minimum of 5 days. This makes Craig feel trapped and like he does not belong in the hospital. The pediatric ward is closed so Craig is placed in the adult ward where he meets Bobby. Bobby is a patient at the hospital and becomes friends with Craig right away. Bobby gets into trouble often and plays a lot of jokes on the others in the ward.
Craig also meets Noelle. She is also a teen placed in the adult ward. She is mysterious and is very intriguing to Craig who has only had eyes for a popular girl in school for years. As the days progress, Craig learns a lot about himself, others and what it means to be a friend.
Critical Evaluation:
This movie has a serious premise and yet it is very light-hearted and funny. This movie is based on a novel written by Ned Nizzini. The casting was perfect in this movie. Craig was just a quirky enough person to be likely to put himself in the hospital, Noelle was beautiful but had troubled eyes and Bobby had an outlandish personality, but had a deep pain in him as well.
The plot of this story was not drawn out or over played. The movie spans the five days Craig spends in the ward and it feels to the audience a lot longer than five days because of all that happens. The love story was good because although it was foreseeable, the depth in which the characters created their emotions was breathtaking.
About the Studio:
Focus Features and Focus Features International try to push the envelop of film. They strive to create films worldwide that reflect something different than the mainstream of movies. Both names are used to describe the same company. In North America, they are known as Focus Features and everywhere else in the world they are Focus Features International. They are owned by NBCUniversal which is one of the leading companies in networks and productions.
Focus Features films can be seen across the world and they plan to continue to grow any way they can. Visit them at www,focusfeatures.com
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie is a romantic comedy at its finest. The teens find love in a completely unexpected place, but they feel it fully because they understand each other. There are many laughs but also many moments of sadness and understanding that humor is used to cover sadness.
N/A
Challenging Issues:
If this movie were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the movie. There are many good qualities in this film that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Watch this Movie:
This movie is a romantic comedy at its finest. The teens find love in a completely unexpected place, but they feel it fully because they understand each other. There are many laughs but also many moments of sadness and understanding that humor is used to cover sadness.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Marked- P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Marked
Cast, P.C. and Cast, Kristin
ISBN-13 9780312360269
ISBN-10 0312360266
Publisher: St. Matin's Press, 2007
Genre: Vampire Fantasy
Reading Level: 850 Lexile
Interest Age: 15-18
Reader's Annotation:
Zoey was living her life like any other teenager when one day a vampire tracker came to her and she was Marked. She will forever be different.
Plot Summary:
Zoey thought things were going to go normal and life would be like every other teenager in her town. She is 16 and looking forward to the next steps of life. She wants to go to school to become a veterinarian. One day, an odd person finds her and touches her. She has been marked by the goddess Nyx. She is the goddess of vampires around the world. A tattoo starts to form on her forehead in the shape of a crescent moon. Zoey has seen this happen before. She must now go live in the House of Night where all the vampires go to school.
When she arrives at the House of Night, she realizes it is very similar to human schools, but it is full of teens who will go through the Change. If they survive the Change, all the fledglings will be full adult vampires. The school is someplace where she is accepted. She is part of an elite group of vampire fledglings, and her mark is getting color faster than others and no one knows why. Will Zoey make it through the Change and be able to live her life fully.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is a typical teen book. Cast and Cast created a book that will speak to teens but is not full of gore. The vampires to not come and suck your blood to turn you into one of them, it is a religious ceremony and the teens are chosen by the goddess. The imagery is one of the best parts of this book. Cast and Cast explain the scenes and characters with so much detail that the reader feels as though they are in The House of Night. What was not great about this book was the plot itself. It has been told many times and there are many of the same story in vampire fiction. The reader can predict what will happen next. Because this is a series, The House of Night has a lot more to offer than what is explored in Marked.
About the Author:
P.C. Cast is a renowned author of many different young adult novels. Her books have been awarded many times and she currently lives in Oklahoma with her daughter and pets. She was born and raised in the Midwest bouncing from Illinois and Oklahoma for most of her childhood. She joined the Air Force right out of high school and when she finished with that, Cast taught for 15 years. When she decided to quit and write full time, her career took off.
Kristin Cast is P.C. Cast's daughter. They have co-wrote The House of Night series and she has also written some anthologies. She lives with her mother in Oklahoma and is starting her first individual novel.
The two writers have won many awards for their series including the Oklahoma Book Award, the YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers and the Romantic Times Reviewers
Award.
http://www.pccast.net/biography.html
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Zoey thought things were going to go normal and life would be like every other teenager in her town. She is 16 and looking forward to the next steps of life. She wants to go to school to become a veterinarian. One day, an odd person finds her and touches her. She has been marked by the goddess Nyx. She is the goddess of vampires around the world. A tattoo starts to form on her forehead in the shape of a crescent moon. Zoey has seen this happen before. She must now go live in the House of Night where all the vampires go to school.
When she arrives at the House of Night, she realizes it is very similar to human schools, but it is full of teens who will go through the Change. If they survive the Change, all the fledglings will be full adult vampires. The school is someplace where she is accepted. She is part of an elite group of vampire fledglings, and her mark is getting color faster than others and no one knows why. Will Zoey make it through the Change and be able to live her life fully.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is a typical teen book. Cast and Cast created a book that will speak to teens but is not full of gore. The vampires to not come and suck your blood to turn you into one of them, it is a religious ceremony and the teens are chosen by the goddess. The imagery is one of the best parts of this book. Cast and Cast explain the scenes and characters with so much detail that the reader feels as though they are in The House of Night. What was not great about this book was the plot itself. It has been told many times and there are many of the same story in vampire fiction. The reader can predict what will happen next. Because this is a series, The House of Night has a lot more to offer than what is explored in Marked.
About the Author:
P.C. Cast is a renowned author of many different young adult novels. Her books have been awarded many times and she currently lives in Oklahoma with her daughter and pets. She was born and raised in the Midwest bouncing from Illinois and Oklahoma for most of her childhood. She joined the Air Force right out of high school and when she finished with that, Cast taught for 15 years. When she decided to quit and write full time, her career took off.
Kristin Cast is P.C. Cast's daughter. They have co-wrote The House of Night series and she has also written some anthologies. She lives with her mother in Oklahoma and is starting her first individual novel.
The two writers have won many awards for their series including the Oklahoma Book Award, the YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers and the Romantic Times Reviewers
Award.
http://www.pccast.net/biography.html
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
Create what the House of Night looks like to you.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book will appeal to reluctant readers because it is fast paced and interesting but still follows the theme of vampire books. The protagonist is a female in the first book, but both males and females like this series because of the action and intrigue in it.
Create what the House of Night looks like to you.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book will appeal to reluctant readers because it is fast paced and interesting but still follows the theme of vampire books. The protagonist is a female in the first book, but both males and females like this series because of the action and intrigue in it.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Rowling, J.K.
ISBN-13 9780439064866
ISBN-10 0439064864
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 1999
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: 940 Lexile
Interest Age: 10-18
Reader's Annotation:
It's year two and Harry is ready for a new year. What he is not ready for are the many secrets he will learn.
Plot Summary:
This book starts at the Dursley's house where Harry spent the summer between his first and second year in school. Dobby, an elf comes through warning Harry not to go back to Hogwarts because it is not safe. Harry does not listen and goes anyway. He meets a ghost who is in one of the girl's bathrooms. They call her Moaning Mertyl. She cries often and scares many people away.
Harry has a new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart who does not seem to know what he is doing. There is something off about him but Harry is not sure what. As the year goes on, Harry is forced into a situation fighting Voldamort the dark wizard again. Will he make it through this time?
Critical Evaluation:
This book is well written and full of interesting information and action. It starts a little slow when Harry is at the Dursley's, but as soon as he goes into the magical world, there are so many new things to learn. The reader is brought into this world of talking pictures and a hat that talks. The plot keeps the reader interesting and at the end, the reader is ready for a new year. As he goes into his second year, Harry is ready for more things but the magical world is ever changing.
Each Harry Potter book follows Harry for one year of school. He still spends the summers with the Dursley's home. The book builds to hold the most action at the end. It follows a classic plot line which is not bad but makes the book more predictable than others. Harry Potter has become a phenomenon and all seven books have been made into feature films.
About the Author:
J.K. Rowling was born in 1965 to James and Anne Rowling and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent. She went to Exeter University and received a degree in French and Classics. She started writing Harry Potter waiting for a train and spent five years outlining all of the books before she started writing the first book. She married, had a baby and divorced before the first Harry Potter was published in 1997.
When the book was such a big hit, Rowling quickly wrote the next six books. She now lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three children. Rowling has been awarded many different awards for the Harry Potter books and all of her books are now movies. There is also a Harry Potter theme park. These books took the world by storm.
http://www.jkrowling.com/en_US/#/about-jk-rowling
Curriculum Ties:
Read Aloud books
This book starts at the Dursley's house where Harry spent the summer between his first and second year in school. Dobby, an elf comes through warning Harry not to go back to Hogwarts because it is not safe. Harry does not listen and goes anyway. He meets a ghost who is in one of the girl's bathrooms. They call her Moaning Mertyl. She cries often and scares many people away.
Harry has a new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart who does not seem to know what he is doing. There is something off about him but Harry is not sure what. As the year goes on, Harry is forced into a situation fighting Voldamort the dark wizard again. Will he make it through this time?
Critical Evaluation:
This book is well written and full of interesting information and action. It starts a little slow when Harry is at the Dursley's, but as soon as he goes into the magical world, there are so many new things to learn. The reader is brought into this world of talking pictures and a hat that talks. The plot keeps the reader interesting and at the end, the reader is ready for a new year. As he goes into his second year, Harry is ready for more things but the magical world is ever changing.
Each Harry Potter book follows Harry for one year of school. He still spends the summers with the Dursley's home. The book builds to hold the most action at the end. It follows a classic plot line which is not bad but makes the book more predictable than others. Harry Potter has become a phenomenon and all seven books have been made into feature films.
About the Author:
J.K. Rowling was born in 1965 to James and Anne Rowling and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent. She went to Exeter University and received a degree in French and Classics. She started writing Harry Potter waiting for a train and spent five years outlining all of the books before she started writing the first book. She married, had a baby and divorced before the first Harry Potter was published in 1997.
When the book was such a big hit, Rowling quickly wrote the next six books. She now lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three children. Rowling has been awarded many different awards for the Harry Potter books and all of her books are now movies. There is also a Harry Potter theme park. These books took the world by storm.
http://www.jkrowling.com/en_US/#/about-jk-rowling
Curriculum Ties:
Read Aloud books
Book Talking:
Make a play of this book.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book catches the reader and keeps them through all the pages. The whole series is wonderful and deserves a place in any library. Children, teens and adults can all enjoy the world of Harry Potter and his magical friends.
Make a play of this book.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book catches the reader and keeps them through all the pages. The whole series is wonderful and deserves a place in any library. Children, teens and adults can all enjoy the world of Harry Potter and his magical friends.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone- JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Rowling, J.K.
ISBN-13 9780590353427
ISBN-10 059035342X
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 1997
Genre: Vampire Fantasy
Reading Level: 880 Lexile
Interest Age: 10-18
Reader's Annotation:
Harry's parents are dead and his aunt and uncle treat him like dirt. He lives in a closet and life is not something he thinks is great until one day when a letter comes from a place called Hogwarts.
Plot Summary:
Harry Potter lost his parents when he was a baby and he now lives with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He is treated like a child no one wants to be around and no one remembers his birthday. Everything seems like normal until one day Harry receives an invitation from a school called Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Dursleys try very hard to keep Harry there, but eventually have no choice but to let Harry go.
Harry finds out that he is famous in the wizarding world. His mother died at the hands of the darkest wizard in the world saving his life and giving him a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. Harry is learning so much about the world he has been kept from. He finds out that he is the only one who can solve some of the world's problems and stop Lord Voldemort, who killed his parents, from taking over the world in evil.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is well written and full of interesting information and action. It starts a little slow when Harry is at the Dursley's, but as soon as he goes into the magical world, there are so many new things to learn. The reader is brought into this world of talking pictures and a hat that talks. The plot keeps the reader interesting and at the end, the reader is ready for a new year.
Each Harry Potter book follows Harry for one year of school. He still spends the summers with the Dursley's home. The book builds to hold the most action at the end. It follows a classic plot line which is not bad but makes the book more predictable than others. Harry Potter has become a phenomenon and all seven books have been made into feature films.
About the Author:
J.K. Rowling was born in 1965 to James and Anne Rowling and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent. She went to Exeter University and received a degree in French and Classics. She started writing Harry Potter waiting for a train and spent five years outlining all of the books before she started writing the first book. She married, had a baby and divorced before the first Harry Potter was published in 1997.
When the book was such a big hit, Rowling quickly wrote the next six books. She now lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three children. Rowling has been awarded many different awards for the Harry Potter books and all of her books are now movies. There is also a Harry Potter theme park. These books took the world by storm.
http://www.jkrowling.com/en_US/#/about-jk-rowling
Curriculum Ties:
Read Aloud books
Harry Potter lost his parents when he was a baby and he now lives with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He is treated like a child no one wants to be around and no one remembers his birthday. Everything seems like normal until one day Harry receives an invitation from a school called Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Dursleys try very hard to keep Harry there, but eventually have no choice but to let Harry go.
Harry finds out that he is famous in the wizarding world. His mother died at the hands of the darkest wizard in the world saving his life and giving him a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. Harry is learning so much about the world he has been kept from. He finds out that he is the only one who can solve some of the world's problems and stop Lord Voldemort, who killed his parents, from taking over the world in evil.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is well written and full of interesting information and action. It starts a little slow when Harry is at the Dursley's, but as soon as he goes into the magical world, there are so many new things to learn. The reader is brought into this world of talking pictures and a hat that talks. The plot keeps the reader interesting and at the end, the reader is ready for a new year.
Each Harry Potter book follows Harry for one year of school. He still spends the summers with the Dursley's home. The book builds to hold the most action at the end. It follows a classic plot line which is not bad but makes the book more predictable than others. Harry Potter has become a phenomenon and all seven books have been made into feature films.
About the Author:
J.K. Rowling was born in 1965 to James and Anne Rowling and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent. She went to Exeter University and received a degree in French and Classics. She started writing Harry Potter waiting for a train and spent five years outlining all of the books before she started writing the first book. She married, had a baby and divorced before the first Harry Potter was published in 1997.
When the book was such a big hit, Rowling quickly wrote the next six books. She now lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three children. Rowling has been awarded many different awards for the Harry Potter books and all of her books are now movies. There is also a Harry Potter theme park. These books took the world by storm.
http://www.jkrowling.com/en_US/#/about-jk-rowling
Curriculum Ties:
Read Aloud books
Book Talking:
What house would you want to be in?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book catches the reader and keeps them through all the pages. The whole series is wonderful and deserves a place in any library. Children, teens and adults can all enjoy the world of Harry Potter and his magical friends.
What house would you want to be in?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book catches the reader and keeps them through all the pages. The whole series is wonderful and deserves a place in any library. Children, teens and adults can all enjoy the world of Harry Potter and his magical friends.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Chbosky, Stephen
ISBN-13 9780671027346
ISBN-10 0671027344
Publisher: MTV Books, 1999
Genre: LGBTQ Fiction/Social Issues
Reading Level: 720 Lexile
Interest Age: 15-20
Reader's Annotation:
When his best friend dies, Charlie does not know what to do with his life. He has to start all over and begin to figure out who he wants to be.
Plot Summary:
Charlie's best friend commits suicide at the beginning of this book. Charlie is shocks and does not understand. He begins to have panic attacks and becomes depressed so he begins to see a therapist. He also sets out to find new friends. Sam and Patrick are siblings and befriend Charlie. They open his world with drugs, alcohol and alternative lifestyles.
Charlie falls hard for Sam, but she sees him as a little brother and Patrick is gay. There are new things that Charlie discovers about himself at each turn. This book is told from Charlie's perspective as he moves through the world. He is writing letters to someone, but the reader never knows who that is.
Critical Evaluation:
This book brings the reader into Charlies world at an intimate level. The reader has no idea where he lives or exactly who he is talking to, but many of them can relate in some way to Charlie. He makes his way through life trying to find his happiness. Chbosky brings a familiarity to Charlie so each person can connect with him in some way.
The letter format of this book makes it more compelling to read. It is written like someone would write to a diary, divulging each detail with honesty and not worrying about how it sounds. The candid nature of this makes the book readable and entertaining. As the reader moves through the book, it is obvious which people mean something in Charlie's life and which are not by the amount of detail he uses in describing them. This shows the personality of a teenager coming into their own.
About the Author:
Stephen Chbosky is a writer, director, editor and screen writer. He was born in 1970 and is famous for his book The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He has written and directed a few films, but this book took his career to a new level. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Chboksy tries to show a different side of the city in his books.
Chbosky did not intend The Perks of Being a Wallflower to be a book for adolescents, but because the main character is 15, the world saw it this way. He has directed the movie from his book that comes out in 2012. Now, Chbosky lives in Los Angeles, California where he writes films and works as a gay rights activist.
http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Chbosky__Stephen.html
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Charlie's best friend commits suicide at the beginning of this book. Charlie is shocks and does not understand. He begins to have panic attacks and becomes depressed so he begins to see a therapist. He also sets out to find new friends. Sam and Patrick are siblings and befriend Charlie. They open his world with drugs, alcohol and alternative lifestyles.
Charlie falls hard for Sam, but she sees him as a little brother and Patrick is gay. There are new things that Charlie discovers about himself at each turn. This book is told from Charlie's perspective as he moves through the world. He is writing letters to someone, but the reader never knows who that is.
Critical Evaluation:
This book brings the reader into Charlies world at an intimate level. The reader has no idea where he lives or exactly who he is talking to, but many of them can relate in some way to Charlie. He makes his way through life trying to find his happiness. Chbosky brings a familiarity to Charlie so each person can connect with him in some way.
The letter format of this book makes it more compelling to read. It is written like someone would write to a diary, divulging each detail with honesty and not worrying about how it sounds. The candid nature of this makes the book readable and entertaining. As the reader moves through the book, it is obvious which people mean something in Charlie's life and which are not by the amount of detail he uses in describing them. This shows the personality of a teenager coming into their own.
About the Author:
Stephen Chbosky is a writer, director, editor and screen writer. He was born in 1970 and is famous for his book The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He has written and directed a few films, but this book took his career to a new level. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Chboksy tries to show a different side of the city in his books.
Chbosky did not intend The Perks of Being a Wallflower to be a book for adolescents, but because the main character is 15, the world saw it this way. He has directed the movie from his book that comes out in 2012. Now, Chbosky lives in Los Angeles, California where he writes films and works as a gay rights activist.
http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Chbosky__Stephen.html
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
White your own ending to this book.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is different and yet it is a great coming of age novel. Even though it was written 12 years ago, teens today still know about this book and many still read it. It is part of the world each teen deals with at some level.
White your own ending to this book.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is different and yet it is a great coming of age novel. Even though it was written 12 years ago, teens today still know about this book and many still read it. It is part of the world each teen deals with at some level.
Crazy- Han Nolan
Crazy
Nolan, Han
ISBN-13 9780152051099
ISBN-10 0152051090
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books, 2010
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: 660 Lexile
Interest Age: 14-18
Reader's Annotation:
His father tried to bury him alive at the age of 4 and by 5th grade his mother died. By 15, Jason has multiple personalities all trying to run his life.
Plot Summary:
The story starts with Jason's newest personality which happens to be a laughing reel. He starts to explain his life to this newest personality. Jason's father is mentally ill. He has voices that speak to him and he is convinced that mythical creatures are out to get him and his family. When he is on medication, Jason's father can cope and act like a normal father. When he is not taking it, bad things happen. When Jason was 4, his father had a mythological helmet on and tried to bury him alive to save Jason from the Furies. Luckily, his mother saved him and his father went away for a while. In 5th grade, Jason's mother got sick and his psyche split into a few personalities to cope.
When Jason begins to act strangely a year after his mother dies and he is asked to see the school counselor. He begins to join a lunch group. There are four other kids in the group who all have issues at home. One has a mother who is dying, one has a father who is abusive and another has a drug addict for a father. The four bond and Jason finally lets them in to see the mess he lives in. This book shows that people cannot find their strength all alone. People need others to lean on.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is written in an interesting way. It is almost like a script in a play because the personalities all get to talk together like a conversation. Jason's voice is in regular text and all his personalities are in italics. This could be very difficult to get used to but the reader seems to slide right in to Jason's mind. He is very worried about letting people into his life so he created the personalities.
Nolan created a lovable character in Jason and yet he has many fears that the reader may not understand. The plot thickens when he starts to let his friends see that he is poor and has a crazy father. The other characters are likable as well and the reader wishes the four keep a good friendship going.
About the Author:
Nolan was born in Birmingham, Alabama but grew up in New York. Her name is Hannah but is has been shorted to Han since she was a child. She loved reading as a child and her favorite book was "Harriet the Spy." Nolan did not do well in school until the 6th grade when she had her first creative writing class. Writing stories is something she loved to do.
Nolan started dancing at 13 and fell in love with it. She went to college and graduate school for dance. She was a professional dancer and began a life with her husband. Nolan realized she wanted to start writing and quit dancing when she realized dancing was taking over her life. She and her husband adopted three children and she decided to stay home and write. Now she has written many novels and is much happier.
http://www.hannolan.com/index.htm
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
The story starts with Jason's newest personality which happens to be a laughing reel. He starts to explain his life to this newest personality. Jason's father is mentally ill. He has voices that speak to him and he is convinced that mythical creatures are out to get him and his family. When he is on medication, Jason's father can cope and act like a normal father. When he is not taking it, bad things happen. When Jason was 4, his father had a mythological helmet on and tried to bury him alive to save Jason from the Furies. Luckily, his mother saved him and his father went away for a while. In 5th grade, Jason's mother got sick and his psyche split into a few personalities to cope.
When Jason begins to act strangely a year after his mother dies and he is asked to see the school counselor. He begins to join a lunch group. There are four other kids in the group who all have issues at home. One has a mother who is dying, one has a father who is abusive and another has a drug addict for a father. The four bond and Jason finally lets them in to see the mess he lives in. This book shows that people cannot find their strength all alone. People need others to lean on.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is written in an interesting way. It is almost like a script in a play because the personalities all get to talk together like a conversation. Jason's voice is in regular text and all his personalities are in italics. This could be very difficult to get used to but the reader seems to slide right in to Jason's mind. He is very worried about letting people into his life so he created the personalities.
Nolan created a lovable character in Jason and yet he has many fears that the reader may not understand. The plot thickens when he starts to let his friends see that he is poor and has a crazy father. The other characters are likable as well and the reader wishes the four keep a good friendship going.
About the Author:
Nolan was born in Birmingham, Alabama but grew up in New York. Her name is Hannah but is has been shorted to Han since she was a child. She loved reading as a child and her favorite book was "Harriet the Spy." Nolan did not do well in school until the 6th grade when she had her first creative writing class. Writing stories is something she loved to do.
Nolan started dancing at 13 and fell in love with it. She went to college and graduate school for dance. She was a professional dancer and began a life with her husband. Nolan realized she wanted to start writing and quit dancing when she realized dancing was taking over her life. She and her husband adopted three children and she decided to stay home and write. Now she has written many novels and is much happier.
http://www.hannolan.com/index.htm
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
What would happen if Jason's friends knew he had more than one personality?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is an interesting look into a person with multiple personality disorder. It take a lighter road than books such as Sybil. This book is interesting and shows the power of friendship and companionship in a person's life.
What would happen if Jason's friends knew he had more than one personality?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is an interesting look into a person with multiple personality disorder. It take a lighter road than books such as Sybil. This book is interesting and shows the power of friendship and companionship in a person's life.
Wonderstruck-Brian Selznick
Wonderstruck
Selznick, Brian
ISBN-13 9780545027892
ISBN-10 0545027896
Publisher: Scholastic, Incorporated, 2011
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Reading Level: 830 Lexile
Interest Age: 12-adult
Reader's Annotation:
Two children, fifty years apart, one story.
Plot Summary:
The story starts with Ben. Ben would really like to find his father and has been trying hard for years. Rose wants to follow the life of an old movie star she knows little about. The two find clues that lead their stories to collide. Ben is in 1977 and Rose is in 1927 and yet the two are connected in many more ways than one. Ben finds a secret clue in his mother's room which leads him toward the theater. Rose reads a healine that leads her home. His story is told in words and hers is told in pictures. Soon, two stories become one. The two children know nothing of the other and yet they are eternally connected.
Critical Evaluation:
The way Selznick utilizes pictures with words is truly original and engaging. This story is different from Hugo Cabret because there are two different stories that come together. The reader quickly understands that these two people do not know each other. The artwork is amazingly well done and completely in black and white. There are many details so the reader does not need words to know what is going on with the people. Ben's story is written, but there are not many words on each page. A paragraph to three make up the pages. When the two stories converge, there are fewer pages of each story before it switches to the other. This book is very well crafted.
About the Author:
Brian Selznick was born in 1966 in New Jersey. He has a brother and a sister who are both successful as well. He grew up and studied at the Rhode Island School of Design. After college, Selznick began working in a children's book store which is where he began to love children's books. He worked for a man named Steve Geck who taught him much of what he knows about children's books. He currently lives in New York and California.
Curriculum Ties:
Writing with words and pictures.
The story starts with Ben. Ben would really like to find his father and has been trying hard for years. Rose wants to follow the life of an old movie star she knows little about. The two find clues that lead their stories to collide. Ben is in 1977 and Rose is in 1927 and yet the two are connected in many more ways than one. Ben finds a secret clue in his mother's room which leads him toward the theater. Rose reads a healine that leads her home. His story is told in words and hers is told in pictures. Soon, two stories become one. The two children know nothing of the other and yet they are eternally connected.
Critical Evaluation:
The way Selznick utilizes pictures with words is truly original and engaging. This story is different from Hugo Cabret because there are two different stories that come together. The reader quickly understands that these two people do not know each other. The artwork is amazingly well done and completely in black and white. There are many details so the reader does not need words to know what is going on with the people. Ben's story is written, but there are not many words on each page. A paragraph to three make up the pages. When the two stories converge, there are fewer pages of each story before it switches to the other. This book is very well crafted.
About the Author:
Brian Selznick was born in 1966 in New Jersey. He has a brother and a sister who are both successful as well. He grew up and studied at the Rhode Island School of Design. After college, Selznick began working in a children's book store which is where he began to love children's books. He worked for a man named Steve Geck who taught him much of what he knows about children's books. He currently lives in New York and California.
His first book, titled The Houdini Box, was published in 1991 while he was still working in the book store. He wrote and illustrated this book. He also illustrated for other author's books such as Frindle, The Doll People, Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, and The Dinoasaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins. He branched out and wrote three other books including The Invention of Hugo Cabret. It has now become a major motion picture.
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm
Curriculum Ties:
Writing with words and pictures.
Book Talking:
Write your own book this way.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is captivating. It lets the reader be transformed to a new place and makes it easy to transfer between time periods fifty years apart. Selznick is an artist who deserves to have his work read. Readers of all levels will appreciate this book.
Write your own book this way.
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is captivating. It lets the reader be transformed to a new place and makes it easy to transfer between time periods fifty years apart. Selznick is an artist who deserves to have his work read. Readers of all levels will appreciate this book.
Twilight- Stephanie Meyer
Twilight
Meyer, Stephanie
ISBN-13 9780316160179
ISBN-10 0316160172
Publisher: Little, Brown Books 2005
Genre: Vampire Fiction
Reading Level: 720 Lexile
Interest Age: 14-18
Reader's Annotation:
He is cold, he wants her blood and he shimmers in the sun. He is perfect, or is he?
Plot Summary:
Bella lives in Forks, Washington with her father. Life is pretty uneventful and she is your typical high school girl. Everything seems to be going normally when she meets Edward Cullen. He is an odd guy who is extremely white and is very mysterious. He spends his time with four other unusually beautiful people at lunch but they never seem to eat anything. She gets to know Edward, who is a vampire just like the others. He loves the smell of her blood and has to try very hard not to kill her by drinking from her.
This is how the story begins. Edward knows where Bella is at all times and knows when she is in danger. They start to spend a lot of time together and Bella finds she loves the whole family. The Cullen family has decided they will not feed on humans. This is what keeps them together. Edward loves her, but will he be able to keep herself from hurting her?
Critical Evaluation:
This book starts out like many other teen fiction stories. Bella moves to a new town with nothing to do and finds a mysterious boy to start talking to. It takes a turn when she finds out he is a vampire who wants to drink her blood. The book is not very well written but it appeals to the masses. This book started a phenomenon of Twilight. Teens across the country know about Bella and Edward. There is something in the way Meyer wrote the characters that got the attention of readers. She made Vampires people you would see in school but not socialize with. They were not these mean creatures killing everyone, but undead who wanted to learn and better themselves.
The love story is a bit too much and the fact that Bella feels she cannot live without Edward does not send a good message to teenage girls about being independent. Bella's happiness is dependent on Edward and what he does. This is the opposite of what we should be teaching our growing girls.
About the Author:
Stephanie Meyer graduated as an English major from Brigham Young University and began her life as a wife and mother. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three children. One night, Meyer had a dream one night that stuck with her. She decided to sit down and start writing between potty training and extra curricular activities. It took her three months and she had finished Twilight, her first book.
Her sister encouraged Meyer to submit the book to publishers. In 2005, Little, Brown received the transcript and loved the book. Twilight was an immediate success and Meyer was an instant celebrity. The next three books were a huge hit as well making Twilight a phenomenon.
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bio.html
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Bella lives in Forks, Washington with her father. Life is pretty uneventful and she is your typical high school girl. Everything seems to be going normally when she meets Edward Cullen. He is an odd guy who is extremely white and is very mysterious. He spends his time with four other unusually beautiful people at lunch but they never seem to eat anything. She gets to know Edward, who is a vampire just like the others. He loves the smell of her blood and has to try very hard not to kill her by drinking from her.
This is how the story begins. Edward knows where Bella is at all times and knows when she is in danger. They start to spend a lot of time together and Bella finds she loves the whole family. The Cullen family has decided they will not feed on humans. This is what keeps them together. Edward loves her, but will he be able to keep herself from hurting her?
Critical Evaluation:
This book starts out like many other teen fiction stories. Bella moves to a new town with nothing to do and finds a mysterious boy to start talking to. It takes a turn when she finds out he is a vampire who wants to drink her blood. The book is not very well written but it appeals to the masses. This book started a phenomenon of Twilight. Teens across the country know about Bella and Edward. There is something in the way Meyer wrote the characters that got the attention of readers. She made Vampires people you would see in school but not socialize with. They were not these mean creatures killing everyone, but undead who wanted to learn and better themselves.
The love story is a bit too much and the fact that Bella feels she cannot live without Edward does not send a good message to teenage girls about being independent. Bella's happiness is dependent on Edward and what he does. This is the opposite of what we should be teaching our growing girls.
About the Author:
Stephanie Meyer graduated as an English major from Brigham Young University and began her life as a wife and mother. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three children. One night, Meyer had a dream one night that stuck with her. She decided to sit down and start writing between potty training and extra curricular activities. It took her three months and she had finished Twilight, her first book.
Her sister encouraged Meyer to submit the book to publishers. In 2005, Little, Brown received the transcript and loved the book. Twilight was an immediate success and Meyer was an instant celebrity. The next three books were a huge hit as well making Twilight a phenomenon.
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bio.html
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
Would you like to be friends with a vampire?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
I read this book because I wanted to know what everyone was talking about. I did not find that I liked it, but it is so popular that teens who do not like to read are reading this book. This is why it is in this collection.
Would you like to be friends with a vampire?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
I read this book because I wanted to know what everyone was talking about. I did not find that I liked it, but it is so popular that teens who do not like to read are reading this book. This is why it is in this collection.
Catching Fire- Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games
Collins, Suzanne
ISBN-13 9780439023498
ISBN-10 0439023491
Publisher: Scholastic Incorporated, 2009
Genre: Dystopia/Social Issues
Reading Level: 820 Lexile
Interest Age: 12- adult
Reader's Annotation:
Katniss thinks she is safe from ever entering the arena again, but the Capital makes a twist and no one is safe. What happens when Peeta and Katniss go in again.
Plot Summary:
Katniss has won the Hunger Games once. She did it with Peeta by her side and instead of one winner there were two because of a double suicide threat she and Peeta made. The Capital is now mad at the two of them, but putting on a show to not disturb the other districts. Instead of making an issue in front of the public, president Snow has decided to make all the former tributes go in the games again. Going in a second time, Peeta and Katniss do not expect to make it out alive together. Both of them are determined to save the other.
In the arena, there are completely different twists and the tributes decide to play the game differently. Some are too old and feeble to fight, others are mentally unstable because of the trauma from the first time in the arena. Will the tributes be able to beat the Capital or will the Capital overtake all and remain in control?
Critical Evaluation:
This book is the first in a trilogy and has taken the world by storm. There are many people who have read these books in all age groups and it has been turned into a movie. The way Collins writes makes the reader fall in love with Katniss from the beginning. This subject matter has created a lot of conversation and the thought of children killing children is sometimes hard for people to move past. If the reader puts this aside and just decides to read the book for what it is, they will become sucked into the story. Collins has written this book in a way that children dying is not as offensive as it could be. The setting being a land we know but in a completely different way is thought provoking. The reader is forced to see this society in their home town and yet it seems so far removed from the world of today.
The second book is more intense then the first because all of these people have been in the arena once before and Katniss is realizing the power of the Capital on everyone. She is disillusioned with the president and is beginning to plan a way to get out of the districts for good.
About the Author:
Suzanne Collins lives in Connecticut with her family and a couple cats. She is currently working on a children's picture book with another author named James Proimos. Before the Hunger Games series, Collins write a five book series about wars underground in the man holes of big cities. She has only written the two series of books.
Where Collins has spent most of her time is writing for television shows. She has worked for Nickelodeon since 1991 writing scripts for shows. One of the most famous ones is Clarisa Explains it All. She has also done some writing for small children's shows such as Little Bear and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! She began to write books when her co-worker James stated she should give it a try.
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/bio.htm
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Katniss has won the Hunger Games once. She did it with Peeta by her side and instead of one winner there were two because of a double suicide threat she and Peeta made. The Capital is now mad at the two of them, but putting on a show to not disturb the other districts. Instead of making an issue in front of the public, president Snow has decided to make all the former tributes go in the games again. Going in a second time, Peeta and Katniss do not expect to make it out alive together. Both of them are determined to save the other.
In the arena, there are completely different twists and the tributes decide to play the game differently. Some are too old and feeble to fight, others are mentally unstable because of the trauma from the first time in the arena. Will the tributes be able to beat the Capital or will the Capital overtake all and remain in control?
Critical Evaluation:
This book is the first in a trilogy and has taken the world by storm. There are many people who have read these books in all age groups and it has been turned into a movie. The way Collins writes makes the reader fall in love with Katniss from the beginning. This subject matter has created a lot of conversation and the thought of children killing children is sometimes hard for people to move past. If the reader puts this aside and just decides to read the book for what it is, they will become sucked into the story. Collins has written this book in a way that children dying is not as offensive as it could be. The setting being a land we know but in a completely different way is thought provoking. The reader is forced to see this society in their home town and yet it seems so far removed from the world of today.
The second book is more intense then the first because all of these people have been in the arena once before and Katniss is realizing the power of the Capital on everyone. She is disillusioned with the president and is beginning to plan a way to get out of the districts for good.
About the Author:
Suzanne Collins lives in Connecticut with her family and a couple cats. She is currently working on a children's picture book with another author named James Proimos. Before the Hunger Games series, Collins write a five book series about wars underground in the man holes of big cities. She has only written the two series of books.
Where Collins has spent most of her time is writing for television shows. She has worked for Nickelodeon since 1991 writing scripts for shows. One of the most famous ones is Clarisa Explains it All. She has also done some writing for small children's shows such as Little Bear and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! She began to write books when her co-worker James stated she should give it a try.
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/bio.htm
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
Write the first chapter to book 3.
Challenging Issues:
This book has been challenged many times in many places. If it was challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is one that if you start, you will want to finish it. It has become a phenomenon in our culture and deserves to be part of any library collection where teens are attending. Many teens relate to the concept of fighting for their spot in life. This is reflected in the Hunger Games trilogy.
Write the first chapter to book 3.
Challenging Issues:
This book has been challenged many times in many places. If it was challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is one that if you start, you will want to finish it. It has become a phenomenon in our culture and deserves to be part of any library collection where teens are attending. Many teens relate to the concept of fighting for their spot in life. This is reflected in the Hunger Games trilogy.
The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games
Collins, Suzanne
ISBN-13 9780439023481
ISBN-10 0439023483
Publisher: Scholastic Incorporated, 2008
Genre: Dystopia/Social Issues
Reading Level: 810 Lexile
Interest Age: 12- adult
Reader's Annotation:
The time has come to go into the arena to fight to the death because the Capital says so. Can she come out alive?
Plot Summary:
Katniss is a 16 year old girl living in a society controlled by the Capital. What is now the 12 districts used to be the United States. Each year one boy and one girl from each of the districts gets called out to be part of the annual Hunger Games. In these games, the only way to win is to survive while everyone else dies. Each child gets entered in the pool of candidates when they are 12 and the whole nation watches the games each year.
In the beginning of the book Katniss' sister gets picked to go into the games and instead of allowing this to happen, Katniss volunteers to go. Her male counterpart is Peeta. They are the poorest district and no one expects them to win. They go into the arena thinking only one of them could win, but what if the best strategy would be to play together?
Critical Evaluation:
This book is the first in a trilogy and has taken the world by storm. There are many people who have read these books in all age groups and it has been turned into a movie. The way Collins writes makes the reader fall in love with Katniss from the beginning. This subject matter has created a lot of conversation and the thought of children killing children is sometimes hard for people to move past. If the reader puts this aside and just decides to read the book for what it is, they will become sucked into the story. Collins has written this book in a way that children dying is not as offensive as it could be. The setting being a land we know but in a completely different way is thought provoking. The reader is forced to see this society in their home town and yet it seems so far removed from the world of today.
About the Author:
Suzanne Collins lives in Connecticut with her family and a couple cats. She is currently working on a children's picture book with another author named James Proimos. Before the Hunger Games series, Collins write a five book series about wars underground in the man holes of big cities. She has only written the two series of books.
Where Collins has spent most of her time is writing for television shows. She has worked for Nickelodeon since 1991 writing scripts for shows. One of the most famous ones is Clarisa Explains it All. She has also done some writing for small children's shows such as Little Bear and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! She began to write books when her co-worker James stated she should give it a try.
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/bio.htm
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Katniss is a 16 year old girl living in a society controlled by the Capital. What is now the 12 districts used to be the United States. Each year one boy and one girl from each of the districts gets called out to be part of the annual Hunger Games. In these games, the only way to win is to survive while everyone else dies. Each child gets entered in the pool of candidates when they are 12 and the whole nation watches the games each year.
In the beginning of the book Katniss' sister gets picked to go into the games and instead of allowing this to happen, Katniss volunteers to go. Her male counterpart is Peeta. They are the poorest district and no one expects them to win. They go into the arena thinking only one of them could win, but what if the best strategy would be to play together?
Critical Evaluation:
This book is the first in a trilogy and has taken the world by storm. There are many people who have read these books in all age groups and it has been turned into a movie. The way Collins writes makes the reader fall in love with Katniss from the beginning. This subject matter has created a lot of conversation and the thought of children killing children is sometimes hard for people to move past. If the reader puts this aside and just decides to read the book for what it is, they will become sucked into the story. Collins has written this book in a way that children dying is not as offensive as it could be. The setting being a land we know but in a completely different way is thought provoking. The reader is forced to see this society in their home town and yet it seems so far removed from the world of today.
About the Author:
Suzanne Collins lives in Connecticut with her family and a couple cats. She is currently working on a children's picture book with another author named James Proimos. Before the Hunger Games series, Collins write a five book series about wars underground in the man holes of big cities. She has only written the two series of books.
Where Collins has spent most of her time is writing for television shows. She has worked for Nickelodeon since 1991 writing scripts for shows. One of the most famous ones is Clarisa Explains it All. She has also done some writing for small children's shows such as Little Bear and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! She began to write books when her co-worker James stated she should give it a try.
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/bio.htm
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Book Talking:
How would you fight in the Huger Games?
Challenging Issues:
This book has been challenged many times in many places. If it was challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is one that if you start, you will want to finish it. It has become a phenomenon in our culture and deserves to be part of any library collection where teens are attending. Many teens relate to the concept of fighting for their spot in life. This is reflected in the Hunger Games.
How would you fight in the Huger Games?
Challenging Issues:
This book has been challenged many times in many places. If it was challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is one that if you start, you will want to finish it. It has become a phenomenon in our culture and deserves to be part of any library collection where teens are attending. Many teens relate to the concept of fighting for their spot in life. This is reflected in the Hunger Games.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Weetzie Bat- Francesca Lia Block
Wetzie Bat
Block, Francesca Lia
ISBN-13 978-0060736255
ISBN-10 0060736259
Publisher: HarperCollins, 1990
Genre: Family and Childhood
Reading Level: 960 Lexile
Interest Age: 15-18
Reader's Annotation:
Weetzie is a fun loving girl trying to make it in this world. Will she find her happiness?
Plot Summary:
Weetzie Bat hated high school. She did not fit in and could not find her place in the crowd. Now, in her 20's, she is finding that the adult world is not very great either. She needs to make her life wonderful if she wants it to be. Growing up, Weetzie's dad Charlie lived in New York while she and her mother lived in Los Angeles. She never understood her parents relationship and missed her dad terribly, but he was set on staying where he was.
She meets Dirk at the beginning of the story. They quickly bond and set out to find "ducks" together. Dirk finds a blond surfer named Duck and Weetzie finds a man named Secret Agent Lover Man. The four move in with one another and start a life together. Their adventures are different from the average person but they are navigating life with each other's company. This book shows that people of all kinds can coexist and be happy.
Critical Evaluation:
Weetzie Bat is an interesting story about acceptance and growing up. Much of the book is not based in reality which could be hard for some readers to get past. Secret Agent Lover Man has a child from another woman but that woman is a witch and the child is too. The group of them live together and no one seems to have a job other than making films for an underground market. It's as if Block decided that the practical things in life and not important and that the important things are in relationships.
Because of this, the characters are well thought out in this story. Weetzie is free and loving and Secret Agent Lover Man is drawn to her from the start. Their relationship is built with little detail, but seems to be very important to both of them. Block created a bond between Dirk and Duck that is felt to the core for the reader. In very few pages, Block paints a story of what could be with a little of what is mixed in.
About the Author:
Francesca Lia Block has written 32 novels and many of them are set in Los Angeles where she has lived for years. Block likes to write about the underground and real parts of Los Angeles. There is more to the city than the glamorous part that everyone sees. Block tries to show that side to her readers.
Her books have been translated into many different languages and published all over the world. She has received many different awards for her work as well such as the Margaret A Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award and the Phoenix Award. The American Library Association has cited her in reviews and she is highly acclaimed by many literary societies.
http://www.francescaliablock.com/bio
Curriculum Ties:
Fantasy vs. Reality. Imagery
Weetzie Bat hated high school. She did not fit in and could not find her place in the crowd. Now, in her 20's, she is finding that the adult world is not very great either. She needs to make her life wonderful if she wants it to be. Growing up, Weetzie's dad Charlie lived in New York while she and her mother lived in Los Angeles. She never understood her parents relationship and missed her dad terribly, but he was set on staying where he was.
She meets Dirk at the beginning of the story. They quickly bond and set out to find "ducks" together. Dirk finds a blond surfer named Duck and Weetzie finds a man named Secret Agent Lover Man. The four move in with one another and start a life together. Their adventures are different from the average person but they are navigating life with each other's company. This book shows that people of all kinds can coexist and be happy.
Critical Evaluation:
Weetzie Bat is an interesting story about acceptance and growing up. Much of the book is not based in reality which could be hard for some readers to get past. Secret Agent Lover Man has a child from another woman but that woman is a witch and the child is too. The group of them live together and no one seems to have a job other than making films for an underground market. It's as if Block decided that the practical things in life and not important and that the important things are in relationships.
Because of this, the characters are well thought out in this story. Weetzie is free and loving and Secret Agent Lover Man is drawn to her from the start. Their relationship is built with little detail, but seems to be very important to both of them. Block created a bond between Dirk and Duck that is felt to the core for the reader. In very few pages, Block paints a story of what could be with a little of what is mixed in.
About the Author:
Francesca Lia Block has written 32 novels and many of them are set in Los Angeles where she has lived for years. Block likes to write about the underground and real parts of Los Angeles. There is more to the city than the glamorous part that everyone sees. Block tries to show that side to her readers.
Her books have been translated into many different languages and published all over the world. She has received many different awards for her work as well such as the Margaret A Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award and the Phoenix Award. The American Library Association has cited her in reviews and she is highly acclaimed by many literary societies.
http://www.francescaliablock.com/bio
Curriculum Ties:
Fantasy vs. Reality. Imagery
Book Talking:
What would it be like to live in Weetzie's world?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is different from any other book I have read so I wanted to include it in the collection. This book combines reality as well as fantasy and does it in a very fluid way. I had to read this book twice before I learned to like it. The second time through, it took on a life of its own. I think many teen readers will enjoy this book.
What would it be like to live in Weetzie's world?
Challenging Issues:
If this book were to be challenged, I would go through the selection process with the challenger as well as explain the rationale for the book. There are many good qualities in this book that could be reason to have it in a collection.
Why Read this Book:
This book is different from any other book I have read so I wanted to include it in the collection. This book combines reality as well as fantasy and does it in a very fluid way. I had to read this book twice before I learned to like it. The second time through, it took on a life of its own. I think many teen readers will enjoy this book.
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