The world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens
Joy Fleishhacker is a librarian, former SLJ staffer, and freelance editor and writer who lives in southern Colorado. She spends most of her free time meeting the needs of the three voracious readers in her household.
Filled with unlikely but enduring attachments, ostensibly incompatible Romeos and Juliets, and unexpected instances of true animal camaraderie, these books prove that affection can allow individuals to look beyond their differences and forge long-lasting bonds. Use these books to expand Valentine’s Day and friendship storytimes; tease out overarching themes; and initiate discussions of tolerance, compassion, and community.
Told and retold through the centuries, ever-evolving and repeatedly re-envisioned, folk and fairy tales continue to captivate imaginations. In fact, unwavering interest in these stories have sparked an onslaught of media offerings. Take the opportunity to booktalk or display a selection of splendid retellings of folk and fairy tales written for teens. The genre’s integral themes of transformation, self-realization, burgeoning independence, and first love are ready-made for a young adult audience, and these titles utilize a variety of writing styles, settings, and storytelling tones to explore timeless motifs in imaginative and appealingly contemporary ways.
Great titles that address bullying in a variety of ways, providing information, offering the comfort of knowing that others are facing similar challenges, and presenting strategies for surviving. Booktalk them and recommend them to teachers to share with their students to increase awareness and empathy, initiate discussion, and begin to bring about change.
Filled with harrowing monsters and fate-dictating deities, and all-too-human hubris and heartache, Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ has thrilled and edified audiences for centuries. Today’s readers have a host of imaginative—and artful—adaptations of the epic poem to choose from.
Beautiful Creatures is a story of star-crossed lovers with a supernatural edge and atmospheric Southern setting. The film adaptation of the first novel in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s fan-favorite series (2009, Little, Brown) is fittingly scheduled for release on Valentine’s Day, 2013. Tempt teens who just can’t get enough of these Beautiful Creatures to keep reading by booktalking or displaying a selection of page-turning tales forged with mystical wonder and touched by true love. Encompassing copious coming-of-age themes and a variety of writing styles, these titles also make excellent choices for book discussion groups.
Looking for a way to bring Martin Luther King Day to life? These resources are the perfect way to shed light on King, as well as the Civil Rights Movement as a whole.
Tempt teens away from the screen and into the pages of a book with an appetizing array of offerings based on popular video games. You may even get them interested in history—the latest Assassin’s Creed is based on the American Revolution, set in the colonies in the mid-1700s.
Attributed to a man who lived in fifth-century-B.C. Greece, Aesop’s Fables abound with simple wisdoms and useful truths.
The film “Rise of the Guardians,” based on William Joyce’s popular series “Guardians of Childhood” premieres on November 21. Fans of folk and fairy tales will delight in the characters found in both the original series, the film, and in new books inspired by the movie.
Blending modern-day sensibilities with an avid appreciation for the source material and an endless knack for inventiveness, two novels by Adam Gidwitz, make sound starting points for examinations of folklore.
With the release of Adele’s lushly orchestrated theme song and heaps of media coverage, the buzz is building for the opening of Skyfall (PG-13) on November 9, 2012. Take advantage of the Bond bonanza and display or booktalk a selection of recently published young adult spy thrillers. Impossible to put down, these titles feature an array of unforgettable protagonists, a mix of time periods and settings, and a teen-tantalizing variety of narrative styles.
Wreck-it Ralph, the newest 3-D animated release from Disney, takes audience into world of video games to tell a humor-filled tale of friendship, heroism, and self-discovery. Fans of Ralph will also enjoy exciting but accessible picture books and chapter books based on the film.
Fans of all things fey will enjoy Winx Club, a TV series about a flight of stylish teenage fairies with an updated look and an array of magical abilities. In addition to dolls, dress-up accessories, and video games, the franchise also includes fun, fast-moving chapter books and graphic novels based on the TV show.
“How to Rock,” a comedy series based on Meg Haston’s novel, “How to Rock Braces and Glasses,” premiered on Teen Nick in February. Pitched toward the “Drake & Josh” crowd, the show combines storylines centered around school and friendship issues with pop/hip-hop music performances and an upbeat be-yourself message.
Whether they are taking their first steps and beginning to sound out words or making leaps and bounds toward decoding longer sentences and more complex story plots, emergent readers benefit from high-quality books that grab their interest and support their efforts. Ranging from funny tales to nonfiction, these books are guaranteed to reel in developing readers and keep them turning pages.
Perfectly pitched to fans of TV’s Glee and reality competition shows such as American Idol, The Voice, and X Factor, this musical comedy from Universal Studios opens nationally on October 5. Set in the fascinating—and surprisingly bodacious—world of collegiate a cappella singing, Pitch Perfect (PG-13) harmonizes crowd-pleasing acoustic production numbers with plenty of sassy and brassy girl-power attitude and ribald humor (hence the tagline—“Get Pitch Slapped”). The film is inspired by Mickey Rapkin’s nonfiction title, Pitch Perfect (Gotham, 2008; Gr 10 Up), which has been re-issued with an eye-catching movie-poster cover.
First introduced in 1993 with Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, this iconic live-action TV series starring a group of teens able to transform into a team of color-coded costumed superheroes is still going strong. Power Rangers: Samurai, the show’s l8th iteration, premiered in 2011 on Nickelodeon, followed by 2012’s Power Rangers: Super Samurai (TVY7), a second set of episodes featuring the same characters.
Two new animated offerings—Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania—pay homage to classic Hollywood monsters with fresh interpretations and plenty of panache—just in time for Halloween.
Take your students on a fact-filled African expedition with this selection of handsomely illustrated titles that introduce various species, provide insights about their habitats, and highlight environmental concerns and conservation challenges. The books have been selected to support a range of reading abilities and interest levels, spanning from picture books suitable to more detailed accounts.
Fans of the The Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence will be flocking to see her newest, The House at the End of the Street, opening September 21. Suggest these gripping tales as read-alikes, or consider making them part of a Halloween display or booktalk.
