The tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

A wonderful heartwarming, stomach-filling story all about a too small mouse with too large ears and a more than human-sized sense of love and honour.

Highly recommended for any kid looking for an adventure story, though I’m sure it will only be on the shelf on the rarest of occasions. Newberry award winner.

The 39 Clues book one: The maze of bones by Rick Riordan

Imagine if you were given the choice between one million dollars or the first of 39 clues, which could, potentially, make you the most powerful person in the universe? Which would you choose?

This book probably doesn’t need any more hype, as I’m sure that all of the waiting lists at the public libraries are full enough--but but but—this book is worth the wait! Seriously. Seriously!

How do dinosaurs say goodnight? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

Nothing could be cuter than full-sized dinosaurs acting out the before bed tantrums of children. Just a few words per page paired with playful illustrations make it a perfect read aloud to young children. Sure to make even the most reluctant-to-bed chuckle.

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews

Nomi Nicke is an articulate imaginative girl trapped in a repressive small-minded town. Her mother and sister have both vanished, and she and her devastatingly sweet, yet slightly delusion father both slowly spiral out of control. A popular award winner, written with wit and charm, though Nomi’s constant wit and charm grows boring after awhile. Awards: Young Adult Canadian Book Award (2005), Governor General’s Award (2004)

3 stars
256 pages

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Jennifer at age eight lost her best and only friend Cameron. Years later, she receives a birthday card from him in the mail. Sweethearts is a novel about what happens between two people who have gone through something difficult, confusing and overwhelming together. If you have ever gone though a huge change, or lost someone that you loved, you will appreciate Sweethearts.

5 stars
224 pages

Regifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel

Jen Dik Seong --- or Dixie as she’s known by her friends has a really bad temper. But that’s okay, because she is really into the Korean martial art Hapkido, where she can legitimately beat people up. She’s also really good at it. When her parents give her $100 dollars to compete in a national Hapkido competition, Dixie is tempted to use the money towards more romantic pursuits. If you want romance, some great fight scenes, wicked fast paced art and old-fashioned revenge you should read this awesome graphic novel.

154 pages
3 stars

Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms by Fumiyo Kouno

An unflopped manga is a challenge to read, and this challenge is compounded when the story is not action heavy. Fumiyo Kouno’s work, Town of Evening Calm, which follows the every day struggles of young men and women who lived through the Hiroshima bombing in 1945, is definitely worth the learning curve, as it handles the delicate subject matter with grace. Town of Evening Calm is comprised of two short interconnected novellas that show the intergenerational effects of the citizens who survived subtly rendered, with care and sophistication, and how fear of radiation illness effects every life decision. Winner of several awards including the Grand Prize at Japan Media Arts Festival.

3 stars

New Moon by Stephanie Meyers (book two of Twilight series)

After a member of Edward’s blood thirsty family is tempted by Bella’s blood, the Cullens decide to leave Forks and Edward breaks up with Bella in order to further “protect her”. Bella falls into a deep depression, and her father encourages her to start spending time with Jacob Black, a family friend. As Bella and Jacob become closer, Bella slowly emerges from her depression, especially when she discovers that when she does dangerous things, she can conjure up Edward’s voice in her mind. Soon Jacob replaces Edward as Bella’s savior and protector and falls in love with this girl who can’t make it without a man, not even for one book. And besides the obvious advantages of a romantic partnership with Jacob (hello! he’s warm!) over Edward, the superficial Bella can’t get over her devastatingly gorgeous vampire ex-boyfriend. The second installation is a better read than the first, in that there is less of Edward, who is boring and controlling, and more of Jacob, who is the first relatable character in the series.

608 pages
3 Stars

Twilight By Stephanie Meyer (book one of Twilight series)

Poor Bella. Her mom’s remarrying, and she decides to move from sunny Phoenix to stay with her dad in rainy Forks. The first part of the book focuses on building Bella’s character (boring and whiny) and it isn’t until Bella lays eyes on Edward that the narrative starts getting interesting. Soon her inner dialogue changes from just complaining about the rain and the fact that she is klutzy to lamenting about her unrequited love for Edward. Eventually they start hanging out, and fall in love, and despite all of the clues of his undead status, it takes her forever to realize he’s a vampire.

Although I spent almost the entire book groaning and rolling my eyes, if anyone tried to take the book away from me when I was reading it I probably would have bit them. It’s totally engrossing, despite of – or maybe because of its ridiculousness. Bella is the perfect empty vessel for any voyeur craving a little bit of drama and adventure. Her lack of personality lets the reader take her place in the strong (cold!) arms of Edward: part protector, part stalker. A must read unless you desire to be completely out of touch with pop culture, but be warned: your inner feminist is going to kick your conscience if you like it.

3 stars
544 pages

Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture

Looking for a collection of high quality feminist writings exploring contemporary culture? Look no further than Bitch magazine, which features cultural criticism, as well as book, music, and art reviews. The magazine is unique and counter-culture without being preachy or strong-armed in its approach. It has few ads, and in order to cut down on publishing costs, while the front and back covers are published in full colour, and the inside pages are black and white. The quality of writing in each article is phenomenal, and the layout is so good you don’t even miss glossy photos.

5 stars
Approximately 100 pages

Bust Magazine

Bust is a glossy magazine that looks and feels like a fashion magazine but also has substance and edge. It offers fashion advice, sex columns, interviews with celebrities, feature articles, recipes, short stories and DIY projects. While it is geared towards adults, it is also appropriate for older teenage girls. All articles are written from a feminist perspective, and the women showcased and interviewed are inspirational, empowered and beautiful in all shapes and sizes. While this magazine does do its share of product pushing, it won’t engender the same extent of feelings of inadequacies about your appearance. However, unless you are an expert crafter, expect to be intimidated by the multitude of difficult DIY projects. Also, no photographs next to the recipes? Disappointing.

3 stars
Approximately 100 pages

Seattle Public Library – Online Teen Services

The webpages devoted to Teen Services in the Seattle Public Library stays true to the design of the website, with a streamlined design including a lot of white space. The photos are all tasteful and the lay out has a professional finish to it with photo corners uniformly rounded and complimentary colours throughout.

The content however, is unmistakably teen. From the home page, one can access details of upcoming programs and services, homework help, the option to contact a librarian, an interactive multi-media blog contributed to by patrons and librarians, anime club information as well as details regarding offered SAT preparation and practice exams.

Additionally, the teen area of the website includes all of the traditional content expected from a YA site including book quick picks, librarian’s recommendations, information on new items as well as teen submitted reviews.

The coolest part about the YA area for teens were the podcasts made by the teen advisory board. From recorded discussions on various topics such as marketing books for teens, to interviews with authors and artists, the podcasts are clearly organized, titled, decaled with a relevant image and briefly annotated.

5 Stars

Vaughan Public Library – Teen Vortex

The “Teen Vortex” is accessible from the homepage of the Vaughan Public Library website. The font and graphics instantly stand out as being for a distinct population of the library users without being too child-like. One of the best features of the teen vortex is the interactive blog, indexed by subject as well as date, in which staff members and teen patrons contribute to frequently. Information wise, the site provides several well structured sections including “The Guidance Office” for health, career, and volunteering information; “The Procrastination Station” for annotated lists of great sites about music, fashion, cars, sports and more; and “Research” provides pathfinders to a multitude of subject areas. Additionally the site gives links to event calendars, both in the community and at the library as well as a variety of methods of contacting the librarians at VPL. A nice touch is that the staff regularly checks for dead links, which can be observed by the time mark left beside the hyperlink. A lot of thought and planning went into this highly intuitive and accessible site.

4 Stars

Slumdog Millionaire (film) directed by Danny Boyle

I am not one to ruffle feathers unnecessarily, but I have to come out and say something honestly. I did not enjoy Slumdog Millionaire. Before the majority of the world rains curses upon me, and the pile of awards obscure my speech (8 Oscars, 4 Golden Globes, 5 Critic’s Choice and seven BAFTA) I would like to qualify a few things: I liked the child actors, they were undoubtedly amazing. The adult actors, on the other hand, outside of the Dev Patel’s portrayal as the lead character, were pretty terrible and over-acting abounded. There was absolutely no chemistry between the two lovers, and when they finally kissed, I wanted to look away rather then revel in the cinematic climax.

Despite all this, I understand the film’s appeal. It’s gritty, well shot, and extremely fast-paced. The soundtrack is killer. Shot on location in India, the scenery is spectacular. I don’t need to recommend the movie, as everyone has perhaps already seen it. But for anyone who wants to see a fairy tale disguised as something more, see this movie.

2 stars

Let the Right One In (film) directed by Tomas Alfredson

Based on the Swedish novel of the same name, Let the Right One In follows the story of a bullied twelve year old boy who befriends and eventually falls in love with a 200 year old female vampire who looks like a thirteen year old girl. They form a symbiotic relationship: she helps him have the courage to stand up his tormenters, and he in turn will eventually be responsible for her well-being. I watched this movie with my seventeen year old brother, who thought the narrative between the vampire and the boy was beautifully romantic, where I was hoping that the vampire would be killed off, saving the world some trouble. While this movie does have teenage protagonists, it is mature enough to be thoroughly enjoyed by an older audience. The little details the filmmakers add in at the edges of the scenes, such as a pretty calm cat in a window turning hideously vicious as the vampire walks by give the film an unexpected richness. Winner of numerous awards, including Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2008 Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

5 stars

Story of a Girl (audio book) by Sara Zarr

Everyone remembers the unfortunate girl who was labeled as the “school slut”, but what would it be like to see life from this girl’s perspective? Sara Zarr gives us the unique opportunity to do just that in her ALA recognized first novel. After Deanna starts dating one of her older brother’s friends, and her father catches them having sex in her boyfriend’s car, her reputation in the small town of Pacifica (or pathetica as she calls it) is forever tarnished. She is bullied and targeted wherever she goes, and her family life is no source of comfort. To cope, she forms a plan in which she will work and save money for the first and last month’s rent her older brother needs in order to move out, with the idea that he will take her along. The problem is, he won’t.
5 stars
Publisher: Listening Library
Time: 4 hours 48 minutes
Awards: Best books for young adults (ALA)
Tags: audio recording, book on tape, realistic fiction, ya
Story of a Girl (audio book) by Sara Zarr

La Maison de Mon Rêve by Cocorosie

It is widely known that twins often develop their own language, and while the two sisters who form Cocorosie are two years apart, the soft playfulness of their music speaks of a close connection and of inside jokes made into strangely beautiful music on the edge of comprehensibility. Stand out songs include “By Your Side”, an electronic ballad of a love sick woman who wants to be a housewife and “Terrible Angels” in which children’s toys that make barnyard animals sounds make a significant appearance.

5 stars
12 tracks

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Boy meets boy is a strange and wacky book full of fantasy, romance and comedy. Imagine a magical small town, which for some inexplicable reason, is completely open-minded and free. The high school at this town is like no other. The head of the football team is a drag queen named Infinite Darlene, members of the cheerleading squad sport Harley Davidson’s instead of pompoms, and P-Flag has more members than the PTA. Boy Meets Boy’s main protagonist is Paul, who has known his sexuality – gay!-- since being informed by his kindergarten teacher when he was five.

A new boy, Noah, has come to Paul’s town, and Paul and Noah instantly feel something really strong for each other. But even in this liberally minded town things can get complicated really fast. Levithan’s book is groundbreaking as it legitimizes gay teen relationships by rendering them as equally complex as heterosexual teen relationships –without all the complexity stemming from the sexual preference itself.

5 stars
192 pages

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Ever wonder where the vampire craze came from? Find out by reading the quintessential fang-tabulous novel by Bram Stoker. Although Bram Stoker did not invent the vampire, his work has proven timeless, inspiring vampire literature throughout the ages. Written in a series of letters, diaries and newspaper clippings, the narrative follows the strange and terrifying journey of Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer who finds himself in the unlucky position of providing legal assistance to a powerful undead blood-sucker.

Like any epistolary novel, the style changes depending on the narrator, and while some characters write their journal entries in a quick and plot-based manner, others trudge along with dry scientific exactness. Although this adds to the book’s authenticity, it does drag the story out sometimes, so be prepared for a dense but ultimately fascinating read.

5 stars
526 pages

Crazy Jack by Donna Jo Napoli

There is no question that fairy tales hold an abundance of psychological mystery, and bravo to Donna Jo Napoli and her efforts to explore this rich literary ground in an entirely accessible manner. Crazy Jack is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, which stays relatively true to the story, but enriches and expands Jack’s experiences, desires and motives, adding a measure of humanity into a magical tale. Her use of language is sparse and poetic, with “crazy” Jack thinking and speaking more in riddles and analogies as the small book progresses. Don’t let the horrible cover art deter you from this quick, mesmerizing (and surprisingly sensual) read.

4 stars
144 pages

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese is comprised of three distinct yet intertwining stories which are each told so vibrantly and honestly that it is amazing that the book didn’t win three Printz awards – one for each tale. This graphic novel is more than a just three good stories, it also contains a lesson in mythology as well as a sociological study of the stress of racism on personal development. Meet Jin Wang, who is coping with both racism and his first serious crush, follow the illustrated interpretation of the legend of the Monkey King, and feel the nauseating familiarity of every negative Chinese stereotype you’ve ever heard revamped in a tasteless weeknight sitcom.

5 stars
233 Pages

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Of all of Ellen Hopkins strengths as a writer, her stream-of-consciousness verse comes closer to evoking the terrible reality and beauty of being a frightened, lonely and confused teenager than anything I’ve ever read. Through verse after cascading verse, follow the perfect daughter and student Kristina as she succumbs to her shadow self: Bree. Watch mesmerized as Bree dances with what she names the monster. This book swallows you in much the same way that the monster (or cystal-meth) tries to swallow Bree.

5 stars

Ancient Joe: El Bizzaron by Morse C. Scott

El Bizzaron: part legend, all trickster. Otherwise known as Ancient Joe, an ancient creature made up of wood and flesh, this mysterious character is wonderfully captured in this sparsely drawn graphic novel by illustrator and writer C. Scott Morse. His simple drawings perfectly match the two fantastical stories that make up the graphic novel starring the intriguingly human Ancient Joe. Join him hitching a ride with two mischievous youngsters who recount how he tricked the devil, and follow him on his quest to hell and back to find out of his wife has been taken in revenge. Includes a bibliography for further reading exploring the mythology of Ancient Joe for those who are intrigued by this memorable character.

5 stars

An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming [Adaptation] by Al Gore

documentary and best-selling book An Inconvenient Truth, has no doubt galvanized many citizens in North America to look hard at their own personal contributions to climate change. Al Gore is successful at getting the message of global change to people is because he himself already packaged the information in an entirely consumable manner. That is, he relies on the power of images as evidence to his facts and figures. Large beautiful and awe-inspiring photographs comprise most of this book, and all information that can be presented visually is. Gore doesn’t hold back with showing the immensity of the problem the world is faced with but remains hopeful yet pragmatic about what can and must be done. The book doesn’t end on its last page. Instead, it encourages you to visit www.climatecrisis.net where you can interact with a community of environmental activists.

4 stars
191 pages

Crush by Carrie Mac

Hope, a hippie commune kid, is sent to Brooklyn in order to spend the summer with her sister so that her lovey-dovey parents can go to Thailand on a second “non honey-moon”. Hope, without money or friends, is left pretty much alone and can’t stop obsessing over her last disastrous relationship. Luckily, true to her name, Hope remains--well hopeful and within a few chapters pays off an inexplicable debt to a vet, finds a new great job, and comes out of the closet. Pleasant and quick to read, in the same way one could read a glossy magazine article without coming up for air, this book is a surefire winner for the reader who loves plot and hates description. Also perfect for reluctant readers.

3 stars
106 pages

Doing It by Melvin Burgess

Everyone has played a version of “would you rather”, in which two extremely undesirable situations are pitted against each other in order to discover the more cringe worthy of the two. On the very first page of Burgess’ award winning Doing It, this game is played by three lewd, hormonal, sexually competitive (and shall can I say it? familiar sounding) friends. Their topic? Who would be a better “shag”, a nearby homeless lady or the “ugliest girl in school”? If this sort of thing offends you, then you better not grab a copy of an urban dictionary and bunker down with this hilarious book following the ups and downs (pun intended) of trying to get laid at sixteen.

4 stars
326 pages