Uh-Oh! Proof Miley Cyrus may just be growing up...a bit too fast?

Okay. I wasn't sure I wanted to post this because parents and some kids want to think of Miley Cyrus and have visions of the wholesome Hannah Montana...but I just came across it yesterday and it's a bit racy for Ms. Cyrus but then again, hasn't she slowly been losing her good-girl image and searching for an older audience?

I also hate to say I think the song is kind of catchy and as a concept video I think it's kind of cool with the bird wings...what do you think?

Check out my mini-collection on bullying!

I just finished my final project for the Materials for Tweens class I took this semester. Feel free to check out the website I created here.

The Boys of Baraka/ PBS POV Documentary

Synopsis:

Devon, Montrey, Richard, and Romesh are just at that age — 12 and 13 years old — when boys start to become men. But in their hometown of Baltimore, one of the country’s most poverty-stricken cities for inner-city residents, African-American boys have a very high chance of being incarcerated or killed before they reach adulthood. The boys are offered an amazing opportunity in the form of the Baraka school, a project founded to break the cycle of violence through an innovative education program that literally removed young boys from low-performing public schools and unstable home environments. They travel with their classmates to rural Kenya in East Africa, where a teacher-student ratio of one to five, a strict disciplinary program and a comprehensive curriculum form the core of their new educational program.

I called Baltimore my home for 4 years back in the late 1990s. I was always aware of the overwhelming poverty and crime but as a lot of people say, the city has "charm." What I wasn't aware of was that a few blocks away from me lived boys that were slowly losing their chances to do something productive with their lives. Most of them were destined to end up in prison, homeless, on drugs, or killed. This is where the Baraka School stepped in to help some of these boys see that there is hope for the future. I seriously can't describe in words how powerful this documentary is. You get to see these boys get handpicked from some of the most violent and poor schools to attend the Baraka School in Africa where they learn how to deal with their anger and emotions. They get to receive an education without all the distractions of street violence, gangs, domestic violence, and drugs. You can tell that they are excited and scared to go and they have very difficult times adjusting. They go from living in a frightening concrete jungle to living on the plains of Africa; a chance that not a lot of people get especially boys like these. Watch them struggle and fail and pick themselves up and succeed...in the last half of the documentary watch with great pain when all that is given to them is suddenly taken away. Heartbreaking.

The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

Newbery Award-winning author, Jerry Spinelli's book contains four stories about a mysterious, small blue library card that magically appears in the lives of the kids and changes them forever.

Meet Mongoose and his best friend, Weasel. They are social misfits who go around town and vandalize and steal things. One day the library card appears and although they try to throw it out it keeps coming back. Slowly Mongoose realizes its powers and discovers the power and fun of learning things through books, but that power is lost to Weasel and their friendship begins to change in ways neither of them see coming.

Meet Brenda who must endure the Great TV Turn-Off, a plan implemented by her parents to shut the television off for a week. It's the worst possible thing to ever happen to Brenda. She's obsessed with all the tv shows and doesn't think she'll survive! Then the blue library card appears and she starts to see life in all kinds of new ways. Can you believe she doesn't know her favorite color because the tv had shut her brain off.

Meet Sonseray who lives in a car with his dad. His mom left them when he was young and he's angry at the world and wants to forget and remember his mother all at the same time. He has no need for libraries but he knows that on a scorching summer day he can go into a library and cool off. Enter the library card. Soon Sonseray finds a book that he recalls his mother reading to him. Soon he is able to remember and forgive.

Meet April Mendez who, after discovering the library card, takes a crazy ride on a hijacked bookmobile where she meets a sad and angry girl who starts off being an enemy and by the end of the ride becomes a friend.

These are all great and easy to read stories about how a bit of knowledge can change a kids life. i recommend it for kids 8 and older.

Eat Your Vegetables! / Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

In this television series, British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver goes to Huntington, W.Va., to help people eat better. The city was recently singled out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the nation's unhealthiest. Oliver starts his "revolution" by attempting to change the menus at grade school and high school cafeterias which are serving mostly processed foods. These foods "meet" regulations, but Oliver knows they are unhealthy choices for the kids.

I don't think it's the best show. Oliver is a bit annoying and self-centered...sometimes it seems like he is just playing to the camera with fake tears, but his message is a positive one. The health of our children should be a concern. If you can get over Oliver's hard-to-like personality it is with total confusion that you'll watch a group of kindergartners try to figure out which fruits and vegetables Oliver is holding up...they have no clue what the strange objects are...oh it's round so it must be an orange! Just watch to see how wrong they are.

This series is a definite eye opener to the problem of obesity and how starts with what parents and schools are feeding the children.

Go here for more info about the Food Revolution

The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman

Summary:

MY NAME IS FINN GARRETT AND THIS IS MY STORY.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'll tell you what you could probably guess from looking at the cover and flipping through the book.

1. It's about an invisible boy. Obviously. That's me. Actually, I'm not totally invisible. Yet. But I'm getting there.

2. There are a bunch of my drawings.

3. There are some really funny, really happy moments.

4. Just so you know, there are also some sad moments.

5. Everything in here is the truth. So if you like stories about true things, you might like this book.

That's all I'm going to tell you. All the stuff about my dad and my mom and my brother Derek and my friend Meli and whether or not I actually turn invisible or become completely visible again or figure out how to use my invisibility for the good of all mankind or just disappear altogether, you're going to have to read to find out.

So, let's get started. Just remember: This is my story, and anything can happen.

The Last Invisible Boy is one those books that actually made me "bust a feeling" as my friends and I would say. The touching work of fiction is told by 12-year old Finn Garrett who tells his story through this book...his book. Finn believes he is turning invisible and decides to write this book in order to share his thoughts. After a short introduction he tells the reader that his is "a story about losing something. No, it's a story about sudden change." Soon after we find out that he somehow lost his father. Finn's "invisibility" has to do with the fact that soon after the loss of his father his skin has grown extremely pale and his once black hair has slowly turned white leaving him looking ghostly. Finn believes that soon he'll disappear. Finn's story reads like a diary (think Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and is written in such a way using words and pictures. Evan Kuhlman uses the voice of Finn to tell wonderful and sad stories through Finn's young eyes. Finn questions the reasons why he's turning invisible as he struggles with keeping it together for his emotionally-wrecked mother and younger brother. The story is so touching because as a reader I realize that Finn knows his condition has to do with the death of his father, but Finn doesn't want to talk about what he calls "The Terrible Day that Changed Everything." The book deals with Finn's emotions through how he deals with everyday life. Through his words he unknowingly showed me denial, betrayal, grief, acceptance, and growth.

What I found really cool about this book is that Finn constantly questions the reader to think about things that might be a bit "deep" but he also understands that if it gets to deep you can always take a time out. Another cool thing he does throughout the book is to question what the names of the people he knows and meets mean. Finn means "fair hero."

When Finn finally comes to an understanding of how his father's death is directly related to his invisibility it is a moment that makes it clear that kids can process heavy emotions and situations even though it may be hard. Wow.

I think this is a great book for kids 8 and older...and by older I mean adults too!

Oh and by the way my name means "Healer"...what does yours mean?

Author Website:

http://www.evankuhlman.com/

How to Eat Fried Worms...Book versus Movie

I came across How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell while shelving books the other day. It brought back such great memories of all the old-school books I used to read. I told myself that I should read it again, but made up a million excuses as to why I couldn't. A few days later I was shelving movies and came across a movie version of the book. "Oh boy, another movie version of a beloved children's book," I thought to myself. "These are hit or miss. Usually miss." I didn't even realize a movie was made of How to Eat Fried Worms. 2006 to be exact. I remembered what I had told myself a few days earlier so with movie in hand I grabbed the book off the shelf. I just had to re-read the book and compare it to the movie...so here it goes.

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Summary of the book:

By way of bet, Billy gets into the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms. The worms are readily supplied by his opponent, and Billy has a free choice of condiments, from peanut butter to horseradish. With his wavering courage bolstered by the moral support of his friends and family, Billy munches away courageously. But there is many a slip twixt the worm and the lip, and the outcome of the bet is continually in doubt.






Summary of the movie:

The new kid at school faces up to the school bully by taking on a challenge no one has the guts to try in this family-oriented comedy. Billy (Luke Benward) is an 11-year-old boy whose folks have just moved to a new town and is facing the terror of his first day at a new school. It doesn't take long for Billy to run afoul of Joe (Adam Hicks), the school bully, who finds the live bait Billy brought with him and throws it in his face, asking Billy if he eats worms for lunch. Billy tries to gross out Joe by saying yes, he eats worms on a regular basis, and Joe calls his bluff by challenging him to eat ten worms in front of the student body. Billy takes the bet, and suddenly becomes something of a celebrity at school as the first kid to stand up to Joe. Billy also discovers he's caught the eye of Erika (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), a cute girl in his class, but can he actually eat the worms without losing his lunch? With the help of a handful of new friends, Billy preps for the big contest by learning how to eat as much gross stuff as he can, and he gains an unexpected ally in hot-headed Principal Burdock (James Rebhorn). Based on the popular children's book by Thomas Rockwell, How to Eat Fried Worms also features Tom Cavanagh, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Clint Howard. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The book, How to Eat Fried Worms, is an quick and easy to read classic. I think kids as young as 7 or 8 would like this story of four boys hanging out in the country during summer and one of the boys, Billy, finds himself at the tail end of a bet between his friends. The bet requires him to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The storyline is simple yet the characters come alive in situations like how to prepare the worms so they don't taste horrible. Sometimes the creations seem grosser than the actual worm. I really think young boys would appreciate the gross out humor of the story. The story also touches on the brief falling out the boys have over the competitive nature of the bet. There is cheating, fighting, and a few dangerous situations that Billy and his friends must deal with throughout the story. Reading it again after probably over 25 years brought back so many memories. The book still holds up today as one of the best books for kids!

The movie is a whole other story. I don't even know where to begin without sounding like I totally hated the movie but....I totally hated the movie. Hollywood stuck its claws into the laid-back, summertime in the country feeling of the book and tore it apart. It was put back together somewhere in the suburbs with a bunch of wacky and crazy child actor kids. The movie kept the names of the original four boys from the book. Movie Billy is the new kid in at school. He also has a weak stomach as we learn from the opening montage which involves his father pulling the car over every few miles so Billy can throw up. It's not made much better by Billy's little brother sloppily devouring a bean burrito in the back seat. Gross out factor. Check.

The movie had too many differences from the book to count which is why I probably disliked it so much. Let's just say their were more characters, a love interest, 10 worms instead of 15, and a ring that a bully wore that was rumoured to cause sudden death. Ugh. The only similarity I really saw was the fact Billy had to eat worms because of a bet. The director and producers of this movie really took the term "based on the book" to a whole different level.

One good thing I can say is that the movie would probably be enjoyable if I didn't love the book so much and that would be if I was watching it with my 6 year old nephew.

Reviews and such:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/how-eat-fried-worms

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_to_eat_fried_worms/

Puberty! It doesn't have to be so scary and confusing.

Puberty for me was a whirlwind of confusing changes to my body and roller coaster emotions which I can recall in vivid detail. I know that we learned about it in 6th grade health, but it seemed that those of us who hadn't gone through it yet were so busy laughing or being nonchalant that we didn't soak up any information for future use. Those that were going through puberty listened with open ears and blushing faces. Those that were further along the puberty path with their deep voices, hairy legs, and what seemed like giant proportions; those were the ones that had a certain pride and air of knowledge. Of course, I'm talking about the boys here. Girls were a whole other confusing subject.

I don't recall my parents ever talking to me about any of the changes I was going through. I went head first into puberty and searched out the answers in my health books. Back then we had no Internet or materials in the library like kids do today and the thought of asking my parents filled me with shame and embarrassment. I vaguely recall covering puberty in health class but then again I probably immediately shut out the voice of the teacher when she said the word "penis"...ewww (insert giggles).

While performing my page duties at my neighborhood library I noticed that the four books in my hand had similar call numbers. They were all 613 give or take a few decimal points. They were all books for boys about puberty. I chuckled to myself and at the same time felt a kinship with the young mystery patron who had recently returned the stack of books...most likely to the book drop while no one was looking. I thought it would be fun and interesting to read one of the books just to see how well it covered the subject of puberty for boys and while I was at it I found a similar book just for girls and decided to read that too. Here's what I checked out.

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The "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Boys by Lynda Madaras with Area Madaras


Martin Anderson, M.D., M.P.H. states in the foreword to this book that it "functions equally well as an owner's manual for teens and as a teaching guide for their parents." I totally agree with the doctor. The author, Lynda Madaras, suggests that parents and teens/preteens should read it together. I only partly agree with the author. I am torn when it comes to Madaras suggestion if only for the fact that puberty can be embarrassing for not only boys but for their parents too so reading it together may not be as productive as reading it separately and then coming together to talk about it. But then again every situation is going to be different. I know that if this book was available to me 25 years ago I probably would have read it alone and figured it out by myself. I would have been way too embarrassed to talk about these things with my parents and they definitely told me nothing about puberty. I went into it pretty blindly. This book covers a lot of information that is definitely valuable for all boys to know when going through puberty. Here is a list of the chapters and followed by some of the topics each chapter covers.

1. Puberty
Sex, Male/Female Sex Organs, Sexual Intercourse, Making Babies

2. Beginning Changes and The Stages of Puberty
Starting Early/ Starting Late, Developing Quickly/ Developing Slowly, First Changes, The Stages of Puberty, Feelings About Puberty, Am I Normal

3. An Owner's Guide to the Sex Organs: What's Normal? What's Not?
Penis Size, The Penis: Circumcised and Uncircumcised, Other Variations in the Penis, The Scrotum

4. The Puberty Growth Spurt
The Height Spurt, The Weight Spurt, Your Changing Shape, The Strength Spurt, Taking Care of Your Body, Feeling Good About Your Body

5. Pimples, Perspiration, Body Hair, Shaving, and Other Changes
Underarm and Body Hair, Facial Hair, Perspiration and Body Odor, Pimples and Acne, Voice Changes, Breast Changes

6. Changes in the Male Reproductive Organs: Erections, Sperm, and Ejaculations
Erections, The Male Reproductive Organs, Ejaculation, Health Issues

7. Spontaneous Erections, Orgasms, Masturbation, and Wet Dreams

8. Girls and Puberty
Similarities and Differences, The First Changes, Stages of Puberty, Sex Organs, Menstruation

9. Romantic and Sexual Feelings
"Just Friends", Crushes, Homosexual Feelings, Dating, Falling in Love, Making Decisions About How to Handle Your Romantic and Sexual Feelings, Sexuality: Feeling Private/ Feeling Guilty, Sexual Crimes

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Girl Stuff: A Survival Guide to Growing Up by Margaret Blackstone and Elissa Haden Guest


The authors open up this book by saying there are certain words that made them cringe when they were kids: menstruation, pimples, sanitary napkin, puberty, adolescent, "that time of the month", staining, and "how are you feeling?". As a person belonging to the male gender I can say that I can relate to a few of these cringe-worthy words, but I can't lie and say that I don't know what the other ones mean and if there was any confusion I definitely know what they mean after reading this very well written and informative book with it's fun sidebars and illustrations. Chapters and topics include:

1. What's Going On on the Outside
Hormones and glands, the outside for boys and girls, breasts, bras, body hair, body odor, eating disorders, healthy eating

2. The Zen of Acne
Causes, skin types, skin care

3. What's Going On on the Inside
Your amazing body, reproductive organs, menstruation, tampons and pads

4. What's Going on With Your Emotions
New things to worry about, How puberty affects friendships, What makes a good friend?, What makes the cool kids "cool"?, Coping with puberty, alternative medicine

5. Peer Pressure: The Good, the Silent, the Bad, and the Dangerous

6. Protecting Yourself
Trusting your instincts, How to be safe but not fearful

7. What You Never Wanted Anyone to Know You Want to Know About Sex
The prelude to sex, How does a woman become pregnant?, Making love, Waiting till you're older, Who are you attracted to?, If I have a crush on a girl am I gay?, STDs, Birth control

8. Many Rivers to Cross

Both books in my review conclude with a variety of important resources for tweens/teens if they have further questions, or want to get involved with specific organizations. Also included are books for further reading.

Again, I think its wonderful that kids have access to these kind of books! It sure would have helped me out a lot as a kid.

Akeelah and the Bee

Summary:
An inspirational drama, Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a precocious eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne); her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah’s aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and in turn unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.

I have to admit that I've avoided watching this movie since it was released in 2006. I have no idea why. I think it was just one of those movies that I said I'd get to eventually. The title has popped up in my life so many times that I finally picked it off the shelf at my library and decided to give it a go. Honestly, I knew nothing about the movie except it seemed that a lot of kids liked it. I thought it was about a cute African American girl and a bee...as in bumblebee so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out it was about spelling!

At the start of the movie Akeelah is walking through the her south Los Angeles neighborhood with her best friend. In a voice-over she asks, "You know that feeling where no matter what you do or where you go you just don't fit in? 'Cause that's how I feel all the time." Even for kids, or adults who don't have an answer to her question, most of us know what it's like to not fit in and I wanted to know why Akeelah felt this way, so I settled in for what ended up being a very enjoyable movie.

11 year-old Akeelah attends a school known for low test grades and being one of the poorest schools in her area. The students are just trying to get through each day and that includes Akeelah who doesn't want to stand out yet has a love for words and language which she learned from her father who we find out passed away when Akeelah was only six. Akeelah spends her time playing Scrabble online and reading the dictionary while at the same time skipping class and doing poorly in school. The school principal threatens Akeelah with detention, but because of a teacher that notices Akeelah's gift for words and language, she is given the opportunity to avoid detention by entering the school's spelling bee. Enter Dr. Larabee, a professor and former national spelling bee contestant, who witnesses Akeelah as she breezes through the school competition. Dr. Larabee agrees to coach the hard headed and feisty Akeelah in order to help her reach the nationals. In the process he also becomes a father figure.

Akeelah's journey to the nationals puts her through some tough situations: peer pressure, lack of support from her overworked mother, jealousy from her peers and friends, insecurities about not being worthy and good enough. Although these can be overwhelming subjects to deal with, the movie does it in a way that kids of all ages can relate. When Akeelah enters the first spelling bee we see the two female school bullies making fun of her with giggles and taunts. The scene keeps the focus on Akeelah, but the quick moments with the bullies immediately had me rooting for Akeelah to win. Another well shot scene is when Akeelah makes friends with other contestants in the spelling bee. Most of the kids are from well-off families. What's interesting is the director chose to include kids from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. When Akeelah attends a birthday party for one of her spelling bee friends she brings her best friend from school. Her friend decides to not go into the party with Akeelah. Akeelah doesn't quite understand why, but the audience watching the film knows that her friend feels out of place around the "smart" and "rich" kids. What makes this film really worth watching is its message that kids can overcome the obstacles in their lives regardless of where they come from. Akeelah has to decide what is important to her and it is great watching her go through her journey to the national spelling bee championship. A great uplifting movie for young and old alike!

A Shout Out From James Preller!

I was so excited to see a comment on my blog from James Preller, author of the "Jigsaw Jones" mystery series and the recent, "Bystander". I reviewed "Bystander" earlier in my blog and he responded to it and gave me a shout out on his blog! Wow....I am being constantly reminded everyday, in little and big ways, of why I want to be a librarian and a writer and an artist and a kid....

Here's what he had to say:

"...* Here’s a cool new blog, titled Future Librarian, Kids! He’s just up and running, and I remember those early months of trying to figure it out, so hop on over and say hello. He’s posted some well-written reviews and also took the time to remember School House Rocks — and you’ve got to love that in a blogger. In a review that was obviously written with great care, the unnamed “future librarian” writes: “The theme of keeping silent over speaking up runs deep throughout the book . . . Needless to say, I read Bystander fairly quickly and really enjoyed it. It captures the feeling of middle school quite well and I really felt compassion and understanding for all the characters.”"

http://www.jamespreller.com/

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

Summary:

Frederick is the shy new boy and Xio is the bubbly chica who lends him a pen on the first day of class.

They become fast friends-but when Xio decides she wants to be more than friends, Frederick isn't so sure. He loves hanging out with Xio and her crew, but he doesn't like her that way.

Instead, he finds himself thinking more and more about Victor, the captain of the soccer team. Does that mean Frederick's gay? He can't be-he sees how everyone makes fun of Iggy, a boy all the other kids think is gay. Frederick has to deal with some tough choices: Even though he is curious about Iggy, he's just started fitting in at his new school, and he doesn't want to lose Xio, his best friend.

In So Hard to Say, Alex Sanchez, acclaimed author of the groundbreaking novels Rainbow High and Rainbow Boys, of which School Library Journal said, "It can open eyes and change lives," helps younger readers look at self-discovery, coming to terms with being gay, and acceptance of people who are different from us. He says, "The book comes in response to so many teachers, librarians, and students asking for a story like this."

I was a big fan of Sanchez's YA novels Rainbow High and Rainbow Boys so I chose So Hard to Say because I was curious to see how he wrote about gays issues from a tweens point of view. A tweens struggle with coming out of the closet can be one of the most difficult events in his or her life because its usually a time when hormones are racing, voices are changing, and wanting to be accepted among your peers is top priority. Not only is it a struggle for the gay tween, but the other tweens who must learn to form opinions and views about homosexuality. Is it right or is it wrong? Is it more important to fit in with the popular vote and continue to use terms like "that's gay" or "faggot" or is it more important to stand up to homophobia at the risk of being shunned? So Hard to Say tackles these issues through the voices of Frederick, the shy new boy at school and Xio, the sassy popular girl in love with him. It's a simple story with each chapter alternating from Frederick's voice to Xio's. Frederick tries to figure out why he doesn't feel the same way about Xio as she does for him. He feels those ways about Victor, the captain of the soccer team. Frederick finally begins to come to terms with being gay via the picked-on gay kid at school, Victor. The revelation forces everyone involved to deal with what it means to be gay and to have friends who are guy. In the end some of the kids make the right decision yet some choose to follow the crowd.

I love a well-written book that is a positive resource for kids struggling with sexuality and this book is definitely one of them. Another great one from Mr. Sanchez! I wish I had authors like this around when I was growing up!

About the author:

http://www.alexsanchez.com/Teen%20Reads.asp.html

More on the book:

http://www.alexsanchez.com/So_Hard_To_Say/So_Hard_To_Say_Excerpt.htm

http://books.simonandschuster.com/So-Hard-To-Say/Alex-Sanchez/9780689865640

OMG! I am so on this one!!! Golden ticket here I come!

This post is not a review. I just had to share my excitement. I wish I could get all Veruca Salt with this Willy Wonka promotion...but I don't have the spoiled luxury of having a rich dad so I'll probably be relying on luck just like Charlie.



Here's a bit of info I found about the contest

http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/01/willy-wonkas-golden-ticket/

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Summary:

There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road.

A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath.

Kittens, however, are notoriously curious creatures. And one kitten's one moment of curiosity sets off a chain of events that is astonishing, remarkable, and enormous in its meaning. For everyone who loves Sounder, Shiloh, and The Yearling, for everyone who loves the haunting beauty of writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Flannery O'Connor, and Carson McCullers, Kathi Appelt spins a harrowing yet keenly sweet tale about the power of love -- and its opposite, hate -- the fragility of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises.

The Underneath was recommended to me by Valerie, the children's librarian at the Bernal Height's branch in San Francisco where I work. I was a little reluctant to read a book about kittens and dogs, but I trust Valerie and was not disappointed. What I thought was going to be a fluffy, feel-good type of children's book turned out to be so much more. The themes that run through the book, in my opinion, may be a bit mature for readers younger than 11. The main characters are the twin kittens, Sabine and Puck, whose mother befriends a tortured and chained up bloodhound named Ranger. Ranger's owner is the main human character, Gar-Face who is a horribly violent man who lives in the swamps, hunts alligators, and drinks...a lot. In a terrible chain of events started by the cute and curious Puck, Gar-Face captures Puck and his mother and attempts to drown them. Puck survives, but loses his and Sabine's mother. In her last breath she makes Puck promise to go back for Sabine and Ranger and save them from the evil Gar-Face. Interwoven into the story of Puck, Sabine, and Ranger is the story of the swamp creatures who are hundreds if not thousands of years old: the mystic moccasin/cottonmouth snake with an evil plan revenge, her friend the old alligator who plays a catch-me-if-you-can game with Gar-Face, the shape-shifting daughter of the mystic snake and her shape-shifting lover Hawk-man. Their story is one of love, jealousy, lies, revenge, and redemption that is told like a Native American fairy tale. Both story lines have a strong theme of being true to promises and learning from mistakes and always choosing love and family first.

There are a lot of dark themes running through this book: familial violence (as a young boy Gar-Face is beaten by his father), animal abuse (Gar-Face kicks and beats Ranger), scenes of death. This is definitely a book for older 'tweens', but a parent may be able to read it to a younger child without it being to scary or sad. The fact is there is always a feeling of hope throughout the book and that's what kept me hooked. I wanted the cute motherless kittens to win and save the poor abused hound! I really loved how Appelt was able to make me visualize these animals growth and motives. Lovely book!

More on the book:
http://www.kathiappelt.com/

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/underneath

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Underneath/Kathi-Appelt/9781416950585

Bystander by James Preller

Summary:

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s hard to know who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.

But something isn't right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you'd better watch your back. There might be a target on it.

As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: he’s a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.

Preller's book takes on the subject of bullying which is all too common in the news today. It's always a very sad day when I read in the news that a young boy or girl has committed suicide because of the fear and isolation s/he feels from being bullied at school. Bystander looks at bullying through the eyes of the new kid at school, Eric. From the moment Eric meets Griffin he knows that something isn't so nice about the kid. Griffin has the gifts of good looks and charm, but underneath he has a dark side. Griffin uses his 'gifts' to win over the other students and in doing so he is able to use them to create a world of chaos in which poor souls like the homely, overweight, David Hallenback, get physically and emotionally abused everyday. Eric isn't sure whether or not to be friends with Griffin or to be afraid of him and fight back. The first half of the book has Eric and many of the other students caught in a battle between doing what is right, or staying silent about the horrible things that Griffin does. Griffin's acts take on a whole different meaning when he physically injures David while the other students watch and do nothing. Eric must decide between right and wrong. This means going against Griffin and suffering the consequences. Preller does a wonderful job at developing the characters. Griffin isn't just a bully for no reason. The reader is briefly taken into the turmoil and chaos of Griffin's home life. He has a abusive, alcoholic father. I feel sorry for him when he shows up to school with a black eye. Everyone knows why, but the students don't want to talk about it. How often does this happen in schools today? The theme of keeping silent over speaking up runs deep throughout the book. Eric's character also comes from a family torn apart over their father leaving them. We find out that Eric's father is schizophrenic and Eric must deal with his anger and come to an understanding about his father's disease, or else he fears he may end up like Griffin. The minor characters of David and Mary also go through the struggles of fitting in and deciding right from wrong. I don't want to give away the ending, but I will say I'm not so sure how realistic it was. The character's in the book do come to their own resolutions with minimal help from adults. Possible yes. In this situation though I'm not sure how realistic it is.

Needless to say, I read Bystander fairly quickly and really enjoyed it. It captures the feeling of middle school quite well and I really felt compassion and understanding for all the characters. As far as the 'tween' set goes, I think this book may be a bit too much for younger kids to understand, but is perfect for those kids entering into middle school.

Further websites and reviews:

http://www.jamespreller.com/category/bystander/

http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/bystander-by-james-preller/

Remembering 'School House Rock!'

While shelving juvenile DVDs the other day I came across School House Rock! I know I'm totally giving away my age, but I got so excited and ran right to circulation desk to check it out for myself, the whole way singing, "Conjunction Junction what's your function..." And who could can forget Inter-planet Janet...she's a galaxy girl! I couldn't wait to get home and re-live one of my favorite childhood memories! Then I started to wonder how School House Rock! would go over with the kids of today. I asked myself because I remember being really excited when a friend of mine had old episodes of Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter, but once I began watching them some of the magic seemed to have disappeared. Was it age? Was it the horrible special effects? Back then I thought it was so magical. Would I feel the same about School House Rock!? The answer is yes AND no. The concept is still great. Learning about grammar, government, math, history, and science all through animation and song is a wonderful way to help children learn. Of course I still loved almost all the videos because they bring back such good memories, but I know if I showed this to my niece or her 'tween' friends, she would roll her eyes and say, "Uncle Jayson, what is this? Those cartoons look old." She'd be right on that. I think School House Rock! AND kids could benefit from an updated version of the series. If the animation was brought up to par with what kids watch today (think Pokemon or even Spongebob) and the songs were sung by current tween sensations (think Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber) I think there'd be a lot of learning going on. Oh, and now that Pluto is no longer considered a planet, Interplanet Janet would have to re-write a few lyrics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock!

Here's a few memories:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman, the author of the popular book Coraline, gives us this tale of a young boy named Nobody Owens. Nobody is raised by the spirits and ghost of a graveyard after his family is murdered by a mysterious and scary man named, Jack. The Newbery Medal winning book starts off a bit scary with the murder of Nobody's family but I believe it is written in a way that gives the reader a feel of the horrible situation without being too graphic...no gory details are given they are only alluded to. Nobody is only an infant at the start of the book. He escapes his would be assassin by climbing out of his crib and wandering out the open door and into the graveyard where the ghost of his recently deceased mother asks the spirits of the graveyard to watch over him. Nobody grows up in the graveyard and has many adventures with ghouls, a witch, and human bullies. As he grows older he begins to understand and learn why he lives in the graveyard and the truth about his family.

http://www.thegraveyardbook.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/books/review/Edinger-t.html

Growing Up Creepie

Newly discovered...I will write more about this new find after I watch the first season...Growing Up Creepie is a televison cartoon (Discovery Kids) I just happened to run into yesterday and I just can't get enough. Creepie Creature is a goth girl raised by a family of insects. She attends a "normal" school complete with jocks, preppy girls obsessed with cell phones, geeks, etc....she finds that she doesn't fit in nor does she want to. She seems to be drawn to things that go outside the norm. I just watched an episode where she falls in "love" with a boy she thinks is part tarantula, but is disheartened when she realizes it is just an act. At the end of each episode Creepie divulges interesting facts about whichever insect is highlighted in each episode. For example, the characteristics of tarantulas. So far I love this show, but I still have eight or so episodes before I finish the entire first season. I think kids up to 11 or 12 years old would really enjoy this cartoon especially those kids who may feel a bit out of place and different.

http://kids.discovery.com/fansites/creepie/show.html
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/growing-creepie

My first blog...Hmmm...Wimpy...

So, I'm taking online classes through San Jose State University. I want to be a children/ YA librarian when I grow up. One of my assignments is to create a blog about tweens and the materials they are interested in. Kind of exciting because it gives me a reason to get back to reading and away from checking up on Perez Hilton and Facebook for countless hours. There's a valuable lesson to be learned here I think. Anyway, I feel like I'm supposed to say something profound for my first blog, but I'd rather go with my train of thought right now instead...I was a bit disturbed yesterday when I saw online that one of my favorite tween books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, has been made into a movie. On a side note, so has How to Eat Fried Worms. Anyway, for those of you who have read Jeff Kinney's series of books you probably know how funny, witty, and sometimes disturbing they are AND they're written and illustrated in a way that makes it enjoyable for tweens, teens, and adults. An easy read. So, yes, it has made its way to the big-screen and judging from the preview....? My initial reaction is, "Ewww, boring." But maybe after a few more viewings I may change my mind....maybe. Take a look.

http://www.wimpykid.com/
http://www.diaryofawimpykidmovie.com/
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/diary-wimpy-kid