“I can already feel myself getting fed up with boys and I haven't had anything to do with them yet!" - Georgia Nicolson This Week's Pick (Week of September 2nd, 2013) :
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Series, Book #1 by Louise RennisonPublisher: Harper Collins 247 p. One of my favorite series of books in both middle and high school had to be the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson books. Penned by British author Louise Rennison, these hilarious and heartwarming tales of a bumbling, awkward pre-teen (and eventually teen), George Nicolson, allow readers to commiserate and giggle at the woes and joys of being in this particularly challenging age group. If you haven’t read any of these books, but have read or seen Bridget Jones’ Diary, think of this as being in the same vein. The first title in the series, ‘Angus, Thongs, and Full-Front Snogging,’ was published on June 24, 1999. It is written in the form of a diary, chronicling an angst-filled year in 14-year-old Georgia’s tumultuous, dramatic life. In this introduction to the ten-part series, you will meet Georgia’s family, including her mother, father, younger sister Libby, and her beloved and belligerent cat, Angus. Also introduced are her best friend, Jas, and love interests, Robbie, Masimo, and ‘Dave the Laugh.’ Georgia’s adventures in ‘Angus…’ include such mishaps as cat Angus getting up to mischief with his cat ‘girlfriend,’ trying to make Robbie her boyfriend, and decreasing the size of what she believes to be her overly large nose. Towards the end of the book, she even unsuccessfully bleaches her brunette hair so blonde that her hair breaks off. One of the reasons that I would highly recommend this book, and the entire series, is that I myself enjoyed the books so much as an adolescent. This book would be a great addition to any library’s middle school collection because it fills a much needed niche area in fiction for young female readers, especially those who feel that they ‘don’t fit in,’ are going through an ‘awkward’ phase, or are just beginning to show an interest in the opposite sex! The relationship dynamics explored in this book address issues with friends, family, and pets. If your daughter has come home from school complaining about her back-stabbing best friend who stole her boyfriend; if your daughter claims she hates a younger (or older) sibling and is having trouble understanding or communications with them, and if your daughter tells you that you frequently embarrass her in public, this is the book for you! The examples in this book, especially how Georgia works through her own problems and tough situations, can help to model appropriate responses and behaviors in young girls. The book was even turned into a feature-length film of the same name in 2008. This would be a great title to add to a movie & book tie-in feature in any YA department. Interest Level: Grades 7-10 Grade level Equivalent: 5.7 Lexile Measure: 700L Genre(s): Comedy and Humor; Diaries and Journals; Dictionaries and Series. Themes and Subjects: Growing up; Friends and Friendship; Understanding Self and Others. Sensitivity: Adult Content. Book Lists: Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL) Books for Youth Editor’s Choice 2000 (Booklist) Top 10 Youth First Novels 2000 (Booklist) Michael L. Printz Honor Book, 2001 (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 2001 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (ALA) Awards: Nestle Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award #127 in the BBC’s Big Read poll for UK’s Favorite Book Read A-likes: Comment Form is loading comments...
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure; it is either a daring adventure or nothing. Week of September 23rd, 2013
This Week's Pick: The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Pekowitz HarperCollins, 3/27/2012 288p. Ages: 9-12 Grade Level: 4+ Subject Headings: Amusements, Recreation, Curiosities and Wonders, Girls -- Miscellanea, Social Situations -- General, Sports and Recreation -- Games, Puzzles and Play The Daring Book for Girls is a practical, fun guide for tom-boys and girly-girls alike. The series includes three other titles for girls. One of the reasons that I so love this book (and others in the series) is that it is so much more than just a guidebook for young girls. Practical, educational and fun crafts and information are also included, such as how to write in italics and Spanish terms for English words. The information contained inside this treasure includes everything from how to negotiate a salary to first aid tips. The chapters are so varied in content that they allow readers who become easily bored to only read select chapters, if interested. Not every girl is going to be interested in how to change a tire, especially depending on age or grade level. The Daring Book currently holds a 4/5 star review (based on 293 reviews) on GoodReads.com. Another positive aspect about this title is that it can be easily located and inexpensively purchased - used copied abound on the internet for as low as $1.00! Along with the cost of the book (or rental), there is a list of 'essential gear' that will be needed to complete projects in the book, such as rope, twin, journals, a flashlight and more. The book also comes in audiobook form. As an only child, I know how difficult it can be for a young girl to find things to keep herself occupied. This is a fantastic resource for families to use together, for friends to create crafts and memories, or for a girl to explore the world on her own with. This book can also be a trip back in time for parents and grandparents, and it has a charming vintage quality in both the aesthetic quality (graphics, illustrations, cover, font) and the crafts and projects. The authors address their reasons for writing such a guide in the introduction of the book: "Girls today are girls of the twenty-first century, with email accounts, digital cable, iPods, and complex video games. Their childhood is in many ways much cooler than ours - what we would have given for a remote control, a rock-climbing wall, or video chatting! In other ways, though, girlhood today has become high-pressured and competitive, and girls are inducted into grownup-hood sooner, becoming tweens and teens and adult women before their time. In the face of all this pressure, we present stories and projects galore, drawn from the vastness of history, the wealth of girl knowledge, the breadth of sport, and the great outdoors. Consider the Daring Book for Girls a book of possibilities and ideas for filling a day with adventure, imagination - and fun. The world is bigger than you can imagine, and its yours for the exploring - if you dare." Read Shari Fesko's review (Southfield Public Library): "In the introduction, the authors invite girls to explore their world, which they warn is "bigger than you can imagine," and they deliver a resource that will help them to do just that. The pages that follow are filled with interesting activities to try and important facts they may not know, but are sure to keep them busy for hours. The authors cover everything from making a lemon-powered clock to the history of writing and cursive, from how to paddle a canoe to the Periodic Table of the Elements in clear, thoughtful language that readers of all ages are sure to embrace. There is a very subtle "girls can do anything" message. Many of the activities do require adult supervision and that is stated clearly on the verso page in the note to parents. This is a volume that will get passed down from girl to girl for years to come." You can also listen to the authors speak with five grade-school girls about the book on NPR's Weekend Edition here - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16755023. Read A-likes:
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My family has very strong women. My mother never laughed at my dream of Africa, even though everyone else did because we didn't have any money, because Africa was the 'dark continent', and because I was a girl. Week of September 30th, 2013
The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter Publication Date: April 5, 2010 Age Range: 4-8 years Grade Level: Preschool - 3 Lexile: 820L (Adult-Directed Text) Hardcover: 48 pages Writing Style: Attention-grabbing Illustration: Folk-art Style Subject Headings: Jane Chimpanzees Apes Monkeys Goodall Women primatologists England Biography Genre: Biography, Narrative Nonfiction for Kids and teens, Picture Books for Children “This gorgeous, accessible biography allows young readers to absorb the significance of Jane’s tireless research, her groundbreaking discoveries and important work protecting Africa’s land and animals." - Kirkus Reviews Awards: Best Book of the Year, Boston Globe Best Book of the Year, Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, Booklist Best Book of the Year, Bank Street College of Education ALA Notable Childen's Books - Middle Readers Category: 2012 ne of the things that I love about this title is that it's available as an eBook, and available through my favorite public library. This fact makes it easy for educators and parents to check out the eBook without making a special trip in to the library. Children's librarians and school media specialists even have the opportunity to connect their iPad to a projector and display the book on a wide screen for students to be able to see - SO much better than having a group of young ones desperately trying to see in a reading circle! At home, parents can even connect their iPads to their television sets to allow young readers to follow along on the TV. There are also lesson plans and fun educational tie-ins available online for free, such as the Word Search featured on the right side of this page. The content structure of the book includes easy to read font, with around 4-5 lines of text per page. The sentences are short and basic. There is a note about the story at the end of the book written by the author, sharing how she decided to include what information and why. Young readers begin the book by discovering Jane as a small child, living at home with her family in England. It then shows her going away to school, and eventually deciding to study chimpanzees. The illustrations have been done in acrylic and pen, and the colors are so rich and vibrant that the reader feels as though they are right alongside Jane as she discovers new continents and animal life. Winter illustrates the title herself, along with nearly fifty of her other titles. Read-Alikes: |
“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.” Week of September 30th, 2013
Pink Princess Cook Book Barbara Beery Publication Date: 2006 Pages: 64 Formats: eBook, Spiral Bound Genre: Cook Book Grades: K-3 This title would make a fantastic first cook book or book on baking for a young girl. Barbara Beery, the author, is the founder of the Batter Up Kids Culinary Center, and has included thirty delectable recipes, complete with a full-color photo of each creation. Treats, drinks, cakes, cookies and more are covered within the sixty-four glossy pages. The instructions have obviously been written by someone who has actually a.) created and eaten these recipes and most importantly b.) made them with children! The instructions are straightforward, easy and simple to follow for the youngest of chefs. Towards the end of the book, there is even a metric conversion chart to introduce children to. This is a great project book for mothers and daughters - or grandmothers, fathers or friends - to work together on. This would even be a great idea for a birthday party - have all of your daughter's friends over, and try select recipes from the book! Another special element of this book is that many of the recipes are low cost and include ingredients you probably already have in you kitchen. The cotton candy cupcakes can be made with store-made cotton candy from the candy aisle and a box of pre-mixed cake mix. With so many schools cutting home economics and other such programs, this is a great opportunity to introduce kids to the joys of cooking. The recipes are also easily customizable, and some could potentially be altered for food allergies, such as dairy and gluten issues. The author also feels that these recipes can be a jumping-off point for inspiring your child's creativity: “What this cookbook is all about is a combination of the most popular cookbooks that I’ve done combined into one party handbook, if you will. So people can do the theme start to finish should they choose to do so. But my hope is, with any recipe, that they take it and personalize it. And they may pick and choose a recipe out of each section to create a party that’s perfect for their little princess,” - Barbara Beery. This book is available as an eBook and a physical spiral bound title. I can't wait to try some of those cotton candy cupcakes! Yum!! |
Girl Scouts is such an iconic organization that it's easy to overlook how daring an idea it was for founder Juliette Gordon Low to gather those first 18 girls in that troop in Savannah, Georgia. It was 1912, after all, and women wouldn't earn the right to vote for another eight years. Read A-Likes:
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Click here to watch a short interview with the author, Shana Corey!
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"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water." - Eleanor Roosevelt Week of November 28th, 2013
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and what the neighbors thought) By Kathleen Krull Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt Series: "Lives of --- " Genre: Biographies (Children's literature), Biography Writing Style: Attention-grabbing, Browsable Grade Level: 2-6 Lexile: 1150 Publication Date: 2012 Format: Paperback Age: 9-12 Nonfiction Awards: Wisconsin Library Association Children's Book Awards: Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award Author Kathleen Krull continues her 'Lives of --' series with this newly printed paperback version (2012) of her popular hardback title (2000) on lives of famous women throughout history. The illustrations feature larger than life (and out of proportion) female figures that are nearly comical in nature, as seen with Eleanor of Aquitaine on the right. Women mentioned in this title include: Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Isabella I, Elizabeth I, Nzingha, Catherine the Great, Marie Antoinette, Victoria, Harriet Tubman, Tz'u-Hsi, Gertrude Bell, Jeanette Rankin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, Eva Peron, Wilma Mankiller, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rigoberta Menchu, and more. The title spans just over 95 pages in total length, with a full-page color illustration of each woman. Small illustrations also accompany the text. This title would be a great part of a text-set, or as a read-aloud that focused on one individual woman. It would be a fantastic jumping off point for a student or reader that has been assigned a school project on a specific individual, or for women's history month. This inspiring series could introduce young girls to a wide variety, and wide time span throughout history, of different types of women leaders, their roles, and their accomplishments. Read-Alikes: |
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