The Wildlife of Star Wars

The Wildlife of Star Wars;  A Field Guide
By Terryl Whitlatch and Bob Carrau

For any Star Wars lover, or even someone who is not, this lovely illustrated field guide will give you all the information you'd ever care to know about the beasts of the Star Wars universe.  From hot, dry Tatooine to icy Hoth and more, the habitats and creatures are sketched in pencil and watercolor and explained in detail. 
(ISBN: 978-0-8118-4736-0)

Mega-Beasts

Encyclopedia Prehistorica;  Mega-Beasts
By Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart

This ultra-sophisticated pop-up book will really wow you, guaranteed.  Not only is it chock-full of incredible facts about prehistoric mega-beasts, but the illustrations literally jump out at you each time you turn the page. 
(ISBN: 978-0-7636-2230-5)

Spore

During spring break in Colorado my three nephews have been showing me some of their favorite games, including Spore, which we all agree is really amazing.  Rated 10+, it's a complex, visually incredible, multi-leveled game of evolution and adaptation.  The game starts with single-celled organisms and culminates with intergalactic space travel.  One of the most impressive aspects of Spore is the design element;  you get to design everything from creatures to vehicles to town halls to spaceships.  And there are hundreds of features and colors to choose from...every game can be different. 
There are five stages to progress through beginning with Cell and moving to Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and finally to Space.  At each stage there is an "economic" component;  you spend DNA to make your creature more evolved, for example, or look for food which enables you to help out your tribe.  Once the civilizations have evolved, there are Spice Geysers to seek out and mine, and Spore Bucks to spend and earn.

You learn as you play this game that you can change your mind about something, go back and adapt your creature or try a new strategy.  Things are flexible and always evolving, which is what makes the game challenging and fun.
One part of Spore that I find interesting is that a player can decide how they want to "behave" in any particular game.  The creature you design can be an herbivore, a carnivore, or an omnivore, and this determines the level of "violence" in a game.  Or, later on, you can decide if you will trade with other cities and planets, or try to destroy them.  There isn't an obvious advantage either way, though my nephew Miles told me if you go around destroying all the time "people won't like you very much."
Eventually there are the agressive Grox to deal with, creatures who live at the center of a galaxy and must be overcome to finally end the game.  However, my nephews have had Spore for almost a year and haven't come to that point yet.  There are so many cool creatures, structures, and space ships to design, this game never gets boring, or old, or even finished!

Edible Schoolyard

Edible Schoolyard;  A Universal Idea
By Alice Waters

With lots of beautiful, colorful photographs, this book explains how Alice Waters' dream to transform a Berkeley public middle school lunch program really happened...and it started a food revolution just across the Bay.  I hope we're next!
(ISBN: 978-0-8118-6280-6)

Necessary Noise

Necessary Noise;  Stories About Our Families As They Really Are
Edited by Michael Cart

A collection of short stories by Nikki Grimes, Lois Lowry, Walter Dean Myers, Joyce Carol Thomas, and many other excellent young adult authors.  Sometimes troubled, sometimes in serious situations, all of the characters in these stories explore their relationship to family.  One young man visits his dad on death row, a pair of teen sisters take their little brother to the hospital after a drug overdose, and a teenage son tries to make sense of his two moms' relationship...many different kinds of families are described in stories and poetry.  Five stars.      
(ISBN: 0-06-027-500-6)

Athletic Shorts

Athletic Shorts;  Six Short Stories
By Chris Crutcher

It's fun to read short stories sometimes.  Especially good ones.  You don't have to read them in order, you don't even have to finish the book (though you'll want to with this one), and it's just not as big of a commitment as picking up a novel.  Almost all of the stories in this book feature characters from other novels by Chris Crutcher--so if you're familiar with his books, you'll probably recognize some names.  But you don't need to read the other books to enjoy this one.
The teenage boys in these six short stories are all dealing with different issues;  one boy lost his parents and little brother in a drunk boating accident, another puts up with teasing about his gay parents, yet another is afraid of humiliation when he has to wrestle a girl during a tournament.  There are loving fathers and abusive fathers and absent fathers and racist fathers within these beautifully written stories.  What all the teenagers have in common is a love of sports--wrestling and swimming, especially.  For them, being athletes is the way they release anger, sadness, joy, and playing sports allows them to feel like part of a team.
Chris Crutcher tackles real-life problems.  I kept thinking about the characters even after I finished reading--because they seemed real.  I wondered how they were going to overcome certain things, and felt sort of proud of the way they got through hard situations.  Mostly I admire how the author is not afraid to write about serious, hard-to-hear-about subjects like racism (one story is told from the point of view of a white boy who has always been racist, but starts to question his own perspective).  For those readers who enjoy(ed) Matt Christopher's books but want something more challenging and complex, try reading Chris Crutcher.
(ISBN: 978-0-06-050-783-1)

Center Court Sting

Center Court Sting
by Matt Christopher

I thought I'd read a Matt Christopher novel, since he's the #1 Sports Writer for Kids and has written about a million books.  So I chose Center Court Sting.  I was impressed!  Not only was the play-by-play basketball in the novel exciting and graphic, but the story of Daren McCall figuring out how to be a better team player and friend was realistic and gripping.
Daren is a decent basketball player on his middle school team, the Rangers.  They are one of the best teams in their league.  However, their success is jeopardized when Daren can't get his anger under control.  He loses it on the court and in the locker room one too many times.  His coach, and even his close friend Lynn start to call Daren on his bad attitude.  But the trouble is that Daren isn't sure why he's acting the way he is--it seems like all the problems are other peoples' fault!  He even messes up a chance to impress his next door neighbor, Judy, when her little brother goes home crying after playing ball with Daren.
Luckily, Daren has a dad who listens and helps him out by giving him some good advice.  At school and then on the court, Daren starts to pull it all together--just in time for the final game with their rival team, the Demons.
Daren seems like a regular kid, dealing with the kind of frustrations everyone has sometimes.  When he finds out some sad information about one of his teammates, he's able to understand why the other player has seemed so hostile.  And he changes his own behavior.  For anyone who likes basketball, or any sport, this book is a great read. 
(ISBN: 0-329-09547-1)

American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese
By Gene Luen Yang

A funny, poignant, true-to-life-mixed-with-some-fantasy graphic novel about a Chinese American teenage boy coming to terms with who he is.  Along the way he encounters racism, friendship, first crushes, and an annoying "cousin" who embodies every negative Chinese stereotype anyone has ever heard of.
After Jin Wang's family moves from San Francisco's Chinatown to a more suburban neighborhood, he is the only Chinese American in the school.  There is one Japanese American girl in his class, however, with whom everyone thinks Jin has an arranged marriage...Eventually a new boy arrives "off the boat" from China, and after some initial avoidance, Jin decides to be friends with the newcomer.  Good thing, because Wei-Chen tells Jin's crush, Amelia, how great Jin is and Amelia agrees to go on a (hilarious) movie date with Jin.
Meanwhile, a Chinese fable is interspersed with Jin's American high school drama; in the fable a Monkey King is struggling with his own identity and power, wanting to be a god instead of a king.  The Monkey King becomes aware of and begins to dislike his own monkey-ness.  He suddenly insists all monkeys wear shoes, among other changes in his kingdom.
The stories of Jin, his friend Wei-Chen, and the Monkey King are woven together in a clever way at the end of the novel.  Acceptance of oneself is a clear but complicated theme in Yang's graphic novel, which specifically highlights how cruel kids can be to each other in school.  Though his story focuses on a Chinese American teen trying to fit in, this is a story any middle school student can probably relate to.  
(ISBN: 978-1-415-68878-6)

The People Shall Continue

The People Shall Continue
By Simon Ortiz
Illustrated by Sharol Graves

This is an incredible poem which tells the history of American Indians in this country.  The picture book begins at the time of Creation--told in many different ways by different tribes--and ends in the present.  Simon Ortiz, who is himself from Acquemeh (Acoma) Pueblo, relates how Europeans arrived and battles were fought, land was taken, and indigenous people were forcibly stripped of their cultures...but throughout all of this the elders in the tribes told the stories of their people to the children so they would not forget who they were.  "This has been the struggle of our People.  We have suffered but we have endured," say the parents.  Ultimately, The People Shall Continue is hopeful and empowering without glossing over any of the atrocities in this country's history.  It is truly a teaching story.
Simon Ortiz wrote this poem with the rhythms of a traditional oral narrative, which is one of the things I most love about the book (it's so nice to read out loud).  The illustrations by Sharol Graves are vivid and bold, with evocative silhouettes and bright colors.  It is an inclusive story, too, though Ortiz recognizes many different tribes and their distinct traditions and cultures.  In the end, the People--a word he uses to describe all of the tribes--look around and see others suffering too; "Black People, Chicano People, Asian People, many White People and others who were kept poor by American wealth and power."  There is a call to unite against power that oppresses, and to ensure no one has their humanity taken away.   
(ISBN: 0-89239-041-7)

Kidshealth.org

Kidshealth.org

This is such an excellent resource for everybody!  I learned about this website from my colleague Wendy, another school librarian.  There are distinct places here for teens, kids, and parents--and accurate answers to any and all questions about puberty, bodies, food & fitness, emotional well-being and lots of other health-related things.  It is easy to navigate around the site and find what you are looking for.  What is particularly great about using a website like Kidshealth.org is that if you are the kind of person who might feel shy or embarrassed about asking puberty-related questions or checking out health books at the library, you can find answers without talking to anyone.  Of course, most teachers and parents and other adults want to help answer those questions, but if you don't feel like asking it's nice to have a good website to go to.
In the section for teens, you'll find information about everything from gum disease, to dealing with feelings about being overweight, to food allergies, to smoking, to handling stress about going to school dances.  The site is current--I just found information about the disaster in Japan and tips on what to do to help--and the information is also non-judgmental.  For example, a tab on body piercing explains what it is, what to expect if you have it done, and health problems that sometimes result from piercings.  If you prefer to listen instead of reading the information, there is an audio feature available.  It's easy to get the information in Spanish, too.
In the part for kids, you can read about braces, feeling too short or tall, and find easy, healthy recipes to prepare.  The "Kids Dictionary of Medical Words" looks really helpful, as well as a section that explains (in kid language) some common health problems adults often suffer from.
Kidshealth.org is a very impressive, accessible collection of articles, videos, games and other resources all related to physical and mental health.  Check it out!

Stay Strong

Stay Strong;  Simple Life Lessons for Teens
By Terrie Williams
Introduction by Queen Latifah

In this guidebook of life skills for young people, celebrity PR agent Terrie Williams discusses common negative attitudes and how to turn them around.  Celebrities like Eddie Murphy recount their own stories and Queen Latifah introduces it all with an inspiring, personal message.  Rap lyrics and real stories about real kids are interspersed throughout this book, which has been described as "a hip-hop version of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul."
Each chapter has a catchy title like "Life Isn't Fair and Nothing You Do Matters",  "Nobody Else Uses Manners. Why Should I?", and "If I Don't Feel Like Being Bothered, I Shouldn't Have to Pretend."  Basically, Ms. Williams takes these commonly-held beliefs among teens and turns them on their head with frank, uplifting style.  Her book is very readable, full of great suggestions, and includes lots of examples from her own life, the lives of celebrities she's worked with, and teenagers. 
Chapter five, "How I Talk is My Business" is an especially practical one, with tips on everything from overcoming shyness to writing condolence cards.  There is great emphasis on talking slang (when it's appropriate) and using swear words (when it's inappropriate).  Ms. Williams writes with honesty and knowledge about how teens and adults talk, and it's not at all patronizing.  It's really real.
(ISBN: 0-439-12972-9)

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising
By Pam Muñoz Ryan

This Great Depression-era novel is based on the life of the author's own grandmother, who had to trade a privileged life in Mexico for a farm-worker's life in California.  Esperanza, the main character, arrives in California with her mother after tragedy strikes their hacienda in Aguascalientes.  They confront classism and racism as they begin a new life in a strange land. They also begin to learn about worker's rights and union organization.
(ISBN: 0-439-12041-1)

Your Skin Weighs More Than Your Brain

Your Skin Weighs More Than Your Brain and Other Freaky Facts About Your Skin, Skeleton, and Other Body Parts
By Barbara Seuling

A fun little book full of facts you probably never knew: "Your fingernails grow four times as fast as your toenails," and "The average human produces 1 quart of saliva every day...10,000 gallons in a lifetime."  Enough said.  It's fun.
(ISBN: 978-1-4048-3751-5)

The Man Who Walked Between The Towers

The Man Who Walked Between The Towers
By Mordicai Gerstein

Whoa, this is an amazing story!  Author Gerstein has written a picture book about the true story of a Frenchman named Philippe Petit, who tightrope-walked between the two World Trade Center towers in New York City.  This happened in 1974 (the year I was born!), when the towers were first built.  By this way, this tightrope was stretched--illegally--a quarter of a mile up in the sky.  That's 1,340 feet!  The Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in New York City, and some of the tallest in the world.  Mr. Petit, an "aerialist" by profession, figured out a way to sneak into the towers with a team of friends dressed as construction workers.  They shot an arrow, connected to a wire, from the top of one tower to the other.  And Philippe Petit danced and performed for over an hour on the wire while police waited to arrest him on the roof!
Why would someone do this?  Was Philippe Petit crazy?  These were the questions I found myself asking as I learned about this wild story.  A documentary film was made about Petit, the Twin Towers, and many other adventurous stunts he pulled off with beauty, grace and style.  This film is called "Man on Wire" (2008) and directed by James Marsh.  It's so worth seeing!  Mr. Petit himself talks about what drives him to perform at such dangerous heights, why he risks his life to tightrope-walk, and what it feels like to balance at the top of the world.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers and "Man on Wire" are also powerful tributes to the collapsed Twin Towers and the people who died on September 11, 2001 during the terrorist attacks.  The memory of Philippe Petit's brave act of artistry lives on in New York, just as the memories of the towers and those who perished live on.
(ISBN: 978-0-7613-1791-3)

Love That Dog

Love That Dog
By Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech is such a good writer.  Love That Dog is a seemingly simple story told through the journal of a boy named Jack.  We only get to read his entries, but it's easy to figure out he is writing to his teacher and she is replying to his comments, and mostly the theme is that Jack doesn't like the poetry they are reading and writing in class.  Not as simple is the underlying story--that Jack doesn't think boys write poetry, that he doesn't think he has anything to write about, and he has undergone some traumatic incident involving a mysterious speeding car (he keeps mentioning it in his journal).
Eventually Jack starts to realize that some of the poetry they're studying in class is kind of interesting, and he begins to have more confidence writing his own.  He gradually allows his teacher to post his poetry on the classroom wall, first anonymously, then with his name.
The great Walter Dean Myers is one of the poets the class is learning about.  Full of sounds and rhythm, Myers' poetry resonates with Jack, and when Walter Dean Myers is actually invited to the school to speak Jack can hardly wait for the day.  In the end, Jack is inspired to reveal his voice and his own difficult story through poetry.
Sharon Creech gives us a short, sweet-sad story of inspiration, self-confidence, and dealing with loss.  The journal style of the narrative invites the reader to infer a lot about what is actually going on, and gives the book a mysterious air.  A lovely quick read for boys and girls alike.  
(ISBN: 0-439-44242-7)

Fontself.com

Fontself.com

This is a very cool, free online tool that I just learned about from our crafty technology teacher, Ms. Tong.  Basically, you can design your own font--by hand--and then upload it into your account so you can use it to send electronic messages!  Very fun.  There is a library of already-completed fonts you can browse to get ideas, or use yourself.  Fontself is all set up so you can immediately use your new font in Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Yahoo!  The purpose of Fontself, say the Swiss founders, is that you can express yourself better online if you use your own handwriting.  You can personalize your messages and reflect your moods...plus it just seems like it would be a fun surprise for someone receiving a message from you!  Franz Hoffman, the company’s CEO and co-founder, comments that “Handwriting is one of the most intimate forms of communication...Fontself allows users to display their messages as if they were hand-written.  Personal electronic messages are finally becoming truly personal.”

City of One

City of One;  Young Writers Speak to the World
From Writerscorps
Forward by Isabel Allende

San Francisco Writerscorps teachers are professional writers who teach creative writing to youth.  City of One is a book of poems written by young people between the ages of  8 and 23.  These beautiful, moving poems are about violence--here in the city, and also in far-away war-torn countries.  They convey the many different emotions and reactions people have to violence:  sadness, anger, confusion, and even hope.
(ISBN:  30760000195001)

Claudette Colvin

Claudette Colvin;  Twice Toward Justice
By Phillip Hoose

Before Rosa Parks, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat for a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama.  Police boarded the bus and dragged Claudette off, kicking her and arresting her.  Throughout it all Claudette never swore, never fought back, and never gave in.  This multiple award-winning book is the amazing story of a strong, determined teenager living in the South under Jim Crow.  With photos and background information, Phillip Hoose tells of a past we have all read about, but presents the story of a young woman we may not know.  And we should.
(ISBN: 978-0-374-31322-7)

Chew On This

Chew On This;  Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food
By Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson

Watch a digital book trailer here!

"Americans now eat about 13 billion hamburgers every year," Chew on This tells us.  "If you put all those burgers in a straight line, they would circle the earth more than thirty-two times."
Readers, beware:  you may not want to buy those Big Macs or drink those strawberry shakes after reading this book!  The author of Fast Food Nation has produced a book for young adults with the same information...junk food is way worse for you than you even know.  And Schlosser and Wilson will tell you exactly why.  Be prepared for some disgusting facts, disturbing stories, and an awesome history of the industry and its "food."
One of the more alarming facts:  "A study recently found that one out of every five American toddlers eats French fries every day." !!!!!
(ISBN: 978-0-618-71031-7)

Hatchet

Hatchet
By Gary Paulsen

Brian Robeson, 13, is alone in the Canadian wilderness and has to survive after a serious plane crash.  The pilot is dead, the small plane is at the bottom of a lake, and Brian has no resources at all.  His parents, divorced and in two separate places, have no idea where he is or whether he's alive.
This survival story is gripping, fearful, and very realistic.  I couldn't put it down.
(ISBN: 0-689-80882-8)

The Higher Power of Lucky

The Higher Power of Lucky
By Susan Patron


In small-town California 10-year-old Lucky lives with her guardian in a trailer.  She's plotting to run away, as she thinks her guardian is planning to go to France without her.  All kinds of funny, poignant things happen to Lucky as she plots her escape, including her secret visits to the 12-step adult group meetings where she spies and learns about life. 
(ISBN: 1416975578)

Twilight

Twilight;  The Graphic Novel, Volume 1
By Stephenie Meyer
Art and adaptation by Young Kim

I thought I'd check out what the Twilight series is all about...without actually reading the hefty novels (yet)!  Bella, the new girl in a small town high school on the Olympic Peninsula, meets Edward Cullen on her first day.  There's an instant connection, but love doesn't come easily--since Edward is not actually human...  The illustrations in this book are beautiful and chilling, full of facial expressions and lots of cool details of eyes.  Sometimes it was hard to figure out who's talking, as the speech bubbles are sort of stylized.  
(ISBN: 978-0-7595-2943-4)

Zorgamazoo

Zorgamazoo
By Robert Paul Weston

This novel is all in rhyme!  It's a funny, adventurous tale of a very cool orphan girl who runs away from her cruel guardian, and encounters a crazy world of fantastical creatures.  They set out on a quest together to find out why all of the "Zorgles" have disappeared...Like a cross between Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss! 
(ISBN: 1595142959)

Let's Talk About Race

Let's Talk About Race
By Julius Lester

This is a short, simple book--with wonderful illustrations--that argues we would all look the same without our skin on.  The author invites us to think about our own stories, what is and isn't true, and ultimately to be more open-minded about differences.  It would be interesting to have a group discussion around this one.
(ISBN: 0-06-028596-6)

Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie
By Kate DiCamillo

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni moves to small town Florida with her preacher dad.  She's lonely, and thinks a lot about her mom who walked out on them years before.  A stray dog befriends India Opal and changes the course of her first summer in her new home...together they meet all kinds of characters who become friends, and by the end of the book India Opal understands much more about her life and her dad and herself.  Wonderful and funny and sad, too.
(ISBN: 0-7636-0776-2)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
By Sherman Alexie

Fantastic!
I laughed, I cried, I felt angry and impressed...14-year-old Arnold Spirit, Jr. takes his readers on an incredibly honest, real journey through his first year of high school as the only Indian in an all-white school.  With frankness and wit and humor (and plenty of swear words), Arnold writes in his diary about being Indian, being poor, being beat up all the time, and being determined to make his life better.  His diary is full of funny cartoons, too, because Arnold Spirit is a budding cartoonist.
(ISBN: 0-316-01369-2)

More How Stuff Works

 More How Stuff Works
By Marshall Brain

This book is kind of wordy--kind of like a textbook--but it's so great!
The diagrams and pictures are interesting and detailed, and you can learn about everything from artificial hearts to screensavers, and everything in between.  Ever wondered about how snow makers make fake snow?  What's up with black holes?  How an espresso maker functions?  Nuclear bombs?  Webcams?  If so, this is the book for you.  Actually, I'd be willing to bet there's something for everybody in this one.

(ISBN: 0-7645-6711-x)

Kira-Kira

Kira-Kira
By Cynthia Kadohata

A beautiful, beautiful story of two Japanese-American sisters growing up in Georgia in the 1950's.  Their parents work long hours in a chicken processing plant (there are hints of union organizing activities), and they all struggle with racism at work and school.  When the older sister, Lynn, becomes very sick, the family dynamics are strained.  Ultimately hopeful, this sweet and sad novel grapples with all of the important things in life.

(ISBN: 0-689-856-39-3)

Write Your Own Graphic Novel

Write Your Own Graphic Novel
By Natalie M. Rosinsky

This is a practical, fun guide that is full of great tips and examples from famous graphic novel writers.  The book walks you through a specific writing process including setting the scene, developing characters and a viewpoint, and creating a plot.  It has great suggestions like tuning in to the way people talk:  "Turn on the radio or TV for 10 minutes, and copy down bits of conversation.  Or jot down what you overhear on a bus or in school or a store."  Anyone who loves writing, and especially loves the graphic novel genre should check this book out. 
(ISBN: 978-0-7565-3856-9)

Gregor the Overlander

Gregor the Overlander
By Suzanne Collins

By the same author as The Hunger Games, Gregor the Overlander is a gentler, more fantastical adventure.  Gregor lives in a small New York City apartment with his mom, grandma, and two-year-old sister Boots.  They don't have a lot of money, and Gregor is bummed he can't go to summer camp.  When Boots falls through a vent in the laundry room, he jumps in after her--and suddenly the two of them are in a crazy underground world inhabited by giant cockroaches, spiders and rats.  There is also a kingdom of people underground who view Gregor as their hero, though he doesn't understand why.  A great, action-packed adventure story!  This is the first in a whole series of Gregor books, too.
(ISBN: 0-439-43536-6)