Welcome to Libr 265 Young Adult Materials Database Assignment
Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Eleventh Grade Bites
Daughters of the Moon: Possession
Guinness World Records 2011: Gamer’s Edition
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Negima! Magister Negi Magi volume one
Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume One
Prying Eyes: Privacy in the Twenty-First Century
Scott Pilgrim versus the World
Tales of the Madman Underground
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
The Ashleys: There is a New Name in School
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Literary Resource Center
Title:
Literary Resource Center
Bibliographic Information:
Provided by Carnegie Learning and Gale Literature Collection
Summary:
Onine Database provided by Gale gives access to information about authors and information on books, biographies on authors, reviews and news based around books. For older works it can also provide actual works and primary resources.
Evaluation:
This resource can be very helpful finding information on authors and specific books, reviews. It can also be helpful for finding older text and l Literature Criticism. This makes it useful for book reports or students who need deeper understanding of authors work. One weakness I can see for High School students is many teachers still want physical books and will not accept any online resources considering them to be as good as any random Google search.
Readers Annotation:
Need info on book, go here
Booktalking ideas:
Very helpful in setting up book talking
Author information:
No single author, draws on many different resources.
Genre:
nonfiction
Awards:
Reading Level:
Variable with what sources are bought up
Challenging Issues:
depends on resource found in database.
Selection Reason:
It is on my local library website I have used it for classes before.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Title:
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Bibliographic Information:
Douglas Adams, 309 pages paperback book
Del Rey, Copyright 1979
ISBM: 9780345391803
Summary:
Author Dent is having a very bad day. He first discovers that his house is going to be demolished and he doesn’t even have time to pack. Stuck in his dressing gown he soon finds out the entire Earth is going to be destroyed and his friend is an alien. Being the last human man in the Galaxy, he soon discovers the galaxy is a strange place to live. He then gets involved with two headed President of the Galaxy, the last human girl, a depressed robot and a ship with a very strange faster the light drive. He soon is looking for a legendary superrich planet. Oh, there is the guide which is a computerized guide to the galaxy which is not always accurate.
Evaluation:
This is a very funny story written in third person. The book is written describing the action in the story and then will move over to some humorous fact about the galaxy. There are also entries from the guide which often adds another level to the humor. The book is also well written and there is different versions based on radio play, the movie and the book.
Readers Annotation:
One day Author’s house is destroyed, then the Earth is destroyed, but other does have is towel
Booktalking ideas:
Talk about all of the uses of a towel and how it one of the most important thing a hitchhiker can have.
Author information:
Douglas Adams is a British author who has written many funny novels. He was also a radio producer, writer and help create a number of video games. website: http://www.douglasadams.com/
Genre:
Science Fiction Humor
Awards:
Number one on the Sunday Times best seller list (1979)
Author received the “Golden Pan” (From his publishers for reaching the 1,000,000th book sold) (1984)
Waterstone’s Books/Channel Four’s list of the ‘One Hundred Greatest Books of the Century’, at number 24. (1996)
BBC’s “Big Read”, an attempt to find the “Nation’s Best-loved book”, ranked it number four. (2003)
Reading Level:
Teens or older.
Challenging Issues:
There is violence, alcohol conception and destruction of the Earth. There is also some very bad poetry.
Selection Reason:
Ok, this is one of the basic sci-fi comedies. I have read it several times and read many times.
Hatchet
Title:
Hatchet
Bibliographic Information:
Gary Paulsen, 195 pages
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Copyright 1987
ISBM: 0689808828
Summary:
Hatchet is story of Brian Robeson, a young teen who is survives and airplane accident. Having only a hatchet to survive Brian must learn to survive. Along the way Brian is able to build a simple place to live, find food and does some hunting. He eventually returns to the crashed plane and finds emergency transmitter to get home.
Evaluation:
While designed and written story that creates an interesting story that is easy to understand and relate to Brian. The story makes a clear connection between Brian and the reader and does a good job on describing the skill Brian must learn to survive. It also has good pacing in terms of action and the trouble Brian actually has.
Readers Annotation:
A plane crashes and a boy only has a hatchet to survive.
Booktalking ideas:
Talk about the problems of trying to survive in the wild with only a hatchet.
Author information:
Gary Paulsen was raised in World War II by aunts and uncles. He was raised in Philippines for a while and since he was 15 has worked to support himself. He went to college using money he gathered from being a trapper, was in army for a while and became a writer with the Hatchet series being his most famous works.
Genre:
Adventure series
Awards:
Newbery Honor-winning
Reading Level:
Grades 8 to 12
Challenging Issues:
Contains some elements of violence, hunting scenes and a dead body.
Selection Reason:
I remember reading this book as a kid and wanted to take another look. It did make an impression on me that I remember it to this day.
American Born Chinese
Title:
American Born Chinese
Bibliographic Information:
Gene Luen Yang, 233 page graphic novel
First Second Books, Copyright 2006
ISBN: 9781596431522
Summary:
This is a tale of three different stories including one set in real world following a Chinese American student, one following Monkey King (from mythology) and one is a boy who has great life that is destroyed by walking Chinese stereotype. The boy is trying to date a Caucasian girl and runs into trouble while the other two stories look at other flawed characters. The Monkey King is thrown out of heaven and told to be a monkey. The third story has the white character being embarrassed by his cousin and needing learn to deal with it. By the end they all unite
Evaluation:
This graphic novel mixes different storylines together to give an interesting overall plot and story. The artwork is colorful and done in a simple style that adds to the mood of the story and is clearly read. The style is unique and gives the comic it own feeling and look. It is well made set of stories that help create thinking about Chinese American experience.
Readers Annotation:
3 stories of struggles of Chinese Americans (and a monkey)
Booktalking ideas:
Talk about the struggles that various immigrant groups go through. Talk about various stereotypes and how those stereotypes came into existence.
Author information:
Gene Luen Yang has won many awards for his graphic novels. He is son of Chinese immigrants and he grew up learning Chinese stories and became fan of comic books and Disney. Yang has more recently started working on comics based on Avatar: The Last Airbender. website: http://www.humblecomics.com/
Genre:
Multi cultural novel
Awards:
2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature, 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album, 2007 Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year
Reading Level:
Grade 7 and up
Challenging Issues:
There is some violence, bullying and stereotypes presented with this material.
Selection Reason:
I have seen this graphic novel many times when shelving, I decided to give it a read.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Title:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Bibliographic Information:
Stephen Chbosky, 213 page paperback book
Pocket Books, Copyright 1999
ISBN: 978-0671027346
Summary:
The book is story about Charlie, a 15 year old who is very sensitive and has to deal with death of his friend and problems of being a teenager. He goes through many different situations and is helped by friends, but a revelation of a secret sends him over the edge into mental problems. He is a sensitive person who has to deal with sex, drugs and Rocky Horror Picture show. He is highly helped by two friends and a teacher who provide suggestions of books and movies for Charlie to read and watch.
Evaluation:
The book is written in the form of letters that reveal the intimate life of the main character. This allows the seeing of everything that happens in intimate language and provides a good view of what the boy is thinking and everything that is happening to him. It increases the impact of the novel and how it affects people reading the novel. elements of the story did make me uncomfortable.
Readers Annotation:
Being outsider is tough, especially when a teenager.
Booktalking ideas:
Discuss the many different lists the teacher provides Charlie to help him.
Author information:
Stephen Chbosky is both a writer and independent film maker including writing and directing adaption of the Wallflower.
Genre:
Realistic with some sexual issue
Awards:
Reading Level:
Grades 9 and up
Challenging Issues:
Contains sexual imagery, abuse and character having emotional problems.
Selection Reason:
I noted on the suggested reading list and saw the county did have t
The Ashleys: There is a New Name in School
Title:
The Ashleys: There is a New Name in School
Bibliographic Information:
Melissa de la Cruz, 247 page paperback book
Aladdin Mix, Copyright 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3406
Summary:
The Ashley’s are a bunch of girls who rule their prep school. As standard Queen of the school the Ashleys are mean and run everything while scheming against everyone. Lauren Page is a girl who has been in background for years and has now changed her entire image to help take out the Ashleys. Who will be the ones to rule the school?
Evaluation:
It seems to be a fairly typical book, it basically a bunch of girls being mean at each other and is about the balance of power in school. This makes the book fairly predictable. The story seems have standard writing and is nothing really special.
Readers Annotation:
Ashley’s rule the school, someone decides they should not
Booktalking ideas:
Talk about the negative the negative aspects of school cliques in school.
Author information:
Melisa de la Cruz is author of many books for teens and has written for many different publication including Teen Vogue and Seventeen. She keeps up with current trends and lives in Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter. website: http://www.melissa-delacruz.com
Genre:
realistic/chick literature
Awards:
Reading Level:
ages 9 to 13
Challenging Issues:
Book does contain s
Selection Reason:
Honestly I pick at random from my libraries YA shelving location.
For the Win
Title:
For the Win
Bibliographic Information:
Cory Doctorow, 475 page hardbound novel
Tor Teen Books, Copyright 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2216-6
Summary:
The world is now full of Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games which many people play. There are many first world nation players who go out for fun. In some poorer nations people are forced to play to find treasures that are then sold to people in rich nations for real money. In these sweat shops the poor gamers are not treated well and make little money.
A group of former “gold farmers” form there own group to make money. Along the way they start causing problems for many people and gain attention of world governments, crime and big corporations and might find themselves in trouble in the real world.
Evaluation:
This story is in third person narrative form that presents a fairly complex work. The story is well written and often moves quickly until it reaches an a part where the book starts preaching. The preaching is not overwhelming, but does show the complexity of issues and the problems that can exist.
Readers Annotation:
Farm for gold online, or fight for better world
Booktalking ideas:
While MMORPG’s are played for fun by most people, is it right for some people to pay real money for non real equipment. Is it possible for normal players to make money just playing these games?
Author information:
Corry Doctorow is coeditor of Boing-Boing and writes columns for many magazines, he is also author of many books and activist for computer technology and open source movement. He also releases many of his books using creative commons, meaning electronic versions of the books are free. website: http://craphound.com/
(legal and free) Online version of the book: http://craphound.com/ftw/Cory_Doctorow_-_For_the_Win.htm
Genre:
Suspence/Thriller
Awards:
Reading Level:
Grades 10 and up
Challenging Issues:
There is real and virtual violence in the book.
Selection Reason:
Cory Doctorow pushes for open source computer technology, a computer activist and releases all of his novels using creative commons license. When I saw his name on the book I decided to select it. He also releases many of his previous novels free online using creative common license.
Your & My Secret, volume 2
Title:
Your & My Secret, volume 2
Bibliographic Information:
Ai Moringaga, 167+ length graphic novel
Tokyopop, Copyright 2004
ISBN: 978-1-4278-0523-2
Summary:
Because of a lab accident Akira (boy) traded bodies with Nanako (girl). Akira was passive and fairly tame while Nanako acted more aggressive. With the switched bodies they act more “proper” for their sexes. What makes things more complicated is their best friends are now attracted to them. Now the two have to deal with keeping the switch secret while going on vacation, working in sweet shops and at school. There is also all the problems that come from love triangles and new feelings and experiences each is having.
Evaluation:
Well the art is cute and is highly stylized. The writing is clear and provides what each person is thinking and there emotions. They combined into a cute image that freely mixes drama and comedy together. Overall this has not really something I would read on my own.
Readers Annotation:
Boy girl switch bodies and can let no one else know
Booktalking ideas:
How does societies expectations affect how boy and girls are looked at? What affects would switching bodies would have on a person.
Author information:
Ai Moringaga lives in Japan and is a manga artist and writer.
Genre:
Comedy, indirect GLTB themes
Awards:
Reading Level:
rated by publisher 13+,
Challenging Issues:
There is sexual situations and times characters are in limited clothing. Also has boy and girl who exchange bodies.
Selection Reason:
Read review about the story when doing research for selection tool assignment.
Tales of the Madman Underground
Title:
Tales of the Madman Underground
Bibliographic Information:
John Barnes, 532 page hardbound novel
Viking, Copyright 2009
ISBN: 978-0-670-06081-8
Summary:
The book follows Karl Shoemaker through his senior year in high school. He has to deal with a drunk mother, working many jobs and being forced into group therapy. He decides to leave the group by acting normal and he soon discovers normal is not that well defined. The many people in the group have various problems and many of them have been abused. Can Karl act normal or is he in trouble.
Evaluation:
The book is about is written as in first person narrative by Karl. The book also breaks its narrative into many different parts based on different days. Each part contains multiple chapters.
Readers Annotation:
To get out of group therapy Karl acts normal, but was is normal?
Booktalking ideas:
How do you define normal? Who has the right to define what is normal? Can anyone actually be considered “normal”?
Author information:
John Barnes has written 28 books before writing Madman and has written hundreds of nonfiction articles. He has taught many different college classes and has worked in many different aspects of theater and many different jobs in writing and editing. His parents have told him he will never hold down a job. website: http://web.me.com/barnesjohn/Site_2/About_John_Barnes.html
Genre:
Realistic fiction
Awards:
Printz 2010 Award
Reading Level:
Grades 9 or up, Grades 9 to 12
Challenging Issues:
There are sexual situations discussed along with depiction of group therapy. There is some violence and abuse in the book.
Selection Reason:
The title of the book looked interesting.
B**** B**** Book Database 