Blog Entries
| 13 Reasons Why, Book | |
| A Step From Heaven, Book | |
| American Born Chinese, Book | |
| Boy Meets Boy, Book | |
| Breakfast Club, Movie | |
| Bring It On, Movie | |
| Catcher in the Rye, Book | |
| Cry of the Icemark, Book | |
| DeathNote, Book | |
| Divergent, Book | |
| Dynasty Warriors, Video Game | |
| Eleanor & Park, Book | |
| Electra Heart, Music | |
| Forever, Book | |
| Game Informer, Magazine | |
| Go Ask Alice, Book | |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book | |
| Hunger Games, Book | |
| Little Brother, Book | |
| Lord of the Flies, Book | |
| Mean Girls, Movie | |
| Mexican White-boy, Book | |
| Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Book | |
| Perks of Being a Wallflower, Book | |
| Pink, Book | |
| Portal, Video Game | |
| Pretty in Pink, Movie | |
| Prism, Music | |
| Pure Heroine, Music | |
| Rumble Fish, Book | |
| Scott Pilgrims Precious Little Life, Book | |
| Scream, Movie | |
| Seventeen Magazine | |
| Shonen Jump Magazine | |
| Some Girls Are, Book | |
| Soul Calibur, Video Game | |
| Stolen, Book | |
| Tantalize, Book | |
| The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Book | |
| The Fault in Our Stars, Book | |
| The Giver, Book | |
| The Outsiders, Book | |
| The Pigman, Book | |
| The Ruling Class, Book | |
| Transworld Skateboarding, Magazine | |
| Trapped, Book | |
| Twilight, Book | |
| Unwind, Book | |
| Weetzie Bat, Book | |
| Zombie Blondes, Book | |
Electra Heart by Marina and the Diamonds (Music)
CD Information: Electra Heart by Marina and the Diamonds, © 2012 Atlantic Records
Summary: Electra Heart is the second studio album released by the half-Greek, half-Welsh singer/songwriter. The album was officially released in 2012, but singles had been released individually on her Youtube site. She explains the album as an “ode to dysfunctional love” and further comments that it is based on the American female archetypes of the Prima Donna, Su-Barbie-A, the Teen Idle, and the Homewrecker. She wanted to tell a story on the album in 12 parts. She was inspired while on her American tour by the Hollywood 1930’s and 1940’s which are very lux and gossipy and began taking pictures of herself all over the country in different settings trying to look as different as possible, which is the inspiration for the archetypes represented in the album.
Annotation: An 80’s New Wave Synthesized beat paired with a haunting voice that floats over it all.
Critical Evaluation: Diamandis’ writing and singing styles have been both praised and ridiculed. Her voice has been compared to Kate Bush in the early years, and it floats over an electro rock beat. Another critic noted the albums “artificiality seems fake rather than carefully planned out.” The album did reach number one on the Irish, Scottish and UK charts, and is very prominent on Youtube currently. While the critics may be lukewarm to her talents the public seems impressed.
About the Artist: Marina Diamandis is a Welsh and Greek singer/songwriter born in 1985. While she grew up in Wales, when her parents divorced she moved to Greece to live with her father. She attempted dance and singing schools until she was finally signed by a record label in London. She has released two studio albums so far, The Family Jewels and Electra Heart.
Genre:
Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+
Potential Challenge Issues:
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included? Marina’s music was recommended by my daughter and her friends, evidently they were exposed to it on the internet via Youtube. A teens recommendation is invaluable.
Pure Heroine by Lorde (Music)
CD Information: Pure Heroine by Lorde © 2013, Republic
Summary: Pure Heroine is the first studio album of the artist known as Lorde. The first single released from the album was “Royals” and was number one on the charts in Australia and New Zealand. The album’s lyrics incorporate the angsty teen dilemmas of unrequited love, anxiety and teenaged drinking, all in an aloof detached voice. It is the point of view and voice of the songs that elevate the teenage cliché to a soulful yearning ballad. The other songs on the album include dance tracks and even the doo-wop inspired “White Teeth Teens.”
Annotation: Lorde incorporates a soulful but detached account of the teen experience through music.
Critical Evaluation: Since it’s release the Pure Heroine album has received more critical acclaim than commercial. In fact it has been nominated as Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards. Also, it scored a 78 on the Metacritic meter and most critics are finding her songs “melodic” and her songs “expose irony…without coming off as preachy.” The songs on this album stay with you with their cool detached rhythms and smoky vocals. Certainly an artist to watch.
About the Artist: Ella Yelich-O’Connor, released her CD under the name Lorde. She is a native of New Zealand, although she now resides in Australia. She was only 14 when she signed with Universal to develop her sound and point-of-view. “Royals” is her first single and Pure Heroine is her first album. Her major influence on the album was Lana Del Rey.
Genre: Pop
Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+
Potential Challenge Issues: Teenaged Drinking
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included? I was very moved when I first heard the song “Royals” and as it is so popular at the moment I thought I should include it as part of my YA materials list.
Prism by Katy Perry (Music)
CD Information: Prism by Katy Perry © 2013, Capitol Records
Summary: This is the fourth CD released by singer/songwriter Katy Perry. The music was written and recorded beginning March of 2013 and released Ocotber 18, 2013. The first single released from the CD was “Roar” was pre-released in August 2013 while “Unconditionally,” “Dark Horse” and “Walking on Air” soon followed. The first single, “Roar” is described as an “empowerment anthem,” while “Unconditionally” is a “power ballad.” “Walking on Air” has elements of disco and “Dark Horse” has been described as hip-hop influenced.
Annotation:
Critical Evaluation: This CD was released in Ireland first where it debuted at number one. Shortly thereafter it peaked in four other countries at number one and went platinum in four countries. The critics had positive to mixed reviews of the songs on the CD. One reviewer claimed the new CD was a bit of a disappointment compared to prior work, while others claimed it is more vulnerable and mature than other work. It did receive her highest metacritic ranking to date at 61. This CD incorporates many diverse styles of music in fun and innovative mash-ups. Juicy-J contributes his vocal talents on the track “Dark Horse.”
About the Artist: This is the fourth CD out by the talented Katy Perry and she had a long personal journey before completing it. She divorced her husband actor Russell Brand, and was in “a very dark place” before she could begin writing the music. After a rejuvenating trip to Africa, Perry began writing the music again with the assistance of Dr. Luke, Cirkit and Bonnie McKee. Katy Perry is a musician, singer and actress and continues to write music and tour.
Genre: Pop
Reading Level/Interest Age: 13+
Potential Challenge Issues: n/a
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included? Recently released example of contemporary pop music. Also this CD debuted at number one in three countries.
Soul Calibur V (XBox 360) – Video Game
Game Information: Soul Calibur V for Xbox 360 Release Date: January 31, 2012, Namco
Rated T (teen)
ASIN B003O6EA4E
Summary: Soul Calibur V, like the others of the series, takes warriors from across the land during the 17th century, wherein these heroes vie for two eternal blades that can grant wishes – and fearsome power. These blades are aligned with good and evil – Soul Calibur and Soul Edge respectively. The warriors obtain the power of these swords usually through duking it out in an arena, this being a fighting game after all. The main story follows Patroklos, a fiery Greek warrior with a bone to pick with the malfested (those corrupted by the evil sword, Soul Edge), as he searches for his timid sister, Pyrrha. Pyrrha, meanwhile, is forced to kill in self-defense, and her guilt is manipulated by a coherent malfested named Tira, who eventually corrupts Pyrrha into being a host for Soul Edge, and she is forced into conflict with her brother.
Player’s Annotation: One game, twenty-nine characters, and two legendary swords – on the stage of good and evil, where will you stand? Do you have the power to claim victory?
Critical Evaluation: While the story may seem engaging, in reality it’s only a way to get to lead the player to the next battle. With several modes of play, allowing the player to fight both AI fighters and real opponents around the globe, this game extends far beyond the admittedly small story mode. What makes this fighting game unique is not it’s story, but it’s unique fighting style; while fighting games usually feature weaponless characters beating each other with good old fisticuffs, Soul Calibur gives each character a unique weapon with different abilities and advantages, creating a fighting game experience completely unlike any other.
Interest Age: 15+
Potential Challenge Issues: Mild Language, Violence
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included? This game is popular among my daughter and her friends due to the variety of characters and styles, and because it provides a way to compete in a non-physical way.
Dynasty Warriors 7 (XBox 360) – Video Game
Game Information: Dynasty Warriors 7 for Xbox 360 Release Date: October 9, 2007, Koei
Rated T (teen)
ASIN B004HVKAA8
Summary: Dynasty Warriors 7 is a “hack n’ slash” game where you fight through historic battles of the Three Kingdoms Era of Chinese history. You choose one of the four kingdoms – Shu, Wu, Wei, and Jin – to side with during the battle, and you also pick one of the historical warriors as your avatar. The Battles follow actual historical battles (embellished by the fictional book Romance of the Three Kingdoms) that the warriors fight in. The player follows the rise and fall of his/her kingdom until dynasties are all united at the end by the Jin dynasty.
Player’s Annotation: Slashing, fighting and hacking your way through ancient China, do you have what it takes to become a “true warrior of the Three Kingdoms”?
Critical Evaluation: Dynasty Warriors 7 provides both a return to the series’ original battle dynamics and aesthetics (in comparison to 6’s badly received character designs and battle system), while keeping the game fresh by adding a new kingdom, Jin, to the roster, and creating a more linear story mode in which the player goes through the battles of each kingdom chronologically. The cut scenes within the game are much more elegantly handled than any of it’s predecessors or even it’s successor, combining orchestrated pieces with stellar voice-acting and animation. However, despite it’s favorable reviews from gamers in the fanbase, many who are not familiar to the series are quick to denounce it’s virtues because of the seemingly simplistic nature of the hack n’ slash genre.
Interest Age: 15+
Potential Challenge Issues: Alcohol, Mild Language, Violence
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included? My daughter is completely obsessed with these games because of the historical nature and fun yet not too challenging gameplay.
Portal (XBox 360) – Video Game
Game Information: Portal for Xbox 360 Release Date: October 9, 2007 Valve Corporation
Rated T (teen)
ASIN B000R0PLK2
Summary: Portal is a puzzle game and the player has a game that shoots portals and the player may travel through portals to solve mazes. Essentially the player is a “lab rat” and must solve the puzzles using the portal gun. As the levels progress the mazes become more threatening. By the final level the proctor of the testing a robot named GLaDOS tries to kill you and you must defeat her to finish the game.
Player’s Annotation: Think you are good at solving logic puzzles? Think you have the resolve to remain calm under pressure? Portal may be the game for you.
Critical Evaluation: Although the game has a simple premise, the player must solve puzzles to advance to the next level. However, this game also incorporates a mystery of who is really administering the tests and why. Finally the added element of multiple ways to solve the early levels adds a bit of fun to the game.
Interest Age: 15+
Potential Challenge Issues: n/a
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included? Classic video game that teens and adults still play. It challenges your gaming skills and logic- very fun.
Shonen Jump Magazine
Magazine Information: Shonen Jump, Editor-in-Chief: Andy Nakatani, Published by VIZ media, LLC
Summary: The front of the magazine offers Manga to American readers as soon as it is translated into English. They are published in Shonen Jump as serial installments before they have been published in book form. The back of the magazine is dedicated to merchandise related to the manga, and advertisements for Japanese video games as well as games and puzzles. For many years this magazine was the only way English speakers could get advance chapters of their favorite Manga series.
Reader’s Annotation: Jonesing for the newest installment of Bleach, Naruto and Ultima, Shonen Jump has the latest chapters before the books are published?
Critical Evaluation: This Manga magazine offers its readers a gentle introduction into the world of Manga. It also offers chapters of Manga books at a reduced rate to what the books will ultimately cost. So if a teen wanted to try out a new Manga, they could read a chapter or two without having to invest in the books. Unfortunately, space in the magazine is limited and the manga offered is generally the most pedestrian version in the spectrum of manga.
Genre: Manga, Anime
Reading Level/Interest Age: 12+
Potential Challenge Issues: n/a
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included? Manga and Anime are a popular teenage sub-culture. I wanted to include another entry that speaks to this culture and Shonen Jump covers many aspects.
DeathNote by Tsugumi Ohba, Illustrated by Takeshi Obata
Book Information: DeathNote by Tsugumi Ohba © 2005, Viz Media LLC, San Francisco, CA
ISBN 9781421501680
Plot Summary: The series opens with the high school student Light Yagami, unexpectedly finds a notebook which he quickly discovers is supernatural. Light learns that the notebook is used to end the lives of people, for example if a name is written down in this notebook with a description of the death, it will come true as you have written it down, without a description the victim will die of a heart attack. He begins to rid the world of the worst criminals and wreaking his own justice on the world. He becomes known to the public as “Kira.” Meanwhile, a prodigy known as L is commissioned to apprehend Kira. The series progresses with a cat and mouse game between the two enemies.
Reader’s Annotation: If you had the power to kill anybody in the world, would you do it? How would you decide who lives and dies?
Critical Evaluation: DeathNote explores the theme of the sympathetic charismatic criminal protagonist. The reader comes to respect his character although it is flawed. Later in the series we see that Light really is a sociopath. L the “hero” of the series is actually more difficult to identify with as he is a recluse and arrogant. So our protagonist is actually our villain and our antagonist is the hero. This in itself elevates not just the manga medium, but the genre of mystery as the reader must solve a mystery that he or she is getting from the killers point of view. Ohba definitely plays with the themes of good vs. evil as well as the concept of hero.
Information About the Author: Tsugumi Ohba is the name of the person credited with the writing of the DeathNote series. This writers real name and gender is a closely guarded secret, however Ohba does leave clues to his/her identity at the beginning of each manga installation of DeathNote.
Genre: Manga, Mystery, Thriller
Curriculum Ties: n/a
Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+
Potential Challenge Issues: Violence, Language, Death
Defense Options:
- Reviews
- Awards and Prizes
- San Diego County Library Selection Policy and Procedures for Young Adult Literature
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
BookTalking Ideas:
- Who would be the first name you would consider writing in the notebook if you found it?
- Who would you rather work for, Kira or L? Why?
Why Included? One of the only Manga I have read, and it was suggested to me by my daughter. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the series. I also wanted to include this medium in my book list as it is so popular.
Revealing Truths in YA Media 