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.