Elevate

Title: Elevate

Artist: Big Time Rush

Label: Columbia

Recommended age group: 8+

Genre: Pop

Release date: 2011

Content: This album by Big Tim Rush features many of the band's songs from their Nickelodeon Show. Including, "Music Sounds Better With U", "Elevate" and "If I Ruled the World". The songs are not exactly content driven, but they are catchy.

Critical evaluation: Due to the nature of the band, they were formed on Nickelodeon, their music sounds a bit massed produced. However, the tunes are catchy and upbeat.  Also, due to their affiliation with Nickelodeon, parents know that the content of the songs is going to be suitable for their children.

Challenge issues: None

Why I chose this: Teenagers are some of the primary listeners of Big Time Rush

The Host

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

ISBN: 978-0316043045

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Copyright: 2008

 Plot Summary:  This book focuses on Mel Stryder, one of the few rebel humans who remain after "Souls" take over. "Souls" take over human bodies and use the for information and habitat. Mel is then taken over by The Wanderer who is gathering information for The Seeker. However, the Wanderer grows attached to Mel's family and boyfriend, and begins to help the rebel humans instead of her intended task.

Critical Evaluation: Meyer has a knack for placing the reader inside of the main character's head. She writes this interesting dichotomy of Mel inside her own head fighting with the Wanderer, and the Wanderer dealing with her emotions of inadequacy for not being able to shut out Mel. This is very well thought out plot and includes well developed characters within well developed characters.  

 Reader's Annotation: Mel fights to keep her own mind after it is taken over by an alien "Soul".

Genre:  Science Fiction, Romance

 Author Information: Stephenie Meyer has written other young adult books like the Twilight Series. To learn more about Stephenie Meyer visit http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/.

Book talks: Aliens, Souls, respecting other beings

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 13-18.

Challenge: I did not find any of this book challenge worthy. People could find humans experimenting on other humans to remove the "souls"occupying them as something troublesome, but they were fighting to save friends and family and their race. They tried many different things and began to get desperate. 

Why was this book chosen?: This science fiction book seemed less intimidating than others. 

Forever

Title: Forever...

Author: Judy Blume


ISBN: 978-1416934004

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Copyright:1975

 Plot Summary: This book tells the tale of Katherine and Michael. Katherine is a high school senior who meets Michael at a party. The book follows them as they date and begin to explore the idea of sexual intimacy. They ultimately decide to physicalize their relationship, and they decide that this means they will be together forever. However, over the summer they get jobs in different states, they try to hold onto their relationship and make forever last.


Critical Evaluation: Judy Blume is a pioneer in young adult books. This is one of the first stories where a teenager had sex and did not face some kind of great punishment. This broke down walls and allow other authors to do the same. This book is well written and captures the fire that first love holds.

Reader's Annotation: Katherine and Michael are instantly attracted to each other and are convinced their love will last forever, but is forever as long as they think it is?
 
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Classic, Romance

Author Information:  Judy Blume has written 27 other literary works including, Are you there God? It's Me Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and Frecklejuice. She was inspired to write this book after her daughter requested a book where two teenagers have sex, and no one died. To learn more about Judy Blume visit her website at www.judyblume.com

Book talks: Sex, first love

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School. 14-16
Challenge: Sexual content. This story is built around first love and Katherine's first sexual experience. It goes into great detail but it is not pornographic. It is a necessary part of the story and not excessive.

Why was this book chosen?:  Judy Blume is one of my favorite young adult authors, and this is one of my favorite stories.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Title:Girl With a Pearl Earring

Author:Tracy Chevalier


ISBN: 978-0452287020

Publisher: Plume

Copyright: 2005
Plot Summary: This story seeks to tell the tale of a famous Vermeer painting. Griet is a 16-year-old servant working for Vermeer in 1664. She was hired because her father, a tile maker, was blinded in an accident. Vermeer sees the artistic eye that Griet has and begins to have her help him create paints in his studio. Vermeer convinces Griet to put on his wife's pearl earrings and sit for a painting for him. However, hiding this from his extremely jealous wife may not be possible. 

 Critical Evaluation: Chevalier creates the setting of 1664 Delft so well, the reader is transported back in time. Chevalier was careful to ensure the dichotomy of catholic and protestant and rich and poor are within this book. The plot is well written and the characters are written beautifully.

Reader's Annotation: Who is the girl with a pearl earring?

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author Information: Tracy Chevalier is the author of many different historical fictions including The Lady and the Unicorn and Burning Bright. To learn more about the author and her work visit her website at http://www.tchevalier.com/index.html.

Book talks:History, Vermeer, Painting, caste, Catholicism, Protestantism

Reading Level/Interest Age:High School/Adult. 14+


Challenge: I cannot see an obvious challenge of this text. 
 
Why was this book chosen?: This is a well written and interesting book.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Author: Mark Haddon

ISBN: 978-1400032716

Publisher: Doubleday

Copyright: 2003

 Plot Summary: This book follows a 15-year-old boy named Christopher, who has autism, as he investigates who killed his neighbor's dog. The neighbors believe it was Christopher, but he sets out to write a murder mystery book. Along the way Christopher discovers that his father is not who he thought he was and neither is his mother. He also discovers who killed the dog in the night. 

Critical Evaluation:  Haddon encapsulates the way Christopher feels and his reasoning which is amazing because of his autism. This book has so many emotions from each character exploding out of it. Haddon wrote an amazing book with really well developed characters, and an ending that leaves things a bit unresolved. 

 Reader's Annotation:  Christopher sets out to discover the truth about who killed his neighbor's dog.

Genre: Mystery, Crossover

Author Information:  Mark Haddon has written many youth titles and only a few adult titles, this book is one of those adult titles, another adult title by him is called A Spot of Bother.. For more information please visit www.markhaddon.com

Book talks: autism, crossover, investigation, affairs, forgiveness

Reading Level/Interest Age:High School/Adult. 14-100+.

Challenge: This was written as an adult fiction book, so there are a few adult things like affairs, and dog murders that are dealt with. They are dealt with in a blunt manner from Christopher's perspective though and very much a necessary part of the plot line.

Why was this book chosen?:  I was given this book as a 14 year old and really enjoyed it.

Turnabout

Title: Turnabout

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

ISBN: 978-1416936534

Publisher: Aladdin

Copyright: 2002

 Plot Summary:  This story follows Amelia and Anny Beth. In 2001, they were living in a nursing home getting older by the minute when they signed an agreement to partake in a study that could "unage" them. They signed paperwork they did not really understand and started to age backwards after they were administered the drugs. The problem was the scientists could not stop the "unaging" without killing the participants. Amelia and Anny Beth decide to leave the nursing home and live in society always moving around so as not to raise suspicion and looking out for a trusted person to care for them when they became infants.

Critical Evaluation:  Haddix writes Amelia and Anny Beth through different time periods and different ages seamlessly. The overall lesson that Haddix seems to conclude with is that Amelia and Anny Beth did not regret aging backwards which is a surprising conclusion. Overall, this is a fantastic book, and very well written. 

 Reader's Annotation:  If you had the opportunity to go back in time would you?

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adults

 Author Information: Margaret Peterson Haddix has written many other young adults books, most famously The Missing series. For more information on this author or her work visit www.haddixbooks.com

Book talks: Unaging, going back in time, learning from mistakes, scientific experiments

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 12-16

Challenge:  Some may find the topic of "unaging" controversial, but this is a science fiction book and it is meant to be an idea in a world that is always focused on looking younger. 

Why was this book chosen?: This is an interesting science fiction book that is hard to put down. 

Teenage Dream

Title: Teenage Dream

Artist: Katy Perry

Label: Capitol

Recommended age group: 14+

Genre: Pop

Release date: 2010

Content: Katy Perry's album encompasses many different feelings. The song "Teenage Dream" talks about first teenage love, "The One that Got Away" is about a boyfriend that she wishes had not gotten away, and "Firework" which is a self-empowerment song.

Critical evaluation: Katy Perry's songs have catchy beats, and the lyrical content within the songs to make a great album. Many pop albums do not have lyrics that entirely make sense within the song, but Katy Perry's album is different. People are drawn to sing along with each track due to either the catchy beats, the catchy melodies or both.

Challenge issues: There are some references to sex in Katy Perry's music but it may be hard for the listener to hear the references or completely understand them.

Why I chose this: Katy Perry is one of the most popular stars in the world, and adults and teenagers alike know the words to her music.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Title: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Director: Peter Sollett

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Released: October 3, 2008

Content: This movie focuses around Nick, who just had his heart broken by Tris, and Norah who hates Tris but has a mutual friend with her. Norah asks Nick to pretend to be her boyfriend so Tris will leave her alone, not knowing Nick is Tris's ex-boyfriend. Nick and Norah spend the night looking for a secret show by a band called Where's Fluffy? and looking for Norah's drunk friend Caroline.

Challenge: This movie shows teenagers in clubs, and Norah's friend Caroline drunk. This movie also implies an intimate scene between Nick and Norah. These scenes can be defended only in the fact that the movie is rated PG-13 because of them and therefore is not recommended for children under 13. However, the content in the movie is not that bad and the intimate scene is only implied and not explicitly shown.

Why I chose it: This movie shows how quickly teen love can work with the right soundtrack.

Recommended Age: 13+

A Walk to Remember

Title: A Walk to Remember

Author: Nicholas Sparks

ISBN: 978-0446693806

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Copyright:2004
 
 Plot Summary: This story is set in the 1950's.  Landon Carter, a senior in high school and a bad boy befriends Jaimie Sullivan the minister's goody-goody daughter. Slowly as time goes on and they continue to spend time together Landon realizes that he is falling for Jaimie. Jaimie is then forced to tell Landon the secret she has been hiding that will change Landon's life forever.

Critical Evaluation:  This book paints a lovely picture of an older version of Landon Carter reminiscing about his life in high school. Sparks writes between the time periods very well. Sparks is able to create this magical love story out of thin air between two people who would not typically end up together. Teens are attracted to love stories with characters like these. Sparks develops that plot and the characters beautifully. The reader even gets a sense of character growth between the two different versions of Landon.

Reader's Annotation: Landon Carter finds himself falling for the minster's daughter, will her secret change him forever?

Genre: Romance, Crossover, Realistic Fiction

Author Information: Nicholas Sparks is famous for his romantic fiction novels such as The Notebook and Message in a Bottle. To find out more about Nicholas Sparks or his work visit www.nicholassparks.com.

Book talks: Young love, Marriage, commitment, love, sickness

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School/Adult. 14+ 

Challenge: Nothing I see that would be challenged. 
 
Why was this book chosen?: This is my favorite Nicholas Sparks book.

Minecraft

Title: Minecraft


Publisher: Mojang


Consoles: PC and Xbox 360


Content: Minecraft is an open world, sand box, survival game. You can gather materials and build shelter in survival mode, or create massive structures in creative. It has a cult following on Youtube where hours of videos called lets plays are dedicated to watching people struggle with the game. Game play can be a challenge due to no basic instructions in game. While it is fun alone, most people who play choose to use servers and play with friends online.


Challenge Issues: None


Recommended Age: 12+


Why I chose this game: This is a fun, interactive game that requires thought and is not too violent.