14. Boy Meets World: Season 1

Boy Meets World: Season 1
Created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly
Buena Vista Television, 1993-1994

Genre
Television Sitcom

Award

• Young Artist Award Nomine (1994)

Review
The first season of this amusing and timeless show follows Cory Matthews through his last year of Jr. High.  He, along with his friend Shawn Hunter, his first crush Topanga Lawrence, and his girl-crazy older brother Eric, learn many lessons about growing up, friendship, and family.  Cory's teacher and next door neighbor, Mr. Feeny, is a main teacher and facilitates much of these lessons by doing things like letting Cory figure out it is the right thing to do to notify his family when Shawn ran away and is hiding in Cory's room or "switching places" with Cory so Cory can teach the class and see just how "easy" it really is.  Many times, life events in the Matthews family conveniently parallel lessons being taught in Mr. Feeny's classroom, allowing Cory and the viewer to see the classroom lesson applied in real life.  This show is great for tweens because, despite being cheesy at times, this show deals with real life issues, like poverty, homework, puberty, siblings, breaking the law, and growing up in realistic ways.

Opinion
Even though this show is from the early '90s, tweens today can still find most of it relevant and useful, and humorous.  I believe this show can still be a favorite for tweens today, despite being different from many current sitcoms since the children don't rule the household.

Ideas
This show is a fun way for children to learn some life lessons and get validation about feelings of growing up, while still laughing and experiencing a wholesome family show.

13. Redwall

Redwall
By Brian Jacques
Philomel, 1986
Narrated by Brian Jacques and Full Cast

Genre
Adventure, Animal Fantasy, Magic Realism

Awards

• The Lancashire Libraries Children's Book of the Year Award (1988)
• Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal (1988)
• The Western Australian Young Reader's Award (1990)

Review

A wonderful adventure story that portrays mice, and other woodland creatures, in Redwall Abby.  All the creatures are peaceful and everyone in the forest knows it is an unwritten rule to attack anyone wearing a Redwall habit, but the terrible sea-rat, Cluny the Scourge, sees Redwall as a perfect base for him.  Redwall inhabitants have their peaceful lives turned upside-down when they hear Cluny is coming to attack.  But Matthias, a brave young orphaned mouse, understood the danger ahead and took the Abby's founder, Martin the Warrior, as his example to try himself to become the Warrior of Redwall.  He later finds that Martin knew Matthias would be born long after he himself had died, and Martin's spirit would be with him in battle.  Along with friends like Constance the Badger, Basil Stage Hare, Methuselah the mouse, and Abbot Mortimer, Matthias retrieves Martin's hidden sword and shield, battles a giant adder snake called Asmodeus Poisonteeth, and defeats Cluny the Scourge and his army in this exciting adventure.  Author Brian Jacques and his full cast of voice actors do a wonderful job of giving life to the wonderful characters in this story and keep the listener yearning to hear more.

Opinion
I thought this was a wonderfully entertaining book; the voices of the characters were stuck in my head long after pausing the story and I was always wondering what would happen next.  The book is on the longer side, but it is perfectly appropriate for tweens who enjoy a good adventure story.  My friend had recommended I read this as it was apparently popular when we were growing up, but I had completely missed it! I'm certainly glad to have read it now than think I will be suggesting it to many children in the future.

Ideas
This may be a good book for reluctant readers because the story pulls you in not long after starting it and is full of action, but the thickness of it and some (though very little) of the language might be difficult.  This books will be pleasing to many different kinds of readers as it touches many genres: it has animals acting as humans, a magical element of Martin's spirit still being involved with Matthias, a brave warrior who strikes out on his own several times on quests, and an easily hated villain that all readers can root against.  Since the idea of the morality behind war is briefly touched on as well, this book could be a class assignment and a discussion generated on this topic.

6. Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice
By Anonymous
Prentice Hall, 1967
Narrated by Christina Moore

Genre
Realistic Fiction

Honors

• YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2000, 2003)
• YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (1971)

Review
A fictional story written in the style of a teenager's diary, Go Ask Alice addresses serious questions about growing up and presents an uncensored look at part of the 1970s drug culture that can still be translated into today's substance using population.  A book that address difficult topics like running away, drug use, sex, rape, body image problems, and profanity, it was still on the 2003 ALA list of the top 10 most challenged books.  The unnamed "author" of the diary experiences the normal troubles teens do growing up, struggling with her body image, dating, questions about sex, testing limits with parents, and being curious about drugs.  However, this story follows the young writer as she deals with these concerns in what could be argued to be an abnormal way.  While the book is often dark and explores hard to answer questions, it also focuses on themes of the importance of family and getting to know and accept oneself, even if it means forgiving oneself and moving forward to another stage in life.  The narrator, Christina Moore, has a wonderfully expressive voice, successfully conveying all the emotions felt by this teenage writer, including her often communicated fear and confusion.

Opinion
Beatrice Sparks is the editor of Go Ask Alice and many other books that are supposed to be based off diaries of anonymous teens addressing other contempory teen issues.  The problem is she was heavy-handed with her editing, which has landed all her "edited" diaries with a Fiction label.  She also made some parents, who gave her the diary of their teenage son to publish after he committed suicide, very angry by completely adding what became the premise of the diary - a completely fictional telling of a satanic cult, leaving little of the original diary left.  So, while this book, and her others, may be in some way based on a legitimate diary of a real teen, the books we see published may be far from the actual lives of the specific teens who inspired Sparks's stories.  Go Ask Alice is a popular, classic book for teenagers since it addresses so many key issues.  I feel like this book is appropriate for the upper ends of the tween age range, late Jr. high or high school.  It has profanity in it, young character runs away, describes having sex and being raped, describes the intensity of her "trips" and her addiction, and details her psychotic break, so it may be too disturbing and graphic for some users. But for those who can handle it, some powerful lessons may be learned.

Ideas
Go Ask Alice is a great book for any discussion about substance abuse, running away, and the general struggle teenagers go through during adolescence.  This is a good book for parents/teachers and teens to read together, or simultaneously, to help provoke discussion and open up communication lines about serious topics teens may be reluctant to discuss. Due to the authorship issues, it's also a great book to start a discussion about trustworthy information sources.

3. Wings

Wings
By Bill Brittain
HarperCollins Children's Books,1991

Genre
Low Fantasy

Honors

• ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (1999)

Review
Ian has been having severe back pain for quite a while, causing him to see the doctor frequently.  This is irritating to his mother, who is pulled away from her perfect daughter to take Ian to the physician.  Eventually, after many tests and x-rays, the doctor found the cause of Ian's pain -- he was growing wing! The news, and eventual eruption of the wings, turn Ian's world upside-down.  His politically ambitious father tried to hide Ian in the home, confining him to his room and keeping him from attending the start of his 8th grade year.  Eventually Ian threatens to tell all the reporters that have been hounding his parents about the wings if he wasn't allowed to go to school.  School is difficult, as his classmates consider him a "freak", despite his teacher's best efforts.  A girl who had been considered the "class freak" for having a 6th finger on her left hand befriends Ian and supports him as he learns how to use his wings.  While hiding away from reporters at his new friend's home, Ian learns to be brave and finds out why his parents act like they do.  In the end, he is faced with a tough decision: keep his wings, leaving him a "freak" forever, but knowing the freedom of flying, or have them removed, making him "normal" again, but forever grounded.  A simple book that addresses many common problems experience while growing up, even for children who don't grow wings.

Opinion
This book is a favorite of a friend's 6th grader, so I thought I would read it for this assignment.  I loved the plot and found the story to be very enjoyable.  The story progresses quickly, with the main character also developing quickly.  Most of the characters lacked depth, but the reader feels some sympathy for Ian's family situation.  When left to make a "grown up" decision at the end of the book, the reader know that which ever decision Ian makes will affect the rest of his life and can understand the pros and cons of each choice.

Ideas
This book is a unique way of telling the story about the "different" kid in class and is a great way for children to learn about teasing, as well as a little bit about open communication within a family.  They also learn about friendships and what really makes a good friend.