Leaving Protection by Will Hobbs

     

Title:  Leaving Protection   Author:  Will Hobbs
ISBN:  0688174752  Pages:  173
Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2004

Readers Annotation:
Robbie is very excited to be on his first open sea fishing trip during the King Salmon season. He's hired by Tor, a grouchy old fisherman, who is also hunting for a priceless Russian treasure.

Author Information:

Will Hobbs is an award winning author of adventure books like Far North, Jason's Gold, Down the Yukon, Wild Man Island, and Jackie's Wild Seattle. Seven of his books have been chosen by ALA as Best Books for Young Adults. Leaving Protection was inspired by the personal experience Hobbs had as a troller deckhand during a very productive King Salmon season. He is also a nature enthusiast and a former teacher.

Will Hobbs is a graduate of Stanford University. He is considered one of the most notable adventure writers for young adults. He currently lives in Durango, Colorado, with his wife Jean.

www.willhobbsauthor.com

Plot Summary:

Sixteen year old Robbie lives with his family on a houseboat in Port Protection, Alaska, a tiny community. He goes to a public school that has an enrollment of less than fifty children. Robbie is ready to leave his parents and sister to try his hand at fishing in the open sea, and making some of his own money.

Robbie flies to the nearby fishing town right before the King Salmon season begins. He tries to find a job as a deckhand, but this proves difficult due to hard economic times. Finally, Robbie meets Tor Torsen, usually a loner. But, Tor begrudgingly hires him after he catches Robbie looking at an old bronze plaque hidden away on the captains deck. Tor is a difficult person to deal with, and Robbie finds himself working harder than ever before.  When Tor tells Robbie that the plaque is a priceless Russian treasure, and that they would be hunting for more, Robbie suspects that Tor's motivation for hiring him had a deeper and darker purpose.

Critical Evaluation:

Readers are taken on an exciting and thrilling adventure with the main character in this coming of age novel. The dangers of open sea fishing on the high seas are portrayed accurately, lending a sense of authenticity to the story. The author also discusses the topography of Alaska in accurate geographical terms, as well as Alaska's history in relation to Russia, adding another dimension of realism to the story line. Readers become immersed in the story through the use of boating jargon, and through the suspense of  the hunt for treasure. Lastly, the depiction of this classic survival adventure through the protagonists point of view gives the reader a feel for his utter exhaustion on busy fishing days, as well as an understanding of his courage for going on this expedition in the first place. 

Genre:  Adventure Fiction

Curriculum Ties:  History - Alaska, American Culture - Fishing

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  At sixteen, Robbie leaves his home for the first time to find a job catching King Salmon on the high seas for a few weeks. When was the first time you left your home to be on your own?
     2.  Tor has Robbie assist him in finding old Russian/Alaskan treasure. How would you like to go on a real treasure hunting trip?

Reading Level/Interest Age:  13+

Challenge Issue: none

Why I chose this item:  This book is for the adventure lover. I felt it was important to have an adventure seeking book with a strong male protagonist.

An American Plague by Jim Murphy

    

Title:  An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793  Author:  Jim Murphy
ISBN:  0395776082  Pages:  139
Publisher:  Clarion Books, New York, 2003

Readers Annotation:
In 1793, an unknown sickness began to spread like wildfire, killing many of the inhabitants of Philadelphia. 

Author Information:
Jim Murphy is the author of over twenty-five books for young readers. He is well-known for his work The Great Fire, which was awarded a Newbery Honor, and for his many informational books. Murphy has been honored with many awards, including the Robert F Sibert Informational Book Award and the Boston Globe Horn Book Honor. He is also the two-time winner of the SCBWI's Golden Kite Award, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Awards. Some of his other publications include The Boys' War, Across America on an Emigrant Train, A Young Patriot, and Pick and Shovel Poet. 

An American Plague is the winner of a National Finalist Book Award, a Robert F Sibert Medal, and a Newbery Honor Book. Currently, Murphy lives in Maplewood, New Jersey. He lives in a hundred-year-old house with his wife Alison Blank, who is a children's author, editor and TV producer. 

http://www.jimmurphybooks.com/about.htm

Plot Summary:
It is August 3, 1793. United States of America has recently been born, and George Washington is the President. Philadelphia is the country's capital, and Congress is set to convene there in the upcoming weeks. Swamps and marshes surround the city, and the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers have receded to reveal muddy bottoms filled with dead fish and decaying vegetation. Sinkholes were used as the city's sewer, dirty water runoff, and dead animal graves. Their noxious and poisonous fumes were only worsened by the heat of the summer. Philadelphia became a dangerous breeding ground for sickness.

The first signs of the epidemic began with an unknown French sailor, who fell desperately ill and died at a local boardinghouse. Soon thereafter, people living in and near the boardinghouse started dying as well. Although unknown at the time, this was the beginning of a Yellow Fever epidemic that would wipe out over 5,000 inhabitants over a period of three months.

Critical Evaluation:
This historical accounting of a terrible and sad time in America's history is masterfully written. Each chapter accurately describes the sequence of events in a suspenseful yet truthful fashion. The chapters are cleverly entitled with a description of the next phase in the epidemic, enhanced with real quotes from historical figures and actual citizens of Philadelphia . Images of newspaper clippings, photographs, and paintings are dispersed throughout the book. These lend an additional layer of realism to the book that the prose could not accomplish alone. The factoids are interspersed with personal stories and accounts, allowing the reader to feel the desperation, confusion, and uncertainty of the times. Overall, the book is terrifying and intriguing, appealing to audiences of all ages.

Genre:  Non-fiction

Curriculum Ties:  American History - Yellow Fever, Philadelphia

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  The yellow fever killed many Philadelphians during an epidemic in 1793, and to this day no cure has been found. Are you ever worried about contracting foreign diseases?   
     2.  During the epidemic, the only group of people who stayed in town and helped the suffering people were the African Americans, who were never given credit for their bravery. Why do you think people were so blind to their life saving efforts?

Reading Level/Interest Age:  12+

Challenge Issue: Raw facts, Death
- Award winning book: National Finalist Book Award, Robert F Sibert Medal, and Newbery Honor Book
- Award winning author:  Robert F Sibert Informational Book Award, SCBWI's Golden Kite Award, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy

Why I chose this item:  I wanted to include a Non-fiction piece, as it's a popular genre among adolescents. Additionally, this book in particular was written by an award winning author, and had a compelling story line.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

    

Title: The Last Olympian   Author:  Rick Riordan
ISBN:  9781423101475   Pages:  381
Publisher:  Disney Hyperion Books, New York, 2009

Readers Annotation: Percy and his loyal band of friends battle Kronos, the evil Titan, in an attempt to save modern civilization and the gods above.  

Author Information: 

Rick Riordan graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a double major in English and history. Riordan is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He's also written the very popular Tres Navarre series for adults, winner of the top three awards in the mystery genre. His most recent children's book Throne of Fire has debuted #1 on the New York Times children's chapter book list.

Rick enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a child, and later read mostly fantasy and science fiction novels. His inspiration for Camp Half-Blood in the Percy Jackson series came from his counselor work in college. Riordan currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and two sons.

http://www.rickriordan.com/about-rick/biography.aspx

Plot Summary:
Percy Jackson  and the Olympians have been preparing all year for the ultimate battle against the ever growing evil Titan, Kronos. However, Kronos is also preparing, and continues to recruit gods and demigods to serve under his amassing army.  This fifth book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series begins with a battle against Percy's old friend Luke on his ship the Princess Andromeda. Luke and his friends attempt to stop the ship from reaching New York.

Once the battle on the Princess Andromeda is over, the Olympians find themselves fighting the most menacing monster yet - the rampaging Typhon. Percy and his band of demigods continue the battle in the streets of New York, desperately trying to stop the Titans from destroying Mount Olympus. Meanwhile, Percy is approaching his sixteenth birthday and is about to find out if he is the 'one' referred to in a highly anticipated prophecy.

Critical Evaluation:
This conclusion to the Percy Jackson series is sure to delight readers of all ages. Additionally, due to the classical themes, this story is perfect for mythology lovers. One can especially enjoy the family squabbles between the gods and demigods. The author successfully integrates Greek mythology with a modern day flair, creating a world that is very believable . A combination of adventure, mystery, magic, and humor, makes this book entertaining and exciting. The characters that the author has created are easy to relate to, impressing the reader with their courage and spunk. Percy has grown into a strong yet modest character; a realistic portrayal of a young adult in his circumstances. The ending does not leave the reader disappointed, answering all questions and tying up all loose ends, producing a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Genre: Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:  History - Greek Mythology

Booktalking Ideas: 

     1. A huge decision awaits Percy on his upcoming sixteenth birthday. Did you ever have to make a life altering decision with the added pressure of a deadline?

     2. Fate plays a large role in the world of the demigods. Do you believe in fate?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 12 +

Challenge Issue: Mythology, Religion
- Bestselling book series: #1 USA Today bestseller, #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, #1 Los Angeles Times bestseller
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy

Why I chose this item:  This is the newest book of a New York Times best-selling series for young adults. As the main character is sixteen in this book, I decided to include this part of the series specifically.

Further Reading: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth. 

 
The Last Olympian book trailer

Fearless by Taylor Swift

         

Title:  Fearless   Format:  CD
ASIN:  B001EYGOEM   Artist:  Taylor Swift 
Studio:  Big Machine Records  Release Date: November 11, 2008

Artist Information:
Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. She is a country pop singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. After the release of her debut album Taylor Swift in 2006, the Recording Industry Association of America certified it as multi-platinum. Taylor Swift earned four Grammy Awards for her second album Fearless. By 2008, Swift became the best-selling musician of the year when her albums sold a total of four million copies. Her third album, Speak Now, was released on October 25th, 2010, and sold over one million copies in its first week.

Some of Taylor's musical influences are Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, and her maternal grandmother. Swift enjoys participating in many philanthropic endeavors. In 2007, she assisted in a campaign to protect children against online predators. She also donated $500,000 to a flood relief telethon for the victims of the May 2010 Tennessee floods.

Contents:  Fearless, Fifteen, Love Story, Hey Stephen, White Horse, You Belong With Me, Breathe, Tell Me Why, You're Not Sorry, The Way I Loved You, Forever & Always, The Best Day, Change

Music Summary:
Fearless, a county pop album, topped the Billboard 200 for eleven non-consecutive weeks, which has not happened since 2000. This studio album also had the largest opening sales week in the United States in 2008 by a female artist in all music genres, and the overall fourth largest sales among all musicians. The most popular songs on the album are "Love Story",  "White Horse", and "You Belong With Me". In fact, "You Belong With Me" was nominated for a Grammy, and it's Swift's second best-selling single. The corresponding music video directed by Roman White won the 2009 MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. The music itself is a combination of classic country and soft rock, which has seen a resurgence in popularity in the 1990's.

Critical Evaluation: 
On the heels of country pop music's rise to popularity, Taylor Swift represents a perfect combination of the quintessential pop star and the girl-next-door. As she was a teenager when she first came onto the music scene, adolescents are enamored with her singing talent. Swift's songs take on classic country elements such as song lyrics that tell a story over a simple melody. Swift, a songwriter herself, composes songs that she says are inspired by actual life events. For instance, the song "Forever & Always" refers to her relationship with Joe Jonas, "Hey Stephen" is about a boy she once toured with, and "Fifteen" talks about her freshman year of high school. This autobiographical spin allows her audience to closely identify with much of her music. While the straightforward lyrics and melodious music are attractive to a wide crossover audience, Swift's subtle country twang help establish her as one of country music's biggest stars.


Genre: Music, County Pop

Curriculum Ties: Music Appreciation

Reading Level/Interest Age: 14 +

Challenge Issue: none

Why I chose this item: I wanted to include a female artist in my music selection, and Taylor Swift is very popular among adolescents.

 Taylor Swift's You Belong To Me

Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan

          

Title:  Vibes   Author:  Amy Kathleen Ryan
ISBN: 9780618995301  Pages:  249
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 2008

Readers Annotation:
Even though Kristi's psychic abilities allow her to hear what people are thinking, she realizes that she still rarely gets to see the full picture.

Author Information:

Amy Kathleen Ryan attended The University of Wyoming, where she studied anthropology and Spanish. She is also a graduate of The New School, where she received her MFA. Amy is a young adult writer, with three novels credited to her name. Vibes, which is Ryan's second novel, took her four months to write. Her latest novel Glow is set to come out in September of 2011.

Amy was born in Jackson, Wyoming. Her hobbies include walking her dog and cooking, and she loves to read books and magazines. Amy currently lives in Colorado with her family. 

http://www.amykathleenryan.com/amy.php

Plot Summary:
Kristi first realized she was a psychic when she was in junior high. Kristi and her best friend Hilde Petersen used to play a game where Kristi would guess what Hilde was thinking. However, Kristi's abilities became a burden soon after, when she was the first to know that her father was unhappy and would be leaving her mother to live in Africa. By the time the girls reached high school, they were no longer friends, and Kristi became bitter as a result of feeling abandoned. Her relationship with her mother also became strained, as Kristi blamed her mother for her father's leaving.

When Kristi is grouped with Gusty Petersen for a school project, she figured her life couldn't get any worse. It didn't help that Gusty was the most handsome boy on campus, and she used to have a crush on him. All Kristi could pick up from her psychic observations of Gusty is that he thinks that she's 'sick'. However, things begin to change when Kristi and Gusty start working together, and Kristi begins to realize that although she can read people's minds, she may not really understand the whole story.

Critical Evaluation:
This realistic fiction piece, set in the present day, addresses the unique abilities of psychics. The author expertly conveys the thoughts of the main character through first person narrative. Therefore, the reader is given a unique insight into Kristi's adolescent difficulties. Kristi deals with the separation of her parents, a workaholic mother, and the idea that she is unattractive and strange. Adolescents will especially connect to her struggles as an unusual teenager. The characterization of the various personalities in the story are cleverly portrayed via Kristi's thoughts. At times, the narrative is written in italics in order to inform the reader of the main character's psychic moments. The writer utilizes excellent sensory images and descriptive prose, giving the reader a complete picture of the situation at hand. Despite the many subplots, the book concludes with a satisfying resolution, tying all the story lines together seamlessly. 

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Coming-of-age

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  Kristi was born with psychic talents which she discovered in middle school. Do you have a talent that you only realized later in life?
     2.  Kristi's father left her and her mother for another woman. Do you know any parent who has abandoned their family to live with someone else?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+

Challenge Issue: Foul language
- Many teens use foul language, and therefore removing a book for that reason alone is not justifiable
- There are many great talking points for adolescents due to the realistic nature of the relationships in the book
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy

Why I chose this item: I found this book in the young adult section of my local library and thought that the plot would be a great contribution to my realistic fiction genre.

 
Vibes book trailer

 

Blushing compiled by Paul B Janeczko

        

Title:  Blushing,    Compiler:  Paul B Janeczko
ISBN: 0439530563  Pages:  95
Publisher:  Orchard Books, New York, 2004

Readers Annotation:
A comprehensive anthology of love poems written by international authors over many centuries. 

Compiler Information:

Paul B Janeczeko is a poet and collector of modern poetry. He has edited over twenty-five poetry anthologies, many of them geared to the young adult audience. Some of these complications include Very Best (Almost) Friends, Stone Beach in an Empty Park: A Collection of Urban Haiku, and A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems.

Janeczeko grew up in New Jersey. His first and favorite book as a child was the Hardy Boys. Presently, Paul lives in Maine with his wife and daughter.

http://www.paulbjaneczko.com/bio.htm

Content/Audience: 
The poems collected range from classic to modern, with poems picked specifically with a young adult in mind. However, the range is so diverse, that the poems can relate to readers of all ages. The book is divided into five chapters, each chapter beginning with a love letter that sets the tone and theme of that section of the book. "Beginning of Love" discusses the newness and excitement of love, and includes poems such as She Was a Phantom of Delight by William Wordsworth and Shall I Compare Thee to A Summer's Day by Shakespeare. "In Love" talks about a more mature love, and includes poems such as The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe and How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. "Alone in Love" discusses the regrets of love, and includes poems such as Separation by W.S. Merwin and Dream by Langston Hughes. "End of Love" is about the painful ending of love, and includes poems such as Neutral Tones by Thomas Hardy and Heart! We Will Forget Him by Emily Dickinson. The last chapter "Remembering Love" talks about the hope and resilience of love, and includes poems such as When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats and Love in a Life by Robert Browning.  

Genre:  Poetry - Love and Romance

Curriculum Ties:  English - Poetry

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  Janeczeko has collected a vast amount of love related poems, many of which are directed at his own love interest.  Have you ever written a love poem for someone else?
     2.  There are some famous Shakespeare poems included in this work, such as "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day". Do you enjoy reading Shakespeare, and do you appreciate his style of writing?

Reading Level/Interest Age:  13+

Challenge Issue:  none

Why I chose this item:  I wanted to include an anthology of poems for adolescent poetry readers. Additionally, the author is critically acclaimed, and thereby a great addition to my collection.

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K Vaughan

          

Title:  Pride of Baghdad   Author:  Brian K Vaughan     Illustrator: Niko Henricshon  
ISBN: 9781401203146   Pages:  Not paged
Publisher:  DC Comics, New York, 2006

Readers Annotation:
A pride of lions from the Baghdad Zoo are suddenly given the gift of freedom after an American air raid. Safa, Noor, Zill, and Ali encounter a new world that they find both dangerous and beautiful.

Author Information:
Brian Keller Vaughan was born in 1976, and is an American comic book and television writer. In order to do research for Pride of Baghdad, Brian joined an emergency relief team at the Baghdad Zoo in Iraq. He also visited and studied the animals at the San Diego Zoo in California. Brian has won an Eisner Award for his works Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina. Presently, Brian lives in California with his wife Ruth McKee. 

Illustrator Information: 

Niko Henrichson is a Canadian comic book artist. Henrichson did research for Pride of Baghdad by interviewing citizens, reporters, and soldiers that were involved in the Iraq War. Henrichson's debut work is a graphic novel called Barnum! He also regularly provides cover art for Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Currently, Henrichson lives in Quebec City with his wife and cat.

Plot Summary: 
The Baghdad Zoo houses over 650 animals, among them a lion habitat with a pride of four lions. The pride includes Zill, the alpha male, Safa, the elder lioness, Noor, the younger lioness, and the male cub Ali. Noor dreams of being free, with space to roam and hunt. Ali is enamored with the idea of freedom, and constantly begs Safa, who was once free, to describe a sunset in the wild.

Suddenly, their zoo is heavily hit during the American bombing of Baghdad at the start of the Iraq War, and the pride of lions are free. Immediately, the foursome discovers how difficult freedom can really be. As they search the foreign city for food, they stumble into a deadly adventure. However, throughout their difficulties, the pride is still able to find beauty and joy in their freedom.

Critical Evaluation:
Based on a true story, this graphic novel follows a pride of lions that had escaped the Baghdad Zoo during an American air raid and subsequently found and shot by American soldiers. The novel is written in English, interspersed with Arabic to lend a sense of realism to the story. To further add to the authenticity of the novel, the lions are appropriately given African names. The range of colors painted in the story portray the circumstances beautifully. Therefore, when Safa talks about her rape, the illustrator paints the pages in depressing blues and grays. Additionally, when the pride is traveling through war-torn Baghdad, the pictures take on fiery reds and oranges. Despite the fact that the main characters are animals, the illustrator effectively depicts their expressions and emotions, giving them personalities and bringing them to life. Through the stunning array of color illustrations and the straightforward narrative of the author, the reader will enjoy this compelling and heartbreaking tale.

Genre:  Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction

Curriculum Ties:  American History - Iraq War

Booktalking Ideas: 
    1.  The story of the lion's escape takes place during the recent Iraq War, which is still ongoing. Do you know any soldiers deployed in Iraq?
    2.  At the beginning of the story, Noor longs for freedom. When actually free, however, she realizes that freedom is not all that she thought it would be. Did you ever really want something, but when you got it became disappointed in what you found?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 14+

Challenge Issue: Suggestive war themes, Sexually explicit
- This graphic novel won the 2006 IGN award for best original graphic novel
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy

Why I chose this item:  This was an intense graphic novel, but also on the shorter side, thus appealing to teenage reluctant readers and graphic novel readers.