Teens and Risky Behaviors

Reflection: “No Brakes! Risk and the adolescent brain.” By A. E. Kazdin and C. Rotella (February 10, 2010) from slate.com

Subjects: Risky behaviors, Teens and Tweens, Parent/Child communication effectiveness, school education programs for risk behaviors, peer pressure

            Kazdin and Rotella argue that adolescents are no worse at assessing risk and making bad decisions then adults and that people of all ages underestimate likely dangers and underestimate likely ones.  They state that recent studies have compared adolescent and adult levels of irrationality and found them to be similar, which means that adolescent behavior cannot be attributed to an inability to reason. 

            So what does that mean to current risk prevention practices?  Kazdin and Rotella argue that reasoning with your child about why they shouldn’t engage in risky behavior is ineffective as a short term intervention tool.  At first I was questioning of this statement.  How can talking with your children be ineffective?  It builds rapport and opens communication channels when done in a correct manner aka calm and reassuring versus yelling.  But Kazdin and Rotella accept that there are positive long term effects of reasoning and talking to your child, they are just not interested in them.  The authors are more interested in discovering short term prevention tools that have an effect on a child’s behavior in the present not the immeasurable future.        

            Kazdin and Rotella then argue that school educational programs are also an ineffective tool in preventing risky behaviors in adolescents.  They dismiss these programs as being a “more expensive, elaborate, and systematic version” of parents reasoning with their children (Kazdin & Rotella, 2010, section 2).  They support their argument with the fact that “90 percent of all U.S. high-school students have been exposed to sex, drug, and driver education in their schools and yet are still engaging in high-risk behaviors” (Kazdin & Rotella, 2010, section 2).  I feel this argument is a weak sort of generalization.  I would have rather they presented some statistics showing that the number of teenagers engaging in certain high risk behaviors has been unchanged since the implementation of education programs, because that is what they seem to be implying.  Though I think statistics on the effectiveness of education programs will show numbers to refute their generalization.

            Of all of Kazdin and Rotella’s arguments, the one that I agree with the most is that the presence or absence of peers has a large effect on whether or not a teen chooses to engage in risky behavior.  Peers greatly influence the interests of tweens and teens in middle school and early high school (AACAP, 2001).  This is why it is important for tweens and teens to have positive peer influences as well as having the ability to resist negative peer pressure (Search Institute, 2007).

Social networking too young?

 Reflection: "How COPPA fails parents, educators, youth" by Boyd & "Social Networking for the 10 and under crowd" by S. Jackson

Subjects: Social Networks, Tweens, Children, COPPA, parental permission requirements

Reading over the articles by Boyd and Jackson got me thinking about the pros and cons of tween social networking.  Tweens are easily able to communicate with family, friends, and institutions such as libraries and schools but become more vulnerable to online predators and cyber-bullying.  If parents keep tweens from accessing social networks, then they run the risk of tweens setting up accounts without adult knowledge or falling behind in developing valuable computer skills.  So what’s a parent to do?  I’m inclined to say that each parent should look at their own child’s development, talk to them about Internet safety, and seek out tween friendly sites.  But I also know that nothing is that simple.

            YALSA (2008) suggests multiple ways that schools and libraries can use social networking to promote tween participation, reading skills, and gather suggestive feedback for services.  They suggest setting up accounts on Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter to blog about library programs, author books, and library resources.  But to use many of those social networking accounts you need to over 13 years of age.  I had assumed this was because of safety issues protecting minors from online predators.  But Boyd’s article argues that the good intention of COPPA was to protect children’s privacy from corporations, not safety from individuals.  COPPA solved this problem by requiring companies to gain parental consent for anyone 13 and under.  Companies responded by requiring users to indicate they were over 13 years of age and therefore not needing parental permission.  From the tweens and teens I know, they responded by lying and clicking the ‘yes, I am over 13’ button, sometimes with parent permission.

            So what are the options?  Jackson suggests that parents try out social networks, such as Togetherville.com, specifically designed for the younger age group.  Sites that require parental permission, screen postings for inappropriateness, and are designed with child safety in mind not just social networking and minimum COPPA compliance.  So do I think an 8 year needs to be online using a social network? I’m still not sure but if they are then I hope it’s through online networks that are focused on a child’s fun and safety as well as parent participation such as AllyKatzz.com, Beaconstreetgirls.com, or Clubpenguin.com. 

Daughters of Darkness (Book)

Smith, L. J. (1996). Daughters of darkness. New York, NY: Archway Paperbacks. ISBN: 0-671-55134-5

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 14
Genre: Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural beings, Vampires,

Plot:  The Night World is a secret society of witches, vampires, and werewolves that has existed since ancient times.  Humans who find out about the Night World are killed or used as food for vampires and werewolves.  This is because humans greatly outnumber Night World citizens, though this was not always true.  Night World citizens can torture or kill a human, but they are forbidden to fall in love with one.  But lately there's been whispers in the Night World that soul mates are being found.  The soul mate principle means that for every person there is one other person fated to be their perfect match.  The soul mate connection is stronger then any known magic.  But even more interesting is the rumors that those finding their soul mates are finding them in regular human beings. 

In Daughters of Darkness, three vampire sisters have runaway from home, a vampire controlled island stuck with old fashioned values where men are in charge of everything.  They runaway to the country where they find their aunt has been murdered.  Their brother, Ash, shows up and is trying to convince the girls that they need to return home.  In the process, Ash finds his soul mate in Mary-Lynnette, a human girl living next door to the Ash's sisters.  Torn between Night World rules and his love for his sisters and Mary-Lynnette, Ash tries to figure out what to do next.

Personal Thoughts: This was one of my favorite series in junior high.  I wasn't that big of a fan of the Vampire Diaries but I was glad that it got turned into a TV show since that meant that the rest of L.J. Smith's books were likely to get more attention and get republished.  Each book was a great tween romance that stressed testing true love and your personal principles.  Each of the characters were high school students that are also dealing with very realistic problems as well as magical ones. 

In  this the second book of the Night World series, Ash is a party boy who has used girls for fun and money.  His soul mate, Mary-Lynnette, is a quiet thoughtful individual who doesn't trust good looks because it usually means a shallow mind. The best part of this book is that it shows that the soul mate principle can sometimes be painful when two individuals don't mesh perfectly instantly.  Ash is the perfect bad boy who starts redeeming himself in order to win the respect of the girl he loves.  Cliche it might be, but its sure to delight tween girls. 

When compared to Twilight, the stories are shorter but the female characters are stronger.  Also the material is pretty PG with nothing outside of simple kissing in these stories; though by all reports the last book, Strange Fate, (which has been in the works for years now) does get more intense with the Apocalypse which results in vampires taking over and humans as slaves.  But I'll report back on that once its published.  Definitely a Must Read for young vampire fans!

Series Info: Book Two of the Night World series
Sequel: Spellbinder
Book Talk: Check out my 2 minute book talk for the Night World series first three books.

Author's Website: L.J. Smith Offical Website

Secret Vampire (Book)

Smith, L. J. (1996). Secret vampire. New York, NY: Archway Paperbacks. ISBN: 978-0-671-55133-9

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 14
Genre: Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural beings, Vampires,

Plot:  The Night World is a secret society of witches, vampires, and werewolves that has existed since ancient times.  Humans who find out about the Night World are killed or used as food for vampires and werewolves.  This is because humans greatly outnumber Night World citizens, though this was not always true.  Night World citizens can torture or kill a human, but they are forbidden to fall in love with one.  But lately there's been whispers in the Night World that soul mates are being found.  The soul mate principle means that for every person there is one other person fated to be their perfect match.  The soul mate connection is stronger then any known magic.  But even more interesting is the rumors that those finding their soul mates are finding them in regular human beings. 

In Secret Vampire, the vampire James has found his soul mate in a human girl named Poppy.   Growing up together as best friends, James has quietly waited until they were old enough to become more then friends.  But Poppy has been diagnosed with an incurable disease and time is running out.  James breaks the rules, telling Poppy about the Night World, and gives her a choice - die young or become a vampire.

Personal Thoughts: This was one of my favorite series in junior high.  I wasn't that big of a fan of the Vampire Diaries but I was glad that it got turned into a TV show since that meant that the rest of L.J. Smith's books were likely to get more attention and get republished.  Each book was a great tween romance that stressed testing true love and your personal principles.  Each of the characters were high school students that are also dealing with very realistic problems as well as magical ones. 

The first book tackles the question about death and illness.  Poppy is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  The question of would you choose to live forever?  Poppy, unlike Twilight's Bella, understands the gravity of her choice and isn't rushing into it blindly.  James on the other hand is desparate to save her.  They break Night World laws by turning Poppy into a vampire and that could mean her destruction.  They have an even bigger possiblity of getting caught when Ash, James' cousin, finds out about what they have done.     

When compared to Twilight, the stories are shorter but the female characters are stronger.  Also the material is pretty PG with nothing outside of simple kissing in these stories; though by all reports the last book, Strange Fate, (which has been in the works for years now) does get more intense with the Apocalypse which results in vampires taking over and humans as slaves.  But I'll report back on that once its published.  Definitely a Must Read for young vampire fans!

Series Info: Book One of the Night World series
Sequel: Daughters of Darkness
Book Talk: Check out my 2 minute book talk for the Night World series first three books.

Author's Website: L.J. Smith Offical Website

Teen Spaces in Libraries

I'm one of the lucky ones.  My local library has a wonderful space dedicated to young adults.  The area has a collection of young adult books, magazines, and graphic novels.  There are tables for group work, chair groupings for quite socializing, big comfy purple chairs stuck in corners and individual study carrels scattered around to do homework.  There is a display case on one wall, changed monthly, with YA high interest themes.  Last month’s theme was a collection of old video gaming systems and their games such as pong, Atari, NES, Super NES, and Genesis.  A table in the middle of the area displays popular YA graphic novels, books, and music.  The YA area is also conveniently located next to the DVD and music collection.

Young adults make up a proportionate number of library users with 78% of children ages 8 – 18 years old owning a library card, according to the Youth and Library Use Study a Harris Interactive poll conducted in June 2007 (Bolan, 2008).  This shouldn’t be surprising since they need a library card in order to complete homework and school directed research.  Yet YA spaces represent on average only 2.2 percent of a library’s total square footage and only 4 percent at the largest libraries (Honnold, 2010).  YALSA has adopted the position that in order for public libraries to continue moving forward the ratio of a teen area to the overall library should be equal to the ratio of the teen population of that community to the overall population of that community (Bolan, 2008).

It is important for libraries to make space for teens in their library.  Today’s teens are tomorrow’s adults.  They will be making the future decisions that will effect library funding.  By not answering their unique needs or desires, libraries risk losing this valuable patron base.  If you’re not sure what those needs are outside of the developmental, try something radical and ask them.

The Great Retweening and Why Boys Won't Read

Reflection: “Sweet Valley High, the Great Retweening and Why Boys Won’t Read.” By K. Baker. (April 5, 2010). Retrieved December 10, 2010 from the awl.com

Subjects: Boys and Media Messages, Male characters in literature,

Baker points to the different ways that tween girls are flexing their power in the tween market:  The increasing numbers of Disney characters specifically targeted to the tween girl age group; American Idol contestants with talent, losing to those with tween girl appeal aka having the “pop boy idol look”; The re-marketing of 80s girl icons such as Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby-sitters Club girls.  Everywhere you seem to look in television and books, characters and role models for girls seem easy to find.  If these characters are sending the right media messages to tween girls is another discussion altogether.  Check out my discussion on “The Impact of Disney Stars on Tweens” or “What Advertisers Know about Tweens” for more information.

But Baker asks the question, what about the boys?  Where are they being represented?  Where are the role models for boys that are more than just sidekicks?  My mind jumps to books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Kinney or The Lightning Thief by Riordan and then to shows like Drake & Josh and Avatar: The Last Airbender.  As a girl growing up, I always thought it was difficult to find girl characters I could relate to.  Girls were rarely represented as the hero.  It wasn’t until later that I was able to sort through books more efficiently to find characters that appealed to me.  So as an adult, I automatically assumed that the opposite must be true for boys and there must have been a large variety of good characters out there for them to relate to. 

But I’ve come to realize over the semester that we need to look at how boys are represented in television and literature just as much as we look at how girls are.  As people worry about too many images of skinny, fashion obsessed, and weak female characters, we also need to worry about too many muscle bound school slacking goofy male characters.  “Boys are besieged by images and messages from marketers and the media that encourage slacking over studying; competition over teamwork; power over empowerment; and being cool over being oneself” states the Packaging Boyhood website.  If they can’t be the superhero, the buff hyper masculine person that saves the day, then boys are encouraged to be the slacker or the sidekick (Meredith, 2009).  Whether for girls or boys, we should strive to find a rounded variety of character types for both genders to experience.  Otherwise I am afraid we will create a self fulfilling prophecy where boys will feel they need to be the slacker or the hero, and never look to explore themselves out of those labels. 

The Angel Experiment (Book)

Patterson, J. (2005). Maximum ride: The angel experiment. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 978-0-316-06795-9

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 16
Genre: Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Action/Adventure, Genetic Experimentation, Teens living on their own,

Plot: Meet Max.  A 14 year old human-avian genetic experiment.  Max doesn't go to school or have any parents.  She lives in a house in the mountains with five other human-avian hybrid kids.  The group escaped four years ago from the lab that created them.  The lab, nicknamed the School, would subject the children to all sorts of physical and mental tests to see how far they could go.  The School didn't care if the sometimes the tests went to far and the kids were harmed or even killed. One day, Max and the group are ambushed by Erasers, wolf-human hybrid experiments that work for the School.  They kidnap Angel, the youngest member of the flock.  Max and two other members of the flock go to the School to rescue Angel before its too late.  At the School they learn more about how they were created, about who their parents are, and about why the School created them in the first place -- to save the world.

Personal Thoughts: James Patterson, a well established adult mystery writer, has now tried his hand at a young adult novel.  And the result is wonderful.  The story is filled with action.  If the children aren't seeking out a fight then one comes looking for them.  Max's inner dialog as well as the rest of the flock's dialog is the same you would hear from a real teenager, wings or not.  Each of the kids, ages ranging from 6 to 14, has their own unique personality and powers.  There is more then one or two plot lines going on which will have readers guessing about what will happen next.  A Must Read!

Series Info: Book One of the The Fugitive series

Sequel: Maximum Ride: School's Out -- Forever (2006)
Book Talk: Check out my 2 minute book talk for The Angel Experiment

Awards/Recognition:
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2006)

Book's Website: Maximum Ride Website

"What YA Lit is and isn't" by Pearson

Reflection of the article: “What YA Lit is and isn’t” by Mary Pearson (September 10, 2009).

Subjects:  Young Adult Literature, Reading Choices,

            In this article Pearson reflects on people’s attitudes and expectations of young adult literature.  She wonders if those attitudes and expectations stem from people’s attitudes of teens in general.  She argues that people’s fear of the teen years has them wanting to rush past this important period of their lives and move on to becoming full adults (Pearson, 2009, para. 6).  Her observation disturbs me, because I feel that she is very likely correct.  This is the period in their lives where tweens and teens start becoming independent, discovering their sexuality, and developing personal morals and values (Facts for Families: Normal Adolescent Development Part 1).  From a concerned parent’s viewpoint, this can be a very nerve-racking time.  We shouldn’t let those nerves and fears drive us to extremes when trying to decide what is and isn’t appropriate for a teen.  We survived our teenage years.  They will too. 

            I personally love to read young adult literature.  I agree with Pearson that young adult literature is definitely not a lesser, watered-down version of adult literature (2009, para. 9).  The stories and characters are as varied as those found in adult literature.  In some cases I would say they are even more thought provoking. You can find books about vampires, genetics, the afterlife, homelessness, drug use, the rich, and much more.  Tweens and teens are experiencing so many different developmental transitions that effect them physically, mentally emotionally, and socially (Anderson, 2007; Lesesne, 2006).  These transitions which drive the teen experience provide writers with multiple fascinating possibilities with which they can develop their stories.     

            I agree with Pearson (2009) that sometimes we need to see our peers, our lives, or our thoughts, both dark and light, reflected in the pages of a book.  Teens and adults should be equally steered towards adult books and young adult books.  There are lessons and connections to be made by both age groups in both categories.  It bothers me sometimes the amount of importance we give on a label.  So what if an adult is reading a young adult book?  or a young adult an adult book?  Are they understanding it? Are they enjoying it?  What’s important is that we enjoy reading what we are reading and that we are able to take something away from a book even if its only enjoyment. 

Reference:

Anderson, S. (2007). Serving young teens and ‘tweens. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. 

Lesesne, T. (2006). Naked reading: Uncovering what tweens need to become lifelong readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Cell Phones, Texting and Tween Friendships

Reflection of the article: How does technology affect kids' friendships? by H. Stout (April 30, 2010).

Subjects: Social Networking, Digital Technology, Tween Friendships, Cell Phones, Texting

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that tweens today are hard wired into the technology.  Youth, ages 8 to 18, spend more than seven and a half hours a day on a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device according to an ongoing national survey conducted in 2009 by the Kaiser Family Foundation.  The Pew Reasearch Center’s study on teens, cell phones, and texting (2010) found that 75 percent of 12 to 17 year-olds own cell phones with half of those teens sending more than 50 text messages a day.  Parents and researchers alike are worried about the more negative aspects of online interactions that tweens are experiencing, such as cyber-bullying and sexting.  Links between technology and a child’s intellectual development has long been debated.  Some college students show signs of withdrawal similar to drug addicts when going without a social media connection (Dominus, 2010).

But children are being affected by technology in other subtle and less traumatic ways.    Stout (April 20, 2010) discusses how digital technology is changing the ways in which tweens and teens are interacting with one another and their ability to develop meaningful friendships.  Gone are the days of waiting to talk to a friend at school or calling them from a landline.  Today’s teens and tweens have cell phones and Facebook accounts with which they instantly message their friends and update their statuses, letting everyone know exactly what they’re doing.  I believe that this constant connection allows tweens multiple opportunities to be closer longer their friends.  I don’t believe that technology interferes with a child’s ability to build close childhood friendships.  I believe it only changes how those relationships are built and maintained.   

I’m not so sure that I agree with the sources Stout cites about the quality of face-to-face interactions and the emotional depth of those interactions being diminished.  Adults remember the days of talking for hours on the phone with a single friend.  Tweens today can chat with multiple people at a time.  They are adept multi-taskers who perform better than excepted when faced with distractions (Jayson, 2010).  Tweens today are already moving past regular texting and emails and using services like Skype to video chat with their friends.  This growing trend towards video chatting is likely to re-strengthen those facial recognition skills that Stouts sources said were weakening.  Tweens are social creatures and technology offers a way for tweens to become even more social. 

39 Clues (Book)

Riordan, R. (2008). The maze of bones. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-545-06039-4

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 14
Genre: Mystery
Subjects/Themes: Action/Adventure, Mystery, Orphans, Code Breaking, Family Secrets, Travel,

Plot: Grace Cahill, matriarch of the Cahill family, has just passed away leaving behind millions of dollars to her relatives.  From all over the world, the many branches of the Cahill family have gathered for Grace’s funeral and for the reading of her will.  Dan and Amy Cahill aren't worried about who's getting their grandmother's money; they know she'll have left them something, however small.  They were her favorites and had spent every weekend of the last seven years since their parent’s deaths at her estate.  More importantly, Dan and Amy wonder what will happen to them now that the only relative in the world who has cared about them since their parent’s death is gone.  As relatives gather to hear Grace's will, each person is given five minutes to make a choice - 1 million dollars or the first of 39 clues which will lead to a secret that would make them the most powerful and influential person on the planet.

Brother and sister, Dan and Amy Cahill, have decided to take the clue despite their lack of resources and the risks involved.  Orphaned, poor, and now disowned by their Aunt Beatrice for not taking the money, the children start on their quest to find the other clues before anyone else does.  Grace’s lawyer informed those who had chosen the clues that there would be many different ways to finding the answers and the next clues. Dan and Amy's path starts in a secret section of their grandmother's library.  Unfortunately, the library and the rest of the house is set on fire with them still inside.  Narrowly escaping, they gather what little supplies they have and convince Nellie, their au pair (full time baby-sitter), to travel with them in their search.  Following the clues, they learn of their family relationship with Benjamin Franklin, dodge bombs, travel to Paris, almost get buried alive, and that’s only the start of their journey.

Personal Thoughts: I loved this book.  There is a lot of action and intrigue (bombs are getting set off, booby traps, and double/triple crossings).  The text is easy to read and filled with different historical information without the feeling of being weighed down.  In this book, the children are following clues linked to Benjamin Franklin's life and inventions which readers will learn random facts about.  The children are orphans and the rest of their family branches were fighting with one another even before Grace's funeral.  There are five other teams, out for blood, that the children are racing against.  All the other teams seem to think that the children have a better chance, being Grace's favorites, to find the clues and are trying to permanently take them out of the competition.  A great book for boys or girls who like a fast paced action read mixed with mystery.  Kind of like The Da Vinci Code for kids.  This is definitely a Must Read!

Note: The books in this series have been written by a variety of different authors (Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park and Margaret Peterson Haddix.)

Series Info: Book One of the 39 Clues series
Sequel: One False Note (2008)
Book Talk: Check out my 2 minute book talk for Maze of Bones.

Awards/Recognition:
New York Times Bestsellers List
USA Today Bestsellers List
Publishers Weekly Bestsellers List
Wall Street Journal Bestsellers List

Book's Website: Scholastic's 39 Clues Website

Sonny with a Chance (TV Show)

Robbins, B., Bridgett, S. S., Feldman, M., & Marmel., S. (Producers). (2009). Sonny with a chance [Television series]. Burbank, CA: Disney Channel.

Interest Level: Ages 8 to 17
Genre: Family/Teen Sitcom
Subjects/Themes: Comedy, Fame, Teenage Actors/Actresses, Rivalry
Running Time:  23 minutes per episode
Rating: TV-G 

Plot: Sonny Munroe (played by Demi Lovato) has won the chance to star on her favorite comedy television show, So Random!.  Sonny is a good hearted, hard working, goofy and friendly individual.  The show is divided between Sonny's interactions behind the scenes with the So Random! cast and their rivals, the Mackenzie Falls cast, and clips from the So Random! and Mackenzie Falls shows.  Mackenzie Falls, one of the shows within the show, is a tween soap drama with overacting characters.  So Random! is a collection of comedy sketch shows similar to Saturday Night Live but for tweens. 

Personal Thoughts:  This show has a lot of different things going on in it, one of which will probably appeal to most tweens.  First there's the comedy sketches, then the Mackenzie Falls scenes, then the behind the scenes interactions, and then Sonny's interactions with her mother.  Sonny tends to act more like an adult then her mother at times but her mother is supportive and cares about Sonny a lot.  The So Random! cast is expectedly funny made up of Tawni (fashion obssed diva), Zora (a quirky genius), Nico and Grady (two pranksters who are best friends).  Chad is the star of Mackenzie Falls and has a love/hate relationship with the So Random! cast members.  He is spoiled and egocentric but also kind and sweet and times.  A good show for tweens interested in some good laughs.

Awards/Recognition:
Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite Comedy Show Winner (2009)
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite TV show Nominee (2010)
Teen Choice Awards: Choice TV Show: Comedy Nominee (2010)

Website: Disney Channel's Sonny with a Chance Website

Llama Llama Mad at Mama (Book)

Dewdney, A. (2007). Llama Llama mad at mama. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN: 978-0-670-06240-9

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Llamas, Animals, Moms, Shopping, Anger, Temper Tantrums, Stories in Rhyme

Plot: Little Llama has to go to the store with Mama instead of getting to stay home and play. Little by little Llama gets upset. Eventually he gets so upset that he has a tantrum and starts throwing everything out of the shopping basket. Mama tells Llama to stop and that enough is enough. Mama calmly explains that she thinks shopping is boring too but at least she has Llama with her to make it better. Together they clean up Llama’s mess and then work as a team to get the shopping done.

Personal Thoughts: The illustrations convey the emotions in the story very well. Young children will easily relate to little Llama’s frustration about having to follow mom around while she does her chores.  The rhyming text flows easily making it a great choice for a storytime book.  Parents can use this story to help address tantrum problems and start conversations with children about how to make boring chores more fun.

Author's Website: Anna Dewdney's Website
Other Books by the Author: Llama llama holiday drama (2010); Roly Poly pangolin (2010); Nobunny's perfect (2008); Grumpy Gloria (2006); Llama llama red pajama (2005)

When Sophie gets angry - really, really angry (Book)

Bang, M. (1999). When Sophie gets angry - really, really angry. New York, NY: Blue Sky Press. ISBN: 0-590-18979-4

Interest Level: Ages 7 to 2
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Anger, Emotions, Coping Skills, Behavior, Siblings, Temper Tantrums, Sharing

Plot: Sophie is playing with her stuffed gorilla when her sister comes and takes it away.  Sophie's mother tells her that it is her sister's turn to play with the gorilla.  Sophie becomes very very angry, so angry she wants to smash everything.  Sophie ends up throwing a temper tantrum and then runs outside to her favorite tree.  In the tree's branches, she cries and begins to slowly calm down.  After she's completely calm, Sophie returns home to her family who are all working together on a puzzle.

Personal Thoughts: One of the things I like about this book is that it talks about ways in which to deal with anger.  Sophie runs to her tree to be alone and calm down.  The book prompts children to think about what they should do when their angry.  Parents and educators can use this book as a tool for starting a discussion about the right and wrong ways that children express anger.  The illustrations are great, conveying the emotional ride that Sophie is on through the story very well.

Awards/Recognition:
Caldecott Medal Honor Award (2000)
Jane Addams Children's Book Honor Award (2000)
Charlotte Zolotow Award (2000)

Author Website: Molly Bang's Website
Other Books by the Author: The day Leo said I hate you (2008); The paper crane (1985); Ten, nine, eight (1983); Chattanooga sludge (1996)

Let's Meet Farmer Jed (Board Book)

Mitter, M. (2008). Let's meet farmer Jed. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Children's Books. ISBN: 0-7944-1425-7

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Board Book
Subjects/Themes: Nutrition, Farms, Animals, Food

Plot: Follow Farmer Jed as he goes about his daily chores on the farm.  Learn about the different crops he grows and the different livestock he takes care of.  Each scene contains one of Farmer Jed's "Healthy Eating Tips" of food and nutrition.  The bright and colorful illustrations are modeled after Fisher-Price's "Little People" toys.  The different objects in the pictures are all labeled offering a sight word learning opportunity.

Personal Thoughts: So much nutrition information stuffed into such a small board book!  All the different labeled items provide one learning opportunity, Farmer Jed's descriptions of life on the farm another, and the healthy eating tips teach children about proper nutrition.  The healthy eating tips suggest things like eating breakfast every morning, drinking lots of water, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

Other Books by the Author: I'm going to eat you! (2006); The 100th day of school (2003); 1, 2, 3 counting rhymes (2004);

Happy Healthy Monsters: Grover's Guide to Good Eating (Book)

Kleinberg, N. (2007). Happy healthy monsters: Grover's guide to good eating. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-375-84063-0

Interest Level: Ages 8 to 3
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Nutrition, Monsters, Sesame Street, Healthy Eating Habits

Plot: Grover and Elmo introduce children to different types of healthy foods and healthy eating habits at the Good Eating Cafe where they work. At the same time a second story is going on in the pictures as Grover and Elmo try to serve a customer who isn't interested in their healthy suggestions.  Foods that are good to eat all the time, such as vegetables and fruits, are discussed along with foods that are okay to eat only sometimes, such as soda and sweets.  Healthy eating tips encourage children to eat healthy, eat lots of different types of vegetables, eat as a family, try new foods, and watch their portion size.  The last two pages of the book offers suggestions for parents for encouraging healthy eating, proper rest, and exercise in children.

Personal Thoughts: I think my favorite thing about this book was that it mentioned eating junk food such as soda and sweets sometimes.  It doesn't help to pretend children don't eat junk, but it does help to explain that these items are best in small quantities.  The story is told with just the right amount of silliness while still getting the message of healthy eating across.  The illustrations are well done, full of labels and extra conversation which add to both the information and humor.

Other Books by the Author: Bath time! (2008); Food! by Cookie Monster (1006)

Going to the Potty (Book)

Rogers, F. (1986). Going to the potty. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.  ISBN: 0-698-11575-9

Interest Level: Ages 4 and under
Genre: Picture Book, Non-Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Toilet Training, Growing Up

Plot: A toilet training book created by Mister Rogers.  The book explains that when children are babies they need help to do things but that as they grow up they learn to do certain things on their own such as dressing themselves.  Rogers also explains the different kinds of diapers and then the different ways a child might get toilet trained.  The simple text is paired with real pictures of children and parents doing the different activities described.  The children and parents are from a variety of cultures, ages, and genders.

Personal Thoughts: The tone of the book is in the same calming and reassuring tones associated with Roger’s own voice.  The book offers encouragement to children in mastering this developmental milestone.  Roger's uses grown up language instead of baby language to describe the different functions of the body.  The pictures and text describe a variety of diapers and training methods such as showing both a potty chair and toilet seat.  Part of Roger's First Experiences book series which helps children with different developmental milestones.

Author's Website: PBS Kids' Mister Roger's Neighborhood
Other books by the Author: Divorce (1996); Extraordinary Friends (2000); The New Baby (1996); Going to Day Care (1985); Going to the Doctor (1986)

Once Upon A Potty (Book)

Frankel, A. (1979). Once upon a potty: Boy. New York, NY: HarperFestival. [48 pages]. ISBN: 0-694-
01387-0
Frankel, A. (1980). Once upon a potty: Girl. New York, NY: HarperFestival. [48 pages]. ISBN: 0-694-01388-9

Interest Level: Ages 4 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Toilet Training, Anatomy,

Plot: The book explains that the child in the book (boy or girl depending on the version) has different body parts for different functions.  The pictures show anatomically correct pictures of a boy or girl.  The book explains that the child has always been going "pee-pee" since they were a baby but now are learning to use the potty.  The potty is actually a pot that was given as a gift.  The tone of the book encourages children to not get frustrated by mistakes and to be proud and happy when they finally learn to use the potty correctly.

Personal Thoughts: The text is simple, narrated from the mother’s point of view, and uses some baby language such as “wee-wee” and “poo-poo” to describe bodily functions.  The wording is a bit awkward or maybe just old fashioned at some points.  The strength of this book comes from the anatomically correct drawings.  Not my favorite toilet training book, but still useful to parents looking for help.

Author's Website: Alona Frankel's Website for Joshua and Prudence
Other Books by the Author: Prudence's Goodnight Book (2000); Joshua's Book Of Manners (2000); I Want My Mother (2000);

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Book)

Barrett, J. (1978). Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. New York, NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-689-30647-4

Interest Level: Ages 4 to 8
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Weather, Food, Bedtime Stories, Granparents, Imagination

Plot: Inspired by a pancake landing on one of the children's head, a grandfather tells his two grandchildren a bedtime story about the town of Chewandswallow.  The town of Chewandswallow was like most other towns except that instead that they didn't grow or buy food.  Instead they got their food three times a day from the sky.  Instead of normal weather, it would rain hamburgers or soup, it would snow mashed potatoes, or the wind would blow in hot dogs.  Everything was fine until the weather started getting out of control blowing in more food then the people could eat.  The town was slowly getting destroyed by all the food so the people decided to leave by constructing boats out of stale bread and peanut butter.  The finally sailed far enough to a place where food didn't fall from the sky and instead people grew and stored it.  There they stayed, never returning the Chewandswallow.

Personal Thoughts: A cute story that just makes you want to look out your window and use your imagination.  The idea of food falling from the sky is one that children can use to help pass the days of bad weather when they can't go outside.  There are some sweet scenes between the children and their grandpa during the story.  A great addition to a preschool storytime with a food or imagination theme.  The movie adaptation only takes a few concepts from the book such as the food being part of the weather and making bread boats.  In the movie, a scientist creates a machine to control the weather and cause food to fall.  The machine eventually goes out of control and starts destroying the town.

Awards/Recognition:
Delaware Diamonds: Primary (Grades K-2) (1991)
Georgia Children's Book Award: Picture Storybook Award (1984)
Golden Sower Awards (Nebraska): Grades K-3 (1983)

Other Books by Author: Animals should definitely not act like people (1980); Animals should definitely not wear clothing (1970); I Know Two Who Said Moo: A Counting and Rhyming Book(2000); Which Witch Is Which? (2001); Never Take a Shark to the Dentist and Other Things Not To Do (2008); The Marshmallow Incident (2009);

Naruto (Anime)

Kishimoto, M. (Writer). (2006). Naruto Volume 1: Enter Naruto [Animated Television Series]. San Francisco, CA: Shonen Jump Home Video. ISBN: 978-1-4215-0698-2

Interest Level: 13 to 18
Genre: Anime Cartoon
Subjects/Themes: Ninjas, Good vs Evil, Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural Powers, Magic, Orphans
Running Time: 28 minutes per episode
Rating: T - for Teens

Plot: Naruto Uzumaki is a ninja in training in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.  But Naruto is not just any ninja student, he is also an orphan and sealed inside of him is the Nine Tailed  Fox Demon who once tried to destroy the village.  The rest of the village isn't allowed to speak of the demon and instead shun him because of the demon sealed inside of him.  Naruto, not knowing why he's being shunned, has made it his goal to become the next Hokage (village leader) in order to gain the respect of the village.  The majority of the series follows Naruto as he trains as a ninja, makes friends, and carries out his training missions.  As the series progresses, Naruto must also battle against enemies who would destroy the village and Naruto in particular.

Personal Thoughts:  Naruto is an action packed anime that is filled with different storylines that deal with issues of friendship, betrayal, perserverance, good vs. evil, and growing up.  This cartoon has some major plot lines that are found throughout the different seasons as well as individual missions or stories that occur in an individual episode.  Naruto is a lovable character because of his determination, honesty, and empathy.  Some of his friends include Sakura (a female, straight A, medical ninja), Sasuke (a talented ninja, reserved, seeking revenge for his family's deaths), Kakashi (a high level ninja, trains Naruto and his teammates), and Iruka (was Naruto's first teacher, father-like figure to Naruto).

Originally shown in Japan, Cartoon Network shows an English dubbed version that has been edited to sometimes reduce the amount of alcohol, sexual innuendo, blood and death shown or alter how it was shown.  Watching both the Japanese subtitled and English dubbed versions, I have mostly noticed a use of some older language rather then the violence.

Note: There is also a Naruto manga series (which the anime was based on) and several animated movies.
Similar Materials: Fruits Basket [My Review]; Inuyasha [My Review]

Special Agent Oso (Cartoon)

Riley, F. (Creator), & Mitchell, J. (Director). (2009). Special agent Oso [Animated television series]. United States: Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney.

Interest Level: Ages 5 and under
Genre: Cartoon,
Subjects/Themes: Animals, Secret Agents, Daily Activities, Reasoning Skills
Running Time: 11 minutes each episode

Plot: Special Agent Oso is a bear who is also a secret agent.  Each episode starts off with Oso trying to accomplish a mission, such as recover a gem from deep inside a cave.  Oso usually fails his mission on his first try.  His mission is then interrupted by a special mission where he must then go and help a child with a certain activity, such as cleaning their room. During that special mission, agent Oso is given three special steps to follow in order to help the child complete the activity.  After helping the child, Agent Oso returns to his first mission and is able to accomplish it by remembering something he learned when helping the child.

Personal Thoughts: The show promotes thinking things through to accomplish daily activities.  While Agent Oso's missions are in far off and tropical areas, the children he helps are in very ordinary homes doing ordinary everyday things.  The cartoon helps children learn to accomplish everyday activities on their own such as brushing their teeth.  The "three special steps" also help children learn to break big chores into smaller pieces in order to make them easier.

Cartoon Website: Playhouse Disney's Special Agent Oso Website

Some Babies Sleep (Book)

Cotton, C. (2007). Some babies sleep. New York, NY: Philomel Books. ISBN: 978-0-399-24030-0

Interest Level: Ages 4 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Bedtime, Sleeping, Animals, Stories in Rhyme

Plot: The story describes the different places animal babies sleep using rhyming text.  Whether in the desert, snow, under ground, or in a bed the story explains that all babies sleep.  The illustrations show a little baby in red pajamas sleeping with different animals in the places described.

Personal Thoughts: A sweet bedtime story whose simple rhymes offer a gentle lullaby rythm.  The animal names are never mentioned in the story only the different places they sleep.  A fun game would be to have a child guess which animal is sleeping in the places described.  The illustrations are soft and sweet with animal parents, animal babies and the human baby all cuddled up with one another.

Other Books by the Author: Snow Ponies (2001); At the edge of the woods (2002); Rain Play (2008)
Author Website: Cynthia Cotten Children's Author Website

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (TV Show)

Kallis, D. & Geoghan, J. (Producers) (2005). The suite life of Zack & Cody [Television series]. Burbank, CA: Disney Channel.

Interest Level: Ages 8 to 17
Genre: Family/Teen Sitcom
Subjects/Themes: Family, Siblings, Comedy, Hotel,
Running Time:  23 minutes per episode
Rating: TV-G 

Plot: The series focuses around Cody and Zack who are twin brothers living in the Tipton Hotel with their single mother.  Their mother works at the Tipton Hotel as a lounge singer.  Their father, Kurt, is a musician who travels around a lot.  The boys tend to get into a lot of mischief trying to pass the time or make some extra cash.  London Tipton, the rich hotel owner's daughter, is a bit air brained, gets what ever she wants, and also lives at the hotel.  Maddie works for the hotel as a candy counter girl and is the opposite of London being both smart and frugal.  Mr. Moseby runs the Tipton hotel and is often the person trying to stop the boys from destroying the hotel or disturbing the guests.

Personal Thoughts:  A great show for boys or girls.  Each of the characters have their strengths and weaknesses.  We also see the characters grow up in the series from childish pranksters to more social savvy teens.  The hotel setting offers a lot of different opportunities for the boys to meet different superstars, officials, and tourists that normal they would not come in contact with.  Each episode usually revolves around the boys coming up with some plan that ends up with them crossing paths with a Tipton Hotel vistor.  London and Maddie are often doing other activities or schemes that sometimes has them working with the boys.  The series ended in 2008 and was followed by the sequel The suite life on deck.  In the sequel, the boys and London are attending a semester away at sea on the Tipton cruise ship.  Mr. Moseby is also there as manager of the ship.  A great show for all ages, definitely a Must See! 

Awards/Recognition:
BMI Film & Television: Cable Award (2005 & 2007)
Young Artists Award: Best Family Television Series (Comedy) (2007)
Kids' Choice Award, UK: Best Television Series (2007)
ASCAP Award for Top Television Series (2008 & 2009)
iParenting Media Award (2008)

Website: Disney Channel's The Suite Life Website

Orange Pear Apple Bear (Book)

Gravett, E. (2007). Orange pear apple bear. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-1-4169-3999-3

Interest Level: Ages 3 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Bears, Play on Words, Colors, Shapes, Foods,

Plot: Using only five words (apple, pear, orange, bear, and there), children explore the concept of connecting different words to describe things in different ways.  For example the phrase "orange bear" is used with a picture of an orange fruit and a bear as well as with an orange colored bear.

Personal Thoughts: A great sight word learning tool.  The repetitiveness of the words is anything but boring when paired with the different illustrations.  The water color illustrations pop against the white background.  The bear juggles and eats the different fruit.  The bear is described using fruit colors and shapes.

Awards/Recognition:
ALA Notable Children's Books - Young Readers Category (2009)
Oprah's Kids' Reading Lists - New Releases: 3-to-5 Years
School Library Journal Best Books (2007)

Author's Website: Emily Gravett's Website
Other Books by the Author: Dogs (2009); The Odd Egg (2009); Monkey and Me (2008); Wolves (2006);

The Lion & The Mouse (Book)

Pinkey, J. (2009). The lion & the mouse. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0-316-01356-7

Interest Level: Ages 8 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Animals, Folk Tales, Stories without Words, Cooperation,

Plot: Without the use of words, the pictures in this story retell Aesop's classic tale of the lion and the mouse.  The only text is a few scattered animal sounds in the background.  This tale is set in a more modern animal preserve in the African Serengeti.  The mouse, running from an owl, gets captured by a lion.  The mouse is let go by the lion and returns to its baby filled nest.  Hunters arrive and set a trap for the lion.  The lion is caught in their net.  The mouse hearing the lion's roar runs to the lion and chews through the ropes freeing the lion.  The story ends with the mouse taking a piece of the rope back to its nest for the baby mice to chew on.

Personal Thoughts: The lack of words in this story only make the meaning behind it sweeter.  The animals and the background are all realistically drawn.  The body language and facial expressions on the lion are life-like showing grumpiness at being awaken, curiosity in the mouse, pride when walking around, startlement at being caught and gratitude towards the mouse.  I can almost see the mouse actually scurrying across the pages from one place to another.  So wonderfully done, its no surprise why it was choosen as a Caldecott Award Winner.  Definitely a Must See Book for any age!  Great for children to browse through on their own. A possible lesson plan would be to have children write their own dialog for the story.

Awards/Recognition:
ALA Notable Children's Books - All Ages Category (2010)
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Young Readers Category (2009)
Caldecott Medal (2010)
Indies' Choice Book Awards: Children's Illustrated (2010)
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books (2009)
Parents' Choice Awards - Picture Books (2009)
School Library Journal Best Books (2009)

Other Books by Author: Three Little Kittens (2010); The Ugly Duckling (1999); The all-I'll-ever-want Christmas doll (2010)

Strega Nona (Book)

De Paola, T. (1975). Strega Nona. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-671-66283-X

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Magic, Folk Tales, Witches, Pasta, Greed, Temptation, Caldecott

Plot: Strega Nona is a witch who creates potions to help other people with their problems.  She hires Big Anthony to help her keep house.  The one rule of the house is that Big Anthony is never to touch Strega Nona's pasta pot.  Strega Nona's pasta pot would make pasta appear when she sang to it and disappear when she sang again to it and blew it three kisses.  Big Anthony told the townsfolk about the magic pasta pot but nobody believed him.  When Strega Nona leaves on a trip Big Anthony makes the pot make pasta for the whole village.  But Big Anthony had only saw Strega Nona singing to the pot not blowing kisses and could not get the pot to stop making pasta.  Soon the pasta overflowed the house and into the village.  Strega Nona comes home and rescues the village from the pasta.  As punishment, Big Anthony is forced to clean the village and Strega Nona's house by eating all the pasta.

Personal Thoughts: A good folk story with a good moral of listening to what you are told and following the rules.  Big Anthony is a realistic character and gets angry when the townsfolk don't believe his story.  Strega Nona is depicted as a kind old witch who helps others out with her potions but also disciplines them appropriately.  The illustrations are full of detail and help tell the story well.  A great story for preschool storytimes with a friendly witches or doing the right thing theme.

Awards/Recognition:
Caldecott Honor Book (1976)
ALA Notable Children's Book
Kirkus Choice
Horn Book Honor List
Nakamori Prize
Brooklyn Museum & Public Library Art Books for Children Citation (N.Y.)

Other Books in the Series:
Strega Nona Her Story (1996); Strega Nona Meets Her Match (1993); Strega Nona Takes a Vacation (2000)

Author Website: Offical Tomie de Paola Website

Cinderella (Book)

Eilenberg, M. (2008). Cinderella. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-3856-6

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 8
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Fairy Tale, Princesses and Princes, Fairy Godmothers,

Plot: A retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.  The stepmother is jealous of Cinderella's beauty and makes her cook and clean.  The stepsisters were just as mean and made fun on Cinderella.  Cinderella's fairy godmother helps transform mice, rats, pumpkins and lizards into footman, horses, drivers, and a carriage.  her fairy godmother transforms Cinderella's rags into beautiful gowns three different times for the three different balls. The first two balls Cinderella manages to leave the ball well before midnight.  On the third night she barely escapes, losing a shoe in the process.  The prince goes looking for the owner of the shoe.  When it looks like Cinderella might not get to try the shoe on, her father speaks up in her defense for the first time.  Cinderella's godmother returns and transforms her gown one more time.  Cinderella and the Prince get married while her step-family tries to be supportive.

Personal Thoughts:  This fairy tale retelling is nice and simple using words and descriptions that are easily understood by younger children.  The illustrations are a mixture of soft pastel colors and sharp lines.  The facial expressions on most of the characters are pretty plain.  Cinderella doesn't really have any expression throughout the whole story.  The animals on the other hand are quiet cute and full of silly expressions and smiles.  The sound effects and simple text make the story a good choice for storytime reading.

Other Books by the Author: Beauty and the Beast (2006); Squeak's good idea (2001); Cowboy Kid (2000);

Caterpillar Dance (Book)

Grace, W. (2004). Caterpillar dance. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN: 0-439-59879-6

Interest Level: Ages 3 and under
Genre: Board Book
Subjects/Themes: Stories in Rhyme, Caterpillar, Butterfly, Colors, Counting

Plot: Follow five different colored caterpillars in a leaf bed as one by one they become beautiful butterflies.  The caterpillar's fuzzy bodies are raised from the page that encourage textile exploration.  Each butterfly has a holographic foil wings for an extra illustrated enjoyment.

Personal Thoughts: A simple board book.  The repeating phrases are perfect for the intended age level.  The caterpillar bodies and foil butterfly wings are a special touch.  The rest of the illustrations are brightly drawn using simple lines and colors.  Children are introduced to color names and the number five.  Nothing special about the book but nothing terrible either.  I like that its a board book in a bigger format which provides easier handling.

Other Books by the Author: The three little fish and the big bad shark (2007); Mike's Christmas (2002); Red train (2003); Who do you see: My first taggies book (2009)
Author Website

Green Eggs and Ham (Book)

Seuss, Dr. (1960). Green eggs and ham. New York, NY: Beginner Books. ISBN: 978-0-394-80016-5

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Stories in Rhyme, Fantasy, Cumulative Stories, Pests, New Foods

Plot: Sam-I-Am tries to convince his friend to try green eggs and ham.  Sam suggests different places and people to eat green eggs and ham with.  His friend refuses one suggestion after another.  Finally tired of Sam-I-Am's suggestions, his friend promises to try the green eggs and ham if Sam will leave him alone afterwards.  To his surprise, Sam's friend actually likes green eggs and ham and thanks Sam for making him try them.

Personal Thoughts: Of all of Dr. Seuss' stories, this is probably one of my favorite to read aloud.  A great story about being willing to try new foods at least once.  The rhymes build upon one another after each suggestion.  The illustrations are done in typical Dr. Seuss style that include splashes of red, yellow, and blue green colors against a white background.  A great craft to go along with the story is actually making green eggs and ham using food coloring.  A great addition to food or tongue twisting themed storytimes.

Website: Seussville.com

Some Other Books by the Author: Fox in Socks (1965); There's a Wocket in my Pocket (1974); Hop on Pop (1963); The Cat in the Hat (1957);

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (Book)

Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs. New York, NY: Viking Penguin. ISBN: 978-0-670-82759-6

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 8
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Humor, Wolves, Pigs, Twisted Fairy/Folk Tale, Misunderstandings,

Plot: Alexander T. Wolf tells his side of the three little pigs story.  He explains that it was all a misunderstanding that resulted from him having a cold and trying to borrow a cup of sugar.  Wolf went to his neighbor's house to borrow some sugar when he accidentally sneezed and blew down the straw house killing the first little pig.  Not wanting to waste food, the wolf ate the little pig.  The same thing happened when he went to the next house and again not wanting to waste food the wolf ate the dead little pig.  The third little pig's house didn't blow down from a sneeze since it was made of bricks but the third pig was also very rude.  The pig started calling the wolf's grandma names which made the wolf angry.  When the cops and reporters came, the wolf was so angry he was trying to break down the pig's door.  It was the reporters who started calling him the big bad wolf and made up the other story.

Personal Thoughts: A nice remake of the three little pigs story told from the wolf's point of view.  The wolf speaks directly to the reader most of the time begging them to look at it from his point of view.  The illustrations are well done showing a professor-like wolf with glasses and a mean looking pig.  The pictures of cake batter and cheeseburgers are a little gruesome yet funny with bunny ears and pig tails sticking out.  The ending shows the wolf behind bars being guarded by a pig policeman.  A Must Read for fairy tale fans.

Awards/Recognition:
ALA Notable Children's Books (1990)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards (Maryland): Picture Book (1992)

Other Books by Author: Robot Zot! (2009); Melvin might? (2008); Cowboy and Octopus (2007); The Frog Prince Continued (1991); Baloney (Henry P.) (2001);

Author's Website: Jon Scieszka Worldwide

Toot & Puddle: Puddle's ABC (Book)

Hobbie, H. (2000). Toot & Puddle: Puddle's ABC. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 978-0-316-36593-2

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Pigs, Turtles, ABCs, Learning to Write,

Plot: Puddle the pig teaches Otto the turtle his ABCs so that he can learn to write his name.  After learning to write each letter of the alphabet, Otto learns to write his name as well as Toot and Puddle's names.  Each letter of the alphabet is introduced in both upper and lower case forms.  A picture accompanies the letter with a short phrase or sentence.  For example for the letter M there is the phrase "Miss Mud in Moonlight" accompanied by the picture of a muddy pig under a moon.

Personal Thoughts: Another ABC book for young children, though with a little bit more of a background story then most.  I like how it connects the process of learning the alphabet with learning to write one's name.  The illustrations are well done though Puddle looks a little like a know-it-all.  Most of the letter phrases flow well and use only words that start with the letter they are connected with.  The only spread that I really had a problem with was for the letter W where the phrase says "wooly bears waltzing" and shows two fuzzy caterpillars dancing.  Where does the "bear" come from?  It might have been better said using the word wigglers instead.  But otherwise the book connects learning letters and learning how to write words really well.  The text does run a little long though so I would suggest this ABC book for more advance letter learners.   

Series Info: Part of the Toot & Puddle book series
Website: National Geographic's Toot & Puddle Website

Gruff the Grump (Book)

Smallman, S. (2009). Gruff the grump. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. ISBN: 978-1-56148-669-4

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Bears, Rabbits, Kindness, Grumpiness, Gifts, Moods

Plot: Gruff is a great big grumpy bear.  He lives is a musty dusty cave and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about him.  One day he rescues a rabbit stuck in a tree.  The rabbit gives Gruff a "star" he found as a way of saying thank you.  Gruff brings "star" or golden leaf home which motivates him to clean a part of his cave.  On a different day Gruff rescues the rabbit from the river and is given another star.  Gruff ends up cleaning the rest of his cave but becomes sad at how lonely he feels.  Sad turns to mad and Gruff ends up yelling at the little rabbit when he comes knocking.  The little rabbit starts crying and Gruff tries different things to cheer him up, finally apologizing for his behavior.  The animals become friends and end up playing with all the stars.

Personal Thoughts: Gruff the bear could be any grumpy child.  The giving of gold "stars" by the little rabbit is reminiscent of gold stars children might get in a classroom for good behavior, in Gruff's case in return for being kind and helping someone else.  The story also suggests that cleaning a messy room can help cheer a grumpy person up.  Children might also relate to how the bear snaps at the little rabbit, not because he was mad at the rabbit but because he was upset and lonely.  Acting silly doesn't stop rabbit's tears, but apologizing does (another good lesson for young children).  The illustrations are wonderfully done with colored pencils in fall and forest colors.  A great addition for bear, fall, or kindness themed storytimes.  Also a good picture book in a preschool classroom or at home to help introduce a rewards chart.

Other Books by the Author: The Lamb Who Came For Dinner (2007); There's No Such Things As Monsters! (2009); The Very Greedy Bee (2007); The Monkey with the Bright Blue Bottom (2009); Dragon Stew (2010);

Wizards of Waverly Place (DVD)

Lafferty, K. (Producer), Berendsen, D. (Writer), & Spiro, L. (Director). (2009). Wizards of Waverly Place: The movie [DVD]. United States: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Interest Level: Ages 6 to 17
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Subjects/Themes: Family, Secrets, Wizards, Magic,
Running Time:  98 minutes
Rating: TV-G
 
Plot: Unknown to the rest of the world, wizards are real and live in the human world.  Only one child per family is allowed to inherit wizard magic.  Siblings in wizard families must practice their wizard skills and then compete to determine who will be the sole possessor of the family's powers.  The Russo family is just such a wizard family.  The father, Jerry, is a former wizard who gave up his chance of being a wizard in order to marry a mortal, the children's mother Theresa.  The three Russo children are Max, Alex, and Justin.  In the movie, the family goes on vacation to Puerto Rico.  Alex was going to stay home but she gets in trouble right before the rest of the family leaves and is forced to go.  Alex gets in a fight with her mother and ends up wishing that her parents had never meet which ends up coming true.  The siblings must band together a quickly find the Stone of Dreams but end up being double crossed by another wizard.  Desperate since Max has already disappeared, Alex and Justin compete in the wizard contest in order for one of them to gain full wizard powers and reverse the spell.  Alex ends up winning and wishing for everything to go back as it was which ends up rewinding time.

Personal Thoughts: I love this TV series and the movie was just as good.  There are many different characters for viewers to enjoy watching and possibly relate to.  Justin is the older brother, smart, and follows the rules more often then not.  Alex is sometimes a trouble maker because she uses magic to cut corners whenever possible, isn't interested in work or school, and is most interested in having fun.  Max is the youngest brother, is very naive, and easily confused.  The TV series and the movie are both funny and full of good lessons about right and wrong.  The movie follows the classic lesson of being careful what you wish for because you might just get it.  Alex is extremely interested in her own life over that of her family's.  She's struggling with wanting to be treated like an adult and be independent at the same time.  There's a little romance as the children try to help their parents fall in love again.  There's also a lot of humor from the different antics.  There are also chapter books based on the TV series and on the movie available.  A great family or tween movie.  No need to be familiar with the TV series to understand and enjoy the movie.  Definitely a Must See movie!

Awards/Recognition:
62nd Primetime Emmy Winner for Outstanding Children's Program (2010)
Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Children's Program (2010)
Golden Reel Nominee for Best Sound Editing (2010)

Website: Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place Website

LGBT tweens

Reflection of the article: Coming Out in Middle School by B. Denizet-Lewis (9/23/09). New York Times.

Subjects: LGBT teens and tweens, schools, parents, bullying, personal accounts from tweens and teens

This week in class we looked at outlying tween and teen populations.  One of the articles reviewed was “Coming Out in Middle School” which discusses the increasing numbers of adolescents coming out in middle school.  In the article, Denizet-Lewis acknowledges trying to figure out how openly gay tweens are faring is complicated to determine.  There are a lot of challenges that openly LGBT teens and adults face that are just as difficult if not more so for tweens.  The author explores the issue of bullying, the presence of school support, peer attitudes, and family support and attitudes. 

Wormeli (2006) very accurately describes tweens as being like a liquid, with a defined volume but no defined shape.  All you have to do is look at the warp speed pace of which tween trends change to glimpse a reflection of how quickly tweens themselves change.  So how can a tween know what their sexuality is?  The author addresses his and others knee-jerk reaction which questions how someone so young can know without a doubt what their sexuality is.  When reading this article, I had the same reactive thought and yet after taking a moment to think about it the timing made sense.  This is a time in tween lives that is filled with transitions and self discovery.  Tweens are at an age where they are just starting to explore their sexuality.  Denizet-Lewis states that in gay and lesbian youth reports most youth didn’t self-identify as gay or lesbian until they were 14, 15 or 16, but the mean age at which they first became aware of that attraction was 10.  As adults, we need to create positive environments, at school, in the library, and at home that provide information and support.

The library can be a great resource for LGBT tweens and for their parents.  At the library tweens and parents can find books, magazines, DVDs and can connect to the Internet.  Denizet-Lewis attributes the Internet as well as increasingly accurate and positive portrayals of gays and lesbians in popular culture as one of the reasons that gay and lesbian youths are more resilient, happy and proud.  The Rainbow Project, a joint effort by ALA’s GLBT Round Table and the Social Responsibilities Round Table, creates an annual booklist which promotes books for young readers that reflect gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender/questioning experiences.  The results of Kaiser Family Foundation Study showed that American youth ages 8 to 18 are spending more than 7.5 hours a day with a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device.  This online connection breaks through the isolation that was previously typical of being young and gay, allowing gay teenagers to find positive information and support (Denizet-Lewis, 2009).    

This article focused on what school and parents are doing to (or not doing) to support LGBT tweens.  It is not too radical to think that libraries should also be advocating for this outlying group as well as for others.  Libraries are in a great position to offer much needed information as providing information is at the core of what a library is.

Reference:

Wormeli, R. (2006). Differentiating for Tweens. Educational Leadership, 63(7), 14-19. Retrieved November 20, 2010 from Academic Search Premier database.