Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore by Joan Lowery Nixon

Book Jacket         Joan Lowery Nixon web site


Title:  The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore   Author:  Joan Lowery Nixon
ISBN:  6152050310  Pages:  305
Publisher:  Harcourt, Inc, Orlando, 2004

Readers Annotation:
When Christina Lattimore is kidnapped, all she can think about is escaping to be with her family and friends again. Once Chrisiina is free, and she realizes that her family and friends believe she orchestrated her own kidnapping, Christina focuses her energy on finding her kidnappers and proving her innocence. 

Author Information:
Joan Lowery Nixon obtained a Journalism degree from the University of Southern California. She has written more than one hundred forty books for young readers, specializing in mysteries for young adults.  Some of her publications include the Orphan Train series, winner of two Golden Spur awards, and The Making of a Writer, her memoir, . Nixon is the only four-time winner of The Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award and a two-time winner of the California Young Reader Medal.

Nixon was born in 1927 in Los Angeles. She recently passed away at the age of 76, in Houston, Texas. She is survived by her four children and several grandchildren.

http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-nixon-joan-lowery.asp

Plot Summary:
Christina Lattimore goes to high school at the Madame DeJon School for Girls. She comes from a very wealthy family, the money having been earned by her grandmother, the business mogul Cristabel. Christina's father is a pastor, choosing a different path than his mother. Yet, Christina's family is still supported by her grandmother. This puts Cristabel in charge of major decisions, such as if Christina should go on her class trip overseas.

Christina meets her best friend at a local diner, and they discuss how they can convince Cristabel to allow her to go on the class trip. However, while at the diner, the menacing cashier approaches Christina and begins communicating incomprehensibly. Christina would have normally shrugged off the strange incident, but when she arrives home she finds the front door unlocked. Christina's increasing concerns are reinforced when later that evening she is kidnapped and held for ransom. Although the ransom is paid, and she is freed only a few days later, no one believes her frightening experience. She is accused of orchestrating the whole thing to get money for her trip. Christina is determined to find her kidnappers, and prove her innocence to her family and friends.

Critical Evaluation: 
This fast paced and suspenseful psychological thriller is exciting all the way to the last page. Readers can feel the suspense from the very beginning of  the book, almost as if something is lurking behind the corner. The prose is written with hints of mystery, similar to scary background music in a horror film. The first person narrative gives readers a glimpse into the thought process and struggles of the main protagonist. While there is the element of a genuine mystery that's being solved, there is also the element of the main character progressively figuring out the solution to the puzzle within herself.  Additionally,  readers are able to follow Christina's growth through her harrowing ordeal,  feeling a sense of pride when witnessing who she decides to become at the conclusion of the book.

Genre:  Mystery - Puzzling

Curriculum Ties:  Economics - Trust funds

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  After Christina is kidnapped and found, no one believes her story. Has something significant ever happened to you where you then find trouble convincing people that it actually happened?
     2.  Christina's life is essentially run by her uber-wealthy grandmother, whom she hates. If you had the choice, would you choose money or freedom?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13+

Challenge Issue:  none

Why I chose this item:  I felt it was important to include a puzzling mystery, a popular genre suggested by the YA librarian's guide textbook. Additionally, Joan Lowery Nixon was an award winning author.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Teen Vogue Magazine


Title:   Teen Vogue    Format:  Magazine
ASIN:  B001U5SPN8   Distribution:  Monthly
Publisher:  Conde Nast Publications, New York

Content/Audience:
Teen Vogue markets primarily to a female adolescent audience. Most of the articles focus on fashion and beauty, as do the advertisements, following in the footsteps of its parent magazine, Vogue.  Photography plays a huge role in the content of the magazine, as it is filled with ads and pictures focused on the beauty of a woman and her stylish clothing. The articles includes "talking fashion" - which are an assemblage of pictures of teen models and idols, "Beauty Blogger" - a front-line blog on the fashion industry, "View" - news regarding topics such as the season's newest accessories, "PATA" (People Are Talking About) - entertainment industry related pieces; and "Features" - cover stories on a teen star or idol. The contributors are 'fashionistas' themselves, and are experts on spotting new stylish trends.

Critical Evaluation:
Teen Vogue is a very visual magazine, with few articles. The photographs seem to come alive because they are taken by some of the best photographers in the world. They vary in style and background, which lends some variety to the magazine. Beautiful models in designer wear make up a large part of the advertisements, making the magazine alluring and stylish. Additionally, for those adolescents looking to go into fashion as a career, Teen Vogue is a great resource. Not only can adolescents learn about new fashions, they can also get a sense of the business of marketing and advertising.

Genre:   Fashion, Periodicals

Reading Level/Interest Age:   15 +

Challenge Issue:  Revealing photographs
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy

Why I chose this item:   Since this magazine is written specifically for the female teen audience, I decided to include it in my collection.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n32/n164676.jpg           http://kingsenglish.indiebound.com/files/kingsenglish/Sarah_Dessen_-_credit_KPO_Photo.jpg

Title:  Just Listen    Author:  Sarah Dessen
ISBN:  9780142410974  Pages:  371
Publisher:  Speak, New York, 2006

Readers Annotation:
Annabel Greene used to be friends with the most popular girl in school. However, something happened to end that relationship, and after spending the summer alone, Annabel must face her classmates on a whole new level.

Author Information:
Sarah Dessen attended the University of North Carolina, and graduated with high honors in Creative Writing. Sarah wrote her first novel, This Summer, three years after college. Since then, she's published eight more young adult novels, all of them critically acclaimed. The motion picture How to Deal was based on her first two novels. Dessen's tenth book, What Happened to Goodbye, is set to be released in May of 2011.

Sarah was born in 1970 in Illinois and grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She enjoys gardening and shopping. Presently, Sarah lives in the country in North Carolina, with her husband, her daughter, and two dogs.

http://sarahdessen.com/press-kit/

Plot Summary:
Annabel Greene used to lead a relatively simple life. She was best friends with the most popular girl in school. She was a model and was hired constantly for shoots. She even had a very stable family life. But, right before the summer, something terrible happened to her that changed her life irrevocably. Annabel also has trouble dealing with her dark secret, and hasn't told anyone what happened to her the night she and her best friend broke up. Suddenly, Annabel's sisters are constantly fighting, her middle sister nearly killed herself because of an eating disorder, and Annabel wants to stop modeling.

When Annabel starts her next year in high school, she finds herself in unfamiliar territory. Since she no longer has any friends, she finds a spot at a lunch table with a boy named Owen Armstrong. Owen turns out to be a music junkie with an honest streak, and they develop an unlikely friendship which leads Annabel on a path of self discovery and new found strength.

Critical Evaluation:
This beautifully written book is both captivating and heartfelt, addressing real life topics and heavy issues. The author honestly portrays the complexity of family relationships, along with its positive and negative aspects. As the book is written from a first person narrative, the reader can feel the pain Annabel has endured from her rape and the struggle to keep it hidden from the world. Annabel's wounds from the sudden loss of friends is also apparent. These emotions are easily identifiable for adolescents and adults alike. At times, fun concepts are brought into the plot which provide an element of comic relief from the intensity of the main story line. Sweet moments in the relationship between Annabel and Owen also assist in keeping a lighthearted flavor to the book. The audience watches the growth and healing process of the main character, as she learns to cope with the many ups and downs of her life.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Curriculum Ties:  Psychology - Eating Disorders

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  Every Sunday morning Owen hosts his own radio show, utilizing his creativity in music to present a unique arrangement for the hour. Have you ever hosted something that's been broadcast to a large audience?
     2.  Annabel harbors a deep, dark secret that eats away at her. Has a secret you've kept ever eaten away at you so much that you feel like a different person?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+

Challenge Issue:  Eating disorders, Sexual molestation, Foul language
- Book was chosen as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy

Why I chose this item:  Sarah Dessen is a popular author among young adults, and her books address very relevant themes for that age group.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFF5LC7g2mg6G5P9IDOqwlH16kGqbd-TkMsGgzXNP8qmNlT0ysbO668ypL5vfn4-QL3mbhbgwTAaCp4j3sO-xuxJsdxTMIRtnoP3XdAA0_iEv42i6az31IG5BG2hmR2PVsIh9T5TwKdp0/s1600/heist-society.jpg         http://www.bookpage.com/the-book-case/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ally-carter.jpg?w=242

Title:  Heist Society   Author:  Ally Carter
ISBN: 9781423116394  Pages:  287
Publisher:  Disney Hyperion, New York, 2010

Readers Annotation:
Katrina Bishop tries to escape the family business of thievery by attending a boarding school. But, when she learns of the threat on her father's life, she has a change of heart.

Author Information:
Ally Carter earned her degrees from Oklahoma State University and Cornell University. She is a New York Times bestselling author of I'd Tell You But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, and Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover. Carter is most famous for her Gallagher Girls series.

Ally was born and raised in Oklahoma, where she currently lives. She works as a full-time writer. Her sequel to Heist Society is due to come out in stores in June of 2011

http://allycarter.com/ally/doing-school-report/detailed-bio

Plot Summary:
As her very last coup, Katrina Bishop scammed her way into one of the best boarding schools in the country. Kat had hoped to begin a normal life at Colgan, away from the family business of thievery. But, life has a way of foiling the best laid plans. Without warning, Kat is expelled for something she did not do. She soon finds out that her old friend Hale intentionally set her up . Kat's father is being threatened by the very cruel and evil Arturo Taccone for allegedly stealing his paintings. Taccone gives him two weeks to have the paintings returned, or be killed.

In truth, Kat's father didn't steal the paintings, and Kat is determined to prove it. Together with Hale, Kat forms her very own heist society, and they travel the world seeking answers. They find that these stolen paintings were Nazi war spoils, and must decide what to do with that surprising information. On her quest, Kat deals with her conflicting emotions of leaving her family and friends and starting a new life, in addition to the uncertainties of her relationship with Hale.

Critical Evaluation:
This fun caper story captures the reader's attention with a great premise. The main character takes it upon herself to save her father. Even though the characters are thieves, they are portrayed as lovable and down to earth. The thief's jargon depicted in the book adds an interesting and entertaining element for the audience. The work is divided into chapters based on the setting, giving the book some variety. As the characters travel the world to different interesting countries, the reader can become easily captivated. The historical insights found throughout the story also add a level of sophistication to this thriller. As the book follows the countdown to the antagonist's deadline, the readers can feel the mounting suspense . Reminiscent of Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job, this book will enchant and enthrall readers who enjoy tales of thievery.

Genre: Fiction/Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties: History - Stolen Nazi Art

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  Katarina's father has been threatened and given only two weeks to live by a very cruel man. Have you ever been in a situation where someone you care about was in great danger?
     2.  Although Hale never actually verbalizes how much he cares for Kat, he shows his love in other ways. Has it ever taken you a while to figure out that someone cares for you, even though  the signs had been there for a long time? 
  
Reading Level/Interest Age:  13+

Challenge Issue:  none

Why I chose this item:  I wanted to include this book in my collection because it got wonderful reviews, and to include a sub-genre within the coming-of-age books.

Further Series Reading:  Uncommon Criminals 

Heist Society book trailer