Jane by Design

Jane by Design – Season One

Network:  ABC Family

Format: Television Show

Genre: Fiction

This show is for Ages: 12 up

Subjects/Themes: Growing Up, Fashion

Plot Summary:   Jane Quimby is a teenager in high school.  Jane applies for an internship at a local design house and through a clerical error is interviewed and hired as an executive assistant.  Jane keeps the two worlds separate and tells no one of her new job.  Jane enlists the help of her best friend and manages to travel to Paris, and Beverly Hills, launch a dress design at a fashion show, and design a wedding gown for a high profile client.  

Review:   If you like fashion then you will love Jane by Design.  The show is fun and flirty with lots of great fashion.  The characters are typical but engaging.  There are lots of cameos by fashion industry celebrities.  Jane by Design is in no way realistic and that makes it fun.  It is pure fantasy wrapped in pink tulle with a funky little black boot to make it edgy.

Mates, Dates & Inflatable Bras by Cathy Hopkins

Mates,  Dates & Inflatable Bras

Author:  Cathy Hopkins

Publisher:  Bolinda Audio     Year:  2002

ISBN:  1740931351 - Audiobook

Genre: Fiction/ Realistic

This book is for Ages: 12 up

AR Points: 4.0

Subjects/Themes: Friends; Growing Up

Plot Summary: Lucy is lost.  She really looks more like a child than a 14-year-old.  When beautiful Nesta comes to her school, Lucy must share her best friend Izzy.  All while looking for a handsome mysterious boy and trying to decide what she wants to do with her life. 

Review:   This is a fun story about growing up and making friends.   Lucy has a lot to learn about herself.  She like most teens underestimates her talents and potential.  She has a bit to learn about and what it means to be a good friend.  This story is stylish witty and funny.  Amanda Hulme does a great job of bringing Lucy’s voice to life.

If you like this book you may also like other books by Cathy Hopkins in the Mates Dates series.

American Presidents

American Presidents

Publisher:  Disney Educational Productions 2010

Genre: Non-Fiction American History

This DVD is for Ages: 8 - 14
ASIN: B0035CP4O2

Subjects/Themes:  American Presidents 1754-1861

Short Biographies of the first 11 American Presidents including George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler and James K Polk are offered in an appealing and hip way.  The DVD includes interactive content to test your knowledge of the first 11 presidents, and their political philosophies.  This is a great resource to share with teachers.  This is a entertaining and informative dvd.

Ultra Maniac

Title:   Ultra Maniac Volume 1

Genre: Fiction/Manga

This DVD is for Ages: 8 up

Subjects/Themes: Fantasy Magic

Plot Summary: Nina is a witch in training. She comes to school in our realm because she was having trouble in hers.  She meets Ayu and the two become good friends.  Nina uses her magic to help Ayu whenever she can but since Nina is not a very good witch the outcome is usually not quite what she intends.  This set is funny, adorable, cute and full of laughs.  A great manga set for younger fans who like magic, and manga.  

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Midnight for Charlie Bone

Author:  Jenny Nimmo

Publisher:  Listening Library  Date: March 2004

ISBN:  978-1400086146

Audio Book Narrator: Simon Russell Beale

Genre: Fiction

This book is for Ages: 8 up

AR Points:      10.0

Subjects/Themes: Fantasy Magic

Plot Summary:  11-year-old Charlie Bone lives with his Mom, 2 Grandmothers and Uncle.  One day Charlie realizes that he is endowed.  He can hear the thoughts and conversations of people in photographs.  When Charlie’s photograph of his best friend’s dog gets mixed up with the 11-year-old photo of a man and his baby girl, Charlie begins to investigate what happened to the baby and wonders if the girl may be a student with him at Bloor’s academy.  Charlie soon becomes entangled in a larger plot where endowed children good and evil, struggle for control.
 

Review: Jenny Nimmo’s Charlie Bone is a good story that suffers from comparison to the Harry Potter books.  Bloor’s Academy is like Hogwarts and Charlie’s family is both supportive and sinister.  The nice thing about this book is that Charlie is not an orphan.  He has a mother, grandmother and uncle who support him.  Charlie meets other adults he can rely on in this tale and the unusual powers of the endowed children makes for a good read.

If you like this book you may also like:  Any of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. 

No Castles Here by A.C.E. Bauer

No Castles Here

Author:  A.C.E. Bauer

Publisher:  Random House    Year:  2007

ISBN:  978-0-375-93921-1

Genre: Fiction/ Realistic

This book is for Ages: 8 up

AR Points:      7.0

Subjects/Themes: Family Life, Neighborhood, School, Music

Augie is an 11-year-old boy living in a tough neighborhood.  The boys in his class sometimes are lookouts for the local gang.  With the help of his music teacher, a bookstore owner and a few others, Augie helps his community unite through music to revitalize his aging school and acknowledge the commitment of the students despite their difficult circumstances.  The characters in this story are believable; the situations are tough and yet somehow ring true.  A.C.E. Bauer writes a good story within a story.  Augie is a likeable although imperfect, as are most people in the real world. 

If you like this book you may also like:  Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrik

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Title:   Freak the Mighty

Author:  Rodman Philbrick

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.       

Year:  ©1993

ISBN:  978-0-439-28606-0

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for Ages: 10 up

Awards:  Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book

AR Points:      5.5

Subjects/Themes: Friendship, School, Family, Identity, Death

Plot Summary:  Max always thought he was a stupid, unlovable giant.  Everyone is afraid of him, even his Gram and Grim (Grandpa) who he lives with since his mother died and his father went away.  One day Max meets Freak, a very small and extremely smart boy.  Together they become Freak the Mighty, avoiding bullies, and performing quests.  Freak shares everything with Max, like the secrets of how to read and what words mean.  Freak is going to get bionic body from the research lab at the hospital.  

Review:    Despite his small size, Freak is a superhero.  He saves Max in this compelling and powerful story by Rodman Philbrick.  This book is full of adventure and on its face is a great story.  For older readers Freak the mighty challenges us to examine the way we look at children of all ages to see beyond the physical into the heart and spirit of the young people we encounter.

Sam I Am by Ilene Cooper

Title:  Sam I am

Author:  Ilene Cooper

Publisher:  Scholastic Press  Year:  2004

ISBN:  0-439-43967-1  

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for Ages: 10-14

AR Points: 8.0

Subjects/Themes: Family/Religion/Identity

Plot Summary:  Sam’s mom is Christian but his dad is Jewish.  When his dog Pluto knocks over the Hanukah Bush and breaks his mother’s treasured ornaments.  His parents decide to change the way the family celebrate the holidays.  Sam wonders about God and religious tolerance as he searches to define who he is, and what he believes.

Review:   Good book with likeable characters.  Sam has a voice that reflects his 7^th grade self.  He likes, girls, is starting to grow up and is not sure what he thinks about God.   Sam I am acknowledges religious intolerance and racism as it is encountered by the young people in school and the media.  Sam I am is a good book for students to read when studying WWII or the Holocaust.  Ilene Cooper’s book provides insight and answers for some of the questions that many adults and children encounter when struggling with questions about religion. 

If you like this book you may also like: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass.

Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day By Gary Paulsen

Title:  Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day

Author:  Gary Paulsen

Publisher:  Wendy Lamb Books       Year:  2004

ISBN:  0-385-325886

Genre: Fiction/Realistic/Humor

This book is for Ages: 8 - 12

AR Points: 3.0

Subjects/Themes: Family/School/

Plot Summary:  Orphaned, Molly McGinty a 7^th grader at Our Lady of Mercy Middle School lives by the book.  That is her notebook where she keeps track of everything from school assignments and lunch money to when to pay her Grandma Irene’s bills.  Molly loses her notebook the night before Senior Citizen’s Day at school.  Grandma Irene in her purple suede jeans joins Molly and her three friends Mary Margaret, Mary Pat, and Mary Bridget in a day filled with folly. 

Review:   Gary Paulsen author of The Hatchet writes very well. Molly McGinty is not the book on which to judge his career.  This book is silly.  While it imparts a good message about the need for control, Grandma Irene and Molly’s adventures do not display the depth and knowledge of character development that Paulsen delivers in his other books.  Paulsen tosses Molly from black eye to boyfriend in a quick and easy read.

If you like this book you may also like: Desdemona, Twelve Going on Desperate.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Title:   Dairy of a Wimpy Kid

Author and Illustrator:  Jeff Kinney

Publisher: Amulet Books      Year: 2007

ISBN:  978-0-8109-9313-6

Genre: Fiction/Realistic/Humorous

This book is for Ages: 9-13

Awards:  Publisher’s Weekly Best Book, YALSA Top 10

AR Points: 3.0          

Subjects/Themes: Friends, School, Family

Plot Summary:  Greg Heffley is stuck in middle school, or the dumbest idea ever invented.  In his journal, not a diary, he records his thoughts on girls, Phys ed., taking care of his little brother, dealing with parents, video games, friends and all the stuff that can make the first year a middle school a bust.

Review:  Laugh out loud funny this book is fantastic.  I wish I had read this when my son was in middle school.  Jeff Kinney’s characters and situations involving Greg, Rowley, Rodrick, even Mom and Dad are brought to life by his lively illustrations. Greg is kind of a bully but in the end he proves that he is a true friend. 

If you like this book you may also like: the other books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series also by Jeff Kinney.

Operation Yes by Sarah Lewis Homes

Title:  Operation YES

Author:  Sarah Lewis Holmes

Publisher: Brilliance Audio   Year:  2011

Read by:  Jessica Almasy

Media: CD Unabridged Playing Time: 6 hours

ISBN:  978-1-61106-079-9

Genre: Fiction/Realistic

This book is for Ages: 8 - 14

Awards:  Audie Award for Best Audio Recording for Ages 8-12 (2010)

AR Points: 7.0

Subjects/Themes: Teachers/Students/Military Families/War/Hope

Plot Summary:  Bo is sure his 6^th grade year is going to be different.  He has a new teacher, Miss Loupe, who has a tattoo and an ugly green couch.  His cousin, Gari, is coming to live with his family at the air force base.  Her mom an army nurse has been deployed.  Gari is in the sixth grade too.  Bo and Gari share a year learning to say “Yes, and  . . .” as Miss Loupe shares her ideas theater and improvisation with the 6^th graders.  When tragedy strikes, Bo, Gari and the students of Mrs. Loupe’s sixth grade class try to restore hope to Miss Loupe, the school and soldiers.

Review:   Holmes reveals the interesting life of military children.  Bo is a typical 6^th-grade-boy.  He is a little rowdy.  He likes airplanes and cars.  He struggles with the responsibility of being the base commander’s son.  His cousin Gari worries about her mom being deployed to Iraq.  The story deals with the special challenges faced by children of American soldiers.  Holmes book is happy, sad, strong and hopeful.  This book is a must read.

If you like this book you may also like:  Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, The Military Alphabet By Chris Demarest.