Goods
The Savage by David Almond, illustrated by Dave McKean
Blue Baker is a normal, nice kid with a normal, nice family: a Mom, a Dad and a little sister. He has friends, goes to school, and has regular run-ins with the town bully. When his Dad dies, he gets set up with a counselor at school, Mrs. Molloy, who tells him to try writing out his feelings, which is how he ends up writing the story of The Savage. The Savage is a savage: he lives under an abandoned chapel, hunts and kills for food, doesn’t speak except in grunts and has sticks and chicken feathers in his hair. The Savage is Blue’s private story, but as he writes more and more chapters, it starts to become real. The Savage starts showing up around town, and eventually Blue is going to have to face him.
Dave McKean’s illustrations make The Savage. It’s a quick read from Almond, an author who has won numerous awards for his other books.
Prom Nights From Hell
Prom Nights From Hell is full of horrifying short stories about going to the prom, by all your fav authors. Stephenie Meyer writes about a girl (--or is she?) with a secret plan to ruin the prom. Lauren Myracle writes about what happens when you use magic to get a date. Meg Cabot tells the story of what happens when a vampire shows up at school and asks your best friend on a date.
These stories are fun and well written, and a little scary. Highly recommended, and a must if you’re trying to read through Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, Michele Jaffe or Kim Harrison.
One Red Paperclip by Kyle Macdonald
This is the true story about how a regular guy managed to trade a paperclip for a home of his own. Kyle was pretty much a regular unemployed free-spirit without too many prospects. One night he decided to post an ad on craigslist offering to trade one red paperclip for anything better, with the intention of continuing to trade up until someone offered him a house. Kyle’s journey takes him to some strange and interesting places, he meets some weird and wonderful people and becomes an internet celebrity. He trades the paperclip for a fish pen, the fish pen for a doorknob and so on…
One Red Paperclip is unforgettable because it shows how nothing can be turned into something with the application of creativity and determination. Kyle is a quirky writer and a good storyteller. I really recommend this book. You can also read Kyle’s blog at oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com
Photo of the original red paperclip courtesy of flickr user kylemac
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King and The Dark Tower Graphic Novels by Peter David
“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” It’s one of my all-time favorite opening lines in a book, setting the stage for a fantasy-horror-western seven-book epic that spans twenty-seven years of Stephen King’s career. The Gunslinger, Roland of Gilead, is the last of his kind in a world that no longer resembles the one he grew up in. He seeks the Dark Tower, a place that unites the universe, and which may hold the key to preventing more decay in the world. He seeks the Man in Black, who may hold the secret of finding the tower and to Roland’s destiny. Roland believes he will do anything to get to the tower, he has sworn to find it, but the price for a meeting with the Man in Black may be too high. The Dark Tower Novels are a must-read for Stephen King fans.
The series has spawned the prequel graphic novels The Dark Tower by Peter David, which was listed by the American Library Association as one of the best graphic novel series for teens for 2009. Beginning with Roland winning his guns, the comics show the love, the loss and the war that turn Roland from a serious kid into the hardened gunslinger we meet in the first Stephen King novels. The art in these books is amazing, but also gory. The story is scary and sad. I highly recommend it. The graphic novels are rated PG by Marvel, which they suggest as 15+ for more explicit content.
School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer
Angela Cardenas has not been an angel, and she knows it. By the time she goes to live with her grandfather, she’s been expelled from every school that will have her, and is ready for a new life. Instead, she meets a guy, the love of her life, and goes further than ever to make him happy. When her grandfather dies during a heated confrontation, Angela’s parents decide to send her to Hidden Oak, a last-chance boarding school for girls on the brink.
Hidden Oak is more than a normal reform school. Combining psychoanalysis, mind-games and physical abuse, Hidden Oak is clearly a dangerous place. As girls begin to disappear one by one, Angela and her friends begin to suspect that there is a dark secret at the school that goes beyond even the everyday horrors of the place.
The School for Dangerous Girls is a fun read. It doesn’t really stand up to close examination, but as a mystery and a thriller, it is satisfying. Angela is a bad girl with an essentially good nature, and you’ll find yourself hoping that she manages to get out of Hidden Oak alive.
Spore: Teen Lounge Gaming
Come check out Spore in the Teen lounge!
This multi-dimensional game crosses many genres including action, strategy and RPG that is sure to provide some level of fun for every gamer.
Using the in-game creature creator, let your imagination run wild whilst creating your first tiny micro-organism, whose looks may rival creatures already on our planet, or better yet, a total monster that gives you nightmares just thinking about it.
Explore the different stages of the game with your character from cell , creature, tribal, civilization to ultimate space exploration.
photo by flickr user O Esporo
The possibilities are endless! Share your creations with your friends and invite them to create their own. According to Wikipedia based on the game description, players can also upload their creations to Spore.com to be viewed by the public at the Sporepedia website. The ever-growing list of creations made by players is past the 100 million mark so far. Also, by chance you still aren't quite sure what this is all about, check out the youtube video below. See you in the Teen Lounge!
Sweet Sixteen Princess by Meg Cabot
Sweet Sixteen Princess is book 7.5 in the saga of Mia Thermopolis, Crown Princess of Genovia (you know her from Anne Hathaway’s ugly-betty-turned-swan-princess character in the Princess Diaries movies.) Mia’s about to turn sixteen, and her beloved Grandmère and her best friend are plotting an MTV-style televised birthday extravaganza that would make Paris Hilton blush. All Mia wants is a quiet, romantic evening with her boyfriend, but first she has to find a way to stop everyone else from planning her party, get the PTA to fix the school gym and convince her best friend to say the L-word. No biggie right?
The Princess Diaries books are a cool summer read: light, fluffy and fun.
So Cute You Could Die!
Aww cute animal pics are the best! Check out these books:
Stuff on my Cat and More Stuff on my Cat
So Cute You Could Die Disapproving Rabbits
And, now, for cute overload:
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Alanna and Thom are the nearly identical twin daughter and son of the Lord of Trebond. Alanna is fearless and dreams of being a wandering Knight, while her brother is studious and longs to learn sorcery. Alanna is convinced of her destiny, so when her father proposes to send the unwilling Thom to learn Knighthood, Alanna disguises herself as a boy and takes his place. Alanna’s adventures test her ambition, her duty, and her ability to succeed while maintaining a dangerous secret. She is determined to not only become a Knight, but also to find a way to defeat the powerful enemies she must make along the way.
Alanna: The First Adventure is a CD audiobook, read by Trini Alvarado. Her voice brings to life characters whose adventures will keep you riveted and wanting more. Alanna is a smart, fearless character who is willing to work hard and risk everything to achieve her dreams. This is the first book in The Song of the Lioness series about Alanna’s adventures at the palace and out in the world.
Other books by Tamora Pierce here.
Sentences: The Life of M.F. Grimm by Percy Carey (a.k.a M.F. Grimm)
Percy Carey came up in 1970’s and 80’s in Harlem. In this autobiographical graphic novel, he talks about how as a child he was an extra on Sesame Street, but from there is life goes in a different direction. Hip-hop was at its beginning and Carey was determined to become an emcee. He became well known (by the name M.F. Grimm) in hip-hop circles, and can count people like Snoop Dogg, Lady Rage, Suge Knight, Roc Raida, KMD and Tupac Shakur among his friends and acquaintances. Along with hip-hop came gangs, violence and drugs. In the opening scene of the book, Grimm tells the story of the gang shooting that kills his brother and paralyses him for the rest of his life. Along the way he goes to prison, and as one of the few prisoners who can read, becomes an advocate for prisoner’s rights, and finds the determination to change his life.
Sentences is an interesting story that is powerfully drawn. Carey takes looks at his mistakes head-on without shying away from the violence, while still allowing the reader to be proud of his accomplishments. Anyone interested in hip-hop and rap will want to read this book, but be warned— the violence, though not very graphically depicted, is there, as are drugs. The language is pretty rough, with lots of profanity, which is what you’d expect from a hip-hop artist/former gang member. It is the story of the beginning of hip-hop from someone who was there, and who is willing to talk about both the good and the bad without apology.
If you like Sentences, you might also be interested in:
50 x 50: 50 Cent in His Own Words by 50 Cent
The Way I Am by Eminem
Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip-Hop by Johan Kugelberg et al.
Chess Rumble by Greg Neri
Street Scene: How to Draw Graffiti-style by John Lee
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