List of Materials in Alphabetical Order

1. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

2. American Cheerleader, Oct. 2010 (magazine)

3. Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

4. Beastly (movie)

5. Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle

6. Black Juice by Margo Lanagan

7. Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems by John Grandits

8. Body Drama by Nancy Amanda Redd

9. Case Closed, Volume 1 by Gosho Aoyama

10. Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs

11. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

12. Emma, vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori

13. Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

14. GALE’s Biography in Context (Database)

15. GALE’s Opposing Viewpoints in Context (Database)

16. Glee Season 2, Volume 1 (TV series)

17. Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum

18. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

19. If I Had a Hi-Fi by Nada Surf (CD)

20. Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

21. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

22. Liar by Justine Larbalestier

23. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

24. Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison

25. Monster by Walter Dean Myers

26. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

27. Napoleon Dynamite (movie)

28. Oral Fixation, vol. 2 by Shakira (CD)

29. Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

30. PC Gamer, No. 210, Feb. 2011 (magazine)

31. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

32. Pretty in Pink (movie)

33. Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

34. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

35. Runaways: Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughan

36. Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life (vol. 1) by Bryan Lee O’Malley

37. She’s the Man (movie)

38. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

39. Sold by Patricia McCormick

40. Speak Now by Taylor Swift (CD)

41. Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

42. TeenVogue, Aug. 2011 (magazine)

43. The Contender by Robert Lipsyte

44. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

45. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

46. The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

47. The SIMS 2: Double Deluxe (PC game)

48. Transworld Skateboarding 2011 Buyer’s Guide (magazine)

49. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

50. Winter’s Child by Cameron Dokey

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Delacorte Books for Young Readers , 2010
ISBN: 978-0385737630

Plot Summary

When Andi Alpers’ father hears of his daughter’s near flunking school status he is less than pleased. Determined to make her do her work, a senior thesis on the musician Amandé Malherbeau, he forces her to travel with him to Paris where he has agreed to do some DNA consulting for a friend of his. Despite her reluctance to leave behind her sick mother and her music lessons with her favorite professor, Andi agrees to go, fearing she has little choice in the matter. She even agrees to complete her thesis after her father promises to send her home as soon as she finishes it. But as Andi begins work on her paper, she stumbles upon what seems to be an ancient diary. Soon she is captivated by the narrative of Alexandrine, a girl who struggled to survive the French Revolution while serving as Prince Louis Charles’ playmate. Soon Andi forgets all else except Alexandrine’s story and the unsettling parallels she discovers between their two lives. Can Alexandrine’s diary heal the deep pain in Andi’s life and help make her whole once more?

Critical Evaluation

Nominated for eleven awards, Revolution is equally as remarkable as Donnelly’s most famous book, A Northern Light. While Revolution’s plot is riveting it is Donnelly’s lyrical language that makes this novel a true masterpiece. Whether describing the streets of New York, the sunrise over the Sacré Coeur, or the palpable fear permeating the homes of the aristocrats during the French Revolution, Donnelly is a true genius with words. For example, when protagonist Andi describes Paris she doesn’t write of its streets or its monuments but of its people: “I love this shadow city. I love the red-lipped working girl in her cheap heels. And the hornswoggler slinking home after his one-nighter. I love the pink-cheeked farmer’s wife carrying a wheel of cheese above her head” (p. 258). Not only is Donnelly’s language sophisticated and evocative but her characters are equally as well-crafted. Through each of her characters Donnelly explores the themes of love and loss, heartbreak and joy, family ties and academic pursuits. Indeed, Donnelly’s Revolution is a true masterpiece that should have a prominent place within every library’s collection.

Reader’s Annotation

As Andi Alpers struggles to come to terms with her brother’s death, her father’s negligence, and her mother’s illness she stumbles upon a diary containing a centuries’ old mystery that may just be the key needed to unlock her hurt and allow her to heal.

About the Author

Jennifer Donnelly is a true inspiration for all aspiring authors. Her first novel, Tea Rose, took her ten years to write. She was lucky enough to work with her favorite literary agency and a fortuitous partnership with editor Simon Lipskar began. After she revised Tea Rose with Lipskar’s recommendations it would take another year before a publishing house would accept her book. Eventually Donnelly became a full-time author winning such awards as the Carnegie medal, Printz honor, and L.A. Times Book prize. Although Donnelly writes critically acclaimed novels she still struggles with the writing process. On her website she states that she often thinks about having other jobs: “[I think about doing other things] [w]hen the writing is hard, yes. And the writing is hard every single time I sit down to do it”. However, Donnelly later points out that authors can be many things through the characters they write which is partly why she perseveres in her craft. Additionally, Donnelly confesses that she writes because she “love[s] words and stories…[and] would be grief-stricken every day of [her] life if [she] couldn’t write”.

Donnelly, J. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com/faq.html

Genre

Adventure, Bibliotherapy—neglectful parents, Historical fiction, Historical science fiction, Mystery

Tags

Malherbeau, academia, neglectful parents, absent father, mental illness, artists, music, performance art, French Revolution, Louis-Charles, Paris

Curriculum Ties

This book would fit in perfectly in a unit on the French Revolution. Educators may also find it useful when teaching about the history of music, suicide, and the interconnectedness of the world.

Booktalk Ideas

--Collect various items that could be connected to the book and ask audience members what they could have in common. For example, you could include sheet music composed by Amadé Malherbeau, a firework, a guitar pick, and a model of DNA.

--Play some form of Six Degrees of Separation in which audience members connect things or people to each other. Then explain how Andi’s journey interconnects with her father’s, Alexandrine’s, and Prince Louis-Charles’.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: Roughly 7^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade (14-18 yrs.)

I determined the reading level by viewing the reading level Scholastic Reading Wizard assigned to Donnelly’s A Northern Light. Because the author wrote both books for a similar audience I assumed the reading level was similar. Scholastic Book Wizard: http://bookwizard.scholastic.com

Challenge Issues

This book contains disturbing situations such as suicide, beheadings, and graphic details surrounding Prince Louis Charles’ demise. I believe that the best way librarians can defend this book is through showing adults how it ties to school curriculum (particularly units on the French Revolution). Additionally, librarians can point out that while the book contains suicide it in no way glorifies it while explaining the library’s collection policy.

Favorite Quotes

“Ms. Hammond sighed. ‘History is a Rorschach test, people,’ she said. ‘What you see when you look at it tells you as much about yourself as it does about the past.’” (p. 300)

“And yet it is hard even now for me to hate him, for I believe he meant no harm. You would not beat your dog because he is not a cat. He was born and dog and cannot change it. The king was born a king and could not change that either” –Alexandrine (p. 170).

“I tried to be goodly. I tried to be godly. But I got so tired of being ignored. Cry your grief to God. Howl to the heavens. Tear your shirt. Your hair. Your flesh. Gouge out your eyes. Carve out your heart. And what will you get from Him? Only silence. Indifference. But merely stand looking at the playbills, sighing because your name is not on tem, and the devil himself appears at your elbow full of sympathy and suggestions. And that’s why I did it. Why I served him. Why I stayed. Because God loves us, but the devil takes an interest.” –Alexandrine (p. 348).

“Do you still not know that great men are seldom good?” –Alexandrine (p. 332)

Why Was This Included?

I belong to a Yahoo! Group called adbooks (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adbooks). The best part of the group comes in November when fellow member Jonathan Hunt collects a list of the best Young Adult fiction of the year. Together, community members vote one book off the list every week and collectively vote for the best book out of the top five remaining titles. Revolution was part of the 2011 list although it was beat out by Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta. I never have enough time to read the full list so I’ve wanted to read Revolution for some time now. I’ve found that in belonging to adbooks I’ve read some of the best YA fiction of past years and books that I wouldn’t read otherwise. Revolution is one of these books as it is 496 pages (I have trouble committing to longer books).

Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison

Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison, Razorbill, 2005

ISBN: 978-1595140104

Plot Summary

Lulu Dark insists that she isn’t a girl detective. She doesn’t speak multiple languages, she doesn’t have a photographic memory and she definitely doesn’t care about recovering stolen gems. But when her beloved knock-off Kate Spade bag is stolen (with an attractive musician’s phone number in it no less!) she is determined to do as much sleuthing as possible in order to retrieve it. Originally suspecting her snide school rival, Rachel Buttersworth-Taylor she decides to sneak into her place and take back what is rightly hers. But when that trail goes cold and she is tipped off that the mysterious Berlin Silver was last seen with her bag she decides to switch tactics and learn as much information as possible on the bizarre and elusive Berlin. The more information Lulu uncovers the weirder the case of the missing bag gets. Now not only is Berlin nowhere to be found but Lulu is being followed by a creepy woman seemingly everywhere she goes. Finally, when vicious rumors start to fly about Lulu and her best friend starts to believe them she knows that, bag or no bag, she has to get to the bottom of all the mysteries before her reputation is completely ruined. Will Lulu be able to discover the answers to all her questions before her friends desert her? And will she ever see her beloved bag again?

Critical Evaluation

While Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls may not be considered fine literature it is perfectly good fun. Although Lulu is snarky and even cruel at times, readers cannot help but admire her plucky spirit and her determination to find the answers to all the mysteries she manages to get caught up in. She is, in fact, a surprisingly complicated character. While she can be mean she doesn’t intentionally hurt other people, evidenced by her vehement denials of the many wild things attributed to her later in the novel. And while she sometimes appears callous, her actions show her to be otherwise as she starts to genuinely worry about Berlin and her disappearance. The mystery is Lulu Dark is also well crafted with many twists and turns along the way before a solution is revealed. Readers will thoroughly enjoy being baffled alongside Lulu as she tries to solve not only the mystery of her missing bag but Berlin’s disappearance as well. In addition to the text, the physical book itself is pleasing. Measuring 5.25” by 7.25”, the book is smaller than the average novel making it an ideal choice to take on the go. Between its compact size, well-crafted plot, and intriguing protagonist, Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls makes an excellent choice for an avid reader looking for a fun summer read.

Reader’s Annotation

Although Lulu Dark is no girl-detective she finds she has be one if she’s ever going to get her beloved knock-off Kate Spade bag back. Unfortunately things go from bad to worse as Lulu learns that much more is at stake than her purse such as her missing (and probably dead) classmate, her life as she runs from a crazed stalker, and her reputation as a mysterious person spreads malicious rumors about her.

About the Author

Bennett Madison writes, “I’m an editor and writer in Brooklyn. Mostly I write books for teenagers but sometimes I write other things too. My most recent book is The Blonde of the Joke, which was published by HarperCollins and is about skanky shoplifters at a dying suburban shopping mall. My next book is currently in-progress and will be published by Harper Teen in 2013. My previous occupations have included indie bookstore layabout, Senior Receptionist, Gap clerk and phone psychic” (Madison, n.d.)

I was surprised to discover that the author Lulu Dark was a twenty-three-year-old man. Although I only have a limited experience with chick lit, it struck me that a young, male author was unusual in this genre. Curious, I looked up Bennett Madison’s website and e-mailed him the following question:

Hi! I'm reviewing your book Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls for a class and was curious what led you to write chick lit type books? I think it's really cool that you are doing so but I was curious as I haven't noticed many male writers in this field. What connects you to characters like Lulu Dark?

Imagine my surprise when he actually responded! I’m posting a truncated version of his response as it was quite long. However, I’ll include the link to his full blog post in case you want to read it in its entirety.

Hi! Thanks for the question— hope you’re liking the books; it always freaks me out when people read them for anything school-related. I guess the answer to this question has a few different components. The first has to do with why I chose to write a first-person female narrator, and the second has to do with why I chose to write “chick lit,” which is a somewhat separate thing…Lulu came to me as a character pretty quickly and I was lucky enough to sell the idea very quickly too, so there wasn’t a lot of time for the second guessing most of my ideas are subject to. A lot of YA fiction (Not all! Just a lot!) I think focuses on teenage social politics and identities in a really black-and-white way and I wanted to write a character who wasn’t too hung up that stuff…She’s just who she is and is mostly comfortable with that.

As for why I chose to write “chick lit,” the answer is a little more complicated. Again, it was sort of by accident. I don’t think I was really thinking of the first book as chick lit until I saw the first cover, actually. I was just writing a light, funny girl detective. But I read a lot growing up— a lot more than I read now, actually— and because so much kids’ fiction is aimed toward girls, being a reader when you’re a kid pretty much means reading tons of really girly stuff. I didn’t care. I read stuff like the Baby-sitters Club and obviously Nancy Drew and a million other things too. So when it came time to write a book for young teenagers, I really liked the idea of writing something that played around with the genre conventions and cliches of the commercial fiction I’d read as a kid. I wanted it to be both a love letter and an affectionate critique (Madison, 2011).

Madison, B. (2011) Hi! I’m reviewing your book Lulu Dark can see through. Retrieved from http://www.bennett-madison.com/post/7385966525/hi-im-reviewing-your-book-lulu-dark-can-see-through

Madison, B. (n.d.) About. Retrieved from http://www.bennett-madison.com/about

Genre

Chick Lit, Humor, Mean Girls, Mystery, Suspense

Tags

Murder mystery, stolen identity, mean girls, fortunetelling, single parent, LGBTQ, girl detective

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalk Ideas

--Dress up and talk like Lulu Dark as you give the booktalk

--Tell the story from different perspectives and wear a different hat every time you change your persona. For example, when you are Lulu you can wear sunglasses and when you are Berlin you can wear a beret.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grades (14-18 yrs.)

AR BookFinder. (2010). Lulu Dark can see through walls. Retrieved from http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=88327&l=EN&slid=191257288

Challenge Issues

Because this book contains brief inappropriate language and a fortunetelling scene some adults may challenge this book. If challenged, librarians should share the library’s collection policy.

Favorite Quotes

“I do not speak Arabic or Chinese or German or even Spanish like they [girl detectives] do. I speak English, and the only French phrases I know are things like, ‘I go to the beach,’ or ‘We go to the pool, yes?’” (p. 1)

“It [the jungle gym] had been built back in the fifties, when kids were expected to do crazy stuff and no one worried about safety concerns, so the thin was metal and complicated and treacherous. Nowadays, if you tried to build something like that, you’d have some group of Concerned Mothers Against Fun on your back in a second, petitioning city hall to ban playgrounds altogether for the safety of dim toddlers” (p. 85).

“Why do the police always get so caught up in the tiny little details? Hello, big picture! If this is the way that law enforcement operates, it’s no wonder they still haven’t found Tupac’s killer” (p. 110)

Why Was This Included?

I decided to include this book because it was recommended to me by a local Teen librarian. I wanted to include more mysteries and chick lit into my blog and this title was both. I must also confess that the size of the book drew me to it as it is smaller than average and can easily fit into a purse.

Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum

Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum, WestSide Books, 2010.
ISBN: 978-1934813416

Plot Summary

After escaping her sexually abusive stepfather, Ashley now lives with her father and her stepmother in the rural Texas town of Patience. Although Ashley is free of her stepfather her life is not easy as she must learn to heal not only from the sexual abuse she suffered but from her mother’s neglect and rejection as well. With the help of her new family and her therapist, Dr. Matt, she is trying to get better but she is still often frightened and suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress disorder. Her life becomes further complicated as she begins a new school and joins the track team. Hiding her past from her classmates, especially in such a small town, begins to prove difficult, especially when her classmate Joshua begins to take an interest in her. Will Ashley be able to heal and start at new life in Patience or will she be forever trapped by her past?

Critical Evaluation

In Hope in Patience Fehlbaum gives a voice to those whose lives have been torn apart by sexual abuse. She does an excellent job detailing Ashley’s journey to recovery, relating her triumphs and set-backs and her hopes and fears. Indeed, Fehlbaum refuses to gloss over any part of Ashley’s self-recovery or past, which allows readers to better understand Ashley’s situation. Through Ashley’s tale Fehlbaum helps readers understand how difficult it can be to recover from such a trauma and provides them with the necessary tools to help them become better supportive friends and family members. However, despite providing a voice for those who need it most, Fehlbaum’s book lacks a balanced cast. Although Ashley lives in a small, conservative, rural town, all the kind people in her life are either liberal minded or distinctly lack a political leaning. This seems odd as most of the people Ashley would encounter would likely be conservative. Additionally, Fehlbaum provides an overly zealous Christian boy who enjoys telling his classmates how misguided they are, and yet does not provide his counterpart, a devoted Christian who is kind and understanding. However, despite this puzzling imbalance in the supporting characters, Fehlbaum’s story is a good one, full of honesty and hope, making it a welcome addition to any teen collection.

Reader’s Annotation

After escaping an abusive step-father, Ashley Asher seeks to heal in her new home with a father she has not seen for most of her life. Healing will not be easy as she combats rumors, struggles to fit in at school, and relearns how to be a good friend but with help Ashley learns that she need not be a victim any longer.

About the Author

Beth Fehlbaum, author of Courage in Patience and Hope in Patience is both a writer and a teacher. Born in Dallas, Texas, Beth grew up with one brother. She met her husband in high school and they married shortly afterwards. Majoring in English for her undergraduate degree, she went on to gain her Master’s in Elementary Education from Texas A & M. She taught middle school for some years but now teaches fifth graders in East Texas.

Fehlbaum began writing as a way to heal from her own abusive childhood on the recommendation of her counselor. She imagined what it would have been like if she had been able to escape her abusive stepfather at an earlier age and thus the character of Ashley was born. Ashley’s story in many ways mirrors Fehlbaum’s own. Fehlbaum is currently working on the third book in the series, Truth in Patience.

Fehlbaum, B. (2009). About me. Retrieved from http://www.bethfehlbaumya.com/aboutme.htm

Genre

Bibliotherapy, Coming of Age, Realistic fiction

Tags

Child abuse, rape, stepfather, stepmother, negligent parent, PTSD, track, Ironman, Farewell to Manzanar, World War II, Japanese internment camps, counseling

Curriculum Ties

This book ties directly to Chris Crutcher’s Ironman and Jean Wakatsuki Houston’s Farewell to Manzanar. It could also be included in units about tolerance, child abuse, family structures, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Booktalk Ideas

--Include statistics on child abuse

--Lead off with a question like “What are some issues today that you feel are important but are often overlooked?” After this, talk about how one of these issues is child abuse.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade (14-18 yrs)

Reading level is according to AR BookFinder found at http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=142336&l=EN&slid=189297075

Challenge Issues

This book could potentially be challenged because it contains sexual abuse of a child. If challenged, librarians could point out how the book serves to help the healing process of those who have been sexually abused. Librarians could also show challengers the statistics concerning child abuse and point to articles stating how books such as Hope in Patience aid in therapy.

Favorite Quotes

“Ashley Asher, somebody told you that you weren’t good at math and you believed them. And that’s a big reason you make the mistakes you do. It’s because you’re so afraid of making a mistake” –Nanny, pg. 37

“This is the thing that’s going to get you through the tough stuff, Ash. Remembering that you have a choice about whether or keep going or give in the sadness” –Bev, pg. 303

Why Was This Included?

I included this book because it was required reading for our class. I also believe that it makes a powerful addition to any Young Adult library collection.

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie, Berkley Books, 2000
ISBN: 0425174727

Plot Summary

Poirot Investigates describes fourteen cases of Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Here readers will learn of the mysterious diamond entitled The Western Star, spiritualist hijinks, vanishing bonds, and a flat that is being let at an unbelievably low price. Poirot’s adventures will take him to a variety of locales including country manors, hunter’s lodges, docks, sumptuous hotels and even Egypt where he will recover lost property, lost people and lost reputations! Villains range from husband and wife teams to money-grabbing friends to dishonest maids. Readers will be pleased to see Poirot’s best friend Hastings accompanying him on most of his adventures while chief inspector Japp is also included in some of the tales. Indeed fans of all ages will appreciate Poirot’s clever plans and cunning solutions in Christie’s Poirot Investigates.

Critical Evaluation

There is nothing quite like sitting down with a cup of tea and a Poirot mystery as Agatha Christie’s stories never disappoint. Indeed, in reading Poirot Investigates it is easy to see why over two billion Christie books have been sold worldwide (General FAQ). Like in her other thirty-two Poirot novels, Christie elegantly weaves method, motive, and murder together to create fourteen delightful short stories. Perhaps the best part of Poirot Investigates is its variety of scenes and situations that the Belgian detective finds himself in. Within the pages of the book readers catch a rare glimpse into Poirot’s early days in the Belgian police force as well as his vacations that are often punctuated by crime. Christie includes a wide cast of characters ranging from film stars to British maids to mysterious businessmen. And the cases featured in the collection are equally as eclectic with Poirot solving mysteries for the rich and powerful as well as ones for Hastings’ acquaintances. Fans will also be delighted to see Christie infusing her well-known subtle humor into her storylines as she gently mocks Poirot’s meticulous, egotistical ways as well as Japp’s blustering, ill-laid plans. Indeed, Poirot Investigates is a wonderful collection of short stories that shows Christie at her finest.

General FAQ (n.d.). Agatha Christie. Retrieved from http://agathachristie.com/frequently-asked-questions/all-faq/

Reader’s Annotation

Poirot is at it again! In this collection of fourteen stories, world-famous detective Hercule Poirot discovers missing jewelry, catches cunning murderers, and rescues state officials by only using his “little grey cells”.

About the Author

“Dame Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time. In a career that spanned more than fifty years, Christie wrote eighty novels and short story collections, nineteen plays—one of which, The Mousetrap, is the longest-running play in history—and five nonfiction books, including her autobiography…Two of the characters she created, the ingenious Belgian Hercule Poirot and the irrepressible and relentless Miss Jane Marple, became world-famous detectives…[She] achieved Britain’s highest honor when she was made Dame of the British Empire. She died in 1976” (Berkeley Books, 2000).

Perhaps one of the most intriguing stories involving Christie is her short disappearance in December 1926. After authorities found her car and some of her clothing strewn about there immediately was a public uproar. Many believed her dead and the lake near her home was even dredged. Before her disappearance Agatha wrote several letters to various family members claiming different reasons for her disappearance from going on vacation to fearing for her life. In the end, through the help of guests, the authorities found her staying at a spa in Yorkshire under an assumed name. The reason people still talk of this incident is because Agatha Christie has refused to mention this event, even in her autobiography. Some believe that she suffered from amnesia, others think it was a publicity stunt, while still others believe that the stress produced by her cheating husband and mother’s death made it essential that she flee her everyday life for a time. To this day, this incident remains an unsolved mystery.

First paragraph: Berkeley Books. Poirot investigates. New York, NY: Berkley Books.

Second paragraph: Adams, C. (1982, April 2). Why did mystery writer Agatha Christie mysteriously disappear? The Straight Dope. Retrieved from http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/361/why-did-mystery-writer-agatha-christie-mysteriously-disappear

Genre

Cross-Over, Detective novel, Historical fiction, Mystery, Short stories,

Tags

Jewelry, theft, murder, poisoning, Poirot, Hastings, 1920s, World War I, missing person

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalk Ideas

--Tell one of the short stories from the perspective of Hastings.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 6^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade (14-18 yrs)

Reading level rounded up from the AR BookFinder site found here:

http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=142336&l=EN&slid=189297075

Challenge Issues

N/A

Favorite Quotes

Hercule Poirot’s description of himself as might appear in a society column: “Go it—criminals—all out! Hercule Poirot—and believe me, girls, he’s some Hercules!—our own pet society detective can’t get a grip on you. ‘Cause why? ‘Cause he’s got la grippe himself’!” (p. 63-64)

Why Was This Included?

I absolutely love Agatha Christie mysteries and it is my goal to read and own all of them. In fact, her novels are the equivalent to comfort food for me. I was first introduced to her novels in high school but found them too confusing. I returned to them in college and became hooked. Because plenty of high schoolers read Christie’s mysteries, and even have them assigned through school, I thought I would include one. I also liked how this was a collection of short stories, a type of book that is not often given much attention. I actually had already started to read this collection just for fun before I realized that I could use it in my blog.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Tor, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0765323118

Plot Summary

When Marcus and his friends decide to skip school they get caught in the middle of a terrorist attack on San Francisco. After re-surfacing from a crowded BART station they are picked up by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who proceed to interrogate them for days in an unknown location. Marcus is relieved when he is finally set free but grieved when he cannot find his best friend Darryl who had been injured and no doubt tortured like Marcus by the DHS. Angered by the loss of his best friend and his civil liberties Marcus is determined to take his revenge on the DHS. Soon, with the help of other people who are tired of living in a police state, Marcus creates several brilliant plans to overthrow the DHS’s iron grip on the city. But can he pull it off with the DHS watching his constant move? And what will happen when the DHS and the city of San Francisco start attributing his acts to those of terrorists?

Critical Evaluation

While Little Brother can be overly technical and slightly didactic, it is a valuable book to read as many of its details mirror those found in the United States today. Through his book, Doctorow challenges readers to reconsider the safety of their identity and civil liberties. Mixing technology that can be found in the world today along with new innovative devices, Doctorow reveals a scarily possible “what if” scenario in Marcus’ beloved San Francisco. While Doctorow’s own opinions are clear throughout the novel he does include viewpoints that differ from his own, ones that are shockingly similar to those held by people today. For example, while Marcus and his mother are angered at the DHS’s increased surveillance and profiling, Marcus’ father’s philosophy is quite different. “If you don’t have anything to hide…” he tells Marcus one day naturally implying that if one has nothing to hide, one has nothing to fear (p. 123). Both the ideology of Marcus and his mother as well as Marcus’ father is present in the United States today, particularly in discussions about the Patriot Act and increased security by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Little Brother is certainly a thought-provoking book that will challenge readers of all ages to consider not only what values they hold dear but what they would do to protect them.

Reader’s Annotation

Upon release from an illegal prison Marcus swears to get his revenge on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who locked him up after a terrorist attack on the San Francisco Bay Bridge. With the help of his friends and others who want their civil liberties back, Marcus starts an underground revolution that is sure to either overturn the DHS or get himself killed.

About the Author

“Cory Doctorow…is a science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist. He is the co-editor of the popular weblog Boing Boing (boingboing.net), and a contributor to The Guardian, the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Wired, and many other newspapers, magazines and websites. He was formerly Director of European Affairs for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), a non-profit civil liberties group that defends freedom in technology law, policy, standards and treaties. He is a Visiting Senior Lecturer at Open University (UK) and Scholar in Virtual Residence at the University of Waterloo (Canada); in 2007, he served as the Fulbright Chair at the Annenberg Center for Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California…His novels are published by Tor Books and HarperCollins UK and simultaneously released on the Internet under Creative Commons licenses that encourage their re-use and sharing, a move that increases his sales by enlisting his readers to help promote his work…He co-founded the open source peer-to-peer software company OpenCola, sold to OpenText, Inc in 2003, and presently serves on the boards and advisory boards of the Participatory Culture Foundation, the MetaBrainz Foundation, Technorati, Inc, the Organization for Transformative Works, Areae, the Annenberg Center for the Study of Online Communities, and Onion Networks, Inc”. His next YA novel will be Pirate Cinema.

When not writing Doctorow enjoys spending time with his wife, Alice, and his daughter, Poesy Emmeline Fibonacci Nautilus Taylor Doctorow.

Genre

Dystopian, Thriller

Curriculum Ties

This book would be perfect on a unit on intellectual freedom and terrorism.

Booktalk Ideas

--Start by saying something like “Imagine if there were devices installed in schools that would immediately identify you by your gait in order to prevent truancy. That is the sort of world Marcus lives in…”

--Ask the audience how they would feel if the Department of Homeland Security started to chip bus passes and transit cards, while tracking all purchases made on credit cards.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 6^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th grade + (14 yrs. +)

AR BookFinder (2010). Little brother. Retrieved from

Challenge Issues

There are many reasons why some may wish to challenge Little Brother as the novel depicts the use of waterboarding on a minor as well as several sensual scenes and disturbing sequences. There is also quite a bit of swearing and some may argue that Marcus is a poor role model. If challenged, librarians should explain collection development policy and explain how Little Brother can be used to make readers question their assumptions about their security. Librarians should point out how the book can to used to spur teens into researching security and intellectual freedom issues on their own which may or may not result in them agreeing with Doctorow’s suppositions.

Favorite Quotes

“I never believed in terrorists before—I mean, I knew that in the abstract there were terrorists somewhere in the world, but they didn’t really represent any risk to me. There were millions of ways that the world could kill me—starting with getting run down by a drunk burning his way down Valencia—that were infinitely more likely and immediate than terrorists. Terrorists kill a lot fewer people than bathroom falls and accidental electrocutions. Worrying about them always struck me as about as useful as worrying about getting hit by lightning.” (p. 41)

Why Was This Included?

I chose to include this book in my blog because it was required reading for class.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, Simon Pulse, 2009.
ISBN: 978-1416971740

Plot Summary

When Prince Aleksandar (Alek) is shaken aware by mechaniks master Otto Klopp and told that he is to receive his first stealth lesson in a walker war machine he cannot help but be excited. But it doesn’t take him long to notice the nervousness of his fencing master Count Volger as the three of them begin their journey. When the Count finally informs Alek that his parents have been murdered and that they are on the run from the German enemy Alek’s world quickly begins to cave in. Try as he might, Alek realizes that he knows little beyond the walls of the palace, and wonders how they will ever survive long enough to make it to the secret stronghold that is waiting for them across the Austrian border.

British girl Deryn Sharp has always wanted to serve on an airship but as a female she knows that her dream is an impossibility. But with war soon approaching Deryn decides to disguise herself as a boy and join the military. Soon she finds herself working on the magnificently famous whale-ship, the Leviathan, and is finally content. But Deryn’s happiness is quickly interrupted as she is assigned to be a cabin boy to a mysterious female scientist. Now Deryn not only has to perform her middy duties but look after a meddlesome geneticist as well. Her job becomes further complicated when the Leviathan crashes into enemy territory.

Soon Alek and Deryn’s worlds collide, two teens on opposite sides of the Great War but both in imminent peril. Will the two be able to work together in order to avert catastrophe for themselves as well as their friends or will everyone perish as the German troops begin to close in around them?

Critical Evaluation

Scott Westerfeld and Keith Thompson make a perfect team as evidenced by Leviathan, the first novel in the Leviathan trilogy. Westerfeld creates dynamic, likable characters in Alek, the proud yet scared prince, and Deryn, the bold and fearless middy. As the storyline alternates between Alek and Deryn readers cannot help comparing and contrasting their outlooks on life along with their backgrounds, their values, and perhaps most charmingly, their speech patterns. (Deryn does use the best slang words!). Just as Westerfeld’s characters are intricate and complex so too is the world they live in. Alek and Deryn exist within a gloriously well-imagined universe where high-tech machines are pitted against Darwinist evolutionary experiments. Readers will be equally fascinated by Alek’s sophisticated walker as they are by the inner-workings of the Leviathan. Most intriguing, is Westerfeld’s re-imagined Great War where those who are pro-machine (Clankers) and who are pro-beastie (Darwinists) wage war against each other. In fact, many of the events that occur in Westerfeld’s novel mirror the actual events of the real Great War. Even why the wars were originally fought is similar. As Count Volger says to Prince Alek, “The empire has wanted war with Serbia for years now. The rest was just an excuse” (p.80). And although the real world has no experience with steampunk machines and genetic experiments, the same nations that were pulled into World War I are identical to those who enter the Great War in Alek’s world. Paired with Westerfeld’s well-written text are Keith Thompson’s lavish, detailed illustrations. Each black and white illustration makes Westerfeld’s world come alive while perfectly mirroring the range of emotions found within the text. Captivating both in its storyline and images, Leviathan is sure to please readers of all ages.

Reader’s Annotation

Crown prince Alek is on the run with nothing more than a few advisors and a high tech machine while Deryn has successfully disguised herself as a boy in order to join the British Air service. When their paths cross after Deryn’s ship runs aground will they be able to work together and forget the fact that their respective countries are at war before the German military kills them?

About the Author

On his website Scott Westerfeld writes, “I’m the author of five science fiction novels for adults. I’ve also been an occasional ghost writer, which is like driving someone else’s car really, really fast for lots of money. (I could tell you what famous authors I ghost-wrote for, but then I’d have to kill you.) In my artsy days, I wrote music for artsy downtown New York dancers…I have written three sets of books for young adults. The first is called Midnighters, a tale of five teenagers born on the stroke of midnight, for whom time freezes every night, revealing a dark and terrible hidden world…My other trilogy is Uglies, set in a future where cosmetic surgery is compulsory when you turn 16, making everyone beautiful…My third set of books is three stand-alone novels from Razorbill, all set in contemporary New York. The first is So Yesterday, about a cool hunter who runs afoul of a plot to end consumerism. The second is called Peeps, a "vampire" novel. The third is The Last Days, set in the same world as Peeps” (Westerfeld, 2011a).

Although he is now a full-time author he used to work as a software designer, substitute teacher, factory worker, and textbook editor (Westerfelda, 2011b . He is married to the Australian born author Justine Larbalestier and together they split their time between New York City and Sydney, Australia. When not writing, Westerfeld enjoys watching basketball, playing tennis, and eating Mexican and Thai food (Westerfeld, 2011b).

Westerfeld, S. (2011a). About the author. Retrieved from http://scottwesterfeld.com/about-the-author/

Westerfeld, S. (2011b). Scott facts. Retrieved from http://scottwesterfeld.com/about-the-author/scott-facts/

Genre

Adventure, Mystery, Steampunk, Science fiction

Tags

World War I, the Great War, airships, Charles Darwin, steampunk, machinery, women scientists, secret missions, swordplay

Curriculum Ties

This may be used in a unit on World War I; however, its inclusion may be more confusing than helpful as there are slight differences between Westerfeld’s Great War and the actual Great War. It could also potentially be used in a literature unit discussing re-imagined history and folktales.

Booktalk Ideas

-- Have a blown-up version of the map found on the inside cover of the book. This will help to explain both Alek and Deryn’s journeys.

-- Give a short summary of what actually caused the Great War and how the book differs from history.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 7^th-12^th grades (12-18 yrs.)

AR BookFinder. (2010). Leviathan. Retrieved from http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=132849&l=EN&slid=191321660

Challenge Issues

Although unlikely, it is possible for some adults to object to Leviathan because, in this alternate universe, many people see Charles Darwin as an almost god-like figure. The fabricated animals are all possible due to Darwin’s initial discoveries and so he is talked about with great reverence. Some parents may see this as a glorification of evolution. If challenged, librarians should point out that the book does not center on Darwin and is instead mainly focused on action sequences. Librarians should also point the library collection policy and how the book relates to the school curriculum.

Favorite Quotes

This is not really a quote but I really enjoyed Deryn’s colorful language and phrases such as “barking spiders,” or “Blisters!...The poor beastie looks a bloody wreck” (p. 235).

Why Was This Included?

I bought this book a year or so back and I always meant to read it. I was originally drawn to it by Keith Thompson’s beautiful illustrations although anything steampunk usually peaks my interest as well. I decided to include it in my blog as I had yet to review any steampunk titles and, since I already owned it, I didn’t have to worry about it becoming overdue.