Discovery Girl

Discovery Girl. ASIN: B0000633EA.

Plot Summary: Discovery Girl is a magazine geared for girls between the ages of 7-12.Topics covered include; relationships, school, problem solving, embarrassing moments, beauty and fashion.
Critical Evaluation: The magazine seems to be appropriate for the age group and contains a good range of articles for a variety of interests. This magazine reads like a Cosmo or similar for young girls.
Reader's Annotation:N/A
Author Info: N/A
Genre: Current Events, Non fiction
Curriculum Ties: Current Events - Social Studies
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Interest Level: 7-12
Selection Process: I wanted an example of a magazine for the tween age range.
Challenge Issues: None

The Witches

Roald Dahl. Illustrated by Quintin Blake. Puffin Books, 2007. ISBN:978-0142410110


Plot Summary: A young boy who has lost his parents goes to live with his grandmother in Norway. As the two become better acquainted, she begins to tell him all about witches. Many people are not aware, but witches live in many communities and blend in except for a few telltale signs. The boy's grandmother tells him all about how to spot these evil women and the terrible things they do to children. The two decide to take a seaside holiday and end up in the middle of an annual witch convention attended by the grand high witch herself. How will the boy stay safe in a hotel full of children hating witches?

Critical Evaluation: This is an excellent choice for this age group. It is also a good choice for reading aloud, perhaps in a library or classroom setting. The book is original and is amusing, and a little bit scary at the same time. The book is written in a way that it will be equally enjoyable for children and parents alike.


Reader's Annotation: A young orphan, together with his grandmother, must try to outwit a hotel full of child hating witches. The grand high witch is in the hotel - is anyone safe?


Genre: Fantasy, suspense
Interest Level:7-13

About the Author: Roald Dahl is the author of a great number of children's books including: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Great Glass Elevator, The Enormous Crocodile and many others. He has also written books for adults such as My Uncle Oswald and many books of short stories. He is known for darkly humorous stories.

Curriculum Ties: None
Booktalking Ideas: Focus on relationship between the boy and his grandmother, focus on how to identify witches.
Selection Process: Roald Dahl is one of my favorite authors form both children's and adult literature.

Challenge: If any, readers can be directed to research the author or reviews of this and his other works.

Jonas Brothers

Jonas Brothers. Hollywood Records, 2007.

Summary: This the the second album released by the Jonas Brothers. Many of the songs are written by them and the album contains many successful singles such as "Hold On" and "SOS".

Critical Evaluation: The CD is filled with catchy songs that will appeal to all ages. While some of the songs sound very "produces" there are also many that feature acoustic guitar and have an earthier sound to them. Overall, it is upbeat music that will appeal to tweens and is appropriate in content for that age group, but parents will not mind having it playing in the car.

About the Group: The Jonas Brothers are a group that is extremely popular with teens and tweens. They have a huge and enthusiastic fan base and their wholesome lyrics and youth friendly sound make them an approved choice by parents as well.

Curriculum Ties: Music
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Selection Process: I chose this album to review because they are such a popular band with the tween age group.
Challenge Issues: None

Online Games for Girls

http://girlonlinegame.com/arcade/

Summary: This website is geared to tween girls and contains a variety of games such as;
Dress the Emo, Dress up Mario, Cutie Makeover 3, and Beach Girl Fashion.

Critical Evaluation: This website contains a vast variety of games geared towards tween girls. The majority of theme involve some sort of dress up or makeover theme. None of the games have much educational value but they are easy to play and the content is appropriate for the age group.

About the Author: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Genre: Game
Curriculum Ties: None
Interest Level: 8-14
Challenge: None

Mean Girls

Written by Tina Fey. Directed by Mark Waters. Paramount Studios.2004

Plot Summary: Cady has spent most of her life being homeschooled in Africa by her Zoologist parents. Constantly living on Safari, she is adept at surviving among wild animals. This comes in handy when she starts attending an American high school. She becomes friends with two students who while they may not be the coolest, have a good sense of self and are smart, funny and self aware. The three become fascinated with "the plastics" a girl only clique that rules the school. They decide that Cady should infiltrate the clique to learn all their secrets. The only problem is that Cady gets caught up with being popular. She begins to enjoy other looking up to her for being pretty and popular rather than smart and accomplished.

Critical Evaluation: Mean Girls received a great deal of critical acclaim, and for good reason. The story sends a valuable message to young girls while avoiding being overly preachy. The movie is touching and funny and brings back memories of how painful it can be to be an adolescent.

Reader's Annotation: Cady is new to school. She has been living in Africa with her zoologist parents. She has to learn the hard way that fitting in is more complicated than it looks.

About the Author: The book is based on a non-fiction work by Rosalind Wiseman, Queen Bees and Wannabes.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Curriculum Ties: None

Booktalking Ideas: Have you ever had to lie to fit in? How did it make you feel?

Interest Level: Age 12 and up

Selection Process: I have seen it several times and believe it has a positive message for tween and teen girls.

Challenge Issues: None

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

J.K. Rowling. Bloomsbury, 1997. ISBN: 978-0747532743.

Plot Summary: Harry is a boy who lives with his horrible Aunt, Uncle, and his cousin Dudley. One day, just before his 11th birthday, Harry learns some exciting news, he is a wizard! He discovers that he has been accepted to Hogwarts, a wizarding school. Once he arrives there he encounters a new world. He learns that he is a celebrity! He also learns magic, meets new friends (including ghosts!), and begins to learn about the truth of what happened to his mother and father. Harry also learns that there is a dark force in the wizarding world that he needs to be careful of.

Critical Evaluation: This a book that appeals to a wide range of ages and personalities. Not only is there something in The Philosopher's Stone, but it invokes a wide range of emotions from the reader.

Reader's Annotation: Harry lives a rather unhappy life with his Aunt, Uncle and cousin Dudley. One day his whole world changes when he discovers that he is a wizard and there is a place waiting for him at Hogwarts, a school for wizards.

About the Author: J.K. Rowling is the British author of the popular Harry Potter series. There are 7 novels in the the series and all have been made into movies or will be in the near future.

Genre: Fantasy, Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties: None

Booktalking Ideas: Have you ever had one day that changed your whole life?

Reading Level: Grade 4 and up

Selection Process: This book is a part of one of the most popular children's series in history so I thought it should be included.

Challenge Issues: When the book first came out, several groups were unhappy with the magical content and did not approve of witches being the main characters of children's literature. To defend the book, challengers could look at other books with similar content that are well known classics. The Narnia series by CS Lewis is a good example of this.

George's Marvelous Medicine

Roald Dahl. Narrated by Richard E. Grant. Harper Collins Audio, 2005. ISBN: 978-0060758325

Plot Summary: George is a nice, polite boy who lives with his family and his grouchy, impossible to please, grandmother. One day while he is responsible for his gramma, he decides to add a bit of something extra into her medicine. The results are quite surprising to say the least! When George shows his father the results of his little experiment, his father is eager for him to recreate the potion so they can profit from the benefits. Because George threw everything but the kitchen sink into the medicine and cannot remember the quantities, he and his father begin experimenting with wild results!

Critical Evaluation: Like all of Roald Dahl's work, this story will be enjoyed by parents and children alike thanks to it's darkly humorous content. This story is well narrated and really is brought to life by being read aloud. Richard E. Grant does an excellent job of imparting the unique personalities of each character into his voice and intonations.

Reader's Annotation: George is a smart little boy who lives with his family and his terrible, grumpy grandmother. One day, he decides to make her medicine "special" to cure her grumpiness.

About the Author: Roald Dahl is the author of a great number of children's books including: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Great Glass Elevator, The Enormous Crocodile and many others. He has also written books for adults such as My Uncle Oswald and many books of short stories. He is known for darkly humorous stories.

Genre: Humour

Booktalking Ideas: What would happen if you could make a magic potion? What would you want it to do?
Focus on relationship between George and his Grandmother

Challenge Issues: None. If any, they could be advised to look up reviews of the book.

Interest Level: Ages 9 and up

Selection Process: I have read most of Roald Dahl's work and this one is a favorite.

The Call of the Wild (Graphic Novel)

Jack London. Illustrated by Alex Nine. Adapted by Neil Kleid. Puffin Graphics, 2006. . ISBN:978-0142405710.

Plot Summary: Buck, a pet dog, is taken from his home and made a part of a sled team. He suffers abuse as he is passed from owner to owner and forced to work in the harsh conditions. He eventually becomes the leader of a pack of wolves. Along the way he learns many lessons realizes that he is capable of much more than he thought. Through Buck's adventures, London tells a gripping story of what man and humanity is capable of - both the good and the bad and the harsh realities that are a part of life.

Critical Evaluation: The artwork in The Call of the Wild really adds another dimension to the story. The thin lines of the pen and ink sketches contrast against the use of a great deal of white space adding to the wintry and cold feel of the book. The story itself is a good adaptation of the original by Jack London. There does not seems to be any important items missing from the story line and the general feel and emotions raised by the story are comparable.

Reader's Annotation: A gentle house pet named Buck, is stolen from his family and forces to be a sled dog in the wild north. He has a number of experiences as he adjusts to the harsh life. Will he ever return home or is he changed forever?

Author Information: Jack London is also the author of White Fang. He is well known for his harsh portrayals of the Alaskan gold rush and life in the north.

Genre: Graphic Novel
Curriculum Ties: English Literature, Art
Booktalking Ideas: Could you survive in the wild? How would you have to change?
Interest Level: Grade 7-9
Challenge Issues: Some may resent a classic novel being changed and abridged into a graphic format. To defend, research could be done into the graphic novel as a legitimate form of art and literature.
Selection Process: I had never read a graphic novel before and wanted to start with a familiar story.

Which Witch?

Eva Ibbotson. Scholastic Press, 1979. ISBN: 978-0330398008.

Plot Summary: Arriman the Awful has spent most of his life being a powerful, "evilish" wizard and he is ready for a break. However, he can't retire until he finds someone to take his place. He is advised the best way to do this is to marry on of the local witches and produce an heir. He is hesitant to do this as to his knowledge, all the local witches are warty and unkempt but he decides to marry the woman who produces the darkest magic spell. Belladonna, a beautiful white witch is deeply in love with Arriman but despairs at ever winning the contest as she is a white witch and only capable of making flowers bloom and caring for baby animals. She decides to enter the contest anyways with the help of a young orphan boy and her new familiar, a small worm. With the contest under way, who will win the hand of Arriman?

Critical Evaluation: Which Witch is an amusing, light read and will be particularly popular for those readers who enjoy magic and wizardry. Although the subject matter may seem dark with evil wizards and witches as the main characters, it is actually a light read that will appeal to a wide audience. The book is imaginative and original while maintaining a fairytale like structure.

Reader's Annotation: Arriman the handsome wizard must choose a bride, although he dreads marrying one of the local hags. He arranges a contest: the witch that performs the darkest spell will become his wife. Arriman doesn't realize that one of the witches is very beautiful and already loves him but is unfortunately, incapable of performing dark spells. Will love or dark magic prevail?

About the Author: Eva Ibbotson is the author of The Secret of Platform 13, The Beasts of Clawsone Castle and others. She writes mainly fantasy and historical fiction for tweens and young adults.

Genre: Fantasy

Curriculum Ties: None

Booktalking Ideas: Is it better to be good and powerless or evil and powerful?

Challenge Issues: Necromancy is performed. This could be defended by examining the context it is performed in.

Interest Level: 9-12

Selection Process: On the cover it is described as " a zestful adventure, perfect for fans of Harry Potter." This appealed to me as I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series.

Twilight Soundtrack

Various Artists. Released November 2008. Chop Shop/Atlantic. ASIN: B001ED7C58.

Plot Summary: N/A

Critical Evaluation: The 12 song CD contains songs by artists such as; Iron and Wine, Blue Foundation, Collective Soul and others. The songs are well chosen to compliment the movie and span a variety of styles.

Readers Annotation: N/A

Genre: Various/Music
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Interest Level: 10-16
Challenge Issues: None
Selection Process: I enjoyed the movie which made me interested in the soundtrack.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ersatz Elevator

Lemony Snicket. Illustrations by Brett Helquist. Scholastic Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0064408646.

Plot Summary: In the sixth book of the Series of Unfortunate Events series, the three Baudelaire siblings have arrived in the home of their new guardians. As always, the three children have a lot on their plate. They are attempting to discover where the evil Count Olaf has taken their friends, the Quagmires, while trying to evade him themselves. On top of this, their new "mother" has declared elevators to be "out" and a large part of their days is spend getting up and down the stairs to the 71 bedroom penthouse. Eventually, they meet up with Olaf and the race is on to save their friends and themselves.

Critical Evaluation:The Ersatz Elevator will appeal to many types of readers. The story is gloomy, funny and suspenseful. There are many appealing aspects to this story and the style it is written in. The narrators descriptions of vocabulary used in the story is humorous and informative. Children will be able to identify on some level with one of the three likable Baudelaire children and will enjoy reading about them.

Reader's Annotation: The three Baudelaire orphans are in the hone of their new guardians, the Squalors. The evil Count Olaf has their friends, the Quagmires and the Baudelairs are anxious to rescue their friends and stay out of the Count's clutches themselves.

About the Author: Lemony Snicket is the author all 13 books of the Series of Unfortunate Events. There is a great deal of "biographical" information about him online, including a wikipedia page. "Lemony Snicket" is a pseudonym for Daniel Handler.

Genre: Fantasy, suspense, humour

Curriculum Ties: English - vocabulary

Booktalking Ideas:What would you do if you had to look after yourself?

Interest Level: Grade 4-6

Challenge Issues: None

Selection Process: I have heard of these books for quite a while but had not had the opportunity to read any until now.

A Corner of the Universe

Ann M. Martin. Scholastic Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0439388801.

Plot: Hattie Owen is 12 the summer her Uncle comes into her life. Her life until that point had been fairly isolated and quiet. She has few friends and spends most of her time on the porch of her parents boarding house talking with the renters. Her Uncle's mental illness that has kept him isolated from his family, become the focal point of their family for the summer. Through her friendship with her Uncle, Hattie explores relationships, the importance of family and the human need for acceptance and belonging. Her universe is broadened and she changes on a fundamental level from her experiences.

Critical Evaluation: A Corner of the Universe is a well written, sympathetic look at mental illness and how it can affect a family and a community. It is also an insightful look into the life of an adolescent girl as she begins to comes to terms with relationships, consequences, the fear of being different, and the complicated nature of families. The writing style of the book and the first person point of view really lets the reader into Hattie's mind and her thoughts and is an effective mechanism for imparting the story.

Reader's Annotation: In the summer of 1960, 12 year old Hattie meets her mentally ill uncle for the first time when he returns from boarding school. The re-introduction of Adam into the family structure causes a great deal of turmoil as everyone is forced to evaluate their complicated feelings towards each other.

About the Author: Ann M. Martin is also the author of the popular Baby Sitters Club series.

Genre: Fiction, Coming of age

Curriculum Ties: Psychology

Booktalking Ideas: What would it be like to have a mental illness?

Reading Level: 10-16

Challenge Issues: There is a suicide in the book.

Selection Process: I read a review in a local parenting magazine.

The Witches of Worm

Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Dell Publishing, 1972. ISBN: 978-1416995319.

Plot Summary: Jessica has never been a cat person, but when she discovers a new born kitten, she takes it home to take care of it and alleviate her loneliness. Jessica is an unhappy girl, her est friend in her building will no longer play with here and her mother has made it clear that she has better things to do than to spend time with her daughter. Jessica spends most of her time either alone, or with some of the interesting tenants of her apartment building. Not long after she gets Worm however, he begins influencing her to do terrible things and act out her worst thoughts. Is Jessica doomed to be a Witch or can she overcome Worm's powerful influence?

Critical Evaluation: This is a good book for those who are interested in the occult and like a little suspense. There is no gore or violence in this book but it is still spooky and would likely make people jump in a few spots. Jessica's loneliness and anger are also well portrayed and make her a very sympathetic character even as her behavior is deteriorating. The book is eerie and sad in many places but it is a positive book in terms of it showing the process of how a person overcomes difficulties in their lives.

Reader's Annotation: When Jessica discovers the tiny, worm like kitten near her apartment, she considers leaving it to die. Although she is not a cat person she decides to take it home but soon realizes that Worm is not an ordinary cat, but a demon cat. Who can she turn to for help?

About the Author: Zilpha Keatly Snyder is the author of several books in the same genre including, The Headless Cupid, The Egypt Game, and The Changeling which are all Newberry Honor Books and ALA notable books for children.

Genre: Suspense, occult

Curriculum Ties: None

Booktalking Ideas: Being Alone, Witches, Demons

Interest Level: 9-12

Challenge Issues: An exorcism is performed by Jessica on Worm. This could be defended by examining the process in which people overcome all types of problems and barriers. This would demonstrate that the portrayal of the exorcism in the story is a metaphor for personal growth and being able to grow as a person. Also, by researching the circumstances surrounding the Salem Which trials, which are a significant part of the book.

Selection Process: I read The Headless Cupid and The Egypt Game when I was young and wanted to read more by the same author.