Twilight

Title: Twilight

Author: Stephenie Meyer

ISBN:978-0316038379

Publisher:  Little, Brown

Copyright: 2005

 Plot Summary: After Bella's mom and step dad move to Florida, Bella chooses to move in with her father in Forks, Washington. After starting a new high school, making friends, and trying to fit in, Bella encounters a family from her community called the Cullens. Bella is drawn to a boy from the family that is in her grade named Edward. Soon Bella realized that he too is drawn to her, in a completely different way.

Critical Evaluation:  While this may not be the best young adult book out there, Stephenie Meyer seems to have captured lightning in a bottle with this story line.  Meyer paints a picture of a fantasy world where vampires are real, and sparkle in the sunlight.  Meyer's use of descriptive words along with the relationship she creates between Edward and Bella are what attracts teenagers to this book. 

 Reader's Annotation:  Bella feels attracted to Edward in ways she never knew possible, what she does not realize is the way that Edward is attracted to her.

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy

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

Book talks: Love, First love, vampires

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

Why was this book chosen?: This is a great story line to get involved with including the books that come after it in the series. 

The Time Traveler's Wife

Title: The Time Traveler's Wife

Author: Audry Niffenegger


ISBN: 978-0547119793

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Copyright: 2003
 Plot Summary: This story tells the tale of Henry, who has a genetic disorder causing him to involuntarily time travel when he gets stressed out. Clare meets Henry at the library where he works at, but that is not the first time they have met. Henry from the future had been going to visit Clare since she was little and Clare even made love to him on her 18th birthday. They get married, but Henry continues to time jump. Clare wants to have a baby but Henry's genetic disorder causes many miscarriages. Clare finally has a baby who can time travel on purpose and Henry learns something that he may not want to hear.

Critical Evaluation: Niffenegger does an amazing job writing a plot that would be a confusing mess by any other author. Even though the book follows Henry through time, the characters are given time to develop, the plot line continues throughout and the love story is never lost.


Reader's Annotation: Henry involuntarily time travels, can he continue the relationship with the love of his life despite his disorder?


Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Crossover


Author Information: Niffenegger has written one other traditional novel entitled Her Fearful Symmetry. For more information about this author visit her website at http://www.audreyniffenegger.com

Book talks: Love, Marriage, Children, Death, Time traveling

Reading Level/Interest Age:High School/Adult. 14+
Challenge: Miscarriages and premarital sex. This book was written for adults, so it has adult themes. The miscarriages and a vasectomy are mentioned within the book and Clare's loss is felt. However, the miscarriages leading up to the healthy pregnancy are key parts of the. Also Clare has sex with Henry on her 18th birthday before they are married. The sex scene is not that explicit and she choses to have 'premarital' sex because she knows that they will be married someday.
 
Why was this book chosen?:Well-written, beautiful love story.

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.

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.