Speak Now by Taylor Swift (Music CD)

Speak Now. Artist: Taylor Swift. ASIN: B003WTE886. Label: Big Machine Records. Release Date: October 25, 2010.

Description:

Speak Now is Taylor Swift’s third album. It’s also her first album with songs written exclusively by her. This album features darker themes than her first two, particularly touching on loneliness and heartbreak. She uses her songs to call out those who have hurt her, including past boyfriends and critics of her singing. The album received quite a bit of press when it was revealed that the song “Dear John” was supposedly a reference to the relationship the young singer had with the much older John Mayer. Only one single has been released from the album so far. “Mine” is similar to singles from her earlier albums in that it focuses on the experiences of young love, but it is indicative of the more mature subject matter of this current album.

Critical Evaluation:

Taylor Swift has always been able to perfectly capture the feelings of innocent young love, from the initial attraction, through the first kiss, and ending with the inevitable heartbreak. With Speak Now she continues this theme, but she moves past the innocence into a darker place. She’s no longer the girl with teardrops falling on her guitar, but a young woman who has experienced genuine pain and who isn’t afraid to place the blame where it should fall, including squarely on her own shoulders at times. In keeping with her more mature presence, her lyrics also contain more mature subject matter, including references to sexual relationships that weren‘t present in her other albums. Her songs are full of regret and solitude. Though she still maintains that quality that has made her a favorite of younger audiences, with this album she is beginning her transformation into an adult artist. Musically, though, her style is similar to previous albums. Her singing voice isn’t the most impressive, but that’s never been where her talent truly lies, anyway. She’s a songwriter at heart and her singing is simply the vehicle to tell her story.

Annotation:

This third album from Taylor Swift features songs written about her personal experiences.

Artist Information:

Taylor swift was born December 13, 1989 in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. At the age of 11, she went to Nashville hoping to obtain a record deal but was rejected and returned to Pennsylvania. She received her first guitar at age 12 and began to write her own songs. She continued to visit Nashville where she worked with songwriters. Her family moved to Nashville when she was 14 and she became the youngest songwriter ever hired by Sony/ATV Tree. At age 15 she signed with Big Machine Records.

Her first single was released in 2006, followed by her self-titled debut album. Her album became one of only 3 this decade to spend more the 20 weeks at the number one position on the Top Country Albums chart. Her second album was release in 2008. It received the best online start for any country album and is the best digital selling country album ever. Her third album was release in 2010 and features songs completely written by her. She has also launched an acting career, appearing in the 2010 movie Valentine's Day.

Genre:

Pop Country

Curriculum Ties:

Music

Booktalking Ideas:

N/A

Interest Age:

12 and older

Challenge Issues:

None

Challenge Defense Ideas:

If a challenge were to occur:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

Taylor Swift is a successful young artist with award-winning albums that are popular with audiences from tweens through adults.

Chasing Liberty (Movie)

Chasing Liberty. Warner Home Video, 2004.
Cast: Mandy Moore, Matthew Goode, Jeremy Piven, Annabella Sciorra, Mark Harmon, Caroline Goodall.
Director: Andy Cadiff.
Writers: David Schneiderman, Derek Guiley
Rating: PG-13.
Length: 101 minutes.
ASIN: B000P0J08S

Plot:

Anna is a normal teenage girl with a very abnormal family. She is the only daughter of the President of the United States, who also happens to be a very over-protective father. His insistence on having her followed by several Secret Service agents often ends up ruining Anna’s social life. When the family takes a diplomatic trip to Prague, Anna thinks she has convinced her father to let her attend a concert with only one agent as an escort. After discovering that he went back on his word, Anna decides to run away for the night. She seeks the help of an attractive stranger named Ben, who is actually a Secret Service agent in disguise. Her father decides to take advantage of the fact that Anna doesn’t know who Ben is to let her have some “controlled freedom,” but when she gets a little out of control he sends his agents to get her back. The agents chase her and Ben around Europe as she tries to get to the Love Parade in Berlin. All the while Ben tries to protect her without revealing his identity. In the process the two fall in love, but Ben can’t hide who he really is forever.

Critical Evaluation:

Chasing Liberty is completely unrealistic, fairly predictable, and kind of ridiculous. Despite that, it’s also totally adorable. It might have received pretty poor reviews from critics, but it suits its target audience. After all, very few critics are actually teenage girls. This is most definitely a teen girl movie. The combination of gaining freedom, finding yourself through exciting new experiences, and falling in love with a cute stranger hold massive appeal for that age group. The movie does well with all of those. There are very little consequences to anyone’s actions; everything works out fine in the end. This isn’t something to criticize, however, since it helps the movie maintain it’s light tone.

As the idealistic teen searching for freedom, Mandy Moore is cute as always. The viewer really feels for her when her optimism is crushed by the betrayal of her father and Ben. Matthew Goode is charming as her Secret Service agent love interest. The secondary characters are funny additions, in the style of the typical road trip movie. This isn’t a movie with a lot of substance or incredible talent, but it is a cute and fun watch.

Annotation:

Sick of spending all her time followed by Secret Service agents, Anna decides to experience freedom for the first time by running around Europe with a sexy stranger.

Director Information:

Andy Cadiff is a native of Newton, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard University intending to be pre-med, but his grades forced him to reconsider. He instead became interested in theater. After graduation, he moved to New York where he worked with legendary theater producer Hal Prince. He has co-written and directed several plays.

He has worked in film since 1988. He has worked as a director on 49 television series, 4 tv movies, and 3 feature length films. He has also produced and worked in cinematography. Some of his more well-known series include Home Improvement, Spin City, My Wife and Kids, and The War at Home.

Genre:

Movie: Romantic Comedy

Curriculum Ties:

None

Movie Talking Ideas:

• Discuss whether or not it was right for Anna's father to put her under so much security.
• Talk about the appeal of being free and on your own.
• Talk about what it would be like to have the president as your father.

Interest Age:

13 and older

Challenge Issues:

Sexual content
Alcohol use

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

This is a cute movie that appeals to the teenage sense of romance and longing for freedom.

The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy #1) by Frank Beddor

Beddor, Frank. The Looking Glass Wars. Speak, 2007. 400 pages. ISBN-10: 0142409413. ISBN-13: 978-0142409411.

Plot:

Alyss Heart is the beloved princess of Wonderland. Her mother, Queen Genevieve, is a benevolent ruler, but Genevieve’s sister, Redd, is evil and has sworn revenge on Genevieve for taking what she saw as her rightful place as ruler of Wonderland. On Alyss’s seventh birthday, Redd atacks Wonderland. She kills Alyss’s parents and the father of her best friend, Dodge, but Alyss escapes with Genevieve’s bodyguard, Hatter Madigan. The two of them jump through the Pool of Tears, a portal to earth. They are separated in the process and Alyss ends up as a street child in London, while Hatter spends the next 13 years getting into trouble as he searches the world for her. Soon, Alyss is taken in by the Liddell family, who change her name to Alice and raise her as their daughter. At first Alyss insists on telling everyone who she really is, even going so far as to tell her entire life story to the Charles Dodgeson who promises to write a book about her. He creates the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but Alyss is outraged that he fictionalized her life story in such a way. Eventually, though, even Alyss begins to forget who she is as she grows up and even agrees to marry Prince Leopold. Hatter discovers her shortly before her wedding.

Meanwhile, in Wonderland, things are getting worse. The few rebels who are still loyal to Genevieve are planning to take back the queendom, but they can’t do it without Alyss. Dodge has grown up to be a good warrior, but he’s a bitter man set on revenge. When a wounded Hatter arrives back in Wonderland, Dodge decides to go after Alyss himself, kidnapping her from her wedding. Now that she is back in Wonderland, the rebels expect her to lead them, but Alyss isn’t sure that she can.

Critical Evaluation:

This is such a great premise for a book. Taking the story of Alice in Wonderland - one that already has controversy concerning the truth surrounding it - and turning it into a “true” science fiction novel is a clever move. Beddor includes all the well-known characters but gives them a twist. His use of their names and certain qualities are enough to make them recognizable to anyone familiar with the original story, but they’re still quite different from the original. The story celebrates the power of imagination and Beddor was certainly using his when he created his Wonderland.

This book contains features to satisfy all manner of readers. There are elements of fantasy, science fiction, romance, history, and plenty of action. Beddor created a fascinating world complete with its own politics, fashion, weapons, inventions, and various types of inhabitants. Though he’s created an impressive world, he didn’t fall back on his fantastical environment to support the story; the plot is also complicated and exciting. The supporting characters are entertaining and really round out the story. However, it’s the main characters, particularly Alyss, Hatter, and Dodge, who are impressively written. Beddor gives them each their own secrets, motivations, love and pain in a very convincing way. He writes both male and female characters well. Beddor is a imaginative writer who has created a captivating novel that leaves the reader hungry for more.

Reader's Annotation:

This is the true story of Alyss Heart, the rightful heir to the Wonderland throne.

Author Information:

Frank Beddor was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from the Catholic private school, Benilde-St. Margaret's School, in 1977. He was a competitive skier and was the World Freestyle Skiing Champion in 1981 and 1982. After he left competitive skiing, he turned to film work. He had a few small acting parts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He then worked as a producer of films and video games, including the successful film There’s Something About Mary.

While in London for the U.K premiere of There’s Something About Mary, he visited The British Museum and was inspired to write his Looking Glass Wars series. The book was rejected by every major publisher in America before being published in the U.K. After becoming popular there, Penguin agreed to publish it in America. Beddor has also written graphic novels, created a card game, a video game, an apparel line, a musical CD, and a possible musical theater production all based on his Looking Glass Wars novels.

Genre:

Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

English: Comparison to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Booktalking Ideas:

• Introduce this as the "real" story of Alice in Wonderland.
• Discuss what it would be like to be thrust into a completely strange world.
• Talk about the power of imagination.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Violence

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

Everything related to Alice in Wonderland has experienced a resurgence in popularity recently. This is a great twist on the traditional story.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Elkeles, Simone. Perfect Chemistry. Walker Books for Young Readers, 2008. 368 pages. ISBN-10: 0802798233. ISBN-13: 978-0802798237.

Plot:

On the surface, Brittany and Alex couldn’t be more different. She is a popular cheerleader, from perfect family on the rich side of town, and part of the school’s golden couple. He is a member of the Latino Blood gang, poor, and dangerous. When the two are paired up as lab partners, they are both unhappy with the situation. To prove himself, Alex makes a bet with his friends that he can get Brittany to have sex with him by Thanksgiving. As the two get to know each other, they start to see that their perceptions were very wrong. Brittany’s family is actually pretty dysfunctional and her perfect exterior is her defense to hide that. Alex is actually a smart boy who longs to go to college, but is trapped in the gang in order to help his family. As they discover more about each other, they begin to fall in love. Their friends and family aren’t ready to accept them as a couple, however. As Brittany’s family situation spins out of control and Alex is forced to go deeper into the gang life, they’re not sure if their love will survive.

Critical Evaluation:

Perfect Chemistry is a pretty predictable novel. The storyline isn’t especially original. The good girl and the bad boy who hate each other but slowly fall in love has been done many times over. The characters are stereotypical, both on the surface and underneath. She’s the “perfect” girl with the difficult home life. He’s the bad boy who wants to escape his circumstances and better himself. They’re also very frustrating at the start of the novel. The ending of the story isn’t especially shocking or original. Despite all this, Perfect Chemistry is a sweet and engaging read. Presenting it in alternating viewpoints allows the reader insight into each of the characters, especially since they hide so much from each other and the world around them. After the initial frustration, the characters become endearing as they fall in love, almost as if their love is what redeems them both. It’s impossible to not cheer them on as they take on a world that isn’t ready to accept them for who they are and certainly isn’t ready to accept them being together. They encounter what should be extremely dangerous and almost impossible challenges, but the ending is tied up neatly. Rather than being annoying in its lack of realism, the ending is satisfying. This is a touching and romantic read; realism isn’t necessary.

Reader's Annotation:

Brittany and Alex come from vastly different backgrounds, but fall in love after being paired as chemistry lab partners.

Author Information:

Simone Elkeles was born and raised near Chicago, where many of her books take place. She attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where she received a degree in Psychology in 1992. She then went on to attend Loyola University-Chicago to study Industrial Relations. Following graduation, she worked creating diversity programs for a manufacturing company.

Her first book was published in 2006. She writes solely for young adults because she enjoys writing about the excitement of teenage love and romance. She tries her best to make sure her characters and situations are realistic, including actually spending time in a juvenile detention center to research her Leaving Paradise series.

Genre:

Romance

Curriculum Ties:

English: A modern comparison to Romeo and Juliet.

Booktalking Ideas:

• Discuss the idea of stereotypes and first impressions.
• Talk about being trapped by your situations and deciding to break free.
• Discuss the similarities between Brittany's life and Alex's life.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

15 and older

Challenge Issues:

Profanity
Sexual content
Violence
Gang activity
Drug and alcohol use

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

I was first attracted to this book because of the alternating narrator style in which is is written. It's a sweet twist on the Romeo and Juliet plot-line, but written for modern audiences.

The Luxe (The Luxe Trilogy #1) by Anna Godbersen

Godbersen, Anna. The Luxe. HarperCollins , 2007. 448 pages. ISBN-10: 0061345679. ISBN-13: 978-0061345678.

Plot:

The year is 1899 and 18-year-old Elizabeth Holland has returned from Europe to take her place as the darling of the Manhattan elite. Her younger sister Diana has grown in her absence and is becoming more daring and less interested in fitting in with society than Elizabeth is. Her supposed best friend Penelope Hayes, a nouveau riche social climber, isn’t entirely thrilled to see Elizabeth back, but she is involved with her own relationship with Henry Schoonmaker. However, Henry’s father insists that he and Elizabeth become engaged, much to Penelope’s outrage. As Henry is courting Elizabeth, he falls for Diana, complicating things even further. As for Elizabeth, she is secretly in love with her poor coachman, Will. Elizabeth’s maid, Lina, is also in love with him. As Elizabeth’s and Henry’s wedding nears, the group of teens must figure out how to sort out their scandalous relationships without the rest of the polite society finding out.

Critical Evaluation:

The Luxe is delightfully snarky and scandalous. This is a book that will appeal to readers raised on Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and The Clique or any reader who enjoys stories full of secrets, backstabbing, and intrigue. It’s not just romantic fluff, though. Godberson’s research into the Gilded Age is evident in the historical aspects of the novel, even if her descriptions of the time period are primarily limited to the upper class. Unlike many historical fiction novels, the history is more a frame for the story than vice versa. Placing the events in that particular time period allows Godberson the ability to make actions that would be innocent today seem wildly scandalous. Though the characters behave in ways that might not be completely realistic and they suffer from very few consequences, that’s not really the point of the novel.

Godberson’s choice of alternating viewpoints rounds out the story as the reader is able to see the motivations behind each character’s actions. Starting her novel with the death of Elizabeth thrusts the reader into the thick of the story and adds an air of mystery. Perhaps her best stylistic choice is the inclusion of newspaper snippets and letters. This helps further the framework of the Gilded Age, as well as giving an outside perspective on the characters’ lives. Godberson has created a glamorous and entertaining start to her trilogy.

Reader's Annotation:

In Gilded Age Manhattan, four very different young women try to pursue happiness with often scandalous results.

Author Information:

Anna Godbersen was born in 1980 in Berkeley, California. She attended public school in Berkeley before going to Barnard College in Manhattan. She now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Before beginning her career as a novelist, she worked as an editorial assistant for Esquire and worked as a ghost writer of young adult novels. Despite having read very little young adults novels or historical fiction prior to writing her series, she jumped into writing both with much zeal.

Though she classifies her writing as historical fiction, it has often been compared to chick lit. With their glamorous and scandalous characters, her novels would appeal to readers of chick lit, but her writing is well-researched and gives a glimpse into the past that makes her stories much more well-rounded.

Genre:

Historical Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

History: Late 19th Century

Booktalking Ideas:

• Compare the choices young women had for love then to what they do now
• Discuss the personality differences between Diana, Elizabeth, and Penelope
• Describe Manhattan at the end of the 19th century

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 or older

Challenge Issues:

Minor sexual references

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

This is an historical novel that can appeal to teenage readers who love books like Gossip Girl, but it has more literary merit.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. Candlewick, 2003. 256 pages. ISBN-10: 0763619582. ISBN-13: 978-0763619589.


Plot:

Virginia has never really felt like she fits in with the rest of her perfect family. They are all dark-haired, slim, attractive, and brilliant. She is blond, plain, and terrible at French. She’s also overweight, which she and her family think is the worst difference of all. Self-conscious about her size, she hides in baggy clothes and withdraws from everyone at the school. Since her best friend moved to Washington, that means that Virginia doesn’t have any friends left in her school. She does, however, have a secret boy, Froggy. Though she and Froggy spend every Monday making out in her room, she follows her “Fat Girl Code of Conduct” and avoids him in public, thinking that he wouldn’t want to be seen with her. In order to be worthy of Froggy and her family, Virginia decides she must lose weight and begins a diet that makes her unhealthy and miserable.

When Virginia’s older brother, whom she idolizes, is suspended from school after being accused of date raping a girl, she starts to realize that maybe her family isn’t so perfect after all. She begins to branch out and start to accept her differences. Instead of trying to be perfect, she decides to try to be an individual. Though this causes some strain in her family, Virginia believes that it is worth it to become her own person.

Critical Evaluation:

Mackler manages the difficult task of writing a narrator who is insecure and unhappy with herself, but who isn’t whiny or self-pitying. Virginia is humorous, likable, and sympathetic. She’s sarcastic and self-deprecating, but she’s also vulnerable. Her journey towards accepting herself while at the same time improving herself in a healthy way is an admirable example for readers. She isn’t an unrealistic example, however. She makes many mistakes along the way, she hurts people, and she hurts herself, but she learns and she accepts her faults. By the end of the book, her life isn’t perfect, but it’s promising.

Mackler’s writing maintains a conversational style, but without stylistically delving into too many sentence fragments or grammatical errors. The result of this is a book written in the voice of a bright teenager, one that both teenagers and adults can enjoy. Mackler doesn’t shy away from sensitive material. She addresses the body image issue with honesty. Her inclusion of the date rape and her focus on how it affects Virginia’s family dynamic is a bold choice. Their reactions to the rape are defining moments for each of the characters, particularly Virginia, as it is the catalyst for changing the way she views herself and her family in relation to each other.

This is a book that offers both an entertaining storyline and good message. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who was struggling to find their place in their family, no matter the reason.

Reader's Annotation:

Virginia has never felt like she really fits in with her slim, beautiful, and talented family, so she sets out to change that. Along the way, she learns to accept herself as she is.

Author Information:

Carolyn Mackler was born July 13, 1973 in Manhattan. Her family relocated several times, but eventually settled in Brockport, New York. Many of her novels are set in the areas of New York where she lived. She was interested in writing from an early age and even started a newspaper at the age of four. She would dictate her stories to her mother, who would then write them down. She attended Vassar and earned an Art History degree. After graduating, she moved to Seattle, but soon returned to New York. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and son.

Much of her inspiration for her characters comes from her own experience as a teenager. In 5th grade, Mackler began to feel like a misfit and an outsider in her school. Things did eventually get better for her, but the experience stuck with her. Many of her characters are misfits looking for their place, like she was. She has published five books for young adults.

Genre:

Chick Lit

Curriculum Ties:

Psychology: Body Image and Self Acceptance

Booktalking Ideas:

• Discuss feeling different from your family
• Introduce Virginia in the style of one of her lists.
• Talk about learning to accept yourself.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Date rape
Sexual content
Anti-family
Unsuited to age group

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

It has an important message of self-acceptance that hasn't been lost on teenagers, given the number of letters the author has received on the subject.

Cry-baby (Movie)

Cry-baby. Universal Studios, 1990.
Cast: Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, Amy Locane, Susan Tyrrell, Polly Bergen.
Director: John Waters.
Rating: PG-13.
Length: 85 minutes.
ASIN: B0009IOR6Q

Plot:

In 1954 Baltimore, the town is divided between the Squares and the Drapes. The Drapes are led by Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, named for his ability to shed a single tear. One day after school, Cry-Baby is approached by Allison, a Square who is tired of being good. He comes by her house to take her to Turkey Point, the hangout for the Drapes, which is owned by Cry-Baby’s grandmother. Despite her disapproval, Allison’s grandmother allows her to go. While there, Allison gets a “bad girl” makeover by Cry-Baby’s friends. While Cry-Baby and Allison are kissing, Allison’s jealous boyfriend, Baldwin, and his friends attack Turkey Point and the police break everything up, arresting Allison and the Drapes. Allison is released, but Cry-Baby is sent to juvenile hall. Allison swears to be loyal to him, but changes her mind after Lenore, a Drape with a crush on Cry-Baby, claims to be pregnant with his child. Allison then goes back to Baldwin, while Lenore decides to claim that she is a Square, as well. Her grandmother and the Drapes convince Allison that Cry-Baby is really the boy for her and they all set out to convince the judge to release him from juvenile hall.

Critical Evaluation:

John Waters created a cult classic with Cry-baby. This hilarious tongue-in-cheek musical good-naturedly mocks more traditional films such as Grease, West Side Story, and The Outsiders. The story is a familiar one, that of the good girl falling for the bad boy and both of them being redeemed in the process, but with an irreverent take on everything from their relationship to the reaction of the town. The characters are caricatures with often ridiculous dialogue, but they never fail to entertain. The movie invites the viewer to laugh along with it as it makes fun of the genre, the time period, the storyline, and even itself. It’s evident that the cast is having fun with the performance, but they’re still taking their parts seriously. Johnny Depp and Amy Locane manage to take what could have been over-the-top characters and play them with a sincerity that balances the humor perfectly.

Though the music could have easily been overshadowed by the story, the songs stand on their own. They’re catchy, fun, and advance the plot rather than distracting from it. The combination of rockabilly, doo-wop, and 50s pop leave the viewer wanting to sing and dance along. Johnny Depp’s dancing and James Intveld’s singing are reminiscent of Elvis and offer another throwback to the 50s. This parody of typical teen musicals is something teens will definitely appreciate.

Annotation:

Allison, a Square is tired of being good when she meets and falls in love with Wade “Cry-baby” Walker, a Drape from the wrong side of town.

Director Information:

John waters was born April 22, 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland. As a child, he saw the movie Lili, which spawned his interest in puppets. Growing up, he also loved violent and gory movies and would often watch adult-only movies playing at the drive-in by using binoculars. Both of these had a large effect on his film-making as an adult. He attended NYU for film-making, but was unsatisfied with the program and quickly left.

He made his first film at the age of 18. He would go on to write 16 more films and direct 15 of those. His films are almost always set in his hometown of Baltimore and often are cast with the same core group of actors, including his childhood friend, the drag queen Divine. Another childhood friend, Mary Vivian Pearce, has appeared in every one of his movies. His core group of actors is referred to as Dreamlanders, named after his production company Dreamland Productions.

Genre:

Movie: Musical Comedy

Curriculum Ties:

Music: 1950s Music
Theater: Musicals

Movie Talking Ideas:

• Describe the Squares and the Drapes.
• Compare Cry-baby to Baldwin.
• Discuss the evolution of Allison's character.
• Focus on its satirization traditional teen musicals.

Interest Age:

13 and older

Challenge Issues:

Teen pregnancy
Tobacco use
Delinquency
Casting of Traci Lords

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

This movie was first shown to me when I was 17 and I've loved it ever since. It remains one of my favorite films from my teen years.

Pretty in Pink (Movie)

Pretty in Pink. Paramount, 1986.
Cast: Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer, Harry Dean Stanton, Annie Potts, James Spader.
Director: Howard Deutch.
Rating: PG-13.
Length: 96 minutes.
ASIN: B00005JKOI

Plot:

At Andie’s school, the students are strictly divided between the rich and the poor; the two sides never mix. Andie is one of the poor students. Her father is depressed and only working part time after her mother left them. To help out, Andie works at a record store after school and makes her own clothes. She has very few friends, one of which is Duckie, a dorky boy who is madly in love with her and not afraid to show it. One day, Blane, one of the rich students, starts to show some interest in her. He asks her out, but the date is a disaster. His friends are rude to her and her friends are rude to him. The date ends with Andie in tears because she in embarrassed for Blane to see where she lives. Blane insists that it doesn’t matter and asks her to go to prom with him. The two continue to date, but his creepy friend, Steff, manages to convince Blane that they shouldn’t be together. After confronting Blane in the hallway and breaking up, Andie decides that she should go to the prom anyway. She creates another masterpiece, a pink prom dress, and Duckie accompanies her to the prom. Blane has come alone, however, and is there to apologize to Andie and declare his love for her.

Critical Evaluation:

Pretty in Pink is the quintessential 80s movie. It’s a perfect example of the fashion and music of the time, which is something that many teens today enjoy. It’s more than just a blast from the past, however. The central storyline - that of looking past the labels to be with the person you love - is something that modern teens can understand.

Molly Ringwald plays Andie with maturity and sweet sincerity. Her portrayal of a daughter trying to take care of herself and her heartbroken father, while maintaining her hopefulness and dignity, is an outstanding performance. Andrew McCarthy as Blane’s wooing of her is charming in its execution; even when he caves to the pressure of his jerky friend and leaves, it’s still hard to hate him. Possibly the best character in the movie is Duckie, played by Jon Cryer. He’s adorable and hilarious, especially in his love for Andie. The scene where he lip-syncs to “Try a Little Tenderness” is the funniest in the movie. He’s allowed a chance to be more than comic relief, however, when displaying both his heartache at watching Andie fall in love with someone else and his affection for her when he encourages her to open her heart and forgive Blane.

Annotation:

Andie, a poor girl, and Blane, a rich boy, fall in love while their friends try to keep them apart.

Director Information:

Howard Deutch was born September 14, 1950 in New York. He attended the University of Ohio and then joined the advertising department at United Artist Records. After leaving advertising, he went into business for himself and started his directing career by directing music videos for musicians such as Billy Idol and Billy Joel. His first feature length film was Pretty in Pink.

He met his wife, Lea Thompson, while directing her in Some Kind of Wonderful in 1987. They were married in 1989. He’s since directed her in several other movies and television appearances. They have two daughters.

Genre:

Movie: Romantic Drama

Curriculum Ties:

None

Movie Talking Ideas:

• Talk about falling in love with someone your friends don't like.
• Compare Blane and Duckie.
• Discuss Andie's relationship with her father.

Interest Age:

13 and older

Challenge Issues:

Sexual content
Profanity
Alcohol and tobacco use

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

It's a classic teen movie.

The Initiation (The Secret Circle #1) by L.J. Smith

Smith, L.J. The Initiation. Harper, 1992. 320 pages. ISBN-10: 0061067121. ISBN-13: 978-0061067129

Plot:

After spending the summer in Cape Cod, Cassie is ready to go back to California. On her last day there, she helps a mysterious stranger and feels a connection to him. Though she loves him, she assumes that she’ll never see him again. She prepares to go back to California never knowing, but then discovers that she and her mother will be staying in Massachusetts and moving in with her grandmother in New Salem. Cassie starts the new school year hoping to make friends, but ends up on the bad side of a group of very powerful students known as The Club, the worst of which is Faye. After they spend a few weeks bullying her, she is rescued by Diana, another member of The Club. She and Cassie become best friends and Cassie learns that there are kind members. Cassie is still an outsider when it comes to The Club until one night when she is invited to join then and discovers that they are a group of witches and that she and her family are witches, as well. Cassie finally feels accepted and even begins to hope that she will see the mysterious stranger again. She gets her wish, but not in the way she expected. Diana’s boyfriend, Adam, returns to town and Cassie discovers that he is the stranger that she loves. Heartbroken, but loyal to Diana, Cassie vows to keep her feelings to herself. Faye discovers them, however, and blackmails Cassie to help her with some dark magic. Cassie is trapped, but they soon find out that Faye isn’t the only dangerous power in town.

Critical Evaluation:

Like most of Smith’s books, this one includes a sweet female character, close teenage friendships, a snarky villain, a fight for good, and, of course, romance. Smith’s writing style isn’t very sophisticated, but she is a decent story-teller. This is a simple and satisfying read. Despite having first been published almost 20 years ago, this story doesn’t really feel too dated. In fact, the innocence of her characters, even the villains, is almost refreshing when compared to more modern fantasy novels and supernatural romances.

Despite being a fairly minor character, the most interesting of the characters is Cassie’s grandmother. Rather than being transparent or flat like many of the other secondary characters, she is given a personality and a mysterious quality that encourages the reader to continue to search for what it is that she’s hiding. Cassie herself is slightly less interesting, but no less likable. This is a nice story with an ending that will leave the reader questioning what will happen next.

Reader's Annotation:

When Cassie moves to her mother’s childhood home, she encounters a group of mysterious and powerful teenagers.

Author Information:

L.J. Smith, also know as Lisa Jane or LJane, grew up Villa Park, California. She started telling stories before she could even read or write. She decided she wanted to be a writer at the age of six after writing a poem for her teacher. She has been writing ever since with the exception of a 10 year hiatus starting in 1998. After her brother-in-law was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and her mother with terminal cancer, she was unable to write due to the emotional state she was in. She has said this was the worst period of her life. After her mother’s death, she began to write again in honor of her.

Smith only writes fantasy novels, due to her fascination with magic and the supernatural. Her main characters are generally strong young females, because she wanted to write characters that could be role models for her readers. She includes dark elements in her novels, but is careful to say that all the stories will end with a happy ending.

Genre:

Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:

None

Booktalking Ideas:

• Read the passage beginning with "That night Cassie had a dream" placed on page 50 of the reprint omnibus version.
• Present as Cassie after her first day of school.
• Focus on the relationships between the members of the circle.
• Discuss the magic and power the group has.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Witchcraft/Magic/The Occult

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

This was a series I enjoyed as a teen. With the popularity of L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries and the talks of this series also potentially becoming a television show, the books may again become popular.

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press, 2008. 384 pages. ISBN-10: 0439023483. ISBN-13: 978-0439023481.

Plot:

In the future, North America has become a country known as Panem, consisting of a capitol and 12 surrounding districts. Years before, the districts launched a rebellion against The Capitol, but they were defeated. As punishment, each year the districts must send one boy and one girl to fight to the death on television. These tributes, as they’re called, are drawn at random in a ceremony known as The Reaping. When sixteen-year-old Katniss’s younger sister is chosen to be a tribute, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She, the male tribute Peeta, and their alcoholic mentor Haymitch are sent to The Capitol to participate in the Hunger Games. While there, Katniss and Peeta are encouraged to play up to the crowd in hopes that it will give them an advantage. Katniss soon learns that this includes pretending to have a doomed relationship with Peeta. She and Peeta are thrown together in the arena to play out their love affair, but Katniss knows that only one of them can survive. What she doesn’t know is that Haymitch, Peeta and The Capitol all have a plan for her.

Critical Evaluation:

In The Hunger Games, Collins has written a book that can appeal not only to teenage audiences but adults, as well. The plot is complex and the characters are universally appealing. Though the writing style is often conversational, it only serves to personalize the story. It is a compelling narrative and one which the reader will be unable to put down. The fast pace and exciting description of the actual Hunger Games are juxtaposed nicely with the sweeter moments between Katniss and the other characters. Katniss is an engaging narrator and the reader is immediately on her side. The Capitol serves well as a terrifying and anger inducing villain.

Equal to the entertaining plot and characters are the ethical aspects of the story. This is most certainly a book that will make the reader think and question the situation. One of the most important questions the book raises is that of whether or not it is right to do what is necessary for survival. Collins doesn’t provide the readers with the answers, but instead allows them to decide for themselves. This book would excellent for both pleasure reading and using in a classroom. However, because there is quite a lot of violence, it would be wise for a parent or teacher to consider the age and temperament of a teen before recommending it.

Reader's Annotation:

In Panem, where teenagers are forced to fight to the death on television to pay for the rebellion, Katniss must survive after volunteering to take her younger sister's place.

Author Information:

Growing up, Suzanne Collins’s father was in the Air Force, so she moved all around the country. She has said that doing so made her aware of what it felt like to be a stranger somewhere, much like the main character in The Underland Chronicles. She attended New York University and received an M.F.A in dramatic writing. She spent 16 years living in New York, but now resides in Connecticut with her husband and children.

Before becoming an author, she worked as a writer for children’s television. She’s written for shows on Nickleodeon and Kids’ WB as well as several specials. After working in television for 12 years, she published her first novel for young adults, Gregor the Overlander, the first of The Underland Chronicles series. Since then she has published 8 more novels. Her books have won numerous awards and topped the New York Times Bestseller list. She was named one of Time magazine's most influential people of 2010.

Genre:

Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

Government: Totalitarian Government, Fascism
Mythology: Comparison to Theseus
English: Plot Development, Symbolism, Character Development

Booktalking Ideas:

• Compare her relationships with Gale and Peeta.
• Talk about Katniss's decision to take her sister's place.
• Discuss where the idea of The Hunger Games originated and why.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Violence
Anti-government

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

This was a required reading for the class. It is a book that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. It's also one of my favorites.

Easy A (Movie)

Easy A . Sony Pictures, 2010.
Cast: Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley.
Director: Will Gluck
Screen Writer: Bert V. Royal
Rating: PG-13.
Length: 92minutes.
ASIN: B0036TGSIK

Plot:

After letting her best friend believe she lost her virginity, Olive becomes the subject of gossip at her high school. Believing that its better than being invisible, she decides to encourage the gossip instead of putting a stop to it. When a gay friend comes to her asking for help with his reputation, she agrees to let everyone think that they had sex. In return, he gives her a gift to thank her. Soon, she has other boys in the school coming to her with the offer of gifts to say that they had a physical relationship. As her reputation worsens, Olive gains the attention of the school’s Christian group, who even go so far as to picket her. Her best friend doesn’t like the attention Olive is receiving and the two have a fight. The only friend Olive has left is the boy on whom she has had a crush since she was 12. Olive finally reaches the point where she can’t deal with the rumors or they way they are making her feel anymore and decides to let everyone know the truth in a very creative way.

Critical Evaluation:

Emma Stone really shines in Easy A. She’s a young actress with a long comedic career ahead of her. She is able to deliver lines with both a deadpan sincerity and a sarcastic wittiness that keeps the viewer laughing throughout most of the movie. She portrays Olive as both hilariously confident and awkward, while at the same time vulnerable and sometimes defensive. Olive’s interactions with her family are priceless.

Easy A manages the difficult task of projecting a very obvious moral without losing any of its entertainment value. It is able to comment on both the danger of rumors as well as the hypocrisy of the reaction to sex in high school, but it does so in a way that the audience doesn’t feel as if it's preaching. Instead it is packaged as a comedic romance that just happens to have a good message. It’s one that can be enjoyable for teens and adults alike.

Annotation:

After helping a friend by lying about her sexual experience, Olive decides to use her new reputation to her advantage. She soon finds out rumors can get out of hand, even when you start them yourself.

Director Information:

Will Gluck has been involved with the film industry in numerous capacities since 1996. He started his career as a writer for the John Laraquette Show. He has written for several television shows since then. In 1998 he also began producing many of the shows for which he wrote. He then made his directorial debut with 2009’s Fired Up. He's next movie is coming out in 2011.

Genre:

Comedy

Curriculum Ties:

English: Modern Comparison to The Scarlet Letter

Movie Talking Ideas:

• Talk about the rumors being started and how they got out of control.
• Discuss the connection between the movie and The Scarlet Letter.
• Present a basic plot teaser as Olive using the signs like she did in her confession.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

13 and older

Challenge Issues:

Suggestive lLanguage
Sexual content
Anti-religion

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

It's a recent movie that has received favorable reviews.

Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

Cabot, Meg. Shadowland. Simon Pulse, 2000. 256 pages. ISBN-10: 0671787918. ISBN-13: 978-0671787912.

Plot:

Suze Simon has always been able to see, talk to, and touch ghosts. She's a mediator and it's her job to help ghosts pass over into the after life, though some ghosts don’t need help so much as a kick in the butt to get them going. When Suze moves from New York to California to live with her new step-family, she hopes that she can put her job behind her and live like a normal girl. Unfortunately, she discovers that her room is haunted by a very cute ghost named Jesse and he seems pretty content to stick around. Suze also learns that there is the ghost of a girl named Heather hanging around her school. Heather shot herself after her boyfriend broke up with her and she is out for revenge. With the help of Jesse and Father Dominic, another mediator, Suze must try to help Heather cross over. Heather isn’t interested; she thinks that Suze is there to take her place. Heather wants her old life back and she isn’t going to let anyone stand in her way, no matter who gets hurt.

Critical Evaluation:

Like most of Cabot’s writing, this is a very cute book. Suze is a hilarious narrator. Her comments about those around her and her transition to life in California are humorous and witty. Though she tries to maintain a tough persona, her sensitivity often shines through. This aspect of her personality makes her a very sympathetic character. Jesse is an unusual but great romantic hero. His old fashioned chivalry perfectly counters Suze’s modern tough girl. Their budding romance is the driving force of the book.

The romance isn’t the only fun aspect, however. The mediator storyline is entertaining, especially when it comes to the disparity between Suze’s methods and Father Dominic’s methods. The two of them bouncing off of each other is one of the more fun parts of the story. Though Cabot does insert a few small frightening parts when it comes to the mediating, they don’t seem out of place with the relatively light storyline. This is definitely a fun read.

Reader's Annotation:

Suze is a mediator, which means she has an unusual gift: she can see, touch, and talk to ghosts. When she encounters a cute ghost who lives in her new bedroom, her life becomes even more complicated than it already was.

Author Information:

Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana. As a child, she was an avid reader and frequently spent her summer days in the library. In high school, she entertained herself by writing her own stories. She credits much of her inspiration for writing from the diaries she kept as a teenager, her own experiences, those of people she knows, and things she reads in the news, as well as a healthy dose of imagination.

She attended the University of Indiana as a Fine Arts major. After college, she moved to New York to pursue a career as an illustrator. When that failed, she turned again to writing. Her first novel - Where Roses Grow Wild - was published in 1998 under the pen name Patricia Cabot. Since then she has published over 40 novels for young adults as well as several others for tweens and adults. She has published under the pen names of Patricia Cabot, Jenny Carroll and under her real name.

Genre:

Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:

None

Booktalking Ideas:

• Talk about what it would be like to be a mediator.
• Discuss Suze's relationship with Jesse.
• Introduce Suze in character.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

13 and older

Challenge Issues:

Violence

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

Meg Cabot's books have been popular with teens for many years.

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzane Collins

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. Scholastic Press, 2010. 400 pages. ISBN-10: 0439023513. ISBN-13: 978-0439023511.

Plot:

When the novel opens, Katniss Everdeen is living in the secret District 13 with the rebels who rescued her from her second Hunger Games competition. Though she is with her family and Gale, she was forced to leave Peeta behind and suspects he is probably dead or worse. Katniss was rescued because the rebels would like her to be the Mockingjay, the symbol of their revolution. After discovering that Peeta is alive and being used by the Capitol, she agrees to help, but only if they fulfill some of her conditions, including that she wants to be the one to kill President Snow. The rebels agree and stage a rescue of Peeta, only to discover that the Capitol has engineered his brain to hate Katniss. Though the rebels try to rewire him, he is a loose cannon as he, Katniss, and the rebels rally the other districts and head into battle in the Capitol. Everything goes wrong, however, and her group is stranded in the hostile Capitol trying to get close enough to President Snow in order to kill him. As they reach Snow‘s mansion, they discover it is surrounded by children and rebels, including Prim, Katniss’s sister. Bombs begin to go off and Prim is killed as the Capitol falls to the rebels. Snow is found guilty and sentenced to be executed by Katniss. Before this can occur, however, Katniss learns some horrifying things about the night of the bombing and the role she and her friends played in the rebellion.

Critical Evaluation:

This final book in the trilogy was one of the most anticipated books of the year and it didn’t disappoint. Collins weaving of Katniss’s personal story with the story of the rebellion personalizes war and its consequences in a way that few young adult novels do. She doesn’t sugarcoat the story and doesn’t hesitate to show the horror and violence that accompanies the rebellion. Though the book is violent, the violence isn’t gratuitous. It’s evident that Collins gave careful consideration to the descriptions she included. The violence isn’t there to entertain, but rather to show the horror, corruption, and dehumanization of the rebellion. Collins continues the question she introduced in the origin of the trilogy, that of whether the end can truly justify the means. However, this time the reader is forced to apply that question to both sides rather than just the Capitol’s tactics. It’s a complicated moral issue that she handles in thoughtful and emotional way.

Katniss has the strength of a warrior, but vulnerability that reminds the reader she is a child who has been thrust unwillingly into this situation. She makes mistakes and she doesn’t always do the right thing, but she is always doing what she thinks is right. She learns more about trust and betrayal than one would hope someone her age should have to. Katniss is a character the readers can respect. In Katniss, and Mockingjay in general, Collins has created something that the reader can find both captivating and thought-provoking.

Reader's Annotation:

After years of abuse by the capital, the districts have had enough and they’re fighting back. Katniss is lynchpin in the rebels’ plan, but is she really ready to be the Mockingjay?

Author Information:

Growing up, Suzanne Collins’s father was in the Air Force, so she moved all around the country. She has said that doing so made her aware of what it felt like to be a stranger somewhere, much like the main character in The Underland Chronicles. She attended New York University and received an M.F.A in dramatic writing. She spent 16 years living in New York, but now resides in Connecticut with her husband and children.

Before becoming an author, she worked as a writer for children’s television. She’s written for shows on Nickleodeon and Kids’ WB as well as several specials. After working in television for 12 years, she published her first novel for young adults, Gregor the Overlander, the first of The Underland Chronicles series. Since then she has published 8 more novels. Her books have won numerous awards and topped the New York Times Bestseller list. She was named one of Time magazine's most influential people of 2010.

Genre:

Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

Government/History: War and Rebellion, What is Freedom?
English: Plot Development, Symbolism, Character Development
Ethics/Philosophy: Ethics of War, Does the end justify the means?

Booktalking Ideas:

• Focus on where each of the characters are at the beginning of the story.
• Discuss the choice Katniss must make between Peeta and Gale.
• Give an overview of Katniss’s journey so far and ask where she will be going next.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Violence
Anti-government

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

It is the much anticipated finale to the popular Hunger Games trilogy.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7) by J.K. Rowling

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007. 784 pages. ISBN-10: 0545010225. ISBN-13: 978-0545010221.

Plot:

Harry has been left a task by Dumbledore: find and destroy the Horcruxes to defeat Voldemort. After fleeing Ron’s brother’s wedding, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to search the country for the remaining Horcruxes. The only problem is that they don’t know what they are, let alone where they are or how to destroy them. The three spend months on the run as they try to figure out what to do. They receive help from some unlikely places, including a goblin, Dobby the house elf, and some former classmates. Harry also learns more about his past and that of Dumbledore. Despite many near misses and one wild escape from the Death Eaters, the three friends eventually discover all the Horcruxes, including one hidden at Hogwarts.

After arriving back at Hogwarts they find that many things have changed under the leadership of Snape. One thing remains the same, however. Many at the school still support Harry and are willing to join him in the fight against Voldemort. This is made very clear when Voldemort and the Death Eaters attack Hogwarts. Harry, his friends, and many of the students and staff of Hogwarts take a stand against Voldemort. It’s been building for seven books and the final battle comes down to Harry and Voldmort while everyone learns what it means that “Neither can live with the other survives.”

Critical Evaluation:

Rowling outdoes herself in this epic finale to the Harry Potter series. It’s evident that she has thoroughly planned every detail of the series. Plot points, character traits and story lines from the previous six novels had not been introduced in vain, as they come together to form a conclusion worthy of the series thus far. Though the novel is really two stories in one - that of the journey and that of the war - they join together in a very cohesive way and neither would form a complete picture without the other. Despite its daunting length, the novel moves along at a quick pace. There isn’t any unnecessary exposition to distract from the central plot, but there are enough side stories to fill out book.

Though the reader has watched Harry, Hermione, and Ron grow throughout the series, it is in this novel that they truly come into themselves. Their friendship isn’t always an easy one, but their loyalty and love for each other is a wonderful example for readers of any age. In their honor and willingness to fight for what they believe is right in the face of dangerous and overwhelming circumstances, Rowling has created three characters that are the very definition of hero. She is a good character writer in that even her lesser characters are well-developed and substantive. She also doesn’t hesitate to kill a beloved character when it is necessary to the story, something that should be respected as many authors are afraid to do so. The characters and the plot complement each other rather than it seeming as if one is only there to support the other. This excellent finale exceeded my already high expectations.

Reader's Annotation:

In the final book of the series, Harry Potter and his friends set out to defeat Lord Voldemort once and for all.

Author Information:

J.K. Rowling was born on July 31, 1965. She began writing fantasy stories as a child, the first of which she remembers creating at the age of five. She was an avid reader and has said that the character of Hermione is based on herself as a child. She attended college at Exeter where she studied French and the Classics. After receiving her degree, she worked as a bilingual secretary and a researcher for Amnesty international. Following the death of her mother in 1990, Rowling moved to Portugal to teach English. While there, she married and had a child. After her daughter’s birth, she and her husband divorced and she and her daughter moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. Her famous rags to riches story is based on what happened while she was there. She was living off welfare and struggling with depression while she finished the first of the Harry Potter books. She used her depression, her grief over her mother, and instances from her childhood as inspiration for her novels.

Today, Rowling is one of the most famous authors in the world. She is the first person to become a billionaire by United States standards solely through writing novels and is the second wealthiest female entertainer in the world. She's been credited with helping revitalize the young adult genre and making reading a popular pastime for children and young adults again. Her books have won countless awards and been translated into 67 languages. They have spawned a series of movies, video games, clothing lines, numerous products, and even an amusement park.

Genre:

Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:

English: Plot Development, Creative Writing
Mythology: Allusions to Mythology/Mythological Archetypes

Booktalking Ideas:

• Focus on the friendship between Harry, Hermione, and Ron and what that has meant for the over the past 7 years.
• Discuss the prophecy “neither can live while the other survives” as how it pertains to the final book.
• Focus on the connection between Voldemort and Harry.
• Acting as each of the characters, discuss the mission that starts the book.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

12 and older

Challenge Issues:

Witchcraft/Magic/The Occult
Violence
Anti-government
Anti-family
Anti-religion
Poor role models

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

This is a wildly popular series with many age groups. The movie based on this final book is being released this fall. It's also one of my favorite series.

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1997. 272 pages. ISBN-10: 0385323050. ISBN-13: 978-0385323055.

Plot:

Vivian’s pack of werewolves is forced to move from their home after a fire that kills her father - a fire they suspect was started by some locals who figured out what they were. After relocating, Vivian meets and falls for a human, a “meat boy,” named Aiden, which is forbidden by the pack. Loving a human leaves the pack open to exposure and it goes against their laws for mating. Instead, the pack thinks she would be more suited for one of her own. Gabriel, a young werewolf who takes over as leader in the place of her father, has his eye on her. When she accidentally wins a competition between the female members of the pack, she ends up named as Gabriel’s mate and new queen of the pack. Despite this, Vivian believes Aiden is the one for her and that she can trust him with her secret. As she contemplates telling Aiden and leaving her duty to the pack behind, a series of murders points to one of the pack being involved. Vivian can’t remember where she was during the attacks. Vivian must decide between Aiden and Gabriel, while trying to figure out who’s been murdering humans and if she’s involved.

Critical Evaluation:

Vivian’s internal conflict is what really drives this novel. Though the plot is entertaining and the other characters are interesting, if one-dimensional, they are secondary to the internal world of Vivian. Her struggle with deciding what she wants, who to trust, and where she fits in with the pack are well-developed. The reader is right there with her as she is torn between the human world and that of the werewolves. We feel her pain, confusion, fear, and shame. The other characters and the action tend further her story rather than stand on their own.

As the two vastly different love interests, Aiden and Gabriel are slightly more developed than the rest of the characters, but they still basically serve the purpose of representing the two sides of Vivian. Unlike the typical paranormal romance, however, the relationship between the human and the supernatural being ends up being unworkable. Despite what one might think, it’s actually refreshing to see a novel that allows the human character to have a negative and fearful reaction to discovering the truth. Though we might initially be supportive of her relationship with Aiden, by the time he and Gabriel both reveal who they really are to Vivian, it’s easy to switch sides. The ending does feel a little rushed, but it’s relatively sweet and satisfying.

Reader's Annotation:

Vivian has never wanted any life other than the one as a werewolf, but everything changes when an attack on her pack kills her father and forces the rest of the pack to move. She falls for a human boy and starts to question everything she’s ever known.

Author Information:

Annette Curtis Klause is a librarian and young adult author. As a child, she was given an assignment to write about what she wanted to be when she grew up and she chose librarian because of her love of visiting her hometown library. After discovering how much schooling was required to become a librarian, she put it aside until after graduating with an English degree in undergrad. With no idea of what to do with her future, she turned again to her dream of being a librarian and pursued her MLS at the University of Maryland. She has worked in libraries primarily in the children and youth departments since 1979 and says that this work and her studies really opened her eyes to the wonders of youth fiction.

She has also been writing since she was a child. She had her first novel published in 1990. She has published 4 novels for young adults as well as a handful of short fiction and poems. Most of her work focuses on the supernatural and also contains elements of romance.

Genre:

Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:

None

Booktalking Ideas:

• Discuss the choice between love and family duty.
• Compare Vivian’s relationship with Aiden to her relationship with Gabriel.
• Focus on the idea of keeping your real self a secret.
• Tell the story of where the loups-garoux originated.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

15 and older

Challenge Issues:

Sexual content
Suggestive language
Violence

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

The paranormal romance sub-genre of fantasy is a popular genre for teens at the moment.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. Tor Teen, 2008. 384 pages. ISBN-10: 0765319853. ISBN-13: 978-0765319852.

Plot:

17-year-old Marcus and his friends decide to skip school to participate in an online scavenger hunt, which results in them being on the streets of San Francisco when a terrorist group attacks. As they look for help for his friend Darryl who was stabbed in the melee, they’re all taken captive by the Department of Homeland Security. They spend days in a detention facility where Marcus is interrogated, tortured, and threatened into silence before they are finally released, without Darryl. They then discover that San Francisco has turned into a police state. Marcus and his friends decide they’re going to take on the DHS for what they did to them and Darryl.

Marcus uses technology to organize a group of teenagers to fight back against the DHS and the tracking tools they’re using. As he does this, his relationship with his friends becomes more and more strained until they become too afraid to continue helping him. Marcus is left with only the help of his new girlfriend Ange and the army of faceless teenagers who are quickly getting out of control. As the DHS closes in, Marcus decides that he’s unable to handle it all alone anymore and reveals what happened to his parents and a journalist. This only serves to further anger the DHS and Marcus soon learns that he has nowhere else to hide. He can only hope that telling his story can help him before it’s too late.

Critical Evaluation:

I hadn’t expected to enjoy this book as much as I did. I went into it biased because of the description and subject matter, but found myself reading it voraciously after the first chapter. Doctorow manages to weave together an interesting story, descriptions of a large amount of technology, and a political message in such a way that each only serves to enhance each aspect. Marcus could have easily been written as a cipher or fallen flat, but instead he’s a deep and complex character. He’s also a character to which many readers can relate, whether they have the same rebellious and righteous streak that he does or not. Doctorow gives him foolhardy fearlessness that comes with youth and believing in your cause, but also a vulnerability that adds tension to the reading.

The inclusion of descriptions a vast number of technologies is another area where the book could easily have become dry and unreadable, but instead Doctorow explains them in a way that is both easy to understand and incredibly interesting. In fact, I found some of the technology so fascinating that I was inspired to do more research on the subject myself. It’s a great way to introduce the reader to many of the technological options that are in use today or could be in use in the near future.

Reader's Annotation:

When Marcus and his friends decided to skip school, they had no idea they would end up being interrogated and tortured by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Now Marcus is mad and he’s going to make the DHS pay for what they did.

Author Information:

Corey Doctorow was born July 17, 1971 in Toronto, Canada. His parents were very active in many causes and Doctorow inherited that passion. As a child he campaigned for Green Peace and was involved in the movement for nuclear disarmament. He also volunteered with the Youth Challenge International. As an adult, Doctorow is a big proponent of intellectual freedom and the loosening of copyright laws.

He has written over 20 novels, anthologies, and non-fiction books many of which are licensed under Creative Commons. Technology, intellectual freedom, digital rights management, and post-scarcity economics are common themes in his books. He offers several of his books, including Little Brother, as free downloads on his website. He encourages his readers to remix his books through their Creative Commons licenses and send him the results to post.

Genre:

Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

Computer Science: Technology
Government: Terrorism, Freedom and Rights, Torture and Interrogation Tactics
English: Character Development, Plot Development

Booktalking Ideas:

• Introduce each of the characters using their online personas.
• Focus on the scene where they’re picked up by the DHS.
• Discuss Marcus’s idea of freedom vs. safety.
• Focus on some of the technology mentioned in the book.
  

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Sexual content
Profanity
Anti-government sentiment
Violence
Positive view of hacking

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

It was a required reading for the class. It has also now become one of my new favorites.