Define Normal....

Am I normal? Is this normal? What is going on with my body, my mind, my (insert worry here)? Who am I? Who do I want to be? Why doesn't anyone understand? Only my friends understand....

These are the typical questions/thoughts going through any tween or teens mind on a daily basis.  With so much going on in tween's lives, is it any wonder that parents worry about and struggle with relating to their kids?  While all tweens are unique and will differ in their likes or dislikes, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has created a Facts for Families: Normal Adolescent Development Part 1 list of normal feelings and behaviors of the middle school and early high school adolescents.  The list describes how tweens begin the move toward being independent, how they view the future, sexuality behaviors, and how they test and develop morals and values.  Thinking back to that time in my life, I find the list to be extremely accurate and could apply to my mindset at one time or another during my tween and teen years.

Parents combining the AACAP's list with the Search Institute's list of 40 Developmental Assets for Middle Childhood will have not only an insight into how their tween is thinking but also some ideas on how to support their child during this chaotic stage of life. The Search Institute suggests certain building blocks that help in the healthy development of tweens.  While each of the suggestions are good ones, I think that its important to remember that these building blocks are ideals.  It is not expected that every child will have the same resources, time, or environment in which to develop these assets.  The "Take Action" suggestions are just that suggestions that can be used individually or combined with other suggestions.
 
While a large number of tween parents will respond to the behaviors and feelings listed with a "Well duh I already knew that,"  the lists are still a good aide.  Sometimes an outside professional source is exactly the reassurance a frustrated parent needs.  Other times parents of younger children would like to know what to expect in the coming years in order to prepare to deal.  Both lists are also great tools for someone like me who has no children, but works with them on a daily basis.  As a youth librarian I need to be able to understand how tweens and teens are thinking, what types of issues they are struggling with, and what they're interests are in order to provide them with materials and programs that are useful and will appeal to them.

On Top of the Potty (Book)

Katz, A., & Catrow, D. (2008). On Top of the Potty and other get-up-and-go songs. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.  ISBN: 978-0-689-86215-1

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book, Song Books
Subjects/Themes: Silly Songs, Toilet Training,

Plot: 15 silly songs about the potty set to classic tunes such as "If your happy and you know it," "take me out to the ball game," and "This old man."  Silly illustrations accompany each silly song.

Personal Thoughts: Tackling toliet training? Need a silly song book? This is the book for you!  The illustrations are well done and tell the story of each song.  A big diaper baby can be found in almost every scene.  A warning though, there is a lot of potty language being used, "poop" and "pee" can be found in almost every sentence. The songs fit the tunes pretty accurately.  The few lines here or there that were shaky might have been due to my own faulty memory of the classic songs.  Children who get their hands on this book may be marveling you with their new found love of music.

Other Books by the Author: Are you quiet polite?: silly dilly manners songs (2006); I'm still here in the bathtub: brand new sillyl dilly songs (2003); Oops! (2008);

Author's Website: Alan Katz: A Silly Dilly Man

Teen Vogue (Magazine)

Teen Vogue. (2010, November). New York, NY: Conde Nast.

Interest Level: Ages 15 to Adult
Genre: Serial (Periodical, Newspaper, Magazine, etc.)
Subjects/Themes: Magazine, Fashion, Beauty, Celebrities, Popular Culture

Content: 

Teen Vogue is published on a monthly basis except for in December/January and June/July. The magazine states that they are a "cultural catalyst for a new generation of influential teens and young women."  The magazine, modeled after Vogue magazine, contains topics about fashion, beauty, celebrities and popular culture that are of primary interest to older teens.  Also included in the November issue I reviewed was an article against smoking, even if only once and a while.  A magazine subscription is only $10 per year with discounts given for subscribing for multiple years.

Personal Thoughts: This magazine is exactly as it appears, a fashion and beauty magazine aimed at teenagers and young adults.  Though I wouldn't be surprised to see a tween reading a copy as 1) they can still relate to the topics and 2) it paints a glamorous picture of how they want to be as they grow older.  Knowing this don't be surprised at the large, large, large amounts of advertising included in each issue.  The first eleven pages in the November issue were ALL advertisements.  If your worried about your tween wanting to dress "too adult" you may want to rethink giving them this magazine.  While the magazine does stress trendiness and shopping, there are a few good topics discussed as well.  For example there were articles about plus modeling and staying away from cigarettes.  For the fashion crazy teens and young adults, this is the magazine for them.

Company Website: Teen Vogue

Three Billy Goats Gruff (Book)

Finch, M. (2001). Three billy goats gruff. New York, NY: Barefoot Books. ISBN:  978-1-846-86072-0

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Goats, Trolls, Fairy Tales, Folklore

Plot: A retelling of the classic tale of three billy goats gruff.  In which three goats cross a bridge to get to the greener sweeter looking grass on the other side.  Unfortunately under the bridge they must cross to get there lives a hungry troll.  The two littler goats tell the troll to wait to meet their bigger bother.  When the biggest of the billy goats gruff crosses the bridge he kicks the troll off the bridge rather then gets eaten.

Personal Thoughts: The mixed used of collage, watercolors, and crayon make for wonderfully textured illustrations.  Bright and happy colors and patterns are used for the goats and the scenery, while browns and olive greens make up the troll.

"I'm a troll, from a deep dark hole,
My belly's getting thinner,
I need to eat - and goat's a treat -
So I'll have you for my dinner."

The text is simple and easy to read aloud.  The troll's repeating lines don't quiet rhyme but children will enjoy joining in all the same.  My suggestion would be to add some hand gestures for the children to copy while your telling the story. 

Other Books by the Author: The Little Red Hen and the Ear of Wheat (2001);

Speak (Book)

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Interest Level: Ages 13 to Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Rape, Bullying, High School, Teen Girls, Emotional Problems, Friendship, Banned Books

Plot: The book follows Melinda's freshman year at high school following her being raped at a summer party.  Everyone is mad at her for calling the cops and getting people arrested for drinking.  Nobody knows what really happened because Melinda got scared and ran away rather then talk to the cops or anyone else.  During her freshman year, Melinda has almost stopped speaking altogether, no longer cares about her looks or hygeinie, and is failing most of her classes.  As she struggles with surviving everyday life, Melinda learns that her ex-best friend is dating the boy who raped her.  Melinda's concern for her friend's safety starts to overwhelm her but will she find the courage to break her silence? 

Personal Thoughts: A gritty emotional rollercoaster ride.  Melinda could be any girl from anywhere.  The inner dialouge that moves the story is wonderfully constructed and helps to highlight the inner turmoil that Melinda struggles with in the course of everyday things.  This book describes a deeply troubled girl, unfortunately misunderstood and overlooked.  This is a story about a young girl trying to cope with an extremely traumatic event all on her own.  This is a story about the importance of speaking up for justice. They made the book into a movie in 2004 starring Kristen Stewart (Twilight star).  Check out the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) for more details.

Personally I'm not a fan of realistic fiction, but I found this book impossible to put down once I started reading.  A Must Read for any female, teenager or adult.  I would suggest parents reading it before handing this book to their teen though.  A lot of hard issues are brought up during the reading that you may want to have discussions about.  Issues like safety, rape, alcohol at parties, asking for help, expressing yourself, academic, social, and emotional problems and coping skills. 

National Awards:
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Top-10 Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults
Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist
IRA Young Adult Choice
Junior Library Guild Selection
Michael L. Printz Honor Book (ALA)
National Book Award Finalist
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
New York Times Bestseller List
SCBWI Golden Kite Award
YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

State Awards:
Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award runner-up
California Young Reader Medal nominee
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award nominee (Maryland)
Garden State Teen Book Award (New Jersey)
Iowa Teen Book Award nominee
Heartland Award (Kansas)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Maud Hart Lovelace Youth Reading Award nominee (Minnesota)
Teen Three Apples Award nominee (New York)
2005 New York Reads Together Book
Carolyn W. Field Award (Pennsylvania)
Pennsyvania Young Readers Choice Young Adult List
Rhode Island Teen Book Award nominee
South Carolina Young Adult Book Award
Volunteer State Young Adult Book Award (Tennessee)
Tayshas High School Reading List (Texas)
Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (Washington)
Sequoya Book Award (Oklahoma)
Young Reader’s Award Nominee (Nevada)

Bookseller and Media Recognition:
Booklist Editors’ Choice
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book
Fanfare, The Horn Book’s Honor List
Los Angeles Times Award finalist
Publishers Weekly Bestseller
Booklist Top 10 First Novels (1999)
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year (1999)

Laurie Halse Anderson Website: Mad Woman In the Forest 

Other Books by the Author: Catalyst (2002); Chains (2008); Fever 1793 (2000); Prom (2005); Twisted (2007); Wintergirls (2009)

Aliens Ate My Homework (Book)

Coville, B. (1993). Aliens ate my homework. New York, NY: Pocket Books.

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 12
Genre: Science Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Aliens, Criminals, Bullying, Lying/Honesty

Plot: Rod Allbright has enough trouble keeping his 3 year old twin siblings occupied and dodging bullies.  Now an alien spaceship has landed in his room right smack in the midldle of his science project unloading 5 aliens on a mission to locate and capture an inter-galatic criminal named BKR.  Unfortunately the alien's ship got damaged during landing and both it and the aliens are stuck being the size of small toys.  Rod has been recruited to help and has sworn to keep the alien's presence a secret at all costs, but there's one other problem, Rod's incapable of lying.  Good thing everyone thinks Rod's joking when he says that aliens ate his homework, everyone except the alien criminal their after that is.     

Personal Thoughts: A nice introductory science fiction book about aliens.  The book's main character, Rod, is a typically nice and well-behaved eleven year old boy.  He plays with his siblings, doesn't lie, and tries to follow the rules.  But Rod has a big problem with bullies.  It doesn't help that one of the bullies is also an inter-galatic criminal.  We learn that Rod's dad left, leaving Rod's mother struggling to support them.  Rod's mother isn't a very strong character in this book.  At one point she suggests that Rod give the bullies what they want in order to keep the peace.  She quickly takes back what she said but her reaction might be why bullying has gotten so out of control.  The aliens are extremely varied in forms, strengths and weaknesses.  They each offer Rod a different view on his life and the world in general.  The book contains a nice balance of action and humor that tween readers will enjoy.

Series Info: Book One of the Rod Allbright Alien Series
Sequel: I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X (1994)

Author Website: Bruce Coville Website

Awards:
Grand Canyon Intermediate Level Reader Award [Arizona] (1996)

Other Books by the Author: Moongobble and Me Series; Sixth Grade Alien Series; Magic Shop Series; My Teacher is an Alien Series; Unicorn Chronicles Series;

Note: To view the booktalk for Aliens Ate My Homework, where I read an excerpt from chapter 1, visit my website Medina's Must Reads.

New Moon Girls (Magazine)

New moon girls. (2010, September/October). Long Prarie, MN: New Moon Girls Media.

Interest Level: Ages 10 to 16
Genre: Serial (Periodical, Newspaper, Magazine, etc.)
Subjects/Themes: Magazine, Female Roles, Children's & Youth's Writings

Content: New Moon Girls is published on a bi-monthly basis.  The magazine's goal is to provide a safe, respectful, innovative, and advertising-free space both in print and online for young tween girls.  The magazine contains topics, artwork, poetry, and advice columns all created by or for tweens girls.  The magazine's online website prides itself for its high level of safety in its chat rooms and emails.  A subscription of $44.95 per year provides 6 printed magazine issues and full online access to the site's chat rooms, contests, and other features.

Personal Thoughts: This is a really really good magazine for young tween girls.  Every article in the magazine is focused on issues girl tweens are facing or may have questions about.  I really like that they have real girl tweens answering some of the questions and giving their viewpoints.  I think that type of interaction between tweens is what they are most comfortable with and that they can understand how the other is feeling quite well.  Some of the content/discussions in the September/October issue I was reviewing talks about: friendship problems, self-esteem, popularity, ideas about wearing makeup, animals in zoos, and having to move.  This magazine is a Must Read for anyone with a tween girl in the family.

Awards:
Parents' Choice Foundation Gold Award (2008)
Minnesota Magazine Publication Association: Gold Excellence Award (2008)
Parents' Choice Foundation Silver Award (2007)
Association of Educational Publishers Golden Lamp Award (2006)
Images and Voices of Hope World Summit Award of Appreciation (2006)
iParenting Media Award Winner (2005)

Company Website: New Moon Girls Website