Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Welcome to my blog!


What follows is a collection of books, CDs, DVDs, video games, magazines, and databases for young adults (aged 15-18). This was the culminating assignment for LIBR 265-10.

1)      Alternative Press (magazine)

2)      Annie on My Mind (book)

3)      Avatar (DVD)

4)      Biography Reference Center (database)

5)      The Body of Christopher Creed (book)

6)      Boy Meets Boy (book)

7)      Breathing Underwater (book)

8)      Britannica School Edition (database)

9)      A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage toSurvive (book)

10)   Chopsticks: A Novel (book)

11)   Consumer Health Complete (database)

12)   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (book)

13)   Dead Poets Society (DVD)

14)   Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (DVD)

15)   Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey (book)

16)   Election (book)

17)   Eragon (book)

18)   The Fault in Our Stars (book)

19)   Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (DVD)

20)   Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream (book)

21)   Fruits Basket. 1 (book)

22)   Glee: Karaoke Revolution, Volume 3 (video game)

23)   The House of the Scorpion (book)

24)   The House on Mango Street (book)

25)   Into the Wild (book)

26)   Just Dance 3 (video game)

27)   King Dork (book)

28)   Little Brother (book)

29)   Looking for Alaska (book)

30)   Love & Sex: Ten Stories of Truth (book)

31)   Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (book)

32)   NoveList Plus (database)

33)   Now That’s What I Call Music 43 (CD)

34)   Nylon (magazine)

35)   Of Mice and Men (book)

36)   The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates (book)

37)   The Outsiders (book)

38)   Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (book)

39)   The PLAIN Janes (book)

40)   The Princess Bride (DVD)

41)   Saving CeeCee Honeycutt (book)

42)   Songs About Jane (CD)

43)   Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (book)

44)   Teen Vogue (magazine)

45)   Teenage Dream (CD)

46)   To Kill a Mockingbird (book)

47)   Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 (book)

48)   The Week (magazine)

49)   Weetzie Bat (book)

50)   Worse-Case Scenario Survival Handbook (book)

 

Monday, February 4, 2013

Alternative Press


Alternative Press (Magazine)
Publisher: Alternative Press Magazine, Inc.

Editor In Chief: Jason Pettigrew
Publishing Cycle: Monthly

Circulation: unknown
First Published: 1985

ISSN: 1065-1067
Magazine’s Website: http://www.altpress.com/

Summary: This monthly magazine provides readers with music news, interviews with bands, album reviews, tour dates, and music charts. The magazine covers genres such as alternative, indie, and underground.
Genre: American music magazine

Reader’s Annotation: Read the latest news on your favorite band.
Reason for Item’s Inclusion: Alternative Press is edgy and “in-your-face” and it talks about the music genres teens love.

 

 

Annie on My Mind


Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
Original ISBN 978-0-374-4011-8
Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1982
233 pages
Plot Summary: “It’s raining, Annie” Liza subconsciously writes.  This begins Liza Winthrop’s reminiscing of when she and Annie Kenyon, both age seventeen, meet in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.  They become instant friends despite their differing backgrounds.  Since the girls go to different schools (Liza at a stuffy private academy while Annie attends a raucous public school), they spend most nights and weekends touring the city.  Before too long, the girls develop strong, romantic feelings for each other.  While Annie believes that she may be a lesbian, Liza is very unsure of where her feelings are taking her for she has never before considered her sexual orientation.  A teacher at Liza’s prestigious academy discovers the girls’ relationship and Liza is in jeopardy of being expelled from the school.  Shortly after, the girls graduate high school and go to college on opposing coasts.  Liza has not communicated with Annie since; she has been trying to understand her feelings and what being gay entails.  While she doesn’t communicate with Annie, Annie is always on Liza’s mind.

Critical Evaluation: Annie on My Mind is positively ground-breaking as it was the first novel to show a gay protagonist in a positive light.  But the novel is much more than a “lesbian story.” Garden’s writing accurately describes the uncertainty and anticipation one feels when falling in love for the first time. Anyone – regardless of sexual orientation – can relate to the feelings associated with first love.

Reader’s Annotation: You never forget your first love.
Author Information: Garden was born in Boston on May 15, 1938.  Of the 35 books she has written, many contain gay and lesbian characters or themes.  She was awarded the 2003 Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contribution to YA literature. She is also an active supporter of intellectual freedom.  In 2000, she was awarded the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award and in 2009, received the Johnson County First Amendment Foundation Liberty Award.

Her website can be found at http://www.nancygarden.com/
Genre: LGBT; Realistic fiction; Coming-of-age

Curriculum Ties: English Language Arts
Booktalking Ideas: I would read Liza’s letter (to Annie) in the first few pages of the book. We would also discuss first love.

Reading Level / Interest Age: Grade 9 and up

Lexile: 1000

Challenge Issues: Annie on My Mind was listed as number 44 on the American Library Association’s frequently challenged books for 1990-1999 due to its homosexual content.  In 1994, the book was removed from school libraries, and subsequently burned (yes, you read that right, burned), in Olathe, Kansas.  The book was ordered back on shelves after parents and students sued the school district for violation of their First Amendment rights. 

Reason for Item’s Inclusion: Annie on My Mind is a beautiful, poignant story of first love. It also deals with the uncertainty teens face when coming to terms with their sexuality.  The book sends a positive message to LGBT youth, as well as straight youth, and exemplifies the concept that love knows no gender. In 2000, School Library Journal named Annie on My Mind as one of the “One Hundred Books That Shaped the [20th] Century.”

References:
American Library Association. (n.d.). 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990-1999.   
          Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/1990_1999

American Library Association Young Adult Library Services Association. (n. d.)
Margaret A. Edwards Award Winner. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/margaretaedwards/maeprevious/2003nancygarden

Leitich Smith, C. (interview conducted June 2001). Interview with children’s and YA book author Nancy Garden [Web log]. Retrieved from


School Library Journal. (2000, January). One hundred books that shaped the century. Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA153035.html

 Teacher Librarian. (2011, October). Much more than Annie on her mind. Teacher Librarian, 39(1), 50-54.

 

Avatar


Avatar (DVD)
Theatrical Release: December 18, 2009

DVD Release: April 22, 2010
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Director: James Cameron
Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Signourney Weaver

Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 162 minutes

ASIN: B002VPE1AW
Plot Summary: The year is 2154 and the Earth has depleted all of its natural resources. The planet of Pandora has a vast supply of the mineral unobtanium that could solve Earth’s problem. The atmosphere of Pandora is noxious to humans, but not to the 10-foot Na’vi that inhibit the planet. In order to explore Pandora, a group of scientists use hybrids of Na’vi and human called “avatars.” Jake Sully, a paraplegic ex-Marine, takes over for his recently deceased twin as an avatar. With the promise of being able to walk again, Jake has orders to get close to the Na’vi in order to gain information on the “Hometree” where a large supply of unobtanium lies, but also serves as a sacred place for the Na’vi. Jake changes alliances and will do whatever it takes to protect the Na’vi and their “Hometree.”
Critical Evaluation: Avatar achieved both commercial and critical success. The movie was the highest grossing ever in both domestic and worldwide sales. It is stunningly beautiful with its ground-breaking visual effects that use virtual elements. The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards (including Best Picture), winning three. It did won a Golden Globe for Best Film – Drama.

The film is a proper cautionary tale. The people of Earth have been wasteful of their resources, and now try to destroy another culture in order to survive. It is fitting that the mineral in question is called “unobtanium” (looks suspiciously similar to “unobtainable,” don’t you think?).
Viewer’s Annotation: How far will one man go for industrial greed? Jake Sully will soon find out.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Reason for Item’s Inclusion: Avatar is the all-time leader in box office sales. It is probably the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. It also delivers a very powerful message.

References:

All-time USA box office. (2012, August 26). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegross
Avatar (Original theatrical edition). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Avatar-Original-Theatrical-Edition-Worthington/dp/B002VPE1AW/ref=sr_1_7?ie =UTF8&qid=1346013190&sr=8-7&keywords=avatar



Biography Reference Center


Biography Reference Center (EBSCO Publishing)
Description: Biography Reference Center is a collection of more than 460,000 biographies of people, past and present – celebrities, world leaders, historical figures, and much more.  Articles come from many respected sources including Biography Today and Hutchinson’s Biography Database.

Critical Evaluation: The site is very easy to navigate. Students may use the search box to enter a name, or can search a name by genre. It is possible to locate many biographies of one person from this site. Variance in articles allows for multiple reading levels. Biography Reference Center allows for articles to be translated into a handful of languages.  Articles can also be saved in a folder or emailed.
Access: Subscription database


The Body of Christopher Creed


The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Original ISBN 978-0-15-206386-3
Harcourt, Inc, 2000
259 pages.
Plot Summary: Christopher Creed, the class freak, has disappeared. Was he murdered? Did he commit suicide? As speculation of his fate circulates school, popular guy Torey Adams begins to question his possible role in Creed’s disappearance and begins to search for Creed. In the process he loses his friends, and very possibly his mind. But with the help of his old friend Ali, Torey discovers something much more important about himself and his interaction with others.

Critical Evaluation: This first person narrative told from the perspective of a 16-year-old boy has mysterious twists and turns that will keep the reader hooked to the very end; everyone wants to find out what happened to Christopher Creed. The book also describes the intolerance some teens have for others that are different, and how actions of hatred can affect them.  Plum-Ucci does an excellent job describing the uncertainty Torey feels about his hazing of Creed and what that could have led Creed to do to himself.
Reader’s Annotation: When Christopher Creed disappears, popular guy Torey Adams does what he can to find out what happened – even if people think he had something to do with it.

Author Information: Plum-Ucci, an American writer, was born in 1957. She lived atop her family’s funeral home the peculiarities of which she states began for passion for her style of writing. Ironically, Plum-Ucci spent many years as a staff writer for the (very un-scary) Miss America Organization. She was the third-generation to work for the organization and she left mere days before she received royalties from her first book, The Body of Christopher Creed. This book gained national attention as it was named the Michael L. Printz Award Honor and one of YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults Honor in 2001. It also garnered an Edgar Award nomination for Best Young Adult Mystery.
Plum-Ucci has written six other young adult novels the latest of which is Following Christopher Creed (a sequel to The Body of Christopher Creed) published September 2011.

Her website can be found at http://carolplumucci.com/
Genre: Mystery

Curriculum Ties: This novel can be used in a unit on bullying
Booktalking Ideas: I would ask students to think of a time when they witnessed bullying, were bullied, or was a bully. What are some of the feelings associated with bullying?

Reading Level / Interest Age: Grades 8-12
Lexile: 720

Challenge Issues: The book was challenged in 2010 by Appleton, Wisconsin parents who wanted the book removed as part of the ninth-grade curriculum due to references to sex and suicide. The challenge was rejected by the school board.
Reason for Item’s Inclusion: It is often mentioned as a Young Adult “must read” and one of my favorite high school English teachers told me I HAD to read it.

References:
Nicolai, M. (2012, April 23). Appleton school board rejects changes to reading curriculum. Retrieved from http://ndlaonline.org/ifblog/?tag=sexual-content

Boy Meets Boy


Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Original ISBN 978-0-375-83299-4
Knopf, 2003
185 pages
Plot Summary: Paul has known since kindergarten that he is gay. He lives in a town that is very accepting and tolerant. Teenaged Paul has a wide variety of friends: the cross-dressing football quarterback, Infinite Darlene; Tony who has to lie to his parents about his homosexuality; Joni who used to be in love with Ted, but is now in love with Chuck; and Noah, the boy that Paul likes…really likes. Told over a few weeks, the story tells the tale of how special and fragile love and friendship can be.

Critical Evaluation: The story is told from the perspective of high school sophomore, Paul. In describing the town in which he lives, you see that the
town is very accepting.  Even when the story seems a bit over the top,
(the cheerleaders come into the pep rally on Harleys) it’s really not.
Boy Meets Boy is a novel that discusses a lot of different relationships: boy
and boy; girl and boy; child and parent; friend and friend. Michael Cart, in his
review for Booklist said, “In its blithe acceptance and celebration of human differences, this is arguably the most important gay novel since Nancy Garden’s
Annie on My Mind and seems to represent a revolution in the publishing of gay-themed books for adolescents.”

Reader’s Annotation: Boy meets boy; boy loses boy; boy works hard to get boy back…all while juggling fractured friendships and an ex-boyfriend.

Author Information: Levithan was born in 1972 and wrote his first book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. He has authored or co-authored 16 books. One interesting fact about Levithan is that writing is not his full-time job. He is also the editorial director for Scholastic, where he has worked since gaining an internship at age 19. He is also the founding editor of PUSH which focuses on new YA authors and voices. Levithan has received the Lambda Literary Award twice: first in 2003 for Boy Meets Boy, and again in 2006. Boy Meets Boy was named one of ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults in 2004.
His website can be found at http://www.davidlevithan.com/

Genre:
LGBT; Realistic fiction; Coming-of-age

Curriculum Ties: English Language Arts to illustrate theme

Booktalking Ideas: I would read descriptions of the cast of characters (as depicted on the back of the book).
Reading Level / Interest Age: Grades 8-12

Lexile: 730

Challenge Issues: The book has been challenged in Wisconsin and Tennessee for its reference to homosexuality.
Reason for Item’s Inclusion: As mentioned previously, this novel is considered to be an important gay novel. The novel also depicts a town that is accepting and tolerant of everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

References:
Cart, M. (2003, August). Starred reviews: Books for youth [Review of the book Boy Meets Boy, by D. Levithan]. Booklist, 99(22), 1980. Retrieved form Academic Search Premier at Persistent URL: http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=10619609&site=ehost-live

David Levithan. (2012, July 26). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Levithan

Breathing Underwater


Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
Original ISBN 978-0-06-447257-9
HarperTempest, 2001
263 pages
Plot Summary: Nick is the envy of everyone at his high school: he is rich, smart, popular, and good looking. This however is merely a façade. Nick is verbally and physically abused by his father. Nick meets and falls in love with Caitlin, a girl who until her recent weight loss left no impression upon Nick. Over time, Nick becomes more and more possessive of Caitlin and ends up verbally abusing her. When Nick hits Caitlin, she takes out a restraining order. As part of Nick’s treatment, he must attend six months of anger management classes and write daily in a journal. Nick doesn’t fully understand the ramifications of his actions until he befriends, and identifies with, a fellow “classmate” who takes his abuse too far.

Critical Evaluation: Some might consider Breathing Underwater a quest novel because the protagonist undergoes a journey where obstacles are overcome and knowledge is gained at the end. The novel is told in a realistic first-person voice and is interspersed with journal articles. Throughout the book, we see Nick’s continued growth as a character.
Breathing Underwater shows a true and clear picture of dating violence – something many teens face.

Reader’s Annotation: No one is always how they appear. Everyone has a dark side.
Author Information: Flinn is an American author born in 1966.  Her first novel Breathing Underwater deals with dating violence and was inspired by her work with battered women which she did while attending law school. Flinn has written 10 novels. Several of her books, including Breathing Underwater, have been named American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults.

Her website can be found at http://www.alexflinn.com/
Genre: Realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties: Domestic violence curriculum; English Language Arts as companion piece to Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Booktalking Ideas: In addition to expanding the Reader’s Annotation, I would read one of Nick’s journal entries.

Reading Level / Interest Age: Grade 8 and up
Lexile: 510

Challenge Issues: The book was challenged by Richland (Washington) school district board of trustees in January 2012 due to “dark themes, foul language, and sexual content.” The book was eventually retained.
Reason for Item’s Inclusion: Breathing Underwater accurately depicts a situation of dating violence…a situation that affects one in three teens (according to http://www.breakthecycle.org/). The book can be seen as a modern quest novel with the protagonist undergoing a great deal of introspection.

References:
Beaver, T. (2012, January 25). Richland school book review process to be examined. Retrieved from
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/01/25/1800582/richland-school-book-review-process.html

Britannica School Edition


Britannica School Edition (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Description: Britannica School Edition incorporates four complete encyclopedias which allows for varied reading levels. Articles within the site include links to maps, videos, and other interactive guides.  

Critical Evaluation: Of all of the databases that I offer in my school library, Britannica School Edition is favored by teachers and students for its ease of use and breadth of information. Each article contains an MLA and APA citation which makes referencing very easy. 
Access: Subscription database


A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive



A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage to Survive by Dave Pelzer
Original ISBN 978-1-55874-366-3
Health Communications, 1995
184 pages
Plot Summary: This book is a memoir that agonizingly describes the tortuous physical and mental abuse Pelzer received from his mother at the ages of four to twelve in what has been called one of the worst cases of child abuse in California history. David was often starved, made to sleep on a cot in the garage, and told to spend hours in a bathtub of water. The abuse became more dangerous when his mother would lock him in a bathroom with a bucket of bleach and ammonia in what Dave called “the gas chamber game.”

Critical Evaluation: While this book is classified as a book for adults, the text is easily readable for pre-teens and teens. Pelzer states in the “Author’s Notes” of the book that “the tone and vocabulary reflect the age and wisdom of the child at that particular time” (p. xi). The ongoing descriptions of physical abuse endured by this boy are difficult to read at times.
Reader’s Annotation: Dave is no longer a person; he’s an “it” in his mother’s eyes. How does Dave live through the years of abuse and fear brought on by his mother?

Author Information: Pelzer was born in 1960. He has written three books that discuss his childhood including the child abuse he endured and his journey as a child in the foster care system. A Child Called “It” is book one of a trilogy. The second book, The Lost Boy: A Foster Child’s Search for the Love of a Family is based on Pelzer’s life from ages 12 to 18. The final book in the trilogy is called A Man Named Dave. All three are very popular with young adults. Pelzer has three additional books not mentioned in this section. He served for several years in the United States Air Force. He now works as a motivational speaker.
Pelzer was named to the 10 Outstanding Young Americans in 1993 and was a recipient of a 2005 National Jefferson Award.

His website can be found at http://www.davepelzer.com/
Genre: Nonfiction; Crossover; Memoir

Curriculum Ties: Family violence; Overcoming odds
Booktalking Ideas: I would read the first page of the book – two paragraphs that describe the fear Dave felt and the physical abuse he suffered on the day of his rescue.

Reading Level / Interest Age: Grade 9 and up
Lexile: 850

Challenge Issues: There could be challenge issues due to offensive language and descriptions of abusive behavior mentioned in the book. The defense of any book begins with being familiar with the text and finding positive professional reviews, and noting any awards given to the book.
Reason for Item’s Inclusion: This is the one book, fiction or nonfiction, which my high school students ask for by name.

References:
NoveList Plus. (2012). Retrieved from Persistent URL
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=176013&site=novp-live

Chopsticks: A Novel


Chopsticks: A Novel by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral
Original ISBN 978-1-59514-435-5
Razorbill, 2012.
Unpaged

Plot Summary: Chopsticks: A Novel begins with the strange disappearance of Glory Fleming – a seventeen-year old piano prodigy who was recently committed to a mental institution due to her incessant playing of the song “Chopsticks.” The story, which is told through photos, takes the reader through the life of Glory beginning when she was a young girl and her mother deserted the family. We also experience Glory’s overprotective father, and her meeting and falling in love with Francisco Mendoza, the artistic
Argentinian who moves in next door. The photos take the reader
through a mystery and ask the question, “What happened to Glory Fleming?”
Critical Evaluation: To call Chopsticks a novel in the true sense of the word is truly not giving it the credit it deserves. Chopsticks is a multimedia novel that incorporates pictures, drawings, and song lists to weave a mystery and love story in a truly unique way. To assist in the multimedia-ness is a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4j55yz_iZg and software application which are meant to be companion pieces for they incorporate links to videos and music that is incorporated in the book. These links truly bring the characters of Glory and Francisco to life making the “reading” experience that much more enjoyable.

What is interesting about the novel is that there is no true “point of view.” Since there is no dialogue per se (there are a few screen shots of texts between the two teens), the reader must use the visual cues provided by the pictures and songs to interpret the characters’ motivations and actions.
Reader’s Annotation: This book isn’t just for reading; it’s a love story/mystery for the senses.

Author Information:
I found very little information about Jessica Anthony  other than she has written one other novel and many short stories. In 2004, she won the inaugural Amanda Davis Highwire Fictional Award.

Rodrigo Corral is a designer and creative director for publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He has designed many book covers including John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. His website can be found at  http://www.rodrigocorral.com/
Genre: Multimedia fiction

Curriculum Ties: Art; English Language Arts
Booktalking Ideas: I would begin a booktalk by showing the YouTube video (link above).

Reading Level / Interest Age: Grade 9 and up
Lexile: Not applicable

Challenge Issues: There is sexual content as exhibited by tasteful nude sketches, but they are not overly graphic.
Reason for Item’s Inclusion: Chopsticks: A Novel is truly the most unique book EVER!

References:
Chopsticks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://chopsticksnovel.tumblr.com/the-authors