List of Materials

·      21

·      Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

·      The Body of Christopher Creed

·      Born This Way

·      Boyfriends with Girlfriends

·      Burnout 2

·      Clueless

·      The Compound

·      Crank

·      The Cupcake Queen

·      Dark Dude

·      The Devil’s Breath

·      Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs

·      Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

·      Fast Times at Ridgemont High

·      Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

·      The Forest of Hands and Teeth

·      Get Real: What Kind of World Are You Buying?

·      Guitar Hero

·      Hope in Patience

·      The Hunger Games

·      Hurricane Song: A Novel of New Orleans

·      If I Stay

·      Juno

·      Little Brother

·      Matched

·      The Maze Runner

·      The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal

·      PC Gamer

·      Points of View Reference Center

·      Ride BMX

·      Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites

·      The Scorch Trials

·      Seventeen

·      Skim

·      Speak

·      Super Smash Bros.

·      Tantalize

·      Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin?

·      Teen Vogue

·      Testing & Education Reference Center

·      Thirteen Reasons Why

·      The Truth or Something: A Novel

·      Understanding the Holocaust

·      A Walk to Remember

·      Wanted: A Pretty Little Liars Novel

·      Whale Talk

·      With Their Eyes: September 11^th, the View From a High School at Ground Zero

·      World Book Student

·      Zombie Haiku

Lady Gaga-Born This Way

Lady Gaga (2011). Born this way [CD]. Los Angeles, CA: Interscope Records. ASIN: B004K4AVAG

Summary

Born This Way is another installment to keep Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters jumping on the dance floor. Its play list includes “Marry the Night,” “Born This Way,” “Government Hooker,” “Judas,” “Americano,” “Hair,” “Scheibe,” “Bloody Mary,” “Bad Kids,” “Highway Unicorn,” “Heavy Metal Lover,” “Electric Chapel,” “You and I,” and “The Edge of Glory.” Her single, “You and I,” earned her a 2012 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance and the album is nominated for Album of the Year.

Critical Evaluation

Lady Gaga was born Stefani Germanotta on March 28, 1986 in Yonkers, New York. She attended private all-girl Catholic school in Manhattan, Convent of the Sacred Heart, and then began studying music at New York University at age 17. She was influenced by David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, and her stage name is drawn from “Radio Ga-Ga,” a Queen song. Other influences are Madonna and Michael Jackson. These influences are apparent in her songs, which have been described as pop and dance with theatrical performances. Her songs often have controversial messages.

 

Lady Gaga launched onto the music scene in 2008 with her debut album The Fame. Her song, “Born This Way,” promotes self-acceptance regardless of race or sexual orientation. Her vocals are expressive and emotional, and many lyrics have themes dealing with love, sex, sexuality, materialism, money, drugs, religion, freedom, and individualism.

 

Information about Lady Gaga was obtained through Wikipedia.

Genre

Music

Pop

Dance

Why did I include this title?

Lady Gaga is fascinating. I didn’t know much about her before researching for this blog entry. She is hard to miss, though, with her outlandish costumes. Her music is fun to listen to and she is entertaining to watch.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson, L.H. (1999). Speak. New York: Puffin Books.

ISBN-13: 978-0-374-37152-4

Plot Summary

High school freshman Melinda Sordino is an ostracized by everyone, including her best friend. Before school began, she attended a party that forever changed her. She got drunk, and then she was raped by Andy Evans, a popular senior. She called 911, and the police broke up the party. Nobody knows the real reason she called, and they are angry that their merriment was cut short. Because of her trauma, she barely speaks now at all. As the school year progresses and she continually withdraws, her grades decline, she loses the only friend she has left, and she is continually tormented by Andy. The only person who seems to be able to reach her is her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, who encourages her to express her feelings through art. Then, her former best friend begins dating Andy, and he attacks her again. This time, though, she is able to speak and in doing so, finally finds her voice.

Critical Evaluation

The first person narration of Speak expresses teenagers’ emotions spot on. For example, the novel opens with these lines: “It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache.” What teen cannot relate to that feeling? This example of Melinda’s narration and inner thoughts is just the beginning of prose written with much wit, honesty, and acute insight. Melinda’s pain is felt through her words. The high school setting further provides a realistic portrayal of the conflict, and the novel is divided into four sections to mirror the four grading periods of an academic year. Through the progression of time, readers see the transformation of Melinda from withdrawn to finally finding her voice. The prose is replete with vivid imagery as Melinda describes what she sees and what she feels. Themes of seeds are sown throughout the book and germinate as Melinda grows stronger and is able find her voice. This unforgettable debut novel will resonate with readers on many levels.

 

Reader’s Annotation

High school freshman Melinda is raped at a party the summer before school starts and she is so traumatized, she will not speak. An outcast and hated by her classmates, as the school year progresses she learns who her true friends are and finds her voice again just in time.

 

Author Information

Laurie Halse Anderson is a bestselling author known for writing about tough subjects with sensitivity. She has won many awards, and her books Speak and Chains have been National Book Award finalists. Born October 23, 1961 in Potsdam, New York, close to the border of Canada, she continues to live in Northern New York and enjoys watching the snow fall during the winter. She married her childhood sweetheart, Scot, and they have four children. She would like for people to correctly pronounce her name: Halse rhymes with waltz.

 

Anderson began her career in writing as a picture book writer. Before that, she was a freelance reporter for newspapers and magazines. She is well-known for picture books about American history. Because history is a passion of hers, she has written historical fiction novels Fever 1793 and Chains, which is the first in a trilogy set in the Revolutionary War.

 

More information about Laurie Halse Anderson can be found at her website:

http://madwomanintheforest.com/

 

Genre

Young Adult Fiction

High School

Rape

Book Talking Ideas

How art expresses feelings

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Characters are high school students; appropriate for grades 8 and up

Challenge Issues

Underage drinking, rape

Challenge Defense

In defense of a challenge, I would cite these reviews as well as ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library  Materials.

Book Links (A.L.A.) 01/01/07

Publishers Weekly starred 09/13/99

Booklist 09/15/99

School Library Journal starred 10/01/99

Books for the Teen Age (NYPL) 04/01/99

Wilson's Junior High School 01/09/10

Horn Book starred 09/01/99

Wilson's Senior High School 10/01/07

Why did I include this title?

This is a powerful book about a sensitive subject. Melinda’s cutting voice accurately portrays the struggles of high school, and readers can relate to that. The list of lies they tell you in high school is hilarious.

The Other Side: A Teen's Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal by Marley Gibson, Patrick Burns, and Dave Schrader

Gibson, M., Burns, P., & Schrader, D. (2009). The other side: a teen’s guide to ghost hunting and the paranormal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-25829-4

Summary

This guide book introduces teens to everything to do with ghost hunting and the paranormal world. It is written by author Marley Gibson with the help of truTV’s television show Haunting Evidence, Patrick Burns, and Dave Schrader of Darkness Radio, a paranormal radio station. After a chapter introducing ghost hunting, there are fourteen chapters that cover such topics as “A Quick History of Ghost Hunting,” “Different Types of Hauntings,” “Equipment Used in Investigations,” “Electronic Voice Phenomena or EVP,” “The Use of Psychics and Mediums,” “Safe Hex: Protection for You and Your Team,” and “A Healthy Dose of Skepticism.” The book concludes with not only a conclusion chapter, but also a sample interview questionnaire amateur ghost hunters might use to interview clients, and a glossary of terminology.

Critical Evaluation

The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal presents a teen audience with a wide scope of information about everything they need to know to be ghost hunters. The style of writing is chatty and often entertaining: “Who are we and why should you listen to us? Because we told you to! LOL!” This tone of writing reaches teens on their level. The beginning of the book does well to present teens with warnings before they even get started. They are told to be prepared, to avoid trespassing on others’ property, and encouraged to obtain permission before ghost hunting. Furthermore, the writers emphasize that ghost hunting is a hobby: “Paranormal investigation is a true labor of love and a personal journey for attempting to understand the unexplained. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not something that one seeks out as a vocation.” The information in each chapter is clearly presented and concisely written with plenty of examples. Many pages have photographs and other illustrations, though these are all in black and white. Color photographs would make it even better. Text is written in paragraphs often divided by subtitles. The chapter on Safe Hex offers readers with a list of Christian, Wiccan and nontraditional prayers and methods to protect them during investigations. In this way, no one religious belief is excluded. This book is a good beginner’s guide for a growing hobby.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

This guide to ghost hunting gives teens all the information they need to help them seek out the paranormal. For teens interested in ghost hunting as a hobby, they can look no further.

 

Author Information

Marley Gibson, the main author, has been writing ever since she was a small child. She had an expansive collection of stuffed animals and created an entire imaginary world of them, which she called “Animaltown.” She would write stories about their families and lives and would auction the stories off to family members for a quarter. She was inspired to write her first short novel as a teenager when she read the First Love books by Silhouette. In the summer between ninth and tenth grade, she discovered she had cancer in her leg. During the time she was sick and recovering, her imagination kept working.

After a series of jobs, she decided she had to seriously choose a career in January, 2001. Gibson thought about either cooking school or writing, and ultimately chose to be an author. She has written two stories for the Sorority 101 series, writing as Kate Harmon. Then, in November 2007, she sold the first of her Ghost Huntress series. In addition to writing young adult fiction, she also writes nonfiction such as The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal.

Marley Gibson currently lives in Boston and recently married co-author Patrick Burns on November 11, 2011 (yes, 11/11/11). She enjoys promoting her books, speaking, visiting libraries and schools, doing events, and ghost hunting. She loves cooking, traveling and discovering food in new places, and trying out recipes. She drinks too much Diet Coke and spends too much time surfing the Internet.

To contact Marley Gibson and find more information, please visit her website:

http://marleygibson.com/

Genre

Young adult

Nonfiction

Paranormal

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Book Talking Ideas

Do you believe in ghosts? What is paranormal activity?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Geared to teens grades 7 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why did I include this title?

I love ghost hunting shows. As I was reading reviews for this book, I realized that they were right: there are not many ghost hunting books geared to a teenage audience. I appreciate how this book takes the subject matter seriously. Furthermore, I learned so much! I didn’t know there was a difference between ghosts and spirits.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Hughes, John. Ferris bueller’s day off. Paramount Pictures, 1986. DVD. 103mins. ASIN: B00001MXXH

Summary

On a beautiful spring day, high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) decides to fake illness and skip school. He persuades his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) to join him on an adventure through Chicago as a last fling before they head off to college. They borrow Cameron’s father's prized possession, his 1961 Ferrari 250 GT, to travel downtown; then, leaving it with parking attendants, they enjoy the city. Meanwhile, back at school, classmates are genuinely concerned for Ferris’s welfare, and set up a donation fund to help “Save Ferris” on his road to recovery. Ferris’s sister, Jeanne, knows her brother is faking it as does the school principal, Mr. Rooney. Mr. Rooney makes a personal visit to the Bueller house to catch Ferris truant, but Jeanne is there and mistakes him for a burglar so calls the police. When the police arrive and find no one breaking in, they arrest Jeanne for prank calling. At the station, Jeanne meets a drug dealer (Charlie Sheen), who tells her it’s more important to worry about herself than her brother. At the end of their fun day in Chicago, Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron realize that the parking attendants have taken the Ferrari for a joy ride, adding hundreds of miles to the odometer, for which Cameron’s father will be very angry. In an effort to situation, they end up totaling the car. Ferris offers to take the blame, but Cameron insists on finally standing up to his dad. Ferris must make it home in time before his parents get there and his sister helps him out.

Evaluation

This movie is an example of all the fun teens can have skipping a day of school. Ferris’s journey through Chicago makes the audience feels as if they are there too, enjoying all the sights and sounds of such a magnificent city. With Ferris, they see a game at Wrigley Field, go to the top of the Sears Tower, and enjoy art at the Art Museum. Ferris Bueller’s Day off portrays the classic conflicts of teens versus adults as Ferris tricks his parents into believing he is sick, Cameron is afraid of his father, and they escape the clutches of the high school principal. The movie is filled with meaningful lines. Ferris observes, “Life moves so fast, that if you don’t stop to look around, you might miss it.” In fact, that is exactly what the movie is about. It is also about finding one’s self respect and voice as Cameron finally stands up to his father. The plot is uncomplicated and fun, which parallels the relatively simple life of high school before teens face the changes and

responsibilities of adulthood.

Readers Annotation

Ferris Bueller fakes illness to skip school for a day. With his girlfriend and best friend, he enjoys the sights of Chicago before they all have to leave for college.

Information about the Director

Roger Ebert has called John Hughes “the philosopher of adolescence.” Other John Hughes films include The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Pretty in Pink. Hughes was born February 18, 1950 in Lansing, Michigan and moved to Chicago when he was 13. After graduating Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois, Hughes attended Arizona State University, but dropped out before graduating. His directorial debut was Sixteen Candles in 1984, and his depiction of teenage life was hugely successful. Paramount Pictures then offered him a multi-film contract, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was part of that. Most films by John Hughes are about teenage characters in high school settings. However, films such as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and Home Alone took a break from that setup. He is credited with boosting the careers of many actors such as Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, and Judd Nelson, who are often referred to as “The Brat Pack.”

After 1994, Hughes lived a life removed from filmmaking when went to live in Wisconsin. John Hughes then died of a heart attach while taking a walk in New York City on August 6, 2000. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy, their two sons, and four grandchildren. John Hughes was 59 years old.

Information for John Hughes was obtained from bio.com.

http://www.biography.com/people/john-hughes-476258

Genre

Comedy

Drama

Curriculum Ties

City of Chicago

Booktalk Ideas

What would you do if you skipped school for the day?

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

How could I not include a John Hughes film? Who can forget the teacher taking roll? “Bueller? Bueller?” “Anyone? Anyone?” I have done that with my classes, and unfortunately, most of the time they don’t understand the reference. This movie is a classic.

Guitar Hero

Summary

Guitar Hero is a series of video games where players use guitar-shaped game controllers to play music. They read the frets and notes on the video screen or television and simulate playing bass, rhythm guitar, and lead guitar to popular music. They must match notes that scroll across the screen to matching fret positions on the guitar controller. By doing so, they are strumming the guitar. A player’s accuracy earns points. Different modes of play allow players to make music by themselves or in a group as a band. Games can also be played competitively.

Evaluation

Having a video game like Guitar Hero in the library is a way for members of the community to have fun consuming content at the library and socializing with staff and each other. Guitar Hero is a rhythm game, and there some studies have suggested that rhythm games help improve the reading skills of ADHD students, as well as strengthen neural networks involved with reading and paying attention. The game requires hand-eye coordination and following directions to create rhythmic movement and sound. The selection of music varies widely, but most music would be considered pop and rock. They are songs instantly recognized by players. The players can customize their on-screen appearance, and the scenes change as the “band” plays different venues. Guitar Hero can be played on Playstation 2 and requires additional guitars; for this reason, Guitar Hero is a rather expensive game for a library to purchase. However, the benefit of involving young people with library activities is great.

Guitar Hero video games are often available for checkout at libraries.

Why I included this game

Guitar Hero is a lot of fun. While it takes a little while to get used to playing the “guitar” game controller, once you get the hang of it, it can be quite addicting. I am happy to see libraries embracing the idea of providing rooms to play such video games and setting up tournaments for their patrons.

Understanding the Holocaust by George Feldman

Feldman, G. (1998) Understanding the holocaust. Detroit, MI: UXL. ISBN-13: 978-0-7876-1740-0

Summary

This two-volume set of books helps readers understand the Holocaust. As stated in the Reader’s Guide, “Understanding the Holocaust provides a comprehensive range of historical information and current commentary on the Holocaust, the period between 1933 and 1945 when Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party attempted to systematically eliminate the Jews of Europe, as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, and other ‘enemies of the state’” (xi). One of the first items readers encounter is a Holocaust Timeline, in the form of a list of years with a brief description of an important event, that begins in 1871 and ends in 1998, the publication year of this book. A horizontal timeline runs along the bottom of the pages. Next, readers find a glossary of words they need to know while reading. Then, each chapter’s topic is about a specific element relating to the Holocaust. For example, Chapter 1 is titled, “Germany and the Jewish People Before the Holocaust” and Chapter 2 is titled, “The Rise of the Nazi Party.” Maps, photographs, and illustrations provide visual information. The end of each volume includes a “Where to Learn More” section providing information of more books and articles related to this topic. Finally, an index alphabetically lists key terms.

Evaluation

The glossary’s location at the front of the book, before readers even begin reading the text, is a great idea. It implies the importance of these words for understanding, rather than at the back of the book where readers might not think to look. The chapters delve deep into the issues of the topic to provide readers with a thorough understanding of the causes and events leading up to the Holocaust and during it. The text on the pages is broken up into unimposing sections by subheadings, sidebars, maps, photographs, and statistics that directly relate to the information on the page. These items draw the reader’s attention to the page and make the information more comprehensible. They also put faces to the names to make the events even more personal and real. Readers cannot help but feel some element of terror, shock, and sadness when they see such images of Jewish men digging their own graves. These two volumes give readers a complete understanding of how the Holocaust happened and what it was about.

Readers’ Annotation

This two-volume set of books provides readers with a thorough understanding of the rise of the Nazi party, the Holocaust, and its aftermath. Detailed text and captivating illustrations give readers the background necessary to comprehend this time in world history.

Author Information

George Feldman is an author who specializes in writing about the Holocaust and World War II. During WWII, his father, Benjamin, fought in the French Army against the Nazis and escaped to hide. His mother, Sonia, lived in hiding in Limoges. His sister, Renee, was born in hiding. His uncle Boris also fought in the French Army against the Nazis, but was captured and spent five years as a prisoner of war. Lisa, Boris’s wife, was arrested by the French police and sent to Bergen-Belsen. She survived. Their sons, George Feldman’s cousins Toli and Mara, also went to Bergen-Belsen with their mother Lisa and also survived.

Clearly, George Feldman’s first-hand experience with the Holocaust has influenced his writing. His goal is to provide the world with more understanding.

Genre

Nonfiction

Curriculum Ties

World War II, Holocaust, World history

Booktalking Ideas

How did the Holocaust happen?

Reading/ Interest Level

Appropriate for ages 15 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why included?

When we read about Anne Frank as well as portions of her diary, students always ask me about the Holocaust. It is impossible for me to have all the answers. This is an excellent resource to help them understand the Holocaust and the events leading up to it. Students always want to know why didn’t the Jews just say they weren’t Jewish? I hope these books help them realize that it wasn’t as easy as that.