Wizards of Waverly Place

Title: Wizards of Waverly Place

Author: Disney Channel

Format: TV show

Summary: The Wizards of Waverly Place is a tween show on TV about a family, the Russos, that have three children who are wizards in training. The kids are Alex (Selena Gomez), older brother Justin (Davide Henrie), and younger brother, Max (Jake T. Austin). The kids usually use their magic to help them out in some way when they have a dilemma. Alex is an artist and in the episode I saw, she is asked to paint a mural for the school hall. After revealing her mural of New York City (where the show is set in) to them the entire school comes up with other things they want her to include to make them happy. She decides to put a spell on everyone at school so that when they look at the hall they just see what they want to see and she ends up painting nothing. Her brothers find out that she used magic to make everyone happy and do not condone her behavior. She decides to just make the mural she originally planned on making and decides not to worry about what everyone else thinks.

I were really entertained by this show as opposed to other tween TV shows. There was some really funny parts and lines and the characters are very lovable. It is a great show to watch with the family.

Alice in Wonderland (Movie-2010)

Title: Alice in Wonderland

Format: Movie-released 3/5/2010

Summary: This movie is based on the original Alice in Wonderland story made famous by Disney. This version was originally based on a book called Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. This movie strays a little from the original version of the book that we all are familiar with to some extent. If you can get past the changes on plot and strange changes in the characters, this is an entertaining movie. It is visually pleasing with its use of bright colors, brilliant costumes and make-up, and creative use of CGI and props. In this version, Alice is about to be proposed to by a man she does not want to marry and in a flurry of activity and emotion she falls down a hole in a tree. From here her journey begins in wonderland, where she learns she must end the reign of the terrible red queen, which can only be done by killing the Jabberwocky. She learns that she has previously been to wonderland as a child, which she thought was just a dream. In the end she saves the white queen and all the creatures of wonderland, freeing herself as well. It is entertaining and again fun to watch the comical acting of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens

Title: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens
Author: Richard Carlson, Ph.D.
ISBN: 0-7868-8597-1
Format: Chapter Book- NonFiction
Pages: 242 pgs.

Summary: This book is 100 chapters of different scenarios and circumstances that a teen might find themselves in. These scenarios in particular of stressful ones and it gives too tips from a professional's perspective on how to cope with typically teens issues. The topics include: drug and alcohol use, break ups, confrontations, future stresses, academic issues, getting involved in sports, trusting your instincts, being a role model, visiting the elderly, volunteering, being ethical, reading, being organized, staying optimistic, taming the anger, being kind, and much more to fill 100 chapters. There is good advice that I think teens can reflect on when they find themselves in the same situations and gives them examples to live by. The chapters are also really short so the reader can skip around to issues that they are currently dealing with instead of having to read the entire book.

J-14 Magazine

Title: J-14

Format: Magazine

Summary: This magazine is like US Weekly for tweens. It has all the latest on the popular tween and teen celebrities, such as Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, the Twilight cast, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers. It includes topics such who is dating who, fashion do's and dont's, movie news, music news, who is hot and who is not, etc. The articles are definitlely not "deep" reading, but light and fun for social tweens. It includes mini and full length posters of teen and tween celebrities for youngsters to adorn their walls, lockers, and binders with. The material is light, but some of the topics should probably be in an older teen magazine such as the one I saw in the July 2010 issue, "How do you prefer Miley: Sexy or Sweet?"

Beezus and Ramona

Title: Beezus and Ramona

Author: Beverly Cleary

ISBN: 0-439-14802-2

Format: Chapter Book-Fiction

Pages: 159 pgs.

Review: This book is one of the classic Ramona series. I believe it is the first in the series to set the tone and history for the other books to follow. It is about two sisters, Beezus, who is 9 going on 10 years old, and Ramona, 4 years old. Beezus, short for Beatrice, is worn out by her little sister. She is selfish, mean, rude, and self-gratifying, a little typical for a 4 year old, but Beezus, has a hard time dealing with her. She interrupts her all the time, asks her to read the same book over and over, always has to do things her way, and even ruins two birthday cakes for Beezus. The story ends with Beezus realizing that sisterly love is not always necessary and it is ok to not appreciate her little sister, she learns that with time Ramona will change and they will look back on their childhoods and laugh.

This is a really good read for younger tweens. It has really good messages throughout about responsibilities, family, and patience. At times Ramona even frustrated me! I think many young tweens can relate this story as I am sure many have annoying younger siblings to deal with. It gives these tweens a character to identify with and maybe even some solutions to their own problems at home. Beezus is a great example of a good older sibling. She is a model for other tweens to follow and I look forward to reading the other Ramona books by Beverly Clearly and maybe even seeing the movie which was released today!

Ratatouille

Title: Ratatouille
Format: Feature Film

Summary: This is a fun movie about a mouse that has culinary skills and a young dishwasher who does not. Through a joint effort they exploit their talents to make the restaurant they work for super successful. They make friends and enemies along the way and have many conflicts, but in the end, they learn what is really important in life and that is loyalty and friendship. This movie is somewhat young for tweens, but I found that even my 14 year old niece really loved it. It can be enjoyed by any age. The characters are lovable and relatable and the messages are universal across any age group. That is a the great thing about Pixar films; anyone can enjoy them and not feel guilty or embarrassed for watching an animated film.

So You Want to Be a Teenager?

Title: So You Want to Be a Teenager?
Author: Dennis and Barbara Rainey
ISBN: 0-7852-6615-1
Format: Chapter Book- NonFiction
Pages: 158 Pgs.

Summary: This is a chapter book for pre-teens about topics they are beginning to explore such as friends, love, sex, dating, and other issues that come up as they learn about the world around them. It was written by two adults and their two children to give a good well rounded view on these topics. This book does have a very Christian agenda and they push for abstinence and purity until one has decided to get married. So in that aspect, it can be a little unrealistic for a general audience, especially since our tweens today have exposure to so many issues. This is a great book though for tweens who come from backgrounds with strong Christian values, as it helps provide methods for dealing with temptation and peer pressure. I would not recommend this for all tweens but it can provide some guidance to those who may be having a difficult time or feel extremely lost in the world.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Title: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Author: Judy Blume

ISBN: 0-440-40419-3

Format: Chapter Book-Fiction

Pages: 149 pgs.

Review: Margaret Ann is a 12 year old, beginning 6th grade in a new city and house in Farbook, New Jersey. She moved away from her friends in Grandmother in New York and is really nervous about starting a new year. She meets a lot of neighborhood girls who become her friends, but also challenge her to grow up a little more quickly than she wanted to. She finds herself worrying about her developing body, boys, religion, and friends. She turns to God and prays every night for help in finding her way with all these new issues. In the end, she learns a lot about herself, her friends, her family, and feels more ready to embrace the changes to come as a teenager.

This is a classic tween book for any girl facing the same issues as Margaret. She expresses worries that all tween girls can identify with such as feeling inadequate because of their bodies, wondering about starting their periods, becoming attracted to boys, finding out that friends can lie about things, and rumors. The language is easy for younger tweens and the issues are relevant for this age group since everyone matures at different ages. There is also discussion on religion which some tweens can identify with. Many already belong to certain religions or denominations and this book gives a good look at how tweens view religion and the questions they may have about it. I enjoyed the story line but at times found the scenarios that Margaret found herself to be in were a little cliche, such as the party scene where they are playing spin the bottle. Aside from that, the material is fun for younger tweens.

Beyond the Mango Tree

Title: Beyond the Mango Tree
Author: Any Bronwen Zemser
ISBN: 0-06-440786-1
Format: Chapter Book-Fiction
Pages: 166 pgs.

Review: This is the story of Sarina, a 12 year old girl living with her parents in Liberia. Her father is always away on work related trips and so she is stuck at her big house with her diabetic mother and two hired helpers, Te Te, whom she can't stand and Oldman. She is forced to stay on the grounds of the property, so she does not have any friends. And she is always needed to help her mom through her diabetic reactions, which can be a lot for a girl of her age. Her sadness and boredom ends when she makes friends with a Liberian boy named Boima. He comes to visit her and they secretly play and tell stories to one another. Sarina gets angry when she finds out that Te Te has been stealing food from her house in order to give Boima and his family since they are so poor. Sarina is so enraged that she ends her friendship with Boima and threatens to tell her parents on Te Te. She learns a hard lesson when she finds out Boima is deathly ill and needs her help. Without giving away the ending, this book gives the reader time to reflect on things important to life such as family relationships, friendships, growing responsibilities, and selfishness. The audience for this book is any tween ages 10 and up. The reader can identify with Sarina, because she has to deal with a lot of issues that most tweens do not normally encounter in their lives. It provides good examples of the decision making process and learning to think of others when you make decisions. It is also heavily themed personal responsibilities, being a good friend, and carrying out one's obligations to their family even against their own will. Lots of life lessons are incorporated in this book along with lessons on racism and poverty.

Nick.com

Title: Nick.com
Format: Website

Summary: Similar to the Disney.com site, Nick.com is the online hub for anything Nickelodeon related. From TV shows, music, merchandise, games, to famous stars, you can find it all on Nick.com. I liked this site a little more than Disney.com, because it was not as easy to get lost and much more visually organized. I guess that is the adult in me shining through. There was lots of imagery but it was simply laid out and more plain. It is geared for an older child audience, like tweens, not so much the younger kids like Disney.com It is still very interactive and fun for tweens who are interested in Nick shows such as iCarly, Victorious, True Jackson, VP, Big Time Rush, and much more.

Disney.com

Title: Disney.com

Format: Website

Review: This is Disney's online presence and it is very comprehensive. If you want to find out about anything Disney you can find it here. They have information on their parks, TV, movies, music, live events, stores, merchandise, characters, games, videos, even recipes for Disney related treats. It is overwhelming! I literally got lost on the site, not because it was unorganized, but because you click on one thing and then see something else interesting and click on that, and then 3 hours later you are still navigating the site. I can now see why all my 3rd graders always asked if they could go on Disney.com during computer lab time at school. It is addicting! Unfortunately, school policies restricted the site for student access due to its lack of educational merit. But the bright colors and heavy imagery make it stimulating for anyone especially tweens. And the topics are very popular. what tween is not interested in TV, music, and merchandise by their favorite pop stars like Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Zac Efron, I know I have left some out, but they are everywhere! This is a good site for tweens to explore on a social level. There is very little academic merit, but it allows tweens a safe and fun place to enjoy online, with no risk for parents to worry about and really encourages good, clean fun.

Carolina Crow Girl

Title: Carolina Crow Girl

Author: Valerie Hobbs

ISBN: 0-439-30880-1

Format: Chapter Book-Realistic Fiction

Pages: 138 pgs.

Review: Carolina is a sixth grade girl who lives in a school bus with her mom, Melanie, and her baby sister, Trinity. They move around a lot looking for work and following Melanie's boyfriend, red, who is also the father of Trinity. He is a fisherman so he goes where the work is. Unfortunately for Carolina, that means she moves from school to school and does not have any friends. That is until she finds a baby crow that fell from his nest. She decides to keep him until he is big enough to live on his own. They have their bus hidden in some brush on a private lot. This land is owned by a rich family whose mansion is on the land as well. Stefan, the son who is in a wheelchair, makes friends with Carolina. They spend lot of time together and when Melanie decides to move to Oregon to follow Red, Carolina decides she does not want to go. At the offering of Mrs. Crouch, Stefan's mother, she stays with them. During this time, Carolina realizes that she needs her real mother, and her mother needs her. She also decides to finally let the crow go free because that is what he needs, to be free.

This book was probably one of my favorites so far. It has so many messages that are spot on for tweens. Lessons like learning how to make your own decisions, being happy with the life that you were given, loyalty and love with your family. It also addresses issues like homelessness, physical disabilities, and being poor or different from others. The audience for this book is most likely an older tween. Some of the topics, like sexual relations, and death, are more suited for older kids. The author does a very good job of presenting Carolina's situation and how she works through her decisions which I think is very beneficial for tweens to understand. By the end of the book, you really love Carolina, Stefan, and Crow, and wish them the best in life.

Bunnicula

Title: Bunnicula
Author: Deborah and James Howe
Illustrator: Alan Daniel
ISBN: 0-689-80659-0
Format: Chapter Book-Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 98 pgs.

Review:
This book is told from the point of View of Harold, the pet dog of the Monroe family. The family is Mr. and Mrs. Monroe and their two sons, Toby and Pete. He is a happy dog, and loves his family and his friend, Chester, the cat. One night the family comes home in an uproar. They found a little bunny rabbit in the seat of the theater when they went to watch Dracula at the movies. They decide to take him home especially since he had a note attached to him in a different language. Harold recognizes the language as being an obscure dialect from the Carpathian Mountain region, it said "Take good care of my baby." They decide to name the bunny Bunnicula, since they found him during a Dracula movie. Strange things start to happen after the bunny settles in. Chester sees him leaving his cage in the middle of the night and every morning, the vegetables in the refrigerator are all white with no juice left inside. The family just thinks that is it the market they are going to, but Chester, has another theory. He thinks the bunny is a vampire and tries everything he can to expose him. After trying to starve the bunny to death, the family puts in the cat in counseling and Harold makes friends with the bunny and helps him get better.

This is a suspenseful and silly book. It is written for a younger tween crowd, since it is a light and fun story. Being narrated by a dog, it also lends to some funny situations for the family dog and cat, and even has some themes of friendship and loyalty that can be learned from. This is definitely a just for fun read, since it really does not go deep into any of the characters thoughts and feelings. It can be a good book to read aloud. I would suggest reading it for entertainment, but again it is not a very deep or interesting story

The Time Warp Trio - 2095

Title: The Time Warp Trio-2095
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
ISBN: 0-590-10439-X
Format: Chapter Book-Fiction
Pages: 72 pgs.

Summary: The Time Warp Trio, Sam, Fred, and Joe are on another adventure because of their magic book, but this time they time travel 100 years in the future. They think that life will be fun and cool in the future but they are wrong once they get there. Sellbots are bothering around every corner and people are after them. They cannot move as quickly because the future has technology that they are not aware of and not know how to use. They cannot locate The Book, so they might be trapped in 2095 forever! Are they? Well, you will have to read to find out!

Judy Moody

Title: Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood. A bad mood.
Author: Megan McDonald
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
ISBN: 0-7636-1231-6
Pages: 160 pgs.
Format: Chapter Book-Fiction

Summary: This book is a fun read for the younger tween audience. Judy Moody is a moody 3rd grader who has to complete an “About Me,” project for school. This book is about her finding things to share about and while doing this project she makes new friends out of old annoyances, learns to enjoy her little brother, and learns a lot about herself. You never know what kind of mood Judy is going to end up in, but she always ends up learning from it. This was a humorous book with lots of situations that young readers can relate to such as having to go to a birthday party of a classmate you do not particularly like, having to take you little brother on outings with friends, missing out on fun family trips because of other responsibilities like school, and having to share things that are very special to you. This is recommended for younger tweens around 8-10 years old but can also be a good read aloud for a classroom or the family.

Esio Trot

Title: Esio Trot
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
ISBN: 0-439-17706-5
Pages: 62 pgs.
Format: Chapter Book

Review:
Mr. Hoppy is a happy old retired man who is in love, deep love with his neighbor Mrs. Silver. The only problem is that Mrs. Silver is also in love, with her little tortoise, Alfie. Mr. Hoppy concocts a plan to gain the trust and interest of Mrs. Silver. He does this by helping her get her little turtle to grow just as she has wanted him to for years. Mr. Hoppy ends up buying over a hundred turtles to swap out to make Mrs. Silver think her turtle is growing. The plan works and Mrs. Silver invites Mr. Hoppy over for tea where he proposes to her and she accepts and they live happily ever after.

The Tiger Rising

Title: The Tiger Rising

Author: Kate DiCamillo

ISBN: 0-439-38995-X

Pages: 116 pgs.

Awards: 2001 National Book Award Finalist

Review:
This book is the story of a young boy named Rob Horton. A 6th grader who lives in a motel with his father after his mother dies of cancer. Ever since his mother died, he takes on the quiet approach with everyone. He keeps all his feelings closed inside his “suitcase.” He never opens his suitcase. The bullies at school tease him and threaten him everyday. But he never opens his suitcase. That is until he meets the new girl Sistine. She is different than anyone else going to their Florida elementary school. She is tough, sassy, and speaks he mind. She gets into fights day after day at school and is always wearing frilly girly dresses. She moved to Florida with her mom because her dad cheated on her and they split up. She keeps claiming that she is going to leave that town once her dad comes to get her. Rob finds himself being sent home from school because he has sores on his legs that the principal is afraid might be contagious. Sistine, stops by the hotel after school to drop off his homework, but they develop a friendship out of it. Rob even shows her his whittled collection of figures which she thinks is beautiful. He also shows her the tiger that the hotel owner keeps locked up in the woods. She wants to free it because she does not think it is natural for a wild animal to be caged. The rest of the book is of Rob fighting in his heart and mind whether or not to free the tiger. He eventually does and his dad ends up shooting it to keep him safe.

This book is quite dark and sad, but has many moments of hope and light for the reader and the characters. I was crying at the end and very few books have that effect on me. The characters are all so broken and searching for meaning in their lives, even the young ones. This book gives young readers a chance to identify with characters that have a tough time expressing themselves and are in need of a friend. It provides hope and understanding to those that may be feeling lost. It has powerful messages, but young tweens can relate to some of the experiences that Rob grows through in this book. It is a wonderfully touching book that is sure to leave an imprint on anyone that reads it. Definitely a strongly recommended book for any age.

George's Marvelous Medicine

Title: George's Marvelous Medicine

Author: Roald Dahl

Illustrated: Quentin Blake

ISBN: 0-590-03274-7

Format: Chapter Book-Fiction

Pages: 89 pgs.

Review: This is another tween classic by Roald Dahl. He writes the story of George Kranky who lives on a farm and is not too happy with his life. He has to take care of his mean, terrible grandmother. She constantly bothers him to bring her medicine or to being her some tea and she is very rude, and picky about how he does it. So one day when his parents leave him alone with his grandmother, he decides to get a little revenge and make his own medicine for his dear old grandmother. He goes into every room in the house pouring lots of things into a pot to stew up for her. He puts things like lotion, flea powder, chile, dandruff cure, hair remover, engine oil, antifreeze, animal pills, and paint, pretty much anything he can find around the house. He stirs it up and gives it to grandma and instantly the effects are felt. She starts to burn up and gets bigger and bigger until she has completely stretched and through every room in the house, ending up with her end through the roof. George is so impressed with his results that he gives his marvelous medicine to chicken and that chicken also burns up and grows really, really big. His parents come home and are so shocked by what they find. His mom is very upset but his dad is excited!! He wants to give the medicine to all of his farm animals so that they can grow really big and he can make a bigger profit. When the medicine runs out he tries to get George to mimic the recipe so they can sell it and be rich. The only problem is that George did not write it down and every attempt they make at a new mixture gives the animals different results. Either their necks grow too long, or their legs, but not their bodies. In the end, they do not get rich or famous from their medicine, but one thing does work out well and I will leave that surprise for anyone wanting to read this book.

This was a very fun and fast read. The language Dahl uses is very funny and humorous while also being very engaging. The audience for this book is primarily younger tween readers but can be easily enjoyed by all teens. The illustrations are hilarious and give the book that extra humor needed to convey this ridiculous story. I think many tweens can relate to George and his lack of enthusiasm over taking care of his grandma, so it would be a fun read for kids struggling with responsibilities they are happy about. It is a fast read that really lets ones imagination run lose!

The Magician's Boy

Title: The Magician's Boy
Author: Susan Cooper
Illustrator: Serena Riglietti
ISBN: 1-4169-1555-9
Format: Chapter Book-Fiction
Pages: 101 pgs.

Review: All kids have heard many fairy tales growing up. Stories such as Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs, The Old Lady Who Lived in the Shoe, and many others that narrate our childhoods. This book includes all of these tales and adds a new twist to one in particular, Saint George and the Dragon. This is the tale of Boy (whose real name we do not learn until the end), and his job as helper to the great town magician. He longs to learn magic, but the magician tells him to be patient because he is not ready yet. One of Boy's jobs is to perform the puppet show for birthday parties. The puppets are characters from the tale of Saint George and the Dragon. He must perform it for a very special birthday party coming up, so to prepare he makes sure everything is clean. Well on the day of the party as he is getting ready to put on the show, he cannot find the puppet of Saint George. The magician gets upset and somehow transports Boy into a fairytale land where he seeks help from Pinocchio, Jack and his Giant, Little Red Riding Hood and her Wolf, the old lady and her children that live in a shoe. No one is able to help until he asks some birds to see which areas of the forest have been recently burned. He does this so he can trail the dragon and then hopefully it will lead him to Saint George. He finds the dragon and also learns and interesting fact at the end which I should not give away. The book is very positive and overall sends the message that we must be patient and life will provide opportunities for us. This book is definitely geared towards the younger tween audience. It is appropriate for those who are interested in magic and fairy tales, but may not be able to read independently enough for something like Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia, but it is written in a very similar fashion. The language is basic and the plot unfolds quickly. You meet a lot of characters you already know which makes this book really fun to read. Again, this is more appropriate for a younger tween such as 8-10 years old, but can easily be enjoyed by and older child as well.

Guinness World Records: Just Outrageous!

Title: Guinness World Records: Just Outrageous!

Authors: Joanne Mattern & Ryan Herndon

ISBN: 0-439-79192-8

Pages: 90 pgs.

Format: Non-fiction

Summary: The world famous Guinness Book of World Records is among one of the most popular books for kids. This small chapter book version is great for independent readers that want interesting facts without having to read hundreds of pages. Ten chapters focus on different areas of interest such as animals, the human body, Sports, insects, and things that are just plain gross. If you want to know what the most expensive fungus is, what the most tattooed or pierced individual looks like, what flower has the worst stink, or who has the longest hair, than this book is full of fun and outrageous facts to blow your mind and even make your stomach feel a little weak. It is a great read for kids and as I learned even adults.

Cooking Wizardry for Kids

Title: Cooking Wizardary for Kids
Authors: Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
ISBN: 0-8120-4409-6
Pages: 314 pgs.
Format: Cookbook (Non-Fiction)

Review:
This is a real cookbook for kids. Not only is it a book of recipes but it is also a basics in cooking type of book, with lots of how-tos and good basic knowledge about food, safety in the kitchen, and preparation tips. There is also lots of information about nutrition, portion sizes, building a well-balanced meal, and maintaining a balanced diet. This book has so many recipes from breakfast foods, to dinners, snacks, and baked goods. I thought it was very thorough in giving a good foundation to tweens on food preparation and cooking. One thing I thought was not quite age friendly was the amount of wording compared to the amount of images or illustrations on each page. I think a non-fiction book geared for tweens and kids aged 9-12 should include many more pictures to build more context on the topic. The authors should realize while their instructions are well written, most kids this age have very limited experience cooking, especially cooking independently. A how-to book should have way more images than this one does. Also I felt that initially the child using this book would need some adult assistance, especially since a lot of the recipes refer to previous lessons or recipes in the book and it requires a lot of flipping around from page to page. Overall, I thought this book was well written for the age group, it just needs a more pictures for kids to be able to use it on their own. I also thought that it was very gender neutral, which is nice, since most cooking books for kids tend to be geared for girls. The cover has a boy and girl cooking and many of the drawings in the book do as well. As a test I had my niece, perform one of the recipes in the book. She is 14 years old so a little over the recommended age group. She made the chocolate chips cookies. She has made them many times before from other recipes, but I think this one was a little easier for her to follow. The only confusing part was that this recipe called for "mix" which is a premade recipe for "mix" that can be used for brownies, other cookies, and cakes. Again, lots of flipping around and the recipes really need to be read completely in advance before attempting them, since it requires other previous steps. Overall, it is a good book for tweens, just needs a little restructuring. The cookies came out well without my help, and she has already been planning other things to make.

Morning Girl

Title: Morning Girl
Author: Michael Dorris
ISBN: 0-7868-1358-X
Format: Chapter Book
Pages: 74 pgs.
Awards: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Review: Narrated by both a brother and sister, this book tells in very descriptive words, the story of a Taino family living on a Bahamian Island in 1492. You actually do not learn the year until the very end when, a journal entry by Christopher Columbus is shown in the Epilogue. The sibiings are Morning Girl, since she is an early riser, and Star boy, since he is a night owl. Their narration interchanges by each chapter and gives a look at life from these two very different perspectives. They tell about events that happen to the family, such as their mother losing a pregnancy, an awful storm that destroys most of the village, and their feelings about these situations. It is interesting to see how they are so differently affected by the same circumstances and how even though they are not the closest of siblings, they still love and respect each other. The story ends with an encounter for Morning Girl that implies big change for the family and the village.

At first, I must say that the narration changes by chapter confused me. I did not realize what was going on and got a little lost in the story. There was no explanation of this on the cover, so I think for a younger reader, this too might be quite confusing as most books maintain a consistent narrator at this age level. The book was very descriptive with lots of colorful language, strong imagery, and explanations that really drew upon the readers senses. I enjoyed that fact, since most literature at this level usually lacks this quality. I would even go as far to say that is was almost poetic. This might lose some tween readers that have not been exposed to the use of descriptive language. The author took more than one page to describe a storm, and some younger readers by become bored by that. On the other hand, younger readers that are not exposed to this style, might find that they love it, so it could provide a good introduction to descriptive language in literature. I think tweens can identify with the two narrators even though they are a native Taino people living on an island during the 15th century. The relationship with the brother and sister is very similar to any sibling relationship, and it is interesting to get both sides of the same story from two very different perspectives. Most tweens would be able to relate to the same annoyances as Morning Girl and Star Boy. Overall, this is a good quick read with much to learn and relate to for a tween reader.

Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day

Title: Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day
Author: Gary Paulsen
ISBN: 0-385-90911-X
Format: Chapter Book
Pages: 105 Pgs.


Summary: This book by Gary Paulsen, is one of the few that he has written narrated by a girl protagonist. It is a humorous book about middle school student, Molly McGinty and her super organized life. She keeps herself completely and totally organized with a 3 ring binder that has lists, important papers, her schedule, pretty much anything she needs to get through her day successfully, that is until she loses it one day. Uh-oh, we can see where this is going. This also happens to be the day at school where Senior Citizens, a.k.a. grandparents are allowed to visit and follow their grandchildren around school. Lucky for Molly, her grandmother, Irene is the only Senior Citizen that volunteers to come and she is no ordinary grandmother. As the day progresses, chaos ensues due to her out-of-control grandmother, and her missing binder. It is a hilarious and fun read, making the reader eager to turn to the next page to see what is going to happen to poor Molly next.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Title: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Author: Eleanor Coerr
ISBN: 0-698-11802-2
Format: Chapter Book
Pages: 79 pgs.


Review: This is the story of Sadako Sasaki, an eleven year-old girl living in Hiroshima, Japan. It is 1955, 10 years after the infamous atom bomb was dropped on the city. The country is still recovering from the devastating loss of life and others are fighting diseases and sicknesses that they developed as after effects of the bombs deadly chemicals. Sadako is a happy, healthy, and energetic child. Her main focus and goal for the upcoming year when she enters junior high, is to make the track team. As she practices her running, she begins to develop dizzy spells and weakness. At first she thinks she is just overexerting herself, however after collapsing at school and going to the hospital, she learns she has leukemia, (the atom bomb disease). She becomes upset that she has to stay in the hospital for treatment, and is missing out on her opportunity to run. Then her feelings change to fear, not just of missing out on her dream, but of dying. There are so many things she still has to do with her life. So many things she has left to accomplish. A friend reminds her of an old folktale, when a person gets sick, of if they fold one thousand paper cranes, they will be cured of their ailments and live a long and prosperous life. She begins making paper cranes, and everyone gets involved by bringing her paper and hanging them up around her room. She makes paper cranes for months. Usually I do not like giving away the ending, but some might already know the story of Sadako. She eventually grows weaker and the cancer takes her life. Her legend lives in Japan and they even have a day of peace commemorating her life and death and the others that suffered the consequences of the bomb. This book is very appropriate for tween reading. It brings up topics of war and death and I think children of this age group need to be aware of. Many children are diagnosed with cancer at young ages, and other children can help and learn from these situations. It should not be a taboo topic for tweens or even younger children. It is important for young tweens to be aware of wars too and the reasons for war as well as the consequences of war. This book does an incredible job telling one person's story and how war affected their life. It is not gruesome or violent, but does a valid job of describing the situation. It goes into the feelings and emotions of Sadako and her family, and I feel it is a very appropriate book for most tweens to read. This would be a great book to read as a class as well, since the themes give a good opportunity for class discussions on war and disease. This book an excellent tween read.

Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio

Title: Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio

Author: Tony Johnston

ISBN: 0-439-18936-5

Format: Chapter Book-Fiction

Summary: Arturo Rodriguez is eleven years old and growing up in the barrio of Los Angeles. His family emigrated from Aguascalientes, Mexico in search for a better life in the states. However life in the U.S. is a lot different than Mexico, especially living in the barrio. There are gangs, drugs, and violence. Through his story, Arturo shows that any small goodness in this setting makes a big difference. He shares stories about his neighbors, teachers, friends, and the other families that are in his life and how these people make a difference. It is the little things that brings them together and bonds them in the barrio which can be an ugly place. It is also through these small actions, that makes gives Arturo a lot of hope for his future.

"In life there is bueno and there is malo. If you do not find enough of the good, you must yourself create it. Remember this thing - any small goodness is of value."

Lucky Breaks

Title: Lucky Breaks

Author: Susan Patron

ISBN: 1416939989

Format: Chapter Book

Pages: 176 pgs.

Review: So Lucky is back in a new tale about growing up and learning some valuable life lessons in the old town of Hard Pan. In this sequel to The Higher Power of Lucky, Lucky makes a new friend, Paloma, from L.A. She also works for her adoptive mother Brigitte, in her small weekend cafe. She is also on the verge of turning eleven and that means opening the doors to a new life for Lucky. She is back to her adventurous ways, but is also learning a tough lesson in what it takes to be a good friend, not only to others but to herself. This sequel does a great job in tying up the themes presented in the Higher Power of Lucky. It continues with the search for self identity and belonging which is a common tween theme. Many readers can find themselves identifying with the issues that Lucky faces, I did as well even as an adult! The author presents typical tween issues such as self identity, future plans, becoming more independent, and learning to take responsibility for your own actions in an interesting and relatable way. Again, the story is interesting and as a reader, I found myself wanting to be friends with Lucky and all the people in Hard Pan. This story also great for tweens with issues such as living with a single parent, being adopted, having an incarcerated parent, and living with limited means. At points the lessons learned, dig drag on a bit and I found myself becoming a little bored with some of the conversations but I feel this is just my old age! I recommend this book as a great follow up to the original.

Justin Bieber

Title: My World 2.0

Author: Justin Bieber

Format: Music Album

Release Date: March 23, 2010

Summary: Justin Bieber is an internet sensation, posting his singing skills on YouTube and eventually getting a contract with a record label. Known for his baby doll face and never-out-of-place hair, young tweens and teens go gaga over Bieber. His music is very catchy and deals with typical tween topics such as love, crushes, and indecisiveness. The language is very tween appropriate and topics are not too risque for a younger audience.

The Higher Power of Lucky

Title: The Higher Power of Lucky
Author: Susan Patron
Illustrator: Matt Phelan
ISBN: 1-4169-0194-9
Format: Chapter Book
Pages: 134 pgs.
Awards: Newbery Medal


Review: Lucky is a 10-year-old girl who has lost her mother in an accident and is being raised by her father's first wife, Brigitte. Her father never wanted to have kids, but supports the two of them financially. They live in a small Californian desert town called Hard Pan, population 43. Throughout the book Lucky is trying to find what the anonymous meetings she eavesdrops on have already found, her higher power. She struggles with her place in life. She wonders is Brigitte, her legal guardian, really has plans to move back to France. She fears being an orphan. Throughout the book she does a little soul searching, decides to run away, and finds in the end that her perceptions of reality might be a little off. Does she ever find her higher power or become an orphan? Reading the story is the only way to find out. This book is a very motivating and heartwarming story for any pre-teen. Even though Lucky is only a 10 year old protagonist, she deals with issues that many teenagers do not have to deal with and she is quite mature and experienced for her age. Her attitude and actions are inspiration for a younger audience and while most tweens may not be in a similar situation as Lucky, her character brings out a friend in us all.

The Glass Cafe

Title: The Glass Cafe

Author: Gary Paulsen

ISBN: 0-385-32499-5

Format: Chapter Book

Pages: 99 pgs.

Review: In this quick read by Gary Paulsen, we have 12 year old Anthony single child of Alice, aka Al, an exotic dancer. Al is a great mother, provides for her child, has nightly reading discussions with her son, cooks everyday for them. Tony is a wonderful son, helps his mom with chores around the apartment, does odd jobs for the landlord around the complex, and does well in school. Things are going quite well for this family, until Tony learns he is a very talented drawing. While this might be an exciting discovery for other kids, Tony's drawings cause him quite a bit of trouble . . . with the state! Some things go down and well, the outcome is not quite as one would expect. This is a great quick read for any tween. The language is fun and very interesting and Paulsen does a magnificent job developing Tony as a character. He feels like an instant friend. I also think while some of the subject matter is a more for a teen audience, Paulsen does a great job toning it down for younger readers without taking away from the plot at all. There is lots of material that current tweens can relate to in this book which makes it a great read for any 10-14 year old.

Fantastic Mr. Fox Movie

Title: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Author: Based in the book my Roald Dahl
Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman
Release Date: 11/25/2009
Format: Film/Movie

Summary: This film is based on the book by Roald Dahl in which three farmer's are trying to kill the fox that is constantly stealing from their farms. They join forces and hunt down the fox, only to be outsmarted by him again and again. It is a story about friendship and trust and closely follows the original plot of the book. A good family movie. Although, while adults may find the use of the word "curse" in place of explicatives to be funny, some younger audiences might not understand it, causing some uncomfortable explanations.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Title: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Author: Roald Dahl

ISBN: 0140328726

Format: Chapter Book

Pages: 90 pgs.

Review: Boggis, Bean, and Bunce, who are three unpleasant farmers that are being terrorized by a fox. This fox steals chickens, cider, and turkeys in order to feed his family. The farmers are tired of him so they plot together to kill him. Their plan is to ambush his living hole. However, Mr. Fox is quite the sly fox and digs from his hole all the way to the farmer's farms to steal right from under their noses. It is a story of strategy and revenge. Who comes out on top? Mr. Fox or the farmer's? You'll have to read to find out! This book was a great read aloud to a 4th grade class. They were very involved in the plot as each chapter left a cliffhanger to look forward too. The language is very appropriate for the tween age group and would be a great read for reluctant readers. There are illustrations and short chapters to motivate those not quite interested in reading. However, this book is recommended for readers of all ages.

Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened

Title: Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened

Editor: Jason Rodriguez

ISBN: 978-0-345-49850-2

Format: Graphic Novel

Pages: 150 pgs.

Awards: Nominated for an Eisner Award

Summary: This book is a collection of stories created from old postcards and the messages that were left on them. The writers created fictional stories built off of the context of the postcards that they found in antique stores. They use the locations shown on the cards, the inscriptions left by unknown authors, and any other clues left behind to develop a story. Many are heartfelt, some are scary . . .

The Tent

Title: The Tent

Author: Gary Paulsen

ISBN: 0-440-21919-1

Format: Chapter Book

Pages: 86 pgs.

Review: This is the story of Steven and his single father Corey. Corey works two full time minimum wage jobs. They live in a trailer, and do not have money to make ends meet. Corey comes up with a crazy get rich quick scheme. He decides to pose as a traveling preacher in order to profit off of other people's tithes and offerings. Steven is very hesitant about this new venture, but does admit, a new life with money seems more appealing than the life they are currently living. Soon they have others join in on their scam. Jamey and Davis pretend to be the "healed" people that come to the tent, in order to maximize their profits. Throughout the book, Steven is bothered by the feeling that they are doing something terribly wrong. That they are stealing from people and playing on their hopes and faith for their own personal gain. However, once his dad starts giving him half of all the earnings, he begins to get comfortable with the ridiculous sham they are pulling. It becomes difficult to focus on the negative connotations when they are becoming so rich from it. With all the new things he could buy, his objections leave him. The ending presents a good look in to the human mind and soul and how behavior changes from experiences. The audience for this book is young adults, but I feel anyone can benefit from this quick read about the moral and ethical dilemmas we face in life. It is well written, and grasps the reader immediately and really develops the characters in under 100 pages. I would recommend this book as a leisure read, or a curricular piece for the classroom.

The Tale of Despereaux

Title: The Tale of Despereaux
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Timothy Basil Ering
ISBN: 0-439-69268-7
Format: Chapter Book
Pages: 270 pp.
Awards: Newbery Medal


Review: Despereaux Tilling is a small mouse who finds himself in a very scary situation. He accused and imprisoned for causing the death of the Queen during a dinner party because of a silly obsession with soup. It is the story of his trial and the people involved in it, as well as a story of love, music, and light. It includes characters such as Princess Pea, Roscuro the Rat, poor Miggery Sow, the Mouse Council, and more. It is broken up into four books each told from the different viewpoints of the main characters. It is about making friendships out of impossible circumstances and being a friend in one's true time of need. The audience for this book can be any young person open to the idea of hope, friendship, and determination. I found this book to be a classic tale that any child will enjoy. I read it to a 2nd grade class, and they were enthralled from the very beginning, asking me to read more and more each day. I also believe it is a story that speaks to readers of all ages not just children. I think we can all relate to Despereaux and some of the other characters making it a memorable experience for all.

Tuck Everlasting

Title: Tuck Everlasting

Author: Natalie Babbitt

Format: Chapter Book

Pages: 139 pp.

ISBN: 0-312-36981-6

Awards: ALA Notable Award

Review: Winnie Foster, a young 11-year old girl who meets a very interesting family. She lives in a quaint cottage in the town of Treegap. Her family owns a wood that has a water spring giving the drinker eternal life. The Tuck family find that out the hard way, drinking from the spring and finding out that they can never die. They share their secret with Winnie, asking he never to tell anyone, but also to consider drinking from the spring in order to join them when she gets a little older. This is a tale of a young person trying to find their way in life. Learning how to make their own decisions, and learning to trust others and themselves. I found it to be a wonderful story for young readers. It is a coming of age tale, told in a manner that has the reader questioning their own thoughts and beliefs about how they might act if they were in Winnie's shoes. The audience for this book, is any young person learning how to develop their own mind, and wanting relate to someone who has to make some pretty tough choices, following their heart, or conforming to the rules imposed by parents and other authority figures. It is magical, page turning, and a timeless tale that would grip any young reader.