Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chains is a story of history, slavery, oppression and hope. Isabel is an African American slave during the American Revolution.  While her and her sister’s freedom was promised by their late owner, Isabel and her younger sister Ruth are sold to a cruel loyalist family in New York. Once in New York Isabel is approached by a friendly black slave patriot asking for her assistance by spying on her loyalist owners. While she initially declines, Isabel decides to help on the promise of her and her sister’s freedom.  She quickly learns, however, that there are few people that a girl in her position can trust. After her sister is sold by her owners, Isabel realizes that her freedom can only be given by one person, herself.

 From teensreadtoo.com “this book also follows the progress of the war from the standpoint of both loyalists and rebels. Readers have glimpses of the wealthy, the working class, the soldiers, and the slaves — all while their eyes are riveted to the story of one lonely girl.”

While historical fiction might not be a popular genre for young adult readers the adventure and compelling narrative make this historical fiction appealing to all. While sometimes difficult to read due to the realities of war and slavery, Laurie Halse Anderson doesn’t sacrifice the story for the sake of an easier read. The story is very well researched and accurately depicts the lives of slaves in Isabel’s situation. Laurie Halse Anderson creates a character that is not only believable, but is also relatable as well. While the story has a bit of a slow beginning, the reader is quickly lost in the narrative, feeling as if they are also experiencing the Revolution as a slave fighting for their freedom.  As an American History major with a specialization in African American history I tip my hat to the author for telling a story that is often difficult to tell, especially to younger audiences. It’s just a bonus that it is also beautifully written. 

Other books by Laurie Halse Anderson:  Speak, Twisted, Wintergirls and another historical fiction, Fever 1793

Adult books on slavery: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Cane River by Lalita Tademy, The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill

If you liked reading about slavery and/or the American Revolution you might also enjoy: Before we were Free by Julia Alvarez, The Astonishing life of Octavian Nothing by M. T Anderson, Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper

If you liked reading an American historical fiction you might also enjoy: The Year of the Hangman by Gary L. Blackwood, Blood on the River James Town 1607 by Elisa Lynn Carbone, The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble

5Q 3P (only because historical fiction is not something that appeals to all teens) M and maybe some J

*the sequel “Forge” is set to be released in 2010 an there is talk of a third book as well.

Banned Book Week

Today officially marked the start of Banned Book  Week in the United States. According to the ALA Banned Book week

 “is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.”  – ALA

 

Here is the list of the top 10 banned books from 2008…

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
   Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
   Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
   Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence
5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
   Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
8. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
   Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group
9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
    Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

Recognize any of them? I notice a lot of them say they are unsuited to age group, does it suprise you that most banned books are banned for that reason?

Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters

Nick is your average kid – he likes pets and loud music, and enjoys hanging out with his friend Matthew. He also has two moms. As Nick grows up and reflects on some of his memorable moments both good and bad, we see some of the struggles he has had to endure and the strength he has gained from the two women in his life. However, things fall apart fast for Nick when his parents separate and he is left living with his birth mom Erin.  This book challenges conventions about what it means to be a family and examines the various roles people play in one’s life.

Between Mom and Jo is an exceptional book that covers some very difficult topics. While the story is based upon a family with two moms the issue of divorce is applicable to any family structure. While some might find the book controversial (I definitely don’t) what shines through is Nick’s voice about growing up being different from everyone and his love for his family. Ultimately, the story is about family, something that everyone can relate to. Despite most of the chapters being a type of flashback, the book does not feel disjointed.  All of the main characters are vibrant and through the flashbacks the writer is able to give depth to the characters as we come to see the reason behind some of their decisions. The writing is colourful and the story relevant.  I strongly recommend this book for any library as an excellently written fiction novel.

Other books by Julie Anne Peters:  Define ‘normal’,  Keeping you a Secret and Luna

If you liked Between Mom and Jo you might also enjoy:  Luna by Julie Anne Peters, Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg, Far from Xanadu by Julie Anne Peters

5Q 3P MJS

*Side note, the newer paperback cover no longer has the two moms on the cover, but rather a solo picture of Nick.

new movie news

Just found out some cool new movie news from one of my favourite blogs.

Apparently Stephenie Meyer’s The Host is gong to be made into a movie. While I haven’t read this book, and outside of Twilight I’m not a huge fan of Meyer, this will be interesting to look out for.

Also the writer for the movie Juno, Diablo Cody (who I love) is currently penning a script for a new Sweet Valley High Movie. Blast from the past on that one.

Here are the articles about both movies:

Sweet Valley High

The Host

No such thing as too L.O.U.D

Every once in a while I’m going to check out some of the programs that public libraries across North America offer their young adults. Hopefully this will provide some neat ideas to not only be used in my portfolio but also for other librarians who might come across this blog.

 The first one I’m looking at is from my public library in London. One of the programs that the London Public Teen Annex offers is a program called L.O.U.D (London Ontario Underground Dimensions). This program organizes music gigs for teen bands at various city library branches. The shows are geared for younger people who can’t make it out to bars or clubs but are deeply interested in music. It also is a platform for teen musicians and bands to be able to play for an audience. The library also holds an annual Battle of the Bands. This program seems to be very popular with the youth, as they are able to hold at least one show a month.

 I think the program is genius. Music being such an important part of young adult culture it is great that the London Public Library was able to create a program that reaches teens through something they love. The fact that they also let them use the library as a venue, establishes that the Teen Annex really is about teens and for teens. Giving them this venue identifies to teens that they have a place within the library. It also brings teens who are perhaps not interested in reading into a library space. You can even get L.O.U.D 2008 concert shirts.

 For a schedule of upcoming shows and more information on L.O.U.D please visit the London Public Library’s website.

The need for School Librarians.

I found this interesting newspaper article about school librarians. The article was in response to a September 18^th article about how parent volunteers are stepping up to try and make up for the loss of the valuable services that school librarians provide.  The parent who authored the article expressed concern about promoting this volunteering as a solution to the closing of school libraries and instead argued for the essential role that only librarians can provide.  At least once person gets it.

 Find the article here.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies is the first in a series by Scott Westerfeld. Tally Youngblood lives in a world segregated by beauty. Those under the age of 16 are pre-operation, waiting out the days until their 16^th birthday when they will be turned pretty and be able to enter the pretty world. Shortly before her 16^th birthday Tally meets Shay, an Ugly who doesn’t want to turn pretty. When Shay runs away to a secret town of Uglies called the “Smoke,” Tally is brought to the authorities and faced with a decision, betray her friend or never turn pretty. Tally sets out to find the Smoke, but when she gets there her choice becomes more difficult as she meets new friends and hears some shocking truths about the world she used to know.

 This is a great adventure story that deals with some very important issues facing teens today. The issue of what is beautiful, the feeling of inadequacy and the desire to be more “pretty” are very relevant to young adults today, especially girls. As Tally learns that there is more to people than what they look like, readers are reminded that appearance isn’t everything and that striving to be something you are not can sometimes be dangerous – you can lose yourself. I really enjoyed this book, it was very well written and I thought the dialogue was well done and the descriptions of the different world wonderful. Westerfeld does a fantastic job at making the world of Pretties and Uglies believable and exciting. While the book is directed at teen girls, I think that some boys might find the adventure rather exciting; especially considering the romance is kept to a bare minimum.

 Other books by Scott Westerfeld:  Pretties,  Specials,  Extras, Peeps and Last Days

 If you liked Uglies you might also enjoy: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix, The Unnameables by Ellen Booraem

 4Q 5P MJS

Censorship

There was an article on LISNews.org yesterday about author Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, being banned from speaking at a highschool, they also pulled all her books from the shelves.

 Find the link for the article here.

If this was a library I would be very mad, but at a school, I’m not so sure. What is the relationship between schools and censorship? What role do school librarians play, and how does that differ from public librarians?

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda is entering her first year of high school as a complete outsider. She is branded as a high school untouchable by not only the entire school but by her best friends as well – all because she called the cops on an end of summer senior party. What no one knows is that she called the cops because she was raped. Melinda’s grades drop and loneliness sets in as she finds it increasingly difficult to speak – why bother anyways right? Ultimately Melinda will face a decision, continue down the spiral she’s on, or speak the truth.

Speak is a story of teenage loneliness and depression, one that is relatable to more than those who are carrying the weight of a secret like Melinda. For many it is the perfect depiction of high school: struggling to fit in, parents and teachers who don’t understand and complete and utter loneliness. The other characters of the novel also add considerable depth and dimension to Speak. Heather, the new girl in school, struggles to fit into new cliques, and the art teacher, Mr Freeman, struggles through his own oppression and demons. What also makes this story stand out against the plethora of other high school narratives is Laurie Halse Anderson’s astonishing ability to verbalize the inner sanctum of the teenage psyche.  Her dialogue and narrative is not only dead-on, in some aspects it is poetic. This book comes highly recommended for teenagers and adults alike. The story of Speak is very relevant to today’s young adults, and the style it is written in makes it a fun and easy read. This would be a great addition to a library.

Other books by Laurie Halse Anderson: Chains, and Fever 1793,

5Q 4P JS

Teen Vogue

I picked Teen Vogue for two reasons. 1) It was not available when I was a teen. 2) Taylor Lautner was on the cover (Twilight fan). The first thing I did was check the magazine website to see what the magazine’s mission statement was to try to gauge its purpose and intended audience. The mission statement is as follows:

“Fashion Starts Here. This simple mandate sets TEEN VOGUE apart. Style-conscious girls everywhere know there’s only one source for relevant fashion and beauty news communicated in a sophisticated tone with the power of the VOGUE brand. In a time of expanding media choices, true authority is irreplaceable—and unmistakable.”

Obviously this magazine is about fashion, a spin-off of the adult fashion magazine Vogue and directed at teen girls. I was unable to find an actual age, but I guessed the intended age would be around 15-17 years.

The magazine was very colourful with a good selection of text, pictures and graphics. Teen Vogue stays relevant by including things such as a website which features contests and updates, music and movies sections, new technologies, etc. I found that their website was especially appealing featuring both articles from the magazine but also a lot more on fashion and celebrities. I found that their articles about what people are talking about (ie., music, movies and new technologies) very current and were presented in a way that made me want to buy or look more into the products. There was a lot of coverage about what celebrities are wearing, but there was a good mixture of younger celebrities such as Selena Gomez and older celebrities such as Katy Perry. I was surprised by the mixture, and I appreciated the inclusion of celebrities that were of the same age as the targeted audience. Much of the magazine consisted of pictorials or advertisements relating to fashion, including things that were new, how to wear certain clothes and young celebrities modeling the new line in a cool photo shoot. 

There was a strong beauty and health section, although it dealt exclusively with beauty. There were a few features including an article about a model that used to be anorexic, college debt and impossible standards for being a girl. The articles all addressed important issues for girls, but there could have been a few more substantial articles. Overall the advertisements were age appropriate featuring mainly fashion or beauty products. I felt some of the designers were not age appropriate, but with shows like Gossip Girl being such a hit, designer names are now a part of teen culture. Overall I felt that the magazine met its mission statement and presented a good mix of advertisements, pictorials and text articles. While most of the magazine was dedicated to fashion I thought that with the articles and designated sections, the magazine was general enough to appeal to a wider teen girl audience.