Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Young Adult Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4059-0
311 pp.
Suitable for ages 14+

Readers Annotation: Quincie Morris suddenly has to tackle many issues: the reopening of her family restaurant, the death of a close friend, the boy she loves, and the werewolves and vampires that are wreaking havoc in her town.

Plot Summary: Quincie Morris is independent and an orphan. She lives in Austin, a town of werewolves and vampires where nothing looks like it seems, with her uncle. She has a crush on Kieren, her hybrid-werewolf first love that is threatening to leave her for the wolfpack. She and her uncle are planning on re-opening the family restaurant with a vampire-theme, dangerous for a city full of them. As if things weren't hectic enough, the chef tragically dies in what looks like a vampire murder. Suspicions are thrown around regarding the chef's death. Vampires? Werewolves? Kieren? A new chef enters the picture, Bradley, but while Quincie tries to transform him into character before opening night, there is something about this new chef that Quincie can't put her finger on. As human and un-human forces collide, Quincie finds herself in a love triangle that has high stakes and blurred lines between who is prey and who is predator.

Critical Evaluation: The story is told from the point of view of Quincie. It is an easy read for the majority of the book as the chapters are short, the narration simple, and the dialogue is fresh and crisp. The main characters are all well-developed, but each of them has a touch of mystery to them that does the book well since it evolves into an erotic mystery thriller. However, minor characters come and go, and though they are not developed and too numerous to count, they all serve very important parts of the plot. This complicates the reading later on as you have to keep to scroll back and keep track of these minor characters. The plot oozes sex in a subtle way: the clothes, the descriptions, and their mannerisms all give the reader clues what's in the back of each character's mind while bite marks, rubbing, and detailed kissing point the obvious. This is combined with touches of comedy and of course, gore, which very well suits a novel revolving around vampires and werewolves and makes this book and fun, amusing, and for the most part, easy read.

Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith is a New York Times best-selling author of fiction for children and young adults. Interestingly, her children books revolve around modern-day Indians. This makes sense since she is from the Muscogee Creek Nation. Her young adult books, however, revolve around gothic fantasies/horror.

She is regarded as an expert of children's literature and even hosts a website for Children's Literature Resources. She is also a faculty member at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, as she teaches the writing for children and teen program there. She currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Vampires
2) Werewolves
3) Teeth
4) Sexual innuendo
5) Gore and death

Challenge Issues: There are big bits of gore, death, and sexual innuendo present throughout the book.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

Why Included: This was an assigned book for my LIBR 265 class. I'm glad I read it though; it was fun and amusing.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Young Adult Classics
ISBN: 0-679-42850-x
224 pp.
Suitable for 15+

Reader's Annotation: Recently graduated from college, Chris McCandless throws away all his money and goes on a two year journey traveling North America.

Plot Summary: Chris McCandless graduated in 990 with high scores from Emory University. His future looked bright, he was very intelligent, had a unique charismatic personality, but he didn't want to have a normal life. He wanted to live free. He ceased communication with his family and began on a two year journey all around North America. He went by the alias Alexander Supertramp as if he wanted to start a new life and go out with the old. His adventures included being in a thunderstorm/flood in the Mohave Desert, canoeing down the Colorado River, setting up residence in South Dakota laboring in a grain elevator, and living near the Salton Sea, among other journey's. From all his visits, he met colorful characters that he would make his new family. His main goal, however, was to journey up to Alaska and live his dream of living of the land and being completely free. This would be his most challenging journey yet.

Critical Evaluation: The book splits between McCandless' diary entries and the author's narration that shows both what the author thinks and what's going on inside of McCandless' head. Most of the books content focuses on McCandless' story, but the author also share's some of his experiences to parallel with McCandless, which adds an extra interesting element. This element is important because the author is able to relate to McCandless, something that no one in the book could do. In a way, this book is about youth rebellion but instead of drugs, sex, and rock n roll, McCandless, a free spirit, decides to be completely free not living by societies ways. Also amazing is the number of people he touches on his journey. But those people also speak of him in a negative light, stating that he is naive, crazy, and over-confident. Though his journey's are interesting, it's the objectivity of his character, interviews of people who knew him vs his own diaries that shows no matter how intelligent a person may be from a well-to-do background, youth, rebellion, and emotion take precedence in any young person's life; McCandless just did it in his own way.

Author: Jon Krakauer was born in 1954. He is an American writer, and more interestingly, a mountaineer. He has done numerous climbs, but he is most famous of his 1996 climb of Mount Everest, which became known as the Mount Everest Disaster, where members of his team perished in a snow storm. He has also written for a number of magazines, including Rolling Stone, Natural Geographic, and Architectural Digest.

Not surprisingly, his number one-best sellers were his works where he was able to implement his mountaineering experiences. These include Into the Wild and Into Thin Air. As of late, Krakauer edits the Exploration Series of the Modern Library. He currently lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife, a former mountain climber.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Starvation
2) Society
3) Hunting
4) Traveling
5) Family Communication

Challenge Issues: There are no challenge issues present in the book.

Why Included: I love traveling and though I don't have the guts, I sort of wished that I was able to live through some of McCandless' journey's in his free-spirit approach. I also like how many people McCandless touched on his journey's not to mention his diary entries, which were very intriguing.

The Breakfast Club by John Hughes

The Breakfast Club by John Hughes
Teen Coming-of-Age Comedy-Drama Film
Universal Pictures, 1985
97 min
Suitable for 15+

Readers Annotation: Five teens from completely different social circles unite after spending all-day school detention on Saturday.

Plot Summary: The story follows five teenagers who must serve Saturday detention from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the school campus in the library. And though these teens know each other, they are all from completely different social circles. There's the jock, the nerd, the punk, the princess, and the kook. Mr. Vernon, the fascist principal, supervises these students from his office. These five teens pass the time by in a variety of ways: humming, annoying questions, pure silence, lunch, etc. It seems impossible for these five completely different teens to even get along. However, as the day progresses, each one eventually bears their soul to the group. Each one also shows a secret talent. Together, they are also able to write the essay assigned by the principal. Each one gets to really know each other and they become good friends for that moment in time, erasing all the individual stereotypes possessed, and leave as the breakfast club.

Critical Evaluation: Ok, so this movie is rated R and there's mentions of sex, drug use, and real life conflict. But it's still definitely aimed towards teens. Every teen should watch this. All the stereotypes may seem cliche from the amount of teen movies out there, but they all exist. It's not so much that the audience can relate to at least one character (which they can!) but really how everyone in that room is going through the same thing; conflict with parents, identity crisis, and the future. Each one deals with it in a different way. It's that big picture that teens can relate to. It's also humorous how these five individuals deal with their problems together. It is also quite sad at times, such as the punk's back story and why he is the way he is. You really get to know each of these characters because it is dialogue heavy as there is hardly any action. The scenes are long and each one reveals something new in the characters. Thus, it's character driven, not plot driven and this is refreshing for any film, let alone a teen film.

Author: John Hughes is a screenwriter, director, and 1980s icon who wrote many successful teen-related films such as Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, and others. He was born on February 18, 1950. Hughes liked to write jokes and had a few writing jobs after he dropped out of Arizona State University. But he got his big break through National Lampoon Magazine where he became noticed for his teen story lines and dialogue.

However, his first screenplay, Class Reunion, was a disaster but his next one, National Lampoon's Vaction, was a major hit. This led to a long, productive string of hit films that eventually led him to directing for a few years in the mid-to-late 1980s and early '90s. By the 1990s, Hughes still wrote but burnout seemed to be entering along with the fact that the movies became more children-oriented. Hughes was still writing films like Drillbit Tailor till his unfortunate death due to a heart attack on August 6, 2009; he was 59 years old.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Coming of age
2) Sex
3) Drugs
4) Future
5) Conflicting Homelife

Challenge Issues: There are challenge issues present in this film such as drug use, mentions of sex, conflict at home, and school stereotypes.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

Why Included: This film is one of the best teen-genre films ever. I love the fact that there is no action and the whole film is practically dialogue. That dialogue reveals so much in the characters that I find myself connecting with each ones in different ways.

Heat by mike Lupica

Heat by Mike Lupica
Sports Teen Novel
ISBN: 0-399-24301-1
220 pp.
Suitable for 12+

Readers Annotation: As superstar little league pitcher Michael Arroyo leads his team to the finals, the suspicions and obstacles pile up against him.

Plot Summary: Michael Arroyo's loves baseball and his hometown Yankees. He lives only with his 17 year old brother Carlos. His dream is to pitch his team to the little league world series and he has serious talent to do it. However, he is so good that suspicions arise that he has to be above the age limit of 12. Suddenly Michael is suspended until he proves his age. He has no way to prove it. He lives only with his 17 year old brother Carlos. Both his father and mother have died and his birth certificate is in his native land of Cuba. As if things can't get any worse, obstacles such as social services, who, if they find out, will tear him and his brother apart. On top of that, Carlos can barely pay rent and his team is playing the most meaningful games without him. Will baseball return the favor and love Michael back?

Critical Evaluation: This feel-good story is narrated in third-person with quite too many obvious explanations behind each character's motives. It doesn't allow the reader to think as the author is doing all the thinking for us. It can also be quite corny at times. Its definitely geared towards young teens, possibly tweens as there isn't even a sniff of sex. Michael's character is well-developed as the reader gets an idea of what's going on inside his head. His talkative smart-aleck best friend Manny is annoying at best. All the others are not well-developed, especially his crush, Ellie, who seems like a ghost throughout the story. Surprisingly, the plot has many interesting moments and its best moments are usually away from the game of baseball. Michael faces some serious issues and these issues seem realistic. The pacing is consistent and natural during these times. However, once baseball enters the picture, it seems like a commentator is narrating, which can become tedious at times. Dialogue is not this book's strong suit; it relies heavily on action and narration, which is perfect for any sport reading enthusiast.

Author: Mike Lupica was born in 1952 in New York state. His emphasis is sports and he is best known for his provactive sports stories for the New York Daily News. However, his has co-written a few sports biographies, including Bill Parcels and Reggie Jackson. He has also written a book on the great 1998 baseball home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Lately, Lupica has crossed over to young readers. He wrote the number one best selling Travel Team in 2004 and Heat in 2005. He is also a regular on ESPN's The Sports Reporters. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and their four children.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Illegal immigration
2) Cheating
3) Competition

Challenge Issues: There are no major challenge issues in this book.

Why Included: My favorite sport by far is baseball so it only made sense that I would read a book revolving around baseball. I was a bit disapointed, however, that the baseball moments seemed corny, unnatural at times, and slowed the story down.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Coming-of-Age Teen Novel
ISBN: 978-0-670-01110-0
278 pp.
Suitable for 15+

Readers Annotation: As Lia's best friend dies from an eating disorder, she struggles with the same issues in her goal to weigh less and less.

Plot Summary: Lia and Cassie were best friends since elementary school. They did practically everything together: swimming, water skiiing, playing games together, and also trying to become the skinniest girls out there, no matter what it took. Fast forward to their senior year in high school. Cassie and Lia have a falling out. Cassie dies from being bulimic since she was 11. Lia has been anorexic since around then too and has been treated a couple times. The previous treatments do not matter; she once again pushes herself, a voice telling her that she's strong, is in control, and that she needs to lose more, weigh less. No one seems to notice; her mother is busy as a nurse, her father is always busy with his work projects, and his stepmother doesn't have a clue. But shortly after Cassie dies, Lia does start losing control. Cassie haunts her constantly, her family is starting to become suspicious that Lia is entering a tailspin of epic proportions.

Critical Evaluation: Told from the point of view of Lia, the protagonist, the reader gets a sense of what goes on inside a person dealing with anorexia and body image. It focuses only on this; there is no drugs, drinking, or sex. Just body image and it is simply gut-wrenching. The book does a good job of showing what the voice inside her wants her to think and what Lia wants to think but is too guilty to do so by having her guilty thoughts crossed through. To add to her confusion is the even more emotionally disturbing large scale of eating disorders occuring in the world as Lia visits blogs of girls just like her. Instead of asking for help, the blogs encourage others to continue being strong and lose more weight. It's almost as if there's pride in this! That combined with her busy family, it's no wonder Lia continues down her descent; she has encouragement, a false pride, and no one to give her attention! While the majority of the book takes place during the aftermath of Cassie's death, it does have very revealing flashbacks that show why Lia is going down this dark road. This provides exposition throughout on not only her, but Cassie and her family, which is a different change of pace from a usual narrative. The Elijah character is also a nice tool that helps Lia get her mind off things while helping her realize that she indeed has a problem even if the voice inside her doesn't let her ask for help.

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson was born in 1961 and began her career as a freelance journalist. But in 1999, she published her most famous novel so far, Speak, as this won many awards. It got her recognition and the book is widely considered to be one of the most important books for young adults in recent years.

She has also written Catalyst, Prom, Twisted, and most recently, Wintergirls. All of these have been best-sellers and award winners. Anderson has also showed diversity in writing historical fiction such as Fever, 1793 and the Chain series. She currently lives in northern New York State with her husband.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Eating disorders
2) Body Image
3) Alienation

Challenge Issues: There are challenge issues present such as eating disorders and false body images for teens.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

Why Included: I wanted to read a style of YA literature that I have not read before. I wanted to read something from a female perspective, one that dealt with body image. It is emotionally disturbing but very interesting at the same time. I also enjoyed the style of writing of Anderson to the point that I may pick up another one of her novels.

Kick Me by Paul Fieg

Kick Me by Paul Fieg
Coming-Of-Age Teen Memoir
ISBN: 0-609-80943-1
Three Rivers Press, 2002
278 pp.
Suitable for 12+

Readers Annotation: Paul Feig takes his readers on a nostalgic trip to the past when he was an awkward geek trying to survive his childhood and teen years.

Plot Summary: Told from the perspective of Paul Feig, the story starts off from the beginning of his time, from grade school in the late-1960s/early 1970s all the way to his senior prom in 1980. From the get-go, Feig is an awkward nerd and it doesn't help that his last name is Feig, which translates into "fag" from the bullies; Paul constantly gets made fun of. Paul is mostly a loner, apart from the one or two fellow-nerds he meets along the way. Unfortunately, as the years go on, it doesn't get any better. He has many uncomfortable experiences in gym class, an awkward family life, the few dates that he's able to get end disastrously; everything is awkward in the life of Paul Feig. However, he survives these years the only way he knows how: by dressing up as a girl when he's home along, discovering the pleasure of climbing a rope, and helping out his dad at the hardware store he owns.

Critical Evaluation: The style of the book is similar to the TV show Freaks and Geeks, as there are numerous cringe-worthy moments but there are also really hilarious ones too. This memoir is told from the person who's living these moments, Paul Feig, and only he can give these awkward moments justice. Feig is straight to the point, with simple language, telling it as it is, but with tinges of humor thrown in to make these awkward moments enjoyable and relateable for all teens. Feig paces himself nicely throughout, not spending too much time in one era or place, but giving the reader a nice overview of his life. The one thing that stands out is his self-awareness and this actually provides a nice character arch. Though he hates himself for being a nerd in the beginning, he eventually learns to accept it and live with himself the way he is, which is the underlying message of the story.

Author: Paul Feig was born in 1962 and was raised in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. He graduated from USC School of Cinema in 1984 and actually won $29,000 on $25, 000 Pyramid; he used his winnings to start his stand-up career. Cringe-worthy comedy became his trademark and though his stand-up comedy career faltered, e started out in the film business by acting on various TV shows but he is best known for being the creator of the short-lived sitcom, Freaks and Geeks.

After Freaks and Geeks, Feig worked on various projects. He continued acting and directing in various TV shows and films. He's also written a couple memoirs, Kick Me and Superstud. Recently, Feig has directed Nurse Jackie and Bridesmaids.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Alienation
2) Bullying
3)Coming-of-age

Challenge Issues: There are no major challenge issues present in this book.

Why Included: I loved Feig's sitcom, Freaks and Geeks and I've read that many of his ideas came from real life. It only made sense that I would read his memoir and I was very satisfied that many things that happened on the show happened to him in real life like hilarious cringe-worthy moments when he is afraid to shower with the other guys; I find it hilarious and relatable.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Coming-of-age Teen/Adult Crossover Novel/Young Adult Classics
ISBN: 0-316-76953-3
Little, Brown and Company, 1951
214 pp.
Suitable for 15+

Reader's Annotation: Set around 1950, Holden Caulfield, disgusted with the world, drops out of prep school and takes a journey to New York, not to see his family, but to find himself and the "phony" world around him.

Plot Summary: Holden Caulfield is a cynical 16 year old prep school student who hates his roomates, the "phony" people around him, and it doesn't help that he's failed just about all his classes to the point that he is being expelled. Holden has just about had it. Instead of calling his parents, he leaves for New York City, not to see or tell his family about his expulsion, but to embark on a three day journey fueled by cigarettes and alcohol in the city while stationed at the dilapidated Edmont Hotel. While in New York, Holden hangs out in various club for some fun but to no avail. He calls up a prostitute but gets clumsily uncomfortable, which leads to an uncomfortable confrontation with her pimp. He hangs out with an ex-girlfriend, Sally, for a day, but this backfires as well. He even visits an old English teacher, his favorite, only for that to backfire on him too! Eventually, Holden hangs out with his little sister, Phoebe, and though it is quite ambiguous, something clicks within him that returns some joy back in his life.

Critical Evaluation: Though written in 1951, Catcher in the Rye still holds up admirable today as many teens are going through what Holden Caulfield experiences. He's cynical of the world, hating everything in his path. It's not because he's a bad person either; he's smart, intelligent, but being cynical with a superior attitude has made him desperately lonely even if he doesn't know it. In a way, he's wrapped himself up in a bubble to protect himself from getting hurt. Notice though, that all his attempts for fun in New York revolve around companionship but his cynical and bitter ways ruin those experiences. He's extremely happy one moment but ruins the experience the next. Eventually, being lonely and running out of options leads him to viewing the world a bit differently, especially when his English teacher is not the person he knew. With innocence lost, in the end, Holden's character arch, thanks in large part to his innocent little sister, Phoebe, who is full of joy, helps replace Holden's cynicism with love, value, and joy.

Author: J.D. Salinger was born in 1919 and was raised in Manhattan. He wrote for the New Yorker to some critical acclaim but his big hit was his novel, Catcher in the Rye, written in 1951. However, Salinger never craved popularity, and the instant success of the his hit novel led to lots of public attention and scrutiny due to challenging issues in his novel. Salinger became reclusive and published his works less frequently.

Salinger would continue to be reclusive until his death on January 27, 2010. However, Salinger continued to make headlines during his twilight years. He had a legal battle with biographer Ian Hamilton during the 1980s and filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement in 2009. His last original published work was in 1965 and his last interview was in 1980.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Alienation
2) Homosexuality
3) Sex
4) Cynicism

Challenge Issues: The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most challenged books of all time due to its depictions of teenage angst, sexuality, homosexuality, and cynicism of the world.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

Why Included: What more is there to say about this novel? I unfortunately read it late, in my late 20s, and wanted to see what all the hoopla was about. It represents what all teens are going through: they don't know who they are yet and their defense mechanism is a cynical view of the world, which prohibits any joy and fun. I've experienced this many times and can relate to it easily. But what was more fascinating to me was the early 1950s lifestyle of New York City and the various adventures that Holden encounters during his 3 day stay there.

Clueless by Amy Heckerling

Clueless by Amy Heckerling
Teen Coming-of-Age Comedy-Romance Film
Paramount Pictures, 1995
97 min
Suitable for 13+

Readers Annotation: Cher, a very popular, wealthy, and superficial girl, spends her time at Beverly Hills High School making fashion choices, playing matchmaker, and looking for a boyfriend.

Plot Summary: Cher is a very popular and witty girl who has a touch of good-nature in her but is mostly very superficial. She goes to Beverly Hills High School and of course, is wealthy and into fashion and going to the mall along with her best friend Dionne. They innocently try and play matchmaker for two of their nerdy teachers. They also befriend a new student, Tai, and show her the ropes (and fashion) of the school. The only person that sees through Cher's vanity is her socially aware ex-stepbrother, who has little arguments with her. Cher also tries to play matchmaker with Tai, which back fires as they usually end up trying to go with her. Cher also tries to find the perfect boyfriend for herself, which also backfires. Relationship problems, sex questions, and arguments eventually arise between all three friends, which lead them to finding themselves in the end, but not without being clueless first.

Critical Evaluation: With Cher narrating, its obvious that this film is about her, which works well since on the surface, Cher seems very vein and superficial; it should be about her! But then again, she's a teen going to Beverly Hill High School and some scenes are not to be taken seriously but more as a valley girl parody. However, look behind Cher's shallowness and you will see intelligence, wittiness, and good intentions. That's what makes her character so likeable. Cher has a nice character arch as her ex-stepbrother throws some sense into her by the end where she seems much more genuine and not so fake. She learns through experiences, friends, arguments, and that everything is not about her; especially when she gets the cold shoulder (gasp!) from a guy. Dionne seems like the wise woman as Cher really learns about boys from her while Tai's innocence makes her character so likeable; she might have changed the most going from homely to fashion girl to genuine. This is a parody but with a dose of reality as sex, money, popularity, fashion, and friendship are discussed at length throughout. And though the ending wraps everything up nicely as any PG-13 movie should, it is not without shock value!

Author: Amy Heckerling was born in 1954 and studied film at New York University. She is one of the few female directors to have made many box-office hits. Her first film she directed was the teen cult favorite Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She also directed National Lampoon's European Vacation and Look Who's Talking before directing and writing Clueless.

After Clueless, Heckerling directed Loser and has recently crossed over in horror. She recently wrote and directed the horror-comedy Vamps, starring Alicia Silverstone once again. Heckerling is also a liberal and environmentalist. She helps environmental charities whenever she can.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Sex
2) Popularity
3) High School Drama
4) Homosexuality

Challenge Issues: Though not done on such a serious level but done more innocently, teen sexuality and homosexuality may be challenge issues.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries.

Why Included: Though I'm a guy, I remember watching this film in the theatres and just liking the innocent fun in it. If you look deeper, there are really some big teen issues involved, but they are masked by the parody feel of the film, which always intrigued me. Plus, I love the party scene where Brittany Murphy is sadly singing, "Rollin' with the homies." That scene always cracks me up!

Ferris Bueller's Day Off by John Hughes

Ferris Bueller's Day Off by John Hughes
Teen Coming-Of-Age Comedy Film
Paramount Pictures, 1986
103 min
Suitable for 13+

Readers Annotation: Clever teen Ferris Bueller decides to skip school and explore the city of Chicago with his best friend and girlfriend despite the odds against him.

Plot Summary: Ferris Bueller is a clever high school senior who, one day, feels that life may be passing him by and decides to do something about it; skip school for the day. He drags his depressed best friend, Cameron, and comes up with an outrageous plan to get his girlfriend, Sloan, out of school as well. All three of them take on the city of Chicago in Cameron's cold-hearted father's Ferrari. They go to a baseball game, hit the Sear's Tower, get a free lunch at a fancy restaurant, among other outrageous activities. Meanwhile, Bueller's nemesis, Principal Rooney and his sister, Jeanie, are suspicious and try and take him down but eventually to no avail while Bueller's parents are oblivious to their little angel's plan. As the day goes on, the odds stack up for Bueller, Cameron, and Sloan to the point where they all contemplate their current and future situation but in the end, they're trying to enjoy themselves and they certainly do.

Critical Evaluation: With Ferris Bueller talking to the camera periodically, this movie is obviously about him. He talks about his family, his friend and girlfriend, and why he wants to skip school. With a PG-13 rating, this is an innocent comedy aimed towards teens but without the drugs, sex, and rock n roll. The pacing is consistent as it doesn't spend too much time in one place. All the major characters are well-developed except for Sloan, who seems like a third wheel except that she is not excluded. The Principal has a one-track mind that provides laughs in his failed exploits. Though Ferris steals the show many times and his character is well-developed, he has a disappointing character arch; he starts off worry free and ends up worry free except for a little contemplation on the present and future. But Sloan and Cameron do this too so it becomes nothing really special. What is most interesting about this film, however, are the character arch's of both Cameron and Jeanie. Both are miserable at the beginning but as the film goes on, both end up having fun. Cameron also finally stands up to his father and this makes his arch even more remarkable, perhaps to the point where it wouldn't be far-fetched to think that this film is about both Ferris and Cameron with the message that life is too short and if you don't stop and look around it just might pass you by.

Author: John Hughes is a screenwriter, director, and 1980s icon who wrote many successful teen-related films such as Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, and others. He was born on February 18, 1950. Hughes liked to write jokes and had a few writing jobs after he dropped out of Arizona State University. But he got his big break through National Lampoon Magazine where he became noticed for his teen story lines and dialogue.

However, his first screenplay, Class Reunion, was a disaster but his next one, National Lampoon's Vaction, was a major hit. This led to a long, productive string of hit films that eventually led him to directing for a few years in the mid-to-late 1980s and early '90s. By the 1990s, Hughes still wrote but burnout seemed to be entering along with the fact that the movies became more children-oriented. Hughes was still writing films like Drillbit Tailor till his unfortunate death due to a heart attack on August 6, 2009; he was 59 years old.

Booktalking Ideas:
1) Life after high school
2) Ditching class

Challenge Issues: There are no major challenge issues in this film.

Why Included: This film is one of my favorites of all time and always puts me in a good mood. It's an angle I agree with in that you should try and make the most in life because if you don't, it might just pass you by. The fact that they accomplish all those activities in one day is amazing to the point where I've mapped their day out from beginning to end to see if it is possible (yes, it barely is!). I also love Cameron's character in that in the end, he finally decides to stand up to his father while experiencing some life. In reading the assignment, I saw another opportunity to watch the film so I jumped on it!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Coming of Age Young Epistolary Adult Novel
ISBN: 0-671-02734-4
MTV Books, New York, 1999
213 p.
Suitable for 15+

Reader's Annotation: A young high school student who goes by the alias of "Charlie" writes letters about his experiences during his first year of high school including drugs, sex, music, etc, to a person he has never even met.

Plot Summary: A high school freshman who goes by the name of Charlie is introverted and shy, thus a wallflower and not popular. He writes letters about his experiences of his freshman year of high school, which takes place in 1991/92, to a person we never meet. These include trying to make new friends since his best friend recently committed suicide, trying to fit in, questioning life in general, his love for pop culture, his family life, drugs, sexual experiences, friendships, having a crush, among other things. During the school year, these experiences come to fruition as he befriends a couple of seniors who are much more popular, Patrick and Samantha, who are step-brother and sister, who show Charlie the ropes, which helps him break out of his introverted shell. Charlie also befriends a teacher who gives him books to read and write on, which improves his writing and thinking. From all this, Charlie gets an understanding of a different kind of high school education where everything is not all that it seems, which in the end leads him to understanding high school and himself much clearer.

Critical Evaluation: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written in first person from the perspective of Charlie. He is very good at showing the struggles of what almost every teen who enters high school goes through and accomplishes this through writing that is honest, real, and direct. He's writing letters to an unknown character so it doesn't have the usual narration feel and instead is portrayed in dialogue as if Charlie is talking to you. The writing ranges from humor and joy to sadness, pop culture, and a cry for help. It's also heartfelt and innocent at times; Charlie is an introspective outcast and he is finding himself through a series of new experiences. When Charlie doesn't know what's wrong with him, there are plenty of teen readers out there who feel the same way. These experiences, however, do not hide the fact that his issues are starting to come up to the forefront more than ever as some physical moments in the story show big hints of psychological problems. Eventually this leads to the shocking ending when it all becomes clear, perhaps too much so, of why Charlie is the way he is and this may upset some readers who were hoping for an open ending, which this story is not.

Author: Stephen Chbosky was born January 25, 1970, and is best known for writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He graduated in film from USC in 1992 and wrote, directed, and acted in the indie film The Four Corners of Nowhere. By this time, he was also writing his famous novel and stated from the get-go in 1994 that the book would be very different from anything else out there. He also admits that he relates to Charlie, the protagonist of the book. Chbosky has also edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories.

Chbosky returned to film and wrote the screenplay for the broadway musical-turned-film Rent. Chbosky put in his two cents on television as he was the co-creator and writer of the television drama, Jericho, which premiered in 2006. And it has been announced that he will be serving as the screenwriter for the adaption of his novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which should be released in 2011.

Booktalking Ideas: Booktalk surrounding his friends suicide. Booktalking surrounding sex, drugs, homosexuality within teens.

Challenge Issues: This is one of the most challenged books of YA fiction due to its depictions of drugs, sex, homosexuality, and suicide.

A librarian should state that the ALA mission is "to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all," which is embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials. Librarians must act as an extension, making sure that they educate the general public, and themselves, about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom in libraries. There are also many other novels in the same vein, which are now considered classics such as Catcher in the Rye and The Outsiders. Those books were once under scrutiny, but now have been accepted. The same can be said for The Perks of Being a Wallflower in the near future. Teens should feel aware, not ashamed, of these issues, and this novel helps them relate. Librarians can meet with administration if necessary.

Why Included: I enjoy reading books that I could relate to and this book is one that hit right on the nose. Many of the issues in this book were similar to what I went through in high school. There's nothing better than knowing that you're not the only one and there's another person out there that you can relate to, even if it is YA fiction. Not only that, but the writing is exceptionally diverse as its funny, sad, introspective, with references to popular culture, which always grabs my attention.