Ericson Library is celebrating by confessing our love to the freedom to read!
Come to the Teen Zone today and tomorrow from 3:30-4:15 to:
- Get your Banned Book Week mug shot taken
- Enter to win sweet prizes
- Make an awesome edible book
- Try your hand at trivia and brain puzzles
-Check out a Banned or Challenged Book!
Check out these librarians who got caught reading a Banned Book!
We can't help ourselves...we just love the freedom to read!
Speaking of which click here to read the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement....and find out why we're celebrating Banned Book Week in the first place!
I will be the very first to admit that my intellectual limitations are considerable.
I'm an excellent actress, and have made it this far pretending to be a functioning member of society. I've got you all fooled...
...but this book made me feel dumb.
I enjoyed and appreciated Bechdel's Fun Home despite the frequent literary and scholarly references. At times I even felt as thought I was able to follow along. Even if the reader doesn't absorb the deep, philosophical and artistic...um...stuff, her first novel had twists, turns, and engaged the reader. In Fun Home she depicted her father's story and how it shaped her own. In Are You My Mother she does the same for her mother. Both books appear to have been therapeutic outlets for the author, but whereas the first novel was engaging, the second was exhausting. The scholarly references were pervasive and I found myself hoping for action and dynamism. It is as though the reader is sitting in on a very long therapy session. True to life, I suppose, the resolution seems to accept the fact that life's great struggles never resolve themselves neatly. "Happily ever after" certainly wasn't warranted in Mother and I'm glad that she didn't try to include it. However, the ending felt hurried, unmotivated, and uninspired. Nice things to say? Well, of course.The art is excellent and I found the repetition of the same scene from a different angle interesting and innovative. I enjoyed thinking about the subtitle "A Comic Drama." That was clever. My thoughts on Fun Home Arielle's Recommendation: Readers particularly interested in parental psychology will find a treasure in Are You My Mother. For mature audiences.
Bechdel, A. Are You My Mother: A Comic Drama. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2012. Print. ISBN: 9780618982509 Hardcover. U.S. $23.00
The verdict is in! For the last month EPL's Teens have had the opportunity to weigh in on the best and worst books you read this summer!
SWEET READS Matched by Ally Condie Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen The Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan Graceling by Kristin Cashore Yes by Jordan Sonnenblick The Lying Game by Sara Shepard Only the Best Series by Beverly Lewis Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and..."books by Lurlene McDaniel"
BELLY FLOPS!
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Drama is the word at Eucalyptus Middle School. It seems all of Callie's dreams have come true. So what if her crush, Greg, isn't in to her. She's designing the set for the the school musical, working with her friends on stage crew, AND Jesse, the new guy, seems to be just her type! But Drama has a way of catching up with you; and just when she thought things couldn't get better...they all fall apart.
Beautiful illustrations, bright colors, and expressive characters make this story come alive!
Telgemeier demonstrates the new realities of being in middle school with humor, style, and grace. Jealousy, embarrassment, sexuality, friendship, and family are all explored in an innovative and captivating way.
Arielle Recommendation: Much like Telgemeier's popular Smile, Drama is a quick read and explores some of the lesser represented realities of middle school. While Callie isn't an especially dynamic character she's easy to relate to and likable. Character's discussions of homosexuality are respectful and brief and may leave some younger readers with more questions than answers. This is a great pick for reluctant readers as the illustrations are so captivating and fun and the dialogue is substantial. This book definitely belongs on public library shelves and in school libraries where graphic novels are popular. Recommend Drama to reluctant readers, drama geeks, and graphic novel lovers.
Telgemeier, Raina. Drama. New York, NY: Graphix, 2012. Print. ISBN: 9780545326988 Pages: 233 Hardbound U.S. $23.99
Anya is torn between accepting her birthright and following her heart
--from the cover--
Image from amespubliclibrary.com
All These Things I've Done
by Gabrielle Zevin
First in the Birthright series
Anya is a powerful, no-nonsense character and, at the same time, she's a completely realistic 16-year-old. Not a lot is recognizable about New York City in the 2080s. Everything from water to chocolate, paper to coffee has been taxed, limited, and banned. Anya stands between her desires to honor her father's legacy (the former head of the chocolate mafia) and protect her brother and sister and rise above a life of violence and crime. This is a gripping, fast-paced story. Drama, intrigue, and romance combine with Anya's wonderfully unique humor and well-developed voice. Great read!
Video from youtube.com
Arielle's Recommendation: Every school and public library should make a place on their shelves for this fantastic book. There are zero instances of questionable language and the few mentions of sex are respectful and mature. Recommend this book to dystopian fans as well as realistic fiction and romance lovers. 7th grade and up.
Don't miss the brand new second book in the series:
Image from barnesandnoble.com
Zevin, Gabrielle. All These Things I've Done. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011. Print. ISBN: 9780374302108 Pages: 354 Hardbound U.S. $16.99
Arielle's Recommendation: Harry Potter meets Laura Ingalls Wilder, that's the way I like to describe this action-filled, innovative series. Eff is back for a second adventure in Across the Great Barrier. The first book, The Thirteenth Child, saw her struggles growing up as a supposedly dangerous and unlucky thirteenth child. (Thus the title, eh?) This book follows her post-upperschooling exploits as she harnesses her magical powers, discovers her passion, and (of course) saves the day. This is a must have for public and school libraries. Recommend this book to 5th grade to adult readers that enjoy magic, historical fiction, and quick reads. Excellent choice for middle school readers and those that don't like adult language or situations as the book is plenty satisfying without any iffy words or scenes.
Thomas, Rob. Rats Saw God. 1996.
New York, NY: Simon Pulse 2007. Print. ISBN: 9781416938972 Pages: 202 Paperback
US $6.99
Image from boone.lib.ia.us
Awards
ALA Best Book for Young Adults 1997
Annotation: Dangerously close to flunking out, Steve has been given one last chance
to save the day and graduate. Write a one-hundred-page paper that meets his
guidance councilor’s expectations. How did Steve, who was happy, surrounded by
friends, and boasting a 4.0 as a junior wind up in this situation? You’ll have
to read his last-ditch-effort paper to find out.
Open-end:
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
Where did it all go wrong? Just last year Steve York was in love with
life. He loved his awesome, don’t-give-a-crap, friends. He loved being part of
a wacky, existential club at school. Most of all, he loved Dub, the girl that
made his life worth living. Now, pot and being a jerk to his dad are the only
things worth getting out of bed for. Where did everything he loved disappear
to? Where exactly, did it all go wrong? What are the chances he can make things
right?
Visit Rob Thomas' website....do you know what hit t.v. show he created?
You'll have to follow the link to find out!
Arielle's Recommendation: This is the perfect book to recommend to the mature reader who enjoys stories about self discovery and loves characters that are real characters, because Steve York is something else!
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