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.

A Dog Needs a Bone (Book)

Wood, A. (2007). A dog needs a bone!. New York, NY: Blue Sky Press. ISBN: 0-545-00005-X

Interest Level: Ages 5 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Dogs, Stories in Rhyme, Promises

Plot: A little yellow dog promises one thing after another if only his mistress will give him a bone to chew on.  He would be on his best behavior, do all the chores, and treat his mistress like a queen, if only he gets a bone.  Sad to find his mistress has left him alone, the dog naps in her bed.  He wakes to find she's returned from the store.  His mistress teases him with carrots, broccoli, and peas before finally giving the poor dog a bone.

Personal Thoughts: This is a very cute and nicely illustrated book.  The illustrations were made with crayon on brown paper bags and capture the expressions of the dog very well.  Reminiscent of a young child begging for a toy or treat, the dog's ability to keep his promises later might be questionable.  The mistress' teasing of the dog with vegetables is funny though it doesn't quiet encourage healthy eating in young children.  The rhyming in the story makes this book an easy read at storytimes.  A co-worker of mine did a felt board variation of the story that included pulling the vegetables and one big bone out of different paper bags.

Author's Website: Audrey Wood's Club House
Other Books by the Author: The napping house (1984); The Bunyans (1996); The flying dragon room (1996); Silly Sally (1991); Heckedy Peg (1987);

Bark, George (Book)

Feiffer, J. (1999). Bark, George. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 0-06-205186-5

Interest Level: Ages 5 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Dogs, Animal Sounds, Humor,

Plot: A mother dog becomes distressed because instead of barking like a dog should, her puppy is making other animal sounds.  In order to solve George's problem, George's mother takes him to the vet.  After asking George to bark and getting other animal sounds, the vet reaches deep inside George and pulls out different animals.  After pulling out a cat, a duck, a pig and a cow, George finally is able to bark.  The mother dog is so happy she kisses everyone and takes George out to show off his new bark.  But instead of barking George says "Hello." 

Personal Thoughts: Children will enjoy making the different animal sounds.  The fact that the vet pulls out a variety of animals from deep down inside George is pretty funny, especially when you start considering how they got in there in the first place.  Children might be worried or might just find it hilarious when George says "Hello" at the end of the book and we must presume that he swallowed a person.  I really like the animated version of this book which is narrated by John Lithgow.  The animation for the cartoon is minimal and doesn't take away from feeling of the original illustrations.   A Must Read picture book!  Great for dog or animal sound themed storytimes.

Awards/Recognition:
ALA Notable Children's Books (2000)
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Young Readers Category (1999)
Buckeye Children's Book Award (Ohio): Grades K-2 (2001)
Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (North Dakota): Picture Books (2002)
Florida Reading Association Children's Book Award (2003)
Georgia Children's Book Award: Picture Storybook Award (2002)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona): Picture Book (2002)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan): Grades K-1 (2002)
Keystone to Reading Book Award (Pennsylvania): Primary category (2001)
Parents' Choice Awards - Picture Books (1999)
School Library Journal Best Books (1999)

Author's Website: Jules Feiffer Website

Other Books by the Author: Phantom Tollbooth (1961); The Daddy Mountain (2004);

Peek-a-boo jungle (Book)

Ferri, F. (2006). Peek-a-boo jungle. Hauppauge, NY: Barrons Educational Series, Inc. ISBN: 0-7641-5940-2

Interest Level: Ages 3 and under
Genre: Pop-Up/Flip Book
Subjects/Themes: Jungle Animals, Peek-a-boo game,

Plot: The reader plays peek-a-boo with different jungle animals.  The book repeats the phrase "Peek-a-boo! Who is hiding?" on each page.  The reader can then flip the arms down of each animal to find out who is hiding.  The reader meets different jungle animals from an elephant to a zebra to a giraffe. The name of each animal is written on the animal's chest after flipping the arms down.  With a mirror hidden on the last page, we learn that the last animal hiding is you!

Personal Thoughts: Nothing is more entertaining to a young child then a game of peek-a-boo.  Add to that the fun on flip book pages and the fun only increases.  The animals are each drawn with happy smiling faces.  The construction of the book is also of the highest quality.  The flip pages all align correctly and mesh well with the drawing on the page beneath.  The mirror included at the end of the book is a cute touch that children will enjoy.  A nice simple and fun way to introduce different jungle animals to a small child.

Other Books by the Author: Peek-a-boo (2005); Peek-a-boo Pets (2009);

Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Book)

Emberley, E. (1992). Go away, big green monster!. Boston, MA: Little Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0-316-23653-9

Interest Level: Ages 5 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Die-cut pages, Monsters, Fear,

Plot: Meet the big green monster.  This story introduces the reader to the big green monster one feature at a time.  Purple scraggly purple hair, big yellow eyes, and sharp white teeth are only a few of the scary features that make up the big green monster.  After the whole monster is slowly revealed to the reader, the reader responds "Go Away!" to each feature until the whole monster is gone and isn't allowed to come back until the reader says so. 

Personal Thoughts: A wonderfully made book.  The use of die-cuts to slowly reveal the monster and make him disappear again are ingeniously constructed.  I made a felt board version of this book a few years ago for a preschool story time which also included the words for hair, eyes, mouth, nose, and teeth.  I had the children help me match the words to the features which encouraged word recognition.  The children especially love saying "Go Away.." with me as I'm reading the book.  This book is great for bedtime, monsters, or talking about fears themed storytimes. 

Awards/Recognition:
Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards (Maryland) (1995)

Author's Website: Ed Emberley's Website
Other Books by the Author: Glad monster, sad monster: a book about feelings (1997); Bye-bye, big bad bullybug! (2007);

The Night Pirates (Book)

Harris, P. (2006). The night pirates. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 0-439-79959-7

Interest Level: Ages 5 to 3
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Pirates, Adventures, Stories in Rhyme,

Plot: One night Tom, a little boy, sees shadows moving outside his house.  The shadows belong to little girl pirates who need the house to disguise their ship from the adult pirates.  Tom asks to join the girl pirates on their adventure and they loudly welcome him aboard.  The sail to the island where the adult pirates are sleeping with their treasure.  They are able to sneak up on them and steal the treasure. leaving the adult pirates crying for their mommies.  The little pirates sail back to Tom's house to return their disguise.  Tom doesn't think anyone will ever find out about his adventure, as long as they don't notice the house is upside down.

Personal Thoughts: A very cute story.  The text is simple enough to read aloud and flows well.  Words or phrases are often repeated three times which strengthens the tone of the reading.  The illustrations are detailed mixtures of paintings and graph paper-like cut outs.  Tom never shows any fear of the shadows lurking in the dark.  The little girls welcome Tom aboard enthusiastically, rather then say "no boys allowed" as the story points out.  Children will get a laugh from the pirates crying for their mommy and the post man looking at the upside down house.

Other Books by the Author: Bottomley at the Cattery (1998); Perfect Prudence (2003); Ordinary Audrey (2001); Mouse Creeps (1997);

Book! (Book)

George, K. (2001). Book!. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0-395-98287-1

Interest Level: Ages 4 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Books, Rhyming Stories,

Plot: A little boy wonders what gift he has gotten that is flat and square.  A book!  He lists all the things he likes to do with his book such as reading by himself, reading to others, using it as a hat, and taking it for a wagon ride.  The ending scenes show the little boy curled up in his mother's lap reading the book at bedtime.  A cute little Siamese cat and stuffed stripped elephant doll follow the boy in his activities with the book.

Personal Thoughts: A cute and simple book.  The illustrations are very lovely and humorous.  The cat and the doll follow and join the the boy in his acitvities such as reading upside down.  The things the boy lists to do with his book are things any child might enjoy, such as reading in a secret hiding place under the table.  The pages in the book are made with a more durable poster board like paper perfect for younger children's handling.  The background illustrations are a mix of colors going from an oranges to reds to greens, blues, and purples.  This book would go well with a bedtime or books/library storytime theme.

Awards/Recognition:
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award
Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award
CCBC Choices 2002
Beginning with Books 2001 Best Books for Babies

Other Books by the Author: One Mitten (2004); Up! (2005);
Author's Website: Kristine O'Connell George's Children's Poetry Corner

Hooray for Fish! (Book)

Cousins, L. (2005). Hooray for fish!. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978-0-7636-2741-6

Interest Level: Ages 5 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Fish, Rhyming Stories, Mother and Child, Descriptive Words

Plot: Little fish invites the reader to meet all of his different fishy friends.  Little fish says hello to fish that are stripped, spotted, thin, small, hairy, scary, and shy.  Some of the fish are very imaginative such as the "eye fish" which is a fish that looks like an eye ball complete with eye lashes.  Then little fish goes looking for the one fish he loves the best, his Mom!

Personal Thoughts: The illustrations in this book feature brightly colored fish against different blue backgrounds that represent the water.  The fish are everything from small to large, stripped to spotted.  There are a couple imaginary fish such as the eye-fish and the ele-fish, a fish with an elephant head.  The fish are mostly happy looking creatures.  The simple text uses a variety of descriptive words to name the fish.  The rhyming is very basic but mostly works.  There are only a few words per page which is good for younger children but makes for slow reading aloud.  Most of the reader's interest will probably be in the illustrations rather then the story.  A good fish themed book for 3 and under storytimes or 5 to 3 year olds looking to read on their own.

Other Books by the Author: Maisy the Mouse Series [Website]; I'm the Best (2010); Yummy: eight favorite fairy tales (2009); Za-Za's baby brother (1995);

Ella Enchanted (Book)

Levine, G. C. (1997). Ella Enchanted. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 0-06-027510-3

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 14
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Fairy Tales, Cinderella, Curses, Obedience, Fairies, Princes, Step Sisters, Romance

Plot: Based on the Cinderella story, Ella is cursed with the gift of obedience.  Any command given Ella must obey.  But Ella is resourceful and fights her way around every command, only obeying them as much as she must.  When Ella's mother dies, her father attempts to marry her off to a rich old man but fails.  Instead her father ends up marrying Dame Olga for money.  He later finds out she is just as poor as he and was marrying him for the same reason.  Ella's two step sisters figure out Ella's curse and use it to take advantage of Ella and make her life miserable.  Ella also makes friends with the Prince but tries to keep her distance in case someone uses her curse to harm him.  Eventually Ella goes on a quest, battling ogres and giants, to find Lucinda the fairy and have her break the curse.  When her quest fails, she then goes to the Prince's ball to see the Prince one last time.  There Ella triumphantly learns that the curse can only be broken by her own will.

Personal Thoughts: A lovely twist on the Cinderella story.  It always bothered me that Cinderella allowed her step family to treat her so awfully.  Levine gives a plausible reason for Ella's obedience (if you can call fairy magic plausible).  The curse also allows us to see Ella's ingenuity and rebellion against the commands she is given.  Ella's romance with the Prince is also more realistic then just falling in love at the ball.  Ella and the Prince meet and develop their friendship over time through letters that help them learn about one another.  An enjoyable read, this book deals with what obedience truly means, the importance of friendship, and the importance of finding the strength to stand up for yourself.  Definitely a Must Read!

Book Talk: Check out my 2 minute book talk for Ella Enchanted.
Awards/Recognition:
Newberry Honor Award (1998)
ALA Notable Children's Books (1998)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards (Maryland): Grades 6-9 (2000)
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Middle Readers Category (1997)
California Young Reader Medal: Middle School (2000)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona): Teen Book (1999)
Iowa Teen Award (2000)
Maine Student Book Award (1999)
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Choice Book Award (Illinois) (2000)
School Library Journal Best Books (1997)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (1998)
Young Hoosier Book Award: Middle Books (2000)

Other Books by the Author: Cinderellis and the glass hill (2000); Ever (2008); Fairest (2006); Fairy dust and the quest for the egg (2005); The two princesses of Bamarre (2001);

Author's Website: Gail Carson Levine's Website

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (DVD)

Bagdasarian, Jr., R., Karman, J. (Producers), Thomas, B. (Director), Vitti, J., Aibel, J., & Berger, G. (Writers). (2010). Alvin and the chipmunks: The squeakquel [DVD]. Beverly Hills, CA: 20th Century Fox Entertainment.

Interest Level: Ages 8 to 14
Rating: PG
Running Time: 89 minutes
Subjects/Themes: Family, Chipmunks, Talking Animals, High School,

Plot: The movie starts with Alvin and the Chipmunks playing at a benefit concert in Paris where Dave, their guardian, gets injured.  Dave is forced to recover in Paris while the Chipmunks go ahead home where Aunt Janice is suppose to take care of them.  Unfortunately Aunt Janice also meets with an accident and her grandson, Toby, ends up taking care of the Chipmunks instead.  The Chipmunks start school for the first time and end up having to deal with some bullies.  Alvin's desire to be popular starts to drive the brothers apart.  Meanwhile the Chipmunks old enemy Ethan signs the Chipettes and wants to use them to get back at the Chipmunks.  The two groups end up falling for one another.  Ethan puts the Chipettes in a cage and plans to force them to perform for him.  Alvin goes to their rescue and the two groups perform together in a musical competition to save the school's music program.

Personal Thoughts: Alright I'm a chipmunk fan from way back.  I think the squeaky remakes of popular songs is awesome rather than annoying.  If you can't stand the squeakiness you probably can't stand this movie.  But for tweens who love talking animals, this is another movie they'll probably enjoy.  The Chipmunks have to deal with bullies and the issue of choosing popularity or choosing to stand by your family.  The fighting between the chipmunks is fighting that you could see among any group of siblings or friends.  Alvin doesn't seem to realize the importance of his family until after he misses the song competition and let's his brothers down.  Learning from his mistakes, Alvin understands what he did and makes up for it.  Some popular songs that are featured in the movie include "All the Single Ladies," "You Spin Me Round (like a record)," and "Shake Your Groove Thing."

Prequel: Alvin and the Chipmunks (2008)

Awards/Recognition:
Kids' Choice Award Winner for Favorite Movie (2010)

Owl Moon (Book)

Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York, NY: Philomel Books. ISBN: 0-399-21457-7

Interest Level: Ages 2 to 6
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Caldecott Winner; Father and Daughter; Owls; Forests; Nature Walks; Winter; 

Plot: A girl and her father go walking in the woods late one night in search of owls.  They walk far from the noises of where they leave to the quiet of the woods.  The little girl is careful not to make any noise which might scare the owls away.  As they walk through the woods, the girl's father makes owl noises in order to call the owls to them.  The little girl understands that sometimes they answer and sometimes they can't be found.  In the end, they manage to find one who lands on a branch nearby.

Personal Thoughts: A sweet story of about a girl's first special outing with her father.  The girl describes the sounds and sights around her as they walk from their house to the woods.  The illustrations depict a snow covered forest brightly lit by a full moon.  The girl explains that "you don't need words" when you go owling, just hope.  She is careful to stay quiet, not ask questions, and listens carefully for owl sounds.  The text in this book makes me want to talk softly.  A good book about fathers and daughters, about the forest animals, and about what hope is. 

Awards/Recognition:
Caldecott Winner (1988)
Florida State Reading Award Nominee (1990)
ALA Notable Children's Books (1988)

Author's Website: Jane Yolen's Website

A Story A Story (Book)

Haley, G. (1970). A story, a story: An African tale. New York, NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0-689-20511-2

Interest Level: Ages 8 to 4
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Caldecott Winner; African Folk Tales; Trickster Tales;

Plot: This book introduces the origin of African "Spider Stories" where small or weak men or animals trick others in order to reach their goal.  This particular story tells about Ananse, the Spider man, who wanted to buy stories from Nyame, the Sky God.  Nyame told Ananse that he must bring him three creatures, a leopard, a hornet, and a fairy, in exchange for the box of stories.  These creatures were all stronger and faster then Ananse, who was an old man, but Ananse was able to outwit them all with his traps.  When Ananse was given the box of stories, he brought them to the people and opened the box so that everyone around the world was now able to keep stories.

Personal Thoughts: Written in 1970, this story is one that can still be used today.  This is a very nice tale about how anyone can win if they are clever enough.  Ananse tricks each of the creatures in a different manner which ends up having them trap themselves.  While the text runs a little long, it is easy to read and has a nice tempo to it.  The illustrations are done using woodcut stamps.  Younger children might simply like the story of an old man outwitting creatures or use as an example of African folk tales to introduce the concept to older children.  This story might be a good addition to a social studies unit, a multicultural themed storytime, or an African history unit. 

Awards/Recognition:
Caldecott Winner (1971)

Other Books by the Author: Dream Peddler (1993); Two bad boys: A very old Cherokee tale (1996); Kokopelli: Drum in Belly (2003)

The Hello, Goodbye Window (Book)

Juster, N. (2005). The hello, goodbye window. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN:0-7868-0914-0

Interest Level: Ages 7 to 3
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Caldecott Winner; Grandparents; Windows; Interracial Families

Plot: A little girl describes all the things that she does at her grandparent's house such as eating breakfast, playing in the yard, and listening to Poppy play the harmonica.  The most important of the activities revolve around or in front of the "Hello, Goodbye Window" in her grandparent's kitchen where they can see everyone who comes and goes from the house, look at their reflections, and play peek-a-boo.

Personal Thoughts: The book's illustrations are done in a wonderful mix of watercolors.  Full of swirls and splotches that might have otherwise served to make a book feel blurry instead give the book a dream-like or reminiscent feeling that allows the reader to impose their own personally memories into the story. The grandparents and the parents of the child are both racially mixed couples which is refreshing though that is not the focus of the story.  The text matter-of-factly describes a number of things that any child might experience.  The story runs a little long for a storytime sitting and is probably best for one-on-one reading with a child.  A nice book about grandparents and everyday activities.  A good follow up discussion might include deciding what window in your own home is the "Hello, Goodbye Window" or which room in your house the family likes to gather in most.

Awards/Recognition:
Caldecott Winner (2006)
ALA Notable Children's Books - Young Readers Category (2006)
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Young Readers Category (2005)
New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books (2005)
School Library Journal Best Books (2005)

Other Books by the Author: The Phantom Tollbooth (1988); The Odious Ogre (2010); Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie (2008) [Sequel to The Hello, Goodbye Window]

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Book)

Child, L. (2000). I will never not ever eat a tomato. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 0-7636-1188-3

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Brothers and Sisters, Picky Eaters, Imagination, Humor,

Plot: Lola is a 4 (almost 5) year old little girl.  Charlie is 7 years old and is Lola's older brother.  It often becomes Charlie's job to take care of Lola.  This sometimes mean convincing Lola to do something that she would rather not do but that is good for her.  In this book, Charlie must convince Lola to eat her all her dinner.  The problem is that Lola is a very picky eater and does not like any of the food.  Charlie tricks Lola telling her that carrots are actually orange twiglets from Jupiter, peas are green drops from Greenland, and mash potatoes are actually cloud fluff.  But Charlie knows that Lola absolutely hates tomatoes and is surprised when Lola asks for one.  The jokes on Charlie as Lola explains that they are not tomatoes but actually moonsquirters.

Personal Thoughts:  I love to read the Charlie and Lola books at preschool storytimes.  They are always humorous and teach or talk about something that preschoolers (and preschooler parents) can relate to.  The text is always very funny and easy to read.  If your reading this book for an extra special storytime, try having one person read Lola's lines and another read Charlie's lines.  The illustrations are a mixture of child-like drawings and photos of real life objects (in this case of food).  An especially good book for those picky eaters out there.  The concept of imagining your food to be something else is something that can easily be used at any dinner table.  Children will have fun making up their own funny names for everyday foods.  A Must Read!

Author's Website: Charlie and Lola Website

Other Books by the Author: Beware of the storybook wolves (2002); Charlie and Lola series; Clarice Bean series; The princess and the pea in minature (2006); Who wants to be a poodle I don't (2009); 

Franklin (Cartoon)

Bourgeois, P. (Writer), & Clark, B. (Illustrator). (1997-2004). Franklin [Animated television series]. Toronto, Canada: Nelvana Limited.

Interest Level: Ages 5 to 2
Genre: Cartoon,
Subjects/Themes: Friendship, Preschool Activities, Preschool Life, Animal Characters
Running Time: 22 minutes each episode

Plot: Franklin is a young 6 year old turtle who deals with issues that relate to those a preschooler would face.  Franklin is kind and often tries to think of other people's feelings.  Though sometimes he does need some help or reminding about the right thing to do from his friends or adults in his life.  The animation is done in bright colors similar to those in the book series.  Two stories are shown in each episode that are about 11 minutes long each.

Personal Thoughts: This cartoon is very age and developmentally appropriate for young preschoolers.  The story goes at a pace slow enough for young preschoolers to follow but fast enough that they don't get bored.  The concepts and morals of each story are explicitly stated so that children can easily understand them.  One of the episodes I watched explained that the saying "finders keepers" isn't really always a good thing.  Franklin finds a camera and wants to keep it but comes to understand that the family that lost the camera is probably very sad that they lost it.  Franklin even further learns his lesson when he loses his stuffed dog doll Max and is worries that someone else will "finders keepers" it.  The best part about the Franklin cartoons is their ability to explain ideas and concepts from a viewpoint that a preschooler can relate to.

Note: This series was based off of the original Franklin book series by Bourgeois.
Cartoon Website: Nick Jr.'s Franklin Website

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Green (Book)

Baker, K. (2002). Meet Mr. and Mrs. Green. San Diego, CA: Harcourt. ISBN: 0-15-216506-1

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Alligators, Camping, Pancakes, County Fairs, Married Couple

Plot: Mr. and Mrs. Green, a couple of alligators, have some fun and plan a camping trip.  Mr. Green has never been camping before and starts to worry about being so far from home.  As they follow their map around the neighborhood Mr. Green's finds that he's not worried anymore because they end up camping in their backyard.  In another story, Mr. Green decides to eat 100 pancakes which Mrs. Green makes for him.  When it seems that Mr. Green won't be able to eat the last one and reach his goal, Mrs. Green offers support by making a special star pancake.  Mr. Green and Mrs. Green go to the county fair and enter the painting and flower contest.  They end up winning the contest, enjoying the fair, and riding the ferris wheel.

Personal Thoughts: A cute story about two alligators who care about one another.  Mr. and Mrs. Green help one another with their fears, fun, and projects.  Mrs. Green helps Mr. Green experience his first camping trip in a safe and fun manner.  Mrs. Green cheers on Mr. Green as he attempts to eat 100 pancakes.  They both compliment one anothers county fair projects.  A sweet story that has themes about support and caring for one another.

Author's Website: Keith Baker's Website

Other Books by the Author: Quack and Count (1999); Hickory Dickory Dock (2007); LMNO Peas  [My Review] (2010)

The Giant Hug (Book)

Horning, S. (2005). The giant hug. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 0-375-82477-4

Interest Level: Ages 8 to 3
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Hugs, Grandparents, Postal Service

Plot: Owen, a young pig, wants to send his grandmother a giant hug for her birthday.  Owen's mother writes down Granny's address on a card and Owen give the man at the post office a giant hug and asks him to pass it on until it gets to his Granny.  We follow the card and the hug as it is passed from person to person and goes on its journey from the post office, to the sorting area, to a shipping truck, to a plane, to another post office and with the mailman who delivers the hug to Granny. 

Personal Thoughts: A cute idea that takes the saying "give them a hug for me" and turns it into a literal action that children will appreciate.  The ending adds an extra layer of humor as Granny sends Owen a kiss back.  The moods of each of the post office workers is everything from shy, surprised, embarrassed, and happy.  The illustrations are brightly done in a mix of watercolor and dark pen sketches.  A good way to introduce to children how the postal service works in a time where less and less communication is being done in that manner.

Recognition:
Junior Library Guild selection
IRA Children’s Choice (2006)
North Carolina Book Award nominee (2006)
California Young Reader Medal nominee (2007)
Bill Martin Picture Book Award nominee (2007-2008) 

 Author's Website: Sandra Horning Website

Chicken Soup for the Teen Soul (Book)

Canfield, J., Hansen, M. V., Meyer, S. H., & Meyer, J. (2007). Chicken soup for the teen soul: Real-life stories by real teens. Deerfield Beach, FLA: Health Communications, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-7573-0682-2

Interest Level: Ages 12 to 18
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography
Subjects/Themes: Inspirational, Personal Conduct, Teen Life, Friendship, Family,

Plot: Chicken soup for the teen soul is a collection of short stories written by teens about their lives.  The stories cover different topics and events that have to do with friends, family, disasters, and everyday occurrences.  The stories are emotional and express how the different teens are feeling and reacting to the world around them.  The stories were all previously published in Teen Ink magazine over the years.  In the book, the stories are arranged into topic categories for easy browsing.

Personal Thoughts: The stories in this collection are very inspirational.  There are stories about family emergencies, such as a stroke or heart attack.  There are stories dealing with the death of a friend or family member.  There are stories that talk about first loves and kisses.  There are stories about handling peer pressure, mistakes, drug use and much more.  Each story is only about a page or two long for quick and easy reading and yet those two pages hold a lot of emotion and feeling in them.  A good book for any teen in any situation.

Other Books in the Series:  
Chicken Soup for the Soul: teens talk relationships: stories about family, friends, and love (2008); Chicken soup for the soul: teens talk middle school: 101 stories of life, love, and learning for younger teens (2008); Chicken soup for the soul: teens talk high school (2008); Chicken soup for the teenage soul on love & friendship (2002)

Website: Chicken Soup for the Soul Website

Inuyasha (Manga Series)

Takahashi, R. (2003). Inuyasha. San Francisco, CA: Viz Comics. ISBN [Vol. 1]: 1-56931-947-2

Interest Level: 13 to 18
Subjects/Themes: Manga/Anime, Friendship, Fantasy, Romance, Action/Adventure, Monsters/Demons, Past and Present, High School

Plot: Kagome, a modern Japanese high school student, can travel back and forth to feudal Japan through a well at her family's shrine.  In feudal Japan, Kagome comes across Inuyasha who is sealed to a tree and releases him.  Inuyasha, a half dog demon and half human hybrid, was sealed to the tree by the priestess Kikyo whom Kagome is the reincarnation of.  Kagome brought back with her the Sacred Four Souls Jewel which Kikyo had tried to destroy.  Now monsters keep attacking her trying to steal the jewel for its power.  The jewel is accidentally shattered and now Kagome must search the land to find the jewel shards and prevent them from being used for evil.  Inuyasha decides to travel with Kagome because she is the only one who can sense the hidden shards and he wants the power of the jewel for himself.  Their travels form a friendship and an almost romance complicated by the fact that Inuyasha was in love with Kikyo before he met Kagome.  They gather a group of friends (a lecherous monk, a sweet child like fox demon, and a demon slayer) who help them in their search.   

Personal Thoughts: This anime is for older teens as it does have some suggestive situations, violence, and alcohol or tobacco use.  The series is of the shonen manga genre which means it is primarily targeted towards a junior high and high school boy demographic with lots of action, humor, and camaraderie.  The illustrations in each volume are well detailed and composed of black and white sketchings.  There is also a "ani-manga" version of the series that uses color scenes from the anime cartoon based on the same storyline.  This manga is a constant battle between good and evil.  A lot of unfortunate events happen to the different characters that help to form who they are and how they act.  There is a lot of action and subtle romance throughout the series.  The cartoon anime series is very closely based on the manga.

Awards:
Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen title of the year (2002)

Similar Materials: Fruits Basket [My Review]; Naruto Series Anime & Manga;

Eragon (Book)

Paolini, C. (2002). Eragon. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 978-0-375-82669-6

Interest Level: Ages 11 to 18
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Magic, Dragons, Action/Adventure, Revenge

Plot: Eragon is a simple country boy living on the outskirts of the Empire when he comes across a strange blue rock.  To his amazement, the rock is actually a dragon's egg.  The egg hatches a dragon named Saphira who has scales as blue as the egg was.  Eragon raises Saphira in secret until the Ra'zac come looking for the egg and burn down Eragon's house, killing his uncle.  Seeking revenge, Eragon decides to go after the Ra'zac but before he can leave the village he is stopped by the storyteller, Brom.  Brom convinces Eragon and Saphira that they need his help and they all start traveling together.  Brom teaches Eragon about the Dragon Riders and how to work magic.  Their travels take them far from home when Brom is killed protecting Eragon.  Eragon continues his travels, gets captured, gets rescued, and helps to rescue an elf.  His travels then take him to the Varden, a group of dwarfs, elves, and humans who resist the Empire's evil ruler.

Personal Thoughts: A very well developed world and storyline.  The reader sees Eragon grow from a simple country boy into a Rider and then into a wizard.  He starts becoming an adult with responsibilities that he is just beginning to understand.  A lot of the of the time Eragon acts before thinking or understanding the consequences of his actions.  Luckily he has friends around who help explain the bigger picture to Eragon and help him deal or learn from the consequences.  While there is a lot of magic and fantastical things going on around Eragon, he and the reader learn that the reality isn't always so wonderful.  Magic is hard work and if your not careful you can kill yourself.  Dragons and the freedom of being a Rider aren't really that free and come with lots of responsibility.  A good coming of age story with lots of action and adventure.  The next two books in the series have a lot of the same qualities and I heartily suggest reading them.  Definitely a Must Read!

Series Info: Book One of the Inheritance Cycle
Sequel: Eldest (2005)

Awards:
Book Sense Book of the Year
Beehive Awards (Utah): Young Adult Books
BILBY - Books I Love Best Yearly (Australia) : Older Reader
Buckeye Children's Book Award (Ohio): Grades 6-8
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Rosie Award)
Gateway Readers Award (Missouri)
Golden Archer Awards (Wisconsin): Middle/Jr. High School
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona): Teen Book
Indies' Choice Book Awards: Children's Literature
Iowa Teen Award
Nene Award (Hawaii)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Awards: Grades 6-8
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Choice Book Award (Illinois)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award
Sequoyah Book Awards (Oklahoma): Young Adult Books
Soaring Eagle Book Award (Wyoming)
South Carolina Book Awards: Young Adult Books
Surrey Schools' Book of the Year Award (British Columbia)
Teen Buckeye Book Award (Ohio)
Virginia Readers' Choice Award: Middle School (Grades 6-9)
Young Reader's Choice Award (Pacific Northwest): Intermediate

Other Books by the Author: Eragon's guide to Alagaesia (2009); Brisingr, or, The seven promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular (2008)

Author's Website: Alagaesia Website

Manga University’s How to Draw Manga (Website)

Website: http://www.howtodrawmanga.com/

Interest Level: Ages 12 & up
Subjects/Themes: Manga, Drawing Techniques/Tutorials, Anime, Videos 

About the Website:  Manga University is a free site maintained by Japanime Company Ltd., a publishing company based in Kawaguchi, Japan with offices in Sacramento, California. They offer free step by step drawing tutorials are both a mixture of illustrated lessons and video’s provided through YouTube.com. They also offer fee based tutorials and art packages that drawing enthusiasts can purchase. The website also conducts interviews with popular manga creators who offer insight into drawing techniques, the manga industry, and special tutorials. There is advertising throughout the site, mostly offering Manga University products, such as print tutorials, learning japanese guides, and cook books, as well as other sponsor's products.

Personal Thoughts: A very well made site with full animation and video that is likely to appeal to teens. A little more difficult to navigate then some other sites, I found myself resorting to main tabs or the back button in order to return to a selection of choices. They have a good amount of free materials that teens can access and learn from. The advertising does make ordering materials from the website quiet tempting though. The site is updated regularly with new materials and videos. The drawings are clean with no violence or nudity that I found.

Similar Websites: Manga Tutorial's Website [My Review]   

Manga Tutorials (Website)

Website: MangaTutorials.com

Interest Level: Ages 10 & up
Subjects/Themes: Manga, Drawing Techniques/Tutorials, Anime,  

About the Website:  The website is run and owned by Rio who is a self-taught artist. Rio is also the creator of a majority of the drawing tutorials found in the website though there are others who also contribute. The website has over 80 drawing instructions about everything from basic manga drawing to publishing tips. It is completely free and requires no membership to access the site. There is some basic advertising included in the site. The website also has a forum for anyone interested in sharing their own drawings. The drawings included in the site are subject to evaluation and are free of overly suggestice poses, nudity, or violent images. Weapons are included in some of the pictures, but mainly as props.

Personal Thoughts:  A good site for teens interested in learning to draw manga or anime characters. The website itself is easy to navigate and the tutorials do well explaining different techniques. The nice part is the absence of nudity and violence that can sometimes creep up on the unaware in manga. As the site restricts that type of material from being posted, a parent can feel safe knowing that their child is learning drawing techniques and not being exposed to unwanted materials. The advertising is very low key, no more than you would be exposed to while checking your email. Definitely check out the "Oekaki" tab where there are a lot more postings from fans as well as contest entries.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (DVD)

Heyman, D. (Producer), Newell, M. (Director), & Kloves, S. (Writer). Harry Potter and the goblet of fire [DVD]. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.

Interest Level: Ages 13 to 18
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 157 minutes
Subjects/Themes: Wizards, School, Magic, Competitions, Friendship, Good vs Evil, Fantasy 

Plot: Based on the fourth book of the popular Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling.  The story picks up right before the start of the new school year.  Harry is having nightmares about Voldomort and his minions.  Harry attends the World Quidditch Cup with his friends where they set up a campsite with the other spectators.  Death Eaters, Voldomort's followers, attack the camp and destroy everything.  At school, the students are surprised by the announcement of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which is a competition between three wizarding schools.  Harry's name is chosen by the magical goblet even though a Hogwarts champion was already chosen and Harry is too young to compete.  Harry and the other champions have to face a number of challenges that will test their minds, magic and physical abilities.  These challenges prove to be almost deadly and in the past champions have died.  Eventually Harry and Cedric, the other Hogwarts champion, make it to the final and choose to win the competition together.  This proves deadly as the finish line was a magical booby trap with Voldomort's followers waiting for them and they kill Cedric.  They use Harry's blood as well as other items to create a body for Voldomort.  Harry barely manages to escape with Cedric's body and returns to school to warn everyone that Voldomort has returned.     

Personal Thoughts: The movie is well made and stays close to the main storyline found in the book.  The graphics and special effects are almost flawless and serve to make the Harry's magical world a very believable one.  This volume of the Harry Potter series has a darker tone too it and this is also reflected in the look and feel of the graphics.  Characters are being killed and Voldomort is growing in power.  Harry's relationships with his friends are also getting stress as a result of all the different things going on.  We really start to see the characters grow up in this movie as they deal with more grown up issues in grown up ways.  Unlike the early parts of the Harry Potter series, which to me are beign enough for younger tweens, this is the part in the series where things start to become more violent, dark, and depressing to some degree and you may want to wait to show the rest of the series to til the viewer is a little older.  The previous DVDs inthe series were rated PG.  This is the first in the series that was rated PG-13 so parents should be aware of that and take proper consideration.

Movie Note: Part 4 of the Harry Potter Series
Prequel: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2007)
Sequel: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Awards/Recognition:

Academy Award for Best Art Direction [Nomination] (2005)

Teen Choice Awards - Choice Movie Drama Winner (2006)

BAFTA Award for Best Production Design Winner (2005)
Kids' Choice Awards - Blimp Award Winner for Favorite Movie (2006)

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (DVD)

Lafferttty, K., Sacks, A. (Producer), & Hoen, P. (Director). (2006). Camp rock 2: The final jam [DVD]. United States: Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Interest Level: Ages 10 to 18
Rating: G
Running Time: 94 minutes
Subjects/Themes: Friendship, Musical, Summer Camp, Singing, Rock Stars

Plot: The Camp Rockers return to summer camp for another year of sharpening their musical skills.  They learn that Star Camp, run by a rival owner, has opened on the other side of the lake. Some of the campers and camp conselours are lured away by the money and by the luxery of the other camp.  The returning campers volunteer to act as substitute consulors in order to prevent the camp from closing.  The two camps challenge one another to a televised rock performance competition where voters will decide the winner.  It is expected that the losing camp will close forever as a result of the bad publicity.  When Camp Rock loses the competition, they find out instead that campers would rather go to Camp Rock since they know how to have the most fun.

Personal Thoughts: A sequel to Camp Rock, this movie follows much of the same format as the first.  There are a lot of singing and dance scenes.  Mitchie (Demi Lovato) and Shane (Joe Jonas) are struggling to balance learning more about one another and helping out at the camp.  Nate (Nick Jonas) and Dana, the daughter of Camp Star's owner, end up falling in love.  Mitchie ends up trying to run the camp more like a workplace and starts taking the fun out of all the activities.  In the end her friends help her out and the harmony of the camp is restored.  This movie teaches teens to remember to have fun and not stress out so much.  Also the romances in the movie stress the importance of learning about one another's likes and dislikes and searching beyond the surface.  A Must See movie for tweens and teens who enjoyed the first movie.    

Prequel: Camp Rock (2008);

Similar Movies: High School Musical (2006) [My Review]; High School Musical 2 (2007); and High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008);

The House in the Night (Book)

Swanson, S. M. (2008). The house in the night. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN: 0-618-86244-7

Interest Level: Ages 5 and under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Light, Dark, Keys, House, Bedtime

Plot: A young child is given the key to the house.  The child goes inside and finds a book to read before bedtime.  The child reads the book and then is put safely to sleep.  The whole story stresses light glowing in the dark and the calm right before bedtime.

Personal Thoughts: The illustrations are of the highest quality, not surprising since this is a Caldecott Award winner, and expand on short and simple sentences found in the book.  The illustrations are themselves a contrast of dark textured scratch board and bright golden splashes of color that draw the reader's eye.  The mood of the book is calm, perfect for a bedtime story.  A Must Read this new book is sure to become a classic over the years.

Awards/Recognition:
Caldecott Award Winner (2009)
Minnesota Book Award for Children (2009)
ALA Notable Children's Books - Young Readers Category (2009)
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Young Readers Category (2008)

Other Books by the Author:
To be Like the Sun (2008); The First Thing My Mama Told Me (2002); Letter to the Lake (1998);

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon)

DiMartino, M., Konietzko,B., & Ehasz, A. (Producers). (2005-2008). Avatar: The last airbender [Animated television series]. Hollywood, CA: Nickelodeon Studios.

Interest Level: Ages 6 to 14
Genre: Cartoon, Action/Adventure
Subjects/Themes: Friendship, Good vs Evil, Wars, Magic, Four Nature Elements, Travel

Plot: Aang is the last of the airbenders as well as the Avatar, a mystical being whose power is use to keep order and peace in the world.  In Aang's world, there are certain people who are able to "bend" or control one of four elements.  The Avatar, the only person who can bend more then one element, must eventually master all four bending techniques.  Aang was found by Sokka and Katara who live in the South pole water tribe.  Katara is a water bender and Sokka is a warrior in training together with Aang they travel the world as he master's his bending skills.  Eventually they will need to confront the firelord, who wants to take over the world and destroy the Avatar forever.

Personal Thoughts: A great cartoon for this age group with lots of action, martial arts, and fantasy elements from the bending and Avatar.  The animation is really good quality with characteristics from both American and Asian cartooning.  There are really good themes throughout the series dealing with friendship, good and evil, perserverance, and responsibility.  The many characters makes it easy for a viewer to find one to relate to.  I have watched every episode and feel that the quality of the cartoon was maintained throughout.  The closing of the series took care of most of the loose ends but did leave some open.  It is expected that a spin-off series will be aired by Nickolodeon in 2011.

Note: This series was also made into a graphic novel format and into a live action movie.

Awards:
Pulcinella Awards (2005);
Annie Award (33rd, 34th, & 35th);
Genesis Award (2007);
Peabody Awards (2008)

The Impact of Disney Stars on Tweens

Reflection: How does the growth arc of Disney stars such as Lindsey Lohan, Vanessa Hudgins, and Miley Cyrus impact tweens?

Subjects: Teen and Tween Idols, Media Messages, Tween Fashion Trends,

     You have to commend the Disney factory’s ability not only to consistently create stars like Lohan, Hudgins, and Cyrus but to package their stardom into a variety of commercial items consisting of everything from bedroom sets to clothing lines. From a business viewpoint, Disney has figured out how to spin straw into gold. Disney cross promotes their stars by giving them TV shows, recording contracts, featuring their songs in Disney movies and on Radio Disney, sending them on concert tours and selling tie-in merchandise in Disney stores. In short, “the Disney Teen Machine has become a finely tuned profit pump” of which tweens are the main consumers (Luscombe, 2009, para. 4).

     Seemingly a no-lose formula, the stars that Disney has so carefully cultivated into tween idols eventually grow up, change their minds, get less cute, rebel, and make choices their fans or parents of fans don't approve of (Luscombe, 2009). Take the success of Miley Cyrus who in 2009 according to Forbes was the fifth most Googled person, has a net worth of over 25 million, and is a global brand name (Miller, 2009). On her path to adulthood, she has pole danced at the Teen Choice Awards, been videoed by TMZ giving a lap dance to a 44 year old film director, and has posed on the cover of Vanity Fair dressed in a sheet. This kind of off and on stage activity is troubling in a time when girls as well as boys are becoming sexualized at earlier ages resulting in them becoming more critical of their bodies, applying makeup and wearing racier clothes (Hoffman, 2010).

     Tween idols often set tween fashion trends and just as tween idols are beginning to act older, tween fashion is trending towards young girls dressing older. They are dressing older, pushing themselves into sexualized terrain, which is propagated by tween fashion lines that peddle items like pleather bandeau bras and sequined hot pants (Morris, 2010). The use of mascara and eyeliner by girls ages 8 to 12 has risen from 10 percent in 2007 to 18 percent in 2009 (Quenqua, 2010). While the use of lipstick for that same age group has risen from 10 percent to 15 percent during the same time period (Quenqua, 2010).

     The influence of tween idols may seem impossible to battle against but Holsen (2010) reports that tweens themselves are choosing to move away from idols such as Cyrus as a result of her actions. Holsen (2010) suggests that parents use Cyrus’ transition from teen idol to sexual icon as a teachable moment. Whether about TV stars, music, fashion, or makeup it is important for parents to talk about issues with their children, helping them to think through the different messages that they are receiving.