The Mother-Daughter Book Club is comprised of four girls; Emma, Megan, Jess and Cassie; and their mothers. Well, all except for Jess's mother, who's off in NY acting on a soap opera. The club was started by the mothers, and the girls aren't particularly happy with having to hang out with each other. Megan would rather be spending time with her popular friends; Cassie would rather be playing hockey; Jess would rather be with her mom; and Emma would like to be writing or reading quietly. But who knows - maybe a whole year of reading and discussing Little Women together will bring the unlikely quartet into a fresh outlook of each other.
The chapters in the book rotate between each of the girls' viewpoints. Their voices weren't particularly distinct, and I found it difficult to keep track of all the names. The writing wasn't outstanding, but it certainly was a cute little book. A fun, fluffy story that's perfect for a rainy day You'll especially like it if you're familiar with Little Women.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick
The Mother-Daughter Book Club is comprised of four girls; Emma, Megan, Jess and Cassie; and their mothers. Well, all except for Jess's mother, who's off in NY acting on a soap opera. The club was started by the mothers, and the girls aren't particularly happy with having to hang out with each other. Megan would rather be spending time with her popular friends; Cassie would rather be playing hockey; Jess would rather be with her mom; and Emma would like to be writing or reading quietly. But who knows - maybe a whole year of reading and discussing Little Women together will bring the unlikely quartet into a fresh outlook of each other.
The chapters in the book rotate between each of the girls' viewpoints. Their voices weren't particularly distinct, and I found it difficult to keep track of all the names. The writing wasn't outstanding, but it certainly was a cute little book. A fun, fluffy story that's perfect for a rainy day You'll especially like it if you're familiar with Little Women.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA
The chapters in the book rotate between each of the girls' viewpoints. Their voices weren't particularly distinct, and I found it difficult to keep track of all the names. The writing wasn't outstanding, but it certainly was a cute little book. A fun, fluffy story that's perfect for a rainy day You'll especially like it if you're familiar with Little Women.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA
Monday, April 23, 2007
Tasting the Sky by Ibtisam Barakat
After her entire life being told to forget, Ibtisam Barakat will remember and piece together her childhood in war-ravaged Israel. Her memories show the hardships of war and truly what it is like to be a refugee. As a child Ibtisam finds happiness and relief in her Arabic language, the way someone would when seeing family. When older she writes pen pals around the world, giving her tastes of different cultures, governments, and freedoms from language. As more of a six-day war, a goat, and a lost shoe, comes back to Ibtisam, she will have to put these shards of memory together, to fully remember her childhood.
The insightful memoir Tasting the Sky, by Ibtisam Barakat, gives us a glimpse of a misunderstood culture through the blood-shot eyes of a 3 year-old refugee. Right off the bat, I was pulled into a gritty world as Ibtisam barely squeaks out a word, with an almost soulless looking soldier frighteningly barking broken Arabic down her throat. She is defined through her childhood memories, and as the book progresses, you see the evolution of the character, and how she grew up into who Ibtisam is now. Although the beginning of the novel was fast paced, the middle slowed down and I found myself losing some interest, like being handed puzzle pieces that don’t fit together. What kept me reading was the beautiful detail, which felt like reading art, like on page 7, when it states “Lighting a cigarette from the dying ember of the one he has just finished and filling his chest with the flavor of fire, he makes frog cheeks and blows smoke rings that widen like binoculars as he glances at us through the smoky panel. He looks at us as though we are only suitcases in his custody.” Towards the end, the picture formed and all the pieces fit together. If Tasting the Sky was consistent with the pace throughout the entire book, it would be a great deal better, but with believable characters, an original story and simply beautiful detail, this memoir is a fantastic read.
Content:2
During a walk home from school Ibtisam was almost raped, but fought back and got away. This only takes place on about 2 pages though. Also, the mother was almost sexually assaulted by two soldiers forcing the family to move. It could have been more graffic or detailed so I gave Tasting the Sky a 2 as a content rating.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mount laurel, New Jersey USA
The insightful memoir Tasting the Sky, by Ibtisam Barakat, gives us a glimpse of a misunderstood culture through the blood-shot eyes of a 3 year-old refugee. Right off the bat, I was pulled into a gritty world as Ibtisam barely squeaks out a word, with an almost soulless looking soldier frighteningly barking broken Arabic down her throat. She is defined through her childhood memories, and as the book progresses, you see the evolution of the character, and how she grew up into who Ibtisam is now. Although the beginning of the novel was fast paced, the middle slowed down and I found myself losing some interest, like being handed puzzle pieces that don’t fit together. What kept me reading was the beautiful detail, which felt like reading art, like on page 7, when it states “Lighting a cigarette from the dying ember of the one he has just finished and filling his chest with the flavor of fire, he makes frog cheeks and blows smoke rings that widen like binoculars as he glances at us through the smoky panel. He looks at us as though we are only suitcases in his custody.” Towards the end, the picture formed and all the pieces fit together. If Tasting the Sky was consistent with the pace throughout the entire book, it would be a great deal better, but with believable characters, an original story and simply beautiful detail, this memoir is a fantastic read.
Content:2
During a walk home from school Ibtisam was almost raped, but fought back and got away. This only takes place on about 2 pages though. Also, the mother was almost sexually assaulted by two soldiers forcing the family to move. It could have been more graffic or detailed so I gave Tasting the Sky a 2 as a content rating.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mount laurel, New Jersey USA
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Big Book of Pop Culture by Hal Niedzviecki
This book is about the history and basics of pop culture. Also, it serves as a guide for aspiring artists who want to publish magazines and books, make movies, music or radio shows, or create a website or blog. This book focuses a lot on independent (indie) pop culture and its history as well. At the end of each segment, there are resources for further information on each subject of pop culture. Recommended books, do-it-yourself activities, and internet searches give the reader more knowledge to make that perfect work of art.
This book is a must-have for anyone who wishes to be involved in the media or have their work distributed in the community. The book lists numerous outside resources to perfect your "zine" or to make your movie a hit. The book also features interviews from independent pop culture icons so you can see first hand that you are traveling the same path they did early in their careers. You learn a lot about how the media industry operates, and it helps readers understand the motives and decision making behind the content we see everyday. Step-by-step approaches and case stories from the pop culture world provide readers with in-depth knowledge about making your impact and further understanding pop culture. This is a great book for future pop culture phenomenons.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States
This book is a must-have for anyone who wishes to be involved in the media or have their work distributed in the community. The book lists numerous outside resources to perfect your "zine" or to make your movie a hit. The book also features interviews from independent pop culture icons so you can see first hand that you are traveling the same path they did early in their careers. You learn a lot about how the media industry operates, and it helps readers understand the motives and decision making behind the content we see everyday. Step-by-step approaches and case stories from the pop culture world provide readers with in-depth knowledge about making your impact and further understanding pop culture. This is a great book for future pop culture phenomenons.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States
True Talents by David Lubar
True Talents was a sequal to Hidden Talents. One year ago six 14-year-old boys with special talents met at Edgeveiw Alteritive school where they became close friends. Now "Trash" who can move things with his mind, has been kidnapped but doesn't remember how or why and is acting a little loopy. He is a lab rat and has to escape, that is one thing he konows for sure. Slowly but surely puzzle pieces of his past are comming together. Meanwile his friends and family believe he is dead. Trash's friends (Torchie, Cheater, Lucky, Flinch and Martin) are having there own difficulties with their talents, home life, the death of their friend and being apart from the people who can truely understand and help, each other.
I thought the book was good, a little daring at the beginning because Trash is babbling on nonsence like a talkative, imaginative ten-year-old. But if you make it threw the first few pages you realize he's been drugged and can't think straight, he is a prisoner and is being experimented on. Lubar has a very interesting way of writing you see things from many points of veiw. He creates the charecters with distinct personalities and problems in which other kids could easily relate. there is accually more to the plot then meets the eye, there are some delightful and unexpected surprises that will catch you off guard and a few twists and turns in the plot. But sometimes the book is hard to keep up with, he can't always get across what I think he's trying to say. Some of the word choice is slightly amatueur. For instance some of the things the kids say are things people don't really say. The book is a bit slow at parts as well. To be an excellent book it would need to be more developed but over all I thought it was a good book and enjoyed reading it.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States
I thought the book was good, a little daring at the beginning because Trash is babbling on nonsence like a talkative, imaginative ten-year-old. But if you make it threw the first few pages you realize he's been drugged and can't think straight, he is a prisoner and is being experimented on. Lubar has a very interesting way of writing you see things from many points of veiw. He creates the charecters with distinct personalities and problems in which other kids could easily relate. there is accually more to the plot then meets the eye, there are some delightful and unexpected surprises that will catch you off guard and a few twists and turns in the plot. But sometimes the book is hard to keep up with, he can't always get across what I think he's trying to say. Some of the word choice is slightly amatueur. For instance some of the things the kids say are things people don't really say. The book is a bit slow at parts as well. To be an excellent book it would need to be more developed but over all I thought it was a good book and enjoyed reading it.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States
The Time It Takes To Fall by Margaret Lazarus Dean
This is a book about Dolores Gray and the changes that take place in her life. The story starts out with her and her family happy and together, but then her father is fired from his job as a technician at NASA. The story than introduces Eric Biersdorfer, son of the Director of Launch Saftey, and when he becomes friends with Dolores a chance for her father to get his job at NASA opens up, and Dolores' mom seems willing to do anything to get that job back for her husband, maybe even have an affair with the Director of Launch Safety. When Dolores' dad finally gets his job back, Dolores is happy but can't help wondering if it was because of her mother and an affair she may or not be having. Things fall apart once again for Dolores, though, and her mom leaves her dad and her's father's job may be in jeopardy when a launch goes terribly wrong. But there are upsides for Dolores, she has been advanced to high school where she makes two good friends and starts dating a senior, but everything still seems bad for Dolores when her relationship with her father starts to fall apart, she develops interest in another boy, she starts skipping classes, and she is still plagued with the question of is her mom having an affair.
I liked this book overall, it telled a very interesting story of a girl and her life seemingly to fall apart. But overall I disliked the fact that things seemed to keep on going wrong; the story starts out with her father getting fire which seemed to have supposed to been the low of the story, but suprisingly it is not. The climax really seems to take place when Dolores' fathers job seems to be in jeopardy. I liked that Dolores Gray is portrayed as a teenager not quite sure of anything really (such as how to deal with making a friend), but I hate that she does stuff like abandon Eric and ditch classes which may just be the goody-two-shoes in me. The one thing I really liked about the book was Dolores' younger sister who even with all her stupid questions (in Dolores' opinion) seemed like the innocent person of the book, and I really liked that in her character. The book was overall enjoyable, and depicted an interesting family with problems.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona U.S.A.
I liked this book overall, it telled a very interesting story of a girl and her life seemingly to fall apart. But overall I disliked the fact that things seemed to keep on going wrong; the story starts out with her father getting fire which seemed to have supposed to been the low of the story, but suprisingly it is not. The climax really seems to take place when Dolores' fathers job seems to be in jeopardy. I liked that Dolores Gray is portrayed as a teenager not quite sure of anything really (such as how to deal with making a friend), but I hate that she does stuff like abandon Eric and ditch classes which may just be the goody-two-shoes in me. The one thing I really liked about the book was Dolores' younger sister who even with all her stupid questions (in Dolores' opinion) seemed like the innocent person of the book, and I really liked that in her character. The book was overall enjoyable, and depicted an interesting family with problems.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona U.S.A.
Twelve by Lauren Myracle
Twelve, like its predecessor Eleven, follows a year in the life of a girl named Winnie. Twelve picks up right where Eleven leaves off and keeps right on going. Each month gets a chapter which either details most of the things that happened that month or highlights a special event. Suddenly, everything seems to be changing: her family, her friends, her life, her body. Winnie's sixth grade year is certainly a memorable one!
The book will definitely appeal to girls in late elementary and early middle school who are going through the same things Winnie is going through. Middle school is a tough time. Readers will wince with Winnie when she gets embarrassed and smile when she conquers her fears. If you liked Eleven, you'll definitely like Twelve.
The book will definitely appeal to girls in late elementary and early middle school who are going through the same things Winnie is going through. Middle school is a tough time. Readers will wince with Winnie when she gets embarrassed and smile when she conquers her fears. If you liked Eleven, you'll definitely like Twelve.
Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagan
Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen is a story based in Milwaukee during the summer of 1959. Two girls, the O'Malley sisters, Sally and Troo find themselves caught in a desperate situation. With their father dead, their mother in the hospital, step-father drunk and never home, and their older sister Nell galavanting off with her boyfriend, Troo and Sally have to survive on their own. Sally, the older of the two, is protective and caring of Troo. As strange and frightening events begin to occur on Vliet Street, Sally and Troo must depend on each other and the will of the community to survive. When young girls are molested and kidnapped, Troo and Sally are thrown into a mystery, and in that time they discover the mystery of their own lives.
I loved Whistling in the Dark. It was a fabulous book, a mystery that you cannot put down. Sally, the narrator, is a wonderful character, a young girl but mature and so kind for her age. The fantastic and fearless Troo is a joy to read about, her character is surprising and such fun. Living with the O'Malley sisters for the summer is an experience that no one will forget.
Content:
Although young for their age the girls use a multitude of swear words and inappropriate gestures. Also, the book is mainly based on the actions of a molester and murderer.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, Massachusetts United States
I loved Whistling in the Dark. It was a fabulous book, a mystery that you cannot put down. Sally, the narrator, is a wonderful character, a young girl but mature and so kind for her age. The fantastic and fearless Troo is a joy to read about, her character is surprising and such fun. Living with the O'Malley sisters for the summer is an experience that no one will forget.
Content:
Although young for their age the girls use a multitude of swear words and inappropriate gestures. Also, the book is mainly based on the actions of a molester and murderer.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, Massachusetts United States
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Breaking Up by Aimee Friedman
Welcome to Georgia O'Keefe School for the Arts, where teenaged artists and fashionistas strut down the hallways.
BREAKING UP: A Fashion High Graphic Novel tells the story of four students: bold Mackenzie, dancer Erika, striking Isabel, and artistic Chloe, our narrator. The girls used to be as thick of thieves, especially Chloe and Mackenzie, but as junior year goes on, they drift apart. Will their friendship survive boys, school, and family issues?
Mackenzie starts off the year with a bang, getting a lightning bolt tattoo on her back/shoulder. On a quest to be loved and popular, she seeks out the attention of the reigning couple of their grade level. Mackenzie finally becomes friends with the queen bee, Nicola - and begins secretly dating Nicola's boyfriend, Gabe.
Erika has been dating Kyle since they were sophomores. They share a passion for music, though different kinds: quiet Erika plays the piano while Kyle rocks out on his guitar with his band. Their friends think they look cute together and tease them about how sweet they are, not knowing that Kyle's pressuring Erika to do something she doesn't want to do.
Isabel has a gleam in her eyes and a need for her parents to ease up on her. Her parents are generous and loving in many ways, but they don't want her to date and they constantly keep tabs on her. Frustrated, Isabel throws herself into dance rehearsals. She starts seeing a soccer player named Brad even though it's against the rules.
At the heart of it all is Chloe. While developing her talent in art class, she also develops a crush on Adam, a boy that Mackenzie thinks is totally dorky. Dating him might mean pushing an already drifting Mackenzie further away. Chloe finally admits to herself that she does like Adam, and when she finds out he likes her too, they start to date. By not telling her friends about her first real boyfriend, though, Chloe's only hiding something huge from them and making Adam feel as though she's ashamed of him.
As the story proceeds and the girls grow too busy and too caught up in their personal lives to talk as much as they used to, it gets easier to lie to one another or avoid each other entirely. The tension builds, then explodes, and the once tight-knit group effectively breaks up. It is this disintegration to which the title truly refers, telling a story that many girls have gone through themselves with their best friends.
This graphic novel boasts detailed black-and-white illustrations by Christine Norrie and text by Aimee Friedman. The dialogue is easy to follow, as is Chloe's narration. Unlike the majority of comics and animated projects, which have characters stay in the same outfits ninety-nine percent of the time, Norrie blesses these characters with varied wardrobes. This is a plus. After all, the series called FASHION HIGH, and I don't think Mackenzie would be caught dead in an outfit she had already worn. It also gives each girl a style indicative of her personality. Mackenzie and Isabel are more trendy than Erika and Chloe, who tend to be conservative. Norrie gives each girl a distinct look, making it easy to tell who's who, while Friedman gives each her own voice.
The story does touch on some mature topics, making it appropriate for ages 14 and up, a little older than Scholastic's typical reader. In this particular case, the closer the reader is to the age of the four girls depicted, the more likely the reader is to relate to their experiences.
Certain situations with dating, couples, drinking, peer pressure
Reviewer Country: USA
BREAKING UP: A Fashion High Graphic Novel tells the story of four students: bold Mackenzie, dancer Erika, striking Isabel, and artistic Chloe, our narrator. The girls used to be as thick of thieves, especially Chloe and Mackenzie, but as junior year goes on, they drift apart. Will their friendship survive boys, school, and family issues?
Mackenzie starts off the year with a bang, getting a lightning bolt tattoo on her back/shoulder. On a quest to be loved and popular, she seeks out the attention of the reigning couple of their grade level. Mackenzie finally becomes friends with the queen bee, Nicola - and begins secretly dating Nicola's boyfriend, Gabe.
Erika has been dating Kyle since they were sophomores. They share a passion for music, though different kinds: quiet Erika plays the piano while Kyle rocks out on his guitar with his band. Their friends think they look cute together and tease them about how sweet they are, not knowing that Kyle's pressuring Erika to do something she doesn't want to do.
Isabel has a gleam in her eyes and a need for her parents to ease up on her. Her parents are generous and loving in many ways, but they don't want her to date and they constantly keep tabs on her. Frustrated, Isabel throws herself into dance rehearsals. She starts seeing a soccer player named Brad even though it's against the rules.
At the heart of it all is Chloe. While developing her talent in art class, she also develops a crush on Adam, a boy that Mackenzie thinks is totally dorky. Dating him might mean pushing an already drifting Mackenzie further away. Chloe finally admits to herself that she does like Adam, and when she finds out he likes her too, they start to date. By not telling her friends about her first real boyfriend, though, Chloe's only hiding something huge from them and making Adam feel as though she's ashamed of him.
As the story proceeds and the girls grow too busy and too caught up in their personal lives to talk as much as they used to, it gets easier to lie to one another or avoid each other entirely. The tension builds, then explodes, and the once tight-knit group effectively breaks up. It is this disintegration to which the title truly refers, telling a story that many girls have gone through themselves with their best friends.
This graphic novel boasts detailed black-and-white illustrations by Christine Norrie and text by Aimee Friedman. The dialogue is easy to follow, as is Chloe's narration. Unlike the majority of comics and animated projects, which have characters stay in the same outfits ninety-nine percent of the time, Norrie blesses these characters with varied wardrobes. This is a plus. After all, the series called FASHION HIGH, and I don't think Mackenzie would be caught dead in an outfit she had already worn. It also gives each girl a style indicative of her personality. Mackenzie and Isabel are more trendy than Erika and Chloe, who tend to be conservative. Norrie gives each girl a distinct look, making it easy to tell who's who, while Friedman gives each her own voice.
The story does touch on some mature topics, making it appropriate for ages 14 and up, a little older than Scholastic's typical reader. In this particular case, the closer the reader is to the age of the four girls depicted, the more likely the reader is to relate to their experiences.
Certain situations with dating, couples, drinking, peer pressure
Reviewer Country: USA
Fringe Girl In Love by Valerie Frankel
Young Adora Bennet is starting off this school year fantastically. Her and her two Best friends Eli and Liza all have loving boyfriends as well. Needless to say that life is a breeze. They spoke too soon... Liza's older brother comes to visit which throw's Adora's love life DANGEROUSLY off course. Adora's lovely Noel Kepner soon is suddenly not enough and she finds herself gazing at starts ill of reach. Not to mention their wonderful new teacher Ms. Rossi. Scheming to enslave the entire population of boys, Ms. Rossi soon has her minions at work. What once was a quiet Christian school turns into a chaotic mess of destruction, deceit, and horny young boys. Queen Bee, Sondra Fortune, will not stand for such a threat to her boyfriend. Already drifting in their relationship, her boyfriend is drawn towards Ms. Rossi as is Eli, Liza, and Adora's Boyfriend! What is Ms. Rossi's plan with this enslavement and why are so many boys drawn to her? Adora is set on a queen bee mission...
I thought the book was quite a read! It depicted the life of a teenager all too well just as it dramatized the "queen bee" of the popular side of high school. Teacher's deffinately have this effect on boys, especially if the teacher is the instigator. The book had a great hook straight from the beggining and kept me reading. The ending was lacking on the hook and sort of lead more toward fairy tale endings. Not too apealing to some readers but was suffice for a great read! Sequal to Fringe Girl, Fringe Girl in Love deffinately read up to expectation and provided me with a FANTASTIC laugh. Every chapter kept you on your toes and i often caught myself smiling and laughing out loud. GREAT READ!
Content:
This book has a quite a bit of language and does have some sexual content in it. I would only suggest this to readers above the age of 13 and possibly 14. I am only 14 but it all depends on the maturity of the reader.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America
I thought the book was quite a read! It depicted the life of a teenager all too well just as it dramatized the "queen bee" of the popular side of high school. Teacher's deffinately have this effect on boys, especially if the teacher is the instigator. The book had a great hook straight from the beggining and kept me reading. The ending was lacking on the hook and sort of lead more toward fairy tale endings. Not too apealing to some readers but was suffice for a great read! Sequal to Fringe Girl, Fringe Girl in Love deffinately read up to expectation and provided me with a FANTASTIC laugh. Every chapter kept you on your toes and i often caught myself smiling and laughing out loud. GREAT READ!
Content:
This book has a quite a bit of language and does have some sexual content in it. I would only suggest this to readers above the age of 13 and possibly 14. I am only 14 but it all depends on the maturity of the reader.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America
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