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.

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.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Frank, A. (1952). The diary of a young girl. New York: Doubleday.

ISBN-13: 978-0-553-29698-3

Plot Summary

The diary begins on Sunday, June 14, 1942. Anne Frank and her family live in Holland after emigrating there to escape Nazi persecution of Jews. Anne calls her diary Kitty because she wants to treat it as a friend who she can confide in and “bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in (her) heart.” She had received the diary as a present from her parents for her thirteenth birthday on June 12. The Frank family had believed they would be safe in Holland, but that proved otherwise as rules and laws took away their freedoms when Holland was invaded. Then, when her older sister, Margot, receives the call-up notice instructing her to report at the train station for deportation, the family virtually disappears. Otto Frank, Anne’s father, had prepared for this event by setting up an apartment above his jam company in advance. They have everything they need to survive there, and Anne calls it the Secret Annex. Soon after, the Van Daan family moves in. Their son Peter is shy, but after some time, he and Anne develop a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, years pass as they rely on Miep and a few other helpers for food, toiletries, entertainment, and news. Anne describes the daily life and the frequent scares in her diary entries as she herself is maturing into adolescence. They are hopeful that they will finally be able to leave the Secret Annex when the Allies storm the beaches of Normandy, but their luck tragically runs out. Anne’s last diary entry is Tuesday, August 1, 1944.

Critical Evaluation

Anne Frank’s words are those of a young girl on the verge of womanhood. Each entry is dates, which provide readers with a chronology of events and is made even more significant when readers can identify important moments of WWII. The passage of time is poignantly marked by the ringing of church bells, the changing of seasons, and the New Year’s celebration cakes. Anne’s entries are replete with typical adolescent girl drama, to which readers can relate. She does not get along with her mother, she feels as if she is in the shadows of her older sister, and she longs for the affection of her father. Readers will also relate to the stumbling relationship between Peter and Anne; feelings of excitement, doubt, and anxiety wax and wane as their relationship grows from friendship to romance. In her diary entries, Anne also contemplates what she wants to do when she grows up, and that is to be a writer; because the reader undoubtedly knows her fate, the tragedy is made even greater. With this diary, Anne’s voice serves as a voice of millions of Holocaust victims whose story we will never read. When Anne says that she still believes that people really are good at heart, readers can’t help but evaluate their own lives as they wonder what could have been. Because of Anne’s words, the world will never forget her, nor will they forget the injustices done. For all its tragedy, Anne’s diary is a story of hope, faith, and love.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Anne Frank and her family live in the Secret Annex for two years. During that time, Anne writes in her diary about life, love, and growing up.

 

Author Information

 

Annelies Marie Frank was born June 12, 1929, the second daughter for Otto and Edith Frank (Margot was their first daughter). They lived a peaceful life in Frankfurt, Germany, until Hitler took over; then they moved to Amsterdam, the Netherlands in the fall of 1933, where they believed they would be safe from anti-Semitism. However, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. As in Germany, the Jews suffered persecution and were required to wear a yellow star on their clothing. Anti-Jewish laws made life difficult and Jews were forced to attend segregated schools. Jews were given summons to report for deportation to Nazi concentration camps, and Anne’s father began making preparations for his family to go into hiding. On July 5, 1942, a few weeks after Anne’s parents gave her the red and white checkered diary for her birthday, Margot received the letter to report, and the Frank family went into hiding the very next day.

Otto Frank was the only survivor in his family. On August 4, 1944, German soldiers raided their hiding place. Anne hid her diary, and later Miep Gies found it and kept it for when she returned. Of course, Anne never did. After the raid, the family was shipped to Westerbork, a concentration camp in northern Netherlands. Then, they were transferred to the Auschwitz death camp in Poland on September 3. There, the women and men were separated and Otto never say his wife or daughters again. Later, Edith became ill and died at Auschwitz on January 6, 1945. Her daughters were transferred to Bergen-Belsen work camp, but conditions were terrible and soon the girls became sick with typhus. They died with a day of each other in March 1945. A few weeks later, Russian troops liberated the camp. Anne was fifteen years old.

Otto survived and returned to Amsterdam where Miep gave him Anne’s diary. As he read it, he was surprised to learn things about his daughter he never knew and was amazed by her depth of thoughts and feelings. Honoring her wishes to someday be a writer, he published her diary on June 25, 1947.

Information was obtained from Bio.com:

 http://www.biography.com/people/anne-frank-9300892?page=1

Genre

Young adult

Nonfiction

Diary

Curriculum Ties

WWII, Holocaust

Book Talking Ideas

How does writing help sort emotions? What would it be like to be trapped for two years, never being able to go outside?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Appropriate for ages 14 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Challenge Defense

N/A

Why did I include this title?

When you read Anne’s words, you enter her world. It is amazing how someone so young can have such depth of thought and feeling. It is impossible not to be affected by her words. She believes that peace and tranquility will return. Maybe someday her dream will come true.

With Their Eyes: September 11th, the View From a High School at Ground Zero edited by Annie Thoms

Thoms, A. (2002). With their eyes: September 11^th, the view from a high school at Ground Zero. New York: HarperTempest.

ISBN-13: 978-1-40464-285-0

Summary

Tuesday morning, September 11, 2011 began like any other day at Stuyvesant High School, a magnet school for high-achieving students four blocks from the World Trade Center in New York City. Five days into the new school year, hundreds of students watched in horror through their classroom windows as the Twin Towers burst into flames during first period. Following evacuation and relocation, English teacher Annie Thoms contacted playwright Anna Deavere Smith with an ambitious idea: create a play in which Stuyvesant students told their own stories and the stories of others in the community about their experiences that day and in the days that followed. Ten students auditioned and became the play’s actors. They interviewed fellow classmates, faculty, and staff and recorded it all on tape. Then, they transcribed the interviews, which create the monologues that make up the play. The play was performed on February 8 and 9, 2002 to standing ovations and national attention.

Critical Evaluation

With Their Eyes is a fusion of recording history and creating art. The monologues are the stories of real people and their voices. The unfinished sentences left with words like “um” and “uh” and the breaks in thought echo the jarred and jagged memories of that day for them: “It’s just that, it’s interesting, it was like,/ the, the air felt on the outside like something that you/ might smell at a,/ or feel at a barbecue,/ but it didn’t, it…it hurt you./ It hurt your windpipe” (44). Perhaps they show us that there truly are no words that can express their feelings. Each monologue paints with words the images they saw first hand and terrifyingly close. The play has two acts that follow a chronology of events. Act One is about the morning of September 11 and evacuating the school. Act Two is about the days following September 11. Frank discussions about reasons for the attacks take place, and the monologues are peppered with occasional explicit language. Again, the language is part of the reality of the people speaking. Readers will recognize how the actors placed themselves in another person’s words, just as we are encouraged to put ourselves in others’ shoes. The emotion and empathy is strong, and this play, through its linguistic art, records history. Through these words, real people told their stories and by doing so, art was created. Art endures through time. This play symbolizes that New York City, and the rest of America, will also endure.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Ten high school students at Stuyvesant High School, four blocks from the World Trade Center, create a play of monologues about what it was like that day and after. These words from eye-witnesses will stir emotions and ultimately remain a lasting piece of historical art.

 

Author Information

 

Annie Thoms herself graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1993. She received her BA from Williams College and then her MA in English education from Teachers College at Columbia University. In 2000, she became an English teacher and theater advisor at Stuyvesant High School.

 

Annie Thoms currently lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters, Eleanor and Isabel. She says, “Too often, adults looking for authors that teenagers will want to read ignore one of the greatest talent pools possible: other teenagers. High school students have incredible voices and vivid, powerful stories to tell, not only in the face of national tragedy, but in the everyday sorrows and joys of their lives as well.”

 

Information about Annie Thoms was found on the Harper Collins Publishers website. http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/24990/Annie_Thoms/index.aspx

 

Genre

Young adult

Nonfiction

Drama

Curriculum Ties

9/11

Book Talking Ideas

How is history recorded? What is the significance of art?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Appropriate for ages 14 and up

Challenge Issues

Language

Challenge Defense

If it were challenged, I would consult ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library  Materials.

I would also cite these reviews:

Book Links (A.L.A.) 04/01/03

School Library Journal 01/01/03

Booklist 09/01/02

Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 10/01/02

Books for the Teen Age (NYPL) 05/01/04

Wilson's Junior High School 11/01/05

Publishers Weekly 09/02/02

Wilson's Senior High School 10/30/03

Why did I include this title?

I was intrigued when I read that an English teacher, like myself, thought of this idea and was able to pull it off. You can see the people and feel the words of the monologues. I think that talking about the pain helps heal the pain; this play is an example of that.

Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes For Teen Chefs by Rozanne Gold

Gold, R. (2009). Eat fresh food: awesome recipes for teen chefs. Photographs by Phil Mansfield. New York: Bloomsbury.

ISBN-13: 978-1-59990-282-1

Summary

This cookbook is comprised of more than 80 recipes that emphasize healthy eating with fresh foods. The author is encouraging her readers to get out of the junk food rut. There are seven chapters focusing on different courses: Bread, Butter, & Breakfast; Bowls: Soups & Pasta; Sandwiches, Burgers & Pizza; Salads, Big & Small; Dinner Specials With Vegetables; Side Dishes; and Desserts & Drinks. Additionally, an Introduction includes a nutritionist’s notes, information about organic food, the pantry, equipment, safety, and getting started. At the end of the book, a list of menus offers suggestions for important events and get-togethers with family and friends such as New Year’s Breakfast, Valentine’s Day Dinner, A Birthday Party, and the Last Gasp of Summer. Each recipe includes a list of ingredients, clear step-by-step instructions, and colorful photographs.

Critical Evaluation

Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs is a colorful, inspiring cookbook for teens who are interested in cooking or who are seeking alternatives to fast food, junk food, and snacks. In the Introduction, Rozanne Gold explains the acronym FRESH: farmer-friendly, ripe-ready, easy-exciting, sustainable, honest-healthy. An memorable acronym might encourage young chefs not only while they are shopping but also when they are cooking. Vibrant photographs show examples of ingredients, equipment, final products, and happy young adult sous chefs in action and having fun in the kitchen. Seeing the multicultural group of sous chefs enjoying themselves promotes creativity in the kitchen, makes readers want to join in, and emphasizes that everyone can do this. The recipes are relatively easy with minimal ingredients; because the lists of ingredients are short, young chefs will not be overwhelmed and discouraged from trying them. Furthermore, the descriptions of the dishes are told in a relaxed, encouraging tone. Sidebars on many pages provide helpful tips and suggestions. Quotes from young chefs appear in colorful circles throughout the page. For example, Dan exclaims, “I always make things spicy, to see how hot I can take it.” Fun quotes like this appeal to the reader because he or she can connect with them. Many of the recipes are also vegetarian, even though none of them point that out. Young chefs will learn the difference between ground cinnamon and ground cumin, and they will have fun cooking healthy food that all will enjoy.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Teen chefs cook more than 80 recipes in this cookbook that encourages FRESH eating. From ultra-thin breakfast crepes with fresh blueberry syrup in the morning to hot-milk shortcakes with strawberries and cream for dessert, these delicious recipes will delight family and friends.

 

Author Information

 

Rozanne Gold, a renowned chef, author, and restaurant consultant, began her career at age 23 as first chef to Ed Koch, mayor of New York City. She has won the prestigious James Beard Award four times and has won the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award. She has helped re-create the Rainbow Room at the top of Rockefeller Center in New York as well as worked at Windows on the World, the restaurant that was at the top floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. She has been named one of America’s Top 5 Enlightened Chefs and Hospitality Professional of the Year. She is known for “keeping it simple,” and one of her cookbooks, Fabulous Food Using Only Three Ingredients (1996) has been published in three languages. Her book Healthy 1-2-3 (2001) won the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) award.

 

Chef Gold is a graduate of Tufts University where she majored in psychology and education. She then studied cooking in Italy and France. She is a trustee of Arts Horizons, a nonprofit organization that brings the arts to city schools. The movement to help teens eat more healthfully is important to her and Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs is her 11^th book.

 

Rozanne Gold lives with her husband and teenage daughter in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York and her son lives in Silicon Valley, CA.

 

More information about Chef Rozanne Gold can be found at her website:

http://www.rozannegold.com/

 

Genre

Young adult

Nonfiction

Cookbook

Curriculum Ties

Home economics

Book Talking Ideas

Tired of eating the same old junk? Why are farmer’s markets so popular? What is it like to be a chef?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Appropriate for ages 14 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Challenge Defense

N/A

Why did I include this title?

I love chefs. Their creativity and passion comes through in everything they do. This cookbook is no exception. Rozanne Gold’s enjoyment of food and young adults is obvious. The recipes look delicious. I think the first one I want to try is Bombay Sliders with Hurry-Curry Sauce. See how much fun that sounds? Every page has color photographs, which is nice. How often do we look at cookbooks without pictures and wish we could see what it was supposed to look like? I have a student in class who is always looking at cookbooks and writing recipes down. She says she will bring me some of what she makes, but she never remembers. That’s ok. I hope she enjoys this book.

Get Real: What Kind of World Are You Buying? by Mara Rockliff

Rockliff, M. (2010). Get real: What kind of world are you buying? Philadelphia, PA: Running Press.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7624-3745-0

Summary

The back cover of the book asks readers, “Can you really change the world with your wallet?” It then answers, “You already do.” This nonfiction resource exposes teens to the common items they consume every day and how they are affecting the planet. Booklist calls it, “A clearly written guide for readers who want to translate social and environmental awareness into action.” Thirteen chapters discuss environmental concerns; some of the topics are fast food, cell phones, and organic food. Each chapter describes the issue with an anecdote and questions. A section titled, “Rebels With a Cause” tells the story of how real-life teens made a difference. “Power to the People” sections show how readers can also make a difference. “How Low Can They Go?” presents readers with negative impacts real companies that readers have heard of have on the environment. “No Way!” further shocks readers with information about what they consume. “Act Out!” gives readers strategies to help the environment through what they do or do not buy. Many chapters have a section titled “Fast Forward” where readers learn about future trends. At the end of each chapter is a pullout box titled “More.” Here, readers will find more sources of information such as books, articles, and movies about the chapter’s topic.

Critical Evaluation

The layout of this book is interesting. When the reader opens it up to the table of contents, he sees not a list, but a collage of multi-colored text boxes of varying sizes. The effect this creates is it shows us how there is not a listed, linear approach, but that everything is somehow interconnected. Form follows function here; the same is true of our spending and consuming habits. The information in this book is often shocking and disturbing. One disappointed factor is much of the statistical information is left without reference citations. While the exclusion of the references might make the information seem less credible, the effect the statistics has on the readers is where the significance lies. There are interesting and creative graphics that draws attention. For example, the ear of corn with two screws on its sides definitely raises questions. Color photographs of landfills and destroyed forests also intend to disturb the reader. The book also offers more information in its lists of books, articles, movies, and websites. By doing so, this book clearly tells the reader that the information here is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

What you buy has more of an effect on the environment that you think. Read this book to learn what your part is in helping, or destroying, the environment.

Author Information

 

Mara Rockliff’s website lists many interesting things she has done in her life. For example, she has ridden an elephant, lived on a commune, and hung out with Cambodian monks. She also admits that she has never had a cell phone nor does she watch TV.

Mara Rockliff has also written under the pen names Nan Walker, Eleanor May, and Lewis B. Montgomery. She currently lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her family and enjoys visiting schools to talk about her books.

She can be reached through her website at:

http://mararockliff.com/index.html

This site has a lot of information for teens and teachers. There is a list of curricular units, ideas, and activities for download.

Genre

Young adult

Nonfiction

Curriculum Ties

Science, environment, recycling, gardening, nutrition, trade, economy

Book Talking Ideas

What are you doing to help the environment? What are some ways people can group together to really make a change?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Appropriate for ages 14 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Challenge Defense

N/A

Why did I include this title?

I thought I was doing a good job “going green” by recycling paper and bottles. Now, after reading this great little resource of a book, I realize that there is so much more I can do and how important it is that we all begin buying and consuming in a smarter way. I didn’t think buying Fair Trade products was such a big deal. Now, I will look for that symbol when I buy things like coffee. The information in this book is fascinating and informative, and teen readers will do well to take to heart its recommendations and spread the word. Today’s teen is more green-conscious than any other teens in history, and they are in the position to truly make a great impact. This book will help them accomplish that goal.

World Book Student

World Book Student Online Encyclopedia

URL

http://www.worldbook.com/browse-all-products/item/429-world-book-student

Summary

World Book Student Online Encyclopedia is offered through the school’s library website. It has multiple ways for students to conduct a search for information. First, students can type in a topic in the Search field. There is also the option of “Other Ways to Find it” where students can search by content or by images and videos. If they choose to search by content, they click on By subject, Alphabetically, or Dictionary. If they choose to search for images and videos, they can choose By title or Atlas. Other items include the Featured Video where students can watch an interesting video about a topic and familiarize themselves with videos they may search for in the future. There is a Behind the Headlines section where they can “get the scoop on current events,” and three topics are listed as possibilities. An Explore section allows the student to “Explore World Book’s rich collection of articles, tables, maps, and multimedia on the world” and includes links to Explore California, Explore the World, and Compare Places. Another section is comprised of links to Most Popular Articles and includes Writing Skills, World War I, and the Navy on the particular day I studied this website. Furthermore, the Biography Center allows students to find topics for biography projects and lists links to Inventors, Explorers, Painters, World Leaders, Athletes, and Authors. Students might be interested in the Quizzes and Activities links. Finally, there is a section to help students “compile, create, and save…research projects with World Book’s research tools: Citation Builder, How to Do Research, My Research, and Timelines.” As if this website were not enough, students may switch to any other of the World Book Sites: World Book Discover, World Book Advanced, World Book Hallazgos (in Spanish), and World Book Kids.

Evaluation

Here is the description of the World Book Student Online Encyclopedia:

World Book Student is a comprehensive site that includes a collection of content, features, and tools specifically developed to make online knowledge accessible and easy to integrate into lesson planning. It is loaded with information and features that will help students perform their research. The site features the entire World Book Encyclopedia with high-interest content written at the age appropriate level that engages students.

True to this description, it does contain all the information that students might need to do research for school projects. However, the librarian and I agree that the entries are too minimal or terse for proper academic research. Despite this shortcoming, World Book Student’s selection of videos is a great source of information. The videos are informative and entertain and provide students with a good look at subjects they might not otherwise see. Also, a great feature is its Spanish language translator and read aloud capabilities. EL students love those two features. Another helpful feature is the Citation Builder. Here, students not only begin to understand the importance of citing and creating reference pages, but this tool actually helps them with the process. While students might feel the need to seek more information elsewhere, World Book Student is definitely a good place to start researching.

Why I Included it

I included this Database because my school’s library has a subscription to it. It is available on the computers in the Library Media Center, and students can also do research from home. However, despite its availability and wealth of information, the search statistics keep decreasing for both students and teachers. Many people would rather use Google or Wikipedia to search for information. Even though teachers have been given training how to use the database, it is still not being used. I would like to showcase World Book Student here in my blog to demonstrate its capabilities and encourage people to use it more.

Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin? by Judge Tom Jacobs

Jacobs, J. (2010). Teen cyberbullying investigated: where do your rights end and consequences begin? Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.

ISBN-13: 978-1-57542-339-5

Plot Summary

In this nonfiction resource, Judge Tom Jacobs addresses the common problem of online cyberbullying and cyberharassment among teens. The Introduction explains what cyberbullying is and the many forms it takes and introduces how this book will present real court cases of teens who were harassed or the ones harassing other kids. Part I is Cyberbullying and the Law. These pages discuss the First Amendment, the freedoms it guarantees, and explains the U.S. Court System. It explains how a court’s ruling may be persuasive in other places, but it affects only those within its jurisdiction. A discussion of the rights of minors follows with evidence from Supreme Court cases. Next, there is a discussion of ethics and laws on cyberbullying. Part II is comprised of sixteen chapters. Each chapter is about a recent landmark court case, the act that occurred to create the case, the charge, and a description of the incident and case. After that is a section subtitled, “How Would You Decide This Case?” followed by “What the Court Decided.” The latter section explains the court’s ruling. Next, the section “How Does this Decision Affect You?” provides readers with examples of situations they might be in that resemble the court case and how what they are doing might be wrong. Each chapter provides more examples of the situation with similar court decisions but told in less detail. Each chapter ends with “The Bottom Line” with a brief lesson about what the decision means to the reader as well as an update on the key players in the case and what they are doing now. Finally, each chapter concludes with a section titled “Things to Think About” and further reading and resources.

Critical Evaluation

The information in this book is presented well. The first item the readers see is the Dedication which grabs readers’ attention with the names of victims of cyberbullying. The division of the book into two parts is a logical format. Part I serves as an explanation of terms, examples of cases, and state laws. Part II takes the information in Part I and applies it to the actual court cases. The descriptions of the court cases are interesting and thorough. Some readers might be offended by the content and language in the descriptions and accordingly, there are warnings on the back cover and on the first pages. This language is necessary, however, as it presents cyberbullying in its true form. It is meant to be shocking as that will prove the point of this book. When a reader flips through the pages, he will find pullouts of texts in different fonts to draw attention to significant quotes and passages. Also, at the beginning of each chapter is a visual graphic exemplifying the topic of the court case. For example, Chapter Seven’s topic is “Litigating Lewdness” and its visual graphic is a screen with “Caution: Booty Ahead” written across it. These visuals are certainly eye-catching. This book would have been even better had it included more photographs, but that might not have been possible because of privacy. The different-sized fonts and bulleted lists break up the text into manageable sections to read, but if the type had been more than this one shade of gray, the pages would have been even more visually appealing. Still, the book’s power lies in its detailed accounts of actual court cases of real people and how teens might find themselves in similar situations every day. The lesson readers take away from the book is that they need to be very careful about what the put out there into cyberspace because serious, and sometimes tragic, consequences could result from their actions.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Updating your Facebook and sending picture texts might be a fun, daily occurrence in your life, but they could have serious consequences. The court cases described in this book will show you how what you do might be considered cyberbullying and how it could affect you and others.

 

Author Information

 

Judge Tom Jacobs was an Assistant Attorney General in Arizona from 1972-1985. He practiced child welfare and criminal law there before he was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court in 1985. There, he served as a judge and commissioner in juvenile and family courts until he retired in 2008. Judge Jacobs has also taught juvenile law at the Arizona State University School of Social Work. Besides writing for lawyers and judges, he continues to write for teens, parents, and educators on youth justice issues. He also answers readers’ questions at his website AsktheJudge.info.

His website includes links to news releases, books, media coverage, and accolades and testimonials. Readers may ask questions of the judge and his team of experts and receive questions in a blog format. There are podcasts, videos, and lists of other material.

For more information, please visit his website:

http://www.askthejudge.info/

Genre

Young adult

Nonfiction

Bullying

Curriculum Ties

First Amendment Rights, communication

Book Talking Ideas

Picture texting, Facebook updates, blogging, bullying

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Appropriate for ages 13 and up

Challenge Issues

language

Challenge Defense

If it were challenged, I would consult ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library  Materials.

I would also cite these reviews:

Booklist 03/01/10

Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 08/01/10

School Library Journal 03/01/10

Wilson's Junior High School 10/01/10

Teacher Librarian 02/01/11

Wilson's Senior High School 02/01/11

Why did I include this title?

Cyberbullying is so common that many teens don’t even realize that what they are doing could be considered bullying. Many teens are not aware of their rights or how their actions could affect them. This book is a great source of information about this topic and provides readers with useful knowledge about their First Amendment rights, what it includes and what it doesn’t include, and how they need to think about their actions.