57) Faking Faith

Bibliography: Bloss, Josie; Faking Faith; Flux; New York; 2011; 240 pages; ISBN 978-0-73872-757-8.

Plot:  After a humiliating sexting incident and horrible breakup, Dylan has become an outcast at her high school.  Everyone ignores her and she has been abandoned by her two best friends.  Dylan’s only escape is reading the blogs of homeschooled fundamentalist Christian girls.  She figures she can pass as one of them and starts up her own blog as Faith.  She soon becomes very close to another girl, Abigail, and asks if Abigail’s family will host her for a couple weeks during summer vacation.  While staying with Abigail and her family, Dylan learns things about herself and learns the consequences of her actions as a false identity. 

Review:  This is such a great book.  I had tried reading Bloss' "Albatross" before, and was unable to get into it, but this book grabbed me.  It is told in first person narrative, giving the reader an inside look into Dylan's actions.  The story begins at a start of the year party where Dylan makes out with one of the popular boys.  Her actions lose are not supported by her two best friends and in the end Dylan alienates herself from them.  While her relationship with the popular boy does not last, her life is changed forever by dating him.  Her junior year of school ends in shambles.  Dylan is lonely and has been named the "school slut."  She has no friends and feels that the only thing worth value in her life is the internet.
Dylan stumbles upon the blogs of some homeschooled fundamentalist Christian girls.  She finds the life these girls’ leads fascinating and starts her own blog and a new identity.  Through her new identity, Dylan learns how to deal with the mistakes she made and is able to reconnect herself to the real world.

This book was so awesome!  Bloss shows the reader the importance of finding oneself.  This is a great book for young teens to read to inspire them.  The relationship that Dylan develops with Abigail is so interesting.  It gives Dylan the opportunity to re-evaluate her situation and come to realize her life isn't as bad as she believed it was.  The time that Dylan spends with the Dean family is so interesting.  Getting to learn a new viewpoint on the world is a great asset of the book.  While the book ends on a good note, I actually felt sad for Abigail and Asher.  I was hoping all through the book that Dylan would be able to influence Abigail into finding a different life.  Unfortunately, Abigail is devoted to her faith and the story ends with her devotion intact.  I would love to see what happens to Dylan and Asher in the future.  Bloss definitely left me wanting more on these two characters at the end of the book.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age

Interest Level: age 12 and up

Related Books: Relative Strangers by Jean Ferris; Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden; Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer

Reader’s Advisory:

When Dylan finds herself an outcast in her high school, she reaches out to find a new identity through blogging.  Blogging shows her a world she would have never experienced otherwise.

Author’s Website: http://josiebloss.com/

45) Mercy Lily

Bibliography: Albert, Lisa; Mercy Lily; Flux; Woodbury, MN; 2011; 232 pages; ISBN 978-0-7387-2699-1.

Plot: Sixteen year old, Lily has been taking care of her mother for the last four years.  Her father passed away when she was 12 and Lily, has been helping her mother deal with multiple sclerosis ever since.  Lily’s mother was not responsive to normal MS treatment, so Lily has been giving her bee venom therapy.  Her mother is currently up to twelve stings and it seems to not be helping at all.  On a beautiful spring morning, Lily’s mother asks her to sting her sixteen times and if she has a reaction to not resuscitate her.  Lily is scared, but knows that her mother is suffering.  Mercy Lily is the story of Lily’s quest to help her mother get through the horrible disease of multiple sclerosis.

Review:   I picked up this book to focus on older readers and readers that like to read about issues that could happen in their own life.  I was floored by the story line.  Lily is only sixteen and she is giving her mother bee sting therapy!  Then to make matters worse, her mother is giving up on life and asks Lily to help her!  This book handles a very heavy topic and should be read by older readers. 

When the story opens, the reader learns of Lily’s mothers request to end her life.  Immediately, Albert takes the reader deep into Lily’s world.  We also learn that Lily has no friends.  Ever since her father passed away, Lily has been the sole caregiver to her mother, which has made it hard for Lily to connect with teens her own age.  Lily is dealing with this huge request on her own.  Slowly, Lily starts to reconnect with her past friends and develops great friendships in Trent and Shauna.  Both of them are there for Lily and help her with the pressure she is feeling taking care of her mother and their farm. 

Even though I loved this book, I had an issue with the number of editing errors in the book.  At one point they were so often that I found myself focusing on the errors rather than the storyline.  This book would benefit from a good editor.  Otherwise, teens will fall in love with Lily and feel her pain as she goes through this difficult time.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction; Coming of Age; Problem Novel

Interest Level: age 12 and up

Related Books:  Bluefish by Pat Schmatz; The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth.

Characters: 

Lily – the protagonist, narrator

Sylvia – Lily’s mother

Jed – the bus driver and only adult that Lily trusts

Shauna – Lily’s old best friend that comes back around in the novel

Trent – Lily’s known him since they were 5 and he becomes a great support for Lily

Author Information: http://www.lisaalbert.com/

36) Geek Charming

Title:  Geek Charming

Writer:  Elizabeth Hackett & Hilary Galanoy

Director:  Jeffrey Hornaday

Production Company:  Bad Angels Productions 

Year:  2011

Plot: Dylan Schoenfield is a popular diva with dreams of winning Spring Fling Blossom Queen.  Josh Rosen is a film geek that is barely a blimp on Dylan’s radar, until the day he asks to make a movie about her life for the film festival.  Dylan immediately believes that this film is what will make her Blossom Queen and begins to show Josh her over the top diva attitude.  Through the filming of the movie, Dylan and Josh soon become friends.  Dylan gives Josh a makeover and helps him ask out his crush.  Josh decides that the movie shouldn’t just be about Dylan’s diva-ness and tries to show the true Dylan Schoenfield in his movie.

Review:  This movie begins with Josh dumping his lunch tray on Dylan.  It is a great start and shows the audience just how much of a diva Dylan really is.  Dylan freaks out and yells at Josh and causes a huge scene in the cafeteria.  It is this experience that makes Josh consider making a movie about popularity.  When he asks Dylan to be in his movie, she immediately takes over and tells Josh everything he needs to do and not do in the making of the movie.  Dylan’s diva attitude becomes too much for Josh and he ends up firing her from the movie.  It is this action that makes Dylan realize she has been irrational and she decides to meet Josh on his own terms. 

Once Dylan calms down and allows Josh to see the real her, the pair become very close friends.  This is a great movie about overcoming stereotypes and not allowing the cliques of high school define who you are to become.  Tweens will love the over the top actions of Dylan, as well as, the budding friendship between Josh and Dylan.  It’s great to see a movie that shows that it is okay to be unpopular or a geek.

Genre: Movie/Contemporary Fiction

Interest Level: everyone

Related Movies: Frenemies; Starstruck; 16 Wishes.

Starring:

Sarah Hyland as Dylan Schoenfield

Matt Prokop as Josh Rosen

Sasha Pieterse as Amy Loubalu

Jordan Nichols as Asher

Vanessa Morgan as Hannah

Lili Simmons as Lola

David Del Rio as Ari

Jimmy Bellinger as Steven

Lilli Birdsell as Sandy

Andrew Airlie as Alan Schoenfield

Kacey Rohl as Caitlin

Andrea Brooks as Nicole Paterson

Movie Website: http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/originalmovies/geekcharming/

25) The Misfits

Bibliography: Howe, James; The Misfits; Aladdin Paperbacks; New York; 2001; 274 pages; ISBN 0-689-83956-1.

Plot: Bobby is sick of the names that everyone calls him at school.  When his friend Addie decides to start up a third political party for the school elections, he suggests that instead of fighting for freedom they fight to stop name calling.  Bobby and his three friends, also known as the Gang of Five, start a list of all the names they have been called ever since kindergarten.  This list contains 72 names.  Seeing this, the group decides to stand up against bullying and creates the No-Name Political Party.

 

Review:  I found this book so inspiring. Everyone can relate to being called a name at some time or another.  Maybe the name is as simple as “geek” or as cruel as “fatso.”  No matter the name, it starts to define that person’s character.  Bobby and his friends are sick of being called names and they decide to stand up for what they know is right.  This book should be used in every middle school to show students the effects of the words they say. 

Bobby is a great person to have narrate this novel.  Even though he has been affected by the names he has been called, he still has the right frame of mind to know how to deal with it properly.  If this book had been narrated by Addie, not as many students would find inspiration in the novel.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age

Interest Level: age 10-14

Related Books: Rivals by Tim Green; Revenge of the Snob Squad by Julie Anne Peters; Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff.

Characters: 

Bobby – the narrator

Joe – Bobby’s friend.  He is gay.

Addie – Bobby’s friend since birth.  She wants to change the world starting with the middle school.

Skeezie – Bobby’s friend.

Author Information: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/james-howe

24) The Darlings Are Forever

Bibliography: Kantor, Melissa; The Darlings are Forever; Hyperion Books; New York; 2011; 328 pages; ISBN 978-142312714-7.

Plot: Best friends since kindergarten, Jane, Victoria, and Natalya must face high school without each other.  Each girl has been accepted to a different high school in New York City.  Jane will be attending the The Academy of the Performing Arts and trying to win her way into the school play.  Natalya will be at the elite Gainsford Academy.  The school focuses on academically gifted students.  Victoria will be attending Morningside, where teachers expect her to live up to her perfect older sister’s legacy.  Each girl has big developments in their lives, but in the end they know they will always be friends forever.

Review:  I enjoyed this book.  The concept of three best friends being seperated for the first time is one that many teens will be able to relate to.  Kantor also developed three very different characters that many teen girls will be able to find themselves in.  Jane is the artsy one, with a passion for theatre.  Natalya is the smart one, with a passion for science and chess.  Victoria is the average girl, with a passion for cooking.  Out of all the characters I found something in each of them.  So many girls wish to play a part in a major theatre production.  Jane is the only freshman cast in her school’s big fall performance.  She feels special and enjoys the idea of being an oddity amongst her peers.  Natalya only wants to be part of the popular crowd.  Her actions make her change who she is to be included in the popular group.  Victoria wishes that people would stop thinking of her as the “good girl” and stop comparing her to her older sister.

Kantor does an excellent job with writing characters and situations that many teens will relate to.  When Jane develops a crush on her teacher, it is only a matter of time before she gets the wrong idea.  While I really enjoyed Jane’s story line, I kept thinking to myself, how many times has this concept been written.  So many times younger girls get the wrong impression from older influential adults.  I felt that Jane’s character was too smart to put herself into the situation.  She seems so in control of herself and her surroundings that I kept expecting her to see the roadblock that was ahead.

Victoria is probably my favorite character.  I totally understood what she was going through with her teachers always expecting her to live up to her older sister’s intellect.  I also felt for her when she was brought down by her actions.  She didn’t ask her dad to run for office; she didn’t ask that all of her actions be public knowledge.  I think out of all the characters, Victoria is the one that most readers will relate to.

Natalya bothered me.  While I enjoyed her character when she was with Jane and Victoria, her actions when they were not around made me want to rip my hair out.  Why did she want to be a friend of Morgan’s so badly?  I just felt that Morgan was such a transparent character that smart Natalya should have seen right through her.  I wanted Natalya to wake up and show the reader how smart she really was.

Even though I am wishy washy about this novel, I will be reading the follow up.  I have to know what happens next for these three girls.  I have a feeling that many readers will be asking for more for a long time.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Chick Lit

Interest Level: age 12 and up

Related Books: Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz; Princess Mia by Meg Cabot; TTYL by Lauren Myracle.

Author Information: http://www.melissakantor.com/about.html

23) Ditched: A Love Story

Bibliography: Mellom, Robin; Ditched: A Love Story; Hyperion Books; New York; 2012; 275 pages; ISBN 978-142314338-3.

Plot: Justina is left on the side of the road the morning after her junior prom.  At first she can’t remember what happened to make her end up in a ditch.  As she starts to get her bearings, she realizes that she is close to a 7-Eleven.  She figures that the employee working at the gas station will at least let her use the phone.  At 7-Eleven Justina is greeted by Gilda, who decides to take pity on her and asks what happened to her.  Slowly Justina tells the story of her junior prom and how she ended up ditched on the side of the road.

Review:  This book is super funny.  Justina takes the reader on a trip through her prom night and readers will be laughing at all of the predicaments she finds herself in.

The book begins with Justina on the side of a road unable to remember how she got there and what led up to her being left on the side of the road.  She slowly begins to remember things and realizes she knows just where she is.  “I suppose if I have to get ditched somewhere, I’m glad it’s at this 7-Eleven, not the sucky 7-Eleven near downtown.”  At this awesome 7-Eleven she is greeted by worker Gilda, who is willing to lend an ear and some food.  Justina starts her story at the beginning; how she even decided to go to prom.

Justina’s story is funny and at times unbelievable, while at the same time extremely believable.  Justina and her best friend, Ian, decide to go to prom together.  Over the last few months, Justina has developed feelings for Ian and feels that prom night is the perfect time to let him know.  She plans out how she will get him alone to test out his kissing.  She wants to know which kissing category Ian belongs in, since she believes this is how you can tell if a boy is boyfriend material.  However, from the minute Ian picks up Justina for the prom disaster strikes.  She ends up with curry on her dress before the two even get out of her house.

The story revolves around the disaster of a dress that Justina is wearing the next morning.  The chapters are titled after the various stains and happenings that bring Justina to the end of the night at 7-Eleven telling her story to Gilda.

The downfall of this book is Ian.  While Mellom has created a great character in Justina, Ian is lacking.  Despite the constant reminder of Justina’s feelings for Ian, I couldn’t see why she was in love with him.  I wish that more time would have been spent on creating a character that would seem worthy of the books quirky narrator.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Humor

Interest Level: age 12 and up

Related Books: Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett; The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks; Princess Mia by Meg Cabot.

Author Information: http://www.robinmellom.com/about/

21) I, Emma Freke

Bibliography: Atkinson, Elizabeth; I, Emma Freke; Carolrhoda Books; Minneapolis; 2010; 233 pages; ISBN 978-0-7613-5604-2.

Plot: Emma Freke is a social outcast.  She had friends when she was younger, but one summer she grew taller than all of her classmates and her hair turned bright red.  She has become a recluse due to everyone at school making fun of her and thinking that she is a freak.  Emma has never met her father and her mother would rather run around dating men than be a mother to Emma.  Emma feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere.  When Emma tells her mother this, her mother shows her an invitation to a reunion of her father’s side of the family.  At the family reunion, Emma comes out of her shell and meets her place in the world.

Review:  Emma Freke is a different type of character.  She is smart and strong willed.  Even though she believes that her name is her identity, she is willing to find solace in anything.  I found myself empathizing with Emma.  She is close to six feet tall in the sixth grade.  The only place she fits in is in her mother’s bead shop, where she basically runs the business.  She has met her father, and her mother has always avoided the topic when Emma asks. 

Emma’s only friend is Penelope, an adopted child of two older women.  Penelope is the complete opposite of Emma.  She is outgoing and friendly and open to anything.  Emma always wonders how Penelope can be so open and friendly.  At times she gets embarrassed of Penelope’s openness.  Penelope is the perfect friend for Emma.

When Emma goes to her family reunion she finally finds her place in the world.  She finds people that look just like her.  She learns to be open and stand up for herself.  She also learns that they pronounce the last name Frecky instead of Freak.  By learning this new pronunciation, Emma realizes that a name is only a name and doesn’t define a person’s character.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age

Interest Level: age 9-12

Related Books: Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes; Little Divas by Philana Marie Boles; My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath

Awards:

Moonbeam Award: Gold Medal for Pre-teen Fiction

Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of 2011

Author Information: http://elizabethatkinson.com/?page_id=1010

20) Mallory's Guide to Boys, Brothers, Dads, and Dogs

Bibliography: .Friedman, Laurie; Mallory’s Guide to Boys, Brothers, Dads, and Dogs; Darby Creek; Minneapolis; 2011; 159 pages; ISBN 978-0-7613-5250-1.

Plot: Mallory has a problem.  She likes a boy, but that boy doesn’t know who she is and he is also older than her.  It doesn’t take long for her obsession with her crush, JT, to monopolize her mind.  This causes even more trouble for Mallory.  Pretty soon she’s failing math and has to have a parent teacher conference.  She gets grounded and then finds herself in even more trouble.  Mallory must learn how to manage her school work, her crush, her brother, her dad and her brother’s dog. 

Review:  This is a great book for grade school girls.  So many times young girls get caught up in having a crush on a boy, and then that crush monopolizes their mind.  Many tween girls will see themselves in Mallory’s character.  They will be able to relate to the issues that arise in Mallory’s life.  This book is number fifteen in the series.  Since tweens enjoy series, this is a great one to suggest to new readers.  Mallory is a great narrator and tweens will love her antics, as well as, learn a great lesson for the future.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Coming of Age

Interest Level: age 9-12

Related Books: Starting with Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor; Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson; Say What? By Margaret Peterson Haddix

Characters: 

Mallory – the protagonist

JT – Mallory’s crush

Max – Mallory’s brother

Maryann – Mallory’s best friend

Cheeseburger – the cat

Chomp – the dog

Author Information: http://www.mallorymcdonald.com/

11) The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea

Bibliography: Martin, Ann M. (writer) & Telgemeier, Raina (artist); The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea; Scholastic Graphix; 2006; 186 pages; ISBN 0-439-80241-5.

Plot: Seventh grader, Kristy Thomas, comes up with a great idea for her and her friends in September.  Since she and her best friend Mary-Anne and Claudia, love to baby-sit she thinks they should start a club where parents can call one number and reach four great baby-sitters.  Claudia suggests they include Stacey McGill who has just moved to town from New York.  The four girls meet three days a week in Claudia’s room to discuss past baby-sitting jobs and wait for parents to call to hire them.  Just as the girls are very different, the girls also go through some changes and grow their friendship further.

Review:  Many parents grew up reading The Baby-Sitters Club series.  With the help of Raina Telgemeier, the books have been reborn in graphic novels.  The stories are the same and a great new way to reach the new generation.  The art work is extremely realistic.  Tweens of the new generation will not feel like they are out of date by reading the new graphic novel series

Genre: Graphic Novel/Realistic Fiction

Interest Level: age 9-12

Related Books: Baby-Sitting is a Dangerous Job by W.D. Roberts; Calvin Coconut: The Zippy Fix by G. Salisbury; Kung Fooey by G. Salisbury

Characters:
Kristy Thomas is the narrator and the one who came up with the idea for the club.
Mary-Anne Spier is Kristy's best friend and the secretary of the club.
Claudia Kishi is the vice president of the club and hosts the phone number and meeting space for the club.
Stacey McGill is the new girl in town.  She is the treasurer of the club.

Awards: 

The Baby-Sitters Club is one of the most popular series with more than 175 million books in print.

Author Information: http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/about/

9) No and Me

Bibliography: de Vigan, Delphine; No and Me; Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 2010; 256 pages; ISBN 978-1-599-90479-5.

Plot: No and Me is the story of thirteen year old Lou Bertignac, that is smarter than her peers, and a homeless girl that she befriends named No.  Lou has been skipped two grades and is classes with older students.  When she is desperate to come up with a topic for an hour long presentation, she remembers the homeless girl she met a few days ago at the station.  After much coaxing, No tells Lou her story and how she came to live on the streets.  After the Lou presents her project, she doesn’t want to lose the friendship she has gained with No, and does everything in her power to keep the friendship.

Review:  This book is a translation from French, but the story still comes through in the translation.  Lou is the narrator and tells most of the story in current time.  Instead of writing, “I woke up at eight on Sunday;” she writes, “I wake up at eight.”  The change of time in the writing makes readers feel like they are in the situation with Lou.  This book is very much like most coming of age stories, with Lou coming to the realization that some things are bigger than she is, even though she is smarter than most of the people around her.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Coming of Age/Multicutural

Interest Level: age 12 and up

Related Books: Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret; The Whole Story of Half a Girl

Awards:  Winner of the 2008 Prix de Libraries

Author Information: http://www.bloomsbury.com/Delphine-de-Vigan/authors/12019

8) How To Rock Episodes 1-3

Bibliography: O’Doherty,J. (Creator); O’Doherty, J., Israel, D.M., Girolamo, G., and Morgenstein, L. (Producers); Israel, D.M. (Developer); How To Rock; Nickelodeon; Original Run Date Feb 4, 2012.

Plot: Kacey Simon is the leader of the clique “The Perfs” (short for perfect).  Her life is turned on its head when she is given braces and glasses in the same day.  Her best friends turn on her and let her know that since she is no longer perfect, she can no longer be a member of “The Perfs.”  Being in exile, Kacey finds new friends in the members of the band Gravity 4.  It doesn’t take long for her to become the lead singer and they change the name to Gravity 5.  The show is the story of how Kacey finds her place outside of the popular crowd. Episode one deals with Kacey choosing her want to be popular or her new friends in Gravity 5.  Episode two shows the band members giving up their favorite things to win a bet.  Episode three deals with Kacey introducing her new friends to her old popular friends; she frets that her new friends will be accepted.

Review: This show is very funny and shows a great image for tween girls.  Kacey shows tweens that no matter what you look like you need to “rock” what you have.  She has a positive image of who she is and what she is dealt.  I watched this show with my nine year old daughter and we both loved the show.  It is a great show for all ages and a great opportunity to find something on television that doesn’t change a tweens attitude or outlook on life.  Another great aspect of the show is the music.  Many of the songs highlighted on the show are written by the main character, Cymphonique Miller.

Genre: Humor/Coming of Age/Contemporary Fiction

Interest Level: age 10 and up

Related Shows: iCarly; Victorious; Shake it Up; A.N.T Farm

Characters:  (list pulled from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Rock)
Kacey Simon is former queen of The Perfs, now lead singer of Gravity 5. Kacey is confident, bold, beautiful and now on a constant campaign to take her new friends and band mates to the top of the school social ladder. She can sing, dance, write incredible songs, and she's proving to Gravity 5 that she also knows how to be a true friend. In the pilot, Molly and Grace refer to her as "The Queen of Braces and Glasses." Although she pretty much insults the Gravity 5 band members at first, she soon joins them due to Zander's influence, has a much clearer view of the world, and learns that she should just be herself and make friends that love her for who she is, not because of her popularity.

Molly Garfunkel is the new Queen of the Perfs and the antagonist of the show. Molly is every bit as confident, strong, popular, and radiant as Kacey, but she's also an evil mastermind plotting to bury Kacey once and for all, as demonstrated in the pilot episode when she humiliated Kacey in front of a particularly large crowd, only to be stopped by Zander, or when she texts Kacey's crush in front of Kacey, and unfortunately, Stevie, who shoots Molly down for harassing Kacey. Molly used to be Kacey's best friend, but after Kacey realizes she only liked Kacey because she was perfect, Kacey quits the Perfs for good, in results of Molly hating her so much. Molly is an angel to her friends, but extremely critical to the Gravity 5 band members. She will do anything to ruin Gravity 5.

Zander Robbins is the new kid in school and guitarist for Gravity 5. Zander is cool, handsome and perhaps sometimes a little vain, but he is also confident, optimistic, loyal and is the one that holds the band together. A running gig in the show is that he can't stop staring at himself in the mirror, however, he mostly puts his friends first before anything. It is hinted that he and Kacey share one of the closest friendships in the group, as demonstrated when he sees Kacey being humiliated by Molly and Grace, and despite being one of the victims of Kacey being mean and nasty to, Zander comes to her rescue and offers her a place in his band. Although he cares about Kacey and intends to help her with her problems, Zander is not afraid to refuse, as demonstrated in "How to Rock a Messy Bet." Zander is the leader of the group and, on all occasions, he sticks up for his friends even though he could be easily distracted at times.

Stevie Baskara is Gravity 5's smart, beautiful, strong-headed, tough, no-nonsense bass player. The guys love her because she is cool, but fear her because she can and will crush them, so no matter what, you have to respect her. She's not afraid to be herself, even if it means being a total tomboy. In "How to Rock a Messy Bet" it is revealed that she has four brothers. A running gag in the show is that The Perfs refer to her as "Loserberry," much to her discomfort. Stevie is always more than willing to stick up for her friends even if it does mean being a little aggressive in behavior. She is said to have problems with "slamming" people, meaning that if you say something that will offend her, she will make one nasty come-back. Although usually brave and fearless, Stevie could also be afraid of things as well, as demonstrated in "How to Rock a Messy Bet" when she practically jumped into Zander's arms after hearing something growl in the bands' practice room.

Grace King is queen bee Molly's gorgeous but naive sidekick, in the mean girl group The Perfs. Although she tries to follow Molly's evil lead, Grace just doesn't have it in her to be mean. She is very quirky in her personality. Whenever excited, Grace claps her hands together and squeals "Yeah!" which is possibly a catchphrase of hers. She might slightly/loosely be portrayed as a stereotype blonde as her personality sometimes shows it.

Nelson Baxter is the tech-savvy, sci-fi loving keyboard player and DJ for Gravity 5. Nelson is confident when talking about the ladies, but completely tongue-tied when he is face to face with them, which makes him extremely socially awkward. It is revealed in "How to Rock a Messy Bet," that he and Kevin are addicted to the game "Furious Pigeons," which is a parody of the game Angry Birds, so addicted that they catapulted classmate Andy Bartlet half-way across the school.

Kevin Reed is the drummer for Gravity 5 and Nelson's best friend. Besides being constantly hungry and constantly sweating, he is awkward with the ladies but athletic enough to make every sports team, just not good enough to actually play. When trying to talk to girls, he always passes out. He is demonstrated as a terrible liar and a bit of a nervous wreck.

Official Website: http://www.nick.com/shows/how-to-rock

7) Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

Bibliography: Cleary, Beverly; Beezus and Ramona; Harper Trophy Books; 1955; 183 pages; ISBN 978-0-380-70918-2.

Plot: Ramona is a four year old pain.  At least that’s what Beezus thinks.  Beezus is nine and is very responsible.  She doesn’t understand why Ramona still doesn’t understand the rules and grows up already.  The book is told through Beezus’ eyes.  Readers learn all of Ramona’s high jinks from drawing in a library book, locking Henry’s dog in the bathroom, and ruining Beezus’ birthday twice!  Will Beezus be able to live with a little sister that is so out of control?

Review: This book is told through Beezus’ view point.  The reader gets to learn all of the feelings that Beezus feels towards Ramona’s actions.  Readers will laugh at the situations that Ramona gets herself into, but will empathize with Beezus at the same time.  Anyone that has a younger sibling will understand the frustration that Beezus feels towards Ramona.  Young readers will love this book, along with the rest of the series.   

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Coming of Age/Humor

Interest Level: age 8 and up

Related Books: Ivy & Bean series; Judy Moody series; Junie B. Jones series

Characters: 
Beezus is the protagonist of this book.  She is the older sister of Ramona.  She is frequently annoyed by Ramona and her ability to mess up every situation.
Ramona is the antagonist of this book.  She is the young sister of Beezus.  She is four and doesn’t understand rules yet. 
Henry is Beezus’ best friend.  He frequently comes over to play games with Beezus.  He brings his dog with him, who Ramona tends to bother.

Author Information: http://www.beverlycleary.com/

6) Frenemies Movie: Disney Channel

Bibliography: Savel, D., Weiner, W., and Krieg, J.(Writers); Morgenstein, L., Levy, B. (Producers); Mayer, D. (Director); Frenemies; Disney Channel Original Movies; January 2012.



Plot: Frenemies is the movie of three sets of best friends that have circumstances that have the potential of breaking up their friendships.  The first story is that of Jake Logan and his best friend, his dog Murray.  Jake and Murray become frenemies after Jake decides to work on a science project with Julianne.  The second story is that of Avalon and Halley.  They are best friends that have a fashion blog named “GeeklyChic”.  Their friendship is challenged when a publishing company wants to develop their blog into a magazine.  The final story of is that of Savannah and Emma.  The two meet at the mall and realize they could be twins.  They decide to switch places to experience a new lifestyle.  It isn’t long before the girls realize they are better living the life they have.



Review: This movie is based on the book Frenemies by Alexa Young. The movie is a great way to show young teens the importance of friendship and the issues that can arise over confrontations.  The movie includes Avalon Greene and Halley Brandon into each segment of the storylines.  It’s great that the storylines connect, allowing Avalon and Halley to narrate the new characters as they come on the screen.



Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction/Friendship/Coming of Age



Interest Level: ages 9 and up



Related Shows:  Shake It Up; Good Luck Charlie; Camp Rock; High School Musical



Characters: 
Halley Brandon is the narrator of the movie.  She is also one of the main characters of the second story.  Halley and Avalon run the website “GeeklyChic”.
Avalon Greene is Halley’s best friend and the second main story of the second story.  She helps run the website “GeeklyChic” with Halley.
Jake Logan is the main character of the first story.  His best friend is his dog, Murray.
Julianne is the antagonist of the second story.  She tries to breakup Jake and Murray’s friendship.
Savannah O’Neal is one of the protagonists of the final story.  She trades places with Emma Reynolds.
Emma Reynolds is the other protagonist of the final storyline.  She is an only child and trades places with Savannah O’Neal.



Official Website: http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/originalmovies/frenemies/

5) The Whole Story of Half a Girl

Bibliography: Hiranandani, Veera; The Whole Story of Half a Girl; Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 2012; 209 pages; ISBN 978-0385741286.

Plot: Sixth grade Sonia has been attending Community school since she started school.  All she knows is the atmosphere at Community, round tables in classrooms, no grade scale, and very approachable teachers.  However, when her father loses his job and her family is no longer able to pay for the private schools tuition, Sonia must face public school for the first time.  As Sonia struggles to understand the rigidity of public school teaching, she must also try to make new friends.  Along with the changes in school, Sonia’s home life is also changing.  Her mother is working more, and her father is more distant and angry.  Will Sonia be able to keep up with her changing world?

Review: The novel is told in first person narrative, from the view point of Sonia.  Sonia is half Indian and half Jewish.  She is trying to find herself in a mainly white community.  She asks her parents where she fits in between the black and white community in her school.  Since she isn’t used to having to label herself, she struggles with the norms of her junior high school.  She makes friends with one black and one white girl.  For most of the novel she identifies with the white girl, but as the story goes on, she realizes that she prefers the company of the black girl.  This novel deals with issues of race, religion, and middle school cliques.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Multicultural/Problem Novel

Interest Level: ages 9 and up

Related Books: Are you there God? It’s me Margaret; The Mighty Miss Malone

Characters:
Sonia Nadhamuni is the protagonist and narrator of the story.  She is trying to define herself in a mostly white community.
Natasha is Sonia’s little sister.  Sonia wishes that she could be as carefree as Natasha.
Kate is the first person that reaches out to Sonia at her new school.  They soon become close friends and are on the cheerleading squad together.
Alicia is Sonia’s other friend at her new school.  Sonia slowly picks Kate over Alicia at school and the two have few interactions in the middle of the novel.
Jess is Kate’s best friend.  Jess is rude and talks bad about Sonia and Alicia.
Sam is Sonia’s best friend from Community.  As Sonia develops her friendships at her new school, her friendship with Sam quickly diminishes.

Author Information can be found at http://www.veerahiranandani.com/.