Naruto

Title: Naruto

Author: Masashi Kishimoto

ISBN: 978-1569319000

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC

Copyright: 1999
 Plot Summary:

In a universe where nations are constantly at war, trouble-maker Naruto Uzumaki is an aspiring ninja warrior attempting to make his mark in his home village by claiming the strongest warrior in the country, known as the Hokage. Unfortunately Naruto exhibits no natural talent for fighting or deception and repeatedly fails to graduate from the village's training school. Making matters worse, Naruto is constantly isolated by the village of Konohagakure as he is the vessel for a spiritual beast known as the Nine-Tailed Fox that attacked the village on the day of his birth. Luck begins to change as Naruto is finally permitted to pass from his training school and begin missions as an official ninja. However Naruto is forced to team up with his rival and the village standout Sasuke Uchiha, a talented ninja from a prestigious clan with a troubled past. Along with their third teammate, Sakura Haruno, and mentor and leader Kakashi Hatake, Team 7 begins their official training, learning to put their differences aside and come together to accomplish their missions.

Critical Evaluation: The images are what make a manga and these are done superbly Kishimoto makes it possible to discern the story and what is happening and even unspoken emotions just by the artwork that accompanies his manga. Kishimoto also allows for breaks in the seriousness and action with humorous portions of the story.

Reader's Annotation:  Will Naruto and Sasuke put aside their differences and learn to fight together?

Genre: Manga 


 Author Information: Masashi Kishimoto is associated primarily with all of the Naruto manga. For more information on Masashi Kishimoto follow this link:http://www.narutohq.com/masashi-kishimoto.php.

Book talks: Manga, ninja, fighting, team work

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High school/adults. 11+


Challenge
Why was this book chosen?:

Pretty Little Liars

Title: Pretty Little Liars

Author: Sara Shepard

ISBN: 978-0-06-088730-8

Publisher:HarperTeen

Copyright: 2006

 Plot Summary:  Five friends, Alison, Spencer, Emily, Aria, and Hanna, are bound together by a horrible secret that Alison knows. However, after a slumber party in 7th grade Alison goes missing.  Four years later, the remaining girls are no longer friends but all have new secrets to hide, when they start to receive taunting text messages signed only by the letter 'A'. These text messages seem to insinuate that Alison is not dead as everyone assumed, but on a mission to uncover all their secrets.

Critical Evaluation:  Shepard writes this book in such a way that the suspension keeps building and building until the end is revealed. The ending does not resolve much of anything as this is the first book of a series. Shepard has skills writing suspense, but also understanding teenage girls enough to write them in a believable way that teenagers will relate to.

Reader's Annotation: Spencer, Emily, Aria, and Hanna all thought their secrets died with Alison, but was she ever really dead?

Genre: Chick Lit, Series, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery

Author Information: Sara Shepard has written many young adult books, many of which are books in the Pretty Little Liars series. She wrote a series following this one called The Lying Game.  To learn more about the author and her work visit http://www.sarashepardbooks.com/.

Book talks: Secrets, Death, Rumors, Texting

Reading Level/Interest Age:
Challenge: One of the girls is in an inappropriate relationship with her teacher, another has an eating disorder and yet another is stifling feelings she has for another female. These may be reasons people would want to challenge this book but there are no explicit details in this book. These characteristics are what give 'A' the ammo that she needs to taunt these girls.

Why was this book chosen?: This book is very suspenseful and overall a good book, and a great opening book to this series.

The Face on the Milk Carton

Title: The Face on the Milk Carton

Author: Caroline B. Cooney

ISBN: 978-0385742382

Publisher: Ember

Copyright: 1990

 Plot Summary:  This story is about a teenage girl who is drinking milk at lunch. She turns the carton over to see a picture of a young version of herself staring back at her. She goes on a mission after realizing that she was kidnapped , to find her real parents, and to figure out what exactly happened to her all those years ago.

Critical Evaluation:   Caroline Cooney writes an amazing suspenseful mystery book perfect for young adults. The reader is enticed to keep turning the page looking for answers, and many times they are met with more questions. The characters are well developed and the plot line is very well written. 

 Reader's Annotation:  What would you do if you discovered your whole life had been a lie?

  

Genre: Mystery, Realistic Fiction

 Author Information:  Caroline B. Cooney is famous for her mystery books. She has written such books as The Stranger and Driver's Ed.  For more information visit http://www.carolinebcooneybooks.com/.

Book talks: Kidnapping, living a lie, self-discovery

Reading Level/Interest Age: Elementary School/Middle School/High School. 11-15

Challenge: I do not see any challenging issues in this book.

Why was this book chosen?: Caroline B. Cooney was one of my favorite author's growing up.

Hatchet

Title: Hatchet


Author: Gary Paulsen


ISBN: 978-1416925088

Publisher:Bradbury Press

Original copyright:1987

 Plot Summary: This story follows Brian as he journeys to visit his father at his workplace in the oilfields in Canada for the summer. He takes a small airplane, and on the way the pilot has a heart attack. Brian tries to land the airplane but it ends up crashing into a river. Brian was only able to take the hatchet his mother gave him when he escapes the plane. He then has to teach himself how to hunt and gather, and survive in the wilderness completely alone with no help from anything but his hatchet.
 
Critical Evaluation: Paulsen does a fantastic job of painting a picture of how alone Brian is. The interactions between Brian and the wilderness are written beautifully. The reader keeps turning the pages to see if Brian is going to make it out of the wilderness and Paulsen keeps it interesting, especially with the interactions between Brian and animals. Very well written,

Reader's Annotation: Brian's plane crash lands and he is the only survivor. Will he be able to survive in the wilderness with just his hatchet?

Genre: Young Adult, Realist Fiction

Author Information: Gary Paulsen is the author of a multitude of young adult books, most of which concern the wilderness. In addition to Hatchet, Gary Paulsen wrote four other books in Brian's Saga. These books include The River, Brian's Winter, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt. To learn more about Gary Paulsen and his work visit http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/index.html. 

Book talks: Plane crash, survivor, wilderness, hunting, hatchet

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 11-16.


Challenge: I cannot really see a reason to challenge this book.

 
Why was this book chosen?:This is a fantastic young adult novel written in the vane of Robinson Crusoe.

Wintergirls

Title: Wintergirls

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

ISBN: 978-0142415573

Publisher: Viking

Copyright: 2009

 Plot Summary: This story follows Lia and Cassie childhood best friends. They both suffer from Bulimia and are in a quest from 8th grade on to be the thinnest girls in class. Lia goes into treatment for her eating disorder when she is in 11th grade and this causes a rift between her and Cassie. Cassie is found dead at a motel due to a ruptured esophagus and Lia is haunted by her ghost. Lia struggles with recovery, the death of her best friend, and whether or not she wants to continue to live. 

Critical Evaluation:  This novel covers very heavy topics like death, eating disorders and self harm but in a way that it is approachable by the readers.  The hallucinations that Lia has of Cassie where Cassie tells her that she is a "ghost with a beating heart" creates this dark, twisted image in the reader's heads and helps the reader relate to Lia's mental state. 

This is a well written book about a hard to understand problem.

 Reader's Annotation: Lia has an eating disorder, the same one that took her best friends life, will she be able to escape the ghosts of her past and begin to live again?

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

 Author Information: Anderson has written w ritten other young adult novels including Speak. To find out more about Laurie Halse Anderson visit her website at http://madwomanintheforest.com/.

Book talks: Self Harm, Eating Disorders, Friendship, family, divorce

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School/College. 15-20

Challenge: Eating Disorders, self-harm. These two things are necessary parts of the book, while not appealing it is important to know where the characters are coming from and what they are suffering from. 

Why was this book chosen?:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky

ISBN:  978-0671027346

Publisher: MTV Books

Copyright: 1999

 Plot Summary:  This story is written as a letter from Charlie, which is not his real name, to an unnamed source. It tells how Charlie, a wallflower, deals with entering high school alone, because he best friend had just committed suicide prior to school start. He is taken under the wings of Sam, a beautiful senior, and her gay stepbrother Patrick. The introduce him to so many different things his was missing including drugs and discovering his sexuality. He is mentored by his English teacher intellectually but will it all be enough to help him deal with the loss of his best friend and a frightening realization he makes about a family member?

Critical Evaluation:   This book is so pure, not in content, but in Charlie's character. The reader cannot help but feel for him. Chbosky did an amazing job writing and developing Charlie and the journey he goes on. The reader can almost feel Charlie's emotions including at some points anxiety, depression, and humor. This book is amazingly well written. 

 Reader's Annotation:  Sam and Patrick attempt to pull Charlie away from being a wallflower.

Genre: Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

 Author Information: The Perks of Being a Wallflower was the only book Chbosky wrote for young adults. He has worked in the entertainment business, most notably writing the screenplay for the film adaptation of Rent.

Book talks: Sexuality, Suicide, Drugs, Sex

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School. 14-19

Challenge: This book talks a lot about sexuality but that is a part of Charlie. Nothing gets grossly explicit and it is crucial to the story as Charlie goes on his journey of maturation. There are drugs and alcohol in this book but it is nothing that a teenager has not heard about before, read about before or seen before. 

Why was this book chosen?: This is a fantastic coming of age story that I really enjoyed in high school.

Whatever Happened to Goodbye?

Title: What Happened to Goodbye

Author: Sarah Dessen

ISBN: 978-0670012947

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Copyright: 2011

 Plot Summary: This story follows Mclean who, after her parents divorce lives with her father, who moves around constantly for his job. She resents her mother for remarry the coach of her father's favorite basketball team. At each new location that Mclean goes to high school she reinvents herself with different stereotypical teenage girl personality, complete with a new variation of her middle name as her first name.  Mclean and her father just moved to Lakeview, where Mclean is trying something new, being herself, and while working at her dad's new restaurant attracts new friends and even a love interest with her own personality. 

Critical Evaluation:  Sarah Dessen writes stories about teenagers that feel real, living in scenarios that they can relate to. Mclean is suffering from an identity crisis due to her parent's divorce and all the moving around she does and the reader can feel the conflicts Mclean feels being herself. Sarah Dessen's plot lines may not be extremely intricate but her character development is fantastic, the reader feels like they know the characters well before the story is over. 

 Reader's Annotation: Mclean Sweet is trying something new at her new school, being herself. Will she come to terms with her parents divorce and her identity crisis to recognize the true friendship and love she has found?

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance

 Author Information: Sarah Dessen has written many young adult books including Keeping the Moon, Dreamland, and The Truth About Forever. To learn more about Sarah Dessen go to her website at http://sarahdessen.com/.

Book talks: Divorce, identity crisis, blended families

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 14-18

Why was this book chosen?:  Sarah Dessen writes relatable characters in story lines teenagers understand. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglas Adams

ISBN: 978-0345453747

Publisher: Pan books

Copyright: 1979

 Plot Summary:  This book starts as Arthur Dent is saved from the destruction of Earth by his friend Ford Perfect. They hitch a ride on the aliens destroying the Earth's ship, which is against alien policy, so they hitch a ride upon another space ship. They discover the purpose that Earth served, what's in the universe out there but not exactly what 42 is the answer to. 

Critical Evaluation:   Adams does something in this book that is hard to do and amazing to read, combines science fiction and humor. This is an amazing read and hilariously written. 

 Reader's Annotation:  Earth's about to be destroyed by aliens, what's your escape route?

Genre:  Science Fiction, Humor

 Author Information: Douglas Adams is most widely known for writing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the four books that follow it. For more information go to Douglasadams.com.

Book talks: Aliens, earth, destroyed, universe, life outside universe

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School/ Adults. 13-100+

Challenge: I don't see any challenging issues with this book.

Why was this book chosen?: This is a hilarious, fun, scientific novel. 

Sims 3

Title: The Sims 3


Publisher: EA


Consoles: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii

Recommended Age: 12+


Content: The user plays as a Sim, which is an avatar, and makes life decisions for the Sim. The Sim has social interactions and animals and a house. It is like an interactive game of Life.


Challenge issues: The Sims kiss, and can have romantic relationships. The reason I chose this game is because the romance is not really shown, but implied. 


Why I chose this: This is a fun game for 12 year olds and up to play and it does not involve the violence that many other video games do.

TTYL

Title: TTYL

Author: Lauren Myracle


ISBN: 978-0810987883

Publisher: Amulet Books

Copyright: 2004
 Plot Summary: This book is about Angela, Zoe, and Maddie, three sophomore girls, who are best friends. The book is written in instant messages between the three of them. The three of them are all dealing with their own issues including boyfriends who cheat, dangerous friendships with adults, and getting drunk at a high school party. The book tells the trials and tribulations of these three girls via the text messages they send to each other, or in some cases don't send to each other.

Critical Evaluation: This book is a very honest book about the relationships that teenage girls share. The fact that Myracle wrote it in instant messages using language that teenagers understand makes it all the more relatable. The instant messaging format also makes it a quick read. Myracle also addresses crucial issues that teenage girls have and how to address them.

Reader's Annotation: Angela, Zoe and Maddie are best friends nothing can tear them apart. Can they withstand the drama of sophomore year in tact?

Genre: Chick lit, series, realistic fiction, young adult

Author Information: Lauren Myracle is the author of many young adult novels including The Internet Girl Series. To learn more about Lauren Myracle and her work visit http://www.laurenmyracle.com/.

Book talks: High School, friends, drinking, fighting, making up, instant messaging

Reading Level/Interest Age:High School. 14-17


Challenge: Alcohol use. Inappropriate teacher-student relationship. These things are in the book to illustrate problems the girls are facing. They are not glorified in the text at all, and in fact, cause problems for the girls that they must overcome.
 
Why was this book chosen?: This was a good book that captured the balance that is teenage girl friendships.

The Chocolate War

Title: The Chocolate War

Author: Robert Cormier


ISBN: 978-0375829871

Publisher: Ember

Original copyright: 1974

This Version's copyright: 2004

 Plot Summary: This story follow Jerry Renault, a freshman student at a Catholic school called Trinity. The school is controlled by a secret group of student called The Vigil. They request that certain students complete tasks, to exercise their control over the student body. Jerry is given the task to refuse to sell chocolate bars for 10 days. After pondering the quote in his locker, "Do I dare disturb the universe?", Jerry continues to refuse to sell the chocolate bars after 10 days. This makes the Vigil angry, and Jerry becomes the target of a brutal bullying campaign.

Critical Evaluation:  Robert Cormier writes this story amazingly. The first line of the book is "They murdered him." The entire book feels like a build up filled with foreshadowing and even the way he constructs the sentences feels like foreshadowing building up to a shocking end.

Reader's Annotation: Freshman Jerry Renault does not set out to change the pecking order at his high school, but his decisions about chocolate bars may change his life forever.

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Classic

Author Information:  Robert Cormier has written numerous other works including the sequel to this book, Beyond the Chocolate War.  Much of his work is considered controversial in nature and content. For more information about Robert Cormier visit this website: http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/catalog/author.pperl?authorid=5740&view=sml_sptlght

Book talks: Bullying, Violence, Challenging the Norm.


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

Challenge: Violence, profanity.The profanity in this book comes from teenage boys. It is used to personalize the boys and have them speak as real teenagers do. The violence in this book is not violence just to have violence in the story, it propels the story and ends the story in a manner that promotes violence.

Why was this book chosen?:  This is a widely regarding young adult book that I have always wanted to read. 

Mean Girls

Title: Mean Girls


Directed by: Mark Waters


Distributed by: Paramount Pictures


Released: April 30, 2004


Content: This movie is about Cady Heron, a teenager from Africa who has been homeschooled her whole life. She is not really ready for the social interactions that occur in a public high school in Los Angeles. This movie is humorous as Cady interacts with the "mean girls" but it does relate to the interactions that many teenage girls face in school. 


Challenge: There are a few dirty innuendos within the movie but I do not think there is anything challengable in it.


Why I chose it: I think that teenage girls can relate to this overdone tale of the mean girls in school or just life in general.

Recommended Age: 13+

The Outsiders

Title: The Outsiders


Author: S.E. Hinton


ISBN: 978-0670062515


Publisher: Viking Juvenile


Original copyright: 1967


This Version's copyright: 2007


 Plot Summary: This story follows 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis who lives with his brothers Darry and Sodapop. Ponyboy and his brothers and his friend Johnny are all members of a gang called the Greasers, which are kids that are poor and from the bad side of town. Them there is an opposing gang in their town called the Socs which is short for Socials, which are rich, preppy kids. Johnny and Ponyboy are hanging out at the drive-in one night when they become friends with two Soc girls, however, their Soc boyfriends thought they were trying to pick them up. Later, when Johnny and Ponyboy are walking alone late at night, they are jumped by the Soc girl's boyfriends, the fight gets very violent and Johnny and Ponyboy are forced to leave town. This story is about friendship, family, and how gang violence affects these.


Critical Evaluation: This book was written by S.E. Hinton when she herself was a teenager. This gives an interesting aspect to the teenage characters, and makes them more relatable. Ponyboy goes through issues that any young adult can relate to, like issues of not thinking his older brother loves him and feeling like an outsider. Even though this book was written in the 1960s about the 1950s, this book is a timeless classic.


Reader's Annotation:  After a gang fight gets unexpectedly violent, 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis and his best friend Johnny, are forced to leave town and the only family they have. This story follows Ponyboy as he re-evaluates life as a Greaser and his place in his family.




Genre:  Classic, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult


Author Information: S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was 16. She has other works most notably, That Was Then, This is Now. The Outsiders was made into a feature film in 1983, and S.E. Hinton worked on it, and even makes a brief cameo in the film. To learn more about S.E. Hinton go to www.sehinton.com


Book talks: family relationships, gang violence, social issues


Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 12-18.


Challenge: Profanity, gangs, violence. The gangs play a crucial role in the plot and profanity is used because that is the way teenagers speak. It also is necessary to the plot line. Finally the violence is a necessity to the plot and there is not violence within this book that serves no purpose to the overall plot line.


Why was this book chosen?: This was one of the first young adult books I read when I was in school.  I loved the book so much and formed an emotional connection with it from the time I finished the first sentence.

Weetzie Bat

Title: Weetzie Bat

Author: Francesca Lia Block


ISBN: 978-0060736255

Publisher: HarperTeen

Original copyright: 1989

This Version's copyright: 2004
 
 Plot Summary:  This book follows Weetzie Bat as she befriends the most good looking boy at school named Dirk. Dirk is gay, and lusted after by the entire female body at school. Weetzie Bat and Dirk have a hobby of looking for "Ducks", or boyfriends, together and visiting Dirk's grandma Fifi. Fifi gives Weetzie Bat a magical lamp, and she is granted three wishes. So she wishes for a "duck" for Dirk, My Secret Agent Lover Man for herself, and a place for them all to live together. 

Critical Evaluation: This book is quirky, and written in a different version of Los Angeles. People who can pick the fantasy portions of the book out are more likely to understand why this book is so lovable. Weetzie Bat is written so well, and the reader feels love for her, and even the love she feels towards Dirk in the writing.

Reader's Annotation: Weetzie Bat is granted three wishes from a magical lamp, what will she wish for?

Genre: Fantasy, Classic, Young Adult

Author Information: Francesca Lia Block wrote this novel while a student at UC Berkeley. She has many other novels, most notably series containing Weetzie Bat. She has a stand alone novel entitled Elementals that is to be released in 2013. Find out more about Francesca Lia Block at http://www.francescaliablock.com/.


Book talks: Love, relationships, nontraditional, three wishes

Reading Level/Interest Age: High School/College. 14-20.

Challenge: Homosexuality, alcohol use, abortion. There are no explicit scenes between Dirk and Duck it just mentions their relationship and even the evolvement of their relationship into marriage. Their relationship is a crucial part of the plot and not overdone. Abortion is mentioned by a woman who asks My Secret Agent Lover Man for money to pay for her to abort his child. This is the extent that this is mentioned. The book does not go into excessive details about this.

Why was this book chosen?: The plot, along with the awarding of the 2009 Phoenix Award drew me to this book.