Reviews+

Today we look at two examples of the postmodern novel. Postmodernism has gotten a bad rap–almost from the beginning–for being purposefully obscure, denying the existence of meaning, and encouraging moral relativism.  But, while I concede that many postmodern works of art can be infuriatingly vague, for me at least the best postmodern novels (like the [...]

Cartoonist Joey Weiser’s latest work, Mermin Vol. 1: Out of Water, is about as close to a literal fish-out-of-water story as one would probably want to encounter in a comic book. After the title character, a young mer-boy, rescues a young surface-dweller boy from a shark, he’s invited to stay with the boy’s family and [...]

Be sure to check out a video challenge for middle and high school students, a chance for educators to win a document camera, children’s and YA book awards, and more.

"It was purposeful that the IWitness platform was built with media literacy and school standards around digital education right at the center of its architecture."

This grand-slam lineup of titles about baseball illustrate why the sport is still America's pastime.

The leader of our Bookmarked review group, Elizabeth Kahn, is always looking for new ways to keep her students engaged and entertained. Elsewhere in this issue of SLJTeen you can read about a recent visit to her library by Ruta Sepetys, author of the award-winning Between Shades of Gray (Philomel, 2011). She also recently wrangled a stop from Cory Doctorow, who is on the road promoting his latest title, Pirate Cinema (Tor Teen, 2012). Her advice on getting authors to visit your school or library? Just ask—the worse they can so is "No," and odds are, eventually you are going to hear "Yes."

This winsome tale about a porcupine and a balloon would make a perfect choice for toddler storytimes.

My Friend Dahmer is a strong example of the power of an engaging nonfiction narrative in illuminating the darker side of human nature. For teens interested in more insightful, hard-hitting works, check out the following titles.  Given that My Friend Dahmer skates the line between teen and adult in terms of collection, please be aware [...]

A flashback to what I was reading in March 2010. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn. From my review: “Wait Till Helen Comes is a scary as hell ghost story about not one, but two, mean little girls. Is there anything more terrifying than an evil child? How about an evil child that everyone [...]