39. Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising
By Pam Muñzo Ryan
Narrated by Trini Alvarado
Scholastic, 2000

Genre
Historical Fiction

Awards

• Jane Addams Children's Book Awards for Book for Older Children (2000)
• Publisher's Weekly: Best Book (2000)
• Publisher's Weekly Starred Review (2000)
• Pura Belpré Award: Narrative (2002)

Review
Esperanza's life is about to change.  She has always been the daughter of a wealthy father who owned a lot of land on his Mexican ranch; she was used to having servants, pretty dresses, and porcelain dolls.  But when her father is killed, she and her mother are forced to run to the US to escape her corrupt uncles who now own the farm.  Here, Esperanza learns to work and to appreciate life around her for what it is, not what she has.  This is a beautiful story of a girl coming to terms with who she is and adjusting to new circumstances, doing what she must do in the face of adversity.  This story is set during the Mexican Repatriation in the US and not long after the Mexican Revolution.  A powerful story that speaks to readers about coming to terms with hardships beyond personal control and rising above them.

Opinion
This is a great story and can be inspiring to readers, especially those who can identify with the main characters due to heritage, personal loss, or other similarities.  Esperanza is a wonderful heroine that girls can look up to as a strong female role model.  I think this book is good for more advanced readers in later elementary school or the average middle school reader.

Ideas
Great for many different kinds of displays: historical fiction, Mexican-American history, multicultural history, etc.  This book would also be good for a unit on multicultural literature.

37. A Wreath for Emmett Till

A Wreath for Emmett Till
By Marilyn Nelson
Illustrated by Philippe Lardy
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2009

Genre
Poetry

Awards

• Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book (2005)

Review
This is a well-written heroic crown of sonnets, beautifully illustrated to represent the feelings elicited by the horrible murder of fourteen-year old Emmett Till in 1955.  Though packaged like a children's picture book, this book is much more intense and dark and more appropriate for older middle grade students or high school students.  Many of the poems are from the perspective of the poet reviewing the lynching and Emmett himself, but a few are from other perspectives like that of the tree where he was hung or that of his mother.  Nelson skillfully weaves this wreath in memory of an event that haunts her from her childhood.

Opinion
This book unfortunately looks like a picture book, which means many older children may have qualms about picking it up, but it is certainly not meant for children.  The artwork is beautiful and I loved how she incorporated the language of flowers, making a wreath of poems and a symbolic wreath of flowers.  The back of the book contains a description of the events that spurred this book, and as someone unaware of this event, I wish this description was at the front.  There is also an explanation of the imagery and literary references in each sonnet that I found very useful.  I think this book deserves many readings to get the true meanings, as some of the poems may be too "intellectual" to draw out their intended emotions in the first read.

Ideas
A great book for Black History Month it shows an event that "helped spark the civil rights movement of the late 1950s and 1960s".  This is a good example of a heroic crown of sonnets, what I can only imagine to be a very difficult form of poetry to compose, and could be a challenging project for students to examine.

36. Riding Freedom

Riding Freedom
By Pam Muñoz Ryan
Scholastic Paperbacks, 1999
Narrated by Melissa Hughes

Genre
Historical Fiction

Awards 

• Teacher's Choice Award (1999)

• WILLA Award: Best Young Adult Novel (1999)
• Arizona Young Reader's Award (1999-2000)
• California Young Reader Medal: Intermediate Reader (2000)

Review
After Charlotte banned from the stables because her riding makes the boys look bad and her only friend in the orphanage is being adopted, she decides to run away.  She escapes with the help of her friend and the stable hand, disguised as a boy.  She finds work in a stable with coach horses where she is a stable hand, and eventually coach driver, until she decides to move to California during the gold rush to find land where she can finally get her own ranch.  This is a wonderful story about "Charlie", a coach driver that was a woman disguised as a man until the day she died.  An inspiring story for young girls about chasing your dreams no matter what it takes, this story touches on the history of the woman's suffrage movement and talks about what it was like to be a girl in those times.  Melissa Hughes does a great job narrating, bringing Charlotte's story to life for the listener.

Opinion
This is an inspiring story about this girl who went against all odds to achieve what she did.  The author explains that though Charlotte was real, and most of the characters and history was accurate, some of the timelines were changed to coincide with historical events the way the author wanted.  I think this is a great book for horse lovers and for girls, who will find strength in Charlotte's spirit and resilience.

Ideas
Great for a display about historical woman, woman's suffrage, horses, or people who are not who they appear to be.

31. Technically, It's Not My Fault

Technically, It's Not My Fault
By John Grandits
Clarion Books, 2004

Genre
Humor, Poetry

Awards

• ALA Notable Book for Children (2005)
• ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers (2005)
• Book Sense Top Ten Poetry List (2005)
• CCBC Choice (2005)
• NCTE Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts (2005)
• Young Hoosier (IN) Book Award Nominee (2006-2007)

Review
This is a fun book of concrete poetry, poetry written to form a picture or to otherwise convey some meaning of the poem.  All the poems follow Robert through events like skateboarding and playing baseball, tormenting his sister by flushing the toilet while she is in the shower, or thinking about the perfect roller coaster or the life of a fart.  These poems are told well with their words and the pictures  they make in red and black ink with crazy font types really add to the entertainment they provide!  Middle grade children and even early high school students will love this book because of its quirky nature.

Opinion
With a funny story on the cover to start everything off, Grandits has written a truly entertaining book of poetry that even those who "hate" poems will find themselves enjoying.

Ideas
A great book for reluctant poetry readers.  A good challenge would be for readers to create their own concrete poem.

27. Legend

Legend
By Marie Lu
Penguin Books, 2011
Narrated by Mariel Stern and Steven Kaplan

Genre
Dystopian Sci-fi

Awards
None Known

Review

June Iparis aced her exam, a test of physical and mental capability all 10 year-olds must take to determine their educational and career potential and usefulness to the Republic.  She quickly worked her way through her accelerated high school and college courses.  When her brother is killed by the notorious vigilante known as Day after he robbed a health clinic for some plague suppressants, June is graduated early to take his place in the army and makes it her personal goal to capture Day.  She goes on an undercover assignment: living on the streets, trying to make acquaintances who may know something about Day and his whereabouts.  She makes friends with an unknown boy and his companion, a younger girl named Tess, and spends time with them in the slums, waiting for a leg injury to heal.  She and the boy start to fall for each other, sharing a kiss one night while Tess slept.  As the boy goes to sleep, June notices him grab at his neck, as if for a necklace that is no longer there.  Horrified, she remembers the pendent found at the scene of her brother's murder and realizes that this boy is Day.  June reports to her superiors that she found Day and that no one was to get hurt during his capture.  However, the next day, Day's mother is killed while the government captures Day and his two brothers.  June, loyal to the Republic until Day began telling her things that contradicted what she was taught, starts questioning her long-held blind trust in the Republic and finds enough shocking truths to make her orchestrate Day's escape on the day of his execution.  Readers will be immersed in this detailed story where questioning authority can be deadly, but necessary.

Opinion
The setting is made so real; the back and forth of the chapters between Day's perspective and June's perspective makes the audience understand where both characters are coming from.  The technology isn't excessive, but the author seems to warn that in a world where most things are done online, the government can trace it all.  A wonderful suggestion for middle grade readers, boys and girls alike.  Definetely memorable, this book drives the reader to want to read the next book in the series immediately (though this book does a great job of a solid enough ending to stand on its own).

Ideas
A clear example of dystopian fiction, this book may be used to show the extremes of what could happen under a dictatorship (the Republic's "President" always runs for office, but has "won" 8 elections in a row, with his son planning to succeed him).  It briefly touches on the potential dangers of the internet, but mainly focuses on the theme of a society that doesn't question authority.

23. Inkspell

Inkspell
By Cornelia Funke
Scholastic Inc., 2005
Narrated by Brendan Fraser

Genre
Low-Fantasy

Awards

• Best Sense Book of the Year: Children's Literature (2006)

Review

Meggie and Dustfinger's apprentence, Farid travel into the book Inkheart to find Dustfinger and warn him that Basta, a villainous man who loves to use knives and hates Dustfinger, had returned to Inkheart not long after Dustfinger himself.  A few days after Meggie disappeared into the book, her parents, Mo and Risa, were still heart-broken and thinking they've lost her forever.  They walk into their house only to find more old enemies that came from the pages of Inkheart.  Basta (who hadn’t returned yet), Mortola, and Orpheus had broken in, looking for Mo, Risa, and Meggie to exact revenge on for killing their old leader (also Mortola's son), Capricorn.  When Meggie is nowhere to be found, Mortola has Orpheus read all of them back into Inkheart where Mortola promptly shoots Mo with a gun brought with them from Mo's world.  Meanwhile, after warning Dustfinger, Meggie searches for the book's author, Fenolgio, who had come to live in the book himself, but soon discovers her parents were captured and are in the book and Mo is gravely wounded.  The rest of the story finds the small family trying to finally be reunited outside of captivity, and follows Farid as he tries to keep Dustfinger alive.  Fenolgio tries along the way to write beautiful words for Meggie to read and help him "fix" his story, but everything seemed to turn against his intentions, like a wish made to a genie that wasn't specific enough.  Funke did a wonderful job of trying to include readers whose first experience of the Inkworld is Inkspell by including character synopses at the beginning.  There is also a map for readers to follow the characters as they travel the vast and magical Inkworld, and small illustrations scattered throughout the book, presenting the characters and making the book itself seem as magical as the words in it.

Opinion

This is a great continuation to Inkheart, the first book in the series, but it can't quite stand on its own.  Many events are referenced from the first book, and not all of them are explained enough for those new to the series to be fully aware of the whole story.  A fairly easy read despite its thickness, Inkspell would be a great option for tweens who enjoy the adventure and magic often found in fantasy.

Ideas

Since this book was originally written in German and translated, this may be a good book for a display about popular books originating for foreign countries.  Many of the descriptions in the books are detailed enough to suggest that readers choose their favorite scene and attempt to illustrate it, like an illuminator would do in the book.

22. Cinder

Cinder
By Marissa Meyer
Feiwel and Friends, 2012

Genre
Sci-fi

Awards

• ABC New Voices Title (2012)
• YALSA Teen's Top Ten (2012)
• Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens (2013)
• IRA Young Adult Choices (2013)
• Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year (2013)
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Awards: Master List (2013-2014)
• Abraham Lincoln Award Illinois' High School Readers' Choice Awards: Master's List (2014)
• NYSRA Charlotte Award High School Winner (2014)
• Indian Young Hoosier Award Middle Grade Nominee (2014-2015)
• MASL Readers Awards Nominee (2014-2015)
• Nebraska Golden Sower Award Young Adult Nominee (2014-2015)
• VSBA Middle School Nominee (2014-2015)
• Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2015)
• Oklahoma Sequoyah Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2015)

Review

A Cinderella story with a new twist: Cinder is a cyborg mechanic and is the property of her step-mother since her adoptive father died after rescuing her from the hovercraft accident she was disfigured in.  Prince Kai suddenly appears at her mechanic market stall once day requesting she fix his android.  Unfortunately, the plague that has been brushing the outskirts of town has begun to make its way inside the city, infecting Cinder's step-sister and the Emperor himself.  Cinder is "volunteered" as a test subject for vaccines to help with the epidemic where the doctor testing her teaches her much about her past and finds her immune to the illness.  Cinder continues to see Prince Kai, causing them both to develop feelings for one another.  Kai discusses with Cinder a looming threat of war from the Lunars (inhabitants that live on the moon and have special abilities resembling mind control).  Cinder discovers that the Prince's android holds secrets about a possibly surviving heir to the Lunar throne who has been thought dead!  If she is restored to the throne, Kai's concerns about war and possible marriage to the tyrannical Lunar queen could be put to rest.  On the night of a ball thrown by Prince Kai, with the Lunar Queen present, Cinder must make the difficult decision of escaping her terrible stepmother forever and never seeing Kai again, or warning him of impending danger and lose her only chance of escape.  This thrilling and unique retelling of Cinderella will keep readers engaged, always on the edge of their seats to see what will happen next.

Opinion
A very detailed, thought-out story with a rich setting and back story.  Cinder is a well fleshed out, believable character, with a sarcastic and mysterious side, but some of the other characters are a little flat, including Prince Kai.  Though he is a likable character, there is not much to him.  Some parts of the story seem to have been started and then stopped without much resolution leaving the reader unsure if that minor story line is cut short or may be continued in the next book.  Overall, this is a great sci-fi telling of Cinderella that is appropriate for middle grade through high school.

Ideas
Great for a display of modern fairy tale retellings.

20. The Dark is Rising

The Dark is Rising: Book 2 of the Dark is Rising Sequence
By Susan Cooper
Random House Children's Books, 1973
Narrated by Alex Jennings

Genre
Adventure, Low-Fantasy

Awards

• Newbery Honor (1974)
• Named one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" by the National Education Association (2007)
• Named one of the "Top 100 Chapter Books" of all time by School Library Journal (2012)

Review

Will Stanton prepares for his Midwinter birthday, but can’t shake the feeling something is wrong.  Animals are reacting aggressively toward him and he is given a strange metal symbol as a birthday present by a long-time family friend, Farmer Dawson.  Soon Will discovers he was the last Old One, an ancient and powerful being, to be born and he came into the fullness of his powers on his 11th birthday.  Will travels through time with other Old Ones "…for all times co-exist, and the future can sometimes affect the past, even though the past is a road that leads to the future . . . But men cannot understand this.”  He is told by another Old One that he is the Sign Seeker, and that he already had one of them, the item Farmer Dawson had given him.  There are six Signs that must be gathered to help fight off the Dark, dark forces that were trying to control the world.  Will, along with the light (the Old Ones and others) fight constantly to keep the Dark at bay.  The Dark had some influence on the world and were the ones causing the snow, which Will soon discovers, is at risk of killing people in his village.  Will learns to control his powers and the Signs to fend off the Dark a while longer and keep his family safe from something they don't know is happening.   Will visits with other Old Ones in different times to learn more about who he is and how he can help fight the Dark.  A captivating book that shows a young boy coping with his new situation that can sometimes be seen as a gift and at other times be seen as a burden.

Opinion

I didn't know this was the second book in a series until looking more closely at the cover.  The author did a wonderful job of making the book stand alone, but now that I know it is part of a larger series, I certainly want to read the first book, and all the rest!  The setting changes frequently and I wasn't always sure "when" the book was, but I was swept up in the story nonetheless.  There is mention of British folklore in this book, and I'm sure I would find it all that more entertaining if I was familiar with the basics of the original folk characters, like Heren the Hunter.

Ideas

A great book for reluctant readers since it is part of a series they can keep going with if they enjoy this one, but the book also stands alone well, allowing readers who may be unsure about fantasy to try new things.

17. Hercules

Hercules
Directed by Brett Ratner
Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, 2014

Genre
Action, Adventure, Legend

Awards
None Known

Review
A brand new telling of the legend of Hercules shows that he doesn't always fight his battles alone.  He has a group of friends and skilled fighters, who stand by him.  The story opens showing some of the great feats Hercules was said to have accomplished, but quickly comes back to present times to find the storyteller is the nephew of Hercules who has been captured by pirates and is trying to delay their attempt to kill him while waiting for Hercules to come rescue him.  The movie continues from there, always hinting that Hercules may or may not really be the son of Zeus, but all that mattered was that his legend lived on so it went ahead of him, casting fear into the hearts of his enemies and inspiring courage in his allies.  The movie also references Hercules's family being killed and that he was banned from Athens, accused of their murder, which lead him to become a mercenary for hire.  A cleaver balance of humor and action/adventure was shown, humor mainly being shown by the character Tydeus, but also at times by others in Hercules's party.  This movie is rated PG-13 due to brief nudity (a quick flash of a woman disrobing from the back and showing her bare buttocks), intense battle scenes and violence, and language.  This telling of the Hercules legend is based on The Thracian Wars comic series by Radical Comics and can certainly be enjoyed by newcomers to the Hercules story, but those who have followed previous shows, movies, or other tellings made about this legend may see references in the movie.

Opinion
I was surprised this movie was rated PG-13.  The battle scenes were intense, but showed little blood.  There were certainly many dead bodies, including those of children showed up close, and heads on spikes.  There was a flash of brief nudity and language concerns including a handful of uses of the word "shit" and a use of the "f-word".  Parental discretion is definitely advised with this movie, as this may be considered absolutely appropriate by some parents and absolutely not by others.  That aside, I think this movie was certainly appealing to the tween group due to the casting of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Hercules and the heavy action in the film.  The 3D effects were a little overwhelming at the beginning, but were very enjoyable and well-timed for the rest of the movie.  Humor was well-used, having Tydeus being a consistent relief during fighting scenes.

Ideas
I would certainly recommend parents to look into this movie before deciding if it is appropriate for their tween to see, whether alone or with an adult.  It is a good addition to the anthology of Hercules retellings and will be a good addition to a mythology display (after it is released on DVD) to hopefully attract older patrons.

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.

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.

5. The Notorious Benedict Arnold

The Notorious Benedict Arnold

By Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook Press, 2010
Narrated by Mark Bramhall

Genere
Non-fiction

Honors

• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Non-Fiction (2011)
• YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (2011)

Review
An excellent telling of Benedict Arnold's involvement with the US's war for independence from Brittan.  Sheinkin does a masterful job of weaving quoted historical accounts into the text and writing as if this were a fictional novel.  The introduction is captivating and puts the reader on the edge of his/her seat, especially if they know little to nothing about Arnold.  Since the topic is historical, and some readers may find it boring if they already know the outcome, Sheinkin paid close attention to details, bringing in other characters that played large rolls, and adding novelty information that was likely not taught in school social studies.  Sheinkin organized the book by dates, making chapters short and including many maps to allow the reader to follow the action across the East Coast and Canada as battles were fought.  These diagrams will involve reluctant readers in the action of the battles.  The audio book narrated by Mark Bramhall was wonderfully captivating, bringing Sheinkin's description of Arnold and everything he did to life.  Bramhall had wonderful voices to differentiate all the historical quotations from the rest of the narration.

Opinion
I thought this was a great book, especially since I knew absolutely nothing about Benedict Arnold going into the book.  I now feel that I could give an account of who he is and what he did during the time of the American Revolution, though the book did not cover much of his life after he left America for Europe.  I was constantly wondering what was going on with his sons, who he seemed to have simply deserted and left with his sister most of their lives.  I don't know if this is because there is no information on what they were doing while Arnold was off fighting, marrying another woman and having another child with her, and betraying his country, or if the author simply didn't want to focus on them anymore than he already had.  I think this is a fantastic book that is easy for middle-grade and early high schoolers to enjoy while still learning about part the country's history.  Additionally, I feel that Sheinkin did a wonderful job listing his sources in a way that the reader understands which resources were used for what research and where every quote in the book came from.  It allows for easy access to resource suggestions for anyone interested in studying further on any particular part of Arnold's story.

Ideas
This book would be great in a few places: an exhibit or project on the American Revolution, anything focusing on Benedict Arnold, and possibly even something focusing on George Washington or John Andre who were both mentioned frequently throughout the book.