Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-84337-2

Plot Summary:
Cyd Charisse is a 16-year-old who has just been expelled from a fancy boarding school for being caught having sex with her boyfriend. She goes back to her family's house in San Francisco. She lives with her mom, stepfather, and younger brother and sister. As part of a court order for her shoplifting conviction, she has been spending time at a nursing home, where she meets her latest boyfriend, Shrimp. She is convinced they are soul mates. Then he dumps her because he needs space.

Cyd's parents ground her for staying too late at Shrimp's house, and she is driving everyone in the house crazy. Then her parents tell her that her biological father is interested in meeting her, so off she goes to New York. She meets her half-siblings and becomes close with them, but then her mom flies out to New York and the two of them bond after Cyd tells her about the abortion she had while in boarding school. She looks forward to going back to San Francisco to live with her real family again.

Critical Evaluation:
I did not care for this book at all. My first thought was that Cohn is trying way too hard to be cool. No teens I know talk how Cyd does, the dialog was way too cutesy. Secondly, Cyd Charisse has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I did not understand her motivations at all. Basically, she has a healthy libido and a mom who likes to diet, and therein is the source of all her problems? I didn't understand. At one point, after proclaiming she is not spoiled, she proceeds to destroy a fifty dollar bill in the garbage disposal because her dad had to go to work instead of show her around New York. Are we supposed to feel sorry for her? I couldn't wait to get her out of my life either.

Reader’s Annotation:
Cyd Charisse isn't a tough as she looks, but it will take some digging to find out what's really going on under that punk exterior.

Information about the Author:
Rachel Cohn went to Barnard College and moved to San Francisco after college. Gingerbread is her first novel, and she has gone on to write more since, such as Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and You Know Where to Find Me (an Oprah's Book Club pick for teens).

Genre: realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduced Cyd Charisse and why she is back home living with her parents. Then I would talk about the alienation she feels and how she goes about finding a place to fit in.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book would be appropriate for ages 16 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book could be challenged for Cyd's attitude toward sex (that she likes it, a lot), and possibly for having a gay character--her half-brother. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book after reading the article "Teens, teachers and controversial text" which Cohn wrote, using Gingerbread as an example of a controversial text.

Rock Band (video game)
Developed by Harmonix Games and distributed by Electronic Arts, 2007

Game Summary:
Rock Band builds on the technology developed for Guitar Hero. In this game, however, up to four players can play together on the guitar, bass, drums, or microphone. They can also choose their avatars and band name. The play is similar to Guitar Hero in that players must hit notes at the correct time as they scroll to the bottom of the screen. Players can also save their band members by doing well (up to two times), so there is a better chance of getting through the song. The object is to complete a song, or a tour, hitting as many notes as possible to get the best sound.

Some of the songs included in Rock Band are "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden, "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones, and "Say it ain't so" by Weezer. There is now a Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band.

Critical Evaluation:
Rock Band is just as fun to play as Guitar Hero. The inclusion of a microphone for vocals means that those of us who are eye-hand coordination-challenged can play along as well. If I were buying games for library game night, I would purchase this before Guitar Hero because more people can play at once, and there are more ways to participate.

Player’s Annotation:
Think you can tour with the band? Come test your skills with Rock Band.

Information about the Developer:
Harmonix was founded in 1995 by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy who met while attending MIT. Before Rock Band, they worked on the game Guitar Hero.

Genre: video games

Curriculum Ties: none

Gametalking Ideas:
I would give instructions on how to play, choosing a character, band name, and song.

Interest Age:
This game would interest a wide range of players, from 10 to adult.

Challenge Issues:
This game could be challenged for some of the lyrics to the songs, although the ones I played were not offensive. People might have a problem with rock music in general. I would explain the library's selection policy and have the challenger fill out a complaint form.

Why I chose this game:
In doing my research for the genre presentation, I read that a lot of libraries had been purchasing Rock Band for their teen game nights, leading to a big turnout.

Dance Dance Revolution (video game)
Produced by Konami and introduced in 1998

Game Summary:
This game is played with your feet. Standing on either a platform (at an arcade) or on a mat (at home), players tap arrows in time with the beat of a song, as the arrows scroll from the bottom to the top of the screen. Players must hit the correct arrow at the exact time it crosses over a set of stationary arrows at the top of the screen. Missing too many notes will cause the song to stop and the player will fail.

Critical Evaluation:
I can see why people like this game, I just had a really hard time with it. First of all, the songs were incredibly annoying--either techno or disco songs that I had never heard, which made it hard to get the rhythm down. Secondly, I'm just plain uncoordinated and could barely make it through a song on the easy level. And really, the easy level does not offer much in the form of exercise, so that wasn't reason enough for me to play. However, it was very entertaining watching others play, especially the ones who were really good at it and made it actually look like they were dancing.

Player’s Annotation:
Let's go dancing! Dance Dance Revolution will get you grooving in no time.

Information about the Producer:
Konami is a leading Japanese developer of a number of games and toys. It was founded in 1969 as a jukebox rental and repair company in Osaka, Japan.

Genre: video games

Curriculum Ties: none

Gametalking Ideas:
This game needs no introduction for most teens. I would explain how it works, how to get situated on the pad, choose a song, and make sure you hit the correct arrow at the precise time.

Interest Age:
This game is appropriate for all ages, tweens through older teens would enjoy playing it.

Challenge Issues:
I can't imagine this game being challenged except for people who don't like games being in the library at all, or by those whose religion prohibits dancing. I would explain the library's selection policy and let the challenger fill out a complaint form.

Why I chose this game:
I chose this game because I had students who loved to play it, and I've also read about libraries using it for game nights and getting a big crowd of teens who might not regularly use the library.

Guitar Hero II (video game)
Published by RedOctane, distributed by Activision, 2006

Game Summary:
This game is played using almost life sized guitar controllers with four different colored buttons and a bar to strum along with, so it looks like you are playing a real guitar. The game can be played with one or two players. When there are two players, they can play as a team or compete against each other. The object of the game is to hit all the notes at the correct time to finish a song without getting booed offstage before the song is over.

Players get to choose an avatar and dress him/her how they want. Then they get to pick where they want to tour, and what song they want to play. Songs on Guitar Hero II include "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks, "Carry on Wayward Son" by Kansas, "Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana, "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns n' Roses, and "Message in a Bottle" by the Police. Playing all of the songs well will let the player unlock even more songs. Finishing a song successfully earns cheers from the crowd and lets the tour continue.

Critical Evaluation:
Guitar Hero is a lot of fun to play, and in general, I do not enjoy playing video games. It's fun to feel like a rock star and have crowds cheering for you. It didn't take me very long at all to progress from the "Easy" to "Medium" level of play, where the notes come at you in more complicated combinations. It's especially fun to play with another person in either the cooperative or competitive mode. The commentary from the tour manager is pretty amusing as well. I can see why libraries often purchase this game for game nights.

Player’s Annotation:
You look like a rock star, but can you shred like one? Put your fingers to the test with Guitar Hero II.

Information about the Publisher:
RedOctane was founded in 1999 by Kai Huang and Charles Huang and is best known for its Guitar Hero games. They began operation as the world's first online video game rental service. They are now owned by Activision.

Genre: video games

Curriculum Ties: none

Gametalking Ideas:
I would explain how the game works, how to choose a character and song, etc. I'm sure most teens need no explanation from me though.

Interest Age:
This game is appropriate for almost all ages, perhaps 12-adult.

Challenge Issues:
This game looks a little scary from the cover, but is really very harmless. Some of the songs such as "War Pigs" or "Shout at the Devil" could be objectionable. I would explain the library's selection policy and let the challenger fill out a complaint form.

Why I chose this game:
I read that a lot of libraries use this game and others like it, for their game nights, and they always get a large turnout.

Wonder When You'll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
William Morrow, New York: 2003
ISBN: 0-688-16781-0

Plot Summary:
Wonder When You'll Miss Me begins with 16-year-old Faith Duckle just getting out of the mental hospital after attempting suicide. In bits and pieces throughout the book, we learn the reasons why. She was overweight and a group of boys at school got her drunk at the homecoming game and raped her. On top of it, her father recently passed away and her mother is all but absent. In the institution, she meets a manic depressive named Starling who constantly tries to kill herself, and eventually succeeds. Starling would always talk about her brother Charlie who had always saved her in the past.

Now that Faith has lost a lot of weight, there is an extremely obese fat girl who follows her around that only she can see. It's hard to know exactly what she represents. Is Faith schizophrenic? Is the fat girl just the person she left behind? She gives Faith a lot of advice and reassurance, and eggs her on to take revenge on the boys who raped her, which Faith has misgivings about. She really just wants to run away. To do this, she needs money, so she becomes a bus-girl at a restaurant. Here she meets Charlie, Starlings brother. They become friends, and he introduces her to the circus, where he is dating the "Digestivore."

One day Charlie gets fired. Then Faith takes a knife to school and slices the face of Tony Giobambera, the boy that held her down while she was being raped. She runs and gets away. The only person she knows is Charlie, and she figures he has gone on the road with the circus, so she sets out to find him. When she eventually meets up with the circus, he's not there, but she gets herself a job cleaning up after the animals. She uses the name Annabelle, a nickname that Starling had given her. She starts to fit in, and eventually she is allowed to start training with the aerialists, sealing her position in the circus and life.

Critical Evaluation:
I loved this book. I thought it might just be a whimsical story about a girl running away to join the circus, but Faith Duckle is such a complex, interesting character who immediately draws the reader in. Her fat girl alter-ego is hilarious and it makes Faith's motivations easier to grasp. I especially like how things happen for Faith once she gets to the circus. They are tough on her, and she realizes she is just as lonely here as she is in the real world. However, here, she feels as though she has found a place to fit in, and knows that if she works at it, she will. Once she starts to feel comfortable in her own skin, the fat girl goes away and Faith becomes herself again. It's a mesmerizing transformation to have witnessed.

Reader’s Annotation:
Faith Duckle's life is a living hell. Will running away with the circus change anything?

Information about the Author:
Amanda Davis was raised in Durham, North Carolina, and is the author of a Circling the Drain, a collection of short stories. She teaches in the MFA program at Mills College and has been published in many magazines.

Genre: fiction

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would introduce Faith Duckle and talk about her experience in the mental hospital, why she got there and how she is not adjusting to the outside world very well. Then I would talk about Tony Giobambera--what he did and what she does to him--and how she decides to go on the run.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book is appropriate for ages 16 and up. There are a lot of literary and musical references that younger readers would not understand.

Challenge Issues:
This book would be challenged for its mentioning rape, bestiality,violence, and drugs, as well as some profanity. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
I was drawn to this book because of the intriguing cover of a woman flying through the air, and the excellent reviews on the back cover as well.

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
Pantheon Books, New York, Volume I: 1973, Volume II: 1986
ISBN: 0-679-40641-7

Plot Summary:
Maus is a graphic novel that tells the true story of Vladek Spiegelman's time as a prisoner of the Nazis during WWII. He and his family are Polish-Jews. Vladek enters the Polish army and is captured by the Germans. He is briefly released, and he and his wife Anja move from hiding place to hiding place, and worse and worse conditions. They send their only son Richieu to live with a family friend, only to have him poisoned when she is afraid they will be sent to the concentration camps.

Anja and Vladek are captured and sent to live in Auschwitz (separately). They suffer many atrocities, and it is only through luck and some ingenious wrangling by Vladek that they survive. After the war ends, Anja and Vladek finally reunite after months of not knowing if the other was alive or not. They move to Stockholm, and finally settle in America, where they have Art. Anja ends up killing herself in 1968 and Vladek lives on to remarry Mala, who he is convinced is only using him for his money. Once a wealthy business man, Vladek now hoards everything and even returns half-eaten boxes of cereal that he'd rather have the money for.

Critical Evaluation:
At first I was puzzled by the author's choice to depict the Jews as mice. This was all I knew of the story. As I read on and saw that the Nazis were cats, and the Americans were dogs, it all started to make sense. And when the mice were in pain, the expressions on their faces were every bit as heart wrenching as seeing a human in pain. I enjoyed how Art included the present-day in the novel. He is there, trying to get his father to remember the past and dealing with how the war has effected him. We've all read numerous accounts of the Holocaust, but here we get a very personal account of before, during, and after the war. Vladek is an exasperating character. Art himself is worried about portraying him as the stereotypical miserly Jew, but a more frugal man I have never heard of. His wife has to return a hair brush she purchased with the groceries because he refuses to pay for her personal items. It's almost funny, but very sad at the same time. I was thoroughly touched by this book.

Reader’s Annotation:
The Nazis have invaded Poland, but Vladek Spiegelman is not about to lay down and die. Read the ultimate story of survival against all odds.

Information about the Author:
Art Spiegelman is a contributing editor and artist for the New Yorker. He has won the Pulitzer Prize, a Guggenheim fellowship, and nominations for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Genre: graphic novel

Curriculum Ties: 12th grade American history (WWII)

Booktalking Ideas:
I would first show some of the powerful illustrations from the novel, and explain how the different nationalities are depicted. Then I would introduce the tenacious Vladek Speigelman and a few of the struggles he and his wife will go through to survive.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book would be appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Challenge Issues:
This book might be challenged for its depiction of Nazi atrocities, or by people who claim the Holocaust never happened. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form.

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because it's a Pulitzer Prize winner. Also, my students were absolutely fascinated by the Holocaust, and so I wish I had read this long ago, I would have recommended this to them, but now I can recommend it to library patrons.

When She Hollers by Cynthia Voight
Scholastic, New York: 1994
ISBN: 0-590-46714

Plot Summary:
Tish is a high school student who has endured sexual abuse from her stepfather since she was very young. The story starts out with Tish threatening her stepfather, Tonnie, with a knife. He laughs her off, and she knows she's only inviting more abuse. Her mother is either completely oblivious or more likely just doesn't want to know. She won't listen to Tish, and Tish feels like she has to protect her mother.

Once at school, Tish has a breakdown in gym class when the teacher tries to remove her shoes so she will participate. A trusted teacher is sent to talk to Tish, but then stops her when Tish is about to tell her what is happening to her. She says that she will not believe anything Tish says. So Tish gets sent to the office, and the principal calls her stepfather to come pick her up. This freaks Tish out, and she runs off campus, finally ending up at her friend Chrissie's father's office. He is a lawyer who takes on special cases and he gets Tish to tell him what has been going on. She doesn't decide to press charges or call the police, but as she walks home from the lawyer's office, she realizes she finally has a bit of hope. There is no turning back now, if something happens to her, at least the lawyer knows, and Tonnie will not get away with it.

Critical Evaluation:
This is a frenetic novel that could easily (and probably should) be read in one sitting. Voight does an amazing job in short amount of time puzzling out Tish's emotions. If if we get frustrated with Tish for not telling anyone, we still understand her fear. We even understand how she thinks she might deserve the abuse, as upsetting as that is. The ending was much too abrupt for me. We are left with Tish standing at her door, waiting for Tonnie to come out so she can finally confront him, and that's it. We don't get to see the confrontation or experience any satisfaction of seeing Tonnie get what's coming to him. I'm sure that is not the point of the novel though. It's an excellent character study and it will take most readers on an emotional ride that they've never been on before.

Reader’s Annotation:
Tish's stepfather has been abusing her since she was young, will she ever get the courage to break free?

Information about the Author:
Cynthia Voight is the author of many novels for young adults, with a wide range of topics. She won the Newberry Medal for Dicey's Song, and wrote the Newberry Honor Book A Solitary Blue. She graduated from Smith College and lives in Maine.

Genre: realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would talk about the quick pace of this novel then introduce Tish and her dilemma. I would explain her mother's situation, and why her favorite teacher won't believe her either. Finally, I would introduce the lawyer and stop there.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book would be appropriate for readers 15-18.

Challenge Issues:
This book might be challenged for its depiction of abuse and some brief profanity. I would give the challenger a copy of the library's selection policy and a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I knew Cynthia Voight is an honored writer, but had never read anything by her. I thought it would be good to have some knowledge of her books.